bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The clinical significance of rectal contractions that occur during urodynamic studies
Authors: Cho Sung‐Yong , Oh Seung‐June
Published: July 2009

Purpose

Rectal contractions (RC) while performing filling cystometry are frequently detected, the clinical significance of RC has not been investigated. This study analyzed the relationship between RC and clinical data.

Materials and Methods

A retrospective analysis was performed in 5,026 patients with voiding dysfunction between June 2002 and April 2008. The RC were classified according to the maximal amplitude (higher or lower than 15 cmH2O) and rhythmicity; group I (rhythmic, high, 4.6%), group II (rhythmic, low, 61.2%), group III (random, high, 2.5%), and group IV (random, low, 31.7%). All the clinical and urodynamic data were made in a retrospective setting for lower urinary tract symptoms and past medical history.

Results

RC were found in 6.5% (188 males and 139 females). Bladder compliance was decreased and bladder trabeculations were more common in patients with RC. The occurrence of RC was correlated with the development of cerebrovascular accidents in males. Among the females, the occurrence of oligopontocerebellar atrophy, spinal lesions, and the cauda equine syndrome were more common. Group I had a correlation with a spinal cord injury in males, bladder trabeculations and vesicoureteral reflux in females; group II was correlated with an idiopathic overactive bladder in both men and women, stress urinary incontinence and mixed urinary incontinence in females. No correlation was found in groups III and IV.

Conclusions

RC were correlated with neurological disease and non‐neurological conditions. The identification of a rhythmic RC should be followed by screening for underlying conditions. Neurourol. Urodynam. 29:418–423, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Aberrant methylation and reduced expression ofRASSF1Ain Ewing sarcoma
Authors: Avigad Smadar , Shukla Shruti , Naumov Inna , Cohen Ian J. , Ash Shifra , Meller Isaac , Kollender Yehuda , Issakov Josephine , Yaniv Isaac
Published: July 2009

Background

Ewing sarcoma (ES) is the second most common solid bone and soft tissue malignancy in children and young adults with low cure rates indicating the need to identify further prognostic markers. The importance of methylation in the inactivation of key tumor suppressor genes includingRASSF1Ahas begun to be appreciated in context of cancer development, prognosis and therapy. However there is lack of similar broad based studies in ES. The objective of this study was to analyzeRASSF1Amethylation and assess its clinical significance in ES.

Procedure

The methylation ofRASSF1Awas determined 31 ES tumor samples and 4 ES cell lines. ES cell lines were also treated with demethylating agent 5‐aza‐2′‐deoxycytidine to ascertain its effect on methylation.RASSF1Aexpression was studied in 12 ES tumors. The association betweenRASSF1Amethylation, clinical parameters and outcome was also analyzed.

Results

Methylation ofRASSF1Awas observed in 21/31 (68%) tumors and in 3/4 ES cell lines. A significant correlation of methylation to reduced expression ofRASSF1Awas observed in 12 ES tumors analyzed (P = 0.0013) and in all cell lines. ES patients with methylatedRASSF1Ahad worse prognosis compared to the unmethylated group (P = 0.049). Treatment with 5‐aza‐2′‐deoxycytidine resulted in the re‐expression of the unmethylated form ofRASSF1Ain two ES cell lines.

Conclusion

RASSF1Ais frequently methylated in ES. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2009;53:1023–1028. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A phase II study of Campath‐1H in children with relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A Children's Oncology Group report
Authors: Angiolillo Anne L. , Yu Alice L. , Reaman Gregory , Ingle Ashish M. , Secola Rita , Adamson Peter C.
Published: July 2009

Background

Despite the increasing cure rates for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), patients who relapse continue to have poor prognosis. The Children's Oncology Group (COG) conducted a limited institution Phase II trial of Campath‐1H, a monoclonal antibody that targets CD52 on leukemic cells, in children with relapsed or refractory ALL.

Methods

From October 2005 to December 2006, 13 eligible patients were enrolled on the COG phase II study of Campath‐1H (ADVL0222). Campath‐1H was initially administered as an intravenous infusion over 2 hr, five times per week for 1 week, then three times per week for three additional weeks. Patients with stable disease or better on day 29 could continue on to combination therapy with Campath‐1H, methotrexate, and 6‐mercaptopurine for two additional cycles.

Results

One of 13 patients enrolled had a complete response to Campath‐1H and 4 had stable disease. Dose limiting toxicity occurred in two out of nine fully evaluable patients (Grade IV pain and Grade III allergic reaction/hypersensitivity). No patients received combination therapy. Serum Campath‐1H concentrations appeared to be somewhat lower in children with ALL compared with adult patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Conclusion

Although a single complete response was observed, activity of single agent Campath‐1H appears limited. Our study does not support future single agent evaluation of Campath‐1H in children with relapsed ALL. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2009;53:978–983. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
BiomarkerDigger: A versatile disease proteome database and analysis platform for the identification of plasma cancer biomarkers
Authors: Jeong Seul‐Ki , Kwon Min‐Seok , Lee Eun‐Young , Lee Hyoung‐Joo , Cho Sang Yun , Kim Hoguen , Yoo Jong Shin , Omenn Gilbert S. , Aebersold Ruedi , Hanash Sam , Paik Young‐Ki
Published: July 2009

