19 research outputs found

    Fructose Alters Cell Survival and Gene Expression in Microglia and Neuronal Cells Lines

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    Purpose: Microglia are macrophages that are found primarily in the CNS and play a crucial role in maintaining a healthy brain by engulfing invading microorganisms, releasing inflammatory mediators, and pruning dead cells. Microglia can become activated in response to certain stimuli which causes them to transition into a pro-inflammatory state, and can sometimes become chronically activated which can result in neuronal damage. Studies have shown a causal relationship between this activation and sugars such as fructose and glucose. We sought to understand the role of sugars in microglial activation and the subsequent effects on neuron health. Methods: Rat microglia (HAPI) and neuronal (B35) cell lines were treated with varying concentrations of fructose (25 mM, 12.5 mM, and 6.25 mM) or glucose (25 mM and 12.5 mM)as a positive control to determine their effects on the cells. Following treatment and incubation for 3 or 24 hours, the cells were analyzed using an MTT assay to measure cell survival or real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to measure gene expression levels. Effects of fructose were measured in HAPI microglia after direct treatment with the sugar. The genes investigated by the RT-PCR in the HAPI cells included: glucose transporter 5 (GLUT5), and the inflammatory markers high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), and prostaglandin E receptor 2 (Ptger2). To evaluate the effects of microglial activation on neuronal function, the B35 neurons were treated either directly with sugars or with the supernatant collected from fructose-treated HAPI microglia. This allows examination of the effects of soluble neuron-injury factors released by microglia. The genes investigated by RT-PCR in B35 neurons included nuclear factor-κB (NFκB) and enolase 2 (Eno2). Results: Cell survival assays showed that 24-hour direct fructose treatment increased B35 cell survival by up to 13%, while groups treated with microglia supernatant increased cell survival by up to 33%. In HAPI microglia, 3 hours of treatment with fructose caused GLUT5 expression to be suppressed by up to 32% in all treatment groups except for 6.25 mM fructose, while Ptger2 and HMGB1 expression was increased by as much as 65% and 15%, respectively. After 24-hours of treatment with fructose, the HAPI microglia showed a maximum of 80% increased expression of HMGB1, while Ptger2 expression was mostly unchanged. In B35 neurons, 3 hours of treatment with fructose caused a decrease of up to 26% in NFκB and an increase of up to 46% in Eno2 expression. Conclusion: Cell survival results indicate that the microglia may provide a short term protective effect on the B35 neurons. However, data from the gene expression assays show evidence of cellular dysfunction in neurons and pro-inflammatory activity in microglia which may lead to neuronal death on a longer timeline. As seen in the gene expression results, microglia had increased expression of pro-inflammatory genes and B35 neuronal cells had increased expression of markers of cellular damage. Future studies will further explore the effects of fructose on expression of other genes and examine the effects on neuron survival at later time points

    Fun, fear, and frustration: Experiences and opportunities in the classroom

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    In lieu of an abstract, here is the article\u27s first paragraph: As the outreach and special collections librarian at a small liberal arts college, I also serve as the liaison to the Wegmans School of Nursing, the Wegmans School of Pharmacy, and the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. My formal training is in secondary education, with an undergraduate degree in Spanish. So when my liaison work brought me into a cellular biology course, I struggled with the content. Although I could think of great ways to engage the students in active learning, I was lacking enough basic science knowledge to create activities that tied closely to the curriculum. To remedy that situation I was offered the chance to join a student working group in the cellular biology lab. For an entire summer I spent an hour each day learning lab basics, attending lectures, and doing research with C. elegans, a small transparent worm. With a pipette in my hand and worms on my plate, I became a true novice again

    Rural meets Urban: Advanced Placement Rural High School Students Supporting Urban Dual Language Learners

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    High School Advanced Placement (AP) Spanish students from a rural school district in Upstate New York translated picture books for second grade students at Urban Primary, where Spanish is primarily spoken at home. Each child received books that were translated, intended to be read in English, Spanish. This gave the students and their parents opportunities to read in both languages. The purpose of the project was to facilitate language development for students from low socioeconomic backgrounds who are learning both Spanish and English in their homes. Children who come from low-income homes are at risk to enter Kindergarten performing below their middle-class peers. Children who are simultaneously learning two languages are at risk for language and literacy deficits in both languages (Wilson, Dickinson, & Rowe, 2013). This project won the American Council on Special Education 2017 Exemplary Program Award in the area of cross-cultural services

    Understanding the Impact of State & Federal Aid on the Catholic Identity of Colleges and Universities in New York State

