Academic Laboratories Research Articles

Sperm aminopeptidase N identifies the potential for high-quality blastocysts and viable embryos in oocyte-donation cycles.

Is there a relationship between human sperm aminopeptidase N (APN) and embryo development in humans? Human sperm APN could possibly become a new molecular biomarker for identifying the potential for high-quality and usable embryos. The diagnosis of male fertility is one of the major concerns of reproductive medicine. Approximately 30-40% of men with otherwise normal fertility parameters are still unable to achieve pregnancy. The predictive clinical value of semen analysis to identify fertile or infertile males is limited; therefore, new diagnostic methodologies for sperm are urgently required. Sperm APN may be a relevant molecular marker due to its high concentration in sperm cells and its important roles in sperm physiology, such as its functions in motility, acrosome reaction and embryo development. This study included 81 couples who underwent oocyte-donation cycles at Clínica IVI Bilbao (Spain), yielding 611 embryos, between September 2014 and July 2015. This study was conducted in an assisted reproduction unit and an academic research laboratory. All the semen samples were examined and classified following World Health Organization guidelines. Spermatozoa were isolated from semen using the discontinuous colloidal silica gradient (45-90%) technique. Embryo quality and development were determined according to the Spanish Association of Reproduction Biology Studies (ASEBIR) criteria. Human sperm APN levels were analyzed by quantitative and semiquantitative flow cytometry. The most well-developed and usable blastocysts were associated with low sperm APN levels. Semen samples that had lower APN levels generated more expanded, hatched and usable blastocysts and fewer early, arrested and non-usable blastocysts. The cumulative probability of having well-developed blastocysts increased by 1.38-fold at Day 5 and 1.90-fold at Day 6 of embryo development, and the likelihood of having usable embryos increased by 1.48-fold, when semen samples with low APN levels were used during the ICSI technique. The data were obtained from a single fertility clinic. A multicentre study will be required to confirm the results. Human sperm APN has the potential to become a new molecular biomarker to help identify the potential for high-quality embryos and diagnose male infertility, especially when seminal parameters are close to the threshold values. It could be a crucial tool for couples for whom the number of usable blastocysts is critical for ART success. This study was supported by grants from the Basque Government (GIC15/165) and the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) (EHUA14/17). The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest. N/A.

Conotoxin Patenting Trends in Academia and Industry.

Sea snails of the genus Conus produce toxins that have been the subjects of numerous studies, projects, publications, and patents over the years. Since Conus toxins were discovered in the 1960s, their biological activity has been thought to have high pharmaceutical potential that could be explored beyond the limits of academic laboratories. We reviewed 224 patent documents related to conotoxins and conopeptides globally to determine the course that innovation and development has taken over the years, their primary applications, the technological trends over the last six years, and the leaders in the field, since the only previous patent review was performed in 2015 and focused in USA valid patents. In addition, we explored which countries/territories protect their inventions and patents and the most relevant collaborations among assignees. We also evaluated whether academia or pharmaceutical companies are the future of conotoxin research. We concluded that the 224 conotoxin patents reviewed in this study have more academic value than industrial value, which was noted by the number of active patents that have not yet been licensed and the contributions to medical research, especially as tools to study neuropathic pain, inflammation, immunology, drug design, receptor binding sites, cancer, neurotransmission, epilepsy, peptide biosynthesis, and depression. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the current state of conotoxin patents, their main applications, and success based on the number of licensing and products in the market.

Science Estranged: Power and Inequity in Laboratory Life during the COVID-19 Pandemic

In March 2020, academic research laboratories across the world shut down in response to the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic. As labs began to resume work in the weeks and months following the shutdown, the realities of daily life in the lab changed. This article offers an empirical investigation of how COVID-19 disrupted laboratory life and impacted laboratory workers in the United States, drawing on in-depth interviews with biomedical research trainees (postdoctoral researchers and advanced doctoral students) conducted between September 2020 and March 2021. This article demonstrates how laboratory life during the pandemic was marked by emergent stratifications and inequities in access to sufficient lab time, increased stress around productivity, and frustrations with the culture of academic science. I show how the loss of social interaction, and the ensuing lonely scientific struggles, made visible the importance of sociality in science for workers. Finally, I contend that pandemic disruptions not only amplified and exacerbated existing social inequities in lab settings but also resulted in workers’ estrangement from science itself.

