Nutrition, Anabolism, and the Wound Healing Process: An Overview

Objective: To develop a clear, concise, and up-to-date treatise on the role of anabolism from nutrition in wound healing. Special emphasis was to be placed on the effect of the stress response to wounding and its effect. Methods: A compilation of both the most important and most recent reports in the literature was used to also develop the review. The review was divided into sections to emphasize specific nutrition concepts of importance. Results: General and specific concepts were developed from this material. Topics included body composition and lean body mass, principles of macronutritional utilization, the stress response to wounding, nutritional assessment, nutritional support, and use of anabolic agents. Conclusions: We found that nutrition is a critical component in all the wound healing processes. The stress response to injury and any preexistent protein-energy malnutrition will alter this response, impeding healing and leading to potential severe morbidity. A decrease in lean body mass is of particular concern as this component is responsible for all protein synthesis necessary for healing. Nutritional assessment and support needs to be well orchestrated and precise. The use of anabolic agents can significantly increase overall lean mass synthesis and directly or indirectly improves healing by increasing protein synthesis

MALDI-MSI for the analysis of a 3D tissue-engineered psoriatic skin model

MALDI-MS Imaging is a novel label-free technique that can be used to visualize the changes in multiple mass responses following treatment. Following treatment with proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-22 (IL-22), the epidermal differentiation of Labskin, a living skin equivalent (LSE), successfully modeled psoriasis in vitro. Masson’s trichrome staining enabled visualization and quantification of epidermal differentiation between the untreated and IL-22 treated psoriatic LSEs. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry imaging was used to observe the spatial location of the psoriatic therapy drug acetretin following 48 h treatments within both psoriatic and normal LSEs. After 24 h, the drug was primarily located in the epidermal regions of both the psoriatic and nonpsoriatic LSE models whereas after 48 h it was detectible in the dermis

O₂ reduction at a DMSO/Cu(111) model battery interface

In order to develop a better understanding of electrochemical $\mathrm{O_2}$reduction in non-aqueous solvents, we apply two-photon photoelectronspectroscopy to probe the dynamics of $\mathrm{O_2}$ reduction at aDMSO/Cu(111) model battery interface. By analyzing the temporal evolution ofthe photoemission signal, we observe the formation of $\mathrm{O_2^-}$ from atrapped electron state at the DMSO/vacuum interface. We find the verticalbinding energy of $\mathrm{O_2^-}$ to be 3.80 $\pm$ 0.05 eV, in good agreementwith previous results from electrochemical measurements, but with improvedaccuracy, potentially serving as a basis for future calculations on thekinetics of electron transfer at electrode interfaces. Modelling the$\mathrm{O_2}$ diffusion through the DMSO layer enables us to quantify theactivation energy of diffusion (31 $\pm$ 6 meV), the diffusion constant (1$\pm$ 1$\cdot 10^{-8}$ cm$^2$/s), and the reaction quenching distance forelectron transfer to $\mathrm{O_2}$ in DMSO (12.4 $\pm$ 0.4 \unicode{x212B}),a critical value for evaluating possible mechanisms for electrochemical sidereactions. These results ultimately will inform the development andoptimization of metal-air batteries in non-aqueous solvents.<br

The Use of the Grotesque in the Plays of Edward Bond.

A contemporary English dramatist, Edward Bond writes plays that have often been controversial because of their use of cruelty, violence, and other forms of bizarre behavior which can be considered grotesque. The grotesque is a concept originating in the fifteenth century as a term referring to primitive artwork combining various forms to create a fanciful design. The term broadened in the eighteenth century to include literature and drama. Possessing a negative connotation, it referred to elements which were ridiculous, incongruous, absurd, or deformed. The Romanticists of the nineteenth century favored the grotesque as a valid aesthetic element which acted as a foil to the sublime and which created variety and contrast. In the twentieth century the grotesque becomes a prevalent force in drama. Theorists recognize that it elicits a dual response of fear and humor by juxtaposing incongruous and incompatible components. Its major purpose is to challenge existent norms and standards by shocking an audience into an awareness of the arbitrary nature of reality. Bond uses the grotesque to make the audience recognize weaknesses in the social structure. People turn into grotesques when victimized by a harsh and unjust political and legal system. Objects associated with the grotesque include white coverings such as a sheet or bandage that become connected with violent and unnatural suffering and death. Execution or punishment devices such as the crucifix, the jail, and the gibbet are also associated with the grotesque. Most significantly, Bond uses the grotesque to depict the moral growth of some of his protagonists, who must confront the grotesque and/or become grotesque in order to experience self-realization. As a didactic element, the grotesque threatens to overwhelm its context, thus failing to orient the audience to the thematic statement. Bond had tended to decrease his use of the grotesque, although it still emerges in his plays to give emotional focus to his dialectic

Homeopathy for depression: a systematic review of the research evidence

Objective: To systematically review the research evidence on the effectiveness of homeopathy for the treatment of depression and depressive disorders. Methods: A comprehensive search of major biomedical databases including MEDLINE, EMBASE, ClNAHL, PsycINFO and the Cochrane Library was conducted. Specialist complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) databases including AMED, CISCOM and Hom-Inform were also searched. Additionally, efforts were made to identify unpublished and ongoing research using relevant sources and experts in the field. Relevant research was categorised by study type and appraised according to study design. Clinical commentaries were obtained for studies reporting clinical outcomes. Results: Only two randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were identified. One of these, a feasibility study, demonstrated problems with recruitment of patients in primary care. Several uncontrolled and observational studies have reported positive results including high levels of patient satisfaction but because of the lack of a control group, it is difficult to assess the extent to which any response is due to specific effects of homeopathy. Single case reports/studies were the most frequently encountered clinical study type. We also found surveys, but no relevant qualitative research studies were located. Adverse effects reported appear limited to 'remedy reactions' ('aggravations') including temporary worsening of symptoms, symptom shifts and reappearance of old symptoms. These remedy reactions were generally transient but in one study, aggravation of symptoms caused withdrawal of the treatment in one patient. Conclusions: A comprehensive search for published and unpublished studies has demonstrated that the evidence for the effectiveness of homeopathy in depression is limited due to lack of clinical trials of high quality. Further research is required, and should include well designed controlled studies with sufficient numbers of participants. Qualitative studies aimed at overcoming recruitment and other problems should precede further RCTs. Methodological options include the incorporation of preference arms or uncontrolled observational studies. The highly individualised nature of much homeopathic treatment and the specificity of response may require innovative methods of analysis of individual treatment response