Background: AChR antibodies (Abs) in Myasthnia Gravis (MG) are detected in approximately 50% of ocular and 85% of generalized MG by the current gold standard radioimmunoprecipitation assay (RIPA). Recently, fixed and lived Cell-Based assays (L-CBA) are developed. We clinically validated our in-house L-CBA in detecting AChR Ab in clinically suspected MG patients. Methods: Between January 2020 and April 2022, we assayed 10167 sera for AChR Ab by RIPA. We also assayed 4349 of AChR Ab seronegative sera of the above suspected MG samples for anti-MuSK Ab by RIPA. Then 1228 sera of double seronegative and/or borderline AChR Ab was assessed by L-CBA for AChR Ab. For clinical validation, we obtained clinical information on 36 seropositive cases for AChR Ab by L-CBA. Results: We found additional eighty-four cases seropositive for AChR Ab by L-CBA. The clinical information was obtained for 36 cases and based on their final diagnosis, twenty had generalized MG, thirteen had ocular MG, 2 not yet diagnosed and 1 case was of not-MG. Conclusions: The L- CBA has demonstrated improved sensitivity and higher diagnostics performance than RIPA. The L-CBA allowed improved clinical diagnosis and increased seropositivity (by 7%) in clinically suspected MG patients who were earlier seronegative/borderline for AChR Ab by RIPA.

Background: Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS) and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) are the two most common forms of treatable IMNs. Antibodies targeting proteins at paranodal cell-adhesion molecules such as contactin-1 (CNTN1), neurofascin-155 (NF155), contactin-associated protein 1 (CASPR1), and nodal neurofascins-NF140 and NF186, have been discovered in CIDP patients. Methods: Between August 2021 and January 2023, at BC Neuroimmunology laboratory, Vancouver we screened a total of 214 sera of patients for detecting nodal and paranodal antibodies with a fixed CBA. These patient sera were assayed for the presence of NF140, NF155, NF186, CNTN1, plus Caspr1 antibodies. The final diagnosis and response to therapy of positive cases were evaluated by a questionnaire requested from their physicians. Results: 10 cases were positive for nodal/paranodal antibodies by CBA (mean age 52.4 ± 15.4 years). Two cases were NF155 Ab positive CIDP with good response to conventional therapies. Three cases were double positive for NF140 and 186 Abs, three were double positive for CNTN1 and CASPR1 Abs. Interestingly, two cases were triple positive with GBS presentation. Conclusions: We identified a subgroup of nine patients with CIDP nodal and paranodal antibodies. Among them, two cases had triple positive antibodies with GBS presentation and poor response to plasma exchange and IVIg.

Background: MOG-IgG is associated with non-MS demyelinating disease of the optic nerves, spinal cord and brain. Specificity has been issue so we validated the live and fixed MOG-IgG CBAs against the Oxford Autoimmune Neurology Diagnostic Laboratory (OANG) live CBA as a comparator with high specificity. Methods: At BC Neuroimmunology lab (BCNI), 54 MOG-IgG serum samples previously positive by live-CBA at OANG and BCNI were blindly tested by commercial fixed CBA. All 54 MOG IgG positives came from MOG-IgG positive patients. In addition, 256 samples from healthy people and other neurolgic disease were tested. Results: The live MOG-IgG CBA performed at BCNI was 100% concordant (54/54) with OANG live CBA. In contrast, only 49/54 samples were found seropositive by the commercial fixed CBA. The BCNI live-CBA identified 3/256 control samples as positive while 6/256 controls were positive on the fixed commercial CBA. On this cohort the live CBA is 100% sensitive, 98.8% specific and has PPV of 95%. The commercial fixed MOG test is 91% sensitive, 97.6% specific and has PPV of 87.5%. Conclusions: BCNI live MOG-IgG CBAs are in 100% agreement with MOG-IgG. Three positive results in non-MOGAD associated clinical phenotype require further investigation. These data confirm the superiority of the live MOG CBA.

In this work, a printed coplanar waveguide (CPW) fed single band antenna based on expanded graphite material is introduced. The proposed antenna is based on a CPW-monopole antenna with a U-shape conductor strip connected with the ground. Expanded graphite, a grade of graphene, is used as a conductor to design the uniplanar antenna over a flexible paper substrate. The antenna is designed for 2.4 GHz applications. The antenna design procedures are discussed. The material preparation and analysis are illustrated. Finally, the antenna fabrication and measurements of the reflection coefficient are discussed. The measured antenna reflection coefficient agrees with the simulated one, ensuring the antenna validity for serving the required applications. The radiation antenna parameters are discussed and simulated results from two-simulation software are included for comparison. The antenna has a simulated gain of 4 dBi and simulated efficiency of around 90% at 2.4 GHz.

