Activity and Toxicity of Eleutherine palmifolia (L.) Merr. Extract on BALB/c Mice Colitis-Associated Colon Cancer Model

Objective: Eleutherine palmifolia (L.) Merr. extract (EPE) containing isoliquiritigenin and oxyresveratrol is believed to be an anticancer agent. This study evaluates colon histopathology, TNF-α, TGF-β, and hepatotoxicity on BALB/c mice colitis-associated colon cancer (CAC) model treated with EPE. Methods: In vivo study was performed on BALB/c mice CAC model induced by 10 mg/kgBW AOM on the first day followed by administration that each cycle consisted of 5% DSS in water for seven days and regular water for seven days. The indicators of the formation of CAC were observed by a fecal occult blood test (FOBT) and serum amyloid α (SAA) test. The treatment was conducted once a week started from the seventh week up to the twentieth week with six treatment groups: I was administrated by regular water only (negative control), II was administrated by AOM and DSS only (positive control), III was administrated by doxorubicin,  IV-VI were treated by EPE (0.25 mg/kg BW, 0.50 mg/kg BW, and 1.00 mg/kg BW) respectively. The colon and liver’s histopathology was observed using hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, TNF-α with immunohistochemistry (IHC), and level measurement of TGF-β colon with ELISA reader. The data were used one-way ANOVA followed by post hoc as statistical analysis. Results: The administration of EPE increased the expression of TNF-α, the total of goblet cells of the colon, and decreased the level of TGF-β. Administration of EPE 0.50 mg/20g BW decreased a liver histopathological score but induced a histopathological alteration of the liver at a dose of 1.00 mg/20g BW. Conclusion: This study indicate that EPE could be recommended as a colon anticancer through increase the goblet cells, induce apoptosis through increase TNF-α, and decrease TGF-β.     

A case of verrucous perforating collagenoma in a toddler

Verrucous perforating collagenoma is an extremely rare variant of acquired perforating dermatosis that has been seldom described in literature. We present the case of an 18‐month‐old boy who presented with an erythematous plaque with a central keratotic plug on the leg. Histopathology revealed transepidermal elimination of collagen, consistent with a diagnosis of verrucous perforating collagenoma.     

What do I do? Developing a competency inventory for postgraduate (residency) program directors

Background: Few new Residency Program Directors (PD) are formally trained for the demands and responsibilities of the leadership aspect of their role. Currently, there are no comprehensive frameworks that describe specific leadership competencies that can inform PD self-reflection or faculty development.

Methods: The authors developed a Postgraduate Program Director Competency Inventory (PPDCI) in order to frame the performance of PDs for a multisource feedback (MSF) program. The development of the PPDCI occurred in five phases which involved: development of an initial inventory, implementation of a key informant survey of national opinion leaders, execution of a validity survey with postgraduate education leaders and committee members and implementation of a further refined inventory with 17 PD and 147 raters as part of a pilot MSF program.

Outcomes: Five distinct domains of leadership competence were identified which included: Communication and relationship management, leadership, professionalism and self-management, environmental engagement, and management skills and knowledge. The content validity of the PPDCI was endorsed by 85% of the key informants. The validity survey indicated strong endorsement of the PPDCI domains and recognition of its utility for both orientation of new PD as well as a frame for self-assessment. The pilot MSF program yielded a further refined and reduced inventory of 26 items of competence as well as recommendations for its utility.

Conclusions: Use of this leadership inventory has the potential to ensure effective leadership of postgraduate programs.     

Renewable poly(δ-decalactone) based block copolymer micelles as drug delivery vehicle: in vitro and in vivo evaluation

Polymers from natural resources are attracting much attention in various fields including drug delivery as green alternatives to fossil fuel based polymers. In this quest, novel block copolymers based on renewable poly(δ-decalactone) (PDL) were evaluated for their drug delivery capabilities and compared with a fossil fuel based polymer i.e. methoxy-poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(ε-caprolactone) (mPEG-b-PCL). Using curcumin as a hydrophobic drug model, micelles of PDL block copolymers with different orientation i.e. AB (mPEG-b-PDL), ABA (PDL-b-PEG-b-PDL), ABC (mPEG-b-PDL-b-poly(pentadecalactone) and (mPEG-b-PCL) were prepared by nanoprecipitation method. The size, drug loading and curcumin stability studies results indicated that mPEG-b-PDL micelles was comparable to its counterpart mPEG-b-PCL micelles towards improved delivery of curcumin. Therefore, mixed micelles using these two copolymers were also evaluated to see any change in size, loading and drug release. Drug release studies proposed that sustained release can be obtained using poly(pentadecalactone) as crystalline core whereas rapid release can be achieved using amorphous PDL core. Further, mPEG-b-PDL micelles were found to be non-haemolytic, up to the concentration of 40?mg/mL. In vivo toxicity studies on rats advised low-toxic behaviour of these micelles up to 400?mg/kg dose, as evident by histopathological and biochemical analysis. In summary, it is anticipated that mPEG-b-PDL block copolymer micelles could serve as a renewable alternative for mPEG-b-PCL copolymers in drug delivery applications.     

