bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Nicotine and Alcohol Pretreatment on the Gastric Mucosal Damage Induced by Aspirin, Phenylbutazone, and Reserpine in Rats
Authors: Tariq M. , Parmar N. S. , Ageel A. M.
Published: June 2007

The effect of nicotine and alcohol pretreatment by feeding nicotine (2.5 mg/100 ml), alcohol (25%, v/v) and their combination (nicotine 2.5 mg/100 ml + alcohol 25%, v/v) in drinking water ad libitum for 21 days was studied on the gastric mucosal damage induced by aspirin, phenylbutazone, and reserpine in rats. When given alone, neither nicotine nor alcohol produced any visibly discernible gastric lesions. Their concurrent administration, however, produced minor injury to the gastric mucosa appearing as 5–7 circular ulcers of less than 1 mm in diameter. Pretreatment with nicotine, alcohol, and their combination resulted in the significant augmentation of gastric ulcers produced by aspirin, phenylbutazone, and reserpine. The augmentation of gastric lesions in the group pretreated with the combination of nicotine and alcohol was significantly greater than in the groups treated by either of them alone. The effect of nicotine on the mucus neck cell population of the gastric mucosa and pancreatic bicarbonate secretion, and the gastric mucosal damaging effect of chronic alcohol treatment may be responsible for the potentiation of ulcerogenic effects of aspirin, phenylbutazone, and reserpine.
Effects of Age, Sex, and Cimetidine on Acute Ethanol‐Induced Inhibition of the Hepatic Monooxygenase Systems
Authors: Henderson George I. , Schenker Steven
Published: June 2007

Our aim was to investigate the possible interaction of acute ethanol (E) with the metabolism of other drugs by microsomes isolated from immature and mature rat livers and placenta. The effects of acute in vitro E exposure on the W‐demethylation of [“C]aminopyrine and [1‐,4C]methylcaffeine by these tissues were determined. In addition, the effects of ethanol on these two enzyme systems from male and female livers were compared along with an analysis of ethanol and cimetidine inhibitory interactions. The degree (percentage) of inhibition by acute E (1–3 mg/ml) varied with both age and sex. Amino‐pyrine demethylase activity was inhibited by E to a greater degree (p < 0.05) in the adult female than the male. However, when inhibition was expressed in absolute terms (control minus inhibited activity), these inhibitory values varied in direct proportion to initial (control) enzyme activity. Thus, E reduced aminopyrine demethylase from adult male microsomes by 4 times that in the female and in excess of 1000 times the absolute inhibiton observed in fetal liver regardless of E concentration. A similar pattern of sex and age differences in caffeine demethylase response to E was observed except that absolute differences in inhibition were less due to smaller variation in control values. In addition, placental caffeine demethylase was highly sensitive to E inhibition (51% at 3 mg/nl) but not to the extent of caffeine demethylase from fetal liver (75% at 3 mg/nl). Finally, it was demonstrated that E interacts with cimetidine in a manner that may be additive.
Dietary factors and Alcoholic Cirrhosis
Authors: Nanji Amin A. , French Samuel W.
Published: June 2007

Mortality from cirrhosis in many countries deviates markedly from that expected for a given per capita alcohol intake. We investigated the possibility that dietary factors might explain the deviation expected and actual mortality rates in different countries. Deviations from expected cirrhosis mortality was calculated as a percentage for 17 different countries, all of whom had carrier rates for hepatitis B virus of less than 2%. The percentage of deviation was correlated with dietary intake of sautrated fat, polyunsaturated fat, cholesterol, and also with mortality from ischemic heart disease. The percentage of deviation correlated inversely with dietary cholesterol (r= ‐0.86, p 0.001) and saturated fat (r= ‐0.80, p 0.001) and positively with polyunsaturated fats (r= ‐0.55 p 0.05). This suggests that both saturated fat and cholesterol protect against alcoholic cirrhosis while polyunsaturated fats promote cirrhosis. The correlation between percentage of deviation and ischemic heart disease (r= ‐0.78, p 0.002) suggests that those factors that promote ischemic heart diease protect against alcoholic cirrhosis.
Mandatory Supervised Antabuse Therapy in an Outpatient Alcoholism Program: A Pilot Study
Authors: Sereny George , Sharma Vidya , Holt James , Gordis Enoch
Published: June 2007

We instituted a program of mandatory supervised antabuse therapy in an outpatient alcoholism clinic for patients who wish to remain connected to the clinic but who have continued to drink repeatedly. Almost 60% of 68 patients who agreed to this regimen achieved significant periods of sobriety. These preliminary findings suggest that a controlled trial of this approach is warranted.
Disposition of Ethanol and Activity of Hepatic and Placental Alcohol Dehydrogenase and Aldehyde Dehydrogenases in the Third‐Trimester Pregnant Guinea Pig for Single and Short‐Term Oral Ethanol Administration
Authors: Clarke David W. , Steenaart Nancy A. E. , Brien James F.
Published: June 2007

