Data from Explorer 17 on composition of the upper atmosphere

Explorer XVII data on neutral particle concentrations in upper atmospher

Effect of obesity and thoracic epidural analgesia on perioperative spirometry

Background. Lung volumes in obese patients are reduced significantly in the postoperative period. As the effect of different analgesic regimes on perioperative spirometric tests in obese patients has not yet been studied, we investigated the effect of thoracic epidural analgesia and conventional opioid-based analgesia on perioperative lung volumes measured by spirometry. Methods. Eighty-four patients having midline laparotomy for gynaecological procedures successfully completed the study. Premedication, anaesthesia and analgesia were standardized. The patients were given a free choice between epidural analgesia (EDA) (n=42) or opioids (n=42) for postoperative analgesia. We performed spirometry to measure vital capacity (VC), forced vital capacity, peak expiratory flow, mid-expiratory flow and forced expiratory volume in 1 s at preoperative assessment, 30-60 min after premedication and 20 min, 1 h, 3 h and 6 h after extubation. Results. Baseline values were all within the normal range. All perioperative spirometric values decreased significantly with increasing body mass index (BMI). The greatest reduction in VC occurred directly after extubation, but was less in the EDA group than in the opioid group: mean of −23(sd 8)% versus −30(12)% (P30) the difference in VC was significantly more pronounced than in patients of normal weight (BMI<25): −45(10)% versus −33(4)% (P<0.001). Recovery of spirometric values was significantly quicker in patients receiving EDA, particularly in obese patients. Conclusion. We conclude that EDA should be considered in obese patients undergoing midline laparotomy to improve postoperative spirometr

Effect of obesity and site of surgery on perioperative lung volumes

Background. Although obese patients are thought to be susceptible to postoperative pulmonary complications, there are only limited data on the relationship between obesity and lung volumes after surgery. We studied how surgery and obesity affect lung volumes measured by spirometry. Methods. We prospectively studied 161 patients having either breast surgery (Group A, n=80) or lower abdominal laparotomy (Group B, n=81). Premedication and general anaesthesia were standardized. Spirometry was measured with the patient supine, in a 30° head‐up position. We measured vital capacity (VC), forced vital capacity, peak expiratory flow and forced expiratory volume in 1 s at preoperative assessment (baseline), after premedication (before induction of anaesthesia) and 10-20 min, 1 h and 3 h after extubation. Results. Baseline spirometric values were all within the normal range. All perioperative values decreased significantly with increasing body mass index (BMI). The greatest reduction of mean VC (expressed as percentage of baseline values) occurred after extubation, and was more marked after laparotomy than after breast surgery (23 (sd 14)% vs 20 (14)%). Considering patients according to BMI (30), VC decreased after surgery by 12 (7)%, 24 (8)% and 40 (10)%, respectively. VC recovered more rapidly in Group A. Conclusion. Postoperative reduction in spirometric volumes was related to BMI. Obesity had more effect on VC than the site of surgery. Br J Anaesth 2004; 92: 202-

Cooperative effects in the oxidation of CO by palladium oxide cations

Cooperative reactivity plays an important role in the oxidation of CO to CO2 by palladium oxide cations and offers insight into factors which influence catalysis. Comprehensive studies including guided-ion-beam mass spectrometry and theoretical investigations reveal the reaction products and profiles of PdO2 + and PdO3 + with CO through oxygen radical centers and dioxygen complexes bound to the Pd atom. O radical centers are more reactive than the dioxygen complexes, and experimental evidence of both direct and cooperative CO oxidation with the adsorption of two CO molecules are observed. The binding of multiple electron withdrawing CO molecules is found to increase the barrier heights for reactivity due to decreased binding of the secondary CO molecule, however, reactivity is enhanced by the increase in kinetic energy available to hurdle the barrier. We examine the effect of oxygen sites, cooperative ligands, and spin including two-state reactivity

Closed-shell to split-shell stability of isovalent clusters

Metallic clusters containing 2, 8, 18, and 20 electrons are now known to exhibit enhanced stability that can be reconciled because of filled 1S, 1P, 1D, and 2S electronic shells within a simplified confined nearly free electron (NFE) gas. Here, we present first-principles studies on three isovalent clusters, i.e., ZnMg8, CuMg8−, and AuMg8−, each with 18 valence electrons. All the clusters exhibit local energetic stability but with differing origins. Although the stability of ZnMg8 can be reconciled within the conventional confined NFE picture with filled 1S2, 1P6, and 1D10shells, CuMg8− and AuMg8− are shown to be stable despite the unfilled D-shell. Their stability can be understood as a crystal field–like splitting of the otherwise degenerate D-shell because of internal electric fields of the positive ion cores that lead to a filled 1S2, 1P6, 1D8, 2S2 sequence separated by unfilled D2 states that form a large gap. We also examine the progression toward the metallic character in ZnMgn clusters, because isolated Mg and Zn atoms have filled valence 4s2 and 3s2 atomic states. As Mg atoms are added to a Zn atom, the excited atomic p-states in the Mg atoms hybridize rapidly with Zn and Mg s-states to promote a metallic character that evolves more rapidly than in pure Mgn clusters

A coded aperture imaging system optimized for hard X-ray and gamma ray astronomy

A coded aperture imaging system was designed for the Gamma-Ray imaging spectrometer (GRIS). The system is optimized for imaging 511 keV positron-annihilation photons. For a galactic center 511-keV source strength of 0.001 sq/s, the source location accuracy is expected to be + or - 0.2 deg

Crystal field effects on the reactivity of aluminum-copper cluster anions

The limits and useful modifications of the jellium model are of great interest in understanding the properties of metallic clusters, especially involving bimetallic systems. We have measured the relative reactivity of CuAl−n clusters (n=11–34) with O2. An odd-even alternation is observed that is in accordance with spin-dependant etching, and CuAl−22is observed as a “magic peak.” The etching resistance of CuAl−22 is explained by an unusually large splitting of the 2D10 subshell that occurs because of a geometric distortion of the cluster that may also be understood as a crystal field splitting of the superatomic orbitals