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Idiopathic orbital inflammatory disease, previously referred to as orbital pseudotumor, is a nonneoplastic, non-infective disease. The inflammatory process can involve one or more orbital sof tissues; extraocular muscles, tear gland, scleralorepiscleral tissue or orbital fat. Orbital myositis typically presents itself with a sudden onset of restricted ocular motility, diplopia, congestive proptosis, eyelid ptosis, periocular swelling and conjunctival hyperemia. A thorough workup is essential for ruling out other entities.This report presents a case of a 47-year old man with a sudden onset of right upper eyelid swelling and diplopia. Until then he had no health problems. Afer initial ophthalmologic workup and ultrasound an orbital mass was suspected. Te MRI and a biopsy of the mass confirmed an isolated superior oblique muscle myositis. We treated him with systemic steroids. A good response and fast regression were observed. In two years of follow-up visits no recurrence was noted.Isol...

Dilated cardiomyopathy has been recognised as a significant heart disease and cause of death in pet cats in the United States. The cause of dilated cardiomyopathy which was unknown and the prognosis grave. An association between low plasma taurine concentrations and dilated cardiomyopathy was established. Daily administration of taurine (250-1000 mg) orally increased plasma taurine concentrations and reversed the clinical signs. It was previously thought that cats became taurine deficient when fed commercial dog food or unbalanced home-cooked diets. We found a high association between the type of diet fed, plasma taurine concentrations and the incidence of myocardial failure and feline central retinal regeneration. Many commercial cat foods were found to cause taurine depletion associated with myocardial failure or central retinal degeneration. It is now established that taurine deficiency is a major cause of myocardial failure in cats and that modification of commercial cat food formulations with regard to taurine content has resulted in a dramatic decrease in the incidence of dilated cardiomyopathy in cats in the United States.

Objective—To study the musculoskeletal development of Great Dane puppies fed various dietary concentrations of calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) in fixed ratio by use of dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), determination of serum insulin-like growth factor I and parathyroid hormone concentrations, radiography, and blood chemistry analysis results.Animals—32 purebred Great Dane puppies from 4 litters.Procedure—At weaning, puppies were assigned randomly to 1 of 3 diets. Blood was collected for biochemical analyses and hormone assays, and radiography and DEXA were performed through 18 months of age. Changes in body weight, bone mineral content, fat tissue weight, lean mass, result of serum biochemical analyses, hormonal concentrations, and radius lengths were analyzed through 18 months of age.Results—Bone mineral content of puppies correlated positively with Ca and P content of the diets fed. Significant differences between groups in bone mineral content, lean mass, and body fat were...

After about two years into my Ph.D. program at the University of California, Davis, I began wondering what exactly an ecological model does, how useful it is for advancing science, how complex a model should be, and whether it would be possible for me to make a career with the training of simulation modeling. I was assigned to work alone on a highly complex, physiologically based, plant growth model for my Ph.D. degree-a daunting task for a graduate studentfor four and an half years. Since then, I have wondered about those questions and had never found satisfactory answers. The book ''Models in ecosystem science'' edited by Charles Canham, Jonathan Cole, and William Lauenroth, adeptly scrutinizes those questions. If you ever wondered about them, too, you need to read this book. In the book, a group of excellent ecologists share with you their experience of working with ecological models, their insights into various modeling issues, and their visions of future directions. This book evolved from the ''ninth Cary Conference, held in May 2001 at the Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, N.Y.'' It is composed of 27 contributed chapters, which are divided into five parts. The first part is six chapters long and addresses general topics of quantitative modeling in regard to its role in: science and policy making; simplicity vs. complexity; and the general attitude of and practice by ecologists. The second part of the book, consisting of eight chapters, focuses on the methods of evaluating and testing models such as traditional validation, Bayesian analysis, model intercomparison, and uncertainty analysis. Six chapters in the third part of the book discuss applications of ecosystem models to research on environmental policy and management. Of the six chapters, one gives overviewed general issues regarding the applications and the other five chapters offer case studies on N deposition, coastal eutrophication, ecological toxicology, plant invasion, and climate change. The fourth part of the book attempts to answer the question: what is the future of modeling in ecosystem science? Two chapters in this part offer practical recommendations on how to incorporate quantitative modeling into undergraduate education and how to advance modeling skills for professional ecologists. One chapter identifies bottlenecks for model development and limitations of model applications. The fifth part of the book consists of three commentaries on the fast-and-frugal ecosystem models to accelerate learning and progress in ecology, the uses of modeling and scenario building to promote communications between scientists and policy-makers, and the community-wide investment in modeling.

