Coefficient Of Variation For Measurements Research Articles

Reproducibility of the Measurements of the Optic Nerve Head Topographic Variables with a Confocal Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope

Purpose: To determine the optic nerve head topographic parameters with the least variability in repeat measurements. Methods: We randomly selected and evaluated 1 eye each of 20 healthy subjects, a total of 20 eyes. We used the confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope (CSLO) for optic nerve head analysis. The disc area and a total of 13 parameters were determined by Top SS. Each subject was examined five times, each time on a different day, during a 2-month period. We obtained a series of five 10 × 10° images for each eye per visit. Three of the five images were randomly selected to create a mean image. Coefficients of variation of each of the 13 variables studied were calculated separately by using those five different optic nerve head topographic measurements. Results: The subjects were 11 women and 9 men. The mean age of the subjects was 30.5 ± 6.9. The mean optic disc areas were 2.26 ± 0.39 mm 2 and 1.96 ± 0.37 mm 2 for the men and the women, respectively ( P > .05). The mean coefficient of variation for measurement of the variables was found to range between 1.2% and 9.8%. The variables, cup shape, volume above, average depth, and volume below, were found to yield the best reproducible measurements. Conclusion: The CSLO with its highly reproducible measurements (<10% error) offers a highly objective, safe, and effective method for clinical use in measurements of the topography of the optic nerve head. The subtle differences in the variables, cup shape, volume above, average depth, and volume below, may be of vital importance in the follow-up of those diseases requiring longitudinal monitoring of the optic nerve head, namely ocular hypertension and glaucoma.

The precision and influence of rotation for measurements of bone mineral density of the distal femur following total knee arthroplasty: a methodological study using DEXA.

We evaluated the feasibility of DEXA (Norland XR-26 mark II) for quantitative measurements of bone mineral density (BMD) in the lateral plane of the distal femur after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). BMD was measured in 5-6 regions of interest (ROI) in close relation to the femoral component. In an in vitro study using 3 different distal femur phantoms, we found that the precision was affected by rotation of the distal femur. When BMD measurements were repeated within a range of motion of 40 degrees, 20 degrees, and 0 degrees, the coefficient of variation (CV) was approximately 15%, 10%, and 0.6%, respectively. We found that the use of bone cement for implant fixation had no effect on the level of BMD. Double measurements performed in 28 patients gave average CV values of 3.3%, 3.0%, and 2.6% for the uncemented Duracon, and Interax femoral components and the cemented AGC components, respectively. Our in vivo average CV measurements of BMD of the distal femur after TKA were on a level, suitable for repeated BMD measurements in prospective studies, which evaluate adaptive bone remodeling of the distal femur after cemented and uncemented TKA.

Toward a Better Measure of Horizontal Equity

The coefficient of variation (CV), a commonly used measure of horizontal equity, has several important limitations. First, comparing CV for income groups with different average incomes is problematic because groups with larger incomes, by construction, will have lower CV values. Second, groups of unequal width are not comparable because standard deviation can be affected by the interval width. These two limitations make summary measures such as average CV or weighted average CV inadvisable for comparing overall changes in horizontal equity between tax regimes. To remedy these limitations, we propose the ratio of the CV of tax liability to the CV of expanded total income (CV Ratio) for groups of equal width. The advantages of using CV Ratio are demonstrated in an analysis comparing the current tax system and the proposed Armey flat tax system. We observe, using CV Ratio, that there is less horizontal equity at the higher income levels of the current tax system. This is contrary to prior studies using the traditional CV measure.

An analysis of gene array data related to cell adhesion and prostate cancer.

We embarked on the investigation presented in this report with three goals in mind. First, to discover a gene, or a group of genes, related to the attachment of prostate cells to their neighboring environment. The process of cell attachment is a very important process in cancer in general, and in prostate cancer in particular. Changes in cell attachment allow cells to move around the body, or metastasize, thereby causing the spread of cancer through the body, causing death. Second, we wanted to examine “statistical variability” of gene expression in a single cell line, with time as the only factor possibly related to cell event of interest: cell adhesion. Understanding gene variability is important with regards to future studies, which seek to measure changes in gene expression in human subjects, and is a prerequisite for making certain predictions about “effect size”, when planning to affect gene activity at some future time. We were especially interested in whether and how standardization of numerical values (e.g. division by a specific measure of abundance) obtained from microarrays may affect statistical parameters such as coefficient of correlation or coefficient of variation in measurements of gene expression. Finally, we wanted to take into consideration the notion of false positives, an issue of interest to researchers working with microarray data; this matter is addressed in the final section.

