International Conference on Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine October 17-18, 2016 Chicago, Illinois, USA

Biography:

Ms. Stella Stergiopoulos manages multi-sponsored and grant funded research projects at Tufts CSDD.  She has experience conducting research on pharmaceutical industry practices and trends affecting pharmacovigilance, non-clinical drug development, pharmaceutical outsourcing practices, cycle time metrics, resource management, and protocol design.  She has also been a speaker at conferences and has published articles in peer-reviewed and trade journals.  Prior to joining Tufts CSDD, Ms. Stergiopoulos was a research associate at The Brattle Group and a researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Abstract:

With many biopharmaceutical companies looking to become more efficient practices behind translating basic research into human tests, more emphasis is being placed on more efficient non-clinical drug development.  However, there is little data characterizing the non-clinical development process.  In response, the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development (Tufts CSDD) organized a working group with seven companies to assess all processes involved in non-clinical to early phase I research.  The seven companies provided duration data for key non-clinical and early phase I milestones.  Tufts CSDD aggregated the data, mapped the non-clinical and early phase 1 process, and conducted benchmark duration analyses.  Results show that on average a company takes 151.4 weeks to get from First Synthesis to First Patient (Subject) / First Dose.  Biopharma companies have similar duration data at the aggregate level but not at the individual process level and so can make more informed management decisions and identify opportunities to streamline key activities within non-clinical and phase I development.

Biography:

Assistant Professor Ilker Ilhanlı has graduated from Ondokuz Mayıs University School of Medicine in 2004 and has joined the Giresun University (Turkey) in 2011 and established the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. He has authored/co-authored more than 50 scientific publications and has been part of many program committees and organization bodies (journals and conferences). He has international books about cultural adaptation studies and vibration at workplace. There are many citations for his research works. He is the vice president of Internal Medicine Sciences, vice director of Traditional and Complementary Medicine Research Center, and Institute of Health Sciences. 

Abstract:

In recent years usage of the Tumor necrosis alpha blockers (Anti-TNFα) in rheumatologic diseases has been increased and their efficacy has been proved. Etanercept is a fusion protein resembling TNF receptors type-II, which acts by blocking circulating TNF and lymphotoxin-a. It is approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, moderate to severe plaque psoriasis and severely active polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis in children aged 2 years and older. While the importance of these drugs is folding up, some questions are appearing in the minds, like whether they lead or facilitate the malign process. Thyroid cancer is the most common malignant tumor of the endocrine system. The incidence of thyroid cancers is increasing worldwide. Some somatic oncogene mutations (BRAF, NRAS, HRAS, KRAS) as well as gene translocations (RET/PTC, PAX8/PPAR-gamma) have been associated with the development of thyroid cancer. The most frequent type of thyroid malignancy is papillary carcinoma. Here we reported a 52 years old female patient who was diagnosed as papillary thyroid carcinoma while she was using etanercept for psoriatic arthritis.

Biography:

Humphrey B.Osadolor completed his PhD at the age of 39 years from the University of Benin,Nigeria and never had the opportunity of postdoctoral studies due to inability of my supervisor to secure a place abroad. He is currently the Assistant Dean,School of Basic Medical Sciences,University of Benin.He has published more than 50 papers in reputable journals and has been serving as an editorial board member of 3 reputable journals.

Abstract:

Kutchalli drilling waste-pit materials in Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) exploration sites in Borno State was evaluated for systemic toxicity to inhabitants (man, animals and plants) via food chain. This is of particular interest because currently, waste pit manuals generated from exploration activities are not properly disposed of and therefore usually get washed away into various water bodies and arable farmlands through leaching sometimes. Plants and animals under these environmental conditions are used for food by man. In view of this fear, environmental impact assessment studies to ascertain the health risks to both plants (groundnut) and animals (New Zealand Rabbits) were carried out in this research study.The waste pit materials (soils) physico-chemical properties was determined. Phvtochemistry and seedling evaluation were assessed for the produce (groundnut) grown in the different kutchalli experimental waste pit material (KWPM). The produce in combination with guinea feed (growers' mash BFFM Ewu) were used to compound the feed regime and administered orally to New Zealand inbred rabbits. At the end of the analysis, the following results were obtained, the control (group 1) soil had plant height of 27 cm ± 0.2. leaf area 2.8cm² ± 0.3 while those grown in KWPM had plant height of 25cm ± 0.2, leaf area of 2.3cm² ± 0.1 and 23cm ± 0.3 and 1.6cm² ± 0.2 respectively. The relative dry matter yield for control plant was 9.7% while those of KWPM were 11.5% and 13.6% respectively. Heavy metals in the KWPM exceeded the rackground level by over 6times for Cd. 4 times for Cu, 3 times for Pb. 4 times for Mn (P <0.05). At the end of each specified period, the rabbits were sacrificed and the blood (plasma), liver, kidney, and heart were obtained for biochemical .and histopathological evaluation

Biography:

Maria Dolores Sofia works as a hospital doctor at the Laboratory Clinical Chemistry and Microbiology  of  AOU in Cagliari, ITALY where She follows in particular areas of Hematology and Coagulation. He has participated in numerous conferences as a speaker, he has published several works and contributed to the activities of Italian scientific societies in the medical lab.

Abstract:

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), though simple and nonspecific, is still the most widely used laboratory test for monitoring the course of infection, inflammatory diseases and some types of cancer. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of VES-Matic Cube 80, automated analyzer (DIESSE Diagnostica Senese, Siena, Italy) with the traditional manual method with sodium citrate as anticoagulant.

Methods: Both methods were applied to 357 randomly selected samples from inpatients and outpatients admitted between February and April 2011. Correlation coefficient, linear regression, paired Student’s t test and Bland-Altman method were examined to compare the accuracy between automated and manual method. Precision was evaluated in randomly selected subsamples for the following ESR ranges (10 samples each): low (≤20 mm), intermediate (21 to 40 mm) and high (>40 mm). In the latter case, five replications for each sample were performed with one-hour interval between measurements.Means, SD, 95% CI,CV and Bland-Altman analysis  were taken into account.

Results: Results with both methods were significantly correlated (r = 0.91; P < 0.001 ). Bland-Altman analysis showed a systematic bias (-5.89 mm) with 95% CI of 17.2 to –29.05 . Results were highly replicable up to the 5^th measurement with VES-Matic  but not with the manual method .

Conclusions: Accuracy and precision with VES-Matic  were significantly better than with manual method. Ascolta Trascrizione fonetica Bland-Altman analysis revealed a wide degree of scattering between results obtained with the two ESR techniques, which was not clearly demonstrated using the linear regression analysis. Repeatability of results over time was significantly better with VES-Matic.

Biography:

Dr. Michele Ghidini received his medical degree from Vita Salute San Raffaele University in Milan and got the specialization in Medical Oncology from the University of Milan. He is a medical oncologist based in Cremona, Italy. His main activity is focused on clinical and translational research in gastric, colorectal and pancreatic cancer. He’s author of 7 reviewed articles indexed in Pubmed. He’s author of many abstracts presented at national and international oncological meetings.

Abstract:

KRAS mutant colorectal cancer (CRC) patients develop lung and brain metastases more frequently than KRAS wild-type (WT) counterpart. We retrospectively investigated the prognostic role of KRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA (exon 20) mutations and loss of PTEN in surgically resected lung metastases. Lung specimens from 75 metastatic CRC (mCRC) patients treated with one or more metastasectomies were analyzed.

Sixty-four percent of patients had KRAS WT lung metastases. PTEN loss-of- function was found in 75%. BRAF and PIK3CA exon 20 mutations were not found. Seven patients developed brain metastases and 43% of them had KRAS mutation. In univariate analysis, median overall survival (OS) for KRAS WT patients was longer compared to KRAS mutant patients (median 60.9 vs. 36.6 months, P = 0.035). In addition, both progression-free survival (PFS) and lung disease-free survival (LDFS) between lung surgery and relapse were not associated with KRAS and PTEN status. In multivariate analysis, the risk of death was significantly increased by KRAS mutational status (OS Hazard ratio (HR) 2.17, 95% IC 1.19–3.96, P = 0.012) and lack of adjuvant chemotherapy (OS HR 0.10, 95% IC 0.01–0.74, P = 0.024). The proportion of KRAS mutations in lung metastases was similar to the expected proportion in primary tumors.

Patients harboring KRAS mutation had a poorer survival rate compared to WT group. Moreover, administration of adjuvant chemotherapy after lung metastasectomy (LM) significantly improved both PFS and OS. KRAS mutation is a negative prognostic factor in mCRC patients undergoing LM. Further studies are necessary to confirm these findings.

Biography:

Emiel Janssen studied medical biology at the University of Amsterdam. He started his career at the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam working on neurogenetics. In 2001 he moved to the department of pathology at the Stavanger University Hospital. He received his PhD in 2007 at the University in Bergen and is currently the head of the unit for quantitative and molecular pathology, daily manager of the laboratory for molecular biology and he is also head of the research group from the department of pathology. Since 2015 he is professor in Biomedicine at the University of Stavanger. 

Abstract:

Endocrine therapy, via tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitor, is a key treatment strategy to control and eradicate breast cancer. However, resistance to endocrine therapy leads to breast cancer relapse. The recent extension of adjuvant tamoxifen treatment up to 10 years actualizes the need for monitoring breast cancer development during treatment. MicroRNAs are promising biomarkers that may fill the gap between preclinical knowledge and clinical observations regarding endocrine resistance. MicroRNAs regulate gene expression by posttranscriptional repression or degradation of mRNA, most often leading to gene silencing. MicroRNAs have been identified directly in the primary tumour, but also in the circulation of breast cancer patients. The few available studies investigating microRNA in patients suggest that seven microRNAs (miR-10a, miR-26, miR-30c, miR-126a, miR-210, miR-342 and miR-519a) play a role in tamoxifen resistance. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) reveals that these seven microRNAs interact more readily with oestrogen receptor (ER) independent pathways than ER-related signalling pathways. Some of these pathways are targetable (e.g. PIK3A) suggesting that microRNAs as biomarkers of endocrine resistance may have clinical value. Validation of the role of these candidate microRNAs in large prospective studies is warranted. Currently a microRNA profiling study has been performed in ER-pos breast cancer patients with and without recurrences under tamoxifen treatment. Results from the literature and the profiling studies will be compared with each other.

