Large-angle anomalies in the CMB

We review the recently found large-scale anomalies in the maps of temperature anisotropies in the cosmic microwave background. These include alignments of the largest modes of CMB anisotropy with each other and with geometry and direction of motion of the Solar System, and the unusually low power at these largest scales. We discuss these findings in relation to expectation from standard inflationary cosmology, their statistical significance, the tools to study them, and the various attempts to explain them.Comment: Review in the Advances in Astronomy special issue "Testing the Gaussianity and Statistical Isotropy of the Universe" (eds. D. Huterer, E. Komatsu and S. Shandera); 16 pages, 7 figures. v2 matches the published versio

Is the low-l microwave background cosmic?

The large-angle (low-l) correlations of the Cosmic Microwave Background exhibit several statistically significant anomalies compared to the standard inflationary big-bang model, however no connection has hitherto been drawn between them. Here we show that the quadrupole and octopole are far more correlated (99.97% C.L.) than previously thought. The quadrupole plane and the three octopole planes are remarkably aligned. Three of these planes are orthogonal to the ecliptic at a level inconsistent with gaussian random statistically isotropic skies at 99.8% C.L., and the normals to these planes are aligned at 99.9% C.L. with the direction of the cosmological dipole and with the equinoxes. The remaining octopole plane is orthogonal to the supergalactic plane at >99.9% C.L. In a combined quadrupole-octopole map, the ecliptic plane narrowly threads between a hot spot and a cold spot over approximately 1/3 of the sky, and separates the three strongest extrema (in the south ecliptic hemisphere) from the three weakest extrema (in the north ecliptic hemisphere).Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures; more figures available at: http://www.phys.cwru.edu/projects/mpvectors/ PRL in press versio

Missing Power vs low-l Alignments in the Cosmic Microwave Background: No Correlation in the Standard Cosmological Model

On large angular scales (greater than about 60 degrees), the two-point angular correlation function of the temperature of the cosmic microwave background (CMB), as measured (outside of the plane of the Galaxy) by the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe, shows significantly lower large-angle correlations than expected from the standard inflationary cosmological model. Furthermore, when derived from the full CMB sky, the two lowest cosmologically interesting multipoles, the quadrupole (l=2) and the octopole (l=3), are unexpectedly aligned with each other. Using randomly generated full-sky and cut-sky maps, we investigate whether these anomalies are correlated at a statistically significant level. We conclusively demonstrate that, assuming Gaussian random and statistically isotropic CMB anisotropies, there is no statistically significant correlation between the missing power on large angular scales in the CMB and the alignment of the l=2 and l=3 multipoles. The chance to measure the sky with both such a lack of large-angle correlation and such an alignment of the low multipoles is thus quantified to be below 10^{-6}.Comment: 4 Pages, 1 Figur

Therapy of Umbilical Hernia during Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

The aim of this study is to show our experience with umbilical hernia herniorrhaphy and laparoscopic cholecys- tectomy, both in the same act. During last 10 years we operated 89 patients with cholecystitis and pre-existing umbilical hernia. In 61 of them we performed standard laparoscopic cholecystectomy and additional sutures of abdominal wall, and in 28 patients we performed in the same act laparoscopic cholecystectomy and herniorrhaphy of umbilical hernia. We observed incidence of postoperative herniation, and compared patients recovery after herniorrhaphy combined with laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the same act, and patients after standard laparoscopic cholecystectomy and additional sutures of abdominal wall. Patients, who had in the same time umbilical hernia herniorrhaphy and laparoscopic chole- cystectomy, shown better postoperative recovery and lower incidence of postoperative umbilical hernias then patients with standard laparoscopic cholecystectomy and additional abdominal wall sutures

Large-scale alignments from WMAPand Planck

We revisit the alignments of the largest structures observed in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) using the seven and nine-year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) and first-year Planck data releases. The observed alignments - the quadrupole with the octopole and their joint alignment with the direction of our motion with respect to the CMB (the dipole direction) and the geometry of the Solar system (defined by the Ecliptic plane) - are generally in good agreement with results from the previous WMAP data releases. However, a closer look at full-sky data on the largest scales reveals discrepancies between the earlier WMAP data releases (three to seven-year) and the final, nine-year release. There are also discrepancies between all the WMAP data releases and the first-year Planck release. Nevertheless, both the WMAP and Planck data confirm the alignments of the largest observable CMB modes in the Universe. In particular, the p-values for the mutual alignment between the quadrupole and octopole, and the alignment of the plane defined by the two with the dipole direction, are both at the greater than 3-sigma level for all three Planck maps studied. We also calculate conditional statistics on the various alignments and find that it is currently difficult to unambiguously identify a leading anomaly that causes the others or even to distinguish correlation from causatio

