Brain ultrasonography findings in neonates with exposure to cocaine during pregnancy

Background: Cocaine exposure during pregnancy has been reported to have detrimental effects on the fetus. Objective: To describe the findings on cranial ultrasonography (CUS) as part of a neonatal screening programme for exposed neonates. Materials and methods: The study was a semiprospective analysis of a 12-year cohort of neonates born to mothers who had used cocaine during their pregnancy and who had follow-up according to a strict clinical protocol. Results: In total, 154 neonates (78 boys, 76 girls) were included, of whom 29 (19%) were born preterm, and 125 (81%) were born full-term. Abnormalities on CUS were seen in 37 neonates (24%; 95% CI 18-31%). The abnormalities were classified as minor in 20 (13%; 95% CI 9-19%) and mildly abnormal in 17 (11%; 95% CI 7-17%). None of the infants showed severe abnormalities. The abnormalities were not associated with the duration or maximum amount of cocaine use during pregnancy. Conclusion: None of the infants had severe abnormalities. Detected abnormalities were not correlated with the duration or maximum amount of cocaine use. Given these findings, we feel that routine cranial ultrasonography in this population is not warranted

Performance of the CMS Cathode Strip Chambers with Cosmic Rays

The Cathode Strip Chambers (CSCs) constitute the primary muon tracking device in the CMS endcaps. Their performance has been evaluated using data taken during a cosmic ray run in fall 2008. Measured noise levels are low, with the number of noisy channels well below 1%. Coordinate resolution was measured for all types of chambers, and fall in the range 47 microns to 243 microns. The efficiencies for local charged track triggers, for hit and for segments reconstruction were measured, and are above 99%. The timing resolution per layer is approximately 5 ns

Systemic Gene Delivery in Large Species for Targeting Spinal Cord, Brain, and Peripheral Tissues for Pediatric Disorders

Adeno-associated virus type 9 (AAV9) is a powerful tool for delivering genes throughout the central nervous system (CNS) following intravenous injection. Preclinical results in pediatric models of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and lysosomal storage disorders provide a compelling case for advancing AAV9 to the clinic. An important translational step is to demonstrate efficient CNS targeting in large animals at various ages. In the present study, we tested systemically injected AAV9 in cynomolgus macaques, administered at birth through 3 years of age for targeting CNS and peripheral tissues. We show that AAV9 was efficient at crossing the blood–brain barrier (BBB) at all time points investigated. Transgene expression was detected primarily in glial cells throughout the brain, dorsal root ganglia neurons and motor neurons within the spinal cord, providing confidence for translation to SMA patients. Systemic injection also efficiently targeted skeletal muscle and peripheral organs. To specifically target the CNS, we explored AAV9 delivery to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). CSF injection efficiently targeted motor neurons, and restricted gene expression to the CNS, providing an alternate delivery route and potentially lower manufacturing requirements for older, larger patients. Our findings support the use of AAV9 for gene transfer to the CNS for disorders in pediatric populations

Performance and Operation of the CMS Electromagnetic Calorimeter

The operation and general performance of the CMS electromagnetic calorimeter using cosmic-ray muons are described. These muons were recorded after the closure of the CMS detector in late 2008. The calorimeter is made of lead tungstate crystals and the overall status of the 75848 channels corresponding to the barrel and endcap detectors is reported. The stability of crucial operational parameters, such as high voltage, temperature and electronic noise, is summarised and the performance of the light monitoring system is presented

Performance comparison of electrospray ionization and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization in untargeted and targeted liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry based metabolomics analysis of grapeberry metabolites

Electrospray ionization (ESI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) are both used to generate ions for the analysis of metabolites by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS). We compared the performance of these methods for the analysis of Corvina grapevine berry methanolic extracts, which are complex mixtures of diverse metabolites

Structural, Metabolic, and Functional Brain Abnormalities as a Result of Prenatal Exposure to Drugs of Abuse: Evidence from Neuroimaging

Prenatal exposure to alcohol and stimulants negatively affects the developing trajectory of the central nervous system in many ways. Recent advances in neuroimaging methods have allowed researchers to study the structural, metabolic, and functional abnormalities resulting from prenatal exposure to drugs of abuse in living human subjects. Here we review the neuroimaging literature of prenatal exposure to alcohol, cocaine, and methamphetamine. Neuroimaging studies of prenatal alcohol exposure have reported differences in the structure and metabolism of many brain systems, including in frontal, parietal, and temporal regions, in the cerebellum and basal ganglia, as well as in the white matter tracts that connect these brain regions. Functional imaging studies have identified significant differences in brain activation related to various cognitive domains as a result of prenatal alcohol exposure. The published literature of prenatal exposure to cocaine and methamphetamine is much smaller, but evidence is beginning to emerge suggesting that exposure to stimulant drugs in utero may be particularly toxic to dopamine-rich basal ganglia regions. Although the interpretation of such findings is somewhat limited by the problem of polysubstance abuse and by the difficulty of obtaining precise exposure histories in retrospective studies, such investigations provide important insights into the effects of drugs of abuse on the structure, function, and metabolism of the developing human brain. These insights may ultimately help clinicians develop better diagnostic tools and devise appropriate therapeutic interventions to improve the condition of children with prenatal exposure to drugs of abuse

Calibration of the CMS Drift Tube Chambers and Measurement of the Drift Velocity with Cosmic Rays

Peer reviewe