State University of New York System

About: State University of New York System is a education organization based out in Albany, New York, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 54077 authors who have published 78070 publications receiving 2985160 citations.

A controlled trial of dexamethasone in preterm infants at high risk for bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

Abstract: We evaluated the use of dexamethasone in preterm infants to decrease morbidity associated with bronchopulmonary dysplasia in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Thirty-six preterm infants (birth weight, less than or equal to 1250 g and gestational age, less than or equal to 30 weeks) who were dependent on oxygen and mechanical ventilation at two weeks of age received a 42-day course of dexamethasone (n = 13), an 18-day course of dexamethasone (n = 12), or saline placebo (n = 11). The starting dose of dexamethasone was 0.5 mg per kilogram of body weight per day, and it was progressively lowered during the period of administration. Infants in the 42-day dexamethasone group, but not those in the 18-day group, were weaned from mechanical ventilation significantly faster than control infants (medians 29, 73, and 84 days, respectively; P less than 0.05), and from supplemental oxygen (medians 65, 190, and 136 days, respectively; P less than 0.05). No clinical complications of steroid administration were noted. Follow-up of all 23 survivors at 6 and 15 months of age showed good outcome (normal neurologic examinations and Bayley Developmental Indexes greater than or equal to 84) in 7 of the 9 infants in the 42-day dexamethasone group, but in only 2 of the 9 infants in the 18-day dexamethasone group and 2 of the 5 in the placebo group (P less than 0.05). We conclude that dexamethasone therapy for 42 days improves pulmonary and neurodevelopmental outcome in very-low-birth-weight infants at high risk for bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

Structural evolution of smaller gold nanocrystals: The truncated decahedral motif

Abstract: It is commonly expected, and often observed, that the structures (and properties) of finite-size materials aggregates (clusters) differ from those of the bulk. However, determination of specific cluster structures, identification of structural motifs, and elucidation of size-evolutionary patterns, which are central issues in cluster and nano-science, remain vexing problems [1]. Here we show that the structural size evolution in gold may be described as a sequence of transitions: (i) from specific “molecular” structures, at the extremely small size range, with equivalent cluster diameter deq # 1 nm s,40 atomsd, to (ii) ordered “noncrystallographic” (decahedral) structures (here we use this term for motifs which do not occur in bulk crystals, e.g., fivefold symmetric ones) at larger sizes, and then culminating with sizes with deq . 2 nm s,250 atomsd, in (iii) crystallites of bulk lattice structure (fcc) with specific faceted morphologies (i.e., truncated octahedra, variants thereof, and their twins). Since the first regime has been commonly discussed in the cluster literature [2] and the “convergence” to the bulk structure for large clusters (iii) was described by us in some detail elsewhere [3(a),3(b)], we focus here on the intermediate regime (ii) which is also the least “intuitive” and harder to resolve.

First observation of magnetically trapped neutral atoms.

Abstract: We report the first observation of electromagnetically trapped neutral atoms. Laser cooled and stopped sodium atoms are confined in a magnetic quadrupole trap formed by two opposed, separated, coaxial current loops. The decay time constant for atoms in the trap is 0.83(7) s and is limited mainly by collisions with background gas atoms.

Tropical Forests and the Global Carbon Cycle

Abstract: New data on the three major determinants of the carbon release from tropical forest clearing are used in a computer model that simulates land use change and its effects on the carbon content of vegetation and soil in order to calculate the net flux of carbon dioxide between tropical ecosystems and the atmosphere. The model also permits testing the sensitivity of the calculated flux to uncertainties in these data. The tropics were a net source of at least 0.4 x 1015 grams but not more than 1.6 x 1015 grams of carbon in 1980, considerably less than previous estimates. Decreases in soil organic matter were responsible for 0.1 x 1015 to 0.3 x 1015 grams of the release, while the burning and decay of cleared vegetation accounted for 0.3 x 1015 to 1.3 x 1015 grams. These estimates are lower than many previous ones because lower biomass estimates and slightly lower land clearing rates were used and because ecosystem recovery processes were included. These new estimates of the biotic release allow for the possibility of a balanced global budget given the large remaining uncertainties in the marine, terrestrial, and fossil fuel components of the carbon cycle.