Burr hole washout versus craniotomy for chronic subdural hematoma: patient outcome and cost analysis.

Chronic subdural hematomas (CSDH), which are frequently encountered in neurosurgical practice, are, in the majority of cases, ideally treated with surgical drainage. Despite this common practice, there is still controversy surrounding the best surgical procedure. With lack of clear evidence of a superior technique, surgeons are free to base the decision on other factors that are not related to patient care.

Membrane disruptive antimicrobial activities of human β-defensin-3 analogs.

Human beta defensin-3 (HβD-3) is a host-defense protein exhibiting antibacterial activity towards both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. There is considerable interest in the function of this protein due to its increased salt tolerance and activity against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus. In this study, analogs of HβD-3 devoid of N and C terminal regions are investigated to determine the influence of specific structural motif on antimicrobial activity and selectivity between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

A Mast Cell Degranulation Screening Assay for the Identification of Novel Mast Cell Activating Agents.

The development and use of vaccines and their ability to prevent infection/disease is a shining example of the benefit of biomedical research. Modern vaccines often utilize subunit immunogens that exhibit minimal immunogenicity and require the use of adjuvants to maximize the induction of protective immune responses. We recently described a novel class of vaccine adjuvants, mast cell (MC) activators, that exhibit safe and effective vaccine adjuvant activity when administered by intranasal or intradermal routes.