A high-throughput method for quantifying Drosophila fecundity.

Measurements of Drosophila fecundity are used in a wide variety of studies, such as investigations of stem cell biology, nutrition, behavior, and toxicology. In addition, because fecundity assays are performed on live flies, they are suitable for longitudinal studies such as investigations of aging or prolonged chemical exposure. However, standard Drosophila fecundity assays have been difficult to perform in a high-throughput manner because experimental factors such as the physiological state of the flies and environmental cues must be carefully controlled to achieve consistent results. In addition, exposing flies to a large number of different experimental conditions (such as chemical additives in the diet) and manually counting the number of eggs laid to determine the impact on fecundity is time-consuming. We have overcome these challenges by combining a new multiwell fly culture strategy with a novel 3D-printed fly transfer device to rapidly and accurately transfer flies from one plate to another; the RoboCam, a low-cost, custom built robotic camera to capture images of the wells automatically; and an image segmentation pipeline to automatically identify and quantify eggs. We show that this method is compatible with robust and consistent egg laying throughout the assay period; and demonstrate that the automated pipeline for quantifying fecundity is very accurate (r2 = 0.98 for the correlation between the automated egg counts and the ground truth) In addition, we show that this method can be used to efficiently detect the effects on fecundity induced by dietary exposure to chemicals. Taken together, this strategy substantially increases the efficiency and reproducibility of high throughput egg laying assays that require exposing flies to multiple different media conditions.

Consumption of Apigenin Prevents Radiation-induced Gut Dysbiosis in Male C57BL/6J Mice Exposed to Silicon Ions.

The search for medical treatments to prevent radiation-induced damage to gastrointestinal tissue is crucial as such injuries can be fatal. This study aimed to investigate the effects of apigenin (AP) on the gut microbiome of irradiated mice, as it is a promising radiation countermeasure. Male C57BL/6J mice were divided into four groups, with six mice in each group. Two groups were given food with apigenin (20 mg/kg body weight or AP 20) before and after exposure to 0 or 50 cGy of silicon (28Si) ions, while another two groups of mice received regular diet without apigenin (0 mg/kg body weight or AP 0) before and after irradiation. The duodenum, the primary site for oral AP absorption, was collected from each mouse seven days after radiation exposure. Using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, we found significant differences in microbial diversity among groups. Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were the major phyla for all groups, while actinobacterial and proteobacterial sequences represented only a small percentage. Mice not given dietary apigenin had a higher Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes (F/B) ratio and an imbalanced duodenal microbiota after exposure to radiation, while irradiated mice given apigenin had maintained homeostasis of the microbiota. Additionally, irradiated mice not given apigenin had decreased probiotic bacteria abundance and increased inflammation, while apigenin-supplemented mice had reduced inflammation and restored normal histological structure. In conclusion, our results demonstrate the potential of dietary apigenin as a countermeasure against radiation-induced gut injuries due to its anti-inflammatory activity, reduction of gut microbiota dysbiosis, and increase in probiotic bacteria (e.g., Lachnospiraceae, Muribaculaceae and Bifidobacteriaceae).

Efficacy of a Novel Pleiotropic MMP-Inhibitor, CMC2.24, in a Long-Term Diabetes Rat Model with Severe Hyperglycemia-Induced Oral Bone Loss.

