The electric field enhancement associated with detailed structure within novel optical antenna nanostructures is modeled using the surface integral equation technique in the context of ...surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The antennae comprise random arrays of vertically aligned, multiwalled carbon nanotubes dressed with highly granular Ag. Different types of “hot-spot” underpinning the SERS are identified, but contrasting characteristics are revealed. Those at the outer edges of the Ag grains are antenna driven with field enhancement amplified in antenna antinodes while intergrain hotspots are largely independent of antenna activity. Hot-spots between the tops of antennae leaning towards each other also appear to benefit from antenna amplification.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
.
Objectives. To study the evidence on the efficacy and safety of ezetimibe monotherapy for the treatment of primary (heterozygous familial and non‐familial) hypercholesterolaemia.
Design. ...Systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
Methods. Eleven electronic bibliographic databases covering the biomedical, scientific and grey literature were searched from inception and supplemented by contact with experts in the field. Two reviewers independently determined the eligibility of RCTs, with a minimum treatment duration of 12 weeks, which compared ezetimibe monotherapy (10 mg per day) with placebo.
Results. In the absence of data from clinical outcome trials, surrogate endpoints such as changes in lipid concentrations were used as indicators of clinical outcomes. A meta‐analysis of eight randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trials (all 12 weeks) showed that ezetimibe monotherapy was associated with a statistically significant mean reduction in LDL cholesterol (from baseline to endpoint) of −18.58%, (95% CI: −19.67 to −17.48, P < 0.00001) compared with placebo. Significant (P < 0.00001) changes were also found in total cholesterol (−13.46%, 95% CI: −14.22 to −12.70), HDL cholesterol (3.00%, 95% CI: 2.06–3.94) and triglyceride levels (−8.06%, 95% CI: −10.92 to −5.20). Ezetimibe monotherapy appeared to be well tolerated with a safety profile similar to placebo.
Conclusions. In a meta‐analysis restricted to short‐term trials in hypercholesterolaemia, significant potentially favourable changes in lipid and lipoprotein levels relative to baseline occurred with ezetimibe monotherapy. Further long‐term studies with cardiovascular and other clinical outcome data are needed to assess the efficacy and safety of ezetimibe more fully.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
In this work, we present a novel approach for improving the energy resolution from particles impinging on the interstrip regions of silicon strip detectors. We employed three double-sided strip ...detectors from the GRIT array and a triple α-source under laboratory conditions. The results showed that the interstrip resolution depends not only on the impinging side but also on whether it is a P- or an N-interstrip. We obtained the interstrip energy resolution down to 0.4%, and, depending on the scenario, the resolution was enhanced by a factor of 2. We believe that this new rotation method allows for the possibility of applying particle identification methods on interstrip events, which in most cases are dismissed during data recording.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
The glass transition dynamics and the charge transport for blends composed of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and the ionic liquid (IL) 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) ...imide, EmimTFSI have been investigated as a function of different IL content (0, 10, 25 and 40 % wt) by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic-mechanical analysis (DMA) and broadband dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (BDS) in wide frequency and temperature ranges (0.1 Hz–1 MHz and −120 to 150 °C, respectively). The inclusion of the IL in the polymer matrix affected the main relaxation process (β-relaxation) of the amorphous phase of the polymer matrix detected with all the techniques employed. It is demonstrated, that the chain segments of PVDF and the IL are mixed at the nanometer range. The blends were homogeneous regardless of the amount of IL and the glass transition temperature (Tg) shifted to lower temperatures as the IL content was increased. A good agreement between the Tg measured by BDS and DSC was observed for all PVDF/IL samples. The conductivity formalism revealed significant contributions of the IL concentration to the conductivity behavior of the blends in that is described by charge motion and electrode polarization effects. The activation energy of all the PVDF/IL samples, calculated by Dyre model, decreased with IL addition with respect to that of neat PVDF.
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•Glass transition dynamics and charge transport of the PVDF/IL blends is studied.•IL and PVDF are miscible the chain segments and the IL being mixed at the nanometer range.•The inclusion of IL into PVDF affects the β-relaxation process.•The effect of IL in the conductivity behavior is described in terms of charge motion and electrode polarization.•The activation energy of the PVDF/IL samples decreases with IL addition.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
This work deals with the characteristics of highly segmented double-sided silicon detectors. These are fundamental parts in many new state-of-the-art particle detection systems, and therefore they ...must perform optimally. We propose a test bench that can handle 256 electronic channels with off-the-shelf equipment, as well as a detector quality control protocol to ensure that the detectors meet the requirements. Detectors with a large number of strips bring new technological challenges and issues that need to be carefully monitored and understood. One of the standard 500 μm thick detectors of the GRIT array was investigated, undergoing studies that revealed its IV curve, charge collection efficiency, and energy resolution. From the data obtained, we calculated, among other things, the depletion voltage (110 V), the resistivity of the bulk material (9 kΩ·cm), and the electronic noise contribution (8 keV). We present, for the first time, a methodology called "the energy triangle'' to visualize the effect of charge sharing between two adjacent strips and to study the hit distribution with the interstrip-to-strip hit ratio (ISR).
