Culture Screening Research Articles

Рецепция шахматного спорта в отечественном кино 1970–1980-х годов

In this article, the author analyzes the image of chess in the Soviet films of the 1970s–1980s. The relevance of the topic is associated with the renewed interest in chess and its history in modern films and television series. The author focuses on the Soviet back story of films about chess players, which until recently remained on the periphery of research. The subject of the article is the reception of chess in three Soviet films of the selected period: Grandmaster, White Snow of Russia, and Capablanca. The choice of the films under analysis was motivated by their thematic unity, which consists in translating the image of chess not as a game, leisure activity, or a way of communication but as a sport. The novelty of the research lies in studying insufficiently explored material, comparing the film plot with historical events, and identifying conceptual patterns of how a personality is perceived in late Soviet art. The main characters of the films are professional chess players, two of them based on real people. The film Grandmaster depicts an image of a Soviet intellectual who finds a game of chess to be a form of self-reflection. White Snow of Russia is based on the facts from the life of the chess player Alexander Alekhine. As presented in the film, for the protagonist chess is a vocation and the only suitable mode of existence. Although the narrative is centered around the political aspects of Alexander Alekhine’s biography, he is portrayed as a typical character of late Soviet cinema, involved in a personal conflict. The third film is a biographical melodrama about the idealized historical figure of the Cuban chess player José Raúl Capablanca, which presents a mixture of real historical facts and fiction. In all three films, the filmmakers focus on the international sport of chess, which appears to be inseparable from politics. In Capablanca, the political theme is the least developed one, but it is still important for the plot. Through the analysis of the semantic layers and expressive means of the films, the author of the article points out specific features of the presentation of chess in the Soviet screen culture. This allows identifying three different patterns of the development of the image of chess: a way of self-knowledge and self-development for the character, a sport for the intelligentsia based on the triumph of reason, and an allegory of love relationships between a man and a woman.

Human iPSC-derived hepatocytes in 2D and 3D suspension culture for cryopreservation and in vitro toxicity studies

Hepatocytes are of special interest in biomedical research for disease modelling, drug screening and in vitro toxicology. Human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived hepatocytes could complement primary human hepatocytes due to their capability for large-scale expansion. In this study, we present an optimized protocol for the generation of hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) from hiPSC in monolayer (2D) and suspension culture (3D) for production of organoids. A protocol was initially optimized in 2D using a gene edited CYP3A4 Nanoluciferase reporter hiPSC line for monitoring the maturity of HLCs and cryopreservation of definitive endoderm (DE) cells. The protocol was optimized for microwell cultures for high-throughput screening to allow for a sensitive and fast readout of drug toxicity. To meet the increasing demand of hepatic cells in biomedical research, the differentiation process was furthermore translated to scalable suspension-based bioreactors for establishment of hepatic organoids. In pilot studies, the technical settings have been optimized by adjusting the initial seeding density, rotation speed, inoculation time, and medium viscosity to produce homogeneous hepatic organoids and to maximize the biomass yield (230 organoids/ml). To speed up the production process, cryopreservation approaches for the controlled freezing of organoids were analysed with respect to cell recovery and marker expression. The results showed that cryopreserved organoids maintained their phenotype only when derived from hepatocyte progenitors (HPs) at day 8 but not from more mature stages. The establishment of robust protocols for the production of large batches of hepatocytes and hepatic organoids could substantially boost their use in biomedical and toxicology studies.