Background: Taenia solium cysticercosis is an important zoonosis in many developing countries. Human neurocysticercosis is recognised as an important cause of epilepsy in regions where the parasite occurs. However, it is largely underreported and there is a lack of data about the disease burden. Because a body of information on human and porcine cysticercosis in Cameroon is becoming available, the present study was undertaken to calculate the impact of this neglected zoonosis. Methods: Both the cost and Disability Adjusted Life Year (DALY) estimations were applied. All necessary parameters were collected and imported in R software. Different distributions were used according to the type of information available for each of the parameters. Findings: Based on a prevalence of epilepsy of 3.6%, the number of people with neurocysticercosis-associated epilepsy was estimated at 50,326 (95% CR 37,299-65,924), representing 1.0% of the local population, whereas the number of pigs diagnosed with cysticercosis was estimated at 15,961 (95% CR 12,320-20,044), which corresponds to 5.6% of the local pig population. The total annual costs due to T. solium cysticercosis in West Cameroon were estimated at 10,255,202 Euro (95% CR 6,889,048-14,754,044), of which 4.7% were due to losses in pig husbandry and 95.3% to direct and indirect losses caused by human cysticercosis. The monetary burden per case of cysticercosis amounts to 194 Euro (95% CR 147-253). The average number of DALYs lost was 9.0 per thousand persons per year (95% CR 2.8-20.4). Interpretation: This study provides an estimation of the costs due to T. solium cysticercosis using country-specific parameters and including the human as well as the animal burden of the zoonotic disease. A comparison with a study in South Africa indicates that the cost of inactivity, influenced by salaries, plays a predominant role in the monetary burden of T. solium cysticercosis. Therefore, knowing the salary levels and the prevalence of the disease might allow a rapid indication of the total cost of T. solium cysticercosis in a country. Ascertaining this finding with additional studies in cysticercosisendemic countries could eventually allow the estimation of the global disease burden of cysticercosis. The estimated number of DALYs lost due to the disease was higher than estimates already available for some other neglected tropical diseases. The total estimated cost and number of DALYs lost probably underestimate the real values because the estimations have been based on epilepsy as the only symptom of cysticercosis.

Objective—To determine the neurologic effects of reduced intake of phenylalanine and tyrosine in black-haired cats. Animals—53 specific pathogen-free black domestic shorthair cats. Procedure—Cats were fed purified diets containing various concentrations of phenylalanine and tyrosine for ≤ 9 months. Blood samples were obtained every 2 months for evaluation of serum aromatic amino acid concentrations. Cats were monitored for changes in hair color and neurologic or behavioral abnormalities. Three cats with neurologic deficits underwent clinical and electrophysiologic investigation; muscle and nerve biopsy specimens were also obtained from these cats. Results—After 6 months, neurologic and behavioral abnormalities including vocalization and abnormal posture and gait were observed in cats that had received diets containing < 16 g of total aromatic amino acid/kg of diet. Electrophysiologic data and results of microscopic examination of muscle and nerve biopsy specimens from 3 cats with...