We have developed a proteome database (DB), BiomarkerDigger (http://biomarkerdigger.org) that automates data analysis, searching, and metadata‐gathering function. The metadata‐gathering function searches proteome DBs for protein–protein interaction, Gene Ontology, protein domain, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man, and tissue expression profile information and integrates it into protein data sets that are accessed through a search function in BiomarkerDigger. This DB also facilitates cross‐proteome comparisons by classifying proteins based on their annotation. BiomarkerDigger highlights relationships between a given protein in a proteomic data set and any known biomarkers or biomarker candidates. The newly developed BiomarkerDigger system is useful for multi‐level synthesis, comparison, and analyses of data sets obtained from currently available web sources. We demonstrate the application of this resource to the identification of a serological biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma by comparison of plasma and tissue proteomic data sets from healthy volunteers and cancer patients.
Size distribution of native cytosolic proteins of Thermoplasma acidophilum
Authors: Sun Na , Tamura Noriko , Tamura Tomohiro , Knispel Roland Wilhelm , Hrabe Thomas , Kofler Christine , Nickell Stephan , Nagy István
Published: July 2009

We used molecular sieve chromatography in combination with LC‐MS/MS to identify protein complexes that can serve as templates in the template matching procedures of visual proteomics approaches. By this method the sample complexity was lowered sufficiently to identify 464 proteins and – on the basis of size distribution and bioinformatics analysis – 189 of them could be assigned as subunits of macromolecular complexes over the size of 300 kDa. From these we purified six stable complexes of Thermoplasma acidophilum whose size and subunit composition – analyzed by electron microscopy and MALDI‐TOF‐MS, respectively – verified the accuracy of our method.
Physiological adaptation of Corynebacterium glutamicum to benzoate as alternative carbon source – a membrane proteome‐centric view
Authors: Haußmann Ute , Qi Su‐Wei , Wolters Dirk , Rögner Matthias , Liu Shuang‐Jiang , Poetsch Ansgar
Published: July 2009

The ability of microorganisms to assimilate aromatic substances as alternative carbon sources is the basis of biodegradation of natural as well as industrial aromatic compounds. In this study, Corynebacterium glutamicum was grown on benzoate as sole carbon and energy source. To extend the scarce knowledge about physiological adaptation processes occurring in this cell compartment, the membrane proteome was investigated under quantitative and qualitative aspects by applying shotgun proteomics to reach a comprehensive survey. Membrane proteins were relatively quantified using an internal standard metabolically labeled with 15N. Altogether, 40 proteins were found to change their abundance during growth on benzoate in comparison to glucose. A global adaptation was observed in the membrane of benzoate‐grown cells, characterized by increased abundance of proteins of the respiratory chain, by a starvation response, and by changes in sulfur metabolism involving the regulator McbR. Additional to the relative quantification, stable isotope‐labeled synthetic peptides were used for the absolute quantification of the two benzoate transporters of C. glutamicum, BenK and BenE. It was found that both transporters were expressed during growth on benzoate, suggesting that both contribute substantially to benzoate uptake.
Growth phase‐dependent global protein and metabolite profiles ofPhaeobacter gallaeciensisstrain DSM 17395, a member of the marineRoseobacter‐clade
Authors: Zech Hajo , Thole Sebastian , Schreiber Kerstin , Kalhöfer Daniela , Voget Sonja , Brinkhoff Thorsten , Simon Meinhard , Schomburg Dietmar , Rabus Ralf
Published: July 2009

The marine heterotrophic roseobacterPhaeobacter gallaeciensisDSM 17395 was grown with glucose in defined mineral medium. Relative abundance changes of global protein (2‐D DIGE) and metabolite (GC‐MS) profiles were determined across five different time points of growth. In total, 215 proteins were identified and 147 metabolites detected (101 structurally identified), among which 60 proteins and 87 metabolites displayed changed abundances upon entry into stationary growth phase. Glucose breakdown to pyruvate apparently proceedsviathe Entner–Doudoroff (ED) pathway, since phosphofructokinase of the Embden–Meyerhof–Parnas pathway is missing and the key metabolite of the ED‐pathway, 2‐keto‐3‐desoxygluconate, was detected. The absence ofpfkin other genome‐sequenced roseobacters suggests that the use of the ED pathway is an important physiological property among these heterotrophic marine bacteria. Upon entry into stationary growth phase (due to glucose starvation), sulfur assimilation (including cysteine biosynthesis) and parts of cell envelope synthesis (e.g. the lipid precursor 1‐monooleoylglycerol) were down‐regulated and cadaverine formation up‐regulated. In contrast, central carbon catabolism remained essentially unchanged, pointing to a metabolic “stand‐by” modus as an ecophysiological adaptation strategy. Stationary phase response ofP. gallaeciensisdiffers markedly from that of standard organisms such asEscherichia coli, as evidente.g. by the absence of anrpoSgene.
Proteomics Data Collection – 5th ProDaC Workshop 4 March 2009, Kolympari, Crete, Greece
Authors: Eisenacher Martin , Martens Lennart , Barsnes Harald , Hardt Tanja , Kohl Michael , Häkkinen Jari , Apweiler Rolf , Meyer Helmut E. , Stephan Christian
Published: July 2009

