scholarly journals The Standardisation of Tuberculin

1930 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Philip ◽  
A. G. McKendrick ◽  
R. S. Begbie ◽  
W. O. Kermack ◽  
Donald Stewart

It will be convenient to summarise the results of the foregoing observations and the conclusions which appear justified by a comparison of results obtained by the two methods of standardisation under consideration, namely (1) cutaneous, on the human subject, and (2) intracutaneous (intradermal) on the guinea-pig.1. In the absence of knowledge regarding the essential chemistry of tuberculin, a chemical method of standardisation is excluded.2. The phenomena of allergic reactivity point to a biological basis for standardisation.3. The allergic reactions have been studied in the sensitised animal and in the human tuberculised subject.4. Tuberculins of unknown potency have been compared with a tuberculin of known potency which has been selected as standard.5. Comparative observations have been made as between the standard and the unknown tuberculin, by (a) making use of different dilutions, and (6) assessing results in animals (sensitised) and in human (tuberculised) subjects.6. In the sensitised guinea-pig the intracutaneous method has been used, and a definite procedure followed in the determination of results.7. In the human tuberculised subject the cutaneous method has been used, and similar procedure followed for the determination of results. The method and results are illustrated in the text.8. The results in the two sets of observations are definite and comparable. Both afford a basis for standardisation.9. The average probable errors by the two methods are approximately equal, that is, the accuracy of the one method is approximately equal to that of the other.10. If this be so, a strong plea may be advanced in favour of the human test. Shortly expressed: human (tuberculised) subjects are readily available for observation. The procedure involves little preparation, and the results are easily read with exactness. The tuberculin under test is to be used thereafter in relation to the human subject. This fact enhances the value of the test observations.If it be objected that in intracutaneous injection the amount of tuberculin introduced is measured more precisely, it may fairly be maintained that the droplet application of tuberculin is limited to a sharply defined area of skin surface and, further, that the clear skin of the human subject allows of more accurate estimation of the diameters of the areas of reaction.The present enquiry has shown that assays on a variety of human (tuberculised) subjects yield consistent results, and similarly, assays on various animals give consistent results. Yet the animal results are not always contistent with the human results. The explanation of the discrepancy is not very clear. It is not impossible that certain strains of tuberculin act in less degree on the human subject and in greater degree on the animal, and conversely. The occurrence of such differences might be misleading and even involve risk, if standardisation tests were limited to animals without control from observations on the human subject.If we grant, as the records have shown, that the procedure in relation to the human subject is sound and is innocuous to the human subject of the test, much may be said for the simplicity of the method and for the clarity of results obtained. As the tuberculins under test are destined for use on human subjects—for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes—it would seem reasonable, and probably safer, to base the standardisation of tuberculin (for human purposes) on observations in relation to man.

1982 ◽  
Vol 71 (02) ◽  
pp. 48-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor A. Moss ◽  
J. Alan Roberts ◽  
Keith Simpson

SummaryThe action of five “low potency” homœopathic remedies, as supplied to the public and used clinically, on the distance of movement in a given time of guinea-pig macrophages and human leucocytes was measured. The remedies, Belladonna, Hepar sulphur, Pyrogenium, Silicea and Staphylococcin, were tested in the range 2×10−10 to 10−16 g/ml dilution of the source material, though the actual concentration of any active agent was probably considerably less than these values.In four series of experiments with guinea-pig macrophages the remedies were tested as aqueous or alcoholic tinctures, or absorbed on sugar granules. The results of 533 tests showed statistically significant modification of cell movement in 47 tests (i.e. 95% significant in about 8% of tests). Ten of these differences were significant at the 99% level and three also at the 99.9% level.Fifty tests of the aqueous tinctures on leucocytes from four human subjects showed modification of cell movement in five tests, one test being significant at the 99% level. Significant effects were obtained with two subjects only.The remedies facilitated movement in some experiments and inhibited it in others. The largest effects were obtained with a few sensitive guinea-pigs and one human subject. The magnitude and direction of the effects depended on the batch of animals being tested rather than on the set of remedies used.It is concluded that low potency homœopathic remedies prepared by A. Nelson & Company Ltd. are capable of modifying the movement of human leucocytes and guinea-pig macrophages in vitro.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 637
Author(s):  
Daniele Martinello ◽  
Sandro Rubino ◽  
Radu Bojoi

