Ronald M. Cook

The preparation and synthetic application of heterobifunctional biocompatible spacer arms1,2

Abstract Simple spacer arm molecules which provide improved biomolecule synthesis and display are described. Functionalization with non-polar triaryl groups confers organic solvent solubility and facilitates isolation.

Comparison of Health Information Technology Use Between American Adults With and Without Chronic Health Conditions: Findings From The National Health Interview Survey 2012

Background Health information technology (HIT) is utilized by people with different chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. However, there has been no comparison of HIT use between persons without a chronic condition, with one chronic condition, and multiple (≥2) chronic conditions (MCCs). Objective The aim of the study was to assess the difference in HIT use between persons without a chronic condition, with one chronic condition, and with MCCs, to describe the characteristics of HIT use among those with chronic conditions and to identify the predictors of HIT use of the persons with one chronic condition and MCCs. Methods A secondary data analysis was conducted in spring 2017 using the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) 2012 Family Core and Sample Adult Core datasets that yielded 34,525 respondents aged 18 years and older. Measures included overall HIT use (ie, any use of the following five HIT on the Internet: seeking health information, ordering prescription, making appointment, emailing health provider, and using health chat groups), as well as sociodemographic and health-related characteristics. Sociodemographic and health characteristics were compared between HIT users and nonusers among those who reported having at least one chronic condition using chi-square tests. Independent predictors of HIT use were identified using multiple logistic regression analyses for those with one chronic condition, with MCCs, and without a chronic condition. Analyses were weighted and performed at significance level of .005. Results In 2012, adults with one health chronic condition (raw count 4147/8551, weighted percentage 48.54%) was significantly higher than among those with MCCs (3816/9637, 39.55%) and those with none of chronic condition (7254/16,337, 44.40%, P<.001). Seeking health information was the most prevalent HIT use. Chi-square tests revealed that among adults with chronic conditions, those who used HIT were significantly different from their counterpart peers who did not use HIT in terms of sociodemographic and health characteristics (P<.001). Overall, the significant factors related to HIT use were similar among the adults with one chronic condition, with MCCs, or without a chronic condition: younger age, female sex, non-Hispanic white, higher education level, and higher income level were shown to be positively related to the HIT use. Conclusions This study provides a snapshot of HIT use among those with chronic conditions and potential factors related to such use. Clinical care and public health communication efforts attempting to leverage more HIT use should acknowledge differential HIT usage as identified in this study to better address communication inequalities and persistent disparities in socioeconomic status.

SOLID PHASE NUCLEOTIDE AND PEPTIDE SYNTHESIS BY ADAPTATION OF LABORATORY HPLC EQUIPMENT

Publisher Summary . This chapter presents an experiment in which a Varian 5020 high-performance liquid chromatography for nucleotide synthesis was used. This was charged with dry acetonitrile in reservoir A and a DMT-removal reagent in reservoir B. Activated nucleoside intermediates and other ancillary reagents were added via microprocessor-controlled solenoid valves. The procedure is compatible with existing phosphite and phosphate–triester chemistries. The advantages of microprocesser control and flow methodology were further exemplified by peptide sythesis. Excellent yields were obtained using a 30-minute cycle consisting of coupling of Fmoc-amino acids with diisopropyl carbodiimide and deblocking with piperidine in dimethyl formamide. This system forms the basis of the Biosearch Synthesis Automation Module .

Orthogonal methods for the synthesis of multiply labeled peptide probes and substrates

Fluorescently labeled peptides have many applications: in cellular uptake and localization studies, for immunological assays, as receptor probes, and as enzyme substrates. An important implementation uses fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) techniques, where the proximity of a dye pair effectively quenches fluorescence, which is then liberated wholly or partially through binding or cleavage. Early work focussed on the use of prederivatized, side-chain modified lysines, generally bearing dabcyl and dansyl groups. This work focuses on methods that allow incorporation of much more chemically sensitive dyes [e.g., fluorescein (FAM) and tetramethylrhodamine (TAMRA) derivatives] onto specific lysine side-chains at any position within a target peptide. This design allows the flexible display of the labels, maximizing their spectral overlap and minimizing the influence of backbone conformation. Gly spacers were used to separate the probe sequence and the fluorophores, reducing any effect the labels might have on binding.