Concentrated polymer brushes do not induce the expression of inflammatory and angiogeneic genes in human umbilical vein endothelial cells

Objective

When polymer brushes are applied as the inner coating for artificial blood vessels, they may induce unwanted responses in vascular endothelial cells continuously exposed to the polymer surface. Accordingly, we have examined the in vitro effect of non-biofouling concentrated polymer brushes (CPBs) on pro-inflammatory and angiogenic responses of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs).

Results

Micro-patterned CPBs were prepared on silicon wafers using biocompatible polymers, poly(poly(ethylene glycol)methyl ether methacrylate) (PPEGMA) and poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA). HUVECs were cultured on PPEGMA-CPBs and PHEMA-CPBs with different channel widths (20, 50, and 80 µm) and analyzed for mRNA expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-8 and angiogeneic vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Irrespective of channel width, PHEMA-CPBs reduced the expression of all target genes, whereas PPEGMA-CPBs reduced VEGF and did not affect IL-6 and IL-8 levels.

Conclusion

Micro-patterned CPBs, irrespective of chemical structure or adhesion area, do not induce the expression of important pro-inflammatory and angiogenic mediators in endothelial cells.

     

The importance of stem cell engineering in head and neck oncology

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is the sixth leading cause of cancer worldwide. The most common risk factors are carcinogens (tobacco, alcohol), and infection of the human papilloma virus. Surgery is still considered as the treatment of choice in case of head and neck cancer, followed by a reconstructive surgery to enhance the quality of life in the patients. However, the widespread use of artificial implants does not provide appropriate physiological activities and often cannot act as a long-term solution for the patients. Here we review the applicability of multiple stem cell types for tissue engineering of cartilage, trachea, vocal folds and nerves for head and neck injuries. The ability of the cells to self-renew and maintain their pluripotency state makes them an attractive tool in tissue engineering.     

Rapid and efficient degradation of bisphenol A by chloroperoxidase from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Caldariomyces fumago</Emphasis>: product analysis and ecotoxicity evaluation of the degraded solution

Objectives

To degrade enzymatically bisphenol A (BPA) that causes serious environmental concerns and is difficult to be degraded by chemical or physical methods.

Results

BPA (150 mg l^?1) was completely degraded by chloroperoxidase (CPO)/H₂O₂ within 7 min at room temperature, atmospheric pressure with the enzyme at 6 μg CPO ml^?1. The degradation products were identified by HPLC–MS, which suggested involvement of multiple steps. Enzymatic treatment followed by existing bioremediation technologies (activated sludge) enhanced removal of COD from 9 to 54 %. Using an ecotoxicity evaluation with Chlorella pyrenoidosa, the degradation products had a lower toxicity than BPA.

Conclusion

BPA can be degraded rapidly and efficiently under mild conditions with chloroperoxidase at 6 μg ml^?1. The degradation products had a lower toxicity than BPA.

     

Opposing the veil in the name of liberalism: popular attitudes to liberalism and Muslim veiling in the Netherlands

Is popular antagonism towards Muslim veils in Europe rooted in an exclusionary ‘enlightenment liberalism’? By examining different conceptions of liberalism and readings of veiling in a Dutch survey from 2014, we present the first study that investigates this question empirically. We thus bring together two hitherto largely unconnected literatures. The first is the work on immigration and ethnicity, which has shown the centrality of enlightenment liberalism in anti-Muslim media and policy discourses. The second is the literature on anti-Muslim attitudes in public opinion, which explains support for veil bans as the result of perceiving veils as threatening the respondent's own, supposedly liberal, values – but has failed to distinguish between different conceptions of liberalism and thus reached inconclusive results. This, we show, can be remedied by distinguishing between ‘enlightenment liberals’, who hold negative attitudes, and ‘reformation liberals’, who hold positive attitudes towards Muslim veils.     

Study of the Serum Copper Levels in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder

Copper may be involved in the pathophysiology of depression. Clinical data on this issue are very limited and not conclusive. The purpose of the study was to determine the copper concentration in the serum of patients with major depressive disorder and to discuss its potential clinical usefulness as a biomarker of the disease. A case–control clinical study included 69 patients with current depressive episode, 45 patients in remission and 50 healthy volunteers. Cu concentration was measured by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS). The mean serum copper level in depressed patients was slightly lower (by 11 %; not statistically significant) than in the control group. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in Cu²⁺ concentration between depressive episode and remission, nor between remission and control group. In the remission group were observed significant correlations between copper levels and the average number of relapses over the past years or time of remission. There was no correlation between serum copper and severity of depression, as measured by HDRS and MADRS. The obtained results showed no significant differences between the copper concentration in the blood serum of patients (both with current depressive episode and in remission) and healthy volunteers, as well as the lack of correlations between the copper level in the active stage of the disease and clinical features of the population. Our study is the first conducted on such a large population of patients, so the results may be particularly important and reliable source of knowledge about the potential role of copper in depression.     

