IDENTIFICATION OF NATURAL LEAD MOLECULES OF CENTELLA ASIATICA AND AZADIRACHTA INDICA TARGETING CHOLERA TOXIN THROUGH STRUCTURE BASED DRUG DESIGN

2016-09-12T01-57-19Z
Source: Indo American Journal of Pharmaceutical Research
Kishore Sarma, Biswajyoti Borkakoty*, Pratap Parida, Sudipta Sankar Bora, P. K. Mohapatra, Dipanakar Biswas, Jagadish Mahanta.
Vibrio cholerae, the causative organism of cholera, infects the small intestine causing severe diarrhea that can lead to death if untreated. Cholera toxin (CT) is primarily responsible for exhibiting the cholera symptoms. Although in numerous study, anticholera activity of Centella asiatica and Azadirachta indica has been evaluated and proved, the active principles and their modes of action are still elusive. In order to unveil the active principles of Centella asiatica and Azadirachta indica as potential inhibitor of CT, a ligand library of the reported compounds from these two plants was prepared and was used for molecular docking against three putative drug targets of CT. Progressive knowledge of computer aided drug designing approach was employed to screen out novel lead candidates. Comparative molecular docking analysis inferred that kaempferol 7-O-glucoside, a flavonol glucoside of Centella asiatica had the highest binding affinity with two of the selected drug targets and third best binding affinity with the third drug target of CT. In silico ADME/Tox profiling showed least toxicity with low bioavailibility. This study suggested that kaempferol 7-O-glucoside has the highest binding affinity with the identified ligandable sites of active CT and may be considered as a candidate inhibitor of CT in the lumen of gastrointestinal tract. Further clinical trials of kaempferol 7-O-glucoside may lead to a candidate drug molecule to fight against cholera infection.


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FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF HERBAL EMULGEL OF LANTANA CAMARA LEAVES EXTRACT FOR WOUND HEALING ACTIVITY IN DIABETIC RATS

2016-09-12T01-57-19Z
Source: Indo American Journal of Pharmaceutical Research
Sk. Shaheda Sultana*, G.Swapna, G. Sai Sri Lakshmi, S. Swathi, G. Nirmala Jyothi, A. Seetha Devi.
The main aim of this work was to formulate the leaf extract of Lantana camara in to an emulgel and investigate their excision wound healing activity in Diabetic rats. Ethanolic extract of dried leaves of Lantana camara were subjected to preliminary phytochemical evaluation. Emulgel formulations were prepared using different types of gelling agents: Carbopol 934, Na CMC, HPMC, HPMC K15M, and HEC. The influence of the type of the gelling agent on the drug release from the prepared emulgel was investigated. The prepared emulgel were evaluated for their physical appearance, pH, Viscosity, Spreadability, in-vitro drug release, pharmacological activity and stability. From the results it was found that the formulation EGF2 with 1%w/w Sodium CMC shows better drug release (92.8% at 8 h) and higher pharmacological activity compared to other formulations. Herbal emulgel of ethanolic extract of Lantana camara shows significant improvement in excision wound contraction and hence this is a promising candidate for wound healing in diabetic rats.


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MONITORING OF ADVERSE DRUG REACTIONS (ADR) IN CHRONIC MYELOID LEUKEMIA (CML) PATIENTS TREATED WITH IMATINIB AT A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

2016-09-12T01-57-19Z
Source: Indo American Journal of Pharmaceutical Research
Thanmaya S., Geetha K.M*.
Imatinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor and potently inhibits protein tyrosine kinases which include BCR-ABL which is constitutively active in CML. It targets the ATP binding site of receptors. The present investigation was carried out to monitor the adverse reactions of the drug Imatinib mesylate prescribed for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients of different phases. All subjects defined as per the inclusion criteria were included in the study after obtaining the written informed consent. Detailed histories of the patients were gathered by discussions held with the doctors, nurses and the patient attendees. Disease responses were assessed with respect to BCR-ABL. Patients were then checked for the preexisting adverse reactions and were first treated for that before they were included in the study. Later these patients were treated with Tab Imatinib 400 mg once daily. With regular visit and interaction with the patients and by studying the reports, adverse reactions were recorded with the guidance of doctors. Adverse drug reactions (ADR s) of Imatinib were classified based on various criteria viz. gender, phases of CML, age, hematological and non- hematological adverse events and it was observed that there were no significant correlation with age and phases of CML. Out of 83 patients who were included in the study, it was found that CML is more common in males and between the age group of 30-39 yrs. Most of the patients were diagnosed when they were in chronic phase. The common non- hematological adverse effects that were observed was abdominal pain, head ache, GI disturbances etc. and few patients experienced hematological adverse effects such as thrombocytopenia, anemia etc.


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EVALUATION OF MEDICATION ADHERENCE AND IMPACT OF PATIENT COUNSELING ON QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS SUFFRING FROM TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS IN A TERTIARY CARE TEACHING HOSPITAL

2016-09-12T01-57-19Z
Source: Indo American Journal of Pharmaceutical Research
Nally Suman Raj, A.J. Rocky, A. Chandrakanth, C. Praneeth, Dr. B.V.S. Lakshmi, Mr. T. Praveen Kumar.
India is the diabetes capital of the world. Diabetes is growing alarmingly in India, home to more than 65.1 million people with the disease, compared to 50.8 million in 2010. Adherence to medication is a crucial part of patient care and indispensable for reaching clinical goals. The WHO, in its 2003 report on medication adherence, states that increasing the effectiveness of adherence interventions may have a far greater impact on the health of the population than any improvement in specific medical treatment. The main aim of the present study was to evaluate medication adherence of patients suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus and counsel them towards improving of quality of life. This was a prospective observational study, conducted over 6 months period from December 2015 to June 2016, in a tertiary care hospital. A total 300 patients were studies for the evaluation of their medication adherence and were counselled accordingly. Moriskys 8 item medication adherence scale was used to measure the adherence of the subjects. After counselling them KAP questionnaire was used to assess the outcome of the counselling. We found that patient counselling played an important role in the patients adherence towards medication which resulted in better therapeutic outcome which was noticed from their laboratory parameters. Thus, patient counselling plays a major role in medication adherence and therefore in improvement of quality of life.


