Texturing of titanium (Ti6Al4V) medical implant surfaces with MHz-repetition-rate femtosecond and picosecond Yb-doped fiber lasers

Cataloged from PDF version of article.We propose and demonstrate the use of short pulsed fiber lasers in surface texturing using MHz-repetition-rate, microjoule- and sub-microjoule-energy pulses. Texturing of titanium-based (Ti6Al4V) dental implant surfaces is achieved using femtosecond, picosecond and (for comparison) nanosecond pulses with the aim of controlling attachment of human cells onto the surface. Femtosecond and picosecond pulses yield similar results in the creation of micron-scale textures with greatly reduced or no thermal heat effects, whereas nanosecond pulses result in strong thermal effects. Various surface textures are created with excellent uniformity and repeatability on a desired portion of the surface. The effects of the surface texturing on the attachment and proliferation of cells are characterized under cell culture conditions. Our data indicate that picosecond-pulsed laser modification can be utilized effectively in low-cost laser surface engineering of medical implants, where different areas on the surface can be made cell-attachment friendly or hostile through the use of different patterns. (C) 2011 Optical Society of Americ

Observation of the Cabibbo-suppressed decay Xi_c+ -> p K- pi+

We report the first observation of the Cabibbo-suppressed charm baryon decay Xi_c+ -> p K- pi+. We observe 150 +- 22 events for the signal. The data were accumulated using the SELEX spectrometer during the 1996-1997 fixed target run at Fermilab, chiefly from a 600 GeV/c Sigma- beam. The branching fractions of the decay relative to the Cabibbo-favored Xi_c+ -> Sigma+ K- pi+ and Xi_c+ -> X- pi+ pi+ are measured to be B(Xi_c+ -> p K- pi+)/B(Xi_c+ -> Sigma+ K- pi+) = 0.22 +- 0.06 +- 0.03 and B(Xi_c+ -> p K- pi+)/B(Xi_c+ -> X- pi+ pi+) = 0.20 +- 0.04 +- 0.02, respectively.Comment: 5 pages, RevTeX, 3 figures (postscript), Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Total Cross Section Measurements With π- , Σ- And Protons On Nuclei And Nucleons Around 600 Gev/c

Total cross sections for Σ- and π- on beryllium, carbon, polyethylene and copper as well as total cross sections for protons on beryllium and carbon have been measured in a broad momentum range around 600GeV/c . These measurements were performed with a transmission technique in the SELEX hyperon-beam experiment at Fermilab. We report on results obtained for hadron-nucleus cross sections and on results for σtot(Σ-N) and σtot(π-N) , which were deduced from nuclear cross sections. © 2000 Elsevier Science B.V.57901/02/15277312Langland, J.L., (1995) Ph.D. Thesis, , University of IowaKleinfelder, S.A., (1988) IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci., 35 (1)Dersch, U., (1998) Ph.D. Thesis, HeidelbergBiagi, S.F., (1981) Nucl. Phys. B, 186, pp. 1-21Bellettini, G., (1966) Nucl. Phys., 79, pp. 609-624Schiz, A.M., (1980) Phys. Rev. D, 21, pp. 3010-3022Murthy, P.V.R., (1975) Nucl. Phys. B, 92, pp. 269-308Caso, C., (1998) Eur. Phys. J. C, 3. , http://pdg.lbl.gov/1998/contents_plots.html, and data on total cross sections from computer readable filesSchiz, A.M., (1979) Ph.D. Thesis, , Yale University(1973) Landolt Börnstein Tables, 7. , Springer editionEngler, J., (1970) Phys. Lett. B, 32, pp. 716-719Babaev, A., (1974) Phys. Lett. B, 51, pp. 501-504Glauber, R.J., (1959) Boulder Lectures, pp. 315-413Franco, V., (1972) Phys. Rev. C, 6, pp. 748-757Karmanov, V.A., Kondratyuk, L.A., (1973) JETP Lett., 18, pp. 266-268Burq, J.P., (1983) Nucl. Phys. B, 217, pp. 285-335Gross, D., (1978) Phys. Rev. Lett., 41, pp. 217-220Beznogikh, G.G., (1972) Phys. Lett. B, 39, pp. 411-413Vorobyov, A.A., (1972) Phys. Lett. B, 41, pp. 639-641Foley, K.J., (1967) Phys. Rev. Lett., 19, pp. 857-859Fajardo, L.A., (1981) Phys. Rev. D, 24, pp. 46-65Jenni, P., (1977) Nucl. Phys. B, 129, pp. 232-252Breedon, R.E., (1989) Phys. Rev. Lett. B, 216, pp. 459-465Amos, N., (1983) Phys. Rev. Lett. B, 128, pp. 343-348Amaldi, U., (1977) Phys. Rev. Lett. B, 66, pp. 390-394Amos, N., (1985) Nucl. Phys. B, 262, pp. 689-714Akopin, V.D., (1977) Sov. J. Nucl. Phys., 25, pp. 51-55Amirkhanov, I.V., (1973) Sov. J. Nucl. Phys., 17, pp. 636-637Foley, K.J., (1969) Phys. Rev., 181, pp. 1775-1793Apokin, V.D., (1976) Nucl. Phys. B, 106, pp. 413-429Burq, J.P., (1982) Phys. Lett. B, 109, pp. 124-127Dakhno, L.G., (1983) Sov. J. Nucl. Phys., 37, pp. 590-598Kazarinov, M., (1976) Sov. Phys. JETP, 43, pp. 598-606De Jager, C.W., (1974) At. Data Nucl. Data Tables, 14, pp. 479-508Donnachie, A., Landshoff, P.V., (1992) Phys. Lett. B, 296, pp. 227-232Lipkin, H., (1975) Phys. Rev. D, 11, pp. 1827-1831Barnett, R.M., (1996) Phys. Rev. D, 54, pp. 191-192Carroll, A.S., (1979) Phys. Lett. B, 80, pp. 423-427Badier, J., (1972) Phys. Lett. B, 41, pp. 387-39

