Instrumentation for the Study of Animal Responses to Ultrasonic Sound

In cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, the Electrical Engineering Department at South Dakota State University is testing the effects of ultrasound on coyotes. It is known that coyotes can hear high pitched tones of higher frequency than that of the human ear. The overall goal of this research is to investigate the feasibility of using ultrasound to repel predators, mainly the coyote, from livestock. It has also been found from preliminary experiments that there is a significant increase in the heart rate of the coyote during exposure to noise levels of 100 to 110 dB. The purpose of this thesis is to develop instrumentation for this research. In order for the reader to understand the purpose of instrumentation which will be discussed in the following chapters, the experiments which are to be conducted will be described in the following paragraphs. The experiment is divided into two phases. The object of phase one is to find the sound which is most annoying to the coyote. Coyotes are exposed to various sounds seen as frequency modulated sound and interrupted sound, with the frequency between 16 and 40 KHz. Whether the coyote is annoyed or not is determined by observing the heart rate and the coyotes physical reactions by means of a video tape recorder. An EKG (electrocardiogram) transmitter is mounted on the chest of the coyote. From the results of phase one, the most annoying sound will be determined. Phase two is based on an avoidance technique used in psychological experiments. A 4 by 12 foot pen is divided by a hurdle into two compartments. Ultrasonic transducers are mounted in both compartments. The most annoying sound is then switched on and off in either side randomly and alternatively. The important observation will be whether the coyote is avoiding the sound or not; i.e. if the sound is presented in one compartment, we expect the coyote to move to the other

Clouding tracing: Visualization of the mixing of fluid elements in convection-diffusion systems

This paper describes a highly interactive method for computer visualization of the basic physical process of dispersion and mixing of fluid elements in convection-diffusion systems. It is based on transforming the vector field from a traditionally Eulerian reference frame into a Lagrangian reference frame. Fluid elements are traced through the vector field for the mean path as well as the statistical dispersion of the fluid elements about the mean position by using added scalar information about the root mean square value of the vector field and its Lagrangian time scale. In this way, clouds of fluid elements are traced and are not just mean paths. We have used this method to visualize the simulation of an industrial incinerator to help identify mechanisms for poor mixing

Visualizing turbulent mixing of gases and particles

A physical model and interactive computer graphics techniques have been developed for the visualization of the basic physical process of stochastic dispersion and mixing from steady-state CFD calculations. The mixing of massless particles and inertial particles is visualized by transforming the vector field from a traditionally Eulerian reference frame into a Lagrangian reference frame. Groups of particles are traced through the vector field for the mean path as well as their statistical dispersion about the mean position by using added scalar information about the root mean square value of the vector field and its Lagrangian time scale. In this way, clouds of particles in a turbulent environment are traced, not just mean paths. In combustion simulations of many industrial processes, good mixing is required to achieve a sufficient degree of combustion efficiency. The ability to visualize this multiphase mixing can not only help identify poor mixing but also explain the mechanism for poor mixing. The information gained from the visualization can be used to improve the overall combustion efficiency in utility boilers or propulsion devices. We have used this technique to visualize steady-state simulations of the combustion performance in several furnace designs

937-2 Safety and Efficacy of QW3600 (EchoGen®) in Producing LV Opacification During Stress Echocardiography in Normals

