bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics: Viewpoints on the Current Status and Applications in Nutrition Research and Practice
Authors: Fenech Michael , El-Sohemy Ahmed , Cahill Leah , Ferguson Lynnette R. , French Tapaeru-Ariki C. , Tai E. Shyong , Milner John , Koh Woon-Puay , Xie Lin , Zucker Michelle , Buckley Michael , Cosgrove Leah , Lockett Trevor , Fung Kim Y.C. , Head Richard
Published: May 2011

Nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics hold much promise for providing better nutritional advice to the public generally, genetic subgroups and individuals. Because nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics require a deep understanding of nutrition, genetics and biochemistry and ever new ‘omic’ technologies, it is often difficult, even for educated professionals, to appreciate their relevance to the practice of preventive approaches for optimising health, delaying onset of disease and diminishing its severity. This review discusses (i) the basic concepts, technical terms and technology involved in nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics; (ii) how this emerging knowledge can be applied to optimise health, prevent and treat diseases; (iii) how to read, understand and interpret nutrigenetic and nutrigenomic research results, and (iv) how this knowledge may potentially transform nutrition and dietetic practice, and the implications of such a transformation. This is in effect an up-to-date overview of the various aspects of nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics relevant to health practitioners who are seeking a better understanding of this new frontier in nutrition research and its potential application to dietetic practice.
To Give or Not to Give? Lessons from the Arginine Paradox
Authors: Dioguardi Francesco Saverio
Published: May 2011

Arginine is one of the 20 amino acids (AA) found in proteins and synthesized by human cells. However, arginine is also the substrate for a series of reactions leading to the synthesis of other AA and is an obligatory substrate for two enzymes with diverging actions, arginases and nitric oxide synthases (NOS), giving origin to urea and NO, respectively. NO is a very potent vasodilator when produced by endothelial NOS (eNOS). The ‘arginine paradox’ is the fact that, despite intracellular physiological concentration of arginine being several hundred micromoles per liter, far exceeding the ∼5 µM KM of eNOS, the acute provision of exogenous arginine still increases NO production. Clinically, an additional paradox is that the largest controlled study on chronic oral arginine supplementation in patients after myocardial infarction had to be interrupted for excess mortality in treated patients. Expression and activity of arginases, which produce urea and divert arginine from NOS, are positively related to exogenous arginine supplementation. Therefore, the more arginine is introduced, the more it is destroyed, eventually leading to impaired NO production. In this review, conditions influencing the low arginine concentrations found in plasma will be reviewed, revising the paradigm that simple replenishment of what is lacking will always produce beneficial consequences.
Determinants of Aspirin Metabolism in Healthy Men and Women: Effects of Dietary Inducers of UDP-Glucuronosyltransferases
Authors: Navarro Sandi L. , Saracino Misty R. , Makar Karen W. , Thomas Sushma S. , Li Lin , Zheng Yingye , Levy Lisa , Schwarz Yvonne , Bigler Jeannette , Potter John D. , Lampe Johanna W.
Published: May 2011

Background/Aims: Interindividual variation in aspirin (ASA) metabolism is attributed to concomitant use of drugs or alcohol, urine pH, ethnicity, sex, and genetic variants in UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGT). Little is known about the effects of diet. Methods: We evaluated cross-sectionally whether urinary excretion of ASA and its metabolites [salicylic acid (SA), salicyluric acid (SUA) phenolic glucuronide (SUAPG), salicylic acid acyl glucuronide (SAAG) and salicylic acid phenolic glucuronide (SAPG)] differed by UGT1A6 genotype and dietary factors shown to induce UGT. Following oral treatment with 650 mg ASA, urine was collected over 8 h in 264 men and 264 women (21–45 years old). Results: There were statistically significant differences in metabolites excreted between sexes and ethnicities. Men excreted more SUA; women more ASA (p = 0.03), SA, SAAG and SAPG (p ≤ 0.001 for all). Compared to Caucasians, Asians excreted more ASA, SA and SAAG, and less SUA and SUAPG (p ≤ 0.03 for all); African-Americans excreted more SAAG and SAPG and less SUA (p ≤ 0.04). There was no effect of UGT1A6 genotypes. Increased ASA and decreased SUAPG excretion was observed with increased servings of vegetables (p = 0.008), specifically crucifers (p = 0.05). Conclusion: Diet may influence the pharmacokinetics of ASA, but effects may be through modulation of glycine conjugation rather than glucuronidation.
2009 Influenza A Infection and Acute Kidney Injury: Incidence, Risk Factors, and Complications
Authors: Demirjian Sevag G. , Raina Rupesh , Bhimraj Adarsh , Navaneethan Sankar D. , Gordon Steven M. , Schreiber, Jr. Martin J. , Guzman Jorge A.
Published: May 2011

