In this paper we describe a system which we have developed to measure cat ear canal specific acoustic impedance Zsp, magnitude and phase, as a function of frequency, for frequencies between 200 Hz and 33 kHz, and impedance magnitude between 4.0 to 4.0×105 [Rayles] (MKS). The object to be measured is placed at the end of a 3.5 mm diameter sound delivery tube. After a simple calibration procedure...

Pollen tubes are the vehicle for sperm cell delivery to the embryo sac during fertilisation of Angiosperms. They provide an intriguing model for unravelling mechanisms of growing to extremes. The asymmetric distribution of lipids and proteins in the pollen tube plasma membrane modulates ion fluxes and actin dynamics and is maintained by a delicate equilibrium between exocytosis and endocytosis....

Thorough preclinical testing of central nervous system (CNS) therapeutics includes a consideration of routes of administration and agent biodistribution in assessing therapeutic efficacy. Between the two major classifications of administration, local vs. systemic, systemic delivery approaches are often preferred due to ease of administration. However, systemic delivery may result in suboptimal ...

Because of structural defects in achondroplasia, as one of the dwarfism types, the choice of an anaesthetic technique and management for caesarean delivery presents a challenge. We aimed to discuss our successful single-shot spinal anaesthesia approach for caesarean section for one urgent and one elective achondroplasic parturient based on the literature.

Background: Evidence on aerosol delivery via tracheostomy is lacking. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of aerosol device and administration technique on drug delivery in a simulated spontaneously breathing pediatric model with tracheostomy. Methods: Delivery efficiencies during spontaneous breathing with assisted and unassisted administration techniques were compared using t...

The cardiotocogram (CTG) is commonly used for routine fetal monitoring in the delivery room. A major problem is that the interpretation of the CTG trace requires experienced specialists. In order to avoid long gaps between the detection of a suspicious pattern and the intervention, the CTG has to be checked in short intervals. An automated monitoring system at the obstetric site can reduce such...

S tudies of the effective delivery of pharmaceutical inhalation aerosols have hinged on their particlesize characteristics and the mass, or dose, of drug delivered to the lung. Preparation and delivery of aerosols have been approached using these criteria with the intention of optimizing lung deposition. Aerosol particles and droplets exhibit a range of sizes which constitute their distribution...

secondary clarifiers with large areas are widely applied in wastewater treatment plants. a pilot study was conducted to examine the possibility of applying one and two-stage inclined tube settlers instead of conventional secondary clarifiers. tube diameter in the first stage of the two-stage settler was wide as the conventional ones, but in the second stage, it was narrow to improve the efficie...

BACKGROUND Optimization of factors affecting aerosol delivery during mechanical ventilation in the pediatric population is important. We hypothesized that increasing the tidal volume (V(T)), using a vibrating mesh nebulizer, and placing the nebulizer at the ventilator would increase lung dose/delivery efficiency. METHODS Continuous-output jet and vibrating mesh nebulizers loaded with albutero...

BACKGROUND The position of the jet or ultrasonic nebulizer in the ventilator circuit impacts drug delivery during mechanical ventilation, but has not been extensively explored, and no study has examined all of the commonly used nebulizers. METHODS Drug delivery from jet, vibrating-mesh, and ultrasonic nebulizers and pressurized metered-dose inhaler (pMDI) with spacer was compared in a model o...