Elastic Defects Research Articles

The assessment of the impact of carboxytherapy and selected chemical peels on cosmetic defects and signs of aging of skin around eyes

ABSTRACT Objective The purpose of this study was to assess changes in skin elasticity and other skin defects related to the aging of skin around eyes following the use of combination treatment carboxytherapy and chemical peels (ferulic acid combined with ascorbic acid, lactobionic acid). Material and methods A total of 39 Caucasian patients were subjected to a series of five combination carboxytherapy and chemical peels treatments at weekly intervals. The Cutometer device was used to objectively measure skin elasticity. The assessment was supplemented by photographic documentation. Results A statistically significant improvement in skin elasticity assessed on the basis of R2 and R7 parameters (p < .0001, p = .001, respectively) was demonstrated after a series of five sessions of carboxytherapy combined with chemical peels. The improvement in the R2 parameter was observed in 82.1%, while R7 in 76.9% of study participants. It observed that the number of participants who benefited from treatment with ferulic acid and ascorbic acid was statistically higher compared with the second group (p = .036). Improved R2 values were reported in 100% of participants undergoing carboxytherapy combined with ferulic and ascorbic acid. Conclusion Carboxytherapy in combination with chemical peels improved skin elasticity and can be used to reduce other skin defects.

In Search of Mouse Models for Exfoliation Syndrome

Exfoliation syndrome (XFS) is a systemic connective tissue disorder with elusive pathophysiology. We hypothesize that a mouse model with elastic fiber defects caused by lack of lysyl oxidase like 1 (LOXL1 encoded by Loxl1), combined with microfibril deficiency due to Fbn1 mutation (encoding fibrillin-1, Fbn1C1041G/+) will display ocular and systemic phenotypes of XFS. Loxl1-/- was crossed with Fbn1C1041G/+ to create double mutant (dbm) mice. Intraocular pressure (IOP), visual acuity (VA), electroretinogram (ERG) and biometry were characterized in 4 genotypes (wt, Fbn1C1041G/+, Loxl1-/-, dbm) at 16 weeks old. Optic nerve area was measured by ImageJ and axon counting was achieved by AxonJ. Deep whole-body phenotyping was performed in wt and dbm mice. Two-tailed Student's t-test was used for statistical analysis. There was no difference in IOP between the 4 genotypes. VA was significantly reduced only in dbm mice. The majority of biometric parameters showed significant differences in all 3 mutant genotypes compared to wt, and dbm had exacerbated anomalies compared to single mutants. Dbm mice showed reduced retinal function and significantly enlarged ON area when compared with wt. Dbm mice exhibited severe systemic phenotypes related to abnormal elastic fibers, such as pelvic organ prolapse, cardiovascular and pulmonary abnormalities. Ocular and systemic findings in dbm mice support functional overlap between fibrillin-1 and LOXL1, two prominent components of exfoliation material. Although no elevated IOP or reduction of axon numbers was detected in dbm mice at 16-week-old, their reduced retinal function and enlarged ON area indicate early retinal ganglion cell dysfunction. Dbm mice also provide insight on the link between XFS and systemic diseases in humans.

Influence of chemical strains on the electrocaloric response, polarization morphology, tetragonality, and negative-capacitance effect of ferroelectric core-shell nanorods and nanowires

Using Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire (LGD) approach, we proposed the analytical description of the influence of chemical strains on spontaneous polarization and the electrocaloric response in ferroelectric core-shell nanorods. We postulate that the nanorod core presents a defect-free single-crystalline ferroelectric material, and elastic defects are accumulated in the ultrathin shell, where they can induce tensile or compressive chemical strains. Finite-element modeling (FEM) based on the LGD approach reveals transitions of domain-structure morphology induced by chemical strains in the BaTiO3 nanorods. Namely, tensile chemical strains induce and support the single-domain state in the central part of the nanorod, while the curled domain structures appear near the unscreened or partially screened ends of the rod. The vortexlike domains propagate toward the central part of the rod and fill it entirely, when the rod is covered by a shell with compressive chemical strains above some critical value. The critical value depends on the nanorod sizes, aspect ratio, and screening conditions at its ends. Both analytical theory and FEM predict that the tensile chemical strains in the shell increase the nanorod polarization, lattice tetragonality, and electrocaloric response well above the values corresponding to the bulk material. The physical reason for the increase is strong electrostriction coupling between the mismatch-type elastic strains induced in the core by chemical strains in the shell. Comparison with earlier XRD data confirmed an increase of the tetragonality ratio in tensile BaTiO3 nanorods compared to the bulk material. Obtained analytical expressions, which are suitable for the description of strain-induced changes in a wide range of multiaxial ferroelectric core-shell nanorods and nanowires, can be useful for strain engineering of advanced ferroelectric nanomaterials for energy storage, harvesting, electrocaloric applications, and negative capacitance elements. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Size-induced high electrocaloric response of dense ferroelectric nanocomposites

