SEA-COOS: A Model for a Multi-State, Multi-Institutional Regional Observation System

The SouthEast Atlantic Coastal Ocean Observing System (SEA-COOS, www.seacoos.org) is a regional partnership that has initiated an integrated coastal ocean observing system for a four-state (North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida) region of the southeast coastal United States. The long-term intent of SEA-COOS is to establish a regional coastal ocean observing system that will be part of the coastal component of the national Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) envisioned by Ocean.US. SEA-COOS was initiated in September, 2002 with funding from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) as a coordinating and enhancing effort between several existing subregional-scale efforts in the southeast, the Sea Grant Offices from the four states, and a number of federal agencies. This article briefly describes the essential elements of an observing system, the region-wide observations, overlapping circulation models, data management capabilities, and outreach and education activities of SEA-COOS, at present and planned for the coming year. Development of a governance system has also been pursued, and an initial structure is in place for SEA-COOS

Recording, analysis, and interpretation of spreading depolarizations in neurointensive care : Review and recommendations of the COSBID research group

Spreading depolarizations (SD) are waves of abrupt, near-complete breakdown of neuronal transmembrane ion gradients, are the largest possible pathophysiologic disruption of viable cerebral gray matter, and are a crucial mechanism of lesion development. Spreading depolarizations are increasingly recorded during multimodal neuromonitoring in neurocritical care as a causal biomarker providing a diagnostic summary measure of metabolic failure and excitotoxic injury. Focal ischemia causes spreading depolarization within minutes. Further spreading depolarizations arise for hours to days due to energy supply-demand mismatch in viable tissue. Spreading depolarizations exacerbate neuronal injury through prolonged ionic breakdown and spreading depolarization-related hypoperfusion (spreading ischemia). Local duration of the depolarization indicates local tissue energy status and risk of injury. Regional electrocorticographic monitoring affords even remote detection of injury because spreading depolarizations propagate widely from ischemic or metabolically stressed zones; characteristic patterns, including temporal clusters of spreading depolarizations and persistent depression of spontaneous cortical activity, can be recognized and quantified. Here, we describe the experimental basis for interpreting these patterns and illustrate their translation to human disease. We further provide consensus recommendations for electrocorticographic methods to record, classify, and score spreading depolarizations and associated spreading depressions. These methods offer distinct advantages over other neuromonitoring modalities and allow for future refinement through less invasive and more automated approaches