Prospective Evaluation of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Performed in Dogs and Cats According to the RECOVER Guidelines. Part 1: Prognostic Factors According to Utstein-Style Reporting.

Factors associated with positive cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) outcomes defined according to the veterinary Utstein-style CPR reporting guidelines have not been described since implementation of the Reassessment Campaign on Veterinary Resuscitation (RECOVER) CPR clinical guidelines in 2012. The aims of this study were to assess factors associated with positive CPR outcomes at a U.S. veterinary teaching hospital, to re-evaluate these factors since implementation of the RECOVER guidelines compared to reported factors prior to their publication, and to identify potential additional factors since guideline publication. One-hundred and seventy-two dogs and 47 cats that experienced cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA) and had CPR performed were prospectively included in this observational study. Supervising clinicians were asked to complete a data form on CPR events immediately following completion of CPR efforts. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the effect of twenty hospital, animal, and arrest variables on the three patient outcomes "any return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC)," "sustained ROSC," and survival to hospital discharge. Cats had significantly higher odds to achieve any ROSC [OR (95%CI) 2.72 (1.12-6.61), p = 0.028] and survive to hospital discharge than dogs [OR (95%CI) 4.87 (1.52-15.58), p = 0.008]. Patients had significantly lower odds of achieving any ROSC if CPA occurred during nighttime hours [OR (95%CI) nighttime = 0.52 (0.27-0.98), p = 0.043], and higher odds if CPA was witnessed [OR (95%CI) 3.45 (1.57-7.55), p = 0.002], if less people were involved in CPR efforts [OR (95%CI) 0.8 (0.66-0.96), p = 0.016], if pulses were palpable during CPR [OR (95%CI) 9.27 (4.16-20.63), p < 0.0005], and if an IV catheter was already in place at the time of CPA [OR (95%CI) 5.07 (2.12-12.07), p = 0.0003]. Odds for survival to hospital discharge were significantly higher if less people were involved in CPR efforts [OR (95%CI) 0.65 (0.46-0.91), p = 0.013] and for patients of the anesthesia service [OR (95%CI) 14.82 (3.91-56.17), p = 0.00007]. Overall, factors associated with improved CPR outcomes have remained similar since incorporation of RECOVER guidelines into daily practice. Witnessed CPA events and high-quality CPR interventions were associated with positive patient outcomes, emphasizing the importance of timely recognition and initiation of CPR efforts. An optimal CPR team size has yet to be determined

Creep fatigue of low-cobalt superalloys: Waspalloy, PM U 700 and wrought U 700

The influence of cobalt content on the high temperature creep fatigue crack initiation resistance of three primary alloys was evaluated. These were Waspalloy, Powder U 700, and Cast U 700, with cobalt contents ranging from 0 up to 17 percent. Waspalloy was studied at 538 C whereas the U 700 was studied at 760 C. Constraints of the program required investigation at a single strain range using diametral strain control. The approach was phenomenological, using standard low cycle fatigue tests involving continuous cycling tension hold cycling, compression hold cycling, and symmetric hold cycling. Cycling in the absence of or between holds was done at 0.5 Hz, whereas holds when introduced lasted 1 minute. The plan was to allocate two specimens to the continuous cycling, and one specimen to each of the hold time conditions. Data was taken to document the nature of the cracking process, the deformation response, and the resistance to cyclic loading to the formation of small cracks and to specimen separation. The influence of cobalt content on creep fatigue resistance was not judged to be very significant based on the results generated. Specific conclusions were that the hold time history dependence of the resistance is as significant as the influence of cobalt content and increased cobalt content does not produce increased creep fatigue resistance on a one to one basis

Increased sclerostin associated with stress fracture of the third metacarpal bone in the Thoroughbred Racehorse