Total Cross Section Measurements with pi-, Sigma- and Protons on Nuclei and Nucleons around 600 GeV/c

Total cross sections for Sigma- and pi- on beryllium, carbon, polyethylene and copper as well as total cross sections for protons on beryllium and carbon have been measured in a broad momentum range around 600GeV/c. These measurements were performed with a transmission technique adapted to the SELEX hyperon-beam experiment at Fermilab. We report on results obtained for hadron-nucleus cross sections and on results for sigma_tot(Sigma- N) and sigma_tot(pi- N), which were deduced from nuclear cross sections.Comment: 42 pages, submitted to Nucl.Phys.

Global Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cerebral Venous Thrombosis and Mortality

Background and purpose: Recent studies suggested an increased incidence of cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We evaluated the volume of CVT hospitalization and in-hospital mortality during the 1st year of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the preceding year. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional retrospective study of 171 stroke centers from 49 countries. We recorded COVID-19 admission volumes, CVT hospitalization, and CVT in-hospital mortality from January 1, 2019, to May 31, 2021. CVT diagnoses were identified by International Classification of Disease-10 (ICD-10) codes or stroke databases. We additionally sought to compare the same metrics in the first 5 months of 2021 compared to the corresponding months in 2019 and 2020 (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04934020). Results: There were 2,313 CVT admissions across the 1-year pre-pandemic (2019) and pandemic year (2020); no differences in CVT volume or CVT mortality were observed. During the first 5 months of 2021, there was an increase in CVT volumes compared to 2019 (27.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 24.2 to 32.0; P<0.0001) and 2020 (41.4%; 95% CI, 37.0 to 46.0; P<0.0001). A COVID-19 diagnosis was present in 7.6% (132/1,738) of CVT hospitalizations. CVT was present in 0.04% (103/292,080) of COVID-19 hospitalizations. During the first pandemic year, CVT mortality was higher in patients who were COVID positive compared to COVID negative patients (8/53 [15.0%] vs. 41/910 [4.5%], P=0.004). There was an increase in CVT mortality during the first 5 months of pandemic years 2020 and 2021 compared to the first 5 months of the pre-pandemic year 2019 (2019 vs. 2020: 2.26% vs. 4.74%, P=0.05; 2019 vs. 2021: 2.26% vs. 4.99%, P=0.03). In the first 5 months of 2021, there were 26 cases of vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT), resulting in six deaths. Conclusions: During the 1st year of the COVID-19 pandemic, CVT hospitalization volume and CVT in-hospital mortality did not change compared to the prior year. COVID-19 diagnosis was associated with higher CVT in-hospital mortality. During the first 5 months of 2021, there was an increase in CVT hospitalization volume and increase in CVT-related mortality, partially attributable to VITT