Analytical results obtained within Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire approach and effective media models, predict that the synergy of Vegard stresses and size effects can significantly enhance the electrocaloric cooling (up to 7 times) of the BaTiO3 nanoparticles in comparison with a bulk BaTiO3. To compare with the considered effective media models, we measured the capacitance-voltage and current-voltage characteristics of the dense nanocomposites consisting of (28–35) vol% BaTiO3 nanoparticles incorporated in organic polymers and determined experimentally the effective dielectric permittivity and losses of the composites. Generalizing obtained analytical results, various ferroelectric nanoparticles spontaneously stressed by elastic defects, such as oxygen vacancies or any other elastic dipoles, which create a strong chemical pressure, can cause the giant electrocaloric response of dense ferroelectric nanocomposites. We have shown that the advantages of the studied lead-free dense nanocomposites are the good tunability of electrocaloric cooling temperature due to the strain and size effects in ferroelectric nanoparticles and the easy control of the high electrocaloric cooling by electric fields. This makes the dense ferroelectric nanocomposites promising for cooling of conventional and innovative electronic elements, such as FETs with high-temperature superconductor channels.

Droplet tilings in precessive fields: hysteresis, elastic defects, and annealing.

Two-component Marangoni contracted droplets can be arranged into arbitrary two-dimensional tiling patterns where they display rich dynamics due to vapor-mediated long-range interactions. Recent work has characterized the centered hexagonal honeycomb lattice, showing it to be a highly frustrated system with many metastable states and relaxation occurring over multiple timescales [Molina et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A., 2021, 118, e2020014118]. Here, we study this system under the influence of a rotating gravitational field. High amplitudes are able to completely disrupt droplet-droplet interactions, making it possible to identify a transition between field-dominated and interaction-dominated regimes. The system displays complex hysteresis behavior, the details of which are connected to the emergence of linear mesoscale structures. These mesoscale features display an elasticity that is governed by the balance between gravity and long-range vapor-mediated attractions. We find that disorder plays an important role in determining the dynamics of these features. Finally, we demonstrate annealing the system by progressively reducing the field amplitude, a process that reduces configurational energy compared to a rapid quench. The ability to manipulate vapor-mediated interactions in deliberately designed droplet tilings provides a novel platform for table-top explorations of multi-body interactions.

Emergent dipole gauge fields and fractons

We present a realization of fracton-elasticity duality purely formulated in terms of ordinary gauge fields, encompassing standard elasticity and incommensurate crystals. Our construction comprises a description of all types of two-dimensional defects, body forces, and impurities. The original form of the duality in terms of tensor gauge fields is recovered after partial gauge fixing. We identify the coupling of the defects to the dual gauge fields, and from gauge invariance we derive continuity equations for the defect currents and the expected mobility restrictions of elasticity defects.

Internal Friction and Mechanical Spectroscopy of SiO2/Si, Nanocomposites of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes and Polyamide, Polyethylene, Polyvinyl Chloride, Expanded Polystyrene

