Pharmaceutical and Endocrine Disruptor Compounds in Surface and Wastewater in San Marcos, Texas.

Water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) and hospitals are major point sources of pharmaceuticals and endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) in aquatic environments. This study investigated the removal efficiencies of 23 known or suspected EDCs through the San Marcos WRRF to determine which treatment process was the most effective at removal. Results from samples collected at the hospital indicate that the hospital discharge is contributing to the concentration of these compounds in the San Marcos wastewater collection system (0.05-140 µg/L concentrations). The most frequently detected compounds in the WRRF influent included acetaminophen, nonylphenol, caffeine, benzophenone, N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET), bisphenol A (BPA), and triclosan. Comparison of influent and effluent concentrations showed that the San Marcos WRRF is effectively removing (>92%) of these compounds, with the exception of carbamazepine and tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP). These preliminary results will be used to guide future improvements within the WRRF.

Role of Brownian Particle Velocity in Bioelectronic Emissions of DNA.

Hypothesis: If double stranded DNA (dsDNA) is a charged biomolecule that moves in Earth's magnetic field at a Brownian velocity, then dsDNA may emit bioelectromagnetic waves at energies that reflect discrete genetic states. Methods: This work leverages the Planck-Einstein-de Broglie relationship and applies this concept to Brownian velocity of dsDNA within a cell, to describe the relationship between dsDNA mass, the average Brownian velocity of dsDNA within a cell, and the theoretical wavelengths at which DNA may emit bioelectromagnetic waves. Results: Theoretical emission wavelengths of dsDNA, derived from first principles, were found to correlate closely with experimentally observed emission wavelengths from spectroscopic measurements across various cellular systems in the literature. Conclusion: This work provides a conceptual basis for the potential for unification of bioelectromagnetism with Brownian motion, to elucidate how electromagnetic information can be generated at a subcellular level in biological systems. The implications of how finite mass changes in dsDNA can result in discrete emission wavelengths on electromagnetic timescales is discussed through the lens of genomics. Future refinements of this fundamental methodology may provide a conceptual basis to address previously unexplained multilevel phenomena in the field of biology and is general enough to be extended to other charged biomolecules at a subcellular level. Further exploration in this area could lead to new biological tool development that may augment current genomics methods.

Carbon nanotubes affect early growth, flowering time and phytohormones in tomato.

Carbon nanotube (CNT) applications are increasing in consumer products, including agriculture devices, making them an important contaminant to study in the field of plant nanotoxicology. Several studies have observed the uptake and effects of CNTs in plants. However, in other studies differing results were observed on growth and physiology depending on the plant species and type of CNT. This study focused on the effects of CNTs on plant phenotype with growth, time to flowering, fruiting time as endpoints, and physiology, through amino acid and phytohormone content, in tomato after exposure to multiple types of CNTs. Plants grown in CNT-contaminated soil exhibited a delay in early growth and flowering (especially in treatments of 1 mg/kg multi-walled nanotubes (MWNTs), 10 mg/kg MWNTs, and 1 mg/kg MWNTs-COOH). However, CNTs did not affect plant growth or height later in the life cycle. No significant differences in abscisic acid (ABA) and citrulline content were observed between the treated and control plants. However, single-walled nanotube (SWNT) exposure significantly increased salicylic acid (SA) content in tomato. These results suggest that SWNTs may elicit a stress response in tomatoes. Results from this study offer more insight into how plants respond and acclimate to CNTs. These results will lead to a better understanding of CNT impact on plant phenotype and physiology.

Matrix-matched standards in the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry determination of neonicotinoids in soil and sediment.

