bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Presence of cholinergic and calcium antagonist constituents in Saussurea lappa explains its use in constipation and spasm
Authors: Gilani Anwar H. , Shah Abdul J. , Yaeesh S.
Published: February 2007

This study was carried out to provide a scientific basis for the traditional use of Saussurea lappa, in constipation and spasms. Isolated tissue preparations were used to see if the aqueous‐methanol crude extract of the S. lappa root (Sl.Cr) contains gut stimulatory and inhibitory constituents. In isolated guinea‐pig ileum, a quiescent preparation, Sl.Cr caused a concentration‐dependent (0.3–5.0 mg/mL) spasmogenic effect, with the maximum effect reaching 91% of the acetylcholine maximum. A further increase in concentration caused a declining effect, indicating the presence of spasmolytic constituent(s). The spasmolytic effect was more marked in the spontaneously contracting rabbit jejunum and in the atropinized preparations. The spasmolytic effect was mediated through calcium channel blocking (CCB) activity, as evident by its inhibitory effect against high K+ (80 mm)‐induced contraction and displacement of the Ca++ concentration‐response curves to the right. These data indicate that the crude extract of Sl.Cr contains gut stimulatory constituent(s) of cholinergic‐type providing a scientific basis for its use in constipation. The presence of spasmolytic constituents of CCB‐type more evident in the spontaneous contracting gut preparation may explain its use in spasms. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ultra‐performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometric quantification of structurally diverse drug mixtures using an ESI‐APCI multimode ionization source
Authors: Yu Kate , Di Li , Kerns Edward , Li Susan Q. , Alden Peter , Plumb Robert S.
Published: February 2007

We report in this paper an ultra‐performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometric (UPLC®/MS/MS) method utilizing an ESI‐APCI multimode ionization source to quantify structurally diverse analytes. Eight commercial drugs were used as test compounds. Each LC injection was completed in 1 min using a UPLC system coupled with MS/MS multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) detection. Results from three separate sets of experiments are reported. In the first set of experiments, the eight test compounds were analyzed as a single mixture. The mass spectrometer was switching rapidly among four ionization modes (ESI+, ESI−, APCI−, and APCI+) during an LC run. Approximately 8–10 data points were collected across each LC peak. This was insufficient for a quantitative analysis. In the second set of experiments, four compounds were analyzed as a single mixture. The mass spectrometer was switching rapidly among four ionization modes during an LC run. Approximately 15 data points were obtained for each LC peak. Quantification results were obtained with a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 0.01 ng/mL. For the third set of experiments, the eight test compounds were analyzed as a batch. During each LC injection, a single compound was analyzed. The mass spectrometer was detecting at a particular ionization mode during each LC injection. More than 20 data points were obtained for each LC peak. Quantification results were also obtained. This single‐compound analytical method was applied to a microsomal stability test. Compared with a typical HPLC method currently used for the microsomal stability test, the injection‐to‐injection cycle time was reduced to 1.5 min (UPLC method) from 3.5 min (HPLC method). The microsome stability results were comparable with those obtained by traditional HPLC/MS/MS. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous determination of olanzapine, risperidone, 9‐hydroxyrisperidone, clozapine, haloperidol and ziprasidone in rat plasma
Authors: Zhang Guodong , Terry Alvin V. , Bartlett Michael G.
Published: February 2007

A simple, sensitive and rapid liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI‐MS/MS) method was developed and validated for simultaneous quantification of olanzapine, clozapine, ziprasidone, haloperidol, risperidone, and its active metabolite 9‐hydroxyrisperidone, in rat plasma using midazolam as internal standard (IS). The analytes were extracted from rat plasma using a single step liquid‐liquid extraction technique. The compounds were separated on a Waters Atlantis™ dC‐18 (30 mm × 2.1 mm i.d., 3 µm) column using a mobile phase of acetonitrile/5 mM ammonium formate (pH 6.1 adjusted with formic acid) with gradient elution. All of the analytes were detected in positive ion mode using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). The method was validated and the specificity, linearity, lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ), precision, accuracy, recoveries and stability were determined. LLOQ was 0.1 ng/mL and correlation coefficient (R2) values for the linear range of 0.1–100 ng/mL were 0.997 or greater for all the analytes. The intra‐day and inter‐day precision and accuracy were better than 8.05%. The relative and absolute recovery was above 77% and matrix effects were low for all the analytes except for ziprasidone. This validated method has been successfully used to quantify the plasma concentration of the analytes after chronic treatment with antipsychotic drugs. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Characterization of major and minor alk(en)ylresorcinols from mango (Mangifera indica L.) peels by high‐performance liquid chromatography/atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry
Authors: Knödler Matthias , Berardini Nicolai , Kammerer Dietmar R. , Carle Reinhold , Schieber Andreas
Published: February 2007

