Intravenous immunoglobulin is a treatment option for refractory dermatomyositis in adult patients

A critical appraisal and clinical application of Dalakas MC, Illa I, Dambrosia JM, et al. A controlled trial of high-dose intravenous immune globulin infusions as treatment for dermatomyositis. N Engl J Med. 1993;329:1993-2000. doi: 10.1056/nejm199312303292704

Snow wetness measurements for melt forecasting

A microwave technique for directly measuring snow pack wetness in remote installations is described. The technique, which uses satellite telemetry for data gathering, is based on the attenuation of a microwave beam in transmission through snow

The JAWSAT Mission: Final Report and Lessons Learned

One Stop Satellite Solutions and the Center for Aerospace Technology recently completed the JAWSAT mission. This was the first flight of the Minotaur launch vehicle and the first time eleven separate micro and pico satellites were placed into orbit with one launch. The JAWSAT project required both new technical designs as well as new programmatic ways of conducting a space mission. Main stream, large satellite, methods were not adequate. Technical lessons learned on this project range from new techniques in versatile, low-cost, structural design to a reasonable method of qualifying commercial off-theshelf electronic components. New methods of final integration and ride sharing were also invented. In program management, new methods in documentation, technical exchange, design review and reporting were developed. Lessons related to schedule, goals, budget, team building, logistics of personnel and materials, and risk assessment and management were studied and implemented. The positive and negative lessons learned in this large small-satellite mission will be of interest to the small satellite community and give insight to those who plan future missions

Randomized clinical trial of the effects of screening and brief intervention for illicit drug use: the Life Shift/Shift Gears study.

BackgroundAlthough screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) has shown promise for alcohol use, relatively little is known about its effectiveness for adult illicit drug use. This randomized controlled trial assessed the effectiveness of the SBIRT approach for outcomes related to drug use among patients visiting trauma and emergency departments (EDs) at two large, urban hospitals.MethodsA total of 700 ED patients who admitted using illegal drugs in the past 30 days were recruited, consented, provided baseline measures of substance use and related problems measured with the Addiction Severity Index-Lite (ASI-Lite), and then randomized to the Life Shift SBIRT intervention or to an attention-placebo control group focusing on driving and traffic safety (Shift Gears). Both groups received a level of motivational intervention matched to their condition and risk level by trained paraprofessional health educators. Separate measurement technicians conducted face-to-face follow-ups at 6 months post-intervention and collected hair samples to confirm reports of abstinence from drug use. The primary outcome measure of the study was past 30-day drug abstinence at 6 months post-intervention, as self-reported on the ASI-Lite.ResultsOf 700 participants, 292 (42%) completed follow-up. There were no significant differences in self-reported abstinence (12.5% vs. 12.0% , p = 0.88) for Life Shift and Shift Gears groups, respectively. When results of hair analyses were applied, the abstinence rate was 7 percent for Life Shift and 2 percent for Shift Gears (p = .074). In an analysis in which results were imputed (n = 694), there was no significant difference in the ASI-Lite drug use composite scores (Life Shift +0.005 vs. Shift Gears +0.017, p = 0.12).ConclusionsIn this randomized controlled trial, there was no evidence of effectiveness of SBIRT on the primary drug use outcome.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT01683227

Altered cyclooxygenase-1 and enhanced thromboxane receptor activities underlie attenuated endothelial dilatory capacity of omental arteries in obesity

