bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
New Heptafluorozirconates and ‐hafnates AIBIIZr(Hf)F7 (AI = Rb, Tl; BII = Ca, Cd) – Synthesis, Structures, and Structural Relationships
Authors: Meddar Lynda , El‐Ghozzi Malika , Avignant Daniel
Published: January 2008

Four new ABZrF7 heptafluorozirconates (A = Rb, Tl; B = Ca, Cd) and their homologous heptafluorohafnates, all colorless, orthorhombic Cmcm (no63), Z = 4, have been synthesized by heating stoichiometric mixtures of RbF or TlF, CaF2 or CdF2 and ZrF4 (HfF4) in sealed platinum tubes at temperature ranging from 550 °C (Tl) to 600 °C (Rb). The crystal structures of both RbCdZrF7 and TlCdZrF7 have been solved from single‐crystal X‐rays diffraction data. Rietveld refinements were performed from X‐rays powder patterns for RbCaZrF7 and TlCaZrF7. In this series of heptafluorides, both B2+ and Zr4+ cations exhibit a pentagonal bipyramidal 7‐coordination. Their structural relationships with other heptafluorozirconates AIBIIZrF7 as well as β‐KYb2F7 are discussed. RbCaZrF7: a = 6.863(1) Å, b = 11.130(1) Å, c = 8.485(1) Å; TlCaZrF7: a = 6.868(1) Å, b = 11.165(1) Å, c = 8.486(1) Å; RbCdZrF7: a = 6.780(1) Å, b = 11.054(4) Å, c = 8.420(4) Å; TlCdZrF7: a = 6.784(3) Å, b = 11.099(2) Å, c = 8.424(9) Å.
Theory of mind and social inference in children and adolescents with bipolar disorder
Authors: Schenkel L. S. , Marlow-O'Connor M. , Moss M. , Sweeney J. A. , Pavuluri M. N.
Published: January 2008

Background

Deficits in theory of mind (ToM), or the ability to infer what another person is thinking or feeling, have been reported in manic and euthymic adults with bipolar disorder. To date, there have been no investigations of ToM in pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD). The aim of the current study was to investigate this ability in PBD patients and healthy controls.

Method

PBD patients (n=26) and intellectually and demographically similar healthy comparison subjects (n=20) were administered two ToM tasks. In the Affective Story Task, subjects were read positive-, negative- and neutral-valenced stories, and were assessed on their ability to recognize that a misleading series of events could lead one character to develop a false belief about another character. On the Hinting Task, subjects were required to infer the real intentions behind subtle hints.

Results

The PBD group performed significantly more poorly than controls on the Hinting Task and the positive and negative conditions of the Affective Story Task. In the PBD group only, younger age, earlier illness onset and manic symptoms were associated with poorer ToM performance.

Conclusions

Consistent with past findings in adult bipolar disorder (BD), PBD youth performed more poorly than controls on ToM tasks. Data suggest that ToM ability may be more impaired in affectively charged contexts. Additionally, an earlier onset of illness among PBD youth may interfere with the development of social-cognitive skills. ToM disturbances may be a useful treatment target in PBD, with the aim of facilitating more accurate assessment of social cues and better interpersonal functioning.
Invariant tensors for the spin representation of (7)
Authors: WESTBURY BRUCE W.
Published: January 2008

We give a graphical calculus for the invariant tensors of the eight dimensional spin representation of the quantum groupUq(B3). This leads to a finite confluent presentation of the centraliser algebras of the tensor powers of this representation and a construction of a cellular basis.
Risk factors for infection withCampylobacter jejuni flaAgenotypes
Authors: UNICOMB L. E. , O'REILLY L. C. , KIRK M. D. , STAFFORD R. J. , SMITH H. V. , BECKER N. G. , PATEL M. S. , GILBERT G. L.
Published: January 2008

We aimed to exploreCampylobactergenotype-specific risk factors in Australia. Isolates collected prospectively from cases recruited into a case-control study were genotyped usingflaArestriction fragment-length polymorphism typing (flaAgenotyping). Exposure information for cases and controls was collected by telephone interview. Risk factors were examined for majorflaAgenotypes using logistic and multinomial regression. FiveflaAgenotypes accounted for 325 of 590 (55%) cases – flaA-6b (n=129),flaA-6 (n=70),flaA-10 (n=48),flaA-2 (n=43),flaA-131 (n=35). In Australia, infections due toflaA-10 andflaA-2 were found to be significantly associated with eating non-poultry meat (beef and ham, respectively) in both case-control and inter-genotype comparisons. All major genotypes apart fromflaA-10 were associated with chicken consumption in the case-control comparisons. Based on several clinical criteria, infections due toflaA-2 were more severe than those due to other genotypes. Thus genotype analysis may reveal genotype-specific niches and differences in virulence and transmission routes.
Iodine deficiency and its association with intelligence quotient in schoolchildren from Colima, Mexico
Authors: Pineda-Lucatero Alicia , Avila-Jiménez Laura , Ramos-Hernández Rosa Isela , Magos Clementina , Martínez Homero
Published: January 2008

Objective

To determine the prevalence of iodine deficiency, its causes and its association with intelligence quotient (IQ) in Mexican schoolchildren.

Design

Cross-sectional analytical study, in which determinations of thyroid gland size, urinary iodine excretion, IQ, iron nutritional status, physical anthropometry, family consumption of goitrogenic foods, type/origin and iodine saturation of salt consumed at home and coliform organisms in drinking water were performed, and the association of each variable with IQ scores was evaluated by multiple regression analyses.