Deep spherical shells are often used as pressure vessels in ocean and aerospace engineering. When subjected to external pressure, these thin-walled shells are prone to buckling. The corresponding critical buckling pressure heavily depends on deviations from the ideal shell shape. In general, these deviations are defined as geometric imperfections, and although imperfections exhibit comparatively low amplitudes, they can significantly reduce the critical load. Considering the influence of geometric imperfections adequately into the design process of thin-walled shells poses major challenges for structural design. The most common procedure to take into account the influence of imperfections is based on the classical buckling pressure obtained by a linear analysis which are then corrected by a knockdown factor. The knockdown factor represents a statistical lower-bound with respect to data obtained experimentally for different types of thin-walled shells. This article presents a versatile and simple numerical design approach for deep spherical shells under external pressure. The new design procedure leads to significantly improved critical load estimations in comparison to lower-bounds obtained empirically. Different design example are given and validated with experimental results.

Plasma taurine concentrations were determined in 76 dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), 28 dogs with acquired valvular disease (AVD), and 47 normal (control) dogs. The data were collected at 2 referral centers, The Animal Medical Center, New York, NY (AMC), and the University of California, Davis (UCD), and the studies were conducted independently. Different anticoagulants (sodium citrate at AMC and lithium heparin at UCD) were used to collect the plasma samples. Paired analysis of samples showed a significant difference in plasma taurine concentrations, depending on the anticoagulant used. Consequently, results from each clinic were analyzed separately. Plasma taurine concentrations were significantly higher in dogs with AVD (median, 133 nmol/mL; range, 25 to 229 nmol/mL) than in control dogs (median, 63 nmol/ml; range 44 to 224 nmol/mL) and dogs with DCM (median, 72 nmol/ mL; range, 1 to247 nmol/mL) at AMC (P< .001). Thenumber of dogs with AVD at UCD was too small to draw meaningful conclusions. At UCD, the median plasma taurine concentration was 98 nmol/mL (range, 28-1 69 nmol/mL) aurine (Zaminoethane sulfonic acid) is the most abun-= 5), Poodle (n = 5), Greyhound (n = 4), Beagle (n = 3), German Shepherd Dog (n = 2), Labrador Retriever (n = 20), miniature Schnauzer (n = 2), Rottweiler (n = 2), and 1 each Basenji, Basset Hound, Chow Chow, Collie, Malamute, Queensland Shepherd, Dachshund, and Chesapeake Bay Retriever. Forty-one were clientowned dogs brought to the hospital for routine examination, vaccinations, or noncardiac disorders; I8 dogs were examined at AMC

Dilated cardiomyopathy has been recognised as a significant heart disease and cause of death in pet cats in the United States. The cause of dilated cardiomyopathy which was unknown and the prognosis grave. An association between low plasma taurine concentrations and dilated cardiomyopathy was established. Daily administration of taurine (250-1000 mg) orally increased plasma taurine concentrations and reversed the clinical signs. It was previously thought that cats became taurine deficient when fed commercial dog food or unbalanced home-cooked diets. We found a high association between the type of diet fed, plasma taurine concentrations and the incidence of myocardial failure and feline central retinal regeneration. Many commercial cat foods were found to cause taurine depletion associated with myocardial failure or central retinal degeneration. It is now established that taurine deficiency is a major cause of myocardial failure in cats and that modification of commercial cat food formulations with regard to taurine content has resulted in a dramatic decrease in the incidence of dilated cardiomyopathy in cats in the United States.

