A randomised, concentration-controlled, comparison of standard (5-day) vs. prolonged (15-day) infusions of etoposide phosphate in small-cell lung cancer

Purpose: This randomised trial was designed to investigate the activity and toxicity of continuous infusion etoposide phosphate (EP), targeting a plasma etoposide concentration of either 3 μg/ml for five days (5d) or 1 μg/ml for 15 days (15d), in previously untreated SCLC patients with extensive disease. Patients and methods: EP was used as a single agent. Plasma etoposide concentration was monitored on days 2 and 4 in patients receiving 5d EP and on days 2, 5, 8 and 11 in patients receiving 15d EP, with infusion modification to ensure target concentrations were achieved. Treatment was repeated every 21 days for up to six cycles, with a 25% reduction in target concentration in patients with toxicity. Results: The study has closed early after entry of 29 patients (14 with 5d EP, 15 with 15d EP). Objective responses were seen in seven of 12 (58%, confidence interval (CI): 27%-85%) evaluable patients after 5d EP, and two of 14 (14%, CI: 4%42%) evaluable patients after 15d EP (P = 0.038). Grade 3 or 4 neutropenia or leucopenia during the first cycle of treatment was observed in six of 12 patients after 5d EP and 0/14 patients after 15d EP (P = 0.004), with median nadir WBC count of 2.6 x 109/1 after 5d and 5.0 x 109/1 after 15d EP (P = 0.017). Only one of 49 cycles of 15d EP was associated with grade 3 or worse haematological toxicity, compared to 14 of 61 cycles of 5d EP. Conclusions: Although the number of patients entered into this trial was small, the low activity seen at 1 μg/ml in the 15d arm suggests that this concentration is below the therapeutic window in this setting. Further concentration- controlled studies with prolonged EP infusions are required.

The use of phospholipid fatty acid analysis to measure impact of acid rock drainage on microbial communities in sediments

The impact of acid rock drainage (ARD) and eutrophication on microbial communities in stream sediments above and below an abandoned mine site in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia, was quantified by PLFA analysis. Multivariate analysis of water quality parameters, including anions, soluble heavy metals, pH, and conductivity, as well as total extractable metal concentrations in sediments, produced clustering of sample sites into three distinct groups. These groups corresponded with levels of nutrient enrichment and/or concentration of pollutants associated with ARD. Total PLFA concentration, which is indicative of microbial biomass, was reduced by >70% at sites along the stream between the mine site and as far as 18 km downstream. Further downstream, however, recovery of the microbial abundance was apparent, possibly reflecting dilution effect by downstream tributaries. Total PLFA was >40% higher at, and immediately below, the mine site (0-0.1 km), compared with sites further downstream (2.5-18 km), even after accounting for differences in specific surface area of different sediment samples. The increased microbial population in the proximity of the mine source may be associated with the presence of a thriving iron-oxidizing bacteria community as a consequence of optimal conditions for these organisms while the lower microbial population further downstream corresponded with greater sediments' metal concentrations. PCA of relative abundance revealed a number of PLFAs which were most influential in discriminating between ARD-polluted sites and the rest of the sites. These PLFA included the hydroxy fatty acids: 2OH12:0, 3OH12:0, 2OH16:0; the fungal marker: 18:2ω6; the sulfate-reducing bacteria marker 10Me16:1ω7; and the saturated fatty acids 12:0, 16:0, 18:0. Partial constrained ordination revealed that the environmental parameters with the greatest bearing on the PLFA profiles included pH, soluble aluminum, total extractable iron, and zinc. The study demonstrated the successful application of PLFA analysis to rapidly assess the toxicity of ARD-affected waters and sediments and to differentiate this response from the effects of other pollutants, such as increased nutrients and salinity.

