We have developed such an approach using polychlorinated biphenyl

We have developed such an approach using polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and thyroid hormone (TH)

disruption as a case study. We reviewed and identified experimental animal literature from which we developed a low-dose, linear model of PCB body burdens and decrements in free thyroxine (FT4) and total thyroxine (TT4), accounting for 33 PCB congeners; extrapolated the dose-response from animals to humans; and compared the animal dose-response to the dose-response of PCB body burdens and TH changes from eleven human epidemiological studies. We estimated a range of potencies for PCB congeners (over 4 orders of find more magnitude), with the strongest for PCB 126. Our approach to developing toxic equivalency models produced relative potencies similar to the toxicity equivalency factors (TEFs) from the World Health Organization (WHO). We generally

found that buy BVD-523 the dose-response extrapolated from the animal studies tends to under-predict the dose-response estimated from human epidemiological studies. A quantitative approach to evaluating the relationship between chemical exposures and TH perturbations, based on animal data can be used to assess human health consequences of thyroid toxicity and inform decision-making. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”
“Despite well-known intestinal epithelial barrier impairment and visceral hypersensitivity in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients and IBS-like models, structural and physical changes in the mucus layer remain poorly understood. Using a water avoidance stress (WAS) model, we aimed at evaluating whether 1) WAS modified gut permeability, visceral sensitivity, mucin expression, biochemical structure of O-glycans, and related mucus physical properties, and 2) whether Lactobacillus

farciminis treatment prevented these alterations. Wistar rats received orally L. farciminis or vehicle for 14 days; at day 10, they were submitted to either sham or 4-day WAS. Intestinal paracellular permeability and visceral sensitivity were measured in vivo. The number of goblet cells and Muc2 expression were evaluated by histology and immunohistochemistry, Liproxstatin-1 in vitro respectively. Mucosal adhesion of L. farciminis was determined ex situ. The mucin O-glycosylation profile was obtained by mass spectrometry. Surface imaging of intestinal mucus was performed at nanoscale by atomic force microscopy. WAS induced gut hyperpermeability and visceral hypersensitivity but did not modify either the number of intestinal goblet cells or Muc2 expression. In contrast, O-glycosylation of mucins was strongly affected, with the appearance of elongated polylactosaminic chain containing O-glycan structures, associated with flattening and loss of the mucus layer cohesive properties. L.

GLP-1 inhibits food intake and the increased GLP-1 response may c

GLP-1 inhibits food intake and the increased GLP-1 response may contribute as a satiety signal. Although data regarding the effect of GLP-1 agonists and DPP-4 inhibitors on levels of peptides involved in the regulation of food intake in T2DM are few, an indirect effect of IBT on weight loss is possible (e.g. Exendin-4 induces adiponectin secretion

in vitro). Results from animal models indicate reduction of food intake and body weight by GLP-1 agonists, but follow-up studies are required. A growing amount of evidence suggests that these peptides Elacridar in vivo may also impact the cardiovascular system, including beneficial effects on myocardial cells, lipid profiles and blood pressure as well as reduced markers of systemic inflammation and improved endothelial dysfunction. The potential role of these agents in improving components of the metabolic syndrome and retardation of atherosclerosis needs

to be fully elucidated. Although IBTs are currently recommended only for use in HKI-272 mouse the early treatment of T2DM, the ‘non-glycemic’ actions of these drugs may have far reaching therapeutic implications. It is hoped that future studies will elucidate their potential strengths and weaknesses for use in various metabolic conditions.”
“A bacteriocin-producing (11,000 AU mL(-1)) strain was isolated from the rhizosphere of healthy Algerian plants Ononis angustissima Lam., and identified as Brevibacillus brevis strain GM100. The bacteriocin, called Bac-GM100, was purified to homogeneity from the culture supernatant, and, based on MALDI-TOF/MS analysis, was a monomer protein with a molecular mass of 4375.66 Da. The 21 N-terminal residues of Bac-GM100 displayed 65% homology with thurincin H from Bacillus thuringiensis. Bac-GM100 was

