An ambient temperature-stable antitoxin of nine co-formulated antibodies for botulism caused by serotypes A, B and E.

Safe and effective antitoxins to treat and prevent botulism are needed for biodefense. We have developed recombinant antibody-based therapeutics for botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) serotypes A, B, and E. The mechanism of action of this antitoxin requires that three mAbs bind one toxin molecule to achieve clearance.

Separation of oxidized variants of a monoclonal antibody by anion-exchange.

Monoclonal antibodies are subject to a variety of degradation mechanisms, therefore orthogonal techniques are required to demonstrate product quality. In this study, the three individual antibodies comprising a multi-antibody drug product, XOMA 3AB were evaluated by both cation-exchange (CEX) and anion-exchange chromatography (AEX). In contrast to CEX analysis which showed only a single, broad peak for the force-oxidized antibodies, AEX analysis of Ab-A (pI=7.

The clinical effectiveness of optical spectroscopy for the in vivo diagnosis of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia: where are we?

Objective: In this review, we evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of optical spectroscopy technologies (fluorescence and reflectance spectroscopy) for the in vivo diagnosis of cervical neoplasia using both point probe and multispectral imaging approaches.

Methods: We searched electronic databases using the following terms: cervical cancer, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, squamous intraepithelial lesion, and spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, or reflectance spectroscopy. We included studies that evaluated fluorescence and reflectance spectroscopy devices for in vivo diagnosis, compared those results with biopsy results, and reported on the sensitivity and specificity of the devices tested.

p16 and MIB1 improve the sensitivity and specificity of the diagnosis of high grade squamous intraepithelial lesions: methodological issues in a report of 447 biopsies with consensus diagnosis and HPV HCII testing.

Objective: Many investigators are studying the additional value of biomarkers to improve histopathologic agreement, but few are using the same methodologies. Our objectives in this analysis to differentiate High-grade Squamous Intraepithelial lesions (HGSIL) from Low Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions (LGSIL), atypia, and normal were: (1) to examine the rate of Human Papilloma Virus High-Risk positivity (HPV HR+), (2) to compare and grade the basal, parabasal, intermediate, and superficial layer staining of each marker, (3) to determine the optimal qualitative threshold for markers, (4) to compare p16 and MIB1 agreement, and (5) to examine the sensitivities and specificities using each markers alone and together.

Methods: A sample of biopsies from 208 patients were chosen from a total of 1850 patients and 3735 biopsies obtained during the course of ongoing optical trials.

The performance of fluorescence and reflectance spectroscopy for the in vivo diagnosis of cervical neoplasia; point probe versus multispectral approaches.

Objective: This review evaluates the diagnostic efficacy of fluorescence spectroscopy, reflectance spectroscopy, and their combination that use both point probe and multispectral imaging approaches in diagnosing cervical neoplasia in vivo.

Methods: Articles were selected for this review from a literature search which report the performance of fluorescence and reflectance spectroscopy devices in diagnosing cervical neoplasia in vivo. This analysis focused on the comparison of point probe versus multispectral approaches; the use of fluorescence, reflectance, and their combination; and finally the types of populations that have been studied for in vivo diagnosis of squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL).

Fluorescence and reflectance device variability throughout the progression of a phase II clinical trial to detect and screen for cervical neoplasia using a fiber optic probe.

Large phase II trials of fluorescence and reflectance spectroscopy using a fiber optic probe in the screening and diagnostic settings for detecting cervical neoplasia have been conducted. We present accrual and histopathology data, instrumentation, data processing, and the preliminary results of interdevice consistencies throughout the progression of a trial. Patients were recruited for either a screening trial (no history of abnormal Papanicolaou smears) or a diagnostic trial (a history of abnormal Papanicolaou smears).

Does ozone alleviate AIDS diarrhea?

Five patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) or AIDS-related complex (ARC) and intractable diarrhea were treated with daily colonic insufflations of medical ozone (oxygen/ozone mixture) for 21-28 days. The daily dose of ozone (O3) ranged from 2.7 to 30 mg.

Ozone inactivates HIV at noncytotoxic concentrations.

The inactivation of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and cytotoxic properties of ozone-treated serum and serum-supplemented media were examined. The titer of HIV suspensions in human serum was reduced in a dose-dependent manner when treated with total reacted ozone concentrations at a range of 0.5 to 3.

Photosynthetic Rates of Sporophytes and Gametophytes of the Fern, Todea barbara.

The photosynthetic rates of intact sporophytes or gametophytes of the fern Todea barbara grown in sterile culture were measured using an infrared gas analyzer. Sporophytes consisted of single whole plants with roots and leaves grown in tubes of agar. Gametophytes were grown as several plants covering the surface of the agar.

Blue light-induced Absorbance Changes in Membrane Fractions from Corn and Neurospora.

Blue light-induced absorbance changes were measured from differentially centrifuged membrane fractions from dark-grown coleoptiles of Zea mays L., and mycelia from an albino mutant of Neurospora crassa. Actinic irradiation caused changes in absorbance consistent with a flavinmediated reduction of a b-type cytochrome.