Flow-injection sandwich ELISA for bioprocess monitoring

A fully automated flow-injection immunoassay based on sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is described for the model system: protein G-sepharose, rabbit IgG and horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-labelled protein A. After injecting rabbit IgG and HRP-labelled protein A into a cartridge containing protein G-sepharose sequentially, a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and the redox indicator, 2.2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) is passed through the cartridge. The HRP-labelled protein A bound in the cartridge is directly proportional to the concentration of rabbit IgG. The colour variation of ABTS caused during the reaction between HRP and H2O2 in the cartridge is detected photometrically. The whole assay procedure is controlled and evaluated by a computer. Rabbit Ige and HRP-labelled protein A are also detected by a fluorometer, which is introduced into the flow system. In the flow-injection sandwich ELISA, the slope of the calibration curve is 0.4491 in the range of 0 and 300 mu g ml(-1) rabbit IgG, while it is 0.1274 in the heterogeneous immunoassay. So the flow-injection sandwich ELISA system is found to be more sensitive than a heterogeneous immunoassay for the monitoring of the model protein

Fabrication of Modified MMT/Glass/Vinylester Multiscale Composites and Their Mechanical Properties

Montmorillonite (MMT) may become a preferred filler material for fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites due to its high aspect ratio, large surface area, and low charge density. In the present paper, MMT/glass/vinylester multiscale composites are prepared with untreated and surface-treated MMT clay particles with an MMT content of 1.0 wt%. Effects of surface treatment on mechanical properties of MMT/glass/vinylester multiscale composites are investigated through tensile and bending tests, which revealed enhanced mechanical properties in the case of surface-treated MMT. Thermal properties are studied through thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). X-Ray diffraction is performed to investigate the interaction between MMT and the matrix. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) is also performed for both untreated and surface-treated MMT. Furthermore, Field Emission-Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM) is conducted to investigate the path of fracture propagation within the composite surface, showing that the surface-treated MMT based multiscale composite has better interactions with the host matrix than the untreated MMT multiscale composites. These composites with enhanced mechanical strength can be used for various mechanical applications

Effects of 12 weeks nutrition education on nutritional status in hemodialysis patients

Protein-energy malnutrition is present in a large proportion of patients with end stage renal disease and, is a strong risk factor for mortality in these patients. This study was aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of 12-weeks nutrition education during the hemodialysis session for the improvement of nutritional status. From the June 2011 to the September 2011, patients who were on regular hemodialysis in Pusan National University Hospital were enrolled in this study. In education group, intensive nutrition education was performed by the hemodialysis nurse, for fifty to sixty minutes during the hemodialysis session, once a week. Curriculum for renal nutrition includes regular taking of their medication, intake of moderate amount of protein and sufficient calories, reduction of water, salt, potassium and phosphate intake. Otherwise, any education program was not performed in patients of control group. Nutrition status was assessed by the subjective global assessment (SGA),body mass index (BMI), triceps skinfold thickness (TSF), arm muscle area(AMC) and laboratory markers such as serum albumin, serum blood urea nitrogen(BUN) and hemoglobin(Hb) level before and after the education. Effect of nutrition education was analyzed using ANCOVA test. A total of 49 patients were enrolled in this study and nutrition education was provided to 25 hemodialysis patients. Their mean age was 57.20±15.49 in education group and 55.13±14.42 in control groupand male was 56.0% in education group and 50.0% in control group and, other baseline characteristics were not significantly different between two groups. After the 12-week education, significant improvement was found in SGA, serum albumin, BUN and Hb level. SGA score was improved from 6.36±0.99 to 6.72±0.61 in education group, compared to control group(6.38±0.88 to 6.42±0.88, p=0.029 ). Improvement of serum albumin level, BUN and Hb was as follows: serum albumin(4.23±0.28 to 4.30±0.25 in education group, 4.28±0.39 to 4.13±0.34 in control group, p=0.040), serum Hb(10.45±1.49 to 11.13±1.74 in education group, 10.51±1.12 to 10.04±1.02 in control group, P=0.004), serum BUN(66.52±18.76 to 70.94±17.26 in education group, 59.50±13.61 to 58.68±13.88 in control group, p=0.032). 12 week nutrition education during the hemodialysis session by hemodialysis nurse was effectiv