Purpose: CMC2.24, a novel 4-(phenylaminocarbonyl)-chemically-modified-curcumin, is a pleiotropic MMP-Inhibitor of various inflammatory/collagenolytic diseases including periodontitis. This compound has demonstrated efficacy in host modulation therapy along with improved resolution of inflammation in various study models. The objective of current study is to determine the efficacy of CMC2.24 in reducing the severity of diabetes, and its long-term role as an MMP-inhibitor, in a rat model. Methods: Twenty-one adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly distributed into three groups: Normal (N), Diabetic (D) and Diabetic+CMC2.24 (D+2.24). All three groups were orally administered vehicle: carboxymethylcellulose alone (N, D), or CMC2.24 (D+2.24; 30mg/kg/day). Blood was collected at 2-months and 4-months' time-point. At completion, gingival tissue and peritoneal washes were collected/analyzed, and jaws examined for alveolar bone loss by micro-CT. Additionally, sodium hypochlorite(NaClO)-activation of human-recombinant (rh) MMP-9 and its inhibition by treatment with 10µM CMC2.24, Doxycycline, and Curcumin were evaluated. Results: CMC2.24 significantly reduced the levels of lower-molecular-weight active-MMP-9 in plasma. Similar trend of reduced active-MMP-9 was also observed in cell-free peritoneal and pooled gingival extracts. Thus, treatment substantially decreased conversion of pro- to actively destructive proteinase. Normalization of the pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-1ß, resolvin-RvD1), and diabetes-induced osteoporosis was observed in presence of CMCM2.24. CMC2.24 also exhibited significant anti-oxidant activity by inhibiting the activation of MMP-9 to a lower-molecular-weight (82kDa) pathologically active form. All these systemic and local effects were observed in the absence of reduction in severity of hyperglycemia. Conclusion: CMC2.24 reduced activation of pathologic active-MMP-9, normalized diabetic osteoporosis, and promoted resolution of inflammation but had no effect on the hyperglycemia in diabetic rats. This study also highlights the role of MMP-9 as an early/sensitive biomarker in the absence of change in any other biochemical parameter. CMC2.24 also inhibited significant activation of pro-MMP-9 by NaOCl (oxidant) adding to known mechanisms by which this compound treats collagenolytic/inflammatory diseases including periodontitis.

Countermeasure efficacy of apigenin for silicon-ion-induced early damage in blood and bone marrow of exposed C57BL/6J mice.

We investigated the countermeasure efficacy of apigenin (AP), given as a diet supplement, for radiation-induced damage in the hematopoietic tissues collected on day 7 after a total-body exposure of male C57BL/6J mice to 0 or 0.5 Gy of 260 MeV/n silicon (28Si) ions. We gave food with AP at the concentration of 20 mg/kg body weight (bw) (AP20) or without AP (AP0) to mice before and after irradiation. There were four groups of mice (six mice in each): Group 1- Control, i.e. No Radiation (0 Gy) with AP0; Group 2 - Radiation (0.5 Gy) with AP0; Group 3 - No Radiation (0 Gy) with AP20; and Group 4 - Radiation (0.5 Gy) with AP20. The complete blood count (CBC) and differential blood count were performed for each mouse. In the same mouse, an anti-clastogenic activity of AP was evaluated using the in vivo blood-erythrocyte micronucleus (MN) assay. Further in each mouse, bone marrow (BM) cells were collected and used for measuring the levels of activated nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), and pro-inflammatory cytokines (i.e. tumor necrotic factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1α (IL-1α), IL-1 beta (IL-1ß), and IL-6). We used the colony-forming unit assay (CFU-A) as a tool to study the countermeasure efficacy of AP against the harmful effects of 28Si ions on the proliferation of the hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs). Our results showed that AP is highly effective not only in the prevention of leukopenia and thrombocytopenia but also in the enhancement of erythropoiesis and the proliferation of HSPCs. We also observed the potent anti-clastogenic activity of AP given to mice as a diet supplement. Further, we found that AP is very effective in the suppression of activated NF-κB and pro-inflammatory cytokines, suggesting that AP given as a diet supplement protects mice from 28Si-ion-induced damage in the hematopoietic tissues of irradiated male C57BL/6J mice via its anti-inflammation activity.

The secret life of baby turtles: A novel system to predict hatchling emergence, detect infertile nests, and remotely monitor sea turtle nest events.

Current understanding of sea turtle nesting, hatching, and emergence events has been largely limited to observable events on the surface of the sand, though recent approaches using audio or visual equipment have allowed scientists to better understand some underground nest phenomena. We used a technology-based approach to define motion-related Caretta caretta hatching and emergence nest events. We describe a novel low-cost, accelerometer-based system called TurtleSense that can detect movement and temperature within sea turtle nests remotely. TurtleSense is successfully able to specifically detect motion within sea turtle nests over the entire course of incubation. This system allows for the identification of infertile nests and the detection of four predictable sequential developmental activity patterns in viable nests, including a hatch and posthatch period, the timing of which can be used to tightly predict hatchling emergence events almost to the day. TurtleSense provides a much better understanding about what is happening in the nest before emergence and allows for the generation of a theory of the mechanism that triggers mass emergence. Our results suggest that motion plays a large role in hatchling communication and that the timing of emergence events may be related to the cessation of movement within the nest. Current management of sea turtle nesting events is primarily driven by counting the number of days since the nest was laid, with further safeguards placed at the nest upon subsequent visual observation of depression or emergence events. Use of TurtleSense technology can impact nest management and conservation efforts, allowing organizations to use this motion data to more tightly predict emergence dates for sea turtle hatchlings and to use viability data to inform nest management decisions.