Rapid identification of short oligonucleotide impurities using lithium adduct consolidated MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry

Nucleic acids are an increasingly popular platform for the development of pharmaceuticals to treat and prevent multiple diseases including those where traditional small molecule and protein-based drug development efforts have failed. Short oligonucleotide therapeutics, which consist of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) and short interfering ribonucleic acids (siRNAs), are prepared by solid phase chemical synthesis, which can generate various impuriies that have the potential to lower drug safety and efficacy. Drug substance-related impurities can be especially difficult to identify and characterize. To address this short coming, here we apply lithium adduct consolidation with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) to afford a simplified, quick, and facile method for identification of a known drug substance impurity, isobutyryl (iBu) groups arising from incomplete deprotection during solid phase synthesis. We further employ high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to confirm assessment of the iBu impurity. This lithium adduction consolidation method should find general applicability for routine quality assessment of synthetic oligonucleotides in both academic and industrial laboratories.

The United States COVID-19 Forecast Hub dataset

Academic researchers, government agencies, industry groups, and individuals have produced forecasts at an unprecedented scale during the COVID-19 pandemic. To leverage these forecasts, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) partnered with an academic research lab at the University of Massachusetts Amherst to create the US COVID-19 Forecast Hub. Launched in April 2020, the Forecast Hub is a dataset with point and probabilistic forecasts of incident cases, incident hospitalizations, incident deaths, and cumulative deaths due to COVID-19 at county, state, and national, levels in the United States. Included forecasts represent a variety of modeling approaches, data sources, and assumptions regarding the spread of COVID-19. The goal of this dataset is to establish a standardized and comparable set of short-term forecasts from modeling teams. These data can be used to develop ensemble models, communicate forecasts to the public, create visualizations, compare models, and inform policies regarding COVID-19 mitigation. These open-source data are available via download from GitHub, through an online API, and through R packages.

Academic Research Translation Capability: A Multilevel Predictive Framework

Academic research-driven organizations (ARO) are increasingly building capabilities for advanced research, innovation, commercialization and entrepreneurship, with a vision to translate their scientific findings into ‘societal impact’. Such organizational capabilities can help them in consistently transforming their scientific knowledge into innovations which can be translated from academic labs to industrial markets. However, their definition, composition and the process to build such organizational capabilities appears to be nebulous at multiple levels within organizational settings. To overcome these shortcomings, we attempt to develop a theoretically-grounded multilevel framework to measure, compare or predict ‘academic research translation capability’ of academic research-driven organizations. Our framework consists of five independent constructs, two mediating constructs and one dependent construct along with relevant theoretical evidences. Empirical validation of this multilevel framework can help academicians as well as practitioners in identifying those antecedents which tend to significantly influence academic research translation capability (ARTC). Top Management Teams (TMTs) can use this framework for developing strategies to improve their innovation performance.

Maximising the Use of Scarce qPCR Master Mixes.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a universal, immediate, and vast demand for comprehensive molecular diagnostic testing, especially real-time quantitative (qPCR)-based methods. This rapidly triggered a global shortage of testing capacity, equipment, and reagents. Even today, supply times for chemicals from date of order to delivery are often much longer than pre-pandemic. Furthermore, many companies have ratcheted up the price for minimum volumes of reaction master mixes essential for qPCR assays, causing additional problems for academic laboratories often operating on a shoestring. We have validated two strategies that stretch reagent supplies and, whilst particularly applicable in case of scarcity, can readily be incorporated into standard qPCR protocols, with appropriate validation. The first strategy demonstrates equivalent performance of a selection of “past expiry date” and newly purchased master mixes. This approach is valid for both standard and fast qPCR protocols. The second validates the use of these master mixes at less than 1x final concentration without loss of qPCR efficiency or sensitivity.

Studying the Formation of Choline Chloride- and Glucose-Based Natural Deep Eutectic Solvent at the Molecular Level.

