Proderm technology: a water- based lipid delivery system for dermatitis that penetrates viable epidermis and has antibacterial effects.

BackgroundA defective skin barrier and bacterial colonization are two important factors in maintenance and progression of atopic dermatitis and chronic allergic/irritant hand dermatitis. A water-based lipid delivery system containing physiologic lipids was previously shown to be a useful adjunct in the treatment of hand dermatitis. We tested the ability of this formulation to penetrate into the viable epidermis and in addition assessed its antibacterial properties.MethodsEpidermal penetration of the product was assessed by fluorescence microscopy. Recovery of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus MRSA from skin treated with Neosalus® foam was quantified.ResultsComponents of Neosalus® penetrated the stratum corneum and were distributed throughout the viable epidermis. Neosalus® significantly decreased recovery of both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli from the skin surface.ConclusionsThe ability of components of Neosalus® to be taken up into the viable epidermis and potentially made available for incorporation into the barrier lipids, combined with antibacterial properties, indicate that this formulation may be valuable not only in chronic hand dermatitis, but also in various other forms of dermatitis.Trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials ISRCTN18191379 , 28/12/2018, retrospectively registered

Soramonttuprinsessat dokumentaarisuuden hiekkateillä. Tarina dokumentaarisen genrehybridin juonirakenteesta, anatomiasta ja todellisuussuhteesta

Tarkastelen pro gradu -tutkielmassani Yleisradion TV2-kanavalla esitetyn Soramonttuprinsessat-sarjan dokumentaarista rakennetta juonen ja tuotannollisten piirteiden näkökulmista. Tutkin sarjaa genrehybridinä, joka yhdistelee populaarin audiovisuaalisen kerronnan keinoja perinteiseen dokumentaariseen kerrontaan. Televisio on edelleen kovassa käytössä, vaikka välineen tulevaisuudenvisiot ovat olleet synkkiä. Käyttötavat ovat muuttumassa, ja kilpailu katsojista käy kuumana. Ohjelmia katsotaan erilaisilla laitteilla sekä ladataan itse verkkopalveluihin. Televisiokanavat joutuvat jatkuvasti miettimään, kuinka yhä aktiivisempia katsojia sitoutetaan omien ohjelmien kuluttajiksi käyttötapojen ja toiveiden muuttuessa. Yksi ratkaisu sitouttamisen tiellä on ollut populaarin ja dokumentin sekoittaminen. Yleisradion näkökulmasta tämän voi nähdä eräänlaisena korkeakulttuurin ja viihteen symbioosina. Tutkielma keskittyy viihteen ja perinteen törmäyksessä syntyviin genrehybrideihin. Tutkimusmenetelmäni liikkuu juonirakenneanalyysista tuotannollisen rakenteen teemoitteluun ja edelleen näiden kahden suhteeseen. Teoreettinen kontekstini ponnistaa dokumentaarisuudesta käydystä tieteellisestä keskustelusta. Dokumentaarisuus tuotantoketjua lävistävänä moodina on luonteva tie populaarin ja perinteisen dokumentin käytäntöjen törmäyspisteeseen. Tutkielmassa Soramonttuprinsessat näyttäytyy vahvasti dokumentaarisena sarjana, jossa viihteelliset osuudet toimivat lähinnä sitouttavina ja juonellisia käänteitä syventävinä ratkaisuina. Sarjan esittämisen jälkeen vastaavalle ohjelmapaikalle on tehty useita enemmän tai vähemmän reality-television käytäntöjä hyödyntäviä sarjoja

Ungdommer med minoritetsbakgrunn på barnevernsinstitusjon

Formålet med studien baserer seg på å skape empiri på temaet minoritetsungdom på institusjon. Det er mye forskning på temaet minoriteter og barnevern, men dette dreier seg i hovedsak om barnevernstjenesten, og i lite grad om barnevernsinstitusjoner. Hensikten med forskningsprosjektet er derfor å rette fokus mot etniske minoriteter som bor på institusjon. Jeg ønsker å skape en bedre forståelse for hvordan det er å jobbe med denne gruppen, og belyse hvilke utfordringer som eventuelt kan oppstå i miljøterapeutenes arbeidssituasjon. Formålet er dermed at sosialarbeidere kan anvende empirisk forskning som et redskap i møte med ungdommer med minoritetsbakgrunn som bor på barnevernsinstitusjon, for å styrke miljøarbeidere og miljøterapeuters forståelse og praksis i møte med ungdommer og foreldre med etnisk minoritetsbakgrunn. Jeg har jeg valgt å rette inn forskningen mot hvordan miljøterapeuter opplever sin egen arbeidssituasjon i samhandling med minoritetsungdommer. Problemstillingen for studien lyder som følger: «Hvordan opplever ansatte ved barnevernsinstitusjoner sin egen rolle som miljøterapeut i møte med ungdommer med minoritetsbakgrunn?». Studien baserer seg på en kvalitativ metode, og jeg har samlet inn data gjennom semi-strukturerte livsverdenintervjuer. Funnene er analysert ved bruk av tematisk analyse. Fem miljøterapeuter ved barnevernsinstitusjoner, som har erfaring med ungdom med minoritetsbakgrunn har blitt intervjuet. Den innhentede dataen for forskningsprosjektet viser at det er flere utfordringer knyttet til å arbeide med etniske minoriteter på barnevernsinstitusjon. Hovedfunnene indikerte at kulturforskjeller, språk, samarbeid med foreldre, akkulturasjon og kulturalisering var det mest utfordrende i møte med minoritetsungdom på barnevernsinstitusjon. Det viser seg at informantene er klar over disse aspektene ved arbeidet, samtidig som de har et avklart forhold til å jobbe med denne gruppen. Informantene la vekt på hvordan kulturalisering kan forekomme i arbeidet, og at det derfor er sentralt å være bevisst sin rolle, selv om de innrømmer at de kanskje ikke alltid klarer å gjøre dette selv. Funnene blir diskutert i lys av tidligere forskning og teoretiske perspektiver.The purpose of this research project is to create empirical research of the topic ethnic minority youth in residential childcare homes. There is already some research regarding ethnic minorities and child protective services, but little on this group in residential childcare homes. I therefore wish to shed light on the experiences that ethnic minorities encounter in residential childcare homes, and the challenges they may encounter. I also wish to create a better understanding of how social workers experience working with this group. The general intention for this research project is therefore to create a study that gives social workers the ability to use empirical research in their line of work. This can enhance the social workers understanding and practices when working with children and families with an ethnic minority background. For this research project I have chosen to focus on the experiences of social workers at residential childcare homes that have worked with ethnic minorities. The research problem for this study reads as follows: “How do employees at residential childcare homes see their own role as a social worker when interacting with teenagers with a minority background?”. The study is based on a quantitative method, and the data will be collected through semi-structured interviews. The data is analyzed with the use of thematic analysis. Five social workers at different residential childcare homes have been interviewed. The data collected for the research project shows that there are several challenges associated with working with ethnic minorities at residential childcare homes. The main findings indicated that cultural differences, language, cooperation with parents, acculturation and culturalization were the most challenging aspects when working with minority youth. It turns out that the informants are aware of these challenges, but at the same time have a clarified view on how to work with this group. The informants emphasized how culturalization can occur, and that it is therefore important to be aware of their role, even though they admit that they are not always able to do so themselves. The findings are discussed in the light of previous research and theoretical perspectives

