Psychological aspects of disasters

This article describes several topics necessary for understanding the psychological impact of disasters. Topics discussed include characteristics of disaster that impact psychological response, stages of response, factors influencing individual and collective trauma, and important aspects of psychological interventions. The author shares several conclusions about the nature of people, culture, and society based on his many years of work in disaster mental health.     

Grounding and ground fault protection of multiple generator installations on medium-voltage industrial and commercial power systems - Part 4: Conclusion and Bibliography Working Group Report

This paper discusses typical grounding practices and ground fault protection methods for medium-voltage generator stators, highlighting their merits and drawbacks. Particular attention is given to applications of multiple generators connected to a single bus. The paper also provides an overview of the generator damage mechanism during stator ground faults. Problem areas associated with each type of grounding are identified and solutions are discussed. The paper also provides a list of references on the topic. The paper is intended as a guide to aid engineers in selecting adequate grounding and ground fault protection schemes for medium-voltage industrial and commercial generators for new installations, for evaluating existing systems, and for future expansion of facilities, to minimize generator damage from stator ground faults. These topics are presented in four separate parts, Parts 1-4. Part 1 covers scope, introduction, user examples of stator ground failure, and theoretical basis for the problem. Part 2 discusses various grounding methods used in industrial applications. Part 3 describes protection methods for the various types of grounding and Part 4 provides a conclusion and bibliography of additional resource material.     

X-ray tomographic microscopy of fibre-reinforced materials

Aluminium composites containing Al₂O₃ fibres and precipitates of various intermetallic phases are investigated by high-resolution computerized microtomography. Individual fibres 15 μm in diameter and intermetallic phases forming a network with about 15 μm mesh size have been imaged. The capabilities of the method and its further development down 1 μm and less spatial resolution are discussed.     

A demonstration of pharmacokinetics and physiological modelling using a microcomputer for data capture and analysis

We describe a simple and inexpensive demonstration of mass transport and exchange using dye clearance from a hydrodynamic model. A microcomputer was used for data acquisition and storage, non-linear least squares curve fitting, compartmental analysis and parameter estimation. The system is useful for demonstrating the indicator-dilution technique for fluid volume measurement and compartmental analysis in pharmacokinetics.     

Nitric oxide mediates sexual behavior in female rats

Nitric oxide (NO), an active free radical formed during the conversion of arginine to citrulline by the enzyme NO synthase (NOS), mediates vasorelaxation, cytotoxicity, and neurotransmission. Neurons containing NOS (NOergic) are located in the hypothalamus. These NOergic neurons control the release of several hypothalamic peptides. Release of NO from these NOergic neurons stimulates pulsatile release of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) in vivo and LHRH release in vitro. LHRH not only induces LH release, which induces ovulation, but also facilitates female sexual behavior. Sexual behavior can be induced reliably in estrogen-primed ovariectomized female rats by progesterone (P). This behavior consists of proceptive behavior to attract the male and the assumption of a clear characteristic posture, lordosis, when mounted by the male. To ascertain the role of NO in the control of sexual behavior in female rats, an inhibitor of NOS, NG-monomethyl-L-arginine was microinjected into the third cerebral ventricle (3V) of conscious, ovariectomized, estrogen-primed rats with indwelling cannulae. NG-Monomethyl-L-arginine (10-1000 micrograms) prevented P-facilitated lordosis when administered intracerebroventricularly into the 3V, 20 min prior to the 3V injection of P. NG-Monomethyl-D-arginine, which does not inhibit NOS, did not inhibit lordosis under the same experimental conditions. Microinjection into the 3V of sodium nitroprusside (SNP), which spontaneously releases NO, facilitated lordosis in estrogen-primed rats in the absence of P. The facilitation of lordosis induced by either P or SNP was prevented by intracerebroventricular injection of hemoglobin, which binds NO. Lordosis facilitated by P or SNP was blocked by injection of LHRH antiserum into the 3V. The results are interpreted to mean that the P-facilitated lordosis response is mediated by LHRH release. Furthermore, since NO release from SNP also facilitates lordosis in the absence of P and this response could be blocked by LHRH antiserum, we conclude that P brings about the release of NO, which stimulates LHRH release that facilitates lordosis. Thus, the results indicate that NO induces LHRH release and that LHRH then plays a crucial role in mediation of sexual behavior in the female rats.     

Antibiotic sensitivity and proticine typing of Proteus mirabilis strains associated with rheumatoid arthritis

Urinary isolates of Proteus mirabilis, obtained from 49 RA patients and 44 healthy controls, were tested for susceptibility to antibiotics by the disc diffusion method. In addition, P. mirabilis isolates were also tested for proticine production and sensitivity (p/s) typing by the inhibition of growth of each test isolate against 13 reference strains of P. mirabilis. The P. mirabilis isolates from both RA patients and healthy controls were highly susceptible to norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin and trimethoprim, but less to minocycline. The urine of RA patients contained fewer different types of P. mirabilis strains than those isolated from healthy controls. All of the strains found in the RA patients were proticine producers (P < 0.001), mostly of proticine 3 (P < 0.005). The presence of such strains provides evidence of a sub-clinical upper urinary tract infection with P. mirabilis in some RA patients. Therapeutic intervention in RA with relevant antibiotics requires evaluation.