Streaked sub-ps-resolution x-ray line shapes and implications for solid-density plasma dynamics (invited).

A high-resolution x-ray spectrometer was coupled with an ultrafast x-ray streak camera to produce time-resolved line shape spectra measured from hot, solid-density plasmas. A Bragg crystal was placed near laser-produced plasma to maximize throughput; alignment tolerances were established by ray tracing. The streak camera produced single-shot, time-resolved spectra, heavily sloped due to photon time-of-flight differences, with sufficient reproducibility to accumulate photon statistics. The images are time-calibrated by the slope of streaked spectra and dewarped to generate spectra emitted at different times defined at the source. The streaked spectra demonstrate the evolution of spectral shoulders and other features on ps timescales, showing the feasibility of plasma parameter measurements on the rapid timescales necessary to study high-energy-density plasmas.

Homogeneous, Micron-Scale High-Energy-Density Matter Generated by Relativistic Laser-Solid Interactions.

Short-pulse, laser-solid interactions provide a unique platform for studying complex high-energy-density matter. We present the first demonstration of solid-density, micron-scale keV plasmas uniformly heated by a high-contrast, 400 nm wavelength laser at intensities up to 2×10^{21} W/cm^{2}. High-resolution spectral analysis of x-ray emission reveals uniform heating up to 3.0 keV over 1 µm depths. Particle-in-cell simulations indicate the production of a uniformly heated keV plasma to depths of 2 µm. The significant bulk heating and presence of highly ionized ions deep within the target are attributed to the few MeV hot electrons that become trapped and undergo refluxing within the target sheath fields. These conditions enabled the differentiation of atomic physics models of ionization potential depression in high-energy-density environments.

Quantifying electron temperature distributions from time-integrated x-ray emission spectra.

K-shell x-ray emission spectroscopy is a standard tool used to diagnose the plasma conditions created in high-energy-density physics experiments. In the simplest approach, the emissivity-weighted average temperature of the plasma can be extracted by fitting an emission spectrum to a single temperature condition. It is known, however, that a range of plasma conditions can contribute to the measured spectra due to a combination of the evolution of the sample and spatial gradients. In this work, we define a parameterized model of the temperature distribution and use Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampling of the input parameters, yielding uncertainties in the fit parameters to assess the uniqueness of the inferred temperature distribution. We present the analysis of time-integrated S and Fe x-ray spectroscopic data from the Orion laser facility and demonstrate that while fitting each spectral region to a single temperature yields two different temperatures, both spectra can be fit simultaneously with a single temperature distribution. We find that fitting both spectral regions together requires a maximum temperature of 1310-70 +90 eV with significant contributions from temperatures down to 200 eV.

Methadone-related death in detention.

Oral methadone may be prescribed to detainees with the aim of minimising the risk of fatal opioid poisoning on release. To study the circumstances under which methadone-related deaths can occur in detention, we audited reports of 17 [14 male, 3 female; median (range) age 34 (22-52) years] such deaths, July 2010-December 2011. The median (range) methadone dose was 40 (10-110) mg/d (N = 16). The median (range) post-mortem blood methadone concentration was 0.42 (0.16-1.40) mg/L. Those who died within 7 days of the commencement of methadone treatment were significantly younger (Mann-Whitney U 102.5, p < 0.05), were prescribed a significantly lower dose (U = 80.0, p < 0.05) and had significantly lower blood methadone concentrations at death (U = 106.5, p < 0.02) than in those given methadone long-term. In 8 reports the prisoner had been recorded as either 'sleepy' (N = 7), or 'unwell' in the hours before death. In 13 deaths, the prisoner was either found dead first thing in the morning, or in one instance could not be roused ('snoring heavily'). Pneumonia, tracheobronchitis, end-stage cirrhosis, and ischaemic heart disease/coronary artery atherosclerosis were cited as associated factors in four patients, all of whom were on long term stable methadone treatment. Attention to warning signs of likely methadone toxicity (daytime or excessive drowsiness, snoring, nausea/vomiting) and associated risk factors (use of drugs such as benzodiazepines and gabapentinoids, the presence of respiratory infection, liver or renal disease) could help minimise the risk of unexpected death in patients given methadone.

Treatment outcomes of bladder stones in children with intact bladders in developing countries: A systematic review of >1000 cases on behalf of the European Association of Urology Bladder Stones Guideline panel.

