Methodology for estimation of total body composition in laboratory mammals

A standardized dissection and chemical analysis procedure was developed for individual animals of several species in the size range mouse to monkey (15 g to 15 kg). The standardized procedure permits rigorous comparisons to be made both interspecifically and intraspecifically of organ weights and gross chemical composition in mammalian species series, and was applied successfully to laboratory mice, hamsters, rats, guinea pigs, and rabbits, as well as to macaque monkeys. The procedure is described in detail

Results from the EPL monkey-pod experiment conducted as part of the 1974 NASA-Ames CVT/GPL 3

For abstract, see vol. 2

Results from the EPL monkey-pod experiment conducted as part of the 1974 NASA/Ames shuttle CVT-2

The participation of the Environmental Physiology Laboratory (EPL) in the general purpose laboratory concept verification test 3 is documented. The EPL Monkey-Pod Experiment was designed to incorporate a 10-12 kg, pig tailed monkey, Macaca nemestrina, into the pod and measure the physiological responses of the animal continuously. Four major elements comprise the EPL Monkey-Pod Experiment System: (1) a fiberglass pod containing the instrumented monkey plus feeder and watering devices, (2) an inner console containing the SKYLAB mass spectrometer with its associated valving and electronic controls, sensing, control and monitoring units for lower body negative pressure, feeder activity, waterer activity, temperatures, and gas metabolism calibration, (3) an umbilical complex comprising gas flow lines and electrical cabling between the inner and outer console and (4) an outer console in principle representing the experiment support to be provided from general spacecraft sources

Effects of the Cosmos 1129 Soviet paste diet on body composition in the growing rat

Six Simonsen albino rats (45 days of age) were placed on a regimen of 40 g/day the semipurified Soviet paste diet used in the 18.5 day Cosmos 1129 spacecraft was to support the rats for various experiments on the physiological effects of weightlessness. The animals were maintained on the Soviet paste diet for 35 days, metabolic rate was measured and body composition was determined by direct analysis. The results were compared with a control group of rates of the same age, which had been kept on a standard commercial grain diet during the same period of time

Results from the EPL monkey-pod flight experiments conducted aboard the NASA/Ames CV-990, May 1976

The participation of the Environmental Physiology Laboratory (EPL) in the general purpose laboratory concept verification test 3 is documented. The EPL Monkey-Pod Experiment was designed to incorporate a 10-12 kg, pig tailed monkey, Macaca nemestrina, into the pod and measure the physiological responses of the animal continously. Four major elements comprise the EPL Monkey-Pod Experiment System: (1) a fiberglass pod containing the instrumented monkey plus feeder and watering devices, (2) an inner console containing the SKYLAB mass spectrometer with its associated valving and electronic controls, sensing, control and monitoring units for lower body negative pressure, feeder activity, waterer activity, temperatures, and gas metabolism calibration, (3) an umbilical complex comprising gas flow lines and electrical cabling between the inner and outer console and (4) an outer console in principle representing the experiment support to be provided from general space craft sources

Metabolic and cardiovascular adaptation, monkey. NASA SMD 3, project 76, experiment 44 conducted at NASA/JSC, 14-25 May 1977

The biomedical results from an experiment on a monkey subjected to space flight conditions are reported. A background history of the development and testing of an experiment system designed to permit measurement of physiological parameters in subhuman primates during continuous, comfortable, couch restraint for periods of up to 30 days is reviewed. Of major importance in the experimental design of the system was the use of a fiberglass pod, which could be sealed and subdivided into upper and lower parts, to monitor and control the physiological responses for various parts of the animal's body. The experiment was conducted within the Spacelab Simulator for a period of 11 days. Data recorded includes: Spacelab Simulator cabin temperature; ventilation rate; pod internal temperature; fraction percent oxygen; fraction percent carbon dioxide; oxygen consumption rate; carbon dioxide production rate; respiratory quotient; intrathoracic temperature; heart rate; mean aortic pressure; mean ventricular pressure; diurnal variation of parameters measured; comparison of mean preflight, flight, and postflight values of the parameters measured; and correlation matrix for the parameters measured

A Sustainable cities project: understanding the ecological history of Stella’s marsh through a phase I environmental site assessment

