bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cell‐Mediated immune responses to BK virus in normal individuals
Authors: Drummond James E. , Shah Keerti V. , Donnenberg Albert D.
Published: March 2007

A lymphoproliferative assay was developed to study cell‐mediated immunity (CMI) to BK virus (BKV), a human papovavirus, in healthy volunteer subjects. Responses to ultraviolet‐inactivated antigen prepared from BKV‐infected fibroblasts were compared to those elicited against a mock antigen preparation and an unrelated control antigen (tetanus toxoid, TET). CMI to BKV and TET were contrasted with humoral immunity as measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Specificity of the assay was confirmed by absence of response to mock antigen in all subjects studied. Positive response to BKV antigen was observed in all of 15 seropositive individuals but not in 5 neonates or 1 seronegative child. Similarly, all TET seropositive (n = 13) but no seronegative subjects (n = 2) responded to TET. The magnitude of lymphoproliferation to either antigen did not correlate with antibody titer. Additionally, the frequency of peripheral blood BKV‐specific proliferating lymphocytes was determined by limiting dilution analysis (LDA). The frequency was approximately tenfold less than that observed for TET in the same group of subjects (1/30,300 vs 1/2,700). This may be due to differences in route and frequency of antigen exposure, both of which are unknown, at present, for BKV.
Imported epidemic non‐A, non‐B hepatitis in Qatar
Authors: Glynn M. J. , Rashid A. , Antao A. J. O. , Coleman J. C. , Howard C. R. , Zuckerman A. J. , Murray‐Lyon I. M.
Published: March 2007

During one year, 198 patients were admitted to the Hamad General Hospital, Qatar, with acute viral hepatitis. Sera from 126 of these were tested for HBsAg, IgM anti‐HBc, IgG anti‐HAV, IgM anti‐HAV, and delta antibody in those positive for HBsAg. Only 6% of the patients were Qatari nationals and the remainder were immigrants. Of the 126 patients tested, 7 had acute hepatitis A, 29 had acute hepatitis B (none were positive for delta antibody), and the remaining 91 were regarded as having had acute non‐A, non‐B hepatitis. Of this latter group, 75% were Indian immigrants of whom 59% presented within six weeks of arrival in Qatar and only 2 patients presented later than eight weeks. These patients were thought to have contracted the infection in transit camps in India before immigration to Qatar.
Detection of cytomegalovirus antigen and antibodies in the urine of small infants and children
Authors: Naqvi Shehla H. , Blair Laura L.
Published: March 2007

The diagnostic efficacy of an enzyme immune assay to detect cytomegalovirus (CMV) antigen in the urine of infected infants and children was determined, and the effect that CMV‐specific antibodies present in the urine have on the sensitivity of the test was ascertained. The antigen was detected in 84.4% of the CMV‐culture‐positive samples, while CMV‐specific IgA was detected in 24% of CMVculture‐positive specimens. The absence of CMV‐specific IgA correlated with detection of CMV antigen in the CMV‐culture‐positive urine specimens (p < 0.05).
Genome analysis of species 3 adenoviruses isolated during summer outbreaks of conjunctivitis and pharyngoconjunctival fever in the glasgow and London areas in 1981
Authors: O'Donnell B. , Bell E. , Payne S. B. , Mautner V. , Desselberger U.
Published: March 2007

Genome analysis was performed on 125 adenovirus isolates from conjunctival swabs of patients with conjunctivitis obtained in Glasgow between 1981 and 1984. A summer outbreak in 1981 was mainly due to species 3 adenoviruses, of which genotype 3GB and five different genotypic variants cocirculated. Three species 3 variants were also observed in 1982. The genome changes of variants were located on physical maps of the Ad3 reference strain and found to be clustered near the ends of the adenovirus DNA (including the fiber area), whereas the hexon coding region was unaltered.

In contrast to the genome heterogeneity observed among the species 3 adenoviruses collected in Glasgow in 1981 it was found that all 69 Ad3 isolates obtained from an outbreak of pharyngoconjunctival fever in a boarding school near London during the summer of 1981 possessed the 3GB genotype.
Protection of junín virus‐infected marmosets by passive administration of immune serum: Association with late neurologic signs
Authors: Avila María M. , Sarnoilovich Sergio R. , Laguens Rubén P. , Merani Maria S. , Weissenbacher Mercedes C.
Published: March 2007

Argentine hemorrhagic fever (Junín virus) is a human viral disease for which immune therapy proves effective, though a late neurologic syndrome is occasionally associated with the treatment. We attempted to determine in the infected marmoset Cullithrix jacchus whether immune therapy leads to protection and/or CNS damage.

Fifteen C jacchus were inoculated with 103 tissue culture infectious dose 50% (TCID50) of the XJ strain of Junin virus. On day 6 post infection (pi), 12 primates were treated with homologous immune serum. Animals were observed daily; and hematologic, serologic, virologic, and histologic studies were performed.

All primates, both treated and controls, presented leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, anemia, and weight loss from day 14 pi onward. The three control animals died on days 22, 25, and 32 pi. Among the 12 treated monkeys, 3 died on days 21, 22, and 29. Hematologic values returned to normal during the second month; initial weight was recovered by the fourth month. Three out of the nine survivors showed neurologic alterations of various degrees, with hind‐limb paralysis in the most severe case. Among treated monkeys, viremia and viral titers in the lungs, kidney, and lymph nodes were lower than in controls. Neutralizing antibodies were present in high titers in all treated marmosets, except in the one presenting paralysis in which values were minimal and viral persistence was detected in CNS.

