Rat body size, composition and growth at hypo- and hypergravity

The effects of hypergravity (centrifugation) on body composition were investigated. Hypogravitational and hypergravitational aspects were reflected in the research effort. A list of publications is provided

The human, primate and rabbit ultraviolet action spectra

A 5000 watt xenon-mercury high pressure lamp was used to produce a continuous ultraviolet spectrum. Human and animal exposures were made to establish the photokeratitis threshold and abiotic action spectrum. The lower limit of the abiotic action spectrum was 220 nm while the upper limit was 310 nm. The radiant exposure threshold at 270 nm was 0.005 watts/sq cm for the rabbit, 0.004 watts/sq cm for the primate, and 0.004 watts/ sq cm for the human. The rabbit curve was bi-peaked with minimums at 220 nm, 240 nm and 270 nm. The primate curve was tri-peaked with minimums at 220 nm, 240 nm and 270 nm. The human data showed a rather shallow curve with a minimum at 270 nm. Formulas and calculations are given to predict minimum exposure times for ocular damage to man in outer space, to establish valid safety criteria, and to establish protective design criteria

Proceedings of the 1974 Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center Wheat-Yield Conference

The proceedings of the 1974 Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center Wheat-Yield Conference are presented. The state of art of wheat-yield forecasting and the feasibility of incorporating remote sensing into this forecasting were discussed with emphasis on formulating common approach to wheat-yield forecasting, primarily using conventional meteorological measurements, which can later include the various applications of remote sensing. Papers are presented which deal with developments in the field of crop modelling

Improved reference models for middle atmosphere ozone

Improvements are provided for the ozone reference model which is to be incorporated in the COSPAR International Reference Atmosphere (CIRA). The ozone reference model will provide considerable information on the global ozone distribution, including ozone vertical structure as a function of month and latitude from approximately 25 to 90 km, combining data from five recent satellite experiments (Nimbus 7 LIMS, Nimbus 7 SBUV, AE-2 SAGE, Solar Mesosphere Explorer (SME) UVS, and SME IR). The improved models are described and use reprocessed AE-2 SAGE data (sunset) and extend the use of SAGE data from 1981 to the period 1981-1983. Comparisons are shown between the ozone reference model and various nonsatellite measurements at different levels in the middle atmosphere

Training Appalachian, Hospital-based Occupational Therapists on the Use of Standardized, Occupation-based Outcome Measures and Treatment Concepts for Traumatic Upper Extremity Injuries: A Pilot Program

Executive Summary Background. Traumatic injuries to the upper extremity, such as crush injuries, tendon lacerations, burns, and amputations, are common and may result in missed work, decreased independence in activities of daily living, and decreased the quality of life. In urban areas, traumatic upper extremity injuries are often treated by a Certified Hand Therapist (CHT), who is an occupational or physical therapist with specialized training who has passed a national certification examination. In the Appalachian region of Kentucky, people with traumatic hand injuries are most likely to be treated in a hospital-based outpatient orthopedic setting that is primarily staffed with physical therapists who may have limited knowledge or skills in the treatment of upper extremity dysfunction. The entire region has only one known CHT, and there have been few referrals to occupational therapy. Less than half of all traumatic upper extremity injuries in this region received rehabilitation at all. Purpose. The purpose of the pilot study was to determine the current knowledge base of hospital-based occupational therapists about basic science and occupational performance skills necessary for the evaluation and treatment of traumatic upper extremity injuries. The pilot study identified if an educational program improved the therapists’ knowledge and use of functional outcome tools within a 90 day treatment period for the treatment of acute traumatic hand injuries. Theoretical Framework. The adult learning theory, Andragogy, developed by Malcolm Knowles (Knowles, 1985), emphasized self-directed learning and informal adult education. This applies well to healthcare professionals who have a need for continuing education in maintaining professional competence so was used as a guiding framework for this project. Methods. This project used a pretest/posttest research design. The participants (n=3) took a pretest and participated in an eight-hour educational program covering basic science, occupational performance treatment concepts and the utilization of standardized functional outcome tools for acute upper extremity injuries. Three standardized outcome measures typically used in hand rehabilitation were covered: The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM), the Quick Disability of the Arm, Hand, and Shoulder (QDASH), and the Global Rating of Change (Groc). Following the education session, the participants administered the three outcome tools to all patients with acute hand injuries at initial evaluation and discharge (COPM and QDASH), and fourth visit and discharge (GROC). The occupational therapy practitioners then participated in a post-test at 90 days after initial training. Results. All three therapists improved in their knowledge about the evaluation and treatment of traumatic UE injuries from pretest to posttest. The pretest indicated the therapists had minimal knowledge of the three standardized outcome measures. Only one of them indicated using two of the assessments (COPM and QDASH), and the other two reported no use of any of the assessments. All three therapists reported using all three tools after the education. At the end of 90 days, all three therapists demonstrated average COPM scores with clinically significant improvement. Two of the three therapists (Therapists 1 and 3) showed clinically acceptable QDASH scores. Because a score of 20 or less is considered good improvement per industry standard, Therapist 2 did not demonstrate good patient outcomes using the QDASH. The GROC findings revealed that Therapists 1 and 2 were able to demonstrate good patient outcomes. Therapist 3 showed that by the fourth visit, patients had actually gotten worse after occupational therapy care; however, by discharge patients had improved. Conclusions. The pilot study was limited in scope with a small sample size and patient population. The participants demonstrated a positive change in test scores and use of functional outcome measures, indicating an improved ability to treat patients with traumatic hand injuries.This pilot study will be a useful model for improving the knowledge base of occupational therapists working in the Appalachian region of Kentucky to ultimately improve the outcomes of patients with acute upper extremity injuries