A new water-based topical carrier with polar skin-lipids

A new water-based topical formulation is presented that aims at providing good penetration properties for both lipophilic and hydrophilic drugs with as small a disturbance of the skin barrier function as possible. The formulation contains dispersed lipids in a ratio resembling that of human skin. The capacity to deliver is addressed in this first study while the mild effect on skin will be presented later. Three variations of the lipid formulation were investigated by use of pigskin in vitro diffusion cell. The hydrophilic 5(6)-carboxyfluorescein (CF) and the lipophilic acridine orange 10-nonyl bromide (AO) were used as model drug substances. The results showed that the delivery properties of the new formulation exceeded that of the references (vaseline and xanthan gum gel). The effect was largest for lipophilic AO where all lipid matrix formulations were superior in amount detected in the skin. The results for the hydrophilic CF were also promising. Especially efficient was the lipid formulation containing the non-ionic adjuvants tetra ethylene glycol monododecyl ether and polyoxyethylene 23 dodecyl ether. The additional in vivo study suggests that the used in vitro model has qualitative bearing on relevant in vivo situations

Soramonttuprinsessat dokumentaarisuuden hiekkateillä. Tarina dokumentaarisen genrehybridin juonirakenteesta, anatomiasta ja todellisuussuhteesta

Tarkastelen pro gradu -tutkielmassani Yleisradion TV2-kanavalla esitetyn Soramonttuprinsessat-sarjan dokumentaarista rakennetta juonen ja tuotannollisten piirteiden näkökulmista. Tutkin sarjaa genrehybridinä, joka yhdistelee populaarin audiovisuaalisen kerronnan keinoja perinteiseen dokumentaariseen kerrontaan. Televisio on edelleen kovassa käytössä, vaikka välineen tulevaisuudenvisiot ovat olleet synkkiä. Käyttötavat ovat muuttumassa, ja kilpailu katsojista käy kuumana. Ohjelmia katsotaan erilaisilla laitteilla sekä ladataan itse verkkopalveluihin. Televisiokanavat joutuvat jatkuvasti miettimään, kuinka yhä aktiivisempia katsojia sitoutetaan omien ohjelmien kuluttajiksi käyttötapojen ja toiveiden muuttuessa. Yksi ratkaisu sitouttamisen tiellä on ollut populaarin ja dokumentin sekoittaminen. Yleisradion näkökulmasta tämän voi nähdä eräänlaisena korkeakulttuurin ja viihteen symbioosina. Tutkielma keskittyy viihteen ja perinteen törmäyksessä syntyviin genrehybrideihin. Tutkimusmenetelmäni liikkuu juonirakenneanalyysista tuotannollisen rakenteen teemoitteluun ja edelleen näiden kahden suhteeseen. Teoreettinen kontekstini ponnistaa dokumentaarisuudesta käydystä tieteellisestä keskustelusta. Dokumentaarisuus tuotantoketjua lävistävänä moodina on luonteva tie populaarin ja perinteisen dokumentin käytäntöjen törmäyspisteeseen. Tutkielmassa Soramonttuprinsessat näyttäytyy vahvasti dokumentaarisena sarjana, jossa viihteelliset osuudet toimivat lähinnä sitouttavina ja juonellisia käänteitä syventävinä ratkaisuina. Sarjan esittämisen jälkeen vastaavalle ohjelmapaikalle on tehty useita enemmän tai vähemmän reality-television käytäntöjä hyödyntäviä sarjoja

Very high cell density perfusion of CHO cells anchored in a non-woven matrix-based bioreactor

AbstractRecombinant Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells producing IgG monoclonal antibody were cultivated in a novel perfusion culture system CellTank, integrating the bioreactor and the cell retention function. In this system, the cells were harbored in a non-woven polyester matrix perfused by the culture medium and immersed in a reservoir. Although adapted to suspension, the CHO cells stayed entrapped in the matrix. The cell-free medium was efficiently circulated from the reservoir into- and through the matrix by a centrifugal pump placed at the bottom of the bioreactor resulting in highly homogenous concentrations of the nutrients and metabolites in the whole system as confirmed by measurements from different sampling locations. A real-time biomass sensor using the dielectric properties of living cells was used to measure the cell density. The performances of the CellTank were studied in three perfusion runs. A very high cell density measured as 200pF/cm (where 1pF/cm is equivalent to 1×106viable cells/mL) was achieved at a perfusion rate of 10 reactor volumes per day (RV/day) in the first run. In the second run, the effect of cell growth arrest by hypothermia at temperatures lowered gradually from 37°C to 29°C was studied during 13 days at cell densities above 100pF/cm. Finally a production run was performed at high cell densities, where a temperature shift to 31°C was applied at cell density 100pF/cm during a production period of 14 days in minimized feeding conditions. The IgG concentrations were comparable in the matrix and in the harvest line in all the runs, indicating no retention of the product of interest. The cell specific productivity was comparable or higher than in Erlenmeyer flask batch culture. During the production run, the final harvested IgG production was 35 times higher in the CellTank compared to a repeated batch culture in the same vessel volume during the same time period

