bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Standards for quantification of elements in the otolithic membrane by electron probe X‐ray microanalysis: Calibration curves and electron beam sensitivity
Authors: LÓPEZ‐ESCÁMEZ J. A. , CRESPO P. V. , CAÑIZARES F. J. , CAMPOS A.
Published: August 2011

An absolute quantitative standardization technique has been developed to measure Ca and K weight fractions (WF) in the otolithic membrane of the saccule and utricle by scanning electron microscopy and electron probe X‐ray analysis using the peak‐to‐background (P/B) ratio method. Microcrystalline salt standards were used to calibrate Ca and K Kα P/B or Y = (P/B) · Z2/A (Z = atomic number; A = atomic weight) against WF at 10, 15, 20 and 25 kV accelerating voltage. The effect of voltage on the calibration, plotting the coefficient of correlation (r) as a function of voltage, was not dependent on the voltage in the range 10–25 kV for Ca standards. K standards were also independent when P/B was corrected for Z2/A. Background counts in the otoconia (Bo) were obtained at 5, 25, 50, 100, 200 and 500 s and used to test the electron beam sensitivity of saccular and utricular otoconia. Bo was not dependent on the spectra acquisition time, with the exception of Bo under Kα K peak in the saccule at 10 kV. Ca and K WF were determined at 10, 15, 20 and 25 kV in the saccule and utricle, showing similar values regardless of the voltage used. This method of calibration offers several advantages, such as stability, homogeneity, known composition of the standards, high reproducibility at different voltages even without Z2/A correction and the similarity between the otoconia and crystal standards. We recommend the application of this method for other elements and biomineral systems.
A portable cryo‐storage system for low‐temperature scanning electron microscopy, suitable for international transport of cryo‐specimens
Authors: JEFFREE C. E. , VAN GARDINGEN P. R.
Published: August 2011

A cryo‐specimen storage system for low‐temperature scanning electron microscopy (LTSEM) specimens is described, which: liberates multi‐specimen experiments from sampling restrictions imposed by the rate at which LTSEM specimens can be examined in the SEM; provides security against experiment loss resulting from breakdown of the SEM or cryo‐system; enables collection of specimens in the field or in laboratories remote from the SEM laboratory; and facilitates international air transport of LTSEM specimens. The components of the system, which has a capacity of 98 stub‐mounted specimens, are readily made in a laboratory workshop. The details of the design may be altered to suit particular specimen types or experimental approaches.
A simple filter system for processing small or transparent specimens
Authors: CRIBB B. , ZHU J.
Published: August 2011

A novel method of attaching a fine mesh filter to the end of a disposable plastic pipette is described. Such a pipette filter can be used to exclude specimen uptake during specimen preparation procedures, particularly when processing small or transparent materials. The pipette filter‐tip does not interfere with fluid exchange and is non‐reactive with normal processing fluids.
Demonstration of aluminium in polyphosphate of Laccaria amethystea (Bolt. ex Hooker) Murr. by means of electron energy‐loss spectroscopy
Authors: KOTTKE I. , MARTIN F.
Published: August 2011

Toxic aluminium species in acidified soil damage the rootlets of trees. The symbiotic association with ectomycorrhizal fungi may, however, protect the rootlets by sequestration of aluminium in polyphosphates. Electron energy‐loss imaging and spectroscopy was used to identify the relative amount of aluminium in the polyphosphate of the mycelium of the ectomycorrhizal fungus Laccaria amethystea. A three‐window method at the L2,3 edge yielded results which were in agreement with the spectra obtained at the aluminium K edge. The aluminium net distribution images were recorded at 85 eV, the backgrounds at 70 eV and 60 eV, setting the energy selecting slit to 5 eV and the beam current to 15 μA. The method can be used to study the sequestration of aluminium in mycelia of ectomycorrhizal fungi under different stress situations.
Fluorescence saturation in confocal microscopy
Authors: VISSCHER K. , BRAKENHOFF G. J. , VISSER T. D.
Published: August 2011

The effects of fluorescence saturation on imaging in confocal microscopy have been studied. To include saturation it was necessary to deviate from the widely assumed linear relationship between the fluorescence and the illumination intensity. The lateral response for a point‐like object, as well as the optical sectioning power, decreases depending on the degree of saturation. For very high illumination intensities the response for a saturated point object approached that of a conventional fluorescence microscope in which the fluorescence was not saturated. The decrease in the axial confocal response has been confirmed qualitatively by experiment.
A comparison of the analysis of the Fresnel contrast in high‐ and low‐resolution images for the characterization of the rigid body displacements at a grain boundary
Authors: STOBBS S. H. , MEDLIN D. L. , MILLS M. J. , STOBBS W. M.
Published: August 2011

The Fresnel contrast in high‐resolution images of the Σ = 3{112} aluminium twin boundary is quantitatively assessed to determine whether the rigid body displacements might be measured. It is demonstrated that the effects of the shears at the boundary preclude this possibility. By comparison, simulations of low‐resolution images of the same boundary show that the Fresnel fringe contrast in this type of image is negligibly affected by the shear displacements as well as being of considerably higher contrast. The reasons why it is thus only the low‐resolution images that can provide high‐resolution data on the displacements are discussed.
Relocation accuracy on HOME computerized microscopes
Authors: TUCKER J. H. , DYE R. , SPREY J. , SOWTER C. , GRAY E. , BRUGAL G.
Published: August 2011

