Anaphylaxis Triggers and Treatments by Grade Level and Staff Training: Findings from the EPIPEN4SCHOOLS Pilot Survey.

This pilot survey was designed to evaluate the characteristics of anaphylactic events and epinephrine autoinjector (EAI) use in children in U.S. schools.

EpiPen4Schools pilot survey: Occurrence of anaphylaxis, triggers, and epinephrine administration in a U.S. school setting.

Background: Although epinephrine is the treatment of choice for anaphylaxis, it remains underused.

Objective: This study was designed to describe anaphylactic events and epinephrine autoinjector (EAI) use in U.S.

Effects of millimeter wave irradiation and equivalent thermal heating on the activity of individual neurons in the leech ganglion.

Many of today's radiofrequency-emitting devices in telecommunication, telemedicine, transportation safety, and security/military applications use the millimeter wave (MMW) band (30-300 GHz). To evaluate the biological safety and possible applications of this radiofrequency band for neuroscience and neurology, we have investigated the physiological effects of low-intensity 60-GHz electromagnetic irradiation on individual neurons in the leech midbody ganglia. We applied incident power densities of 1, 2, and 4 mW/cm(2) to the whole ganglion for a period of 1 min while recording the action potential with a standard sharp electrode electrophysiology setup.

Thermal mechanisms of millimeter wave stimulation of excitable cells.

Interactions between millimeter waves (MMWs) and biological systems have received increasing attention due to the growing use of MMW radiation in technologies ranging from experimental medical devices to telecommunications and airport security. Studies have shown that MMW exposure alters cellular function, especially in neurons and muscles. However, the biophysical mechanisms underlying such effects are still poorly understood.

An RF-powered micro-reactor for the detection of astrobiological target molecules on planetary bodies.

We describe a sample-processing micro-reactor that utilizes 60 GHz RF radiation with approximately 730 mW of output power. The instrument design and performance characterization are described and then illustrated with modeling and experimental studies. The micro-reactor's efficiency on affecting hydrolysis of chemical bonds similar to those within large complex molecules was demonstrated: a disaccharide-sucrose-was hydrolyzed completely under micro-reactor conditions.

Modulation of neuronal activity and plasma membrane properties with low-power millimeter waves in organotypic cortical slices.

As millimeter waves (MMWs) are being increasingly used in communications and military applications, their potential effects on biological tissue has become an important issue for scientific inquiry. Specifically, several MMW effects on the whole-nerve activity were reported, but the underlying neuronal changes remain unexplored. This study used slices of cortical tissue to evaluate the MMW effects on individual pyramidal neurons under conditions mimicking their in vivo environment.

Thermal monitoring: Raman spectrometer system for remote measurement of cellular temperature on a microscopic scale.

A simple setup is demonstrated for remote temperature monitoring of water, water-based media, and cells on a microscopic scale. The technique relies on recording changes in the shape of a stretching band of the hydroxyl group in liquid water at 3,100-3,700 cm(-1). Rather than direct measurements in the near-infrared (IR), a simple Raman spectrometer setup is realized.

Low-loss terahertz ribbon waveguides.

The submillimeter wave or terahertz (THz) band (1 mm-100 microm) is one of the last unexplored frontiers in the electromagnetic spectrum. A major stumbling block hampering instrument deployment in this frequency regime is the lack of a low-loss guiding structure equivalent to the optical fiber that is so prevalent at the visible wavelengths. The presence of strong inherent vibrational absorption bands in solids and the high skin-depth losses of conductors make the traditional microstripline circuits, conventional dielectric lines, or metallic waveguides, which are common at microwave frequencies, much too lossy to be used in the THz bands.

Carbon nanotube Schottky diodes using Ti-Schottky and Pt-Ohmic contacts for high frequency applications.

We have demonstrated Schottky diodes using semiconducting single-walled nanotubes (s-SWNTs) with titanium Schottky and platinum Ohmic contacts for high-frequency applications. The diodes are fabricated using angled evaporation of dissimilar metal contacts over an s-SWNT. The devices demonstrate rectifying behavior with large reverse bias breakdown voltages of greater than -15 V.