bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Delta Wing Flutter Control Using Spatially Optimized Transducers
Authors: Richard Robert E. , Clark Robert L.
Published: November 2003

This work focuses on the development of a design methodology for optimized flutter control of an aeroelastic delta wing. The approach rests on two main premises. The first is that the application of linear modeling and control design techniques can be used to control the predominantly nonlinear phenomenon of flutter by preventing its onset. This phenomenon is characterized by limit cycle oscillations (LCOs) of very high magnitude. These high magnitude deflections, along with the distinct harmonics commonly seen in fluttering plates, typically require cumbersome nonlinear modeling schemes for analysis. The second lies in the spatial optimization of actuator and sensor parameters to facilitate control of targeted modes while providing roll-off of higher order modes without the need for phase-inducing filters. In order to facilitate these optimizations, a versatile and computationally efficient technique for the modeling of piezo structures into analytical systems is developed. The method uses one a priori calculation of the coupling characteristics of gridded piezoelectric elements, contiguously covering the entire structure. This allows for the rapid calculation of the coupling characteristics of any patch configuration by summing the effects of the elements contained within the patch boundaries. Some additional advantages of this approach include the lack of error checking necessary with respect to trial patches being located within structural boundaries. Also, patch shape restrictions are not tied to difficulties associated with complicated integration limits, and reversed phasing of patch segments is a trivial matter. Another technique used estimates the effects of patch mass and stiffness contributions on the system. This method is entirely parameter-based and does not require explicit system modeling. It is illustrated how these techniques can dramatically expand the range, versatility, and efficiency of transducer optimization routines. Implementation examples as applied to a delta wing are shown. The experiments employing these optimized transducers show substantially increased flutter control authority over nonoptimized systems, and point to the importance of this spatial coupling as well as the transducer mass and stiffness effects.
A Free Energy Model for Hysteresis in Ferroelectric Materials
Authors: Smith Ralph C. , Seelecke Stefan , Ounaies Zoubeida , Smith Joshua
Published: November 2003

This paper provides a theory for quantifying the hysteresis and constitutive nonlinearities inherent to piezoceramic compounds through a combination of free energy analysis and stochastic homogenization techniques. In the first step of the model development, Helmholtz and Gibbs free energy relations are constructed at the lattice or domain level to quantify the relation between the field and polarization in homogeneous, single crystal compounds which exhibit uniform effective fields. The effects of material nonhomogeneities, polycrystallinity, and variable effective fields are subsequently incorporated through the assumption that certain physical parameters, including the local coercive and effective fields, are randomly distributed and hence manifestations of stochastic density functions associated with the material. Stochastic homogenization in this manner provides low-order macroscopic models with effective parameters that can be correlated with physical properties of the data. This facilitates the identification of parameters for model construction, model updating to accommodate changing operating conditions, and control design utilizing model-based inverse compensators. Attributes of the model, including the guaranteed closure of biased minor loops in quasistatic drive regimes, are illustrated through examples.
Constitutive Subjectivities
Authors: Griffin Gabriele
Published: November 2003

This article focuses on the work of Black and Asian women playwrights in Britain and examines their position as constitutive subjectivities in contemporary British culture. It suggests that recent developments in theatre studies such as the emphases on the postcolonial, intercultural, world theatre and performance art, which have emerged simultaneously with these playwrights’ work and might have offered some critical reception of their work, have not done so because of their maintenance of a colonial cultural imaginary that is more engaged with the elsewhere and the ‘other’ than with the here and now and the diasporic reality of contemporary Britain. Utilizing Avtar Brah’s concept of the ‘diaspora space’, the article argues that Black and Asian women playwrights’ work in Britain not only demands an interrogation of British theatre as a ‘white’ space but also asks that we accept Britain as a diasporic space.
Women in Pieces
Authors: Lafuente MarÌa Su·rez
Published: November 2003

The aim of this article is to show the way in which film director Josefina Molina dissects the effect traditional education had on Spanish women. In Evening Performance, Molina deconstructs the life of a wife as an individual, while in Most Naturalshe centres on the family as a social unit. Once both, wife and family, are torn and displayed ‘in pieces’, the director reconstructs them as a new, hopeful whole. These films study the difficult transition Spanish women had to undergo from a society enchained by a national-Catholic education into contemporary, European Spain, and from monolithic thinking to plurality. Spanish women were defined as ‘wives and mothers’ till the 1980s, and it was not easy, either individually or as a group, to reach the status of independent citizen.
Designer Deviance: Enterprise and Deviance in Culture Change Programmes
Authors: Badham Richard , Garrety Karin , Morrigan Viviane , Zanko Michael , Dawson Patrick
Published: November 2003

This article explores the value of investigating cultural change programmes as exercises in engineering deviance. It does so through a case study of an organizational development cultural change programme at Sprogwheels, a large Australian corporation. Drawing on and extending the classic work of Becker (1966), the article details how the programme combined a moral crusade against what it sought to have labelled as the ‘deviant conservatism’ of the existing organizational culture with social support for ‘deviant radicalism’, in the form of a counter-cultural, self-enterprising set of middle managers promoting corporate change. The article explores the complex and contradictory ideas of deviance that are deployed in such programmes, and examines the implications of a deviance analysis for an improved understanding of the dynamics of cultural change.
The Tyranny of the Epochal: Change, Epochalism and Organizational Reform
Authors: du Gay Paul
Published: November 2003