6 versus 12 month performance of polycaprolactone-based scaffold plus recombinant human morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) in an ovine thoracic interbody fusion model

Introduction Well-designed biodegradable scaffolds in combination with bone growth factors offer a valuable alternative to the current gold standard autograft in spinal fusion surgery Yong et al. (2013). Here we report on 6- vs 12- month data set evaluating the longitudinal performance of a CaP coated polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffold loaded with recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) as a bone graft substitute within a large preclinical animal model. Methods Twelve sheep underwent a 3-level (T6/7, T8/9 and T10/11) discectomy with randomly allocated implantation of a different graft substitute at each of the three levels; (i) calcium phosphate (CaP) coated polycaprolactone based scaffold plus 0.54µg rhBMP-2, (ii) CaP coated PCL- based scaffold alone or (iii) autograft (mulched rib head). Fusion assessments were performed via high resolution clinical computed tomography and histological evaluation were undertaken at six (n=6) and twelve (n=6) months post-surgery using the Sucato grading system (Sucato et al. 2004). Results The computed tomography fusion grades of the 6- and 12- months in the rhBMP-2 plus PCL- based scaffold group were 1.9 and 2.1 respectively, in the autograft group 1.9 and 1.3 respectively, and in the scaffold alone group 0.9 and 1.17 respectively. There were no statistically significant differences in the fusion scores between 6- and 12- month for the rhBMP plus PCL- based scaffold or PCL – based scaffold alone group however there was a significant reduction in scores in the autograft group. These scores were seen to correlate with histological evaluations of the respective groups. Conclusions The results of this study demonstrate the efficacy of scaffold-based delivery of rhBMP-2 in promoting higher fusion grades at 6- and 12- months in comparison to the scaffold alone or autograft group within the same time frame. Fusion grades achieved at six months using PCL+rhBMP-2 are not significantly increased at twelve months post-surgery.

Quantitative assessment of total and Gram-positive aerobic bacteria in fresh and ambient-temperature-stored sub-tropical marine fish

The current study was undertaken to enumerate Gram-positive bacteria in fresh sub-tropical marine fish and determine the effect of ambient storage (25°C) on the Gram-positive bacterial count. Total and Gram-positive bacteria were enumerated in the muscles, gills and gut of fresh and stored Pseudocaranx dentex, Pagrus auratus and Mugil cephalus on tryptone soya agar (TSA) and TSA with 0.25% phenylethyl alcohol (PEA), respectively. Initial studies indicated that PEA significantly reduced total aerobic bacterial count (TABC) whereas control Gram-positive bacteria were not affected by 0.25% PEA. TABC significantly increased in all fish body parts, whereas Gram-positive aerobic bacterial count (GABC) significantly increased only in the muscles and gills during ambient storage for 15 h. The TABC of the fish species increased from 4.00, 6.13 and 4.58 log cfu g-1, respectively in the muscles, gills, and gut to 6.31, 7.31 and 7.23 log cfu g-1 by the end of storage. GABC increased from 2.00, 3.52 and 2.20 log cfu g-1 to 4.70, 5.85 and 3.36 log cfu g-1. Within each species, TABC were significantly higher in the gills compared to that of muscles and gut; however, no significant differences were found in GABC between muscles and gills. This study demonstrated the potential importance of Gram-positive bacteria in sub-tropical marine fish and their spoilage.

The physicochemical characteristics and anaerobic degradability of desiccated coconut industry waste water

Desiccated coconut industries (DCI) create various intermediates from fresh coconut kernel for cosmetic, pharmaceutical and food industries. The mechanized and non-mechanized DCI process between 10,000 and 100,000 nuts/day to discharge 6-150 m(3) of malodorous waste water leading to a discharge of 2646642 kg chemical oxygen demand (COD) daily. In these units, three main types of waste water streams are coconut kernel water, kernel wash water and virgin oil waste water. The effluent streams contain lipids (1-55 g/l), suspended solids (6-80 g/l) and volatile fatty acids (VFA) at concentrations that are inhibitory to anaerobic bacteria. Coconut water contributes to 20-50 % of the total volume and 50-60 % of the total organic loads and causes higher inhibition of anaerobic bacteria with an initial lag phase of 30 days. The lagooning method of treatment widely adopted failed to appreciably treat the waste water and often led to the accumulation of volatile fatty acids (propionic acid) along with long-chain unsaturated free fatty acids. Biogas generation during biological methane potential (BMP) assay required a 15-day adaptation time, and gas production occurred at low concentrations of coconut water while the other two streams did not appear to be inhibitory. The anaerobic bacteria can mineralize coconut lipids at concentrations of 175 mg/l; however; they are severely inhibited at a lipid level of = 350 mg/g bacterial inoculum. The modified Gompertz model showed a good fit with the BMP data with a simple sigmoid pattern. However, it failed to fit experimental BMP data either possessing a longer lag phase and/or diauxic biogas production suggesting inhibition of anaerobic bacteria.