The Proteomics Data Collection (ProDaC) consortium, a “Coordination Action” funded by the 6th EU Framework Programme, started in October 2006. Its aim was to facilitate the collection and distribution of proteomics data and the public availability of data sets from proteomics experiments. Within the consortium standard formats are created and tools are developed to allow extensive data collection within the proteomics community. An important part of ProDaC is the organization of workshops twice a year to inform about the consortium's progress and to stimulate communication between the ProDaC partners and between partners and interested members of the proteomics community. ProDaC ends on March 31, 2009. The most recent (and final) workshop was the 5th ProDaC workshop held on March 4, 2009 in Kolympari, Crete, Greece. The progress since the last meeting and an overall summary was presented by the work package coordinators and partners. Four external speakers presented talks about their work in relation to ProDaC.
Obesity and obesity related co‐morbidities in a referral population of children with asthma
Authors: Ross Kristie R. , Hart Meeghan A. , Storfer‐Isser Amy , Kibler Anna Marie V. , Johnson Nathan L. , Rosen Carol L. , Kercsmar Carolyn M. , Redline Susan
Published: July 2009

Objective:

Although there is mounting evidence that childhood obesity is a risk factor for incident asthma, it remains unclear if there is a distinct “asthma‐obesity” phenotype. This study characterized body composition, obesity related co‐morbidities, and traditional risk factors for asthma in a cohort of children referred for asthma management in a pulmonary clinic. We hypothesized that children with asthma and obesity would have distinct risk factors and co‐morbidities, particularly with respect to metabolic and sleep abnormalities.

Participants and Methods:

One hundred sixteen asthmatic children ages 4–18 years underwent comprehensive measurements of common asthma risk factors as well as measurements of obesity‐related morbidities, including lung function tests, atopy, and assessments of sleep (overnight oximetry and actigraphy), physical activity (accelerometry), and metabolism. Characteristics of children who were obese (BMI ≥95th percentile) were compared to those who were not obese (BMI <95th percentile).

Results:

Obesity was present in 44% of participants. Obese participants had similar rates of atopy and family history of atopy, lung function, and asthma control at enrolment as their non‐obese peers. A significantly higher proportion of obese participants had metabolic syndrome (23% vs. 0%) and habitual snoring (60% vs. 33%) compared to non‐obese participants; insufficient sleep and nocturnal desaturations tended to be more prevalent among obese subjects.

Conclusions:

Obesity and obesity related co‐morbidities were common in a referral population of children with asthma. The specific influence of metabolic abnormalities on asthma morbidity and management is still uncertain and likely will need to be addressed in prospective studies. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2009; 44:877–884. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
FRC measurements using body plethysmography in young children
Authors: Vilozni Daphna , Efrati Ori , Hakim Fahed , Adler Adi , Livnat Galit , Bentur Lea
Published: July 2009

Background

Measurement of FRC in whole body plethysmography (FRCpleth) is not performed in young children (aged 3–5 years) because it involves sitting alone in a closed box and breathing attempts against occlusion.

Objective

To assess the feasibility of measuring FRCpleth in young children.

Methods and Results

Seventy‐one of 102 children (age range 3.3–6.9 years) performed spirometry and FRCpleth measurements. Twenty‐six children had controlled asthma (Group‐A); 26 children were tested during asthma exacerbation had uncontrolled asthma (Group‐UA), and 19 children were tested after receiving chemotherapy treatment (Group‐C). Tests according to adult recommendations were first taught outside the plethysmograph and then performed with minor technical adaptations. Each test included two consecutive FRC measurements obtained during 2–3 sec of occlusion. Total lung capacity (TLC) and residual volume (RV) were calculated. Values were compared to FRC measured by Helium‐dilution (FRC‐He) in healthy preschool children and to extrapolated FRCpleth values of school children, and between the groups.

Results

Group‐A showed normal spirometry and normal TLC values, with mildly elevated FRCpleth and RV values (125 ± 20 and 153 ± 33 %predicted, respectively; P < 0.0001 for both values). Group‐UA showed obstructed flows combined with high FRCpleth and RV (146 ± 26 and 189 ± 38 %predicted; P < 0.0001) and normal TLC. Group‐C showed a restrictive spirometry pattern combined with lower than normal TLC (86  ±  15 %predicted; P < 0.0251).

Conclusions

Measuring absolute lung volumes by plethysmography in young children is feasible and can detect abnormal lung volumes. It is essential to study a larger group of healthy children for reference values and to allow for standardization of the procedure. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2009; 44:885–891. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Lagrangian simulation of wind transport in the urban environment
Authors: Wilson J. D. , Yee E. , Ek N. , d'Amours R.
Published: July 2009

Fluid element trajectories are computed in inhomogeneous urban‐like flows, the needed wind statistics being furnished by a Reynolds‐averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) model that explicitly resolves obstacles. Performance is assessed against pre‐existing measurements in flows ranging from the horizontally uniform atmospheric surface layer (no buildings), through regular obstacle arrays in a water‐channel wall shear layer, to full‐scale observations at street scale in an urban core (the Oklahoma City tracer dispersion experiment Joint Urban 2003). Agreement with observations is encouraging, e.g. for an Oklahoma City tracer trial in which sixteen detectors reported non‐zero concentration, modelled concentration lies within a factor of two of the corresponding observation in nine cases (FAC2 = 56%). Although forward and backward simulations offer comparable fidelity relative to the data, interestingly they differ (by a margin far exceeding statistical uncertainty) wherever trajectories from source to receptor traverse regions of abrupt change in the Reynolds stress tensor. Copyright © 2009 Royal Meteorological Society
Transport and mixing in idealized barotropic hurricane‐like vortices
Authors: Hendricks E. A. , Schubert W. H.
Published: July 2009