Serum miR-122 levels correlate with diabetic retinopathy

Clinical and Experimental Medicine - Diabetic retinopathy is the most severe ocular complication of diabetes and may lead to visual disability and blindness. Proliferative diabetic retinopathy...     

Implicit process interventions in eating behaviour: a meta-analysis examining mediators and moderators

Dual-process models integrate deliberative and impulsive mental systems and predict dietary behaviours better than deliberative processes alone. Computerised tasks such as the Go/No-Go, Stop-Signal, Approach-Avoidance, and Evaluative Conditioning have been used as interventions to directly alter implicit biases. This meta-analysis examines the effects of these tasks on dietary behaviours, explores potential moderators of effectiveness, and examines implicit bias change as a proposed mechanism. Thirty randomised controlled trials testing implicit bias interventions (47 comparisons) were included in a random-effects meta-analysis, which indicated small cumulative effects on eating-related behavioural outcomes (g?=??0.17, CI₉₅?=?[?0.29; ?0.05], p?=?.01) and implicit biases (g?=??0.18, CI_95?=?[?0.34; ?0.02], p?=?.02). Task type moderated these effects, with Go/No-Go tasks producing larger effects than other tasks. Effects of interventions on implicit biases were positively related to effects on eating behaviour (B?=?0.42, CI_95?=?[0.02; 0.81], p?=?.03). Go/No-Go tasks seem to have most potential for altering dietary behaviours through implicit processes. While changes in implicit biases seem related to the effects of these interventions on dietary outcomes, more research should explore whether repeated exposure to implicit bias interventions may have any practical intervention value in real world settings.     

The pharmacokinetics and cardiovascular effects of high-dose articaine with 1:100,000 and 1:200,000 epinephrine

OBJECTIVES: The authors conducted a randomized, double-blind, two-way crossover clinical trial to compare the pharmacokinetics and cardiovascular effects of 11.9 milliliters of 4 percent articaine hydrochloride (HCl) plus 1:100,000 epinephrine (A100) with those of 11.9 mL of 4 percent articaine HCl plus 1:200,000 epinephrine (A200). METHODS: During two testing sessions, the authors administered injections of A100 and A200 over a seven-minute period (in one-cartridge doses unless otherwise noted): maxillary right first molar infiltration, maxillary left first molar infiltration, maxillary right first premolar infiltration, maxillary left first premolar infiltration, right inferior alveolar injection, left inferior alveolar injection, right long buccal infiltration (one-half cartridge) and left long buccal infiltration (one-half cartridge). They analyzed venous blood samples for articaine levels. They used noninvasive acoustic tonometry to measure a variety of cardiovascular parameters over a two-hour period. RESULTS: Plasma concentration curves of articaine over time were similar for both solutions, with peak concentrations and times to maximum concentration being 2,037 nanograms per milliliter and 22 minutes for A100 and 2,145 ng/mL and 22 minutes for A200. At the 10-minute point, the mean systolic blood pressure and heart rate were significantly elevated (P < .05) with A100 versus A200. CONCLUSIONS: Maximum dose recommendations for the A100 solution also can be applied to the A200 solution. A200 produces less cardiovascular stimulation than does A100. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: A200 is as safe as A100, and may be preferable to A100 in patients with cardiovascular disease and in those taking drugs that reportedly enhance the systemic effects of epinephrine.     

Long-term photographic and radiographic assessment of bonded resin composite strip crowns for primary incisors: results after 3 years

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to examine the photographic and radiographic success of the treatment of maxillary anterior primary incisors with composite resin strip crowns (SCs) placed in a private-practice setting after a minimum of 18 months. METHODS: This was a retrospective, clinical study of patients who had SCs placed on primary maxillary incisors, returned for at least one 18-month recall examination, and whose parents consented to participate in the study. Radiographic and photographic examinations were used for evaluation. Two evaluators rated the images independently. RESULTS: One hundred forty-five restorations, placed in 52 children, were evaluated. The evaluations were performed after the crowns had been in place for an average of 31.3 months. None of the restorations were totally lost: 20% were rated as having lost some resin material, resulting in an 80% overall retention rate; 92% of the teeth demonstrated healthy pulps; 6% had some pulpal changes, but did not require immediate attention. Only 2 teeth showed radiographic evidence of pulpal pathology requiring treatment. CONCLUSIONS: SCs performed well for restoring primary incisors with large or multisurface caries for periods of over 3 years. This study suggests that SCs are likely to be successful and may be indicated as an excellent treatment choice for carious primary incisors with adequate tooth structure after caries removal, especially if esthetic concerns predominate.