The paper focuses upon a particular discourse of organizational ‘change’ as it has appeared in a specific context—the contemporary field of public administration—and seeks to explore its role as a rhetorical device in reshaping the identity of public service. It does so first by seeking to indicate the epochalist bent of much theorizing about contemporary economic and organizational change—in both its academic and its more managerial manifestations. Second, it seeks to show how a particular discourse of organizational change mobilizes support for attempts to ‘re-invent’ or ‘modernize’ the public administration as an institution of government. Finally, it seeks to offer a few words in support of the seemingly unfashionable art of ‘piecemeal reform’ or ‘ organizational casuistry’.
A Processual Analysis of HRM-Based Change
Authors: Francis Helen , Sinclair John
Published: November 2003

This article examines the emergence and development of HRM-based change within two private sector manufacturing organizations. We draw upon discourse theory to open up fresh insights into the uncertain and complex nature of organizational change, specifically the socially contested nature of HRM and the essentially fluid nature of organizational discourse. We present a conceptual framework that depicts HRM-based change in the form of multi-layered ‘conversations’, drawing attention to the collaborative and discursive processes by which individuals construct their knowledge and understanding of their organizational world. Our conclusions point to the need for a more critical treatment of the creative and dynamic nature of organizational discourse and of employee perceptions and experiences of HRM-based change.
Drug Errors: What Role do Nurses and Pharmacists have in Minimizing the Risk?
Authors: Guy J. , Persaud J. , Davies E. , Harvey D.
Published: November 2003

A multi-professional project was carried out in order to identify the interventions that nurses and pharmacists make in relation to drug administration (an intervention refers to ‘the process of querying a prescription with a prescriber’). The project highlights the importance of both these occupational groups in identifying prescribing errors and preventing them from being translated into actual medication errors. It also identifies the need for adequate training for nursing and medical staff, along with system changes, in order to minimize the risk of medication errors.
Mothers’ Experiences of Their Child’s Recovery in Hospital and at Home: a Qualitative Investigation
Authors: Darbyshire Philip
Published: November 2003

Decreasing hospital stays, increasing day surgery and the assumption that parents will manage their child at home necessitate research into children’s recovery. Given the scarcitof studies seeking parents’ perspectives, this exploratory and interpretive study is timely, presenting a detailed account of mothers’ experiences of managing their child’s recovery in hospital and at home. The study supports the view that recovery begins not with discharge, but with admission and before, as hospital experiences directly shape the recovery process. Mothers’ experiences of hospital’s recovery enablers and inhibitors suggest that good recovery practices and policies remain erratic. Following discharge, parents help the child ‘back to normal’ by ‘reading the recovering child’ and balancing the child’s desire for activity with the need for caution and safety. Developing a deeper understanding of parents’ recovery experiences and perceptions would help nurses to form an empathic ‘grounding’ upon which to base improvements in children’s recovery care.
Social Hierarchy Maintenance and Assortment into Social Roles: A Social Dominance Perspective
Authors: Sidanius Jim , van Laar Colette , Levin Shana , Sinclair Stacey
Published: November 2003

Using vocational choice and social dominance theories as organizing frameworks, and employing data from a five-wave longitudinal study of undergraduates, we explored the relationship between generalized anti-egalitarianism, on the one hand, and the choice of hierarchy-enhancing (HE) and hierarchy-attenuating (HA) college majors and future careers on the other hand. Consistent with theoretical expectations, the data showed that students with high levels of anti-egalitarianism were more likely to choose HE college majors and future careers, while students with relatively low levels of generalized anti-egalitarianism were more likely to choose HA college majors and future careers. Congruent students (high antiegalitarianism/HE majors and low anti-egalitarianism/HA majors) enjoyed greater academic success, and greater expectations of academic success than incongruent students (high antiegalitarianism/HA majors and low anti-egalitarianism/HE majors). Finally, we explored three processes possibly responsible for the congruence between anti-egalitarianism and career path: (1) self-selection, (2) institutional socialization, and (3) differential success/differential attrition. The results only showed support for self-selection mechanisms.
Social Dominance and Social Identity in Lebanon: Implications for Support of Violence Against the West
Authors: Levin Shana , Henry P. J. , Pratto Felicia , Sidanius Jim
Published: November 2003

We examined various group identifications among Lebanese Muslims and Christians after the events of September 11 2001 and how these identifications related to social dominance orientation (SDO) and support for violence against the West. We expected stronger identification with less powerful groups to be associated with lower SDO (i.e. greater desires for group equality), and stronger support for terrorist organizations and violent acts against powerful nations. Consistent with these expectations, we found that SDO related negatively to identification with Arabs, and this group identification related positively to support for terrorist organizations and feelings that the September 11 attack was justified. Furthermore, we found that the direct negative effect of SDO on support for terrorism was mediated by Arab identification. Efforts to reduce conflict are discussed in terms of recognizing the anti-dominance elements of Arab identification in Lebanon, and the powerful implications that this subordinate group identification has for continued support of terrorist organizations and violence against the West.
The Use of Evidentiality in Physicians’ Progress Notes
Authors: Hobbs Pamela
Published: November 2003

