The Aging of Biomedical Research in the United States

In the past 30 years, the average age of biomedical researchers has steadily increased. The average age of an investigator at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) rose from 39 to 51 between 1980 and 2008. The aging of the biomedical workforce was even more apparent when looking at first-time NIH grantees. The average age of a new investigator was 42 in 2008, compared to 36 in 1980. To determine if the rising barriers at NIH for entry in biomedical research might impact innovative ideas and research, we analyzed the research and publications of Nobel Prize winners from 1980 to 2010 to assess the age at which their pioneering research occurred. We established that in the 30-year period, 96 scientists won the Nobel Prize in medicine or chemistry for work related to biomedicine, and that their groundbreaking research was conducted at an average age of 41—one year younger than the average age of a new investigator at NIH. Furthermore, 78% of the Nobel Prize winners conducted their research before the age of 51, the average age of an NIH principal investigator. This suggested that limited access to NIH might inhibit research potential and novel projects, and could impact biomedicine and the next generation scientists in the United States

Randomized trial of acupoints herbal patching in Sanfu Days for asthma in clinical remission stage

published_or_final_versio

Rapid detection of BRCA1/2 recurrent mutations in Chinese breast and ovarian cancer patients with multiplex SNaPshot genotyping panels.

BRCA1/2 mutations are significant risk factors for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC), its mutation frequency in HBOC of Chinese ethnicity is around 9%, in which nearly half are recurrent mutations. In Hong Kong and China, genetic testing and counseling are not as common as in the West. To reduce the barrier of testing, a multiplex SNaPshot genotyping panel that targeted 25 Chinese BRCA1/2 mutation hotspots was developed, and its feasibility was evaluated in a local cohort of 441 breast and 155 ovarian cancer patients. For those who tested negative, they were then subjected to full-gene testing with next-generation sequencing (NGS). BRCA mutation prevalence in this cohort was 8.05% and the yield of the recurrent panel was 3.52%, identifying over 40% of the mutation carriers. Moreover, from 79 Chinese breast cancer cases recruited overseas, 2 recurrent mutations and one novel BRCA2 mutation were detected by the panel and NGS respectively. The developed genotyping panel showed to be an easy-to-perform and more affordable testing tool that can provide important contributions to improve the healthcare of Chinese women with cancer as well as family members that harbor high risk mutations for HBOC

Two Years versus One Year of Tianjiu Therapy in Sanfu Days for Chronic Asthma: A Clinical Efficacy Observation Trial

Background. Tianjiu therapy has established efficacy against chronic asthma with related symptoms or the medication need during asthma attack. This study aimed to explore the optimal duration of Tianjiu therapy for asthma. Methods. This study was a self-comparison-to-the-baseline study, which comparing treatment with Tianjiu therapy for 1 year and 2 years in the same 102 chronic asthma patients. Totally 6 sessions of Tianjiu treatment were provided, 3 sessions in a year as a course of treatment and totally two years treatment. The primary endpoint was the number of asthma related symptoms which frequently appeared in asthma patients and the frequency of bronchodilator used during asthma attack. Results. The frequency of bronchodilator used during asthma attack significantly improved (χ2=46.276, P=0.000). But the number of asthma related symptoms which frequently appeared in asthma patients added by 1.38 points (95% CI, 0.25 to 2.51), 2.93±0.41 in 1-year group and 4.31±0.41 in the 2-years group (P<0.05). Conclusions. The effect of 2 years Tianjiu therapy was not as effective as 1 year such treatment for asthma, but the second year Tianjiu therapy was still needed because it has a role to consolidate the curative effect of Tianjiu therapy for asthma

Effects of a cognitive behavioral self-help program and a computerized structured writing intervention on depressed mood for HIV-infected people:A pilot randomized controlled trial

Objective: The aim of the present study was to examine whether low-resource, cost-effective intervention programs can be effective in improving depressed mood in people with HIV. The efficacy of a cognitive-behavioral self-help program (CBS) and a computerized structured writing intervention (SWI) were tested in a pilot randomized controlled trial. Methods: Participants were members of a patient organization. They completed a pretest and posttest. The questionnaire included the HADS. Participants were randomly allocated to CBS (n=24), SWI (n=25) or a waiting list condition (WLC, n=24). To evaluate changes in the continuous outcome measure, a 3 × 2 (group × time) repeated measures ANCOVA was performed. Also, an ANCOVA was performed using change scores. Results: Respondents who followed the CBS improved significantly compared to the WLC. However, for people in the SWI condition no significant improvement on depression was found. Conclusion: This pilot study suggests that a low-resource, cost-effective CBS program seems to be effective in reducing depressed mood in people living with HIV. Practice implications: Because self-help programs can be delivered through regular mail or the internet, a high number of people could be reached while overcoming geographical and social barriers to treatment. © 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd

Organic and inorganic mineral sources for weanling piglets

A presente pesquisa foi realizada com o objetivo de comparar os efeitos de fontes orgânicas e inorgânicas de microminerais sobre o desempenho, os parâmetros sanguíneos e a deposição de minerais em tecidos e órgãos de leitões desmamados. Foram utilizados 54 leitões de genética comercial, desmamados com idade média de 24 dias e peso médio de 7,35&plusmn;0,88kg, num delineamento experimental de blocos ao acaso, com dois tratamentos, nove repetições e três animais por parcela. Os tratamentos foram representados pelo uso de rações suplementadas com minerais de fontes orgânicas ou inorgânicas (Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn e Se) no período dos 24 aos 57 dias de idade. Foram avaliados o consumo diário de ração, o ganho diário de peso, a conversão alimentar, os parâmetros hematológicos e a deposição de minerais em tecidos e órgãos. As fontes orgânicas de minerais nas rações fornecidas dos 24 aos 57 dias de idade melhoraram o ganho diário de peso (P=0,06) e a conversão alimentar (P=0,05) e aumentaram o número de hemáceas (P=0,10), contudo não influenciaram a deposição de minerais no músculo masseter, fígado, coração, baço e rim. Portanto, o suplemento de minerais de fontes orgânicas foi mais eficiente para o desempenho dos leitões na fase de creche.This research was conducted in order to compare the effects of organic and inorganic sources of mineral sources on performance, blood parameters and deposition of minerals in tissues and organs of nursery piglets. This experiment used 54 piglets from a commercial line, which were weaned at the mean age of 24 days and mean weight of 7.35&plusmn;0,88kg, in a randomized block design with two treatments, nine replicates and three animals per replicate. The treatments consisted of rations supplemented with either organic or inorganic mineral sources (Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn and Se) during the 24 to 57 days old. It was evaluated daily feed intake, daily weight gain, gain ratio, hematological parameters, mineral deposition in tissues and organs. The organic mineral sources fed from 24 to 57 days of age improved daily weight gain (P=0.06) and feed: gain ratio (P=0.05) and also raised red blood cell count (P=0.10); however, no effect was found on mineral deposition in the masseter muscle, liver, heart, spleen or kidneys. Therefore, organics minerals sources increased performance of nursery piglets

Small Angle X-Ray and Neutron Scattering - Its Application to Supramolecular Solutions

Contains reports on seven research projects

CareerMapper: An automated resume evaluation tool

National Research Foundation (NRF) Singapore under its International Research Centres in Singapore Funding Initiativ

Erratum to: Preclinical activity of gefitinib in non-keratinizing nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines and biomarkers of response

published_or_final_versionSpringer Open Choice, 01 Dec 201