Prostaglandins modulate baroreflex-induced changes in blood pressure and myocardial function in anesthetized dogs

The purpose of our study was to investigate the role of prostaglandins in the changes in myocardial function and peripheral and coronary vascular resistance which accompany a generalized increase in sympathetic tone caused by carotid baroreflex unloading in the anesthetized dog. Bilateral carotid artery occlusion (BCO) with heart rate held constant by electrical pacing (150 beats/min) resulted in increases in systolic, (33%) diastolic (40%), and mean (35%) arterial pressures, LV systolic pressure (33%) and left ventricular (LV) dP/dt (37%). After blockade of prostaglandin synthesis with indomethacin (N = 11) or meclofenamate (N = 6) the increases in systolic (41%), diastolic (45%), and mean (41%) arterial pressures, LV systolic pressure (39%), LV dP/dt (52%), and cardiac work caused by BCO were significantly greater, in spite of the initially higher baseline values (11-18%) following the administration of the drugs. In contrast, the changes in circumflex coronary blood flow and coronary vascular resistance to BCO were essentially the same before and after inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis. Systemic prostaglandin synthesis may, therefore, play a significant role in the control of systemic arterial pressure and myocardial function, most probably by modulating the release of norepinephrine from adrenergic nerve terminals, without adversely affecting coronary blood flow regulation.     

Cardiovascular and renin responses to vanadate in the conscious dog: attenuation after calcium channel blockade

The effects of vanadate on cardiovascular function and on the secretion of renin and vasopressin were investigated by infusing sodium orthovanadate (0.32 mu mole/kg X min) intravenously into five conscious dogs. Vanadate caused significant increases in mean arterial pressure, total peripheral resistance, pulmonary arterial pressure, and cardiac output. These data illustrate that the hemodynamic effects of vanadate in the conscious dog are similar to those of the anesthetized dog but that minor differences do exist. Vanadate significantly suppressed plasma renin activity, but plasma vasopressin was unchanged. The effects of vanadate also were investigated in the same dogs on another day after administration of the calcium channel blocker, verapamil (0.3 mg/kg bolus + 0.01 mg/kg X min). After calcium channel blockade, the increases in arterial pressure and pulmonary arterial pressure induced by vanadate were attenuated, and cardiac output did not increase. Calcium channel blockade also prevented the vanadate-induced decrease in plasma renin activity. These data suggest that the cardiovascular and humoral alterations produced by vanadate in the conscious dog are at least partially mediated by changes in intracellular calcium.     

Arterial hemodynamics during head-up tilt in conscious dogs

The purpose of this study was to measure the major arterial hemodynamic responses to head-up tilt in the conscious dog. After recovery from surgery for instrumentation, and after habituation to tilt, the dogs were tilted from horizontal to 75 degrees for 5 min. The arterial hemodynamic response after the initial cardiovascular adjustments to the tilt consisted of no change in heart rate and significantly increased arterial blood pressure, with significantly reduced stroke volume and cardiac output. Both renal blood flow and terminal aorta blood flow declined significantly, even more than cardiac output. Muscular exertion was not part of the tilt response because upright standing on the hindlimbs elicited a sustained increase in heart rate and a significantly smaller increase in estimated total peripheral resistance. When compared with the orthostatic response in humans, the increase in arterial pressure was exaggerated in the dogs.     

Blood pressure of sinoaortic-denervated dogs is not increased by cardiac denervation

Although blood pressure rises markedly after acute sinoaortic denervation, animals with chronic sinoaortic denervation have normal or only slightly elevated mean arterial pressures. The present study was performed to determine whether reflexes from cardiac receptors exert antihypertensive effects and thereby lower blood pressure in animals with chronic sinoaortic denervation. We made multiple measurements of blood pressures in dogs with chronic sinoaortic denervation before and after their hearts were denervated surgically. Mean arterial pressure after cardiac denervation (100.3 +/- 4.2 mm Hg) was not significantly different from the mean pressures recorded before cardiac denervation in these sinoaortic-denervated dogs (104.8 +/- 3.1 mm Hg). Also, mean heart rate after cardiac denervation (107.4 +/- 5.5 beats/min) did not differ significantly from the mean heart rate recorded before cardiac denervation (107.2 +/- 5.9 beats/min). Cardiac denervation did, however, appear to reduce the lability of both blood pressure and heart rate in sinoaortic-denervated dogs. We conclude that cardiac receptors are not responsible for maintaining arterial pressure within essentially normal limits in animals with chronic sinoaortic denervation.     