Setting

Municipality of Cuauhtémoc, in Colima, Mexico (altitude: 600–2700 m above sea level). Sea salt is extracted manually nearby and often used for human consumption. Goitre remains present in the region despite over half a century of mandatory salt iodination in the country.

Subjects

Three hundred and three children, similar proportions of boys and girls, mean age 9·3 years, randomly selected from 19 public elementary schools.

Results

Overall goitre rate was 21·4 %; low urinary iodine excretion was found in 19·5 % of the children, high urinary iodine excretion in 32·0 %. IQ scores were transformed into percentile values, with the following categorisation: ≤P5 (low IQ), 48·5 %; >P5 to ≤P25 (below average), 24·2 %; >P25 to <P75 (average), 18·8 %; ≥P75 to <P95 (above average), 3·6 %; ≥P95 (high IQ), 4·9 %. Ninety-two per cent of the population used iodinated salt, but deficient iodine saturation (<50 ppm) was found in 86·8 % of salt samples. The main goitrogenic foods consumed were peanuts (by 31·5 % of the sample), cabbage (30·1 %), broccoli (27·7 %) and cauliflower (25·7 %). Median counts of coliform organisms (colony-forming units/100 ml of drinking water) were: 207·5 (well water), 151 (cisterns), 52 (private homes), 25 (elementary schools) and 12 (kindergartens). Moderate iodine deficiency was associated (P< 0·05) with a 4·26 times higher risk of low IQ.

Conclusions

There is a perturbing negative impact of these findings on human capital acquisition for the region and the country. More attention is needed to ensure effective salt iodination processes, particularly in regions where goitrogens may contribute to the negative effects of iodine deficiency on the intellectual development of children.
Akute Kreuzschmerzen - Beurteilung und Management
Authors: Gautschi O.P. , Hildebrandt G. , Cadosch D.
Published: January 2008

Akute Kreuzschmerzen sind ein sehr häufiges Symptom. Bis zu 90% der Erwachsenen leiden im Laufe ihres Lebens mindestens einmal an einer Kreuzschmerz-Episode. Meistens handelt es sich dabei um mechanische Lumbalgien. Diese sind, mit oder ohne Schmerzausstrahlung in die Beine, normalerweise selbstlimitierend, haben keine schwerwiegende zugrunde liegende Pathologie und klingen bei 80–90% der Betroffenen innerhalb von 6 Wochen ab. Im Zentrum der therapeutischen Bemühungen stehen neben der medikamentösen und physiotherapeutischen Behandlung die eingehende Aufklärung des Betroffenen über den grundsätzlich benignen Charakter und die günstige Prognose seiner Beschwerden. Eine genauere Untersuchung ist bei gewissen Patienten mit Warnzeichen, sogenannten „red flags”, erforderlich, da diese mit einem erhöhten Risiko eines Caudaequina- Syndroms, eines Tumors, einer Infektion oder einer Fraktur vergesellschaftet sein können. Diese Patienten benötigen ebenfalls eine engmaschigere Nachbetreuung und in seltenen Fällen sogar eine notfallmässige chirurgische Intervention. Bei Patienten mit unspezifischen mechanischen Kreuzschmerzen kann die bildgebende Diagnostik für mindestens vier bis sechs Wochen verzögert werden. Dies führt normalerweise von selbst zu einem Beschwerderückgang. Therapeutisch gesehen gibt es genügend Evidenz für die Wirksamkeit von Paracetamol, nichtsteroidalen antiinflammatorischen Medikamenten, Muskelrelaxantien, Wärmeapplikation, Physiotherapie und den Ratschlag „aktiv” zu bleiben. Eine vollständige Entlastung und Schonung stellen ein überholtes Konzept dar, weil dadurch die Dekonditionierung gefördert und die Rückkehr an den Arbeitsplatz unnötig verzögert wird. Die manualmedizinische Behandlung kann bei gewissen Patienten zu einer kurzzeitigen Beschwerdelinderung führen. In einem multimodalen Behandlungskonzept sollte sich die Patientenschulung auf den natürlichen Verlauf des Rückenschmerzes, die insgesamt gute Prognose und Vorschläge für eine effektive Therapie konzentrieren.
Blowing off acid: a new tool to study Na+/HCO3− co‐transport
Authors: Avkiran M
Published: January 2008

Investigation of the physiological functions and possible pathological roles of Na+/HCO3− co‐transport in the heart has been hampered by uncertainty over the molecular identity of cardiac Na+/HCO3− co‐transporter(s) and the absence of selective pharmacological inhibitors. In their paper published in this issue, Ch'en and colleagues describe the extensive characterization of S0859 as a high‐affinity inhibitor of Na+/HCO3− co‐transport in cardiac myocytes (Ch'en et al., 2008). The availability of S0859 provides a powerful new tool to investigate the (patho)physiological significance of Na+/HCO3− co‐transport in the heart and other tissues.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2008) 153, 844–845; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707670; published online 21 January 2008
Effect of peripheral obestatin on food intake and gastric emptying in ghrelin‐knockout mice
Authors: Depoortere I , Thijs T , Moechars D , De Smet B , Ver Donck L , Peeters T L
Published: January 2008

Background and purpose:

The finding that obestatin, a peptide encoded by the ghrelin gene, opposes ghrelin's stimulatory effect on food intake and gastric emptying has been questioned. The effect of obestatin has been mostly investigated in fasted rodents, a condition associated with high blood levels of ghrelin which may mask the effect of obestatin. We therefore investigated the effect of obestatin on food intake, gastric emptying and gastric contractility in ghrelin knockout mice.