5‐Alkyl‐ and 5‐alkenylresorcinols, as well as their hydroxylated derivatives, were extracted from mango (Mangifera indica L.) peels, purified on polyamide and characterized by high‐performance liquid chromatography/atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC/APcI‐MS) for the first time. Among the 15 compounds analyzed, 3 major and 12 minor C15‐, C17‐, and C19‐substituted resorcinols and related analogues, showing varying degrees of unsaturation, were characterized by their specific fragmentation patterns in collision‐induced dissociation experiments. This marks the first report on the occurrence of mono‐, di‐, and triunsaturated C15‐homologues, saturated and triunsaturated C17‐homologues, and mono‐ and diunsaturated C19‐homologues in mango peels. Additionally, several hydroxylated C15‐ and C17‐homologues, also not yet described in mango, and a C14‐monoene, unique because of its even‐numbered side chain, were tentatively identified on the basis of their fragmentation patterns. The results obtained in the present study indicate that HPLC‐DAD‐APcI‐MSn, combined with the newly developed solid‐phase extraction, is a powerful tool for the analysis of alk(en)ylresorcinols and could therefore be used for their determination in various matrices. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Benchmark for Outdoor Vision SLAM Systems
Authors: Abdallah Samer M. , Asmar Daniel C. , Zelek John S.
Published: February 2007

Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) is a viable solution to autonomous robot navigation in outdoor settings when global positioning systems are unavailable or unreliable. While the traditional exteroceptive sensor for outdoor SLAM is a laser, cameras have also been proposed due to their low power consumption, low price, high bandwidth of information, and superior landmark segmentation capabilities. All outdoor Vision SLAM systems developed to date are implemented on different platforms, in different settings, using different dead‐reckoning sensors; a fact which makes it difficult to compare them and assess the state of the art of Vision SLAM. The contribution of this paper is in developing an infrastructure for a benchmark upon which past and future Vision SLAM system can be compared. This proposed benchmark is validated by testing its datasets on a Vision‐Inertial SLAM system. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Disproportionate sampling for population subgroups in telephone surveys
Authors: Kalsbeek William D. , Boyle Walter R. , Agans Robert P. , White John E.
Published: February 2007

Population studies often seek to examine phenomena in important population subgroups or to compare results among these and other subgroups. When subgroups of interest comprise a relatively small percentage of the population and acceptable subgroup member lists are not available to serve as sampling frames, it may be prohibitively expensive even by telephone to screen through a sample of the entire population. This paper considers some statistical effects of estimation from a class of two‐stratum telephone sample designs where part of the frame with a higher subgroup concentration is disproportionately sampled compared to the rest of the frame. Using proportionate sampling as a reference, the relative impact of this disproportionate design is determined for nominal and effective sample sizes, where the latter are tied to the effect of variation in sample weights that occurs in disproportionately allocated samples. Findings are illustrated using two recent telephone surveys. Whereas nominal subgroup sample sizes may be improved by disproportionate sampling, we conclude that both the survey designer and analyst should use this type of design cautiously in telephone surveys. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
In situ non‐invasive EDXRF analysis to reconstruct stratigraphy and thickness of Renaissance pictorial multilayers
Authors: Bonizzoni L. , Galli A. , Poldi G. , Milazzo M.
Published: February 2007

In this paper, we report a few examples showing how energy dispersive XRF analysis (EDXRF) coupled with visible reflectance spectroscopy (vis‐RS) can be successfully applied for the investigation of wood or canvas paintings by performing stratigraphic analyses with non‐invasive techniques. The specific aim is to reconstruct layers and their thicknesses. The method has been tested in the laboratory on paint layers similar to traditional Renaissance ones. In situ analyses of a famous wood painting by Andrea Mantegna—‘Madonna col bambino e un coro di cherubini’, Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan—were also carried out. While illustrating the results concerning the identification of pigments and the discrimination of layer stratigraphy, advantages and limitation of this method are pointed out. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Multilayer interference mirrors as components for soft x‐ray WDS monochromators and tunable radiation sources
Authors: André J.‐M. , Jonnard P. , Benbalagh R.
Published: February 2007

Multilayer interference mirrors (MIMs) are widely used as low‐resolution monochromators for soft x‐ray wavelength dispersive spectrometry (WDS). It is now possible to fabricate multilayer monochromators with medium resolution by etching MIMs with a large number of bilayers according to the profile of a lamellar grating. It will be shown both theoretically and experimentally that these multilayer gratings with appropriate characteristics can be used as monochromators for soft x‐rays, whose spectral resolving power is considerably improved with respect to mere interference mirrors. Moreover, tunable soft x‐ray sources based on the interaction of medium‐energy electron beams with periodic multilayer structures are presently being developed in several countries. The physical processes involved in this type of sources belong to the class of quasi‐Cerenkov emission. Among them are resonant transition radiation and parametric radiation. We present the basic concepts and the first experimental results concerning this new type of sources which should be very interesting for WDS. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Theoretical shapes of K x‐ray spectra for lead as predicted by MCDF calculations
Authors: Lewandowska‐Robak Maja , Polasik Marek
Published: February 2007

Simulations of the shapes of Pb K x‐ray spectra have been performed for an experimental situation in which single and double L‐ and M‐shell ionization (apart from the single K‐shell ionization) of target atoms occurs. The simulations are based on the results of the calculations of the energies and probabilities of various Pb K x‐ray transitions, done with the multiconfiguration Dirac–Fock (MCDF) method with the inclusion of the transverse (Breit) interaction and quantum electro dynamic (QED) corrections. It has been found that most contributions to the simulated spectra considerably overlap other contributions. Thus, their extraction from the measured spectra, which provides data about the L‐ and M‐shell ionization probability in a collision process, will only be possible using the results of theoretical studies. Our studies can be crucial in both analysis of a number of observed Pb K x‐ray spectra and in designing new experiments concerning the K x‐ray spectra of multiply ionized heavy atoms induced in collisions with various light or heavy projectiles of different energies. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Wavelength despersive spectroscopy analysis at high spectral resolution: application to the study of Mo/Si multilayers
Authors: Jonnard Philippe , Maury Hélène , André Jean‐Michel
Published: February 2007

