Museum Magazine, Number 68 (2016 Winter)

The issue's feature article, "Afro-Cuban artists: a Renaissance. Manuel Mendive and Eduardo "Choco" Roca Salazar February 23-May 1, 2016," focuses on two of the most celebrated Cuban artists working today. Both men benefited from the educational and cultural initiatives instituted by Fidel Castro following the 1959 Cuban Revolution and receive inspiration from their Afro-Cuban heritage. However, their distinct selections of subject matter and divergent styles underscore the manifold ways revolution and race continue to be interpreted and understood on the island today.From the Director / Alex W. Barker (Director) -- Afro-Cuban artists : a renaissance / Kristin Schwain (Associate Professor, Art History) -- Black American artists : envisioning social change / Alisa Carlson (Curator of European and American Art) -- Recent acquisition : a German Renaissance portrait / Alisa Carlson (Curator of European and American Art) -- Special exhibitions -- Events calendar -- Missouri Folk Arts Program / Lisa Overholser (Guest Author) -- From the Museum Educator / Cathy Callaway (Museum Educator) -- From the Academic Coordinator / Arthur Mehrhoff -- Cleaning an old master / Alex Barker (Director) -- Spotlight : The Moon God Men / Benton Kidd (Curator of Ancient Art) -- Museum Associates / Gary Anger (President, Museum Associates)

Novel associations between CYP2B6 polymorphisms, perioperative methadone metabolism and clinical outcomes in children

Aim: Methadone exhibits significant variability in clinical response. This study explores the genetic influence of variable methadone pharmacokinetics. Methods: This is a prospective study of methadone in children undergoing major surgery. CYP2B6 genotyping, plasma methadone and metabolite levels were obtained. Clinical outcomes include pain scores and postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). Results:CYP2B6 poor metabolizers (*6/*6) had >twofold lower methadone metabolism compared with normal/rapid metabolizers. The incidence of PONV was 4.7× greater with CYP2B6 rs1038376 variant. AG/GG variants of rs2279343 SNP had 2.86-fold higher incidence of PONV compared with the wild variant (AA). Nominal associations between rs10500282, rs11882424, rs4803419 and pain scores were observed. Conclusion: We have described novel associations between CYP2B6 genetic variants and perioperative methadone metabolism, and associations with pain scores and PONV

Pharmacogenomics of methadone: a narrative review of the literature

Background: Methadone, a synthetic opioid with longer duration of action and lower abuse potential compared with morphine, is used to prevent opioid withdrawal, as well as to manage chronic and acute surgical pain. The variability in response to methadone has been widely recognized. The purpose of this article is to review the literature on the pharmacogenetic factors underlying this variability. Materials & methods: This is a narrative overview of the literature on the genetic variants affecting pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of methadone, retrieved from searches of databases such as PubMed and google scholar. Discussion: Clinical responses to methadone may be affected by genetic variants in the opioidergic, dopaminergic and neurotrophic pathways. Polymorphisms in genes related to disposition and elimination of methadone alter the pharmacokinetics, and possibly pharmacodynamics of methadone. Cytochrome P450 enzymes and P-glycoprotein variants contribute to the interindividual variability in methadone pharmacokinetics. Evidence for single gene variants affecting methadone response remains weak. Multiple genetic variants must be considered in conjunction to improve predictive ability. Conclusion: Evidence remains scarce at this time, to recommend pharmacogenetic testing before methadone administration. Well-powered clinical studies are needed with population pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling and multigenetic signature-based predictions to enable tailored use of methadone in clinical practice

Pharmacokinetic modeling of R and S-Methadone and their metabolites to study the effects of various covariates in post-operative children

Methadone is a synthetic opioid used as an analgesic and for the treatment of opioid abuse disorder. The analgesic dose in the pediatric population is not well-defined. The pharmacokinetics (PKs) of methadone is highly variable due to the variability in alpha-1 acid glycoprotein (AAG) and genotypic differences in drug-metabolizing enzymes. Additionally, the R and S enantiomers of methadone have unique PK and pharmacodynamic properties. This study aims to describe the PKs of R and S methadone and its metabolite 2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine (EDDP) in pediatric surgical patients and to identify sources of inter- and intra-individual variability. Children aged 8-17.9 years undergoing orthopedic surgeries received intravenous methadone 0.1 mg/kg intra-operatively followed by oral methadone 0.1 mg/kg postoperatively every 12 h. Pharmacokinetics of R and S methadone and EDDP were determined using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry assays and the data were modeled using nonlinear mixed-effects modeling in NONMEM. R and S methadone PKs were well-described by two-compartment disposition models with first-order absorption and elimination. EDDP metabolites were described by one compartment disposition models with first order elimination. Clearance of both R and S methadone were allometrically scaled by bodyweight. CYP2B6 phenotype was a determinant of the clearance of both the enantiomers in an additive gene model. The intronic CYP3A4 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2246709 was associated with decreased clearance of R and S methadone. Concentrations of AAG and the SNP of AAG rs17650 independently increased the volume of distribution of both the enantiomers. The knowledge of these important covariates will aid in the optimal dosing of methadone in children

Magnetic properties and martensitic transition in annealed Ni50Mn30Al20

We have studied the effect of heat treatment on the magnetic properties and on the martensitic transition of the Ni50Mn30Al20 alloy. A mixed L21+B2 state is obtained in the as-prepared sample, while no L21 order is retained in the sample quenched from high temperature. For the two heat treatments, the samples order antiferromagnetically, but there is evidence of coexisting ferromagnetic interactions. A martensitic transition occurs below the magnetic one for quenched samples. However, the martensitic transition is inhibited in the as-prepared sample