The disposition of ethanol and its metabolite, acetaldehyde, and the activity of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALOH) were determined in the third‐trimester pregnant guinea pig following single and 7‐day oral administration of ethanol (0.5 g kg maternal body weight‐1 day‐1). Animals were killed at each of selected times after the single and seventh ethanol dose. For both ethanol dosage regimens, the maternal and fetal blood and brain ethanol concentrations were virtually identical during the elimination phase of the time‐course study. There was initial slow transfer of ethanol into amniotic fluid, followed by significantly higher ethanol concentration in amniotic fluid relative to maternal and fetal blood during the elimination phase. Acetaldehyde was measurable in maternal blood, maternal brain, and fetal brain at concentrations that were low and variable. For both ethanol dosage regimens, ADH activity was measurable only in maternal liver. Low Km ALOH activity was measurable only in maternal liver and fetal liver. High K. ALDH was measurable in maternal liver, fetal liver, and placenta and was significantly greater in maternal liver. The data indicate that (1) there is bidirectional placental transfer of ethanol in the maternal‐fetal unit; (2) the elimination of ethanol from the maternal and fetal compartments is regulated by maternal hepatic biotransformation involving ADH; (3) the amniotic fluid is a reservoir for ethanol in utero; (4) the low Km ALDH in fetal liver protects the fetus from ethanoi‐derived acetaldehyde in the maternal circulation; and (5) short‐term maternal administration of once‐daily, low‐dose ethanol does not produce major changes Hi ethanol disposition and the activity of the enzymes involved in ethanol biotransformation.
Gastric Emptying of Solid Meal in Male Chronic Alcoholics
Authors: Keshavarzian A. , Iber F. L. , Greer P. , Wobbteton J.
Published: June 2007

Nausea and vomiting are common complaints in chronic alcoholics. Autonomic neuropathy and esophageal motor abnormalities are frequently observed in chronic alcoholics, but gastric emptying has not been studied in these patients. Gastric emptying of a solid meal was measured, using maxTc‐sulfur coHoid cooked in a scrambled egg, in 10 male chronic alcohoBcs with upper gastrointestinal complaints of nausea and vomiting. AH patients were adequately nourished, recently drinking, but just over withdrawal and free of clinical peripheral neuropathy. Gastric emptying in 10 alcoholics was similar to 5 normal controls (tw 115 ± 12 versus 107 ± 8 min). These data suggest that upper gastrointestinal symptoms in chronic alcoholics are not related to gastric motor dysfunction.
The Effect of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure on Umbilical Cord Length in Fetal Rats
Authors: Barron Susan , Riley Edward P. , Smotherman William P.
Published: June 2007

Umbilical cord length is reported to be a good indicator of fetal movement This study was designed to examine the effects of chronic alcohol exposure on umbilical cord length in fetal rats. Exposure to alcohol during prenatal development was associated with shortened umbilical cord length, relative to controls. This finding was not a function of body weight differences alone and provides evidence that fetal movements may be decreased as a consequence of maternal alcohol consumption. The possible role of suppressed fetal movements in some of alcohol's teratogenic actions is also discussed.
Magnesium Deficiency in Alcoholism
Authors: Rink Edmund B.
Published: June 2007

Significant magnesium deficiency occurs in chronic alcoholism. The evidence depends on a number of related lines of evidence: hypo‐magnesemia, a number of clinical symptoms in common with patients with nonalcoholic causes of magnesium deficiency, induction of magnesium excretion by alcohol ingestion (167–260% of control values), positive magnesium balance on alcohol withdrawal (average 1.15 meq/kg), decreased exchangeable magnesium (20Mg, mean deficit 1.12 meq/kg), a mean deficit of 11.4 meq/kg of fat‐free dry weight of muscle of alcoholic patients, and hypocalcemia responsive only to magnesium therapy. When alcohol is withdrawn, free fatty acids rise sharply and plasma magnesium fads. Respiratory alkalosis occurs abruptly also on alcohol withdrawal. The aHcalosis and rise of free fatty acids with concomitant fall of magnesium produces an acute instability of the internal milieu and could result in acute symptoms. There also are a number of nutritional deficiencies which need to be cared for, but magnesium, thiamine, and other B vitamins need to be administered immediately. Potassium and phosphorus should be supplied when they are low.
Monitoring Drinking Behavior with the Alcohol Dipstick during Treatment
Authors: Peachey J. E. , Kapur B. M.
Published: June 2007

The present communication is the first report on the clinical use of the alcohol dipstick to continuously monitor alcoholics' drinking during treatment Daily urine samples from 34 alcoholics were tested for alcohol by the clinical staff using the alcohol dipstick. The patients also provided self‐reports of drinking daily. Patients' compliance for submitting urine samples and for completing daily monitoring sheets (DMS) was 93 and 95%, respectively. Over 75% of the patients drank on at least one occasion; about half of these patients denied drinking detected by the urine tests. Drinking was confirmed by both methods in 39% of the patients who drank, and by the urine testing alone in 54%. The patients in treatment for less than 2 months were abstinent on 85% of the days compared to 98% for those in treatment for 6 months or longer. Seventy‐two percent of all alcohol‐positive urine samples were submitted by patients on days when they denied drinking. Monitoring of patients' drinking was useful in their clinical management The alcohol dipstick was a simple, inexpensive, and rapid alcohol measuring procedure that could be used by the clinical staff in the treatment setting.
Vitamin K Deficiency in Chronic Alcoholic Males
Authors: Iber Frank L. , Shamszad Mahin , Miller Pamela A. , Jacob Robert
Published: June 2007

