1,846 research outputs found
What has finite element analysis taught us about diabetic foot disease and its management?:a systematic review
Over the past two decades finite element (FE) analysis has become a popular tool for researchers seeking to simulate the biomechanics of the healthy and diabetic foot. The primary aims of these simulations have been to improve our understanding of the foot's complicated mechanical loading in health and disease and to inform interventions designed to prevent plantar ulceration, a major complication of diabetes. This article provides a systematic review and summary of the findings from FE analysis-based computational simulations of the diabetic foot.A systematic literature search was carried out and 31 relevant articles were identified covering three primary themes: methodological aspects relevant to modelling the diabetic foot; investigations of the pathomechanics of the diabetic foot; and simulation-based design of interventions to reduce ulceration risk.Methodological studies illustrated appropriate use of FE analysis for simulation of foot mechanics, incorporating nonlinear tissue mechanics, contact and rigid body movements. FE studies of pathomechanics have provided estimates of internal soft tissue stresses, and suggest that such stresses may often be considerably larger than those measured at the plantar surface and are proportionally greater in the diabetic foot compared to controls. FE analysis allowed evaluation of insole performance and development of new insole designs, footwear and corrective surgery to effectively provide intervention strategies. The technique also presents the opportunity to simulate the effect of changes associated with the diabetic foot on non-mechanical factors such as blood supply to local tissues.While significant advancement in diabetic foot research has been made possible by the use of FE analysis, translational utility of this powerful tool for routine clinical care at the patient level requires adoption of cost-effective (both in terms of labour and computation) and reliable approaches with clear clinical validity for decision making
Lepton Jets in (Supersymmetric) Electroweak Processes
We consider some of the recent proposals in which weak-scale dark matter is
accompanied by a GeV scale dark sector that could produce spectacular
lepton-rich events at the LHC. Since much of the collider phenomenology is only
weakly model dependent it is possible to arrive at generic predictions for the
discovery potential of future experimental searches. We concentrate on the
production of dark states through bosons and electroweak-inos at the
Tevatron or LHC, which are the cleanest channels for probing the dark sector.
We properly take into account the effects of dark radiation and dark cascades
on the formation of lepton jets. Finally, we present a concrete definition of a
lepton jet and suggest several approaches for inclusive experimental searches.Comment: 23 pages, 13 figures, published version, added section 3.3 expanding
on lepton jet's morpholog
Superpartner spectrum of minimal gaugino-gauge mediation
We evaluate the sparticle mass spectrum in the minimal four-dimensional
construction that interpolates between gaugino and ordinary gauge mediation at
the weak scale. We find that even in the hybrid case -- when the messenger
scale is comparable to the mass of the additional gauge particles -- both the
right-handed as well as the left-handed sleptons are lighter than the bino in
the low-scale mediation regime. This implies a chain of lepton production and,
consequently, striking signatures that may be probed at the LHC already in the
near future.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures; V2: refs and a few comments added; V3 title
change
Discovery Potential for Low-Scale Gauge Mediation at Early LHC
Low-scale gauge-mediated supersymmetry(SUSY)-breaking (GMSB) models with
gravitino mass m_{3/2}<16 eV are attractive, since there are no flavor and
cosmological problems. In this paper, we thoroughly study the collider signal
in the case that the next-to-lightest SUSY particle is the bino or slepton and
investigate the discovery potential of the LHC. Our result is applicable to a
wider class of GMSB models other than the minimal GMSB models and we pay
particular attention to realistic experimental setups. We also apply our
analysis to the minimal GMSB models with a metastable SUSY-breaking vacuum and
we show, by requiring sufficient stability of the SUSY-breaking vacuum, these
models can be tested at an early stage of the LHC.Comment: 21 pages, 7 figures.Texts in section 3.2.2 and 3.2.4 are revised.
