Initial experience with Imacor hTEE-guided management of patients following transplant and mechanical circulatory support.

We reviewed an initial experience using a miniaturized transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) probe (ImaCor, Garden City, NY) with 3 patients in whom Imacor hTEE intervention was used as a point of care device to manage extracorporeal membrane oxygenation cannula placement, cardiac hemodynamics, and post-op cardiac pathophysiology. The management of transplant or mechanical circulatory support (MCS) patients is especially challenging: transplanted hearts pose unique pathophysiological challenges, and MCS significantly alters pressure-volume-flow relationships. Real-time “hemodynamic” TEE (hTEE) can help provide effective management by direct visualization of cardiac filling and function and help guide hemodynamic management. In our initial experience, hTEE can provide point-of-care management following transplant or MCS

Calcification prevention tablets

Citric acid tablets, which slowly release citric acid when flushed with water, are under development by the Navy for calcification prevention. The citric acid dissolves calcium carbonate deposits and chelates the calcium. For use in urinals, a dispenser is not required because the tablets are non-toxic and safe to handle. The tablets are placed in the bottom of the urinal, and are consumed in several hundred flushes (the release rate can be tailored by adjusting the formulation). All of the ingredients are environmentally biodegradable. Mass production of the tablets on commercial tableting machines was demonstrated. The tablets are inexpensive (about 75 cents apiece). Incidences of clogged pipes and urinals were greatly decreased in long term shipboard tests. The corrosion rate of sewage collection pipe (90/10 Cu/Ni) in citric acid solution in the laboratory is several mils per year at conditions typically found in traps under the urinals. The only shipboard corrosion seen to date is of the yellow brass urinal tail pieces. While this is acceptable, the search for a nontoxic corrosion inhibitor is underway. The shelf life of the tablets is at least one year if stored at 50 percent relative humidity, and longer if stored in sealed plastic buckets

Chaos induced coherence in two independent food chains

Coherence evolution of two food web models can be obtained under the stirring effect of chaotic advection. Each food web model sustains a three--level trophic system composed of interacting predators, consumers and vegetation. These populations compete for a common limiting resource in open flows with chaotic advection dynamics. Here we show that two species (the top--predators) of different colonies chaotically advected by a jet--like flow can synchronize their evolution even without migration interaction. The evolution is charaterized as a phase synchronization. The phase differences (determined through the Hilbert transform) of the variables representing those species show a coherent evolution.Comment: 5 pages, 5 eps figures. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Grain boundary precipitation induced by grain crystallographic misorientations in an extruded Al-Mg-Si-Cu alloy

The grain boundary precipitation induced by grain crystallographic misorientations in an extruded Al-Mg-Si-Cu alloy was investigated by electron back-scattering patterns and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. The results showed that compared with the recrystallization cube {1 0 0}〈0 0 1〉 texture, the deformation brass {1 1 0}〈1 1 2〉 texture prevailed in the microstructure. The brass texture mainly contributed for the formation of low angle grain boundaries, where the pre-β″/β′ phases were formed during precipitation. The recrystallization cube texture predominately induced the formation of high angle grain boundaries, where the Q′/Q phases related to the corrosion were precipitated. And, high and low grain boundary was 23.5% and 76.5% proportion in the microstructure, respectively. Finally, it was believed that in order to improve the resistance to intergranular corrosion of alloy, the recrystallization cube {1 0 0}〈0 0 1〉 texture should be inhibited as far as possible.Hunan Provincial Innovation Foundation for Postgraduate (CX2010B044), P.R. China

Magnetic Phase Diagram and Metal-Insulator Transition of NiS2-xSex

Magnetic phase diagram of NiS2-xSex has been reexamined by systematic studies of electrical resistivity, uniform magnetic susceptibility and neutron diffraction using single crystals grown by a chemical transport method. The electrical resistivity and the uniform magnetic susceptibility exhibit the same feature of temperature dependence over a wide Se concentration. A distinct first order metal-insulator (M-I) transition accompanied by a volume change was observed only in the antiferromagnetic ordered phase for 0.50<x<0.59. In this region, the M-I transition makes substantial effects to the thermal evolution of staggered moments. In the paramagnetic phase, the M-I transition becomes broad; both the electrical resistivity and the uniform magnetic susceptibility exhibit a broad maximum around the temperatures on the M-I transition-line extrapolated to the paramagnetic phase.Comment: 6 pages, 8 figures, corrected EPS fil

