Clinical Chemistry Laboratory Automation in the 21st Century - Amat Victoria curam (Victory loves careful preparation)

Science.gov (United States)

Armbruster, David A; Overcash, David R; Reyes, Jaime

2014-01-01

The era of automation arrived with the introduction of the AutoAnalyzer using continuous flow analysis and the Robot Chemist that automated the traditional manual analytical steps. Successive generations of stand-alone analysers increased analytical speed, offered the ability to test high volumes of patient specimens, and provided large assay menus. A dichotomy developed, with a group of analysers devoted to performing routine clinical chemistry tests and another group dedicated to performing immunoassays using a variety of methodologies. Development of integrated systems greatly improved the analytical phase of clinical laboratory testing and further automation was developed for pre-analytical procedures, such as sample identification, sorting, and centrifugation, and post-analytical procedures, such as specimen storage and archiving. All phases of testing were ultimately combined in total laboratory automation (TLA) through which all modules involved are physically linked by some kind of track system, moving samples through the process from beginning-to-end. A newer and very powerful, analytical methodology is liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). LC-MS/MS has been automated but a future automation challenge will be to incorporate LC-MS/MS into TLA configurations. Another important facet of automation is informatics, including middleware, which interfaces the analyser software to a laboratory information systems (LIS) and/or hospital information systems (HIS). This software includes control of the overall operation of a TLA configuration and combines analytical results with patient demographic information to provide additional clinically useful information. This review describes automation relevant to clinical chemistry, but it must be recognised that automation applies to other specialties in the laboratory, e.g. haematology, urinalysis, microbiology. It is a given that automation will continue to evolve in the clinical laboratory

Serum Chemistry Variables of Bengal Tigers (Panthera tigris tigris Kept in Various Forms of Captivity

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U. Farooq*, S. Sajjad1, M. Anwar1 and B.N. Khan2

2012-05-01

Full Text Available There is a dearth of published literature regarding the effect of captivity on serum chemistry variables of tigers kept in the zoos and wildlife sanctuaries. The present study was hence conducted to determine and compare serum chemistry values in tigers of Bengal origin (Panthera tigris tigris kept in captivity at Lahore zoo (LZ (n=4 and in semi natural environment of Lahore Wildlife Park (LWP (n=6, Pakistan. The tigers kept at LZ had significantly (P<0.05 higher mean concentrations of Cl- (108.6±0.57 versus 105.6±0.49 mmol/l and a significantly lower creatinine (1.78±0.06 versus 3.04±0.35mg/dl and AST values (41.66±0.77 versus 54.88±4.22 U/l than tigers kept at LWP. No other significant differences in serum chemistry were observed for both forms of captivity. Results would be useful for the evaluation of physiological and pathological alterations in wild and captive tiger individuals and populations not only in Pakistan but also for other countries harboring the Bengal tigers.

Applicability Of A Semi-Automated Clinical Chemistry Analyzer In Determining The Antioxidant Concentrations Of Selected Plants

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Allan L. Hilario

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Plants are rich sources of antioxidants that are protective against diseases associated to oxidative stress. There is a need for high throughput screening method that should be useful in determining the antioxidant concentration in plants. Such screening method should significantly simplify and speed up most antioxidant assays. This paper aimed at comparing the applicability of a semi-automated clinical chemistry analyzer Pointe Scientific MI USA with the traditional standard curve method and using a Vis spectrophotometer in performing the DPPH assay for antioxidant screening. Samples of crude aqueous leaf extract of kulitis Amaranthus viridis Linn and chayote Sechium edule Linn were screened for the Total Antioxidant Concentration TAC using the two methods. Results presented in mean SD amp956gdl were compared using unpaired Students t-test P0.05. All runs were done in triplicates. The mean TAC of A. viridis was 646.0 45.5 amp956gdl using the clinical chemistry analyzer and 581.9 19.4 amp956gdl using the standard curve-spectrophotometer. On the other hand the mean TAC of S. edule was 660.2 35.9 amp956gdl using the semi-automated clinical chemistry analyzer and 672.3 20.9 amp956gdl using the spectrophotometer. No significant differences were observed between the readings of the two methods for A. viridis P0.05 and S. edible P0.05. This implies that the clinical chemistry analyzer can be an alternative method in conducting the DPPH assay to determine the TAC in plants. This study presented the applicability of a semi-automated clinical chemistry analyzer in performing the DPPH assay. Further validation can be conducted by performing other antioxidant assays using this equipment.

Weights, hematology and serum chemistry of seven species of free-ranging tropical pelagic seabirds

Science.gov (United States)

Work, Thierry M.

1996-01-01

I established reference values for weight, hematology, and serum chemistry for seven species of free-ranging Hawaiian tropical pelagic seabirds comprising three orders (Procellariiformes, Pelecaniformes, Charadriiformes) and six families (Procellariidae, Phaethontidae, Diomedeidae, Sulidae, Fregatidae, and Laridae). Species examined included 84 Hawaiian dark-rumped petrels (Pterodoma phaeopygia), 90 wedge-tailed shearwaters (Puffinus pacificus), 151 Laysan albatrosses (Diomedea immutabilis), 69 red-footed boobies (Sula sula), 154 red-tailed tropicbirds (Phaeton rubricauda), 90 great frigatebirds (Fregata minor), and 72 sooty terns (Sterna fuscata). Hematocrit, total plasma solids, total and differential white cell counts, serum glucose, calcium, phosphorus, uric acid, total protein, albumin, globulin, aspartate aminotransferase and creatinine phosphokinase were analyzed. Among and within species, hematology and chemistry values varied with age, sex, season, and island of collection. Despite this variation, order-wide trends were observed.

Development of an automated system for CANDU secondary coolant circuit chemistry control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dean, J.R.; Stewart, R.B.

1978-04-01

This report is a summary of work done to develop a means for automated control of the secondary coolant chemistry of CANDU 600 MW(e) power reactors using on-line analyzers and a minicomputer. The development work was carried out in cooperation with Saskatchewan Power Corporation at Estevan. Results and conclusions of the program are included, as are recommendations for a prototype installation in a domestic CANDU 600 MW steam generator. (author)

Immunoassays in clinical chemistry (principles of immunoradiometric assays)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chapman, R.S.

1998-01-01

The use of antibodies as reagents in clinical chemistry for the quantitation of a wide range of analytes has now become widely established. Initially antibodies were employed in precipitation techniques, usually for the analysis of serum proteins, in solution or in the form of antibody containing gels, e.g. immunoprecipitation, immunodiffusion, and immunoelectrophoresis. Further developments have led to the highly sensitive techniques of radioimmunoassay and recently immunometric assay for the measurement of drugs, tumour markers and hormones. In general, those techniques without the addition of a label e.g. immunoprecipitation, immunodiffusion and immunoturbidimetry are the older techniques used for the measurement of serum proteins. These techniques are relatively insensitive, measuring at the g/L. level, and in the case of immunodiffusion are generally slow. Automation coupled with the development of chemistries to enhance precipitation has, however, reduced measurement times to minutes in modern laboratories. Nevertheless these methods have detection limits of the order of 1 g/L

Hematology and serum chemistry reference ranges of free-ranging moose (Alces alces) in Norway.

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Rostal, Melinda K; Evans, Alina L; Solberg, Erling J; Arnemo, Jon M

2012-07-01

Baseline reference ranges of serum chemistry and hematology data can be important indicators for the status of both individuals or populations of wild animals that are affected by emerging pathogens, toxicants, or other causes of disease. Frequently, reference ranges for these values are not available for wildlife species or subspecies. We present hematologic and serum chemistry reference ranges for moose (Alces alces) adults, yearlings, and calves in Norway sampled from 1992-2000. Additionally, we demonstrated that both induction time and chase time were correlated with initial rectal temperature, although they were not significantly correlated with cortisol, aspartate aminotransferase, glucose, or creatine kinase. Overall, the reference ranges given here are similar to those given for American moose, with a few differences that can be attributed to environment, testing methodology, or subspecies or species status. This is the first report, to our knowledge, of reference ranges for moose in Norway.

Performance evaluation of enzyme immunoassay for voriconazole therapeutic drug monitoring with automated clinical chemistry analyzers

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Yongbum Jeon

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Objective: Voriconazole is a triazole antifungal developed for the treatment of fungal infectious disease, and the clinical utility of its therapeutic drug monitoring has been evaluated. Recently, a new assay for analyzing the serum voriconazole concentration with an automated clinical chemistry analyzer was developed. We evaluated the performance of the new assay based on standardized protocols. Methods: The analytical performance of the assay was evaluated according to its precision, trueness by recovery, limit of quantitation, linearity, and correlation with results from liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS. The evaluation was performed with the same protocol on two different routine chemistry analyzers. All evaluations were performed according to CLSI Guidelines EP15, EP17, EP6, and EP9 [1–4]. Results: Coefficients of variation for within-run and between-day imprecision were 3.2–5.1% and 1.5–3.0%, respectively, on the two different analyzers for pooled serum samples. The recovery rates were in the range of 95.4–102.2%. The limit of blank was 0.0049 μg/mL, and the limit of detection of the samples was 0.0266–0.0376 μg/mL. The percent recovery at three LoQ levels were 67.9–74.6% for 0.50 μg/mL, 75.5–80.2% for 0.60 μg/mL, and 89.9–96.6% for 0.70 μg/mL. A linear relationship was demonstrated between 0.5 μg/mL and 16.0 μg/mL (R2=0.9995–0.9998. The assay correlated well with LC-MS/MS results (R2=0.9739–0.9828. Conclusions: The assay showed acceptable precision, trueness, linearity, and limit of quantification, and correlated well with LC-MS/MS. Therefore, its analytical performance is satisfactory for monitoring the drug concentration of voriconazole. Keywords: Voriconazole, Antifungal agents, Therapeutic drug monitoring

Overestimation of the 25(OH)D serum concentration with the automated IDS EIA kit.

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Cavalier, Etienne; Huberty, Véronique; Cormier, Catherine; Souberbielle, Jean-Claude

2011-02-01

We have recently observed an increasing number of patients presenting very high serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] (> 150 ng/mL), which, in all cases, had been measured with the IDS EIA kit adapted on different "open" automated platforms. We performed a comparison between the IDS EIA kit adapted on two different "open"automated platforms and the DiaSorin RIA. We found a systematic bias (higher levels with the IDS EIA kit) for concentrations more than 50-60 ng/mL that was less obvious when the IDS EIA was used in its manual procedure. We thus suggest to use the IDS EIA kit in its manual procedure rather than to adapt it on an automated platform, and to interpret cautiously a 25(OH)D greater than 100 ng/mL with this kit. Copyright © 2011 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Comparison of select hematology and serum chemistry analtyes between wild-caught and aquarium-housed lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens)

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DiVincenti, Louis; Priest, Heather; Walker, Kyle J.; Wyatt, Jeffrey D.; Dittman, Dawn

2013-01-01

Hematology and serum chemistry analytes were compared between wild-caught and aquarium-housed lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) to potentially improve understanding of medical issues in lake sturgeon. Blood samples were taken from 30 lake sturgeon exhibited in 11 institutions in the United States and from 23 experimentally stocked lake sturgeon caught in gill nets in the lower Genesee River in Rochester, New York, USA. For hematology, only segmented neutrophil count was significantly different, with wild-caught fish having a higher number of circulating neutrophils. For clinical chemistry analytes, chloride, uric acid, calcium, phosphate, glucose, aspartate aminotransferase, triglycerides, and creatine kinase were significantly different between the two cohorts. These differences are likely not clinically significant and are attributable to handling stress, variability in environmental parameters, or differences in nutritional status. This is the first report of hematology and serum chemistry values in aquarium-housed lake sturgeon and provides useful reference intervals for clinicians.

Development and validation of an automated liquid-liquid extraction GC/MS method for the determination of THC, 11-OH-THC, and free THC-carboxylic acid (THC-COOH) from blood serum.

Science.gov (United States)

Purschke, Kirsten; Heinl, Sonja; Lerch, Oliver; Erdmann, Freidoon; Veit, Florian

2016-06-01

The analysis of Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and its metabolites 11-hydroxy-Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (11-OH-THC), and 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC-COOH) from blood serum is a routine task in forensic toxicology laboratories. For examination of consumption habits, the concentration of the phase I metabolite THC-COOH is used. Recommendations for interpretation of analysis values in medical-psychological assessments (regranting of driver's licenses, Germany) include threshold values for the free, unconjugated THC-COOH. Using a fully automated two-step liquid-liquid extraction, THC, 11-OH-THC, and free, unconjugated THC-COOH were extracted from blood serum, silylated with N-methyl-N-(trimethylsilyl) trifluoroacetamide (MSTFA), and analyzed by GC/MS. The automation was carried out by an x-y-z sample robot equipped with modules for shaking, centrifugation, and solvent evaporation. This method was based on a previously developed manual sample preparation method. Validation guidelines of the Society of Toxicological and Forensic Chemistry (GTFCh) were fulfilled for both methods, at which the focus of this article is the automated one. Limits of detection and quantification for THC were 0.3 and 0.6 μg/L, for 11-OH-THC were 0.1 and 0.8 μg/L, and for THC-COOH were 0.3 and 1.1 μg/L, when extracting only 0.5 mL of blood serum. Therefore, the required limit of quantification for THC of 1 μg/L in driving under the influence of cannabis cases in Germany (and other countries) can be reached and the method can be employed in that context. Real and external control samples were analyzed, and a round robin test was passed successfully. To date, the method is employed in the Institute of Legal Medicine in Giessen, Germany, in daily routine. Automation helps in avoiding errors during sample preparation and reduces the workload of the laboratory personnel. Due to its flexibility, the analysis system can be employed for other liquid-liquid extractions as

Quantification of NS1 dengue biomarker in serum via optomagnetic nanocluster detection

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Antunes, Paula Soares Martins; Watterson, Daniel; Parmvi, Mattias

2015-01-01

Dengue is a tropical vector-borne disease without cure or vaccine that progressively spreads into regions with temperate climates. Diagnostic tools amenable to resource-limited settings would be highly valuable for epidemiologic control and containment during outbreaks. Here, we present a novel low......-cost automated biosensing platform for detection of dengue fever biomarker NS1 and demonstrate it on NS1 spiked in human serum. Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) are coated with high-affinity monoclonal antibodies against NS1 via bio-orthogonal Cu-free 'click' chemistry on an anti-fouling surface molecular...... method. The resulting automated dengue fever assay takes just 8 minutes, requires 6 μL of serum sample and shows a limit of detection of 25 ng/mL with an upper detection range of 20000 ng/mL. The technology holds a great potential to be applied to NS1 detection in patient samples. As the assay...

Automation of radioimmunoassay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamaguchi, Chisato; Yamada, Hideo; Iio, Masahiro

1974-01-01

Automation systems for measuring Australian antigen by radioimmunoassay under development were discussed. Samples were processed as follows: blood serum being dispensed by automated sampler to the test tube, and then incubated under controlled time and temperature; first counting being omitted; labelled antibody being dispensed to the serum after washing; samples being incubated and then centrifuged; radioactivities in the precipitate being counted by auto-well counter; measurements being tabulated by automated typewriter. Not only well-type counter but also position counter was studied. (Kanao, N.)

Analytical chemistry instrumentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laing, W.R.

1986-01-01

In nine sections, 48 chapters cover 1) analytical chemistry and the environment 2) environmental radiochemistry 3) automated instrumentation 4) advances in analytical mass spectrometry 5) fourier transform spectroscopy 6) analytical chemistry of plutonium 7) nuclear analytical chemistry 8) chemometrics and 9) nuclear fuel technology

Evaluation of automated assays for immunoglobulin G, M, and A measurements in dog and cat serum.

Science.gov (United States)

Tvarijonaviciute, Asta; Martínez-Subiela, Silvia; Caldin, Marco; Tecles, Fernando; Ceron, Jose J

2013-09-01

Measurements of immunoglobulins (Igs) in companion animals can be useful to detect deficiencies of the humoral immune system, that can be associated with opportunistic or chronic infections, or other immune-mediated disorders including B-cell neoplasms. The purpose of this study was to evaluate commercially available automated immunoturbidimetric assays designed for human IgG, M, and A measurements in canine and feline serum using species-specific calibrators. Canine and feline serum samples with different IgG, M, and A concentrations were used for the analytical validation of the assays. Intra- and inter-assay precision, linearity under dilution, spiking recovery, and limit of detection were determined. In addition, effects of lipemia, hemolysis, and bilirubinemia were evaluated. Finally, Ig concentrations were determined in small groups of diseased dogs and cats, and compared with healthy groups. Spiking recovery and linearity under dilution tests showed that the assays measured Igs in canine and feline serum samples precisely and accurately. Intra- and inter-assay imprecisions were lower than 15% in all cases. Significantly higher IgG, IgM, and IgA levels were observed in dogs with leishmaniasis, while dogs with pyometra showed a statistically significant increase in IgM and IgA concentrations in comparison with healthy dogs. Significantly higher IgG and IgM levels were observed in FIV-infected cats compared with healthy ones. The automated human Ig assays showed adequate precision and accuracy with serum samples from dogs and cats. Also, they were able to discriminate different concentrations of Igs in healthy and diseased animals. © 2013 American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology.

HMSRP Hawaiian Monk Seal Blood Values (Establishing hematology and serum chemistry reference ranges for wild Hawaiian Monk Seals)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Hematology and serum chemistry evaluations are essential to a patients comprehensive health exam by providing measures of organ function, blood cell volume and...

The effects of total laboratory automation on the management of a clinical chemistry laboratory. Retrospective analysis of 36 years.

Science.gov (United States)

Sarkozi, Laszlo; Simson, Elkin; Ramanathan, Lakshmi

2003-03-01

Thirty-six years of data and history of laboratory practice at our institution has enabled us to follow the effects of analytical automation, then recently pre-analytical and post-analytical automation on productivity, cost reduction and enhanced quality of service. In 1998, we began the operation of a pre- and post-analytical automation system (robotics), together with an advanced laboratory information system to process specimens prior to analysis, deliver them to various automated analytical instruments, specimen outlet racks and finally to refrigerated stockyards. By the end of 3 years of continuous operation, we compared the chemistry part of the system with the prior 33 years and quantitated the financial impact of the various stages of automation. Between 1965 and 2000, the Consumer Price Index increased by a factor of 5.5 in the United States. During the same 36 years, at our institution's Chemistry Department the productivity (indicated as the number of reported test results/employee/year) increased from 10,600 to 104,558 (9.3-fold). When expressed in constant 1965 dollars, the total cost per test decreased from 0.79 dollars to 0.15 dollars. Turnaround time for availability of results on patient units decreased to the extent that Stat specimens requiring a turnaround time of productivity together with decreased operational cost. It enabled us to significantly increase our workload together with a reduction of personnel. In addition, stats are handled easily and there are benefits such as safer working conditions and improved sample identification, which are difficult to quantify at this stage.

Automating multistep flow synthesis: approach and challenges in integrating chemistry, machines and logic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chinmay A. Shukla

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The implementation of automation in the multistep flow synthesis is essential for transforming laboratory-scale chemistry into a reliable industrial process. In this review, we briefly introduce the role of automation based on its application in synthesis viz. auto sampling and inline monitoring, optimization and process control. Subsequently, we have critically reviewed a few multistep flow synthesis and suggested a possible control strategy to be implemented so that it helps to reliably transfer the laboratory-scale synthesis strategy to a pilot scale at its optimum conditions. Due to the vast literature in multistep synthesis, we have classified the literature and have identified the case studies based on few criteria viz. type of reaction, heating methods, processes involving in-line separation units, telescopic synthesis, processes involving in-line quenching and process with the smallest time scale of operation. This classification will cover the broader range in the multistep synthesis literature.

Hematologic and serum chemistry reference intervals for free-ranging lions (Panthera leo).

Science.gov (United States)

Maas, Miriam; Keet, Dewald F; Nielen, Mirjam

2013-08-01

Hematologic and serum chemistry values are used by veterinarians and wildlife researchers to assess health status and to identify abnormally high or low levels of a particular blood parameter in a target species. For free-ranging lions (Panthera leo) information about these values is scarce. In this study 7 hematologic and 11 serum biochemistry values were evaluated from 485 lions from the Kruger National Park, South Africa. Significant differences between sexes and sub-adult (≤ 36 months) and adult (>36 months) lions were found for most of the blood parameters and separate reference intervals were made for those values. The obtained reference intervals include the means of the various blood parameter values measured in captive lions, except for alkaline phosphatase in the subadult group. These reference intervals can be utilized for free-ranging lions, and may likely also be used as reference intervals for captive lions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Applicability Of A Semi-Automated Clinical Chemistry Analyzer In Determining The Antioxidant Concentrations Of Selected Plants

OpenAIRE

Allan L. Hilario; Phylis C. Rio; Geraldine Susan C. Tengco; Danilo M. Menorca

2017-01-01

Plants are rich sources of antioxidants that are protective against diseases associated to oxidative stress. There is a need for high throughput screening method that should be useful in determining the antioxidant concentration in plants. Such screening method should significantly simplify and speed up most antioxidant assays. This paper aimed at comparing the applicability of a semi-automated clinical chemistry analyzer Pointe Scientific MI USA with the traditional standard curve method and...

SAF line analytical chemistry system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerber, E.W.; Sherrell, D.L.

1983-10-01

An analytical chemistry system dedicated to supporting the Secure Automated Fabrication (SAF) line is discussed. Several analyses are required prior to the fuel pellets being loaded into cladding tubes to assure certification requirements will be met. These analyses, which will take less than 15 minutes, are described. The automated sample transport system which will be used to move pellets from the fabriction line to the chemistry area is also described

Serum bactericidal assay for the evaluation of typhoid vaccine using a semi-automated colony-counting method.

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, Mi Seon; Sahastrabuddhe, Sushant; Yun, Cheol-Heui; Han, Seung Hyun; Yang, Jae Seung

2016-08-01

Typhoid fever, mainly caused by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi), is a life-threatening disease, mostly in developing countries. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is widely used to quantify antibodies against S. Typhi in serum but does not provide information about functional antibody titers. Although the serum bactericidal assay (SBA) using an agar plate is often used to measure functional antibody titers against various bacterial pathogens in clinical specimens, it has rarely been used for typhoid vaccines because it is time-consuming and labor-intensive. In the present study, we established an improved SBA against S. Typhi using a semi-automated colony-counting system with a square agar plate harboring 24 samples. The semi-automated SBA efficiently measured bactericidal titers of sera from individuals immunized with S. Typhi Vi polysaccharide vaccines. The assay specifically responded to S. Typhi Ty2 but not to other irrelevant enteric bacteria including Vibrio cholerae and Shigella flexneri. Baby rabbit complement was more appropriate source for the SBA against S. Typhi than complements from adult rabbit, guinea pig, and human. We also examined the correlation between SBA and ELISA for measuring antibody responses against S. Typhi using pre- and post-vaccination sera from 18 human volunteers. The SBA titer showed a good correlation with anti-Vi IgG quantity in the serum as determined by Spearman correlation coefficient of 0.737 (P measure functional antibody titers against S. Typhi in sera from human subjects immunized with typhoid vaccines. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Automated two-site immunofluorescent assay for the measurement of serum chromogranin A.

Science.gov (United States)

Popovici, Théodora; Moreira, Baptiste; Schlageter, Marie-Hélène; Bories, Phuong-Nhi

2014-01-01

Chromogranin A (CgA) is the best-characterized biological marker common to neuroendocrine tumours and is therefore recommended for their diagnosis. The measurement of serum CgA is of great importance for reaching an early diagnosis and thus reducing the delay before treatment is instigated. The Kryptor CgA assay is the first fully automated assay available. The aim of this study was to evaluate its analytical performance. The imprecision and linearity of the Kryptor CgA assay were evaluated. This assay was compared with the Cis Bio CgA RIA assay in 78 serum samples. Its clinical utility was assessed in serum from 229 patients. The study performed on imprecision of Kryptor measurements showed intra- and inter-run CVs ≤ 5%. The study of linearity showed a satisfactory recovery rate for CgA concentrations up to 1200 μg/L. The Kryptor and RIA assays agreed well on the basis of the cut-off values provided by the two manufacturers. The Bland and Altman plot of the values obtained (range: 20-5560 μg/L) provided a mean difference of -10.1 μg/L (SD: 116). The clinical sensitivities of Kryptor CgA for diagnosis of pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (n 20) and gastroenteropancreatic NETs (n 17) were respectively 100 and 94%. The Kryptor assay for CgA shows reliable analytical and clinical characteristics and allows a fast delivery of results. © 2013.

Residual bovine serum albumin (BSA) quantitation in vaccines using automated Capillary Western technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Loughney, John W; Lancaster, Catherine; Ha, Sha; Rustandi, Richard R

2014-09-15

Bovine serum albumin (BSA) is a major component of fetal bovine serum (FBS), which is commonly used as a culture medium during vaccine production. Because BSA can cause allergic reactions in humans the World Health Organization (WHO) has set a guidance of 50 ng or less residual BSA per vaccine dose. Vaccine manufacturers are expected to develop sensitive assays to detect residual BSA. Generally, sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) are used in the industry to detect these low levels of BSA. We report the development of a new improved method for residual BSA detection using the SimpleWestern technology to analyze residual BSA in an attenuated virus vaccine. The method is based on automated Capillary Western and has linearity of two logs, >80% spike recovery (accuracy), intermediate precision of CV <15%, and LOQ of 5.2 ng/ml. The final method was applied to analyze BSA in four lots of bulk vaccine products and was used to monitor BSA clearance during vaccine process purification. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Managing expectations: assessment of chemistry databases generated by automated extraction of chemical structures from patents.

Science.gov (United States)

Senger, Stefan; Bartek, Luca; Papadatos, George; Gaulton, Anna

2015-12-01

First public disclosure of new chemical entities often takes place in patents, which makes them an important source of information. However, with an ever increasing number of patent applications, manual processing and curation on such a large scale becomes even more challenging. An alternative approach better suited for this large corpus of documents is the automated extraction of chemical structures. A number of patent chemistry databases generated by using the latter approach are now available but little is known that can help to manage expectations when using them. This study aims to address this by comparing two such freely available sources, SureChEMBL and IBM SIIP (IBM Strategic Intellectual Property Insight Platform), with manually curated commercial databases. When looking at the percentage of chemical structures successfully extracted from a set of patents, using SciFinder as our reference, 59 and 51 % were also found in our comparison in SureChEMBL and IBM SIIP, respectively. When performing this comparison with compounds as starting point, i.e. establishing if for a list of compounds the databases provide the links between chemical structures and patents they appear in, we obtained similar results. SureChEMBL and IBM SIIP found 62 and 59 %, respectively, of the compound-patent pairs obtained from Reaxys. In our comparison of automatically generated vs. manually curated patent chemistry databases, the former successfully provided approximately 60 % of links between chemical structure and patents. It needs to be stressed that only a very limited number of patents and compound-patent pairs were used for our comparison. Nevertheless, our results will hopefully help to manage expectations of users of patent chemistry databases of this type and provide a useful framework for more studies like ours as well as guide future developments of the workflows used for the automated extraction of chemical structures from patents. The challenges we have encountered

Interferences of homogentisic acid (HGA) on routine clinical chemistry assays in serum and urine and the implications for biochemical monitoring of patients with alkaptonuria.

Science.gov (United States)

Curtis, S L; Roberts, N B; Ranganath, L R

2014-05-01

We have assessed the effect of elevated concentrations of homogentisic acid (HGA) as in alkaptonuria (AKU), on a range of routine chemistry tests in serum and urine. HGA was added to pooled serum and a range of assays was analysed with Roche Modular chemistries. Effects on urine were assessed by diluting normal urine with urine from a patient with AKU, adding HGA to urine and after lowering output of urinary HGA with nitisinone treatment. Serum enzymatic creatinine showed 30% negative interference with 100μmol/L HGA and >50% at 400μmol/L. Serum urate 100 to 480μmol/L was reduced up to 20% at 100 and to 50% with 400μmol/L HGA. Serum cholesterol between 3 and 11mmol/L was reduced by 0.5mmol/L with 400μmol/L HGA. Urine enzymatic creatinine and urate with >2mmol/L HGA showed concentration dependent negative interference up to 80%. A positive interference in urine total protein by benzethonium turbidometric assay was observed, with 10mmol/L HGA equivalent to 1g/L protein. Jaffe creatinine, Na, K, Cl, Mg, Ca, phosphate, ALT, GGT, ALP activities and urea in serum and or urine were not affected by increases in HGA. To avoid interferences by HGA in alkaptonuria concentration of HGA should be established before samples are assayed with peroxidase assays and benzethonium urine protein. Copyright © 2013 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. All rights reserved.

Alaska Steller sea lion pups blood serum chemistry and hematology values measured from 1998-06-01 to 2011-07-15 (NCEI Accession 0137994)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — These data were used for an analysis of Steller sea lion pup health and condition by Lander et al. (2013). Serum chemistry and hematological values were measured by...

Field and laboratory emission cell automation and control system for investigating surface chemistry reactions

Science.gov (United States)

Flemmer, Michael M.; Ham, Jason E.; Wells, J. R.

2007-01-01

A novel system [field and laboratory emission cell (FLEC) automation and control system] has been developed to deliver ozone to a surface utilizing the FLEC to simulate indoor surface chemistry. Ozone, humidity, and air flow rate to the surface were continuously monitored using an ultraviolet ozone monitor, humidity, and flow sensors. Data from these sensors were used as feedback for system control to maintain predetermined experimental parameters. The system was used to investigate the chemistry of ozone with α-terpineol on a vinyl surface over 72h. Keeping all other experimental parameters the same, volatile organic compound emissions from the vinyl tile with α-terpineol were collected from both zero and 100ppb(partsper109) ozone exposures. System stability profiles collected from sensor data indicated experimental parameters were maintained to within a few percent of initial settings. Ozone data from eight experiments at 100ppb (over 339h) provided a pooled standard deviation of 1.65ppb and a 95% tolerance of 3.3ppb. Humidity data from 17 experiments at 50% relative humidity (over 664h) provided a pooled standard deviation of 1.38% and a 95% tolerance of 2.77%. Data of the flow rate of air flowing through the FLEC from 14 experiments at 300ml/min (over 548h) provided a pooled standard deviation of 3.02ml/min and a 95% tolerance range of 6.03ml/min. Initial experimental results yielded long term emissions of ozone/α-terpineol reaction products, suggesting that surface chemistry could play an important role in indoor environments.

Real time water chemistry monitoring and diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaudreau, T.M.; Choi, S.S.

2002-01-01

EPRI has produced a real time water chemistry monitoring and diagnostic system. This system is called SMART ChemWorks and is based on the EPRI ChemWorks codes. System models, chemistry parameter relationships and diagnostic approaches from these codes are integrated with real time data collection, an intelligence engine and Internet technologies to allow for automated analysis of system chemistry. Significant data management capabilities are also included which allow the user to evaluate data and create automated reporting. Additional features have been added to the system in recent years including tracking and evaluation of primary chemistry as well as the calculation and tracking of primary to secondary leakage in PWRs. This system performs virtual sensing, identifies normal and upset conditions, and evaluates the consistency of on-line monitor and grab sample readings. The system also makes use of virtual fingerprinting to identify the cause of any chemistry upsets. This technology employs plant-specific data and models to determine the chemical state of the steam cycle. (authors)

Micro-bead injection spectroscopy for label-free automated determination of immunoglobulin G in human serum.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramos, Inês I; Magalhães, Luís M; Barreiros, Luisa; Reis, Salette; Lima, José L F C; Segundo, Marcela A

2018-01-01

Immunoglobulin G (IgG) represents the major fraction of antibodies in healthy adult human serum, and deviations from physiological levels are a generic marker of disease corresponding to different pathologies. Therefore, screening methods for IgG evaluation are a valuable aid to diagnostics. The present work proposes a rapid, automatic, and miniaturized method based on UV-vis micro-bead injection spectroscopy (μ-BIS) for the real-time determination of human serum IgG with label-free detection. Relying on attachment of IgG in rec-protein G immobilized in Sepharose 4B, a bioaffinity column is automatically assembled, where IgG is selectively retained and determined by on-column optical density measurement. A "dilution-and-shoot" approach (50 to 200 times) was implemented without further sample treatment because interferences were flushed out of the column upon sample loading, with minimization of carryover and cross-contamination by automatically discarding the sorbent (0.2 mg) after each determination. No interference from human serum albumin at 60 mg mL -1 in undiluted sample was found. The method allowed IgG determination in the range 100-300 μg mL -1 (corresponding to 5.0-60 mg mL -1 in undiluted samples), with a detection limit of 33 μg mL -1 (1.7 mg mL -1 for samples, dilution factor of 50). RSD values were time-to-result decreased from several hours to times, showing the potential of the proposed approach as a point-of-care method. Graphical abstract Micro-Bead Injection Spectroscopy method for real time, automated and label-free determination of total serum human Immunoglobulin G (IgG). The method was designed for Lab-on-Valve (LOV) platforms using a miniaturised protein G bioaffinity separative approach. IgG are separated from serum matrix components upon quantification with low non-specific binding in less than 5 min.

Automated chemical kinetic modeling via hybrid reactive molecular dynamics and quantum chemistry simulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Döntgen, Malte; Schmalz, Felix; Kopp, Wassja A; Kröger, Leif C; Leonhard, Kai

2018-06-13

An automated scheme for obtaining chemical kinetic models from scratch using reactive molecular dynamics and quantum chemistry simulations is presented. This methodology combines the phase space sampling of reactive molecular dynamics with the thermochemistry and kinetics prediction capabilities of quantum mechanics. This scheme provides the NASA polynomial and modified Arrhenius equation parameters for all species and reactions that are observed during the simulation and supplies them in the ChemKin format. The ab initio level of theory for predictions is easily exchangeable and the presently used G3MP2 level of theory is found to reliably reproduce hydrogen and methane oxidation thermochemistry and kinetics data. Chemical kinetic models obtained with this approach are ready-to-use for, e.g., ignition delay time simulations, as shown for hydrogen combustion. The presented extension of the ChemTraYzer approach can be used as a basis for methodologically advancing chemical kinetic modeling schemes and as a black-box approach to generate chemical kinetic models.

REFERENCE RANGES AND AGE-RELATED AND DIVING EXERCISE EFFECTS ON HEMATOLOGY AND SERUM CHEMISTRY OF FEMALE STELLER SEA LIONS ( EUMETOPIAS JUBATUS).

Science.gov (United States)

Gerlinsky, Carling D; Haulena, Martin; Trites, Andrew W; Rosen, David A S

2018-03-01

Decreased health may have lowered the birth and survival rates of Steller sea lions ( Eumetopias jubatus) in the Gulf of Alaska and Aleutian Islands over the past 30 yr. Reference ranges for clinical hematology and serum chemistry parameters needed to assess the health of wild sea lion populations are limited. Here, blood parameters were serially measured in 12 captive female Steller sea lions ranging in age from 3 wk to 16 yr to establish baseline values and investigate age-related changes. Whether diving activity affects hematology parameters in animals swimming in the ocean compared with animals in a traditional aquarium setting was also examined. Almost all blood parameters measured exhibited significant changes with age. Many of the age-related changes reflected developmental life history changes, including a change in diet during weaning, an improvement of diving capacity, and the maturity of the immune system. Mean corpuscular hemoglobin and mean corpuscular volume were also higher in the ocean diving group compared with the aquarium group, likely reflecting responses to increased exercise regimes. These data provide ranges of hematology and serum chemistry values needed to evaluate and compare the health and nutritional status of captive and wild Steller sea lions.

"First generation" automated DNA sequencing technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Slatko, Barton E; Kieleczawa, Jan; Ju, Jingyue; Gardner, Andrew F; Hendrickson, Cynthia L; Ausubel, Frederick M

2011-10-01

Beginning in the 1980s, automation of DNA sequencing has greatly increased throughput, reduced costs, and enabled large projects to be completed more easily. The development of automation technology paralleled the development of other aspects of DNA sequencing: better enzymes and chemistry, separation and imaging technology, sequencing protocols, robotics, and computational advancements (including base-calling algorithms with quality scores, database developments, and sequence analysis programs). Despite the emergence of high-throughput sequencing platforms, automated Sanger sequencing technology remains useful for many applications. This unit provides background and a description of the "First-Generation" automated DNA sequencing technology. It also includes protocols for using the current Applied Biosystems (ABI) automated DNA sequencing machines. © 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Fully automated parallel oligonucleotide synthesizer

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Lebl, M.; Burger, Ch.; Ellman, B.; Heiner, D.; Ibrahim, G.; Jones, A.; Nibbe, M.; Thompson, J.; Mudra, Petr; Pokorný, Vít; Poncar, Pavel; Ženíšek, Karel

2001-01-01

Roč. 66, č. 8 (2001), s. 1299-1314 ISSN 0010-0765 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z4055905 Keywords : automated oligonucleotide synthesizer Subject RIV: CC - Organic Chemistry Impact factor: 0.778, year: 2001

Use of combinatorial chemistry to speed drug discovery.

Science.gov (United States)

Rádl, S

1998-10-01

IBC's International Conference on Integrating Combinatorial Chemistry into the Discovery Pipeline was held September 14-15, 1998. The program started with a pre-conference workshop on High-Throughput Compound Characterization and Purification. The agenda of the main conference was divided into sessions of Synthesis, Automation and Unique Chemistries; Integrating Combinatorial Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry and Screening; Combinatorial Chemistry Applications for Drug Discovery; and Information and Data Management. This meeting was an excellent opportunity to see how big pharma, biotech and service companies are addressing the current bottlenecks in combinatorial chemistry to speed drug discovery. (c) 1998 Prous Science. All rights reserved.

Automated Water Chemistry Control at University of Virginia Pools.

Science.gov (United States)

Krone, Dan

1997-01-01

Describes the technologically advanced aquatic and fitness center at the University of Virginia. Discusses the imprecise water chemistry control at the former facility and its intensive monitoring requirements. Details the new chemistry control standards initiated in the new center, which ensure constant chlorine and pH levels. (RJM)

The analytic impact of a reduced centrifugation step on chemistry and immunochemistry assays: an evaluation of the Modular Pre-Analytics.

Science.gov (United States)

Koenders, Mieke M J F; van Hurne, Marco E J F; Glasmacher-Van Zijl, Monique; van der Linde, Geesje; Westerhuis, Bert W J J M

2012-09-01

The COBAS 6000 system can be completed by a Modular Pre-Analytics (MPA), an integrated laboratory automation system that streamlines preanalysis. For an optimal throughput, the MPA centrifuges blood collection tubes for 5 min at 1885 × g - a centrifugation time that is not in concordance with the World Health Organization guidelines which suggest centrifugation for 10/15 min at 2000-3000 × g. In this study, the analytical outcome of 50 serum and 50 plasma samples centrifuged for 5 or 10 min at 1885 × g was investigated. The study included routine chemistry and immunochemistry assays on the COBAS 6000 and the Minicap capillary electrophoresis. Deming-fit and Bland-Altman plots of the 5-min and 10-min centrifugation steps indicated a significant correlation in serum samples. The lipaemia index in plasma samples centrifuged for 5 min displayed a statistically significant variation when compared with the 10-min centrifugation. Preanalytical centrifugation can be successfully down-scaled to a duration of 5 min for most routine chemistry and immunochemistry assays in serum and plasma samples. To prevent inaccurate results in plasma samples with an increased lipaemia index from being reported, the laboratory information system was programmed to withhold results above certain lipaemia indices. The presented data support the use of a 5-min centrifugation step to improve turnaround times, thereby meeting one of the desires of the requesting clinicians.

Smart management of sample dilution using an artificial neural network to achieve streamlined processes and saving resources: the automated nephelometric testing of serum free light chain as case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ialongo, Cristiano; Pieri, Massimo; Bernardini, Sergio

2017-02-01

Saving resources is a paramount issue for the modern laboratory, and new trainable as well as smart technologies can be used to allow the automated instrumentation to manage samples more efficiently in order to achieve streamlined processes. In this regard the serum free light chain (sFLC) testing represents an interesting challenge, as it usually causes using a number of assays before achieving an acceptable result within the analytical range. An artificial neural network based on the multi-layer perceptron (MLP-ANN) was used to infer the starting dilution status of sFLC samples based on the information available through the laboratory information system (LIS). After the learning phase, the MLP-ANN simulation was applied to the nephelometric testing routinely performed in our laboratory on a BN ProSpec® System analyzer (Siemens Helathcare) using the N Latex FLC kit. The MLP-ANN reduced the serum kappa free light chain (κ-FLC) and serum lambda free light chain (λ-FLC) wasted tests by 69.4% and 70.8% with respect to the naïve stepwise dilution scheme used by the automated analyzer, and by 64.9% and 66.9% compared to a "rational" dilution scheme based on a 4-step dilution. Although it was restricted to follow-up samples, the MLP-ANN showed good predictive performance, which alongside the possibility to implement it in any automated system, made it a suitable solution for achieving streamlined laboratory processes and saving resources.

A simple micro-extraction plate assay for automated LC-MS/MS analysis of human serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels.

Science.gov (United States)

Geib, Timon; Meier, Florian; Schorr, Pascal; Lammert, Frank; Stokes, Caroline S; Volmer, Dietrich A

2015-01-01

This short application note describes a simple and automated assay for determination of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels in very small volumes of human serum. It utilizes commercial 96-well micro-extraction plates with commercial 25(OH)D isotope calibration and quality control kits. Separation was achieved using a pentafluorophenyl liquid chromatography column followed by multiple reaction monitoring-based quantification on an electrospray triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. Emphasis was placed on providing a simple assay that can be rapidly established in non-specialized laboratories within days, without the need for laborious and time consuming sample preparation steps, advanced calibration or data acquisition routines. The analytical figures of merit obtained from this assay compared well to established assays. To demonstrate the applicability, the assay was applied to analysis of serum samples from patients with chronic liver diseases and compared to results from a routine clinical immunoassay. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Radioanalytical Chemistry for Automated Nuclear Waste Process Monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jay W. Grate; Timothy A. DeVol

2006-01-01

The objectives of our research were to develop the first automated radiochemical process analyzer including sample pretreatment methodology, and to initiate work on new detection approaches, especially using modified diode detectors

Automating radiochemistry: Considerations for commerical suppliers of devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmidt, D.G.

1993-01-01

The fundamental decision to automate a particular radiochemical synthesis for in house use depends primarily on the demand for the compound and the total number of studies to be carried out with that compound. For a commercial supplier of automated chemistry systems, much more goes in to the decision to design, develop and produce a particular automated chemistry system. There is a dramatic difference in design effort between an industrial environment and an academic environment. An in house system must be built only once and needs only to incrementally simplify the synthesis process. A commercial product must: have reasonable manufacturing costs; be easy to use; be aesthetically pleasing; be easy to install and service; be functionally integral with other equipment sold by the manufacturer; be marketable within the regulatory environment; address radiation safety issues. This paper discusses issues that guide commercial suppliers in the formation of their product lines

Automation synthesis modules review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boschi, S.; Lodi, F.; Malizia, C.; Cicoria, G.; Marengo, M.

2013-01-01

The introduction of 68 Ga labelled tracers has changed the diagnostic approach to neuroendocrine tumours and the availability of a reliable, long-lived 68 Ge/ 68 Ga generator has been at the bases of the development of 68 Ga radiopharmacy. The huge increase in clinical demand, the impact of regulatory issues and a careful radioprotection of the operators have boosted for extensive automation of the production process. The development of automated systems for 68 Ga radiochemistry, different engineering and software strategies and post-processing of the eluate were discussed along with impact of automation with regulations. - Highlights: ► Generators availability and robust chemistry boosted for the huge diffusion of 68Ga radiopharmaceuticals. ► Different technological approaches for 68Ga radiopharmaceuticals will be discussed. ► Generator eluate post processing and evolution to cassette based systems were the major issues in automation. ► Impact of regulations on the technological development will be also considered

Two new automated, compared with two enzyme-linked immunosorbent, antimüllerian hormone assays.

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Scott M; Pastuszek, Ewa; Kloss, Grzegorz; Malinowska, Iwona; Liss, Joanna; Lukaszuk, Aron; Plociennik, Lukasz; Lukaszuk, Krzysztof

2015-10-01

To compare new automated antimüllerian hormone (AMH) assay performance characteristics from the new automated Elecsys AMH (Roche; Elecsys) and Access AMH (Beckman Coulter; Access) assays with the existing AMH Gen II ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; Gen II; Beckman Coulter) and AMH ELISA (Ansh Labs) assays. Prospective assay evaluation. University-affiliated clinical chemistry laboratory. Patients referred for serum AMH measurement (n = 83) before start of in vitro fertilization cycle between September 2014 and October 2014. None. Serum AMH concentration. Intra-assay coefficients of variation were low; Ansh ≤ 9.0%; Gen II ≤ 5.8%; Access ≤ 10.7%; and Elecsys ≤ 2.8%. The Passing-Bablok regression equations (pmol/L) were y (Access) = 0.128 + (0.781 × Gen II); and y (Access) = 0.302 + (0.742 x Ansh). For y (Elecys) = 0.087 + (0.729 x Gen II) and y (Elecys) = 0.253 + (0.688 x Ansh Labs). For y (Elecys) = 0.943 - (0.037 × Access). For all the assays, AMH exhibited a moderate positive correlation with AFC (r = 0.62-0.64); number of cumulus oocyte complexes (r = 0.60-0.64); and metaphase II oocytes (r = 0.48-0.50). Accuracy of pregnancy prediction, as determined by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, was uniformly low for all assays (0.62-0.63). The novel automated assays exhibit strong concordance in calibration, but derived values are substantially lower than those obtained from pre-existing assays, with assay-specific interpretation required for routine clinical use. These results highlight the need for an international standard of measurement of AMH. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated rapid particle investigation using scanning electron microscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Wilkins, Jerod Laurence

The chemical composition of fly ash particles has been known to vary significantly depending on a number of factors. Current bulk methods of investigation including X-Ray Fluorescence and X-Ray Diffraction are thought to be inadequate in determining the performance of fly ash in concrete. It is the goal of this research to develop a method of Automated Rapid Particle Investigation that will not look at fly ash as a bulk material but as individual particles. By examining each particle individually scientists and engineers will have the ability to study the variation in chemical composition by comparing the chemistry present in each particle. The method of investigation developed by this research provides a practical technique that will allow the automated chemical analysis of hundreds, or even thousands, of fly ash particles in a matter of minutes upon completion of sample preparation and automated scanning electron microscope (ASEM) scanning. This research does not examine the significance of the chemical compounds discovered; rather, only the investigation methodology is discussed. Further research will be done to examine the importance of the chemistry discovered with this automated rapid particle investigation technique.

Proteome profiling analysis of human ovarian cancer serum samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cognetti, F.; Citro, G.

2009-01-01

Mass Spectrometry represents a powerful tool in cancer research to discovery of potential bio markers through peak identification from serum profiling. By using high resolution MALDITOF and bioinformatic analysis almost 400 serum sample homogeneously distributed between biopsy confirmed ovarian cancer and high risk serum samples were analyzed. Each serum sample run in duplicate and whole serum sample preparation procedure has been performed by Hamilton Star Robot in order to reduce bias and the replicates with a low Pearson coefficient are removed. After automated reverse phase magnetic beads separation the samples were tested in MALDI-TOF

Perspectives on bioanalytical mass spectrometry and automation in drug discovery.

Science.gov (United States)

Janiszewski, John S; Liston, Theodore E; Cole, Mark J

2008-11-01

The use of high speed synthesis technologies has resulted in a steady increase in the number of new chemical entities active in the drug discovery research stream. Large organizations can have thousands of chemical entities in various stages of testing and evaluation across numerous projects on a weekly basis. Qualitative and quantitative measurements made using LC/MS are integrated throughout this process from early stage lead generation through candidate nomination. Nearly all analytical processes and procedures in modern research organizations are automated to some degree. This includes both hardware and software automation. In this review we discuss bioanalytical mass spectrometry and automation as components of the analytical chemistry infrastructure in pharma. Analytical chemists are presented as members of distinct groups with similar skillsets that build automated systems, manage test compounds, assays and reagents, and deliver data to project teams. The ADME-screening process in drug discovery is used as a model to highlight the relationships between analytical tasks in drug discovery. Emerging software and process automation tools are described that can potentially address gaps and link analytical chemistry related tasks. The role of analytical chemists and groups in modern 'industrialized' drug discovery is also discussed.

The standard laboratory module approach to automation of the chemical laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hollen, R.M.; Erkkila, T.H.

1993-01-01

Automation of the technology and practice of environmental laboratory automation has not been as rapid or complete as one might expect. Confined to autosamplers and limited robotic systems, our ability to apply production concepts to environmental analytical analysis is not great. With the impending remediation of our hazardous waste sites in the US, only the application of production chemistry techniques will even begin to provide those responsible with the necessary knowledge to accomplish the cleanup expeditiously and safely. Tightening regulatory requirements have already mandated staggering increases in sampling and characterization needs with the future only guaranteeing greater demands. The Contaminant Analysis Automation Program has been initiated by our government to address these current and future characterization by application of a new robotic paradigm for analytical chemistry. By using standardized modular instruments, named Standard Laboratory Modules, flexible automation systems can rapidly be configured to apply production techniques to our nations environmental problems at-site

Programming chemistry in DNA-addressable bioreactors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fellermann, H.; Cardelli, L.

2014-01-01

. These markers serve as compartment addresses and allow for their targeted transport and fusion, thereby enabling reactions of previously separated chemicals. The overall system organization allows for the set-up of programmable chemistry in microfluidic or other automated environments. We introduce a simple...

Robotic thin layer chromatography instrument for synthetic chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corkan, L.A.; Lindsey, J.S.

