Abstract: Metal oxide particles heated while immersed in water in a closed container are combined with membrane filtration to remove contaminants from water. The use of the heated particles reduces fouling of the membrane typically encountered when membranes alone are used to remove contaminants from water.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a separation matrix comprised of ligands coupled to the surfaces of a porous support, such as one or more porous particles, wherein the ligands provide at least one chemical gradient within the support. In the most advantageous embodiment, the chemical gradient is a ligand density gradient. The invention also relates to a method of providing a separation matrix comprising ligands coupled to the surfaces of a porous support, in which method at least one ligand density gradient is provided by solvent-controlled diffusion of at least one reagent into the porous support.

Abstract: A coreless and spirally wound non-woven filter element is provided. The filter element includes at least one band of base media having a selected porosity and an interlay having a different porosity within at least one band of base media. The presence of the interlay in the filter element can create additional surface area within the contiguous construction of a filter element for filtration. This interlay can also create the ability to change direction of flow and to increase the deposition of specifically sized contaminants.

Abstract: A process is described for the extraction of one or more substances from a fluid starting material with an appropriate extraction agent by use of a static micromixer for mixing the starting material with the extraction agent. The static micromixer is provided with disk-shaped components, the disk (1) being provided with at least one inlet opening (2) for introducing at least one fluid stream into a linking channel (3) disposed in the plane of the disk and at least one outlet opening (4) for removing the fluid stream into a mixing zone (5) disposed in the plane of the disk, the inlet opening (2) being connected with the outlet opening (4) in a communicating manner through a linking channel (3) disposed in the plane of the disk, and the linking channel (3) before opening into the mixing zone (5) being divided by microstructure units (6) into two or more part channels (7), and the widths of the part channels being in the millimeter to submillimeter range and being smaller than the width of the mixing zone (5).

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for accurately discriminating between prostate carcinoma and benign prostatic hyperplasia based on a glycan structure of prostate specific antigen (PSA). The method of the present invention includes the steps of: purifying PSA from a sample derived from a subject; preparing a PSA derivative from the PSA; labeling the PSA derivative; and analyzing the labeled PSA derivative by the mass spectrometry method, in which the subject is identified as having prostate carcinoma when the ratio of the signal intensity of fucose-unbound glycan to the signal intensity of fucose-bound glycan in the labeled PSA derivative is greater than 1.0, and identified as having benign prostatic hyperplasia when the ratio is 1.0 or less.

Abstract: A method and a particle sensor for measuring particles, especially soot particles, in which the particles to be detected accumulate in a measuring region of the particle sensor. The particles located in the gas stream or the particles already accumulated in the measuring region are burned by a combustion device, the combustion being controlled via a control signal from a control unit, which is electrically connected to a measuring device, in such a way that the quantity of the particles adhering in the measuring region remains constant. The physical variable of the combustion device, which leads to the controlled combustion of the particles, is drawn upon as the signal amplitude of the particle sensor.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for the determination of the oxidative stability of a lubricating fluid, comprising the steps of: introducing a sample of the lubricating fluid under test in an reaction cell; introducing catalytic amounts of a catalyst to the reaction cell; heating the cell to the oxidation temperature of the lubricating fluid and maintaining this temperature; delivering oxygen containing gas at constant flow rate through the cell over the course of the reaction; delivering a gas comprising nitrogen dioxide at a constant flow rate through the cell for a specified time; applying and maintaining a specified vacuum on the reaction cell; allowing the mixture to react for a specified time; measuring the viscosity of the oxidized lubricating fluid. Additionally, the present invention describes an apparatus for the determination of the oxidative stability of a lubricating fluid.

Abstract: A method for distinguishing between kidney dysfunctions in a mammal, including pre-renal azotemia, an acute renal injury that may progress to acute renal failure, and chronic kidney disease, using a urinary or circulating NGAL assay result that is compared to a predetermined NGAL cutoff level, and a single serum or plasma creatinine measurement. Typically the single creatinine measurement cannot distinguish acute renal injury from chronic kidney disease or pre-renal azotemia, a single measurement of urinary NGAL, combined with the single serum or plasma creatinine measurement, has sufficient sensitivity and specificity to distinguish acute renal injury from normal function, prerenal azotemia, and chronic kidney disease and predicts poor inpatient outcomes.

Abstract: A sensor for detecting and differentiating chemical analytes includes a microscale body having a first end and a second end and a surface between the ends for adsorbing a chemical analyte. The surface includes at least one conductive heating track for heating the chemical analyte and also a conductive response track, which is electrically isolated from the heating track, for producing a thermal response signal from the chemical analyte. The heating track is electrically connected with a voltage source and the response track is electrically connected with a signal recorder. The microscale body is restrained at the first end and the second end and is substantially isolated from its surroundings therebetween, thus having a bridge configuration.

Abstract: The invention relates to a microfluidic device comprising at least one micro-channel connected at one end to an enclosed area, characterized in that it also comprises an inlet circuit and an outlet circuit connected to the enclosed area and between which the fluid can be discharged without any contact with the micro-channel, wherein at least one of said inlet and outlet circuits can be controlled in such a way that the pressure at the end of the micro-channel can be modified independently from the pressure at the other end of the micro-channel.

