Training for the new serialist SILL, L. A
Library resources & technical services,
10/1999, Letnik:
43, Številka:
4
Conference Proceeding, Journal Article
Recenzirano
To succeed in an unfamiliar role, the new serialist needs a plan to guide training and development. In this paper, 1 describe a strategy for creating and following an individualized training plan ...that includes assessing the netv serialist's training needs, identifying training or learning sources that are available, scheduling or prioritizing training activities, identifying support resources for training, and periodically evaluating the success of the training program. An excerpt from such a plan illustrates how to develop your own training strategy.
A unique clinical chemistry analyser is described which processes 90 mul of whole blood (fingerstick or venous) into multiple aliquots of diluted plasma and reports the results of 12 tests in 14 min. ...To perform a panel of tests, the operator applies the unmetered sample directly into a single use, 8 cm diameter plastic rotor which contains the required liquid diluent and dry reagents. Using centrifugal and capillary forces, the rotor meters the required amount of blood, separates the red cells, meters the plasma, meters the diluent, mixes the fluids, distributes the fluid to the reaction cuvettes and mixes the reagents and the diluted plasma in the cuvettes. The instrument monitors the reagent reactions simultaneously using nine wavelengths, calculates the results from the absorbance data, and reports the results.
The β -chemokines RANTES, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α , and MIP-1β suppress infection by macrophage-tropic strains of HIV and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) by binding and ...down-regulating the viral coreceptor, CCR5. Accordingly, we have examined whether higher levels of CCR5 ligands are associated with a more favorable clinical status in AIDS. A cross-sectional study of 100 subjects enrolled in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study at the Baltimore site was conducted to measure chemokine production and lymphocyte proliferation by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Statistical analyses of the data revealed that the production of HIV-suppressive β -chemokines by HIV antigen-stimulated PBMC was significantly higher in HIV-positive subjects without AIDS compared with subjects with clinical AIDS. Increased chemokine production was also correlated with higher proliferative responses to HIV antigens. Both parameters were significantly lower in the AIDS versus non-AIDS group. Notably, significantly higher levels of MIP-1α were also observed with unstimulated PBMC from seronegative subjects at risk for HIV infection released as compared with seropositive and non-Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study seronegative subjects. The association of chemokine production with antigen-induced proliferative responses, more favorable clinical status in HIV infection, as well as with an uninfected status in subjects at risk for infection suggests a positive role for these molecules in controlling the natural course of HIV infection.
Objective. Our objective was to define early virologic and immunologic determinants of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 disease progression among 22 case subjects with acute infection from ...the Trinidad Seroconvertor Cohort. Methods. A linear segmented regression model was fitted to sequential quantitative virus load measurements. Parameters of virus kinetics during different phases of primary infection were correlated with clinical and immunologic end points, by use of Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox regression. Results. Ten individuals developed acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-defining events. In univariate analysis, progression to AIDS was associated with rate of initial HIV clearance ( P = .002), virus load during set point ( P = .008), and CD4+ cell count during steady state ( P = .04). In the multivariate analysis, a rapid rate of initial clearance was the sole independent predictor of subsequent progression to AIDS and was associated with a 92% reduction in the risk of AIDS. The rate of initial clearance is inversely correlated with the number of early symptoms ( r = -0.66; P = .0008). However, symptoms did not predict subsequent risk of AIDS. Conclusion. Among a subset of patients, rapid clearance of plasma HIV-1 after peak viremia is associated with lower viral set point, prolonged virus suppression before loss of virologic control, and decreased risk of AIDS. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that effective immune responses during the earliest phase of infection are important determinants of the subsequent natural history.
Microfluidic thermocyclers for genetic analysis Stern, S.; Brooks, C.; Strachan, M. ...
ITherm 2002. Eighth Intersociety Conference on Thermal and Thermomechanical Phenomena in Electronic Systems (Cat. No.02CH37258),
2002
Conference Proceeding
Improved thermocycler design can increase the efficiency of genetic analysis based on the polymerase chain reaction. In this report, strategies for chip-based microfluidic thermocyclers are ...discussed, and the design and performance of devices employing buffer joule heating for thermocycling are presented. Novel joule heating methods involving transfer of electric current directly into the PCR buffer within microchannels are introduced. These methods utilize in-channel platinum electrodes to transfer AC heating current into the buffer under conditions of minimal oxidation-reduction and water electrolysis. Key features of the approach include, (i) very small, nanoliter-level reaction volumes for decreased reagent consumption, (ii) an integrated reagent accession microcapillary for continuous-flow processing and on-chip, run-time reaction assembly options, (iii) rapid thermocycling for better PCR performance, and (iv) simple and fully integrated reaction buffer heating and temperature sensing provided by buffer joule heating technology.
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