A major practical advantage of the HOME (highly optimized microscope environment) computerized microscope is the facility for relocating cells or other microscopic objects. Features can be marked directly on the microscope image using a mouse‐driven cursor, and an interactive finder can then be used to relocate the marked features. Tests on a prototype HOME microscope have shown that positions can be relocated with an accuracy of standard deviation (SD) < 7 μm. The marked features could also be relocated on a second HOME microscope, although with somewhat reduced accuracy (standard deviations of < 17 μm). The system provides a very user‐friendly environment for tasks requiring relocation of microscopic objects.
Nuclear diffuseness as a measure of texture: Definition and application to the computer‐assisted diagnosis of parathyroid adenoma and carcinoma
Authors: EINSTEIN A. J. , BARBA J. , UNGER P. D. , GIL J.
Published: August 2011

A measure of texture, the nuclear diffuseness, was formulated for use in biological classification, and specifically to characterize quantitatively chromatin texture. Nuclear diffuseness corresponds to the amount of local intensity variation in the digitized image of a nuclear profile. As a setting in which to test the efficacy of nuclear diffuseness as a diagnostic tool, the identification of parathyroid adenoma and carcinoma was considered. Digitized images of sections of parathyroid chief cell nuclei were obtained from 16 biopsies, and the nuclear diffuseness, as well as other morphometric descriptors, were computed. With just the average nuclear diffuseness and average nuclear profile area, jackknife (leave‐one‐out) classification using an artificial neural network was able to diagnose correctly and unambiguously the condition (normal, parathyroid adenoma, or parathyroid carcinoma) in 15 of 16 cases. In one case, the neural network assigned a higher weight to the correct diagnosis, but was unable to distinguish between normal and adenoma conclusively.
A simple method for overcoming some problems when observing thick reflective biological samples with a confocal scanning laser microscope
Authors: RUMIO C. , MORINI M. , MIANI A. , BARAJON I. , CASTANO P.
Published: August 2011

A simple device is described, which allows the range of depth of scanning to be reduced when observing thick reflecting biological samples with a confocal scanning laser microscope (CSLM). Thick histological sections of human skin and rat brain stem were mounted between two coverslips (‘sandwich’ style) and the optical tomography was performed from both sides by turning the ‘sandwich’ upside‐down. The samples were impregnated using standard Golgi–Cox, ‘rapid Golgi’ or other silver methods. The ability to turn the ‘sandwich’ upside‐down is particularly useful when the reflective structure inspected is deep inside the section, i.e. near the lower surface of the specimen, or when it is opaque to the laser beam or excessively reflective.
Microscopy and formation of polymer/metal composites
Authors: VESELY D. , DISLEY P. , PISACKA J.
Published: August 2011

A new class of materials, formed by dispersion of low‐melting‐point metal alloys in a polymer matrix, has been studied from the point of view of microstructure, interfacial interaction and mechanical properties. The phases in these composites were formed in the same way as for polymer blends and were thus dependent on viscosity ratio, concentration, surface tension and interfacial interactions.

Metal alloys of tin and bismuth (Sn/Bi) were mixed with high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) and polystyrene (PS) at elevated temperatures. Some preliminary investigations of lead and tin (Pb/Sn) alloys blended with HDPE, PS, polypropylene (PP), polyoxymethylene (POM), polyethylene‐terephtalate (PET), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC), polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF) and Polyvinylchloride (PVC) were also undertaken. The composites were characterized by light and electron microscopy, image analysis, electrical conductivity measurements and impact testing.

It is shown that the low‐melting‐point metal alloys can be dispersed in polymers to a submicrometre level by blending. The particle size distribution follows an exponential function, which means that very fine as well as large particles are present. The equilibrium between dispersion and coalescence is very rapidly established during mixing. The average particle size can be controlled by the properties of the matrix, concentration of the metal and processing conditions.

An investigation of interfaces revealed that in some cases a chemical interaction between the metal and the polymer can occur. This is apparent by observation of degradation, fluorescence and changes in mechanical properties.
Microstructure and evolution of a magnesium lithium aluminosilicate matrix composite
Authors: RUTERANA P. , KERVADEC D. , MAUPAS H. , CHERMANT J. L.
Published: August 2011

The microstructure of a magnesium lithium aluminosilicate glass ceramic composite has been investigated by scanning electron microscopy and analytical transmission electron microscopy. Attention was focused on the as‐received material, showing that there is a non‐uniform distribution of the major silicate phases inside the matrix. The largest part is made of spodumene‐type crystals containing more than 4wt% Mg. A minor part of the matrix is made of micrometre‐sized crystallites of spodumene and cordierite. The spodumene is always sensitive to the electron beam irradiation. The morphology of the amorphized spodumene areas indicates that it may have crystallized during a later stage of the matrix formation, filling the gaps between cordierite crystallites. The third component of the matrix is made of carbon‐rich areas. They can be as large as 10 μm and they always include amorphous Mg‐rich silicates. However, they are mainly small (a few tens of nanometres in width) when located at grain boundaries of spodumene crystals. In this case the turbostratic carbon patches are also intimately mixed with an Mg‐rich amorphous silicate. The interface between the matrix and the fibres has also been analysed, its thickness changes from one to the other, and it is sometimes empty due to decohesion. When it is filled, its outer part contains mainly tubostratic carbon and the inner part is a mixture of silicon oxide and probably carbon. After creep at 1373K, the spodumene‐type crystals are larger and they are no longer sensitive to the electron beam. The cordierite areas appear to shrink and the amorphous patches which were mixed with carbon transform into small crystallites (1–10 μm). The areas next to the fibres are found to extend irregularly into the matrix, probably as a result of a chemical reaction.
Interfacial reactions in PZT/Pd/PZT sandwich structures
Authors: YAO L. G. , BROOK R. J.
Published: August 2011