Proceedings of the Second PICES Workshop on the Okhotsk Sea and Adjacent Areas [Nemuro, Japan, November 9-12, 1998]

Table of Contents [pdf, 0.01 Mb] Preface [pdf, 0.01 Mb] Masaaki Aota Long-term tendencies of sea ice concentration and air temperature in the Okhotsk Sea coast of Hokkaido [pdf, 0.05 Mb] Hajime Ito & Miki Yoshioka Geography of the seasonally ice covered seas [pdf, 0.5 Mb] George V. Shevchenko & Victor F. Putov On wind and tide induced sea-ice drift on the northeastern shelf of Sakhalin Island (analysis of radar data) [pdf, 0.96 Mb] Boris S. Dyakov, A.A. Nikitin, L. S. Muktepavel & T.A. Shatilina Variability of the Japan and Okhotsk Seas ice cover depending on geopotential field H500 over the Far-Eastern region [pdf, 0.10 Mb] Aleksandr G. Petrov & Nikolay A. Rykov Intermediate cold layer and ice cover in the Sea of Okhotsk [pdf, 0.37 Mb] Vladimir Ponomarev, Olga Trusenkova, Elena Ustinova & Dmitry Kaplunenko Interannual variations of oceanographic and meteorological characteristics in the Sea of Okhotsk [pdf, 0.16 Mb] George V. Shevchenko & Akie Kato Seasonal and interannual changes of atmospheric pressure, air and water temperature in the area of the Kuril Ridge [pdf, 0.13 Mb] George V. Shevchenko & Vladimir Yu. Saveliev Spatial variability of the wind field in the area of the Kuril Islands [pdf, 0.15 Mb] Alexander L. Figurkin & Igor A. Zhigalov Seasonal variability and specifity of the oceanological conditions in the northern Okhotsk Sea in 1997 [pdf, 1.04 Mb] Igor A. Zhabin Ventilation of the upper portion of the intermediate water in the Okhotsk Sea [pdf, 0.80 Mb] Vladimir A. Luchin & Alexander L. Figurkin Oceanographic conditions over the Kashevarov Bank [pdf, 0.61 Mb] Toshiyuki Awaji, Tomohiro Nakamura, Takaki Hatayama, Kazunori Akimoto & Takatoshi Takizawa Tidal exchange through the Kuril Straits [pdf, 2.01 Mb] Tomohiro Nakamura, Toshiyuki Awaji, Takaki Hatayama, Kazunori Akimoto, Takatoshi Takizawa & Masao Fukasawa Vertical mixing induced by tidally generated internal waves in the Kuril Straits [pdf, 0.83 Mb] Katsuro Katsumata & Ichiro Yasuda Water exchange between the Okhotsk Sea and the North Pacific Ocean estimated by simple models [pdf, 0.97 Mb] Konstantin A. Rogachev Oyashio west path culmination as the consequence of a rapid thermohaline transition in the Pacific Subarctic [pdf, 0.22 Mb] Yasuhiro Kawasaki On the year-to-year change in subarctic water characteristics around the Kuril Islands [pdf, 0.39 Mb] Alexander L. Figurkin & Evgeniy E. Ovsyannikov Influence of oceanological conditions of the West Kamchatka shelf waters on spawning grounds and on pollock egg distribution [pdf, 0.97 Mb] Igor E. Kochergin & Alexander A. Bogdanovsky Transport and turbulence characteristics for the northeastern Sakhalin shelf conditions [pdf, 0.08 Mb] Igor E. Kochergin, Alexander A. Bogdanovsky, Valentina D. Budaeva, Vyacheslav G. Makarov, Vasily F. Mishukov, S.N. Ovsienko, Victor F. Putov, L.A. Reitsema, J.W. Sciallabba, O.O. Sergucheva & P.V. Yarosh Modeling of oil spills for the shelf conditions of northeastern Sakhalin [pdf, 0.32 Mb] Valentina D. Budaeva & Vyacheslav G. Makarov A peculiar water regime of currents in the area of eastern Sakhalin shelf [pdf, 0.66 Mb] Nikolay A. Rykov The oceanographic databases on the Sakhalin shelf [pdf, 0.27 Mb] Akifumi Nakata, Iori Tanaka, Hiroki Yagi, Tomomi Watanabe, Gennady A. Kantakov & Andrew D. Samatov Formation of high-density water (over 26.8 sigma-t) near the La Perouse Strait (the Soya Strait) [pdf, 0.09 Mb] Minoru Odamaki & Kouji Iwamoto Currents and tidal observations by Hydrographic Department of Maritime Safety Agency, off the Okhotsk coast of Hokkaido [pdf, 0.16 Mb] Yasushi Fukamachi, Genta Mizuta, Kay I. Ohshima, Motoyo Itoh, Masaaki Wakatsuchi & Masaaki Aota Mooring measurements off Shiretoko Peninsula, Hokkaido in 1997-1998 [pdf, 0.19 Mb] Mikhail A. Danchenkov, David Aubrey & Stephen C. Riser Oceanographic features of the La Perouse Strait [pdf, 0.91 Mb] Iori Tanaka & Akifumi Nakata Results of direct current measurements in the La Perouse Strait (the Soya Strait), 1995-1998 [pdf, 0.06 Mb] Gennady A. Kantakov & George V. Shevchenko In situ observations of Tsushima and West-Sakhalin currents near La Perouse (Soya) Strait [pdf, 0.79 Mb] Irina Y. Bragina Geographical and biological characteristics of the net zooplankton in the southwestern part of the Sea of Okhotsk during 1987-1996 [pdf, 0.27 Mb] List of corresponding authors [pdf, 0.01 Mb] (Document pdf contains 193 pages)