We show that x‐ray emission spectroscopy (XES) induced by electrons, analyzed at high spectral resolution by a WDS Johann‐type spectrometer, is a powerful technique to characterize in a nondestructive way the interlayers in Mo/Si multilayers. The analysis is performed using the IRIS (Instrument de Recherche sur les Interfaces et Surfaces) apparatus equipped with a curved crystal. Within those experimental conditions the spectral resolution E/ΔE is about 2000 in the 1800–1900 eV photon energy range. Because of the high resolution of the spectrometer, the evolution of the shape of the Si Kβ emission band (3p − 1s transition) as a function of the chemical environment of the Si atoms is easily evidenced. We study a series of Mo/Si multilayers, where the thickness of the Si layers is 2 nm and that of the Mo layers is 1, 2, 3 or 4 nm. It clearly appears that the emission band from the Si atoms within the multilayers is different from that of amorphous Si (a‐Si), which should be observed if no diffusion process takes place at the interfaces. By comparing the observed emission band to that of a‐Si and molybdenum silicides and using a simple diffusion model, we deduce the composition of the interlayers. Their thickness is deduced and estimated to be 0.4 ± 0.1 nm or 0.8 ± 0.2 nm depending on the samples. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Evaluation of MCNP5 and EGS4 for the simulation ofin vivostrontium XRF measurements
Authors: Zamburlini M. , Byun S. H. , Pejović‐Milić A. , Prestwich W. V. , Chettle D. R.
Published: February 2007

In order to optimize x‐ray fluorescence (XRF) experiments, Monte Carlo (MC) simulations provide a valuable tool that allows different system setups and experimental conditions to be explored in a controlled way. Electron gamma shower (EGS4) and Monte Carlo N‐Particle5 (MCNP5) are two widely used MC programs that simulate the photon and electron transport in great detail and allow for the simulation of an arbitrary experimental geometry. Tested in 2001 by Al‐Ghorabieet al.,1earlier versions of these programs failed in reproducing the outcome of a platinum XRFin vivomeasurement. The authors found that the discrepancy between measured and simulated results could be attributed to the free electron approximation made by the programs in simulating the Compton scattering. More recent versions of EGS4 and MCNP have updated their treatment for photon transport at low energies and have included Doppler broadening in the Compton profile. In this study we test the capability of these new versions of EGS4 and MCNP in reproducing the outcome of anin vivostrontium XRF measurement. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Chemical and phase characterisation of ceramic pigments
Authors: Gazulla M. F. , Gómez M. P. , Barba A. , Orduña M.
Published: February 2007

The present study was undertaken to extend a methodology established by the authors for characterising ceramic pigments. Ceramic pigments can be classified according to the American Dry Color Manufacturers' Association (DCMA) classification. The pigments used most frequently in the ceramic industry belong to five DCMA classes: Class III: Corundum‐hematite, Class XI: Rutile‐cassiterite, Class XII: Sphene, Class XIII: Spinel, and Class XIV: Zircon. Specific analytical methods have been established in this study to characterise the chemical composition and phases of types of pigments from these classes, using x‐ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry for chemical characterisation and x‐ray diffraction (XRD) for phase analysis. Sample preparation in the form of beads for the XRF measurement was optimised by determining the most appropriate sample/flux ratio for each type of pigment. Calibration and validation standards were prepared from mixtures of reference materials, as no pigment reference materials are available. The validation standards have then been used to validate the proposed methodology for the chemical and phase characterisation of a representative sample of ceramic pigments from the foregoing five DCMA classes. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Editorial on Supervision
Authors: Middleton Anna , Cowley Lorraine , Clarke Alison
Published: February 2007

This Editorial provides background information to inform the report from the United Kingdom (UK) and Eire Association of Genetic Nurses and Counsellors (AGNC) Supervision Working Group on Genetic Counselling Supervision. We begin by introducing the context of practice as a genetic counselor in the UK and then follow with an overview of events that have happened in our profession that led to the need and creation of the report. Genetic counseling supervision has become instrumental to our practice, training and registration as genetic counselors in the UK.
Reflections on the Experience of Counseling Supervision by a Team of Genetic Counselors from the UK
Authors: Middleton Anna , Wiles Vicki , Kershaw Ann , Everest Sarah , Downing Sarah , Burton Helen , Robathan Sue , Landy Annette
Published: February 2007

Despite it being generally acknowledged that counseling supervision is a vital part of the work for experienced genetic counselors and not just students, not all practising genetic counselors in the United Kingdom and Eire have access to this yet. This case study documents the supervision experience of our team of genetic counselors from Cambridge in the U.K. We document our retrospective thoughts on working practice before supervision was available in our department. We also give an overview of the individual and collective views of having one‐to‐one supervision only and then one year later, the impact of adding group supervision. Our ‘supervision journey’ is recorded using a practitioner‐centred approach with a mixed method of data collection. Two focus group discussions and two written questionnaires were used, at different time points to gather attitudes. This paper captures experiences as our practice of supervision has evolved. This work is relevant to practising genetic counselors around the world who either do not yet have access to supervision, are planning its implementation or else are adding different types of supervision to their practice.
Dietary composition and echolocation call design of three sympatric insectivorous bat species from China
Authors: Ma Jie , Liang Bing , Zhang Shuyi , Metzner Walter
Published: February 2007