The liquid waste is the major source of waste, which usually generated from academic laboratories and industry during the extraction, separation, chemical synthesis, and pretreatment processes. These chemical and engineering processes require more solvents. In this regard, there is a need to develop more environmentally friendly, cheaper, non-toxic solvents that are harmless to humans and the environment. In this regard, deep eutectic solvents (DES) and their derivatives so-called natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) are a new field in the search for green alternative solvents. In our work, the formation of choline chloride-based NADESs using density functional theory (DFT) calculations, and classical all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was studied in detail using Gaussian09 and Gromacs software's. Next, the ground state geometry optimizations were performed in the gas phase using DFT B3LYP 6-31 + G(d) level of theory. Moreover, classical all-atom MD simulations were implemented using Gromos force field. After the modeling and simulations, the DFT calculation results revealed the formation of NADESs via formation (creation) of binding between chlorine and choline, and chlorine and glucose. At the same time, the results of classical all-atom MD simulations, based on the time average of the equilibrated production run of MD simulations, stated that the nitrogen atom of choline ion and chloride ion has greater interactions, while chloride ion has also greater interaction with glucose during formation of NADES. The outcomes of both DFT and classical all-atom MD simulations are in good agreements.

Nanotechnology in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Osteomyelitis.

Infection remains one of the largest threats to global health. Among those infections that are especially troublesome, osteomyelitis, or inflammation of the bone, typically due to infection, is a particularly difficult condition to diagnose and treat. This difficulty stems not only from the biological complexities of opportunistic infections designed to avoid the onslaught of both the host immune system as well as exogenous antibiotics, but also from changes in the host vasculature and the heterogeneity of infectious presentations. While several groups have attempted to classify and stage osteomyelitis, controversy remains, often delaying diagnosis and treatment. Despite a host of preclinical treatment advances being incubated in academic and company research and development labs worldwide, clinical treatment strategies remain relatively stagnant, including surgical debridement and lengthy courses of intravenous antibiotics, both of which may compromise the overall health of the bone and the patient. This manuscript reviews the current methods for diagnosing and treating osteomyelitis and then contemplates the role that nanotechnology might play in the advancement of osteomyelitis treatment.

Utility and Outcomes of the 2019 American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics–Clinical Genome Resource Guidelines for Interpretation of Copy Number Variants with Borderline Classifications at an Academic Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory

In 2019, the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics and the Clinical Genome Resource published updated technical standards for the interpretation and reporting of copy number variants (CNVs), introducing a semiquantitative classification system to improve standardization and consistency between laboratories. Evaluation of these guidelines' performance will inform laboratories about the impact of their implementation into clinical practice. A total of 145 difficult-to-classify CNVs, originally assessed by an academic molecular diagnostic laboratory, were re-interpreted/classified according to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics-Clinical Genome Resource guidelines. Classifications between interpretation systems were then compared. The concordance rate was 60.7%, and significantly more variants of uncertain significance were obtained when using the guidelines (n=98) versus the laboratory's classification system (n=49; P<0.001). The concordance rate was presumably impacted by the intentionally unclear nature of the selected variants. The difference in variant of uncertain significance rate was largely due to laboratory-specific practices for variant interpretation and reporting and differences in utilization of general population data. Laboratory-specific policies and practices may need to be addressed for true standardization. Challenges to consistent guideline utilization are centered around the general lack of high-quality curated data available for CNV interpretations and the inherent subjectivity in the selection of evidence criteria and application of evidence points. Multiple aspects of the guidelines were highlighted to further improve classification standardization.

Evaluation of fixed-panel, multicolour ClearLLab 10C at an academic flow cytometry laboratory in Johannesburg, South Africa.

BackgroundFlow cytometric immunophenotyping is well established for the diagnosis of haematological neoplasms. New commercially available systems offer fixed, pre-aliquoted multi-parameter analysis to simplify sample preparation and standardise data analysis.ObjectiveThe Beckman Coulter (BC) ClearLLab™ 10C (4-tube) system was evaluated against an existing laboratory developed test (LDT).MethodsPeripheral blood and bone marrow aspirates (n = 101), tested between August 2019 and November 2019 at an academic pathology laboratory in Johannesburg, South Africa, were analysed. Following daily instrument quality control, samples were prepared for LDT (using > 20 2–4-colour in-house panels and an extensive liquid monoclonal reagent repertoire) or ClearLLab 10C, and respectively analysed using in-house protocols on a Becton Dickinson FACSCalibur, or manufacturer-directed protocols on a BC Navios. Becton Dickinson Paint-a-Gate or BC Kaluza C software facilitated data interpretation. Diagnostic accuracy (concordance) was established by calculating sensitivity and specificity outcomes.ResultsExcellent agreement (clinical diagnostic concordance) with 100% specificity and sensitivity was established between LDT and ClearLLab 10C in 67 patients with a haematological neoplasm and 34 participants with no haematological disease. Similar acceptable diagnostic concordance (97%) was noted when comparing ClearLLab 10C to clinicopathological outcomes. Additionally, the ClearLLab 10C panels, analysed with Kaluza C software, enabled simultaneous discrimination of disease and concurrent background myeloid and lymphoid haematological populations, including assessing stages of maturation or sub-populations.ConclusionClearLLab 10C panels provide excellent agreement to existing LDTs and may reliably be used for immunophenotyping of haematological neoplasms, simplifying and standardising sample preparation and data acquisition.