Detection of optic nerve atrophy following a single episode of unilateral optic neuritis by MRI using a fat-saturated short-echo fast FLAIR sequence.

We describe an MRI technique for quantifying optic nerve atrophy resulting from a single episode of unilateral optic neuritis. We imaged 17 patients, with a median time since onset of optic neuritis of 21 months (range 3-81 months), using a coronal-oblique fat-saturated short-echo fast fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery (sTE fFLAIR) sequence. The mean cross-sectional area of the intraorbital portion of the optic nerves was calculated by a blinded observer from five consecutive 3 mm slices from the orbital apex forwards using a semiautomated contouring technique and compared with data from 16 controls. The mean optic nerve area was 11.2 mm2 in the affected eye of the patients, 12.9 mm2 in the contralateral eye (P = 0.006 compared to the affected eye) and 12.8 mm2 in controls (P = 0.03 compared to the affected eyes). There was a significant negative correlation between disease duration and the size of the affected optic nerve (r = -0.59, P = 0.012). The measurement coefficient of variation was 4.8%. The sTE fFLAIR sequence enables measurement of optic nerve area with sufficient reproducibility to show optic nerve atrophy following a single episode of unilateral optic neuritis. The correlation of increasing optic nerve atrophy with disease duration would be consistent with ongoing axonal loss in a persistently demyelinated lesion, or Wallerian degeneration following axonal damage during the acute inflammatory phase.

Effects of human milk pasteurization and sterilization on available fat content and fatty acid composition.

Human milk is frequently heat treated in hospitals to reduce bacterial contamination, particularly in banked milk fed to preterm infants. Pasteurization and sterilization may induce oxidative losses of unsaturated lipids and vitamins and may inactivate enzymes and immunologic factors. This study was designed to examine the effects of pasteurization and sterilization on milk fat content available to the recipient infant and on fatty acid composition. In fresh, pasteurized (62.5 degrees C for 30 minutes), and sterilized (120 degrees C for 30 minutes) milk samples (5 ml) of 12 mothers (days 5-35 of lactation), fat content was determined gravimetrically and the contribution of 30 fatty acids was determined by gas-liquid chromatography. The coefficients of variation for measurements of milk fat content were 0.7% and of fatty acids accounting for more than 0.09% of weight, 0.1-3.0%. Available fat content was 3.1+/-1.4 g/dl (mean +/- SD) in fresh human milk and 3.1+/-1.4 g/dl (not significant) in pasteurized human milk. Fat content declined to 2.7+/-1.1 g/dl (p < 0.001 vs. fresh) in sterilized human milk, because of increased fat adherence to the container surface after sterilization. The percentage composition of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids of the n-6 (C18:3, C20:2, C20:3, and C22:4) and the n-3 series (C18:3 C20:5, C22:5, and C22:6) was not affected by thermal treatment. Milk sterilization caused a slight decrease of linoleic (-0.7% vs. fresh milk; p = 0,006) and arachidonic (-2,6%; p = 0.045) acids. Pasteurization of human milk does not influence fat content and composition, but sterilization may reduce available fat content by more than 10%, whereas there are only slight changes in fatty acid composition.

Measuring the Spatial Focus of Migration Patterns

The changing territorial concentration of migration flows is of interest to many geographers, yet we still do not have a widely accepted index of spatial focus. The much used index of migration efficiency has been shown to be an inadequate index of such spatial concentration, and two candidates have been suggested to replace it: the Gini index and the coefficient of variation. Both are examined in this paper, and a comparative assessment is offered. Data from the 1970, 1980, and 1990 censuses are used to illustrate the two measures. An examination of the findings reveals that the coefficient of variation measure indicates higher levels of spatial focus than does the Gini index for states with highly concentrated flows.

