Pennsylvania Folklife Vol. 40, No. 1

• Square Notching in the Log Carpentry Tradition of Pennsylvania Extended • Letters from Home to a Wandering Farm Boy • Parre Schtories • Handcrafts in Lancaster County • Johann Conrad Dieffenbach of Tulpehocken • Aldes un Neies (Old and New)https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/pafolklifemag/1129/thumbnail.jp

Influence of Inhaled Amiloride on Lung Fluid Clearance in Response to Normobaric Hypoxia in Healthy Individuals.

AIM: To investigate the role of epithelial sodium channels (ENaC) on lung fluid clearance in response to normobaric hypoxia, 20 healthy subjects were exposed to 15 hours of hypoxia (fraction of inspired oxygen [FiO2] = 12.5%) on two randomized occasions: (1) inhaled amiloride (A) (1.5 mg/5 mL saline); and (2) inhaled saline placebo (P). Changes in lung fluid were assessed through chest computed tomography (CT) for lung tissue volume (TV), and the diffusion capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (DLCO) and nitric oxide (DLNO) for pulmonary capillary blood volume (VC). Extravascular lung water (EVLW) was derived as TV-VC and changes in the CT attenuation distribution histograms were reviewed. RESULTS: Normobaric hypoxia caused (1) a reduction in EVLW (change from baseline for A vs. P, -8.5% ± 3.8% vs. -7.9% ± 5.2%, p  0.05), and (4) CT attenuation distribution became more negative, leftward skewed, and kurtotic (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Acute normobaric hypoxia caused a reduction in lung fluid that was unaffected by ENaC inhibition through inhaled amiloride. Although possible amiloride-sensitive ENaC may not be necessary to maintain lung fluid balance in response to hypoxia, it is more probable that normobaric hypoxia promotes lung fluid clearance rather than accumulation for the majority of healthy individuals. The observed reduction in interstitial lung fluid means alveolar fluid clearance may not have been challenged

Evaluating operational AVHRR sea surface temperature data at the coastline using surfers

Sea surface temperature (SST) is an essential climate variable that can be measured routinely from Earth Observation (EO) with high temporal and spatial coverage. To evaluate its suitability for an application, it is critical to know the accuracy and precision (performance) of the EO SST data. This requires comparisons with co-located and concomitant in situ data. Owing to a relatively large network of in situ platforms there is a good understanding of the performance of EO SST data in the open ocean. However, at the coastline this performance is not well known, impeded by a lack of in situ data. Here, we used in situ SST measurements collected by a group of surfers over a three year period in the coastal waters of the UK and Ireland, to improve our understanding of the performance of EO SST data at the coastline. At two beaches near the city of Plymouth, UK, the in situ SST measurements collected by the surfers were compared with in situ SST collected from two autonomous buoys located ∼7 km and ∼33 km from the coastline, and showed good agreement, with discrepancies consistent with the spatial separation of the sites. The in situ SST measurements collected by the surfers around the coastline, and those collected offshore by the two autonomous buoys, were used to evaluate the performance of operational Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) EO SST data. Results indicate: (i) a significant reduction in the performance of AVHRR at retrieving SST at the coastline, with root mean square errors in the range of 1.0 to 2.0 °C depending on the temporal difference between match-ups, significantly higher than those at the two offshore stations (0.4 to 0.6 °C); (ii) a systematic negative bias in the AVHRR retrievals of approximately 1 °C at the coastline, not observed at the two offshore stations; and (iii) an increase in the root mean square error at the coastline when the temporal difference between match-ups exceeded three hours. Harnessing new solutions to improve in situ sampling coverage at the coastline, such as tagging surfers with sensors, can improve our understanding of the performance of EO SST data in coastal regions, helping inform users interested in EO SST products for coastal applications. Yet, validating EO SST products using in situ SST data at the coastline is challenged by difficulties reconciling the two measurements, which are provided at different spatial scales in a dynamic and complex environment

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Pyridinium cationic lipids as gene transfer agents

Pyridinium cationic lipids useful as non-viral gene delivery agents are disclosed. The agents are prepared by reaction of pyrylium salts with primary amines. Also disclosed are methods of trasfectind cells using the pyridinium cationic lipids as gene transfer agents.U

Pyridinium cationic lipids as gene transfer agents

Pyridinium cationic lipids useful as non-viral gene delivery agents are disclosed. The agents are prepared by reaction of pyrylium salts with primary amines. Also disclosed are methods of trasfectind cells using the pyridinium cationic lipids as gene transfer agents.U