The estimation of the laundry unbalance and laundry inertia is fundamental in washing machine applications. On the one hand, the estimation and management of the laundry unbalance play a pivotal role in reducing mechanical stress and noise during the spinning phase. On the other hand, the laundry inertia’s estimation, performed at the beginning of the washing cycle, allows for the determination of the proper amounts of water and detergent, the water temperature, and the tumbling time. In this way, good washing performance is obtained, avoiding the waste of energy and resources. Moreover, at the end of the washing cycle, the laundry inertia’s accurate estimation is needed to properly manage the spinning phase. With the aim of optimizing the washing performance, this paper proposes a novel method to estimate the laundry unbalance and laundry inertia. The proposed approach does not require additional sensors, since it uses the already implemented motor control scheme, enhanced by a dedicated position-tracking observer. Experimental results have been carried out on a commercial horizontal-axis direct-drive washer, demonstrating the validity of the proposed solution.


1963 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 265-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas J Cook ◽  
Allan L Lorincz ◽  
Alan R Spector

1967 ◽  
Vol 18 (01/02) ◽  
pp. 198-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald S Reno ◽  
Walter H Seegers

SummaryA two-stage assay procedure was developed for the determination of the autoprothrombin C titre which can be developed from prothrombin or autoprothrombin III containing solutions. The proenzyme is activated by Russell’s viper venom and the autoprothrombin C activity that appears is measured by its ability to shorten the partial thromboplastin time of bovine plasma.Using the assay, the autoprothrombin C titre was determined in the plasma of several species, as well as the percentage of it remaining in the serum from blood clotted in glass test tubes. Much autoprothrombin III remains in human serum. With sufficient thromboplastin it was completely utilized. Plasma from selected patients with coagulation disorders was assayed and only Stuart plasma was abnormal. In so-called factor VII, IX, and P.T.A. deficiency the autoprothrombin C titre and thrombin titre that could be developed was normal. In one case (prethrombin irregularity) practically no thrombin titre developed but the amount of autoprothrombin C which generated was in the normal range.Dogs were treated with Dicumarol and the autoprothrombin C titre that could be developed from their plasmas decreased until only traces could be detected. This coincided with a lowering of the thrombin titre that could be developed and a prolongation of the one-stage prothrombin time. While the Dicumarol was acting, the dogs were given an infusion of purified bovine prothrombin and the levels of autoprothrombin C, thrombin and one-stage prothrombin time were followed for several hours. The tests became normal immediately after the infusion and then went back to preinfusion levels over a period of 24 hrs.In other dogs the effect of Dicumarol was reversed by giving vitamin K1 intravenously. The effect of the vitamin was noticed as early as 20 min after administration.In response to vitamin K the most pronounced increase was with that portion of the prothrombin molecule which yields thrombin. The proportion of that protein with respect to the precursor of autoprothrombin C increased during the first hour and then started to go down and after 3 hrs was equal to the proportion normally found in plasma.


1973 ◽  
Vol 71 (4_Suppl) ◽  
pp. S110
Author(s):  
H. P. Gelbke ◽  
R. Knuppen
Keyword(s):  

1969 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-231 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. H. Asfeldt

ABSTRACT This is an investigation of the practical clinical value of the one mg dexamethasone suppression test of Nugent et al. (1963). The results, evaluated from the decrease in fluorimetrically determined plasma corticosteroids in normal subjects, as well as in cases of exogenous obesity, hirsutism and in Cushing's syndrome, confirm the findings reported in previous studies. Plasma corticosteroid reduction after one mg of dexamethasone in cases of stable diabetes was not significantly different from that observed in control subjects, but in one third of the insulin-treated diabetics only a partial response was observed, indicating a slight hypercorticism in these patients. An insufficient decrease in plasma corticosteroids was observed in certain other conditions (anorexia nervosa, pituitary adenoma, patients receiving contraceptive or anticonvulsive treatment) with no hypercorticism. The physiological significance of these findings is discussed. It is concluded that the test, together with a determination of the basal urinary 17-ketogenic steroid excretion, is suitable as the first diagnostic test in patients in whom Cushing's syndrome is suspected. In cases of insufficient suppression of plasma corticosteroids, further studies, including the suppression test of Liddle (1960), must be carried out.


2020 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Houli Li ◽  
Di Zhang ◽  
Xiaoliang Cheng ◽  
Qiaowei Zheng ◽  
Kai Cheng ◽  
...  

