Injectable citrate-based mussel-inspired tissue bioadhesives with high wet strength for sutureless wound closure

The existing surgical adhesives are not ideal for wet tissue adhesion required in many surgeries such as those for internal organs. Developing surgical adhesives with strong wet tissue adhesion, controlled degradability and mechanical properties, and excellent biocompatibility has been a significant challenge. Herein, learning from nature, we report a one-step synthesis of a family of injectable citrate-based mussel-inspired bioadhesives (iCMBAs) for surgical use. Within the formulations investigated, iCMBAs showed 2.5-8.0 folds stronger wet tissue adhesion strength over the clinically used fibrin glue, demonstrated controlled degradability and tissue-like elastomeric mechanical properties, and exhibited excellent cyto/tissue-compatibility both in?vitro and in?vivo. iCMBAs were able to stop bleeding instantly and suturelessly, and close wounds (2?cm long?×?0.5?cm deep) created on the back of Sprague-Dawley rats, which is impossible when using existing gold standard, fibrin glue, due to its weak wet tissue adhesion strength. Equally important, the new bioadhesives facilitate wound healing, and are completely degraded and absorbed without eliciting significant inflammatory response. Our results support that iCMBA technology is highly translational and could have broad impact on surgeries where surgical tissue adhesives, sealants, and hemostatic agents are used.     

Impact of a workshop about aging on the empathy scores of pharmacy and medical students

Objective. To measure changes in pharmacy and medical students’ empathy scores after a 40-minute workshop during which students observed and discussed a theatrical performance about the challenges of aging.Methods. First-year pharmacy and medical students (n = 187 and n = 183, respectively) participating in the workshop observed and discussed a 10-minute performance in which students enacted problems and concerns faced by elderly patients. The Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE) was administered just prior to the workshop (pretest), immediately afterward (posttest 1), and 7 or 26 days afterward (posttest 2).Results. Empathy increased significantly from pretest to posttest 1 for students of each profession (p <0.01). Improvement in empathy scores declined by the time the JSE was readministered to pharmacy students 7 days later and to medical students 26 days later (posttest 2). Similar patterns of improved and declining empathy were found when the data were analyzed by gender and medical student specialty interest (ie, primary vs non-primary care specialties).Conclusion. Empathy scores increased but were not sustained for both pharmacy and medical students after a brief workshop on aging that required limited personnel resources.     

Simultaneous determination of levodopa and carbidopa in levodopa-carbidopa tablets by ATR-FTIR spectrometry

A novel analytical procedure has been developed for quantitative determination of levodopa and carbidopa in aqueous binary solutions acidified by HCl and without any other sample pretreatment. The method is based partially on least squares treatment of data obtained by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectrometry in 1211-1315 cm(-1) and 1488-1550 cm(-1) spectral regions. The simple, rapid, and accurate proposed method was applied to determine levodopa and carbidopa in Levodopa-C tablets. The statistical parameters, such as R2, RSD, SEE, SECV, LOD, and recovery were evaluated. Number of factors, scans, and resolution were optimized. In this method R2 and RSD for levodopa and carbidopa were (0.9965, 1.209) and (0.9537, 0.813), respectively.     

Modeling seasonal variation in rotavirus hospitalizations for use in evaluating the effect of rotavirus vaccine

Every year rotavirus epidemic repeats in cooler months of the year in temperate countries, but the size of the epidemic may often vary. Such seasonal variation needs to be considered when the effect of rotavirus vaccine is predicted before vaccine introduction or it is evaluated after vaccine introduction. A computer program based on a stochastic decision tree model was developed to produce stochastic variation, which was used as a proxy for seasonal variation, in the number of rotavirus hospitalizations. When the model was applied to a hypothetical community with a birth cohort of 1,000 children in Japan, it predicted the occurrence of up to 29% of stochastic variation from the average number of rotavirus hospitalizations. Then, the model was applied for use in evaluating the effect of rotavirus vaccine in two different scenarios regarding vaccine use in the community: a scenario where rotavirus vaccine was introduced only into the private sector, and another where it was incorporated into the universal immunization program. In the former scenario, an average of 23% reduction in the number of rotavirus hospitalizations was predicted, but this level of reduction would be obscured due to seasonal variation. In the latter scenario, an average of 74% reduction was predicted, which would be beyond seasonal variation. This model will be useful to inform stakeholders and policymakers how vaccine introduction will change the burden of rotavirus disease under different scenarios of vaccine implementation. J. Med. Virol. 82:1468–1474, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals in Freshwater Fish Species,Anzali, Iran

The main objectives of study were to monitor the metals concentrations, in freshwater fish species, Carassius gibelio and Esox lucius; and to identify any relationships between species and bioaccumulation of metals. The highest concentration of metals (cadmium, 1.96; copper, 24.2; zinc, 49.6; lead, 5.4; chromium, 4.4) between the fish species and tissues was in the liver of Esox lucius, while the lowest (cadmium,0.21; copper,7.2; zinc,19.4; lead,0.9; chromium,0.6 μg/g) found in the muscle of Carassius gibelio. Results showed that the metal concentrations were in fishes in descending order of zinc > copper > lead > chromium > cadmium, similarly in the tissue liver > kidney > gill ~ intestine > muscle.     

Serum pentraxin 3 levels in rheumatoid arthritis patients and its association with disease activity

Aim of the workThis work aimed to evaluate serum pentraxin 3 (PTX3) levels in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and to study the association with the disease activity.Patients and methodsSixty RA patients and 26 matched controls were included. In patients, clinical examination was performed and disease activity score (DAS28) assessed. Serum PTX3, rheumatoid factor (RF), anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were measured.ResultsThe mean age of the patients was 54.9 ± 11.7 years, and the median (Min–Max) of disease duration was 24 (3.96–60) months and 91.7% were females. The mean DAS28 was 4.16 ± 1.77, the ESR was 38.6 ± 23.03 mm/1st h, CRP was 14.9 ± 8.6 mg/l, RF was 49.6 ± 28.1 IU/ml and the median anti-CCP was 375. Serum PTX3 level was significantly higher in RA patients (2.82 ± 0.48 pg/ml) compared to controls (2.56 ± 0.29 pg/ml) (p = 0.003). There was a significant difference in serum PTX3 level according to the disease activity: remission (2.49 ± 0.16 pg/ml), low (2.61 ± 0.33 pg/ml), moderate (2.90 ± 0.53 pg/ml) and high (3.01 ± 0.51 pg/ml) (p = 0.016). There was a significant correlation between serum PTX3 level with disease activity (r = 0.39, p = 0.002) and CRP (r = 0.49, p < 0.001). There was no significant correlation between serum PTX3 level and the RF (r = 0.25, p = 0.054), anti-CCP (r = 0.18, p = 0.17) and ESR (r = 0.09, p = 0.51). PTX3 and CRP showed a good sensitivity and specificity in predicting RA disease (p = 0.006 and p < 0.001, respectively).ConclusionPTX3 can be considered as a marker of a positive acute phase response and may serve as a potential novel biomarker for detecting RA activity.