DETERMINATION OF GUSTATORY SUCROSE THRESHOLD IN WATER BY USE OF A LINEAR SUCROSE GRADIENT

A novel experimental method was developed which allows the determination of the threshold concentration of sucrose by use of a linear sucrose gradient in water. With this method a continuous tasting of the test-liquid is possible. A panel of 15 persons experienced in taste-testing was used. Three gradients of different steepness were applied: 0 to 1.5% (w/w) sucrose in 2 min (I), 3 min (II) and 4 min (III). The results of the new method were compared with those of the standard method (DIN). With gradients I and II we found values which were significantly higher than those of the standard method (I: 0.49% (w/w); II: 0.46% (w/w); DIN: 0.31% (w/w)), whereas with gradient III the same threshold value was found as with the DIN-Method (III: 0.32% (w/w)).     

General relation between variance-time curve and power spectral density for point processes exhibiting 1/f β-fluctuations,with special reference to heart rate variability

Counting statistics in the form of the variance-time curve provides an alternative to spectral analysis for point processes exhibiting 1/f ^β-fluctuations, such as the heart beat. However, this is true only for β<1. Here, the case of general β is considered. To that end, the mathematical relation between the variance-time curve and power spectral density in the presence of 1/f ^β-noise is worked out in detail. A modified version of the variance-time curve is presented, which allows us to deal also with the case β?1. Some applications to the analysis of heart rate variability are given.     

Effect of neurotensin on pancreatic function in man

The effect of neurotensin on submaximally-stimulated hepatobiliary and pancreatic secretion was studied in 6 healthy subjects. An intravenous infusion of neurotensin 1.4 ± 0.3 pmol/kg/min, designed to reproduce plasma neurotensin immunoreactivity levels within the physiological range, produced a significant increase in pancreatic bicarbonate output. Plasma concentrations of pancreatic polypeptide rose by 83 ± 16 pmol/l and were associated with a small reduction in trypsin, but no significant change in bilirubin outputs.     

Delimitation of the maritime boundary in the gulf of Maine area

The compulsory dispute settlement regime included in the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention is recognized as one of the most comprehensive in a modern international convention. Yet, in the recent application of this regime, the question has arisen as to whether the procedural prerequisites associated with the LOS Convention's compulsory dispute settlement mechanism are so arduous as to avoid binding and compulsory jurisdiction in most instances. This article addresses that question by examining, in particular, the reasoning of the Southern Bluefin Tuna arbitration tribunal, which found Article 281 of Section 1 of the LOS Convention to bar jurisdiction to the compulsory dispute settlement mechanism prescribed by the Convention, and offers suggestions as to how states might distinguish or overcome the barriers imposed by the Southern Bluefin Tuna tribunal in future cases.     

A spatial analytical approach for selecting reintroduction sites for burbot in English rivers

1. Availability of suitable habitat is a prerequisite for species reintroduction success, and to ensure population persistence, investigations of a species’ habitat utilisation throughout its life history should be conducted as part of a feasibility study. 2. Habitat utilisation models for burbot, Lota lota, developed using data from field studies conducted in France and Germany and information from the literature were used to assess the feasibility of reintroducing burbot into rivers of its former native range in eastern England. 3. Per cent tree roots, aquatic vegetation and flow types were important predictors of adult burbot abundance. Furthermore, the habitat utilisation models were supplemented with information from the literature, which suggested that off‐channel habitat such as wetlands and backwaters is important for spawning and nursery stages. 4. An assessment of the habitat availability in the rivers of the burbot’s former native range using variables related to spawning and nursery and adult life stages showed that although adult habitat was widely distributed, the availability of spawning and nursery habitat was less abundant, potentially limiting successful reestablishment. 5. Potential suitable habitat was concentrated in the central and southern areas of the species’ former English distribution. Overall, rivers of the burbot’s former range potentially afford suitable habitat to sustain a reintroduced population. However, sites should be preferentially selected on the basis of having appropriate spawning and nursery areas.     

A deeper meaning for shallow-level phylogenomic studies: nested anchored hybrid enrichment offers great promise for resolving the tiger moth tree of life (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae)

Anchored hybrid enrichment (AHE) has emerged as a powerful tool for uncovering the evolutionary relationships within many taxonomic groups. AHE probe sets have been developed for a variety of insect groups, though none have yet been shown to be capable of simultaneously resolving deep and very shallow (e.g., intraspecific) divergences. In this study, we present NOC1, a new AHE probe set (730 loci) for Lepidoptera specialized for tiger moths and assess its ability to deliver phylogenetic utility at all taxonomic levels. We test the NOC1 probe set with 142 individuals from 116 species sampled from all the major lineages of Arctiinae (Erebidae), one of the most diverse groups of noctuoids (>11 000 species) for which no well-resolved, strongly supported phylogenetic hypothesis exists. Compared to previous methods, we generally recover much higher branch support (BS), resulting in the most well-supported, well-resolved phylogeny of Arctiinae to date. At the most shallow-levels, NOC1 confidently resolves species-level and intraspecific relationships and potentially uncovers cryptic species diversity within the genus Hypoprepia. We also implement a ‘sensitivity analysis’ to explore different loci combinations and site sampling strategies to determine whether a reduced probe set can yield results similar to those of the full probe set. At both deep and shallow levels, only 50–175 of the 730 loci included in the complete NOC1 probe set were necessary to resolve most relationships with high confidence, though only when the more rapidly evolving sites within each locus are included. This demonstrates that AHE probe sets can be tailored to target fewer loci without a significant reduction in BS, allowing future studies to incorporate more taxa at a lower per-sample sequencing cost. NOC1 shows great promise for resolving long-standing taxonomic issues and evolutionary questions within arctiine lineages, one of the most speciose clades within Lepidoptera.     

Long-term platinum retention after treatment with cisplatin and oxaliplatin

Background  

The aim of this study was to evaluate long-term platinum retention in patients treated with cisplatin and oxaliplatin.