The use of matrix-matched standards with a solid-liquid extraction and salting out without the addition of further cleanup steps or costly cleanup procedures associated with the quick, easy, cheap, effective, robust, and safe (QuEChERS) method was evaluated to address variations in ionization efficiency in the LC-MS/MS determination of neonicotinoid pesticides in complex environmental samples. Limits of detection (1.4-3.4 ng/g) and limits of quantitation (4.6-11.3 ng/g) for various neonicotinoid analogs were comparable to previously reported QuEChERS extraction methods. Mean recovery of standard neonicotinoid samples spiked with 10 ng/g was found to be 78.0-100.5%, while samples spiked with 100 ng/g were found to be 55.1-99.9%. Recovery of analytes was matrix dependent; the highest recovery was from sediment (86.2-100.5%) followed by laboratory sand (70.9-81.7%) and agricultural soil (55.5-102.6%), respectively. Optimization of this methodology resulted in the reduction of procedure time and cost, and can aid in environmental monitoring efforts of common neonicotinoid pesticides in soils and sediments.

Development of primary standards for mass spectrometry to increase accuracy in quantifying environmental contaminants.

Internal standards are essential in electrospray ionization liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (ESI-LC-MS) to correct for systematic error associated with ionization suppression and/or enhancement. A wide array of instrument setups and interfaces has created difficulty in comparing the quantitation of absolute analyte response across laboratories. This communication demonstrates the use of primary standards as operational qualification standards for LC-MS instruments and their comparison with commonly accepted internal standards. In monitoring the performance of internal standards for perfluorinated compounds, potassium hydrogen phthalate (KHP) presented lower inter-day variability in instrument response than a commonly accepted deuterated perfluorinated internal standard (d3-PFOS), with percent relative standard deviations less than or equal to 6%. The inter-day precision of KHP was greater than d3-PFOS over a 28-day monitoring of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), across concentrations ranging from 0 to 100µg/L. The primary standard trometamol (Trizma) performed as well as known internal standards simeton and tris (2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCPP), with intra-day precision of Trizma response as low as 7% RSD on day 28. The inter-day precision of Trizma response was found to be greater than simeton and TCPP, across concentrations of neonicotinoids ranging from 1 to 100µg/L. This study explores the potential of primary standards to be incorporated into LC-MS/MS methodology to improve the quantitative accuracy in environmental contaminant analysis.

Biophysical Viscosity: Thermodynamic Principles of Per Capita Chemical Potentials in Human Populations.

Dynamic viscosity has been used to describe molecular resistance to flow under an applied force. This study introduces the theory of biophysical viscosity, the resistance of a region to molecular flow under environmental force to define the rates of per capita anthropogenic chemical efflux into the environment. Biophysical viscosity is an important intermediate quantity, in that it can be used to calculate the chemical potentials of single molecules for individuals in a population. Nonhypothetical emission data was combined with chemical potentials of anthropogenic tracers, to demonstrate that thermodynamic quantities can be used as parameters to directly compare energies associated with individual chemical emissions across geographic regions. These results indicate that population density is not the only factor in the determination of population-level chemical efflux and that biophysical viscosity is a useful tool in determining the per capita chemical potentials of anthropogenic chemicals for environmental risk assessment.

Random versus predictable risks of mortality after thoracotomy for lung cancer.

Over a period of 12 1/2 years, 476 patients underwent thoracotomy for lung cancer at two affiliated hospitals. Hospital mortality for all patients was 5.25% and for those undergoing pulmonary resection, 5.67%. Hospital mortality is more indicative of true risk than is the 30 day mortality figure, which we regard as arbitrary and misleadingly low. Thirty-seven preoperative risk factors were analyzed for their effects on both morbidity and mortality, and 12 classes of postoperative complications were analyzed for their effect on mortality. All preoperative risk factors together accounted only for 12% of the risk of mortality (R2 by multiple regression analysis). Only three of these factors bore a significant association with mortality: patient age 60 years or over (p less than 0.05), need for pneumonectomy (p less than 0.005), and premature ventricular contractions on the admission electrocardiogram (p less than 0.05). All the listed postoperative complications together accounted for only 28% of the risk of mortality. Of these complications, four showed a significant association with postoperative death: infectious complications (pneumonia and empyema) and cardiovascular accidents (pulmonary embolism and myocardial infarction). In both analyses, the remainder of the risk of death must be attributed either to factors not considered or to purely random factors. It follows that much the greater part of the risk of death from surgical treatment of lung cancer could not be predicted from the preoperative status of the patients.

