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M Mulholland

Publications and source records attributed to M Mulholland.

25 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Coastal dispersion conditions near the southwestern tip of Africa: a system for evaluation and prediction.

A system is presented to monitor the local meteorology and to predict the dispersion of effluents from a nuclear power station situated on the coast near the southwestern tip of Africa. A computerized weather station forms the basis of the system and provides spatial definition of wind profiles and dispersion indices near the coastal interface by interpolation between a sensor array. The meteorological system measures winds, temperature structure and turbulence indices at the 10-m level at five remote points and in the 10- to 80-m layer at the main coastal station. To provide a system for evaluation and prediction of effluent trajectories, a real-time three-dimensional puff dispersion model was developed. The meteorology input to the model is automatically verified and updated at 15-min intervals. Model results are presented under complex weather conditions to show how time and space changes in the local wind field are handled. To assist weather forecasters supporting the nuclear emergency plan, a simple tabular display enables a view of the dispersion climatology over 24-h (coastal) and 7-d (synoptic) cycles. These results are presented to contrast the different scales of circulation and for comparison within the nuclear industry to assist health physicists in deciding appropriate levels of meteorological support for emergency plans.

Africa↗

Neuromuscular and mechanical responses to inspiratory resistive loading during sleep.

The purposes of this study were 1) to characterize the immediate inspiratory muscle and ventilation responses to inspiratory resistive loading during sleep in humans and 2) to determine whether upper airway caliber was compromised in the presence of a resistive load. Ventilation variables, chest wall, and upper airway inspiratory muscle electromyograms (EMG), and upper airway resistance were measured for two breaths immediately preceding and immediately following six applications of an inspiratory resistive load of 15 cmH2O.l-1 X s during wakefulness and stage 2 sleep. During wakefulness, chest wall inspiratory peak EMG activity increased 40 +/- 15% (SE), and inspiratory time increased 20 +/- 5%. Therefore, the rate of rise of chest wall EMG increased 14 +/- 10.9% (NS). Upper airway inspiratory muscle activity changed in an inconsistent fashion with application of the load. Tidal volume decreased 16 +/- 6%, and upper airway resistance increased 141 +/- 23% above pre-load levels. During sleep, there was no significant chest wall or upper airway inspiratory muscle or timing responses to loading. Tidal volume decreased 40 +/- 7% and upper airway resistance increased 188 +/- 52%, changes greater than those observed during wakefulness. We conclude that 1) the immediate inspiratory muscle and timing responses observed during inspiratory resistive loading in wakefulness were absent during sleep, 2) there was inadequate activation of upper airway inspiratory muscle activity to compensate for the increased upper airway inspiratory subatmospheric pressure present during loading, and 3) the alteration in upper airway mechanics during resistive loading was greater during sleep than wakefulness.

Adult↗

Surgical treatment of duodenal ulcer: a prospective randomized study.

From 1960 to 1980, 344 patients were included in a prospective randomized study for elective surgical treatment of duodenal ulcer disease. Results of vagotomy and pyloroplasty were compared with vagotomy and hemigastrectomy. There were no postoperative deaths, the postoperative complication rates were similar for both groups. Ulcerations recurred in 12% of the vagotomy-pyloroplasty group and in 3% of the vagotomy-hemigastrectomy group (P less than .05). Independent analyses of recurrence were performed for young patients, for alcoholics, and for patients who had obstructions or were bleeding preoperatively. Recurrence rates in these special populations were not found to be significantly different. Eight percent of the vagotomy-pyloroplasty group required reoperations for recurrent ulceration; only 2% of the vagotomy-hemigastrectomy group required reoperation. Postoperative dumping symptoms were significantly more frequent in the vagotomy hemigastrectomy group. Postoperative diarrhea was also more frequent and more severe in the vagotomy-hemigastrectomy group.

Adult↗