Finite Element Analysis Of The Equivalent Stress Distribution In Schanz Screws During The Use Of A Femoral Fracture Distractor

To evaluate the mechanical stress and elastic deformation exercised in the thread/shaft transition of Schanz screws in assemblies with different screw anchorage distances in the entrance to the bone cortex, through the distribution and location of tension in the samples.An analysis of 3. D finite elements was performed to evaluate the distribution of the equivalent stress (triple stress state) in a Schanz screw fixed bicortically and orthogonally to a tubular bone, using two mounting patterns: (1) thread/shaft transition located 20. mm from the anchorage of the Schanz screws in the entrance to the bone cortex and (2) thread/shaft transition located 3. mm from the anchorage of the Schanz screws in entrance to the bone cortex. The simulations were performed maintaining the same direction of loading and the same distance from the force vector in relation to the center of the hypothetical bone. The load applied, its direction, and the distance to the center of the bone were constant during the simulations in order to maintain the moment of flexion equally constant. The present calculations demonstrated linear behavior during the experiment. It was found that the model with a distance of 20. mm between the Schanz screws anchorage in the entrance to the bone cortex and the thread/shaft transition reduces the risk of breakage or fatigue of the material during the application of constant static loads; in this model. the maximum forces observed were higher (350. Mpa). The distance between the Schanz screws anchorage at the entrance to the bone cortex and the smooth thread/shaft transition of the screws used in a femoral distractor during acute distraction of a fracture must be farther from the entrance to the bone cortex, allowing greater degree of elastic deformation of the material, lower mechanical stress in the thread/shaft transition, and minimized breakage or fatigue. The suggested distance is 20. mm. © 2016 Sociedade Brasileira de Ortopedia e Traumatologia

Pregnancy Reprograms the Epigenome of Mammary Epithelial Cells and Blocks the Development of Premalignant Lesions

Pregnancy causes a series of cellular and molecular changes in mammary epithelial cells (MECs) of female adults. In addition, pregnancy can also modify the predisposition of rodent and human MECs to initiate oncogenesis. Here, we investigate how pregnancy reprograms enhancer chromatin in the mammary epithelium of mice and influences the transcriptional output of the oncogenic transcription factor cMYC. We find that pregnancy induces an expansion of the active cis-regulatory landscape of MECs, which influences the activation of pregnancy-related programs during re-exposure to pregnancy hormones in vivo and in vitro. Using inducible cMYC overexpression, we demonstrate that post-pregnancy MECs are resistant to the downstream molecular programs induced by cMYC, a response that blunts carcinoma initiation, but does not perturb the normal pregnancy-induced epigenomic landscape. cMYC overexpression drives post-pregnancy MECs into a senescence-like state, and perturbations of this state increase malignant phenotypic changes. Taken together, our findings provide further insight into the cell-autonomous signals in post-pregnancy MECs that underpin the regulation of gene expression, cellular activation, and resistance to malignant development

Mind The Gap Between The Fracture Line And The Length Of The Working Area: A Finite Element Analysis Using An Extramedullary Fixation Model

To determine the ideal working area for a simple transverse fracture line treated with a bridge plate. Methods: A 2-D finite element analysis of a hypothetical femur was performed for the quantitative evaluation of a large-fragment titanium alloy locking plate based on the principle of relative stability in a case of a simple transverse diaphyseal fracture. Two simulations (one case of strain and another case of stress distribution) were analyzed in three unique situations according to the von Mises stress theory. Load distributions were observed when the bone was subjected to a single vertical load of 1,000. N. Results: The longer the length of the implant flexion, which coincided with the working area of the plate, the greater the flexion of the implant. The highest concentrations of stress on the plate occurred in the region around the screws closest to the bone gap. The closer the screws to the fracture site, the greater the demands on the plate. Conclusion: When using a large-fragment titanium alloy locking plate to stabilize a simple transverse fracture based on the principle of relative stability (bridge plate), the distance between the proximal and distal screws closest to the fracture line must be long. The farther away this fixation is, the lower the stress on the plate and the greater the dissipation of force in the form of deflection. © 2017 Sociedade Brasileira de Ortopedia e Traumatologia

Motion of influential players can support cooperation in Prisoner's Dilemma

We study a spatial Prisoner's dilemma game with two types (A and B) of players located on a square lattice. Players following either cooperator or defector strategies play Prisoner's Dilemma games with their 24 nearest neighbors. The players are allowed to adopt one of their neighbor's strategy with a probability dependent on the payoff difference and type of the given neighbor. Players A and B have different efficiency in the transfer of their own strategy therefore the strategy adoption probability is reduced by a multiplicative factor (w < 1) from the players of type B. We report that the motion of the influential payers (type A) can improve remarkably the maintenance of cooperation even for their low densities.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figure