1990-01-01

One of our long-term goals is to develop robotic workstations for automated synthetic chemistry. Toward that goal we have constructed a 2nd generation instrument for performing TLC analysis. TLC has important advantages (over HPLC and GC) in analysis of crude reaction samples and parallel sample development. The TLC instrument consist of four dedicated stations for (1) plate dispensing, (2) sample application, (3) plate development, and (4) plate densitometry. A robot is used to move plates among stations. The combination of fixed automation and robotics gives high sample throughout (up to 10 samples per hour). A second robot performs reaction chemistry and feeds samples to the TLC instrument, thus enabling TLC analysis at the same time as synthetic reactions proceed on the workstation

Comparison of 2 electrophoretic methods and a wet-chemistry method in the analysis of canine lipoproteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Behling-Kelly, Erica

2016-03-01

The evaluation of lipoprotein metabolism in small animal medicine is hindered by the lack of a gold standard method and paucity of validation data to support the use of automated chemistry methods available in the typical veterinary clinical pathology laboratory. The physical and chemical differences between canine and human lipoproteins draw into question whether the transference of some of these human methodologies for the study of canine lipoproteins is valid. Validation of methodology must go hand in hand with exploratory studies into the diagnostic or prognostic utility of measuring specific lipoproteins in veterinary medicine. The goal of this study was to compare one commercially available wet-chemistry method to manual and automated lipoprotein electrophoresis in the analysis of canine lipoproteins. Canine lipoproteins from 50 dogs were prospectively analyzed by 2 electrophoretic methods, one automated and one manual method, and one wet-chemistry method. Electrophoretic methods identified a higher proportion of low-density lipoproteins than the wet-chemistry method. Automated electrophoresis occasionally failed to identify very low-density lipoproteins. Wet-chemistry methods designed for evaluation of human lipoproteins are insensitive to canine low-density lipoproteins and may not be applicable to the study of canine lipoproteins. Automated electrophoretic methods will likely require significant modifications if they are to be used in the analysis of canine lipoproteins. Studies aimed at determining the impact of a disease state on lipoproteins should thoroughly investigate the selected methodology prior to the onset of the study. © 2016 American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology.

Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge: 2009 Greener Reaction Conditions Award

Science.gov (United States)

Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge 2009 award winner, CEM Corporation, developed a fast, automated analytical process using less toxic reagents and less energy to distinguish protein from the food adulterant, melamine.

The Hammersmith philosophy for PET chemistry automation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clark, J.C.

1993-01-01

The authors have only automated production of robust chemical syntheses for routine use on a weekly scheduled basis; 18 FDG, 11 C-methylations ampersand H 2 15 O. They use programmable logic controllers (PLC's) to control temp, time and flow. Set-up and run programs are assembled in ladder logic and stored on an EPROM. During set-up, clean dry reaction vessels, product reception vials ampersand reagents are installed. HPLC product peak is cut by remote control valve operation. For 11 C methylations an automated product formulation system is integrated with the HPLC open-quotes cut peakclose quotes and delivers the product via a membrane filter to the delivery vial. A PLC controlled 18 FDG unit, incorporating a closed glassy carbon reactor in a one pot system for fluorination and hydrolytic deprotection has been built. Enriched H 2 18 O is recovered and the product is purified by HPLC. H 2 15 O is infused from a unit housed under the PET scanner couch. It is supplied with 15 O 2 , 5% H 2 ampersand saline for infusion solution ampersand gases are separated by a sterile, pyrogen free water permeable membrane. Infusions are controlled from the scanner console where infused doses are displayed using an open-quotes on boardclose quotes radiation detector. These systems are operated by a small team of trained technicians within a Good Manufacturing Practice framework. Independent Quality Assurance is provided, to qualify for a open-quotes specialsclose quotes radiopharmaceutical Manufacturing Licence

Automated Classification and Analysis of Non-metallic Inclusion Data Sets

Science.gov (United States)

Abdulsalam, Mohammad; Zhang, Tongsheng; Tan, Jia; Webler, Bryan A.

2018-05-01

The aim of this study is to utilize principal component analysis (PCA), clustering methods, and correlation analysis to condense and examine large, multivariate data sets produced from automated analysis of non-metallic inclusions. Non-metallic inclusions play a major role in defining the properties of steel and their examination has been greatly aided by automated analysis in scanning electron microscopes equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The methods were applied to analyze inclusions on two sets of samples: two laboratory-scale samples and four industrial samples from a near-finished 4140 alloy steel components with varying machinability. The laboratory samples had well-defined inclusions chemistries, composed of MgO-Al2O3-CaO, spinel (MgO-Al2O3), and calcium aluminate inclusions. The industrial samples contained MnS inclusions as well as (Ca,Mn)S + calcium aluminate oxide inclusions. PCA could be used to reduce inclusion chemistry variables to a 2D plot, which revealed inclusion chemistry groupings in the samples. Clustering methods were used to automatically classify inclusion chemistry measurements into groups, i.e., no user-defined rules were required.

Detection of virus-specific intrathecally synthesised immunoglobulin G with a fully automated enzyme immunoassay system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weissbrich Benedikt

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The determination of virus-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG antibodies in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF is useful for the diagnosis of virus associated diseases of the central nervous system (CNS and for the detection of a polyspecific intrathecal immune response in patients with multiple sclerosis. Quantification of virus-specific IgG in the CSF is frequently performed by calculation of a virus-specific antibody index (AI. Determination of the AI is a demanding and labour-intensive technique and therefore automation is desirable. We evaluated the precision and the diagnostic value of a fully automated enzyme immunoassay for the detection of virus-specific IgG in serum and CSF using the analyser BEP2000 (Dade Behring. Methods The AI for measles, rubella, varicella-zoster, and herpes simplex virus IgG was determined from pairs of serum and CSF samples of patients with viral CNS infections, multiple sclerosis and of control patients. CSF and serum samples were tested simultaneously with reference to a standard curve. Starting dilutions were 1:6 and 1:36 for CSF and 1:1386 and 1:8316 for serum samples. Results The interassay coefficient of variation was below 10% for all parameters tested. There was good agreement between AIs obtained with the BEP2000 and AIs derived from the semi-automated reference method. Conclusion Determination of virus-specific IgG in serum-CSF-pairs for calculation of AI has been successfully automated on the BEP2000. Current limitations of the assay layout imposed by the analyser software should be solved in future versions to offer more convenience in comparison to manual or semi-automated methods.

Cuby: An Integrative Framework for Computational Chemistry

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Řezáč, Jan

2016-01-01

Roč. 37, č. 13 (2016), s. 1230-1237 ISSN 0192-8651 R&D Projects: GA ČR GP13-01214P Institutional support: RVO:61388963 Keywords : software framework * workflow automation * QM/MM * datasets * Ruby Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 3.229, year: 2016

Automated Radioanalytical Chemistry: Applications For The Laboratory And Industrial Process Monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Hara, Matthew J.; Farawila, Anne F.; Grate, Jay W.

2009-01-01

The identification and quantification of targeted α- and β-emitting radionuclides via destructive analysis in complex radioactive liquid matrices is highly challenging. Analyses are typically accomplished at on- or off-site laboratories through laborious sample preparation steps and extensive chemical separations followed by analysis using a variety of detection methodologies (e.g., liquid scintillation, alpha energy spectroscopy, mass spectrometry). Analytical results may take days or weeks to report. When an industrial-scale plant requires periodic or continuous monitoring of radionuclides as an indication of the composition of its feed stream, diversion of safeguarded nuclides, or of plant operational conditions (for example), radiochemical measurements should be rapid, but not at the expense of precision and accuracy. Scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have developed and characterized a host of automated radioanalytical systems designed to perform reproducible and rapid radioanalytical processes. Platforms have been assembled for (1) automation and acceleration of sample analysis in the laboratory and (2) automated monitors for monitoring industrial scale nuclear processes on-line with near-real time results. These methods have been applied to the analysis of environmental-level actinides and fission products to high-level nuclear process fluids. Systems have been designed to integrate a number of discrete sample handling steps, including sample pretreatment (e.g., digestion and valence state adjustment) and chemical separations. The systems have either utilized on-line analyte detection or have collected the purified analyte fractions for off-line measurement applications. One PNNL system of particular note is a fully automated prototype on-line radioanalytical system designed for the Waste Treatment Plant at Hanford, WA, USA. This system demonstrated nearly continuous destructive analysis of the soft β-emitting radionuclide 99Tc in nuclear

Advancing haemostasis automation--successful implementation of robotic centrifugation and sample processing in a tertiary service hospital.

Science.gov (United States)

Sédille-Mostafaie, Nazanin; Engler, Hanna; Lutz, Susanne; Korte, Wolfgang

2013-06-01

Laboratories today face increasing pressure to automate operations due to increasing workloads and the need to reduce expenditure. Few studies to date have focussed on the laboratory automation of preanalytical coagulation specimen processing. In the present study, we examined whether a clinical chemistry automation protocol meets the preanalytical requirements for the analyses of coagulation. During the implementation of laboratory automation, we began to operate a pre- and postanalytical automation system. The preanalytical unit processes blood specimens for chemistry, immunology and coagulation by automated specimen processing. As the production of platelet-poor plasma is highly dependent on optimal centrifugation, we examined specimen handling under different centrifugation conditions in order to produce optimal platelet deficient plasma specimens. To this end, manually processed models centrifuged at 1500 g for 5 and 20 min were compared to an automated centrifugation model at 3000 g for 7 min. For analytical assays that are performed frequently enough to be targets for full automation, Passing-Bablok regression analysis showed close agreement between different centrifugation methods, with a correlation coefficient between 0.98 and 0.99 and a bias between -5% and +6%. For seldom performed assays that do not mandate full automation, the Passing-Bablok regression analysis showed acceptable to poor agreement between different centrifugation methods. A full automation solution is suitable and can be recommended for frequent haemostasis testing.

Radioanalytical chemistry. Vol. 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toelgyessy, J.; Kyrs, M.

1989-01-01

This volume of the monograph covers the following topics: activation analysis, non-activation interaction analysis (elastic scattering of charged particles, absorption and backscattering of beta radiation and photons, radionuclide X-ray fluorescence analysis, thermalization, scattering and absorption of neutrons, use of ionization caused by nuclear radiation, use of ionization by alpha or beta radiation for the measurement of pressure, density and flow rate of gases), and automation in radioanalytical chemistry. (P.A.)

Recent trends in laboratory automation in the pharmaceutical industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Rutherford, M L; Stinger, T

2001-05-01

The impact of robotics and automation on the pharmaceutical industry over the last two decades has been significant. In the last ten years, the emphasis of laboratory automation has shifted from the support of manufactured products and quality control of laboratory applications, to research and development. This shift has been the direct result of an increased emphasis on the identification, development and eventual marketing of innovative new products. In this article, we will briefly identify and discuss some of the current trends in laboratory automation in the pharmaceutical industry as they apply to research and development, including screening, sample management, combinatorial chemistry, ADME/Tox and pharmacokinetics.

Remote fabrication of nuclear fuel: a secure automated fabrication overview

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nyman, D.H.; Benson, E.M.; Yatabe, J.M.; Nagamoto, T.T.

1981-01-01

An automated line for the fabrication of breeder reactor fuel pins is being developed. The line will be installed in the Fuels and Materials Examination Facility (FMEF) presently under construction at the Hanford site near Richland, Washington. The application of automation and remote operations to fuel processing technology is needed to meet program requirements of reduced personnel exposure, enhanced safeguards, improved product quality, and increased productivity. Commercially available robots are being integrated into operations such as handling of radioactive material within a process operation. These and other automated equipment and chemistry analyses systems under development are described

Serum amyloid A and haptoglobin concentrations in serum and peritoneal fluid of healthy horses and horses with acute abdominal pain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pihl, Tina Holberg; Andersen, Pia Haubro; Kjelgaard-Hansen, Mads

2013-01-01

BACKGROUND: Peritoneal fluid (PF) analysis is a valuable diagnostic tool in equine medicine. Markers such as serum amyloid A (SAA) and haptoglobin (Hp) could facilitate the diagnosis of inflammatory abdominal conditions. OBJECTIVES: The objectives were to (1) establish reference intervals (RI......) for SAA and Hp in serum and PF in healthy horses, (2) compare SAA and Hp concentrations between healthy horses and horses with colic, and (3) to assess the correlation between serum and PF concentrations. METHODS: Serum amyloid A and Hp concentrations were determined by automated assays in prospectively...... enrolled healthy reference horses and horses with colic. RIs were calculated, group concentrations were compared by Student's t-test, and Pearson's correlation for serum and PF concentrations were determined. RESULTS: In healthy horses (n = 62) the measurements for SAA were below the detection limit (0...

Robotic thin layer chromatography instrument for synthetic chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corkan, L.A.; Haynes, E.; Kline, S.; Lindsey, J.S.

1991-01-01

We have constructed a second generation instrument for performing automated thin layer chromatography (TLC), The TLC instrument Consists of four dedicated stations for (1) plate dispensing, (2) sample application, (3) plate development, and (4) densitometry. A robot is used to move TLC plates among stations. The TLC instrument functions either as a stand-alone unit or as one analytical module in a robotic workstation for synthetic chemistry. An integrated hardware and software architecture enables automatic TLC analysis of samples produced concurrently from synthetic reactions in progress on the workstation. The combination of fixed automation and robotics gives a throughput of 12 TLC samples per hour. From these results a blueprint has emerged for an advanced automated TLC instrument with far greater throughput and analytical capabilities

Chemistry of superheavy elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schaedel, M.

2012-01-01

The chemistry of superheavy elements - or transactinides from their position in the Periodic Table - is summarized. After giving an overview over historical developments, nuclear aspects about synthesis of neutron-rich isotopes of these elements, produced in hot-fusion reactions, and their nuclear decay properties are briefly mentioned. Specific requirements to cope with the one-atom-at-a-time situation in automated chemical separations and recent developments in aqueous-phase and gas-phase chemistry are presented. Exciting, current developments, first applications, and future prospects of chemical separations behind physical recoil separators ('pre-separator') are discussed in detail. The status of our current knowledge about the chemistry of rutherfordium (Rf, element 104), dubnium (Db, element 105), seaborgium (Sg, element 106), bohrium (Bh, element 107), hassium (Hs, element 108), copernicium (Cn, element 112), and element 114 is discussed from an experimental point of view. Recent results are emphasized and compared with empirical extrapolations and with fully-relativistic theoretical calculations, especially also under the aspect of the architecture of the Periodic Table. (orig.)

Evaluation of four commercial biuret reagent kits of serum total protein by the American Association for Clinical Chemistry reference measurement procedure.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Meilin; Zhang, Jie

2011-06-01

In China, the traceability of clinical chemistry methods is still immature. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a reference measurement procedure and evaluate commercial reagent kits using such established procedures. We reproduced the reference measurement procedure for serum total protein, as recommended by the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC). We evaluated the performance by Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute (CLSI) guidelines EP15-A and EP6-A. Subsequently, four commercial reagent kits were evaluated by the reproduced reference procedure following CLSI guideline EP9-A2. The performance of the reproduced reference procedure was as follows: CVs ranged from 0.47% to 0.85% at medical decision levels (X(c)) of 45 g/L, 60 g/L and 80 g/L. Linearity was Y=1.0022X-0.2121 (r=0.9999), and recovery ranged from 100.2% to 102.4%. The External Quality Assessment Scheme for Reference Laboratories in Laboratory Medicine (RELA) was applied, and the result was within the limit of equivalence. The linear relationships of four commercial reagent kits, Merit Choice, KHB, Leadman, and Olympus, were, respectively: Y=0.9922X+0.5776 (r=0.9961); Y=0.9936X+0.4316 (r=0.9992); Y=0.9949X+0.9129 (r=0.9987) and Y=0.9923X+0.8876 (r=0.9989). KHB showed slight negative bias, and the mean±SD was -0.03±0.60 g/L. Merit Choice, Leadman, and Olympus all showed positive bias, and the mean±SDs were 0.02±0.63 g/L, 0.55±0.77 g/L and 0.34±0.71 g/L, respectively. The correlation and bias of four commercial reagent kits for serum total protein were found to be acceptable. Thus, these reagent kits can be used reliably in China.

Semi-automated set-up for exhaustive micro-electromembrane extractions of basic drugs from biological fluids

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Dvořák, Miloš; Seip, K. F.; Pedersen-Bjergaard, S.; Kubáň, Pavel

2018-01-01

Roč. 1005, APR (2018), s. 34-42 ISSN 0003-2670 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA16-09135S Institutional support: RVO:68081715 Keywords : electromembrane extraction * exhaustive extraction * automation Subject RIV: CB - Analytical Chemistry, Separation OBOR OECD: Analytical chemistry Impact factor: 4.950, year: 2016

Ivermectin treatment of bovine psoroptic mange: effects on serum chemistry, hematology, organ weights, and leather quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Rehbein, S; Visser, M; Meyer, M; Lindner, T

2016-04-01

Psoroptic mange is a skin disease which may result in serious health and welfare problems and important economic losses. Apart from the effect on weight gain, little information is available concerning other responses of the organism consequent to the successful therapy of bovine psoroptic mange. Accordingly, serum chemistry, hematology, organ weights, and leather quality of young bulls with experimentally induced clinical Psoroptes ovis mange and treated with either ivermectin long-acting injection (IVM LAI; IVOMEC(®) GOLD, Merial) or saline (n = 16 each) were examined 8 weeks after treatment when all IVM LAI-treated bulls were free of live P. ovis mites while the saline-treated bulls maintained clinical mange. IVM LAI-treated bulls had higher (p levels and lower (p levels than the saline-treated bulls. Complete blood counts revealed higher leukocyte counts associated with higher eosinophil counts and higher platelet counts in the saline-treated compared to the IVM LAI-treated bulls (p energy metabolism, immune system function, and performance resultant from clinical psoroptic mange, improved substantially within 8 weeks of successful treatment with injectable ivermectin.

Current status and future prospects for enabling chemistry technology in the drug discovery process.

Science.gov (United States)

Djuric, Stevan W; Hutchins, Charles W; Talaty, Nari N

2016-01-01

This review covers recent advances in the implementation of enabling chemistry technologies into the drug discovery process. Areas covered include parallel synthesis chemistry, high-throughput experimentation, automated synthesis and purification methods, flow chemistry methodology including photochemistry, electrochemistry, and the handling of "dangerous" reagents. Also featured are advances in the "computer-assisted drug design" area and the expanding application of novel mass spectrometry-based techniques to a wide range of drug discovery activities.

Serum calcium and phosphorus concentrations and the outcome of calciphylaxis treatment with sodium thiosulfate

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hlušička, J.; Veisová, E.; Ullrych, M.; Kubeček, J.; Navrátil, Tomáš; Zakharov, S.

2017-01-01

Roč. 148, č. 3 (2017), s. 435-440 ISSN 0026-9247 Institutional support: RVO:61388955 Keywords : Calciphylaxis * Sodium thiosulfate * Serum calcium Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry OBOR OECD: Physical chemistry Impact factor: 1.282, year: 2016

Current status and future prospects for enabling chemistry technology in the drug discovery process

Science.gov (United States)

Djuric, Stevan W.; Hutchins, Charles W.; Talaty, Nari N.

2016-01-01

This review covers recent advances in the implementation of enabling chemistry technologies into the drug discovery process. Areas covered include parallel synthesis chemistry, high-throughput experimentation, automated synthesis and purification methods, flow chemistry methodology including photochemistry, electrochemistry, and the handling of “dangerous” reagents. Also featured are advances in the “computer-assisted drug design” area and the expanding application of novel mass spectrometry-based techniques to a wide range of drug discovery activities. PMID:27781094

Transactinide nuclear chemistry at JAERI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagame, Y.; Haba, H.; Tsukada, K.

2002-01-01

Nuclear chemistry study of trans actinide elements in Japan is currently being in progress at JAERI (Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute). We have developed new experimental apparatuses: a beam-line safety system for the usage of the gas-jet coupled radioactive 248 Cm target chamber, a rotating wheel catcher apparatus for the measurement of α and spontaneous fission decay of the transactinides, MANON (Measurement system for Alpha particles and spontaneous fission events ON line), and an automated rapid chemical separation apparatus based on the high performance liquid chromatography, AIDA (Automated Ion exchange separation system coupled with the Detection apparatus for Alpha spectroscopy). The transactinide nuclei, 261 Rf and 262 Db, have been successfully produced via the reactions of 248 Cm( 18 O,5n) and 248 Cm( 19 F,5n), respectively, and the excitation functions for each reaction have been measured to evaluate the optimum irradiation condition for the production of these nuclei. The maximum cross sections in each reaction were 13 nb at the 18 O beam energy of 94-MeV and 1.5 Nb at the 103-MeV 19 F beam energy. On-line ion exchange experiments of Rf together with the lighter homologues Zr and Hf in the HCl, HNO 3 and HF solutions with AIDA have been carried out, and the results clearly show that the behavior of Rf is typical of the group-4 element. Relativistic molecular orbital calculations of the chloride and nitrate complexes of tetravalent Rf are also being performed to gain an understanding of the complex chemistry. Prospects and some recent experimental results for the nuclear chemistry study of the transactinide elements at JAERI are discussed. (author)

Nonanalytic Laboratory Automation: A Quarter Century of Progress.

Science.gov (United States)

Hawker, Charles D

2017-06-01

Clinical laboratory automation has blossomed since the 1989 AACC meeting, at which Dr. Masahide Sasaki first showed a western audience what his laboratory had implemented. Many diagnostics and other vendors are now offering a variety of automated options for laboratories of all sizes. Replacing manual processing and handling procedures with automation was embraced by the laboratory community because of the obvious benefits of labor savings and improvement in turnaround time and quality. Automation was also embraced by the diagnostics vendors who saw automation as a means of incorporating the analyzers purchased by their customers into larger systems in which the benefits of automation were integrated to the analyzers.This report reviews the options that are available to laboratory customers. These options include so called task-targeted automation-modules that range from single function devices that automate single tasks (e.g., decapping or aliquoting) to multifunction workstations that incorporate several of the functions of a laboratory sample processing department. The options also include total laboratory automation systems that use conveyors to link sample processing functions to analyzers and often include postanalytical features such as refrigerated storage and sample retrieval.Most importantly, this report reviews a recommended process for evaluating the need for new automation and for identifying the specific requirements of a laboratory and developing solutions that can meet those requirements. The report also discusses some of the practical considerations facing a laboratory in a new implementation and reviews the concept of machine vision to replace human inspections. © 2017 American Association for Clinical Chemistry.

Aqueous chemistry of transactinides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schaedel, M.

2001-01-01

The aqueous chemistry of the first three transactinide elements is briefly reviewed with special emphasis given to recent experimental results. Short introductory remarks are discussing the atom-at-a-time situation of transactinide chemistry as a result of low production cross-sections and short half-lives. In general, on-line experimental techniques and, more specifically, the automated rapid chemistry apparatus, ARCA, are presented. Present and future developments of experimental techniques and resulting perspectives are outlined at the end. The central part is mainly focussing on hydrolysis and complex formation aspects of the superheavy group 4, 5, and 6 transition metals with F - and Cl - anions. Experimental results are compared with the behaviour of lighter homologous elements and with relativistic calculations. It will be shown that the chemical behaviour of the first superheavy elements is already strongly influenced by relativistic effects. While it is justified to place rutherfordium, dubnium and seaborgium in the Periodic Table of the Elements into group 4, 5 and 6, respectively, it is no more possible to deduce from this position in detail the chemical properties of these transactinide or superheavy elements. (orig.)

A comparison of automated and manual radioimmunoassays for the estimation of serum digoxin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tuttlebee, J.W.

1984-01-01

Digoxin was assayed manually (SPAC kit) and by an automated radioimmunoassay instrument (ARIA II). There was good correlation between the methods (r=0.964; n=120). Carryover by the automated method was marginally significant from low to high level samples (5.2%), but insignificant from high to low level samples (1.4%). The precision on the ARIA II was far better in spite of the fact that assays were performed only in singlets compared with duplicates on the manual procedure. Best precision was obtained at the high level (3.76 nmol/l; between-batch CV: 2.4% ARIA; 5.5% SPAC). All values for control samples (manual and automated) fell within 6% of the all-method means. Using the ARIA II is marginally quicker and significantly cheaper. However, some back-up procedure is required for 'down time' with the machine, for what can be an urgent investigation. Patient results correlated well with clinical data. (orig.) [de

Laboratory automation in clinical bacteriology: what system to choose?

Science.gov (United States)

Croxatto, A; Prod'hom, G; Faverjon, F; Rochais, Y; Greub, G

2016-03-01

Automation was introduced many years ago in several diagnostic disciplines such as chemistry, haematology and molecular biology. The first laboratory automation system for clinical bacteriology was released in 2006, and it rapidly proved its value by increasing productivity, allowing a continuous increase in sample volumes despite limited budgets and personnel shortages. Today, two major manufacturers, BD Kiestra and Copan, are commercializing partial or complete laboratory automation systems for bacteriology. The laboratory automation systems are rapidly evolving to provide improved hardware and software solutions to optimize laboratory efficiency. However, the complex parameters of the laboratory and automation systems must be considered to determine the best system for each given laboratory. We address several topics on laboratory automation that may help clinical bacteriologists to understand the particularities and operative modalities of the different systems. We present (a) a comparison of the engineering and technical features of the various elements composing the two different automated systems currently available, (b) the system workflows of partial and complete laboratory automation, which define the basis for laboratory reorganization required to optimize system efficiency, (c) the concept of digital imaging and telebacteriology, (d) the connectivity of laboratory automation to the laboratory information system, (e) the general advantages and disadvantages as well as the expected impacts provided by laboratory automation and (f) the laboratory data required to conduct a workflow assessment to determine the best configuration of an automated system for the laboratory activities and specificities. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

An Automated Sample Processing System for Planetary Exploration

Science.gov (United States)

Soto, Juancarlos; Lasnik, James; Roark, Shane; Beegle, Luther

2012-01-01

An Automated Sample Processing System (ASPS) for wet chemistry processing of organic materials on the surface of Mars has been jointly developed by Ball Aerospace and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The mechanism has been built and tested to demonstrate TRL level 4. This paper describes the function of the system, mechanism design, lessons learned, and several challenges that were overcome.

Application of quantum dots as analytical tools in automated chemical analysis: A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frigerio, Christian; Ribeiro, David S.M.; Rodrigues, S. Sofia M.; Abreu, Vera L.R.G.; Barbosa, João A.C.; Prior, João A.V.; Marques, Karine L.; Santos, João L.M.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Review on quantum dots application in automated chemical analysis. ► Automation by using flow-based techniques. ► Quantum dots in liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis. ► Detection by fluorescence and chemiluminescence. ► Electrochemiluminescence and radical generation. - Abstract: Colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals or quantum dots (QDs) are one of the most relevant developments in the fast-growing world of nanotechnology. Initially proposed as luminescent biological labels, they are finding new important fields of application in analytical chemistry, where their photoluminescent properties have been exploited in environmental monitoring, pharmaceutical and clinical analysis and food quality control. Despite the enormous variety of applications that have been developed, the automation of QDs-based analytical methodologies by resorting to automation tools such as continuous flow analysis and related techniques, which would allow to take advantage of particular features of the nanocrystals such as the versatile surface chemistry and ligand binding ability, the aptitude to generate reactive species, the possibility of encapsulation in different materials while retaining native luminescence providing the means for the implementation of renewable chemosensors or even the utilisation of more drastic and even stability impairing reaction conditions, is hitherto very limited. In this review, we provide insights into the analytical potential of quantum dots focusing on prospects of their utilisation in automated flow-based and flow-related approaches and the future outlook of QDs applications in chemical analysis.

Influence of centrifugation conditions on the results of 77 routine clinical chemistry analytes using standard vacuum blood collection tubes and the new BD-Barricor tubes.

Science.gov (United States)

Cadamuro, Janne; Mrazek, Cornelia; Leichtle, Alexander B; Kipman, Ulrike; Felder, Thomas K; Wiedemann, Helmut; Oberkofler, Hannes; Fiedler, Georg M; Haschke-Becher, Elisabeth

2018-02-15

Although centrifugation is performed in almost every blood sample, recommendations on duration and g-force are heterogeneous and mostly based on expert opinions. In order to unify this step in a fully automated laboratory, we aimed to evaluate different centrifugation settings and their influence on the results of routine clinical chemistry analytes. We collected blood from 41 healthy volunteers into BD Vacutainer PST II-heparin-gel- (LiHepGel), BD Vacutainer SST II-serum-, and BD Vacutainer Barricor heparin-tubes with a mechanical separator (LiHepBar). Tubes were centrifuged at 2000xg for 10 minutes and 3000xg for 7 and 5 minutes, respectively. Subsequently 60 and 21 clinical chemistry analytes were measured in plasma and serum samples, respectively, using a Roche COBAS instrument. High sensitive Troponin T, pregnancy-associated plasma protein A, ß human chorionic gonadotropin and rheumatoid factor had to be excluded from statistical evaluation as many of the respective results were below the measuring range. Except of free haemoglobin (fHb) measurements, no analyte result was altered by the use of shorter centrifugation times at higher g-forces. Comparing LiHepBar to LiHepGel tubes at different centrifugation setting, we found higher lactate-dehydrogenase (LD) (P = 0.003 to centrifuged at higher speed (3000xg) for a shorter amount of time (5 minutes) without alteration of the analytes tested in this study. When using LiHepBar tubes for blood collection, a separate LD reference value might be needed.

Detection of cryoglobulins in serum of Caspian miniature horse

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Atyabi, N,

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Blood samples were collected from 20 healthy miniature Caspian horses at 37 °C. Isolation of cryoglobulin was performed based on a standard method in present study. Harvested sera were kept at 4 °C for two hours and then examined for cryoglubolin. Four serum samples containing precipitate Suspicious of containing cryoglobulin were selected. Subsequently serum protein electrophoresis was performed on normal serum samples and also on four serum samples containing precipitates using an automated electrophoresis system on cellulose acetate strips. In addition Ig isotypes detection (IgG, IgM and IgA was performed on both precipitates and serum containing precipitates using single radio immunediffusion method (SRID. A narrow-based peak on gamma region of precipitate acetate cellulose strips was observed. Precipitate concentrations were strikingly higher than normal concentration of serum immuneglobulins. It can be suggested that cryoglobulin concentration in a proportion of Caspian miniature horse is higher than other equides may be in relation with animal susceptibility to neoplasias such as lymphoma and leukemia.

measurements of iron status and survival in african iron overload

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Serum concentrations of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), AST, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), garnma-glutamyl transpeptidase. (-yGT), bilirubin, glucose and sodi~ were measured using an automated clinical chemistry analyser. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was determined using the Westergren method. C-reactive ...

Standardization of clinical enzyme analysis using frozen human serum pools with values assigned by the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine reference measurement procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

Tong, Qing; Chen, Baorong; Zhang, Rui; Zuo, Chang

Variation in clinical enzyme analysis, particularly across different measuring systems and laboratories, represents a critical but long-lasting problem in diagnosis. Calibrators with traceability and commutability are imminently needed to harmonize analysis in laboratory medicine. Fresh frozen human serum pools were assigned values for alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) by six laboratories with established International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine reference measurement procedures. These serum pools were then used across 76 laboratories as a calibrator in the analysis of five enzymes. Bias and imprecision in the measurement of the five enzymes tested were significantly reduced by using the value-assigned serum in analytical systems with open and single-point calibration. The median (interquartile range) of the relative biases of ALT, AST, GGT, CK and LDH were 2.0% (0.6-3.4%), 0.8% (-0.8-2.3%), 1.0% (-0.5-2.0%), 0.2% (-0.3-1.0%) and 0.2% (-0.9-1.1%), respectively. Before calibration, the interlaboratory coefficients of variation (CVs) in the analysis of patient serum samples were 8.0-8.2%, 7.3-8.5%, 8.1-8.7%, 5.1-5.9% and 5.8-6.4% for ALT, AST, GGT, CK and LDH, respectively; after calibration, the CVs decreased to 2.7-3.3%, 3.0-3.6%, 1.6-2.1%, 1.8-1.9% and 3.3-3.5%, respectively. The results suggest that the use of fresh frozen serum pools significantly improved the comparability of test results in analytical systems with open and single-point calibration.

An automated system for the synthesis of L-6-[18F]fluorodopa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruth, T.; Adam, M.; Jivan, S.; Morris, D.; Tyldesley, S.

1990-01-01

The PET chemistry group at TRIUMF has completely automated the synthesis of L-6-[ 18 F]fluorodopa. This was done to reduce the exposure of lab technicians to radioactive and corrosive chemicals used in the process. It also improves reliability and reproducibility of the synthesis. The automation is controlled by an IBM Personal Computer AT running the MS-DOS Operating System. The software for the synthesis was written using the Microsoft QuickBASIC Compiler. Graphic display features were created using the Connell Scientific Graphics EGA Toolkit

Automated exchange transfusion and exchange rate.

Science.gov (United States)

Funato, M; Shimada, S; Tamai, H; Taki, H; Yoshioka, Y

1989-10-01

An automated blood exchange transfusion (BET) with a two-site technique has been devised by Goldmann et al and by us, using an infusion pump. With this method, we successfully performed exchange transfusions 189 times in the past four years on 110 infants with birth weights ranging from 530 g to 4,000 g. The exchange rate by the automated method was compared with the rate by Diamond's method. Serum bilirubin (SB) levels before and after BET and the maximal SB rebound within 24 hours after BET were: 21.6 +/- 2.4, 11.5 +/- 2.2, and 15.0 +/- 1.5 mg/dl in the automated method, and 22.0 +/- 2.9, 11.2 +/- 2.5, and 17.7 +/- 3.2 mg/dl in Diamond's method, respectively. The result showed that the maximal rebound of the SB level within 24 hours after BET was significantly lower in the automated method than in Diamond's method (p less than 0.01), though SB levels before and after BET were not significantly different between the two methods. The exchange rate was also measured by means of staining the fetal red cells (F cells) both in the automated method and in Diamond's method, and comparing them. The exchange rate of F cells in Diamond's method went down along the theoretical exchange curve proposed by Diamond, while the rate in the automated method was significantly better than in Diamond's, especially in the early stage of BET (p less than 0.01). We believe that the use of this automated method may give better results than Diamond's method in the rate of exchange, because this method is performed with a two-site technique using a peripheral artery and vein.

Use of serum biochemistry to evaluate nutritional status and health of incubating common eiders (Somateria mollissima) in Finland

Science.gov (United States)

Hollmen, T.; Franson, J.C.; Hario, Martti; Sankari, S.; Kilpi, Mikael; Lindstrom, K.

2001-01-01

During 1997–1999, we collected serum samples from 156 common eider (Somateria mollissima) females incubating eggs in the Finnish archipelago of the Baltic Sea. We used serum chemistry profiles to evaluate metabolic changes in eiders during incubation and to compare the health and nutritional status of birds nesting at a breeding area where the eider population has declined by over 50% during the past decade, with birds nesting at two areas with stable populations. Several changes in serum chemistries were observed during incubation, including (1) decreases in serum glucose, total protein, albumin, β‐globulin, and γ‐globulin concentrations and (2) increases in serum uric acid, creatine kinase, and β‐hydroxybutyrate concentrations. However, these changes were not consistent throughout the 3‐yr period, suggesting differences among years in the rate of carbohydrate, lipid, and protein utilization during incubation. The mean serum concentrations of free fatty acids, glycerol, and albumin were lowest and the serum α‐ and γ‐globulin levels were highest in the area where the eider population has declined, suggesting a role for nutrition and diseases in the population dynamics of Baltic eiders.

Spatial and temporal resolution in cryo-electron microscopy : a scope for nano-chemistry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Frederik, P.M.; Sommerdijk, N.A.J.M.

2005-01-01

Cryo-electron microscopy has evolved in an established approach to study the structure of bio-colloids. Recent developments in instrumentation and automation, often demanded by life sciences, made cryo-EM a general tool in colloid chemistry. Recently improved instrumentation for vitrification has

Evaluation of a reduced centrifugation time and higher centrifugal force on various general chemistry and immunochemistry analytes in plasma and serum.

Science.gov (United States)

Møller, Mette F; Søndergaard, Tove R; Kristensen, Helle T; Münster, Anna-Marie B

2017-09-01

Background Centrifugation of blood samples is an essential preanalytical step in the clinical biochemistry laboratory. Centrifugation settings are often altered to optimize sample flow and turnaround time. Few studies have addressed the effect of altering centrifugation settings on analytical quality, and almost all studies have been done using collection tubes with gel separator. Methods In this study, we compared a centrifugation time of 5 min at 3000 ×  g to a standard protocol of 10 min at 2200 ×  g. Nine selected general chemistry and immunochemistry analytes and interference indices were studied in lithium heparin plasma tubes and serum tubes without gel separator. Results were evaluated using mean bias, difference plots and coefficient of variation, compared with maximum allowable bias and coefficient of variation used in laboratory routine quality control. Results For all analytes except lactate dehydrogenase, the results were within the predefined acceptance criteria, indicating that the analytical quality was not compromised. Lactate dehydrogenase showed higher values after centrifugation for 5 min at 3000 ×  g, mean bias was 6.3 ± 2.2% and the coefficient of variation was 5%. Conclusions We found that a centrifugation protocol of 5 min at 3000 ×  g can be used for the general chemistry and immunochemistry analytes studied, with the possible exception of lactate dehydrogenase, which requires further assessment.

Interaction of serum albumins with cyclodextrins: How safe is the use ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Interaction of cyclodextrins with human and bovine serum albumin: A combined spectroscopic and computational investigation. Saptarshi Ghosh, Bijan Kumar Paul, Nitin Chattopadhyay*. Department of Chemistry, Jadavpur University, Kolkata - 700 032, India. *Corresponding author: Fax: 91-33-2414 6584. E-mail: ...

Current status and future prospects for enabling chemistry technology in the drug discovery process [version 1; referees: 2 approved

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stevan W. Djuric

2016-09-01

Full Text Available This review covers recent advances in the implementation of enabling chemistry technologies into the drug discovery process. Areas covered include parallel synthesis chemistry, high-throughput experimentation, automated synthesis and purification methods, flow chemistry methodology including photochemistry, electrochemistry, and the handling of “dangerous” reagents. Also featured are advances in the “computer-assisted drug design” area and the expanding application of novel mass spectrometry-based techniques to a wide range of drug discovery activities.

Integrating medicinal chemistry, organic/combinatorial chemistry, and computational chemistry for the discovery of selective estrogen receptor modulators with Forecaster, a novel platform for drug discovery.

Science.gov (United States)

Therrien, Eric; Englebienne, Pablo; Arrowsmith, Andrew G; Mendoza-Sanchez, Rodrigo; Corbeil, Christopher R; Weill, Nathanael; Campagna-Slater, Valérie; Moitessier, Nicolas

2012-01-23

As part of a large medicinal chemistry program, we wish to develop novel selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) as potential breast cancer treatments using a combination of experimental and computational approaches. However, one of the remaining difficulties nowadays is to fully integrate computational (i.e., virtual, theoretical) and medicinal (i.e., experimental, intuitive) chemistry to take advantage of the full potential of both. For this purpose, we have developed a Web-based platform, Forecaster, and a number of programs (e.g., Prepare, React, Select) with the aim of combining computational chemistry and medicinal chemistry expertise to facilitate drug discovery and development and more specifically to integrate synthesis into computer-aided drug design. In our quest for potent SERMs, this platform was used to build virtual combinatorial libraries, filter and extract a highly diverse library from the NCI database, and dock them to the estrogen receptor (ER), with all of these steps being fully automated by computational chemists for use by medicinal chemists. As a result, virtual screening of a diverse library seeded with active compounds followed by a search for analogs yielded an enrichment factor of 129, with 98% of the seeded active compounds recovered, while the screening of a designed virtual combinatorial library including known actives yielded an area under the receiver operating characteristic (AU-ROC) of 0.78. The lead optimization proved less successful, further demonstrating the challenge to simulate structure activity relationship studies.

The Molecular Industrial Revolution: Automated Synthesis of Small Molecules.

Science.gov (United States)

Trobe, Melanie; Burke, Martin D

2018-04-09

Today we are poised for a transition from the highly customized crafting of specific molecular targets by hand to the increasingly general and automated assembly of different types of molecules with the push of a button. Creating machines that are capable of making many different types of small molecules on demand, akin to that which has been achieved on the macroscale with 3D printers, is challenging. Yet important progress is being made toward this objective with two complementary approaches: 1) Automation of customized synthesis routes to different targets by machines that enable the use of many reactions and starting materials, and 2) automation of generalized platforms that make many different targets using common coupling chemistry and building blocks. Continued progress in these directions has the potential to shift the bottleneck in molecular innovation from synthesis to imagination, and thereby help drive a new industrial revolution on the molecular scale. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Using Structure-Based Organic Chemistry Online Tutorials with Automated Correction for Student Practice and Review

Science.gov (United States)

O'Sullivan, Timothy P.; Hargaden, Gra´inne C.

2014-01-01

This article describes the development and implementation of an open-access organic chemistry question bank for online tutorials and assessments at University College Cork and Dublin Institute of Technology. SOCOT (structure-based organic chemistry online tutorials) may be used to supplement traditional small-group tutorials, thereby allowing…

Automation and semantics: the CombeChem experience

OpenAIRE

Frey, Jeremy G.

2004-01-01

Some of the experiences of the CombeChem e-Science project in relation to both automation and the need for semantics in combining modern computer science techniques and chemistry are discussed. In particular the aspects of the smart laboratory, large scale data handling and the way this impacts on the necessary database technology are discussed. In addition some of the ways in which the grid can enable greater user interaction with services such as the National Crystallography Service and imp...

Strengthening of an advanced automated radiation laboratory. Hungary. Terminal report project findings and recommendations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

An Advanced Automated Radiation Laboratory was completed; the hardware and software bases are now suitable for up-to-date kinetical measurements in radiation chemistry and technology both for Hungarian experts and for specialists from abroad. It would be possible and useful e.g. to organize further training courses in the field of radiation chemistry and technology by the IAEA and/or the UNDP, as well as to send fellows from developing countries for practical research work or other purposes (TCDC)

RENAL FUNCTION TEST ON THE BASIS OF SERUM CREATININE AND UREA IN TYPE-2 DIABETICS AND NONDIABETICS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Singh

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Type-2 diabetes mellitus has quickly become a global health problem due to rapidly increasing population growth, aging, urbanization and increasing prevalence of obesity and physical inactivity. Diabetic nephropathy is one of the major causes of chronic renal failure. Both serum urea and creatinine are widely used to assess the function of kidney. This study was conducted to observe the impaired renal function in type 2 diabetics and compare with non-diabetics controls. Method: To determine the incidence of renal dysfunction in diabetics in Nepalgunj medical college and Hospital , Nepalgunj , Banke, Nepal , blood samples from 100 diabetic subjects and 100 non-diabetic controls were taken between the period 1st February  , 2012  to  31st January , 2013 for investigation of  plasma glucose fasting(FPG, blood urea and serum creatinine. These biochemical parameters were determined by using a fully automated clinical chemistry analyzer. Results: Our findings showed that the level of blood urea (P<0.0001, 95%Cl and serum creatinine (P≈0.0004,95%Cl were significantly higher in type 2 diabetics as compared to non-diabetics in both male and female. There was no significant difference between diabetic male and female. 15 out of 100 diabetes samples have high urea level whereas 7 out of 100 had increased creatinine level. In control only 3 samples had high urea value and 1 had high creatinine level. There was statistical significant increased in urea level with increased in blood sugar level. Conclusion: Blood urea and creatinine is widely accepted to assess the renal functions. Good control of blood glucose level is absolute requirement to prevent progressive renal impairment.

The cobas® 6800/8800 System: a new era of automation in molecular diagnostics.

Science.gov (United States)

Cobb, Bryan; Simon, Christian O; Stramer, Susan L; Body, Barbara; Mitchell, P Shawn; Reisch, Natasa; Stevens, Wendy; Carmona, Sergio; Katz, Louis; Will, Stephen; Liesenfeld, Oliver

2017-02-01

Molecular diagnostics is a key component of laboratory medicine. Here, the authors review key triggers of ever-increasing automation in nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) with a focus on specific automated Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing and platforms such as the recently launched cobas® 6800 and cobas® 8800 Systems. The benefits of such automation for different stakeholders including patients, clinicians, laboratory personnel, hospital administrators, payers, and manufacturers are described. Areas Covered: The authors describe how molecular diagnostics has achieved total laboratory automation over time, rivaling clinical chemistry to significantly improve testing efficiency. Finally, the authors discuss how advances in automation decrease the development time for new tests enabling clinicians to more readily provide test results. Expert Commentary: The advancements described enable complete diagnostic solutions whereby specific test results can be combined with relevant patient data sets to allow healthcare providers to deliver comprehensive clinical recommendations in multiple fields ranging from infectious disease to outbreak management and blood safety solutions.

Oak ridge national laboratory automated clean chemistry for bulk analysis of environmental swipe samples

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bostick, Debra A. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Hexel, Cole R. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Ticknor, Brian W. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Tevepaugh, Kayron N. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Metzger, Shalina C. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2016-11-01

To shorten the lengthy and costly manual chemical purification procedures, sample preparation methods for mass spectrometry are being automated using commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) equipment. This addresses a serious need in the nuclear safeguards community to debottleneck the separation of U and Pu in environmental samples—currently performed by overburdened chemists—with a method that allows unattended, overnight operation. In collaboration with Elemental Scientific Inc., the prepFAST-MC2 was designed based on current COTS equipment that was modified for U/Pu separations utilizing Eichrom™ TEVA and UTEVA resins. Initial verification of individual columns yielded small elution volumes with consistent elution profiles and good recovery. Combined column calibration demonstrated ample separation without crosscontamination of the eluent. Automated packing and unpacking of the built-in columns initially showed >15% deviation in resin loading by weight, which can lead to inconsistent separations. Optimization of the packing and unpacking methods led to a reduction in the variability of the packed resin to less than 5% daily. The reproducibility of the automated system was tested with samples containing 30 ng U and 15 pg Pu, which were separated in a series with alternating reagent blanks. These experiments showed very good washout of both the resin and the sample from the columns as evidenced by low blank values. Analysis of the major and minor isotope ratios for U and Pu provided values well within data quality limits for the International Atomic Energy Agency. Additionally, system process blanks spiked with 233U and 244Pu tracers were separated using the automated system after it was moved outside of a clean room and yielded levels equivalent to clean room blanks, confirming that the system can produce high quality results without the need for expensive clean room infrastructure. Comparison of the amount of personnel time necessary for successful manual vs

Serum anti-Mullerian hormone assessment of ovarian reserve and polycystic ovary syndrome status over the reproductive lifespan.

Science.gov (United States)

Tremellen, Kelton; Zander-Fox, Deidre

2015-08-01

To determine normal ranges for serum anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) using the new automated Elecsys AMH assay platform, with a view to establishing values that signify premature loss of ovarian reserve, increased risk for an excessive response during IVF stimulation and a likely diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Serum AMH was measured by the Elecsys automated electrochemiluminescence assay in 654 women undergoing gynaecological assessment. Serum AMH levels peaked before 25 years of age, with mean AMH levels halving by 36 and falling to a quarter of their peak by 40 years of age. Overall, AMH results of 95% of patients with PCOS exceeded the 50th percentile for their age, with 72.1% having an AMH result in the top quartile for age. ROC analysis suggested that a serum AMH ≥36 pmol L(-1) is the best determinant of PCOS status (sensitivity 83.7% and specificity 82.3%). Serum AMH exhibited an excellent correlation with ultrasound-assessed antral follicle count (AFC) (r = 0.836, P ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) during IVF treatment. Serum AMH is a sensitive marker of age-related decline in ovarian reserve status. A serum AMH result >36 pmol L(-1) , or above the 75th percentile for age, is highly suggestive of a diagnosis of PCOS. A serum AMH result below the 10th percentile for age suggests accelerated loss of ovarian reserve, while an AMH result exceeding 20 pmol L(-1) suggests an increased risk of OHSS during IVF treatment. © 2015 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Twenty-ninth ORNL/DOE conference on analytical chemistry in energy technology. Abstracts of papers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1986-01-01

This booklet contains separate abstracts of 55 individual papers presented at this conference. Different sections in the book are titled as follows: laser techniques; resonance ionization spectroscopy; laser applications; new developments in mass spectrometry; analytical chemistry of hazardous waste; and automation and data management

Impact of menstruation on select hematology and clinical chemistry variables in cynomolgus macaques.

Science.gov (United States)

Perigard, Christopher J; Parrula, M Cecilia M; Larkin, Matthew H; Gleason, Carol R

2016-06-01

In preclinical studies with cynomolgus macaques, it is common to have one or more females presenting with menses. Published literature indicates that the blood lost during menses causes decreases in red blood cell mass variables (RBC, HGB, and HCT), which would be a confounding factor in the interpretation of drug-related effects on clinical pathology data, but no scientific data have been published to support this claim. This investigation was conducted to determine if the amount of blood lost during menses in cynomolgus macaques has an effect on routine hematology and serum chemistry variables. Ten female cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis), 5 to 6.5 years old, were observed daily during approximately 3 months (97 days) for the presence of menses. Hematology and serum chemistry variables were evaluated twice weekly. The results indicated that menstruation affects the erythrogram including RBC, HGB, HCT, MCHC, MCV, reticulocyte count, RDW, the leukogram including neutrophil, lymphocyte, and monocyte counts, and chemistry variables, including GGT activity, and the concentrations of total proteins, albumin, globulins, and calcium. The magnitude of the effect of menstruation on susceptible variables is dependent on the duration of the menstrual phase. Macaques with menstrual phases lasting ≥ 7 days are more likely to develop changes in variables related to chronic blood loss. In preclinical toxicology studies with cynomolgus macaques, interpretation of changes in several commonly evaluated hematology and serum chemistry variables requires adequate clinical observation and documentation concerning presence and duration of menses. There is a concern that macaques with long menstrual cycles can develop iron deficiency anemia due to chronic menstrual blood loss. © 2016 American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology.

Serum Soluble Fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 1 (sFlt-1 Predicts the Severity of Acute Pancreatitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paulina Dumnicka

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Organ failure is the most important determinant of the severity of acute pancreatitis (AP. Soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1 is positively associated with organ failure in sepsis. Our aim was to evaluate the diagnostic utility of automated sFlt-1 measurements for early prediction of AP severity. Adult patients (66 with AP were recruited, including 46 with mild (MAP, 15 with moderately-severe (MSAP and 5 with severe AP (SAP. Serum and urine samples were collected twice. Serum sFlt-1 was measured with automated electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Serum concentrations of sFlt-1 were significantly higher in patients with MSAP and SAP as compared to MAP. SAP patients had the highest concentrations. At 24 and 48 h, sFlt-1 positively correlated with inflammatory markers (leukocyte count, C-reactive protein, kidney function (creatinine, urea, cystatin C, serum and urine neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, urine albumin/creatinine ratio, D-dimer and angiopoietin-2. sFlt-1 positively correlated with the bedside index of severity in AP (BISAP score and the duration of hospital stay. Serum sFlt-1 above 139 pg/mL predicted more severe AP (MSAP + SAP. In the early phase of AP, sFlt-1 is positively associated with the severity of AP and predicts organ failure, in particular kidney failure. Serum sFlt-1 may be a practical way to improve early assessment of AP severity.

HPMA-based drug delivery system and its interactions of human serum albumin: SAXS, ITC, and NMR study

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Filippov, Sergey K.; Kaberov, Leonid; Zhang, X.; Niebuur, B.-J.; Chytil, Petr; Etrych, Tomáš; Wieland, F.; Velychkivska, Nadiia; Starovoytova, Larisa; Svergun, D.; Papadakis, C.

