Mycotoxin Detection in Human Samples from Patients Exposed to Environmental Molds

The goal of this study was to determine if selected mycotoxins (trichothecenes, aflatoxins, and ochratoxins) could be extracted and identified in human tissue and body fluids from patients exposed to toxin producing molds in their environment. Human urine and methanol extracted tissues and sputum were examined. Trichothecenes were tested using competitive ELISA techniques. Aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2, and ochratoxin A were tested by using immunoaffinity columns and fluorometry. Test sensitivity and specificity were determined. Levels of detection for the various mycotoxins varied from 0.2 ppb for trichothecenes, 1.0 ppb for aflatoxins, and 2.0 ppb for ochratoxins. Trichothecene levels varied in urine, sputum, and tissue biopsies (lung, liver, brain) from undetectable (<0.2 ppb) to levels up to 18 ppb. Aflatoxin levels from the same types of tissues varied from 1.0 to 5.0 ppb. Ochratoxins isolated in the same type of tissues varied from 2.0 ppb to > 10.0 ppb. Negative control patients had no detectable mycotoxins in their tissues or fluids. These data show that mycotoxins can be detected in body fluids and human tissue from patients exposed to mycotoxin producing molds in the environment, and demonstrate which human tissues or fluids are the most likely to yield positive results.     

Factors and factors of personality.

Attempted to account for the diverse sets of factors of personality found by the analysis of questionnaire items as reported by different investigators and to see what common ground there might be. Divergencies were attributed to certain insufficiencies in factor analysis and to the fundamental views of analysts with regard to emphasis upon data or upon personality theory. Some reconciliations were found by recognizing that factors of different levels of psychological generality can come out in a 1-level analysis. A 3-level model of factor traits, based upon 13 Guilford factors, was proposed as a frame of reference. Construct validities of factor traits from different sources are examined. Suggestions are made concerning how to deal with factors of different levels. (2 p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Thurstone's primary mental abilities and structure-of-intellect abilities.

Attempted to find in the factor-analytic investigations of L. L. Thurstone some information concerning factorial intellectual abilities that have unique places in the structure-of-intellect (SI) model, and to determine which SI abilities are represented in Thurstone's Primary Mental Abilities Test (PMA). Although a number of his factors can be cited as probable forecasts of SI abilities, in only 1 or 2 instances was a Thurstone factor clearly representative of a single SI ability, unconfounded with other abilities. This general outcome was largely due to the fact that his analyzed batteries involved too many different SI abilities for which the number and varieties of tests were not adequate. In successive analyses, some of his factors tended to converge in the direction of SI abilities, so that his PMA tests represent 1 SI ability each, with the exception of the Reasoning and Number tests. (28 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prediction of accidents in a standardized home environment.

Used a kitchen laboratory to study accidents incurred by 226 females who performed standardized household tasks under observation. 4 yrs of driving records were obtained for a subsample of 178 Ss possessing licenses. In addition, all Ss were assessed on a battery of psychomotor and personality tests (e.g., the MMPI). Kitchen criteria were classified as property damage accidents and personal injury accidents, summed to provide total kitchen accidents. Near accidents constituted the 4th kitchen criterion. Significant (p     

The structure of intellect.

Productive thinking is an aspect of intelligence which has been generally overlooked in most theoretical conceptualizations of human intelligence. A listing of approximately 40 intellectual factors culled from the research literature are presented. Of these numerous factors, the vast majority have to do with thinking and the remainder are memory factors. These factors are categorized according to a scheme suggested by the author. The "implications of the factors and their system were pointed out for factor theory and practice, for general psychological theory, and for the concept of intelligence and practices of intelligence testing." 31 references. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gas-Liquid Chromatographic Deterpmination of 2- (O-Chlorophenyl) -2- (P-Chlorophenyl)-Acetic Acid in Biological Fluids

A gas-liquid chromatographic method for the determination of 2-(o-chlorophenyl)-2-(p-chlorophenyl)-acetic acid in human blood and urine has been developed. The procedure is based on ether extraction of acidified whole blood or urine, derivatization with boron trifluoride-methanol, and GLC analvsia. This method can detect 0.1 uq/ml of compound in blood. Analysis of blood and urine from human volunteers indicated that the procedure is suitabla for pharmacokinetics studies and clinical monitoring of patients.     

Zero correlations among tests of intellectual abilities.

It is often asserted that intercorrelations among tests of intellectual abilities are almost always positive, justifying the belief in a "g" factor and supporting the choice for oblique rotations of axes in factor analyses. Empirical information is presented from correlation matrices obtained in 13 typical analyses of intellectual measures showing that among more than 7000 correlation coefficients, 17-24% can be considered to be 0. It is estimated that under optimal conditions, when there are 15 factors, as few as 11% would need to be 0 to determine a clear, orthogonal simple structure. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The validity of an "indecision" score for prediction of proficiency of foremen.

"An 'indecision' score was obtained by counting the number of '?' responses to items in the Guilford personality inventories STDRC, Gamin, and Personnel Inventory. The three scores showed an average intercorrelation of .80, indicating that they measure much the same trait or traits. A combination of these three scores correlated +.14 and -.09 with a rating of proficiency of foremen in an industrial plant, whereas a significant negative correlation had been predicted. While the indecision score indicates something stable about individuals, it needs to be factor analyzed to be understood… " (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Three faces of intellect.

An analysis of human intelligence into its components is presented. "The preservation of our way of life and our future security depends upon our most important national resources: our intellectual… [and] creative abilities… . The discovery of the components of intelligence has been by means of the experimental application of the method of factor analysis." Factors may be classified according to: basic processes or operations (cognition, memory, convergent thinking, divergent thinking, evaluation), material or content (figural, symbolic, semantic), products (units, classes, relations, systems, transformations, implications). Major sections are: The Structure of Intellect, Some Implications of the Structure of Intellect. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reproducibility of breath hydrogen concentration measurements in dogs after change of diet

OBJECTIVE: To assess reproducibility of breath hydrogen (H2) concentration measurements in dogs on 3 consecutive days after introduction of a new diet. ANIMALS: 10 healthy colony-source dogs. Procedure Dogs were fed a commercial pet food for a minimum of 10 days before introduction of a high-carbohydrate commercial diet. Expired breath samples were collected at baseline and every 90 minutes for 18 hours on the first 3 days after introduction of the new diet. The area under the curve (AUC) for breath H2 concentration versus time on days 1, 2, and 3 were compared by use of repeated-measures ANOVA. RESULTS: The (AUC) did not differ significantly among test days 1, 2, and 3. CONCLUSIONS: Expired breath H2 concentration in dogs indicated good reproducibility during the first 3 days after introduction of a new diet. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: It is not necessary to provide a period for adaptation to a test diet prior to performing breath H2 tests in dogs.