bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Determination of tamoxifen and four metabolites in serum by low-dispersion liquid chromatography.
Authors: Lien E A , Ueland P M , Solheim E , Kvinnsland S 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
In this assay of tamoxifen and four metabolites in human serum, the serum samples are deproteinized with an equal volume of acetonitrile, then injected into a small (0.21 X 2 cm) precolumn packed with 5-micron-diameter octadecylsilane (ODS) particles. The samples are concentrated on-column by equilibrating the column with an equivolume solution of water and acetonitrile containing 3 mmol of acetic acid and 2 mmol of diethylamine per liter. The drugs are then directed into an analytical ODS column (0.21 X 10 cm) by changing the mobile phase followed by column switching. The primary alcohol of tamoxifen ("metabolite Y"), 4-hydroxytamoxifen ("metabolite B"), tamoxifen, N-desdimethyltamoxifen ("metabolite Z"), N-desmethyltamoxifen ("metabolite X"), and 4-methoxytamoxifen (internal standard) are eluted in this order at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min with a mobile phase of acetonitrile/water (91/9 by vol) at low ionic strength (1 mmol of acetic acid and 0.67 mmol of diethylamine per liter) and detected by post-column fluorescence activation by passage through a capillary quartz tube exposed to ultraviolet light. Analytical recovery was close to 100%. Within-day precision corresponded to a CV of 1-5% at serum concentrations of tamoxifen or metabolites greater than 10 micrograms/L; the detection limit of the assay for these compounds was about 1 microgram/L. This fully automated assay has the advantage of simple sample processing, high sample output, low solvent consumption, high analytical recovery of tamoxifen and four metabolites in serum, and determination of all these compounds plus an internal standard in a single run.
A receptor-antibody sandwich assay for teicoplanin.
Authors: Corti A , Cavenaghi L , Giani E , Cassani G 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
We have developed a new method for quantifying teicoplanin in complex matrixes, a receptor-antibody sandwich assay (RASA). The method is based on bioselective adsorption of teicoplanin onto microtiter plates coated with albumin-epsilon-aminocaproyl-D-alanyl-D-alanine, a synthetic analog of its biological target, and reaction with anti-teicoplanin antibodies. The sandwich complexes are detected by incubation with peroxidase-labeled goat antibodies to rabbit IgGs and chromogenic reaction with o-phenylenediamine. The dose-response curve was linear for teicoplanin concentrations in the range from 0 to 0.15 mg/L. We used the assay to measure teicoplanin concentrations in various biological matrixes. Analytical recovery from serum was 99.5%, the interassay CV was 5.1%, and the detection limit was 30 micrograms/L (P less than 0.01). Mean analytical recoveries from other biological specimens were 98% from ascitic fluid, 100% from pleuric liquid, 104.8% from prostate homogenate, and 98.5% from bronchial expectorate.
Turbidimetric measurement of lipase activity--problems and some solutions.
Authors: Tietz N W , Shuey D F , Astles J R 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
We optimized a commercial turbidimetric method for lipase (EC 3.1.1.3) activity (Boehringer Mannheim Diagnostics) and overcame some of its deficiencies. Increasing the bile salt concentration to 35 mmol/L and the colipase concentration to 6 mg/L and using a continuous recording of the reaction-rate curve greatly improved the reaction kinetics, eliminated false results from increases in absorbance, reduced the lag phase, and increased the analytical sensitivity and accuracy. Differentiation of pancreatitis from nonpancreatitis sera by adding NaCl, 140 mmol/L, to the assay mixture to observe the degree of enzyme activation has important limitations. Sera from patients with pancreatitis and only slight or modest increases in lipase behave like sera from healthy individuals or from patients with nonpancreatic disease. The assay shows no interference by lipoprotein lipase and carboxyl esterase. Results compare well by this optimized method and by an optimized "pH-Stat" titrimetric method.
Development and characterization of an automated assay of effective heparin activity in plasma.
