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A hybridization of two recent innovations in music theory—a focus on the progression of two triads as a unitary analytical object, and a component-wise formation of a set of equivalence classes—brings together under one conceptual and labeling system eight different approaches to the classification of harmonic progression. A holistic adoption of these eight approaches, each already preexisting within music scholarship in some partial or complete form, affords precise and gradated statements regarding the styles, associative meanings, and hermeneutics of music for recent multimedia. To that end, this article pays particular attention to progressions of like-moded triads a major third apart, as demonstrated through analyses of music for the television series Bridgerton and the movie Ex Machina.

Saul Bass and Bernard Herrmann provided the visuals and music, respectively, for the main title of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1958 movie Vertigo. These artworks correspond with one another in three ways. First, when aligning two dimensions of visual and pitch brightness, a portion of each artwork moves through this two-dimensional space using a similar path. Second, when arranging some of the tonal materials onto a certain space, these materials transform into each other using transformations similar to those that animate some of the visual designs. Third, under partial enharmonic equivalence, these pitch spaces curl into a partly-closed and partly-open shape that closely resembles manipulated visual forms whose looped closure is partially obscured. The first and third ways shed significant light on the film’s narrative, and the first way in particular parallels the film’s central dramatic form.

This video equips the viewer with a method to determine if a melody can support tonally idiomatic inverted canonic combinations, detecting not only diatonic consonances but also prohibited parallel motions. This method reveals that the subject for the third fugue from Clara Schumann’s op. 16 can form two dubious combinations at a particular time delay; she concludes her fugue with an ameliorating hybrid of these two combinations.

Dental quality measures objectively measure the efficiency and performance of dental providers and organizations. While these measures in conjunction with established benchmarks are used routinely for self-assessment, forecasting them ahead of time in a data-driven and evidence-based manner has the potential to assist in assessing future dental treatment needs, oral disease burden, care utilization patterns, and strategic decision making for sustained performance improvement complementing traditional descriptive visualization dashboards. The present study modeled the temporal trends of four key preventive dental quality measures related to caries prevention (Adult New Caries, Sealants (6-9yrs.), Sealants (12-15yrs.), Fluoride Varnish) sampled monthly from (Dec. 2010 to July 2017) averaged across ten Family Health Center Dental Centers (FQHC), Wisconsin, using auto-regressive integrated moving average time series models. Five-month ahead forecasts along with their 95% confidence levels and mean absolute percentage error were determined across the four measures (Adult New Caries: 1.8%, Sealants (6-9yrs.): 0.90%, Sealants (12-15yrs.): 0.30%, Fluoride Varnish: 0.15%). Model diagnostics revealed auto-regressive integrated moving average models to sufficiently capture the temporal patterns of these measures and the forecast estimates of Adult New Caries and Sealants (12-15yrs.) revealed the need for increased efforts for improved preventive care utilization. Forecasting preventive dental quality measures can provide insights into expected treatment needs ahead of time and can assist in optimal resource and staff allocation with potential to prescribe suitable interventions to shift the trajectory from predicted outcomes to desired outcomes in a targeted manner. While the present study investigated organization level preventive dental quality measures, the time series approach presented is as such generic and expected to translate across similar settings.

A synthetic route for the preparation of amphiphilic asymmetrical dithienylethenes that incorporate methyl groups at the 4- and 4′-positions and an aryl group at one of the reactive carbons has been developed. The presence of a bulky aryl substituent ensures a relatively large change in molecular geometry upon photoisomerization, whereas the presence of methyl groups provide enhanced photostability. Notably, a substituent effect was systematically revealed en route to the preparation of the dithienylethene precursors. In particular, this formal substitution reaction was significantly inhibited due to steric hindrance, stemming from the presence of aryl and methyl groups at the alpha positions of the preformed thienyl carbanionic carbon, and an aryl group on the monosubstituted perfluorocyclopentene derivative.

