An exploration of the mechanism of hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) and the application of HILIC in metabolomic profiling

The aim of this study was to investigate hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) and its application to metabolic profiling. The effect of different mobile phase modifiers on the retention behaviour of acidic and neutral test probes was studied on silica gel based columns which confirmed the hypothesis that HILIC is due to a combination of hydrophilic interactions and electrostatic interactions. Among the acidic probes tested, the more negatively charged maleic acid was not strongly retained until the strength of the ammonium ion in the mobile phase was high enough to shield the acid from repulsion by charged silanol groups on the silica gel surface. The neutral test probes were increasingly retained with increasing ionic strength of the mobile phase suggesting that the thickness of the water layer on the surface of the silica gel increased with the strength of the ionic modifier. The utility of three silica hydride columns, Cogent silica C, Cogent Phenyl Hydride and Cogent UDC cholesterol, for separating mixture of metabolites was successfully assessed with an alternating gradient from high organic to high aqueous and then from high aqueous to high organic, thus permitting two orthogonal selectivities to be obtained on the same column. A method for the reductive amination was developed for the analysis of sugars and sugar phosphates. This method was very successful with deuterated aniline as a tag which led to the separation of the three common hexoses glucose, galactose and mannose. The method was applied to the profiling of sugars in milk and in brain tissue. An extensive study of seal milk in comparison with other mammalian milks was also conducted which found that unlike the milks of terrestrial mammals, seal milk had very little lactose. Thus seal pups appear to rely on fat metabolism to produce energy. A notable feature of the milk was that it contained high levels of nicotinamide, an essential precursor for the production of the cofactor NAD+ which is required for the β-oxidation of fats.The aim of this study was to investigate hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) and its application to metabolic profiling. The effect of different mobile phase modifiers on the retention behaviour of acidic and neutral test probes was studied on silica gel based columns which confirmed the hypothesis that HILIC is due to a combination of hydrophilic interactions and electrostatic interactions. Among the acidic probes tested, the more negatively charged maleic acid was not strongly retained until the strength of the ammonium ion in the mobile phase was high enough to shield the acid from repulsion by charged silanol groups on the silica gel surface. The neutral test probes were increasingly retained with increasing ionic strength of the mobile phase suggesting that the thickness of the water layer on the surface of the silica gel increased with the strength of the ionic modifier. The utility of three silica hydride columns, Cogent silica C, Cogent Phenyl Hydride and Cogent UDC cholesterol, for separating mixture of metabolites was successfully assessed with an alternating gradient from high organic to high aqueous and then from high aqueous to high organic, thus permitting two orthogonal selectivities to be obtained on the same column. A method for the reductive amination was developed for the analysis of sugars and sugar phosphates. This method was very successful with deuterated aniline as a tag which led to the separation of the three common hexoses glucose, galactose and mannose. The method was applied to the profiling of sugars in milk and in brain tissue. An extensive study of seal milk in comparison with other mammalian milks was also conducted which found that unlike the milks of terrestrial mammals, seal milk had very little lactose. Thus seal pups appear to rely on fat metabolism to produce energy. A notable feature of the milk was that it contained high levels of nicotinamide, an essential precursor for the production of the cofactor NAD+ which is required for the β-oxidation of fats

Bilateral choroidal neovascularization after pegylated interferon therapy

A 30-year-old male presented with gradual decrease in vision in his both eyes after the use of interferon alpha for his hepatitis-C. Ocular examination of patient included, Best Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA), fundus photographs, Fundus Fluorescein Angiography (FFA) and Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT). His BCVA was recorded as 6/18 in the right eye and 6/12 in the left eye. The anterior segments were unremarkable, with normal intraocular Pressure (IOP) in his both eyes. Both fundi revealed the presence of bilateral Choroidal Neovascularization (CNV), confirmed on FFA and OCT. To the best of authors\u27 knowledge, simultaneous presence of CNV in both eyes is not reported in the literature

The Influence of Rewards for Creativity on Employee Creativity Performance

Abstract: Many scholars and practitioners are concerned with understanding how and when to motivate individuals to be more creative. We argue that the conflicting ideas may be due to differences between findings towards reward conditions and the situation in which rewards has to be offered. Hence, it is vital to portray in this study that motivating employees to be creative is important for many firms. Amount of literature shows that employee performance can be encouraged by extrinsic and intrinsic rewards in their everyday tasks. This paper, therefore, investigates these kinds of rewards and shows its effectiveness in attracting creative performance. It concluded by arguing that, human behaviors are stimulated by extrinsic motivations attained from works, which are capable to fulfill innate parts of individuals. Similarly, a person is intrinsically motivated when he or she found that the work is able to fulfill his or her psychological needs for the significant experience

Integrating Artificial Intelligence in a Morphology Course - An Analytical Study from University Students’ Perspectives

