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Academic Settings (academic + setting)
Selected AbstractsTraining the Person of the Therapist in an Academic SettingJOURNAL OF MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY, Issue 4 2009Harry J. Aponte Drexel University's Couple and Family Therapy Department recently introduced a formal course on training the person of a therapist. The course is based on Aponte's Person-of-the-Therapist Training Model that up until now has only been applied in private, nonacademic institutes with postgraduate therapists. The model attempts to put into practice a philosophy that views the full person of therapists, and their personal vulnerabilities in particular, as the central tool through which therapists do their work in the context of the client,therapist relationship. This article offers a description of how this model has been tested with a group of volunteer students, and subsequently what had to be considered to formally structure the training into the Drexel curriculum. [source] Writing as Inquiry: Storying the Teaching Self in Writing WorkshopsCURRICULUM INQUIRY, Issue 4 2002Freema Elbaz, Luwisch Recent research demonstrates that the process of telling and writing personal stories is a powerful means of fostering teachers' professional growth (Connelly & Clandinin, 1995; Conle, 1996; Diamond, 1994; Heikkinen, 1998; Kelchtermans, 1993). This article aims to further understanding of writing in the development of teachers' narratives of practice, and to critically examine the potential of the writing workshop as a space where diverse voices can find expression. I take up a narrative perspective, seeing the practice of teaching as constructed when teachers tell and live out particular stories. I examine the autobiographic writing of teachers who participated in a graduate course on autobiography and professional development, drawing on phenomenological (Van Manen, 1990) and narrative methods (Mishler, 1986) and attending to issues of voice (Raymond, Butt, & Townsend, 1992, Brown & Gilligan, 1992) and "restorying" (Clandinin & Connelly, 1996, 1998). The main questions addressed are how do teachers narratively construct their own development and how does the university context, usually construed as a locus of knowledge transmission, function as a framework for the processes of storytelling, reflection, and restorying of experience and for the elaboration by teachers of an internally persuasive discourse (Bakhtin, 1981)? The article describes the experience of the course and the various uses to which participants put autobiographic writing; the range of voices used in the writing is indicated. Three "moments" in the writing process are discussed: describing, storying, and questioning, moments that, taken together, are seen to make up the restorying process. The conclusions point to limitations and possibilities of writing in the academic setting, in particular the place of theory in helping to draw out teachers' voices. [source] Vitiligo in an urban academic setting,INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 1 2010Taraneh Paravar MD Background, Vitiligo is a depigmenting disease of unknown etiology. A more complete understanding of vitiligo and associated conditions will provide better insight into the etiology and potential treatment options for this condition. We sought to gather information regarding associated conditions and other epidemiologic data on vitiligo. Methods, A retrospective chart review was performed of 135 patients with vitiligo seen between July 1, 2002 and June 30, 2005 at an academic medical center. Epidemiologic characteristics were recorded. Results, The patient population consisted of 80 women and 55 men with mean age of presentation of 36.8 years and average disease duration of 5.7 years. Vitiligo vulgaris was the predominant type of vitiligo and hypothyroidism was the most common co-morbidity. Anti-thyroid peroxidase and anti-thyroglobulin antibodies were found in 37% and 18% of patients, respectively. The highest proportion of thyroid abnormalities was found in age of onset category 21,30. Anti-nuclear antibodies were found in 33% of patients. Conclusion, The prevalence of anti-nuclear and anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies was higher in our vitiligo study than that reported elsewhere. In addition, autoimmune thyroid disease may be more common in adult-onset vitiligo. [source] Capacity building: A concept analysis of the term applied to researchINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NURSING PRACTICE, Issue 5 2007Sarah L Condell RGN RM RNT BNS MA Recent policy developments in Ireland have led to a focus on research capacity building as a means of consolidating nurse and midwifery education in the Irish academic setting. This follows similar initiatives in the United Kingdom and Australia. However, sparse literature and a lack of clarity of the term ,research capacity building' leads to some confusion. A concept analysis using Rodgers' framework was conducted. The literature examined included ,grey' literature, policy documents and indexed papers across a range of disciplines, derived from CINAHL/PubMed searches. The concept of research capacity building was deemed to imply a funded, dynamic intervention operationalized through a range of foci and levels to augment ability to achieve objectives in the research field over the long-term, with aspects