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The effect of sodium depletion on body weight, plasma renin activity (PRA) and plasma aldosterone concentration has been studied in 10 normotensive subjects with a previous history of pregnancy - associated hypertension. The results demonstrate an appropriate increase in PRA but a suppression of plasma aldosterone response to this form of acute sodium depletion. The significance of this dissociated renin-aldosterone response is discussed.

Identification of factors associated with National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) success is critical at public colleges of nursing with diverse student populations. This issue was the purpose of this research study. A descriptive correlational research design was used. Seventy-nine generic senior students enrolled in an urban public university participated in the study. Several internal and external blocks to success were described by the students, including family responsibilities, emotional distress, fatigue, and financial and work burdens. Significant correlations were found between success in the NCLEX-RN and cumulative undergraduate nursing program grade point average, English as the primary language spoken at home, lack of family responsibilities or demands, lack of emotional distress, and sense of competency in critical thinking. Establishment of a comprehensive data base-including factors associated with success in the NCLEX-RN and programs of advisement, tutoring, and stress management as well as classes in study skills, test taking, and NCLEX preparation-are recommended for public colleges of nursing with diverse student populations.

Digital X-ray imaging techniques have achieved wide-spread acclaim in general vascular diagnosis and in the support of interventional procedures. However, in cardiac angiography, acceptability of digital imaging until recently, has been less enthusiastic. To a large extent this has reflected the effectiveness of cine fluorography and the exacting performance standards that it sets to any competing technique. Whereas cine fluorography provides rapid acquisition of dynamic sequences of high (spatio-temporal) fidelty images, the review of these images has to be retrospective and in practice it is necessary to rely heavily on the modest image quality provided by TV fluoroscopy for the on-line evaluation of the procedure.Early attempts at digital cardiac imaging based upon digital subtraction angiography (DSA) produced results of widely inconsistent quality. This was partly because of the inferior specification of the equipment used at that time. In addition, however, the dynamic nature of the heart itself sets limits to the precision with which subtractive imaging could be performed. Nonsubtractive, or grey-scale, digital imaging on the other hand promised several practical advantages over DSA for cardiac studies, provided that the quality of the images could be enhanced using digital imaging techniques (Rouse et al, 1986).The recent introduction of extremely fast but economical analogue to digital converters and microprocessors now means that the contest between digital and cine fluorography in cardiac imaging can begin in earnest. Viable digital imaging systems which are custom designed for cardiac applications are now available.