Disclosed herein is a method of determining an endogenous analyte released from skin of a subject. The endogenous analyte is selected from the group consisting of an amino acid, a hormone, a neurotransmitter and combinations thereof. The method includes the steps of obtaining a sample which contains the endogenous analyte from the skin of the subject using a probe; desorbing the endogenous analyte from the sample; subjecting the desorbed endogenous analyte to an ionization reaction with a charged reactive species generated by an ionization device, so as to produce an ionized endogenous analyte; and determining the ionized endogenous analyte with a mass spectrometer.

The subject invention concerns metal or metalloid oxide-based sol-gel hybrid sorbent and methods of synthesis. In one embodiment, the sorbent is a ZrO.sub.2 polypropylene oxide based sol-gel. The subject invention also concerns a hollow tube or capillary internally coated with a sorbent of the invention. Sorbent coated tubes and capillaries of the invention can be used in extraction and/or enrichment of samples to be analyzed for catecholamines and related compounds.

The present invention relates to a method for monitoring intestinal glutamine synthetase levels in a mammal, particularly in a human subject, and is useful for detecting intestinal glutamine synthetase deficiency. The method is based on determining glutamate levels in the subject under controlled fasting and postprandial conditions after administration of a predetermined quantity of a glutamate containing protein composition. The method is useful for quantifying the ability of the mammal to metabolize dietary glutamate as a diagnostic marker for predicting the onset of or propensity for developing a central nervous system (CNS), psychotic, or neurological disorder, associated with glutamate toxicity. The method is also useful for designing regimens for rectifying glutamine synthetase deficiency levels in a mammal subject in order to treat or prevent such a disorder. This method and its corresponding quantification can be derived manually using data from current laboratory equipment, bio test chips, or it can be automated into a medical device or a laboratory apparatus complete with hardware and software for measurements with computational output showing quantification, diagnostic range or deficiency levels. Another advantage of this method is that because it detects glutamate toxicity, it can potentially detect and prevent the onset of neurological disease early on, before physical symptoms are manifested.

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a semiconductor device. A non-limiting example of the semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor device also includes a plurality of metal nanopillars formed on the substrate. The semiconductor device also includes an amperometric sensor associated with one of the plurality of nanopillars, wherein the amperometric sensor is selective to an enzyme-active neurotransmitter. The semiconductor device also includes a resistivity sensor associated with a pair of nanopillars, wherein the resistivity sensor is selective to an analyte.

The present disclosure relates to a pharmaceutical composition for inducing an exercise mimetic effect, which contains an .sub.1-adrenergic receptor agonist as an active ingredient, and a method for screening a drug for inducing an exercise mimetic effect using the .sub.1-adrenergic receptor agonist.

The .sub.1-adrenergic receptor agonist of the present disclosure increases the expression of p-AMPK, PPAR and PGC-1, which play key roles in maintaining and regulating energy metabolic activity in vivo, thereby increasing glucose uptake into skeletal muscle cells, suppressing adipocyte differentiation and lipid accumulation, reducing abdominal fat and body weight as well as regulating mitochondrial metabolic disorders and suppressing inflammatory responses. Accordingly, the .sub.1-adrenergic receptor agonist can be usefully used to prevent and treat diseases requiring AMPK activation (metabolic diseases, cardiovascular diseases, inflammatory disease, etc.).

Based on the discovery that MBLAC1 is a specific, high-affinity target for Ceftriaxone (Cef), MBLAC1 may be used for identifying treatments for addiction to substances of abuse. Methods for identifying therapeutic agents for treatment of addiction to a substance of abuse include using an assay to determine if a test agent is capable of binding to MBLAC1 or disrupting binding between MBLAC1 protein and Cef, and identifying such a test agent as a candidate therapeutic agent for treatment of addiction to a substance of abuse. MBLAC knock-out (KO) animals, methods of use thereof, and kits are used for identifying a therapeutic agent that reduces the actions of at least one substance of abuse. Methods also include using cellular extracts from tissue or cultured cells taken from wild-type (WT) MBLAC1 and MBLAC1 KO animals for screening for novel, Cef-like molecules in vitro, and using cells from a MBLAC1 KO animal to test for Cef-like actions of a test molecule.

Provided is a method of measuring a condition of neurotransmission in a target by means of a magnetic resonance process in which electron spin is used. The method includes a first step of applying a magnetic resonance process to the target containing therein a contrast medium containing molecules responsive to electric potential, to thereby obtain magnetic resonance signals, and a second step of determining a condition of neurotransmission in the target in accordance with the magnetic resonance signals having been obtained in the first step.

Methods for improving the specificity of assays for botulinum neurotoxins are described. Reporting constructs are provided that include cleavable linker sequence with genetically modified recognition and/or cleavage sites. These linker sequences act as a substrate for a botulinum neurotoxin, with cleavage of the reporting construct providing a detectable signal. When first and second neurotoxins have activity with the same substrate protein, mutation and/or deletion of a recognition and/or cleavage site associated with the second neurotoxin improves the specificity of the detectable signal for the first neurotoxin.

Disclosed is an antibody or a binding fragment thereof which binds to quetiapine, which can be used to detect quetiapine in a sample such as in a competitive immunoassay method. The antibody or the fragment thereof can be used in a lateral flow assay device for point-of-care detection of quetiapine, including multiplex detection of aripiprazole, quetiapine, olanzapine, and risperidone in a single lateral flow assay device.

Disclosed is an antibody which binds to paliperidone, which can be used to detect paliperidone in a sample such as in a competitive immunoassay method. The antibody can be used in a lateral flow assay device for point-of-care detection of paliperidone, including multiplex detection of aripiprazole, quetiapine, olanzapine, and risperidone/paliperidone in a single lateral flow assay device.