A Critical Study of the Library Facilities Provided by the Private Engineering Colleges in Kolkata

Research study encompasses the library facilities provided by the engineering colleges to its stakeholders. To pursue this study, combination of methods was adopted step by step. The survey method was employed to collect the required data. A structured questionnaire was prepared and a sample study has been done for this purpose. Besides these, relevant data are collected from observation of the libraries, annual report of the libraries, etc. Quantitative data collected in this study were analyzed, using descriptive statistics. It also highlights the gaps between available library services and information demand of the users. Basically, the entire paper summarizes different areas associated with the library services, such as, the frequency of library use, type of library material used, standard of library documents, sources used for wanting required information, users’ satisfaction, etc. Finally, it is concluded that the library and information science professionals are to make them relevant by reaching out to users

Synthetic Polymers Provide a Robust Substrate for Functional Neuron Culture

Substrates for neuron culture and implantation are required to be both biocompatible and display surface compositions that support cell attachment, growth, differentiation, and neural activity. Laminin, a naturally occurring extracellular matrix protein is the most widely used substrate for neuron culture and fulfills some of these requirements, however, it is expensive, unstable (compared to synthetic materials), and prone to batch-to-batch variation. This study uses a high-throughput polymer screening approach to identify synthetic polymers that supports the in vitro culture of primary mouse cerebellar neurons. This allows the identification of materials that enable primary cell attachment with high viability even under “serum-free” conditions, with materials that support both primary cells and neural progenitor cell attachment with high levels of neuronal biomarker expression, while promoting progenitor cell maturation to neurons.Biomaterials & Tissue Biomechanic

Id proteins: emerging roles in CNS disease and targets for modifying neural stemcell behavior

Neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) are found in the adult brain and spinal cord, and endogenous or transplanted NSPCs contribute to repair processes and regulate immune responses in the CNS. However, the molecular mechanisms of NSPC survival and integration as well as their fate determination and functionality are still poorly understood. Inhibitor of DNA binding (Id) proteins are increasingly recognized as key determinants of NSPC fate specification. Id proteins act by antagonizing the DNA-binding activity of basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors, and the balance of Id and bHLH proteins determines cell fate decisions in numerous cell types and developmental stages. Id proteins are central in responses to environmental changes, as they occur in CNS injury and disease, and cellular responses in adult NSPCs implicate Id proteins as prime candidates for manipulating stemcell behavior. Here, we outline recent advances in understanding Id protein pleiotropic functions in CNS diseases and propose an integrated view of Id proteins and their promise as potential targets in modifying stemcell behavior to ameliorate CNS disease

Synthetic Polymers Provide a Robust Substrate for Functional Neuron Culture

Substrates for neuron culture and implantation are required to be both biocompatible and display surface compositions that support cell attachment, growth, differentiation, and neural activity. Laminin, a naturally occurring extracellular matrix protein is the most widely used substrate for neuron culture and fulfills some of these requirements, however, it is expensive, unstable (compared to synthetic materials), and prone to batch-to-batch variation. This study uses a high-throughput polymer screening approach to identify synthetic polymers that supports the in vitro culture of primary mouse cerebellar neurons. This allows the identification of materials that enable primary cell attachment with high viability even under “serum-free” conditions, with materials that support both primary cells and neural progenitor cell attachment with high levels of neuronal biomarker expression, while promoting progenitor cell maturation to neurons.</p