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Patients with thalassemia become iron overloaded from increased absorption of iron, ineffective erythropoiesis, and chronic transfusion. Before effective iron chelation became available, thalassemia major patients died of iron-related cardiac failure in the second decade of life. Initial treatment goals for chelation therapy were aimed at levels of ferritin and liver iron concentrations associated with prevention of adverse cardiac outcomes and avoidance of chelator toxicity. Cardiac deaths were greatly reduced and survival was much longer. Epidemiological data from the general population draw clear associations between increased transferrin saturation (and, by inference, labile iron) and early death, diabetes, and malignant transformation. The rate of cancers now seems to be significantly higher in thalassemia than in the general population. Reduction in iron can reverse many of these complications and reduce the risk of malignancy. As toxicity can result from prolonged exposure to even low levels of excess iron, and survival in thalassemia patients is now many decades, it would seem prudent to refocus attention on prevention of long-term complications of iron overload and to maintain labile iron and total body iron levels within a normal range, if expertise and resources are available to avoid complications of overtreatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study conducted to assess whether the length of the transfusion cycle affects the level of pain and whether pain varies by pretransfusion haemoglobin (Hb) level and reticulocyte count. Topics discussed include non-significant trend towards lower prevalence of pain midway through the transfusion cycle, prevalence of pain correlated with higher, pre-transfusion Hb and length of transfusion cycle, pre-transfusion Hb level and reticulocyte counts.

Flow cytometry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) are commonly used techniques associated with clinical and research applications within the immunology and medical fields. The use of these techniques is becoming increasingly valuable in many life science and engineering disciplines as well. Herein, we report the development and evaluation of a novel half-semester course that focused on introducing undergraduate and graduate students to advance conceptual and technical skills associated with flow cytometry and ELISA, with emphasis on applications, experimental design, and data analysis. This course was offered in the North Carolina State University Biotechnology Program over three semesters and consisted of weekly lectures and laboratories. Students performed and/or analyzed flow cytometry and ELISA in three separate laboratory exercises: (1) identification of transgenic zebrafish hematopoietic cells, (2) analysis of transfection efficiency, and (3) analysis of cytokine production upon lipopolysaccharide stimulation. Student learning outcomes were achieved as demonstrated by multiple means of assessment, including three laboratory reports, a data analysis laboratory practicum, and a cumulative final exam. Further, anonymous student self-assessment revealed increased student confidence in the knowledge and skill sets defined in the learning outcomes. © 2014 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 42(5):382-397, 2014. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intracellular and extracellular communication is conducted through an intricate and interwoven network of signal transduction pathways. The mechanisms for how cells speak with one another are of significant biological importance to both basic and industrial scientists from a number of different disciplines. We have therefore developed and implemented a new laboratory-intensive course that teaches students the theory and techniques used to study cell signaling pathways. Students learn these methodologies as they conduct a hypothesis-driven research project where they elucidate the mechanism of breast cancer cell death caused by a cancer chemotherapeutic agent. While each lab experiment can be conducted independently, the findings build upon one another to form the beginnings of a signaling pathway. In the lecture component of the course, students investigate different signaling pathways and the methods employed to study them. In addition, students actively participate in journal article discussions where they assess the primary scientific literature. We evaluated the course over two semesters and found that in both semesters learning outcomes were met by both undergraduate and graduate students. The evaluation of the course was based on a number of instructor assessments of student work, including lab reports, experimental results, journal article discussions, and a final cumulative exam. Furthermore, students' self-assessments revealed gains in perceived confidence in both conceptual knowledge and technical skills © 2013 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 41(6):419-432, 2013 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Providing students with assignments that focus on critical thinking is an important part of their scientific and intellectual development. However, as class sizes increase, so does the grading burden, prohibiting many faculty from incorporating critical thinking assignments in the classroom. In an effort to continue to provide our students with meaningful critical thinking exercises, we implemented a novel group-centered, problem-based testing scheme. We wanted to assess how performing critical thinking problem sets as group work compares to performing the sets as individual work, in terms of student attitudes and learning outcomes. During two semesters of our recombinant DNA course, students had the same lecture material and similar assessments. In the Fall semester, student learning was assessed by two collaborative take-home exams, followed immediately by individual, closed-book in-class exams on the same content, as well as a final cumulative exam. Student teams on the take-home exams were instructor-assigned, and each team turned in one collaborative exam. In the Spring semester, the control group of students were required to turn in their own individual take-home exams, followed by the in-class exams and final cumulative exam. For the majority of students, learning outcomes were met, regardless of whether they worked in teams. In addition, collaborative learning was favorably received by students and grading was reduced for instructors. These data suggest that group-centered, problem-based learning is a useful model for achievement of student learning outcomes in courses where it would be infeasible to provide feedback on individual critical thinking assignments due to grading volume. © 2013 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 41(4):232-241, 2013 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pain is not a symptom generally associated with thalassaemia. However, providers have noted increasing patient reports of pain, creating an impetus for this prospective, observational