2017-01-01

Roč. 254, 20 August (2017), s. 455 ISSN 0065-7727. [ACS National Meeting & Exposition /254./. 20.08.2017-24.08.2017, Washington] R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GC15-10527J Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : HPMA * human serum albumin * SAXS Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry OBOR OECD: Physical chemistry

3D printed fluidics with embedded analytic functionality for automated reaction optimisation.

Science.gov (United States)

Capel, Andrew J; Wright, Andrew; Harding, Matthew J; Weaver, George W; Li, Yuqi; Harris, Russell A; Edmondson, Steve; Goodridge, Ruth D; Christie, Steven D R

2017-01-01

Additive manufacturing or '3D printing' is being developed as a novel manufacturing process for the production of bespoke micro- and milliscale fluidic devices. When coupled with online monitoring and optimisation software, this offers an advanced, customised method for performing automated chemical synthesis. This paper reports the use of two additive manufacturing processes, stereolithography and selective laser melting, to create multifunctional fluidic devices with embedded reaction monitoring capability. The selectively laser melted parts are the first published examples of multifunctional 3D printed metal fluidic devices. These devices allow high temperature and pressure chemistry to be performed in solvent systems destructive to the majority of devices manufactured via stereolithography, polymer jetting and fused deposition modelling processes previously utilised for this application. These devices were integrated with commercially available flow chemistry, chromatographic and spectroscopic analysis equipment, allowing automated online and inline optimisation of the reaction medium. This set-up allowed the optimisation of two reactions, a ketone functional group interconversion and a fused polycyclic heterocycle formation, via spectroscopic and chromatographic analysis.

3D printed fluidics with embedded analytic functionality for automated reaction optimisation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew J. Capel

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Additive manufacturing or ‘3D printing’ is being developed as a novel manufacturing process for the production of bespoke micro- and milliscale fluidic devices. When coupled with online monitoring and optimisation software, this offers an advanced, customised method for performing automated chemical synthesis. This paper reports the use of two additive manufacturing processes, stereolithography and selective laser melting, to create multifunctional fluidic devices with embedded reaction monitoring capability. The selectively laser melted parts are the first published examples of multifunctional 3D printed metal fluidic devices. These devices allow high temperature and pressure chemistry to be performed in solvent systems destructive to the majority of devices manufactured via stereolithography, polymer jetting and fused deposition modelling processes previously utilised for this application. These devices were integrated with commercially available flow chemistry, chromatographic and spectroscopic analysis equipment, allowing automated online and inline optimisation of the reaction medium. This set-up allowed the optimisation of two reactions, a ketone functional group interconversion and a fused polycyclic heterocycle formation, via spectroscopic and chromatographic analysis.

3D printed fluidics with embedded analytic functionality for automated reaction optimisation

Science.gov (United States)

Capel, Andrew J; Wright, Andrew; Harding, Matthew J; Weaver, George W; Li, Yuqi; Harris, Russell A; Edmondson, Steve; Goodridge, Ruth D

2017-01-01

Additive manufacturing or ‘3D printing’ is being developed as a novel manufacturing process for the production of bespoke micro- and milliscale fluidic devices. When coupled with online monitoring and optimisation software, this offers an advanced, customised method for performing automated chemical synthesis. This paper reports the use of two additive manufacturing processes, stereolithography and selective laser melting, to create multifunctional fluidic devices with embedded reaction monitoring capability. The selectively laser melted parts are the first published examples of multifunctional 3D printed metal fluidic devices. These devices allow high temperature and pressure chemistry to be performed in solvent systems destructive to the majority of devices manufactured via stereolithography, polymer jetting and fused deposition modelling processes previously utilised for this application. These devices were integrated with commercially available flow chemistry, chromatographic and spectroscopic analysis equipment, allowing automated online and inline optimisation of the reaction medium. This set-up allowed the optimisation of two reactions, a ketone functional group interconversion and a fused polycyclic heterocycle formation, via spectroscopic and chromatographic analysis. PMID:28228852

[Accuracy, precision and speed of parenteral nutrition admixture bags manufacturing: comparison between automated and manual methods].

Science.gov (United States)

Zegbeh, H; Pirot, F; Quessada, T; Durand, T; Vételé, F; Rose, A; Bréant, V; Aulagner, G

2011-01-01

The parenteral nutrition admixture (PNA) manufacturing in hospital pharmacy is realized by aseptic transfer (AT) or sterilizing filtration (SF). The development of filling systems for PNA manufacturing requires, without standard, an evaluation comparing to traditional methods of SF. The filling accuracy of automated AT and SF was evaluated by mass and physical-chemistry tests in repeatability conditions (identical composition of PNA; n=five bags) and reproducibility conditions (different composition of PNA; n=57 bags). For each manufacturing method, the filling precision and the average time for PNA bags manufacturing were evaluated starting from an identical composition and volume PNA (n=five trials). Both manufacturing methods did not show significant difference of accuracy. Precision of both methods was lower than limits generally admitted for acceptability of mass and physical-chemistry tests. However, the manufacturing time for SF was superior (five different binary admixtures in five bags) or inferior (one identical binary admixture in five bags) to time recorded for automated AT. We show that serial manufacturing of PNA bags by SF with identical composition is faster than automated AT. Nevertheless, automated AT is faster than SF in variable composition of PNA. The manufacturing method choice will be motivate by the nature (i. e., variable composition or not) of the manufactured bags. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

ADAM-12 stability in first trimester maternal serum.

Science.gov (United States)

Cowans, N J; Stamatopoulou, A; Jaakohuhta, S; Spencer, K

2010-06-01

Maternal serum A Disintergrin And Metaloprotease-12 (ADAM-12) has been proposed as a marker for prenatal screening of chromosomal abnormalities, pre-eclampsia and other adverse pregnancy outcomes. In this study, we examine the stability of ADAM-12 with time and at different temperatures. Maternal serum and whole blood pools were stored at 30 degrees C, room temperature and refrigerator temperature or subjected to repeated freeze-thaw cycles. ADAM-12 was measured at set time points using an automated DELFIA research assay. Using a 10% change in concentration as a limit of stability, ADAM-12 is stable in serum for less than 15 h at 30 degrees C, less than 20 h at room temperature and for 51 h at refrigerator temperature. ADAM-12 levels are not altered following three - 20 degrees C to room temperature freeze-thaw cycles. The stability of ADAM-12 in whole blood appears similar to that in serum. The findings of this study suggest that ADAM-12 may be unstable under many routine laboratory conditions, and the marker's instability may also be partly responsible for the discrepancies in the literature.

Bloodborne Viral Pathogen Contamination in the Era of Laboratory Automation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bryan, Andrew; Cook, Linda; Atienza, Ederlyn E; Kuypers, Jane; Cent, Anne; Baird, Geoffrey S; Coombs, Robert W; Jerome, Keith R; Wener, Mark H; Butler-Wu, Susan M

2016-07-01

The CDC states that laboratory testing for persons under investigation for Ebola virus disease can be safely performed using automated laboratory instruments by adhering to bloodborne pathogen practices. We therefore sought to investigate the levels of viral contamination of a total laboratory automation (TLA) system to guide risk mitigation strategies for handling infectious agents. Environmental swabs followed by PCR for hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) viruses were taken from a chemistry TLA system during routine clinical use and after running a small number of high-titer HCV samples. Control experiments were performed to ensure the recovery of DNA and RNA viruses by swabs from a representative nonporous surface. Of 79 baseline swabs for nucleic acids performed on the TLA system, 10 were positive for HBV and 8 for HCV. Viral nucleic acid was consistently detected from swabs taken from the distal inside surface of the decapper discharge chute, with areas adjacent to the decapper instrument and the centrifuge rotor also positive for HBV or HCV nucleic acid. Contamination was occasionally detected on exposed surfaces in areas without protective barriers between samples and personnel. After running known HCV-positive samples, at least one additional site of contamination was detected on an exposed area of the line. A low level of viral contamination of automated clinical laboratory equipment occurs in clinical use. Given the risks associated with highly infectious agents, there is a need for risk-mitigation procedures when handling all samples. © 2016 American Association for Clinical Chemistry.

Direct microcomputer controlled determination of zinc in human serum by flow injection atomic absorption spectrometry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Simonsen, Kirsten Wiese; Nielsen, Bent; Jensen, Arne

1986-01-01

A procedure is described for the direct determination of zinc in human serum by fully automated, microcomputer controlled flow injection atomic absorption spectrometry (Fl-AAS). The Fl system is pumpless, using the negative pressure created by the nebuliser. It only consists of a three-way valve......, programmable from the microcomputer, to control the sample volume. No pre-treatment of the samples is necessary. The limit of detection is 0.14 mg l–1, and only small amounts of serum (

Elevated Serum Level of Human Alkaline Phosphatase in Obesity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, A. R.; Awan, F. R.; Najam, S. S.; Islam, M.; Siddique, T.; Zain, M.

2015-01-01

Objective: To investigate a correlation between serum alkaline phosphatase level and body mass index in human subjects. Methods: The comparative cross-sectional study was carried out at the National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Faisalabad, Pakistan, from April 2012 to June 2013. Blood serum alkaline phosphatase levels were estimated and the subjects were divided into three sub-groups on the basis of their body mass index: normal weight (<25kg/m2), overweight (25-27kg/m2) and obese (>27kg/m2) subjects. The serum samples were used for the estimation of clinically important biochemical parameters, using commercial kits on clinical chemistry analyser. Results: Of the 197 subjects, 97(49 percent) were obese and 100(51 percent) were non-obese. The serum alkaline phosphatase level increased in obese (214±6.4 IU/L) compared to the non-obese subjects (184.5±5 IU/L). Furthermore, a significant linear relationship (r=0.3;p-0.0001) was found between serum alkaline phosphatase and body mass index. Other biochemical variables were not correlated to the body mass index. Conclusion: Over activity and higher amounts of alkaline phosphatase were linked to the development of obesity. (author)

Serum Myostatin Is Reduced in Individuals with Metabolic Syndrome

Science.gov (United States)

Chiang, Chih-Kang; Tseng, Fen-Yu; Tseng, Ping-Huei; Chen, Chi-Ling; Wu, Kwan-Dun; Yang, Wei-Shiung

2014-01-01

Aims Myostatin is a negative regulator of skeletal muscle mass and may also modulate energy metabolism secondarily. We aim to investigate the relationship between serum myostatin and the metabolic variables in diabetic (DM) and non-diabetic subjects. Materials and Methods A cross-sectional study recruiting 246 consecutive DM patients and 82 age- and gender-matched non-diabetic individuals at a medical center was conducted. The variables of anthropometry and blood chemistry were obtained. Serum myostatin level was measured with enzyme immunoassay. Results DM group had lower serum myostatin compared with non-diabetics (7.82 versus 9.28 ng/ml, pmyostatin than those without (7.39 versus 9.49 ng/ml, pmyostatin level decreased with increasing numbers of the MetS components (p for trendmyostatin than those without. The serum myostatin level was independently negatively related to larger abdominal girth, higher triglycerides, and lower HDL-C after adjustment. The odds ratios for MetS, central obesity, low HDL-C, high triglycerides, and DM were 0.85, 0.88, 0.89, 0.85, and 0.92, respectively, when serum myostatin increased per 1 ng/mL, in the binary logistic regression models. Conclusions Lower serum myostatin independently associated with MetS, central obesity, low HDL-C, and high triglycerides after adjustment. Higher serum myostatin is associated with favorable metabolic profiles. PMID:25254550

Biological Interaction of Molybdenocene Dichloride with Bovine Serum Albumin Using Fluorescence Spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Domínguez, Moralba; Cortes-Figueroa, Jose´ E.; Meléndez, Enrique

2018-01-01

Bioinorganic topics are ubiquitous in the inorganic chemistry curriculum; however, experiments to enhance understanding of related topics are scarce. In this proposed laboratory, upper undergraduate students assess the biological interaction of molybdenocene dichloride (Cp2MoCl2) with bovine serum albumin (BSA) by fluorescence spectroscopy.…

Comparative Analysis of Clinical Samples Showing Weak Serum Reaction on AutoVue System Causing ABO Blood Typing Discrepancies.

Science.gov (United States)

Jo, Su Yeon; Lee, Ju Mi; Kim, Hye Lim; Sin, Kyeong Hwa; Lee, Hyeon Ji; Chang, Chulhun Ludgerus; Kim, Hyung Hoi

2017-03-01

ABO blood typing in pre-transfusion testing is a major component of the high workload in blood banks that therefore requires automation. We often experienced discrepant results from an automated system, especially weak serum reactions. We evaluated the discrepant results by the reference manual method to confirm ABO blood typing. In total, 13,113 blood samples were tested with the AutoVue system; all samples were run in parallel with the reference manual method according to the laboratory protocol. The AutoVue system confirmed ABO blood typing of 12,816 samples (97.7%), and these results were concordant with those of the manual method. The remaining 297 samples (2.3%) showed discrepant results in the AutoVue system and were confirmed by the manual method. The discrepant results involved weak serum reactions (serum reactions, samples from patients who had received stem cell transplants, ABO subgroups, and specific system error messages. Among the 98 samples showing ≤1+ reaction grade in the AutoVue system, 70 samples (71.4%) showed a normal serum reaction (≥2+ reaction grade) with the manual method, and 28 samples (28.6%) showed weak serum reaction in both methods. ABO blood tying of 97.7% samples could be confirmed by the AutoVue system and a small proportion (2.3%) needed to be re-evaluated by the manual method. Samples with a 2+ reaction grade in serum typing do not need to be evaluated manually, while those with ≤1+ reaction grade do.

Serum myostatin is reduced in individuals with metabolic syndrome.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Der-Sheng Han

Full Text Available Myostatin is a negative regulator of skeletal muscle mass and may also modulate energy metabolism secondarily. We aim to investigate the relationship between serum myostatin and the metabolic variables in diabetic (DM and non-diabetic subjects.A cross-sectional study recruiting 246 consecutive DM patients and 82 age- and gender-matched non-diabetic individuals at a medical center was conducted. The variables of anthropometry and blood chemistry were obtained. Serum myostatin level was measured with enzyme immunoassay.DM group had lower serum myostatin compared with non-diabetics (7.82 versus 9.28 ng/ml, p<0.01. Sixty-two percent of the recruited individuals had metabolic syndrome (MetS. The patients with MetS had significantly lower serum myostatin than those without (7.39 versus 9.49 ng/ml, p<0.001. The serum myostatin level decreased with increasing numbers of the MetS components (p for trend<0.001. The patients with higher body mass index, larger abdominal girth, lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C, and higher triglycerides had lower serum myostatin than those without. The serum myostatin level was independently negatively related to larger abdominal girth, higher triglycerides, and lower HDL-C after adjustment. The odds ratios for MetS, central obesity, low HDL-C, high triglycerides, and DM were 0.85, 0.88, 0.89, 0.85, and 0.92, respectively, when serum myostatin increased per 1 ng/mL, in the binary logistic regression models.Lower serum myostatin independently associated with MetS, central obesity, low HDL-C, and high triglycerides after adjustment. Higher serum myostatin is associated with favorable metabolic profiles.

U.S. technology for mechanized/automated fabrication of fast reactor fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nyman, D.H.; Bennett, D.W.; Claudson, T.T.; Dahl, R.E.; Graham, R.A.; Keating, J.J.; Yatabe, J.M.

1978-01-01

The status of the U.S. fast reactor Fuel Fabrication Development Program is discussed. The objectives of the program are to develop and evaluate a high throughput pilot fuel fabrication line including close-coupled chemistry and wet scrap recycle operations. The goals of the program are to demonstrate by mechanized/automated and remote processes: reduced personnel exposure, enhanced safegurads/accountability, improved fuel performance, representative fabrication rates and reduced fuel costs

Mockup of an automated material transport system for remote handling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Porter, M.L.

1992-01-01

An Automated Material Transport System (AMTS) was identified for transport of samples within a Material and Process Control Laboratory (MPCL). The MPCL was designed with a dry sample handling laboratory and a wet chemistry analysis laboratory. Each laboratory contained several processing gloveboxes. The function of the AMTS was to automate the handling of materials, multiple process samples, and bulky items between process stations with a minimum of operator intervention and with minimum o[ waiting periods and nonproductive activities. This paper discusses the system design features, capabilities and results of initial testing. The overall performance of the AMTS is very good. No major problems or concerns were identified. System commands are simple and logical making the system user friendly. Operating principle and design of individual components is simple. With the addition of various track modules, the system can be configured in most any configuration. The AMTS lends itself very well for integration with other automated systems or products. The AMTS is suited for applications involving light payloads which require multiple sample and material handling, lot tracking, and system integration with other products

Fog, cloud, and dew chemistry. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoffmann, M.R.

1989-02-28

The spatial and temporal variations of fog/cloud chemistry were determined in the San Joaquin Valley, in the Los Angeles Basin, and in the Santa Barbara Channel area using automated fog- and cloudwater collectors that were designed and constructed for the project. A significant correlation was observed between the average nighttime cloud- and fogwater loadings of H/sup +/ and NO/sub 3//sup /minus// and the maximum levels of O/sub 3//sup /minus//. Higher aldehydes, a series of dicarbonyls, and a variety of sulfonic acid salts formed by reaction of S(IV) and aldehydes were quantitatively determined in the droplet phase.

A standard analysis method (SAM) for the automated analysis of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in soils using the chemical analysis automation (CAA) paradigm: validation and performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rzeszutko, C.; Johnson, C.R.; Monagle, M.; Klatt, L.N.

1997-10-01

The Chemical Analysis Automation (CAA) program is developing a standardized modular automation strategy for chemical analysis. In this automation concept, analytical chemistry is performed with modular building blocks that correspond to individual elements of the steps in the analytical process. With a standardized set of behaviors and interactions, these blocks can be assembled in a 'plug and play' manner into a complete analysis system. These building blocks, which are referred to as Standard Laboratory Modules (SLM), interface to a host control system that orchestrates the entire analytical process, from sample preparation through data interpretation. The integrated system is called a Standard Analysis Method (SAME). A SAME for the automated determination of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) in soils, assembled in a mobile laboratory, is undergoing extensive testing and validation. The SAME consists of the following SLMs: a four channel Soxhlet extractor, a High Volume Concentrator, column clean up, a gas chromatograph, a PCB data interpretation module, a robot, and a human- computer interface. The SAME is configured to meet the requirements specified in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) SW-846 Methods 3541/3620A/8082 for the analysis of pcbs in soils. The PCB SAME will be described along with the developmental test plan. Performance data obtained during developmental testing will also be discussed

Serum aluminium levels of workers in the bauxite mines.

Science.gov (United States)

de Kom, J F; Dissels, H M; van der Voet, G B; de Wolff, F A

1997-01-01

Aluminium is produced from the mineral bauxite. Occupational exposure is reported during the industrial processing of aluminium and is associated with pulmonary and neurotoxicity. However, data on exposure and toxicity of workers in the open bauxite mining industry do not exist. Therefore, a study was performed to explore aluminium exposure in employees involved in this bauxite mining process in a Surinam mine. A group of workers occupationally exposed to aluminium in an open bauxite mine were compared with a group of nonexposed wood processors. Serum aluminium was analyzed using atomic absorption spectrometry Data from the clinical chemistry of the blood and a questionnaire were used to explore determinants for aluminium exposure. No significant difference between serum aluminium in the exposed (4.4 +/- 2.0 micrograms/L, n = 27) and control group (5.1 +/- 1.5 micrograms/L, n = 27) was detected. For the serum concentration of the clinical chemical variables (calcium, citrate, and creatinine), a statistically significant difference was computed (p < or = 0.02) between the exposed and control group. All levels were slightly higher in the exposed group; no statistically significant correlations with serum aluminium were found. In this study, serum aluminium values were in the normal range, no significant difference between the groups could be detected despite long-term occupational exposure.

Comparative Analysis of Clinical Samples Showing Weak Serum Reaction on AutoVue System Causing ABO Blood Typing Discrepancies

OpenAIRE

Jo, Su Yeon; Lee, Ju Mi; Kim, Hye Lim; Sin, Kyeong Hwa; Lee, Hyeon Ji; Chang, Chulhun Ludgerus; Kim, Hyung-Hoi

2016-01-01

Background ABO blood typing in pre-transfusion testing is a major component of the high workload in blood banks that therefore requires automation. We often experienced discrepant results from an automated system, especially weak serum reactions. We evaluated the discrepant results by the reference manual method to confirm ABO blood typing. Methods In total, 13,113 blood samples were tested with the AutoVue system; all samples were run in parallel with the reference manual method according to...

Early identification of hERG liability in drug discovery programs by automated patch clamp

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Timm eDanker

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Blockade of the cardiac ion channel coded by hERG can lead to cardiac arrhythmia, which has become a major concern in drug discovery and development. Automated electrophysiological patch clamp allows assessment of hERG channel effects early in drug development to aid medicinal chemistry programs and has become routine in pharmaceutical companies. However, a number of potential sources of errors in setting up hERG channel assays by automated patch clamp can lead to misinterpretation of data or false effects being reported. This article describes protocols for automated electrophysiology screening of compound effects on the hERG channel current. Protocol details and the translation of criteria known from manual patch clamp experiments to automated patch clamp experiments to achieve good quality data are emphasized. Typical pitfalls and artifacts that may lead to misinterpretation of data are discussed. While this article focuses on hERG channel recordings using the QPatch (Sophion A/S, Copenhagen, Denmark technology, many of the assay and protocol details given in this article can be transferred for setting up different ion channel assays by automated patch clamp and are similar on other planar patch clamp platforms.

Automated 3D-Printed Unibody Immunoarray for Chemiluminescence Detection of Cancer Biomarker Proteins

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, C. K.; Vaze, A.; Rusling, J. F.

2017-01-01

A low cost three-dimensional (3D) printed clear plastic microfluidic device was fabricated for fast, low cost automated protein detection. The unibody device features three reagent reservoirs, an efficient 3D network for passive mixing, and an optically transparent detection chamber housing a glass capture antibody array for measuring chemiluminescence output with a CCD camera. Sandwich type assays were built onto the glass arrays using a multi-labeled detection antibody-polyHRP (HRP = horseradish peroxidase). Total assay time was ~30 min in a complete automated assay employing a programmable syringe pump so that the protocol required minimal operator intervention. The device was used for multiplexed detection of prostate cancer biomarker proteins prostate specific antigen (PSA) and platelet factor 4 (PF-4). Detection limits of 0.5 pg mL−1 were achieved for these proteins in diluted serum with log dynamic ranges of four orders of magnitude. Good accuracy vs ELISA was validated by analyzing human serum samples. This prototype device holds good promise for further development as a point-of-care cancer diagnostics tool. PMID:28067370

Flow injection analysis: Emerging tool for laboratory automation in radiochemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Egorov, O.; Ruzicka, J.; Grate, J.W.; Janata, J.

1996-01-01

Automation of routine and serial assays is a common practice of modern analytical laboratory, while it is virtually nonexistent in the field of radiochemistry. Flow injection analysis (FIA) is a general solution handling methodology that has been extensively used for automation of routine assays in many areas of analytical chemistry. Reproducible automated solution handling and on-line separation capabilities are among several distinctive features that make FI a very promising, yet under utilized tool for automation in analytical radiochemistry. The potential of the technique is demonstrated through the development of an automated 90 Sr analyzer and its application in the analysis of tank waste samples from the Hanford site. Sequential injection (SI), the latest generation of FIA, is used to rapidly separate 90 Sr from interfering radionuclides and deliver separated Sr zone to a flow-through liquid scintillation detector. The separation is performed on a mini column containing Sr-specific sorbent extraction material, which selectively retains Sr under acidic conditions. The 90 Sr is eluted with water, mixed with scintillation cocktail, and sent through the flow cell of a flow through counter, where 90 Sr radioactivity is detected as a transient signal. Both peak area and peak height can be used for quantification of sample radioactivity. Alternatively, stopped flow detection can be performed to improve detection precision for low activity samples. The authors current research activities are focused on expansion of radiochemical applications of FIA methodology, with an ultimate goal of creating a set of automated methods that will cover the basic needs of radiochemical analysis at the Hanford site. The results of preliminary experiments indicate that FIA is a highly suitable technique for the automation of chemically more challenging separations, such as separation of actinide elements

Evaluation of automated nucleic acid extraction methods for virus detection in a multicenter comparative trial

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Thomas Bruun; Uttenthal, Åse; Hakhverdyan, M.

2009-01-01

between the results obtained for the different automated extraction platforms. In particular, the limit of detection was identical for 9/12 and 8/12 best performing robots (using dilutions of BVDV infected-serum and cell culture material, respectively), which was similar to a manual extraction method used......Five European veterinary laboratories participated in an exercise to compare the performance of nucleic acid extraction robots. Identical sets of coded samples were prepared using serial dilutions of bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) from serum and cell culture propagated material. Each...

The reference range of serum, plasma and erythrocyte magnesium

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Suzanna Immanuel

2006-12-01

Full Text Available The interest in the clinical importance of serum magnesium level has just recently begun with the analysis and findings of abnormal magnesium level in cardiovascular, metabolic and neuromuscular disorder. Although the serum level does not reflect the body magnesium level, but currently, only serum magnesium determination is widely used. Erythrocyte magnesium is considered more sensitive than serum magnesium as it reflects intracellular magnesium status. According to NCCLS (National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards every laboratory is recommended to have its own reference range for the tests it performs, including magnesium determination. The reference range obtained is appropriate for the population and affected by the method and technique. This study aimed to find the reference range of serum and plasma magnesium and also intracellular magnesium i.e. erythrocyte magnesium by direct method, and compare the results of serum and plasma magnesium. Blood was taken from 114-blood donor from Unit Transfusi Darah Daerah (UTDD Budhyarto Palang Merah Indonesia (PMI DKI Jakarta, consisted of 57 male and 57 female, aged 17 – 65 years, clinically healthy according to PMI donor criteria. Blood was taken from blood set, collected into 4 ml vacuum tube without anticoagulant for serum magnesium determination and 3 ml vacuum tube with lithium heparin for determination of erythrocyte and plasma magnesium Determination of magnesium level was performed with clinical chemistry auto analyzer Hitachi 912 by Xylidil Blue method colorimetrically. This study showed no significant difference between serum and heparinized plasma extra cellular magnesium. The reference range for serum or plasma magnesium was 1.30 – 2.00 mEq/L and for erythrocyte magnesium was 4.46 - 7.10 mEq/L. (Med J Indones 2006; 15:229-35Keywords: Reference range, extracellular magnesium, intracellular magnesium

Serum protein concentrations from clinically healthy horses determined by agarose gel electrophoresis.

Science.gov (United States)

Riond, Barbara; Wenger-Riggenbach, Bettina; Hofmann-Lehmann, Regina; Lutz, Hans

2009-03-01

Serum protein electrophoresis is a useful screening test in equine laboratory medicine. The method can provide valuable information about changes in the concentrations of albumin and alpha-, beta-, and gamma-globulins and thereby help characterize dysproteinemias in equine patients. Reference values for horses using agarose gel as a support medium have not been reported. The purpose of this study was to establish reference intervals for serum protein concentrations in adult horses using agarose gel electrophoresis and to assess differences between warm-blooded and heavy draught horses. In addition, the precision of electrophoresis for determining fraction percentages and the detection limit were determined. Blood samples were obtained from 126 clinically healthy horses, including 105 Thoroughbreds and 21 heavy draught horses of both sexes and ranging from 2 to 20 years of age. The total protein concentration was determined by an automated biuret method. Serum protein electrophoresis was performed using a semi-automated agarose gel electrophoresis system. Coefficients of variation (CVs) were calculated for within-run and within-assay precision. Data from warm-blooded and draught horses were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test. Within-run and within-assay CVs were draught horses and so combined reference intervals (2.5-97.5%) were calculated for total protein (51.0-72.0 g/L), albumin (29.6-38.5 g/L), alpha(1)-globulin (1.9-3.1 g/L), alpha(2)-globulin (5.3-8.7 g/L), beta(1)-globulin (2.8-7.3g/L), beta(2)-globulin (2.2-6.0 g/L), and gamma-globulin (5.8-12.7 g/L) concentrations, and albumin/globulin ratio (0.93-1.65). Using agarose gel as the supporting matrix for serum protein electrophoresis in horses resulted in excellent resolution and accurate results that facilitated standardization into 6 protein fractions.

An Enzymatic Clinical Chemistry Laboratory Experiment Incorporating an Introduction to Mathematical Method Comparison Techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Duxbury, Mark

2004-01-01

An enzymatic laboratory experiment based on the analysis of serum is described that is suitable for students of clinical chemistry. The experiment incorporates an introduction to mathematical method-comparison techniques in which three different clinical glucose analysis methods are compared using linear regression and Bland-Altman difference…

Serum Albumin Predicts Long-Term Neurological Outcomes After Acute Spinal Cord Injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Tong, Bobo; Jutzeler, Catherine R; Cragg, Jacquelyn J; Grassner, Lukas; Schwab, Jan M; Casha, Steve; Geisler, Fred; Kramer, John L K

2018-01-01

There is a need to identify reliable biomarkers of spinal cord injury recovery for clinical practice and clinical trials. Our objective was to correlate serum albumin levels with spinal cord injury neurological outcomes. We performed a secondary analysis of patients with traumatic spinal cord injury (n = 591) participating in the Sygen clinical trial. Serum albumin concentrations were obtained as part of routine blood chemistry analysis, at trial entry (24-72 hours), 1, 2, and 4 weeks after injury. The primary outcomes were "marked recovery" and lower extremity motor scores, derived from the International Standards for the Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury. Data were analyzed with multivariable logistic and linear regression to adjust for potential confounders. Serum albumin was significantly associated with spinal cord injury neurological outcomes. Higher serum albumin concentrations at 1, 2, and 4 weeks were associated with higher 52-week lower extremity motor score. Similarly, the odds of achieving "marked neurological recovery" was greater for individuals with higher serum albumin concentrations. The association between serum albumin concentrations and neurological outcomes was independent of initial injury severity, treatment with GM-1, and polytrauma. In spinal cord injury, serum albumin is an independent marker of long-term neurological outcomes. Serum albumin could serve as a feasible biomarker for prognosis at the time of injury and stratification in clinical trials.

Altering user' acceptance of automation through prior automation exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Bekier, Marek; Molesworth, Brett R C

2017-06-01

Air navigation service providers worldwide see increased use of automation as one solution to overcome the capacity constraints imbedded in the present air traffic management (ATM) system. However, increased use of automation within any system is dependent on user acceptance. The present research sought to determine if the point at which an individual is no longer willing to accept or cooperate with automation can be manipulated. Forty participants underwent training on a computer-based air traffic control programme, followed by two ATM exercises (order counterbalanced), one with and one without the aid of automation. Results revealed after exposure to a task with automation assistance, user acceptance of high(er) levels of automation ('tipping point') decreased; suggesting it is indeed possible to alter automation acceptance. Practitioner Summary: This paper investigates whether the point at which a user of automation rejects automation (i.e. 'tipping point') is constant or can be manipulated. The results revealed after exposure to a task with automation assistance, user acceptance of high(er) levels of automation decreased; suggesting it is possible to alter automation acceptance.

Proteomic Analysis of Serum Opsonins Impacting Biodistribution and Cellular Association of Porous Silicon Microparticles

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Rita E. Serda

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Mass transport of drug delivery vehicles is guided by particle properties, such as size, shape, composition, and surface chemistry, as well as biomolecules and serum proteins that adsorb to the particle surface. In an attempt to identify serum proteins influencing cellular associations and biodistribution of intravascularly injected particles, we used two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry to identify proteins eluted from the surface of cationic and anionic silicon microparticles. Cationic microparticles displayed a 25-fold greater abundance of Ig light variable chain, fibrinogen, and complement component 1 compared to their anionic counterparts. Anionic microparticles were found to accumulate in equal abundance in murine liver and spleen, whereas cationic microparticles showed preferential accumulation in the spleen. Immunohistochemistry supported macrophage uptake of both anionic and cationic microparticles in the liver, as well as evidence of association of cationic microparticles with hepatic endothelial cells. Furthermore, scanning electron micrographs supported cellular competition for cationic microparticles by endothelial cells and macrophages. Despite high macrophage content in the lungs and tumor, microparticle uptake by these cells was minimal, supporting differences in the repertoire of surface receptors expressed by tissue-specific macrophages. In summary, particle surface chemistry drives selective binding of serum components impacting cellular interactions and biodistribution.

Proteomic Analysis of Serum Opsonins Impacting Biodistribution and Cellular Association of Porous Silicon Microparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Serda, Rita E.; Blanco, Elvin; Mack, Aaron; Stafford, Susan J.; Amra, Sarah; Li, Qingpo; van de Ven, Anne L.; Tanaka, Takemi; Torchilin, Vladimir P.; Wiktorowicz, John E.; Ferrari, Mauro

2014-01-01

Mass transport of drug delivery vehicles is guided by particle properties, such as shape, composition and surface chemistry, as well as biomolecules and serum proteins that adsorb to the particle surface. In an attempt to identify serum proteins influencing cellular associations and biodistribution of intravascularly injected particles, we used two dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry to identify proteins eluted from the surface of cationic and anionic silicon microparticles. Cationic microparticles displayed a 25-fold greater abundance of Ig light chain variable region, fibrinogen, and complement component 1 compared to their anionic counterparts. The anionic-surface favored equal accumulation of microparticles in the liver and spleen, while cationic-surfaces favored preferential accumulation in the spleen. Immunohistochemistry supported macrophage internalization of both anionic and cationic silicon microparticles in the liver, as well as evidence of association of cationic microparticles with hepatic endothelial cells. Furthermore, scanning electron micrographs supported cellular competition for cationic microparticles by endothelial cells and macrophages. Despite high macrophage content in the lungs and tumor, microparticle uptake by these cells was minimal, supporting differences in the repertoire of surface receptors expressed by tissue-specific macrophages. In summary, particle surface chemistry drives selective binding of serum components impacting cellular interactions and biodistribution. PMID:21303614

Identification of metabolites, clinical chemistry markers and transcripts associated with hepatotoxicity.

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Andreas Buness

Full Text Available Early and accurate pre-clinical and clinical biomarkers of hepatotoxicity facilitate the drug development process and the safety monitoring in clinical studies. We selected eight known model compounds to be administered to male Wistar rats to identify biomarkers of drug induced liver injury (DILI using transcriptomics, metabolite profiling (metabolomics and conventional endpoints. We specifically explored early biomarkers in serum and liver tissue associated with histopathologically evident acute hepatotoxicity. A tailored data analysis strategy was implemented to better differentiate animals with no treatment-related findings in the liver from animals showing evident hepatotoxicity as assessed by histopathological analysis. From the large number of assessed parameters, our data analysis strategy allowed us to identify five metabolites in serum and five in liver tissue, 58 transcripts in liver tissue and seven clinical chemistry markers in serum that were significantly associated with acute hepatotoxicity. The identified markers comprised metabolites such as taurocholic acid and putrescine (measured as sum parameter together with agmatine, classical clinical chemistry markers like AST (aspartate aminotransferase, ALT (alanine aminotransferase, and bilirubin, as well as gene transcripts like Igfbp1 (insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 1 and Egr1 (early growth response protein 1. The response pattern of the identified biomarkers was concordant across all types of parameters and sample matrices. Our results suggest that a combination of several of these biomarkers could significantly improve the robustness and accuracy of an early diagnosis of hepatotoxicity.

Testing an Automated Accuracy Assessment Method on Bibliographic Data

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Marlies Olensky

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This study investigates automated data accuracy assessment as described in data quality literature for its suitability to assess bibliographic data. The data samples comprise the publications of two Nobel Prize winners in the field of Chemistry for a 10-year-publication period retrieved from the two bibliometric data sources, Web of Science and Scopus. The bibliographic records are assessed against the original publication (gold standard and an automatic assessment method is compared to a manual one. The results show that the manual assessment method reflects truer accuracy scores. The automated assessment method would need to be extended by additional rules that reflect specific characteristics of bibliographic data. Both data sources had higher accuracy scores per field than accumulated per record. This study contributes to the research on finding a standardized assessment method of bibliographic data accuracy as well as defining the impact of data accuracy on the citation matching process.

Automated building of organometallic complexes from 3D fragments.

Science.gov (United States)

Foscato, Marco; Venkatraman, Vishwesh; Occhipinti, Giovanni; Alsberg, Bjørn K; Jensen, Vidar R

2014-07-28

A method for the automated construction of three-dimensional (3D) molecular models of organometallic species in design studies is described. Molecular structure fragments derived from crystallographic structures and accurate molecular-level calculations are used as 3D building blocks in the construction of multiple molecular models of analogous compounds. The method allows for precise control of stereochemistry and geometrical features that may otherwise be very challenging, or even impossible, to achieve with commonly available generators of 3D chemical structures. The new method was tested in the construction of three sets of active or metastable organometallic species of catalytic reactions in the homogeneous phase. The performance of the method was compared with those of commonly available methods for automated generation of 3D models, demonstrating higher accuracy of the prepared 3D models in general, and, in particular, a much wider range with respect to the kind of chemical structures that can be built automatically, with capabilities far beyond standard organic and main-group chemistry.

Effects of feeding a blend of grains naturally contaminated with Fusarium mycotoxins on feed intake, serum chemistry, and hematology of horses, and the efficacy of a polymeric glucomannan mycotoxin adsorbent.

Science.gov (United States)

Raymond, S L; Smith, T K; Swamy, H V L N

2003-09-01

The feeding of Fusarium mycotoxin-contaminated grains adversely affects the performance of swine and poultry. Very little information is available, however, on adverse effects associated with feeding these mycotoxin-contaminated grains on the performance of horses. An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of feeding a blend of grains naturally contaminated with Fusarium mycotoxins on feed intake, serum immunoglobulin (Ig) concentrations, serum chemistry, and hematology of horses. A polymeric glucomannan mycotoxin adsorbent (GM polymer) was also tested for efficacy in preventing Fusarium mycotoxicoses. Nine mature, nonexercising, light, mixed-breed mares were assigned randomly to one of three dietary treatments for 21 d. The horses were randomly reassigned and the experiment was subsequently replicated in time following a 14-d washout interval. Feed consumed each day was a combination of up to 2.8 kg of concentrates and 5 kg of mixed timothy/alfalfa hay. The concentrates fed included the following: 1) control, 2) blend of contaminated grains (36% contaminated wheat and 53% contaminated corn), and 3) blend of contaminated grains + 0.2% GM polymer. Diets containing contaminated grains averaged 15.0 ppm of deoxynivalenol, 0.8 ppm of 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol, 9.7 ppm of fusaric acid, and 2.0 ppm of zearalenone. Feed intake by all horses fed contaminated grains was reduced (P mycotoxins caused a decrease in feed intake and altered serum gamma glutamyltransferase activities. The supplementation of GM polymer prevented these mycotoxin-induced adverse effects.

Complacency and Automation Bias in the Use of Imperfect Automation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wickens, Christopher D; Clegg, Benjamin A; Vieane, Alex Z; Sebok, Angelia L

2015-08-01

We examine the effects of two different kinds of decision-aiding automation errors on human-automation interaction (HAI), occurring at the first failure following repeated exposure to correctly functioning automation. The two errors are incorrect advice, triggering the automation bias, and missing advice, reflecting complacency. Contrasts between analogous automation errors in alerting systems, rather than decision aiding, have revealed that alerting false alarms are more problematic to HAI than alerting misses are. Prior research in decision aiding, although contrasting the two aiding errors (incorrect vs. missing), has confounded error expectancy. Participants performed an environmental process control simulation with and without decision aiding. For those with the aid, automation dependence was created through several trials of perfect aiding performance, and an unexpected automation error was then imposed in which automation was either gone (one group) or wrong (a second group). A control group received no automation support. The correct aid supported faster and more accurate diagnosis and lower workload. The aid failure degraded all three variables, but "automation wrong" had a much greater effect on accuracy, reflecting the automation bias, than did "automation gone," reflecting the impact of complacency. Some complacency was manifested for automation gone, by a longer latency and more modest reduction in accuracy. Automation wrong, creating the automation bias, appears to be a more problematic form of automation error than automation gone, reflecting complacency. Decision-aiding automation should indicate its lower degree of confidence in uncertain environments to avoid the automation bias. © 2015, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

Automated three-dimensional X-ray analysis using a dual-beam FIB

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schaffer, Miroslava; Wagner, Julian; Schaffer, Bernhard; Schmied, Mario; Mulders, Hans

2007-01-01

We present a fully automated method for three-dimensional (3D) elemental analysis demonstrated using a ceramic sample of chemistry (Ca)MgTiO x . The specimen is serially sectioned by a focused ion beam (FIB) microscope, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDXS) is used for elemental analysis of each cross-section created. A 3D elemental model is reconstructed from the stack of two-dimensional (2D) data. This work concentrates on issues arising from process automation, the large sample volume of approximately 17x17x10 μm 3 , and the insulating nature of the specimen. A new routine for post-acquisition data correction of different drift effects is demonstrated. Furthermore, it is shown that EDXS data may be erroneous for specimens containing voids, and that back-scattered electron images have to be used to correct for these errors

Clinical significance of measurement of serum NO/NOS and TNF-α levels after treatment in patients with schizophrenia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nan Deqi; Du Liang; Yang Sixue; Qin Yong

2007-01-01

Objective: To explore the significance of changes of serum NO/NOS and TNF-α levels in patients with schizophrenia. Methods: Serum TNF-α (with R/A) and NO/NOS (with bio-chemistry) levels were determined in 41 patients with schizophrenia both before and after treatment as well as in 35 controls. Results:Before treatment the serum NOS, TNF-α levels in the patients were significantly higher than those in controls (P <0.01 ). After six weeks treatment, the levels in patients, though dropped markedly, remained significantly higher (P<0.05). Conclusion: Serum NO/NOS and TNF-α levels were closely related to the diseases process of schizophrenia and were of prognostic values. (authors)

Radioassay for serum and red cell folate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Longo, D.L.; Herbert, V.

1976-01-01

A simple, reliable assay for serum and red cell folate is described. It uses plain untreated liquid or powdered milk, requiring no special handling or purification, as binder. Such milk makes it possible to ignore endogenous serum folate binder, since crude (but not purified) milk contains a factor which releases folate from serum binder. It simplifies counting radioactivity by employing a gamma emitting isotope of pteroylglutamic acid (PGA), namely the 125 I-tyramide of PGA. Like the 3 H-PGA assay of Givas and Gutcho, it permits the use of stable PGA rather than unstable methyltetrahydrofolic acid (MeTHFA) standards, because it is carried out at pH 9.3, a pH at which milk folate binder is unable to distinguish PGA from MeTHFA, which is the predominant folate in human tissues. The equipment required to do the radioassay is present in most diagnostic chemistry laboratories. Results are essentially identical to the generally accepted Lactobacillus casei microbiologic method of folate assay, except that false low results are not produced in the radioassay by antibiotics, tranquilizers, and chemotherapeutic agents. Three caveats in its use are the relative instability of 125 I-PGA as compared to 3 H-PGA, the fact that various powdered milks differ widely in folate-binding capacity, and that only about 60 percent of commercially obtained skim or powdered milk preparations appear to contain the substance which splits folate from serum binder

ANA IIF Automation: Moving towards Harmonization? Results of a Multicenter Study

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Stefanie Van den Bremt

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Our study aimed to investigate whether the introduction of automated anti-nuclear antibody (ANA indirect immunofluorescence (IIF analysis decreases the interlaboratory variability of ANA titer results. Method. Three serum samples were sent to 10 laboratories using the QUANTA-Lyser® in combination with the NOVA View®. Each laboratory performed the ANA IIF analysis 10x in 1 run and 1x in 10 different runs and determined the endpoint titer by dilution. One of the three samples had been sent in 2012, before the era of ANA IIF automation, by the Belgian National External Quality Assessment (EQA Scheme. Harmonization was evaluated in terms of variability in fluorescence intensity (LIU and ANA IIF titer. Results. The evaluation of the intra- and interrun LIU variability revealed a larger variability for 2 laboratories, due to preanalytical and analytical problems. Reanalysis of the EQA sample resulted in a lower titer variability. Diluted endpoint titers were similar to the estimated single well titer and the overall median titer as reported by the EQA in 2012. Conclusion. The introduction of automated microscopic analysis allows more harmonized ANA IIF reporting, provided that this totally automated process is controlled by a thorough quality assurance program, covering the total ANA IIF process.

Synthesis of hydrogel via click chemistry for DNA electrophoresis.

Science.gov (United States)

Finetti, Chiara; Sola, Laura; Elliott, Jim; Chiari, Marcella

2017-09-01

This work introduces a novel sieving gel for DNA electrophoresis using a classical click chemistry reaction, the copper (I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC), to cross-link functional polymer chains. The efficiency of this reaction provides, under mild conditions, hydrogels with near-ideal network connectivity and improved physical properties. Hydrogel formation via click chemistry condensation of functional polymers does not involve the use of toxic monomers and UV initiation. The performance of the new hydrogel in the separation of double stranded DNA fragments was evaluated in the 2200 TapeStation system, an analytical platform, recently introduced by Agilent that combines the advantages of CE in terms of miniaturization and automation with the simplicity of use of slab gel electrophoresis. The click gel enables addition of florescent dyes prior to electrophoresis with considerable improvement of resolution and separation efficiency over conventional cross-linked polyacrylamide gels. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated immunoradiometric assay of thyrotrophin (TSH) in dried blood filter paper spots

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

John, R.; Woodhead, J.S. (Welsh National School of Medicine, Cardiff (UK))

1982-11-10

An immunoradiometric two-site assay for thyrotrophin (TSH) in dried blood filter paper spots is described. The assay is automated by means of the Kemtek 3000 automated immunoassay system. The technique uses a 6.0 mm disc punched from the dried blood samples collected as part of the screening programme for phenylketonuria. The method is sensitive and precise, and results correlate well with those obtained in TSH assays of serum samples. The procedure is rapid, results being available within 24 h of receipt of samples. Of 25204 specimens so far screened by this assay, 99.9% have TSH levels less than 15 mU/l. One false positive result has been obtained and six confirmed cases of neonatal hypothyroidism detected, giving a prevalence of 1 in 4200.

Employee Engagement Is Vital for the Successful Selection of a Total Laboratory Automation System.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Hoi-Ying E; Wilkerson, Myra L

2017-11-08

To concretely outline a process for selecting a total laboratory automation system that connects clinical chemistry, hematology, and coagulation analyzers and to serve as a reference for other laboratories. In Phase I, a committee including the laboratory's directors and technologists conducted a review of 5 systems based on formal request for information process, site visits, and vendor presentations. We developed evaluation criteria and selected the 2 highest performing systems. In Phase II, we executed a detailed comparison of the 2 vendors based on cost, instrument layout, workflow design, and future potential. In addition to selecting a laboratory automation system, we used the process to ensure employee engagement in preparation for implementation. Selecting a total laboratory automation system is a complicated process. This paper provides practical guide in how a thorough selection process can be done with participation of key stakeholders. © American Society for Clinical Pathology, 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

[Final goal and problems in clinical chemistry examination measured by advanced analytical instruments].

Science.gov (United States)

Sasaki, M; Hashimoto, E

1993-07-01

In the field of clinical chemistry of Japan, the automation of analytical instruments first appeared in the 1960's with the rapid developments in electronics industry. After a series of improvements and modifications in the past thirty years, these analytical instruments became excellent with multifunctions. From the results of these developments, it is now well recognized that automated analytical instruments are indispensable to manage the modern clinical Laboratory. On the other hand, these automated analytical instruments uncovered the various problems which had been hitherto undetected when the manually-operated instruments were used. For instances, the variation of commercially available standard solutions due to the lack of government control causes the different values obtained in institutions. In addition, there are many problems such as a shortage of medical technologists, a complication to handle the sampling and an increased labor costs. Furthermore, the inadequacies in maintenance activities cause the frequent erroneous reports of laboratory findings in spite of the latest and efficient analytical instruments equipped. Thus, the working process in clinical laboratory must be systematized to create the rapidity and the effectiveness. In the present report, we review the developmental history of automation system for analytical instruments, discuss the problems to create the effective clinical laboratory and explore the ways to deal with these emerging issues for the automation technology in clinical laboratory.

Alterations in serum amino acid concentrations in dogs with protein-losing enteropathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Kathrani, Aarti; Allenspach, Karin; Fascetti, Andrea J; Larsen, Jennifer A; Hall, Edward J

2018-03-31

Certain amino acids are decreased in humans with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and supplementation with the same amino acids has shown beneficial effects in animal models of IBD. Currently, the amino acid status of dogs with protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) is unknown. To determine if serum amino acid concentrations are abnormal in dogs with PLE and correlated with clinical and laboratory variables and outcome. Thirty client-owned dogs diagnosed with PLE and 12 apparently healthy dogs seen at Bristol Veterinary School. Retrospective study using stored residual serum from fasted dogs with PLE, collected at the time of diagnostic investigation and from apparently healthy dogs. Serum was analyzed for 30 amino acids using an automated high-performance liquid chromatography amino acid analyzer. Serum tryptophan concentrations were significantly decreased in dogs with PLE (median, 22 nmol/mL; range, 1-80 nmol/mL) compared with apparently healthy control dogs (median, 77.5 nmol/mL; range, 42-135 nmol/mL, P PLE and apparently healthy. Serum tryptophan concentrations were also significantly correlated with serum albumin concentrations in dogs with PLE (P = .001, R 2 = 0.506). Decreased serum tryptophan concentration might play a role in the pathogenesis of canine PLE or be a consequence of the disease. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

Report of the Institute for Hot Chemistry on research and development in 1982

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-02-01

The Institute for Hot Chemistry is concerned with research and development programmes in the field of re-processing nuclear fuels. The investigations are oriented towards the objectives of the planned waste disposal plant and are carried out within the frame-work of the Reprocessing, Waste Treatment and Fast Breeder Projects, with the cooperation of the firms DWK and WAK. The Institute can be divided up into the following subject areas: extraction chemistry and plant operation, analytical processing, chemical processing and apparatus development; solvent and waste gas treatment; process control and automation; organic analysis; and fundamental research. In the developmental stage, evaluations are carried out up to the kilogram and kilo-Curie level, at the technical level, however, up to a daily throughput in tonnes. (orig.) [de

Precision, accuracy, cross reactivity and comparability of serum indices measurement on Abbott Architect c8000, Beckman Coulter AU5800 and Roche Cobas 6000 c501 clinical chemistry analyzers.