INTRODUCTION: Bladder stones (BS) are still endemic in children in developing nations and account for a high volume of paediatric urology workload in these areas. The aim of this systematic review is to comparatively assess the benefits and risks of minimally invasive and open surgical interventions for the treatment of bladder stones in children. METHODS: This systematic review was conducted in accordance with Cochrane Guidance. Database searches (January 1970- March 2021) were screened, abstracted, and assessed for risk of bias for comparative randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomised studies (NRSs) with >10 patients per group. Open cystolithotomy (CL), transurethral cystolithotripsy (TUCL), percutaneous cystolithotripsy (PCCL), extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) and laparoscopic cystolithotomy (LapCL) were evaluated. RESULTS: In total, 3040 abstracts were screened, and 8 studies were included. There were 7 retrospective non-randomised studies (NRS's) and 1 quasi-RCT with 1034 eligible patients (CL: n=637, TUCL: n=196, PCCL: n=138, ESWL: n=63, LapCL n=0). Stone free rate (SFR) was given in 7 studies and measured 100%, 86.6%-100%, and 100% for CL, TUCL and PCCL respectively. CL was associated with a longer duration of inpatient stay than PCCL and TUCL (p<0.05). One NRS showed that SFR was significantly lower after 1 session with outpatient ESWL (47.6%) compared to TUCL (93.5%) and CL (100%) (p<0.01 and p<0.01 respectively). One RCT compared TUCL with laser versus TUCL with pneumatic lithotripsy and found that procedure duration was shorter with laser for stones <1.5cm (n=25, p=0.04). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, CL, TUCL and PCCL have comparable SFRs but ESWL is less effective for treating stones in paediatric patients. CL has the longest duration of inpatient stay. Information gathered from this systematic review will enable paediatric urologists to comparatively assess the risks and benefits of all urological modalities when considering surgical intervention for bladder stones.

Infections, hospitalisations, and deaths averted via a nationwide vaccination campaign using the Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine in Israel: a retrospective surveillance study.

BACKGROUND: On Dec 20, 2020, Israel initiated a nationwide COVID-19 vaccination campaign for people aged 16 years and older and exclusively used the Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (tozinameran). We provide estimates of the number of SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19-related admissions to hospital (ie, hospitalisations) and deaths averted by the nationwide vaccination campaign. METHODS: In this retrospective surveillance study, we used national surveillance data routinely collected by the Israeli Ministry of Health from the first 112 days (Dec 20, 2020, up to our data cutoff of April 10, 2021) of Israel's vaccination campaign to estimate the averted burden of four outcomes: SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19-related hospitalisations, severe or critical hospitalisations, and deaths. As part of the campaign, all individuals aged 16 years and older were eligible for inoculation with the BNT162b2 vaccine in a two-dose schedule 21 days apart. We estimated the direct effects of the immunisation programme for all susceptible individuals (ie, with no previous evidence of laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection) who were at least partly vaccinated (at least one dose and at least 14 days of follow-up after the first dose). We estimated the number of SARS-CoV-2 infection-related outcomes averted on the basis of cumulative daily, age-specific rate differences, comparing rates among unvaccinated individuals with those of at least partly vaccinated individuals for each of the four outcomes and the (age-specific) size of the susceptible population and proportion that was at least partly vaccinated. FINDINGS: We estimated that Israel's vaccination campaign averted 158 665 (95% CI 144 640-172 690) SARS-CoV-2 infections, 24 597 (18 942-30 252) hospitalisations, 17 432 (12 770-22 094) severe or critical hospitalisations, and 5532 (3085-7982) deaths. 16 213 (65·9%) of 24 597 hospitalisations and 5035 (91·0%) of 5532 of deaths averted were estimated to be among those aged 65 years and older. We estimated 116 000 (73·1%) SARS-CoV-2 infections, 19 467 (79·1%) COVID-19-related hospitalisations, and 4351 (79%) deaths averted were accounted for by the fully vaccinated population. INTERPRETATION: Without the national vaccination campaign, Israel probably would have had triple the number of hospitalisations and deaths compared with what actually occurred during its largest wave of the pandemic to date, and the health-care system might have become overwhelmed. Indirect effects and long-term benefits of the programme, which could be substantial, were not included in these estimates and warrant future research. FUNDING: Israel Ministry of Health and Pfizer.