Twenty male alcoholic subjects were studied initially within 1 day after stopping alcohol and again after about 1 week. Vitamin and mineral measurements were made on blood and abnormal prothrombin molecules quantitated for vitamin K status. Nine of the 20 patients received menadmi after the initial blood sample. Twelve of the alcoholics had significant elevations of abnormal prothrombin. Of these 12, all five who received vitamin K reduced the abnormal prothrombin levels toward normal but no change was observed in the seven who did not receive vitamin K. All nine patients receiving vitamin K lowered the abnormal prothrombin level significantly whereas there was no change in those 11 who did not receive vitamin K. The prothrombin time by the one‐stage technique was normal in all patients. These data suggest that the production of abnormal prothrombin is frequently present in alcoholics and this may represent a subclinical vitamin K deficiency.
Effect of Acute Alcohol Administration on Erythrocyte Aldehyde Dehydrogenase Activity in Man
Authors: Herring Robert W. , Potter James J. , Mezey Esteban
Published: June 2007

The acute oral administration of ethanol to normal subjects resulted in an inrease in erythrocyte aldehyde dehydrogenase activity. Incubation of blood with ethanol at 37 for 2 hr also increased the enzyme activity. By contrast, addition of ethanol directly to the enzyme after its partial purification had no effect on the enzyme activity. The increase in erythrocyte aldehyde dehydrogenase activity following acute ethanol administration is directly opposite to the effect of chronic ethanol consumption in decreasing the enzyme activity in alcoholics. The mechanism for this effect is unknown but may be related to alterations in the erythrocyte membrane and its interaction with the enzyme.
Dexamethasone Suppression Test Testing of Depressed Alcoholics
Authors: Dackis Charles A. , Stuckey Robert F. , Gold Mark S. , Pottash A. L. C.
Published: June 2007

In order to determine the sensitivity of the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) for major depression in alcoholics, we administered this test to 27 alcoholics with major depression. Sixteen of 27 had abnormal DST results, yielding a 59% sensitivity for depression in alcoholics. When combined with previously reported specificity findings of 100%, the DST significantly (p < 0.001) distinguished depressed from nondepressed alcoholics.
Cellular Distribution and Properties of Human Blood Aldehyde Dehydrogenase
Authors: Helander Anders , Tottmar Olof
Published: June 2007

The activity of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH, EC 1.2.1.3) was measured in different fractions of human blood. Of the recovered activity 99% was detected in the intracellular fraction of the erythrocytes. The results also indicated the presence of ALDH activity in the leukocytes, since an increased activity was obtained after cultivation of the cells in the presence of a mitogen. No activity was detected in platelets, plasma, or erythrocyte membranes. Nonlinear Lineweaver‐Burk plots were obtained with acetaldehyde, 3,4‐dihy‐droxyphenylacetaldehyde, and indole‐3‐acetaldehyde as the substrates. The apparent Km values, calculated from the low and high substrate concentration ranges of the curves, were much lower for 3,4‐dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde and indole‐3‐acetaldehyde than for acetaldehyde. Disulfiram caused almost complete inhibition of the blood ALDH activity in assays with acetaldehyde as the substrate, whereas 15–30% of the activity remained unaffected in assays with 3,4‐dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde and indoie‐3‐acetaldehyde. Kinetic experiments using the mixed substrate method and isoelectric focusing of a partially purified sample of blood did not reveal the presence of more than one isozyme.
Effects of Alcohol, Carbon Tetrachloride, and Choline Deficiency on Iron Metabolism in the Rat
Authors: Batey R. G. , Johnston R.
Published: June 2007

The effects of alcohol on hepatic iron uptake and intestinal iron transport were studied in rats fed a nutritionally replete liquid diet containing varying quantities of ethanol. Results were compared with those from animals exposed to carbon tetrachloride (CCI4) to produce hepatocellular necrosis or a choline‐deficient diet to produce steatosis and cirrhosis. A high ethanol intake for 4 or 10 weeks produced hepatic steatosis. CCU produced hepatocellular necrosis. Choline deficiency was associated with steatosis ± cirrhosis. Intestinal iron transport was unaffected by ethanol, CCU, or choline deficiency. Hepatic iron uptake was significantly depressed in rats consuming 11.7 g/kg/day ethanol (p < 0.01) for 4 weeks. Choline‐deficient animals studied at 14 weeks also had significantly decreased hepatic iron uptake (p < 0.01); results were similar in the cirrhotic and noncirrhotic animals. Conversely, CCI4 exposure produced a significant 5‐fold increase in hepatic iron uptake (p < 0.001). Results suggest that ethanol consumption, fatty liver, and cirrhosis are not responsible for any increase in iron absorption or of hepatic iron uptake in the rat model. Acute hepatocellular injury is followed by increased hepatic iron uptake.
Effects of Levamisole on Ethanol‐Induced Suppression of Lactational Immune Transfer in Rats
Authors: Steven William M. , Stewart George L. , Seelig Leonard L.
Published: June 2007

Maternal ethanol consumption in rats has been shown to inhibit lactational transfer of immunity to Trichinella spiralis (T. spiralis) from dams to their neonates. The purpose of this study was to determine if this depressed immune transfer could be altered by treating the dams with a known immunostimulatory drug during pregnancy and lactation. Groups of female rats were fed ethanol‐containing or were pair‐fed isocaloric control liquid diets for 30 days, infected orally with 1,000 T. spiralis larva, and then continued on diet for 10 days to allow the adult worms to establish. The animals were placed on chow diets (maximum 5 days) and mated 1 to 1 with males. On day 1 of pregnancy the animals were returned to their respective liquid diets through pregnancy and lactation. One‐half of the ethanol‐treated animals was given 15 mg/kg body weight of levamisole in the diet beginning on day 10 of pregnancy and continuing until day 17 of lactation. On day 19 of lactation, pups from all experimental groups were challenged orally with 200 T. spiralis larva, and killed at 3 or 8 days postchallenge. Assays for intestinal worm burdens, IgG anti‐T. spiralis serum antibodies, and mesenteric lymph node cell proliferation were conducted. At both sacrifice periods, pups from ethanol‐treated animals showed significantly higher intestinal worm counts (decreased immunity) and significantly lower titers of specific antibodies than the pups of pair‐fed animals or pups of animals receiving levamisole in addition to ethanol. There were no differences between pups of the ethanol/levamisole dams and pair‐fed dams in worm counts or antibody titers. No differences in mesenteric lymph node cell proliferation in response to T. spiralis antigen or to concanavalin A was observed between the three groups. These results indicate that administration of levamisole to ethanol‐induced, immunosuppressed dams can reverse some of the deleterious effects normally seen in lactational immune transfer to suckling pups.
Sex Differences in Ethanol‐induced Dopamine Release in Nucleus Accumbens and in Ethanol Consumption in Rats
Authors: Blanchard B. A. , Steindorf S. , Wang S. , Glick S. D.
Published: June 2007