Subcutaneous fat composition of youthful and mature Canadian beef: emphasis on individual conjugated linoleic acid and trans-18:1 isomers

[EN]A comprehensive evaluation of the fatty acid composition of subcutaneous adipose tissue from beef cattle produced in western Canada was undertaken to determine if the current Canadian grading system is able to distinguish classes of animals with value added potential due to their fatty acid composition. Grades included youthful Canadian Yield Grade 1 A/AA beef, under (YUTM) and over (YOTM) 30 mo of age and the four mature grades (D1, D2, D2 and D4). Subcutaneous fat between the 12th and 13th ribs over the longissimus muscle was obtained from 18_21 animals per grade. Fatty acids were analyzed using a combination of silver-ion HPLC and GC with a highly polar 100 m column. There were no differences in total trans-18:1 content amongst grades, but adipose tissue from grade D1, D2 and D4 had more 11t-18:1 than YUTM (PB0.05), whereas adipose tissue from YUTM carcasses had more 10t-18:1 than all other grades (PB0.05). Adipose tissue from YUTM carcasses also had less total CLA (PB0.05) than the D grades, mainly due to a lower level of 9c,11t-CLA, but they had slightly more 7t,9c-CLA and 10t,12c-CLA (PB0.05). Adipose tissue from YOTM and D grades contained more n-3 fatty acids relative to YUTM (0.56% vs. 0.29%; PB0.05) and lower n-6:n-3 ratios (PB0.05). Overall, older animals (YOTM and D grades) had adipose tissue compositions with higher levels of fatty acids with reported health benefits. Taken together, these higher levels may provide opportunities for value added marketing if regulatory authorities allow claims for their enrichment based on demonstrated health benefits. Higher concentrations of beneficial fatty acids, however, need to be considered within the context of the complete fatty acid profile and it would be important to demonstrate their advantages in the presence of relatively high levels of saturated fatty acids.

On the population dynamics of Eudiaptomus gracilis Sars and Heterocope borealis Fischer in the Bodensee-Obersee. Part B. Eudiaptomus gracilis Sars. [Translation from: Trudy Instituta Biologii Vnutrennykh Vodnany 12(15) 170-174, 1966.]

Experimental research was conducted to study the development of eggs of Eudiaptomus gracilis Sars. The egg production was studied as well as the population dynamics. Factors like losses in the lake and through the effluent Rhine at Konstanz were considered.

Influence of sex, spawning, starvation and water temperature on fatty acid composition in Tilapia mossambica

The influence of sex, spawning, starvation and water temperature on the fatty acid composition of Tilapia mossambica has been studied. Tilapia egg lipid was found to have unusually high percentage of C sub(22:6) fatty acids (9.09%) compared to body and intestinal lipids. The C sub(16:1) acid was much less in the egg lipids (3.5%) whereas it was 11% in the body lipids. There was no significant difference in the fatty acid composition of body and intestinal lipids of male and female tilapia. Starvation caused the presence of high content of lower fatty acids (C sub(6), C sub(8), C sub(30), C sub(12) and C sub(33)) in the body lipids. Water temperature also influenced the fatty acid composition of Tilapia; the difference was more significant in body lipids than in intestinal lipids.