Special issue introduction: utilitarian filmmaking in Australia 1945–80

ABSTRACT While Australian cinema is generally defined by the feature filmmaking tradition, at least since the 1970s, ‘utilitarian filmmaking' represents a significant but barely visible portion of screen culture in Australia, a portion that has had an emphatic but unexamined influence on the media industries, education systems, industrial relations, research culture and national culture. Recent scholarly work undertaken internationally has shown how this vital strand of cultural and industrial history has often been overlooked; worse, it has often been expunged from cultural memory, either by critical neglect or through the destruction of archives previously deemed worthless by businesses and collecting-agencies. Given the insights and impacts of the latest studies of utilitarian filmmaking in the US and Europe, it is no exaggeration to propose that local, Australian holdings in the genre will come to be understood as a hitherto overlooked skein of ‘DNA’ in our national media systems. To study this heritage is to deepen our understanding of general/global and local/national characteristics of audiovisual culture and aesthetics as they operate in Australia, as well as to contribute in a major way to the burgeoning scholarship in international media archive research.This Introduction will focus on the manner in which ‘utilitarian cinema’ operates in relation to conceptions of Australian national cinema as well as to how this term can also contribute to formulations of transnational cinema. It will introduce the findings of this Australian Research Council funded research project being conducted by Ruby Arrowsmith-Todd, Stella Barber, Mick Broderick, Ross Gibson, John Hughes, Grace Russell and Deane Williams as well as introducing the case studies that were undertaken.

Multicenter evaluation of contamination of the healthcare environment near patients with Candida auris skin colonization

Background:Candida auris is an emerging multidrug-resistant yeast that is transmitted in healthcare facilities and is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Environmental contamination is suspected to play an important role in transmission but additional information is needed to inform environmental cleaning recommendations to prevent spread. Methods: We conducted a multiregional (Chicago, IL; Irvine, CA) prospective study of environmental contamination associated with C. auris colonization of patients and residents of 4 long-term care facilities and 1 acute-care hospital. Participants were identified by screening or clinical cultures. Samples were collected from participants’ body sites (eg, nares, axillae, inguinal creases, palms and fingertips, and perianal skin) and their environment before room cleaning. Daily room cleaning and disinfection by facility environmental service workers was followed by targeted cleaning of high-touch surfaces by research staff using hydrogen peroxide wipes (see EPA-approved product for C. auris, List P). Samples were collected immediately after cleaning from high-touch surfaces and repeated at 4-hour intervals up to 12 hours. A pilot phase (n = 12 patients) was conducted to identify the value of testing specific high-touch surfaces to assess environmental contamination. High-yield surfaces were included in the full evaluation phase (n = 20 patients) (Fig. 1). Samples were submitted for semiquantitative culture of C. auris and other multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), extended-spectrum β-lactamase–producing Enterobacterales (ESBLs), and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE). Times to room surface contamination with C. auris and other MDROs after effective cleaning were analyzed. Results:Candida auris colonization was most frequently detected in the nares (72%) and palms and fingertips (72%). Cocolonization of body sites with other MDROs was common (Fig. 2). Surfaces located close to the patient were commonly recontaminated with C. auris by 4 hours after cleaning, including the overbed table (24%), bed handrail (24%), and TV remote or call button (19%). Environmental cocontamination was more common with resistant gram-positive organisms (MRSA and, VRE) than resistant gram-negative organisms (Fig. 3). C. auris was rarely detected on surfaces located outside a patient’s room (1 of 120 swabs; <1%). Conclusions: Environmental surfaces near C. auris–colonized patients were rapidly recontaminated after cleaning and disinfection. Cocolonization of skin and environment with other MDROs was common, with resistant gram-positive organisms predominating over gram-negative organisms on environmental surfaces. Limitations include lack of organism sequencing or typing to confirm environmental contamination was from the room resident. Rapid recontamination of environmental surfaces after manual cleaning and disinfection suggests that alternate mitigation strategies should be evaluated.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None

