bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evidence for Early Signaling Events in Stomatin‐Induced Differentiation of Tetrahymena vorax
Authors: RYALS PHILLIP E. , BAE SOOCHAN , PATTERSON CHARLES E.
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACT The mechanism of stomatin‐induced differentiation of Tetrahymena vorax was investigated by in vivo protease degradation of cell surface proteins, the direct measurement of products formed from the activation of phospholipase C, and the use of an array of signal transduction inhibitors/activators. The data indicate that a surface‐exposed protein is required for stomatin to signal the cells to differentiate and that the cells are committed to the differentiation pathway within two hours after exposure to stomatin. Analysis of radiolabeled polyphosphoinositols and inositol lipids from control and stomatin‐treated populations in the presence of 10 mM LiCl were consistent with a rapid activation of phospholipase C. Within five min following addition of stomatin, this resulted in an increase in polyphosphoinositols and a concomitant decrease in the relative amounts of phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate and phosphatidylinositol trisphosphate.
New Axonemal Dynein Heavy Chains from Tetrahymena thermophila
Authors: MOBBERLEY PAULA S. , SULLIVAN JEANELL L. , ANGUS STEVEN P. , KONG XUEJUN , PENNOCK DAVID G.
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACT Two dyneins can be extracted from Tetrahymena ciliary axonemes. The 22S dynein contains three heavy chains (HC), sediments at 22S in a sucrose gradient, and makes up the outer arms. The 14S dynein contains two to six HCs, sediments at 14S, and is thought to contribute to formation of the inner arms. We have identified two large proteins that are extracted from Tetrahymena axonemes with high salt and that sediment together at approximately 18S. The two large proteins cleave when subjected to UV light in the presence of ATP and vanadate, suggesting both proteins are dynein HC. Antibodies against one of the 18S HCs do not recognize 22S dynein HCs. Antibodies to 22S dynein HC do not bind appreciably to 18S dynein photocleavage fragments. Taken together, these results indicate that the large proteins that sediment at 18S are axonemal dynein heavy chains.
A Redescription of Balanion comatum Wulff, 1919 (Prorodontida, Ciliophora), with Notes on its Cultivation and Behaviour
Authors: JAKOBSEN HANS H. , MONTAGNES DAVID J. S.
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACT Morphological and behavioural information (from live, protargol‐stained, SEM, and TEM materials) were used to re‐describe the type species of Balanion, isolated from Danish waters. The ciliate was compared to the original description and to the only other described species, Balanion planctonicum, Balanion comatum was neotypified and distinguished from B. planctonicum by having 12–26 vs. 7–12 kinetosomes in the somatic kinetics and having 9 vs. 4 microtubules per oral flap.
Principles of Protein and Lipid Targeting in Secondary Symbiogenesis: Euglenoid, Dinoflagellate, and Sporozoan Plastid Origins and the Eukaryote Family Tree1,2
Authors: CAVALIER‐SMITH TOM
Published: May 2007

The biggest unsolved problems in chloroplast evolution are the origins of dinoflagellate and euglenoid chloroplasts, which have envelopes of three membranes not two like plants and chromists, and of the sporozoan plastid, bounded by four smooth membranes. I review evidence that all three of these protozoan plastid types originated by secondary symbiogenesis from eukaryotic endosymbionts. Instead of separate symbiogenetic events, I argue that dinoflagellate and sporozoan plastids are directly related and that the common ancestor of dinoflagellates and Sporozoa was photosynthetic. I suggest that the last common ancestor of all Alveolata was photosynthetic and acquired its chlorophyll c‐containing plastids in the same endosymbiogenetic event as those of Chromista. Chromista and Alveolata are postulated to be a clade designated chromalveolates. I propose that euglenoids obtained their plastids from the same (possibly ulvophycean) green alga as chlorarachneans and that Discicristata (Euglenozoa plus Percolozoa) and Cercozoa (the group including chlorarachneans) form a clade designated cabozoa (protozoa with chlorophyll a + b). If both theories are correct, there were only two secondary symbiogenetic events (witnessed by the chlorarachnean and cryptomonad nucleomorphs) in the history of life, not seven as commonly assumed. This greatly reduces the postulated number of independent origins of chloroplast protein‐targeting machinery and of gene transfers from endosymbiont to host nuclei. I discuss the membrane and plastid losses and innovations in protein targeting implied by these theories, the comparative evidence for them, and their implications for eukaryote megaphylogeny. The principle of evolutionary conservatism leads to a novel theory for the function of periplastid vesicles in membrane biogenesis of chlorarachneans and chromists and of the key steps in secondary symbiogenesis. Protozoan classification is also slightly revised by abandoning the probably polyphyletic infrakingdom Actinopoda, grouping Foraminifera and Radiolaria as a new infrakingdom Retaria, placing Heliozoa within a revised infrakingdom Sarcomastigota, establishing a new flagellate phylum Loukozoa for Jakobea plus Anaeromonadea within an emended subkingdom Eozoa, and ranking Archezoa as an infrakingdom within Eozoa.
A Brief History of Dinoflagellate Feeding Research1
Authors: JACOBSON DEAN M.
Published: May 2007

