Prostate cancer awareness in the city of São Paulo.

Objective: To evaluate awareness of prostate cancer in the population of the city of São Paulo.

Methods: A total of 392 adults were randomly interviewed on public spaces in the city of São Paulo, and answered a questionnaire that addressed demographic questions and specific knowledge about the prostate cancer. A score was used to assess awareness of cancer in general, and of prostate cancer, considering satisfactory knowledge a score of 6 points.

Structure-Activity Relationship Studies on Novel Antiviral Agents for Norovirus Infections.

Human norovirus is the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis worldwide, affecting every year 685 million people. Norovirus outbreaks are associated with very significant economic losses, with an estimated societal cost of 60 billion USD per year. Despite this, no therapeutic options or vaccines are currently available to treat or prevent this infection.

A Prospective, observational, Italian multi-center registry of self-aPposing® cOronary Stents in patients presenting with ST-segment Elevation Myocardial InfarcTION: The iPOSITION registry.

Background: Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) can be challenging for high thrombus burden and catecholamine-induced vasoconstriction. The Xposition-S stent was designed to prevent stent undersizing and minimize strut malapposition. We evaluated 1-year clinical outcomes of a nitinol, self-apposing®, sirolimus-eluting stent, pre-mounted on a novel balloon delivery system, in de novo lesions of patients presenting with STEMI undergoing pPCI.

Synthesis and antiviral effect of novel fluoxetine analogues as enterovirus 2C inhibitors.

Enteroviruses (EV) are a group of positive-strand RNA (+RNA) viruses that include many important human pathogens (e.g. poliovirus, coxsackievirus, echovirus, numbered enteroviruses and rhinoviruses).

Antithrombotic Therapy for Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions: From Coronary Artery Disease to Structural Heart Interventions.

Percutaneous cardiovascular interventions have changed dramatically in recent years, and the impetus given by the rapid implementation of novel techniques and devices have been mirrored by a refinement of antithrombotic strategies for secondary prevention, which have been supported by a significant burden of evidence from clinical studies. In the current manuscript, we aim to provide a comprehensive, yet pragmatic, revision of the current available evidence regarding antithrombotic strategies in the domain of percutaneous cardiovascular interventions. We revise the evidence regarding antithrombotic therapy for secondary prevention in coronary artery disease and stent implantation, the complex interrelation between antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapy in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention with concomitant atrial fibrillation, and finally focus on the novel developments in the secondary prevention after structural heart disease intervention.

In Situ Gelling Scaffolds Loaded with Platelet Growth Factors to Improve Cardiomyocyte Survival after Ischemia.

Myocardial infarction is caused by prolonged ischemia and it is one of the main cause that leads to heart failures. The aim of the present work was the development of in situ gelling systems, based on poloxamer 407 (P407) or sodium alginate (Alg), loaded with platelet lysate (PL) to enhance cardiomyocyte survival after ischemia. Chondroitin sulfate (CS), a negatively charged glycosaminoglycan able to interact with different positively charged bioactive molecules, such as growth factors, was also investigated with both the systems.

Electrospun Gelatin⁻Chondroitin Sulfate Scaffolds Loaded with Platelet Lysate Promote Immature Cardiomyocyte Proliferation.

The aim of the present work was the development of heart patches based on gelatin (G) and chondroitin sulfate (CS) to be used as implants to improve heart recovery after corrective surgery for critical congenital heart defects (CHD). Patches were prepared by means of electrospinning to obtain nanofibrous scaffolds and they were loaded with platelet lysate (PL) as a source of growth factors to further enhance the repair process. Scaffolds were characterized for morphology and mechanical properties and for the capability to support in vitro adhesion and proliferation of dermal fibroblasts in order to assess the system's general biocompatibility.

Freeze dried chitosan acetate dressings with glycosaminoglycans and traxenamic acid.

