Towards the clinical translation of a silver sulfide nanoparticle contrast agent: large scale production with a highly parallelized microfluidic chip.

Purpose: Ultrasmall silver sulfide nanoparticles (AgS-NP) have been identified as promising contrast agents for a number of modalities and in particular for dual-energy mammography. These AgS-NP have demonstrated marked advantages over clinically available agents with the ability to generate higher contrast with high biocompatibility. However, current synthesis methods for inorganic nanoparticles are low-throughput and highly time-intensive, limiting the possibility of large animal studies or eventual clinical use of this potential imaging agent.

A Biodegradable "One-For-All" Nanoparticle for Multimodality Imaging and Enhanced Photothermal Treatment of Breast Cancer.

Silver sulfide nanoparticles (AgS-NP) hold promise for various optical-based biomedical applications, such as near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging, photoacoustics (PA), and photothermal therapy (PTT). However, their NIR absorbance is relatively low, and previous formulations are synthesized using toxic precursors under harsh conditions and are not effectively cleared due to their large size. Herein, sub-5 nm AgS-NP are synthesized and encapsulated in biodegradable, polymeric nanoparticles (AgPCPP).

Towards the Clinical Translation of a Silver Sulfide Nanoparticle Contrast Agent: Large Scale Production with a Highly Parallelized Microfluidic Chip.

Ultrasmall silver sulfide nanoparticles (Ag S-NP) have been identified as promising contrast agents for a number of modalities and in particular for dual-energy mammography. These Ag S-NP have demonstrated marked advantages over clinically available agents with the ability to generate higher contrast with high biocompatibility. However, current synthesis methods are low-throughput and highly time-intensive, limiting the possibility of large animal studies or eventual clinical use of this potential imaging agent.

A biodegradable "one-for-all" nanoparticle for multimodality imaging and enhanced photothermal treatment of breast cancer.

Silver sulfide nanoparticles (Ag S-NP) have been proposed for various optical-based biomedical applications, such as near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging, photoacoustics (PA) and photothermal therapy (PTT). However, their absorbance is relatively low in the NIR window used in these applications, and previous formulations were synthesized using toxic precursors under harsh conditions and have clearance issues due to their large size. Herein, we synthesized sub-5 nm Ag S-NP and encapsulated them in biodegradable, polymeric nanoparticles (AgPCPP).

Variations in activation energy and nuclei size during nucleation explain chiral symmetry breaking.

We show that variations in enantiomer nuclei size and activation energy during the nucleation stage of crystallization are responsible for the chiral symmetry breaking resulting in excess of one of the possible enantiomers with respect to the other. By understanding the crystallisation process as a non-equilibrium self-assembly process, we quantify the enantiomeric excess through the probability distribution of the nuclei size and activation energy variations which are obtained from the free energy involved in the nucleation stage of crystallisation. We validate our theory by comparing it to Kondepudi previous experimental work on sodium chlorate crystallisation.

In situ study of chiral symmetry breaking in sodium chlorate solutions by Mueller matrix polarimetry.

This work presents a novel approach for investigating symmetry-breaking processes during crystallization using Mueller matrix polarimetry. By applying this method to the cooling process of NaClO solutions, we demonstrate its ability to capture not only the initial and final stages of crystallization but also the intermediate steps and dynamics of the process. This technique provides more comprehensive information and insights into the symmetry-breaking mechanisms involved in crystal formation.

Chiral symmetry breaking induced by energy dissipation.

Spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking is observed in a wide variety of systems on very different scales, from the subatomic to the cosmological. Despite its generality and importance for a large number of applications, its origin is still a matter of debate. It has been shown that the existence of a difference between the energies of the intermediate states of optical enantiomers leads to disparate production rates and thus to symmetry breaking.

COVID-19 masks increase the influence of face recognition algorithm decisions on human decisions in unfamiliar face matching.

Face masks, recently adopted to reduce the spread of COVID-19, have had the unintended consequence of increasing the difficulty of face recognition. In security applications, face recognition algorithms are used to identify individuals and present results for human review. This combination of human and algorithm capabilities, known as human-algorithm teaming, is intended to improve total system performance.