In vivo microdialysis was used to examine changes in nucleus accumbens and striatal dopamine, dihydrophenylacetic acid (DO‐PAC), and homovanillic acid (HVA) following acute administration of ethanol (0.0, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, or 2.0 g/kg) in male and female Long‐Evans rats. Following dialysis, rats were trained to bar‐press for oral ethanol reinforcement. In nucleus accumbens, females showed significant increases in extracellular dopamine following 0.25 or 0.5 g/ kg ethanol, but did not show significant increases over baseline at the higher doses. Males showed slight increases in dopamine at the lower doses and decreased dopamine at 2.0 g/kg. In striatum, both sexes showed increased dopamine at the lower doses and decreased dopamine at 2.0 g/kg. There were slight increases in nucleus accumbens DOPAC and HVA at some doses in both sexes, but no changes in striatal metabolite levels. In addition to showing increased responsiveness to ethanol‐induced mesolimbic dopamine stimulation, females consumed more ethanol than males during behavioral testing. The pattern of both greater ethanol‐induced nucleus accumbens dopamine release and greater ethanol consumption in females supports the hypothesis that ethanol reward is mediated, at least in part, by the mesolimbic dopamine system.
Teratogenic Effects of Ethanol during Hyperplastic Growth in Cardiac Myocyte Cultures
Authors: Adickes Edward D. , Mollner Teresa J. , Makoid Michael C.
Published: June 2007

Ethanol alters cellular growth and maturation, teratologic factors that are recognized as contributing to abnormal phenotypic expression. Cultured neonatal Sprague‐Dawley rat cardiac myocytes were utilized to determine how ethanol alters growth and development. Two ethanol exposure paradigms were studied: (1) constant, to cultures in closed chambers for 7 days at low (10 mM) and high (50 mM) concentrations; and (2) periodic (24‐hr) to cells during hyperplastic growth. In constantly exposed cultures, 10 and 50 ITIM ethanol concentrations depressed the rate of leucine incorporation and the rate of thymidine uptake during early hyperplastic growth (log phase growth). A resultant slower expansion of cell populations was noted.

Although the period of maximum vulnerability appeared to be the hyperplastic growth phase, a second set of experiments using 10 and 50 mM ethanol were performed to assess the effects of short (24‐hr) exposures. DNA synthesis was depressed during early hyperplastic growth compared with controls (days 2‐4), reflected as a decrease in thymidine incorporation and smaller cell population.

This study demonstrates that ethanol depresses both DNA and protein synthesis during hyperplastic growth resulting in an insufficient, protein‐deficient cell mass, incapable of participating in normal embryogenesis.
A Small Dose of Morphine Leads Rats to Drink More Alcohol and Achieve Higher Blood Alcohol Concentrations
Authors: Hubbell Christopher L. , Mankes Russell F. , Reid Larry D.
Published: June 2007

Male Sprague‐Dawley rats were maintained on a daily regimen of 22 hr of fluid deprivation followed by a 2‐hr opportunity to take a sweetened alcoholic beverage and water for over 6 months. Durinc the week before the formal procedures of the experiment describee herein, access to the alcoholic beverage was limited to 1.5 hr, but access to water was still for 2 hr. Intakes of ethanol, in terms of g/kg, were tabulated at 30 min for half of the rats and at 90 min for the rest. On the day of formal procedures, half of the rats of the 30‐ and 90‐min measures were given 1 mg/kg of morphine sulfate just before the drinking session, whereas the rest received physiological saline Morphine increased mean g/kg intakes of ethanol, as compared with controls, at 30 and 90 min. Blood alcohol levels were also increased These data suggest that the well‐documented ability of small doses of morphine to increase rats' intake of ethanol is probably not related to its ability to produce gastrointestinal effects, but rather due to its ability to modulate central motivational mechanisms associated with ingestion.
In Vivo Effect of Chronic Ethanol Consumption on the Fatty Acid Composition of Phosphatidylinositols in Resting and Anti‐CD3‐Activated Lymphocytes
Authors: Hrelia S. , Biagi P. L. , Bordoni A. , Celadon M. , Rossi C. A. , Castelli E. , Foschi F. G. , Gasbarrini G. , Stefanini G. F.
Published: June 2007

