1,015 research outputs found
Substituição valvar cardíaca em ovinos – Descrição da técnica operatória e análise dos resultados
To evaluate the technical proceduresof a research protocol with tissue-engineered heartvalves in sheep, the surgical techniques for pulmonic,aortic and mitral valve replacement and the outcomeof 58 heart valve surgeries was analyzed. Thesheeps (age 18 ± 7 weeks and body weigh 30 ± 9.9kg) were implanted with valve bioprosthesis understandard protocols. Forty animals received pulmonicvalve prosthesis, fourteen animals received aorticprosthesis and four animals were implanted withmitral prosthesis. The fourth intercostal space wereconsidered the best for all operative techniques.The cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) method throughcanulation of descending aorta and right atrial wereconsidered fast and secure. The CPB time of pulmonicvalve replacement was 34 ± 14 minutes and mortalityrate was 7,5%. The CPB time of subcoronarian aorticvalve implantation was 119 ± 5 minutes and themortality rate was 57%. In mitral substitution the CPBtime was 74 ± 22 minutes and mortality was 50%.The technique of pulmonic valve replacement wasvery efficient, however the mortality rate of both aorticand mitral valve surgery, associated with the highlysurgical technical complexity and elevated CPB time,require technical refinements to improve exploitationof the animals on the left side cardiac surgeries.Visando avaliar um protocolo experimentalde pesquisa com próteses valvares cardíacas emovinos, as técnicas cirúrgicas de substituição valvarpulmonar, aórtica e mitral de 58 cirurgias cardíacas foramanalisadas. Através de procedimentos padronizadosos ovinos (idade 18 ± 7 semanas e o peso 30 ± 9.9kg) foram submetidos ao implante de próteses valvaresbiológicas. Quarenta animais receberam prótesesvalvares pulmonares, 14 animais receberam prótesesaórticas e quatro animais receberam próteses mitrais.O quarto espaço inter-costal foi considerado de eleiçãopara realização das três técnicas operatórias avaliadas.O método de circulação extracorpórea (CPB)por canulação da aorta descendente e do átrio direitofoi considerado rápido e seguro. O tempo de CPB durantea substituição valvar pulmonar foi de 34 ± 14minutos e a mortalidade 7,5%. A substituição valvaraórtica, com implante subcoronariano, teve tempo deCPB 119 ± 5 minutos e mortalidade de 57%. Durantea substituição valvar mitral o tempo de CPB foi 74 ±22 minutos e mortalidade 50%. A técnica de implantevalvar pulmonar foi muito eficiente, entretanto a altamortalidade das técnicas de implante valvar aórtico emitral, associadas à maior complexidade cirúrgica eelevado tempo de CPB, faz necessário refinamentostécnicos para melhorar o aproveitamento dos animaisnas cirurgias das valvas cardíadas esquerdas
Disordered Electrons in a Strong Magnetic Field: Transfer Matrix Approaches to the Statistics of the Local Density of States
We present two novel approaches to establish the local density of states as
an order parameter field for the Anderson transition problem. We first
demonstrate for 2D quantum Hall systems the validity of conformal scaling
relations which are characteristic of order parameter fields. Second we show
the equivalence between the critical statistics of eigenvectors of the
Hamiltonian and of the transfer matrix, respectively. Based on this equivalence
we obtain the order parameter exponent for 3D quantum
Hall systems.Comment: 4 pages, 3 Postscript figures, corrected scale in Fig.
Localization in non-chiral network models for two-dimensional disordered wave mechanical systems
Scattering theoretical network models for general coherent wave mechanical
systems with quenched disorder are investigated. We focus on universality
classes for two dimensional systems with no preferred orientation: Systems of
spinless waves undergoing scattering events with broken or unbroken time
reversal symmetry and systems of spin 1/2 waves with time reversal symmetric
scattering. The phase diagram in the parameter space of scattering strengths is
determined. The model breaking time reversal symmetry contains the critical
point of quantum Hall systems but, like the model with unbroken time reversal
symmetry, only one attractive fixed point, namely that of strong localization.
