Reproducibility of thoracic kyphosis measurements in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

BACKGROUND: Current surgical treatment for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) involves correction in both the coronal and sagittal plane, and thorough assessment of these parameters is essential for evaluation of surgical results. However, various definitions of thoracic kyphosis (TK) have been proposed, and the intra- and inter-rater reproducibility of these measures has not been determined. As such, the purpose of the current study was to determine the intra- and inter-rater reproducibility of several TK measurements used in the assessment of AIS. METHODS: Twenty patients (90% females) surgically treated for AIS with alternate-level pedicle screw fixation were included in the study. Three raters independently evaluated pre- and postoperative standing lateral plain radiographs. For each radiograph, several definitions of TK were measured as well as L1–S1 and nonfixed lumbar lordosis. All variables were measured twice 14 days apart, and a mixed effects model was used to determine the repeatability coefficient (RC), which is a measure of the agreement between repeated measurements. Also, the intra- and inter-rater intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was determined as a measure of reliability. RESULTS: Preoperative median Cobb angle was 58° (range 41°–86°), and median surgical curve correction was 68% (range 49–87%). Overall intra-rater RC was highest for T2–T12 and nonfixed TK (11°) and lowest for T4–T12 and T5–T12 (8°). Inter-rater RC was highest for T1–T12, T1-nonfixed, and nonfixed TK (13°) and lowest for T5–T12 (9°). Agreement varied substantially between pre- and postoperative radiographs. Inter-rater ICC was highest for T4–T12 (0.92; 95% CI 0.88–0.95) and T5–T12 (0.92; 95% CI 0.88–0.95) and lowest for T1-nonfixed (0.80; 95% CI 0.72–0.88). CONCLUSIONS: Considerable variation for all TK measurements was noted. Intra- and inter-rater reproducibility was best for T4–T12 and T5–T12. Future studies should consider adopting a relevant minimum difference as a limit for true change in TK. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13013-017-0112-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Granular Scale Magnetic Flux Cancellations in the Photosphere

We investigate the evolution of 5 granular-scale magnetic flux cancellations just outside the moat region of a sunspot by using accurate spectropolarimetric measurements and G-band images with the Solar Optical Telescope aboard Hinode. The opposite polarity magnetic elements approach a junction of the intergranular lanes and then they collide with each other there. The intergranular junction has strong red shifts, darker intensities than the regular intergranular lanes, and surface converging flows. This clearly confirms that the converging and downward convective motions are essential for the approaching process of the opposite-polarity magnetic elements. However, motion of the approaching magnetic elements does not always match with their surrounding surface flow patterns in our observations. This suggests that, in addition to the surface flows, subsurface downward convective motions and subsurface magnetic connectivities are important for understanding the approach and collision of the opposite polarity elements observed in the photosphere. We find that the horizontal magnetic field appears between the canceling opposite polarity elements in only one event. The horizontal fields are observed along the intergranular lanes with Doppler red shifts. This cancellation is most probably a result of the submergence (retraction) of low-lying photospheric magnetic flux. In the other 4 events, the horizontal field is not observed between the opposite polarity elements at any time when they approach and cancel each other. These approaching magnetic elements are more concentrated rather than gradually diffused, and they have nearly vertical fields even while they are in contact each other. We thus infer that the actual flux cancellation is highly time dependent events at scales less than a pixel of Hinode SOT (about 200 km) near the solar surface.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

On High-Energy Behavior of Cross Sections in Theories with Large Extra Dimensions

We discuss the high-energy behavior of cross sections in theories with large extra dimensions and low-scale quantum gravity, addressing two particular issues: (i) the tension of the D-branes, and (ii) bounds on the cross section and their relation to approximations in the mode sum over Kaluza-Klein-graviton exchanges.Comment: 6 pages, late

Superpartner spectrum of minimal gaugino-gauge mediation

We evaluate the sparticle mass spectrum in the minimal four-dimensional construction that interpolates between gaugino and ordinary gauge mediation at the weak scale. We find that even in the hybrid case -- when the messenger scale is comparable to the mass of the additional gauge particles -- both the right-handed as well as the left-handed sleptons are lighter than the bino in the low-scale mediation regime. This implies a chain of lepton production and, consequently, striking signatures that may be probed at the LHC already in the near future.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures; V2: refs and a few comments added; V3 title change

Spt4/5 stimulates transcription elongation through the RNA polymerase clamp coiled-coil motif