The interfacial reactions of palladium foil and lead zirconate‐titanate (PZT) were studied using samples with a sandwich structure in the temperature range 1373–1523 K and under conditions where no lead is lost to the environment. The interfacial reactions were analysed using scanning electron microscopy, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction and wavelength‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy analysis. The density of the PZT powder phase increased with increasing temperature and, when sintered above 1373 K, reached over 95% of the theoretical density of PZT. The weight loss of pellets was less than 0·8% when sintered below 1523 K. The degree of interfacial reactions became more severe with increasing temperature, as indicated by an expanding reacted region. The reaction at the PZT side of the Pd/PZT interface involved the decomposition of PZT into a monoclinic ZrO2 phase, PbO and a lower x‐value Pb(ZrxTi1_x)O3 composition. Three distinguishable microstructures exist on the Pd side when sintered below 1473 K: a thin layer of PbPd3 phase, a Pd–Pb solid solution zone and an unreacted region. Only the cubic PbPd3 eutectic structure was found when sintered above 1473 K. The oxidation of palladium occurred during interfacial reactions, expedited by increasing temperature and resulting in the formation of the tetragonal PdO phase and the hexagonal PbPdO2 phase. A model for the overall reaction is proposed involving decomposition of the PZT, migration of PbO and diffusion of Pb into Pd foil.
Spray forming of Al/SiC metal matrix composites
Authors: GRANT P. S. , CHANG I. T. H. , CANTOR B.
Published: August 2011

This paper describes the as‐sprayed microstructure of a model Al‐4wt%Cu/SiC particulate (Al4Cu/SiCp) metal matrix composite (MMC) manufactured by spray forming, and the relationship between microstructure and solidification conditions during manufacture.

Injection of SiCp into the melt atomization region during the spray forming of Al4Cu results in significant SiCp incorporation into molten droplets during atomization, and relatively little incorporation during flight to the substrate and at deposition. SiCp clustering is evident in the Al4Cu droplets and results in clustering in the as‐sprayed MMC deposit.

Matrix dislocation and precipitation microstructures are dependent upon local solidification conditions during spray forming. Increased dislocation density and increased quantity of fine‐scale θ′‐Al2Cu precipitation is found in the α‐Al(Cu) matrix where local deposit cooling rates are high, i.e. in the vicinity of the substrate/deposit interface and when increased spray distances are used in manufacture. Lower dislocation density and increased quantity of grain‐boundary θ‐Al2Cu is found where deposit cooling rates are relatively low, i.e. distant from the substrate/deposit interface and at decreased spray distances. In all cases, dislocation densities are higher in α‐Al(Cu)/SiCp interfacial regions than in the α‐Al(Cu) matrix.

There is no evidence of α‐Al(Cu)/SiCp interfacial reaction in the as‐sprayed condition indicating that cooling rates during spray forming are sufficiently rapid to prevent reaction.
Unbiased estimation of capillary length from vertical slices*
Authors: BATRA S. , KÖNIG M. F. , CRUZ‐ORIVE L. M.
Published: August 2011

Previous stereological approaches to estimate feature length include isotropic sections, which tend to be inefficient for highly anisotropic structures such as skeletal muscle capillaries, and semiparametric model‐based methods, which require transverse and longitudinal sections only, but are biased to a variable, unknown degree. The recent method of vertical slices combines the advantages of both approaches, namely it is unbiased, efficient and convenient. This study illustrates for the first time how to apply the vertical slices method in biology by direct light microscopy and intersection counting with a properly orientated cycloid test system. Neither image processing nor confocal microscopy are used. The purpose of the study was to estimate capillary length in the left ventricle of rat heart. Beyond this, a novel histochemical method enables the staining of the venular capillary region in red and the arteriolar capillary region in blue, and hence estimates their separate lengths. The vertical slices method to estimate feature length seems to be a promising approach for biology.
Stereological equations for phases within particles
Authors: GAY S. L.
Published: August 2011

Using data from sections, stereological equations can be used to estimate the volume‐weighted averages of both the volume and the volume‐squared of a set of particles. In mineral processing, the volume distribution of particles can be readily estimated using sieving, so it is uncommon to use stereological methods to determine the volume distribution of particles. A far more important application of stereology for mineral processing is to determine the volumetric grade distribution of minerals within particles. Different minerals or compounds within the particles are called phases. In this paper, stereological equations for estimating various volume‐weighted averages are modified so that they can be applied to phases within particles. From these equations, various volume‐weighted moments of the mineral grade distribution can be estimated. The equations are also modified so that the volume‐weighted covariance of different phases can also be estimated. The equations derived are studied numerically by simulating sections though a double‐capped sphere.
Use of the approximations in cell studies by total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRF)
Authors: HEAVENS O. S.
Published: August 2011

