This document summarizes two medical studies. The first study found that tests using DNA from a mother's blood to determine the sex of the fetus are often effective, with performance increasing later in pregnancy when fetal DNA levels are higher. The second study details how gold nanoparticles can be used to diagnose influenza within minutes, offering advantages over standard tests by providing rapid, low-cost results at the point-of-care. Both developments could provide valuable medical information and allow for early treatment.

1. Tests That Use DNA from Mother’s Blood to Determine Sex of Fetus Often Effective and Gold Nanoparticles Used to Diagnose Flu in Minutes Iliana Vanessa Medellín MedicalStudent III Semester

4. Introduction Tests That Use DNA from Mother’s Blood to Determine Sex of Fetus Often Effective Determination of fetal sex provides an alternative to invasive techniques for some heritable disorders. Gold Nanoparticles Used to Diagnose Flu in Minutes It detects influenza in minutes, offering advantages to combat the flu

5. Tests That Use DNA from Mother’s Blood to Determine Sex of Fetus Often Effective The availability of a reliable noninvasive alternative to determine fetal sex would reduce unintended fetal losses and would presumably be welcomed by pregnant women carrying fetuses at risk for disorders

6. Tests That Use DNA from Mother’s Blood to Determine Sex of Fetus Often Effective The test's ability to detect Y chromosome sequences within maternal samples, as well as the clinical validity of the test, as indicated by its ability to correctly identify fetal sex. The researchers selected 57 for inclusion in the analysis.

7. Tests That Use DNA from Mother’s Blood to Determine Sex of Fetus Often Effective using maternal blood Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RTQ-PCR) Largesteffects Test performance was high if performed using RTQ-PCR on a blood sample taken at a time during pregnancy when sufficient cell-free fetal DNA was present (7 weeks' gestation or later), with the best performance after 20 weeks' gestation.

8. Tests That Use DNA from Mother’s Blood to Determine Sex of Fetus Often Effective The improved performance with later gestation is likely attributable to the increased concentration of cell-free fetal DNA within maternal blood as the fetus and placenta develop. This would explain the poor performance of the test prior to 7 weeks' gestation and the near-perfect performance in the third trimester.

9. Observation This development seems very valuable because it can provide a hope for parents who hope to ill children. Through tests using DNA from the mother's blood may provide important findings of pathologies in fetuses, which is essential in the treatment of diseases.

10. Gold Nanoparticles Used toDiagnose Flu in Minutes We've known for a long time that you can use antibodies to capture viruses and that nanoparticles have different traits based on their size, done is combine to create a diagnostic test that is rapid and highly sensitive.

11. Gold Nanoparticles Used toDiagnose Flu in Minutes Linked immune system proteins known as antibodies with gold nanoparticles. The gold nanoparticle-antibody complex aggregates with any virus present in a sample, and a commercially available device measures the intensity with which the solution scatters light. Are extremely efficient at scattering light.

12. Gold Nanoparticles Used toDiagnose Flu in Minutes The test is something that can be done literally at the point-of-care, you take your sample, put it in the instrument, hit a button and get your results. Gold is often thought of as a costly metal, but the new diagnostic test uses such a small amount -less than what would fit on the head of the pin - that the cost is one-hundredth of a cent per test.

13. Gold Nanoparticles Used toDiagnose Flu in Minutes The researchers noted that the current standard for definitively diagnosing flu is a test known as PCR, for polymerase chain reaction. PCR can only be done in highly specialized labs and requires that specially trained personnel incubate the sample for three days, extract the DNA and then amplify it many times. The entire process, from sample collection to result, takes about a week and is too costly for routine testing. That measures the change in frequency of a laser as it scatters off viral DNA or RNA, This test offers tremendous advantages for influenza.

14. Observation This research allows more timely diagnoses that can help stop the spread of influenza to accurately identify infections and allows doctors to begin treatment early, which is fundamental to the health-disease process

15. Medicalutility Technology can be useful in clinical settings for early detection of fetuses at risk for sex-linked disorders requiring follow-up testing.

16. Medicalutility Thanks to these advances has gained valuable information from certain treatments, which could be effective in children diseases that are very important today.

17. Medicalutility Detect influenza in minutes at a cost of only a fraction of a penny per exam Available for all social levels, no discrimination

18. Medicalutility The fast diagnoses can help halt the spread of flu by accurately identifying infections and allowing physicians to begin treatment early, therebyreducingthe virulence.

19. Bibliography MARTINES S., Lina María. Biología Molecular. 6.ed. Medellín : UPB, 2011. 105p. Science News. TestsThat Use DNA fromMother’sBloodto Determine Sex of FetusOftenEffective [online]. Available http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110809162000.htm> [27 AUG. 2011] ScienceGoldNanoparticlesUsedtoDiagnoseFlu in Minutes [online]. Available http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110803162224.htm > [27 AUG. 2011]

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