Biography:

Yogini completed her Ph.D. in Applied Biology (Liver Disease in Hemophilia and Thalessamia with special reference to HIV AND HBsAg),NABL Internal auditor Certification. - GOI India –Jaipur,ICH GCP Certification-Pharmacy college Mum. University. Lead Assessor Course certification NABH-GOI,Assessor for Blood bank accreditation for NABH ,Joint Director Blood Safety and Quality Assurance-MDACS Oct2009-Dec 2010,Quality Manager NACO Blood Safety – Feb-May 2009 (Annual Action Plan& compilation of the stand alone blood bank report for GOI   )

Abstract:

Critical shortage of platelets in the city has lead to preferential transfusion of platelets. 600 patients were tested for NS1, screened for platelets count, mean platelet volume (MPV), IGG and IGM.

A significant difference in Chi Sq (p < 0.05) value was observed in patients with low platelet count, high MPV, not associated with overt bleeding as compared with patients with low platelet count, normal mean platelet volume and overt bleeding.

A regular follow up of platelet count test at six hourly interval revealed that the crisis period for an active dengue patient persists only for “twenty four hours”, and it can be easily overcome with simple intravenous (IV) saline transfusion for flushing and/or oral hydration.  

Based on clinical diagnosis of overt bleeding, the decisions on platelet transfusion can be taken. As a result, we can avoid transfusion in around 60% of patients who are tested positive for NS1 dengue parameters and thereby overcoming the platelet shortage in management of dengue in India.

Biography:

Sandhya is currently working as Professor& Head of the Post Graduate department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, College of Dentistry, Indore. She is a past Member of review committee of journal of Indian Orthodontic Society and also of editorial board of journal of Pierre Fauchard academy.

Abstract:

Growth of the craniofacial complex in both magnitude and direction has long been regarded as a key factor for successful orthodontic treatment.  Accurate assessment for prediction of future facial growth assists orthodontist in formulating proper treatment plan to achieve the best possible result and long-term stability. Among the various growth indicators skeletal age is considered as the most reliable method as it is closely related to physical growth. Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is one of the main mediators of the actionsof growth hormone in promoting muscular and skeletal growth. The study was conducted on 45 male subjects who were at skeletal maturation stage CS-3, CS-4, and CS-5. Serum IGF-1 levels were estimated from blood samples using chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) method. Highly significant different levels of IGF were found between all cervical stages and post hoc analysis revealed no statistical significant difference in CS-3 and CS-4 therefore, the subjects at CS-3 and CS-4 were combined. New upper and lower bound limits of IGF-1 levels were obtained which were 310 and 360 ng /ml, thus a cut off value of 310ng/ml for various treatment options was derived. So a new combined classification of cervical staging and IGF is proposed for optimizing orthodontic treatment timing.

Biography:

Zhang Chaojie is the Director of department of thyroid surgery, Vice-director of department of breast & thyroid surgery, professor of surgery, Editorial board of "Philosophy and medicine" Journal of clinical decision making forum edition, Member of China Cancer Society, CSCO member, Director of Hunan Provincial Association of young physicians, recommended doctor of Cancer science network. He has published more than 20 papers in reputed journals.

Abstract:

Background: The incidence of the parathyroid injury in differentiated thyroid carcinoma(DTC) underwent the reoperation was significantly higher than initial surgery. The aimof this study is to investigate the clinical value of carbon nanoparticles (CN) as tracersfor lymph nodes to guide cervical lymph node dissection and protect the parathyroid in the reoperation of DTC.
Methods:The study recruited 116 patients with DTCs who previously underwentthyroidectomy and later received the remedial surgical treatment at the Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, China, between February 2011 and February 2014.Those patients were randomly divided into the experimental group (the CN group) with 64 cases and the control group with 52 cases.Carbon nanoparticles suspension (CNS) of 0.1 mL to 0.3 mL was intraoperatively injected into the residual thyroid, and/or enlarged lymph nodes in the CN group, and in the control group CNS was not applied intraoperatively. The differences of parathyroid identified, the number of lymph nodes resected intraoperatively as well as the incidence of common complications after thyroidectomy in both groups were recorded and analyzed.
Results: The identification accuracy of the parathyroid in the CN group and control group were 92.2% and 28.8%, respectively, and the identification rate of the three glands or above in both groups were 75% and 36.5%, respectively, those differences were statistically significant between the two groups(P＜0.05). And there was also significant difference between the two groups in the number of the lymph nodes removed in the central and lateral cervical compartments (P＜0.05). There was no increase in the common complications after the second surgery compared with the previous surgery; in addition, there was a decline in the incidence of transient hypoparathyroidism (HPT) (P＜0.05).
Conclusions: By tracing of the thyroid and cervical regional lymph nodes with carbonnanoparticles, parathyroid glands can easily be identified and protected to reducecomplications of transient hypoparathyroidism in the reoperation for residual and/or missed DTC; carbon nanoparticle tracers also facilitate radical resection of lymph nodes at central and lateral compartments of neck.

Biography:

Morgan Recher is a Paediatric Cardiologist and work in the Intensive Care Unit (paediatric and neonatal). He has a 3 year-experience in Paediatric Cardiology, cardiac catheterisation, and general cardiology. 
 

Abstract:

Infantile haemangioma (IH) is a very common vascular tumour that affects up to 10% of newborns. Since 2008, oral propranolol is used to treat complicated IH, like haemangioma that obstruct vital structures or ulcerated haemangioma.

The aim of this study was to investigate, the therapeutic results and effects of propranolol on cardiovascular and biological parameters in infants  to assess its safety.

All paediatric patients with complicated IH who started systemic propranolol from February 2009 to December 2014 were included. 218 patients (155 girls and 63 boys) were treated by propranolol. Median age at beginning of treatment was 4.7 months (10 days to 6 years). The most frequent localisation of IH was facial (63 patients), palpebral (52 patients), perineal (20 patients), labial (14 patients), airway obstruction (8 patients) and 1 PHACE syndrome. Median length of therapy was 7.5 months for facial IH, 6 months for palpebral, 5.6 months for perineal IH and 7 months for subglottic localisation. Adverse events were observed: hypoglycaemia (n = 11 patients aged less 6 months), arterial hypotension (n = 103 patients, especially at the second and third dose with dose titration), bradycardia (n = 120). Transthoracic echocardiography was realised in 158 patients: 19 pathologies was found (8 PDA, 4 ASD, 4 mitral regurgitations, 2 VSD, 1 coarctation). Other adverse events occurred in 49 patients (wheezing, acrocyanosis, diarrhoea, sleep disturbance) leading to modification in management. Complete response was observed for all but 11 (partial or no response). We must be aware of frequent adverse events under beta-blocker in these patients. 

Biography:

Jean-Etienne Fabre has completed his MD at University of Poitiers, France, is board-certified in cardiology (Poitiers) and ICU (Paris). He completed his PhD at Paris University (René Descartes University), went to Boston and Chapel Hill (University of North Carolina) for his post-doctoral studies. His main interests have been angiogenesis (in Jeff Isner’s team, Boston), and inflammation (with BH Koller, UNC). He leads now a research team at LVTS, Paris, Hôpital Bichat, focusing on the links between atherosclerosis and thrombosis. He has published more than 20 papers, some in reputed journals.

Abstract:

The prostanoid E2 (PGE2) modulates the aggregative response of platelets to their conventional agonists such as ADP, TXA2, thrombin or collagen. Through the activation of its receptor EP3, PGE2 sensitizes platelets to their agonists but also inhibits them through its two other receptors, EP2 and EP4. The result of these opposed actions is the EP3-mediated potentiation of platelet aggregation and the in vivo aggravation of murine atherothrombosis. Since the pathway PGE2/EP3 is not involved in murine hemostasis, we propose a “platelet EP3 paradigm” to describe this apparently paradoxical association between the facilitating impact on atherothrombosis and the unaltered hemostasis. Consistent with this paradigm, a drug blocking EP3 dramatically decreased atherothrombosis without inducing bleeding in mice.

In humans, several studies did not agree on the effect of PGE2 on platelets. Reinterpreting these data with the notion of “potentiation window” and taking the platelet initial cAMP level into account reconciled these inconsistent results. Thereby, the in vitro potentiating effect of PGE2 on human platelets becomes clear. In addition, the EP3 blocking drug abrogated the potentiating effect of PGE2 in whole human blood but did not prolong bleeding times in volunteers. Thus, the murine “platelet EP3 paradigm” would apply to humans if the aggravating role of PGE2 on atherothrombosis is shown in patients. Testing an EP3 blocker in a phase III trial would be of very high interest to fulfil the unmet medical need which is to control atherothrombosis without impacting hemostasis and thus to improve the prevention of myocardial infarction

Biography:

Dr. Zhang zhigong is the vice director of cardio-thoracic surgery department of Hunan Provincial people’s hospital,  President of English Association of Hunan Provincial People’s hospital , vice president of Youth Academic Committee of the hospital and have published several papers on reputed journals.

Abstract:

With the vast and fast building constructional speed in China, more constructional workers are accidentally hurt in the building field. With some multiple fractures on multiple ribs, the consequence of flail chest will show some pathophysiological effects on respiratory function on the rib fracture patients. 

One of the pre-operation preparations for the surgical rib fixation procedure is to as possible as accurately to locate the place of rib fractures. As to the obesity patient with flail chest, with the soft chest wall and abnormal rib anatomy, sometimes it is difficulty to locate the exact positions of the rib fractures.

With the development and cost reduction of three dimensional printing, we make a pilot study of the three dimensional printing in the surgical rib fixation for these obesity patients with flail chest.

