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To develop a broad-specificity immunoassay for organophosphorus pesticides (OPs), a broad-specificity monoclonal antibody (MAb) for OPs against a generic hapten, O, O-diethyl O-(3-carboxyphenyl) phosphorothioate with the carboxy group in the meta position of the benzene ring, was produced. Eight haptens were prepared and covalently attached to ovalbumin (OVA) for use as coating antigens, and the optimum coating antigen was selected. Then, a sensitive and broadly class selective competitive indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ciELISA) based on the MAb and the optimum coating antigen (hapten H-OVA, possessing an O, O-dimethyl generic structure and linked through a linear spacer arm) was developed and optimized. The MAb developed in this study showed quite different cross-reactivity and selectivity compared to previously produced anti-OPs broad-specificity MAbs. Specifically, the MAb showed high and uniform sensitivity to seven O, O-diethyl OPs and six O, O-dimethyl OPs. With the optimum ciELISA, the IC values of the 13 OPs were determined as 23.1∼151.2 ng mL. The average IC and coefficient of variation (CV) for the IC values of the 13 OPs were 74.6 ng mL and 33.9 %, respectively. For the recovery study, a QuEChERS approach based on dispersive solid-phase extraction (d-SPE) was implemented to decrease the matrix effects of vegetable and fruit samples. The recoveries of six representative OPs from the spiked samples ranged from 89.4 to 135.5 %; the CV ranged from 3.5 to 15.7 %. The ciELISA was also applied to real samples, followed by confirmation with gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) analysis. The results demonstrated that the ciELISA is suitable for monitoring OP contamination in vegetable and fruit samples. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The BRAF mutation is a common genetic alteration in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and is associated with some pathological features. The association has been widely reported, but results were inconclusive. In this study a meta-analysis was done to explore the association between BRAF mutation and pathological features in papillary thyroid carcinoma. Medline, PubMed and Web of Science were searched. A total of 69 studies that included 14,170 PTC patients were identified. The outcomes were from 2004 to October 2013. STATA12.0 software package was used to analyze the data. The result was assessed based on pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs). The results showed that the BRAF mutation was associated with extra-thyroidal extension (OR = 2.09, 95 % CI = 1.69-2.58), advanced TNM stage (OR = 1.90, 95 % CI = 1.62-2.22), lymph node metastasis (OR = 1.68, 95 % CI = 1.41-2.01), multifocality (OR = 1.22, 95 % CI = 1.06-1.40), and recurrence (OR = 2.50, 95 % CI = 1.73-3.59). The meta-analysis suggested the potential roles of BRAF mutation in pathological features. BRAF might provide prognostic and diagnostic information for papillary thyroid carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid advancements in DNA sequencing technologies are providing new approaches for bacterial taxonomy. The genus Sabulilitoribacter is a member of the family Flavobacteriaceae , which consists of more than 150 genera. In this study, genome sequence analysis was conducted to revisit the taxonomic status of Sabulilitoribacter arenilitoris and Sabulilitoribacter multivorans , the only two species of this genus. Genome sequence based phylogeny analysis showed that the genus Sabulilitoribacter was non-monophyletic: S. multivorans , the type species of genus Sabulilitoribacter , was clustered with the type species of the genus Flaviramulus , whereas S. arenilitoris formed a robust cluster with the only two species of the genus Wocania . The values of average amino acid identity, genome-wide average nucleotide identity, alignment fractions and some phenotypic features showed that S. multivorans was more closely related with the type species of the genus Flaviramulus than with S. arenilitoris , and S. arenilitoris was more closely related with the only two species of the genus Wocania than with S. multivorans . Based on these results, we consequently propose that S. multivorans and S. arenilitoris should be reclassified as Flaviramulus multivorans comb. nov. and Wocania arenilitoris comb. nov. respectively.

Objective: To evaluate the association between BRAF(V) 600E mutation and pathological features in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC)., Methods: The raleted studies were searched through Medline, PubMed, and Web of Science, and meta-analysis was used to calculate the OR and 95%CI of the study results., Results: A total of 52 studies including 12 029 PTC patients was identified. The prevalence of BRAF(V) 600E mutation in PTC was 57.85%. There was a closed association between the BRAF(V) 600E mutation and pathological features, including advanced TNM stage (OR = 1.89, 95%CI 1.58-2.27), lymph node metastasis (OR = 1.74, 95%CI 1.42-2.14), multifocality (OR = 1.25, 95%CI 1.07-1.46), and recurrence (OR = 2.26, 95%CI 1.25-4.09) of PTC. For Asians with PTC, the association between the BRAF(V) 600E mutation and pathological features was indicated for advanced TNM stage (OR = 1.56, 95%CI 1.24-1.96) and lymph node metastasis (OR = 1.57, 95%CI 1.25-1.99). For Europeans with PTC, the association between the BRAF(V) 600E mutation and pathological features was indicated for advanced TNM stage (OR = 2.63, 95%CI 2.10-3.30), lymph node metastasis(OR = 1.97, 95%CI 1.19-3.25), and multifocality (OR = 1.35, 95%CI 1.01-1.80)., Conclusion: There were associations between the BRAF(V) 600E utation and advanced TNM stage, lymph node metastasis, multifocality, and recurrence of PTC.