CT-based fractional flow reserve: development and expanded application

Computations of fractional flow reserve, based on CT coronary angiography and computational fluid dynamics (CT-based FFR) to assess the severity of coronary artery stenosis, was introduced around a decade ago and is now one of the most successful applications of computational fluid dynamic modelling in clinical practice. Although the mathematical modelling framework behind this approach and the clinical operational model vary, its clinical efficacy has been demonstrated well in general. In this review, technical elements behind CT-based FFR computation are summarised with some key assumptions and challenges. Examples of these challenges include the complexity of the model (such as blood viscosity and vessel wall compliance modelling), whose impact has been debated in the research. Efforts made to address the practical challenge of processing time are also reviewed. Then, further application areas – myocardial bridge, renal stenosis and lower limb stenosis – are discussed along with specific challenges expected in these areas

A Shell of Thermal X-ray Emission Associated with the Young Crab-like Remnant 3C58

Deep X-ray imaging spectroscopy of the bright pulsar wind nebula 3C58 confirms the existence of an embedded thermal X-ray shell surrounding the pulsar PSR J0205+6449. Radially resolved spectra obtained with the XMM-Newton telescope are well-characterized by a power-law model with the addition of a soft thermal emission component in varying proportions. These fits reproduce the well-studied increase in the spectral index with radius attributed to synchrotron burn-off of high energy electrons. Most interestingly, a radially resolved thermal component is shown to map out a shell-like structure ~6' in diameter. The presence of a strong emission line corresponding to the Ne IX He-like transition requires an overabundance of ~3 x [Ne/Ne(sun)] in the Raymond-Smith plasma model. The best-fit temperature kT ~ 0.23 keV is essentially independent of radius for the derived column density of N_H = (4.2 +/- 0.1)E21 per cm squared. Our result suggests that thermal shells can be obscured in the early evolution of a supernova remnant by non-thermal pulsar wind nebulae emission; the luminosity of the 3C58 shell is more than an order of magnitude below the upper limit on a similar shell in the Crab Nebula. We find the shell centroid to be offset from the pulsar location. If this neutron star has a velocity similar to that of the Crab pulsar, we derive an age of 3700 yr and a velocity vector aligned with the long axis of the PWN. The shell parameters and pulsar offset add to the accumulating evidence that 3C58 is not the remnant of the supernova of CE 1181.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figures, 2 tables, Latex emulateapj style. To appear in the Astrophysical Journa

Abelian Higgs Hair for Rotating and Charged Black Holes

We study the problem of vortex solutions in the background of rotating black holes in both asymptotically flat and asymptoticlly anti de Sitter spacetimes. We demonstrate the Abelian Higgs field equations in the background of four dimensional Kerr, Kerr-AdS and Reissner-Nordstrom-AdS black holes have vortex line solutions. These solutions, which have axial symmetry, are generalization of the Nielsen-Olesen string. By numerically solving the field equations in each case, we find that these black holes can support an Abelian Higgs field as hair. This situation holds even in the extremal case, and no flux-expulsion occurs. We also compute the effect of the self gravity of the Abelian Higgs field show that the the vortex induces a deficit angle in the corresponding black hole metrics.Comment: 22 pages, 16 figures, a section about the vortex self gravity on Kerr black hole added, extremal black holes considered, one figure changed, one reference adde

Abelian Higgs Hair for AdS-Schwarzschild Black Hole

We show that the Abelian Higgs field equations in the background of the four dimensional AdS-Schwarzschild black hole have a vortex line solution. This solution, which has axial symmetry, is a generalization of the AdS spacetime Nielsen-Olesen string. By a numerical study of the field equations, we show that black hole could support the Abelian Higgs field as its Abelian hair. Also, we conside the self gravity of the Abelian Higgs field both in the pure AdS spacetime and AdS-Schwarzschild black hole background and show that the effect of string as a black hole hair is to induce a deficit angle in the AdS-Schwarzschild black hole.Comment: 19 pages, 33 figure