Architected Lattices with High Stiffness and Toughness via Multicore–Shell 3D Printing

The ability to create architected materials that possess both high stiffness and toughness remains an elusive goal, since these properties are often mutually exclusive. Natural materials, such as bone, overcome such limitations by combining different toughening mechanisms across multiple length scales. Here, a new method for creating architected lattices composed of core–shell struts that are both stiff and tough is reported. Specifically, these lattices contain orthotropic struts with flexible epoxy core–brittle epoxy shell motifs in the absence and presence of an elastomeric silicone interfacial layer, which are fabricated by a multicore–shell, 3D printing technique. It is found that architected lattices produced with a flexible core‐elastomeric interface‐brittle shell motif exhibit both high stiffness and toughness.     

Soft Robotic Grippers

Advances in soft robotics, materials science, and stretchable electronics have enabled rapid progress in soft grippers. Here, a critical overview of soft robotic grippers is presented, covering different material sets, physical principles, and device architectures. Soft gripping can be categorized into three technologies, enabling grasping by: a) actuation, b) controlled stiffness, and c) controlled adhesion. A comprehensive review of each type is presented. Compared to rigid grippers, end‐effectors fabricated from flexible and soft components can often grasp or manipulate a larger variety of objects. Such grippers are an example of morphological computation, where control complexity is greatly reduced by material softness and mechanical compliance. Advanced materials and soft components, in particular silicone elastomers, shape memory materials, and active polymers and gels, are increasingly investigated for the design of lighter, simpler, and more universal grippers, using the inherent functionality of the materials. Embedding stretchable distributed sensors in or on soft grippers greatly enhances the ways in which the grippers interact with objects. Challenges for soft grippers include miniaturization, robustness, speed, integration of sensing, and control. Improved materials, processing methods, and sensing play an important role in future research.     

A dynamic data model for mobile GIS

A fast response time is a major objective for Mobile Geographic Information System (GIS) applications. This study provides a solution for improving the performance of response time by a dynamic data model. A conceptual dynamic data model is proposed, which covers (a) “position” information of selected geographic objects relevant to the GIS user's interest within his current location, (b) the selected attribute information in which the mobile GIS user is interested. In this approach, first, the attribute information is selected through a validating process making use of the temporal and attribute filters. Second, a specially designed dynamic database is employed to enable the implementation of the conceptual dynamic data model. This dynamic database is continually updated in accordance with the spatial, temporal and attribute constraints specified for the conceptual model. This design of a dynamic data model increases the availability of spatial data to mobile GIS users by providing up to date accurate information relevant to the area of interest, in a limited communication bandwidth. Third, an experimental study has been conducted and the results demonstrate that by using a dynamic database the response time can be reduced to one-third of that of a conventional database. The response time performance can be further improved as the size of the database is increased.     

PI-RADS: multiparametric MRI in prostate cancer

Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and Medicine - Multiparametric MRI of the prostate gland has become the initial evaluation of biopsy naïve men with a clinical suspicion for...     

Distribution,seasonality and putative origin of the non-native red alga Bangia atropurpurea (Bangiales,Rhodophyta) in the Laurentian Great Lakes

Bangia atropurpurea was first observed in Lake Erie in 1964 and subsequently spread to the lower Laurentian Great Lakes by the mid to late 1970s. The present study was initiated to examine the recent distribution of B. atropurpurea in the Great Lakes, the seasonal variation of the alga and the putative origin of this species based on DNA sequence analysis. From surveys in 1995 and 2002, this species has clearly spread, with newly identified populations observed in Lakes Huron, Michigan, Georgian Bay and the St. Lawrence River. Morphological analyses showed that Great Lakes populations from individual lakes or neighboring populations did not group together in cluster analyses. Correlation analysis, however, revealed significant relationships between the presence or absence of Bangia among the studied sites with pH and specific conductance as those locations that had stable populations had a mean pH and conductance of 8.2 and 353 μS·cm^− 1 respectively. Seasonal variation in morphology of a population from Burlington, Ontario (Lake Ontario, Canada) was examined monthly for one year. Maximum filament length occurred in April, with the greatest diameter and archaeospore production observed in May. Significant correlations were also noted for many morphological characteristics with water temperature, population height on the shoreline relative to the waterline and total phosphorus. Collections of B. atropurpurea analyzed from the Great Lakes were observed to be identical in sequence to collections of European freshwater Bangia in the cox2–3 gene spacer, the nuclear internal transcribed spacers (ITS 1 and 2) and the 5.8S rRNA gene (between the small and large subunits of the rRNA gene). These results suggest a recent European origin; however, further global collections of B. atropurpurea and microsatellite analyses are necessary to confirm this hypothesis.     