AIMS: Obesity is a risk factor for endothelial dysfunction, the severity of which is likely to vary depending on extent and impact of adiposity on the vasculature. This study investigates the roles of cyclooxygenase isoforms and thromboxane receptor activities in the differential endothelial dilatory capacities of arteries derived from omental and subcutaneous adipose tissues in obesity. MAIN METHODS: Small arteries were isolated from omental and subcutaneous adipose tissues obtained from consented morbidly obese patients (n = 65, BMI 45 ± 6 kg m-2 [Mean ± SD]) undergoing bariatric surgery. Relaxation to acetylcholine was studied by wire myography in the absence or presence of indomethacin (10 μM, cyclooxygenase inhibitor), FR122047 (1 μM, cyclooxygenase-1 inhibitor), Celecoxib (4 μM, cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor), Nω-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 100 μM, nitric oxide synthase inhibitor) or combination of apamin (0.5 μM) and charybdotoxin (0.1 μM) that together inhibit endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF). Contractions to U46619 (thromboxane A2 mimetic) were also studied. KEY FINDINGS: Acetylcholine relaxation was significantly attenuated in omental compared with subcutaneous arteries from same patients (p < 0.01). Indomethacin (p < 0.01) and FR122047 (p < 0.001) but not Celecoxib significantly improved the omental arteriolar relaxation. Cyclooxygenase-1 mRNA and U46619 contractions were both increased in omental compared with subcutaneous arteries (p < 0.05). L-NAME comparably inhibited acetylcholine relaxation in both arteries, while apamin+charybdotoxin were less effective in omental compared with subcutaneous arteries. SIGNIFICANCE: The results show that the depot-specific reduction in endothelial dilatory capacity of omental compared with subcutaneous arteries in obesity is in large part due to altered cyclooxygenase-1 and enhanced thromboxane receptor activities, which cause EDHF deficiency

Measurements of Anisotropy in the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation at 0.5 Degree Angular Scales Near the Star Gamma Ursae Minoris

We present results from a four frequency observation of a 6 x 0.6 degree strip of the sky centered near the star Gamma Ursae Minoris during the fourth flight of the Millimeter-wave Anisotropy eXperiment (MAX). The observation was made with a 1.4 degree peak-to-peak sinusoidal chop in all bands. The FWHM beam sizes were 0.55 +/- 0.05 degrees at 3.5 cm-1 and 0.75 +/-0.05 degrees at 6, 9, and 14 cm-1. During this observation significant correlated structure was observed at 3.5, 6 and 9 cm-1 with amplitudes similar to those observed in the GUM region during the second and third flights of MAX. The frequency spectrum is consistent with CMB and inconsistent with thermal emission from interstellar dust. The extrapolated amplitudes of synchrotron and free-free emission are too small to account for the amplitude of the observed structure. If all of the structure is attributed to CMB anisotropy with a Gaussian autocorrelation function and a coherence angle of 25', then the most probable values of DeltaT/TCMB in the 3.5, 6, and 9 cm-1 bands are 4.3 (+2.7, -1.6) x 10-5, 2.8 (+4.3, -1.1) x 10-5, and 3.5 (+3.0, -1.6) x 10-5 (95% confidence upper and lower limits), respectively.Comment: 16 pages, postscrip

Measurements of Anisotropy in the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation at Degree Angular Scales Near the Stars Sigma Hercules and Iota Draconis

We present results from two four-frequency observations centered near the stars Sigma Hercules and Iota Draconis during the fourth flight of the Millimeter-wave Anisotropy eXperiment (MAX). The observations were made of 6 x 0.6-degree strips of the sky with 1.4-degree peak to peak sinusoidal chop in all bands. The FWHM beam sizes were 0.55+/-0.05 degrees at 3.5 cm-1 and a 0.75+/-0.05 degrees at 6, 9, and 14 cm-1. Significant correlated structures were observed at 3.5, 6 and 9 cm-1. The spectra of these signals are inconsistent with thermal emission from known interstellar dust populations. The extrapolated amplitudes of synchrotron and free-free emission are too small to account for the amplitude of the observed structures. If the observed structures are attributed to CMB anisotropy with a Gaussian autocorrelation function and a coherence angle of 25', then the most probable values are DT/TCMB = (3.1 +1.7-1.3) x 10^-5 for the Sigma Hercules scan, and DT/TCMB = (3.3 +/- 1.1) x 10^-5 for the Iota Draconis scan (95% confidence upper and lower limits). Finally a comparison of all six MAX scans is presented.Comment: 13 pages, postscript file, 2 figure

Nucleation in Systems with Elastic Forces

Systems with long-range interactions when quenced into a metastable state near the pseudo-spinodal exhibit nucleation processes that are quite different from the classical nucleation seen near the coexistence curve. In systems with long-range elastic forces the description of the nucleation process can be quite subtle due to the presence of bulk/interface elastic compatibility constraints. We analyze the nucleation process in a simple 2d model with elastic forces and show that the nucleation process generates critical droplets with a different structure than the stable phase. This has implications for nucleation in many crystal-crystal transitions and the structure of the final state