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MYCOSYNTHESIS OF SILVER NANOPARTICLES BY ALTERNARIA SP ISOLATED FROM BARK PART OF CALOPHYLLUM APETALUM

2016-09-12T01-57-19Z
Source: Indo American Journal of Pharmaceutical Research
C P Chandrappa, M Govindappa, N Chandrasekar, Sonia Sarkar, Sepuri Ooha, R Channabasava, C P Ramesh.
The present study described the formation of silver nanoparticles by the extract of Alternaria sp. obtained from bark part of Calophyllum apetalum Willd. Alternaria extract have mixed with silver nitrate to synthesize silver nanoparticles. Synthesized silver nanoparticles were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, Scaning electron microscopy and X-Ray diffraction studies. Silver nanoparticles have acquired Surface plasmon reverberation spectra at 425nm and round shapes of the silver nanoparticles have determined by SEM analysis. X-ray diffraction studies confirm that the synthesized nanoparticles by Altenaria extract were crystalline silver. This approach is one of the primary, efficient and rapid strategies to synthesize silver nanoparticles at ambient temperature without application of hazardous agents.


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TRANSDERMAL UNANI FEMALE CONTRACEPTIVE FORMULATION: DESIGNING AND IN-VITRO TRANSDERMAL ACTIVITY EVALUATION

2016-09-12T01-57-19Z
Source: Indo American Journal of Pharmaceutical Research
Tarannum*, Mohammad Idris.
The transdermal drug delivery system has an important place in the medical field. This delivery system has several advantages over the oral and parental route of drug administration. The concept of transdermal drug delivery system was already exists in the Unani system of medicine. Several dosage forms for transdermal drug delivery system in single as well as in compound formulation were mentioned in the classical literature of Unani system. Unani medicine is enriched with several drugs honored to possess antifertility property. Unani antifertility agents are recommended for both- male and female as oral and/or local application. Several single drugs as well as compound formulations are mentioned in Unani classical literature to control the fertility. With this background an effort was made with two objectives. First was to design a transdermal Unani female contraceptive formulation (TUFCF) based on four ingredients i.e. Leaves of Henna (Lawsonia inermis), rhizome of Pakhanbed (Bergenia ciliata), Sibr (Latex of Aloe barbadensis) and Khar-e-Chirchita (Achyranthes aspera). Secondly to evaluate in-vitro transdermal penetration potential of the TUFCF by Franz diffusion cell method, qualitatively and quantitatively. Qualitatively the test formulation reveals significant presence of phytochemicals by chemical test method. Quantitatively it showed 35.07% release across the membrane. Hence, it was concluded that the test formulation possessed the transdermal activity.


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LOCAL INFILTRATION TECHNIQUE IN UNILATERAL TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT

2016-09-12T01-57-19Z
Source: Indo American Journal of Pharmaceutical Research
Ardeshna A Nishita, Bashwanth Pasupulati, Dr. Basavaraj CM, Dr. Vinay Pawar.
INTRODUCTION: The most effective treatment for osteoarthritis is TKR and THR but sizeable patient experience chronic pain causing discomfort. There has been shift in the usage of local anesthesia technique (LIA) over the general anesthesia in orthopedic surgeries mainly TKR. Pain control is important post surgery which includes opioid use, and other analgesics. LIA technique has taken increased focus due to early rehabilitation in patients with TKR and THR. METHOD: It was prospective, non-interventional and observational study. RESULTS: Outcomes were assessed with regards to the pain score and analgesic use post LIA. Patients with this technique experienced early mobilization and better pain control after surgery. There was decreased in the opioid usage and increased patient satisfaction. Break-through pain was also found to have decreased with LIA comparatively with only analgesic usage. CONCLUSION: The use of preoperative patient education as an important component in their fast-track recovery program. LIA protocol can achieve meaningful results and can be easily implemented both in tertiary care centers & community hospitals.


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“EVALUATION OF ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY OF RUTIN AND BERBERINE”

2016-09-12T01-57-19Z
Source: Indo American Journal of Pharmaceutical Research
S. Viswanth Reddy*, Kappera Swetha, G. Avinash.
The aim of study is to investigate the antibacterial and antifungal activity of natural compounds like Rutin (bioflavonoid) and Berberine (isoquinoline alkaloid) by using disc diffusion method. Antibacterial activity was determined using two gram positive cultures (Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus) and two gram negative cultures (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli). Antifungal activity was evaluated against Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium verticillioides fungal cultures. Both Rutin and Berberine were tested at concentration of 50 μg/ml and 100 μg/ml. The isoquinoline alkaloid Berberine at 50μg/ml has significant antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus. At 100 μg/ml it has highly significant antibacterial activity against all cultures compared to control group. Rutin has no significant antibacterial activity at 50 μg/ml however at 100 μg/ml it has shown significant activity against Bacillus subtilis. Rutin has no significant antifungal activity at both the doses. Berberine at 50 μg/ml did not show any significant activity against Aspergillus flavus but it was shown lower significant activity against Fusarium verticillioides however at higher concentration (100 μg/ml) it has shown highly significant activity against both the cultures. Berberine has shown higher anti-bacterial and antifungal against all cultures and the activity was better when compared to Rutin. It was concluded that the antibacterial and antifungal potential of these natural products might be due to interference of microbial protein synthesis, so these natural compounds might be better therapeutic targets for bacteria and fungi clinically for development of safe and efficacious antimicrobials.


