Recommended methods for the disposal of sanitary wastes from temporary field medical facilities.

Emergency field medical facilities constructed after a disaster are frequently managed by medical staff even though many of the day-to-day problems of hospital management are unrelated to medicine. In this paper we discuss the short-term management of one of these problems, namely the control and disposal of sanitary wastes. It is aimed at persons in the medical profession who may find themselves responsible for a temporary hospital and have little or no previous experience of managing such situations.

Cyclopropamitosenes, novel bioreductive anticancer agents. Synthesis, electrochemistry, and biological activity of 7-substituted cyclopropamitosenes and related indolequinones.

The synthesis of the indolequinones 8 and 9 starting from methyl 4-(benzyloxy)-5-methoxy-indole-2-carboxylate (10) is described. The methoxy group in the indolequinones 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7-9 can be displaced by various nitrogen nucleophiles (ammonia, 2-methoxyethylamine, aziridine, 2-methylaziridine, pyrrolidine) in 22-88% yield. The resulting amino-substituted quinones, together with their methoxy precursors, were studied by cyclic voltammetry to determine their reduction potentials, which, in DMF solution, lie in the range -1.

Characterisation of mu-opioid receptors on SH-SY5Y cells using naloxonazine and beta-funaltrexamine.

The irreversible opioid receptor antagonists naloxonazine and beta-funaltrexamine have been used to determine whether multiple mu-opioid receptors exist on undifferentiated SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells. Naloxonazine binds irreversibly to the mu 1-opioid receptor subtype and reversibly to the mu 2-opioid receptor subtype. On SH-SY5Y cells naloxonazine afforded a Ki of 3.

Determination of strontium-90 in water and urine samples using ion chromatography.

A semi-automated method was developed for the determination of 90Sr in water and urine samples using ion chromatography. Yttrium-90 in secular equilibrium with 90Sr was initially extracted from the sample solution buffered to pH 5 using a high-capacity iminodiacetate chelating resin. At this pH, transition metals, lanthanides and actinides were extracted by the resin.

Effects of previous dynamic arm exercise on power output during repeated maximal sprint cycling.

This study examined the effects of elevating blood lactate concentration by arm exercise on subsequent performance during repeated 30 s sprints with the legs. Eight male students performed two 30 s cycle ergometer sprints separated by 6 min of recovery, on two occasions. On one occasion the subjects performed only the two 30 s cycle ergometer sprints ('legs'), while on the other occasion 5 min of heavy arm cranking preceded the two sprints ('arms and legs').

Diver monitoring by ultrasonic digital data telemetry.

A through-water ultrasonic data telemetry system using burst-mode frequency shift keying (FSK) is described. The system can be adapted for the transmission of data from various sensors, but it has been designed principally for monitoring the respiratory rate, heart rate, temperature and depth of a free-swimming diver over a range of up to 300 metres. This application requires the transmission of low rate digital signals through water from a moving source to a receiver that is either stationary or moving.

Cyclopropamitosenes: novel bioreductive anticancer agents--mechanism of action and enzymic reduction.

The mechanism of action of cyclopropamitosenes, novel bioreductive anticancer agents, has been investigated using a unique combination of chemical and biochemical techniques. The compounds 4 function as reductively activated alkylating agents under chemical reducing conditions, and the biochemical experiments establish that the methoxy- and aziridinyl-derivatives 4a and 4b behave differently upon bioreduction.

Genetic structure and microdifferentiation among four endogamous groups of Maharashtra, western India.

Phenotype and gene frequencies of 24 blood group, serum protein and red cell enzyme loci are examined in four endogamous groups (Brahmin, Maratha, Gujarati Hindu Patel and Parsee) of Maharashtra, Western India. Several genetic systems are investigated for the first time in this region. Genetic heterogeneity is suggested, although the overall variation shows general agreement with the populations already studied from Western India.

Atopy as a risk factor for cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis.

In a case-control study of occupational and environmental causes of cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis we recently observed a higher prevalence of self-reported symptoms of wheeze, rhinitis or conjunctivitis in cases than in controls. To determine objectively whether this was due to a higher prevalence of atopy amongst cases of CFA, we have measured skin sensitivity to common allergens (D. Pteronyssinus, grass pollen, and cat fur), eosinophil counts and total Immunoglobulin E (IgE) in venous blood in the 22 surviving CFA cases from that study who were willing to provide a blood sample, and in one matched control per case.

Learning temporal sequences from examples in a local feedback neural network.

Statistical-mechanical techniques are used to study temporal sequence association in a local feedback neural network consisting of an input layer of context units and a single output unit. Each context unit has a feedback connection onto itself such that it accumulates an exponentially decaying moving average or trace of previous inputs to that unit. The formation of these traces allows the network to extract temporal information over an interval delta, where delta = 1/magnitude of ln gamma and gamma is the decay-rate of the moving average.

Haptoglobin subtypes among four different populations.

Haptoglobin subtypes were analysed by isoelectric focusing in four populations from Colombia, England, Nigeria, and India. There is a wide range of variation of allele frequencies in these four populations: HP*1S = 15-28%, HP*1F = 5-19%, HP*2FS = 54-79%. With the exception of the English, and the Spanish-speaking population of Colombia, all interpopulation comparisons showed significant heterogeneity.

Haptoglobin subtypes in the East Midlands (United Kingdom).