Experimental approach:

The effect of obestatin on 6‐h cumulative food intake was studied in fasted wildtype (ghrelin+/+) and ghrelin knockout (ghrelin−/−) mice. In both genotypes, the effect of obestatin and/or ghrelin was studied in vivo on gastric emptying measured with the 14C‐octanoic acid breath test and in vitro on neural responses elicited by electrical field stimulation (EFS) of fundic smooth muscle strips.

Key results:

Administration of obestatin did not influence fasting‐induced hyperphagia or gastric emptying in both genotypes. Injection of ghrelin accelerated gastric emptying in ghrelin+/+ and ghrelin−/− mice but the effect was not reversed by co‐injection with obestatin. In fundic strips from ghrelin+/+ and ghrelin−/− mice, ghrelin increased EFS‐induced contractions, but obestatin was without effect. However, co‐administration with obestatin tended to reduce the excitatory effect of ghrelin in both genotypes.

Conclusions and implications:

In ghrelin−/− mice, obestatin failed to affect food intake and gastric motility. These results suggest that endogenous ghrelin does not mask the effect of obestatin and confirm that obestatin administered peripherally is not a major regulator of satiety signalling or gut motility.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2008) 153, 1550–1557; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707683; published online 21 January 2008
Probing the presence of the ligand‐binding haem in cellular nitric oxide receptors
Authors: Roy B , Mo E , Vernon J , Garthwaite J
Published: January 2008

Background and purpose:

Nitric oxide (NO) acts on receptors coupled to guanylyl cyclase (GC), leading to cGMP accumulation. The NO binding site is a haem group, oxidation or loss of which diminishes NO‐stimulated activity. Agonists reportedly engaging both these NO‐insensitive forms have emerged. Here we characterize the effect of a prototype compound (BAY 58‐2667) and use it to assess the haem status of cellular GC.

Experimental approach:

GC activity measurements were made on the purified protein and on rat platelets.

Key results:

Experiments on purified GC showed that the target for BAY 58‐2667 is the haem‐free GC, not the haem‐oxidized form. The efficacy of BAY 58‐2667 was about half that shown normally by NO. In platelets, BAY 58‐2667 was a potent GC activator (EC50 ∼15 nM) but the maximum effect was only about 1% of that achievable with NO. Nevertheless, it was enough to evoke cGMP‐dependent protein phosphorylation. Profound (85 %) desensitization of NO‐evoked GC activity did not alter the effectiveness of BAY 58‐2667. Haem oxidation, however, increased the efficacy of BAY 58‐2667 by 22‐fold, implying that about half the cellular GC was then haem‐free. Oxidation appeared to enhance the rate of haem dissociation from purified GC.

Conclusions and implications:

Compounds such as BAY 58‐2667 are useful for probing the occupancy of the haem pocket of NO receptors in cells but not for distinguishing oxidized from reduced haem. In vivo, such compounds are likely to be particularly effective in conditions where there is deficient haem incorporation or enhanced haem loss.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2008) 153, 1495–1504; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707687; published online 21 January 2008
Expression of soluble Flt‐1 gene in Pichia pastoris and the effect of the product on multiple‐myeloma cells in vitro
Authors: Liu Junru , Li Juan , Su Chang , Huang Beihui , Luo Shaokai
Published: January 2008

VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor), a potent angiogenic molecule specific for vascular endothelial cells, is overexpressed in most tumours including MM (multiple myeloma) and closely associated with tumour growth and prognosis. It has been shown that a soluble fragment of the VEGF receptor Flt‐1 (Fms‐like tyrosine kinase‐1) [sFlt‐1 (soluble Flt‐1)] has antiangiogenic properties by way of its antagonist activity against VEGF. VEGF and its receptors have been shown to be targets for treating tumours. In the present study, sFlt‐1 gene was expressed in Pichia pastoris and the product was applied for studying the effect on KM3 MM cells. sFlt‐1 gene was inserted into the pPICZαA vector and the expressed product was analysed by SDS/PAGE, immunoblot and ELISA. The sFlt‐1 protein was expressed by 0.5% (v/v) methanol induction and it accumulated up to 23% of total proteins in the supernatant. The product was further purified with metal‐chelating resin [Ni‐NTA (Ni2+‐nitrilotriacetate)]. The functional analysis of the sFlt‐1 protein was performed with HUVEC (human umbilical‐vein endothelial cells) proliferation assay. We next showed that the sFlt‐1 protein acted directly on MM cells and inhibited the VEGF‐induced proliferation of MM cells with MTT [3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyl‐2H‐tetrazolium bromide] and 3H uptake assay. The sFlt‐1 protein blocked VEGF‐induced ERK (extracellular‐signal‐regulated kinase) phosphorylation and inhibited the MAPK (mitogen‐activated protein kinase) signalling cascades. The present study demonstrated that anti‐MM activity of the sFlt‐1 protein, coupled with its antiangiogenic effects, provides the basis for clinical trials of this agent to improve the outcome in MM.
A DNA microarray for differentiation of the Chinese medicinal herb Dendrobium officinale (Fengdou Shihu) by its 5 S ribosomal DNA intergenic spacer region
Authors: Sze Stephen Cho‐Wing , Zhang Kalin Yan‐Bo , Shaw Pang‐Chui , But Paul Pui‐Hay , Ng Tzi‐Bun , Tong Yao
Published: January 2008

