FUNCTIONAL AND BIOCHEMICAL CONSEQUENCES OF SINGLE NUCLEOTIDE POLYMORPHISMS IN THE HUMAN VESICULAR MONOAMINE TRANSPORTER 1 GENE (SLC18A1) By Sally Gamal Shukry, B.S.

Abstract FUNCTIONAL AND BIOCHEMICAL CONSEQUENCES OF SINGLE NUCLEOTIDE POLYMORPHISMS IN THE HUMAN VESICULAR MONOAMINE TRANSPORTER 1 GENE (SLC18A1) By Sally Gamal Shukry, B.S. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Biology at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2012 Major Advisor: Jennifer K. Stewart Associate Professor and Graduate Director, Department of Biology Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the human VMAT1 gene (SLC18A1) have been associated with schizophrenia in three different populations: Han Chinese, Western European and Japanese. Effects of these mutations on transport function of the hVMAT1 protein have not been reported. The goal of this study was to investigate functional and biochemical differences in human VMAT1 proteins with a threonine or proline at amino acid position 4 (Thr4Pro) and a serine or threonine at position 98 (Ser98Thr). COS1 cells were transfected with variant SNPs coding for 4Thr/98Ser, 4Pro/98Ser, or 4Thr98Thr. Western blotting demonstrated robust over expression of the genes and no differences in electrophoretic mobility of the proteins. Maximal transport of serotonin by the VMAT1 protein with 4Pro/98Ser was less than that of the 4Thr/98Ser or the 4Thr/98Thr. Response of the 4Pro/Ser98 to the VMAT inhibitor reserpine was lower than that of the 4Thr/98Thr. These findings suggest mechanisms for human VMAT1 links to schizophrenia

A usability study of online library systems: A case of Sultanah Bahiyah Library, Universiti Utara Malaysia

The purpose of this study was to investigate usability of online library systems in Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM). This study evaluated the usability of Sultanah Bahiyah Library’s web based systems by investigating the aspects of simplicity, comfort, user friendliness, control, readability, information adequacy/task match, navigability, recognition, access time, relevancy, consistency and visual presentation. This study examined user’s views about the usability of digital libraries whereas current and perceived importance. A sample of 45 students of Master of Business Administration (MBA) has been chosen. The Sultanah Bahiyah Library’s web based systems is very important especially for students and academic staffs of Universiti Utara Malaysia. The usability of the Library’s web based systems makes students easy to connect and for that the website should be helpful and attractive within good contents. The result found that the parallel nature of the users’ current views about the usability of digital libraries and users’ perceived importance of digital library usability allows direct comparison of all usability properties. The overall results yielded significant difference for the variables of user’s current views and perceived importance

On the production testing of analog and digital circuits

This thesis focuses on the production testing of Analog and Digital circuits. First, it addresses the issue of finding a high coverage minimum test set for the second generation current conveyor as this was not tackled before. The circuit under test is used in active capacitance multipliers, V-I scalar circuits, Biquadratic filters and many other applications. This circuit is often used to implement voltage followers, current followers and voltage to current converters. Five faults are assumed per transistor. It is shown that, to obtain 100% fault coverage, the CCII has to be operated in voltage to current converter mode. Only two test values are required to obtain this fault coverage. Additionally, the thesis focuses on the production testing of Memristor Ratioed Logic (MRL) gates because this was not studied before. MRL is a family that uses memristors along with CMOS inverters to design logic gates. Two-input NAND and NOR gates are investigated using the stuck at fault model for the memristors and the five-fault model for the transistors. It is shown that in order to obtain full coverage for the MRL NAND and NOR gates, two solutions are proposed. The first is the usage of scaled input voltages to prevent the output from falling in the undefined region. The second proposed solution is changing the switching threshold VM of the CMOS inverter. In addition, it is shown that test speed and order should be taken into consideration. It is proven that three ordered test vectors are needed for full coverage in MRL NAND and NOR gates, which is different from the 100% coverage test set in the conventional NAND and NOR CMOS designs