Effectiveness of BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 variant Beta (B.1.351) among persons identified through contact tracing in Israel: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV-2 variant Beta (B.1.351) was designated as a Variant of Concern (VoC) after becoming the dominant strain in South Africa and spreading internationally. BNT162b2 showed lower levels of neutralizing antibodies against Beta than against other strains raising concerns about effectiveness of vaccines against infections caused by Beta. We estimated BNT162b2 vaccine effectiveness (VE) against Beta infections in Israel, a country with high vaccine uptake. METHODS: The Ministry of Health (MoH) identified Beta cases through mandatory reporting of SARS-CoV-2 cases and whole genome sequencing (WGS) of specimens from vaccination-breakthrough infections, reinfections, arriving international travelers, and a selection of other infected persons. A cohort analysis was conducted of exposure events of contacts of primary Beta cases. WGS was conducted on available PCR-positive specimens collected from contacts. VE estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) against confirmed and probable Beta infections were determined by comparing infection risk between unvaccinated and fully-vaccinated (≥7 days after the second dose) contacts, and between unvaccinated and partially-vaccinated (<7 days after the second dose) contacts. FINDINGS: MoH identified 310 Beta cases through Jun 27, 2021. During the study period (Dec 11, 2020 - Mar 25, 2021), 164 non-institutionalized primary Beta cases, with 552 contacts aged ≥16 years, were identified. 343/552 (62%) contacts were interviewed and tested. 71/343 (21%) contacts were PCR-positive. WGS was performed on 7/71 (10%) PCR-positive specimens; all were Beta. Among SARS-CoV-2-infected contacts, 48/71 (68%) were symptomatic, 10/71 (14%) hospitalized, and 2/71 (3%) died. Fully-vaccinated VE against confirmed or probable Beta infections was 72% (95% CI -5 - 97%; p=0·04) and against symptomatic confirmed or probable Beta infections was 100% (95% CI 19 - 100%; p=0·01). There was no evidence of protection in partially-vaccinated contacts. INTERPRETATION: In a prospective observational study, two doses of BNT162b2 were effective against confirmed and probable Beta infections. Through the end of June 2021, introductions of Beta did not interrupt control of the pandemic in Israel. FUNDING: Israel Ministry of Health and Pfizer.

Recent enhancements in the performance of the Orion high-resolution x-ray spectrometers.

During the past few years, the Orion high-resolution x-ray spectrometers have been successful tools for measuring x-ray spectra from plasmas generated in the Orion laser facility. Duplicate spectrometers also operate successfully at the Livermore EBIT-I and SuperEBIT electron beam ion traps for measuring x-ray polarization. We have recently implemented very high-quality, optically bonded, spherically bent quartz crystals to remove the structure in the x-ray image that had been observed in earlier measurements. The structure had been caused by focusing defects and limited the accuracy of our measurements. We present before and after images that show a drastic improvement. We, furthermore, have implemented a spherically bent potassium acid phthalate (KAP) crystal on one of our spectrometers. The KAP crystal was prepared in a similar fashion, and we present measurements of the N Ly-ß and Ne Lyß lines taken in first- and second-order reflections at 600 and 1200 eV, respectively. These measurements confirm that KAP crystals can be produced at a quality suitable for extending the spectral coverage to wavelengths longer than those accessible by different quartz crystals, especially those that cover the astrophysically important lines of iron.

Impact and effectiveness of mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19 cases, hospitalisations, and deaths following a nationwide vaccination campaign in Israel: an observational study using national surveillance data.