Laser Doppler imaging of skin microcirculation.

Laser Doppler imaging (LDI), a new technique which allows measurement of skin blood perfusion at a distance from the skin surface, was assessed methodologically in healthy volunteers. Each skin LDI value was based on virtually real-time measurements obtained from a number of discrete measuring sites. In scans made along the circumference of the lower arm, valid figures for LDI (as distinct from no output at all) were obtained in 8/8 measurements at 0 degrees inclination, and in 16/16 measurements at 7 degrees, 14 degrees, 22 degrees, 30 degrees and 38 degrees, respectively. Beyond this inclination a numerical output was obtained in only 9/16 of measurements at an inclination of 48 degrees, in 7/16 at 69 degrees, and in no more than 1/16 at 90 degrees. Values obtained at angles of inclination greater than 38 degrees fell within the relatively narrow range of values obtained at lesser angles of inclination. The findings are of interest since measuring sites of clinical importance may not be flat. Variability of measurement (coefficient of variation in per cent) was studied in the lower leg by performing LDI and conventional laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) concomitantly. The coefficient of variation for measurements in one subject at rest was 13% for LDI vs. 19% for LDF, the corresponding interindividual coefficient of variation values being 25% vs. 28%. In response to heating, finger pulp perfusion increased by 55% as measured by LDI (p = 0.0051) and by 44% (p = 0.0756) as measured by LDF. In summary, the findings contribute to the validation of LDI for skin perfusion measurement.

Volumetric MRI of the limbic system: anatomic determinants

The limbic system comprises the hippocampal formation, fornix, mamillary bodies, thalamus, and other integrated structures. It is involved in complex functions including memory and emotion and in diseases such as temporal lobe epilepsy. Volume measurements of the amygdala and hippocampus have been used reliably to study patients with temporal lobe epilepsy but have not extended to other limbic structures. We performed volume measurements of hippocampus, amygdala, fornix and mamillary bodies in healthy individuals. Measurements of the amygdala, hippocampus, fornix and mamillary bodies revealed significant differences in volume between right and left sides (P < 0.001). The intraclass coefficient of variation for measurements was high for all structures except the mamillary bodies. Qualitative image assessment of the same structures revealed no asymmetries between the hemispheres. This technique can be applied to the study of disorders affecting the limbic system.

Determination of 15N isotopic enrichment and concentrations of allantoin and uric acid in urine by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.

A method for the determination of 15N enrichment and concentration of allantoin and uric acid simultaneously in urine using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) is described. The urine samples contained [1,3-15N2] uric acid and its oxidation product allantoin. The uric acid and allantoin were isolated using an AG1-X8 (Cl-form) anion-exchange column and heated with a mixture containing 1:1 dimethylformamide and N-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-N-methyltrifluoroacetamide (MTBSTFA). The tert-butyldimethylsilyl (TBDMS) derivatives of allantoin and uric acid formed were injected into a gas chromatograph interfaced with a mass spectrometer operated under electron impact ionization conditions. Isotope ratio measurements were made from the abundance of the M-57 ions at m/z 398, 399 and 400 for allantoin and at m/z 567 and 569 for uric acid. 15N2 allantoin (99 at.%) was produced from [1,3-15N2] uric acid by treatment with uricase and used as a standard. Quantitation of allantoin and uric acid was based on isotopic dilution by spiking the urine sample with known quantities of 99 at.% [15N] uric acid and allantoin internal standards. The observed isotope ratio measurements from the prepared standards matched the theoretical values. Coefficients of variation in measurements of isotope ratio and concentration were 0.2 and 0.5%, respectively. The method was applied in a study to measure the urinary recovery of [1,3-15N2] uric acid continuously infused for 8-10 h into the blood of four sheep each on two occasions. Within 24 h, 65.9 +/- 9.1% of the tracer was excreted in the urine unchanged. Little was converted into allantoin (approximately 7% of the dose). The total recovery (5 days) of the infused tracer averaged 69.5 +/- 7.6% as uric acid and 76.8 +/- 9.3% as the sum of uric acid and allantoin. Uricase activities in plasma, liver and kidney of sheep were also measured using [1,3-15N2] uric acid as a substrate. Uricase activity was estimated to be 0.6 mU g-1 wet tissue in the liver and there appeared to be none in plasma and kidney. The low uricase activities in sheep tissues appeared to explain the limited conversion of the intravenously administered [15N] uric acid to allantoin but did not explain the large quantities of allantoin excreted in urine (8.96 +/- 0.86 and 1.36 +/- 0.25 mmol d-1 for allantoin and uric acid, respectively). The GC/MS method for the determination of 15N enrichment and concentration of allantoin and uric acid in urine is accurate and precise and provides a useful tool for studies on uric acid and allantoin metabolism.