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“EVALUATION OF ANTIDEPRESSANT ACTIVITY OF RUTIN AND BERBERINE IN DIFFERENT BEHAVIORAL MODELS”

2016-09-12T01-57-19Z
Source: Indo American Journal of Pharmaceutical Research
S. Viswanth Reddy*, Kappera Swetha.
Depression is one of the most common psychiatric disorders reported in all the parts of Globe. The existing pharmacological therapy with N-methyl D-aspartate antagonists and tricyclic antidepressants has shown good efficacy in increasing neurotransmission in the brain but they are also associated with various unwanted effects. Hence, alternative therapeutics such as nutraceuticals with low side effect profile were investigated as new safe antidepressant agents. In the present study nutraceutical products Rutin and Berberine were screened for in vitro antioxidant activity by DPPH free radical scavenging assay and NBT superoxide scavenging assay. These compounds have shown good inhibitory activity in all in vitro assays, based on these results in vivo studies were conducted. Antidepressant activity of Rutin and Berberine was evaluated by using forced swim test in mice, tail suspension test in rats. These compounds (250, 500 mg/kg bd. wt.) decreased the immobility periods in dose dependent manner in both tail suspension test (TST) and forced swim test (FST). The expected mechanism of action the activity probably through increased monoamine transmission in the brain. From the results it was found that Rutin and Berberine have significant antidepressant activity.


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GASTRORETENTIVE IN SITU GEL FORMULATION SYSTEM

2016-09-12T01-57-19Z
Source: Indo American Journal of Pharmaceutical Research
Mrs. Sushma Singh, Ragini L. Tandle*.
The design of controlled drug delivery systems (DDS) should be primarily subjected to aim and to achieve more predictable and increased bioavailability. In-situ gel refers to polymer solution which can be administered as liquid & undergoes a phase transition to semisolid gel upon exposure to physiological environment. The oral gastro-retentive in-situ gel forming polymeric drug delivery systems are designed with an objective to retain in stomach for an extended time period and also for achieving systemic drug effects over than other pharmaceutical dosage forms. The formulation is introduced to overcome the rapidly increasing cost and to reduce the time required in the development works over than the other pharmaceutical dosage forms. Many natural, biodegradable, biocompatible and synthetic polymers like alginic acid, pluronic F127, xyloglucan, gellan gum, carbopol, pectin, chitosan, poly (DL lactic acid), poly (DL-lactide-coglycolide) and poly-caprolactone etc. are used in the preparation of in situ gelling system. The present study was based on the development of stomach specific drug delivery systems using various approaches like gastro-retentive oral in-situ gel formulation. [1, 2]


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ABC –VED ANALYSIS OF DRUG STORE IN TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL FOR YEAR 2013-14

2016-09-12T01-57-19Z
Source: Indo American Journal of Pharmaceutical Research
Dr. Amrita Singam, Dr. S. Dudhgaonkar, Dr.Abhishek Mamarde* Dr.Kartik J Salwe*, Dr. Huma Khan*.
Introduction- In government hospital, about one-third of the annual budget is spent on buying medicines. Effective inventory management is required to balance inventory expenditure against demands for medicines. In hospital inventory management, VED analysis has been commonly used together with ABC analysis. So our aim is to analyze the annual drug expenditure (ADE) & Identification of the drug categories requiring greater supervisory monitoring using ABC and VED analysis. Material and Method-Study was conducted in Indira Gandhi Government Medical Collage and Hospital Nagpur of central India, a 594 bed tertiary care hospital. The data of annual consumption and cost on each drug from Medical store, for financial year 2013- 2014 was obtained. ABC analysis done. The data was arranged in Excel sheet. The ABC-VED matrix (combination) was formed by cross tabulating ABC and VED. Results are expressed as %. Result- On ABC analysis it was found that category A consisted 26 drugs i.e.(13.19%) similarly we calculated for categories B and C which came out as, in category B 36 drugs i.e. (18.2%) and for category C 135 drugs i.e.(68.52%).On VED analysis it was found that ,Vital drugs (V)were 60 i.e. (30.96%), Essential drugs (E) were 79 that was (39.08%) and Desirable drugs(D) were 58 (29.94%) were found out of 197 total drugs. On vital drugs (V) the expenditure was 1,07,75,813 (61.63%),Essential drugs (E) expenditure was 51,64,273.52 (29.53%)and on Desirable (D) expenditure was 1544434.03 (8.83%) of the total budget. Conclusion From present study we may conclude that there is a need for conducting such analysis regularly, and applying the inventory management tools for effective and efficient management of the medical stores.


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PHYSIO CHEMICAL STANDARDIZATION OF THE SIDDHA HERBO MINERAL DRUG – AMIRTHARASA MATHIRAI

2016-09-12T01-57-19Z
Source: Indo American Journal of Pharmaceutical Research
Kumar S., Paechiyammal. S. Maanickha chelvi K S.
The standardization of any drug before administration to human beings is mandatory in nowadays Amirtharasa mathirai (AM) is one of the drug belongs to siddha system of medicine which is made up of herbals and metals. The aim of the study is to standardize this preparation. The physio chemical properties are black colour solid material, Total ash value is 9.73%w/w , moisture content is 8.82%w/w and pH value is 7.7% which yield 45%w/w. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) revealed that toxic metals like mercury, arsenic, cadmium and lead were below detective limit.(BDL). Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analysis shows that particles of size 0.25 -0.50μm.


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KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS TOWARDS SAFE INDUCED ABORTION IN PUBLIC HEALTH FACILITIES IN ILU ABABORA ZONE, OROMIYA, ETHIOPIA

2016-09-12T01-57-19Z
Source: Indo American Journal of Pharmaceutical Research
Ebissa Negera.
Background: In Ethiopia, in 2005, even though, abortion law has been revised to include provision for conducting abortion, it remained in accessible for large majority of women. Provider attitude, stigma and passive resistance remain insidious barriers to the full realization of reproductive equality. Objective: To assess knowledge and attitude of health professionals towards safe induced abortion at public health facilities of Ilu Ababora zone. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from December 15, 2011- February 29, 2012. A total of 395 health professionals (General practitioners, mid-wifery, health officers and nurses) selected by simple random sampling method were involved in the study. Data were collected using structured Afan Oromo Version self administered questionnaire. Analysis was done using bivariate and multi-variate techniques. Results: The proportions of health professionals knowledgeable about safe induced abortion were (58%) and fifty one percent (51%) had favorable attitude towards safe induced abortion. Only (28.4%) of health professionals were trained on safe termination of pregnancy. Knowledge about safe induced abortion was significantly associated with marital status (OR= 1.73; 95% CI 1.07-2.8) and training on safe induced abortion (OR=0.31; 95% CI 0.17-0.5). Attitude towards safe induced abortion was significantly associated with sex (OR=0.32; 95% CI 0.2-0.53), marital status (OR=2.32; 95% CI 1.4-3.88) and training on safe induced abortion (OR=0.26; 95% CI 0.14-0.4). Conclusion: The present study revealed that, while overall awareness on safe induced abortion was high (81.8%), the actual knowledge and attitude towards safe induced abortion is low among health professionals in Ilu Ababora zone.


