Sources of variability in defining the normal range for left ventricular (LV) motion from contrast ventriculograms were assessed by comparing the function of 183 normal patients from six sites in three countries. Wall motion was measured using the centreline method at seven regions around the LV contour. The influence of institution, heart rate, age, end diastolic volume, body surface area and gender was evaluated using univariate analysis, and then compared using multivariate regression analysis. Wall motion varied significantly but weakly (|r| < 0.32 for all) with site, gender and body surface area in some regions. Variability was greater within sites than between sites. Wall motion was most similar in the two sites with the largest patient populations (N = 49 and N = 52). Normal LV wall motion is influenced by many factors. The reliable definition of the normal range requires analysis of a large number of subjects. For wall motion, the normal population should comprise closer to 50 subjects than the 10-20 that are commonly referenced.
Almost Moore digraphs appear in the context of the degree/diameter problem as a class of extremal directed graphs, in the sense that their order is one less than the unattainable Moore bound $M(d,k)=1+d+\cdots +d^k$, where $d>1$ and $k>1$ denote the maximum out-degree and diameter, respectively. So far, the problem of their existence has only been solved when $d=2,3$ or $k=2$. In this paper, we prove that almost Moore digraphs of diameter $k=3$ do not exist for any degree $d$. The enumeration of almost Moore digraphs of degree $d$ and diameter $k=3$ turns out to be equivalent to the search of binary matrices $A$ fulfilling that $AJ=dJ$ and $I+A+A^2+A^3=J+P$, where $J$ denotes the all-one matrix and $P$ is a permutation matrix. We use spectral techniques in order to show that such equation has no $(0,1)$-matrix solutions. More precisely, we obtain the factorization in ${\Bbb Q}[x]$ of the characteristic polynomial of $A$, in terms of the cycle structure of $P$, we compute the trace of $A$ and we derive a contradiction on some algebraic multiplicities of the eigenvalues of $A$. In order to get the factorization of $\det(xI-A)$ we determine when the polynomials $F_n(x)=\Phi_n(1+x+x^2+x^3)$ are irreducible in ${\Bbb Q}[x]$, where $\Phi_n(x)$ denotes the $n$-th cyclotomic polynomial, since in such case they become 'big pieces' of $\det(xI-A)$. By using concepts and techniques from algebraic number theory, we prove that $F_n(x)$ is always irreducible in ${\Bbb Q}[x]$, unless $n=1,10$. So, by combining tools from matrix and number theory we have been able to solve a problem of graph theory.
Regular digraphs of degree $d>1$, diameter $k>1$ and order $N(d,k) = d+\cdots +d^k$ will be called almost Moore $(d,k)$-digraphs. So far, the problem of their existence has only been solved when $d=2, 3$ or $k = 2, 3$. In this paper we prove that almost Moore digraphs of diameter 4 do not exist for any degree $d$.
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