ANP and bradycardic reflexes in hypertensive rats: influence of cardiac hypertrophy

OBJECTIVES: Beta2-integrin (CD11b/CD18) expression, an indicator of neutrophil activation, has been associated with the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome. Leumedins act directly on leukocytes to inhibit the up-regulated expression of beta2-integrins involved in leukocyte adhesion. We examined the effect of such a new anti-inflammatory agent, NPC 15669 (N-[9H-(2,7-dimethylfluorenyl-9-methoxy)-carbonyl]-L-leucine), on neutrophil-mediated acute lung injury in an animal model. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, blinded, controlled animal study. SETTING: An animal laboratory in a university setting. SUBJECTS: Adult New Zealand rabbits. INTERVENTIONS: After repeated lung lavages with normal saline to induce acute lung injury, anesthetized rabbits were randomly assigned to one of two groups (n = 6 per group): a) treatment group (pretreated with NPC 15669 [10 mg/kg i.v. bolus] 30 mins before lavage, followed by a continuous infusion [5 mg/kg/hr] for the duration [4 hrs] of the experiment); or b) control group (pretreatment and continuous infusion with placebo). All animals were mechanically ventilated with identical pressure settings over 4 hrs and were killed at the end of the experiment. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: PaO2, PaCO2, and tidal volumes were repeatedly measured and airway pressure settings were noted every 30 mins. At the end of the experiment, lungs were taken out for measurements of the myeloperoxidase content, for conventional histology (hematoxylin and eosin staining), and for intracellular adhesion molecule-1 immunohistostaining. Pretreatment with NPC 15669 profoundly improved oxygenation from a PaO2 of 52 +/- 5 torr (6.9 +/- 0.7 kPa) to 250 +/- 161 torr (33.3 +/- 21.5 kPa) within 60 mins after lung lavage (p < .05). Oxygenation continued to improve throughout the study, reaching a maximal PaO2 value of 395 +/- 98 torr (52.7 +/- 13.1 kPa) at 4 hrs. In the control group, oxygenation remained poor throughout the observation period. PaO2 values differed significantly (51 +/- 20 torr [6.8 +/- 2.7 kPa] vs. 306 +/- 126 torr [40.8 +/- 16.8 kPa], p < .005) at 90 mins and at all subsequent measurements from those values in the NPC 15669 group. Dynamic lung compliance improved significantly 60 to 90 mins after repeated lung lavage. Histology demonstrated markedly less lung damage (hyaline membrane formation and leukocyte infiltration) in treated animals (p < .05) than in controls. CONCLUSIONS: NPC 15669 seems to block inflammatory reactions by inhibiting the sequestration of neutrophils in acute, ventilator-associated lung injury. As a result, gas exchange and total lung compliance improve. Application of this and similar compounds affecting neutrophil adhesion warrants further investigation as a treatment modality for acute lung injury.     

Supporting reflection and dialogue in a community of machine setters: Lessons learned from design and use of a hypermedia type training material

The debate about experience-based or tacit knowledge has focused much attention on the limits to formalisation of work process knowledge. A main line of argument has been that, for example, industrial work even with highly advanced technical equipment can only be performed adequately when the worker through experience on the job has gained a feel for the functioning of the machinery and the properties and behaviour of the materials. In this debate links tend to be created between on the one hand formalised-abstracted-verbal knowledge as opposed to on the other hand informalised-concrete-tacit knowledge. We have worked for some years with the design of training materials which at its core have video documentation of best practice as we have found it at work. In this paper we will present and discuss experience with design and use of a hypermedia type training material, SPRING to be used by new machine setters in the spring industry. Based on our own experience we will argue for the relevance of this type of training materials as a means of supporting reflection and dialogue in the community of practitioners.     

Surface spectroscopic studies of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and modified PMMA surfaces

Multitechnique surface characterization of plasma and chemically modified poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is reported using Low Energy Ion Scattering Spectrometry (LEIS or ISS) and angular-dependent X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS or ESCA). A complete picture of the depth, extent, and mechanism of modifications developed. ISS yields results, which especially complement ESCA because of the sensitivity to functional group arrangement due to shadowing and shielding of atoms in the topmost layer.     

Determination of Solubility Parmeter Values for Pure Solvents and Binary Mixtures

The estimation of the solubility parameter (δ) values for pure liquids and binary mixtures of pharmaceutical interest are considered. It is. initially assused that a previously reported relationship between solubility parameter and dielectric constant for pure polar solvents can be extended to liquid mixtures. If this expression is operative for pure liquids and binary blends, there remains a need to correlate derived values from an independent theoretical or experimental approach. Thus, it is submitted that the molal boiling point elevation as a colligative property might be useful in this regard. It is seen that a good correlation exists for the estimation of solubility parameters from both methods. Several simplifying and limiting aseumptions are made for the second method and arc considered.     

