Isolation and Characterisation of Major and Minor Collagens from Hyaline Cartilage of Hoki (Macruronus novaezelandiae).

The composition and properties of collagen in teleost (bony fish) cartilage have never been studied. In this study, we aimed to identify and characterise all collagen species in the nasal cartilage of hoki (Macruronus novaezelandiae). Four native collagen species were extracted using two techniques, and isolated with differential salt precipitation. We were able to assign the identity of three of these collagen species on the basis of solubility, SDS-PAGE and amino acid analyses. We found that hoki cartilage contains the major collagen, type II, and the minor collagens, type IX and type XI, which are homologous to those found in mammal and chicken cartilage. Using these extraction protocols, we also isolated a full-length type IX collagen from cartilage for the first time. In addition, we detected a 90 kDa, highly glycosylated collagen that has not been identified in any other species. For each isolate, structural and biochemical characterisations were performed using circular dichroism and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses, and the thermal denaturation properties were determined. Our results showed that the properties of hoki cartilage-derived collagens are similar to those of collagens in mammalian cartilage, indicating that teleost cartilage could provide biological ingredients for the development of biomaterials to treat cartilage-related illnesses.

Guide to electrospinning denatured whole chain collagen from hoki fish using benign solvents.

Tissue engineering requires the design and manufacture of biomimetic scaffolds. Collagen-derived nanofibrous scaffolds have been intensively studied because collagen, in the form of fibrils, is one of the main components of the extra cellular matrix (ECM). Several collagen materials have been used in electrospinning studies including mammalian extracted Type I collagen and gelatin formulations. Denatured whole chain collagen (DWCC) can be prepared by heat denaturing acid-soluble collagen extracted from cold-water fish skin. This product provides a consistent source of collagen with a controlled molecular weight profile and intact alpha chains including telopeptides. In this work, we studied DWCC-water-acid systems in order to determine the effect of solution composition on nanofibre morphology. Whereas measurement of the classical physical properties of concentrated solutions failed to predict and only partially explained the electrospinning behavior of collagen derived polymers, hydrodynamic properties provided insight. All the samples are presented in ternary diagrams to map the electrospinnability of the systems. These "electrospinning maps" provide an informative resource to electrospinning collagen-derived product for biomedical or commercial applications and a practical alternative to complicated models developed for synthetic polymers.

Do people have insight into their face recognition abilities?

Diagnosis of developmental or congenital prosopagnosia (CP) involves self-report of everyday face recognition difficulties, which are corroborated with poor performance on behavioural tests. This approach requires accurate self-evaluation. We examine the extent to which typical adults have insight into their face recognition abilities across four experiments involving nearly 300 participants. The experiments used five tests of face recognition ability: two that tap into the ability to learn and recognize previously unfamiliar faces [the Cambridge Face Memory Test, CFMT; Duchaine, B., & Nakayama, K. (2006). The Cambridge Face Memory Test: Results for neurologically intact individuals and an investigation of its validity using inverted face stimuli and prosopagnosic participants. Neuropsychologia, 44(4), 576-585. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2005.07.001; and a newly devised test based on the CFMT but where the study phases involve watching short movies rather than viewing static faces-the CFMT-Films] and three that tap face matching [Benton Facial Recognition Test, BFRT; Benton, A., Sivan, A., Hamsher, K., Varney, N., & Spreen, O. (1983). Contribution to neuropsychological assessment. New York: Oxford University Press; and two recently devised sequential face matching tests]. Self-reported ability was measured with the 15-item Kennerknecht et al. questionnaire [Kennerknecht, I., Ho, N. Y., & Wong, V. C. (2008). Prevalence of hereditary prosopagnosia (HPA) in Hong Kong Chinese population. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A, 146A(22), 2863-2870. doi:10.1002/ajmg.a.32552]; two single-item questions assessing face recognition ability; and a new 77-item meta-cognition questionnaire. Overall, we find that adults with typical face recognition abilities have only modest insight into their ability to recognize faces on behavioural tests. In a fifth experiment, we assess self-reported face recognition ability in people with CP and find that some people who expect to perform poorly on behavioural tests of face recognition do indeed perform poorly. However, it is not yet clear whether individuals within this group of poor performers have greater levels of insight (i.e., into their degree of impairment) than those with more typical levels of performance.

An empirical analysis of primary and secondary pharmaceutical patents in Chile.

We analyze the patent filing strategies of foreign pharmaceutical companies in Chile distinguishing between "primary" (active ingredient) and "secondary" patents (patents on modified compounds, formulations, dosages, particular medical uses, etc.). There is prior evidence that secondary patents are used by pharmaceutical originator companies in the U.S. and Europe to extend patent protection on drugs in length and breadth. Using a novel dataset that comprises all drugs registered in Chile between 1991 and 2010 as well as the corresponding patents and trademarks, we find evidence that foreign originator companies pursue similar strategies in Chile. We find a primary to secondary patents ratio of 1:4 at the drug-level, which is comparable to the available evidence for Europe; most secondary patents are filed over several years following the original primary patent and after the protected active ingredient has obtained market approval in Chile. This points toward effective patent term extensions through secondary patents. Secondary patents dominate "older" therapeutic classes like anti-ulcer and anti-depressants. In contrast, newer areas like anti-virals and anti-neoplastics (anti-cancer) have a much larger share of primary patents.