A DNA microarray was constructed for high‐throughput identification of the plant resource of commercial FDSH [Fengdu Shihu (Dendrobium officinale)]. The 5 S rDNA (ribosomal DNA) intergenic spacer region in D. officinale, D. nobile, D. moniliforme, D. hercoglossum, D. williamsonii, D. capillipes, D. wilsonii and D. jenkinsii was amplified by a single primer pair and sequenced. The sequences showed polymorphism. They were incorporated on a glass slide and hybridized with fluorescently labelled 5 S sequences from commercial Shihu. The DNA microarray enabled the differentiation of D. officinale from the other species tested. FDSH could thus be distinguished from its adulterants. It is evident that DNA microarrays provide a high‐throughput and reliable approach for the identification of plant resources, and the method presented here is useful for the authentication of FDSH.
Genome shuffling in the ethanologenic yeast Candida krusei to improve acetic acid tolerance
Authors: Wei Pingying , Li Zilong , He Peng , Lin Yuping , Jiang Ning
Published: January 2008

Genome shuffling was used to improve the acetic acid tolerance of an ethanologenic yeast, Candida krusei GL560. A mutant, S4–3, was isolated and selected after four rounds of genome shuffling. It was found that the mutant S4–3 had a higher viability in the YNBX (yeast nitrogen base/xylose) medium with acetic acid and grew better in the YPD (yeast extract, peptone and dextrose) medium [1% (w/v) yeast extract, 2% (w/v) peptone and 2% (w/v) glucose] with acetic acid than the parent strain GL560. The mutant S4–3 also improved its multiple stress tolerance to ethanol, H2O2, heat and freeze–thaw. Furthermore, S4–3 showed higher ethanol production than GL560 in EFM (ethanol fermentation medium) with or without acetic acid. The DNA content of S4–3 was similar to its parent strains in the genome shuffling. This suggested that gene exchange, as caused by homologous recombination, may have occurred during the process. Higher membrane integrity and intracellular catalase activity were two possible reasons for the higher acid‐tolerance phenotype of S4–3. These results indicated that genome shuffling is a powerful means of rapidly improving the complex traits of non‐haploid organisms, while still maintaining robust growth.
Improved expression of fusion protein using a cysteine‐ protease‐ and chitinase‐deficient Bombyx mori (silkworm) multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus bacmid in silkworm larvae
Authors: Park Enoch Y. , Abe Takahiro , Kato Tatsuya
Published: January 2008

A bacmid system of BmMNPV [Bombyx mori (silkworm) multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus] with both the cysteine‐protease and chitinase genes deleted (BmMNPV‐CP−‐Chi−) was constructed. The viral protease and chitinase activities in the haemolymph of Bombyx mori larvae infected with this BmMNPV‐CP−‐Chi− bacmid were reduced by 95 and 50% respectively. By using this system, a GFPuv–β3GnT2 (green fluorescent protein excited by UV light–β1,3‐N‐acetylglucosaminyltransferase 2) fusion protein was successfully expressed in silkworm larvae with less protein degradation and without larvae liquefaction; β3GnT2 activity improved 2.8‐fold over that of unmodified bacmid. This BmMNPV‐CP−‐Chi− bacmid system provides rapid protein production in silkworms and can be used for the production of recombinant eukaryotic proteins without proteolytic degradation.
microRNAs: small molecules with big roles –C. elegans to human cancer
Authors: Kato Masaomi , Slack Frank J.
Published: January 2008

miRNAs (microRNAs) were first discovered as critical regulators of developmental timing events in Caenorhabditis elegans. Subsequent studies have shown that miRNAs and cellular factors necessary for miRNA biogenesis are conserved in many organisms, suggesting the importance of miRNAs during developmental processes. Indeed, mutations in the miRNA‐processing pathway induce pleiotropic defects in development, which accompany perturbation of correct expression of target genes. However, control of gene expression in development is not the only function of miRNAs. Recent work has provided new insights into the role of miRNAs in various biological events, including aging and cancer. C. elegans continues to be helpful in facilitating a further understanding of miRNA function in human diseases.
Regrouping unfamiliar animals in the weeks prior to slaughter has few effects on physiology and meat quality in Bos taurus feedlot steers
Authors: Colditz I. G. , Ferguson D. M. , Greenwood P. L. , Doogan V. J. , Petherick J. C. , Kilgour R. J.
Published: January 2008

The response of cattle to alterations in social groupings can lead to physiological changes that affect meat quality. Feedlot practices frequently lead to a proportion of cattle in a pen being drafted for slaughter with the balance retained for a further period until they meet market specifications. An ability to regroup such retained cattle for short periods without consequences for meat quality would facilitate efficient use of feedlot pen space. The current experiment examined the impact on physiological variables and meat quality of regrouped British breed steers 4, 2 or 1 week before dispatch for slaughter. There was little effect of regrouping cattle on physiological variables associated with stress responses. Physical assessment of meat quality indicated that regrouping steers 1 week before slaughter led to higher compression and a tendency for higher peak force values in animals from one genotype than in their respective controls (1.89 v. 1.71 ± 0.05 kg, P = 0.017); however, these assessments were not matched by changes in sensory perception of meat quality. Average daily gain during feedlot finishing was negatively related to the temperament measure and flight time. It was also associated with breed, white cell count, plasma cortisol and haemoglobin at the midpoint of the 70-day finishing period. The results confirm the impact of flight time on growth rate during feedlot finishing and that regrouping cattle less than 2 weeks before slaughter may reduce meat quality.
No-tillage and nitrogen application affects the decomposition of 15N-labelled wheat straw and the levels of mineral nitrogen and organic carbon in a Vertisol
Authors: Dalal R. C. , Strong W. M. , Cooper J. E. , King A. J.
Published: January 2008

