Release of soluble metal ions from copper based dental alloys mesured by ICP-MS

Describes the release of soluble metal ions from copper based dental alloys mesured by ICP-MS. Presented at the annual congress of the british toxicology society

Fast computation of the deviance information criterion for latent variable models

© 2014 Elsevier B.V. The deviance information criterion (DIC) has been widely used for Bayesian model comparison. However, recent studies have cautioned against the use of certain variants of the DIC for comparing latent variable models. For example, it has been argued that the conditional DIC–based on the conditional likelihood obtained by conditioning on the latent variables–is sensitive to transformations of latent variables and distributions. Further, in a Monte Carlo study that compares various Poisson models, the conditional DIC almost always prefers an incorrect model. In contrast, the observed-data DIC–calculated using the observed-data likelihood obtained by integrating out the latent variables–seems to perform well. It is also the case that the conditional DIC based on the maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimate might not even exist, whereas the observed-data DIC does not suffer from this problem. In view of these considerations, fast algorithms for computing the observed-data DIC for a variety of high-dimensional latent variable models are developed. Through three empirical applications it is demonstrated that the observed-data DICs have much smaller numerical standard errors compared to the conditional DICs. The corresponding MATLAB code is available upon request

When The Boys Come Home

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-vp/2714/thumbnail.jp

I\u27d Like To See You Sunday : In The Afternoon

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-vp/1742/thumbnail.jp

A Bayesian Model Comparison for Trend-Cycle Decompositions of Output

© 2017 The Ohio State University We compare a number of widely used trend-cycle decompositions of output in a formal Bayesian model comparison exercise. This is motivated by the often markedly different results from these decompositions—different decompositions have broad implications for the relative importance of real versus nominal shocks in explaining variations in output. Using U.S. quarterly real GDP, we find that the overall best model is an unobserved components model with two features: (i) a nonzero correlation between trend and cycle innovations and (ii) a break in trend output growth in 2007. The annualized trend output growth decreases from about 3.4% to 1.2%–1.5% after the break. The results also indicate that real shocks are more important than nominal shocks. The slowdown in trend output growth is robust when we expand the set of models to include bivariate unobserved components models

When You\u27re In Love With Someone Who Is Not In Love With You

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-vp/2707/thumbnail.jp

A monolithic resonant terahertz sensor element comprising a metamaterial absorber and micro-bolometer

In this article a monolithic resonant terahertz sensor element with a noise equivalent power superior to that of typical commercial room temperature single pixel terahertz detectors and capable of close to real time read-out rates is presented. The detector is constructed via the integration of a metamaterial absorber and a micro-bolometer sensor. An absorption magnitude of 57% at 2.5 THz, a minimum NEP of inline image and a thermal time constant of 68 ms for the sensor are measured. As a demonstration of detector capability, it is employed in a practical Nipkow terahertz imaging system. The monolithic resonant terahertz detector is readily scaled to focal plane array formats by adding standard read-out and addressing circuitry enabling compact, low-cost terahertz imaging

A 16 x 16 CMOS amperometric microelectrode array for simultaneous electrochemical measurements

There is a requirement for an electrochemical sensor technology capable of making multivariate measurements in environmental, healthcare, and manufacturing applications. Here, we present a new device that is highly parallelized with an excellent bandwidth. For the first time, electrochemical cross-talk for a chip-based sensor is defined and characterized. The new CMOS electrochemical sensor chip is capable of simultaneously taking multiple, independent electroanalytical measurements. The chip is structured as an electrochemical cell microarray, comprised of a microelectrode array connected to embedded self-contained potentiostats. Speed and sensitivity are essential in dynamic variable electrochemical systems. Owing to the parallel function of the system, rapid data collection is possible while maintaining an appropriately low-scan rate. By performing multiple, simultaneous cyclic voltammetry scans in each of the electrochemical cells on the chip surface, we are able to show (with a cell-to-cell pitch of 456 μm) that the signal cross-talk is only 12% between nearest neighbors in a ferrocene rich solution. The system opens up the possibility to use multiple independently controlled electrochemical sensors on a single chip for applications in DNA sensing, medical diagnostics, environmental sensing, the food industry, neuronal sensing, and drug discovery

Effect of P2Y12 inhibitors on organ support-free survival in critically ill patients hospitalized for COVID-19: A randomized clinical trial

IMPORTANCE: Platelet activation is a potential therapeutic target in patients with COVID-19. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of P2Y12 inhibition among critically ill patients hospitalized for COVID-19. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This international, open-label, adaptive platform, 1:1 randomized clinical trial included critically ill (requiring intensive care-level support) patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Patients were enrolled between February 26, 2021, through June 22, 2022. Enrollment was discontinued on June 22, 2022, by the trial leadership in coordination with the study sponsor given a marked slowing of the enrollment rate of critically ill patients. INTERVENTION: Participants were randomly assigned to receive a P2Y12 inhibitor or no P2Y12 inhibitor (usual care) for 14 days or until hospital discharge, whichever was sooner. Ticagrelor was the preferred P2Y12 inhibitor. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcome was organ support-free days, evaluated on an ordinal scale that combined in-hospital death and, for participants who survived to hospital discharge, the number of days free of cardiovascular or respiratory organ support up to day 21 of the index hospitalization. The primary safety outcome was major bleeding, as defined by the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis. RESULTS: At the time of trial termination, 949 participants (median [IQR] age, 56 [46-65] years; 603 male [63.5%]) had been randomly assigned, 479 to the P2Y12 inhibitor group and 470 to usual care. In the P2Y12 inhibitor group, ticagrelor was used in 372 participants (78.8%) and clopidogrel in 100 participants (21.2%). The estimated adjusted odds ratio (AOR) for the effect of P2Y12 inhibitor on organ support-free days was 1.07 (95% credible interval, 0.85-1.33). The posterior probability of superiority (defined as an OR \u3e 1.0) was 72.9%. Overall, 354 participants (74.5%) in the P2Y12 inhibitor group and 339 participants (72.4%) in the usual care group survived to hospital discharge (median AOR, 1.15; 95% credible interval, 0.84-1.55; posterior probability of superiority, 80.8%). Major bleeding occurred in 13 participants (2.7%) in the P2Y12 inhibitor group and 13 (2.8%) in the usual care group. The estimated mortality rate at 90 days for the P2Y12 inhibitor group was 25.5% and for the usual care group was 27.0% (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.76-1.23; P = .77). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this randomized clinical trial of critically ill participants hospitalized for COVID-19, treatment with a P2Y12 inhibitor did not improve the number of days alive and free of cardiovascular or respiratory organ support. The use of the P2Y12 inhibitor did not increase major bleeding compared with usual care. These data do not support routine use of a P2Y12 inhibitor in critically ill patients hospitalized for COVID-19. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04505774