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INTEGRATION OF FAMILY PLANING SERVICES WITH ABORTION CARE AT PUBLIC AND PRIVATE HEALTH FACILITIES IN METTU TOWN, SOUTH WEST ETHIOPIA

2016-09-12T01-57-19Z
Source: Indo American Journal of Pharmaceutical Research
Ebissa Negera, Geremew Tolesa.
Complications of unsafe abortion contribute to 13% of global maternal mortality and have received less attention than other obstetric emergencies discourses. Timely and appropriate treatment of unsafe abortions and incomplete spontaneous abortions can prevent maternal death and morbidity. Counseling post-abortion care patients on family planning and facilitating their access to family planning methods help to prevent unwanted pregnancies and repeat abortions. The objective of this study was to assess the integration of Family planning services with abortion care at public and private health facilities that provided abortion care service in Mettu town. Facility based cross sectional study was employed. The study was conducted at public and private health facilities those providing abortion care service in Mettu town from February to March 2014. A total of 274 women who got services were interviewed. The response rate was 94.2%. One hundred ninety three (70.44%) of the respondents reported that they have got contraceptive counseling/ information from the service providers .Among them 113 (41.24%) left the health facility with contraceptive methods. Significant proportion of women who got abortion services left the health facility without getting family planning counseling and contraceptive methods. Due attention should be given the ways to integrating women who got abortion services at each health facilities.


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FORMULATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF THEOPHYLLINE HYDRO GELS USING FREEZE THAW AND CHEMICAL POLYMERIZATION METHODS

2016-09-12T01-57-19Z
Source: Indo American Journal of Pharmaceutical Research
Nagamani Bolla*, V. Ramalingeswa Rao, GSN Koteswara Rao T. Amruta Rai, P. Uma Devi.
The development of topical formulations has been a challenge to formulation scientists because solubility, permeability, half life of the drug etc governs the absorption of the drug. Hydrogels are three-dimensional, hydrophilic, polymeric networks capable of imbibing large amounts of water or biological fluids and are held together by chemical or physical bonds. Theophylline is used as a bronchodilator but in lower concentrations it can be used as an analgesic. Theophylline hydrogels were formulated using two different techniques, Chemical Polymerization (crosslinking agent - borax in different concentrations) and Freeze thaw technique. Sodium hyaluronate and polyvinyl alcohol as polymers with gelatin base and PEG 600 as a permeation enhancer. This was the first report on Theophylline anti inflammatory hydrogels formulated using sodium hyaluronate using different methods, Sodium hyaluronate, one of the polymers which is a safer polymer present in the connective tissue of human body and can be used without causing any toxic effect to the skin.


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Evidence for feasibility of fetal trophoblastic cell-based noninvasive prenatal testing

Abstract

Objective

The goal was to develop methods for detection of chromosomal and subchromosomal abnormalities in fetal cells in the mother's circulation at 10-16 weeks gestation using analysis by array comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) and/or next-generation sequencing (NGS).

Method

Nucleated cells from 30 ml of blood collected at 10-16 weeks gestation were separated from red cells by density fractionation and then immunostained to identify cytokeratin positive and CD45 negative trophoblasts. Individual cells were picked and subjected to whole genome amplification, genotyping, and analysis by array CGH and NGS.

Results

Fetal cells were recovered from most samples as documented by Y chromosome PCR, short tandem repeat analysis, array CGH, and NGS including over 30 normal male cells, one 47,XXY cell from an affected fetus, one trisomy 18 cell from an affected fetus, nine cells from a trisomy 21 case, three normal and one trisomy 13 cells from a case with confined placental mosaicism, and two chromosome 15 deletion cells from a case known by CVS to have a 2.7 Mb de novo deletion.

Conclusion

We believe that this is the first report of using array CGH and NGS whole genome sequencing to detect chromosomal abnormalities in fetal trophoblastic cells from maternal blood. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

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Manifesting the sergeants-and-soldiers principle in coadsorber induced homochiral polymorphic assemblies at the liquid/solid interface

Chem. Commun., 2016, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/C6CC05799C, Communication

Shu-ying Li, Ting Chen, Jie-Yu Yue, Lin Wang, Huijuan Yan, Dong Wang, Li-jun Wan
We systematically studied the operation of sergeants-and-soldiers principle in series of enantiomeric surface supramolecular assemblies. The correlation of chiral amplication degree to the proportion of enatiomeric interaction in total intermolecular...
The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry

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Competitive interactions between two fishing fleets in the North Sea

We examine whether the landing rates of Belgian beam trawlers in the Southern Bight of the North Sea were affected through competitive interactions with the Dutch beam trawler fleet and whether the development of a pulse trawler fleet has altered competitive interactions between both fleets. Effects of competition were investigated through a natural experiment based on the different weekly exploitation patterns of both fleets. Logbook data were used to fit a generalized additive mixed model for the daily landing rates of the target species sole (Solea solea) and plaice (Pleuronectes platessa). Results showed that landing rates of sole by the Belgian beam trawlers (. 221 kW) from 2006 to 2013 were lower during weekdays than during weekends when the Dutch trawler fleet is in harbour, while no such an effect was found for plaice. After the development of a pulse trawler fleet in 2011, the negative weekday effect in the sole landing rates was much more pronounced in 2012 and 2013. This increased loss of efficiency during weekdays, as a result of increased competition with the Dutch trawler fleet, coincided with a reallocation of fishing effort by the Belgian beam trawler fleet.