Prirojena aplazija kože Congenital Skin Aplasia IzvleËek Prirojena aplazija kože (PAK) je redka prirojena nepravilnost, za katero je znaËilna odsotnost kože, kožnih priveskov ali podkožnih struktur na doloËenem delu telesa ob rojstvu in se lahko kaže kot ulceracija, membranozna sprememba ali atrofiËna brazgotina. Spremembe pri PAK so lahko izolirane ali v povezavi z drugimi prirojenimi nepravilnostmi. V približno 20 % so prizadete globoke anatomske strukture (podkožno mašËevje, mišice, kosti in možganske ovojnice). Najpogostejša lokacija je skalp. »eprav so spremembe pogosto solitarne in omejene na zgornje plasti kože, so najhujše oblike PAK skalpa zaradi možnih okužb in krvavitev. povezane z visoko smrtnostjo. Etiologija in patogeneza nista v celoti razjasnjeni. PAK razdelimo v devet kliniËnih skupin (klasifikacija po Friednu). Glede na znaËilnosti in pridružene nepravilnosti postavimo diagnozo in pristopimo k zdravljenju. Zdravljenje je v veËini primerov konzervativno, glede na kompleksnost bolezni pa ga lahko dopolnimo s kirurškim zdravljenjem. V prispevku predstavljamo primer novorojenËka s PAK.

In this paper, a new experimental technique for the buckling test of shells under external pressure is presented. This technique is simple and detemines buckling load very effrciendy. It has aheady been used extensively in the investigation ofbuckling load of electroforrcd sphericaltip conical sheUs under uniform extemal pressure. In this method, i$tead of the conventional monitodng of load and linear displacement of points on a shell, load and change in inigrnal volume of the shell are recorded. Intemal volumetric change of a shell is found to be a better indicator of its instability compared to the change in displacernents of points on its surface. Volumetdc change, a functioD of all the displacements and rotations contributitrg to the total change in its configuration, is observed to be a highly magnified indicator of shell deformation encompassing the whole shell, primarily the bucHing zones and imperfection locations.

Uvod: Na odvajanje blata vplivajo psiho-vedenjski dejavniki, peristaltika, volumen in konsistenca blata, prehrana, starost, spol, položaj odvajanja, in drugi vplivi. V zdravstveni negi se priporočajo različni koti dvignjenega vzglavja za odvajanje v postelji po namestitvi nočne posode. Namen: Raziskati vpliv različnih položajev odvajanja na zdravje in počutje ljudi ter opredeliti vlogo zdravstvene nege pri odvajanju v postelji. Metode dela: Uporabljena je deskriptivna metoda dela s pregledom znanstvene in strokovne literature. Pregled literature je bil opravljen med julijem 2015 in majem 2016. V analizo je bilo vključenih 24 člankov. Rezultati: Sedeči položaj odvajanja je dejavnik tveganja za nastanek hemoroidov, obstipacije, raka, prolapsa medeničnih organov, urinske inkontinence, vnetne črevesne bolezni, divertikuloze, hiatusne hernije, gastro-ezofagealne refluksne bolezeni, kardio-vaskularnih dogodkov in akutne pulmonalne tromboembolije. Čepeči položaj odvajanja je dejavnik tvega...

Plasma taurine concentrations were determined in 76 dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), 28 dogs with acquired valvular disease (AVD), and 47 normal (control) dogs. The data were collected at 2 referral centers, The Animal Medical Center, New York, NY (AMC), and the University of California, Davis (UCD), and the studies were conducted independently. Different anticoagulants (sodium citrate at AMC and lithium heparin at UCD) were used to collect the plasma samples. Paired analysis of samples showed a significant difference in plasma taurine concentrations, depending on the anticoagulant used. Consequently, results from each clinic were analyzed separately. Plasma taurine concentrations were significantly higher in dogs with AVD (median, 133 nmol/mL; range, 25 to 229 nmol/mL) than in control dogs (median, 63 nmol/ml; range 44 to 224 nmol/mL) and dogs with DCM (median, 72 nmol/ mL; range, 1 to247 nmol/mL) at AMC (P< .001). Thenumber of dogs with AVD at UCD was too small to draw meaningful conclusions. At UCD, the median plasma taurine concentration was 98 nmol/mL (range, 28-1 69 nmol/mL) aurine (Zaminoethane sulfonic acid) is the most abun-= 5), Poodle (n = 5), Greyhound (n = 4), Beagle (n = 3), German Shepherd Dog (n = 2), Labrador Retriever (n = 20), miniature Schnauzer (n = 2), Rottweiler (n = 2), and 1 each Basenji, Basset Hound, Chow Chow, Collie, Malamute, Queensland Shepherd, Dachshund, and Chesapeake Bay Retriever. Forty-one were clientowned dogs brought to the hospital for routine examination, vaccinations, or noncardiac disorders; I8 dogs were examined at AMC