Our understanding of the great diversity and novelty of dinoflagellate feeding ecology (summarized in Fig. 1) is progressing rapidly after a slow, erratic beginning a century ago. This advance has not been based primarily on technical innovations. Rather, basic microscopy of wild material, like that employed a century ago, has continued to yield many important insights. Indeed, several of the most exciting discoveries (including the pallium of thecate heterotrophs and the ingestion of ciliates and dinoflagellates by both naked and thecate dinoflagellates) are actually rediscoveries that have expanded upon reports published sixty to ninety years earlier. The elucidation of feeding strategies among thecate species has advanced particularly rapidly, with the recent addition of over a dozen widespread and important thecate genera to the rank of phagotroph, leading to a significant paradigm shift: the theca can no longer be considered an insurmountable or even a significant barrier to phagotrophy. This research is now developing from a descriptive and anecdotal stage to an experimental and quantitative stage, involving analysis of rates, ecological roles, and survival strategies: however, important new descriptions are still emerging. It has been shown that dinoflagellates, despite having relatively low densities and growth rates compared to ciliates, are ecologically significant. They can even compete with and prey upon microcrustacean grazers. Among many future advances in this field, perhaps the most significant will be an understanding of nano‐sized dinoflagellates, particularly “Gymnodinium” and “Gyrodinium” spp. that have already been shown to play major roles in marine food webs. This development awaits a massive taxonomic overhaul of this diverse, polyphyletic assemblage. In addition, the feeding habits of well characterized thecate taxa still await characterization.
The Ecological Roles of Heterotrophic Dinoflagellates in Marine Planktonic Community1
Authors: JEONG HAE JIN
Published: May 2007

Heterotrophic dinoflagellates are ubiquitous and often abundant protists in marine environments. Recently, several novel predator‐prey relationships between heterotrophic dinoflagellates and other planktonic organisms have been discovered and shown to have diverse ecological roles. Heterotrophic dinoflagellates are predators on a wide array of prey items, including phytoplankton, copepod eggs, and early naupliar stages. They are in turn important prey for some metazoa. Some heterotrophic dinoflagellates are predators of and simultaneously prey for other dinoflagellates. These newly discovered predator‐prey relationships may influence our conventional view of energy flow and carbon cycling in the marine planktonic community.
Evidence of Actin in the Cytoskeleton of Microsporidia
Authors: BIGLIARDI ELISA , RIPARBELLI MARIA GIOVANNA , SELMI MARIA GLORIA , BINI LUCA , LIBERATORI SABRINA , PALLINI VITALIANO , BERNUZZI ANNA , GATTI SIMONETTA , SCAGLIA MASSIMO , SACCHI LUCIANO
Published: May 2007

Using transmission electron microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, immuno‐electron microscopy, and biochemical techniques such as 2‐D electrophoresis and immunoblotting, actin was found in all biological stages of the microsporidia Encephalitozoon hellem and Encephalitozoon cuniculi.
Analysis of Intraspecific Sequence Variation Among Eight Isolates of the Rumen Symbiont, Isotricha prostoma (Ciliophora), from Two Continents
Authors: WRIGHT ANDRÉ‐DENIS G.
Published: May 2007

The internally transcribed spacer regions 1 and 2 (ITS‐1 and ITS‐2) and the 5.8S ribosomal RNA gene of Isotricha prostoma were examined for intraspecific sequence variation. There were no differences in the ITS‐1/5.8S/ITS‐2 region among cattle and sheep isolates of I. prostoma from Australia, Canada, and the United States, indicating that this region is 100% conserved among eight isolates from two continents.
Simple Models of Agglutinated Foraminifera Test Construction
Authors: TUCKWELL GEORGE WILLIAM , ALLEN KATHRYN , ROBERTS STEPHEN , MURRAY JOHN WILLIAM
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACT. The characteristic grain size distributions observed in the test walls of agglutinated foraminifera can be replicated by numerical simulations. the logistics employed by the model parallel those seen in foraminifera during culturing experiments of test construction. Both fractal and log‐normal grain distributions are generated by a simple space‐filling algorithm. However, to generate the specific grain distributions observed in foramimferan tests a strong preference for selecting larger grains from the available sediment must be effected. the exclusion of smaller grains, during selection, produces log‐normal grain distributions similar to those previously observed. These and similar modelling techniques may provide valuable insights into the mechanisms of shell construction employed by protists.
Reduced Invasion of Cultured Cells Pretreated With A Monoclonal Antibody Elicited Against Refractile Body Antigens of Avian Coccidial Sporozoites
Authors: AUGUSTINE PATRICIA C.
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACT. The effect of a monoclonal antibody (1209‐C2) elicited against sporozoite refractile‐body antigen on invasion of cultured baby hamster kidney cells by avian Eimeria species was examined in vitro. Pretreatment of sporozoites with 1209‐C2 for 45 min before inoculation into cultures or simultaneous introduction of sporozoites and 1209‐C2 into cultures had no significant effect on invasion. However, pretreatment of cultures for 45 min with 1209‐C2 (also with media from other cloned 1209 cell lines) significantly inhibited invasion by sporozoites of Eimeria tenella and E. adenoeides. Pretreatment of cultures with 2 unrelated monoclonal antibodies with the same isotype as 1209‐C2 did not inhibit invasion by E. tenella. There was a significant correlation between time of exposure of the cultures to 1209‐C2 and invasion (r = ‐0.80924; p = 0.0001), with inhibition of invasion occurring after 20 min exposure, but not after 10 min. There was also a significant correlation between the titer of 1209‐C2 and invasion (r = 0.62291; p = 0.0305). Monoclonal antibody 1209‐C2 cross‐reacted with epitopes of baby hamster kidney cells by both immunofluorescence and Western blot. the fluorescent labeling of the cells differed according to the fixative that was used. In formalin‐fixed cultures labeled with 1209‐C2, fluorescent foci were distributed over the entire cell; after methanol fixation, 1209‐C2 reacted with only discrete foci in the nucleus. On Western blots of sporozoites, 1209‐C2 reacted with antigens having molecular sizes of ∼ 8, 17, 23, 30, and 45‐60 kDa, and with several minor bands. On baby hamster kidney cells, the antibody reacted primarily with bands of ∼ 30, 45‐60. and slightly with other bands. the data suggest that interactions among similar molecules in the sporozoites and host cells may play a role in cellular invasion.
Rheotaxis In Uronychia Setigera (Ciliata, Hypotrichida)
Authors: RICCI NICOLA , CIONINI KETTY , BANCHETTI ROSALBA , ERRA FABRIZIO
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACT. The behavior of populations of Uronychia setigera (Ciliata, Hypotrichida) exposed to water currents flowing at increasing velocities (300, 400, 500, 900, 1,700 μm/s) was analyzed using two techniques: 1) the ethogram and 2) the numerical indices recently proposed to measure the development in space and time of tracks of ciliates. Beyond a certain threshold value of the water velocity (˜ 300 μm/s), this species shows a definite positive rheotaxis, only if it moves in a more or less direct contact with the substrate. No rheotactic swimming ever occurs. Rheotaxis is a gradual, adaptive behavior: the higher the velocity of the current, the stronger the degree of the rheotactic response, as demonstrated by the increasing significance of the polar distribution of the tracks. Beyond 500 μm/s the water flow is so strong that it affects the locomotion of U. setigera continuously and strongly inducing this species to perform a new behavioral pattern, the Fast Backward Bidimensional Swimming. Under stressing water currents it reacts at first by creeping along straighter trajectories and then with faster locomotion, in such a way that its reaction is to a certain extent proportional to the drag of the currents. the rheotaxis of U. setigera is discussed as an adaptive response.
First Description of the Lorica of Metacystis Truncata and Its Occurrence On Thalassia Testudinum
Authors: ALADRO‐LUBEL MA. ANTONIETA , MARTINEZ‐MURILLO MA. ESTHER
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACT.Metacystis truncata, a prostomatid loricate ciliate, was found attached toThalassia tesudinum, a dominant seagrass of the coral reef lagoons of Veracruz, Mexico. the morphology of the ciliate and its lorica were studied in living and stained specimens and in those prepared for scanning electron microscopy. the lorica is cylindrical (64.6‐115μm) with a well‐developed anterior neck and a sac reinforced by 15‐26 rings. Cell body size is variable (19‐91 μm live), from ovoid to elongate: the terminal protruding vacuole is conspicuous in small and medium‐sized individuals; the macronucleus is terminal in the elongate forms, or located near the mid‐body in the ovoid ones. This marine prostomatid colonizes both natural and artificial substrates such as narrow polyethylene strips placed in an aquarium. the highest density was found in the summer. the present study represents the first description of the lorica ofM. truncataand the first record onT. testudinumshoots.
Apical Feeding in the Karyorelictids (Protozoa, Ciliophora) Sultanophrys arabica and Tracheloraphis sp.
Authors: AL‐RASHEID KHALED A. S. , FOISSNER WILHELM
Published: May 2007