Motivation to train during a pandemic: The role of fitness resources, mental health, and motivational profiles among student-athletes in team sports.

The sporting season across post-secondary institutions was canceled in March 2020 due to COVID-19, and student-athletes had to maintain their training at home. It is unclear what personal and contextual factors facilitated student-athletes' ability to maintain their training routines at home when social distancing and lockdown (SD/L) policies were put in place. Our cross-sectional study of 433 student-athletes examined (a) how athletes adapted their training, (b) what training barriers they experienced, (c) whether motivational profiles were associated with differences in training behaviors and mental health, and (d) what variables predicted athletes' motivation to train during this prolonged offseason. Student-athletes across Canada were recruited to complete an online survey between August and September 2020. Results showed that athletes significantly reduced their training load and intensity, with approximately 25% exercising two or fewer days a week. Barriers to training included limited access to fitness resources and equipment, having inconsistent training schedules, and experiencing emotional distractions, with some of these barriers more common among female athletes than male athletes. For motivation profiles, athletes with higher levels of intrinsic motivation tended to maintain the intensity of their workouts and experienced lower mood disturbance. A hierarchical multiple regression revealed that being male, being younger, having higher levels of intrinsic and introjected motivation, having access to fitness resources, maintaining a steady training schedule, having fewer emotional distractions, and lower mood disturbance were significant predictors to being motivated to train during the pandemic. We discuss strategies coaches and trainers can implement to best support their student-athletes.

The Maximum-Tolerated Dose and Pharmacokinetics of a Novel Chemically Modified Curcumin in Rats.

PURPOSE: CMC 2.24, a chemically modified curcumin, was developed as a novel, pleiotropic MMP-inhibitor to treat various inflammatory/collagenolytic diseases including periodontitis. To date, this compound has shown efficacy in vitro, in cell culture, and in vivo (oral administration) in mice, rats and dogs. In preparation for possible Phase I human clinical trials, the current study describes the maximum-tolerated-dose (MTD), pharmacokinetics (PK), and toxicology of CMC 2.24 in the rat model. METHODS: For the MTD study, 30 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly distributed into 5 groups (3M/3F per group): Placebo (vehicle; carboxymethylcellulose) and CMC 2.24 at various doses (50, 100, 500, 1000 mg/kg/day), were administered once daily by oral gavage for 5 days. For the PK study, 24 rats were administered either Placebo or CMC 2.24 (100mg/kg/day) once daily for 28 days or only once (500 or 1000 mg/kg). Analysis of this test compound was done using LC/MS/MS for PK evaluation on blood samples drawn from rats at multiple time points. The animals were sacrificed after 5 or 28 days of treatment, and blood chemistry and serology were analyzed. Major organs (heart, lung, liver, kidney, spleen, intestine, brain) were histologically examined at necropsy. RESULTS: Orally administered, CMC 2.24 did not produce significant changes in body weight, food consumption or adverse events in the MTD and toxicology studies. Moreover, no obvious pathologic changes were observed based on histology, hematology, serum biochemistry, or necropsy compared to placebo-treated controls. The PK study demonstrated a peak-blood concentration (Cmax) at 45 mins after oral administration of 2.24 and a serum half-life of 10 hours. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, CMC 2.24, orally administered to rats once a day, appears to be safe and effective at a wide range of doses, consistent with efficacy previously demonstrated in studies on animal models of various collagenolytic diseases, such as periodontitis, diabetes and cancer.

Annotation-free learning of plankton for classification and anomaly detection.

The acquisition of increasingly large plankton digital image datasets requires automatic methods of recognition and classification. As data size and collection speed increases, manual annotation and database representation are often bottlenecks for utilization of machine learning algorithms for taxonomic classification of plankton species in field studies. In this paper we present a novel set of algorithms to perform accurate detection and classification of plankton species with minimal supervision. Our algorithms approach the performance of existing supervised machine learning algorithms when tested on a plankton dataset generated from a custom-built lensless digital device. Similar results are obtained on a larger image dataset obtained from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Additionally, we introduce a new algorithm to perform anomaly detection on unclassified samples. Here an anomaly is defined as a significant deviation from the established classification. Our algorithms are designed to provide a new way to monitor the environment with a class of rapid online intelligent detectors.