Chiral Amines via Enantioselective π-Allyliridium-C,O-Benzoate-Catalyzed Allylic Alkylation: Student Training via Industrial-Academic Collaboration.

Cyclometalated π-allyliridium-C,O-benzoate complexes discovered in the Krische laboratory display unique amphiphilic properties, catalyzing both nucleophilic carbonyl allylation and electrophilic allylation of diverse amines as well as nitronates. Given the importance of chiral amines in FDA-approved small-molecule drugs, a collaboration with medicinal chemists at Genentech that included on-site graduate student internships was undertaken to explore and expand the scope of π-allyliridium-C,O-benzoate-catalyzed allylic amination and related processes. As described in this Account, our collective experimental studies have unlocked asymmetric allylic aminations of exceptionally broad utility and scope. Specifically, using racemic branched alkyl-substituted allylic acetate proelectrophiles, primary and secondary aliphatic or aromatic amines, including indoles, engage in highly regio- and enantioselective allylic amination. Additionally, unactivated nitronates were found to be competent nucleophilic partners for regio- and enantioselective allylic alkylation, enabling entry to β-stereogenic α-quaternary primary amines. Notably, these π-allyliridium-C,O-benzoate-catalyzed allylic substitutions, which display complete branched regioselectivity in reactions of alkyl-substituted allyl electrophiles, complement the scope of corresponding iridium phosphoramidite-catalyzed allylic aminations, which require aryl-substituted allyl electrophiles to promote high levels of branched regioselectivity. Computational, kinetic, ESI-CID-MS, and isotopic labeling studies were undertaken to understand the mechanism of these processes, including the origins of regio- and enantioselectivity. Isotopic labeling studies suggest that C-N bond formation occurs through outer-sphere addition to the π-allyl. DFT calculations corroborate C-N bond formation via outer-sphere addition and suggest that early transition states and distinct trans effects of diastereomeric chiral-at-iridium π-allyl complexes render the reaction less sensitive to steric effects, accounting for complete levels of branched regioselectivity in reactions of hindered amine and nitronate nucleophiles. Reaction progress kinetic analysis (RPKA) reveals a zero-order dependence on allyl acetate, a first-order dependence on the catalyst, and a fractional-order dependence on the amine. As corroborated by ESI-CID-MS analysis, the 0.4 kinetic order dependence on the amine may reflect the intervention of cesium-bridged amine dimers, which dissociate to form monomeric cesium amide nucleophiles. Hence, the requirement of cesium carbonate (vs lower alkali metal carbonates) in these processes may reside in cesium's capacity for Lewis acid-enhanced Brønsted acidification of the amine pronucleophile. Beyond the development of catalytic processes for the synthesis of novel chiral amines, the present research was conducted by graduate students who benefited from career development experiences associated with training in both academic and industrial laboratories.

RESEARCH, INNOVATION AND COMMERCIALIZATION IN REHABILITATION PAKISTAN

The ORIC Ziauddin University ensures that the quality of research meets international standards and ethics. The world is spinning around the data which leads to the strategies and ideas to be developed for genuine needs and development. Rehabilitation 2030 has targeted to reach out to the unmet need for rehabilitation in the health care system through building research capacity and promoting sturdy pieces of evidence for rehabilitation. Many research journals with the definite scope of rehabilitation has come into existence that involve the six domains of rehab sciences that is physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, orthotics and prosthetics, clinical psychology, vocational therapy . To meet the need of population the evidences are still very rare that emphasize the integration of rehabilitation in the health care system for the quality care. The Higher education commission Pakistan has accentuated on research, innovation and commercialization (RIC) as an integral part of all universities to develop research, promote innovation and provide accessible services through commercialization that meet population need. RIC is the link between the academic laboratories and evidence based practice, ideas and inventions and research and industry. It is very crucial for rehabilitation students and practitioner to understand the role of RIC in order to reach out the end user, stakeholders and industry for not only the quality service but for the accessible facility in the health care system. The collaborative efforts of RIC will lead the rehabilitation sciences to the bench mark practices and accelerate the process of development by intensifying the scientific research, data building and innovation in the rehab field for the delivery of the services.