QW 3600 (EchoGen®) (EG) is a new ultrasonic contrast agent which produces intense LV cavity and even myocardial opacification following IV injection in animals. However, no data exists regarding the potential of this agent to be used in conjunction with stress echo in humans. Therefore, in 17 normals we compared the results of injecting equal volumes of normal saline and progressive doses of EG: 0.02 cc/kg (5 pts). 0.05cc/kg (4). and 0.1cc/kg (8) during stress echo performed to 85% of maximal heart rate. Echo was performed in apical 4 chamber view, and LV contrast opacification was assessed qualitatively (1 + weak and incomplete, 2+ complete cavity. 3+dense and complete) and by videodensitometry (0.3cm2) region of interest in mid cavity. All subjects tolerated the injections well without adverse events. No significant changes were observed in pulse oximetry, the ECG, or 25 laboratory studies. We analyzed the maximal change (Δ) in systolic (S) and diastolic (D) pressure (mmHg) and heart rate (HR) and peak videointensity (PVI) from baseline to post exertion following the injection of either saline or EG (Table, all p=NS for saline vs EG except PVI)DoseSalineEGΔHRΔSBPΔDBPPVIΔHRΔSBPΔDBPPVI0.0248431813424917280.0537351611434321420.13740191037441962LV opacification was absent with saline, was inconsistent at 0.02 and 0.05cc/kg doses, but was≥ 2+ in all but one 0.1cc/kg administration (mean 2.4). Peak LV videointensity after EG was 62 for 0.1cc/kg. Thus, EchoGen® is a new contrast agent which is well tolerated when used with stress echo in normals and results in complete LV opacification at a dose of 0.1cc/kg. EchoGen® should prove to be a useful adjunct to clinical stress echo

Peritoneal Protein and Albumin Excretion as Markers of Cardiovascular Risk and Systemic Endothelial Dysfunction

BackgroundMicroalbuminuria is a marker of systemic endothelial dysfunction. We studied the relationship between peritoneal protein loss in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients, which is conceptually analogous to microalbuminuria in non-uremic patients, and pre-existing vascular disease in new PD patients.MethodsPeritoneal total protein and albumin loss were quantified within 2 months of initiation of dialysis in 44 consecutive new PD patients, together with a standard peritoneal equilibration test. The results were compared according to the presence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) prior to initiation of dialysis, lean body mass, and serum albumin and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations.ResultsThe dialysate albumin concentration was closely correlated with the creatinine dialysate-to-plasma ratio at 4 hours (r = 0.601, p < 0.001). It was higher in patients with pre-existing CVD than in those without, when patients were analyzed according to diabetic status (one-way ANOVA, p = 0.004). In diabetic patients, the dialysate albumin concentration was significantly higher in patients with pre-existing CVD than in those without (0.754 ± 0.273 vs 1.088 ± 0.280 mg/μmol creatinine, p = 0.04). Multivariate analysis showed that only diabetic status and dialysate albumin concentration, but not peritoneal transport status or serum CRP, were independent predictors of pre-existing CVD. Although dialysate protein loss accounted for only 10.5 ± 4.4% of total protein catabolism, the dialysate protein level was significantly correlated with serum albumin concentration (r = −0.457, p = 0.002), percentage of lean body mass (r = −0.558, p < 0.001), and serum CRP concentration (r = 0.434, p = 0.003).ConclusionsPatients with CVD prior to initiation of dialysis have higher levels of dialysate albumin and total protein excretion, indicating that dialysate protein loss is a marker of underlying CVD. Dialysate protein and albumin excretion may provide a simple and convenient measure of vascular disease and endothelial dysfunction in PD patients

Gene expression responses to anti-tuberculous drugs in a whole blood model.

BACKGROUND: There is a need for better tools to evaluate new or repurposed TB drugs. The whole blood bactericidal activity (WBA) assay has been advocated for this purpose. We investigated whether transcriptional responses in the WBA assay resemble TB responses in vivo, and whether the approach might additionally reveal mechanisms of action. RESULTS: 1422 of 1798 (79%) of differentially expressed genes in WBA incubated with the standard combination of rifampicin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide and ethambutol were also expressed in sputum (P < 0.0001) obtained from patients taking the same combination of drugs; these comprised well-established treatment-response genes. Gene expression profiles in WBA incubated with the standard drugs individually, or with moxifloxacin or faropenem (with amoxicillin and clavulanic acid) clustered by individual drug exposure. Distinct pathways were detected for individual drugs, although only with isoniazid did these relate to known mechanisms of drug action. CONCLUSIONS: Substantial agreement between whole blood cultures and sputum and the ability to differentiate individual drugs suggest that transcriptomics may add value to the whole blood assay for evaluating new TB drugs