Chemically-Modified Curcumin 2.24: A Novel Systemic Therapy for Natural Periodontitis in Dogs.

PURPOSE: To determine the effect of a pleiotropic MMP-inhibitor, a novel chemically-modified curcumin 2.24 (CMC2.24), on the clinical and biological measures of naturally-occurring periodontitis in the beagle dog. METHODS: Eight adult female dogs with generalized periodontitis were distributed into two groups: Placebo and Treatment (n=4/group). After a 1-hr full-mouth scaling and root planing (SRP) at time 0, placebo or CMC2.24 (10mg/kg) capsules were orally administered once/day for 3 months. Various clinical periodontal parameters (e.g., pocket depth, gingival index) were measured at different time periods (0, 1, 2 and 3 months), and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) samples and gingival tissue biopsies (3-month) were analyzed for cytokines, MMPs and cell-signaling molecules. Standardized radiographs were taken at 0 and 3-month; in addition, peripheral blood monocytes/macrophages from these dogs at 3-month were cultured and analyzed for the pro-, activated-, and total-forms of both MMP-2 and MMP-9. RESULTS: CMC2.24 treatment significantly reduced gingival inflammation (gingival index, GCF flow), pocket depth (PD), and the numbers of pockets (PD≥4mm), compared to placebo. CMC2.24 also significantly reduced MMP-9 and MMP-2 (primarily in the activated-form) in gingival tissue, alveolar bone loss, and reduced GCF IL-1ß. Cell-signaling molecules, TLR-2 (but not TLR-4) and p38 MAPK, responded to CMC2.24 in a pattern consistent with reductions in inflammation and collagenolysis. In culture, CMC2.24 had no effect on pro-MMP-9 but essentially completely blocked the conversion of pro- to activated-MMP-9 in systemic blood-derived monocytes/macrophages from these dogs. CONCLUSION: In the beagle dog model of natural periodontitis, orally administered CMC2.24 (a novel triketonic phenylaminocarbonyl-curcumin) significantly decreased clinical measures of periodontitis as well as pro-inflammatory cytokines, MMPs, and cell-signaling molecules. These and previous studies, using other in vitro and in vivo models, support the clinical potential of CMC2.24 as a novel adjunct to SRP in the treatment of chronic periodontitis.

Immunoglobulin G from single plasma donor in immune globulin intravenous causes false positive pyrogen test.

A sudden, unprecedented failure of USP rabbit pyrogen tests for multiple 10% IGIV-C lots prompted a thorough investigation of the root cause for this phenomenon. All microbe-related testing, including Limulus amebocyte lysate test for endotoxin, proved negative, and no deficiencies were discovered in manufacturing. Plasma pool composition analysis revealed that a single plasma donor ("Donor X″) was common to all pyrogenic IGIV-C lots and that as little as one unit of "Donor X″ plasma (in a pool of ∼4500 units) was sufficient to cause IGIV-C lot failure in the USP rabbit pyrogen test. Whole plasma and Protein A-purified IgG from "Donor X″ caused a temperature increase in rabbits; however, all IgG samples tested pyrogen-negative in two in vitro cell-based pyrogen tests. Flow cytometry showed that "Donor X″ IgG bound strongly to rabbit white blood cells (WBC) but minimally to human WBC. Exclusion of "Donor X″ plasma from manufacturing marked the end of IGIV-C lots registering positive in the USP rabbit pyrogen test. This failure of multiple 10% IGIV-C lots to pass the USP rabbit pyrogen test was demonstrated to be due to the highly unusual anti-rabbit-leukocyte specificity of IgG from a single donor.

Rux largely restores lungs in Iraq PM-exposed mice, Up-regulating regulatory T-cells (Tregs).

Background Military personnel post-deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan have noted new-onset respiratory illness. This study's primary objective was to further develop an animal model of Iraq Afghanistan War Lung Injury (IAW-LI) and to test a novel class of anti-injury drug called RuX. Methods Particulate Matter (PM) samples were obtained in Iraq then characterized by spectromicroscopy. C57BL/6 mice underwent orotracheal instillation with PM, followed by drinkable treatment with RuX. Lung histology, inspiratory capacity (FlexiVent), thymic/splenic regulatory T cell (Treg) number, and whole-lung genomics were analyzed. Results Tracheal instillation of Iraq PM led to lung septate thickening and lymphocytic inflammation. PM-exposed mice had suppression of thymic/splenic regulatory T-cells (Tregs). Drinking RuX after PM exposure attenuated the histologic lung injury response, improved lung inspiratory capacity, and increased Tregs. Pooled whole lung genomics suggest differences among gene expression of IL-15 among control, PM, and PM + RuX groups. Conclusions RuX, a ruthenium and alpha-lipoic acid complex, attenuates lung injury by improving histology and inspiratory capacity via upregulation of Tregs in Iraq PM-exposed C57BL/6. Plausible genomic effects may involve IL-15 whole lung gene expression.