The effective diffusivity diagnostic is used to obtain basic insight into the two‐dimensional transport and mixing properties of idealized barotropic tropical‐storm and hurricane‐like vortices. Three flow configurations believed to be relevant to hurricane dynamics are examined in a non‐divergent barotropic model: (i) an elliptical vortex, (ii) a Rankine vortex in a turbulent background vorticity field, and (iii) unstable vorticity rings. During the evolution of these vortical flows, effective diffusivity is used as a mixing diagnostic on a passive tracer field that also evolves in the non‐divergent flow. The internal dynamical processes causing mixing, as well as the location and magnitude of both turbulent mixing and partial barrier regions, are identified in the evolving vortices. Breaking vortex Rossby waves (VRWs) are found to create turbulent mixing regions of finite radial extent. For monotonic vortices, which are analogous to tropical storms, the wave breaking and axisymmetrization creates a surf zone outside the radius of maximum wind, while the vortex core remains a partial barrier or containment vessel. For unstable vorticity rings, which are analogous to intensifying hurricanes, two regimes of internal mixing are found. During barotropic instability of thick rings, the inner and outer breaking VRWs create two local mixing regions, separated by a partial barrier region at the location of the tangential jet. For barotropic instability of thin rings, the entire hurricane inner core becomes a turbulent mixing region, allowing passive tracers to be radially mixed between the eye, eyewall and local environment. In either case, the horizontal mixing associated with the inner, breaking VRW would support intensification, provided the passive tracer is equivalent potential temperature with a maximum in the eye. In addition to the insights obtained for internal mixing in hurricanes, effective diffusivity is shown to be a robust diagnostic for two‐dimensional turbulence, complementing its previous use in large‐scale atmospheric dynamics. Copyright © 2009 Royal Meteorological Society
Direct analysis of pharmaceutical formulations from non‐bonded reversed‐phase thin‐layer chromatography plates by desorption electrospray ionisation ion mobility mass spectrometry
Authors: Harry Emma L. , Reynolds James C. , Bristow Anthony W. T. , Wilson Ian D. , Creaser Colin S.
Published: July 2009

The direct analysis of pharmaceutical formulations and active ingredients from non‐bonded reversed‐phase thin layer chromatography (RP‐TLC) plates by desorption electrospray ionisation (DESI) combined with ion mobility mass spectrometry (IM‐MS) is reported. The analysis of formulations containing analgesic (paracetamol), decongestant (ephedrine), opiate (codeine) and stimulant (caffeine) active pharmaceutical ingredients is described, with and without chromatographic development to separate the active ingredients from the excipient formulation. Selectivity was enhanced by combining ion mobility and mass spectrometry to characterise the desorbed gas‐phase analyte ions on the basis of mass‐to‐charge ratio (m/z) and gas‐phase ion mobility (drift time). The solvent composition of the DESI spray using a step gradient was varied to optimise the desorption of active pharmaceutical ingredients from the RP‐TLC plates. The combined RP‐TLC/DESI‐IM‐MS approach has potential as a rapid and selective technique for pharmaceutical analysis by orthogonal gas‐phase electrophoretic and mass‐to‐charge separation. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Evaluation of selected‐ion flow‐tube mass spectrometry for the measurement of ethanol, methanol and isopropanol in physiological fluids: effect of osmolality and sample volume
Authors: Rowbottom Lynn , Workman Clive , Roberts Norman B.
Published: July 2009

Selected‐ion flow‐tube mass spectrometry (SIFT‐MS) is particularly suited for the analysis of volatile low molecular weight compounds. We have evaluated this technique for the assay of different alcohols in aqueous solutions, including blood plasma, and in particular whether the osmolality or sample volume affected vapourisation. Solutions of three different alcohols (methanol, ethanol and isopropanol) ranging from 0.005 to 50 mmol/L were prepared in deionised water (0 milliosmol), phosphate‐buffered saline (690 mOsm), isotonic saline (294 mOsm) and plasma (296 mOsm). The vapour above the sample (50 to 1000 µL) contained in air‐tight tubes at 37°C was aspirated into the instrument. The outputs for ethanol, methanol and isopropanol were linear over the concentration range and independent of the sample volume and relatively independent of the osmolar concentration. SIFT‐MS can reliably and accurately measure common alcohols in the headspace above aqueous solutions, including serum/plasma. This novel application of SIFT‐MS is easy to follow, requires no sample preparation and the wide dynamic range will facilitate measurement of alcohols present from normal metabolism as well as when taken in excess or in accidental poisoning. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometric identification of benzimidazole anthelminthics metabolites formed ex vivo by Dicrocoelium dendriticum
Authors: Cvilink Viktor , Szotáková Barbora , Vokřál Ivan , Bártíková Hana , Lamka Jiří , Skálová Lenka
Published: July 2009