Diseases of liver and biliary system are common in dog and cat. As liver plays very crucial role in digestion and metabolism of nutrients, dietary modifications are required in cases of liver dysfunction in addition to therapeutic approach. Dietary protein level and its amino acid composition plays significant role in the management of liver diseases. Levels of dietary energy, water soluble vitamins, Vitamin E and Vitamin K should be increased above recommended levels. Vitamin A, Vitamin D, copper and iron should not be fed in excess amount. Zn supplementation is helpful in recovery of damaged hepatic tissue as well as to counter the copper toxicity by reducing its absorption from intestine.

This study evaluated the effects of a grain-based (GB) and grain-free (GF) diet on protein utilization and taurine status in healthy Beagle dogs. Two practical dog diets sufficient in crude protein, sulfur amino acids, and taurine content were formulated with the same ingredients with exception of the carbohydrate sources. The GB contained sorghum, millet, and spelt while potatoes, peas, and tapioca starch were used in the GF. A total of 12 Beagle dogs were used in a completely randomized design with six replicates per treatment. The study consisted of an adaptation period of 2 wk followed by an experimental period of 28 d in which GB and GF were fed to the dogs. At the end of the adaptation period and every 2 wk after it (day 0, day 14, day 28), markers of taurine metabolism were analyzed in whole blood (taurine), plasma (taurine, methionine, and cystine), urine (taurine:creatinine), and fresh fecal samples (primary and secondary bile acids). Fecal samples were collected during the...

A multi objective optimality criteria (OC) is used to obtain optimum design of metal cylindrical shells under combined external loading. The objectives are to maximize the axial and hoop stiffness and minimize the mass of stiffened cylinders subject to the constraints including functions of weight and buckling load in such a way that the stiffened shell has no increase in the weight and no decrease in the buckling load with respect to the initial unstiffened shell. The optimization process contains six design variables including shell thickness, number of circular ring stiffeners, number of longitudinal stringer stiffeners, height of ring stiffeners, width of ring stiffeners, and longitudinal stiffeners eccentricity from shell&#39;s centerline. In analytical solution, the Rayleigh–Ritz energy procedure is applied and the ring stiffeners are treated as discrete elements. The shapes of the ring and stringer stiffeners are assumed as rectangular and Z, respectively. The shell is subjec...

This work investigates the strain distribution during buckling of thin shell axisymmetric spherical caps with free edges. The mechanical tests performed resulted in the identification of unique, novel strain distribution data of aluminium and steel shallow spherical caps.

Serum triglycerides and serum total, esterified, and free (unesterified) carnitine were measured in 21 male Macaca arctoides that were switched from a low fat (5.2% w/w), high carbohydrate diet to a high fat (15.9% w/w), low carbohydrate diet for 90 days and then returned to the original low fat diet for a subsequent 76-day period. Serum triglycerides and total carnitine levels fell significantly (p less than 0.05) during the initial 2 wk of feeding the high fat diet and the ratio of esterified/unesterified carnitine rose significantly (P less than 0.05) on the high fat diet. A return to the low fat diet reversed these changes; triglycerides rose significantly (p less than 0.05) within 3 days and the ratio of esterified/unesterified carnitine fell significantly (p less than 0.05) within 3 days and the ratio of esterified/unesterified carnitine fell significantly (p less than 0.05) during the same period. A return of total carnitine levels to those initially observed on the low fat d...

