Neurotoxicity following the ingestion of a Chinese medicinal plant, Alocasia macrorrhiza

1. A case of poisoning due to the raw root tuber of a Chinese medicinal plant, Alocasia macrorrhiza is presented. 2. The patient developed neurological (severe pain and numbness in the perioral area and throat) and gastrointestinal (nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain) symptoms immediately after eating the root tuber. 3. A macrorrhiza has properties and morphology very similar to another medical plant. A. odora. The root tuber of the latter is known to contain a neurotoxin sapotoxin.     

Engineering Gold Nanotubes with Controlled Length and Near‐Infrared Absorption for Theranostic Applications

Important aspects in engineering gold nanoparticles for theranostic applications include the control of size, optical properties, cytotoxicity, biodistribution, and clearance. In this study, gold nanotubes with controlled length and tunable absorption in the near‐infrared (NIR) region have been exploited for applications as photothermal conversion agents and in vivo photoacoustic imaging contrast agents. A length‐controlled synthesis has been developed to fabricate gold nanotubes (NTs) with well‐defined shape (i.e., inner void and open ends), high crystallinity, and tunable NIR surface plasmon resonance. A coating of poly(sodium 4‐styrenesulfonate) (PSS) endows the nanotubes with colloidal stability and low cytotoxicity. The PSS‐coated Au NTs have the following characteristics: i) cellular uptake by colorectal cancer cells and macrophage cells, ii) photothermal ablation of cancer cells using single wavelength pulse laser irradiation, iii) excellent in vivo photoacoustic signal generation capability and accumulation at the tumor site, iv) hepatobiliary clearance within 72 h postintravenous injection. These results demonstrate that these PSS‐coated Au NTs have the ideal attributes to develop their potential as effective and safe in vivo imaging nanoprobes, photothermal conversion agents, and drug delivery vehicles. To the best of knowledge, this is the first in vitro and in vivo study of gold nanotubes.     

The design of consumer packaging: Effects of manipulations of shape,orientation, and alignment of graphical forms on consumers’ assessments

On-package graphics have the potential to influence consumers’ product-related attitudes and behaviours. In the reported study graphics designs on the labels of two products (water and vodka) were manipulated with respect to shape angularity, orientation, and left–right alignment. Participants’ evaluations indicated a preference for rounded shapes that could not be accounted for by differences in design typicality; and preference for upward shape orientation. An interaction between these response variables for ratings of purchase likelihood suggested that congruence between graphical and product form (droplet shape) may be advantageous. Effects of alignment were not consistent with existing theories, with right-aligned graphics being preferred. An explanation that distinguishes processing efficiency and hemispheric efficiency is proposed. Finally, as predicted, a halo effect was apparent, such that effects of aesthetic manipulations extended to ratings of product attributes that were not experienced. Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.     

The advanced set-up and control system for Dofasco's tandem coldmill

The new coupled pickle line and cold mill (CPCM) has been processing steel since December 1991 at Dofasco Inc. in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. This mill rolls both sheet and tin plate. The work rolls for the last stand are often textured by grit blasting to roll “matte” finished strip. A new computer-targeted control system was developed for the roll speeds and gaps, specifically for matte rolling. The new set-up system uses Stone's model, which is more appropriate for the limited reductions evident with the rougher rolls. Conventional automatic gauge control (AGC) systems using thickness measurements after the last stand are limited in performance by the effect of long transport delays. These limitations are particularly critical during mill acceleration and deceleration. The use of a thickness gauge before the stand with matte rolls allows the development of AGC systems using shorter control loops for final gauge control. The AGC system uses a Smith predictor for transport lag, (phase shift), and compensation. The combination of the shorter AGC loop and the Smith predictor allows higher gains to be used in the control system. This set-up and control system has contributed to Dofasco's position as a market leader in thickness performance     

Processing of observed pupil size modulates perception of sadness and predicts empathy.

Facial autonomic responses may contribute to emotional communication and reveal individual affective style. In this study, the authors examined how observed pupillary size modulates processing of facial expression, extending the finding that incidentally perceived pupils influence ratings of sadness but not those of happy, angry, or neutral facial expressions. Healthy subjects rated the valence and arousal of photographs depicting facial muscular expressions of sadness, surprise, fear, and disgust. Pupil sizes within the stimuli were experimentally manipulated. Subjects themselves were scored with an empathy questionnaire. Diminishing pupil size linearly enhanced intensity and valence judgments of sad expressions (but not fear, surprise, or disgust). At debriefing, subjects were unaware of differences in pupil size across stimuli. These observations complement an earlier study showing that pupil size directly influences processing of sadness but not other basic emotional facial expressions. Furthermore, across subjects, the degree to which pupil size influenced sadness processing correlated with individual differences in empathy score. Together, these data demonstrate a central role of sadness processing in empathetic emotion and highlight the salience of implicit autonomic signals in affective communication. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Inexpensive in situ time-integrating seawater nutrient sampler

An in situ time-integrating seawater sampler in which air escaping from the sample bottle through a capillary regulates flow of seawater into the sampler is described for determination of average plant nutrient concentration during a 10–50 h period. The sampler collected water at a constant rate which was approximately equal to that predicted from the Hagen-Poiseuille equation. The sampler has advantages over those described previously: it is less susceptible to blockage from suspended particulates in seawater, less expensive, and the seawater collection rate should be less temperature-dependent.     