Large atom number dual-species magneto-optical trap for fermionic 6Li and 40K atoms

We present the design, implementation and characterization of a dual-species magneto-optical trap (MOT) for fermionic 6Li and 40K atoms with large atom numbers. The MOT simultaneously contains 5.2x10^9 6Li-atoms and 8.0x10^9 40K-atoms, which are continuously loaded by a Zeeman slower for 6Li and a 2D-MOT for 40K. The atom sources induce capture rates of 1.2x10^9 6Li-atoms/s and 1.4x10^9 40K-atoms/s. Trap losses due to light-induced interspecies collisions of ~65% were observed and could be minimized to ~10% by using low magnetic field gradients and low light powers in the repumping light of both atomic species. The described system represents the starting point for the production of a large-atom number quantum degenerate Fermi-Fermi mixture

Equation of State of Oscillating Brans-Dicke Scalar and Extra Dimensions

We consider a Brans-Dicke scalar field stabilized by a general power law potential with power index $n$ at a finite equilibrium value. Redshifting matter induces oscillations of the scalar field around its equilibrium due to the scalar field coupling to the trace of the energy momentum tensor. If the stabilizing potential is sufficiently steep these high frequency oscillations are consistent with observational and experimental constraints for arbitrary value of the Brans-Dicke parameter $\omega$. We study analytically and numerically the equation of state of these high frequency oscillations in terms of the parameters $\omega$ and $n$ and find the corresponding evolution of the universe scale factor. We find that the equation of state parameter can be negative and less than -1 but it is not related to the evolution of the scale factor in the usual way. Nevertheless, accelerating expansion is found for a certain parameter range. Our analysis applies also to oscillations of the size of extra dimensions (the radion field) around an equilibrium value. This duality between self-coupled Brans-Dicke and radion dynamics is applicable for $\omega= -1 + 1/D$ where D is the number of extra dimensions.Comment: 10 two-column pages, RevTex4, 8 figures. Added clarifying discussions, new references. Accepted in Phys. Rev. D (to appear

A Two-Field Quintessence Model

We study the dynamics of a quintessence model based on two interacting scalar fields. The model can account for the (recent) accelerated expansion of the Universe suggested by astronomical observations. Acceleration can be permanent or temporary and, for both scenarios, it is possible to obtain suitable values for the cosmological parameters while satisfying the nucleosynthesis constraint on the quintessence energy density. We argue that the model dynamics can be made consistent with a stable zero-energy relaxing supersymmetric vacuum.Comment: 4 pages, 3 eps figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.

Spherically symmetric dissipative anisotropic fluids: A general study

The full set of equations governing the evolution of self--gravitating spherically symmetric dissipative fluids with anisotropic stresses is deployed and used to carry out a general study on the behaviour of such systems, in the context of general relativity. Emphasis is given to the link between the Weyl tensor, the shear tensor, the anisotropy of the pressure and the density inhomogeneity. In particular we provide the general, necessary and sufficient, condition for the vanishing of the spatial gradients of energy density, which in turn suggests a possible definition of a gravitational arrow of time. Some solutions are also exhibited to illustrate the discussion.Comment: 28 pages Latex. To appear in Phys.Rev.

Cooperation and its evolution in growing systems with cultural reproduction

We explore the evolution of cooperation in the framework of the evolutionary game theory using the prisoner's dilemma as metaphor of the problem. We present a minimal model taking into account the growing process of the systems and individuals with imitation capacity. We consider the topological structure and the evolution of strategies decoupled instead of a coevolutionary dynamic. We show conditions to build up a cooperative system with real topological structures for any natural selection intensity. When the system starts to grow, cooperation is unstable but becomes stable as soon as the system reaches a small core of cooperators whose size increase when the intensity of natural selection decreases. Thus, we reduce the emergence of cooperative systems with cultural reproduction to justify a small initial cooperative structure that we call cooperative seed. Otherwise, given that the system grows principally as cooperator whose cooperators inhabit the most linked parts of the system, the benefit-cost ratio required for cooperation evolve is drastically reduced compared to the found in static networks. In this way, we show that in systems whose individuals have imitation capacity the growing process is essential for the evolution of cooperation.Comment: 16 pages, 2 figures. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1111.247