A survey of retaining faculty at a new medical school: opportunities, challenges and solutions.

BACKGROUND: At well-established academic university settings, retaining faculty remains a pressing challenge due to competing market forces, decreasing institutional support, and changing personal expectations. There is a paucity of information about the difficulties faced by new medical schools to maintain their academic workforce. The objective of this study was to determine the challenges facing the faculty at a newly developed medical school. METHODS: Twelve founding faculty were surveyed anonymously by a 32-item questionnaire. Their responses were independently analyzed by three researchers. RESULTS: The views of the faculty were categorized into in four inter-related themes: personal, support, institutional, and environmental. The constant sources of satisfaction among faculty were higher academic rank (75%), harmonious inter-collegial relationships (74%), healthy pecuniary rewards (58%), better professional growth (58%) along with greater autonomy, administrative independence, minimum groupism and excellent team work. Poor opportunities for promotion (68%), reduced support for scholarly activities (67%) and unsatisfactory support from the administration (55%) were detrimental to retaining faculty. CONCLUSION: By addressing specific issues facing its staff, every new medical school will not only manage to retain its academic faculty but also be able to attract well qualified academic staff from established medical institutions worldwide.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons-induced ROS accumulation enhances mutagenic potential of T-antigen from human polyomavirus JC.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are the products of incomplete combustion of organic materials, which are present in cigarette smoke, deep-fried food, and in natural crude oil. Since PAH-metabolites form DNA adducts and cause oxidative DNA damage, we asked if these environmental carcinogens could affect transforming potential of the human Polyomavirus JC oncoprotein, T-antigen (JCV T-antigen). We extracted DMSO soluble PAHs from Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico (oil-PAHs), and detected several carcinogenic PAHs. The oil-PAHs were tested in exponentially growing cultures of normal mouse fibroblasts (R508), and in R508 stably expressing JCV T-antigen (R508/T). The oil-PAHs were cytotoxic only at relatively high doses (1:50-1:100 dilution), and at 1:500 dilution the growth and cell survival rates were practically unaffected. This non-toxic dose triggered however, a significant accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), caused oxidative DNA damage and the formation of DNA double strand breaks (DSBs). Although oil-PAHs induced similar levels of DNA damage in R508 and R508/T cells, only T-antigen expressing cells demonstrated inhibition of high fidelity DNA repair by homologous recombination (HRR). In contrast, low-fidelity repair by non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) was unaffected. This potential mutagenic shift between DNA repair mechanisms was accompanied by a significant increase in clonal growth of R508/T cells chronically exposed to low doses of the oil-PAHs. Our results indicate for the first time carcinogenic synergy in which oil-PAHs trigger oxidative DNA damage and JCV T-antigen compromises DNA repair fidelity.

Fenofibrate-induced nuclear translocation of FoxO3A triggers Bim-mediated apoptosis in glioblastoma cells in vitro.

Anti-neoplastic potential of calorie restriction or ligand-induced activation of peroxisome proliferator activated receptors (PPARs) has been demonstrated in multiple studies; however, mechanism(s) by which tumor cells respond to these stimuli remain to be elucidated. One of the potent agonists of PPARα, fenofibrate, is a commonly used lipid-lowering drug with low systemic toxicity. Fenofibrate-induced PPARα transcriptional activity is expected to shift energy metabolism from glycolysis to fatty acid ß-oxidation, which in the long-term, could target weak metabolic points of glycolysis-dependent glioblastoma cells. The results of this study demonstrate that 25 µM fenofibrate can effectively repress malignant growth of primary glial tumor cells and glioblastoma cell lines. This cytostatic action involves G(1) arrest accompanied by only a marginal level of apoptotic cell death. Although the cells treated with 25 µM fenofibrate remain arrested, the cells treated with 50 µM fenofibrate undergo massive apoptosis, which starts after 72 h of the treatment. This delayed apoptotic event was preceded by FoxO3A nuclear accumulation, FoxO3A phosphorylation on serine residue 413, its elevated transcriptional activity and expression of FoxO-dependent apoptotic protein, Bim. siRNA-mediated inhibition of FoxO3A attenuated fenofibrate-induced apoptosis, indicating a direct involvement of this transcription factor in the fenofibrate action against glioblastoma. These properties of fenofibrate, coupled with its low systemic toxicity, make it a good candidate in support of conventional therapies against glial tumors.

Análisis inmunoenzimático (ELISA) para determinar niveles de IgG anti Bothrops atrox en accidente ofídico / Inmunoenzymatic determination of IgG anti Bothrops atrox levels after snake bites

Se desarrolló un método de Inmunización de conejos con veneno de Bothrops atrox con el fin de preparar antisueros y estandarizar un Inmunoanálisis (ELISA) para medir niveles de IgG en pacientes con accidente ofídico. La respuesta Inmune de los conejos se siguió por inmunodifusión en doble dimensión (Ouchterlony) e inmunoelectroforesis, demostrando la presencia de bandas nítidas desde el dra 60 y en todas las sangrías posteriores; se comprobó que hay variabilidad Individual en su respuesta Inmune. El ELISA para detección de IgG humana antl B. atrox en los indígenas del Chocó fue una prueba simple y sensible (83.3 por ciento) pero inespecífica por las reacciones cruzadas en Individuos que habrán sufrido accidentes por B. nasutus. La técnica para detectar IgG equina anti B. atrox en pacientes tratados con antiveneno fue tambIén simple y muy sensible.

We developed an immunization method for the production of rabbit antisera against Bothrops atroxvenoms. An enzyme-Ilnked assay (ELISA) was standardized in order to measure IgG levels after snake bites. The immune response of rabbits, as determined by Ouchterlony and immunoelectrophoresis techniques, revealed bands of precipitation from the sixtieth day on. Individual variability in the immune response of rabbits was demonstrated. For the measurement of IgG levels In Indians from the Department of Choco (Colombia), ELISA proved to be a sensitive (83.3%) and simple but not an specific procedure, since there were cross-reactions in those previously bitten by B. nasutus. ELISA was also simple and sensitive (100%) for the determination of equine anti B. atrox IgG antibodies in patients treated with antivenom

Diagnostico por deteccion de antigenos / Diagnosis by antigen detection

La demostracion del agente causal constituye el diagnostico definitivo. En los ultimos anos se han desarrollado tecnicas de diagnostico por medio de las cuales es posible la deteccion de antigenos producidos por los agentes causales. Dichos antigenos pueden encontrarse circulando en los fluidos corporales o pueden detectarse en los tejidos del huesped. En el presente articulo se discuten varias de las aplicaciones de esta metodologia para el diagnostico y se hacen comparaciones con metodos tradicionales tales como la histopatologia, el cultivo y la deteccion de anticuerpos especificos. Se discuten tambien las ventajas y dificultades tecnicas de los metodos para la deteccion y cuantificacion de antigenos circulantes. Se da particular importancia al enzimo-inmunoensayo (ELISA) ya que este se ha impuesto como metodo de diagnostico. Ademas se presentan algunas experiencias adquiridas en nuestro laboratorio en la deteccion de antigenos parasitarios circulantes