Antioxidant Effect of Far Infrared Radiation Produced by Bioceramics in Individuals with Intermittent Claudication: A Randomized, Controlled Pilot Study.

Background: Biomedical research has recently incorporated bioceramics applications into new health care approaches.

Objective: This study evaluated the effect of far infrared-emitting bioceramics wraps in the treatment of intermittent claudication.

Methods: This is a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled pilot study.

Effects of the use of bioceramic wraps in patients with lower limb venous ulcers: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Venous ulcer represents the most advanced stage of chronic venous insufficiency. It is an important public health problem and has a significant impact on patients' quality of life due to chronic pain, inability to work, need for hospitalization and frequent outpatient follow-up.

Objective: We investigated the treatment benefits of far-infrared ceramic (cFIR), in a 90-day study of lower limb venous ulcers and looked at ulcer healing scores, quality of life, serum bio-markers of oxidative stress and antioxidant defense enzymes.

Helios: History and Anatomy of a Successful In-House Enterprise High-Throughput Screening and Profiling Data Analysis System.

We describe the main characteristics of the Novartis Helios data analysis software system (Novartis, Basel, Switzerland) for plate-based screening and profiling assays, which was designed and built about 11 years ago. It has been in productive use for more than 10 years and is one of the important standard software applications running for a large user community at all Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research sites globally. A high degree of automation is reached by embedding the data analysis capabilities into a software ecosystem that deals with the management of samples, plates, and result data files, including automated data loading.

[The first use of iv. idarucizumab for dabigatran reversal in Hungary].

At present, the direct thrombin inhibitor dabigatran is the only one amongst the new direct anticoagulants which has an effective, specific reversal agent. The novel agent idarucizumab is a humanized, monoclonal antibody fragment binds to dabigatran within minutes thereby offers an opportunity to induce a safe, long-lasting reverse of the anticoagulant effects of dabigatran. The authors describe the first use of idarucizumab in Hungary (23.

Patient safety culture in hospitals within the nursing perspective.

Objective: Evaluate the atmosphere regarding patient safety from the perspective of active nurses in hospitals in a country town of Rio Grande do Sul State.

Methods: Cross-sectional study with 637 nursing professionals from two hospitals. Data collection through Safety Attitudes Questionnaire, in the second half of 2014.

[The tip of the iceberg: multiple cutaneous sebaceous tumor in colon cancer. Muir-Torre syndrome--case report].

Muir-Torre syndrome is a rare genodermatosis with autosomal dominant inheritance. The syndrome is considered to be a subtype of the hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (or Lynch-syndrome). In two-third of the cases, it develops as the consequence of germline mutations in mismatch-repair genes--most commonly MutS Homolog-2 and MutL Homolog-1.

Induction and analysis of epithelial to mesenchymal transition.

Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is essential for proper morphogenesis during development. Misregulation of this process has been implicated as a key event in fibrosis and the progression of carcinomas to a metastatic state. Understanding the processes that underlie EMT is imperative for the early diagnosis and clinical control of these disease states.

VATS therapy of chylothorax caused by leiomyomatosis complicated with tuberous sclerosis complex.

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis with tuberous sclerosis complex is a rare disease. One of the most frequent complications of lymphangioleiomyomatosis is pleural effusion (chylothorax) wich can be treated with the use of VATS. Authors report a case of pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis in a 56-year-old female patient with tuberous sclerosis complex with an 8-week history of recurrent chylothorax, dyspnea and debilitating weakness.

Comparing bipolar electrothermal device and endostapler in endoscopic lung wedge resection.

Video-assisted thoracoscopy (VATS) is gaining on thoracic surgery, having newly developed devices next to endostaplers for haemostatic and airtight sealing of lung parenchyma. Though the bipolar electrothermal Ligasure has good results for pulmonary wedge resection, its literature is small in numbers. Authors compared Ligasure and endostapler for pulmonary wedge resection of solitary pulmonary nodules (SPN).

The PACS initiative: what does it take?

Successful implementation of a PACS requires both a technology infusion and a re-engineering of the film-based workflow used for more than 100 years in health care. Because of the sensitivity of a PACS, high-level administrative support is needed to address resistance to change and other roadblocks. A PACS project team must look at how the system will operate not only in the primary imaging department, but also throughout the health care institution.

Human neural precursor cells express functional kappa-opioid receptors.

Neural stem cells (NSCs) play an important role in the developing as well as adult brain. NSCs have been shown to migrate toward sites of injury in the brain and to participate in the process of brain repair. Like NSCs, cultured human neural precursor cells (NPCs) are self-renewing, multipotent cells capable of differentiating into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes and of migrating toward chemotactic stimuli.

Biophysical comparison of BMP-2, ProBMP-2, and the free pro-peptide reveals stabilization of the pro-peptide by the mature growth factor.

Pro-forms of growth factors have received intensive scientific attention recently because in some cases different biological activities have been ascribed compared with the mature growth factors. Examples are the pro-apoptotic role of the nerve growth factor (NGF) proform (proNGF) or the latency of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta pro-form (proTGF-beta). To investigate a possible biological function of the pro-form of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2, a member of the TGF-beta family, mature BMP-2, proBMP-2, and the isolated pro-peptide were recombinantly produced in Escherichia coli cells, and a biophysical comparison was performed.

