Novel Enzymatic Synthesis of 3-hydroxybutyric Acid Oligomerswith Inserted Lactobionic Acid Moieties

3-Hydroxybutyric acid and lactobionic acid yielded linear and cyclic oligomers in a lipase-catalyzedcondensation polymerization reaction, performed at 80°C in bulk and organic solvent systems. Novozyme435 was the most efficient biocatalyst, and a mixture of t-butanol and dimethylsulfoxide in 80:20 (v/v) ratioprovided the highest copolymer conversions. The highest degree of polymerization reached 7 in case ofcopolymers with inserted lactobionic acid moiety and 11 for the 3-hydroxybutyric acid homopolymer by-product

Nanoparticles in the treatment of chronic lung diseases

Nanoparticles, although considered a topic of modern medicine, actually have an interesting history. Currently, advances in nanomedicine hold great promise as drug carrier systems for sustained release and targeted delivery of diverse therapeutic agents. Nanoparticles can be defined as complex drug carrier systems which incorporate and protect a certain drug or particle. Nanoparticles can be administered via different routes, such as intravenous injection, oral administration, or pulmonary inhalation. Even though the use of nano-carriers via pulmonary inhalation is heavily debated, this system represents an attractive alternative to the intravenous or oral routes, due to the unique anatomical and physiological features of the lungs and the minimal interactions between the targeted site and other organs. Some of the widely used nano-carriers for the treatment of chronic pulmonary diseases, via pulmonary route, are as follows: polymeric nanoparticles, liposomal nano-carriers, solid lipid nanoparticles, and submicron emulsions. Nano-carrier systems provide the advantage of sustained-drug release in the lung tissue resulting in reduced dosing frequency and improved patient compliance. Further studies focusing on understanding the mechanisms of action of nanoparticles and improving their chemical structure are required in order to better understand the potential long-term risk of excipient toxicity and nanoscale carriers

Insights into the pathogenesis of nicotine addiction. Could a salivary biosensor be useful in Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)?

Nicotine has gained the attention of the medical community due to its insidious addictive mechanisms which lead to chronic consumption. The multitude of compounds derived from tobacco smoke have local and systemic negative impacts, resulting in a large number of smoking-related pathologies. The present review offers insights into nicotine addiction physiopathology, as well as social and medical implications, with emphasis on its correlation with Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs). Therapeutic strategies and new approaches to nicotine assessment and cessation treatment are discussed, noting that such strategies could take into account the possibility of slow and gradual nicotine release from a device attached to a prosthetic piece, based on salivary nicotine-concentration feedback. This approach could offer real-time and home-based self-therapy monitoring by the physician and the patient for follow-up and improve long-term cessation treatment success- Graphical abstract

Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet in the Prevention of Non-communicable Diseases as the Epidemic of the 21st century

Non-communicable diseases are known as the epidemic of the 21st century. In Romania, these are responsible for almost 91% of all the deaths. A balanced diet and regular physical activity (at least 30 minutes throughout the day) are the keys to a healthy and long living life. Mediterranean diet is shown to be the optimal diet for preventing non-communicable diseases and preserving good health. The concept of the Mediterranean diet is defined by the food pyramid, which is meant to provide an overall impression of healthy food choices, rather than to define recommended weights of certain foods or proportions of energy obtained from them. In Romania the concept of Mediterranean diet is unknown to most ordinary people. Even in medicine field there are few doctors who really know about this diet and its effects on patients’ health. Our purpose in writing this article was to draw a warning signal about the impact of Mediterranean diet on the health of people, in hope that through media, the importance of a healthy and active life in raising quality of life and decreasing morbidity and mortality can be fully understood.</span

Insights into the pathogenesis of nicotine addiction. Could a salivary biosensor be useful in Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)?