Effects of transfusion-induced polycythemia on O2 transport during exercise in the dog

An increased hematocrit could enhance peripheral O2 transport during exercise by improving arterial O2 content. Conversely, it could reduce maximal delivery of O2 by limiting cardiac output during exercise or by limiting the distribution of blood flow to peripheral capillaries with high O2 extractions. We studied O2 transport at rest and during graded treadmill exercise in splenectomized tracheostomized dogs at normal hematocrit (38 +/- 3%), and 48 h after transfusion of type-matched donor cells. This procedure increased hematocrit (60 +/- 3%) but also increased blood volume (P less than 0.05). Following transfusion, resting cardiac output (QT) and heart rate were not different. During exercise, QT was significantly lower at each level of O2 consumption (VO2) at high hematocrit (P less than 0.01). A reduction in QT was also seen during polycythemic exercise with hypoxemia produced by breathing 12 or 10% O2 in N2. Despite the reduction in QT, mixed venous PO2 was not lower at high hematocrit, and the increase in base deficit with VO2 was not different from control measurements. O2 delivery (QT X arterial content) was similar at each level of VO2 at both levels of hematocrit, during both normoxic and hypoxic studies. Both systemic and pulmonary arterial pressures were increased at rest after transfusion (P less than 0.05). However, pulmonary and systemic pressures were not higher than control during exercise at high hematocrit. We conclude that a hematocrit of 60% with increased blood volume is not associated with a cardiac limitation of O2 delivery, nor does it interfere with peripheral O2 extraction during exercise in the dog.     

Heparin inhibits the formation of endoperoxide metabolites in rat platelets: aspirin-like activity

Amounts of thromboxane A₂ (TXA₂) synthesized during the collagen-induced aggregation was much higher in citrated PRP than in heaprinized PRP implying that heparin might inhibit the synthesis of endoperoxide metabolites besides its anticoagulant action. Preincubation of citrated PRP with heparin resulted in dose dependent inhibition of the formation of TXA₂ and PGE₂. At the high concentration, heparin also inhibited the aggregation of citrated platelets induced by collagen indicating that heparin possesses aspirin-like activity. The significance of this finding is that the antithrombotic effect of heparin is probably due to not only its anticoagulant effect but also inhibition of the formation of arachidonic acid metabolites by platelets.     

Acute post-irradiation canine intestinal blood flow

Radiation-induced early transient incapacitation (ETI) is accompanied by severe systemic hypotension, during which arterial blood pressure often decreases to less than 50 per cent of normal. One haemodynamic compensatory mechanism is increased peripheral resistance due to vasoconstriction. This vasoconstriction in the small intestine of dogs is disproportionately increased during haemorrhagic or endotoxic shock, and intestinal ischaemia is frequent. In an attempt to elucidate mechanisms underlying radiation-induced ETI and the gastrointestinal radiation syndrome, canine intestinal submucosal blood flow was measured by the hydrogen polarographic technique, both before and after exposure to gamma radiation. Systemic blood pressures, blood gases and haematocrits were determined simultaneously. Data obtained from 12 sham-irradiated dogs and 12 irradiated dogs indicated that 90 Gy, whole-body, gamma radiation produced a 31 per cent decrease in systemic mean blood pressure beginning within 20 min post-irradiation and lasting for at least 90 min. However, the intestinal submucosal blood flow did not decrease as anticipated, but it exhibited an actual post-irradiation increase. This increase in post-irradiation intestinal submucosal blood flow began within 5 min after irradiation and lasted for at least 90 min. Post-irradiation haematocrits were 10.5 per cent higher than those obtained before irradiation and those obtained from sham-irradiated subjects. Histopathological examination of ileal mucosa revealed significant pathologic lesions in some irradiated animals within two hours after exposure.     

Strength training reduces arterial blood pressure but not sympathetic neural activity in young normotensive subjects.

