Pulmonary monoclonal antibody delivery via a portable microfluidic nebulization platform

Nebulizers have considerable advantages over conventional inhalers for pulmonary drug administration, particularly because they do not require coordinated breath actuation to generate and deliver the aerosols. Nevertheless, besides being less amenable to miniaturization and hence portability, some nebulizers are prone to denature macromolecular drugs due to the large forces generated during aerosolization. Here, we demonstrate a novel portable acoustomicrofluidic device capable of nebulizing epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibodies into a fine aerosol mist with a mass median aerodynamic diameter of approximately 1.1 μm, optimal for deep lung deposition via inhalation. The nebulized monoclonal antibodies were tested for their stability, immunoactivity, and pharmacological properties, which confirmed that nebulization did not cause significant degradation of the antibody. In particular, flow cytometry demonstrated that the antigen binding capability of the antibody is retained and able to reduce phosphorylation in cells overexpressing the EGFR, indicating that the aerosols generated by the device were loaded with stable and active monoclonal antibodies. The delivery of antibodies via inhalation, particularly for the treatment of lung cancer, is thus expected to enhance the efficacy of this protein therapeutic by increasing the local concentration where they are needed.     

The Python Project: A Unique Model for Extending Research Opportunities to Undergraduate Students

Undergraduate science education curricula are traditionally composed of didactic instruction with a small number of laboratory courses that provide introductory training in research techniques. Research on learning methodologies suggests this model is relatively ineffective, whereas participation in independent research projects promotes enhanced knowledge acquisition and improves retention of students in science. However, availability of faculty mentors and limited departmental budgets prevent the majority of students from participating in research. A need therefore exists for this important component in undergraduate education in both small and large university settings. A course was designed to provide students with the opportunity to engage in a research project in a classroom setting. Importantly, the course collaborates with a sponsor''s laboratory, producing a symbiotic relationship between the classroom and the laboratory and an evolving course curriculum. Students conduct a novel gene expression study, with their collective data being relevant to the ongoing research project in the sponsor''s lab. The success of this course was assessed based on the quality of the data produced by the students, student perception data, student learning gains, and on whether the course promoted interest in and preparation for careers in science. In this paper, we describe the strategies and outcomes of this course, which represents a model for efficiently providing research opportunities to undergraduates.     

Evaluating morality and achievement

This study focuses on age-related changes in moral and achievement judgments as they may be modified by sociocultural factors. In this study 1,485 male and female Iranian children/students of diverse social background and ranging in age from 4–18 served as subjects. Following a previously established procedure, subjects were asked to evaluate (reward/punish) the moral and achievement behavior of a story protagonist under conditions which varied systematically in terms of the protagonist's ability to perform a moral or achievement act, his/her good Intentions and the Outcome. A response surface analysis was employed in identifying the separate and interactive affects of social, cultural, and cognitive developmental factors. Age-related patterns were subject to important modifications by sociocultural variables, especially in the case of moral judgments. It is of special interest that in this still fairly traditional Islamic society, sex of subject appeared as a major modifying variable.     

Effects of strategy-oriented training on children’s inference drawing from pictures

It is important that children learn to draw inferences from pictures. But can that ability be taught? This study sought to develop the picture-interpretation strategies of fourth-grade children by providing training in the use of such verbal guidelines as “Help yourself to all the given information.” The program apparently helped the children produce more inferences, but did not enhance their skills in evaluating inferences at least not over the 16 30–40 minute sessions devoted to the training.     

Feeding NIE: A Funnelling Effect In Recruitment

Attracting the “right kind of people” into teaching in sufficient numbers is clearly crucial to the issue of teacher quality. This is never easy, however, particularly so when educational systems are being expanded in a tight labour market.     

Degree and gender distinctions among Indonesian graduate officials

A study of Indonesian graduate officials shows pervasive differences between the holders of the Sarjana Muda, or Bachelor, degree, and those with the Sarjana, or Master's and other higher degrees (in what follows referred to as Bachelors and Highers), also between men and women holders of either level of degree.The Bachelors were younger than the Highers, and the women younger than the men, the youngest group therefore being the women Bachelors. Most Bachelors had graduated from academies and institutes; most Highers from the universities. The five leading state universities were responsible for a smaller proportion of women than of men Highers. Few of these institutions at either Bachelor of Higher level were in the private sector; these were favoured more by men than by women, and by Highers rather than Bachelors.Most graduates had been trained in secular, not religious, institutions (these were mostly Islamic). There were unimportant differences between the genders in this regard at Bachelor level; at Higher, a larger proportion of men had graduated from religious colleges.Relatively more women than men were graduates of the I.K.I.P., or teacher training colleges, while the reverse applied in the case of the academies and institutes, often offering other vocational qualifications. Bachelor graduates from the IKIP had lower salaries than those from the universities and academies; higher graduates from the universities were better paid than those from the other institutions.The most popular degree subjects, at Bachelor level, were those useful for teaching and administration; and also economics (which includes accountancy). There were slight differences between the genders, the women tending to favour teaching subjects, the men those useful for other occupations. At Higher level, while the Social Sciences and Economics remained popular, Medicine and Law assumed greater importance. There were more pronounced differences between the genders in certain subjects. The Behavioural and Social Sciences, Economics, Agriculture, and Engineering were relatively more popular with the men; the reverse applied for Education and Medicine; choices perhaps in part reflecting traditional conceptions of professions open to men and to women.Among Bachelors, vocational subjects were associated with better chances of promotion to the upper salary grades. Higher degree subjects which performed a similar function were those more closely connected with government administration and tertiary teaching. In either case these subjects had been studied by only a minority of the sample.Over half the sample of Bachelors was engaged in either teaching or educational administration, with a further three in ten occupied with government. Nearly seven out of 10 women were employed in the former occupations; their other preference was for Medicine. At higher degree level there were relatively more men than women in general administration. While there was a higher proportion of women in education as a whole, this was not true for the tertiary level, where the proportions of the genders was very similar. Also, in contrast with the situation among Bachelors, there was a much higher proportion of men in Medicine and in the Judiciary. In passing, we note that the distribution of jobs held by graduates from Islamic institutions does not differ significantly from that of the general body of graduate officials.More than 50% of the Bachelors were employed by the Departments of Education and of Religion, with over a fifth in the major administrative departments of government. However, the differences between the genders were important. Three fifths of the women were employed by Education, as against two fifths of the men, and only one tenth of the women were to be found in government administration, against a quarter of the men.At Higher level, two fifths of the graduates were in either Education or Religion, but otherwise much more evenly distributed across departments. If anything, there was a higher proportion of women than of men to be found in all departments with the major exception of Health, and the minor one of Education, where the reverse applied.