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De l'abbatiat laïque à l'avouerie. Le cas des monastères de femmes en Lotharingie (IXe-début Xie siècle)

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Building ArtBots to attract students into STEM learning

There is an increasing worldwide demand for people educated into science and technology. Unfortunately, girls and underprivileged students are often underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education programs. We believe that by inclusion of art in these programs, educational activities might become more attractive to a broader audience. In this work we present an example of such an educational activity: an international robotics and art week for secondary school students. This educational activity builds up on the project-based and inquiry learning framework. This article is intended as a brief manual to help others organise such an activity. It also gives insights in how we led a highly heterogeneous group of students into learning STEM and becoming science and technology ambassadors for their peers.

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The augment in Fwe

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An experimental study to investigate the impact of image interactivity on the perception of luxury in an online shopping context

The current study investigates whether image interactivity can positively influence luxury perceptions in a virtual shopping environment, by offering shoppers a feeling of telepresence. 185 respondents were referred to either an image interactive or non-interactive virtual luxury store and completed an online questionnaire afterwards to measure their luxury perception. The results of this study show that image interactivity leads to higher perceptions of exclusivity, quality, hedonism and extended self due to a higher perceived telepresence. This study offers some guidelines for luxury brands to retain their luxury perception high in a virtual shopping environment.

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Nanoparticle behaviour dissected

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Schrijnwerker, kunstenaar of iets anders? De orgelbouwer Louis de la Haye in Gent aan het begin van de achttiende eeuw

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A mobile school-based HCT service: is it youth friendly?

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Scale of Emotional Development - Short

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Description of two free-living nematode species of Halomonhystera disjuncta complex (Nematoda: Monhysterida) from two peculiar habitats in the sea

Morphological descriptions of two Halomonhystera species (Nematoda, Monhysterida) are presented (Halomonhystera hermesi and Halomonhystera socialis). Halomonhystera hermesi sp. n. occurs in a dense monospecific and homogeneous population on bacterial mats in the HAyenkon Mosby mud volcano in the Barents Sea at a depth of 1,280 m. The species is an endemic lineage distinctly separated from other shallow-water cryptotaxa of the Halomonhystera disjucta species complex on the base of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase subunit I (genetic divergence 19.6-23.8 %) and nuclear genetic markers, and on the base of morphometrics by Van Campenhout et al. (2014). H. socialis (Butschli 1874) is redescribed on the basis of White Sea specimens. This species dwells in mass on the detached kelp accumulation in the upper sublittoral. H. socialis is differentiated from other species of the Halomonhystera disjuncta complex morphometrically by a larger body size and by genetic divergence in nuclear markers. The genus Halomonhystera Andrassy 2006 is redefined, and its morphospecies list is reviewed. Species H. bathislandica (Riemann 1995) comb. n., H. fisheri (Zekely et al. 2006) comb. n., H. islandica (De Coninck 1943) comb. n. and H. vandoverae (Zekely et al. 2006) comb. n. are transferred to Halomonhystera from Thalassomonhystera; H. paradisjuncta (de Coninck 1943) comb. n., H. rotundicapitata (Filipjev 1922) comb. n. and H. taurica (Tsalolikhin 2007) comb. n. transferred to Halomonhystera from Geomonhystera. Halomonhystera ambiguoides (Butschli 1874) is considered as species inquirenda because of incompleteness of its diagnosis.

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Improving N-Gram probability estimates by compound-head clustering

Compounding is one of the most productive word formation processes in many languages and is therefore a main source of data sparsity in language modeling. Many solutions have been suggested to model compound words, most of which break the compound into its constituents and train a new model with them. In earlier work, we argued that this approach is suboptimal and we presented a novel technique that clusters new, domain-specific compound words together with their semantic heads. The clusters were then used to build a class-based n-grarn model that enabled a reliable estimation of n-grarn probabilities, without the need for additional training data. In this paper, we investigate how this "semantic head mapping" can best be made an integral part of the language modeling strategy and find that, with some adaptations, our technique is capable of producing more accurate compound probability estimates than a baseline word-based n-gram language model, which lead to a significant word error rate reduction for Dutch read speech.

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Reduced B. pullicaecorum levels in mucosa of UC patients correlate with aberrant CLDN1 expression

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Crohn's disease associated with spondyloarthropathy: effect of TNF-alpha blockade with infliximab on articular symptoms.

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ROLE OF MIRNA-122 AND MIRNA-200B IN INTRATUMOR HETEROGENEITY FORMATION AND HUMAN BREAST CANCER PROGNOSIS

2016-09-12T01-16-32Z
Source: International Journal of Current Research and Review
Lukianova N., Borikun T., Yalovenko T., Chekhun V..
Aim: To determine the features of miR-122 and -200b expression signature in BC patients due to major clinical-pathological characteristics of the disease. Methodology: The expression levels of miR-122 and -200b and ER, PR, Her2/neu, Ki-67, E-cadh, N-cadh, FTH1, Hepc were analyzed in cancer tissue and sera of BC patients. Relative expression levels of the miR-122 and -200b were examined using qRT-PCR (Quantitative Reverse Transcription PCR), protein expression was measured by immunohistochemical analysis. Results: Correlation between miR-122 and -200b expression clinical-pathological characteristics of BC was established. Prognostic value of miR-122 and -200b was estimated. Discussion and Conclusion: Changes of miR-122 and -200b expression in tumor tissue and sera of BC patients provide information about major clinical-pathological characteristics of BC.


