Local temperature in quantum thermal states

We consider blocks of quantum spins in a chain at thermal equilibrium, focusing on their properties from a thermodynamical perspective. Whereas in classical systems the temperature behaves as an intensive magnitude, a deviation from this behavior is expected in quantum systems. In particular, we see that under some conditions the description of the blocks as thermal states with the same global temperature as the whole chain fails. We analyze this issue by employing the quantum fidelity as a figure of merit, singling out in detail the departure from the classical behavior. The influence in this sense of zero-temperature quantum phase transitions can be clearly observed within this approach. Then we show that the blocks can be considered indeed as thermal states with a high fidelity, provided an effective local temperature is properly identified. Such a result originates from typical properties of reduced sub-systems of energy-constrained Hilbert spaces. Finally, the relation between local and global temperature is analyzed as a function of the size of the blocks and the system parameters.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures. New fidelity measure with similar result

Footprints of fixed-gear fisheries in relation to rising whale entanglements on the U.S. West Coast

On the U.S. West Coast, reports of whales entangled in fishing gear increased dramatically in 2014. In this study, a time series of fishing activity maps was developed from 2009 to 2016 for the four fixed-gear fisheries most commonly implicated in entanglements. Maps were generated using vessel monitoring system (VMS) data linked to port-level landings databases, which were related to entangled whale reports over the same time period and with modelled distributions of humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae Borowski. Over the full study period, neither marked increases in fishing activity nor changes in fisheries footprints within regions with high whale densities were detected. By contrast, a delayed fishery opening in California due to a harmful algal bloom in spring of 2016 led to ~5–7 times average levels of Dungeness crab Metacarcinus magister (Dana) fishing activity, which was consistent with a high rate of entanglement in that year. These results are consistent with current hypotheses that habitat compression caused by a marine heatwave increased the overlap of whales with fishing activity, despite minimal changes in the fisheries themselves. This study adds to literature on bycatch of protected species in otherwise sustainable fisheries, highlighting the value of using VMS data for reducing human–wildlife conflict in the ocean

A Rare Case of an Intramedullary Metastasis of a Myxopapillary Ependymoma

Background: Myxopapillary ependimoma (MPE) is a benign slow-growing tumor, and it has been designated histologically as a Grade I neoplasm according to the 2016 World Health Organization classification. Despite the benign character, dissemination and metastasis have occasionally been reported. The retrograde dissemination to other levels of the neuraxis is extremely rare, being more frequent to the intracranial compartment. Case description: We hereby present a case of medullary metastasis of cauda equina MPE, with a history of having undergone a subtotal resection and postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy. The patient presents complaints of night dorsal pain attributable to intradural metastasis twenty-one years after the first surgical intervention. Conclusion: The case reported highlights the importance of long follow-up in patients with MPE, since the possibility of secondary seeding to distant craniospinal sites or local spinal sites after surgery, and radiotherapy should be considered in metastatic disease.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Bulging brains

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Springer Verlag via the DOI in this record.Brain swelling is a serious condition associated with an accumulation of fluid inside the brain that can be caused by trauma, stroke, infection, or tumors. It increases the pressure inside the skull and reduces blood and oxygen supply. To relieve the intracranial pressure, neurosurgeons remove part of the skull and allow the swollen brain to bulge outward, a procedure known as decompressive craniectomy. Decompressive craniectomy has been preformed for more than a century; yet, its effects on the swollen brain remain poorly understood. Here we characterize the deformation, strain, and stretch in bulging brains using the nonlinear field theories of mechanics. Our study shows that even small swelling volumes of 28 to 56 ml induce maximum principal strains in excess of 30 %. For radially outward-pointing axons, we observe maximal normal stretches of 1.3 deep inside the bulge and maximal tangential stretches of 1.3 around the craniectomy edge. While the stretch magnitude varies with opening site and swelling region, our study suggests that the locations of maximum stretch are universally shared amongst all bulging brains. Our model has the potential to inform neurosurgeons and rationalize the shape and position of the skull opening, with the ultimate goal to reduce brain damage and improve the structural and functional outcomes of decompressive craniectomy in trauma patients.We thank Allan L. Reiss and his group for providing the MRI scans. This work was supported by the Timoshenko Scholar Award to Alain Goriely and by the Humboldt Research Award and the National Institutes of Health grant U01 HL119578 to Ellen Kuhl

Tratamiento quirúrgico de la luxación recidivante de rótula mediante técnica combinada de realineación proximal y distal

Los autores presentan su experiencia en el tratamiemto quirúrgico de la luxación recidivante de rótula, en una serie de 26 pacientes esqueléticamente maduros (27 rodillas), intervenidos tras fracaso de un periodo mínimo de seis meses de tratamiento conservador. El tiempo medio de seguimiento postoperatorio fue de 20 meses. La técnica quirúrgica realizada fue la realineación proximal según Insall, asociada a realineación distal tipo Emslie-Trillat. La patología intraarticular concomitante se resolvió mediante artroscopia previa en el mismo tiempo quirúrgico. Las complicaciones encontradas fueron, un caso de hematoma postoperatorio, dos cicatrices queloides, y cuatro casos de rigidez articular. Los resultados fueron excelentes en 21 pacientes. En cinco casos se objetivó clínica de sufrimiento patelar, postquirúrgico. Los buenos resultados obtenidos parecen tener relación con la seguridad que proporciona la técnica de realineación combinada proximal y distal unida a un programa meticuloso de rehabilitación precoz.We review our experience on the surgical treatment of the recurrent dislocation of the patella in a series of 26 mature patients (27 knees) operated on after failure of conservative treatment. The average period of postoperative follow-up was 20 mouths. As for surgical technique we performed proximal realignment according to Insall, associated to EmslieTrillat's distal realignment. Intraarticular concomitant pathology was treated by previous arthroscopy. Complications were found in one case with postoperative haematoma, two cases of queloid scar, and four cases of joint stiffness. Excellent results were achieved in 21 patients. In other five cases patellar complains persisted after surgery. The satisfactory results obtained seems to be due to the safety of the combined proximal-distal realignment procedure together with a meticulous programme for early rehabilitation

