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Cost-effective Method (cost-effective + method)
Selected AbstractsChemInform Abstract: A Simple, Cost-Effective Method for the Regioselective Deuteration of Anilines.CHEMINFORM, Issue 6 2009Andrew Martins Abstract ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a "Full Text" option. The original article is trackable via the "References" option. [source] Cost-effective method for laparoscopic choledochotomyANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Issue 1-2 2005John Griniatsos Background: Recent reports have noted that postoperative complications following open or laparoscopic choledochotomy for common bile duct (CBD) exploration are mainly related to the T-tube presence, and that there has been no trend of decrease in the laparoscopic era. Laparoscopic endobiliary stent placement with primary closure of the CBD has been proposed as a safe and effective alternative to T-tube placement. Methods: Between January 1999 and January 2003, 53 consecutive patients suffering from proven choledocholithiasis underwent laparoscopic common bile exploration (LCBDE) via choledochotomy. In the early period, a T-tube was placed at the end of the procedure (group A, n = 32) while, from June 2001 onwards, laparoscopic biliary stent placement and primary CBD closure were chosen as the drainage method (group B, n = 21). Results: Six patients developed T-tube-related complications postoperatively. Univariate analysis revealed statistically significant lower morbidity rate and shorter postoperative hospital stay for the stent group. Although not statistically significant, a median saving of £780 per patient was observed in the stent group. Conclusion: Biliary endoprosthesis placement following laparoscopic choledochotomy avoids the well-known complications of a T-tube, leading to a shorter postoperative hospital stay. The method is safe and effective and it should also be considered as cost-effective compared to T-tube placement. Further studies are required in order to document cost-effectiveness of the method. [source] Comparison of Impedance Cardiography to Direct Fick and Thermodilution Cardiac Output Determination in Pulmonary Arterial HypertensionCONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE, Issue 2004Gordon L. Yung MD Cardiac output (CO) is an important diagnostic and prognostic tool for patients with ventricular dysfunction. Pulmonary hypertension patients undergo invasive right heart catheterization to determine pulmonary vascular and cardiac hemodynamics. Thermodilution (TD) and direct Fick method are the most common methods of CO determination but are costly and may be associated with complications. The latest generation of impedance cardiography (ICG) provides noninvasive estimation of CO and is now validated. The purpose of this study was to compare ICG measurement of CO to TD and direct Fick in pulmonary hypertension patients. Thirty-nine enrolled patients were analyzed: 44% were male and average age was 50.8±17.4 years. Results for bias and precision of cardiac index were as follows: ICG vs. Fick (,0.13 L/min/m2 and 0.46 L/min/m2), TD vs. Fick (0.10 L/min/m2 and 0.41 L/min/m2), ICG vs. TD (respectively, with a 95% level of agreement between ,0.72 and 0.92 L/min/m2; CO correlation of ICG vs. Fick, TD vs. Fick, and ICG vs. TD was 0.84, 0.89, and 0.80, respectively). ICG provides an accurate, useful, and cost-effective method for determining CO in pulmonary hypertension patients, and is a potential tool for following responses to therapeutic interventions. [source] Characteristics and economic contribution of a developing recreational fishery in southern AngolaFISHERIES MANAGEMENT & ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2009W. M. POTTS Abstract, The characteristics and contribution of a developing recreational fishery to the local, regional and national economy of Angola were evaluated in 2006. Annual angling effort was 13 435 h, while the estimated total catch of the three target species [leerfish, Lichia amia (L.), west coast dusky kob, Argyrosomus coronus (Griffiths & Heemstra) and shad, Pomatomus saltatrix (L.)], was 5913 fish with a mass of 27 975 kg. Catch per unit effort (CPUE) for all teleost species combined was 0.44 fish per angler h,1 and 2.08 kg per angler h,1. Total harvest of the three species was 576 fish with a total mass of 2221.6 kg. The total contribution of this recreational fishery (mostly anglers from South Africa) to the local economy was US$ 1007 per harvested fish and US$ 243 per harvested kg. This equated to a contribution to the local, regional and national economies of US$ 151 685, US$ 44 767 and US$ 344 364 respectively. Although the regional contribution was less than half of the national contribution, it was regionally significant when the low population density and the general absence of other formal sector employment opportunities are considered. As a result of the largely undisturbed nature of the southern Angolan coastline, the catch, effort and CPUE information was considered suitable as a baseline for a cost-effective method of future fisheries