Capture ELISA

A capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the identification of Listeria monocytogenes in food was standardised and validated. The assay was refined by analysing samples of meat, seafood, dairy products, pasta and flour. The method was found to be 100% specific for Listeria spp. tested, with a limit of sensitivity of 6.6 × 103 colony-forming units (cfu)/ml. Comparison of L. monocytogenes capture ELISA against the official International Organization for Standardization (ISO) method 11290-1:1996 for the isolation and identification of L. monocytogenes in food matrices produced a significant concordance index. The assay was validated on food matrices including meat, seafood and dairy products in line with ISO 16140:2003 concerning qualitative analytical methods. The assay was found to be accurate, specific, sensitive, selective, reproducible and fast, resulting in lower costs and faster turnaround in microbiological screening of foods.

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is thought to be due to an abnormal interaction between the host immune system and commensal microflora. Within the intestinal immune system, B cells produce physiologically natural antibodies but pathologically atypical anti-neutrophil antibodies (xANCAs) are frequently observed in patients with IBD. The objective is to investigate the localisation of immunoglobulin-producing cells (IPCs) in samples of inflamed intestinal tissue taken from patients with IBD, and their possible relationship with clinical features. Methods: The IPCs in small intestinal, colonic and rectal biopsy specimens of patients with IBD were analysed by means of immunofluorescence using polyclonal rabbit anti-human Ig and goat anti-human IgM. The B cell phenotype of the IPC-positive samples was assessed using monoclonal antibodies specific for CD79, CD20, CD23, CD21, CD5, l and chains. Statistical correlations were sought between the histological findings and clinica...

Background: In the United Kingdom (UK) in September 2008, school nurses began delivering the HPV immunisation programme for girls aged 12 and 13 years old. This study offers insights from school nurses’ perspectives and experiences of delivering this new vaccination programme. Methods: Thirty in-depth telephone interviews were conducted with school nurses working across the UK between September 2008 and May 2009. This time period covers the first year of the HPV vaccination programme in schools. School nurses were recruited via GP practices, the internet and posters targeted at school nurse practitioners. Results: All the school nurses spoke of readying themselves for a deluge of phone calls from concerned parents, but found that in fact few parents telephoned to ask for more information or express their concerns about the HPV vaccine. Several school nurses mentioned a lack of planning by policy makers and stated that at its introduction they felt ill prepared. The impact on school ...

Background
Participation is a key determinant of successful aging and enables older adults to stay in their homes and be integrated into the community. Assessing participation needs involves identifying restrictions in the accomplishment of daily and social activities. Although meeting participation needs involves older adults, their caregivers and healthcare providers, little is known about their respective viewpoints. This study thus explored the participation needs of older adults having disabilities as perceived by the older adults themselves, their caregivers and healthcare providers.

Methods
A qualitative multiple case study consisted of conducting 33 semi-structured interviews in eleven triads, each composed of an older adult, his/her caregiver and a healthcare provider recruited in a Health and Social Services Centre (HSSC) in Québec, Canada. Interview transcripts and reviews of clinical records were analyzed using content analysis and descriptive statistics based on thematic saliency analysis methods.

Results
Aged 66 to 88 years, five older adults had physical disabilities, five had mild cognitive impairment and one had psychological problems, leading to moderate to severe functional decline. Caregivers and healthcare providers were mainly women, respectively retired spouses and various professionals with four to 32 years of clinical experience. Participation needs reported by each triad included all domains of participation. Needs related to daily activities, such as personal care, nutrition, and housing, were generally met. Regarding social activities, few needs were met by various resources in the community and were generally limited to personal responsibilities, including making decisions and managing budgets, and some community life activities, such as going shopping. Unmet needs were mainly related to social activities, involving leisure, other community life activities and interpersonal relationships, and some daily activities, including fitness and mobility.

Conclusions
This study highlights the complexity of older adults’ participation needs, involving daily as well as social activities. Properly assessing and addressing these needs is thus necessary to improve older adults’ health and well-being. Discrepancies in the various actors’ perceptions of participation needs must be further explored. Additional research would help better understand how to optimize the contribution of community organizations and caregivers.

Background: In India, Pune was one of the badly affected cities during the influenza A (H1N1) 2009 pandemic. We undertook serosurveys among the risk groups and general population to determine the extent of pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 virus infections. Methods: Pre-pandemic sera from the archives, collected during January 2005 to March 2009, were assayed for the determination of baseline seropositivity. Serosurveys were undertaken among the risk groups such as hospital staff, general practitioners, school children and staff and general population between 15 th August and 11 th December 2009. In addition, the PCR-confirmed pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 cases and their household contacts were also investigated. Haemagglutination-inhibition (HI) assays were performed using turkey red blood cells employing standard protocols. A titre of ≥1:40 was considered seropositive. Results: Only 2 (0.9%) of the 222 pre-pandemic sera were positive. The test-retest reliability of HI assay in ...

Can the type of gallstones be predicted with known possible risk factors?: a comparison between mixed cholesterol and black pigment Conclusion: Gender, ethnicity and body mass index can be used to predict the formation of mixed cholesterol GS Weerakoon et al. BMC Gastroenterology 2014, 14:88

No evidence for transmission of SIVwrc from western red colobus monkeys (piliocolobus badius badius) to wild west african chimpanzees (pan troglodytes verus) despite high exposure through hunting Leendertz et al. Leendertz et al. BMC Microbiology 2011, 11:24

Clostridium botulinum type A toxin is the most prevalent cause of naturally occurring outbreaks of human botulism in the world. The active dichain neurotoxin molecule is composed of a heavy chain (H-chain) of ~100 kDa with the Carboxy-terminal end consisting of a receptor binding (HC) domain, while the Amino-terminal (HN) domain is linked by a critical disulfide bond to a light chain (L-chain) of ~50 kDa. Although the mouse bioassay (MBA) is traditionally used to confirm the presence of toxin in serum or food, its sensitivity is insufficient to detect low toxin levels in approximately 30 to 60% of botulism patients. A novel FDC (Functional Dual Coating) microtitre plate immuno-biochemical assay, which quantitates botulinum toxicity by measuring the HC (receptor binding) domain linked with L-chain endopeptidase activity, was modified to allow human serum (lysed or unlysed) to be tested without interference from the matrix, with toxin detection down to 0.03 mouse LD50 ml-1 serum or 0.13 pg ml-1 using just 100 µl of clinical samples. The assay was specific for type A toxin and could additionally be applied to whole blood and food samples. Low levels of 1 to 2 mouse LD50 ml-1 serum of type A toxin were quantitated for the first time using the modified FDC assay in two severely intoxicated UK patients that required mechanical ventilation and antitoxin. Toxin levels in recovered food sample extracts were also detected and one MBA negative sample found to contain 0.32 LD50 ml-1 extract. The FDC assay provides a real alternative for Public Health Laboratories to unambiguously confirm all cases of type A botulism and, due to its sensitivity, a promising new tool in toxin pharmacokinetic studies.