Long-term fluctuation of relative afferent pupillary defect in subjects with normal visual function.

PURPOSE: To determine whether the relative afferent pupillary defect (RAPD) remains constant over time in normal subjects. METHODS: Seventeen normal subjects were tested with infrared pupillography and automated perimetry in four sessions over 3 years. The changes in RAPD and visual field asymmetry between testing sessions were compared. RESULTS: The range of RAPD was 0.0 to 0.3 log unit, and the difference in the mean deviation between the eyes on automated static perimetry was 0 to 3 dB. Eight subjects repeatedly had an RAPD in the same eye. There was no correlation between the RAPD and the visual field asymmetry at the same visit. Changes in the magnitude of the RAPD between any two sessions were typically small (median, 0.08 log unit; 25th percentile, 0.04 log unit; 75th percentile, 0.15 log unit). CONCLUSIONS: Some normal subjects may show a persistent but small RAPD in the absence of detectable pathologic disease. Therefore, an isolated RAPD in the range of 0.3 log unit that is not associated with any other significant historical or clinical finding should probably be considered benign.

Economic Principles and Determination of Infrastructure Third Party Tariffs in the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS)

NORTH SEA STUDY OCCASIONAL PAPER No. 116

Innovative method for carbon dioxide determination in human postmortem cardiac gas samples using headspace-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and stable labeled isotope as internal standard.

A novel approach to measure carbon dioxide (CO2) in gaseous samples, based on a precise and accurate quantification by (13)CO2 internal standard generated in situ is presented. The main goal of this study was to provide an innovative headspace-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-GC-MS) method applicable in the routine determination of CO2. The main drawback of the GC methods discussed in the literature for CO2 measurement is the lack of a specific internal standard necessary to perform quantification. CO2 measurement is still quantified by external calibration without taking into account analytical problems which can often occur considering gaseous samples. To avoid the manipulation of a stable isotope-labeled gas, we have chosen to generate in situ an internal labeled standard gas ((13)CO2) on the basis of the stoichiometric formation of CO2 by the reaction of hydrochloric acid (HCl) with sodium hydrogen carbonate (NaH(13)CO3). This method allows a precise measurement of CO2 concentration and was validated on various human postmortem gas samples in order to study its efficiency.

Unionism and Peer-Referencing

This study assesses the 'fair-wage-effort' hypothesis, by examining (a) the relationship between relative wage comparisons and job satisfaction and quitting intensions, and (b) the relative ranking of stated effort inducing-incentives, in a novel dataset of unionised and non-unionised European employees. By distinguishing between downward and upward-looking wage comparisons, it is shown that wage comparisons to similar workers exert an asymmetric impact on the job satisfaction of union workers, a pattern consistent with inequity-aversion and conformism to the reference point. Moreover, union workers evaluate peer observation and good industrial relations more highly than payment and other incentives. In contrast, non-union workers are found to be more status-seeking in their satisfaction responses and less dependent on their peers in their effort choices The results are robust to endogenous union membership, considerations of generic loss aversion and across different tenure profiles. They are supportive of the individual egalitarian bias of collective wage determination and self-enforcing effort norms.

Evaluating the usefulness of forecasts of relative growth

Forecasts of differences in growth between countries serve an important role in the justification of governments’ fiscal policy stances, but are not tested for their accuracy as part of the current range of forecast evaluation methods. This paper examines forecasted and outturn growth differentials between countries to identify if there is usefulness in forecasts of “relative” growth. Using OECD forecasts and outturn values for GDP growth for (combinations of) the G7 countries between 1984 and 2010, the paper finds that the OECD’s success in predicting the relative growth of G7 countries during this period is good. For each two-country combination results indicate that relative growth forecasts are less useful for countries which have smaller outturn growth differentials.

Age, Life-satisfaction, and Relative Income – Insights from the UK and Germany

We first confirm previous results with the German Socio-Economic Panel by Layard et al. (2010), and obtain strong negative effects of comparison income. However, when we split the sample by age, we find quite different results for reference income. The effects on lifesatisfaction are positive and significant for those under 45, consistent with Hirschman’s (1973) ‘tunnel effect’, and only negative (and larger than in the full sample) for those over 45, when relative deprivation dominates. Thus for young respondents, reference income’s signalling role, indicating potential future prospects, can outweigh relative deprivation effects. Own-income effects are also larger for the older sample, and of greater magnitude than the comparison income effect. In East Germany the reference income effects are insignificant for all. With data from the British Household Panel Survey, we confirm standard results when encompassing all ages, but reference income loses significance in both age groups, and most surprisingly, even own income becomes insignificant for those over 45, while education has significant negative effects.

Human capital, social mobility and the skill premium

This paper develops a dynamic general equilibrium model to highlight the role of human capital accumulation of agents differentiated by skill type in the joint determination of social mobility and the skill premium. We first show that our model captures the empirical co-movement of the skill premium, the relative supply of skilled to unskilled workers and aggregate output in the U.S. data from 1970-2000. We next show that endogenous social mobility and human capital accumulation are key channels through which the effects of capital tax cuts and increases in public spending on both pre- and post-college education are transmitted. In particular, social mobility creates additional incentives for the agents which enhance the beneficial effects of policy reforms. Moreover, the dynamics of human capital accumulation imply that, post reform, the skill premium is higher in the short- to medium-run than in the long-run.

Methodology in structural determination and synthesis of insect pheromone

By means of ethereal washing of insect pheromone glands of female moths, GC-MS detection along with microchemical reactions and electroantennogram (EAG) survey, six economically important insect species were targeted for pheromone identification. The discovery of a natural pheromone inhibitor, chemo-selectivity and species isolation by pheromone will be described. The modified triple bond migration and triethylamine liganded vinyl cuprate were applied for achiral pheromone synthesis in double bond formation. Some optically active pheromones and their stereoisomers were synthesized through chiral pool or asymmetric synthesis. Some examples of chiral recognition of insects towards their chiral pheromones will be discussed. A CaH2 and silica gel catalyzed Sharpless Expoxidation Reaction was found in shortening the reaction time.

Relative susceptibility of different stages of Rhodinius Prolixus to the entomopathogenic Hyphomycete Beauveria Bassiana

Laboratory bioassays were conducted to determine the relative suscepbility of eggs, 1st-, 3rd-, 5th- instar nymphs and adults of Rhodnius prolixus to one isolate of the entomopathogenic hyphomycete, Beauveria bassiana. Treatments consisted of directly spraying on insects of increasing doses of inoculum (3 x 10* to 3 x 10 (elevated to 5th potency) conidia per cm*). Mortality due to all doses of conidia was very high in the five tested stages of the target insect. Experiments on eggs demonstrated that the fungal isolate was able to kill eggs before they hatched. Both time-mortality and dose-mortality responses showed that the susceptibility of R. prolixus varied according to its stage of development and increased with age. As matter of fact, at the dose of 3 x 10* conidia per cm*, LD50 varied between 11.2 days in 1st-instar nymphs and 6.4 days in both 5th-instar nymphs and adults. Comparison of LD50 permitted to estimate that 1st-instar nymphs were about 700-fold less susceptible than the two oldest stages

Use of PCR for the determination of the frequency of the deltaF508 mutation in Brasilian cistic fibrosis patients

The [Delta]F508 mutation in the cystic fibrosis (CF) gene was studied in a population of 18 Brazilian CF patients and their 17 families by use of PCR and differential hybridization with oligonucleotides. In a total of 34 chromosomes considered, 12 (35%) carried the F508 deletion, a frequency much lower than that reported in most other populations. As a consequence, CF in Brazil would be predominantly caused by mutations different from the F508 deletion

Plasma levels of trimipramine and metabolites in four patients: determination of the enantiomer concentrations of the hydroxy metabolites.