Asiakastyytyväisyyskyselylomakkeen kehittäminen Lohjan kaupungin terveyskeskusosastoille

Opinnäytetyön aiheena oli kehittää vuodeosastoille kaksipuolinen A4 kokoinen asiakastyytyväisyyskyselylomake, joka sisällöltään on selkeä ja kysymykset yksinkertaisia. Työn tavoitteena oli kehittää laadukas ja käyttökelpoinen asiakastyytyväisyyskyselylomake Lohjan kaupungin vuodeosastoille. Kehittämistyön tuloksena syntyi Lohjan kaupungin terveyskeskusten vuodeosastoille uusi asiakastyytyväisyyskyselylomake. Organisaation hoitajilta kerättiin palautetta kyselylomakkeesta. Palautteiden avulla muokkasimme asiakastyytyväisyyslomakkeet lopulliseen muotoonsa. Opinnäytetyö oli toiminnallinen kokonaisuus, joka koostui kahdesta osasta: tuotteesta ja kirjallisuuskatsauksesta. Työn tuotos oli asiakastyytyväisyyskysely lomake. Työn menetelmänä oli narratiivinen kirjallisuuskatsaus, jonka aineisto analysointiin teemoittelemalla. Kirjallisuuskatsauksen tavoitteena oli saada hyvä tietoperusta uuden lomakkeen luomisen pohjaksi. Opinnäytetyöstä valmistuneen tuotoksen hyödyn saaja oli toimeksiantaja, joka on Lohjan kaupunki. Tuotettu materiaali otetaan käyttöön toimeksiantajan organisaatiossa keväällä 2020. Kehittämisehdotuksia tuotokselle muodostui yhteensä neljä.The purpose of this thesis was to develop a two-sided A4 customer satisfaction questionnaire for the wards, which was clear in content and simple in questions. The aim of this thesis was to develop a high quality and usable customer satisfaction questionnaire for the Lohja City Ward. As a result of development work a new customer satisfaction questionnaire was created for the inpatient departments of Lohja City Health Centers. Feedback was collected from the organization's nurses. We used the feedback to customize the customer satisfaction forms to their final form. The thesis was a functional entity consisting of two parts: a product and a literature review. The product of this thesis was a customer satisfaction questionnaire. The method of the thesis was a narrative literature review, which was analyzed by thematic analysis. The aim of the literature review was to provide a good knowledge base for creating a new form. The beneficiary of the thesis was the client, who is the City of Lohja. The material produced will be deployed within the client’s organization. There were a total of four development proposals for the output. Keywords: Customer satisfaction, patient, close relative, questionnaire, health cente

Assessment of liposome disruption to quantify drug delivery in vitro

Efficient liposome disruption inside the cells is a key for success with any type of drug delivery system. The efficacy of drug delivery is currently evaluated by direct visualization of labeled liposomes internalized by cells, not addressing objectively the release and distribution of the drug. Here, we propose a novel method to easily assess liposome disruption and drug release into the cytoplasm. We propose the encapsulation of the cationic dye Hoechst 34,580 to detect an increase in blue fluorescence due to its specific binding to negatively charged DNA. For that, the dye needs to be released inside the cell and translocated to the nucleus. The present approach correlates the intensity of detected fluorescent dye with liposome disruption and consequently assesses drug delivery within the cells.Eugénia Nogueira (SFRH/BD/81269/2011), Célia F. Cruz (SFRH/BD/ 100927/2014) and Ana Loureiro (SFRH/BD/81479/2011) hold scholarships from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT). This study was funded by the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement NMP4-LA-2009-228827 NANOFOL. This study was also supported by FEDER through POFC – COMPETE and by national funds from FCT through the project PEst-UID/ BIA/4050/2013 and the strategic funding of ID/BIO/04469/2013 unit.We thank the Immuno-haemotherapy Department of Hospital de São João (Porto, Portugal) for providing buffy coats from healthy volunteers

