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Scientific Reports Mar 2021Microfluidic devices have been used progressively in biomedical research due to the advantages they offer, such as relatively low-cost, rapid and precise processing, and...
Microfluidic devices have been used progressively in biomedical research due to the advantages they offer, such as relatively low-cost, rapid and precise processing, and an ability to support highly automated analyses. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) are both biocompatible materials widely used in microfluidics due to their desirable characteristics. It is recognized that combining these two particular materials in a single microfluidic device would enable the development of an increasingly in-demand array of new applications, including those requiring high flow rates and elevated pressures. Whereas complicated and time-consuming efforts have been reported for bonding these two materials, the robust adhesion of PDMS and PMMA has not yet been accomplished, and remains a challenge. In this study, a new, simple, efficient, and low-cost method has been developed to mediate a strong bond between PMMA and PDMS layers at room temperature in less than 5 min using biocompatible adhesive tape and oxygen plasma treatment. The PDMS-PMMA bond was hydrolytically stable, and could tolerate a high influx of fluid without any leakage. This study addresses the limitations of existing approaches to bond these materials, and will enable the development of highly sought high-pressure and high-throughput biomedical applications.
PubMed: 33649369
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83011-8 -
Clean Technologies and Environmental... 2022Today, Fe-Al intermetallic compounds are receiving a great interest from the mechanical, aerospace, and biomedical industries. A novel production process for Fe-Al...
Today, Fe-Al intermetallic compounds are receiving a great interest from the mechanical, aerospace, and biomedical industries. A novel production process for Fe-Al intermetallic powders based on the generation of metallic tapes by rapid solidification and disintegration by water vapor was proposed. In this research work, a comparison is made between the energy required to manufacture of Fe-Al powder using the aforementioned process and one of the most commonly used manufacturing processes within the industry such as mechanical alloying. In addition, some other benefits of the proposed manufacturing process are analyzed. To carry out this comparison, the theoretical equations that take into account the most important variables involved during the process such as the type of material and hardness, the initial and final particle size, the grinding stages and the heating of the treatment powder were considered. In the case of calculating the energy required for the new proposed process, the two main stages were considered such as (1) the production of FeAl metal tape and (2) the subsequent transformation of the tape into powder by means of injection water vapor. For the first stage, the CASTRIP process is considered, and for the second stage, the energy required for the generation steam. Although the calculations may have certain limitations, it is obvious that the energy required to Fe-Al powder production using the new process is much lower than that required by mechanical alloying, resulting in at least three orders of magnitude lower (2.75 × 10 versus 2.206 × 10 kJ/ton). This lower energy implies considerable economic savings in the production process. On the other hand, when using water as a grinding medium during the process, it results in less environmental and acoustic pollution, less manipulation risks for humans and finally, no harmful agents or additives are used, making the proposed process sustainable.
PubMed: 34720799
DOI: 10.1007/s10098-021-02226-5 -
The American Journal of Sports Medicine Dec 2023Reconstruction using autograft remains the gold standard surgical treatment for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. However, up to 10% to 15% of patients will...
BACKGROUND
Reconstruction using autograft remains the gold standard surgical treatment for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. However, up to 10% to 15% of patients will suffer a graft failure in the future. Cadaveric studies have demonstrated that the addition of suture tape augmentation to ACL autograft constructs can increase graft strength and reduce elongation under cyclical loading.
PURPOSE/HYPOTHESIS
This study aimed to investigate the clinical outcomes and rerupture rates after ACL reconstruction (ACLR) with suture tape augmentation. We hypothesized that augmentation with suture tape would lead to lower rerupture rates.
STUDY DESIGN
Case series; Level of evidence, 4.
METHODS
Patients undergoing primary ACLR using hamstring or patellar tendon autografts augmented with suture tape between 2015 and 2019 were recruited prospectively. Patients with multiligament injuries or a concomitant lateral extra-articular procedure were excluded. Patients were observed in person for 6 months, and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) were collected at 2 and 5 years postoperatively. All patients were contacted, and records were reviewed to determine the incidence of graft failure. PROMs collected were as follows: Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey (VR-12), Tegner and Marx activity scores, and visual analog scale for pain (VAS).