assessment of pain in thalassaemia patients. The primary study goals were to assess pain prevalence, severity, location, and potential risk factors. This was a multicentre, prospective study of thalassaemia patients receiving care at 12 Thalassaemia Clinical Research Network sites. Pain was assessed using the Brief Pain Inventory. Two hundred and fifty-two thalassaemia patients ranging in age from 12 to 71 years (mean 28·8) were enrolled. Sixty-four per cent reported experiencing pain during the last 4 weeks, 22% of whom reported pain on a daily basis. Ordinal regression analysis of pain ratings demonstrated significant ( P < 0·001) correlation of increased age with increased pain, irrespective of diagnosis, transfusion status, gender, bone density, chelator type or iron overload. Eighty-one per cent reported having pain for 1 year or longer and 31% reported pain for five or more years. Pain is a major cause of morbidity and an unrecognized problem for patients with thalassaemia. Age is the strongest predictor of frequency and severity. Little else is known about the aetiology and predictors of this pain syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitamin D25-OH and D1-25OH levels were compared with cardiac R2* (1/T2*), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), age, ferritin and liver iron in 24 thalassaemia major patients. Vitamin D25-OH levels were reduced in 13/24 patients while vitamin D1-25OH levels were often elevated. Vitamin D25-OH levels decreased with age ( r2 = 0·48) and with liver iron ( r2 = 0·20). Cardiac R2* was inversely related with the ratio of D25-OH to D1-25OH levels ( r2 = 0·42). LVEF was also proportional to the D25-OH/D1-25OH ratio ( r2 = 0·49). Vitamin D deficiency may be associated with cardiac iron uptake and ventricular dysfunction in thalassaemia major patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A systematic review of the evidence was conducted on the benefits and adverse effects of hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT) for cerebral palsy (CP). Studies of any HBOT regimen in patients with CP were included except for case reports and case series. Electronic databases (e.g. MEDLINE, EMBASE), professional society databases, and reference lists were searched to identify studies. Study quality was assessed using predefined criteria relevant to the study design. Two randomized controlled trials and four observational studies were identified. Best evidence came from a randomized controlled trial which found that HBOT at 1.75 atmospheres (atm) and 1.3atm of room air resulted in similar improvements in motor function (5–6%). Other outcomes also indicated no difference between the HBOT and room air. Observational studies reported improvements in motor function to a similar degree. Other evidence was insufficient to clarify the benefits and/or adverse effects of HBOT for CP. Both HBOT and pressurized room air resulted in improvements in motor function compared with baseline. Similar improvements were seen in the observational studies. Children undergoing HBOT were reported to experience adverse events, including seizures and the need for ear pressure equalization tube placement, but the incidence was unclear. Future research is needed to determine the efficacy of pressurized room air or non-pressurized oxygen in equivalent amounts by mask, compared with standard treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved atypical antipsychotics for use in patients with dementia, they are commonly prescribed in this population. Recent concerns about increased risk of cerebrovascular events and mortality have led to warnings. A systematic review was conducted to assess the benefits and harms of atypical antipsychotics when used in patients with behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. Electronic searches (through March 2005) of the Cochrane Library, Medline, Embase, and PsycINFO were supplemented with hand searches of reference lists, dossiers submitted by pharmaceutical companies, and a review of the FDA Website and industry-sponsored results database. Using predetermined criteria, each study was assessed for inclusion, and data about study design, population, interventions, and outcomes were abstracted. An overall quality rating (good, fair, or poor) was assigned based on internal validity. The evidence for olanzapine and risperidone supports their effectiveness compared with placebo. Short-term adverse events were similar to placebo. Risperidone had no advantage over haloperidol on efficacy measures in the better-quality studies. Risperidone had an advantage over haloperidol on some measures of extrapyramidal symptoms. Evidence for the other atypical antipsychotics is too limited to assess efficacy and safety. Trials were short term and conducted in highly selected populations. The potential for increased risk of cerebrovascular adverse events and mortality is a serious concern. To make judgments about when the benefits of atypical antipsychotics outweigh the potential harms, clinicians need more information. Additional data from existing trials and more-complete reporting of trial results could provide this information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animal cell culture is a core laboratory technique in many molecular biology, developmental biology, and biotechnology laboratories. Cell culture is a relatively old technique that has been sparingly taught at the undergraduate level. The traditional methodology for acquiring cell culture training has been through trial and error, instruction when undertaking the first graduate student position, or instruction when hired for a specific industrial cell culture position. However, cell culture is an important candidate course for any biotechnology-related training program because it is a technique that must be performed by investigators before they perform many molecular procedures, and vertebrate cell culture is becoming increasingly important for biomanufacturing of therapeutic proteins. Therefore, a cell culture techniques course is an important offering for undergraduate students who aspire to graduate training, and also undergraduate students who will seek employment with biotechnology companies immediately after graduation. Recently, a cell culture techniques course was developed and delivered to students at North Carolina State University as a component of an undergraduate Biotechnology minor curricula. Currently, the instructors at North Carolina State University are seeking to provide students with the necessary technical and critical reasoning skills to successfully perform animal cell culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the phase variation of the gonococcal siderophore receptor, FetA. Frequency of phase variation; Number of cytosine residues in a string of cytosines; Evasion of the host immune response.

A letter to the editor is presented concerning a study which analyzes the association between cardiac iron, vitamin D deficiency, and cardiac functions on the mechanisms of thalassemia major (TM) diseases.