Evaluation of Quality of Life, Functioning, Disability, and Work/School Productivity Following Treatment with an Extended-Release Hydrocodone Tablet Formulated with Abuse-Deterrence Technology: A 12-month Open-label Study in Patients with Chronic Pain.

BACKGROUND: This phase 3 study evaluated quality of life, functioning, and productivity after treatment with extended-release (ER) hydrocodone formulated with CIMA® Abuse-Deterrence Technology platform. METHODS: Patients with chronic pain were rolled over from a 12-week placebo-controlled hydrocodone ER study or were newly enrolled. Hydrocodone ER doses were titrated (15 to 90 mg every 12 hours) to an analgesic dose, and patients received up to 52 weeks of open-label treatment. Assessments included Clinician Assessment of Patient Function (CAPF), Patient Assessment of Function (PAF), Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF), 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS), and World Health Organization Health and Work Performance Questionnaire-Short Form (HPQ-SF). RESULTS: Of 330 enrolled patients, 291 composed the full analysis population. By week 4, ≥ 50% of patients showed improvement from baseline in all 5 CAPF domains (general activities, walking, work/daily living, relationships, and enjoyment of life) and 6 of 7 PAF domains (work attendance, work performance, walking, exercise, socializing, and enjoying life). Mean decreases from baseline of 2 to 3 points were noted for BPI-SF pain interference questions from week 4 through endpoint. Mean improvements from baseline to endpoint in SF-36 subscales ranged from 3.3 to 22.3, and SDS scores improved from moderate (4.8 to 5.1) to mild (2.5 to 2.8) disruptions in work/school, social life, and family life. At endpoint, mean HPQ-SF absolute absenteeism scores decreased from 13.6 to 10.0 hours lost/month and absolute presenteeism scores improved from 67.0 to 77.1. CONCLUSIONS: Patients receiving hydrocodone ER showed early numeric improvements in functioning that continued throughout this 12-month study.

Estimating the Effect of Intravenous Acetaminophen for Postoperative Pain Management on Length of Stay and Inpatient Hospital Costs.

INTRODUCTION: The provision of safe, effective, cost-efficient perioperative inpatient acute pain management is an important concern among clinicians and administrators within healthcare institutions. Overreliance on opioid monotherapy in this setting continues to present health risks for patients and increase healthcare costs resulting from preventable adverse events. The goal of this study was to model length of stay (LOS), potential opioid-related complications, and costs for patients reducing opioid use and adding intravenous acetaminophen (IV APAP) for management of postoperative pain. METHODS: Data for this study were de-identified inpatient encounters from The Advisory Board Company across 297 hospitals from 2012-2014, containing 2,238,433 encounters (IV APAP used in 12.1%). Encounters for adults ≥18 years of age admitted for cardiovascular, colorectal, general, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics, or spine surgery were included. The effects of reducing opioids and adding IV APAP were estimated using hierarchical statistical models. Costs were estimated by multiplying modeled reductions in LOS or complication rates by observed average volumes for medium-sized facilities, and by average cost per day or per complication (LOS: US$2383/day; complications: derived from observed charges). RESULTS: Across all surgery types, LOS showed an average reduction of 18.5% (10.7-32.0%) for the modeled scenario of reducing opioids by one level (high to medium, medium to low, or low to none) and adding IV APAP, with an associated total LOS-related cost savings of $4.5 M. Modeled opioid-related complication rates showed similar improvements, averaging a reduction of 28.7% (5.4-44.0%) with associated cost savings of $0.2 M. In aggregate, costs decreased by an estimated $4.7 M for a medium-sized hospital. The study design demonstrates associations only and cannot establish causal relationships. The cost impact of LOS is modeled based on observed data. CONCLUSIONS: This investigation indicates that reducing opioid use and including IV APAP for postoperative pain management has the potential to decrease LOS, opioid-related complication rates, and costs from a hospital perspective. FUNDING: Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals.

