Electrospun Nylon Fibers with Integrated Polypyrrole Molecularly Imprinted Polymers for the Detection of Glucose.

Electrospun nylon 6,6 fibers incorporating polypyrrole (PPy) molecular-imprinted polymers (MIPs) were produced for the selective detection of d-glucose using a thermal detection methodology. PPy MIPs were produced using a facile bulk synthesis approach and electrospun into intricate fibrous scaffolds giving a highly mass-producible sensing interface. The maximum incorporation of MIPs and greatest sensing performance was found to be 12.1 wt % in conjunction with the heat-transfer method (HTM), a low-cost and simple thermal detection method that measures changes in the thermal resistance at the solid-liquid interface. It is demonstrated that a 12.1% incorporation of MIPs into electrospun fibers produces the widest working linear range with a limit of detection of 0.10 ± 0.01 mM. There were no observed changes in the measured thermal resistance response to incubation with a series of structurally similar compounds, providing evidence toward the selectivity of the platform. Additionally, the sensing platform exhibited a linear working response to glucose samples in artificial sweat solutions in the biologically relevant range. This is the first report of the incorporation of MIPs into nylon 6,6 fibers for the detection of glucose and points toward the possibility of developing mass-producible electrospun fibers embedded with low-cost recognition elements of improved thermal and chemical stability for the application of wearable sensor technology.

Contemporary Trends in the Inpatient Management of Fournier's Gangrene: Predictors of Length of Stay and Mortality Based on Population-based Sample.

OBJECTIVE: To describe clinical management of Fournier's gangrene and to characterize predictive factors associated with inpatient mortality and extended hospital stay. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The National Inpatient Sample was queried from 2004 to 2012 based on the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification procedural and diagnosis codes. Patients admitted for Fournier's gangrene who underwent debridement were selected. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of inpatient mortality and extended hospital stay. RESULTS: A total of 9249 patients were identified for a weighted estimate of 43,146 cases. Inpatient mortality was 4.7%. The median length of stay was 9 days (interquartile range 5-17 days). The most common procedure in addition to debridement was a complex closure (8.82%), followed by suprapubic tube placement (5.70%) and fecal diversion (4.68%). Increasing age, yearly hospital volume >10 cases, and Medicaid insurance status were associated with increased risk of mortality. Increasing age, teaching hospital status, increasing number of comorbidities, and Medicaid as a payor were predictive of increased hospital stay. Suprapubic tube placement (odds ratio [OR] 2.8 [95% confidence interval {CI} 1.92-4.07], P ≤ .001), fecal diversion (OR 11.1 [95% CI 6.20-19.7], P ≤ .001), and complex wound closure (OR 4.89 [95% CI 3.97-6.89], P ≤ .001) were also predictive of increased length of stay. CONCLUSION: Identifiable patient and hospital characteristics are predictive of both mortality and length of stay in the management of Fournier's gangrene. Overall inpatient mortality appears lower than what has been reported in the majority of prior reports. The strongest predictor for increased length of stay is the need for complex wound closure, and urinary or fecal diversion.

Renal cell carcinoma presenting with Melena from direct invasion into the duodenum: a case report and a review of literature.

Today the classic triad of flank pain, hematuria and a palpable abdominal mass is rarely present at initial diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma due to the growing number of cases diagnosed incidentally on imaging studies. We report a case of a 58-year-old female who presented with melena where a subsequent esophagogastroduodenoscopy demonstrated a bleeding duodenal lesion. Pathologic study of a biopsy revealed Clear Cell RCC and an ensuing abdominal CT revealed the direct duodenal invasion of a primary renal mass. We also provide a brief review of nephrectomy in the face of metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

Interleukin-6: a potential biomarker of resistance to multitargeted receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors in castration-resistant prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if cellular interleukin-6 production predicts response to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). As clinical experience using TKIs in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) matures, Phase II trials show a heterogeneous response to sunitinib in CRPC patients. Change in serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level has proven unreliable for prediction of CRPC response to TKIs. Interleukin-6 (IL-6), a critical mediator of prostate cancer pathogenesis, has been shown to rise in patients with disease progression. As such, we investigated whether cellular IL-6 production can predict TKI response in both in vitro and in vivo models. METHODS: IL-6 mRNA levels and protein expression were examined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. Apoptosis was examined using the terminal dUTP nick-end labeling assay. For in vivo studies, a CRPC xenograft model in C.B17/Icr-scid mice was used. RESULTS: PC-3 and DU-145 CRPC cell lines exhibited a heterogeneous response to sunitinib and pazopanib. Dose-dependent reduction of IL-6 was observed in TKI-sensitive DU-145 cells. In contrast, the TKI-resistant PC-3 cells failed to suppress IL-6 secretion. Instead, in the presence of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, IL-6 rose significantly upon administration of TKIs. Findings of in vitro experiments were confirmed in an in vivo mouse model of CRPC. CONCLUSION: Sensitivity of CRPC cells to TKIs is heterogeneous. These findings are consistent with results of recently published Phase II clinical trials using sunitinib in patients with CRPC. A substantial rise in IL-6 occurs both in vitro and in vivo in the presence of TKIs in resistant PC-3 cells but not in TKI-sensitive DU-145 cells. These findings suggest that IL-6 may represent a biomarker for TKI resistance in patients with CRPC.

Prevalence of baseline chronic kidney disease in patients presenting with solid renal tumors.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the prevalence of baseline chronic kidney disease (CKD) in a large cohort of patients presenting with renal masses to a tertiary care center, comparing serum creatinine (sCr) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). sCr inadequately reflects renal function. eGFR and chronic kidney disease CKD stage are more clinically relevant parameters to reflect the risk of morbidity and mortality in patients after nephron loss. METHODS: Using the prospectively maintained Fox Chase Kidney Cancer Database, we identified patients undergoing kidney surgery between January 2000 and May 2010. eGFR was calculated using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) and the CKD-Epidemiology formulas. CKD stages I-V were defined using the National Kidney Foundation definitions. RESULTS: A total of 1114 patients had adequate data available to calculate a preoperative eGFR (mL/min). Although 88% of all patients presenting for surgery at our institution had a "normal" baseline sCr (≤1.4 mg/dL), 22% of patients had CKD stage III or greater. Moreover, of the 282 patients 70 years and older, 40% (113/282) had CKD stage III. Twenty-three percent (51/220) of patients older than 70 years had CKD stage III with a seemingly normal sCr. CONCLUSIONS: Many patients with a normal sCr have CKD stage III or higher, particularly patients older than 70 years old. Given the high prevalence of baseline CKD in patients with a solid renal tumor, a concerted effort must be made to preserve renal function when surgically treating solid renal masses.