In this paper, a new experimental technique for the buckling test of shells under external pressure is presented. This technique is simple and determines buckling load very efficiently. It has already been used extensively in the investigation of buckling load of electroformed sphericaltip conical shells under uniform external pressure. In this method, instead of the conventional monitoring of load and linear displacement of points on a shell, load and change in internal volume of the shell are recorded. Internal volumetric change of a shell is found to be a better indicator of its instability compared to the change in displacements of points on its surface. Volumetric change, a function of all the displacements and rotations contributing to the total change in its configuration, is observed to be a highly magnified indicator of shell deformation encompassing the whole shell, primarily the buckling zones and imperfection locations.

Introduction Golden retrievers are over-represented in cases of taurine-deficient dilated cardiomyopathy and recently a surge in cases has prompted further investigation. Objective To describe the clinical, dietary, and echocardiographic features in golden retrievers diagnosed with taurine deficiency and dilated cardiomyopathy, and to determine specific dietary associations. A second aim was to determine the whole blood taurine concentrations in a representative sample of healthy golden retrievers. Animals Twenty-four client-owned golden retrievers with documented taurine deficiency and dilated cardiomyopathy and 52 healthy client-owned golden retrievers.

M-mode echocardiography was completed and plasma taurine concentrations were determined in 79 healthy cats and 77 cats with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). In healthy cats, a relationship was not observed between plasma taurine concentrations and any M-mode echocardiographic measurement. End-systolic and end-diastolic cardiac chamber dimensions were larger; wall thickness measures were smaller; and calculations of fractional shortening were less in cats with DCM than in healthy cats. Plasma taurine concentrations < 30 nmol/mL were detected in 7/79 healthy cats and in 52/77 cats with DCM. Of the 52 cats with D C M and an initial plasma taurine concentration < 30 nmol/mL, 23 died or were euthanized during the first post-treatment week, 7 were lost to further study, and 22 improved after taurine supplementation. Of the 25 cats with D C M and an initial plasma taurine concentration 2 30 nmol/mL, 9 died or were euthanatized during the first post-treatment week, and 9 were lost to further study. Two cats did not improve, of which one died and one was euthanatized 4 to 8 weeks after initiation of taurine supplementation. Five cats with a plasma taurine concentration 2 30 nmol/mL improved after taurine supplementation. Myocardial function subsequently deteriorated in three of these cats. Two of the three cats had signs of congestive heart failure redevelop.

t 0. "Determination of critical forces for orthotropic conical shells with a filler at axial compression and uniform external pressure," in: Planning, Calculation and Testing of Constructions Made of Composite Materials [in Russian], No. V, Moscow (1979), pp. 35-46. 11. N. P. Ershov, "Statistical study of ultimate loads of anisotropic constructions and estimates of their reliability," in: Problems of Reliability [in Russian], Moscow (1979), pp. 75-76. 12. M.F. Card, "The sensitivity of buckling of axially compressed fiber-reinforced cylindrical shells to small geometric imperfections," NASA TMX-61914 (t 969). t3. R. L. Carri, "Buckling behavior of composite cylinders subjected to compressive forces," NASA CR-132-264 (1973). NONAXISYMMETRIC BUCKLING OF ORTHOTROPIC SPHERICAL SHELLS

Als gemeenten en projectontwikkelaars daar open voor staan, zouden er eventueel asielzoekers in de vrijkomende V&D's en andere grote winkelpanden gehuisvest kunnen worden. Het Centraal Orgaan opvang asielzoekers (COA) zegt zulke suggesties serieus te zullen onderzoeken, mocht de vraag komen. © anp. © anp. De V&D-panden bieden duizenden vierkante meters aan ruimte en staan vaak in winkelgebieden waar weinig mensen wonen. ,,Dat kan een voordeel zijn voor het vinden van geschikte locaties,'' stelt COA-woordvoerster Caroline van Dullemen. Tegelijk kleven er flinke nadelen aan. In tegenstelling tot oude verzorgingshuizen bezitten de V&D-panden geen infrastructuur om mensen op te vangen. ,,Dat maakt verbouwing relatief duur." Oplossing Toch zou het onderbrengen van vluchtelingen een oplossing kunnen zijn voor gemeenten én vastgoedbazen. Zeker de tientallen V&D's in kleinere steden dreigen lang leeg te blijven staan. Veel wethouders denken daarom na over de meest uiteenlopende alternatieven zoals bewoning, het opknippen ervan en zelfs een kartbaan. ,,Het onderbrengen van asielzoekers zou een mogelijkheid kunnen zijn," stelt het COA. ,,Als gemeenten naar ons toe komen, gaan we dat serieus onderzoeken." Tot nu toe is die vraag niet gekomen, stelt Van Dullemen. Het onderbrengen van vluchtelingen wordt uiteindelijk gezamenlijk beoordeeld door gemeenten, provincie en het COA.