Comparison of different machine learning algorithms to estimate liquid level for bioreactor management

Estimating the liquid level in an anaerobic digester can be disturbed by its closedness, bubbles and scum formation, and the inhomogeneity of the digestate. In our previous study, a soft-sensor approach using seven pressure meters has been proposed as an alternative for real-time liquid level estimation. Here, machine learning techniques were used to improve the estimation accuracy and optimize the number of sensors required in this approach. Four algorithms, multiple linear regression (MLR), artificial neural network (ANN), random forest (RF), and support vector machine (SVM) with radial basis function kernel were compared for this purpose. All models outperformed the cubic model developed in the previous study, among which the ANN and RF models performed the best. Variable importance analysis suggested that the pressure readings from the top (in the headspace) were the most significant, while the other pressure meters showed varying significance levels depending on the model type. The sensor that experienced both headspace and liquid phases depending on the level variation incurred a higher error than other sensors. The results showed that the ML techniques can provide an effective tool to estimate digester liquid levels by optimizing the number of sensors and reducing the error rate

A simple and accurate SNP scoring strategy based on typeIIS restriction endonuclease cleavage and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We describe the development of a novel matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF)-based single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) scoring strategy, termed Restriction Fragment Mass Polymorphism (RFMP) that is suitable for genotyping variations in a simple, accurate, and high-throughput manner. The assay is based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and mass measurement of oligonucleotides containing a polymorphic base, to which a typeIIS restriction endonuclease recognition was introduced by PCR amplification. Enzymatic cleavage of the products leads to excision of oligonucleotide fragments representing base variation of the polymorphic site whose masses were determined by MALDI-TOF MS.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The assay represents an improvement over previous methods because it relies on the direct mass determination of PCR products rather than on an indirect analysis, where a base-extended or fluorescent report tag is interpreted. The RFMP strategy is simple and straightforward, requiring one restriction digestion reaction following target amplification in a single vessel. With this technology, genotypes are generated with a high call rate (99.6%) and high accuracy (99.8%) as determined by independent sequencing.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The simplicity, accuracy and amenability to high-throughput screening analysis should make the RFMP assay suitable for large-scale genotype association study as well as clinical genotyping in laboratories.</p

Enhancement of radiation response in human cervical cancer cells in vitro and in vivo by arsenic trioxide (As2O3)

AbstractArsenic trioxide (As2O3) inhibits cell growth and induces apoptosis in certain types of cancer cells including acute promyelocytic leukemia, prostate and ovarian carcinomas, but its effect on response of tumor cells to ionizing radiation has never been explored before. Here we demonstrate that As2O3 can sensitize human cervical cancer cells to ionizing radiation both in vitro and in vivo. As2O3 in combination with ionizing radiation have a synergistic effect in decreasing clonogenic survival and in the regression of established human cervical tumor xenografts. Pretreatment of the cells with As2O3 also synergistically enhanced radiation-induced apoptosis. Apoptosis of the cells by combined treatment of As2O3 and radiation was associated with reactive oxygen species generation and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, resulting in the activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3. The combined treatment also resulted in an increased G2/M cell cycle distribution at the concentration of As2O3 which did not alter cell cycle when applied alone. These results indicate that As2O3 can synergistically enhance radiosensitivity of human cervix carcinoma cells in vitro and in vivo, suggesting a potential clinical applicability of combination treatment of As2O3 and ionizing radiation in cancer therapies