Fatty acid composition of phosphatidylinositols was analyzed in peripheral blood lymphocytes from nine alcoholic patients who were well nourished and without severe acute and chronic liver disease, before and after stimulation with anti‐CDs antibody. Six comparable nondrinkers were studied as controls. A reduction in unsaturated fatty acid (mainly arachidonic) and an increase in palmitic and stearic acid molar content were observed in phosphatidylinositol (PI), phos‐phatidylinositol‐4‐phosphate (PIP), and phosphatidylinositol‐4,5‐bis‐phosphate (PIP2) in unstimulated samples from alcoholic patients in comparison with normal subjects, leading to a significant decrease in the saturated/unsaturated ratio. In controls, anti‐CD3 stimulation caused a marked decrease in arachidonic acid relative molar content counterbalanced by an increase in other polyunsaturated fatty acid relative molar content in PI, PIP, and PIP2 fractions. Interestingly, after anti‐CD3 stimulation, alcoholic patients show the same trend of modification in the fatty acid composition resulting in a sharp reduction of arachidonic acid relative molar content. These results support the hypothesis of an alteration in nutrients being responsible for immune derangement in alcoholics.
End‐of‐Treatment Self‐Efficacy, Aftercare, and Drinking Outcomes of Alcoholic Men
Authors: McKay James R. , Maisto Stephen A. , O'Farrell Timothy J.
Published: June 2007

In substance abusers, low end‐of‐treatment self‐efficacy is thought to be a predictor of increased vulnerability to relapse following treatment. This study is an evaluation of relationships between end‐of‐treatment self‐efficacy, aftercare, and drinking outcomes in a subsample of male alcoholics participating in a treatment outcome study. After completing Behavioral Marital Therapy (BMT), the alcoholics and their spouses were randomly assigned to either an aftercare or a no additional treatment condition and followed up for 1 year. In subjects who received no additional treatment, low self‐efficacy at the end of BMT predicted poorer drinking outcomes, even after drinking behavior during BMT was controlled for. For subjects in the aftercare condition, self‐efficacy at the end of BMT did not predict drinking outcomes. Explanations for the results, as well as implications for models of relapse, are discussed.
Thiamine‐Dependent Enzyme Changes in the Brains of Alcoholics: Relationship to the Wernicke‐Korsakoff Syndrome
Authors: Butterworth Roger F. , Kril Jillian J. , Harper Clive G.
Published: June 2007

Chronic alcoholism results in thiamine deficiency as a consequence of poor nutrition, impaired absorption, and decreased phosphorylation to the enzyme cofactor form of the vitamin, thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP). Results of this study demonstrate significant reductions of TPP‐dependent enzymes [pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, α‐ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (αKGDH), and transketolase] in autopsied cerebellar vermis samples from alcoholic patients with the clinical and neuropathologically confirmed diagnosis of Wernicke‐Korsakoff Syndrome (WKS). Enzyme activities in brain samples from alcoholics without WKS were within normal limits and activities of a nonthiamine‐dependent enzyme, glutamate dehydrogenase, were not significantly different from control values in brain samples from alcoholics with or without WKS. These findings provide evidence, for the first time, of a direct implication of TPP‐related metabolic processes in the pathogenesis of WKS. Decreased activities of αKGDH could be the trigger for a sequence of metabolic events resulting in energy compromise, and ultimately neuronal death in this syndrome.
Heat Treatment of Scallop Adductor Muscle Using Superheated Steam
Authors: Abe T. , Miyashita K.
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT:  Scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis) adductor muscles were heated using superheated steam (150 and 200 °C), boiling (98 °C), and normal steaming (95 °C). The amounts of amino acids, water‐soluble peptides, and nucleotides, expressed as extractive nitrogen in scallop products, are very important elements of quality and taste. After 15‐min heating of scallop muscles with normal steaming and boiling, respective losses of 50% and 64% of the extractive nitrogen were observed. However, most extractive nitrogen (> 86%) remained in the scallop muscles treated with superheated steam at 150 and 200 °C. Protective effects of superheated steam against elution loss of nitrogen compounds were also observed in amino acid analyses of the heated products. The scallop‐muscle surface temperature during treatment with superheated steam increased more quickly than that with normal steaming and boiling. The rapid water loss and the surface protein denaturation engendered formation of a 30‐μm‐thick film covering the surface, which prevented extractive nitrogen loss from internal tissues. Superheated steam treatment at 200 °C caused browning, surface shrinkage, and 47% weight loss. In marked contrast, the appearance and the weight loss of sample treated at 150 °C were almost the same as those of normal steaming and boiling‐treated samples. These results suggested that superheated steaming at 150 °C is an optimal heat treatment of scallop adductor muscles.
Characterization of Volatile Compounds in a Fermented and Dried Fish Product during Cold Storage
Authors: Nordvi B. , Langsrud Ø. , Egelandsdal B. , Slinde E. , Vogt G. , Gutierrez M. , Olsen E.
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT:  The northern European production technique for dry‐cured meat sausages was used to produce a sliceable, fermented, and dried fish product rich in omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). The fatty fish Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), the lean fish saithe (Pollachius virens) (1:1, w/w), Lactobacillus sakei, and 4 different milk protein‐based ingredients were used in the recipes. The changes in the volatile compounds during cold storage (+4 °C) of vacuum‐packed dried sausages were studied by dynamic headspace gas chromatography‐mass spectrometer (GC‐MS). Of  the 117 volatile compounds identified, alcohols, alkanes, esters, aldehydes, ketones, and compounds derived from amino acids were the most prevalent groups of volatiles. Thirty volatiles decreased and 17 increased significantly (P < 0.1) during storage for 15 wk. Despite the high content of PUFA, amino acid catabolism and ester synthesis led to larger changes in the composition of volatiles in the fish product than did lipid oxidation reactions. The milk‐protein‐based powders that were used to physically stabilize the fish oil did not affect the lipid oxidation compounds.
Evaluating the “Catch‐Can” Test for Measuring Lawn Sprinkler Application Rates1
Authors: Lesmeister Crystal , Pochop Larry , Kerr Greg , Wulff Shaun S. , Johnson Drew
Published: June 2007