Background: 2009 influenza A has spread globally. Respiratory complications and renal failure have been the leading causes for hospitalization and critical illness. We describe the risk factors and complications of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with influenza A. Methods: Observational study of adult patients tested for influenza A. Outcome measures include AKI [AKI Network (AKIN) criteria] and mortality. Results: From August through December 2009, 17% (89/515) of hospitalized subjects were tested positive for influenza A. The incidence of AKI (AKINI–III) was 42% (37/89) in subjects with influenza A; the majority (65%, 24/37) of whom were critically ill. Risk factors for AKI included obesity, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and elevated creatine kinase. Positive influenza A status was associated with lower AKI (AKINI–III) risk compared to seronegative subjects (OR 0.5, CI 0.3–0.9). Mortality in patients with influenza A and AKI requiring dialysis was 50%. Conclusions: Obesity, CKD, and elevated creatine kinase are associated with AKI in patients with influenza A. Influenza A is not independently associated with higher incidence of AKI in hospitalized patients. AKI is an independent risk factor for mortality in patients with influenza A.
Pre-emption and Private Land Ownership in Modern Egypt: No Revival of Islamic Legal Tradition
Authors: Horii Satoe
Published: May 2011

This essay examines “Islamic” influence on modern law, with special reference to the introduction of pre-emption (shuf'a), ostensibly of Islamic origin, into modern Egyptian legislation. In Egypt, the institution was maintained, not as part of the Islamization of laws, but for practical purposes, namely the “establishment of full landownership,” which led to the creation of new forms of pre-emption. The Pre-emption Laws of 1900-01 assigned the right of pre-emption to the “usufructuary” and the bare owner, probably as part of the late nineteenth-century policy of transferring state landownership to individuals defined in official law as “usufructuaries.” With the disappearance of state landownership as its theoretical basis, this type of pre-emption was reinterpreted by jurists in general terms of the establishment of landownership. The New Civil Code of 1949 assigned the right of pre-emption to both parties to a long lease (hikr), as an indirect attack on the family waqf.
Law versus Medical Science: Competition between Legal and Biological Paternity in an Egyptian Civil Court
Authors: Shaham Ron
Published: May 2011

The 1942 lawsuit that is translated, annotated and analyzed in this article raises questions about the judicial acceptability of new types of evidence developed by modern science. A husband who suspected that his wife was carrying the child of her lover asked the ahlī court of summary justice in Alexandria to determine the identity of the child's biological father by means of a blood-group test. The judge's refusal to comply with the request, on the grounds that he lacked jurisdiction, reflects a decision by Egyptian legislators and judges to leave the establishment of paternity to evidentiary rules that are shaped by cultural values about marriage, legitimacy and morality. These values do not always favor decision-making based on the full range of scientifically available facts.
Sports in Contemporary Islamic Law
Authors: Winter Ofir , Shavit Uriya
Published: May 2011

Professional and amateur sports have become the focus of much attention in contemporary Islamic law. In recent years, jurists have issued fatwās (religious opinions) in response to hundreds of queries about the legitimacy of sporting activities. These queries cover a wide field of subjects: karate, mixed-gender swimming and the high salaries of soccer players. The mushrooming of fatwās is a sign of the importance of sports amongst Muslims. It also indicates that some sporting activities challenge traditional Islamic values and practices. By presenting an overview of contemporary fatwās dealing with sports, we analyze some of the dilemmas faced by Muslims who wish to practice or enjoy modern sports, and the jurists' attempts to resolve these dilemmas. Using sports as a mirror, we highlight some major lines of friction between two movements: The socially liberal Wasatiyya school and the socially conservative Salafiyya school.
Is Historicism a Viable Strategy for Islamic Law Reform? The Case of 'Never Shall a Folk Prosper Who Have Appointed a Woman to Rule Them'
Authors: Fadel Mohammad
Published: May 2011

There are at least two kinds of historicism that are relevant to Islamic legal reform, one rooted in a progressive theory of history, the other rooted in history as a source for textual interpretation. The latter has the potential to garner greater support for progressive legal change insofar as it falls squarely within the well-known jurisprudential concept known as takhsis al-'āmm (specification of the general term). In this article, I explore this reform strategy by analyzing a well-known Prophetic hadīth that is traditionally understood as excluding women from holding political office. By exploring literary history, Islamic legal hermeneutics, and substantive Islamic law, I demonstrate that, in this particular case, substantial egalitarian reform can be justified without fundamental changes to traditional Islamic theological doctrines. While no one rhetorical strategy offers a “magic bullet” for creating a more gender-egalitarian version of Islamic law, progressive Muslim reformers in my view should first exhaust possibilities for reform implicit in traditional methods before introducing arguments outside of that tradition—arguments which, by their nature, raise controversial theological questions that may be more intractable than the legal rules that are the object of the desired reform.
The Ottoman Press and the Dutch East Indies at the beginning of the twentieth century
Authors: Baykal Erol
Published: May 2011

Around the start of the twentieth century articles which were critical of Dutch colonial rule and its treatment of Muslim subjects in the East Indies appeared in certain Ottoman newspapers. For the Dutch, who had not yet been able to fully establish control within the borders of their colony, such inflammatory material was not desirable, especially given the fact that these newspapers had a readership among the colonized Muslims. The Dutch tried to prevent these publications, regarding them as the product of the pan-Islamist attitude of the Porte, a suspicion encouraged by Abdülhamid II's apparent behind-the-scenes support for such Ottoman newspapers.
The life of Aq-Sunqur al-Bursuqi: some notes on twelfth-century Islamic history and thirteenth-century Muslim historiography
Authors: Mallett Alex
Published: May 2011