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
The study of a
Posidonia oceanica mat (a peat-like marine sediment) core has provided a record of changes in heavy metal abundances (Fe, Mn, Ni, Cr, Cu, Pb, Cd, Zn, As and Al) since the Mid-Holocene ...(last 4470
yr) in Portlligat Bay (NW Mediterranean). Metal contents were determined in
P. oceanica. Both, the concentration records and the results of principal components analysis showed that metal pollution in the studied bay started ca. 2800
yr
BP and steadily increased until present. The increase in Fe, Cu, Pb, Cd, Zn and As concentrations since ca. 2800
yr
BP and in particular during Greek (ca. 2680–2465
cal
BP) and Roman (ca. 2150–1740
cal
BP) times shows an early anthropogenic pollution rise in the bay, which might be associated with large- and short-scale cultural and technological development. In the last ca. 1000
yr the concentrations of heavy metals, mainly derived from anthropogenic activities, have significantly increased (e.g. from ~
15 to 47
μg
g
−
1
for Pb, ~
23 to 95
μg
g
−
1
for Zn and ~
8 to 228
μg
g
−
1
for As). Our study demonstrates for the first time the uniqueness of
P. oceanica meadows as long-term archives of abundances, patterns, and trends of heavy metals during the Late Holocene in Mediterranean coastal ecosystems.
►
P. oceanica mat records changes in heavy metal abundances over the recent Holocene. ►
P. oceanica acts as a pollution filter and long-term metal sink in the Mediterranean. ► A Metal Abundance Index supports increasing anthropogenic pollution during the last 1600
yr. ► Pre-anthropic reference metal abundances are proposed. ► Metal content in
P. oceanica detritus might make it unsuitable for human uses.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
The nasal epithelium is a plausible entry point for SARS-CoV-2, a site of pathogenesis and transmission, and may initiate the host response to SARS-CoV-2. Antiviral interferon (IFN) responses are ...critical to outcome of SARS-CoV-2. Yet little is known about the interaction between SARS-CoV-2 and innate immunity in this tissue. Here we apply single-cell RNA sequencing and proteomics to a primary cell model of human nasal epithelium differentiated at air-liquid interface. SARS-CoV-2 demonstrates widespread tropism for nasal epithelial cell types. The host response is dominated by type I and III IFNs and interferon-stimulated gene products. This response is notably delayed in onset relative to viral gene expression and compared to other respiratory viruses. Nevertheless, once established, the paracrine IFN response begins to impact on SARS-CoV-2 replication. When provided prior to infection, recombinant IFNβ or IFNλ1 induces an efficient antiviral state that potently restricts SARS-CoV-2 viral replication, preserving epithelial barrier integrity. These data imply that the IFN-I/III response to SARS-CoV-2 initiates in the nasal airway and suggest nasal delivery of recombinant IFNs to be a potential chemoprophylactic strategy.
Blends of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and ionic liquids (ILs) with different cations and anions have been prepared by solvent casting. The IL content was the same in all blends of the series. ...Molecular relaxation and ionic conductivity have been systematically studied by broadband dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (BDS) in wide frequency (0.1 Hz–1 MHz) and temperature ranges (−120 to 150 °C) and the results have been analysed in terms of dielectric modulus M*(ω) and conductivity σ*(ω) formalisms. The main relaxation process (β-relaxation) of the amorphous phase of the blend that integrates amorphous polymer chain segments and IL molecules was observed. Significant differences in the Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann (VFT) fitting parameters in the PVDF/IL blends with different anions were detected. The conductivity σ*(ω) formalism shows that it is strongly dependent on the miscibility of the IL with the amorphous PVDF chains and the type of anion. The Barton-Namikawa-Nakajima (BNN) relation σ0 ∼ ωc is fulfilled for all PVDF/IL blends except for that containing 1-ethyl-3- methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate, EmimHSO4. The activation energy of the ac conductivity, calculated according to the Dyre model, decreases for all PVDF/IL blends with respect to neat PVDF. The structure of the cation of the IL has been found to exert less influence on the dielectric and conductivity properties of the blends.
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•The electrical response of PVDF/IL blends with different anions and cations is reported.•The miscibility between IL and PVDF is homogeneous in the amorphous phase.•The structure of the cation of the IL has little influence on dielectric response and ionic conductivity.•Anion size strongly affects ionic conductivity behavior and mobility parameters.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
•Magnetic fields have an increasing influence on cold water evaporation rate.•The motion of purified water does not contribute greatly to the evaporation rate.•An empirical triadic model correlating ...evaporation rate with ambient parameters.
Over the past decades researchers have described what happens to the water when a polarizing external field is applied to it and changes the bonding forces existing in it. Water evaporation, an essential process in nature, has been targeted in a great number of studies. In this paper, static magnetic fields ranging from 30-to-200 mT were applied to circulating purified water to study their effect on how the evaporation rate changed under different ambient conditions. A statistical approach was employed to verify the significance of the magnetically induced effect. Our results showed that by applying a static magnetic field to the water, the evaporation rate increased at lower temperatures, yielding an evaporation increase for magnetized water of up to 20% at 6 °C. We found too that the circulation of the water did not contribute significantly to the evaporation rate. We used an empirical triadic model to correlate the applied magnetic field with the ambient parameters of temperature and humidity.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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