Analytically Solvable Asymptotic Model of Atrial Excitability

We report a three-variable simplified model of excitation fronts in human atrial tissue. The model is derived by novel asymptotic techniques \new{from the biophysically realistic model of Courtemanche et al (1998) in extension of our previous similar models. An iterative analytical solution of the model is presented which is in excellent quantitative agreement with the realistic model. It opens new possibilities for analytical studies as well as for efficient numerical simulation of this and other cardiac models of similar structure

Partner-abusers as fathers: testing hypotheses about their child rearing and the risk of physical child abuse

Children of men who abuse their partners are at risk for behavior problems and physical abuse. Few studies have investigated the child rearing of these men. To investigate the quality of child rearing spouse abusers engage in, a total of 94 fathers of children participated. Fifty-six fathers were enrolled in a batterers intervention program and 39 fathers came from the community. The men reported on their parenting behavior and attitudes, problematic behaviors linked to abuse, and two types of abnormal behavior. Only one significant group difference was found between the violent and the nonviolent fathers. However, across the two samples, men who reported engaging in more psychological abuse had higher Child Abuse Potential Inventory (CAP) scores. Furthermore, fathers with elevated CAP scores (all but one were in the batterer intervention group) differed significantly from the other men on seven variables including anger, trauma symptoms, and borderline personality organization. Implications for understanding perpetrators of partner violence and the links to physical child abuse are discussed

Experimentos com a polpa cítrica em ovinos e coelhos Experiments with citrus pulp in sheep and rabbits

Ovinos e coelhos receberam em sua alimentação polpa cítrica em quantidades elevadas durante períodos prolongados, com a finalidade de estabelecer um modelo experimental. A polpa cítrica para os experimentos realizados nos ovinos era a mesma usada por criador do município de Lorena, SP, que perdeu 5 de um total de 56 vacas em lactação, em um período de poucas semanas; a doença caracterizava-se histologicamente por lesões granulomatosas. Os 4 ovinos usados nos experimentos receberam 800g/dia/animal desta polpa cítrica durante 10 a 11 meses. Nenhum dos ovinos mostrou o quadro clínico-patológico da intoxicação pela polpa cítrica observado nos bovinos ou outras alterações. Nos experimentos com os coelhos foi usada polpa cítrica de duas procedências. Na primeira série de experimentos com 6 coelhos foi usada a mesma polpa cítrica dos experimentos com os ovinos; na segunda série de experimentos com mais 6 coelhos utilizou-se a polpa cítrica que causou lesões granulo-matosas em cães. Os coelhos da primeira série ingeriram em média 51,5 g/dia/animal, os da segunda série em média 35,2 g/dia/animal da polpa cítrica. Os coelhos foram sacrificados 2, 3 , 6 e 12 meses após o início dos experimentos. Nenhum dos coelhos mostrou o quadro clínico-patológico da intoxicação pela polpa cítrica ou outras alterações.<br>Citrus pulp was fed to sheep and rabbits in high doses and during long periods, in order to find an experimental model. The citrus pulp used in the experiments in sheep was the same used by a cattle breeder in Lorena, State of São Paulo, who lost out of a total of 56 lactating cows during a period of a few weeks 5 animals by a disease characterized histologically by granulomatous lesions. The 4 sheep used in the experiments received 800g/day/animal of this citrus pulp during 10 to 11 months. They were euthanized at the end of the experiment. None of the sheep showed the clinical-pathological picture of citrus pulp poisoning seen in cattle or other alterations. In the experiments in rabbits citrus pulp of two procedures were used. In one series (6 rabbits) the same citrus pulp was given as used in the experiments in sheep; in the other series (6 rabbits) the citrus pulp used in experiments in dogs, in which it caused granulomatous lesions, was given. The rabbits of the first series ingested an average of 51.5 g/day/animal; the rabbits of the second series ingested an average of 35.2 g/kg/animal of the citrus pulp. The rabbits were euthanized 2, 3, 6 and 12 months after the beginning of the experiments. None of the rabbits showed the clinical and pathological picture of citrus pulp poisoning or any other alterations