Authors: Pierson-Perry J F , Obzansky D M , Mizzer J P 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
We describe a fully automated assay for determining effective heparin activity in plasma, based on heparin-catalyzed inhibition of Factor Xa (EC 3.4.21.6) by antithrombin III (AT III). Residual Factor Xa is determined kinetically by the Du Pont aca discrete clinical analyzer with a chromogenic substrate and is inversely related to heparin activity. Because the test plasma is the sole source of AT III, the assay result is dependent on AT III activity and reflects effective rather than total heparin activity. The assay range is 20-1200 USP units/L, and the assay shows equivalent sensitivity to standard and low-molecular-mass heparins. Within-run reproducibility (CV) is 1.6% at 390 units/L. There was no interference from common blood components or drugs. Results agreed well with those by the Coatest heparin kit (Kabi) adapted to the Cobas-Bio analyzer (r = 0.85, n = 122).
Economy and efficiency in routine thyroid-function testing: use of a sensitive immunoradiometric assay for thyrotropin in a general hospital laboratory.
Authors: Thornes H M , McLeod D T , Carr D 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
We measured thyrotropin (TSH) with a sensitive immunoradiometric assay (IRMA) in 2329 consecutive serum samples received for thyroid-function tests from hospital and general practice. Of these, 185 (7.9%) had TSH values less than 0.2 milli-int. unit/L: 33 (1.4%) were hyperthyroid, 20 (0.9%) were being treated for hyperthyroidism, 115 (4.9%) were receiving L-thyroxin, and 17 (0.7%) were clinically euthyroid but had severe non-thyroidal illnesses. In the first 506 serum samples, we also measured free thyroxin, free triiodothyronine (FT3), and total thyroxin. Thyroliberin (thyrotropin-releasing hormone, TRH) tests performed on 84 patients showed that an undetectable initial TSH (usually ascribable to therapy with thyroxin) predicted a flat TRH response. All untreated thyrotoxic patients had undetectable TSH. Experience confirmed that this TSH assay, in conjunction with a supplementary assay of FT3 when the TSH concentration is less than twice the limit of detection, is efficient and economical for routine evaluation of thyroid function in an unselected population.
Liquid chromatography and radioimmunoassay compared for determination of cortisol and corticosterone in plasma after a dexamethasone suppression test.
Authors: Oka K , Noguchi M , Kitamura T , Shima S 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
We developed sensitive, specific "high-performance" liquid chromatography (HPLC) for determining suppressed cortisol and corticosterone in human plasma and compared its efficacy with that of conventional radioimmunoassay (RIA) at concentrations in the nanogram per liter range. Steroids from a 0.5-mL aliquot of plasma were extracted by rapid-flow fractionation, with diethyl ether as mobile-phase solvent, diatomaceous earth granules as stationary-support material. Analytical recovery of the steroids approached 100%. Concentrations in plasma were determined from peak-height ratio calibration (dexamethasone internal standard). The analytical column contained silica gel and the solvent system was water/methanol/dichloromethane/n-hexane (0.1/3/30/66.9 by vol). We could measure the steroids before and 20 h after oral administration of 0.5 mg of dexamethasone. The detection limit was 300 ng per liter of plasma for corticosterone, 500 ng/L for cortisol, with CVs of less than 4%. Determining corticosterone after administration of dexamethasone, in four of 20 such samples we could determine concentrations greater than 300 ng/L; the others contained corticosterone between 100 and 300 ng/L, but these values could not be certified analytically. Mean concentrations of these hormones as determined by RIA substantially exceeded those by HPLC. Some cross reactions in RIA could not be considered negligible in spite of pre-column treatment of the extracts.
A commercial electrochemical method evaluated for measurement of iron status.
Authors: Skikne B S 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
I evaluated a commercial electrochemical method (Environmental Science Associates), based on potentiostatic coulometry, for determining iron and total iron-binding capacity (TIBC). The method requires 25 and 100 microL of serum, respectively, for these measurements. Serum iron concentrations so determined in 99 normal volunteers satisfactorily correlated with those determined by the Iron Panel Method (Br J Haematol 1978;38:291-4), although the former required correction for lower-than-expected values. The coulometric TIBC results, on the other hand, correlated poorly with those by the Iron Panel Method. However, when the samples for TIBC were prepared according to the Iron Panel Method, by using the magnesium carbonate technique, and then read in the coulometer, there was satisfactory correlation between TIBC values as determined by the two methods. Variability and analytical recovery of the electrochemical method are satisfactory, and the method should be useful for measurement of serum iron when only relatively small volumes of blood are available.