Abstract:  The effectiveness of measuring lawn sprinkler application rates using the catch‐can test was evaluated. A survey of sources recommending the catch‐can test for measuring application rates show that catch‐can test procedures differ in the collector type, collector placement, number of collectors, and test duration. Analyses of catch‐can tests were performed to address these procedural differences, with emphasis on the type and number of collectors required to provide a reasonable level of confidence in test results. The accuracy of the catch‐can test generally improves as the number of randomly placed collectors increases. In order to achieve an accuracy of ±25% for 90 out of 100 catch‐can tests, the number of randomly placed collectors required ranged from 6 to over 50 for hand‐move systems, while for in‐ground systems, the number of randomly placed collectors required ranged from 2 to 8, depending on the pressure and percent overlap of the water distribution pattern. As long as a reasonable number of collectors were used when performing a catch‐can test, no consistent differences were observed in catch‐can test results due to type of collectors when using tuna fish cans, soup cans, or coffee mugs.
Measuring the Net Economic Value of Recreational Boating as Water Levels Fluctuate1
Authors: Connelly Nancy A. , Brown Tommy L. , Brown Jonathan W.
Published: June 2007

Abstract:  The purpose of this article was to show how the value of recreational boating can be assessed and how that value can be linked to water levels. Data were gathered via a survey of recreational boaters to determine days boated and willingness‐to‐pay (net economic value) for boating on Lake Ontario and on the St. Lawrence River in 2002. Depth measurements were taken at marinas and yacht clubs, boat launch ramps, and private docks. Stage‐damage curves were used to pinpoint at what water levels and to what extent boaters would be impacted. Boaters recreated an estimated 1.3 million days in 2002 and spent an estimated US$178 million in New York counties bordering Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. The mean net economic value per day per boat (above current expenditures) was $69.36, with an estimated total net economic value of US$90 million. Using Lake Ontario as an example, the stage‐damage curves show that the overall negative impact would be small, between 245 and 248 ft. Maintaining water levels within that range for the entire boating season would be ideal for Lake Ontario boaters and associated businesses.
Clathrin‐mediated endocytosis: the physiological mechanism of vesicle retrieval at hippocampal synapses
Authors: Granseth Björn , Odermatt Benjamin , Royle Stephen J. , Lagnado Leon
Published: June 2007

The maintenance of synaptic transmission requires that vesicles are recycled after releasing neurotransmitter. Several modes of retrieval have been proposed to operate at small synaptic terminals of central neurons, but the relative importance of these has been controversial. It is established that synaptic vesicles can collapse on fusion and the machinery for retrieving this membrane by clathrin‐mediated endocytosis (CME) is enriched in the presynaptic terminal. But it has also been suggested that the majority of vesicles released by physiological stimulation are recycled by a second, faster mechanism called ‘kiss‐and‐run’, which operates in 1 s or less to retrieve a vesicle before it has collapsed. The most recent evidence argues against the occurrence of ‘kiss‐and‐run’ in hippocampal synapses. First, an improved fluorescent reporter of exocytosis (sypHy), indicates that only a slow mode of endocytosis (τ= 15 s) operates when vesicle fusion is triggered by a single nerve impulse or short burst. Second, this retrieval mechanism is blocked by overexpressing the C‐terminal fragment of AP180 or by knockdown of clathrin using RNAi. Third, vesicle fusion is associated with the movement of clathrin and vesicle proteins out of the synapse into the neighbouring axon. These observations indicate that clathrin‐mediated endocytosis is the major, if not exclusive, mechanism of retrieval in small hippocampal synapses.
Nonlinear H∞-Output Regulation of a Nonminimum Phase Servomechanism With Backlash
Authors: Aguilar L. T. , Orlov Y. , Cadiou J. C. , Merzouki R.
Published: June 2007

Nonlinear H∞ control synthesis is extended to an output regulation problem for a servomechanism with backlash. The problem in question is to design a feedback controller so as to obtain the closed-loop system in which all trajectories are bounded and the load of the driver is regulated to a desired position while also attenuating the influence of external disturbances. Provided the servomotor position is the only measurement available for feedback, the proposed extension is far from trivial because of nonminimum phase properties of the system. Performance issues of the nonlinear H∞-output regulator constructed are illustrated in an experimental study.
Estimation and Prediction of In-Cylinder Chemical Species in a Gasoline Engine for Control Purposes
Authors: Giansetti P. , Chamaillard Y. , Higelin P. , Charlet A.
Published: June 2007

To simultaneously reduce pollutant emissions and maximize the efficiency of spark ignition engines, several technologies have been developed that must be precisely controlled. For example, exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) is used to minimize NOx production, and running SI engines lean increases the global efficiency. Both these technologies have a deep impact not only on the air mass inside the cylinder, but also on the composition of the enclosed gas. Intake manifold pressure and temperature coupled to a combustion equation permit an estimate of the in-cylinder gas composition which is predominant for combustion process behavior. In-cylinder gas composition must be known before the injection of the fuel is performed, to control the engine performance and emissions. This paper proposes a linear Luenberger observer based on a physical model to predict in-cylinder gas composition for engine control purposes.
Linear Parameter-Varying Lean Burn Air-Fuel Ratio Control for a Spark Ignition Engine
Authors: Zhang Feng , Grigoriadis Karolos M. , Franchek Matthew A. , Makki Imad H.
Published: June 2007