BACKGROUND: Following the emergency use authorisation of the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA COVID-19 vaccine BNT162b2 (international non-proprietary name tozinameran) in Israel, the Ministry of Health (MoH) launched a campaign to immunise the 6·5 million residents of Israel aged 16 years and older. We estimated the real-world effectiveness of two doses of BNT162b2 against a range of SARS-CoV-2 outcomes and to evaluate the nationwide public-health impact following the widespread introduction of the vaccine. METHODS: We used national surveillance data from the first 4 months of the nationwide vaccination campaign to ascertain incident cases of laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections and outcomes, as well as vaccine uptake in residents of Israel aged 16 years and older. Vaccine effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 outcomes (asymptomatic infection, symptomatic infection, and COVID-19-related hospitalisation, severe or critical hospitalisation, and death) was calculated on the basis of incidence rates in fully vaccinated individuals (defined as those for whom 7 days had passed since receiving the second dose of vaccine) compared with rates in unvaccinated individuals (who had not received any doses of the vaccine), with use of a negative binomial regression model adjusted for age group (16-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65-74, 75-84, and ≥85 years), sex, and calendar week. The proportion of spike gene target failures on PCR test among a nationwide convenience-sample of SARS-CoV-2-positive specimens was used to estimate the prevelance of the B.1.1.7 variant. FINDINGS: During the analysis period (Jan 24 to April 3, 2021), there were 232 268 SARS-CoV-2 infections, 7694 COVID-19 hospitalisations, 4481 severe or critical COVID-19 hospitalisations, and 1113 COVID-19 deaths in people aged 16 years or older. By April 3, 2021, 4 714 932 (72·1%) of 6 538 911 people aged 16 years and older were fully vaccinated with two doses of BNT162b2. Adjusted estimates of vaccine effectiveness at 7 days or longer after the second dose were 95·3% (95% CI 94·9-95·7; incidence rate 91·5 per 100 000 person-days in unvaccinated vs 3·1 per 100 000 person-days in fully vaccinated individuals) against SARS-CoV-2 infection, 91·5% (90·7-92·2; 40·9 vs 1·8 per 100 000 person-days) against asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, 97·0% (96·7-97·2; 32·5 vs 0·8 per 100 000 person-days) against symptomatic COVID-19, 97·2% (96·8-97·5; 4·6 vs 0·3 per 100 000 person-days) against COVID-19-related hospitalisation, 97·5% (97·1-97·8; 2·7 vs 0·2 per 100 000 person-days) against severe or critical COVID-19-related hospitalisation, and 96·7% (96·0-97·3; 0·6 vs 0·1 per 100 000 person-days) against COVID-19-related death. In all age groups, as vaccine coverage increased, the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 outcomes declined. 8006 of 8472 samples tested showed a spike gene target failure, giving an estimated prevalence of the B.1.1.7 variant of 94·5% among SARS-CoV-2 infections. INTERPRETATION: Two doses of BNT162b2 are highly effective across all age groups (≥16 years, including older adults aged ≥85 years) in preventing symptomatic and asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19-related hospitalisations, severe disease, and death, including those caused by the B.1.1.7 SARS-CoV-2 variant. There were marked and sustained declines in SARS-CoV-2 incidence corresponding to increasing vaccine coverage. These findings suggest that COVID-19 vaccination can help to control the pandemic. FUNDING: None.

Absolute throughput calibration of multiple spherical crystals for the Orion High-REsolution X-ray spectrometer (OHREX).

We present absolute throughput analysis of several crystals for the Orion High-REsolution X-ray (OHREX) imaging crystal spectrometer using ray tracing and experimental measurements. The OHREX spectrometer is a high-resolution x-ray spectrometer designed to measure spectral line shapes at the Orion laser facility. The spectrometer is fielded with up to two spherical crystals simultaneously covering two independent spectral ranges. Each crystal has a nominal radius of curvature of R = 67.2 cm and is fielded at a nominal Bragg angle of 51.3°. To cover different bands of interest, several different crystals are available, including Ge (111), KAP, and several cuts of quartz, whose resolving power λ/Δλ exceeds 10 000. The calibrated response of the available crystals has previously been reported from measurements at the EBIT-I electron beam ion trap at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Here, we model the absolute throughput of each crystal using ray tracing and verify the results using experimental data for the quartz (101¯1) crystal.

Measurements of pressure-induced Kß line shifts in ramp compressed cobalt up to 8 Mbar.

We report measurements of K-shell fluorescence lines induced by fast electrons in ramp-compressed Co targets. The fluorescence emission was stimulated by fast electrons generated through short-pulse laser-solid interaction with an Al target layer. Compression up to 2.1× solid density was achieved while maintaining temperatures well below the Fermi energy, effectively removing the thermal effects from consideration. We observed small but unambiguous redshifts in the Kß fluorescence line relative to unshifted Cu Kα. Redshifts up to 2.6 eV were found to increase with compression and to be consistent with predictions from self-consistent models based on density-functional theory.

Optical Lace for Synthetic Afferent Neural Networks.

While vision dominates sensing in robots, animals with limited vision deftly navigate their environment using other forms of perception such as touch. Efforts have been made to apply artificial skins with tactile sensing to robots for similarly sophisticated mobile and manipulative skills. The ability to functionally mimic the afferent sensory neural network, required for distributed sensing and communication networks throughout the body is still missing. This limitation is partially due to the lack of cointegration of the mechanosensors in the body of the robot. In this paper, lacings of stretchable optical fibers distributed throughout 3D printed elastomer frameworks create a cointegrated body, sensing, and communication network. This soft, functional structure can localize deformation with sub-millimeter positional accuracy (Err = 0.71 mm), and sub-Newton force resolution (~0.3 N).