Flow Cytometric Determination of Genotoxic Effects of Exposure to Petroleum in Mink and Sea Otters

Three experiments were conducted to investigate the genotoxic effects of crude oil on mink and sea otters. In the first experiment, the effects on mink of chronic exposure to weathered Prudhoe Bay crude oil were studied. Female mink were fed a diet that included weathered crude oil for a period of 3 weeks prior to mating, during pregnancy and until weaning. Kits were exposed through lactation and by diet after weaning until 4 months of age. Kidney and liver tissues of the kits were examined using flow cytometry (FCM) and it was found that the genome size was increased in kidney samples from the experimental group compared to the control group. This effect was probably due to some type of DNA amplification and it could have been inherited from the exposed mothers or have been a somatic response to oil exposure in the pups. No evidence of clastogenic effects, as measured by the coefficient of variation (CV) of the G1 peak, was found in kidney or liver tissue. In the second experiment, yearling female mink were exposed either by diet or externally to crude oil or bunker C fuel oil. Evidence for clastogenic damage was found in spleen tissue for the exposure groups, but not in kidney tissue. No evidence of increased genome size was observed. In the third experiment, blood was obtained from wild-caught sea otters in Prince William Sound. The sea otters represented two populations: one from western Prince William Sound that was potentially exposed to oil from the Exxon Valdez oil spill and a reference population from eastern Prince William Sound that did not receive oil from the spill. The spill had occurred 1.5 years prior to obtaining the blood samples. Although the mean CVs did not differ between the populations, the exposed population had a significantly higher variance of CV measurements and five out of 15 animals from the exposed population had CVs higher than the 95% confidence limits of the reference population. It is concluded that FCM is a sensitive indicator of the clastogenic effects of oil exposure and that haematopoietic tissues and blood are best for detecting clastogenic damage. Moreover, the observed differences in the genome size of the kidney cells were possibly heritable effects, but this needs further investigation. Lastly, sea otters exposed to spilled oil 1.5 years earlier showed evidence of clastogenic damage in one-third of the individuals sampled.

Evaluation of a commercial pulsed fluorescence detector for the measurement of low‐level SO2 concentrations during the Gas‐Phase Sulfur Intercomparison Experiment

A modified pulsed fluorescence (PF) detector (Thermo Environmental Instruments, Model 43s) was used to measure low levels of SO2 in a rigorous, blind intercomparison experiment (Gas‐Phase Intercomparison Experiment (GASIE)). The PF detector was able to detect as little as 30 pptv SO2 in a 25‐min sampling interval. The coefficients of variation for measurements of approximately 30, 60, 200, 330, and 600 pptv were approximately 40, 9, 6.5, 3, and 3%, respectively. Overall uncertainty of the measurements at 30 pptv approaches ±100%. As inferred from GASIE results, the response of the PF detector may be reduced (quenched) by approximately 7% and 15% at water vapor mixing ratios of 1 and 1.5 mole percent (relative humidities of 35–50% at 20–25°C and 1 atm), respectively. These results are uncertain, however, due to lack of extensive data. Post‐GASIE tests point to moderate interferences from NO (rejection ratio of 35), CS2 (rejection ratio of 20), and a number of highly fluorescent aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene, toluene, o‐xylene, m‐xylene,p‐xylene, m‐ethyltoluene, ethylbenzene, and 1,2,4‐trimethylbenzene. Rejection ratios for these compounds increase from approximately 17–123 to circa 1200–3800 as the sample flow rate is decreased from 2000 to 300 standard cubic centimeters per minute (sccm), and the hydrocarbons are more efficiently removed by the instrument's proprietary hydrocarbon “kicker” membrane. At a flow rate of 300 sccm and a pressure drop of 645 torr across the kicker, the interference from ppmv levels of many aromatic hydrocarbon was eliminated entirely. None of the tested interferants were removed by the carbonate‐impregnated paper filter used to zero the instrument during GASIE; thus they induced no net response in the PF detector. These results illustrate the importance of using a selective zeroing method to scrub SO2 without removing potential interferants from the sample flow, thus preserving the overall composition of the sampling matrix.

