The influence of acetaldehyde and water on the determination of 14C in wine alcohol

Der Einfluß von Acetaldehyd und Wasser auf die 14C-Bestimmung bei WeinalkoholDie Bestimmung von 14C im Äthanol von Wein wird nicht signifikant beeinflußt, wenn die Destillation sorgfältig durchgeführt wird und der Wasser- und Aldehydgehalt 10 % (v/v) bzw. 0,5 % (v/v) nicht übersteigt

The 14C content of the ethanol of South African wines ior the years 1925-1975

It has been shown that, due to atmospheric conditions, South African natural wines are lower in 14C content than their northern hemisphere counterparts for the periods of active nuclear explosion tests. On this basis it is incorrect to apply northern hemisphere 14C data to wines of the southern hemisphere.Der 14C-Gehalt des Äthanols südafrikanischer Weine der Jahrgänge 1925-1975Es konnte gezeigt werden, daß südafrikanische Naturweine infolge der atmosphärischen Bedingungen einen niedrigeren 14C-Gehalt besitzen, als ihn Vergleichsweine von der nördlichen Erdhalbkugel aus der Zeit der Kernwaffenversuche aufweisen. Es ist somit nicht gerechtfertigt, die 14C-Werte der Nordhemisphäre bei Weinen der südlichen Erdhalbkugel anzuwenden

The Paranormal is (Still) Normal: The Sociological Implications of a Survey of Paranormal Experiences in Great Britain

Historically, there has been limited sociological interest in the paranormal and no systematic study of reported paranormal experiences. There are also few medium-to-large-scale survey results with nationally representative populations focusing on paranormal experiences. This paper provides details of an exploratory survey conducted in 2009 with a nationally representative sample of 4,096 adults aged 16 years and over across Great Britain. Our findings show that 37% of British adults report at least one paranormal experience and that women, those who are middle-aged or individuals resident in the South West are more likely to report such experiences. These results establish incidence levels of reported paranormal experiences in contemporary Britain. We argue also that they merit a more sustained sociological consideration of the paranormal. In this respect we renew and update the robust justification and call for serious research positioning the paranormal as a social phenomenon, originally proposed well over thirty years ago by Greeley (1975)

Is mindfulness Buddhist? (and why it matters).

Modern exponents of mindfulness meditation promote the therapeutic effects of "bare attention"--a sort of non-judgmental, non-discursive attending to the moment-to-moment flow of consciousness. This approach to Buddhist meditation can be traced to Burmese Buddhist reform movements of the first half of the 20th century, and is arguably at odds with more traditional Theravāda Buddhist doctrine and meditative practices. But the cultivation of present-centered awareness is not without precedent in Buddhist history; similar innovations arose in medieval Chinese Zen (Chan) and Tibetan Dzogchen. These movements have several things in common. In each case the reforms were, in part, attempts to render Buddhist practice and insight accessible to laypersons unfamiliar with Buddhist philosophy and/or unwilling to adopt a renunciatory lifestyle. In addition, these movements all promised astonishingly quick results. And finally, the innovations in practice were met with suspicion and criticism from traditional Buddhist quarters. Those interested in the therapeutic effects of mindfulness and bare attention are often not aware of the existence, much less the content, of the controversies surrounding these practices in Asian Buddhist history

Quantifying Intramolecular Binding in Multivalent Interactions: A Structure-Based Synergistic Study on Grb2-Sos1 Complex

