Local and systemic in vivo responses to osseointegrative titanium nanotube surfaces

Orthopedic implants requiring osseointegration are often surface modified; however, implants may shed these coatings and generate wear debris leading to complications. Titanium nanotubes (TiNT), a new surface treatment, may promote osseointegration. In this study, in vitro (rat marrow-derived bone marrow cell attachment and morphology) and in vivo (rat model of intramedullary fixation) experiments characterized local and systemic responses of two TiNT surface morphologies, aligned and trabecular, via animal and remote organ weight, metal ion, hematologic, and nondecalcified histologic analyses. In vitro experiments showed total adherent cells on trabecular and aligned TiNT surfaces were greater than control at 30 min and 4 h, and cells were smaller in diameter and more eccentric. Control animals gained more weight, on average; however, no animals met the institutional trigger for weight loss. No hematologic parameters (complete blood count with differential) were significantly different for TiNT groups vs. control. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) showed greater aluminum levels in the lungs of the trabecular TiNT group than in those of the controls. Histologic analysis demonstrated no inflammatory infiltrate, cytotoxic, or necrotic conditions in proximity of K-wires. There were significantly fewer eosinophils/basophils and neutrophils in the distal region of trabecular TiNT-implanted femora; and, in the midshaft of aligned TiNT-implanted femora, there were significantly fewer foreign body giant/multinucleated cells and neutrophils, indicating a decreased immune response in aligned TiNT-implanted femora compared to controls

\u3ci\u3eMycobacterium bovis \u3c/i\u3ein Coyotes from Michigan

During a survey for tuberculosis in wild carnivores and omnivores, Mycobacteriurn bovis was cultured from pooled lymph nodes of three adult female coyotes (Canis latrans) harvested by hunters in Michigan (USA). No gross or histologic lesions suggestive of tuberculosis were seen in these animals. One coyote was taken from Montmorency county and two coyotes from Alcona county located in the northeastern portion of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula where free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) have been found infected with bovine tuberculosis. It is thought that these coyotes became infected with M. bovis through the consumption of tuberculous deer. Other species included in the survey were the opossum (Didelphis virginiana), raccoon (Procyon lotor), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), bobcat (Felis rufus), and badger (Taxidea taxus)

Ultracold collisions of oxygen molecules

Collision cross sections and rate constants between two ground- state oxygen molecules are investigated theoretically at translational energies below $\sim 1$K and in zero magnetic field. We present calculations for elastic and spin- changing inelastic collision rates for different isotopic combinations of oxygen atoms as a prelude to understanding their collisional stability in ultracold magnetic traps. A numerical analysis has been made in the framework of a rigid- rotor model that accounts fully for the singlet, triplet, and quintet potential energy surfaces in this system. The results offer insights into the effectiveness of evaporative cooling and the properties of molecular Bose- Einstein condensates, as well as estimates of collisional lifetimes in magnetic traps. Specifically, $^{17}O_{2}$ looks like a good candidate for ultracold studies, while $^{16}O_{2}$ is unlikely to survive evaporative cooling. Since $^{17}O_{2}$ is representative of a wide class of molecules that are paramagnetic in their ground state we conclude that many molecules can be successfully magnetically trapped at ultralow temperatures.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figure

Impact of Baseline Retinal Nonperfusion and Macular Retinal Capillary Nonperfusion on Outcomes in the COPERNICUS and GALILEO Studies.

Purpose To evaluate the impact of baseline retinal capillary nonperfusion (RNP) and macular retinal capillary nonperfusion (MNP) status on outcomes at week 24 (W24). Design Post hoc analyses of 2 phase 3, randomized, double-masked, multicenter, sham-controlled studies. Participants Three hundred sixty-six patients with macular edema secondary to central retinal vein occlusion randomized in COPERNICUS and GALILEO. Methods We randomized patients 3:2 to receive intravitreal aflibercept 2 mg every 4 weeks or sham injections until W24. RNP and MNP were assessed by a masked independent reading center. Main Outcome Measures Proportion of patients with 10 disc areas (DA) or more of RNP and any degree of MNP at W24, relative risks of 10 DA or more of RNP or any degree of MNP at W24 developing, change from baseline in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central retinal thickness (CRT) by baseline RNP and MNP status, and relationship between baseline RNP and MNP status. Results At baseline, 24.6% of patients showed 10 DA or more of RNP and 72.6% showed MNP, regardless of baseline RNP status. At W24, the pooled proportions of patients in the intravitreal aflibercept and sham groups with 10 DA or more of RNP were 11.6% and 29.0%, respectively (P = 0.0001); the respective proportions with any degree of MNP were 61.2% and 79.5% (P = 0.0008). Relative risks and 95% confidence intervals for intravitreal aflibercept versus sham were 0.4 (0.25–0.62) for 10 DA or more of RNP and 0.8 (0.68–0.90) for MNP, indicating a lower risk for these outcomes with intravitreal aflibercept than with sham. Mean BCVA change was greater in intravitreal aflibercept- versus sham-treated eyes, with less than 10 DA and 10 DA or more of RNP at baseline (+17.5 vs. +0.8 letters and +18.3 vs. −4.1 letters, respectively) and with and without baseline MNP (+15.7 vs. +0.3 letters and +17.1 vs. +0.4 letters, respectively). Agreement between baseline RNP and MNP status was low (κ = 0.12). The proportions of patients with 1 or more ocular serious adverse event in the intravitreal aflibercept- and sham-treated groups, respectively, were 3.2% and 11.3%. Conclusions At W24, visual and anatomic improvements, including perfusion status, were greater in eyes treated with intravitreal aflibercept than in eyes treated with sham, regardless of baseline RNP or MNP status