extremely heat-stable (20 mm at 120 A769662 degrees C), and was stable within a pH range of 3-10. It proved sensitive to various proteases, which demonstrated its protein nature. It was also found to display a bactericidal mode of action against gram-negative (Salmonella enteric ATCC 43972, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 49189, and Agrobacterium tumefacines C58) and grain-positive (Enterococcus faecalis ENSAIA 631 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538) bacteria, and a fungistatic mode of action against the pathogenic fungus Candida tropicalis R2 CIP 203.”
“Tanticharoenia sakaeratensis gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed for three strains isolated from soil collected in Thailand. The three strains, AC37(T), AC38, and AC39, were included within a lineage comprising the genera Asaia, Kozakia, Swaminathania, Neoasaia, Acetobacter, Gluconobacter, and Saccharibacter in a phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, but formed a quite different, independent cluster. Pair-wise sequence similarities of strain AC37(T) were 96.5-92.

Furthermore, it also suggests that the regional differences are r

Furthermore, it also suggests that the regional differences are regulated by different expression levels of TGF-beta 3 in those astrocytes preparations from different derivations.”
“The Idasanutlin aim of the study was to investigate the levels of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytokines during chemotherapy of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). Examination of 12 ALL child (6 boys and 6 girls) patients evidenced significant increases in interleukin-6 (IL-6) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) after induction treatment and significant increases in IL-6, tumour necrosis factor-alpha

(TNF-alpha) and MCP-1 levels during the consolidation phase, as compared to their values at the time of diagnosis. There were no significant differences Y-27632 chemical structure in CSF IL-6, TNF-alpha and MCP-1 concentrations after therapy. Our data suggest

that standard ALL treatment may cause a subclinical inflammation and neurotoxicity.”
“Purpose: Surgery in frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE) has a worse prognosis regarding seizure freedom than anterior lobectomy in temporal lobe epilepsy. The current study aimed to assess whether intracranial interictal and ictal EEG findings in addition to clinical and scalp EEG data help to predict outcome in a series of patients who needed invasive recording for FLE surgery. Methods: Patients with FLE who had resective surgery after chronic intracranial EEG recording were included. Outcome predictors were compared in patients with seizure freedom (group 1) and those with recurrent seizures (group 2) at 1924 months after surgery. Key Findings: Twenty-five patients (16 female) were included in this study. Mean age of patients at epilepsy surgery was 32.3 +/- 15.6 years (range 1270); mean duration of epilepsy was 16.9 +/- 13.4 years (range 148). In each outcome group, magnetic resonance imaging revealed frontal lobe Selleck BYL719 lesions in three patients. Fifteen patients (60%) were seizure-free (Engel class 1), 10 patients (40%) continued to have seizures (two were class II, three were class III, and five were class IV). Lack of seizure freedom was seen more often in patients with epilepsy surgery on the left frontal lobe (group 1, 13%; group 2, 70%; p = 0.009) and on the dominant

(27%; 70%; p = 0.049) hemisphere as well as in patients without aura (29%; 80%; p = 0.036), whereas sex, age at surgery, duration of epilepsy, and presence of an MRI lesion in the frontal lobe or extrafrontal structures were not different between groups. Electroencephalographic characteristics associated with lack of seizure freedom included presence of interictal epileptiform discharges in scalp recordings (31%; 90%; p = 0.01). Detailed analysis of intracranial EEG revealed widespread (>2 cm) (13%; 70%; p = 0.01) in contrast to focal seizure onset as well as shorter latency to onset of seizure spread (5.8 +/- 6.1 s; 1.5 +/- 2.3 s; p = 0.016) and to ictal involvement of brain structures beyond the frontal lobe (23.5 +/- 22.4 s; 5.8 +/- 5.4 s; p = 0.

Conclusion The model accurately predicts adsorption to magnet

\n\nConclusion The model accurately predicts adsorption to magnetite nanoparticles used in a batch process to remove arsenic from

spiked Houston, TX tap water, and contaminated Brownsville, TX groundwater.”
“Facile surface JQEZ5 modification of quantum dots (QDs) to make them water-soluble, small, stable, antibiofouling, and functional is crucial for their biological applications. This study demonstrates a simple ligand-exchange reaction to convert hydrophobic CdSe/ZnS QDs into water-soluble QDs using amphiphilic, zwitterionic 11-mercaptoundecylphosphorylcholine (HS-PC). The phosphorylcholine (PC)-modified QDs (QD-PC) possess several advantages, such as small hydrodynamic diameter, good resistance to pH variations and high salinity, excellent stabiliy in 100% human plasma, and low protein adsorption. Importantly, the PC PF-00299804 research buy modification endows the QDs with very low, nonspecific interaction with cells, and strongly minimizes nonspecific phagocytosis of QDs by macrophages. In addition, cell penetrating Tat peptide functionalized QDs can be easily produced by mixing Tat with HS-PC with various ratios, which is proved to effectively enhance QD ability to enter cells and accumulate around perinuclear region. Compared to traditional mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA) modification,