The effects of resistance training on arterial blood pressure and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) at rest have not been established. Although endurance training is commonly recommended to lower arterial blood pressure, it is not known whether similar adaptations occur with resistance training. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that whole body resistance training reduces arterial blood pressure at rest, with concomitant reductions in MSNA. Twelve young [21 +/- 0.3 (SE) yr] subjects underwent a program of whole body resistance training 3 days/wk for 8 wk. Resting arterial blood pressure (n = 12; automated sphygmomanometer) and MSNA (n = 8; peroneal nerve microneurography) were measured during a 5-min period of supine rest before and after exercise training. Thirteen additional young (21 +/- 0.8 yr) subjects served as controls. Resistance training significantly increased one-repetition maximum values in all trained muscle groups (P < 0.001), and it significantly decreased systolic (130 +/- 3 to 121 +/- 2 mmHg; P = 0.01), diastolic (69 +/- 3 to 61 +/- 2 mmHg; P = 0.04), and mean (89 +/- 2 to 81 +/- 2 mmHg; P = 0.01) arterial blood pressures at rest. Resistance training did not affect MSNA or heart rate. Arterial blood pressures and MSNA were unchanged, but heart rate increased after 8 wk of relative inactivity for subjects in the control group (61 +/- 2 to 67 +/- 3 beats/min; P = 0.01). These results indicate that whole body resistance exercise training might decrease the risk for development of cardiovascular disease by lowering arterial blood pressure but that reductions of pressure are not coupled to resistance exercise-induced decreases of sympathetic tone.     

Mortality and Morbidity of Exchange Transfusion

One hundred and fifty exchange transfusions, using citrated donor blood, were investigated to determine the mortality rate from the procedure. One infant died during manipulation of the catheter in the umbilical vein. Four infants died of combined causes including anemia, prematurity and elevated potassium in the donor blood. Sixty-two exchange transfusions were investigated in detail to determine the incidence of clinical disturbances. Vomiting, retching, respiratory distress, convulsions or tetany developed during 23 exchanges. A rapid rate of exchange, elevated potassium in the donor blood, and failure to administer calcium during the exchange were major factors contributing to these disturbances. Exchange transfusion with citrated blood can be safeguarded by (1) using donor blood less than five days old, (2) employing a rate of exchange of 2 ml./kg./min. and (3) injecting calcium gluconate during the exchange.     

Collection of hematopoietic stem cells from canine peripheral blood and their ability to regenerate hematopoiesis]

A procedure is presented for the collection of a large number of hemopoietic stem cells from the peripheral blood of dogs by means of a single leukapheresis using the NCI-IBM Blood Cell Separator. In the course of a leukapheresis of about 285 min duration a mean of 23 x 10-9 leukocytes is collected from the blood. The hemopoietic stem cells among such separated leukocytes initiate repopulation of bone marrow within 10 days after whole body X-irradiation with 1200 R. The cell numbers in a defined histological section of femoral bone marrow are evaluated 9 to 10 days after irradiation and subsequent autologous transfusion of 6.72 x 10-9 separated mononuclear leukocytes. The results indicate that the bone marrow cell numbers of transfused dogs are significantly greater than in dogs given only 1200 R and reach a level of approximately 49% of the normal value. Possible ways of increasing the yield of hemopoietic stem cells from the peripheral blood will be considered.     

Peripheral mucociliary clearance with high-frequency chest wall compression

We investigated the effects of high-frequency chest wall compression (HFCWC) on peripheral and tracheal mucus clearance in anesthetized spontaneously breathing dogs. HFCWC was achieved by oscillating the pressure in a thoracic cuff with a piston pump. Regional lung retention of a technetium-99m sulfur colloid aerosol was monitored with a gamma camera. A peripheral mucus clearance index (PMCI) was defined for each region of interest. The tracheal mucus clearance rate (TMCR) was determined by bronchoscopic visualization of marker particle transport. Phase I: In seven dogs, 30 min of HFCWC at 13 Hz with peak cuff pressure (Pcuff) 100-120 cmH2O was found to significantly enhance PMCI in regions immediately under the cuff. (delta PMCI = 24.4 +/- 4.6 in the basal peripheral region.) Phase II: Because of subpleural hemorrhage in phase I, the effect of HFCWC on TMCR at various Pcuff levels was studied in five dogs. The enhancement of TMCR by HFCWC reached a plateau level at Pcuff = 50 cmH2O. Phase III: HFCWC at 13 Hz with Pcuff = 50-60 cmH2O was found to significantly enhance PMCI in five dogs without the consequence of hemorrhage. Correlations were found between the enhancement of PMCI and TMCR by HFCWC. These results demonstrate that HFCWC is effective in enhancing both peripheral and central mucus clearance in dogs and safe when moderate pressures are applied.     

