The dynamic evolution of materials with medical applications, particularly for drug delivery and wound dressing applications, gives impetus to design new proposed materials, among which, hydrogels represent a promising, powerful tool. In this context, multifunctional hydrogels have been obtained from chemically modified chitosan and acrylic polymers as cross-linkers, followed by subsequent conjugation with arginine. The hydrogels were finely tuned considering the variation of the synthetic monomer and the preparation conditions. The advantage of using both natural and synthetic polymers allowed porous networks with superabsorbent behavior, associated with a non-Fickian swelling mechanism. The in vitro release profiles for ibuprofen and the corresponding kinetics were studied, and the results revealed a swelling-controlled release. The biodegradability studies in the presence of lysozyme, along with the hemostatic evaluation and the induced fibroblast and stem cell proliferation, have shown that the prepared hydrogels exhibit characteristics that make them suitable for local drug delivery and wound dressing.

Surface tension parameters and surface morphology of biopolyurethanes based on cellulose derivatives thin films, before and after HF cold plasma treatment has been investigated. Calculations are based on the geometric mean approach of Owens and Wendt, Rabel and Kälble, on the Lifshitz-van der Waals acid/base approach of van Oss and co-workers and on the theoretical methods involving quantitative structure-property relationship. For all the investigated samples the polar component contributes significantly to the total surface tensions, as due to the large electron donor interactions. HF cold plasma treatment modifies the surface energy of biopolyurethanes by changing their surface polarity and hydrophilicity. The hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance was studied by means of the free energy of hydration between the biomaterial film and water. The protein adsorption tests of fibrinogen were effected to evaluate the applicability of these biopolyurethanes as biomedical thromboresistant devices.

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Toxaemia is a pathological condition specific to the period of pregnancy which begins and is indissolubly related to the presence of placenta. Antiangiogenic factors, such as sFLT-1 (soluble tyrosine kinase receptor fms-like) and sEng (soluble endoglin) play an important role in the first part of pregnancy. They are linked to physiological vascular neoformation, and, in the second part of the pregnancy, grant the endothelial functionality and physiological vascular remodeling. The aim of the study is to try to establish the levels of the sFLT-1/PIGF ratio, as a prognostic tool in the patient with pre-eclampsia, depending on the influence of the cumulative risk factors. The sFLT-1 / PIGF report is a potential prognostic parameter in monitoring preeclampsia. The results of our study confirm the importance of deterring these markers for the diagnosis and monitoring of hypertensive pregnancies and at the same time to emphasize that the sFLT-1/PIGF ratio is a good predictor of preeclampsia Keywords: pregnancy, antiangiogenic factors, toxaemiaToxaemia is a pathological condition specific to the period of pregnancy which begins and is indissolubly related to the presence of placenta. The diseases is a multisystemic disorder, implying an increased incidence of morbidity and mortality for both the mother and the foetus[1].This condition starts even in the absence of the foetus (as is the case of the mola hydatiforme) and the symptoms usually dissapear at the time of delivery of the placenta. Toxaemia is a condition that begins at the placenta and ends in the maternal endothelium, being characterized by generalized endothelial dysfunction and affecting all susceptible vascular vessels from kidneys, central nervous system, liver to placenta [2][3][4].Antiangiogenic factors, such as sFLT-1 (soluble tyrosine kinase receptor fms-like) and sEng (soluble endoglin) play an important role in the first part of pregnancy. They are linked to physiological vascular neoformation, and, in the second part of the pregnancy, grant the endothelial functionality and physiological vascular remodeling. Soluble FLT-1 is a circulating anti-angiogenic protein that binds to the receptor of the PIGF and VEGF, thus preventing interaction with endothelial receptors, causing endothelial dysfunction. Endoglin is a surface co-receptor protein of TGF (transformig growth factor) β1 and β3 [5].The sEng factor is its soluble form, a novel anti-angiogenic factor that acts in synergy with sFLT-1. In normal pregnancy, a proangiogenic status appears, with low levels of sFLT-1 and increased levels of PIGF, by the end of the second trimester. Towards the end of the pregnancy these levels return to normal. In pregnant women with toxaemia, angiogenic profile abnormalities appear, with early changes in the prevalence of anti-angiogenic status leading to endothelial dysfunction. Thus PIGF and VEGF levels are lower than normal, and sFLT-1 and sEng levels are increased. sFLT-1 released from the placental circulation in large quantities will destroy the homeostasis of t...

Background: The present study aimed to investigate the association of obesity phenotypes and quality of life (QoL) scales and their relationship with fat mass (FM) parameters. Methods: This study categorized 104 subjects into 4 obesity phenotypes based on BMI and metabolic syndrome status: metabolically healthy obese (MHO), metabolically unhealthy obese (MUO), metabolically healthy non-obese (MHNO), and metabolically unhealthy non-obese (MUNO). Body composition was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and metabolic profile was characterized by blood samples. All subjects completed the SF-36 item Short Form Health Survey Questionnaire. Results: Comparing the four obesity phenotypes, significant results were reported for Bodily Pain between MHNO/MUNO (p = 0.034), for Vitality between MHO/MUO (p = 0.024), and for Mental Component Score between MHO/MUO (p = 0.026) and MUO/MUNO (p = 0.003). A more thorough inside-groups analysis yielded a positive and moderate to high correlation between FM parameters and QoL scales in MHO and MHNO, while a negative and weak to moderate correlation was observed in MUO and MUNO. Conclusion: This study reported an inverse U-shaped relationship between FM and QoL in obesity phenotypes, suggesting that metabolic status is a key factor involved in modulating QoL and therefore challenging the idea of obesity as a main driver of low QoL. We recommend the inclusion of FM percentage in the definition of obesity phenotypes in future research, to better evaluate QoL of obesity phenotypes.