Problem: Research into gastrointestinal diseases often presents clinicians and researchers with difficulties in terms of collecting samples from patients for analysis. The very nature of the gastrointestinal tract makes it relatively inaccessible for simple, effective sampling. Current processes require the patient to collect samples of stool, have a rectal swab taken or a tissue biopsy during endoscopy. Each of these methods is not without its problems, whether for the patient, the clinician, or the researcher.

Dr. Guido Verbeck discusses recent developments in mass spectrometry with contributing writer Tanuja Koppal, PhD

Karyn M. Usher is an analytical chemist in the Department of Natural Sciences at Metropolitan State University in Saint Paul, MN. At Metro State, her research has focused on sample preparation for the determination of analytes in complex matrices by high performance liquid chromatography.

Sports is big business, which is why leagues and federations are desperate to keep their franchises honest. In the US, Major League Baseball (MLB) received a record $9 billion in revenues in 2014, while the National Football League took in close to $10 billion. 

High performing teams consistently fare better than their competitors, especially when the pressure is on.

Taking all the risk out of inherently risky situations has never been an easy task and probably never will be. (And no, I’m not talking about the Seahawks throwing a pass at the goal line instead of just running it in Super Bowl XLIX.) But for some industries and businesses, managing risk more successfully than others has become almost second nature.

A study co-written by a University of Illinois labor and employment relations professor shows that clocking extra hours at the office while juggling family demands takes a toll on the body mass index of individuals in dual-earner families.

Barbara Silver says that research has repeatedly shown that flexible work schedules and employer support for work/life issues results in improvements in employee productivity, job satisfaction and job retention and decreases in absenteeism. It also benefits employee physical and mental health.

In business today, effective influence is essential. Want your ideas implemented? You must influence others to act on them. Want more clients? You must influence people to buy from you. Want more advancement or responsibility? You must influence executives to see the value you offer. And to be an effective leader you must be able to influence others. In all respects, being able to influence others is the ultimate power tool.

It has been over 40 months since President Obama signed the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA) into law in September 2011, climaxing years of feverish legislative wrangling. AIA was heralded as a game-changer, the dawning of an equitable intellectual property (IP) regimen that rewarded research scientists and innovators beset by ineffectual patent processes and procedures.

Sample preparation can be a labor-intensive and expensive process. What are the factors that should be considered when evaluating the possible transition from manual to semi-automated or fully automated systems? How do they impact your return on investment?