Curcumin (Cur) entrapped poly­(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/gelatin composite films were prepared by cross-linking with tannic acid (TA) as bioactive dressings for rapid wound closure. Films were evaluated for mechanical strength, swelling index, water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), film solubility, and in-vitro drug release studies. SEM revealed uniform and smooth surfaces of blank (PG9) and Cur-loaded composite films (PGC4). PGC4 exhibited excellent mechanical strength (tensile strength (TS) and Young’s modulus (YM) were 32.83 and 0.55 MPa, respectively), swelling ability (600–800% at pH 5.4, 7.4, and 9), WVTR (2003 ± 26), and film solubility (27.06 ± 2.0). Sustained release (81%) of the encapsulated payload was also observed for 72 h. The antioxidant activity determined by DPPH free radical scavenging showed that the PGC4 possessed strong % inhibition. The PGC4 formulation displayed higher antibacterial potential against S. aureus (14.55 mm zone of inhibition) and E. coli (13.00 mm zone of inhibition) compared to blank and positive control by the agar well diffusion method. An in-vivo wound healing study was carried out on rats using a full-thickness excisional wound model. Wounds treated with PGC4 showed very rapid healing about 93% in just 10 days post wounding as compared to 82.75% by Cur cream and 80.90% by PG9. Furthermore, histopathological studies showed ordered collagen deposition and angiogenesis along with fibroblast formation. PGC4 also exerted a strong anti-inflammatory effect by downregulating the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-6 were lowered by 76% and 68% as compared to the untreated group, respectively). Therefore, Cur-loaded composite films can be an ideal delivery system for effective wound healing.

Objectives: To investigate the recollections of parents consenting for their infants to be research subjects and determine their views about the need for consent. Subjects: Parents of 154 sick newborn infants enrolled in a randomised trial in the early neonatal period. All parents had given written consent and received printed information. Methods: A questionnaire and accompanying letter was sent to the parental home 18 months later. Nonresponders were sent a further questionnaire and letter. Results: Response rate was 64% (99/154). Some respondents (12%) did not remember being asked to consent to their baby joining a study, and a further 6% were unsure. Most of the respondents (79%) were happy, 13% neutral, and 8% unhappy with their decision to give consent. None felt heavy pressure to agree. Entering the trial caused 24% of respondents to feel more anxious, 56% neutral, and 20% less anxious about their baby. Most of the respondents (83%) would be unhappy to forgo the consent process for trials passed by the institutional ethics committee. Conclusions: A significant proportion of parents who give written consent for a trial in the early neonatal period do not later remember having done so. Parents who have had experience of neonatal research would be unhappy for their baby to be enrolled in a study that had ethics committee approval without their consent being obtained. W ritten consent from someone with parental responsibility is generally required before any child is enrolled in a clinical trial. Although it may safeguard the child's best interests, it is associated with many difficulties. Concern is expressed about the additional stress placed on parents.1 The ability of parents to process information and make informed decisions under these circumstances is questioned.2 Alternatives to the consent process have been proposed, 3 4 but these may be unacceptable to the parents whose consent would otherwise be sought.5 Serious concerns about the integrity of the consent process may be raised later, based on individual recollections.6 7 There are few data on the experiences of real parents who have been approached for consent. Snowdon et al 8 interviewed the parents of 21 infants who were enrolled in the ECMO trial. 9They found that some were unsure whether their babies were in a trial or not. In the Euricon study, 10 five of 200 parents could not remember being asked to give consent for a trial. We aimed to determine from parents whether they remembered being asked to give consent for a research study and how they felt the research had affected their experience as parents of a sick infant. PATIENTS AND METHODSThe subjects were the parents of 199 infants entered into a randomised controlled trial of pulmonary function testing which was conducted in the Simpson Memorial Maternity Pavilion, Edinburgh between August 1991 and June 1993. 11 In all cases the parents were given a printed information sheet and a detailed verbal description of the trial by a single individual (BS). Whenever possible, both parents were...

Blood collection from experimental animals is a common yet crucial procedure that requires immense care and professional experience to ensure propriety and successful trials in the experimental procedure. This article overviews different methods for blood collection, terminal and non-terminal, in different experimental animals, mainly rat, guinea pig, and rabbit. Different sites for the collection of blood have been discussed, along with the pros and cons of administering via these sites. Lastly, it is discussed that the site of selection depends on the sample volume required and the purpose of the experimental procedure; these factors are also discussed in detail in this review article.

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Neuromodulation therapies generally deal with the provision of pain management, treatment of movement disorders, seizure control by the utilization of brain-controlled devices to individuals with compromised movement. Recent advancement in optogenetics has led to the development of techniques to explore the neural circuitry & biomarkers to track the progression of disease in neurodegenerative disorders. Further advancements contributing to neuromodulation therapies include engineering of nanotechnology, advances in genetics, exome sequencing and novel imaging techniques to detect connectivity deficits in motor and sensory networks that have been associated with neurological disorders. The following six neuromodulation therapies will be discussed in detail herein reference to neurologist awareness, candidate selection, and barriers to treatment. This article highlights the appropriate selection of neuromodulation therapy in the management of chronic pain and neurodegenerative orders that can lead to short-term and longterm clinical benefits.