Sultanophrys arabica and Tracheloraphis sp., two interstitial karyorelictid ciliates, were cultivated in sealed 100–200 ml glass bottles half‐filled with filtered interstitial water to which some millilitres of the natural organism community and a couple of wheat grains were added. Removing sand grains and sealing the bottles were crucial to achieve a low oxygen tension milieu, which was maintained by the algae contained in the community. This cultivation method provided, for the first time, rich cultures with many feeding, dividing, and conjugating cells. Both species were omnivorous and fed through the apical end, where a well‐developed oral apparatus is present. Apical feeding was documented by micrographs of living specimens and by scanning electron microscopy of preserved cells.
Social Comparison‐Based Thoughts in Groups: Their Associations With Interpersonal Trust and Learning Outcomes
Authors: Molleman Eric , Nauta Aukje , Buunk Bram P.
Published: May 2007

This study relates thoughts derived from 4 types of social comparison to trust and individual learning. Our study (N = 362 students) showed that upward identification (i.e., believing one is just as good as a better performing teammate) was positively related to trust and individual learning. Upward contrast (i.e., believing one is worse than a better performing group member) was negatively related to learning, as were downward‐identifying thoughts (i.e., believing one will perform as badly as a poorly performing teammate). Downward contrast (i.e., thinking one can do much better than the poor performer) was negatively related to trust. We concluded that social comparison‐based thoughts are important to consider when designing teamwork because of their constructive and destructive consequences.
Matters of Life and Death: Justice in Judgments of Wrongful Death1
Authors: Lenton Alison P.
Published: May 2007

Two experiments investigated the influence of social categories on mock juror judgments of wrongful death compensatory damages. The research also examined whether these cues—decedent race, parental status, age, and socioeconomic status—differentially affected noneconomic and economic awards and, further, the extent to which jurors' distributive justice concerns could explain the findings. Results revealed a decedent's parental status to consistently impact noneconomic awards; whereas his parental status, age, and socioeconomic status all consistently affected economic awards. Decedent race did not inform participants' judgments. These results were in close alignment with the values participants expressed (Study 2) regarding the use of social categories in compensatory damage awards. Overall, the pattern of findings supports a distributive justice account.
Does Friendship Matter? An Examination of Social Physique Anxiety in Adolescence1
Authors: Mack Diane E. , Strong Heather A. , Kowalski Kent C. , Crocker Peter R. E.
Published: May 2007

The role of peer group composition and influence variables on social physique anxiety was examined. Peer network data were gathered on 375 adolescents (181 male, 194 female). Females reported experiencing higher social physique anxiety, more pressure and encouragement to alter their physique from peers, greater body‐related discussion, and greater identification with the peer group than did males. Regression analyses revealed 2 peer influence variables—peer pressure and relative attractiveness of peers—to be significant predictors of social physique anxiety. A third variable—extent to which the individual identified with peer network—was a significant predictor for females. Results are discussed in reference to previous research, and future research directions are identified.
Emotional Effects of Distributive Justice as a Function of Autocratic Leader Behavior1
Authors: De Cremer David
Published: May 2007

