Factors Predicting Coronary Sinus Rupture Following Cannula Insertion for Retrograde Cardioplegia

Background Coronary sinus rupture (CSR) is a rare preventable complication of cannula insertion for retrograde cardioplegia. In the hands of an inexperienced surgeon, this complication has the risk of potential mortality and morbidity, and its repair is technically challenging. Techniques for repairing CSR have been reported previously. In this study, we determined predictors of CSR following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Methods Over a four-year period, we retrospectively analyzed 1500 patients in whom a retrograde coronary sinus catheter was used to administer cardioplegic solution. CSR occurred in 15 patients. (12 women and 3 men). Variables such as age, weight, body mass index, gender, aortic clamp time, pump time, cardiomegaly, ejection fraction, and number of grafts were determined for each patient. Factors correlated with CSR were analyzed using multiple regression analysis, and odd ratios of significant variables were determined. Results In multiple regression analysis, factors such as female gender, age, weight, and body mass index showed a significant correlation with CSR, and their odd ratios were 4.2, 1.0, 0.96, and 2.2, respectively. Conclusion In all 15 cases, a retrograde cannula with a self-inflatable balloon was used and 12 patients were woman with low body mass index. Forceful insertion due to coronary sinus web, fragility of arteries in thin patients, or a small coronary sinus caused CSR in the hands of an inexperienced surgeon

Scalar one-loop integrals for QCD

We construct a basis set of infra-red and/or collinearly divergent scalar one-loop integrals and give analytic formulas, for tadpole, bubble, triangle and box integrals, regulating the divergences (ultra-violet, infra-red or collinear) by regularization in $D=4-2\epsilon$ dimensions. For scalar triangle integrals we give results for our basis set containing 6 divergent integrals. For scalar box integrals we give results for our basis set containing 16 divergent integrals. We provide analytic results for the 5 divergent box integrals in the basis set which are missing in the literature. Building on the work of van Oldenborgh, a general, publicly available code has been constructed, which calculates both finite and divergent one-loop integrals. The code returns the coefficients of $1/\epsilon^2,1/\epsilon^1$ and $1/\epsilon^0$ as complex numbers for an arbitrary tadpole, bubble, triangle or box integral.Comment: 27 pages, 5 figures, associated fortran code available at http://qcdloop.fnal.gov/. New version corrects typographical error in Eq. 5.

A new methodology to estimate the steady-state permeability of roast and ground coffee in packed beds

AbstractIn an espresso-style extraction hot water (90±5°C) is driven through a coffee packed bed by a pressure gradient to extract soluble material from the coffee matrix. Permeability is a key parameter affecting extraction as it determines the flow rate through the bed and hence brewing and residence time. This may alter bed-to-cup mass transfer and therefore impact brew quality.In this work a methodology that will allow estimation of the permeability of coffee packed beds in steady-state was developed. Fitting measured flow rate – pressure drop data to Darcy’s law resulted in permeability values in the range of 10−13–10−14m2. Disagreement between the experimental and theoretical permeability, as estimated from dry measurements of particle size distribution and Kozeny–Carman equation, was found. Bed consolidation may have a larger effect on the packing structure than the mere decrease in bed bulk porosity. The Kozeny–Carman equation, corrected with a porosity-dependent tortuosity according to a power law, gave a good fit of the data

Universal Critical Behavior of Aperiodic Ferromagnetic Models

We investigate the effects of geometric fluctuations, associated with aperiodic exchange interactions, on the critical behavior of $q$-state ferromagnetic Potts models on generalized diamond hierarchical lattices. For layered exchange interactions according to some two-letter substitutional sequences, and irrelevant geometric fluctuations, the exact recursion relations in parameter space display a non-trivial diagonal fixed point that governs the universal critical behavior. For relevant fluctuations, this fixed point becomes fully unstable, and we show the apperance of a two-cycle which is associated with a novel critical behavior. We use scaling arguments to calculate the critical exponent $\alpha$ of the specific heat, which turns out to be different from the value for the uniform case. We check the scaling predictions by a direct numerical analysis of the singularity of the thermodynamic free-energy. The agreement between scaling and direct calculations is excellent for stronger singularities (large values of $q$). The critical exponents do not depend on the strengths of the exchange interactions.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure (included), RevTeX, submitted to Phys. Rev. E as a Rapid Communicatio

