This document provides methods and materials involved in assessing mammals (e.g., humans) for arthritis. For example, methods and materials for assessing a mammal's gut microbial diversity to identify the mammal as having arthritis (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis) are provided. This document also provides methods and materials involved in treating arthritis.

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 surface modified electrode is provided. The surface modified electrode includes a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) and a nanomaterial disposed on the glassy carbon electrode. The nanomaterial comprises carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and at least one of thallium oxide nanoparticles (Tl.sub.2O.sub.3.NPs), thallium oxide (Tl.sub.2O.sub.3) nanopowder, and thallium oxide carbon nanotube nanocomposites (Tl.sub.2O.sub.3.CNT NCs). A polymer matrix is configured to bind the glassy carbon electrode with the nanomaterial. A method of preparing the surface modified electrode is also disclosed. The surface modified electrode can be implemented in a biosensor for detecting a biological molecule, like choline.

A surface modified electrode is provided. The surface modified electrode includes a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) and a nanomaterial disposed on the glassy carbon electrode. The nanomaterial comprises carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and at least one of thallium oxide nanoparticles (Tl.sub.2O.sub.3.Math.NPs), thallium oxide (Tl.sub.2O.sub.3) nanopowder, and thallium oxide carbon nanotube nanocomposites (Tl.sub.2O.sub.3.Math.CNT NCs). A polymer matrix is configured to bind the glassy carbon electrode with the nanomaterial. A method of preparing the surface modified electrode is also disclosed. The surface modified electrode can be implemented in a biosensor for detecting a biological molecule, like choline.

The present invention relates to a method for quantification of amino acids using a cell-free protein synthesis system. Specifically, the present invention relates to a method for quantification of amino acids, comprising: (a) preparing a reaction mixture for cell-free protein synthesis without target amino acids; (b) performing cell-free protein synthesis by mixing an assay sample containing target amino acids with the reaction mixture for cell-free protein synthesis; (c) measuring the signal intensity of the synthesized protein; and (d) calculating the concentration of the target amino acids by comparing the measured signal intensity with the standard concentration curve for each amino acid according to the protein signal produced using a standard sample, a method for providing information for diagnosing an amino acid metabolism-related disease using the same, a method for screening a material for prevention or treatment of an amino acid metabolism-related disease, and a method for screening a transaminase substrate. The method for quantification of amino acids according to the present invention can quantify amino acids in a short time at a low cost, and thus can be useful in various industries.

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.

This document provides methods and materials involved in assessing mammals (e.g., humans) for arthritis. For example, methods and materials for assessing a mammal's gut microbial diversity to identify the mammal as having arthritis (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis) are provided. This document also provides methods and materials involved in treating arthritis.

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.

Biomarkers of NASH, NAFLD, and fibrosis and methods for diagnosis (or aiding in the diagnosis) of NAFLD, NASH and/or fibrosis are described herein. Additionally, methods of distinguishing between NAFLD and NASH, methods of classifying the stage of fibrosis, methods of determining the severity of liver disease, methods of determining the severity of liver disease or fibrosis, and methods of monitoring progression/regression of NASH, NAFLD, and/or fibrosis are described herein.

In the present invention, among blood metabolites, amino acids, organic compounds and oxylipins that were statistically significantly differentiated from the control group, were selected from type 2 diabetes patients. Specifically, asparagine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, cysteine, lysine, citric acid, and uric acid, and 12-oxo ETE, 15-oxo ETE, 9-oxo ODE, and 20-carboxy leukotriene B4, which are oxylipins, were confirmed to have cutoff values of AUC>0.7. In addition, the blood metabolites showed a significant difference between a DME patient group and a non-DME patient group, and thus were confirmed to be usable for accurate diagnosis of DME.