Maximization of the fuel economy of the lean burn spark ignition (SI) engine strongly depends on precise air-fuel ratio control. A great challenge associated with the air-fuel ratio feedback control is the large variable time delay in the exhaust system. In this paper, a systematic development of an air-fuel ratio controller based on post lean NOx trap (LNT) oxygen sensor feedback using linear parameter-varying (LPV) control is presented. Satisfactory stability and disturbance rejection performance is obtained in the face of the variable time delay. The LPV controller is simplified to an explicit parameterized gain scheduled lead-lag controller form for the ease of implementation. A Ford F-150 truck with a V8 4.6 l lean burn engine was used to demonstrate the LPV air-fuel ratio control design. Both simulation and experimental results demonstrate that the designed controller regulates the tailpipe air-fuel ratio to the preset reference for the full engine operating range.
A Reduced-Order Dynamic Model of Nonlinear Oscillating Devices
Authors: Xu R. , Komvopoulos K.
Published: June 2007

A reduced-order dynamic model is presented for nonlinear devices subjected to in-plane oscillatory motion. Comparisons between numerical and finite element results demonstrate that the nonlinear behavior of a planar resonator can be predicted accurately by the derived dynamic model with significantly less computation. Simulation results illustrate the effects of nonlinear stiffness, damping ratio, electrostatic driving force, and device dimensions on the nonlinear dynamic behavior. The analysis yields two possible stable responses, depending on the initial rotation angle and rotation rate. The present dynamic model can be easily modified to analyze the nonlinear response of various planar resonators.
Search for Initial Conditions for Sustained Hopping of Passive Springy-Leg Offset-Mass Hopping Robot
Authors: Seth B. , Seshu P. , Shanmuganathan P. V. , Vichare V. V. , Raj P.
Published: June 2007

A springy-leg, offset-mass or SLOM hopper configuration is considered here, wherein the center of gravity of the body is offset from the line of action of spring force. It is observed that this feature tends to extend the passive hopping motion. A heuristics-based search strategy and a genetic algorithm-based search strategy are implemented for finding the initial conditions that result in extended hopping motion.
Straight Line Path-Planning in Visual Servoing
Authors: Chesi Graziano , Prattichizzo Domenico , Vicino Antonio
Published: June 2007

This paper deals with visual servoing for 6-degree-of-freedom robot manipulators, and considers the problem of establishing whether and how it is possible to reach the desired location while keeping all features in the field of view and following a straight line in the Euclidean space. A path-planning technique based on a parametrization of the camera path through polynomials is proposed, which overcomes existing methods dealing with this problem. The generated image trajectory can be tracked by using an image-based visual servoing controller.
Quality and Kinetics of the Antibody Response in Mice after Three Different Low-Dose Influenza Virus Vaccination Strategies
Authors: Hauge Solveig , Madhun Abdullah , Cox Rebecca Jane , Haaheim Lars Reinhardt
Published: June 2007

The threat of a new influenza pandemic has led to renewed interest in dose-sparing vaccination strategies such as intradermal immunization and the use of adjuvanted vaccines. In this study we compared the quality and kinetics of the serum antibody response elicited in mice after one or two immunizations with a split influenza A (H3N2) virus, using three different low-dose vaccination strategies. The mice were divided into four groups, receiving either a low-dose vaccine (3 μg hemagglutinin [HA]) intradermally or intramuscularly with or without aluminum adjuvant or the normal human vaccine dose (15 μg HA) intramuscularly. Sera were collected weekly after vaccination and tested in the hemagglutination inhibition, virus neutralization, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The antibody responses induced after intradermal or intramuscular low-dose vaccinations were similar and lower than those observed after the human vaccine dose. However, low-dose adjuvanted vaccine elicited a serum antibody response comparable to that elicited by the human dose, although the second immunization did not result in any increase in cross-reactive hemagglutination inhibition antibodies, and the peak serum antibody response was observed 1 week later than in the other vaccination groups. Our murine data suggest that the low-dose intradermal route does not show any obvious advantage over the low-dose intramuscular route in inducing a serum antibody response and that none of the low-dose vaccination strategies is as effective as intramuscular vaccination with the normal human dose. However, the low-dose aluminum-adjuvanted vaccine could present a feasible alternative in case of limited vaccine supply.
Comparison of Four Methods Using Throat Swabs To Confirm Rubella Virus Infection
Authors: Zhu Zhen , Xu Wenbo , Abernathy Emily S. , Chen Min-Hsin , Zheng Qi , Wang Tongzhan , Zhang Zhenying , Li Congyong , Wang Changyin , He Weikuan , Zhou Shujie , Icenogle Joseph
Published: June 2007

Laboratory tests are essential for confirming sporadic cases and outbreaks of rubella. Detection of rubella virus is often necessary to confirm rubella cases and to identify specimens to be used to characterize wild-type rubella viruses. The sensitivities of four methods for detecting rubella virus infection using throat swabs, which had been collected in Henan and Anhui provinces in China, were evaluated. The methods used were reverse transcription (RT)-PCR followed by Southern hybridization using RNA extracted directly from clinical specimens, virus growth in tissue culture followed by virus detection by RT-PCR, low-background immunofluorescence in infected tissue culture cells using monoclonal antibodies to the structural proteins of rubella virus, and a replicon-based method of detecting infectious virus. Among these four methods, direct RT-PCR followed by hybridization was the most sensitive method; the replicon-based method was the least difficult to perform.
First Contemporary Case of Human Infection with
Cryptococcus gattii
in Puget Sound: Evidence for Spread of the Vancouver Island Outbreak
Authors: Upton Arlo , Fraser James A. , Kidd Sarah E. , Bretz Camille , Bartlett Karen H. , Heitman Joseph , Marr Kieren A.
Published: June 2007