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STUDY OF LABORATORY PARAMETERS IN HEMOPHILIA PATIENTS

2016-09-12T01-16-32Z
Source: International Journal of Current Research and Review
T. B. Sadaria, H. M. Goswami, Safal Patel.
Introduction: Haemophilia is X- linked congenital bleeding disorder with a frequency of about one in 10,000 births. Haemophilia is caused by deficiency of coagulation factor VIII (haemophilia A) or factor IX (haemophilia B) related to mutations of clotting factor gene. Objectives: To check effectiveness of various screening and confirmatory tests for diagnosis of haemophilia. Methods: Retrospective study of laboratory diagnosis of haemophilia was conducted in our haematology section of pathology department of Tertiary Care Teaching Centre from 1 August 2014 to 30 July 2016. Patients in the age group of 0 year to 55 years with factor VIII and factor IX level below 50% of normal were included in the study. Routine haematological tests like haemoglobin and platelet count and coagulation profile of patient for prothrombin time, activated partial prothrombin time, factor VIII and factor IX level were analysed. Results: Out of 122 cases, 97 cases were of haemophilia A while 25 cases were of haemophilia B. Haemoglobin count of patients ranged from6gm% to 14.2 gm%. Platelet count and PT (prothrombin time)of patients were within normal limits. APTT (Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time) was prolonged (41.6 sec. to 124 sec) in all patients. Factor VIII level was reduced (


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AN ANTHROPOMETRIC STUDY OF STATURE ESTIMATION AMONG MALES FROM THE MEASUREMENTS OF FEET IN UDAIPUR DISTRICT OF RAJASTHAN

2016-09-12T01-16-32Z
Source: International Journal of Current Research and Review
Charu Taneja, Hitesh Babel, L.K. Jain.
Background: Estimation of stature has a very significant role to play in forensic anthropometry for personal identification. Objective: To discover out the correlation among proportions of feet with stature in tribals of Udaipur district in Rajasthan (India). Material and Methods: The present study was conducted on a total number of 481 male tribals of Udaipur district by using standard anthropometric techniques. Results: There was a high correlation between height and right (0.184) foot length & left (0.186) Foot Length in males. Conclusion: Linear regression equations were deduced in males out of which lowest standard error of estimate was experienced in combined foot length of males.


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Layer-by-Layer Encapsulation of Probiotics for Delivery to the Microbiome

The gastrointestinal (GI) microbiome has been widely investigated for its role in many diseases. However, technologies designed for microbiome delivery are lacking. Here, we report a layer-by-layer (LbL) approach for probiotic encapsulation to protect probiotics against GI tract insults and improve their adhesion and growth on the intestines. These advantages translate to significantly enhanced survival of LbL-probiotics in vivo.

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Response to second treatment after initial failed treatment in a multicenter prospective infantile spasms cohort

Summary

Objective

Infantile spasms (IS) represent a severe epileptic encephalopathy presenting in the first 2 years of life. Recommended first-line therapies (hormonal therapy or vigabatrin) often fail. We evaluated response to second treatment for IS in children in whom the initial therapy failed to produce both clinical remission and electrographic resolution of hypsarhythmia and whether time to treatment was related to outcome.

Methods

The National Infantile Spasms Consortium established a multicenter, prospective database enrolling infants with new diagnosis of IS. Children were considered nonresponders to first treatment if there was no clinical remission or persistence of hypsarhythmia. Treatment was evaluated as hormonal therapy (adrenocorticotropic hormone [ACTH] or oral corticosteroids), vigabatrin, or "other." Standard treatments (hormonal and vigabatrin) were compared to all other nonstandard treatments. We compared response rates using chi-square tests and multivariable logistic regression models.

Results

One hundred eighteen infants were included from 19 centers. Overall response rate to a second treatment was 37% (n = 44). Children who received standard medications with differing mechanisms for first and second treatment had higher response rates than other sequences (27/49 [55%] vs. 17/69 [25%], p < 0.001). Children receiving first treatment within 4 weeks of IS onset had a higher response rate to second treatment than those initially treated later (36/82 [44%] vs. 8/34 [24%], p = 0.040).

Significance

Greater than one third of children with IS will respond to a second medication. Choosing a standard medication (ACTH, oral corticosteroids, or vigabatrin) that has a different mechanism of action appears to be more effective. Rapid initial treatment increases the likelihood of response to the second treatment.

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Normalized semantic web distance

In this paper, we investigate the Normalized Semantic Web Distance (NSWD), a semantics-aware distance measure between two concepts in a knowledge graph. Our measure advances the Normalized Web Distance, a recently established distance between two textual terms, to be more semantically aware. In addition to the theoretic fundamentals of the NSWD, we investigate its properties and qualities with respect to computation and implementation. We investigate three variants of the NSWD that make use of all semantic properties of nodes in a knowledge graph. Our performance evaluation based on the Miller-Charles benchmark shows that the NSWD is able to correlate with human similarity assessments on both Freebase and DBpedia knowledge graphs with values up to 0.69. Moreover, we verified the semantic awareness of the NSWD on a set of 20 unambiguous concept-pairs. We conclude that the NSWD is a promising measure with (1) a reusable implementation across knowledge graphs, (2) sufficient correlation with human assessments, and (3) awareness of semantic differences between ambiguous concepts.

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Internet of things, linked data, and citizen participation as enablers of smarter cities

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Methods and models for brain connectivity assessment across levels of consciousness

The human brain is one of the most complex and fascinating systems in nature. In the last decades, two events have boosted the investigation of its functional and structural properties. Firstly, the emergence of novel noninvasive neuroimaging modalities, which helped improving the spatial and temporal resolution of the data collected from in vivo human brains. Secondly, the development of advanced mathematical tools in network science and graph theory, which has recently translated into modeling the human brain as a network, giving rise to the area of research so called Brain Connectivity or Connectomics. In brain network models, nodes correspond to gray-matter regions (based on functional or structural, atlas-based parcellations that constitute a partition), while links or edges correspond either to structural connections as modeled based on white matter fiber-tracts or to the functional coupling between brain regions by computing statistical dependencies between measured brain activity from different nodes. Indeed, the network approach for studying the brain has several advantages: 1) it eases the study of collective behaviors and interactions between regions; 2) allows to map and study quantitative properties of its anatomical pathways; 3) gives measures to quantify integration and segregation of information processes in the brain, and the flow (i.e. the interacting dynamics) between different cortical and sub-cortical regions. The main contribution of my PhD work was indeed to develop and implement new models and methods for brain connectivity assessment in the human brain, having as primary application the analysis of neuroimaging data coming from subjects at different levels of consciousness. I have here applied these methods to investigate changes in levels of consciousness, from normal wakefulness (healthy human brains) or drug-induced unconsciousness (i.e. anesthesia) to pathological (i.e. patients with disorders of consciousness).

