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World Journal of Gastroenterology May 2024Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) may affect the upper digestive tract; up to 20% of population in Western nations are affected by GERD. Antacids, histamine...
BACKGROUND
Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) may affect the upper digestive tract; up to 20% of population in Western nations are affected by GERD. Antacids, histamine H2-receptor antagonists, and Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) are considered the referring medications for GERD. Nevertheless, PPIs must be managed carefully because their use, especially chronic, could be linked with some adverse effects. An effective and safe alternative pharmacological tool for GERD is needed. After the identification of potentially new medications to flank PPIs, it is mandatory to revise and improve good clinical practices even through a consensus process.
AIM
To optimize diagnosis and treatment guidelines for GERD through a consensus based on Delphi method.
METHODS
The availability of clinical studies describing the action of the multicomponent/multitarget medication Nux vomica-Heel, subject of the consensus, is the basic prerequisite for the consensus itself. A modified Delphi process was used to reach a consensus among a panel of Italian GERD specialists on the overlapping approach PPIs/Nux vomica-Heel as a new intervention model for the management of GERD. The Voting Consensus group was composed of 49 Italian Medical Doctors with different specializations: Gastroenterology, otolaryngology, geriatrics, and general medicine. A scientific committee analyzed the literature, determined areas that required investigation (in agreement with the multiple-choice questionnaire results), and identified two topics of interest: (1) GERD disease; and (2) GERD treatment. Statements for each of these topics were then formulated and validated. The Delphi process involved two rounds of questioning submitted to the panel experts using an online platform.
RESULTS
According to their routinary GERD practice and current clinical evidence, the panel members provided feedback to each questionnaire statement. The experts evaluated 15 statements and reached consensus on all 15. The statements regarding the GERD disease showed high levels of agreement, with consensus ranging from 70% to 92%. The statements regarding the GERD treatment also showed very high levels of agreement, with consensus ranging from 90% to 100%. This Delphi process was able to reach consensus among physicians in relevant aspects of GERD management, such as the adoption of a new approach to treat patients with GERD based on the overlapping between PPIs and Nux vomica-Heel. The consensus was unanimous among the physicians with different specializations, underlying the uniqueness of the agreement reached to identify in the overlapping approach between PPIs and Nux vomica-Heel a new intervention model for GERD management. The results support that an effective approach to deprescribe PPIs through a progressive decalage timetable (reducing PPIs administration to as-needed use), should be considered.
CONCLUSION
Nux vomica-Heel appears to be a valid opportunity for GERD treatment to favor the deprescription of PPIs and to maintain low disease activity together with the symptomatology remission.
Topics: Gastroesophageal Reflux; Humans; Proton Pump Inhibitors; Delphi Technique; Consensus; Italy; Treatment Outcome; Antacids; Drug Combinations
PubMed: 38764766
DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v30.i18.2467 -
Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of... Jul 2024Living organisms form complex mineralized composite architectures that perform a variety of essential functions. These materials are commonly utilized for load-bearing...
Living organisms form complex mineralized composite architectures that perform a variety of essential functions. These materials are commonly utilized for load-bearing purposes such as structural stability and mechanical strength in combination with high toughness and deformability, which are well demonstrated in various highly mineralized molluscan shell ultrastructures. Here, the mineral components provide the general stiffness to the composites, and the organic interfaces play a key role in providing these biogenic architectures with mechanical superiority. Although numerous studies employed state-of-the-art methods to measure and/or model and/or simulate the mechanical behavior of molluscan shells, our understanding of their performance is limited. This is partially due to the lack of the most fundamental knowledge of their mechanical characteristics, particularly, the anisotropic elastic properties of the mineral components and of the tissues they form. In fact, elastic constants of biogenic calcium carbonate, one of the most common biominerals in nature, is unknown for any organism. In this work, we employ the ultrasonic pulse-echo method to report the elasticity tensor of two common ultrastructural motifs in molluscan shells: the prismatic and the nacreous architectures made of biogenic calcite and aragonite, respectively. The outcome of this research not only provides information necessary for fundamental understanding of biological materials formation and performance, but also yields textbook knowledge on biogenic calcium carbonate required for future structural/crystallographic, theoretical and computational studies.