The present research examined the effect of distributive justice and autocratic leadership style on followers' negative emotions. It was predicted that distributive justice would influence followers' negative emotions if the leader did not adopt an autocratic leadership style (i.e., not being pushy in the process leading to the decision). Results from a scenario experiment and an organizational survey indeed showed that distributive justice and autocratic leadership style interacted to influence followers' negative emotions such that the relationship between distributive justice and negative emotions was significant when the leadership style was low in autocratic behavior. Implications in terms of integrating the leadership and justice literature are discussed.
COMT Val158Met and 5HTTLPR functional loci interact to predict persistence of anxiety across adolescence: results from the Victorian Adolescent Health Cohort Study
Authors: Olsson C. A. , Byrnes G. B. , Anney R. J. L. , Collins V. , Hemphill S. A. , Williamson R. , Patton G. C.
Published: May 2007

We investigated whether a composite genetic factor, based on the combined actions of catechol‐O‐methyltransferase (COMT) (Val158Met) and serotonin transporter (5HTTLPR) (Long‐Short) functional loci, has a greater capacity to predict persistence of anxiety across adolescence than either locus in isolation. Analyses were performed on DNA collected from 962 young Australians participating in an eight‐wave longitudinal study of mental health and well‐being (Victorian Adolescent Health Cohort Study). When the effects of each locus were examined separately, small dose–response reductions in the odds of reporting persisting generalized (free‐floating) anxiety across adolescence were observed for the COMT Met158 [odds ratio (OR) = 0.85, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.76–0.95, P = 0.004] and 5HTTLPR Short alleles (OR = 0.88, CI = 0.79–0.99, P = 0.033). There was no evidence for a dose–response interaction effect between loci. However, there was a double‐recessive interaction effect in which the odds of reporting persisting generalized anxiety were more than twofold reduced (OR = 0.45, CI = 0.29–0.70, P < 0.001) among carriers homozygous for both the COMT Met158 and the 5HTTLPR Short alleles (Met158Met + Short‐Short) compared with the remaining cohort. The double‐recessive effect remained after multivariate adjustment for a range of psychosocial predictors of anxiety. Exploratory stratified analyses suggested that genetic protection may be more pronounced under conditions of high stress (insecure attachments and sexual abuse), although strata differences did not reach statistical significance. By describing the interaction between genetic loci, it may be possible to describe composite genetic factors that have a more substantial impact on psychosocial development than individual loci alone, and in doing so, enhance understanding of the contribution of constitutional processes in mental health outcomes.
American Women Writers and the First World War
Authors: Nolan Elizabeth
Published: May 2007

Traditionally, the literary representation of the First World War has been the preserve of the male author. In particular, it is the account of the combat experienced soldier, most often the English soldier poets, which has been privileged. For more than two decades, however, critics have been actively engaged in establishing a more inclusive canon of war literature along gendered and national lines. Feminist scholars, in particular, have vigorously explored the complex intersection between war, writing and gender, recovering and re‐evaluating women's narratives of war, recognising them as important literary, social and historical documents. This article will address both gendered and national concerns, offering an overview of important developments in the study of American women's writings from the First World War. It will also engage with current critical debates which address issues such as the development of distinctly female modernisms and the presentation of war through the female gaze.
Reading Shakespearean Violence
Authors: Paul J. Gavin
Published: May 2007

This essay won the 2006Literature CompassGraduate Essay Prize, Shakespeare Section.

This article takes as its starting point some of ways in which the events of 9/11 have been integrated into recent critical studies of Shakespeare. These linkages between Shakespeare and 9/11 are a reminder that acts of violence are readily available access points at which to engage with Shakespeare's textual and theatrical manifestations; it is also apparent that broad and contentious issues coalesce around examinations of Shakespeare and violence: authorship, human agency, ideology, the historicizing and politicization of events and texts. With this in mind, it seems a suitable moment for retrospection, to survey prominent voices of the twentieth century in an effort to gain perspective and context for critical interrogations of Shakespeare and violence. This article aims to read critics reading Shakespearean violence in order to identify and examine influential approaches to Shakespeare as well as prominent theoretical modes – Formalism, New Historicism, Cultural Materialism – brought to bear on early modern drama generally.
Exodusas Travelling Theory: Excavating the Promised Land in the African American Imagination
Authors: Hartnell Anna
Published: May 2007

This essay won the 2006 Literature Compass Graduate Essay Prize, American Section.

Exodus, this article suggests, is one of the defining texts through which Americans have imaginatively re‐mapped the nation's relationship to the spectre of ‘Egyptian’ oppression. This article proposes to consider the evolution of theExodustext from its pivotal place in an often imperialist presidential rhetoric to its central position in African American elaborations of resistance. I suggest that the story ofExodusissuing from the lips of W. E. B. Du Bois, Martin Luther King or Toni Morrison crucially unsettles the ‘innocent’ position assumed by America's political establishment in relation to the enigmatic question of ‘freedom’. This article reviews the interruptive possibilities of African American re‐tellings of theExodusnarrative in the context of Edward Said's notion of ‘travelling theory’. In his examination of theories devolved from their point of origin, Said poses a crucial distinction between theories that lose their critical power via domestication to the status quo and those which ‘flame out’ from this path by reaffirming and even furthering their radical potential. I argue here that it is these destablizing currents that largely animate the African American counter‐cultural tradition that excavates the promised land in order to tell of a fundamentally ‘unhomely’ exodus. Where mainstream invocations ofExoduspresent America's rendition as an epochal overcoming of Hegel's seemingly inexorable master/slave dialectic, the appropriation of this story by America's internal ‘others’ is a standing reminder that America is not – contra Hegel's memorable suggestion – the destination of ‘History's’ end.
Do family members interfere in the delivery of care when present during invasive paediatric procedures in the emergency department?
Authors: Ryan Glenn , Treston Greg
Published: May 2007

Objective:  To determine whether family members interfere with patient care when present during invasive procedures performed on their children in the ED.

