Neural activation changes following attention bias modification treatment or a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor for social anxiety disorder.

Background: Delineation of changes in neural function associated with novel and established treatments for social anxiety disorder (SAD) can advance treatment development. We examined such changes following selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and attention bias modification (ABM) variant - gaze-contingent music reward therapy (GC-MRT), a first-line and an emerging treatments for SAD.

Methods: Eighty-one patients with SAD were allocated to 12-week treatments of either SSRI or GC-MRT, or waitlist (s = 22, 29, and 30, respectively).

A cluster-randomized trial of client and provider directed financial interventions to align incentives with appropriate case management in private medicine retailers: Results of the TESTsmART trial in Lagos, Nigeria.

Malaria remains a major health priority in Nigeria. Among children with fever who seek care, less than a quarter gets tested for malaria, leading to inappropriate use of the recommended treatment for malaria; Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT). Here we test an innovative strategy to target ACT subsidies to clients seeking care in Nigeria's private retail health sector who have a confirmed malaria diagnosis.

A cluster-randomized trial of client and provider directed financial interventions to align incentives with appropriate case management in private medicine retailers: results of the TESTsmART Trial in Lagos, Nigeria.

Malaria remains a major health priority in Nigeria. Among children with fever who seek care, less than a quarter gets tested for malaria, leading to inappropriate use of the recommended treatment for malaria; Artemether Combination Therapies (ACT). Here we test an innovative strategy to target ACT subsidies to clients seeking care in Nigeria's private retail health sector who have a confirmed malaria diagnosis.

A cluster-randomized trial of client and provider-directed financial interventions to align incentives with appropriate case management in retail medicine outlets: Results of the TESTsmART Trial in western Kenya.

ACTs are responsible for a substantial proportion of the global reduction in malaria mortality over the last ten years, made possible by publicly-funded subsidies making these drugs accessible and affordable in the private sector. However, inexpensive ACTs available in retail outlets have contributed substantially to overconsumption. We test an innovative, scalable strategy to target ACT-subsidies to clients with a confirmatory diagnosis.

A cluster-randomized trial of client and provider-directed financial interventions to align incentives with appropriate case management in retail medicine outlets: results of the TESTsmART Trial in western Kenya.

ACTs are responsible for a substantial proportion of the global reduction in malaria mortality over the last ten years. These reductions would not have been possible without publicly-funded subsidies making these drugs accessible and affordable in the private sector. However, inexpensive ACTs available in retail outlets have contributed substantially to their overconsumption.

Attention Bias Modification Treatment Versus a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor Or Waiting List Control for Social Anxiety Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Objective: Social anxiety disorder is common and impairing. The efficacy of pharmacotherapy is moderate, highlighting the need for alternative therapies. This study compared the efficacy of gaze-contingent music reward therapy (GC-MRT), an eye-tracking-based attention bias modification treatment, with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment or a waiting list control condition in reducing social anxiety disorder symptoms.

Cross-Reactivity of Chili Peppers ( sp.) with the xMAP Food Allergen Detection Assay.

The xMAP food allergen detection assay (xMAP FADA) is an advanced multiplex immunoassay with multiple antibodies for each of 15 target food allergens and gluten, allowing for signal confirmation and antigenic profiling to occur in a single analysis. Botanicals used as spices are complex matrices for allergen analysis because they can exhibit inherent cross-reactivity with antibodies employed by the assays. Preliminary examinations of botanicals revealed chili peppers to have notably high levels of cross-reactivity with Brazil nut and hazelnut antibody bead sets in the xMAP FADA.

Multiplex-Competitive ELISA for Detection and Characterization of Gluten during Yogurt Fermentation: Effects of Changes in Certain Fermentation Conditions on Gluten Protein Profiles and Method Reproducibility Assessment.

The protein/peptide profiles of gluten during yogurt fermentation were evaluated using an optimized multiplex-competitive ELISA by preparing yogurts incurred with gluten at different concentrations and by varying certain fermentation conditions. Analysis indicated that epitope-specific responses with antibody binding to glutenin epitopes decreased less during longer fermentation times or at higher starter culture concentrations relative to gliadins. Incomplete proteolysis was observed after 24 h of fermentation, which became more efficient as fermentation time was increased.

Distinction of Signals Generated by Allergens from Cross-Reactivity in Botanicals Used in Dietary Supplements and Spices Using the xMAP Food Allergen Detection Assay.

The xMAP Food Allergen Detection Assay (xMAP FADA) is a powerful analytical method by virtue of its ability to simultaneously detect multiple antigenic elements with a repertoire of antibodies targeting 15 food allergens plus gluten. Further, by incorporating multiple levels of redundancy, it can also be used to distinguish between homologous cross-reactive analytes. The power of its analytical capabilities is especially critical when working with botanicals.

Multi-laboratory validation of the xMAP-Food Allergen Detection Assay: A multiplex, antibody-based assay for the simultaneous detection of food allergens.

The increasing prevalence of individuals with multiple food allergies and the need to distinguish between foods containing homologous, cross-reactive proteins have made the use of single-analyte antibody-based methods (e.g., ELISAs) sometimes insufficient.