Topics: Calcium Carbonate; Elasticity; Animal Shells; Animals; Materials Testing; Mollusca; Biomechanical Phenomena; Nacre
PubMed: 38762971
DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2024.106570 -
International Journal of Molecular... May 2024This current study assessed the impacts of morphology adjustment of perovskite BiFeO (BFO) on the construction and photocatalytic activity of P-infused g-CN/U-BiFeO...
This current study assessed the impacts of morphology adjustment of perovskite BiFeO (BFO) on the construction and photocatalytic activity of P-infused g-CN/U-BiFeO (U-BFO/PCN) heterostructured composite photocatalysts. Favorable formation of U-BFO/PCN composites was attained via urea-aided morphology-controlled hydrothermal synthesis of BFO followed by solvosonication-mediated fusion with already synthesized P-g-CN to form U-BFO/PCN composites. The prepared bare and composite photocatalysts' morphological, textural, structural, optical, and photocatalytic performance were meticulously examined through various analytical characterization techniques and photodegradation of aqueous rhodamine B (RhB). Ellipsoids and flakes morphological structures were obtained for U-BFO and BFO, and their effects on the successful fabrication of the heterojunctions were also established. The U-BFO/PCN composite exhibits 99.2% efficiency within 20 min of visible-light irradiation, surpassing BFO/PCN (88.5%), PCN (66.8%), and U-BFO (26.1%). The pseudo-first-order kinetics of U-BFO/PCN composites is 2.41 × 10 min, equivalent to 2.2 times, 57 times, and 4.3 times of BFO/PCN (1.08 × 10 min), U-BFO, (4.20 × 10 min), and PCN, (5.60 × 10 min), respectively. The recyclability test demonstrates an outstanding photostability for U-BFO/PCN after four cyclic runs. This improved photocatalytic activity exhibited by the composites can be attributed to enhanced visible-light utilization and additional accessible active sites due to surface and electronic band modification of CN via P-doping and effective charge separation achieved via successful composites formation.
Topics: Catalysis; Bismuth; Photolysis; Rhodamines; Light; Ferric Compounds; Nitrogen Compounds; Titanium; Photochemical Processes; Nitriles; Kinetics; Graphite; Oxides; Calcium Compounds
PubMed: 38732166
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094948 -
ACS Applied Bio Materials May 2024Antimicrobial coatings provide protection against microbes colonization on surfaces. This can prevent the stabilization and proliferation of microorganisms. The...
Antimicrobial coatings provide protection against microbes colonization on surfaces. This can prevent the stabilization and proliferation of microorganisms. The ever-increasing levels of microbial resistance to antimicrobials are urging the development of alternative types of compounds that are potent across broad spectra of microorganisms and target different pathways. This will help to slow down the development of resistance and ideally halt it. The development of composite antimicrobial coatings (CACs) that can host and protect various antimicrobial agents and release them on demand is an approach to address this urgent need. In this work, new CACs based on microsized hybrids of calcium carbonate (CaCO) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were designed using a drop-casting technique. Polyvinylpyrrolidone and mucin were used as additives. The CaCO/AgNPs hybrids contributed to endowing colloidal stability to the AgNPs and controlling their release, thereby ensuring the antibacterial activity of the coatings. Moreover, the additives PVP and mucin served as a matrix to (i) control the distribution of the hybrids, (ii) ensure mechanical integrity, and (iii) prevent the undesired release of AgNPs. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) techniques were used to characterize the 15 μm thick CAC. The antibacterial activity was determined against , methicillin-resistant (MRSA), and , three bacteria responsible for many healthcare infections. Antibacterial performance of the hybrids was demonstrated at concentrations between 15 and 30 μg/cm. Unloaded CaCO also presented bactericidal properties against MRSA. cytotoxicity tests demonstrated that the hybrids at bactericidal concentrations did not affect human dermal fibroblasts and human mesenchymal stem cell viability. In conclusion, this work presents a simple approach for the design and testing of advanced multicomponent and functional antimicrobial coatings that can protect active agents and release them on demand.
