2,458 research outputs found
Combined Treatment with Open and Endovascular Surgery of a Mycotic Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
AbstractWe report the treatment of a 67-year-old male patient with a suprarenal mycotic aortic aneurysm. A 67-year-old male developed renal failure during the treatment of a urine infection and a paracervical abscess. Further investigations revealed a 5.6cm saccular suprarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm. A successful combined treatment was carried out with endovascular techniques and open surgery, realizing a retrograde aorto-superior mesenteric bypass. Postoperative follow up scans showed exclusion and thrombosis of the aneurysm. Treatment of mycotic aneurysms is mainly surgical, but endovascular therapy helps to avoid highly complicated surgery and reduces mortality
Resistance to the Whitefly, Aleurotrachelus socialis, in Wild Populations of Cassava, Manihot Tristis
The levels of resistance in the wild species of cassava, Manihot tristis Muell-Arg. (Malpighiales: Euphorbiaceae), to the whitefly, Aleurotrachelus socialis Bondar (Hemiptera: Alelyrodidae), the most important economic pest in cassava, Manihot esculenta Crantz (Malpighiales: Euphorbiaceae) crops in South America, were estimated under glasshouse conditions. The parameters of the life history of A. socialis were studied on TST-26 and TST-18 accessions of the wild parent and compared with the susceptible (CMC-40) and resistant (MEcu-72) cultivars. The average longevity on the wild accessions (TST-26, 4.1; TST-18, 4.6 days) and oviposition rates (TST-26, 2.0; TST-18, 1.6 eggs/female/2 days) of the A. socialis females were not significantly different from those of MEcu-72 (5.1 days and 3.4 eggs/female/2days). The longevity and oviposition rates on CMC-40 were highest (11 days and 8.6 eggs/female/2days). Analyses of the demographic parameters (Ro, rm; DT) showed a significant impact of the M. tristis accessions on the potential growth of A. socialis. The average survival time of adults that fed on TST-26, TST-18, and MEcu-72 were significantly different from those recorded on the susceptible genotype. Results from this study revealed important levels of resistance to the whitefly A. socialis on the TST-26 and TST-18 accessions due to the marked differences found for longevity and reproduction, which influenced and were consistent with the differences found in the net reproduction rate (Ro), intrinsic growth rate (rm) and population doubling time (DT). The combined effect of these parameters indicated that M. tristis accessions were inappropriate hosts for A. socialis
Pairing in 4-component fermion systems: the bulk limit of SU(4)-symmetric Hamiltonians
Fermion systems with more than two components can exhibit pairing condensates
of much more complex structure than the well-known single BCS condensate of
spin-up and spin-down fermions. In the framework of the exactly solvable SO(8)
Richardson-Gaudin model with SU(4)-symmetric Hamiltonians, we show that the BCS
approximation remains valid in the thermodynamic limit of large systems for
describing the ground state energy and the canonical and quasiparticle
excitation gaps. Correlations beyond BCS pairing give rise to a spectrum of
collective excitations, but these do not affect the bulk energy and
quasiparticle gaps.Comment: 13 pages; 2 figures; 1 tabl
Glueball Spectrum from an Effective Hamiltonian
Using simple and general arguments we propose an effective Hamiltonian for
the description of low-energy pure QCD. The Hamiltonian is a function of
spatially constant collective modes. Its eigenstates can be organized into
bands classified by the irreducible representations of an O(8) group. The
latter also determine parity and charge conjugation of the states. The energy
spectrum agrees well with the glueball spectrum as measured on the lattice, and
in particular the level ordering with respect to spin is naturally explained.Comment: 36 pages including tables and figures, uses LaTeX2e with graphics,
color and rotating. A few comments and references have been added, version to
be published in Eur. Phys. J.
Boundary Limitation of Wavenumbers in Taylor-Vortex Flow
We report experimental results for a boundary-mediated wavenumber-adjustment
mechanism and for a boundary-limited wavenumber-band of Taylor-vortex flow
(TVF). The system consists of fluid contained between two concentric cylinders
with the inner one rotating at an angular frequency . As observed
previously, the Eckhaus instability (a bulk instability) is observed and limits
the stable wavenumber band when the system is terminated axially by two rigid,
non-rotating plates. The band width is then of order at small
() and agrees well with
calculations based on the equations of motion over a wide -range.
