Determination of opipramol in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography with photometric detection using a cyanopropyl column

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method is described for the determination of opipramol in human plasma. Opipramol was extracted into tert.-butylmethyl ether, separated on a cyanopropyl silica column and detected at 254 nm. Imipramine was used as internal standard. The limit of quantitation was 250 pg/ml using 1.5 ml plasma. Precision was better than 9%, inaccuracy less than 8%. The assay is more sensitive than previously published methods, and it has been applied to the analysis of plasma samples from a pharmacokinetic study.     

MAGI: Methylation analysis using genome information

By incorporating annotation information into the analysis of next-generation sequencing DNA methylation data, we provide an improvement in performance over current testing procedures. Methylation analysis using genome information (MAGI) is applicable for both unreplicated and replicated data, and provides an effective analysis for studies with low sequencing depth. When compared with current tests, the annotation-informed tests provide an increase in statistical power and offer a significance-based interpretation of differential methylation.     

Calories Do Not Explain Extension of Life Span by Dietary Restriction in Drosophila

Dietary restriction (DR) extends life span in diverse organisms, including mammals, and common mechanisms may be at work. DR is often known as calorie restriction, because it has been suggested that reduction of calories, rather than of particular nutrients in the diet, mediates extension of life span in rodents. We here demonstrate that extension of life span by DR in Drosophila is not attributable to the reduction in calorie intake. Reduction of either dietary yeast or sugar can reduce mortality and extend life span, but by an amount that is unrelated to the calorie content of the food, and with yeast having a much greater effect per calorie than does sugar. Calorie intake is therefore not the key factor in the reduction of mortality rate by DR in this species.     

Prevalence of Farmer's Lung in Scotland: A Pilot Survey

In a survey of the farming population of Orkney, Ayrshire, and East Lothian the prevalence of farmer''s lung was estimated at 86 per 1,000 in both Orkney and Ayrshire and 23 per 1,000 in East Lothian. If cases with a negative farmer''s lung hay (F.L.H.) precipitin test are excluded these figures are reduced to 43, 36, and nil respectively, but those for Orkney and Ayrshire are still about 20 times higher than any figure previously reported for the prevalence of farmer''s lung in Britain.Regional variations in prevalence are probably related both to climatic conditions and to differences in agricultural methods, the latter often being dictated by economic circumstances. Nevertheless the prevalence of farmer''s lung could be reduced considerably by the energetic application of preventive measures, backed by financial incentives. The most important of these are efficient drying of hay and cereals before storage, more extensive use of silage, better ventilation of farm buildings, and the introduction of mechanical feeding systems. Individual farmworkers could be taught how to recognize the early symptoms of the disease and encouraged to wear respirators when handling mouldy fodder.     

Salinity and water-type preferences of four species of postlarval shrimp (Penaeus) from west Mexico

Preference for low salinity inland water may be an important factor in the immigration of postlarval penaeid shrimp from the sea to their nursery grounds, such as estuaries, bays, and coastal lagoons. In the present work, it was shown that four species from west Mexico - Penaeus vannamei Boone, P stylirostris Stimpson, P. californiesis (Holmes), and P. brevirostris Kingsley - all prefer salinities less than that of normal sea water. Older or larger postlarvae preferred lower salinities than early postlarvae. Of the four species, P. vannamei has the lowest preference and this species predominates in the coastal lagoon fisheries of the area. Postlarvae of P. californiensis and P. brevirostris were also shown to prefer lagoon water to sea water. The importance of these preferences is discussed in relation to the normal postlarval migrations.