In conclusion, immune serum treatment of Junin virus‐infected marmosets was found to reduce mortality from 100% to 25%. Viremia and viral titers in organs were lowered, and late neurologic signs appeared in 30% of treated survivors.
Extension of the Epidemiology of Hepatitis B in Circumpolar Regions Through a Comprehensive Serologic Study in the Northwest Territories of Canada
Authors: Larke R. P. Bryce , Froese Glory J. , Devine Robert D. O. , Petruk Milton W.
Published: March 2007

We conducted a seroepidemiologic study of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection among 14.198 Inuit (Eskimo), Dene (Indian), and non‐native inhabitants of the Northwest Territories (NWT. total 1982 population 47,053) between April 1983 and March 1985. Participants represented almost all of the NWT communities and included approximately half of the total indigenous population. Sera were screened for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti‐HBs) by radioimmunoassay. A total of 428 persons (3.0%) were positive for HBsAg; their mean age was 41.5 years and 68.7% were >30 years old. Anti‐HBs was detected concomitantly in 153 (35.7%) of these persons and present as a single marker in 2,943 sera (20.7%). Overall prevalence rates for HBsAg were marginally higher among Inuit than Dene (3.9% and 2.9%. respectively; P<0.05).as were rates for anti‐HBs (24.5% and 21.5%. respectively; P<0.01). Marker rates among the 2.776 participants of other ethnic groups, predominantly whites were distinctly lower (HBsAg 0.3%. anti‐HBs 8.5%) than among Inuit or Dene populations (P<0.01). The prevalence of HBsAg and anti‐HBs increased with each decade of life in all five geographic regions, but there were marked differences among the regions as well as among communities within regions. The greatest concentration of HBV markers was in the Baffin Region (36.0% positive for HBsAg or anti‐HBs). Hepatitis B e antigen (HBcAg) was detected in only 37 of 421 persons (8.8%) positive for HBsAg; most were ⩽20 years old and were clustered in a few communities with the highest HBV marker rates.
Morphology and development of Rift Valley fever virus in vero cell cultures
Authors: Ellis D. S. , Shirodaria P. V. , Fleming Elizabeth , Simpson D. I. H.
Published: March 2007

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) grown in vero cell cultures has a completed replication cycle within 13 hours. The first signs are the appearance of intranuclear fibrillar rods, followed by aggregations of precursor viral material in host cell cytoplasm and viral nucleocapsids budding into vacuoles associated with the Golgi apparati. Mature particles, liberated by the disintegration of vero cells, contained ribosomelike structures within the nucleocapsid, which was surrounded by a typical unit membrane through which were inserted some 350–375 surface spikes whose inner ends were incorporated into the nucleocapsid structure. In the negatively stained material, the overall diameter of the virion was 90–110 mm; the spikes were 10–18 mm in length and 5 nm in diameter.
Detection of cytomegalovirus in clinical specimens by virus isolation and by a monoclonal antibody against the early nuclear antigen
Authors: Popow‐Kraupp Therese , Kunz Christian
Published: March 2007

A commercially available monoclonal antibody against the 72000 Dalton early nuclear protein (EA) of cytomegalovirus (CMV) strain AD169 was used in an indirect immunofluorescence staining procedure (IF) for rapid detection of CMV‐infected cells in tissue cultures inoculated with clinical specimens (200 urines, 22 throat washings, 5 stools, 4 bronchoalveolar lavage fluids). The results obtained by this method were compared with those obtained by virus isolation with and without centrifugal enhancement of viral infectivity.

In 66 (28.6%) of the 231 samples, CMV was detected by at least one of the methods used. Of 59 specimens producing CMV‐specific cytopathic effect (CPE) in tissue culture, 46 (78%) were also positive in the EA test 16 hours after inoculation. Seven CPE‐negative samples were, however, positive in the EA test. Five (38%) of the false negative EA test results were due to CMV strains that did not react with the monoclonal antibody used.
Replication of measles virus in cultured human thymic epithelial cells
Authors: Numazaki Kei , Goldman Hy , Wong Inés , Wainberg Mark A.
Published: March 2007

Measles virus can replicate in cultures of both infantile and fetal human thymic epithelial cells. Virus‐induced cytopathology including syncytium formation was first evident around 24 hr after viral inoculation of these cultures. At the same time, the cultures began to lose their characteristic thymus‐like organizational structure. Viral antigens were detected in infected cells by indirect immunofluorescence, and the presence of progeny virions was demonstrated in culture fluids.
Vero cell‐expressed Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) gp350/220 protects marmosets from EBV challenge
Authors: Emini Emilio A. , Schleif William A. , Silberklang Melvin , Lehman Dale , Ellis Ronald W.
Published: March 2007

The Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) major membrane antigen, gp350/220, was purified from expressing, genetically engineered Vero cells. The antigen, formulated either with alum or Freund's adjuvant, was inoculated into EBV infection‐susceptible marmosets. After several injections, most of the marmosets developed anti‐gp350/220 antibodies, and several exhibited virus‐neutralizing activity. The immune response elicited by the alum‐adsorbed antigen proved to be protective upon virus challenge of the inoculated animals. Protection did not correlate with the presence of neutralizing antibodies.
Lack of serum antibodies to the major HSV‐2 specified DNA‐binding protein before diagnosis of cervical neoplasia
Authors: Lehtinen Matti , Hakama Matti , Knekt Paul , Heinonen Pentti K. , Lehtinen Tuula , Paavonen Jorma , Teppo Lyly , Leinikki Pauli
Published: March 2007

We report results based on a prospective casecontrol study within a cohort obtained by linking the Finnish Social Insurance Institutions Mobile Clinic Survey Registry and the Finnish Cancer Registry. The overall prevalence of herpes virus early antigen (ICSP 11/12) antibodies was similar in controls and in cervical neoplasia cases (consisting of invasive cervical carcinoma, ICC, and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia group III, CIN III cases). However, those CIN III cases, who after a long lag period (average 7 years after the blood sample was drawn) developed cervical neoplasia, had significantly lower antibody levels than did matched controls. Their ICSP 11/12 antibody levels became higher the shorter the lag period. The negative correlation between the ICSP 11/12 antibody levels and the lag period was most pronounced in the HSV‐2 seropositive CIN III cases.

In an analysis of cross‐sectional case‐control material from the Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Tampere University Central Hospital, the patients with ICC had the highest ICSP 11/12 antibody levels. Statistically significant differences between cases and controls were not found.

We conclude that in cervical neoplasia the kinetics of ICSP 11/12 antibody levels are determined by the malignant process itself. The cervical disease may selectively induce early viral antigens, thus giving rise to the antibody response described in this paper.
Differential effect of amantadine hydrochloride on the systemic and local immune response to influenza A
Authors: Reuman Peter D. , Bernstein David I. , Keely Scott P. , Young Elizabeth C. , Sherwood James R. , Schiff Gilbert M.
Published: March 2007

Anti‐influenza serum and nasal antibody titers were followed during a double‐blind, placebocontrolled, randomized study assessing the prophylactic efficacy of 50, 100, and 200 mg/day of amantadine hydrochloride against experimental challenge with influenza A/Beth/1/85. The geometric mean titers (GMT) of serum hemagglutination inhibition antibody (P = 0.05) as well as serum influenza‐specific IgG (P = 0.004) were significantly lower for all amantadine groups when compared to placebo. There were no significant differences in the GMT of either type of serum antibody titer comparing any of the three amantadine groups. Viral titers were also lower in the amantadine groups compared to the placebo group and not significantly different among the three amantadine groups. Nasal antibody titers in the 100‐mg and 200‐mg amantadine groups were significantly lower than placebo titers (P = 0.002). Nasal antibody titers in the 50‐mg amantadine group did not differ significantly from titers in the placebo group (P = 0.892). Possible reasons for the differential effect of amantadine on the serum and nasal antibody response are discussed.
Emergence of large plaque‐producing clones of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in vitro
Authors: Masuda Takao , Kannagi Mari , Nakamura Masataka , Ohtani Kiyoshi , Hinuma Yorio , Harada Shinji
Published: March 2007

Large plaque‐inducing clones were obtained from small plaque‐inducing parental clones of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) by the plaque‐cloning method. The cloned HIVs that formed large and small plaques were studied as follows: 1) infectivity was determined by the ratio of plaque‐forming units (PFU) to reverse transcriptase (RT) activity; 2) viral growth was assessed by the amount (RT activity) of virus after infection; and 3) HIV long terminal repeat (LTR)‐linked gene expression of the viruses was measured by chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) assay using persistently infected MOLT‐4 cells. Results showed that clones producing large plaques showed similar or slightly lower infectivity but higher virus production, faster viral growth, and higher gene expression activity than clones producing small plaques. These analyses revealed that clones producing large plaques could replicate more rapidly than those producing small plaques. Restriction enzyme map analysis of these cloned viruses showed that they were also genetically different. These results suggest that the changes in the biological features observed here might be due to mutation during the cloning procedure.
Simultaneous infection with human herpesvirus‐6 and measles virus in infants
Authors: Suga Sadao , Yoshikawa Tetsushi , Asano Yoshizo , Yazaki Takehiko , Yoshida Shigeru
Published: March 2007

Two infants (4 and 5 months of age) with a febrile episode for 3 and 5 days, respectively, developed skin rashes after the fever subsided and were diagnosed as exanthem subitum. The rash continued for 5 days followed by mild‐to‐moderate pigmentation. Human herpesvirus‐6 and measles virus, which were confirmed by a specific immunofluorescence assay and by electron microscopy, were isolated simultaneously from blood in the acute stage of the disease but not from the convalescent stage. The titer of the herpesvirus‐6 in blood was greater then that of measels. Specific serologic assays showed marked seroconversion against human herpesvirus‐6 but not to measles virus. The results suggest that dual infection with human herpesvirus‐6 and measles virus results in atypical exanthem subitum or modified measels with unique immunologic responses.
Rotavirus infection of the oropharynx and respiratory tract in young children
Authors: Zheng Bo Jian , Chang Ru Xu , Ma Gui Zhang , Xie Ji Min , Liu Qi , Liang Xi Ruo , Ng Mun Hon
Published: March 2007