Determination of free digoxin concentrations in serum for monitoring Fab treatment of digoxin overdose.
Authors: Hursting M J , Raisys V A , Opheim K E , Bell J L , Trobaugh G B , Smith T W 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
A rapid method for assessing the free digoxin concentration in the serum of digoxin-overdosed patients receiving treatment with digoxin-specific Fab fragments has been developed. For this method, a protein-free ultrafiltrate is prepared from the patient's serum, and the digoxin in the ultrafiltrate (free digoxin) is measured by fluorescence polarization immunoassay. Both the inaccuracies associated with measurements of total digoxin by immunoassay in the presence of Fab and the long turnaround time associated with measurements of free digoxin by equilibrium dialysis were avoided. Good correlation was observed between measurements of free digoxin by this ultrafiltration technique and by equilibrium dialysis. The ultrafiltration method was used to evaluate the concentrations of free digoxin in a digoxin-overdosed patient treated with Fab at our hospital. In retrospect, the results suggest that her hospital stay could have been shortened by a timely appreciation of her increased concentration of free digoxin. Using the ultrafiltration method, one can determine free digoxin concentrations quickly, conveniently, and accurately in the clinical laboratory. This procedure therefore should be a valuable aid in monitoring the efficacy and adequacy of Fab treatment.
The Ames Clinitek 200/Multistix 9 urinalysis method compared with manual and microscopic methods.
Authors: Grinstead G F , Scott R E , Stevens B S , Ward V L , Wilson D M 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
We assayed 315 urine specimens by the Ames Clinitek 200/Multistix 9 semi-automated method and by corresponding standard methods (listed in parentheses) for the following analytes: protein (sulfosalicylic acid precipitation), glucose (Lilly Tes-Tape), ketones (Boehringer Mannheim Chemstrip K), leukocyte esterase (microscopic examination for leukocytes), blood (microscopic examination for erythrocytes), nitrite (microscopic examination for bacteria, Gram stain, or culture), and pH (pH meter). The Clinitek and standard methods agreed well at all concentrations for protein, ketones, and glucose. The Clinitek leukocyte esterase, nitrite, and blood methods were less sensitive than microscopic methods for detection of pyuria, bacteriuria, and hematuria, respectively. The Clinitek pH method produced falsely low pH values for urines with true pH less than 6.5, and falsely high values for urines with true pH greater than 6.5.
Clinical utility of Ektachem-determined bilirubin fractions for classifying adult inpatients.
Authors: Tetrault G A , Meiklejohn B A , Sparks C E 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
We determined total bilirubin, "direct" and "indirect" bilirubin fractions, and, in parallel, using Ektachem slides, the total, conjugated, unconjugated, and delta bilirubin contents for specimens from 88 adult inpatients at various times during hospitalization in a tertiary-care facility. We wanted to see if the results correlated with the patients' diagnoses, based on a review of medical records and other laboratory data. The patients (including some with mixed disease types) were assigned to one of three predominant disease-process groups: obstructive liver disease, parenchymal liver disease, or hemolytic disease. Ektachem bilirubin fractions and the comparable total, "direct," and "indirect" bilirubin fractions showed equal sensitivity in screening and monitoring disease in all three groups. Measurements of conjugated bilirubin, unconjugated bilirubin, and their sum were sufficient for evaluating bilirubin abnormalities in this complex patient population. Determining delta bilirubin with the total bilirubin slide was rarely useful clinically. Thus, laboratories using Ektachem instrumentation for bilirubin testing can routinely eliminate the extra costs and occasional problems associated with running both bilirubin slides, reserving delta bilirubin determinations for unusual cases.
Optimized liquid-chromatographic method for fluorometric determination of urinary delta-aminolevulinic acid in workers exposed to lead.
