Development of a high-affinity anti-domoic acid sheep scFv and its use in detection of the toxin in shellfish

The potential of immunoassays as high-throughput screening tools for the detection of harmful substances in foods will only be realized when convenient methods are available for production of the high affinity antibodies needed for sensitive assay development. Recombinant antibodies offer advantages over traditional monoclonal antibodies in terms of ease of production, much greater antibody repertoire for selection, and versatility. We describe here the development of recombinant antibodies against the common shellfish toxin, domoic acid (DA), utilizing the sheep immunoglobulin system as an effective method for generating high affinity anti-hapten recombinant antibody fragments. A single-chain antibody fragment (scFv) library was generated from a sheep immunized with DA-bovine serum albumin conjugate, and anti-DA scFvs were isolated by phage-display. Three selected scFvs gave I50s of 2.6 to 58 ng/mL (8.3-186 nM) in competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Assay optimization with one of these scFvs gave a very reproducible standard curve with a range of 0.3 to 5.6 ng/mL (1.0 to 17.9 nM), a mean limit of quantification (LOQ, defined as the I20) of 0.5 ng/mL (1.6 nM), and a mean I50 of 1.2 ng/mL (3.9 nM). When the assay was used for the analysis of crude methanolic extracts of scallop tissues, results obtained correlated well with standard HPLC assay results (R2, 0.90, n = 40; R2, 0.81, n = 34), although ELISA results were lower than HPLC results. Adjusting the cutoff point for DA concentration accordingly from the regulatory 20 mg/kg, the potential of the sheep scFv-based ELISA for use as a screening assay for DA in shellfish extracts was demonstrated.     

Departure of soft rock mass from undrained response in drilled shaft and plate load tests

The average degree of consolidation of soft rock mass in the immediate vicinity of the base of drilled shaft or plate load tests was evaluated using the Biot Three-Dimensional Consolidation Theory. The compressibility parameters of soft rock mass were estimated using the contact pressure and displacement relationships obtained from the in situ drilled shaft and plate load tests. It was found that typical drilled shaft and plate load tests on soft rocks are drained to partially drained, with the average degree of consolidation dependent on the rock type and weathering condition, foundation diameter, and the loading stage. It was also determined that drained behavior is observed under service conditions due to the low compressibility of soft rocks in the early stages of loading.     

Congenital cardiopathies: anatomo-clinical, prognostic, and therapeutic features apropos of 103 cases seen at the Cardiology Clinic of the Dakar University Hospital Center

It has been demonstrated that short-term disinfection can affect the surface properties of impression materials. This study evaluated advancing contact angle, receding contact angle, inhibition and mass loss of a polyether impression materials, and two different viscosities of an addition silicone impression material after long-term immersion disinfection (18 hours). The brand names of the impression materials tested were Impregum F, Extrude Extra, and Extrude Wash, and all were tested by use of the Wilhelmy technique; first, for the nondisinfected state, which served as controls, and then after 1 and 18 hours of disinfection in a full-strength solution of acid glutaraldehyde. Weight changes before and after the disinfection process were also measured to detect weight loss and mass change over time. All materials exhibited some degree of inhibition. Polyether lost 0.4% mass in air, which indicated loss of a volatile component. Polyether and addition silicone were both relatively hydrophobic and could be disinfected with acid glutaraldehyde for up to 18 hours without affecting wettability.     

Titanium in Seawater Piping

Titanium researchers recognized rather early on that the metal possessed a unique resistance to attack in seawater. Not surprisingly, they referred to it as the “Wonder Metal.” Since the first commercial titanium production in 1950, pure titanium has shown itself to be virtually immune to sea-water corrosion. This paper summarizes reasons for adopting the “Wonder Metal” in salt water applications.     

A proposed 1 kW average power moving slab Nd:Glass laser

The design considerations of a high average power Nd : glass slab laser in which the slab moves between the pumping lamps to distribute the thermal loading over the area of the glass while maintaining high gain in the pumped volume are presented. Continuous wave operation and high repetition rate pulsed operation are projected at the 1kW average power level.     

Boundary formulations for sensitivities of three-dimensional stress invariants

The direct, singular, boundary element analysis (BEA) formulation has been shown to provide a basis for a computationally efficient and accurate shape structural design sensitivity analysis (DSA) approach for three-dimensional solid objects. Within the boundary element analysis context, the theoretical formulation for sensitivities of important stress-related quantities including principal and deviatoric stresses, von Mises, maximum shear, and other stress invariants are presented, both for the surface as well as the interior of a continuum structure. Numerical results are given to demonstrate the accuracy of this approach.     

Alveolar capillary dysplasia with misalignment of the pulmonary veins: a rare but fatal cause of neonatal respiratory failure

We studied the results of different durations of application of the Pavlik harness for congenital dislocation or subluxation of the hip. For this, 110 hips in 106 patients were successfully reduced and examined when 6 years old. Dislocation and subluxation cases were divided into two groups: a long-term (4 months for dislocation and 3 months for subluxation) and a short-term (3 months for the former and 2 months for the latter) group. We compared them by roentgenographic analysis. The association between the long- and short-term groups was tested using statistical analyses. There were no significant differences between them, except for one item in subluxation. Therefore, we can say that the duration of application of the Pavlik harness should be reduced to 3 months for dislocation and 2 months for subluxation.     

Developmental intrahepatic shunts of childhood: radiological features and management

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of radiological techniques in the diagnosis and management of developmental intrahepatic shunts. Hepatic vascular fistulae are recognised sequelae of liver trauma and intrahepatic tumours. However, there are rare developmental malformations which may present in childhood or later life and which may carry life-threatening complications. Retrospective analysis of clinical and radiological data was carried out in 24 patients. Anomalies evaluated were: (a) direct communication between hepatic artery and hepatic veins; (b) congenital hepatoportal arteriovenous malformations; and (c) congenital portocaval anastomosis with persistent flow through the ductus venosus. Although rare, the prompt recognition of these vascular anomalies allows early surgical or radiological intervention and reversal of the haemodynamic complications.