of social change as an ultimate outcome. This is presented as an interim statement because of the evolutionary nature of the concept and the limitations of the exercise. [source] Reflections of Two Trainees: Person-of-the-Therapist Training for Marriage and Family TherapistsJOURNAL OF MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY, Issue 4 2009Lauren Lutz In this article we share our personal and professional experiences, struggles, and growth, as former trainees of the Person-of-the-Therapist Training pilot study, conducted during our master's coursework in the Couple and Family Therapy Department at Drexel University. We include our perceptions of the training process in vivo, the challenges and benefits of doing this work in an academic setting, case examples to convey our journey of personal discovery, and the use of what we learned about ourselves in our development as therapists. This development includes a deepening of awareness of self in our relationship and work with our clients, a greater ability to work with both our personal assets and vulnerabilities, as well as the acquisition of skills to actively and purposefully use our entire person diagnostically and therapeutically in our work with clients. [source] Attitudes of health sciences faculty members towards interprofessional teamwork and educationMEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 9 2007Vernon R Curran Objectives, Faculty attitudes are believed to be a barrier to successful implementation of interprofessional education (IPE) initiatives within academic health sciences settings. The purpose of this study was to examine specific attributes of faculty members, which might relate to attitudes towards IPE and interprofessional teamwork. Methods, A survey was distributed to all faculty members in the medicine, nursing, pharmacy and social work programmes at our institution. Respondents were asked to rate their attitudes towards interprofessional health care teams, IPE and interprofessional learning in an academic setting using scales adopted from the peer-reviewed literature. Information on the characteristics of the respondents was also collected, including data on gender, prior experience with IPE, age and years of practice experience. Results, A total response rate of 63.0% was achieved. Medicine faculty members reported significantly lower mean scores (P < 0.05) than nursing faculty on attitudes towards IPE, interprofessional teams and interprofessional learning in the academic setting. Female faculty and faculty who reported prior experience in IPE reported significantly higher mean scores (P < 0.05). Neither age, years of practice experience nor experience as a health professional educator appeared to be related to overall attitudinal responses towards IPE or interprofessional teamwork. Conclusions, The findings have implications for both the advancement of IPE within academic institutions and strategies to promote faculty development initiatives. In terms of IPE evaluation, the findings also highlight the importance of measuring baseline attitudinal constructs as part of systematic evaluative activities when introducing new IPE initiatives within academic settings. [source] IUSAM-APdeBA: A higher education institute for psychoanalytic trainingTHE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PSYCHOANALYSIS, Issue 5 2009Hector Ferrari The history of the last century shows the almost constant presence of psychoanalysis in the academic setting and, simultaneously, the incredible absence of analytic training at the universities. This paper outlines the project of the Buenos Aires Psychoanalytic Association (APdeBA) to create a higher education institution of its own (IUSAM) specifically aimed at lodging psychoanalytic training within a university setting. The project was approved by the Argentine educational authorities in 2005 and received the economic support of the International Psychoanalytical Association (IPA). The academic structure of the university is described, whose goal is broadened to the interdisciplinary field of mental health with psychoanalysis as an integrating axis. Some of the characteristics of the traditional ,university model' as well as its relationship with psychoanalysis are pointed out. With the IUSAM, psychoanalytic training is not included as a part of an already established university, it rather creates a new one, with the support of a well-known psychoanalytical association (APdeBA) which endorses its activities and guarantees its identity. IPA's requirements for analytic training (didactic analysis, supervisions and seminars) have been fully preserved in this new context. Finally, some of the advantages and disadvantages of including analytic training into an academic environment are listed. [source] Combined Residency Training in Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine: An Update on Career Outcomes and Job SatisfactionACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 9 2009Chad S. Kessler MD Abstract Objectives:, This study was designed to provide an update on the career outcomes and experiences of graduates of combined emergency medicine-internal medicine (EM-IM) residency programs. Methods:, The graduates of the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) and American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM)-accredited EM-IM residencies from 1998 to 2008 were contacted and asked to complete a survey