Library

Notes: In the 1988 American presidential election, leadership perceptions and perceived platforms were used to predict votes for one of the two final candidates (Governor Michael Dukakis and Vice President George Bush). Both leadership perceptions and perceived platforms were found to be related to voting. However, political involvement moderated the relationship between the perceived platforms and the votes, while leadership perceptions were found to be a consistent predictor of voting across levels of political involvement. Leadership perceptions, perceived platforms, and the interaction between involvement and perceived platforms predicted voting above and beyond the voters’ political affiliations. Consistent with a categorization model of leadership perceptions, the prototypicality of perceived leader traits was found to be strongly related to a tendency to vote for a candidate who was perceived to possess those traits. In comparing general favorability of characteristics versus prototypicality with respect to an effective political leadership category, general favorability played a larger role in uninvolved voters’ decisions than in involved voters’ decisions. Differences in mean leadership prototype ratings were also explored as a function of political affiliation and political involvement. The implications of these findings for campaign strategies and for leadership in organizational contexts are discussed.

Notes: Die Photochlorierungsreaktion des flüssigen Trimethylchlorsilans wurde bei verschiedenen Temperaturen mit einem Unterschuß an Chlor untersucht. Isoliert werden konnten ClSi(CH3)2CH2Cl, ClSi(CH3)2CHCl2, ClSi(CH3)2CCl3, ClSiCH3(CH2Cl)2, ClSi(CH3)(CH2Cl)CHCl2 und ClSi(CH3)(CH2Cl)CCl3. Von den flüssigen Produkten wurden die RAMAN-Spektren aufgenommen und eine Zuordnung zu den Grundschwingungen vorgenommen. Die Verbindungen mit CH2Cl- und CHCl2-Gruppen wurden durch Hydrolyse in die zugehörigen Disiloxane überführt, von denen gleichfalls RAMAN- und auch IR-Spektren aufgenommen und ausgedeutet wurden. Die üblichen physikalischen Daten der Substanzen werden mitgeteilt.

Notes: Burgeoning technology has created numerous alternatives for even the most mundane aspect of research, that is, data entry. Our research team is conducting a large NIH NINR clinical trial, and data entry and management are important aspects of this study. Our research team needed to decide whether to use manual data entry or a scannable form of data entry. This article describes some of the advantages and disadvantages related to our decision to use scannable data entry Teleform™.

Notes: Nogo-66 receptor (NgR) has recently been identified as the neuronal receptor of the myelin-associated proteins Nogo-A, oligodendrocyte protein (OMgp) and myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG), and mediates inhibition of axonal regeneration both in vitro and in vivo. Through database searches, we have identified two novel proteins (NgRH1 and NgRH2) that turned out to be homologous in their primary structures, biochemical properties and expression patterns to NgR. Like NgR, the homologues contain eight leucine-rich repeats (LRR) flanked by a leucine-rich repeat C-terminus (LRRCT) and a leucine-rich repeat N-terminus (LRRNT), and also have a C-terminal GPI signal sequence. Northern blot analysis showed predominant expression of NgRH1 and NgRH2 mRNA in the brain. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry on rat brain slices revealed neuronal expression of the genes. NgRH1 and NgRH2 were detected on the cell surface of recombinant cell lines as N-glycosylated GPI anchored proteins and, consistent with other GPI anchored proteins, were localized within the lipid rafts of cellular membranes. In addition, an N-terminal proteolytic fragment of NgR comprising the majority of the ectodomain was found to be constitutively secreted from cells. Our data indicate that NgR, NgRH1 and NgRH2 constitute a novel receptor protein family, which may play related roles within the CNS.

Notes: Objective To determine whether knowledge of the result of Doppler velocimetry of the umbilical artery is beneficial to the management of a high risk pregnancy.Design Randomised controlled trial. The trial was of the management type, designed to assess benefit accruing from additional information supplied by Doppler velocimetry.Setting Tygerberg Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa. The hospital serves a population from the lower socio-economic groups.Subject Women with pregnancies 28 or more weeks gestation with hypertensive diseases and/or suspected small for gestational age fetuses were referred for Doppler velocimetry. From this population, three subsets were formed: 1. those with fetuses with absent end-diastolic velocities (20 fetuses); 2. those with hypertension but with fetuses with end-diastolic velocities (89 fetuses); and 3. those with fetuses suspected of being small for gestational age but with end-diastolic velocities (104 fetuses).Interventions Doppler velocimetry on all subjects. The study group consisted of 10 cases with absent end-diastolic velocities, 47 cases with hypertensive diseases with end-diastolic velocities and 51 cases with suspected small for gestational age fetuses but with end-diastolic velocities in which the result was revealed to the clinician. The control group consisted of 10, 42 and 53 cases, respectively, in which the Doppler results were not revealed. All other routine investigations (sonar and antenatal fetal heart rate monitoring) were available to the clinicians. Standard management protocols were followed in all groups.Main outcome measures Perinatal mortality and morbidity, antenatal hospitalisation, maternal intervention, admission to the neonatal intensive care unit and hospitalisation until discharge from the neonatal wards.Results In the study and control groups the gestational age at entry to the study, maternal age, parity and various complications were not significantly different. In the subset with absent end-diastolic velocities, there was one neonatal death in the study group, but in the control group there were six deaths, five intrauterine and one perinatally related infant death (P= 0.029). Because of this significant finding, the study was stopped. There were no differences in outcome in the subset where there was hypertensive disease with end-diastolic velocities between the study and control groups. In the subset in which small for gestational age fetuses were suspected, but in which end-diastolic velocities were present, the women in the study group had significantly fewer days in hospital before delivery (P 〈 0.001) and tended to have fewer maternal interventions (study group = 27%, control group = 43%; P= 0.07; odds ratio (OR) 0.49, 95% confidence limits (CL) 0.2 and 1.25) and caesarean sections (study group =13%, control group = 27%; P= 0.08; OR 0.43, 95% CL 0.14 and 1.32). The infants of the study group in this subset also spent significantly less time in the neonatal wards (P= 0.029).Conclusions Within the confines of this study, knowledge of the Doppler velocimetry result was beneficial in the subsets with absent end-diastolic velocities and in which intrauterine growth retardation was suspected. In the subset in which women had hypertension but whose fetuses had end-diastolic velocities, there was no beneficial or adverse effect.