Ion Chromatography: Principles and instrumentation

Ion chromatography (IC) is one of the most used analytical methods for the determination of inorganic cations and anions, as well as organic ions. It is considered a method of separation with simple steps, low cost and with good efficiency in chromatographic separation. In addition, it has good validation metrics such as sensitivity, selectivity, precision, robustness, low detection limit and quantification. IC easily replaces conventional wet chemistry methods, which tend to have more analysis steps. The easy extraction of samples, in most cases, does not require organic solvents, facilitating the disposal of waste. Since its creation, IC has accumulated advantages and good acceptance in the food, pharmaceutical, environmental monitoring industries, in addition to increasing implementation in academic research laboratories.

Implementing Pharmacogenetic Testing in Gastrointestinal Cancers (IMPACT-GI): Study Protocol for a Pragmatic Implementation Trial for Establishing DPYD and UGT1A1 Screening to Guide Chemotherapy Dosing.

BackgroundFluoropyrimidines (fluorouracil [5-FU], capecitabine) and irinotecan are commonly prescribed chemotherapy agents for gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies. Pharmacogenetic (PGx) testing for germline DPYD and UGT1A1 variants associated with reduced enzyme activity holds the potential to identify patients at high risk for severe chemotherapy-induced toxicity. Slow adoption of PGx testing in routine clinical care is due to implementation barriers, including long test turnaround times, lack of integration in the electronic health record (EHR), and ambiguity in test cost coverage. We sought to establish PGx testing in our health system following the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment (EPIS) framework as a guide. Our implementation study aims to address barriers to PGx testing.MethodsThe Implementing Pharmacogenetic Testing in Gastrointestinal Cancers (IMPACT-GI) study is a non-randomized, pragmatic, open-label implementation study at three sites within a major academic health system. Eligible patients with a GI malignancy indicated for treatment with 5-FU, capecitabine, or irinotecan will undergo PGx testing prior to chemotherapy initiation. Specimens will be sent to an academic clinical laboratory followed by return of results in the EHR with appropriate clinical decision support for the care team. We hypothesize that the availability of a rapid turnaround PGx test with specific dosing recommendations will increase PGx test utilization to guide pharmacotherapy decisions and improve patient safety outcomes. Primary implementation endpoints are feasibility, fidelity, and penetrance. Exploratory analyses for clinical effectiveness of genotyping will include assessing grade ≥3 treatment-related toxicity using available clinical data, patient-reported outcomes, and quality of life measures.ConclusionWe describe the formative work conducted to prepare our health system for DPYD and UGT1A1 testing. Our prospective implementation study will evaluate the clinical implementation of this testing program and create the infrastructure necessary to ensure sustainability of PGx testing in our health system. The results of this study may help other institutions interested in implementing PGx testing in oncology care.Clinical Trial Registrationhttps://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04736472, identifier [NCT04736472].

Incorporating LC-MS/MS Analysis and the Dereplication of Natural Product Samples into an Upper-Division Undergraduate Laboratory Course.

Growth in the biomedical and biotechnology sectors requires a highly trained and highly skilled workforce to answer the next great scientific questions. Undergraduate laboratory courses incorporating hands-on training based in authentic research position soon-to-be graduates to learn in environments that mirror that of academic, industrial, and government laboratories. Mass spectrometry is one of the most broadly applied analyses carried out in the biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences and thus it is essential that upper-division students gain hands-on experience in techniques and analytical workflows in mass spectrometry. Our pre-course assessments identified weaknesses in student experience and knowledge in the fundamentals of mass spectrometry, supporting that it was a necessary area for improvement. We incorporated a laboratory experiment focused on tandem mass spectrometry and database searching into a preexisting mini-semester project devoted to identifying metabolites from medicinal plants. Implementation of the experiment allowed students to make more confident metabolite identifications, introduced them to a cutting-edge database analysis platform (GNPS: Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking), and increased student experience and knowledge of mass spectrometry in addition to the principle of dereplication of samples derived from nature.