Rheological Chaos in a Scalar Shear-Thickening Model

We study a simple scalar constitutive equation for a shear-thickening material at zero Reynolds number, in which the shear stress \sigma is driven at a constant shear rate \dot\gamma and relaxes by two parallel decay processes: a nonlinear decay at a nonmonotonic rate R(\sigma_1) and a linear decay at rate \lambda\sigma_2. Here \sigma_{1,2}(t) = \tau_{1,2}^{-1}\int_0^t\sigma(t')\exp[-(t-t')/\tau_{1,2}] {\rm d}t' are two retarded stresses. For suitable parameters, the steady state flow curve is monotonic but unstable; this arises when \tau_2>\tau_1 and 0>R'(\sigma)>-\lambda so that monotonicity is restored only through the strongly retarded term (which might model a slow evolution of material structure under stress). Within the unstable region we find a period-doubling sequence leading to chaos. Instability, but not chaos, persists even for the case \tau_1\to 0. A similar generic mechanism might also arise in shear thinning systems and in some banded flows.Comment: Reference added; typos corrected. To appear in PRE Rap. Com

Simulating (electro)hydrodynamic effects in colloidal dispersions: smoothed profile method

Previously, we have proposed a direct simulation scheme for colloidal dispersions in a Newtonian solvent [Phys.Rev.E 71,036707 (2005)]. An improved formulation called the ``Smoothed Profile (SP) method'' is presented here in which simultaneous time-marching is used for the host fluid and colloids. The SP method is a direct numerical simulation of particulate flows and provides a coupling scheme between the continuum fluid dynamics and rigid-body dynamics through utilization of a smoothed profile for the colloidal particles. Moreover, the improved formulation includes an extension to incorporate multi-component fluids, allowing systems such as charged colloids in electrolyte solutions to be studied. The dynamics of the colloidal dispersions are solved with the same computational cost as required for solving non-particulate flows. Numerical results which assess the hydrodynamic interactions of colloidal dispersions are presented to validate the SP method. The SP method is not restricted to particular constitutive models of the host fluids and can hence be applied to colloidal dispersions in complex fluids

Simulation study of Non-ergodicity Transitions: Gelation in Colloidal Systems with Short Range Attractions

Computer simulations were used to study the gel transition occurring in colloidal systems with short range attractions. A colloid-polymer mixture was modelled and the results were compared with mode coupling theory expectations and with the results for other systems (hard spheres and Lennard Jones). The self-intermediate scattering function and the mean squared displacement were used as the main dynamical quantities. Two different colloid packing fractions have been studied. For the lower packing fraction, $\alpha$-scaling holds and the wave-vector analysis of the correlation function shows that gelation is a regular non-ergodicity transition within MCT. The leading mechanism for this novel non-ergodicity transition is identified as bond formation caused by the short range attraction. The time scale and diffusion coefficient also show qualitatively the expected behaviour, although different exponents are found for the power-law divergences of these two quantities. The non-Gaussian parameter was also studied and very large correction to Gaussian behaviour found. The system with higher colloid packing fraction shows indications of a nearby high-order singularity, causing $\alpha$-scaling to fail, but the general expectations for non-ergodicity transitions still hold.Comment: 13 pages, 15 figure

Gravitational Wave Emission from Galactic Radio Pulsars

We consider in this work continuous gravitational wave (GW) emission from non-axisymmetric radio pulsars. We treat in some detail the observational issues related to the known radio pulsar sample with the aim of unveiling the actual number of sources contributing to GW, which are likely to be the main contributors of GWs. It is shown that the operation of spheroidal GW detectors and full-size interferometers could detect this component of the radiation or impose useful limits on the effective oblateness of young radio pulsars.Comment: 7 pages, RevTex , no figures , to appear in Phys. Rev.

Fermi acceleration in astrophysical jets

We consider the acceleration of energetic particles by Fermi processes (i.e., diffusive shock acceleration, second order Fermi acceleration, and gradual shear acceleration) in relativistic astrophysical jets, with particular attention given to recent progress in the field of viscous shear acceleration. We analyze the associated acceleration timescales and the resulting particle distributions, and discuss the relevance of these processes for the acceleration of charged particles in the jets of AGNs, GRBs and microquasars, showing that multi-component powerlaw-type particle distributions are likely to occur.Comment: 6 pages, one figure; based on talk at "The multimessenger approach to unidentified gamma-ray sources", Barcelona/Spain, July 2006; accepted for publication in Astrophysics and Space Scienc

Pulsars as Fantastic Objects and Probes

Pulsars are fantastic objects, which show the extreme states of matters and plasma physics not understood yet. Pulsars can be used as probes for the detection of interstellar medium and even the gravitational waves. Here I review the basic facts of pulsars which should attract students to choose pulsar studies as their future projects.Comment: Invited Lecture on the "First Kodai-Trieste Workshop on Plasma Astrophysics", Kodaikanal Obs, India. Aug.27-Sept.7th, 2007. In: "Turbulence, Dynamos, Accretion Disks, Pulsars and Collective Plasma Processes". Get a copy from: http://www.springerlink.com/content/978-1-4020-8867-