bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hard butters and confectionery coatings
Authors: Babayan V. K.
Published: July 2007

The art on confectionery coatings and hard butters is reviewed showing the evolution and acceptability of such products over the years. The various types of hard butters are identified, and their application in confectionery coatings is indicated. The practices and the areas of application for the different products are discussed as well as the raw materials used to produce the confectionery fats. Raw material cost of chocolate and hard butters is projected over the years to demonstrate the advantages of hard butters for confectionery coatings.
Distribution of chlorinated pesticides in soybeans, soybean oil, and its by‐products during processing
Authors: Chaudry M. M. , Nelson A. I. , Perkins E. G.
Published: July 2007

Soybean samples were collected from seven different locales in Central Illinois and subjected to analysis for chlorinated pesticides. Different parts of the beans showed varying levels of residue concentrations. It was found that pesticide residues had a tendency to accumulate, in descending order, in hypocotyls, hulls and cotyledons on the basis of ground samples. When oils extracted from the same fractions were analyzed, much higher concentrations of residues were located in hulls than hypocotyls, which had greater concentrations than cotyledons. Crude, refined, bleached and deodorized oils, soapstock, Fuller's earth sludge and deodorization condensate swere analyzed for hexachlorobenzene isomers, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, aldrin, dieldrin, DDT, DDD and DDE. None of the processing steps except deodorization were completely effective in the removal of chlorinated pesticide residues. Oil deodorized at 250 C under 1‐5 mm pressure was almost free of such residues, whereas all the residues were concentrated in deodorization condensate.
Amino‐hexose‐reductones as antioxidants. I. Vegetable oils
Authors: Evans C. D. , Moser Helen A. , Cooney Patricia M. , Hodge J. E.
Published: July 2007

Amino‐hexose‐reductones were evaluated as antioxidants in soybean, cottonseed, and corn oils and were shown to be highly effective by all oxidative and chemical tests. The activity of the eight different reductones was approximately the same in any one substrate. Slightly higher activities were given by reductones of lower molecular weight. Activity was demonstrated at concentrations as low as 0.001% and was shown to be a linear function of the concentration up to 0.02%, the approximate limit of solubility. Out‐standing features of the reductone‐treated oils were long induction periods, slow absorption of oxygen, and low rates of peroxide development. Reductones are believed not to react directly with peroxides but to prevent peroxide formation by reacting with some precursor.

The combination of reductones with other antioxidants showed synergistic effects in only one sample of corn oil. The activity of combinations in soybean and cottonseed oils was for the most part strictly additive. In soybean oil, citric acid‐reductone combinations with each at the 0.01% level gave a slight improvement over the expected activity. Oils stabilized with multiple‐component, antioxidant mixtures in which an amino reductone replaced propyl gallate showed less peroxide development and were equally acceptable according to organoleptic scores. Aged oils did not show the organoleptic improvement that would be expected from the marked improvement observed in the oxidative stability. Significant improvements in flavor stability could be observed with reductones only when they were used in combination with an‐other antioxidant. Reductone‐treated soybean and cottonseed oils did not show an appreciable improvement in flavor stability. Only the di‐n‐butylamino‐and diallylamino‐reductones contributed foreign flavors to the oil. Atypical flavors are believed associated with the amine moiety of the reductone.

At high temperatures and at higher concentrations of reductones a brown melanoid color develops in the oil. The anhydro derivatives developed more color than the normal reductone. The reductones do not withstand oil deodorization conditions.
Pilot‐plant preparation of edible safflower oil
Authors: Beal R. E. , Moser H. A. , Brekke O. L.
Published: July 2007

Tests conducted on a pilot‐plant scale with two lots of commercial, alkali‐refined safflower oil demonstrate that no difficulty is experienced in producing a salad oil of good, initial quality with good flavor stability when stored at 60°C. in the dark. Although results indicate safflower oil is suitable for a salad oil, they should not be construed as indicating its stability as a cooking oil since tests of this type were not conducted.

The addition of citric acid improved the oxidative stability of the oil, and citric acid plus propyl gallate gave even further improvement. No significant increase in flavor stability resulted from these additives.
Quantification of N‐acetylaspartic acid in urine by LC‐MS/MS for the diagnosis of Canavan disease
Authors: Al‐Dirbashi O. Y. , Rashed M. S. , Al‐Qahtani K , Al‐Mokhadab M. A. , Kurdi W. , Al‐Sayed M. A. A.
Published: July 2007

Canavan disease is an autosomal recessive leukodystrophy characterized by excessive excretion of N‐acetylaspartic acid (NAA) in urine. The disease is caused by deficiency of aspartoacylase, the enzyme responsible for the hydrolysis of NAA into acetate and l‐aspartate. Patients, who are often asymptomatic in their early months, show a wide spectrum of clinical presentation thereafter that includes macrocephaly, poor head control, seizures, abnormal muscle tone, optic atrophy, significant developmental delay and death. In this work, we describe a simple liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) method for the determination of NAA in urine. The internal standard d3‐NAA was added to untreated urine and the mixture was injected into the LC‐MS/MS system operated in the negative ion mode. Detection was achieved in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode by monitoring m/z 174 → 88, 174 → 130 and 174 → 58 for NAA and 177 → 89 for the internal standard. Separation was carried out on a C8 column (2.1 × 150 mm) using a mixture of acetonitrile and water (1:1 v/v) containing 0.05% formic acid at a flow rate of 0.25 ml/min. NAA was eluted at 1.6 min and the run time was approximately 2 min. Using spiked urine, the assay was linear up to 2 mmol/L with limit of quantification at 1 μmol/L (S/N = 12). NAA in patients’ urine (n = 17) ranged between 366 and 21235 mmol/mol creatinine compared to controls of <39 mmol/mol creatinine (n = 159). This LC‐MS/MS method for NAA as described involved no extraction and no derivatization, showed no interference, and gave excellent recovery with low variability and short analytical time.
Diminishing Marginal Utility of Cooling Rate Increase on the Crystallization Behavior and Physical Properties of a Lipid Sample
Authors: Humphrey K. L. , Narine S. S.
Published: July 2007

