Deswelling behaviour of ionic microgel particles from low to ultra-high densities.

The swelling of ionic microgel particles is investigated at a wide range of concentrations using a combination of light, X-ray and neutron scattering techniques. We employ a zero-average contrast approach for small-angle neutron scattering experiments, which enables a direct determination of the form factor at high concentrations. The observed particle size initially decreases strongly with the particle concentration in the dilute regime but approaches a constant value at intermediate concentrations.

Self-Assembly of Ionic Microgels Driven by an Alternating Electric Field: Theory, Simulations, and Experiments.

The structural properties of a system of ionic microgels under the influence of an alternating electric field are investigated both theoretically and experimentally. This combined investigation aims to shed light on the structural transitions that can be induced by changing either the driving frequency or the strength of the applied field, which range from string-like formation along the field to crystal-like structures across the orthogonal plane. In order to highlight the physical mechanisms responsible for the observed particle self-assembly, we develop a coarse-grained description, in which effective interactions among the charged microgels are induced by both equilibrium ionic distributions and their time-averaged hydrodynamic responses to the applied field.

Long-Term Outcome of Pulmonary Vein Isolation With and Without Focal Impulse and Rotor Modulation Mapping: Insights From a Meta-Analysis.

Background: This meta-analysis systematically evaluated the outcome of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) with and without focal impulse and rotor modulation (FIRM) ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Methods And Results: Extensive literature search was performed for studies reporting outcomes of PVI alone and PVI+FIRM procedures. For PVI alone, only randomized trials conducted in the past 3 years reporting single-procedure off-antiarrhythmic drugs success rate at ≥12-month follow-up were included.

Ribonucleotide reductase as a drug target against drug resistance Mycobacterium leprae: A molecular docking study.

Leprosy is a chronic infection of skin and nerve caused by Mycobacterium leprae. The treatment is based on standard multi drug therapy consisting of dapsone, rifampicin and clofazamine. The use of rifampicin alone or with dapsone led to the emergence of rifampicin-resistant Mycobacterium leprae strains.

Cyclophosphazene-Based Hybrid Nanoporous Materials as Superior Metal-Free Adsorbents for Gas Sorption Applications.

Cyclophosphazene-based inorganic-organic hybrid nanoporous materials (CHNMs) have been synthesized by a facile solvothermal method. The condensation of pyrrole with the reaction product of phosphonitrilic chloride trimer and 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde resulted in the formation of high-surface-area CHNMs. The maximum specific surface area (SA) of 1328 m g with hierarchical pore structures having micropores centered at 1.

Effectiveness of Faradic and Russian currents on plantar flexor muscle spasticity, ankle motor recovery, and functional gait in stroke patients.

Background And Purpose: Spasticity is a major disabling symptom in patients post stroke. Though studies have demonstrated that electrical stimulation (ES) can reduce spasticity and improve passive ankle range of motion (ROM), not many studies have evaluated the effectiveness of ES on active ankle ROM. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of Faradic and Russian currents in the reduction of ankle plantar-flexor spasticity and improving motor recovery in patients post stroke.

Catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardia in nonischemic cardiomyopathy: A propensity score-matched analysis of in-hospital outcomes in the United States.

Introduction: Monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (VT) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Use and outcome data of catheter ablation for VT in nonischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) are limited.

Methods And Results: We obtained data from the 2003-2014 National Inpatient Sample databases.

Multichain models of conserved lattice gas.

Conserved lattice-gas models in one dimension exhibit absorbing state phase transition (APT) with simple integer exponents β=1=ν=η, whereas the same on a ladder belong to directed percolation (DP) universality. We conjecture that additional stochasticity in particle transfer is a relevant perturbation and its presence on a ladder forces the APT to be in the DP class. To substantiate this we introduce a class of restricted conserved lattice-gas models on a multichain system (M×L square lattice with periodic boundary condition in both directions), where particles which have exactly one vacant neighbor are active and they move deterministically to the neighboring vacant site.

Structure of focal adhesion kinase in healthy heart versus pathological cardiac hypertrophy: A modeling and simulation study.

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is required for signaling in the heart. S910 phosphorylated FAK is known to cause pathological cardiac hypertrophy. The switching of FAK between its inactive (-i), activated (-a) and hyperactive (-h) state is controlled by phosphorylation.

Impact of weight loss on ablation outcome in obese patients with longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation.

Aims: This study investigated the impact of weight loss in longstanding persistent (LSPAF) patients undergoing catheter ablation (CA).

