1,038 research outputs found
Evaluation of bone excision on occipital area of simulated human skull
Surgical effects of bone and soft tissue tumours,
whether for biopsy or full excision have been
researched from as early as the 1970’s [1]. These
researches though have as main focus the biological
(histological) rather the mechanical aspects of the
effects [2]. With technological advances in biomedical
and biomechanical modelling, a plethora of researchers
have been exploring the possibilities of understanding
[3] or even predicting musculoskeletal behaviour under
different loading conditions [4]. This research is
seeking to bridge these two different facets by looking
into the mechanical effects bone tumour surgery might
have to the structural rigidity of a simulated human
skull
Autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa with apparent incomplete penetrance: a clinical, electrophysiological, psychophysical, and molecular genetic study
7 páginas, 7 figuras, 4 tablas.-- Licence Creative Commons, attribution, Non-commercial licence.-- et al.Twenty five symptomatic individuals and six asymptomatic obligate gene carriers from four families with autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa (adRP) showing apparent incomplete penetrance have been studied. Symptomatic individuals from three families showed early onset of night blindness, non-recordable rod electroretinograms, and marked elevation of both rod and cone thresholds in all subjects tested. In the fourth family, there was more variation in the age of onset of night blindness and some symptomatic individuals showed well preserved rod and cone function in some retinal areas. All asymptomatic individuals tested had evidence of mild abnormalities of rod and cone function, indicating that these families show marked variation in expressivity rather than true non-penetrance of the adRP gene. No mutations of the rhodopsin or RDS genes were found in these families and the precise genetic mutation(s) remain to be identified.This study was supported by the Medical Research Council (UK),
The Weilcome Trust, British Retinitis Pigmentosa Society, and
the National Retinitis Pigmentosa Society, Fighting Blindness,
USA.Peer reviewe
Bounds on the Masses and Couplings of Leptoquarks from Leptonic Partial Widths of the Z
The vertex corrections to the leptonic partial widths of the induced by
leptoquarks that couple leptons to the top quark are considered. We obtain
stringent bounds on the parameter space of the masses and Yukawa couplings of
these leptoquarks, using the latest information on the
decay widths measured at LEP. Leptoquarks coupling with electroweak strength to
top quarks are constrained to be heavier than several hundred GeV, at 95
C.L. As a consequence, such leptoquarks cannot make a significant contribution
to lepton asymmetries, polarisation asymmetries or .Comment: 11 pages + 3 Figures (available upon request), Latex file, CERN
preprint CERN-TH.7280/9
Tributyltin exposure alters cytokine levels in mouse serum
Tributyltin (TBT), a toxic environmental contaminant, has been widely utilized for various industrial, agricultural and household purposes. Its usage has led to a global contamination and its bioaccumulation in aquatic organisms and terrestrial mammals. Previous studies suggest that TBT has debilitating effects on the overall immune function of animals, rendering them more vulnerable to diseases. TBT (at concentrations that have been detected in human blood) alters secretion of inflammatory cytokines from human lymphocytes ex vivo. Thus, it is important to determine if specified levels of TBT can alter levels of cytokines in an in vivo system. Mice were exposed to biologically relevant concentrations of TBT (200, 100 or 25 nM final concentrations). The quantitative determination of interferon (IFN)-γ, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL2, IL5, IL7, IL12βp40, IL13, IL15, keratinocyte chemoattractant (KC), macrophage inflammatory protein 1β (MIP), MIP2 and regulated on activation normal T-cell-expressed and secreted (RANTES) was performed in mouse sera by MAGPIX analysis and Western blot. Results indicated alterations (both decreases and increases) in several cytokines. The pro-inflammatory cytokines IFNγ, TNFα, IL-1β, IL-2, IL5, IL12βp40 and IL-15 were altered as were the chemokines MIP-1 and RANTES and the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-13. Increases in IFNγ and TNFα were seen in the serum of mice exposed to TBT for less than 24 h. Levels of IL1β, IL-12 βp40, IL-5 and IL-15 were also modulated in mouse serum, depending on the specific experiment and exposure level. IL-2 was consistently decreased in mouse serum when animals were exposed to TBT. There were also TBT-induced increases in MIP-1β, RANTES and IL-13. These results from human and murine samples clearly suggest that TBT exposures modulate the secretion inflammatory cytokines
Dose-finding study of a 90-day contraceptive vaginal ring releasing estradiol and segesterone acetate.
