OBJECTIVE To investigate the characteristics of ectopic automaticity and cation current (I(f)) of cardiac myocytes from pulmonary vein sleeves (PVs) in canines with atrial fibrillation. METHODS The canines (8-10 years old) were subjected to long-term, rapid atrial pacing (RAP) for 10 weeks, which induced the atrial fibrillation model. Disassociation of PVs of canines yielded single cardiac my...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Minimally invasive surgery has been shown to decrease postoperative morbidity and length of stay for several laparoscopic procedures. We sought to retrospectively compare intraoperative surgical and anesthetic parameters, post-anesthetic care unit (PACU) length of stay, and hospital length of stay of patients who underwent robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostate...

Parenchyma is an important tissue in secondary xylem of seed plants, with functions ranging from storage to defence and with effects on the physical and mechanical properties of wood. Currently, we lack a large-scale quantitative analysis of ray parenchyma (RP) and axial parenchyma (AP) tissue fractions. Here, we use data from the literature on AP and RP fractions to investigate the potential r...

OBJECTIVE Resistance to obesity is observed in rodents and humans treated with rapamycin (Rap) or nebivolol (Neb). Because cardiac miR-208a promotes obesity, this study tested whether the modes of actions of Rap and Neb involve inhibition of miR-208a. METHODS Mouse cardiomyocyte HL-1 cells and Zucker obese (ZO) rats were used to investigate regulation of cardiac miR-208a. RESULTS Angiotensi...

In criminal proceedings across the United States, rap music lyrics are being introduced as evidence of a defendant’s guilt. In this article, we draw attention to this disturbing practice, what we call ‘‘rap on trial,’’ and explore its context, describe its elements and contours, and consider its broader significance. We first offer historical context, demonstrating that although the widespread ...

Rho and Arf family small GTPases are well-known regulators of cellular actin dynamics. We recently identified ARAP3, a member of the ARAP family of dual GTPase activating proteins (GAPs) for Arf and Rho family GTPases, in a screen for PtdIns(3,4,5)P(3) binding proteins. PtdIns(3,4,5)P(3) is the lipid product of class I phosphoinositide 3OH-kinases (PI3Ks) and is a signaling molecule used by gro...

Agreement was investigated among five labelers for the use of two prosodic annotation systems: the ToBI (Tones and Break Indices) system [1,2] and the RaP (Rhythm and Pitch) system [3]. Each system permits the labeling of pitch accents and two levels of phrasal boundaries; RaP also permits labeling of speech rhythm and distinguishes multiple levels of prominence on syllables. After training wit...

Title of Thesis: THE REALEST NIGGA: CONSTRUCTIONS OF BLACK MASCULINITY WITHIN RAP MUSIC Jason Nichols, Master of Arts, 2006 Thesis directed by: Professor Nancy Struna American Studies This thesis attempts to complicate and raise questions about Black masculinity and hip hop. It contains information gathered for ethnographic interviews conducted with rap artists. In these interviews, one can see...

Blood volume expands significantly during pregnancy, but afferent signals from cardiac receptors are reduced. In addition, during exogenous volume expansion, right atrial pressure (RAP) increases more for equivalent volumes in pregnant animals, implying reduced atrial compliance. To examine possible gestational alterations in atrial dimension during volume expansion, we compared the effects of ...