Oropharyngeal aspirates were obtained from 89 infants hospitalized with respiratory illnesses accompanied or not by diarrhea and 33 control patients without the diseases. Rotavirus was detected from 25 of these patients by immunocytology, isolation of the virus in cultures of MA104 cells, or both. None of the control patients gave a positive result. The infection involves squamous cells and globlet cells probably originating from the oropharynx, and ciliated columnar epithelial cells from the respiratory tract. The virus from 2 specimens was propagated by repeatedly passaging in the cultures and found to have characteristic morphology of rotavirus. The electrophoretic patterns of the viral RNA extracted from them are closely similar to those obtained with the rotavirus genome extracted from the stool of the same patients. Repeated stool specimens were also obtained, and sera were paired from some of these subjects. All but one of the patients who gave a positive virology for their aspirates also showed a significant rise in the titres of common group A rotavirus antibody, neutralizing antibody against one or more of serotypes of rotavirus, or both. Patients who excreted rotavirus in their stools were younger and had significantly lower titres of rotavirus antibodies in their acute sera, than those who shedded the virus in the oropharynx but did not excrete the virus in repeated stool specimens. The prevalence of rotavirus in the oropharyngeal aspirates from these patients surpassed that of adenovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, influenza virus, and herpes simplex virus combined.
Accumulation and persistence of hepatitis A virus in mussels
Authors: Enriquez Ricardo , Frösner Gert Gustav , Hochstein‐Mintzel Volker , Riedemann Stella , Reinhardt German
Published: March 2007

Accumulation and persistence of hepatitis A virus (HAV) in the mussel Mytilus chilensis was evaluated. Under optimal filtration activity of mussels (temperature 12°C, salinity 3%, feeding twice a day with Dunaliella marina), HAV was concentrated 100‐fold from the surrounding water. Similar concentrations of HAV were reached in the filtration apparatus and in the digestive system (hepatopancreas). HAV persisted for about 7 days in mussels. Elimination of HAV from mussels was slower than elimination of poliovirus. Without feeding of mussels (causing low filtration activity), there was no measurable uptake of HAV into mussels, and depuration of HAV from mussels was slower. The ability of mussels to concentrate HAV was used successfully to monitor fecally contaminated river water for the presence of HAV. © 1992 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Acute sporadic hepatitis E in children living in Cairo, Egypt
Authors: Hyams Kenneth C. , McCarthy Michael C. , Kaur Manjit , Purdyt Michael A. , Bradley Daniel W. , Mansour Moustafa M. , Gray Stephanie , Watts Douglas M. , Carl Mitchell
Published: March 2007

Seventy‐three pediatric patients with acute hepatitis and 19 control patients without liver disease living in Cairo, Egypt, were evaluated with a newly developed Western blot assay for IgM antibody to hepatitis E virus (IgM anti‐HEV). The mean age of acute hepatitis patients was 6.4 years (range, 1‐13 years); 56% were male. Among the 73 acute cases, hepatitis A was diagnosed in 30 (41%), possible acute hepatitis B in three (4%), hepatitis E in nine (12%), and by exclusion, non‐A, non‐B hepatitis in 29 (40%). Two additional acute cases were positive for both IgM anti‐HAV and IgM anti‐HEV. None of the 19 control subjects had IgM anti‐HEV. Parenteral risk factors were associated with cases of non‐A, non‐B hepatitis but were not associated with acute hepatitis E. Contact with a family member with jaundice was associated with acute hepatitis A. In contrast to prior epidemics of enterically‐transmitted non‐A, non‐B hepatitis, HEV was found to be a common cause of acute hepatitis in a pediatric population. This study provides additional evidence that HEV may be a frequent cause of acute sporadic hepatitis among children living in some developing countries. © 1992 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
HLA mismatching and cytomegalovirus infection as risk factors for transplant failure in cyclosporin‐treated renal allograft recipients
Authors: Morris David J. , Martin Susan , Dyer Philip A. , Hunt Linda , Mallick Netar P. , Johnson Robert W. G.
Published: March 2007

In a study of the effects on renal allograft survival of HLA mismatching, mismatching for cytomegalovirus (CMV) antibody status, and post‐transplant CMV infection, 148 cyclosporin‐treated renal transplant recipients were given kidneys optimally matched for HLA‐A, ‐B, and ‐DR antigens but not matched for CMV antibody status. Mismatching for HLA‐B and ‐DR antigens was associated with a greater number of rejection episodes and a lower graft survival, but mismatching for CMV antibody status and posttransplant primary or recurrent CMV infection exerted no effect on graft survival. The role of matching of renal transplant recipients and donors for CMV antibody status in preference to HLA matching (proposed as a means of reducing the mortality associated with primary CMV infection) is discussed.
IgM antibody to a hepatitis C virus core peptide (CP14) for monitoring activity of liver disease in patients with acute or chronic hepatitis C
Authors: Nagayama Ryozo , Miyake Kazuhiko , Tsuda Fumio , Okamoto Hiroaki
Published: March 2007

