Human skin penetration of a copper tripeptide in vitro as a function of skin layer

Objective and designSkin retention and penetration by copper applied as glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine cuprate diacetate was evaluated in vitro in order to assess its potential for its transdermal delivery as an anti-inflammatory agent.Materials and methodsFlow-through diffusion cells with 1 cm(2) exposure area were used under infinite dose conditions. 0.68% aq. copper tripeptide as permeant was applied on isolated stratum corneum, heat-separated epidermis and dermatomed skin and receptor fluid collected over 48 h in 4 h intervals using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to analyze for copper in tissues and receptor fluid.ResultsThe permeability coefficient of the compound through dermatomed skin was 2.43 ± 0.51 × 10(-4) cm/h; 136.2 ± 17.5 μg/cm(2) copper permeated 1 cm(2) of that tissue over 48 h, while 97 ± 6.6 μg/cm(2) were retained as depot.ConclusionsCopper as tripeptide was delivered in potentially therapeutically effective amounts for inflammatory disease

Human skin penetration of a copper tripeptide in vitro as a function of skin layer

We study a set of 28 GRB light-curves detected between 15 December 2002 and 9 June 2003 by the anti-coincidence shield of the spectrometer (SPI) of INTEGRAL. During this period it has detected 50 bursts, that have been confirmed by other instruments, with a time resolution of 50 ms. First, we derive the basic characteristics of the bursts: various duration measures, the count peak flux and the count fluence. Second, a sub-sample of 11 bursts with 12 individual, well-separated pulses is studied. We fit the pulse shape with a model by Kocevski et al. (2003) and find that the pulses are quite self-similar in shape. There is also a weak tendency for the pulses with steep power-law decays to be more asymmetric. Third, the variability of the complex light-curves is studied by analyzing their power-density-spectra (PDS) and their RMS variability.
The averaged PDS, of the whole sample, is a power-law with index of $1.60\pm0.05$ and a break between 1–2 Hz. Fourth, we also discuss the background and noise levels. We found that the background noise has a Gaussian distribution and its power is independent of frequency, i.e., it is white noise. However, it does not follow a Poisson statistic since on average the variance is ~1.6 larger than the mean. We discuss our results in context of the current theoretical picture in which GRBs are created in an anisotropic, highly relativistic outflow from collapsing massive stars. Finally, we note that the exact behaviour of the instrument is not yet known and therefore the above results should be treated as preliminary.

Significant changes in dietary intake and supplement use after breast cancer diagnosis in a UK multicentre study

The diagnosis of cancer can motivate survivors to alter their lifestyle habits. Healthcare providers need to be aware of what changes patients are likely to make in order to derive more pertinent recommendations; however, few studies have reported pre- and post-diagnostic lifestyle behaviours. Semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) completed approximately 1 year after diagnosis were used to evaluate dietary intake and supplement use before and after diagnosis in a cohort of 1,560 breast cancer patients participating in the UK, prospective DietCompLyf study. Intake of fruit and vegetables, wholegrains and lean sources of protein increased significantly post-diagnosis (P < 0.05, each). Conversely, after diagnosis consumption of high-fat, high-sugar products, red meat, coffee, some alcoholic drinks and refined grains significantly decreased (P < 0.05, each). Post-diagnostic changes in diet were accompanied by changes in the intake of macronutrients and a number of vitamins and minerals. Supplement use was highly prevalent (56.1%) pre-diagnosis, increasing to 62.8% after diagnosis (P = 0.001). Fish oils, multivitamin and minerals, and evening primrose oil were most often used and the proportion of users significantly increased (P < 0.05, each) after diagnosis. The percentage of women using oestrogenic botanical supplements (OBSs) was small but more than doubled to 8.4% after diagnosis (P < 0.05). British women participating in the DietCompLyf study reported significant changes in dietary intake and supplement use after their breast cancer diagnosis. These findings contribute to our understanding of female cancer survivors' dietary behaviours which is crucial for developing and implementing recommendations