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International Journal of Environmental... Feb 2024One of the widely used microbiological methods to determine the toxicity of chemicals, catalysts, and other types of materials is the minimum inhibitory concentration... (Review)
Review
One of the widely used microbiological methods to determine the toxicity of chemicals, catalysts, and other types of materials is the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) test. The present study aims to investigate the influence of composition of composite materials based on TiO and their particle size as well as bacterial type and shape based on the MIC values reported in the literature. The results show that among the 36 articles selected, most of the studies used () (26) and () (19) bacteria to determine MIC values. This study revealed that the MIC in values below 70 µg ml for was lower than that for bacteria (below 200 µg ml). Importantly, MIC value decreased from 60.6 to 7.66 µg ml with decrease in the size of nanoparticles. It follows from the increased surface area for smaller-sized particles, thus increased interaction with bacteria during MIC test.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Staphylococcus aureus; Escherichia coli; Particle Size; Nanoparticles; Bacteria; Microbial Sensitivity Tests
PubMed: 36592384
DOI: 10.1080/09603123.2022.2163990 -
Clinica E Investigacion En... 2023Cardiovascular risk (CVR) is conventionally calculated by measuring the total cholesterol content of high-density lipoproteins (HDL) and low-density lipoproteins (LDL)....
OBJECTIVE
Cardiovascular risk (CVR) is conventionally calculated by measuring the total cholesterol content of high-density lipoproteins (HDL) and low-density lipoproteins (LDL). The purpose of this systematic review was to assess the CVR associated with LDL and HDL particle size and number as determined by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
A literature search was performed using the electronic databases MEDLINE and Scopus. All cohort and case-control studies published before January 1, 2019 that met the following inclusion criteria were included: HDL-P, LDL-P, HDL-Z and/or LDL-Z measured by NMR spectroscopy; cardiovascular event as an outcome variable; risk of cardiovascular events expressed as odds ratios or hazard ratios; only adult patients. A meta-analysis was performed for each exposure variable (4 for LDL and 5 for HDL) and for each exposure measure (highest versus lowest quartile and 1-standard deviation increment).
RESULTS
This review included 24 studies. Number of LDL particles was directly associated with CVR: risk increased by 28% with each standard deviation increment. LDL particle size was inversely and significantly associated with CVR: each standard deviation increment corresponded to an 8% risk reduction. CVR increased by 12% with each standard deviation increase in number of small LDL particles. HD, particle number and size were inversely associated with CVR.
CONCLUSION
Larger particle size provided greater protection, although this relationship was inconsistent between studies. Larger number of LDL particles and smaller LDL particle size are associated with increased CVR. Risk decreases with increasing number and size of HDL particles.
PubMed: 36522243
DOI: 10.1016/j.arteri.2022.11.001 -
The Science of the Total Environment Feb 2023Microplastics (<5 mm) (MPs) are widely distributed throughout the world, and their accumulation and migration in the environment have caused health and safety concerns.... (Review)
Review
Microplastics (<5 mm) (MPs) are widely distributed throughout the world, and their accumulation and migration in the environment have caused health and safety concerns. Currently, most of the reviewed literatures mainly focus on the distribution in various environmental media, adsorption mechanisms with different pollutants, and characterization of MPs. Therefore, the present review mainly highlights the characterization techniques of MPs and the underlying mechanisms of their combination with conventional coexisting substances (heavy metals, organic pollutants, and nutrients). We observed that massive MP pollution has been found in many areas, especially in Africa, Asia, India, South Africa, North America and Europe. The separation methods of MPs in different environmental media are basically similar, including sampling, pre-treatment, flotation, filtration and digestion. The combination of multiple characterization technologies can more precisely identify the shape, abundance, colour, and particle size of MPs. Notably, although recent reports have confirmed that MPs can act as carriers of heavy metals and carry them into organisms to cause harm, MPs have different adsorption and desorption characteristics for various heavy metals. The adsorption capacity of organic pollutants onto MPs is closely related to their hydrophobicity, specific surface area and functional group characteristics. The relative abundance of MPs in sediments and lakes had a significantly positive correlation with the mass concentration of total nitrogen in lake water, but this finding still needs to be further verified. Based on current research, we suggest that future MP research should focus on characterization technology, environmental migration, ecological effects, health risks and degradation methods.