Authors: Tomokuni K , Ichiba M , Hirai Y , Hasegawa T 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
We developed a fluorometric method for determining delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) in urine of lead workers. A high-performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) equipped with a fluorescence HPLC monitor is used. The detection limit for aqueous ALA is 20 micrograms/L (15 pmol of ALA in the 100-microL sample). The working linear range of urinary ALA concentration was 0.1 to 100 mg/L. In 25 lead-exposed workers, ALA values by the present method for urine correlated well with those obtained by a conventional colorimetric method (r = 0.996). The advantage of the present method for micro-determination of urinary ALA is its high sensitivity.
Status of drugs-of-abuse testing in urine: An AACC study.
Authors: Frings C S , White R M , Battaglia D J 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
The study demonstrates that, in May 1987, testing urine for drugs of abuse can be accurate. All laboratories challenged in this study currently perform such testing under contract and are involved in monthly proficiency testing and in-service training (AACC's Surveys Plus and In-Service Training Program in Toxicology). The laboratories were challenged to detect drugs at the concentrations at which they accept business. We suspect that when results of studies of this kind have been reported previously, the laboratories may have been scored inaccurately because they used technology designed to detect higher concentrations of the drugs than were weighed into the study specimens. This points up the need for laboratories and clients to be specific about the threshold concentrations used to report positives and policies for reporting positives detected below those concentrations.
MMHub, a database for the mulberry metabolome
Authors: Li Dong , Ma Bi , Xu Xiaofei , Chen Guo , Li Tian , He Ningjia 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
Mulberry is an important economic crop plant and traditional medicine. It contains a huge array of bioactive metabolites such as flavonoids, amino acids, alkaloids and vitamins. Consequently, mulberry has received increasing attention in recent years. MMHub (version 1.0) is the first open public repository of mass spectra of small chemical compounds (&lt;1000 Da) in mulberry leaves. The database contains 936 electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS2) data and lists the specific distribution of compounds in 91 mulberry resources with two biological duplicates. ESI-MS2 data were obtained under non-standardized and independent experimental conditions. In total, 124 metabolites were identified or tentatively annotated and details of 90 metabolites with associated chemical structures have been deposited in the database. Supporting information such as PubChem compound information, molecular formula and metabolite classification are also provided in the MS2 spectral tag library. The MMHub provides important and comprehensive metabolome data for scientists working with mulberry. This information will be useful for the screening of quality resources and specific metabolites of mulberry.
Database URL: https://biodb.swu.edu.cn/mmdb/
Microclimate Temperatures Impact Nesting Preference in Megachile rotundata (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae)
Authors: Wilson Elisabeth S , Murphy Claire E , Rinehart Joseph P , Yocum George , Bowsher Julia H 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
The temperature of the nest influences fitness in cavity-nesting bees. Females may choose nest cavities that mitigate their offspring’s exposure to stressful temperatures. This study aims to understand how cavity temperature impacts the nesting preference of the solitary bee Megachile rotundata (Fabricius) under field conditions. We designed and 3D printed nest boxes that measured the temperatures of 432 cavities. Nest boxes were four-sided with cavity entrances facing northeast, northwest, southeast, and southwest. Nest boxes were placed along an alfalfa field in Fargo, ND and were observed daily for completed nests. Our study found that cavity temperature varied by direction the cavity faced and by the position of the cavity within the nest box. The southwest sides recorded the highest maximum temperatures while the northeast sides recorded the lowest maximum temperatures. Nesting females filled cavities on the north-facing sides faster than cavities on the south-facing sides. The bees preferred to nest in cavities with lower average temperatures during foraging hours, and cavities that faced to the north. The direction the cavity faced was associated with the number of offspring per nest. The southwest-facing cavities had fewer offspring than nests on the northeast side. Our study indicates that the nesting box acts as a microclimate, with temperature varying by position and direction of the cavity. Variation in cavity temperature affected where females chose to nest, but not their reproductive investment.
Development and Validation of Person-Centered Cut-Points for the Figure-of-8-Walk Test of Mobility in Community-Dwelling Older Adults
Authors: Coyle Peter C , Perera Subashan , Shuman Valerie , VanSwearingen Jessie , Brach Jennifer S 
Published: February 2020

Abstract

Background
The Figure-of-8-Walk test (F8WT) is a performance measure of the motor skill of walking. Unlike walking speed over a straight path, it captures curved path walking, which is essential to real-world activity, but meaningful cut-points have yet to be developed for the F8WT.

