Characterization of Reactions to Intravenous Immunoglobulin in Neonatal Calves

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) products improve passive immunity in neonates. Unfortunately, adverse reactions can occur. This study was designed to determine if physiological changes occurring after IVIG administration were the result of rapid infusion of large molecular weight molecules, or from a more complex mechanism resulting in histamine release. The IVIG was concentrated from bovine abattoir blood and contained approximately 35 g IgG/L. A dextran (75,000 MW) solution was prepared as a high molecular weight control that was similar in osmolarity to the IVIG. Holstein bull calves (n=15) under 1 wk of age were assigned to one of three treatment groups: control calves received 500 ml of 0.9% NaCl; dextran calves received 500 ml of dextran; IgG calves received 500 ml of IVIG. Treatments were rapidly administered (less than 5 min) intravenously via jugular catheter. Heart rate, respiration rate, and blood pressure were measured prior to treatment, and at 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 90 min after start of infusion. Blood samples were obtained at the same sampling times, centrifuged, and the plasma immediately placed on ice for determination of histamine concentration using an enzyme immunoassay. Mean respiration rates were higher in calves treated with IVIG compared to calves in the other two groups at all time periods measured. Mean heart rates were lower in calves treated with IVIG compared to calves in the other groups through 45 min. Calves treated with dextran had higher mean heart rates than calves on the control treatment from 10 min through 30 min. Mean blood pressure tended to be higher in calves treated with IVIG compared to calves on the control treatment at 1 min, however, there were no differences between groups at any other time period. Mean histamine concentrations were higher in calves treated with IVIG compared to calves on the control treatment at 1 min, but were not different at any other time period. These data indicate that adverse reactions to IVIG in calves are not mediated by high molecular weight molecules or by histamine release

Inhibition of adenovirus serotype 14 infection by octadecyloxyethyl esters of (S)-[(3-hydroxy-2-phosphonomethoxy)propyl]- nucleosides in vitro.

On September 22, 2008, a physician on Prince of Wales Island, Alaska, notified the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (ADHSS) of an unusually high number of adult patients with recently diagnosed pneumonia (n = 10), including three persons who required hospitalization and one who died. ADHSS and CDC conducted an investigation to determine the cause and distribution of the outbreak, identify risk factors for hospitalization, and implement control measures. This report summarizes the results of that investigation, which found that the outbreak was caused by adenovirus 14 (Ad14), an emerging adenovirus serotype in the United States that is associated with a higher rate of severe illness compared with other adenoviruses. Among the 46 cases identified in the outbreak from September 1 through October 27, 2008, the most frequently observed characteristics included the following: male (70%), Alaska Native (61%), underlying pulmonary disease (44%), aged > or = 65 years (26%), and current smoker (48%). Patients aged > or = 65 years had a fivefold increased risk for hospitalization. The most commonly reported symptoms were cough (100%), shortness of breath (87%), and fever (74%). Of the 11 hospitalized patients, three required intensive care, and one required mechanical ventilation. One death was reported. Ad14 isolates obtained during the outbreak were identical genetically to those in recent community-acquired outbreaks in the United States which suggests the emergence of a new, and possibly more virulent Ad14 variant. Clinicians should consider Ad14 infection in the differential diagnosis for patients with community-acquired pneumonia, particularly when unexplained clusters of severe respiratory infections are detected

Calibrating Single-Ended Fiber-Optic Raman Spectra Distributed Temperature Sensing Data

Hydrologic research is a very demanding application of fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing (DTS) in terms of precision, accuracy and calibration. The physics behind the most frequently used DTS instruments are considered as they apply to four calibration methods for single-ended DTS installations. The new methods presented are more accurate than the instrument-calibrated data, achieving accuracies on the order of tenths of a degree root mean square error (RMSE) and mean bias. Effects of localized non-uniformities that violate the assumptions of single-ended calibration data are explored and quantified. Experimental design considerations such as selection of integration times or selection of the length of the reference sections are discussed, and the impacts of these considerations on calibrated temperatures are explored in two case studies

2018-2019 Dean\u27s Showcase No. 4

https://spiral.lynn.edu/conservatory_deansshowcase/1071/thumbnail.jp

Multi-stimuli-responsive Self-immolative Polymer Assemblies

Self-immolative polymers (SIPs) undergo depolymerization in response to the cleavage of stimuli-responsive end-caps from their termini. Some classes of SIPs, including polycarbamates, have depolymerization rates that depend on environmental factors such as solvent and pH. In previous work, hydrophobic SIPs have been incorporated into amphiphilic block copolymers and used to prepare nanoassemblies. However, stimuli-responsive hydrophilic blocks have not previously been incorporated. In the current work, we synthesized amphiphilic copolymers composed of a hydrophobic polycarbamate SIP block and a hydrophilic poly(2-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) block connected by a UV light-responsive linker end-cap. It was hypothesized that after assembly of the block copolymers into nanoparticles, chain collapse of the PDMAEMA above its lower critical solution temperature (LCST) might change the environment of the SIP block, thereby altering its depolymerization rate. Self-assembly of the block copolymers was performed, and the depolymerization of the resulting assemblies was studied by fluorescence spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, and NMR spectroscopy. At 20 °C, the system exhibited a selective response to the UV light. At 65 °C, above the LCST of PDMAEMA, the systems underwent more rapid depolymerization, suggesting that the increase in rate arising from the higher temperature dominated over environmental effects arising from chain collapse

Spitzer + VLTI-GRAVITY Measure the Lens Mass of a Nearby Microlensing Event

We report the lens mass and distance measurements of the nearby microlensing event TCP J05074264+2447555. We measure the microlens parallax vector ${\pi}_{\rm E}$ using Spitzer and ground-based light curves with constraints on the direction of lens-source relative proper motion derived from Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) GRAVITY observations. Combining this ${\pi}_{\rm E}$ determination with the angular Einstein radius $\theta_{\rm E}$ measured by VLTI GRAVITY observations, we find that the lens is a star with mass $M_{\rm L} = 0.495 \pm 0.063~M_{\odot}$ at a distance $D_{\rm L} = 429 \pm 21~{\rm pc}$. We find that the blended light basically all comes from the lens. The lens-source proper motion is $\mu_{\rm rel,hel} = 26.55 \pm 0.36~{\rm mas\,yr^{-1}}$, so with currently available adaptive-optics (AO) instruments, the lens and source can be resolved in 2021. This is the first microlensing event whose lens mass is unambiguously measured by interferometry + satellite parallax observations, which opens a new window for mass measurements of isolated objects such as stellar-mass black holes.Comment: 3 Figures and 6 Tables Submitted to AAS Journa

Spitzer + VLTI-GRAVITY Measure the Lens Mass of a Nearby Microlensing Event

We report the lens mass and distance measurements of the nearby microlensing event TCP J05074264+2447555 (Kojima-1). We measure the microlens parallax vector π_E using Spitzer and ground-based light curves with constraints on the direction of lens-source relative proper motion derived from Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) GRAVITY observations. Combining this π_E determination with the angular Einstein radius θ_E measured by VLTI-GRAVITY observations, we find that the lens is a star with mass M_L = 0.495±0.063 M⊙ at a distance D_L = 429 ± 21 pc. We find that the blended light basically all comes from the lens. The lens-source proper motion is Μ_(rel,hel) = 26.55±0.36 mas yr⁻¹, so with currently available adaptive-optics instruments, the lens and source can be resolved in 2021. This is the first microlensing event whose lens mass is unambiguously measured by interferometry + satellite-parallax observations, which opens a new window for mass measurements of isolated objects such as stellar-mass black holes