The ultrafast dynamics of unsubstituted spironaphthopyran (SNP) were investigated using femtosecond transient UV and visible absorption spectroscopy in three different solvents and by semi-classical nuclear dynamics simulations. The primary ring-opening of the pyran unit was found to occur in 300 fs yielding a non-planar intermediate in the first singlet excited state (S-1). Subsequent planarisation and relaxation to the product ground state proceed through barrier crossing on the S-1 potential energy surface (PES) and take place within 1.1 ps after excitation. Simulations show that more than 90% of the trajectories involving C-O bond elongation lead to the planar, open-ring product, while relaxation back to the S-0 of the closed-ring form is accompanied by C-N elongation. All ensuing spectral dynamics are ascribed to vibrational relaxation and thermalisation of the product with a time constant of 13 ps. The latter shows dependency on characteristics of the solvent with solvent relaxation kinetics playing a role. Funding Agencies|Max Planck Society

In this work, the facile preparation of alumina-based hybrid systems supporting soybean peroxidase (SBP) for biocatalytic applications was tested and the resulting materials were compared with a pr...

C.P.E. Bach once testified how his father, J.S. Bach, could anticipate if and how the subject of a fugue might contrapuntally combine with other lines later in the composition. This video equips the viewer with a method to do this regarding canonic combinations in particular, using stretto combinations from Clara Schumann’s fugue op. 16, no. 3.

Desirable components for dye-sensitzed solar cell ( DSC) sensitizers and fluorescent imaging dyes include strong donating building blocks coupled with well-balanced acceptor functionalities for absorption beyond the visible range. We have evaluated the effects of increasing acceptor strengths and incorporation of dye morphology controlling groups on molar absorptivity and absorption breadth with indolizine donor-based dyes. Indolizine-based D-A and D-pi-A sensitizers incorporating bis-rhodanine, tricyanofuran ( TCF), and cyanoacrylic acid functionalities were analyzed for performance in DSC devices. The TCF derivatives were also evaluated as near-infrared ( NIR)-emissive materials with the AH25 emissions extending past 1000 nm.

Three (bola)amphiphilic spirooxazines have been synthesized and their photochromism has been characterized. The large biphotochromic structure of 2 significantly affects its conformational flexibility and the rate constants for thermal ring closure are particularly dependent on the lipid phase state. Two comprehensive ion permeation studies were performed to examine the effect of spirooxazine inclusion and isomerization on membrane permeability. In all cases, the open-ring isomers of these spirooxazines are more disruptive in bilayer membranes than their closed-ring isomers. Further, the rate of ion permeation and net release are highly dependent on the lipid bilayer phase state and the relative position of the photochromic moiety in the bilayer membrane. Moreover, the difference in potassium ion permeability under UV and visible irradiation is more pronounced than previously reported photoresponsive membrane disruptors with reversible photocontrols.

A series of thienopyrazine-based donor–acceptor–donor (D–A–D) near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent compounds were synthesized through a rapid, palladium-catalyzed C–H activation route. The dyes were studied through computational analysis, electrochemical properties analysis, and characterization of their photophysical properties. Large Stokes shifts of approximately 175 nm were observed, which led to near-infrared emission. Computational evaluation shows that the origin of this large Stokes shift is a significant molecular reorganization particularly about the D–A bond. The series exhibits quantum yields of up to φ = >4%, with emission maxima ranging from 725 to 820 nm. The emission is strong in solution, in thin films, and also in isolation at the single-molecule level. Their stable emission at the single-molecule level makes these compounds good candidates for single-molecule photon sources in the near-infrared.

