6 research outputs found
Development of a Standard Reference Material for Metabolomics Research
The
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in collaboration
with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has developed a Standard
Reference Material (SRM) to support technology development in metabolomics
research. SRM 1950 Metabolites in Human Plasma is intended to have
metabolite concentrations that are representative of those found in
adult human plasma. The plasma used in the preparation of SRM 1950
was collected from both male and female donors, and donor ethnicity
targets were selected based upon the ethnic makeup of the U.S. population.
Metabolomics research is diverse in terms of both instrumentation
and scientific goals. This SRM was designed to apply broadly to the
field, not toward specific applications. Therefore, concentrations
of approximately 100 analytes, including amino acids, fatty acids,
trace elements, vitamins, hormones, selenoproteins, clinical markers,
and perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), were determined. Value assignment
measurements were performed by NIST and the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC). SRM 1950 is the first reference material developed
specifically for metabolomics research
'The Real Thing': Nominal Price Rigidity of the Nickel Coke, 1886-1959
We report that the price of a 6.5oz Coke was 5¢ from 1886 until 1959. Thus, we are documenting a nominal price rigidity that lasted more than 70 years! The case of Coca-Cola is particularly interesting because during the 70-year period there were substantial changes in the soft drink industry as well as two World Wars, the Great Depression, and numerous regulatory interventions and lawsuits, which led to substantial changes in the Coca-Cola market conditions. The nickel price of Coke, nevertheless, remained unchanged. We find that this unusual rigidity is best explained by (1) a contract between the Company and its parent bottlers that encouraged retail price maintenance, (2) a single-coin vending machine technology, which limited the Company’s price adjustment options due to limited availability and unreliability of the existing flexible price adjustment technologies, and (3) a single-coin monetary transaction technology, which limited the Company’s price adjustment options due to the customer “inconvenience cost.” We show that these price adjustment costs are of a different nature than the standard menu cost, and their estimates exceed the existing estimates by an order of magnitude. A possible broader relevance of the nickel Coke phenomenon is discussed in the context of Nickel and Dime Stores, which were popular in the US in the late 1800s and the early 1900s
Development of a Standard Reference Material for Metabolomics Research
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in collaboration with the National
Institutes of Health (NIH), has developed a Standard Reference Material (SRM) to support
technology development in metabolomics research. SRM 1950 Metabolites in Human Plasma is
intended to have metabolite concentrations that are representative of those found in adult human
plasma. The plasma used in the preparation of SRM 1950 was collected from both male and
female donors, and donor ethnicity targets were selected based upon the ethnic makeup of the
U.S. population. Metabolomics research is diverse in terms of both instrumentation and
scientific goals. This SRM was designed to apply broadly to the field, not towards specific
applications. Therefore, concentrations of approximately 100 analytes, including amino acids,
fatty acids, trace elements, vitamins, hormones, selenoproteins, clinical markers, and
perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), were determined. Value assignment measurements were
performed by NIST and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). SRM 1950 is
the first reference material developed specifically for metabolomics research