A definition of bioinks and their distinction from biomaterial inks.

Biofabrication aims to fabricate biologically functional products through bioprinting or bioassembly (Groll et al 2016 Biofabrication 8 013001). In biofabrication processes, cells are positioned at defined coordinates in three-dimensional space using automated and computer controlled techniques (Moroni et al 2018 Trends Biotechnol. 36 384-402), usually with the aid of biomaterials that are either (i) directly processed with the cells as suspensions/dispersions, (ii) deposited simultaneously in a separate printing process, or (iii) used as a transient support material. Materials that are suited for biofabrication are often referred to as bioinks and have become an important area of research within the field. In view of this special issue on bioinks, we aim herein to briefly summarize the historic evolution of this term within the field of biofabrication. Furthermore, we propose a simple but general definition of bioinks, and clarify its distinction from biomaterial inks.

Evaluation of 3D printed PCL/PLGA/ß-TCP versus collagen membranes for guided bone regeneration in a beagle implant model.

Here, we compared 3D-printed polycaprolactone/poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)/ß-tricalcium phosphate (PCL/PLGA/ß-TCP) membranes with the widely used collagen membranes for guided bone regeneration (GBR) in beagle implant models. For mechanical property comparison in dry and wet conditions and cytocompatibility determination, we analyzed the rate and pattern of cell proliferation of seeded fibroblasts and preosteoblasts using the cell counting kit-8 assay and scanning electron microscopy. Osteogenic differentiation was verified using alizarin red S staining. At 8 weeks following implantation in vivo using beagle dogs, computed tomography and histological analyses were performed after sacrifice. Cell proliferation rates in vitro indicated that early cell attachment was higher in collagen than in PCL/PLGA/ß-TCP membranes; however, the difference subsided by day 7. Similar outcomes were found for osteogenic differentiation, with approximately 2.5 times greater staining in collagen than PCL/PLGA/ß-TCP, but without significant difference by day 14. In vivo, bone regeneration in the defect area, represented by new bone formation and bone-to-implant contact, paralleled those associated with collagen membranes. However, tensile testing revealed that whereas the PCL/PLGA/ß-TCP membrane mechanical properties were conserved in both wet and dry states, the tensile property of collagen was reduced by 99% under wet conditions. Our results demonstrate in vitro and in vivo that PCL/PLGA/ß-TCP membranes have similar levels of biocompatibility and bone regeneration as collagen membranes. In particular, considering that GBR is always applied to a wet environment (e.g. blood, saliva), we demonstrated that PCL/PLGA/ß-TCP membranes maintained their form more reliably than collagen membranes in a wet setting, confirming their appropriateness as a GBR membrane.

An outcome study of Missouri's CSTAR alcohol and drug abuse programs.

The Comprehensive Substance Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation (CSTAR) program is described, and a study of its services is presented. The CSTAR program is a community program with wrap-around services and intensive case management. Eleven domains typically affected by substance abuse were measured, plus satisfaction with treatment services. A retrospective study of 280 clients at 10 facilities was done, and results analyzed separately by General Programs. Women with Children programs, and Adolescent programs. A small sample of clients who were early in their treatment was re-interviewed 90 days later. Data were also examined according to length of stay in the program. Results were consistently positive, and increased with length of time in the program.

Reliability and validity of the interview and self-report versions of the BASIS-32.

The psychometric properties of the interview and self-report versions of the BASIS-32 were compared. A total of 120 severely mentally ill adults enrolled in psychosocial rehabilitation were randomly assigned to either a self-report or an interview condition. The BASIS-32 had good internal consistency and test-retest reliability on most subscales; coefficients were higher in the self-report condition. Only the interview version of the psychosis subscale had unacceptable internal consistency. Validity correlations were generally good for the symptom subscales but disappointing for the functional domains. The subscale scores did not discriminate between diagnostic subgroups.

Predicting length of stay in an acute psychiatric hospital.

OBJECTIVE: Multivariate statistical methods were used to identify patient-related variables that predicted length of stay in a single psychiatric facility. The study investigated whether these variables remained stable over time and could be used to provide individual physicians with data on length of stay adjusted for differences in clinical caseloads and to detect trends in the physicians' practice patterns. METHODS: Data on all patients discharged over two six-month periods were collected at an acute psychiatric inpatient facility. Stepwise multiple regression analyses were conducted on the two datasets. RESULTS: The results from both analyses revealed that five variables significantly predicted length of stay and were stable over time. They were a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia, the number of previous admissions, a primary diagnosis of a mood disorder, age, and a secondary diagnosis of an alcohol- or other drug-related disorder. For some physicians, the mean length of stay of their patients differed significantly from the length predicted by the regression model--generally, it was shorter. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate that patient-related predictors of length of stay in a single psychiatric hospital can be identified using relatively simple statistical procedures and can be consistent across a large dataset and over time.

Predicting length of stay by patients hospitalized for alcoholism of drug dependence.

Involuntary admission, admission while intoxicated, hostility and denial of problems were associated with early dropout from an alcoholism treatment program, as were unemployment, younger age and having a spouse or someone else to live with.

A comparison of suicide and undetermined deaths in psychiatric patients.