Surface pressure–area isotherms were recorded under different irradiation conditions for single-component Langmuir films of three photochromic amphiphilic dithienylethenes. Nonirradiated films of these photochromic amphiphiles were mechanically stable. In addition, a shift of the isotherms to larger mean molecular areas was observed for films prepared from UV-light-irradiated dithienylethenes. Unexpectedly, a significant expansion was observed for a film prepared from visible-light-irradiated dithienylethene incorporating large branched alkyl chains. Upon further study, atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy images of Langmuir–Schaefer films revealed that this pronged dialkyl derivative undergoes a photoinduced change in morphology, as circular aggregates coalesce into larger continuous aggregated structures. Nevertheless, its photoisomerization was completely reversible as single-component multilayer thin films upon direct UV or visible light irradiation.

Quantum coherence is proclaimed to promote efficient energy collection by light-harvesting complexes and prototype organic photovoltaics. However, supporting spectroscopic studies are hindered by the problem of distinguishing between the excited state and ground state origin of coherent spectral transients. Coherence amplitude maps, which systematically represent quantum beats observable in two-dimensional (2D) spectroscopy, are currently the prevalent tool for making this distinction. In this article, we present coherence amplitude maps of a molecular dimer, which have become significantly distorted as a result of the finite laser bandwidth used to record the 2D spectra. We argue that under standard spectroscopic conditions similar distortions are to be expected for compounds absorbing over a spectral range similar to, or exceeding, that of the dimer. These include virtually all photovoltaic polymers and certain photosynthetic complexes. With the distortion of coherence amplitude maps, alternative ways to identify quantum coherence are called for. Here, we use numerical simulations that reproduce the essential photophysics of the dimer to unambiguously determine the excited state origin of prominent quantum beats observed in the 2D spectral measurements. This approach is proposed as a dependable method for coherence identification.

The integration of photochromic dithienylethenes (DTEs) with lipid vesicles as photoresponsive membrane disruptors for ion transport applications has been examined. We have synthesized three amphiphilic DTEs 1-3 that incorporate a terminally charged alkyl chain, and contain methyl or phenylethynyl substituents at the reactive carbons. Our photochromic reactivity studies suggest that the inclusion of a single alkyl chain favors the photoactive antiparallel conformation of DTEs, given the significant improvement in the cyclization quantum yield over previous phenylethynyl derivatives. Our ion permeation studies show that the open-ring isomers of these DTEs are more disruptive than the closed-ring isomers in the four lipid vesicle systems studied, regardless of their lamellar phase at room temperature. In addition, a steric effect was clearly observed as DTEs incorporating the comparatively smaller methyl group exhibited lower rates of ion permeation than the bulkier phenylethynyl group. In all cases, UV irradiation led to a reduction in ion permeability. In fact, the methyl analog exhibited a significant reduction in ion permeability in gel-phase lipid vesicles upon UV exposure. Also, the hexyl chain derivatives had a greater effect on membrane permeability than the dodecyl derivative owing to their relative position in the bilayer membrane of lipid vesicles.

Musical hallucinations have been likened to the auditory equivalent of Charles Bonnet Syndrome, which involves complex visual hallucinations, most often in the context of visual impairment. Musical hallucination frequently take the form of hymns, carols, and show-tunes and are strongly associated with hearing loss, with some studies suggesting a prevalence of 2.5–3.6% in the hearing impaired. Musical hallucinations are typically treated with anticonvulsant and anticholinesterase medications, with some studies having evaluated the efficacy of sedative hypnotics, antipsychotics and antidepressants in various psychiatric and medical subpopulations suggesting a heterogeneous spectrum of causes for this disorder. We present two cases of musical hallucinations in both a 70-year-old African American female with past psychiatric history of major depressive disorder who developed hymnal auditory hallucinations during an acute medical and psychiatric admission and an 86-year-old Caucasian female, who complained of hearing gospel music with eventual onset of visual hallucinations after a fall at age 80. Our patients were successfully treated in both the inpatient and outpatient settings with atypical antipsychotics. The presented cases add to the paucity of literature regarding utilization of atypical antipsychotics for treatment of musical hallucinations and demonstrate efficacy to this effect. This study lends further validity to the use of psychopharmacologic agents for novel purposes that have yet to be fully explored.