Retinal detachment in the second eye.

Bilateral retinal detachment (RD) occurred in 13% of 737 patients, with an interval between detachments of up to 30 years. Bilateral RD was more common in male patients and in those having more than 3 diopters of myopia. Detachment in the second eye was caused by retinal breaks in previously observed degeneration in 43% and in unsuspected diseased retina 57%. A significant number of patients with bilateral RD had multiple breaks. Aphakic RD occurred in bilateral RD and in unilateral RD patients at a comparable frequency; 28% of bilateral (mean duration, four years) and 35% of unilateral aphakic RDs occurred within one year of cataract surgery. Symptoms from retinal breaks were not reliable prognostic factors; only 39% of patients had warning before RD. Patients with bilateral RD had more reoperations with fewer successes, factors suggesting greater severity than unilateral RD.

Quantitative evaluation of the skin and accessory appendages in vulvar carcinoma in situ.

Fifty cases of vulvar carcinoma in situ comprising over 1000 histologic sections were studied. Each case was evaluated to determine the thickness of the neoplastic epidermis and the depth of involved skin appendages. Two precise techniques were used to perform the microscopic measurements. The areas most frequently afflicted with neoplasia were: one or both labia (45%), interlabial folds (27%), perineum-fourchette (15%), and perianal skin (10%). Multicentric disease was observed in 68% of the cases. The epidermal thickness ranged between 0.35-1.66 mm. The mean depth (+/- SD) of the epidermis was 0.93 +/- 0.37 mm. Eighteen of the 50 patients demonstrated involvement of the skin appendages to a mean depth of 1.53 +/- 0.77 mm, suggesting that laser vaporization to a depth of 2.5 mm will, with the anticipated additional thermal necrosis, eliminate appendages involved with carcinoma in situ in 95% of instances. The most common sites of skin appendage involvement were the labia majora or minora and the interlabial folds.

Dependent rubor as a predictor of limb risk in patients with claudication.

We followed up 133 patients with claudication to determine the prognostic value of dependent rubor. Life tables analysis was used, with a threatened limb as the endpoint. A threatened limb was defined as the development of ischemic rest pain, skin ulceration, or gangrene. At four years, the rubor group had a limb-threat incidence of 25%, compared with only 9% in the nonrubor group. While not indicative of imminent limb loss, the presence of dependent rubor defines patients whose limb risk is greater than in those with claudication alone.

The relation between oral contraceptive use and subsequent development of hyperprolactinemia.

Serum prolactin levels were determined in 123 patients who presented with menstrual irregularities and/or infertility of more than 1 year's duration. Sixty-three patients had hyperprolactinemia with serum prolactin levels of 26 to 843 ng/ml (normal 5 to 22 ng/ml); 44.4% of this group of patients received oral contraceptive for a period of 2 months to 7 years. Sixty patients were normoprolactinemic, with serum prolactin levels of 3 to 22 ng/ml; 33.4% of this group received oral contraceptives for a period of 6 months to 7 years. The age of presentation, onset of symptoms, age at which they started on oral contraceptives, and duration of use were tabulated. The data were analyzed using chi 2 test corrected for continuity. There was no significant difference in age at the time of evaluation between oral contraceptive users and nonusers with hyperprolactinemia. The relative odds developing hyperprolactinemia were 2.64 times greater among women who has used oral contraceptives for more than 1 year and 6.25 times greater if this use started before the age of 25.

Recurrence as a mode of determining efficacy in treatment of carcinoma of the larynx.