: In this work after X-ray irradiation outcomes of the evaluation of dynamic characteristics interstitial atoms Sij, vacancy V and O-complexes was applied for account of a condition of an annealing with the purpose of deriving specific structural defects in SiO2/Si wafer-plate. The nondestructive method, which is allow to determine from internal friction difference ΔQ-1/Q-1 0 of elastic vibrations structure defects density Nd and the depth of broken layer hb, is offered for SiO2/Si wafer-plates. 1. Introduction Defect annealing leads to a change in the shape of the internal friction (IF) temperature spectrum Q-1(T) [1]. IF method allows to set the spectrum of structural defects on the analysis of positions of maximums IF, on duration of relaxation time τ and on their deposit in attenuation of elastic vibrations [2]. A non-destructive method for the technological control of the structure defects by measuring internal friction (IF) and elastic modulus E after laser radiation was developed. 2. Experimental procedure Ultrasonic (US) pulse-phase method using USMV-LETI, modernized USMV-KNU and computerized “KERN-4” with frequencies f║ ≈ 1 MHz and f┴ ≈ 0,7 MHz, US invariant-polarization method for determining the effective acoustic μil and elastic constants Cijkl were used [3,4]. The measured velocity error was equal to ΔV/V = 0,5÷1,5%.The study of influence of structure defects on damping of vibrations in Si/SiO2 wafer-plates by the diameter of D = 100÷60 mm and by the thickness of hSiO2 ≈ 600 nm, hSi ≈ 470 000 nm, allows to estimate the degree of perfection of crystalline structureMetallography optical supervision of microstructure by means of the microscope ”LOMO MVT”, atomic-force microscopy (AFM) were used. 3. Results and discussion The quasi-longitudinal US velocity V║[001] = 5870 m/s, elastic modulus E001 = ρV║[001] 2 = 80,28 GPa for SiO2/Si from the oscillogram were determined. Temperature dependence of internal friction Q-1(T) in SiO2/Si wafer-plate p-type, doped with B, KDB-7.5(100) diameter D ≈ 76∙10-3 m, thickness hSi ≈ 460∙103 nm with SiO2 layer thickness hSiO2 ≈ 100 nm after X-ray irradiation with dose Dγ ≈ 102 Gy is showed. 4. Conclusions 1. The growth of internal friction maximum height QM -1 testifies the growth of the structural defects concentration n, and the broadening of internal friction maximum ΔQM -1 here represents the relaxation process of structural defects new types in SiO2/Si wafer-plate.2. It was found that as the result of the structural defect annealing IF background Q0 -1 significantly decreases during measuring of IF temperature dependence Q-1(T), which indicates the improvement of SiO2/Si crystal structure.3. The elastic modulus Е, the shear modulus G, Poisson coefficient μ, IF Q-1 are dependent from SiO2/Si wafer-plate anisotropy.4. The value of IF background Q-1 0 after temperature T, mechanical treatments describes the changes of the elastic stress σi fields in SiO2/Si wafer-plate.5. The study of vibrations of disk wafer-plate Si/SiO2 at different harmonic frequencies f0, f2 made it possible to develop the technique for determining the structural defects density nD for semiconductor wafers-substrates.6. The relationship between IF Q-1 value, the logarithmic decrement of ultrasound damping δ and the dislocations density nD was established for disk-shaped semiconductor wafers-substrates. Acknowledgements This work has been supported by Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine: Grant of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine for perspective development of a scientific direction "Mathematical sciences and natural sciences" at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.

Boundary conditions for molecular simulations of isolated elastic defects. Case study: The ⟨111⟩ screw dislocation in bcc W

A new set of boundary conditions is proposed for molecular simulations of isolated elastic defects such as dislocations and cracks. The case study of the ⟨111⟩ screw dislocation in body centered cubic (bcc) tungsten, modeled via a phenomenological, n-body cohesion functional, serves validating the new boundary conditions by computing structural properties of this defect and comparing these with results from the literature. Lowest energy configurations of the dislocated crystal have been obtained by molecular statics incorporating the new boundary conditions. The associated displacement and energy landscapes reveal conformal to the predictions of the elastic theory for a screw dislocation embedded in an infinitely extended crystal. In particular, no energy gradients and positional mismatch of atoms are found at the terminations of the computational box, validating thereby the new boundary conditions. Furthermore, it is shown that the structure, the spatial extension, and the excess energy of the two possible core polarizations of this dislocation compare consistently with existing findings for this and other bcc metals. Close to the dislocation line, energy minimization triggers the emergence of anelastic edge displacements extending over distances unexpectedly much larger than the dislocation core radius. Therefore, the conclusion is reached that in molecular simulations, the transverse to the dislocation line dimensions of the atomistic model should be taken considerably larger than it is accustomed. Perspectives opened by the present work are briefly discussed.

