Effect of allopurinol in addition to hypothermia treatment in neonates for hypoxic-ischemic brain injury on neurocognitive outcome (ALBINO): Study protocol of a blinded randomized placebo-controlled parallel group multicenter trial for superiority (phase III)

Background: Perinatal asphyxia and resulting hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy is a major cause of death and long-term disability in term born neonates. Up to 20,000 infants each year are affected by HIE in Europe and even more in regions with lower level of perinatal care. The only established therapy to improve outcome in these infants is therapeutic hypothermia. Allopurinol is a xanthine oxidase inhibitor that reduces the production of oxygen radicals as superoxide, which contributes to secondary energy failure and apoptosis in neurons and glial cells after reperfusion of hypoxic brain tissue and may further improve outcome if administered in addition to therapeutic hypothermia. Methods: This study on the effects of ALlopurinol in addition to hypothermia treatment for hypoxic-ischemic Brain Injury on Neurocognitive Outcome (ALBINO), is a European double-blinded randomized placebo-controlled parallel group multicenter trial (Phase III) to evaluate the effect of postnatal allopurinol administered in addition to standard of care (including therapeutic hypothermia if indicated) on the incidence of death and severe neurodevelopmental impairment at 24 months of age in newborns with perinatal hypoxic-ischemic insult and signs of potentially evolving encephalopathy. Allopurinol or placebo will be given in addition to therapeutic hypothermia (where indicated) to infants with a gestational age 65 36 weeks and a birth weight 65 2500 g, with severe perinatal asphyxia and potentially evolving encephalopathy. The primary endpoint of this study will be death or severe neurodevelopmental impairment versus survival without severe neurodevelopmental impairment at the age of two years. Effects on brain injury by magnetic resonance imaging and cerebral ultrasound, electric brain activity, concentrations of peroxidation products and S100B, will also be studied along with effects on heart function and pharmacokinetics of allopurinol after iv-infusion. Discussion: This trial will provide data to assess the efficacy and safety of early postnatal allopurinol in term infants with evolving hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. If proven efficacious and safe, allopurinol could become part of a neuroprotective pharmacological treatment strategy in addition to therapeutic hypothermia in children with perinatal asphyxia. Trial registration: NCT03162653, www.ClinicalTrials.gov, May 22, 2017

Techniques and crops for efficient rooftop gardens in Bologna, Italy

Urban rooftop farming favours local food production. Although rooftop farming is perceived as 33 a sustainable system, there is a lack of quantitative studies on rooftop farming. There we set up 34 experiments in the community rooftop garden of a public housing building in Bologna, Italy, 35 between 2012 and 2014. We grew lettuce, a leafy vegetable, using three techniques: nutrient 36 film, floating hydroponic and soil cultivation. We also grew tomato, chilli pepper, eggplant, 37 melon, watermelon on soils. Data was analysed by life cycle assessment for environmental and 38 economic performance. Results reveal that the best techniques of lettuce cultivation to address 39 global warming were floating in the summer, with 65-85% less environmental impact per kg 40 than nutrient film; and soil production in the winter, with 85-95% less environmental impact. 41 Furthermore, floating production was 25% cheaper in summer and soil was 65% cheaper in 42 winter, compared to the nutrient film technique. For soil production, eggplants and tomatoes 43 showed the best environmental performances of about 74 g CO2 per kg. Eggplant production in 44 soil gave in the cheapest crop of 0.13 € per kg

A STUDY OF SELECTED COMPONENTS OF INDUSTRIAL ARTS EDUCATION IN CATEGORY I, II, III, AND IV PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS OF IOWA.

Abstract not availabl

Charged-Hyperon Production by 400-GeV/c Protons

We report preliminary results from Fermilab Experiment E-497 on the x and P/sub t/ dependence of charged hyperon and anti-hyperon production by 400 GeV/c protons on a Cu target

Inter-Rater and Test-Retest Reliability of MMPI-2 Q-Set

Q methodology was first introduced by William Stephenson in 1953. It is designed to reduce the level of subjectivity in any given situation by converting qualitative descriptions into quantitative data. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) is a widely used personality assessment comprised of 567 true-false items. It was originally designed to facilitate in psychiatric diagnosis. The MMPI-2 Q-Set was designed to reflect the underlying personality traits found in the MMPI-2 (Appendix A). The MidWestem Q-Sort program, found online at http://www.uni.edu/williamsje/research/raters, sorts 100 descriptive statements into a forced quasinormal distribution. The distribution ranges from bin 1 labeled Most Descriptive to bin 7 labeled Least Descriptive . Each bin can only hold a predefined number of items which forces the rater to approximate a normal distribution with his/her final sort of items (Appendix B). This current study intended to investigate the test-retest and inter-rater reliability of the MMPI-2 Q-set in order to determine the utility of a number of descriptive terms in adequately describing the personality dimensions measured on a the MMPI-2

Kongenitale Cytomegalovirus (cCMV)-Infektionen und assoziierte Hör- und weitere Störungen erfordern ein universelles cCMV-Screening und ein Follow-up-Programm

Hintergrund: Kongenitale Infektionen mit dem humanen Cytomegalovirus (CMV) sind die führende Ursache kongenitaler Infektionen weltweit. In entwickelten Ländern sind sie der häufigste nichtgenetische Grund sensorineuraler kindlicher Hörstörungen und eine wichtige Ursache für Mikrozephalie, neurogene Entwicklungsverzögerungen, Sehstörungen und Zerebralparesen mit nachfolgenden Beeinträchtigungen der kognitiven und sozialen Entwicklung der betroffenen Kinder und ihrer Familien . Nur 10% kongenitaler CMV(cCMV)-Infektionen werden direkt nach der Geburt symptomatisch, jedoch verlaufen 50% der cCMV-verursachten Hörstörungen progredient und setzen häufig erst später ein. Prävalenzangaben für cCMV-Infections für Mitteleuropa liegen bei 0.2-0.7 pro 1.000 Neugeborene und für Entwicklungsländer bei bis zu 1-5% . Neugeborenen-Screeningprogramme für ccCMV-Infektionen sind unter Diskussion. Antivirale Therapien symptomatischer Kinder können effektiv das Risiko dauerhafter Störungen verringern. Da eine effektive präkonzeptionelle Impfung gegen CMV potenziell cCMV-Infektionen verhindern könnte und eine postkonzeptionelle Primärinfektionen in der Schwangerschaft, befinden sich einige aktive und passive Immunisierungsstrategien in klinischen Studien.Material und Methoden: In einem internationalen Projekt* erhalten 12.000 Neugeborene in Deutschland und Qatar ein CMV-Screening durch einen real-time PCR-basierten Test von Flüssigspeichelproben. Wird eine kongenitale CMV-Infektion bestätigt, wurden die Babys in ein 6-Jahres-Follow-up-Programm aufgenommen.Ergebnisse: Die bis Ende April 2016 durchgeführten CMV-Screenings von etwa 1.200 deutschen und 270 katarischen Neugeborenen ergaben kongenitale CMV-Infektionen in 3 deutschen und 2 katarischen Babys, die in ein Behandlungs- und Follow-up-Programm aufgenommen wurden.Diskussion: Die hohe Prävalenz kongenitaler CMV-Infektionen und ihre lebenslangen Folgen rufen nach einer Aktion für die Einführung eines universellen neonatalen CMV-Screening-, Follow-up-, Präventions- und Interventionsprogramms. Das vorgeschlagene Follow-up-Programm wird diskutiert.Fazit: Ein Screening auf cCMV-Infektionen erscheint sinnvoll, machbar und effektiv