Assessing the quality of media reporting of suicide news in India against World Health Organization guidelines: A content analysis study of nine major newspapers in Tamil Nadu.

OBJECTIVES: Suicide rates in India are among the highest in the world, resulting in an estimated 250,000 suicide deaths annually. How the media communicates with the Indian public on the topic of suicide has thus far gone without sufficient scrutiny. The objective of our study was to assess the quality of newspaper reporting of suicide-related news in India against World Health Organization suicide reporting guidelines. METHODS: We used content analysis to assess the quality of suicide reporting against World Health Organization guidelines in nine of the most highly read daily newspapers in the southern state of Tamil Nadu between June and December 2016. Five of the nine newspapers under review were in the top 20 most circulated daily newspapers in the country. RESULTS: A total of 1681 suicide articles were retrieved. The mean number of suicide articles per day per newspaper was 0.9%, and 54.5% of articles were 10 sentences or less. The vast majority (95.9%) of articles primarily focused on reporting specific suicide incidents. Harmful reporting practices were very common (e.g. a detailed suicide method was reported in 43.3% of articles), while helpful reporting practices were rare (e.g. just 2.5% gave contact details for a suicide support service). CONCLUSIONS: We observed that a daily diet of short and explicit suicide-related news was served up to readers of newspapers. Attempts should be made to understand the perspectives of media professionals in relation to suicide reporting, and to devise strategies to boost the positive contribution that media can make to suicide prevention.

Modular amphiphilic poly(aryl ether)-based supramolecular nanomicelles: an efficient endocytic drug carrier.

A rationally designed amphiphilic poly(aryl ether)-based dendrimer self-assembles into nanomicelles and exhibits tunable morphology upon varying the hydrophilic chain length. The 30 nm-sized dendrimer nanomicelles successfully entrapped Doxorubicin, demonstrated the sustained release of Doxorubicin and can successfully penetrate cancer cells through caveolae-dependent endocytosis, compared to the free drug.

Role of hydrophobicity in tuning the intracellular uptake of dendron-based fluorophores for in vitro metal ion sensing.

Fluorophores are used for sensing biologically relevant ions, toxic metals or pathogenic markers. However, the mode of entry of such fluorophores into the cell greatly depends on their size, shape, surface charge, functional groups, and hydrophobicity. In particular, the influence of hydrophobicity on the intracellular uptake of fluorophores is poorly investigated. Self-assembly is a recent strategy to tune the intracellular uptake of fluorophores, facilitating increased intracellular sensing and fluorescence. Herein, self-assembly of three novel poly(aryl ether) dendron derivatives that contain rhodamine units was used to investigate the effect of hydrophobicity on the intracellular uptake of self-assembled fluorophores. The results suggest that monomer hydrophobicity plays an important role in the uptake. The dendron-based fluorophores, which upon self-assembly, formed stable spherical aggregates ranging from 300 to 500 nm. The rhodamine-based dendrons could selectively sense Hg2+ ions in the presence of other competing metal cations. Intracellular imaging of the dendron-based fluorophores displayed bright red fluorescence in human embryonic kidney cells. The rate of intracellular uptake of the three dendron-based fluorophores was analyzed by flow cytometry. The results establish the importance of the hydrophilic-lipophilic balance of the self-assembled amphiphiles for tuning the intracellular uptake.

Immobilization of hyaluronic acid from Lactococcus lactis on polyethylene terephthalate for improved biocompatibility and drug release.

Hyaluronic acid from metabolically engineered Lactococcus lactis (HAL) was characterized for its biocompatibility and immobilized on the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) surface. HAL was chemically crosslinked on hydrolyzed PET (hPET) surface to form HAL-coated PET (hPET-HAL). The unmodified and modified PET were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), contact angle measurement, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), universal testing machine (UTM) and assessed for their biocompatibility. FT-IR confirmed the successful immobilization of HAL on the hPET surface. HAL coating significantly improved the haemocompatibility compared to hPET and unmodified PET. Endothelial cell attachment was significantly improved on hPET-HAL and hPET surfaces compared to the unmodified PET. Model drugs (aspirin and methylene blue) were loaded into the HAL matrix, and showed complete release at around 18 h. These results confirm that covalent attachment of HAL matrix on PET surfaces is a promising strategy for developing drug-eluting implants with enhanced haemocompatibility and endothelialization.

Mechanistic Study on the Antibacterial Activity of Self-Assembled Poly(aryl ether)-Based Amphiphilic Dendrimers.

