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Biomedical subjects

J J Jaeger

Publications and source records attributed to J J Jaeger.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

The influence of clothing on human intrathoracic pressure during airblast.

Exposure to airblast can result in injury to the lungs and other gas-containing organs. The mechanism of lung injury is not clearly understood, but may be related to the rapid increase in intrathoracic pressure (ITP) which is produced when the blast wave strikes the chest wall. The purpose of this study was to determine if ITP during airblast would be influenced by several different types of protective clothing. Ten healthy young male volunteers were exposed to airblast while standing face-on and wearing 1) military fatigues (control condition); 2) fatigues with field jacket; 3) fatigues with ballistic armor vest; 4) fatigues with ceramic vest; 5) fatigues with ceramic vest over the ballistic vest. The incident blast waves simulated artillery muzzle blast. In each subject, an esophageal strain-gauge pressure transducer measured ITP during the blast. The pressure signal was analyzed for ITPmax, and maximum rate of rise of ITP (dP X dt max-1). In addition, the power density spectra of each ITP wave was computed and the peak frequency (fp) and centroid frequency (fc) were calculated. When the subjects wore the ballistic vest, the mean ITPmax was higher (p less than 0.05) than when they were exposed to airblast in fatigues alone. ITPmax was not influenced by the other clothing ensembles. The mean dP X dtmax-1 was not significantly different with any protective clothing ensemble. Clothing had no significant effect of fp, but with the ballistic vest, the mean calculated fc was higher (p less than 0.05) than that for the fatigues alone.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aerospace Medicine↗

Assessing the psychological status of the vowel shift rule.

Several experiments designed to test the psychological validity of Chomsky and Halle's (1968) Vowel Shift Rule are reviewed, and both positive and negative evidence is evaluated. Moskowitz's (1973) claim that speakers' knowledge of vowel alternations is due to their knowledge of spelling rules is introduced, and an experiment designed to differentiate between behavior based on the Vowel Shift Rule and on spelling rules is presented in detail. It is shown that subjects in this experiment, and in previous experiments that claimed to have obtained positive evidence for the Vowel Shift Rule, are behaving in accord with spelling rules and not the Vowel Shift Rule. It is argued that literacy is a possible source of psychologically real linguistic knowledge.

Adolescent↗

Airway responsiveness to cold air and hyperpnea in normal subjects and in those with hay fever and asthma.

Multiple aspects of pulmonary mechanics were measured before and after bronchial challenges consisting of hyperpnea with cold air inhalation in 20 normal control subjects, 16 subjects with hay fever, and 44 asymptomatic asthmatics. These challenges had no effect on the lung function of the normal subjects. In the hay fever group, however, postchallenge mechanics changed a small, but significant, amount, e.g., mean decrease in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) was -5.1 +/- 1.7% (SEM). The asthmatics had a much more marked response (mean fall in FEV1, -32.7 +/- 2.6%). There was considerable overlap between the responses of the normal subjects and those with hay fever, but no overlap at all between asthmatic and normal subjects. The only subjects with hay fever whose responses overlapped the asthmatic response were those who had histories of occasional episodes of wheezing. This pattern of response suggests that the use of hyperpnea and subfreezing air is a very sensitive and highly specific means of detecting increased air reactivity.

Adult↗

Cold air inhalation and esophageal temperature in exercising humans.

This study was performed to examine the dynamics and localization of respiratory heat exchange in exercising humans breathing cold air. Eight normal individuals performed 10 min of exercise at 80% of their predicted Vo2max with inspired air at 22 degrees C, saturated with water vapor; or at -40 degrees C, dry. Rectal temperature (Tre) and temperature at various locations along the length of the esophagus were measured during the exercise period. Temperature in the lower third of the esophagus was in close agreement with Tre and was unaffected by the level of respiratory heat exchange. Upper esophageal temperature decreased substantially during exercise, the magnitude of the decrease being dependent upon proximity to intrathoracic airways and the level of respiratory heat exchange (RHE). We conclude that with high levels of RHE, the capacity of the nasopharynx and upper airways to completely condition inspired air is exceeded. As a consequence, heat and water exchange occur in regions of the respiratory tract not normally involved in this function.

Body Temperature↗

Role of respiratory heat exchange in production of exercise-induced asthma.

We have hypothesized that it is the total heat flux in the tracheobronchial tree during exercise that determines the degree of postexertional obstruction in asthma, and have developed quanititative expressions that relate these two events. We tested this hypothesis by comparing the observed responses to exercise, while our subjects inhaled dry air at various temperatures ranging from subzero to 80 degrees C in a random fashion, to those that we predicted would occur based upon calculations of respiratory heat exchange. We further determined if heat could be transferred from the inspired air to the mucosa so as to offset evaporative losses from the airways. The observed responses fell as air temperature was increased from -11 to +37 degrees C and exactly matched theoretical predictions. Above 37 degrees C, the observed response exceeded predictions, indicating that it was not possible to provide sufficient heat per se in the air to offset the vaporization of water. However, when small amounts of water vapor were added to the inspirate at high temperatures, bronchospasm was virtually abolished and the response again closely matched theoretical expectations. We conclude that the magnitude of exercise-induced asthma is directly proportional to the thermal load placed on the airways and that this reaction is quantifiable in terms of respiratory heat exchange.

