Spectral graph theory efficiently characterizes ventilation heterogeneity in lung airway networks

This paper introduces a linear operator for the purposes of quantifying the spectral properties of transport within resistive trees, such as airflow in lung airway networks. The operator, which we call the Maury matrix, acts only on the terminal nodes of the tree and is equivalent to the adjacency matrix of a complete graph summarizing the relationships between all pairs of terminal nodes. We show that the eigenmodes of the Maury operator have a direct physical interpretation as the relaxation, or resistive, modes of the network. We apply these findings to both idealized and image-based models of ventilation in lung airway trees and show that the spectral properties of the Maury matrix characterize the flow asymmetry in these networks more concisely than the Laplacian modes, and that eigenvector centrality in the Maury spectrum is closely related to the phenomenon of ventilation heterogeneity caused by airway narrowing or obstruction. This method has applications in dimensionality reduction in simulations of lung mechanics, as well as for characterization of models of the airway tree derived from medical images

EPUAP classification system for pressure ulcers: European reliability study

‘The definitive version is available at www3.interscience.wiley.com .' Copyright Blackwell PublishingPeer reviewe

Chemotaxis cluster 1 proteins form cytoplasmatic arrays in Vibrio cholera and are stabilized by a double signaling domain receptor DosM

FWN – Publicaties zonder aanstelling Universiteit Leide

Spinning Strings, Black Holes and Stable Closed Timelike Geodesics

The existence and stability under linear perturbation of closed timelike curves in the spacetime associated to Schwarzschild black hole pierced by a spinning string are studied. Due to the superposition of the black hole, we find that the spinning string spacetime is deformed in such a way to allow the existence of closed timelike geodesics.Comment: 5 pages, RevTex4, some corrections and new material adde

Bacterial chemoreceptor arrays are hexagonally packed trimers of receptor dimers networked by rings of kinase and coupling proteins

FWN – Publicaties zonder aanstelling Universiteit Leide

Morphology of the archaellar motor and associated cytoplasmic cone in Thermococcus kodakaraensis

Archaeal swimming motility is driven by archaella: rotary motors attached to long extracellular filaments. The structure of these motors, and particularly how they are anchored in the absence of a peptidoglycan cell wall, is unknown. Here, we use electron cryotomography to visualize the archaellar basal body in vivo in Thermococcus kodakaraensis KOD1. Compared to the homologous bacterial type IV pilus (T4P), we observe structural similarities as well as several unique features. While the position of the cytoplasmic ATPase appears conserved, it is not braced by linkages that extend upward through the cell envelope as in the T4P, but rather by cytoplasmic components that attach it to a large conical frustum up to 500 nm in diameter at its base. In addition to anchoring the lophotrichous bundle of archaella, the conical frustum associates with chemosensory arrays and ribosome‐excluding material and may function as a polar organizing center for the coccoid cells

Inter-rater reliability of the EPUAP pressure ulcer classification system using photographs

Background. Many classification systems for grading pressure ulcers are discussed in the literature. Correct identification and classification of a pressure ulcer is important for accurate reporting of the magnitude of the problem, and for timely prevention. The reliability of pressure ulcer classification systems has rarely been tested. Aims and objectives. The purpose of this paper is to examine the inter-rater reliability of classifying pressure ulcers according to the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel classification system when using pressure ulcer photographs.Design. Survey was among pressure ulcer experts.Methods. Fifty-six photographs were presented to 44 pressure ulcer experts. The experts classified the lesions as normal skin, blanchable erythema, pressure ulcer (four grades) or incontinence lesion. Inter-rater reliability was calculated.Results. The multirater-Kappa for the entire group of experts was 0.80 (P < 0.001).Various groups of experts obtained comparable results. Differences in classifications are mainly limited to 1 degree of difference. Incontinence lesions are most often confused with grade 2 (blisters) and grade 3 pressure ulcers (superficial pressure ulcers).Conclusions. The inter-rater reliability of the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel classification appears to be good for the assessment of photographs by experts. The difference between an incontinence lesion and a blister or a superficial pressure ulcer does not always seem clear.Relevance to clinical practice. The ability to determine correctly whether a lesion is a pressure ulcer lesion is important to assess the effectiveness of preventive measures. In addition, the ability to make a correct distinction between pressure ulcers and incontinence lesions is important as they require different preventive measures. A faulty classification leads to mistaken measures and negative results. Photographs can be used as a practice instrument to learn to discern pressure ulcers from incontinence lesions and to get to know the different grades of pressure ulcers. The Pressure Ulcer Classification software package has been developed to facilitate learning

Averaged Energy Conditions and Evaporating Black Holes

In this paper the averaged weak (AWEC) and averaged null (ANEC) energy conditions, together with uncertainty principle-type restrictions on negative energy (``quantum inequalities''), are examined in the context of evaporating black hole backgrounds in both two and four dimensions. In particular, integrals over only half-geodesics are studied. We determine the regions of the spacetime in which the averaged energy conditions are violated. In all cases where these conditions fail, there appear to be quantum inequalities which bound the magnitude and extent of the negative energy, and hence the degree of the violation. The possible relevance of these results for the validity of singularity theorems in evaporating black hole spacetimes is discussed.Comment: Sections 2.1 and 2.2 have been revised and some erroneous statements corrected. The main conclusions and the figures are unchanged. 27 pp, plain Latex, 3 figures available upon reques