Assessment of multiple herbicide protection seed treatments for seed-based restoration of native perennial bunchgrasses and sagebrush across multiple sites and years.

The invasion of exotic, annual plant species is a leading contributor to ecological degradation in drylands globally, and the use of pre-emergent herbicide to control these species is common. Pre-emergent herbicides pose challenges for seed-based restoration due to toxicity to the seeds of desired species. Herbicide protection (HP) technologies pose a potential solution by using activated carbon seed treatments to protect desirable seeds from herbicide exposure.

Quantifying low levels (<0.5% w/w) of warfarin sodium salts in oral solid dose forms using Transmission Raman spectroscopy.

In this feasibility study Transmission Raman spectroscopy (TRS) has been used to build quantitative models for warfarin sodium and warfarin sodium clathrate. The type of warfarin present in manufactured tablets may affect product quality. Models were used to predict warfarin sodium in commercially available tablets at extremely low dosage levels (0.

Through-container, extremely low concentration detection of multiple chemical markers of counterfeit alcohol using a handheld SORS device.

Major food adulteration incidents occur with alarming frequency and are episodic, with the latest incident, involving the adulteration of meat from 21 producers in Brazil supplied to 60 other countries, reinforcing this view. Food fraud and counterfeiting involves all types of foods, feed, beverages, and packaging, with the potential for serious health, as well as significant economic and social impacts. In the spirit drinks sector, counterfeiters often 'recycle' used genuine packaging, or employ good quality simulants.

Rapid quantification of low level polymorph content in a solid dose form using transmission Raman spectroscopy.

This proof of concept study demonstrates the application of transmission Raman spectroscopy (TRS) to the non-invasive and non-destructive quantification of low levels (0.62-1.32% w/w) of an active pharmaceutical ingredient's polymorphic forms in a pharmaceutical formulation.

Comprehensive quantification of tablets with multiple active pharmaceutical ingredients using transmission Raman spectroscopy--a proof of concept study.

Transmission Raman spectroscopy is a potent new tool for content uniformity testing in pharmaceutical manufacturing enabling rapid bulk sampling of a material by non-destructive means. In this proof-of-concept study, we present, for the first time, comprehensive quantification of all the constituents in a set of tablets consisting of 5 components (3 APIs and 2 excipients) by this method. The nominal concentration of individual components ranged from 1 to 85% (w/w).

Development of Transmission Raman Spectroscopy towards the in line, high throughput and non-destructive quantitative analysis of pharmaceutical solid oral dose.

Transmission Raman spectroscopy (TRS) is a recently introduced analytical technique to pharmaceutical analysis permitting volumetric sampling by non-destructive means. Here we demonstrate experimentally, for the first time, the enhanced speed of quantification of pharmaceutical tablets by an order of magnitude compared with conventional TRS. This is achieved using an enhancing element, "photon diode", avoiding the loss of laser photons at laser coupling interface.

Rasch analysis of the community integration measure in persons with traumatic brain injury.

Objective: To examine the measurement properties of the Community Integration Measure (CIM) in persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Design: Rasch analysis was used to retrospectively evaluate the CIM.

Setting: Rehabilitation hospital.

Awareness of deficits and on-road driving performance.

This study examined the relationship of neuropsychological and on-road driving evaluations among adults with acquired brain injury (ABI), and the extent to which that relationship is moderated by awareness of deficit. Participants were 62 pairs of adults with ABI and significant-other informants and 40 healthy controls (N = 102). Adults with ABI and controls completed neuropsychological and on-road evaluations.

Expanding the chiral pool: oxidation of meta-bromobenzoic acid by R. eutrophus B9 allows access to new reaction manifolds.

Metabolism of meta-bromobenzoic acid by the blocked mutant Ralstonia eutrophus B9 affords an enantiopure dearomatised halodiene-diol which we demonstrate is a versatile chiron for organic synthesis. The presence of the halogen leads to reactivity that is distinct to that observed for the non-halogenated analogue and also serves as a synthetic handle for further functionalisation.

The reliability and validity of the Community Integration Measure in persons with traumatic brain injury.

Objective: To investigate the psychometric properties of the Community Integration Measure (CIM), a scale that assesses self-perceived quality of community integration, among persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Method: Persons (N = 279) with TBI completed the CIM, as well as other measures of community integration and quality of life, and were followed up to 15 years postinjury.

Results: The CIM was found to be a reliable instrument with adequate internal consistency.

Driving status and community integration after stroke.

Background And Purpose: Driving a motor vehicle is an essential activity of daily living for adults; however, few studies have examined the effects of driving cessation on community integration among stroke survivors. The present study investigated this relationship as well as social support and gender as potential moderators of outcome.

Method: Ninety pairs of stroke survivors and informants participated.

Self-assessment of driving ability and the decision to resume driving following stroke.

The decision to resume driving after stroke can be complicated by the sequelae of stroke as well as the established finding that even healthy adults overestimate their driving ability. This study evaluated whether stroke survivors (n = 67) disproportionately overestimated their driving ability as compared to healthy significant others (n = 67). Comparison to a known target reduced self-bias among both groups, but shift toward enhanced accuracy was significantly greater among survivors than significant others.

An unbiased method for estimation of total epidermal nerve fibre length.

It is of interest to quantify accurately lineal biological features such as nerve fibres, capillaries, and tubules for studies of development and diseases such as sensory neuropathy, and for evaluation of therapeutic regimens in humans and animal models. An unbiased stereological method to sample and estimate total length of immunostained epidermal nerve fibres by using vertical sections of punch skin biopsies from two human volunteers is presented. The essential steps in the procedure are as follows: (1) serially section the skin punch in a random plane perpendicular to the cutaneous surface; (2) immunostain a known fraction of total sections with antibody specific for nerve fibres; (3) orient a test line-grid over the epidermis; and (4) count intersections between test lines and immunostained epidermal nerve fibres.

An analysis of feeding regimens after pyloromyotomy for hypertrophic pyloric stenosis.

We retrospectively reviewed 223 infants who underwent pyloromyotomy for hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (HPS) at our institution from January 1984 to May 1990. Each patient's postoperative feeding regimen was determined by the attending surgeon. The four distinct regimens used were as follows: A (n = 66): NPO overnight (> 10 h) with cautious feeding advancement every 4 hours x 2, then every 2 hours x 2, then every 1 1/2 hours x 8, then ad lib; B (n = 46): NPO until 6 to 8 hours postoperatively with the same cautious feeding advancement as in A; C (n = 42): NPO until 6 hours postoperatively with accelerated feeding advancement every 2 hours x 8, then ad lib; D (n = 69): NPO until 6 hours postoperatively with accelerated feeding advancement every 1 hour x 12, then ad lib.

Enhancement of wound healing by topical treatment with epidermal growth factor.

Experimental studies in animals have demonstrated that the topical application of epidermal growth factor accelerates the rate of epidermal regeneration of partial-thickness wounds and second-degree burns. We conducted a prospective, randomized, double-blind clinical trial using skin-graft-donor sites to determine whether epidermal growth factor would accelerate the rate of epidermal regeneration in humans. Paired donor sites were created in 12 patients who required skin grafting for either burns or reconstructive surgery.

The neuroleptic malignant syndrome.

A fatal case of the neuroleptic malignant syndrome in a young lady with paranoid schizophrenia. Cardiovascular collapse was due to profound hyperkalaemia secondary to rhabdomyolysis. We advise immediate estimation of serum potassium in all suspected cases.