The relevance of behavioral criteria developed from the critical incident technique.

Behavioral criteria were examined for reliability and relevance. The performance of 300 pulpwood producers (of whom 150 were used for cross-validation purposes) on 8 behavioral categories was observed by foresters and dealers. The intercorrelations among the category scores were relatively low, indicating that the criteria were moderately resistant to the halo error. The relevance of the criteria to cost related measures was empirically demonstrated using multiple regression techniques. (French summary) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Analytical and numerical procedures in the application of many-body green's function methods to electron-atom scattering problems

The analytical and numerical procedures used in calculation of e^?-He elastic scattering phase shifts in the Generalized Random Phase Approximation (GRPA) and e^?-He inelastic cross sections in the Random Phase Approximation (RPA) are presented. The pertinent equations are first written in general form and analyzed into spin and angular momentum variables. In both elastic and inelastic work the transition density matrix was represented on a basis. Finite basis sets were also used to construct the static-exchange and polarization parts of the optical potential. The elastic scattering phase shifts were then evaluated numerically. In the inelastic work all calculations were done numerically. As an illustration of the usefulness of these methods, some typical results and computational times are given.     

Contingent time off to increase verbal behavior: A case report.

Describes the case of a withdrawn adolescent male outpatient at a mental health clinic who was instructed to record his own verbal behavior. Consequences were implemented to increase the frequency of verbal responses. S "earned" his way out of the clinic by increasing his verbal behavior to an established criterion performance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Problems in the design of power transformers

The power loss of transformer cores can still be considerably reduced by improved joint design based on new knowledge of the localized flux distribution, both in the corners and in the limbs. Rotational flux has been measured in the T-joints of experimental cores, and it has been found to cause localized high loss regions dependent on the joint design. Circulating harmonic fluxes have been found in individual laminations in the limbs of three-phase cores. The path of the harmonics is independent of joint design although their magnitudes are dependent. Circulating 3rd harmonics as large as 0.3 T have been found in a core magnetized sinusoidally at 1.6 T. These cause additional losses calculated to be 20% of the nominal core loss, and great savings would be possible if the circulating harmonics could be reduced or eliminated.     

Differentiation of organics from schizophrenics at two chronicity levels by use of the Reitan-Halstead Organic Test Battery.

Attempted to determine whether the Reitan-Halstead Organic Test Battery separates neuropsychiatric hospital organics from schizophrenics. It was administered to 25 schizophrenics and 25 cerebral-lesion organics at each of 2 chronicity levels. Only 1 of the 24 diagnosis/diagnosis * chronicity effects used to evaluate the data was significant at the .05 level, indicating that actuarial application of Reitan-Halstead scores is of no practical value in the separation of the 2 groups. To determine whether expert clinicians might improve upon the actuarial results, protocols of 24 schizophrenics and 24 organics were sent to 8 Reitan-Halstead experts who were instructed to separate them into brain-damaged and schizophrenic diagnostic groups. The mean number of correct classifications, 25.5 out of 48 suggested that clinical judgment added nothing to actuarial prediction in this case. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An Overview of Progress in the Design And Implementation of Landsat-D Systems

Landsat-D will be launched in late 1981 or early 1982 into a Sun-synchronous orbit near 700 km. Landsat-D systems and the principal observing instrument, the Thematic Mapper, are being designed and implemented to provide a significantly improved Earth-resources monitoring capability. The Thematic Mapper will have seven spectral bands (0.45-0.52, 0.52-0.60, 0.63-0.69, 0.76-0.90, 1.55-1.75, 2.08-2.35, and 10.5-12.5 ?m), with an instantaneous field of view at nadir of 30 m except for the thermal band (120 m). The data from the Thematic Mapper and other Landsat-D flight segment systems will be relayed to the Landsat-D ground data processing system using a direct readout capability or the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System and communications satellites. The ground systems will process the data as it arrives at rates up to 100 Mbit/s and a total volume of 2.6 × 1011 bit/day into standard digital and photographic products within 48 hours of data acquisition. This includes 200 Multispectral Scanner Subsystem and 100 Thematic Mapper scenes per day. The Thematic Mapper increased spatial, spectral, and radiometric resolution should be of primary benefit in agricultural and vegetation surveys, but substantial improvements in resource and land cover observations for geology, land use, and water resources applications are also to be anticipated.