Open Cosmic Strings in Black Hole Space-Times

We construct open cosmic string solutions in Schwarzschild black hole and non-dilatonic black p-brane backgrounds. These strings can be thought to stretch between two D-branes or between a D-brane and the horizon in curved space-time. We study small fluctuations around these solutions and discuss their basic properties.Comment: 11 pages, REVTex, 5 figures, a reference adde

Effect of pathology type and severity on the distribution of MRI signal intensities within the degenerated nucleus pulposus: application to idiopathic scoliosis and spondylolisthesis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Disc degeneration is characterized by a loss of cellularity, degradation of the extracellular matrix, and, as a result, morphological changes and biomechanical alterations. We hypothesized that the distribution of the MR signal intensity within the nucleus zone of the intervertebral disc was modified according to the pathology and the severity of the pathology. The objective of this study was to propose new parameters characterizing the distribution of the signal intensity within the nucleus zone of lumbar intervertebral discs, and to quantify these changes in patients suffering from spondylolisthesis or idiopathic scoliosis.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A retrospective study had been performed on T2-weighted MR images of twenty nine patients suffering from spondylolisthesis and/or scoliosis. The high intensity zone of the nucleus pulposus was semi-automatically detected. The distance "DX" between the center weighted by the signal intensity and the geometrical center was quantified. The sum of the signal intensity on the axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the disc was plotted for each position of the longitudinal axis allowing defining the maximum sum "SM" and its position "PSM".</p> <p>Results</p> <p>"SM" was clearly higher and "PSM" was more shifted for scoliosis than for spondylolisthesis. A two-way analysis of variance showed that the differences observed on "DX" were not attributed to the pathology nor its severity, the differences observed on "SM" were attributed to the pathology but not to its severity, and the differences observed on "PSM" were attributed to both the pathology and its severity.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The technique proposed in this study showed significant differences in the distribution of the MR signal intensity within the nucleus zone of intervertebral discs due to the pathology and its severity. The dependence of the "PSM" parameter to the severity of the pathology suggests this parameter as a predictive factor of the pathology progression. This new technique should be useful for the early diagnosis of intervertebral disc pathologies as it highlights abnormal patterns in the MRI signal for low severity of the pathology.</p

Síndromes clínicos relacionados a la concentración de hormonas tiroideas circulantes

In daily medical practice, during the diagnostic process, we first identify the symptoms and signs of the disease, and then determine the symptomatic problem with this information, next, we identify the pathophysiological and/or anatomopathological problem, and finally, we determine the etiological problem or diagnosis of disease, completing the diagnostic process. This systematic process for providing a diagnosis is usually not addressed in medical literature, and I consider that this confuses the individuals in the beginning of their learning/teaching process in medical training. Based on the above and using conventional medical literature, of classical books, I apply the systemic approach to the problem-oriented diagnosis, identifying three diagnostic levels for two diagnostic dimensions. In this article, by applying this methodology, I approach the topic related to the symptomatology determined by the high or low concentration of thyroid hormones in blood, and refer to them as hyperthyroxinemia and hypothyroxinemia syndromes, respectively. This methodological proposal for diagnostic process stablishes three diagnostic levels and two diagnostic dimensions that are not clearly differentiated through the traditional model.En la praxis médica cotidiana, en el proceso diagnóstico, nos encontramos primero con los síntomas y signos de la enfermedad, y con esa información planteamos el problema sintomatológico, segundo; identificamos el problema fisiopatológico o anatomopatologico y tercero identificamos el problema etiológico o diagnóstico de enfermedad, con lo que culmina el proceso diagnóstico. En la bibliografía médica, usualmente no se sigue esta sistemática diagnostica, lo que considero confunde a quienes están iniciándose en el proceso aprendizaje enseñanza de la medicina. Con este fundamento y utilizando la literatura médica convencional de textos clásicos, me permito aplicar el enfoque sistémico al diagnóstico orientado al problema, identificándose tres niveles diagnósticos para dos dimensiones diagnósticas. En el presente artículo, aplicando esta metodología, abordo el tema relacionado a la sintomatología determinada por la concentración alta o baja de hormonas tiroideas en sangre, que denomino síndromes clínicos de hipertiroxinemia e hipotiroxinemia respectivamente. Esta propuesta metodológica de proceso diagnóstico, establece tres niveles y dos dimensiones diagnósticas, las que no están claramente diferenciadas en el modelo tradiciona

