The superficial brachial artery : a case report

A superficial brachial artery is an anomalous branch of the brachial artery that runs superficial to the median nerve; it is usually associated with a deep brachial branch that runs deep to this nerve. A case is described of a superficial brachial artery. It is of the type where the artery terminates in the cubital fossa by division into radial and ulnar arteries. It is associated with a superficial ulnar artery, and a deep brachial artery that is continued into the forearm as the common interosseous artery, a rare occurrence. The clinical importance and the dangers of this vascular anomaly are discussed. In reparative surgery, an accurate knowledge of the relationship, course and particularly the possible variations of the brachial artery is of considerable importance.peer-reviewe

Blue straggler masses from pulsation properties. II. Topology of the Instability Strip

We present a new set of nonlinear, convective radial pulsation models for main sequence stars computed assuming three metallicities: Z=0.0001, 0.001 and 0.008. These chemical compositions bracket the metallicity of stellar systems hosting SX Phoenicis stars (SXPs or pulsating Blue Stragglers), namely Galactic globular clusters and nearby dwarf spheroidals. Stellar masses and luminosities of the pulsation models are based on alpha--enhanced evolutionary tracks from the BASTI website. We are able to define the topology of the instability strip (IS), and in turn the pulsation relations for the first four pulsation modes. We found that third overtones approach a stable nonlinear limit cycle. Predicted and empirical IS agree quite well in the case of 49 SXPs belonging to omega Cen. We used theoretical Period-Luminosity relations in B,V bands to identify their pulsation mode. We assumed Z=0.001 and Z=0.008 as mean metallicities of SXPs in omega Cen. We found respectively 13-15 fundamental, 22-6 first and 9-4 second overtone modes. Five are unstable in the third overtone mode only for Z=0.001. Using the above mode identification and applying the proper mass-dependent Period-Luminosity relations we found masses ranging from ~1.0 to 1.2 Mo (=1.12, sigma=0.04 Mo) and from ~1.2 to 1.5 Mo (=1.33, sigma=0.03 Mo) for Z=0.001 and 0.008 respectively. Our investigation supports the use of evolutionary tracks to estimate of SXP masses. We will extend our analysis to higher Helium content that may have an impact in our understanding of the BSS formation scenario.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, 7 tables, ApJ accepte

Biofuel production with castor bean: A win-win strategy for marginal land

The urgency to reduce resource depletion and waste production is expected to lead to an economy based on renewable resources. Biofuels, for instance, are a great green alternative to fossil fuel, but they are currently derived from edible vegetable oils such as soybean, palm, and sunflower. Concerns have been raised about the social-economic implication and ecological impacts of biodiesel production. Cultivating new lands as biodiesel feedstock rather than food supply, with the consequent increase in food prices, leads to so-called indirect land-use change (ILUC). Establishing bioenergy crops with phytoremediation ability on contaminated soils offers multiple benefits such as improving soil properties and ecosystem services, decreasing soil erosion, and diminishing the dispersion of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) into the environment. Castor bean is an unpalatable, high-biomass plant, and it has been widely demonstrated to possess phytoremediation capability for several PTEs. Castor bean can grow on marginal lands not suitable for food crops, has multiple uses as a raw material, and is already used in biodiesel production. These characteristics make it perfect for sustainable biodiesel production. Linking biofuel production with environmental remediation can be considered a win-win strategy

Additive manufacturing of PLA to mimic the thrust force of mandibular bone during drilling

Edentulism is a condition that results in the partial or total loss of teeth. It may lead to problems during chewing and be a cause of self-isolation and low self-esteem. Edentulism can be resolved both with removable prostheses (dentures) and fixed implants, with the latter being more efficient. The installation of a fixed implant involves a real surgical operation in which the jaw/mandibular bone is drilled through a special drill. One of the main cautions the surgeon must have during the operation is not to sever the nerves during the drilling. Given the composition of the bone is different in each person, the drilling thrust force is variable and controlling its movement can sometimes be complicated. Therefore, being able to test the operation on a dummy may reduce the number of errors. Additive manufacturing with its high degree of customization and ability to produce objects with almost no geometrical limitations could provide the required features to realize the dummy. In this work, the drilling properties of samples made in PLA through Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) were studied. The samples were designed to mimic the composition of the bone. Specifically, a thin, hard, and denser outer layer and a 25% internal filling were adopted. The samples were drilled with a dental drill properly connected to a collaborative robot

Variable stars in Terzan 5: additional evidence of multi-age and multi-iron stellar populations

Terzan 5 is a complex stellar system in the Galactic bulge, harboring stellar populations with very different iron content ({\Delta}[Fe/H] ~1 dex) and with ages differing by several Gyrs. Here we present an investigation of its variable stars. We report on the discovery and characterization of three RR Lyrae stars. For these newly discovered RR Lyrae and for six Miras of known periods we provide radial velocity and chemical abundances from spectra acquired with X-SHOOTER at the VLT. We find that the three RR Lyrae and the three short period Miras (P<300 d) have radial velocity consistent with being Terzan 5 members. They have sub-solar iron abundances and enhanced [{\alpha}/Fe], well matching the age and abundance patterns of the 12 Gyr metal-poor stellar populations of Terzan 5. Only one, out of the three long period (P>300 d) Miras analyzed in this study, has a radial velocity consistent with being Terzan 5 member. Its super-solar iron abundance and solar-scaled [{\alpha}/Fe] nicely match the chemical properties of the metal rich stellar population of Terzan 5 and its derived mass nicely agrees with being several Gyrs younger than the short period Miras. This young variable is an additional proof of the surprising young sub-population discovered in Terzan 5.Comment: 20 pages, 4 figures, in press on the Ap

Efficient polarization squeezing in optical fibers

We report on a novel and efficient source of polarization squeezing using a single pass through an optical fiber. Simply passing this Kerr squeezed beam through a carefully aligned lambda/2 waveplate and splitting it on a polarization beam splitter, we find polarization squeezing of up to 5.1 +/- 0.3 dB. The experimental setup allows for the direct measurement of the squeezing angle.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Experimental performance comparison between circular and elliptical tubes in evaporative condensers

In refrigeration systems, evaporative condensers have two main advantages compared to other condensation heat exchangers: They operate at lower condensation temperature than traditional air-cooled condensers and require a lower quantity of water and pumping power compared to evaporative towers. The heat and mass transfer that occur on tube batteries are difficult to study. The aim of this work is to apply an experimental approach to investigate the performance of an evaporative condenser on a reduced scale by means of a test bench, consisting of a transparent duct with a rectangular test section in which electric heaters, inside elliptical pipes (major axis 32 mm, minor axis 23 mm), simulate the presence of the refrigerant during condensation. By keeping the water conditions fixed and constant, the operating conditions of the air and the inclination of the heat transfer geometry were varied, and this allowed to carry out a sensitivity analysis, depending on some of the main parameters that influence the thermo-fluid dynamic phenomena, as well as a performance comparison. The results showed that the heat transfer increases with the tube surface exposed directly to the air as a result of the increase in their inclination, that has been varied in the range 0–20°. For the investigated conditions, the average increase, resulting by the inclination, is 28%

Pulmonary metastasectomy in colorectal cancer: a prospective study of demography and clinical characteristics of 543 patients in the Spanish colorectal metastasectomy registry (GECMP-CCR)

ObjectivesTo capture an accurate contemporary description of the practice of pulmonary metastasectomy for colorectal carcinoma in one national healthcare system.DesignA national registry set up in Spain by Grupo Español de Cirugía Metástasis Pulmonares de Carcinoma Colo-Rectal (GECMP-CCR).Setting32 Spanish thoracic units.ParticipantsAll patients with one or more histologically proven lung metastasis removed by surgery between March 2008 and February 2010.InterventionsPulmonary metastasectomy for one or more pulmonary nodules proven to be metastatic colorectal carcinoma.Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe age and sex of the patients having this surgery were recorded with the number of metastases removed, the interval between the primary colorectal cancer operation and the pulmonary metastasectomy, and the carcinoembryonic antigen level. Also recorded were the practices with respect to mediastinal lymphadenopathy and coexisting liver metastases.ResultsData were available on 543 patients from 32 units (6–43/unit). They were aged 32–88 (mean 65) years, and 65% were men. In 55% of patients, there was a solitary metastasis. The median interval between the primary cancer resection and metastasectomy was 28 months and the serum carcinoembryonic antigen was low/normal in the majority. Liver metastatic disease was present in 29% of patients at some point prior to pulmonary metastasectomy. Mediastinal lymphadenectomy varied from 9% to 100% of patients.ConclusionsThe data represent a prospective comprehensive national data collection on pulmonary metastasectomy. The practice is more conservative than the impression gained when members of the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons were surveyed in 2006/2007 but is more inclusive than would be recommended on the basis of recent outcome analyses. Further analyses on the morbidity associated with this surgery and the correlation between imaging studies and pathological findings are being published separately by GECMP-CCR