In determining cell parameters by the use of total internal reflectance fluorescence microscopy it is necessary to evaluate the electric field strength in the neighbourhood of the cell. It has been suggested that the true field distribution be assumed to be of exponential form. In some circumstances, this approximation gives rise to errors and seriously incorrect results are obtained. The true field distribution is easily obtained numerically so the use of an exponential approximation is unnecessary and errors are avoided.
Energy losses in colloidal metals
Authors: MORENO L. MARTIN , BELL P. M. , PENDRY J. B.
Published: August 2011

The nature of the energy loss from a charged particle passing close to the rough surface of some metallic material has posed a problem for some time. In this paper we show how to use our numerical technique, developed to study photons in complex dielectric structures, to explain the loss peaks from experimental studies on metallic colloids. We also show how the method may be used to explore the properties of the plasmons and induced electric fields in the colloidal system.
Combined IL‐12 Receptor and IgA Deficiency in an Adult Man Intestinally Infested by an Unknown, Non‐Cultivable Mycobacterium
Authors: Schejbel L. , Rasmussen E. M. , Kemp H. B. , Lundstedt A.‐C. , Nielsen K. R. , Obel N. , Marquart H. , Andersen Å. B.
Published: August 2011

Interleukin‐12 receptor deficiency is a well‐described cause of human susceptibility to infection with low‐virulent mycobacteria and Salmonella species. We identified a male patient presenting in his late forties with severe gastroenteropathy because of outbred infestation by a previously unknown mycobacterium. In addition to selective IgA deficiency, the patient was found to carry a not previously described R283X homozygous mutation in his IL12RΒ1 gene. Two of his sisters, a brother, and his four children were healthy, heterozygous carriers of the mutation. In this patient, the combination of two deficiencies could promote illness. Even though the IgA deficiency in itself does not predispose to mycobacterial disease, the lack of secreted IgA may have disturbed the intestinal homoeostasis and increased the susceptibility to the low‐virulent mycobacterium that the patient was not able to clear because of his IL12R deficiency. Antimycobacterial chemotherapy and interferon‐γ treatment for 2 years significantly improved his condition. This is the first description of IL12RΒ1 deficiency combined with another immunodeficiency, and we suggest that combinatory defects may circumvent the otherwise low penetrance of IL12RB1 deficiency.
Eca20 microsatellite polymorphisms in equine viral arteritis‐infected horses from Argentina
Authors: Kalemkerian P. B. , Metz G. E. , Peral‐García P. , Lopez‐Gappa J. , Echeverría M. G. , Giovambattista G. , Díaz S.
Published: August 2011

We investigated the association of equine arteritis virus (EAV) infection and three short tandem repeat (STR) polymorphisms located within or in close proximity to equine lymphocyte antigen (ELA) region. We used a case–control design as a first approach before proceeding to select candidate genes. One hundred and sixty‐five Silla Argentino horses were taken in 2002 from positive serological detections of EAV in Argentina, to determine whether STR genotypes were correlated to genetic susceptibility to EVA. Allele frequency distribution did not show significant differences between both groups (P = 0.0781). However, in particular alleles, Fisher exact test and odds ratio calculations showed significant values >1 for TKY08 and LEX52, and <1 for UM011, TKY08, LEX52 and VHL20. Interestingly, TKY08 STR is located in ELA class I region.
Positive association of major histocompatibility complex class I chain‐related gene A polymorphism with leukemia susceptibility in the people of Han nationality of Southern China
Authors: Luo Q. Z. , Lin L. , Gong Z. , Mei B. , Xu Y. J. , Huo Z. , Yu P.
Published: August 2011

To assess the potential contribution of major histocompatibility complex class I chain‐related gene A (MICA) polymorphisms toward the pathogenesis of leukemia, 107 leukemia patients and 162 ethnically matched controls from Hunan province, Southern China, were genotyped for the MICA polymorphism using polymerase chain reaction‐sequence‐specific priming (PCR‐SSP) and sequence‐based typing (PCR‐SBT). The relevance between these genotypes and risk of leukemia was assessed by means of odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Allele frequencies of MICA‐sequence and MICA‐STR were different in leukemia patients in comparison with normal controls (both P < 0.05). MICA A5 was directly associated with leukemia (OR = 2.3257, Pc < 0.0005), whereas MICA A5.1 and MICA*008 were inversely associated with leukemia (OR = 0.5874, Pc = 0.0235 and OR = 0.5874, Pc = 0.0329, respectively). In addition, we found that homozygotes for MICA A5 (OR = 14.0659, 95% CI: 3.1627–62.5574, Pc < 0.0001) and MICA*010 (OR = 10.1053, 95% CI: 2.2139–46.1260, Pc < 0.0004) were at an increased risk for leukemia, whereas heterozygotes for MICA*008 and MICA A5.1 were linked to a decreased risk for leukemia (OR = 0.4609, 95% CI: 0.2799–0.7590, Pc = 0.0027). MICA allelic variation is associated with leukemia in Hunan Han population; the data also suggest that MICA gene polymorphism affects susceptibility to different clinical subtypes of leukemia.
Changes in vertical distribution and aggregative behaviour in response to population density for larval sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis) and sea stars (Asterias rubens)
Authors: Roy Amy , Metaxas Anna , Daigle Rémi M.
Published: August 2011