Omasal sampling technique for assessing fermentative digestion in the forestomach of dairy cows.

A procedure allowing digesta sampling from the omasum via a ruminal cannula without repeated entry into the omasum was developed. The sampling system consisted of a device inserted into the omasum via the ruminal cannula, a tube connecting the device to the ruminal cannula, and a single compressor/vacuum pump. Eight cows given ad libitum access to a total mixed diet were used in a crossover design to evaluate the effects of the sampling system on digestive activity, animal performance, and animal behavior. Results indicated that the omasal sampling system has minimal effect on normal digestive and productive functions of high-producing dairy cows. Dry matter intake was reduced (24.0 vs 21.8 kg/d; P < .02) and seemed related more to the sampling procedures than to the device in the omasum. Observations of animal behavior indicated that cows with the sampling device were similar to control cows, although rumination and total chewing times were reduced slightly. The composition of digesta samples was biased toward an over-abundance of the liquid phase, but using a double-marker system to calculate digesta flow resulted in fairly small coefficients of variation for measurements of ruminal digestion variables. This technique may prove useful for partitioning digestion between the fermentative portion of the forestomach and the lower gastrointestinal tract. The omasal sampling procedure requires less surgical intervention than the traditional methods using abomasal or duodenal cannulas as sampling sites to study forestomach digestion and avoids potentially confounding endogenous secretions of the abomasum.

Gas chromatographic method using photoionization detection for the determination of breath pentane

Lipid peroxidation is thought to be an important event in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. It has been suggested that pentane, which can be formed during the oxidation of omega-6 fatty acids, is a marker of lipid peroxidation. Previous studies have reported elevated breath pentane and serum markers of lipid peroxidation in smokers. However, chromatographic separation of pentane from isoprene in virtually all of these studies was incomplete and the methods used did not resolve pentane into its isomers, n-pentane and isopentane. Additionally, most current methods are complicated, requiring trapping and concentrating steps to obtain adequate sensitivity prior to hydrocarbon analysis. The purpose of the current study was to develop a gas chromatographic system to analyze breath pentane, that addresses the above technical problems and that would provide a simple in vivo method for measuring lipid. n-Pentane and isopentane standards were easily separated from isoprene with a Al2O3/KCI capillary column contained in a portable gas chromatograph equipped with a photoionization detector. The analysis of repeated measures showed a low coefficient of variation for measurements of n-pentane (10%) and isopentane (9%). We measured breath pentane in 27 subjects (15 smokers, 12 non-smokers). There were no significant difference between the baseline and 4 week interval measurements of n-pentane for smokers both before and after cigarette smoking. The within-subject variability data showed that the assay is highly reproducible for both low and high pentane levels in smokers. Smokers were found to have higher levels of both n-pentane and isopentane than non-smokers (P < 0.001). In addition, smokers had further significant elevation of pentane levels 10 min after smoking (P < 0.001), which returned to baseline by 1 h. These studies demonstrate that measurement of breath pentane, using a gas chromatograph with a photoionization detector, is simple and reproducible. Additionally, these results suggest that pentane elevation associated with smoking is secondary to the oxidant effects of cigarette smoke and an important temporal relationship exists between cigarette smoking and breath sample analysis.

