Thermal,Mechanical, and Surface Properties of Poly(2‐N‐alkyl‐2‐oxazoline)s

Thermal, mechanical, and surface properties of a library of poly(2‐oxazoline)s are investigated. These polymers are suitable to study structure/property relationships as their cationic ROP and the relative facile monomer synthesis allow for control over the molecular structure. The number of carbon atoms in the linear side‐chain is systematically varied from methyl to nonyl. Relations between chemical structures, thermal transitions, surface energies, and elastic moduli are discussed. It is shown that the mechanical and thermal properties of the polymers depend on the presence of a crystalline phase in the material. The amorphous polymers reveal a decrease in the reduced moduli along with a decrease in their respective glass transition temperature with increasing length of the side‐chain.

     

Psychological barriers for living kidney donation: how to inform the potential donors?

BACKGROUND: This is the first large-scale interview study carried out in patients and potential donors who seem unwilling or unable to pursue living kidney donation. By investigating these groups, we explored whether further expansion of the living kidney donation program is feasible. METHODS: We interviewed 91 patients on the waiting list for a kidney transplant who did not pursue living kidney donation and their potential donors (n=53). We also included a comparison group. All respondents underwent an in-depth interview by a psychologist about topics that could influence their willingness to pursue living kidney donation. RESULTS: A total of 78% of the patients on the waiting list were willing to accept the offer of a living donor. The main reason for not pursuing living kidney donation was reluctance to discuss the issue with the potential donors. This was also found in the comparison group. Both groups indicated that if there was no donor offer, they tended to interpret this as a refusal to donate. This interpretation not always holds: more than one third (19 of 53) of the potential donors were open to consider themselves as a potential donor. On the other hand, a comparably sized group of potential donors (21 of 53) was reluctant about donation. The main reason for donor reluctance was fear for their health after donation. CONCLUSION: The majority of patients on the waiting list are willing to accept a living kidney donor, but adopt an awaiting attitude towards their potential donors. Offering those patients professional assistance should be considered.     

Incentives for living kidney donation: what does the public think?

This mini-review describes a number of recent surveys that have been performed to study public opinion on the idea of introducing incentives for living kidney donation. The results of these surveys are comparable: about a quarter of the population is in favor of this idea, whereas the majority is opposed or undecided.     

Metformin treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome improves health-related quality-of-life, emotional distress and sexuality

BACKGROUND: In polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), changes in physical appearance, menstrual disturbances and infertility result in psychological distress and reduced quality-of-life. Metformin improves biochemical, clinical and reproductive parameters in PCOS women. In a prospective, observational study, we analysed the effects of metformin treatment on health-related quality-of-life (HRQL), emotional well-being and sexuality in PCOS. No placebo-treated control group was included. METHODS: Before, during and after 6 months of treatment, changes in clinical and endocrine parameters, quality-of-life, psychological disturbances and sexuality were assessed in 64 PCOS patients using validated questionnaires (SF-36, SCL-90-R) and visual analogue scales. Patients were also compared with published normative data for the validated questionnaires. RESULTS: During treatment, HRQL, particularly the psychosocial aspects (indicated by significant increases in SF-36 scales Vitality, Social Function, Emotional Role Function, Mental Health, Psychological Sum scale) and emotional well-being (reflected by significant lowering of SCL-90-R scales) improved. These improvements in HRQL were significantly correlated with a reduction in body weight and significantly more pronounced in patients with normalized menstrual cycles. In addition, PCOS women were significantly more satisfied with their sex life and reported higher frequencies of sexual intercourse following treatment. CONCLUSION: Treatment can improve the psychosocial, emotional and psychosexual situation of PCOS patients. Although at least some of these effects may be related to the reduction of individual clinical symptoms (i.e. weight loss, normalization of menstrual disturbances, improvement of acne), this observational study does not allow us to clearly discern the role of symptom constellation and does not preclude non-specific and/or placebo effects. Nevertheless, emotional distress and reduced quality-of-life are clearly not an inevitable consequence of PCOS and should be considered as adjunct treatment goals in future studies.     

Prolonged increase in rat hippocampal chemokine signalling after status epilepticus

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is one of the most common focal epilepsy syndromes. In a genome-wide expression study of the human TLE hippocampus we previously showed up-regulation of genes involved in chemokine signalling. Here we investigate in the rat pilocarpine model for TLE, whether changes in chemokine signalling occur during epileptogenesis and are persistent. Therefore we analysed hippocampal protein expression and cellular localisation of CCL2, CCL4, CCR1 and CCR5 after status epilepticus. We found increased CCL4 (but not CCL2) expression in specific populations of hilar astrocytes at 2 and 19 weeks after SE concomitant with a persistent up-regulation of its receptor CCR5. Our results show an early and persistent up-regulation of CCL4/CCR5 signalling during epileptogenesis and suggest that CCL4 signalling, rather than CCL2 signalling, could have a role in the epileptogenic process.