-
Biomaterials Advances Jun 2024Microbial colonization and development of infections in wounds is a sign of chronicity. The prevailing approach to manage and treat these wounds involves dressings....
Microbial colonization and development of infections in wounds is a sign of chronicity. The prevailing approach to manage and treat these wounds involves dressings. However, these often fail in effectively addressing infections, as they struggle to both absorb exudates and maintain optimal local moisture. The system here presented was conceptualized with a three-layer design: the outer layer made of a fibrous polycaprolactone (PCL) film, to act as a barrier for preventing microorganisms and impurities from reaching the wound; the intermediate layer formed of a sodium alginate (SA) hydrogel loaded with ampicillin (Amp) for fighting infections; and the inner layer comprised of a fibrous film of PCL and polyethylene glycol (PEG) for facilitating cell recognition and preventing wound adhesion. Thermal evaluations, degradation, wettability and release behavior testing confirmed the system resistance overtime. The sandwich demonstrated the capability for absorbing exudates (≈70 %) and exhibited a controlled release of Amp for up to 24 h. Antimicrobial testing was performed against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, as representatives of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria: >99 % elimination of bacteria. Cell cytotoxicity assessments showed high cytocompatibility levels, confirming the safety of the proposed sandwich system. Adhesion assays confirmed the system ease of detaching without mechanical effort (0.37 N). Data established the efficiency of the sandwich-like system, suggesting promising applications in infected wound care.
PubMed: 38924805
DOI: 10.1016/j.bioadv.2024.213931 -
Cornea Jun 2024To describe a novel technique in which a contact lens was used to facilitate Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) in an eye with an anterior chamber...
PURPOSE
To describe a novel technique in which a contact lens was used to facilitate Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) in an eye with an anterior chamber intraocular lens (ACIOL).
METHODS
A 71-year-old man with a long-standing ACIOL developed bullous keratopathy. As the patient was at high risk of complications due to multiple ocular comorbidities, DMEK was performed with the ACIOL left in the anterior chamber. An inserted cosmetic contact lens was used as a platform for the graft unfolding.
RESULTS
Partial graft detachment on the third postoperative day required rebubbling. This successfully cleared up the cornea after a few weeks. At the one-month follow-up, the uncorrected distance visual acuity improved to 20/50, with an endothelial cell loss of 35.2%. Steroid-induced ocular hypertension necessitated a trabeculectomy by the fifth postoperative month. At the sixth follow-up month, endothelial cell loss was 64%.
CONCLUSIONS
Contact lens-assisted DMEK is a safe procedure for eyes with an ACIOL. However, good foresight is needed regarding whether the ACIOL should be kept or exchanged.
PubMed: 38923507
DOI: 10.1097/ICO.0000000000003606 -
Advanced Science (Weinheim,... Jun 2024Photoimmunotherapy faces challenges due to insufficient intratumoral accumulation of photothermal agents and the reversion of the cancer-immunity cycle during treatment....
Photoimmunotherapy faces challenges due to insufficient intratumoral accumulation of photothermal agents and the reversion of the cancer-immunity cycle during treatment. In this study, an anti-PD-L1-immobilized magnetic gold nanohut, AuNH-2-Ab, with photoresponsive, thermosensitive, and immunomodulatory properties to effectively suppress the growth of primary tumors, elevate immunogenic cell death (ICD) levels, reverse the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME), and consequently inhibit metastases are developed. AuNH-2-Ab achieves high tumor accumulation (9.54% injected dose) following systemic administration, allowing the modulation of hyperthermia dose of over 50 °C in the tumor. By optimizing the hyperthermia dose, AuNH-2-Ab simultaneously target and eliminate cancer cells and tumor-associated macrophages, thereby activating potent antitumor immunity without being compromised by immunosuppressive elements. Hyperthermia/pH induced morphological transformation of AuNH-2-Ab involving the detachment of the surface antibody for in situ PD-L1 inhibition, and exposure of the inner fucoidan layer for natural killer (NK) cell activation. This precision photoimmunotherapy approach reprograms the TIME, significantly prolongs survival in a murine hepatocellular carcinoma model (Hep55.1c), and harnesses the synergistic effects of ICD production and checkpoint inhibitors by utilizing a single nanoplatform.
PubMed: 38923327
DOI: 10.1002/advs.202404347 -
International Ophthalmology Jun 2024To examine the rate of ciliary body detachment in patients with choroidal detachment following glaucoma surgery and its effect on the clinical course, management, and... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
PURPOSE
To examine the rate of ciliary body detachment in patients with choroidal detachment following glaucoma surgery and its effect on the clinical course, management, and prognosis.
METHODS
A prospective observational case-series study. Patients with choroidal detachment following glaucoma surgery in 2018-2019 were included. All underwent complete ophthalmological examination and ultrasound biomicroscopy for evaluation of the presence and extent of ciliary body detachment. Follow-up examinations including ultrasound biomicroscopy scans were performed at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months.