Numerous signaling proteins use multivalent binding to increase the specificity and affinity of their interactions within the cell. Enhancement arises because the effective binding constant for multivalent binding is larger than the binding constants for each individual interaction. We seek to gain both qualitative and quantitative understanding of the multivalent interactions of an adaptor protein, growth factor receptor bound protein-2 (Grb2), containing two SH3 domains interacting with the nucleotide exchange factor son-of-sevenless 1 (Sos1) containing multiple polyproline motifs separated by flexible unstructured regions. Grb2 mediates the recruitment of Sos1 from the cytosol to the plasma membrane where it activates Ras by inducing the exchange of GDP for GTP. First, using a combination of evolutionary information and binding energy calculations, we predict an additional polyproline motif in Sos1 that binds to the SH3 domains of Grb2. This gives rise to a total of five polyproline motifs in Sos1 that are capable of binding to the two SH3 domains of Grb2. Then, using a hybrid method combining molecular dynamics simulations and polymer models, we estimate the enhancement in local concentration of a polyproline motif on Sos1 near an unbound SH3 domain of Grb2 when its other SH3 domain is bound to a different polyproline motif on Sos1. We show that the local concentration of the Sos1 motifs that a Grb2 SH3 domain experiences is approximately 1000 times greater than the cellular concentration of Sos1. Finally, we calculate the intramolecular equilibrium constants for the crosslinking of Grb2 on Sos1 and use thermodynamic modeling to calculate the stoichiometry. With these equilibrium constants, we are able to predict the distribution of complexes that form at physiological concentrations. We believe this is the first systematic analysis that combines sequence, structure, and thermodynamic analyses to determine the stoichiometry of the complexes that are dominant in the cellular environment

Human osteochondral explants: reliable biomimetic models to investigate disease mechanisms and develop personalized treatments for osteoarthritis

Introduction: Likely due to ignored heterogeneity in disease pathophysiology, osteoarthritis (OA) has become the most common disabling joint disease, without effective disease-modifying treatment causing a large social and economic burden. In this study we set out to explore responses of aged human osteochondral explants upon different OA-related perturbing triggers (inflammation, hypertrophy and mechanical stress) for future tailored biomimetic human models.Methods: Human osteochondral explants were treated with IL-1 beta (10 ng/ml) or triiodothyronine (T3; 10 nM) or received 65% strains of mechanical stress (65% MS). Changes in chondrocyte signalling were determined by expression levels of nine genes involved in catabolism, anabolism and hypertrophy. Breakdown of cartilage was measured by sulphated glycosaminoglycans (sGAGs) release, scoring histological changes (Mankin score) and mechanical properties of cartilage.Results: All three perturbations (IL-1 beta, T3 and 65% MS) resulted in upregulation of the catabolic genes MMP13 and EPAS1. IL-1 beta abolished COL2A1 and ACAN gene expression and increased cartilage degeneration, reflected by increased Mankin scores and sGAGs released. Treatment with T3 resulted in a high and significant upregulation of the hypertrophic markers COL1A1, COL10A1 and ALPL. However, 65% MS increased sGAG release and detrimentally altered mechanical properties of cartilage.Conclusion: We present consistent and specific output on three different triggers of OA. Perturbation with the pro-inflammatory IL-1 beta mainly induced catabolic chondrocyte signalling and cartilage breakdown, while T3 initiated expression of hypertrophic and mineralization markers. Mechanical stress at a strain of 65% induced catabolic chondrocyte signalling and changed cartilage matrix integrity. The major strength of our ex vivo models was that they considered aged, preserved, human cartilage of a heterogeneous OA patient population. As a result, the explants may reflect a reliable biomimetic model prone to OA onset allowing for development of different treatment modalities.Orthopaedics, Trauma Surgery and Rehabilitatio

Identification strategy for unknown pollutants using high-resolution mass spectrometry: Androgen-disrupting compounds identified through effect-directed analysis

Effect-directed analysis has been applied to a river sediment sample of concern to identify the compounds responsible for the observed effects in an in vitro (anti-)androgenicity assay. For identification after non-target analysis performed on a high-resolution LTQ-Orbitrap, we developed a de novo identification strategy including physico-chemical parameters derived from the effect-directed analysis approach. With this identification strategy, we were able to handle the immense amount of data produced by non-target accurate mass analysis. The effect-directed analysis approach, together with the identification strategy, led to the successful identification of eight androgen-disrupting compounds belonging to very diverse compound classes: an oxygenated polyaromatic hydrocarbon, organophosphates, musks, and steroids. This is one of the first studies in the field of environmental analysis dealing with the difficult task of handling the large amount of data produced from non-target analysis. The combination of bioassay activity assessment, accurate mass measurement, and the identification and confirmation strategy is a promising approach for future identification of environmental key toxicants that are not included as priority pollutants in monitoring programs