Adult↗

Esophageal temperature during exercise in asthmatic and nonasthmatic subjects.

We measured the temperature in the rectum and two esophageal sites (retrocardiac and retrotracheal) during exercise in eight asthmatic and six normal subjects while they breathed air at subfreezing, ambient, and body conditions. Various aspects of pulmonary mechanics were recorded before and after exercise. The asthmatic subjects developed the greatest airway obstruction following exercise with cold air and no response at body conditions. There were no changes in pulmonary mechanics in the postexercise period in the normal individuals with any of the inspired air conditions. Despite these divergent mechanical responses retrotracheal temperatures fell by the same magnitude below core values in both groups of subjects, indicating that identical degrees of airway cooling occurred. We conclude that rather than having a defect in the ability to condition inspired air, asthmatic subjects are more responsive to the effects of incompletely conditioned air.

Adult↗

Evidence for increased intrathoracic fluid volume in man at high altitude.

To determine if subclinical pulmonary edema occurs commonly at high altitude, 25 soldiers participated in two consecutive 72-h field exercises, the first at low altitude (200-875 m) and the second at high altitude (3,000-4,300 m). Various aspects of ventilatory function and pulmonary mechanics were measured at 0, 36, and 72 h of each exercise. Based on physical examination and chest radiographs there was no evidence of pulmonary edema at high altitude. There was, however, an immediate and sustained decrease in vital capacity and transthoracic electrical impedance as well as a clockwise rotation of the transpulmonary pressure-volume curve. In contrast, closing capacity and residual volume did not change immediately upon arrival at high altitude but did increase later during the exposure. These observations are consistent with an abrupt increase in thoracic intravascular fluid volume upon arrival at high altitude followed by a more gradual increase in extravascular fluid volume in the peribronchial spaces of dependent lung regions.

Adolescent↗

Effects of atropine on potentiation of exercise-induced bronchospasm by cold air.

The role of vagal efferent activity in the cold air potentiation of exercise-induced asthma was assessed by exercising nine subjects who breathed air at ambient and subfreezing temperatures before and after cholinergic blockade. Lung volumes and maximal expiratory flow volume curves with air and with 80% helium-20% oxygen were obtained before and 5--10 min after each challenge. Isovolume comparisons of maximal expiratory flow rates with the two gases were used to assess relative contributions of large and small airways to flow limitation. Exercise under ambient conditions resulted in the expected airway obstruction and cold air exaggerated the response. Atropine pretreatment had no effect on the cold air potentiation. After atropine with ambient air exercise, there was an increase in the relative contribution of large airways to flow limitation, whereas exercise with cold air resulted in an increase in the contribution of small airways. We concluded that the potentiating effects of cold air are local and suggest that the immediate stimulus is related to cooling of intrathoracic airways.

Adult↗

Influence of heat and humidity on the airway obstruction induced by exercise in asthma.

We examined the degree of airway obstruction that developed in eight asthmatics who exercised while breathing air under four conditions: (a) ambient room temperature and water content; (b) body temperature and ambient water content; (c) ambient room temperature fully saturated; and (d) body temperature fully saturated. These test conditions were performed in random order. Multiple aspects of pulmonary mechanics were measured before and 5 min after exercise. When air at ambient conditions was inhaled, the expected airway obstruction developed after exercise, and all variables changes significantly from their pre-challenge values. Heating the air to body temperature did not influence this response. Increasing the humidity at ambient temperatures significantly blunted the response, and by inhaling body temperature, fully saturated air completely prevented it from occurring. Thus, the water content of inspired air is an important variable in the development of exercise induced asthma.

Adult↗

Enhancement of exercise-induced asthma by cold air.

To study the possibility that the inhalation of cold air accentuates the bronchoconstrictor response to exercise in asthma, eight subjects exercised while breathing air at ambient or subfreezing temperatures. On a separate day, cold air was breathed at rest so as to isolate the effects of this stimulus. Pulmonary mechanics were measured before and after each experiment. In all subjects acute bronchoconstriction followed the control exercise challenge. With cold-air breathing, however, the magnitude of the response was markedly enhanced. Residual volume increased 158 per cent more than it did previously, and specific conductance and one-second forced expiratory volumes changed an additional 85 and 100 per cent, respectively. The effects of cold air at rest were very small. The results demonstrate a positive interaction of two common naturally occurring stimuli in the induction of asthmatic attacks, and constitute objective verification of a frequent clinical complaint.

Adult↗

Hematological and biochemical effects of chronic CO exposure on the Japanese quail.

Japanese Quail were exposed to a concentration of 300 to 350 ppm CO to maintain an equilibrium carboxyhemoglobin concentration of 30% for a period of 4 weeks. Compared to a control group of birds maintained in an identical chamber, the CO-exposed quail demonstrated increases in hematocrit ratio and hemoglobin concentration. At the end of the exposure period, the CO-exposed quail had significantly larger plasma and blood volumes, slight but significant right ventricular hypertrophy and higher fasting plasma glucose concentrations than the control birds. Cardiac and skeletal muscle carbohydrate stores were not affected by chronic CO exposure.

Animals↗