Call to Action: SARS-CoV-2 and CerebrovAscular DisordErs (CASCADE)

Background and purpose: The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2), now named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), may change the risk of stroke through an enhanced systemic inflammatory response, hypercoagulable state, and endothelial damage in the cerebrovascular system. Moreover, due to the current pandemic, some countries have prioritized health resources towards COVID-19 management, making it more challenging to appropriately care for other potentially disabling and fatal diseases such as stroke. The aim of this study is to identify and describe changes in stroke epidemiological trends before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This is an international, multicenter, hospital-based study on stroke incidence and outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will describe patterns in stroke management, stroke hospitalization rate, and stroke severity, subtype (ischemic/hemorrhagic), and outcomes (including in-hospital mortality) in 2020 during COVID-19 pandemic, comparing them with the corresponding data from 2018 and 2019, and subsequently 2021. We will also use an interrupted time series (ITS) analysis to assess the change in stroke hospitalization rates before, during, and after COVID-19, in each participating center. Conclusion: The proposed study will potentially enable us to better understand the changes in stroke care protocols, differential hospitalization rate, and severity of stroke, as it pertains to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ultimately, this will help guide clinical-based policies surrounding COVID-19 and other similar global pandemics to ensure that management of cerebrovascular comorbidity is appropriately prioritized during the global crisis. It will also guide public health guidelines for at-risk populations to reduce risks of complications from such comorbidities. © 202

Global Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cerebral Venous Thrombosis and Mortality.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Recent studies suggested an increased incidence of cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We evaluated the volume of CVT hospitalization and in-hospital mortality during the 1st year of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the preceding year. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional retrospective study of 171 stroke centers from 49 countries. We recorded COVID-19 admission volumes, CVT hospitalization, and CVT in-hospital mortality from January 1, 2019, to May 31, 2021. CVT diagnoses were identified by International Classification of Disease-10 (ICD-10) codes or stroke databases. We additionally sought to compare the same metrics in the first 5 months of 2021 compared to the corresponding months in 2019 and 2020 (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04934020). RESULTS: There were 2,313 CVT admissions across the 1-year pre-pandemic (2019) and pandemic year (2020); no differences in CVT volume or CVT mortality were observed. During the first 5 months of 2021, there was an increase in CVT volumes compared to 2019 (27.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 24.2 to 32.0; P<0.0001) and 2020 (41.4%; 95% CI, 37.0 to 46.0; P<0.0001). A COVID-19 diagnosis was present in 7.6% (132/1,738) of CVT hospitalizations. CVT was present in 0.04% (103/292,080) of COVID-19 hospitalizations. During the first pandemic year, CVT mortality was higher in patients who were COVID positive compared to COVID negative patients (8/53 [15.0%] vs. 41/910 [4.5%], P=0.004). There was an increase in CVT mortality during the first 5 months of pandemic years 2020 and 2021 compared to the first 5 months of the pre-pandemic year 2019 (2019 vs. 2020: 2.26% vs. 4.74%, P=0.05; 2019 vs. 2021: 2.26% vs. 4.99%, P=0.03). In the first 5 months of 2021, there were 26 cases of vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT), resulting in six deaths. CONCLUSIONS: During the 1st year of the COVID-19 pandemic, CVT hospitalization volume and CVT in-hospital mortality did not change compared to the prior year. COVID-19 diagnosis was associated with higher CVT in-hospital mortality. During the first 5 months of 2021, there was an increase in CVT hospitalization volume and increase in CVT-related mortality, partially attributable to VITT

Determination of Internal Stress of Ni Electroplated Samples in Sulphamate Solutions

Internal stress is a common problem affecting the functionality of the electroplated materials. The parameters of electrodeposition and additive materials that are soluble in the bath change the characteristics of the plating and affect the internal stress of the coatings. The influence of the electrodeposition parameters on the internal stress of Ni deposits from the nickel sulphamate baths were studied by the help of fractional factorial design. The parameters included temperature, pH, current density and bath composition. Increasing temperature and deposit thickness, and decreasing boric acid and chloride ions resulted in decreasing the internal stress within the parameter ranges covered in this study