Nicotine has gained the attention of the medical community due to its insidious addictive mechanisms which lead to chronic consumption. The multitude of compounds derived from tobacco smoke have local and systemic negative impacts, resulting in a large number of smoking-related pathologies. The present review offers insights into nicotine addiction physiopathology, as well as social and medical implications, with emphasis on its correlation with Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs). Therapeutic strategies and new approaches to nicotine assessment and cessation treatment are discussed, noting that such strategies could take into account the possibility of slow and gradual nicotine release from a device attached to a prosthetic piece, based on salivary nicotine-concentration feedback. This approach could offer real-time and home-based self-therapy monitoring by the physician and the patient for follow-up and improve long-term cessation treatment success- Graphical abstract

Calculating the energy spectra of magnetic molecules: application of real- and spin-space symmetries

The determination of the energy spectra of small spin systems as for instance given by magnetic molecules is a demanding numerical problem. In this work we review numerical approaches to diagonalize the Heisenberg Hamiltonian that employ symmetries; in particular we focus on the spin-rotational symmetry SU(2) in combination with point-group symmetries. With these methods one is able to block-diagonalize the Hamiltonian and thus to treat spin systems of unprecedented size. In addition it provides a spectroscopic labeling by irreducible representations that is helpful when interpreting transitions induced by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) or Inelastic Neutron Scattering (INS). It is our aim to provide the reader with detailed knowledge on how to set up such a diagonalization scheme.Comment: 29 pages, many figure

A prospective survey in European Society of Cardiology member countries of atrial fibrillation management: baseline results of EURO bservational Research Programme Atrial Fibrillation (EORP-AF) Pilot General Registry

Aims: Given the advances in atrial fibrillation (AF) management and the availability of new European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines, there is a need for the systematic collection of contemporary data regarding the management and treatment of AF in ESC member countries. Methods and results: We conducted a registry of consecutive in- and outpatients with AF presenting to cardiologists in nine participating ESC countries. All patients with an ECG-documented diagnosis of AF confirmed in the year prior to enrolment were eligible. We enroled a total of 3119 patients from February 2012 to March 2013, with full data on clinical subtype available for 3049 patients (40.4% female; mean age 68.8 years). Common comorbidities were hypertension, coronary disease, and heart failure. Lone AF was present in only 3.9% (122 patients). Asymptomatic AF was common, particularly among those with permanent AF. Amiodarone was the most common antiarrhythmic agent used (~20%), while beta-blockers and digoxin were the most used rate control drugs. Oral anticoagulants (OACs) were used in 80% overall, most often vitamin K antagonists (71.6%), with novel OACs being used in 8.4%. Other antithrombotics (mostly antiplatelet therapy, especially aspirin) were still used in one-third of the patients, and no antithrombotic treatment in only 4.8%. Oral anticoagulants were used in 56.4% of CHA 2DS2-VASc = 0, with 26.3% having no antithrombotic therapy. A high HAS-BLED score was not used to exclude OAC use, but there was a trend towards more aspirin use in the presence of a high HAS-BLED score. Conclusion: The EURObservational Research Programme Atrial Fibrillation (EORP-AF) Pilot Registry has provided systematic collection of contemporary data regarding the management and treatment of AF by cardiologists in ESC member countries. Oral anticoagulant use has increased, but novel OAC use was still low. Compliance with the treatment guidelines for patients with the lowest and higher stroke risk scores remains suboptimal. © The Author 2013

Development of microspheres for biomedical applications: a review

An overview of microspheres manufactured for use in biomedical applications based on recent literature is presented in this review. Different types of glasses (i.e. silicate, borate, and phosphates), ceramics and polymer-based microspheres (both natural and synthetic) in the form of porous , non-porous and hollow structures that are either already in use or are currently being investigated within the biomedical area are discussed. The advantages of using microspheres in applications such as drug delivery, bone tissue engineering and regeneration, absorption and desorption of substances, kinetic release of the loaded drug components are also presented. This review also reports on the preparation and characterisation methodologies used for the manufacture of these microspheres. Finally, a brief summary of the existing challenges associated with processing these microspheres which requires further research and development are presented