Smart Contracts: Implications on Liability and Competence

Smart contracts are increasingly popular in business and law. Smart contracts are also becoming increasingly complex. Advances in technology allow smart contracts to handle far more intricate transactions than the traditional—and simple— vending machine example. With increased complexity comes increased responsibility. When parties rely on an attorney to review or draft a smart contract, that attorney must understand what he or she is reading or writing. Smart contracts, however, are not written in a language most attorneys can understand, let alone write. While a general description of the contract may be translated into plain English, the contract itself is written in code. If an attorney cannot read the contract itself—and can only read a general description of the contract—can the attorney claim in good faith that he or she possesses the competence necessary to understand the terms of the contract? If the attorney cannot understand the contract, he or she can be held liable for malpractice if the contract leads to results contrary to what the attorney claimed could or would occur. The implementation of smart contracts is likely to give rise to specialized requirements for attorneys drafting and advising on smart contracts. Special requirements are not unheard of in the legal community. For example, to become a patent attorney, one must take and pass the Patent Bar Examination and fulfill other requirements, such as obtaining a bachelor’s degree in specified fields of science or engineering. Similar requirements—either in the form of a smart contract certification or exam—should be developed not only as a measure of attorney competence, but also as a protection against malpractice suits brought forth by clients

The influence of potato leafhopper-induced injury on crop developmental physiology and economic utility of alfalfa

The impact of potato leafhopper (PLH), Empoasca fabae (Harris), feeding on the yield and quality of alfalfa, Medicago sativa L., was investigated. Research was designed to characterize the physiological response of PLH-induced hopperburn , with emphasis on individual plant components (i.e., stems and leaves). Field trials were conducted (one in 1984 and two in 1985) with field cages to establish known densities of PLH at two periods during second growth of \u27Blazer\u27 alfalfa. Plants were intensively sampled weekly to monitor stem and leaf development rates;Components comprising biomass yield were significantly altered as a result of PLH feeding. Although stem density was unchanged, the number of mainstem nodes and stem height were reduced. The effective leaf area index, which considers only non-chlorotic leaf tissue, was also significantly reduced for all infested plots. Growth rates for stem and leaf components indicate that initial delays in development from PLH stress are mostly compensated for later in the regrowth period;Measurements of forage quality, including digestibility, crude protein, and cell-wall concentration, were determined for all plots. Results demonstrate digestibility and cell-wall concentration are generally unaltered, but that leaf proteins are reduced. The relatively insignificant decline in quality is probably a result of the reduced stem component, offsetting the declines in leaf quality. Similar trends were noted for calculations of relative feed value, digestible dry matter intake, and digestible Oil, Gas, and Energy;The aggregate response in nutritional yield (biomass x quality) is significantly altered by PLH feeding. At harvest, the most significant correlation with PLH density was determined to be rate of phenological development. Economic-injury levels (EIL\u27s) were calculated for alfalfa infested early and late based on days delay past first bloom. The calculations were made on a protein, digestible energy, and biomass equivalency for various control costs and market values;In order to evaluate the value of a PLH pest management system for specialized uses of alfalfa, damaged and undamaged characterizations were utilized in least-cost rationing models to refine the estimate of crop utility. The calculated values for crop utility enhance the use of economic decision indices for forage crops

Ionization in the Knock Zone of an Internal-combustion Engine

The ionization in the knock zone of an internal-combustion engine was investigated. A suspected correlation between the intensity of knock and the degree of ionization was verified and an oscillation in the degree of ionization corresponding in frequency to the knock vibrations in the cylinder pressure was observed