Antibodies to the hepatitis C virus (HCV) core of various immunoglobulin classes were determined by enzyme immunoassays with three synthetic peptides, CP14 (amino acids 5‐40 of the core protein), CP10 (5‐23), and CP9 (39‐74). In 135 patients with chronic type C liver disease, anti‐CPU, anti‐CP10, and anti‐CP9 of IgG class were detected in 99%, 94%, 82%, respectively; those of IgM class in 86%, 69%, and 39%; and those of IgA class in 56%, 40%, and 4%. Thus anti‐CP14 was more prevalent than anti‐CPlO or anti‐CP9 in every immunoglobulin class. The prevalence of IgM anti‐CP14 was much higher (P < 0.001) in patients (116/135 or 86%) than in asymptomatic carriers of HCV (13/39 or 33%). In seven patients with acute hepatitis C, IgM anti‐CP14 continued to decrease in two in whom hepatitis resolved, but increased in five in whom hepatitis once resolved and then exacerbated. IgM anti‐CP14 was followed in 30 patients with chronic hepatitis C during 24 weeks while they received recombinant interferon α‐2a. IgM anti‐CP14 decreased remarkably within 8 weeks in all of them. Thereafter, it continued to decrease in nine patients who responded to interferon and lost HCV RNA from circulation, but started to increase in five non‐responders who continued to have high titers of HCV RNA. In the remaining 16 patients in whom HCV RNA decreased once and then increased, IgM anti‐CP14 continued to decrease till 20 weeks and then increased. These results indicate that IgM anti‐CP14 reflects the activity of liver disease, and is useful in following the outcome of patients with acute hepatitis C and in monitoring the response to interferon in patients with chronic hepatitis C. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Acute sporadic hepatitis E in Kuwait
Authors: Koshy Abraham , Richards Allen L. , Al‐Mufti Siham , Grover Saroj , Shabrawy Mohamed A. , Pacsa Alexander , Al‐Anezi Abdul‐Aziz H. , Al‐Nakib Basil , Burans Jim , Carl Mitchell , Hyams Kenneth C.
Published: March 2007

Fifty‐seven adult patients with acute hepatitis and 34 comparison patients without liver disease were evaluated using a newly developed Western blot assay for IgM antibody to hepatitis E virus. The mean age of patients with hepatitis was 32 years (range, 18‐55 years); 88% were male. Among patients with acute hepatitis, hepatitis A (anti‐HAV IgM positive) was diagnosed in two (4%), hepatitis B (anti‐HBc IgM positive) in three (5%), and hepatitis E (anti‐HEV IgM positive) in 34 (60%). One hepatitis patient had CMV IgM, another had EBV IgM, and 16 others (28%) were negative for all serologic markers of acute viral hepatitis. No patient with acute hepatitis A or B and none of the comparison patients without acute hepatitis had anti‐HEV IgM. All but one case of acute hepatitis E were found among expatriates of Asian origin, and acute hepatitis E was associated significantly with recent travel to the Indian subcontinent. These data suggest that acute hepatitis E is common among foreign workers in Kuwait but that little HEV transmission is occurring directly in Kuwait. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Engineering hydrogen‐bonded duplexes
Authors: Gong Bing
Published: March 2007

Based on several simple, readily available building blocks, oligoamide strands carrying various arrays of hydrogen‐bond donors and acceptors, i.e. hydrogen‐bonding sequences, have been designed and synthesized. Detailed characterization indicates that these oligoamide strands associate via their hydrogen‐bonding edges into doubled stranded pairs (duplexes), which are characterized by programmable sequence specificity and adjustable stability. Using these hydrogen‐bonded duplexes as association units, supramolecular structures, such as β‐sheets and non‐covalent block copolymers, are obtained by simply mixing the corresponding components. Recently, by incorporating reversible covalent interactions into these hydrogen‐bonded duplexes, sequence‐specific formation of covalently linked structures has been realized under thermodynamic conditions, which has opened an entirely new avenue to the development of previously unknown dynamic covalent structures such as various block copolymers. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry
The role of basic design data in preventing explosions within fired equipment: A case study
Authors: Wasileski Robert F.
Published: March 2007

The availability, collection, and proper application of accurate and complete Basic Design Data (BDD) are essential aspects of Loss Prevention practice. This article presents a case study to illustrate the importance of properly collecting and applying accurate BDD when designing Fired Equipment. In the case study presented, an explosion occurred inside a newly installed Catalytic Thermal Oxidizer (CatOx) shortly after initial start‐up. Root cause investigation revealed that the project team, in the design and specification of the CatOx control system, had misapplied the BDD. Consequently, this led to operation of the CatOx within the flammability envelope of the particular system, resulting in an explosion.

This article provides a brief discussion of BDD and its application. The case study is presented in detail using flammability diagrams for the system to demonstrate where the CatOx was intended to operate versus where it actually operated during the incident. The discussion leads the reader through the incident lifecycle, from the conceptual design of the CatOx, through the Engineering and Commissioning phases, and into the Incident Investigation. The conclusions drawn from this incident further emphasize the value of accurate BDD to the design and operation of Fired Equipment. © 2007 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog 26: 221–228, 2007
Experimental and theoretical determination of the mixing efficiency at low‐energy Ar+ bombardment: case study of the Cu/Co system
Authors: Menyhard M. , Süle P.
Published: March 2007

