Predictive value of HemoCue capillary whole blood glucose measurements in pregnancy

OBJECTIVE: We determined the ability of capillary whole blood glucose concentrations to predict venous plasma and whole blood glucose levels. METHODS: During a standard oral glucose tolerance test in 29 pregnant women, paired capillary and venous blood samples were collected for analysis of glucose concentrations by the HemoCue photometer and by central laboratory methods. RESULTS: Glucose concentrations determined serially in a single blood sample by the HemoCue method were highly reproducible, with a coefficient of variation of 2.3%. However, glucose levels in blood from two different fingersticks from the same patient varied on average by 3 mg/dL, with a maximum difference of 14 mg/dL. Although capillary whole blood glucose results obtained by the HemoCue method correlated well with venous plasma or whole blood glucose measurements (r = 0.98 and r = 0.97, respectively) over the range investigated (60-250 mg/dL), individual capillary whole blood glucose measurements were only a fair predictor of venous values, with 95% of measured venous levels within +/- 26 mg/dL and +/- 20 mg/dL for concentrations predicted for plasma and whole blood, respectively. CONCLUSION: Sampling factors rather than measurement accuracy limit the ability of capillary whole blood glucose measurements to predict venous concentrations.     

The nieuwkoid gene characterizes and mediates a Nieuwkoop-center-like activity in the zebrafish

BACKGROUND: In amphibians, the Nieuwkoop center--a primary inducing region--has a central role in the induction of dorsal mesodermal cells to form the Spemann organizer. In teleosts, such as the zebrafish, Danio rerio, the functional equivalent of the amphibian Spemann organizer is the dorsal shield. Historically, a small region of the teleost yolk syncytial layer (YSL), an extraembryonic tissue that underlies the entire blastoderm, has been implicated in dorsal shield specification. Difficulties in transplanting discrete regions of the YSL and the previous lack of localized expression patterns unique to the YSL have, however, hindered efforts to prove definitively that the YSL possesses Nieuwkoop-center-like activities. RESULTS: Here, we describe the isolation and analysis of a new homeobox gene, called nieuwkoid, which is first expressed immediately following the mid-blastula transition on the dorsal side of the zebrafish pregastrula embryo. We found that, by the onset of gastrulation, nieuwkoid expression becomes localized to a restricted region of the YSL, directly underlying the future dorsal shield. Mis-expression of nieuwkoid in early zebrafish embryos was found to be sufficient for the induction of ectopic organizer regions and secondary axes. Mis-expression of nieuwkoid by cell transplantation or by direct injection into the YSL led to the non-autonomous induction of ectopic organizer gene expression. CONCLUSIONS: The dynamic and restricted expression of the nieuwkoid gene, combined with its potent dorsalizing activity, suggests that nieuwkoid is an important component in the regionalization of the gastrula organizer, possibly characterizing and mediating an organizer-inducing/Nieuwkoop-center-like activity.     

Effects of castration and replacement therapy on sexual behavior of adult male rhesuses.

Observed the sexual behavior of 10 male rhesus monkeys before and after castration and during replacement therapy with testosterone propionate. In 10 tests before castration, all of the Ss ejaculated at least once, and in Weeks 21-25 and 51-55 after castration, 50 and 30%, respectively, ejaculated at least once. In the 35 postcastration tests given over a 55-wk period, 2 males did not ejaculate. 50% of the Ss achieved intromission 1 yr after castration. The percentage of castrated Ss showing intromission and ejaculation and the frequency of these responses were higher than those reported for most nonprimate species but did not differ greatly from those reported for the dog. Within 1 wk testosterone propionate restored whatever aspects of behavior were affected to precastration levels. (22 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Kapillarkräfte in Suspensionen: Rheologische Eigenschaften und potenzielle Anwendungen

It has been found that in suspensions capillary forces play an essential role between the disperse phase and the continuous phase in respect of their rheological behavior. In this review it is shown, that the rheological behavior of a disperse phase, which is dispersed in a continuous phase, can be changed significantly by adding a small amount (< 1 %) of a secondary liquid that is not mixable with the bulk phase. This effect now can be used to modify product properties specifically.     

An interregional labour market model incorporating vacancy chains and social security

This paper deals with three aspects of interregional demo-economic models which are important with respect to the analysis of regional labour market developments. First, attention is paid to forecasts of the exogenous regional variables, such as investments, exports, etc. Because data at the regional level are usually scarce, it is suggested to make these projections by means of a top-down model. Second, the social security sector is incorporated in the model framework, because changes in social security benefits, which are common in many Western countries nowaday, usually have substantial impacts on regional economic and demographic structures. Third, a vacancy chain model instead of a simple employment growth equation is tied to the standard demo-economic model framework. In this way not only employment growth but also migration, job mobility and related income effects can be taken into account.     

On the measurement of comparative advantage

This paper shows that the standard measure of revealed comparative advantage (RCA), ranging from 0 to ∞, has problematic properties. Due to its multiplicative specification, it has a moving mean larger than its expected value of 1, while its distribution strongly depends on the number of countries and industries. These properties make its outcomes incomparable across time and place and its economic interpretation problematic. We propose an alternative measure, the additive RCA, ranging from −1 to +1, with a symmetric distribution that centers on a stable mean of zero, independent of the classifications used. Statistical tests show the distribution of the additive index to be more stable. Besides, we propose an aggregate RCA, a regional specialization index, ranging from 0 for pure intra-industry trade to 1 for pure inter-industry trade. The same conclusions and proposals hold for the multiplicative location quotient (LQ), which is used as a measure for the revealed locational attractiveness of certain regions or countries for certain types of industry.

Lubricants and lubricant additives: II. Performance characteristics of some substituted fatty acid esters

Sixty-one compounds, principally substituted fatty esters of mono- and polyhydric alcohols, but including some amides and two imidazolidines, were prepared and evaluated as lubricants and lubricant additives for paraffin and diester base oils. The effects of chloro, phosphato, phosphorodithio, thio, epithio, mercapto, and sulfuryl substituents, alone and in certain combinations, on the performances of the compounds as antiwear and extreme pressure lubricants were investigated. The epithio (thiirane) group was the most effective and consistent in enhancing extreme pressure and antiwear performances of the compounds as additives. Sulfurized and chloro-sulfone derivatives also were effective, but perhaps somewhat less predictably so, than the epithio derivatives. The phosphato and phosphorodithio derivatives were good, consistent, antiwear additives, but only the latter seemed potentially useful for improving extreme pressure lubrication. Structure-performance correlations favor use of the esters over the amides.     

Predicting the fragmentation onset velocity for different metallic projectiles using numerical simulations

For cubes and spheres under high velocity impact there exists for each system of projectile and target, a threshold velocity that is just sufficient to shatter the projectile. This velocity, usually above 2km/s for metallic projectiles, is known as the fragmentation onset velocity. To determine the fragmentation onset velocity experimentally, a number of experiments in which the impact velocity of the projectile is varied in a controlled manner needs to be conducted [1]. In the work described in this paper, the numerical analysis code AUTODYN was used to simulate the impact of stainless steel and tantalum projectiles onto transparent targets in an attempt to simulate the onset of fragmentation. Using the meshfree SPH method for discretizing the spatial domain of the projectile and a simple failure model that allows the critical spall stress of the material to vary with the local material and loading conditions, encouraging results were obtained, with the fragmentation onset velocity for both projectile/target configurations being reasonably well predicted. In addition, further experiments conducted at TNO-PML, to determine the fragmentation onset velocity for tungsten projectiles, will be reported.