(Digital Presentation) Adsorption Characteristics of SiO2/Si, Nanocomposites of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes and Polyamide, Polyvinyl Chloride, Polyethylene, Porous Polystyrene

Kyiv national university, Kyiv-01601, Ukraineonanko@i.ua : In this work nondestructive method, which is allow to determine from internal friction difference ΔQ-1/Q-1 0 of elastic vibrations structure defects density Nd and the depth of broken layer hb, is offered for SiO2/Si wafer-plates. Outcomes of the evaluation of dynamic characteristics interstitial atoms, vacancy and O-complexes can be applied for account of a condition of an annealing with the purpose of deriving specific structural defects in SiO2/Si wafer-plates. Introduction The leading factor of the elastic anisotropy forming is a crystallography orientation and the orientation of grains on the form with the orientation of miсrocracks, pores [1]. Acoustic emission (AE) allow to receive the additional information about the process of miсrocracks [2]. A non-destructive method for the technological control of the structure defects by measuring internal friction (IF) and elastic modulus E after laser radiation was developed. Experimental procedure The study of influence of structure defects on damping of vibrations in Si/SiO2 plates by the diameter of D = 100÷60 mm and by the thickness of hSiO2 ≈ 600 nm, hSi ≈ 470 000 nm, allows to estimate the degree of perfection of crystalline structure. Brief thermal influence is created by the powerful impulsive nanosecond neodymium laser resulted to local surface tissue fusion. After stopping of the laser radiation action of fusion solidification begun exactly from the surface, but the crater underbody is extended (molten) and created the additional squeezing mechanical tension σi, that „pull” the central part of crater surface in depth with the liquid crater fusion.The pressure dynamics Рi(t) is following: at the beginning of destruction Рi grows quickly, and on the completion of impulse action diminishes instantly on the value of the light pressure created by the laser. Then the diminishing pressure Рi becomes slower, for nanosecond times of laser influence the appearance of acoustic emission (AE) review is important in time range τ ≈ 0.2 nanosec [3,4]. Results and discussion Effects of AE after nanosecond neodymium and ruby laser irradiation in fluid SiO2 are investigated. The fusion depth as the result of relaxation of photothermal elastic strains Ϭi at the large time ∂T/∂t = (55±100).109 K/sec and spatial ∂T/∂x = (1±2).104 K/sm temperature gradients on the SiO2 surface was appraised Δh ≈ 10000 nm. The quantity of reflections N = τ/t ≈ 0.2 nsec/0.02 nsec = 10, approximately 10 times forward-back in specimen. There was a small value of IF background in SiO2 Qo -1 ≈ 2.10-6 to T ≈ 385 K. AE method was measured the group longitudinal wave velocity in fluid SiO2 by water solution of NaCl with the concentration ρ ≈ 38.125 g/l there was v║ = l/τ » 0.03032 m/10.7 mcsec » 2830 m/sec; shear wave velocity v┴ » 2300 m/sec. Oscilloscopegramma of impulses with transversal polarization, which are reflected in SiO2/Si wafer-plate is represented in Figure 1. Figure 1. Oscilloscopegramma of impulses with transversal polarization, which are reflected in SiO2/Si wafer-plate.Taking into account the value of density ρ ≈ 2.63.103 kg/m3, shear modulus G = ρ.v┴ 2 » 13.91 GPa and elastic modulus E = ρ.v║ 2 » 21.06 GPa were determined. Conclusions The value of internal friction background Q-1 0 after temperature, mechanical treatments describes the changes of the elastic stress σi fields in SiO2/Si wafer-plate after laser radiation.After laser radiation outcomes of the evaluation of dynamic characteristics interstitial atoms Sij, vacancy V and O-complexes can be applied for account of a condition of an annealing with the purpose of deriving specific structural defects in SiO2/Si. Acknowledgements This work has been supported by Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine: Grant of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine for perspective development of a scientific direction "Mathematical sciences and natural sciences" at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.

Inhibition of Vascular Endothelial Cadherin Cleavage Prevents Elastic Fiber Alterations and Atherosclerosis Induced by Intermittent Hypoxia in the Mouse Aorta.