We examined the effects of the presence of larval conspecifics on larval vertical distribution of four‐arm and six‐arm plutei of Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis and bipinnaria of Asterias rubens, in laboratory experiments, by manipulating population density. Larvae were introduced to experimental columns (10 × 10 × 30 cm) at one of two or three population densities (S. droebachiensis: 0.1 and 10 larvae·ml−1; A. rubens: 0.1, 1 and 10 larvae·ml−1). Subsequent changes in vertical distribution were determined from images of the larvae in the columns illuminated by a 532‐nm laser and captured by a high‐resolution camera. Larvae of both species were found higher in the water column in the high than in the low and intermediate population densities. The relationship between vertical swimming velocity and nearest neighbour distance (NND) was measured for four‐arm plutei of S. droebachiensis, and used to determine a range in distances among individuals that may affect potential interactions. The variation in swimming velocity decreased with increasing proximity below a threshold distance among individuals of 10 mm, which was greater than the estimated distance in the high population density. We suggest that the increased larval aggregation near the water surface under high population density is the result of a behavioural response to conspecifics.
Maternal and fetal circulation of unusual bile acids: A pilot study
Authors: Seki Yoshitaka , Matsushita Masami , Kimura Akihiko , Nishiura Hiroshi , Aoki Kumiko , Inokuchi Takahiro , Mizuochi Tatsuki , Kurosawa Takao , Kimura Yukuo , Matsuishi Toyojiro
Published: August 2011

Background:  Large amounts of unusual bile acids are synthesized by the fetal liver in late gestation. These compounds are mostly transferred from fetus to mother, although some are excreted into the amniotic fluid. We investigated the role of placental transfer of bile acids in fetal bile acid metabolism, particularly with respect to the unusual bile acids (1β‐hydroxylated and ketonic bile acids).

Methods:  We measured concentrations of bile acids in umbilical cord blood and urine of newborn infants, and in perinatal maternal serum and urine, using gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry. Serum and urine specimens from healthy non‐pregnant women were used as controls.

Results:  In newborn infants at delivery, cord blood and urine contained mostly primary and 1β‐hydroxylated bile acids, respectively. We also detected large amounts of ketonic bile acids in their urine, and the urinary concentration of total bile acids was elevated. Main maternal bile acids at 30 and 35 weeks of gestation and at delivery were 1β‐hydroxylated bile acids. After delivery, main bile acids changed from 1β‐hydroxylated bile acids to primary bile acids (P < 0.03), which also predominated in healthy non‐pregnant women.

Conclusion:  Fetally synthesized unusual bile acids were transported from fetus to mother. Pregnant women appear to excrete these bile acids into the urine, lowering both fetal and maternal serum bile acid concentrations.
Persistent left superior vena cava: Experience of a tertiary health‐care center
Authors: Kula Serdar , Cevik Ayhan , Sanli Cihat , Pektas Ayhan , Tunaoglu Fatma Sedef , Oguz Ayse Deniz , Olgunturk Rana
Published: August 2011

Background:  The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC) in patients with all types of congenital heart defects and to determine the congenital heart anomalies accompanying PLSVC.

Methods:  The present study is based on a retrospective review of 1205 children who consecutively underwent cardiac catheterization from 2000 to 2007. In order to determine the existence of PLSVC, all the subjects routinely underwent superior vena cava (SVC) injection during angiography at the catheter laboratory of the study center.

Results:  The prevalence of PLSVC was computed to be 6.1% for the present study population. Transthoracic echocardiography was able to detect PLSVC in 32 children (2.6%) whereas angiography diagnosed PLSVC in 74 children (6.1%). The mean age of the patients with PLSVC was 40.09 ± 50.21 months. A communication between the right and left SVC was determined in 27% of the children who were diagnosed with PLSVC after angiography was performed (20 out of 74). A statistically significant association was present between PLSVC and other congenital cardiac anomalies, including ventricular septal defect (n= 42, 56.8%), atrial septal defect (n= 31, 41.9%), pulmonary stenosis (n= 19, 25.7%), atrioventricular septal defect (n= 10, 13.5%), patent ductus arteriosus (n= 6, 8.1%) and cor triatriatum (n= 3, 4.1%).