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    There are close to 200 institutions of higher education in the US that claim a Catholic identity. The degrees to which the values and attitudes proclaimed by this identity are actually experienced by students on campus varies widely across the country. One of the defining influences on the institutional history and leadership composition of many colleges and universities founded by religious orders has been the availability of governmental monetary support, in particular during the last five decades. Federal and state laws regarding the use of public funds to support higher education at institutions with a religious affiliation have prompted changes in the culture of these organizations. This work provides an introduction to the relevant sources of aid, legislation and related documents affecting Catholic institutions of higher education, particularly in New York State. It presents a historical perspective and analysis addressing the degree to which changes in Catholic identity were prompted by attempts to conform to perceived or real aideligibility guidelines

    A Pilot Stability Study of Dehydroepiandrosterone Rapid-dissolving Tablets Prepared by Extemporaneous Compounding

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    Dehydroepiandrosterone supplementation is used to treat a variety of conditions. Rapid-dissolving tablets are a relatively novel choice for compounded dehydroepiandrosterone dosage forms. While rapid-dissolving tablets offer ease of administration, there are uncertainties about the physical and chemical stability of the drug and dosage form during preparation and over long-term storage. This study was designed to evaluate the stability of dehydroepiandrosterone rapid-dissolving tablets just after preparation and over six months of storage. The Professional Compounding Centers of America rapid-dissolving tablet mold and base formula were used to prepare 10-mg strength dehydroepiandrosterone rapid-dissolving tablets. The formulation was heated at 100°C to 110°C for 30 minutes, released from the mold, and cooled at room temperature for 30 minutes. The resulting rapid-dissolving tablets were individually packaged in amber blister packs and stored in a stability chamber maintained at 25°C and 60% relative humidity. The stability samples were pulled at pre-determined time points for evaluation, which included visual inspection, tablet weight check, United States Pharmacopeia disintegration test, and stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatography. The freshly prepared dehydroepiandrosterone rapiddissolving tablets exhibited satisfactory chemical and physical stability. Time 0 samples disintegrated within 40 seconds in water kept at 37°C. The highperformance liquid chromatographic results confirmed that the initial potency was 101.9% of label claim and that there was no chemical degradation from the heating procedure. Over six months of storage, there were no significant changes in visual appearance, physical integrity, or disintegration time for any of the stability samples. The high-performance liquid chromatographic results also indicated that dehydroepiandrosterone rapid-dissolving tablets retained \u3e95% label claim with no detectable degradation products. The dehydroepiandrosterone rapid-dissolving tablets investigated in this pilot study were physically and chemically stable during preparation and over six months of storage at 25°C and 60% relative humidity

    Compounded Apixaban Suspensions for Enteral Feeding Tubes

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    Objective: There is limited information on compounded apixaban formulations for administration via enteral feeding tubes. This study was designed to identify a suitable apixaban suspension formulation that is easy to prepare in a pharmacy setting, is compatible with commonly used feeding tubes, and has a beyond-use date of seven days. Methods: Apixaban suspensions were prepared from commercially available 5 mg Eliquis® tablets. Several vehicles and compounding methods were screened for ease of preparation, dosage accuracy, and tube compatibility. Two tubing types, polyurethane and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), with varying lengths and diameters, were included in the study. They were mounted on a peg board during evaluation to mimic the patient body position. A seven-day stability study of the selected formulation was also conducted. Results: Vehicles containing 40-60% Ora-Plus® in water all exhibited satisfactory flowability through the tubes. The mortar/pestle compounding method was found to produce more accurate and consistent apixaban suspensions than the pill crusher or crushing syringe method. The selected formulation, 0.25 mg/mL apixaban in 50:50 Ora-Plus®:water, was compatible with both tubing types, retaining \u3e 98% drug in post-tube samples. The stability study also confirmed that this formulation was stable physically and chemically over seven days of storage at room temperature. Conclusions: A suitable apixaban suspension formulation was identified for administration via enteral feeding tubes. The formulation consisted of 0.25 mg/mL apixaban in 50:50 Ora-Plus®:water. The stability study results supported a beyond-use date of seven days at room temperature

    Growing Stronger Regional Collections with Resource Sharing Data

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    How can libraries increase interlibrary loan effectiveness while harnessing existing purchase funds? This session offers an answer: We have partnered with the IDS Project and regional libraries to create coordinated, diverse collections based on ILL data (e.g. frequency a title was requested, regional holdings, collection building profiles). Participants are notified of potential purchases and corresponding data when items meet collection profiles. Currently, we’re working to establish ILL workflows for real-time coordinated collection development

