The invention features methods and compositions for assessing risk, particularly immediate risk, of thrombotic events in patients with suspected or known vascular disease, and more particularly to assessing risk of thrombotic events in patients with coronary artery disease, particularly acute myocardial infarction, stroke, unstable angina, stable angina, or restenosis. Risk of thrombosis can be assessed by analysis of platelet reactivity and/or velocity of thrombin or fibrin formation, and deter...

An analytical fluorometric method and a kit for use in such method are disclosed for assessing the presence of alkaline sphingomyelinase (SMase) in the stool of a patient in need of such an assessment since alkaline SMase is a marker of serious pathological states, such as colon cancer.

Image analysis methods and apparatus are used for distinguishing live and dead cells. The methods may involve segmenting an image to identify the region(s) occupied by one or more cells and determining the presence of a particular live-dead indicator feature within the region(s). In certain embodiments, the indicator feature is a cytoskeletal component such as tubulin. Prior to producing an image for analysis, cells may be treated with a marker that highlights the live-dead indicator in the imag...

An in vitro method for identifying subjects at risk of heart failure following a Myocardial Infarction comprising analyzing the concentration of Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 in a bodily sample from a subject who has suffered a Myocardial Infarction and comparing this concentration with a reference for concentrations of Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 in individuals who have not suffered a Myocardial Infarction; wherein a raised concentration of Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 in the bodily sample from a sub...

The present invention relates to the use of an air-liquid interface culture model using asthmatic bronchial epithelial cells, which exhibit impaired epithelial barrier function. It is proposed to use asthmatic epithelial cultures, in the absence of added Th2 or proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-13, as an in vitro model to screen for agents that can act to improve impaired asthmatic epithelial barrier function. Such agents may have therapeutic utility in asthma patients.

The invention relates to a method for the investigation of intercellular communication and intercellular transport, wherein after singularisation cells are investigated for membrane tubes which contain F-actin and myosin, have a diameter of 50 to 400 nm, as a rule are up to 50 micrometers long or in same cases longer, and which span between the cells. The invention further relates to a method wherein the organelle transport between the cells is investigated.

Screening assays that allow for the identification of agents that increase acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) acylase expression and/or AHL acylase activity in .gamma.-proteobacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Such agents are useful, for example, for inhibiting quorum sensing activity of such bacteria by increasing degradation of long chain, but not short chain, AHLs and, therefore, can be useful for treating infections by such bacteria.

The invention concerns a culture medium for isolating bacteria of Listeria genus, in particular L. monocytogenes, characterized in that it comprises in a Listeria culture medium, at least a specific agent for identifying .gamma.-mannosidase for use in solid medium.

The present invention relates to methods for assaying inhibitors for S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) hydrolases and assaying inhibitors for S-adenosylmethionine (SAM)-dependent methyltransferases. The methods are amenable for use in high throughput formats. Kits for performing the methods are also provided.

Isolated non-naturally occurring populations of spermatozoa (15) having high purity and technologies to differentiate spermatozoa (28) based on characteristics such as mass, volume, orientation, or emitted light including methods of analysis and apparatus such as beam shaping optics (30) and detectors (32).