Learning from the Past

Certain polyether polyurethanes possess ideal properties to make relatively small, maneuverable, and slippery (in blood) leads. Of those available at the time, only the Pellethane 2363 series met our needs. In 1975, the first polyurethane-insulated lead was implanted in a human as part of a spinal stimulator. The softer Shore 80A and stiffer Shore 55D polymers were tested extensively in vivo over the ensuing 5 years for cardiac use. This may leave the impression that we implanted neuro leads in humans first, then tested the material. In fact, the neuro implants were based on the 

State of the art testing at the time, but we wanted more long term in vivo data for cardiovascular. In vitro and ex vivo testing demonstrated that the materials were biocompatible and stable in the intended environment (as it was understood at the time) [6]. Just to be sure, however, we implanted the materials in the subcutis of rabbits for 2 years, conducting extensive characterization tests as a function of time. No untoward biocompatibility or biostability issues were revealed. Device tests were conducted in canines for 12 weeks, which had been shown to be sufficient time to characterize acute and chronic performance. Human clinical evaluations over 1-2 years (depending on the models) demonstrated that the devices had superior performance compared to their predecessors [7, 8]. Four polyurethane-insulated lead models were market released in the United States in April 1980 with FDA approval. 

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Drug treatment and prescribing practice what can be learned from the past ... 

LEARNING FROM THE PAST Playing with Fire 227 A Man and His Elements 230 Have a Drink for Dr. Snow 234 The Man Who Lost His Head Twice 238 You ve Got to Hand It to Ignaz 242 Mesmerizing Medicine 246 The Chew-Chew and Do-Do Man 251 The Catty Dr. Katterfelto and His Noxious Insects 255 Conquering with Conkers 258 From Obscure Physics to Practical Medicine 262 The Not-So-Miraculous Elixir 267... 

Mobley, J. A., Biological warfare in the twentieth century lessons learned from the past, challenges for the future, Mil. Med., November 1995, 160, 11, 547-553. 

In spite of the emergency of the transition required to a carbon-free energy system, learnings from the past history of hydrogen and nuclear energy give several reasons to be optimistic ... 

Next to operative use, molecular markers may be of importance in fundamental research aiming at understanding underlying mechanisms. It could be of interest to study micro-evolution of composite crosses or variety mixtures (Fraj et al., 2003 0stergard and Backes, 2006) or to analyse breeding progress retrospectively in order to learn from the past. 

However, that aspirin study showed me that we have not learned from the past. I know that we are anxious on many fronts to try to make sure that there is a diverse population and that there are such studies, but I think we still have a long way to go. 

As Coleridge knew, the mariner s tale is never told, it just continues. So we hope the reader takes encouragement from the bold scientific opportunities available, but with tempered enthusiasm. Much has been learned from the past. 

We have learned from the past that scientists can continue to communicate with each other even when their respective governments are at odds. One example is the Pugwash conferences during the Cold War, which brought together scientists from the Soviet Union and from the USA. 

Ronnevik, H. C. 2000. The exploration experience from Midgard to Kristin, Norwegian Sea. In Ofstad, K., Kittilsen, J. E. Alexander-Marrack, P. (eds) Improving the Exploration Process by Learning from the Past. Norwegian Petroleum Society (NPF) Special Publication, 9, Elsevier Science B. V., Amsterdam, 113-129. 

Within a short time, however, the army s policy on chemical warfare and the lessons learned from the past were hotly disputed, particularly as the military situation in Korea changed. First, the Chemical Corps lost its high-visibility ground... 

Many lessons can be learned from the past concerning chemical and biological warfare and the U.S. experience combating it. So far, the United States has been extremely lucky and has not experienced a chemical and biological Pearl Harbor like some other countries have. To prevent that, the U.S. military forces will have to continue to learn... 

It is not uncommon in some industries, such as the chemical and electric utility industries, to experience new injuries or fatalities due to the same incidents. Industrial incidents have an eerie way of repeating themselves because organizations do not learn from the past. Individuals learn, but individuals retire or move to different locations and take their knowledge and experience with them. The organization as a whole loses memory. As people retire, move to other plants, or plants downsize, incidents of a similar type tend to recur within the same company at approximately 10-year intervals. 

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