Liberators of NO exert a dual effect on renin secretion from isolated mouse renal juxtaglomerular cells

This study aimed to examine the role of nitric oxide (NO) in the regulation of renin secretion from renal juxtaglomerular (JG) cells. Using primary cultures of mouse renal JG cells, we found that sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and 3-morpholino-sydnonimin-hydrochloride (SIN-1), two structurally different liberators of NO, led to a transient inhibition during the first hour followed by a marked dose-dependent stimulation of renin secretion lasting for an additional 20 h. This stimulatory effect was blunted by methylene blue (50 microM) and was reversible within minutes after removal of the NO liberators. SNP and SIN-1 also stimulated guanylate cyclase activity in the cultures with a maximum within the first hour of incubation. Increasing intracellular guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate levels by 8-(4-chlorophenylthio)guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (100 microM) or by atrial natriuretic peptide (10 nM) decreased basal renin secretion but did not inhibit the effect of SNP. The stimulatory effect of SNP was not related to adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate levels in the JG cells and was blunted after chelation of extracellular calcium by 2 mM ethylene glycol-bis(beta-amino-ethyl ether)-N,N,N'N'-tetraacetic acid. Taken together, our findings suggest that liberators of NO have two effects on renin secretion from isolated JG cells: an inhibitory effect mediated by stimulation of soluble guanylate cyclase activity and a stimulatory effect mediated by an as yet unknown pathway that requires extracellular calcium

Foreign body in the intestine of a Beagle

December 4, 1950, a 2-year~old female Beagle was admitted to Stange Memorial Clinic. A history of vomiting and not eating was given. The patient showed extreme depression, dehydration, conjunctivitis and a temperature of 99.2°F. Abdominal palpation revealed the presence of a hard object that could be moved about in the abdominal cavity. It was about 1 1/2 in. long and 1 in. in diameter. Fluroscopy revealed the presence of an opaque object of the - size mentioned previously. A diagnosis of a foreign body in the small intestine was made

Health on the Move: Health-seeking behavior of Changpa nomads in Ladakh, India

The goal of this study is to understand the health-seeking behavior of Changpa nomads in the Changthang region of Ladakh, India including what health issues these communities face, what they do when they fall sick, any preventative health behavior they implement, as well as the health infrastructure available to them. Very little literature exists on the health seeking-behavior of people in South Asia in general, much less among nondominant lifestyles such as that of nomadic or semi-nomadic people. As such, this research hopes to move towards closing that knowledge gap by conducting and analyzing 26 in depth semi-structured interviews and participant observations regarding health issues and health behavior with people who live in semi-nomadic communities, staff at local sub centers and PHCs, government officials, and NGO workers in Leh. Main findings include a prevalence of “small diseases” such the common cold, likely caused by over-prescription of antibiotics, increasing recognition of cancer as a result of unhealthy diet, poor oral health due to water contamination, and the occurrence of excessive professional and self-referrals to Leh causing a patient overload at the District Hospital. Ultimately the research takes a community-based approach to understand health issues and identify the strengths and deficiencies of health care systems in the region to help stakeholders move towards implementing positive interventions that can help ensure a high quality of life among Changpa communities

Design and Construction of Five Gallon Anaerobic Digesters

This project discusses the design, construction, and testing of a laboratory scale anaerobic digestion reactors. It included four digesters and two gas measurement devices. The outside dimensions of the digester were 22 inch tall with a 10.5 inch diameter. They were constructed from schedule 40 PVC pipe, with a wall thickness of 0.5 inches. They were designed to be filled with 20 liters of digester feed stock, at a height of 16 inches from the bottom, leaving 5 inches of head space above the digester feed for biogas accumulation. Two of the reactors were heated with Hydrofarm seedling heating pads controlled by Hydrofarm thermostat that operate at a maximum temperature of 42°C. Two digesters were complete mixed reactors mixed with a mixing paddle. Two digesters were fixed film digesters, packed with media, and mixed with a peristaltic pump. The gas produced by the digesters was piped to the gas measurement tipping meters and the volume of gas was recorded on a data logger in 90 ml intervals

Systematic adjustment of the joining time in pulsed laser beam welding of aluminum-copper joints by means of a closed-loop control