THE SCREEN IS LIKE A GENERATOR OF SIMULACRA AND FAKES

Purpose. The article is devoted to the analysis of the screen as a special socio-cultural phenomenon that produces simulacra and fakes in modern culture. The peculiarity lies in the fact that continuous reproduction of screen technologies is supported through simulations. At the same time, screen technologies are defined as the leading factor of modern socio-cultural changes affecting the consciousness and behavior of the subject of culture – a person. His dependence on the screen is being formed, and today we can talk about the emergence of a philosophical and anthropological type of “screen man”.
 Methodology. To consider the problem, the author turns to the socio-philosophical and anthropological analysis of the role of the screen in modern culture. The article uses comparative analysis, historical-philosophical and anthropological methods.
 Results. The results of the study are that the author explicates the essence of Hobbes’ maxim that man can fully know only what he himself can do. As such an artifact in the philosophy of T. Hobbes is the body, and the social-political body, established by the man himself. The author supposes that the modern European project “social physics” can be considered a prototype of active theoretical-epistemic model describing social reality.
 Practical implications. This allows, from the author’s point of view, to consider the role of the screen and the digital effects produced by it in modern culture, as well as to develop an integrative approach to understanding screen culture as a whole.

A tale of two intensive care units (ICUs): Baseline Staphylococcus aureus colonization and mupirocin susceptibility in neonatal and pediatric patients requiring intensive care.

To assess the incidence rate of S. aureus colonization at baseline along with the mupirocin susceptibility (or resistance) rate in patients in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) in conjunction with the implementation of universal decolonization as the standard of care. Prospective cohort study. Children's Hospital of Michigan (CHM) inpatient intensive care units (ICUs). Newly admitted pediatric patients to the CHM NICU or PICU aged between 1 day and ≤21 years. Baseline and follow-up S. aureus screening cultures were obtained before patients underwent universal decolonization with mupirocin 2% antibiotic ointment (intranasal and umbilical) and chlorhexidine baths as standard of care to reduce CLABSI rates. Baseline S. aureus colonization rates of new admissions to the CHM NICU and PICU were high at 32% and 29%, respectively. Baseline mupirocin susceptibility to any S. aureus growth was 98.4%. All baseline culture isolates whether positive for MRSA or MSSA, with one exception, had minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of ≤0.19 µg/mL. All follow-up study cultures after universal decolonization at 7 days or beyond with any S. aureus growth had mupirocin MICs of ≤0.125 µg/mL. Baseline S. aureus colonization rates of new admissions to the CHM ICUs were high as was baseline mupirocin susceptibility. Follow-up cultures, albeit limited in number, did not detect increasing mupirocin MICs over 1 year, despite broad mupirocin exposure due to the implementation of universal decolonization.

Re-visiting micro ESR as a screening tool for neonatal sepsis.

Our study evaluated the role of micro-erythrocte sedimentation rate (micro-ESR) in the early detection of neonatal sepsis.Neonates with >34 completed weeks of gestation, appropriate for gestational age, admitted in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with clinical suspicion of early onset sepsis were enrolled in the study. A sepsis screen and blood culture was performed on all the babies within 4 h of admission. The sensitivity of micro-ESR for detecting positive blood culture was calculated and the best cut-off was determined using the Area Under Curve.

Simulations of Communicative in Screen Culture

The article raises the problem of transformation of the nature of the communicative in the context of virtualization and digitalization of all spheres of culture. The study is constructed in the form of a commented dialogue with the authors of “Violence and Social Orders. Conceptual Framework for Interpreting Recorded Human History” by D. North, D. Wallis, and B. Weingast1. The review represents the comparison of the types of communication in traditional society, open society and on-screen culture (in a situation of virtual expansion. Contradiction (speech against speech) is considered as a transitional stage from struggle and conflict to screen simulation of communication. The author considers virtualization of the communicative from a critical point of view and therefore draws conclusions regarding personal degradation of a modern communicant – an aborigine of the digital jungle. Such an experience excludes the possibility of a harmonizing dialogue as a process of reconciling contradictions for one simple reason. If speech property turns out to belong exclusively to the individual, then the total impersonality proclaimed by D. North, D. Wallis, and B. Weingast can only be supported by violence implemented through commands. Thus, communicative interaction inevitably degenerates into a communicative impact, which is initially built on the inequality of partners.

Advertising and the Transformation of Screen Cultures

Advertising and the Transformation of Screen Cultures

Gradient Printing Alginate Herero Gel Microspheres for Three-Dimensional Cell Culture.