ЗАЯВА НА ПІДТРИМКУ АКАДЕМІЧНОЇ СПІЛЬНОТИ УКРАЇНИ

In 2017, I was invited by Dr. Zayachkivska, Chair of the Physiology Department in Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University, to participate in a scientifi c conference at your institution in Lviv. I had the pleasure of discussing the neurobiology of PTSD, evaluating the work of your young scientists, and, of course, meeting many of you, I very fondly recall our time together in your beautiful city. Since then, we have maintained contact. I’m honored to be editor and reviewer for the Proceedings of the Shevchenko Scientifi c Society nowadays. Today I would like to express my unequivocal solidarity with you and with all Ukrainians, who are resisting the unprovoked, totally unjustified and brutal war being waged against you by the Russian Federation. Along with the rest of the civilized world, I recoil in horror at the indiscriminate bombing of hospitals, schools, and homes and the murder of so many innocents, including women and children. Know that I, and countless others like me, are with you in our thoughts and in our actions. We condemn the brutal and illegal acts of Putin’s regime. I call on members of the global academic community to recognize that, as scientists, we cannot sit idly in our laboratories or offices while war crimes are being committed in front of our eyes. We have a moral obligation to end this wanton killing and destruction. Let us urge our respective governments to continuously increase economic and political pressure on the Russian Federation to immediately stop the war. In the interim, we need to demand a no fly zone to allow those who wish to leave safe passage and allow humanitarian aid to reach those living under siege in basements and bunkers, often without food, water, and medical assistance. In parallel, our countries need to be prepared to receive refugees and to provide financial support to Ukraine as she fights for her existence. In addition, I call on all my colleagues to personally and through their institutions suspend all academic activity with scientists and institutions in the Russian Federation, with two exceptions. We should continue collaborations that impact direct clinical care. We cannot descend to the abject evil practiced by those who have lost their humanity. We should also recognize and reward those colleagues in the Russian Federation who declare their opposition to the systematic and wide-ranging violence their government is engaged in. The suspension of academic contacts must continue until the killing stops and the armed forces of the Russian Federation leave every part of Ukraine’s territory. I also have this appeal to academics and scientists in the Russian Federation. We know that Russia’s descent into its present autocracy has been gradual. We also know that many of you are quietly opposed to the ongoing crimes against humanity. There is no animus towards Russians as a people. There is, however, revulsion and righteous anger at the actions of the Russian Federation, which is supported actively or tacitly by many. Yes, I recognize that if one or two scientists or academics voice an objection, they may be demoted, fired, or even imprisoned. However, if thousands of you stand up at the same time, nothing will happen. Putin’s regime knows that Russia cannot function without its scientists and academics. Today, everything is transparent. When this nightmare Russia is trying to impose on the world ends, as it inevitably will, it will be apparent to all who profited and actively supported a criminal regime, who sat on their hands and waited, and who spoke out boldly against a totally unnecessary but increasingly brutal war that is being waged ostensibly in their name. If you all speak in a mighty voice together, Putin and his regime will be paralyzed. They need you. You do not need them. Let all of us, in academic institutions, hospitals and laboratories around the world work together for the cause of truth and justice and demand respect for the rights accorded to each person on our earth. In closing, I speak again to you, my dear Ukrainian colleagues. I pray that the war ends swiftly and that all of you, along with family, friends, and the entire Ukrainian nation, prevail. May the day soon arrive when we can meet, discuss science, plan possible collaborations, linger over a coffee, and just enjoy each other’s collegiality in your most wonderful country. March is the month of commemoration of the poet Taras Shevchenko. It is fitting to recall his words. “Fight – you’ll win the fight.” Glory to Ukraine! Glory to Herous! Slava Ukraini! Heroyam Slava! https://youtu.be/Q_f-aKUtAEY

Occupational Exposure Assessment of the Static Magnetic Field Generated by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy: A Case Study.