Studying the diet of echolocating, insectivorous bats can provide important insights into their foraging behaviors and ecological constraints they are facing. By examining an extensive data set covering a period of 2 years, the present study identifies the dietary composition of three sympatric insectivorous bat species in rural areas of Beijing municipality. Each species clearly has different preferences for particular food items. Greater horseshoe bats, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, preferred to catch nocturnal, actively flying insects, mostly moths (Lepidoptera), and to a lesser percentage flies (Diptera), beetles (Coleoptera), and flying ants and termites (Hymenoptera). Other nocturnal insects which do not exhibit any perceptible wing movements, such as true bugs (Homoptera), or strictly diurnal insects that hardly ever fly in the dark, such as grasshoppers (Orthoptera) and dragon‐ and damselflies (Odonata), were never found in droppings of horseshoe bats. Large mouse‐eared bats, Myotis chinensis, preferentially glean relatively large terrestrial prey of the order Coleoptera (mostly carabid beetles) and Orthoptera, whereas greater tube‐nosed bats, Murina leucogaster, consume predominantly smaller, diurnal Coleoptera (mostly soldier beetles, Cantharidae, and ladybugs, Coccinellidae). Our findings also indicate previously not described, significant spectro‐temporal differences in the echolocation signals of M. chinensis and M. leucogaster. The results suggest that in our study area the dramatic differences in the dietary composition of these three bat species are mainly based upon differences in their foraging behaviors, including differences in their echolocation signal structure. The dietary data provide important background information for conservational efforts, such as habitat protection.
Acyl moieties modulate the effects of phospholipids on β‐carotene uptake by Caco‐2 cells
Authors: Yonekura Lina , Tsuzuki Wakako , Nagao Akihiko
Published: February 2007

The intestinal absorption of carotenoids is though to be mediated by the carotenoid assembly in mixed micelles, followed by its transfer into the enterocytes and subsequent secretion to the lymph as chylomicron particles. In the present study we investigated the effects of phospholipids and lysophospholipids with diverse fatty acyl moieties on the uptake of β‐carotene solubilized in mixed micelles by Caco‐2 cells. Compared with phospholipid‐free mixed micelles (NoPL), those containing long‐chain PC inhibited β‐carotene uptake (16∶0, 18∶1‐PC≅16∶0, 18∶2‐PC<14∶0, 14∶0‐PC≅16∶0, 14∶0‐PC <16∶0, 16∶0‐PC<NoPL). However, mixed micelles containing medium‐chain PC enhanced β‐carotene uptake (NoPL<8∶0, 8∶0‐PC<12∶0, 12∶0‐PC<10∶0, 10∶0‐PC), and short‐chain PC did not affect the uptake. Among the lysophosphatidylcholine (LysoPC) class, a marked increase of β‐carotene uptake by medium‐to‐long‐chain LysoPC was observed (NoPL<12∶0‐LysoPC<14∶0‐LysoPC<18∶1‐LysoPC<16∶0‐LysoPC), although short‐to‐medium‐chain LysoPC (6∶0‐LysoPC to 10∶0‐LysoPC) did not affect β‐carotene uptake. The long‐chain 16∶0,18∶1‐PC increased the β‐carotene efflux from cells and drastically changed the β‐carotene UV‐visible absorbance spectrum, compared with those of NoPL micelles. The acyl moieties of long‐chain PC may interact with the carotenoid in the micelle interior, shifting the β‐carotene partition toward the micellar phase. Medium‐chain PC and long‐chain LysoPC, which have nearly equivalent hydrophobicities, may enhance β‐carotene uptake through their interaction with the cell membrane.
Soy protein containing isoflavones favorably influences macrophage lipoprotein metabolism but not the development of atherosclerosis in CETP transgenic mice
Authors: Asakura Leiko , Cazita Patrícia M. , Harada Lila M. , Nunes Valéria S. , Berti Jairo A. , Salerno Alessandro G. , Ketelhuth Daniel F. J. , Gidlund Magnus , Oliveria Helena C. F. , Quintão Eder C. R.
Published: February 2007