Methods:  A prospective observational study of consecutive cases of procedural sedation of children aged between 12 months and 16 years was conducted between March 2002 and March 2006 in the ED of a secondary‐level regional hospital in south‐east Queensland. Procedures performed included laceration repair, fracture reduction, foreign body removal and abscess incision and drainage. Parents/primary caregivers were encouraged to stay with their child. A stepwise explanation of the procedure and sedation to be used was undertaken, informed consent obtained and telephone follow up attempted 5–14 days post procedure.

Results:  Six hundred and fifty‐two patient encounters with parents or primary caregivers present for the procedure were included for a total of 656 procedures: 234 laceration repairs, 250 fracture reductions, 85 foreign body removals, 33 abscess incision and drainages, 14 dislocation reductions and 40 other procedures. Telephone follow up was successful in 65% (424) of cases. The mean age was 6.5 years. Family member interference occurred in one case (0.15%, 95% confidence interval 0–0.73%). In 17 cases (2.68%, 95% confidence interval 2.1–5.9%) family members present expressed concerns about the procedure during the telephone follow up but had not interfered at the time of the procedure. There were no significant differences between the concerned parents at follow up and the study group across key patient variables such as child’s age (P = 0.369), weight (P = 0.379), respiratory rate (P = 0.477), sex (P = 0.308), procedure indication (P = 0.308) and airway manoeuvres (P = 0.153).

Conclusion:  When family members are encouraged to stay for invasive procedures performed on their child, and careful explanation of the procedure, sedation, possible complications, choice of medication for sedation and possible side‐effects is undertaken, family member interference is extremely rare.
Emerging epidemic in Australia: Abdominal stab wounds. Twenty‐four months at a major trauma centre
Authors: Rozen Warren Matthew , Ma Ellen Hui , Jones Ian T , Judson Rodney Thomas
Published: May 2007

Background:  The incidence of abdominal stab wounds treated at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Vic., Australia has noticeably increased over the 12 month period to March 2006, mirroring an increase in penetrating abdominal trauma throughout many Australian trauma centres. Management protocols for abdominal stab wounds are still contentious. The current study quantifies the increase in stab wounds at the Royal Melbourne Hospital over a 24 month period and analyses the management modalities used.

Methods:  A review of the Trauma Unit of the Royal Melbourne Hospital was performed for the period of 20 March 2004 until 20 March 2006. All anterior abdominal stab wounds were collated for the site of injury, investigations performed on admission, results of investigations, operations performed and findings at operation.

Results:  There were 4244 emergency trauma presentations over the 24 month period between 20 March 2004 and 20 March 2006. The second 12 month period showed a 21.5% increase in overall trauma admissions and a 91.3% increase in anterior abdominal stabbings. The percentage of stab wounds treated conservatively fell by 21.8%, with the percentage of laparotomies increasing by 14.2%. Almost 30% of all patients undergoing surgery had no visceral injury at operation. Twenty CT scans were performed preoperatively, with a sensitivity of 79% and specificity of 100%.

Conclusion:  Abdominal stab wounds treated at Royal Melbourne Hospital have substantially increased over the past 12 months. Although management is still contentious, a management protocol for anterior abdominal stab wounds is proposed, outlining the role of CT scanning, conservative management, laparoscopy and laparotomy.
Effect of Lycopene on Doxorubicin‐Induced Cardiotoxicity: An Echocardiographic, Histological and Morphometrical Assessment
Authors: Anjos Ferreira Ana Lucia , Russell Robert Mitchell , Rocha Noeme , Placido Ladeira Marcelo Sady , Favero Salvadori Daisy Maria , Oliveira Nascimento Maria Carolina Munhoz , Matsui Mirna , Carvalho Flavio Augusto , Tang Guangwen , Matsubara Luiz Shiguero , Matsubara Beatriz Bojikian
Published: May 2007

Abstract:  Doxorubicin is an excellent chemotherapeutic agent utilized for several types of cancer but the irreversible doxorubicin‐induced cardiac damage is the major limitation for its use. Oxidative stress seems to be associated with some phase of the toxicity mechanism process. To determine if lycopene protects against doxorubicin‐induced cardiotoxicity, male Wistar rats were randomly assigned either to control, lycopene, doxorubicin or doxorubicin + lycopene groups. They received corn oil (control, doxorubicin) or lycopene (5 mg/kg body weight a day) (lycopene, doxorubicin + lycopene) by gavage for a 7‐week period. They also received saline (control, lycopene) or doxorubicin (4 mg/kg) (doxorubicin, doxorubin + lycopene) intraperitoneally by week 3, 4, 5 and 6. Animals underwent echocardiogram and were killed for tissue analyses by week 7. Mean lycopene levels (nmol/kg) in liver were higher in the doxorubicin + lycopene group (5822.59) than in the lycopene group (2496.73), but no differences in lycopene were found in heart or plasma of these two groups. Lycopene did not prevent left ventricular systolic dysfunction induced by doxorubicin. However, morphologic examination revealed that doxorubicin‐induced myocyte damage was significantly suppressed in rats treated with lycopene. Doxorubicin treatment was followed by increase of myocardium interstitial collagen volume fraction. Our results show that: (i) doxorubicin‐induced cardiotoxicity was confirmed by echocardiogram and morphological evaluations; (ii) lycopene absorption was confirmed by its levels in heart, liver and plasma; (iii) lycopene supplementation provided myocyte protection without preventing interstitial collagen accumulation increase; (iv) doxorubicin‐induced cardiac dysfunction was not prevented by lycopene supplementation; and (v) lycopene depletion was not observed in plasma and tissues from animals treated with doxorubicin.
Oxidative Stress Mediates CoCl2‐Induced Prostate Tumour Cell Adhesion: Role of Protein Kinase C and p38 Mitogen‐Activated Protein Kinase
Authors: Lu Ning , Zhou Hong , Lin Yan‐hua , Chen Zhi‐qiang , Pan Yan , Li Xue‐jun
Published: May 2007

