Wound‐healing evaluation of entrapped active agents into protein microspheres over cellulosic gauzes

The use of active ingredients in wound management have evolved alongside the pharmaceutical agents and dressings used to deliver them. However, the development of gauzes, dressings with specific properties, still remains a challenge for several medical applications. A new methodology for the controlled release of active components for the healing of burn wounds is proposed herein. Cotton and non‐woven bandages have been cationised to promote the attachment of protein microspheres. The active agents, piroxicam and vegetable oil, were entrapped into the microspheres using ultrasound energy. Active agents were released from the microspheres by a change in pH. Wound healing was assessed through the use of standardised burn wounds induced by a cautery in human full‐thickness skin equivalents (EpidermFT). The best re‐epithelialisation and fastest wound closure was observed in wounds treated with proteinaceous microspheres attached to gauzes, after six days of healing, in comparison with commercial collagen dressing and other controls. Furthermore, the ability of these materials to reduce the inflammation process, together with healing improvement, makes these biomaterials suitable for wound‐dressing applications.     

How to reject Benatar's asymmetry argument

In this article I reconsider David Benatar's primary argument for anti‐natalism—the asymmetry argument—and outline a three‐step process for rejecting it. I begin in Part 2 by reconstructing the asymmetry argument into three main premises. I then turn in Parts 3–5 to explain how each of these premises is in fact false. Finally, I conclude in Part 6 by considering the relationship between the asymmetry argument and the quality of life argument in Benatar's overall case for anti‐natalism and argue that it is the latter argument that is actually doing the work. In this sense, the asymmetry argument is not only unsuccessful in generating Benatar's anti‐natalist conclusion, it is also unnecessary as well.     

Organelle specific simultaneous Raman/green fluorescence protein microspectroscopy for living cell physicochemical studies

We demonstrate a novel bio‐spectroscopic technique, “simultaneous Raman/GFP microspectroscopy”. It enables organelle specific Raman microspectroscopy of living cells. Fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, whose mitochondria are green fluorescence protein (GFP) labeled, is used as a test model system. Raman excitation laser and GFP excitation light irradiate the sample yeast cells simultaneously. GFP signal is monitored in the anti‐Stokes region where interference from Raman scattering is negligibly small. Of note, 13 568 Raman spectra measured from different points of 19 living yeast cells are categorized according to their GFP fluorescence intensities, with the use of a two‐component multivariate curve resolution with alternate least squares (MCR‐ALS) analysis in the anti‐Stokes region. This categorization allows us to know whether or not Raman spectra are taken from mitochondria. Raman spectra specific to mitochondria are obtained by an MCR‐ALS analysis in the Stokes region of 1389 strongly GFP positive spectra. Two mitochondria specific Raman spectra have been obtained. The first one is dominated by protein Raman bands and the second by lipid Raman bands, being consistent with the known molecular composition of mitochondria. In addition, the second spectrum shows a strong band of ergosterol at 1602 cm^?1, previously reported as “Raman spectroscopic signature of life of yeast.”