Correlating Differences in the Surface Activity to Interface-Induced Particle Formation in Different Protein Modalities: IgG mAb Versus Fc-Fusion Protein.

The propensity of protein-based biologics to form protein particles during bioprocessing can be related to their interfacial properties. In this study, we compare the surface activity and interfacial film properties of two structurally different biologics, an IgG and Fc-fusion, in the absence and presence of interfacial dilatational stresses, and correlate these differences to their tendency to form interface-induced protein particles. Our results show that interface-induced particle formation is protein-dependent, with the Fc-fusion demonstrating greater interfacial stability.

A Systematic Approach to Evaluating Instrumental Variable Assumptions: Applied Example of Glucose-lowering Medications and Risk for Hospitalized Heart Failure in Older Adults.

One obstacle to adopting instrumental variable (IV) methods in pharmacoepidemiology is their reliance on strong, unverifiable assumptions. We can falsify IV assumptions by leveraging the causal structure, which can strengthen or refute their plausibility and increase the validity of effect estimates. We illustrate a systematic approach to evaluate calendar time IV assumptions in estimating the known effect of thiazolidinediones on hospitalized heart failure.

Development and validation of a health practitioner survey on ocular allergy.

Survey studies have played a significant role in understanding the gaps in the knowledge and practices of health practitioners. However, there have been no such survey studies on Ocular Allergy (OA). Thus, the purpose of this study was to develop and validate a survey on OA to better understand the gaps in the diagnostic, treatment, and collaborative care approaches of health practitioners in OA.

The Plight of the Metabolite: Oxidative Stress and Tear Film Destabilisation Evident in Ocular Allergy Sufferers across Seasons in Victoria, Australia.

Ocular allergy (OA) is characterised by ocular surface itchiness, redness, and inflammation in response to allergen exposure. The primary aim of this study was to assess differences in the human tear metabolome and lipidome between OA and healthy controls (HCs) across peak allergy (spring-summer) and off-peak (autumn-winter) seasons in Victoria, Australia. A total of 19 participants (14 OA, 5 HCs) aged 18-45 were recruited and grouped by allergy questionnaire score.