    Methadone and Corrected QT Prolongation in Pain and Palliative Care Patients: A Case–Control Study

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    Background: Methadone (ME) is commonly used in pain and palliative care (PPC) patients with refractory pain or intolerable opioid adverse effects (AEs). A unique ME AE is its corrected QT (QTc) interval prolongation risk, but most evidence exists in methadone maintenance therapy patients. Objective: Our goal was to identify QTc interval prolongation risk factors in PPC patients receiving ME and other medications known to prolong the QTc interval and develop a risk stratification tool. Design: We performed a case–control study of adult inpatients receiving ME for pain management. Settings/Subjects: Adult inpatients receiving ME with a QTc \u3e470 msec (males) and \u3e480 msec (females) were matched 1:2 according to age, history of QTc prolongation, and gender with ME patients who did not have a prolonged QTc interval. QTc prolongation risk factors were collected for both groups. Covariates were analyzed using conditional logistic regression. Classification and regression tree analysis was used to identify the ME dose associated with QTc prolongation. Results: Predictors of QTc prolongation included congestive heart failure (CHF) (OR: 11.9; 95% CI: 3.7–38.2; p \u3c 0.00), peptic ulcer disease (PUD) (odds ratio [OR]: 8.3; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 2.4–28.9; p \u3c 0.00), hypokalemia (OR: 6.5; 95% CI: 1.5–28.2; p \u3c 0.01), rheumatologic diseases (OR: 4.7; 95% CI: 1.6–13.9; p \u3c 0.00), taking medications with a known torsades de pointes (TdP) risk (OR: 4.4; 95% CI: 1.8–10.7; p \u3c 0.01), malignancy (OR: 3.3; 95% CI: 1.2–9.3; p \u3c 0.03), hypocalcemia (OR: 2.1; 95% CI: 0.9–4.8; p \u3c 0.07), and ME doses \u3e45 mg per day (OR: 1.9; 95% CI: 0.8–4.8; p \u3c 0.16). Mild liver disease was protective against QTc prolongation (OR: 0.05; 95% CI: 0.0–0.46; p \u3c 0.01). Conclusions: Predictors of QTc prolongation in our multivariate conditional logistic regression model included CHF, PUD, hypokalemia, rheumatologic disorders, use of medications with a known TdP risk, malignancy, hypocalcemia, and ME doses \u3e45 mg per day

    Online Self-testing Resources Prepared by Peer Tutors as a Formative Assessment Tool in Pharmacology Courses

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    Objective. To assess the effectiveness of optional online quizzes written by peer tutors in a pharmacology course for doctor of pharmacy students. Methods. Online quizzes were written by peer tutors for second-year pharmacy students. Quizzes reflected the material taught during lecture and were in a format similar to that of the examinations. Data related to performance on each quiz and each examination were collected throughout the semester. At the end of the semester, students and peer tutors were surveyed to gather information on the utility and success of the quizzes. Results. Students taking online quizzes performed significantly better on examinations than those who did not take quizzes. In addition, students received higher scores on examinations than when practicing with the quizzes. Surveys suggest that students liked the quizzes and felt they increased their confidence and performance on examinations. Conclusion. The quizzes were beneficial to student performance on examinations as well as student perception of performance and confidence going into the examinations. Quizzes were also beneficial learning experiences for peer tutors

    Opening Up Our Collections: One ILL department\u27s journey in providing more access to our patrons and yours

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    Lavery Library at St. John Fisher College previously had policies that did not allow us to lend textbooks or DVDs to other libraries and prohibited our patrons from borrowing textbooks. However, an increased desire to stop saying no to ILL requests led us to revisit those policies. We looked at our reasons for not lending or borrowing these items and wondered: did these policies actually help our patrons and adhere to ILL best practices? We decided that our policies were not in our patrons\u27 best interests; nor were they in the best interests of the ILL community. In the past year, we have worked to slowly find ways to lend and borrow more items like textbooks and DVDs through ILL. Starting with leisure DVDs in 2016, we set up guidelines to help us lend while also ensuring that our patrons still had access. Next, we began lending textbooks and academic DVDs on a case-by-case basis as we worked out a policy for lending these more expensive items. Finally, coordinating with our Circulation and Acquisitions departments, we set up a policy for borrowing textbooks, which gives our patrons access to more materials. Since we stopped saying no, our processes have increased communication between our ILL, Circulation, and Acquisitions departments, and have provided a way for us to connect patrons with more of the resources that they need. Additionally, we have become better lenders, as we are able to lend more of our collection to others. When more libraries also begin to stop saying no, we can truly provide a better collection for all of our patrons
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