Marginalised Care: Migrant Workers Caring for Older People in Ireland

Older adult care in Ireland is a mix of public, private, voluntary and family provision. This model is characterised by deficient funding and support structures for both care recipients and carers, leading ultimately to fragmented service delivery, both in the community and in residential care. Against this backdrop, there has been a significant and rapid growth in the number of migrant registered nurses and care assistants providing care to Irish older people. With two potentially marginalised groups now at the centre of the caring relationship, questions arise regarding the sustainability of quality of care and quality of life for both providers and recipients of care. This research study draws on the perspectives of the older person, the migrant carer and the employer to develop an understanding of migrant worker care provision within the disadvantaged ageing sector in Ireland. The paper will frame migrant care workers’ experiences within the perspective of a marginalised sector, whose central consumers, older people, are not prioritised in policy or practice. Providing evidence of disadvantage for older adults and migrant carers, the research findings demonstrate that it is necessary to improve caring experiences and conditions for both groups if quality of care is to be enhanced.     

A Series of 2-((1-Phenyl-1H-imidazol-5-yl)methyl)-1H-indoles as Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) Inhibitors

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) is a promising therapeutic target in cancer immunotherapy and neurological disease. Thus, searching for highly active inhibitors for use in human cancers is now a focus of widespread research and development efforts. In this study, we report the structure-based design of 2-(5-imidazolyl)indole derivatives, a series of novel IDO1 inhibitors which have been designed and synthesized based on our previous study using N1-substituted 5-indoleimidazoles. Among these, we have identified one with a strong IDO1 inhibitory activity (IC₅₀=0.16 μM, EC₅₀=0.3 μM). Structural-activity relationship (SAR) and computational docking simulations suggest that a hydroxyl group favorably interacts with a proximal Ser167 residue in Pocket A, improving IDO1 inhibitory potency. The brain penetrance of potent compounds was estimated by calculation of the Blood Brain Barrier (BBB) Score and Brain Exposure Efficiency (BEE) Score. Many compounds had favorable scores and the two most promising compounds were advanced to a pharmacokinetic study which demonstrated that both compounds were brain penetrant. We have thus discovered a flexible scaffold for brain penetrant IDO1 inhibitors, exemplified by several potent, brain penetrant, agents. With this promising scaffold, we provide herein a basis for further development of brain penetrant IDO1 inhibitors.     

Highly efficient multi-metal catalysts for carbon dioxide reduction prepared from atomically sequenced metal organic frameworks

The precise control on the combination of multiple metal atoms in the structure of metal-organic frameworks(MOFs)endowed by reticular chemistry,allows the obtaining of materials with compositions that are programmed for achieving enhanced reactivity.The present work illustrates how through the transformation of MOFs with desired arrangements of metal cations,multi-metal spinel oxides with precise compositions can be obtained,and used as catalyst precursor for the reverse water-gas shift reaction.The differences in the spinel initial composition and structure,determined by neutron powder diffraction,influence the overall catalytic activity with changes in the process of in s itu formation of active,metal-oxide supported metal nanoparticles,which have been monitored and characterized with in situ X-ray diffraction and photoelectron spectroscopy studies.     

Effect of acute ethanol ingestion on prolactin in menopausal women using estradiol replacement

The current study was to answer the question: Is enough mercury absorbed from dental amalgam fillings to produce renal damage? One hundred healthy adults (18-44 years old) filled out health questionnaires and voided urine samples. Urine mercury concentration and N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase (NAG) were measured. Subjects were grouped into those having amalgam fillings (N = 66) and those without (N = 34). Median (95% Confidence Interval) urine mercury was 1 (1-2) and 0 (0-0.6) ng/ml (P < 0.01) and median urine NAG was 23 (18-27) and 16 (11-18) units (P < 0.05) in the two groups respectively. People with mercury amalgam fillings excreted slightly more mercury than people without them, and have a very small increase in urinary NAG excretion that is probably of no clinical significance. This dose of mercury absorbed from amalgam appears to be too little to be a public health hazard for renal injury.