High-throughput quantification of hydroxyproline for determination of collagen.

An accurate and high-throughput assay for collagen is essential for collagen research and development of collagen products. Hydroxyproline is routinely assayed to provide a measurement for collagen quantification. The time required for sample preparation using acid hydrolysis and neutralization prior to assay is what limits the current method for determining hydroxyproline. This work describes the conditions of alkali hydrolysis that, when combined with the colorimetric assay defined by Woessner, provide a high-throughput, accurate method for the measurement of hydroxyproline.

Patients' experiences and perspectives of living with CKD.

Explicit incorporation of patients' values and preferences is important in health care decision making. However, there are few data about this topic for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We conducted 9 focus groups (3 each for CKD stages 1 to 5, CKD stage 5D, and CKD stages 1 to 5T). Five major themes were identified: (1) personal meaning of CKD, (2) managing and monitoring health, (3) lifestyle consequences, (4) family impact, and (5) informal support structures. Patients had to adjust to the disruptive and permanent implications of the illness on their physical health, identity, emotions, family, lifestyle, relationships, and employment. The overwhelming fatigue, complex treatment regimens, side effects, and liquid and diet restrictions constrained patients' lives. Patients appreciated specialist care, but described the health care system as nonintegrated and believed they received insufficient information and psychosocial support. Choice of treatments was based on lifestyle, family impact, and physical comfort, seldom on clinical outcomes. Time was needed to comprehend the diagnosis, cope with uncertainty, integrate their treatment regimen into their daily routine, and reestablish a sense of normality in their lives. Rather than focusing on clinical targets, greater attention may need to be given to providing information and psychosocial and practical support at a patient-level not organ-specific level, to maximize patient quality of life.

Patients' priorities for health research: focus group study of patients with chronic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND: The inclusion of consumer preferences in prioritizing research topics is widely advocated, but prioritization is driven largely by professional agendas. METHODS: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) were purposively sampled from four kidney dialysis and transplant centres in Australia to participate in nine focus groups (three each for pre-dialysis, dialysis and transplant patients), which were conducted from July 2006 to September 2006. Each involved 6-8 participants. Transcripts were coded and thematically analysed to identify recurrent research topics and the participants' reasons for their choices. RESULTS: Participants suggested eight research priorities: prevention of kidney disease, better access to and improvement in kidney transplantation, reduction of symptoms of CKD and complications associated with treatment, new technological therapies, psychosocial aspects of living with CKD, whole body not organ-specialized care, and improvement in dialysis and caregiver support. Five major reasons for the selections were identified: normalization of life (developing therapies and regimens that fit into daily living), altruism (considering the welfare of others before personal needs), economic efficiency (channelling resources for maximum economic gain), personal needs (preferences based on feelings, values, personal needs) and clinical outcomes (improving health states and the physiological condition of patients with CKD). CONCLUSIONS: A patient-focused research agenda is possible to elicit for CKD, and by inference for other healthcare issues. Unlike researchers who focus on specific interventions and questions, consumers think in terms of broad themes and quality of life outcomes. Effective methods for translating a patient-focused agenda into research priority setting and resource allocation are now needed.

Do cervical cancer screening patient information leaflets meet the HPV information needs of women?

OBJECTIVE: New human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA technologies for the detection and prevention of cervical cancer have led to exciting changes in cervical cancer screening worldwide. Their introduction, however, has left many women with unanswered medical and psychosocial HPV questions. This study considered the degree to which women's own HPV questions were addressed in Australian cervical cancer screening patient information leaflets. METHODS: Based on previous qualitative research that asked women to identify their own HPV information needs, categories of interest were identified and a coding framework was developed. Manifest content analysis was conducted by counting the number of times a category of interest was stated in the text of the patient information leaflets (n=75). Latent content analysis methodology was employed to assess the underlying and embedded meaning within the leaflets. RESULTS: Women's medical questions were addressed more frequently than psychosocial ones. Leaflets were designed for specific target audiences (Aboriginal, lesbian, older women, women with disabilities, HPV-specific, cervical cancer-specific and general Pap screening) and the type and amount of HPV information varied by group. Merging the manifest and latent results, we identified three broad themes for discussion: the medicalisation of women's cervical screening experience, the purpose and target audience of cervical screening leaflets and HPV as a community versus women's health issue. CONCLUSIONS: Women's questions on HPV were inconsistently and often inadequately answered. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: In order that women's information needs are met, more accurate and balanced representations of medical and psychosocial HPV information should be provided in patient information leaflets.