Anti-proliferative effect of metformin on a feline injection site sarcoma cell line independent of Mtor inhibition.

Metformin is an oral hypoglycemic drug that has been shown to inhibit cancer cell proliferation via up-regulation of AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase), and possibly inhibition of mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of metformin on a feline injection site sarcoma cell line. Cells from a feline injection site sarcoma cell line were treated with metformin at varied concentrations.

Avoiding Tokamak Disruptions by Applying Static Magnetic Fields That Align Locked Modes with Stabilizing Wave-Driven Currents.

Nonrotating ("locked") magnetic islands often lead to complete losses of confinement in tokamak plasmas, called major disruptions. Here locked islands were suppressed for the first time, by a combination of applied three-dimensional magnetic fields and injected millimeter waves. The applied fields were used to control the phase of locking and so align the island O point with the region where the injected waves generated noninductive currents.

Evaluation and quantitative microbial risk assessment of a unique antimicrobial agent for hospital surface treatment.

Background: It is generally agreed that contaminated hospital surfaces play a role in the transmission of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). The ability of an antimicrobial agent, engineered at Emory University, to reduce bacterial bioburden on hospital surfaces was examined. A quantitative microbial risk assessment was also conducted to quantify the potential reduction of human health risks associated with application of this antimicrobial product.

Effects of surface-bound and intravenously administered heparin on cell-surface interactions: inflammation and coagulation.

Intravenous administration of heparin and heparin-bonded extracorporeal circuits are frequently used to mitigate the deleterious effects of blood contact with synthetic materials. The work described here utilized human blood in a micro-perfusion circuit to experimentally examine the effects of intravenous and surface-bound heparin on cellular activation. Activation markers of coagulation and of the inflammatory response were examined using flow cytometry; specifically, markers of platelet, monocyte, polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN), and lymphocyte activation were quantified.

In vitro assessment of blood compatibility: residual and dynamic markers of cellular activation.

The blood compatibility of materials and surfaces used for medical device fabrication is a crucial factor in their function and effectiveness. Expansion of device use into more sensitive and longer term applications warrants increasingly detailed evaluations of blood compatibility that reach beyond the customary measures mandated by regulatory requirements. A panel of tests that assess both deposition on the surface and activation of circulating blood in contact with the surface has been developed.