With further use of chemical agents in the control of parasitic infections, an increased number of drug resistance occurrences to antiparasitic drugs has been reported. Induction of enzymes responsible for detoxification of given drugs can contribute to drug resistance development in a parasitic organism. The identification of formed metabolites allows the characterization of the enzymes participating in biotransformation and possibly in drug resistance development. The objective of our work was to find and identify phase I and phase II metabolites of the anthelminthic drugs albendazole, flubendazole and mebendazole formed in ex vivo incubations by the parasitic helminth Dicrocoelium dendriticum, a parasite of ruminants and other grazing animals, using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometric (LC/MS) techniques. In the ex vivo study, approximately 50 living D. dendriticum adults were incubated in 5 mL RPMI‐1640 medium in the presence of 10.0 µmol L−1 benzimidazole drug (5% CO2, 38°C) for 24 h. The bodies of the parasite were then removed from the medium. After homogenization of parasites, both parasite homogenates and medium from the incubation were separately extracted using solid‐phase extraction. The extracts were analyzed using LC/MS with electrospray ionization. The results showed that D. dendriticum enzymatic systems are capable of phase I oxidation and reduction as well as phase II conjugation reactions. Detected phase I metabolites comprised albendazole sulfoxide, reduced flubendazole and reduced mebendazole. As for phase II metabolites, methyl derivatives of both reduced flubendazole and reduced mebendazole were observed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Analysis of human plasma lipids and soybean lecithin by means of high‐performance thin‐layer chromatography and matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry
Authors: Stübiger Gerald , Pittenauer Ernst , Belgacem Omar , Rehulka Pavel , Widhalm Kurt , Allmaier Günter
Published: July 2009

An improved analytical strategy for the analysis of complex lipid mixtures using matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI‐MS) in combination with high‐performance thin‐layer chromatography (HPTLC) is reported. Positive ion MALDI RTOF MS was applied as a rapid screening tool for the various neutral (e.g. triacylglycerols) and polar (e.g. glycerophospholipids and ‐sphingolipids) lipid classes derived from crude lipid extracts of e.g. human plasma as well as soybean lecithin. Finally, MALDI seamless post‐source decay (PSD) product ion analysis was performed in order to obtain further structural information (head‐ and acyl‐group identification) of selected lipid species and structure verification. A Coomassie Brilliant Blue R‐250 staining protocol for lipids on HPTLC plates was evaluated and was found to be fully compatible with subsequent MALDI‐MS. Lipids were analyzed after elution from the HPTLC phase material of the selected band (corresponding to certain lipid classes) by using the proper organic solvent mixture or in few cases directly from the HPTLC plates (a type of on‐line HPTLC/MALDI‐MS coupling). More than 70 distinct lipid species from seven different lipid classes in the range between m/z 500 and 1500 could be identified from the lipid extracts of human plasma and soybean lecithin, respectively. The general high sensitivity of MALDI‐MS detection allowed the analysis of even minor lipid classes from only very small volumes of human plasma (50 µL). The combination of HPTLC, Coomassie staining and positive ion MALDI curved field RTOF‐MS represents a straightforward strategy during lipidomics studies of food and clinically relevant human lipid samples. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A semi‐automated solid‐phase extraction liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry method for the analysis of tetrahydrocannabinol and metabolites in whole blood
Authors: Jagerdeo Eshwar , Schaff Jason E. , Montgomery Madeline A. , LeBeau Marc A.
Published: July 2009

Marijuana is one of the most commonly abused illicit substances in the USA, making cannabinoids important to detect in clinical and forensic toxicology laboratories. Historically, cannabinoids in biological fluids have been derivatized and analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). There has been a gradual shift in many laboratories towards liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) for this analysis due to its improved sensitivity and reduced sample preparation compared with GC/MS procedures. This paper reports a validated method for the analysis of Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and its two main metabolites, 11‐nor‐9‐carboxy‐Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (THC‐COOH) and 11‐hydroxy‐Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (THC‐OH), in whole blood samples. The method has also been validated for cannabinol (CBD) and cannabidiol (CDN), two cannabinoids that were shown not to interfere with the method. This method has been successfully applied to samples both from living people and from deceased individuals obtained during autopsy. This method utilizes online solid‐phase extraction (SPE) with LC/MS. Pretreatment of samples involves protein precipitation, sample concentration, ultracentrifugation, and reconstitution. The online SPE procedure was developed using Hysphere C8‐EC sorbent. A chromatographic gradient with an Xterra MS C18 column was used for the separation. Four multiple‐reaction monitoring (MRM) transitions were monitored for each analyte and internal standard. Linearity generally fell between 2 and 200 ng/mL. The limits of detection (LODs) ranged from 0.5 to 3 ng/mL and the limits of quantitation (LOQs) ranged from 2 to 8 ng/mL. The bias and imprecision were determined using a simple analysis of variance (ANOVA: single factor). The results demonstrate bias as <7%, and imprecision as <9%, for all components at each quantity control level. Published in 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Determination of Synacthen in urine for sports drug testing by means of nano‐ultra‐performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Thomas Andreas , Kohler Maxie , Schänzer Wilhelm , Kamber Matthias , Delahaut Philippe , Thevis Mario
Published: July 2009