No-tillage (NT) practice, where straw is retained on the soil surface, is increasingly being used in cereal cropping systems in Australia and elsewhere. Compared to conventional tillage (CT), where straw is mixed with the ploughed soil, NT practice may reduce straw decomposition, increase nitrogen immobilisation and increase organic carbon in the soil. This study examined 15N-labelled wheat straw (stubble) decomposition in four treatments (NT v. CT, with N rates of 0 and 75 kg/ha.year) and assessed the tillage and fertiliser N effects on mineral N and organic C and N levels over a 10-year period in a field experiment.
NT practice decreased the rate of straw decomposition while fertiliser N application increased it. However, there was no tillage practice × N interaction. The mean residence time of the straw N in soil was more than twice as long under the NT (1.2 years) as compared to the CT practice (0.5 years). In comparison, differences in mean residence time due to N fertiliser treatment were small. However, tillage had generally very little effect on either the amounts of mineral N at sowing or soil organic C (and N) over the study period. While application of N fertiliser increased mineral N, it had very little effect on organic C over a 10-year period. Relatively rapid decomposition of straw and short mean residence time of straw N in a Vertisol is likely to have very little long-term effect on N immobilisation and organic C level in an annual cereal cropping system in a subtropical, semiarid environment. Thus, changing the tillage practice from CT to NT may not necessitate additional N requirement unless use is made of additional stored water in the soil or mineral N loss due to increased leaching is compensated for in N supply to crops.
Revised diagnostic leaf nutrient standards for macadamia growing in Australia
Authors: Huett D. O. , Vimpany I.
Published: January 2008

Leaf nutrient analyses are widely used to determine the nutritional status of macadamia orchards. A commercial database was developed from 2186 observations collected from 186 farms across 56 geographical areas spanning New South Wales and Queensland. The data were collected over 10 years, with 1 to 9 sequential annual observations on each farm. An experimental database was also developed where several of the most popular commercial cultivars growing in the Lismore area of New South Wales and the Bundaberg area of Queensland were sampled at monthly intervals over a 2–3 year period. Two canopy sampling heights were used to confirm the effect of shading (irradiance) on leaf nutrient composition. This latter study confirmed that spring was an appropriate time to sample and that irradiated leaves, usually located in an upper canopy position, should be sampled.
The most important change to the recommended leaf nutrient standards was the increase in the leaf nitrogen range from 1.3–1.4% to 1.4–1.7% for all cultivars except 344, where we recommend 1.6–2.0%. The study also confirmed that the adequate concentration range for zinc should be much lower than originally recommended. We recommend concentrations of 6–15 mg/kg. Minor changes were made to most other macro- and micronutrients. We also advise caution when interpreting the analyses of some nutrients because concentrations can change over the spring period.
The revised leaf nutrient standards were developed from two large and comprehensive databases and reliably represent adequate leaf nutrient concentrations in productive, well-managed macadamia orchards in Australia. A single leaf analysis will not reliably indicate the nutritional status of a macadamia orchard. Additional information is required on trends in leaf and soil analyses over time as well as fertiliser, yield and management history.
The Kurdish question in Iraq: historical background and future settlement
Authors: Jawad Saad Naji
Published: January 2008

This article explores the political history of the Kurdish question in Iraq. It starts by giving a short historical background to the issue, and moves on to explain Kurdish demands and past attempts to resolve the problem, both militarily and peacefully. It then gives an account of the idea of autonomy as understood by various Iraqi governments and Kurdish leaderships. The article also concentrates on the obstacles hindering and obstructing a lasting, peaceful solution to the problem. Finally, it offers the writer’s suggestions for bridging the gap between the Arabs and Kurds in Iraq in general, and the various Kurdish leaderships and the central government in particular.
The nexus between Palestine, Iraq and Lebanon
Authors: Faris Hani A.
Published: January 2008

In the modern history of the Arab East, there has never been a time when wars were waged on three Arab societies at once. Nowadays, Palestine lives in a state of low intensity warfare; Iraq continues to experience a systematic process of devastation that has entered its fifth year; and Lebanon is suffering the repercussions of one of the most unrelenting and intense military campaigns ever mounted on a civil society this century. Is this a chance occurrence or is there a common thread that explains the causes, perpetrators, features and future settlement prospects of the three wars? This article will demonstrate that all three wars, notwithstanding their particularities, are impacted by similar forces. Consequently, an approach that attempts to deal with each conflict separately and without regard to the others will have little prospect of success. More alarming is the fact that there is a chance the region may witness the flare up of new wars if the present situation is left to fester.
EPITHELIUM‐LINED BLOOD CYSTS OF THE OVARY.
Authors: King E. S. J.
Published: January 2008

Summary

1. Epithelium‐lined blood cysts of the ovary occur as two principal varieties: the large (usually single) tarry luteal cysts and the multiple small cysts.

2. The multiple small cysts (often referred to as endometriomata) are shown to be derived from tlie follicles of the ovary either by way of the atretic follicles or corpora luten.

3. The epithelium arises as an incidental phenomenon in the retro‐gression of follicular or luteal blood cysts.
THE RELATION OF PROLONGED IMMOBILIZATION AND URINARY TRACT INFECTION TO RENAL CALCULUS FORMATION
Authors: Brown R. K. Lee , Earlam M. S. S.
Published: January 2008

1. The literature on the subject of prolonged immobilization in relation to renal calculus formation is reviewed and six illustrative cases are reported.

2. The mechanism of calculus formation and the influence exerted thereon by urinary tract infection and prolonged immobilization are considered.

3. Insoluble crystalloids which may appear as a urinary deposit are probably prevented from crystallizing out under normal conditions rather by the fact that in a clear urinethey have very little existence as such, due to the formation of soluble complex salts, than by the “protective action” of the urinary colloids.

4. The first stage in the formation of a calculus is the deposition of crystals within the urinary passages.

5. For a calculus to develop, mechanical conditions must be such that this deposit can be retained in the urinary tract for an adequate period.