Bovine Tuberculosis in Free-Ranging Carnivores from Michigan

During a survey of carnivores and omnivores for bovine tuberculosis conducted in Michigan (USA) since 1996, Mycobacterium bovis was cultured from lymph nodes pooled from six coyotes (Canis latrans) (four adult female, two adult male), two adult male raccoons (Procyon lotor), one adult male red fox (Vulpes vulpes), and one 1.5-yr-old male black bear (Ursus americanus). One adult, male bobcat (Felis rufus) with histologic lesions suggestive of tuberculosis was negative on culture but positive for organisms belonging to the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex when tested by polymerase chain reaction. All the tuberculous animals were taken from three adjoining counties where M. bovis is known to be endemic in the free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) population. There were two coyotes, one raccoon, one red fox, and one bobcat infected in Alpena county. Montmorency County had two coyotes and one raccoon with M. bovis. Two coyotes and a bear were infected from Alcona County. These free-ranging carnivores/omnivores probably became infected with M. bovis through consumption of tuberculous deer. Other species included in the survey were opossum (Didelphis virginiana), gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), and badger (Taxidea taxus); these were negative for M. bovis

Intrathoracic fire during preparation of the left internal thoracic artery for coronary artery bypass grafting

A surgical fire is a serious complication not previously described in the literature with regard to the thoracic cavity. We report a case in which an intrathoracic fire developed following an air leak combined with high pressure oxygen ventilation in a patient with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The patient presented to our institution with diffuse coronary artery disease and angina pectoris. He was treated with coronary artery bypass graft surgery, including left internal thoracic artery harvesting. Additionally to this rare presentation of an intrathoracic fire, a brief review of surgical fires is included to this paper

Atheisms and the purification of faith

Philosophers of religion have distinguished between ‘negative’ and ‘positive’ atheism. This article considers further conceptions of atheism, especially the idea that atheism can facilitate a faith in God purified of idolatrous assumptions. After introducing Bultmann’s contention that a ‘conscious atheist’ can find something transcendent in the world, this contention is interpreted through reflection on Ricoeur’s claim that the atheisms of Nietzsche and Freud serve to mediate a transition to a purified faith – a faith involving heightened receptivity to agapeic love. The troubling question of what differentiates atheism from belief in God is then discussed in the light of Simone Weil’s meditations on God’s secret presence

NotCal04; comparison/ calibration 14C records 26-50 cal kyr BP

Author Posting. © Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona, 2004. This article is posted here by permission of Dept. of Geosciences, University of Arizona for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Radiocarbon 46 (2004): 1225-1238.The radiocarbon calibration curve IntCal04 extends back to 26 cal kyr BP. While several high-resolution records exist beyond this limit, these data sets exhibit discrepancies of up to several millennia. As a result, no calibration curve for the time range 26–50 cal kyr BP can be recommended as yet, but in this paper the IntCal04 working group compares the available data sets and offers a discussion of the information that they hold

Hot DB White Dwarfs from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

We present ugriz photometry and optical spectroscopy for 28 DB and DO white dwarfs with temperatures between 28,000K and 45,000K. About 10 of these are particularly well-observed; the remainder are candidates. These are the hottest DB stars yet found, and they populate the "DB gap" between the hotter DO stars and the familiar DB stars cooler than 30,000K. Nevertheless, after carefully matching the survey volumes, we find that the ratio of DA stars to DB/DO stars is a factor of 2.5 larger at 30,000 K than at 20,000 K, suggesting that the "DB gap" is indeed deficient and that some kind of atmospheric transformation takes place in roughly 10% of DA stars as they cool from 30,000 K to 20,000 K.Comment: Accepted by the Astronomical Journal. 34 pages, 10 figures, LaTe

Longitudinal double spin asymmetries in single hadron quasi-real photoproduction at high pTp_T

We measured the longitudinal double spin asymmetries $A_{LL}$ for single hadron muo-production off protons and deuterons at photon virtuality $Q^2$ < 1(GeV/$\it c$)$^2$ for transverse hadron momenta $p_T$ in the range 0.7 GeV/$\it c$ to 4 GeV/$\it c$ . They were determined using COMPASS data taken with a polarised muon beam of 160 GeV/$\it c$ or 200 GeV/$\it c$ impinging on polarised $\mathrm{{}^6LiD}$ or $\mathrm{NH_3}$ targets. The experimental asymmetries are compared to next-to-leading order pQCD calculations, and are sensitive to the gluon polarisation $\Delta G$ inside the nucleon in the range of the nucleon momentum fraction carried by gluons $0.05 < x_g < 0.2$