Doping control analysis of performance‐enhancing peptides in urine represents a challenging requirement in modern sports drug testing. Low dosing, effective metabolism and short half‐life lead to target concentrations in the low fmol/mL range in urine. Synthetic adrenocorticotropic hormone (1‐24, Syn‐ACTH‐en) shares all these characteristics and improved analytical performance is required for its sufficient determination by means of liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). The desired effects for cheating sportsmen are mainly due to enhanced release of corticosteroids as well as androgenic steroids into the circulation after systemic administration of the drug. Immunoaffinity purification with coated magnetic beads and subsequent liquid chromatography with nano‐ultra‐performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (high resolution/high mass accuracy) of Synacthen from urinary specimens is described in the present study. The general proof of principle was obtained by analysis of excretion study urine samples and validation was performed with focus on the limit of detection (3 pg/mL), linearity, precision (<20%), recovery (∼30%), robustness, specificity and stability. For all experiments, the ACTH fragment 1‐17 was used as the internal standard. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Spectral characterisation of eight glycerolipids and their detection in natural samples using time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry
Authors: Heim Christine , Sjövall Peter , Lausmaa Jukka , Leefmann Tim , Thiel Volker
Published: July 2009

In recent years, time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF‐SIMS) with cluster ion sources has opened new perspectives for the analysis of lipid biomarkers in geobiology and organic geochemistry. However, published ToF‐SIMS reference spectra of relevant compounds are still sparse, and the influence of the chemical environment (matrix) on the ionisation of molecules and their fragmentation is still not well explored. This study presents ToF‐SIMS spectra of eight glycerolipids as common target compounds in biomarker studies, namely ester‐ and ether‐bound phosphatidylethanolamine, ester‐ and ether‐bound phosphatidylcholine, ester‐bound phosphatidylglycerol, ester‐ and ether‐bound diglycerides and archaeol, obtained with a Bi cluster ion source. For all of these compounds, the spectra obtained in positive and negative analytical modes showed characteristic fragments that could clearly be assigned to e.g. molecular ions, functional groups and alkyl chains. By comparison with the reference spectra, it was possible to track some of these lipids in a pre‐characterised organic extract and in cryosections of microbial mats. The results highlight the potential of ToF‐SIMS for the laterally resolved analysis of organic biomarkers in environmental materials. The identification of the target compounds, however, may be hampered by matrix effects (e.g. adduct formation) and often require careful consideration of all spectral features and taking advantage of the molecular imaging capability of ToF‐SIMS. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Stabilization of n integrators in cascade with bounded input with experimental application to a VTOL laboratory system
Authors: Sanahuja G. , Castillo P. , Sanchez A.
Published: July 2009

This paper presents a global stabilization of a chain of n integrators in cascade. The control strategy is obtained using the Lyapunov approach and separated saturation functions. Moreover, the stability analysis is obtained using the recurrence theorem. This generalized control law is designed in order to quickly implement it on a system, as choosing a degree n gives all conditions to have a stable system. Moreover, in the proposed controller the saturation function bound only one state. This allows us to easily tune the control parameters. Simulations and real‐time experiments are presented for the VTOL platform represented as a chain of two and four integrators in cascade. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Asymptotic random graph intuition for the biased connectivity game
Authors: Gebauer Heidi , Szabó Tibor
Published: July 2009

We study biased Maker/Breaker games on the edges of the complete graph, as introduced by Chvátal and Erdős. We show that Maker, occupying one edge in each of his turns, can build a spanning tree, even if Breaker occupies b ≤ (1 − o(1)) · $ {n \over \ln n} $ edges in each turn. This improves a result of Beck, and is asymptotically best possible as witnessed by the Breaker‐strategy of Chvátal and Erdős. We also give a strategy for Maker to occupy a graph with minimum degree c (where c = c(n) is a slowly growing function of n) while playing against a Breaker who takes b ≤ (1 − o(1)) · $ {n \over \ln n} $ edges in each turn. This result improves earlier bounds by Krivelevich and Szabó. Both of our results support the surprising random graph intuition: the threshold bias is asymptotically the same for the game played by two “clever” players and the game played by two “random” players. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 2009
Involvement of Group II mGluRs in mossy fiber LTD
Authors: Wostrack Maria , Dietrich Dirk
Published: July 2009