Analysis of plasma isoflavones by reversed-phase HPLC-multiple reaction ion monitoring-mass spectrometry

A HPLC-MS procedure for the rapid, sensitive and specific measurement of the isoflavones, daidzein, dihydrodaidzein, O-desmethylangolensin and genistein, in human plasma has been developed. Synthetic radiolabeled genistein conjugates were used for evaluation of optimum conditions for solid phase extraction. Biochanin A was added to plasma as a recovery marker for isoflavones and phenolphthalein glucuronide and 4-methylumbelliferone sulfate were added to ensure completeness of hydrolysis with ß-glucuronidase/sulfatase. Isoflavones in plasma extracts were separated using an isocratic HPLC method and analyzed by negative ion multiple reaction ion monitoring-mass spectrometry using a heated nebulizer-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization interface. Using plasma samples from four subjects consuming two servings a day of an isolated soy protein beverage for 14 days, the mean plasma genistein and daidzein concentrations were 556 and 345 nM, respectively. Within assay and between assay coefficients of variation for measurement of daidzein and genistein in five aliquots of the same plasma sample were 8.51% and 7.76%, and 5.98% and 6.12%, respectively.

Oxidative detection of nitrite at an electrocatalytic [Ru(bipy) 2poly-(4-vinylpyridine) 10Cl]Cl electrochemical sensor applied for the flow injection determination of nitrate using a Cu/Cd reductor column

An electrochemical sensor developed from a redox polymer [Ru(bipy) 2(PVP) 10Cl]Cl (where bipy is 2,2′-bipyridyl and PVP is poly-(4-vinylpyridine)) modified electrode for nitrite detection is described. The modified electrode acts as an efficient electrocatalyst for nitrite oxidation with amplification of electrode current by at least a factor of 3 compared with unmodified electrodes. The electrocatalytic reaction occurs throughout the polymer film in a three dimensional reaction zone and may be classified as an L k mechanism. The second order rate constant for the cross exchange reaction is 3.02 (± 0.20) × 10 1 mol −1 dm −3 s −1. The sensor is applied to the determination of nitrate in a flow injection apparatus following the heterogeneous reduction of this species to nitrite at a copperised cadmium reductor column. The sensor exhibits a linear response range extending over three orders of magnitude from 1.0 × 10 −5 to 1.0 × 10 −2 mol dm −3 nitrate with a limit of detection (signal-to-noise = 2) of 5.0 × 10 −6 mol dm −3. The coefficient of variation for measurement of 1.0 × 10 −3 mol dm −1 nitrite is 0.42% ( n = 20). No passivation of the electrode surface was evident after over 200 repeat determinations. The system was applied to the determination of nitrate in commercial fertiliser compound.

Continuous haemodynamic monitoring in children: use of transoesophageal Doppler

A wide range of invasive and non-invasive techniques for monitoring the haemodynamic condition of critically ill patients is now available. A general reluctance on the part of paediatric intensive care specialists to use pulmonary artery thermodilution catheters and the need for constant realignment of hand-held Doppler probes has necessitated the search for a technique which is relatively non-invasive and provides continuous information on the haemodynamic condition of critically ill paediatric patients. We sought to establish if transoesophageal Doppler fulfilled these criteria. Eleven children who had recently undergone cardiac surgery were studied. Median age was 39 months and weight 14.9 kg. Five simultaneous pairs of measurements of cardiac index (CI: thermodilution) and minute distance (MD: transoesophageal Doppler) were made, as a baseline, when each child was haemodynamically stable. Following a fluid challenge, five repeat pairs of measurements were made. The mean percentage changes for CI and MD were 16.4% (range 5.3-44%) and 16.6% (3.4-47.7%), respectively. The average coefficients of variation for measurements of CI and MD were 3.5% and 2.9%, respectively. The mean difference in percentage change between CI and MD was -0.5% (95% confidence interval for the bias -4% to 3%; limits of agreement -10.7 to +9.7%). Our study indicates that transoesophageal Doppler is reproducible, easy to use and provides clinically acceptable information when following changes in CI in haemodynamically stable paediatric patients.