Science.gov (United States)

Nikolac Gabaj, Nora; Miler, Marijana; Vrtarić, Alen; Hemar, Marina; Filipi, Petra; Kocijančić, Marija; Šupak Smolčić, Vesna; Ćelap, Ivana; Šimundić, Ana-Maria

2018-04-25

The aim of our study was to perform verification of serum indices on three clinical chemistry platforms. This study was done on three analyzers: Abbott Architect c8000, Beckman Coulter AU5800 (BC) and Roche Cobas 6000 c501. The following analytical specifications were verified: precision (two patient samples), accuracy (sample with the highest concentration of interferent was serially diluted and measured values compared to theoretical values), comparability (120 patients samples) and cross reactivity (samples with increasing concentrations of interferent were divided in two aliquots and remaining interferents were added in each aliquot. Measurements were done before and after adding interferents). Best results for precision were obtained for the H index (0.72%-2.08%). Accuracy for the H index was acceptable for Cobas and BC, while on Architect, deviations in the high concentration range were observed (y=0.02 [0.01-0.07]+1.07 [1.06-1.08]x). All three analyzers showed acceptable results in evaluating accuracy of L index and unacceptable results for I index. The H index was comparable between BC and both, Architect (Cohen's κ [95% CI]=0.795 [0.692-0.898]) and Roche (Cohen's κ [95% CI]=0.825 [0.729-0.922]), while Roche and Architect were not comparable. The I index was not comparable between all analyzer combinations, while the L index was only comparable between Abbott and BC. Cross reactivity analysis mostly showed that serum indices measurement is affected when a combination of interferences is present. There is heterogeneity between analyzers in the hemolysis, icteria, lipemia (HIL) quality performance. Verification of serum indices in routine work is necessary to establish analytical specifications.

Serum Adipocytokines (Visfatin and Resistin: New Biomarkers of Breast Carcinogenesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sanaa A. El-Benhawy

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Recent epidemiological studies demonstrate that obesity is associated with an increased risk for breast cancer in women. Increased estrogen levels are suggested as one possible explanation, but this does not fully explain the relationship between obesity and breast cancer. One alternative explanation is secretion by adipocytes of metabolites, hormones and cytokines, collectively known as adipocytokines, which regulate physiological and pathological processes. Among these adipokines are visfatin and resistin. This study investigates whether visfatin or resistin in serum of breast cancer patients can be used as potential diagnostic and prognostic tools for breast cancer, taking into account clinicopathological features and anthropometric parameters. Methods: Blood samples were collected from 70 breast cancer patients (35 obese and 35 non-obese and 20 healthy females matched for age and body mass index as the control group. Serum visfatin levels were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and serum resistin levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. Inflammatory status was assessed by measuring C-reactive protein levels by an automated turbidimetric analyzer. Results: We observed highly elevated serum resistin and visfatin levels in breast cancer patients compared to controls, independent of body mass index. Serum resistin and visfatin levels were likely to be associated with increased breast cancer risk and correlated with the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein. Conclusion: Targeting resistin and visfatin inhibition can be an effective therapeutic strategy in breast cancer by downregulating the inflammatory microenvironment in breast tissue. Serum visfatin promises to be a novel biomarker of diagnostic and prognostic value. Larger prospective studies are required to confirm our findings.

Improving the driver-automation interaction: an approach using automation uncertainty.

Science.gov (United States)

Beller, Johannes; Heesen, Matthias; Vollrath, Mark

2013-12-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether communicating automation uncertainty improves the driver-automation interaction. A false system understanding of infallibility may provoke automation misuse and can lead to severe consequences in case of automation failure. The presentation of automation uncertainty may prevent this false system understanding and, as was shown by previous studies, may have numerous benefits. Few studies, however, have clearly shown the potential of communicating uncertainty information in driving. The current study fills this gap. We conducted a driving simulator experiment, varying the presented uncertainty information between participants (no uncertainty information vs. uncertainty information) and the automation reliability (high vs.low) within participants. Participants interacted with a highly automated driving system while engaging in secondary tasks and were required to cooperate with the automation to drive safely. Quantile regressions and multilevel modeling showed that the presentation of uncertainty information increases the time to collision in the case of automation failure. Furthermore, the data indicated improved situation awareness and better knowledge of fallibility for the experimental group. Consequently, the automation with the uncertainty symbol received higher trust ratings and increased acceptance. The presentation of automation uncertaintythrough a symbol improves overall driver-automation cooperation. Most automated systems in driving could benefit from displaying reliability information. This display might improve the acceptance of fallible systems and further enhances driver-automation cooperation.

Third Chemistry Conference on Recent Trends in Chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saeed, M.M.; Wheed, S.

2011-01-01

The third chemistry conference 2011 on recent trends in chemistry was held from October 17-19, 2001 at Islamabad, Pakistan. More than 65 papers and oral presentation. The scope of the conference was wide open and provides and opportunity for participation of broad spectrum of chemists. This forum provided a platform for the dissemination of the latest research followed by discussion pertaining to new trends in chemistry. This con fence covered different aspects of subjects including analytical chemistry, environmental chemistry, polymer chemistry, industrial chemistry, biochemistry and nano chemistry etc. (A.B.)

Constitutional dynamic chemistry: bridge from supramolecular chemistry to adaptive chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Lehn, Jean-Marie

2012-01-01

Supramolecular chemistry aims at implementing highly complex chemical systems from molecular components held together by non-covalent intermolecular forces and effecting molecular recognition, catalysis and transport processes. A further step consists in the investigation of chemical systems undergoing self-organization, i.e. systems capable of spontaneously generating well-defined functional supramolecular architectures by self-assembly from their components, thus behaving as programmed chemical systems. Supramolecular chemistry is intrinsically a dynamic chemistry in view of the lability of the interactions connecting the molecular components of a supramolecular entity and the resulting ability of supramolecular species to exchange their constituents. The same holds for molecular chemistry when the molecular entity contains covalent bonds that may form and break reversibility, so as to allow a continuous change in constitution by reorganization and exchange of building blocks. These features define a Constitutional Dynamic Chemistry (CDC) on both the molecular and supramolecular levels.CDC introduces a paradigm shift with respect to constitutionally static chemistry. The latter relies on design for the generation of a target entity, whereas CDC takes advantage of dynamic diversity to allow variation and selection. The implementation of selection in chemistry introduces a fundamental change in outlook. Whereas self-organization by design strives to achieve full control over the output molecular or supramolecular entity by explicit programming, self-organization with selection operates on dynamic constitutional diversity in response to either internal or external factors to achieve adaptation.The merging of the features: -information and programmability, -dynamics and reversibility, -constitution and structural diversity, points to the emergence of adaptive and evolutive chemistry, towards a chemistry of complex matter.

Mockup of an automated material transport system for remote handling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Porter, M.L.

1992-01-01

The automated material transport system (AMTS) was conceived for the transport of samples within the material and process control laboratory (MPCL), located in the plutonium processing building of the special isotope separation (SIS) facility. The MPCL was designed with a dry sample handling laboratory and a wet chemistry analysis laboratory. Each laboratory contained several processing glove boxes. The function of the AMTS was to automate the handling of materials, multiple process samples, and bulky items between process stations with a minimum of operator intervention and with a minimum of waiting periods and nonproductive activities. The AMTS design requirements, design verification mockup plan, and AMTS mockup procurement specification were established prior to cancellation of the SIS project. Due to the AMTS's flexibility, the need for technology development, and applicability to other US Department of Energy facilities, mockup of the AMTS continued. This paper discusses the system design features, capabilities, and results of initial testing

Energy-efficient automation in construction chemistry; Energieeffiziente Automatisierung in der Bauchemie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sonntag, Walter [AZO GmbH und Co. KG, Osterburken (Germany). Dept. Marketing/Documentation

2010-07-01

At their development center ARDEX continuously research and work on new ideas and innovative product systems, within the framework of precisely controlled research processes. With a new plant from the AZO GmbH + Co. KG, the continuous improvement and optimization of the products as well as the manufacture of newly developed products should be made possible in Witten. A high degree of automation and metering of small quantities as accurately as possible were only a few of the requirements for plant technology to achieve the long-term goals of ARDEX. After a detailed project study, ARDEX decided in favour of a vertical tower concept according to which the raw materials are pneumatically conveyed to the top and then proportioned and weighed in free fall and fed to the mixing process and the following filling processes. (orig.)

Radiation chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodgers, F.; Rodgers, M.A.

1987-01-01

The contents of this book include: Interaction of ionizing radiation with matter; Primary products in radiation chemistry; Theoretical aspects of radiation chemistry; Theories of the solvated electron; The radiation chemistry of gases; Radiation chemistry of colloidal aggregates; Radiation chemistry of the alkali halides; Radiation chemistry of polymers; Radiation chemistry of biopolymers; Radiation processing and sterilization; and Compound index

Theoretical chemistry periodicities in chemistry and biology

CERN Document Server

Eyring, Henry

1978-01-01

Theoretical Chemistry: Periodicities in Chemistry and Biology, Volume 4 covers the aspects of theoretical chemistry. The book discusses the stably rotating patterns of reaction and diffusion; the chemistry of inorganic systems exhibiting nonmonotonic behavior; and population cycles. The text also describes the mathematical modeling of excitable media in neurobiology and chemistry; oscillating enzyme reactions; and oscillatory properties and excitability of the heart cell membrane. Selected topics from the theory of physico-chemical instabilities are also encompassed. Chemists, mechanical engin

Analysis of ethyl glucuronide in human serum by capillary electrophoresis with sample self-stacking and indirect detection

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Křivánková, Ludmila; Caslavska, J.; Malášková, Hana; Gebauer, Petr; Thormann, W.

2005-01-01

Roč. 1081, č. 1 (2005), s. 2-8 ISSN 0021-9673 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA4031401 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40310501 Keywords : ethyl glucuronide * capillary electrophoresis * serum Subject RIV: CB - Analytical Chemistry, Separation Impact factor: 3.096, year: 2005

Low cost automation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-03-01

This book indicates method of building of automation plan, design of automation facilities, automation and CHIP process like basics of cutting, NC processing machine and CHIP handling, automation unit, such as drilling unit, tapping unit, boring unit, milling unit and slide unit, application of oil pressure on characteristics and basic oil pressure circuit, application of pneumatic, automation kinds and application of process, assembly, transportation, automatic machine and factory automation.

Relationship between serum anti-Mullerian hormone and clinical parameters in polycystic ovary syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsuzaki, Toshiya; Munkhzaya, Munkhsaikhan; Iwasa, Takeshi; Tungalagsuvd, Altankhuu; Yano, Kiyohito; Mayila, Yiliyasi; Yanagihara, Rie; Tokui, Takako; Kato, Takeshi; Kuwahara, Akira; Matsui, Sumika; Irahara, Minoru

2017-05-30

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an ovulatory disorder that affects 6-10% of women of reproductive age. Serum AMH level may be an additional factor, or surrogate of PCOM, in the diagnostic criteria of PCOS. We evaluated the correlations between the serum AMH level and various endocrine and metabolic features in PCOS using the latest fully automated assay. Serum AMH level was compared between 114 PCOS patient (PCOS group) and 95 normal menstrual cycle women (Control group). Correlations between serum AMH level and various endocrine and metabolic factors were analysed in PCOS group. The serum AMH level was significantly higher in the PCOS group (8.35±8.19 ng/mL) than in the Control group (4.99±3.23 ng/mL). The serum AMH level was independently affected by age and the presence of PCOS on multiple regression analysis. Ovarian volume per ovary (OPVO) showed the strongest positive correlation (r=0.62) with the serum AMH level among related factors. On receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, the cut-off value of AMH for the diagnosis of PCOS was 7.33 ng/mL, but this value did not have high efficacy (sensitivity 44.7%, specificity 76.8%). A cut-off value of 10 ng/mL had a high specificity of 92.6%, although the sensitivity was low (24.6%). The serum AMH level was elevated and reflected ovarian size in PCOS patients. The serum AMH level could be a surrogate for ultrasound findings of the ovaries in PCOS and might be useful for estimating ovarian findings without transvaginal ultrasound in the diagnosis of PCOS.

Correlation between glucose concentrations in serum, plasma, and whole blood measured by a point-of-care glucometer and serum glucose concentration measured by an automated biochemical analyzer for canine and feline blood samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Tauk, Barbara S; Drobatz, Kenneth J; Wallace, Koranda A; Hess, Rebecka S

2015-06-15

To investigate the correlation between glucose concentrations in serum, plasma, and whole blood measured by a point-of-care glucometer (POCG) and serum glucose concentration measured by a biochemical analyzer. Prospective clinical study. 96 blood samples from 80 dogs and 90 blood samples from 65 cats. Serum, plasma, and whole blood were obtained from each blood sample. The glucose concentrations in serum, plasma, and whole blood measured by a POCG were compared with the serum glucose concentration measured by a biochemical analyzer by use of the Lin concordance correlation coefficient (ρc) and Bland-Altman plots. For both canine and feline samples, glucose concentrations in serum and plasma measured by the POCG were more strongly correlated with the serum glucose concentration measured by the biochemical analyzer (ρc, 0.98 for both canine serum and plasma; ρc, 0.99 for both feline serum and plasma) than was that in whole blood (ρc, 0.62 for canine samples; ρc, 0.90 for feline samples). The mean difference between the glucose concentrations determined by the biochemical analyzer and the POCG in serum, plasma, and whole blood was 0.4, 0.3, and 31 mg/dL, respectively, for canine samples and 7, 6, and 32 mg/dL, respectively, for feline samples. Results indicated that use of a POCG to measure glucose concentrations in serum or plasma may increase the accuracy and reliability of diagnostic and treatment decisions associated with glucose homeostasis disorders in dogs and cats.

Complex chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Bong Gon; Kim, Jae Sang; Kim, Jin Eun; Lee, Boo Yeon

2006-06-01

This book introduces complex chemistry with ten chapters, which include development of complex chemistry on history coordination theory and Warner's coordination theory and new development of complex chemistry, nomenclature on complex with conception and define, chemical formula on coordination compound, symbol of stereochemistry, stereo structure and isomerism, electron structure and bond theory on complex, structure of complex like NMR and XAFS, balance and reaction on solution, an organo-metallic chemistry, biology inorganic chemistry, material chemistry of complex, design of complex and calculation chemistry.

Automated extraction of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and N-demethyl-LSD from blood, serum, plasma, and urine samples using the Zymark RapidTrace with LC/MS/MS confirmation.

Science.gov (United States)

de Kanel, J; Vickery, W E; Waldner, B; Monahan, R M; Diamond, F X

1998-05-01

A forensic procedure for the quantitative confirmation of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and the qualitative confirmation of its metabolite, N-demethyl-LSD, in blood, serum, plasma, and urine samples is presented. The Zymark RapidTrace was used to perform fully automated solid-phase extractions of all specimen types. After extract evaporation, confirmations were performed using liquid chromatography (LC) followed by positive electrospray ionization (ESI+) mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (MS/MS) without derivatization. Quantitation of LSD was accomplished using LSD-d3 as an internal standard. The limit of quantitation (LOQ) for LSD was 0.05 ng/mL. The limit of detection (LOD) for both LSD and N-demethyl-LSD was 0.025 ng/mL. The recovery of LSD was greater than 95% at levels of 0.1 ng/mL and 2.0 ng/mL. For LSD at 1.0 ng/mL, the within-run and between-run (different day) relative standard deviation (RSD) was 2.2% and 4.4%, respectively.

Computer-based system for inspection of water chemistry regimes in WWER-type nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burcl, R.; Novak, M.; Malenka, P.

1993-01-01

The unsatisfactory situation in water chemistry testing at nuclear power plants with WWER type reactors is described. The testing primarily relies on laboratory analyses of manually taken samples. About 40 samples from one unit are tested per shift, which comprises approximately 250 determinations of various parameters. The time between two determinations is no shorter than 4 to 6 hours, thus rapid parameter changes between two determinations fail to be monitored. A novel system of automated chemistry monitoring is outlined, feasible for WWER type reactors. The system comprises 10 sets of sensors for monitoring all the relevant chemistry parameters of both the primary and secondary coolant circuits. Each sensor set has its own autonomous computer which secures its function even in case of loss of the chemical information network. The entire system is controlled by a master computer which also collects the results and provides contact with the power plant's information system. (Z.S.). 1 fig

Clinical significance of measurement of serum NO, IL-6 and IL-8 levels after treatment in patients with schizophrenia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao Wanqin

2010-01-01

Objective: To study the significance of changes of serum NO, IL-6 and IL-8 levels after treatment in patients with schizophrenia. Methods: Serum IL-6, IL-8 (with RIA) and NO (with bio-chemistry) levels were determined in 37 patients with schizophrenia both before and after treatment as well as in 35 controls. Results: Before treatment, the serum IL-6, IL-8 levels in the patients were significantly higher than those in controls (P<0.01). While the serum NO levels were significantly lower (P<0.01). After six weeks' treatment, the levels of IL-6, IL-8 in the patients, though dropped markedly still remained significantly higher (P<0.05) than those in controls. The serum NO levels, though markedly increased after treatment, were still remained significantly lower than those in the controls (P<0.05). Conclusion: Serum NO, IL-6 and IL-8 levels were closely related to the diseases process of schizophrenia and were of prognostic values. (authors)

Serum metabonomic analysis of protective effects of Curcuma aromatica oil on renal fibrosis rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Liangcai; Zhang, Haiyan; Yang, Yunjun; Zheng, Yongquan; Dong, Minjian; Wang, Yaqiang; Bai, Guanghui; Ye, Xinjian; Yan, Zhihan; Gao, Hongchang

2014-01-01

Curcuma aromatica oil is a traditional herbal medicine demonstrating protective and anti-fibrosis activities in renal fibrosis patients. However, study of its mechanism of action is challenged by its multiple components and multiple targets that its active agent acts on. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabonomics combined with clinical chemistry and histopathology examination were performed to evaluate intervening effects of Curcuma aromatica oil on renal interstitial fibrosis rats induced by unilateral ureteral obstruction. The metabolite levels were compared based on integral values of serum 1H NMR spectra from rats on 3, 7, 14, and 28 days after the medicine administration. Time trajectory analysis demonstrated that metabolic profiles of the agent-treated rats were restored to control levels after 7 days of dosage. The results confirmed that the agent would be an effective anti-fibrosis medicine in a time-dependent manner, especially in early renal fibrosis stage. Targeted metabolite analysis showed that the medicine could lower levels of lipid, acetoacetate, glucose, phosphorylcholine/choline, trimethylamine oxide and raise levels of pyruvate, glycine in the serum of the rats. Serum clinical chemistry and kidney histopathology examination dovetailed well with the metabonomics data. The results substantiated that Curcuma aromatica oil administration can ameliorate renal fibrosis symptoms by inhibiting some metabolic pathways, including lipids metabolism, glycolysis and methylamine metabolism, which are dominating targets of the agent working in vivo. This study further strengthens the novel analytical approach for evaluating the effect of traditional herbal medicine and elucidating its molecular mechanism.

Autonomy and Automation

Science.gov (United States)

Shively, Jay

2017-01-01

A significant level of debate and confusion has surrounded the meaning of the terms autonomy and automation. Automation is a multi-dimensional concept, and we propose that Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) automation should be described with reference to the specific system and task that has been automated, the context in which the automation functions, and other relevant dimensions. In this paper, we present definitions of automation, pilot in the loop, pilot on the loop and pilot out of the loop. We further propose that in future, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) RPAS Panel avoids the use of the terms autonomy and autonomous when referring to automated systems on board RPA. Work Group 7 proposes to develop, in consultation with other workgroups, a taxonomy of Levels of Automation for RPAS.

An automated immunoradiometric assay of thyrotrophin (TSH) in dried blood filter paper spots

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

John, R.; Woodhead, J.S.

1982-01-01

An immunoradiometric two-site assay for thyrotrophin (TSH) in dried blood filter paper spots is described. The assay is automated by means of the Kemtek 3000 automated immunoassay system. The technique uses a 6.0 mm disc punched from the dried blood samples collected as part of the screening programme for phenylketonuria. The method is sensitive and precise, and results correlate well with those obtained in TSH assays of serum samples. The procedure is rapid, results being available within 24 h of receipt of samples. Of 25204 specimens so far screened by this assay, 99.9% have TSH levels less than 15 mU/l. One false positive result has been obtained and six confirmed cases of neonatal hypothyroidism detected, giving a prevalence of 1 in 4200. (Auth.)

Clinical ssignificance of determination of changes of serum 1GF-1 CA125 and TSGF levels after operation in patients with ovarian cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Suming

2009-01-01

Objective: To explore the clinical significance of changes of serum IGF-I, CA125 and TSGF levels after operation in patients with ovarian cancer. Methods: Serum IGF-I, CA125 (with RIA) and TSGF (with bio-chemistry) levels were determined in 34 patients with ovarian cancer both before and after operation as well as in 35 controls. Results: Before operation the serum IGF-I, CA125 and TSGF levels were significantly higher in the patients than those in the controls (P 0.05). Conclusion: Detection of serum IGF-I, CA125 and TSGF levels after operation might be of progno stic importance in patients with ovarian cancer. (authors)

Radioimmunoassay of haloperidol in human serum: correlation of serum haloperidol with serum prolactin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poland, R.E.; Rubin, R.T.

1981-01-01

A radioimmunoassay (RIA) for measurement of serum haloperidol is described. Compared to gaschromatography (GC), RIA vaues average 40% higher. However, a simple organic extraction of serum yields statistically equivalent RIA and GC haloperidol determinations. For both men and women combined, there was a positive correlation between dose (mg/kg/day) and steady-state serum haloperidol level (r = +0.86) and between steady-state serum haloperidol and serum prolactin (PRL) concentration

Correlation between Serum Levels of 3,3',5'-Triiodothyronine and Thyroid Hormones Measured by Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry and Immunoassay.

Science.gov (United States)

Sakai, Hiroyuki; Nagao, Hidenori; Sakurai, Mamoru; Okumura, Takako; Nagai, Yoshiyuki; Shikuma, Junpei; Ito, Rokuro; Imazu, Tetsuya; Miwa, Takashi; Odawara, Masato

2015-01-01

For measuring serum 3,3',5'-triiodothyronine (rT3) levels, radioimmunoassay (RIA) has traditionally been used owing to the lack of other reliable methods; however, it has recently become difficult to perform. Meanwhile, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) has recently been attracting attention as a novel alternative method in clinical chemistry. To the best of our knowledge, there are no studies to date comparing results of the quantification of human serum rT3 between LC-MS/MS and RIA. We therefore examined the feasibility of LC-MS/MS as a novel alternative method for measuring serum rT3, thyroxine (T4), and 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3) levels. Assay validation was performed by LC-MS/MS using quality control samples of rT3, T4, and T3 at 4 various concentrations which were prepared from reference compounds. Serum samples of 50 outpatients in our department were quantified both by LC-MS/MS and conventional immunoassay for rT3, T4, and T3. Correlation coefficients between the 2 measurement methods were statistically analyzed respectively. Matrix effects were not observed with our method. Intra-day and inter-day precisions were less than 10.8% and 9.6% for each analyte at each quality control level, respectively. Intra-day and inter-day accuracies were between 96.2% and 110%, and between 98.3% and 108.6%, respectively. The lower limit of quantification was 0.05 ng/mL. Strong correlations were observed between the 2 measurement methods (correlation coefficient, T4: 0.976, p < 0.001; T3: 0.912, p < 0.001; rT3: 0.928, p < 0.001). Our LC-MS/MS system requires no manual cleanup operation, and the process after application of a sample is fully automated; furthermore, it was found to be highly sensitive, and superior in both precision and accuracy. The correlation between the 2 methods over a wide range of concentrations was strong. LC-MS/MS is therefore expected to become a useful tool for clinical diagnosis and research.

Correlation between Serum Levels of 3,3',5'-Triiodothyronine and Thyroid Hormones Measured by Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry and Immunoassay.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hiroyuki Sakai

Full Text Available For measuring serum 3,3',5'-triiodothyronine (rT3 levels, radioimmunoassay (RIA has traditionally been used owing to the lack of other reliable methods; however, it has recently become difficult to perform. Meanwhile, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS has recently been attracting attention as a novel alternative method in clinical chemistry. To the best of our knowledge, there are no studies to date comparing results of the quantification of human serum rT3 between LC-MS/MS and RIA. We therefore examined the feasibility of LC-MS/MS as a novel alternative method for measuring serum rT3, thyroxine (T4, and 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3 levels.Assay validation was performed by LC-MS/MS using quality control samples of rT3, T4, and T3 at 4 various concentrations which were prepared from reference compounds. Serum samples of 50 outpatients in our department were quantified both by LC-MS/MS and conventional immunoassay for rT3, T4, and T3. Correlation coefficients between the 2 measurement methods were statistically analyzed respectively.Matrix effects were not observed with our method. Intra-day and inter-day precisions were less than 10.8% and 9.6% for each analyte at each quality control level, respectively. Intra-day and inter-day accuracies were between 96.2% and 110%, and between 98.3% and 108.6%, respectively. The lower limit of quantification was 0.05 ng/mL. Strong correlations were observed between the 2 measurement methods (correlation coefficient, T4: 0.976, p < 0.001; T3: 0.912, p < 0.001; rT3: 0.928, p < 0.001.Our LC-MS/MS system requires no manual cleanup operation, and the process after application of a sample is fully automated; furthermore, it was found to be highly sensitive, and superior in both precision and accuracy. The correlation between the 2 methods over a wide range of concentrations was strong. LC-MS/MS is therefore expected to become a useful tool for clinical diagnosis and research.

Home Automation

OpenAIRE

Ahmed, Zeeshan

2010-01-01

In this paper I briefly discuss the importance of home automation system. Going in to the details I briefly present a real time designed and implemented software and hardware oriented house automation research project, capable of automating house's electricity and providing a security system to detect the presence of unexpected behavior.

Structure-based classification and ontology in chemistry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hastings Janna

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Recent years have seen an explosion in the availability of data in the chemistry domain. With this information explosion, however, retrieving relevant results from the available information, and organising those results, become even harder problems. Computational processing is essential to filter and organise the available resources so as to better facilitate the work of scientists. Ontologies encode expert domain knowledge in a hierarchically organised machine-processable format. One such ontology for the chemical domain is ChEBI. ChEBI provides a classification of chemicals based on their structural features and a role or activity-based classification. An example of a structure-based class is 'pentacyclic compound' (compounds containing five-ring structures, while an example of a role-based class is 'analgesic', since many different chemicals can act as analgesics without sharing structural features. Structure-based classification in chemistry exploits elegant regularities and symmetries in the underlying chemical domain. As yet, there has been neither a systematic analysis of the types of structural classification in use in chemistry nor a comparison to the capabilities of available technologies. Results We analyze the different categories of structural classes in chemistry, presenting a list of patterns for features found in class definitions. We compare these patterns of class definition to tools which allow for automation of hierarchy construction within cheminformatics and within logic-based ontology technology, going into detail in the latter case with respect to the expressive capabilities of the Web Ontology Language and recent extensions for modelling structured objects. Finally we discuss the relationships and interactions between cheminformatics approaches and logic-based approaches. Conclusion Systems that perform intelligent reasoning tasks on chemistry data require a diverse set of underlying computational

Decreased Serum 25-Hydroxycalciferol Levels in Pre-diabetic Adults

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ain, Q. A.; Khan, D. A.; Ijaz, A.; Khan, F. A.; Latif, A.

2016-01-01

Objective: To determine the serum 25-hydroxycalciferol levels [25(OH)D] in adults with pre-diabetes and normoglycaemia to examine a possible association of vitamin D deficiency with pre-diabetes. Study Design: Case control study. Place and Duration of Study: Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi, from November 2012 to July 2013. Methodology: A total of 272 adults including 136 pre-diabetics and 136 normoglycaemics of either gender aged 20 years and above were consecutively inducted. Patients with diabetes mellitus, pregnancy, rickets and osteomalacia, ischemic heart disease, chronic kidney disease and chronic liver disease were excluded. Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG) was estimated with hexokinase method on Modular p800 Roche chemistry analyzer while serum 25(OH)D was measured on Diasorin Liaison immunoassay analyzer using the chemiluminescent technique. Mean 25(OH)D levels in pre-diabetic and normoglycaemic groups were compared using Mann-Whitney U test. Spearman's correlation coefficient 'rs' was determined between serum 25(OH)D and FPG. Odds ratio for vitamin D deficiency was also calculated. Results: Mean serum 25(OH)D level was low in pre-diabetics (23.2 nmol/L) as compared to normoglycaemics (29 nmol/L; p=0.001). Serum 25(OH)D level had inverse correlation with FPG (rs = -0.448, p=0.000). There was also significant association of vitamin D deficiency with pre-diabetes compared with normoglycaemia (OR: 2.21, p= 0.016; 95 percentage CI: 1.15-4.27). Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency with pre-diabetes suggested that vitamin D may have an important role in pathogenesis of pre-diabetes. (author)

Chemistry and physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broerse, J.J.; Barendsen, G.W.; Kal, H.B.; Kogel, A.J. van der

1983-01-01

This book contains the extended abstracts of the contributions of the poster workshop sessions on chemistry and physics of the 7th international congress of radiation research. They cover the following main topics: primary processes in radiation physics and chemistry, general chemistry in radiation chemistry, DNA and model systems in radiation chemistry, molecules of biological interest in radiation chemistry, techniques in radiation chemistry, hot atom chemistry. refs.; figs.; tabs

Serum chemistry reference values for the common genet (Genetta genetta): variations associated with Leishmania infantum infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Millán, Javier; Chirife, Andrea D; Altet, Laura

2015-03-01

The role of wildlife in the epidemiology of leishmaniosis in under debate, and determining whether infection with Leishmania infantum causes illness in wild carnivores is important to determine its potential role as a reservoir. To provide for the first time serum biochemistry reference values for the common genet (Genetta genetta), and to determine variations associated with L. infantum infection. Twenty-five serum biochemistry parameters were determined in 22 wild-caught genets. Blood samples were analyzed for L. infantum DNA by means of real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Two female genets were positive for L. infantum DNA but did not show any external clinical sign upon physical examination. Among other variations in the biochemistry values of these genets, one presented a higher concentration of gamma-globulins and cholesterol, whereas the other genet presented increased creatinine, bilirubin, and chloride levels when compared to uninfected females. Sex-related differences in some parameters were also reported. Infection with L. infantum may sometimes be accompanied by abnormal serum biochemistry in wild carnivores. Clinical disease may occur in L. infantum-infected wild carnivores. This has implications in the epidemiology of leishmaniosis. In addition, the data provided here would also be useful as reference values for researchers or rehabilitators working with the common genet.

Optimization of automation: I. Estimation method of cognitive automation rates reflecting the effects of automation on human operators in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Seung Min; Kim, Jong Hyun; Seong, Poong Hyun

2014-01-01

Highlights: • We propose an estimation method of the automation rate by taking the advantages of automation as the estimation measures. • We conduct the experiments to examine the validity of the suggested method. • The higher the cognitive automation rate is, the greater the decreased rate of the working time will be. • The usefulness of the suggested estimation method is proved by statistical analyses. - Abstract: Since automation was introduced in various industrial fields, the concept of the automation rate has been used to indicate the inclusion proportion of automation among all work processes or facilities. Expressions of the inclusion proportion of automation are predictable, as is the ability to express the degree of the enhancement of human performance. However, many researchers have found that a high automation rate does not guarantee high performance. Therefore, to reflect the effects of automation on human performance, this paper proposes a new estimation method of the automation rate that considers the effects of automation on human operators in nuclear power plants (NPPs). Automation in NPPs can be divided into two types: system automation and cognitive automation. Some general descriptions and characteristics of each type of automation are provided, and the advantages of automation are investigated. The advantages of each type of automation are used as measures of the estimation method of the automation rate. One advantage was found to be a reduction in the number of tasks, and another was a reduction in human cognitive task loads. The system and the cognitive automation rate were proposed as quantitative measures by taking advantage of the aforementioned benefits. To quantify the required human cognitive task loads and thus suggest the cognitive automation rate, Conant’s information-theory-based model was applied. The validity of the suggested method, especially as regards the cognitive automation rate, was proven by conducting

Clinical review: improving the measurement of serum thyroglobulin with mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoofnagle, Andrew N; Roth, Mara Y

2013-04-01

Serum thyroglobulin (Tg) measurements are central to the management of patients treated for differentiated thyroid carcinoma. For decades, Tg measurements have relied on methods that are subject to interference by commonly found substances in human serum and plasma, such as Tg autoantibodies. As a result, many patients need additional imaging studies to rule out cancer persistence or recurrence that could be avoided with more sensitive and specific testing methods. The aims of this review are to: 1) briefly review the interferences common to Tg immunoassays; 2) introduce readers to liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry as a method for quantifying proteins in human serum/plasma; and 3) discuss the potential benefits and limitations of the method in the quantification of serum Tg. Mass spectrometric methods have traditionally lacked the sensitivity, robustness, and throughput to be useful clinical assays. These methods failed to meet the necessary clinical benchmarks due to the nature of the mass spectrometry workflow and instrumentation. Over the past few years, there have been major advances in reagents, automation, and instrumentation for the quantification of proteins using mass spectrometry. More recently, methods using mass spectrometry to detect and quantify Tg have been developed and are of sufficient quality to be used in the management of patients. Novel serum Tg assays that use mass spectrometry may avoid the issue of autoantibody interference and other problems with currently available immunoassays for Tg. Prospective studies are needed to fully understand the potential benefits of novel Tg assays to patients and care providers.

Automated system for calculating the uncertainty of standards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harvel, C.D.

1990-01-01

Working Calibration and Test Material (WCTM) solutions are essential as standards in the surveillance of analytical methods, the calibration of equipment and methods, and the training and testing of laboratory personnel. Before the WCTM can be used it must be characterized. That is, the WCTM concentration and its associated uncertainty must be estimated. The characterization of a WCTM is a tedious process. The chemistry and subsequent statistical analysis require a significant amount of care. For a nonstatistician, the statistical analysis of a WCTM characterization can be quite difficult. In addition, the WCTM traceability and characterization must be thoroughly documented as required by DOE Order 5633.3 [1]. An automated system can easily do the statistical analysis and provide the necessary documentation. 3 refs., 2 figs

Proceedings of the DAE-BRNS theme meeting on recent trends in analytical chemistry: book of abstracts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2012-01-01

Analytical chemistry is the branch of science that deals with the determination of the identity and concentration of various elements and compounds in different matrices including living systems. The practice of analytical chemistry as a distinct discipline possibly began in the late eighteenth century with the work of the French chemist Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier and his contemporaries. Further progress was made in the nineteenth century by scientists like Carl Fresenius and Karl Friedrich Mohr. Fresenius developed the qualitative analysis method and it formed the topic of the first textbook of analytical chemistry. He also developed the gravimetric technique. Mohr developed many laboratory analytical procedures and devices. Most of the major advances in analytical chemistry, as in many other branches of science, took place in the twentieth century after the Second World War. The demand for new and increasingly sophisticated analytical techniques for bio-medical, regulatory and strategic requirements, along with the progress in electro-mechanical instrumentation, automation and computerization, has opened up new challenges and opportunities for analytical chemists and allied scientists in the years to come. Papers relevant to INIS are indexed separately

The use of transducers for automated radiopharmaceutical synthesis procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruth, T.J.; Adam, M.J.; Morris, D.; Jivan, S.; Tyldesley, S.

1991-01-01

There are essentially two reasons why a synthetic procedure for producing a radiopharmaceutical is automated. The First is to reduce radiation exposure and the second is to increase reliability. Reducing radiation exposure can be accomplished in a number of ways. The most common approaches include the use of: hotcells with manipulators, remotely controlled solenoid valves behind shielding, either a PC or a PLC to control the solenoid valves, or robotics. The question of reliability impacts on each of these methods differently. The use of a hotcell with manipulators requires a highly skilled operator and in general is not suitable for microchemistry and very short half-lives. The remotely controlled system is prone to operator error, for example activating the wrong valving sequence. The computer controlled system is dependent on a feedback system if it is to operate open-quotes intelligentlyclose quotes; and finally the robotic system is dependent on feedbacks, as well as, careful, set-up within the robotic coordinate system. The remainder of this paper will discuss the feedback loops, required for the automated/robotic chemistry associated with the synthesis of positron emitting radiopharmaceuticals

From hot atom chemistry to epithermal chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roessler, K.

2004-01-01

The rise and fall of hot atom chemistry (HAC) over the years from 1934 to 2004 is reviewed. Several applications are discussed, in particular to astrophysics and the interaction of energetic ions and atoms in space. Epithermal chemistry (ETC) is proposed to substitute the old name, since it better fits the energy range as well as the non-thermal and non-equilibrium character of the reactions. ETC also avoids the strong connexion of HAC to nuclear chemistry and stands for the opening of the field to physical chemistry and astrophysics. (orig.)

Mathematical Chemistry

OpenAIRE

Trinajstić, Nenad; Gutman, Ivan

2002-01-01

A brief description is given of the historical development of mathematics and chemistry. A path leading to the meeting of these two sciences is described. An attempt is made to define mathematical chemistry, and journals containing the term mathematical chemistry in their titles are noted. In conclusion, the statement is made that although chemistry is an experimental science aimed at preparing new compounds and materials, mathematics is very useful in chemistry, among other things, to produc...

Process automation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moser, D.R.

1986-01-01

Process automation technology has been pursued in the chemical processing industries and to a very limited extent in nuclear fuel reprocessing. Its effective use has been restricted in the past by the lack of diverse and reliable process instrumentation and the unavailability of sophisticated software designed for process control. The Integrated Equipment Test (IET) facility was developed by the Consolidated Fuel Reprocessing Program (CFRP) in part to demonstrate new concepts for control of advanced nuclear fuel reprocessing plants. A demonstration of fuel reprocessing equipment automation using advanced instrumentation and a modern, microprocessor-based control system is nearing completion in the facility. This facility provides for the synergistic testing of all chemical process features of a prototypical fuel reprocessing plant that can be attained with unirradiated uranium-bearing feed materials. The unique equipment and mission of the IET facility make it an ideal test bed for automation studies. This effort will provide for the demonstration of the plant automation concept and for the development of techniques for similar applications in a full-scale plant. A set of preliminary recommendations for implementing process automation has been compiled. Some of these concepts are not generally recognized or accepted. The automation work now under way in the IET facility should be useful to others in helping avoid costly mistakes because of the underutilization or misapplication of process automation. 6 figs

New Insights into Butyrylcholinesterase Activity Assay: Serum Dilution Factor as a Crucial Parameter.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joanna Jońca

Full Text Available Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE activity assay and inhibitor phenotyping can help to identify patients at risk of prolonged paralysis following the administration of neuromuscular blocking agents. The assay plays an important role in clinical chemistry as a good diagnostic marker for intoxication with pesticides and nerve agents. Furthermore, the assay is also commonly used for in vitro characterization of cholinesterases, their toxins and drugs. There is still lack of standardized procedure for measurement of BChE activity and many laboratories use different substrates at various concentrations. The purpose of this study was to validate the BChE activity assay to determine the best dilution of human serum and the most optimal concentration of substrates and inhibitors. Serum BChE activity was measured using modified Ellman's method applicable for a microplate reader. We present our experience and new insights into the protocol for high-throughput routine assays of human plasma cholinesterase activities adapted to a microplate reader. During our routine assays used for the determination of BChE activity, we have observed that serum dilution factor influences the results obtained. We show that a 400-fold dilution of serum and 5mM S-butyrylthiocholine iodide can be successfully used for the accurate measurement of BChE activity in human serum. We also discuss usage of various concentrations of dibucaine and fluoride in BChE phenotyping. This study indicates that some factors of such a multicomponent clinical material like serum can influence kinetic parameters of the BChE. The observed inhibitory effect is dependent on serum dilution factor used in the assay.

Assessment of serum ferritin levels in thalassemia and non-thalassemia patients presented with anemia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammed Mahdi Abdulomohsin AL-Zubaidi

2015-01-01

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess serum ferritin levels in B-thalassemia patients, and to compare it with non-thalassemic anemia and healthy control. Materials and methods : A prospective cross sectional study conducted at Thalassemia Center in Ibn Al- Baladi Hospital for Children and Women during the period from1st February to 30th May 2014 during their attendance to out-patient clinic. A total .number of 101 patients complaining of anemia (51 patients with thalassemia, 50 with non-thalassemia in addition to 50 healthy subjects considered as control. All patients were tested for Serum ferritin levels and all results were obtained through automated quantitative test for use Vidas machine Results : The mean serum ferritin levels in cases of thalassemia was 9542 ± 782 ng/ml while serum ferritin levels in control sample was 138 ± 323 ng/ml in male and 28 ± 108 ng/ml in female . in patients with non-thalassemia anemia, the levels of serum ferritin was 1 ± 80 ng/ml. Age of all patients in this study ranged from 3day-9year .the age of thalassemia patients ranged from 1-6 year and p-value was(0.23 while the age of patients with non-thalassemia anemia was 1-5 year and p-value was (0.11. Conclusion: This study confirm that serum ferritin is high in patients wih thalassemia than non thalassemia.

Accelerating the discovery of materials for clean energy in the era of smart automation

Science.gov (United States)

Tabor, Daniel P.; Roch, Loïc M.; Saikin, Semion K.; Kreisbeck, Christoph; Sheberla, Dennis; Montoya, Joseph H.; Dwaraknath, Shyam; Aykol, Muratahan; Ortiz, Carlos; Tribukait, Hermann; Amador-Bedolla, Carlos; Brabec, Christoph J.; Maruyama, Benji; Persson, Kristin A.; Aspuru-Guzik, Alán

2018-05-01

The discovery and development of novel materials in the field of energy are essential to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy. Bringing recent technological innovations in automation, robotics and computer science together with current approaches in chemistry, materials synthesis and characterization will act as a catalyst for revolutionizing traditional research and development in both industry and academia. This Perspective provides a vision for an integrated artificial intelligence approach towards autonomous materials discovery, which, in our opinion, will emerge within the next 5 to 10 years. The approach we discuss requires the integration of the following tools, which have already seen substantial development to date: high-throughput virtual screening, automated synthesis planning, automated laboratories and machine learning algorithms. In addition to reducing the time to deployment of new materials by an order of magnitude, this integrated approach is expected to lower the cost associated with the initial discovery. Thus, the price of the final products (for example, solar panels, batteries and electric vehicles) will also decrease. This in turn will enable industries and governments to meet more ambitious targets in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions at a faster pace.

An automated multiplex specific IgE assay system using a photoimmobilized microarray.

Science.gov (United States)

Ito, Yoshihiro; Moritsugu, Nozomi; Matsue, Takahisa; Mitsukoshi, Kiyomi; Ayame, Hirohito; Okochi, Norihiko; Hattori, Hideshi; Tashiro, Hideo; Sato, Sakura; Ebisawa, Motohiro

2012-11-15

An automated microarray diagnostic system for specific IgE using photoimmobilized allergen has been developed. Photoimmobilization is useful for preparing microarrays, where various types of biological components are covalently immobilized on a plate. Because the immobilization is based on a photo-induced radical cross-linking reaction, it does not require specific functional groups on the immobilized components. Here, an aqueous solution of a photoreactive poly(ethylene glycol)-based polymer was spin-coated on a plate, and an aqueous solution of each allergen was microspotted on the coated plate and allowed to dry in air. Finally, the plate was irradiated with an ultraviolet lamp for covalent immobilization. An automated machine using these plates was developed for the assay of antigen-specific IgE. Initially, the patient serum was added to the microarray plate, and after reaction of the microspotted allergen with IgE, the adsorbed IgE was detected by a peroxidase-conjugated anti-IgE-antibody. The chemical luminescence intensity of the substrate decomposed by the peroxidase was automatically detected using a sensitive charge-coupled device camera. All the allergens were immobilized stably using this method, which was used to screen for allergen-specific IgE. The results were comparable with those using conventional specific IgE. Using this system, six different allergen-specific IgE were assayed using 10 μL of serum within a period of 20 min. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Novel Wet Chemistry Separation and Purification Methods to Facilitate Automation of Astatine-211 Isolation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilbur, Daniel Scott

2016-01-01

% extracted; There was some indication that the PEG-Merrifield resins could be saturated (perhaps with Bi) resulting in lower capture percentages, but more studies need to be done to confirm that; A target dissolution chamber, designed and built at PNNL, works well with syringe pumps so it can be used in an automated system; Preliminary semi-automated 211 At isolation studies have been conducted with full-scale target dissolution and 211 At isolation using a PEG column on the Hamilton automated system gave low overall recoveries, but HNO 3 was used (rather than HCl) for loading the 211 At and flow rates were not optimized; Results obtained using PEG columns are high enough to warrant further development on a fully automated system; Results obtained also indicate that additional studies are warranted to evaluate other types of columns for 211 At separation from bismuth, which allow use of HNO 3 /HCl mixtures for loading and NaOH for eluting 211 At. Such a column could greatly simplify the overall isolation process and make it easier to automate.

Industrial chemistry engineering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

This book on industrial chemistry engineering is divided in two parts. The first part deals with industrial chemistry, inorganic industrial chemistry, organic industrial chemistry, analytical chemistry and practical questions. The last parts explain the chemical industry, a unit parts and thermodynamics in chemical industry and reference. It reveals the test subjects for the industrial chemistry engineering with a written examination and practical skill.

Automated spectrophotometer for plutonium and uranium determination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jackson, D.D.; Hodgkins, D.J.; Hollen, R.M.; Rein, J.E.

1975-09-01

The automated spectrophotometer described is the first in a planned series of automated instruments for determining plutonium and uranium in nuclear fuel cycle materials. It has a throughput rate of 5 min per sample and uses a highly specific method of analysis for these elements. The range of plutonium and uranium measured is 0.5 to 14 mg and 1 to 14 mg, respectively, in 0.5 ml or less of solution with an option to pre-evaporate larger volumes. The precision of the measurements is about 0.02 mg standard deviation over the range corresponding to about 2 rel percent at the 1-mg level and 0.2 rel percent at the 10-mg level. The method of analysis involves the extraction of tetrapropylammonium plutonyl and uranyl trinitrate complexes into 2-nitropropane and the measurement of the optical absorbances in the organic phase at unique peak wavelengths. Various aspects of the chemistry associated with the method are presented. The automated spectrophotometer features a turntable that rotates as many as 24 samples in tubes to a series of stations for the sequential chemical operations of reagent addition and phase mixing to effect extraction, and then to a station for the absorbance measurement. With this system, the complications of sample transfers and flow-through cells are avoided. The absorbance measurement system features highly stable interference filters and a microcomputer that controls the timing sequence and operation of the system components. Output is a paper tape printout of three numbers: a four-digit number proportional to the quantity of plutonium or uranium, a two-digit number that designates the position of the tube in the turntable, and a one-digit number that designates whether plutonium or uranium was determined. Details of the mechanical and electrical components of the instrument and of the hardware and software aspects of the computerized control system are provided

Advanced chemistry management system to optimize BWR chemistry control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maeda, K.; Nagasawa, K.

2002-01-01

BWR plant chemistry control has close relationships among nuclear safety, component reliability, radiation field management and fuel integrity. Advanced technology is required to improve chemistry control [1,3,6,7,10,11]. Toshiba has developed TACMAN (Toshiba Advanced Chemistry Management system) to support BWR chemistry control. The TACMAN has been developed as response to utilities' years of requirements to keep plant operation safety, reliability and cost benefit. The advanced technology built into the TACMAN allows utilities to make efficient chemistry control and to keep cost benefit. TACMAN is currently being used in response to the needs for tools those plant chemists and engineers could use to optimize and identify plant chemistry conditions continuously. If an incipient condition or anomaly is detected at early stage, root causes evaluation and immediate countermeasures can be provided. Especially, the expert system brings numerous and competitive advantages not only to improve plant chemistry reliability but also to standardize and systematize know-how, empirical knowledge and technologies in BWR chemistry This paper shows detail functions of TACMAN and practical results to evaluate actual plant. (authors)

Changes of liver function and serum hepatic fibrosis markers levels in patients with trichloroethylene induced drugrash-like dermatitis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Senhua; Xie Guoqiang; Zeng Zeming

2004-01-01

Objective: To investigate the liver function damage and serum hepatic fibrosis markers levels changes in patients suffering from trichloroethylene induced drugrash-like dermatitis. Methods: Serum hyaluronic acid (HA), laminin (LN), procollagen type III (PC III), type IV collagen ( IV C) levels (with RIA), mono-amine oxidase (MAO) activity (with chemo-colorimetry) and liver function tests (including ALT, AGT, total protein, albumin, total bile acid, with automated biochemical analysis system) were determined in 30 controls and 30 patients with trichloroethylene induced drugrash-like dermatitis. Results: Severe liver function damage was demonstrated in all the patients. The serum hepatic fibrosis markers levels were significantly increased (vs controls, P<0.01) and correlated well with the degree of hepatic damage. Conclusion: Liver damage occurred early in patients with trichloroethylene induced dermatitis, accompanied with laboratory evidence of hepatic fibrosis. (authors)

Current organic chemistry

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

1997-01-01

Provides in depth reviews on current progress in the fields of asymmetric synthesis, organometallic chemistry, bioorganic chemistry, heterocyclic chemistry, natural product chemistry, and analytical...

Aquatic Chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Dong Yeun; Kim, Oh Sik; Kim, Chang Guk; Park, Cheong Gil; Lee, Gwi Hyeon; Lee, Cheol Hui

1987-07-01

This book deals aquatic chemistry, which treats water and environment, chemical kinetics, chemical balance like dynamical characteristic, and thermodynamics, acid-base chemistry such as summary, definition, kinetics, and PH design for mixture of acid-base chemistry, complex chemistry with definition, and kinetics, precipitation and dissolution on summary, kinetics of precipitation and dissolution, and balance design oxidation and resolution with summary, balance of oxidation and resolution.

Combinatorial chemistry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, John

1994-01-01

An overview of combinatorial chemistry is presented. Combinatorial chemistry, sometimes referred to as `irrational drug design,' involves the generation of molecular diversity. The resulting chemical library is then screened for biologically active compounds.......An overview of combinatorial chemistry is presented. Combinatorial chemistry, sometimes referred to as `irrational drug design,' involves the generation of molecular diversity. The resulting chemical library is then screened for biologically active compounds....

What Are They Thinking? Automated Analysis of Student Writing about Acid-Base Chemistry in Introductory Biology

Science.gov (United States)

Haudek, Kevin C.; Prevost, Luanna B.; Moscarella, Rosa A.; Merrill, John; Urban-Lurain, Mark

2012-01-01

Students' writing can provide better insight into their thinking than can multiple-choice questions. However, resource constraints often prevent faculty from using writing assessments in large undergraduate science courses. We investigated the use of computer software to analyze student writing and to uncover student ideas about chemistry in an…

Forensic Chemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, Suzanne

2009-07-01

Forensic chemistry is unique among chemical sciences in that its research, practice, and presentation must meet the needs of both the scientific and the legal communities. As such, forensic chemistry research is applied and derivative by nature and design, and it emphasizes metrology (the science of measurement) and validation. Forensic chemistry has moved away from its analytical roots and is incorporating a broader spectrum of chemical sciences. Existing forensic practices are being revisited as the purview of forensic chemistry extends outward from drug analysis and toxicology into such diverse areas as combustion chemistry, materials science, and pattern evidence.

Chemistry-nuclear chemistry division. Progress report, October 1979-September 1980

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryan, R.R.

1981-05-01

This report presents the research and development programs pursued by the Chemistry-Nuclear Chemistry Division of the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Topics covered include advanced analytical methods, atmospheric chemistry and transport, biochemistry, biomedical research, element migration and fixation, inorganic chemistry, isotope separation and analysis, atomic and molecular collisions, molecular spectroscopy, muonic x rays, nuclear cosmochemistry, nuclear structure and reactions, radiochemical separations, theoretical chemistry, and unclassified weapons research

Chemistry-nuclear chemistry division. Progress report, October 1979-September 1980

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ryan, R.R. (comp.)

1981-05-01

This report presents the research and development programs pursued by the Chemistry-Nuclear Chemistry Division of the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Topics covered include advanced analytical methods, atmospheric chemistry and transport, biochemistry, biomedical research, element migration and fixation, inorganic chemistry, isotope separation and analysis, atomic and molecular collisions, molecular spectroscopy, muonic x rays, nuclear cosmochemistry, nuclear structure and reactions, radiochemical separations, theoretical chemistry, and unclassified weapons research.

The Brazilian medicinal chemistry from 1998 to 2008 in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry, Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters and European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry [A química medicinal brasileira de 1998 a 2008 nos periódicos Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry, Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters e European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry

OpenAIRE

Bárbara Vasconcellos da Silva; Renato Saldanha Bastos; Angelo da Cunha Pinto

2009-01-01

In this article we present the Brazilian publications, the research groups involved, the contributions per states and the main diseases studied from 1998 to 2008 in the following periodicals: Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry, Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters and European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

Progress report, Chemistry and Materials Division

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-02-01

A marked asymmetry has been observed in the intensity of ions scattered from manganese atoms in a Mn-Al alloy as a function of incidence angle, under near-axial channeling conditions. Proton dechanneling has been used to discriminate between simple and cluster defects created by He-ion irradiation of an Al-Ag alloy crystal. An automated Langmuir surface has been constructed for study of the radiation chemistry of polyunsaturated compounds organized in molecular films. New information about reactions of nitric oxide (NO) has been obtained which suggests that the reaction of NO with O 2 in the gas phase is also an important reaction in the radiation chemistry of oxygenated nitrate and nitrite solutions. Development work on an ion-selective electrode for the determination of boron has been completed. Recent studies have resulted in improvements to the mass spectrometric determination of thorium, uranium and plutonium. Good agreement between the results of the determinations of atom percent fission by a stable isotope dilution Nd-148 and a uranium isotope ratio method was observed. Examination of a large number of iodine-induced crack initiation sites formed under conditions where the hydrides are in solution has shown no evidence for the involvement of any second phase particles, or any local segregation of impurities or alloying elements. Reproducible improvement in the purity of zirconium has been achieved by the electrotransport method. Doppler broadening studies of positron annihilation in electron irradiated Zr and Ti have been completed

Bad chemistry

OpenAIRE

Petsko, Gregory A

2004-01-01

General chemistry courses haven't changed significantly in forty years. Because most basic chemistry students are premedical students, medical schools have enormous influence and could help us start all over again to create undergraduate chemistry education that works.

Lean automation development : applying lean principles to the automation development process

OpenAIRE

Granlund, Anna; Wiktorsson, Magnus; Grahn, Sten; Friedler, Niklas

2014-01-01

By a broad empirical study it is indicated that automation development show potential of improvement. In the paper, 13 lean product development principles are contrasted to the automation development process and it is suggested why and how these principles can facilitate, support and improve the automation development process. The paper summarises a description of what characterises a lean automation development process and what consequences it entails. Main differences compared to current pr...

Positronium chemistry

CERN Document Server

Green, James

1964-01-01

Positronium Chemistry focuses on the methodologies, reactions, processes, and transformations involved in positronium chemistry. The publication first offers information on positrons and positronium and experimental methods, including mesonic atoms, angular correlation measurements, annihilation spectra, and statistical errors in delayed coincidence measurements. The text then ponders on positrons in gases and solids. The manuscript takes a look at the theoretical chemistry of positronium and positronium chemistry in gases. Topics include quenching, annihilation spectrum, delayed coincidence

Analytical isotachophoresis of lactate in human serum using dry film photoresist microfluidic chips compatible with a commercially available field-deployable instrument platform

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Smejkal, P.; Breadmore, M. C.; Guijt, R. M.; Foret, František; Bek, F.; Macka, M.

2013-01-01

Roč. 803, NOV (2013), s. 135-142 ISSN 0003-2670 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP301/11/2055 Institutional support: RVO:68081715 Keywords : isotachophoresis * microfluidics * fluorescence * indirect detection * serum Subject RIV: CB - Analytical Chemistry, Separation Impact factor: 4.517, year: 2013

Association of serum vitamin D3 with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Taznuva Anwar

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Vitamin D has an important role and supposed to be a risk factor in the development of pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus by affecting either insulin sensitivity or β-cell function, or both. The present study was conducted to evaluate the relation of serum vitamin D3  and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Total 80 individuals were enrolled in this study. Forty newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic individual were enrolled as cases and 40 healthy glucose tolerant subjects were enrolled as controls. Serum vitamin D3 was measured by chemiluminescence microparticle immunoassay. Fasting and 2 hours plasma glucose level were measured by hexokinase method using the Dimension clinical chemistry system. The mean serum vitamin D3 level was significantly low in type 2 diabetes mellitus than in controls (p= 0,007. The individual with vitamin D3 deficiency showed 3.4 times higher chances to develop type 2 diabetes mellitus compare to the individual with normal vitamin D status. Correlation test showed significant (r= -0.351 negative correlation (p=0.026  between serum vitamin D3 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. It can be concluded that vitamin D3 deficiency is related to type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Non-thermally activated chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stiller, W.

1987-01-01

The subject is covered under the following headings: state-of-the art of non-thermally activated chemical processes; basic phenomena in non-thermal chemistry including mechanochemistry, photochemistry, laser chemistry, electrochemistry, photo-electro chemistry, high-field chemistry, magneto chemistry, plasma chemistry, radiation chemistry, hot-atom chemistry, and positronium and muonium chemistry; elementary processes in non-thermal chemistry including nuclear chemistry, interactions of electromagnetic radiations, electrons and heavy particles with matter, ionic elementary processes, elementary processes with excited species, radicalic elementary processes, and energy-induced elementary processes on surfaces and interfaces; and comparative considerations. An appendix with historical data and a subject index is given. 44 figs., 41 tabs., and 544 refs

Both Automation and Paper.

Science.gov (United States)

Purcell, Royal

1988-01-01

Discusses the concept of a paperless society and the current situation in library automation. Various applications of automation and telecommunications are addressed, and future library automation is considered. Automation at the Monroe County Public Library in Bloomington, Indiana, is described as an example. (MES)

Analytical and clinical performance of the new Fujirebio 25-OH vitamin D assay, a comparison with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and three other automated assays.

Science.gov (United States)

Saleh, Lanja; Mueller, Daniel; von Eckardstein, Arnold

2016-04-01

We evaluated the analytical and clinical performance of the new Lumipulse® G 25-OH vitamin D assay from Fujirebio, and compared it to a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method and three other commercial automated assays. Total 25 hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D) levels were measured in 100 selected serum samples from our routine analysis with Fujirebio 25(OH)D assay. The results were compared with those obtained with LC-MS/MS and three other automated 25(OH)D assays (Abbott, Beckman, and Roche). The accuracy of each assay tested was evaluated against a Labquality reference serum panel for 25(OH)D (Ref!25OHD; University of Ghent). Intra- and inter-day imprecision of the Fujirebio 25(OH)D assay was Lumipulse G 25-OH vitamin D assay from Fujirebio demonstrated a good correlation with LC-MS/MS and some immunoassays. The performance of the assay is well-suited for routine 25(OH)D measurement in clinical serum samples. A correction for the observed negative bias vs. LC-MS/MS could be considered.

Automated Groundwater Screening

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taylor, Glenn A.; Collard, Leonard B.

2005-01-01

The Automated Intruder Analysis has been extended to include an Automated Ground Water Screening option. This option screens 825 radionuclides while rigorously applying the National Council on Radiation Protection (NCRP) methodology. An extension to that methodology is presented to give a more realistic screening factor for those radionuclides which have significant daughters. The extension has the promise of reducing the number of radionuclides which must be tracked by the customer. By combining the Automated Intruder Analysis with the Automated Groundwater Screening a consistent set of assumptions and databases is used. A method is proposed to eliminate trigger values by performing rigorous calculation of the screening factor thereby reducing the number of radionuclides sent to further analysis. Using the same problem definitions as in previous groundwater screenings, the automated groundwater screening found one additional nuclide, Ge-68, which failed the screening. It also found that 18 of the 57 radionuclides contained in NCRP Table 3.1 failed the screening. This report describes the automated groundwater screening computer application

Combinatorial chemistry on solid support in the search for central nervous system agents.

Science.gov (United States)

Zajdel, Paweł; Pawłowski, Maciej; Martinez, Jean; Subra, Gilles

2009-08-01

The advent of combinatorial chemistry was one of the most important developments, that has significantly contributed to the drug discovery process. Within just a few years, its initial concept aimed at production of libraries containing huge number of compounds (thousands to millions), so called screening libraries, has shifted towards preparation of small and medium-sized rationally designed libraries. When applicable, the use of solid supports for the generation of libraries has been a real breakthrough in enhancing productivity. With a limited amount of resin and simple manual workups, the split/mix procedure may generate thousands of bead-tethered compounds. Beads can be chemically or physically encoded to facilitate the identification of a hit after the biological assay. Compartmentalization of solid supports using small reactors like teabags, kans or pellicular discrete supports like Lanterns resulted in powerful sort and combine technologies, relying on codes 'written' on the reactor, and thus reducing the need for automation and improving the number of compounds synthesized. These methods of solid-phase combinatorial chemistry have been recently supported by introduction of solid-supported reagents and scavenger resins. The first part of this review discusses the general premises of combinatorial chemistry and some methods used in the design of primary and focused combinatorial libraries. The aim of the second part is to present combinatorial chemistry methodologies aimed at discovering bioactive compounds acting on diverse GPCR involved in central nervous system disorders.

Green chemistry: A tool in Pharmaceutical Chemistry

OpenAIRE

Smita Talaviya; Falguni Majumdar

2012-01-01

Green chemistry expresses an area of research developing from scientific discoveries about pollution awareness and it utilizes a set of principles that reduces or eliminates the use or generation of hazardous substances in all steps of particular synthesis or process. Chemists and medicinal scientists can greatly reduce the risk to human health and the environment by following all the valuable principles of green chemistry. The most simple and direct way to apply green chemistry in pharmaceut...

Interactions of Poly(amidoamine) Dendrimers with Human Serum Albumin: Binding Constants and Mechanisms

OpenAIRE

Giri, Jyotsnendu; Diallo, Mamadou S.; Simpson, André J.; Liu, Yi; Goddard, William A., III; Kumar, Rajeev; Woods, Gwen C.

2011-01-01

The interactions of nanomaterials with plasma proteins have a significant impact on their in vivo transport and fate in biological fluids. This article discusses the binding of human serum albumin (HSA) to poly(amidoamine) [PAMAM] dendrimers. We use protein-coated silica particles to measure the HSA binding constants (K_b) of a homologous series of 19 PAMAM dendrimers in aqueous solutions at physiological pH (7.4) as a function of dendrimer generation, terminal group, and core chemistry. To g...

An ideal teaching program of nuclear chemistry in the undergraduate chemistry curriculum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uenak, T.

2009-01-01

It is well known that several reports on the common educational problems of nuclear chemistry have been prepared by certain groups of experts from time to time. According to very important statements in these reports, nuclear chemistry and related courses generally do not take sufficient importance in undergraduate chemistry curricula and it was generally proposed that nuclear chemistry and related courses should be introduced into undergraduate chemistry curricula at universities worldwide. Starting from these statements, an ideal program in an undergraduate chemistry curriculum was proposed to be introduced into the undergraduate chemistry program at the Department of Chemistry, Ege University, in Izmir, Turkey during the regular updating of the chemistry curriculum. Thus, it has been believed that this Department of Chemistry has recently gained an ideal teaching program in the field of nuclear chemistry and its applications in scientific, industrial, and medical sectors. In this contribution, the details of this program will be discussed. (author)

Automation in trace-element chemistry - Development of a fully automated on-line preconcentration device for trace analysis of heavy metals with atomic spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michaelis, M.R.A.

1990-01-01

Scope of this work was the development of an automated system for trace element preconcentration to be used and integrated to analytic atomic spectroscopic methods like flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS), graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) or atomic emission spectroscopy with inductively coupled plasma (ICP-AES). Based on the newly developed cellulose-based chelating cation exchangers ethylene-diamin-triacetic acid cellulose (EDTrA-Cellulose) and sulfonated-oxine cellulose a flexible, computer-controlled instrument for automation of preconcentration and/or of matrix separation of heavy metals is described. The most important properties of these materials are fast exchange kinetics, good selectivity against alkaline and alkaline earth elements, good flow characteristics and good stability of the material and the chelating functions against changes in pH-values of reagents necessary in the process. The combination of the preconcentration device for on-line determinations of Zn, Cd, Pb, Ni, Fe, Co, Mn, V, Cu, La, U, Th is described for FAAS and for ICP-AES with a simultaneous spectrometer. Signal enhancement factors of 70 are achieved from preconcentration of 10 ml and on-line determination with FAAS due to signal quantification in peak-height mode. For GFAAS and for sequential ICP methods for off-line preconcentration are given. The optimization and adaption of the interface to the different characteristics of the analytical instrumentation is emphasized. For evaluation and future developments with respect to determination and/or preconcentration of anionic species like As, Se, Sb etc. instrument modifications are proposed and a development software is described. (Author)

BWR Water Chemistry Guidelines: 1993 Revision, Normal and hydrogen water chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karlberg, G.; Goddard, C.; Fitzpatrick, S.

1994-02-01

The goal of water chemistry control is to extend the operating life of the reactor and rector coolant system, balance-of-plant components, and turbines while simultaneously controlling costs to safeguard the continued economic viability of the nuclear power generation investment. To further this goal an industry committee of chemistry personnel prepared guidelines to identify the benefits, risks, and costs associated with water chemistry in BWRs and to provide a template for an optimized water chemistry program. This document replaces the BWR Normal Water Chemistry Guidelines - 1986 Revision and the BWR Hydrogen Water Chemistry Guidelines -- 1987 Revision. It expands on the previous guidelines documents by covering the economic implications of BWR water chemistry control

Chemistry-Nuclear Chemistry Division. Progress report, October 1980-September 1981

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryan, R.R.

1982-05-01

This report describes major progress in the research and development programs pursued by the Chemistry-Nuclear Chemistry Division of the Los Alamos National Laboratory during FY 1981. Topics covered include advanced analytical methods, atmospheric chemistry and transport, biochemistry, biomedical research, medical radioisotopes research, element migration and fixation, nuclear waste isolation research, inorganic and structural chemistry, isotope separation, analysis and applications, the newly established Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Center, atomic and molecular collisions, molecular spectroscopy, nuclear cosmochemistry, nuclear structure and reactions, pion charge exchange, radiochemical separations, theoretical chemistry, and unclassified weapons research

Chemistry-Nuclear Chemistry Division. Progress report, October 1980-September 1981

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ryan, R.R. (comp.)

1982-05-01

This report describes major progress in the research and development programs pursued by the Chemistry-Nuclear Chemistry Division of the Los Alamos National Laboratory during FY 1981. Topics covered include advanced analytical methods, atmospheric chemistry and transport, biochemistry, biomedical research, medical radioisotopes research, element migration and fixation, nuclear waste isolation research, inorganic and structural chemistry, isotope separation, analysis and applications, the newly established Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Center, atomic and molecular collisions, molecular spectroscopy, nuclear cosmochemistry, nuclear structure and reactions, pion charge exchange, radiochemical separations, theoretical chemistry, and unclassified weapons research.

Automated model building

CERN Document Server

Caferra, Ricardo; Peltier, Nicholas

2004-01-01

This is the first book on automated model building, a discipline of automated deduction that is of growing importance Although models and their construction are important per se, automated model building has appeared as a natural enrichment of automated deduction, especially in the attempt to capture the human way of reasoning The book provides an historical overview of the field of automated deduction, and presents the foundations of different existing approaches to model construction, in particular those developed by the authors Finite and infinite model building techniques are presented The main emphasis is on calculi-based methods, and relevant practical results are provided The book is of interest to researchers and graduate students in computer science, computational logic and artificial intelligence It can also be used as a textbook in advanced undergraduate courses

DNA functionalization by dynamic chemistry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zeynep Kanlidere

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Dynamic combinatorial chemistry (DCC is an attractive method to efficiently generate libraries of molecules from simpler building blocks by reversible reactions under thermodynamic control. Here we focus on the chemical modification of DNA oligonucleotides with acyclic diol linkers and demonstrate their potential for the deoxyribonucleic acid functionalization and generation of libraries of reversibly interconverting building blocks. The syntheses of phosphoramidite building blocks derived from D-threoninol are presented in two variants with protected amino or thiol groups. The threoninol building blocks were successfully incorporated via automated solid-phase synthesis into 13mer oligonucleotides. The amino group containing phosphoramidite was used together with complementary single-strand DNA templates that influenced the Watson–Crick base-pairing equilibrium in the mixture with a set of aldehyde modified nucleobases. A significant fraction of all possible base-pair mismatches was obtained, whereas, the highest selectivity (over 80% was found for the guanine aldehyde templated by the complementary cytosine containing DNA. The elevated occurrence of mismatches can be explained by increased backbone plasticity derived from the linear threoninol building block as a cyclic deoxyribose analogue.

Modeling Human Serum Albumin Tertiary Structure to Teach Upper-Division Chemistry Students Bioinformatics and Homology Modeling Basics

Science.gov (United States)

Petrovic, Dus?an; Zlatovic´, Mario

2015-01-01

A homology modeling laboratory experiment has been developed for an introductory molecular modeling course for upper-division undergraduate chemistry students. With this experiment, students gain practical experience in homology model preparation and assessment as well as in protein visualization using the educational version of PyMOL…

Fundamentals of nuclear chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Majer, V.

1982-01-01

The author of the book has had 25 years of experience at the Nuclear Chemistry of Prague Technical University. In consequence, the book is intended as a basic textbook for students of this field. Its main objectives are an easily understandable presentation of the complex subject and in spite of the uncertainty which still characterizes the definition and subjects of nuclear chemistry - a systematic classification and logical structure. Contents: 1. Introduction (history and definition); 2. General nuclear chemistry (physical fundamentals, hot atom chemistry, interaction of nuclear radiation with matter, radioactive elements, isotope effects, isotope exchange, chemistry of radioactive trace elements); 3. Methods of nuclear chemistry of nuclear chemistry (radiochemical methods, activation, separation and enrichment chemistry); 4. Preparative nuclear chemistry (isotope production, labelled compounds); 5. Analytival nuclear chemistry; 6. Applied nuclear chemistry (isotope applications in general physical and analytical chemistry). The book is supplemented by an annex with tables, a name catalogue and a subject index which will facilitate access to important information. (RB) [de

Bisphenol A (BPA) in the serum of pet dogs following short-term consumption of canned dog food and potential health consequences of exposure to BPA.

Science.gov (United States)

Koestel, Zoe L; Backus, Robert C; Tsuruta, Kaoru; Spollen, William G; Johnson, Sarah A; Javurek, Angela B; Ellersieck, Mark R; Wiedmeyer, Charles E; Kannan, Kurunthachalam; Xue, Jingchuan; Bivens, Nathan J; Givan, Scott A; Rosenfeld, Cheryl S

2017-02-01

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a widely present endocrine disruptor chemical found in many household items. Moreover, this chemical can bioaccumulate in various terrestrial and aquatic sources; thereby ensuring continual exposure of animals and humans. For most species, including humans, diet is considered the primary route of exposure. However, there has been little investigation whether commercial-brands of dog foods contain BPA and potential health ramifications of BPA-dietary exposure in dogs. We sought to determine BPA content within dog food, whether short-term consumption of these diets increases serum concentrations of BPA, and potential health consequences, as assessed by potential hematological, serum chemistry, cortisol, DNA methylation, and gut microbiome changes, in dogs associated with short-term dietary exposure to BPA. Fourteen healthy privately-owned dogs were used in this study. Blood and fecal samples were collected prior to dogs being placed for two-weeks on one of two diets (with one considered to be BPA-free), and blood and fecal samples were collected again. Serum/plasma samples were analyzed for chemistry and hematology profiles, cortisol concentrations, 5-methylcytosine in lymphocytes, and total BPA concentrations. Fecal samples were used for microbiome assessments. Both diets contained BPA, and after two-weeks of being on either diet, dogs had a significant increase in circulating BPA concentrations (pre-samples=0.7±0.15ng/mL, post-samples=2.2±0.15ng/mL, pfood increased circulating BPA concentrations in dogs comparable to amounts detected in humans, and greater BPA concentrations were associated with serum chemistry and microbiome changes. Dogs, who share our internal and external environments with us, are likely excellent indicators of potential human health concerns to BPA and other environmental chemicals. These findings may also have relevance to aquatic and terrestrial wildlife. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Scientific Information Analysis of Chemistry Dissertations Using Thesaurus of Chemistry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Taghi Rajabi

2017-09-01

Full Text Available : Concept maps of chemistry can be obtained from thesaurus of chemistry. Analysis of information in the field of chemistry is done at graduate level, based on comparing and analyzing chemistry dissertations by using these maps. Therefore, the use of thesaurus for analyzing scientific information is recommended. Major advantage of using this method, is that it is possible to obtain a detailed map of all academic researches across all branches of science. The researches analysis results in chemical science can play a key role in developing strategic research policies, educational programming, linking universities to industries and postgraduate educational programming. This paper will first introduce the concept maps of chemistry. Then, emerging patterns from the concept maps of chemistry will be used to analyze the trend in the academic dissertations in chemistry, using the data collected and stored in our database at Iranian Research Institute for Information Science and Technology (IranDoc over the past 10 years (1998-2009.

Evaluation of automated serum des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin (DCP) assays for detecting hepatocellular carcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Jonghyeon; Park, Yongjung; Kim, Jeong-Ho; Kim, Hyon-Suk

2011-12-01

We evaluated two new autoanalyzers, μTAS and Lumipulse for des-γ-carboxyprothrombin (DCP) assay. Analytical performance was evaluated, and the upper reference limit of the 97.5th percentile for DCP was re-established using sera from 140 healthy individuals. DCP levels were determined by the two autoanalyzers and EIA in a total of 239 sera from HCC patients (n=120) and those without HCC (n=119). Total imprecision of the two automated assays was Lumipulse. There were proportional and constant biases between the results from the autoanalyzers and those from EIA. The two newly developed DCP assays showed high analytical performance, but re-establishment of reference limits would be necessary. The new analyzers could be useful for clinical laboratories because of convenience of operation and wide AMRs. Copyright © 2011 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Novel Wet Chemistry Separation and Purification Methods to Facilitate Automation of Astatine-­211 Isolation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wilbur, Daniel Scott [Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)

2016-07-19

²¹¹At solutions did not appear to change the percent capture, but may have an effect on the % extracted; There was some indication that the PEG-­Merrifield resins could be saturated (perhaps with Bi) resulting in lower capture percentages, but more studies need to be done to confirm that; A target dissolution chamber, designed and built at PNNL, works well with syringe pumps so it can be used in an automated system; Preliminary semi-­automated ²¹¹At isolation studies have been conducted with full-scale target dissolution and ²¹¹At isolation using a PEG column on the Hamilton automated system gave low overall recoveries, but HNO₃ was used (rather than HCl) for loading the ²¹¹At and flow rates were not optimized; Results obtained using PEG columns are high enough to warrant further development on a fully automated system; Results obtained also indicate that additional studies are warranted to evaluate other types of columns for ²¹¹At separation from bismuth, which allow use of HNO₃/HCl mixtures for loading and NaOH for eluting ²¹¹At. Such a column could greatly simplify the overall isolation process and make it easier to automate.

78 FR 53466 - Modification of Two National Customs Automation Program (NCAP) Tests Concerning Automated...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-08-29

... Customs Automation Program (NCAP) Tests Concerning Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Document Image... National Customs Automation Program (NCAP) tests concerning document imaging, known as the Document Image... the National Customs Automation Program (NCAP) tests concerning document imaging, known as the...

Optimization of automation: III. Development of optimization method for determining automation rate in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Seung Min; Kim, Jong Hyun; Kim, Man Cheol; Seong, Poong Hyun

2016-01-01

Highlights: • We propose an appropriate automation rate that enables the best human performance. • We analyze the shortest working time considering Situation Awareness Recovery (SAR). • The optimized automation rate is estimated by integrating the automation and ostracism rate estimation methods. • The process to derive the optimized automation rate is demonstrated through case studies. - Abstract: Automation has been introduced in various industries, including the nuclear field, because it is commonly believed that automation promises greater efficiency, lower workloads, and fewer operator errors through reducing operator errors and enhancing operator and system performance. However, the excessive introduction of automation has deteriorated operator performance due to the side effects of automation, which are referred to as Out-of-the-Loop (OOTL), and this is critical issue that must be resolved. Thus, in order to determine the optimal level of automation introduction that assures the best human operator performance, a quantitative method of optimizing the automation is proposed in this paper. In order to propose the optimization method for determining appropriate automation levels that enable the best human performance, the automation rate and ostracism rate, which are estimation methods that quantitatively analyze the positive and negative effects of automation, respectively, are integrated. The integration was conducted in order to derive the shortest working time through considering the concept of situation awareness recovery (SAR), which states that the automation rate with the shortest working time assures the best human performance. The process to derive the optimized automation rate is demonstrated through an emergency operation scenario-based case study. In this case study, four types of procedures are assumed through redesigning the original emergency operating procedure according to the introduced automation and ostracism levels. Using the

Assay-specific decision limits for two new automated parathyroid hormone and 25-hydroxyvitamin D assays.

Science.gov (United States)

Souberbielle, Jean-Claude; Fayol, Véronique; Sault, Corinne; Lawson-Body, Ethel; Kahan, André; Cormier, Catherine

2005-02-01

The recent development of nonradioactive automated assays for serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) has made measurement of these two hormones possible in many laboratories. In this study, we compared two new assays for PTH and 25OHD adapted on an automated analyzer, the LIAISON, with two manual immunoassays used worldwide. We studied 228 osteoporotic patients, 927 healthy individuals, 38 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism, and 167 hemodialyzed patients. Serum PTH was measured with the Allegro and the LIAISON assays, and 25OHD was measured with DiaSorin RIA and the LIAISON assay. Regression analysis was used to calculate decision thresholds for the LIAISON assays that were equivalent to those of the Allegro PTH and DiaSorin 25OHD assays. The 25OHD concentrations obtained with the LIAISON assay and the RIA in osteoporotic patients were well correlated (r = 0.83; P 50 nmol/L as eligible for the reference population for the LIAISON PTH assay. In this group, the 3rd-97th percentile interval for LIAISON PTH was 3-51 ng/L. Considering upper reference limits of 46 and 51 ng/L for the Allegro and LIAISON assays, respectively, the frequency of above-normal PTH concentrations in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism was similar in both assays. Regression analysis between serum PTH measured by the Allegro and LIAISON assays in 167 hemodialyzed patients and the corresponding Bland-Altman analysis of these data suggest that the LIAISON PTH assay tends to read higher than the Allegro assay at low concentrations but lower at high concentrations (>300 ng/L). Because clinical decision limits for both PTH and 25OHD should be assay specific, we propose equivalences between these assays and two manual assays used worldwide. These assay-specific decision limits should help potential users of the LIAISON PTH and 25OHD assays.

Exploration of fluorine chemistry at the multidisciplinary interface of chemistry and biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Ojima, Iwao

2013-07-05

Over the last three decades, my engagement in "fluorine chemistry" has evolved substantially because of the multidisciplinary nature of the research programs. I began my research career as a synthetic chemist in organometallic chemistry and homogeneous catalysis directed toward organic synthesis. Then, I was brought into a very unique world of "fluorine chemistry" in the end of 1970s. I started exploring the interface of fluorine chemistry and transition metal homogeneous catalysis first, which was followed by amino acids, peptides, and peptidomimetics for medicinal chemistry. Since then, I have been exploring the interfaces of fluorine chemistry and multidisciplinary fields of research involving medicinal chemistry, chemical biology, cancer biology, and molecular imaging. This perspective intends to cover my fruitful endeavor in the exploration of fluorine chemistry at the multidisciplinary interface of chemistry and biology in a chronological order to show the evolution of my research interest and strategy.

World-wide distribution automation systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Devaney, T.M.

1994-01-01

A worldwide power distribution automation system is outlined. Distribution automation is defined and the status of utility automation is discussed. Other topics discussed include a distribution management system, substation feeder, and customer functions, potential benefits, automation costs, planning and engineering considerations, automation trends, databases, system operation, computer modeling of system, and distribution management systems

Nuclear chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vertes, A.; Kiss, I.

1987-01-01

This book is an introduction to the application of nuclear science in modern chemistry. The first group of chapters discuss the basic phenomena and concepts of nuclear physics with emphasis on their relation to chemical problems, including the main properties and the composition of atomic nuclei, nuclear reactions, radioactive decay and interactions of radiation with matter. These chapters provide the basis for understanding the following chapters which encompass the wide scope of nuclear chemistry. The methods of the investigation of chemical structure based on the interaction of nuclear radiation with matter including positronium chemistry and other exotic atoms is elaborated in particular detail. Separate chapters are devoted to the use of radioactive tracers, the chemical consequences of nuclear processes (i.e. hot atom chemistry), radiation chemistry, isotope effects and their applications, and the operation of nuclear reactors

Nuclear chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vertes, A.; Kiss, I.

1987-01-01

This book is an introduction to the application of nuclear science in modern chemistry. The first group of chapters discuss the basic phenomena and concepts of nuclear physics with emphasis on their relation to chemical problems, including the main properties and the composition of atomic nuclei, nuclear reactions, radioactive decay and interactions of radiation with matter. These chapters provide the basis for understanding the following chapters which encompass the wide scope of nuclear chemistry. The methods of the investigation of chemical structure based on the interaction of nuclear radiation with matter including positronium chemistry and other exotic atoms is elaborated in particular detail. Separate chapters are devoted to the use of radioactive tracers, the chemical consequences of nuclear processes (i.e. hot atom chemistry), radiation chemistry, isotope effects and their applications, and the operation of nuclear reactors. (Auth.)

WIDAFELS flexible automation systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shende, P.S.; Chander, K.P.; Ramadas, P.

1990-01-01

After discussing the various aspects of automation, some typical examples of various levels of automation are given. One of the examples is of automated production line for ceramic fuel pellets. (M.G.B.)

Automation in Clinical Microbiology

Science.gov (United States)

Ledeboer, Nathan A.

2013-01-01

Historically, the trend toward automation in clinical pathology laboratories has largely bypassed the clinical microbiology laboratory. In this article, we review the historical impediments to automation in the microbiology laboratory and offer insight into the reasons why we believe that we are on the cusp of a dramatic change that will sweep a wave of automation into clinical microbiology laboratories. We review the currently available specimen-processing instruments as well as the total laboratory automation solutions. Lastly, we outline the types of studies that will need to be performed to fully assess the benefits of automation in microbiology laboratories. PMID:23515547

Virtual automation.

Science.gov (United States)

Casis, E; Garrido, A; Uranga, B; Vives, A; Zufiaurre, C

2001-01-01

Total laboratory automation (TLA) can be substituted in mid-size laboratories by a computer sample workflow control (virtual automation). Such a solution has been implemented in our laboratory using PSM, software developed in cooperation with Roche Diagnostics (Barcelona, Spain), to this purpose. This software is connected to the online analyzers and to the laboratory information system and is able to control and direct the samples working as an intermediate station. The only difference with TLA is the replacement of transport belts by personnel of the laboratory. The implementation of this virtual automation system has allowed us the achievement of the main advantages of TLA: workload increase (64%) with reduction in the cost per test (43%), significant reduction in the number of biochemistry primary tubes (from 8 to 2), less aliquoting (from 600 to 100 samples/day), automation of functional testing, drastic reduction of preanalytical errors (from 11.7 to 0.4% of the tubes) and better total response time for both inpatients (from up to 48 hours to up to 4 hours) and outpatients (from up to 10 days to up to 48 hours). As an additional advantage, virtual automation could be implemented without hardware investment and significant headcount reduction (15% in our lab).

Analytical Chemistry as Methodology in Modern Pure and Applied Chemistry

OpenAIRE

Honjo, Takaharu

2001-01-01

Analytical chemistry is an indispensable methodology in pure and applied chemistry, which is often compared to a foundation stone of architecture. In the home page of jsac, it is said that analytical chemistry is a learning of basic science, which treats the development of method in order to get usefull chemical information of materials by means of detection, separation, and characterization. Analytical chemistry has recently developed into analytical sciences, which treats not only analysis ...

Fundamentals of nuclear chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Majer, K.

1982-01-01

The textbook is a Czech-to-German translation of the second revised edition and covers the subject under the headings: general nuclear chemistry, methods of nuclear chemistry, preparative nuclear chemistry, analytical nuclear chemistry, and applied chemistry. The book is especially directed to students

Automation of Test Cases for Web Applications : Automation of CRM Test Cases

OpenAIRE

Seyoum, Alazar

2012-01-01

The main theme of this project was to design a test automation framework for automating web related test cases. Automating test cases designed for testing a web interface provide a means of improving a software development process by shortening the testing phase in the software development life cycle. In this project an existing AutoTester framework and iMacros test automation tools were used. CRM Test Agent was developed to integrate AutoTester to iMacros and to enable the AutoTester,...

Surface chemistry essentials

CERN Document Server

Birdi, K S

2013-01-01

Surface chemistry plays an important role in everyday life, as the basis for many phenomena as well as technological applications. Common examples range from soap bubbles, foam, and raindrops to cosmetics, paint, adhesives, and pharmaceuticals. Additional areas that rely on surface chemistry include modern nanotechnology, medical diagnostics, and drug delivery. There is extensive literature on this subject, but most chemistry books only devote one or two chapters to it. Surface Chemistry Essentials fills a need for a reference that brings together the fundamental aspects of surface chemistry w

The New Color of Chemistry: Green Chemistry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zuhal GERÇEK

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Green chemistry which is the new application of chemistry rules provides solutions to problems that mankind is faced with climate changes, sustainable agriculture, energy, toxics, depletion of natural sources e.g. designing new chemicals and processes that production and utilization of hazardous matters. So, it is the indispensible tool for sustainable development. Current and future chemists should consider the human health and ecological issues in their professional life. In order to provide a solution for this requirement, green chemistry rules and under standings should be primarily taken in the university curriculum and at all educational levels.

Analytical performance of centrifuge-based device for clinical chemistry testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Suk-Anake, Jamikorn; Promptmas, Chamras

2012-01-01

A centrifuge-based device has been introduced to the Samsung Blood Analyzer (SBA). The verification of this analyzer is essential to meet the ISO15189 standard. Analytical performance was evaluated according to the NCCLS EP05-A method. The results of plasma samples were compared between the SBA and a Hitachi 917 analyzer according to the NCCLS EP09-A2-IR method. Percent recovery was determined via analysis of original control serum and spiked serum. Within-run precision was found to be 0.00 - 6.61% and 0.96 - 5.99% in normal- and abnormal-level assays, respectively, while between-run precision was 1.31 - 9.09% and 0.89 - 6.92%, respectively. The correlation coefficients (r) were > 0.990. The SBA presented analytical accuracy at 96.64 +/- 3.39% to 102.82 +/- 2.75% and 98.31 +/- 4.04% to 103.61 +/- 8.28% recovery, respectively. The results obtained verify that all of the 13 tests performed using the SBA demonstrates good and reliable precision suitable for use in qualified clinical chemistry laboratory service.

Project-focused activity and knowledge tracker: a unified data analysis, collaboration, and workflow tool for medicinal chemistry project teams.

Science.gov (United States)

Brodney, Marian D; Brosius, Arthur D; Gregory, Tracy; Heck, Steven D; Klug-McLeod, Jacquelyn L; Poss, Christopher S

2009-12-01

Advances in the field of drug discovery have brought an explosion in the quantity of data available to medicinal chemists and other project team members. New strategies and systems are needed to help these scientists to efficiently gather, organize, analyze, annotate, and share data about potential new drug molecules of interest to their project teams. Herein we describe a suite of integrated services and end-user applications that facilitate these activities throughout the medicinal chemistry design cycle. The Automated Data Presentation (ADP) and Virtual Compound Profiler (VCP) processes automate the gathering, organization, and storage of real and virtual molecules, respectively, and associated data. The Project-Focused Activity and Knowledge Tracker (PFAKT) provides a unified data analysis and collaboration environment, enhancing decision-making, improving team communication, and increasing efficiency.

Technetium chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burns, C.; Bryan, J.; Cotton, F.; Ott, K.; Kubas, G.; Haefner, S.; Barrera, J.; Hall, K.; Burrell, A.

1996-01-01

Technetium chemistry is a young and developing field. Despite the limited knowledge of its chemistry, technetium is the workhorse for nuclear medicine. Technetium is also a significant environmental concern because it is formed as a byproduct of nuclear weapons production and fission-power generators. Development of new technetium radio-pharmaceuticals and effective environmental control depends strongly upon knowledge of basic technetium chemistry. The authors performed research into the basic coordination and organometallic chemistry of technetium and used this knowledge to address nuclear medicine and environmental applications. This is the final report of a three-year Laboratory-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL)

Chemistry of Technetium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Omori, Takashi

2001-01-01

Since the late 1970's the coordination chemistry of technetium has been developed remarkably. The background of the development is obviously related to the use of technetium radiopharmaceuticals for diagnosis in nuclear medicine. Much attention has also been denoted to the chemical behavior of environmental 99 Tc released from reprocessing plants. This review covers the several aspects of technetium chemistry, including production of radioisotopes, analytical chemistry and coordination chemistry. In the analytical chemistry, separation of technetium, emphasizing chromatography and solvent extraction, is described together with spectrophotometric determination of technetium. In the coordination chemistry of technetium, a characteristic feature of the chemistry of Tc(V) complexes is referred from the view point of the formation of a wide variety of highly stable complexes containing the Tc=O or Tc≡N bond. Kinetic studies of the preparation of Tc(III) complexes using hexakis (thiourea) technetium(III) ion as a starting material are summarized, together with the base hydrolysis reactions of Tc(III), Tc(IV) and Tc(V) complexes. (author)

An Automation Planning Primer.

Science.gov (United States)

Paynter, Marion

1988-01-01

This brief planning guide for library automation incorporates needs assessment and evaluation of options to meet those needs. A bibliography of materials on automation planning and software reviews, library software directories, and library automation journals is included. (CLB)

Automation in Immunohematology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meenu Bajpai

2012-01-01

Full Text Available There have been rapid technological advances in blood banking in South Asian region over the past decade with an increasing emphasis on quality and safety of blood products. The conventional test tube technique has given way to newer techniques such as column agglutination technique, solid phase red cell adherence assay, and erythrocyte-magnetized technique. These new technologies are adaptable to automation and major manufacturers in this field have come up with semi and fully automated equipments for immunohematology tests in the blood bank. Automation improves the objectivity and reproducibility of tests. It reduces human errors in patient identification and transcription errors. Documentation and traceability of tests, reagents and processes and archiving of results is another major advantage of automation. Shifting from manual methods to automation is a major undertaking for any transfusion service to provide quality patient care with lesser turnaround time for their ever increasing workload. This article discusses the various issues involved in the process.

Automation of dimethylation after guanidination labeling chemistry and its compatibility with common buffers and surfactants for mass spectrometry-based shotgun quantitative proteome analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lo, Andy; Tang, Yanan; Chen, Lu; Li, Liang, E-mail: Liang.Li@ualberta.ca

2013-07-25

Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •Dimethylation after guanidination (2MEGA) uses inexpensive reagents for isotopic labeling of peptides. •2MEGA can be optimized and automated for labeling peptides with high efficiency. •2MEGA is compatible with several commonly used cell lysis and protein solubilization reagents. •The automated 2MEGA labeling method can be used to handle a variety of protein samples for relative proteome quantification. -- Abstract: Isotope labeling liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) is a major analytical platform for quantitative proteome analysis. Incorporation of isotopes used to distinguish samples plays a critical role in the success of this strategy. In this work, we optimized and automated a chemical derivatization protocol (dimethylation after guanidination, 2MEGA) to increase the labeling reproducibility and reduce human intervention. We also evaluated the reagent compatibility of this protocol to handle biological samples in different types of buffers and surfactants. A commercially available liquid handler was used for reagent dispensation to minimize analyst intervention and at least twenty protein digest samples could be prepared in a single run. Different front-end sample preparation methods for protein solubilization (SDS, urea, Rapigest™, and ProteaseMAX™) and two commercially available cell lysis buffers were evaluated for compatibility with the automated protocol. It was found that better than 94% desired labeling could be obtained in all conditions studied except urea, where the rate was reduced to about 92% due to carbamylation on the peptide amines. This work illustrates the automated 2MEGA labeling process can be used to handle a wide range of protein samples containing various reagents that are often encountered in protein sample preparation for quantitative proteome analysis.

Automated Budget System -

Data.gov (United States)

Department of Transportation — The Automated Budget System (ABS) automates management and planning of the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center (MMAC) budget by providing enhanced capability to plan,...

Bioprocessing automation in cell therapy manufacturing: Outcomes of special interest group automation workshop.

Science.gov (United States)

Ball, Oliver; Robinson, Sarah; Bure, Kim; Brindley, David A; Mccall, David

2018-04-01

Phacilitate held a Special Interest Group workshop event in Edinburgh, UK, in May 2017. The event brought together leading stakeholders in the cell therapy bioprocessing field to identify present and future challenges and propose potential solutions to automation in cell therapy bioprocessing. Here, we review and summarize discussions from the event. Deep biological understanding of a product, its mechanism of action and indication pathogenesis underpin many factors relating to bioprocessing and automation. To fully exploit the opportunities of bioprocess automation, therapeutics developers must closely consider whether an automation strategy is applicable, how to design an 'automatable' bioprocess and how to implement process modifications with minimal disruption. Major decisions around bioprocess automation strategy should involve all relevant stakeholders; communication between technical and business strategy decision-makers is of particular importance. Developers should leverage automation to implement in-process testing, in turn applicable to process optimization, quality assurance (QA)/ quality control (QC), batch failure control, adaptive manufacturing and regulatory demands, but a lack of precedent and technical opportunities can complicate such efforts. Sparse standardization across product characterization, hardware components and software platforms is perceived to complicate efforts to implement automation. The use of advanced algorithmic approaches such as machine learning may have application to bioprocess and supply chain optimization. Automation can substantially de-risk the wider supply chain, including tracking and traceability, cryopreservation and thawing and logistics. The regulatory implications of automation are currently unclear because few hardware options exist and novel solutions require case-by-case validation, but automation can present attractive regulatory incentives. Copyright © 2018 International Society for Cellular Therapy

Physical Chemistry '98: Fourth International Conference on Fundamental and Applied Aspects of Physical Chemistry - Papers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ribnikar, S.; Anic, S.

1998-01-01

The proceedings has following chapters: Plenary lectures; Chemical Thermodynamics; Spectroscopy, Molecular Structures, Physical Chemistry of Plasma; Kinetics, Catalysis, Nonlinear Dynamics; Electrochemistry; Biophysical Chemistry, Photochemistry, Radiation Chemistry; Radiochemistry, Nuclear Chemistry; Solid State Physical Chemistry, Material Science; Macromolecular Physical Chemistry; Environmental Protection; Phase Boundaries; Complex Compounds; General Physical Chemistry. A separated abstract was prepared for each of the 20 papers selected from the three chapters: Biophysical Chemistry, Photochemistry, Radiation Chemistry; Radiochemistry, Nuclear Chemistry. and Environmental Protection. Refs and figs

Radiation chemistry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1973-07-01

Research progress is reported on radiation chemistry of heavy elements that includes the following topics: radiation chemistry of plutonium in nitric acid solutions (spectrophotometric analysis and gamma radiolysis of Pu(IV) and Pu(VI) in nitric acid solution); EPR studies of intermediates formed in radiolytic reactions with aqueous medium; two-phase radiolysis and its effect on the distribution coefficient of plutonium; and radiation chemistry of nitric acid. (DHM)

Environmental chemistry. Seventh edition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Manahan, S.E. [Univ. of Missouri, Columbia, MO (United States)

1999-11-01

This book presents a basic understanding of environmental chemistry and its applications. In addition to providing updated materials in this field, the book emphasizes the major concepts essential to the practice of environmental chemistry. Topics of discussion include the following: toxicological chemistry; toxicological chemistry of chemical substances; chemical analysis of water and wastewater; chemical analysis of wastes and solids; air and gas analysis; chemical analysis of biological materials and xenobiotics; fundamentals of chemistry; and fundamentals of organic chemistry.

The baseline serum value of α-amylase is a significant predictor of distance running performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Lippi, Giuseppe; Salvagno, Gian Luca; Danese, Elisa; Tarperi, Cantor; La Torre, Antonio; Guidi, Gian Cesare; Schena, Federico

2015-02-01

This study was planned to investigate whether serum α-amylase concentration may be associated with running performance, physiological characteristics and other clinical chemistry analytes in a large sample of recreational athletes undergoing distance running. Forty-three amateur runners successfully concluded a 21.1 km half-marathon at 75%-85% of their maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max). Blood was drawn during warm up and 15 min after conclusion of the run. After correction for body weight change, significant post-run increases were observed for serum values of alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, bilirubin, creatine kinase (CK), iron, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), triglycerides, urea and uric acid, whereas the values of body weight, glomerular filtration rate, total and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol were significantly decreased. The concentration of serum α-amylase was unchanged. In univariate analysis, significant associations with running performance were found for gender, VO2max, training regimen and pre-run serum values of α-amylase, CK, glucose, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol, LDH, urea and uric acid. In multivariate analysis, only VO2max (p=0.042) and baseline α-amylase (p=0.021) remained significant predictors of running performance. The combination of these two variables predicted 71% of variance in running performance. The baseline concentration of serum α-amylase was positively correlated with variation of serum glucose during the trial (r=0.345; p=0.025) and negatively with capillary blood lactate at the end of the run (r=-0.352; p=0.021). We showed that the baseline serum α-amylase concentration significantly and independently predicts distance running performance in recreational runners.

Urine phenobarbital drug screening: potential use for compliance assessment in neonates.

Science.gov (United States)

Guillet, Ronnie; Kwon, Jennifer M; Chen, Sixaio; McDermott, Michael P

2012-02-01

This study was done to determine if urine phenobarbital measurements provide a reliable indicator of presence of the drug in neonates. Urine was collected from neonates treated with phenobarbital for clinical indications within 4 to 6 hours of clinically indicated collection of serum phenobarbital levels. Urine samples were also collected from control neonates not treated with phenobarbital. One aliquot was assayed fresh, another frozen at -30°C and assayed 1 to 3 months later. Phenobarbital was assayed using the ONLINE TDM Roche/Hitachi automated clinical chemistry analyzer. Serum and urine concentrations were compared as were fresh and frozen urine measurements. Serum phenobarbital ranged from 5.6 to 52.7 μg/mL. Matched urine samples were 56.6 ± 12.5% of the serum level. Frozen samples were 98.3 ± 8.0% of the fresh samples. Urine phenobarbital concentrations, either fresh or frozen, can be used in neonates as a noninvasive estimate of drug levels.

Antiparallel Dynamic Covalent Chemistries.

Science.gov (United States)

Matysiak, Bartosz M; Nowak, Piotr; Cvrtila, Ivica; Pappas, Charalampos G; Liu, Bin; Komáromy, Dávid; Otto, Sijbren

2017-05-17

The ability to design reaction networks with high, but addressable complexity is a necessary prerequisite to make advanced functional chemical systems. Dynamic combinatorial chemistry has proven to be a useful tool in achieving complexity, however with some limitations in controlling it. Herein we introduce the concept of antiparallel chemistries, in which the same functional group can be channeled into one of two reversible chemistries depending on a controllable parameter. Such systems allow both for achieving complexity, by combinatorial chemistry, and addressing it, by switching from one chemistry to another by controlling an external parameter. In our design the two antiparallel chemistries are thiol-disulfide exchange and thio-Michael addition, sharing the thiol as the common building block. By means of oxidation and reduction the system can be reversibly switched from predominantly thio-Michael chemistry to predominantly disulfide chemistry, as well as to any intermediate state. Both chemistries operate in water, at room temperature, and at mildly basic pH, which makes them a suitable platform for further development of systems chemistry.

More Chemistry with Light! More Light in Chemistry!

Science.gov (United States)

Bach, Thorsten

2015-09-21

"…︁ Why is chemistry overlooked when talking about light? Is the photon a physical particle per se? Are all important light-induced processes biological? Maybe the role of light for chemistry and the role of chemistry for light may be far less important than a few eccentric scientists would like to believe. From the perspective of a synthetically oriented photochemist, however, the facts are different …︁" Read more in the Editorial by Thorsten Bach. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The effect of extremely high glucose concentrations on 21 routine chemistry and thyroid Abbott assays: interference study

OpenAIRE

?uhadar, Serap; K?seo?lu, Mehmet; ?inpolat, Yasemin; Bu?dayc?, G?ler; Usta, Murat; Semerci, Tuna

2016-01-01

Abstract Introduction: Extremely high glucose concentrations have been shown to interfere with creatinine assays especially with Jaffe method in peritoneal dialysate. Because diabetes is the fastest growing chronic disease in the world, laboratories study with varying glucose concentrations. We investigated whether different levels of glucose spiked in serum interfere with 21 routine chemistry and thyroid assays at glucose concentrations between 17-51 mmol/L. Materials and methods: Base...