The practice of medicine involves obtaining, evaluating and analyzing information drawn from a variety of sources; thus physicians assess and act upon information that varies in terms of both reliability and the extent to which it may be directly perceived. In the hospital setting, physicians’ progress notes provide a record of this process that serves as a primary means of communication between treaters who are not co-present with one another; accordingly, in order to permit independent evaluation of the information they contain, physicians have developed a repertoire of linguistic devices to express differing attitudes towards the information that their notes convey. In this article, through the microanalysis of a pediatric resident’s note, I demonstrate how physicians use evidential markers, including the passive voice and agentless constructions, to construct frameworks of credibility and responsibility that both underlie and enable medical work. These grammatical devices permit the physician-reader to weigh for himself or herself the evidence which supports the conclusions reached.
We Knew That’s It: Retelling the Turning Point of a Narrative
Authors: Schiffrin Deborah
Published: November 2003

A paradigmatic means of conveying a turningpoint in a narrativeof danger is the line ‘we knew that’s it’ (Labov, 1972). In four tellings of a single narrative about danger during the Holocaust, anarrator varies this line in ways that maintain its collective focus on knowledge, but alter what is ‘known’. An analysis of changes in the ‘we knew [x]’ line reveals its relationship with the changingstructure of the narrative and with the shift toward multi-vocalic means ofexternal evaluation. Also suggested is the relationship of the overall narrative changes to the changing place of Holocaust discourse, narrative and oral history in memory culture, and the larger discourse of resistance and survival.
Maternal Belongings and the Question of ‘Home’ in Mary Morrissy’s ‘Mother of Pearl’
Authors: McDermott Sinead
Published: November 2003

This essay addresses the relationship between home, belonging and the maternal in feminist theory and fiction. Feminist discourse isoften typified by its critique of home: analysing the gendered assumptions underlying the depiction of home as nurturing, or exposing the regressive and essentialist connotations of the search for safe homes. A number of recent feminist theorists (Probyn, Bammer, Young) have, however, pointed to thepersistence of ‘retrograde’ desires for safety and belonging, particularly in an era of widespread dislocations. At the same time, feminist critics such as Roberta Rubenstein have re-invoked the contested relationship between home and the maternal by arguing that the desire for home speaks to our earliest needs for security: a desire that ultimately maps on to a longing for the (idealized) mother as the ‘original safe home’ (Rubenstein, 2001). This essay draws upon the work of Rubenstein, Bammer and Young in order to examine the relationship between home and the maternal in a recent Irish novel, Mary Morrissy’s Mother of Pearl. The plot of this novel, dealing with the events surrounding an incident of baby snatching, suggests both the persistence of (the maternal) home as a desire and the impossibility of identifying an original or authentic maternal/home. By exploring how the protagonists of this novel negotiate the demands and appeals of home and motherhood, this essay will ask to what extent it may be possible for feminism to recuperate, or re-envision, the maternal/home as utopian ideal.
Globalization and Labor Protection in Oil-Poor Arab Countries
Authors: Posusney Marsha Pripstein
Published: November 2003

The ‘compensation hypothesis’ holds that voter pressures have prevented democratic governments from repealing popular forms of social protection during globalization. Can a similar dynamic shield workers in globalizing authoritarian countries from increasing economic insecurity? This article examines four authoritarian countries undergoing structural adjustment: Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco and Jordan. In each, the government sector has provided the bulk of formal-sector employment, while populist labor laws ensured that these jobs remained secure through retirement. I examine the consequences of privatization for public sector workers, and review corresponding efforts to achieve labor market flexibility through revisions to labor codes. The findings indicate that authoritarian rulers have been constrained from implementing market reforms as extensively and rapidly as multilateral lenders have sought. Nevertheless, there is reason for normative concern, as stable privatesector employment opportunities have proved inadequate, and the implementation of alternative systems of social protection lags behind the dismantling of the old models.
Barriers to Reflective Practice
Authors: Davis Margaret
Published: November 2003

Reflective practice is seen as the way forward for both students and academics alike and there is much research that shows that reflective practice leads to better learning. This article, whilst acknowledging that reflective practice is something to which we should strive, recognizes that there are many other considerations that will have to be dealt with by the sector before its use will be universally accepted. The main consideration, probably more than anything else, is the demotivated staff within the higher education environment. It is suggested that this de-motivation occursbecause of lack of resources, lack of recognition, overwork and lack of appreciation of the additional burdens put on academics, and invariably the institutions themselves, by widening participation and lifelong learning initiatives. Therefore, it is suggested that universal reflective practice may come in the longterm but only once the deeper-seated problems within the sector are resolved.
Higher Education Teaching
Authors: Duff Alistair S.
Published: November 2003

This article explores the relationship between communication theory and higher education teaching, with the work of speech communication scientist Frank E. X. Dance singled out for exposition, evaluation and application. It is argued that Dance has made three contributions of potential relevance to university pedagogy. First, his helical model of the communication process illustrates the interactive and cumulative nature of successfulclassroom teaching, giving rise to the concept of a ‘classroom helix’. The second contribution is the speech theory of human communication(STHC), which places spoken language at the centre of the human experience.The STHC, if not scientifically proven, is salutary in emphasizing the importance of speech as distinct from written communications and electronic media. Finally, Dance supplies a body of practical advice, grounded in the oratorical tradition, regarding communication with mass audiences.
The Care of Mildly Ill Children
Authors: Polyzoi Eleoussa , Babb Jo-Ann V. , Babb Jeff C.
Published: November 2003