The possibility that soy protein containing isoflavones influences the development of experimental atherosclerosis has been investigated in ovariectomized mice heterozygous for the human CETP transgene and for the LDL‐receptor null allele (LDLr+/− CETP+/−). After ovariectomy at 8 wk of age they were fed a fat/cholesterol‐rich diet for 19 wk and divided into three experimental groups: dietary unmodified soy protein containing isoflavones (mg/g of diet), either at low‐dose (Iso Low, 0.272, n=25), or at high‐dose (Iso High, 0.535, n=28); and the atherogenic diet containing an isoflavone‐depleted alcohol‐washed soy protein as a control group (n=28). Aortic root lipid‐stained lesion area (mean μm2×103±SD) did not differ among Iso Low (12.3±9.9), Iso High (7.4±6.4), and controls (10.7±12.8). Autoantibody titers against plasma oxidized LDL did not differ among the experimental groups. Using the control mice as the reference value (100%), in vitro mouse peritoneal macrophage uptake of labeled acetylated LDL‐cholesterol was lower in the Iso High (68%) than in the Iso Low (85%) group. The in vitro percent removal by exogenous HDL of labeled unesterified cholesterol from macrophages previously enriched with human [4‐14C]‐cholesteryl oleate acetylated LDL was enhanced in the Iso High group (50%). In spite of these in vitro potentially antiatherogenic actions, soy protein containing isoflavones did not modify the average size of lipid‐stained area in the aortic root.
Effects of cis‐9, trans‐11, CLA in rats at intake levels reported for breast‐fed infants
Authors: Turpeinen A. M. , von Willebrand E. , Salminen I. , Linden J. , Basu S. , Rai D.
Published: February 2007

CLA intake in exclusively breast‐fed infants is close to levels found to have physiological effects in animals. However, in the majority of studies mixtures of CLA isomers have been used and the independent effects of the major CLA isomer in human milk, cis‐9, trans‐11 CLA, at the intake level in exclusively breast‐fed infants have hardly been studied. We therefore studied the effects of cis‐9, trans‐11 CLA on plasma lipids and glucose, immune function, and bone metabolism in growing rats. Thirty male Sprague‐Dawley rats (n=10/group) were fed either 20 mg/kg/d cis‐9, trans‐11 CLA and 20 mg/kg/d sunflower oil (CLA20), 40 mg/kg/d cis‐9, trans‐11 CLA (CLA40), or 40 mg/kg/d sunflower oil (placebo) for 8 wk. No significant differences between groups were found in plasma lipids, glucose, insulin, C‐reactive protein, or lipid peroxidation. Liver fat content was lowest in the CLA20 group. In vitro interleukin 2 (IL‐2) production increased, and tumor necrosis factor alpha, IL‐1β, prostaglandin E2, and leukotriene B4 production decreased in the CLA20 group. No differences between groups were detected in IL‐4, IL‐6, or interferon gamma production, plasma osteocalcin, insulin‐like growth factor, or urinary deoxypyridino line crosslinks. Plasma tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase 5b activity was significantly increased in the CLA40 group. The results indicate anti‐inflammatory effects and enhanced T‐cell function for the CLA20 group. No adverse effects were seen in the CLA20 group, whereas indications of increased bone resorption rate were observed in the CLA40 group.
1‐O‐alkyl‐2‐(ω‐oxo)acyl‐sn‐glycerols from shark oil and human milk fat are potential precursors of PAF mimics and GHB
Authors: Hartvigsen Karsten , Ravandi Amir , Harkewicz Richard , Kamido Hiroshi , Bukhave Klaus , Hølmer Gunhild , Kuksis Arnis
Published: February 2007

This study examines the feasibility that peroxidation and lipolysis of 1‐O‐alkyl‐2,3‐diacyl‐sn‐glycerols (DAGE) found in shark liver oil and human milk fat constitutes a potential source of dietary precursors of platelet activating factor (PAF) mimics and of gamma‐hydroxybutyrate (GHB). Purified DAGE were converted into 1‐O‐alkyl‐2‐acyl‐sn‐glycerols by pancreatic lipase, without isomerization, and transformed into 1‐O‐alkyl‐2‐oxoacyl‐sn‐glycerols by mild autooxidation. The various core aldehydes without derivatization, as well as the corresponding dinitrophenylhydrazones, were characterized by chromatographic retention time and diagnostic ions by online electrospray mass spectrometry. Core aldehydes of oxidized shark liver oil yielded 23 molecular species of 1‐O‐alkyl‐sn‐glycerols with short‐chain sn‐2 oxoacyl groups, ranging from 4 to 13 carbons, some unsaturated. Autooxidation of human milk fat yielded 1‐O‐octadecyl‐2‐(9‐oxo)nonanoyl‐sn‐glycerol, as the major core aldehyde. Because diradylglycerols with short fatty chains are absorbed in the intestine and react with cytidine diphosphate‐choline in the enterocytes, it is concluded that formation of such PAF mimics as 1‐O‐alkyl‐2‐(ω‐oxo)acyl‐sn‐glycerophosphocholine from unsaturated dietary DAGE is a realistic possibility. Likewise, a C4 core alcohol produced by aldol‐keto reduction of a C4 core aldehyde constitutes a dietary precursor of the neuromodulator and recreational drug GHB, which has not been previously pointed out.
Docosahexaenoic acid levels in the lipids of spotted mackerel Scomber australasicus
Authors: Osako Kazufumi , Saito Hiroaki , Hossain Mohammed Anwar , Kuwahara Koichi , Okamoto Akira
Published: February 2007