A harmonic progression of four chords, ubiquitous in popular music from the end of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first, also occurs in many popular movies and movie trailers from the same time period. This progression has become associated with heroic characters, events, and honours in these movies, and associated with a hero-centred climax in the narratives of the movies advertised in these trailers. Intersections among music theory, network theory, and film theory offer one rationale for this association in the form of a homology, in which the musical structure of the chord progression, and the narrative structure with which the progression is associated, each centrally situates a fundamental opposition.

This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Music Theory Spectrum following peer review. The version of record is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1093/mts/mtu014

Produced water is a complex mixture of oil, water, dissolved solids, and suspended solids. It represents the largest volume of waste associated with the oil and gas industry, and its management is a costly aspect of oil recovery. Therefore, the development of effective treatment technologies for produced water is essential from both ecological and economic standpoints. We have developed a sensitive, fluorescence-based method to demonstrate the decontamination efficiency of a three-component polymeric flocculating system, the microencapsulating flocculating dispersion (MFD) technology. We have shown that the MFD technology can remove 90 ± 2% of the pyrene, a model wastewater contaminant, in a 0.4 ppm aqueous stock solution. The optimal flocculant concentrations used to remove pyrene was determined by fluorescence spectroscopy and zeta potential measurements. Under these conditions, flocculation and settling times were fast (i.e.

The observation of persistent oscillatory signals in multidimensional spectra of protein-pigment complexes has spurred a debate on the role of coherence-assisted electronic energy transfer as a key operating principle in photosynthesis. Vibronic coupling has recently been proposed as an explanation for the long lifetime of the observed spectral beatings. However, photosynthetic systems are inherently complicated, and tractable studies on simple molecular compounds are needed to fully understand the underlying physics. In this work, we present measurements and calculations on a solvated molecular homodimer with clearly resolvable oscillations in the corresponding two-dimensional spectra. Through analysis of the various contributions to the nonlinear response, we succeed in isolating the signal due to inter-exciton coherence. We find that although calculations predict a prolongation of this coherence due to vibronic coupling, the combination of dynamic disorder and vibrational relaxation leads to a coherence decay on a timescale comparable to the electronic dephasing time.

Instead of using Milton's famous opening lines, librettist Christopher Fry begins the text for Krzysztof Penderecki's operaParadise Lostwith the invocation that opens Book III, which alludes to acts of creation both biblical and literary. While the primordial effects of Penderecki's instrumental introduction to the opera parallel this allusion in easily discernible ways, his melodic lines used within this introduction also parallel this allusion in ways understood using recent theoretical perspectives on the composer's neo-Romantic style. These melodies exhibit a rare feature of paradoxicality, in that they are at once finite and infinite within stylistic constraints. This musical paradox corresponds to notions of paradox in accounts of cosmological creation, in a literary-operatic creation in which the author is character, and in the hypostatic union of the divine and human in Jesus Christ, a union foregrounded more in Fry's and Penderecki's opera than in Milton's original poem.

Richard Cohn’s Platonic model of funky rhythms can be converted into a property that closely matches the asymmetrical temporal successions that most frequently occur in recent popular English-language multimedia. In the case of quintuple and septuple meters, this property also closely matches successions that most frequently occur in other forms of popular music as well. The movies from which the evidence for this claim comes range fromThe Magnificent Sevenof 1960 toKung Fu Panda 3of 2016. Some short but close analyses of filmic scenes demonstrate this property's effectiveness as a hermeneutical tool. A related property of “near realization” recruits Christopher Hasty’s projective model to explain this stylistic bias, and connects these asymmetrical successions with another seemingly dissimilar class of syncopated rhythms favored in popular music.

A sensitizer incorporating a heavily alkylated surface blocking indolizine donor exhibits excellent light absorption and diminished recombination rates in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). DSC device efficiencies (up to 8%) using either I-/I-3(-) or Co(bpy)(3)(2+/3+) redox shuttles were obtained, which compare favourably to the known excellent surface coverage co-sensitization dye, D35.