Conclusion:  Transthoracic echocardiography usually visualizes dilated coronary sinus in association with PLSVC. However, SVC injection should be performed in patients undergoing angiography so that morbidity and mortality related with persistent left superior vena cava can be avoided during cardiovascular surgery.
Using albumin to improve the therapeutic properties of diabetes treatments
Authors: Ahrén B. , Burke B.
Published: August 2011

Achieving tight glycaemic control remains an unmet need for many patients with type 2 diabetes, despite improved treatments. To meet glycaemic targets, attempts have been made to improve existing drugs and to develop new classes of drugs. Recent advances include insulin analogues that more closely mimic physiologic insulin levels, and incretin‐based therapies, which capitalize on the glucoregulatory properties of native glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1). Although promising, these agents are associated with limitations, including hypoglycaemia with insulin, gastrointestinal adverse events with GLP‐1 receptor agonists and frequent dosing with both classes. Albumin is an abundant natural drug carrier that has been used to improve the half‐life, tolerability and efficacy of a number of bioactive agents. Here, we review the physiologic roles of albumin and how albumin technologies are being used to prolong duration of action of therapies for diabetes, including insulin and incretin‐based therapies.
ADAMTS17 mutation associated with primary lens luxation is widespread among breeds
Authors: Gould David , Pettitt Louise , McLaughlin Bryan , Holmes Nigel , Forman Oliver , Thomas Anne , Ahonen Saija , Lohi Hannes , O’Leary Caroline , Sargan David , Mellersh Cathryn
Published: August 2011

Primary lens luxation (PLL) is a well‐recognized, painful and potentially blinding inherited ocular condition in dogs. We screened PLL‐affected dogs of 30 different breeds, to identify those which carried a previously described c.1473+1 G>A mutation in ADAMTS17 that is associated with PLL in Miniature Bull terriers, Lancashire Heelers, and Jack Russell terriers. This ADAMTS17 mutation was identified in PLL‐affected dogs from 14 additional breeds. PLL‐affected dogs from some breeds (most notably the Shar pei and the Brittany spaniel) did not carry the G1473+1A ADAMTS17 mutation, indicating they must suffer from a genetically distinct form of the condition. We also estimated the frequency of this ADAMTS17 mutation in some of the breeds. Our findings indicate the mutation segregates in a large number of different breeds of dog, many of which are terriers or breeds with terrier co‐ancestry, but some of which have more diverse origins. Our results also indicate that the mutation is present at high frequency within most of the breeds in which it segregates. In the miniature bull terrier breed estimates of mutation frequency ranged from 0.27 to 0.39, corresponding to 7.3–15.2% PLL‐affected dogs in this breed. We also identified an increased risk of PLL associated with heterozygosity at ADAMTS17, suggesting that carriers carry a low risk of developing PLL.
Anterior uveitis as an atypical presentation of large granular lymphoma in a caracal (Caracal caracal)
Authors: Aitken‐Palmer Copper , Isaza Ramiro , Dunbar Mark , Blackwood Sarah , Gerlach Trevor , Russell Kathy
Published: August 2011

An 11‐year‐old, female, spayed caracal (Caracal caracal) presented with a 3‐month history of intermittent anorexia, vomiting, and weight loss. At examination, bilateral anterior uveitis with anisocoria was present. Further examination under general anesthesia revealed the anterior chamber of the right eye contained copious amounts of thick fibrin, hypopyon, and hyphema obscuring the ventral pupil margin and ventral iris. Aqueous paracentesis revealed a cytologic diagnosis of large granular lymphoma. Additional antemortem diagnostics (computed tomography, ultrasound with fine needle aspiration, and cytology) confirmed the diagnosis of multicentric large granular lymphoma with associated intestinal perforation. Necropsy and histopathology confirmed multicentric large granular lymphoma in the right eye, jejunum, mesenteric lymph nodes, and right kidney. Large granular lymphoma in nondomestic felids is likely rare since it has not been previously reported, but should be considered as a differential in any felid species with anterior uveitis or when lymphoma is considered. In the case of this caracal, the use of aqueous paracentesis with cytology was a powerful diagnostic.
Diabetes—science, serendipity and common sense
Authors: Barnett A. H.
Published: August 2011

Diabet. Med. 28, 1289–1299 (2011)

This paper is dedicated to young researchers in diabetes. One such person was Frederick Banting who, with his colleagues, isolated insulin in 1921, saving the lives of literally millions of people. What factors allowed Banting and other scientists to produce work that has immensely benefited the human race? I propose that it is the combination of good scientific background (the ‘prepared mind’), commonly some serendipity taken with a good dose of common sense and supplemented by enthusiasm, tenacity and good mentoring, which drives the ‘power of observation’ and the ability to take forward the good idea. I give examples from history to support this and then discuss some of the ‘truths, perspectives and controversies’ within the diabetes arena when I first started in diabetes research in the late 1970s. I describe how my appetite was initially ‘whetted’ for research by moving to an excellent clinical research environment with encouragement to test ideas and controversies initially in a clinical research programme, followed by more scientific/basic research. The work that I performed as a young doctor and research fellow led to a lifelong professional interest in three major areas—causes and interventions for diabetes vascular disease, studies of the molecular genetics of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and work on diabetes in different ethnic groups. I provide a summation of my own and other people’s work to demonstrate how research can be progressed and lead to patient benefit as well as providing an incredibly rewarding career. I believe that we need to encourage and put more resources into development of young doctors and scientists wishing to undertake research in our discipline. Areas ripe for much‐needed clinical research programmes, for example, include work on best practice/provision of health care, application of the evidence base from clinical trials to achieve public health gains, attention to adherence issues and better‐tolerated therapies. Most importantly, a greater emphasis on prevention through public health measures and ‘buy in’ from the whole population is urgently required.
Resisting the screening imperative: patienthood, populations and politics in prostate cancer detection technologies for the UK
Authors: Faulkner Alex
Published: August 2011

