Responses to eccentric rotation in two space-bound subjects

Summary Two subjects were rotated eccentrically in the manner described previously. In contrast to a normal control group, settings of a luminous line to the subjective vertical were almost unrelated to the gravitoinertial vector before, and totally so shortly after, space flight. Only 3 days postflight did a clear relation to the gravitoinertial vector re-establish itself in the one subject who actually flew. The correspondence became normal 5 days after the flight. Since there were no clinical abnormalities evident in the subjects, it is suggested that both subjects suppressed their vestibular information, presumably as an effect of vestibular deconditioning training before the flight. In addition, as a consequence of the flight experience one subject continued to ignore it several days after the flight.Abbreviations DARA Deutsche Agentur für Raumfahrtangelegenheiten - DLR Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Luft-und Raumfahrt - ESA European space agency - ESTEC European space research and technology centre - G _z G-Units (9.81 m/s²) in z-axis direction - L-xx Launch minus xx days - R+xx Return - VESTA ESA Neurovestibular experiment facility     

Impedance plethysmography in human limbs

Electrode design and electrode positioning are important factors in blood flow measurements using impedance plethysmography. Optimal electrode type and accurate positioning will decrease measurement errors and improve the signal-to-noise-ratio. Disk electrodes were found to be superior to tape electrodes because of their better skin-electrode stability and because they prevent limb compression. The distance between current electrodes and potential electrodes should be greater than 2·3 R (disk electrodes) and 1·5 R (tape electrodes) to avoid the influence of the so-called diffusion resistance (R is the radius of the limb at the electrode site).     

A computerized decision support system for patient selection in dental education

A computerized decision support system is presented. The system is used to aid in the situation of patient selection for the purpose of dental education and utilizes the PERT/CPM methodology and decision tables. It runs on a microcomputer and written in Basic. The input is a list of patient's needs, and the output is a tentative treatment plan, the chair time needed to complete the treatment, its cost, and the probability that the student will finish it on time.     

Plasma catecholamines in hepatic coma and liver cirrhosis: Role of octopamine

Summary Plasma levels of adrenaline, noradrenaline and octopamine were estimated by a radioenzymatic method in nine cirrhotic outpatients with encephalopathy and in ten patients with hepatic coma (coma grade III–IV). In the cirrhotic outpatients normal as well as elevated plasma levels of noradrenaline were found. Octopamine could not be detected in the plasma of these patients as well as of ten healthy volunteers. Elevated noradrenaline levels were present in all patients with hepatic coma. Plasma noradrenaline remained elevated or even further increased during the course of hepatic coma, whereas adrenaline was elevated less frequently. In eight of the ten patients with hepatic coma octopamine was again not detectable in plasma. Only in two patients high levels of octopamine up to 59.5 ng/ml could be found in addition to increased noradrenaline concentrations. The infusion of the branched chain amino acid L-valine had no influence on the plasma level of either noradrenaline or octopamine.The data indicate that the sympathetic nervous system is activated during the course of hepatic coma. An accumulation of octopamine is not a common finding in chronic liver disease and hepatic coma. Since in the two patients with elevated octopamine levels the rise in octopamine occured concomitantly with a rise in noradrenaline, a displacement of noradrenaline by the false neurotransmitter octopamine in the noradrenergic neuron of the peripheral sympathetic nervous system seems unlikely. The results indicate that the development of hypotension in the course of liver cirrhosis and hepatic coma cannot be related to a deficiency of noradrenaline.Deeply moved we have to inform the readers about the sudden death of our colleague and teacher Professor Dr. F. Wewalka     

Follicular fluid renin concentration and IVF outcome

Total renin protein concentration (TRC) was measured in stored follicular fluid (FF) samples from 42 women. Samples were selected according to their origin from follicles either without recovered ova ('empty', n = 38) or fertilized but with failed implantation ('failed', n = 36) or successful deliveries ('deliveries', n = 71). Ratios of number of embryos transferred to number of infants delivered were 2:1, 3:1 or 4:2 but 1:1 was not available. Non-parametric testing was applied to FF-TRC, volume and outcome. TRC was significantly higher in the delivery than the failed (P = 0.001) or empty (P = 0.002) categories. Assuming that the range of renin in failed follicles can identify the sub-population of unsuccessful follicles in the delivery category, then elevated FF-TRC was clearly associated with successful outcome. For individual women, the odds of infant delivery increased 17-fold as a function of average FF-TRC between 10,000 and 25,000 microIU/ml. For failed and delivery but not empty follicles, higher renin levels occurred in the smaller follicles, consistent with a burst of renin synthesis associated with the presence of an oocyte. The results suggest that FF-TRC relates to ovum viability with ovarian hyperstimulation and may have predictive use in IVF programmes.     