Mossy fiber long‐term depression (LTD) has been shown to be triggered by either pharmacological or synaptic activation of Group II metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) whereas other studies indicate that synaptic activation of mGluRs is very limited. Therefore, we reexamined the role of Group II mGluRs for the induction of mossy fiber LTD. The complete depression of field potentials (fEPSPs) by 1 μM (2S,2′R,3′R)‐2‐(2′,3′‐Dicarboxycyclopropyl)glycine (DCG‐IV) only partially reversed upon removal of the drug but fEPSPs were completely restored by the Group II antagonist 2S‐2‐amino‐2‐(1S,2S‐2‐carboxycyclopropyl‐1‐yl)‐3‐(xanth‐9‐yl)propanoic acid (LY341495) (3 μM). In contrast, fEPSPs returned back to baseline within 30 min after a brief application of 0.2 μM DCG‐IV suggesting that the incomplete reversal of higher concentrations may be due to a residual receptor occupancy rather than to an induction of LTD. LY341495 itself did not increase fEPSPs and also blocked the inhibition of (2S,1′S,2′S)‐2‐(2‐carboxycyclopropyl)glycine (L‐CCG‐I) (20 μM) and (1S,3R)‐1‐aminocyclopentane‐1,3‐dicarboxylic acid (ACPD) (10 μM) and its effect was mimicked by CPPG (50 μM). Furthermore, stimulation at 1 Hz for 15 min induced an LTD of 81% ± 3% and 80% ± 4% in the absence and presence of LY341495, respectively (n = 7, 5). Finally, we found that synaptic activation of Group II mGluRs during 15 min of 1‐Hz stimulation only produces an inhibition of release by 8% ± 1% (30°C, n = 3). Our data suggests that pharmacological activation of Group II mGluRs is fully reversible per se and does not produce a long lasting depression and that activation of Group II mGluRs is neither necessary nor sufficient for the induction of mossy fiber LTD. Synapse 63:1060–1068, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
“The Devil Begins to Roar”: Opposition to Early Methodists in New England
Authors: Baldwin Eric
Published: July 2009

In the several decades after their arrival in the New England states in the late 1780s, Methodists were the objects of a wide variety of attacks, some of them mutually contradictory. Their preachers were accused of being pickpockets, horse thieves, and sexual predators, while on the other hand some converts were mocked for their excessive moral seriousness. They were suspected alternatively of being agents of the English crown, spies for the French government, and Jeffersonian radicals. Further, to some it seemed that their episcopal form of government and ecclesiastical tribunals functioned as a sort of shadow government undermining the political institutions of the nation. They were attacked for their Arminian theology, in defense of which they vigorously condemned Calvinist doctrine. They were mocked as enthusiasts and fanatics whose preachers, pretending to an immediate divine calling, inflamed the passions of their listeners and whose gatherings degenerated into bedlams of disorder, confusion, and moral scandal. They were disturbers of churches, transgressing parochial boundaries, sowing disorder, and fracturing the covenant relationship between minister and flock, all of which recalled memories of the upheaval accompanying the awakenings of the 1740s. They were unlearned rustics not fit to instruct people in divinity, but they were also sly enough to worm their way into the hearts and minds of people by shrewdly hiding their true intentions and prejudicing their hearers against the standing ministers.
The Whore of Babylon and the Abomination of Abominations: Nineteenth-Century Catholic and Mormon Mutual Perceptions and Religious Identity
Authors: Grow Matthew J.
Published: July 2009

In 1846, Oran Brownson, the older brother of the famed Catholic convert Orestes A. Brownson, penned a letter to his brother recounting a dream Orestes had shared with him much earlier. In the dream, Orestes, Oran, and a third brother, Daniel, were “traveling a road together.” “You first left the road then myself and it remains to be seen whether Daniel will turn out of the road (change his opinion),” Oran wrote. At approximately the same period in which Orestes converted to Catholicism “because no other church possessed proper authority,” Oran joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because he believed that “proper authority rests among the Mormons.” Indeed, in an era characterized by denominational proliferation, democratization, and competition, Catholic and Mormon claims to divine authority proved appealing to some Americans, like the Brownsons, wearied by the diversity and disunity of the Protestant world. Oran cautioned Orestes to not trust polemical literature against Mormonism, but to “get your information from friends and not enemies.” Orestes could have repeated the same warning about Catholicism, given the number and intensity of nineteenth-century attacks on both Catholics and Mormons. Leaving mainstream Christianity to join the most despised religions in nineteenth-century America, the Brownson brothers embarked on spiritual quests that few contemporary Americans would have understood, much less approved.
The Evolution of the Lutheran Pastors' Manual in the Sixteenth Century
Authors: Burnett Amy Nelson
Published: July 2009

Among the many changes brought about by the Reformation, perhaps one of the most obvious was the new image of the Protestant pastor. No longer was he set apart from his parishioners by the privileges of a separate estate or by the requirement of clerical celibacy. His most important functions were preaching and teaching, rather than the administration of the sacraments and other ecclesiastical ceremonies. Although there were clearly continuities between the duties performed by the late medieval priest and the new Protestant pastor, there was also a significant change in emphasis and in the expectations concerning the pastor's duties.
“Our Lord God's Chancery” in Magdeburg and Its Fight against the Interim
Authors: Kaufmann Thomas
Published: July 2009

We, Lucifer, lord of darkness, ruler of deep sadness, emperor of the hellish cesspool, duke of the sulphuric waters, king of the cliff, and administrator of the hellish fire, to each and everyone in our realm, friends, bishops, prelates, cathedral canons, clergy, and all others of whatever dignity and the state you may be in: our greetings.
Visions of Self, Success, and Society among Young Men in Antebellum Boston
Authors: Curtis Heather D.
Published: July 2009