Hydrogel microspheres are widely used in tissue engineering, such as 3D cell culture and injection therapy, and among which, heterogeneous microspheres are drawing much attention as a promising tool to carry multiple cell types in separated phases. However, it is still a big challenge to fabricate heterogeneous gel microspheres with excellent resolution and different material components in limited sizes. Here, we developed a multi-channel dynamic micromixer, which can use active mechanical mixing to achieve rapid mixing with multi-component materials and extrude the homogenized material. By changing the flow rate ratio of the solutions of the two components and by rapidly mixing in the micromixer, real-time concentration change of the mixed material at the outlet could be monitored in a process so-called “gradient printing”. By studying the mixing efficiency of the micromixer, its size and process parameters were optimized. Using the novel dynamic gradient printing method, the composition of the hydrogel microspheres can be distributed in any proportion and alginate heterogeneous gel microspheres with adjustable cell concentration were fabricated. The effects of cell concentration on cell viability and proliferation ability under three-dimensional culture conditions were also studied. The results showed that cells have very low death rate and can exchange substances within the microspheres. Due to the micromixing ability of the micromixers, the demand for biological reagents and materials such as cells, proteins, cytokines and other materials could be greatly reduced, which helps reduce the experimental cost and improve the feasibility of the method in practical use. The heterogeneous gel microsphere can be greatly valuable for research in various fields such as analytical chemistry, microarray, drug screening, and tissue culture.

Vaginal-perianal or vaginal-perineal compared with vaginal-rectal culture-based screening for Group B Streptococci (GBS) colonization during the third trimester of pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundScreening for maternal anogenital Group B streptococci (GBS) colonization in pregnancy with initiation of intravenous intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis as indicated has led to a significant reduction in the incidence of neonatal GBS infection. This study aims to evaluate the agreement between vaginal-perianal or vaginal-perineal culture and the more typically used vaginal-rectal culture for screening for maternal anogenital GBS colonization in the third trimester of pregnancy.MethodsEligible English-language studies published until January 2020 were retrieved from Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases. Studies were compiled that assessed for GBS colonization utilizing vaginal-perianal or vaginal-perineal culture and vaginal-rectal culture during the third trimester of pregnancy. Nonoriginal research articles and studies that did not assess pregnant patients, did not use culture-based screening, or did not compare vaginal-perianal or vaginal-perineal culture with vaginal-rectal culture were excluded. The search identified 559 articles with three prospective cohort studies that met inclusion criteria, including 643 participants. Quality was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale, and risk of bias was assessed using the Risk of Bias In Non-randomized Studies of Interventions (ROBINS-I) tool. Patient characteristics and associated pain with specimen collection were abstracted. Meta-analyses of both the raw agreement and the Cohen’s kappa statistic were performed.ResultsWithin the three included studies, the range of GBS detection was 17.6–34.0%, consistent with the anticipated prevalence of GBS colonization reported in earlier publications. For both raw agreement and Cohen’s kappa coefficient, the test for heterogeneity was not significant, indicating low heterogeneity among studies. The pooled estimate of the raw agreement was 0.97 (95%CI 0.95–0.98) and of the Cohen's kappa coefficient was 0.91 (95% CI: 0.87–0.95), indicating (according to the Landis and Koch criteria) an “almost perfect” agreement between the compared clinical tests. In the two studies that assessed procedure-related patient discomfort, vaginal-rectal swabbing caused more discomfort.ConclusionUse of vaginal-perineal culture for assessment of maternal GBS colonization is comparable to the more typically utilized vaginal-rectal culture and is associated with less discomfort.

Impact of the Acceptance of the Recommendations Made by a Meropenem Stewardship Program in a University Hospital: A Pilot Study.

Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP) promote appropriate antimicrobial use. We present a 4-year retrospective study that evaluated the clinical impact of the acceptance of the recommendations made by a meropenem-focused ASP. A total of 318 meropenem audits were performed. The ASP team (comprising infectious disease physicians, pharmacists and microbiologists) considered meropenem use in 96 audits (30.2%) to be inappropriate. The reasons to consider these uses inappropriate were the possibility of de-escalating to a narrower-spectrum antibiotic, in 66 (68.7%) audits, and unnecessary meropenem use, in 30 (31.3%) audits. The ASP team recommended de-escalation in 66 audits (68.7%) and discontinuation of meropenem in 30 audits (31.3%). ASP interventions were stratified according to whether or not recommendations were followed. The group in which recommendations were accepted and followed (i.e., accepted audit, AA) included 66 audits (68.7%) and the group in which recommendations were not followed (i.e., rejected audit, RA) included 30 (31.3%) audits. The comorbidity of the AA group (Charlson score) was higher than in the RA group (7.0 (5.0–9.0) vs. 6.0 (4.0–7.0), p = 0.02). Discontinuation of meropenem was recommended in 83.3% of audits in the AA group vs. 62.2% in the RA group (OR 3.05 (1.03–8.99), p = 0.04). Ertapenem de-escalation resulted in a 100% greater rate of follow-up compared with the non-carbapenem option (100% vs. 51.9%, OR 1.50 (1.21–1.860), p = 0.001). Significant differences were observed in the AA group when cultures were taken before antibiotic prescription—98.5% vs. 83.3% (p = 0.01, OR 13.0 (1.45–116.86))—or when screening cultures were taken—45.5% vs. 19.2% (p = 0.03, OR 3.5 (1.06–11.52)). There were no differences between the groups in terms of overall mortality and 30-day mortality, length of stay, Clostridiodes difficile infection, 30-day readmission or hospitalization costs. In conclusion, meropenem ASP recommendations contributed to a decrease in meropenem prescription without worsening clinical and economic outcomes.

Role of the environment in transmission of Gram-negative bacteria in two consecutive outbreaks in a haematology-oncology department

SummaryIn 2019–2020, two subsequent outbreaks caused by phenotypically identical ESBL-producing Enterobacter cloacae and multi-drug-resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas putida were detected in respectively 15 and 9 patients of the haematology-oncology department. Both bacterial species were resistant to piperacillin-tazobactam, used empirically in (neutropenic) sepsis in our hospital, and ciprofloxacin, used prophylactically in selective digestive decontamination for haematology patients. The E. cloacae outbreak was identified in clinical cultures of blood and urine. Despite intensified infection control measures, new cases were found in weekly point-prevalence screening cultures. Environmental samples of sinks and shower drains appeared positive in 18.1%. To diminish the environmental contamination burden, all siphons of sinks were replaced, and disinfection of sinks and shower drains was intensified using chlorine and soda on a daily basis. Replacement of shower drains was not possible. The outbreak of P. putida remained limited to rectal cultures only, and disappeared spontaneously without interventions. During both outbreaks, multiple strains of the incriminated bacterium were found simultaneously (demonstrated by Amplified-Fragment Length Polymorphism and/or Whole-Genome Multi-locus Sequencing Typing) in patients as well as the environment. It was experimentally shown that a biofilm on the toilet edge may act as a source for nosocomial transmission of Gram-negative bacteria. In conclusion, the drainage system of the hospital is an important reservoir of MDR bacteria, threatening the admitted patients. In existing hospitals, biofilms in the drainage systems cannot be removed. Therefore, it is important that in (re)building plans for hospitals a plan for prevention of nosocomial transmission from environment to patients is incorporated.

