This paper focuses on the significant properties of hydrogels prepared with polymeric biomaterials: solely biopolymers (gelatin (G) and sodium alginate (SA) as base polymer) or in combination with synthetic and bio polymers (polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC)) for biomedical application. Four kinds of hydrogels: G/SA, G/SA/SB (without and with seabuckthron oil (SB)) and...

BACKGROUND/AIMS Povidone-iodine (PVP -I) is applied for microbial decontamination of human eyes donated for transplantation. Concentrations and immersion times vary greatly. The effectiveness and toxicity of PVP-I were assessed for different decontamination protocols. METHODS Human donor eyes and corneas were immersed in different concentrations (5-100 mg/ml) of PVP-I for different times (2-3...

BACKGROUND Accurate assessment of volume status is essential in diagnosis and guidance of decongestive therapy in patients with acute heart failure. We sought to compare peripheral venous pressure (PVP) with central venous pressure (CVP), as well as other invasive hemodynamic measurements, in patients hospitalized with an acute heart failure syndrome. METHODS AND RESULTS PVP-HF (Peripheral Ve...

Capsule depolymerase enzymes offer a promising class of new antibiotics. In vivo studies are encouraging but it is unclear how well this type of phage product will generalize in therapeutics, or whether different depolymerases against the same capsule function similarly. Here, in vivo efficacy was tested using cloned bacteriophage depolymerases against Escherichia coli strains with three differ...

Biphenyl Dimethyl Dicarboxylate (DDB) and Silymarin are widely used drugs for the treatment of hepatitis C virus, have poor bioavailability due to their low aqueous solubility that limits their dissolution rates. To overcome these limitations solid dispersions (SDs) and self-microemulsifing drug delivery systems (SMEDDS) were prepared in an attempt to improve their release profile. SDs were pre...

OBJECTIVES This study aims to evaluate the size-dependent toxicity of spherical silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) to an endemic benthic organism, Glyptotendipes tokunagai. METHODS Ag nanoparticles of three nominal sizes (50, 100, and 150 nm) capped with polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP-Ag NPs) were used. Their physicochemical properties, acute toxicity (48 hours), and bioaccumulation were measured usin...

Interpolymer complex formation of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) with carboxyvinyl polymer (CP) was examined by turbidity measurement, a binding isotherm study and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The interpolymer complex of PVP with CP was found to be formed in the unit molecular ratio of 1: 1 under ideal conditions, though the ratio of PVP in the solid complex was lower than 1: 1 under pr...

Pregnant cattle were either vaccinated subcutaneously with (i) a suspension of purified Escherichia coli K99 pili, (ii) a Formalin-killed whole cell bacterin containing enterotoxigenic E. coli strain B44 (O9:K30;K99:H-), or (iii) a bacterin containing six different strains of bovine enterotoxigenic E. coli (multiple-strain bacterin), or were left as nonvaccinated controls. After birth, calves w...

BACKGROUND Percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) and percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) could give rise to excellent outcomes and significant improvements in pain, analgesic requirements, function, cost, and incidence of serious complications for thoracolumbar osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (VCFs). But some studies showed the recurrent fracture of a previously operated vertebra or adjacen...

PURPOSE To compare photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP) using the 120W GreenLight™ laser with transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) in terms of their cost to the Greek National Health Service (NHS) or to the Public Insurance Sickness Funds (PISF). PATIENTS AND METHODS A prospective cost evaluation with 1-year follow-up of 60 patients with infravesical obstruction of beni...