Comparison of porcine urine and bile as matrices to screen for the residues of two sulfonamides using a semi-automated enzyme immunoassay.

Porcine urine enzyme immunoassays for sulfamethazine and sulfadiazine have previously been employed as screening tests to predict the concentrations of the drugs in the corresponding tissues (kidneys), If a urine was found positive (> 800 ng ml(-1)) the corresponding kidney was then analysed by an enzyme immunoassay and, if found positive, a confirmatory analysis by HPLC was performed. Urine was chosen as the screening matrix since sulfonamides are mainly eliminated through this body fluid, However, after obtaining a number of false positive predictions, an investigation was carried out to assess the possibility of using an alternative body fluid which would act as a superior indicator of the presence of sulfonamides in porcine kidney, An initial study indicated that serum, plasma and bile could all be used as screening matrices. From these, bile was chosen as the preferred sample matrix and an extensive study followed to compare the efficiencies of sulfonamide positive bile and urine at predicting sulphonamide positive kidneys, Bile was found to be 17 times more efficient than urine at predicting a sulfamethazine positive kidney and 11 times more efficient at predicting a sulfadiazine positive kidney, With this enhanced performance of the initial screening test, the need for the costly and time consuming kidney enzyme immunoassay, prior to HPLC analysis, was eliminated

Design of a thick-walled screen for flow equalization in microstructured reactors

A systematic computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach has been applied to design the geometry of the channels of a three-dimensional (thick-walled) screen comprising upstream and downstream sets of elongated channels positioned at an angle of 90 degrees with respect to each other. Such a geometry of the thick-wall screen can effectively drop the ratio of the maximum flow velocity to mean flow velocity below 1.005 in a downstream microstructured reactor at low Reynolds numbers. In this approach the problem of flow equalization reduces to that of flow equalization in the first and second downstream channels of the thick-walled screen. In turn, this requires flow equalization in the corresponding cross-sections of the upstream channels. The validity of the proposed design method was assessed through a case study. The effect of different design parameters on the flow non-uniformity in the downstream channels has been established. The design equation is proposed to calculate the optimum values of the screen parameters. The CFD results on flow distribution were experimentally validated by Laser Doppler Anemometry measurements in the range of Reynolds numbers from 6 to 113. The measured flow non-uniformity in the separate reactor channels was below 2%.

Comparison of techniques to screen and characterize bacteria-specific hybridomas for high-quality monoclonal antibodies selection

Antibodies are are very important materials for diagnostics. A rapid and simple hybridoma screening method will help in delivering specific monoclonal antibodies. In this study, we systematically developed the first antibody array to screen for bacteria-specific monoclonal antibodies using Listeria monocytogenes as a bacteria model. The antibody array was developed to expedite the hybridoma screening process by printing hybridoma supernatants on a glass slide coated with an antigen of interest. This screening method is based on the binding ability of supernatants to the coated antigen. The bound supernatants were detected by a fluorescently labeled anti-mouse immunoglobulin. Conditions (slide types, coating, spotting, and blocking buffers) for antibody array construction were optimized. To demonstrate its usefulness, antibody array was used to screen a sample set of 96 hybridoma supernatants in comparison to ELISA. Most of the positive results identified by ELISA and antibody array methods were in agreement except for those with low signals that were undetectable by antibody array. Hybridoma supernatants were further characterized with surface plasmon resonance to obtain additional data on the characteristics of each selected clone. While the antibody array was slightly less sensitive than ELISA, a much faster and lower cost procedure to screen clones against multiple antigens has been demonstrated. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Solid-state sodium-selective sensors based on screen-printed Ag/AgCl reference electrodes

The potentiometric and AC impedance characteristics of all solid-state sodium-selective electrodes based on planar screen-printed Ag/AgCl electrodes are described. Two solid-state designs have been investigated. The first was based on the deposition of a sodium-selective PVC membrane directly on top of a screen-printed Ag/AgCl electrode, The second design included a NaCl doped hydrogel layer, between the PVC and Ag\AgCl layers. The hydrogel provides a mechanism to relieve any blockage to charge transfer occurring when PVC membranes are used directly on top of Ag/AgCl and also improves adhesion between the two layers. Results suggest the electrodes display Fast ion exchange kinetics, low noise and drift. The performance compares favorably to that of a conventional ion-selective electrode with internal filling solution.

An in vitro screen of bacterial lipopolysaccharide biosynthetic enzymes identifies an inhibitor of ADP-heptose biosynthesis

The lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-rich outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria provides a protective barrier that insulates these organisms from the action of numerous antibiotics. Breach of the LPS layer can therefore provide access to the cell interior to otherwise impermeant toxic molecules and can expose vulnerable binding sites for immune system components such as complement. Inhibition of LPS biosynthesis, leading to a truncated LPS molecule, is an alternative strategy for antibacterial drug development in which this vital cellular structure is weakened. A significant challenge for in vitro screens of small molecules for inhibition of LPS biosynthesis is the difficulty in accessing the complex carbohydrate substrates. We have optimized an assay of the enzymes required for LPS heptose biosynthesis that simultaneously surveys five enzyme activities by using commercially available substrates and report its use in a small-molecule screen that identifies an inhibitor of heptose synthesis.

Quality of life in screen-detected and typical coeliac disease and the effect of excluding dietary gluten

It is widely recognized that 'asymptomatic' patients with coeliac disease often feel better after commencing a gluten-free diet. The aim of this study was to determine a measure of the quality of life in patients diagnosed as having coeliac disease detected both by screening and those with typical clinical symptoms.

Smokers:At risk for prostate cancer but unlikely to screen

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men. Evidence suggests that smokers may be at increased risk of prostate cancer compared to non-smokers. In the present study we ask whether adult men who smoke are also less likely to undergo screening for prostate cancer. Adult men aged 46 and above completed a single questionnaire including demographic items and items concerning their smoking status and previous testing for prostate cancer. The questionnaire also included an 11 item numeracy scale. Compared to smokers, non-smokers and ex-smokers were around two times more likely to have undergone screening for prostate cancer, and had been tested more frequently. Smokers are not only more likely to develop prostate cancer, they are, paradoxically, less likely to undergo screening for prostate cancer. Health care professionals need to be cognizant of individual differences in screening behavior and that smokers have a reduced likelihood of choosing to screen. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.