Abstract: Normal plasma from donors who have not been vaccinated with a varicella-zoster vaccine can be screened for higher than normal titers of naturally occurring antibody to varicella-zoster virus. Those plasmas with high titers of such antibody can be pooled and fractionated to give hyperimmune globulin. The product may be treated to render it suitable for intravenous injection. Patients with varicella-zoster infection or at risk to such infection, may receive the present product to raise serum titers of varicella-zoster antibody.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for causing the dissociation of microbial mycelium and extracellular lipase bound thereto and increasing the measurable activity of the lipase. The method involves treating an aqueous suspension of the mycelium with the anhydride of a dicarboxylic acid which results in dissociation of the mycelium and lipase thereby facilitating recovery of the lipase.

Abstract: A method for preparing an ester having the structure ##STR1## in which A is an acid residue; R, same or different is H, lower alkyl, aryl, or in which both R together form a ring structure and R' is H, lower alkyl or aryl. The method comprises combining a first compound having the structure ##STR2## and a second compound which is an acyl halide corresponding to A, said combining being performed in the presence of an organic acid.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process whereby enzymes are immobilized on granular diatomaceous earth. The process involves treating the diatomaceous earth with a polyamine compound having pendant amino groups to cause the polyamine to adhere to the diatomaceous earth leaving pendant amine groups free to react further. The free amine groups are derivatized by treatment with a difunctional compound having amine reactive moieties, so that free amine groups of an enzyme or enzymes can be covalently bound to the polyamine via the amine reactive compound.

Abstract: Apparatus and process are disclosed for removing a single flexible member from a storage spool capable of holding multiple flexible members. This storage spool is designed to contain multiple elongated flexible members in an accurate position on the spool by means of radial channels or slots where the flexible members are held in place by interwinding material. By removing the interwinding material on a take up spool the individual flexible member can be positioned for removal from the storage spool by a pick up head or vacuum transport member. The invention has particular applicability to the handling of test devices, such as reagent strips, used in the determination of a biological constituent in a body fluid.

Abstract: Aging of cheese is accelerated by adding during cheesemaking a composition containing preserved, partially disrupted L. casei and/or L. lactis, and a dried lipase similar to kid or calf pre-gastric lipase. The L. casei or L. lactis has been preserved by freezing, freeze drying, spray drying or fluidized bed drying. Preferably, the L. casei is ATCC 39539 and the L. lactis is ATCC 39538. The composition may optionally contain a similarly preserved and partially disrupted L. plantarum, and/or a microbial neutral protease. The composition may be added to cheese milk before adding coagulant to coagulate the milk or to curd with salt before pressing.

Abstract: A novel compound useful in detecting leukocytes, esterase and protease in a test sample. The compound has the structure ##STR1## in which: A is an acid residue, R is lower alkyl, aryl, carboxyl, carboxyl ester, amido or cyano, R* is H or lower alkyl, and X is O, S, or NR', in which R' is H, lower alkyl or aryl.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method for separating alpha-1-proteinase inhibitor (also known as alpha-1 antitrypsin) from an aqueous solution of plasma proteins, especially from Cohn Effluent II & III and Cohn Effluent I. The method includes the steps of first treating the aqueous solution to lower the concentration of salts therein and, optionally, its alcohol content, contacting the resulting solution with an anion exchange resin having selective affinity for alpha-1-proteinase inhibitor to selectively bind the alpha-1-proteinase inhibitor and allow unwanted plasma proteins to elute through the resin, displacing the alpha-1-proteinase inhibitor from the resin and recovering the same.

Abstract: There is disclosed an immunizing composition comprising a non-toxic polysaccharide isolated from gram-negative bacteria, especially from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, covalently coupled to a non-toxic protein from the gram-positive bacterium Micrococcus luteus by means of a 4-12 carbon moiety. To prepare the above immunizing agent, the lipid A portion of lipopolysaccharide from a gram-negative bacterium is separated to give a non-toxic polysaccharide. Reactive aldehyde groups are generated on the non-toxic polysaccharide by selective oxidation. The non-toxic polysaccharide is then covalently coupled to a non-toxic protein isolated from said gram-positive bacterium, Micrococcus luteus, by means of a polyfunctional compound having 4-12 carbon atoms and having at least two functional groups which are reactive to the aldehyde groups on the non-toxic polysaccharide and to the carboxylic groups on the non-toxic protein.

