Unzipping hBN with ultrashort mid-infrared pulses.

Manipulating the nanostructure of materials is critical for numerous applications in electronics, magnetics, and photonics. However, conventional methods such as lithography and laser writing require cleanroom facilities or leave residue. We describe an approach to creating atomically sharp line defects in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) at room temperature by direct optical phonon excitation with a mid-infrared pulsed laser from free space.

Phonon-enhanced nonlinearities in hexagonal boron nitride.

Polar crystals can be driven into collective oscillations by optical fields tuned to precise resonance frequencies. As the amplitude of the excited phonon modes increases, novel processes scaling non-linearly with the applied fields begin to contribute to the dynamics of the atomic system. Here we show two such optical nonlinearities that are induced and enhanced by the strong phonon resonance in the van der Waals crystal hexagonal boron nitride (hBN).

SMS reminders to improve outpatient attendance for public dental services: A retrospective study.

Patients who miss scheduled appointments reduce clinical productivity and delay access to care for other patients. Reminders have improved attendance for healthcare appointments previously, but it is not known if short message service (SMS) implementation reduces incidence of patients unable to attend (UTA) or who fail to attend (FTA) appointments in the public dental service. This paper studied the effectiveness of SMS reminders in increasing appointment attendance at outpatient public dental services in Queensland.

Nonlinear refractive index of solids in mid-infrared.

We measure the third-order nonlinear optical response of various dielectrics and semiconductors using the spectrally resolved two-beam coupling method at 2.3 µm, 3.5 µm, 4.

Multi-material three dimensional printed models for simulation of bronchoscopy.

Background: Bronchoscopy involves exploration of a three-dimensional (3D) bronchial tree environment using just two-dimensional (2D) images, visual cues and haptic feedback. Sound knowledge and understanding of tracheobronchial anatomy as well as ample training experience is mandatory for technical mastery. Although simulated modalities facilitate safe training for inexperienced operators, current commercial training models are expensive or deficient in anatomical accuracy, clinical fidelity and patient representation.

Characterization of spontaneously generated prion-like conformers in cultured cells.

A distinct conformational transition from the α-helix-rich cellular prion protein (PrPC) into its β-sheet-rich pathological isoform (PrPSc) is the hallmark of prion diseases, a group of fatal transmissible encephalopathies that includes spontaneous and acquired forms. Recently, a PrPSc-like intermediate form characterized by the formation of insoluble aggregates and protease-resistant PrP species termed insoluble PrPC (iPrPC) has been identified in uninfected mammalian brains and cultured neuronal cells, providing new insights into the molecular mechanism(s) of these diseases. Here, we explore the molecular characteristics of the spontaneously formed iPrPC in cultured neuroblastoma cells expressing wild-type or mutant human PrP linked to two familial prion diseases.

Rebellion against the polio vaccine in Nigeria: implications for humanitarian policy.

Polio eradication has been top on the agenda of various international humanitarian organizations since 1988. Caused by a virus that enters through the mouth, poliomyelitis attacks the nervous system, and can lead to irreversible paralysis or death. Children under five years of age are most at risk, and the oral polio vaccine, OPV, is administered as a drop often on a lump of sugar placed in the child's mouth.