In 2001, a Canadian national study examined the perspectives of childcare directors and parents on the care of mildly ill children in childcare (Polyzoi et al., 2001). A survey was conducted to examine how 328 childcare facilities (centers and family childcare homes) and 742 parents cope with providing care for children with mild illnesses (cold, flu, ear infections,chicken pox, conjunctivitis, etc.). This article briefly compares the preferences of childcare directors and parents for selected models of care for mildly ill children as determined by the 2001 national study. It also examines, in detail, the issues and concerns raised by parents and directors in the qualitative portion of that national study, using grounded theory.A multi-faceted approach is suggested by the data – with involvement of all stakeholders including employers, government, unions, media, parents, and the childcare community – to help alleviate the work-family stress associated with the care of mildly ill children.
Transforming Inquiry and Action
Authors: Chandler Dawn , Torbert Bill
Published: November 2003

This article presents a conceptual typology of 27 different flavors of action research, underpinned by the dimensions of voice, practice, and time. This typology highlights how narrow a segment of reality is examined in most social science studies, as well as how fundamentally different the first- and second-person participatory study of the present and the future is from the third-person detached study of the past. We show that action research has multiple aims, including personal integrity and social mutuality as well as explaining empirical variance in intended outcomes. Far from diluting the positivist concern with validity, however, we argue that action research studies that include a greater proportion of the 27 types of methods are likely to account for more of the empirical variance in situations than do traditional social science studies.
Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, eosinophils and eosinophil cationic protein in subjects with and without mild, stable, atopic asthma
Authors: Woolley KL , Adelroth E , Woolley MJ , Ellis R , Jordana M , O'Byrne PM
Published: November 2003

Increasing evidence implicates the eosinophil as an important effector cell in asthma, but little is known regarding its regulation in vivo. Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) has been shown to regulate eosinophil function in vitro. We investigated the in vivo role of eosinophils and GM-CSF in mild asthma. We compared the number and function of eosinophils and the presence of GM-CSF in blood, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and biopsy tissue obtained from eight mild, stable, atopic asthmatics and 10 nonasthmatics, five of whom were atopic and five nonatopic. Eosinophils were significantly increased in the blood, BAL and biopsy tissue from asthmatics. Activated eosinophils, assessed by immunostaining for the secreted form of eosinophil cationic protein (EG2), were also increased in asthmatic BAL cells and biopsy tissue. Significant increases in GM-CSF in BAL cells and biopsy tissue from asthmatics were also evident. Significant positive correlations existed between GM-CSF in BAL and EG2, and GM-CSF in biopsy tissue and BAL and biopsy eosinophils. Airway responsiveness was also significantly positively correlated with eosinophil number and activation, and with GM-CSF. These results demonstrate that there are increased numbers of activated eosinophils and GM-CSF is increased in patients with mild asthma. Furthermore, GM-CSF is correlated with eosinophil number and function in vivo and these indices are significantly correlated with airway function. These findings emphasize the importance of eosinophils, potentially regulated in vivo by GM-CSF, in contributing to the disordered airway function evident even in mild asthma.
Enhancement of reactive oxygen species formation in stable and unstable asthmatic patients
Authors: Vachier I , Chanez P , Le Doucen C , Damon M , Descomps B , Godard P
Published: November 2003

There is increasing evidence to suggest that human blood polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) and monocytes play an important role in the inflammatory processes of asthma. In asthmatic patients, PMNs and monocytes were shown to be activated more than in healthy subjects. We investigated the capacity of these two cell populations to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) in stable and unstable asthmatic patients. The two populations of asthmatic patients were identified by asthma activity, as expressed by clinical events occurring within 2 weeks prior to the study. Oxygen species formation was analysed for isolated purified PMNs and monocytes (Mos) by chemiluminescence (CL) using lucigenin and luminol as luminescent probes. CL was determined on nonstimulated and on phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-stimulated cells. The stimulatability coefficient (PMA-stimulated/nonstimulated cell ratio) of each cell population was then calculated. Resting PMNs and Mos generated significantly greater amounts of ROS in stable asthmatic patients, and much more in unstable asthmatic patients, as compared to healthy subjects, both in lucigenin and luminol enhanced CL. Non O2.- ROS production from PMA-stimulated PMNs and Mos was identical in unstable asthmatic patients and in healthy subjects, whereas a significant decrease was observed in stable asthmatic patients, as assessed by luminol enhanced CL. PMA-stimulated cells showed no difference in O2.- generation, as assessed by lucigenin enhanced CL. However, the stimulatability coefficient of all asthmatic patients was always significantly lower than that of healthy subjects. These results suggest that there are differences in priming and stimulation of Ros production from PMNs and Mos between stable and unstable asthmatic patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Terbutaline via pressurised metered dose inhaled (P-MDI) and Turbuhaler in highly reactive asthmatic patients
Authors: Jackson L , Stahl E , Holgate ST
Published: November 2003