Over the past few decades public awareness of the widespread usage of toxic chemicals in the environment has grown. The general public has become concerned with ensuring that their properties or properties they plan to require do not contain toxic chemical contamination. Our project aims to address the concerns of a group of condominium residents in Edmonds, Washington over the changing plant species composition within the wetland adjacent to their property. The wetland, which is locally referred to as Stella’s Marsh, has shown dramatic changes in ecological community structure within a few short years. An accompanying poster describes the approach used in this work. Using ASTM standardized methods, we are conducting a Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment (ESA), which is a standardized and legal process to identify current and past environmental conditions of the site. The descriptions of the records review portion of a Phase 1 ESA and our findings that have been compiled into a cumulative report are presented here

Ergebnisse des interventionellen Aortenklappenersatzes bei Hochrisikopatienten mit schwerer Aortenklappenstenose, reduzierter linksventrikulärer Ejektionsfraktion und niedrigem transaortalen Gradienten

In der Dissertation werden die Ergebnisse des interventionellen Aortenklappenersatzes bei Hochrisikopatienten mit schwerer Aortenklappenstenose, reduzierter linksventrikulärer Ejektionsfraktion und niedrigem transaortalen Gradienten betrachtet. Die Gruppe dieser Patienten wird "Low-Flow-Low-Gradient"-Gruppe (LFLG-Gruppe) genannt. Fraglich ist, inwiefern diese von einem Klappenersatz profitieren im Vergleich zu Patienten mit einer klassischen schweren Aortenklappenstenose. Bei 202 Patienten erfassten wir kardiale, laborchemische und klinische Parameter vor und nach der Intervention. 15 der 202 Patienten zählten zur LFLG-Gruppe und zeigten deutlich erhöhte Mortalitätsraten für jegliche und kardiale Todesfälle sowie deutlich mehr kardiale Ereignisse. Überlebende LFLG-Patienten profitierten kardial, laborchemisch und klinisch im Verlauf der Studie. Die Studie bestätigte damit, dass LFLG-Patienten eine Hochrisikogruppe bilden, überlebende Patienten aber profitieren

Robust Tactical Crew Scheduling Under Uncertain Demand

We analyze a tactical freight railway crew scheduling problem, when train drivers must be informed several weeks before operations about the start and end times and locations of their duties. Between informing the train drivers and start of operations, trip demand changes due to cancellations, new bookings, and reroutings of trains, which might result in mismatches between train driver capacity at a location and demand. We analyze an approach that incorporates uncertain trip demand as scenarios, such that the start and end times and locations of the duties of a crew schedule are recoverable robust against deviations in trip demand. We develop a column generation solution method that dynamically aggregates trips to duties and decomposes the subproblems into smaller, computationally tractable instances. Our model determines duty frames that cover duties in many scenarios, creating recoverable robust crew schedules. We test our model on three real data sets of a major European freight railway operator. Our results show that our schedules are considerably more recoverable robust than those of the nominal solution, resulting in smaller mismatches between train driver capacity and demand

Hearing aid fitting in older persons with hearing impairment: the influence of cognitive function, age, and hearing loss on hearing aid benefit

Purpose: To examine the association of cognitive function, age, and hearing loss with clinically assessed hearing aid benefit in older hearing-impaired persons. Methods: Hearing aid benefit was assessed using objective measures regarding speech recognition in quiet and noisy environments as well as a subjective measure reflecting everyday situations captured using a standardized questionnaire. A broad range of general cognitive functions such as attention, memory, and intelligence were determined using different neuropsychological tests. Linear regression analyses were conducted with the outcome of the neuropsychological tests as well as age and hearing loss as independent variables and the benefit measures as dependent variables. Thirty experienced older hearing aid users with typical age-related hearing impairment participated. Results: Most of the benefit measures revealed that the participants obtained significant improvement with their hearing aids. Regression models showed a significant relationship between a fluid intelligence measure and objective hearing aid benefit. When individual hearing thresholds were considered as an additional independent variable, hearing loss was the only significant contributor to the benefit models. Lower cognitive capacity - as determined by the fluid intelligence measure - was significantly associated with greater hearing loss. Subjective benefit could not be predicted by any of the variables considered. Conclusion: The present study does not give evidence that hearing aid benefit is critically associated with cognitive function in experienced hearing aid users. However, it was found that lower fluid intelligence scores were related to higher hearing thresholds. Since greater hearing loss was associated with a greater objective benefit, these results strongly support the advice of using hearing aids regardless of age and cognitive function to counter hearing loss and the adverse effects of age-related hearing impairment. Still, individual cognitive capacity might be relevant for hearing aid benefit during an initial phase of hearing aid provision if acclimatization has not yet taken place