This article examines the career of the Turkish emir Aq Sunqur al-Bursuqi, who was active across a wide region of the Middle East in the first half of the twelfth century. In so doing, it highlights important aspects of the Crusades and Counter-Crusade more widely during this period. It also analyses the presentation of al-Bursuqi in the historical chronicles which form the basis of studying the early twelfth century, in order to further understanding of the late-sixth/twelfth and early-seventh/thirteenth century societies in which they were written.
Money and politics: the fate of British business in the new Turkish Republic
Authors: Fleet Kate
Published: May 2011

This article examines the relations between the Ankara government and British financial circles in the period between the collapse of the Ottoman empire at the end of the First World War and the establishment of the new Turkish Republic in 1923. Highlighting the difficulties experienced by British business interests due to the political stance of the British government, it also calls into question the ability of such business circles to operate effectively within the new Turkey and demonstrates the new line adopted by the nationalists to British capital and to foreign financial control in the new Republic.
Local authorities and conflict in an Ottoman island at the beginning of the nineteenth century
Authors: Michael Michalis
Published: May 2011

This article studies the 1804 revolt in Cyprus and its repression. The protagonists of this revolt reveal a particularly complex situation in an area of the Ottoman periphery such as Cyprus at the beginning of the nineteenth century. By codifying the realities revealed to us by this revolt we can remark the existence and parallel action of three different Ottoman authorities in Cyprus during this period. The relation of these three authorities is complicated. Competition between them to expand their responsibilities is constant, as well as their forced collaboration in an effort to maintain order on the island. With regard to their power and importance this is even more difficult since during this period the tenure of an official in Ottoman Cyprus could be short (muhassıl), longer (divan tercümanı), or even permanent (archbishop of Cyprus). The questions that the analysis of this revolt tries to answer are many: who are the Ottoman authorities in Cyprus at the beginning of the nineteenth century? Why is it mainly the Muslims on the island who revolt and especially those living in Nicosia? What was the reaction of the central administration and the island's authorities and how was the revolt finally repressed? Another question concerns the possibility that the 1804 revolt was due to harsh competition between multiple authorities in such a small locality. If this is the case, can we consider this period as the culmination of the establishment process of one authority as the most powerful political power institution? Finally, what does the involvement of the French consul in Cyprus in such a difficult situation show?
Rushing to the Polls: The Causes of Premature Postconflict Elections
Authors: Brancati Dawn , Snyder Jack L.
Published: May 2011

In the post—cold war period, civil wars are increasingly likely to end with peace settlements brokered by international actors who press for early elections. However, elections held soon after wars end, when political institutions remain weak, are associated with an increased likelihood of a return to violence. International actors have a double-edged influence over election timing and the risk of war, often promoting precarious military stalemates and early elections but sometimes also working to prevent a return to war through peacekeeping, institution building, and powersharing. In this article, we develop and test quantitatively a model of the causes of early elections as a building block in evaluating the larger effect of election timing on the return to war.
Continuation of Politics by Two Means: Direct and Indirect Violence in Civil War
Authors: Balcells Laia
Published: May 2011

This article distinguishes between ‘‘direct’’ and ‘‘indirect’’ violence during civil wars. These two types differ in their forms of production: while indirect violence is unilaterally perpetrated by an armed group, direct violence is jointly produced by an armed group and civilians, and it hinges on local collaboration. These differences have consequences for the spatial variation of each of these types: in conventional civil wars, indirect violence is hypothesized to be positively associated with levels of prewar support for the enemy group; in contrast, direct violence is hypothesized to increase with the level of political parity between factions in a locality. The predictions are tested with a novel dataset of 1,710 municipalities in Catalonia and Aragon during the Spanish civil war (1936—1939).
Electing Displacement: Political Cleansing in Apartadó, Colombia
Authors: Steele Abbey
Published: May 2011

This article highlights a nefarious effect of elections during civil wars by demonstrating that they can facilitate the displacement of civilians. In contrast to the perception of displacement as haphazard, the author argues that armed groups displace strategically when they attempt to gain control over a territory, and where they have information about civilians’ loyalties. Although inferring preferences is difficult in the context of civil wars, elections conducted before or during a violent conflict are one way that armed groups can identify local cleavages and ‘‘disloyal’’ residents. The author tests implications of the argument with original, microlevel quantitative and qualitative data from northwest Colombia. Using voter files and disaggregated electoral returns, the author shows that residents in urban neighborhoods that supported the insurgent-backed political party, the Patriotic Union (UP), were more likely to leave the city of Apartadó than were neighbors in other districts. However, residents of the nearby rural communities that supported the UP were the least likely to leave. The author traces the patterns of violence across the communities using local archival materials and interviews to assess how well the argument accounts for the variation observed, and to explore the unexpected outcome in the rural area. While the author finds that counterinsurgents attempted strategic displacement in both the city and the mountains, they only succeeded in the urban areas because residents of the rural hamlets were uniquely able to overcome the collective action problem that strategic displacement generates. The findings demonstrate that political identities are relevant for patterns of violence, and that cleansing occurs even in nonethnic civil wars.
The Yin and Yang actions of North American ginseng root in modulating the immune function of macrophages
Authors: Azike Chike Godwin , Charpentier Paul Abrahams , Hou Jirui , Pei Hua , King Lui Edmund Man
Published: May 2011

Background

Immuno-modulatory effects of ginseng, including both immuno-stimulatory and immuno-suppressive effects, have been widely reported. This study aims to determine whether the paradoxical immuno-modulatory effect is related to unique phytochemical profiles of different North American (NA) ginseng, namely aqueous (AQ) and alcoholic (ALC) extracts.

