The Absolute Priority Rule and the Firm\u27s Investment Policy

This Article will focus on an aspect of the various reform schemes that Rasmussen notes but does not discuss in detail: each of these schemes increases the likelihood that the absolute priority rule will be strictly followed in bankruptcy. When absolute priority is strictly followed, senior claims are paid in full before junior claims get paid at all

The effectiveness of using homicide and auto theft rates as indicators of violent and property crime in the United States

The primary goal of this study is to determine whether the use of homicide and motor vehicle theft rates can predict overall violent and property crime rates respectively. Recent studies indicate that homicide rates seem to act as a primary and reliable representation of other violent crime rates, while motor vehicle theft rates seem to act as a primary representation of other property crime rates. This research for the author\u27s thesis indicates otherwise. Measures considered include the Uniform Crime Report, the National Crime Victimization Survey, and the National Incident-Based Reporting System

The effects of monocular paralysis and binocular eyelid suture on the electrophysiology of lateral geniculate nucleus of the cat

Single unit recording of cells in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) of adult cats following monocular paralysis of two weeks duration has been reported to diminish the relative proportion of X-cells in this nucleus. This functional loss of LGN X-cells was detected in the LGN laminae innervated by the paralyzed eye. Limitations in the method of classifying LGN cells as X or Y in the earlier work, however, precluded acquisition of data concerning the proportion of X- and Y-cells in the laraina innervated by the normal eye. The present study used response latency to optic chiasm shock of LGN cells (OX latency) to divide cells as X or Y. Y-cells have short and X-cells long OX latencies. This measure allows analysis of the effects of monocular paralysis in the layers innervated by the paralyzed and mobile eye, respectively

Polymeric stenting in the porcine coronary artery model: Differential outcome of exogenous fibrin sleeves versus polyurethane-coated stents

AbstractObjectives. In a porcine coronary model, fibrin film soaked for 3 h in heparin was used as a circumferential coating on a tantalum stent to assess the effect of this naturally occurring biopolymer on arterial healing. The results were compared with those obtained with medical grade polyurethane-coated stainless steel stents.Background. Thrombus plays an important role in healing after arterial injury and may affect the development of neointimal hyperplasia. Manipulation of the initial thrombus may alter the healing response. To study this, we placed a template of fibrin in a porcine coronary artery restenosis model.Methods. Thirty-four fibrin film stents were delivered in 20 swine. Oversizing was avoided, to prevent deep arterial injury, by placement of optimally sized stents. Initial patency of the syented vessel was confirmed by angiography.Results. Three fibrin-stented swine died within 48 h; in each, the stent was occluded with a fibrin/red blood cell mass. In two of these three, a portion of the exogenous fibrin had become detached from the stent and partially occluded the lumen. Of the remaining 31 stents, all were patent at elective sacrifice at 28 days. Eightyfour percent had a diameter stenosis <50%, and the mean (± SD) diameter stenosis was 32.3 ± 13%. There was no evidence of significant foreign-body giant-cell reaction. These results contrasted with the medical grade polyurethane-coated stents placed according to the same protocol without oversizing. Twelve of these stents were placed; six swine died of thrombotic occlusion within the 1st 48 h. At elective sacrifice at 28 days, the remaining polyurethane-coated stents were occluded by marked neointimal hyperplasia.Conclusions. Fibrin film-coated stents seem promising as a template for modifying the local response to arterial injury and for potentially decreasing restenosis rates

T-lymphocyte-rich thymoma and myasthenia gravis in a Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica)

A 10-year-old captive male Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) presented with acute onset collapse, vomiting and dyspnoea, preceded by a 6-month period of progressive muscle wasting. Following humane destruction, post-mortem examination revealed a large multilobulated mass in the cranial mediastinum, which was diagnosed as a T-lymphocyte-rich thymoma with the aid of immunohistochemistry. Retrospective serology for acetylcholine receptor antibodies (titre 3.90 nmol/l) confirmed a diagnosis of thymoma-associated myasthenia gravis. Thymomas are reported rarely in wild carnivores, but when detected they appear to be similar in morphology to those seen in domestic carnivores and may also be accompanied by paraneoplastic syndromes. The clinical signs of myasthenia gravis in the tiger were consistent with those reported in cats and dogs and the condition is proposed as an important differential diagnosis for generalized weakness in captive Felidae

Importance of continued activation of thrombin reflected by fibrinopeptide A to the efficacy of thrombolysis

Factors responsible for initial success or failure of coronary thrombolysis and persistent recanalization or early reocclusion have not been thoroughly elucidated. Both adequate initial clot lysis and preclusion of rethrombosis are required. Failure may reflect clot lysis followed immediately or somewhat later by rethrombosis. To determine whether differences in the intensity and persistence of the activation of thrombin are determinants of success or failure of recanalization, plasma fibrinopeptide A, a fibrinogen product liberated by thrombin, was serially assayed in 19 patients treated with intravenous streptokinase. In patients exhibiting recanalization (n = 9), plasma fibrinopeptide A decreased after administration of streptokinase but before administration of heparin. In patients without initially apparent recanalization, fibrinopeptide A increased, suggesting ongoing thrombosis, and subsequently decreased promptly after heparin. In patients with initial recanalization followed by overt reocclusion the pattern was different. Despite recanalization, fibrinopeptide A continued to rise markedly. Elevations persisted despite administration of heparin. Thus, inhibition of activation of thrombin is associated with successful recanalization. Conversely, persistent activation of thrombin may be a predisposing factor to both apparent initial failure of recanalization and nvprt early reocclusion

Effect of external beam irradiation on neointimal hyperplasia after experimental coronary artery injury

AbstractHuman coronary artery restenosis after percutaneous revascularization is a response to mechanical injury. Smooth muscle cell proliferation is a major component of restenosis, resulting in obstructive neointimal hyperplasia. Because ionizing radiation inhibits cellular proliferation, this study tested in a porcine coronary injury model the hypothesis that the hyperplastic response to coronary artery injury would be attenuated by X-irradiation.Deep arterial injury was produced in 37 porcine left anterior descending coronary artery segments with overexpanded, percutaneously delivered tantalum wire coils. Three groups of pigs were irradiated with 300-kV X-rays after coil injury: Group I (n = 10), 400 cGy at 1 day; Group II (n = 10), 400 cGy at 1 day and 400 cGy at 4 days and Group III (n = 9), 800 cGy at 1 day. Eight pigs in the control group underwent identical injury but received no radiation. Treatment efficacy was histologically assessed by measuring neointimal thickness and percent area stenosis.Mean neointimal thickness in all irradiated groups was significantly higher than in the control groups and thickness was proportional to X-ray dose.X-irradiation delivered at these doses and times did not inhibit proliferative neointima. Rather, it accentuated the neointimal response to acute arterial injury and may have potentiated that injury