1,442 research outputs found
Sacro-pelvic Anthropometry in the Portuguese Population and Its Implication for Screw Placement in Spinal Surgery: A Single Centre Retrospective Analysis
Objective The aim of this study was to assess the sacropelvic anthropometry in the Portuguese population, through the study of pelvic computed tomography (CT) scans. Methods Pelvic CT scans of 40 individuals were analyzed, and the length and angle measurements were performed according to predefined screw trajectories of S1 anterior (S1A), anterolateral (S1AL) and anteromedial (S1AM), S2 anterolateral (S2AL) and anteromedial (S2AM), S2 alar iliac (S2AI), iliac, and sacroiliac (SI) screws. Comparisons between genders were also performed. Results The S1A screw trajectory mean length was 30.80 mm. The S1AL mean length and lateral angle were 36.48 mm and 33.13°, respectively, and the S1AM s were 46.23 mm and 33.21°. The S2AL mean length was 28.66 mm and lateral angle was 26.52°, and the S2AM length and angle were 29.99 mm and 33.61°, respectively. The S2 alar-iliac screw trajectory mean length, lateral, and caudal angles were 125.84 mm, 36.78°, and 28.66°, respectively. The iliac screw trajectory mean length, lateral, and caudal angles were 136.73 mm, 23,86° and 24.01°, respectively. The sacroiliac screw trajectory length was 75.50 mm. The length of the screws was longer in men than in women, except for the S1A and SI screws, for which no difference was found between genders. Conclusion This study describes sacropelvic anatomical specifications. These defined morphometric details should be taken into consideration during surgical procedures
The Analyticity of a Generalized Ruelle's Operator
In this work we propose a generalization of the concept of Ruelle operator
for one dimensional lattices used in thermodynamic formalism and ergodic
optimization, which we call generalized Ruelle operator, that generalizes both
the Ruelle operator proposed in [BCLMS] and the Perron Frobenius operator
defined in [Bowen]. We suppose the alphabet is given by a compact metric space,
and consider a general a-priori measure to define the operator. We also
consider the case where the set of symbols that can follow a given symbol of
the alphabet depends on such symbol, which is an extension of the original
concept of transition matrices from the theory of subshifts of finite type. We
prove the analyticity of the Ruelle operator and present some examples
Technique of Framework Cemented on Prepared Abutments to Obtain Passive Fit at Fixed Complete Denture: A 2-Year Follow-Up Report
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor in cerebrospinal fluid and plasma is not a biomarker for Huntington’s disease
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is implicated in the survival of striatal neurons. BDNF
function is reduced in Huntington’s disease (HD), possibly because mutant huntingtin impairs its
cortico-striatal transport, contributing to striatal neurodegeneration. The BDNF trophic pathway
is a therapeutic target, and blood BDNF has been suggested as a potential biomarker for HD, but
BDNF has not been quantified in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in HD. We quantified BDNF in CSF and
plasma in the HD-CSF cohort (20 pre-manifest and 40 manifest HD mutation carriers and 20 age and
gender-matched controls) using conventional ELISAs and an ultra-sensitive immunoassay. BDNF
concentration was below the limit of detection of the conventional ELISAs, raising doubt about
previous CSF reports in neurodegeneration. Using the ultra-sensitive method, BDNF concentration
was quantifiable in all samples but did not differ between controls and HD mutation carriers in CSF or
plasma, was not associated with clinical scores or MRI brain volumetric measures, and had poor ability
to discriminate controls from HD mutation carriers, and premanifest from manifest HD. We conclude
that BDNF in CSF and plasma is unlikely to be a biomarker of HD progression and urge caution in
interpreting studies where conventional ELISA was used to quantify CSF BDNF
Structural insights into ring-building motif domains involved in bacterial sporulation.
Components of specialized secretion systems, which span the inner and outer membranes in Gram-negative bacteria, include ring-forming proteins whose oligomerization was proposed to be promoted by domains called RBM for "Ring-Building Motifs". During spore formation in Gram-positive bacteria, a transport system called the SpoIIIA-SpoIIQ complex also assembles in the double membrane that surrounds the forespore following its endocytosis by the mother cell. The presence of RBM domains in some of the SpoIIIA proteins led to the hypothesis that they would assemble into rings connecting the two membranes and form a conduit between the mother cell and forespore. Among them, SpoIIIAG forms homo-oligomeric rings in vitro but the oligomerization of other RBM-containing SpoIIIA proteins, including SpoIIIAH, remains to be demonstrated. In this work, we identified RBM domains in the YhcN/YlaJ family of proteins that are not related to the SpoIIIA-SpoIIQ complex. We solved the crystal structure of YhcN from Bacillus subtilis, which confirmed the presence of a RBM fold, flanked by additional secondary structures. As the protein did not show any oligomerization ability in vitro, we investigated the structural determinants of ring formation in SpoIIIAG, SpoIIIAH and YhcN. We showed that in vitro, the conserved core of RBM domains alone is not sufficient for oligomerization while the β-barrel forming region in SpoIIIAG forms rings on its own. This work suggests that some RBMs might indeed participate in the assembly of homomeric rings but others might have evolved toward other functions
Sisyphus cooling and amplification by a superconducting qubit
Laser cooling of the atomic motion paved the way for remarkable achievements
in the fields of quantum optics and atomic physics, including Bose-Einstein
condensation and the trapping of atoms in optical lattices. More recently
superconducting qubits were shown to act as artificial two-level atoms,
displaying Rabi oscillations, Ramsey fringes, and further quantum effects.