Topics: Microplastics; Plastics; Environmental Pollutants; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Metals, Heavy; South Africa
PubMed: 36423843
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160151 -
Acta Biomaterialia Dec 2022Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease and is the main cause of chronic pain and functional disability in adults. Articular cartilage is a hydrated soft... (Review)
Review
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease and is the main cause of chronic pain and functional disability in adults. Articular cartilage is a hydrated soft tissue that is composed of normally quiescent chondrocytes at a low density, a dense network of collagen fibrils with a pore size of 60-200 nm, and aggrecan proteoglycans with high-density negative charge. Although certain drugs, nucleic acids, and proteins have the potential to slow the progression of OA and restore the joints, these treatments have not been clinically applied owing to the lack of an effective delivery system capable of breaking through the cartilage barrier. Recently, the development of nanotechnology for delivery systems renders new ideas and treatment methods viable in overcoming the limited penetration. In this review, we focus on current research on such applications of nanotechnology, including exosomes, protein-based cationic nanocarriers, cationic liposomes/solid lipid nanoparticles, amino acid-based nanocarriers, polyamide derivatives-based nanocarriers, manganese dioxide, and carbon nanotubes. Exosomes are the smallest known nanoscale extracellular vesicles, and they can quickly deliver nucleic acids or proteins to the required depth. Through electrostatic interactions, nanocarriers with appropriate balance in cationic property and particle size have a strong ability to penetrate cartilage. Although substantial preclinical evidence has been obtained, further optimization is necessary for clinical transformation. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The dense cartilage matrix with high-negative charge was associated with reduced therapeutic effect in osteoarthritis patients with deep pathological changes. However, a systematic review in nanodevices for deep cartilage penetration is still lacking. Current approaches to assure penetration of nanosystems into the depth of cartilage were reviewed, including nanoscale extracellular vesicles from different cell lines and nanocarriers with appropriate balance in cationic property and size particle. Moreover, nanodevices entering clinical trials and further optimization were also discussed, providing important guiding significance to future research.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Osteoarthritis; Nanotubes, Carbon; Cartilage, Articular; Chondrocytes; Cations; Proteins; Nucleic Acids
PubMed: 36243371
DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2022.10.007 -
Environmental Science and Pollution... Nov 2022An indoor environment in a hospital building requires a high indoor air quality (IAQ) to overcome patients' risks of getting wound infections without interrupting the... (Review)
Review
An indoor environment in a hospital building requires a high indoor air quality (IAQ) to overcome patients' risks of getting wound infections without interrupting the recovery process. However, several problems arose in obtaining a satisfactory IAQ, such as poor ventilation design strategies, insufficient air exchange, improper medical equipment placement and high door opening frequency. This paper presents an overview of various methods used for assessing the IAQ in hospital facilities, especially in an operating room, isolation room, anteroom, postoperative room, inpatient room and dentistry room. This review shows that both experimental and numerical methods demonstrated their advantages in the IAQ assessment. It was revealed that both airflow and particle tracking models could result in different particle dispersion predictions. The model selection should depend on the compatibility of the simulated result with the experimental measurement data. The primary and secondary forces affecting the characteristics of particle dispersion were also discussed in detail. The main contributing forces to the trajectory characteristics of a particle could be attributed to the gravitational force and drag force regardless of particle size. Meanwhile, the additional forces could be considered when there involves temperature gradient, intense light source, submicron particle, etc. The particle size concerned in a healthcare facility should be less than 20 μm as this particle size range showed a closer relationship with the virus load and a higher tendency to remain airborne. Also, further research opportunities that reflect a more realistic approach and improvement in the current assessment approach were proposed.
Topics: Humans; Air Movements; Ventilation; Air Pollution, Indoor; Particle Size; Delivery of Health Care
PubMed: 36194323
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-23407-9 -
Frontiers in Pharmacology 2022Cancer is an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, irrespective of the level of human development. Globally, it was estimated that there were 19.3...
