Utilizing Emergency Departments as Learning Spaces through a Post-Occupancy Evaluation.

This case study describes the use of an emergency department as a learning space for interior design students. Kolb’s (1984; 2005) framework identifies the characteristics of experiential learning and learning spaces, serving as the bridge to unify learning styles and the learning environment. A post-occupancy evaluation was conducted with interior design students to engage them in a concrete learning experience, reflection on these experiences from a variety of viewpoints, and building theories or generalizations that are applied to actively solving practical problems. Learning is explored as a never-ending cyclical process within all environments, which will serve to inform future decision-making

Advanced manufacturing development of a composite empennage component for L-1011 aircraft

This is the final report of technical work conducted during the fourth phase of a multiphase program having the objective of the design, development and flight evaluation of an advanced composite empennage component manufactured in a production environment at a cost competitive with those of its metal counterpart, and at a weight savings of at least 20 percent. The empennage component selected for this program is the vertical fin box of the L-1011 aircraft. The box structure extends from the fuselage production joint to the tip rib and includes front and rear spars. During Phase 4 of the program, production quality tooling was designed and manufactured to produce three sets of covers, ribs, spars, miscellaneous parts, and subassemblies to assemble three complete ACVF units. Recurring and nonrecurring cost data were compiled and documented in the updated producibility/design to cost plan. Nondestruct inspections, quality control tests, and quality acceptance tests were performed in accordance with the quality assurance plan and the structural integrity control plan. Records were maintained to provide traceability of material and parts throughout the manufacturing development phase. It was also determined that additional tooling would not be required to support the current and projected L-1011 production rate

The Influence of Autonomic Imbalance on Diesel Exhaust-Induced Cardiac Dysfunction in Heart Failure-Prone Rats

Short-term exposure to vehicular emissions is strongly associated with adverse cardiac events. Diesel exhaust (DE) is a ubiquitous air pollutant hypothesized to provoke adverse cardiac events partly through defective co-ordination of the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system. To investigate this putative mechanism, cardiophysiologic responses to a single DE inhalation exposure (500 μg/m3, 4 h, whole-body) were examined in heart failure-prone rats and age-related susceptibility or autonomic challenges were incorporated to reveal latent effects. Challenges included sympathetic stimulation (dobutamine) with and without parasympathetic ablation (vagotomy) and, separately, treadmill exercise and pretreatment with a sympathetic or parasympathetic inhibitor. Measures of cardiac function by left ventricular (LV) pressure and echocardiography, autonomic balance by heart rate (HR) and HR variability (HRV), electrocardiogram, and aortic pressure were performed. DE increased cardiac output, bradyarrhythmias, and parasympathetic tone while altering ventricular repolarization in aged heart failure-prone rats during or shortly after exposure. Exercise also revealed a DE-induced increase in parasympathetic tone in young adult rats shortly after exposure. At 1 day post-exposure, dobutamine and treadmill challenges indicated that DE increased sympathetic influence, but pre-treatment with autonomic inhibitors prevented this. Only sympathetic inhibition prevented a DE-induced decline in contractility and systolic blood pressure at exercise 1 day after exposure. Vagotomy revealed that DE caused systolic and diastolic dysfunction and altered diastolic and chronotropic responses to dobutamine through impaired parasympathetic regulation. Thus, altered autonomic regulation of the heart, characterized by an early parasympathetic dominance and a delayed sympathetic dominance, mediates adverse cardiac effects of air pollution exposure. This research elucidates a major physiologic mechanism driving the adverse health effects of air pollutant exposure. Consequently, these findings will inform health risk assessments, medical therapies, and environmental controls for air pollution.Doctor of Philosoph

Values of low-income homemakers as they relate to the physical design of the house

The purpose of this study was (1) to determine the housing values of low-income families as they relate to the physical design of the house, and (2) to compare housing values of black and white subjects. The values were further compared to determine if significant differences in housing values do exist in different geographic locations. Data were secured by a pretested value scale adapted by the investigator from existing scales. Those values tested were convenience, leisure, health, safety, family centrism, equality, privacy, personal freedom, aesthetics, social prestige, and economy. The value scale was administered to fifty-two low-income homemakers living in government-subsidized housing. One-half of the sample was drawn from housing authorities in the state of Delaware, while the other one-half was taken from a housing authority in North Carolina. The sample was further sub-divided by race, with one-half of each region being black and the other one-half being white. Results of the study revealed that the values of economy, personal freedom, social prestige as related to the neighborhood, and privacy from the neighbors, were most important to the low-income homemakers. Of least importance were family centrism, leisure, and health. Further study is needed to determine the importance of the value of safety