Medicinal Chemistry/Pharmacology in Sophomore Organic Chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Harrison, Aline M.

1989-01-01

Discussed is a series of lectures designed to illustrate the use of general organic chemical principles in molecular biology, introduce current research in interdisciplinary areas to the beginner, increase interest in organic chemistry, and bridge the gap between traditional organic chemistry, biology, and the consumer. An outline is presented.…

Power plant cycle chemistry - a currently neglected power plant chemistry discipline

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bursik, A.

2005-01-01

Power plant cycle chemistry seems to be a stepchild at both utilities and universities and research organizations. It is felt that other power plant chemistry disciplines are more important. The last International Power Cycle Chemistry Conference in Prague may be cited as an example. A critical review of the papers presented at this conference seems to confirm the above-mentioned statements. This situation is very unsatisfactory and has led to an increasing number of component failures and instances of damage to major cycle components. Optimization of cycle chemistry in fossil power plants undoubtedly results in clear benefits and savings with respect to operating costs. It should be kept in mind that many seemingly important chemistry-related issues lose their importance during forced outages of units practicing faulty plant cycle chemistry. (orig.)

Chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferris, L.M.

1975-01-01

The chemical research and development efforts related to the design and ultimate operation of molten-salt breeder reactor systems are concentrated on fuel- and coolant-salt chemistry, including the development of analytical methods for use in these systems. The chemistry of tellurium in fuel salt is being studied to help elucidate the role of this element in the intergranular cracking of Hastelloy N. Studies were continued of the effect of oxygen-containing species on the equilibrium between dissolved UF 3 and dissolved UF 4 , and, in some cases, between the dissolved uranium fluorides and graphite, and the UC 2 . Several aspects of coolant-salt chemistry are under investigation. Hydroxy and oxy compounds that could be formed in molten NaBF 4 are being synthesized and characterized. Studies of the chemistry of chromium (III) compounds in fluoroborate melts were continued as part of a systematic investigation of the corrosion of structural alloys by coolant salt. An in-line voltammetric method for determining U 4+ /U 3+ ratios in fuel salt was tested in a forced-convection loop over a six-month period. (LK)

From trace chemistry to single atom chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adloff, J.P.

1993-01-01

Hot atom chemistry in the vast majority of experimental works deals with the trace amount of radioactive matters. Accordingly, the concept of trace chemistry is at the heart of hot atom chemistry. Some aspects of the chemistry at trace scale and at subtrace scale are presented together with the related problems of speciation and the complication which may arise due to the formation of radio colloids. The examples of 127 I(n,γ) 128 I and 132 Te (β - ) 132 I are shown, and the method based on radioactivity was used. The procedure of separating the elements in pitchblende is shown as the example of the chemistry of traces. 13 27 Al+ 2 4 He→ 0 1 n+ 15 30 P and 15 30 P→ 14 30 Si+e + +V are shown, and how to recognize the presence of radioactive colloids is explained. The formation of radiocolloids is by the sorption of a trace radioelement on pre-existing colloidal impurity or the self-condensation of monomeric species. The temporal parameters of the nature of reactions at trace concentration are listed. The examples of Class A and Class B reactions are shown. The kinetics of reactions at trace level, radon concentration, anthropogenic Pu and natural Pu in environment, the behavior of Pu atoms and so on are described. (K.I.)

Geena 2, improved automated analysis of MALDI/TOF mass spectra.

Science.gov (United States)

Romano, Paolo; Profumo, Aldo; Rocco, Mattia; Mangerini, Rosa; Ferri, Fabio; Facchiano, Angelo

2016-03-02

Mass spectrometry (MS) is producing high volumes of data supporting oncological sciences, especially for translational research. Most of related elaborations can be carried out by combining existing tools at different levels, but little is currently available for the automation of the fundamental steps. For the analysis of MALDI/TOF spectra, a number of pre-processing steps are required, including joining of isotopic abundances for a given molecular species, normalization of signals against an internal standard, background noise removal, averaging multiple spectra from the same sample, and aligning spectra from different samples. In this paper, we present Geena 2, a public software tool for the automated execution of these pre-processing steps for MALDI/TOF spectra. Geena 2 has been developed in a Linux-Apache-MySQL-PHP web development environment, with scripts in PHP and Perl. Input and output are managed as simple formats that can be consumed by any database system and spreadsheet software. Input data may also be stored in a MySQL database. Processing methods are based on original heuristic algorithms which are introduced in the paper. Three simple and intuitive web interfaces are available: the Standard Search Interface, which allows a complete control over all parameters, the Bright Search Interface, which leaves to the user the possibility to tune parameters for alignment of spectra, and the Quick Search Interface, which limits the number of parameters to a minimum by using default values for the majority of parameters. Geena 2 has been utilized, in conjunction with a statistical analysis tool, in three published experimental works: a proteomic study on the effects of long-term cryopreservation on the low molecular weight fraction of serum proteome, and two retrospective serum proteomic studies, one on the risk of developing breat cancer in patients affected by gross cystic disease of the breast (GCDB) and the other for the identification of a predictor of

Organic chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-08-01

This book with sixteen chapter explains organic chemistry on linkage isomerism such as alkane, cycloalkane, alkene, aromatic compounds, stereo selective isomerization, aromatic compounds, stereo selective isomerization, organic compounds, stereo selective isomerization, organic halogen compound, alcohol, ether, aldehyde and ketone, carboxylic acid, dicarboxylic acid, fat and detergent, amino, carbohydrate, amino acid and protein, nucleotide and nucleic acid and spectroscopy, a polymer and medical chemistry. Each chapter has introduction structure and characteristic and using of organic chemistry.

Preparative radiation chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drawe, H.

1978-01-01

Preparative synthesis of compounds with the aid of radiation chemistry is increasingly used in laboratories as well as on a technical scale. A large number of new compounds has been produced with the methods of radiation chemistry. With the increasing number of available radiation sources, also the number of synthesis metods in radiation chemistry has increased. This paper can only briefly mention the many possible ways of synthesis in radiation chemistry. (orig./HK) [de

A simple automated procedure for thiol measurement in human serum samples Procedimento automatizado simples para determinação de tióis em amostras de soro humano

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carolina M. da Costa

2006-10-01

Full Text Available Thiol groups have been described as the main responsible for antioxidative effects of plasmatic proteins. Also, thiol serum levels have shown a positive correlation with total antioxidant capacity (TAC in many studies. Measurement of TAC by substract oxidation-based methods have been widely used as a reference to measure antioxidant status; however, in many cases these methods are inexact or imprecise, usually when performed by manual procedures. In this paper we describe a simple automated procedure for the determination of total thiols in serum, which was based on Ellman’s method. It was correlated with several markers of oxidative/antioxidative status, such as TAC and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance test (TBARs. Serum thiol levels were correlated positively with TAC (r = 0.298, p Os tióis são descritos como os principais responsáveis pelos efeitos antioxidantes das proteínas plasmáticas. Além disso, diversos estudos mostram uma correlação positiva entre os níveis séricos de tióis e a capacidade antioxidante total (CAT. A medida da CAT por métodos baseados na oxidação de substratos tem sido amplamente usada como referência na estimativa da capacidade antioxidante em amostras biológicas; porém, em muitos casos esses métodos são inexatos e imprecisos, principalmente quando realizados por procedimentos não-automatizados. Neste artigo descrevemos um procedimento automatizado simples para a determinação de tióis totais no soro, com base no conhecido método de Ellman. A dosagem dos tióis foi correlacionada com diversos marcadores da capacidade oxidante/antioxidante, como a CAT, o teste das substâncias reativas ao ácido tiobarbitúrico (TBARs e os níveis de peróxidos totais. Os tióis correlacionaram-se positivamente com a CAT (r = 0,298; p < 0,001 e negativamente com os níveis de TBARs (r = - 0,330; p < 0,001. O procedimento aqui descrito para a dosagem de tióis pode ser uma ferramenta importante na medida da

78 FR 66039 - Modification of National Customs Automation Program Test Concerning Automated Commercial...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-04

... Customs Automation Program Test Concerning Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Cargo Release (Formerly...) plan to both rename and modify the National Customs Automation Program (NCAP) test concerning the... data elements required to obtain release for cargo transported by air. The test will now be known as...

Highly Reproducible Automated Proteomics Sample Preparation Workflow for Quantitative Mass Spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Qin; Kowalski, Michael P; Mastali, Mitra; Parker, Sarah J; Sobhani, Kimia; van den Broek, Irene; Hunter, Christie L; Van Eyk, Jennifer E

2018-01-05

Sample preparation for protein quantification by mass spectrometry requires multiple processing steps including denaturation, reduction, alkylation, protease digestion, and peptide cleanup. Scaling these procedures for the analysis of numerous complex biological samples can be tedious and time-consuming, as there are many liquid transfer steps and timed reactions where technical variations can be introduced and propagated. We established an automated sample preparation workflow with a total processing time for 96 samples of 5 h, including a 2 h incubation with trypsin. Peptide cleanup is accomplished by online diversion during the LC/MS/MS analysis. In a selected reaction monitoring (SRM) assay targeting 6 plasma biomarkers and spiked β-galactosidase, mean intraday and interday cyclic voltammograms (CVs) for 5 serum and 5 plasma samples over 5 days were samples repeated on 3 separate days had total CVs below 20%. Similar results were obtained when the workflow was transferred to a second site: 93% of peptides had CVs below 20%. An automated trypsin digestion workflow yields uniformly processed samples in less than 5 h. Reproducible quantification of peptides was observed across replicates, days, instruments, and laboratory sites, demonstrating the broad applicability of this approach.

Organic chemistry experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mun, Seok Sik

2005-02-01

This book deals with organic chemistry experiments, it is divided five chapters, which have introduction, the way to write the experiment report and safety in the laboratory, basic experiment technic like recrystallization and extraction, a lot of organic chemistry experiments such as fischer esterification, ester hydrolysis, electrophilic aromatic substitution, aldol reaction, benzoin condensation, wittig reaction grignard reaction, epoxidation reaction and selective reduction. The last chapter introduces chemistry site on the internet and way to find out reference on chemistry.

Automation-aided Task Loads Index based on the Automation Rate Reflecting the Effects on Human Operators in NPPs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Seungmin; Seong, Poonghyun; Kim, Jonghyun

2013-01-01

Many researchers have found that a high automation rate does not guarantee high performance. Therefore, to reflect the effects of automation on human performance, a new estimation method of the automation rate that considers the effects of automation on human operators in nuclear power plants (NPPs) was suggested. These suggested measures express how much automation support human operators but it cannot express the change of human operators' workload, whether the human operators' workload is increased or decreased. Before considering automation rates, whether the adopted automation is good or bad might be estimated in advance. In this study, to estimate the appropriateness of automation according to the change of the human operators' task loads, automation-aided task loads index is suggested based on the concept of the suggested automation rate. To insure plant safety and efficiency on behalf of human operators, various automation systems have been installed in NPPs, and many works which were previously conducted by human operators can now be supported by computer-based operator aids. According to the characteristics of the automation types, the estimation method of the system automation and the cognitive automation rate were suggested. The proposed estimation method concentrates on the effects of introducing automation, so it directly express how much the automated system support human operators. Based on the suggested automation rates, the way to estimate how much the automated system can affect the human operators' cognitive task load is suggested in this study. When there is no automation, the calculated index is 1, and it means there is no change of human operators' task load

Evaluation and comparison of radio-, fluorescence, and enzyme-linked immunoassays for serum thyroxine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaplan, L.A.; Gau, N.; Fearn, J.; Steain, E.A.; Chen, I.W.; Maxon, H.; Volle, C.

1981-01-01

We have compared three analytical systems for the measurement of serum thyroxine: enzyme-linked immunoassay (EIA), fluorescent immunoassay (FIA) and a radioimmunoassay (RIA). These were evaluated with respect to their precision, accuracy, analytical sensitivity and sample throughput. The RIA is more sensitive than the EIA (10 μg/L vs. 35 μg/L). Both systems have excellent precision (X=86 μg/L, C.V.sub(RIA)=C.V.sub(EIA)=4.6 percent). Both the EIA and RIA demonstrate good accuracy with recovery of between 97-98 percent of added thyroxine. The FIA has an apparent sensitiviity between that of the RIA and EIA (25 μg/L), but a precision consistently lower than the other two systems (C.V. =7.4 percent, X=86 μg/L). Patients' results by RIA compared well with those from EIA (r=0.91,P 0.05). Although not fully automated, the EIA performed on the Abbott ABA-100 analyzer has a sample throughput equal to the automated RIA system (Micromedic, Concept 4)

Impact of chemistry on production and utilization of radioisotopes and related products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramamoorthy, N.

2011-01-01

to synthesise 18 F labeled compounds (ease of preparation of 2-fluoro deoxy glucose (FDG) and other 18 F labeled radiopharmaceuticals); hot-atom chemistry principle used in cyclotron targetry to obtain directly reactive precursor molecules like 11 CO 2 (facile synthesis of many 11 C radiopharmaceuticals); evolving rapid synthetic processes, further aided by automation, to handle radiochemical processes involving highly radioactive short-lived reagents (availability of automated radiochemical process modules for convenient and safe operations); deploying nuances in ion-exchange chromatography for radioisotope generator systems (zirconium molybdate - 99 Mo gel generator for 99m Tc, post-elution concentration systems for pertechnetate, novel high affinity adsorbents for 99M o etc); innovating novel radiochemical separation processes for obtaining important radioisotopes by adopting separation concepts reported in the past (electrochemical separation option for 90 Y from 90 Sr and 99m Tc from 99 Mo), and so on and so forth. This article is designed, based on well-known historical facts, personal contributions cum experience and knowledge of contemporary development, to pay tribute to all such past achievements and achievers (not a comprehensive review of the field). (author)

The latest general chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryu, Geun Bae; Choi, Se Yeong; Kim, Chin Yeong; Yoon, Gil Jung; Lee, Eun Seok; Seo, Moon Gyu

1995-02-01

This book deals with the latest general chemistry, which is comprised of twenty-three chapters, the contents of this book are introduction, theory of atoms and molecule, chemical formula and a chemical reaction formula, structure of atoms, nature of atoms and the periodic table, structure of molecule and spectrum, gas, solution, solid, chemical combination, chemical reaction speed, chemical equilibrium, thermal chemistry, oxidation-reduction, electrochemistry, acid-base, complex, aquatic chemistry, air chemistry, nuclear chemistry, metal and nonmetal, organic chemistry and biochemistry. It has exercise in the end of each chapter.

Asleep at the automated wheel-Sleepiness and fatigue during highly automated driving.

Science.gov (United States)

Vogelpohl, Tobias; Kühn, Matthias; Hummel, Thomas; Vollrath, Mark

2018-03-20

Due to the lack of active involvement in the driving situation and due to monotonous driving environments drivers with automation may be prone to become fatigued faster than manual drivers (e.g. Schömig et al., 2015). However, little is known about the progression of fatigue during automated driving and its effects on the ability to take back manual control after a take-over request. In this driving simulator study with Nö=ö60 drivers we used a three factorial 2ö×ö2ö×ö12 mixed design to analyze the progression (12ö×ö5ömin; within subjects) of driver fatigue in drivers with automation compared to manual drivers (between subjects). Driver fatigue was induced as either mainly sleep related or mainly task related fatigue (between subjects). Additionally, we investigated the drivers' reactions to a take-over request in a critical driving scenario to gain insights into the ability of fatigued drivers to regain manual control and situation awareness after automated driving. Drivers in the automated driving condition exhibited facial indicators of fatigue after 15 to 35ömin of driving. Manual drivers only showed similar indicators of fatigue if they suffered from a lack of sleep and then only after a longer period of driving (approx. 40ömin). Several drivers in the automated condition closed their eyes for extended periods of time. In the driving with automation condition mean automation deactivation times after a take-over request were slower for a certain percentage (about 30%) of the drivers with a lack of sleep (Mö=ö3.2; SDö=ö2.1ös) compared to the reaction times after a long drive (Mö=ö2.4; SDö=ö0.9ös). Drivers with automation also took longer than manual drivers to first glance at the speed display after a take-over request and were more likely to stay behind a braking lead vehicle instead of overtaking it. Drivers are unable to stay alert during extended periods of automated driving without non-driving related tasks. Fatigued drivers could

Procedure automation: the effect of automated procedure execution on situation awareness and human performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andresen, Gisle; Svengren, Haakan; Heimdal, Jan O.; Nilsen, Svein; Hulsund, John-Einar; Bisio, Rossella; Debroise, Xavier

2004-04-01

As advised by the procedure workshop convened in Halden in 2000, the Halden Project conducted an experiment on the effect of automation of Computerised Procedure Systems (CPS) on situation awareness and human performance. The expected outcome of the study was to provide input for guidance on CPS design, and to support the Halden Project's ongoing research on human reliability analysis. The experiment was performed in HAMMLAB using the HAMBO BWR simulator and the COPMA-III CPS. Eight crews of operators from Forsmark 3 and Oskarshamn 3 participated. Three research questions were investigated: 1) Does procedure automation create Out-Of-The-Loop (OOTL) performance problems? 2) Does procedure automation affect situation awareness? 3) Does procedure automation affect crew performance? The independent variable, 'procedure configuration', had four levels: paper procedures, manual CPS, automation with breaks, and full automation. The results showed that the operators experienced OOTL problems in full automation, but that situation awareness and crew performance (response time) were not affected. One possible explanation for this is that the operators monitored the automated procedure execution conscientiously, something which may have prevented the OOTL problems from having negative effects on situation awareness and crew performance. In a debriefing session, the operators clearly expressed their dislike for the full automation condition, but that automation with breaks could be suitable for some tasks. The main reason why the operators did not like the full automation was that they did not feel being in control. A qualitative analysis addressing factors contributing to response time delays revealed that OOTL problems did not seem to cause delays, but that some delays could be explained by the operators having problems with the freeze function of the CPS. Also other factors such as teamwork and operator tendencies were of importance. Several design implications were drawn

Is Chemistry Attractive for Pupils? Czech Pupils' Perception of Chemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Kubiatko, Milan

2015-01-01

Chemistry is an important subject due to understanding the composition and structure of the things around us. The main aim of the study was to find out the perception of chemistry by lower secondary school pupils. The partial aims were to find out the influence of gender, year of study and favorite subject on the perception of chemistry. The…

Automation-aided Task Loads Index based on the Automation Rate Reflecting the Effects on Human Operators in NPPs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Seungmin; Seong, Poonghyun [Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jonghyun [KEPCO International Nuclear Graduate School, Ulsan (Korea, Republic of)

2013-05-15

Many researchers have found that a high automation rate does not guarantee high performance. Therefore, to reflect the effects of automation on human performance, a new estimation method of the automation rate that considers the effects of automation on human operators in nuclear power plants (NPPs) was suggested. These suggested measures express how much automation support human operators but it cannot express the change of human operators' workload, whether the human operators' workload is increased or decreased. Before considering automation rates, whether the adopted automation is good or bad might be estimated in advance. In this study, to estimate the appropriateness of automation according to the change of the human operators' task loads, automation-aided task loads index is suggested based on the concept of the suggested automation rate. To insure plant safety and efficiency on behalf of human operators, various automation systems have been installed in NPPs, and many works which were previously conducted by human operators can now be supported by computer-based operator aids. According to the characteristics of the automation types, the estimation method of the system automation and the cognitive automation rate were suggested. The proposed estimation method concentrates on the effects of introducing automation, so it directly express how much the automated system support human operators. Based on the suggested automation rates, the way to estimate how much the automated system can affect the human operators' cognitive task load is suggested in this study. When there is no automation, the calculated index is 1, and it means there is no change of human operators' task load.

Towards "Bildung"-Oriented Chemistry Education

Science.gov (United States)

Sjöström, Jesper

2013-01-01

This paper concerns "Bildung"-oriented chemistry education, based on a reflective and critical discourse of chemistry. It is contrasted with the dominant type of chemistry education, based on the mainstream discourse of chemistry. "Bildung"-oriented chemistry education includes not only content knowledge in chemistry, but also…

Green Chemistry Metrics with Special Reference to Green Analytical Chemistry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marek Tobiszewski

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The concept of green chemistry is widely recognized in chemical laboratories. To properly measure an environmental impact of chemical processes, dedicated assessment tools are required. This paper summarizes the current state of knowledge in the field of development of green chemistry and green analytical chemistry metrics. The diverse methods used for evaluation of the greenness of organic synthesis, such as eco-footprint, E-Factor, EATOS, and Eco-Scale are described. Both the well-established and recently developed green analytical chemistry metrics, including NEMI labeling and analytical Eco-scale, are presented. Additionally, this paper focuses on the possibility of the use of multivariate statistics in evaluation of environmental impact of analytical procedures. All the above metrics are compared and discussed in terms of their advantages and disadvantages. The current needs and future perspectives in green chemistry metrics are also discussed.

Green Chemistry Metrics with Special Reference to Green Analytical Chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Tobiszewski, Marek; Marć, Mariusz; Gałuszka, Agnieszka; Namieśnik, Jacek

2015-06-12

The concept of green chemistry is widely recognized in chemical laboratories. To properly measure an environmental impact of chemical processes, dedicated assessment tools are required. This paper summarizes the current state of knowledge in the field of development of green chemistry and green analytical chemistry metrics. The diverse methods used for evaluation of the greenness of organic synthesis, such as eco-footprint, E-Factor, EATOS, and Eco-Scale are described. Both the well-established and recently developed green analytical chemistry metrics, including NEMI labeling and analytical Eco-scale, are presented. Additionally, this paper focuses on the possibility of the use of multivariate statistics in evaluation of environmental impact of analytical procedures. All the above metrics are compared and discussed in terms of their advantages and disadvantages. The current needs and future perspectives in green chemistry metrics are also discussed.

Serum Predictors of Percent Lean Mass in Young Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Lustgarten, Michael S; Price, Lori L; Phillips, Edward M; Kirn, Dylan R; Mills, John; Fielding, Roger A

2016-08-01

Lustgarten, MS, Price, LL, Phillips, EM, Kirn, DR, Mills, J, and Fielding, RA. Serum predictors of percent lean mass in young adults. J Strength Cond Res 30(8): 2194-2201, 2016-Elevated lean (skeletal muscle) mass is associated with increased muscle strength and anaerobic exercise performance, whereas low levels of lean mass are associated with insulin resistance and sarcopenia. Therefore, studies aimed at obtaining an improved understanding of mechanisms related to the quantity of lean mass are of interest. Percent lean mass (total lean mass/body weight × 100) in 77 young subjects (18-35 years) was measured with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Twenty analytes and 296 metabolites were evaluated with the use of the standard chemistry screen and mass spectrometry-based metabolomic profiling, respectively. Sex-adjusted multivariable linear regression was used to determine serum analytes and metabolites significantly (p ≤ 0.05 and q ≤ 0.30) associated with the percent lean mass. Two enzymes (alkaline phosphatase and serum glutamate oxaloacetate aminotransferase) and 29 metabolites were found to be significantly associated with the percent lean mass, including metabolites related to microbial metabolism, uremia, inflammation, oxidative stress, branched-chain amino acid metabolism, insulin sensitivity, glycerolipid metabolism, and xenobiotics. Use of sex-adjusted stepwise regression to obtain a final covariate predictor model identified the combination of 5 analytes and metabolites as overall predictors of the percent lean mass (model R = 82.5%). Collectively, these data suggest that a complex interplay of various metabolic processes underlies the maintenance of lean mass in young healthy adults.

Tracking chemistry self-efficacy and achievement in a preparatory chemistry course

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia, Carmen Alicia

Self-efficacy is a person's own perception about performing a task with a certain level of proficiency (Bandura, 1986). An important affective aspect of learning chemistry is chemistry self-efficacy (CSE). Several researchers have found chemistry self-efficacy to be a fair predictor of achievement in chemistry. This study was done in a college preparatory chemistry class for science majors exploring chemistry self-efficacy and its change as it relates to achievement. A subscale of CAEQ, Chemistry Attitudes and Experiences Questionnaire (developed by Dalgety et al, 2003) as well as student interviews were used to determine student chemistry self-efficacy as it changed during the course. The questionnaire was given to the students five times during the semester: in the first class and the class before each the four tests taken through the semester. Twenty-six students, both men and women, of the four major races/ethnicities were interviewed three times during the semester and events that triggered changes in CSE were followed through the interviews. HLM (hierarchical linear modeling) was used to model the results of the CSE surveys. Among the findings, women who started at significantly lower CSE than men accomplished a significant gain by the end of the semester. Blacks' CSE trends through the semester were found to be significantly different from the rest of the ethnicities.

Association of serum uric acid with blood urea and serum creatinine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haq, A.U.; Ahmad, Z.; Rehman, J.U.

2010-01-01

Background: Hyperuricemia can cause serious health problems including renal insufficiency. Hyperuricemia is associated with many diseases including Hypertension, Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertriglyceridemia and Obesity. Objective of the present study was to study the Association of Serum Uric Acid with Blood Urea and Serum Creatinine. Methods: Eighty subjects, aged above 40, having blood urea more than 40 mg/dl and serum Creatinine more than 1.3 mg/dl were selected. 52.5 % subjects were male. Eighty subjects were selected as control group matching the age and sex with study group with normal blood urea and serum Creatinine. Results: Serum Uric Acid was found to be raised in 33 patients. Mean Serum Uric Acid value was 6.98+-2.021 in males (p<0.05) and 5.054+-2.324 in females (p<0.05). Conclusion: Serum Uric Acid is raised in patients with impaired renal function (p<0.05). Levels of increased Serum Uric Acid were not significantly associated with the cause of renal disease. (author)

Green Chemistry Pedagogy

Science.gov (United States)

Kolopajlo, Larry

2017-02-01

This chapter attempts to show how the practice of chemistry teaching and learning is enriched by the incorporation of green chemistry (GC) into lectures and labs. To support this viewpoint, evidence from a wide range of published papers serve as a cogent argument that GC attracts and engages both science and nonscience students, enhances chemistry content knowledge, and improves the image of the field, while preparing the world for a sustainable future. Published pedagogy associated with green and sustainable chemistry is critically reviewed and discussed.

Transuranic Computational Chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaltsoyannis, Nikolas

2018-02-26

Recent developments in the chemistry of the transuranic elements are surveyed, with particular emphasis on computational contributions. Examples are drawn from molecular coordination and organometallic chemistry, and from the study of extended solid systems. The role of the metal valence orbitals in covalent bonding is a particular focus, especially the consequences of the stabilization of the 5f orbitals as the actinide series is traversed. The fledgling chemistry of transuranic elements in the +II oxidation state is highlighted. Throughout, the symbiotic interplay of experimental and computational studies is emphasized; the extraordinary challenges of experimental transuranic chemistry afford computational chemistry a particularly valuable role at the frontier of the periodic table. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

77 FR 48527 - National Customs Automation Program (NCAP) Test Concerning Automated Commercial Environment (ACE...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-14

... National Customs Automation Program (NCAP) test concerning the simplified entry functionality in the... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY U.S. Customs and Border Protection National Customs Automation Program (NCAP) Test Concerning Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Simplified Entry: Modification of...

Evaluation of serum lipids and lipoproteins as prognosticators in leukoplakia.

Science.gov (United States)

Ganavi, B S; Patil, Shankargouda; Rao, Roopa S

2014-05-01

Oral cancer is the 8th most common cancer worldwide. Squamous cell carcinomas constitute 94% of all oral malignancies and are often preceded by leukoplakia. Despite many adjunctive techniques to monitor transformation of leukoplakia to oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), the mortality rate is on the rise. Incidentally, patients diagnosed with oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) and oral cancers manifest with low choles-terol levels. Given a thought, hypolipidemia may be a useful adjunctive tool as it reflects the initial changes within the neo-plastic cells, thus giving a red alert in malignant transformation of leukoplakia at the earlier stage. To evaluate the feasibility of serum lipid profile as an adjunct early marker for malignant transformation of leukoplakia to OSCC. To estimate the serum cholesterol, triglycerides and lipoprotein (HDL, LDL, VLDL) levels in patients with leukoplakia, OSCC and age matched healthy control group. To compare the serum cholesterol, triglycerides and lipoprotein levels between patients of leukoplakia, OSCC and age matched healthy control group. The study group comprised of selected 30 individuals which included 10 each of histopathologically confirmed OSCC, leukoplakia and healthy controls. A written consent was taken from all of them, and a thorough case history was recorded and then venous blood was collected 12 hours post fasting and centrifuged. The serum cholesterol, triglycerides and HDL were estimated by enzymatic and colorimetric methods using commercially available kits--Roche/ Hitachi cobas systems. Chemistry assay QC procured from Bio-Rad was used as control. VLDL and LDL were derived from these values. Results were statistically analyzed using ANOVA and post hoc Tukey Test. Oral squamous cell carcinoma patients demonstrated significantly lower mean serum cholesterol level (151.60 mg/dl) than the control group (183.70 mg/dl). The mean cholesterol level in leukoplakia patients (173.90 mg/dl) was lower than that

Blood gas and serum biochemical RIs for healthy newborn Murrah buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis).

Science.gov (United States)

Santana, André M; Silva, Daniela G; Clemente, Virna; Pizauro, Lucas J L; Bernardes, Priscila A; Santana, Clarissa H; Eckersall, Peter D; Fagliari, José J

2018-03-01

There is a lack of published work on RIs for newborn buffaloes. Establishing blood gas and serum biochemical RIs for newborn buffaloes is important for monitoring health. This study establishes blood gas and serum biochemical RIs of newborn buffaloes. Twenty-eight newborn buffaloes, 10-30 days old, were selected. Thirty blood biochemical variables were analyzed. The Anderson-Darling test was used to assess the normality of the distribution. The Dixon test and the Tukey test were used to identify outliers. The RI and 90% CI were determined using standard and robust methods and the Box-Cox transformation. A total of 30 RIs for healthy buffalo calves have been reported in this study. RIs for blood gas variables were reported for pH, partial pressure of oxygen (pO 2 ), partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO 2 ), saturation of O 2 (SO 2 ), bicarbonate (cHCO 3 - ), base excess (BE), total carbon dioxide (ctCO 2 ), and anion gap (AG). RIs for serum biochemical variables were reported for glucose (GLU), direct bilirubin (DB), total bilirubin (TB), AST, ALP, GGT, CK, LDH, creatinine (CREA), urea, cholesterol (CHOL), triglycerides (TG), Ca, P, Mg, Na, K, iCa, Cl, iron, total protein (TP), and albumin (ALB). This is the first reported study covering complete serum chemistry and blood gas RIs for healthy 1-month-old Murrah buffaloes. © 2018 American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology.

Chemistry Notes

Science.gov (United States)

School Science Review, 1976

1976-01-01

Described are eight chemistry experiments and demonstrations applicable to introductory chemistry courses. Activities include: measure of lattice enthalpy, Le Chatelier's principle, decarboxylation of soap, use of pocket calculators in pH measurement, and making nylon. (SL)

Clinical chemistry since 1800: growth and development.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenfeld, Louis

2002-01-01

The 19th and 20th centuries witnessed the growth and development of clinical chemistry. Many of the individuals and the significance of their contributions are not very well known, especially to new members of the profession. This survey should help familiarize them with the names and significance of the contributions of physicians and chemists such as Fourcroy, Berzelius, Liebig, Prout, Bright, and Rees. Folin and Van Slyke are better known, and it was their work near the end of the second decade of the 20th century that brought the clinical chemist out of the annex of the mortuary and into close relationship with the patient at the bedside. However, the impact on clinical chemistry and the practice of medicine by the 1910 exposé written by Abraham Flexner is not as well known as it deserves to be, nor is the impetus that World War I gave to the spread of laboratory medicine generally known. In the closing decades of the 20th century, automated devices produced an overabundance, and an overuse and misuse, of testing to the detriment of careful history taking and bedside examination of the patient. This is attributable in part to a fascination with machine-produced data. There was also an increased awareness of the value of chemical methods of diagnosis and the need to bring clinician and clinical chemist into a closer partnership. Clinical chemists were urged to develop services into dynamic descriptions of the diagnostic values of laboratory results and to identify medical relevance in interpreting significance for the clinician.

Fundamentals of nuclear chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matel, L.; Dulanska, S.

2013-01-01

This text-book is an introductory text in nuclear chemistry and radiochemistry, aimed on university undergraduate students in chemistry and related disciplines (physics, nuclear engineering). It covers the key aspects of modern nuclear chemistry. The text begins with basic theories in contemporary physics. It relates nuclear phenomena to key divisions of chemistry such as atomic structure, spectroscopy, equilibria and kinetics. It also gives an introduction to sources of ionizing radiation, detection of ionizing radiation, nuclear power industry and accident on nuclear installations as well as basic knowledge's of radiobiology. This book is essential reading for those taking a first course in nuclear chemistry and is a useful companion to other volumes in physical and analytical chemistry. It will also be of use to those new to working in nuclear chemistry or radiochemistry.

Experimental research of the impact of the dosing of chemical reagents on the dynamic behavior of regulation system of cycle chemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Yegoshina, O. V.; Bolshakova, N. A.

2017-11-01

Organization of reliable chemical control for maintaining cycle chemistry is one of the most important problems to be solved at the present time the design and operation of thermal power plants. To maintain optimal parameters of cycle chemistry are used automated chemical control system and regulation system of dosing chemical reagents. Reliability and stability analyzer readings largely determine the reliability of the water cycle chemistry. Now the most common reagents are ammonia, alkali and film-forming amines. In this paper are presented the results of studies of the impact of concentration and composition of chemical reagents for readings stability of automatic analyzers and transients time of control systems for cycles chemistry. Research of the impact of chemical reagents on the dynamic behavior of regulation system for cycle chemistry was conducted at the experimental facility of the Department of thermal power stations of the Moscow Engineering Institute. This experimental facility is model of the work of regulation system for cycle chemistry close to the actual conditions on the energy facilities CHP. Analysis of results of the impact of chemical reagent on the dynamic behavior of ammonia and film forming amines dosing systems showed that the film-forming amines dosing system is more inertia. This emphasizes the transition process of the system, in which a half times longer dosing of ammonia. Results of the study can be used to improve the monitoring systems of water chemical treatment.

Handbook of heterocyclic chemistry

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Katritzky, Alan R

2010-01-01

... Heterocyclic Chemistry I (1984) Comprehensive Heterocyclic Chemistry II (1996) Comprehensive Heterocyclic Chemistry III (2008) Comprehensive Organic Functional Group Transformations I (1995) Compreh...

Laboratory Automation and Middleware.

Science.gov (United States)

Riben, Michael

2015-06-01

The practice of surgical pathology is under constant pressure to deliver the highest quality of service, reduce errors, increase throughput, and decrease turnaround time while at the same time dealing with an aging workforce, increasing financial constraints, and economic uncertainty. Although not able to implement total laboratory automation, great progress continues to be made in workstation automation in all areas of the pathology laboratory. This report highlights the benefits and challenges of pathology automation, reviews middleware and its use to facilitate automation, and reviews the progress so far in the anatomic pathology laboratory. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Managing laboratory automation.

Science.gov (United States)

Saboe, T J

1995-01-01

This paper discusses the process of managing automated systems through their life cycles within the quality-control (QC) laboratory environment. The focus is on the process of directing and managing the evolving automation of a laboratory; system examples are given. The author shows how both task and data systems have evolved, and how they interrelate. A BIG picture, or continuum view, is presented and some of the reasons for success or failure of the various examples cited are explored. Finally, some comments on future automation need are discussed.

Determination of the Optimized Automation Rate considering Effects of Automation on Human Operators in Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Seung Min; Seong, Poong Hyun; Kim, Jong Hyun; Kim, Man Cheol

2015-01-01

Automation refers to the use of a device or a system to perform a function previously performed by a human operator. It is introduced to reduce the human errors and to enhance the performance in various industrial fields, including the nuclear industry. However, these positive effects are not always achieved in complex systems such as nuclear power plants (NPPs). An excessive introduction of automation can generate new roles for human operators and change activities in unexpected ways. As more automation systems are accepted, the ability of human operators to detect automation failures and resume manual control is diminished. This disadvantage of automation is called the Out-of-the- Loop (OOTL) problem. We should consider the positive and negative effects of automation at the same time to determine the appropriate level of the introduction of automation. Thus, in this paper, we suggest an estimation method to consider the positive and negative effects of automation at the same time to determine the appropriate introduction of automation. This concept is limited in that it does not consider the effects of automation on human operators. Thus, a new estimation method for automation rate was suggested to overcome this problem

Fast and simple method for determination of iodide in human urine, serum, sea water, and cooking salt by capillary zone electrophoresis

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Pantůčková, Pavla; Křivánková, Ludmila

2004-01-01

Roč. 25, 7-8 (2004), s. 1102-1110 ISSN 0173-0835 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA203/02/0023; GA ČR GA203/01/0401; GA AV ČR IAA4031103 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z4031919 Keywords : capillary zone electrophoresis * cooking salt * human serum Subject RIV: CB - Analytical Chemistry, Separation Impact factor: 3.743, year: 2004

MAP3S Precipitation Chemistry Network: second periodic summary report, July 1977--June 1978

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1979-01-01

The MAP3S Precipitation Chemistry Network consists of eight sites located in the northeastern United States. Precipitation event samples are collected by cooperating site operators, using specially developed sampling equipment. The concentration data collected over the period July 1, 1977 to July 1, 1978, are listed as a summary of the data reported monthly throughout the year. Samples were chemically analyzed at a central laboratory for 13 pollutant species - pH, conductivity, SO/sub 2/, SO/sub 4//sup =/, NH/sub 4//sup +/, NO/sub 2//sup -/, NO/sub 3//sup -/, Cl/sup -/, PO/sub 4//sup 3 -/, Na/sup +/, K/sup +/, Ca/sup + +/, and Mg/sup + +/ - using ion chromatography, automated wet chemistry, atomic absorption spectrophotometry, and electrode techniques. Second-year developments included: the installation of refrigeration equipment in all Battelle collectors; the initiation of an externally administered quality control program; and use of ion chromatography for cation as well as anion species. Supplementary research efforts included a special collector comparison study at the Pennsylvania State site and further analysis of sulfite versus sulfate deposition.

Rainwater chemistry at the summit and southern flank of the Itatiaia massif, Southeastern Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mello, William Z. de; Almeida, Marcelo D. de

2004-01-01

Wet deposition and related rainwater chemistry were studied at the Itatiaia massif, on which is settled the Itatiaia National Park (INP). Samples were simultaneously collected on a weekly basis over 12 months, using automated wet and dry samplers, at the INP-Headquarters (INP-Hq; altitude=820 m) and the Itatiaia Plateau (It-Pt; altitude=2460 m). Conductivity, pH, Na + , K + , Mg 2+ , Ca 2+ , NH 4 + , Cl - , NO 3 - and SO 4 2- were determined in 36 rainwater samples. Volume-weighted mean (VWM) pH was lower at the INP-Hq (4.9) than at the It-Pt (5.3). Very strong correlation between Cl - and Na + was found for the INP-Hq (r=0.99). At the Itatiaia massif, SO 4 2- , NO 3 - , and NH 4 + comprised together about 60% of the total inorganic ions and appear to exert the major control on rainwater pH. - Rainwater chemistry at the Itatiaia massif in SE Brazil is strongly dominated by S and N inorganic species, and influenced by human activities

Chemistry Dashboard

Science.gov (United States)

The Chemistry Dashboard is part of a suite of dashboards developed by EPA to help evaluate the safety of chemicals. The Chemistry Dashboard provides access to a variety of information on over 700,000 chemicals currently in use.

Materials Chemistry

CERN Document Server

Fahlman, Bradley D

2011-01-01

The 2nd edition of Materials Chemistry builds on the strengths that were recognized by a 2008 Textbook Excellence Award from the Text and Academic Authors Association (TAA). Materials Chemistry addresses inorganic-, organic-, and nano-based materials from a structure vs. property treatment, providing a suitable breadth and depth coverage of the rapidly evolving materials field. The 2nd edition continues to offer innovative coverage and practical perspective throughout. After briefly defining materials chemistry and its history, seven chapters discuss solid-state chemistry, metals, semiconducting materials, organic "soft" materials, nanomaterials, and materials characterization. All chapters have been thoroughly updated and expanded with, for example, new sections on ‘soft lithographic’ patterning, ‘click chemistry’ polymerization, nanotoxicity, graphene, as well as many biomaterials applications. The polymer and ‘soft’ materials chapter represents the largest expansion for the 2nd edition. Each ch...

78 FR 44142 - Modification of Two National Customs Automation Program (NCAP) Tests Concerning Automated...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-23

... Customs Automation Program (NCAP) Tests Concerning Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Document Image... (CBP's) plan to modify the National Customs Automation Program (NCAP) tests concerning document imaging... entry process by reducing the number of data elements required to obtain release for cargo transported...

The Science of Home Automation

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Brian Louis

Smart home technologies and the concept of home automation have become more popular in recent years. This popularity has been accompanied by social acceptance of passive sensors installed throughout the home. The subsequent increase in smart homes facilitates the creation of home automation strategies. We believe that home automation strategies can be generated intelligently by utilizing smart home sensors and activity learning. In this dissertation, we hypothesize that home automation can benefit from activity awareness. To test this, we develop our activity-aware smart automation system, CARL (CASAS Activity-aware Resource Learning). CARL learns the associations between activities and device usage from historical data and utilizes the activity-aware capabilities to control the devices. To help validate CARL we deploy and test three different versions of the automation system in a real-world smart environment. To provide a foundation of activity learning, we integrate existing activity recognition and activity forecasting into CARL home automation. We also explore two alternatives to using human-labeled data to train the activity learning models. The first unsupervised method is Activity Detection, and the second is a modified DBSCAN algorithm that utilizes Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) as a distance metric. We compare the performance of activity learning with human-defined labels and with automatically-discovered activity categories. To provide evidence in support of our hypothesis, we evaluate CARL automation in a smart home testbed. Our results indicate that home automation can be boosted through activity awareness. We also find that the resulting automation has a high degree of usability and comfort for the smart home resident.

Adaptive Automation Design and Implementation

Science.gov (United States)

2015-09-17

with an automated system to a real-world adaptive au- tomation system implementation. There have been plenty of adaptive automation 17 Adaptive...of systems without increasing manpower requirements by allocating routine tasks to automated aids, improving safety through the use of au- tomated ...between intermediate levels of au- tomation , explicitly defining which human task a given level automates. Each model aids the creation and classification

Quantum chemistry

CERN Document Server

Lowe, John P

1993-01-01

Praised for its appealing writing style and clear pedagogy, Lowe's Quantum Chemistry is now available in its Second Edition as a text for senior undergraduate- and graduate-level chemistry students. The book assumes little mathematical or physical sophistication and emphasizes an understanding of the techniques and results of quantum chemistry, thus enabling students to comprehend much of the current chemical literature in which quantum chemical methods or concepts are used as tools. The book begins with a six-chapter introduction of standard one-dimensional systems, the hydrogen atom,

Can the Roche hemolysis index be used for automated determination of cell-free hemoglobin? A comparison to photometric assays.

Science.gov (United States)

Petrova, Darinka Todorova; Cocisiu, Gabriela Ariadna; Eberle, Christoph; Rhode, Karl-Heinz; Brandhorst, Gunnar; Walson, Philip D; Oellerich, Michael

2013-09-01

The aim of this study was to develop a novel method for automated quantification of cell-free hemoglobin (fHb) based on the HI (Roche Diagnostics). The novel fHb method based on the HI was correlated with fHb measured using the triple wavelength methods of both Harboe [fHb, g/L = (0.915 * HI + 2.634)/100] and Fairbanks et al. [fHb, g/L = (0.917 * HI + 2.131)/100]. fHb concentrations were estimated from the HI using the Roche Modular automated platform in self-made and commercially available quality controls, as well as samples from a proficiency testing scheme (INSTAND). The fHb using Roche automated HI results were then compared to results obtained using the traditional spectrophotometric assays for one hundred plasma samples with varying degrees of hemolysis, lipemia and/or bilirubinemia. The novel method using automated HI quantification on the Roche Modular clinical chemistry platform correlated well with results using the classical methods in the 100 patient samples (Harboe: r = 0.9284; Fairbanks et al.: r = 0.9689) and recovery was good for self-made controls. However, commercially available quality controls showed poor recovery due to an unidentified matrix problem. The novel method produced reliable determination of fHb in samples without interferences. However, poor recovery using commercially available fHb quality control samples currently greatly limits its usefulness. © 2013.

Layered distributed architecture for plant automation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aravamuthan, G.; Verma, Yachika; Ranjan, Jyoti; Chachondia, Alka S.; Ganesh, G.

2005-01-01

The development of plant automation system and associated software remains one of the greatest challenges to the widespread implementation of highly adaptive re-configurable automation technology. This paper presents a layered distributed architecture for a plant automation system designed to support rapid reconfiguration and redeployment of automation components. The paper first presents evolution of automation architecture and their associated environment in the past few decades and then presents the concept of layered system architecture and the use of automation components to support the construction of a wide variety of automation system. It also highlights the role of standards and technology, which can be used in the development of automation components. We have attempted to adhere to open standards and technology for the development of automation component at a various layers. It also highlights the application of this concept in the development of an Operator Information System (OIS) for Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR). (author)

Semantics-based Automated Web Testing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hai-Feng Guo

2015-08-01

Full Text Available We present TAO, a software testing tool performing automated test and oracle generation based on a semantic approach. TAO entangles grammar-based test generation with automated semantics evaluation using a denotational semantics framework. We show how TAO can be incorporated with the Selenium automation tool for automated web testing, and how TAO can be further extended to support automated delta debugging, where a failing web test script can be systematically reduced based on grammar-directed strategies. A real-life parking website is adopted throughout the paper to demonstrate the effectivity of our semantics-based web testing approach.

Automated system for measuring the surface dilational modulus of liquid–air interfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stadler, Dominik; Shamonin, Mikhail; Hofmann, Matthias J; Motschmann, Hubert

2016-01-01

The surface dilational modulus is a crucial parameter for describing the rheological properties of aqueous surfactant solutions. These properties are important for many technological processes. The present paper describes a fully automated instrument based on the oscillating bubble technique. It works in the frequency range from 1 Hz to 500 Hz, where surfactant exchange dynamics governs the relaxation process. The originality of instrument design is the consistent combination of modern measurement technologies with advanced imaging and signal processing algorithms. Key steps on the way to reliable and precise measurements are the excitation of harmonic oscillation of the bubble, phase sensitive evaluation of the pressure response, adjustment and maintenance of the bubble shape to half sphere geometry for compensation of thermal drifts, contour tracing of the bubbles video images, removal of noise and artefacts within the image for improving the reliability of the measurement, and, in particular, a complex trigger scheme for the measurement of the oscillation amplitude, which may vary with frequency as a result of resonances. The corresponding automation and programming tasks are described in detail. Various programming strategies, such as the use of MATLAB ® software and native C++ code are discussed. An advance in the measurement technique is demonstrated by a fully automated measurement. The instrument has the potential to mature into a standard technique in the fields of colloid and interface chemistry and provides a significant extension of the frequency range to established competing techniques and state-of-the-art devices based on the same measurement principle. (paper)

Enhanced radiosyntheses of [¹¹C]raclopride and [¹¹C]DASB using ethanolic loop chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Shao, Xia; Schnau, Paul L; Fawaz, Maria V; Scott, Peter J H

2013-01-01

To improve the synthesis and quality control of carbon-11 labeled radiopharmaceuticals, we report the fully automated loop syntheses of [¹¹C]raclopride and [¹¹C]DASB using ethanol as the only organic solvent for synthesis module cleaning, carbon-11 methylation, HPLC purification, and reformulation. Ethanolic loop chemistry is fully automated using a GE TRACERLab FX(C-Pro) synthesis module, and is readily adaptable to any other carbon-11 synthesis apparatus. Precursors (1 mg) were dissolved in ethanol (100 μL) and loaded into the HPLC loop. [¹¹C]MeOTf was passed through the HPLC loop and then the labeled products were purified by semi-preparative HPLC and reformulated into ethanolic saline. Both [¹¹C]raclopride (3.7% RCY; >95% RCP; SA=20831 Ci/mmol; n=64) and [¹¹C]DASB, both with (3.0% RCY; >95% RCP; SA=15152Ci/mmol; n=9) and without (3.0% RCY; >95% RCP; SA=10931 Ci/mmol; n=3) sodium ascorbate, have been successfully prepared using the described methodology. Doses are suitable for human use and the described methods are now employed for routine clinical production of both radiopharmaceuticals at the University of Michigan. Ethanolic loop chemistry is a powerful technique for preparing [¹¹C]raclopride and [¹¹C]DASB, and we are in the process of adapting it for other carbon-11 radiopharmaceuticals prepared in our laboratories ([¹¹C]PMP, [¹¹C]PBR28 etc.). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automation in organizations: Eternal conflict

Science.gov (United States)

Dieterly, D. L.

1981-01-01

Some ideas on and insights into the problems associated with automation in organizations are presented with emphasis on the concept of automation, its relationship to the individual, and its impact on system performance. An analogy is drawn, based on an American folk hero, to emphasize the extent of the problems encountered when dealing with automation within an organization. A model is proposed to focus attention on a set of appropriate dimensions. The function allocation process becomes a prominent aspect of the model. The current state of automation research is mentioned in relation to the ideas introduced. Proposed directions for an improved understanding of automation's effect on the individual's efficiency are discussed. The importance of understanding the individual's perception of the system in terms of the degree of automation is highlighted.