RESULTS
Eight patients (8 eyes) were enrolled, 4 male and 4 female, of mean age 72 years (range 60-83). Five patients underwent trabeculectomy with mitomycin C (0.02%), which was combined with phacoemulsification cataract extraction in one; two underwent Ahmed glaucoma valve implantations, and one underwent ab-interno Xen45 gel stent implantation with mitomycin C (0.02%). The mean intraocular pressure was 26.0 ± 7.65 mmHg preoperatively, dropping to 6.9 ± 2.64 mmHg on first postoperative day one. Mean time from surgery to diagnosis of choroidal detachment was 11.6 ± 5.73 days. Ciliary body detachment was identified by ultrasound biomicroscopy in all patients, ranging between one and four quadrants. All patients were treated with topical steroids and cycloplegics; three (37.5%) received oral steroids. No surgical intervention for the choroidal or ciliary body detachments was indicated.
CONCLUSIONS
In this real-world prospective study, concurrent ciliary body detachment was identified in all patients who presented with choroidal detachment following glaucoma surgery. This observation may deepen our understanding of the mechanism underlying the hypotony that is often seen after glaucoma surgery.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Ciliary Body; Aged; Prospective Studies; Middle Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Intraocular Pressure; Choroidal Effusions; Glaucoma; Postoperative Complications; Microscopy, Acoustic; Follow-Up Studies; Trabeculectomy; Glaucoma Drainage Implants; Visual Acuity; Uveal Diseases; Tomography, Optical Coherence
PubMed: 38922523
DOI: 10.1007/s10792-024-03219-1 -
Journal of Fungi (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024Grapevine () is one of the major economic fruit crops but suffers many diseases, causing damage to the quality of grapes. Strain G166 was isolated from the rhizosphere...
Grapevine () is one of the major economic fruit crops but suffers many diseases, causing damage to the quality of grapes. Strain G166 was isolated from the rhizosphere of grapevine and was found to exhibited broad-spectrum antagonistic activities against fungal pathogens on grapes in vitro, such as , and . Whole-genome sequencing revealed that G166 contained a 6,613,582 bp circular chromosome with 5749 predicted coding DNA sequences and an average GC content of 60.57%. TYGS analysis revealed that G166 belongs to . Phenotype analysis indicated that G166 remarkably reduced the severity of grape white rot disease in the grapevine. After inoculation with , more HO and MDA accumulated in the leaves and resulted in decreases in the Pn and chlorophyll content. Conversely, G166-treated grapevine displayed less oxidative damage with lower HO levels and MDA contents under the pathogen treatments. Subsequently, G166-treated grapevine could sustain a normal Pn and chlorophyll content. Moreover, the application of G166 inhibited the growth of mycelia on detached leaves and berries, while more disease symptoms occurred in non-bacterized leaves and berries. Therefore, G166 served as a powerful bioagent against grape white rot disease. Using antiSMASH prediction and genome comparisons, a relationship between non-ribosomal peptide synthase clusters and antifungal activity was found in the genome of G166. Taken together, G166 shows promising antifungal potential to improve fruit quality and yield in ecological agriculture.
PubMed: 38921384
DOI: 10.3390/jof10060398 -
Biomimetics (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024A numerical method for generating dynamic stall using ANSYS Fluent and a user-defined function (UDF), with the complete script shared for reference, is introduced and...
A numerical method for generating dynamic stall using ANSYS Fluent and a user-defined function (UDF), with the complete script shared for reference, is introduced and tested. The study draws inspiration from bird flight, exploring dynamic stall as a method for achieving enhanced aerodynamic performance. The numerical method was tested on NACA 0012 airfoils with corresponding chord lengths of c1=40 mm, c2=150 mm, and c3=300 mm at Reynolds numbers ranging from Re1=2.8×104 up to Re5=1.04×106. Airfoil oscillations were settled for all cases at ω=0.55 Hz. Detached eddy simulation (DES) is employed as the turbulence model for the simulations presented, ensuring the accurate representation of the flow characteristics and dynamic stall phenomena. The study provides a detailed methodology, encouraging further exploration by researchers, especially young academics and students.
PubMed: 38921219
DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics9060339 -
Diseases (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdown countermeasure may have significantly affected adolescents' physical and mental health. This study aims to assess...
The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdown countermeasure may have significantly affected adolescents' physical and mental health. This study aims to assess adolescents' recollections of this period, also analyzing their current weight status along with factors they traced back to the epidemic phase and their current sports practice. A survey among 233 Italian adolescents aged 12.4 ± 0.9 years was conducted in October 2023. To achieve the research objectives, a new questionnaire was developed: the COVID-19 AdolesceNt/chilDren Lockdown Experience questionnaire (CANDLE). The new questionnaire was employed to gather data on the adolescents' recollections of the lockdown situation they experienced. The stature and weight of participants were measured directly. The results indicated that middle schoolers remember both positive and negative experiences of the lockdown: the change perceived as the most positive was spending more time with family, while social detachment from peers represents the most negative aspect. According to multivariate regression analysis, certain behaviors they assumed during the lockdown, such as comfort food consumption in boys and sleeping disturbances in girls, in addition to their current sports practice, affected their actual Body Mass Index. This study supports the evidence that changes caused by the COVID-19 lockdown affected adolescents' physical and mental health, albeit with sex differences.
