Global hotspots in the present-day distribution of ancient animal and plant lineages

published_or_final_versio

Air Pollution and Lymphocyte Phenotype Proportions in Cord Blood

Effects of air pollution on morbidity and mortality may be mediated by alterations in immune competence. In this study we examined short-term associations of air pollution exposures with lymphocyte immunophenotypes in cord blood among 1,397 deliveries in two districts of the Czech Republic. We measured fine particulate matter < 2.5 μm in diameter (PM(2.5)) and 12 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in 24-hr samples collected by versatile air pollution samplers. Cord blood samples were analyzed using a FACSort flow cytometer to determine phenotypes of CD3(+) T-lymphocytes and their subsets CD4(+) and CD8(+), CD19(+) B-lymphocytes, and natural killer cells. The mothers were interviewed regarding sociodemographic and lifestyle factors, and medical records were abstracted for obstetric, labor and delivery characteristics. During the period 1994 to 1998, the mean daily ambient concentration of PM(2.5) was 24.8 μg/m(3) and that of PAHs was 63.5 ng/m(3). In multiple linear regression models adjusted for temperature, season, and other covariates, average PAH or PM(2.5) levels during the 14 days before birth were associated with decreases in T-lymphocyte phenotype fractions (i.e., CD3(+) CD4(+), and CD8(+)), and a clear increase in the B-lymphocyte (CD19(+)) fraction. For a 100-ng/m(3) increase in PAHs, which represented approximately two standard deviations, the percentage decrease was −3.3% [95% confidence interval (CI), −5.6 to −1.0%] for CD3(+), −3.1% (95% CI, −4.9 to −1.3%) for CD4(+), and −1.0% (95% CI, −1.8 to −0.2%) for CD8(+) cells. The corresponding increase in the CD19(+) cell proportion was 1.7% (95% CI, 0.4 to 3.0%). Associations were similar but slightly weaker for PM(2.5). Ambient air pollution may influence the relative distribution of lymphocyte immunophenotypes of the fetus

Preliminary Limits on the WIMP-Nucleon Cross Section from the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS)

We are conducting an experiment to search for WIMPs, or weakly-interacting massive particles, in the galactic halo using terrestrial detectors. This generic class of hypothetical particles, whose properties are similar to those predicted by extensions of the standard model of particle physics, could comprise the cold component of non-baryonic dark matter. We describe our experiment, which is based on cooled germanium and silicon detectors in a shielded low-background cryostat. The detectors achieve a high degree of background rejection through the simultaneous measurement of the energy in phonons and ionization. Using exposures on the order of one kilogram-day from initial runs of our experiment, we have achieved (preliminary) upper limits on the WIMP-nucleon cross section that are comparable to much longer runs of other experiments.Comment: 5 LaTex pages, 5 eps figs, epsf.sty, espcrc2dsa2.sty. Proceedings of TAUP97, Gran Sasso, Italy, 7-11 Sep 1997, Nucl. Phys. Suppl., A. Bottino, A. di Credico and P. Monacelli (eds.). See also http://cfpa.berkeley.ed

A QM/MM approach for the study of monolayer-protected gold clusters

We report the development and implementation of hybrid methods that combine quantum mechanics (QM) with molecular mechanics (MM) to theoretically characterize thiolated gold clusters. We use, as training systems, structures such as Au25(SCH2-R)18 and Au38(SCH2-R)24, which can be readily compared with recent crystallographic data. We envision that such an approach will lead to an accurate description of key structural and electronic signatures at a fraction of the cost of a full quantum chemical treatment. As an example, we demonstrate that calculations of the 1H and 13C NMR shielding constants with our proposed QM/MM model maintain the qualitative features of a full DFT calculation, with an order-of-magnitude increase in computational efficiency.Comment: Journal of Materials Science, 201

The Economic Impact of Early Life Environmental Tobacco Smoke Exposure: Early Intervention for Developmental Delay

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Early-life exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) can result in developmental delay as well as childhood asthma and increased risk of cancer. The high cost of childhood asthma related to ETS exposure has been widely recognized; however, the economic impact of ETS-related developmental delay has been less well understood. METHODS AND RESULTS:The Columbia Center for Children\u27s Environmental Health (CCCEH) has reported adverse effects of prenatal ETS exposure on child development in a cohort of minority women and children in New York City (odds ratio of developmental delay = 2.36; 95% confidence interval 1.22-4.58). Using the environmentally attributable fraction (EAF) approach, we estimated the annual cost of one aspect of ETS-related developmental delay: Early Intervention Services. The estimated cost of these services per year due to ETS exposure is \u3e Dollars 50 million per year for New York City Medicaid births and Dollars 99 million per year for all New York City births. CONCLUSION:The high annual cost of just one aspect of developmental delay due to prenatal exposure to ETS provides further impetus for increased prevention efforts such as educational programs to promote smoke-free homes, additional cigarette taxes, and subsidizing of smoking cessation programs

Normalization factors for magnetic relaxation of small particle systems in non-zero magnetic field

We critically discuss relaxation experiments in magnetic systems that can be characterized in terms of an energy barrier distribution, showing that proper normalization of the relaxation data is needed whenever curves corresponding to different temperatures are to be compared. We show how these normalization factors can be obtained from experimental data by using the $T \ln(t/\tau_0)$ scaling method without making any assumptions about the nature of the energy barrier distribution. The validity of the procedure is tested using a ferrofluid of Fe_3O_4 particles.Comment: 5 pages, 6 eps figures added in April 22, to be published in Phys. Rev. B 55 (1 April 1997

Competition between decay and dissociation of core-excited OCS studied by X-ray scattering

We show the first evidence of dissociation during resonant inelastic soft X-ray scattering. Carbon and oxygen K-shell and sulfur L-shell resonant and non-resonant X-ray emission spectra were measured using monochromatic synchrotron radiation for excitation and ionization. After sulfur, L2,3 -> {\pi}*, {\sigma}* excitation, atomic lines are observed in the emission spectra as a consequence of competition between de-excitation and dissociation. In contrast the carbon and oxygen spectra show weaker line shape variations and no atomic lines. The spectra are compared to results from ab initio calculations and the discussion of the dissociation paths is based on calculated potential energy surfaces and atomic transition energies.Comment: 12 pages, 6 pictures, 2 tables, http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevA.59.428

ADHD presenting as recurrent epistaxis: a case report

Epistaxis is an important otorhinolaryngological emergency, which usually has an apparent etiology, frequently local trauma in children. Here we present a case report wherein the epistaxis was recalcitrant, and proved to have a psychiatric disorder as an underlying basis. The child was diagnosed with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, hyperactive type, which led to trauma to nasal mucosa due to frequent and uncontrolled nose picking. Treatment with atomoxetine controlled the patient's symptoms and led to a remission of epistaxis

Sentinel surveillance for human enterovirus 71 in Sarawak, Malaysia: lessons from the first 7 years

BACKGROUND: A major outbreak of human enterovirus 71-associated hand, foot and mouth disease in Sarawak in 1997 marked the beginning of a series of outbreaks in the Asia Pacific region. Some of these outbreaks had unusually high numbers of fatalities and this generated much fear and anxiety in the region. METHODS: We established a sentinel surveillance programme for hand, foot and mouth disease in Sarawak, Malaysia, in March 1998, and the observations of the first 7 years are described here. Virus isolation, serotyping and genotyping were performed on throat, rectal, vesicle and other swabs. RESULTS: During this period Sarawak had two outbreaks of human enterovirus 71, in 2000 and 2003. The predominant strains circulating in the outbreaks of 1997, 2000 and 2003 were all from genogroup B, but the strains isolated during each outbreak were genetically distinct from each other. Human enterovirus 71 outbreaks occurred in a cyclical pattern every three years and Coxsackievirus A16 co-circulated with human enterovirus 71. Although vesicles were most likely to yield an isolate, this sample was not generally available from most cases and obtaining throat swabs was thus found to be the most efficient way to obtain virological information. CONCLUSION: Knowledge of the epidemiology of human enterovirus 71 transmission will allow public health personnel to predict when outbreaks might occur and to plan interventions in an effective manner in order to reduce the burden of disease

One-step hydrothermal synthesis of graphene decorated V2O5 nanobelts for enhanced electrochemical energy storage

Graphene-decorated V2O5 nanobelts (GVNBs) were synthesized via a low-temperature hydrothermal method in a single step. V2O5 nanobelts (VNBs) were formed in the presence of graphene oxide, a mild oxidant, which also enhanced the conductivity of GVNBs. From the electron energy loss spectroscopy analysis, the reduced graphene oxide (rGO) are inserted into the layered crystal structure of V2O5 nanobelts, which further confirmed the enhanced conductivity of the nanobelts. The electrochemical energy-storage capacity of GVNBs was investigated for supercapacitor applications. The specific capacitance of GVNBs was evaluated using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and charge/discharge (CD) studies. The GVNBs having V2O5-rich composite, namely, V(3)G(1) (VO/GO = 3:1), showed superior specific capacitance in comparison to the other composites (V(1)G(1) and V(1)G(3)) and the pure materials. Moreover, the V(3)G(1) composite showed excellent cyclic stability and the capacitance retention of about 82% was observed even after 5000 cycles.open