High resolution, high signal-to-noise crystal spectrometer for measurements of line shifts in high-density plasmas.

The Orion high-resolution x-ray (OHREX) spectrometer has been a successful tool for measuring the shapes of density-broadened spectral lines produced in short-pulse heated plasmas at the Orion laser facility. We have recently outfitted the instrument with a charge-couple device (CCD) camera, which greatly increased the accuracy with which we can perform line-shift measurements. Because OHREX is located on the outside of the Orion target chamber, no provisions for the shielding of electromagnetic pulses are required. With the CCD, we obtained a higher signal-to-noise ratio than we previously obtained with an image-plate detector. This allowed us to observe structure in the image produced by the diffraction from the two OHREX crystals, which was highly reproducible from shot to shot. This structure will ultimately limit the accuracy of our spectroscopic measurements.

Experimental comparison of spherically bent HAPG and Ge crystals.

The Orion high-resolution X-ray (OHREX) imaging spherically bent crystal spectrometer, operated with both image plates and CCD cameras, provides time-averaged plasma diagnostics through high-resolution spectroscopy with good signal-to-noise at the Orion laser facility. In order to provide time-resolved spectra, the OHREX will be outfitted with a streak camera, and in this case, even higher signal to noise will be desired. Using the OHREX's sister instrument, the EBIT High-resolution X-ray (EBHiX) spectrometer, at the LLNL electron beam ion trap EBIT-I, we therefore compare the efficiency of a high-quality Ge (111) crystal (2d = 6.532 Å) with that of a higher integrated reflectivity, but lower-resolution highly annealed pyrolytic graphite (HAPG) crystal (2d = 6.708 Å) in the energy range 2408-2452 eV. We find that the HAPG provides overall more signal across the entire image; however, because of the much better focusing properties of the Ge crystal, the latter provides more signal within the central 100 µm of the spatial profile in the cross-dispersion direction and is thus more suitable for the narrow entrance window of the Livermore-built streak camera.

Experimental evidence for the enhanced and reduced stopping regimes for protons propagating through hot plasmas.

Our understanding of the dynamics of ion collisional energy loss in a plasma is still not complete, in part due to the difficulty and lack of high-quality experimental measurements. These measurements are crucial to benchmark existing models. Here, we show that such a measurement is possible using high-flux proton beams accelerated by high intensity short pulse lasers, where there is a high number of particles in a picosecond pulse, which is ideal for measurements in quickly expanding plasmas. By reducing the energy bandwidth of the protons using a passive selector, we have made proton stopping measurements in partially ionized Argon and fully ionized Hydrogen plasmas with electron temperatures of hundreds of eV and densities in the range 1020-1021 cm-3. In the first case, we have observed, consistently with previous reports, enhanced stopping of protons when compared to stopping power in non-ionized gas. In the second case, we have observed for the first time the regime of reduced stopping, which is theoretically predicted in such hot and fully ionized plasma. The versatility of these tunable short-pulse laser based ion sources, where the ion type and energy can be changed at will, could open up the possibility for a variety of ion stopping power measurements in plasmas so long as they are well characterized in terms of temperature and density. In turn, these measurements will allow tests of the validity of existing theoretical models.

Focused electrical stimulation using a single current source.

OBJECTIVE: Cochlear implants, while providing significant benefits to recipients, remain limited due to broad neural activation. Focussed multipolar stimulation (FMP) is an advanced stimulation strategy that uses multiple current sources to produce highly focussed patterns of neural excitation in order to overcome these shortcomings. APPROACH: This report presents single-source multipolar stimulation (SSMPS), a novel form of stimulation based on a single current source and a passive current divider. Compared to conventional FMP with multiple current sources, SSMPS can be implemented as a modular addition to conventional (i.e. single) current source stimulation systems facilitating charge balance within the cochlea. As with FMP, SSMPS requires the determination of a transimpedance matrix to allow for focusing of the stimulation. The first part of this study therefore investigated the effects of varying the probe stimulus (e.g. current level and pulse width) on the measurement of the transimpedance matrix. SSMPS was then studied using in vitro based measurements of voltages at non-stimulated electrodes along an electrode array in normal saline. The voltage reduction with reference to monopolar stimulation was compared to tripolar and common ground stimulation, two clinically established stimulation modes. Finally, a proof of principle in vivo test of SSMPS in a feline model was performed. MAIN RESULTS: A probe stimulus of at least 40 nC is required to reliably measure the transimpedance matrix. In vitro stimulation using SSMPS resulted in a significantly greater voltage reduction compared to monopolar, tripolar and common ground stimulation. Interestingly, matching measurement and stimulation parameters did not lead to an improved focussing performance. Compared to monopolar stimulation, SSMPS resulted in reduced spread of neural activity in the inferior colliculus, albeit with increased thresholds. SIGNIFICANCE: The present study demonstrates that SSMPS successfully limits the broadening of the excitatory field along the electrode array and a subsequent reduction in the spread of neural excitation.

