Undesirable sensory properties of the dried pea (Pisum sativum). The rôle of saponins

The rôle of saponins in the undesirable sensory properties of the dried pea P sativum is reported. The sensory properties of isolated soyasaponin I are defined and described as bitter, astringent and metallic. The distribution of saponin in various air-classified pea flour fractions shows that the protein-rich fraction may contain sufficient saponin to cause undesirable tastes.     

Angiotensin II receptor type 1 mRNA is upregulated in atria of patients with end-stage heart failure

There is increasing evidence that pathological changes in the myocardium during chronic heart failure (CHF) are partly regulated through the activation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), an effect mediated by the angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R). We examined the expression of cardiac AT1R mRNA in normal (atria, n=7; ventricle, n=3) and end-stage CHF human hearts (atria, n=8; ventricle, n=14). Tissue was snap-frozen immediately after explantation during orthotopic cardiac transplantation; control specimens were obtained from healthy donor hearts rejected for technical reasons. Northern blots of purified total mRNA from each tissue were hybridized with a random primed radiolabeled probe for the coding sequence of AT1R. Stringent conditions were used for both hybridization (5X SSC, 65 degrees C) and washing (0.5X SSC, 0.1% SDS, 65 degrees C) of the membrane. Left and right atrial tissue showed low levels of AT1R mRNA expression in the controls, with statistically significant upregulation of expression in tissue from pathological hearts; CHF atria 1.28+/-0.86 optical density (OD) units, control atria 0.56+/-0.31 OD units, P=0.05 (mean+/-s.d.). There were undetectable levels in ventricles from either control (2/2) or dilated hearts (7/7). The results were independent of the etiology of the heart failure and suggest that increased levels of atrial AT1R mRNA may occur in response to elevated atrial pressures in heart failure.     

In search of therapeutic nursing: subacute care

A form of 'intermediate' care exists in the USA which parallels the work of nurse-led units in the UK. This article describes subacute care, the term used for in-patient facilities for post-operative care and rehabilitation, and looks at its application in the USA. The work of such units is detailed and compared with similar units in the UK.     

Production of anti-erythrocyte antibodies by leukemic and nonleukemic B cells in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients

We have assessed the specificity of antibodies from the leukemic B cells of five patients with both chronic lymphocytic leukemia and autoimmune hemolytic anemia (CLL-AHA). Leukemic cells from one patient displayed surface immunoglobulin with heavy and light chain isotypes identical to that of the patient's anti-red blood cell (RBC) antibodies, and the leukemic cells secreted antibodies in vitro with anti-RBC activity. However, in the remaining patients, the leukemic cells displayed surface immunoglobulin with light chain isotypes different from that of the patient's anti-RBC antibodies and secreted antibodies in vitro with no detectable anti-RBC activity. Thus, there are two distinct classes of CLL-AHA patients, differentiated by the presence or absence of an anti-RBC antibody-producing leukemic B cell clone. The apparent heterogeneity in the source of pathogenic anti-RBC antibodies may impact the treatment response of the two classes of CLL-AHA patients.     

Social networking and digital gaming media convergence: Classification and its consequences for appropriation

Within the field of Information Systems, a good proportion of research is concerned with the work organisation and this has, to some extent, restricted the kind of application areas given consideration. Yet, it is clear that information and communication technology deployments beyond the work organisation are acquiring increased importance in our lives. With this in mind, we offer a field study of the appropriation of an online play space known as Habbo Hotel. Habbo Hotel, as a site of media convergence, incorporates social networking and digital gaming functionality. Our research highlights the ethical problems such a dual classification of technology may bring. We focus upon a particular set of activities undertaken within and facilitated by the space—scamming. Scammers dupe members with respect to their ‘Furni’, virtual objects that have online and offline economic value. Through our analysis we show that sometimes, online activities are bracketed off from those defined as offline and that this can be related to how the technology is classified by members—as a social networking site and/or a digital game. In turn, this may affect members’ beliefs about rights and wrongs. We conclude that given increasing media convergence, the way forward is to continue the project of educating people regarding the difficulties of determining rights and wrongs, and how rights and wrongs may be acted out with respect to new technologies of play online and offline.