The mixing of a Co/Cu bilayer induced by low‐energy ion bombardment was studied by AES depth profiling and molecular dynamic (MD) simulation. The conditions of the ion bombardment were as follows: Ar+ ion, 1 keV energy, 82° angle of incidence (with respect to the surface normal). In AES depth profiling, the in‐depth concentration distribution was estimated from the measured Auger intensities assuming that the in‐depth distribution is an erf function. The variance (σ2) of the erf function gave the broadening of the interface due to ion bombardment, which divided by the fluence (Φ) and deposited energy (FD given by SRIM) gave the mixing efficiency (σ2/ΦFD) to be 0.08 ± 0.01 nm5/keV. The mixing efficiency calculated by MD, 0.09 nm5/keV, agreed well with that estimated from the experimental data, and both have been close to the value assuming ballistic mixing. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dlk/ZIP kinase, a novel Ser/Thr‐specific protein kinase with multiple functions
Authors: Scheidtmann Karl Heinz
Published: March 2007

Dlk/ZIP kinase is a member of the DAP kinase family which has been implicated in apoptosis. However, Dlk/ZIP kinase does not induce apoptosis per se. Rather, downregulation of Dlk/ZIP kinase by siRNA results in apoptosis and multinucleated cells suggesting that Dlk/ZIP kinase fulfills a vital function in processes other than apoptosis. Indeed, Dlk/ZIP kinase interacts with several transcription and splicing factors pointing to a role in transcription, presumably via chromatin modification. Moreover, it appears to participate in regulation of cell polarity and contractile processes in non‐muscle or smooth muscle cells. Finally, Dlk/ZIP kinase seems to play a role in mitosis, particularly cytokinesis. Thus, rather than being a proapoptotic kinase, Dlk/ZIP kinase participates in diverse and vital processes.
Angiogenic growth factor levels in maternal and fetal blood: correlation with Doppler ultrasound parameters in pregnancies complicated by pre‐eclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction
Authors: Schlembach D. , Wallner W. , Sengenberger R. , Stiegler E. , Mörtl M. , Beckmann M. W. , Lang U.
Published: March 2007

Objectives

To correlate levels of angiogenic growth factors with Doppler ultrasound parameters in pregnancies complicated by pre‐eclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR).

Methods

In 16 women with pre‐eclampsia and 15 women with isolated IUGR, pulsatility indices (PI) in the umbilical and uterine arteries were measured by Doppler ultrasonography. At delivery, maternal and fetal blood (umbilical vein and artery separately) was sampled and angiogenic growth factors measured by means of enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Results

Umbilical artery PI was significantly higher in women with IUGR than in those with pre‐eclampsia, whereas uterine artery PI was not statistically significantly different. Maternal soluble fms‐like tyrosine kinase‐1 (sFlt‐1) levels were higher in women with pre‐eclampsia than in those with IUGR (P < 0.0001). Umbilical vein basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) levels were lower in women with pre‐eclampsia than in those with IUGR (P < 0.05). Placental growth factor (PlGF) levels in the umbilical vein were below the detection limit in nearly all samples of IUGR fetuses and lower than in those with pre‐eclampsia (P < 0.001). Maternal PlGF levels were inversely correlated with PI values of both vessels. In the umbilical vein sFlt‐1 was positively and soluble kinase insert domain receptor (sKDR) negatively correlated with umbilical artery PI. No correlation could be found in the serum of the umbilical artery for all growth factors and for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in all compartments.

Conclusions

The correlations between maternal and fetal angiogenic growth factor serum levels and Doppler ultrasound indices of uterine and umbilical arteries in pre‐eclampsia and IUGR reflect the severity of the disorders especially for the fetus. A combination of both measurements may be useful in future screening for early prediction of pregnancy complications. Copyright © 2007 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Metformin treatment in pregnant women with polycystic ovary syndrome—is reduced complication rate mediated by changes in the uteroplacental circulation?
Authors: Salvesen K. Å. , Vanky E. , Carlsen S. M.
Published: March 2007

Objectives

To study a possible effect of metformin on the uteroplacental circulation.

Methods

Forty pregnant women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) were enrolled in a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial of metformin (1700 mg/day) during pregnancy. Doppler ultrasound examinations of the uterine arteries were performed at 12, 19, 24, 32 and 36 gestational weeks and of the umbilical artery at 19, 24, 32 and 36 gestational weeks.

Results

There was a greater mean bilateral uterine artery pulsatility index (PI) at 12 weeks (1.95 vs. 1.58, P = 0.02), and a greater reduction in mean PI from 12 to 19 weeks (P = 0.03) in metformin‐treated women. There were no differences in mean PI values between groups at 19, 24, 32 or 36 gestational weeks. Pregnancy complications, such as preterm delivery before 32 weeks, severe pre‐eclampsia or serious postpartum events, occurred only in the placebo group (7 of 22 vs. 0 of 18, P = 0.01). There were no associations between uterine artery Doppler measurements and pregnancy complications. We found no differences between groups in mean umbilical artery PI at 19, 24, 32 or 36 gestational weeks.

