Autoclaving of Poloxamer 407 hydrogel and its use as a drug delivery vehicle.

With antibiotic-resistant bacteria becoming increasingly prevalent, biomaterials capable of targeted, in situ drug delivery are urgently needed. The synthetic polymer Poloxamer 407 (P407) is of particular interest due to its thermoreversible gelation. Clinical use of P407 typically involves sterilization via autoclaving, but the effects of these extreme environmental conditions on hydrogel water content, rheological properties and efficacy as a drug delivery vehicle remain unknown.

CRISPR-Cas9 modified bacteriophage for treatment of Staphylococcus aureus induced osteomyelitis and soft tissue infection.

Osteomyelitis, or bone infection, is often induced by antibiotic resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains of bacteria. Although debridement and long-term administration of antibiotics are the gold standard for osteomyelitis treatment, the increase in prevalence of antibiotic resistant bacterial strains limits the ability of clinicians to effectively treat infection. Bacteriophages (phages), viruses that in a lytic state can effectively kill bacteria, have gained recent attention for their high specificity, abundance in nature, and minimal risk of host toxicity.

Enhancement of the Triple Alpha Rate in a Hot Dense Medium.

In a sufficiently hot and dense astrophysical environment the rate of the triple-alpha (3α) reaction can increase greatly over the value appropriate for helium burning stars owing to hadronically induced deexcitation of the Hoyle state. In this Letter we use a statistical model to evaluate the enhancement as a function of temperature and density. For a density of 10^{6}  g cm^{-3} enhancements can exceed a factor of 100.

Bisphosphonate therapy for osteoporosis: combining optimal fracture risk reduction with patient preference.

Objective: To review current use of bisphosphonates as first-line therapy for osteoporosis, with an emphasis on the importance of patient compliance and persistence.

Methods: The US National Library of Medicine was used to obtain the relevant information on current bisphosphonate treatment for osteoporosis management, and patient compliance and persistence with treatment.

Results: Bisphosphonates have demonstrated efficacy in fracture risk reduction, although differences may exist with respect to both onset of action and the site of fracture risk reduction.

Using mixed methods to measure the perception of community capacity in an academic-community partnership for a walking intervention.

H.U.B.

Is excess folic acid supplementation a risk factor for autism?

Background: The objective was to assess the association between increasing autism incidence rates and the increasing dose of folic acid in prescription prenatal and pediatric vitamins.

Methods: We used published autism incidence rates from the Rochester Epidemiological Project in Rochester, MN, for 1976-1997. Additionally, we used the percent of prescription prenatal vitamins containing 1mg folic acid and the percent of prescription pediatric vitamins with any folic acid from Physicians' Desk References for roughly the same time period.

The primary care osteoporosis risk of fracture screening (POROS) study: design and baseline characteristics.

Objective: POROS evaluates a 3-step fracture risk screening program in women 50-64 not previously diagnosed with osteoporosis. This report details the research design and baseline characteristics.

Methods: Recruiting from 6 primary care sites, baseline characteristics, including fracture risk factors, were assessed via self-administered questionnaires (SAQs).

Response to oral bisphosphonates in subgroups of younger and older postmenopausal women.

Background: Although the effects of bisphosphonates in bone are known for postmenopausal women, it is not known if younger postmenopausal women have a similar response. Furthermore, it is not known if the effects of alendronate and risedronate differ in postmenopausal women in regard to age, specifically in women at or younger than the mean age of natural menopause. Our aim was to examine the effects of two oral bisphosphonates in postmenopausal women by age.

Phase I study of capecitabine and oxaliplatin in combination with the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib in patients with advanced solid tumors.

Purpose: The combination of capecitabine and oxaliplatin has clinical benefit in a variety of gastrointestinal malignancies. The proteasome inhibitor bortezomib enhances the cytotoxic activity of fluoropyrimidines and platinum agents in vivo, and targeting of NF-kappaB may overcome chemotherapy resistance. Thus, we performed this phase I study to document the safety and obtain preliminary efficacy data for the combination of capecitabine, oxaliplatin, and bortezomib.

Induction cisplatin and paclitaxel followed by combination chemoradiotherapy with 5-fluorouracil, cisplatin, and paclitaxel before resection in localized esophageal cancer: a phase II report.

Background: Multimodality therapy for esophageal cancer holds promise for improving outcome in this lethal disease. On the basis of encouraging data from a phase I trial, we conducted a phase II study of preoperative chemotherapy, followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy and surgery.

Methods: Patients with clinically staged resectable esophageal cancer were treated with induction cisplatin and paclitaxel, followed by 45 Gy of external beam radiation with concurrent infusional 5-fluorouracil and weekly cisplatin and paclitaxel.

Prevalence of Vitamin D inadequacy among postmenopausal North American women receiving osteoporosis therapy.

Purpose: To evaluate serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations and factors related to vitamin D inadequacy in postmenopausal North American women receiving therapy to treat or prevent osteoporosis.

Methods: Serum 25(OH)D and PTH were obtained in 1536 community-dwelling women between November 2003 and March 2004. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess risk factors for suboptimal (<30 ng/ml) 25(OH)D.

Survival following intensive preoperative combined modality therapy with paclitaxel, cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil, and radiation in resectable esophageal carcinoma: a phase I report.

Purpose: To assess the benefits of aggressive chemoradiation therapy followed by surgery in resectable esophageal carcinoma.

Method: Twenty-nine patients with resectable carcinoma were treated with 60 Gy of radiation (2 Gy daily for 6 weeks) and concurrent chemotherapy consisting of continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil (200-225 mg/m(2)/d), paclitaxel (25, 40, 50, or 60 mg/m(2)) weekly over 1 hour, and cisplatin (25 mg/m(2)) weekly immediately following paclitaxel throughout radiation. Patients received either 4 cycles of postoperative paclitaxel 175 mg/m(2) over 3 hours and cisplatin 75 mg/m(2) every 3 weeks or paclitaxel 175 mg/m(2) over 3 hours and cisplatin 75 mg/m(2) every 3 weeks prior to the initiation of chemoradiation.

Phase II and pharmacodynamic study of the farnesyltransferase inhibitor R115777 as initial therapy in patients with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Purpose: R115777 is a selective nonpeptidomimetic inhibitor of farnesyltransferase (FTase), one of several enzymes responsible for posttranslational modification that is required for the function of p21(ras) and other proteins. Given that RAS mutations are nearly universal in pancreatic cancer and R115777 demonstrated preclinical activity against pancreatic cell lines and xenografts, this phase II study was undertaken to determine its clinical activity and effect on target proteins in patients with measurable metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Patients And Methods: Twenty patients who had not received prior therapy for metastatic disease were treated with 300 mg of R115777 orally every 12 hours for 21 of 28 days.

Phase I and pharmacokinetic study of once daily oral administration of S-1 in patients with advanced cancer.

Purpose: To determine the maximum tolerated dose, dose-limiting toxicities(DLTs), and pharmacokinetics of S-1, a combination of tegafur, 5-chloro-2,4-dihydroxypyridine (CDHP), and oxonic acid, administered once daily in patients with advanced cancer.

Experimental Design: Eighteen patients with refractory malignancies were treated with S-1 administered once daily for 21 consecutive days, followed by a 1-week break. Of 16 evaluable patients, 6 were treated at a dose of 50 mg/m(2)/day, and 10 were treated at 60 mg/m(2)/day.