In this paper, classical thin shell theory is used to analyze vibration and critical speed of simply supported rotating orthotropic cylindrical shell. The effects of centrifugal and Coriolis forces due to the rotation are considered in the present formulation.. In addition, ...

Objective-To determine the effect of feeding a food with coconut oil and supplemental l-carnitine, lipoic acid, lysine, leucine, and fiber on weight loss and maintenance in dogs. Design-Prospective clinical study Animals-50 overweight dogs. Procedures-The study consisted of 2 trials. During trial 1, 30 dogs were allocated to 3 groups (10 dogs/group) to be fed a dry maintenance dog food to maintain body weight (group 1) or a dry test food at the same amount on a mass (group 2) or energy (group 3) basis as group 1. During trial 2, each of 20 dogs was fed the test food and caloric intake was adjusted to maintain a weight loss rate of 1% to 2%/wk (weight loss phase). Next, each dog was fed the test food in an amount calculated to maintain the body weight achieved at the end of the weight loss phase (weight maintenance phase). Dogs were weighed and underwent dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry monthly. Metabolomic data were determined before (baseline) and after each phase. Results-During t...

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Plasma taurine concentrations were determined in 76 dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), 28 dogs with acquired valvular disease (AVD), and 47 normal (control) dogs. The data were collected at 2 referral centers, The Animal Medical Center, New York, NY (AMC), and the University of California, Davis (UCD), and the studies were conducted independently. Different anticoagulants (sodium citrate at AMC and lithium heparin at UCD) were used to collect the plasma samples. Paired analysis of samples showed a significant difference in plasma taurine concentrations, depending on the anticoagulant used. Consequently, results from each clinic were analyzed separately. Plasma taurine concentrations were significantly higher in dogs with AVD (median, 133 nmol/mL; range, 25 to 229 nmol/mL) than in control dogs (median, 63 nmol/ml; range 44 to 224 nmol/mL) and dogs with DCM (median, 72 nmol/ mL; range, 1 to247 nmol/mL) at AMC (P< .001). Thenumber of dogs with AVD at UCD was too small to draw meaningful conclusions. At UCD, the median plasma taurine concentration was 98 nmol/mL (range, 28-1 69 nmol/mL) aurine (Zaminoethane sulfonic acid) is the most abun-

The imperfection sensitivity of elastic complete spherical shells under external pressure is studied for axisymmetric deformations and qualitatively different types of imperfections by means of a numerical analysis of the Reissner shell equations. It is shown that strong reductions of the critical load are obtained for small deviations of the middle surface of the shell from the perfect spherical configuration whereas imperfections of the shell thickness do not have a substantial influence on the critical load.

Background: Taenia solium cysticercosis is an important zoonosis in many developing countries. Human neurocysticercosis is recognised as an important cause of epilepsy in regions where the parasite occurs. However, it is largely underreported and there is a lack of data about the disease burden. Because a body of information on human and porcine cysticercosis in Cameroon is becoming available, the present study was undertaken to calculate the impact of this neglected zoonosis.