Conclusions

In this small randomized trial, metformin treatment in pregnancy reduced uterine artery impedance between 12 and 19 weeks of gestation, and this was associated with reduced complication rate. Copyright © 2007 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Biotechnology and the fats and oils industry — An overview
Authors: Rattray James B. M.
Published: March 2007

Biotechnology is the application of single or multicellular organisms and of associated or derived enzyme systems to the production of desirable products. Particular discussion has been made of the derivation of fats and oils from animals, plants and microorganisms. General consideration has been given to methods, primarily plant breeding and agronomic practices for the improvement of the quantity and quality of oil produced by soybean, rapeseed, palm and sunflower. The possible importance of yeasts, fungi and algae as sources of single cell oil has been examined. A particular role of these systems in the production of specialty oils has been suggested. Enzyme systems, either associated with the intact cell or in isolation, can be used to varying degrees of success in either a free or immobilized form. Particular reference has been made to application of these systems to reactions including specific hydrolysis of triacylglycerols, acylation of glycerol, interesterification of triacylglycerols, wax ester formation and steroid transformations. Consideration has been given to particular plants and microorganisms as sources of new fats and oils. The major impact of biotechnology on the industry is believed to be associated with the production of high value specialty products including cocoa butter substitutes, biosurfactants, waxes and various prostaglandin derivatives. General consideration has been given to the possible relative importance of plant and microbial systems, engineering and scale‐up problems, and overall economics of present biotechnological procedures.
Cocoa bean cell and embryo culture
Authors: Wen Ming‐Che , German Bruce , Kinsella John E.
Published: March 2007

Callus culture of cocoa bean was initiated from immature cotyledons on agar medium. By dispersing these callus cells, a liquid suspension culture was established. The lipid composition of cocoa suspension culture was investigated and compared with those of cocoa beans of different maturities. Factors affecting fatty acid and triglyceride synthesis in cocoa suspension cultures also were studied. In parallel studies, asexual embryos were proliferated from immature zygotic embryos cultured in semisolid or liquid medium. The factors affecting the lipid composition in cultured embryos are discussed.
Prospects and problems in the large scale production of metabolites from plant cell tissue cultures
Authors: Shuler M. L. , Pyne J. W. , Hallsby G. A.
Published: March 2007

A wide range of plant products can be made directly by using plant cell tissue cultures. However, the economic production of even highvalue products from such cultures has not been conclusively demonstrated. One problem is that rapid growth and high product yields often appear to be mutually exclusive with plant cell tissue cultures. Some level of cellular differentiation often is required for the expression of genes associated with product formation; only unorganized cells grow rapidly. Another problem results from the tendency of plant cells to form aggregates, which leads to a mixture of cell types in culture. The biological response is a function not only of the chemical environment but also the physical (e.g. hydrodynamic) environment which makes scale‐up of suspension processes difficult. In addition, cell lysis due to high liquid shear is a significant design constraint. Some of these problems can be circumvented by using multi‐stage continuous culture devices or with immobilized cell reactors. Emphasis will be on membrane entrapped cultures.
Plant‐derived catalysts and precursors for use in prostaglandin synthesis
Authors: Ahern Tim J.
Published: March 2007

Arachidonic acid derivatives such as prostaglandins, thromboxanes, leukotrienes and prostacyclin have been recognized to have significant pharmaceutical potential. Presently they are not available commercially in large amounts because their low concentrations in living tissues and multiple asymmetric carbon centers make the cost of their extraction or chemical synthesis prohibitively expensive. However, the theoretical feasibility of the commercial production of such C‐20 compounds by means of fermentative and enzyme engineering processes that bypass animal sources entirely has been demonstrated. The precursor, arachidonic acid, is present in microorganisms adaptable to large‐scale fermentation. For the purpose of this study, a model describing changes in arachidonic acid production by the red alga,Porphyridium cruentum, in response to induced lipogenesis and variation of light intensity and temperature was developed. In addition, the demonstration that immobilized microsomes containing prostaglandin synthetase activity in a stable amphiphilic gel eliminates the need for the expensive and time‐consuming enzyme recovery methods used previously. Furthermore, the ability of a leguminous enzyme to catalyze the synthesis of prostaglandin indicates that low cost catalysts and precursors of plant origin are available for the synthesis of such compounds.
Suitability of commercial cottonseed for producing edible high protein flours by liquid classification
Authors: Hron R. J. , Koltun S. P. , Graci A. V.
Published: March 2007

The 1976 and 1977 crops of glanded cottonseed from oil mills located in 7 major U.S. cottonbelt growing areas were evaluated as to their suitability for processing into edible, high‐protein flours. Both the physical and chemical characteristics of fuzzy seed samples were studied. Ginned seed samples were hulled, dried, comminuted, slurried with hexane and liquid classified by both a laboratory differential settling test (DST) and pilot plant liquid cyclone process (LCP). Liquid cyclone operating data and extensive analytical data of the kernels, flour and meals produced are shown. A free gossypol level of 1.10% or less in full fat kernels was the determining factor for producing edible flours from glanded seed by the LCP. The Lower Rio Grande Valley area was the only area from which liquid classified cottonseed flour consistently exceeded the current maximal free gossypol standard of 450 ppm. Ca. 94% of the total U.S. cottonseed production is suitable for producing edible, high‐protein flours by liquid classification.
Extraction of alkaloids and oil from bitter lupin seed
Authors: Ortiz J. G. F. , Mukherjee K. D.
Published: March 2007