Bleeding control plays an important role to increase survival in the early phase after a traumatic event. The aim of present work was the development of hemostatic sponge-like dressings based on chitosan, in association with glycosaminoglycans (GAG) (chondroitin sulfate or hyaluronic acid) and the improvement of their hemostatic performance by loading tranexamic acid (TA). The dressings were prepared by lyophilizazion and were characterized for mechanical, hydration, bioadhesion properties and morphology.

Essential oil-loaded lipid nanoparticles for wound healing.

Chronic wounds and severe burns are diseases responsible for severe morbidity and even death. Wound repair is a crucial process and tissue regeneration enhancement and infection prevention are key factors to minimize pain, discomfort, and scar formation. The aim of this work was the development of lipid nanoparticles (solid lipid nanoparticles and nanostructured lipid carriers [NLC]), to be loaded with eucalyptus or rosemary essential oils and to be used, as medical devices, to enhance healing of skin wounds.

Innovative Methods and Applications in Mucoadhesion Research.

The present review is aimed at elucidating relatively new aspects of mucoadhesion/mucus interaction and related phenomena that emerged from a Mucoadhesion workshop held in Munster on 2-3 September 2015 as a satellite event of the ICCC 13th-EUCHIS 12th. After a brief outline of the new issues, the focus is on mucus description, purification, and mucus/mucin characterization, all steps that are pivotal to the understanding of mucus related phenomena and the choice of the correct mucosal model for in vitro and ex vivo experiments, alternative bio/mucomimetic materials are also presented. Then a selection of preparative techniques and testing methods are described (at molecular as well as micro and macroscale) that may support the pharmaceutical development of mucus interactive systems and assist formulators in the scale-up and industrialization steps.

Platelet lysate embedded scaffolds for skin regeneration.

Introduction: The work presents the development of acellular scaffolds extemporaneously embedded with platelet lysate (PL), as an innovative approach in the field of tissue regeneration/reparation. PL embedded scaffolds should have a tridimensional architecture to support cell migration and growth, in order to restore skin integrity. For this reason, chondroitin sulfate (CS) was associated with sodium alginate (SA) to prepare highly porous systems.

Renal function-adjusted contrast volume redefines the baseline estimation of contrast-induced acute kidney injury risk in patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: Age, estimated glomerular renal function (eGFR), and ejection fraction are preprocedural predictors of contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) after primary percutaneous coronary intervention. The effect of renal function-adjusted contrast volume (CV) remains not totally explored, and a threshold has not yet been established.

Methods And Results: Logistic regression and receiver-operating characteristic curve analyses were used to assess whether CV/eGFR was an independent predictor of CI-AKI.

Endothelial dysfunction in patients with coronary artery disease: insights from a flow-mediated dilation study.

Background: The use of flow-mediated dilation (FMD) as a surrogate indicator for the extent of coronary artery disease (CAD) remains largely unknown. We assessed FMD at the brachial artery in 89 consecutive patients undergoing coronary angiography.

Methods And Results: Patients were classified in groups 0 to 3 according to the number of diseased vessels and the SYNTAX score was calculated.

Age, glomerular filtration rate, ejection fraction, and the AGEF score predict contrast-induced nephropathy in patients with acute myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: In patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the occurrence of Contrast-Induced Nephropathy (CIN) has a pronounced impact both on morbidity and mortality. We investigated the variables associated with CIN development in 481 consecutive patients with STEMI undergoing primary PCI and evaluated the predictive value of a 3-variable clinical risk score (the AGEF score) based on age, left ventricular ejection fraction (EF), and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).

Methods: CIN was defined as an absolute increase in serum creatinine ≥0.

Hyperventilation-induced ST segment elevation mimicking acute myocardial infarction in a comatose patient with tracheostomy.

Controlled hyperventilation leading to respiratory alkalosis may induce coronary artery spasm. This manoeuvre is currently used in the diagnosis of Prinzmetal's angina. We describe the case of a comatose patient with tracheostomy in whom hyperventilation, caused by excessive bronchial secretion resulting in partial obstruction of the tracheal cannula, was followed by ST segment elevation mimicking acute myocardial infarction.