concerning demographics, board certification, fellowships completed, practice setting, academic affiliation, and perceptions about EM-IM training and careers. Results:, There were 127 respondents of a possible 163 total graduates for a response rate of 78%. Seventy graduates (55%) practice EM only, 47 graduates (37%) practice both EM and IM, and nine graduates (7%) practice IM or an IM subspecialty only. Thirty-one graduates (24%) pursued formal fellowship training in either EM or IM. Graduates spend the majority of their time practicing clinical EM in an urban (72%) and academic (60%) environment. Eighty-seven graduates (69%) spend at least 10% of their time in an academic setting. Most graduates (64%) believe it practical to practice both EM and IM. A total of 112 graduates (88%) would complete EM-IM training again. Conclusions:, Dual training in EM-IM affords a great deal of career opportunities, particularly in academics and clinical practice, in a number of environments. Graduates hold their training in high esteem and would do it again if given the opportunity. [source] Front and Back Covers, Volume 22, Number 3.ANTHROPOLOGY TODAY, Issue 3 2006June 200 Front and back cover caption, volume 22 issue 3 Front & back cover ANTHROPOLOGY AND SOCIAL MEMORY The front cover shows a statue Of General Francisco Franco In the exhibition 'Franco, Listen!', held at the Museum of Vilafranca del Penedčs, Barcelona. The statue was displayed with the aim of stimulating comment, dialogue and action among museum visitors around the time of the 30th anniversary of the dictator's death on 20 November 1975. It was attacked by a group of Catalan pro-independence activists, who poured red paint over Franco's head, invested him with a crown, and hung a sign around his neck reading: 'The Spanish Monarchy is a direct inheritance from Franco - end the hypocrisy.' The back cover shows a formerly unmarked mass grave strewn with floral tributes after a spontaneous ceremony led by relatives of the 46 people killed near Villamayor de los Montes (Burgos), following the exhumation of the bodies in July 2004. In this issue, Francisco Ferrándiz describes the debates taking place in Spain around the exhumation of mass graves from the Civil War (1936-1939). In the last few years the strength of the 'movement for the recovery of historical memory' linked to the exhumations has been such that some on the political right are denouncing the advent of a 'new hegemony of the defeated' that is taking the place of the 'agreement of all' which many believe was the trademark of the Spanish transition to democracy. Proposing that anthropologists visit and address the sites of memory - exhumations, cemeteries, political discourses, laws and commemorations, claims of victimhood, media reports, artistic performances, forensic laboratories, academic meetings and summer schools, historiographical debates, civil associations, historical archives, public and private rituals, narratives of the defeat and old photo albums, to name a few - Ferrándiz encourages anthropology to engage in 'rapid response' research, to diversify fieldwork locations, to modulate research strategies in order to address rapidly evolving problems, to continue visiting the sites of violence, past and present, and to produce the type of knowledge that allows us to participate in substantive ways in social and political debates well beyond our discipline and beyond our academic setting. [source] Psychometric Properties of the Mentor Role Instrument when Used in an Academic Medicine SettingCLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE, Issue 3 2010Terri Collin Dilmore Ph.D. Abstract The Ragins and McFarlin Mentor Role Instrument (RMMRI) was originally developed to measure perceptions of mentoring relationships in research and development organizations. The current study was designed to evaluate the RMMRI's reliability and validity when the instrument was administered to clinical and translational science trainees at an academic medical center. The 33-item RMMRI was administered prospectively to a cohort of 141 trainees at the University of Pittsburgh in 2007,2008. Likert-scale items focused on perceptions of five mentoring roles in the career dimension (sponsor, coach, protector, challenger, and promoter) and six mentoring roles in the psychosocial dimension (friend, social associate, parent, role model, counselor, and acceptor). Outcome items included overall perceptions of mentoring satisfaction and effectiveness. Of 141 trainees, 53% were male, 66% were white, 22% were Asian, and 59% were medical doctors. Mean age was 32 years. Analyses showed strong within-factor inter-item correlations (Pearson Coefficients of 0.57,0.93); strong internal consistency (Cronbach alphas of 0.82,0.97); confirmatory factorial validity, as demonstrated by confirmatory factor analysis of the two mentoring dimensions, 11 mentoring roles, and 33 RMMRI items; and concurrent validity, as demonstrated by strong correlations (Pearson Coefficients of 0.56,0.71) between mentoring dimensions, satisfaction, and effectiveness. This article concludes that the RMMRI shows reliability and validity in capturing the multidimensional nature of mentoring when administered to clinical and translational science trainees in the academic setting. Clin Trans Sci 2010; Volume 3: 104,108 [source] Social embeddedness and job performance of tenured and non-tenured professionalsHUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT JOURNAL, Issue 1 2004Hetty Van Emmerik This study examines how different employment relationships in academic settings, ie tenured versus non-tenured appointments, are associated with different types of job performance efforts. The social embeddedness model contends that employees' efforts to perform well depend on embeddedness in the social environment. Adopting this perspective, we ask what types of embeddedness are likely to improve job performance efforts, namely compliance and contextual performance, under the condition of different employment relationships. Regression analyses on the responses of both tenured and non-tenured faculty members show that employees' efforts to perform well can be explained by social embeddedness. Temporal embeddedness appears to be important in explaining the job performance efforts of tenured faculty members, while, in contrast, network embeddedness seems important in explaining the efforts of nontenured faculty members; and institutional embeddedness explained the efforts of both groups of faculty members. [source] Educating reflective systems developersINFORMATION SYSTEMS JOURNAL, Issue 2 2002Lars Mathiassen Abstract. Systems development research shows that practitioners seldom follow methods and that the competencies required for successful development of computer-based systems go well beyond those represented in contemporary methods. These insights make us question the role that methods should play in educating would-be developers. Pedagogical theories, such as situated learning and double-loop learning, complement these insights. Integrating the two, we argue that students need to complement the simplified accounts that methods express, with reflections on methods-in-use and on development practice in general. We present operationalizations of this idea in two quite different academic settings. Based on a retrospective analysis of our experiences in these settings, and a comparison and evaluation of the two approaches, we propose a number of lessons that can be used to improve the education of would-be developers. [source] A Review and Extension of Current Models of Dynamic CriteriaINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SELECTION AND ASSESSMENT, Issue 3 2000Debra Steele-Johnson An important issue in personnel selection and test validation has been the nature of performance criteria and more specifically the existence of dynamic criteria. There is a continuing debate regarding the extent to which performance and validity coefficients remain stable over time. We examine research within work, laboratory, and academic settings and evaluate existing models of dynamic criteria. Building on previous models, we propose an integrative model of dynamic criteria that identifies important issues for ability and performance constructs and discusses how variables related to the task, job, and organization can affect the temporal stability of criterion performance and the ability-performance relationship. [source] Integrating pediatric hospitalists in the academic health science center: Practice and perceptions in a canadian center,,JOURNAL OF HOSPITAL MEDICINE, Issue 4 2010FRCPC, Sanjay Mahant MD Abstract BACKGROUND: The integration of hospitalists in academic settings has been identified as a challenge to the hospitalist movement. The Division of Pediatric Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, was established in 1981, providing a rich resource to examine this field in the academic context and inform academic program development. OBJECTIVES: To explore the characteristics, practice, perceptions, and contributions of pediatric hospital medicine in an academic health science center (AHSC). METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of physicians attending on the pediatric medicine inpatient unit (PMIU) (n = 20). RESULTS: Clinical activity included attending on the PMIU, consultation and comanagement outside the PMIU, and outpatient care of "hospital intense" patients. There was a high level of engagement in research, education, and quality improvement activities. Perceived advantages to a career as a hospitalist included: working in a team; generalist approach to care; stability relative to community practice; intellectually stimulating and rewarding work; and growing area for scholarship. Perceived disadvantages to a career as a hospitalist included: burnout; recognition and respect; and lack of long-term relationships with patients. Themes regarding barriers to establishing a career as a hospitalist in an AHSC were as follows: burnout; time and skills to develop an academic niche; balance between clinical and academic priorities; and system for career advancement. CONCLUSIONS: The contributions of pediatric hospitalists to the academic mission were diverse. Fellowship training, faculty development, and balance between time allocated to direct patient care and academic pursuits should be defined. This will help ensure career development, viability, and realization of excellence in the academic context. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2010;5:228,233. © 2010 Society of Hospital Medicine. [source] Warfarin for atrial fibrillation in community-based practiseJOURNAL OF THROMBOSIS AND HAEMOSTASIS, Issue 10 2008A. J. ROSE Summary.,Background:,Previous studies of anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation (AF) have predominantly occurred in academic settings or randomized trials, limiting their generalizability.Objective:,To describe the management of patients with AF anticoagulated with warfarin in community-based practise.Methods:,We enrolled 3396 patients from 101 community-based practises in 38 states. Data included demographics, comorbidities, and International Normalized Ratio (INR) values. Outcomes included time in therapeutic INR range (TTR), stroke, and major hemorrhage.Results:,The mean TTR was 66.5%, but varied widely among patients: 37% had TTR above 75%, while 34% had TTR below 60%. The yearly rates of major hemorrhage and stroke were 1.90 per 100 person-years and 1.00 per 100 person-years. Four percent of patients (n = 127) were intentionally targeted to a lower INR, and spent 42.7% of time with an INR below 2.0, compared to 18.8% for patients with a 2.0,3.0 range (P < 0.001). Mean TTR for new warfarin users (57.5%) remained below that of prevalent users through the first six months. Patients with interruptions of warfarin therapy had lower TTR than all others (61.6% vs. 67.2%, P < 0.001), which corrected after deleting low peri-procedural INR values (67.0% vs. 67.4%, P = 0.73).Conclusions:,Anticoagulation control varies widely among patients taking warfarin for AF. TTR is affected by new warfarin use, procedural interruptions, and INR target range. In this community-based cohort of predominantly prevalent warfarin users, rates of hemorrhage and stroke were low. The risk versus benefit of a lower INR target range to offset bleeding risk remains uncertain. [source] Investigating the Relationship Between Vocabulary Knowledge and Academic Reading Performance: An Assessment PerspectiveLANGUAGE LEARNING, Issue 3 2002David D. Qian The present study was conducted in the context of Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) 2000 research to conceptually validate the roles of breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge in reading comprehension in academic settings and to empirically evaluate a test measuring three elements of the depth dimension of vocabulary knowledge, namely, synonymy, polysemy, and collocation. A vocabulary size measure and a TOEFL vocabulary measure were also tested. The study found that the dimension of vocabulary depth is as important as that of vocabulary size in predicting performance on academic reading and that scores on the three vocabulary measures tested are similarly useful in predicting performance on the reading comprehension measure used as the criterion. The study confirms the importance of the vocabulary factor in reading assessment. [source] Attitudes of health sciences faculty members towards interprofessional teamwork and educationMEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 9 2007Vernon R Curran Objectives, Faculty attitudes are believed to be a barrier to successful implementation of interprofessional education (IPE) initiatives within academic health sciences settings. The purpose of this study was to examine specific attributes of faculty members, which might relate to attitudes towards IPE and interprofessional teamwork. Methods, A survey was distributed to all faculty members in the medicine, nursing, pharmacy and social work programmes at our institution. Respondents were asked to rate their attitudes towards interprofessional health care teams, IPE and interprofessional learning in an academic setting using scales adopted from the peer-reviewed literature. Information on the characteristics of the respondents was also collected, including data on gender, prior experience with IPE, age and years of practice experience. Results, A total response rate of 63.0% was achieved. Medicine faculty members reported significantly lower mean scores (P < 0.05) than nursing faculty on attitudes towards IPE, interprofessional teams and interprofessional learning in the academic setting. Female faculty and faculty who reported prior experience in IPE reported significantly higher mean scores (P < 0.05). Neither age, years of practice experience nor experience as a health professional educator appeared to be related to overall attitudinal responses towards IPE or interprofessional teamwork. Conclusions, The findings have implications for both the advancement of IPE within academic institutions and strategies to promote faculty development initiatives. In terms of IPE evaluation, the findings also highlight the importance of measuring baseline attitudinal constructs as part of systematic evaluative activities when introducing new IPE initiatives within academic settings. [source] Teaching with the enemy: Critical adult education in the academyNEW DIRECTIONS FOR ADULT & CONTINUING EDUCATION, Issue 102 2004Ralf St.Clair The author identifies issues facing critical adult educators in academic settings and argues for instructors' and students' active engagement with critique. [source] Moral reasoning among physical therapists: results of the defining issues testPHYSIOTHERAPY RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL, Issue 2 2010Laura Lee Swisher Abstract Background and Purpose.,Although there is extensive literature in other health care fields about the ability to make ethical judgements (moral reasoning), there is a paucity of research addressing the moral reasoning of practising physical therapists. The purposes of this research were to 1) identify the types of moral reasoning used by practising physical therapists as measured