Effect of floor conditions upon frictional characteristics of squash court shoes.

Vertical (FN) and horizontal (FH) forces were recorded while four vertically-loaded court shoes were dragged horizontally across six types of floor surface. Variation in coefficient of limiting friction (FH/FN) between floor surfaces was greater than that between shoes. Squash strokes were also performed on the same surfaces during which FH/FN was calculated. Slips occurred on some surfaces either at heel contact or upon attainment of full-sole contact. It is concluded that the coefficient of limiting friction obtained during full-sole contact with the floor is a suitable means of distinguishing between tractional qualities of shoes. Alternatively, this measure is an inadequate predictor of the likelihood of slips in the game of squash racquets. Dusty floor conditions produce poor traction as does a damp sealed floor. As sweat droplets are unavoidable in the game, floors sealed with urethane represent a significant hazard. Bare, clean, wooden flooring which can absorb moisture represents a better surface than a sealed floor from the point of view of traction.

A low-budget and easy-to-operate room respirometer for measuring daily energy expenditure in man.

Accurate assessment of energy requirements of humans under various physiological, pathological, and environmental conditions is hampered by the high cost of techniques for measuring daily energy expenditure. A room respirometer novel in its novel in its low cost of construction and simplicity of operation is described, together with an appreciation of errors and assumptions. It is suitable for measurements of daily energy expenditure in humans with an accuracy of +/- 1.5% and can be reproduced without difficulty in both developed and developing countries.

Microcomputer control applied to the Vickers M85/86 microdensitometer.

An electronic interface for a Research Machines 380Z microcomputer and a Vickers M85/6 integrating microdensitometer is described, together with outlines of the control software. A typical applications programme, which may be written in several high-level languages, is outlined for the determination of a time course plot for enzyme activity in a tissue section. This system facilitates rapid accurate measurement and analysis of experimental data.

Albumin inhibits human polymorphonuclear leucocyte luminol-dependent chemiluminescence: evidence for oxygen radical scavenging.

Luminol-dependent chemiluminescence of normal human polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMN) which were resting, or stimulated by unopsonized latex beads, opsonized zymosan or the chemotactic peptide N-formyl-met-leu-phe was decreased more than 80% in the presence of physiological concentrations of albumin (4%, w/v). This inhibition did not result from impairment of light transmission, cellular toxicity, luminol excited-state quenching or a dialysable contaminant in the albumin preparation, but was reduced by 30% when the fall induced by albumin in extracellular free Ca2+ concentration was corrected. The inhibition was most apparent in the larger second phase of the PMN chemiluminescent response to chemotactic peptide or opsonized zymosan stimulation. The smaller first phase of these responses was in fact enhanced by low concentrations of albumin (0.05-0.5%, w/v) and only inhibited up to 50% by 4% (w/v) albumin. Albumin in the range 0.1-4% (w/v) exerted a similar effect on chemiluminescence resulting from superoxide anion (O-2) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production by xanthine oxidase catalysed oxidation of xanthine in the presence of luminol. We suggest that the effect of albumin on PMN luminol-dependent chemiluminescence is mediated by modification of the oxygen radical generating pathway, or oxygen radical scavenging. This previously undocumented property of the major extracellular protein requires further examination if oxygen radicals are to be established as important mediators of inflammation.