Lack of large-angle TT correlations persists in WMAP and Planck

The lack of large-angle correlations in the observed microwave background temperature fluctuations persists in the final-year maps from Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) and the first cosmological data release from Planck. We find a statistically robust and significant result: p-values for the missing correlations lying below 0.24per cent (i.e. evidence at more than 3σ) for foreground cleaned maps, in complete agreement with previous analyses based upon earlier WMAP data. A cut-sky analysis of the Planck HFI 100 GHz frequency band, the ‘cleanest CMB channel' of this instrument, returns a p-value as small as 0.03per cent, based on the conservative mask defined by WMAP. These findings are in stark contrast to expectations from the inflationary Lambda cold dark matter model and still lack a convincing explanation. If this lack of large-angle correlations is a true feature of our Universe, and not just a statistical fluke, then the cosmological dipole must be considerably smaller than that predicted in the best-fitting mode

Single Incision Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy – A New Advantage of Gallbladder Surgery

In this study is demonstrated our experience in single incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SILS), compared to standard laparoscopic cholecystectomy. There were 48 single incision laparoscopic cholecystectomies (SILS) performed during one-year period (A group) and results have been compared with a group of 50 patients who underwent standard laparoscopic cholecystectomy (B group). Outcome measures included operative time, need for conversion, complications, additional analgesia for pain control after procedure, hospital stay and cosmetic outcome. The mean operative time was 46+/–3.5 min in A group, and 43+/–4 min in B patients group. Early postoperative complications were not detected. The mean hospitalization period was 2 days in both groups. Our experience suggests that SILS cholecystectomy can be performed with outcome similar to standard laparoscopic surgery while affording better cosmesis

Relativno mirovanje crijeva i zaraštanje anastomoza kolona

The effect of relative bowel rest on the strength of surgical anastomoses in the left colon in the early phase of healing, and correlation between mechanical strength of anastomosis and collagen content in the colonic wall were investigated. The breaking strength of surgical stitches in the left colon after end-to-end anastomosis and collagen content in the colonic wall around the anastomosis were measured and evaluated in rats fed low residue or standard diet. The anastomosis strength decreased by approximately 30% of the immediate postoperative value in the first two days in both groups. After day 2, there was an increase in the anastomosis strength, reaching day 0 strength after 7 days. The strength increase was mainly due to collagen deposition in the anastomosis. From day 0 till day 2, the increase in collagen content was greater in the standard laboratory diet group than in the low residue diet group. Results on anastomotic adhesions and condition of anastomosis sutures in animals on the standard laboratory diet group and low residue diet group are also presented. Low residue diet did not impair the suture holding capacity or anastomosis strength. Instead, there was evidence for a more uncomplicated healing when the bowel content was diminished.Istraživan je utjecaj crijevnog sadržaja na snagu anastomoze lijevog kolona u ranoj fazi cijeljenja, te odnos između mehaničke snage anastomoze i sadržaja kolagena u crijevnoj stjenci. Mjerena je i procijenjena snaga pucanja kirurških šavova na lijevom kolonu nakon termino-terminalne anastomoze, te sadržaj kolagena u crijevnoj stjenci oko anastomoza kod štakora kojima je davana hrana s minimalnim ostatkom i štakora hranjenih standardnom hranom. Snaga anastomoze se smanjila za oko 30% u odnosu na neposrednu poslijeoperacijsku vrijednost u prva dva dana kod obje skupine životinja. Nakon drugog dana snaga anastomoze postupno je rasla, da bi sedmoga dana dosegla poslijeoperacijske vrijednosti. Ovaj porast snage uglavnom je bio uvjetovan odlaganjem kolagena u crijevnu stjenku oko anastomoze. Od nultog do drugog dana porast sadržaja kolagena bio je veći u skupini životinja na standardnoj prehrani. Prikazane su i pojave priraslica oko anastomoza, te stanje kirurških šavova kod životinja koje su dobivale hranu s minimalnim ostatkom i onih na standardnoj prehrani. Prehrana s minimalnim ostatkom ne utječe na snagu anastomoze i stanje kirurških šavova anastomoze. Ipak, očito je da smanjenje crijevnog sadržaja doprinosi boljem cijeljenju anastomoza