There is some concern over the environmental consequences of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) used in pressurized metered-dose inhalers (p-MDIs). Turbuhaler was designed to deliver a drug as a dry powder without administering additives directly to the airways. The aim of this study was to evaluate the comparative irritant and bronchodilating effects of the same dose of terbutaline delivered by a p-MDI and via Turbuhaler. Ten symptomatic, asthmatic patients, with highly reactive airways (provocative concentration of methacholine producing a 20% fall in forced expiratory volume in one second (PC20) < 0.2 mg.ml-1), inhaled, on separate days, 0.25 mg terbutaline via p-MDI or Turbuhaler. Changes in airway calibre were followed as specific airways conductance (sGaw). On a third day, patients inhaled from a placebo p-MDI containing all constituents except terbutaline. The study was conducted in a single-blind fashion and in random order. There were no significant differences in baseline sGaw on any of the study days. Inhalation of terbutaline from the p-MDI produced a transient percentage fall in sGaw at 1 min, reaching a mean maximum +/- SD of 17 +/- 8% at 10 s and then returning to baseline value after 20 s, followed by a progressive increase in sGaw to a maximum of 39 +/- 45% above baseline at 45 min. In contrast, inhalation of terbutaline via Turbuhaler caused no significant bronchoconstriction (fall in sGaw, 3 +/- 16%) at 10 s and achieved a greater increase in sGaw, reaching 63 +/- 51% at 45 min, although just failing to reach statistical significance compared to terbutaline p-MDI inhalation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Stimulation of Cl- secretion by the mucoactive drug S-carboxymethylcysteine-lysine salt in the isolated rabbit trachea
Authors: Colombo B , Turconi P , Daffonchio L , Fedele G , Omini C , Cremaschi D
Published: November 2003

Ion transport by the airway epithelium contributes to the regulation of the quantity and composition of respiratory tract fluid, thereby affecting mucociliary clearance. We have investigated the effect of the mucoactive drug S-carboxymethylcysteine-lysine salt (S-CMC-Lys) on the transepithelial bioelectric properties of isolated rabbit trachea. Transepithelial potential difference (Vms), short-circuit current (Isc) and resistance (R) were measured in the isolated rabbit trachea mounted between flux half-chambers, in the presence and in the absence of S-CMC-Lys (100 microM), added to the mucosal or submucosal chamber. In some experiments, tissues were also exposed to ion channel-inhibitors, in order to evaluate the contribution of Na+ and Cl- active transport to Isc. The excised rabbit trachea expressed transepithelial bioelectric properties based on an active ion transport supported by the Na(+)-K(+)-adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) activity, since ouabain (500 microM) completely abolished the transepithelial potential difference. In control preparations, Vms and Isc declined significantly during 300 min recording, whereas R remained constant. The Isc decline was essentially attributable to a decrease in Cl- transport. Bumetanide (100 microM) almost completely abolished the Isc fraction related to Cl- transport. Treatment of the tissues with S-CMC-Lys reduced the progressive fall in Isc, with the most clear-cut and significant effect observed for the mucosal treatment. In parallel, S-CMC-Lys significantly lowered R, without affecting Vms. Either mucosal or submucosal exposure to S-CMC-Lys significantly increased Cl- secretion to normal values, whilst Na+ absorption was not modified.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Protective effect of ambroxol against heat- and hydrogen peroxide-induced damage to lung lipids in mice
Authors: Nowak D , Antczak A , Pietras T , Bialasiewicz P , Krol M
Published: November 2003

We wanted to determine whether ambroxol, a drug which stimulates the release of surfactant by type II pneumocytes, can protect lung lipids from peroxidative damage in mice. Animals were injected intraperitoneally with ambroxol, 0.169 mmol.kg-1, or 1 ml buffer once a day for three consecutive days. Lipid peroxidation was then induced in lung homogenates either by means of heat, 50 degrees C, or H2O2, 10 mmol.l-1. The lung homogenates from ambroxol-treated animals revealed decreased lipid peroxidation in response to both stimuli. The heat- and H2O2-induced generation of conjugated dienes (a first lipid peroxidation product) in ambroxol-treated lung homogenates was 3.7 and 3.1 fold lower than in the lungs from buffer-injected mice. Ambroxol, as an inhibitor of heat- and H2O2-induced lipid peroxidation, was equipotent to and stronger than the two antioxidants, N-acetylcysteine and methionine, respectively. Ambroxol was not able to protect heart and liver lipids. These results suggest that ambroxol can sufficiently enhance the antioxidant defence in lung tissue and can act as a lung lipid antioxidant.
Lung function by tidal breathing in awake healthy newborn infants
Authors: Lodrup Carlsen KC , Magnus P , Carlsen KH
Published: November 2003