Assessment of Allergic Rhinitis Websites in Korea

Objectives. The internet has become an important source of medical information and a great amount of information related to allergic rhinitis (AR) is available on the internet. However, the quality of this information is still a matter of debate. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess the AR-related information on Korean websites. Methods. The key word "allergic rhinitis" was entered into 4 popular search engines, and this led to identifying 40 websites. After being categorized according to authorship, the informational value of these websites was evaluated using 4 different assessment tools such as the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmarks, the DISCERN questionnaire, the Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) 2008 Update and the Health On the Net (HON) code. Results. The 40 websites containing AR-related information were categorized according to their authorship as Western physician: 20, Oriental physician: 14, commercial: 1, and others: 5. The mean citation frequencies of the JAMA benchmarks and the ARIA 2008 Update concepts was 1.23 out of 4 and 4.33 out of 8, respectively, while the mean DISCERN score was 1.92 out of 5. When the websites were evaluated based on the type of authorship, the mean citation frequencies of the AMA 2008 Update concepts were Western physician: 5.35, Oriental physician: 2.64. Additionally, three websites authored by Western physicians and 13 authored by Oriental physicians contained unreliable information. Among these 16 websites, only 3 websites met the requirements for the HON code "Justification". Conclusion. AR-related information available on Korean websites is of variable quality and not all of the information provided is justifiable. Thus, performing surveillance of the medical information on these websites is necessary. Furthermore, common criteria that can be used to evaluate the websites created by both Western and Oriental physicians are also needed.Bousquet J, 2008, ALLERGY, V63, P8*HLTH NET FDN, 2006, HLTH NET COD COND VESILVA LVE, 2005, BRAZILIAN J OTHORHIN, V71, P590Park HW, 2004, J KOREAN MED SCI, V19, P364Winker MA, 2000, JAMA-J AM MED ASSOC, V283, P1600Charnock D, 1999, J EPIDEMIOL COMMUN H, V53, P105Silberg WM, 1997, JAMA-J AM MED ASSOC, V277, P1244

Successful Treatment of an Iatrogenic Giant Femoral Artery Pseudoaneurysm With Percutaneous Thrombin Injection

A femoral artery pseudoaneurysm (FAP) is one of the most troublesome complications following invasive procedures related to the femoral arterial access. Post-procedure FAP rarely occurs; however, its occurrence tends to increase with the more frequently antiplatelet agents, anticoagulants, and larger-sized catheter used for interventional procedures. Traditionally, surgical repair has been considered as the standard treatment modality for FAP; however, less invasive methods currently exist such as blind manual or ultrasound-guided compression repair (UGCR) as well as percutaneous thrombin injection, both of which have replaced the need for surgery. We report a case of a giant pseudoaneurysm in a femoral artery, which had developed as a complication of stenting in a patient with carotid artery stenosis and ischemic heart disease, and was subsequently successfully treated using percutaneous thrombin injection

Prevalence of Otolaryngologic Diseases in South Korea: Data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2008

Objectives. The aims of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of otolaryngologic diseases in Korea. Methods. We obtained data from the 2008 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANES), which were cross-sectional surveys of the civilian, non-institutionalized population of South Korea (n=4,930). A field survey team that included an otolaryngologist, nurses, and interviewers moved with a mobile examination unit and performed otolaryngologic interviews and physical examinations. Results. The prevalence of subjective hearing loss, tinnitus, preauricular fistua, tympanic membrane perforation, and cholesteatoma were 11.97%, 20.27%, 2.08%, 1.60%, and 1.18%, respectively. Dizziness and vestibular dysfunction were common among Korean adults, since 23.33% of the participants reported symptoms of dizziness or imbalance, and the prevalence of vestibular dysfunction was 3.86%. The prevalence of nasal diseases was relatively high, as the prevalence of allergic rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, and a deviated nasal septum were 28.01%, 7.12%, and 42.94%, respectively. Subjective dysphonia was found in 6.60% of the participants, and the prevalence of subjective dysphonia increased with age. Conclusion. This is the first nation-wide epidemiologic study to assess the prevalence of otolaryngologic diseases by both the Korean Otolaryngologic Society and the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Considering the high prevalence of otolaryngologic diseases in Korea, the results call for additional studies to better prevent and manage otolaryngologic diseases