Behavior of chemically powered Janus colloids in lyotropic chromonic liquid crystal.

Platinum-coated Janus colloids exhibit self-propelled motion in aqueous solution via the catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. Here, we report their motion in a uniformly aligned nematic phase of lyotropic chromonic liquid crystal, disodium cromoglycate (DSCG). When active Janus colloids are placed in DSCG, we find that the anisotropy of the liquid crystal imposes a strong sense of direction to their motion; the Janus colloids tend to move parallel to the nematic director.

Controlling Chaos: Periodic Defect Braiding in Active Nematics Confined to a Cardioid.

This work examines self-mixing in active nematics, a class of fluids in which mobile topological defects drive chaotic flows in a system comprised of biological filaments and molecular motors. We present experiments that demonstrate how geometrical confinement can influence the braiding dynamics of the defects. Notably, we show that confinement in cardioid-shaped wells leads to realization of the golden braid, a maximally efficient mixing state of exactly three defects with no defect creation or annihilation.

Fire Safety in Informal Settlements: A Gendered Framework of Fire Justice.

People living in informal settlements, whether in urban or tented environments, face daily risks of injury and loss of life or property due to preventable fires. Currently, research and practice in the field of fire risk and prevention within informal settlements centres on technical interventions and solutions. While developments in materials, response and urban planning, for example, are an important aspect of reducing the effects of fire, the gendered framework for fire justice presented in this paper challenges the dominance of such technical solutions which neglect social dimensions of vulnerability to fire risk.

Reusable personal protective equipment in Canadian healthcare: Safe, secure, and sustainable.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that was intentionally designed and manufactured as reusable, including gowns, goggles, face shields, and elastomeric respirators, took on a heightened role during the pandemic. Healthcare workers who had access to these products and infrastructure for cleaning and sterilizing them had a greater sense of confidence to undertake their jobs due to an increased sense of personal safety. Using multiple data sources, including a literature review, roundtables, interviews, surveys, and Internet-based research, the project team investigated the impact of disposable PPE and role of reusable PPE during the pandemic in Canada.

Suitability of memory aids and strategies for people with posterior cortical atrophy: protocol for a scoping review.

Background: Posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) is a neurodegenerative syndrome characterised by progressive visuospatial and visuoperceptual impairment. Recent research shows that memory impairment can also occur as an early symptom of the condition and that the impairment can be ameliorated by providing support in the memory recall phase, for example, by presenting a related cue. In Alzheimer's disease (AD), which is defined by an amnestic syndrome, memory aids and strategies have been used to help support everyday memory, which in turn can have a positive impact on patient and carer outcomes.

Forming, Confining, and Observing Microtubule-Based Active Nematics.

The formation of biopolymer-based active phases has become an important technique for researchers interested in exploring the emerging field of active liquid crystals and their possible roles in cell biology. These novel systems consist of self-driven sub-units that consume energy locally, producing an out-of-equilibrium dynamic fluid. To form the active liquid crystal phase described in this report, purified protein components including biopolymers and molecular motors are combined, and the active nematic phase spontaneously forms in the presence of adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

The prevalence of and factors influencing statistical testing of baseline characteristics in randomized controlled trials published in high-impact orthodontic journals.

Introduction: When proper randomization has been undertaken, statistical testing of baseline characteristics between participants in trial arms in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is not required. This investigation aimed to assess the prevalence of statistical testing of baseline differences in orthodontic RCTs. Factors influencing the undertaking of this analysis were explored.

Transparent Quasi-Random Structures for Multimodal Light Trapping in Ultrathin Solar Cells with Broad Engineering Tolerance.

Waveguide modes are well-known to be a valuable light-trapping resource for absorption enhancement in solar cells. However, their scarcity in the thinnest device stacks compromises the multiresonant performance required to reach the highest efficiencies in ultrathin devices. We demonstrate that enriching the modal structure on such reduced length-scales is possible by integrating transparent semiconductor/dielectric scattering structures to the device architecture as opposed to more widely studied metallic textures.

Defect seeded remote epitaxy of GaAs films on graphene.

Remote epitaxy is an emerging materials synthesis technique which employs a 2D interface layer, often graphene, to enable the epitaxial deposition of low defect single crystal films while restricting bonding between the growth layer and the underlying substrate. This allows for the subsequent release of the epitaxial film for integration with other systems and reuse of growth substrates. This approach is applicable to material systems with an ionic component to their bonding, making it notably appealing for III-V alloys, which are a technologically important family of materials.

Inborn errors of metabolism and their impact in paediatric dentistry.

The management of paediatric patients with inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) presents an unparalleled challenge for paediatric dentists owing to the multiplex of interrelated dental manifestations and metabolic management necessitating modifications to dental care. Inborn errors of metabolism describe a largely heterogenous group of genetic disorders namely attributable to a single gene defect essential for a specific metabolic pathway. Approximately 400 disorders have been described with an overall incidence of 1 in 5000 live births worldwide.

Designing transparent nanophotonic gratings for ultra-thin solar cells.

Integration of a rear surface nanophotonic grating can increase photocurrent in ultra-thin solar cells. Transparent gratings formed of dielectric materials and high bandgap semiconductors can offer efficient diffraction with lower parasitic absorption than more widely studied metal/dielectric equivalents. In these systems, the maximum photocurrent which can be obtained for a grating made of a given combination of materials is shown to follow a simple empirical model based on the optical constants of these materials and independent of grating dimensions.

