Concentrated suspensions of Brownian beads in water: dynamic heterogeneities through a simple experimental technique

Concentrated suspensions of Brownian hard-spheres in water are an epitome for understanding the glassy dynamics of both soft materials and supercooled molecular liquids.From an experimental point of view,such systems are especially suited to perform particle tracking easily,and,therefore,are a benchmark for novel optical techniques,applicable when primary particles cannot be resolved.Differential variance analysis(DVA)is one such novel technique that simplifies significantly the characterization of structural relaxation prcKesses of soft glassy materials,since it is directly applicable to digital image sequences of the sample.DVA succeeds in monitoring not only the average dynamics,but also its spatio-temporal fluctuations,known as dynamic heterogeneities.In this work,we study the dynamics of dense suspensions of Brownian beads in water,imaged through digital video-microscopy,by using both DVA and single-particle tracking.We focus on two commonly used signatures of dynamic heterogeneities:the dynamic susceptibility,^,and the non-Gaussian parameter,a 2.By direct comparison of these two quantities,we are able to highlight similarities and differences.We do confirm th aχ4 andα2 provide qualitatively similar information,but we find quantitative discrepancies in the scalings of characteristic time and length scale on approaching the glass transition.

Management of residual penile curvature after penile prosthesis placement

Residual penile curvature is a common situation following the implantation of a penile prosthesis in patients with Peyronie’s disease.Currently,there is a variety of options for the correction of residual curvature,including penile modeling,plication techniques,as well as tunical incision/excision with or without grafting.A literature search of PubMed and Medline databases was conducted from 1964 until 2020,using search terms for all articles in the English language.In this article,we provide a review of the techniques and the outcomes,according to the published literature.

New insights into the pathogenesis of Peyronie’s disease:A narrative review

Peyronie’s disease(PD)is a benign,progressive fibrotic disorder characterized by scar or plaques within the tunica albuginea(TA)of the penis.This study provides new insights into the pathogenesis of PD based on data from different studies regarding the roles of cytokines,cell signaling pathways,biochemical mechanisms,genetic factors responsible for fibrogenesis.A growing body of literature has shown that PD is a chronically impaired,localized,wound healing process within the TA and the Smith space.It is caused by the influence of different pathological stimuli,most often the effects of mechanical stress during sexual intercourse in genetically sensitive individuals with unusual anatomical TA features,imbalanced matrix metalloproteinase/tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase(MMP/TIMP),and suppressed antioxidant systems during chronic inflammation.Other intracellular signal cascades are activated during fibrosis along with low expression levels of their negative regulators and transforming growth factor-β1 signaling.The development of multikinase agents with minimal side effects that can block several signal cell pathways would significantly improve fibrosis in PD tissues by acting on common downstream mediators.

Conducting polymer tattoo electrodes in clinical electro-and magneto-encephalography

Temporary tattoo electrodes are the most recent development in the field of cutaneous sensors.They have successfully demonstrated their performances in the monitoring of various electrophysiological signals on the skin.These epidermal electronic devices offer a conformal and imperceptible contact with the wearer while enabling good quality recordings over time.Evaluations of brain activity in clinical practice face multiple limitations,where such electrodes can provide realistic technological solutions and increase diagnostics efficiency.Here we present the performance of inkjet-printed conducting polymer tattoo electrodes in clinical electroencephalography and their compatibility with magnetoencephalography.The working mechanism of these dry sensors is investigated through the modeling of the skin/electrode impedance for better understanding of the biosignals transduction at this interface.Furthermore,a custom-made skin phantom platform demonstrates the feasibility of high-density recordings,which are essential in localizing neuropathological activities.These evaluations provide valuable input for the successful application of these ultrathin electronic tattoos sensors in multimodal brain monitoring and diagnosis.