An untargeted multi-technique metabolomics approach to studying intracellular metabolites of HepG2 cells exposed to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>In vitro </it>cell systems together with omics methods represent promising alternatives to conventional animal models for toxicity testing. Transcriptomic and proteomic approaches have been widely applied <it>in vitro </it>but relatively few studies have used metabolomics. Therefore, the goal of the present study was to develop an untargeted methodology for performing reproducible metabolomics on <it>in vitro </it>systems. The human liver cell line HepG2, and the well-known hepatotoxic and non-genotoxic carcinogen 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), were used as the <it>in vitro </it>model system and model toxicant, respectively.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The study focused on the analysis of intracellular metabolites using NMR, LC-MS and GC-MS, with emphasis on the reproducibility and repeatability of the data. State of the art pre-processing and alignment tools and multivariate statistics were used to detect significantly altered levels of metabolites after exposing HepG2 cells to TCDD. Several metabolites identified using databases, literature and LC-nanomate-Orbitrap analysis were affected by the treatment. The observed changes in metabolite levels are discussed in relation to the reported effects of TCDD.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Untargeted profiling of the polar and apolar metabolites of <it>in vitro </it>cultured HepG2 cells is a valid approach to studying the effects of TCDD on the cell metabolome. The approach described in this research demonstrates that highly reproducible experiments and correct normalization of the datasets are essential for obtaining reliable results. The effects of TCDD on HepG2 cells reported herein are in agreement with previous studies and serve to validate the procedures used in the present work.</p

The sun is no fun without rain : Physical environments affect how we feel about yellow across 55 countries

Across cultures, people associate colours with emotions. Here, we test the hypothesis that one driver of this cross-modal correspondence is the physical environment we live in. We focus on a prime example – the association of yellow with joy, – which conceivably arises because yellow is reminiscent of life-sustaining sunshine and pleasant weather. If so, this association should be especially strong in countries where sunny weather is a rare occurrence. We analysed yellow-joy associations of 6625 participants from 55 countries to investigate how yellow-joy associations varied geographically, climatologically, and seasonally. We assessed the distance to the equator, sunshine, precipitation, and daytime hours. Consistent with our hypotheses, participants who live further away from the equator and in rainier countries are more likely to associate yellow with joy. We did not find associations with seasonal variations. Our findings support a role for the physical environment in shaping the affective meaning of colour.Peer reviewe

The catalytic role of Mystery Patient tools in shaping patient experience: A method to facilitate value co-creation using action research.

Improving patients' experience in hospitals necessitates the improvement of service quality. Using mystery patients as a tool for assessing and improving patients' experience is praised for its comprehensiveness. However, such programs are costly, difficult to design and may cause unintended negative consequences if poorly implemented. Following an Action Research theoretical framework, the aim of this study is to utilize the Mystery Patient (MP) for engaging the patient in co-creating valuable non-clinical services and producing guidance about future managerial interventions. This was operationalized at the Outpatient Clinics at a large Academic Hospital in the Middle East region whereby 18 Mystery Patients conducted 66 visits to clinics and filled out 159 questionnaires. The results indicated higher scores on hard criteria or skills (technical), such as personal image and professionalism, and lower scores on soft criteria (interpersonal), including "compassion" and "courtesy". The data also demonstrated how the MP tool could provide targeted information that can point to future interventions at any one of the patient experience core pillars, namely: process, setting, and employees. This paves the way for another cycle of spiral learning, and consequently, a continuous process of organizational learning and development around service provision. The MP tool can play the role of the catalyst that accelerates the value co-creation process of patient experience by directing management to necessary interventions at the three pillars of patient experience: employees, processes, and setting

O grafite urbano contemporâneo: do Brasil e da Argentina para o mundo

El actual texto insertado en el campo de la Historia Social y perneado por las definiciones de René Armand Dreifuss viene discutir el proceso de la globalización económica y el mundialização cultural del grafite urbano contemporáneo del Brasil y de la Argentina. Nos iremos del hecho de este arte público practicado principalmente por los jóvenes excluidos ser objeto de la consumición de un mercado diversificado y global como: cuadros, decoración de lo exterior y interior de domicilios, de videojogos, de la impresión de la ropa, del tenis y de los accesorios. Los grafites brasileño y argentino poseen de características peculiares la derivación de los respectivos procesos históricos. Por intermedio de los intercambios internacionales de artistas y de la intensa exposición en los periódicos y el Internet tales “marcas” están siendo insertado globales y mundialmente. El análisis usado bajo auspicio de los conceptos de cultura visual de W.J.T. Mitchell y de la cultura global del visualidade de Nicholas Mirzoeff explicitará tales fenómenos.   O presente texto inserido no campo da História Social e permeado pelas definições de René Armand Dreifuss vem discutir o processo de globalização econômica e mundialização cultural do grafite urbano contemporâneo do Brasil e da Argentina. Partiremos do fato desta arte pública praticada majoritariamente por jovens excluídos ser objeto de consumo de um mercado diversificado e global como: telas, decoração exterior e interior de domicílios, videojogos, estampa de roupas, tênis e acessórios. Os grafites brasileiro e argentino possuem características peculiares oriundas dos respectivos processos históricos. Sobretudo, através dos intercâmbios internacionais de artistas e intensa exposição nos jornais e internet tais “marcas” estão sendo inseridas global e mundialmente. A análise empregada sob o auspício dos conceitos de cultura visual de W. J. T. Mitchell e da cultura global da visualidade de Nicholas Mirzoeff explicitará tais fenômenos.