Spt5 is the only known RNA polymerase-associated factor that is conserved in all three domains of life. We have solved the structure of the Methanococcus jannaschii Spt4/5 complex by X-ray crystallography, and characterized its function and interaction with the archaeal RNAP in a wholly recombinant in vitro transcription system. Archaeal Spt4 and Spt5 form a stable complex that associates with RNAP independently of the DNA–RNA scaffold of the elongation complex. The association of Spt4/5 with RNAP results in a stimulation of transcription processivity, both in the absence and the presence of the non-template strand. A domain deletion analysis reveals the molecular anatomy of Spt4/5—the Spt5 Nus-G N-terminal (NGN) domain is the effector domain of the complex that both mediates the interaction with RNAP and is essential for its elongation activity. Using a mutagenesis approach, we have identified a hydrophobic pocket on the Spt5 NGN domain as binding site for RNAP, and reciprocally the RNAP clamp coiled-coil motif as binding site for Spt4/5

Two-loop Barr-Zee type Contributions to (g−2)μ(g-2)_\mu in the MSSM

We consider the contribution of a two-loop Barr-Zee type diagram to $(g-2)_\mu$ in the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM). At relatively large $\tan\beta$, we show that the contribution of light third generation scalar fermions and neutral CP-even Higgs, $h^0(H^0)$, can easily explain the very recent BNL experimental data. In our analysis $(g-2)_\mu$ prefers negative $A_{f}$ and positive $\mu$. It is more sensitive to the chirality flipping h^0(H^0)\wt{f}_R^*\wt{f}_L rather than chirality conserving couplings.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, references adde

(Extra)Ordinary Gauge/Anomaly Mediation

We study anomaly mediation models with gauge mediation effects from messengers which have a general renormalizable mass matrix with a supersymmetry-breaking spurion. Our models lead to a rich structure of supersymmetry breaking terms in the visible sector. We derive sum rules among the soft scalar masses for each generation. Our sum rules for the first and second generations are the same as those in general gauge mediation, but the sum rule for the third generation is different because of the top Yukawa coupling. We find the parameter space where the tachyonic slepton problem is solved. We also explore the case in which gauge mediation causes the anomalously small gaugino masses. Since anomaly mediation effects on the gaugino masses exist, we can obtain viable mass spectrum of the visible sector fields.Comment: 24 pages, 10 figure

The NLO QCD Corrections to BcB_c Meson Production in Z0Z^0 Decays

The decay width of $Z^0$ to $B_c$ meson is evaluated at the next-to-leading order(NLO) accuracy in strong interaction. Numerical calculation shows that the NLO correction to this process is remarkable. The quantum chromodynamics(QCD)renormalization scale dependence of the results is obviously depressed, and hence the uncertainties lying in the leading order calculation are reduced.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures; references added; expressions and typos ammende

Tame D-tadpoles in gauge mediation

We revisit models of gauge mediated supersymmetry breaking where messenger parity is violated. Such a symmetry is usually invoked in order to set to zero potentially dangerous hypercharge D-term tadpoles. A milder hypothesis is that the D-tadpole vanishes only at the first order in the gauge coupling constant. Then the next order leads to a contribution to the sfermion masses which is of the same magnitude as the usual radiative one. This enlarges the parameter space of gauge mediated models. We first give a completely general characterization of this contribution, in terms of particular three-point functions of hidden sector current multiplet operators. We then explore the parameter space by means of two simple weakly coupled models, where the D-tadpole arising at two-loops has actually a mild logarithmic divergence.Comment: 13 pages + 9 pages of appendix, 1 figure; v2: some clarifying comments added, version to appear in JHE

Z boson pair production at LHC in a stabilized Randall-Sundrum scenario

We study the Z boson pair production at LHC in the Randall-Sundrum scenario with the Goldberger-Wise stabilization mechanism. It is shown that comprehensive account of the Kaluza-Klein graviton and radion effects is crucial to probe the model: The KK graviton effects enhance the cross section of $g g \to Z Z$ on the whole so that the resonance peak of the radion becomes easy to detect, whereas the RS effects on the $q\bar{q} \to Z Z$ process are rather insignificant. The $p_T$ and invariant-mass distributions are presented to study the dependence of the RS model parameters. The production of longitudinally polarized Z bosons, to which the SM contributions are suppressed, is mainly due to KK gravitons and the radion, providing one of the most robust methods to signal the RS effects. The $1 \sigma$ sensitivity bounds on $(\Lambda_\pi, m_\phi)$ with $k/M_{\rm Pl} =0.1$ are also obtained such that the effective weak scale $\Lambda_\pi$ of order 5 TeV can be experimentally probed.Comment: 28 pages, LaTex file, 18 eps figure