CrystEngComm 18(38), 7212 - 7216(2016). doi:10.1039/C6CE01049K, Reversibility is an important issue that prevents ultrafast studies of chemical reactions in solid state due to product accumulation. Here we present an approach that makes use of spectrally-selected, post-excitation, ultrashort laser pulses to minimise photoproduct build-up, i.e. recover before destroy. We demonstrate that this method enabled us to probe the ultrafast dynamics of the ring opening reaction of spironaphthooxazine thin crystals by means of transient absorption spectroscopy. By extension, this approach should be amenable to other photochromic systems and use with structural probes., Published by RSC, London

Photochromic dithienylethenes that possess elements of lipid complementarity, and undergo large, photoinduced changes in molecular geometry have been prepared. Further, a regioselective approach has been developed for the preparation of dithienylethenes containing phenylethynyl and various aryl substituents at C2 and C5 of the thiophene moieties, respectively. The prepared photochromic compounds were observed to undergo reversible photoisomerization. Their absorption properties, reaction quantum yields, and photoconversions were determined in n-hexane.

The metric cube is a kind of graph of meters proposed as a complement to the types of metric spaces that have already been put forth in music-theoretic scholarship, particularly by Richard Cohn. Whereas Cohn's most recent kind of metric space (2001) can compare meters only if they interpret the same time span, metric cubes permit the comparison of meters that interpret different time spans. Furthermore, a metric cube posits a different kind of adjacency relation: while Cohn's most recent metric space connects two meters if their ordered pulse representations differ by only one pulse, a metric cube connects two meters if their ordered factor representations differ by only one factor. Metric cubes, and metric operations that act on the contents of a cube, reveal patterns of metric structure in three works by Brahms: the first movement of the Third Symphony op. 90, the third movement of the Second Symphony op. 73, and the last two movements of the Second String Quartet op. 51/2. These analyses also suggest correspondences in these movements between metric relationships and relationships of key, harmony, and form. Murphy, Scott. “Metric Cubes in Some Music of Brahms,” Journal of Music Theory 53/1 (Spring, 2009): 1-56. Publisher’s official version http://dx.doi.org/10.1215/00222909-2009-020. Open Access version: http://hdl.handle.net/1808/9937.

Larry Starr's analysis of Charles Ives's ‘The Cage’, in his bookA Union of Diversities, contrasts with most readings of the song in that he focuses on how the points of congruence between the highly dissimilar vocal and piano parts form a ‘powerful unity’. However, he provides no specific analytical method for examining this unity more closely. This study offers one such method for ‘The Cage’, revealing a path within a virtual, bounded space that correlates with some of the syntactic and semantic aspects of the song's text. These syntactic correlations also hold true in a similar passage in Ives's song ‘Majority’.

A photochromic dithienylethene, 1,2- bis (2-methyl-5-phenylthien-3-yl)perfluorocyclopentene ( 1 ), was synthesized and incorporated into the lipid bilayer of liposomes as a strategy for demonstrating the potential for complete photocontrol over the permeability of a lipid membrane. Absorption spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to characterize the photochromism and inclusion of 1 in dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) large unilamellar liposomes (LUVs), respectively. Absorption studies confirm that the photoisomerization of 1 in DPPC LUVs is completely reversible, although hindered due to the more restrictive and rigid environment posed by the lipid bilayer. DSC studies strongly suggest that 1 is partially buried in the hydrocarbon core of the bilayer, interacting primarily with the C2–C8 methylene region of the acyl chains of DPPC. Photoinduced changes in the membrane permeability of DPPC LUVs were assessed by monitoring changes in the fluorescence of an encapsulated fluorophore, 8-hydroxypyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonic acid (HPTS), upon photocycling 1 between the two photoisomers using ultraviolet and visible light. The fluorescence studies show that release of encapsulated HPTS is not observed following the irradiations. Thus, the photoisomerization of 1 does not lead to a large disruption in the local lipid order within the bilayer.