Electric mobility has become increasingly important in recent years. For this purpose, the use of copper is essential due to its electrical properties. In order to save weight and costs, copper is replaced by aluminum in many electrical conductors.In this paper, the required joining time for pulsed laser beam welding of aluminum-copper joints is investigated to minimize the mixing of both materials. By using an external controller and photodiodes, it was possible to develop a real-time pulse control laser welding process based on process emissions. The spectral emission was used to detect when the lower joining partner is reached during the deep welding process. The control enables the adjustment of different joining times, on the one hand by a signal drop of the spectral emission, on the other hand by a specific time. The laser pulse was terminated between 500 - 800 [my]s after reaching this event. This led to differences in process conditions, resulting in significant changes in mechanical properties. In this way, a decisive influence was exerted on the resulting joining zone. The interaction duration and the work piece transition are of primary interest. By comparing the results with high-speed recordings in the half-section set-up, the resulting mechanisms can be identified. It could be shown that the breakup time have an high impact for the shear tensile force and the welding depth. A Change in the breakup time of 40 [my]s could lead to high changes in the tensile shear force

Effect of reduced ambient pressure and atmospheric composition on material removal mechanisms of steel and aluminum by means of high-speed laser processing

Balancing processes require highly precise mass corrections especially in case of high-speed turning rotors. Material removal by means of cw-mode laser radiation represents a novel approach for industrial balancing applications in order to achieve sufficient removal rates. Thereby, spatter formation was identified as primary removal mechanism. In this study, the effect of reduced ambient pressures and atmospheres with varying concentrations of argon, nitrogen and oxygen on spatter formation and loss of mass were investigated for AISI304 (1.4301, X5CrNi18-10) and EN AW-2618 (DIN 3.1924) under the use of a 400W single mode-fiber laser

Local Shielding Gas Supply in Remote Laser Beam Welding

The use of shielding gases in laser beam welding is of particular interest for materials interacting with ambient oxygen, e.g., copper, titanium or high-alloy steels. These materials are often processed by remote laser beam welding where short welds (e.g., up to 40 mm seam length) are commonly used. Such setups prevent gas nozzles from being carried along on the optics due to the scanner application and a small area needs to be served locally with inert gas. The article provides systematic investigations into the interaction of laser beam processes and parameters of inert gas supply based on a modular flat jet nozzle. Based on the characterization of the developed nozzle by means of high-speed Schlieren imaging and constant temperature anemometry, investigations with heat conduction welding and deep penetration welding were performed. Bead-on-plate welds were carried out on stainless steel AISI 304 for this purpose using a disc laser and a remote welding system. Argon was used as shielding gas. The interaction between Reynolds number, geometrical parameters and welding/flow direction was considered. The findings were proved by transferring the results to a complex weld seam geometry (C-shape)

Development of Lead Free Energy Absorber for Space Shuttle Blast Container

The Space Shuttle is connected to the mobile launch platform (MLP) by four aft skirt hold down studs on each solid rocket booster (SRB). Prior to lift-off, the frangible nuts inside the aft skirt blast containers are severed into two nut halves by two pyrotechnic booster cartridges. This action releases the Space Shuttle and allows the hold down studs to eject through the aft skirt bore and then down into the MLP. USBI has been tasked to upgrade the blast container for two specific reasons: (1) To eliminate lead for environmental concerns, and (2) To reduce the chance of nut recontact with the holddown stud. Nut recontact with the stud has been identified as a likely contributor to stud hang-ups. This upgrade will replace the lead liner with a unique open cell aluminum foam material, that has commercial and military uses. The aluminum foam used as an energy absorber is a proven design in many other aerospace/defense applications. Additional benefits of using the open cell, energy absorbent aluminum foam in place of the solid lead liner are: (A) Lead handling/exposure and possible contamination, along with hazardous waste disposal, will be eliminated; (B) Approximately 200 lbs. weight savings will be contributed to each Space Shuttle flight by using aluminum foam instead of lead; (C) The new aluminum liner is designed to catch all shrapnel from frangible nuts, thus virtually eliminating chance of debris exiting the HDP and causing potential damage to the vehicle; and (D) Using the lighter aluminum liner instead of lead, allows for easier assembly and disassembly of blast container elements, which also improves safety, operator handling, and the efficiency of operations