Abstract:  Cobalt chloride (CoCl2), an agent demonstrated to stabilize hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1, has been associated with various hypoxic responses, and recently, some reports have linked it to increasing tumour malignancy. In this study, we observed the alteration of cell adhesion after CoCl2 treatment and analysed the potential mechanisms responsible for such adaptations in a prostate cancer cell line PC‐3 M cell. We found that CoCl2 increased the tumour cell adhesion in a dose‐dependent manner, which correlated with reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. When cells were incubated with the thiol reductive agent pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), both the ROS generation and the CoCl2‐induced cell adhesion were abolished. Moreover, p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) was activated in CoCl2‐treated cells, which could be antagonized by PDTC. And when cells were pre‐incubated with specific p38 MAPK inhibitor, SB203580, the cell adhesion induced by CoCl2 was diminished. Moreover, the protein kinase C could up‐regulate cell adhesion through activating p38 MAPK. In conclusion, CoCl2 induced ROS generation, thereby placing cells under oxidative stress and up‐regulating cell adhesion; p38 MAPK and protein kinase C could be activated in a ROS‐dependent fashion, which in turn contributed to cell adhesion induced by CoCl2.
A diplotype in the lymphotoxin alpha gene is associated with differential expression of LTA mRNA induced by Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria
Authors: Temple S. E. L. , Almeida C. M. , Cheong K. Y. , Wunderink R. G. , Waterer G. W.
Published: May 2007

We sequenced the lymphotoxin alpha (LTA) promoter and identified LTA10G>A in strong linkage with LTA252G>A and LTA723C>A. Stimulated cells from LTA723AA: LTA252GG:LTA10AA individuals had significantly higher LTA mRNA levels than LTA723CC:LTA252AA:LTA10GG and LTA723AA:LTA252AG:LTA10GA individuals, suggesting that this diplotype may contain a functional polymorphism explaining the observed disease associations with LTA252G>A.
Interleukin‐12B‐3′UTR polymorphism in association with IL‐12p40 and IL‐12p70 serum levels and silicosis severity
Authors: Stanilova S. , Miteva L. , Prakova G.
Published: May 2007

Susceptibility to silicosis and to disease severity is in part genetically determined. In this study, the role of IL‐12B‐3′UTR polymorphism in susceptibility and severity of silicosis and its influence on IL‐12p40 and IL‐12p70 serum level were investigated.

The quantity of IL‐12p40 and IL‐12p70 was detected by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and the genotype of IL‐12B was determined using the polymerase chain reaction‐restriction fragment‐length polymorphism method.

We observed elevated IL‐12p40 in contrast to IL‐12p70 serum levels in a group of 62 silicosis patients compared with both control groups. In severe silicosis patients, we detected the highest IL‐12p40 serum levels (129.1 ± 67.7 pg mL−1); lower in patients with the moderate (94 ± 41.6 pg mL−1), whereas in mild silicosis, the IL‐12p40 levels (67 ± 23.5 pg mL−1) was similar to these in healthy donors. According to IL‐12B polymorphism, increased serum levels were observed in subjects with AA genotype (103.2 ± 46.9 pg mL−1) compared to silicosis patients with AC genotype (82.7 ± 38.3 pg mL−1).

No significant differences of genotype and allele frequencies of the 3′UTR polymorphism were observed between silicosis patients and healthy controls. However, the heterozygous genotype was found approximately five times more frequently in patients with mild and moderate (48% and 52%) silicosis compared to patients with severe silicosis (11%), and that IL‐12B polymorphism may contribute to silicosis severity rather than to susceptibility. Our data demonstrated that elevated serum IL‐12p40, independently of IL‐12p70 levels, is associated with severity of silicosis, and suggested that IL‐12p40 profibrotic activity may contribute to silicosis severity.
LACK OF CHANGES IN FATTY ACID COMPOSITION OF MACKEREL AND COD DURING ICED AND FROZEN STORAGE
Authors: XING YUHUA. , YOO YOUNG. , KELLEHER STEPHEN D. , NAWAR WASSEF W. , HULTIN HERBERT O.
Published: May 2007

A fatty fish, Atlantic mackerel, and a lean fish, Atlantic cod, were processed and stored under conditions to simulate those of a commercial operation. The fatty acid composition of their lipids was evaluated. All fillets were examined with their skins on. A paired fillet technique was used to reduce the considerable fish‐to‐fish variability observed; the advantage of this technique was demonstrated. Mackerel fillets were stored on ice, fresh fillets and fillets aged on ice for 8 days were stored at −20C for up to 28 weeks and mackerel mince prepared from fresh and 7‐day aged fish were stored frozen at −20C for 1 month. Fresh and aged (8 days) cod fillets were examined initially and after 32 weeks at −20C. No measurable changes were observed in C20:5 and C22:6 fatty acids in either species under these storage conditions.
APPLICATION OF NMR SPECTROSCOPY TO ASSESS OXIDATIVE STABILITY OF CANOLA AND SOYBEAN OILS
Authors: WANASUNDARA UDAYA N. , SHAHIDI FEREIDOON.
Published: May 2007