The rondo from Brahms's Piano Quartet Op. 25 projects a number of different metres which may be organised into various metric spaces modelled on those of David Lewin and Richard Cohn. Although this organisation does not yield the multiple pitch-time analogical mappings proposed by Lewin and Cohn, it may be fruitfully applied to many works of Brahms and other composers. I argue that a

Two new phenanthryl-based spirooxazines that contain elements of lipid complementarity have been synthesized. The effect of substitution on their photochromic properties and relative orientation within the lipid bilayer of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) has been examined. Absorption spectroscopy was used to determine the rate constants for thermal ring closure in LUVs, and solvents of varying polarity and viscosity. The rate constant for thermal ring closure was shown to increase with increasing solvent polarity. However, when solvent polarity was kept relatively constant, a slight decrease in this rate constant with increasing solvent viscosity was observed for a tetradodecoxy-substituted spirooxazine. Upon inclusion of these lipid-like spirooxazine analogues in LUVs, the rate constant for thermal ring closure was significantly smaller when the degree of substitution was high. As well, the relative orientation of these photochromes in the lipid bilayer was determined based on their solvatochromic properties, and also correlated to differences in substitution.

“Copyright 2007 Perspectives of New Music. Used by permission. This article first appeared in Perspectives of New Music vol 25, number 1, 2007.”

Purpose of review Platelet concentrates may be prepared from whole blood or by plateletpheresis. Currently, the non-evidence-based preponderance of apheresis units in the United States and the 50: 50 ratio in Europe may not optimize the gifts of whole-blood donors or minimize healthcare costs. Post-storage pooled, whole-blood-derived platelets, on the other hand, do not provide the convenience of or an equivalent level of safety as apheresis platelets. Recent findings Some data suggest that different methods of manufacture of whole-blood-derived platelets (platelet-rich plasma or buffy coat intermediate steps) result in differing degrees of platelet activation, which may impact on the quality of stored concentrates. Recent studies have observed superior radiolabel recovery and post-transfusion increments for platelets derived from apheresis compared with platelet-rich plasma whole-blood-derived platelets. A pre-storage pooling system for whole-blood-derived platelets has just been licensed in the USA, and may eventually combine the benefits of apheresis-derived and whole-blood-derived platelets. The advantages of the European method of manufacture of buffy coat whole-blood-derived platelet concentrate have convinced the Canadian Blood Services to abandon platelet-rich-plasma-derived concentrates. Summary We present a literature-based review of the relative merits of apheresis-derived and whole-blood-derived platelets. Additional studies are needed in order to define the optimal proportion of the platelet supply from apheresis collections and the choice of whole-blood-derived production method for US blood providers.

BACKGROUND The pH environment of stored platelet (PLT) products is recognized as an important factor and is generally used as a key surrogate measure of PLT viability. It is the only in vitro measurement that has been translated into industry standards and regulatory rules or specifications for storage of PLT products. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of in vitro pH on the in vivo recovery and survival of autologous PLT products. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS Data from individual autologous radiolabeled PLT kinetic studies were solicited from independent laboratories. PLTs stored for at least 5 days in 100 percent autologous plasma with a pH(22 degrees C) of at least 6.2 were analyzed. Data were fit to a mixed-effects regression model with fixed effects of pH(22 degrees C), time of storage, and preparation method-storage bag combination. RESULTS Eight research laboratories reported 476 individual recovery and survival results with associated pH before labeling from a variety of autologous, radiolabeled PLT kinetic studies from September 1999 to March 2005. These results are from 254 individual subjects who donated a total of 386 PLT units, with up to nine collections per subject reported. The effect of pH on either PLT recovery (p = 0.86) or survival (p = 0.55) was not significant. Time of storage and the method-bag combination both had significant effects on these outcomes (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION These data suggest that there is no relationship between in vitro pH at a pH(22 degrees C) of at least 6.2 and in vivo PLT viability as measured by radiolabeled recovery and survival of autologous PLTs.

