Meta-analysis and its problems.

Including all relevant material--good, bad, and indifferent--in meta-analysis admits the subjective judgments that meta-analysis was designed to avoid. Several problems arise in meta-analysis: regressions are often non-linear; effects are often multivariate rather than univariate; coverage can be restricted; bad studies may be included; the data summarised may not be homogeneous; grouping different causal factors may lead to meaningless estimates of effects; and the theory-directed approach may obscure discrepancies. Meta-analysis may not be the one best method for studying the diversity of fields for which it has been used.     

Oleandomycin and its natural and synthetic analogs. I. Dissociative ionization of oleandomycin and its derivatives

Regularities of dissociative ionization of compounds belonging to the oleandomycin group were studied. Mass spectra of oleandomycin and some of its derivatives including anhydrooleandomycin, oleandomycin chlorhydrine, desoleandomycin, oleandomycin oxide, trimethylsilyl and acetyl derivatives were analyzed comparatively. Directions of disintegration with breakage of the glycoside bonds, macrolactone and carbon cycles were detected. The data are useful in structural analysis of not described oleandomycin-related compounds formed during biosynthesis and isolation of the main product.     

Mutagenicities of quinoline and its derivatives.

Quinoline, recently reported to be carcinogenic in rats [12], was mutagenic to Salmonella typhimurium tester strains TA100 and TA98 in the presence of the metabolic activation system S-9 mix. 2-Chloroquinoline, a non-carcinogen [12], was non-mutagenic with or without S-9 mix. 8-Hydroxyquinoline, which is t known to be carcinogenic, was mutagenic with S-9 mix to both bacterial strains. The mutagenicities of 17 other quinoline derivatives that are not known to be carcinogenic were tested, and 12 of these compounds were mutagenic.