Soft optoelectronic sensory foams with proprioception.

In a step toward soft robot proprioception, and therefore better control, this paper presents an internally illuminated elastomer foam that has been trained to detect its own deformation through machine learning techniques. Optical fibers transmitted light into the foam and simultaneously received diffuse waves from internal reflection. The diffuse reflected light was interpreted by machine learning techniques to predict whether the foam was twisted clockwise, twisted counterclockwise, bent up, or bent down. Machine learning techniques were also used to predict the magnitude of the deformation type. On new data points, the model predicted the type of deformation with 100% accuracy and the magnitude of the deformation with a mean absolute error of 0.06°. This capability may impart soft robots with more complete proprioception, enabling them to be reliably controlled and responsive to external stimuli.

Stretchable surfaces with programmable 3D texture morphing for synthetic camouflaging skins.

Technologies that use stretchable materials are increasingly important, yet we are unable to control how they stretch with much more sophistication than inflating balloons. Nature, however, demonstrates remarkable control of stretchable surfaces; for example, cephalopods can project hierarchical structures from their skin in milliseconds for a wide range of textural camouflage. Inspired by cephalopod muscular morphology, we developed synthetic tissue groupings that allowed programmable transformation of two-dimensional (2D) stretchable surfaces into target 3D shapes. The synthetic tissue groupings consisted of elastomeric membranes embedded with inextensible textile mesh that inflated to within 10% of their target shapes by using a simple fabrication method and modeling approach. These stretchable surfaces transform from flat sheets to 3D textures that imitate natural stone and plant shapes and camouflage into their background environments.

Thermal conductivity measurements of proton-heated warm dense aluminum.

Thermal conductivity is one of the most crucial physical properties of matter when it comes to understanding heat transport, hydrodynamic evolution, and energy balance in systems ranging from astrophysical objects to fusion plasmas. In the warm dense matter regime, experimental data are very scarce so that many theoretical models remain untested. Here we present the first thermal conductivity measurements of aluminum at 0.5-2.7 g/cc and 2-10 eV, using a recently developed platform of differential heating. A temperature gradient is induced in a Au/Al dual-layer target by proton heating, and subsequent heat flow from the hotter Au to the Al rear surface is detected by two simultaneous time-resolved diagnostics. A systematic data set allows for constraining both thermal conductivity and equation-of-state models. Simulations using Purgatorio model or Sesame S27314 for Al thermal conductivity and LEOS for Au/Al release equation-of-state show good agreement with data after 15 ps. Discrepancy still exists at early time 0-15 ps, likely due to non-equilibrium conditions.

Gentamicin Applied to the Oval Window Suppresses Vestibular Function in Guinea Pigs.

Intratympanic gentamicin therapy is widely used clinically to treat the debilitating symptoms of Ménière's disease. Cochleotoxicity is an undesirable potential side effect of the treatment and the risk of hearing loss increases proportionately with gentamicin concentration in the cochlea. It has recently been shown that gentamicin is readily absorbed through the oval window in guinea pigs. The present study uses quantitative functional measures of vestibular and cochlea function to investigate the efficacy of treating the vestibule by applying a small volume of gentamicin onto the stapes footplate in guinea pigs. Vestibular and cochlea function were assessed by recording short latency vestibular evoked potentials in response to linear head acceleration and changes in hearing threshold, respectively, 1 and 2 weeks following treatment. Histopathology was analyzed in the crista ampullaris of the posterior semi-circular canal and utricular macula in the vestibule, and in the basal and second turns of the cochlea. In animals receiving gentamicin on the stapes footplate, vestibular responses were significantly suppressed by 72.7 % 2 weeks after treatment with no significant loss of hearing. This suggests that the vestibule can be treated directly by applying gentamicin onto the stapes footplate.