Evaluating a virtual reality motor-skills simulator.

Evaluation was performed on a prototype low-cost virtual-reality motor-skills simulator (VRMSS) created at the Telehealth Research Institute, John A. Burns School of Medicine, in conjunction with the National Biocomputation Center, Stanford University. The VRMSS is specifically designed to teach baseline fine-motor skills used in surgery that are based on a matrix of elemental technical skills that comprise the tenets of surgical technique.

[Multi-residue method for screening of pesticides in crops by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry].

A simple and rapid method was developed for the screening of 82 pesticides/metabolites in a wide variety of crops, using solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). After extraction with methanol, the filtered extracts were made up to 100 mL and a 2 mL aliquot was subjected to solid-phase extraction. Co-extractives were removed with a C18 mini-column, while pesticides were retained on 3 kinds of mini-columns (HLB, SAX, activated carbon), and then eluted with acetonitrile.

Serum calcium regulating hormones in the perinatal period.

To clarify perinatal vitamin D metabolism, we measured 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD), 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [24,25(OH)2D], 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D], calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), parathyroid hormone (PTH), and human calcitonin (CT) in paired maternal, cord, and infant serum. Cord serum 25OHD was significantly lower than the maternal level, and cord serum 24,25(OH)2D was also significantly below the maternal concentrations. Maternal, cord, and infant serum 1,25(OH)2D, on the other hand, was significantly higher than the normal adult level.

A specific competitive protein binding assay for serum 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D in normal children and patients with nephrotic syndrome.

A specific competitive protein binding assay for 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D by Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography, followed by high pressure liquid chromatography with normal rat kidney cytosol as the binding protein, was developed. The mean concentrations of serum 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D of the cord, in newborn infants and in infants under 12 months of age were 0.90 +/- 0.

Plasma 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D concentrations in cords, newborns, infants, and children.

Plasma 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25-(OH)2-D] was measured in cord serum, newborns, infants, and children. The mean for the values obtained from the six cords was significantly higher than the mean for the older children (6-15 years). The mean for the six newborns (0-1 week) was significantly higher than that for the older children.