Intermittent hypoxia (IH), the major feature of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), induces atherosclerosis and elastic fiber alterations. VE-cadherin cleavage is increased in OSAS patients and in an IH-cellular model. It is mediated by HIF-1 and Src-tyr-kinases pathways and results in endothelial hyperpermeability. Our aim was to determine whether blocking VE-cadherin cleavage in vivo could be an efficient strategy to inhibit deleterious IH-induced vascular remodeling, elastic fiber defects and atherogenesis. VE-cadherin regulation, aortic remodeling and atherosclerosis were studied in IH-exposed C57Bl/6J or ApoE-/-mice treated or not with Src-tyr-kinases inhibitors (Saracatinib/Pazopanib) or a HIF-1 inhibitor (Acriflavine). Human aortic endothelial cells were exposed to IH and treated with the same inhibitors. LDL and the monocytes transendothelium passage were measured. In vitro, IH increased transendothelium LDL and monocytes passage, and the tested inhibitors prevented these effects. In mice, IH decreased VE-cadherin expression and increased plasmatic sVE level, intima-media thickness, elastic fiber alterations and atherosclerosis, while the inhibitors prevented these in vivo effects. In vivo inhibition of HIF-1 and Src tyr kinase pathways were associated with the prevention of IH-induced elastic fiber/lamella degradation and atherogenesis, which suggests that VE-cadherin could be an important target to limit atherogenesis and progression of arterial stiffness in OSAS.

X-ray Diffraction Imaging of Deformations in Thin Films and Nano-Objects.

The quantification and localization of elastic strains and defects in crystals are necessary to control and predict the functioning of materials. The X-ray imaging of strains has made very impressive progress in recent years. On the one hand, progress in optical elements for focusing X-rays now makes it possible to carry out X-ray diffraction mapping with a resolution in the 50–100 nm range, while lensless imaging techniques reach a typical resolution of 5–10 nm. This continuous evolution is also a consequence of the development of new two-dimensional detectors with hybrid pixels whose dynamics, reading speed and low noise level have revolutionized measurement strategies. In addition, a new accelerator ring concept (HMBA network: hybrid multi-bend achromat lattice) is allowing a very significant increase (a factor of 100) in the brilliance and coherent flux of synchrotron radiation facilities, thanks to the reduction in the horizontal size of the source. This review is intended as a progress report in a rapidly evolving field. The next ten years should allow the emergence of three-dimensional imaging methods of strains that are fast enough to follow, in situ, the evolution of a material under stress or during a transition. Handling massive amounts of data will not be the least of the challenges.

Progressive Microstructural Deterioration Dictates Evolving Biomechanical Dysfunction in the Marfan Aorta.

Medial deterioration leading to thoracic aortic aneurysms arises from multiple causes, chief among them mutations to the gene that encodes fibrillin-1 and leads to Marfan syndrome. Fibrillin-1 microfibrils associate with elastin to form elastic fibers, which are essential structural, functional, and instructional components of the normal aortic wall. Compromised elastic fibers adversely impact overall structural integrity and alter smooth muscle cell phenotype. Despite significant progress in characterizing clinical, histopathological, and mechanical aspects of fibrillin-1 related aortopathies, a direct correlation between the progression of microstructural defects and the associated mechanical properties that dictate aortic functionality remains wanting. In this paper, age-matched wild-type, Fbn1C1041G/+, and Fbn1mgR/mgR mouse models were selected to represent three stages of increasing severity of the Marfan aortic phenotype. Ex vivo multiphoton imaging and biaxial mechanical testing of the ascending and descending thoracic aorta under physiological loading conditions demonstrated that elastic fiber defects, collagen fiber remodeling, and cell reorganization increase with increasing dilatation. Three-dimensional microstructural characterization further revealed radial patterns of medial degeneration that become more uniform with increasing dilatation while correlating strongly with increased circumferential material stiffness and decreased elastic energy storage, both of which comprise aortic functionality.