6. Under normal conditions, such stasis may occur only in the lowest renal calyx, while if urinary obstruction exists it may occur anywhere in the urinary tract.

7. A urinary infection leads to accelerated growth of calculi, but cannot alone be responsible for their formation.

8. In the presence of stasis a urea‐splitting infection may by the deposition of crystals initiate calculus formation, while a non‐urea‐splitting infection, by providing inflammatory products on which the primary deposition of crystals may occur, may, if the urine is already dangerously close to throwing down a deposit, thus indirectly initiate calculus formation.

9. Prolonged immobilization, by interfering with the drainage from the pelvis and calyces as a result of the position occupied by the kidneys, may provide sufficient time for the deposition of crystals which would otherwise not have been deposited till the urine had been voided, and cause these crystals to be retained, thus leading to calculus formation which would otherwise never have developed.
RENAL ECHINOCOCCOSIS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
Authors: Begg R. Campbell
Published: January 2008

The paper reviews forty‐one eases of hydatid disease of the kidney occurring in Australia and New Zealand mostly in the last decennium. These cases include four personal cases and sixteen hitherto unpublished. Most of the latter are recorded in full in the Registry of Hydatids established by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

An analysis is made of the New Zealand cases.
A CASE OF ŒSOPHAGECTOMY (TOREK'S OPERATION) FOR CARCINOMA AND ŒSOPHAGOPLASTY.
Authors: King E. S. J.
Published: January 2008

A case of carcinoma of the thoracic œsophagus, on which œsophagectomy by the transpleural method had been performed, is described. An antethoracic œsophagoplasty had been almost completed when the patient died of pneumonia.

At post mortem examination a small subpleural nodule on the right side was found, but otherwise no metastases were found.
RUPTURED HYDATID CYST OF THE HEART.
Authors: Pullar T. H. , North J. H.
Published: January 2008

A case is reported of the rupture of a hydatid cyst of the heart into the left ventricle, with hydatid embolism of the abdominal aorta and death within a few hours.
THE DIAGNOSIS, INCIDENCE AND TREATMENT OF AVITAMINOSIS A AND D IN OBSTRUCTIVE JAUNDICE
Authors: WOODRUFF M. F. A. , WRIGHT R. DOUGLAS
Published: January 2008

A new photometer for the measurement of dark‐adaptation time is described. By its means a prolonged adaptation time has been demonstrated in eases of obstructive jaundice, andevidence is given that this finding is an indication of deficient absorption of vitamin

The serum phosphatase is raised in cases of biliary obstruction and reasons are given for the belief that this is an indication of deficient absorption of vitamin in such cases.

The observation of other workers that vitamin K also is deficiently absorbed by the jaundiced patient is discussed, and the method of correcting these various deficiencies by the oral administration of bile salts and vitamin concentrates is described. The importance of applying this method in the preoperative treatment of patients suffering from obstructive jaundice is indicated.
LEIO‐MYOMA OF THE STOMACH: A REPORT OF TWO CASES
Authors: WHYTE DAVID
Published: January 2008

Two cases of myoma of the stomach are reported.

Haemorrhage determined admission to hospital in both cases–in the first case after symptoms suggestive of ulcer had existed for eight years, in the second case without any previous symptoms.

In the first case the tumour occurred high up on the greater curvature of the stomach and projected into the gastro‐colic omentum. An ulcer extended through the stomach wall into the tumour. In the second case the tumour occurred in the cardiac portion of the stomach and projected into the lumen.

Treatment was carried out by surgical removal and resulted in recovery.
MALIGNANT TUMOURS OF TENDON SHEATHS
Authors: KING E. S. J.
Published: January 2008

1. A group of seven malignant tumours of tendon sheaths is described.

2. The clinical features of these tumours are discussed.

3. The microscopic characters of the tumours are reviewed, and the special differentiating features are described and illustrated.

4. The methods of treatment employed in the cases are discussed and their relative value is reviewed.
BLOOD SUPPLY OF THE DISTAL COLON
Authors: Sunderland Sydney
Published: January 2008

Summary

.1. An investigation into the pattern of the inferior mesenteric artery and the blood supply to the distal colon is described.

2 The literature relating to the presence and significance of the “critical point” is briefly reviewed.

3. Because it is so infrequent, no reliance can be placed upon the existence of an anastomosis between the lowest left colic and superior hemorrhoidal vessels.

4. The vascular distribution is discussed in terms of the part it plays in the surgery of the pelvic colon and rectum. The importance of the vascular pattern is emphasized in that it (a) preserves the vitality of the recto‐sigmoid stump in resection of the pelvic colon, (b) permits effective mobilization of the gut in perineal excision of the rectum with restoration of function.
INFECTIVE COMPLICATIONS OF HEAD BATTLE CASUALTIES
Authors: Miller Douglas
Published: January 2008

Summary

Fifty cases of open head wounds sustained in a Western Desert battle are discussed. This is probably one of the largest series of such cases collected in this war. The peculiar conditions of the campaign resulted in a high incidence of infection.

The types of infected wounds are discussed: (1) Infection of scalp wounds and its consequences. (2) Infection of skull fractures. (3) Infections in the brain: (a) infected tracks, (b) abscesses.

Some individual cases of abscess are reported in detail.
RESTORATION AFTER EXCISION FOR MALIGNANT DISEASE
Authors: PICKERILL H. P.
Published: January 2008

Attention has been directed to the practicability of excision of superficial malignant growths followed by early restoration.

Cases illustrating seven different methods of restoration have been described.

