Presence of 3d Quadrupole Moment in LaTiO3 Studied by 47,49Ti NMR

Ti NMR spectra of LaTiO3 are reexamined and the orbital state of this compound is discussed. The NMR spectra of LaTiO3 taken at 1.5 K under zero external field indicate a large nuclear quadrupole splitting. This splitting is ascribed to the presence of the rather large quadrupole moment of 3d electrons at Ti sites, suggesting that the orbital liquid model proposed for LaTiO3 is inappropriate. The NMR spectra are well explained by the orbital ordering model expressed approximately as $1/\sqrt{3}(d_{xy}+d_{yz}+d_{zx})$ originating from a crystal field effect. It is also shown that most of the orbital moment is quenched.Comment: 4 pages, 3 fugures; to appear in Phys. Rev. Let

Comprehensive airborne characterization of aerosol from a major bovine source

We report an extensive airborne characterization of aerosol downwind of a massive bovine source in the San Joaquin Valley (California) on two flights during July 2007. The Center for Interdisciplinary Remotely-Piloted Aircraft Studies (CIRPAS) Twin Otter probed chemical composition, particle size distribution, mixing state, sub- and supersaturated water uptake behavior, light scattering properties, and the interrelationship between these parameters and meteorology. Total PM_(1.0) levels and concentrations of organics. nitrate. and ammonium were enhanced in the plume from the source as compared to the background aerosol. Organics dominated the plume aerosol mass (~56-64%), followed either by sulfate or nitrate. and then ammonium. Particulate amines were detected in the plume aerosol by a particle-into-liquid sampler (PILS) and via mass spectral inarkers in the Aerodvne C-ToF-AMS. Amines were found to be a significant atmospheric base even in the presence of arnmonia; particulate amine concentrations are estimated as at least 14-23% of that of ammonium in the plume. Enhanced sub- and supersaturated water uptake and reduced refractive indices were coincident with lower organic mass fractions, higher nitrate mass fractions, and the detection of amines. The likelihood of suppressed droplet growth owing to kinetic limitations from hydrophobic organic material is explored. After removing effects associated with size distribution and mixing state, the normalized activated fraction of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) increased as a function of the subsaturated hygroscopic growth factor, with the highest activated fractions being consistent with relatively lower organic mass fractions and higher nitrate mass fractions. Subsaturated hygroscopic growth factors for the organic fraction of the aerosol are estimated based on employing the Zdanovskii-Stokes Robinson (ZSR) mixing rule. Representative values for a parameterization treating particle water uptake in both the sub- and supersaturated regimes are reported for incorporation into atmospheric models

Clinical outcomes after implantation of a sutureless aortic bioprosthesis with concomitant mitral valve surgery: the SURE-AVR registry

Background: Early treatment of aortic valve stenosis is recommended in eligible symptomatic patients with severe aortic valve stenosis who would otherwise have a poor prognosis. The sutureless aortic valve bioprosthesis offers an alternative to standard aortic valve replacement with a sutured valve, but limited data are available in patients who have undergone multiple valve procedures involving the new, sutureless technology. We sought to investigate outcomes in high operative risk patients with previous or concomitant valve surgery who were implanted with a sutureless valve. Methods: SURE-AVR is an ongoing, prospective, multinational registry of patients undergoing aortic valve replacement. In-hospital and post-discharge outcomes up to 5 years were collected. Results: The study population comprised 78 patients (mean \ub1 SD: age 73.6 \ub1 7.6 years, logistic EuroSCORE 18.0 \ub1 17.5) enrolled at 13 sites who presented for concomitant or previous mitral valve repair (n\ua0= 45) or replacement (n\ua0= 33), with or without additional concomitant procedures, and were implanted with a sutureless valve. Mean \ub1 SD overall aortic cross-clamp time was 109 \ub1 41 min and cardiopulmonary bypass time was 152 \ub1 49 min. Mean \ub1 SD aortic pressure gradients decreased from 37.6 \ub1 17.7 mmHg preoperatively to 13.0 \ub1 5.7 mmHg at hospital discharge, and peak aortic pressure gradient from 61.5 \ub1 28.7 to 23.4 \ub1 10.6 mmHg. Early events included 1 death, 1 transient ischaemic attack, and 1 bleed (all 1.3%); a permanent pacemaker implantation was required in 6 patients (7.7%), and 2 reoperations (not valve related) (2.6%) took place. Over a median follow-up of 55.5 months (Q1 13.4, Q3 68.6), 12 patients died (6 cardiovascular and 6 non-cardiovascular, both 2.1% per patient-year). Five-year survival was 81.3%. Late paravalvular leak occurred in 2 patients (0.7% per patient-year) and permanent pacemaker implantation was required in 3 patients (0.1% per patient-year). There was no apparent rise in mean or peak aortic pressure gradient over the study. Conclusions: These results suggest that the sutureless implant is a technically feasible procedure during mitral surgery and is associated with good clinical outcomes

Sutureless Valve in Repeated Aortic Valve Replacement: Results from an International Prospective Registry