Topics: Calcium Carbonate; Silver; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Metal Nanoparticles; Humans; Materials Testing; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Particle Size; Cell Survival; Coated Materials, Biocompatible; Escherichia coli; Surface Properties; Staphylococcus aureus
PubMed: 38721671
DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.3c01228 -
PloS One 2024The analysis of the DNA entrapped in ancient shells of molluscs has the potential to shed light on the evolution and ecology of this very diverse phylum. Ancient...
The analysis of the DNA entrapped in ancient shells of molluscs has the potential to shed light on the evolution and ecology of this very diverse phylum. Ancient genomics could help reconstruct the responses of molluscs to past climate change, pollution, and human subsistence practices at unprecedented temporal resolutions. Applications are however still in their infancy, partly due to our limited knowledge of DNA preservation in calcium carbonate shells and the need for optimized methods for responsible genomic data generation. To improve ancient shell genomic analyses, we applied high-throughput DNA sequencing to 27 Mytilus mussel shells dated to ~111-6500 years Before Present, and investigated the impact, on DNA recovery, of shell imaging, DNA extraction protocols and shell sub-sampling strategies. First, we detected no quantitative or qualitative deleterious effect of micro-computed tomography for recording shell 3D morphological information prior to sub-sampling. Then, we showed that double-digestion and bleach treatment of shell powder prior to silica-based DNA extraction improves shell DNA recovery, also suggesting that DNA is protected in preservation niches within ancient shells. Finally, all layers that compose Mytilus shells, i.e., the nacreous (aragonite) and prismatic (calcite) carbonate layers, with or without the outer organic layer (periostracum) proved to be valuable DNA reservoirs, with aragonite appearing as the best substrate for genomic analyses. Our work contributes to the understanding of long-term molecular preservation in biominerals and we anticipate that resulting recommendations will be helpful for future efficient and responsible genomic analyses of ancient mollusc shells.
Topics: Animals; Animal Shells; Genomics; Mollusca; X-Ray Microtomography; Calcium Carbonate; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Fossils
PubMed: 38709766
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0302646 -
Scientific Reports May 2024Aplacophoran molluscs are shell-less and have a worm-like body which is covered by biomineralized sclerites. We investigated sclerite crystallography and the sclerite...
Aplacophoran molluscs are shell-less and have a worm-like body which is covered by biomineralized sclerites. We investigated sclerite crystallography and the sclerite mosaic of the Solenogastres species Dorymenia sarsii, Anamenia gorgonophila, and Simrothiella margaritacea with electron-backscattered-diffraction (EBSD), laser-confocal-microscopy and FE-SEM imaging. The soft tissue of the molluscs is covered by spicule-shaped, aragonitic sclerites. These are sub-parallel to the soft body of the organism. We find, for all three species, that individual sclerites are untwinned aragonite single crystals. For individual sclerites, aragonite c-axis is parallel to the morphological, long axis of the sclerite. Aragonite a- and b-axes are perpendicular to sclerite aragonite c-axis. For the scleritomes of the investigated species we find different sclerite and aragonite crystal arrangement patterns. For the A. gorgonophila scleritome, sclerite assembly is disordered such that sclerites with their morphological, long axis (always the aragonite c-axis) are pointing in many different directions, being, more or less, tangential to cuticle surface. For D. sarsii, the sclerite axes (equal to aragonite c-axes) show a stronger tendency to parallel arrangement, while for S. margaritacea, sclerite and aragonite organization is strongly structured into sequential rows of orthogonally alternating sclerite directions. The different arrangements are well reflected in the structured orientational distributions of aragonite a-, b-, c-axes across the EBSD-mapped parts of the scleritomes. We discuss that morphological and crystallographic preferred orientation (texture) is not generated by competitive growth selection (the crystals are not in contact), but is determined by templating on organic matter of the sclerite-secreting epithelial cells and associated papillae.