Multifractal exponents and quasi-one-dimensional localization lengths are
calculated numerically and found to be related by conformal invariance.
Furthermore, they agree quantitatively with theoretical predictions. For
non-vanishing spin scattering strength the spin 1/2 systems show
localization-delocalization transitions.Comment: 4 pages, REVTeX, 4 figures (postscript
Tunable Charge Density Wave Transport in a Current-Effect Transistor
The collective charge density wave (CDW) conduction is modulated by a
transverse single-particle current in a transistor-like device. Nonequilibrium
conditions in this geometry lead to an exponential reduction of the depinning
threshold, allowing the CDWs to slide for much lower bias fields. The results
are in excellent agreement with a recently proposed dynamical model in which
''wrinkles'' in the CDW wavefronts are ''ironed'' by the transverse current.
The experiment might have important implications for other driven periodic
media, such as moving vortex lattices or ''striped phases'' in high-Tc
superconductors.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Monocyte migration to the synovium in rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with adalimumab
Objectives The mechanism of action of treatment with tumour necrosis factor (TNF) blockers in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is still not completely understood. The aim of this study was to test if adalimumab treatment could affect the influx of monocytes into the synovium. Methods A novel technique was used to analyse the migration of labelled autologous monocytes before and 14 days after initiation of adalimumab treatment using scintigraphy. CD14 monocytes were isolated from patients with RA, using a positive selection procedure with magnetic-activated cell sorting, and labelled with technetium-99m-hexamethylpropylene-amino-oxime. Scintigraphic scans were made 1, 2 and 3 h after re-infusion. Results As early as 14 days after the start of treatment with adalimumab a significant decrease in disease activity score evaluated in 28 joints was shown. There was no significant decrease in the influx of monocytes into the joint at this time. Conclusions This study indicates that adalimumab treatment does not reduce the influx of monocytes into the synovium early after initiation of treatment. As previous studies showed a rapid decrease in macrophage infiltration after TNF-antibody therapy, which could not be explained by increased cell death, this points to an important role for enhanced efflux of inflammatory cells from the synoviu
Leading-effect vs. Risk-taking in Dynamic Tournaments: Evidence from a Real-life Randomized Experiment
Two 'order effects' may emerge in dynamic tournaments with information feedback. First, participants adjust effort across stages, which could advantage the leading participant who faces a larger 'effective prize' after an initial victory (leading-effect). Second, participants lagging behind may increase risk at the final stage as they have 'nothing to lose' (risk-taking). We use a randomized natural experiment in professional two-game soccer tournaments where the treatment (order of a stage-specific advantage) and team characteristics, e.g. ability, are independent. We develop an identification strategy to test for leading-effects controlling for risk-taking. We find no evidence of leading-effects and negligible risk-taking effects
Effect of FCNC mediated Z boson on lepton flavor violating decays
We study the three body lepton flavor violating (LFV) decays , and the semileptonic decay in the flavor changing neutral current (FCNC) mediated boson
model. We also calculate the branching ratios for LFV leptonic B decays,
, , and the
conversion of muon to electron in Ti nucleus. The new physics parameter space
is constrained by using the experimental limits on and
. We find that the branching ratios for and processes could be as large as and . For other LFV B decays the branching ratios are found to be too
small to be observed in the near future.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figures, typos corrected, one more section added, version
to appear in EPJ
Flavon exchange effects in models with abelian flavor symmetry
In models with abelian flavor symmetry the small mixing angles and mass
ratios of quarks and leptons are typically given by powers of small parameters
characterizing the spontaneous breaking of flavor symmetry by "flavon" fields.
If the scale of the breaking of flavor symmetry is near the weak scale, flavon
exchange can lead to interesting flavor-violating and CP violating effects.
These are studied. It is found that d_e, mu -> e + gamma, and mu-e conversion
on nuclei can be near present limits. For significant range of parameters mu-e
conversion can be the most sensitive way to look for such effects.Comment: 19 pages, 5 Postscript figures, LATE
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