Abstract: Volume independent test device and method for forming same, covering the top of reagent matrices with a water impermeable or semipermeable coating or membrane having spaced openings of limited size which permit liquid to pass through the coating or membrane and contact the underlying reagent matrix until the matrix becomes saturated are disclosed.

Abstract: There is disclosed a process for producing a convalently bound heparin--antithrombin-III complex useful for anticoagulant therapy, a covalently bound heparin--antithrombin-III complex produced by the process, a composition thereof in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, and a method for preventing and treating thromboembolisms by administering to a human patient a therapeutically effective amount of the complex or preparation.

Abstract: A multiple reagent test strip-reading instrument having rails extending from a loading area to one or more reading station platforms and then to a waste receptacle, a reciprocating blotter arm which contacts individual reagent strips sequentially placed transversely on the rails in the loading area, moving individual strips along the rails to an indexing strip advancing mechanism which intermittently advances the strips along the rails in spaced parallel relation, and after each advance, allows the strips to dwell for a predetermined time period; individual test strips being thereby sequentially delivered to reading position on the reading station platform where, during the dwell period, they are read by reflectance photometry. After reading, the strips are moved to the waste receptacle.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing the test device and method of determining the presence and relative concentration of a component in a test sample. The device includes a carrier matrix incorporated with a reactant system capable of interacting with a sample component to produce a detectable response. For home use, the reactant system produces a visibly detectable response. The carrier matrix of the device comprises a new and improved whole blood compatible, glucose-permeable strip or layer of a polymerizable silicone material. A reactant system is homogeneously mixed into the polymerizable carrier matrix prior to complete curing of the matrix, and the matrix then is cured to hold the reactant system homogeneously throughout the carrier matrix in a known concentration while maintaining matrix penetrability of the predetermined component after complete curing of the carrier matrix.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for preparing transglucosidase comprising culturing a strain of Talaromyces duponti in a suitable nutrient growth medium and isolating the transglucosidase therefrom. Also disclosed is the transglucosidase produced by T. duponti.

Abstract: Dust free enzyme containing particles are produced by coating hydratable core particles with an enzyme and then with a film-forming macro-molecular material. Coating is carried out by suspending the core particles in a fluidized bed dryer, spraying an aqueous slurry of enzyme onto the core particles while suspended, and evaporating water to leave a dried enzyme coat on the particles. The resultant enzyme-coated particles, while still suspended in the fluidized bed, are sprayed with a solution or dispersion of the macro-molecular material, and dried to remove solvent to leave a coating of the macro-molecular material.

Abstract: The rate of hybridization between two complementary polynucleotide segments in an aqueous medium is increased by the presence of the anionic polymers polyacrylate and polymethacrylate. The acceleration effect is particularly useful in nucleic acid hybridization assays involving immobilization of sample nucleic acids and the use of labeled probes. Nonspecific binding of probe to nitrocellulose supports is substantially lower in the presence of the present polymers than in the presence of the prior art accelerator dextran sulfate. Polyacrylate is particularly advantageous since it has been found to be effective at low concentrations and is significantly less expensive than the prior art compound.

Abstract: Reagent test devices are prepared in which reagent carrier matrices are separated from each other by hydrophobic barrier pads of identical height to the reagent carrier matrices such that liquid present in a reagent matrix material is retained therein and prevented from running over into another reagent matrix area present on the same test device.

Abstract: A specific binding assay method and reagent system based on the use of an inhibitory anti-enzyme, e.g., antibody or fragment thereof, as the label component. Such method and reagent system have been improved by selection of anti-(glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase) [anti-G6PDH] as the anti-enzyme label. The improved label is monitored by its ability to inhibit G6PDH. The resulting assay is more sensitive, requires lesser quantities of reagents, is less susceptible to sample interferences, and employs a reagent system having greater stability than the published prior art method employing an anti-peroxidase label. The present invention is particularly applicable to homogeneous immunoassays for determining substances appearing at low concentrations in biological fluids such as urine and serum.

Abstract: Disclosed is a cleaning composition for removing baked on soils from hard surfaces. The composition comprises an alkali metal hydroxide, and a solvent system made up of tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol together with a propoxylated alcohol or phenol and a thickener to provide a composition having a suitable viscosity for its intended use.