Germinated seeds of wild oat populations that were susceptible (S) or resistant (R) to triallate at the recommended soil-applied rate (1.7 kg/ha) were treated with six triallate concentrations on filter paper in petri dishes. Measurement of shoot length 8 d after treatment provided an accurate indication of differences among populations, and was more reliable than determining shoot fresh weight. ED50 values (herbicide concentrations that reduced shoot length by 50% relative to untreated controls), derived from nonlinear regression analysis, indicated four and five levels of response to triallate among eight S and seven R populations, respectively. The ED50 values varied from 0.11 to 11 ppm a.i. triallate for the most susceptible to the most resistant populations, respectively. Routine testing of wild oat samples suspected of resistance, at triallate concentrations of 0.5 or 1 ppm in the petri dish bioassay, effectively identified populations that had become resistant to the recommended soil-applied rate.

A seedling bioassay was used to determine the response of triallate-resistant (R) and -susceptible (S) wild oat populations to difenzoquat and EPTC. The bioassay, based on seedling shoot length at 10 d after treatment, provided a reliable and rapid means of determining if wild oat populations were resistant to difenzoquat. Using a bioassay concentration of 15 ppm difenzoquat, it was possible to identify populations that were resistant to the recommended foliar-applied rate (0.85 kg ai/ha). Expected herbicide dosages that reduced shoot length by 50% (ED50) derived from nonlinear regression analysis indicated three and two levels of response to difenzoquat among eight S and seven R populations, respectively, indicating within population variability in their response to difenzoquat. Of the populations tested, none was resistant to EPTC. On the contrary, some R populations had lower ED50 values than did S populations, suggesting an increased sensitivity to EPTC.

Introduction: Measures of satisfaction are essential to understanding patient experience, and pain management. Currently, there are no validated tools to quantify children’s satisfaction. To develop such a tool, we must first understand which words children use to communicate satisfaction. Our objectives were to (A) to identify the words commonly used by children of different ages to communicate satisfaction, in general, and in the context of pain management, and (B) to determine if this vocabulary is similar to that used by their caregiver. Methods: A qualitative study of 105 children-parent pairs, aged 3-16 years, who were evaluated at a pediatric emergency department (PED) from July-November 2014 was conducted. Children were interviewed using a semi-structured format of ten open-ended questions. They were asked to describe their feelings when 1) they received something they wanted/needed, 2) their expectations were met or not met in the ED, and 3) their pain was or was not relieved. A written survey was also completed by the caregiver. Interviews were transcribed and grounded theory was employed for data coding and analysis. Results: 105 child interviews were completed (n=53 female, mean age 9.91 SD 3.71, age range 4-16). 105 caregiver surveys were completed (n=80 female). “Good”, “better,” and “happy” were most commonly used by all children (n=99) to express satisfaction with pain management (27%, 21% and 22%, respectively), with PED care (31%, 14% and 33%) and in general (13%, 5% and 49%). Children (n=99) used the words “sad”, “bad,” and “not good” to communicate dissatisfaction with pain management (21%, 7% and 11% respectively), and with PED care (21%, 13% and 12%, respectively). Only 55% of children understood the meaning of the word ‘satisfaction’. Children used words that were similar to their caregiver 14% of the time. Conclusion: The word “satisfaction” should not be used to communicate with children in the emergency department, as many lack understanding of the term. The vocabulary that children use to describe satisfaction does not largely vary with context and involves simpler words than their parents. Caregiver vocabulary should not be used as a surrogate for pediatric patients. This study will inform the development of a validated tool to measure children’s satisfaction with pain management.

A new name Sarcocystis chloropusae is proposed for a parasite previously found in two of 25 common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) from Brolos Lake, Egypt. Sarcocysts were microscopic, up to 650 μm long, the cyst wall was up to 4·5 μm thick, and contained villar protrusions that were up to 4 μm long and up to 2 μm wide. The villar protrusions were crowded, contained vesicles but lacked microtubules. The ground substance layer was smooth. The bradyzoites were up to 12 μm long and up to 2 μm wide. Molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of the (ITS-1) supported the conclusion that the Sarcocystis in G. chloropus is a distinct species.