ClassyFire: automated chemical classification with a comprehensive, computable taxonomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Djoumbou Feunang, Yannick; Eisner, Roman; Knox, Craig; Chepelev, Leonid; Hastings, Janna; Owen, Gareth; Fahy, Eoin; Steinbeck, Christoph; Subramanian, Shankar; Bolton, Evan; Greiner, Russell; Wishart, David S

2016-01-01

Scientists have long been driven by the desire to describe, organize, classify, and compare objects using taxonomies and/or ontologies. In contrast to biology, geology, and many other scientific disciplines, the world of chemistry still lacks a standardized chemical ontology or taxonomy. Several attempts at chemical classification have been made; but they have mostly been limited to either manual, or semi-automated proof-of-principle applications. This is regrettable as comprehensive chemical classification and description tools could not only improve our understanding of chemistry but also improve the linkage between chemistry and many other fields. For instance, the chemical classification of a compound could help predict its metabolic fate in humans, its druggability or potential hazards associated with it, among others. However, the sheer number (tens of millions of compounds) and complexity of chemical structures is such that any manual classification effort would prove to be near impossible. We have developed a comprehensive, flexible, and computable, purely structure-based chemical taxonomy (ChemOnt), along with a computer program (ClassyFire) that uses only chemical structures and structural features to automatically assign all known chemical compounds to a taxonomy consisting of >4800 different categories. This new chemical taxonomy consists of up to 11 different levels (Kingdom, SuperClass, Class, SubClass, etc.) with each of the categories defined by unambiguous, computable structural rules. Furthermore each category is named using a consensus-based nomenclature and described (in English) based on the characteristic common structural properties of the compounds it contains. The ClassyFire webserver is freely accessible at http://classyfire.wishartlab.com/. Moreover, a Ruby API version is available at https://bitbucket.org/wishartlab/classyfire_api, which provides programmatic access to the ClassyFire server and database. ClassyFire has been used to

Mobile home automation-merging mobile value added services and home automation technologies

OpenAIRE

Rosendahl, Andreas; Hampe, Felix J.; Botterweck, Goetz

2007-01-01

non-peer-reviewed In this paper we study mobile home automation, a field that emerges from an integration of mobile application platforms and home automation technologies. In a conceptual introduction we first illustrate the need for such applications by introducing a two-dimensional conceptual model of mobility. Subsequently we suggest an architecture and discuss different options of how a user might access a mobile home automation service and the controlled devices. As another contrib...

Annual Report 1984. Chemistry Department

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Funck, Jytte; Nielsen, Ole John

This report contains a brief survey of the main activities in the Chemistry Department. All articles and reports published and lectures given in 1984 are presented. The facilities and equipment are mentioned briefly. The activities are divided into the following groups: radioisotope chemistry, an......, analytical- and organic chemistry, environmental chemistry, polymer chemistry, geochemistry and waste disposal, radical chemistry, positron annihilation, mineral processing, and general.......This report contains a brief survey of the main activities in the Chemistry Department. All articles and reports published and lectures given in 1984 are presented. The facilities and equipment are mentioned briefly. The activities are divided into the following groups: radioisotope chemistry...

Ameliorating Role Exerted by Al-Hijamah in Autoimmune Diseases: Effect on Serum Autoantibodies and Inflammatory Mediators

Science.gov (United States)

Baghdadi, Hussam; Abdel-Aziz, Nada; Ahmed, Nagwa Sayed; Mahmoud, Hany Salah; Barghash, Ayman; Nasrat, Abdullah; Nabo, Manal Mohamed Helmy; El Sayed, Salah Mohamed

2015-01-01

Autoimmune diseases have common properties characterized by abnormal blood chemistry with high serum autoimmune antibodies, and inflammatory mediators. Those causative pathological substances (CPS) cannot be excreted by physiological mechanisms. Current treatments for autoimmune diseases involve steroids, cytotoxic drugs, plasmapheresis and monoclonal antibodies. Wet cupping therapy (WCT) of prophetic medicine is called Al-hijamah that treats numerous diseases having different etiology and pathogenesis via a pressure-dependent and size-dependent non-specific filtration then excretion of CPS causing clearance of blood and interstitial fluids. Al-hijamah clears blood passing through the fenestrated skin capillaries. Medical bases of Al-hijamah were reported in the evidence-based Taibah mechanism (Taibah theory). Al-hijamah was reported to be an excellent treatment for rheumatoid arthritis that improved patients’ blood chemistry and induced significant clinical improvement and pharmacological potentiation. Al-hijamah improved the natural immunity and suppressed the pathological immunity through decreasing the serum level of autoantibodies, inflammatory mediators, and serum ferritin (a key player in autoimmunity). Al-hijamah reduced significantly pain severity, number of swollen joints and disease activity with no significant side effects. Main steps of Al-hijamah are skin suction (cupping), scarification (sharatmihjam in Arabic) and second suction (triple S technique) that is better therapeutically than the traditional WCT (double S technique). Whenever an excess noxious substance is to be removed from patients’ blood and interstitial fluids, Al-hijamah is indicated. Shartatmihjam is a curative treatment in prophetic teachings according to the prophetic hadeeth: “Cure is in three: in shartatmihjam, oral honey and cauterization. I do not recommend my nation to cauterize”. Al-hijamah may have better therapeutic benefits than plasmapheresis. Al-hijamah may be

Experience of automation failures in training: effects on trust, automation bias, complacency and performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Sauer, Juergen; Chavaillaz, Alain; Wastell, David

2016-06-01

This work examined the effects of operators' exposure to various types of automation failures in training. Forty-five participants were trained for 3.5 h on a simulated process control environment. During training, participants either experienced a fully reliable, automatic fault repair facility (i.e. faults detected and correctly diagnosed), a misdiagnosis-prone one (i.e. faults detected but not correctly diagnosed) or a miss-prone one (i.e. faults not detected). One week after training, participants were tested for 3 h, experiencing two types of automation failures (misdiagnosis, miss). The results showed that automation bias was very high when operators trained on miss-prone automation encountered a failure of the diagnostic system. Operator errors resulting from automation bias were much higher when automation misdiagnosed a fault than when it missed one. Differences in trust levels that were instilled by the different training experiences disappeared during the testing session. Practitioner Summary: The experience of automation failures during training has some consequences. A greater potential for operator errors may be expected when an automatic system failed to diagnose a fault than when it failed to detect one.

Data from the analytical performance of the Abaxis Piccolo Xpress point of care analyzer in whole blood, serum, and plasma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kazunori Murata

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to examine the analytical performance of 14 comprehensive metabolic panel analytes on the Abaxis Piccolo Xpress® Point of Care analyzer in serum, plasma, and whole blood. A method comparison was performed on all three specimen types intended for use on the Piccolo Xpress®: serum, heparinized plasma, and whole blood. This data is also presented in Murata et al. (2015 [1]. This article includes the actual Bland-Altman bias plots of the difference in results obtained for analytes in the comprehensive metabolic panel from the Abaxis Piccolo Xpress and the comparison instrument, the Ortho Vitros. Keywords: Clinical chemistry, Point-of care testing

Electron tunneling in chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zamaraev, K.I.; Khajrutdinov, R.F.; Zhdanov, V.P.; Molin, Yu.N.

1985-01-01

Results of experimental and theoretical investigations are outlined systematically on electron tunnelling in chemical reactions. Mechanism of electron transport to great distances is shown to be characteristic to chemical compounds of a wide range. The function of tunnel reactions is discussed for various fields of chemistry, including radiation chemistry, electrochemistry, chemistry of solids, chemistry of surface and catalysis

Annual report 1984 Chemistry Department

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Funck, J.; Larsen, E.; Nielsen, O.J.

1985-03-01

This report contains a brief survey of the main activities in the Chemistry Department. All articles and reports published and lectures given in 1984 are presented. The facilities and equipment are mentioned briefly. The activities are divided into the following groups: radioisotope chemistry, analytical- and organic chemistry , environmental chemistry, polymer chemistry, geochemistry and waste disposal, radical chemistry, positron annihilation, mineral processing, and general. (author)

Annual report 1987 Chemistry Department

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Funck, J.; Larsen, E.; Nielsen, O.J.

1988-04-01

This report contains a brief survey of the main activities in the Chemistry Department. The names and abstracts of all articles and reports published and lectures given in 1987 are presented. The facilities and equipment are mentioned briefly. The activities are divided into the following groups: radioisotope chemistry, analytical- and organic chemistry, environmental chemistry, polymer chemistry, radical chemistry, mineral processing, and general. 13 ills., (author)

Annual report 1985 Chemistry Department

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Funck, J.; Larsen, E.; Nielsen, O.J.

1986-03-01

This report contains a brief survey of the main activities in the Chemistry Department. All particles and reports published and lectures given in 1985 are presented. The facilities and equipment are mentioned briefly. The activities are divided into the following groups: radioisotope chemistry, analytical- and organic chemistry, environmental chemistry, polymer chemistry, geochemistry and waste disposal, radical chemistry, positron annihilation, mineral processing, and general. (author)

Annual report 1982 chemistry department

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larsen, E.; Nielsen, O.J.

1983-04-01

The work going on in the Risoe National Laboratory, Chemistry Department is briefly surveyed by a presentation of all articles and reports published in 1982. The facilities and equipment are barely mentioned. The papers are divided into eight activities: 1. neutron activation analysis 2. analytical- and organic chemistry 3. environmental chemistry 4. polymer chemistry 5. geochemistry 6. radical chemistry 7. poitron annihilation 8. uranium process chemistry. (author)

Future Trends in Process Automation

OpenAIRE

Jämsä-Jounela, Sirkka-Liisa

2007-01-01

The importance of automation in the process industries has increased dramatically in recent years. In the highly industrialized countries, process automation serves to enhance product quality, master the whole range of products, improve process safety and plant availability, efficiently utilize resources and lower emissions. In the rapidly developing countries, mass production is the main motivation for applying process automation. The greatest demand for process automation is in the chemical...

Automated blood-sample handling in the clinical laboratory.

Science.gov (United States)

Godolphin, W; Bodtker, K; Uyeno, D; Goh, L O

1990-09-01

The only significant advances in blood-taking in 25 years have been the disposable needle and evacuated blood-drawing tube. With the exception of a few isolated barcode experiments, most sample-tracking is performed through handwritten or computer-printed labels. Attempts to reduce the hazards of centrifugation have resulted in air-tight lids or chambers, the use of which is time-consuming and cumbersome. Most commonly used clinical analyzers require serum or plasma, distributed into specialized containers, unique to that analyzer. Aliquots for different tests are prepared by handpouring or pipetting. Moderate to large clinical laboratories perform so many different tests that even multi-analyzers performing multiple analyses on a single sample may account for only a portion of all tests ordered for a patient. Thus several aliquots of each specimen are usually required. We have developed a proprietary serial centrifuge and blood-collection tube suitable for incorporation into an automated or robotic sample-handling system. The system we propose is (a) safe--avoids or prevents biological danger to the many "handlers" of blood; (b) small--minimizes the amount of sample taken and space required to adapt to the needs of satellite and mobile testing, and direct interfacing with analyzers; (c) serial--permits each sample to be treated according to its own "merits," optimizes throughput, and facilitates flexible automation; and (d) smart--ensures quality results through monitoring and intelligent control of patient identification, sample characteristics, and separation process.

Automation in Warehouse Development

CERN Document Server

Verriet, Jacques

2012-01-01

The warehouses of the future will come in a variety of forms, but with a few common ingredients. Firstly, human operational handling of items in warehouses is increasingly being replaced by automated item handling. Extended warehouse automation counteracts the scarcity of human operators and supports the quality of picking processes. Secondly, the development of models to simulate and analyse warehouse designs and their components facilitates the challenging task of developing warehouses that take into account each customer’s individual requirements and logistic processes. Automation in Warehouse Development addresses both types of automation from the innovative perspective of applied science. In particular, it describes the outcomes of the Falcon project, a joint endeavour by a consortium of industrial and academic partners. The results include a model-based approach to automate warehouse control design, analysis models for warehouse design, concepts for robotic item handling and computer vision, and auton...

76 FR 34246 - Automated Commercial Environment (ACE); Announcement of National Customs Automation Program Test...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-13

... Environment (ACE); Announcement of National Customs Automation Program Test of Automated Procedures for In... Customs Automation Program (NCAP) test relating to highway movements of commercial goods that are transported in-bond through the United States from one point in Canada to another point in Canada. The NCAP...

Effects of depletion sampling by standard three-pass pulsed DC electrofishing on blood chemistry parameters of fishes from Appalachian streams

Science.gov (United States)

Densmore, Christine L.; Panek, Frank M.

2013-01-01

Adverse effects on fishes captured by electrofishing techniques have long been recognized, although the extent of associated physical injury and behavioral alterations are highly variable and dependent on a number of factors. We examined the effects of three-pass pulsed DC (PDC) electrofishing on two salmonid species (Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss and Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis) and five other genera (Green Sunfish Lepomis cyanellus, Potomac Sculpin Cottus girardi, Fathead Minnow Pimephales promelas, Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides, and Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus) common to Appalachian streams. We examined the corresponding effects of PDC electroshock on the following physiological indicators of stress and trauma: blood glucose and serum lactate, as well as on other blood chemistry, namely, enzymes, electrolytes, minerals, and proteins. All species demonstrated physiological responses to PDC electroshock, indicated by the biochemical differences in blood parameters in unshocked and shocked groups of fish with or without gross evidence of hemorrhagic trauma. Serum lactate was the most consistent indicator of these effects. Significant differences in whole blood glucose levels were also noted in treatment groups in all species except Green Sunfish, although the patterns observed were not as consistent as for serum lactate. Elevations in the serum enzymes, aspartate aminotransferase and creatine kinase, in the electroshocked fish occurred only in the two salmonid species. In many instances, although blood parameters were elevated in electroshocked fish compared with the unshocked controls for a given species, there were no differences in those levels in electroshocked fish based on the presence of gross hemorrhagic trauma to axial musculature. While some of the blood parameters examined correlated with both the occurrence of electroshock and the resultant tissue injury, there was no apparent link between the altered blood chemistry and

Automated cloning methods.; TOPICAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Collart, F.

2001-01-01

Argonne has developed a series of automated protocols to generate bacterial expression clones by using a robotic system designed to be used in procedures associated with molecular biology. The system provides plate storage, temperature control from 4 to 37 C at various locations, and Biomek and Multimek pipetting stations. The automated system consists of a robot that transports sources from the active station on the automation system. Protocols for the automated generation of bacterial expression clones can be grouped into three categories (Figure 1). Fragment generation protocols are initiated on day one of the expression cloning procedure and encompass those protocols involved in generating purified coding region (PCR)

Atom-at-a-time chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagame, Yuichiro

2009-01-01

Several techniques of the analytical chemistry in 'Atom-at-a-time chemistry' for transactinide elements have been developed. In this report a representative example in these techniques is introduced with the results. The contents are the single-atom chemistry, the chemical experiments on transactinide elements, liquid phase chemistry (the ion exchange behavior of Rutherfordium), gas phase chemistry (the chemistry of atomic No.112 element), and future development. (M.H.)

Chemistry, Poetry, and Artistic Illustration: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Teaching and Promoting Chemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Furlan, Ping Y.; Kitson, Herbert; Andes, Cynthia

2007-10-01

This article describes a successful interdisciplinary collaboration among chemistry, humanities and English faculty members, who utilized poetry and artistic illustration to help students learn, appreciate, and enjoy chemistry. Students taking general chemistry classes were introduced to poetry writing and museum-type poster preparation during one class period. They were then encouraged to use their imagination and creativity to brainstorm and write chemistry poems or humors on the concepts and principles covered in the chemistry classes and artistically illustrate their original work on posters. The project, 2 3 months in length, was perceived by students as effective at helping them learn chemistry and express their understanding in a fun, personal, and creative way. The instructors found students listened to the directives because many posters were witty, clever, and eye-catching. They showed fresh use of language and revealed a good understanding of chemistry. The top posters were created by a mix of A-, B-, and C-level students. The fine art work, coupled with poetry, helped chemistry come alive on campus, providing an aesthetic presentation of materials that engaged the general viewer.

Automation, Performance and International Competition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kromann, Lene; Sørensen, Anders

This paper presents new evidence on trade‐induced automation in manufacturing firms using unique data combining a retrospective survey that we have assembled with register data for 2005‐2010. In particular, we establish a causal effect where firms that have specialized in product types for which...... the Chinese exports to the world market has risen sharply invest more in automated capital compared to firms that have specialized in other product types. We also study the relationship between automation and firm performance and find that firms with high increases in scale and scope of automation have faster...... productivity growth than other firms. Moreover, automation improves the efficiency of all stages of the production process by reducing setup time, run time, and inspection time and increasing uptime and quantity produced per worker. The efficiency improvement varies by type of automation....

Serum zinc status of neonates with seizure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olia Sharmeen

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Background: Seizure is a common neurological disorder in neonatal age group!. Primary metabolic derangement is one of the important reason behind this convulsion during this period. Among primary metabolic derangement hypoglycemia, is most common followed by bypocalcaemia, hypomagnesaemia, low zinc status etc. As causes of many cases of convul­sion remain unknown in neonate. Objectives: To see the zinc status in the sera of neonate with convulsion. So that if needed early intervention can be taken up and thereby prevent complications. Method: A total of 50 neonates (1-28 days who had convulsion with no apparent reasons of convulsion were enrolled as cases and 50 healthy age and sex matched neonates were enrolled as controls. After a quick clinical evaluation serum zinc status was estimated from venous blood by atomic absorption method in Chemistry Division, Atomic Energy Centre. Low zinc was considered if serum value was <0.7mg/L. Results: Among a total of 50 cases 6% had low zinc value & 2% of controls also had low zinc level. The mean serwu zinc level of cases and controls were 1.57±0.95 and 2.37±1.06 mmol/1 respectively (p<0.01. Conclusion: From the study it is seen that low zinc value is an important cause of neonatal seizure due to primary metabolic abnormalities. So early recognition and treatment could save these babies from long term neurological sequelies.

Seasonal variation of serum biochemical values of Amazonian snakes (Boa constrictor constrictor kept in captivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dennis José da Silva Lima

2012-11-01

Full Text Available In northern Brazil, the seasons are not well defined compared to the South and Southeast regions, due to a hot and humid equatorial climate with a rainy season, known as the Amazonian winter, and a period with less rain, known as the Amazonian summer. The goal of this study was to evaluate the biochemical variation of serum from the Amazon Boa constrictor by correlating the values with the seasons of the region. A biochemical analysis of the serum was performed (AST, ALT, LDH, ALP, calcium, uric acid, phosphorus, total protein, albumin and globulin using 31 individuals of Boa constrictor constrictor, which were kept in captivity. It was observed that eight of the ten parameters were higher in the winter compared to the summer (total protein, albumin, globulin, ALT, AST, ALP, LDH and calcium. The ALT, AST and calcium values had statistically significant differences for the summer and winter, while the other parameters appear to be influenced by seasonality. This was the first study of snakes kept in captivity that analyzed the serum chemistry profile of Boa constrictor constrictor from the state of Pará, Brazil.

USSR Report Chemistry

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

1986-01-01

Contents: Adsorption, Chemistry,Alkaloids, Analytical Chemistry, Catalysis,Chemical Industry,,Coal Gasification, Combustion, Electrochemistry,Explosives and Explosions, Fertilizers, Free Radicals, Inorganic...

Green Chemistry Metrics with Special Reference to Green Analytical Chemistry

OpenAIRE

Marek Tobiszewski; Mariusz Marć; Agnieszka Gałuszka; Jacek Namieśnik

2015-01-01

The concept of green chemistry is widely recognized in chemical laboratories. To properly measure an environmental impact of chemical processes, dedicated assessment tools are required. This paper summarizes the current state of knowledge in the field of development of green chemistry and green analytical chemistry metrics. The diverse methods used for evaluation of the greenness of organic synthesis, such as eco-footprint, E-Factor, EATOS, and Eco-Scale are described. Both the well-establis...

Systematic review automation technologies

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Systematic reviews, a cornerstone of evidence-based medicine, are not produced quickly enough to support clinical practice. The cost of production, availability of the requisite expertise and timeliness are often quoted as major contributors for the delay. This detailed survey of the state of the art of information systems designed to support or automate individual tasks in the systematic review, and in particular systematic reviews of randomized controlled clinical trials, reveals trends that see the convergence of several parallel research projects. We surveyed literature describing informatics systems that support or automate the processes of systematic review or each of the tasks of the systematic review. Several projects focus on automating, simplifying and/or streamlining specific tasks of the systematic review. Some tasks are already fully automated while others are still largely manual. In this review, we describe each task and the effect that its automation would have on the entire systematic review process, summarize the existing information system support for each task, and highlight where further research is needed for realizing automation for the task. Integration of the systems that automate systematic review tasks may lead to a revised systematic review workflow. We envisage the optimized workflow will lead to system in which each systematic review is described as a computer program that automatically retrieves relevant trials, appraises them, extracts and synthesizes data, evaluates the risk of bias, performs meta-analysis calculations, and produces a report in real time. PMID:25005128

Feasibility study for computerized automation of EPA Region II Technical Support Branch

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stephens, F.B.; Morris, W.F.; Barton, G.W. Jr.; Fisher, E.R.

1978-01-01

Three options are presented for automating the chemistry laboratories at the Surveillance and Analysis Division, Environmental Protection Agency , at Edison, New Jersey. The laboratory served New York State, New Jersey and Puerto Rico. Each option was found to be cost-effective. For two of the systems, existing EPA laboratory software would be used without (option 1) and with (option 2) data management. For the third system, laboratory and data functions would be implemented on a different computer (PDP-11) from those now installed. Option 2, the most favorable system, would make use of existing programs and data-management features now being developed; it would break even in 1.82 y and accumulate $373,928 in the five years after installation

Relationship between serum total magnesium and serum potassium ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Relationship between serum total magnesium and serum potassium in emergency surgical patients in a tertiary hospital in Ghana. Robert Djagbletey, Brenda Phillips, Frank Boni, Christian Owoo, Ebenezer Owusu-Darkwa, Papa Kobina Gyakye deGraft-Johnson, Alfred E. Yawson ...

The Automation-by-Expertise-by-Training Interaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Strauch, Barry

2017-03-01

I introduce the automation-by-expertise-by-training interaction in automated systems and discuss its influence on operator performance. Transportation accidents that, across a 30-year interval demonstrated identical automation-related operator errors, suggest a need to reexamine traditional views of automation. I review accident investigation reports, regulator studies, and literature on human computer interaction, expertise, and training and discuss how failing to attend to the interaction of automation, expertise level, and training has enabled operators to commit identical automation-related errors. Automated systems continue to provide capabilities exceeding operators' need for effective system operation and provide interfaces that can hinder, rather than enhance, operator automation-related situation awareness. Because of limitations in time and resources, training programs do not provide operators the expertise needed to effectively operate these automated systems, requiring them to obtain the expertise ad hoc during system operations. As a result, many do not acquire necessary automation-related system expertise. Integrating automation with expected operator expertise levels, and within training programs that provide operators the necessary automation expertise, can reduce opportunities for automation-related operator errors. Research to address the automation-by-expertise-by-training interaction is needed. However, such research must meet challenges inherent to examining realistic sociotechnical system automation features with representative samples of operators, perhaps by using observational and ethnographic research. Research in this domain should improve the integration of design and training and, it is hoped, enhance operator performance.

Distribution automation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gruenemeyer, D.

1991-01-01

This paper reports on a Distribution Automation (DA) System enhances the efficiency and productivity of a utility. It also provides intangible benefits such as improved public image and market advantages. A utility should evaluate the benefits and costs of such a system before committing funds. The expenditure for distribution automation is economical when justified by the deferral of a capacity increase, a decrease in peak power demand, or a reduction in O and M requirements

Understanding human management of automation errors

Science.gov (United States)

McBride, Sara E.; Rogers, Wendy A.; Fisk, Arthur D.

2013-01-01

Automation has the potential to aid humans with a diverse set of tasks and support overall system performance. Automated systems are not always reliable, and when automation errs, humans must engage in error management, which is the process of detecting, understanding, and correcting errors. However, this process of error management in the context of human-automation interaction is not well understood. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review of the variables that contribute to error management. We examined relevant research in human-automation interaction and human error to identify critical automation, person, task, and emergent variables. We propose a framework for management of automation errors to incorporate and build upon previous models. Further, our analysis highlights variables that may be addressed through design and training to positively influence error management. Additional efforts to understand the error management process will contribute to automation designed and implemented to support safe and effective system performance. PMID:25383042

Serum iron test

Science.gov (United States)

Fe+2; Ferric ion; Fe++; Ferrous ion; Iron - serum; Anemia - serum iron; Hemochromatosis - serum iron ... A blood sample is needed. Iron levels are highest in the morning. Your health care provider will likely have you do this test in the morning.

The New Color of Chemistry: Green Chemistry

OpenAIRE

Zuhal GERÇEK

2012-01-01

Green chemistry which is the new application of chemistry rules provides solutions to problems that mankind is faced with climate changes, sustainable agriculture, energy, toxics, depletion of natural sources e.g. designing new chemicals and processes that production and utilization of hazardous matters. So, it is the indispensible tool for sustainable development. Current and future chemists should consider the human health and ecological issues in their professional life. In order to provid...

Nuclear chemistry in the traditional chemistry program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kleppinger, E.W.

1993-01-01

The traditional undergraduate program for chemistry majors, especially at institutions devoted solely to undergraduate education, has limited space for 'special topics' courses in areas such as nuclear and radiochemistry. A scheme is proposed whereby the basic topics covered in an introductury radiochemistry course are touched upon, and in some cases covered in detail, at some time during the four-year sequence of courses taken by a chemistry major. (author) 6 refs.; 7 tabs

Annual report 1986 chemistry department

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Funck, J.; Larsen, E.; Nielsen, O.J.

1987-03-01

This report contains a brief survey of the main activities in the Chemistry Department. All articles and reports published and lectures given in 1986 are presented. The facilities and equipment are mentioned briefly. The activities are divided into the following groups: radioisotope chemistry, analytical- and organic chemistry, environmental chemistry, polymer chemistry, radical chemistral, mineral processing, and general. (author)

Moderator Chemistry Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dewitt, L.V.; Gibbs, A.; Lambert, D.P.; Bohrer, S.R.; Fanning, R.L.; Houston, M.W.; Stinson, S.L.; Deible, R.W.; Abdel-Khalik, S.I.

1990-11-01

Over the past fifteen months, the Systems Chemistry Group of the Reactor Engineering Department has undertaken a comprehensive study of the Department's moderator chemistry program at Savannah River Site (SRS). An internal review was developed to formalize and document this program. Objectives were as outlined in a mission statement and action plan. In addition to the mission statement and action plan, nine separate task reports have been issued during the course of this study. Each of these task reports is included in this document as a chapter. This document is an organized compilation of the individual reports issued by the Systems Chemistry Group in assessment of SRS moderator chemistry to determine if there were significant gaps in the program as ft existed in October, 1989. While these reviews found no significant gaps in that mode of operation, or any items that adversely affected safety, items were identified that could be improved. Many of the items have already been dear with or are in the process of completion under this Moderator Chemistry Program and other Reactor Restart programs. A complete list of the items of improvement found under this assessment is found in Chapter 9, along with a proposed time table for correcting remaining items that can be improved for the chemistry program of SRS reactors. An additional external review of the moderator chemistry processes, recommendations, and responses to/from the Reactor Corrosion Mitigation Committee is included as Appendix to this compilation

Publicising chemistry in a multicultural society through chemistry outreach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joyce D. Sewry

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Given the emphasis in Higher Education on community engagement in South Africa and the importance of international collaboration, we discuss a joint approach to chemistry outreach in two countries on two continents with widely differing target school audiences. We describe the history of the partnership between the chemistry departments at Rhodes University and the University of Bristol and provide an outline of the chemistry content of their outreach initiatives, the modes of delivery, the advantages to both departments and their students for involvement in various levels of outreach, the challenges they still face and additional opportunities that such work facilitated. The lecture demonstration ‘A Pollutant’s Tale’ was presented to thousands of learners all over the world, including learners at resource-deprived schools in South Africa. Challenges to extend outreach activities in South Africa include long travelling distances, as well as a lack of facilities (such as school halls and electricity at schools. Outreach activities not only impacted on the target audience of young learners, they also impacted upon the postgraduate and other chemistry students taking part in these initiatives. This collaboration strengthened both institutions and their outreach work and may also lead to chemistry research collaborations between the academics involved.

Human-centred automation: an explorative study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hollnagel, Erik; Miberg, Ann Britt

1999-05-01

The purpose of the programme activity on human-centred automation at the HRP is to develop knowledge (in the form of models and theories) and tools (in the form of techniques and simulators) to support design of automation that ensures effective human performance and comprehension. This report presents the work done on both the analytical and experimental side of this project. The analytical work has surveyed common definitions of automation and traditional design principles. A general finding is that human-centred automation usually is defined in terms of what it is not. This is partly due to a lack of adequate models and of human-automation interaction. Another result is a clarification of the consequences of automation, in particular with regard to situation awareness and workload. The experimental work has taken place as an explorative experiment in HAMMLAB in collaboration with IPSN (France). The purpose of this experiment was to increase the understanding of how automation influences operator performance in NPP control rooms. Two different types of automation (extensive and limited) were considered in scenarios having two different degrees of complexity (high and low), and involving diagnostic and procedural tasks. Six licensed NPP crews from the NPP at Loviisa, Finland, participated in the experiment. The dependent variables applied were plant performance, operator performance, self-rated crew performance, situation awareness, workload, and operator trust in the automation. The results from the diagnostic scenarios indicated that operators' judgement of crew efficiency was related to their level of trust in the automation, and further that operators trusted automation least and rated crew performance lowest in situations where crew performance was efficient and vice versa. The results from procedural scenarios indicated that extensive automation efficiently supported operators' performance, and further that operator' judgement of crew performance efficiency

Configuration Management Automation (CMA) -

Data.gov (United States)

Department of Transportation — Configuration Management Automation (CMA) will provide an automated, integrated enterprise solution to support CM of FAA NAS and Non-NAS assets and investments. CMA...

Toward designing for trust in database automation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duez, P. P.; Jamieson, G. A. [Cognitive Engineering Laboratory, Univ. of Toronto, 5 King' s College Rd., Toronto, Ont. M5S 3G8 (Canada)

2006-07-01

Appropriate reliance on system automation is imperative for safe and productive work, especially in safety-critical systems. It is unsafe to rely on automation beyond its designed use; conversely, it can be both unproductive and unsafe to manually perform tasks that are better relegated to automated tools. Operator trust in automated tools mediates reliance, and trust appears to affect how operators use technology. As automated agents become more complex, the question of trust in automation is increasingly important. In order to achieve proper use of automation, we must engender an appropriate degree of trust that is sensitive to changes in operating functions and context. In this paper, we present research concerning trust in automation in the domain of automated tools for relational databases. Lee and See have provided models of trust in automation. One model developed by Lee and See identifies three key categories of information about the automation that lie along a continuum of attributional abstraction. Purpose-, process-and performance-related information serve, both individually and through inferences between them, to describe automation in such a way as to engender r properly-calibrated trust. Thus, one can look at information from different levels of attributional abstraction as a general requirements analysis for information key to appropriate trust in automation. The model of information necessary to engender appropriate trust in automation [1] is a general one. Although it describes categories of information, it does not provide insight on how to determine the specific information elements required for a given automated tool. We have applied the Abstraction Hierarchy (AH) to this problem in the domain of relational databases. The AH serves as a formal description of the automation at several levels of abstraction, ranging from a very abstract purpose-oriented description to a more concrete description of the resources involved in the automated process

Toward designing for trust in database automation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duez, P. P.; Jamieson, G. A.

2006-01-01

Appropriate reliance on system automation is imperative for safe and productive work, especially in safety-critical systems. It is unsafe to rely on automation beyond its designed use; conversely, it can be both unproductive and unsafe to manually perform tasks that are better relegated to automated tools. Operator trust in automated tools mediates reliance, and trust appears to affect how operators use technology. As automated agents become more complex, the question of trust in automation is increasingly important. In order to achieve proper use of automation, we must engender an appropriate degree of trust that is sensitive to changes in operating functions and context. In this paper, we present research concerning trust in automation in the domain of automated tools for relational databases. Lee and See have provided models of trust in automation. One model developed by Lee and See identifies three key categories of information about the automation that lie along a continuum of attributional abstraction. Purpose-, process-and performance-related information serve, both individually and through inferences between them, to describe automation in such a way as to engender r properly-calibrated trust. Thus, one can look at information from different levels of attributional abstraction as a general requirements analysis for information key to appropriate trust in automation. The model of information necessary to engender appropriate trust in automation [1] is a general one. Although it describes categories of information, it does not provide insight on how to determine the specific information elements required for a given automated tool. We have applied the Abstraction Hierarchy (AH) to this problem in the domain of relational databases. The AH serves as a formal description of the automation at several levels of abstraction, ranging from a very abstract purpose-oriented description to a more concrete description of the resources involved in the automated process

Automated electron microprobe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, K.A.; Walker, L.R.

1986-01-01

The Plant Laboratory at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant has recently obtained a Cameca MBX electron microprobe with a Tracor Northern TN5500 automation system. This allows full stage and spectrometer automation and digital beam control. The capabilities of the system include qualitative and quantitative elemental microanalysis for all elements above and including boron in atomic number, high- and low-magnification imaging and processing, elemental mapping and enhancement, and particle size, shape, and composition analyses. Very low magnification, quantitative elemental mapping using stage control (which is of particular interest) has been accomplished along with automated size, shape, and composition analysis over a large relative area

Automate functional testing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramesh Kalindri

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Currently, software engineers are increasingly turning to the option of automating functional tests, but not always have successful in this endeavor. Reasons range from low planning until over cost in the process. Some principles that can guide teams in automating these tests are described in this article.

Driver Psychology during Automated Platooning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heikoop, D.D.

2017-01-01

With the rapid increase in vehicle automation technology, the call for understanding how humans behave while driving in an automated vehicle becomes more urgent. Vehicles that have automated systems such as Lane Keeping Assist (LKA) or Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) not only support drivers in their

American Association for Clinical Chemistry

Science.gov (United States)

... Find the answer to your question IN CLINICAL CHEMISTRY Hs-cTnI as a Gatekeeper for Further Cardiac ... Online Harmonization.net Commission on Accreditation in Clinical Chemistry American Board of Clinical Chemistry Clinical Chemistry Trainee ...

Proceedings of the 17. Annual Meeting of the Brazilian Chemistry Society; 7. National Symposium on Inorganic Chemistry. Abstracts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

These 17. Annual Meeting of the Brazilian Chemistry Society and 7. National Symposium on Inorganic Chemistry present several subjects of different interests for the participants, including sections about inorganic chemistry; organic chemistry; environmental chemistry; technological chemistry; electrochemistry; physical chemistry; photochemistry; chemical education; natural products; analytical chemistry and biological chemistry. (C.G.C.)

Annual report 1988 Chemistry Department

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Funck, J.; Neve Larsen, Aa.; Larsen, E.; Nielsen, O.J.

1989-05-01

This report contains a brief survey of the main activities in the Chemistry Department. The names and abstracts of all articles and reports published and lectures given in 1988 are presented. The facilities and equipment are mentioned briefly. The activities are divided into the following groups: radioisotope chemistry, analytical- and organic chemistry, environmental chemistry, polymer chemistry, chemical reactivity, mineral processing, and general. (author)

Annual report 1989 Chemistry Department

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Funck, J.; Neve Larsen, Aa.; Larsen, E.; Nielsen, O.J.

1990-03-01

This report contains a brief survey of the main activities in the Chemistry Department. The names and abstracts of all articles and reports published and lectures given in 1989 are presented. The facilities and equipment are mentioned briefly. The activities are divided into the following groups: radioisotope chemistry, analytical- and organic chemistry, environmental chemistry, polymer chemistry, chemical reactivity, mineral processing, and general. (author)

Why Teach Environmental Chemistry?

Science.gov (United States)

Gardner, Marjorie H.

1974-01-01

Discusses the importance of teaching environmental chemistry in secondary school science classes, and outlines five examples of environmental chemistry problems that focus on major concepts of chemistry and have critical implications for human survival and well-being. (JR)

Modeling Increased Complexity and the Reliance on Automation: FLightdeck Automation Problems (FLAP) Model

Science.gov (United States)

Ancel, Ersin; Shih, Ann T.

2014-01-01

This paper highlights the development of a model that is focused on the safety issue of increasing complexity and reliance on automation systems in transport category aircraft. Recent statistics show an increase in mishaps related to manual handling and automation errors due to pilot complacency and over-reliance on automation, loss of situational awareness, automation system failures and/or pilot deficiencies. Consequently, the aircraft can enter a state outside the flight envelope and/or air traffic safety margins which potentially can lead to loss-of-control (LOC), controlled-flight-into-terrain (CFIT), or runway excursion/confusion accidents, etc. The goal of this modeling effort is to provide NASA's Aviation Safety Program (AvSP) with a platform capable of assessing the impacts of AvSP technologies and products towards reducing the relative risk of automation related accidents and incidents. In order to do so, a generic framework, capable of mapping both latent and active causal factors leading to automation errors, is developed. Next, the framework is converted into a Bayesian Belief Network model and populated with data gathered from Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). With the insertion of technologies and products, the model provides individual and collective risk reduction acquired by technologies and methodologies developed within AvSP.

Open chemistry: RESTful web APIs, JSON, NWChem and the modern web application.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanwell, Marcus D; de Jong, Wibe A; Harris, Christopher J

2017-10-30

An end-to-end platform for chemical science research has been developed that integrates data from computational and experimental approaches through a modern web-based interface. The platform offers an interactive visualization and analytics environment that functions well on mobile, laptop and desktop devices. It offers pragmatic solutions to ensure that large and complex data sets are more accessible. Existing desktop applications/frameworks were extended to integrate with high-performance computing resources, and offer command-line tools to automate interaction-connecting distributed teams to this software platform on their own terms. The platform was developed openly, and all source code hosted on the GitHub platform with automated deployment possible using Ansible coupled with standard Ubuntu-based machine images deployed to cloud machines. The platform is designed to enable teams to reap the benefits of the connected web-going beyond what conventional search and analytics platforms offer in this area. It also has the goal of offering federated instances, that can be customized to the sites/research performed. Data gets stored using JSON, extending upon previous approaches using XML, building structures that support computational chemistry calculations. These structures were developed to make it easy to process data across different languages, and send data to a JavaScript-based web client.

Frontiers in Gold Chemistry

OpenAIRE

Ahmed A. Mohamed

2015-01-01

Basic chemistry of gold tells us that it can bond to sulfur, phosphorous, nitrogen, and oxygen donor ligands. The Frontiers in Gold Chemistry Special Issue covers gold complexes bonded to the different donors and their fascinating applications. This issue covers both basic chemistry studies of gold complexes and their contemporary applications in medicine, materials chemistry, and optical sensors. There is a strong belief that aurophilicity plays a major role in the unending applications of g...

Advanced Chemistry Laboratory

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — Description/History: Chemistry laboratoryThe Advanced Chemistry Laboratory (ACL) is a unique facility designed for working with the most super toxic compounds known...

Application of on-line nanoLC-IT-TOF in the identification of serum β-catenin complex in mice scald model.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cheng-cai Huang

Full Text Available Severe burn shock remains an unresolved clinical problem with an urgent need to explore novel therapeutic treatments. Intracellular β-catenin, through interaction with other proteins, has been reported to be able to regulate the size of cutaneous wounds. Higher expression of β-catenin is associated with larger sized wounds. However, the identification of serum β-catenin complex is difficult and has been rarely reported. The exploitation of more binding partners can contribute to uncovering the exact mechanisms behind serum β-catenin mediated biological effects. Here, we describe a method that consists of immunoprecipitation, SDS-PAGE, in-gel digestion, and nanoLC coupled to LCMS-IT-TOF for the investigation of serum β-catenin complex in mice scald model. Among selected gel bands obtained from the protein gels, a total of 31 peptides were identified and sequenced with high statistical significance (p<0.01. Three proteins (alpha-2-marcoglobulin, serine protease inhibitor A3K, and serine protease inhibitor A1A were identified and validated with high reliability and high reproducibility. It was inferred that these proteins might interact with serum β-catenin, which could affect the wound healing resulting from burn shock. Our study demonstrated that the on-line coupling of nano-LC with a LCMS-IT-TOF mass spectrometer was capable of sensitive and automated characterization of the serum β-catenin complex in mice scald model.

Introducing Chemistry Students to the "Real World" of Chemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Michael E.; Cosser, Ronald C.; Davies-Coleman, Michael T.; Kaye, Perry T.; Klein, Rosalyn; Lamprecht, Emmanuel; Lobb, Kevin; Nyokong, Tebello; Sewry, Joyce D.; Tshentu, Zenixole R.; van der Zeyde, Tino; Watkins, Gareth M.

2010-01-01

A majority of chemistry graduates seek employment in a rapidly changing chemical industry. Our attempts to provide the graduates with skills in entrepreneurship and the ability to understand and communicate with their chemical engineering colleagues, in addition to their fundamental knowledge of chemistry, are described. This is done at…

Automation systems for radioimmunoassay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamasaki, Paul

1974-01-01

The application of automation systems for radioimmunoassay (RIA) was discussed. Automated systems could be useful in the second step, of the four basic processes in the course of RIA, i.e., preparation of sample for reaction. There were two types of instrumentation, a semi-automatic pipete, and a fully automated pipete station, both providing for fast and accurate dispensing of the reagent or for the diluting of sample with reagent. Illustrations of the instruments were shown. (Mukohata, S.)

In-Package Chemistry Abstraction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

P.S. Domski

2003-07-21

The work associated with the development of this model report was performed in accordance with the requirements established in ''Technical Work Plan for Waste Form Degradation Modeling, Testing, and Analyses in Support of SR and LA'' (BSC 2002a). The in-package chemistry model and in-package chemistry model abstraction are developed to predict the bulk chemistry inside of a failed waste package and to provide simplified expressions of that chemistry. The purpose of this work is to provide the abstraction model to the Performance Assessment Project and the Waste Form Department for development of geochemical models of the waste package interior. The scope of this model report is to describe the development and validation of the in-package chemistry model and in-package chemistry model abstraction. The in-package chemistry model will consider chemical interactions of water with the waste package materials and the waste form for commercial spent nuclear fuel (CSNF) and codisposed high-level waste glass (HLWG) and N Reactor spent fuel (CDNR). The in-package chemistry model includes two sub-models, the first a water vapor condensation (WVC) model, where water enters a waste package as vapor and forms a film on the waste package components with subsequent film reactions with the waste package materials and waste form--this is a no-flow model, the reacted fluids do not exit the waste package via advection. The second sub-model of the in-package chemistry model is the seepage dripping model (SDM), where water, water that may have seeped into the repository from the surrounding rock, enters a failed waste package and reacts with the waste package components and waste form, and then exits the waste package with no accumulation of reacted water in the waste package. Both of the submodels of the in-package chemistry model are film models in contrast to past in-package chemistry models where all of the waste package pore space was filled with water. The

In-Package Chemistry Abstraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

P.S. Domski

2003-01-01

The work associated with the development of this model report was performed in accordance with the requirements established in ''Technical Work Plan for Waste Form Degradation Modeling, Testing, and Analyses in Support of SR and LA'' (BSC 2002a). The in-package chemistry model and in-package chemistry model abstraction are developed to predict the bulk chemistry inside of a failed waste package and to provide simplified expressions of that chemistry. The purpose of this work is to provide the abstraction model to the Performance Assessment Project and the Waste Form Department for development of geochemical models of the waste package interior. The scope of this model report is to describe the development and validation of the in-package chemistry model and in-package chemistry model abstraction. The in-package chemistry model will consider chemical interactions of water with the waste package materials and the waste form for commercial spent nuclear fuel (CSNF) and codisposed high-level waste glass (HLWG) and N Reactor spent fuel (CDNR). The in-package chemistry model includes two sub-models, the first a water vapor condensation (WVC) model, where water enters a waste package as vapor and forms a film on the waste package components with subsequent film reactions with the waste package materials and waste form--this is a no-flow model, the reacted fluids do not exit the waste package via advection. The second sub-model of the in-package chemistry model is the seepage dripping model (SDM), where water, water that may have seeped into the repository from the surrounding rock, enters a failed waste package and reacts with the waste package components and waste form, and then exits the waste package with no accumulation of reacted water in the waste package. Both of the submodels of the in-package chemistry model are film models in contrast to past in-package chemistry models where all of the waste package pore space was filled with water. The current in

Classification of Automated Search Traffic

Science.gov (United States)

Buehrer, Greg; Stokes, Jack W.; Chellapilla, Kumar; Platt, John C.

As web search providers seek to improve both relevance and response times, they are challenged by the ever-increasing tax of automated search query traffic. Third party systems interact with search engines for a variety of reasons, such as monitoring a web site’s rank, augmenting online games, or possibly to maliciously alter click-through rates. In this paper, we investigate automated traffic (sometimes referred to as bot traffic) in the query stream of a large search engine provider. We define automated traffic as any search query not generated by a human in real time. We first provide examples of different categories of query logs generated by automated means. We then develop many different features that distinguish between queries generated by people searching for information, and those generated by automated processes. We categorize these features into two classes, either an interpretation of the physical model of human interactions, or as behavioral patterns of automated interactions. Using the these detection features, we next classify the query stream using multiple binary classifiers. In addition, a multiclass classifier is then developed to identify subclasses of both normal and automated traffic. An active learning algorithm is used to suggest which user sessions to label to improve the accuracy of the multiclass classifier, while also seeking to discover new classes of automated traffic. Performance analysis are then provided. Finally, the multiclass classifier is used to predict the subclass distribution for the search query stream.

An automated swimming respirometer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

STEFFENSEN, JF; JOHANSEN, K; BUSHNELL, PG

1984-01-01

An automated respirometer is described that can be used for computerized respirometry of trout and sharks.......An automated respirometer is described that can be used for computerized respirometry of trout and sharks....

Laboratory automation: trajectory, technology, and tactics.

Science.gov (United States)

Markin, R S; Whalen, S A

2000-05-01

Laboratory automation is in its infancy, following a path parallel to the development of laboratory information systems in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Changes on the horizon in healthcare and clinical laboratory service that affect the delivery of laboratory results include the increasing age of the population in North America, the implementation of the Balanced Budget Act (1997), and the creation of disease management companies. Major technology drivers include outcomes optimization and phenotypically targeted drugs. Constant cost pressures in the clinical laboratory have forced diagnostic manufacturers into less than optimal profitability states. Laboratory automation can be a tool for the improvement of laboratory services and may decrease costs. The key to improvement of laboratory services is implementation of the correct automation technology. The design of this technology should be driven by required functionality. Automation design issues should be centered on the understanding of the laboratory and its relationship to healthcare delivery and the business and operational processes in the clinical laboratory. Automation design philosophy has evolved from a hardware-based approach to a software-based approach. Process control software to support repeat testing, reflex testing, and transportation management, and overall computer-integrated manufacturing approaches to laboratory automation implementation are rapidly expanding areas. It is clear that hardware and software are functionally interdependent and that the interface between the laboratory automation system and the laboratory information system is a key component. The cost-effectiveness of automation solutions suggested by vendors, however, has been difficult to evaluate because the number of automation installations are few and the precision with which operational data have been collected to determine payback is suboptimal. The trend in automation has moved from total laboratory automation to a

A Quantum Chemistry Concept Inventory for Physical Chemistry Classes

Science.gov (United States)

Dick-Perez, Marilu; Luxford, Cynthia J.; Windus, Theresa L.; Holme, Thomas

2016-01-01

A 14-item, multiple-choice diagnostic assessment tool, the quantum chemistry concept inventory or QCCI, is presented. Items were developed based on published student misconceptions and content coverage and then piloted and used in advanced physical chemistry undergraduate courses. In addition to the instrument itself, data from both a pretest,…

Contaminant analysis automation, an overview

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hollen, R.; Ramos, O. Jr.

1996-01-01

To meet the environmental restoration and waste minimization goals of government and industry, several government laboratories, universities, and private companies have formed the Contaminant Analysis Automation (CAA) team. The goal of this consortium is to design and fabricate robotics systems that standardize and automate the hardware and software of the most common environmental chemical methods. In essence, the CAA team takes conventional, regulatory- approved (EPA Methods) chemical analysis processes and automates them. The automation consists of standard laboratory modules (SLMs) that perform the work in a much more efficient, accurate, and cost- effective manner

Serum vitamin A and vitamin E in Japanese black fattening cattle in Miyazaki prefecture as determined by automatic column-switching high performance liquid chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Adachi, K; Katsura, N; Nomura, Y; Arikawa, A; Hidaka, M; Onimaru, T

1996-05-01

Japanese Black fattening cattle in Miyazaki prefecture, Japan were examined for serum vitamin A (V. A) and vitamin E (V. E) by automatic column-switching high performance liquid chromatography with automated deproteinization. Results indicated that most Japanese Black fattening cattle in Miyazaki prefecture may be provided with V. A supplement and diets including little V. E, moderate beta-carotene and V. A during the early fattening stage, and diets including little beta-carotene, V. A and V. E during the middle and later fattening stages. Therefore, monitoring serum V. A and V. E in Japanese Black fattening cattle throughout the fattening period seems necessary for farmers in Miyazaki prefecture to avoid economic loss attributable to these deficiencies.

Annual report 1983 Chemistry Department

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Funck, J.; Larsen, E.; Nielsen, O.J.

1984-05-01

This report contains a brief survey of the main activities in the Chemistry Department. All articles and reports published and lectures given in 1983 are presented. The facilities and equipment are barely mentioned. The activities are divided into nine groups: 1. radioisotope chemistry 2. analytical- and organic chemistry 3. environmental chemistry 4. polymer chemistry 5. geochemistry and waste disposal 6. radical chemstry 7. positron annihilation 8. mineral processing 9. general. (author)

Fundamentals of reactor chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akatsu, Eiko

1981-12-01

In the Nuclear Engineering School of JAERI, many courses are presented for the people working in and around the nuclear reactors. The curricula of the courses contain also the subject material of chemistry. With reference to the foreign curricula, a plan of educational subject material of chemistry in the Nuclear Engineering School of JAERI was considered, and the fundamental part of reactor chemistry was reviewed in this report. Since the students of the Nuclear Engineering School are not chemists, the knowledge necessary in and around the nuclear reactors was emphasized in order to familiarize the students with the reactor chemistry. The teaching experience of the fundamentals of reactor chemistry is also given. (author)

Correlation of Serum Magnesium with Serum Parathormone Levels in Patients on Regular Hemodialysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Baradaran Azar

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT is a common, important, and treatable complication of end-stage renal disease. This study was conducted to investigate the role of serum magnesium (Mg in regulating the secretion of parathyroid hormone (PTH by the parathyroid gland in patients on maintenance hemodialysis (HD. Pre-dialysis serum levels of calcium (Ca, phosphorus (P, Mg, alkaline phosphatase (ALP, intact serum PTH (iPTH, serum 25-hydroxy Vitamin D (25-OH Vit D and plasma bicarbonate (HCO3 were measured. The Urea Reduction Rate as well as duration and dosage of HD treatment were noted. Our study did not show any significant correlation between serum Mg levels and duration of HD treatment, levels of serum ALP, and plasma HCO3, Ca and P. An inverse correlation, albeit insignificant, was found between the serum Mg levels and iPTH (r=-0.30 p=0.079; also, a significant positive correlation was found between serum Mg levels and serum 25-OH Vit D levels (r= 0.40 p= 0.009. Our findings are in agreement with previous data, which suggest that factors other than serum Mg are more important in the regulation of PTH secretion in HD patients. A positive and strong association between serum Mg with 25-OH Vit D needs to be studied in greater detail.

