The characterization of four gene expression analysis in circulating tumor cells made by Multiplex-PCR from the AdnaTest kit on the lab-on-a-chip Agilent DNA 1000 platform

Introduction

Nowadays, on-a-chip capillary electrophoresis is a routine method for the detection of PCR fragments. The Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer was one of the first commercial devices in this field. Our project was designed to study the characteristics of Agilent DNA 1000 kit in PCR fragment analysis as a part of circulating tumour cell (CTC) detection technique. Despite the common use of this kit a complex analysis of the results from a long-term project is still missing.

Materials and methods

A commercially available Agilent DNA 1000 kit was used as a final step in the CTC detection (AdnaTest) for the determination of the presence of PCR fragments generated by Multiplex PCR. Data from 30 prostate cancer patients obtained during two years of research were analyzed to determine the trueness and precision of the PCR fragment size determination. Additional experiments were performed to demonstrate the precision (repeatability, reproducibility) and robustness of PCR fragment concentration determination.

Results

The trueness and precision of the size determination was below 3% and 2% respectively. The repeatability of the concentration determination was below 15%. The difference in concentration determination increases when Multiplex-PCR/storage step is added between the two measurements of one sample.

Conclusions

The characteristics established in our study are in concordance with the manufacturer’s specifications established for a ladder as a sample. However, the concentration determination may vary depending on chip preparation, sample storage and concentration. The 15% variation of concentration determination repeatability was shown to be partly proportional and can be suppressed by proper normalization.Key words: lab-on-a-chip devices, capillary electrophoresis, multiplex PCR, circulating tumour cells, Agilent DNA 1000 kit     

英国公民教育现状及社交媒介与公民教育的关系——伊恩·戴维斯教授访谈录

为了更全面地了解英国公民教育现状以及当代世界公民教育的新问题,采访人与英国约克大学教育学教授、教育系副主任、教育与社会公正研究中心主任、教育研究所主任,著名的公民教育专家伊恩·戴维斯进行了访谈,对英国公民教育国家课程标准向品格教育的转向进行讨论,辨别什么是好的公民教育,探讨如何评估公民教育效果,思考社交媒介等新技术与公民教育的关系。在访谈的过程中,比较了中英两国的教育实践,总结了部分公民教育经验。     

A Review of the Research on Internet Addiction

Research indicates that maladaptive patterns of Internet use constitute behavioral addiction. This article explores the research on the social effects of Internet addiction. There are four major sections. The Introduction section overviews the field and introduces definitions, terminology, and assessments. The second section reviews research findings and focuses on several key factors related to Internet addiction, including Internet use and time, identifiable problems, gender differences, psychosocial variables, and computer attitudes. The third section considers the addictive potential of the Internet in terms of the Internet, its users, and the interaction of the two. The fourth section addresses current and projected treatments of Internet addiction, suggests future research agendas, and provides implications for educational psychologists.     

Europäisches Bewusstsein: Zur Definition Eines Vielschichtigen Begriffes und Seiner Bildungstheoretischen Bedeutung

EUROPEAN CONSCIOUSNESS: TOWARDS DEFINING A COMPLEX CONCEPT AND ITS EDUCATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE – The present study aims at a definition of ‘European consciousness’. In particular, it draws on Henri Tajfel’s theory of social identity as well as Roland Wakenhut’s and Jutta Gallenmüller’s moral determination of national consciousness. European consciousness is then defined as a sense of belonging which, depending on certain identification structures and social perspectives, can take such distinct forms of moral consciousness as ‘Eurocentrism’, ‘European patriotism’, or ‘reflective European consciousness’. Making reference to Wolfgang Klafki’s notion of general education, it is finally argued that the emancipatory contribution of schooling to greater European integration consists in mediating precisely this last way of thinking.     

Moral Responsibility for Harm Caused by Computer System Failures

When software is written and then utilized in complex computer systems, problems often occur. Sometimes these problems cause a system to malfunction, and in some instances such malfunctions cause harm. Should any of the persons involved in creating the software be blamed and punished when a computer system failure leads to persons being harmed? In order to decide whether such blame and punishment are appropriate, we need to first consider if the people are “morally responsible”. Should any of the people involved in creating the software be held morally responsible, as individuals, for the harm caused by a computer system failure?This article provides one view of moral responsibility and then discusses some barriers to holding people morally responsible. Next, it provides information about the Therac-25, a computer-controlled medical linear accelerator, and its computer systems failures that led to deaths and injuries. Finally it investigates whether two key people involved in the Therac-25 case could reasonably be considered to have some degree of moral responsibility for the deaths and injuries. The conclusions about whether or not these people were morally responsible necessarily rest upon a certain amount of speculation about what they knew and what they did. These limitations, however, should not cause us to conclude that discussions of moral responsibility are fruitless. In some cases, determinations of moral responsibility may be made and in others the investigation is still worthwhile, as the article demonstrates.     

A critical review of the current evidence examining whether resistance training improves time trial performance

A number of reviews have concluded that resistance training is beneficial for improving sports performance despite the inclusion of studies which do not actually measure a performance outcome (i.e. a timed trial). The purpose of this review was to examine only those studies which would allow us to infer the benefits of resistance training on improving time trial performance. Of the nine studies meeting all inclusion criteria only three demonstrated an additive effect of adding resistance training to the current activity-specific training being performed. These three studies demonstrated improvements in either 5 or 10 km time trial among recreationally skilled athletes (i.e. non-elite level time). Previous reviews have included studies which did not include: (1) performance outcomes; (2) control groups; and/or (3) equal volumes of activity-specific exercise among the resistance training and control groups. Presently, there is little evidence that adding resistance exercise to a sport-specific training program will augment time trial performance. While it is difficult to perform such long-term studies assessing the effects of resistance training among time trial athletes, the statement that resistance training is efficacious for improving time trial performance should be tempered until sufficient evidence is presented to support such claims.