Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis infections in women by Amplicor PCR: comparison of diagnostic performance with urine and cervical specimens

We used the Roche Amplicor PCR assay to compare urine and cervical swabs as sample material in the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis causing genital infections. The diagnostic performance of Amplicor PCR was compared with that of cell culture and the Gen-Probe PACE 2 assay with cervical specimens. If discrepant from other results, the specimens negative by PCR were diluted and reanalyzed to reveal PCR inhibitors. Of 666 patients, 39 (5.9%) were confirmed to have chlamydial infection. The respective sensitivity and specificity of Amplicor PCR were as follows: urine specimens, 82.0 and 99.7%; cervical specimens, 82.0 and 99.8%. Those for cell culture with cervical specimens were 84.6 and 100%. For the Gen-Probe PACE 2 assay, the sensitivity and specificity with cervical specimens were 79.5 and 100%, respectively. Without the effect of PCR inhibitors, the sensitivity of PCR with urine would have been 97.4%. Provided that the problems currently caused by inhibitors will be solved, the Amplicor PCR assay with urine specimens offers a tempting alternative for the diagnosis of C. trachomatis infection in women.     

Articulating User Needs in Collaborative Design: Towards an Activity-Theoretical Approach

This paper analyses the collaborative design ofa high-technology product, a neuromagnetometerused in the analysis of the activity of thehuman cortex. The producer, Neuromag Company istrying to transform the device from a basicresearch instrument into a means of clinicalpractice. This transition is analyzed as asimultaneous evolution of the product,producer-user network and user activities. Thenetwork is analyzed as a network of activitysystems. Each activity has a historicallyformed object and a motive of its own, as wellas a system of cultural means and expertise. Weuse these to explain and understand theinterests and points of view of the actors inrelation to the product and the contradictionsof the producer-user network. It is suggestedthat the emerging user needs of collectiveactors must be analyzed at three levels. At thefirst level, the use value of the product, itscapacity of solving the vital problems andchallenges of developing user activities, ischaracterized. The second-level analysisconcerns the creation and development of thenecessary complementary tools and services thatmake the implementation and use of the productpossible. This task presupposes collaborationbetween several communities of the innovationnetwork. The third level is the situatedpractical use of the product. In ourexperience, it is advantageous that researcherscontribute with their data to a dialogue inwhich the user needs are articulated.     

The apolipoprotein E phenotype has a strong influence on tracking of serum cholesterol and lipoprotein levels in children: a follow-up study from birth to the age of 11 years

Fatty acid uptake is partly controlled by the FATP gene family, of which at least five members are known in mice. Using the mmFATP1 cDNA as hybridization probe, a 1.6 kb partial cDNA clone was isolated from a human heart cDNA library. With 5' and 3' RACE procedures, the complete cDNA was isolated. Sequence comparisons with its mouse homologues identified this clone as hsFATP4.     

Analysis of diastereomeric DAG naphthylethylurethanes by normal-phase HPLC with on-line electrospray MS

Normal-phase HPLC resolution of sn-1,2(2,3)- and x-1,3-DAG generated by partial Grignard degradation from natural TAG was carried out with both (R)-(−) and (S)-(+)-1-(1-naphthyl)ethylurethane derivatives. The diastereomeric sn-1,2- and sn-2,3-DAG derivatives were resolved using two Supelcosil LC-Si (5 μm, 25 cm × 4.6 mm i.d.) columns in series and an isocratic elution with 0.37% isopropanol in hexane at a flow rate of 0.7 mL/min. The DAG were detected by UV absorption at 280 nm and were identified by electrospray ionization MS in the positive ion mode following postcolumn addition of chloroform/methanol/30% ammonium hydroxide (75∶24.5∶0.5, by vol) at 0.6 mL/min. Application of the method to a stereospecific analysis of the molecular species of TAG of rat VLDL showed that the TAG composition of VLDL circulating under basal conditions differs markedly from that of VLDL secreted by the liver during inhibition of serum lipases. The inhibition of serum lipases resulted in a significant proportional decrease in 16∶0 and PUFA and an increase in 18∶0 and oligoenoic FA in the sn-1-position, whereas the FA compositions in the sn-2- and sn-3-positions were much less affected.     

Dietary squalene increases tissue sterols and fecal bile acids in the rat

Feeding 1% squalene increased markedly the concentrations of squalene and methyl sterols in each serum lipoprotein class, intestinal mucosa, liver and also in adipose tissue. It also increased cholesterol concentration of the liver and serum VLDL, and esterified cholesterol in serum LDL as well as fecal bile acids. The results suggest that absorbed dietary squalene contributes to some extent to the squalene content of adipose tissue, effectively increases the overall cholesterol synthesis and enhances cholesterol elimination preferentially as fecal bile acids.     

Iron Behavior in the Ozonation and Filtration of Groundwater

In Finnish groundwater, the main substances that require treatment are iron and manganese. In addition to this, groundwaters are soft and acidic. Iron removal is usually relatively effective by oxidizing dissolved iron into an insoluble form, either by aeration or chemical oxidization and removing the formed precipitate by sand filtration. Sometimes, if the untreated water contains high amounts of organic matter, problems may arise for iron removal. In Finland, it is quite common that groundwater contains high levels of both iron and natural organic matter, mainly as humic substances. The groundwater of the Kukkala intake plant in Liminka has been found to be problematic, due to its high level of natural organic matter. This research studied the removal of iron from this water by means of oxidation with ozone and filtration. While the oxidation of iron by ozone was rapid, the precipitate particles formed were small, and thus could not be removed by sand and anthracite filtration, and the iron residue in the treated water was more than 2 mgL^?1. And while the filtration was able to remove iron well without the feed of ozone, the iron residue in the treated water was only 0.30 mgL^?1. In this case, iron was led to the filter in a bivalent dissolved form. So, the result of iron removal was the best when the sand/anthracite filter functioned largely as an adsorption filter.     

Reaction engineering studies in a polytropic fixed-bed reactor over a highly active and selective catalyst for oxidative methane coupling

The oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) was carried out in a polytropic fixed-bed reactor applying a Zr/La/Sr catalyst developed by the Neste company. Over this catalyst the OCM reaction follows a complex reaction scheme which includes primary parallel reaction steps to CO, CO₂ and C₂H₆ and consecutive reactions of ethane to ethylene or CO_x. Yield of higher hydrocarbons C₂₊ obtained with this catalyst strongly depended on reaction conditions, i.e. low partial pressures of methane and oxygen obtained by diluting the feed gas with nitrogen and high reaction temperatures promoted C₂₊ selectivity and yield. The maximum yield amounted to 21.4% (20 Vol.-% CH₄, 9 Vol.-% O₂, 71 Vol.-% N₂, T = 860°C; X_CH4 = 41.8%, S = 52.5%). This result belongs to the highest yields reported in the open literature.