ObjectiveTo evaluate serum estradiol (E2) concentrations during use of 90-day contraceptive vaginal rings releasing E2 75, 100, or 200 mcg/day and segesterone acetate (SA) 200 mcg/day to identify a dose that avoids hypoestrogenism.Study designWe conducted a multicenter dose-finding study in healthy, reproductive-aged women with regular cycles with sequential enrollment to increasing E2 dose groups. We evaluated serum E2 concentrations twice weekly for the primary outcome of median E2 concentrations throughout initial 30-day use (target ≥40 pg/mL). In an optional 2-cycle extension substudy, we randomized participants to 2- or 4-day ring-free intervals per 30-day cycle to evaluate bleeding and spotting based on daily diary information.ResultsSixty-five participants enrolled in E2 75 (n = 22), 100 (n = 21), and 200 (n = 22) mcg/day groups; 35 participated in the substudy. Median serum E2 concentrations in 75 and 100 mcg/day groups were <40 pg/mL. In the 200 mcg/day group, median E2 concentrations peaked on days 4-5 of CVR use at 194 pg/mL (range 114-312 pg/mL) and remained >40 pg/mL throughout 30 days; E2 concentrations were 37 pg/mL (range 28-62 pg/mL) on days 88-90 (n = 11). Among the E2 200 mcg/day substudy participants, all had withdrawal bleeding following ring removal. The 2-day ring-free interval group reported zero median unscheduled bleeding and two (range 0-16) and three (range 0-19) unscheduled spotting days in extension cycles 1 and 2, respectively. The 4-day ring-free interval group reported zero median unscheduled bleeding or spotting days.ConclusionsEstradiol concentrations with rings releasing E2 200 mcg/day and SA 200 mcg/day avoid hypoestrogenism over 30-day use.ImplicationsA 90-day contraceptive vaginal ring releasing estradiol 200 mcg/day and segesterone acetate 200 mcg/day achieves estradiol concentrations that should avoid hypoestrogenism and effectively suppresses ovulation
Bounds on second generation scalar leptoquarks from the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon
We calculate the contribution of second generation scalar leptoquarks to the
anomalous magnetic moment of the muon (AMMM). In the near future, E-821 at
Brookhaven will reduce the experimental error on this parameter to , an improvement of 20 over its current value.
With this new experimental limit we obtain a lower mass limit of
\ GeV for the second generation scalar leptoquark, when its
Yukawa-like coupling \ to quarks and leptons is taken to be
of the order of the electroweak coupling .Comment: 5 pages, plain tex, 1 figure (not included available under request
Trapping dust particles in the outer regions of protoplanetary disks
In order to explain grain growth to mm sized particles and their retention in
outer regions of protoplanetary disks, as it is observed at sub-mm and mm
wavelengths, we investigate if strong inhomogeneities in the gas density
profiles can slow down excessive radial drift and can help dust particles to
grow. We use coagulation/fragmentation and disk-structure models, to simulate
the evolution of dust in a bumpy surface density profile which we mimic with a
sinusoidal disturbance. For different values of the amplitude and length scale
of the bumps, we investigate the ability of this model to produce and retain
large particles on million years time scales. In addition, we introduced a
comparison between the pressure inhomogeneities considered in this work and the
pressure profiles that come from magnetorotational instability. Using the
Common Astronomy Software Applications ALMA simulator, we study if there are
observational signatures of these pressure inhomogeneities that can be seen
with ALMA. We present the favorable conditions to trap dust particles and the
corresponding calculations predicting the spectral slope in the mm-wavelength
range, to compare with current observations. Finally we present simulated
images using different antenna configurations of ALMA at different frequencies,
to show that the ring structures will be detectable at the distances of the
Taurus Auriga or Ophiucus star forming regions.Comment: Pages 15, Figures 14. Accepted for publication in Astronomy and
Astrophysic
On the shock behaviour and response of Ovis Aries vertebrae
When investigating a biological system during shock loading, it is best practice to isolate different components to fully comprehend each individual part [1,2] before building up the system as a whole. Due to the high acoustic impedance of bone in comparison to other biological tissues [3] the majority of the shock will be transmitted into this medium, and as such can cause large amounts of damage to other parts of the body potentially away from the impact area
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