EC5542 Nebraska\u27s One-House Legislature

Extension Circular 5542 is about Nebraska’s one house legislature, why the bicameral is so widely used, and why both methods are so important

Book Review: Virtual Gods: The Seduction of Power and Pleasure in Cyberspace

This paper is a review of Virtual Gods: The Seduction of Power and Pleasure in Cyberspace, edited by Tal Brooke, Harvest House Publishers, 1997

Using Java and HTML for Linear Algebra Instruction

This paper addresses some of the issues involved with using the HTML, JavaScript and Java to develop and serve a sequence of laboratory modules for use in teaching linear algebra. Attention is paid to the rationale for this approach as opposed to the more traditional approach of laboratory exercises executed using MATLAB or some similar computational tool. Several methods to display mathematics with HTML are described. Some implementation detail and a brief description of the HTML and Java based Linear Algebra Visualization Assistant (LAVA) is presented

Coarctation of the aorta: review of 362 operated patients. Long-term follow-up and assessment of prognostic variables

362 patients operated upon for coarctation of the aorta from 1961-1980 were analyzed retrospectively. Age at operation was <2 years in 74 (group A ) and ≧2 years in 288 patients (group B). Associated cardiovascular malformations were common, especially in group A patients. Early mortality was 12-2% for group A and 1-4% for group B patients. 336 patients were followed for 6 months to 21 years (mean 8.9 years). Late mortality was 0.8% per patient year. Associated cardiac defects and postoperative hypertension were responsible for most of the late deaths. Late reoperations were performed because of aortic valve disease, residual coarctation (with persistent hypertension) and aortic aneurysms at the site of anastomosis. The incidence of hypertension decreased from 82.5% preoperatively to 33.5% at discharge from the hospital. It decreased further during follow-up in patients operated <10 years of age, but remained constant in the older patients. In conclusion, morbidity and mortality after operative repair of coarctation are determined mainly by (1) associated cardiac malformations, and (2) postoperative hypertension. Patients with isolated coarctation and postoperative normal blood pressure have an excellent prognosis. Patients operated upon from between 2-9 years of age carry the lowest risk for residual coarctation and late postoperative hypertensio

Die Poplawskische Kommission in Pilten, 1685 - 1686 : ein Beitrag zur Geschichte des Herzogtums Kurland : Inaugural-Dissertation

http://www.ester.ee/record=b4182848*es

Isolated aortic valve replacement with the Björk-Shiley tilting disc prosthesis and the porcine bioprosthesis

Between 1977 and 1978, 239 patients underwent aortic valve replacement with either a bioprosthesis (100, BIO) or a Björk-Shiley tilling disc prosthesis (139, BS). Early mortality was 2%, late mortality 4%. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. Anticoagulation was maintained indefinitively in patients with a BS, after implantation of a BIO only for three months except in the presence of atrial fibrillation or a history ofeinboli. Thromboembolic complications and anticoagulant hemorrhages were almost twice as frequent in patients with BS than with BIO (5.3 versus 2.8 episodes/100 patient years). This difference however is statistically not significant. There were an equal number (two) of reoperations because of paravalvular leaks due to endocarditis or torn sutures in the two groups. A regurgitant murmur, though hemodynamically not significant, occurred more frequently in patients with BIO than with BS (10% versus 2%, P < 0.05). Its cause and importance cannot yet be determined. Postoperative results judged by the NYHA classification and reduction of heart size were similar in both groups. Of all patients, 13% with preoperative valvular incompetence and 15% with stenosis showed little or no reduction of the cardiothoracic ratio on X-ray indicating a worse long-term prognosis. The porcine BIO has become our preferred valvular substitute because of its low thromboembolic complication rate. The BS is mainly reserved for patients already on anticoagulants for other reaso

Myocardial function and structure in aortic valve disease before and after surgery

Left ventricular (LV) micromanometry, cine-angiography and endomyocardial biopsies were performed in 13 patients with aortic valve disease {AVD) before and 12 to 28 months after successful valve replacement. (AVR). Patients with coronary artery disease were excluded. In nine patients (Group I: five AS, four AI) postoperative LV ejection fraction (EF) and total pressure Vmax were normal(EF ≥ 0.61; Vmax ≥ 1.50 ML/s). In four patients (Group II: three AS, one AT) postoperative EF (0.41) and Vmax (1.21 ML/s) were depressed. Pre-operative muscle fiber diameter (MFD; normal < 20 n) was 31 μ in Group I and 38 μ in Group II (P < 0.01). After AVR MFD decreased to 27 μ in Group I (P < 0.005) and to 28 μ in Group II (P < 0.02). Prior to surgery EF and Vmax showed no significant correlation with the LV fibrous content (FC in g/m2; FC = interstitial fibrosis in percent × LV angiographic muscle mass/100) in the 13 patients with AVD. After AVR, however, FC was related inversely to EF (P < 0.01, r = −0.69) and to Vmax (P < 0.025, r = −0.63). It is concluded that: (1) in AVD massive pre-operative fiber hypertrophy heralds impaired postoperative LV function; (2) fiber hypertrophy regresses following AVR regardless of the-LV functional state, and (3) the content of fibrous tissue appears to be a determinant of postoperative LV functio

Left ventricular relaxation at rest and during handgrip in aortic valve disease before and after valve replacement

In 14 patients (pts) with aortic valve disease (A VD) left ventricular (LV) relaxation was assessed by the time constant (T) of LV pressure (tipmanometer) fall before and 19 months after successful aortic valve replacement (A VR). 12 control pts (CO) were studied by the same technique. Preoperative LV ejection fraction in AVD (64%) and in CO (69%) did not differ. In AVD T was increased (60 ms) as compared to the CO (38 ms, P< 0.05). During handgrip (HG) there was a similar increase of LV peak systolic pressure (LVSP), heart rate and peak measured contractile element velocity of shortening in A VD and in the CO. L V end-diastolic pressure varied minimally in both groups. T decreased during handgrip in CO (38 to 33 ms, P<0.01) and remained unchanged in A VD. Following AVR T at rest decreased insignificantly to 52 ms, but remained increased (P<0.025) as compared with CO. During postoperative HG however, a decrease to 47ms (P<0.05) was noted. Postoperative angiographic LV muscle mass (105 g/m2) and LVSP at rest (137 mmHg) remained elevated (P<0.02) as compared to CO (72 g/m2; 119 mmHg). It is concluded that (1) in A VD with normal ejection performance L V relaxation at rest is prolonged and the reaction of relaxation to HG is abnormal despite preserved contractile response, (2) following A VR the response of LV relaxation to HG becomes normal and (3) elevated postoperative T at rest appears to be related to residual hypertrophy and probably also to the still increased LVSP rather than to intrinsic disturbances of myocardial relaxatio