Crystal structures of type-II inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatase INPP5B with synthetic inositol polyphosphate surrogates reveal new mechanistic insights for the inositol 5-phosphatase family

The inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatase INPP5B hydrolyzes the 5-phosphate group from water- and lipid-soluble signaling messengers. Two synthetic benzene and biphenyl polyphosphates (BzP/BiPhPs), simplified surrogates of inositol phosphates and phospholipid headgroups, were identified by thermodynamic studies as potent INPP5B ligands. The X-ray structure of the complex between INPP5B and biphenyl 3,3,4,4,5,5-hexakisphosphate [BiPh(3,3,4,4,5,5)P6, IC50 5.5 μM] was determined at 2.89Å resolution. One inhibitor pole locates in the phospholipid headgroup binding site and the second solvent-exposed ring binds to the His-Tag of another INPP5B molecule, while a molecule of inorganic phosphate is also present in the active site. Benzene 1,2,3-trisphosphate [Bz(1,2,3)P3] [one ring of BiPh(3,3,4,4,5,5)P6] inhibits INPP5B ca 6-fold less potently. Co-crystallization with benzene 1,2,4,5-tetrakisphosphate [Bz(1,2,4,5)P4, IC50 = 6.3 μM] yielded a structure refined at 2.9Å resolution. Conserved residues among the 5-phosphatase family mediate similar interactions with Bz(1,2,4,5)P4 and BiPh(3,3',4,4',5,5')P6 to those with the polar groups present in positions 1,4,5 and 6 on the inositol ring of the substrate. 5-Phosphatase specificity most likely resides in the variable zone located close to the 2- and 3-positions of the inositol ring. We propose that the inorganic phosphate present in the INPP5BBiPh(3,3,4,4,5,5)P6 complex mimics the post-cleavage substrate 5-phosphate released by INPP5B in the catalytic site, allowing elucidation of two new key features in the catalytic mechanism proposed for the family of phosphoinositide 5-phosphatases: first, the involvement of the conserved Arg-451 in the interaction with the 5-phosphate and secondly, identification of the water molecule that initiates 5-phosphate hydrolysis. Our model also has implications for the proposed moving metal mechanism

Consultant for the EU - UNCTAD joint Programme for Angola Trade II: Creative Economy component

European Union – United Nations Conference on Trade and Development joint Programme for Angola: Train for Trade II: Creative Economy component (2020) Dr Carla Figueira was part of the UNCTAD Team, which included: ● Marisa Henderson - Chief, Creative Economy Program ● Carolina Quintana - Partnerships Networks, Creative Economy Program ● Adelino Muxito - National Project Coordinator Train for Trade II ● Pedro Affonso Ivo Franco - Principal Consultant / Coordinator ● Carla Figueira - Consultant: Training, Partnerships and International Marketing ● Carlos Martins - Consultant: Training, Cultural Tourism and Commerce ● Ingrid Fortez - Local Consultant Angola Dr Carla Figueira produced three internal reports for the project: • EU–UNCTAD (submitted 2020) The International Dimension of the Cultural and Creative Industries in Angola: Image, Export and Investment. Carla Figueira is the main author of this mapping report. • EU–UNCTAD (submitted 2020) Mapping the Creative Economy in Angola. Collaboratively authored mapping report for European Union. • EU–UNCTAD (submitted 2020) Angola: Cultural and Creative Tourism. Collaboratively authored mapping report. Dr Carla Figueira, collaboratively and on her own, also developed and delivered training modules for the project on the governance and international dimensions of the cultural and creative sectors