Clinical and health care cost consequences of infective endocarditis in mitral valve prolapse

In 1990-1991, a national survey was conducted to estimate the prevalence of Salmonella species among Canadian commercial turkey flocks. Two hundred and seventy flocks were randomly selected across Canada. The proportion sampled from each province was selected according to each province's share of the national turkey market. Samples, consisting of 12 pooled litter and four pooled dust samples, were used to determine the Salmonella status of the environment of each flock. Additionally, a one kilogram sample of feed was taken from each flock premise. Salmonella was recovered from environmental samples in 234/270 (86.7%) of flocks and from feed samples in 26/266 (9.8%) of flocks. Forty-eight different Salmonella serovars were isolated from flock environmental samples. The most prevalent serovars were S. anatum, S. hadar, S. agona, S. heidelberg and S. saintpaul which were isolated from 53/270 (19.6%), 49/270 (18.1%), 49/270 (18.1%), 42/270 (15.6%) and 34/270 (12.6%) flocks, respectively.     

Domain flexibility in retroviral proteases: structural implications for drug resistant mutations

Rigid body rotation of five domains and movements within their interfacial joints provide a rational context for understanding why HIV protease mutations that arise in drug resistant strains are often spatially removed from the drug or substrate binding sites. Domain motions associated with substrate binding in the retroviral HIV-1 and SIV proteases are identified and characterized. These motions are in addition to closure of the flaps and result from rotations of approximately 6-7 degrees at primarily hydrophobic interfaces. A crystal structure of unliganded SIV protease (incorporating the point mutation Ser 4 His to stabilize the protease against autolysis) was determined to 2.0 A resolution in a new space group, P3221. The structure is in the most "open" conformation of any retroviral protease so far examined, with six residues of the flaps disordered. Comparison of this and unliganded HIV structures, with their respective liganded structures by difference distance matrixes identifies five domains of the protease dimer that move as rigid bodies against one another: one terminal domain encompassing the N- and C-terminal beta sheet of the dimer, two core domains containing the catalytic aspartic acids, and two flap domains. The two core domains rotate toward each other on substrate binding, reshaping the binding pocket. We therefore show that, for enzymes, mutations at interdomain interfaces that favor the unliganded form of the target active site will increase the off-rate of the inhibitor, allowing the substrate greater access for catalysis. This offers a mechanism of resistance to competitive inhibitors, especially when the forward enzymatic reaction rate exceeds the rate of substrate dissociation.     

Functional knockout of the transient outward current, long-QT syndrome, and cardiac remodeling in mice expressing a dominant-negative Kv4 alpha subunit

Amino acid changes S180A (S-->A at site 180), H197Y, Y277F, T285A, and A308S are known to shift the maximum wavelength of absorption (lambda max) of red and green visual pigments toward blue, essentially in an additive fashion. To test the generality of this "five-sites" rule, we have determined the partial amino acid sequences of red and green pigments from five mammalian orders (Artiodactyla, Carnivora, Lagomorpha, Perissodactyla, and Rodentia). The result suggests that cat (Felis catus), dog (Canis familiaris), and goat (Capra hircus) pigments all with AHYTA at the five critical sites have lambda max values of approximately 530 nm, whereas rat (Rattus norvegicus) pigment with AYYTS has a lambda max value of approximately 510 nm, which is accurately predicted by the five-sites rule. However, the observed lambda max values of the orthologous pigments of European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), and guinea pig (Cavia procellus) are consistently more than 10 nm higher than the predicted values, suggesting the existence of additional molecular mechanisms for red and green color vision. The inferred amino acid sequences of ancestral organisms suggest that the extant mammalian red and green pigments appear to have evolved from a single ancestral green-red hybrid pigment by directed amino acid substitutions.     