This work describes the time-dependent flow of an incompressible third grade fluid filling the porous half space over an infinite porous plate. The flow is induced due to the motion of the porous plate in its own plane with an arbitrary velocity V(t). Translational type symmetries are employed to perform the travelling wave reduction into an ordinary differential equation of the governing nonlinear partial differential equation which arises from the laws of mass and momentum. The reduced ordinary differential equation is solved exactly, for a particular case, as well as by using the homotopy analysis method (HAM). The better solution from the physical point of view is argued to be the HAM solution. The essentials features of the various emerging parameters of the flow problem are presented and discussed.

Creatine is essential for normal neural development; children with inborn errors of creatine synthesis or transport exhibit neurological symptoms such as mental retardation, speech delay and epilepsy. Creatine accretion may occur through dietary intake or de novo creatine synthesis. The objective of the present study was to determine how much creatine an infant must synthesise de novo. We have calculated how much creatine an infant needs to account for urinary creatinine excretion (creatine's breakdown product) and new muscle lay-down. To measure an infant's dietary creatine intake, we measured creatine in mother's milk and in various commercially available infant formulas. Knowing the amount of milk/formula ingested, we calculated the amount of creatine ingested. We have found that a breast-fed infant receives about 9 % of the creatine needed in the diet and that infants fed cows' milk-based formula receive up to 36 % of the creatine needed. However, infants fed a soya-based infant formula receive negligible dietary creatine and must rely solely on de novo creatine synthesis. This is the first time that it has been shown that neonatal creatine accretion is largely due to de novo synthesis and not through dietary intake of creatine. This has important implications both for infants suffering from creatine deficiency syndromes and for neonatal amino acid metabolism.

In device technology, the multilayer contacts provide improved performance. The comparative study of different high work function bilayer Schottky metal (Pt/Pd, Pt/Ni and Pt/Ti) contact has been taken to study the DC and RF performance of n-GaN Schottky diode. The fabricated Schottky metal contact Pt/Pd, Pt/Ni and Pt/Ti annealed from room temperature to 800 °C studied shows that Pt/Pd Schottky metal contact on n-GaN shows high thermal stability and maximum barrier height 1.10 eV, ideality factor 1.001, lower series resistance and lower insertion loss (S21 dB) at high frequency compared to Pt/Ni and Pt/Ti bilayer Schottky metal contact.

The distribution of phage types was studied among 577 strains of Salmonella typhi from Indonesia. Chemotype, colicinogeny, and tetrathionate reductase activity were also studied for most of these strains. The current phage type formula for Java was determined to be: A, D2, D6, E1a, E2, M1, and 46, but two other large groups of strains were also found, I +IV and degraded Vi + strains. Significant differences in S. typhi strain distributions were noted between two localities on Java with respect to phage type and tetrathionate reductase activity. Comparisons were made with past phage typing studies in Jakarta as well as with more recent studies in other parts of south-east Asia. Phage types A, Dl, D2, and El persisted at a rather steady level in Jakarta for 28 years. Evidence was found for epidemiological links to European and Asian areas. Antibiotic resistance among these Indonesian S. typhi strains was rare.

Plasmodium falciparum thymidylate kinase (PfTMK) can tolerate a range of substrates, which distinguishes it from other thymidylate kinases. The enzyme not only phosphorylates TMP and dUMP but can also tolerate bulkier purines, namely, dGMP, GMP, and dIMP. In order to probe the flexibility of PfTMK in accommodating ligands of various sizes, we developed 6 mutant enzymes and subjected these to thermodynamic, inhibitory and catalytic evaluation. Kinase activity was markedly affected by introducing a larger lysine residue instead of A111. The lack of the hydroxyl group after inducing mutation of Y107F affected enzyme activity, and had a more severe impact on dGMP kinase activity. PfTMK can be inhibited by both purine and pyrimidine nucleosides, raising the possibility of developing highly selective drugs. Thermodynamic analysis revealed that enthalpic forces govern both purine and pyrimidine nucleoside monophosphate binding, and the binding affinity of both substrates was highly comparable. The heat produced due to dGMP binding is lower than that attributable to TMP. This indicates that additional interactions occur with TMP, which may be lost with larger dGMP. Targeting PfTMK not only affects thymidine nucleotide synthesis but may also affect purine nucleotides, and thus the enzyme represents an attractive antimicrobial target.

The effects of four progestational drugs on the composition of human milk during the first year of lactation were studied in Egyptian women. In comparison with a group of non-medicated women, chlormadinone acetate, Depo-Provera and Deladroxone all caused a marked increase in protein content in the early stages of lactation; quingestanol acetate had little overall effect. The lipid and lactose content showed irregular changes in the medicated groups as compared with the controls.