Nature 419 (6908): 685
17 October 2002
doi:10.1038/419685a
S. Imai [1], N. Tsuge [1], M. Tomotake [1], Y. Nagatome [1], H. Sawada [1], T. Nagata [2] & H. Kumagai [3]
[1] Somatech Center, House Foods Corporation, Takanodai, Yotsukaido, Chiba 284-0033, Japan
[2] Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
[3] Division of Integrated Life Science, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
ABSTRACT The irritating lachrymatory factor that is released by onions when they are chopped up has been presumed to be produced spontaneously following the action of the enzyme alliinase, which operates in the biochemical pathway that produces the compounds responsible for the onion's characteristic flavour. Here we show that this factor is not formed as a by-product of this reaction, but that it is specifically synthesized by a previously undiscovered enzyme, lachrymatory-factor synthase. It may be possible to develop a non-lachrymatory onion that still retains its characteristic flavour and high nutritional value by downregulating the activity of this synthase enzyme.
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v419/n6908/abs/419685a.html
Thursday 17 October 2002
An onion enzyme that makes the eyes water
Tuesday 1 October 2002
Can shoe size predict penile length?
BJU International
Volume 90, Issue 6, pages 586–587, October 2002
doi: 10.1046/j.1464-410X.2002.02974.x
J. Shah [1] and N. Christopher [2]
1 Department of Urology, St. Mary's Hospital, and
2 Institute of Urology, University College Hospitals, London, UK
Keywords
penile length; correlation; shoe size; masculinity
Objective
To establish if the ‘myth’ about whether the size of a man's penis can be estimated from his shoe size has any basis, infact.
Subjects and methods
Two urologists measured the stretched penile length of 104 men in a prospective study and related this to their shoe size.
Results
The median stretched penile length for the sampled population was 13 cm and the median UK shoe size was 9 (European 43). There was no statistically significant correlation between shoe size and stretched penile length.
Conclusion
The supposed association of penile length and shoe size has no scientific basis.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1464-410X.2002.02974.x/abstract