The increasing availability of appliances for measuring lung function in infants may allow clinical and epidemiological applications. The aim of the present study was to establish reference values for tidal breathing lung function in awake newborn infants and to investigate potential sources of variability. Tidal flow-volume loops were measured in 803 awake, healthy infants (427 males and 376 females) and passive respiratory mechanics (single-breath occlusion technique) in 664. Mean postnatal age was 2.7 +/- 0.9 (sd) days, gestational age 39.8 +/- 1.4 weeks and birthweight 3.59 +/- 0.49 kg. Tidal expiratory volume (Vt), peak tidal expiratory flow (PEF), and mid-expiratory flow increased significantly with increasing birthweight. Flow ratios: ratio of time to PEF to total expiratory time (Tpef/Te), ratio of volume to PEF to total expiratory volume (Vpef/Ve); and ratio of tidal flow at 25% remaining expiration to PEF (TEF25/PEF), were highest in 1 day old infants (medians 0.39, 0.46 and 0.81 respectively), decreasing to a minimum in 4-5 day old infants, but were not influenced by birthweight. Tidal flows and flow ratios were higher in males versus females, even after weight adjustment. Respiratory rates correlated significantly with tidal flows (r = 0.66), inversely with Vt (r = 0.40), but not with flow ratios. Mean compliance of the respiratory system was 1.18 ml.cmH2O-1.kg birthweight (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.15-1.21) and mean resistance 0.051 cmH2O.ml-1.s (95% CI 0.049-0.054). These results demonstrate that lung function in awake healthy infants varies according to weight, gender and postnatal age.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The lung in closeview: a corrosion casting study on the vascular system of human foetal trachea
Authors: Strek P , Nowogrodzka-Zagorska M , Litwin JA , Miodonski AJ
Published: November 2003

The aim of this study was to examine the tracheal vasculature in 5 month human foetuses, and to determine whether it differs from that previously described by other authors for adult human trachea. The vascular bed was visualized using the technique of corrosion casting and examined by scanning electron microscopy. The arrangement of larger vessels: longitudinal tracheo-oesophageal arteries and veins, as well as their segmental branches running circumferentially in the intercartilaginous spaces, was similar to that observed in the trachea of adults. However, no blood sinuses reported to occur in the submucous venular plexus of the human trachea could be found in the foetuses. It is postulated that the possible functions of such sinuses acting as the capacitance system are related to the functional respiratory tract; hence, this vascular specialization is not yet developed in the foetus.
Circulating cell adhesion molecules in bronchial lavage and serum in COPD patients with chronic bronchitis
Authors: Riise GC , Larsson S , Lofdahl CG , Andersson BA
Published: November 2003

The initial phase of inflammation in bronchial asthma appears to be triggered by the expression of leucocyte-endothelial adhesion molecules on endothelial cell surfaces. Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) cause adhesion of leucocytes to the endothelium prior to their subsequent extravasation into inflamed tissue. We wanted to determine whether circulating intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (cICAM-1) and circulating E-selectin (cE-selectin) could be detected in bronchial lavage fluid and serum in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic bronchitis. Bronchoscopy and small volume bronchial lavage was performed in 19 patients with COPD and chronic bronchitis and in 13 control subjects. We found increased mean levels of cICAM-1 both in serum (481 micrograms.l-1) and in bronchial lavage (24 micrograms.l-1) in the COPD patients as compared to the controls (321 micrograms.l-1 in serum, 15 micrograms.l-1 in lavage). We also found higher mean levels of cE-selectin in serum from the COPD patients (86 micrograms.l-1) compared to controls (50 micrograms.l-1). The serum levels of cE-selectin correlated significantly with lung function measured as forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) in percentage of predicted. Patients with significant intrabronchial bacterial colonization had increased levels of serum cE-selectin. Our results indicate that cCAMs may reflect an upregulation of CAMs on endothelial and epithelial airway cells in COPD.
Pulmonary macrophages
Authors: Lohmann-Matthes ML , Steinmuller C , Franke-Ullmann G
Published: November 2003

Interest in pulmonary macrophage research has greatly increased as is now possible not only to work with the easily accessible alveolar macrophages but also with macrophages prepared from lung tissue, such as the interstitial macrophages, dendritic cells and intravascular macrophages. A fascinating aspect is that, in one organ, the modulation of macrophage functions according to their anatomical localization can be studied. This article tries to review some of the modern aspects of research on pulmonary macrophages. These include localization and origin of the various subpopulations, membrane receptors and surface markers, arachidonic acid metabolism, antimicrobial activity, cytokine production and some aspects of macrophage involvement in sarcoidosis and idiopathic lung fibrosis.
Multiple actuations of salbutamol MDI into a spacer device reduce the amount of drug recovered in the respirable range
Authors: Barry PW , O'Callaghan C
Published: November 2003

We wanted to determine the amount of salbutamol available in respirable particles from the Volumatic spacer device after one, two or five actuations of a metered-dose inhaler into the spacer prior to analysis. A glass multistage liquid impinger was used to determine particle size. Aerosol was sampled after one, two or five actuations from a metered-dose inhaler into a Volumatic spacer. Each experiment was repeated four times. The amount of salbutamol recovered per actuation in particles less than 5 microns (mean and 95% confidence intervals) was: 54.3 micrograms (48.3-60.1) after one actuation; 42.4 micrograms (38.2-46.5) after two actuations, and 20.7 micrograms (17.5-23.9) after five actuations. We conclude that multiple actuations of salbutamol into the Volumatic spacer do not linearly increase the amount of drug available for inhalation. To maximize drug delivery, single actuations should be used prior to inhalation. In comparative studies of drugs and dosages, it must be remembered that the amount of drug delivered is not the same as that administered.
Bronchial necrosis and granuloma induced by the aspiration of a tablet of ferrous sulphate
Authors: Lamaze R , Trechot P , Martinet Y
Published: November 2003