Methods

AQ and ALC extracts were prepared and their immuno-bioactivity were studied in vitro in murine macrophages (Raw 264.7) through measuring the direct stimulatory production of pro-inflammatory mediator and cytokines as well as the suppression of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulatory response by the two extracts. Gel permeation chromatography was used to fractionate and isolate phytochemicals for characterization of ginseng extracts.

Results

AQ extract up-regulated the production of nitric oxide (NO), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) while ALC extract did not. ALC extract but not AQ extract suppressed LPS-induced macrophage NO and TNF-α production. These immuno-stimulatory and suppressive effects were exhibited at similar extract concentrations. Moreover, the macrophage-stimulating activity of the AQ extract was inhibited in the presence of ALC extract. Fractionation of AQ extract revealed the presence of two major peaks at 230 nm with average molecular weights of 73,000 and 37,000 Da. The first fraction had similar elution volume as the crude polysaccharide (PS) fraction isolated from the AQ extract, and it was the only bioactive species. Parallel fractionation study of ALC extract yielded similar elution profiles; however, both sub-fractions were devoid of PS. Fraction I of the ALC extract suppressed LPS-induced NO production dose-dependently.

Conclusion

ALC extract of NA ginseng, which was devoid of PS, was immuno-inhibitory whereas the AQ extract, which contained PS, was immuno-stimulatory. These extract-related anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory effects may be considered as the Yin and Yang actions of ginseng.
Detection of the circulating antigen 14-3-3 protein of Schistosoma japonicum by time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay in rabbits
Authors: Qian Chun-Yan , Huang Biao , Yu Chuan-Xin , Zhang Jue , Yin Xu-Ren , Wang Jie , Song Li-Jun , Zhang Wei , Ke Xue-Dan
Published: May 2011

Background

Schistosomiasis remains a major public health concern that afflicts millions of people worldwide. Low levels of Schistosoma infection require more sensitive diagnostic methods. In this study, a time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay (TRFIA) was developed for detecting the signal transduction protein 14-3-3, a circulating antigen of Schistosoma japonicum.

Results

The detection limit of 14-3-3-TRFIA was 0.78 ng/ml, with a linear measurement range from 0.78 to 800 ng/ml. The average intra-assay and inter-assay variability of this TRFIA was 8.9% and 12.2% respectively, and the mean recovery rate ranged from 92.1% to 115.5%. Within the first 21 days post-infection in rabbits, the positive rates of the 14-3-3-TRFIA were distinctly higher compared to ELISA. All these findings illustrate that 14-3-3-TRFIA has a higher detection efficacy and is a good early diagnostic method for active Schistosoma infection.

Conclusions

A sandwich TRFIA for detecting the circulating antigen 14-3-3 of S. japonicum has been developed, and has demonstrated to be a good potential diagnostic method for schistosomiasis.
Homologous pairing and the role of pairing centers in meiosis
Authors: Tsai Jui-He , McKee Bruce D.
Published: May 2011

Homologous pairing establishes the foundation for accurate reductional segregation during meiosis I in sexual organisms. This Commentary summarizes recent progress in our understanding of homologous pairing in meiosis, and will focus on the characteristics and mechanisms of specialized chromosome sites, called pairing centers (PCs), in Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster. In C. elegans, each chromosome contains a single PC that stabilizes chromosome pairing and initiates synapsis of homologous chromosomes. Specific zinc-finger proteins recruited to PCs link chromosomes to nuclear envelope proteins – and through them to the microtubule cytoskeleton – thereby stimulating chromosome movements in early prophase, which are thought to be important for homolog sorting. This mechanism appears to be a variant of the ‘telomere bouquet’ process, in which telomeres cluster on the nuclear envelope, connect chromosomes through nuclear envelope proteins to the cytoskeleton and lead chromosome movements that promote homologous synapsis. In Drosophila males, which undergo meiosis without recombination, pairing of the largely non-homologous X and Y chromosomes occurs at specific repetitive sequences in the ribosomal DNA. Although no other clear examples of PC-based pairing mechanisms have been described, there is evidence for special roles of telomeres and centromeres in aspects of chromosome pairing, synapsis and segregation; these roles are in some cases similar to those of PCs.
Redistribution of caveolae during mitosis
Authors: Boucrot Emmanuel , Howes Mark T. , Kirchhausen Tomas , Parton Robert G.
Published: May 2011