Magnetic resonance (MR) systems are used in academic research laboratories and industrial research fields, besides representing one of the most important imaging modalities in clinical radiology. This technology does not use ionizing radiation, but it cannot be considered without risks. These risks are associated with the working principle of the technique, which mainly involves static magnetic fields that continuously increase—namely, the radiofrequency (RF) field and spatial magnetic field gradient. To prevent electromagnetic hazards, the EU and ICNIRP have defined workers’ exposure limits. Several studies that assess health risks for workers and patients of diagnostic MR are reported in the literature, but data on workers’ risk evaluation using nuclear MR (NMR) spectroscopy are very poor. Therefore, the aim of this research is the risk assessment of an NMR environment, paying particular attention to workers with active implantable medical devices (AIMDs). Our perspective study consisted of the measurement of the static magnetic field around a 300 MHz (7 T) NMR research spectrometer and the computation of the electric field induced by the movements of an operator. None of the calculated exposure parameters exceeded the threshold limits imposed by legislation for protection against short-term effects of acute occupational exposure, but our results revealed that the level of exposure exceeded the action level threshold limit for workers with AIMD during the execution of tasks requiring the closest proximity to the spectrometer. Moreover, the strong dependence of the induced electric field results from the walking speed models is shown. This case study represents a snapshot of the NMR risk assessment with the specific goal to increase the interest in the safety of NMR environments.

Ценностные ориентиры в ст ратегии лидера молодежного проекта

Introduction. Youth projects become especially important in a situation of uncertainty since they create the country’s development potential. New leaders should be focused not only on their own well-being, but also on that of others. Therefore, the value orientations of youth leaders are of highest significance for strategizing. Study objects and methods. The present research featured the value orientations that leaders choose for the effective implementation of youth projects. The study was based on the theory of strategizing introduced by Professor Vladimir Kvint, Doctor of Economic Sciences, Foreign Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. His strategic thinking methodology was used to perform a systematic analysis of the value orientations in the leaders of the National University Laboratories of Sustainable Development and Environmental Safety Project of the Russian Federation. Results and discussions. If leadership is a value-oriented quality, then a leader’s strategy should be based on objective values and ideals that define the leader’s choice. The value priorities of the youth project leader should take into account the values of society, the state, the region, and the team, its main goal being life-quality improvement. The proposed national system of university laboratories can develop effective value attitudes in its leaders. The project is carried out at the Saint-Petersburg State Agrarian University; it has been tested at various conferences, the public feedback was included in the annual Public Resolution on Environmental Protection and Development of the Russian Federation of the XII International Environmental Forum 2021. Conclusion. The national system of research and academic laboratories is capable of forming value-ecological and socially responsible leaders in different activity spheres on the global, national, regional, industrial, and corporate levels.

Interlaboratory Study of Polyethylene and Polydimethylsiloxane Polymeric Samplers for Ex Situ Measurement of Freely Dissolved Hydrophobic Organic Compounds in Sediment Porewater.

We evaluated the precision and accuracy of multilaboratory measurements for determining freely dissolved concentrations (C free) of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in sediment porewater using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) polymeric samplers. Four laboratories exposed performance reference compound (PRC) preloaded polymers to actively mixed and static ex situ sediment for approximately 1 month; two laboratories had longer exposures (2 and 3 months). For C free results, intralaboratory precision was high for single compounds (coefficient of variation 50% or less), and for most PAHs and PCBs interlaboratory variability was low (magnitude of difference was a factor of 2 or less) across polymers and exposure methods. Variability was higher for the most hydrophobic PAHs and PCBs, which were present at low concentrations and required larger PRC‐based corrections, and also for naphthalene, likely due to differential volatilization losses between laboratories. Overall, intra‐ and interlaboratory variability between methods (PDMS vs. LDPE, actively mixed vs. static exposures) was low. The results that showed C free polymer equilibrium was achieved in approximately 1 month during active exposures, suggesting that the use of PRCs may be avoided for ex situ analysis using comparable active exposure; however, such ex situ testing may not reflect field conditions. Polymer‐derived C free concentrations for most PCBs and PAHs were on average within a factor of 2 compared with concentrations in isolated porewater, which were directly measured by one laboratory; difference factors of up to 6 were observed for naphthalene and the most hydrophobic PAHs and PCBs. The C free results were similar for academic and private sector laboratories. The accuracy and precision that we demonstrate for determination of C free using polymer sampling are anticipated to increase regulatory acceptance and confidence in use of the method. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:1885–1902. © 2022 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.