Circulatory effects of prolonged hypoxia before and during antihistamine.

Five chronically instrumented healthy dogs were exposed to a 5-day period of breathing 10% oxygen in a chamber. The response to hypoxia was found to be time dependent. During the first 24 h of hypoxia the circulatory response was characterized by increases in cardiac output, heart rate, pulmonary and systemic arterial blood pressures, and pulmonary vascular resistance. Systemic vascular resistance increased; left atrial pressure decreased. During the early part of hypoxia the animals became hypocapnic; the arterial blood pH rose significantly. During the rest of the hypoxic period cardiac output, heart rate, and arterial blood pH returned to the control values; pulmonary and systemic arterial pressures and pulmonary vascular resistance remained significantly elevated. Systemic vascular resistance rose; left atrial pressure remained below control. This response to hypoxia was not substantially modified when the experiment was repeated during the administration of the antihistamine promethazine, an H1-receptor blocking agent, in a dose which blocked the pulmonary vasoconstrictor response to small doses of exogenous histamine. The circulatory response to acute hypoxia in five anesthetized dogs was not modified by intravenous administration of metiamide, an H2-receptor blocking agent.     

Atriopeptin alters the vasopressin and renin responses elicited by hemorrhage

This study was designed to investigate whether an infusion of atrial peptide is capable of modulating the hormonal and hemodynamic responses elicited by acute hemorrhage. Conscious dogs were bled at a rate of 0.8 ml.kg-1.min-1 until 20 ml of blood/kg body wt had been removed. Two experiments were performed on each dog; in one experiment the animal was given alpha-human atrial natriuretic peptide (alpha-hANP) (50 ng.kg-1.min-1) dissolved in saline; in the other only the saline vehicle was given. Right and left atrial pressures decreased during hemorrhage in all experiments; the absolute decreases were greater when the animals received atriopeptin, but the differences between treatments were statistically significant only for right atrial pressure. Cardiac output decreased (P less than 0.05) and total peripheral resistance increased (P less than 0.05) during hemorrhage when atriopeptin was infused; although these variables showed similar trends when vehicle alone was infused during hemorrhage, no significant changes occurred. Infusion of atrial peptide did not affect the decrease in arterial blood pressure that occurred during hemorrhage. The increase in plasma vasopressin induced by hemorrhage was potentiated, but the increase in plasma renin activity was attenuated when alpha-hANP was infused. Hemorrhage increased circulating aldosterone levels in each experiment, but the response was less pronounced when alpha-hANP was given during the experiment. Intravenous administration of alpha-hANP modulates the hemodynamic responses elicited by hemorrhage, potentiates the rise in plasma vasopressin, and attenuates the rise in plasma renin activity induced by acute blood loss in conscious dogs.     

Role of beta-adrenergic agonists in the control of vascular capacitance

The role of beta-adrenergic agonists, such as isoproterenol, on vascular capacitance is unclear. Some investigators have suggested that isoproterenol causes a net transfer of blood to the chest from the splanchnic bed. We tested this hypothesis in dogs by measuring liver thickness, cardiac output, cardiopulmonary blood volume, mean circulatory filling pressure, portal venous, central venous, pulmonary arterial, and systemic arterial pressures while infusing norepinephrine (2.6 micrograms.min-1.kg-1), or isoproterenol (2.0 micrograms.min-1.kg-1), or histamine (4 micrograms.min-1.kg-1), or a combination of histamine and isoproterenol. Norepinephrine (an alpha- and beta 1-adrenergic agonist) decreased hepatic thickness and increased mean circulatory filling pressure, cardiac output, cardiopulmonary blood volume, total peripheral resistance, and systemic arterial and portal pressures. Isoproterenol increased cardiac output and decreased total peripheral resistance, but it had little effect on liver thickness or mean circulatory filling pressure and did not increase the cardiopulmonary blood volume or central venous pressure. Histamine caused a marked increase in portal pressure and liver thickness and decreased cardiac output, but it had little effect on the estimated mean circulatory filling pressure. Isoproterenol during histamine infusions reduced histamine-induced portal hypertension, reduced liver size, and increased cardiac output. We conclude that the beta-adrenergic agonist, isoproterenol, has little influence on vascular capacitance or liver volume of dogs, unless the hepatic outflow resistance is elevated by agents such as histamine.     

