Neuron Specific Enolase in Children with Diabetic Ketoacidosis: Does it Correlate with Impaired Consciousness and Disease Severity?

Background: Diabetes ketoacidosis (DKA) is the leading cause of death in children with diabetes, especially when it is complicated by cerebral edema. The predictors of CNS dysfunction/injury are largely unknown. In many neurological disorders, neuron-specific enolase (NSE) is a marker of neuronal damage. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the role of serum neuron-specific enolase as a marker of neuronal damage in patients with DKA.Patients and methods: A cross-sectional study with 90 DKA patients (aged 9.58 ± 2.89 years) presenting to Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), Children Hospital Zagazig University. Patients subjected to clinical history and examination including Glasco coma scale (GCS), blood glucose, serum electrolytes, blood PH and computed tomography of the brain for children with disturbed consciousness. Blood NSE at admission (baseline point) and after 24 hours of starting treatment of DKA (2-time points). Results: There was a significant difference between NSE level on admission and NSE level 24 hours after start of treatment. Patients with low GCS scores had higher serum NSE at baseline and 2-time points than those with normal CGS (P=0.001; P=0.053). Patients with moderate and severe DKA had higher NSE at baseline and 2-time points in comparison with those with mild DKA (P=0.001; P=0.098).Conclusions: Children with moderate to severe DKA and impaired consciousness had higher serum NSE. The high levels of NSE in patients with abnormal GCS, in the absence of cerebral edema on brain imaging indicate that NSE is a reliable marker of neuronal injury

Age constraints for the Trachilos footprints from Crete.

We present an updated time frame for the 30 m thick late Miocene sedimentary Trachilos section from the island of Crete that contains the potentially oldest hominin footprints. The section is characterized by normal magnetic polarity. New and published foraminifera biostratigraphy results suggest an age of the section within the Mediterranean biozone MMi13d, younger than ~ 6.4 Ma. Calcareous nannoplankton data from sediments exposed near Trachilos and belonging to the same sub-basin indicate deposition during calcareous nannofossil biozone CN9bB, between 6.023 and 6.727 Ma. By integrating the magneto- and biostratigraphic data we correlate the Trachilos section with normal polarity Chron C3An.1n, between 6.272 and 6.023 Ma. Using cyclostratigraphic data based on magnetic susceptibility, we constrain the Trachilos footprints age at ~ 6.05 Ma, roughly 0.35 Ma older than previously thought. Some uncertainty remains related to an inaccessible interval of ~ 8 m section and the possibility that the normal polarity might represent the slightly older Chron C3An.2n. Sediment accumulation rate and biostratigraphic arguments, however, stand against these points and favor a deposition during Chron C3An.1n

A Cretaceous origin for fire adaptations in the Cape flora

Fire has had a profound effect on the evolution of worldwide biotas. The Cape Floristic Region is one of the world's most species-rich regions, yet it is highly prone to recurrent fires and fire-adapted species contribute strongly to the overall flora. It is hypothesized that the current fire regimes in the Cape could be as old as 6-8 million years (My), while indirect evidence indicates that the onset of fire could have reached 18 million years ago (Ma). Here, we trace the origin of fire-dependent traits in two monocot families that are significant elements in the fire-prone Cape flora. Our analysis shows that fire-stimulated flowering originated in the Cape Haemodoraceae 81 Ma, while fire-stimulated germination arose in the African Restionaceae at least 70 Ma, implying that wildfires have been a significant force in the evolution of the Cape flora at least 60 My earlier than previous estimates. Our results provide strong evidence for the presence of fire adaptations in the Cape from the Cretaceous, leading to the extraordinary persistence of a fire-adapted flora in this biodiversity hotspot, and giving support to the hypothesis that Cretaceous fire was a global phenomenon that shaped the evolution of terrestrial floras

Testing Exponentiality Against RNBUmg f based on Laplace Transform Technique

In this paper, a new hypothesis test is constructed to test exponentiality against Renewal New Better than Used in moment- generating function RNBUmg f based on Laplace transform order and another test based on goodness of fit approach follows as a special case. Pitman Asymptotic Efficiency (PAE) are studied, the critical values of the tests are tabulated for sample sizes n = 5(5)50, and the power estimates are calculated to assess the performance of the tests. Also a test of exponentiality versus RNBUmg f for right censored data is considered. The power estimates of the tests are simulated for some commonly used distributions in reliability. Finally, sets of real data are used as examples to elucidate the use of the proposed test statistic for practical problems in case of complete and uncomplete data in the reliability analysis

Palynological, Palynofacies, Paleoenvironmental and Organic Geochemical Studies on the Upper Cretaceous Succession of the GPTSW-7 Well, North Western Desert, Egypt

The present study of the Abu Roash and Bahariya formations in well GPTSW-7 refines our understanding of the subsurface Cretaceous of the north Western Desert of Egypt. Our investigations are based on the palynological analyses of 71 cuttings samples, of which 24 have also been analyzed for geochemistry, in addition to 3 sidewall cores analyzed for vitrinite reflectance (Ro). Four palynological zones and three subzones in addition to a poorly fossiliferous interval ranging in age from Coniacian-Santonian to early Cenomanian are proposed. These include a poorly fossiliferous interval (Coniacian-Santonian), Dinogymnium vozzhennikovae Interval Zone (late to middle Turonian), Ephedripites ambiguus-Ephedripites multicostatus-Foveotricolpites giganteus-Foveotricolpites gigantoreticultus Assemblage Zone (early Turonian), Classopollis brasiliensis Interval Zone (late to middle Cenomanian), and Afropollis jardinus Interval Zone (early Cenomanian). The succeeding subzones are; Afropollis kahramanensis Interval Subzone, Elaterosporites klaszii Interval Subzone and Cretacaeiporites densimurus Interval Subzone, all of early Cenomanian age. Total organic carbon (TOC) and Rock-Eval pyrolysis and palynofacies analyses indicate that the Bahariya Formation and the Abu Roash G Member are primarily of kerogen III type and hence gas prone, suggesting a strong influence of hydrogen-enriched organic matter. The Abu Roash A, C-E Members may also be gas prone (type III kerogen) and appear to contain highly oxidized terrestrial organic matter. In contrast, the Abu Roash F Member has very high TOC and HI values and contains a very high proportion of amorphous organic matter (AOM) indicating a highly oil-prone facies. While this finding is not unexpected for anoxic black shale, it contrasts with earlier studies that suggest a gas prone nature. Ro measurements show that the Bahariya Formation represents an immature-early genesis dry gas phase. This is also true for all investigated samples from the Abu Roash and Bahariya formations, based on their low thermal alteration index (TAI). Quantitative and qualitative analyses of both the palynoflora and palynofacies show that the Abu Roash A and C Members (B is missing), both of Coniacian-Santonian age, represent oxic proximal and distal shelf environment. The Abu Roash D and E Members, dated as Turonian, represent oxic (proximal) shelf, whereas the Cenomanian Abu Roash F Member was deposited in a distal suboxic-anoxic basin. The Cenomanian Abu Roash G Member and the Bahariya Formation were deposited in a shallow marine and shallow marine to fluvio-deltaic setting, respectively. The Senonian Palmae Province is recognized in the palynoflora by the presence of Proteacidites, Auriculiidites reticulatus, Ariadnaesporites, Gabonisporis vigourouxii. On the other hand the Albian-Cenomanian Elaterates Province is characterized by the presence of Steevesipollenites, Gnetaceaepollenites, Elaterocolpites, Elaterosporites, Elateroplicites, Senegalosporites, Sofrepites, Afropollis and Cretacaeiporites