Total serum IgE quantification by microfluidic ELISA using magnetic beads

The present work reports on the quantification of total IgE in human serum using a microanalytical device whose fluidics is driven by gravity and capillary forces only. Thanks to the eight parallel microchannels in each microchip, calibration and sample analysis are performed simultaneously. A mixture of magnetic bead/analyte/second antibody is incubated off-line and then percolated through the channels where magnetic beads are trapped, enabling the separation of the solid phase from the excess reagents. The entire assay is performed in less than 1 h, and thanks to the miniaturized format, only a small volume of serum is required. Non-specific adsorption was first investigated and a blocking agent compatible with this allergy-based test was chosen. Then, the assay was optimized by determining the best magnetic bead and labelled antibody concentrations. After achievement of a calibration curve with a reference material, the protocol was applied to total IgE quantification of a patient serum sample that showed results in good accordance with those obtained by ImmunoCap® and Immunoaffinity capillary electrophoresis measurements. A detection limit of 17.5 ng ml^?1 was achieved and good reproducibility (RSD?

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Figure Off-line incubation of the patient sample with anti-IgE grafted magnetic beads and ALP-labelled anti-IgE is carried out in an Eppendorff. Detection is then performed with the GRAVI®-Cell device from DiagnoSwiss, where fluidics is driven by gravity and capillary forces only.

On Small Sumsets in (ℤ/2ℤ)<Superscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis></Superscript>

It is proved that any subset of (/2)ⁿ, having k elements, such that (with c<4), is contained in a subgroup of order at most u^–1k where u=u(c)>0 is an explicit function of c which does not depend on k nor on n. This improves by a radically different method the corresponding bounds deduced from a more general result of I. Z. Ruzsa.     

First principle study of a bimolecular thin film on Ag(1 1 1) surface

The formation of melamine–PTCDI bimolecular networks deposited on Ag(1 1 1) is studied by means of first principle calculations. Emphasis is placed on the interplay of the inter-molecular hydrogen bonds and the molecule–substrate contacts. Our simulations show rather strong distortions of the adsorbed molecules near the contact points due to the influence the hydrogen bonds. Despite this, the charge transfer from the substrate to a PTCDI molecule remains almost the same (0.9 e⁻) as obtained for an isolated PTCDI molecule. A detailed analysis of the topological features of the electronic density reveals that the charge transfer modifies the two types of hydrogen bonds in opposite ways, weakening the central bond and strengthening the two lateral ones, while roughly keeping a constant binding energy. Altogether, the influence of the substrate on the molecular network is proved to be weak.     

Quantum resurgence for a class of Airy type differential equations

In this article, we investigate the resurgent properties of divergent WKB solutions of a class of Airy type perturbed differential equations. In particular, we extend and propose a new proof of a reduction theorem, due to Aoki et al. [T. Aoki, T. Kawai, Y. Takei, The Bender-Wu analysis and the Voros theory, in: Special Functions, ICM-90 Satell. Conf. Proc., Okayama, 1990, Springer, Tokyo, 1991, pp. 1-29], near a simple turning point, in the framework of exact WKB analysis. Our scheme of proof is based on a Laplace-integral representation derived from an existence theorem of holomorphic solutions for a singular linear partial differential equation.     

Determination of mineral filler orientation in reinforced thermoplastics by x-ray diffraction

Orientation of mica and talc platelets in injection-molded polyamide 6.6 was investigated by X-ray diffraction (diffractometry, pole figures). The platelets are nearly perpendicular to the plane of the molded plaque in the core, and parallel to it in the skin. These orientations are related to the shear and elongation rate distribution in the thickness of the molding.     

Investigations of Miscibility in Interpenetrated Systems of Polyurethane and Polystyrene Obtained at Room Temperature

Interpenetrating polymer systems based on crosslinked polyurethane (PU) and polystyrene (PS) were prepared at room temperature by a one-shot (in situ) method, starting from an initial homogeneous mixture of reagents via non interfering mechanisms. Both polymerizations were performed either simultaneously or one after the other. Crosslinks and/or covalent bonds between components were deliberately introduced by the addition of appropriate monomers, in order to tailor the degree of microphase separation. Depending on the formation process, transluscent or transparent films were obtained, despite the difference in refractive index of the components. The maximum of miscibility, taken as from the glass transition criterion, was obtained for sequential tightly graft interpenetrating networks.     

1, 1-dichloroalkylphosphonates: Convenient starting materials for low-coordinated trivalent phosphorus compounds

Diisopropyl 1,1-dichloroalkylphosphonates bearing various groups (alkyl, aryl, allyl, benzyl, phenylthiolate, trimethylsilyl) in the α-position were reduced to the corresponding primary 1,1-dichlorophosphines by the LiAlH₄-AlCl₃ system in diethyl ether. Subsequent dehydrochlorination with tertiary amines in the presence of trapping dipolar compounds (ethyl diazoacetate or n-hexylazide) led to the expected 1,2,4-diazaphospholes or 3H-1,2,3,4-triazaphospholes.     

Synthesis and properties of polyampholytes prepared in microemulsions

A series of polyampholytes of sodium 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonate (NaAMPS) and 2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyltrimethylammonium chloride (MADQUAT) has been synthesized by polymerization in microemulsions. The reaction products are stable inverse latexes consisting of high molecular weight copolymers entrapped in water droplets of small size (d % 80 nm) and dispersed in an isoparaffinic oil. The optimization of the formulation was by a selection procedure based on the hydrophile-lipophile balance of the emulsifiers and solubility parameters of the different components. Both ionomers play an important role in the formulation owing to their amphiphilic and electrolyte characters. Reactivity parameter studies yield r_A and r_M values of 0.81 and 1.97 for NaAMPS and MADQUAT, respectively. The properties of polyampholytes in pure water and in salt solutions were investigated by turbidimetry and viscometry experiments. The results are compared with the recently developed theory of Higgs and Joanny (J. Chem. Phys. 94, 1543 (1991)).