Multi-body-site colonization screening cultures for predicting multi-drug resistant Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteremia in hematological patients

BackgroundTo investigate the multi-drug resistant bacteria (MDRB) colonization rate in hematological patients hospitalized for any cause using a multi-body-site surveillance approach, and determine the extent to which this screening strategy helped anticipate MDRB bloodstream infections (BSI).MethodsSingle-center retrospective observational study including 361 admissions documented in 250 adult patients. Surveillance cultures of nasal, pharyngeal, axillary and rectal specimens (the latter two combined) were performed at admission and subsequently on a weekly basis. Blood culture samples were incubated in an automated continuous monitoring blood culturing instrument (BACTEC FX).ResultsIn total, 3463 surveillance cultures were performed (pharyngeal, n = 1201; axillary-rectal, n = 1200; nasal, n = 1062). MDRB colonization was documented in 122 out of 361 (33.7%) admissions corresponding to 86 patients (34.4%). A total of 149 MDRB were isolated from one or more body sites, of which most were Gram-negative bacteria, most frequently non-fermenting (n = 83) followed by Enterobacterales (n = 51). BSI were documented in 102 admissions (28%) involving 87 patients. Overall, the rate of BSI caused by MDRB was significantly higher (p = 0.04) in the presence of colonizing MDRB (16 out of 47 admissions in 14 patients) than in its absence (9 out of 55 admissions in 9 patients). Colonization by any MDRB was independently associated with increased risk of MDRB-BSI (HR, 3.70; 95% CI, 1.38–9.90; p = 0.009).ConclusionMDRB colonization is a frequent event in hematological patients hospitalized for any reason and is associated with an increased risk of MDRB BSI. The data lend support to the use of MDRB colonization surveillance cultures for predicting the occurrence of MDRB BSI in this cohort.

Post-prostate biopsy acute bacterial prostatitis and screening cultures using selective media: An overview.

The development of several culture media and the availability to isolate and treat pathogens prior to a surgical procedure give us the ability to minimize treatment-related complications, and ultimately results in better outcomes for patients and avoidance of unwanted post-procedure inpatient admissions. In the last decade, an increasing incidence of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli, especially extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing E. coli and fluoroquinolone-resistant pathogens, has been reported. These resistant species frequently colonize the rectal flora and gain access to the systemic circulation via the rectal plexus following a prostate biopsy. The bacteria can eventually lead to life-threatening complications, which is especially important in high-risk patients with multiple co-morbidities. Previously published studies have focused on the isolation of these pathogens with selective media before an invasive procedure and the potential benefits of incorporating the use of selective media as a mandatory pre-operative step. This preventive measure will allow us to offer a tailored prophylactic treatment that benefits patients and reduces the economic burden for the hospital.

Representation of Images by D. N. Mamin-Sibiryak in Screen Culture

The article discusses creative approaches to the representation of the images of the works of the Ural writer and playwright D. N. Mamin­Sibiryak in the screen culture of the XX–XXI centuries. The relevance of the research topic, according to the author, is due not only to scientific interest in the specifics of screen (audiovisual) culture and, ac­cordingly, to the problems of screening classics, but also to the topicality of the works of Mamin­Sibiryak themselves, which reflected the for­mation of capitalism in the Urals and the clash of various public interests. Considering creative ap­proaches to the screen representation of the writ­er’s images, the author proceeds from the fact that his works are realistic, distinguished by a variety of characters, combine the epic and dramatic principles, thereby opening up a wide field for research.

Kako digitalno doba oblikuje um mladih

The paper explores changes that occur in the human mind as a consequence of life in digital age. The specific subject of the analysis is the impact on the human mind and overall human activity of human existence dominated by screen culture, where mobile phones, tablets, iPods, computers have become inevitable parts of everyday life. Through the analysis of the thought process of teenagers, who are now refered to in literature as "screenagers" and whose life is characterised by copy-paste education, decline of reading culture and new forms of addiction to technology and its impact on their behaviour, this paper will show that this new high-tech culture has led to emergence of increasingly difficult direct, offline interpersonal communication and to a decline of social skills. The main goal of the research is to determine how the mind of a modern man works today in the age of electronic markets, web-economy, social networking, cybercrime, love at first "site" and how the human mind reacts to the effect of technology on our privacy.

Engineering hyaluronic acid-based cryogels for CD44-mediated breast tumor reconstruction.