Determination of proximate composition, shelf life and fatty acid profiles of breaded kilka (Clupeonella cultriventris) during frozen storage

The present study aimed production of a new product with various texture and sensory properties in chase of the impetus for increasing human consumption considering suitable resources of Kilka fish in Caspian Sea. Following deheading, gutting, and brining, common Kilka were battered in two different formulations, i.e. simple batter and tempura batter, via automated predusting machinery and then, they were fried through flash frying for 30 seconds at 170°C in sunflower oil after they were breaded with bread crumbs flour. The products were subjected to continuous freezing at -40°C and were kept at -18°C in cold storage for four months once they were packed. Chemical composition (protein, fat, moisture, and ash), fatty acid profiles (29 fatty acids), chemical indices of spoilage (peroxide value, thiobarbituric acid, free fatty acids, and volatile nitrogen), and microbial properties (total bacteria count and coliform count) were compared in fresh and breaded Kilka at various times before frying (raw breaded Kilka), after frying (zero-phase), and in various months of frozen storage (phases 1, 2, 3, and 4). Organoleptic properties of breaded Kilka (i.e. odor, taste, texture, crispiness, cohesiveness of batter) and general acceptability in the phases 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 were evaluated. The results obtained from chemical composition and fatty acid profiles in common Kilka denoted that MUFA, PUFA, and SFA were estimated to be 36.96, 32.85, and 29.12 g / 100g lipid, respectively. Levels of ù-3 and ù-6 were 7.6 and 1.12 g / 100 gr lipid, respectively. Docosahexaonoic acid (20.79%) was the highest fatty acid in PUFA group. ù-3/ù-6 and PUFA/SFA ratios were 7.6 and 1.12, respectively. The high rates of the indices and high percentage of ù-3 fatty acid in common Kilka showed that the fish can be considered as invaluable nutritional and fishery resources and commonsensical consumption of the species may reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Frying breaded Kilka affected overall fat and moisture contents so that moisture content in fried breaded Kilka decreased significantly compared to raw breaded Kilka, while it was absolutely reverse for fat content. Overall fat content in tempura batter treatment was significantly lower than that of simple batter treatment (P≤0.05). Presence of hydrocolloids, namely proteins, starch, gum, and other polysaccharides, in tempura batter may prohibit moisture evaporation and placement with oil during frying process in addition to boosting water holding capacity through confining water molecules. During frying process, fatty acids composition of breaded Kilka with various batters changed so that rates of some fatty acids such as Palmitic acid (C16:0), Stearic acid (C18:0), Oleic acid (C18:1 ù-9cis), and linoleic acid (C18:3 ù-3) increased considerably following frying; however, ù-3/ù-6, PUFA/SFA, and EPA+DHA/C16:0 ratios (Polyan index) decreased significantly after frying. ù-3/ù-6, PUFA/SFA, and EPA+DHA/C16:0 ratios in tempura batter treatment were higher than those of simple batter treatment which is an indicator of higher nutritional value of breaded Kilka with tempura batter. Significant elevations were found in peroxide, thiobarbituric acid, and free fatty acids in fried breaded Kilka samples compared to raw samples which points to fat oxidation during cooking process. Overall microorganism count and coliform count decreased following heating process. Both breaded Kilka samples were of high sanitation quality at zero-phase according to ICMSF Standard. The results acquired from organoleptic evaluation declared that odor, cohesiveness, and general acceptability indices, among others, had significant differences between the treatments (P≤0.05). In all evaluated properties, breaded Kilka with tempura batter in different phases gained higher scores than breaded Kilka with simple batter. During cold storage of various treatments of breaded Kilka, total lipid content, PUFA, MUFA, ù-3, ù- 3/ù-6, PUFA/SFA, Polyen index decreased significantly. The mentioned reductions in addition to significant elevation of spoilage indices, namely peroxide, thiobarbituric acid, and free fatty acids, during frozen storage, indicate to oxidation and enzymatic mechanism activity during frozen storage of breaded Kilka. Considering sensory evaluation at the end of the fourth month and TVB-N contents exceeded eligible rate in the fourth month, shelf life of the products during frozen storage was set to be three months at -18°C. The results obtained from statistical tests indicate to better quality of breaded Kilka processed with tempura batter compared to simple batter in terms of organoleptic evaluation, spoilage indices, and high quality of fat in various sampling phases.