A study population of 374 patients with cancer of the larynx was evaluated, treated, and followed at yearly intervals up to a maximum of 18 years post-diagnosis. Of these, 348 received definitive therapy to attempt to eradicate their disease and were followed for recurrence and presence of cancer at death. In Stages I, II, and III recurrence of disease appears to be a very good indicator of therapeutic efficacy. Stage I carcinomas of the larynx should be treated with radiation as the proportions of patients with recurrences were the same for both primary surgical or radiation therapy. In Stages II and III, primary surgical therapy significantly lowered the proportion recurring when compared with primary radiation therapy. In Stage IV carcinomas of the larynx, both survival and recurrence accurately reflect therapeutic efficacy since most patients suffer recurrence of their carcinoma and die of the disease.

Association of renal graft survival with matching at the HLA-DR locus.

The influence of HLA-DR antigen matching in 70 cadaver transplants was studied for up to four years. The overall cumulative renal graft survival at one year was 62 percent, and at two and four years it was 60 percent. The one, two, and four year cumulative graft survival for patients receiving one or two HLA-DR antigen matched grafts was 74 percent, 69 percent, and 69 percent, respectively. In contrast, the one, two, and four year cumulative graft survival for patients receiving zero HLA-DR antigen matched grafts was 51 percent, 47 percent, and 47 percent, respectively. The cumulative graft survival for patients receiving one or two HLA-DR antigen matched grafts was significantly different (p less than 0.05) than for patients receiving zero HLA-DR antigen match grafts. No significant difference in the distribution of other prognostic factors were observed between patients receiving one or two HLA-DR antigen match grafts and patients receiving zero HLA-DR antigen matched grafts. The present authors concluded that matching for HLA-DR antigens exerts an independent beneficial effect on renal graft survival in transplant patients, most of whom have been previously transfused.

Photosensitized tetrahydropyran transfer.

THP ethers were formed cleanly during photolysis of 3,4-dihydro-2 H-pyran, an alcohol, and catalytic 1,5-dichloro-9,10-anthraquinone with use of visible light. The reaction could be conducted under ambient fluorescent lighting or with sunlight as well as in a Rayonet reactor. The scope and mechanism are discussed.

Longitudinal study of career choices of a SUNY-Upstate cohort of medical students.

A SUNY-Upstate cohort was observed during the four-year matriculation (1974--1978) of the students for changes in their career choices. Medical school exposure seemed to increase students' interest in all major specialties, with the exception of family practice for which there was an overall 3% decrease. Internship and residency appointments accepted indicated that 75% entered primary care specialties, 8% more than the national average for 1978.

Senile macular degeneration: a preliminary study.

Fifty patients with senile macular degeneration and 50 age-sex-matched control patients were studied retrospectively by multiple regression analysis. The patients with senile macular degeneration more often had hyperopia by a 2.4:1 ratio and when receiving treatment for hypertension, in a 6.1:1 ratio. The significance of these findings needs prospective study.

Cell volumes of lymphoblasts in patients with acute lymphocytic leukaemia.

Cell volumes of lymphoblasts from 75 cases of acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL) and lymphocytes from 33 normal individuals were determined using a Coulter Counter Model H4 Channelyzer. The average mean cell volume (MCV) and the model volume (MV) of lymphoblasts were larger than the MCV and MV of normal lymphocytes (P less than 0.01). In addition, the cell volumes of lymphoblasts from patients with ALL were more heterogeneous than normal lymphocytes. When the volumes of lymphoblasts were compared to the FAB classification, lymphoblasts from cases of L3 were larger than those from L2 and the latter were larger than lymphoblasts from the L1 subtype. When the volumes of lymphoblasts were compared to an immunological classification, lymphoblasts from cases of B cell ALL were larger than those from non-B, non-T and T cell ALL. The volume of lymphoblasts, however, showed no significant predictive value in the determination of complete remission, duration of first remission, or survival.