Cancer is an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, irrespective of the level of human development. Globally, it was estimated that there were 19.3 million new cases of cancer and almost 10 million deaths from cancer in 2020. The importance of prevention, early detection as well as effective cancer therapies cannot be over-emphasized. One of the important strategies in cancer therapy is targeted drug delivery to the specific tumor sites. Nanogels are among the several drug delivery systems (DDS) being explored as potential candidates for targeted drug delivery in cancer therapy. Nanogels, which are new generation, versatile DDS with the possession of dual characteristics of hydrogels and nanoparticles have shown great potential as targeted DDS in cancer therapy. Nanogels are hydrogels with a three-dimensional (3D) tunable porous structure and a particle size in the nanometre range, from 20 to 200 nm. They have been visualized as ideal DDS with enormous drug loading capacity, and high stability. Nanogels can be modified to achieve active targeting and enhance drug accumulation in disease sites. They can be designed to be stimulus-responsive, and react to internal or external stimuli such as pH, temperature, light, redox, thus resulting in the controlled release of loaded drug. This prevents drug accumulation in non-target tissues and minimizes the side effects of the drug. Drugs with severe adverse effects, short circulation half-life, and easy degradability by enzymes, such as anti-cancer drugs, and proteins, are suitable for delivery by chemically cross-linked or physically assembled nanogel systems. This systematic review summarizes the evolution of nanogels for targeted drug delivery for cancer therapy over the last decade. On-going clinical trials and recent applications of nanogels as targeted DDS for cancer therapy will be discussed in detail. The review will be concluded with discussions on safety and regulatory considerations as well as future research prospects of nanogel-targeted drug delivery for cancer therapy.
PubMed: 36160424
DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.874510 -
Interventional Neuroradiology : Journal... Feb 2024In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we investigated the efficacy and safety of middle meningeal artery embolization (MMAE) using particle embolic agents to... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
OBJECTIVE
In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we investigated the efficacy and safety of middle meningeal artery embolization (MMAE) using particle embolic agents to treat cSDH.
METHODS
To retrieve articles investigating outcomes of patients following MMAE with particle agents and to compare their outcome with conventional treatment, Scopus, PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were searched using relevant keywords. Original articles with more than 10 cases were included. The meta-analysis was carried out using the R studio and the random-effects model. Publication bias was assessed using Peter's test and quality assessment using NIH tools.
RESULTS
Eleven studies with 359 patients were included. The analysis revealed a pooled recurrence rate of 5% (CI: 3-8%), a need for reoperation rate of 5% (3-9%), and a peri-procedural complication rate of 4% (CI:2-9%) following MMAE with particle embolic agents. The pooled rates of decrease in size or resolution of the hematoma were 85% (CI:66-94%) and 66% (39-86%), respectively. Comparing MMAE using particulate embolysate with conventional treatments, risk ratio (RR) of 0.10 (CI:0.04-0.27) was achieved for recurrence, 0.25(CI:0.13-0.49) for reoperation, and 0.34 (CI:0.16-0.27) for peri-procedural complications. 91% of cSDH cases responded to MMAE with particles in the way they showed either down-sizing or complete resolution of the hematoma on follow-up imaging. In comparison, this rate was found to be 63% following conventional treatment.
CONCLUSION
Middle meningeal artery embolization using particle embolysates is a safe and effective technique for the treatment of cSDH, whether as a standalone intervention or in combination with conventional treatments.
Topics: Humans; Hematoma, Subdural, Chronic; Meningeal Arteries; Embolization, Therapeutic; Reoperation; Hematoma
PubMed: 36112765
DOI: 10.1177/15910199221125977 -
Food Research International (Ottawa,... Oct 2022The phenomenon of protein aggregation in food science is very common, but the formation mechanism is unclear. The formation of protein aggregates (PAs) is influenced by... (Review)
Review
The phenomenon of protein aggregation in food science is very common, but the formation mechanism is unclear. The formation of protein aggregates (PAs) is influenced by various factors, and aggregates with different sizes and shapes play an important role in food systems. Although there have been many reports on food PAs, many challenges still need to be addressed, and a systematic literature review is lacking. Thus, hypotheses about the PAs formation mechanism were summarized, and the fibrosis aggregates formation mechanism was described. The main findings of this paper indicate that the forces driving protein aggregation are covalent and non-covalent cross-linking interactions. The determination of PAs is mainly based on protein particle size combined with multispectral methods. PAs are not only associated with protein functional properties (such as emulsion and gel) but also related to harmful substances (such as advanced glycation end products, AGEs) formation. Finally, the applications of PAs in food science were summarized. Outlook and challenges were described from the perspectives of food processing conditions and parameters, food components and their interactions, food nutrition and health relationships, etc. This review will attract more food scientists to participate in related research on protein aggregation in the future.