Effect of Combined Stresses on Fiber- Epoxy Composite Curved Pipe

الهدف من هذا البحث هو دراسة سلوك أنبوب منحنى الألياف المركبة من الإيبوكسي تحت الضغط الداخلي وعزم انحناء. يتم استخدام العينات المصنوعة من الألياف الزجاجية المحاكة مع الايبوكسي وبنسبه حجميه مقدارها 50 % لتصنيع الأنابيب المنحنية. يتضمن الجانب العملي تصنيع عينات الانابيب بتقنية سحب الهواء. تم تصنيع العينات بقطر داخلي (100ملم) وزاويه التقوس للأنبوب مقدارها (43 درجه) وسمك (4 و3 ملم). تم ايضا تصميم جهاز اختبار لدراسة تأثير الضغط الداخلي وعزم انحناء على الأنابيب المركبة. كذلك تم إجراء اختبار الشد لجميع العينات. في الجانب النظري تم ايجاد صيغه رياضيه وحساب الاجهاد والانفعال الطولي والمحيطي. من الواضح أن الاجهاد المحيطي للأنابيب المنحنية المركبة من الألياف الزجاج المنسوجة كان أكثر من الإجهاد الطولي بنسبة تقرب من (14٪). كان الضغط الداخلي الأقصى في حالة الضغط الداخلي فقط أكثر بالمقارنة مع الضغط الداخلي جنبا إلى جنب مع عزم الانحناء بنسبه (115٪). تم العثور على أخطر منطقة في القوس الداخلي (التقعر) للأنبوب المنحني.The aim of this research is to study the behavior of fiber epoxy composite curve pipe under internal pressure and bending moment. The specimens made from woven roving (Mat) fiber glass pipes and epoxy composite with 50% volume fraction are used to manufacturing curved pipe. The experimental work included manufacturing pipe specimens by vacuum bag technique. Pipe specimens were having 100mm inner diameter, 450 mm length of curvature center line of curve pipe with (43 degree) and two wall thickness are 4 and 3 mm. The test rig was designed and performed to study the effect of internal pressure and bending moment on the composite pipes. Also, the tensile test of the samples was done. The analytical expression solution has been accomplished to determine the strain, stress, for hoop and longitudinal direction. It is evident that the hoop stress for woven roving fiber composite pipe was more than longitudinal stress by almost (14%). The maximum internal pressure in the case of internal pressure only was more than compared to the combined internal pressure with bending moment by almost (115%). The most dangerous region is found in the inner arc of the curved pipe (intrude) area

The Effect of Brain-Compatible Strategies on Problem Solving Performance of Grade 4 and 5 Lebanese Students

This study investigated the effect of training in Prior Knowledge Activation, Concept Mapping, and Think Aloud, on students’ problem solving performance. The relative effectiveness of the training among high and low achievers was also examined. Participants were 45 students in Grades 4 and 5 in two private schools in Lebanon (25 students experimental group; 20 as control). The experimental group received 3 weeks training, in addition to the regular methods while the control received the regular methods only. Curriculum-based assessments (reading comprehension and math word problem solving) and Raven’s Colored Progressive Matrices, were used to measure problem solving performance. ANCOVA results showed a significant difference in experimental and control groups’ posttest scores, in favor of the experimental group. ANOVA results showed that the mean differences between pre and post test scores of low and high achieving students in the experimental group differed significantly only on math word problem solving measure, in favor of the low achievers. Results are discussed and implications and future recommendations are presented

Assessing knowledge, perception and attitudes about antibiotics among final year pharmacy undergraduates in Sri Lanka

Objective: Anti-microbial resistance has become a global problem especially in developing countries. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of socio-demographic predictors amongst final year pharmacy undergraduates in Sri Lanka on their knowledge, perception and attitudes regarding antibiotic use.Methods: A questionnaire-based study involved final year pharmacy students from four public universities in Sri Lanka. Data on knowledge, attitudes and perception about the appropriate use of antibiotics were analysed. Ethics approval was granted by the university of Ruhuna Sri Lanka.Results: There was good general knowledge of antibiotics (mean=15.57), however, 46% said metronidazole is not an antibiotic, 82% said that the use of antibiotics speed-up the recovery from the common cold. Perception (p=0.033) and attitudes (p=0.028) of respondents from urban area were significantly higher than that of those from rural area.Conclusion: Clinical education for pharmacy undergraduates should have an in-depth focus on the rational of antibiotics use in Sri Lanka

Clinical pharmacy in Galle Sri Lanka, collaboration and friendship

Pharmacy undergraduate courses in Ruhuna, while is more practice focus than many of the other courses in Sri Lanka, it is still missing clinical pharmacy elements. Collaboration between academic staff from Ruhuna University and two international clinical pharmacy academics was established in 2014. The aim of this paper is to report on a clinical pharmacy training program, delivered by the international academics and supported by the Sri Lankan academics to pharmacy students in 2015-2016. After short conceptualisation lecture on each topic, there was a workshop which was structured as team case-based learning progressive case studies. Topics included mental health, pharmacokinetics, interpreting laboratory results, parenteral drug compatibility, special hospital compounding and medication review, of which all were assessed in the final examination. Student found team based learning to be engaging and enabled them to independently and critically think in a safe environment and preferable over the traditional lectures