Topics: Animals; Mollusca; Calcium Carbonate; Crystallography; Biomineralization; Animal Shells; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
PubMed: 38705929
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57754-z -
Harmful Algae Apr 2024Modified clay compounds are used globally as a method of controlling harmful algal blooms, and their use is currently under consideration to control Karenia brevis...
Modified clay compounds are used globally as a method of controlling harmful algal blooms, and their use is currently under consideration to control Karenia brevis blooms in Florida, USA. In 1400 L mesocosm tanks, chemical dynamics and lethal and sublethal impacts of MC II, a polyaluminum chloride (PAC)-modified kaolinite clay, were evaluated over 72 h on a benthic community representative of Sarasota Bay, which included blue crab (Callinectes sapidus), sea urchin (Lytechinus variegatus), and hard clam (Mercenaria campechiensis). In this experiment, MC II was dosed at 0.2 g L to treat bloom-level densities of K. brevis at 1 × 10 cells L. Cell removal in MC II-treated tanks was 57% after 8 h and 95% after 48 h. In the water column, brevetoxin analogs BTx-1 and BTx-2 were found to be significantly higher in untreated tanks at 24 and 48 h, while in MC II-treated tanks, BTx-3 was found to be higher at 48 h and BTx-B5 was found to be higher at 24 and 48 h. In MC II floc, we found no significant differences in BTx-1 or BTx-2 between treatments for any time point, while BTx-3 was found to be significantly higher in the MC II-treated tanks at 48 and 72 h, and BTx-B5 was higher in MC II-treated tanks at 24 and 72 h. Among various chemical dynamics observed, it was notable that dissolved phosphorus was consistently significantly lower in MC II tanks after 2 h, and that turbidity in MC II tanks returned to control levels 48 h after treatment. Dissolved inorganic carbon and total seawater alkalinity were significantly reduced in MC II tanks, and partial pressure of CO (pCO) was significantly higher in the MC II-only treatment after 2 h. In MC II floc, particulate phosphorus was found to be significantly higher in MC II tanks after 24 h. In animals, lethal and sublethal responses to MC II-treated K. brevis did not differ from untreated K. brevis for either of our three species at any time point, suggesting MC II treatment at this dosage has negligible impacts to these species within 72 h of exposure. These results appear promising in terms of the environmental safety of MC II as a potential bloom control option, and we recommend scaling up MC II experiments to field trials in order to gain deeper understanding of MC II performance and dynamics in natural waters.
Topics: Animals; Marine Toxins; Harmful Algal Bloom; Dinoflagellida; Clay; Bivalvia; Sea Urchins; Florida; Brachyura; Mercenaria; Aluminum Silicates; Aluminum Hydroxide
PubMed: 38705612
DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2024.102609 -
Nature Communications May 2024Whole virus-based inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines adjuvanted with aluminum hydroxide have been critical to the COVID-19 pandemic response. Although these vaccines are...
Whole virus-based inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines adjuvanted with aluminum hydroxide have been critical to the COVID-19 pandemic response. Although these vaccines are protective against homologous coronavirus infection, the emergence of novel variants and the presence of large zoonotic reservoirs harboring novel heterologous coronaviruses provide significant opportunities for vaccine breakthrough, which raises the risk of adverse outcomes like vaccine-associated enhanced respiratory disease. Here, we use a female mouse model of coronavirus disease to evaluate inactivated vaccine performance against either homologous challenge with SARS-CoV-2 or heterologous challenge with a bat-derived coronavirus that represents a potential emerging disease threat. We show that inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines adjuvanted with aluminum hydroxide can cause enhanced respiratory disease during heterologous infection, while use of an alternative adjuvant does not drive disease and promotes heterologous viral clearance. In this work, we highlight the impact of adjuvant selection on inactivated vaccine safety and efficacy against heterologous coronavirus infection.
