Abstract: The present invention presents a method for using DNA repair capacity (DRC) as a blood biomarker to calculate the risk of a female subject developing breast cancer obtained from a blood sample by using a luciferase reporter gene method that permits calculating a percent DRC for the subject. A subject with a percent DRC below 3.1% is considered as being at risk for breast cancer and a subject with a percent DRC above 3.1% as being at low risk for breast cancer. This method comprises a further estimation of an adjusted risk of the subject to develop breast cancer using a logistic regression equation in which the DRC value is included as one of the variables.

Abstract: An infectious disease or disorder in a fluid, such as a mammalian blood sample, is detected by taking a transmission spectrum of a test sample in at least a portion of the ultraviolet visible near-infrared and comparing the spectrum with a standard sample spectrum. From the comparison it is then determined whether the fluid from the test sample contains an infectious disease or disorder, and an identity of the infectious disease or disorder is determined. Spectroscopic and multiwavelength turbidimetry techniques provide a rapid, inexpensive, and convenient means for diagnosis. The comparison and determination steps may be performed visually or by spectral deconvolution.

Abstract: An infectious disease or disorder in a fluid, such as a mammalian blood sample, is detected by taking a transmission spectrum of a test sample in at least a portion of the ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared and comparing the spectrum with a standard sample spectrum. From the comparison it is then determined whether the fluid from the test sample contains an infectious disease or disorder, and an identity of the infectious disease or disorder is determined. Spectroscopic and multiwavelength turbidimetry techniques provide a rapid, inexpensive, and convenient means for diagnosis. The comparison and determination steps may be performed visually or by spectral deconvolution.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the type of a blood sample are provided wherein a turbidity spectrum of the blood sample is collected over a predetermined wavelength range, from which is calculated an extinction spectrum. This extinction spectrum is then compared with a set of control spectra collected from control blood samples having known blood types, from which the type of the blood sample can be determined. A further method is provided for for detecting the presence of a substance in a bodily fluid sample, the substance having a size in the range of generally 0.5 to 20 .mu.m. Exemplary substances that could be of interest to detect include, but are not limited to, hemoglobin, bilirubin, red blood cell antigens, microorganisms, and viruses. This embodiment includes the additional step of deconvoluting the extinction spectrum to obtain a particle size distribution for comparison with a database of control samples.