Application of 1H NMR spectroscopy to monitor oxidation of canola and soybean oils was investigated over a 30‐day period at 65C. Relative changes of aliphatic to olefinic (Rao) and aliphatic to diallylmethylene (Rad) proton ratios during oxidation of these oils were calculated. A steady increase in Rao and Rad values was observed over the entire length of the storage period. A highly significant correlation (r = 0.933 – 0.985) existed between the TOTOX value and changes in the Rao and Rad during oxidation of both oils. Therefore, NMR offers a novel method to assess oxidative stability of vegetable oils such as canola and soybean.
ESTIMATION OF INDIVIDUAL FATTY ACID QUANTITIES IN RED MEATS FROM TOTAL FAT CONTENT AND FATTY ACID PERCENTAGE COMPOSITION DATA: FROM ASSESSMENT OF PUBLISHED DATA
Authors: RHEE KI SOON.
Published: May 2007

The analytical process for quantification of individual fatty acids in a food sample requires careful control measures, including the use of both external and internal standards. In this paper, regression equations were developed using published data to estimate total fatty acid content from total fat content for beef, lamb, pork and veal. The total fatty acid content, then, was used in conjunction with relative fatty acid composition data (weight percentages) to estimate the amounts of individual fatty acids per given weight of sample (g/100 g). This estimation procedure was tested using literature values for beef and pork. The procedure eliminates the need for inclusion of an external standard in every sample in the analysis of fatty acids in g/100 g sample. Thus, it would reduce analytical cost and time when compared to the conventional quantification procedure, without the increased number of analytical problems inherent with the latter.
EFFECTS OF ANTIOXIDANTS AND PROCESSING ON STABILITY OF MUSCLE FROM HYBRID STRIPED BASS WITH OMEGA‐3 FATTY ACIDS
Authors: FAIR PATRICIA A. , WILLIAMS WOODIE P.
Published: May 2007

Hybrid striped bass were fed four diets containing 0, 4, 8, and 12% menhaden fish oil (MFO) for 18 weeks during final growth to determine (1) omega‐3 (n‐3) fatty acid uptake and its effect on fish and postharvest quality, and (2) the effects of selected antioxidants on oxidation and sensory quality of fish enhanced with n‐3 fatty acids. Lipid content was significantly higher in the two highest MFO treatments: 3.2, 3.5, 3.9 and 4.4% in the 0, 4, 8 and 12% MFO treatments, respectively. During this study EPA(eicosapentaenoic acid) significantly increased with increasing dietary MFO: 5.4 ± 0.93, 6.9 ± 0.15, 8.0 ± 0.45 and 8.1 ± 0.35 for the 0, 4, 8 and 12% MFO diets, respectively. The following fatty acids in muscle increased 1% or more in fish fed 12% MFO compared to fish fed 0% MFO: 14:0, 16:1n‐7, 22:6n‐3, and total polyunsaturates, total n‐3, and the n‐3/n‐6 ratio. Changes in individual fatty acids in fish muscle reflected the concentrations of fatty acids in the diet. Hybrid striped bass fed 8 and 12% MFO had twice as much n‐3 fatty acids (1.0 g/100 g tissue) as fish cultured on diets without MFO
ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF GREEN TEA CATECHINS IN A β‐CAROTENE‐LINOLEATE MODEL SYSTEM
Authors: AMAROWICZ RYSZARD , SHAHIDI FEREIDOON
Published: May 2007

A crude mixture of catechins was isolated from Chinese green tea leaves using a hot water extraction. Individual catechins were then separated by chromatographic means using Sephadex LH‐20 followed by semi‐preparative HPLC. The antioxidant activity of crude and individual catechins was then determined in a β‐carotene‐linoleate model system. Results indicated that (−)‐epicatechin‐3‐gallate (ECG) possessed the strongest antioxidative activity and (−)‐epigallocatechin (EGC) showed the weakest effect. The antioxidative efficacy of (−)‐epicatechin (EC) and (−)‐epigallocatechin‐3‐gallate (EGCG) was similar and in between those of ECG and EGC. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity of a reconstituted catechin mixture in the proportions present in the crude extract was lower than that of the crude mixture itself, thus indicating that noncatechin components in the mixture possessed their own antioxidant activity or acted synergistically with the catechins.
EFFECTS OF DIETARY 18:3 N‐3 TRANS ISOMERS ON THE Δ6 DESATURATION OF α‐LINOLENIC ACID
Authors: BLOND JEAN‐PAUL , CHARDIGNY JEAN‐MICHEL , SÉBÉDIO JEAN‐LOUIS , GRANDGIRARD ANDRÉ
Published: May 2007

Trans isomers of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are formed during heat treatment of oils. In the present work, the effect of dietary geometrical isomers of α‐linolenic acid (18:3 n‐3) on the Δ6 desaturation of all cis 18:3 n‐3 was investigated, using rat liver microsomes. The desaturation rates were higher in microsomes from animals fed a cis n‐3 deficient diet, as compared to those from the control group or those from rats fed 18:3 n‐3 and its trans isomers. These data and the incorporation of long chain trans PUFA in microsomal lipids suggest that geometrical isomers of 18:3 n‐3 are probably slowly desaturated and elongated into long chain trans polyunsaturated fatty acids compared to 18:3 n‐3.
CALCIUM CHLORIDE EFFECTS ON TBA VALUES OF COOKED MEAT
Authors: CHO S.H. , RHEE K.S.
Published: May 2007

