325 research outputs found
Factorization of Numbers with the temporal Talbot effect: Optical implementation by a sequence of shaped ultrashort pulses
We report on the successful operation of an analogue computer designed to
factor numbers. Our device relies solely on the interference of classical light
and brings together the field of ultrashort laser pulses with number theory.
Indeed, the frequency component of the electric field corresponding to a
sequence of appropriately shaped femtosecond pulses is determined by a Gauss
sum which allows us to find the factors of a number
One-step facial feminization surgery: The importance of a custom-made preoperative planning and patient satisfaction assessment
Background: The availability of more accurate techniques used for transgender surgery has resulted in an increased number of patients requesting facial feminization surgery (FFS). The aim of this study was to present the FFS pre-operative planning of the authorsâ male-to-female transsexual patients using photo-editing software, computer-aided design (CAD), modeling, and three-dimensional (3D) printing. Material and Methods: Twenty-five patients underwent FFS between November 2015 and May 2018. They were retrospectively included in this study, and their records were analyzed. Patientsâ 3D facial models were printed and used for an accurate preoperative planning and shown to the patients. To assess patient satisfaction, the preoperative, six-month, and one-year postoperative scores obtained using Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) and Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) were compared. The scores following a normal distribution obtained for each patient were compared using a paired t-test. Results: The 3D model preparation mean time was 145±13.2 min. A total of 114 surgical procedures were carried out. The mean operative time was 420±23 min. Patients experienced no postoperative complication. All patients were very satisfied after surgery, with a significant difference between pre- and postoperative scores (p = 0.002; p = 0.03). Conclusion: With use of 3D modeling, surgeons are nearing a custom-made surgery era, especially required for complex procedures such as FFS. We suggest using 3D technology for a more accurate preoperative planning
The Non--Ergodicity Threshold: Time Scale for Magnetic Reversal
We prove the existence of a non-ergodicity threshold for an anisotropic
classical Heisenberg model with all-to-all couplings. Below the threshold, the
energy surface is disconnected in two components with positive and negative
magnetizations respectively. Above, in a fully chaotic regime, magnetization
changes sign in a stochastic way and its behavior can be fully characterized by
an average magnetization reversal time. We show that statistical mechanics
predicts a phase--transition at an energy higher than the non-ergodicity
threshold. We assess the dynamical relevance of the latter for finite systems
through numerical simulations and analytical calculations. In particular, the
time scale for magnetic reversal diverges as a power law at the ergodicity
threshold with a size-dependent exponent, which could be a signature of the
phenomenon.Comment: 4 pages 4 figure
Associahedra via spines
An associahedron is a polytope whose vertices correspond to triangulations of
a convex polygon and whose edges correspond to flips between them. Using
labeled polygons, C. Hohlweg and C. Lange constructed various realizations of
the associahedron with relevant properties related to the symmetric group and
the classical permutahedron. We introduce the spine of a triangulation as its
dual tree together with a labeling and an orientation. This notion extends the
classical understanding of the associahedron via binary trees, introduces a new
perspective on C. Hohlweg and C. Lange's construction closer to J.-L. Loday's
original approach, and sheds light upon the combinatorial and geometric
properties of the resulting realizations of the associahedron. It also leads to
noteworthy proofs which shorten and simplify previous approaches.Comment: 27 pages, 11 figures. Version 5: minor correction
Novel insights into host-fungal pathogen interactions derived from live-cell imaging
Acknowledgments The authors acknowledge funding from the Wellcome Trust (080088, 086827, 075470 and 099215) including a Wellcome Trust Strategic Award for Medical Mycology and Fungal Immunology 097377 and FP7-2007â2013 grant agreement HEALTH-F2-2010-260338âALLFUN to NARG.Peer reviewedPublisher PD
Formation and interactions of cold and ultracold molecules: new challenges for interdisciplinary physics
Progress on researches in the field of molecules at cold and ultracold
temperatures is reported in this review. It covers extensively the experimental
methods to produce, detect and characterize cold and ultracold molecules
including association of ultracold atoms, deceleration by external fields and
kinematic cooling. Confinement of molecules in different kinds of traps is also
discussed. The basic theoretical issues related to the knowledge of the
molecular structure, the atom-molecule and molecule-molecule mutual
interactions, and to their possible manipulation and control with external
fields, are reviewed. A short discussion on the broad area of applications
completes the review.Comment: to appear in Reports on Progress in Physic
Genetic association study of QT interval highlights role for calcium signaling pathways in myocardial repolarization.
The QT interval, an electrocardiographic measure reflecting myocardial repolarization, is a heritable trait. QT prolongation is a risk factor for ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death (SCD) and could indicate the presence of the potentially lethal mendelian long-QT syndrome (LQTS). Using a genome-wide association and replication study in up to 100,000 individuals, we identified 35 common variant loci associated with QT interval that collectively explain âŒ8-10% of QT-interval variation and highlight the importance of calcium regulation in myocardial repolarization. Rare variant analysis of 6 new QT interval-associated loci in 298 unrelated probands with LQTS identified coding variants not found in controls but of uncertain causality and therefore requiring validation. Several newly identified loci encode proteins that physically interact with other recognized repolarization proteins. Our integration of common variant association, expression and orthogonal protein-protein interaction screens provides new insights into cardiac electrophysiology and identifies new candidate genes for ventricular arrhythmias, LQTS and SCD
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