monitoring in the region. [source] Gold-Nanocluster-Based Fluorescent Sensors for Highly Sensitive and Selective Detection of Cyanide in WaterADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 6 2010Yanlan Liu Abstract A novel, gold-nanocluster-based fluorescent sensor for cyanide in aqueous solution, which is based on the cyanide etching-induced fluorescence quenching of gold nanoclusters, is reported. In addition to offering high selectivity due to the unique Elsner reaction between cyanide and the gold atoms of gold nanoclusters, this facile, environmentally friendly and cost-effective method provides high sensitivity. With this sensor, the lowest concentration to quantify cyanide ions could be down to 200,×,10,9,M, which is approximately 14 times lower than the maximum level (2.7,×,10,6,M) of cyanide in drinking water permitted by the World Health Organization (WHO). Furthermore, several real water samples spiked with cyanide, including local groundwater, tap water, pond water, and lake water, are analyzed using the sensing system, and experimental results show that this fluorescent sensor exhibits excellent recoveries (over 93%). This gold-nanocluster-based fluorescent sensor could find applications in highly sensitive and selective detection of cyanide in food, soil, water, and biological samples. [source] Sampling and analyzing metals in soils for archaeological prospection: A critiqueGEOARCHAEOLOGY: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 8 2004Rob Haslam This paper presents a critique of current methods of sampling and analyzing soils for metals in archaeological prospection. Commonly used methodologies in soil science are shown to be suitable for archaeological investigations, with a concomitant improvement in their resolution. Understanding the soil-fraction location, concentration range, and spatial distribution of autochthonous (native) soil metals is shown to be a vital precursor to archaeological-site investigations, as this is the background upon which anthropogenic deposition takes place. Nested sampling is suggested as the most cost-effective method of investigating the spatial variability in the autochthonous metal concentrations. The use of the appropriate soil horizon (or sampling depth) and point sampling are critical in the preparation of a sampling regime. Simultaneous extraction is proposed as the most efficient method of identifying the location and eventual fate of autochthonous and anthropogenic metals, respectively. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Thawed cryoprecipitate stored for 6 h at room temperature: a potential alternative to factor VIII concentrate for continuous infusionHAEMOPHILIA, Issue 6 2004L. M. B. Pesquera-Lepatan Summary., Continuous infusion (CI) of factor VIII concentrates has been demonstrated to be cost-effective method in maintaining stable levels of FVIII activity in haemophilia A patients with major bleeding or undergoing major surgery. Cryoprecipitates remain the major source of FVIII in developing countries-like the Philippines because of limited availability and high cost of concentrates. To support the use of cryoprecipitate as alternative to FVIII concentrate for CI in centres with no factor concentrates, FVIII levels in 37 bags of random cryoprecipitate were measured at 0, 2, 4 and 6 h after thawing, kept at room temperature with bacteriological culture studies performed on the sixth hour. The mean FVIII content at hour 0 was 108.10 U per bag. Type ORh+ blood had lower FVIII content (±78.91 U per bag) compared with blood types ARh+ (±121.64 U per bag) and BRh+ (±117.04 U per bag). The units stored <6 months had higher FVIII content (±117.74 U per bag) compared with those stored for over 6- but <12-months (±66.77 U per bag). The mean rate of decline of FVIII activity at 2, 4 and 6 h was statistically significant at 10.35% (P = 0.000), 21.49% (P = 0.000) and 29.41% (P = 0.000) from baseline, respectively, using the paired t-test. Similar finding was found across different blood types and storage duration. Only one of 37 bags grew Staphylococcus aureus on day 10 of incubation. [source] Samarium-Doped Ceria Nanowires: Novel Synthesis and Application in Low-Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel CellsADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 14 2010Ying Ma Samarium-doped ceria (SDC) nanowires are synthesized by a novel, template-, surfactant-free and cost-effective method, using citric acid as precipitating/complexing agent for formation of citrate precursor nanowires. The single SOFC based on SDC nanowires/Na2CO3 nanocomposites as electrolyte is fabricated and the maximum power densities of 417 and 522,mW,cm,2 at 550 and 600,°C are achieved, showing great potential for low-temperature SOFCs. [source] Functional Nanostructured Plasmonic MaterialsADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 10 2010Jimin Yao Abstract Plasmonic crystals fabricated with precisely controlled arrays of subwavelength metal nanostructures provide a promising platform for sensing and imaging of surface binding events with micrometer spatial resolution over