PC modification not only makes the cell penetrating QDs more stable and brighter, but also provides the Tat-and PC-conjugated QDs with much lower nonspecific phagocytic

uptake than the Tat-and MUA-conjugated ones. This research will provide insights into designing suitable ligands for surface modification of QDs and improving biofunctional QD performance in biological applications.”
“A novel approach Bafilomycin A1 mw to enhance the mechanical stability of primary sternal closure is described. An osteoconductive bone adhesive is used to augment conventional wire cerclage. More than 30 patients have undergone primary sternal closure using Kryptonite bone adhesive. All patients recovered well with no adverse side effects or adhesive-associated complications. Adhesive-enhanced sternal closure may accelerate functional recovery after sternotomy, improve early outcomes and prevent major sternal complications such as deep sternal wound infection and dehiscence. The technique is simple, safe, and expedient.”
“In the present investigation, three types of solder alloy, i.e., Sn-Ag-Cu, Sn-Ag-In, and Sn-Ag-Cu-Mn, have been prepared and joined with Cu substrate. In the reflowed condition, the joint interface is decorated with Cu(6)Sn(5) intermetallic in all cases. During aging at 100 A degrees C for 50 to 200 hours, Cu(3)Sn formation took place in the diffusion zone of the Sn-Ag-Cu and Sn-Ag-In vs Cu assembly, which was not observed for the Sn-Ag-Cu-Mn vs Cu joint.

The use of freshly reconstituted medium, the optimization of inte

The use of freshly reconstituted medium, the optimization of interleukine-7 (IL-7) concentration, and the addition of stem cell factor (SCF) have allowed to improve the proliferation of progenitors and T-cell precursors as well as the yield of double positive CD4+ CD8+ T cells, and mature gamma delta and alpha beta T cells. These optimizations make the OP9-Delta1 system sensitive enough to perform both

quantitative and qualitative assays GNS-1480 concentration with various type of progenitors, including those transduced by a retroviral vector. The improved OP9-Delta1 assay therefore constitutes an extremely useful test for basic research purposes and for translational medicine. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”
“Methanotrophs in the rhizosphere play an important role in global climate change since they attenuate methane emission from rice field ecosystems into the atmosphere. Most of the

CH4 is emitted via transport through the plant gas vascular system. We used this transport for stable isotope probing ( SIP) of the methanotrophs in the rhizosphere under field conditions and pulse-labelled rice plants in a Chinese rice field with CH4 ( 99% C-13) for 7 days. The rate of (CH4)-C-13 loss rate during C-13 application was comparable to the CH4 oxidation rate measured by the difluoromethane inhibition technique. The methanotrophic communities on the roots and in the rhizospheric soil were analyzed by terminal-restriction fragment 3-deazaneplanocin A molecular weight length polymorphism (T-RFLP), cloning and sequencing of the particulate methane monooxygenase ( pmoA) gene. Populations of type I methanotrophs were larger than those of type II. Both methane oxidation rates and composition of methanotrophic communities suggested that there was little difference between urea-fertilized and unfertilized fields. SIP of phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA-SIP) and rRNA ( RNA-SIP) were used to analyze the metabolically active methanotrophic community in rhizospheric soil. PLFA of type I compared with type II methanotrophs was labelled more strongly with C-13, reaching a maximum of 6.8 atom-%. T-RFLP analysis and cloning/sequencing

of 16S rRNA genes showed that methanotrophs, especially of type I, were slightly enriched in the ‘heavy’ fractions. Our results indicate that CH4 oxidation in the rice rhizosphere under in situ conditions is mainly due to type I methanotrophs.”
“Often in randomized Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Library clinical trials and observational studies in occupational and environmental health, a non-negative continuously distributed response variable denoting some metabolites of environmental toxicants is measured in treatment and control groups. When observations occur in both unexposed and exposed subjects, the biomarker measurement can be bimodally distributed with an extra spike at zero reflecting those unexposed. In the presence of left censoring due to values falling below biomarker assay detection limits, those unexposed with true zeros are indistinguishable from those exposed with left-censored values.