Methods: Ninety consecutive obese LSPAF patients were approached; 58 volunteered to try weight loss interventions for up to 1 year (group 1), while 32 patients declined weight loss interventions and were included as a control (group 2). Both groups remained on antiarrhythmic drugs.

Micromechanical Resonator Driven by Radiation Pressure Force.

Radiation pressure exerted by light on any surface is the pressure generated by the momentum of impinging photons. The associated force - fundamentally, a quantum mechanical aspect of light - is usually too small to be useful, except in large-scale problems in astronomy and astrodynamics. In atomic and molecular optics, radiation pressure can be used to trap or cool atoms and ions.

Assessment of vocation of rifabutin and rifapentine in replace of rifampcin in drug resistance leprosy patients: a molecular simulation study.

The emergence of drug resistance in leprosy is a major hurdle in leprosy elimination programme. Although the problem of drug resistance is presently not acute, it is important that we collect data more systematically and monitor the trend carefully so that effective measures to combat this problem can be developed. The present study aimed at the explication of cross resistance of rifabutin and rifapentine to rifampicin which would be helpful to programme managers for implementing rifabutin or rifapentine in replace of rifampicin.

Pseudoexfoliation and Alzheimer's associated CLU risk variant, rs2279590, lies within an enhancer element and regulates CLU, EPHX2 and PTK2B gene expression.

Genetic variants at PTK2B-CLU locus pose as high-risk factors for many age-related disorders. However, the role of these variants in disease progression is less characterized. In this study, we aimed to investigate the functional significance of a clusterin intronic SNP, rs2279590, that has been associated with pseudoexfoliation, Alzheimer's disease (AD) and diabetes.

Comparative study of clinical presentation and hematological indices in hospitalized sickle cell patients with severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria.

Background: Sickle-cell-gene has a high frequency in malaria endemic regions. In India, though the prevalence of both sickle-cell-gene and malaria are high, no study has been carried out. This study aims to find out the possible differences in hematological and clinical parameters in severe falciparum malaria with respect to sickle cell genotypes.

A Comparative Evaluation of Mixed Dentition Analysis on Reliability of Cone Beam Computed Tomography Image Compared to Plaster Model.

Aims And Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the reliability of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) obtained image over plaster model for the assessment of mixed dentition analysis.

Materials And Methods: Thirty CBCT-derived images and thirty plaster models were derived from the dental archives, and Moyer's and Tanaka-Johnston analyses were performed. The data obtained were interpreted and analyzed statistically using SPSS 10.

Optical wireless information transfer with nonlinear micromechanical resonators.

Wireless transfer of information is the basis of modern communication. It includes cellular, WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS systems, all of which use electromagnetic radio waves with frequencies ranging from typically 100 MHz to a few GHz. However, several long-standing challenges with standard radio-wave wireless transmission still exist, including keeping secure transmission of data from potential compromise.

Gingival Zenith Positions and Levels of Maxillary Anterior Dentition in Cases of Bimaxillary Protrusion: A Morphometric Analysis.

Aim: To investigate the two clinical parameters, such as gingival zenith positions (GZPs) and gingival zenith levels (GZLs), of maxillary anterior dentition in bimaxillary protrusion cases and collate it with severiety of crown inclination.

Materials And Methods: Gingival zenith position and GZL in 40 healthy patients (29 females and 11 males) with an average age of 21.5 years were assessed.

Challenges beyond elimination in leprosy.

Every year >200,000 new leprosy cases are registered globally. This number has been fairly stable over the past 8 years. The World Health Organization has set a target to interrupt the transmission of leprosy globally by 2020.

Effect of stretching of piriformis and iliopsoas in coccydynia.

Unlabelled: Pain in the coccyx is referred as coccydynia. The pain aggravates in weight bearing i.e.

Contrasting the dynamics of elastic and non-elastic deformations across an experimental colloidal Martensitic transition.

We present a framework to segregate the roles of elastic and non-elastic deformations in the examination of real-space experiments of solid-solid Martensitic transitions. The Martensitic transformation of a body-centred-tetragonal (BCT) to a body-centred-orthorhombic (BCO) crystal structure has been studied in a model system of micron-scale ionic microgel colloids (P. S.

Long-term outcomes of different ablation strategies for ventricular tachycardia in patients with structural heart disease: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aims: To compare the long-term outcomes of standard ablation of stable ventricular tachycardia (VT) vs. substrate modification, and of complete vs. incomplete substrate modification in patients with structural heart disease (SHD) presenting with VT.