In the ÿrst part of this paper, rib-sti ened thin-walled spherical shells under external hydrostatic pressure are optimized using classical approximate methods and empirical knock-down-factors. In the second part of the paper, the in uence of known imperfections is investigated.

Thin cylindrical shell structures have wide variety of applications due to their favorable stiffness-to-mass ratio and under axial compressive loading, these shell structures fail by their buckling instability. Hence, their load carrying capacity is decided by its buckling strength which in turn predominantly depends on the geometrical imperfections present on the shell structure. The main aim of the present study is to determine the more influential geometrical parameter out of two geometrical imperfection parameters namely, "the extent of imperfection present over a surface area" and its "amplitude". To account for these geometrical parameters simultaneously, the imperfection pattern is assumed as a dent having the shape of extent of surface area as a nearly square. The side length of extent of surface area can be considered as proportional to extent of imperfection present over an area and the dent depth can be considered as proportional to amplitude of imperfections. For the present numerical study, FE models of thin short carbon steel perfect cylindrical shells with different sizes of dent are generated at 1/3 rd and half the height of cylindrical shells and analyzed using ANSYS non-linear FE buckling analysis.

Jet production in PbPb collisions at a nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of 2.76 TeV was studied with the CMS detector at the LHC, using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 6.7 µb −1 . Jets are reconstructed using the energy deposited in the CMS calorimeters and studied as a function of collision centrality. With increasing collision centrality, a striking imbalance in dijet transverse momentum is observed, consistent with jet quenching. The observed effect extends from the lower cut-off used in this study (jet p T = 120 GeV/c) up to the statistical limit of the available data sample (jet p T ≈ 210 GeV/c). Correlations of charged particle tracks with jets indicate that the momentum imbalance is accompanied by a softening of the fragmentation pattern of the second most energetic, away-side jet. The dijet momentum balance is recovered when integrating low transverse momentum particles distributed over a wide angular range relative to the direction of the away-side jet.

Results. For signals near the detection threshold, our low-latency algorithms often localized simulated GW burst signals to tens of square degrees, while neutron star/neutron star inspirals and neutron star/black hole inspirals were localized to a few hundred square degrees. Localization precision improves for moderately stronger signals. The correct sky location of signals well above threshold and originating from nearby galaxies may be observed with ~50% or better probability with a few pointings of wide-field telescopes.

This study assesses the long-term effects of an experimental diet vs. a commercially available manufactured diet, intended to reduce clinical disease related to cystinuria, on the taurine status of captive maned wolves. For 13 weeks, two pairs of maned wolves were maintained on the commercially available maintenance diet, whereas two individually housed wolves were maintained on the experimental diet. All six wolves, at the beginning and at the end of the diet trial, had severely decreased plasma concentrations of taurine (as compared to the normal canine reference range of 60–120 nmol/ml) (National Research Council [2003] National Academies Press) with average taurine concentrations of 16 nmol/ml at the beginning of the study and 3 nmol/ml at the end of the study. There was no statistically significant difference in the taurine concentrations between animals on the maintenance vs. experimental diets. Both diets were supplemented subsequently with taurine at a concentration of 0.3%. All study animals were eventually switched to the taurine-supplemented version of the commercially manufactured maintenance diet and subsequent samplings were carried out to monitor plasma taurine concentrations. A final sampling, carried out approximately 5 months after the initiation of taurine supplementation, showed an average taurine concentration within the target canine reference range (90.25 nmol/ml). There are numerous physiologic (e.g., possible unique metabolism and requirements for taurine in this species as compared to other canids) and dietary factors (e.g., effects of the types and concentrations of fiber and protein on nutrient availability, taurine metabolism, and enterohepatic circulation of taurine-conjugated bile salts; impaired taurine synthesis secondary to low cysteine availability) that could be potential contributors to the development of taurine deficiency in the maned wolves in this study. Taurine supplementation should be considered in maned wolves maintained on diets intended for reduction of cystinuria-related complications. Zoo Biol 0:1–14, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.