Publications by authors named "R W Veldhuizen"
This study investigates how hibernation affects the surface activity of pulmonary surfactant with respect to temperature and breathing pattern. Surfactant was isolated from a hibernating species, the 13-lined ground squirrel, and a homeotherm, the rabbit, and analysed for biophysical properties on a constrained sessile drop surfactometer. The results showed that surfactant from ground squirrels reduced surface tension better at low temperatures, including when mimicking episodic breathing, as compared with rabbit surfactant.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- A study investigated acute non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema in drever dogs associated with hunting, focusing on the role of alveolar surfactant.
- Researchers compared seven affected drever dogs with seven healthy dogs from other breeds, conducting various clinical evaluations and surfactant analysis.
- Results indicated no significant differences in surfactant properties between the groups, suggesting that the pulmonary edema in drever dogs is not due to surfactant dysfunction.
Article Synopsis
- The lower respiratory tract consists of a network of flexible tubes lined with a special layer of cells, but existing airway models haven't fully mimicked their natural characteristics, specifically regarding stress and structural shape.
- A new airway model using collagen tubes has been developed, allowing for realistic growth conditions that simulate human small airways and enabling dynamic studies of breathing mechanics and their effects on the cells lining the airways.
- Research using this model shows that the repetitive opening and collapsing of airways can cause more damage to the cells than simply over-expanding them, indicating a need for strategies to reduce airway collapse during ventilation.
Pulmonary surfactant is a critical component of lung function in healthy individuals. It functions in part by lowering surface tension in the alveoli, thereby allowing for breathing with minimal effort. The prevailing thinking is that low surface tension is attained by a compression-driven squeeze-out of unsaturated phospholipids during exhalation, forming a film enriched in saturated phospholipids that achieves surface tensions close to zero.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClimate change is framed often as a health issue, to urge quick action and policy. But a health frame doesn't seamlessly mix well with existing frames and climate change, and there is no guarantee that a health frame will finally convince people into action.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF