Comparative study of rapid ATP bioluminescence assay and conventional plate count method for development of rapid disinfecting activity test.

Antimicrobial activity is tested when developing disinfectants, pharmaceutical products, cosmetics, and many other consumer products. However, the plate count method, the conventional way to count the number of microorganisms, needs several days of culture. Consequently, a means of rapid microbial detection is strongly desired to replace this method.

A Rapid ATP Bioluminescence-based Test for Detecting Levofloxacin Resistance Starting from Positive Blood Culture Bottles.

Administering appropriate antimicrobial therapy as early as possible is important for rescuing bacteremic patients. Therefore, rapid antimicrobial susceptibility tests in positive blood culture specimens have been diligently sought. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence-based methods have been used for rapid antimicrobial susceptibility tests.

Attomol-level ATP bioluminometer for detecting single bacterium.

We have developed an automated high-sensitive ATP bioluminometer for detecting single bacterium. The apparatus consists of a tube rack for setting reagents and samples, two washing baths for preventing sample carry-over from dispenser nozzle, and x-, y-, z- actuators for moving the dispenser, and an high-sensitive optical system. The reaction tube was selected to reduce the background signal intensities for the ATP bioluminescence measurement.

A 1-year, prospective, observational study of Japanese outpatients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes switching from insulin glargine or detemir to insulin degludec in basal-bolus insulin therapy (Kumamoto Insulin Degludec Observational study).

Aims/introduction: The aim of the present prospective observational study was to assess long-term efficacy and safety of insulin degludec as a part of a basal-bolus therapy for Japanese patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes in routine clinical practice.

Materials And Methods: In the present study, 93 type 1 diabetes patients and 135 type 2 diabetes patients treated with insulin glargine or detemir were switched from their basal insulin to insulin degludec. The primary end-points were the changes in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) from baseline at 3, 6 and 12 months.

[The relationship between human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and penile cancer].

Human papillomavirus (HPV) may be carcinogenic effectors in a variety of human lower genital tract malignancies. We evaluated HPV status with respect to clinical and pathological features and prognosis of penile carcinoma. We searched for HPV infected cells (Koilocytosis) within the primary lesion of cancer tissue from 78 patients with penile squamous cell carcinoma.

A bead-alignment device with a bead-sized microchamber on a rotating cylinder for fabrication of a miniaturized probe array.

We have developed a compact bead-alignment device with a bead-sized microchamber on a rotating cylinder. The cylinder fits inside a tube with bead-stock pipes containing different probe-conjugated beads and holes for bead-alignment capillaries. The cylinder rotates in the tube, and the microchamber transfers a single 100-microm-diameter bead from a pipe to one of the capillaries in 10 s.

Automated bead alignment apparatus using a single bead capturing technique for fabrication of a miniaturized bead-based DNA probe array.

We have developed an automated bead alignment apparatus for fabricating a bead-based DNA probe array inside a capillary. The apparatus uses 16 micro vacuum tweezers to extract single beads from among a large amount of beads in bead stock wells. It then manipulates single beads into the probe array capillaries.

DNA probes on beads arrayed in a capillary, 'Bead-array', exhibited high hybridization performance.

A DNA analysis platform called 'Bead-array' is presented and its features when used in hybridization detection are shown. In 'Bead-array', beads of 100- micro m diameter are lined in a determined order in a capillary. Each bead is conjugated with DNA probes, and can be identified by its order in the capillary.