Before the operation we utilized high resolution CT scan to get 2mm layer DICOM data about the chest rib fractures, then use software to reconstruct the two dimensional data into three dimensional STL files and printing the models with some chemical material with three dimensional printers.

The three dimensional printing models working as “sand table”, are effective in more accurately locate the rib fractures, shorter incisions, less operation time and blood loss.

We can expect the rapid prototyping of three dimensional printing is a cheap and convenient method to make “sand table” to more effective and accurately navigate in the procedure of rib fixation of obesity flail chest patients.

Biography:

Babak Daneshfard received his PhD from Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS). He has published more than 10 papers in reputed journals and has been serving as a reviewer of CAM journals. He is also an expert in Mind-Body Medicine.

Abstract:

Neutropenia is a blood disorder defined by a decrease in the absolute neutrophilic count (ANC) below the normal range. As a common complication of chemotherapy, it is associated with susceptibility to serious bacterial and fungal infections which could be life threatening. Matricaria chamomilla (Asteraceae), also called Baboone Shirazi in Traditional Persian Medicine (TPM) literature, is a globally used medicinal herb with a wide range of applications. Apigenin as one of the main components of chamomile is an anti-inflammatory agent which suppresses prostaglandin E2. Moreover, it plays an anxiolytic role by reducing GABA-activated chloride currents. Apigenin has also shown anti-cancer effects in human cell lines making chamomile a safe affordable anti-cancer agent. Results of a pilot controlled clinical trials on pediatric ALL patients with chemotherapy induced neutropena revealed a significant increase in the number of white blood cells and neutrophils following 10 days consumption of chamomile oral drop. Such a beneficial complementary therapy would naturally decreases the need for Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor (GCSF) and its related complications in these patients.

Biography:

Robert E. Smith received his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Missouri – Kansas City and did postdoctoral work at the ETH-Zürich. He is currently an adjunct assistant professor at park University and a contract science advisor for the FDA. He has published five books, nine chapters in four other books, seven FDA Laboratory Information Bulletins (LIBs), two editorials as a guest editor for special issues of journals and 96 journal articles. His current research interests are in identifying and analyzing neurotoxic fruits in the Annonaceae family (including graviola) and potentially toxic dietary supplements.

Abstract:

Modern medicinal and pharmaceutical sciences have become a fusion of traditional and western medicine. It is a fusion of the best of reductionist and systems thinking. That is, the reductionist thinking that is used in math, physics and engineering is being combined with systems theory to develop new drugs. Statistics, bioinformatics, graph theory and 3-D printing are used to study cellular and metabolic networks and provide personalized health care. Systems thinking is an integral part of predictive, preventive, personalized and participatory (P4) medicine. It takes not just a holistic but also a quantitative and mathematical approach to practicing medicine. Traditional remedies are being analyzed to find natural sources of drugs. The Nobel Prize in medicine was awarded to the scientist who found the active ingredient artemisinin in quinghao (Artemisia annua) that is has been the first line therapy for treating malaria for years. Also, exenatide from the saliva of a venomous Gila monster has become a blockbuster drug for type-2 diabetes. Allosteric and allo-network drugs are being developed that have multiple therapeutic targets. The FDA has a Critical Path Initiative for modernizing drug development. It incorporates recent scientific advances into the process of developing new drugs and medical. These efforts are ushering in a new era of personalized health care that will be able to prevent, diagnose and properly treat diseases with the help of patients and their care givers. 

Biography:

Kate Zhang has completed her PhD from Queen’s University, Ontario, Canada and postdoctoral studies from National Institute of Health, Bethesda, Maryland. She is the Senior Director of Biopharmaceutical Development at Sanofi Genzyme. She has published more than 40 papers in peer-reviewed journals, two book chapters and multiple patents.

Abstract:

A unique monophasic extraction system coupled with LC/MS/MS to reduce matrix effects for sphingolipid analysis was developed. A solvent mixture of methanol, acetonitrile, and water was identified to simultaneously extract multiple sphingolipids with broad polarity range. To reduce matrix effects, the targeted sphingolipids were analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). The extraction solvent was used as an isocratic mobile phase in chromatographic separation to eliminate solvent exchange steps and enable high-throughput multiple lipid assay. The assay is linear for ceramide from 0.6 to 9 µg/mL with bias <15%. The intra assay coefficient of variation is less than 10% for concentrations from 1.2 to 9 µg/mL, and less than 25% for concentrations below 1.2 µg/mL. For glucosylceramide and ceramide trihexoside the linear range is 0.05 to 3 µg/mL with biases <10% and <20%, respectively. The intra assay coefficient of variation for these analytes is less than 10% at concentrations from 0.4 to 3 µg/mL, and less than 25% for concentrations below 0.4 µg/mL. 

Biography:

Edmond Breen obtained a PhD from Macquarie University in Developmental Biology.  He has work for CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organization) as a senior image analyst, Proteome Ltd as Head of Informatics, and Eli-Lilly as a Bioinformatics Manager. He is also a bio-statistical consultant to many Australian Biotech companies, working on stem cell therapies, Autism, Prostate Cancer, Multiple Myeloma, and statistical planning and analysis of human and animal clinical trials. Currently; he is the head of bioinformatics at APAF (Australian Proteomic Analysis Facility of Australia). 

Abstract:

Tissue samples (plasma, saliva, serum or urine) from 169 patients classified as either normal or having one of seven possible diseases (COPD, Mono, Myeloma, Psoriasis, RA, Sepsis and T2D) are analyzed across three 96-well plates for the presences of 37 analytes using cytokine inflammation multiplexed immunoassay panels.  Censoring for concentration data caused problems for analysis of low abundant analytes.  Using fluorescence analysis over concentration based analysis allowed analysis of these low abundant analytes. Mixed-effects analysis on the resulting fluorescence and concentration responses reveals a combination of censoring and mapping the fluorescence responses to concentration values, through a 5PL curve, changed observed analyte concentrations. Simulation verifies this, by showing a dependence on the mean florescence response and its distribution on the observed analyte concentration levels. Differences from normality, in the fluorescence responses, can lead to differences in concentration estimates and unreliable probabilities for treatment effects. It is seen that when fluorescence responses are normally distributed, probabilities of treatment effects for fluorescence based t-tests has greater statistical power than the same probabilities from concentration based t-tests. We add evidence that the fluorescence response, unlike concentration values, doesn’t require censoring and it is seen with respect to differential analysis on the fluorescence responses that background correction is not required.

Biography:

Pallavi M.Patil has completed his PhD at the age of 34 years from Tamilnadu University and. She is the Assistant Profersor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, a premier Modern College of Pharmacy, Nigdi Pune organization. She has published more than 25 papers in reputed International Journals and also presented her research work in National and International conference and has been serving as an reviewer of repute Journals.

Abstract:

A sensitive stability indicating high-performance thin-layer chromatographic method was developed and validated for quantitative determination of Acyclovir in tablets.  Chromatographic separation was performed on precoated silica gel 60F₂₅₄ HPTLC plates using Toluene: n-Butanol: Methanol: Water (5.0:3.0:1.0:1.0 v/v/v/v) as a mobile phase. A TLC scanner set at 259 nm was used for direct evaluation of the chromatograms in reflectance/absorbance mode. Acyclovir and degradant were satisfactorily resolved with Rf values of 0.62 ± 0.05, 0.78 ±0.05, respectively. Calibration curve was polynomial in the concentration range of 200-1000 ng/band. The high correlation coefficient (r2 > 0.9991) values indicated clear correlations between the investigated compound concentrations and their peak areas within the test ranges. Method was validated according to ICH guidelines. The repeatability and intermediate precision, expressed by the RSD, were less than 2.0 %. The accuracy and validity of the method were further ascertained by performing recovery studies via a standard addition method. The accuracy of the method expressed as percent recovery was satisfactory (99.85 %). The drug was subjected to the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH)-prescribed hydrolytic, oxidative, photolytic and thermal stress conditions. Method was validated according to ICH guidelines. The drug showed instability in alkaline and oxide while it remained stable in heat and UV radiation conditions. The proposed HPTLC method was utilized to investigate of alkaline degradation of Acyclovir (ACY). The performance of the method was validated according to the present ICH guidelines for specificity, limit of detection, limit of quantification, linearity, accuracy, precision, ruggedness and robustness.

Biography:

Maria del Pilar Mata Miranda is a specialist in epidemiology and master in health science in the area of epidemiology and health systems by the National Autonomous University of Mexico, is coordinating health research in the IMSS medical assistant and has published several articles in scientific journals with impact factor.

Abstract:

Has questioned the utility of the lab tests considered routine for the identification of abnormalities in the surgical care, mainly in people healthy younger than 40 years. Only relate to abnormal results in nitrogen urea/creatinine with cardiac complications in the postoperative period and with a greater number of days of hospital stay in older people. At the IMSS, every year rises considerably spending on comprehensive services, including routine laboratory tests. This is due, to the increase in the number of IMSS users and, to the greater use of those services medical by IMSS users that previously not it did. This required that reference criteria to the second level of care, establish considering a section of lab tests to assess minimum appropriate to age, as well as diseases of each patient and who are used to the uncertainty that any complication not identified clinically. Is documented that is must establish criteria for the optimization of them resources of laboratory, as well as its application, informed this in the limited utility predictive of them tests of routine, and is must exercise a use rational of the service of laboratory clinical in them units for avoid expenses unnecessary, while is decreases the time in the attention

Biography:

Aditi Jindel Gupta is working in Department of Biochemistry Medanta-The Medicity, India. Aditi Gupta international experience includes various programs, contributions and participation in different countries for diverse fields of study.  Aditi Gupta search interests reflect in his wide range of publications in various national and international journals. Her research interest includes Analytical Biochemistry Techniques, Air analysis, Anaerobic glycolysis, Analytical Biochemistry.