Effect of Combined Stress on Carbon- Epoxy Composite Curved Pipe

الهدف من هذا البحث هو دراسة سلوك أنبوب منحنى من الألياف الكربون المركبة من الإيبوكسي تحت الضغط الداخلي وعزم انحناء. يتم استخدام العينات المصنوعة من الألياف الكربون المحاكة مع الايبوكسي وبنسبه حجميه مقدارها 50 % لتصنيع الأنابيب المنحنية. يتضمن الجانب العملي تصنيع عينات الانابيب بتقنية سحب الهواء. تم تصنيع العينات بقطر داخلي (100ملم)، (490 ملم) طول القوس الخارجي و (409 ملم) طول القوس الداخلي للأنبوب المنحني وزاويه التقوس للأنبوب مقدارها (43 درجه) وسمك (4 و3 ملم). تم ايضا تصميم جهاز اختبار لدراسة تأثير الضغط الداخلي وعزم انحناء على الأنابيب المركبة. كذلك تم إجراء اختبار الشد لجميع العينات. في الجانب النظري تم ايجاد صيغه رياضيه وحساب الاجهاد والانفعال الطولي والمحيطي. من الواضح أن الاجهاد والانفعال المحيطي للأنابيب المنحنية المركبة من الألياف الكربون المنسوجة كان أكثر من الإجهاد والانفعال الطولي بنسبة تقرب من (13٪) و (18%) على التوالي. كان الضغط الداخلي الأقصى في حالة الضغط الداخلي فقط أكثر بالمقارنة مع الضغط الداخلي جنبا إلى جنب مع عزم الانحناء بنسبه (52%).تم العثور على أخطر منطقة للاجهادات في القوس الداخلي (التقعر) بينما المنطقة الاقل للإجهادات كانت في منطقة القوس الخارجي (التحدب) للأنبوب المنحني.The aim of this research is to study the behavior of carbon epoxy composite curve pipe under internal pressure and bending moment. Two specimens made from woven roving (Mat) carbon fiber composite pipes /epoxy composite with 50% volume fraction are used for manufacturing curved pipe. The experimental work included manufacturing pipe specimens by vacuum bag technique. Pipe specimens were having 100mm inner diameter, 490 mm length of curvature outer arc and 409 mm inner arc of curve pipe with (43 degree) and wall thickness is (4 and 3 mm). The test rig was designed and performed to study the effect of internal pressure and bending moment on the composite pipes. Also, the tensile test of the samples was done. The analytical expression solution has been accomplished to determine the strain, stress, for hoop and longitudinal direction. It is evident that the hoop stress and strain for woven roving carbon composite pipe was more than longitudinal stress and strain by almost (13%) and (18%) respectively. The maximum internal pressure in the case of internal pressure only was more than compared to the internal pressure with bending moment with almost (52%). The most critical region for stresses is found in the inner arc of the curved pipe (intrude) area while the least area for stresses was in the outer arc of the curved pipe (extrude) area

ANTIBIOTICS UTILIZATION PATTERNS AND DIRECT COST IN AN EMERGENCY TREATMENT UNIT IN SRI LANKA

Objective: Anecdotal evidence suggested that antibiotics are frequently used in the Emergency Treatment Units in Sri Lanka, mostly for the respiratory tract, soft tissue or urinary tract infections. This study aimed to describe the utilization patterns of antibiotics in terms of most common type, indication and associated direct cost in ETU at the Teaching Hospital Karapitiya, Sri Lanka. Methods: In this study, utilization patterns and the direct cost of antibiotics in an emergency treatment unit was evaluated by checking the bed-head tickets of all patients admitted to the unit from 1/5/16 to 15/5/16. Out of the 414 bed-head tickets checked 156 patients were receiving antibiotic treatment. Socio-demographic characteristics were analyzed. The prices of antibiotics in SriLankan government hospitals were taken from the hospital medical supply division price list. Data were analyzed by Microsoft Excel™. Results: In this study, 45.5% (out of 156 patients) were aged between 61-80years. The most used antibiotic was amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (18.1%) and clarithromycin (15.5%). Generic antibiotics were used for most patients (95.58%). Fixed-dose combinations were used in 18.5% of cases, including amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and piperacillin/tazobactam. The common indications for prescribing antibiotics were respiratory tract infections (31.2%) and soft tissues injuries (12.1%). Conclusion: This study revealed that there is apparent overuse of antibiotics and reveals that antibiotic stewardship programme could reduce antibiotic use, antibiotic resistance, and cost. Improved understanding of the rationale for antibiotic use would contribute optimising their use. Further studies are needed to establish the extent of sub-optimal prescribing of antibiotics in Sri Lankan hospitals