by the Defining Issues Test; 2) identify differences in moral reasoning among physical therapists based on educational background, demographic variables, clinical experience, practice setting or expertise in ethics; and 3) compare the moral reasoning of physical therapists with that of other professional groups.,Methods.,The Defining Issues Test of James Rest was used to evaluate moral reasoning. Five hundred thirty-seven physical therapists responded to a mail survey sent to a random sample of 2,000 American Physical Therapy Association members. Twelve physical therapists with expertise in ethics or professionalism completed the same survey.,Results.,The mean postconventional score for the random sample was 41.93. This score was lower than the mean scores of physicians, nurses, medical students, nursing students and dental students established in previous research. Females, ethics experts and those in academic settings had higher postconventional scores.,Conclusions.,Physical therapists scored lower in postconventional moral reasoning than some other professional groups with similar educational background. Factors that may inhibit or enhance the development of moral reasoning among physical therapists and possible consequences of high or low moral reasoning scores in physical therapy require further research. These findings may raise concerns about the entry-level educational curriculum and professional development opportunities in the area of ethics and moral reasoning. Results of this research may also highlight the challenges of evaluation, scholarship and research in physical therapy ethics. Further research and theory development is needed to address the relationships between moral theory and descriptive or empirical research within physical therapy. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The "Best Place" Debate: A Comparison of Graduate Education Programs for Nonprofit ManagersPUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REVIEW, Issue 3 2000Roseanne M. Mirabella This article presents a critical examination of the curricular elements of nonprofit management degree programs in colleges of business, public administration, and social work. What are the major curricular elements in each type of program? How do the curricular elements of these programs compare with generic management degree programs? What are the central challenges facing managers of nonprofit organizations, and how are these challenges addressed in each program? Based on the curricular review, is one setting more favorable for students of nonprofit management? What are the views of stakeholders regarding the "best place" to educate managers? Data collected from focus groups and surveys of stakeholders in each of these academic settings are presented. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of these findings for the future of nonprofit management education in the United States. [source] Mental Health and Emergency Medicine: A Research AgendaACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 11 2009Gregory Luke Larkin MD Abstract The burden of mental illness is profound and growing. Coupled with large gaps in extant psychiatric services, this mental health burden has often forced emergency departments (EDs) to become the de facto primary and acute care provider of mental health care in the United States. An expanded emergency medical and mental health research agenda is required to meet the need for improved education, screening, surveillance, and ED-initiated interventions for mental health problems. As an increasing fraction of undiagnosed and untreated psychiatric patients passes through the revolving doors of U.S. EDs, the opportunities for improving the art and science of acute mental health care have never been greater. These opportunities span macroepidemiologic surveillance research to intervention studies with individual patients. Feasible screening, intervention, and referral programs for mental health patients presenting to general EDs are needed. Additional research is needed to improve the quality of care, including the attitudes, abilities, interests, and virtues of ED providers. Research that optimizes provider education and training can help academic settings validate psychosocial issues as core components and responsibilities of emergency medicine. Transdisciplinary research with federal partners and investigators in neuropsychiatry and related fields can improve the mechanistic understanding of acute mental health problems. To have lasting impact, however, advances in ED mental health care must be translated into real-world policies and sustainable program enhancements to assure the uptake of best practices for ED screening, treatment, and management of mental disorders and psychosocial problems. [source] In this issue: Biotechnology Journal 11/2009BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL, Issue 11 2009Article first published online: 13 NOV 200 Forensic identification on chips Choi and Seo et al., Biotechnol. J. 2009, 4, 1530,1541 Short tandem repeat (STR) analysis can be used for genetic fingerprinting of individuals as it is done for forensic human identification. However, the current state-of-the-art STR genotyping processes and instruments are labor intensive, expensive, time consuming, and lack portability. Micro-total-analysis systems or lab-on-a-chip platforms based on microfabrication technologies have the capability to