Berry and Davis

The failure of physostigmine to reverse BZ effects during the first 8 hours (Fig. 8) is interesting and unexplained. It reminds one of the Berry and Davies findings (in 1970 at the British labs in Porton Down) which showed that the reversible anticholinesterase pyridostigmine was paradoxically effective as a prophylactic agent in the event of nerve gas exposure (see ref. ). 

The concept of using carbamates as pretreatment which protects against OP intoxication was first mooted in 1956 by Koster who demonstrated that cats pretreated with a small dose of eserine (physostigmine) survived poisoning by supralethal doses of diisopropylphosphorofluori-date (DFP) (Koster, 1956). Subsequently, Berry and Davies (1970) demonstrated the effectiveness of a combination of atropine and carbamate pretreatment against soman poisoning. At that time, it was not considered that pretreatments with substances such as atropine, with marked actions on the central nervous system, would be acceptable for human use. For this reason, effort was concentrated upon pretreatment with pyridostigmine, a quaternary carbamate, which would not be expected to cross the blood-brain barrier and affect the central nervous system. 

The previous highly reactive, electrophilic carbenoid [Rh-Rh] =C intermediate, formed during these catalytic reactions, remained elusive until a recent seminal study by Berry and Davies et al. 

Boss, P.K., Davies, C., and Robinson, S.P., Analysis of the expression of anthocyanin pathway genes in developing Vitis vinifera L. cv. Shiraz grape berries and the implications for pathway regulation. Plant Physiol, 111, 1059, 1996. 

Berry WK, Davies DR, Gordon JJ. Protection of animals against soman (1,2,2-trimethylpropyl methylpho-sphono-fluoridate) by pretreatment with some other organophosphorus compounds, followed by oxime and atropine. Biochem. Pharmacol., 1971, 20(1), 125-134. 

The UV and IR spectra for the parent NH have been measured by the flash photolysis technique as well as with the matrix technique at low temperature (for detailed reviews see Abramovitch and Davies 5> and Berry 38>). For NH four spectral bands are detected. The sharp Asn- - X3ZT transition is readily observed at approximately 336 nm in the absorption and emission spectra. The broader c1x-+a1A transition is well known in emission, but difficult to observe in absorption. Emission from the c17i-+b1E+ and d1Z+ - c 1 r-transitions appears as a 453 nm and 254 nm band respectively. 

I am indebted to Martyn Berry and Professor Sir John Cornforth AC FRS for their many valuable comments on the draft manuscript and particularly to Professor Alwyn Davies FRS for his substantial help and encouragement throughout the preparation of the manuscript and diagrams. 

Berry, W.K. and Davies, D.R., 1966 Factors influencing the rate of "Aging" of a series of alkyl methylphosphonyl-acetylchollnesterases. Blochem. J. 100 572-576. 

P Mo-nne-Loccoz, P Heathcote, DJ Maclachlan, MC Berry, IH Davis, and MCW Evans (1994) Path of electron transfer in photosystem I Direct evidence of forward electron transfer from A f toFe-Sx- Biochemistry 33 10037-10042... 

Berry JL, Davies M, Mee AP. Vitamin D metabolism, rickets, and osteomalacia. Semin Musculoskelet Radiol 2002 6 173-182. 

I thank many colleagues for helpful comments and advice, particularly Mr Martyn Berry and Professor Alwyn Davies FRS who have read the entire manuscript and whose suggestions for changes have improved the text in numerous places. I would also like to thank my wife Pat for her support and forbearance over the past three years. Enjoy the book ... 

Berry WK and Davies DR (1970). Use of carbamates and atropine in the protection of animals against poisoning by 1,2,2-trimethylpropyl phosphonofluoridate. Biochem Pharmacol, 19, 927-934. 

Iandolino A. 2004. Abiotic stress effects on the grapevine (Yitis vinifera L.) canopy s carbon balance and metabolic profile of flavonoids in berries. PhD Thesis. University of California, Davis, California. 

Clonal Selection. A good example of improvement in vine quality and productivity is the clonal improvement work done with Chardonnay. Fifteen to twenty years ago, growers were reluctant to plant Chardonnay, not only because of lack of winery interest but because of problems with shot berries, poor set, low crop, and disease susceptibility. Professor Olmo of the University of California at Davis began selections of Chardonnay, grown first in the Carneros area in Napa County and then in Oakville. The best of these selections went into the University certification program for virus-free stock. The clones were selected for better set, fuller clusters, and higher yield. 

Available evidence indicates that all asbestos fiber types are fibrogenic, although there may be some differences in potency among fiber types (Bignon and Jaurand 1983 Churg 1993 Davis 1972 EPA 1986a Kamp and Weitzman 1997 McDonald et al. 1999). Most studies in humans have involved exposure to predominantly chrysotile, the most widely used type of asbestos (Albin et al. 1996 Berry et al. 1979 BOHS 1983 Case and Duffesne 1997 Cullen and Baloyi 1991 Dement et al. 1983 McDonald et... 

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