Abstract:

The laboratory is arguably the core of diagnostic based medicine and has come to play an invaluable role in the making of decisions by medical personnel. This emphasis on clinical Biochemistry has placed high demands on the laboratory causing decision makers to rapidly adapt to methods to keep pace with such demands; these demands hover around diagnostic accuracy, rapid turnaround time, limitation of hazards and reduction/ elimination of error. These challenges have been tackled via various means such as realignment of architecture, enhanced training of technicians, technologists and biomedical scientists, and the implementation of the Laboratory automation system (specifically, the total laboratory automation system). The enforcement of the latter has proven to be the most impacting of all but it comes with its own challenges and these challenges are a facet in a comprehensive overview of the process involved in pre-implementation, implementation and post implementation decision making, advantages of this system, architecture and the technicality of its operation process at Medanta the Medicity. The method initially involved interviewing of leadership personnel and studying the documented specimen flow, operator flow, and process flow. Pre implementation phase has its own challenges like space constraint, designing of the automated system so as to meet the requirements of the hospital in relation to handling of large number of samples and the comprehensive menu of parameters. During implementation phase the major challenge was of the barcode labeling. The barcode labeling was changed so suffice the need of the puck (carrier for transportation of samples). The implementation of the total lab automation has led to reduced TAT, improved lab productivity which is helping in improving the brand value of the hospital, increase revenue and savings by reducing average length of the stay for patients and improving patient care standards. However, the best of automation alone is not enough. If the processes around automation mainly information technology  are not streamlined most of the advantages will fail .Automation is well suited to a laboratory when coupled with process like lean that can bring path breaking improvements in the overall efficiency of lab.

Biography:

Yogini Patel obtained her PhD in Applied Biology (Liver Disease in Hemophilia and Thalessamia with special reference to HIV AND HBsAg) during 1983-1989. She has received many certifications which include NABL Internal auditor Certification from GOI India, Jaipur, ICH GCP Certification from Pharmacy College Mum University, Lead Assessor Course certification from NABH-GOI-Hospitals & NABH-GOI-Blood banks. She was the Joint Director of Blood Safety and Quality Assurance-MDACS from Oct2009-Dec 2010. She also served as Editorial Secretary for Indian Journal of Hematology and Trans. Medicine. She is the recipient of many awards such as, Rotary International vocational excellence award for Blood Transfusion Services, Dr L H Hiranandani and Dr A J Desai award for Best Poster from Indian Society of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine -2001 and RD Birla award in 2004 for research in presence of anti-hepatitis B core antibody in blood donors tested Negative for HBsAg

Abstract:

Commercially available controls are costly for small laboratories. This multi centric study presents the results of quality control (QC) compliance and deviation by indigenously prepared controls for a study period of four weeks. Twenty laboratories automated (10-group1) and Semi-automated (10 group 2) participated the study. All laboratories followed uniform method to process the QC controls. A set of 40 aliquots (one ml each) were distributed to all. Commercially available controls were processed along with 8 labs in group one showed QC results within 2 standard deviations (2SD) one deviated on day 2, while the other deviated on day 23. In group two 7 achieved 2SD targets for all 30 days, 2 deviated between in the first week and 1 on day two. Commercial controls used, showed same deviations, however, most of their results lay within 1SD limit. Results of this study indicated that indigenously prepared controls may be used to replace commercially available controls. The results of the above study with reasoning for compliance and deviation of QC shall be discussed in light of relevant data and literature. 

Biography:

Abstract:

Biography:

Matteo Ritrovato has graduated in Electronic Engineering with honor in 2003 at University of Bologna and completed his PhD in BioEngineering in 2010 at Politecnico di Milano. Since 2006 he works at Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital in the filed of Health Technology Assessment. Since 2009 he is the Head of HTA&Safety research Unit  
 

Abstract:

Background. Decision-making process in laboratory medicine is becoming more complex due to increased clinical requirements, rapid technological changes, few available resources. The aim of this study is to illustrate a new approach for the design of clinical laboratories, considering organizational, technological and economic issues.

Methods. The study of clinical laboratory solutions was based on the application of the “decision-oriented HTA” method (developed by HTA& and Safety Research Unit of Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital [Ritrovato et al. Value Health. 2015;18(4):505–1]). Electronic searching in nine international bibliographic databases was carried on in order to identify a set of Key Performance Indicators. Those indicators were considered underlying elements of good laboratory design according to stakeholders’ claims and demands. Pair-wise comparisons were performed to define weights of indicators and to evaluate organizational and technological alternative solutions.

Results. Starting from 582 articles and documents, 57 indicators were identified, weighted by 16 healthcare professionals of the hospital. The doHTA method was then used to assess the different sale proposals in order to determine the most apporiate solution.

Conclusions. The doHTA results integrated scientific evidence with experts’ judgments and the specific context analysis for Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital. While the final decision making systems has been used to evaluate different alternatives to identify the best fit for our specific context, it represents a valuable tool for driving innovation and supporting decision-making process in laboratory medicine both at the local level and at regional and national levels.

Biography:

Youran Li is a graduate student of Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.

Abstract:

Objectives: Distinguishing between post-neurosurgical bacterial meningitis (PNBM) and aseptic meningitis is difficult. This study aims to evaluate the combined diagnostic value of CSF procalcitonin and lactate as novel PNBM markers in hospitalized post-neurosurgery patients. Design and methods: This study was performed using CSF samples, collected by lumbar puncture, from178 PNBM-suspected patients enrolled in a retrospective clinical study. The levels of CSF procalcitonin and lactate were appropriately assayed and the combined diagnostic value of these markers was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, a two by two table, and non-parametric tests. Results: Fifty of the 178 patientswere diagnosed with PNBM, based on the clinical symptoms and laboratory results. These PNBMpatients showed significantly elevated levels of CSF procalcitonin and CSF lactate compared with the non-PNBMgroup (p b 0.001 for both). It was revealed that the cut-off values for the diagnosis of PNBM were: 0.075 ng/mL (sensitivity, 68%; specificity, 73%) for procalcitonin and 3.45 mmol/L (sensitivity, 90%; specificity, 85%) for lactate. A serial test combining the levels of these two markers showed decreased sensitivity (64%) and increased specificity (91%), compared with either marker alone. In contrast, a parallel test combining the levels of these both markers showed increased sensitivity (96%) and decreased specificity (65%), compared with either marker alone. Conclusion: Our study shows that the combined use of CSF procalcitonin and lactate can reliably distinguish between PNBM and non-PNBM and can be included in the design of diagnostic approaches to circumvent the shortcomings of conventional methods.

Biography:

Dr. Farooq Anwar with PhD in Analytical Chemistry has more than 15 years of research and teaching experience at different organizations including two post-doctoral fellowships completed at Canada and Malaysia. He is mainly involved in bio-analytical and phytochemistry research. Dr. Anwar, who is parentally working as Associate Professor at University of Sargodha, Pakistan, is currently serving at the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia. He has the honor of being selected as Fellow of the Chemical Society of Pakistan, Productive Scientist of Pakistan and TWAS Young Affiliate Fellow. He has also been awarded Dr. Atta-ur-Rehman Gold Medal/Prize-2010 (Chemistry) by Pakistan Academy of Sciences. He has supervised 10 Ph.D. and 50 M.Phil research students. Overall, he has published 200 research articles bearing an Impact Factor of 275 and Citation over 4500 to his credit.

Abstract:

Plants have been valued as a source of food, fuel and shelter since the beginning of human life. In addition to furnishing most of the nutritional requirement of the mankind and livestock, the plant kingdom also offers huge reserves of medicinal flora with remarkable applications as folk remedies to treat and/ or cure several diseases in many parts of the world. According to World Health Organization (WHO), 70-80% of the population, especially in Asia and Africa still rely upon traditional/herbal medicine for their primary health care needs. In fact, by the last few decades, there is a revival of interest in the use of plants as a source of food and medicine. An extensive research is being focused to investigating the bioactives composition of plant foods and to elucidating the mechanisms how such bioactives impart physiological benefits. This has led to exploration of boundary between food and medicine. In this direction, many plants and herbal species having multiple nutritional and physiological benefits continued to play a vital role in the advancements of optimal nutrition and the beginning of the “science of functional foods and nutraceuticals”. The present lecture is mainly framed to discuss and highlight the potential of selected plant foods as a natural medicine. Different types of functional food components and medicinally important bioactives alongwith their plant sources and biological/pharmaceutical activities have been discussed. Moreover, an overview of the current global market of functional foods and nutraceuticals/natural health supplements is presented together with the depiction of the recent trends, challenges and future prospects of this fast growing industry. 

Biography:

Abstract:

Background: Amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is already established and soluble ST2 (sST2) is a new promising marker for evaluating and monitoring patients undergoing hemodiafiltration (HDF) who are at increased risk for cardiovascular events. Although HDF is known to affect the concentration of some biochemical parameters, the exact effect on the concentration of sST2 has not yet been studied. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of HDF on serum sST2 and NT-proBNP concentrations in End-stage Renal Disease (ESRD) patients.

Methods: sST2 and NT-proBNP were measured in serum samples from 55 patients with ESRD before and after HDF (F5008 Dialysis machines, Fresenius Medical Care, Milsons Point NSW, Australia), using an ELISA method: Presage ST2 Assay (Critical Diagnostics, San Diego, CA, USA) and a one-step sandwich chemiluminescent immunoassay for NT-proBNP based on LOCI technology (Dimension Vista System 1500, Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Inc., Newark, NJ, USA), respectively.

Results: The median (interquartile range) NT-proBNP concentration decreased from 728 (332-2832) to 256 (140-813) pmol/L after HDF (P < 0.001). The mean individual decrease was -62.8 12.9 % with a minimum of -29.1% and maximum of -97.6%. Concentration of sST2 remained unchanged after HDF (median (interquartile range): 28.0 (24.0-33.1) ng/mL and 28.0 (22.0-33.1) ng/mL before and after, respectively; P=0.579).