Twelve-month, open-label assessment of long-term safety and abuse potential of hydrocodone extended-release formulated with abuse-deterrence technology in patients with chronic pain.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate long-term safety of hydrocodone extended-release (ER) formulated with CIMA(®) Abuse-Deterrence Technology platform. DESIGN: Phase 3, open-label study. SETTING: Sixty-one US study centers. PATIENTS: Patients with chronic pain newly enrolled or rolled over from a 12-week, placebo-controlled hydrocodone ER study; 330 patients enrolled, 329 patients received study drug, and 189 completed the study. INTERVENTION: After titrating to an analgesic dose (15-90 mg every 12 hours), patients received ≤ 52 weeks of open-label treatment. SAFETY: adverse events (AEs), vital signs, laboratory values, electrocardiograms, and audiometry. Abuse potential: drug loss and diversion, Screener and Opioid Assessment for Patients with Pain-Revised (SOAPP-R), Addiction Behaviors Checklist (ABC), Current Opioid Misuse Measure (COMM) questionnaires, and Patient Global Assessment (PGA) of pain control. RESULTS: Of 329 patients who received ≥ 1 hydrocodone ER dose, 284 (86 percent) reported ≥ 1 AE and 27 (8 percent) experienced ≥ 1 serious AE. Sixty-two (19 percent) patients withdrew because of AEs, and two AEs leading to death were reported. No serious AEs or AEs leading to death were considered treatment related by the investigator. There were no clinically meaningful trends in other safety assessments. SOAPP-R, ABC, and COMM scores demonstrated low risk of aberrant drug-related behavior. Good/excellent PGA responses were reported by 20 percent of patients at baseline and 75 percent at endpoint. The incidence of drug loss (11 percent) and diversion (2 percent) was low. CONCLUSIONS: Hydrocodone ER demonstrated acceptable safety when administered for ≤ 12 months in patients with chronic pain. Low occurrence of aberrant drugrelated behavior may support the abuse-deterrence properties of hydrocodone ER.

Development of a method for detecting trace metals in aqueous solutions based on the coordination chemistry of hexahydrotriazines.

The detection of trace amounts (<10 ppb) of heavy metals in aqueous solutions is described using 1,3,5-hexahydro-1,3,5-triazines (HTs) as chemical indicators and a low cost fluorimeter-based detection system. This method takes advantage of the inherent properties of HTs to coordinate strongly with metal ions in solution, a fundamental property that was studied using a combination of analytical tools (UV-Vis titrations, (1)H-NMR titrations and computational modeling). Based on these fundamental studies that show significant changes in the HT UV signature when a metal ion is present, HT compounds were used to prepare indicator strips that resulted in significant fluorescence changes when a metal was present. A portable and economical approach was adopted to test the concept of utilizing HTs to detect heavy metals using a fluorimeter system that consisted of a low-pressure mercury lamp, a photo-detector, a monolithic photodiode and an amplifier, which produces a voltage proportional to the magnitude of the visible fluorescence emission. Readings of the prepared HT test strips were evaluated by exposure to two different heavy metals at the safe threshold concentration described by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for Cr(3+) and Ag(2+) (100 µg L(-1) and 6.25, respectively). This method of detection could be used to the presence of either metal at these threshold concentrations.

Efficacy and safety of a hydrocodone extended-release tablet formulated with abuse-deterrence technology in patients with moderate-to-severe chronic low back pain.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate efficacy and safety of hydrocodone bitartrate extended release (ER) tablets developed with CIMA(®) Abuse-Deterrence Technology (ADT) versus placebo in alleviating moderate-to-severe pain in patients with chronic low back pain. DESIGN: Phase 3, randomized, double-blind study consisting of a screening period (7-14 days), open-label titration period (≤ 6 weeks), and double-blind treatment period (≤ 12 weeks). SETTING: Seventy-eight US centers. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Changes from baseline at week 12 in weekly average of daily worst pain intensity (WPI; primary efficacy measure), weekly average pain intensity (API; secondary efficacy measure), adverse events (AEs), and study drug loss and diversion. RESULTS: Patients (N = 625) who entered open-label dose titration and identified the analgesic hydrocodone ER dose (30-90 mg every 12 h) providing optimal pain relief with minimal AEs were randomized to hydrocodone ER (n = 191) or placebo (n = 180) for double-blind treatment at the identified dose; 297 patients completed the study. Least squares means [SE] changes from baseline were significantly greater (worsening pain; 11-point scale) with placebo than hydrocodone ER in weekly average of daily WPI (0.74 [0.15] vs 0.11 [0.14]; p < 0.001) and weekly API (0.55 [0.14] vs -0.03 [0.12]; p < 0.001). The most common AEs with hydrocodone ER were constipation (14 percent) and nausea (10 percent). Study drug loss (≤ 4 percent) and diversion (≤ 2 percent) rates were low. CONCLUSIONS: Hydrocodone ER formulated with ADT was significantly more effective than placebo in alleviating chronic low back pain and demonstrated a safety profile consistent with that of opioids, with a low occurrence of study drug loss and diversion.