Caveolae form a specialized platform within the plasma membrane that is crucial for an array of important biological functions, ranging from signaling to endocytosis. Using total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) and 3D fast spinning-disk confocal imaging to follow caveola dynamics for extended periods, and electron microscopy to obtain high resolution snapshots, we found that the vast majority of caveolae are dynamic with lifetimes ranging from a few seconds to several minutes. Use of these methods revealed a change in the dynamics and localization of caveolae during mitosis. During interphase, the equilibrium between the arrival and departure of caveolae from the cell surface maintains the steady-state distribution of caveolin-1 (Cav1) at the plasma membrane. During mitosis, increased dynamics coupled to an imbalance between the arrival and departure of caveolae from the cell surface induces a redistribution of Cav1 from the plasma membrane to intracellular compartments. These changes are reversed during cytokinesis. The observed redistribution of Cav1 was reproduced by treatment of interphase cells with nocodazole, suggesting that microtubule rearrangements during mitosis can mediate caveolin relocalization. This study provides new insights into the dynamics of caveolae and highlights precise regulation of caveola budding and recycling during mitosis.
The histone deacetylase Rpd3 regulates the heterochromatin structure ofDrosophilatelomeres
Authors: Burgio Giosalba , Cipressa Francesca , Ingrassia Antonia Maria Rita , Cenci Giovanni , Corona Davide F. V.
Published: May 2011

Telomeres are specialized structures at the end of eukaryotic chromosomes that are required to preserve genome integrity, chromosome stability and nuclear architecture. Telomere maintenance and function are established epigenetically in several eukaryotes. However, the exact chromatin enzymatic modifications regulating telomere homeostasis are poorly understood. In Drosophila melanogaster, telomere length and stability are maintained through the retrotransposition of specialized telomeric sequences and by the specific loading of protecting capping proteins, respectively. Here, we show that the loss of the essential and evolutionarily conserved histone deacetylase Rpd3, the homolog of mammalian HDAC1, causes aberrant telomeric fusions on polytene chromosome ends. Remarkably, these telomere fusion defects are associated with a marked decrease of histone H4 acetylation, as well as an accumulation of heterochromatic epigenetic marks at telomeres, including histone H3K9 trimethylation and the heterochromatic protein HP2. Our work suggests that Drosophila telomere structure is epigenetically regulated by the histone deacetylase Rpd3.
Aerobic Oxidation of Amines Catalyzed by Polymer-Incarcerated Au Nanoclusters: Effect of Cluster Size and Cooperative Functional Groups in the Polymer
Authors: Miyamura Hiroyuki , Morita Masataka , Inasaki Takeshi , Kobayashi Shū
Published: May 2011

Aerobic oxidation reaction of amines to imines catalyzed by polymer-incarcerated Au nanoclusters (PI-Au) was developed. The effect of cluster size for this oxidation reaction was carefully examined using the same polymer support. We have succeeded in preparation of various PI-Au catalysts containing different size clusters by modification of standard preparation methods. The size of clusters and their distribution were analyzed by electron microscopy. Interestingly, catalysts containing relatively larger clusters (>5 nm) showed higher activity in aerobic oxidation of amines than catalysts containing smaller clusters (1–3 nm) that showed much better activity for aerobic oxidation of alcohols. In addition, novel Au nanocluster catalysts immobilized on newly prepared polymer with tertiary amine groups were developed and they showed excellent activity for aerobic oxidation of amines to imines. The relation between cluster size and catalytic activity and role of tertiary amine in polymer were discussed. These catalysts could be applied to aerobic oxidative deprotection of p-methoxybenzyl groups.
Simplexins J–O, Eunicellin-Based Diterpenoids from a Dongsha Atoll Soft Coral Klyxum simplex
Authors: Wu Shwu-Li , Su Jui-Hsin , Lu Yi , Chen Bo-Wei , Huang Chiung-Yao , Wen Zhi-Hong , Kuo Yao-Haur , Sheu Jyh-Horng
Published: May 2011

Six new eunicellin-based diterpenoids, simplexins J–O (1–6), were isolated from a Dongsha Atoll soft coral, Klyxum simplex. The structures of these compounds were established by detailed spectroscopic analysis and by comparison with spectroscopic data of related known compounds. Compounds 4–6 have been found to significantly inhibit the accumulation of the pro-inflammatory iNOS protein in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Crystal Structures of Cis and Trans Isomers of a Platinate(II) Complex with d-Penicillaminate
Authors: Yoshinari Nobuto , Hashimoto Yuji , Igashira-Kamiyama Asako , Konno Takumi
Published: May 2011

A square-planar platinate(II) complex, [Pt(d-pen-N,S)2]2− (d-H2pen: d-penicillamine), was newly synthesized by the 1:2 reaction of [PtCl4]2− with d-pen in water under severe conditions (reflux for 12 h). This complex formed both cis and trans isomers, which were separated, isolated, and crystallographically characterized.
Direct Observation of Double Layer Interactions between the Potential-controlled Gold Electrode Surfaces Using the Electrochemical Surface Forces Apparatus
Authors: Kamijo Toshio , Kasuya Motohiro , Mizukami Masashi , Kurihara Kazue
Published: May 2011

We have designed a new apparatus, an electrochemical SFA, for measuring the forces between symmetric gold electrode surfaces under electrochemical potential control. The surface separation was determined by two-beam (twin-path) interferometry. The potential was applied to the gold surfaces (working electrode) in 1 mM aqueous KClO4 using Ag/AgCl as the reference and Pt as the counter electrode. We observed the van der Waals attraction and the double layer repulsion which decreased with the increasing potential from −0.1 to 0.2 V (vs. Ag/AgCl).
Ultrasensitive Detection of Nickel(II) Ion by Capillary Electrophoresis–Post Chemiluminescence with Field-amplified Sample Injection
Authors: He Weiwei , Jia Huimin , Guo Shanshan , Zheng Zhi
Published: May 2011