Active nematic order and dynamic lane formation of microtubules driven by membrane-bound diffusing motors.

Dynamic lane formation and long-range active nematic alignment are reported using a geometry in which kinesin motors are directly coupled to a lipid bilayer, allowing for in-plane motor diffusion during microtubule gliding. We use fluorescence microscopy to image protein distributions in and below the dense two-dimensional microtubule layer, revealing evidence of diffusion-enabled kinesin restructuring within the fluid membrane substrate as microtubules collectively glide above. We find that the lipid membrane acts to promote filament-filament alignment within the gliding layer, enhancing the formation of a globally aligned active nematic state.

Multiorganizational Partnerships: A Mechanism for Increasing the Employment of Internationally Educated Nurses.

Background: Internationally educated nurses (IENs) face multiple challenges in entering and integrating into the Canadian workforce. These challenges include getting to know the Canadian culture, nursing accountabilities, professional practice requirements and experience or qualifications deemed not equivalent to the Canadian standard. Hamilton Health Sciences' (HHS') IEN Integration Project has been funded by the Ontario and Canadian governments to support IENs in overcoming these challenges and contribute to the healthcare system.

Directional, Low-Energy Driven Thermal Actuating Bilayer Enabled by Coordinated Submolecular Switching.

The authors reveal a thermal actuating bilayer that undergoes reversible deformation in response to low-energy thermal stimuli, for example, a few degrees of temperature increase. It is made of an aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) sheet covalently connected to a polymer layer in which dibenzocycloocta-1,5-diene (DBCOD) actuating units are oriented parallel to CNTs. Upon exposure to low-energy thermal stimulation, coordinated submolecular-level conformational changes of DBCODs result in macroscopic thermal contraction.

Fractal generation in a two-dimensional active-nematic fluid.

Active fluids, composed of individual self-propelled agents, can generate complex large-scale coherent flows. A particularly important laboratory realization of such an active fluid is a system composed of microtubules, aligned in a quasi-two-dimensional (2D) nematic phase and driven by adenosine-triphosphate-fueled kinesin motor proteins. This system exhibits robust chaotic advection and gives rise to a pronounced fractal structure in the nematic contours.

Colloidal aggregation in anisotropic liquid crystal solvent.

The mutual attraction between colloidal particles in an anisotropic fluid, such as the nematic liquid crystal phase, leads to the formation of hierarchical aggregate morphologies distinct from those that tend to form in isotropic fluids. Previously it was difficult to study this aggregation process for a large number of colloids due to the difficulty of achieving a well dispersed initial colloid distribution under good imaging conditions. In this paper, we report the use of a recently developed self-assembling colloidal system to investigate this process.

Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS): Review of the literature and case series of five pediatric dental patients.

Patients with MPS present with a plethora of dental manifestations, accompanying behavioral difficulties and medical comorbidities which often dictate the need for treatment in specialist centers. Prevention is therefore mandatory in this high-risk group.

Wiedemann-Steiner syndrome: A case report.

Wiedemann-Steiner syndrome (WDSTS) is an exceptionally rare autosomal dominant syndrome with considerable phenotypical variation. Clinical features include dysmorphic facial and skeletal features, growth deficiency, developmental delay, hypertrichosis cubiti and various dental features. We present a 7-year-old female with premature exfoliation of primary teeth and premature eruption of permanent teeth.

Multiple Sulfatase Deficiency (MSD): Review of the Literature and Case Reports of Two Siblings with Dental Caries and Trauma.

Multiple sulfatase deficiency (MSD) (MIM # 272200) is an extraordinarily rare inborn error of metabolism (IEM). The phenotypic spectrum is largely heterogeneous and attributed to the combined effects of deficiencies in the nine sulfatases currently known to be related to human diseases. Systemic sequelae of MSD are vast and multisystemic, primarily encompassing developmental delay and neurological, cardiopulmonary, dermatological, gastroenterological, and skeletal manifestations.

Impact of dietary interventions in inborn errors of metabolism in paediatric dentistry: Review of the literature and case series.

Dietary modifications in certain IEMs are highly cariogenic, subsequently posing a significant risk to dental health. Multidisciplinary input is imperative to ensure metabolic dietary needs are met, whilst complementing dental preventive regimes.

Hypophosphataemic Rickets Secondary to Raine Syndrome: A Review of the Literature and Case Reports of Three Paediatric Patients' Dental Management.

Raine Syndrome (RS) also referred to as lethal osteosclerotic bone dysplasia describes an exceptionally rare autosomal recessive disorder with an estimated prevalence of <1 in 1,000,000. Endocrinological manifestations such as hypophosphataemic rickets depict a recent finding within the phenotypic spectrum of nonlethal RS. The dental sequelae of hypophosphataemic rickets are significant.

Light management in ultra-thin solar cells: a guided optimisation approach.

The success of ever-thinner photovoltaics relies on the introduction of light management strategies to enhance the absorption of incident illumination. Tailoring these strategies to maximise the absorption of light requires optimising the complex interplay between multiple design parameters. We study this interplay with a transfer matrix method and rigorous coupled-wave analysis, within the context of waveguide modes in an ultra-thin (80 nm) GaAs solar cell.