Conclusions: There is a significant decrease of NT-proBNP after HDF, whereas sST2 remains unaffected by HDF. Care should be taken when interpreting NT-proBNP results having regard to the time since last dialysis. sST2 measurement can be done any time, irrespective of the HDF procedure.

Biography:

Imran Ali Khan has completed his PhD at the age of 27 years from Osmania University and postdoctoral studies from King Saud University, Saudi Arabia. He has published more than 55 papers in reputed journals and has been serving as an editorial board member of repute.

Abstract:

The gene encoding paraoxonase 1 is PON1, and the Q192R polymorphism within this gene is consistently present in multiple metabolic diseases comprising familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). The R allele is associated with coronary artery disease, type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes mellitus in a Saudi population. Therefore, we sought to determine the association between Q192R polymorphism and FH among Saudi population. We enrolled 200 subjects in our case-controlled study, including 100 FH patients and 100 control subjects. Epidemiological, clinical, and Q192R genotype data were obtained from all the subjects. Genotyping was accomplished using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis followed by 3% agarose gel electrophoresis. The clinical characteristics of FH were positively associated with controls, and we observed a correlation for allele and genotype frequencies between the FH cases and controls (p < 0.05). Our findings provide strong evidence that the PON1 Q192R polymorphism is associated with FH in Saudi population we examined

Biography:

Abstract:

Chronic Hepatitis C (HCV) infection occurs in more than 130 to 150 million individuals world wide. Twenty percent of patients chronically infected with HCV progress to cirrhosis. Other than cirrhosis, Chronic HCV infection is strongly associated with liver cancer and end-stage liver disease requiring transplantation. However, as with the approval of the fisrt generation protease inhibitors telaprevir and boceprevir, we see significant progress in the treatment of chronic hepatitis c infection. However this has benefited many but not all patients with HCV infection as protease inhibitors have never been approved for genotype 2 and 3. No direct acting antiviral agents have ever been approved until recently. Very recently sofosbuvir, a direct acting antiviral agent which is a nucleotide polymerase inhibitor, has been approved for genotypes 2, 3, (and genotypes 1 and 4), where as multiple direct acting agents are approved and used for genotype 1 which includes but is not limited to Simeprevir. Now patients with genotype 3 have emerged among the hardest to treat. The reason behind this treatment failure of genotype 3 infections is that genotype 3 still remains a challenge to the efficacy of even newer regimen Also genotype 3 is associated with a more rapid progression of the disease. In addition, genotype 4 is increasing in Europe. Thus we want to emphasize the ongoing need for new, simpler therapeutics using direct –acting antivirals that target various stages of the HCV lifecycle to eradicate HCV without concomitant INF.
Keywords: chronic hepatitis C, non type 1 genotypes, epidemiology, direct acting anti virals, sofosbuvir 

Biography:

Ludmila Gavriliuc is Professor of Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry Department of Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Chisinau, Moldova.  She graduated from State Medical University, Medico-Biological Department, Speciality - Biochemistry, Moscow, Russia, and completed PhD (1978) and MD (1997) at the State Medical University, Moscow, Russia. She had the Scholarships in Russia, Italy, USA (01-08.2013, Fulbright Program U.S., Feist-Weiller Cancer Center, LSU HSC, LA). She is author of 97 scientific and methodic peer-reviewed manuscripts and 6 books. Areas of her scientific interests are clinical-diagnostics, oncology, hematology, stomatology, antioxidant therapy. 

Abstract:

      In patients with breast cancer the processes of peroxide oxidation of lipids (POL) are increased and many metabolic pathways are disturbed. Glutathione-associated metabolism is a major mechanism for the cellular protection against agents which generate oxidative stress and POL.                      

Aim: Comparative examination of the activities of the glutathione-dependent enzymes in the blood serum and saliva in the patients with breast cancer (BC) and breast dyshormonal hyperplasiae (BDH).
Material and methods: Sixty-four patients aged 27-54 years (mean age 40.5±13.5 years) were examined before treatment in comparison with 30 healthy individuals. The activities of glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione S-transferase (GST), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) and content of reduce glutathione (GSH) were determined spectrophotometrically (Diasys Diagnostics) in the blood serum and saliva in the BC and BDH patients.
Results: The levels of the activities of enzymes and Spearmen correlative analysis indicated an imbalance of the antioxidant defense system in the blood serum and saliva. The activities of enzymes and content of GSH were significantly increased in the both groups of patients in comparison with healthy control group. In the blood serum and saliva in the BDH patients these results were significantly higher than in BC patients.
Conclusion: The obtained results reflect the interrelation between activity of pathological process and an imbalance of the antioxidant enzymatic system of glutathione in the patients with mammary gland tumors (BC and BDH), and may be used for differential diagnostics, screening and monitoring during treatment as an additional biochemical tests.

Keywords: biomarkers, breast cancer, glutathione

Biography:

Hebah Mohammad Deebajah , have Bcs. in pharmacy. , working in princess Haya Biotechnology Center (PHBC) in Jordan University of Science and Technology since 2006 until now, I am working in Metabolomics lab specialist on the amino acid analyzer and newborn screening on LC/MS-MS Water. 

Abstract:

Maple Syrup urine disease (MSUD) is an autosomal – recessive inborn error of amino acid metabolisim characterized the accumulation of three branched – chain amino acids (BCAAs)in patients cell due to reduced activity of the branched alpha ketoacid dehydrogenase complex (BCKD). In this study , we aimed to sequence the coding exons of the BCKDHA, BCKDHB, and DBT genes in five Jordanian families with MSUD and one family from Iraq with MUSD .
BCAA levels were measured in probands initially presenting with developmental delay and encephalopathy. All of the coding exons and flanking intronic sequences of the BCKDHA, BCKDHB, and DBT genes were amplified and subjected to direct DNA sequencing. Four different mutations in the BCKDHA gene were identified , including a novel frame mutation, c908-909 delTG, in family 4. Two novel missense mutations at residues Met263 and Gly353 in the DBT gene were also found to be cosegregated with the MSUD phenotype in families 5 and 6, respectively. Structural analyses suggested that these two mutations may affect the assembly of the intermediate E2 trimer. No BCKDHB gene mutations were found in Jordanian patients. The mutation profiles described in this study provide a basis for the early detection of MSUD disease.
To our knowledge this is the first molecular study of MSUD in Jordan and Middle Eastern Arabic countries. 

Biography:

Attila Miseta has completed his MD at the at the Medical University of Pécs in 1984 and received his PhD in 1995. He spent more than 5 years in the USA as postdoc and visiting professor. He is the director of the Department of Laboratory Medicine at the University of Pécs Medical School. He has published more than 70 papers in PubMed listed journals, and has been serving as an editorial board member of three international journals.http://clinicalchemistry.conferenceseries.com/

Abstract:

Hepcidin is a 25AA peptide hormone made in the hepatocytes. The primary role of hepcidin is in the regulation of iron homeostasis. Similarly to many other peptide hormones it undergoes maturation meaning that the primary 84 AA product of the HAMP gene is cleaved to 60AA prohepcidin and subsequently to the 25 AA active compound. Both prohepcidin and hepcidin is present in circulation. In addition some shorter forms were also detected, 22 and 20AA long respectively. Furin type serine proteases are known to be responsible for the maturation/degradation of the primary peptide product. We used a bacterial two-hybrid system to identify possible significant interactions to uncover why there is so much prohepcidine in the serum. Screening assays were carried out on a human liver cDNA library. Preprohepcidin screening gave the following results: alpha-1 antitrypsin, transthyretin and alpha-1-acid glycoprotein showed strong interactions with preprohepcidin. We further confirmed and examined the alpha-1 antitrypsin binding in vitro (glutathione S-transferase, pull down, coimmunoprecipitation, MALDI-TOF) and in vivo (ELISA, cross-linking assay). Our results demonstrated that the serine protease inhibitor alpha-1 antitrypsin binds preprohepcidin within the cell during maturation. Furthermore, alpha-1 antitrypsin binds prohepcidin significantly in the plasma. This observation may explain the presence of prohormone in the circulation, as well as the post-translational regulation of the mature hormone level in the blood. In addition, the lack of cleavage protection in patients with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency may be the reason for the disturbance in their iron homeostasis.

Biography:

Jean-Michel Cayuela is professor assistant at university hospital Saint-Louis in Paris. He obtained his medical biologist diploma in 1991 and has completed his PhD in 1997. He has been involved in molecular diagnostic in the field of malignant hemopathies for more than 20 years. In this context, he initiated the French external quality control program ten years ago. At the european level he is member of the European Leukamia Net (ELN) and of the European Scientific Fondation of Laboratory Hemato Oncology (ESLHO).

Abstract:

Objectives. Performance of methods used for molecular diagnostics must be closely controlled by regular analysis of internal quality controls. However, conditioning, shipping and long lasting storage of nucleic acid controls remain problematic. Therefore, we evaluated the minicapsules-based innovative process developed by Imagene (Evry, France) for implementing DNA and RNA controls designed for clonality assessment of lymphoproliferations and BCR-ABL1 mRNA quantification, respectively.

Design & Methods. DNA samples were extracted from 12 cell lines selected for giving specific amplifications with most BIOMED-2 PCR tubes. RNA samples were extracted from 8 cell line mixtures expressing various BCR-ABL1 transcript levels. DNA and RNA were encapsulated by Imagene and shipped at room temperature to participating laboratories. Biologists were asked to report quality data of recovered nucleic acids as well as PCR results.

Results. Encapsulated nucleic acids samples were easily and efficiently recovered from minicapsules. The expected rearrangements at immunoglobulin, T-cell receptor and BCL2 loci were detected in DNA samples by all laboratories. Quality of RNA was consistent between laboratories and met the criteria requested for quantification of BCR-ABL1 transcripts. Expression levels measured by the 5 laboratories were within ± 2 fold interval from the corresponding pre-encapsulation reference value. Moreover aging studies of encapsulated RNA simulating up to 100 years storage at room temperature show no bias in quantitative outcome.

