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BackFall 1999Welcome to the first issue of the Rieders Renaissance Report, a quarterly newsletter which will publicize the activities of the Fredric Rieders Family Renaissance Foundation. The lead article below will introduce you to the Foundation. Also in this issue you will find a short report on a problem associated with the accurate quantitation of methemoglobin in whole blood. You can read about activities from this past summer’s research program and view the titles and presenters of the monthly seminars offered by the Foundation. Lastly, please note the upcoming symposium on occupational toxicology to be held on December 9, 1999. WHAT IS THE FREDRIC RIEDERS FAMILY RENAISSNACE FOUNDATION?Dr. Fredric Rieders decided to bring to fruition a long held dream to establish a charitable foundation that fostered the love for science and art in students young and old, but especially in the young and the disadvantaged. His observation was that many young people do not appreciate the art in science and the science in art. By setting aside personal finances, and eliciting resources from his family, Dr. Rieders was able to see his dream come true in 1994. The Foundation focuses on teaching through research, academic instruction and supporting scientific and humanistic endeavors. Dr. Rieders endeavors to provide an educational experience that will nurture a love for science and demonstrate how it truly plays a large part in everyone's day-to-day life. The Foundation provides an academic milieu and an experimental laboratory setting that is overseen by experts in various fields who act as advisors to small groups of researchers. Extramural activities are also supported and include providing grants for research projects at local universities; funding the publication of books and texts concerning toxicology, pharmacology and forensics; sponsoring colloquia and monthly seminars; developing scientific software and participating in a program which provides minority high school students the opportunity to work on a research project during their summer vacation. Dr. Rieders is a board certified forensic toxicologist by profession. Many Foundation projects gravitate towards that area of science; however, other projects at the Foundation are completely removed from toxicology and focus on basic and applied research. It is Dr. Rieders earnest desire not to "pigeon hole" Foundation activities in one area of science. The philosophy is that knowledge of the basic sciences (chemistry, biology, mathematics and physics) and philosophy as well as a command of language and humanities, are the basic tools required to solve any of life's problems - scientific or otherwise. Once a person has the basic "tool bag" filled with an understanding of the aforementioned topics, only then is that person truly ready to advance in the fields of science and life - whatever the subject may be! Once the Foundation had been established, Dr. Rieders, as Chairman of the Board of Trustees, delegated the responsibility of running the scientific and educational programs to his Executive Director - G. John DiGregorio, M.D., Ph.D. Dr. DiGregorio is a clinical toxicologist and Medical Director at National Medical Services, Inc. He is also a professor of pharmacology and medicine at MCP Hahnemann University, Philadelphia and an adjunct professor in the Temple University department of pharmacology, Philadelphia. Dr. DiGregorio has written or co-written 43 books mostly on topics pertaining to pharmacology and toxicology. The Associate Director of the Foundation, Anthony J. Macherone, M.A., is a Ph.D. candidate at Temple University who holds a Masters degree in analytical chemistry. Dr. Rieders hired Mr. Macherone in the winter of 1997 and immediately set upon him to establish a functional research laboratory in the original National Medical Services building located in Willow Grove, PA. By the summer of 1998, Mr. Macherone and Dr. Rieders had developed an aqueous solution that fully stabilizes blood methemoglobin at the time of blood collection, a project that led to the first Foundation patent. In addition to the Board of Trustees, the Executive Director and the Associate Director, other active members of the Foundation include: Edward J. Barbieri, Ph.D., Newsletter Editor Joseph R. DiPalma, M.D., Consultant Patricia Carducci, Executive Assistant. RESEARCH ARTICLEMethemoglobin Stabilizing SolutionAnthony J. Macherone, M.A.Methemoglobin is a normal constituent of the total hemoglobin in the body, but it is unable to transport oxygen to the tissues. Normally, the amount of methemoglobin in circulating blood is very small and kept in check by several mechanisms. A measure of methemoglobinemia (an elevated methemoglobin level) can be indicative of underlying disease or exposure to environmental toxins. However, there is an intrinsic problem in analyzing blood drawn for the purpose of measuring methemoglobin: as soon as blood is removed from the body, changes in temperature, pH and bacterial growth perturb the amount of methemoglobin in the sample. By the time the analysis is performed the measured amount of methemoglobin no longer represents the amount present at the time of specimen collection. Normal circulating blood contains approximately 99% hemoglobin and 1% methemoglobin. Even a slight increase of methemoglobin can cause a change in skin color to a bluish tint (cyanosis). Generally symptoms are not severe until a percentage of greater than 20% of methemoglobin is attained. Above this level the individual begins to experience shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness, rapid heartbeat, loss