It is well established that variation of the rate of cooling (r) of a lipid sample is an effective tool to influence the crystallization process and effect changes in network structure and physical functionality. However, the extent of the physical changes does not always justify the extent to which the cooling rate must be altered. It is therefore important to understand the rates at which marginal changes in physical functionality begin to diminish, and to understand the mechanisms which introduce such limitations. A commercially available cocoa butter alternative, Temcote (Bunge Oils, Bradley, IL), was crystallized under cooling rates varying from 0.1 to 20 °C min−1. The growth mode and polymorphism of each sample was studied using DSC and X‐ray diffraction (XRD). The hardness of the sample was monitored using cone penetrometry and its solid fat content (SFC) evolution was monitored using a temperature controlled pulse‐NMR. The data demonstrates that the melting profile of the sample could be greatly manipulated over a relatively narrow range of cooling rates. Large increases in cooling rate increase the final SFC of the sample by approximately 6%. Doubling the cooling rate increases the hardness of the sample 50%. Variation of the cooling rate as a tool to modify physical functionality of the network was found to be effective only for cooling rates lower than 5 °C min−1.
Stable isotope characterization of olive oils: II‐deuterium distribution in fatty acids studied by nuclear magnetic resonance (SNIF‐NMR)
Authors: Royer A. , Naulet N. , Mabon F. , Lees M. , Martin G. J.
Published: July 2007

Site‐specific isotope fractionation of hydrogen was investigated, at natural abundance, by deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance (SNIF‐NMR) on nearly two hundred olive oil samples. Owing to the complexity of the 2H‐NMR spectra of the mixtures of fatty acids obtained after hydrolysis of the oils, the different signals were gathered into six clusters. Knowing the contribution to the clusters of each of the four fatty acids considered (C16:0, C18:0, C18:1, and C18:2) and the composition of the fatty acids in the mixture, it is possible to compute the site‐specific isotope ratios of the clusters from the molar fractions obtained from the 2H‐NMR‐spectra and from the total isotope ratio of the mixture, determined by isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). The results are discussed in terms of geographical (country, region and elevation) and temporal (year) parameters and they are tentatively explained on a climatic basis.
Depression of pour points of vegetable oils by blending with diluents used for biodegradable lubricants
Authors: Asadauskas Svajus , Erhan Sevim Z.
Published: July 2007

Low‐temperature properties need improvement before vegetable oils can receive wider recognition as biodegradable lubricants. Effects of dilution with major biodegradable fluids, namely poly alpha olefin (PAO 2), diisodecyl adipate (DIDA), and oleates, as well as impact of pour point depressant (PPD), were investigated. Since solidification of mixed unsaturated triacylglycerols is a complex thermodynamic process, the study was limited to pour point determinations. Vegetable oils demonstrated higher pour points with increased saturation and molecular weight. Cis unsaturation and hydroxy groups favored lower pour points. Dilution with oleates appeared less effective than dilution with PAO 2 and DIDA. Addition of 1% PPD (w/w) depressed pour points down to −33°C for canola and −24°C for high‐oleic sunflower oils. However, neither higher amounts of PPD nor incorporation of diluent produced further depression. Depression of pour points was not proportional to the amount of diluent and ceased with further dilution. Low‐temperature performance of vegetable oils limits their prospect as biodegradable lubricants, but well‐balanced usage of PPD and diluents can deliver some improvements.
High‐performance liquid chromatography and spectroscopic studies on fish oil oxidation products extracted from frozen atlantic mackerel
Authors: Saeed Suhur , Howell Nazlin K.
Published: July 2007

The formation of stable hydroxy derivatives from hydroperoxides produced during the oxidation of linoleic acid methyl ester and fish oil were studied by reverse‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The oxidation products identified were mixtures of four isomeric hydroxy derivatives: 13‐hydroxy‐9‐cis,11‐trans‐octadecadienoic, 13‐hydroxy‐9‐trans,11‐trans‐octadecadienoic, 9‐hydroxy‐10‐trans,12‐cis‐octadecadienoic, and 9‐hydroxy‐10‐trans,12‐trans‐octadecadienoic acids. The presence of hydroxy compounds was confirmed by 13C NMR, which gave rise to a hydroxy carbon peak at 87 ppm, and by GC‐MS, which showed three peaks corresponding to isomeric mixtures of trimethylsilyl ethers of the oxidized linoleic acid methyl ester. The mass spectra scans of the three peaks showed that they represent isomers of molecular weight 382 and are consistent with the molecular formula C22H42O3Si. In oil extracted from stored frozen mackerel, 13‐hydroxy‐9‐cis,11‐trans‐octadecadienoic acid was more prominent compared to the model lipid systems. HPLC offered a sensitive means of detection of hydroxy compounds produced both in the initiation and latter stages of oxidation. The effect of antioxidants added to the fish mince prior to storage can also be monitored by HPLC. Thus, the monitoring of lipid oxidation hydroxy derivatives by HPLC is of practical value in the efficient processing and quality control of fish, fish oils, and other fatty foodstuffs in order to enhance the acceptability, nutritional, and safety aspects.
Enteral-tube-feeding diarrhoea: manipulating the colonic microbiota with probiotics and prebiotics
Authors: Whelan Kevin
Published: July 2007