Attention has been drawn to the desirability of sometimes deliberately producing radiation necrosis.
PHYSIOTHERAPY IN CHEST SURGERY
Authors: HAYWARD JOHN I.
Published: January 2008

The nature of the postural and functional defects associated with traumatic and inflammatory diseases of the pleura, their causes and their prognosis are described.

The physiotherapeutic treatment termed “controlled breathing” is explained. The physiological principles underlying it and the method of teaching it are given in detail. It should be the basis of all physiotherapeutic courses for patients with surgical conditions of the chest.

The management of the individual case is discussed from the physiotherapeutic point of view, together with nursing points and the results to be expected–namely, the return of the majority to “Al” health in two to six months.
A, RATIONAL TREATMENT OF GUNSHOT WOUNDS OF LONG BONES WITH ESTABLISHED SEPSIS.1
Authors: TURNBULL HARLEY
Published: January 2008

General Summary

The results achieved by 5 amino‐acridine have been listed earlier in this article, but the following general statements provide a useful summary.
ABDOMINAL SURGERY IN FORWARD AREAS: OBSERVATIONS MADE IN A CASUALTY CLEARING STATION, 1941–1943.1
Authors: Rogers By Lindsay S.
Published: January 2008

The following points have been made, and their application should help towards the recovery of the patient with an abdominal wound.

In the Field.–Two days before battle give all assault soldiers clean clothes and succinyl sulpliatliiazole. They should enter battle with an empty belly, an empty bladder and a high blood sugar content.

In the Field Ambulance.– Give morphine in full doses, and waste no time on resuscitation except to apply warmth.

In the Casualty Clearing Station.– Better and more stable team work on the part of all members of the team is needed. Operating must be quicker and more thorough. The Miller‐Abbot tube should be used whenever ileus develops. Better cards should be used for record purposes.
A METHOD OF TREATMENT OF COMPOUND FRACTURES OF THE HUMERUS
Authors: Godfrey Graham
Published: January 2008

1. Gunshot wound of the humerus‐ presents the problem of a fracture difficult to immobilize, plus a wound or wounds, often extensive, requiring management.

2. Effective immobilization requires the inclusion of the trunk in the fixing mechanism.

3. Uninterrupted immobilization is one of the primary aims in treatment.

4. Access to the wound permits management by atraumatic dressings under bacteriological control, and allows minor sequestrectomies and skin grafting operations to be performed without interference with the continuity of immobilization.

5. Failure to provide access means a pus‐soaked offensive cast which after a time becomes unsound. Furthermore, serious problems in regard to cross‐infection are introduced.

6. A method of reconciling these difficulties is presented.

7. An adaptation of the method is also described by which prefabri cation of a cast enables immediate post‐operative application, and overcomes the difficulty of the application of a spica under anaesthesia.

8. Three cases are briefly reported to illustrate problems met with in the use of this method.
A REVIEW OF THE PRESENT SURGICAL TREATMENT OF PEPTIC ULCER, AND CARCINOMA OF THE STOMACH1
Authors: Muir J. B. G.
Published: January 2008

Summary

1. The object of this paper has been to review briefly the present‐day position regarding the incidence and treatment of peptic ulceration in the community.

2. The indications for surgical treatment are discussed generally, as are the indications for gastroenterostomy and gastrectomy respectively in detail.

3. Local hospital statistics are given to show the mortality rate of surgical treatment, and the pathological findings which led to the selection of the operative procedure used, are described.

4. A brief review of local experience in the treatment of carcinoma of the stomach is given.
LOCULATED EMPYEMA: A COMPLICATION OF HÆMOTHORAX
Authors: Howard Russell N.
Published: January 2008

Summary

1. Three cases of loculated empyema following hemothorax are reported.

2. In the treatment outlined for the condition emphasis is laid on the following points: (a) early and complete emptying of a hemothorax; (b) early tube drainage of an infected hemothorax; (c) early‐ tube drainage with breakdown of loculi in the case of loculated empyema.
THE TREATMENT OF BATTLE CASUALTIES IN THE CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN AREA1
Authors: Button Eardley
Published: January 2008

Summary

1. The problems of evacuation and the establishment of forward surgical centres in Italy are contrasted with those in the Western Desert.

2. Some principles in the treatment of the main types of battle casualties are discussed: (a) abdominal wounds, (b) chest wounds, (c) wounds of the extremities and injuries of the popliteal artery.
THE INFLUENCE OF THE HIND LEGS AND PELVIS ON BLOOD COAGULATION.1
Authors: Trethewie E. R.
Published: January 2008

When the hind legs and pelvis of the cat are perfused with diluted heparinized blood, the perfused fluid is more coagulable than the control.

The “prothrombin” content of the perfused samples is a little higher than in the controls.
RESECTION OF THE BLADDER NECK IN THE FEMALE, WITH REPORT OF A CASE.1
Authors: MELVILLE BERNAYS
Published: January 2008

Contraction of the bladder neck in the female is discussed.

A case is reported in a female, a virgo Intacta, neurologically normal, of a condition causing (a) great difficulty in urination, (b) high residual urine, (c) evidence of back‐pressure in the bladder, and therefore diagnosed as a contraction of the bladder neck, completely relieved by resection of the neck of the bladder.
THE SURGICAL TREATMENT OF MYOMATA OF THE UTERUS, WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO MYOMECTOMY
Authors: Gleadell L. W.
Published: January 2008

The indications for surgical ti*eatmeiit of myomata of the uterus are discussed.

The scope of myomectomy is analysed.

The important details in technique are described.

