Aligned multilayered electrospun scaffolds for rotator cuff tendon tissue engineering.

Unlabelled: The rotator cuff consists of several tendons and muscles that provide stability and force transmission in the shoulder joint. Whereas most rotator cuff tears are amenable to suture repair, the overall success rate of repair is low, and massive tears are prone to re-tear. Extracellular matrix (ECM) patches are used to augment suture repair, but they have limitations.

Electrospun cartilage-derived matrix scaffolds for cartilage tissue engineering.

Macroscale scaffolds created from cartilage-derived matrix (CDM) demonstrate chondroinductive or chondro-inductive properties, but many fabrication methods do not allow for control of nanoscale architecture. In this regard, electrospun scaffolds have shown significant promise for cartilage tissue engineering. However, nanofibrous materials generally exhibit a relatively small pore size and require techniques such as multilayering or the inclusion of sacrificial fibers to enhance cellular infiltration.

Multilayered electrospun scaffolds for tendon tissue engineering.

Full-thickness rotator cuff tears are one of the most common causes of shoulder pain in people over the age of 65. High retear rates and poor functional outcomes are common after surgical repair, and currently available extracellular matrix scaffold patches have limited abilities to enhance new tendon formation. In this regard, tissue-engineered scaffolds may provide a means to improve repair of rotator cuff tears.

Effects of cartilage impact with and without fracture on chondrocyte viability and the release of inflammatory markers.

Post-traumatic arthritis (PTA) frequently develops after intra-articular fracture of weight bearing joints. Loss of cartilage viability and post-injury inflammation have both been implicated as possible contributing factors to PTA progression. To further investigate chondrocyte response to impact and fracture, we developed a blunt impact model applying 70%, 80%, or 90% surface-to-surface compressive strain with or without induction of an articular fracture in a cartilage explant model.

Can locking screws allow smaller, low-profile plates to achieve comparable stability to larger, standard plates?

Objective: The open reduction and internal fixation of radial shaft fractures and osteotomies with standard 3.5-mm plates can be complicated by tendon irritation, hardware prominence, and fracture through the screw holes. With the advent of locking plate technology, implant companies and some surgeons have recommended expanding the indications for these devices; for example, using smaller, low-profile locking plates to suffice where a standard, larger plate would traditionally be used.

Use of an insulating mask for controlling anisotropy in multilayer electrospun scaffolds for tissue engineering.

Tissue engineering of various musculoskeletal or cardiovascular tissues requires scaffolds with controllable mechanical anisotropy. However, native tissues also exhibit significant inhomogeneity in their mechanical properties, and the principal axes of anisotropy may vary with site or depth from the tissue surface. Thus, techniques to produce multilayered biomaterial scaffolds with controllable anisotropy may provide improved biomimetic properties for functional tissue replacements.

Full-length genome sequences of hepatitis C virus subtype 4f.

Hepatitis C virus genotype 4 (HCV-4) is very common in central Africa, prevalent in the Middle East, and is becoming increasingly frequent among southern Europeans. We have determined the complete nucleotide sequences of HCV-4f strains and investigated their phylogenetic relationships with other genotypes. We amplified the complete genome of two HCV subtype 4f strains, IFBT84 and IFBT88.

Detection of tetracycline resistance genes by PCR methods.

Rapid, accurate, and sensitive determination of antibiotic resistance profiles of various human and animal pathogens becomes a vital prerequisite for successful therapeutic intervention in the face of the increased occurrences of drug-resistant bacterial infections. The current methods, which are dependent on cultivation of pathogens and phenotypic expression of antibiotic resistance, usually require excessive time, special microbiological equipment, and qualified personnel. However, even with all these requisites, for example, no bacteria can be grown from more than 80% of all clinical samples sent to clinical microbiology laboratories.

Development, validation, and application of PCR primers for detection of tetracycline efflux genes of gram-negative bacteria.

Phylogenetic analysis of tetracycline resistance genes, which confer resistance due to the efflux of tetracycline from the cell catalyzed by drug:H(+) antiport and share a common structure with 12 transmembrane segments (12-TMS), suggested the monophyletic origin of these genes. With a high degree of confidence, this tet subcluster unifies 11 genes encoding tet efflux pumps and includes tet(A), tet(B), tet(C), tet(D), tet(E), tet(G), tet(H), tet(J), tet(Y), tet(Z), and tet(30). Phylogeny-aided alignments were used to design a set of PCR primers for detection, retrieval, and sequence analysis of the corresponding gene fragments from a variety of bacterial and environmental sources.

Morphine-Infused silver sulfadiazine (MISS) cream for burn analgesia: a pilot study.

Pain is considered the most distressing symptom of a burn wound, with analgesia usually provided via oral or parenteral medications. Use of systemic opioids can be complicated by fluctuations in bioavailability, absorption, and clearance of drugs caused by the burn. There has been little research done in the area of topical medications for burn analgesia.

Neuroendocrine differentiation of a metastatic basal cell carcinoma in a patient with basal cell nevus syndrome.

A 48 year-old white male with basal cell nevus syndrome presented with a metastatic basal cell carcinoma with neuroendocrine features. The tumor manifested aggressive behavior, having deep local invasion and metastases to para-aortic lymph nodes and bone. Neuroendocrine differentiation has rarely been associated with basal cell carcinoma.

Effects of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta on iron metabolism by A549 cells and influence on cytotoxicity.

Extracellular iron, which is predominantly bound by transferrin, is present in low concentrations within alveolar structures, and concentrations are increased in various pulmonary disorders. Iron accumulation by cells can promote oxidative injury. However, the synthesis of ferritin stimulated by metal exposure for intracellular iron storage is normally protective.

Scarlet red allergy.

Scarlet red dye, commonly used in clinical situations, is very rarely involved in contact dermatitis. A single report of sensitivity appears in the prior literature. Two cases of scarlet red allergy are presented and documented by patch testing.