The increased threat of bacterial resistance against conventional antibiotics has warranted the need for development of membrane targeting antibacterial agents. Several self-assembled cationic amphiphiles with different supramolecular structures have been reported in recent years for potent antibacterial activity with increased specificity. In this study, we describe the self-assembly and antibacterial activity of four lower generation poly(aryl ether)-based amphiphilic dendrimers (AD-1, AD-2, AD-3, and AD-4) containing terminal amine (PAMAM-based), ester, and hydrazide functional groups with varied hydrophobicity. Among the four dendrimers under study, the amine-terminated dendrimer (AD-1) displayed potent antibacterial activity. The ratio of surface cationic charge to hydrophobicity had a significant effect on the antibacterial activity, where AD-3 dendrimer with increased surface cationic charges exhibited a higher minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) than AD-1. AD-2 (ester terminated) and AD-4 (hydrazide terminated) dendrimers did not show any bactericidal activity. The amphiphilic dendrimer-bacteria interactions, further validated by binding studies, also showed significant changes in bacterial morphology, effective membrane permeation, and depolarization by AD-1 in comparison with AD-3. Molecular dynamics simulations of AD-1 and AD-3 on bacterial membrane patches further corroborated the experimental findings. The structural conformation of AD-1 dendrimer facilitated increased membrane interaction compared to AD-3 dendrimer. AD-1 also displayed selectivity to bacterial membranes over fibroblast cells (4× MIC), corroborating the significance of an optimal hydrophobicity for potent antibacterial activity with no cytotoxicity. The self-assembled (poly(aryl ether)-PAMAM-based) dendrimer (AD-1) also exhibited potent antibacterial activity in comparison with conventional higher generation dendrimers, establishing the implication of self-assembly for bactericidal activity. Moreover, the detailed mechanistic study reveals that optimal tuning of the hydrophobicity of amphiphilic dendrimers plays a crucial role in membrane disruption of bacteria. We believe that this study will provide valuable insights into the design strategies of amphiphilic dendrimers as antibacterial agents for efficient membrane disruption.

Development of reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-isabgol nanocomposite dressings for enhanced vascularization and accelerated wound healing in normal and diabetic rats.

Treatment of chronic non-healing wounds in diabetes is still a major clinical challenge. Here, we have developed reduced graphene oxide (rGO) loaded isabgol nanocomposite scaffolds (Isab + rGO) to treat normal and diabetic wounds. rGO was synthesized by rapid reduction of graphene oxide (GO) under focused solar radiation. Then, rGO was uniformly dispersed into isabgol solution to prepare Isab + rGO nanocomposite scaffolds. These scaffolds were characterized using various physiochemical techniques. Isab + rGO nanocomposite scaffolds showed suitable cell viability, proliferation, and attachment. In vivo experiments were performed using Wistar rats to study the wound healing efficacy of these scaffolds in normal and diabetic rats. Results revealed that rGO stimulated collagen synthesis, collagen crosslinking, wound contraction, and reduced the wound re-epithelialization time significantly compared to control. Histology and immunohistochemistry analyses showed that Isab + rGO scaffold treatment enhanced angiogenesis, collagen synthesis, and deposition in treated wounds. Isab + rGO scaffold treatment also played a major role in shortening the inflammation phase and recruiting macrophages to enhance the early phase of wound healing. Overall, this investigation showed that Isab + rGO scaffold dressing could significantly accelerate the healing of normal and diabetic wounds.

Morin incorporated polysaccharide-protein (psyllium-keratin) hydrogel scaffolds accelerate diabetic wound healing in Wistar rats.

Chronic wounds cost several billion dollars of public healthcare spending annually and continue to be a persistent threat globally. Several treatment methods have been explored, and all of them involve covering up the wound with therapeutic dressings that reduce inflammation and accelerate the healing process. In this present study, morin (MOR) was loaded onto hydrogel scaffolds prepared from psyllium seed husk polysaccharide (PSH), and human hair keratins (KER) crosslinked with sodium trimetaphosphate. ATR-FTIR confirmed the presence of the constituent chemical ingredients. SEM images of the scaffold surface reveal a highly porous architecture, with about 80% porosity measured by liquid displacement measurement, irrespective of the morin concentration. Swelling assays carried out on the scaffolds portray an ability to absorb up to seven times their dry weight of fluids. This makes them attractive for guiding moist wound healing on medium exuding wounds. An Alamar blue assay of NIH/3T3 fibroblast cells shows that cell viability decreases in the first 24 h but recovers to 85% in comparison to a control after 48 h. SEM images of fibroblast cells grown on the scaffolds confirm cellular attachment. An in vivo diabetic wound healing study showed that PSH + KER + MOR scaffold treatment significantly reduced the re-epithelialization time (p < 0.01) and enhanced the rate of wound contraction (p < 0.001), by accelerating collagen synthesis in diabetic rats compared to controls.