Effects of dihydroergotamine on hemodynamic molsidomine actions in anesthetized dogs

In pentobarbital-anesthetized mongrel dogs the intravenous actions of 0.50 mg/kg molsidomine on pulmonary artery and left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic pressures and internal heart dimensions (preload), left ventricular systolic and peripheral blood pressures, and total peripheral resistance (afterload), as well as on heart rate, dP/dt, stroke volume, and cardiac output (heart performance) were studied for 2 h. Hemodynamic molsidomine effects were influenced by increasing amounts of intravenously infused dihydroergotamine solution (DHE, 1-64 micrograms X kg-1 X min-1). Molsidomine decreased preload, stroke volume, and cardiac output for over 2 h but decreased ventricular and peripheral pressures for 45 min. Systemic vascular resistance showed a tendency to decrease while heart rate and LV dP/dtmax were not altered. DHE infusion reversed molsidomine effects on the preload and afterload of the heart. The diminished stroke volume was elevated so that cardiac output also increased. Total peripheral resistance increased while heart rate fell in a dose-dependent fashion. The LV dP/dtmax remained unchanged until the highest dose of 64 micrograms X kg-1 X min-1 DHE elevated the isovolumic myocardial contractility. These experiments indicate that DHE can reverse the intravenous molsidomine effects on hemodynamics. Most likely, this is mediated through peripheral vasoconstriction of venous capacitance vessels, thereby affecting molsidomine's action on postcapillary beds of the circulation.     

Effect of reserpine upon the haemodynamic course of recovery following experimental myocardial infarction

Acute haemodynamic consequences of coronary artery ligation were evaluated in twenty-four anaesthetized open-chest dogs, nine of which were pretreated with reserpine. The following parameters were measured before, and at 15-min intervals following ligation for at least five hours : ECG, mean arterial blood pressure, aortic blood flow, left ventricular pressure, heart rate, peripheral resistance (P.R.), end-diastolic pressure, dP/dtmax, and "internal work" (I.W. = heart rate x dP/dtmax). It was found that aortic flow was similar in control and reserpine-pretreated dogs (753 +/- 43 vs. 744 +/- 57 ml/min respectively), even though heart rate, blood pressure and other parameters were significantly higher in the control animals. Furthermore, the controls could be divided into two groups : recoverers (R) and non-recoverers (N), on the basis of late stage haemodynamic differences. The ratio of PR/IW taken within one hour of ligation was significantly higher in the R group (496 +/- 69) and reserpine group (479 +/- 30) than in the N group (242 +/- 28), and could predict course of recovery in each dog studied. It is concluded that the presence of myocardial catecholamines may be deleterious to the ischemic heart when the PR or IW are disproportionately altered.     

Cardiovascular responses to oxygen inhalation after hemorrhage in anesthetized rats: hyperoxic vasoconstriction

Oxygen inhalation is recommended for the initial care of trauma victims. The improved survival seen in early hemorrhage is normally associated with an increase in blood pressure. Although clinical use of oxygen can occur late after hemorrhage, the effects of late administration have not been specifically examined. Anesthetized rats were studied using an isobaric hemorrhage model with target pressures of either 70 or 40 mmHg. At various times after hemorrhage, the feedback control of the blood pressure was stopped and the inspired gas was changed from room air to 100% oxygen. The results show that shortly after hemorrhage to 70 mmHg, oxygen inhalation results in an increase in mean arterial blood pressure of 60 +/- 3 mmHg, which is associated with a large increase in total peripheral resistance from 0.89 +/- 0.05 to 1.25 +/- 0.1 peripheral resistance units. The blood pressure response is essentially unchanged with time, and it is not altered by a 10-min exposure to N(G)-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester. At a target pressure of 40 mmHg, the initial blood pressure response to oxygen is the same, but it gradually decreases as the animal develops a lactic acidosis. We conclude that the therapeutic value of oxygen needs to be separately evaluated for late hemorrhage.     