Abstract: A method of making a nanoclusters functionalized with a single DNA strand comprising the steps of providing nanoclusters, combining said nanoclusters with thiolated DNA, incubating said nanoclusters and thiolated DNA mixture, combining said mixture with a solution comprising ethanol and dichloromethane; separating said mixture into an aqueous phase and an organic phase, mixing said aqueous phase with a solution comprising dicholormethane and NaCl, and separating the mixture into an aqueous phase and an organic phase; wherein said organic phase comprises said nanoclusters functionalized with a single DNA strand. Further, provided is a nanocluster functionalized with a single DNA strand comprising a nanocluster, said nanocluster being functionalized with a single DNA strand, said DNA strand having a length of about 10 to about 50 bases.

Abstract: Compounds having enhanced oxidation stability are disclosed. The compounds have an aryl boronic acid residue having one or more electron withdrawing groups on the aromatic moiety which contains the boronic acid residue, such that the molecule has enhanced oxidation resistance as compared to a corresponding molecule without the one or more electron withdrawing groups.

Abstract: A method for measuring the maturity degree of a compost capable of determining the maturity degree of a compost purportedly of a product in a short period of time (10 to 30 minutes) by compost manufacturers, users and even those with insufficient expertise and experiences such as buyers in the distribution industry on site and also capable of determining it according to the maturity stage in an easy and cost-effective manner, and a measuring solution. A specific measuring solution is added to the compost to flocculate a compost extract containing humic-like substance and decomposed organic matter, and a liquid phase is acquired by precipitating the compost extract by the solid/liquid separation. Based on the correlation in which the absorbency of the liquid phase declines as the compost becomes more mature, the maturity degree of the compost is measured from the color contrasting density of the liquid phase.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of analyzing albumin in a sample solution, which is characterized by pretreating a sample solution before subjecting the sample solution to mass spectrometry or liquid chromatography. The present invention further provides a method of accurately and stably analyzing the amount and ratio of oxidized and reduced albumin in a sample solution, and an albumin standard accurate and controlled quantitative analysis of albumin.

Abstract: A centrifuge tube assembly comprising an elongated vial having an open upper end and a closed lower end with a lid mounted on the upper end thereof. The lid has a central opening formed therein which rotatably receives an elongated inner tube extending downwardly into the vial with the bottom of the inner tube being received by an upstanding bottom tube. The lower end of the inner tube has a pair of vertically spaced-apart upper and lower ports. The bottom tube has a pair of upper and lower ports formed therein which are radially offset with respect to one another. A tube actuator is secured to the upper end of the inner tube to facilitate the rotation of the inner tube between first and second positions. When the inner tube is in its first position, the lower ports of the inner tube and bottom tube are in register. When the tube actuator is in its second position, the upper ports of the inner tube and the bottom tube are in register.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for quantifying ketone or alydehyde concentrations of gas. The invention includes passing a gas sample through a reactor and an optical cell and determining a concentration of a gaseous reaction product. Using the concentration of the gaseous reaction product and a predetermined reaction conversion efficiency, a ketone or aldehyde concentration is calculated. This invention can be used for diabetes screening, diabetes maintenance, identification and quantification of ketosis, explosives detection and formaldehyde detection.

Abstract: A dialysate fluid circulation apparatus includes a dialyzer, a first housing and a second housing. The first housing contains material capable of releasing sodium into dialysate fluid flowing through the first housing. The second housing contains material capable of binding sodium ions from dialysate fluid flowing through the second housing. Hydraulic conduit sections are configured to extend between the dialyzer, the first housing, and the second housing to connect the dialyzer with the housings in a primary flow path for dialysate fluid to flow from the dialyzer to the first housing, from the first housing to the second housing, and from the second housing back to the dialyzer.

Abstract: A method of testing a compound for its capability of quenching singlet excited state energy from a photon-excited photoactive compound, thereby photostabilizing said photoactive compound, comprising mixing: (1) a composition comprising a photoactive compound in a solvent and determining the degree of fluorescence of said composition (1) by exposing the composition (1) to UV radiation in an amount sufficient for the photoactive compound to reach an electronic singlet excited state, and (2) a mixture comprising said photoactive compound with a test compound in a solvent, and determining the degree of fluorescence of said mixture (2) by exposing the mixture to UV radiation to the same degree as composition (1), and comparing the degree of fluorescence of composition (1) with mixture (2).

Abstract: An amine aqueous solution for forming an active layer of a polyamide reverse osmosis composite membrane is prepared, which consists of 0.1 through 20 weight % of polyfunctional aromatic amine monomer, 0.1 through 20 weight % of multi-functional tertiary alcohol amine, 0.1 through 20 weight % of strong acid, and 40 through 99.7 weight % of water.

Abstract: A method and system of screening or selecting a mobile phase eluent for a chromatography column is provided. A sample for chromatographic analysis or purification is combined with a solvent and passed through a membrane. A pressure measurement is taken of the sample/solvent combination in the system prior to the membrane. The pressure measurement may be compared to a second pressure and an appropriate solvent may be selected based on the relationship between the first measured pressure and the second pressure.