Aspiration of foreign bodies occurs mainly in children and elderly people. When the foreign body is a tablet, this event can be more severe due to the local release of active molecules. We observed spontaneously regressing bronchial necrosis and granuloma due to the aspiration of a tablet of ferrous sulphate. We stress the need to consider the possibility of aspiration of a tablet in elderly patients with acute respiratory symptoms, and the importance of an early removal of the tablet.
Bacterial pseudomycosis: a rare cause of haemoptysis
Authors: Multz AS , Cohen R , Azeuta V
Published: November 2003

Pulmonary bacterial pseudomycosis, also referred to as botryomycosis, is a very rare, indolent illness that has been described mostly in patients with immunological problems. The histological appearance is similar to that of actinomycosis; however, various Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria have been implicated in the pathogenesis. We illustrate a rapidly progressive case of pulmonary bacterial pseudomycosis in a normal host whose presenting complaint was haemoptysis.
Postinflammatory bronchiectatic cavity observed by fibreoptic bronchoscopy
Authors: Imamura S , Negoro S , Fukuoka M , Kikui M
Published: November 2003

A 55 year old female, complaining of bloody sputum and fever, was referred to our institution. The chest roentgenogram on admission revealed a large thin-walled cavitary shadow in the right upper lobe. We could clearly observe the inner surface of the postinflammatory bronchiectatic cavity in the right B3 bronchus by fibreoptic bronchoscopy. This is the first case in which interesting bronchoscopic findings of a bronchiectatic cavity could be directly observed.
Stereotactic Radiosurgery XVI: A Treatment for Previously Irradiated Pituitary Adenomas
Authors: Swords F. M. , Allan C. A. , Plowman P. N. , Sibtain A. , Evanson J. , Chew S. L. , Grossman A. B. , Besser G. M. , Monson J. P.
Published: November 2003

We report the use of stereotactic radiosurgery delivered through an adapted linear accelerator [stereotactic multiple arc radiation therapy (SMART)] for pituitary adenomas not cured by conventional therapy. All 21 patients had undergone conventional radiotherapy (45–50 Gy); 18 had also undergone prior surgery. This cohort comprised 13 patients with somatotrope adenomas, four with corticotrope adenomas, one with a lactotrope adenoma, and three with nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas (median follow-up: 33 months, range: 3–72 months).

SMART has proven effective, safe, and rapidly acting. We observed an accelerated reduction in GH and IGF-I levels in acromegaly, with normalization of GH and IGF-I levels in 58%. Mean GH fell from 21.1 mU/liter to 7.9 mU/liter (7 ng/ml to 2.6 ng/ml, P < 0.01, median 25 months) faster than our predicted fall to 50% at 2 yr with conventional radiotherapy. Mean IGF-I fell from 624 ng/ml to 384 ng/ml (P < 0.001). Tumor growth was controlled in two of three nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas, and three of four corticotrope adenomas.

There were no adverse effects from SMART. Notably there have been no visual sequelae or further loss of anterior pituitary function in this heavily pretreated group. Our data indicate that SMART is an effective complementary therapy for pituitary adenomas that have displayed a suboptimal response to conventional therapy including external irradiation.
Serum Resistin (FIZZ3) Protein Is Increased in Obese Humans
Authors: Degawa-Yamauchi Mikako , Bovenkerk Jason E. , Juliar Beth Elisa , Watson William , Kerr Kimberly , Jones RoseMarie , Zhu Qihong , Considine Robert V.
Published: November 2003

The role of resistin in obesity and insulin resistance in humans is controversial. Therefore, resistin protein was quantitated by ELISA in serum of 27 lean [13 women/14 men, body mass index (BMI) 21.7 ± 0.4 kg/m2, age 33 ± 2 yr] and 50 obese (37 women/13 men, BMI 49.8 ± 1.5 kg/m2, age 47 ± 1 yr) subjects. There was more serum resistin protein in the obese (mean ± sem: 5.3 ± 0.4 ng/ml; range 1.8–17.9) than lean subjects (3.6 ± 0.4 ng/ml; range 1.5–9.9; P = 0.001). The elevation of serum resistin in obese humans was confirmed by Western blot as was expression of resistin protein in human adipose tissue and isolated adipocytes. There was a significant positive correlation between resistin and BMI (r = 0.37; P = 0.002). Multiple regression analysis with predictors BMI and resistin explained 25% of the variance in homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance score. BMI was a significant predictor of insulin resistance (P = 0.0002), but resistin adjusted for BMI was not (P = 0.11). The data demonstrate that resistin protein is present in human adipose tissue and blood, and that there is significantly more resistin in the serum of obese subjects. Serum resistin is not a significant predictor of insulin resistance in humans.
Somatostatin Receptors 2 and 5 Are the Major Somatostatin Receptors in Insulinomas: An in Vivo and in Vitro Study
Authors: Bertherat J. , Tenenbaum F. , Perlemoine K. , Videau C. , Alberini J. L. , Richard B. , Dousset B. , Bertagna X. , Epelbaum J.
Published: November 2003

