Experimental and theoretical studies on a distributed temperaturesensor based on Brillouin scattering

Results are reported from recent research on the use of the Brillouin gain/loss mechanism for distributed sensing. A theoretical model of the interaction of the pulsed and CW beams is described and compared with experiments. Results from a system with a 51 km sensing length are presented. We finally investigate issues related to the variation within the sensing fiber of the polarizations of the two beams     

Molecular studies on kinin receptors

We describe the results of functional studies on DNA clones encoding functional bradykinin receptors derived from human, rat, and mouse sources and including both genomic and complementary DNA clones. In both the Xenopus oocyte and the COS cell expression systems, the receptors from human and rat showed the pharmacological properties of B2 receptors, but receptors from mouse displayed both B1- and B2-like pharmacological properties. We further investigated the molecular relationship between the B1 and B2 receptor subtypes expressed by a human fibroblast cell line, and we demonstrate that these two receptor subtypes are encoded by distinct mRNA species.     

Treatment algorithm use to optimize management of symptomatic patients with a history of mania

BACKGROUND: While monotherapy has significant limitations in bipolar disorder, few published data addressing alternatives exist. Treatment algorithms have been proposed, but none have undergone empirical evaluation. This study provides a systematic prospective, open evaluation of the effectiveness and tolerability of a treatment algorithm for patients with histories of mania. METHOD: Twenty-eight symptomatic outpatients from a public mental health facility who were diagnosed as having either bipolar I or schizoaffective illness, bipolar type, entered the study. Minimum blood levels of lithium and divalproex sodium were defined. Medications were pushed to predetermined levels (as tolerated) before proceeding to the next algorithm step. Clinical symptoms were assessed monthly using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS, 27 item) and Clinical Global Impressions scale. RESULTS: Pretreatment and posttreatment clinical symptoms were compared. Over 50% of patients attained 30% improvement from baseline BPRS after 4 months. Thirty-six percent of patients (N = 10) became mood stable, 46% (N = 13) remained mood unstable, and 18% (N = 5) dropped out before completing the algorithm. Although patients who finished the algorithm were taking more medication, either dosage and/or drugs, somatic complaints did not increase. CONCLUSION: The potential benefit of a defined treatment algorithm was demonstrated for these complex and persistently ill patients. Despite long treatment histories, patients improved with more frequent visits and addition of medication(s). A randomized controlled trial comparing a similar treatment algorithm with treatment-as-usual is warranted.     

Effects of proinflammatory cytokines and bacterial toxins on neutrophil rheologic properties

OBJECTIVE: To examine the changes in neutrophil deformability, aggregation, and adherence in response to stimulation with proinflammatory cytokines and bacterial toxins. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized trial. SETTING: Research laboratory. SUBJECTS: Neutrophils isolated from healthy volunteers. INTERVENTIONS: Neutrophils were exposed to tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-8, their combination, endotoxin (LPS), lipoteichoic acid (LTA), and staphyloccocal enterotoxin B (SEB). Neutrophil deformability was measured as percent neutrophils filtered through 5-microm diameter filters. Aggregation was measured using a platelet aggregometer. Adherence was determined by examining the binding of neutrophils to albumin-coated latex beads. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Exposure to TNF-alpha and IL-1beta led to significant decreases in neutrophil filterability, which was attenuated by cytochalasin D pretreatment. LPS and LTA also decreased deformability, suggesting that these toxins directly stimulated neutrophils independent of cytokines. IL-8 and SEB did not significantly affect neutrophil deformability. TNF-alpha and LPS were associated with significant neutrophil aggregation, which was inhibited by pretreatment with anti-CD18 antibodies. Neutrophil aggregation was not affected by IL-1beta, LTA, or SEB. TNF-alpha, IL-8, and LPS increased neutrophil adherence, which also was attenuated by pretreatment with anti-CD18 antibodies. IL-1beta, LTA, and SEB did not significantly affect neutrophil adherence. CONCLUSIONS: Cytokines and bacterial toxins differ in their effects on neutrophil deformability, aggregation, and adherence. Of the cytokines examined, TNF-alpha appears to have the greatest direct effects on neutrophil rheology. Similarly, endotoxin appears to have greater direct effects on neutrophil rheology than the Gram-positive bacterial toxins, LTA, and staphylococcal enterotoxins.     

Smokeless tobacco use in an outpatient veteran population

Smokeless tobacco use is a significant health risk for carcinoma of the oropharynx, and has a high prevalence in the southern United States. To evaluate the potential demand for a smokeless tobacco cessation program, we surveyed patients attending the General Medicine Clinic of a Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The prevalence of smokeless tobacco use was 5.8%, which did not justify creation of a clinic-based cessation program. Since we observed adults using smokeless tobacco as a means to reduce or stop their smoking, smoking cessation programs should include counseling against smokeless tobacco use.     

Virtual planning in patients with frontal lobe lesions

The VIrtual Planning Test (VIP) was developed to investigate the planning and organisational abilities of 25 patients with frontal lobe neurosurgical lesions, comparing their performance with 25 matched control subjects. The task, presented in the form of a board game, simulates planning and execution of a set of target activities that have to take place over a four day period, involving those that are either preparatory for a fictional "trip" abroad, or those that relate to the subject's current environment (context). The frontal lobe patients were impaired overall, tending to select inappropriate activities associated with their current context and showing greater impairment on subtasks requiring only one, rather than two, preparatory acts. The findings are discussed in terms of the validity of the VIP test in identifying executive functioning impairment and the degree to which the pattern of deficits are consistent with neuropsychological models of executive function.     

Recasting Florida's insanity defense. Two modest proposals

Three states have established psychiatric security review boards mandated to primarily provide protection from the potentially destructive behavior of insanity acquitees. Each year in Florida there are 100 of these patients; 5% have been involved in capital offenses. These boards, as compared with the extant judiciary system, are more effective and parsimonious and serve the end of primary prevention. It is recommended that the plea, "not guilty by reason of insanity," be changed to "guilty but insane." The change is largely semantic but should result in greater prosecutorial and public acceptance of the insanity plea and be more in keeping with individual freedom for patients as provided under the Constitution.     

Heat rejection limits of air cooled plane fin heat sinks for computer cooling

Current desktop computers typically use fan-heat sinks for cooling the CPU, referred to as active heat sinks. This work seeks to determine the heat rejection limits for such fan-heat sinks, within specific fan and heat sink space limits. A fixed volume, 80 /spl times/ 60 /spl times/ 50 mm is chosen as the limiting dimensions, which includes the fan volume. The present work addresses plane fin heat sinks, on which a typical 60 mm fan is mounted. Both duct flow and impinging flow are considered. Analytically based models are used to predict the optimum geometry (minimum convection resistance) for plane fins with duct and impinging flow configurations. Also assessed are the effects of increased fan speed (up to 25%) and heat sink base size (33% increase) on air-cooling limits in duct and impinging flow. Tests on fan-heat sinks are done to validate the predictions. Optimization is also done for an enhanced (offset-strip) fin geometry in duct flow. The plane fin is found to outperform the enhanced geometry.