Reversible photodissipation of composite photochromic azobenzene-alginate supramolecular hydrogels

Supramolecular smart materials can quickly elicit macroscopic changes upon external stimulation. Here we report that an azobenzene-containing cyclic dipeptide can form composite supramolecular hydrogels with alginate based on the charge complementarity, at lower loading than the critical gelation concentrations of either component. The gels can reversibly dissipate to fluids with UV light. They can also encapsulate and photorelease fluorescent cargo. Upon treatment of the gels with aqueous calcium salts, the alginate component is permanently cross-linked and the photochromic component is solubilized

AGN Walker Brake System

The purpose of this project is to update the brake system for four-wheeled walkers. This innovative idea is in development to improve the friction force between the wheel and the brake. In doing so, the quality of the braking system will be improved based on material comparison. A new brake pad holder was designed

Low Birth Weight Is a Risk Factor for Severe Retinopathy of Prematurity Depending on Gestational Age

Objective: To evaluate the impact of low birth weight as a risk factor for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) that will require treatment in correlation with gestational age at birth (GA). Study design In total, 2941 infants born <32 weeks GA were eligible from five cohorts of preterm infants previously collected for analysis in WINROP (Weight IGF-I Neonatal ROP) from the following locations: Sweden (EXPRESS) (n = 426), North America (n = 1772), Boston (n = 338), Lund (n = 52), and Gothenburg (n = 353). Data regarding GA at birth, birth weight (BW), gender, and need for ROP treatment were retrieved. Birth weight standard deviation scores (BWSDS) were calculated with Swedish as well as Canadian reference models. Small for gestational age (SGA) was defined as BWSDS less than −2.0 SDS using the Swedish reference and as BW below the 10th percentile using the Canadian reference charts. Results: Univariate analysis showed that low GA (p<0.001), low BW (p<0.001), male gender (p<0.05), low BWSDSCanada (p<0.001), and SGACanada (p<0.01) were risk factors for ROP that will require treatment. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, low GA (p<0.0001), male gender (p<0.01 and p<0.05), and an interaction term of BWSDS*GA group (p<0.001), regardless of reference chart, were risk factors. Low BWSDS was less important as a risk factor in infants born at GA <26 weeks compared with infants born at GA ≥26 weeks calculated with both reference charts (BWSDSSweden, OR = 0.80 vs 0.56; and BWSDSCanada, OR = 0.72 vs 0.41). Conclusions: Low BWSDS as a risk factor for vision-threatening ROP is dependent on the infant's degree of immaturity. In more mature infants (GA ≥26 weeks), low BWSDS becomes a major risk factor for developing ROP that will require treatment. These results persist even when calculating BW deficit with different well-established approaches

Ulcerative colitis-risk loci on chromosomes 1p36 and 12q15 found by genome-wide association study.

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the colon that presents as diarrhea and gastrointestinal bleeding. We performed a genome-wide association study using DNA samples from 1,052 individuals with ulcerative colitis and preexisting data from 2,571 controls, all of European ancestry. In an analysis that controlled for gender and population structure, ulcerative colitis loci attaining genome-wide significance and subsequent replication in two independent populations were identified on chromosomes 1p36 (rs6426833, combined P = 5.1 x 10(-13), combined odds ratio OR = 0.73) and 12q15 (rs1558744, combined P = 2.5 x 10(-12), combined OR = 1.35). In addition, combined genome-wide significant evidence for association was found in a region spanning BTNL2 to HLA-DQB1 on chromosome 6p21 (rs2395185, combined P = 1.0 x 10(-16), combined OR = 0.66) and at the IL23R locus on chromosome 1p31 (rs11209026, combined P = 1.3 x 10(-8), combined OR = 0.56; rs10889677, combined P = 1.3 x 10(-8), combined OR = 1.29)

Production of Inactivated Influenza H5N1 Vaccines from MDCK Cells in Serum-Free Medium