Diarrhoea is a common and serious complication of enteral tube feeding. Its pathogenesis involves antibiotic prescription, enteropathogenic colonization and abnormal colonic responses, all of which involve an interaction with the colonic microbiota. Alterations in the colonic microbiota have been identified in patients receiving enteral tube feeding and these changes may be associated with the incidence of diarrhoea. Preventing negative alterations in the colonic microbiota has therefore been investigated as a method of reducing the incidence of diarrhoea. Probiotics and prebiotics may be effective because of their suppression of enteropathogenic colonization, stimulation of immune function and modulation of colonic metabolism. Randomized controlled trials of probiotics have produced contrasting results, althoughSaccharomyces boulardiihas been shown to reduce the incidence of diarrhoea in patients in the intensive care unit receiving enteral tube feeding. Prebiotic fructo-oligosaccharides have been shown to increase the concentration of faecal bifidobacteria in healthy subjects consuming enteral formula, although this finding has not yet been confirmed in patients receiving enteral tube feeding. Furthermore, there are no clinical trials investigating the effect of a prebiotic alone on the incidence of diarrhoea. Further trials of the efficacy of probiotics and prebiotics, alone and in combination, in preventing diarrhoea in this patient group are warranted.
Is intestinal transplantation now an alternative to home parenteral nutrition?
Authors: Middleton Stephen J.
Published: July 2007

Patients with irreversible intestinal failure and complications of parenteral nutrition should now be routinely considered for small intestine transplantation. Despite attempts for >40 years immunological graft intolerance presented an impenetrable barrier to successful engraftment until the development in the late 1970s of the powerful calcineurin-inhibitor immunosuppressive agents. Their use over the last 17 years has led to small intestinal transplantation being generally considered as a routine option for patients with irreversible intestinal failure and failing parenteral nutrition. The 1-year patient survival rates (%) are now excellent for renal (95), liver (78), heart (82) and lung (75) transplantation. In contrast, survival rates for small intestinal transplantation have been slow to improve, although they are now approaching those for lung and liver transplantation (intestine 78%, intestine and liver 60%, multivisceral 66%), and well-performing centres report recent 1-year graft survival rates as high as 92%. Patient 5-year survival (%) has also improved (intestine alone 50, intestine and liver 50 and multivisceral 62) and compares increasingly favourably with renal (85), liver (67), heart (67) and lung (46). Currently, small intestinal transplantation is reserved for patients with irreversible small intestinal failure who have a poor prognosis on parenteral nutrition. However, as 5-year patient survival following intestinal transplantation approaches that for parenteral nutrition there will be increasing pressure to offer this modality of treatment as an alternative to parenteral nutrition, especially for those patients who have a poor quality of life as a result of parenteral nutrition.
Strategies to improve ingestive behaviour with reference to critical illness
Authors: Davidson Isobel , Smith Sara
Published: July 2007

The complex interplay between neural and endocrine responses following food intake regulates ingestive behaviour and ultimately determines subsequent energy intake. These processes include cognitive, gastrointestinal-derived and metabolic mechanisms. Such physiological responses to the ingestion of food initiate short- to medium-term inhibition of intake (satiety). However, in clinical states in which systemic inflammation is evident there is a more profound satiety response and a clear absence of motivation to eat that is evident as loss of appetite. These negative influences on energy intake can contribute to poor nutritional status, and consequently poor physical function, and impact on rehabilitation and recovery. Cytokine mediators of the inflammatory response directly influence feeding behaviour at the hypothalamic nuclei and may explain the lack of motivation and desire for food. However, additional detrimental effects on appetite are brought about because of alterations in intermediary metabolism present in inflammation-induced catabolism. This process forms part of the host response to inflammation and may explain symptoms, such as early satiety, frequently reported in many patient groups. In clinical states, and cancer in particular, pharmacological strategies have been employed to ameliorate the inflammatory response in an attempt to improve energy intake. Some success of this approach has been reported following administration of substrates such as EPA. Novel strategies to improve intake through administration of anti-cytokine drugs such as thalidomide may also be of benefit. However, drugs that oppose the actions of neurotransmitter pathways involved in central induction of satiety, such as 5-hydroxytryptamine, have failed to improve intake but appear to enhance enjoyment of food. Such findings indicate that therapeutic nutritional targets can only be achieved where novel pharmacological therapies can be supported by more innovative and integrated dietary management strategies. Many of these strategies remain to be elucidated.
Metabolic cross talk between the colon and the periphery: implications for insulin sensitivity
Authors: Denise Robertson M.
Published: July 2007