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Inflation during times of economic slack and deleveraging: a panel data analysis

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Complementarities Between Stakeholder Management and Participative Management: Evidence from the Youth Care Sector

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Reply to: 'Letter to the editor: comparing pace and speed in the pulmonary circulation?'

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Handheld pose tracking using visioninertial sensors with occlusion handling

Tracking of a handheld device's three-dimensional (3-D) position and orientation is fundamental to various application domains, including augmented reality (AR), virtual reality, and interaction in smart spaces. Existing systems still offer limited performance in terms of accuracy, robustness, computational cost, and ease of deployment. We present a low-cost, accurate, and robust system for handheld pose tracking using fused vision and inertial data. The integration of measurements from embedded accelerometers reduces the number of unknown parameters in the six-degree-of-freedom pose calculation. The proposed system requires two light-emitting diode (LED) markers to be attached to the device, which are tracked by external cameras through a robust algorithm against illumination changes. Three data fusion methods have been proposed, including the triangulation-based stereo-vision system, constraint-based stereo-vision system with occlusion handling, and triangulation-based multivision system. Real-time demonstrations of the proposed system applied to AR and 3-D gaming are also included. The accuracy assessment of the proposed system is carried out by comparing with the data generated by the state-of-the-art commercial motion tracking system OptiTrack. Experimental results show that the proposed system has achieved high accuracy of few centimeters in position estimation and few degrees in orientation estimation.

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Patient-specific image-based computer simulation for theprediction of valve morphology and calcium displacement after TAVI with the Medtronic CoreValve and the Edwards SAPIEN valve

AIMS: Our aim was to validate patient-specific software integrating baseline anatomy and biomechanical properties of both the aortic root and valve for the prediction of valve morphology and aortic leaflet calcium displacement after TAVI. METHODS AND RESULTS: Finite element computer modelling was performed in 39 patients treated with a Medtronic CoreValve System (MCS; n=33) or an Edwards SAPIEN XT (ESV; n=6). Quantitative axial frame morphology at inflow (MCS, ESV) and nadir, coaptation and commissures (MCS) was compared between multislice computed tomography (MSCT) post TAVI and a computer model as well as displacement of the aortic leaflet calcifications, quantified by the distance between the coronary ostium and the closest calcium nodule. Bland-Altman analysis revealed a strong correlation between the observed (MSCT) and predicted frame dimensions, although small differences were detected for, e.g., Dmin at the inflow (mean±SD MSCT vs. MODEL: 21.6±2.4 mm vs. 22.0±2.4 mm; difference±SD: -0.4±1.3 mm, p<0.05) and Dmax (25.6±2.7 mm vs. 26.2±2.7 mm; difference±SD: -0.6±1.0 mm, p<0.01). The observed and predicted calcium displacements were highly correlated for the left and right coronary ostia (R2=0.67 and R2=0.71, respectively p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Dedicated software allows accurate prediction of frame morphology and calcium displacement after valve implantation, which may help to improve outcome.

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Crowdsourcing mobility insights – Reflection of attitude based segments on high resolution mobility behaviour data

Recently, the use of market segmentation techniques to promote sustainable transport has significantly increased. Populations are segmented into meaningful groups that share similar attitudes and preferences. This segmentation provides valuable information about how policy options, such as pricing measures or advertising campaigns, should be designed and promoted in order to successfully target different user groups. In this paper, we aim to bridge between psychological, social marketing and ICT research in the field of transportation. We explore how attitude based segments are reflected in high resolution mobility behaviour data, crowdsourced via mobile phones. We use support vector machines to map eight attitudinal segments, as defined under the European project SEGMENT, to the n dimensional space defined by crowdsourced data. The success rate of the proposed approach is 98.9%. This demonstrates the applicability of the method as a way to automatically map attitudinal segments to a wider population based on observed mobility data instead of using explicit attitudinal surveys. In addition, the proposed approach can facilitate the delivery of personalised target messages to individuals (e.g. via smartphones) or at target locations where users, belonging to specific segment, are located at specific time windows since the data includes the time-space indications.

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Exploring entity recognition and disambiguation for cultural heritage collections

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Tumescent Liposuction without Lidocaine

Background: Our previous study demonstrated that lidocaine has a negative impact on adipose-derived stem cell (ASC) survival. Currently for large-volume liposuction, patients often undergo general anesthesia; therefore, lidocaine subcutaneous anesthesia is nonessential. We hypothesized that removing lidocaine from tumescent might improve stromal vascular fraction (SVF) and ASC survival from the standard tumescent with lidocaine. Ropivacaine is also a commonly used local anesthetic. The effect of ropivacaine on ASC survival was examined. Methods: Adults who underwent liposuction on bilateral body areas were included (n = 10). Under general anesthesia, liposuction on 1 area was conducted under standard tumescent with lidocaine. On the contralateral side, liposuction was conducted under the modified tumescent without lidocaine. Five milliliters of lipoaspirate were processed for the isolation of SVF. The adherent ASCs were counted after 24 hours of SVF culture. Apoptosis and necrosis of SVF cells were examined by Annexin/propidium iodide staining and analyzed by flow cytometry. Results: Average percentage of live SVF cells was 68.0% ± 4.0% (28.5% ± 3.8% of apoptosis and 3.4% ± 1.0% of necrosis) in lidocaine group compared with 86.7% ± 3.7% (11.5% ± 3.1% of apoptosis and 1.8% ± 0.7% of necrosis) in no-lidocaine group (P = 0.002). Average number of viable ASC was also significantly lower (367,000 ± 107) in lidocaine group compared with that (500,000 ± 152) in no-lidocaine group (P = 0.04). No significant difference was found between lidocaine and ropivacaine on ASC cytotoxicity. Conclusions: Removing lidocaine from tumescent significantly reduced SVF and ASC apoptosis in the lipoaspirate. We recommend tumescent liposuction without lidocaine, particularly if patient's lipoaspirate will be used for fat grafting.