Methods
A secondary analysis of 421 community-dwelling older adults (mean age 80.7 ± 7.8), who participated in a community-based exercise clinical trial, was performed. Area under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROCC) were calculated using baseline data, with F8WT performance discriminating different self-reported global mobility and balance dichotomies. Cut-points for the F8WT were chosen to optimize sensitivity and specificity. For validation, F8WT cut-points were applied to postintervention F8WT data. Participants were called monthly for 12 months after intervention completion to record self-reported incident falls, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations; risks of the outcomes were compared between those who performed well and poorly on the F8WT.

Results
F8WT performance times of ≤9.09 seconds and ≤9.27 seconds can discriminate those with excellent (sensitivity = 0.647; specificity = 0.654) and excellent/very good global mobility (sensitivity = 0.649; specificity = 0.648), respectively. A total number of steps ≤17 on the F8WT can discriminate those with excellent/very good/good global balance (sensitivity = 0.646; specificity = 0.608). Compared to those who performed poorly, those who performed well had a lower incidence of negative outcomes: F8WT time ≤9.09 seconds = 46%–59% lower; F8WT time ≤9.27 seconds = 46%–56% lower; F8WT steps ≤17 = 44%–50% lower.

Conclusions
Clinicians may consider these preliminary cut-points to aid in their clinical decision making, but further study is needed for definitive recommendations.
Accelerating numerical wave propagation by wavefield adapted meshes. Part II: full-waveform inversion
Authors: Thrastarson Solvi , van Driel Martin , Krischer Lion , Boehm Christian , Afanasiev Michael , van Herwaarden Dirk-Philip , Fichtner Andreas 
Published: February 2020

SUMMARYWe present a novel full-waveform inversion (FWI) approach which can reduce the computational cost by up to an order of magnitude compared to conventional approaches, provided that variations in medium properties are sufficiently smooth. Our method is based on the usage of wavefield adapted meshes which accelerate the forward and adjoint wavefield simulations. By adapting the mesh to the expected complexity and smoothness of the wavefield, the number of elements needed to discretize the wave equation can be greatly reduced. This leads to spectral-element meshes which are optimally tailored to source locations and medium complexity. We demonstrate a workflow which opens up the possibility to use these meshes in FWI and show the computational advantages of the approach. We provide examples in 2-D and 3-D to illustrate the concept, describe how the new workflow deviates from the standard FWI workflow, and explain the additional steps in detail.
Generally Stressed Out Bacteria: Environmental Stress Response Mechanisms in Gram-Positive Bacteria
Authors: Bonilla Carla Y 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
The ability to monitor the environment for toxic chemical and physical disturbances is essential for bacteria that live in dynamic environments. The fundamental sensing mechanisms and physiological responses that allow bacteria to thrive are conserved even if the molecular components of these pathways are not. The bacterial general stress response (GSR) represents a conceptual model for how one pathway integrates a wide range of environmental signals, and how a generalized system with broad molecular responses is coordinated to promote survival likely through complementary pathways. Environmental stress signals such as heat, osmotic stress, and pH changes are received by sensor proteins that through a signaling cascade activate the sigma factor, SigB, to regulate over 200 genes. Additionally, the GSR plays an important role in stress priming that increases bacterial fitness to unrelated subsequent stressors such as oxidative compounds. While the GSR response is implicated during oxidative stress, the reason for its activation remains unknown and suggests crosstalk between environmental and oxidative stress sensors and responses to coordinate antioxidant functions. Systems levels studies of cellular responses such as transcriptomes, proteomes, and metabolomes of stressed bacteria and single-cell analysis could shed light into the regulated functions that protect, remediate, and minimize damage during dynamic environments. This perspective will focus on fundamental stress sensing mechanisms and responses in Gram-positive bacterial species to illustrate their commonalities at the molecular and physiological levels; summarize exciting directions; and highlight how system-level approaches can help us understand bacterial physiology.