HPLC method for amino acids profile in biological fluids and inborn metabolic disorders of aminoacidopathies

Quantification of total and individual amino acids in biological fluids such as plasma, urine and cerebrospinal fluid has an important diagnostic implication in laboratory medicine. The present paper describes protocols for the assay of total amino acids by modified method based on dinitrophenyl and HPLC profile involving pre-column derivatization with o-pthalaldehyde (OPA) derivatization, respectively. The method, based on the alkylation of-SH groups prior to OPA derivatization of amino acids followed by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography, provide a comprehensive profile of more than twenty amino acids (including-SH group containing) in a single run lasting about 45 minutes. The present study, apart from establishing the normal profile of amino acids in plasma of Indian sub population, also presents HPLC profile for some of the rare amino acidopathies.     

Impact and Sustainability of E-Government Services in Developing Countries: Lessons Learned from Tamil Nadu, India

We find that the presence of village Internet facilities, offering government to citizen services, is positively associated with the rate at which the villagers obtain some of these services. In a study of a rural Internet project in India, we identify a positive correlation for two such Internet services: obtaining birth certificates for children and applications for old age pensions. Both these government services are of considerable social and economic value to the citizens. Villagers report that the Internet based services saved them time, money, and effort compared with obtaining the services directly from the government office. We also find that these services can reduce corruption in the delivery of these services. After over one year of successful operation, however, the e-government program was not able to maintain the necessary level of local political and administrative support to remain institutionally viable. As government officers shifted from the region, or grew to find the program a threat, the e-government services faltered. We argue that this failure was due to a variety of Critical Failure Factors. We end with a simple sustainability failure model. In summary, we propose that the e-government program failed to be politically and institutionally sustainable due to people, management, cultural, and structural factors     

Biochemical activity of selenium and glutathione on country made liquor (CML) induced hepatic damage in rats

The serum and hepatic enzymes of rats were studied after exposed to country made liquor (CML) along with two chelating agents (glutathione and Selenium). There was a significant increase in several serum enzyme levels (viz., aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, sorbitol dehydrogenase, glutamate dehydrogenase, bilirubin) and decrease in various hepatic enzymes (Succinic dehydrogenase, Glucose 6-phosphatase, 5'Nucleotiease, Acid phosphatase, Acid ribonuclease, Cytochrome P-450) due to repeated administration of CML (2ml/100g of body weight). Results of this study revealed that the GSH and Se could give a significant protective action in serum and hepatic enzymes of CML exposed rats.     

Addressing Health Disparities in the Undergraduate Curriculum: An Approach to Develop a Knowledgeable Biomedical Workforce

Disparities in health and healthcare are a major concern in the United States and worldwide. Approaches to alleviate these disparities must be multifaceted and should include initiatives that touch upon the diverse areas that influence the healthcare system. Developing a strong biomedical workforce with an awareness of the issues concerning health disparities is crucial for addressing this issue. Establishing undergraduate health disparities courses that are accessible to undergraduate students in the life sciences is necessary to increase students’ understanding and awareness of these issues and motivate them to address these disparities during their careers. The majority of universities do not include courses related to health disparities in their curricula, and only a few universities manage them from their life sciences departments. The figures are especially low for minority-serving institutions, which serve students from communities disproportionally affected by health disparities. Universities should consider several possible approaches to infuse their undergraduate curricula with health disparities courses or activities. Eliminating health disparities will require efforts from diverse stakeholders. Undergraduate institutions can play an important role in developing an aware biomedical workforce and helping to close the gap in health outcomes.     

How Much of Library and Information Science Literature Qualifies as Research?

There is an extensive amount of Library and Information Science (LIS) writing produced each year. While there is general awareness regarding the variety of journal literature, there is no certainty on the percentage of the collection that we can call research. This project is an important first step in answering the question. A content analysis of the LIS academic/scholarly journals at the Simmons College Library was conducted. The research level collection of LIS literature makes the library an ideal candidate for this study. The latest issue of each journal subscribed to for fiscal year 2012–2013 containing academic/scholarly content was analyzed. Each article was analyzed to determine: 1) if it was research or non-research, 2) the method used to collect data for the study in the article, and 3) the subject terms or keywords associated with the article. 105 journal titles were identified out of 177 periodicals. In the 1880 articles analyzed from these, 16% qualified as research. Surveys were found to be the most popular research method used. This study will benefit students, faculty, and staff with research requirements as well as librarians who guide patrons through a search for research literature.     

Clodronate-superparamagnetic iron oxide-containing liposomes attenuate renal injury in rats with severe acute pancreatitis

Background and objective

It has been shown that macrophages play an important role in the development of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP), and eventually lead to multiple organ failure (MOF). Clodronate-liposome selectively depleted macrophages. This study was to investigate the role of renal macrophage infiltration in acute renal injury in rats with SAP and to evaluate the potential of superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO)-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for diagnosis.

Methods

Superparamagnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were prepared by chemical coprecipitation. SPIO-liposomes and SPIO-clodronate-liposomes were prepared by the thin film method. SAP models were prepared by injection of sodium taurocholate into the subcapsular space of rat pancreas. Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a control group, SAP plus SPIO-liposome (P) group, and SAP plus SPIO-clodronate-containing liposome (T) group. Kidney injury was evaluated by T2-weighted MRI scan. The levels of serum amylase (SAM), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and serum creatinine (SCr) were measured by an automated enzymatic method. Serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Pathological changes in the pancreas and kidney were observed using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, while cell apoptosis was detected with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. In addition, the macrophage markers (CD68) of the renal tissue were detected with immunohistochemistry.