Organizational Commitment: Clarifying the Concept and Simplifying the Existing Construct Typology

This paper examines popular concepts and "types" of organizational commitment in light of the definition of commitment and common factors that pertain to all commitments. It argues that a commitment is best conceptualized as a single, fundamental construct that may vary according to differences in focus, terms, and time-specific evaluation. Analysis of affective commitment measures indicates that certain measures contain more than one set of terms and make assumptions about evaluation that add constraints to the basic meaning of commitment. Recommendations include the argument that commitment measures address one set of terms and avoid evaluative phraseology.     

The fine structure of the interrenal cells of the duck (Anas platyrhynchos) with evidence for possible exocytotic release of steroids

The duck interrenal cell possesses ultrastructural characteristics common to other steroid-secreting cells. Lipid droplets and mitochondria are abundant and lie principally at the apical end of the cell. Lipid droplets are not membrane-limited. Cisternae of smooth endoplasmic reticulum that are occasionally continuous with the less abundant rough endoplasmic reticulum are a prominent feature of the interrenal cell. Tubular profiles of rough endoplasmic reticulum often lie tangentially to mitochondria and ribosomes are either free, grouped in polyribosomal clusters, or bound to the endoplasmic reticulum. Mitochondria possess tubular cristae in the inner regions of the gland and frequently contain a paracrystalline array of small 10nm (o.d.) tubules and less frequently a hexagonal array of 40 nm trilaminar rings. Other cytoplasmic components include dense bodies, residual bodies, microtubules, microfilaments and specialized single membrane-bound vesicles. Gap junctions, intermediate junctions and interdigitating processes constitute the main intercellular associations. No tight junctions were identified. The single membrane-bound vesicles which are occasionally filled with a low electron-dense, lipid-like material form septate-like "junctions" with the plasma membrane. The septa bridge an intracellular gap of 15-17 nm. The vesicles are usually located near the subendothelial space at the basal and basilateral regions of the cell. Occasionally, vesicles fuse with the plasma membrane. It is suggested that these vesicles represent morphological evidence for the exocytotic release of steroid hormones.     

The relationship of education to blood pressure: findings on 40,000 employed Chicagoans

The relationship of education to both actual blood pressure and the prevalence of high blood pressure, based on a systolic pressure of 160 mm Hg or greater or a diastolic pressure of 95 mm Hg or greater, was analyzed among 27,033 men and women, white and black, age 25-44 and 45-64, from the Chicago Heart Association Detection Project in Industry. The educational status of each individual was categorized as not a high school graduate, high school graduate, some college, or college graduate. A statistically significant inverse association between education and high blood pressure was present in all groups of whites. This association could not be "accounted for" by differences in age, relative weight, and heart rate among the educational strata. Controlling for these variables did, however, lessen the association. Among black males a significant inverse association between education level and blood pressure was found for the younger group. For the older black males there was a clear inverse association although with the small numbers it did not achieve statistical significance. For black females there was no clear association.     

Small bowel perforation secondary to metastatic lung carcinoma

Since 1961, there have been a total of seven patients with small bowel perforation caused by metastatic lung carcinoma reported in the literature. Perforation of the small bowel to metastatic lung carcinoma must be considered when evaluating older patients who have histories of heavy cigarette smoking and signs and symptoms suggestive of pulmonary neoplasia. Primary resection and end-to-end anastomosis of the perforated bowel is the treatment of choice. No patient with small bowel perforation secondary to lung carcinoma has survived more than four months.     

随机丝网印刷测试与检验

<正>为什么简化视觉数据进行一次性快速测试对改善工艺控制和生产力是明智之举?W.Edwards Deming在其关于制造的14条规则中敦促道:质量不能仅仅是"检验一下"就能保证的。Deming的思想是在战后的日本形成的,它们概括了在整个现代化电子制造时代关于检验作用的辩论。但是他关于检验的想法是否仍然实用于现     

Hydrogenated amorphous semiconductors

Solar cells based on hydrogenated amorphous silicon are now made from a variety of materials including alloys and microcrystalline films. Research aimed at improving cell efficiency should emphasize studies of alloys and metastable defects. We discuss several research topics related to the growth, structure, and electronic properties of these materials, which should lead to improved photovoltaic devices.