Development of methods for analyzing plasma lipoprotein concentrations and associated enzyme activities and their use to measure the effects of pregnancy and lactation in cats

SUMMARY Methods available for measurement of plasma lipoprotein-cholesterol concentrations and activities of lipoprotein lipase, hepatic lipase, lecithinxholesterol acyl transferase (lcat), and cholesteryl ester transfer protein were adapted for use in cats. A combined ultracentrifugation/precipitation procedure was used to isolate very low-density lipoproteins (vldl), then to separate low-density lipoproteins (ldl) from high-density lipoproteins (hdl). The reagent used, 92 mM heparin-manganese chloride, provided complete precipitation of ldl with only trace and insignificant contamination by hdl. Efforts to selectively measure lipoprotein lipase activity in plasma, collected after IV injection of heparin, by inhibiting hepatic lipase with sodium dodecyl sulfate were unsuccessful, and the activity of this enzyme was calculated as the difference between total and hepatic lipase activities. The latter was measured in the presence of high salt concentration to inhibit lipoprotein lipase. Cholesterol esterifying activity was identified in feline plasma and was typical of lcat, in that it was dependent on apolipoprotein A-I as a cofactor. The intra-assay and interassay coefficients of variation for measurement of lipoprotein lipase, hepatic lipase, and lcat activities were 18.4, 4.6, and 7.2%, and 20.4, 10.7, and 5.3%, respectively. Appreciable cholesteryl ester transfer protein activity was not detected in either undiluted or diluted plasma. These methods were subsequently used to investigate the effects of pregnancy and lactation on lipoprotein metabolism in a group of 10 queens. Plasma concentrations of cholesterol and triglycerides were unaltered during pregnancy, but the concentrations of vldl-cholesterol increased and those of hdl-cholesterol decreased. During lactation, the concentrations of cholesterol and triglycerides decreased owing to reductions in vldl-cholesterol and ldl-cholesterol concentrations and continued suppression of hdl-cholesterol. These changes were associated with alterations in the activities of lipoprotein lipase, which increased after parturition, and hepatic lipase, which increased during pregnancy and lactation, that may help explain their metabolic origins. The activity of lcat remained unchanged.

Stability and change in children's skill.

This paper explores age-related performance variability, both within trials and between sessions, in repetitive hopping. The mean, the standard deviation (SD), and the coefficient of variation (CV) of several timing and ground-reaction-force variables of hopping were analysed by repeated-measures ANOVA for age-related effects across test sessions and foot used. Forty-five subjects in five age groups (3-4 years, 4-5 years, 6-7 years, 8-9 years, or Adult) performed self-paced, one-footed hopping on three occasions within one week. As was expected, the results showed main effects for Age in all force and time variables, with the exception of CV of medio-lateral force. No significant main effects for Feet were revealed. However, significant Feet x Session interactions were found in flight-time measures, with higher flight-time SD and lower CV for the non-preferred foot in Session 1, a reversal in Session 2, and a negligible difference in Session 3. Across sessions, decreased SD and CV for both vertical and medio-lateral force and shorter flight time indicated more efficient hopping. Overall, it was concluded that SD and CV measures were more sensitive measures of children's performance across repeated sessions than were mean scores and that the order of testing the limbs is an important consideration in experimental protocols when lateralized tasks are measured.

Noninvasive quantification of atherosclerotic lesions. Reproducibility of ultrasonographic measurement of arterial wall thickness and plaque size.

A noninvasive method based on high-resolution B-mode ultrasonography and a computerized image-analyzing system were used for the quantification of early (thickening of the intima-media complex) and late (plaque) atherosclerosis in the carotid and the femoral artery. The difference between repeated measurements was assessed to estimate intraobserver and interobserver differences. The results were satisfactory, with a coefficient of variation for measurement of lumen diameter in the common carotid artery of 3.8 +/- 4.1% (r = 0.91) and for the femoral artery of 4.8 +/- 4.1% (r = 0.93). Corresponding figures for intima-media thickness in the common carotid artery and the femoral artery were 10.0 +/- 8.5% (r = 0.86) and 16.2 +/- 12.6% (r = 0.91), respectively. The coefficient of variation for measurements of maximal intima-media thickness at the site of the plaque was 14.6 +/- 10.5% (r = 0.88); for plaque base, 13.1 +/- 9.0% (r = 0.91); and for plaque area, 16.3 +/- 12.6% (r = 0.90). The method seems promising for the detection and quantification of early and late atherosclerotic lesions in the carotid and femoral arteries.