THE ROLE OF PRO-INFLAMMATORY MEDIATORS IFNβ AND PROSTAGLANDIN E2 IN SUPPRESSION OF INNATE IMMUNITY TO LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES

As a foodborne pathogen, Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) encounters many barriers to invasion and dissemination in the host that may change the nature of host response. Lm has been most commonly studied using intravenous (i.v.) inoculation, however, a method that delivers a bolus of bacteria directly to the bloodstream. Thus, little is known about what systemic and local mediators are triggered during the natural course of infection and how these may impact susceptibility. Our laboratory used foodborne transmission of Lm in mice to assess whether the method of transmission and the specific organ microenvironment could affect infection-induced secretion of type I interferon or prostaglandin E2. Type I interferon is a pro-inflammatory effector secreted in response to viruses that has been proposed to paradoxically down-regulate innate immunity to intracellular bacteria. In contrast to i.v. infection, type I interferon was not detrimental to the immune response when Lm were acquired orally. In fact, most of the anti-inflammatory effects of type I interferon in the spleen were attributable to i.v. but not foodborne infection. Importantly however, downregulation of the receptor for interferon gamma (IFNGR1), previously ascribed to the type I interferon response, was found to be a consequence of infection and unrelated to type I interferon. In the liver, robust recruitment and activation of neutrophils (PMN) is thought to be required for initiation of Lm immunity. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is a lipid mediator most commonly associated with pain and fever that has also been demonstrated to have anti-inflammatory or tolerogenic effects. It is unknown, however, whether foodborne infection induces PGE2 in the liver and if PGE2 then down-regulates PMN activities. Recruitment of PMN to the liver following foodborne infection was robust in both susceptible and resistant animals. Bone marrow PMN from each killed Lm ex vivo with similar efficiency, thus suggesting that if PMN were dysfunctional during the course of natural infection, they were responding to cues in the microenvironment. Accordingly, significantly more PGE2 was made ex vivo by cells from the livers of susceptible animals than from resistant animals. When PGE2 was applied to naïve PMN prior to exposure to Lm, it consistently dampened the killing efficiency of these cells, suggesting that this lipid better known for its pro-inflammatory roles might have anti-inflammatory effects during Lm infection. Overall, these studies indicate that mediators produced as a result of infection may have very different roles dependent on route of inoculation, timing, and the specific organ examined

Ozone reference models for the middle atmosphere (new CIRA)

Models of ozone vertical structure were generated that were based on multiple data sets from satellites. The very good absolute accuracy of the individual data sets allowed the data to be directly combined to generate these models. The data used for generation of these models are from some of the most recent satellite measurements over the period 1978 to 1983. A discussion is provided of validation and error analyses of these data sets. Also, inconsistencies in data sets brought about by temporal variations or other factors are indicated. The models cover the pressure range from from 20 to 0.003 mb (25 to 90 km). The models for pressures less than 0.5 mb represent only the day side and are only provisional since there was limited longitudinal coverage at these levels. The models start near 25 km in accord with previous COSPAR international reference atmosphere (CIRA) models. Models are also provided of ozone mixing ratio as a function of height. The monthly standard deviation and interannual variations relative to zonal means are also provided. In addition to the models of monthly latitudinal variations in vertical structure based on satellite measurements, monthly models of total column ozone and its characteristic variability as a function of latitude based on four years of Nimbus 7 measurements, models of the relationship between vertical structure and total column ozone, and a midlatitude annual mean model are incorporated in this set of ozone reference atmospheres. Various systematic variations are discussed including the annual, semiannual, and quasibiennial oscillations, and diurnal, longitudinal, and response to solar activity variations

Venus and Mars nominal natural environment for advanced manned planetary mission programs

Nominal natural environment values for advanced manned planetary space flights to Venus and Mar

Effects on body size and composition of chronic exposure to altered gravity

The effects of chronic centrifugation on body composition and growth of rats, mice, monkeys, and man are studied. The benefits of exercise and restraint during acceleration are investigated. Physiological regulation and energy balance are also discussed