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Bone tissue engineered scaffolds are designed to mimic the natural environment for regeneration when typical healing is inhibited. Autografts are the current gold standard for treatment but are limited by available bone and supplementary surgical sites that broaden complications and comorbidities. Cryogels are an ideal scaffold in bone regeneration due to their mechanical integrity and marcoporous structure that elicits angiogenesis and subsequently new bone tissue formation. To aid in bioactivity and osteoinductivity, manuka honey (MH) and bone char (BC) were added to gelatin and chitosan cryogels (CG). Manuka honey has powerful antimicrobial properties to aid against graft infection, and bone char is composed of 90% hydroxyapatite, a well‐studied bioactive material. These additives are natural, abundant, easy to use, and cost effective. CG cryogels incorporated with either BC or MH, and plain CG cryogels were implanted into rat calvarial fracture models for cortical bone regeneration analysis. We found indication of bioactivity with both bone char and manuka honey through the presence of woven bone structure in histology stains and micro computed tomography (microCT) data. Overall, plain CG cryogels supported greater bone regeneration capabilities than the BC or MH incorporated cryogels due to a lack of advanced organized tissue formation and collagen deposition after 8 weeks of implantation; however, future work should explore varying additive concentrations and delivery methods to further assess additive potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Las teorías de redes neurales y de lógica difusa se utilizan ampliamente para el reconocimiento de patrones. En particular se utilizan para el reconocimiento de formas tales como los dígitos numéricos. Se propone un esquema mixto que utiliza una red neural y la teoría de la lógica difusa. La red neural de retropropagación establece un primer reconocimiento de los dígitos y posteriormente un programa que utiliza lógica difusa se encarga de evaluar los resultados de la red neural. Se presenta además un proceso de construcción incremental, que se puede utilizar para construir programas de reconocimiento de patrones más complejos.

Biomarker discovery for early disease diagnosis is highly important. Of late, much effort has been made to analyze complex biological fluids in an effort to develop new markers specific for different cancer types. Recent advancements in label-free technologies such as surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based biosensors have shown promise as a diagnostic tool since there is no need for labeling or separation of cells. Furthermore, SPR can provide rapid, real-time detection of antigens from biological samples since SPR is highly sensitive to changes in surface-associated molecular and cellular interactions. Herein, we report a lab-on-a-chip microarray biosensor that utilizes grating-coupled surface plasmon resonance (GCSPR) and grating-coupled surface plasmon coupled fluorescence (GCSPCF) imaging to detect circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from a mouse model (FVB-MMTV-PyVT). GCSPR and GCSPCF analysis was accomplished by spotting antibodies to surface cell markers, cytokines and stress proteins on a nanofabricated GCSPR microchip and screening blood samples from FVB control mice or FVB-MMTV-PyVT mice with developing mammary carcinomas. A transgenic MMTV-PyVT mouse derived cancer cell line was also analyzed. The analyses indicated that CD24, CD44, CD326, CD133 and CD49b were expressed in both cell lines and in blood from MMTV-PyVT mice. Furthermore, cytokines such as IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α, along with heat shock proteins HSP60, HSP27, HSc70(HSP73), HSP90 total, HSP70/HSc70, HSP90, HSP70, HSP90 alpha, phosphotyrosine and HSF-1 were overexpressed in MMTV-PyVT mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Different designs of functional knee braces for ACL-injury rehabilitation exist. In addition to the mechanical stabilization provided by rigid shell braces, sleeve braces also address proprioceptive mechanisms, but little is known if this leads to benefits for ACL-deficient subjects. Therefore the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of 2 different functional brace designs (shell and sleeve brace) on functional achievements in ACL-deficient patients. 28 subjects with ACL-ruptured knees performed tests for knee joint laxity, joint position sense, static and dynamic balance and isometric and dynamic lower limb extension strength in non-braced, sleeve braced and shell braced condition. The results showed a significant decrease in knee joint laxity for sleeve (33 %; p < 0.001) and rigid shell bracing (14 %, p = 0.039). The sleeve brace revealed a significant increase in dynamic balance after perturbation (20 %; p = 0.024) and a significant increase in dynamic lower limb peak rate of force development (17 %; p = 0.015) compared to the non-braced condition. The effects might be caused by the flexible area of support and the incorporated mechanisms to address proprioceptive aspects. Braces might not be needed in simple daily life tasks, but could provide beneficial support in more dynamic settings when patients return to sporting