Common questions about Barrett esophagus.

Barrett esophagus is a precancerous metaplasia of the esophagus that is more common in patients with chronic reflux symptoms, although it also occurs in patients without symptomatic reflux. Other risk factors include smoking, male sex, obesity, white race, hiatal hernia, and increasing age (particularly older than 50 years). Although Barrett esophagus is a risk factor for esophageal adenocarcinoma, its management and the need for screening or surveillance endoscopy are debatable. The annual incidence of progression to esophageal cancer is 0.12% to 0.33%; progression is more common in patients with high-grade dysplasia and long-segment Barrett esophagus. Screening endoscopy should be considered for patients with multiple risk factors, and those who have lesions with high-grade dysplasia should undergo endoscopic mucosal resection or other endoscopic procedures to remove the lesions. Although the cost-effectiveness is questionable, patients with nondysplastic Barrett esophagus can be followed with endoscopic surveillance. Lowgrade dysplasia should be monitored or eradicated via endoscopy. Although there is no evidence that medical or surgical therapies to reduce acid reflux prevent neoplastic progression, proton pump inhibitors can be used to help control reflux symptoms.

Production and purification of TAL6003: a novel version of the protease plasmin.

TAL6003 is an engineered form of human plasmin under development for thrombolytic therapy. TAL6003 (38.2kDa) contains nine disulfide bonds distributed within and between its two functional domains, a 25.2 kDa serine protease domain linked to a 13.0 kDa kringle I domain; kringles 2-5 present in native human plasmin have been deleted from this plasmin molecule. TAL6003 is expressed as its zymogen in Escherichia coli and is harvested in inclusion bodies. Following solubilization of inclusion bodies with urea as the chaotrope and glutathione as the reducing agent, this zymogen is refolded by dilution to a final concentration of 0.5mg/ml, with a yield of 48% (relative to total zymogen). Refolded TAL6003 zymogen is filtered, diafiltered, and filtered again prior to capture and purification on SP Sepharose, which is highly effective in removing host-cell protein. Subsequent affinity purification on ECH-Lysine Sepharose serves to capture polypeptide chains containing correctly refolded kringle 1 domain, which is the locus of the molecule's lysine-binding site, and to further eliminate host-cell protein. TAL6003 zymogen eluted from the ECH-Lysine Sepharose column is activated to TAL6003 with streptokinase, with an activity yield of approximately 80%. Proteolytically active TAL6003 is stripped of streptokinase by passage through an anion-exchange (Q) membrane and is then affinity purified on Benzamidine Sepharose, which serves to remove unreacted TAL6003 zymogen and proteolytically degraded TAL6003. An ultrafiltration/diafiltration step, to concentrate and to formulate TAL6003, completes the purification process. The final product exhibited a specific activity of close to unity and high purity by several relevant criteria.

Conference report: the 3rd Global CRO Council for Bioanalysis at the International Reid Bioanalytical Forum.

The 3rd Global CRO Council Closed Forum was held on the 3rd and 4th July 2011 in Guildford, United Kingdom, in conjunction with the 19th International Reid Bioanalytical Forum. In attendance were 21 senior-level representatives from 19 CROs on behalf of nine European countries and, for many of the attendees, this occasion was the first time that they had participated in a GCC meeting. Therefore, this closed forum was an opportunity to increase awareness of the aim of the GCC and how it works, share information about bioanalytical regulations and audit findings from different agencies, their policies and procedures and also to discuss some topics of interest and aim to develop ideas and provide recommendations for bioanalytical practices at future GCC meetings in Europe.