Efferent projections of the pretectum in the cat

Summary Direct projections from the pretectum in the cat were investigated by means of the Nauta-Gygax and the Fink-Heimer method in an attempt to identify the morphological substrates subserving possible neural mechanisms involved in visual behaviour and reflexes.Degeneration in the diencephalon was found ipsilaterally in the nucleus limitans, lateral pulvinar nucleus, lateral posterior nucleus, lateral dorsal nucleus, dorsal and ventral lateral geniculate nuclei, centre medianparafascicular complex, central medial nucleus, paracentral nucleus, central lateral nucleus, ventroanterior and ventrolateral nuclear complex, zona incerta, H field of Forel and the reticular nucleus. The pretectal fibers projecting to the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus appeared to be topically organized.In the midbrain, the pretectal fibers were observed to terminate ipsilaterally within the superior colliculus, nucleus of Darkschewitsch, dorsolateral portion of the red nucleus, lateral terminal nucleus of the accessory optic tract and the reticular formation, and bilaterally within the central gray, interstitial nucleus of Cajal and the rostral portion of the nucleus of Edinger-Westphal. Degeneration in the superior colliculus was marked in laminae II, III and IV. The fibers arising from more anterior part of the pretectum appeared to be distributed more medially in laminae II and III.The pretectopontine fibers terminated ipsilaterally in the paramedial and the dorsolateral pontine nuclei as well as the reticular formation. In the inferior olivary complex, degeneration was found in caudal levels of the dorsal cap and -nucleus, and additionally in the rostral portion of the dorsal accessory olive.     

Modulation of rodent cortical motor excitability by somatosensory input

It is assumed that somatosensory input is required for motor learning and recovery from focal brain injury. In rodents and other mammals, corticocortical projections between somatosensory and motor cortices are modified by patterned input. Whether and how motor cortex function is modulated by somatosensory input to support motor learning is largely unknown. Recent human evidence suggests that input changes motor excitability. Using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), this study tested whether motor cortex excitability is affected by patterned somatosensory stimulation in rodents. Motor potentials evoked in gastrocnemius muscles in response to TMS (MEP(TMS)) and to cervical electrical stimulation (MEP(CES)) were recorded bilaterally. Initially, the first negative peak of the MEP(TMS) was identified as a cortical component because it disappeared after decortication in three animals. Subsequently, we studied the effects of 2 h of electrical stimulation of one sciatic nerve on the cortical component of the MEP(TMS), i.e., on motor cortex excitability. After stimulation, its amplitude increased by 117 +/- 45% ( P<0.01) in the stimulated limb. A significantly smaller effect was found in the unstimulated limb ( P<0.02) and no effect was observed in unstimulated control animals. The subcortically evoked MEP(CES) were not affected by stimulation. It is concluded that somatosensory input increases motor excitability in rat. This increase outlasts the stimulation period and is mediated by supraspinal structures, likely motor cortex. Modulation of motor cortex excitability by somatosensory input may play a role in motor learning and recovery from lesion.     

广州市1996—2005年管网末梢水卫生状况及对策分析

目的了解广州市管网末梢水的水质情况，为随时监测全市生活饮用水水质的动态变化提供信息并提出改进措施。方法对广州市1996—2005年管网末梢水水质监测资料进行统计，按照GB5749—85《生活饮用水卫生标准》和卫生部《生活饮用水卫生规范》（2001年）进行分析评价。结果共监测606份水样，合格155份，合格率为25．58％。不合格的项目主要有锰、游离余氯、细菌总数、色度、铁和耗氧量。在广州市疾病预防控制中心检测的项目中，锰的合格率仅为59．57％，游离余氯的合格率为76．73％，细菌总数的合格率为85．81％，色度的合格率为88．12％，铁的合格率为88．94％，耗氧量的合格率为96．37％。结论广州市管网末梢水的锰、游离余氯、细菌总数和铁等项目合格率较低，今后应加强饮水的氯化消毒、对管网的定期检修和冲洗、减少二次供水水箱的使用和设立管网水水质自动监测系统。