Medical informatics training in pathology residency programs

An iron-mediated oxidative stress caused by an increase of the intracellular pool of low molecular weight complex of iron (LMWC) can be observed with iron overloading or ethanol metabolism. The aim of this study was to determine whether nitric oxide (NO) behaved as a pro-oxidant or an antioxidant in such an iron-mediated oxidative stress in rat hepatocytes. The cells were set up in primary cultures and incubated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and gamma-interferon (IFN) for 18 hours to induce NO synthase and to trigger NO production. Then 20 micromol/L iron or 50 mmol/L ethanol were added. Oxidative stress was evaluated by measuring lipoperoxidation using two markers: malondialdehyde (MDA) and conjugated dienes. Simultaneously, NO production was followed by the quantitation of nitrites in the culture medium, dinitrosyl iron complexes (DNICs) and mononitrosyl iron complexes (MNICs) in intact hepatocytes. DNIC and MNIC, evaluated by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), corresponded to NO bound to iron-containing molecules and to free NO, respectively. In cultures preincubated with LPS and IFN before iron or ethanol addition, a net decrease of lipid peroxidation induced by either NO, iron, or ethanol was noted. Moreover, an elevation of iron-bound NO and a decrease of free NO were observed in these cultures compared with the cultures incubated with only LPS and IFN. These data support the idea that there is a relationship between the changes of NO pool and the inhibition of oxidative stress. In addition, using N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA), a NO synthase inhibitor, NO was shown to be involved in the inhibition of oxidative stress induced by iron or ethanol. Addition of the chelator of LMWC iron, deferiprone, was followed by the inhibition of the increase of iron-bound NO and the reincrease of lipid peroxidation extent, which was as high as in cultures incubated only with LPS and IFN. Thus LMWC iron appeared to be involved also in the inhibition of oxidative stress induced by NO. All the results favor the conclusion that NO acts as an antioxidant in iron-mediated oxidative stress in rat hepatocytes. NO reacted with LMWC iron to form inactive iron complexes unable to induce oxidative stress in rat hepatocytes. Thus NO played a critical role in protecting the liver from oxidative stress.     

Effect of Oxygen Input Rates in the Decarburization of Chromium Steel

Methods for calculating the heat balance of a furnace during the oxygen blow and for estimating the concurrent change in chromium analysis have been developed. The carbon content at the end of the blow can be estimated by means of these relationships when the initial composition and temperature of the bath, the amount of oxygen injected, and the duration of the oxidizing period are known. The relationships are used to evaluate the effects of oxygen input rate, chromium content, and temperature of the bath before the blow on metallic oxidation, oxygen usage, and temperature at the end of the blow.     

The influence of temperature on the mechanical and fracture properties of a 20 vol% ceramic particulate-reinforced aluminium matrix composite

The influence of test temperature on the mechanical and fracture properties of a 20 vol% alumina particulate-reinforced 6061-aluminium matrix composite, in the peak-aged condition, was investigated in the temperature range 25–180 °C. Strength and stiffness were found to decrease but elongation to failure increased with increasing test temperature. However, the fracture toughness was relatively constant over this temperature range. The failure mechanism, the reaction zone around reinforcing particles, the number of debonded particles and void sizes were all significantly influenced by temperature. The role of the matrix/particle interface in the fracture process was also investigated.On leave at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong.     

IN SITU SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPE OBSERVATIONS OF FATIGUE IN MAGNESIA-PARTIALLY-STABILIZED ZIRCONIA

Abstract— The response of magnesia-partially-stabilized zirconia to cyclic loading was investigated using a purpose-built loading stage, designed to operate in the vacuum chamber of a scanning electron microscope. Crack tip/microstructural interactions, along with fatigue crack growth rates were studied and recorded photographically and via a video cassette recorder. For the experimental conditions examined, crack bridging, deflection and closure are discussed as possible mechanisms of fatigue crack growth resistance.     

A new clinical classification for hospital prognosis of unstable angina pectoris

Unstable angina represents a heterogeneous spectrum of clinical entities between chronic stable angina and acute myocardial infarction. To facilitate prognostication of in-hospital outcome, we prospectively tested on a priori unstable angina classification scheme based on information available at the time of acute presentation. Prospective database enrollment at the time of emergency room presentation was performed and patients were classified into 1 of the following categories: class IA, acceleration of previous exertional angina without electrocardiographic (ECG) changes; class IB, acceleration of previous exertional angina with ECG changes; class II, new-onset exertional angina; class III, new-onset rest angina; class IV, protracted rest angina with ECG changes. The study consisted of 1,387 consecutive patients with unstable angina. Baseline demographics and aggregate in-hospital major cardiac event rates were recorded (myocardial infarction, refractory angina, and death). There was a significant increasing trend in cardiac events from class I to IV (p < 0.0001). Class IA patients had the lowest aggregate event rate at 2.7% (p = 0.0005). Paired chi-square tests of adjacent categories showed no differences in event rates for class IB and II (p = 0.3). A significantly higher rate of adverse events was seen for class III patients (20.1%, p < 0.0001). Class IV patients demonstrated the highest rate of in-hospital adverse events (42.8%, p < 0.0001). We conclude that this easily deduced, universally applicable categorization of unstable angina is highly prognostic of in-hospital adverse cardiac events and hence could have potential use for triage decisions regarding hospital admission and intensity of therapy.     

The effect of infant mortality of spares on switching systemmaintenance and downtime

An exact long-term solution and a numerical approximation are presented for the impact of infant mortality of spares on switching system maintenance and downtime. The numerical approximation is used to calculate the initial transient characteristics of the number of replacements, because theoretical results are difficult to get. Results show that the impact of the higher mortality replacement rate of spares on maintenance and downtime can be significant, depending on the steady-state replacement rate of circuit packs within the system. For a hypothetical switching system, it is shown that the effect on maintenance can range from a 0.1 to 30% increase, while the effect on downtime can range from a 0.2 to 70% increase. The authors also propose a preliminary requirement for no more than a 10% increase in maintenance and downtime     

Differential regulation, by MK-801, of dopamine receptor gene expression in rat nigrostriatal and mesocorticolimbic systems

Glutamate agonists have been shown to stimulate striatal dopamine release, but less is known about dopamine-glutamate interactions at the receptor level. We treated rats with 0.3, 1.0, or 3.0 mg/kg of MK-801, an NMDA antagonist, daily for 1 week and, using in situ hybridization, measured dopamine receptor mRNA levels in cortical and subcortical structures. MK-801 caused a significant increase of D1 and D2 mRNA in the dorsal and ventral striatum, a significant decrease of D3 mRNA in the nucleus accumbens, and a significant decrease of D1 mRNA in the limbic cortex. Dopamine autoreceptor expression, reflected by D2 mRNA in the midbrain, was increased in the ventral tegmental area, but not in the substantia nigra. Thus, MK-801 appears to differentially regulate the mesocorticolimbic and nigrostriatal dopamine systems.