PubMed: 38920548
DOI: 10.3390/diseases12060116 -
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces... Jun 2024Cartilage defects in large joints are a common occurrence in numerous degenerative diseases, especially in osteoarthritis. The hydrogel-on-metal composite has emerged as...
Cartilage defects in large joints are a common occurrence in numerous degenerative diseases, especially in osteoarthritis. The hydrogel-on-metal composite has emerged as a potential candidate material, as hydrogels, to some extent, replicate the composition of human articular cartilage consisting of collagen fibers and proteoglycans. However, achieving tough bonding between the hydrogel and titanium alloy remains a significant challenge due to the swelling of the hydrogel in a liquid medium. This swelling results in reduced interfacial toughness between the hydrogel and titanium alloy, limiting its potential clinical applications. Herein, our approach aimed to achieve durable bonding between a hydrogel and a titanium alloy composite in a swollen state by modifying the surface texture of the titanium alloy. Various textures, including circular and triangular patterns, with dimple densities ranging from 10 to 40%, were created on the surface of the titanium alloy. Subsequently, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogel was deposited onto the textured titanium alloy using a casting-drying method. Our findings revealed that PVA hydrogel on the textured titanium alloy with a 30% texture density exhibited the highest interfacial toughness in the swollen state, measuring at 1300 J m after reaching equilibrium swelling in deionized water, which is a more than 2-fold increase compared to the hydrogel on a smooth substrate. Furthermore, we conducted an analysis of the morphologies of the detached hydrogel from the textured titanium alloy after various swelling durations. The results indicated that interfacial toughness could be enhanced through mechanical interlocking, facilitated by the expanded volume of the hydrogel protrusions as the swelling time increased. Collectively, our study demonstrates the feasibility of achieving tough bonding between a hydrogel and a metal substrate in a liquid environment. This research opens up promising avenues for designing soft/hard heterogeneous materials with strong adhesive properties.
PubMed: 38920266
DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c00120 -
Telemedicine Journal and E-health : the... Jun 2024The availability and utilization of telehealth services have been rapidly increasing in the past decade, which paved the way for ophthalmological care to be offered...
Assessment of a Telehealth Platform in Evaluating the Urgency of Ophthalmical Consultation in the Middle East and North Africa Region: The Red Flags of Retinal Detachment.
The availability and utilization of telehealth services have been rapidly increasing in the past decade, which paved the way for ophthalmological care to be offered more easily and conveniently. However, the proficiency of telehealth in the context of ophthalmical care still requires further studies to prove its effectiveness. This study examined the proficiency of general practitioners in a telemedicine platform in identifying red flag symptoms, suggestive of retinal detachment, and devising optimal management strategies. Our cross-sectional study used chat-based consultations on Altibbi Telemedicine platform (2018-2023) to study ophthalmical patients presenting with "blurred vision" or "blindness." Those endorsing red flag symptoms were categorized as having "positive symptomatology" and those reporting none as having "negative symptomatology." Management plans were classified as referral or reassuring. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM's Statistical Package for Social Sciences to examine associations between symptomatology and other variables. values below 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Five hundred and fifty ( = 550) patients with a mean age 22.5 ± 13 years were included. Patients expressing positive symptomatology were more likely to be referred relative to those expressing negative symptomatology (81% vs. 61%, < 0.001). No significant difference was found between genders and referral ( = 0.053) or age and referral ( = 0.231). Multivariate regression showed a significant correlation between positive symptoms and referral (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.0; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.3-3.3), none between gender (aOR: 1.5; 95% CI: 0.9-2.2) or age (aOR: 1.0; 95% CI: 0.9-1.1) and referral odds. The telemedicine platform studied is effective in referring cases with red flag symptoms to urgent care, regardless of age and gender.
PubMed: 38920007
DOI: 10.1089/tmj.2024.0111 -
Frontiers in Medicine 2024We describe a technique to reattach the detached Descemet's membrane, following cataract surgery. From the main clear corneal cataract incision, aqueous humor is ejected...
We describe a technique to reattach the detached Descemet's membrane, following cataract surgery. From the main clear corneal cataract incision, aqueous humor is ejected completely by apposition of the cornea to the iris for approximately 3 s. This ensures the fluid in the space between the stroma and Descemet's membrane is ejected and the detached Descemet's membrane returns to its original position. Sterile air is injected through a paracentesis 180 degrees away from the Descemet's membrane detachment, to maintain a complete air-filled chamber. Full air tamponade is maintained for 20 min, following which one-third of the air is ejected from the chamber to prevent an increase of postoperative intraocular pressure.
PubMed: 38919939
DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1402853