Captions change
KDIGO Controversies Conference on onco-nephrology: understanding kidney impairment and solid-organ malignancies, andΒ managing kidney cancer
The association between kidney disease and cancer is multifaceted and complex. Persons with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have an increased incidence of cancer, and both cancer and cancer treatments can cause impaired kidney function. Renal issues in the setting of malignancy can worsen patient outcomes and diminish the adequacy of anticancer treatments. In addition, the oncology treatment landscape is changing rapidly, and data on tolerability of novel therapies in patients with CKD are often lacking. Caring for oncology patients has become more specialized and interdisciplinary, currently requiring collaboration among specialists in nephrology, medical oncology, critical care, clinical pharmacology/pharmacy, and palliative care, in addition to surgeons and urologists. To identify key management issues in nephrology relevant to patients with malignancy, KDIGO (Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes) assembled a global panel of multidisciplinary clinical and scientific expertise for a controversies conference on onco-nephrology in December 2018. This report covers issues related to kidney impairment and solid organ malignancies as well as management and treatment of kidney cancer. Knowledge gaps, areas of controversy, and research priorities are described
Rare B Decays with a HyperCP Particle of Spin One
In light of recent experimental information from the CLEO, BaBar, KTeV, and
Belle collaborations, we investigate some consequences of the possibility that
a light spin-one particle is responsible for the three Sigma^+ -> p mu^+ mu^-
events observed by the HyperCP experiment. In particular, allowing the new
particle to have both vector and axial-vector couplings to ordinary fermions,
we systematically study its contributions to various processes involving
b-flavored mesons, including B-Bbar mixing as well as leptonic, inclusive, and
exclusive B decays. Using the latest experimental data, we extract bounds on
its couplings and subsequently estimate upper limits for the branching ratios
of a number of B decays with the new particle. This can serve to guide
experimental searches for the particle in order to help confirm or refute its
existence.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figures; discussion on spin-0 case modified, few errors
corrected, main conclusions unchange
Asymmetric Dark Matter from Leptogenesis
We present a new realization of asymmetric dark matter in which the dark
matter and lepton asymmetries are generated simultaneously through two-sector
leptogenesis. The right-handed neutrinos couple both to the Standard Model and
to a hidden sector where the dark matter resides. This framework explains the
lepton asymmetry, dark matter abundance and neutrino masses all at once. In
contrast to previous realizations of asymmetric dark matter, the model allows
for a wide range of dark matter masses, from keV to 10 TeV. In particular, very
light dark matter can be accommodated without violating experimental
constraints. We discuss several variants of our model that highlight
interesting phenomenological possibilities. In one, late decays repopulate the
symmetric dark matter component, providing a new mechanism for generating a
large annihilation rate at the present epoch and allowing for mixed warm/cold
dark matter. In a second scenario, dark matter mixes with the active neutrinos,
thus presenting a distinct method to populate sterile neutrino dark matter
through leptogenesis. At late times, oscillations and dark matter decays lead
to interesting indirect detection signals.Comment: 32 pages + appendix, references added, minor change
Generation of subject-specific, dynamic, multisegment ankle and foot models to improve orthotic design: a feasibility study
ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Currently, custom foot and ankle orthosis prescription and design tend to be based on traditional techniques, which can result in devices which vary greatly between clinicians and repeat prescription. The use of computational models of the foot may give further insight in the biomechanical effects of these devices and allow a more standardised approach to be taken to their design, however due to the complexity of the foot the models must be highly detailed and dynamic. METHODS: Functional and anatomical datasets will be collected in a multicentre study from 10 healthy participants and 15 patients requiring orthotic devices. The patient group will include individuals with metarsalgia, flexible flat foot and drop foot. Each participant will undergo a clinical foot function assessment, 3D surface scans of the foot under different loading conditions, and detailed gait analysis including kinematic, kinetic, muscle activity and plantar pressure measurements in both barefoot and shod conditions. Following this each participant will undergo computed tomography (CT) imaging of their foot and ankle under a range of loads and positions while plantar pressures are recorded. A further subgroup of participants will undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the foot and ankle. Imaging data will be segmented to derive the size of bones and orientation of the joint axes. Insertion points of muscles and ligaments will be determined from the MRI and CT-scans and soft tissue material properties computed from the loaded CT data in combination with the plantar pressure measurements. Gait analysis data will be used to drive the models and in combination with the 3D surface scans for scaling purposes. Predicted plantar pressures and muscle activation patterns predicted from the models will be compared to determine the validity of the models. DISCUSSION: This protocol will lead to the generation of unique datasets which will be used to develop linked inverse dynamic and forward dynamic biomechanical foot models. These models may be beneficial in predicting the effect of and thus improving the efficacy of orthotic devices for the foot and ankle
Solution structure of a repeated unit of the ABA-1 nematode polyprotein allergen of ascaris reveals a novel fold and two discrete lipid-binding sites
Parasitic nematode worms cause serious health problems in humans and other animals. They can induce allergic-type immune responses, which can be harmful but may at the same time protect against the infections. Allergens are proteins that trigger allergic reactions and these parasites produce a type that is confined to nematodes, the nematode polyprotein allergens (NPAs). These are synthesized as large precursor proteins comprising repeating units of similar amino acid sequence that are subsequently cleaved into multiple copies of the allergen protein. NPAs bind small lipids such as fatty acids and retinol (Vitamin A) and probably transport these sensitive and insoluble compounds between the tissues of the worms. Nematodes cannot synthesize these lipids, so NPAs may also be crucial for extracting nutrients from their hosts. They may also be involved in altering immune responses by controlling the lipids by which the immune and inflammatory cells communicate. We describe the molecular structure of one unit of an NPA, the well-known ABA-1 allergen of Ascaris and find its structure to be of a type not previously found for lipid-binding proteins, and we describe the unusual sites where lipids bind within this structur
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