An investigation of konjac glucomannan-keratin hydrogel scaffold loaded with Avena sativa extracts for diabetic wound healing.

We have developed a novel hydrogel composed of konjac glucomannan (KGM), human hair proteins (KER), and an ethanolic extract of Avena sativa (OAT) and evaluated its potential as a dressing material for diabetic wounds. KGM is an excellent biocompatible gelling agent that stimulates fibroblast proliferation and immunomodulation. Human hair proteins (KER) are biocompatible, biodegradable, and possess abundant cell adhesion sites. KER also promotes fibroblast attachment and proliferation, keratinocyte migration, and collagen expression, which can accelerate wound healing. OAT consists of oat ß-glucans and several anti-inflammatory and antioxidant moieties that can reduce prolonged inflammation in chronic wounds. SEM images confirm the highly porous architecture of the scaffolds. When immersed in PBS, KGM+KER+OAT hydrogels absorb 7.5 times their dry weight. These hydrogels display a measured rate of degradation in lysozyme. KGM+KER+OAT hydrogels showed no significant cytotoxicity against NIH/3T3 fibroblasts. DAPI and SEM images obtained after 48h of cell culture illustrate the attachment and infiltration of fibroblasts. In vivo studies performed using a diabetic rat excision wound model showed that KGM+KER+OAT hydrogels significantly accelerated wound healing compared to the control and the KGM+KER hydrogels.

Biomimetic hydrogel loaded with silk and l-proline for tissue engineering and wound healing applications.

The aim of this article was to develop silk protein (SF) and l-proline (LP) loaded chitosan-(CS) based hydrogels via physical cross linking for tissue engineering and wound healing applications. Silk fibroin, a biodegradable and biocompatible protein, and l-proline, an important imino acid that is required for collagen synthesis, were added to chitosan to improve the wound healing properties of the hydrogel. Characterization of these hydrogels revealed that CS/SF/LP hydrogels were blended properly and LP incorporated hydrogels showed excellent thermal stability and good surface morphology. Swelling study showed the water holding efficiency of the hydrogels to provide enough moisture at the wound surface. In vitro biodegradation results demonstrated that the hydrogels had good degradation rate in PBS with lysozyme. LP loaded hydrogels showed approximately a twofold increase in antioxidant activity. In vitro cytocompatibility studies using NIH 3T3 L1 cells showed increased cell viability (p < 0.01), migration, proliferation and wound healing activity (p < 0.001) in LP loaded hydrogels compared to CS and CS/SF hydrogels. Cell adhesion on SF and LP hydrogels were observed using SEM and compared to CS hydrogel. LP incorporation showed 74-78% of wound closure compared to 35% for CS/SF and 3% for CS hydrogels at 48 h. These results suggest that incorporation of LP can significantly accelerate wound healing process compared to pure CS and SF-loaded CS hydrogels. Hence, CS/LP hydrogels could be a potential wound dressing material for the enhanced wound tissue regeneration and repair. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 105B: 1401-1408, 2017.

Accelerated Healing of Diabetic Wounds Treated with L-Glutamic acid Loaded Hydrogels Through Enhanced Collagen Deposition and Angiogenesis: An In Vivo Study.

We have developed L-glutamic acid (LG) loaded chitosan (CS) hydrogels to treat diabetic wounds. Although literature reports wound healing effects of poly(glutamic acid)-based materials, there are no studies on the potential of L-glutamic acid in treating diabetic wounds. As LG is a direct precursor for proline synthesis, which is crucial for collagen synthesis, we have prepared CS + LG hydrogels to accelerate diabetic wound healing. Physiochemical properties of the CS + LG hydrogels showed good swelling, thermal stability, smooth surface morphology, and controlled biodegradation. The addition of LG to CS hydrogels did not alter their biocompatibility significantly. CS + LG hydrogel treatment showed rapid wound contraction compared to control and chitosan hydrogel. Period of epithelialization is significantly reduced in CS + LG hydrogel treated wounds (16 days) compared to CS hydrogel (20 days), and control (26 days). Collagen synthesis and crosslinking are also significantly improved in CS + LG hydrogel treated diabetic rats. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry results revealed that the CS + LG hydrogel dressing accelerated vascularization and macrophage recruitment to enhance diabetic wound healing. These results demonstrate that incorporation of LG can improve collagen deposition, and vascularization, and aid in faster tissue regeneration. Therefore, CS + LG hydrogels could be an effective wound dressing used to treat diabetic wounds.