Effect of dietary linolenic acid/linoleic acid ratio on growth performance, hepatic fatty acid profiles and intermediary metabolism of juvenile yellow catfish Pelteobagrus fulvidraco

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of dietary linolenic acid (LNA)linoleic acid (LA) ratio on growth performance, hepatic fatty acid profile and intermediary metabolism of juvenile yellow catfish Pelteobagrus fulvidraco. Six isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets were formulated to contain incremental levels of LNA from 0 to 5% at the expense of corn oil (rich in LA), resulting in six dietary treatments with LNA to LA ratios ranging from 0.35 to 14.64. The experiment continued for 7 weeks. Best growth and feed intake were obtained in the fish fed the diets containing the LNA/LA ratios of 1.17 and 2.12 (P<0.05). In contrast, feed conversion ratio was the lowest for fish fed the diets containing the LNA/LA ratios of 1.17 and 2.12 (P<0.05). Dietary LNA to LA ratios significantly influenced viscerosomatic index and hepatosomatic index (P<0.05), but not condition factor (P>0.05). Body composition was also significantly influenced by dietary LNA to LA ratios (P<0.05). Generally, liver FA compositions reflected dietary FA profiles. Declining LA and increasing LNA contents in liver were observed with the increasing dietary LNA/LA ratios (P<0.05). Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) increased with the increasing LNA to LA ratios, suggesting that yellow catfish could elongate and desaturate C18 polyunsaturated fatty acids into highly unsaturated fatty acids. As a consequence, the n-6 fatty acids (FA) declined, and total n-3 FA and n-3/n-6 ratios increased with the dietary ratios of LNA/LA (P<0.05). Dietary LNA to LA ratios significantly influenced several enzymatic activities involved in liver intermediary metabolism (P<0.05), such as lipoprotein lipase, hepatic lipase, pyruvate kinase, succinate dehydrogenase, malic dehydrogenase and lactate dehydrogenase, suggesting that dietary LNA/LA ratios had significant effects on nutrient metabolism in the liver. To our knowledge this is the first demonstration of the effects of dietary LNA to LA ratios on the enzymatic activities of liver in fish, which provides information on diet quality and utilization, and can also be used as an indicator of the nutritional status of this fish. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rapid quantification of total microcystins in cyanobacterial samples by periodate-permanganate oxidation and reversed-phase liquid chromatography

Microcystins (MCs) comprise a family of more than 80 related cyclic hepatotoxic heptapeptides. Oxidation of MCs causes cleavage of the chemically unique C-20 beta-amino acid (2S, 3S, 8S, 9S)-3-amino-9-methoxy-2,6,8-trimethyl-10-phenyldeca-4,6-dienoic acid (Adda) amino to form 2-methyl-3-methoxy-4-phenylbutanoic acid (MMPB), which has been exploited to enable analysis of the entire family. In the present study, the reaction conditions (e.g. concentration of the reactants. temperature and pH) used in the production of MMPB by oxidation of cyanobacterial samples with permanganate-periodate were optimized through a series of well-controlled batch experiments. The oxidation product (MMPB) was then directly analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection. The results of this study provided insight into the influence of reaction conditions on the yield of MMPB. Specifically, the optimal conditions, including a high dose of permanganate (>= 50 mM) in saturated periodate solution at ambient temperature under alkaline conditions (pH similar to 9) over 1-4 h were proposed, as indicated by a MMPB yield of greater than 85%. The technique developed here was applied to determine the total concentration of MCs in cyanobacterial bloom samples, and indicated that the MMPB technique was a highly sensitive and accurate method of quantifying total MCs. Additionally, these results will aid in development of a highly effective analytical method for detection of MMPB as an oxidation product for evaluation of total MCs in a wide range of environmental sample matrices, including natural waters, soils (sediments) and animal tissues. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Differences in growth and nitrogen productivity between a stay-green genotype and a wild-type of Lolium perenne under limiting relative addition rates of nitrate supply

James Macduff, Neil Raistrick and Mervyn Humphreys (2002). Differences in growth and nitrogen productivity between a stay-green genotype and a wild-type of Lolium perenne under limiting relative addition rates of nitrate supply. Physiologia Plantarum, 116 (1), 52-61. Sponsorship: BBSRC RAE2008