Until recently, a glance at a standard undergraduate textbook would have given the impression that the colon was merely a storage organ for faeces and maybe something about the absorption of electrolytes and water. In reality, the colon is a highly-metabolically-active organ, the function of which has implications not only for the remainder of the digestive tract, but also for peripheral organs such as adipose tissue (AT), liver and skeletal muscle. The present review focuses on two distinct but complementary areas: (1) the metabolic adaptation that occurs following surgical removal of colonic tissue; (2) the effect of modulating the colonin situin terms of postprandial metabolism, insulin sensitivity and disease risk. Work in these two areas points to the colon being important in modulating normal tissue insulin sensitivity. The role of fatty acids is central to the insulin sensitivity hypothesis. AT acts as a daily ‘buffer’ for fatty acids. However, following colonic resection there is an apparent change in AT function. There is an increase in the AT lipolysis rate, resulting in the release of excess fatty acids into the circulation and consequently the take up of excess fatty acids into skeletal muscle. This resultant increase in either storage of lipid or its oxidation would result in a reduction in insulin sensitivity. The insulin-sensitising effects of high-fibre diets are also related to changes in AT function and fatty acid metabolism, but manipulating colonic tissuein situallows the mechanisms to be elucidated. This research area is an exciting one, involving the potential role of SCFA (the absorbed by-products of colonic bacterial fermentation) acting directly on peripheral tissues, following the recent identification of G-protein-coupled receptors specific for these ligands.
Human milk: maternal dietary lipids and infant development
Authors: Innis Sheila M.
Published: July 2007

Human milk provides all the dietary essential fatty acids, linoleic acid (LA; 18:2n-6) and α-linolenic acid (18:3n-3), as well as their longer-chain more-unsaturated metabolites, including arachidonic acid (20:4n-6) and DHA (22:6n-3) to support the growth and development of the breast-fed infant. Human milk levels of LA have increased in Westernized nations from mean levels (g/100 g total fatty acids) of 6 to 12–16 over the last century, paralleling the increase in dietary intake of LA-rich vegetable oils. DHA levels (g/100 g total milk fatty acids) vary from <0·1 to >1% and are lowest in countries in which the intake of DHA from fish and other animal tissue lipids is low. The role of DHA in infant nutrition is of particular importance because DHA is accumulated specifically in the membrane lipids of the brain and retina, where it is important to visual and neural function. An important question is the extent to which many human diets that contain low amounts ofn-3 fatty acids may compromise human development. The present paper reviews current knowledge on maternal diet and human milk fatty acids, the implications of maternal diet as the only source of essential fatty acids for infant development both before and after birth, and recent studies addressing the maternal intakes and milk DHA levels associated with risk of low infant neural system maturation.
Probiotics and prebiotics in infant nutrition
Authors: Parracho Helena , McCartney Anne L. , Gibson Glenn R.
Published: July 2007

The human colonic microflora has a central role in health and disease, being unique in its complexity and range of functions. As such, dietary modulation is important for improved gut health, especially during the highly-sensitive stage of infancy. Diet can affect the composition of the gut microflora through the availability of different substrates for bacterial fermentation. Differences in gut microflora composition and incidence of infection exist between breast-fed and formula-fed infants, with the former thought to have improved protection. Historically, this improvement has been believed to be a result of the higher presence of reportedly-beneficial genera such as the bifidobacteria. As such, functional food ingredients such as prebiotics and probiotics could effect a beneficial modification in the composition and activities of gut microflora of infants by increasing positive flora components. The prebiotic approach aims to increase resident bacteria that are considered to be beneficial for human health, e.g. bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, while probiotics advocates the use of the live micro-organisms themselves in the diet. Both approaches have found their way into infant formula feeds and aim to more closely simulate the gut microbiota composition seen during breast-feeding.
Normality and fixpoints of analytic functions
Authors: Hinchliffe J. D.
Published: July 2007

Let D be a domain in C and let f be a transcendental meromorphic function on C such that C* \f(C) = ∅, {∞} or {α, β}, where α and β are two distinct values in C* = C ∪ {∞}. Then the family of functions g that are analytic on D and such that f ∘ g has no fixpoints on D is normal.
Symmetry for elliptic equations in a half-space without strong maximum principle
Authors: Du Yihong , Guo Zongming
Published: July 2007

For a wide class of nonlinearities f(u) satisfying

but not necessarily Lipschitz continuous, we study the quasi-linear equation

where T = {x = (x1, x2, …, xN) ∈ RN: x1 > 0} with N ≥ 2. By using a new approach based on the weak maximum principle, we show that any positive solution on T must be a function of x1 only. Under our assumptions, the strong maximum principle does not hold in general and the solution may develop a flat core; our symmetry result allows an easy and precise determination of the flat core.
Well-posedness for the spatially homogeneous Landau–Fermi–Dirac equation for hard potentials
Authors: Bagland Véronique
Published: July 2007

We study the Cauchy problem for the spatially homogeneous Landau equation for Fermi–Dirac particles, in the case of hard and Maxwellian potentials. We establish existence and uniqueness of a weak solution for a large class of initial data.
Baer–Levi semigroups of linear transformations
Authors: Mendes-Gonçalves Suzana , Sullivan R. P.
Published: July 2007