Haptoglobin subtypes were analysed by isoelectric focusing (IEF) in 5 regional populations from the East Midlands (United Kingdom). The allele frequencies showed a considerable variation at regional level. Allelic frequency ranges were HP*1S = 24-28%, HP*1F = 11-15%, HP*2FS 54-63%, HP*2SS = 0.

Intensity and frequency dimensions of competitive state anxiety.

This study reports a preliminary investigation of intensity and frequency of symptoms of competitive state anxiety. Forty-nine track and field athletes (27 males, 22 females) responded to a modified version of the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2) on four occasions during the period leading up to an important competition: 2 days, 1 day, 2 h and within 30 min of competing. The questionnaire included the existing CSAI-2 (intensity) scale as well as a frequency scale for each of the 27 items of the CSAI-2.

Intensity and direction dimensions of competitive state anxiety and relationships with performance.

This study examined relationships between intensity and direction dimensions of competitive state anxiety, and also relationships with beam performance in a sample of female gymnasts. The 48 gymnasts, whose ages ranged from 14 to 16 years, competed in a beam competition and were divided, via the median split technique, into poor performance and good performance groups. All the subjects completed a modified version of the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2) 10 min prior to performance.

Neural network feature detector for real-time video signal processing.

The application of artificial neural networks to real-time image processing tasks requires the use of dedicated, high performance hardware. A linear array processor called HANNIBAL has been developed which implements the backpropagation neural learning algorithm on-chip. This paper considers the design of a complete neural system which integrates HANNIBAL into an existing image processing environment.

Optical imaging of shock waves produced by a high-energy electromagnetic transducer.

An electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT) and acoustic lens have been constructed to provide reproducible and well characterized acoustic shock waves in water. The peak pressure amplitude variation for the unfocused and focused shock waves was found to be within +/- 5%. The focal region has been characterized both optically and by conventional piezoelectric pressure measurements.

Differential pulse cathodic stripping voltammetry of the copper complexes of glycyl-L-histidyl-glycine at a hanging mercury drop electrode.

The behaviour of the copper complexes of glycyl-L-histidyl-glycine (GHG) was investigated using cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry after their adsorptive accumulation on the surface of a hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE). The nature of the observed cathodic and anodic peaks was established and optimum conditions were found for the differential pulse cathodic stripping voltammetric detemination of GHG at the 1 x 10(-8)M concentration level using adsorptive accumulation at -0.20 V vs.

Use of Nile Red as a long-wavelength fluorophore in dual-probe studies of ligand-protein interactions.

The long-wavelength fluorescence probe, Nile Red, has polarity-dependent fluorescence intensity and wavelength properties that can be used to monitor the binding of drugs and other ligands to plasma proteins such as albumin and α-1 acid glycoprotein. This paper shows that it can be used in tandem with another fluorescence probe, 1-anilinonaphthalene-8-sulfonic acid, to study two or more types of ligand binding sites simultaneously. Some ligands displace one or the other probe from the protein/dual-probe complex, other ligands displace both probes.

Twisting techniques used by competitive divers.

At the 1991 World Student Games, eight reverse 1 1/2 somersault dives with 2 1/2 twists were recorded during the men's finals in the 1 m and 3 m springboard diving competitions using two video cameras. Angles describing body configuration were determined from video data and were input, together with initial orientation angle values and angular momentum components, into a computer simulation model of aerial movement in order to predict body orientation in space. Mean absolute deviations between simulation and video after the completion of one twist were 0.

Hand placement techniques in long horse vaulting.

In this study, the effects of two different hand placement techniques used by gymnasts to perform Tsukahara and Kasamatsu long horse vaults were examined. Selected linear and angular flight descriptors were calculated to determine whether those gymnasts making initial hand contact on the end of the horse gained additional lift, range or rotation when compared to those gymnasts making the more traditional initial hand contact on top of the horse. Three-dimensional cine-film analysis using the Direct Linear Transformation (DLT) was used to obtain data on 17 elite gymnasts competing in the 1991 World Student Games at Sheffield, UK.

Conversion of dynorphin A(1-8) to [Leu5]-enkephalin in rat central nervous tissue during development.

Rat central nervous tissue contains enzymic activity that is able to convert the kappa-receptor preferring opioid peptide dynorphin A(1-8) to the delta-nu-receptor preferring opioid peptide [Leu5]enkephalin. The ontogeny of this conversion process has been studied in vitro using cortex, striatum, cerebellum and spinal cord tissues of the developing rat brain. Evidence for the enzymic cleavage of the Leu5-Arg6 bond of dynorphin A(1-8) to afford [Leu5]enkephalin was observed as early as neonatal day 1.

The effect of carbohydrate ingestion on performance during a 30-km race.

Seven experienced endurance runners completed a 30-km road race on two occasions separated by 10 days. On each occasion the subjects consumed 250 ml of either a 5% carbohydrate (CHO) solution or nonflavored tap water (W) immediately prior to the start of the race, and 150 ml of the assigned fluid every 5 km thereafter. Performance time for the CHO trial was faster compared with the time recorded for the W trial (128.

Estimation of maximum oxygen uptake from submaximal exercise on a Concept II rowing ergometer.

The purpose of this study was to develop a submaximal test, on the Concept II rowing ergometer, to estimate the maximum oxygen uptake (VO2 max) of male rowers and non-rowers. Eleven rowers and 14 non-rowers completed a submaximal and a maximal rowing test. The submaximal test consisted of exercising for 6 min at five different incremental speeds with at least 6 min recovery between each speed.