When the cylinder axis is vertical and the upper liquid surface is free (i.e.
an air-liquid interface), vortices can be generated or expelled at the free
surface because there the phase of the structure is only weakly pinned. The
band of wavenumbers over which Taylor-vortex flow exists is then more narrow
than the stable band limited by the Eckhaus instability. At small
the boundary-mediated band-width is linear in . These results are
qualitatively consistent with theoretical predictions, but to our knowledge a
quantitative calculation for TVF with a free surface does not exist.Comment: 8 pages incl. 9 eps figures bitmap version of Fig
Study of overall and local electrochemical responses of oxide films grown on CoCr alloy under biological environments
The interaction of the physiological medium and living tissues with the implant surfaces in biological environments is regulated by biopotentials that induce changes in the chemical composition, structure and thickness of the oxide film. In this work, oxide films grown on CoCr alloys at 0.5 V vs Ag/AgCl and 0.7 V vs Ag/AgCl have been characterized through overall and localized electrochemical techniques in a phosphate buffer solution and 0.3% hyaluronic acid. Nanopores of 10–50 nm diameter are homogeneously distributed along the surface in the oxide film formed at 0.7 V vs Ag/AgCl. The distribution of the Constant Phase Element studied by local electrochemical impedance spectroscopy showed a three-dimensional (3D) model on the oxide films grown at 0.5 V vs Ag/AgCl and 0.7 V vs Ag/AgCl. This behaviour is especially noticeable in oxide films grown at 0.7 V vs Ag/AgCl, probably due to surface inhomogeneities, and resistive properties generated by the potentiostatic growth of the oxide film.This work was supported by the Spanish National government [MINECO-MAT2011-29152-C02-01].Peer reviewe
Square patterns in Rayleigh-Benard convection with rotation about a vertical axis
We present experimental results for Rayleigh-Benard convection with rotation
about a vertical axis at dimensionless rotation rates in the range 0 to 250 and
upto 20% above the onset. Critical Rayleigh numbers and wavenumbers agree with
predictions of linear stability analysis. For rotation rates greater than 70
and close to onset, the patterns are cellular with local four-fold coordination
and differ from the theoretically expected Kuppers-Lortz unstable state. Stable
as well as intermittent defect-free square lattices exist over certain
parameter ranges. Over other ranges defects dynamically disrupt the lattice but
cellular flow and local four-fold coordination is maintained.Comment: ReVTeX, 4 pages, 7 eps figures include
Subharmonic bifurcation cascade of pattern oscillations caused by winding number increasing entrainment
Convection structures in binary fluid mixtures are investigated for positive
Soret coupling in the driving regime where solutal and thermal contributions to
the buoyancy forces compete. Bifurcation properties of stable and unstable
stationary square, roll, and crossroll (CR) structures and the oscillatory
competition between rolls and squares are determined numerically as a function
of fluid parameters. A novel type of subharmonic bifurcation cascade (SC) where
the oscillation period grows in integer steps as is found
and elucidated to be an entrainment process.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure
Measuring Enzymatic HIV-1 Susceptibility to Two Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors as a Rapid and Simple Approach to HIV-1 Drug-Resistance Testing
Simple and cost-effective approaches for HIV drug-resistance testing are highly desirable for managing increasingly expanding HIV-1 infected populations who initiate antiretroviral therapy (ART), particularly in resource-limited settings. Non-nucleoside reverse trancriptase inhibitor (NNRTI)-based regimens with an NRTI backbone containing lamivudine (3TC) or emtricitabine (FTC) are preferred first ART regimens. Failure with these drug combinations typically involves the selection of NNRTI- and/or 3TC/FTC- resistant viruses. Therefore, the availability of simple assays to measure both types of drug resistance is critical. We have developed a high throughput screening test for assessing enzymatic resistance of the HIV-1 RT in plasma to 3TC/FTC and NNRTIs. The test uses the sensitive “Amp-RT” assay with a newly-developed real-time PCR format to screen biochemically for drug resistance in single reactions containing either 3TC-triphosphate (3TC-TP) or nevirapine (NVP). Assay cut-offs were defined based on testing a large panel of subtype B and non-subtype B clinical samples with known genotypic profiles. Enzymatic 3TC resistance correlated well with the presence of M184I/V, and reduced NVP susceptibility was strongly associated with the presence of K103N, Y181C/I, Y188L, and G190A/Q. The sensitivity and specificity for detecting resistance were 97.0% and 96.0% in samples with M184V, and 97.4% and 96.2% for samples with NNRTI mutations, respectively. We further demonstrate the utility of an HIV capture method in plasma by using magnetic beads coated with CD44 antibody that eliminates the need for ultracentifugation. Thus our results support the use of this simple approach for distinguishing WT from NNRTI- or 3TC/FTC-resistant viruses in clinical samples. This enzymatic testing is subtype-independent and can assist in the clinical management of diverse populations particularly in resource-limited settings
Thermally Induced Fluctuations Below the Onset of Rayleigh-B\'enard Convection
We report quantitative experimental results for the intensity of
noise-induced fluctuations below the critical temperature difference for Rayleigh-B\'enard convection. The structure factor of the fluctuating
convection rolls is consistent with the expected rotational invariance of the
system. In agreement with predictions based on stochastic hydrodynamic
equations, the fluctuation intensity is found to be proportional to
where . The
noise power necessary to explain the measurements agrees with the prediction
for thermal noise. (WAC95-1)Comment: 13 pages of text and 4 Figures in a tar-compressed and uuencoded file
(using uufiles package). Detailed instructions of unpacking are include
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