Given an infinite-dimensional vector space V, we consider the semigroup GS (m, n) consisting of all injective linear α: V → V for which codim ran α = n, where dim V = m ≥ n ≥ ℵ0. This is a linear version of the well-known Baer–Levi semigroup BL (p, q) defined on an infinite set X, where |X| = p ≥ q ≥ ℵ0. We show that, although the basic properties of GS (m, n) are the same as those of BL (p, q), the two semigroups are never isomorphic. We also determine all left ideals of GS (m, n) and some of its maximal subsemigroups; in this, we follow previous work on BL (p, q) by Sutov and Sullivan as well as Levi and Wood.
Solitary waves for nonlinear Klein–Gordon–Maxwell and Schrödinger–Maxwell equations
Authors: D'Aprile Teresa , Mugnai Dimitri
Published: July 2007

In this paper we study the existence of radially symmetric solitary waves for nonlinear Klein–Gordon equations and nonlinear Schrödinger equations coupled with Maxwell equations. The method relies on a variational approach and the solutions are obtained as mountain-pass critical points for the associated energy functional.
Periodic solutions of higher-dimensional discrete systems
Authors: Zhou Zhan , Yu Jianshe , Guo Zhiming
Published: July 2007

Consider the second-order discrete system

where f ∈ C (R × Rm, Rm), f(t + M, Z) = f(t, Z) for any (t, Z) ∈ R × Rm and M is a positive integer. By making use of critical-point theory, the existence of M-periodic solutions of (*) is obtained.
Kinetic decomposition for the generalized BBM–Burgers equations with dissipative term
Authors: Hwang Seok
Published: July 2007

We consider the generalized Benjamin–Bona–Mahony–Burgers (BBM–Burgers) equations with dissipative term. We establish the condition under which the solutions uα,β,γ converge in a strong topology to the entropy solution of a scalar conservation laws using methodology developed by Hwang and Tzavaras. First, we obtain the approximate transport equation for the given BBM–Burgers equations. Then, using the averaging lemma, we obtain the convergence.
A lower semi-continuity result for polyconvex functionals in SBV
Authors: Fusco Nicola , Leone Chiara , Verde Anna , March Riccardo
Published: July 2007

We prove a semi-continuity theorem for an integral functional made up by a polyconvex energy and a surface term. Our result extends a well-known result by Ball to the BV framework.
Quasi-neutral limit of the non-isentropic Euler–Poisson system
Authors: Peng Yue-Jun , Wang Ya-Guang , Yong Wen-An
Published: July 2007

This paper is concerned with multi-dimensional non-isentropic Euler–Poisson equations for plasmas or semiconductors. By using the method of formal asymptotic expansions, we analyse the quasi-neutral limit for Cauchy problems with prepared initial data. It is shown that the small-parameter problems have unique solutions existing in the finite time interval where the corresponding limit problems have smooth solutions. Moreover, the formal limit is justified.
Regularity of the inverse of a Sobolev homeomorphism in space
Authors: Hencl Stanislav , Koskela Pekka , Malý Jan
Published: July 2007

Let Ω ⊂ Rn be open. Given a homeomorphism of finite distortion with |Df| in the Lorentz space Ln−1, 1 (Ω), we show that and f−1 has finite distortion. A class of counterexamples demonstrating sharpness of the results is constructed.
GIFTS AND INTERESTS:JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMANAND THE PURITY OF BUSINESS
Authors: Colella Silvana
Published: July 2007

IN HIS INTRODUCTIONtoThe Question of the Gift, Mark Osteen claims that “economism … is the land mine of gift theory” (5). For many theorists, he explains, gift-giving and market exchanges share the same forms of calculation; for others, more specifically, self-interest is the “objective truth” of the gift. The challenge that gift discourse has taken up in recent years is how to rethink reciprocity, altruism, and generosity while at the same time avoiding both the “Scylla of sentimentality and the Charybdis of economism” (Osteen 31). In this paper I discuss Dinah Mulock Craik's mid-Victorian bestseller,John Halifax, Gentleman(1856), using gift theory (or some insights thereof) as my main analytical tool. Why is gift theory relevant to the understanding of a novel that openly extols the advantages of self-help and economic individualism?
Immunological thresholds in neurological gene therapy: highly efficient
elimination of transduced cells might be related to the specific formation of immunological
synapses between T cells and virus-infected brain cells
Authors: Barcia Carlos , Gerdes Christian , Xiong Wei-Dong , Thomas Clare E. , Liu Chunyan , Kroeger Kurt M. , Castro Maria G. , Lowenstein Pedro R.
Published: July 2007

First-generation adenovirus can be engineered with powerful promoters to drive expression of
therapeutic transgenes. Numerous clinical trials for glioblastoma multiforme using first
generation adenoviral vectors have either been performed or are ongoing, including an ongoing,
Phase III, multicenter trial in Europe and Israel (Ark Therapeutics, Inc.). Although in the
absence of anti-adenovirus immune responses expression in the brain lasts 6–18
months, systemic infection with adenovirus induces immune responses that inhibit dramatically
therapeutic transgene expression from first generation adenoviral vectors, thus, potentially
compromising therapeutic efficacy. Here, we show evidence of an immunization threshold for the
dose that generates an immune response strong enough to eliminate transgene expression from the
CNS. For the systemic immunization to eliminate transgene expression from the brain,
≥1×107 infectious units (iu) of adenovirus need to be used as
immunogen. Furthermore, this immune response eliminates >90% of transgene expression
from 1×107–1×103 iu of vector injected
into the striatum 60 days earlier. Importantly, elimination of transgene expression is
independent of the nature of the promoter that drives transgene expression and is accompanied
by brain infiltration of CD8+ T cells and macrophages. In conclusion, once the
threshold for systemic immunization (i.e. 1×107 iu) is crossed, the
immune response eliminates transgene expression by >90% even from brains that
receive as little as 1000 iu of adenoviral vectors, independently of the type of
promoter that drives expression.
Pickup ion phase space distributions: Effects of atmospheric spatial gradients
Authors: Hartle R. E. , Sittler E. C.
Published: July 2007