Notes: The case of an 8-year-old girl with incessant nonsustained left bundle branch block-like tachycardia refractory to antiarrhythmic drug therapy is reported. Electrophysiologic study revealed the presence of a right-sided accessory atriofascicular pathway. Episodes of nonsustained tachycardia were found to be based upon a dual response in AV conduction over the Mahaim fiber to one P wave. No reentrant tachycardia could be induced. The arrhythmia was cured by catheter ablation targeting a Mahaim potential at the right lateral tricuspid annulus. The findings can be explained by longitudinal dissociation in a single Mahaim fiber, a fiber distally diverging into two fibers with different conduction times, or (less likely) two closely located Mahaim fibers with different conduction times.

Notes: Septal Activation in Patients with LBBB and Heart Failure. Introduction: Little is known about the septal activation pattern in patients with heart failure and left bundle branch block (LBBB-HF). Methods and Results: The right ventricular (RV) and left ventricular (LV) activation patterns of 12 patients (mean age 67 ± 11 years) with LBBB-HF and 5 patients (mean age 45 ± 14) with normal hearts were studied during sinus rhythm using a three-dimensional mapping system. The etiology of HF was myocardial infarction (n = 4) or idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (n = 8). In patients with LBBB-HF, endocardial activation usually started before the onset of the surface QRS complex on the RV free wall. Latest RV activation occurred in the basal region, and total RV activation time was longer than in patients with normal hearts. In patients with LBBB-HF, the left septum was activated via slowly conducting LBB or via right-to-left transseptal conduction. In both patients with LBBB-HF and those with normal hearts, latest LV activation occurred either in the posterior or posterolateral-basal region. Conduction velocity was slower in the peri-scar region, in patients with previous myocardial infarct and globally slow, in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. Conclusion: The two types of left septal activation observed in patients with LBBB-HF may have consequences for biventricular hemodynamic performance. Conduction slowing along the LV, regionally or globally, suggests a contribution outside the specific conduction system in the ECG pattern of LBBB. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 14, pp. 135-141, February 2003)

Notes: Atrial Defibrillation Pathway. Introduction: Previous studies have demonstrated significant failure in converting atrial fibrillation (AF) using a conventional ventricular pathway. The aim of this study was to assess the benefit of incorporating a coronary sinus (CS) lead into the atrial defibrillation pathway in atrial defibrillation threshold (ADFT) reduction in patients with persistent AF. Methods and Results: This study was a prospective, randomized assessment of shock configuration on ADFT in 18 patients undergoing elective internal cardioversion for persistent AF (mean AF duration: 8 ± 9 months). The lead system included a dual-coil defibrillation lead (Endotak DSP, Guidant) with a distal right ventricular (RV) electrode and a proximal superior vena cava (SVC) electrode, a CS lead (Perimeter, Guidant), and a left pectoral cutaneous electrode (Can). In each patient, dual step-up ADFTs were determined for each of three vectors: (1) RV → SVC+Can; (2) CS → SVC+Can; and (3) RV → CS+SVC+Can (group 1, n = 8) or RV+CS → SVC+Can (group 2, n = 10), using R wave-synchronized biphasic shocks. Successful defibrillation was achieved in all patients without any ventricular proarrhythmia. ADFT of CS → SVC+Can (11.8 ± 5.6 J) was significantly lower than ADFT of RV → SVC+Can (16.5 ± 7.8 J, P = 0.021) . ADFT of CS → SVC+Can was similar to RV → CS+SVC+Can (group 1:12.0 ± 6.5J vs17.4 ± 4.8 J, P = 0.16), but it was significantly higher than RV+CS → SVC+Can (group2: 9.0 ± 3.9J vs11.6 ± 5.0 J, P = 0.049). Conclusion: Patients with persistent AF of substantial duration can be reliably cardioverted using a conventional implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) lead set; however, the incorporation of a CS lead to the conventional ICD lead configuration significantly lowered ADFT. The optimal shock vector that incorporates a CS lead for atrial defibrillation requires future studies.