Evaluating spatial accessibility to COVID-19 vaccine resources in diversely populated counties in the United States.

This study examines the accessibility to COVID-19 vaccination resources in two counties surrounding Newark, NJ in the New York Metropolitan Area, United States. The study area represents diverse population makeups. COVID-19 vaccines were made available by different types of vaccination sites including county mass vaccination sites, medical facilities and pharmacies, and a FEMA community vaccination center in spring 2021.

A Criterion for the Formation of Nonequilibrium Self-Assembled Structures.

Is there a criterion able to determine the type of structures formed in a nonequilibrium self-assembly process? This important question has a clear answer when the process takes place under equilibrium conditions: structures emerge at minimum values of the free energy. Experiments, however, have shown that when self-assembly takes place outside equilibrium, they do not appear at those free energy minima but rather at optimal values of structural parameters. On the basis of these observations, we propose a selection criterion for which structures come up at the minima of a nonequilibrium free energy that takes into account the energy needed to change their configuration.

Self-assembling outside equilibrium: emergence of structures mediated by dissipation.

A set of disordered interacting building blocks may form ordered structures by means of a self-assembling process. An external intervention in the system by adding a chemical species or by applying forces leads to different self-assembly scenarios with the appearance of new structures. For instance, the formation of microtubules, gels, virus capsides, cells and living beings among others takes place by self-assembly under nonequilibrium conditions.

Non-equilibrium thermodynamics as a tool to compute temperature at the catalyst surface.

The surface temperature is computed for a heterogeneous catalytic reaction model, namely the oxidation of carbon monoxide on platinum. The surface temperature was found using non-equilibrium thermodynamic theory, a theory which provides the proper dependencies between heat and mass fluxes and the reaction rate. The theory predicts a possible coupling between the reaction rate and the thermal driving force and can help extend classical reaction kinetics.

The Role of Energy and Matter Dissipation in Determining the Architecture of Self-Assembled Structures.

We show how the architecture of self-assembled structures can be determined from the knowledge of the energy and matter dissipation inherent to its formation. When the amount of dissipation quantified by the total entropy produced in the process is represented in terms of parameters that describe the shape of the assembled structures, its extremes correspond to structures found in experimental situations such as in gelation and Liesegang ring formation. It is found that only a small amount of extra energy is needed to yield smooth changes in the form of the assembled structures.

Understanding Gelation as a Nonequilibrium Self-Assembly Process.

Gel formation is described by a nonequilibrium self-assembly (SA) mechanism which considers the presence of precursors. Assuming that nonequilibrium structures appear and are maintained by entropy production, we developed a mesoscopic nonequilibrium thermodynamic model that describes the dynamic assembly of the structures. In the model, the evolution of the structures from the initially inactivated building blocks to the final agglomerates is governed by kinetic equations of the Fokker-Planck type.

Nonequilibrium self-assembly induced Liesegang rings in a non-isothermal system.

We propose a model to show the formation of Liesegang rings under non-isothermal conditions. The model formulates reaction-diffusion equations for all components intervening in the process together with an evolution equation for the temperature. The reactive parts in these equations follow from the analysis of the non-equilibrium self-assembly (NESA) process undergone by the meso-particles which make up the patterns.

Detecting and Quantifying Mind Wandering during Simulated Driving.

Mind wandering is a pervasive threat to transportation safety, potentially accounting for a substantial number of crashes and fatalities. In the current study, mind wandering was induced through completion of the same task for 5 days, consisting of a 20-min monotonous freeway-driving scenario, a cognitive depletion task, and a repetition of the 20-min driving scenario driven in the reverse direction. Participants were periodically probed with auditory tones to self-report whether they were mind wandering or focused on the driving task.

Thermodynamic and morphological characterization of Turing patterns in non-isothermal reaction-diffusion systems.

The effect of temperature on the bifurcation diagram and Turing instability domain under non isothermal conditions is studied in the reversible Gray-Scott model. After adding the energy balance to the cubic autocatalytic model, the thermostat temperature and heat transfer coefficient are used as control parameters in the Turing pattern formation. The patterns obtained in the domain of the thermal parameter are characterized by quantifying the overall entropy generation rate and two topological indices; Shannon entropy and Minkowski functionals.