BACKGROUND: Highly pathogenic influenza viruses pose a constant threat which could lead to a global pandemic. Vaccination remains the principal measure to reduce morbidity and mortality from such pandemics. The availability and surging demand for pandemic vaccines needs to be addressed in the preparedness plans. This study presents an improved high-yield manufacturing process for the inactivated influenza H5N1 vaccines using Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells grown in a serum-free (SF) medium microcarrier cell culture system. PRINCIPAL FINDING: The current study has evaluated the performance of cell adaptation switched from serum-containing (SC) medium to several commercial SF media. The selected SF medium was further evaluated in various bioreactor culture systems for process scale-up evaluation. No significant difference was found in the cell growth in different sizes of bioreactors studied. In the 7.5 L bioreactor runs, the cell concentration reached to 2.3 × 10(6) cells/mL after 5 days. The maximum virus titers of 1024 Hemagglutinin (HA) units/50 µL and 7.1 ± 0.3 × 10(8) pfu/mL were obtained after 3 days infection. The concentration of HA antigen as determined by SRID was found to be 14.1 µg/mL which was higher than those obtained from the SC medium. A mouse immunogenicity study showed that the formalin-inactivated purified SF vaccine candidate formulated with alum adjuvant could induce protective level of virus neutralization titers similar to those obtained from the SC medium. In addition, the H5N1 viruses produced from either SC or SF media showed the same antigenic reactivity with the NIBRG14 standard antisera. CONCLUSIONS: The advantages of this SF cell-based manufacturing process could reduce the animal serum contamination, the cost and lot-to-lot variation of SC medium production. This study provides useful information to manufacturers that are planning to use SF medium for cell-based influenza vaccine production

Born too small or too early : Effects on blood pressure, renal function and retinal vascularization in adulthood : experimental and clinical studies

Background: Several epidemiological studies the past fifteen years have suggested a connection between fetal growth retardation and later effects on adult health, such as an increased arterial blood pressure and type 2 diabetes mellitus. We studied the effects of fetal growth retardation in an experimental model were pregnant rats where given the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone (DEX). In addition, we also studied renal function and blood pressure control in adult women born either SGA, preterm or normal birth weight controls. In these subjects, we also aimed to characterize the morphology of the retinal arterioles and certain biochemical serum markers. Material and methods: Pregnant rats were given DEX from day 1. Their off-springs were investigated at the age of 60 days, by blood pressure, glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and sodium excretion rate. In 20 days old offsprings, we estimated the number of kidney glomeruli. Fifty adult women, aged between 23 to 30 years were divided into three groups 1) born full-term, SGA (SGA) (n= 18) 2) born before gestational week 32 (ex-preterm) (n= 15) and 3) controls born fullterm with normal birth weight (comparison group) (n= 17). They performed casual and ambulatory blood pressure measurements (ABPM) during 24-hours, GFR and renal plasma flow (ERPF) were also determined. We estimated the length of the retinal arterioles and number of branching points by digital image analysis. Serum markers of glucose profile (insulin, IGF-I, IGFBP1 and blood glucose) as well as certain biochemical serum markers (Apolipoprotein A, B, adiponectin, IL-6, HCRP) were evaluated. Results: At birth, the body and kidney weights of DEX treated offsprings were lower compared to control rats. At postnatal day 20, when rephrogenesis is finished, DEX-treated offsprings exhibited fewer nephrons and in adolescence (60 days) they developed increased blood pressure, alburninuria and a decrease in GFR compared to control rats. An increased systolic blood pressure in the ex-preterm women was found (p<0.01) compared to the other groups, in contrast to day-time ABPM (6:00-24:00) where no significant differences in systolic blood pressure between the groups were recorded. Renal function (GFR) in the three groups was normal. Digital image analyses revealed longer retinal arterioles (p<0.01) and fewer retinal branching points (p<0.03), in the ex-preterm subjects in contrast to the other groups. The SGAs were shorter and weighed less compared to the comparison group, although the three groups did not differ in body mass index (BMI). In the SGA group we found lower levels of IGFBP-1 compared to the comparison group (p<0.05). In the SGA group we also found a correlation between daily ABPM (8:00-20:00) and certain biochemical serum markers, correlations not found in the ex-preterm group. Conclusions: DEX treatment to pregnant rats produced effects on the fetal development of the kidney, and resulted in a lower glomeruli number in DEX offsprings at postnatal day 20 and development of arterial hypertension and renal dysfunction at day 60. The increased systolic blood pressure in the ex-preterm women at single measurements without a corresponding difference in blood pressure between the groups during day-time ABPM indicate an increased arousal to stressfull situations. In addition, the ex-preterms exhibit an abnormal retinal vascularization. The lower IGFBP-1 levels in the SGA group may indicate a higher diurnal insulin secretion, despite normal morning insulin levels, and could be an early sign of insulin resistance in this group. Certain biochemical serum markers, related to cardiovascular disease, correlated to blood pressure only in the SGAs. A possible influence on cardiovascular disease in SGAs has to be further evaluated