This paper attempts to scrutinize the attitudes and opinions of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners on the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in a morphology course in higher education in Lebanon as a pedagogical tool in classroom contexts in providing learners with personalized learning paths centered on their needs and strengths, offering automated feedback on activities and assignments, supplying study resources and extra material, furnishing adaptive assessments, and most importantly, identifying common errors in students’ responses that allow instructors to acknowledge the learning gaps and tailor their teaching strategies accordingly. It also aims to determine the students’ perspectives on AI’s potent role in learning. In this exploratory study, a mixed-method design and a convenient sampling of participants were utilized. A total of 62 EFL students at the public university in Lebanon participated in the study. To describe and quantify their perceptions on integrating AI in a morphology course, an online survey including closed-ended and open-ended questions, and two focus group discussions were administered. The overall qualitative and quantitative analyses of the data indicated that Lebanese EFL students have positive attitudes towards integrating AI in a morphology course as a pedagogical tool and as a fundamental part of the teaching strategies in EFL higher education classes since it provides a good source of information and aids in the teaching and learning process; however, the findings also revealed the need to train teachers and students to use AI technologies keeping in mind the potent role of the instructor in class

Integrating Artificial Intelligence in a Morphology Course - An Analytical Study from University Students’ Perspectives

This paper attempts to scrutinize the attitudes and opinions of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners on the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in a morphology course in higher education in Lebanon as a pedagogical tool in classroom contexts in providing learners with personalized learning paths centered on their needs and strengths, offering automated feedback on activities and assignments, supplying study resources and extra material, furnishing adaptive assessments, and most importantly, identifying common errors in students’ responses that allow instructors to acknowledge the learning gaps and tailor their teaching strategies accordingly. It also aims to determine the students’ perspectives on AI’s potent role in learning. In this exploratory study, a mixed-method design and a convenient sampling of participants were utilized. A total of 62 EFL students at the public university in Lebanon participated in the study. To describe and quantify their perceptions on integrating AI in a morphology course, an online survey including closed-ended and open-ended questions, and two focus group discussions were administered. The overall qualitative and quantitative analyses of the data indicated that Lebanese EFL students have positive attitudes towards integrating AI in a morphology course as a pedagogical tool and as a fundamental part of the teaching strategies in EFL higher education classes since it provides a good source of information and aids in the teaching and learning process; however, the findings also revealed the need to train teachers and students to use AI technologies keeping in mind the potent role of the instructor in class

Integrating Artificial Intelligence to Enhance Writing Proficiency: An Exploratory Study of EFL Students’ and Instructors’ Perspectives at a University Level in Lebanon

This paper focuses on scrutinizing the attitudes and opinions of English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners and instructors on the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in a writing skills course at a university level in Lebanon. Specifically, it examines AI as a pedagogical tool that provides personalized learning, supplies consistency in evaluation, furnishes enhanced feedback quality by offering detailed, instant feedback on grammar, style, and structure, and helps students refine their writing more efficiently. Moreover, it furnishes instructors with adaptive activities and assessments, thus making writing more engaging and more effective. It also seeks to evaluate students’ and instructors’ perspectives on AI’s vigorous role in learning. In this exploratory study, a mixed-method design and a convenient sampling of participants were utilized. A total of 51 EFL students and 8 instructors at the American University of Science and Technology in Lebanon during the spring semester of 2023-2024 participated in the study. To describe and quantify their perceptions of integrating AI in a writing course, two online surveys, including closed-ended and open-ended questions, and four focus group discussions were administered. The overall qualitative and quantitative analyses of the data indicated that Lebanese EFL students and instructors have positive attitudes towards integrating AI in a writing course as a pedagogical tool and as a fundamental part of the teaching strategies in EFL higher education classes since it provides helpful resources and aids learners to write effectively and build their self-confidence. However, the findings also revealed the need to train instructors and students to use AI technologies, keeping in mind the indispensable role of the instructor in class and the need for students to unleash their creativity

Integrating Artificial Intelligence to Enhance Writing Proficiency: An Exploratory Study of EFL Students’ and Instructors’ Perspectives at a University Level in Lebanon

This paper focuses on scrutinizing the attitudes and opinions of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners and instructors on the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in a writing skills course at a university level in Lebanon. Specifically, it examines AI as a pedagogical tool that provides personalized learning, supplies consistency in evaluation, furnishes enhanced feedback quality by offering detailed, instant feedback on grammar, style, and structure, and helping students refine their writing more efficiently. Moreover, it furnishes instructors with adaptive activities and assessments, thus making writing more engaging and more effective. It also seeks to evaluate students’ and instructors’ perspectives on AI’s vigorous role in learning. In this exploratory study, a mixed-method design and a convenient sampling of participants were utilized. A total of 51 EFL students and 8 instructors at the American University of Science and Technology in Lebanon during the spring semester of 2023-2024 participated in the study. To describe and quantify their perceptions of integrating AI in a writing course, two online surveys, including closed-ended and open-ended questions, and four focus group discussions were administered. The overall qualitative and quantitative analyses of the data indicated that Lebanese EFL students and instructors have positive attitudes towards integrating AI in a writing course as a pedagogical tool and as a fundamental part of the teaching strategies in EFL higher education classes since it provides helpful resources and aids learners to write effectively and build their self-confidence. However, the findings also revealed the need to train instructors and students to use AI technologies, keeping in mind the indispensable role of the instructor in class and the need for students to unleash their creativity