Breast cancer is a major health concern worldwide and is the leading cause of cancer-related death among American women. Traditional therapies, such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, are usually ineffective. Furthermore, cancer recurrence following targeted therapy often results from acquired drug resistance. Therefore, more realistic tumor models than monolayer cell culture for drug screening and discovery in an in vitro setting would facilitate the development of new therapeutic strategies. Toward this goal, we first developed a simple, rapid, low-cost, and high-throughput method for generating uniform multi-cellular tumor spheroids (MCTS) with controllable size. Next, biomimetic cryogel scaffolds fabricated from hyaluronic acid (HA) were utilized as a platform to reconstruct breast tumor microtissues with aspects of the complex tumor microenvironment in three dimensions. Finally, we investigated the interactions between the HA-based cryogels and CD44-positive breast tumor cells, individually or as MCTS. We found that incorporating the adhesive RGD peptide in cryogels led to the formation of a monolayer of tumor cells on the polymer walls, whereas MCTS cultured on RGD-free HA cryogels resulted in the growth of large and dense microtumors, more similar to native tumor masses. As a result, the MCTS-laden HA cryogel system induced a highly aggressive and chemotherapy drug-resistant tumor model. RGD-free HA-based cryogels represent an effective starting point for designing tumor models for preclinical research, therapeutic drug screening, and early cancer diagnosis.

Breast Cancer MCF-7 Cell Spheroid Culture for Drug Discovery and Development.

In vitro 3D cancer spheroids (tumoroids) exhibit a drug resistance profile similar to that found in solid tumors. 3D spheroid culture methods recreate more physiologically relevant microenvironments for cells. Therefore, these models are more appropriate for cancer drug screening. We have recently developed a protocol for MCF-7 cell spheroid culture, and used this method to test the effects of different types of drugs on this estrogen-dependent breast cancer cell spheroid. Our results demonstrated that MCF-7 cells can grow spheroid in medium using a low attachment plate. We managed to grow one spheroid in each well, and the spheroid can grow over a month, the size of the spheroid can grow over a hundred times in volume. Our targeted drug experimental results suggest that estrogen sulfotransferase, steroid sulfatase, and G protein-coupled estrogen receptor may play critical roles in MCF-7 cell spheroid growth, while estrogen receptors α and β may not play an essential role in MCF-7 spheroid growth. Organoids are the miniatures of in vivo tissues and reiterate the in vivo microenvironment of a specific organ, best fit for the in vitro studies of diseases and drug development. Tumoroid, developed from cancer cell lines or patients’ tumor tissue, is the best in vitro model of in vivo tumors. 3D spheroid technology will be the best future method for drug development of cancers and other diseases. Our reported method can be developed clinically to develop personalized drugs when the patient’s tumor tissues are used to develop a spheroid culture for drug screening.

The Role of Prophylactic Antibiotics in Newborn Born through Meconium Stained Amniotic Fluid (MSAF)

Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of administering prophylactic antibiotics on the development of neonatal sepsis in newborn born through meconium stained amniotic fluid (MSAF). Method: Total 200 babies born through meconium stained amniotic fluid were included in this study. 100 babies randomized to group a (antibiotic group) received first line antibiotics for 3 days and 100 babies to group B (no antibiotic group) in which no antibiotics were given. Both group A and B evaluated clinically and by lab parameters (sepsis screen and blood cultures) for development of sepsis. Both groups received similar supportive management. The primary outcome measure was the development of infection. Details of clinical progress during were recorded. All neonates were monitored for development of complications Result: The patient profiles were similar in both groups. The overall incidence of suspect sepsis was 9 % in the study population with no significant difference between group A and group B (7 %vs. 11 %, p=0.322). Incidence of culture-proven sepsis was also not significantly different between the two groups (5% vs. 7 %, p=0.3546). The incidence of mortality, meconium aspiration syndrome, and other complications was comparable amongst the two groups. Final outcome and duration of stay was also not significantly different in both group A and group B. Conclusion: This study shows that there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of development of infection, complication and final outcome in neonates born through meconium stained amniotic fluid when treated with or without antibiotics.