Resistance Against Assimilation: The Irony of the Melting Pot

The video on the large, flat-screen T.V. plays and shows a small, brown baby lying helpless in the arms of her mother, concealed in a thick and colorful shawl. Sneeze after sneeze seems to come from the newborn, as the room fills with the strong scent of smoke, the result of a glowing fire set in the middle of the room. The small bell rings and rings until there is ringing in everyone’s ears, the sounds vibrating their skull and very being. The chanting seems to fill the small apartment, and everyone wonders in the back of their minds when the neighbors will come up and give a noise complaint. [excerpt

Integrated and single use continuous manufacturing

Continuous processing for biopharmaceutical production is attracting considerable interest within the industry. The concept of continuous processing is not new and the value of continuous manufacturing has been well documented for decades across the steel, chemicals and food industries. Despite the vast differences between product types, the advantages of continuous over batch production remain consistent and include steady state operation, high volumetric productivity, streamlined process flow and reduced capital costs. Over the past decade, significant investments have already been made with continuous bio-manufacturing development. The need for the biopharmaceutical industry to follow suit is being influenced by a number of business drivers including: accelerated development times for continuously operated steps reducing overall costs maintaining stringent quality/regulatory requirements flexibility to match changing product demands At present, contract manufacturing organisations often need to flexibly accommodate large-, mid- and small-volume drugs (e.g., therapeutic proteins, niche or orphan drugs), preferably within the same manufacturing facilities. Furthermore, the ability to rapidly adjust production capacity to accommodate fluctuating and/or mis-forecasted demands is also needed. In order to ensure that Lonza maintains the required level of flexibility, our vision is to put in place even more flexible production capabilities utilising both continuous and batch processes whilst lowering the risks associated during process execution and process transfers. Over the past decade, we have focussed on developing simplified, efficient and robust mammalian cell culture/purification platform processes. More recent activities have focussed on taking advantage of new and converging single use technologies as well as ensuring that we use state of the art analytical tools at the right time and at the right place in our processes. We are now looking to move one step further by integrating the single use unit operations which will allow for processes to be operated in a continuous mode. This poster will outline Lonza’s approach to establish continuous flexible manufacturing facilities using single use technologies

Systemic lupus erythematosus in pregnancy - intricate, but wieldy

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) predominantly afflicts young women in reproductive age. In this context, it is only rational that pregnancy and its outcome becomes an imperative concern for the lupus patients and their health care providers. Queries regarding the risk of disease flares during pregnancy, chance of fetal loss, and the safety of various drugs are often raised. However the present day availability of effective treatment regimens has meant that many patients achieve protracted remissions and better disease control. Indeed, a high proportion of lupus patients, with professional care, can thus look forward to a successful pregnancy.1 This article reviews the contemporary concepts regarding SLE and pregnancy, especially regarding the fertility rate, optimal timing of conception, risk of disease flares during lupus pregnancy, pregnancy course, fetal outcome, safety of various drugs used for disease control during pregnancy and lactation, and contraceptive advice

Diagnosis and management of obstetric cerebral venous thrombosis: a stringent challenge

 Cerebral venous thrombosis is an uncommon but serious neurologic disorder in young adults with a peculiarly high preponderance for females. Diagnosis is frequently overlooked or deferred due to its subacute or lingering onset and the wide spectrum of clinical symptoms. Headache is the most frequent symptom occurring in up to 95% of all cases. One must consider stroke in all cases of neurological deterioration in pregnancy and puerperium. Imaging plays a primary role in diagnosis with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) having proven to be the best both for diagnosis and follow-up of these women. Current therapeutic measures used include the utilization of anticoagulants such as dose-adjusted intravenous heparin or body weight adjusted subcutaneous low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH), the use of thrombolysis and symptomatic therapy including control of seizures and elevated intracranial pressure. Recurrence in future pregnancy is usually low

Exploring Awareness and Attitude on Plagiarism among Research Scholars: A Case Study of Panjab University, Chandigarh (India)

The purpose of the study is to explore the awareness and attitude on plagiarism among research scholars of Panjab University, Chandigarh (India). A structured questionnaire was designed and distributed among research scholars from various academic disciplines at Panjab University, Chandigarh (India). The survey examines level of awareness and attitudes of respondents on various aspects of plagiarism based on a five point Likert Scale. A total of 152 valid questionnaires were analysed with the help of Excel and SPSS. Results of the study revealed that research scholars were aware about plagiarism issues in academia. “Cut copy paste of text” was top ranked awareness statement with 4.2 ± 1.28 as Mean ± SD value whereas, the lowest awareness (3.42 ± 1.33) was observed with regards to the statement “Collusion is helping someone else to plagiarise”. Overall, the poor attitude was observed among the respondents. Accurate referencing, plagiarism checking before submission of paper or thesis and discussion with guide and fellow researchers were found the top most steps which can be helpful to research scholars in diminishing plagiarism. The survey findings will certainly help university authorities to work out a strong action plan and its implementation to combat prevalent academic plagiarism and related issues

Exploring Awareness and Attitude on Plagiarism among Research Scholars: A Case Study of Panjab University, Chandigarh (India)

The purpose of the study is to explore the awareness and attitude on plagiarism among research scholars of Panjab University, Chandigarh (India). A structured questionnaire was designed and distributed among research scholars from various academic disciplines at Panjab University, Chandigarh (India). The survey examines level of awareness and attitudes of respondents on various aspects of plagiarism based on a five point Likert Scale. A total of 152 valid questionnaires were analysed with the help of Excel and SPSS. Results of the study revealed that research scholars were aware about plagiarism issues in academia. “Cut copy paste of text” was top ranked awareness statement with 4.2 ± 1.28 as Mean ± SD value whereas, the lowest awareness (3.42 ± 1.33) was observed with regards to the statement “Collusion is helping someone else to plagiarise”. Overall, the poor attitude was observed among the respondents. Accurate referencing, plagiarism checking before submission of paper or thesis and discussion with guide and fellow researchers were found the top most steps which can be helpful to research scholars in diminishing plagiarism. The survey findings will certainly help university authorities to work out a strong action plan and its implementation to combat prevalent academic plagiarism and related issues

Framing international trade and chronic disease

There is an emerging evidence base that global trade is linked with the rise of chronic disease in many low and middle-income countries (LMICs). This linkage is associated, in part, with the global diffusion of unhealthy lifestyles and health damaging products posing a particular challenge to countries still facing high burdens of communicable disease. We developed a generic framework which depicts the determinants and pathways connecting global trade with chronic disease. We then applied this framework to three key risk factors for chronic disease: unhealthy diets, alcohol, and tobacco. This led to specific 'product pathways', which can be further refined and used by health policy-makers to engage with their country's trade policy-makers around health impacts of ongoing trade treaty negotiations, and by researchers to continue refining an evidence base on how global trade is affecting patterns of chronic disease. The prevention and treatment of chronic diseases is now rising on global policy agendas, highlighted by the UN Summit on Noncommunicable Diseases (September 2011). Briefs and declarations leading up to this Summit reference the role of globalization and trade in the spread of risk factors for these diseases, but emphasis is placed on interventions to change health behaviours and on voluntary corporate responsibility. The findings summarized in this article imply the need for a more concerted approach to regulate trade-related risk factors and thus more engagement between health and trade policy sectors within and between nations. An explicit recognition of the role of trade policies in the spread of noncommunicable disease risk factors should be a minimum outcome of the September 2011 Summit, with a commitment to ensure that future trade treaties do not increase such risks