058) numerical reduction at one site The effects of EPF and EPN

058) numerical reduction at one site. The effects of EPF and EPN were

additive. There was evidence of mortality due to native Beauveria sp. at all three eradicant sites, identified as Beauveria caledonica at one. A proportion of weevils at depths of up to 18 cm in the soil were infected by the applied Beauveria bassiana showing that applied fungi can reach this cryptic pest. If choice of EPF strain and application technologies are optimised, EPF may present P005091 datasheet a viable control method for pine weevil in the future. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.”
“We report a case of primary bone lymphoma (PBL) in a 15-year-old girl assessed by MR imaging with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). DWI has been shown to help characterize the cellularity of solid tumors and this case correlates well with previous data.”
“Revision total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a complex procedure which carries both a greater risk for patients and greater

cost for the treating hospital than does a primary TKA. As well as the increased cost of peri-operative investigations, blood transfusions, surgical instrumentation, implants and operating time, there is a well-documented increased length of stay which accounts for most of the actual costs associated with surgery. We compared revision surgery for infection with revision for other causes (pain, instability, aseptic loosening and fracture). Complete clinical, demographic and economic data were obtained for 168 consecutive JQ1 ic50 revision TKAs performed at a tertiary referral centre between 2005 and 2012. Revision surgery for infection was associated with selleck screening library a mean length of stay more than double that of aseptic cases (21.5 vs 9.5 days, p smaller than 0.0001). The mean cost of a revision for infection was more than three times that of an aseptic revision (30

pound 011 (SD 4514) vs 9655 pound (SD 599.7), p smaller than 0.0001). Current NHS tariffs do not fully reimburse the increased costs of providing a revision knee surgery service. Moreover, especially as greater costs are incurred for infected cases. These losses may adversely affect the provision of revision surgery in the NHS.”
“Malignant hematologic diseases are highly malignant and refractory to conventional therapies. Ligand-mediated targeting of liposomal anticancer drugs to surface receptors expressed on malignant B cells can be an effective strategy for treating B-cell malignancies. BAFF plays an important role in the maintenance of normal B-cell development and homeostasis and the expression of its receptors is significantly increased in numerous B-cell malignancies. mBAFF (a soluble BAFF mutant with amino acid 217-224 being replaced by two glycine residues) may be used as a competitive inhibitor for BAFF to treat relevant malignant hematologic diseases. It may also hold promise as a novel ligand for targeted anticancer therapy.


“Purpose/Objectives: To explore (a) how women who were dia


“Purpose/Objectives: To explore (a) how women who were diagnosed with breast cancer (BC) defined themselves as survivors and when this occurred, and (b) the types of benefits they derived from their experiences.\n\nResearch Approach: An exploratory, qualitative approach.\n\nParticipants:

112 women who had BC (response rate = 70%).\n\nSetting: Participants were recruited from two cancer survivor organizations in a northeastern U.S. city.\n\nMethodologic Approach: Responses to open-ended questions in telephone interviews were examined by age at diagnosis using thematic analysis. Chi squares were used to conduct analyses by age (younger than 51 years; aged 51 years or older).\n\nMain Research Variables: Meaning of survivorship, defining moment, benefits derived from surviving from breast cancer.\n\nFindings: find more Participants’ perceptions of survivorship included two main components, a defining moment and the meaning attached to being a survivor. Becoming a survivor is an active process, except in the case of those participants who realized they were survivors when informed by a third party. Meanings differed by age at diagnosis. Most participants listed at least one benefit from surviving cancer.\n\nConclusions: The

definitions of survivorship and benefits outlined here suggest that many positive aspects of the survivorship buy Silmitasertib experience exist that may inform future interventions’ designs.\n\nImplications for Practice: Providers should acknowledge the strength