Somatostatin (SRIF) receptors (sst) are present on normal pancreatic endocrine β-cells. However, the use of SRIF analogs in the scintigraphic imaging of insulinomas and in the medical management of these tumors seems to be restricted to a subgroup of patients. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of sst expression in vitro and characterize sst subtype binding in insulinomas and its correlation with in vivo sst receptor scintigraphy (SRS). In vitro studies were performed on 27 insulinomas from 25 patients: 22 with benign and three with malignant tumors. Semiquantitative RT-PCR of sst mRNAs was performed for 20 of these insulinomas. Sst2 and sst5 were expressed in 70%, sst1 in 50%, and sst3 and sst4 subtypes only in 15–20% of the tumors. 125I-Tyr0DTrp8SRIF14 binding was assessed by quantitative autoradiography in 18 insulinomas, and competition experiments were performed with SRIF14 and L797–591, L779–976, L796–778, L803–087, L817–818, selective agonists of the five sst subtypes, and BIM23244, a selective agonist of sst2 and sst5. Significant specific binding was observed in 72% of the insulinomas. Displacement experiments with ligands of higher affinity for each of the sst receptors revealed significant binding with the sst2 and sst5 ligands in 72%, sst3 in 44%, sst1 in 44%, and sst4 in 28% of cases. All insulinomas displaying sst2 binding were also sst5 sensitive. However, the ratio of sst5/sst2 displacement was variable and only equal to that for SRIF14 in experiments with the sst2/sst5 agonist BIM23244. SRS was performed 10 times in nine patients; it detected 60% of the tumors, including metastases of a malignant insulinoma. All the tumors detected by SRS displayed high levels of 125I-Tyr0DTrp8SRIF14 binding. The mechanisms underlying the loss of expression of sst2/sst5 in a third of insulinomas remains to be determined, but this loss of expression may be involved in β-cell dysfunction.
Prediction of Bone Mass Density Variation by Bone Remodeling Markers in Postmenopausal Women with Vitamin D Insufficiency Treated with Calcium and Vitamin D Supplementation
Authors: Grados Franck , Brazier Michel , Kamel Saïd , Mathieu Marc , Hurtebize Nathalie , Maamer Mohamed , Garabédian Michèle , Sebert Jean-Luc , Fardellone Patrice
Published: November 2003

The aim of this study was to determine whether early changes in bone markers could predict long-term response in bone mineral density (BMD) after calcium (500 mg) and vitamin D (400 IU) supplementation twice daily in ambulatory elderly women with vitamin D insufficiency (25-hydroxyvitamin D, <12 ng/ml). One hundred and ninety-two women (mean age, 75 ± 7 yr) were randomized to receive either the supplementation (n = 95) or a placebo (n = 97) in a double-blind, controlled clinical trial for 1 yr. In comparison with the placebo group, supplementation significantly increased BMD, normalized 25-hydroxyvitamin D and significantly decreased intact PTH and bone remodeling markers. The initial values of telopeptide cross-links were correlated with improvement in total body BMD [urinary N-telopeptides (NTX), r = 0.38; C-telopeptides (CTX), r = 0.32; serum CTX, r = 0.28], and the 3-month changes in the same markers were correlated with improvement in total body (urinary N-telopeptides, r = −0.29; serum CTX, r = −0.26) and vertebral BMD (CTX, r = −0.26; all P < 0.05). We concluded that short-term changes in bone resorption markers can predict long-term variations in BMD in elderly women with vitamin D insufficiency receiving calcium and vitamin D supplementation.
Comparative Efficacy and Side Effects of the Treatment of Euthyroid Goiter with Levo-Thyroxine or Triiodothyroacetic Acid
Authors: Brenta G. , Schnitman M. , Fretes O. , Facco E. , Gurfinkel M. , Damilano S. , Pacenza N. , Blanco A. , Gonzalez E. , Pisarev M. A.
Published: November 2003

Euthyroid goiter is usually treated with TSH-inhibitory doses of levo-T4 (l-T4). Because triiodothyroacetic acid (TRIAC) decreases TSH levels, the following study was perfomed: 36 euthyroid goitrous female patients (no cancer or chronic thyroiditis) were randomized to TRIAC (19.6 μg/kg) (n = 19) or l-T4 (1.7 μg/kg) (n = 17) treatment during 11 months. Goiter volume; lumbar and femoral bone mineral density; serum osteocalcin; deoxypyridinoline; TSH; free T4; total, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; and triglycerides were measured before and after the study period. Student’s t test and χ2 analysis were performed. TSH values (microunits per milliliter) in the TRIAC and l-T4 groups were: 1.91 ± 0.6 (basal) and 0.180 ± 0.1 (after) and 2.1 ± 2.5 (basal) and 0.180 ± 0.3 (after), respectively. Thyroid volume decreased 37.9 ± 35.4% in the TRIAC patients and 14.5 ± 39.5% in the l-T4 group (P = 0.069). Forty-two percent of the goiters with TRIAC reduced more than 50% their initial volume vs. 17.7% with l-T4 (P = 0.15). With TRIAC, patients experienced fewer side effects. No differences in the changes of bone mineral density, serum deoxypyridinoline, osteocalcin, or the lipid profile were observed between both groups. The present results show that TRIAC is more effective than l-T4 in the reduction of goiter size, with comparable effects on peripheral parameters.