Conclusions. Therefore, Imagene minicapsules are suitable for storage and distribution at room temperature of genetic material designed for proficiency control of molecular diagnostic methods based on end point or real-time quantitative PCR. We are currently working on novel applications of minicapsules to develop for instance quality controls for DNA extraction in the context of external quality assessment program (EEQ).

Biography:

Abstract:

S100B is a calcium-binding protein brain specific mainly concentrated in glial cells, Schwann cells and in neurons. Among several protein’s functions still matter of investigation S100B has been shown to act as a trophic factor at physiological concentrations (nanomolar) and to be neurotoxic at micromolar concentrations. Elevated S100B concentrations in biological fluids, such as CSF, blood, urine, saliva, amniotic fluid - are regarded as a biomarker of pathological conditions including perinatal brain distress, acute brain injury, brain tumors, neuroinflammatory/neurodegenerative disorders, psychiatric disorders. The possibility of measuring the protein in the “so-called” unconventional biological fluids could be especially useful in perinatal medicine that requires even more non-invasive techniques to fulfil the minimal handling diagnostic and therapeutic strategy. To this regard significant information has been acquired through assessments of S100B in different fluids such as urine, saliva, cord blood and more recently in maternal blood of fetuses and newborns at high risk for brain damage. In detail, elevated S100B concentrations in urine and saliva have been detected in fetuses and newborns complicated by chronic/acute hypoxia, by postnatal intraventricular hemorrhage, by short/long-term adverse neurological follow-up, and by the occurrence of early postnatal death. More recently, maternal blood has been investigated based on the hypothesis that in high risk pregnancies, in whom chronic hypoxia and/or adverse conditions occurred, fetal S100B could cross the placenta and could be detectable in the maternal bloodstream. Results showed that S100B assessment can constitute a useful tool to monitor fetal well-being and/or to constitute an early warning of fetal demise.

Biography:

Mosé Barbaro has completed his graduation on Medical Biotechnology in 2008, actually he is at the 4th year of the school of specialization in Clinical Biochemistry (University of Milan). He is intern in San Raffaele Ospital in Milan. There he is doing tutoring to graduating students on research projects as well as routine laboratory analysis.

Abstract:

Introduction: Carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) is the most reliable indicator for the detection of chronic alcohol consumption. Recently, we have investigated a clinical case in which a concomitant monoclonal light chain gammopathy mimicked an increase of this biomarker.

Materials and methods: A patient's serumwas routinely examined by capillary electrophoresis (CE) for evaluation of CDT, and it was subsequently analysed through high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to confirm the referred result. Then, according to the patient's clinical history, we performed serum and urine immunofixation, together with k and λ free light chain measurement.

Results: The pathological CDT value obtained by CE agreed with the patient's previous data, but it was not confirmed by the HPLC. The patient's medical record revealed hypogammaglobulinaemia since 2006, which had been recently examined by a haematological visit. Serum and urine immunofixation revealed a light chain gammopathy, which had been suspected but never confirmed by laboratory assessment. The k and λ free light chain measurement completed the diagnostic process.

Conclusion: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study of its kind to report on a perfect camouflaging of a monoclonal light chain as disialo-transferrin. The importance of the careful examination of the patient's clinical history for the correct evaluation of laboratory results, thereby preventing misinterpretations, is also highlighted.

Biography:

Dr. Shin has completed M.D. from Kosin medical college, and PhD from Chungnam national university in Korea. She is a laboratory medicine specialist and has completed clinical fellowship course in Seoul Asan medical center. She designed and performed researches on quality marker development in Korea CDC and NIH as medical deputy director of  National biobank of Korea, previously. Now, she is the director of laboratory medicine department in Korea institute of Tuberculosis. 

Abstract:

The delayed separation of whole blood can influence the concentrations of circulating blood components. We aimed to determine whether clinical-biochemistry analytes can be used to assess the delayed separation of whole blood in biobank. We investigated the plasma and serum concentrations of five clinical-biochemistry analytes and free hemoglobin when the centrifugation of whole blood stored at 4°C or room temperature was delayed for 4, 6, 24 hours, or 48 hours, and compared the values with those of matched samples that had been centrifuged within 2 hours after whole-blood collection.The inorganic phosphorus (IP) levels in the plasma and serum samples were elevated ≥ 1.5-fold when whole-blood centrifugation was delayed at room temperature for 48 hours. Furthermore, the IP levels in the plasma samples showed excellent assessment accuracy with AUC> 0.9 after a 48-hour delay in whole-blood separation, and high sensitivity (100%) and specificity (95%) at an optimal cutoff point. The IP levels in the serum samples also exhibited good assessment accuracy with AUC > 0.8, and high sensitivity (81%) and specificity (100%). The potassium (K⁺) levels were elevated 1.4-fold in the serum samples following a 48-hour delay in whole-blood separation. The K⁺ levels showed excellent assessment accuracy (AUC > 0.9) following a 48-hour delay in whole-blood separation, and high sensitivity (95%) and specificity (91%) at an optimal cutoff point. Our study showed that the IP and K⁺ levels in the plasma or serum samples could be considered as putative indicators to determine whether whole-blood separation had been delayed for extended periods.

Biography:

Petr Kelbich has completed his M.Sc. at the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Charles University in Prague, in 1995 and received his Ph.D. at the Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové, Charles University in Prague, in 2015. He works as a biologist and specialist for the extravascular body fluids examination at the Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Masaryk Hospital in Ústí nad Labem in the Czech Republic. He has published more than 20 papers in peer-reviewed journals

Abstract:

An impairment of an organ system is usually associated with a local inflammatory response. It is projected into the composition of a particular extravascular fluid. Specification of a local inflammation is important for an accurate diagnosis of a particular organ.

We use the cytological-energetic principle for the extravascular body fluids examination. The first step is specification of its cellular composition. The second step is the specification of local immunocompetent cells activation via the evaluation of glucose metabolism.

       We derived the so-called Coefficient of Energy Balance (KEB):

                                 KEB = 38 – 18 . [lactate]/ [glucose]

This parameter is calculated from molar concentrations of glucose and lactate in the extravascular fluid. It’s defined as the theoretical average number of molecules of adenosine triphosphate produced from one molecule of glucose under given conditions in the particular compartment.

Summary:

1. KEB values >28.0 indicate normal energy conditions in the extravascular fluid but cannot rule out a possible pathological process in the particular organ.
2. KEB values from 15.0 to 28.0 indicate increased anaerobic metabolism in the extravascular fluid, which is usually associated with local slide serous inflammation.
3. KEB values <10.0 indicate a very high level of anaerobic metabolism in the extravascular fluid, usually related to severe local inflammation with an oxidative burst of phagocytes. We distinguish purulent inflammation with oxidative burst of the neutrophil phagocytes, usually involving extracellular bacteria or intensive inflammation with oxidative burst of macrophages, involving intracellular bacteria, mycotic agents or cancer.

Biography:

Nezihe Aslı Bayram has completed her MSc at the age of 27 years from Gaziantep University and doctoral studies from Turgut Özal University School of Medicine. She is the researcher of Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey–TÜBÄ°TAK Project. He has published 4 papers and more than 15 poster abstract.

Abstract:

Aims: The certain pathogenesis of microvascular complications in Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is unknown. The first aim of this study was to confirm in terms of thiol/disulfide homeostasis whether there are differences between patients with T2DM and control group. The second aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between serum thiol levels and microvascular complications of diabetes mellitus.

Methods: In total, 160 patients with type 2 DM (T2DM) were recruited and grouped into four groups according to microvascular complications. Native thiol–disulfide exchanges were examined using the automated measurement method newly developed by Erel and Neselioglu.

Results: When compared to the control group, the disulfide level (p<0.001) and disulfide/total thiol ratio (p= 0.031) were lower; while native thiol/total thiol (p= 0.031) ratio was higher in diabetic patients. Both native and total thiols were negatively correlated with glycolysed hemoglobin, duration, and age.

Conclusions: An association between diabetic microvascular complications and thiol/disulfide homeostasis was confirmed.

Key words: thiol/disulfide; homeostasis; DM, neuropathy, nephropathy; retinopathy

Biography:

Tumelo H. Tabane graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in chemistry at the university of Botswana (2012), where he carried out a research on solventless synthesis of biologically important secondary amines. He is currently into his final year of the Master of science (MSc) degree in forensic and chemical sciences, at Botswana international university of science and technology (BIUST), carriying out a research on synthesis of selective functional polymers known as ‘Molecularly imprinted polymers’ or artificial receptors. His research for MSc is titled ‘Synthesis and optimization of a novel molecularly imprinted polymer for the removal of interfering hemoglobin prior to whole blood analyses

Abstract:

A heavy red globular protein, hemoglobin, responsible for whole blood red pigmentation often interferes with the identification and quantification of biomarkers and toxicants/drug residues from whole blood, in fields of molecular diagnostics and forensic toxicology, respectively. The main challenge at hand has always been the direct introduction of whole blood as a sample into the analyzing instruments because of its physiological complexity and `dirty` nature. For example, the red pigment in whole blood, which is characterized as ‘dirt’, usually co-elute with the biomarkers and toxicants/drug residues and masks them from reproducible chromatographic separation prior to their final detection. It also clogs the instruments components such as the separating columns, leading to imprecise and inaccurate results during bio-assaying. To address these challenges, our lab synthesized a selective, sensitive, cheap and robust novel hemoglobin imprinted polymer (Hb-MIP) in the form of a powder, through free-radical bulk polymerization employing molecular imprinting technology (MIT), for the selective removal of interfering hemoglobin from whole blood samples prior to instrumental analysis. Following the batch rebinding experiments, the Hb-MIP powder effectively removed hemoglobin from whole blood samples as demonstrated by the UV-Vis absorbance reductions from as high as 2.50 to lower values of 0.20. It also proved to be efficient by optimally removing hemoglobin within 18 minutes. Furthermore, the powder continued to show good selectivity towards hemoglobin as demonstrated by the percentage removal efficiency of 80%, towards hemoglobin even in the presence of analogous species such as chlorophyll with negligible percentage removal efficiency of about 20%. The Hb-MIP was further compared to a commercially available clean-up material, graphitized carbon black (GCB) powder, which is pricey and not selective. The Hb-MIP powder achieved comparable selectivity in removing hemoglobin than the chlorophyll when compared to GCB which was non selective in removing the two. Thus, this preliminary work demonstrates that conventional whole blood clean-up strategies such as centrifugation, prior to whole blood analysis may be replaced by our optimal and novel clean-up strategy or our novel strategy and some conventional methods may be combined to achieve optimal clean-up of whole blood samples before molecular diagnostic and toxicology assaying. This would result in more accurate analysis and low cost of maintaining the analyzing instruments which often run into several thousand US dollars.