Cardiomyopathy confers susceptibility to particulate matter-induced oxidative stress, vagal dominance, arrhythmia and pulmonary inflammation in heart failure-prone rats

Acute exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is tied to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, especially among those with prior cardiac injury. The mechanisms and pathophysiologic events precipitating these outcomes remain poorly understood but may involve inflammation, oxidative stress, arrhythmia, and autonomic nervous system imbalance. Cardiomyopathy results from cardiac injury, is the leading cause of heart failure, and can be induced in heart failure-prone rats through sub-chronic infusion of isoproterenol (ISO). To test whether cardiomyopathy confers susceptibility to inhaled PM2.5 and can elucidate potential mechanisms, we investigated the cardiophysiologic, ventilatory, inflammatory, and oxidative effects of a single nose-only inhalation of a metal-rich PM2.5 (580 μg/m3, 4h) in ISO-pretreated (35 days * 1.0 mg/kg/day sc) rats. During the 5 days post-treatment, ISO-treated rats had decreased HR and BP and increased pre-ejection period (PEP, an inverse correlate of contractility) relative to saline-treated rats. Before inhalation exposure, ISO-pretreated rats had increased PR and ventricular repolarization time (QT) and heterogeneity (Tp-Te). Relative to clean air, PM2.5 further prolonged PR-interval and decreased systolic BP during inhalation exposure; increased tidal volume, expiratory time, heart rate variability (HRV) parameters of parasympathetic tone, and atrioventricular block arrhythmias over the hours post-exposure; increased pulmonary neutrophils, macrophages, and total antioxidant status one day post-exposure; and decreased pulmonary glutathione peroxidase 8 weeks after exposure, with all effects occurring exclusively in ISO-pretreated rats but not saline-pretreated rats. Ultimately, our findings indicate that cardiomyopathy confers susceptibility to the oxidative, inflammatory, ventilatory, autonomic, and arrhythmogenic effects of acute PM2.5 inhalation

Increased Nonconducted P-Wave Arrhythmias after a Single Oil Fly Ash Inhalation Exposure in Hypertensive Rats

Background: Exposure to combustion-derived fine particulate matter (PM) is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality especially in individuals with cardiovascular disease, including hypertension. PM inhalation causes several adverse changes in cardiac function that are reflected in the electrocardiogram (ECG), including altered cardiac rhythm, myocardial ischemia, and reduced heart rate variability (HRV). The sensitivity and reliability of ECG-derived parameters as indicators of the cardiovascular toxicity of PM in rats are unclear. Objective: We hypothesized that spontaneously hypertensive (SH) rats are more susceptible to the development of PM-induced arrhythmia, altered ECG morphology, and reduced HRV than are Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats, a related strain with normal blood pressure. Methods: We exposed rats once by nose-only inhalation for 4 hr to residual oil fly ash (ROFA), an emission source particle rich in transition metals, or to air and then sacrificed them 1 or 48 hr later. Results: ROFA-exposed SH rats developed nonconducted P-wave arrhythmias but no changes in ECG morphology or HRV. We found no ECG effects in ROFA-exposed WKY rats. ROFA-exposed SH rats also had greater pulmonary injury, neutrophil infiltration, and serum C-reactive protein than did ROFA-exposed WKY rats. Conclusions: These results suggest that cardiac arrhythmias may be an early sensitive indicator of the propensity for PM inhalation to modify cardiovascular function. Originally published Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol. 117, No. 5, May 200

Overt and Latent Cardiac Effects of Ozone Inhalation in Rats: Evidence for Autonomic Modulation and Increased Myocardial Vulnerability

Background: Ozone (O3) is a well-documented respiratory oxidant, but increasing epidemiological evidence points to extrapulmonary effects, including positive associations between ambient O3 concentrations and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality