1,096 research outputs found
Surfactant phosphatidylcholine half-life and pool size measurements in premature baboons developing bronchopulmonary dysplasia
Because minimal information is available about surfactant metabolism in
bronchopulmonary dysplasia, we measured half-lives and pool sizes of
surfactant phosphatidylcholine in very preterm baboons recovering from
respiratory distress syndrome and developing bronchopulmonary dysplasia,
using stable isotopes, radioactive isotopes, and direct pool size
measurements. Eight ventilated premature baboons received (2)H-DPPC
(dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine) on d 5 of life, and radioactive
(14)C-DPPC with a treatment dose of surfactant on d 8. After 14 d, lung
pool sizes of saturated phosphatidylcholine were measured. Half-life of
(2)H-DPPC (d 5) in tracheal aspirates was 28 +/- 4 h (mean +/- SEM).
Half-life of radioactive DPPC (d 8) was 35 +/- 4 h. Saturated
phosphatidylcholine pool size measured with stable isotopes on d 5 was 129
+/- 14 micro mol/kg, and 123 +/- 11 micro mol/kg on d 14 at autopsy.
Half-lives were comparable to those obtained at d 0 and d 6 in our
previous baboon studies. We conclude that surfactant metabolism does not
change during the early development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, more
specifically, the metabolism of exogenous surfactant on d 8 is similar to
that on the day of birth. Surfactant pool size is low at birth, increases
after surfactant therapy, and is kept constant during the first 2 wk of
life by endogenous surfactant synthesis. Measurements with stable isotopes
are comparable to measurements with radioactive tracers and measurements
at autopsy
Recommended from our members
A laser-heterodyne bunch length monitor for the SLC interaction point
Since 1996, the transverse beam sizes at the SLC interaction point (IP) can be determined with a `laser wire`, by detecting the rate of Compton-scattered photons as a function of the beam-laser separation in space. Nominal laser parameters are: 350 nm wavelength, 2 mJ energy per pulse, 40 Hz repetition rate, and 150 ps FWHM pulse length. The laser system is presently being modified to enable measurements of the longitudinal beam profile. For this purpose, two laser pulses of slightly different frequency are superimposed, which creates a travelling fringe pattern and, thereby, introduces a bunch-to-bunch variation of the Compton rate. The magnitude of this variation depends on the beat wavelength and on the Fourier transform of the longitudinal distribution. This laser heterodyne technique is implemented by adding a 1-km long optical fibre at the laser oscillator output, which produces a linearly chirped laser pulse with 4.5-A linewidth and 60-ps FWHM pulse length. Also, the pulse is amplified in a regenerative amplifier and tripled with two nonlinear crystals. Then a Michelson interferometer spatially overlaps two split chirped pulses, which are temporally shifted with respect to each other, generating a quasi-sinusoidal adjustable fringe pattern. This laser pulse is then transported to the Interaction Point
Single nucleotide polymorphisms in surfactant protein A1 are not associated with a lack of responsiveness to antenatal steroid therapy in a pregnant sheep model
Treatment with antenatal steroids (ANS) is standard practice for reducing the risk of respiratory distress in the preterm infant. Despite clear overall benefits when appropriately administered, many fetuses fail to derive benefit from ANS therapies. In standardized experiments using a pregnant sheep model, we have demonstrated that around 40% of ANS-exposed lambs did not have functional lung maturation significantly different from that of saline-treated controls. Surfactant protein A is known to play an important role in lung function. In this genotyping study, we investigated the potential correlation between polymorphisms in SFTPA1, messenger RNA and protein levels, and ventilation outcomes in animals treated with ANS. 45 preterm lambs were delivered 48 h after initial ANS therapy and 44 lambs were delivered 8 days after initial ANS therapy. The lambs were ventilated for 30 min after delivery. SFTPA1 mRNA expression in lung tissue was not correlated with arterial blood PaCO2 values at 30 min of ventilation in lambs delivered 48 h after treatment. SFTPA1 protein in lung tissue was significantly correlated with PaCO2 at 30 min of ventilation in lambs ventilated both 48 h and 8 days after ANS treatment. Six different single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the Ovis aries SFTPA1 sequence were detected by Sanger Sequencing. No individual SNPs or SNP haplotypes correlated with alterations in PaCO2 at 30 min of ventilation or SFTPA1 protein levels in the lung. For the subset of animals analyzed in the present study, variable lung maturation responses to ANS therapy were not associated with mutations in SFTPA1
Automated Certification of Authorisation Policy Resistance
Attribute-based Access Control (ABAC) extends traditional Access Control by
considering an access request as a set of pairs attribute name-value, making it
particularly useful in the context of open and distributed systems, where
security relevant information can be collected from different sources. However,
ABAC enables attribute hiding attacks, allowing an attacker to gain some access
by withholding information. In this paper, we first introduce the notion of
policy resistance to attribute hiding attacks. We then propose the tool ATRAP
(Automatic Term Rewriting for Authorisation Policies), based on the recent
formal ABAC language PTaCL, which first automatically searches for resistance
counter-examples using Maude, and then automatically searches for an Isabelle
proof of resistance. We illustrate our approach with two simple examples of
policies and propose an evaluation of ATRAP performances.Comment: 20 pages, 4 figures, version including proofs of the paper that will
be presented at ESORICS 201
Vertebrate Natural History Notes from Arkansas, 2018
Because meaningful observations of natural history are not always part of larger studies, important pieces of information often are unreported. Small details, however, can fill gaps in understanding and lead to interesting questions about ecological relationships or environmental change. We have compiled recent important observations of distribution, deformities, and foods of various vertebrates, observations of winter activity of a woodchuck (Marmota monax) and winter torpor of a hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus), and also report a very unusual case of bilateral gynandromorphism in a Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis). These unique observations continue to add immensely to the growth of knowledge of the biology of vertebrates in Arkansas
- …