Dechema corrosion handbook Vol. 3 Edited by D. Behrens,VCH Verlagsgesellschaft,Weinheim Frankfurt am Main, 1988. pp. ix + 282, price £286.00 (subscription price to series £238.00 per volume) ISBN 3-527-26654-2

4-Phenyl-5-aminopyrazole 2 obtained from phenylcyanoacetaldehyde 1 and hydrazine hydrate reacted with diethyl malonate to give 3-phenyl-5,7-dioxopyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine 3 , used as the key compound in the synthesis of arylazo dyes. The key compound 3 was coupled with various aryldiazonium salts 4 to yield 3-phenyl-7-hydroxy-6-arylazopyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimid-5-ones 5. The resulting arylazo dyes (5) were refluxed in phosphorus oxychloride to give 3-phenyl-5,7-dichloro-6-arylazo-pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidines 6 , which subsequently reacted with refluxing morpholine and piperidine to yield 3-phenyl-5,7-bis(morpholino and piperidino)-6-aryiazopyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidines 7. The arylazo dyes 5 and 7 were applied to polyester fibres as disperse dyes and the arylazo dyes 6 were applied to polyamide fibres as disperse reactive dyes. The spectral and dyeing properties of the dyes were studied.     

Responses to the sensory properties of fat of neurons in the primate orbitofrontal cortex

The primate orbitofrontal cortex is a site of convergence of information from primary taste, olfactory, and somatosensory cortical areas. We describe the responses of a population of single neurons in the orbitofrontal cortex that responds to fat in the mouth. The neurons respond, when fatty foods are being eaten, to pure fat such as glyceryl trioleate and also to substances with a similar texture but different chemical composition such as paraffin oil (hydrocarbon) and silicone oil [Si(CH3)2O)n]. This is evidence that the neurons respond to the oral texture of fat, sensed by the somatosensory system. Some of the population of neurons respond unimodally to the texture of fat. Other single neurons show convergence of taste inputs, and others of olfactory inputs, onto single neurons that respond to fat. For example, neurons were found that responded to the mouth feel of fat and the taste of monosodium glutamate (both found in milk), or to the mouth feel of fat and to odor. Feeding to satiety reduces the responses of these neurons to the fatty food eaten, but the neurons still respond to some other foods that have not been fed to satiety. Thus sensory-specific satiety for fat is represented in the responses of single neurons in the primate orbitofrontal cortex. Fat is an important constituent of food that affects its palatability and nutritional effects. The findings described provide evidence that the reward value (or pleasantness) of the mouth feel of fat is represented in the primate orbitofrontal cortex and that the representation is relevant to appetite.     

Randomised trial of octreotide for long term management of cirrhosis after variceal haemorrhage

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of long term octreotide as adjuvant treatment to programmed endoscopic sclerotherapy after acute variceal haemorrhage in cirrhotic portal hypertension. DESIGN: Randomised clinical trial. SETTING: University hospital. SUBJECTS: 32 patients with cirrhotic portal hypertension. INTERVENTIONS: Programmed injection sclerotherapy with subcutaneous octreotide 50 micrograms twice daily for 6 months, or programmed injection sclerotherapy alone. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Episodes of recurrent variceal bleeding and survival. RESULTS: Significantly fewer patients receiving combined octreotide and sclerotherapy had episodes of recurrent variceal bleeding compared with patients given sclerotherapy alone (1/16 v 7/16; P = 0.037, Fisher's exact test), and their survival was significantly improved (P < 0.02, log rank test); this improvement was maintained for 12 months after the end of the study. Combined treatment also resulted in a sustained decrease in portal pressure (median decrease -6.0 mm Hg, interquartile range -10 to -4.75 mm Hg, P = 0.0002) compared with sclerotherapy alone (median increase 1.5 mm Hg, interquartile range 0.25 to 3.25 mm Hg), as well as a significant improvement in liver function as assessed by plasma concentrations of bilirubin, albumin, and alanine aminotransferase and by hepatocyte metabolism of aminopyrine labelled with carbon-14. CONCLUSION: Long term octreotide may be a valuable adjuvant to endoscopic sclerotherapy for acute variceal haemorrhage in cirrhotic portal hypertension.