Determination of the uptake of [Pt(NH3)4](NO3)2 by grass cultivated on a sandy loam soil and by cucumber plants, grown hydroponically.

Two cultivation experiments were carried out in order to answer the question to what extent platinum can enter the food chain by accumulation in plants, when the platinum is present in a bio-available form: (i) cucumber plants (Cucumis sativus) were grown hydroponically in nutrient solutions containing [Pt(NH3)4](NO3)2 (from 0.5 to 50 micrograms Pt/l solution); and (ii) a water-soluble platinum compound--[Pt(NH3)4](NO3)2--was added in increasing amounts to a sandy loam soil (from 0.5 to 50 mg Pt/kg soil) and rye grass (Lolium perenne) was grown on it. The roots on the one hand and the green plant fractions in the other hand of the cucumber plants and the rye grass were digested using a high-pressure asher. The platinum concentration was determined by means of a quadrupole-based (VG PQ I) or a double focusing sector field ICP-mass spectrometer (Finnigan MAT, Element), depending on the platinum concentration in the sample solution. The detection limit for platinum obtained with the VG PQ I was observed to be 6 ng/1, while with the 'Element' the detection limit could be improved to 0.5 ng/1 Pt. Accumulation factors were calculated as the ratio of the platinum concentration in the plant to that in the soil or the nutrient solution. The grass grown on spiked soil accumulated platinum only to a slight degree (accumulation factors between 0.008 and 0.032). The hydroponically grown cucumber plants, however, strongly accumulated it (accumulation factors of 11-42 in the shoot and 1700-2100 in the roots). There are three possible causes for the large differences in the accumulation factors: (i) Cucumber plants are dicotyledons; grass, however, is a monocotyledon. Other cultivation experiments already showed that dicotyledons accumulate metals to a higher extent than monocotyledons. (ii) In the grass cultivation experiment, the platinum compound was only added once to the sandy loam soil, namely 2 days before grass was cultivated on it. The nutrient solutions of the cucumber plants were changed twice a week. Consequently, the total amount of platinum that the plants were exposed to during the cultivation of the cucumber plants was higher than during the cultivation of the grass. (iii) Immobilization of the platinum compound in the soil most likely occurred.

Distribution of platinum group elements (Pt, Pd, Rh) in environmental and clinical matrices: Composition, analytical techniques and scientific outlook: Status report.

Trace concentrations of the platinum group elements (PGE; here: Pt, Pd and Rh) play an important role in environmental analysis and assessment. Their importance is based on 1. their increasing use as active compartments in automobile exhaust catalysts, 2. their use as cancer anti-tumor agents in medicine. Due to their allergenic and cytotoxic potential, it is necessary to improve selectivity and sensitivity during analytical investigation of matrices like soil, grass, urine or blood. This paper summarizes the present knowledge of PGE in the fields of analytical chemistry, automobile emission rates, bioavailability, toxicology and medicine.

Evidence of a secondary hypervolemia in trained man following acute high intensity exercise.

Exercise induced hypervolemia is well documented following the initial onset of chronic exercise. In trained man, however, it might be difficult to induce further PV expansion with exercise induced hypervolemia already present. Therefore the primary goal of this study was determine the effect of acute high intensity exercise on plasma volume (PV), cardiac output (CO), stroke volume (SV), heart rate (HR), and oxygen consumption (VO2), in fourteen male competitive runners (VO2max 60.7 +/- 6.4 ml.kg-1.min-1) in the middle of their season. In this well trained state, subjects twice performed three steady state runs at different speeds, and one maximal graded exercise test (baseline). After this baseline evaluation, subjects exercised at a high intensity (approximately 90-95% of VO2max) on 2 consecutive days (short-term high intensity STHI exercise). Subjects then repeated the submaximal runs and maximal exercise test (post high intensity exercise, PHIE). Following the intense exercise period, the subjects experienced an increase in PV of 4.4% (p < 0.05), HR was significantly reduced for any given running speed (p < 0.05) as was blood lactate concentration (p < 0.05), and SV was significantly increased by 4% (p < 0.05). Both CO and VO2 at submaximal running speeds were unaffected by the acute increase in exercise intensity. Maximal HR was also significantly reduced following the intense exercise (p < 0.05), but VO2max was unchanged. These data illustrate that STHI exercise can induce a secondary hypervolemia at a given work rate in trained man. These findings support scientific and anecdotal reports of a reduced HR response at a given work rate PHIE.

Patient recall of self-care recommendations in diabetes.

Twenty-four insulin-dependent diabetic patients were interviewed immediately after a follow-up visit to an outpatient pediatric clinic to determine which of the recorded instructions delivered by professionals were recalled by patients. The health care team reported giving an average of seven recommendations per patient, or a total of 168 items listed by team members as important. Patients recalled an average of two recommendations, or a total of 50 items, 40% of which had not been recorded by team members. Recommendations concerning diet, insulin dosage and injections, urine testing, and exercise represented 80% of those recalled by patients and only 58% of those recorded by professionals. The results were interpreted to suggest that health care teams focus on fewer items to insure communication of the most appropriate recommendations for individual patients.

Developing interdisciplinary courses for allied health students: a retrospective view.

Innovative interdisciplinary education in allied health has been developed in order to give students insight into role competencies of other professionals, improve the quality of health care while reducing costs, and facilitate the interdependent functioning of allied health care providers in meeting patient or client needs. The process of interdisciplinary course development requires the same communication and needs identification by faculty as is necessary for the provision of team care by practitioners. A retrospective account of interdisciplinary course development in a major health sciences center, together with materials developed for class presentation, may serve to encourage this type of activity elsewhere.