Automated processing integrated with a microflow cytometer for pathogen detection in clinical matrices.

Science.gov (United States)

Golden, J P; Verbarg, J; Howell, P B; Shriver-Lake, L C; Ligler, F S

2013-02-15

A spinning magnetic trap (MagTrap) for automated sample processing was integrated with a microflow cytometer capable of simultaneously detecting multiple targets to provide an automated sample-to-answer diagnosis in 40 min. After target capture on fluorescently coded magnetic microspheres, the magnetic trap automatically concentrated the fluorescently coded microspheres, separated the captured target from the sample matrix, and exposed the bound target sequentially to biotinylated tracer molecules and streptavidin-labeled phycoerythrin. The concentrated microspheres were then hydrodynamically focused in a microflow cytometer capable of 4-color analysis (two wavelengths for microsphere identification, one for light scatter to discriminate single microspheres and one for phycoerythrin bound to the target). A three-fold decrease in sample preparation time and an improved detection limit, independent of target preconcentration, was demonstrated for detection of Escherichia coli 0157:H7 using the MagTrap as compared to manual processing. Simultaneous analysis of positive and negative controls, along with the assay reagents specific for the target, was used to obtain dose-response curves, demonstrating the potential for quantification of pathogen load in buffer and serum. Published by Elsevier B.V.

DOE fundamentals handbook: Chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

This handbook was developed to assist nuclear facility operating contractors in providing operators, maintenance personnel, and the technical staff with the necessary fundamentals training to ensure a basic understanding of chemistry. This volume contains the following modules: reactor water chemistry (effects of radiation on water chemistry, chemistry parameters), principles of water treatment (purpose; treatment processes [ion exchange]; dissolved gases, suspended solids, and pH control; water purity), and hazards of chemicals and gases (corrosives [acids, alkalies], toxic compounds, compressed gases, flammable/combustible liquids)

Automated Vehicles Symposium 2014

CERN Document Server

Beiker, Sven; Road Vehicle Automation 2

2015-01-01

This paper collection is the second volume of the LNMOB series on Road Vehicle Automation. The book contains a comprehensive review of current technical, socio-economic, and legal perspectives written by experts coming from public authorities, companies and universities in the U.S., Europe and Japan. It originates from the Automated Vehicle Symposium 2014, which was jointly organized by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) and the Transportation Research Board (TRB) in Burlingame, CA, in July 2014. The contributions discuss the challenges arising from the integration of highly automated and self-driving vehicles into the transportation system, with a focus on human factors and different deployment scenarios. This book is an indispensable source of information for academic researchers, industrial engineers, and policy makers interested in the topic of road vehicle automation.

Work Planing Automation at Mechanical Subdivision

OpenAIRE

Dzindzelėta, Vytautas

2005-01-01

Work planing automation, installation possibilities and future outlook at mechanical subdivision. To study how the work planing has changed before and after automation process and to analyse automation process methodology.

Application of the principle of supramolecular chemistry in the fields of radiochemistry and radiation chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen Xinghai; Chen Qingde; Gao Hongcheng

2008-01-01

Supramolecular chemistry, one of the front fields in chemistry, is defined as 'chemistry beyond the molecule', bearing on the organized entities of higher complexity that result from the association of two or more chemical species held together by intermolecular forces. This article focuses on the application of the principle of supramolecular chemistry in the fields of radiochemistry and radiation chemistry. The following aspects are concerned: (1) the recent progress of supramolecular chemistry; (2) the application of the principle of supramolecular chemistry and the functions of supramolecular system, i.e., recognition, assembly and translocation, in the extraction of nuclides; (3) the application of microemulsion, ionic imprinted polymers, ionic liquids and cloud point extraction in the enrichment of nuclides; (4) the radiation effect of supramolecular systems. (authors)

Few atom chemistry of the trans actinide element rutherfordium (Rf)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagame, Y.

2002-01-01

Studies of chemical properties of the trans actinide elements - starting with element 104 (Rf) - offer the unique opportunity to obtain information about trends in the Periodic Table at the limits of nuclear stability and to assess the magnitude of the influence of relativistic effects on chemical properties. To explore experimentally the influence of relativistic effects of electron shell structure, we study the chemical properties of the trans actinide elements. So far, we have developed some experimental apparatuses for the study of chemical properties of the trans actinide elements: a beam-line safety system for the usage of the gas-jet coupled radioactive 248 Cm target chamber for the production of trans actinides, a rotating wheel catcher apparatus for the measurement of α particles and spontaneous fission decay of trans actinides and an automated rapid chemical separation apparatus based on high performance liquid chromatography. The trans actinide nuclide, the element 104, 261 Rf (t 1/2 = 78 s) has been successfully produced via the reactions of 248 Cm( 18 O,5n) at the JAERI (Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute) tandem accelerator. The evaluated production cross section was about 10 nb, indicating that the production rate was approximately 2 atoms per min. Because of the short half-life and the low production rate of Rf, each atom produced decays before a new atom is synthesized. It means that any chemistry to be performed must be done on an 'atom-at-a-time' basis. Therefore rapid, very efficient and selective chemical procedures are indispensable to isolate the desired trans actinide 261 Rf. To perform fast and repetitive ion-exchange separation of Rf, we have developed the apparatus AIDA (Automated Ion exchange separation system coupled with the Detection apparatus for Alpha spectroscopy). Recently, ion-exchange behavior of Rf in acidic solutions has been studied with AIDA, and the results indicate that anion-exchange behavior of Rf is quite similar

Henry Taube and Coordination Chemistry

Science.gov (United States)

dropdown arrow Site Map A-Z Index Menu Synopsis Henry Taube and Coordination Chemistry Resources with Professor of Chemistry, Emeritus, at Stanford University, received the 1983 Nobel Prize in Chemistry " there from 1940-41. "I became deeply interested in chemistry soon after I came to Berkeley,"

Evaluation of miR-122 as a Serum Biomarker for Hepatotoxicity in Investigative Rat Toxicology Studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharapova, T; Devanarayan, V; LeRoy, B; Liguori, M J; Blomme, E; Buck, W; Maher, J

2016-01-01

MicroRNAs are short noncoding RNAs involved in regulation of gene expression. Certain microRNAs, including miR-122, seem to have ideal properties as biomarkers due to good stability, high tissue specificity, and ease of detection across multiple species. Recent reports have indicated that miR-122 is a highly liver-specific marker detectable in serum after liver injury. The purpose of the current study was to assess the performance of miR-122 as a serum biomarker for hepatotoxicity in short-term (5-28 days) repeat-dose rat toxicology studies when benchmarked against routine clinical chemistry and histopathology. A total of 23 studies with multiple dose levels of experimental compounds were examined, and they included animals with or without liver injury and with various hepatic histopathologic changes. Serum miR-122 levels were quantified by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Increases in circulating miR-122 levels highly correlated with serum elevations of liver enzymes, such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH). Statistical analysis showed that miR-122 outperformed ALT as a biomarker for histopathologically confirmed liver toxicity and was equivalent in performance to AST and GLDH. Additionally, an increase of 4% in predictive accuracy was obtained using a multiparameter approach incorporating miR-122 with ALT, AST, and GLDH. In conclusion, serum miR-122 levels can be utilized as a biomarker of hepatotoxicity in acute and subacute rat toxicology studies, and its performance can rival or exceed those of standard enzyme biomarkers such as the liver transaminases. © The Author(s) 2015.

Physiological Self-Regulation and Adaptive Automation

Science.gov (United States)

Prinzell, Lawrence J.; Pope, Alan T.; Freeman, Frederick G.

2007-01-01

Adaptive automation has been proposed as a solution to current problems of human-automation interaction. Past research has shown the potential of this advanced form of automation to enhance pilot engagement and lower cognitive workload. However, there have been concerns voiced regarding issues, such as automation surprises, associated with the use of adaptive automation. This study examined the use of psychophysiological self-regulation training with adaptive automation that may help pilots deal with these problems through the enhancement of cognitive resource management skills. Eighteen participants were assigned to 3 groups (self-regulation training, false feedback, and control) and performed resource management, monitoring, and tracking tasks from the Multiple Attribute Task Battery. The tracking task was cycled between 3 levels of task difficulty (automatic, adaptive aiding, manual) on the basis of the electroencephalogram-derived engagement index. The other two tasks remained in automatic mode that had a single automation failure. Those participants who had received self-regulation training performed significantly better and reported lower National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index scores than participants in the false feedback and control groups. The theoretical and practical implications of these results for adaptive automation are discussed.

Structural studies on serum albumins under green light irradiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Comorosan, Sorin; Polosan, Silviu; Popescu, Irinel; Ionescu, Elena; Mitrica, Radu; Cristache, Ligia; State, Alina Elena

2010-10-01

This paper presents two new experimental results: the protective effect of green light (GL) on ultraviolet (UV) denaturation of proteins, and the effect of GL on protein macromolecular structures. The protective effect of GL was revealed on two serum albumins, bovine (BSA) and human (HSA), and recorded by electrophoresis, absorption, and circular dichroism spectra. The effect of GL irradiation on protein structure was recorded by using fluorescence spectroscopy and electrophoresis. These new effects were modeled by quantum-chemistry computation using Gaussian 03 W, leading to good fit between theoretical and experimental absorption and circular dichroism spectra. A mechanism for these phenomena is suggested, based on a double-photon absorption process. This nonlinear effect may lead to generation of long-lived Rydberg macromolecular systems, capable of long-range interactions. These newly suggested systems, with macroscopic quantum coherence behaviors, may block the UV denaturation processes.

AECL research programs in chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crocker, I.H.; Eastwood, T.A.; Smith, D.R.; Stewart, R.B.; Tomlinson, M.; Torgerson, D.F.

1980-09-01

Fundamental or underlying research in chemistry is being done in AECL laboratories to further the understanding of processes involved in current nuclear energy systems and maintain an awareness of progress at the frontiers of chemical research so that new advances can be turned to advantage in future AECL endeavours. The report introduces the current research topics and describes them briefly under the following headings: radiation chemistry, isotope separation, high temperature solution chemistry, fuel reprocessing chemistry, and analytical chemistry. (auth)

Buying Program of the Standard Automated Materiel Management System. Automated Small Purchase System: Defense Supply Center Philadelphia

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

2001-01-01

The Standard Automated Materiel Management System Automated Small Purchase System is a fully automated micro-purchases system used by the General and Industrial Directorate at the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia...

Analysis of Students’ Missed Organic Chemistry Quiz Questions that Stress the Importance of Prior General Chemistry Knowledge

OpenAIRE

Julie Ealy

2018-01-01

A concern about students’ conceptual difficulties in organic chemistry prompted this study. It was found that prior knowledge from general chemistry was critical in organic chemistry, but what were some of the concepts that comprised that prior knowledge? Therefore an analysis of four years of organic chemistry quiz data was undertaken. Multiple general chemistry concepts were revealed that are essential prior knowledge in organic chemistry. The general chemistry concepts that were foun...

Comparison of Size Modulation Standard Automated Perimetry and Conventional Standard Automated Perimetry with a 10-2 Test Program in Glaucoma Patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Hirasawa, Kazunori; Takahashi, Natsumi; Satou, Tsukasa; Kasahara, Masayuki; Matsumura, Kazuhiro; Shoji, Nobuyuki

2017-08-01

This prospective observational study compared the performance of size modulation standard automated perimetry with the Octopus 600 10-2 test program, with stimulus size modulation during testing, based on stimulus intensity and conventional standard automated perimetry, with that of the Humphrey 10-2 test program in glaucoma patients. Eighty-seven eyes of 87 glaucoma patients underwent size modulation standard automated perimetry with Dynamic strategy and conventional standard automated perimetry using the SITA standard strategy. The main outcome measures were global indices, point-wise threshold, visual defect size and depth, reliability indices, and test duration; these were compared between size modulation standard automated perimetry and conventional standard automated perimetry. Global indices and point-wise threshold values between size modulation standard automated perimetry and conventional standard automated perimetry were moderately to strongly correlated (p 33.40, p modulation standard automated perimetry than with conventional standard automated perimetry, but the visual-field defect size was smaller (p modulation-standard automated perimetry than on conventional standard automated perimetry. The reliability indices, particularly the false-negative response, of size modulation standard automated perimetry were worse than those of conventional standard automated perimetry (p modulation standard automated perimetry than with conventional standard automated perimetry (p = 0.02). Global indices and the point-wise threshold value of the two testing modalities correlated well. However, the potential of a large stimulus presented at an area with a decreased sensitivity with size modulation standard automated perimetry could underestimate the actual threshold in the 10-2 test protocol, as compared with conventional standard automated perimetry.

Electrostatics in Chemistry

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

fundamental concepts of electrostatics as applied to atoms and molecules. The electric ... chemistry, the chemistry of the covalent bond, deals with the structures ..... the position of an asteroid named Ceres ... World Scientific. Singapore, 1992.

Laboratory automation and LIMS in forensics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stangegaard, Michael; Hansen, Anders Johannes; Morling, Niels

2013-01-01

. Furthermore, implementation of automated liquid handlers reduces the risk of sample misplacement. A LIMS can efficiently control the sample flow through the laboratory and manage the results of the conducted tests for each sample. Integration of automated liquid handlers with a LIMS provides the laboratory......Implementation of laboratory automation and LIMS in a forensic laboratory enables the laboratory, to standardize sample processing. Automated liquid handlers can increase throughput and eliminate manual repetitive pipetting operations, known to result in occupational injuries to the technical staff...... with the tools required for setting up automated production lines of complex laboratory processes and monitoring the whole process and the results. Combined, this enables processing of a large number of samples. Selection of the best automated solution for an individual laboratory should be based on user...

Automation and robotics

Science.gov (United States)

Montemerlo, Melvin

1988-01-01

The Autonomous Systems focus on the automation of control systems for the Space Station and mission operations. Telerobotics focuses on automation for in-space servicing, assembly, and repair. The Autonomous Systems and Telerobotics each have a planned sequence of integrated demonstrations showing the evolutionary advance of the state-of-the-art. Progress is briefly described for each area of concern.

Automating the radiographic NDT process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aman, J.K.

1986-01-01

Automation, the removal of the human element in inspection, has not been generally applied to film radiographic NDT. The justication for automating is not only productivity but also reliability of results. Film remains in the automated system of the future because of its extremely high image content, approximately 8 x 10 9 bits per 14 x 17. The equivalent to 2200 computer floppy discs. Parts handling systems and robotics applied for manufacturing and some NDT modalities, should now be applied to film radiographic NDT systems. Automatic film handling can be achieved with the daylight NDT film handling system. Automatic film processing is becoming the standard in industry and can be coupled to the daylight system. Robots offer the opportunity to automate fully the exposure step. Finally, computer aided interpretation appears on the horizon. A unit which laser scans a 14 x 17 (inch) film in 6 - 8 seconds can digitize film information for further manipulation and possible automatic interrogations (computer aided interpretation). The system called FDRS (for Film Digital Radiography System) is moving toward 50 micron (*approx* 16 lines/mm) resolution. This is believed to meet the need of the majority of image content needs. We expect the automated system to appear first in parts (modules) as certain operations are automated. The future will see it all come together in an automated film radiographic NDT system (author) [pt

Relational Analysis of College Chemistry-Major Students' Conceptions of and Approaches to Learning Chemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wei-Ting; Liang, Jyh-Chong; Tsai, Chin-Chung

2013-01-01

The purpose of this research was to examine the relationships between conceptions of learning and approaches to learning in chemistry. Two questionnaires, conceptions of learning chemistry (COLC) and approaches to learning chemistry (ALC), were developed to identify 369 college chemistry-major students' (220 males and 149 females) conceptions of…

Automated Vehicles Symposium 2015

CERN Document Server

Beiker, Sven

2016-01-01

This edited book comprises papers about the impacts, benefits and challenges of connected and automated cars. It is the third volume of the LNMOB series dealing with Road Vehicle Automation. The book comprises contributions from researchers, industry practitioners and policy makers, covering perspectives from the U.S., Europe and Japan. It is based on the Automated Vehicles Symposium 2015 which was jointly organized by the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) and the Transportation Research Board (TRB) in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in July 2015. The topical spectrum includes, but is not limited to, public sector activities, human factors, ethical and business aspects, energy and technological perspectives, vehicle systems and transportation infrastructure. This book is an indispensable source of information for academic researchers, industrial engineers and policy makers interested in the topic of road vehicle automation.

Advances in quantum chemistry

CERN Document Server

Sabin, John R

2013-01-01

Advances in Quantum Chemistry presents surveys of current topics in this rapidly developing field that has emerged at the cross section of the historically established areas of mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology. It features detailed reviews written by leading international researchers. This volume focuses on the theory of heavy ion physics in medicine.Advances in Quantum Chemistry presents surveys of current topics in this rapidly developing field that has emerged at the cross section of the historically established areas of mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology. It features

Radiochemistry in chemistry and chemistry related undergraduate programmes in Argentina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fornaciari Iljadica, M.C.; Furnari, J.C.; Cohen, I.M.

2006-01-01

The evolution of education in Argentina at the university level is described. The detailed search of the educational offer shows that less than half of the universities (35 out of 92) include chemistry and chemistry related undergraduate programmes in their curriculum. The revision of the position of radiochemistry in these programmes reveals that only seven courses on radiochemistry are currently offered. Radiochemistry is included only in few programmes in chemistry and biochemistry. With respect to the programmes in chemical engineering the situation is worse. This offer is strongly concentrated in Buenos Aires and its surroundings. (author)

Automated PCB Inspection System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Syed Usama BUKHARI

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Development of an automated PCB inspection system as per the need of industry is a challenging task. In this paper a case study is presented, to exhibit, a proposed system for an immigration process of a manual PCB inspection system to an automated PCB inspection system, with a minimal intervention on the existing production flow, for a leading automotive manufacturing company. A detailed design of the system, based on computer vision followed by testing and analysis was proposed, in order to aid the manufacturer in the process of automation.

Automated Clean Chemistry for Bulk Analysis of Environmental Swipe Samples - FY17 Year End Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ticknor, Brian W. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Metzger, Shalina C. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); McBay, Eddy H. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Hexel, Cole R. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Tevepaugh, Kayron N. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Bostick, Debra A. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2017-11-30

Sample preparation methods for mass spectrometry are being automated using commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) equipment to shorten lengthy and costly manual chemical purification procedures. This development addresses a serious need in the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Network of Analytical Laboratories (IAEA NWAL) to increase efficiency in the Bulk Analysis of Environmental Samples for Safeguards program with a method that allows unattended, overnight operation. In collaboration with Elemental Scientific Inc., the prepFAST-MC2 was designed based on COTS equipment. It was modified for uranium/plutonium separations using renewable columns packed with Eichrom TEVA and UTEVA resins, with a chemical separation method based on the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) NWAL chemical procedure. The newly designed prepFAST-SR has had several upgrades compared with the original prepFAST-MC2. Both systems are currently installed in the Ultra-Trace Forensics Science Center at ORNL.

Automated lung nodule classification following automated nodule detection on CT: A serial approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Armato, Samuel G. III; Altman, Michael B.; Wilkie, Joel; Sone, Shusuke; Li, Feng; Doi, Kunio; Roy, Arunabha S.

2003-01-01

We have evaluated the performance of an automated classifier applied to the task of differentiating malignant and benign lung nodules in low-dose helical computed tomography (CT) scans acquired as part of a lung cancer screening program. The nodules classified in this manner were initially identified by our automated lung nodule detection method, so that the output of automated lung nodule detection was used as input to automated lung nodule classification. This study begins to narrow the distinction between the 'detection task' and the 'classification task'. Automated lung nodule detection is based on two- and three-dimensional analyses of the CT image data. Gray-level-thresholding techniques are used to identify initial lung nodule candidates, for which morphological and gray-level features are computed. A rule-based approach is applied to reduce the number of nodule candidates that correspond to non-nodules, and the features of remaining candidates are merged through linear discriminant analysis to obtain final detection results. Automated lung nodule classification merges the features of the lung nodule candidates identified by the detection algorithm that correspond to actual nodules through another linear discriminant classifier to distinguish between malignant and benign nodules. The automated classification method was applied to the computerized detection results obtained from a database of 393 low-dose thoracic CT scans containing 470 confirmed lung nodules (69 malignant and 401 benign nodules). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to evaluate the ability of the classifier to differentiate between nodule candidates that correspond to malignant nodules and nodule candidates that correspond to benign lesions. The area under the ROC curve for this classification task attained a value of 0.79 during a leave-one-out evaluation

Chemistry in water reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hermansson, H.P.; Norring, K.

1994-01-01

The international conference Chemistry in Water Reactors was arranged in Nice 24-27/04/1994 by the French Nuclear Energy Society. Examples of technical program areas were primary chemistry, operational experience, fundamental studies and new technology. Furthermore there were sessions about radiation field build-up, hydrogen chemistry, electro-chemistry, condensate polishing, decontamination and chemical cleaning. The conference gave the impression that there are some areas that are going to be more important than others during the next few years to come. Cladding integrity: Professor Ishigure from Japan emphasized that cladding integrity is a subject of great concern, especially with respect to waterside corrosion, deposition and release of crud. Chemistry control: The control of the iron/nickel concentration quotient seems to be not as important as previously considered. The future operation of a nuclear power plant is going to require a better control of the water chemistry than achievable today. One example of this is solubility control via regulation in BWR. Trends in USA: means an increasing use of hydrogen, minimization of SCC/IASCC, minimization of radiation fields by thorough chemistry control, guarding fuel integrity by minimization of cladding corrosion and minimization of flow assisted corrosion. Stellite replacement: The search for replacement materials will continue. Secondary side crevice chemistry: Modeling and practical studies are required to increase knowledge about the crevice chemistry and how it develops under plant operation conditions. Inhibitors: Inhibitors for IGSCC and IGA as well for the primary- (zinc) as for the secondary side (Ti) should be studied. The effects and mode of operation of the inhibitors should be documented. Chemical cleaning: of heat transfer surfaces will be an important subject. Prophylactic cleaning at regular intervals could be one mode of operation

Automation of Electrical Cable Harnesses Testing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhuming Bi

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Traditional automated systems, such as industrial robots, are applied in well-structured environments, and many automated systems have a limited adaptability to deal with complexity and uncertainty; therefore, the applications of industrial robots in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs are very limited. The majority of manual operations in SMEs are too complicated for automation. The rapidly developed information technologies (IT has brought new opportunities for the automation of manufacturing and assembly processes in the ill-structured environments. Note that an automation solution should be designed to meet the given requirements of the specified application, and it differs from one application to another. In this paper, we look into the feasibility of automated testing for electric cable harnesses, and our focus is on some of the generic strategies for the improvement of the adaptability of automation solutions. Especially, the concept of modularization is adopted in developing hardware and software to maximize system adaptability in testing a wide scope of products. A proposed system has been implemented, and the system performances have been evaluated by executing tests on actual products. The testing experiments have shown that the automated system outperformed manual operations greatly in terms of cost-saving, productivity and reliability. Due to the potential of increasing system adaptability and cost reduction, the presented work has its theoretical and practical significance for an extension for other automation solutions in SMEs.

Automated DBS microsampling, microscale automation and microflow LC-MS for therapeutic protein PK.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Qian; Tomazela, Daniela; Vasicek, Lisa A; Spellman, Daniel S; Beaumont, Maribel; Shyong, BaoJen; Kenny, Jacqueline; Fauty, Scott; Fillgrove, Kerry; Harrelson, Jane; Bateman, Kevin P

2016-04-01

Reduce animal usage for discovery-stage PK studies for biologics programs using microsampling-based approaches and microscale LC-MS. We report the development of an automated DBS-based serial microsampling approach for studying the PK of therapeutic proteins in mice. Automated sample preparation and microflow LC-MS were used to enable assay miniaturization and improve overall assay throughput. Serial sampling of mice was possible over the full 21-day study period with the first six time points over 24 h being collected using automated DBS sample collection. Overall, this approach demonstrated comparable data to a previous study using single mice per time point liquid samples while reducing animal and compound requirements by 14-fold. Reduction in animals and drug material is enabled by the use of automated serial DBS microsampling for mice studies in discovery-stage studies of protein therapeutics.

Quantitative Estimation for the Effectiveness of Automation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Seung Min; Seong, Poong Hyun

2012-01-01

In advanced MCR, various automation systems are applied to enhance the human performance and reduce the human errors in industrial fields. It is expected that automation provides greater efficiency, lower workload, and fewer human errors. However, these promises are not always fulfilled. As the new types of events related to application of the imperfect and complex automation are occurred, it is required to analyze the effects of automation system for the performance of human operators. Therefore, we suggest the quantitative estimation method to analyze the effectiveness of the automation systems according to Level of Automation (LOA) classification, which has been developed over 30 years. The estimation of the effectiveness of automation will be achieved by calculating the failure probability of human performance related to the cognitive activities

Spotlight on medicinal chemistry education.

Science.gov (United States)

Pitman, Simone; Xu, Yao-Zhong; Taylor, Peter; Turner, Nicholas; Coaker, Hannah; Crews, Kasumi

2014-05-01

The field of medicinal chemistry is constantly evolving and it is important for medicinal chemists to develop the skills and knowledge required to succeed and contribute to the advancement of the field. Future Medicinal Chemistry spoke with Simone Pitman (SP), Yao-Zhong Xu (YX), Peter Taylor (PT) and Nick Turner (NT) from The Open University (OU), which offers an MSc in Medicinal Chemistry. In the interview, they discuss the MSc course content, online teaching, the future of medicinal chemistry education and The OU's work towards promoting widening participation. SP is a Qualifications Manager in the Science Faculty at The OU. She joined The OU in 1993 and since 1998 has been involved in the Postgraduate Medicinal Chemistry provision at The OU. YX is a Senior Lecturer in Bioorganic Chemistry at The OU. He has been with The OU from 2001, teaching undergraduate courses of all years and chairing the master's course on medicinal chemistry. PT is a Professor of Organic Chemistry at The OU and has been involved with the production and presentation of The OU courses in Science and across the university for over 30 years, including medicinal chemistry modules at postgraduate level. NT is a Lecturer in Analytical Science at The OU since 2009 and has been involved in the production of analytical sciences courses, as well as contributing to the presentation of a number of science courses including medicinal chemistry.

Automating spectral measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Goldstein, Fred T.

2008-09-01

This paper discusses the architecture of software utilized in spectroscopic measurements. As optical coatings become more sophisticated, there is mounting need to automate data acquisition (DAQ) from spectrophotometers. Such need is exacerbated when 100% inspection is required, ancillary devices are utilized, cost reduction is crucial, or security is vital. While instrument manufacturers normally provide point-and-click DAQ software, an application programming interface (API) may be missing. In such cases automation is impossible or expensive. An API is typically provided in libraries (*.dll, *.ocx) which may be embedded in user-developed applications. Users can thereby implement DAQ automation in several Windows languages. Another possibility, developed by FTG as an alternative to instrument manufacturers' software, is the ActiveX application (*.exe). ActiveX, a component of many Windows applications, provides means for programming and interoperability. This architecture permits a point-and-click program to act as automation client and server. Excel, for example, can control and be controlled by DAQ applications. Most importantly, ActiveX permits ancillary devices such as barcode readers and XY-stages to be easily and economically integrated into scanning procedures. Since an ActiveX application has its own user-interface, it can be independently tested. The ActiveX application then runs (visibly or invisibly) under DAQ software control. Automation capabilities are accessed via a built-in spectro-BASIC language with industry-standard (VBA-compatible) syntax. Supplementing ActiveX, spectro-BASIC also includes auxiliary serial port commands for interfacing programmable logic controllers (PLC). A typical application is automatic filter handling.

Ask the experts: automation: part I.

Science.gov (United States)

Allinson, John L; Blick, Kenneth E; Cohen, Lucinda; Higton, David; Li, Ming

2013-08-01

Bioanalysis invited a selection of leading researchers to express their views on automation in the bioanalytical laboratory. The topics discussed include the challenges that the modern bioanalyst faces when integrating automation into existing drug-development processes, the impact of automation and how they envision the modern bioanalytical laboratory changing in the near future. Their enlightening responses provide a valuable insight into the impact of automation and the future of the constantly evolving bioanalytical laboratory.

An Automation Survival Guide for Media Centers.

Science.gov (United States)

Whaley, Roger E.

1989-01-01

Reviews factors that should affect the decision to automate a school media center and offers suggestions for the automation process. Topics discussed include getting the library collection ready for automation, deciding what automated functions are needed, evaluating software vendors, selecting software, and budgeting. (CLB)

High temperature water chemistry monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aaltonen, P.

1992-01-01

Almost all corrosion phenomena in nuclear power plants can be prevented or at least damped by water chemistry control or by the change of water chemistry control or by the change of water chemistry. Successful water chemistry control needs regular and continuous monitoring of such water chemistry parameters like dissolved oxygen content, pH, conductivity and impurity contents. Conventionally the monitoring is carried out at low pressures and temperatures, which method, however, has some shortcomings. Recently electrodes have been developed which enables the direct monitoring at operating pressures and temperatures. (author). 2 refs, 5 figs

Web-based computational chemistry education with CHARMMing II: Coarse-grained protein folding.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frank C Pickard

2014-07-01

Full Text Available A lesson utilizing a coarse-grained (CG Gō-like model has been implemented into the CHARMM INterface and Graphics (CHARMMing web portal (www.charmming.org to the Chemistry at HARvard Macromolecular Mechanics (CHARMM molecular simulation package. While widely used to model various biophysical processes, such as protein folding and aggregation, CG models can also serve as an educational tool because they can provide qualitative descriptions of complex biophysical phenomena for a relatively cheap computational cost. As a proof of concept, this lesson demonstrates the construction of a CG model of a small globular protein, its simulation via Langevin dynamics, and the analysis of the resulting data. This lesson makes connections between modern molecular simulation techniques and topics commonly presented in an advanced undergraduate lecture on physical chemistry. It culminates in a straightforward analysis of a short dynamics trajectory of a small fast folding globular protein; we briefly describe the thermodynamic properties that can be calculated from this analysis. The assumptions inherent in the model and the data analysis are laid out in a clear, concise manner, and the techniques used are consistent with those employed by specialists in the field of CG modeling. One of the major tasks in building the Gō-like model is determining the relative strength of the nonbonded interactions between coarse-grained sites. New functionality has been added to CHARMMing to facilitate this process. The implementation of these features into CHARMMing helps automate many of the tedious aspects of constructing a CG Gō model. The CG model builder and its accompanying lesson should be a valuable tool to chemistry students, teachers, and modelers in the field.

Membrane potential, serum calcium and serum selenium decrease in preeclampsia subjects in Owerri

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johnkennedy Nnodim

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Background Pre-eclampsia is a serious hypertensive condition of pregnancy associated with high maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Women who have had pre-eclampsia have a greater risk of developing hypertension, stroke and ischemic heart disease in later life. The etiology of pre-eclampsia remains unclear. Placental insufficiency plays a key role in the progression of this disease. The aim of this study was to determine membrane potential, serum calcium and serum selenium levels in preeclampsia subjects in Owerri.   Methods A case control study involving 200 primigravida (100 preeclamptic and 100 apparently healthy between the ages of 20 and 32 years attending General Hospital Owerri. Fasting venous blood was collected for the determination of serum selenium and serum calcium while membrane potential was calculated using the Nernst equation. The serum calcium was estimated using Randox Kit and serum selenium by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The Independent Student t test was used for statistical analysis.   Results The results revealed that membrane potential and serum selenium as well as serum calcium were significantly decreased in preeclampsia when compared with the controls, at p<0.05.   Conclusion Our study demonstrated that the decrease in membrane potential, serum calcium and serum selenium levels may play a critical role in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia. There may be a need for increasing the dietary intake of these essential trace metals during pregnancy to prevent pre-eclampsia in Owerri.

Theoretical chemistry in Belgium a topical collection from theoretical chemistry accounts

CERN Document Server

Champagne, Benoît; De Proft, Frank; Leyssens, Tom

2014-01-01

Readers of this volume can take a tour around the research locations in Belgium which are active in theoretical and computational chemistry. Selected researchers from Belgium present research highlights of their work. Originally published in the journal Theoretical Chemistry Accounts, these outstanding contributions are now available in a hardcover print format. This volume will be of benefit in particular to those research groups and libraries that have chosen to have only electronic access to the journal. It also provides valuable content for all researchers in theoretical chemistry.

Demands on digital automation; Anforderungen an die Digitale Automation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bieler, P.

1995-12-31

In chapter 12 of the anthology about building control the demands on digital automation are presented. The following aspects are discussed: variety of the companies` philosophies, demands of the customer/investor, demands of the use of buildings/rooms, the user, point of view of manufacturer of technical plants. (BWI) [Deutsch] Kapitel 12 des Sammelbandes ueber Building Control stellt die Anforderungen an die Digitale Automation vor. In diesem Zusammenhang wird auf folgende Themenbereiche eingegangen: Spektrum der Firmenphilosophien, Forderungen der Auftraggeber/Investoren, der Gebaeude-/Raumnutzung, der Betreiber sowie Sicht der Ersteller betriebstechnischer Anlagen. (BWI)

Disassembly automation automated systems with cognitive abilities

CERN Document Server

Vongbunyong, Supachai

2015-01-01

This book presents a number of aspects to be considered in the development of disassembly automation, including the mechanical system, vision system and intelligent planner. The implementation of cognitive robotics increases the flexibility and degree of autonomy of the disassembly system. Disassembly, as a step in the treatment of end-of-life products, can allow the recovery of embodied value left within disposed products, as well as the appropriate separation of potentially-hazardous components. In the end-of-life treatment industry, disassembly has largely been limited to manual labor, which is expensive in developed countries. Automation is one possible solution for economic feasibility. The target audience primarily comprises researchers and experts in the field, but the book may also be beneficial for graduate students.

Automated SEM Modal Analysis Applied to the Diogenites

Science.gov (United States)

Bowman, L. E.; Spilde, M. N.; Papike, James J.

1996-01-01

Analysis of volume proportions of minerals, or modal analysis, is routinely accomplished by point counting on an optical microscope, but the process, particularly on brecciated samples such as the diogenite meteorites, is tedious and prone to error by misidentification of very small fragments, which may make up a significant volume of the sample. Precise volume percentage data can be gathered on a scanning electron microscope (SEM) utilizing digital imaging and an energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). This form of automated phase analysis reduces error, and at the same time provides more information than could be gathered using simple point counting alone, such as particle morphology statistics and chemical analyses. We have previously studied major, minor, and trace-element chemistry of orthopyroxene from a suite of diogenites. This abstract describes the method applied to determine the modes on this same suite of meteorites and the results of that research. The modal abundances thus determined add additional information on the petrogenesis of the diogenites. In addition, low-abundance phases such as spinels were located for further analysis by this method.

Automations influence on nuclear power plants: a look at three accidents and how automation played a role.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmitt, Kara

2012-01-01

Nuclear power is one of the ways that we can design an efficient sustainable future. Automation is the primary system used to assist operators in the task of monitoring and controlling nuclear power plants (NPP). Automation performs tasks such as assessing the status of the plant's operations as well as making real time life critical situational specific decisions. While the advantages and disadvantages of automation are well studied in variety of domains, accidents remind us that there is still vulnerability to unknown variables. This paper will look at the effects of automation within three NPP accidents and incidents and will consider why automation failed in preventing these accidents from occurring. It will also review the accidents at the Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima Daiichi NPP's in order to determine where better use of automation could have resulted in a more desirable outcome.

Future in actinoids coordination chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kitazawa, Takafumi

2006-01-01

Actinoids coordination chemistry is concerned with spent nuclear fuel reprocessing, specifically with solid-state chemistry of nuclear fuels, separation process with radioactive substances, and geological disposal of high-level radioactive substances. In the 21st century, accumulation of minor actinides, Np, Am, Cm, and others will be realized according with the present program of nuclear energy development. The present article briefly introduces general properties of actinide elements, followed by their coordination chemistry compared with rare earths coordination chemistry. Special facility needed to treat actinoids as well as their chemistry is briefly explained, together with the specific experimental apparatus such as X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (XAFS) and time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectrometry (TRLFS) with synchrotron radiation facilities. The effect of coordination with actinoids in the environment chemistry is important in underground disposal of high-level radioactive wastes. For theoretical analysis of the results with actinoids chemistry, relativistic calculation is needed. (S. Ohno)

Detection of trace fluoride in serum and urine by online membrane-based distillation coupled with ion chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Lou, Chaoyan; Guo, Dandan; Wang, Nani; Wu, Shuchao; Zhang, Peimin; Zhu, Yan

2017-06-02

An online membrane-based distillation (MBD) coupled with ion chromatography (IC) method was proposed for automatic detection of trace fluoride (F - ) in serum and urine samples. The system consisted of a sample vessel, a lab-made membrane module and an ion chromatograph. Hydrophobic polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) hollow fiber membrane was used in MBD which was directly performed in serum and urine samples to eliminate the matrix interferences and enrich fluoride, while enabling automation. The determination of fluoride in biological samples was carried out by IC with suppressed conductometric detection. The proposed method feasibly determined trace fluoride in serum and urine matrices with the optimized parameters, such as acid concentration, distillation temperature, and distillation time, etc. Fluoride exhibited satisfactory linearity in the range of 0.01-5.0mg/L with a correlation coefficient of 0.9992. The limit of detection (LOD, S/N=3) and limit of quantification (LOQ, S/N=10) were 0.78μg/L and 2.61μg/L, respectively. The relative standard deviations of peak area and peak height were all less than 5.15%. The developed method was validated for the determination of fluoride in serum and urine with good spiked recoveries ranging between 97.1-101.9%. This method also can be proposed as a suitable alternative for the analysis of fluoride in other complex biological samples. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Automated System Marketplace 1994.

Science.gov (United States)

Griffiths, Jose-Marie; Kertis, Kimberly

1994-01-01

Reports results of the 1994 Automated System Marketplace survey based on responses from 60 vendors. Highlights include changes in the library automation marketplace; estimated library systems revenues; minicomputer and microcomputer-based systems; marketplace trends; global markets and mergers; research needs; new purchase processes; and profiles…

Automation in Warehouse Development

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hamberg, R.; Verriet, J.

2012-01-01

The warehouses of the future will come in a variety of forms, but with a few common ingredients. Firstly, human operational handling of items in warehouses is increasingly being replaced by automated item handling. Extended warehouse automation counteracts the scarcity of human operators and

Chemistry in Context: Analysis of Thematic Chemistry Videos Available Online

Science.gov (United States)

Christensson, Camilla; Sjöström, Jesper

2014-01-01

United Nations declared 2011 to be the International Year of Chemistry. The Swedish Chemical Society chose twelve themes, one for each month, to highlight the connection of chemistry with everyday life. Examples of themes were fashion, climate change, love, sports, communication, health issues, and food. From the themes various context-based…

Operational proof of automation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaerschky, R.; Reifenhaeuser, R.; Schlicht, K.

1976-01-01

Automation of the power plant process may imply quite a number of problems. The automation of dynamic operations requires complicated programmes often interfering in several branched areas. This reduces clarity for the operating and maintenance staff, whilst increasing the possibilities of errors. The synthesis and the organization of standardized equipment have proved very successful. The possibilities offered by this kind of automation for improving the operation of power plants will only sufficiently and correctly be turned to profit, however, if the application of these technics of equipment is further improved and if its volume is tallied with a definite etc. (orig.) [de

Chef infrastructure automation cookbook

CERN Document Server

Marschall, Matthias

2013-01-01

Chef Infrastructure Automation Cookbook contains practical recipes on everything you will need to automate your infrastructure using Chef. The book is packed with illustrated code examples to automate your server and cloud infrastructure.The book first shows you the simplest way to achieve a certain task. Then it explains every step in detail, so that you can build your knowledge about how things work. Eventually, the book shows you additional things to consider for each approach. That way, you can learn step-by-step and build profound knowledge on how to go about your configuration management

Operational proof of automation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaerschky, R.; Schlicht, K.

1977-01-01

Automation of the power plant process may imply quite a number of problems. The automation of dynamic operations requires complicated programmes often interfering in several branched areas. This reduces clarity for the operating and maintenance staff, whilst increasing the possibilities of errors. The synthesis and the organization of standardized equipment have proved very successful. The possibilities offered by this kind of automation for improving the operation of power plants will only sufficiently and correctly be turned to profit, however, if the application of these equipment techniques is further improved and if it stands in a certain ratio with a definite efficiency. (orig.) [de

Future Computer, Communication, Control and Automation

CERN Document Server

2011 International Conference on Computer, Communication, Control and Automation

2012-01-01

The volume includes a set of selected papers extended and revised from the 2011 International Conference on Computer, Communication, Control and Automation (3CA 2011). 2011 International Conference on Computer, Communication, Control and Automation (3CA 2011) has been held in Zhuhai, China, November 19-20, 2011. This volume topics covered include wireless communications, advances in wireless video, wireless sensors networking, security in wireless networks, network measurement and management, hybrid and discrete-event systems, internet analytics and automation, robotic system and applications, reconfigurable automation systems, machine vision in automation. We hope that researchers, graduate students and other interested readers benefit scientifically from the proceedings and also find it stimulating in the process.

Conference 'Chemistry of hydrides' Proceedings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-07-01

This collection of thesis of conference of Chemistry hydrides presents the results of investigations concerning of base questions of chemistry of nonorganic hydrides, including synthesis questions, studying of physical and chemical properties, thermodynamics, analytical chemistry, investigation of structure, equilibriums in the systems of metal-hydrogen, behaviour of nonorganic hydrides in non-water mediums and applying investigations in the chemistry area and technology of nonorganic hydrides

Chemistry of americium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schulz, W.W.

1976-01-01

Essential features of the descriptive chemistry of americium are reviewed. Chapter titles are: discovery, atomic and nuclear properties, collateral reading, production and uses, chemistry in aqueous solution, metal, alloys, and compounds, and, recovery, separation, purification. Author and subject indexes are included. (JCB)

Introduction matters: Manipulating trust in automation and reliance in automated driving.

Science.gov (United States)

Körber, Moritz; Baseler, Eva; Bengler, Klaus

2018-01-01

Trust in automation is a key determinant for the adoption of automated systems and their appropriate use. Therefore, it constitutes an essential research area for the introduction of automated vehicles to road traffic. In this study, we investigated the influence of trust promoting (Trust promoted group) and trust lowering (Trust lowered group) introductory information on reported trust, reliance behavior and take-over performance. Forty participants encountered three situations in a 17-min highway drive in a conditionally automated vehicle (SAE Level 3). Situation 1 and Situation 3 were non-critical situations where a take-over was optional. Situation 2 represented a critical situation where a take-over was necessary to avoid a collision. A non-driving-related task (NDRT) was presented between the situations to record the allocation of visual attention. Participants reporting a higher trust level spent less time looking at the road or instrument cluster and more time looking at the NDRT. The manipulation of introductory information resulted in medium differences in reported trust and influenced participants' reliance behavior. Participants of the Trust promoted group looked less at the road or instrument cluster and more at the NDRT. The odds of participants of the Trust promoted group to overrule the automated driving system in the non-critical situations were 3.65 times (Situation 1) to 5 times (Situation 3) higher. In Situation 2, the Trust promoted group's mean take-over time was extended by 1154 ms and the mean minimum time-to-collision was 933 ms shorter. Six participants from the Trust promoted group compared to no participant of the Trust lowered group collided with the obstacle. The results demonstrate that the individual trust level influences how much drivers monitor the environment while performing an NDRT. Introductory information influences this trust level, reliance on an automated driving system, and if a critical take-over situation can be

National Chemistry Teacher Safety Survey

Science.gov (United States)

Plohocki, Barbra A.

This study evaluated the status of secondary school instructional chemistry laboratory safety using a survey instrument which focused on Teacher background Information, Laboratory Safety Equipment, Facility Safety, General Safety, and a Safety Content Knowledge Survey. A fifty question survey instrument based on recent research and questions developed by the researcher was mailed to 500 secondary school chemistry teachers who participated in the 1993 one-week Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation Chemistry Institute conducted at Princeton University, New Jersey. The data received from 303 respondents was analyzed by t tests and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The level of significance for the study was set at ~\\ performance on the Safety Content Knowledge Survey and secondary school chemistry teachers who have had undergraduate and/or graduate safety training and those who have not had undergraduate and/or graduate safety training. Secondary school chemistry teachers who attended school district sponsored safety inservices did not score higher on the Safety Content Knowledge Survey than teachers who did not attend school district sponsored safety inservice sessions. The type of school district (urban, suburban, or rural) had no significant correlation to the type of laboratory safety equipment found in the instructional chemistry laboratory. The certification area (chemistry or other type of certificate which may or may not include chemistry) of the secondary school teacher had no significant correlation to the type of laboratory equipment found in the instructional chemistry laboratory. Overall, this study indicated a majority of secondary school chemistry teachers were interested in attending safety workshops applicable to chemistry safety. Throughout this research project, many teachers indicated they were not adequately instructed on the collegiate level in science safety and had to rely on common sense and self-study in their future teaching careers.

Green Chemistry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Collison, Melanie

2011-05-15

Green chemistry is the science of chemistry used in a way that will not use or create hazardous substances. Dr. Rui Resendes is working in this field at GreenCentre Canada, an offshoot of PARTEQ Innovations in Kingston, Ontario. GreenCentre's preliminary findings suggest their licensed product {sup S}witchable Solutions{sup ,} featuring 3 classes of solvents and a surfactant, may be useful in bitumen oil sands extraction.

Survey of PWR water chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gorman, J.

1989-02-01

This report surveys available information regarding primary and secondary water chemistries of pressurized water reactors (PWRs) and the impact of these water chemistries on reactor operation. The emphasis of the document is on aspects of water chemistry that affect the integrity of the primary pressure boundary and the radiation dose associated with maintenance and operation. The report provides an historical overview of the development of primary and secondary water chemistries, and describes practices currently being followed. Current problems and areas of research associated with water chemistry are described. Recommendations for further research are included. 183 refs., 9 figs., 19 tabs

Promoting Chemistry Learning through Undergraduate Work Experience in the Chemistry Lab: A Practical Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Hong-Bin

2015-01-01

Hiring undergraduate lab assistants in chemistry departments is common in college. However, few studies have focused on promoting undergraduate chemistry learning and thinking skills through this work experience in chemistry teaching laboratories. This article discusses the strategy we implemented in the lab assistant program. The…

Future perspectives of radiation chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hatano, Yoshihiko

2009-01-01

Future perspectives of radiation chemistry are discussed by the analysis of the related information in detail as obtained from our recent surveys of publications and scientific meetings in radiation chemistry and its neighboring research fields, giving some examples, and are summarized as follows. (1) Traditionally important core-parts of radiation chemistry should be activated more. The corresponding research programs are listed in detail. (2) Research fields of physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, and technology in radiation research should interact more among them with each other. (3) Basic research of radiation chemistry should interact more with its applied research. (4) Interface research fields with radiation chemistry should be produced more with mutually common viewpoints and research interests between the two. Interfaces are not only applied research but also basic one.

Automating the Small Library.

Science.gov (United States)

Skapura, Robert

1987-01-01

Discusses the use of microcomputers for automating school libraries, both for entire systems and for specific library tasks. Highlights include available library management software, newsletters that evaluate software, constructing an evaluation matrix, steps to consider in library automation, and a brief discussion of computerized card catalogs.…

GUI test automation for Qt application

OpenAIRE

Wang, Lei

2015-01-01

GUI test automation is a popular and interesting subject in the testing industry. Many companies plan to start test automation projects in order to implement efficient, less expensive software testing. However, there are challenges for the testing team who lack experience performing GUI tests automation. Many GUI test automation projects have ended in failure due to mistakes made during the early stages of the project. The major work of this thesis is to find a solution to the challenges of e...

Snowpack Chemistry of Reactive Gases at Station Concordia, Antarctica

Science.gov (United States)

Helmig, Detlev; Mass, Alex; Hueber, Jacques; Fain, Xavier; Dommergue, Aurelien; Barbero, Albane; Savarino, Joel

2013-04-01

During December 2012 a new experiment for the study of snow photochemical processes and surface gas exchange was installed at Dome Concordia, Antarctica. The experiment consists of two sampling manifolds ('snow tower') which facilitate the withdrawal of interstitial firn air from four depths in the snowpack and from above the surface. One of these snow towers can be shaded for investigation of the dependency of snow chemistry on solar radiation. A nearby 12 m meteorological tower facilitates above surface turbulence and trace gas gradient measurements. Temperature profiles and UV and IR light penetration are monitored in the snowpack. Air samples are directed through sampling lines to a nearby underground laboratory that houses the experiment control system and gas monitors. The system is fully automated, sampling gases from the array of inlet ports sequentially, and is intended to be operated continuously for a full annual cycle. The computerized control system can be accessed remotely for data retrieval and quality control and for configuring experimental details. Continuous gas measurements include ozone, nitrogen oxides, methane, carbon monoxide, and gaseous elemental mercury. Whole air samples were sampled on four occasions for volatile organic compound analysis. The objective of this research is the study of the year-round snowpack gas chemistry and its dependency on snowpack and above surface physical and environmental conditions. A particular emphasis will be the investigation of the effects of increased UV radiation during the occurrence of the stratospheric ozone hole. We will present the conceptual design of the experiment and data examples from the first three months of the experiment.

Adaptation of a T3-uptake test and of radioimmunoassays for serum digoxin, thyroxine, and triiodothyronine to an automated radioimmunoassay system: ''Centria''

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ertingshausen, G.; Shapiro, S.I.; Green, G.; Zborowski, G.

1975-01-01

We report the adaptation of four radioassays to the prototype of an automated radioimmunoassay system (''Centria,'' Union Carbide). The system consists of three integrated modules: an automated pipettor, which dispenses samples and reagents; the key module, an incubator/separator, in which centrifugal force is used to initiate and terminate multiple radioassay incubations and separations simultaneously; and a gamma-counter/computer, which counts three tubes simultaneously and converts counts into concentration units. Radioimmunoassays for thyroxine, triiodothyronine, and digoxin were developed with use of well-characterized antibodies and of prepackaged Sephadex-containing columns to separate bound and free radioactive ligand. A triiodothyronine-uptake test in which the same kind of columns were used was also adapted to the instrument. Results for clinical samples compared favorably with those obtained by manual procedures. We report data on correlation between different methods and preliminary data on precision of the prototype system

76 FR 69755 - National Customs Automation Program Test Concerning Automated Commercial Environment (ACE...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-09

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY U.S. Customs and Border Protection National Customs Automation... announces U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP's) plan to conduct a National Customs Automation Program... conveyance transporting the cargo to the United States. This data will fulfill merchandise entry requirements...