Spatial variations of the neutral source gases of pickup ions are known to affect the velocity distributions of the ions. An expression for the phase space density of pickup ions is derived from the Vlasov equation with a delta function ion source in velocity space that explicitly accounts for the spatial variation of the neutral gas. The background plasma velocity is uniform and perpendicular to a constant ambient magnetic field, which together produce a uniform motional electric field. The neutral source density is one dimensional, varying exponentially along the flow axis with a fixed scale height. The solutions apply to the limiting case of a weak interaction with negligible mass loading. The resulting ring distribution is applied to two examples approximating these criteria; i.e., pickup ions formed in the solar wind interaction with the Earth's Moon and the interaction of Saturn's rotating magnetosphere with Titan. A fundamental parameter appears in the resulting phase space density expression; namely, α = rg/H, the ratio of the gyroradius to the scale height. When α ≪ 1, the interaction is fluid‐like with all orbit phases of pickup ion cycloidal motion present at an observation point. If α ≫ 1, the pickup ions appear as ion beams, where the phase space distribution peaks over a small velocity range at an observation site in the source region and the ions will have only executed the beginning phases of their cycloidal motion. The principal contribution to the ions in the velocity peak derives from ions born over a neutral scale height upstream from the observation site. The pickup ion phase space density expression, constrained by spacecraft plasma ion spectrometer and magnetometer measurements, can be used to estimate the neutral source densities of a planetary body's exosphere and its composition. Potential applications are the lunar surface composition, Venus' atmospheric interaction with the solar wind, the interaction of the Galilean moons with Jupiter's magnetosphere, Saturn's icy moons interacting with its magnetosphere, and Titan's interaction with Saturn's magnetosphere.
Cdc34 C-terminal tail phosphorylation regulates Skp1/cullin/F-box (SCF)-mediated ubiquitination and cell cycle progression
Authors: Sadowski Martin , Mawson Amanda , Baker Rohan , Sarcevic Boris
Published: July 2007

The ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme Cdc34 (cell division cycle 34) plays an essential role in promoting the G1–S-phase transition of the eukaryotic cell cycle and is phosphorylated in vivo. In the present study, we investigated if phosphorylation regulates Cdc34 function. We mapped the in vivo phosphorylation sites on budding yeast Cdc34 (yCdc34; Ser207 and Ser216) and human Cdc34 (hCdc34 Ser203, Ser222 and Ser231) to serine residues in the acidic tail domain, a region that is critical for Cdc34's cell cycle function. CK2 (protein kinase CK2) phosphorylates both yCdc34 and hCdc34 on these sites in vitro. CK2-mediated phosphorylation increased yCdc34 ubiquitination activity towards the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae Sic1 in vitro, when assayed in the presence of its cognate SCFCdc4 E3 ligase [where SCF is Skp1 (S-phase kinase-associated protein 1)/cullin/F-box]. Similarly, mutation of the yCdc34 phosphorylation sites to alanine, aspartate or glutamate residues altered Cdc34–SCFCdc4-mediated Sic1 ubiquitination activity. Similar results were obtained when yCdc34's ubiquitination activity was assayed in the absence of SCFCdc4, indicating that phosphorylation regulates the intrinsic catalytic activity of Cdc34. To evaluate the in vivo consequences of altered Cdc34 activity, wild-type yCdc34 and the phosphosite mutants were introduced into an S. cerevisiae cdc34 deletion strain and, following synchronization in G1-phase, progression through the cell cycle was monitored. Consistent with the increased ubiquitination activity in vitro, cells expressing the phosphosite mutants with higher catalytic activity exhibited accelerated cell cycle progression and Sic1 degradation. These studies demonstrate that CK2-mediated phosphorylation of Cdc34 on the acidic tail domain stimulates Cdc34–SCFCdc4 ubiquitination activity and cell cycle progression.
Regulation of apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 by protein phosphatase 2Cϵ
Authors: Saito Jun-ichi , Toriumi Shinnosuke , Awano Kenjiro , Ichijo Hidenori , Sasaki Keiichi , Kobayashi Takayasu , Tamura Shinri
Published: July 2007

