A method for selectively and easily quantifying the L-form and/or D-form amino acids to be measured using an aminoacyl tRNA synthetase (AARS) with high sensitivity, and an amino acid quantification kit. A method for quantifying amino acids (L-AA and/or D-AA) in a sample using an AARS, wherein the amino acids and the AARS are released from an aminoacyl AMP-AARS complex once formed, and they are used again for forming the aminoacyl AMP-AARS complex, so that reaction products such as pyrophosphoric acid to be measured can be ultimately produced up to a molar number larger than that of the amino acids contained in the sample, and an amino acid quantification kit for performing the method.

Provided are SpdE polypeptides and variants and nucleic acids encoding the SpdE polypeptides and variants. Also provided are vectors including one or more nucleic acids encoding a SpdE polypeptide or variant and cells including a nucleic acid encoding the SpdE polypeptide or variant, as well as cells expressing a SpdE polypeptide or variant and compositions including such cells and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. Finally, methods of detecting presence and/or amount of one or more amino acids in a sample are provided. The methods include contacting the sample with a SpdE protein, measuring diguanylate cyclase activity of the SpdE protein; and comparing the diguanylate cyclase activity of the SpdE protein to a control. The methods can utilize isolated SpdE protein or a cell expressing a SpdE protein.

A system and method for using new biomarkers to assess individual diseases is provided. In one embodiment of the present invention, absolute quantification of annotated metabolites by mass spectrometry is used to identify certain biomarkers and derivatives thereof (i.e., signatures), which are then used to screen for, diagnose, predict, prognose, and treat various diseases, including, but not limited to, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and acute graft-versus-host disease.

The present invention relates to a method for determining the distinctive nutritional requirements of a patient with specific nutritional needs and providing a composition meeting the distinctive nutritional requirements of said patient.

The present invention addresses the problem of developing an analytical method which makes it possible to diagnose early or mild renal disorders. The method is based on calculating a disease-state index value for renal disorders on the basis of the quantities of D-form and/or L-form amino acids, from feces or intestinal content. By comparing the disease-state index value with a threshold value determined from the disease-state index values of a renal failure patient group and a healthy subject group, it is possible to diagnose a mild renal disorder patient group.

A purifying method includes: illuminating a measurement area with excitation light; detecting fluorescence from the measurement area; measuring an amount of amino acids included in the measurement area, based on an intensity of the fluorescence; and discharging a chemical agent to the measurement area, when the amount of amino acids exceeds a first threshold.

A feeding management system for a free stall cow barn includes an evaluation-related information storage unit, an association information storage unit, an evaluating unit, a selecting unit, a transmission unit, a reading unit, a feed information acquiring unit, a device information acquiring unit, and a control information transmitting unit.

Nutritive polypeptides are provided herein. Also provided are various other embodiments including nucleic acids encoding the polypeptides, recombinant microorganisms that make the polypeptides, vectors for expressing the polypeptides, methods of making the polypeptides using recombinant microorganisms, compositions and formulations that comprise the polypeptides, and methods of using the polypeptides, compositions and formulations.

The present invention relates to a method for determining the distinctive nutritional requirements of a patient with specific nutritional needs and providing a composition meeting the distinctive nutritional requirements of said patient.

Methods of analyzing a biological sample obtained from the feline subject for the presence of two copies of major allele G of SNP A1_212891692 and/or to the concentration of betaine and/or 2-oxoarginine in the sample are disclosed. The methods are used in methods to identify a feline subject that would benefit from a treatment that reduces risk of calcium oxalate stone formation and in methods of treating a feline subject to reduce risk of calcium oxalate stone formation The treatment on comprises administering to the feline subject a composition that comprises an effective amount of one or more of ingredients selected from the group consisting of betaine, green tea, fenugreek and tulsi. Feline food composition that comprise effective amounts of betaine, green tea, fenugreek and tulsi are disclosed.