Topics: Animals; COVID-19 Vaccines; Female; COVID-19; Mice; Vaccines, Inactivated; SARS-CoV-2; Aluminum Hydroxide; Disease Models, Animal; Adjuvants, Immunologic; Adjuvants, Vaccine; Antibodies, Viral; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Humans; Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus
PubMed: 38702297
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47450-x -
BMC Oral Health Apr 2024Dentin hypersensitivity, often occurring after dental treatments or from erosive lesions, is a prevalent patient complaint. This study introduces a paste combining 8%... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Evaluation and comparison of the effects of a new paste containing 8% L-Arginine and CaCO3 plus KNO3 on dentinal tubules occlusion and dental sensitivity: a randomized, triple blinded clinical trial study.
BACKGROUND
Dentin hypersensitivity, often occurring after dental treatments or from erosive lesions, is a prevalent patient complaint. This study introduces a paste combining 8% L-arginine, calcium carbonate, and potassium nitrate to evaluate its impact on dentinal tubules occlusion, dentin permeability, and tooth sensitivity.
METHODS
Dentin surfaces from 24 third molars (thickness: 2 mm) were divided into two groups of 12. One received the experimental paste, while the other received a placebo without desensitizer. Permeability and sealing ability were assessed through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and dentin permeability measurement. The pastes' effects on hypersensitivity were then examined in a triple-blind, randomized parallel-armed clinical trial with 16 eligible patients. Sensitivity to cold, touch, and spontaneous stimuli was recorded using the VAS scale at various intervals post-treatment. Statistical analysis was conducted using Shapiro-Wilk, Mann-Whitney U, Friedman, and Wilcoxon tests (α = 0.05).
RESULTS
The permeability test demonstrated a significant reduction in dentin permeability in the experimental group (P = 0.002) compared to the control (P = 0.178). SEM images revealed most dentinal tubules in the intervention samples to be occluded. Clinically, both groups showed a significant decrease in the three types of evaluated sensitivity throughout the study. However, no significant difference in sensitivities between the two groups was observed, with the exception of cold sensitivity at three months post-treatment (P = 0.054).
CONCLUSION
The innovative desensitizing paste featuring 8% L-arginine, calcium carbonate, and potassium nitrate effectively occluded dentinal tubules and reduced dentin permeability. It mitigated immediate and prolonged dentin hypersensitivity to various stimuli, supporting its potential role in managing dentin hypersensitivity.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
http://irct.ir : IRCT20220829055822N1, September 9th, 2022.
Topics: Humans; Dentin Sensitivity; Arginine; Calcium Carbonate; Nitrates; Male; Female; Potassium Compounds; Dentin Desensitizing Agents; Adult; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Dentin Permeability; Dentin; Toothpastes; Young Adult; Middle Aged
PubMed: 38685035
DOI: 10.1186/s12903-024-04298-3 -
Environmental Science and Pollution... May 2024In the current study, the catalyst for the decolorization of methyl orange (MO) was developed HAp-rGO by the aqueous precipitation approach. Then, bismuth(0)...
In the current study, the catalyst for the decolorization of methyl orange (MO) was developed HAp-rGO by the aqueous precipitation approach. Then, bismuth(0) nanoparticles (Bi NPs), which expect to show high activity, were reduced on the surface of the support material (HAp-rGO). The obtained catalyst was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. The parameters that remarkably affect the decolorization process (such as time, initial dye concentration, NaBH amount, and catalyst amount) have been examined by response surface methodology (RSM), an optimization method that has acquired increasing significance in recent years. In the decolorization of MO, the optimum conditions were identified as 2.91 min, Co: 18.85 mg/L, NaBH amount: 18.35 mM, and Bi/HAp-rGO dosage: 2.12 mg/mL with MO decolorization efficiency of 99.60%. The decolorization process of MO with Bi/HAp-rGO was examined in detail kinetically and thermodynamically. Additionally, the possible decolorization mechanism was clarified. The present work provides a new insight into the use of the optimization process for both the effective usage of Bi/HAp-rGO and the catalytic reduction of dyes.
Topics: Graphite; Azo Compounds; Bismuth; Durapatite; Catalysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical
PubMed: 38676869
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-33425-4