large areas. Soft nanoimprint lithography provides a robust, cost-effective method for producing highly uniform plasmonic crystals of this type with predictable optical properties. The tunable multimode plasmonic resonances of these crystals and their ability for integration into lab-on-a-chip microfluidic systems can both be harnessed to achieve exceptionally high analytical sensitivities down to submonolayer levels using even a common optical microscope, circumventing numerous technical limitations of more conventional surface plasmon resonance techniques. In this article, we highlight some recent advances in this field with an emphasis on the fabrication and characterization of these integrated devices and their demonstrated applications. [source] Measurements and numerical simulations for optimization of the combustion process in a utility boilerINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 5 2004A. Vikhansky Abstract A three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics code was used to analyse the performance of 550MW pulverized coal combustion opposite a wall-fired boiler (of IEC) at different operation modes. The main objective of this study was to prove that connecting plant measurements with three-dimensional furnace modelling is a cost-effective method for design, optimization and problem solving in power plant operation. Heat flux results from calculations were compared with measurements in the boiler and showed good agreement. Consequently, the code was used to study hydrodynamic aspects of air,flue gases mixing in the upper part of the boiler. It was demonstrated that effective mixing between flue gases and overfire air is of essential importance for CO reburning. From our complementary experimental-numerical effort, IEC considers a possibility to improve the boiler performance by replacing the existing OFA nozzles by those with higher penetration depth of the air jets, with the aim to ensure proper mixing to achieve better CO reburning. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Identification of the clonal complexes of Staphylococcus aureus strains by determination of the conservation patterns of small genomic isletsJOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 4 2009M. Suzuki Abstract Aims:, To investigate the clonality of Staphylococcus aureus isolates, it is important to identify their clonal complexes (CCs) with multilocus sequence typing (MLST). However, it is expensive to carry out MLST analyses for many isolates. The aim of this study, therefore, was to develop a cost-effective method to identify CCs by determining the conservation pattern of ,small genomic islets' (SGIs). SGIs are nonconserved regions between strains and have single or multiple open-reading frames (ORFs). Methods and Results:, The whole-genome sequences of nine strains were compared in order to select 16 SGIs. The conservation patterns of the 16 SGIs (islet patterns) were investigated in 136 S. aureus isolates, which were classified into 21 CCs. The islet patterns (IPs) exhibited a one-to-one correspondence with the CCs, except for isolates belonging to CC1, CC5 and CC8. The IPs typical of strains belonging to CC1, CC5 and CC8 differed between those of sequence type 1 (ST1) and ST188 (CC1), ST5 and ST6 (CC5) and ST8 and ST239 (CC8). Significance and Impact of the Study:, The CCs of many isolates can be identified in an easy and inexpensive manner by detecting these 16 SGIs. Emergent clones, particularly methicillin-resistant ones, can be identified by examining numerous islets by IP analysis. [source] THE EFFECTS OF THERMAL AND NONTHERMAL PROCESSING METHODS ON APPLE CIDER QUALITY AND CONSUMER ACCEPTABILITYJOURNAL OF FOOD QUALITY, Issue 1 2005LYNN H. CHOI ABSTRACT Due to increased concern about the safety of fruit, vegetable and juice products, the FDA has mandated that these must undergo a 5-log reduction in pathogens. The development of various processing methods for juice products has caused the need to determine the effects of these methods on said products. The effect of thermal pasteurization, UV irradiation and ozone treatment on apple cider quality and consumer acceptability was studied over 21 days. Thermally pasteurized samples were different in color and less preferred in all areas of consumer acceptability. UV-irradiated samples were lower in soluble solids for the first 7 days and showed no significant difference in consumer acceptability. Ozone-treated cider had greater sedimentation, lower sucrose content and a decrease in soluble solids by day 21. UV irradiation allows for a more cost-effective method to produce safe apple cider with minimal quality and consumer acceptability differences. [source] TMSCl-mediated one-pot, three-component synthesis of 2H -indazolo[2,1- b]phthalazine-trionesJOURNAL OF HETEROCYCLIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 4 2009Lingaiah Nagarapu A simple, efficient, and cost-effective method for the synthesis of 2H -indazolo[2,1- b]phthalazine-1,6,11(13H)-trione derivatives by a one-pot, three-component condensation reaction of phthalazide, dimedone, or 1,3-cyclohexanedione and aromatic aldehydes under CH3CN/DMF (8:2) media at 80°C for 30,60 min in the presence of trimethylsilyl chloride (TMSCl) is described. J. Heterocyclic Chem., (2009). [source] Synthesis of 13C-labelled cinnamonitrileJOURNAL OF LABELLED COMPOUNDS AND RADIOPHARMACEUTICALS, Issue 2 2002Elizabeth M. Zippi Abstract 13C-labelled cinnamonitrile, a compound that possesses both the aromatic functionality of styrene and the nitrile functionality of acrylonitrile has been synthesized in one step using , -bromostyrene and potassium [13C]cyanide. The preparation of a target material using 13C -labelled cinnamonitrile may provide a cost-effective method for producing nitrogen-13 via proton irradiation for Positron Emission Tomography. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Synthesis of Phenyl-13C6-etheneJOURNAL OF LABELLED COMPOUNDS AND RADIOPHARMACEUTICALS, Issue 11 2001Elizabeth M. Zippi Abstract In an effort to prepare an improved carbon-rich target material for the accelerator production of 13N labelled ammonia for use in positron emission tomography (PET), sulfonated poly(styrene/divinylbenzene) has been evaluated. The preparation of this target material using naturally abundant carbon-12 compounds was investigated in an effort to optimize conditions for the preparation of the analogous carbon-13 target material which may provide a cost-effective method for producing nitrogen-13 labelled ammonia via proton irradiation. As part of this study, phenyl-13C6-ethene was synthesized in three steps starting from benzene-13C6. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Preoperative evaluation and triage of women with suspicious adnexal masses using risk of malignancy indexJOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY RESEARCH (ELECTRONIC), Issue 1 2009Christopher A. Enakpene Abstract Aims:, To test the accuracy of risk of malignancy index (RMI) in preoperative prediction of malignancy and treatment of adnexal masses. Methods:, A total of 302 women with ultrasound diagnosed adnexal masses, and serum measurement of cancer-associated antigen CA-125 levels, were studied. They all had surgical exploration between October 2001 and September 2005 at the Friedrich-Alexander University Women's Hospital, Erlangen, Germany. The RMI was based on menopausal status, ultrasound morphology of adnexal masses and absolute level of serum CA-125. A cut-off of 250 was chosen as the threshold for determining the type of surgical operations (laparotomy versus laparoscopy) and the skill of the surgeons (gynecological oncologist versus general gynecologist). The data obtained were analyzed for baseline characteristics using ,2 test and analysis of variance (ANOVA). P < 0.05 were statistically significant. The various testing methods were evaluated for sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values. Results:, The best individual performance was found in RMI at a cut-off of 250 with a sensitivity of 88.2%, specificity of 74.3%, positive predictive value of 71.3% and negative predictive value of 90%. When RMI was used to triage patient treatment, 81.5% of patients who had laparoscopy had histological diagnosis of benign ovarian tumor and 7.5% had malignant tumor. In contrast, 74.4% of patients who had laparotomy had histological diagnosis of malignant ovarian tumor and 16% had benign tumor. Conclusion:, Risk of malignant index is a reliable, cheap, readily available and cost-effective method of preoperative discrimination of benign from malignant adnexal masses. It is also helpful in triaging patients to different treatment groups. [source] The cost-effectiveness of population Helicobacter pylori screening and treatment: a Markov model using economic data from a randomized controlled trialALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 3 2002J. Mason Background: Economic models have suggested that population Helicobacter pylori screening and treatment may be a cost-effective method of reducing mortality from gastric cancer. These models are conservative as they do not consider that the programme may reduce health service peptic ulcer and other dyspepsia costs. We have evaluated the economic impact of population H. pylori screening and treatment over 2 years in a randomized controlled trial and have incorporated the results into an economic model exploring the impact of H. pylori eradication on peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. Methods: Subjects between the ages of 40 and 49 years were randomly invited to attend their local primary care centre. H. pylori status was evaluated by 13C-urea breath test and infected individuals were randomized to receive omeprazole, 20 mg b.d., clarithromycin, 250 mg b.d., and tinidazole, 500 mg b.d., for 7 days or identical placebos. Economic data on health service costs for dyspepsia were obtained from a primary care note review for the 2 years following randomization. These data were incorporated into a Markov model comparing population H. pylori screening and treatment with no intervention. Results: A total of 2329 of 8407 subjects were H. pylori positive: 1161 were randomized to receive eradication therapy