223 research outputs found
Variations and morphometric analysis of the proximal segment of the superior cerebellar artery
Introduction
The superior cerebral artery is a clinically significant vessel, but little is known about its radiological anatomy. The aim of this study was to describe the anatomical variations of the proximal segment of the superior cerebellar artery using Computed Tomography Angiography.
Materials and methods
The study group consisted of 200 subjects (54.5% female, mean age±SD 56.2±17.2 years) that had undergone head Computed Tomography Angiography. Subjects with any intracranial pathologies were excluded. Images in Maximum Intensity Projections were used to study the anatomical anomalies of the superior cerebellar artery.
Results
In 200 subject 388 superior cerebellar arteries were found. Twelve (3.09%) SCAs were duplicated in 11 patients and all originated from the basilar artery. In 8 (4.00%) patients the superior cerebellar artery was absent. The origin of the SCA was most often bilateral, mainly from the basilar artery (76.29%). The superior cerebellar artery diameter, measured at the site of the origin, was statistically significantly different depending on the place of the origin: wider when originating from the basilar artery as a single vessel (1.48±0.42mm vs. 1.34±0.52mm; p=0.03) and narrower when originating as duplicated one (1.38±0.48mm vs. 1.46±0.44mm; p=0.55).
Conclusion
Superior cerebellar artery usually originates bilaterally from the basilar artery as a single trunk. Its diameter is significantly wider in that type in comparison to other anatomical variations
Evidence for As lattice location and Ge bound exciton luminescence in ZnO implanted with 73As and 73Ge
The results of photoluminescence (PL) measurements performed on high quality single crystal ZnO implanted
with radioactive 73Ga and 73As, both of which decay to stable 73Ge, are presented. Identical effects are observed in the two cases, with a sharp line at 3.3225(5) eV found to grow in intensity in accordance with the growth rate of the Ge daughter atom populations. On the strength of the well-established result that Ga occupies Zn sites, we conclude from the identical outcomes for 73Ga and 73As implantations that implanted As also preferentially occupies Zn sites. This result supports the findings of others that As preferentially occupies the Zn rather than the O site in ZnO. The thermal quenching energy of the 3.3225(5) eV line is found to be only 2.9(1) meV in contrast to its large spectral shift of 53.4(1) meV with respect to the lowest energy free exciton. The PL is attributed to exciton recombination at neutral Ge double donors on Zn sites involving transitions that leave the donor in an excited state
Isotope shift in the dielectronic recombination of three-electron ^{A}Nd^{57+}
Isotope shifts in dielectronic recombination spectra were studied for Li-like
^{A}Nd^{57+} ions with A=142 and A=150. From the displacement of resonance
positions energy shifts \delta E^{142,150}(2s-2p_1/2)= 40.2(3)(6) meV
(stat)(sys)) and \delta E^{142,150}(2s-2p_3/2) = 42.3(12)(20) meV of 2s-2p_j
transitions were deduced. An evaluation of these values within a full QED
treatment yields a change in the mean-square charge radius of ^{142,150}\delta
= -1.36(1)(3) fm^2. The approach is conceptually new and combines the
advantage of a simple atomic structure with high sensitivity to nuclear size.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in Physical Review
Letter
Radiative recombination of bare Bi83+: Experiment versus theory
Electron-ion recombination of completely stripped Bi83+ was investigated at
the Experimental Storage Ring (ESR) of the GSI in Darmstadt. It was the first
experiment of this kind with a bare ion heavier than argon. Absolute
recombination rate coefficients have been measured for relative energies
between ions and electrons from 0 up to about 125 eV. In the energy range from
15 meV to 125 eV a very good agreement is found between the experimental result
and theory for radiative recombination (RR). However, below 15 meV the
experimental rate increasingly exceeds the RR calculation and at Erel = 0 eV it
is a factor of 5.2 above the expected value. For further investigation of this
enhancement phenomenon the electron density in the interaction region was set
to 1.6E6/cm3, 3.2E6/cm3 and 4.7E6/cm3. This variation had no significant
influence on the recombination rate. An additional variation of the magnetic
guiding field of the electrons from 70 mT to 150 mT in steps of 1 mT resulted
in periodic oscillations of the rate which are accompanied by considerable
changes of the transverse electron temperature.Comment: 12 pages, 14 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev. A, see also
http://www.gsi.de/ap/ and http://www.strz.uni-giessen.de/~k
The cytochrome bd-I respiratory oxidase augments survival of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli during infection
Nitric oxide (NO) is a toxic free radical produced by neutrophils and macrophages in response to infection. Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) induces a variety of defence mechanisms in response to NO, including direct NO detoxification (Hmp, NorVW, NrfA), iron-sulphur cluster repair (YtfE), and the expression of the NO-tolerant cytochrome bd-I respiratory oxidase (CydAB). The current study quantifies the relative contribution of these systems to UPEC growth and survival during infection. Loss of the flavohemoglobin Hmp and cytochrome bd-I elicit the greatest sensitivity to NO-mediated growth inhibition, whereas all but the periplasmic nitrite reductase NrfA provide protection against neutrophil killing and promote survival within activated macrophages. Intriguingly, the cytochrome bd-I respiratory oxidase was the only system that augmented UPEC survival in a mouse model after 2 days, suggesting that maintaining aerobic respiration under conditions of nitrosative stress is a key factor for host colonisation. These findings suggest that while UPEC have acquired a host of specialized mechanisms to evade nitrosative stresses, the cytochrome bd-I respiratory oxidase is the main contributor to NO tolerance and host colonisation under microaerobic conditions. This respiratory complex is therefore of major importance for the accumulation of high bacterial loads during infection of the urinary tract
Centric diatoms of large rivers and tributaries in Hungary: morphology and biogeographic distribution
Centric diatoms of 107 different Hungarian running waters were investigated. Among them the largest was the River Danube, from which more than one hundred plankton samples were analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Only one sample was analysed from creeks, which were the smallest running waters analysed in this study. There were also channels with slow currents flowing out of rivers or connecting different rivers.In total, 41 centric taxa belonging to 11 genera were found during this study. The average number of taxa found in a single watercourse was 7, the maximum 40 and the minimum 1. Cyclotella meneghiniana was the most frequently encountered species (present in 60% ofsites). Twelve taxa were found in more than 20% of sites, 7 taxa between 5–10% and 6 taxa only in one site
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