A two-step high-performance liquid chromatography method is described, using a CN column and an alpha 1-acid glycoprotein column, which allows the measurement of the enantiomers of the hydroxy metabolites of trimipramine in plasma of trimipramine-treated patients. Of the four patients analyzed, three showed approximately equimolar concentrations of the (D)- and (L)-enantiomers of the hydroxy metabolites (2-hydroxy-trimipramine and 2-hydroxy desmethyltrimipramine), and one was found to have roughly twice as much of the (L)-form and of the (D)-form of 2-hydroxy trimipramine and 2-hydroxy desmethyltrimipramine. From the data available on the pharmacological effects of the enantiomers of trimipramine, it is postulated that this interindividual variability in its pharmacokinetics is another factor that could contribute to the interindividual variability in its pharmacodynamics.

Determination of human plasma levels of levo-alpha-acetylmethadol and its metabolites by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

A gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method is presented which allows the simultaneous determination of the plasma concentrations of the levo-alpha-acetylmethadol (LAAM) and of its active metabolites (NorLAAM and DiNorLAAM), after derivatization with the reagent trifluoroacetic anhydride (TFAA). No interferences from endogenous compounds were observed following the extraction of plasma samples from 11 different human subjects. The standard curves were linear over a working range of 5-200ng/ml for the three compounds. Recoveries measured at three concentrations ranged from 47 to 67% for LAAM, from 50 to 69% for NorLAAM and from 28 to 50% for DiNorLAAM. Intra- and interday coefficients of variation determined at three concentrations ranged from 5 to 13% for LAAM, from 3 to 9% for NorLAAM and from 5 to 13% for DiNorLAAM. The limits of quantitation of the method were found to be 4ng/ml for the three compounds. No interference was noted from methadone. This sensitive and specific analytical method could be useful for assessing the in vivo relationship between LAAM's blood levels, clinical efficacy and/or cardiotoxicity

Plasmodium falciparum proteinases: cloning of the putative gene coding for the merozoite proteinase for erythrocyte invasion (MPEI) and determination of hydrolysis sites of spectrin by Pf37 proteinase

Numerous proteinase activities have been shown to be essential for the survival of Plasmodium falciparum. One approach to antimalarial chemotherapy, would be to block specifically one or several of these activities, by using compounds structurally analogous to the substrates of these proteinases. Such a strategy requires a detailed knowledge of the active site of the proteinase, in order to identify the best substrate for the proteinase. Aiming at developing such a strategy, two proteinases previously identified in our laboratory, were chosen for further characterization of their molecular structure and properties: the merozoite proteinase for erythrocytic invasion (MPEI), involved in the erythrocyte invasion by the merozoites, and the Pf37 proteinase, which hydrolyses human spectrin in vitro.

CD8+ T-cell response to NY-ESO-1: relative antigenicity and in vitro immunogenicity of natural and analogue sequences.

We have shown previously that HLA-A*0201 melanoma patients can frequently develop a CTL response to the cancer testis antigen NY-ESO-1. In the present study, we have analyzed in detail the relative antigenicity and in vitro immunogenicity of natural and modified NY-ESO-1 peptide sequences. The results of this analysis revealed that, although suboptimal for binding to the HLA-A*0201 molecule, peptide NY-ESO-1 157-165 is, among natural sequences, very efficiently recognized by specific CTL clones derived from three melanoma patients. In contrast, peptides NY-ESO-1 157-167 and NY-ESO-1 155-163, which bind very strongly to HLA-A*0201, are recognized less efficiently. In agreement with previous data, substitution of peptide NY-ESO-1 157-165 COOH-terminal C with various other amino acids resulted in a significantly increased binding to HLA-A*0201 molecules as well as in an increased CTL recognition, although variable at the clonal level. Among natural peptides, NY-ESO-1 157-165 and NY-ESO-1 157-167 exhibited good in vitro immunogenicity, whereas peptide NY-ESO-1 155-163 was poorly immunogenic. The fine specificity of interaction between peptide NY-ESO-1 C165A, HLA-A*0201, and T-cell receptor was analyzed at the molecular level using a series of variant peptides containing single alanine substitutions. The findings reported here have significant implications for the formulation of NY-ESO-1-based vaccines as well as for the monitoring of either natural or vaccine-induced NY-ESO-1-specific CTL responses in cancer patients.