The lipid and FA compositions of various organs and of the stomach contents of Scomber australasicus were analyzed. DHA was characteristically the major FA of all the major lipid classes of all organs except for liver TAG. The mean DHA contents of the various organs accounted for more than 17% of the total FA (TFA), whereas those in the stomach contents, originating from the prey, fluctuated and were generally low. In particular, the DHA levels in the TAG from all organs of S. australasicus accounted for up to 17% of TFA, even though it is a neutral depot lipid. S. australasicus contained markedly high levels of DHA, even though it is a small‐sized Scombridae species, and its high levels of DHA were close to those in large‐sized highly migratory tuna species. Furthermore, DHA levels in its muscle TAG were consistently high, compared with those in the visceral TAG, which might be directly influenced by the prey lipids. These phenomena suggest that long‐distance migration has a close relationship with high accumulation of DHA in fish tissues, since S. australasicus is reported to migrate in offshore water, similar to highly migratory tuna species. Additionally, the physiological selective accumulation of DHA in the muscle during migration is caused by in vivo metabolism of FA in the vascular system, suggesting that DHA is poorly used as a source of migration energy, though it is provided abundantly through the prey lipids.
Phosphoinositides: Regulators of membrane traffic and protein function
Authors: Krauß Michael , Haucke Volker
Published: February 2007

Phosphoinositides serve as important spatio‐temporal regulators of intracellular trafficking and cell signalling events. In addition to their recognition by specific phosphoinositide binding domains present within cytoplasmic adaptor proteins or membrane integral channels and transporters phosphoinositides may affect membrane transport by eliciting conformational changes within proteins or by regulating enzymatic activities. During adaptor‐mediated membrane traffic phosphoinositides form part of coincidence detection systems that aid in targeting pools of specific phosphoinositides to select intracellular transport pathways. In this review, we discuss potential mechanisms for conferring selectivity onto the phosphoinositide code as well as possible avenues for future research.
Iron overload in Hepc1−/− mice is not impairing glucose homeostasis
Authors: Ramey G. , Faye A. , Durel B. , Viollet B. , Vaulont S.
Published: February 2007

Diabetes Mellitus is found with increasing frequency in iron overload patients with hemochromatosis. In these conditions, the pancreas shows predominant iron overload in acini but also islet β‐cells. We assess glucose homeostasis status in iron‐overloaded hepcidin‐deficient mice. These mice presented with heavy pancreatic iron deposits but only in the acini. The β‐cell function was found unaffected with a normal production and secretion of insulin. The mutant mice were not diabetic, responded as the control group to glucose and insulin challenges, with no alteration of insulin signalling in the muscle and the liver. These results indicate that, β‐cells iron deposits‐induced decreased insulin secretory capacity might be of primary importance to trigger diabetes in hemochromatosic patients.
Transport of primary metabolites across the plant vacuolar membrane
Authors: Neuhaus H. Ekkehard
Published: February 2007

Mesophyll cells and most types of storage cells harbor large central vacuoles representing the main cellular store for sugars and other primary metabolites like carboxylic‐ or and amino acids. The general biochemical characteristics of sugar transport across the vacuolar membrane are already known since a couple of years but only recently the first tonoplast sugar carriers have been identified on the molecular level. A candidate sucrose carrier has been identified in a proteomic approach. In Arabidopsis, the tonoplast monosaccharide transporters (TMT) represent a small protein family comprising only three members, which reside in the vacuolar membrane. Two of three tmt genes are induced upon cold, drought or salt stress and tmt knock out mutants exhibit altered monosaccharide levels upon cold induction. These observations indicate that TMT proteins represent the first examples of tonoplast sugar carriers involved in the cellular response upon osmotic stress stimuli.
Indications, Methods, Postoperative Motion and Outcome Evaluation of Primary Flexor Tendon Repairs in Zone 2
Authors: TANG JIN BO
Published: February 2007

In recent years, our unit has put into practice of flexor tendon repairs a number of novel concepts, which we hope address some critical difficulties in primary flexor tendon repairs in Zone 2, thus pointing the way towards predictable surgical outcomes. In this article, I present my practical views on indications, techniques, post-surgical treatment and outcome measures, and describe our methods of sheath-pulley release, tendon repair, postoperative motion and outcome evaluation.
Marine reservoir correction for the Pacific coast of central Japan using 14C ages of marine mollusks uplifted during historical earthquakes
Authors: Shishikura Masanobu , Echigo Tomoo , Kaneda Heitaro
Published: February 2007

In this study we utilize marine shell samples from two levels of historically uplifted sessile mollusk assemblages and raised wave-cut benches to evaluate the marine reservoir correction (ΔR) for the Pacific coast of central Japan. Elevation measurements of the uplifted marine shells indicate that the lower assemblage emerged during the 1923 Taisho Kanto earthquake (M7.9), whereas uplift of the upper assemblage is most likely but less confidently ascribed to the 1703 Genroku Kanto earthquake (M8.2). Radiocarbon dating of carefully selected samples from the upper and lower assemblages yielded very similar ΔR values of 82 ± 33 and 77 ± 32 yr, respectively. We regard the former ΔR value as a representative and more reliable value given the uncertainty in correlation of the upper assemblage with the 1703 earthquake. This result is consistent with previously reported ΔR values for the Pacific coast of south-central Japan and areas around the Sea of Japan that are influenced by warm ocean currents. Radiocarbon dating of coseismically uplifted shells can aid in estimating marine reservoir ages in the tectonically active Japan Islands.
THE FIRST EVANGELICAL TRACT SOCIETY
Authors: RIVERS ISABEL
Published: February 2007