miniaturize and integrate bioanalysis steps in a single format and have already been successfully applied for forensic STR typing. Researchers from Daejeon, Korea, highlight up-to-date work on advanced microdevices for high-throughput STR genotyping, and a portable integrated microsystem for on-site forensic DNA analysis. Surface plasmon resonance on chips Maynard et al., Biotechnol. J. 2009, 4, 1542,1558 Technologies based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) have allowed rapid, label-free characterization of protein-protein and protein-small molecule interactions. SPR has become the gold standard in industrial and academic settings, in which the interaction between a pair of soluble binding partners is characterized in detail or a library of molecules is screened for binding against a single soluble protein. In spite of these successes, SPR is only beginning to be adapted to the needs of membrane-bound proteins which are promising targets for drug and biomarker development. This team of authors from Austin, Minneapolis and Rochester (all USA) describe current SPR instrumentation and the potential for SPR nanopore arrays to enable quantitative, high-throughput screening of G-protein coupled receptor ligands and applications in cellular biology. Nucleotide immobilization on chips Sethi et al., Biotechnol. J. 2009, 4, 1513,1529 The development of oligonucleotide-based microarrays (biochips) is of major interest in science and biotechnology industry and has applications in a wide range of research areas including genomics, proteomics, computational biology and pharmaceuticals. Especially microarrays have proven to be a unique method for time and cost efficient analysis of thousands of genes at one. Authors from Delhi and Lucknow, India discuss currently used chemical strategies for immobilization of oligonucleotides and put a special emphasis on post-synthetic immobilization on glass surfaces. Recent advances on these synthesis pathways are presented in detail. [source] Surface plasmon resonance for high-throughput ligand screening of membrane-bound proteinsBIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL, Issue 11 2009Jennifer A. Maynard Dr. Abstract Technologies based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) have allowed rapid, label-free characterization of protein-protein and protein-small molecule interactions. SPR has become the gold standard in industrial and academic settings, in which the interaction between a pair of soluble binding partners is characterized in detail or a library of molecules is screened for binding against a single soluble protein. In spite of these successes, SPR is only beginning to be adapted to the needs of membrane-bound proteins which are difficult to study in situ but represent promising targets for drug and biomarker development. Existing technologies, such as BIAcoreTM, have been adapted for membrane protein analysis by building supported lipid layers or capturing lipid vesicles on existing chips. Newer technologies, still in development, will allow membrane proteins to be presented in native or near-native formats. These include SPR nanopore arrays, in which lipid bilayers containing membrane proteins stably span small pores that are addressable from both sides of the bilayer. Here, we discuss current SPR instrumentation and the potential for SPR nanopore arrays to enable quantitative, high-throughput screening of G protein coupled receptor ligands and applications in basic cellular biology. [source] An overview of recent findings of the Stanley Foundation Bipolar Network (Part I)BIPOLAR DISORDERS, Issue 5 2003Robert M Post Aim and Methods: Selected recent findings of the Stanley Foundation Bipolar Network are briefly reviewed and their clinical implications discussed. Results: Daily prospective ratings on the NIMH-LCM indicate a high degree of residual depressive morbidity (three times that of hypomania or mania) despite active psychopharmacological treatment with a variety of modalities including mood stabilizers, antidepressants, and benzodiazepines, as well as antipsychotics as necessary. The rates of switching into brief to full hypomania or mania during the use of antidepressants is described, and new data suggesting the potential utility of continuing antidepressants in the small group of patients showing an initial acute and persistent response is noted. Bipolar patients with a history of major environmental adversities in childhood have a more severe course of illness and an increased incidence of suicide attempts compared with those without. Preliminary open data suggest useful antidepressant effects of the atypical antipsychotic quetiapine, while a double-blind randomized controlled study failed to show efficacy of omega-3 fatty acids (6 g of eicosapentaenoic acid compared with placebo for 4 months) in the treatment of either acute depression or rapid cycling. The high prevalence of overweight and increased incidence of antithyroid antibodies in patients with bipolar illness is highlighted. Conclusions: Together, these findings suggest a very high degree of comorbidity and treatment resistance in outpatients with bipolar illness treated in academic settings and the need to develop not only new treatment approaches, but also much earlier illness recognition, diagnosis, and intervention in an attempt to reverse or prevent this illness burden. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||