A series of 66 cases are surveyed. There were 110 deaths and the results were satisfactory.
SURGERY OF THE PATENT DUCTUS ARTERIOSUS1
Authors: MCKAY DOUGLAS
Published: January 2008

BY way of approach to my subject I propose to deal briefly with the embryology and normal process of closure of the ductus arteriosus.
THE EARLY TREATMENT OF BATTLE CASUALTIES OF SOFT TISSUES AND BONE.1
Authors: RENOU C. A. MARSHAL
Published: January 2008

To summarize, it is already abundantly clear that since the advent of penicillin one may expect soft tissue wounds to heal more quickly, with less scarring both superficial and deep, and with greater speed in recovery of function, with a shorter period of hospitalization, and therefore with a speedier return of the soldier to the front line.

In compound fractures experience has shown that the correct forward treatment is now to convert an open fracture into a closed fracture as speedily as is compatible with safety to the patient.

One has been led to hope that traumatic osteomyelitis will be greatly reduced in future campaigns, that sequestration will be less, and that chronic sinuses passing down to bone will be seldom seen.

It cannot be too strongly stressed that although penicillin has revolutionized the results of forward surgery, it does not permit the forward surgeon to be any way careless in his major principles. His excisions must be as thorough, his search for foreign material as diligent, and his postoperative fixation of the injured limb as complete as ever.

In conclusion, may I quote an extract from a letter just received from a surgeon at one of our forward hospitals.

One thing which struck me very much while doing a round with Colonel Littlejohn was the comparison with a similar round done with him in Warwick, after the Kokoda fighting. At that time nearly every wound seen, soft tissue or otherwise, was discharging, and those suffering from extensive compound fractures looked sick, whereas today a very large majority of all wounds are healed or practically so. This has been especially noticeable in the perforating wounds of hands or feet, healing and, more important, return of function and return to unit, therefore, have been considerably accelerated.
THE NATURE OF THE PILONIDAL SINUS
Authors: King E. S. J.
Published: January 2008

The general features of the various stages of the pilonidal sinus are described.

The “congenital hypothesis is reviewed.

An alternative hypothesis is presented and the evidence for this is set out.

The significance of this view in treatment is bi*iefly discussed.
CYSTECTOMY
Authors: Kirkland Keith
Published: January 2008

Three cases of carcinoma of the bladder in which total cystectomy was performed are described.

As a preliminary in each case the ureters were transplanted to the sigmoid.

The indications for this measure are briefly discussed.

The operation of cystectmny is described.
CONTROLLED RESPIRATION AND CURARE IN MODERN SURGERY
Authors: Orton R. H.
Published: January 2008

Summary

1. Controlled respiration possesses advantages over voluntary respiration in thoracic surgery and should be employed during abdominal surgery whenever respiratory depression occurs. By its use normal exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide is possible in all circumstances.

2. By producing muscular relaxation and abolishing reflexes curare allows the use of light anaesthesia and therefore aids in the avoidance of shock.

3. In abdominal surgery, light anaesthesia, combined with the use of curare and controlled respiration, produces the minimum disturbance in the patient compatible with adequate muscular relaxation.

4. In thoracic surgery curare controls bronchial reflexes and with controlled respiration gives the most satisfactory conditions for surgery.

5. The use of controlled respiration and of curare demands a high degree of anaesthetic skill.
NERVE ANASTOMOSIS IN THE TREATMENT OF FACIAL PARALYSIS
Authors: Trumble H. C.
Published: January 2008

Summary

Results obtained in the treatment of facial paralysis and clonic facial spasm by means of the operation of hypoglossal‐facial anastomosis are described. Recovery of tone and voluntary power was satisfactory in eighteen patients, unsatisfactory in one. One patient has not been reviewed. Recovery was very satisfactory in two cases in which there was a delay of nine and a half months between the date of onset of facial paralysis and that of the reparative operation, and also in one other in which the delay was twenty‐six months. These observations would seem to demonstrate that degeneration of muscle fibres and end plates is not of such importance as is generally believed.
SEGMENTAL PULMONARY RESECTION1
Authors: Robb Douglas
Published: January 2008

On a basis of six cases segmental pulmonary resection is found to be eminently practicable at least as far as the middle lobe, lingula, apical or first dorsal and lower basal segments go. Convalescence on the whole has been good to excellent. In three of the cases post‐operative bronchograms show healthy bronchi in the portions conserved, but no late results are available.

The principle of securing bronchus and vessels and then peeling the segment off through an avascular plane has also been applied with success in lobectomy in cases with poor or absent fissures.
RESTORATIVE RESECTIONS FOR CARCINOMA OF THE RECTUM
Authors: Wilson Edward
Published: January 2008

From a study of the lymphatic spread in a series of patients with carcinoma of the rectum who were alive and well five years after abdomino‐perineal, perineo‐abdominal or synchronous combined excision of the rectum, it is concluded that the continued and more frequent use of restorative resections of the rectum is justified.
ON THE DIAGNOSIS OF MALIGNANT TESTICULAR TUMOURS
Authors: Wyndham Norman
Published: January 2008

The possible variations of the history and clinical appearance of testicular tumours are described.

The association with trauma, imperfect development, pseudo‐inflammatory onset and distant metastases is outlined.

The results of hormonal investigations are given in a limited number of cases and thefnllibility of these tests as tliagiiostic proceclures is emphasized.
PAPILLARY CARCINOMA OF THE RENAL PELVIS
Authors: Laidley J. W. S. , Howarth V. S.
Published: January 2008

A case of papilliferous squamous carcinoma of the renal pelvis is reported.

The patient has been free of local recurrence and recurrence in the residual ureter and bladder for 21 months following simple nephrectomy.

Current opinions on the treatment of papilliferous disease of the renal pelvis are discussed.