Metalloorganic solution deposition of ferroelectric PZT films

The metallo-organic solution deposition (MOSD or sol-gel) technique can be used for preparing lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramics with a wide range of compositions and crystal structures for electrooptical applications. Film morphology is affected by the stoichiometry of the film, hydrolysis and polymerization of the sol-gel solution, and thermal treatment of the deposited material. The lattice parameter decreases with the amount of titanium in the PZT, in agreement with ceramic data. A slight initial excess of lead in the coating solution is found to improve film morphology. Unlike traditional powder ceramic processing techniques, MOSD permits the growth of small uniform grains that are conducive to achieving consistent electronic and optical properties. Results show that the properties of films prepared by the MOSD process can be tailored to meet the needs of device applications.     

Packing products for customers: an ergonomics evaluation of three supermarket checkouts

The introduction of laser scanners at supermarket checkout areas has resulted in previous ergonomics studies focusing specifically on the scanning process and associated cumulative trauma disorders in the hands and arms. Few studies have evaluated the increased musculoskeletal load and exertion of checkout staff when they are also expected to pack the products into bags for the customers. This paper describes an ergonomics evaluation of three different designs of checkout workstation, which require the operator to stand when they scan the products, pack them into plastic bags and transfer the packed bags to the customer. Musculoskeletal load and exertion associated with the different checkouts were measured using OWAS, heart rate recordings and ratings of perceived exertion. In addition, subjective rankings of the workstations were obtained and the productivity associated with each design examined as part of the evaluation. Some of the variables measured showed significant differences in postural load between the workstations. The results of the evaluation formed the basis of recommendations for an improved workstation design. Some of the suggestions made to reduce postural load and increase productivity include positioning the weigh scale to the side and the bag frame beneath the scanner.     

Desflurane-mediated sympathetic activation occurs in humans despite preventing hypotension and baroreceptor unloading

BACKGROUND: Increasing concentrations of desflurane result in progressive decreases in blood pressure (BP) and, unlike other currently marketed, potent volatile anesthetics, heightened sympathetic nervous system activity. This study aimed to determine whether baroreflex mechanisms are involved in desflurane-mediated sympathetic excitation. METHODS: Healthy volunteers were anesthetized with desflurane (n = 8) or isoflurane (n = 9). Heart rate (HR; measured by electrocardiograph), blood pressure (BP; measured by arterial catheter), and efferent sympathetic nerve activity (SNA; obtained from percutaneous recordings from the peroneal nerve) were monitored. Baroreflex sensitivity was evaluated at baseline while volunteers were conscious and during 0.5, 1, and 1.5 minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) anesthesia via bolus injections of nitroprusside (100 microg) and phenylephrine (150 microg) to decrease and increase BP. To prevent the BP decline with increasing depths of anesthesia, phenylephrine was infused to maintain mean BP at the 0.5 MAC level. RESULTS: The HR, BP, and SNA were similar between the groups at the conscious baseline measurement. Efferent SNA did not change during higher MAC of isoflurane, but it increased progressively as desflurane concentrations were increased beyond 0.5 MAC, despite maintaining BP at the 0.5 MAC value with phenylephrine infusions (P < 0.05). Cardiac baroslopes (based on changes in HR) were progressively and similarly decreased with increasing concentrations of isoflurane and desflurane (P < 0.05). Sympathetic baroslopes (based on SNA) decreased with increasing isoflurane concentrations but were maintained with increasing concentrations of desflurane; the response was significantly different between groups. CONCLUSIONS: The increase in basal levels of SNA with increasing concentrations of desflurane persisted despite "fixing" BP and thus is probably not due to hypotension and unloading of the baroreceptors. Further, the preservation of reflex increases in SNA to nitroprusside during desflurane indicates that desflurane preserves one component of the baroreflex in humans when BP is "fixed."     