The introduction of mass screening programmes in the UK has been controversial. It is instructive to examine medical conditions for which screening has been actively considered but not introduced, such as prostate cancer. Incidence of the disease has escalated during the last 20 years, partly due to the upsurge in use of PSA (prostate‐specific antigen) detection technology. The controversy is moving into a new phase, associated with the development of new molecular genetic biomarkers and tests derived from genome‐association studies. The paper outlines the most recent scientific and technological developments for the three types of detection technology – PSA, genetic, and genomic. Applying concepts of risk, technology governance and technology expectations, it is shown that central public health governance actors continue to resist the tidal wave of new technologies through a variety of increasingly diverse governance modes. In the case of PSA, a governance trend moving beyond ‘responsibilisation’ to citizen rights is shown, whereas in the case of genetic tests and genomic risk profiling, state public health agencies are shown to be engaging in a form of technology expectation management, as it responds to a new marketplace of private commercial testing and mediatised science‐based visions of future healthcare.
“I WANTED ONE THING AND GOD WANTED ANOTHER . . . ”: The Dilemma of the Prophetic Example and the Qur'anic Injunction on Wife‐Beating
Authors: Chaudhry Ayesha S.
Published: August 2011

Chapter 4, verse 34 of the Qur'an permits husbands to physically discipline recalcitrant wives. Modern Muslims who find this husbandly privilege discomfiting often rely on Muhammad's prophetic practice to mitigate the meaning of this verse. In light of Muhammad's example of never hitting his own wives, as found in one prophetic report, they reinterpret the verse as restricting and/or voiding a husband's right to physically discipline his wife. This essay provides a critical and expository survey of prophetic reports related to the husbandly privilege to physically discipline wives. The essay argues that the modernists are correct in positing that Muhammad's prophetic practice was to morally censure husbands who hit their wives. However, taken as a whole, it is impossible to ignore that Muhammad's example also unilaterally upheld physical discipline as a husband's marital right.
IS THE DEVIL IN THE DETAILS? Tension Between Minimalism and Comprehensiveness in the Shariah
Authors: Brown Jonathan A. C.
Published: August 2011

The comprehensiveness of Islamic law has been questioned seriously in the modern period by Muslim reformists like Rashīd Riḍā. Such reformists have used as evidence Qur'anic verses and Prophetic reports that seem to state clearly that the strictures of Islamic law are few and limited and that Muslims should not extend them to all areas of life. How could the Shariah have developed as a holistic and exhaustive body of law in light of such evidence? Looking back at earlier Muslim scholars from the ninth to the eighteenth centuries, however, we see that these Qur'anic verses and Prophetic edicts were never understood in this way. They were either diffused with various hermeneutic strategies or understood as applying to debates unrelated to the comprehensiveness or minimalism of the Shariah.
NAFTA: The Unfulfilled Promise of the FTA
Authors: de Mestral Armand
Published: August 2011

This paper argues that while the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has been successful in fostering trade between the parties and in serving as a model for subsequent free trade agreements, it has not realised its potential. This results from the free trade format itself as well as the unwillingness of the parties to go beyond the free trade format and their refusal to deal with new trade and security issues within NAFTA.
Legal and Institutional Challenges of Economic Integration in Africa
Authors: Salami Iwa
Published: August 2011

There is a plethora of economic integration arrangements on the African continent and almost all African countries belong to more than one economic integration group. The African Union (AU), which was established in 2001, and which took over from the failed Organisation of African Unity, attempts to consolidate economic integration arrangements in Africa within one structure. Although this appears simple on paper, there are huge legal and institutional challenges and questions arise as to whether an African‐wide economic integration arrangement can be achieved within the time frame set for this in the African Economic Community (AEC) Treaty. This paper assesses the legal and institutional challenges facing the AU/AEC agenda.
EMMANUEL LEVINAS' METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH TO THE JEWISH SACRED TEXTS
Authors: BURROUGHS JONATHAN
Published: August 2011

This paper explores Emmanuel Levinas' Jewish writings, and in particular, his Talmudic commentaries and essays on Judaism. The aim is to elicit some salient features of his methodological approach to the Jewish sacred texts. In general, Levinas' specific reflections on method (in terms of reading the Jewish Scriptures) are confined to sporadic, fragmentary comments interspersed throughout his writings. In extracting these reflections, a specifically Levinasian approach emerges. In particular, his approach shows how one may ethically encounter the Other(s) in these sacred texts.
The Representation of the Female Body in the Multimedia Works of Regina José Galindo
Authors: LAVERY JANE , BOWSKILL SARAH
Published: August 2011

The female body is central to the performance art, poetry and blog site interventions of Guatemalan Regina José Galindo. While Galindo is best known for her performance work, this article compares the hereto overlooked, distinctive and often shocking representations of the female body across her multimedia outputs. We first consider the ways in which, in all three media, Galindo presents an ‘excessive’, carnivalised, grotesque and abject female body. Second, we analyse representations of the female body that has been subjected to violence at a private and public level. In so doing, we show how Galindo not only contests hegemonic visions of gender and (national) identity but also challenges the viewer/reader to engage with, rather than look away from, the violence to which women are subjected in patriarchal society.
Comparative gastroprotective effect of post‐treatment with low doses of rutin and cimetidine in rats
Authors: Olaleye Mary Tolulope , Akinmoladun Afolabi Clement
Published: August 2011

