Pharmacological treatments in ARDS; a state-of-the-art update

Despite its high incidence and devastating outcomes, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has no specific treatment, with effective therapy currently limited to minimizing potentially harmful ventilation and avoiding a positive fluid balance. Many pharmacological therapies have been investigated with limited success to date. In this review article we provide a state-of-the-art update on recent and ongoing trials, as well as reviewing promising future pharmacological therapies in ARDS.

Selection and Treatment of Data for Radiocarbon Calibration: An Update to the International Calibration (IntCal) Criteria

High-quality data from appropriate archives are needed for the continuing improvement of radiocarbon calibration curves. We discuss here the basic assumptions behind 14C dating that necessitate calibration and the relative strengths and weaknesses of archives from which calibration data are obtained. We also highlight the procedures, problems and uncertainties involved in determining atmospheric and surface ocean 14C/12C in these archives, including a discussion of the various methods used to derive an independent absolute timescale and uncertainty. The types of data required for the current IntCal database and calibration curve model are tabulated with examples.

Development of the First Disease Activity Index for Eosinophilic Esophagitis: Update on the EEsAI in 2011

Background a nd Aims: T he international E EsAI study g roupis currently developing the first activity index (EEsAI) specificfor Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE). Goal: To develop, evaluateand validate the EEsAI.Methods: T he d evelopment comprises three phases: 1.Selection of candidate items; 2. Evaluation of the activity indexin a f irst patient cohort; and 3. V alidation in a s econd EoEpatient cohort. Focus group interviews with patients were usedin p hase 1 to generate p atient r eported outcomes ( PRO)according to guidelines o f regulatory authorities ( FDA andEMA), whereas the section of biologic items was developed byDelphi r ounds of i nternational E oE experts from E urope andNorth America.Results: The EEsAI has a modular composition to assess thefollowing components o f EoE activity: p atient reportedoutcomes, endoscopic activity, histologic activity, laboratoryactivity, a nd quality of life. D efinitions f or all aspects o fendoscopic and histologic appearance were established byconsensus rounds among EoE experts. Symptom assessmenttools were created that take into account d ifferent foodconsistencies as w ell as f ood avoidance and specificprocessing strategies. T he EEsAI is evaluated in a c ohort ofadult EoE patients since March 2011.Conclusions: After successful validation, the EEsAI will allowto standardize outcome assessment in E oE t rials which w illlikely lead to its wide applicability.

Solar change and climate: an update in the light of the current exceptional solar minimum

Solar outputs during the current solar minimum are setting record low values for the space age. Evidence is here reviewed that this is part of a decline in solar activity from a grand solar maximum and that the Sun has returned to a state that last prevailed in 1924. Recent research into what this means, and does not mean, for climate change is reviewed.

Update on the correlation of the highest energy cosmic rays with nearby extragalactic matter

Data collected by the Pierre Auger Observatory through 31 August 2007 showed evidence for anisotropy in the arrival directions of cosmic rays above the Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuz`min energy threshold, 6 x 10(19) eV. The anisotropy was measured by the fraction of arrival directions that are less than 3.1 degrees from the position of an active galactic nucleus within 75 Mpc (using the Veron-Cetty and Veron 12th catalog). An updated measurement of this fraction is reported here using the arrival directions of cosmic rays recorded above the same energy threshold through 31 December 2009. The number of arrival directions has increased from 27 to 69, allowing a more precise measurement. The correlating fraction is (38(-6)(+7))%, compared with 21% expected for isotropic cosmic rays. This is down from the early estimate of (69-(+11)(13))%. The enlarged set of arrival directions is examined also in relation to other populations of nearby extragalactic objects: galaxies in the 2 Microns All Sky Survey and active galactic nuclei detected in hard X-rays by the Swift Burst Alert Telescope. A celestial region around the position of the radiogalaxy Cen A has the largest excess of arrival directions relative to isotropic expectations. The 2-point autocorrelation function is shown for the enlarged set of arrival directions and compared to the isotropic expectation. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rhamnolipid surfactants: An update on the general aspects of these remarkable biomolecules