Ground chicken breast and beef top round (semimembranosus) muscles were treated with CaCl2 (0.05, 0.10, 0.15, and 0.20% on final sample weight basis) and cooked to an internal temperature of 80C. Cooked samples were aerobically stored at 4C for 0 or 4 days and analyzed for 2‐thiobarbituric acid (TBA)‐reactive substances. Results indicated that CaCl2 can either inhibit or accelerate lipid oxidation in cooked meat depending on its concentration/meat animal species. TBA values of chicken samples were decreased by CaCl2 used at ≥ 0.1% of final weight. However, only beef samples treated with the highest CaCl2 level (0.20%) tended to have lower TBA values when compared to control samples (treated with deionized water only). CaCl2 used at low levels (0.05% for chicken and ≤0.15% for beef) tended to elevate cooked meat TBA values.
REACTION CONDITIONS IN VITRO AFFECT RATE OF LIPASE‐CATALYZED HYDROLYSIS OF OLIVE OIL
Authors: ABDUL‐HAMID A. , FENNEMA O.
Published: May 2007

An in vitro procedure that approximates many of the conditions prevailing in the human duodenum was further refined and used to study the effect of dietary fibers on the rate of lipase‐catalyzed hydrolysis of olive oil. Increasing bile salt concentration over the range of 2–8 mM caused a marked increase in the rate of lipid hydrolysis, both in the presence and absence of red wheat bran. Stirring speed (20–90 rpm) had no significant effect on the rate of lipolysis in the absence of fiber, whereas in the presence of fiber an increase in stirring speed was often accompanied by an increase in the rate of lipolysis. Fiber inhibition was sometimes observed regardless of stirring speed. Sequence of addition of reactants influenced the rate of lipolysis. Attention to these variables is clearly important if meaningful, reproducible results are desired.
EFFECT OF ACIDIFICATION/NEUTRALIZATION ON THE ABILITY OF DIETARY FIBER TO INHIBIT LIPOLYSIS IN VITRO
Authors: ABDUL‐HAMID A. , FENNEMA O.
Published: May 2007

Three dietary fibers (red wheat bran [RWB], oat bran [OB], chitin [Chi]) were exposed to pH conditions simulating those encountered during passage of food through the human stomach and into the duodenum. Acidified/neutralized (AN) fibers were separated into solid and soluble fractions, the soluble fractions were further separated by dialysis and/or ultrafiltration, and the various samples were tested for their lipolysis‐inhibiting (LI) ability using an in vitro procedure. The combined LI ability of the AN solid and soluble fractions sometimes differed greatly from that of the untreated fiber, the LI ability of AN extracts sometimes differed significantly from that of the corresponding nonAN extract, and the size of molecules causing inhibition differed depending on the fiber source. Clearly, the AN treatment causes a significant change in the LI properties of dietary fibers.
MAJOR VOLATILES IN TOASTED CANOLA OIL
Authors: PARK DONKEUN , MAGA JOSEPH A. , JOHNSON DUANE L. , MORINI GABRIELLA
Published: May 2007

Headspace volatiles from ‘Alto’ canola oil toasted at 240C for 8 min were collected using TenaxR TA 60/80 (Supelco Inc., Bellefonte, PA). The TenaxR was washed three times with a total of 6 ml of solvent. The solvent extract was concentrated by drying in a hood at room temperature for 6 h. Two μl of concentrated extract were separated on a 30 m DB‐1 capillary column (J & W Scientific, Folson, CA) with a Hewlett Packard (HP) 5890A gas chromatograph connected to a HP 5790 mass spectrometer. Volatiles were tentatively identified with a NBS 43 K.1 library by PBM (probability based on matching) search.

Fifty seven peaks were detected by the mass spectrometer. Among those, 50 compounds were tentatively identified. 2‐Furancarboxaldehyde, 5‐methyl‐2‐furan carboxaldehyde, 5‐(1‐methyl ethyl)‐1,3‐cyclopentadiene, cyclododecane, undecanoic acid, tetradecanoic acid, 1‐hexadecanol, hexadecanoic acid, 9‐octadecenoic acid, octadecanoic acid, 2,5‐dimethyl pyrazine, 3‐ethyl‐2,5‐dimethyl pyrazine, [1,1′:3′,1″‐terphenyl]‐1′‐ol and [1,1′:3′,1″‐terphenyl]‐4′‐ol were the major volatile compounds.
USING TOTAL DOUBLE‐BOND VALUE OF AN EDIBLE OIL TO PREDICT ITS EFFECT ON PLASMA LIPIDS
Authors: TSAI CHINGMIN E. , TING HAI‐HUI
Published: May 2007

The objective of this study was to investigate the accuracy of using the total double‐bond value (TDV) of edible oil to predict its effect on the plasma lipid level of rats. The test oils used included fish oil, squid visceral oil (high long chain n‐3 PUFA, corn oil, soybean oil (high n‐6 PUFA), olive oil, lard (high MUFA) and hydrogenated beef tallow (high SFA, S). Test diets contained 15% of each test oil with the cholesterol level made up to 1%. The results demonstrated that the sum of the percents of each MUFA and PUFA in an oil, multiplied by the number of double bonds in each compound (TDV), may be a better indicator to predict the effects of the oils on plasma lipid metabolism. There was a negative correlation between TDV and plasma total lipids and cholesterol levels, but the lard group was slightly lower than expected. Using TDV as an indicator for plasma lipid metabolism may not be perfect, but is much better than the P/S or P+M/S ratio.