Abstract: Methods of diagnosing susceptibility to metabolic insulin resistance and other related conditions are disclosed. The method provides means of diagnosing susceptibility to insulin resistance in Hispanic Americans by determining the presence of a risk haplotype at the LPL locus, the LPIN1 locus, and/or elevated levels of gamma-glutamyl transferase.

Abstract: A device (10) for automatically determining filtration parameters for a sample of a filter aid material includes a measurement tube assembly (14) comprising a generally vertical measurement tube (34) and a septum (40) disposed within the tube for forming a filter cake of a filter aid material, a plurality of actuatable valves (V1-V12) coupled to the inlet (32) and discharge (44) of the measurement tube assembly for controlling water flow into and out of the assembly, a control and processor system (17) including a computer (200) operable to control the valves in accordance with a predetermined cycle to flush a slurry of filter aid into the measurement tube assembly and then cause water to flow under pressure through the measurement tube assembly and through a filter cake formed on the septum, and instrumentation (110, 120, 122, 130, 140) for measuring parameters needed for determining filtration parameters.