Cardiac glycosides and metabolites--problems of recovery in tissue extracts. Separation of visible substance spots in the nanogram range (author's transl)]

The recovery measurements in rat tissues performed via i.p. injected radioactive digoxin derivates (3H-digoxin, 125J-digoxin derivative) showed that approximately 50% of the total glycoside content will be extracted. Thus, an addition of digoxin standards to drug-free tissues may lead to false negative determinations. By comparison of the radioactivity before and after extraction the following results were obtained: Recovery from tissues 3H-digoxin 50% 125J-digoxin 40% from serum 3H-digoxin 60% added to drug free tissue homogenates 3H-digoxin 85% After i.p. application of 15 mg/kg of beta-methyldigoxin to BD9 (Berlin)-rats the resulting tissue concentrations were extracted by Amberlite XAD-2. beta-Methyldigoxin and its metabolites digoxin and digoxinbisdigitoxide could be separated and distinguished from artifacts by fluorescence detection on HPTLC-plates with a detection limit of 60 ng/spot. Concentration determined by radioimmunoassay are in satisfactory agreement with HPTLC results.     

Optimally Allocating Federal Money to Cities

The purpose of this article is to discuss some basic methods for optimally allocating federal money to cities. Optimally allocating in this context means using the quantitative methods of operations research, management science, and related fields in order to allocate federal money to cities in such a way as to (1) maximize benefits subject to a given budget, (2) minimize costs subject to a minimum satisfaction level, or (3) maximize benefits minus costs. The basic methods include (1) allocating by marginal rates of return, which partly relies or statistical regression analysis; and (2) allocating by part/whole percentages, which partly relies on ideas associated with multiattribute utility theory. The basic methods will be illustrated with the example of allocating anticrime dollars to cities, although one could easily reason by analogy to allocation in any subject matter area.     

Intravenous amphetamine abuse, primary cerebral mucormycosis, and acquired immunodeficiency

Two intravenous amphetamine abusers had fatal, rapidly progressive cerebral mucormycosis with abscess formation in the presence of absolute lymphopenia. Postmortem examination confirmed the primary nature of the fungal cerebritis, documented by postmortem culture and histology. The clinical and pathologic features of these cases are compared to previously reported occurrences of primary fungal cerebritis (and abscess) among intravenous drug abusers, including cocaine users. Primary fungal cerebritis associated with intravenous abuse of stimulant drugs is discussed as a possible variant of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.     

Behaviour of p-nitrophenol-glucuronide in hydrolysis with mineral acids (author's transl)]

The behaviour of p-nitrophenol and synthetic p-nitrophenol-glucuronide with mineral acids has been investigated. With sulfuric acid (33%) about 93% of the glucuronide derivative have been hydrolysed; the solution was heated in open vessel for 15 sec. With hydrochloric acid (6%) only about 65% of the conjugated p-nitrophenol have been converted to the free form. No losses were detected, when free p-nitrophenol was treated under the same conditions. Three other methods of hydrolysis have been applied.