Biologiczna ochrona upraw warzywnych jako element ekologizacji agrocenoz

In the publication the role of products for biological plant protection against noxious organisms is shown in structure formation and vegetable crops agrophytocenoses stabilization, their quantitative and qualitative composition. It is pointed out that application of biological pesticides with different mechanism of action exerts a positive effect on plant growth and development, facilitates the phytosanitary situation improvement in vegetable crops and decreases the negative influence on the environment.Przedstawiono rolę środków do biologicznej ochrony roślin przed szkodnikami w strukturze formowania i stabilizacji agrofitocenoz upraw warzywnych, ich skład ilościowy i jakościowy. Zauważono, że biologiczne pestycydy o różnej zasadzie działania zaprawy użytkowej mają pozytywny wpływ na wzrost i rozwój rośliny, ułatwiają poprawę sytuacji fitosanitarnej w uprawach warzywnych i zmniejszają negatywny wpływ na środowisko

Economic crisis and challenges for the Greek healthcare system: the emergent role of nursing management

Background Despite several reform efforts, the Greek health care system still faces problems related to misdistribution of trained health staff and finance between geographical areas. Aim The objectives of the present study were to describe the current situation of the delivery of the healthcare service in Greece, to explore the basic implications of the economic crisis from a nursing management perspective and to examine future practices opening a debate in policy developments. Key issue The principal finding of this study was the serious shortage of trained nurses, the imbalances in nursing personnel, an excess of doctors and the complete absence of a Primary Healthcare System in civil areas provided by general doctors. Conclusion It is important that health care policy makers become aware and seriously consider rearranging the Health Care System to become more effective and efficient for the population (client). Special attention should be paid to strengthening areas such as primary health care, public health and health promotion in the direction of minimizing the demand of hospital services. Implications for nursing management Any implementation of major health care reforms should consider seriously the role of the nursing management which formulates the substantial link between the health services and the patient

ZIO: The Ultimate Linux I/O Framework

ZIO (with Z standing for “The Ultimate I/O” Framework) was developed for CERN with the specific needs of physics labs in mind, which are poorly addressed in the mainstream Linux kernel. ZIO provides a framework for industrial, high-bandwith, high-channel count I/O device drivers (digitizers, function generators, timing devices like TDCs) with performance, generality and scalability as design goals. Among its features, it offers abstractions for • both input and output channels, and channel sets • run-time selection of trigger types • run-time selection of buffer types • sysfs-based configuration • char devices for data and metadata • a socket interface (PF ZIO) as alternative to char devices In this paper, we discuss the design and implementation of ZIO, and describe representative cases of driver development for typical and exotic applications: drivers for the FMC (FPGAMezzanine Card, see [1]) boards developed at CERN like the FMC ADC 100Msps digitizer, FMC TDC timestamp counter, and FMC DEL fine delay

Mid-term evaluation of the effects of dynamic neutralization system on lumbar intervertebral discs using quantitative molecular MR imaging

Purpose: To evaluate the mid-term effects of implant of dynamic neutralization system (Dynesys) on disc tissue in patients with lumbar discopathy, through the quantifica- tion of glycosaminoglycans (GAG) concentration, both in treated and adjacent levels, by analysis of delayed gado- linium-enhanced MRI contrast (dGEMRIC) images. Materials and Methods: Ten patients with low back pain, underwent the dGEMRIC diagnostic protocol before, 6- months and after 2 years from surgery. Each patient was also evaluated with visual analog (VAS), Oswestry, and Prolo scales both at presurgery and during follow-up. From dGEMRIC images, a DT1 parametric map was obtained for each disc, as quantitative indicator of its GAG concentration, and divided in 13 sectors, which were classified at presurgery as normal or abnormal, based on a 70-ms threshold. Evolution of DT1 was studied during the follow-up. Results: Nine of ten patients completed the follow-up. VAS, Oswestry, and Prolo grades showed an improve- ment. This was accompanied by a reduction of DT1 in abnormal segments while normal segments showed a pat- tern of initial worsening at 6 months, followed by an improvement after 2 years. Conclusion: Our study confirmed the improvement in clinical evaluation, and for the first time related this to the changes in discs GAG concentration