When Dwight L. Moody left his native town of Northfield, Massachusetts, for Boston in 1854, he was one among hundreds of young men flocking to urban centers in hopes of achieving greater prosperity and “success” in mercantile careers than their families had attained through agricultural pursuits or village commerce. This trend was part of a larger pattern of urban growth that began in the early nineteenth century, fueled by both foreign immigration and the expansion of industrial capitalism. In the decades prior to the Civil War, Boston's population expanded exponentially, reaching nearly 140,000 at the time of the 1850 census, a six-fold increase since 1800. Of this number, nearly one-half were of “foreign” birth or parentage, and an additional 25,000 were “Americans” who had migrated to Boston from rural New England and other areas of the United States. Only around 50,000—or 35 percent of the total population—had been born and raised in Boston. This rapid influx of newcomers to the city provoked growing concern among native Bostonians, as the presence of rural youths, Irish Catholics, and other “outsiders” began to challenge and transform traditional patterns of social, economic, political, and religious life.
From Tent Meetings and Store-front Healing Rooms to Walmarts and the Internet: Healing Spaces in the United States, the Americas, and the World, 1906–2006
Authors: Brown Candy Gunther
Published: July 2009

The centennial of the Azusa Street revivals of 1906 provides us with convenient poles for charting shifts in the landscape of Christian spiritual healing practices during the past century. Alongside unprecedented achievements in medical science, nearly 80 percent of Americans report believing that God supernaturally heals people in answer to prayer. Individuals who need healing, even after trying the best medical cures, readily transgress ecclesiastical, physical, and social boundaries in their quest for health and wholeness. The promise of a tangible experience of divine power, moreover, presents an attractive alternative to seekers disillusioned with what they perceive as the callous materialism of medical science and the religious legalism of traditional Christian churches. This essay calls for new narratives of sacred space that map the ways that pentecostal and charismatic healing practices have proliferated, diversified, and sacralized a growing number and variety of physical, social, and linguistic spaces in the past hundred years. At the turn of the twentieth century, modernist epistemological assumptions that privileged reason over experience encouraged fine intellectual distinctions between the sacred and the secular. In esteeming bodily experience as more trustworthy than disembodied doctrine and in resisting linguistic binaries as culturally constructed, postmodern epistemologies have multiplied the number and range of places available to be endowed with sacred meanings. I argue that boundaries between the sacred and the secular are dissolving at the same time that new boundaries are being established, privileging particular places and defining a new relationship among the United States, the Americas, and the world.
Jonathan Edwards, Enthusiast? Radical Revivalism and the Great Awakening in the Connecticut Valley
Authors: Winiarski Douglas L.
Published: July 2009

It is difficult to imagine Jonathan Edwards countenancing the “Confus'd, but very Affecting Noise” that erupted in Suffield, Massachusetts, on July 6, 1741. Yet there he stood, his loud voice rising in prayer above the din that emanated from an assembly of more than two hundred boisterous men and women who had gathered to listen to his exhortations in the “two large Rooms” of a private house. On the previous day, the visiting Northampton, Massachusetts, revivalist had administered the sacrament to nearly five hundred Suffield communicants, ninety-seven of whom had joined the church that very day. It was an extraordinary event—quite possibly the largest oneday church admission ritual ever observed in colonial New England.
Of Locustaeand Dangerous Men: Peter Damian, the Vallombrosans, and Eleventh-century Reform
Authors: Cushing Kathleen G.
Published: July 2009

In a letter to the people of Florence in the early part of 1067, the ardent reformer, Peter Damian, denounced a group of monks aslocustae. These unnamed monks—whom it has long been accepted were the Vallombrosans—had been waging a campaign against their bishop, Peter Mezzabarba of Florence, whom they accused of obtaining his office by simony. Although Damian, who had been cardinalbishop of Ostia as well as prior of the eremitical community at Fonte Avellana, readily acknowledged that Mezzabarba might have a case to answer at Pope Alexander II's forthcoming council in Rome, he condemned their intrusion into matters of ecclesiastical politics that were none of their business. Yet it was clearly more than a matter of inappropriate activities. For he went on to dismiss in the bitterest of terms the dangerous pretensions of these monks to a superior holiness. Referring to their sanctity asodiosa, Damian concluded by saying that if monks like the Vallombrosans wanted to be holy they should not flaunt a spiritual arrogance in the face of weaker brethren. For Damian, the duty of monks was strictly defined by function: their calling was to weep for sins, not to announce them.
Gender and the Construction of Models of Christian Activity: A Case Study
Authors: Johnson Dale A.
Published: July 2009

In my review of previous presidential addresses, I found it interesting to discover that only one had built upon one of the most significant cultural and scholarly developments of the past generation and perhaps the past century, that is, women's and, later, gender studies and their relevance for our respective fields. That was Jane Dempsey Douglass's address twenty years ago as the first woman president of this Society on “what Calvin learned at the school of women,” an event that will surely be recognized in the program session tomorrow on “Women in the American Society of Church History.”
Female Deacons in the Byzantine Church
Authors: Karras Valerie A.
Published: July 2009

Despite the energy devoted by American and Western European church historians and theologians to the question of the ordination of women in early Christianity and in the (western) medieval Christian Church, these scholars have shown comparatively little interest toward the female diaconate in the Byzantine Church, even when comparative analysis could potentially help elucidate questions regarding the theology and practice of women's ordinations in the West. Most of the research on the female diaconate in the Byzantine Church has occurred in Mediterranean academic circles, usually within the field of Byzantine studies, or in the Eastern Orthodox theological community; sometimes the examination of the female diaconate in the Byzantine Church has been part of a broader examination of women's liturgical ministries.