The study of how popular religious publishing operated in Britain in the eighteenth century has been neglected. Recent work on such publishing in the nineteenth century ignores the important eighteenth-century tract distribution societies that were the predecessors of the much larger nineteenth-century ones. This article provides a detailed account of the work of a society that is now little known, despite the wealth of surviving evidence: the Society for Promoting Religious Knowledge among the Poor, founded in 1750, which should properly be considered the first of the evangelical tract societies. It was founded by dissenters, but included many Anglicans among its members; its object was to promote experimental religion by distributing Bibles and cheap tracts to the poor. Its surviving records provide unusually detailed evidence of the choice, numbers, distribution, and reception of these books. Analysis of this particular Society throws light more generally on non-commercial popular publishing, the reading experiences of the poor, and the development of evangelical religion in the eighteenth century.
JEWISH POLICE INFORMERS IN THE ATLANTIC WORLD, 1880–1914
Authors: VAN ONSELEN CHARLES
Published: February 2007

The great migration from the tsarist empire, sparked by the assassination of Alexander II, in 1881, saw two to three million east European Jews re-settling in the great cities of the Atlantic world before the First World War. Often discriminated against in labour markets, and socially marginalized in new environments, Russo-Polish males either persisted in, or resorted to, organized crime centred on the illicit sale of alcohol, professional gambling, and prostitution to survive. Atlantic states, however, were reluctant to employ Jews as uniformed police or detectives in their fight against syndicated crime. In order to overcome the challenge of ethnicized crime, law-enforcement agencies, like nineteenth-century tsarist administrations before them, employed informers. Jewish informers who, unbeknown to police handlers, were sometimes also psychopaths in an era before the condition was clinically identified, were used to infiltrate underworld structures. By nature, informing offered a short-term, unstable, existence fraught with unintended consequences for police and spies alike – thereby encouraging extraordinary geographical mobility amongst informers. Orthodox histories of law-enforcement agencies tend to focus on structural changes in police forces but a re-examination of the role of informers in organized crime should allow for the development of more subtle insights into the evolution of policing as a dynamic, interactive, social process.
LOVE AND COURTSHIP IN MID-TWENTIETH-CENTURY ENGLAND
Authors: LANGHAMER CLAIRE
Published: February 2007

This article contributes to the on-going study of modern affective life by exploring the ways in which love was understood, invoked, and deployed within heterosexual courtships. ‘Love’ itself is approached as a highly mutable and flexible concept whose meanings and uses are contingent upon historical moment, gender, status, and generation. Whilst the article does not claim to offer a comprehensive history of love across the central years of the twentieth century, it suggests that some of the everyday meanings and uses of that emotion can be illuminated through consideration of this particular aspect of social life. Rather than placing discursive constructions centre stage, the article uses life history material to effect an analysis embedded in everyday practices. Courtship itself is understood as a transitional stage between youth and adulthood: a life stage during which the meanings and uses of ‘love’ were implicitly or explicitly confronted, where gender relationships were potentially unstable, and where aspiration and desire could conflict in the making of the self. Courtship therefore constituted an important rite of passage which could provide an opportunity to perform, reject, and refine new roles and responsibilities, whilst negotiating future status and identity. The article explores the power dynamics which underlined romantic encounters, but argues that through their everyday practice young women exercised real, if bounded, agency within this sphere of social life.
THE CURRENT STATE OF MILITARY HISTORY
Authors: MOYAR MARK
Published: February 2007

Military history is often misconstrued as a field requiring little intellectual skill, in which the historian provides little more than a chronology of generals and battles. Analysis of one hundred of the twenty-first century's best military histories reveals that military history today goes well beyond such subject matter, incorporating social, cultural, and political history. Common areas of inquiry for contemporary historians include the impact of society, culture, and politics on a country's ability to wage war; the social, cultural, and political after-effects of war; the society and culture of military organizations; and the relationship between military organizations and the communities from which they spring. While historians continue to devote considerable attention to the conventional militaries of Europe and the United States, many also are studying small armies, irregular forces, non-state actors, civil wars, and non-Western armed forces. Within the military realm, historians frequently tackle subjects of much greater complexity than the generals-and-battles stereotype would suggest, to include the relationship between technological and human factors, the interdependency of land and naval warfare, and the influence of political direction on the military.
A CULTURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIAN PHYSICAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Authors: JACKSON MYLES W.
Published: February 2007

Making modern science: a historical survey. By Peter J. Bowler and Iwan Rhys Morus. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 2005. Pp. viii+528. ISBN 0-226-06861-7. $25.00.

The morals of measurement: accuracy, irony and trust in late Victorian electrical practice. By Graeme J. N. Gooday. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004. Pp. xxv+285. ISBN 0-521-43098-4. L40.

Victorian relativity: radical thought and scientific discovery. By Christopher Herbert. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 2001. Pp. xv+302. ISBN 0-226-32733-7. $21.00.

Engineering empires: a cultural history of technology in nineteenth-century Britain. By Ben Marsden and Crosbie Smith. Basingstoke and New York: Palgrave and Macmillan, 2005. Pp. xi+351. ISBN 0-333-77278-4. L58.

The electric vehicle: technology and expectations in the automobile age. By Gijs Mom. Baltimore and London: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2004. Pp. xiii+423. $54.95.

When physics became king. By Iwan Rhys Morus. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 2005. Pp. xii+303. ISBN 0-226-54202-5. $25.00.

Masters of theory: Cambridge and the rise of mathematical physics. By Andrew Warwick. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 2003. Pp. xiv+572. ISBN 0-226-87374-9. $95.00.