Nutrition support for patients after cardiopulmonary bypass: required modifications of the TPN solution

Background electrolyte (BGE) systems with two coions are frequently used in capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE), especially in cases where indirect optical detection is employed. This study investigates the behavior of analytes, which possess mobilities intermediate to those of the BGE coions used. Besides the expected behavior, where the analytes provide either tailing or fronting zones, unusual behavior with extraordinary zone broadening is also observed in some cases. The explanation for this effect is that binary BGE systems involve, as a physico-chemical rule, a region where the analytes are forced by one coion to give tailing zones and simultaneously by the other coion to give fronting zones. The result of this "schizophrenic" situation is extraordinary zone broadening and deterioration of the detection record. A series of experiments is presented showing in a telling way the electromigration behavior of the discussed type of zones as well as the ways to remedy the deterioration of the peak shape by a mere slight changing of the quantitative composition of the BGE used.     

Resting respiratory tract dendritic cells preferentially stimulate T helper cell type 2 (Th2) responses and require obligatory cytokine signals for induction of Th1 immunity

Consistent with their role in host defense, mature dendritic cells (DCs) from central lymphoid organs preferentially prime for T helper cell type 1 (Th1)-polarized immunity. However, the "default" T helper response at mucosal surfaces demonstrates Th2 polarity, which is reflected in the cytokine profiles of activated T cells from mucosal lymph nodes. This study on rat respiratory tract DCs (RTDCs) provides an explanation for this paradox. We demonstrate that freshly isolated RTDCs are functionally immature as defined in vitro, being surface major histocompatibility complex (MHC) II lo, endocytosishi, and mixed lymphocyte reactionlo, and these cells produce mRNA encoding interleukin (IL)-10. After ovalbumin (OVA)-pulsing and adoptive transfer, freshly isolated RTDCs preferentially stimulated Th2-dependent OVA-specific immunoglobulin (Ig)G1 responses, and antigen-stimulated splenocytes from recipient animals produced IL-4 in vitro. However, preculture with granulocyte/macrophage colony stimulating factor increased their in vivo IgG priming capacity by 2-3 logs, inducing production of both Th1- and Th2-dependent IgG subclasses and high levels of IFN-gamma by antigen-stimulated splenocytes. Associated phenotypic changes included upregulation of surface MHC II and B7 expression and IL-12 p35 mRNA, and downregulation of endocytosis, MHC II processing- associated genes, and IL-10 mRNA expression. Full expression of IL-12 p40 required additional signals, such as tumor necrosis factor alpha or CD40 ligand. These results suggest that the observed Th2 polarity of the resting mucosal immune system may be an inherent property of the resident DC population, and furthermore that mobilization of Th1 immunity relies absolutely on the provision of appropriate microenvironmental costimuli.     

The primary aortoenteric fistula in The Netherlands--the unpublished cases

OBJECTIVE: Primary aortoenteric fistula is a rare disorder of which only four patients have been reported in the Dutch literature so far. The objective of our study was to obtain more realistic figures on the incidence of this condition, with data on the clinical presentation, diagnostic procedures, treatment and results in a group of patients not previously reported as "case histories". METHODS: A questionnaire was sent to all surgical clinics in The Netherlands. Out of 180 questionnaires, 102 have been returned reporting 27 patients to which data of eight others treated in our own institution were added. RESULTS: In all but one of these 29 patients the fistula was caused by an atherosclerotic aneurysm, the one exception being caused by an ingested cocktail pin. Gastrointestinal haemorrhage was the predominant symptom, being present in 28 of the patients, while the complete triad of haemorrhage, pain and a pulsating mass was found in only eight patients. Twenty-seven patients were treated with an in situ graft of which 14 are doing well at long term follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Primary aortoenteric fistula is far more common than one would expect from the number of patients reported in literature. A high index of suspicion based on a complete physical examination remains the key to a correct diagnosis. Direct closure of the intestine and in situ grafting of the aorta is the treatment of first choice.     