ASK1 (apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1), a MKKK (mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase), is activated in response to cytotoxic stresses, such as H2O2 and TNFα (tumour necrosis factor α). ASK1 induction initiates a signalling cascade leading to apoptosis. After exposure of cells to H2O2, ASK1 is transiently activated by autophosphorylation at Thr845. The protein then associates with PP5 (protein serine/threonine phosphatase 5), which inactivates ASK1 by dephosphorylation of Thr845. Although this feedback regulation mechanism has been elucidated, it remains unclear how ASK1 is maintained in the dephosphorylated state under non-stressed conditions. In the present study, we have examined the possible role of PP2Cϵ (protein phosphatase 2Cϵ), a member of PP2C family, in the regulation of ASK1 signalling. Following expression in HEK-293 cells (human embryonic kidney cells), wild-type PP2Cϵ inhibited ASK1-induced activation of an AP-1 (activator protein 1) reporter gene. Conversely, a dominant-negative PP2Cϵ mutant enhanced AP-1 activity. Exogenous PP2Cϵ associated with exogenous ASK1 in HEK-293 cells under non-stressed conditions, inactivating ASK1 by decreasing Thr845 phosphorylation. The association of endogenous PP2Cϵ and ASK1 was also observed in mouse brain extracts. PP2Cϵ directly dephosphorylated ASK1 at Thr845in vitro. In contrast with PP5, PP2Cϵ transiently dissociated from ASK1 within cells upon H2O2 treatment. These results suggest that PP2Cϵ maintains ASK1 in an inactive state by dephosphorylation in quiescent cells, supporting the possibility that PP2Cϵ and PP5 play different roles in H2O2-induced regulation of ASK1 activity.
Fibulin-5 binds human smooth-muscle cells through α5β1 and α4β1 integrins, but does not support receptor activation
Authors: Lomas Amanda C. , Mellody Kieran T. , Freeman Lyle J. , Bax Daniel V. , Shuttleworth C. Adrian , Kielty Cay M.
Published: July 2007

Fibulin-5, an extracellular matrix glycoprotein expressed in elastin-rich tissues, regulates vascular cell behaviour and elastic fibre deposition. Recombinant full-length human fibulin-5 supported primary human aortic SMC (smooth-muscle cell) attachment through α5β1 and α4β1 integrins. Cells on fibulin-5 spread poorly and displayed prominent membrane ruffles but no stress fibres or focal adhesions, unlike cells on fibronectin that also binds these integrins. Cell migration and proliferation were significantly lower on fibulin-5 than on fibronectin. Treatment of cells on fibulin-5 with a β1 integrin-activating antibody induced stress fibres, increased attachment, migration and proliferation, and stimulated signalling of epidermal growth factor receptor and platelet-derived growth factor receptors α and β. Fibulin-5 also modulated fibronectin-mediated cell spreading and morphology. We have thus identified the β1 integrins on primary SMCs that fibulin-5 interacts with, and have shown that failure of fibulin-5 to activate these receptors limits cell spreading, migration and proliferation.
The common Y402H variant in complement factor H gene is not associated with susceptibility to myocardial infarction and its related risk factors
Authors: Stark Klaus , Neureuther Katharina , Sedlacek Kamil , Hengstenberg Wibke , Fischer Marcus , Baessler Andrea , Wiedmann Silke , Jeron Andreas , Holmer Stephan , Erdmann Jeanette , Schunkert Heribert , Hengstenberg Christian
Published: July 2007

Recently, the genetic variant Y402H in the CFH (complement factor H) gene was associated with an increased risk for MI (myocardial infarction) in a prospective Caucasian cohort. In another nested case-control study, however, the CFH-Y402H variant did not carry susceptibility to MI. The aim of the present study was to test for an association between the CFH-Y402H variant and MI in a large case-control sample with a familial background for CAD (coronary artery disease). A total of 2161 individuals from the German MI family study were studied by questionnaire, physical examination and biochemical analyses. MI patients (n=1188; 51.4±8.6 years at first MI) were recruited from families with at least two members affected by MI and/or severe CAD. Spouses, sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law respectively, without MI/CAD were included as unaffected controls (n=973; 56.9±9.8 years). Genotyping was performed using a TaqMan assay. The common Y402H variant in the CFH gene was not associated with classical cardiovascular risk factors (diabetes, hypercholesterolaemia, hypertension, obesity, smoking and C-reactive protein serum levels). No association was found between the CFH-Y402H variant and susceptibility to MI. Separate analyses in both men and women revealed no gender-specific influence of the gene variant on cardiovascular risk factors or MI. This investigation was unable to replicate the association between the common CFH-Y402H variant and susceptibility to MI in our large Caucasian population which is enriched for genetic factors. We conclude that the CFH-Y402H variant has no relevant risk-modifying effect in our population.
Targeting glucagon receptor signalling in treating metabolic syndrome and renal injury in Type 2 diabetes: theory versus promise
Authors: Li Xiao C. , Zhuo Jia L.
Published: July 2007