Objective: To report early and midterm results registry of patients undergoing repeated aortic valve replacement (RAVR) with sutureless prostheses from an international prospective registry (SURE-AVR). Methods: Between March 2011 and June 2019, 69 patients underwent RAVR with self-expandable sutureless aortic bioprostheses at 22 international cardiac centers.Results: Overall mortality was 2.9% with a predicted logistic EuroSCORE 11 of 10.7%. Indications for RAVR were structural valve dysfunction (84.1%) and infective prosthetic endocarditis (15.9%) and were performed in patients with previously implanted bioprostheses (79.7%), mechanical valves (15.9%), and transcatheter valves (4.3%). Minimally invasive approach was performed in 15.9% of patients. Rate of stroke was 1.4% and rate of early valve-related reintervention was 1.4%. Overall survival rate at 1 and 5 years was 97% and 91%, respectively. No major paravalvular leak occurred. Rate of pacemaker implantation was 5.8% and 0.9% per patient-year early and at follow-up, respectively. The mean transvalvular gradient at 1-year and 5-year follow-up was 10.5 mmHg and 11.5 mmHg with a median effective orifice area of 1.8 cm 2 and 1.8 cm 2 , respectively. Conclusions: RAVR with sutureless valves is a safe and effective approach and provides excellent clinical and hemodynamic results up to 5 years

High Acute Myeloid Leukemia derived VEGFA levels are associated with a specific vascular morphology in the leukemic bone marrow

Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) bone marrow biopsies at diagnosis display enhanced angiogenesis and increased VEGFA expression. In a xenograft mouse model it was described that availability of free VEGFA versus bound VEGFA is related to different vascular morphology. In this study we investigate the relationship between vascular morphology within AML bone marrow biopsies and AML derived VEGFA levels. Vessel count and surface area (Chalkley count) were calculated in AML bone marrow biopsies at diagnosis (n = 32), at remission (n = 8) and Normal Bone Marrow (n = 32) using immunohistochemical staining for FVIII, CD31, CTIV, SMA and VEGFA. VEGFA protein levels were measured. High vessel count was associated with an immature vessel status. Combining vessel count and Chalkley count different vessel morphology patterns were quantified within AML bone marrow biopsies. Three different subgroups could be distinguished. The subgroup (37.5% of the samples) exhibiting a high vessel count and vessels with predominantly large lumen (normal Chalkley count) was associated with high secreted VEGFA protein levels. Different vasculature patterns are seen in AML bone marrow biopsies, defined by combining number and size of vessel. These quantified morphology patterns, combined with VEGFA levels, might be of value in the success of VEGF/VEGFR-signaling interference approaches

Small Change: Economics and the British coin-tree

This is the accepted manuscript for the following article: Ceri Houlbrook, “Small Change: Economics and the British coin-tree”, Post Medieval Archaeology, Vol. 49(1), June 2015. The final published version can be found at: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1179/0079423615Z.00000000074 © Society for Post-Medieval Archaeology 2015Throughout the c.2000 year period coins have been circulated in Britain, they have also been ritually employed, most notably as votive deposits. Focusing specifically on the understudied custom of the British coin-tree, whereby coins are ritually embedded into the barks of trees, this paper considers the coin’s role and applicability as a deposit. It aims to demonstrate that our understanding of the coin’s past, present, and future ritual employment is not only aided by a consideration of economics and the coin’s secular function; it would be utterly incomplete without it.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Cut-offs and response criteria for the Hospital Universitario la Princesa Index (HUPI) and their comparison to widely-used indices of disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis

Objective To estimate cut-off points and to establish response criteria for the Hospital Universitario La Princesa Index (HUPI) in patients with chronic polyarthritis. Methods Two cohorts, one of early arthritis (Princesa Early Arthritis Register Longitudinal PEARL] study) and other of long-term rheumatoid arthritis (Estudio de la Morbilidad y Expresión Clínica de la Artritis Reumatoide EMECAR]) including altogether 1200 patients were used to determine cut-off values for remission, and for low, moderate and high activity through receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis. The areas under ROC (AUC) were compared to those of validated indexes (SDAI, CDAI, DAS28). ROC analysis was also applied to establish minimal and relevant clinical improvement for HUPI. Results The best cut-off points for HUPI are 2, 5 and 9, classifying RA activity as remission if =2, low disease activity if >2 and =5), moderate if >5 and <9 and high if =9. HUPI''s AUC to discriminate between low-moderate activity was 0.909 and between moderate-high activity 0.887. DAS28''s AUCs were 0.887 and 0.846, respectively; both indices had higher accuracy than SDAI (AUCs: 0.832 and 0.756) and CDAI (AUCs: 0.789 and 0.728). HUPI discriminates remission better than DAS28-ESR in early arthritis, but similarly to SDAI. The HUPI cut-off for minimal clinical improvement was established at 2 and for relevant clinical improvement at 4. Response criteria were established based on these cut-off values. Conclusions The cut-offs proposed for HUPI perform adequately in patients with either early or long term arthritis

A chemically modified antibody mediates complete eradication of tumours by selective disruption of tumour blood vessels

These results reinforce the concept that vascular shutdown can induce a curative avalanche of tumour cell death. Immuno-photodynamic therapy may be particularly indicated for squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, which we show to be strongly positive for markers of angiogenesis