The anti‐ulcerogenic potentials of low doses of rutin and cimetidine in ethanol‐, acetic acid‐, and stress‐induced ulcers in rats have been evaluated and compared in this study. In each model, male Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups (I–VI). Groups II–VI were administered 1 mL/100 g ethanol orally, 0.05 mL of 20% acetic acid submucosally or kept in a cold chamber for 6 h to induce ulcer in the ethanol‐, acetic acid‐, and stress‐induced ulceration model, respectively. Thereafter, group III was post‐treated with 300 mg/kg cimetidine and groups IV–VI with 20, 40, and 80 mg/kg rutin, respectively, while the control (group I) received distilled water in Tween 20. One hour after post‐treatment, all groups were killed and the gastric ulcer index was calculated. Malondialdehyde (MDA) level, vitamin C content, and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity were evaluated in the gastric mucosa of animals. Post‐treatment with rutin significantly reduced ulcerogen‐induced gastric damage in all models. This effect was significant at all dose levels compared with the ulcer‐induced groups. Rutin significantly reduced the MDA levels but increased the vitamin C content and GPx activity. Ulcer index and MDA level were highest in the ethanol‐induced ulcer model while vitamin C content and GPx activity were lowest in the stress‐induced ulcer model. The study showed that all three models of ulceration appeared to be linked to oxidative stress and also ascribed significant anti‐ulcerogenic potential to rutin especially at lower doses of 20–80 mg/kg.
Out of the Shadow and into the Light – the Impact and Implications of Recent Scholarship on the Jews of Medieval England 1066–1290
Authors: Mundill Robin R.
Published: August 2011

This survey is an introduction to the subject and also to the advances made in research in the last 25 years. It considers the rich and various primary sources that have been made available over the period. It then examines the archaeological footprint of the Jews of Medieval England. It sets out the progress that has been made whilst trying to answer the major key questions about the community. An examination of Jewish–Christian relations, Jew hatred and violence, religious disputations between Jew and Christian and Conversion is also made. A further section considers the Jews as businessmen and particularly highlights female as well as male money lenders and their business practice. Finally it supplies a comprehensive bibliography of work on this topic.
Frontiers and the State in Early Islamic History: Jihād Between Caliphs and Volunteers
Authors: Haug Robert
Published: August 2011

Jihād and warfare aimed at expanding the political authority of the Muslim caliphate was the primary occupation of the caliphate in its first century. As the state lost focus on the expansion of its frontiers and the proper conduct of jihād, non‐state actors, particularly religious authorities, stepped in to claim authority over frontier warfare. Recent scholarship of the last few decades on the impact of this transference of authority exhibits a trend in the study of early Islamic history of viewing the frontiers as important instigators for major developments that shaped the center of the Islamic world. This article examines recent scholarship on the history of jihād as practiced on the frontiers of the Islamic world and the use of frontier warfare and the proper conduct of jihād as a legitimizing factor for the caliphate and provincial rulers.
Prevention of free fatty acid‐induced hepatic lipotoxicity by carnitine via reversal of mitochondrial dysfunction
Authors: Jun Dae Won , Cho Won Kyeong , Jun Jin Hyun , Kwon Hyuk Jin , Jang Ki‐Seok , Kim Hyun‐Jeong , Jeon Hye Jun , Lee Kang Nyeong , Lee Hang Lak , Lee Oh Young , Yoon Byung Chul , Choi Ho Soon , Hahm Joon Soo , Lee Min Ho
Published: August 2011

Background:

Mitochondria are the main sites for fatty acid oxidation and play a central role in lipotoxicity and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

Aims:

We investigated whether carnitine prevents free fatty acid (FFA)‐induced lipotoxicity in vitro and in vivo.

Methods:

HepG2 cells were incubated with FFA, along with carnitine and carnitine complexes. Mitochondrial β‐oxidation, transmembrane potential, intracellular ATP levels and changes in mitochondrial copy number and morphology were analysed. Otsuka Long‐Evans Tokushima Fatty and Long‐Evans Tokushima Otsuka rats were segregated into three experimental groups and fed for 8 weeks with (i) normal chow, (ii) a methionine choline‐deficient (MCD) diet or (iii) an l‐carnitine‐supplemented MCD diet.

Results:

Carnitine prevented FFA‐induced apoptosis (16% vs. 3%, P < 0.05). FFA treatment resulted in swollen mitochondria with increased inner matrix density and loss of cristae. However, mitochondria co‐treated with carnitine had normal ultrastructure. The mitochondrial DNA copy number was higher in the carnitine treatment group than in the palmitic acid treatment group (375 vs. 221 copies, P < 0.05). The carnitine group showed higher mitochondrial β‐oxidation than did the control and palmitic acid treatment groups (597 vs. 432 and 395 ccpm, P < 0.05). Carnitine treatment increased the mRNA expression of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A and peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐γ, and carnitine‐lipoic acid further augmented the mRNA expression. In the in vivo model, carnitine‐treated rats showed lower alanine transaminase levels and lesser lobular inflammation than did the MCD‐treated rats.

Conclusions:

Carnitine and carnitine‐lipoic acid prevent lipotoxicity by increasing mitochondrial β‐oxidation and reducing intracellular oxidative stress.