An online ultrasensitive method for detection of nickel ions by capillary electrophoresis–post chemiluminescence with field-amplified sample injection has been developed. Under the optimal conditions, the detection limit for Ni2+ was 1.0 × 10−14 mol L−1, relative standard deviations of peak area and migration time using 1.0 × 10−12 mol L−1 Ni2+ (n = 7) were 6.23% and 2.86%, respectively. This is a lower detection limit for Ni2+ than previously reported. The proposed method was successfully applied to the separation of Hg2+, Ni2+, and Cu2+ in a mixture.
Electrochemically Generated ArS(ArSSAr)+B(C6F5)4− as an Activator of Thioglycosides for Glycosylation
Authors: Saito Kodai , Saigusa Yoshihiro , Nokami Toshiki , Yoshida Jun-ichi
Published: May 2011

Electrochemically generated ArS(ArSSAr)+ was found to be an effective activator for glycosylation of thioglycosides. Efficiency of the reaction strongly depends on the nature of the counter anion, and B(C6F5)4− was the most effective among those examined. The method was applicable to various glyocosyl donors including thiogalactosides and thiomannosides and various acceptors including those having secondary hydroxy groups.
Application of Synchrotron µ-XRF-XAFS to the Speciation of Fe on a Single Stalk in Bacteriogenic Iron Oxides (BIOS)
Authors: Kikuchi Sakiko , Makita Hiroko , Mitsunobu Satoshi , Terada Yasuko , Yamaguchi Noriko , Takai Ken , Takahashi Yoshio
Published: May 2011

Speciation of iron (Fe) precipitated on bacterial stalks was studied by Fe K-edge µ-XRF-XAFS. Micro-XRF analysis of the stalk samples showed that Fe is precipitated around the stalk. All the µ-XANES spectra at several Fe-accumulated parts showed similar spectra. This study indicated that synchrotron µ-XRF-XAFS is a powerful tool for chemical speciation of metals at single-cell level for bacteria bearing metal.
Electrochemical and Photocatalytic Decomposition of Perfluorooctanoic Acid with a Hybrid Reactor Using a Boron-doped Diamond Electrode and TiO2 Photocatalyst
Authors: Ochiai Tsuyoshi , Moriyama Hirofumi , Nakata Kazuya , Murakami Taketoshi , Koide Yoshihiro , Fujishima Akira
Published: May 2011

The efficient decomposition of environmentally persistent perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was achieved by a hybrid of electrolysis and photocatalysis. The rate constant of PFOA decomposition in the hybrid system was larger than the sum of the constants in electrolysis-only and photocatalysis-only systems. The hybrid system was able to accelerate the PFOA decomposition by complementally support of two kinds of reaction kinetics. These results could be useful for development of a new continuous system for practical treatment of waste water containing perfluorinated acids.
Synthesis of a Complete Janus-type Guanosine–Cytosine Base and Its 2′-Deoxyribonucleoside
Authors: Zhao Hang , Huang Wen , Wu Xiaohua , Qing Yong , Xing Zhihua , He Yang
Published: May 2011

Novel Janus-type guanosine–cytosine pyrimido[4,5-d]pyrimidine and its 2′-deoxyribonucleoside have been synthesized in a viable route employing the Vorbruggen method.
Effective Surface Modification of Titanate Nanosheets Using the Lamellar Self-assembly of a Cationic Amine Surfactant as a Template
Authors: Nakagawa Keizo , Yamaguchi Kazuki , Yamada Keiji , Ogata Toshimasa , Sotowa Ken-Ichiro , Sugiyama Shigeru , Adachi Motonari
Published: May 2011

Titanate nanosheets with a lamellar mesostructure were developed using the lamellar self-assembly of cationic 1,12-dodecanediamine (DDA) as a template. An electrostatic interaction between negatively charged titanate nanosheets and positively charged DDA molecules was required to form layered titanate nanosheets. This approach leads to titanate nanosheet surface characteristics such as visible light absorption and high adsorption of hydrophobic organic compounds.
Theoretical Study of Ionic Liquids on the Difference of Melting Points between Tertiary and Quaternary Ammonium Triflates
Authors: Mori Kazuki , Sakakibara Kazuhisa
Published: May 2011

The origin of the difference of melting points (Tm) between tertiary and quaternary ammonium triflates has been investigated by ab initio and molecular dynamics simulations. Experimentally, Tm of tertiary ammonium triflates are lower than those of quaternary ammonium triflates. In this work, we used [N122H][TfO] and [N1113][TfO] as typical models of tertiary and quaternary ammonium triflates, and the mutual arrangement of these cation–anion pairs were discussed to elucidate the difference of the melting points of these systems.
Discovering the Company of Surgeons
Authors: Tyte Kate
Published: May 2011