We report a case of cryptococcosis due to
C. gattii
which appears to have been acquired in the Puget Sound region, Washington State. Genotyping confirmed identity to the predominant Vancouver Island genotype. This is the first documented case of human disease by the major Vancouver Island emergence strain acquired within the United States.
Spectrum of Clinically RelevantExophialaSpecies in the United States
Authors: Zeng J. S. , Sutton D. A. , Fothergill A. W. , Rinaldi M. G. , Harrak M. J. , de Hoog G. S.
Published: June 2007

Numerous members of the genusExophialaare potential agents of human and animal mycoses. The majority of these infections are cutaneous and superficial, but also fatal systemic infections are known. We re-identified 188 clinical isolates from the United States, which had a preliminary morphological identification ofExophialaspecies, by sequencing internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the rRNA. Molecular identifications of the strains were as follows, in order of frequency: 55E. dermatitidis(29.3%), 37E. xenobiotica(19.7%), 35E. oligosperma(18.6%), 13E. lecanii-corni(6.9%), 12E. phaeomuriformis(6.4%), 7E. jeanselmei(3.7%), 7E. bergeri(3.7%), 6E. mesophila(3.2%), 5E. spinifera(2.7%), 3Exophialasp. 1 (1.6%), 3E. attenuata(1.6%), 3Phialophora europaea(1.3%), 1E. heteromorpha(0.5%), and 1Exophialasp. 2 (0.5%) strains.Exophialastrains were repeatedly isolated from deep infections (39.9%) involving lung, pleural fluid, sputum, digestive organs (stomach, intestines, bile), heart, brain, spleen, bone marrow, blood, dialysis fluid, lymph node, joint, breast, middle ear, throat, and intraocular tissues. About 38.3% of theExophialaspp. strains were agents of cutaneous infections including skin, mucous membranes, nail, and corneal epithelium lesions. The other strains caused superficial infections (0.5%, including hair) or subcutaneous infection (12.0%, including paranasal sinusitis, mycetoma, and subcutaneous cyst). The systemic infections were preponderantly caused byE. dermatitidis,E. oligosperma,E. phaeomuriformis,E. xenobiotica, andE. lecanii-corni. Strains ofE. bergeri,E. spinifera,E. jeanselmei,E. mesophila, andE. attenuatamainly induced cutaneous and subcutaneous infections. Since relatively few unknown ITS motifs were encountered, we suppose that the list of opportunisticExophialaspecies in temperate climates is nearing completion, but a number of species still have to be described.
The RNA Binding Domain of Influenza A Virus NS1 Protein Affects Secretion of Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha, Interleukin-6, and Interferon in Primary Murine Tracheal Epithelial Cells
Authors: Newby Celeste M. , Sabin Leah , Pekosz Andrew
Published: June 2007

Primary differentiated respiratory epithelial cell cultures closely model the in vivo environment and allow for studies of innate immune responses generated specifically by epithelial cells, the primary cell type infected by human influenza A virus strains. We used primary murine tracheal epithelial cell (mTEC) cultures to investigate antiviral and cytokine responses to influenza A virus infection, focusing on the contribution of the RNA binding domain of the NS1 protein. rWSN NS1 R38A replication is attenuated in mTEC cultures; however, viral antigen is detected predominantly in ciliated cells, similar to wild-type virus. NS1 and NS1 R38A proteins display a primarily cytoplasmic localization in infected mTEC cultures. Increased production of tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-6, and beta interferon is observed during rWSN NS1 R38A infection, and cytokines are secreted in a directional manner. Cytokine pretreatment of mTEC cultures and Vero cells suggest that rWSN NS1 R38A is more sensitive to the presence of antiviral/inflammatory cytokines than wild-type virus. Our results demonstrate that the RNA binding domain is a critical regulator of both cytokine production and cytokine sensitivity during influenza A virus infection of primary tracheal epithelial cells.
Simple rationality? The law of healthcare resource allocation in England
Authors: Foster Charles
Published: June 2007

This paper examines the law relating to healthcare resource allocation in England. The National Health Service (NHS) Act 1977 does not impose an absolute duty to provide specified healthcare services. The courts will only interfere with a resource allocation decision made by an NHS body if that decision is frankly irrational (or where the decision infringes the principle of proportionality when a right under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) is engaged). Such irrationality is very difficult to establish. The ECHR has made no significant contribution to domestic English law in the arena of healthcare provision. The decision of the European Court in the Yvonne Watts case establishes that, in relation to the question of entitlement to seek treatment abroad at the expense of the NHS, a clinical judgment about the urgency of treatment trumps an administrative decision about waiting list targets. That decision goes against the grain of domestic law about healthcare allocation, but is not likely to have wide ramifications in domestic law.
Medical students’ perceptions of their ethics teaching
Authors: Johnston Carolyn , Haughton Peter
Published: June 2007

The teaching of ethics in UK medical schools has recently been reviewed, from the perspective of the teachers themselves. A questionnaire survey of medical undergraduates at King’s College London School of Medicine provides useful insight into the students’ perception of ethics education, what they consider to be the value of learning ethics and law, and how engaged they feel with the subject.