of orientation and headache. Levels of methemoglobin greater than 55% can produce stupor. A concentration of methemoglobin greater than 70% usually results in death. In any case of suspected poisoning or drug toxicity where methemoglobinemia is suspected an accurate blood level at the time of the event is essential. Other than genetic defects, methemoglobinemia is generally due to exposure to chemicals in the environment, or to medications that can form oxidizing metabolites in the blood stream (see Table 1 below). Any case of cyanosis that does not respond to oxygen therapy should have a methemoglobin blood level measurement done as soon as possible. Unfortunately, as stated above, once collected from the patient, blood methemoglobin levels change with time. Thus, when the methemoglobin concentration is measured in the laboratory, the amount no longer reflects that which existed in the patient at the time of blood collection. The Fredric Rieders Family Renaissance Foundation offers an answer to this problem. An aqueous solution to which blood can be added at the time of collection has been developed. This solution maintains the methemoglobin concentration at the value that it had at the time of collection for at least one month. This method will be of special importance in forensic cases where specimens of blood are collected and then analyzed hours or days later. Table 1. Agents Frequently Causing Methemoglobinemia.SUMMER RESEARCH ACTIVITIESThe Summer Research ProgramThe Fredric Rieders Family Renaissance Foundation sponsors a summer research program that provides the opportunity for individuals to participate in research projects under the auspices of the Foundation. Research project ideas are presented to the scientific committee of the Foundation for review. For acceptance and funding, the committee will consider a wide range of factors such as the proposed benefits of the research to the scientific community, availability of resources and budgetary constraints, and whether the project can be completed within the 12 week summer period. A Summer Internship Program has also been established.Individuals from many backgrounds (college professor, high school teacher, college student, high school student) are welcome to apply to participate in a research project under the direction of the Foundation staff or other research volunteers. A completed application, a brief curriculum vitae, and two letters of recommendation must be submitted. Once approved to participate, the prospective intern will receive a stipend based upon their experience in the sciences. The results of all summer research projects will be presented at a Summer Intern Day (see below for a description of the 1999 Summer Intern Day). In addition, the possibility exists of publishing the project results in the peer-reviewed literature. For more information on how to apply for Foundation resources to pursue a research project or to apply for a summer internship position, please contact us at (215) 784-9294 or E-mail us at frfoundation@frfoundation.org. 1999 Summer Intern DayOn 12 August 1999 the Foundation held its first Summer Intern Day in which the participants in the Summer 1999 intern program presented their research in an open forum. Each intern prepared and presented a 15-minute oral report to the audience, followed by a brief question and answer period. The research reports presented were: Investigation of the Components of Popular Herbal Remedies, Donna Wiser, B.S., John Jay College Urinary Patterns of St. John’s Wort, Rachel Cruz, University of Delaware, and Felicia Corsaro-Barbieri, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry, Gwynedd-Mercy College Shelf-life Determination of a Methemoglobin-stabilizing Solution and Methemoglobin Stability in Whole Blood, Michelle Coleman, Haverford College, and Joseph Loverro, M.S., Faculty, Dobbins High School Stability of Metanephrine and Normetanephrine in Exhumed Tissue, Carolyn Selenski, University of the Sciences of Philadelphia Pharmacologic and Demographic Correlations of DUI Violations in the City of Philadelphia, Evan Beard, Germantown Academy Stability of Pseudoephedrine in Formalin Solution, Chengqing Li, B.S., Thomas Jefferson University Roger Wood, Ph.D., and Catherine McIntyre from the Wetlands Institute, Stone Harbor, NJ, discussed their research efforts in diamondback terrapin conservation. AraDerMarderosian, Ph.D, gave the keynote address on nutraceuticals; Dr.DerMarderosian is Professor of Pharmacognosy and Research Professor of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. SEMINAR SCHEDULEThe Foundation is proud to have sponsored the following presentations:
Future seminars include:
UPCOMING EVENTSSYMPOSIUM: “Surveillance, Management & Case Studies in Occupational Toxicology”The Fredric Rieders Family Renaissance Foundation is sponsoring this seminar for occupational health care and industry professionals. This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essentials and Standards of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through joint sponsorship of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and the Fredric Rieders Family Renaissance Foundation. The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine designates this educational activity for up to four hours in category 1 credit toward the AMA Physician's Recognition Award. Each participant should claim only those hours of credit they actually spent in the educational activity.
If you are interested in attending, please contact the Marketing Department of National Medical Services at: Phone: 800-522-6671 Fax: 215-657-2971 |
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