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This chapter describes Clemson University's Laptop Faculty Development Program and its assessment, offering the program as one model for designing faculty development to successfully implement laptop mandates. The chapter also acquaints readers with the many types of in-class, laptop-based activities that meet best-practice criteria for effective teaching.

Background— The formation of angiotensin-(1-7) from either angiotensin (Ang) I or Ang II in failing human hearts is not well understood. Methods and Results— Angiotensinase activity in left and right ventricular membranes from 14 idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC), 8 primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH), and 13 nonfailing human hearts was measured with either 125 I-Ang I or 125 I-Ang II as substrate. Ang-(1-7)–forming activity from 125 I-Ang I was inhibited by thiorphan. With 125 I-Ang II as substrate, Ang-(1-7) formation was inhibited by the ACE2-specific inhibitor C16. Western blotting with an anti-ACE2 antibody confirmed the presence of ACE2. Angiotensinase activity with 125 I-Ang I as substrate was increased in failing IDC left ventricles (LVs) compared with nonfailing LVs ( P 125 I-Ang II as substrate was increased in both failing LVs and right ventricles (RVs) of IDC hearts and only in failing RVs of PPH hearts (PPH LV, 51.12±5.25; PPH RV, 89.97±11.21; IDC LV, 139.7±21.96; and IDC RV, 192.7±5.43; NF LV, 32.89±5.38; NF RV 40.49±10.66 fmol/min per milligram ( P P P P Conclusions— Ang-(1-7)–forming activity from both Ang I and Ang II was increased in failing human heart ventricles but was mediated by at least two different angiotensinases. The first, which demonstrated substrate preference for Ang I, was neutral endopeptidase (NEP)-like. The second was ACE2, as demonstrated by Western blotting and inhibition of activity with C16.

State libraries in Rhode Island and New Jersey have found ways to cut costs by outsourcing delivery services and, in Rhode Island, the operation of the Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.

The antihypertensive effects of captopril and enalapril maleate were studied over a 10-week period in 24 hypertensive patients randomized into captopril or enalapril treatment groups. Prestudy blood pressure was 171 +/- 4/109 +/- 1 mm Hg and after 4 weeks of hydrochlorothiazide 160 +/- 4/103 +/- 1 (p less than 0.05). With the addition of converting enzyme inhibitor to hydrochlorothiazide the blood pressure decreased at 3 h to 132 +/- 3/87 +/- 2 in the subjects. The diastolic blood pressure decreased acutely more with captopril (-24) than with enalapril (-17) (p less than 0.05). After 10 weeks of combined therapy the depressor response was maintained (134 +/- 3/83 +/- 1) and there was no difference between the diastolic blood pressure in the two groups treated with captopril and enalapril. Acute and chronic responses of plasma renin activity, plasma aldosterone, and converting enzyme to the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor were determined. There was a significant correlation between the acute fall in diastolic blood pressure and rise in plasma renin activity in patients treated with captopril but not with enalapril. In conclusion, there is an acute depressor response with converting enzyme inhibition which is more pronounced with captopril than with enalapril and which correlates with an increase in plasma renin activity. With more prolonged treatment, the two drugs show equivalent efficacy in reducing blood pressure, inhibiting angiotensin-converting enzyme, reducing aldosterone, and stimulating plasma renin activity.

Total compliance and lower respiratory resistance, that is, total respiratory resistance less upper airway resistance, have been measured during passive expiration in anaesthetized, intubated, completely relaxed animals, lying on their sides. Nine horses and one mule were studied. Compliance was determined for each animal from the volumes expired after inflation of the lungs to various pressures. The mean compliance for the horses was 0.246 (S.D. 0.088) litre/cm H2O or 0.573 (S.D. 0.229) (ml/cm H2O)/kg body mass. Resistance was measured in the course of passive expiration through an endotracheal tube. The decline of expiratory flow deviated markedly from an exponential and the reasons for this are discussed. Except in one horse, subsequently confirmed to be emphysematous, the pressure drop P across the lower respiratory resistance could be satisfactorily related to the expiratory flow V by an equation of the form P = k1V + k2V2. The mean value of k1 was 0.54 (S.D. 0.31) cm H2O/(litre/sec) and of k2 was 0.050 (S.D. 0.042) cm H2O/(litre/sec)2.

24 hypertensive patients were randomised into 2 groups to compare the antihypertensive effects of enalapril and captopril over a 10-week period. In the hydrochlorothiazide run-in period, blood pressure was reduced from 171 +/- 4/109 +/- 1mm Hg to 160 +/- 4/103 +/- 1mm Hg (p less than 0.05). Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition decreased blood pressure to 132 +/- 3/87 +/- 2mm Hg. Captopril decreased diastolic blood pressure significantly more after 3 hours than enalapril (-24 versus -17mm Hg, p less than 0.05). After 10 weeks of therapy, this antihypertensive response was maintained at 134 +/- 3/83 +/- 1mm Hg. There was no difference between the captopril and enalapril treated groups. Acute and chronic responses of plasma renin activity, plasma aldosterone and ACE were determined. There was an acute positive correlation between the rise in plasma renin activity and the fall in blood pressures with captopril but not with enalapril. With chronic treatment there was no difference in the ability of either of the 2 drugs to reduce blood pressure, inhibit ACE, reduce aldosterone or stimulate plasma renin activity.

As a preliminary investigation of the comparative effects of the neutron beam from a 45-in. cyclotron with x rays from an 8-Mev linear accelerator, an anesthetic technique that would assure complete immobilization of the animals for several hours was sought. Choice of anesthetic technique was influenced by the nature of the experimental animal, and by the need for a nonexplosive agent (because of the proximity of high voltage electrical apparatus) which would provide safe anesthesia for long periods by remote control. For premedication, phenothiazine derivatives were chosen because they produce sedation without undue respiratory depression and because their effects are long lasting. Promazine (2 mg) and promethazine (1 mg per lb (0.45 kg) body weight) were given together by intramuscular injection 11/2 hours before induction of anesthesia. Parasympathetic depression was obtained with atropine sulfate (0.32 mg given by intramuscular injection after induction). Anesthesia was induced with intravenous thiopentone (250 mg for a 50-lb pig). On some occasions, to reduce the number of venepunctures, anesthesia was induced with cyclopropane. Pig and anesthetic apparatus were conveyed into the linear accelerator chamber, where the animal was irradiated with 8-Mev x rays. The whole process of anesthesia, transfer, positioning and irradiation took 5 tomore » 6 hr, and during much of this time the animal was inaccessible to the operating team. An optimal level of anesthesia was maintained by observing a stethograph which recorded the pig's respiratory changes. Rises in body temperature during irradiation were noted in some instances, and this was subsequently avoided by reducing ambient temperature and humidity.« less