In November 2010 I started work at the Royal College of Surgeons on a five-year project to catalogue the College's institutional archives. These are the records created by the organisation since 1745 as part of its everyday business – a unique and valuable historical research resource. The archives document many aspects of the College's history: Council decisions; examinations; College buildings; research and teaching programmes; the Hunterian Museum; and relationships with other bodies including the government and the National Health Service.
Get Well Soon
Authors: Casey Heather
Published: May 2011

The College has recently updated its online patient information series, Get Well Soon, to offer advice about getting back into everyday activity and work following 17 common operations.
The ISCP Systems Group: Enhancements to the Learning Agreement and ARCP
Authors: Eardley Ian , Bussey Maria , Brooks-Martin Jeremy
Published: May 2011

The Intercollegiate Surgical Curriculum Programme (ISCP) is bringing about a change of learning culture for surgical trainees in which learning is transparent and there is explicit formative feedback. A key principle is that surgical trainees should be able to demonstrate that their learning has met defined standards of conduct and practice. The programme director (PD) is responsible for the training programme within which trainees now have regular appraisals with an assigned educational supervisor (AES) using a learning agreement (LA) and a review of progress through an annual review of competence progression (ARCP). These support trainees by helping them to identify their educational needs and then, in conjunction with their AES, to plan and manage their surgical training.
The Lost Opportunities for Surgical Training in the NHS
Authors: Marriott JC , Purdie H , Millen A , Beard JD
Published: May 2011

Surgery is a craft specialty based on gaining sufficient operating theatre experience. The European Working Time Directive was introduced in 1998 to protect the health and safety of employees. However, the progressive reduction in the hours available for surgical training combined with full-shift working patterns have raised fears that we will produce less experienced surgeons in the future.
Hope for Japanese Surgeons, Hope for Japan
Authors: Hasegawa Hirotoshi
Published: May 2011

During the last 10 years, the number of surgeons in Japan has decreased by 4% (28,488 surgeons were registered in 1998; this figure dropped to 27,434 in 2008), whereas the total number of doctors has increased by 15%. The number of members of the Japan Surgical Society has been decreasing accordingly.
Dental research: where are we now?
Authors: Linden Gerry
Published: May 2011

When I was appointed as a senior lecturer in periodontology in the mid-1980s academic posts were attractive and sought after, with the promise of involvement in research that would underpin teaching. Within a few years regular reviews of research were introduced through the research assessment exercise (RAE), now rechristened the research excellence framework (REF). The RAE assessed the quality of research in all subjects in all UK universities. The results have informed the selective distribution of resources from government to the universities to support research.
VTE Prevention in a District General Hospital
Authors: Worrall Matthew
Published: May 2011

It is now well over 20 years since the evidence of excess hospital deaths due to venous thromboembolism (VTE) was fully established. The steps to prevention through prophylaxis are relatively simple but it remains frustratingly out of reach for hospitals to apply them with consistency. The Bulletin visited Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust, which has managed dramatically to improve through standardisation and audit of VTE risk assessment.
The Effect of Increasing Two-Week Wait Referrals for Head and Neck Cancer in East Kent
Authors: Haikel S , Dawe N , Lekakis G , Black M , Mitchell D
Published: May 2011

In 1998 the UK government published its white paper The New NHS: Modern and Dependable, in which it first suggested that patients being referred with a suspicion of cancer should have a maximum wait of two weeks to see a specialist. The rationale for this was that outcomes for late-stage disease are significantly worse when compared with outcomes for early-stage disease (Table 1). It was assumed that reducing the wait to see a specialist would reduce the stage of disease at presentation.
Strengthening independent opinion in dentistry
Authors: Worker Charlotte
Published: May 2011

Not for many years has the structure, quality and delivery of healthcare in the UK been subject to the degree of scrutiny we have seen in recent months. Plans have been set out that would see the NHS focus on quality outcomes, with a number of implications for the commissioning and delivery of, and access to, NHS dental care. Also of major significance are proposals by the General Dental Council (GDC) to introduce a system of revalidation for dentists, and the requirement for all dental practices to be registered with the Care Quality Commission by April 2011.
Harry and Rachel Morton: a remarkable couple
Authors: Coomer Martyn
Published: May 2011

Many of you will be aware and a number of you have benefited from the Harry Morton Fellowship, which was set up following one of the largest private endowments the College has ever received to encourage surgical training and research exchanges between Canada and the UK. Harry Morton, a patron of this College and distinguished Canadian surgeon who practised at McGill University in Montreal, qualified from the London Hospital Medical College in 1930 and held many senior positions as a trainer and examiner in Canada.
Regional variations in surgical examination performance across the UK: is there a postcode lottery in training?
Authors: Fitzgerald Ed , Giddings Charles
Published: May 2011

The restrictions placed on training opportunities mean that good-quality teaching is of paramount importance to the modern surgical trainee. The authors of this month's article have constructed a league table of training regions based on success rates of candidates sitting the MRCS examination. They acknowledge that pass rate at examination is only one surrogate measure of training standards and that an objective assessment and ranking of rotations would need to take into account several other factors. Nevertheless, a relatively large variation in performance is evident, which highlights the need for more comprehensive, transparent assessments of the quality of training delivered.
Emergency care and outcomes
Authors: Collins Richard , Stanley John
Published: May 2011