Adverse Effects of Ball-Chain Radio-Collars on Female Mantled Howlers (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Alouatta palliata</Emphasis>) in Panama

The placement of radio- and GPS-collars on primates has advanced the fields of primate behavior and ecology and yielded considerable conservation gains. However, to ensure that the placement of tracking collars remains a humane practice, the reporting of both positive and negative outcomes is required. Here, we evaluate the impacts of radio-collars on the reproduction, behavior, and health of female mantled howlers (Alouatta palliata) on Barro Colorado Island, Panama. In June 2005, as part of a behavioral study, we fitted 16 female howlers with ball-chain radio-collars weighing 1.2% of the mean adult female weight. We monitored these 16 collared females and 64 noncollared females across an annual cycle, and recaptured the collared females in July 2006 for collar removal. The mortality rate for collared females across the study year was 6.3% (N=1), while the net loss of noncollared females from study groups was 15.6% (N=10). All collared females reproduced. The behaviors of collared and noncollared females were not significantly different. However, on recapture to remove all remaining collars (N = 13), 38% of recaptured collared females presented with damage to the dermal layer on the back of the neck and 31% presented with more severe damage extending into the subcutaneous tissue and muscle. Given this physical damage, which was not apparent through binoculars, we cannot recommend using ball-chain radio-collars on female mantled howlers without careful welfare monitoring.     

Assessing Stress in Zoo-Housed Western Lowland Gorillas (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Gorilla gorilla gorilla</Emphasis>) Using Allostatic Load

Stress contributes to the development of chronic degenerative diseases in primates. Allostatic load is an estimate of stress-induced physiological dysregulation based on an index of multiple biomarkers. It has been applied to humans to measure effects of stress and predict health outcomes. Assessing allostatic load in nonhuman primates may aid in understanding factors promoting compromised health and longevity in captive populations, as well as risk assessment among wild populations following human activities. We applied an allostatic load index to gorillas housed at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium (N = 27, 1956–2014) using data from medical records and biomarkers from banked serum. We estimated allostatic load using seven biomarkers (albumin, cortisol, corticotropin-releasing hormone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, glucose, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha) and then examined this index for associations with age, sex, number of stressful events, parturition, physiological health measures, and age at death. Stressful events were defined as agonistic interactions with wounding, translocations, and anesthetizations. Allostatic load positively associated with age and total number of lifetime stressful events. Allostatic load was significantly higher in females than in males. Allostatic load was not associated with number of pregnancies and was not different between nulliparous and parous females. Allostatic load associated positively with serum creatinine and triglyceride levels, showed a nonsignificant negative association with cholesterol, and did not associate significantly with age at death. These results demonstrate the potential utility of allostatic load for exploring long-term stress and health risks, as well as for evaluating environmental stressors for gorillas and other nonhuman primates in captivity and in the wild.     

“Thinking a Lot” Among the Khwe of South Africa: A Key Idiom of Personal and Interpersonal Distress

“Thinking too much”, and variations such as “thinking a lot”, are common idioms of distress across the world. The contextual meaning of this idiom of distress in particular localities remains largely unknown. This paper reports on a systematic study of the content and cause, consequences, and social response and coping related to the local terms |x’an n|a te and |eu-ca n|a te, both translated as “thinking a lot”, and was part of a larger ethnographic study among the Khwe of South Africa. Semi-structured exploratory interviews with community members revealed that “thinking a lot” refers to a common experience of reflecting on personal and interpersonal problems. Consequences were described in emotional, psychological, social, behavioral, and physical effects. Coping strategies included social support, distraction, and religious practices. Our contextualized approach revealed meanings and experiences of “thinking a lot” that go beyond a psychological state or psychopathology. The common experience of “thinking a lot” is situated in socio-political, economic, and social context that reflect the marginalized and displaced position of the Khwe. We argue that “thinking a lot” and associated local meanings may vary across settings, may not necessarily indicate psychopathology, and should be understood in individual, interpersonal, community, and socio-political dimensions.