Integrating Artificial Intelligence in a Morphology Course - An Analytical Study of University Students’ Perspective

This paper focuses on scrutinizing the attitudes and opinions of English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners on the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in a morphology course in higher education in Lebanon. Specifically, it examines AI as a pedagogical tool in classrooms to provide learners with personalized learning paths centered on their needs and strengths, offer automated feedback on activities and assignments, supply study resources and extra material, furnish adaptive assessments, and most importantly, identify common errors in students’ responses that allow instructors to acknowledge the learning gaps and tailor their teaching strategies accordingly. It also aims to determine the students’ perspectives on AI’s potent role in learning. In this exploratory study, a mixed-method design and a convenient sampling of participants were utilized. A total of 62 EFL students at the public university in Lebanon participated in the study. To describe and quantify their perceptions of integrating AI in a morphology course, an online survey, including closed-ended and open-ended questions, and two focus group discussions were administered. The overall qualitative and quantitative analyses of the data indicated that Lebanese EFL students have positive attitudes towards integrating AI in a morphology course as a pedagogical tool and as a fundamental part of the teaching strategies in EFL higher education classes since it provides a good source of information and aids in the teaching and learning process. However, the findings also revealed the need to train teachers and students to use AI technologies, keeping in mind the potent role of the instructor in class

Integrating Artificial Intelligence to Enhance Writing Proficiency: An Exploratory Study of EFL Students’ and Instructors’ Perspectives at a University Level in Lebanon

This paper focuses on scrutinizing the attitudes and opinions of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners and instructors on the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in a writing skills course at a university level in Lebanon. Specifically, it examines AI as a pedagogical tool that provides personalized learning, supplies consistency in evaluation, furnishes enhanced feedback quality by offering detailed, instant feedback on grammar, style, and structure, and helping students refine their writing more efficiently. Moreover, it furnishes instructors with adaptive activities and assessments, thus making writing more engaging and more effective. It also seeks to evaluate students’ and instructors’ perspectives on AI’s vigorous role in learning. In this exploratory study, a mixed-method design and a convenient sampling of participants were utilized. A total of 51 EFL students and 8 instructors at the American University of Science and Technology in Lebanon during the spring semester of 2023-2024 participated in the study. To describe and quantify their perceptions of integrating AI in a writing course, two online surveys, including closed-ended and open-ended questions, and four focus group discussions were administered. The overall qualitative and quantitative analyses of the data indicated that Lebanese EFL students and instructors have positive attitudes towards integrating AI in a writing course as a pedagogical tool and as a fundamental part of the teaching strategies in EFL higher education classes since it provides helpful resources and aids learners to write effectively and build their self-confidence. However, the findings also revealed the need to train instructors and students to use AI technologies, keeping in mind the indispensable role of the instructor in class and the need for students to unleash their creativity

Role of optical coherence tomography angiography to differentiate intraretinal microvascular abnormalities and retinal neovascularization in diabetic retinopathy

Objective: To assess proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) and to describe the difference in angiographic representation of new vessels (NVs) and Intra retinal microvascular abnormalities (IRMA) on optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was performed at ISRA Postgraduate Institute of Ophthalmology, Karachi, from March 2018 to September 2018. Forty-two eyes of 21 patients with history of diabetes mellitus (DM) were examined. Twenty-eight eyes with a clinical diagnosis of severe non proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) or proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) according to early treatment diabetic retinopathy study (ETDRS) were included and evaluated using Swept source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA). Then face wide field SS-OCTA images and co registered structural optical coherence tomography (OCT) with flow overlay were used to distinguish the features of IRMA and retinal NVs. Results: Forty-two eyes (21 patients) were examined clinically. Fourteen eyes had moderate NPDR, 15 had severe NPDR and 13 eyes had changes consistent with PDR. After clinical diagnosis, we included 28 eyes in our study based on inclusion criteria. These 28 eyes went through SS-OCTA evaluation and we observed 15 cases with PDR and 13 with severe NPDR changes. The OCTA and clinical diagnosis were similar except in 2 eyes, which is critical but not statically significant showing the importance of this noninvasive technology. Conclusions: Widefield OCTA can work as an alternative to fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) in the diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy (DR). As it is a non-invasive and depth encoded technique so can be used frequently to monitor the retinal changes and their progression