Many fellows and members have expressed concern that emergency surgical care has long failed to be given the level of attention and priority it deserves in the NHS. This is something the College sought to highlight in February through the publication of new standards to be used by commissioners, providers and other interested parties.
Standards for unscheduled care published
Authors: Edwards Simon
Published: May 2011

In February the College published for the first time a set of standards for emergency surgical care, addressing a complex and often neglected area of surgery. These detailed standards, aimed at providers and commissioners, were produced by a group comprising representatives from the specialty associations, medical royal colleges and regulators, as well as patients. The guideline seeks to address the wide variation in mortality, which can vary by as much as 100% between units, as well as complication rates on a specialty-by-specialty basis.
What works to increase the use of research in population health policy and programmes: a review
Authors: Moore Gabriel , Redman Sally , Haines Mary , Todd Angela
Published: May 2011

Policy agencies are implementing strategies to increase the use of research in policy decisions. This paper examines the evidence about the effectiveness of these strategies. We conducted an extensive search focused on population health policy and programmes. We classified 106 papers meeting study criteria into research type (conceptual, descriptive and intervention). We examined the descriptive studies to identify commonly nominated potential intervention strategies. We examined the intervention studies to evaluate the impact of the tested strategies in increasing the use of research in policy decisions. There is little evidence about which strategies increase the use of evidence in population health policy and programmes.
Documents, practices and policy
Authors: Freeman Richard , Maybin Jo
Published: May 2011

What are the practices of policy making? In this paper, we seek to identify and understand them by attending to one of the principal artefacts – the document – through which they are organised. We review the different ways in which researchers have understood documents and their function in public policy, endorsing a focus on content but noting that the processes by which documents are produced and used have been left largely unexamined. We specify our understanding of the document as an artefact, exploring aspects of its materiality in both paper and electronic forms. The key characteristic of the policy document, we suggest, is the way it is produced and used collectively, in groups.
The clash of practice: political controversy and the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission
Authors: Bueger Christian
Published: May 2011

Controversy is at the heart of politics. Theories of practice offer a productive way of understanding controversies and potentially negotiating in them. In this paper, drawing on the work of Theodore Schatzki, Michel Callon and Bruno Latour, I introduce a heuristic for understanding controversies. I argue that what is often at stake in controversies are different types of practices of how a political issue should be handled. I introduce five of these types of practices. I analyse a case from global politics to demonstrate the value of such a perspective – the controversies in the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission are analysed as clashes between different practices of handling peacebuilding.
The push and pull of the world: how experience animates practice
Authors: Wagenaar Hendrik , Cook S.D. Noam
Published: May 2011

A refreshed and expanded understanding of experience can contribute to a relevant reassessment of the nature of practice and its relationship with knowledge and context. We characterise experience as essentially transactional, as entailing constitutive interaction with the elements of the social, institutional and physical world. It is within this transactional experience – within the push and pull of the world – that practice addresses the constraints and affordances of what we know and the contexts within which we generate and deploy what we know. Practice is animated by and within experience. Building on a concrete case of police work, we propose and explore three characteristics of the animation of practice by experience: ‘actionable understanding’, ‘ongoing business’ and ‘the eternally unfolding present’.
Discourse and practice: using the power of well being
Authors: Griggs Steven , Howarth David
Published: May 2011

This paper challenges the drawing of explicit boundaries between discourse and practice. Reflecting on the intricacies of practice and meaning, it begins by recounting the ‘story’ of the national evaluation of the Well Being Power and the myriad of ways in which local practitioners interpreted its use. It then draws on political discourse theory to set out the relationship between discourse and practice before drawing on what Glynos and Howarth (2007) have termed ‘logics of critical explanation’ to present a novel set of strategies for evaluating policy practices as well as conceptualising our own practice as policy analysts and researchers.
The Collective Responsibility of Democratic Publics
Authors: Pasternak Avia
Published: May 2011

Towards the end of her seminal work on the notion of representation Hanna Pitkin makes the following observation:

At the end of the Second World War and during the Nuremberg trials there was much speculation about the war guilt of the German people. […] Many people might argue the responsibility of the German people even though a Nazi government was not representative. We might agree, however, that in the case of a representative government the responsibility would be more clear-cut.
Development and Evaluation of a Toolkit to Assess Partnership Readiness for Community-Based Participatory Research
Authors: Andrews Jeannette O. , Cox Melissa J. , Newman Susan D. , Meadows Otha
Published: May 2011

An earlier investigation by academic and community co-investigators led to the development of the Partnership Readiness for Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) Model, which defined major dimensions and key indicators of partnership readiness. As a next step in this process, we used qualitative methods, cognitive pretesting, and expert reviews to develop a working guide, or toolkit, based on the model for academic and community partners to assess and leverage their readiness for CBPR. The 75-page toolkit is designed as a qualitative assessment promoting equal voice and transparent, bi-directional discussions among all the partners. The toolkit is formatted to direct individual partner assessments, followed by team assessments, discussions, and action plans to optimize their goodness of fit, capacity, and operations to conduct CBPR. The toolkit has been piloted with two cohorts in the Medical University of South Carolina’s (MUSC) Community Engaged Scholars (CES) Program with promising results from process and outcome evaluation data.