Ion composition of airway surface liquid of patients with cystic fibrosis as compared with normal and disease-control subjects

To test whether a major contribution of airways epithelial ion transport to lung defense reflects the regulation of airway surface liquid (ASL) ionic composition, we measured ASL composition using the filter paper technique. On nasal surfaces, the Cl- concentration (approximately 125 meq/liter) was similar to plasma, but the Na+ concentration (approximately 110 meq/liter) was below plasma, and K+ concentration (approximately 30 meq/liter) above plasma. The resting ASL osmolarity [2(Na+ + K+); 277 meq/liter] approximated isotonicity. There were no detectable differences between cystic fibrosis (CF) and normal subjects. In the lower airways, the Na+ concentrations were 80-85 meq/liter, K+ levels approximately 15 meq/liter, and Cl- concentrations 75-80 meq/liter. Measurements of Na+ activity with Na(+)-selective electrodes and osmolality with freezing point depression yielded values consistent with the monovalent cation measurements. Like the nasal surfaces, no differences in cations were detected between CF, normal, or chronic bronchitis subjects. The tracheobronchial ASL hypotonicity was hypothesized to reflect collection-induced gland secretion, a speculation consistent with observations in which induction of nasal gland secretion produced hypotonic secretions. We conclude that there are no significant differences in ASL ion concentrations between CF, normal, and chronic bronchitis subjects and, because ASL ion concentrations exceed values consistent with defensin activity, the failure of CF lung defense may reflect predominantly factors other than salt-dependent defensins.     

钢铁材料表面成分及其深度分布的射频辉光放电光谱研究

利用射频辉光放电光谱仪逐层分析的特点,对钢铁表面分析的4个特殊实例进行了研究探讨。分析了镀锌板镀层中元素的组成,在质量分数-深度谱图中计算出镀锌板镀层中脆性相(γ相)的厚度;研究了镀锡板表面氧元素的深度分布,通过对比分析正常及缺陷镀锡板的辉光谱图,确定了试样表面暗黄色斑点产生的原因为镀锡层表面不够致密;建立了一种强度积分法直接对未校正元素进行半定量分析,并应用于硅钢涂层中镁元素的计算,相对标准偏差为2.41%;探讨了用能产生高能量离子的氖气作为工作气体,用于氟等难激发元素的分析测定的可行性研究,测定一种钢     

Regulation of airway neurogenic inflammation by neutral endopeptidase

Airway neurogenic inflammation is caused by tachykinins released from peripheral nerve endings of sensory neurons within the airways, and is characterized by plasma protein extravasation, airway smooth muscle contraction and increased secretion of mucus. Tachykinins are degraded and inactivated by neutral endopeptidase (NEP), a membrane-bound metallopeptidase, which is located mainly at the surface of airway epithelial cells, but is also present in airway smooth muscle cells, submucosal gland cells and fibroblasts. The key role of NEP in limiting and regulating the neurogenic inflammation provoked by different stimuli has been demonstrated in a large series of studies published in recent years. It has also been shown that a variety of factors, which are relevant for airway diseases, including viral infections, allergen exposure, inhalation of cigarette smoke and other respiratory irritants, is able to reduce NEP activity, thus enhancing the effects of tachykinins within the airways. On the basis of these observations, the reduction of neutral endopeptidase activity may be regarded as a factor that switches neurogenic airway responses from their physiological and protective functions to a detrimental role that increases and perpetuates airway inflammation. However, further studies are needed to assess the role of neutral endopeptidase down regulation in the pathogenesis of asthma and other inflammatory airway diseases.     

Coordinated clearance of periciliary liquid and mucus from airway surfaces

Airway surface liquid is comprised of mucus and an underlying, watery periciliary liquid (PCL). In contrast to the well-described axial transport of mucus along airway surfaces via ciliary action, theoretical analyses predict that the PCL is nearly stationary. Conventional and confocal microscopy of fluorescent microspheres and photoactivated fluorescent dyes were used with well-differentiated human tracheobronchial epithelial cell cultures exhibiting spontaneous, radial mucociliary transport to study the movements of mucus and PCL. These studies showed that the entire PCL is transported at approximately the same rate as mucus, 39.2+/-4.7 and 39.8+/-4.2 micrometer/sec, respectively. Removing the mucus layer reduced PCL transport by > 80%, to 4.8+/-0.6 micrometer/sec, a value close to that predicted from theoretical analyses of the ciliary beat cycle. Hence, the rapid movement of PCL is dependent upon the transport of mucus. Mucus-dependent PCL transport was spatially uniform and exceeded the rate expected for pure frictional coupling with the overlying mucus layer; hence, ciliary mixing most likely accelerates the diffusion of momentum from mucus into the PCL. The cephalad movement of PCL along airway epithelial surfaces makes this mucus-driven transport an important component of salt and water physiology in the lung in health and disease.     

Surface segregation and surface tension of liquid mixtures

A model has been developed in which surfaces are treated as separate phases with a thickness corresponding to a monolayer. It is argued that the surface tension of liquids is a measure of the excess surface chemical potential of the surface atoms relative to the bulk atoms. Equations for the calculation of the surface composition and surface tension of liquid mixtures are developed. Using only the surface tension and molar volume data of the pure components, excellent correspondence between calculated and experimental surface tension values was obtained. The method was also tested on liquid systems showing immiscibility. The surface coverage calculated from the present model is compared with that calculated using Gibbs adsorption equation. The surface coverage of the solute species increases with increasing solute concentration. However, depending on the surface properties of the system, the excess surface coverage may pass through a maximum value and then decrease with increasing solute concentration.     