Novel regulatory roles of small leucine-rich proteoglycans in remodeling of the uterine cervix in pregnancy

The cervix undergoes rapid and dramatic shifts in collagen and elastic fiber structure to achieve its disparate physiological roles of competence during pregnancy and compliance during birth. An understanding of the structure-function relationships of collagen and elastic fibers to maintain extracellular matrix (ECM) homeostasis requires an understanding of the mechanisms executed by non-structural ECM molecules. Small-leucine rich proteoglycans (SLRPs) play key functions in biology by affecting collagen fibrillogenesis and regulating enzyme and growth factor bioactivities. In the current study, we evaluated collagen and elastic fiber structure-function relationships in mouse cervices using mice with genetic ablation of decorin and/or biglycan genes as representative of Class I SLRPs, and lumican gene representative of Class II SLRP. We identified structural defects in collagen fibril and elastic fiber organization in nonpregnant mice lacking decorin, or biglycan or lumican with variable resolution of defects noted during pregnancy. The severity of collagen and elastic fiber defects was greater in nonpregnant mice lacking both decorin and biglycan and defects were maintained throughout pregnancy. Loss of biglycan alone reduced tissue extensibility in nonpregnant mice while loss of both decorin and biglycan manifested in decreased rupture stretch in late pregnancy. Collagen cross-link density was similar in the Class I SLRP null mice as compared to wild-type nonpregnant and pregnant controls. A broader range in collagen fibril diameter along with an increase in mean fibril spacing was observed in the mutant mice compared to wild-type controls. Collectively, these findings uncover functional redundancy and hierarchical roles of Class I and Class II SLRPs as key regulators of cervical ECM remodeling in pregnancy. These results expand our understating of the critical role SLRPs play to maintain ECM homeostasis in the cervix.

Unifying Description of the Vibrational Anomalies of Amorphous Materials.

The vibrational density of states D(ω) of solids controls their thermal and transport properties. In crystals, the low-frequency modes are extended phonons distributed in frequency according to Debye's law, D(ω)∝ω^{2}. In amorphous solids, phonons are damped, and at low frequency D(ω) comprises extended modes in excess over Debye's prediction, leading to the so-called boson peak in D(ω)/ω^{2} at ω_{bp}, and quasilocalized ones. Here we show that boson peak and phonon attenuation in the Rayleigh scattering regime are related, as suggested by correlated fluctuating elasticity theory, and that amorphous materials can be described as homogeneous isotropic elastic media punctuated by quasilocalized modes acting as elastic heterogeneities. Our numerical results resolve the conflict between theoretical approaches attributing amorphous solids' vibrational anomalies to elastic disorder and localized defects.

Machine-learning interatomic potential for W–Mo alloys

In this work, we develop a machine-learning interatomic potential for W x Mo1−x random alloys. The potential is trained using the Gaussian approximation potential framework and density functional theory data produced by the Vienna ab initio simulation package. The potential focuses on properties such as elastic properties, melting, and point defects for the whole range of W x Mo1−x compositions. Moreover, we use all-electron density functional theory data to fit an adjusted Ziegler–Biersack–Littmarck potential for the short-range repulsive interaction. We use the potential to investigate the effect of alloying on the threshold displacement energies and find a significant dependence on the local chemical environment and element of the primary recoiling atom.

A multiphasic model for determination of water and solute transport across the arterial wall: effects of elastic fiber defects.

Transport of solute across the arterial wall is a process driven by both convection and diffusion. In disease, the elastic fibers in the arterial wall are disrupted and lead to altered fluid and mass transport kinetics. A computational mixture model was used to numerically match previously published data of fluid and solute permeation experiments in groups of mouse arteries with genetic (knockout of fibulin-5) or chemical (treatment with elastase) disruption of elastic fibers. A biphasic model of fluid permeation indicated the governing property to be the hydraulic permeability, which was estimated to be 1.52×10-9, 1.01×10-8, and 1.07×10-8 mm4/μN.s for control, knockout, and elastase groups, respectively. A multiphasic model incorporating solute transport was used to estimate effective diffusivities that were dependent on molecular weight, consistent with expected transport behaviors in multiphasic biological tissues. The effective diffusivity for the 4 kDA FITC-dextran solute, but not the 70 or 150 kDa FITC-dextran solutes, was dependent on elastic fiber structure, with increasing values from control to knockout to elastase groups, suggesting that elastic fiber disruption affects transport of lower molecular weight solutes. The model used here sets the groundwork for future work investigating transport through the arterial wall.