and 1163 to receive placebo. The cost difference favoured the intervention group 2 years after randomization, but this did not reach statistical significance (£11.42 per subject cost saving; 95% confidence interval, £30.04 to , £7.19; P=0.23). Analysis by gender suggested a statistically significant dyspepsia cost saving in men (£27.17 per subject; 95% confidence interval, £50.01 to £4.32; P=0.02), with no benefit in women (, £4.46 per subject; 95% confidence interval, , £33.85 to £24.93). Modelling of these data suggested that population H. pylori screening and treatment for 1 000 000 45-year-olds would save over £6 000 000 and 1300 years of life. The programme would cost £14 200 per life year saved if the health service dyspepsia cost savings were the lower limit of the 95% confidence intervals and H. pylori eradication had only a 10% efficacy in reducing mortality from distal gastric cancer and peptic ulcer disease. Conclusions: Modelling suggests that population H. pylori screening and treatment are likely to be cost-effective and could be the first cost-neutral screening programme. This provides a further mandate for clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy of population H. pylori screening and treatment in preventing mortality from gastric cancer and peptic ulcer disease. [source] Creating Anti-Reflective Nanostructures on Polymers by Initial Layer Deposition before Plasma EtchingPLASMA PROCESSES AND POLYMERS, Issue S1 2009Irmina Wendling Abstract The generation of nanostructures by initial layer deposition and plasma etching offers a simple and cost-effective method for imparting broadband anti-reflection properties to polymer optics. In this study, we have investigated the possibility of controlling the structure growth on the cycloolefin polymer Zeonex®. It has been found that the geometry of the emerging nanostructures can be adjusted from "island-like," through "sponge-like," to "pinholes" merely by changing the thickness of the initial layer before the etching step. However, not all structure types provided a satisfactory transmittance enhancement. Only when the initial layer thickness and the etching time were matched in such a way that a certain material/air filling factor range and a sufficient structure depth were obtained could an outstanding anti-reflection effect be realized. [source] QF-PCR-based prenatal detection of aneuploidy in a southeast Asian populationPRENATAL DIAGNOSIS, Issue 6 2004R. Quaife Abstract Objectives We have investigated the efficacy of using quantitative fluorescent polymerase chain reaction (QF-PCR) for the prenatal recognition of aneuploidy in chromosomes 13, 18, 21, X and Y. A total of 1115 samples, from mainly southeast Asian patients, were analysed and compared in a blind trial to the results previously obtained cytogenetically. Methods A multiplex PCR involving 15 short tandem repeat (STR) sequences was used. The probability of two or more of these markers being informative was calculated, and this required the multiplex PCR to be modified. Results The QF-PCR and previous cytogenetic results concurred, except for two products of conception (POC). One of these may be a case of complete uniparental disomy that was not recognized cytogenetically. The other was tetraploid, and as such appeared normal using QF-PCR. A mosaic trisomy 18 was correctly identified. The population sample was of a mainly Chinese, ethnic origin, and the allele frequency, size and heterozygosity appeared more restricted than the population groups analysed hitherto. Conclusion The QF-PCR methodology is an efficient cost-effective method of screening for major chromosome aneuploidy, and, for certain referral categories, could be used alone. It also appears to be applicable to patients of different ethnic origins. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The effects of in situ chemical oxidation on microbiological processes: A reviewREMEDIATION, Issue 3 2006Jason Sahl The effects of in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) on biological processes, as reported in the literature, were researched to determine if coupling ISCO with in situ bioremediation could be achieved in field and laboratory experiments. Literature was compiled concerning the effect of ISCO on microbial communities following addition of a chemical oxidant at a range of concentrations designed to treat a variety of subsurface contaminants. The results indicate that although microbial communities may potentially be adversely affected by chemical oxidation in the short term, a rebound of microbial biomass and/or bioremediation activity can be expected. Successfully coupling ISCO with bioremediation in field applications may be a cost-effective method of achieving risk-based site remediation goals. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Discriminating functional and non-functional p53 in human tumours by p53 and MDM2 immunohistochemistryTHE JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY, Issue 3 2005R Nenutil Abstract Mutation and/or loss of the TP53 tumour suppressor gene is the single most common genetic abnormality in human cancer. The majority of TP53 mutations lead to stabilization of the protein, so that immunohistochemical staining for p53 can suggest mutation status in many cases. However, various false-positive and false-negative situations mean that simple immunostaining for p53 is not informative in a substantial number of tumours. In the present study, a series of 119 human cancers were immunostained using a highly sensitive technique that detects the low levels of wild-type protein expressed in normal cells, such that homozygous gene deletion or non-sense TP53 mutation can be identified by an absence of staining. TP53 gene status was also assessed using FASAY as a genetic/functional screen and in selected cases by direct sequencing. A quantitative scoring system was employed to assess p53 levels, and p53 post-translational modification was evaluated using antibodies that detect specific phosphorylation sites. Phosphorylated p53 correlated with total p53 levels and did not improve the prediction of TP53 mutation status. The transcriptional activity of TP53 was determined by staining for two downstream target genes, p21WAF1 and MDM2, and statistical correlations between MDM2/p21WAF1 and p53 were found in tumours with wild-type, but not mutant TP53. Measurement of staining for p53 and MDM2 accurately identifies the TP53 status of tumours. This simple and cost-effective method, applicable to automated staining and quantitation methods, improves the identification of TP53 status over standard methods for p53 immunostaining and provides information about tumour p53 phenotype that is complementary to genotyping data. Copyright © 2005 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Experimental evaluation of co-culture of juvenile sea cucumbers, Holothuria scabra (Jaeger), with juvenile blue shrimp, Litopenaeus stylirostris (Stimpson)AQUACULTURE RESEARCH, Issue 5 2006Steven W Purcell Abstract The co-culture of juvenile sea cucumber Holothuria scabra (Jaeger), or ,sandfish', with juvenile blue shrimp Litopenaeus stylirostris (Stimpson) was tested by growing groups in co-culture and monoculture for 3 weeks in tanks with enriched sand substratum. Feed was supplied on trays, accessible only to shrimp. Survival of shrimp and sandfish was high in all treatments (73,100%). Growth of shrimp did not differ between monoculture and co-culture, but sandfish grew significantly slower in co-culture (P=0.03), although their sand burying and surface foraging were apparently unaffected by shrimp (P=0.76). However, shrimp increased the levels of total ammonia-N in tanks, which related inversely with sandfish growth (P=0.04). Conversely, sandfish did not appear to lower the water quality for shrimp culture. While sandfish bioturbate sediments and eat organic deposits, the juveniles did not significantly reduce the organic content of sand in tanks. Co-culturing juveniles of the two species in earthen ponds appears feasible, with no detriment to shrimp production, presenting a cost-effective method for growing sandfish to larger sizes for restocking. These findings underpin further studies to test the viability of commercial co-culture of sandfish with blue shrimp at later stages in the production cycle of shrimp. [source] Piezoelectric inkjet printing of a cross-hatch immunoassay on a disposable nylon membraneBIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL, Issue 2 2009Thomas N. Stewart Abstract The development of a cost-effective method for manufacturing immunoassays is a key step towards their commercial use. In this study, a piezoelectric inkjet printer and a nylon membrane were used to fabricate a disposable immunoassay. Using a piezoelectric inkjet printer, a cross-hatch pattern of goat anti-mouse antibody (G,M) and rabbit anti-horseradish peroxidase (R,HRP) antibody were deposited on the nylon membrane. These patterns were subsequently treated with a solution containing rabbit anti-goat antibody labeled with horseradish peroxidase (R,G-HRP). The effectiveness of the immobilization process was examined using tetramethylbenzidine (TMB), which oxidizes in the presence of HRP to form a visible precipitate. Optical evaluation of the TMB precipitate was used to assess the precision of the features in the inkjet-printed pattern as well as antibody functionality following inkjet printing. Uniform patterns that contained functional antibodies were fabricated using the piezoelectric inkjet printer. These results suggest that piezoelectric inkjet printing may be used to fabricate low-cost disposable immunoassays for biotechnology and healthcare applications. [source] Synthesis of , -Amino Acids via Catalyst- and Solvent-Free Aza-Michael ReactionCHINESE JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY, Issue 7 2008Bo ZOU Abstract A safe, environmentally friendly and cost-effective method for the synthesis of , -amino acid derivatives has been developed. Treatment of ,,, -unsaturated compounds with aliphatic amines furnishes , -amino acid derivatives in good to excellent yields via a catalyst- and solvent-free aza-Michael addition. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||