Abstract Objectives: The exact aetiopathogenesis of microdamage induced long bone fractures remains unknown. These fractures are likely the result of inadequate bone remodeling in response to damage. This study aims to identifiesy an association of osteocyte apoptosis, the presence of osteocytic osteolysis and any alterations in sclerostin expression with fracture of the third metacarpal bone of (Mc-III) thoroughbred (TB) racehorses. Methods: 30 Mc-III bones were obtained; 10 from bones fractured during racing, 10 from the contralateral limb and 10 from control horses. Each Mc- III bone was divided into fracture site, condyle, condylar groove and sagittal ridge. Microcracks and diffuse microdamage were quantified. Apoptotic osteocytes were measured using TUNEL staining. Cathepsin K, matrix metalloproteinase -13 (MMP-13), HtrA1 and sclerostin expression was analysed. of apoptotic cells between contralateral limb and unraced control, however, there were significantly less apoptotic cells in fractured samples (p<0.02). Immunohistochemistry showed that in the deep zones of the fractured samples sclerostin expression was significantly higher (p<0.03) of the total number of osteocytes. No increase in cathepsin K, MMP-13 or HtrA1 was present

Spin-Dependent Quantum Emission in Hexagonal Boron Nitride at Room Temperature

Optically addressable spins associated with defects in wide-bandgap semiconductors are versatile platforms for quantum information processing and nanoscale sensing, where spin-dependent inter-system crossing (ISC) transitions facilitate optical spin initialization and readout. Recently, the van der Waals material hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) has emerged as a robust host for quantum emitters (QEs), but spin-related effects have yet to be observed. Here, we report room-temperature observations of strongly anisotropic photoluminescence (PL) patterns as a function of applied magnetic field for select QEs in h-BN. Field-dependent variations in the steady-state PL and photon emission statistics are consistent with an electronic model featuring a spin-dependent ISC between triplet and singlet manifolds, indicating that optically-addressable spin defects are present in h-BN $-$ a versatile two-dimensional material promising efficient photon extraction, atom-scale engineering, and the realization of spin-based quantum technologies using van der Waals heterostructures.Comment: 38 pages, 34 figure

Phase Change Material (PCM) thermal stores

The application of inorganic Phase Change Material thermal stores in sustainable building design in Europe – an on-going research project

On the Gold Standard for Security of Universal Steganography

While symmetric-key steganography is quite well understood both in the information-theoretic and in the computational setting, many fundamental questions about its public-key counterpart resist persistent attempts to solve them. The computational model for public-key steganography was proposed by von Ahn and Hopper in EUROCRYPT 2004. At TCC 2005, Backes and Cachin gave the first universal public-key stegosystem - i.e. one that works on all channels - achieving security against replayable chosen-covertext attacks (SS-RCCA) and asked whether security against non-replayable chosen-covertext attacks (SS-CCA) is achievable. Later, Hopper (ICALP 2005) provided such a stegosystem for every efficiently sampleable channel, but did not achieve universality. He posed the question whether universality and SS-CCA-security can be achieved simultaneously. No progress on this question has been achieved since more than a decade. In our work we solve Hopper's problem in a somehow complete manner: As our main positive result we design an SS-CCA-secure stegosystem that works for every memoryless channel. On the other hand, we prove that this result is the best possible in the context of universal steganography. We provide a family of 0-memoryless channels - where the already sent documents have only marginal influence on the current distribution - and prove that no SS-CCA-secure steganography for this family exists in the standard non-look-ahead model.Comment: EUROCRYPT 2018, llncs styl

Extremely asymmetrical scattering in gratings with varying mean structural parameters

Extremely asymmetrical scattering (EAS) is an unusual type of Bragg scattering in slanted periodic gratings with the scattered wave (the +1 diffracted order) propagating parallel to the grating boundaries. Here, a unique and strong sensitivity of EAS to small stepwise variations of mean structural parameters at the grating boundaries is predicted theoretically (by means of approximate and rigorous analyses) for bulk TE electromagnetic waves and slab optical modes of arbitrary polarization in holographic (for bulk waves) and corrugation (for slab modes) gratings. The predicted effects are explained using one of the main physical reasons for EAS--the diffractional divergence of the scattered wave (similar to divergence of a laser beam). The approximate method of analysis is based on this understanding of the role of the divergence of the scattered wave, while the rigorous analysis uses the enhanced T-matrix algorithm. The effect of small and large stepwise variations of the mean permittivity at the grating boundaries is analysed. Two distinctly different and unusual patterns of EAS are predicted in the cases of wide and narrow (compared to a critical width) gratings. Comparison between the approximate and rigorous theories is carried out.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figure