The Soils of Texas.

2p

Functional Health Literacy in an Urban Primary Care Clinic

The purpose of this study was to determine the level of functional health literacy in a sample of patients treated in 1of our 5 primary care clinics. A total of 92 randomly selected adults (mean age = 59 years) completed the TOFHLA while waiting for a scheduled appointment. Twenty eight percent of the sample had less than adequate levels of functional health literacy. Income, car ownership and education were significant and independent predictors of literacy level in this sample. Low levels of functional health literacy limit a patient\u27s ability to read, understand and act on health information. It is essential that nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists use relevant cues to assess for illiteracy and modify their methods of providing health information when appropriate

Proteinarray Technology

Bereits in den achtziger Jahren entwickelte Roger Ekins Konzepte über den Einsatz von parallelisierten Microspot-Immunoassays für die Immundiagnostik (Ekins et al., 1989; 1999). Seine theoretischen Betrachtungen und experimentellen Arbeiten zeigten, daß parallelisierte Microspot-Immunoassays als Alternative zu klassischen ELISA-Tests sensitiv und selektiv durchgeführt werden können. Der weltweite Durchbruch der Biochip-Technologie erfolgte jedoch erst in den neunziger Jahren mit der stürmischen Entwicklung der DNA-Chiptechnologie (Nature Genetics Supplement, 'The Chipping Forcast', 1999). Die dafür konzipierten Geräte wie Arrayer und Biochip-Reader erlauben heute die Herstellung von Mikroarrays mit Tausenden von Meßpunkten und den empfindlichen, ortsaufgelösten Nachweis gebundener Zielmoleküle. In der Autoimmundiagnostik bietet die Mikroarraytechnologie enorme Vorteile, da mit geringen Mengen an Patientenserum und geringem Arbeitsaufwand in einem Experimentalle wesentlichen diagnostischen Parameter erfaßt werden können. Unser Ziel am NMI war die Etablierung eines Mikroarray ELISAs mit dem unterschiedliche Autoantigene nicht nur qualitativsondern auch quantitativ zu erfassen sein sollten. Durch Verdünnung, das heißt Verringerung der pro Flächeneinheit immobilisierten Antigene war mit einem einzigen Mikroarray-Experiment ohne aufwändige Serumverdünnung eine Titerbestimmung möglich (Joos et al., 2000). Die entwickelten Mikroarrayassays erlauben den parallelen Nachweis von Autoantikörpern, die bei Autoimmunerkrankungen des rheumatischen Formenkreises, der Thyroiditis und des Insulin abhängigen Diabetes Mellitus beteiligt sind

Propagation of a Solitary Fission Wave

Reaction-diffusion phenomena are encountered in an astonishing array of natural systems. Under the right conditions, self stabilizing reaction waves can arise that will propagate at constant velocity. Numerical studies have shown that fission waves of this type are also possible and that they exhibit soliton like properties. Here, we derive the conditions required for a solitary fission wave to propagate at constant velocity. The results place strict conditions on the shapes of the flux, diffusive, and reactive profiles that would be required for such a phenomenon to persist, and this condition would apply to other reaction diffusion phenomena as well. Numerical simulations are used to confirm the results and show that solitary fission waves fall into a bistable class of reaction diffusion phenomena. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4729927]United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission NRC-38-08-946Mechanical Engineerin

Measuring diversity in multilingual communication

This article develops new indices to measure linguistic diversity. It is new in two respects: firstly, existing indices to measure the probability that in a given multilingual context communication among people speaking different languages can successfully occur are based on the assumption that communication is possible only if at least one single language is shared. This study develops new indices that describe the probability that people with different linguistic repertoires can effectively communicate not only through one common language, but also by relying on their receptive competence in multiple languages, or a mix between the two communication strategies. Secondly, it develops indices to measure the degree of diversity of language policies aimed at providing multilingual communication (through translation and interpretation). The focus, therefore, is on the organisation as collective actors rather than individuals. The indices may be relevant to the study of the political and economic implications of linguistic diversity in multilingual countries, and in the management of diversity in multilingual organisations

The Soils of Texas.

2p

A combined western and bead-based multiplex platform to characterize extracellular vesicles

In regenerative medicine, extracellular vesicles (EVs) are considered as a promising cell-free approach. EVs are lipid bilayer-enclosed vesicles secreted by cells and are key players in intercellular communication. EV-based therapeutic approaches have unique advantages over the use of cell-based therapies, such as a high biological, but low immunogenic and tumorigenic potential. To analyze the purity and biochemical composition of EV preparations, the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) has prepared guidelines recommending the analysis of multiple (EV) markers, as well as proteins coisolated/recovered with EVs. Traditional methods for EV characterization, such as Western blotting, require a relatively high EV sample/protein input for the analysis of one protein. We here evaluate a combined Western and bead-based multiplex platform, called DigiWest, for its ability to detect simultaneously multiple EV markers in an EV-containing sample with inherent low protein input. DigiWest analysis was performed on EVs from various sources and species, including mesenchymal stromal cells, notochordal cells, and milk, from human, pig, and dog. The study established a panel of nine antibodies that can be used as cross-species for the detection of general EV markers and coisolates in accordance with the ISEV guidelines. This optimized panel facilitates the parallel evaluation of EV-containing samples, allowing for a comprehensive characterization and assessment of their purity. The total protein input for marker analysis with DigiWest was 1 μg for all nine antibodies, compared with ∼10 μg protein input required for traditional Western blotting for one antibody. These findings demonstrate the potential of the DigiWest technique for characterizing various types of EVs in the regenerative medicine field

Coordinating Role of RXR alpha in Downregulating Hepatic Detoxification during Inflammation Revealed by Fuzzy-Logic Modeling

During various inflammatory processes circulating cytokines including IL-6, IL-1 beta, and TNF alpha elicit a broad and clinically relevant impairment of hepatic detoxification that is based on the simultaneous downregulation of many drug metabolizing enzymes and transporter genes. To address the question whether a common mechanism is involved we treated human primary hepatocytes with IL-6, the major mediator of the acute phase response in liver, and characterized acute phase and detoxification responses in quantitative gene expression and (phospho-)proteomics data sets. Selective inhibitors were used to disentangle the roles of JAK/STAT, MAPK, and PI3K signaling pathways. A prior knowledge-based fuzzy logic model comprising signal transduction and gene regulation was established and trained with perturbation-derived gene expression data from five hepatocyte donors. Our model suggests a greater role of MAPK/PI3K compared to JAK/STAT with the orphan nuclear receptor RXR alpha playing a central role in mediating transcriptional downregulation. Validation experiments revealed a striking similarity of RXRa gene silencing versus IL-6 induced negative gene regulation (r(s) = 0.79;P<0.0001). These results concur with RXRa functioning as obligatory heterodimerization partner for several nuclear receptors that regulate drug and lipid metabolism