Biography:

Tumelo H. Tabane graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in chemistry at the university of Botswana (2012), where he carried out a research on solventless synthesis of biologically important secondary amines. He is currently into his final year of the Master of science (MSc) degree in forensic and chemical sciences, at Botswana international university of science and technology (BIUST), carriying out a research on synthesis of selective functional polymers known as ‘Molecularly imprinted polymers’ or artificial receptors. His research for MSc is titled ‘Synthesis and optimization of a novel molecularly imprinted polymer for the removal of interfering hemoglobin prior to whole blood analyses

Abstract:

A heavy red globular protein, hemoglobin, responsible for whole blood red pigmentation often interferes with the identification and quantification of biomarkers and toxicants/drug residues from whole blood, in fields of molecular diagnostics and forensic toxicology, respectively. The main challenge at hand has always been the direct introduction of whole blood as a sample into the analyzing instruments because of its physiological complexity and `dirty` nature. For example, the red pigment in whole blood, which is characterized as ‘dirt’, usually co-elute with the biomarkers and toxicants/drug residues and masks them from reproducible chromatographic separation prior to their final detection. It also clogs the instruments components such as the separating columns, leading to imprecise and inaccurate results during bio-assaying. To address these challenges, our lab synthesized a selective, sensitive, cheap and robust novel hemoglobin imprinted polymer (Hb-MIP) in the form of a powder, through free-radical bulk polymerization employing molecular imprinting technology (MIT), for the selective removal of interfering hemoglobin from whole blood samples prior to instrumental analysis. Following the batch rebinding experiments, the Hb-MIP powder effectively removed hemoglobin from whole blood samples as demonstrated by the UV-Vis absorbance reductions from as high as 2.50 to lower values of 0.20. It also proved to be efficient by optimally removing hemoglobin within 18 minutes. Furthermore, the powder continued to show good selectivity towards hemoglobin as demonstrated by the percentage removal efficiency of 80%, towards hemoglobin even in the presence of analogous species such as chlorophyll with negligible percentage removal efficiency of about 20%. The Hb-MIP was further compared to a commercially available clean-up material, graphitized carbon black (GCB) powder, which is pricey and not selective. The Hb-MIP powder achieved comparable selectivity in removing hemoglobin than the chlorophyll when compared to GCB which was non selective in removing the two. Thus, this preliminary work demonstrates that conventional whole blood clean-up strategies such as centrifugation, prior to whole blood analysis may be replaced by our optimal and novel clean-up strategy or our novel strategy and some conventional methods may be combined to achieve optimal clean-up of whole blood samples before molecular diagnostic and toxicology assaying. This would result in more accurate analysis and low cost of maintaining the analyzing instruments which often run into several thousand US dollars.

Biography:

Tumelo H. Tabane graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in chemistry at the university of Botswana (2012), where he carried out a research on solventless synthesis of biologically important secondary amines. He is currently into his final year of the Master of science (MSc) degree in forensic and chemical sciences, at Botswana international university of science and technology (BIUST), carriying out a research on synthesis of selective functional polymers known as ‘Molecularly imprinted polymers’ or artificial receptors. His research for MSc is titled ‘Synthesis and optimization of a novel molecularly imprinted polymer for the removal of interfering hemoglobin prior to whole blood analyses
 

Abstract:

A heavy red globular protein, hemoglobin, responsible for whole blood red pigmentation often interferes with the identification and quantification of biomarkers and toxicants/drug residues from whole blood, in fields of molecular diagnostics and forensic toxicology, respectively. The main challenge at hand has always been the direct introduction of whole blood as a sample into the analyzing instruments because of its physiological complexity and `dirty` nature. For example, the red pigment in whole blood, which is characterized as ‘dirt’, usually co-elute with the biomarkers and toxicants/drug residues and masks them from reproducible chromatographic separation prior to their final detection. It also clogs the instruments components such as the separating columns, leading to imprecise and inaccurate results during bio-assaying. To address these challenges, our lab synthesized a selective, sensitive, cheap and robust novel hemoglobin imprinted polymer (Hb-MIP) in the form of a powder, through free-radical bulk polymerization employing molecular imprinting technology (MIT), for the selective removal of interfering hemoglobin from whole blood samples prior to instrumental analysis. Following the batch rebinding experiments, the Hb-MIP powder effectively removed hemoglobin from whole blood samples as demonstrated by the UV-Vis absorbance reductions from as high as 2.50 to lower values of 0.20. It also proved to be efficient by optimally removing hemoglobin within 18 minutes. Furthermore, the powder continued to show good selectivity towards hemoglobin as demonstrated by the percentage removal efficiency of 80%, towards hemoglobin even in the presence of analogous species such as chlorophyll with negligible percentage removal efficiency of about 20%. The Hb-MIP was further compared to a commercially available clean-up material, graphitized carbon black (GCB) powder, which is pricey and not selective. The Hb-MIP powder achieved comparable selectivity in removing hemoglobin than the chlorophyll when compared to GCB which was non selective in removing the two. Thus, this preliminary work demonstrates that conventional whole blood clean-up strategies such as centrifugation, prior to whole blood analysis may be replaced by our optimal and novel clean-up strategy or our novel strategy and some conventional methods may be combined to achieve optimal clean-up of whole blood samples before molecular diagnostic and toxicology assaying. This would result in more accurate analysis and low cost of maintaining the analyzing instruments which often run into several thousand US dollars.

Biography:

Tumelo H. Tabane graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in chemistry at the university of Botswana (2012), where he carried out a research on solventless synthesis of biologically important secondary amines. He is currently into his final year of the Master of science (MSc) degree in forensic and chemical sciences, at Botswana international university of science and technology (BIUST), carriying out a research on synthesis of selective functional polymers known as ‘Molecularly imprinted polymers’ or artificial receptors. His research for MSc is titled ‘Synthesis and optimization of a novel molecularly imprinted polymer for the removal of interfering hemoglobin prior to whole blood analyses
 

Abstract:

A heavy red globular protein, hemoglobin, responsible for whole blood red pigmentation often interferes with the identification and quantification of biomarkers and toxicants/drug residues from whole blood, in fields of molecular diagnostics and forensic toxicology, respectively. The main challenge at hand has always been the direct introduction of whole blood as a sample into the analyzing instruments because of its physiological complexity and `dirty` nature. For example, the red pigment in whole blood, which is characterized as ‘dirt’, usually co-elute with the biomarkers and toxicants/drug residues and masks them from reproducible chromatographic separation prior to their final detection. It also clogs the instruments components such as the separating columns, leading to imprecise and inaccurate results during bio-assaying. To address these challenges, our lab synthesized a selective, sensitive, cheap and robust novel hemoglobin imprinted polymer (Hb-MIP) in the form of a powder, through free-radical bulk polymerization employing molecular imprinting technology (MIT), for the selective removal of interfering hemoglobin from whole blood samples prior to instrumental analysis. Following the batch rebinding experiments, the Hb-MIP powder effectively removed hemoglobin from whole blood samples as demonstrated by the UV-Vis absorbance reductions from as high as 2.50 to lower values of 0.20. It also proved to be efficient by optimally removing hemoglobin within 18 minutes. Furthermore, the powder continued to show good selectivity towards hemoglobin as demonstrated by the percentage removal efficiency of 80%, towards hemoglobin even in the presence of analogous species such as chlorophyll with negligible percentage removal efficiency of about 20%. The Hb-MIP was further compared to a commercially available clean-up material, graphitized carbon black (GCB) powder, which is pricey and not selective. The Hb-MIP powder achieved comparable selectivity in removing hemoglobin than the chlorophyll when compared to GCB which was non selective in removing the two. Thus, this preliminary work demonstrates that conventional whole blood clean-up strategies such as centrifugation, prior to whole blood analysis may be replaced by our optimal and novel clean-up strategy or our novel strategy and some conventional methods may be combined to achieve optimal clean-up of whole blood samples before molecular diagnostic and toxicology assaying. This would result in more accurate analysis and low cost of maintaining the analyzing instruments which often run into several thousand US dollars.

Biography:

Margherita Morandini has completed the courses for Human Resourse Management and Coordination in Healthcare from SDA Bocconi School of Management, her Master in Biomedical Science in 2007 from Padua University School of Medicine, and postmaster studies in Clinical Risk Management and Health Technology Assessment from the same University. She is biomedical scientist and laboratory organization manager, Quality Manager, Auditor for ISO 15189 and 9001, POCT Coordinator of the AAS 5 Laboratory Vast Area. She is Vice-President of SIPMeL Biomedical Scientist, delegate of European Association for Professions in Biomedical Sciences (EPBS), SIPMeL delegate for CLSI, member of AACC, member of SIBioC. She has published more than 20 papers in reputed journals and was invited speaker in several National and International Meetings. 

Abstract:

In Laboratory Medicine, organizational and technological innovation are strictly binding together but the generation of organizational innovation is not simply a technology driven one, because of the increasing role of patient-centered laboratory concept in designing contemporary clinical laboratory. Moreover, the innovation in Laboratory Medicine organization must move along the basic axis of asset management (operational level and reorganization), knowledge management (new competences and roles) and disease management (effectiveness, appropriateness and translational medicine). The basis of organizational innovation in Laboratory Medicine are the modern concept of innovative organization from Mintzberg, the evolutionary theory of quality from PDSA to six sigma and lean, and the theories of people role in strategizing from Jens Dahlgaard to Paula Jarzabkowski.