Over the past three decades, a growing number of historians of science and (to a lesser extent) historians of technology have offered compelling cultural histories that depict the inextricable links between the content of scientific and technological knowledge and the context in which it was created. Rather than assuming at face value that science is a trans-temporal body of knowledge, these historians describe the scientific enterprise as being culturally contingent. Most of the socio-cultural histories of science of the 1980s and 1990s were synchronic, focusing on various aspects of science and culture during a relatively short span of time. As important and successful as those studies were, a number of historians feared that the discipline was losing sight of the longue durée. Precisely because scientific theories and practices can be successful over long periods of time and throughout different cultures, micro-histories with a penchant for contextualizing, while necessary, seemed insufficient. The question was then raised: could the analytical tools and historiographies offered by these earlier microanalyses be applied diachronically? A number of recent works discussed in this review article have answered this question with a resounding ‘yes.’ By focusing on macro-historical themes, such as pedagogy, standardization, imperialism, credibility, and trustworthiness, these works detail the importance of science and technology to Victorian society, and illustrate how the social relations typical of the period shaped physical and technical knowledge.
Tonsillectomy return-to-theatre rates demonstrate a monthly and seasonal variation: an analysis of 256 799 patients
Authors: Chadha N K
Published: February 2007

Objective:

To explore whether the incidence of post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage requiring a return to theatre demonstrates a monthly or seasonal variation.

Design:

Retrospective, cross-sectional study including all 256 799 tonsillectomies performed between April 2000 and March 2005 in NHS trusts in England.

Outcome measures:

Return-to-theatre rates for each calendar month and each three-month ‘season’, over the five-year study period.

Results:

A statistically significant association was found between the calendar month and the proportion of patients requiring a return to theatre for post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage (p=0.005). There was a bimodal seasonal distribution peaking in the winter and summer months, with winter rates significantly higher than spring rates (p=0.0104).

Conclusions:

The incidence of severe post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage showed monthly and seasonal variations. This is clearly a multi-factorial problem. However, in patients at high risk of bleeding or of the complications of bleeding, consideration should be given to performing tonsillectomy at a time of year of lower incidence.
Helicobacter pylori infection and chronic, persistent cough: is there an association?
Authors: Talaat M , Gad M S , Magdy E A , Aggag S M , Nour Y A
Published: February 2007

Introduction: Chronic, persistent cough is a common clinical problem, the cause of which sometimes remains unidentifiable.

Aims: To study a potential association between Helicobacter pylori infection and chronic, persistent cough.

Materials and methods: A clinical observational study with symptom analysis, including 162 patients whose main presenting complaint was chronic, persistent cough of unidentifiable cause (study group) and 42 patients with chronic, non-specific laryngopharyngeal manifestations not including chronic cough (control group).

Results: Active H pylori infection was present in 86.4 per cent (140/162) of patients in the chronic cough group, as opposed to 45.2 per cent (19/42) of the control group, as confirmed by detection of H pylori antigen in stool specimens. This difference was statistically significant (p<0.001). There was a significant improvement of the chronic cough of 75.4 per cent (98/130) of patients after successful H pylori eradication using appropriate medical therapy (p<0.001).

Conclusions: Helicobacter pylori infection may lead to laryngopharyngeal irritation, with several clinical manifestations including chronic, persistent cough. However, the exact mechanism of this requires further research.
Post-traumatic pulsatile tinnitus: the hallmark of a direct carotico-cavernous fistula
Authors: Lerut B , De Vuyst C , Ghekiere J , Vanopdenbosch L , Kuhweide R
Published: February 2007

Following trauma to her right frontal region, a 68-year-old woman suffered bilateral, benign, paroxysmal, positional vertigo and a left-sided, longitudinal petrosal bone fracture, with secondary facial palsy and ossicular luxation. From the onset, the patient complained of pulsatile, left-sided tinnitus. After eight weeks, she developed left-sided ocular symptoms, progressing from conjunctival hyperaemia and orbital oedema to an abducens nerve palsy, and ultimately to heart failure.

The case and the final diagnosis of carotico-cavernous fistula are discussed. Guidelines are proposed for a diagnostic approach to pulsatile tinnitus and for the optimal management of patients presenting with pulsatile tinnitus associated with ocular symptoms.
Pneumocephalus as a delayed mastoidectomy complication
Authors: Jégoux F , Godey B , Riffaud L , Morandi X
Published: February 2007

We report the case of a 43-year-old woman who presented with a spontaneous pneumocephalus, 37 years after a mastoidectomy. Clinical examination showed a cerebrospinal fluid leak, meningeal herniation in the superior part of the middle ear, and an audible noise from her ear when she stood up due to the entrance of air into the cranium. A computed tomography scan and magnetic resonance imaging showed the complete destruction of the tegmen tympani and the pneumocephalus in the temporal lobe. The patient underwent an emergency operation via a double middle-ear and subtemporal approach. The meningoencephalocoele and pneumocephalus were probably due to long term pressure upon too thin a tegmen tympani.

Pneumocephalus should be considered as a potential delayed post-operative complication of middle-ear surgery. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scanning supply accurate information and enable a planned surgical approach; they also allow a pathophysiological understanding and a correlation between the clinical signs and the radiological and peri-operative findings.