Pancreatic bi-hormones insulin and glucagon are the Yin and Yang in the regulation of glucose metabolism and homoeostasis. Insulin is synthesized primarily by pancreatic β-cells and is released in response to an increase in blood glucose levels (hyperglycaemia). By contrast, glucagon is synthesized by pancreatic α-cells and is released in response to a decrease in blood glucose (hypoglycaemia). The principal role of glucagon is to counter the actions of insulin on blood glucose homoeostasis, but it also has diverse non-hyperglycaemic actions. Although Type 1 diabetes is caused by insulin deficiency (insulin-dependent) and can be corrected by insulin replacement, Type 2 diabetes is a multifactorial disease and its treatment is not dependent on insulin therapy alone. Type 2 diabetes in humans is characterized by increased insulin resistance, increased fasting blood glucose, impaired glucose tolerance and the development of glomerular hyperfiltration and microalbuminuria, ultimately leading to diabetic nephropathy and end-stage renal disease. Clinical studies have suggested that an inappropriate increase in hyperglycaemic glucagon (hyperglucagonaemia) over hypoglycaemic insulin (not insulin deficiency until advanced stages) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of Type 2 diabetes. However, for decades, research efforts and resources have been devoted overwhelmingly to studying the role of insulin and insulin-replacement therapy. By contrast, the implication of glucagon and its receptor signalling in the development of Type 2 diabetic metabolic syndromes and end-organ injury has received little attention. The aim of this review is to examine the evidence as to whether glucagon and its receptor signalling play any role(s) in the pathogenesis of Type 2 diabetic renal injury, and to explore whether targeting glucagon receptor signalling remains only a theoretical antidiabetic strategy in Type 2 diabetes or may realize its promise in the future.
Enhanced heat transport during phase separation of liquid binary mixtures
Authors: Molin Dafne , Mauri Roberto
Published: July 2007

We show that heat transfer in regular binary fluids is enhanced by induced convection during phase separation. The motion of binary mixtures is simulated using the diffuse interface model, where convection and diffusion are coupled via a nonequilibrium, reversible Korteweg body force. Assuming that the mixture is regular, i.e., its components are van der Waals fluids, we show that the two parameters that describe the mixture, namely the Margules constant and the interfacial thickness, depend on temperature as T−1 and T−1∕2, respectively. Two quantities are used to measure heat transfer, namely the heat flux at the walls and the characteristic cooling time. Comparing these quantities with those of very viscous mixtures, where diffusion prevails over convection, we saw that the ratio between heat fluxes, which defines the Nusselt number, NNu, equals that between cooling times and remains almost constant in time. The Nusselt number depends on the following: the Peclet number, NPe, expressing the ratio between convective and diffusive mass fluxes; the Lewis number, NLe, expressing the ratio between thermal and mass diffusivities; the specific heat of the mixture, as it determines how the heat generated by mixing can be stored within the system; and the quenching depth, defined as the distance of the temperature at the wall from its critical value. In particular, the following results were obtained: (a) The Nusselt number grows monotonically with the Peclet number until it reaches an asymptotic value at NNu≈2 when NPe≈106; (b) the Nusselt number increases with NLe when NLe<1, remains constant at 1<NLe<10, and then decreases when NLe>1; (c) the Nusselt number is hardly influenced by the specific heat; (d) the Nusselt number decreases as the quenching rate increases. All these results can be explained by physical considerations. Predictably, considering that convection is within the creeping flow regime, the Nusselt number is always of o(10).
Improved signal stability from a laser vaporization source with a liquid metal target
Authors: Neal Colleen M. , Breaux Gary A. , Cao Baopeng , Starace Anne K. , Jarrold Martin F.
Published: July 2007

The translating and rotating rod or disk of a conventional laser vaporization cluster source is replaced by a liquid metal target. The self-regenerating liquid surface prevents cavities from being bored into the sample by laser ablation. The laser beam strikes a near pristine surface with each pulse, resulting in signals with much better short and long term stabilities. While this approach cannot be used for refractory metals such as tungsten and molybdenum, it is ideal for studies of bimetallic clusters, which can easily be prepared by laser vaporization of a liquid metal alloy.
High-throughput reactor system with individual temperature control for the investigation of monolith catalysts
Authors: Dellamorte Joseph C. , Vijay Rohit , Snively Christopher M. , Barteau Mark A. , Lauterbach Jochen
Published: July 2007

A high-throughput parallel reactor system has been designed and constructed to improve the reliability of results from large diameter catalysts such as monoliths. The system, which is expandable, consists of eight quartz reactors, 23.5mm in diameter. The eight reactors were designed with separate K type thermocouples and radiant heaters, allowing for the independent measurement and control of each reactor temperature. This design gives steady state temperature distributions over the eight reactors within 0.5°C of a common setpoint from 50to700°C. Analysis of the effluent from these reactors is performed using rapid-scan Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic imaging. The integration of this technique to the reactor system allows a chemically specific, truly parallel analysis of the reactor effluents with a time resolution of approximately 8s. The capabilities of this system were demonstrated via investigation of catalyst preparation conditions on the direct epoxidation of ethylene, i.e., on the ethylene conversion and the ethylene oxide selectivity. The ethylene, ethylene oxide, and carbon dioxide concentrations were calibrated based on spectra from FTIR imaging using univariate and multivariate chemometric techniques. The results from this analysis showed that the calcination conditions significantly affect the ethylene conversion, with a threefold increase in the conversion when the catalyst was calcined for 3h versus 12h at 400°C.
Getter sputtering system for high-throughput fabrication of composition spreads
Authors: Gregoire John M. , van Dover R. B. , Jin Jing , DiSalvo Francis J. , Abruña Héctor D.
Published: July 2007

We describe a sputtering system that can deposit composition spreads in an effectively UHV environment but which does not require the high-throughput paradigm to be compromised by a long pump down each time a target is changed. The system deploys four magnetron sputter guns in a cryoshroud (getter sputtering) which allows elements such as Ti and Zr to be deposited with minimal contamination by oxygen or other reactive background gases. The system also relies on custom substrate heaters to give rapid heating and cool down. The effectiveness of the gettering technique is evaluated, and example results obtained for catalytic activity of a pseudoternary composition spread are presented.