Results

The pathological changes in the pancreas and kidneys of rats in the T group were milder than those in the P group. The MRI signal intensity of the kidneys in the P and T groups was significantly lower than that in the control group. There were significant changes in the two experimental groups (P<0.01). The levels of SAM, Bun, SCr, and TNF-α in rats in the P group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.01) and in the T group (P<0.01). The apoptosis of the kidney in the T group was higher than that in the P group at 2 and 6 h (P<0.01).

Conclusions

Clodronate-containing liposomes protected against renal injury in SAP rats, and SPIO can be used as a tracer for MRI examination to detect renal injury in SAP rats. SPIO-aided MRI provided an efficient non-invasive way to monitor the migration of macrophages after renal injury in rats with SAP.     

DNA combing on low-pressure oxygen plasma modified polysilsesquioxane substrates for single-molecule studies

Molecular combing and flow-induced stretching are the most commonly used methods to immobilize and stretch DNA molecules. While both approaches require functionalization steps for the substrate surface and the molecules, conventionally the former does not take advantage of, as the latter, the versatility of microfluidics regarding robustness, buffer exchange capability, and molecule manipulation using external forces for single molecule studies. Here, we demonstrate a simple one-step combing process involving only low-pressure oxygen (O₂) plasma modified polysilsesquioxane (PSQ) polymer layer to facilitate both room temperature microfluidic device bonding and immobilization of stretched single DNA molecules without molecular functionalization step. Atomic force microscopy and Kelvin probe force microscopy experiments revealed a significant increase in surface roughness and surface potential on low-pressure O₂ plasma treated PSQ, in contrast to that with high-pressure O₂ plasma treatment, which are proposed to be responsible for enabling effective DNA immobilization. We further demonstrate the use of our platform to observe DNA-RNA polymerase complexes and cancer drug cisplatin induced DNA condensation using wide-field fluorescence imaging.     

Study of Metabolic Syndrome and Its Risk Components in Patients Attending Tertiary Care Center of Uttarakhand

Metabolic syndrome is a complex of metabolic factors which includes central obesity, insulin-resistance, dyslipidemia and hypertension. Metabolic syndrome is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to know the rate of metabolic syndrome in outpatients presenting to medicine department of our hospital and their profile. The metabolic syndrome was diagnosed using International Diabetes Federation criteria. The parameters analyzed included age, sex, blood pressure, BMI, fasting plasma glucose, HDL and triglycerides. The rate of metabolic syndrome was 21.1 % in our study. The younger population was most susceptible to metabolic derangements. Further, females were found to be affected more than males. The extremely significant parameters were deranged fasting plasma glucose, HDL, triglycerides while hypertension was found to be insignificant. Being overweight maybe a strong predictor for presence of metabolic syndrome in our region of study, and all overweight persons should be assessed and appropriately treated to prevent future cardiovascular events.     

High-throughput sorting of drops in microfluidic chips using electric capacitance

We analyze a recently introduced approach for the sorting of aqueous drops with biological content immersed in oil, using a microfluidic chip that combines the functionality of electrowetting with the high throughput of two-phase flow microfluidics. In this electrostatic sorter, three co-planar electrodes covered by a thin dielectric layer are placed directly below the fluidic channel. Switching the potential of the central electrode creates an electrical guide that leads the drop to the desired outlet. The generated force, which deflects the drop, can be tuned via the voltage. The working principle is based on a contrast in conductivity between the drop and the continuous phase, which ensures successful operation even for drops of highly conductive biological media like phosphate buffered saline. Moreover, since the electric field does not penetrate the drop, its content is protected from electrical currents and Joule heating. A simple capacitive model allows quantitative prediction of the electrostatic forces exerted on drops. The maximum achievable sorting rate is determined by a competition between electrostatic and hydrodynamic forces. Sorting speeds up to 1200 per second are demonstrated for conductive drops of 160 pl in low viscosity oil.     

A randomized trial comparing cadaveric dissection and examination of prosections as applied surgical anatomy teaching pedagogies

Anatomy is an important component in the vertical integration of basic science and clinical practice. Two common pedagogies are cadaveric dissection and examination of prosected specimens. Comparative studies mostly evaluate their immediate effectiveness. A randomized controlled trial design was employed to compare both the immediate and long-term effectiveness of dissection and prosection. Eighty third-year medical students undergoing their surgical rotation from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine were randomized into two groups: dissection and prosection. Each participated in a one-day hands-on course following a similar outline that demonstrated surgical anatomy in the context of its clinical relevance. A pre-course test was conducted to establish baseline knowledge. A post-course test was conducted immediately after and at a one-year interval to evaluate learner outcome and knowledge retention. A post-course survey was conducted to assess participant perception. Thirty-nine and thirty-eight participants for the dissection and prosection groups, respectively, were included for analysis. There was no significant difference between mean pre-course test scores between the dissection and prosection groups [12.6 (3.47) vs. 12.7 (3.16), P > 0.05]. Both the mean immediate [27.9 (4.30) vs. 24.9 (4.25), P < 0.05] and 1 year [23.9 (4.15) vs. 19.9 (4.05), P < 0.05] post-course test scores were significantly higher in the dissection group. However, when adjusted for course duration [dissection group took longer than prosection group (mean 411 vs. 265 min)], these findings were negated. There is no conclusive evidence of either pedagogy being superior in teaching surgical anatomy. Based on learner surveys, dissection provides a greater learner experience.