Those people who had previously been patients of the Department of Mental Health of Missouri who died in the three year period 1972 through 1974 and whose deaths were designated as suicide or "undetermined whether purposely or accidentally inflicted," were identified by matching statewide death tapes against the DMH data base. The demographic characteristics of the two groups are compared to ascertain if the members of the undetermined group are essentially similar to the suicides, as has frequently been hypothesized. It is found that, in general, the similarities are in areas which would not have had a direct influence on the medical examiner/coroner's verdict, whereas, the differences do highlight areas which could cause an indecisive verdict. The significance of the undetermined deaths is discussed.

Surface ultrastructure of the tegument of Clonorchis sinensis newly excysted juveniles and adult worms.

The tegumental structures of newly excysted juveniles and adult worms of Clonorchis sinensis were studied using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. After excystation the juvenile's tegumental surface is characterized by knoblike protuberances and is armed almost entirely with numerous rows of small spines encircling the body. These spines are double- or triple-pointed on the anterior portion of the body and become single-pointed posteriorly. Four types of presumed sensory structures were observed as follow: A) ciliated knoblike papillae and B) nonciliated platelike papillae, both of which are arranged in rougly a bilaterally symmetrical pattern dorsally, ventrally, and laterally; C) rounded swellings of nonciliated papillae on the lips of the ventral and oral suckers, which are characterized in the transmission electron microscope by a rounded dense body in the apical bulb; and D) a sensory receptor with a bulbous projection having the appearance of a modified cilium, which was not found with SEM likely owing to its being enclosed by an extension of the tegument. In full-grown adult worms, the tegumental surface is knobbed or lobulated in various forms without surface spines. The tegumental structures in the adults appear to be clearly differentiated from those in the juveniles. Upraised, buttonlike papillae, each topped by a short cilium, which are similar to the Type A papillae in the juveniles, are distributed thickly around the oral and ventral suckers, and are rather randomly scattered over the remainder of the body. Some nonciliated swollen papillae were found on the lip of the ventral sucker.

Protective effects of Orostachys japonicus A. Berger (Crassulaceae) on H2O2-induced apoptosis in GT1-1 mouse hypothalamic neuronal cell line.

Oxidative stress is a major cause of neurodegenerative diseases, so the protection of neuronal cells from reactive oxygen species can be beneficial for the prevention and treatment of these diseases. Methanol extract of Orostachys japonicus A. Berger (Crassulaceae), a traditional oriental medical herb, was shown to have a protective effect on H2O2-induced apoptosis in GT1-1 mouse hypothalamic neuronal cell line which was detected by flow cytometry after propidium iodide staining. Among fractions of O. japonicus, chloroform fraction had the highest protective effect, and water fraction had no protective effect suggesting that the active ingredients might be hydrophobic compounds.

Symptomatology of depression in black and white patients.

This study compares the symptoms of public mental health patients diagnosed as having a depressive disorder, and then relates its findings to the previous literature concerning black-white differences in mental illness. Results of this study corroborate previous observations that a somewhat smaller proportion of black admissions than white admissions are diagnosed with a depressive disorder and that a higher proportion of black admissions are diagnosed with a schizophrenic disorder. Some black-white differences in depressive symptoms were corroborated-notably, slightly higher percentages of hostility, dangerousness, and somatic complaints in blacks-and these appeared to be independent of socio-economic status.

Missouri's statewide outcomes study: lessons and surprises from the public sector.

Demand is increasing for statewide outcomes initiatives and greater focus on studies of treatment effects for publicly funded patients. Such initiatives pose enormous challenges in management--to involve key stakeholders, to protect confidentiality, and to comply with methodological standards. The state of Missouri is taking a leadership role in this direction.

The Missouri Inpatient Behavior Scale.

The Missouri Inpatient Behavior Scale (MIBS) is described, and data are presented from the Missouri automated mental health information system (N = 12,106). The factor structure for MIBS was replicated and shown to be robust. Data on intrascale consistency and interscale correlations are presented, as well as a validity study that showed MIBS to be sensitive to changes on acute-receiving services and a comparison of MIBS and NOSIE-30 scores.

A psychiatric hospital 100 years ago: I. A comparative study of treatment outcomes then and now.

OBJECTIVE: The authors' goal was to compare distribution of diagnoses, length of stay, and readmission rates for every 16th patient admitted to the St. Louis County Insane Asylum (now St. Louis State Hospital) between 1886 and 1904 with those for every 16th patient admitted to the hospital between 1978 and 1980. METHODS: A sample of 369 cases was drawn from the archival admission records, and 380 cases were selected from recent admissions. Descriptive data from the archival records were used to make DSM-III diagnoses. Data on length of stay and number of readmissions were collected from case records. RESULTS: The historical sample had fewer cases of major mental illness, longer mean lengths of stay, and fewer mean readmissions than the modern sample. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in the clinical characteristics of the two samples may be explained by differences between the two periods in treatment philosophies, admitting policies, and presence of alternative resources for accommodating long-term chronic patients.

Patients of a public state mental health system who commit suicide.

Twelve per cent of suicides in Missouri during a 3-year period were identified as having been patients of the state mental health care system by computer matching of death certificate tapes and a statewide case registry file. The percentage of Missouri suicides who had been patients varied markedly among age groups. Compared to nonpatient suicides, the patient suicides had a more equal male/female ratio and were younger. Diagnostically, schizophrenia, alcoholism (among males), and affective disorder (among females) were prominent. Nonwhites had a low incidence of suicide. The significance of the patient status at the time of death is discussed.