Solder Doped Polycaprolactone Scaffold Enables Solder Doped Polycaprolactone Scaffold Enables. Reproducible Laser Tissue Soldering

During the last 40 years a focus in research was put on sutureless tissue fusion, to handle the limits of conventional suturing such as vascular wall damage due to the enetrating needle, intraluminal foreign body reactions caused by non-absorbable suture material and thrombocyte aggregation, impaired endothelial function, intimal hyperplasia and hence stenosis. Sutured wounds have greater and longer duration inflammatory response than laser soldered wounds. Furthermore suturing does not create a watertight connection, which can, for example, in visceral surgery lead to an entry for pathogens resulting in severe complications such as infections or death. The trend in modern surgery towards endoscopic and minimally invasive approaches requires adaptation of the surgical instruments and techniques. The method of tissue adaptation is therefore limited by free moving space thus revealing conventional suturing unsuitable. Fibrin based adhesives or glues achieve insufficient tensile strength for suture replacement and are further limited by early resorption. These products can be used as temporary sealants or hemostatic agents. Cyanoacrylate based adhesives offer sufficient tensile strength, but are limited by toxicity, allergic reaction, anaphylaxis and immediate polymerization properties, precluding a precise surgical application. An excellent review on different laser soldering and welding techniques has been published by McNally

Accelerometer-based physical activity in a large observational cohort - study protocol and design of the activity and function of the elderly in Ulm (ActiFE Ulm) study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A large number of studies have demonstrated a positive effect of increased physical activity (PA) on various health outcomes. In all large geriatric studies, however, PA has only been assessed by interview-based instruments which are all subject to substantial bias. This may represent one reason why associations of PA with geriatric syndromes such as falls show controversial results. The general aim of the Active-Ulm study was to determine the association of accelerometer-based physical activity with different health-related parameters, and to study the influence of this standardized objective measure of physical activity on health- and disability-related parameters in a longitudinal setting.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We have set up an observational cohort study in 1500 community dwelling older persons (65 to 90 years) stratified by age and sex. Addresses have been obtained from the local residents registration offices. The study is carried out jointly with the IMCA - Respiratory Health Survey in the Elderly implemented in the context of the European project IMCA II. The study has a cross-sectional part (1) which focuses on PA and disability and two longitudinal parts (2) and (3). The primary information for part (2) is a prospective 1 year falls calendar including assessment of medication change. Part (3) will be performed about 36 months following baseline. Primary variables of interest include disability, PA, falls and cognitive function. Baseline recruitment has started in March 2009 and will be finished in April 2010.</p> <p>All participants are visited three times within one week, either at home or in the study center. Assessments included interviews on quality of life, diagnosed diseases, common risk factors as well as novel cognitive tests and established tests of physical functioning. PA is measured using an accelerometer-based sensor device, carried continuously over a one week period and accompanied by a prospective activity diary.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>The assessment of PA using a high standard accelerometer-based device is feasible in a large population-based study. The results obtained from cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses will shed light on important associations between PA and various outcomes and may provide information for specific interventions in older people.</p

Focus on collagen: in vitro systems to study fibrogenesis and antifibrosis _ state of the art

Fibrosis represents a major global disease burden, yet a potent antifibrotic compound is still not in sight. Part of the explanation for this situation is the difficulties that both academic laboratories and research and development departments in the pharmaceutical industry have been facing in re-enacting the fibrotic process in vitro for screening procedures prior to animal testing. Effective in vitro characterization of antifibrotic compounds has been hampered by cell culture settings that are lacking crucial cofactors or are not holistic representations of the biosynthetic and depositional pathway leading to the formation of an insoluble pericellular collagen matrix. In order to appreciate the task which in vitro screening of antifibrotics is up against, we will first review the fibrotic process by categorizing it into events that are upstream of collagen biosynthesis and the actual biosynthetic and depositional cascade of collagen I. We point out oversights such as the omission of vitamin C, a vital cofactor for the production of stable procollagen molecules, as well as the little known in vitro tardy procollagen processing by collagen C-proteinase/BMP-1, another reason for minimal collagen deposition in cell culture. We review current methods of cell culture and collagen quantitation vis-à-vis the high content options and requirements for normalization against cell number for meaningful data retrieval. Only when collagen has formed a fibrillar matrix that becomes cross-linked, invested with ligands, and can be remodelled and resorbed, the complete picture of fibrogenesis can be reflected in vitro. We show here how this can be achieved. A well thought-out in vitro fibrogenesis system represents the missing link between brute force chemical library screens and rational animal experimentation, thus providing both cost-effectiveness and streamlined procedures towards the development of better antifibrotic drugs

Theoretical and Behavioral Mediators of a Weight Loss Intervention for Men

OBJECTIVE: Men are currently underrepresented in weight loss trials despite similar obesity rates, which limits our understanding about the most effective elements of treatment for men. The purpose of this study was to test the theoretical (autonomous motivation, self-efficacy, outcome expectancies, and self-regulation) and behavioral (calorie intake, physical activity, self-weighing) mediators of a men-only, Internet-delivered weight loss intervention focused on innovative and tailored treatment elements specifically for men. METHOD: Data come from a six-month randomized trial (N = 107) testing the intervention compared to a waitlist control group. Changes in the theoretical mediators between baseline and three months were tested as mediators of the intervention effect on weight change at six months in both single and multiple mediator models. Changes in behaviors between baseline and six months were tested in the same manner. RESULTS: The intervention produced greater weight losses compared to the control group (−5.57 kg ± 6.6 vs. −0.65 kg ± 3.3, p < 0.001) and significant changes (p’s < 0.05) in most of the theoretical and behavior mediators. In multiple mediator models, changes in diet-related autonomous motivation, self-efficacy, and self-regulation all significantly mediated the relationship between the intervention and weight loss. The intervention effect was also mediated by changes in dietary intake and self-weighing frequency. CONCLUSIONS: By testing the theoretical mediators of this intervention in a multiple mediator context, this study contributes to current knowledge related to the development of weight loss interventions for men and suggests that interventions should target diet-focused constructs