Therefore, in the present scenario of hard transformation of the Laboratory Medicine, the “manager” role is not simply managing the preexistent structures and processes, but  strategizing, organizing, and managing structures, workforce, processes, outcomes and perspectives  of the laboratory, based on the general mission and vision of Laboratory Medicine as discipline (information and consultation) and of the individual laboratory, on the evidence-based laboratory medicine method, on the “new” focus of Laboratory Medicine (the patient), and open to the future. For Laboratory Medicine, strategizing is thinking and building the laboratories around the patient need, step-by-step from information system to the analytic system, by dynamic stability or disruptive innovation depending on social, political, and cultural conditions. The organization is based on a shared and coordinated work of an interdisciplinary and interprofessional  team, unified by its mission and the leadership. Today, the “manager” role is one of main duty of the leader, as cultural transformer, supported by his/her 7 Cs (moral compass, compassion, contribution, commitment, communication, collaboration and creativity). 

Biography:

Abstract:

The two principal determining steps in molecular diagnosis are the amplification and the identification steps. Accuracy of DNA amplification is primarily determined by the annealing sequence of the PCR primer to the analyte DNA. Accuracy for identification is determined either by the annealing region of a labelled probe for the real time PCR analysis, or the annealing of a sequencing primer for DNA sequencing analysis, that binds to the respective analyte (amplicon). Presently, housekeeping genes (Beta globin, GAPDH) are used in molecular diagnosis to verify that the PCR conditions are optimum, and are thus known as amplification controls . Although these genes have been useful as amplification controls, they lack the true definition of an internal control because the primers and annealing conditions are not identical to the analyte being assayed. This may result in a false negative report . The IC-Code platform technology described here provides a true internal control where the internal control and analyte share identical PCR primers annealing sequences for the amplification step and identical sequencing primer annealing sequence for the identification step. The analyte and internal control have the same PCR and sequencing annealing sequences. This method assures for little or no false negatives and false positives due to the method’s design of using identical annealing conditions for the internal control and analyte, and by using DNA sequencing analysis for the identification step of the analyte, respectively. This method also allows for a set lower limit of detection to be used by varying the amount of internal control used in the assay.
 

Biography:

Hongjiang Chen has completed his Mphil at the age of 28 years from Shantou University Medical College. He is an orthopedic surgeons in the First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College.He has published more than 2 papers in reputed journals “Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine” and “journal of biological chemistry”.

Abstract:

Imaging is routinely used for clinical and diagnostic purposes, but techniques capable of high specificity and resolution for the early detection of nerve injury are still limited. Photoacoustic imaging (PAI), a novel imaging modality that combines the merits of laser and ultrasound, offers high contrast, high resolution, and satisfactory tissue penetration. So we aim to exploit the novel PAI with functionalized targeted probe for detection of early nerve injury. After the sciatic nerve was crushed, we found that heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) becomes highly upregulated within 3 to 7 days of nerve injury. Taking advantage of this expression pattern, we conjugated gold nanorods (GNRs) to HSP27-specific antibodies to generate a nanoprobe (GNR-HSP27Abs) that could be targeted to the site of nerve injury and detected by near-infrared photoacoustic imaging. The absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy and zeta potential confirmed that the HSP27Abs was well-coupled to GNRs and was indicative of successful nanoprobe synthesis. Notably, photoacoustic images acquired 12 hours after local administration of GNR-HSP27Abs demonstrated that the nanoprobe can distinguish between injured and uninjured nerves in rats. The toxicity assay results showed no cytotoxicity against human cell lines and no such inflammatory reactions occurred in these injection regions. Taken together, these findings expand the application of nanoprobe-targeted photoacoustic imaging to the detection of injured nerves, and prompt further development of this novel imaging platform for clinical application.

Biography:

Bareki Shima Batlokwa is a Senior Lecturer of Analytical Chemistry and an Acting HOD of the Department of Chemical and Forensic Sciences at the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST), Botswana. His research interest is on the development of nanomaterials in the form of polymer powders, nanofibers, nano particles, films and quantum dots for application as screening tools in molecular diagnostics, food safety, water filtration as well as sample clean-up and purification for accurate analysis of complex samples of biological, medical, pharmaceutical, food and environmental origin. 

Abstract:

This work presents preliminary results of a selective, sensitive and efficient sample clean-up method based on a newly developed molecularly imprinted electrospun nanofiber solid phase extraction (SPE) sorbent that was fabricated in our laboratory. Current molecular diagnostic assay methods face a challenge of lack of direct and accurate analysis despite employing sensitive, hyphenated analytical instruments with quantification and detection limits down to femto level. The lack of direct and accurate analysis is due to the fact that biological samples are characterized by dirty and complex matrices which often introduce severe disturbances in the analytical separation and detection steps. Of consequence, quantitative analysis can only be achieved after an efficient and extensive clean-up step(s) prior to instrumental analysis. To achieve this, sample handling strategies relying on selective, sensitive, robust, cheap and intelligent functional materials are needed prior to separation and detection. An example of such materials has recently been identified as molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). MIPs are synthetic, nano-porous polymers possessing specific cavities designed to capture a target analyte. In our quest for optimal sample clean-up strategies, we combined molecular imprinting and electrospinning technologies to fabricate very selective and sensitive polymer materials, respectively in the form of nanofibers for the selective removal of bile salts especially cholic acid and hemoglobin that interfere with the accurate instrumental analysis of trace biomarkers, drug residues or their metabolites in the human bile or blood samples, respectively. Two different and independent nanofiber materials were synthesized. The synthesized molecularly imprinted electrospun nanofibers for cholic acid and hemoglobin removal were employed as SPE sorbents and their performance in removing cholic acid and hemoglobin, respectively were compared to custom made MIP powder (micro-particles) counterparts, also prepared to remove interfering cholic acid and hemoglobin prior to instrumental analysis. The results showed 100% cholic acid and 69% hemoglobin removal by the MIP nanofibers from standard solutions relative to 80% cholic acid and 51% hemoglobin removal by the MIP micro particles. Therefore, these preliminary results open the possibility of moving from particle based SPE to fabricating more sensitive and selective MIP nanofiber based SPE sorbents with specific chemistries for removing interfering bile salts at ultra-trace concentrations in molecular diagnostic analysis of human bile samples for trace biomarkers, drug residues or their metabolites analysis. For the hemoglobin removal we recommend a combination of centrifugation and the MIP materials in order to attain optimal clean-up of blood samples prior to instrumental analysis. This would result in more accurate analysis as well as low maintenance work of the instrument and low maintenance cost which often run into several thousand US dollars.

Biography:

Mehdi Koohgard is a PhD student in Shiraz University. He has published more than 3 papers in the journals and attended many national seminars. He is also an expert in photo-induced organic reactions by photocatalyst.

Abstract:

If light is to be emitted from substance(s) as through means of jumping down of an electron from a higher position to a lower energy level, as defined by modern physics mainstream phenomenalism, then the collocation of an arbitrarily chosen “central” atom with its adjacent atoms would most naturally provide a hypothetical matrix for observations and calculations to be carried out regarding how much the boundary-atom schemes can probably replace the already routine procedures in the workings of optical physics. True to the fact is that: ordinary large-sized molecules (with from 100 to 1000 atoms) mostly having their origin in relatively stable biomolecular structures may –with some computational difficulties—provide some sort of continuum for studying optical links through neighboring atoms vibrations without specific recourse, for example, to yet other atoms whose gradually increasing distance to the “central” atom brings in parameters of beyond-5-Å NON-BOUNDARY conditions that are normally too complicated to be brought out by Eigen functions as Eigen values. There is, of course molar fractions of vibration quality atoms again to be constructurally role-playing in nearly exact determination of the amount of error arising from the actuality that biomolecular atomic regionalization gets out of the state of arbitrariness. In case this parameter were not to be detectable, adjustable (through adding on or deleting metal atoms on recipient sites on the said large molecules, or: alternatively, through being in possession of optic isomers) or even removable (say, by means of picking totally different biomolecules), the clamped string of atoms considered to be in the same region should have, consequently, not provided constraints to assist in building up even the differential equations themselves. 

Biography:

Reza Sanaye finished the high school period with an O-Level degree in mathematics and exact sciences, and A-Level diploma in Biology and Natural Sciences. He went for three quarters of theoretical physics college education before he shifted to starting a full 5-year period of eleven semesters for receiving his agronomic engineering degree. As for “Master”, he was honored by a degree in Philosophy of Science(s). He is a specialist in comparing the philosophy of technology and applied sciences with that of theoretical sciences. 

Abstract:

When a paradigm starts to show signs of failure to cope with significant questions in any basic/applied branch of human knowledge, there come on the scene those who have perused the related literature enough to either answer those major questions according to the established paradigm or proffer a (wholly) new way of looking at things. In the latter case, the history of science tells us, a paradigm shift takes place. Modern medicine cannot be proven to be totally disconnected from its traditional roots. Where traditional medicine came to give its place to present-day conventional medicine, a number of humanistic aspects of healing in addition to some axioms of olden wisdom were actually lost. Employing a personalized strategy by taking into account the patient’s specific conditions, Integrative Medicine (IM) endeavors to apply all appropriate interventions from a whole set of science branches to bring back health. However, this does not remain fully without its own challenges from almost all sides. Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) on the one hand, and: Evidence Based Medicine (EBM), on the other, has their own rightful say in the affair. Delving deep into the details of medical history’s ups and downs, and examining –from the philosophy of medicine’s and philosophy of science’s standpoint– the pros and cons of integrative medicine, this present treatise makes a systemic, inter-disciplinary effort to put forward the best possible paradigmatology in a methodical way as far as the demands of society are concerned.