activities after an ACL-injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process of electrospinning has proven to be highly beneficial for use in a number of tissue-engineering applications due to its ease of use, flexibility and tailorable properties. There have been many publications on the creation of aligned fibrous structures created through various forms of electrospinning, most involving the use of a metal target rotating at high speeds. This work focuses on the use of a variation known as airgap electrospinning, which does not use a metal collecting target but rather a pair of grounded electrodes equidistant from the charged polymer solution to create highly aligned 3D structures. This study involved a preliminary investigation and comparison of traditionally and airgap electrospun silk-fibroin-based ligament constructs. Structures were characterized with SEM and alignment FFT, and underwent porosity, permeability, and mechanical anisotropy evaluation. Preliminary cell culture with human dermal fibroblasts was performed to determine the degree of cellular orientation and penetration. Results showed airgap electrospun structures to be anisotropic with significantly increased porosity and cellular penetration compared to their traditionally electrospun counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to provide education to the RN regarding pressure ulcer prevention and best practice interventions. This investigation focuses on the definition of a pressure ulcer, risk factors for pressure ulcers, and the benefits and importance of using unlicensed assistive personnel to help prevent pressure ulcers. A comprehensive literature review was completed using the Texas Woman's University Library, the Texas Christian University Library, and the World Wide Web. The search engine used was Google. The databases included were CINAHL, Academic Search Complete, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, and ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health Source. The literature was current, defined as from the last 10 years, and the primary language searched was English. Full-text articles from these databases were included as well as print publications from the university collections. The key search terms from the literature review included (a) pressure ulcer, (b) prevention, (c) unlicensed assistive personnel, (d) nursing assistant, (e) theory of nursing knowledge, (f) incidence, (g) prevalence, (h) Braden scale, (i) moisture, and (j) repositioning. Best practice guidelines were reviewed via the Joanna Briggs database, National Guideline Clearinghouse, Cochrane Library, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and the National Institutes of Health. Literature was synthesized to define evidence-based practices that would justify the use of unlicensed assistive personnel for the prevention and care of pressure ulcers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to design a means to educate the registered nurse or nurse practitioner on epidemiology, signs and symptoms, risk factors, screening tools, management, and complications that can occur with delayed diagnosis of postpartum depression. A decision tree was also developed to help the registered nurse or nurse practitioner understand the best clinical practice guidelines regarding the best screening tool to use, when the tool should be used, and management of patients identified with postpartum depression. RESULTS: Best practice guidelines were developed from the literature review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Updates for nurses on evidence-based best practice related to breast cancer in men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For maximum outcomes, a home health nurse with strong clinical skills and sound judgment can be a great benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

If the thought of a teaching mannequin calls to mind an image of a 'dummy' with rubbery body parts, think again. Nursing students are now practicing on lifelike mannequins that can speak and respond to pharmacological interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Initiatives to increase the visibility and public awareness of nurse anesthetists have been an ongoing effort of the profession for years. In 2001, the Nurse Anesthesia Program at the University of Pittsburgh designed and implemented a large-scale initiative to target school-aged children. The purpose of the program was to educate the school-aged child about nurse anesthesia and the operating room. It was presented at elementary and middle schools and consisted of a classroom presentation, a mock operating room simulation, and hands-on activities. The program was viewed as a success by all those involved. Teachers were impressed with the school-aged students' interest and level of focus during the events. Many teachers reported that prior to the program they did not know that the nurse anesthesia profession existed. More than 1,000 children and teachers participated in the programs in a 2.5-year period. The ability to have an impact on the school-aged children during their formative years, in addition to educating the teachers about the nurse anesthesia profession, proved to be a dual reward in presenting the program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]