[Improved osseointegration of titanium implants of different surface characteristics by the use of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP-3): an animal study performed at the metaphyseal bone bed in dogs].

Aim: Aim of this study was to determine whether coating of titanium implants of various surfaces with BMP-3 would improve the osseous integration of the implants into the orthotopic bony implant bed.

Method: In this experimental study 190 micro g per implant of highly purified bone morphogenetic protein 3 (BMP-3) precipitate isolated from porcine bone were available for the coating of each of 24 cylindrical test implants (12 with hydroxyapatite and 12 with plasmapore surface). The remaining 24 test implants with the same surface makeup served as negative controls.

[Histologic and histomorphometric follow-up observations of osseointegration of corundum-blasted BMP-3 coated titanium test implants (Ti6Al4V) at orthotopic site in the giant rabbit].

Aim: To establish whether the additional coating of titanium implants with Bone Morphogenetic Protein-3 (BMP-3) might enhance osseous integration.

Method: Each of 15 cylindrical titanium test implants (Ti-6AI-4V) was coated using 230 micrograms porcine BMP-3. A further 15 implants with identical (corundium-blasted) surface served as negative controls.

Superior efficacy in suppression of heterotopic bone formation using fractionated irradiation of 5 x 2 Gy compared to a single dose of 7 Gy. An experimental study in rats.

Postoperative irradiation of the operative field is an established method to prevent heterotopic ossification in total hip arthroplasty. In this study two theoretical dose-equivalent regimens of radiation therapy were compared. Allogenic bone matrix was implanted in both thighs of 50 adult male Wistar rats to induce heterotopic ossification.

Autologous chondrocyte implantation and osteochondral cylinder transplantation in cartilage repair of the knee joint. A prospective, comparative trial.

Background: Current methods used to restore the joint surface in patients with localized articular cartilage defects include transplantation of an autologous osteochondral cylinder and implantation of autologous chondrocytes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical and histological outcomes of these two techniques.

Methods: We performed a prospective clinical study to investigate the two-year outcomes in forty patients with an articular cartilage lesion of the femoral condyle who had been randomly treated with either transplantation of an autologous osteochondral cylinder or implantation of autologous chondrocytes.

[Osteogenetic activity of BMP-3-coated titanium specimens of different surface texture at the orthotopic implant bed of giant rabbits].

Introduction: The successful combination of osteoinductive factors with current materials used in both endoprosthetics and implantology improves bony ingrowth and long-term stability of the chosen implants. The aim of the present experimental animal study was to clarify in what way faster bony integration can be achieved through additional BMP-3-coating of titanium test implants of different surface textures (hydroxy-apatite-coated or corundum-blasted).

Methods: Thirty of 60 cylindrical titanium test implants with a hydroxy-apatite or corundum-blasted surface were coated with 230 microg porcine, high-purified BMP-3-precipitate per implant to check their osteoinductive potential in a bioassay.

Effects of single-dose versus fractionated irradiation on the suppression of heterotopic bone formation--an animal model-based follow-up study in rats.

The histological and enzymatic effects of single-dose irradiation of 7 Gray (Gy) versus fractionated irradiation of 5 x 2 Gy on the suppression of heterotopic ossification were examined over a period of 60 days in adult male Wistar rats (n = 57). The standardized osteogenesis model system in rats 19, 10, 11, 16, 19] was used for this purpose. The course of developing ossifications was documented quantitatively and qualitatively by means of quantitative computed tomography/osteodensitometry and digital luminescence radiography.

[Osteochondral transplantation versus autogenous chondrocyte transplantation. A prospective comparative clinical study].

Introduction: The treatment of full-thickness cartilage defects still represents a problem that has not yet been solved satisfactorily. Current methods used to cover defects in the knee joint are osteochondral cylinder transplantation (OCT) and autologous chondrocyte transplantation (ACT).

Methods: With a prospective clinical investigation, at the time being with 2-year results, we have examined ACT in comparison to OCT in 20 patients with regard to clinical and histomorphological (histology, immunohistochemistry, RES) outcome.

Effects of granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor on potential normal granulocyte donors.

Background: The use of granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) to increase the granulocyte count and the yield from leukapheresis in normal donors is leading to renewed interest in granulocyte transfusion. Therefore, it is important to understand the side effects of G-CSF.

Study Design And Methods: We studied the effect of G-CSF on peripheral blood counts and recorded the side effects experienced 24 hours after an injection of G-CSF in normal subjects donating peripheral blood progenitor cells for research.

Expression of neutrophil antigens after 10 days of granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor.

Background: Granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is becoming the standard agent for mobilizing granulocytes. Most granulocyte donors are given a single dose of G-CSF, but in some cases they are given G-CSF for several days, and multiple granulocyte concentrates are collected. The administration of a single dose of G-CSF induces several changes in the expression of neutrophil antigens, but the effects of multiple daily doses of G-CSF are not known.