Impact of adherence on growth response during the first 2 years of growth hormone treatment

Purpose Adherence to growth hormone (GH) treatment impacts clinical outcomes. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of adherence to rhGH treatment (2 years) on auxological outcomes. Methods Multicentric, retrospective observational study in rhGH-naive GHD/SGA children treated with Saizen (R) during >= 2 years. Growth response was assessed by evaluating the change in height standard deviation score (Delta H SDS) and the index of responsiveness (IoR). Adherence was monitored using EasyPod (TM) Connect device. Results A total of 110 patients (3 Spanish centers) were evaluable (GHD n = 76, SGA n = 34). Adherence was 95.6 and 93.9% (year 1, 2). SGA and GHD children showed an increase of 0.6 cm/year and 1.1 cm/year for each 10% adherence modification. Lower adherence was observed in patients with lower pretreatment height velocity (HV) and in patients whose parents had a lower level of education. A positive correlation between index of responsiveness (IoR) during the first and second years with HV SDS during the second year and between IoR2 and adherence (year 1, 2) was observed. The frequency of patients with HV > 1 SD was higher (p = 0.025) among patients with adherence >90%. The best model to predict the height gain(cm) reaching an adjusted R squared of 0.489 involved percentage of adherence, Tanner stage, pretreatment HV, dose of rhGH, and whether the treatment was initiated before or after puberty. Conclusions Adherence during the first 2 years of response was very high >90% and showed a negative association with age, pretreatment HV and treatment duration and a positive correlation with the level of parent education

Roturas agudas de L.C.A. de la rodilla: refuerzo con cordón RD.S

Se presenta la técnica de reconstrucción en las roturas agudas del L.C.A. mediante reparación con cordón de P.D.S., así como los criterios seguidos por los autores ante las roturas agudas de dicho ligamento. Expone una casuística de 24 intervenciones, con un seguimiento de 1.5 años, sin haber encontrado complicaciones destacables y con un 75% de Muy Buenos Resultados y un 25% de Buenos Resultados.The technique used in the repair of acute rupture of the ACL with a band of PDS, together with the criteria followed by our department in such cases both acute are decribed. The describe 24 operations performed by them, with a follow-up of 1.5 years, with no major complications, 75% excellent results and 25% good results

The 2-79 keV X-ray Spectrum of the Circinus Galaxy with NuSTAR, XMM-Newton and Chandra: a Fully Compton-Thick AGN

The Circinus galaxy is one of the nearest obscured AGN, making it an ideal target for detailed study. Combining archival Chandra and XMM-Newton data with new NuSTAR observations, we model the 2-79 keV spectrum to constrain the primary AGN continuum and to derive physical parameters for the obscuring material. Chandra's high angular resolution allows a separation of nuclear and off-nuclear galactic emission. In the off-nuclear diffuse emission we find signatures of strong cold reflection, including high equivalent-width neutral Fe lines. This Compton-scattered off-nuclear emission amounts to 18% of the nuclear flux in the Fe line region, but becomes comparable to the nuclear emission above 30 keV. The new analysis no longer supports a prominent transmitted AGN component in the observed band. We find that the nuclear spectrum is consistent with Compton-scattering by an optically-thick torus, where the intrinsic spectrum is a powerlaw of photon index $\Gamma = 2.2-2.4$, the torus has an equatorial column density of $N_{\rm H} = (6-10)\times10^{24}$cm$^{-2}$ and the intrinsic AGN $2-10$ keV luminosity is $(2.3-5.1)\times 10^{42}$ erg/s. These values place Circinus along the same relations as unobscured AGN in accretion rate-vs-$\Gamma$ and $L_X$-vs-$L_{IR}$ phase space. NuSTAR's high sensitivity and low background allow us to study the short time-scale variability of Circinus at X-ray energies above 10 keV for the first time. The lack of detected variability favors a Compton-thick absorber, in line with the the spectral fitting results.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap

Beam heat load analysis with COLDDIAG: a cold vacuum chamber for diagnostics

The knowledge of the heat intake from the electron beam is essential to design the cryogenic layout of superconducting insertion devices. With the aim of measuring the beam heat load to a cold bore and understanding the responsible mechanisms, a cold vacuum chamber for diagnostics (COLDDIAG) has been built. The instrumentation comprises temperature sensors, pressure gauges, mass spectrometers and retarding field analyzers, which allow to study the beam heat load and the influence of the cryosorbed gas layer. COLDDIAG was installed in the storage ring of the Diamond Light Source from September 2012 to August 2013. During this time measurements were performed for a wide range of machine conditions, employing the various measuring capabilities of the device. Here we report on the analysis of the measured beam heat load, pressure and gas content, as well as the low energy charged particle flux and spectrum as a function of the electron beam parameters