Regulation of cyclooxygenase activity in airway epithelium by endogenous nitric oxide

The role of nitric oxide (NO) in the activity of cyclooxygenase (COX) in cultured canine tracheal epithelium was studied. Tracheal epithelium spontaneously released prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), which is a product of COX. The release of PGE2 was increased by bradykinin and was decreased by two NO synthase inhibitors: NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester and NG-monomethyl-L-arginine. That decrease was reversed in the presence of L-arginine. Chrolpromadin, but not aminoguanidine, inhibited PGE2 production, which suggests that constitutive NO synthase is involved. Two stable NO donors, sodium nitroprusside and S-nitroso-N-acetyl DL-penicillamine, also increased the production of PGE2. These effects were abolished by coincubation with hemoglobin, which binds and inactivates NO, but not by methylene blue, an inhibitor of soluble guanylate cyclase. NADPH diaphorase histochemistry of cultured tracheal cells revealed activity in the periphery of the cytoplasm. These results suggest that, in cultured canine tracheal epithelium, NO directly interacts with COX to regulate PGE2 production.     

Regulation and determination of the phase composition of tungsten hard metals

Conclusions The two-frequency magnetic method can be employed for detecting the presence of additional phases (free carbon and the ₁-phase) in tungsten hard metals. The degree of carburization of tungsten hard metals and hence the presence and amount of free carbon and the ₁-phase can be regulated with sufficient accuracy for practical purposes by adding graphite or tungsten powder to electrocorundum packing material and varying the rate of hydrogen flow. Control over this process may be exercised by the magnetic method. The carbon content of tungsten hard metals grows when the concentration of graphite in packing material is raised, the concentration of tungsten in packing material is lowered, and the rate of hydrogen flow is decreased. The hard metals can thus change in structure from three-phase WC + Co + ₁ to two-phase WC + Co and then to three-phase WC + Co + C alloys.Translated from Poroshkovaya Metallurgiya, No. 4(220), pp. 46–50, April, 1981.     

The surface tension of liquid nickel-silicon alloys

Summary A study was made of the effect of composition on the surface tension of nickel-silicon alloys with up to 50 at.% Si. An inflection was observed on the isotherm at 28 at.% Si. The unusual shape of the surface tension versus composition curve is ascribed to a microheterogeneous structure of the melt and the presence in the latter of short-range order.     

化学成分对铁酸盐烧结液相流动性的影响

铁酸盐液相是高碱度烧结矿固结的基础,适宜的流动性有利于烧结液相有效黏结和保证料层透气性。为了明晰化学成分对其液相流动性的影响,采用微型烧结法研究了Fe2O3与CaO的摩尔比为1.0、1.5和2.0时铁酸盐的液相流动特征,以及SiO2对这3类铁酸盐液相流动性的影响规律,在此基础上,探讨了促使高流动性铁酸盐生成条件下烧结原料中黏附粉化学成分的选取原则。结果表明,铁酸盐液相流动性随其中CaO量的增加而升高;随着SiO2含量的增加,摩尔比为1.0的铁酸盐液相流动性呈现先增加后降低的趋势,且在高硅低碱度下仍具有较高的流动性;摩尔比为1.5的铁酸盐液相流动性变化规律与高钙铁酸盐相似,但SiO2的质量分数大于5.5%、二元碱度低于3.26时,液相流动性则降低;摩尔比为2.0的铁酸盐液相流动性随SiO2含量的增加呈单调降低趋势。     

电磁搅拌作用下水口深度对液面波动的影响

 结晶器内液面波动会影响连铸坯的质量,施加电磁搅拌使钢液的液面呈旋转抛物面。电磁搅拌电流过大或拉速过高会造成保护渣卷渣现象,对铸坯质量造成不利的影响。以某钢厂[?]250 mm连铸圆坯结晶器电磁搅拌为研究对象,采用电磁-流体单相耦合的方式及流体体积函数VOF模型,建立描述结晶器电磁搅拌作用下液面波动的数学模型,研究电磁搅拌作用下浸入式水口深度对液面波动的影响。研究表明,通过增大水口深度,能够改善因电磁搅拌强度过大或拉速过大造成的卷渣现象,减小水口附近的液面波动。     

The density and surface tension of dilute liquid Na-In alloys and comparison with liquid Na-Cd alloys

The density and surface tension of five liquid Na-ln alloys, containing between 0.5 and 7 at. pct In, have been measured in the temperature range 170° to 400°C using a maximum bubble pressure technique which incorporates an automatic pressure measuring and recording device. The results are compared with corresponding data reported previously for Na-Cd alloys. The gram-atomic volumes of the Na-ln alloys, calculated from the densities, indicate a substantial contraction on alloying which is, on average, about double that for the Na-Cd alloys and qualitatively consistent with thermodynamic data for the two systems. The surface tension of liquid sodium is increased slightly on adding indium, indicating a lower indium concentration in the surface than in the bulk, in contrast to the marked surface active behavior of cadmium. The surface excess concentrations of indium and cadmium are calculated using Gibbs’ adsorption equation. The surface excess entropy, estimated from the temperature dependence of the surface tension, is compared and briefly discussed for the two systems.     

M50NiL钢磨削表面完整性特征及变质层厚度表征方法

通过透射电子显微镜确定了M50NiL钢渗碳后磨削表面变质层厚度,同时利用扫描电子显微镜、原子力显微镜、显微维氏硬度计、X射线残余应力测定仪等设备表征了M50NiL钢磨削表面完整性特征.结果表明:磨削在渗碳硬化层表面构建了一个表面变质层,该变质层组织的基本特征是晶粒细化和变形,在选区电子衍射图上显示为拉长模糊的多晶环;变质层厚度约0.5μm,残余压应力和硬度略有升高,表面应力集中系数较低.