Temperature dependence of macroscopic L-type calcium channel currents in single guinea pig ventricular myocytes

INTRODUCTION: Lowering temperature greatly reduces calcium influx through calcium channels. Studies on a number of tissues demonstrate that the peak inward current, ICa, exhibits Q10 values ranging from 1.8 to 3.5; however, it remains unclear which component(s) of calcium channel gating may give rise to this large temperature sensitivity. Components of gating that may affect channel availability include phosphorylation and changes in [Ca2+]i, processes that vary in pertinence depending on the channel examined. This study addresses this problem by examining the temperature sensitivity (from 34 degrees to 14 degrees C) of cardiac ICa under control conditions, during attenuation or activation of protein kinase A (PKA) activity, and when intracellular [Ca2+] has been elevated. METHODS AND RESULTS: ICa was studied using the whole cell configuration of the patch champ technique. In control, lowering temperature from 34 degrees to 24 degrees C resulted in a shift in the potential for maximum slope (Va) and the peak current (Ymax) toward more positive membrane potentials. The Q10 values for the decrease in Ymax and the macroscopic slope conductance (Gmax), which reflects the number of available channels, were 3.15 +/- 0.19 and 2.57 +/- 0.13, respectively. At 0 mV the Ca2+ current decayed biexponentially, and the two time constants (tau 1 and tau 2) showed Q10 values of 1.79 +/- 0.21 and 2.06 +/- 0.38, while their contribution to the total current (I1 and I2) showed a Q10 of 5.99 +/- 0.83 and 1.61 +/- 0.22. In myocytes loaded with inhibitors of the PKA cycle sufficient to inhibit the increase of ICa to 1 microM isoprenaline, the Q10 values for some of the kinetic parameters were increased with the Q10 for I1 increasing to 17.06 +/- 3.48. Stimulation of ICa by exposing myocytes to 1 microM isoprenaline reduced the temperature sensitivity of Ymax, Gmax and I1, yielding respective values of 2.00 +/- 0.18, 1.85 +/- 0.07, and 2.04 +/- 0.15. Raising [Ca2+]i to enhance Ca2+i-dependent inactivation, while affecting inactivation and activation kinetics, affected temperature sensitivity little compared to control. The Q10 for time to peak changed little under experimental conditions (2.3 to 2.4) CONCLUSIONS: Increasing the phosphorylated states of calcium channels, but not Ca2+i-dependent inactivation, reduces temperature sensitivity of certain gating parameters. The data suggest that the rate of the transitions between the unavailable and also between the various closed states are changed in the opposite direction to that induced by PKA-dependent phosphorylation. Processes, e.g., inhibitory mechanisms, may be involved to maintain channels in unavailable or "unphosphorylated" states, and it may be these that contribute to the high Q10 of macroscopic channel currents.     

Fast transmission CT for determining attenuation maps using a collimated line source, rotatable air-copper-lead attenuators and fan-beam collimation

We describe a technique using a line source and a rotatable air-copper-lead assembly to acquire gamma transmission computed tomographic (TCT) data for determining attenuation maps to compensate SPECT emission scans. The technique minimizes problems associated with discriminating 99mTc transmission and 201Tl emission photons and requires only a modest increase in total study time. A 99mTc line source and a stacked foil ("multislat") collimator are placed near the focal line of a fan-beam collimator (114 cm focal length) mounted on one detector of a triple-camera SPECT system. We acquired TCT data of plastic rod and anthropomorphic thorax phantoms to investigate the capability of the line source and rotatable air-copper-lead attenuators to determine attenuation maps. The data were acquired with and without 5.4 MBq (145 microCi) of 201Tl placed in the myocardial chamber of the thorax phantom. Phantoms also were scanned using a curved transmission slab source mounted to a parallel-hole collimator. Fan-beam TCT images have improved resolution compared with parallel-beam TCT images. Two patient scans also were performed to evaluate the clinical usefulness of fan-beam TCT. The rotatable air-copper-lead attenuator method eliminates contamination of emission data by transmission photons and reduces spill-over of emission data into the transmission energy window for some cases. Results show the feasibility of using fast, sequential or interlaced transmission scans of a line source within a rotatable air-copper-lead attenuator assembly to obtain accurate attenuation maps for SPECT attenuation compensation.