Fifty years ago, humans harboured the hubristic idea that they could alter the weather and climate to their advantage, perhaps to prevent future ice ages or to induce rainfall in drought-stricken regions. these high-flying hopes were eventually doused by reality; today, we have the more humble objective of merely keeping the climate stable—in particular, mitigating the impact of greenhouse gase...

GENTLEMEN, Walmer, Deal, 10th May, 1817, If you shall deem the following Report on Refrigeration with Rum, in the ardent fever of tropical climates, worthy of insertion in your Journal, I beg distinctly to disclaim the most distant intention of detracting from the merits of Dr. Cuming, whose death has been a public loss, and from whose pen, had he lived, the medical world would have received mu...

When Magdalena was 15 years old she was diagnosed with smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). She lived with her mother, a stepfather and 13 siblings in a very humble dwelling in an Andean country. Her stepfather would often beat her because she was unable to perform her assigned domestic chores. As a result, she would flee and abandon her treatment. She was prescribed several regimens whi...

Humphry Davy (1778-1829) has an interesting place in the history of respiratory gases because the Pneumatic Institution in which he did much of his early work signaled the end of an era of discovery. The previous 40 years had seen essentially all of the important respiratory gases described, and the Institution was formed to exploit their possible value in medical treatment. Davy himself is wel...

iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are so many that have shaped this endeavor in so many ways, it is impossible to thank all of them. I apologize for any omissions, and I hope you understand you are in my mind though not in this section. First and foremost I would like to thank my parents for taking the courage to send their 18 year old child to United States. While I pursued my education at Tech, I kn...

INTRODUCTION Sir James Mackenzie (1852–1925) is known as ‘the father of general practice-based research’.2 From humble origins in rural Perthshire, Mackenzie overcame early social and educational hurdles to study medicine in Edinburgh, then pursued a career in general practice in Burnley. He initiated the systematic observation of his patients that led to his stellar research career, including ...

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to sincerely thank my research advisor, Dr. Daniel A. Reed, for his kind guidance and support along the development of this thesis. Thank him for providing me with this opportunity to benefit from his knowledge. I would like to thank the members of the Pablo group who have helped and encouraged me in my work. I would like to thank Eric Shaffer, Don Schmidt and Jim Oly fo...