BACKGROUND: The resting of platelet (PLT) pellets during the preparation of whole blood–derived PLT concentrates (PCs) is considered an essential step. A reevaluation of the rest period was conducted because preparation and storage conditions have been modified during the past 20 years. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A two-site in vitro study (Study 1) was conducted with rest times of 0 to 5 minutes, 1 hour, and 4 hours (n = 31-33 per rest period). Leukoreduced PCs were stored for 5 days. A second study (Study 2) measuring in vivo viability was conducted at a third site (14 paired studies). PCs were prepared from 2 units of whole blood on the same day to simultaneously compare viability following storage and radioisotopic labeling. RESULTS: In Study 1, comparable in vitro parameters and swirling were observed with the three rest periods. The mean (±1 SD) values after storage for the extent of shape change and hypotonic stress parameters were 0 to 5 minutes, 16.7 ± 7.2 and 66.0 ± 15.7%; 1 hour, 19.1 ± 6.9 and 69.3 ± 17.9%; and 4 hours, 17.6 ± 5.5 and 64.1 ± 11.3%. In Study 2, the in vivo recovery was 49.9 ± 15.3 and 50.9 ± 20.2% with 0- to 5-minute and 1-hour rest periods, respectively. The corresponding survival time was 111.2 ± 50.7 and 114.9 ± 43.8 hours. CONCLUSION: These studies indicate comparable in vitro and in vivo viability properties with 0- to 5-minute and 1-hour rest periods and at 4 hours (in vitro only).

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To determine the economic cost of sleep disorders in Australia and relate these to likely costs in similar economies. DESIGN AND SETTING: Analysis of direct and indirect costs for 2004 of sleep disorders and the fractions of other health impacts attributable to sleep disorders, using data derived from national databases (including the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and the Australian Bureau of Statistics). MEASUREMENTS: Direct health costs of sleep disorders (principally, obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia, and periodic limb movement disorder) and of associated conditions; indirect financial costs of associated work-related accidents, motor vehicle accidents, and other productivity losses; and nonfinancial costs of burden of disease. These were expressed in US dollars (dollar). RESULTS: The overall cost of sleep disorders in Australia in 2004 (population: 20.1 million) was dollar 7494 million. This comprised direct health costs of dollar 146 million for sleep disorders and dollar 313 million for associated conditions, dollar 1956 million for work-related injuries associated with sleep disorders (net of health costs), dollar 808 million for private motor vehicle accidents (net of health costs), dollar 1201 million for other productivity losses, dollar 100 million for the real costs associated with raising alternative taxation revenue, and dollar 2970 million for the net cost of suffering. CONCLUSIONS: The direct and indirect costs of sleep disorders are high. The total financial costs (independent of the cost of suffering) of dollar 4524 million represents 0.8% of Australian gross domestic product. The cost of suffering of dollar 2970 million is 1.4% of the total burden of disease in Australia.

BACKGROUND: The SPRINT trial examined efficacy and safety of photochemically treated (PCT) platelets (PLTs). PCT PLTs were equivalent to untreated (control) PLTs for prevention of bleeding. Transfused PLT dose and corrected count increments (CIs), however, were lower and transfusion intervals were shorter for PCT PLTs, resulting in more PCT than control transfusions. PLT dose was analyzed to determine the impact of the number of PLTs transfused on transfusion requirements. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Transfusion response was compared for patients with all doses of ≥3.0 × 1011 and the complementary subset of patients with any dose of fewer than 3.0 × 1011. Analyses included comparison of bleeding, number of PLT and red blood cell (RBC) transfusions, transfusion intervals, and CIs between PCT and control groups within each PLT dose subset. RESULTS: Mean PLT dose per transfusion in the PCT group was lower than in the control group (3.7 × 1011 vs. 4.0 × 1011; p