survivors show in the process of meaning-making and finding benefits in their adverse experiences. The use of expressive and supportive interventions may hold promise for women facing difficulties learn more in coping with their diagnosis.”
“Exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) induces clinical and mucosal healing (MH) in Crohn’s disease (CD), with MH the best determinant of future outcome. We investigated efficacy of EEN for inducing early clinical, biochemical, mucosal and transmural remission of CD and related early endoscopic response to outcomes at 1 year. In a prospective, open label study 34 children (mean 13.1 years; 21 males) with new diagnosis CD were offered EEN, 26 completed a minimum 6 weeks EEN and underwent paired clinical, biochemical and endoscopic assessment at start and completion using PCDAI, BMI, CRP and Simple Endoscopic Score for CD (SES-CD). A subset, 16/26, had paired MR enterography scored. Early good endoscopic response (complete MH, or near complete, SES-CD 0-3) was related to outcome at 1 year. EEN improved mean PCDAI (37.88-7.01, p smaller than 0.001; BMI Z scores (-1.54 to -0.54, p smaller than 0.01); weight Z score (-0.79 to -0.08, p smaller than 0.03); CRP (44.86-5.5, p smaller than 0.001); endoscopy (SES-CD 14.28-3.88, p smaller than 0.001) and MRE (5.14-2.


“Recent studies have shown an activation of the local reni


“Recent studies have shown an activation of the local renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in various tumor tissues, including the abundant generation of angiotensin II (Ang II) by angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and the upregulation of angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT(1)R) expression. Thus, considerable attention has been paid not only to the role of the RAS in cancer progression,

but also to the blockade of RAS as a new approach to the treatment of human cancer. There is increasing evidence that the Ang II-AT(1)R pathway is involved in tumor growth, angiogenesis SB273005 datasheet and metastasis in various experimental animal models, suggesting the therapeutic potential of an ACE inhibitor and AT(1)R blocker. In addition, specific Ang II-degrading enzymes are also expressed in tumors and play a regulatory role in tumor cell proliferation and invasion. This review focuses on the role of the RAS in the progression of gynecologic cancers, such as cervical cancer, endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer, and gestational choriocarcinoma. We present here the clinical potential of blocking the RAS as a novel and promising strategy for the treatment of gynecologic cancers.”
“Collecting, managing, and communicating information is a critical part of delivering high-quality, efficient health care. Low-income countries often lack the information technology that is taking root in developed countries to manage health data and work toward evidence-based practice and culture. Partnerships

between academic and government institutions in high-and low-income countries can help establish health informatics programs. These programs, in turn, can capture and manage data that are useful to all parties. Several partnerships BMS 826476 HCl among academic institutions and STI571 chemical structure public and private organizations, in areas such as sub-Saharan Africa, Haiti, and Peru, are leading the way.”
“The mammalian Rel/NF-kappa B family of transcription factors, including RelA, c-Rel, RelB, NF-kappa B1 (p50 and its precursor p105), and NF-kappa B2 (p52 and its precursor p100),

plays a central role in the immune system by regulating several processes ranging from the development and survival of lymphocytes and lymphoid organs to the control of immune responses and malignant transformation. The five members of the NF-kappa B family are normally kept inactive in the cytoplasm by interaction with inhibitors called I kappa Bs or the unprocessed forms of NF-kappa B1 and NF-kappa B2. A wide variety of signals emanating from antigen receptors, pattern-recognition receptors, receptors for the members of TNF and IL-1 cytokine families, and others induce differential activation of NF-kappa B heterodimers. Although work over the past two decades has shed significant light on the regulation of NTF-kappa B transcription factors and their functions, much progress his been made in the past two years revealing new insights into the regulation and functions of NF-kappa B. This recent progress is covered in this review.