Multiple interpretations of long-term working memory theory: Reply to Delaney and Ericsson (2016).

This reply is in response to Delaney and Ericsson (2016), who argue that the results of our recent research (Foroughi, Werner, Barragán, & Boehm-Davis, 2015) can be explained by Ericsson and Kintsch's (1995) long-term working memory (LTWM) theory. Our original work was designed to test the prediction made by LTWM theory that interruptions of up to 30 s in duration would not disrupt reading performance. We conducted the work following the method and outcome measures recommended by Ericsson and Kintsch (1995).

Validation of the Attention-Related Driving Errors Scale (ARDES) in an English-Speaking Sample.

Objective: The goal for this study was to develop an English translation of the Attention-Related Driving Errors Scale (ARDES-US) and to determine its potential relationship with driver history and other demographic variables.

Background: Individual differences in performance on vigilance and cognitive tasks are well documented, but less is known about susceptibility to attention-related errors while driving. The ARDES has been developed and administered in both Spanish and Chinese but to our knowledge has never been administered or examined in an English-speaking population.

A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind phase IIb trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of tirasemtiv in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Our objectives were to evaluate the safety and tolerability of tirasemtiv over 12 weeks and its effect on the revised ALS Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS-R) and other secondary functional measures. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial enrolled adults with ALS and slow vital capacity (SVC) > 50% from 73 centers in eight countries. Patients who tolerated open-label tirasemtiv 125 mg b.

Interruptions disrupt reading comprehension.

Previous research suggests that being interrupted while reading a text does not disrupt the later recognition or recall of information from that text. This research is used as support for Ericsson and Kintsch's (1995) long-term working memory (LT-WM) theory, which posits that disruptions while reading (e.g.

Knowledge, understanding, and uptake of noninvasive prenatal testing among Latina women.

Objective: The aim of this study is to assess Latina patient understanding of noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) and identify what factors influence uptake/refusal to NIPT to adapt counseling to the needs and interests of this population.

Methods: Mixed-methods survey in English and Spanish administered to pregnant Latina patients throughout pregnancy.

Results: Sixty-three women participated in our study (67% response rate); 34.

Entropy production in oscillatory processes during photosynthesis.

The flow of matter and heat and the rate of enzymatic reactions are examined using two models of photosynthesis that exhibit sustained and damped oscillatory dynamics, with the objective of calculating the rate of entropy generation and studying the effects of temperature and kinetic constants on the thermodynamic efficiency of photosynthesis. The global coefficient of heat transfer and the direct and inverse constants of the formation reaction of the RuBisCO-CO2 complex were used as control parameters. Results show that when the system moves from isothermal to non-isothermal conditions, the transition from a steady state to oscillations facilitates an increase in the energy efficiency of the process.

Prevalence and type of BRCA mutations in Hispanics undergoing genetic cancer risk assessment in the southwestern United States: a report from the Clinical Cancer Genetics Community Research Network.

Purpose: To determine the prevalence and type of BRCA1 and BRCA2 (BRCA) mutations among Hispanics in the Southwestern United States and their potential impact on genetic cancer risk assessment (GCRA).

Patients And Methods: Hispanics (n = 746) with a personal or family history of breast and/or ovarian cancer were enrolled in an institutional review board-approved registry and received GCRA and BRCA testing within a consortium of 14 clinics. Population-based Hispanic breast cancer cases (n = 492) enrolled in the Northern California Breast Cancer Family Registry, negative by sequencing for BRCA mutations, were analyzed for the presence of the BRCA1 ex9-12del large rearrangement.

Concurrent use of cultural health practices and Western medicine during pregnancy: exploring the Mexican experience in the United States.

The relationship between concurrent use of cultural health practices and Western medicine during pregnancy by women of Mexican origin is relatively unstudied. The aim of this study was to explore how cultural health practices are balanced with the use of Western medicine during pregnancy by women of Mexican origin across differing acculturation levels. A convenience sample of 15 women of self-identified Mexican origin between the ages of 18-65 participated either in a telephone interview or one of two small group interviews; each was conducted in participants' preferred language.