Coupling such qubits to resonators brought the superconducting circuits into
the realm of quantum electrodynamics (circuit QED). It opened the perspective
to use superconducting qubits as micro-coolers or to create a population
inversion in the qubit to induce lasing behavior of the resonator. Furthering
these analogies between quantum optical and superconducting systems we
demonstrate here Sisyphus cooling of a low frequency LC oscillator coupled to a
near-resonantly driven superconducting qubit. In the quantum optics setup the
mechanical degrees of freedom of an atom are cooled by laser driving the atom's
electronic degrees of freedom. Here the roles of the two degrees of freedom are
played by the LC circuit and the qubit's levels, respectively. We also
demonstrate the counterpart of the Sisyphus cooling, namely Sisyphus
amplification. Parallel to the experimental demonstration we analyze the system
theoretically and find quantitative agreement, which supports the
interpretation and allows us to estimate system parameters.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure
L,L-Diaminopimelate Aminotransferase from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: A Target for Algaecide Development
In some bacterial species and photosynthetic cohorts, including algae, the enzyme
l,l-diaminopimelate aminotransferase
(DapL) (E.C. 2.6.1.83) is involved in the anabolism of the essential amino acid
L-lysine. DapL catalyzes the conversion of
tetrahydrodipicolinate (THDPA) to
l,l-diaminopimelate
(l,l-DAP), in one step bypassing the
DapD, DapC and DapE enzymatic reactions present in the acyl DAP pathways. Here
we present an in vivo and in vitro
characterization of the DapL ortholog from the alga Chlamydomonas
reinhardtii (Cr-DapL). The in
vivo analysis illustrated that the enzyme is able to functionally
complement the E. coli dap auxotrophs and was essential for
plant development in Arabidopsis. In vitro, the enzyme was able
to inter-convert THDPA and l,l-DAP, showing
strong substrate specificity. Cr-DapL was dimeric in both
solution and when crystallized. The structure of Cr-DapL was
solved in its apo form, showing an overall architecture of a
α/β protein with each monomer in the dimer adopting a pyridoxal
phosphate-dependent transferase-like fold in a V-shaped conformation. The active
site comprises residues from both monomers in the dimer and shows some
rearrangement when compared to the apo-DapL structure from
Arabidopsis. Since animals do not possess the enzymatic machinery necessary for
the de novo synthesis of the amino acid
l-lysine, enzymes involved in this pathway are
attractive targets for the development of antibiotics, herbicides and
algaecides
Landau-Zener-Stuckelberg interferometry
A transition between energy levels at an avoided crossing is known as a
Landau-Zener transition. When a two-level system (TLS) is subject to periodic
driving with sufficiently large amplitude, a sequence of transitions occurs.
The phase accumulated between transitions (commonly known as the Stuckelberg
phase) may result in constructive or destructive interference. Accordingly, the
physical observables of the system exhibit periodic dependence on the various
system parameters. This phenomenon is often referred to as
Landau-Zener-Stuckelberg (LZS) interferometry. Phenomena related to LZS
interferometry occur in a variety of physical systems. In particular, recent
experiments on LZS interferometry in superconducting TLSs (qubits) have
demonstrated the potential for using this kind of interferometry as an
effective tool for obtaining the parameters characterizing the TLS as well as
its interaction with the control fields and with the environment. Furthermore,
strong driving could allow for fast and reliable control of the quantum system.
Here we review recent experimental results on LZS interferometry, and we
present related theory.Comment: 34 single-column pages, 11 figure
Formation, dynamics and stability of coreless vortex dipoles in phase-separated binary condensates
We study the motion of the Gaussian obstacle potential created by blue
detuned laser beam through a phase-separated binary condensate in
pancake-shaped traps. For the velocity of the obstacle above a critical
velocity, we observe the generation of vortex dipoles in the outer component
which can penetrate the inner component. This is equivalent to finite, although
small, transport of outer component across the inner component. In the inner
component, the same method can lead to the formation of coreless vortex
dipoles.Comment: 12 pages, 9 figure
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