Recently Published Articles
Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) Cytology of Lymphoid Lesions; Definition and the Outcome of the Atypical/suspicious Diagnostic Category: Study of 34 Cases.
Abstract:
Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNA) is increasingly replacing excisional lymph node biopsy in the assessment of various lymphoid lesions. Recent changes in the classification of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, namely the WHO (World Health Organization) Classification of Tumors of Haematopoietic and Lymphoid Tissues has considerably expanded its classification of lymphomas based on the molecular and cytogenetic profiling and immunophenotyping. FNA diagnosis includes varied cytomorphologic diagnostic categories; one of them is the atypical/suspicious. The atypical/suspicious category constitutes about 20 % of all cases studied by FNA cytology. The objective of this study is to determine the definition and the outcome of this unique category. Design: A retrospective analysis of 34 fi...
Effect of Nonionic Surfactants and HPMC F4M on the Development of Formulations of Neuro-EPO as a Neuroprotective Agent
Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of cremophor RH-40 and polysorbate 80 with hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) F4M on the development of formulations of intranasal erythropoietin with low sialic acid content (Neuro-EPO) as a neuroprotective agent. Parameters such as pH, osmolality, apparent viscosity, and protein concentration were controlled for minimizing the differences between formulations. All Neuro-EPO formulations showed similar behaviour in the physicochemistry quality control. However significant differences between formulations were observed in the permanent unilateral ischemia model. The formulations and the vehicles containing cremophor RH-40 showed higher neurotoxicity levels than those containing polysorbate 80 as a nonionic surfactant. Formulations containing HPMC F4M at 0.6% as a bioadhesive polymer showed higher levels of survival and better neurological status than those without the polymer. The formulations with polysorb...
Cognitive Functioning in Adults Aging with HIV: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Cognitive Subtypes and Influential Factors
Abstract:
This cross-sectional study examined cognitive subtypes and influential factors in HIV-positive (HIV+) adults. Two-step cluster analysis was conducted on a neurocognitive test battery in a sample (N = 78) of adults and older adults with HIV ( A two-cluster solution emerged, with a lower performing cluster exhibiting poorer performance across all domains except psychomotor speed, and a “normal” cluster displaying similar performance as the HIV- group. The most influen...
Evaluation of Recruitment Approaches for the HPTN 052 Clinical Trial of HIV Serodiscordant Couples in Rural Western Kenya
Abstract:
Recruitment of couples is important for study success. The multi-centered HPTN 052 clinical trial was designed to evaluate whether immediate versus delayed use of ART by HIV-infected individuals would reduce transmission of HIV to their HIV-uninfected partners. The objective of this study was to retrospectively compare several approaches for community recruitment at our site in Kisumu, Kenya based on a) feedback from recruitment staff, b) associated cost, and c) number of eligible couples enrolled. A secondary objective was to assess the discordant couples’ acceptability of the community recruitment approaches relative to the a) main recruitment venues, b) educational materials, and c) local language best suited for explaining the trial. 241 couples were screened for eligibility using nine recruitment approaches. We compared the approaches used for the 60 couples found to be eligible to those used for the 56 ineligible couples for whom that information was av...
Cardiovascular Risk Factors Among People Being Treated for HIV in Nepal: A Cross-Sectional Study
Abstract:
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and antiretroviral therapy (ART) are found to be strongly associated with cardiovascular diseases. Data are sparse on the prevalence and distribution of cardiovascular risk factors among people being treated for HIV in South Asia region. A cross-sectional study of 103 HIV patients (51 women and 52 men) attending routine follow-up consultations at the largest ART centre in Nepal was conducted. Data on several cardiovascular risk factors were collected through interview questionnaires, biophysical measurements and consulting medical records. The most common cardiovascular risk factors observed were central obesity 34.6% 95% Confidence Interval (CI)...
What Do Primary Care Prediabetes Patients Need? A Baseline Assessment of Patients Engaging in A Technology-Enhanced Lifestyle Intervention.
Abstract:
This study assessed the baseline knowledge, perceptions, attitudes and behaviors of prediabetes patients in order to tailor a new technology-enhanced primary care-based lifestyle modification intervention. Patients with a diagnosis of prediabetes were enrolled in a randomized, controlled pilot study, Avoiding Diabetes Thru Action Plan Targeting (ADAPT), a technology-based intervention to promote action plan discussions around patient-selected behavior change goals. A total of 54 adults (82% female) were enrolled in the pilot study. Most (89%) had comorbid conditions and mean BMI was 36. Participants exhibited significant levels of diabetes risk knowledge and diabetes risk perception, as well as...
Discovery and Quantification in Mass Spectrometry-Based Proteomics
Abstract:
Mass spectrometry (MS) has been successfully used to analyze biological samples and advances of MS-based approaches have turn MS data from largely qualitative to quantitative. These MS-based quantitative approaches using label-free, tags, or stable isotope labeling have their own strengths and limitations. The variability introduced by different methods prior to quantitative mass spectrometry should be considered, and accuracy and precision of MS measurements can also vary depending on the strategy used for MS quantification. Therefore, the development of methods for accurate protein quantitation is one of the most challenging areas of proteomics. Using these quantitative approaches, one can investigate the dynamics of proteome through differential protein expression in normal biological processes and diseases.
Proteome and Proteomics: from Single Protein to Whole Body
Abstract:
A primer explains how proteomics scales from single‑protein analysis to whole‑organism studies, touching on technologies, bioinformatics, and applications.
The Role of FIP-2 (Optineurin) in Regulation of the Chemokines and Kinases
Abstract:
FIP-2 is a multifunctional protein which is involved in various cellular processes. Using different approaches we investigated its regulatory activity. The microarray analysis has shown that FIP-2 substantially altered the expression of 75 genes (35+/40-) from different functional groups with maximal presentation in “Signal transduction” and “Transcription regulation”. Real time RT-PCR indicated significant elevation in the transcription of chemokines, particularly IL-8 (CXCL8). Production of IL-8 in HEK293 cells dramatically increased with FIP-2 overexpression. We also demonstrated that FIP-2 induced activation of IL-8 promoter activity through NF-kB binding site. Additionally, we showed that FIP-2 could interact with PAK3 and increase its kinase activity. Overall, we demonstrated the role of FIP-2 in the regulation of chemokines (IL-8, MPIF-1, MCP-1) and kinases (PAK3, ALK).
Participant Retention in a HIV Prevention Cohort Study in Kisumu, Kenya
Abstract:
Retention of sufficient numbers of participants in longitudinal research studies is a serious methodological concern, as retention influences the validity of the research findings. An assessment of participant retention or attending all study visits was made quarterly during a 12 month follow-up of an HIV incident cohort in Kisumu, Kenya. The study objectives were to determine 1) the proportion of participants attending all study visits and 2) demographic and behavioral factors associated with missing ≥ 1 visit. The Kisumu Incidence Cohort Study (KICoS) was initiated in January 2007 (N=831). Detailed contact information was collected from each participant to enhance retention. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were used to determine factors associated with missing ≥ 1 visit. Overall retention was 90%. Of those enrolled, 46.4% were females. The adjusted odds of missing ≥ 1 study visit were greater for participants who were female (AOR=2.85; CI=1.90-4.28...