Robustness Testing of the xMAP Food Allergen Detection Assay: A Multiplex Assay for the Simultaneous Detection of Food Allergens.

Abstract: The xMAP food allergen detection assay (xMAP FADA) can simultaneously detect 15 analytes (14 food allergens plus gluten) in one analysis. The xMAP FADA typically employs two antibody bead sets per analyte, providing built-in confirmation that is not available with other antibody-based assays. Before an analytical method can be used, its reliability must be assessed when conditions of the assay procedure are altered.

Extension of xMAP Food Allergen Detection Assay To Include Sesame.

An estimated 0.1 to 0.2% of the North American population is allergic to sesame, and deaths due to anaphylactic shock have been reported.

Detection and Quantitation of Gluten in Fermented-Hydrolyzed Foods by Antibody-Based Methods: Challenges, Progress, and a Potential Path Forward.

Celiac disease (CD) affects ~1 in 141 individuals in the United States, requiring adherence to a strict gluten-free diet. The Codex Standard and the European Commission states that gluten level of gluten-free foods must not exceed 20 ppm. The FDA requires food bearing the labeling claim "gluten-free" to contain <20 ppm gluten.

Western blot analysis of fermented-hydrolyzed foods utilizing gluten-specific antibodies employed in a novel multiplex competitive ELISA.

Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) conjugated gluten-specific antibodies (G12, R5, 2D4, MIoBS, and Skerritt), from nine commercial gluten ELISA test kits, previously utilized in the development of a multiplex competitive ELISA for the detection of fermented-hydrolyzed gluten, were utilized in western blot analyses of 59 fermented-hydrolyzed foods from four food groups (beer, soy-based sauces, vinegar, and sourdough bread). The protein/peptide profiles generated by the nine gluten-specific antibodies varied in size distribution and intensity dependent on the type of food, with minor differences between related products. Cluster analysis of the estimated gluten concentration values (based on western blot band intensities relative to intact gluten standards at 2.

Smartphone-enabled video-observed versus directly observed treatment for tuberculosis: a multicentre, analyst-blinded, randomised, controlled superiority trial.

Background: Directly observed treatment (DOT) has been the standard of care for tuberculosis since the early 1990s, but it is inconvenient for patients and service providers. Video-observed therapy (VOT) has been conditionally recommended by WHO as an alternative to DOT. We tested whether levels of treatment observation were improved with VOT.

Single-Laboratory Validation of the Multiplex xMAP Food Allergen Detection Assay with Incurred Food Samples.

An xMAP Food Allergen Detection Assay (xMAP FADA) was developed to meet analytical needs when responding to complaints by individuals with multiple food allergies and to address potential ambiguities associated with cross-reactive proteins. A single-laboratory validation (SLV) was conducted to examine the reliability of the xMAP FADA to detect 15 analytes individually or as part of a mixture at more than six concentrations in four foods. The xMAP FADA reliably detected the analytes despite the incurred dark chocolate and incurred baked muffins displaying recoveries of 10-20% and <60%, respectively.

Cross-reactivity by botanicals used in dietary supplements and spices using the multiplex xMAP food allergen detection assay (xMAP FADA).

Food allergies affect some 15 million Americans. The only treatment for food allergies is a strict avoidance diet. To help ensure the reliability of food labels, analytical methods are employed; the most common being enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs).

Hepatitis C among vulnerable populations: A seroprevalence study of homeless, people who inject drugs and prisoners in London.

Injecting drugs substantially increases the risk of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and is common in the homeless and prisoners. Capturing accurate data on disease prevalence within these groups is challenging but is essential to inform strategies to reduce HCV transmission. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of HCV in these populations.

Application of Multiantigen Profiling To Detect Pecan.

A problem often encountered in the detection and identification of undeclared tree nut food allergens is the lack of analytical methods. This problem is accentuated by the current trend, whereby the primary methods used to detect food allergens are antibody-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and the development of analyte-specific antibodies takes months. The recently developed xMAP food allergen detection assay (xMAP FADA) has the ability to generate multiantigen profiles with tree nuts, thereby providing a potential solution to this problem.

High prevalence of latent tuberculosis and bloodborne virus infection in a homeless population.

Introduction: Urban homeless populations in the UK have been shown to have high rates of active tuberculosis, but less is known about the prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of LTBI among individuals using homeless hostels in London.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional survey with outcome follow-up in homeless hostels in London.

A multiplex competitive ELISA for the detection and characterization of gluten in fermented-hydrolyzed foods.

A novel competitive ELISA was developed utilizing the G12, R5, 2D4, MIoBS, and Skerritt antibody-HRP conjugates employed in nine commercial ELISA test kits that are routinely used for gluten detection. This novel multiplex competitive ELISA simultaneously measures gliadin-, deamidated gliadin-, and glutenin-specific epitopes. The assay was used to evaluate 20 wheat beers, 20 barley beers, 6 barley beers processed to reduce gluten, 15 soy sauces, 6 teriyaki sauces, 6 Worcestershire sauces, 6 vinegars, and 8 sourdough breads.