This suggests an adaptive mechanism of non reproductive males, ad

This suggests an adaptive mechanism of non reproductive males, adjusting their reproductive investment in relation to their likelihood for social status ascent, as perceived by their position in the social hierarchy. This likelihood is translated into a physiological signal through plasma cortisol levels that inhibit gonad investment through pituitary

inhibition of FSH, representing selleckchem an anticipatory response to the opportunity for social status ascent. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”
“Multiple sclerosis (MS) causes cognitive impairment including slowed processing speed and problems with learning and memory. Stimulants are attractive candidates for improving mental speed but carry risk of addiction and other adverse behavioral effects. Lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (LDX) is a d-amphetamine prodrug currently approved for attention deficit (hyperactivity) disorder with the potential to be better tolerated due to its prolonged clinical effect. This phase II placebo-controlled, double-blind study aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of GSK3326595 inhibitor LDX in cognitively impaired MS patients. Subjects were patients with clinically definite MS, aged 18-56 years, and impaired on either of two

primary outcomes: the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) or the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT). Both SDMT and PASAT are measures of cognitive processing speed. Of 174 MS patients screened, 63 were randomized to 30 mg of LDX or placebo in a 2:1 GS-1101 inhibitor fashion; the dose was increased as tolerated to 70 mg over 4 weeks and then maintained for another 4 weeks. Secondary outcomes were the Brief Visuospatial Memory Test Revised (BVMTR), the California Verbal Learning Test 2nd edition (CVLT2), both measures of episodic memory, and the Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Function for adults (BRIEF-A), a self-report measure of executive

function. Fatigue and depression were also evaluated. There was significant improvement in the SDMT score (+4.6 vs. +1.3) and CVLT2 score (+4.7 vs. -0.9) in the LDX group compared with the placebo group among the 49 completers. There was no change on the other outcomes. A high proportion of both LDX-treated and placebo-treated subjects reported adverse events (73.5 % vs. 68.4 %). However, there were no serious adverse events noted in the study. These preliminary data indicate that LDX has the potential to be an efficacious treatment for MS patients with cognitive impairment.”
“Inhibition of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-mediated neurotransmission has been demonstrated to provide antinociceptive actions in a number of animal models of tonic and neuropathic pain. However, both competitive and noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonists are ataxic at analgesic doses.

Design: International multicenter study Settings: EDs of two hosp

Design: International multicenter study Settings: EDs of two hospitals in The Netherlands (2006-2009), one in Portugal (November-December 2010), and one in UK (June-November 2010). Patients: Children ( smaller than 16years) triaged with the MTS who presented at the ED. Methods: Changes to discriminators (MTS

1) and the value of including abnormal vital signs (MTS 2) were studied to test if this would decrease the number of incorrect assignment. Admission to hospital using the new MTS was compared with those in the original MTS. Likelihood ratios, diagnostic odds ratios (DORs), and c-statistics were calculated as measures for performance and compared with the original MTS. To calculate likelihood ratios and DORs, the MTS had to be dichotomized in low urgent HM781-36B and high urgent. Results: 60,375 patients were included, of whom 13% were admitted. When MTS 1 was used, admission to hospital increased from 25% to 29% for MTS ` very urgent’ patients and remained similar in lower MTS urgency levels. The diagnostic odds ratio improved from 4.8 (95% CI 4.5-5.1) to 6.2 (95% CI 5.9-6.6) and the c-statistic remained 0.74. MTS 2 did not improve the performance of the MTS. Conclusions:

MTS 1 performed slightly better than the original MTS. The use of vital signs (MTS 2) did not improve the MTS performance.”
“The Selleck GW4869 long-term clinical success of autologous vein and synthetic vascular grafts are limited because of the development of anastomotic intimal hyperplasia (H-I). We have previously published data suggesting that cyclosporine (CyA) may reduce the development of IH in a canine model (Hirko et al., J Vasc Surg 1993;17:877-887). However, systemic

administration of CyA could create serious adverse effects. Therefore, it is our long-term goal to test the hypothesis that the controlled local release of CyA from a polymeric vascular wrap would prevent the development of IH. To test this hypothesis, we developed a controlled release polymeric ring that could be placed around anastomotic sites to deliver therapeutic drugs locally. The ring is a composite polymeric device consisting of poly(DL-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) microspheres embedded in a poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogel. Several in vitro studies were conducted to evaluate the effects of different sterilization procedures check details on the properties of the device. It was determined that gamma sterilization was the preferred sterilization method of choice for this device. In vivo studies were conducted on a swine model to evaluate the biocompatibility of the ring. The histological findings of the ring implants at 2 and 4 weeks demonstrate the biocompatibility of this device. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 93A: 656-665,2010″
“We report the development of diacid units that promote formation of a two-stranded parallel beta-sheet secondary structure between peptide segments attached via their N-termini.