Quinolizidine alkaloids and the oil were recovered from seeds of bitter lupin,Lupinus mutabilis, by 2 extractions using hexane as the only organic solvent, Ground and flaked lupin seed was extracted first with hexane, which recovers the oil and those alkaloids that occur as free bases. Subsequently, the hexane‐insoluble salts of the alkaloids retained in the defatted flakes were converted into hexanesoluble free bases by treatment with aq sodium carbonate or ammonium hydroxide and removed by another extraction with hexane. A low‐alkaloid proteinaceous meal was obtained with practically no loss of protein. The alkaloids dissolved in the oil were completely recovered by extraction with aq hydrochloric acid.
Influence of world fat and oil consumption on protein supply
Authors: Senti F. R.
Published: March 2007

Fat and oil consumption has influenced the world protein supply principally through the production of oilseeds among vegetable oil sources, fish oil among marine oils and butter among animal fats. In total amount, oilseed protein production is comparable to world production of protein in red meat and in milk. All oilseed and fish meal protein byproducts and some milk protein byproducts find their greatest use in animal and poultry products production. Increased demand for the latter products with concurrent demand for feed protein has shifted the relative values of oil and meal. Increasingly, oilseed production, like meat production, is producing oil as a coproduct, if not a byproduct, of protein production. Although food use of oilseed protein concentrates is increasing, both as fortificants of traditional foods and in newly developed meat analogs, this market appears unlikely to increase demand for protein concentrates as much as the world demand for increase in animal and poultry products.
The present and future role of peanuts in meeting the world’s need for food
Authors: Wilson Coyt T.
Published: March 2007

Peanuts have a potential for supplying a significant portion of the world’s needs for edible vegetable oils and the protein portion of human diets. Africa, India and Mainland China account for ca. 75% of the world’s production. In these countries yields are low, markets are not well developed, and most of the crop is crushed for oil with the cake being used as animal feed or fertilizer. Government programs to encourage production by price supports, research and education have been sporadic. Peanuts are likely to fall further behind soybeans and sunflower seed as sources of edible vegetable oils and dietary protein.
Fats and processes used in manufacturing chocolate and confectionery coatings
Authors: Johnston G. M.
Published: March 2007

The basic requirements of the confectioner for fats to be used in chocolate are briefly reviewed. The melting properties of the polymorphs of cocoa butter and variation in them are outlined together with methods of measuring them. These properties govern two important steps in the manufacture of chocolate—tempering and cooling. The tempering process and methods for determining the state of temper in a sample are noted. The main types of chocolate in common use are described along with two main processes used for their manufacture. The polymorphic forms commonly found in commercial operations are discussed. The discussion on chocolate and cocoa butter leads to reasons for the interest of confectioners in so‐called coating fats or cocoa butter substitutes. The various classes of fat which have been tried so far for this use are briefly reviewed along with their limitations from the viewpoint of the confectioner and his consumers. Desirable specifications for a coating fat and possible future developments in their use in the candy industry are discussed briefly.
Antioxidants for food fats and oils
Authors: Sherwin E. R.
Published: March 2007

Types of antioxidants currently available for food fats and oils are listed, and theoretical and practical aspects of selecting the proper ones for various food uses are reviewed. Consideration is given to relative potencies, modes of application, regulations governing use, and some of the more prominent problems encountered in their commercial applications. A brief look is taken into future needs and possible developments with fat and oil antioxidants.
Fat systems for bakery products
Authors: Baldwin R. R. , Baldry R. P. , Johansen R. G.
Published: March 2007

Fat systems for cake, Danish pastries and bread are described in terms of physical and chemical characteristics as well as performance. Results indicate that additives, such as surfactants and dough conditioners in well formulated fat systems, can increase tolerance, improve uniformity and extend storage life of baked products. The polar and nonpolar lipids naturally present in flour are shown to affect finished bread quality, with the polar lipids showing an improving effect. The apparently divergent trends in the development and use of specialized shortenings for specific baked products vs. the development and use of multipurpose bulk systems for a variety of baked products are reviewed.
Margarine and margarine oils: Finished product quality
Authors: Wiedermann Lars H.
Published: March 2007

Finished margarine quality is presented in terms of the margarine manufacturer’s needs as expressed by in‐house quality control and oil blend specifications. The philosophy of adequate performance testing is discussed as are the needs for in‐process controls. Without adequate and effective in‐process controls, specification testing practices result in only after‐the‐fact information and defeat the real purpose of specifications, which is to insure quality production and not merely to assess whether or not it has been attained. Although margarine manufacturers have found effective means of applying these controls to their own production, they have been lax in applying them to their raw material receipts, an emphasis that is at least of equal importance to finished product quality.
Elemental C, H and N microanalysis of crushed rock and soil samples
Authors: Lindgren F. T. , Stevens G. R. , Jensen L. C.
Published: March 2007

A sensitive and reproducible method for elemental analysis of rock and soil samples has been developed using a modified Hewlett‐Packard 185 CHN analyzer. Samples are combusted in an inert He atmosphere (with and without catalyst) with a carefully controlled combustion time and temperature. Absolute mass calibration is available on samples of from 1–500 µg total CHN content. Analysis of chromatograms is made by both manual and computer techniques. Finely crushed rock (or dust) samples of from 50–100 mg may be analyzed for most forms of carbon content and for N and H with a high degree of technical reproducibility. Step‐wise calcination at 150 C and 550 C allows evaluation of adsorbed CO2, potential organic and amorphous carbon content. Although carbide carbon is partially recovered, essentially quantitative recovery of finely divided graphitic (and diamond) as well as amorphous, carbonate and all organic carbon may be obtained.