The present invention provides novel antigens of an allergy to soybean, methods and kits for diagnosing an allergy to soybean, pharmaceutical compositions comprising such an antigen, soybeans or processed products of soybean in which such an antigen is eliminated, and a tester for determining the presence or absence of a soybean antigen in an object of interest. The present invention also relates to polypeptides comprising an epitope of an allergen, kits, compositions and methods for diagnosing an allergy, comprising such a polypeptide, pharmaceutical compositions comprising such a polypeptide, and food raw materials or edible processed products in which an antigen comprising such a polypeptide is eliminated or reduced, or the polypeptide is cleaved or removed. The present invention further relates to a tester for determining the presence or absence of an antigen in an object of interest.

A method of selecting a surfactant system suitable for infants and young children is disclosed.

Provided herein are devices and methods used to produce tattoo biosensors that are based on spatially controlled intracutaneous gene delivery of optical reporters driven by specific transcription factor pathways for a given cytokine or other analyte. The biosensors can be specific to a given analyte, or more generically represent the convergence of several cytokines into commonly shared intracellular transcription factor pathways. These biosensors can be delivered as an array in order to monitor multiple cytokines. Biosensor redeployment can enable chronic monitoring from months to years. The tattooed biosensor array of the present invention includes endogenous reporter cells, naturally tuned to each patient's own biology and can be used to reliably measure the state of a patient in real-time.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a nanoparticle based platform, and nanoallergens for identifying, evaluating and studying allergen mimotopes as multiple copies of a single mimotope or various combinations on the same particle. The nanoparticle is extremely versatile and allows multivalent binding to IgEs specific to a variety of mimotopes, simulating allergen proteins. Nanoparticles can include various molecular ratios of components. For example, the nanoallergens can include about 0.1-40% mimotope-lipid conjugate and about 60-99.9% lipid. The mimotope-lipid conjugate includes a mimotope, a first linker, and lipid molecule. Nanoallergens can be used in in vitro and in vivo applications to identify a specific patient's sensitivity to a set of epitopes and predict a symptomatic clinical response, identify allergen epitopes through blind screening peptide sequences from allergen protein, and in a clinical application similar to a scratch test.

Glucose-sensing luminescent dyes, polymers, and sensors are provided. Additionally, systems including the sensors and methods of using these sensors and systems are provided.

There is provided a system for evaluating an ultraviolet-protection product to be applied to skin, including a light source generating an output beam and a spacer mountable to the light source for maintaining a fixed distance between the light source and the skin. The spacer includes a mounting bracket engageable with the light source and a frame mechanically connected to the mounting bracket and extending longitudinally outwardly from the mounting bracket, the frame comprising an outer periphery, an inner periphery and a skin-contacting portion, the inner periphery defining a hollow region therein, such that when the skin-contacting portion is engaged with the skin, the beam passes through the hollow region and interacts with the skin at an illumination plane to define an illuminated area confined within the hollow region, the ultraviolet-protection product remaining substantially unaffected in the illuminated area upon relative movement of the skin with respect to the frame.

Provided herein are devices and methods used to produce tattoo biosensors that are based on spatially controlled intracutaneous gene delivery of optical reporters driven by specific transcription factor pathways for a given cytokine or other analyte. The biosensors can be specific to a given analyte, or more generically represent the convergence of several cytokines into commonly shared intracellular transcription factor pathways. These biosensors can be delivered as an array in order to monitor multiple cytokines. Biosensor redeployment can enable chronic monitoring from months to years. The tattooed biosensor array of the present invention includes endogenous reporter cells, naturally tuned to each patient's own biology and can be used to reliably measure the state of a patient in real-time.

Disclosed herein are urushiol-containing epicutaneous patches comprising a support material and a urushiol-containing film on a surface of the support material. A surface of the support material is coated with the urushiol-containing film. Also described herein are test panels comprising urushiol-containing epicutaneous patches of varying urushiol content. The test panels can be employed in methods to assess subject sensitivity to urushiol, to determine a dose-response relationship to varying doses of urushiol, and to assess efficacy of treatments to prevent or inhibit urushiol-induced contact dermatitis in a subject.

A method of immunological evaluation includes cleaning a skin surface area of a patient. A controlled amount of heat is then applied to the skin surface area. The controlled amount of heat is removed after the skin surface area reaches a predetermined temperature. An amount of antigen is deposited onto the skin surface area and incubated for a predetermined amount of time on the skin surface area. The antigen is removed from the skin surface area and an immunological response at the skin surface area is evaluated. Apparatus for administering heat and memorializing the evaluation are also disclosed.

The subject invention pertains to transgenic non-human animals comprising a transgenic nucleotide sequence, integrated into the genome of the animals, comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding human FKBP51 operably linked to a tetracycline response element. In some embodiments, the transgenic animal comprises an additional transgenic nucleotide sequence, integrated into the genome of the animal, comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a tetracycline transactivator (tTA) operably linked to a promoter; wherein the tTA is expressed upon activation of the promoter and binds the tetracycline response element, thereby causing expression of FKBP51. The invention also pertains to methods for screening for agents for the prevention and/or treatment of psychiatric disorders, such as depression.