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Radiofrequency-assisted Liposuction for Neck and Lower Face Adipodermal Remodeling and Contouring

Background: The purpose of this study is to report our experience using radiofrequency-assisted liposuction (RFAL) for neck and face contouring. This article details the operative technique, selection, complications, third-party surgeon appraisal, and patient satisfaction survey. Methods: From November 2009 to November 2013, 55 patients who underwent RFAL treatment were enrolled in the study. Postoperative patient satisfaction surveys were conducted, and 2 independent plastic surgeons evaluated contour and skin quality with randomized preoperative and postoperative photographs at 6 months postoperatively. The different parameters recorded involved age, sex, weight, body mass index, operative time, amount of fat aspirated and energy delivered, complications, and aesthetic outcome in 1 and 4 weeks and 3 and 6 months. Our longest follow-up was 4 years. Patients were asked 6 months postoperatively to grade their satisfaction as poor, no change, moderate, good, and excellent. Results: The mean age was 51 years (range, 35–61 years), and the mean amount of fat aspirated was 30 mL (range, 10–200 mL). Five out of 55 patients (9.1%) developed tissue hardness that resolved with massage. All patients were followed up for a minimum of 6 months. Eighty-five percent of patients were satisfied with their contouring result and degree of skin tightening (48/55 patients). Two independent plastic surgeons considered the improvement in contouring and degree of skin tightening good to excellent in 52 of 55 cases. Conclusions: In appropriately selected patients, RFAL neck and face contouring represent a safe procedure to achieve significant improvement of the skin laxity and fat deposits of the cervicomental zone and jowls.

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Direct Hospital Cost of Outcome Pathways in Implant-Based Reconstruction with Acellular Dermal Matrices

Background: Current cost data on tissue expansion followed by exchange for permanent implant (TE/I) reconstruction lack a necessary assessment of the experience of a heterogenous breast cancer patient population and their multiple outcome pathways. We extend our previous analysis to that of direct hospital cost as bundling of payments is likely to follow the changing centralization of cancer care at the hospital level. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis (2003–2009) of TE/I reconstructions with or without an acellular dermal matrix (ADM), namely Alloderm RTM. Postreconstructive events were analyzed and organized into outcome pathways as previously described. Aggregated and normalized inpatient and outpatient hospital direct costs and physician reimbursement were generated for each outcome pathway with or without ADM. Results: Three hundred sixty-seven patients were analyzed. The average 2-year hospital direct cost per TE/I breast reconstruction patient was $11,862 in the +ADM and $12,319 in the −ADM groups (P > 0.05). Initial reconstructions were costlier in the +ADM ($6,868) than in the −ADM ($5,615) group, but the average cost of subsequent postreconstructive events within 2 years was significantly lower in +ADM ($5,176) than −ADM ($6,704) patients (P

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The Safety, Effectiveness, and Efficiency of Autologous Fat Grafting in Breast Surgery

Background: For years, the safety and effectiveness of autologous fat grafting (AFG) for breast reconstruction have been in question, with particular concern over fat necrosis, calcifications, cyst formation, and interfering with the detection of breast cancer. However, increasing evidence suggests that the complication rates and clinical results are generally acceptable to both clinicians and patients. The emerging challenge is the numerous AFG techniques and systems, where there are limited knowledge and data. The objective of this study was to conduct a literature review that focuses on the safety, effectiveness, and efficiency of various AFG techniques as applied to the breast. Methods: A PubMed search using terms related to AFG was performed over a 5-year period (April 1, 2010–April 30, 2015). Original articles focused on AFG to the breast, with outcomes on safety, effectiveness, and efficiency, were included. Results: Five hundred ninety-eight articles were identified with 36 articles included (n = 4306 patients). Satisfaction rates were high although the prevalence of complications was low—similar to previous findings. Seven studies reported average operating room time with an overall mean of 125 minutes (range: 40–210). The mean volume of fat harvested was 558 mL (range: 120–1299), and fat injected was 145 mL (range: 20–607). A positive association between injection volume and operating time was observed. Conclusions: This review validates previous findings on the safety and effectiveness of AFG to the breast and highlights its efficiency. The efficiency data available, although limited, suggest that there is an opportunity to achieve time and cost savings while not sacrificing safety and effectiveness.

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Anatomy of the Gynecomastia Tissue and Its Clinical Significance

Background: Gynecomastia is a very common entity in men, and several authors estimate that approximately 50% to 70% of the male population has palpable breast tissue. Much has been published with regard to the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of gynecomastia. However, the anatomy of the gynecomastia tissue remains elusive to most surgeons. Purpose: The purpose of this article was to define the shape and consistency of the glandular tissue based on the vast experience of the senior author (MB). Patients and Methods: Between the years 1980 and 2014, a total of 5124 patients have been treated for gynecomastia with surgical excision, liposuction, or a combination of both. A total of 3130 specimens were collected with 5% of the cases being unilateral. Results: The specimens appear to have a unifying shape of a head, body, and tail. The head is semicircular in shape and is located more medially toward the sternum. The majority of the glandular tissue consists of a body located immediately deep to the nipple areolar complex. The tail appears to taper off of the body more laterally and toward the insertion of the pectoralis major muscle onto the humerus. Conclusions: This large series of gynecomastia specimens demonstrates a unique and unifying finding of a head, body, and tail. Understanding the anatomy of the gynecomastia gland can serve as a guide to gynecomastia surgeons to facilitate a more thorough exploration and subsequently sufficient gland excision.

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