Pseudomonas strains are able to biosynthesize rhamnose-containing surfactants also known as rhamnolipids. These surface-active compounds are reviewed with respect to chemical structure, properties, biosynthesis, and physiological role, focusing on their production and the use of low-cost substrates such as wastes from food industries as alternative carbon sources. The use of inexpensive raw materials such as agroindustrial wastes is an attractive strategy to reduce the production costs associated with biosurfactant production and, at same time, contribute to the reduction of environmental impact generated by the discard of residues, and the treatment costs. Carbohydrate-rich substrates generated low rhamnolipid levels, whereas oils and lipid-rich wastes have shown excellent potential as alternative carbon sources.

Review and update on the biology of coptotermes havilandi (Isoptera, Rhinotermitidae)

The introduction of Coptotermes havilandi in Brazil and some aspects of its biology are reviewed. We also describe an aerial principal nest collected from the 15th floor of a high-rise building and its subsidiary nest collected from the 14th floor of the same building. The population of the principal nest consisted of one imaginal physogastric queen, one imaginal king, 20 nymphoid neotenics (14 females and 6 males), 188 nymphs, many workers, presoldiers, soldiers and larvae. The population of the subsidiary nest consisted of 32 nymphoid neotenics (all females), alates, 2 preneotenics, some larvae and nymphs, many workers, presoldiers and soldiers. These neotenics were larger than those found in the principal nest. No eggs were found in either nest. A morphometric analysis of the nymphs and nymphoids was carried out and the morphology of the neotenics and of the imaginai reproductives is described.

Update on the status of hadronic squeezed correlations at RHIC energies

In high energy heavy ion collisions a hot and dense medium is formed, where the hadronic masses may be shifted from their asymptotic values. If this mass modification occurs, squeezed back-to-back correlations (BBC) of particle-antiparticle pairs are predicted to appear, both in the femionic (fBBC) and in the bosonic (bBBC) sectors. Although they have unlimited intensity even for finite-size expanding systems, these hadronic squeezed correlations are very sensitive to their time emission distribution. Here we discuss results in case this time emission is parameterized by a Lévy-type distribution, showing that it reduces the signal even more dramatically than a Lorentzian distribution, which already reduces the intensity of the effect by orders of magnitude, as compared to the sudden emission. However, we show that the signal could still survive if the duration of the process is short, and if the effect is searched for lighter mesons, such as kaons. We compare some of our results to recent PHENIX preliminary data on squeezed correlations of K +K - pairs. © 2011 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.

Reestructuración y revitalización de las Naciones Unidas en las esferas económica y social: información actualizada sobre sus consecuencias para la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe = Restructuring and revitalization of the United Nations in the economic and social fields: an update on its impact on the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean = Restructuration et revitalisation de l'Organisation des Nations Unies dans les domaines économique et social: information actualisée sur les repercussions pour la CEPALC

Incluye Bibliografía

An update on the development of Canada's market basket measure

Includes bibliography

An update on the pharmacogenetics of treating hypertension

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Update on the status of the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph onboard the Hubble Space Telescope

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) has been on orbit for approximately 16 years as one of the 2nd generation instruments on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Its operations were interrupted by an electronics failure in 2004, but STIS was successfully repaired in May 2009 during Service Mission 4 (SM4) allowing it to resume science observations. The Instrument team continues to monitor its performance and work towards improving the quality of its products. Here we present updated information on the status of the FUV and NUV MAMA and the CCD detectors onboard STIS and describe recent changes to the STIS calibration pipeline. We also discuss the status of efforts to apply a pixel-based correction for charge transfer inefficiency (CTI) effects to STIS CCD data. These techniques show promise for ameliorating the effects of ongoing radiation damage on the quality of STIS CCD data.