Search results for "tips"
showing 10 items of 280 documents
Blend scaffolds with polyaspartamide/polyester structure fabricated via TIPS and their RGDC functionalization to promote osteoblast adhesion and prol…
2019
Target of this work was to prepare a RGDC functionalized hybrid biomaterial via TIPS technique to achieve a more efficient control of osteoblast adhesion and diffusion on the three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds. Starting from a crystalline poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) and an amorphous alpha,beta-poly(N-2-hydroxyethyl) (2-aminoethylcarbamate)-d,l-aspartamide-graft-polylactic acid (PHEA-EDA-g-PLA) copolymer, blend scaffolds were characterized by an appropriate porosity and pore interconnection. The PHEA-EDA-PLA interpenetration with PLLA improved hydrolytic susceptibility of hybrid scaffolds. The presence of free amino groups on scaffolds allowed to tether the cyclic RGD peptide (RGDC) via Michael…
Polymeric scaffolds prepared via thermally induced phase separation: Tuning of structure and morphology
2008
Scaffolds suitable for tissue engineering applications like dermal reconstruction were prepared by Thermally Induced Phase Separation (TIPS) starting from a ternary solution PLLA/dioxane/water. The experimental protocol consisted of three consecutive steps, a first quench from the homogeneous solution to an appropriate demixing temperature (within the metastable region), a holding stage for a given residence time, and a final quench from the demixing temperature to a low temperature (within the unstable region). A large variety of morphologies, in terms of average pore size and interconnection, were obtained upon modifying the demixing time and temperature, owing to the interplay of nucleat…
Role of serotonin in central dopamine dysfunction
2010
The interaction between serotonin (5-HT) and dopamine (DA)-containing neurons in the brain is a research topic that has raised the interest of many scientists working in the field of neuroscience since the first demonstration of the presence of monoamine-containing neurons in the mid 1960. The bulk of neuroanatomical data available clearly indicate that DA-containing neurons in the brain receive a prominent innervation from serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) originating in the raphe nuclei of the brainstem. Compelling electrophysiological and neurochemical data show that 5-HT can exert complex effects on the activity of midbrain DA neurons mediated by its various receptor subtypes. The m…
Alzheimer: A Decade of Drug Design. Why Molecular Topology can be an Extra Edge?
2017
Background The last decade was characterized by a growing awareness about the severity of dementia in the field of age-related and no age-related diseases and about the importance to invest resources in the research of new, effective treatments. Among the dementias, Alzheimer's plays a substantial role because of its extremely high incidence and fatality. Several pharmacological strategies have been tried but still now, Alzheimer keeps being an untreatable disease. In literature, the number of QSAR related drug design attempts about new treatments for Alzheimer is huge, but only few results can be considered noteworthy. Providing a detailed analysis of the actual situation and reporting the…
Literārie prototipi: Mārtiņš A. Upīša romānu ciklā “Robežnieki”
2022
Andreja Upīša romānu cikls “Robežnieki” ir dzimtas stāsta tradīcijā veidots lieldarbs ar kultūrvēsturisku nozīmi. Pētījumā iekļauti četri cikla romāni: “Jauni avoti” (1909), “Zīda tīklā” (1912), “Ziemeļa vējš” (1921) un “Vecas ēnas” (1934). Kā viens no galvenajiem un spilgtākajiem tēliem romānos atainots Mārtiņš Robežnieks, kura literārais prototips ir Mārtiņš Upītis – rakstnieka brālis un maģistra darba autores vecvectēvs. Darba mērķis ir izpētīt Mārtiņa Upīša biogrāfijas faktus un salīdzināt tos ar Mārtiņa Robežnieka attēlojumu romānu ciklā “Robežnieki”. Papildu Mārtiņa Upīša dzīvesgājuma izpētei lūkots apzināt ciklā iekļauto darbu rašanās individuālos apstākļus un kritikas atsauksmes, kā…
Substance use, medication adherence and outcome one year following a first episode of psychosis
2016
Both substance use and poor medication adherence are associated with poor outcome in psychosis. To clarify the contributions of substance use and poor medication adherence to poor outcome in the year following a first episode of psychosis, 205 patients were evaluated for use of tobacco, alcohol, cannabis and stimulants at their psychosis onset, and in a 1-year follow-up. Data on medication adherence and symptom remission were also collected. Patients had high rates of overall substance use before (37-65%) and after psychosis onset (45-66%). 44% showed poor medication adherence and 55% did not reach remission from psychosis. Nicotine dependence and cannabis use after psychosis onset signific…
The usefulness of Olanzapine plasma concentrations in monitoring treatment efficacy and metabolic disturbances in first-episode psychosis
2021
Introduction: The role of Olanzapine therapeutic drug monitoring is controversial. The present study explores the associations of Olanzapine plasma concentrations with clinical response and metabolic side effects in first episode psychosis (FEP) after 2 months of treatment. Methods: Forty-seven patients were included. Improvement in clinical symptomatology was assessed using the PANSS. Metabolic assessment included weight, blood pressure, waist circumference, blood glucose, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, and triglycerides. Results: The Olanzapine plasma concentrations after 2 months of treatment were positively correlated with weight gain (r = 0.49, p …
Course of weight gain and metabolic abnormalities in first treated episode of psychosis: the first year is a critical period for development of cardi…
2014
Data on the long-term metabolic side-effects associated with antipsychotics are scarce. Prospective longitudinal studies in medication-naive patients with a first episode of psychosis are a valuable source of information as they provide an assessment prior to the antipsychotic exposure and minimize the effect of potential confounding factors. The aim of this study was to assess the course of weight gain and the incidence of metabolic abnormalities during the first 3 yr of antipsychotic treatment. Data were collected from a cohort of 170 first-episode psychosis patients. They were randomly assigned to haloperidol (32%); olanzapine (32%) and risperidone (36%). The dose used was flexible. The …
Heart rate variability during sleep in patients with schizophrenia treated with olanzapine.
2004
Cardiac adverse events in patients treated with atypical antipsychotics have gained increasing interest in recent years. In the present study, heart rate variability (HRV), which is a sensitive parameter reflecting central autonomic cardiac control, was investigated during treatment with olanzapine. Ten physically healthy male patients with schizophrenia, who displayed predominantly negative symptoms, were studied in the sleep laboratory under drug-free baseline conditions and after 4 weeks of olanzapine medication. HRV was assessed during different sleep stages both in the time and frequency domains. Only slight changes in HRV were shown during treatment, and appeared to be independent of …
Effects of atypical antipsychotics on neurocognition in euthymic bipolar patients.
2011
Abstract Background Different factors may influence cognitive functioning in bipolar disorder such as the effect of subsyndromal symptoms, the history of psychotic symptomatology or substance abuse, negative symptomatology, chronicity, sleep disturbances, and hormonal factors. The effect of pharmacologic treatment on cognition is still uncertain because of an insufficient number of studies examining this issue. Objective The aims of this study were to compare neuropsychologic performance of treated bipolar patients with that of controls, including unmedicated patients and healthy subjects, as well as to evaluate possible neurocognitive differences among 3 different atypical antipsychotics. …