Background: The trough concentration (Cmin) of Imatinib (IM) is closely related to the treatment outcomes and adverse reactions of patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). However, the drug plasma level has great interand intra-individual variability, and therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is highly recommended. Objective: To develop a novel, simple, and economical two-dimensional liquid chromatography method with ultraviolet detector (2D-LC-UV) for simultaneous determination of IM and its major active metabolite, N-demethyl imatinib (NDIM) in human plasma, and then apply the method for TDM of the drug. Method: Sample was processed by simple protein precipitation. Two target analytes were separated on the one-dimension column, captured on the middle column, and then transferred to the two-dimension column for further analysis. The detection was performed at 264 nm. The column temperature was maintained at 40˚C and the injection volume was 500 μL. Totally 32 plasma samples were obtained from patients with GIST who were receiving IM. Method: Sample was processed by simple protein precipitation. Two target analytes were separated on the one-dimension column, captured on the middle column, and then transferred to the two-dimension column for further analysis. The detection was performed at 264 nm. The column temperature was maintained at 40˚C and the injection volume was 500 μL. Totally 32 plasma samples were obtained from patients with GIST who were receiving IM. Conclusion: The novel 2D-LC-UV method is simple, stable, highly automated and independent of specialized technicians, which greatly increases the real-time capability of routine TDM for IM in hospital.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 196
Author(s):  
Julio Manuel de Luis-Ruiz ◽  
Benito Ramiro Salas-Menocal ◽  
Gema Fernández-Maroto ◽  
Rubén Pérez-Álvarez ◽  
Raúl Pereda-García

The quality of human life is linked to the exploitation of mining resources. The Exploitability Index (EI) assesses the actual possibilities to enable a mine according to several factors. The environment is one of the most constraining ones, but its analysis is made in a shallow way. This research is focused on its determination, according to a new preliminary methodology that sets the main components of the environmental impact related to the development of an exploitation of industrial minerals and its weighting according to the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). It is applied to the case of the ophitic outcrops in Cantabria (Spain). Twelve components are proposed and weighted with the AHP and an algorithm that allows for assigning a normalized value for the environmental factor to each deposit. Geographic Information Systems (GISs) are applied, allowing us to map a large number of components of the environmental factors. This provides a much more accurate estimation of the environmental factor, with respect to reality, and improves the traditional methodology in a substantial way. It can be established as a methodology for mining spaces planning, but it is suitable for other contexts, and it raises developing the environmental analysis before selecting the outcrop to be exploited.


Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (14) ◽  
pp. 4842
Author(s):  
Waldemar Kamiński

Nowadays, hydrostatic levelling is a widely used method for the vertical displacements’ determinations of objects such as bridges, viaducts, wharfs, tunnels, high buildings, historical buildings, special engineering objects (e.g., synchrotron), sports and entertainment halls. The measurements’ sensors implemented in the hydrostatic levelling systems (HLSs) consist of the reference sensor (RS) and sensors located on the controlled points (CPs). The reference sensor is the one that is placed at the point that (in theoretical assumptions) is not a subject to vertical displacements and the displacements of controlled points are determined according to its height. The hydrostatic levelling rule comes from the Bernoulli’s law. While using the Bernoulli’s principle in hydrostatic levelling, the following components have to be taken into account: atmospheric pressure, force of gravity, density of liquid used in sensors places at CPs. The parameters mentioned above are determined with some mean errors that influence on the accuracy assessment of vertical displacements. In the subject’s literature, there are some works describing the individual accuracy analyses of the components mentioned above. In this paper, the author proposes the concept of comprehensive determination of mean error of vertical displacement (of each CPs), calculated from the mean errors’ values of components dedicated for specific HLS. The formulas of covariances’ matrix were derived and they enable to make the accuracy assessment of the calculations’ results. The author also presented the subject of modelling of vertical displacements’ gained values. The dependences, enabling to conduct the statistic tests of received model’s parameters, were implemented. The conducted tests make it possible to verify the correctness of used theoretical models of the examined object treated as the rigid body. The practical analyses were conducted for two simulated variants of sensors’ connections in HLS. Variant no. I is the sensors’ serial connection. Variant no. II relies on the connection of each CPs with the reference sensor. The calculations’ results show that more detailed value estimations of the vertical displacements can be obtained using variant no. II.


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