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“There is a growing interest

in using proteins as therapeutics agents. Unfortunately, they suffer from limited stability and bioavailability. We aimed to develop a new delivery system for proteins. ALP, a model protein, was successfully encapsulated in the physically cross-linked sodium alginate/hydroxypropylcellulose (ALG-HPC) hydrogel microparticles. The obtained objects had regular, spherical shape and a diameter of similar to 4 mu m, as confirmed by optical microscopy and SEM analysis. The properties of the obtained microbeads could be controlled by temperature and additional coating or crosslinking procedures. The slow, sustained release of ALP in its active form with no initial burst effect was observed for chitosan-coated microspheres at pH = 7.4 and 37 degrees C. Activity of ALP released from ALG/HPC microspheres was confirmed selleck chemical by the occurance of effectively induced mineralization. SEM and AFM images

revealed formation of the interpenetrated three-dimensional network of mineral, originating from the microbeads’ surfaces. FTIR and XRD analyses confirmed formation of hydroxyapatite.”
“In 5-Fluoracil chemical structure a cross sectional study, we examined the contribution of cognitive appraisals to the quality of life (QOL) in patients with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Thirty one patients with the DSMIV diagnosis of OCD and 30 normal volunteers from community click here completed the Interpretation of Intrusions Inventory-31 (III-31), the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief (WHOQOL-BREF) and the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). Patients scored higher than the normal controls on ‘inflated personal responsibility’, ‘thought control’, and ‘importance of thoughts’. Patients’

QOL were poorer than that of normal controls. Cognitive appraisals of ‘thought control’ (r=-0.56, p < 0.01), ‘importance of thoughts’ (r=-0.49, p < 0.01), and ‘inflated responsibility’ (r=-0.62, p < 0.01) correlated negatively with the psychological domain of QOL after controlling for the duration of illness and the severity of depressive, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Total QOL correlated negatively with ‘thought control’ and ‘inflated personal responsibility’. Our findings suggest that cognitive appraisals contribute significantly to the poor QOL in patients with OCD. Therefore, modification of beliefs and appraisals may be essential for better QOL in patients with OCD. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”
“Background: Internet-delivered cognitive behavioural treatment (iCBT) has been shown to be effective for the combined treatment of depression and anxiety in randomised controlled trials. The degree to which these findings generalise to patients in primary care awaits further investigation.