University at Buffalo

About: University at Buffalo is a education organization based out in Buffalo, New York, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 33773 authors who have published 63840 publications receiving 2278954 citations. The organization is also known as: UB & State University of New York at Buffalo.

Effect of exogenous surfactant (calfactant) in pediatric acute lung injury : a randomized controlled trial

Abstract: ContextDespite evidence that patients with acute lung injury (ALI) have pulmonary surfactant dysfunction, trials of several surfactant preparations to treat adults with ALI have not been successful. Preliminary studies in children with ALI have shown that instillation of a natural lung surfactant (calfactant) containing high levels of surfactant-specific protein B may be beneficial.ObjectiveTo determine if endotracheal instillation of calfactant in infants, children, and adolescents with ALI would shorten the course of respiratory failure.Design, Setting, and PatientsA multicenter, randomized, blinded trial of calfactant compared with placebo in 153 infants, children, and adolescents with respiratory failure from ALI conducted from July 2000 to July 2003. Twenty-one tertiary care pediatric intensive care units participated. Entry criteria included age 1 week to 21 years, enrollment within 48 hours of endotracheal intubation, radiological evidence of bilateral lung disease, and an oxygenation index higher than 7. Premature infants and children with preexisting lung, cardiac, or central nervous system disease were excluded.InterventionTreatment with intratracheal instillation of 2 doses of 80 mL/m2 calfactant or an equal volume of air placebo administered 12 hours apart.Main Outcome MeasuresVentilator-free days and mortality; secondary outcome measures were hospital course, adverse events, and failure of conventional mechanical ventilation.ResultsThe calfactant group experienced an acute mean (SD) decrease in oxygenation index from 20 (12.9) to 13.9 (9.6) after 12 hours compared with the placebo group’s decrease from 20.5 (14.7) to 15.1 (9.0) (P = .01). Mortality was significantly greater in the placebo group compared with the calfactant group (27/75 vs 15/77; odds ratio, 2.32; 95% confidence interval, 1.15-4.85), although ventilator-free days were not different. More patients in the placebo group did not respond to conventional mechanical ventilation. There were no differences in long-term complications.ConclusionsCalfactant acutely improved oxygenation and significantly decreased mortality in infants, children, and adolescents with ALI although no significant decrease in the course of respiratory failure measured by duration of ventilator therapy, intensive care unit, or hospital stay was observed.

Water-Soluble Poly(acrylic acid) Grafted Luminescent Silicon Nanoparticles and Their Use as Fluorescent Biological Staining Labels

Abstract: UV-induced graft polymerization of acrylic acid (AAc) on the surface of silicon nanoparticles was used to prepare a stable aqueous luminescent silicon nanoparticle solution. By grafting a water-soluble polymer on the particle surface, the dispersions in water of the silicon nanoparticles became very stable and clear aqueous solutions could be obtained. XPS and NMR spectroscopy confirmed that PAAc was covalently grafted to the silicon nanoparticles. The grafted PAAc on silicon particles increased not only the dispersibility but also improved the photoluminescence stability of the silicon nanoparticles against degradation by water. The surface-modified nanoparticles were used as biological labels for cell imaging. The Si quantum dot labels exihibited bright fluorescence images and provided higher resistance to photobleaching than the commonly used organic dyes.

Autoimmune Murine Thyroiditis Relation to Histocompatibility (H-2) Type

Abstract: Immunization of 33 inbred strains of mice with thyroid extract emulsified in complete Freund's adjuvant showed differences in both thyroid autoantibody response and autoimmune thyroid damage, related to the histocompatibility (H-2) type of the strain. Congenic mice of the same H-2 type exhibited the same pattern of antibody response and thyroiditis, regardless of the strain's genetic background, thus showing a close relation between histocompatibility determinants and autoimmunity.