Are there big differences among beta-blockers in treating essential hypertension?

Yes, a number of beta-blockers are effective in lowering blood pressure (strength of recommendation [SOR]: A, multiple, consistent randomized controlled trials [RCTs]). Cardioselective beta-blockers do not alter lung function studies for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COP D) or reversible airway disease (SOR: A, meta-analysis of RCTs). Propranolol and timolol have greater risks of causing fatigue as a side effect (SOR: A, meta- analysis of RCTs). Recent meta-analyses have stirred debate on the effectiveness of the agents in preventing adverse outcomes. The level of evidence has reached the point where the practice of using beta-blockers as monotherapy should be questioned (SOR : C, expert opinion)

Ex-gays? A Longitudinal Study of Religiously Mediated Change in Sexual Orientation (Book Review)

Reviewed Title: Jones, Stanton L. and Mark A. Yarhouse. Ex-gays? A Longitudinal Study of Religiously Mediated Change in Sexual Orientation. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2007, 414pp. ISBN 978-0-8308-2846-3

Functional Exploration and Characterization of the Deaminases of Cog0402

High throughput sequencing technology and availability of this information has changed the way enzyme families can be studied. Sequence information from large public databases such as GenBank and UniProtKB can easily retrieved for the purpose of identifying unique enzymatic activities. The strategy adopted for this study is to identify characterized enzymes and the sequence features which give rise to their substrate specificity. Homologues of these enzymes are retrieved, and any active site variations can be readily identified. Cluster of Orthologous Groups (cog) 0402 is a family of enzymes which comprise a portion of the amidohydrolase superfamily. This group catalyzes a deamination reaction, releasing free ammonia and replacing it with a tautomerized oxygen. Cog0402 is most well known for guanine and cytosine deaminase, however other functions exist. One such function was that of S-adenosylhomocysteine deaminase, which was related to a large group of uncharacterized enzymes. These enzymes were predicted by us to deaminate 5’-modified adenosines. The enzymes were physically characterized these predictions were confirmed and a 5’-deoxyadenosine deaminase was discovered in addition to an 8-oxoadenine deaminase. During this study it was noted that background isoguanine deaminase activity was found at appreciable rates in E. coli. This activity was purified and identified using nanoLC-MS/MS and found to be caused by E. coli cytosine deaminase. E. coli cytosine deaminase itself is found in a cluster of uncharacterized enzymes with a single amino acid difference in the active site. Representative enzymes were purified and a 5-methylcytosine deaminase was discovered. This enzyme is capable of rescuing thymine auxotrophs in the presence of 5-methylcytosine, and will confer sensitivity to 5-fluorocytosine. Finally, an enzyme distantly related to cytosine deaminase was purified and found to be a unique pterin deaminase. It was most efficient for oxidized pterin rings and would accept a variety of substituents on the C6 positions. Futhermore, it was thought to catalyze the first step of an undescribed pterin degradation pathway

Hurricane Florence Flooding in Georgetown County: A Qualitative Explanation of the Interactions of Estuary and Tidal River

This paper examines data from 18 USGS gauges in the lower Pee Dee Basin in an effort to explain the behavior of the flooding following Hurricane Florence (2018) in Georgetown County, South Carolina. Despite record or near-record flooding in all the tributaries to the Winyah Bay estuary, water levels near the city of Georgetown were well below predicted heights. Floodplain storage in the lower Great Pee Dee, Lynches, and Little Pee Dee River valleys stored over 1.2 million acre-feet of floodwaters, delaying peak stage near Bucksport for five days and reducing peak flow into the Winyah Bay tidal river/estuary system by nearly 50%. An unknown amount of flow from the Winyah Bay tidal river/estuary system flowed through the Atlantic Intracoastal Water Way to Little River rather than through Winyah Bay. The resulting freshwater flow to Winyah Bay only moved the point of tidal stagnation (where upstream tidal flow balances downstream freshwater flow) to near Georgetown. Since the city of Georgetown was near the point of stagnation, water level there was driven by ocean tidal height rather than river flood stage. The lack of discharge data from the tidal rivers in Georgetown County prevents evaluation of the importance of each of these factors and will limit efforts to make quantitative predictions of future flooding in the county

Using GIS to Prioritize Green Infrastructure Installation Strategies in an Urbanized Watershed

2014 S.C. Water Resources Conference - Informing Strategic Water Planning to Address Natural Resource, Community and Economic Challenge