Commutability assessment of human urine certified reference materials for albumin and creatinine on multiple clinical analyzers using different statistical models.

Urine albumin concentration and albumin-creatinine ratio are important for the screening of early-stage kidney damage. Commutable urine certified reference materials (CRMs) for albumin and creatinine are necessary for standardization of urine albumin and accurate measurement of albumin-urine ratio. Two urine CRMs for albumin and creatinine with certified values determined using higher-order reference measurement procedures were evaluated for their commutability on five brands/models of clinical analyzers where different reagent kits were used, including Roche Cobas c702, Roche Cobas c311, Siemens Atellica CH, Beckman Coulter AU5800, and Abbott Architect c16000.

Etiology of pediatric acquired blepharoptosis.

Purpose: To describe the etiology of acquired pediatric blepharoptosis in a large clinical series and to elucidate the causes of the disease.

Methods: The medical records of all patients presenting with acquired blepharoptosis at two specialist ocular plastics practices and a pediatric ophthalmology practice during a period of up to 25 years were reviewed retrospectively and classified according to their diagnosis. Patients were grouped into children (<18 years), younger adults (18-40 years), and older adults (>40 years).

A New Generation of Arachidonic Acid Analogues as Potential Neurological Agent Targeting Cytosolic Phospholipase A.

Cytosolic phospholipase A (cPLA) is an enzyme that releases arachidonic acid (AA) for the synthesis of eicosanoids and lysophospholipids which play critical roles in the initiation and modulation of oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. In the central nervous system, cPLA activation is implicated in the pathogenesis of various neurodegenerative diseases that involves neuroinflammation, thus making it an important pharmacological target. In this paper, a new class of arachidonic acid (AA) analogues was synthesized and evaluated for their ability to inhibit cPLA.

Aetiology of acquired blepharoptosis in young adults.

Purpose: To identify the causes of blepharoptosis in young adults, and explore cases that do not fit into current diagnostic categories.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study of all patients aged 18-40 years ("young adults") with acquired blepharoptosis that presented to two specialist ocular plastics practices and a paediatric ophthalmologist over a period of up to 25 years. Each patient was classified according to diagnosis.

Fluorogenic probes to monitor cytosolic phospholipase A activity.

Arachidonic acid derivatives equipped with either one or two fluorescent groups attached to the tip of the alkyl chains were synthesized and shown to function as inhibitor and substrate probes of cPLA. The inhibitor probe was demonstrated to perform dual functions of inhibition and imaging while the substrate probe could be used for activity assay.

Isolation, characterization, and optimization of an aerobic butanol-producing bacterium from Singapore.

We aimed to isolate aerobic butanol-producing microorganisms from environmental samples as potential platform strains for butanol production. Soil samples collected were subjected to a semi-high-throughput screening strategy. A microorganism capable of producing butanol in high concentrations under aerobic conditions was isolated and identified as Bacillus species by 16S rDNA analysis.

Modest CaV1.342-selective inhibition by compound 8 is β-subunit dependent.

Two voltage-gated calcium channel subtypes-CaV1.2 and CaV1.3-underlie the major L-type Ca(2+) currents in the mammalian central nervous system.