Topics: Biophysical Phenomena; Emulsions; Food Handling; Protein Aggregates; Proteins
PubMed: 36076462
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2022.111725 -
Clinical and Translational Radiation... Nov 2022A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to better understand the benefits of particle beam therapy for nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) treatment. The survival... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE
A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to better understand the benefits of particle beam therapy for nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) treatment. The survival outcomes and toxicity of primary and recurrent NPC patients treated with proton or carbon ion beam therapy were investigated.
METHOD
PubMed, Scopus, and Embase were searched between 1 January 2007 to 3 November 2021. The inclusion and exclusion criteria included studies with either primary or recurrent NPC patients, sample size of ≥10 patients, and proton or carbon ion beam therapy as interventions. Twenty-six eligible studies with a total of 1502 patients were included. We used a random-effect meta-analysis to examine the impact of particle beam therapy on primary NPC patients and qualitatively described the results among recurrent patients. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS), while secondary outcomes included progression-free survival (PFS), local control (LC) and toxicity.
RESULTS
The pooled OS at 1-year, 2-year and 3-year and 5-year for primary NPC patients who received particle beam therapy were 96 % (95 % confidence interval (CI) = 92 %-98 %), 93 % (95 % CI = 83 %-97 %), 90 % (95 % CI = 73 %-97 %) and 73 % (95 % CI = 52 %-87 %) respectively. The pooled 1-year and 2-year PFS, and LC for these patients were above 90 %. For locally recurrent NPC patients, the 1-year OS rate ranged from 65 % to 92 %, while the 1-year LC rate ranged from 80 % to 88 %. Both proton and carbon ion beam therapy were generally safe among primary and recurrent patients, with ≥G3 late toxicity rates of 20 % or less. Approximately a 5 % mortality rate was reported among recurrent patients.
CONCLUSIONS
This systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrated particle beam therapy has great potential in treating NPC, yielding excellent survival outcomes with low toxicity. However, further investigations are needed to assess the long-term outcomes and cost-effectiveness of this newer form of radiotherapy.
PubMed: 36065359
DOI: 10.1016/j.ctro.2022.08.011 -
Environmental Pollution (Barking, Essex... Nov 2022Exposure measurement error is an important source of bias in epidemiological studies. We assessed the validity of employing ambient (outdoor) measurements as proxies of... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Exposure measurement error is an important source of bias in epidemiological studies. We assessed the validity of employing ambient (outdoor) measurements as proxies of personal exposures at individual levels focusing on fine particles (PM) and black carbon (BC)/elemental carbon (EC) on a global scale. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis and searched databases (ISI Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE®, Ovid Embase, and Ovid BIOSIS) to retrieve observational studies in English language published from 1 January 2006 until 5 May 2021. Correlation coefficients (r) between paired ambient (outdoor) concentration and personal exposure for PM or BC/EC were standardized as effect size. We used random-effects meta-analyses to pool the correlation coefficients and investigated the causes of heterogeneity and publication bias. Furthermore, we employed subgroup and meta-regression analyses to evaluate the modification of pooled estimates by potential mediators. This systematic review identified thirty-two observational studies involving 1744 subjects from ten countries, with 28 studies for PM and 11 studies for BC/EC. Personal PM exposure is more strongly correlated with ambient (outdoor) concentrations (0.63, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.57-0.68) than personal BC/EC exposure (0.49, 95% CI: 0.38-0.59), with significant differences in ṝ (0.14, 95% CI: 0.03-0.25; p < 0.05). The results demonstrated that the health status of participants was a significant modifier of pooled correlations. In addition, the personal to ambient (P/A) ratio for PM and average ambient BC/EC levels were potential effect moderators of the pooled ṝ. The funnel plots and Egger's regression test indicated inevident publication bias. The pooled estimates were robust through sensitivity analyses. The results support the growing consensus that the validity coefficient of proxy measures should be addressed when interpreting results from epidemiological studies to better understand how strong health outcomes are affected by different levels of PM and their components.
Topics: Air Pollutants; Carbon; Databases, Factual; Environmental Exposure; Humans; Particulate Matter; Regression Analysis; Soot
PubMed: 36037851
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120030