Phenomenological theory of defect driven flexo-chemical phenomena in ferroics

The review is focused on the phenomenological description of the elastic defects influence on the electrophysical properties of nanosized ferroics. Using the Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire phenomenological approach we consider the contribution of the elastic defects (e.g. neutral oxygen vacancies) on the phase transitions temperatures, phase diagrams, piezo-resistive, dielectric and polar properties of thin ferroelectric films and nanoparticles. We pay special attention to the role of flexoelectric effect, Vegard strains and stresses, including their synergy, called flexo-chemical coupling, on the defect-driven phenomena in nanoferroics. We explore the influence of mobile charged defects migration (e.g. the drift and diffusion of cations or charged oxygen vacancies) on the domain structure evolution in thin ferroelectric films. Also, we discuss the possibilities of the uncharged elastic defects self-ordering ordering in thin strained oxide films, and show that a thermodynamically stable disordered phase, spatially modulated phases, and long-range ordered phases with defect layers parallel or perpendicular to substrate plane can appear in the phase diagram in dependence on the film-substrate mismatch strain, concentration of elastic defects and Vegard coefficients. Since the long-range ordered ferroic phases can become multiferroic when some elastic dipoles become electric ones, the obtained results open the way to create and control defect-ordered superstructures by the choice of appropriate substrate and defect concentration in thin ferroic films.

The Effect of Ankaferd Blood Stopper Used for Massive Hemoptysis in a Patient With Mounier-Kuhn Syndrome: A Case Report

Mounier-Kuhn Syndrome (MKS) is a rare disorder derived from the muscular and elastic tissue defects of the trachea and the main bronchial walls, characterized by tracheobronchomegaly. Patients may present with complaints of cough, phlegm, dyspnoea and haemoptysis. Haemoptysis may be minor and mixed with phlegm or it may be massive. Establishment of airway patency is a priority in the management of massive haemoptysis. Cold saline solution, diluted adrenaline or tranexamic acid may be administered via the endobronchial route to stop haemorrhage while establishing the airway patency. Ankaferd Blood Stopper (ABS) has a haemostatic property and can be locally administered to the airway. In this report, we aim to highlight the effects of ABS administered via an endobronchial route for emergency palliation of a patient with MKS presenting with massive haemoptysis.

Zoology of solid & fluid holography \u2014 Goldstone modes and phase relaxation

We provide a comprehensive classification of isotropic solid and fluid holographic models with broken translational invariance. We describe in detail the collective modes in both the transverse and longitudinal sectors. First, we discuss holographic fluid models, i.e. systems invariant under internal volume preserving diffeomorphisms. We consider the explicit (EXB) and the spontaneous (SSB) breaking of translations and we emphasize the differences with respect to their solid counterpart. Then, we present a study of the longitudinal collective modes in simple holographic solid and fluid models exhibiting the interplay between SSB and EXB. We confirm the presence of light pseudo-phonons obeying the Gell-Mann-Oakes-Renner relation and the validity of the relation proposed in the literature between the novel phase relaxation scale, the mass of the pseudo-Golstone modes and the Goldstone diffusion. Moreover, we find very good agreement between the dispersion relation of our longitudinal sound mode and the formulae derived from the Hydro+ framework. Finally, our results suggest that the crystal diffusion mode does not acquire a simple damping term because of the novel relaxation scale proportional to the EXB. The dynamics is more complex and it involves the interplay of three modes: the crystal diffusion and two more arising from the splitting of the original sound mode. In this sense, the novel relaxation scale, which comes from the explicit breaking of the global internal shift symmetry of the Stückelberg fields, is different from the one induced by elastic defects, and depending solely on the SSB scale.

Valley-dependent Lorentz force and Aharonov-Bohm phase in strained graphene p−n junction

Veselago lens focusing in graphene p-n junction is promising for realizations of new generation electron optics devices. However, the effect of the strain-induced Aharonov-Bohm interference in a p-n junction has not been discussed before. We provide an experimentally feasible setup based on the Veselago lens in which the presence of strain can result in both the valley-dependent Lorentz force and Aharonov-Bohm interference. In particular, by employing the Green's function and tight binding methods, we study the strain induced by dislocations and line defects in a p-n junction and show how the resulting Aharonov-Bohm phase and interference can be detected. Furthermore, for a different strain configuration, e.g. corresponding to corrugated graphene, we find strong signatures of valley splitting induced by the fictitious magnetic field. Our proposal can be useful for mapping elastic deformations and defects, and for studying valley dependent effects in graphene.