Changes in systemic hemodynamics following administration of synthetic angiotensin II to dogs of different ages]

Experiments were conducted on dogs aged 18-22 days, 2-3 month-old and adult dogs. Arterial blood pressure, cardiac output, heart rate and total peripheral resistance during the infusion of synthetic angiotensin-II-amide in a dose of 2 mug/kg per minute were studied. An increase of arterial pressure in adult dogs during the action of angiotensin-II was connected with the elevation of the total peripheral resistance. An increase of the total peripheral resistance and also of the cardiac output was seen in the puppies. The differences in the degree of increase of the arterial blood pressure in adult dogs and puppies were not marked.     

Effect of hemorrhage on plasma atriopeptin levels in conscious dogs

An increase in atrial pressure has been shown to cause an increase in the concentration of atrial peptides (atriopeptin) in plasma. We therefore hypothesized that a reduction in atrial pressure would decrease the concentration of atriopeptin in plasma. In formulating this hypothesis we assumed that changes in the concentration of other circulating hormones or changes in cardiac nerve activity during hemorrhage would not affect the secretion of atriopeptin. To test the hypothesis, we bled sham-operated conscious dogs at a rate of 0.8 ml.kg-1.min-1 to decrease right and left atrial pressures. Hemorrhage was continued until a total of 30 ml of blood per kilogram body weight had been removed. Identical experiments were performed on conscious cardiac-denervated dogs. The concentration of plasma atriopeptin was decreased in each group of dogs after 10 ml of blood per kilogram of body weight had been removed, but the decrease achieved statistical significance only in the cardiac-denervated dogs. Further hemorrhage, however, produced no further decreases in circulating atriopeptin in either group even though atrial pressures continued to decline as more blood was removed. A comparison of the atriopeptin response to hemorrhage revealed no significant difference between the sham-operated and cardiac-denervated dogs, thus providing no evidence for a specific effect of cardiac nerves on atriopeptin secretion during hemorrhage. Our results demonstrate that the relationship between atrial pressure and plasma atriopeptin that has been observed repeatedly during atrial stretch is not evident during relatively slow, prolonged hemorrhage. There is, however, a small decline in circulating atriopeptin during the initial stage of hemorrhage that could be of biological significance.     

Reference cardiopulmonary values in normal dogs

The purpose of this project was to collate canine cardiopulmonary measurements from published and unpublished studies in our laboratory in 97 instrumented, unsedated, normovolemic dogs. Body weight; arterial and mixed-venous pH and blood gases; mean arterial, pulmonary arterial, pulmonary artery occlusion, and central venous blood pressures; cardiac output; heart rate; hemoglobin; and core temperature were measured. Body surface area; bicarbonate concentration; base deficit; cardiac index; stroke volume index, systemic and pulmonary vascular resistance indices; left and right cardiac work indices; alveolar partial pressure of oxygen (pO2) ; alveolar-arterial pO2 gradient (A-apO2); arterial, mixed-venous, and pulmonary capillary oxygen content; oxygen delivery; oxygen consumption; oxygen extraction; venous admixture; arterial and mixed-venous blood CO2 contents; and CO2 production were calculated. In the 97 normal, resting dogs, mean arterial and mixed-venous pH were 7.38 and 7.36, respectively; partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2), 40.2 and 44.1 mm Hg, respectively; base-deficit, -2.1 and -1.9 mEq/liter, respectively; pO2, 99.5 and 49.3 mm Hg, respectively; oxygen content, 17.8 and 14.2 ml/dl, respectively; A-a pO2 was 6.3 mm Hg; and venous admixture was 3.6%. The mean arterial blood pressure (ABPm), mean pulmonary arterial blood pressure (PAPm), pulmonary artery occlusion pressure (PAOP) were 103, 14, and 5.5 mm Hg, respectively; heart rate was 87 beats/min; cardiac index (CI) was 4.42 liters/min/m2; systemic and pulmonary vascular resistances were 1931 and 194 dynes.sec.cm-5, respectively; oxygen delivery, consumption and extraction were 790 and 164 ml/min/m2 and 20.5%, respectively. This study represents a collation of cardiopulmonary values obtained from a large number of dogs (97) from a single laboratory using the same measurement techniques.