RESULTS
A total of 97 patients, with a mean age of 34.7 (±13.4) years, were included (76% men; 52 hamstring and 45 patellar tendon grafts). The mean graft diameter was 8 (±1) mm. There was 1 rerupture (1.1%) out of the 90 patients who were contactable at a mean of 5 years postoperatively. Median KOOS scores at 2 years were as follows: Pain, 94; Symptoms, 86; Activities of Daily Living, 99; Sport and Recreation, 82; and Quality of Life, 81. The postoperative scores were significantly higher than the preoperative scores ( < .001). The VR-12 Physical score improved from 43 preoperatively to 55 at 2 years and remained at 56 at 5 years. The VAS pain, Tegner, and Marx scores were 0, 6, and 9, respectively, at 2 years postoperatively. There was no difference in PROMs between graft types.
CONCLUSION
This study demonstrates encouraging results of suture tape augmentation of autograft ACLR for both hamstring and patellar tendon grafts. The failure rate of 1.1% at a mean follow-up of 5 years is lower than published rates for reconstruction, and PROMs results are satisfactory. The technique is safe to use and may permit a return to the preinjury sporting level with a lower chance of reinjury.
Topics: Male; Humans; Adult; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Activities of Daily Living; Quality of Life; Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction; Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries; Sutures; Autografts; Pain; Hamstring Tendons
PubMed: 37975527
DOI: 10.1177/03635465231207623 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2019The traditional diagnostic gold standard for inflammatory skin lesions of unclear etiology is dermato-histopathology. As this approach requires an invasive skin biopsy,... (Review)
Review
The traditional diagnostic gold standard for inflammatory skin lesions of unclear etiology is dermato-histopathology. As this approach requires an invasive skin biopsy, biopsy processing and analysis by specialized histologists, it is a resource intensive approach requiring trained healthcare professionals. In many health care settings access to this diagnostic approach can be difficult and outside emergency cases will usually take several weeks. This scenario leads to delayed or inappropriate treatment given to patients. With dramatically increased sensitivity of a range of analysis systems including mass spectrometry, high sensitivity, multiplex ELISA based systems and PCR approaches we are now able to "measure" samples with unprecedented sensitivity and accuracy. Other important developments include the long-term monitoring of parameters using microneedle approaches and the improvement in imaging systems such as optical coherence tomography. In this review we will focus on recent achievements regarding measurements from non-invasive sampling, in particular from plucked hair and skin tape-strips which seem well suited for the diagnosis of lupus erythematosus and psoriatic inflammation, respectively. While these approaches will not replace clinical observation-they can contribute to improved subgroup diagnosis, stratified therapeutic approaches and have great potential for providing molecular and mechanistic insight in to inflammatory skin diseases.
Topics: Hair Follicle; Humans; Inflammation; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic; Psoriasis; Skin; Skin Tests
PubMed: 31497014
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.01931 -
Journal of Microscopy Aug 2015Serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBEM) is becoming increasingly popular for a wide range of applications in many disciplines from biology to material... (Review)
Review
Serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBEM) is becoming increasingly popular for a wide range of applications in many disciplines from biology to material sciences. This review focuses on applications for circuit reconstruction in neuroscience, which is one of the major driving forces advancing SBEM. Neuronal circuit reconstruction poses exceptional challenges to volume EM in terms of resolution, field of view, acquisition time and sample preparation. Mapping the connections between neurons in the brain is crucial for understanding information flow and information processing in the brain. However, information on the connectivity between hundreds or even thousands of neurons densely packed in neuronal microcircuits is still largely missing. Volume EM techniques such as serial section TEM, automated tape-collecting ultramicrotome, focused ion-beam scanning electron microscopy and SBEM (microtome serial block-face scanning electron microscopy) are the techniques that provide sufficient resolution to resolve ultrastructural details such as synapses and provides sufficient field of view for dense reconstruction of neuronal circuits. While volume EM techniques are advancing, they are generating large data sets on the terabyte scale that require new image processing workflows and analysis tools. In this review, we present the recent advances in SBEM for circuit reconstruction in neuroscience and an overview of existing image processing and analysis pipelines.
Topics: Animals; Brain; Connectome; Histocytological Preparation Techniques; Imaging, Three-Dimensional; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Microtomy; Neural Pathways; Neurons; Neurosciences; Synapses
PubMed: 25907464
DOI: 10.1111/jmi.12244 -
Fertility and Sterility Apr 2006To explore the experience of infertility among low-income Latinos.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the experience of infertility among low-income Latinos.
DESIGN
Ethnographic qualitative interview study.
SETTING
Academic research environment.
PATIENT(S)
One hundred eighteen Latinos who sought medical care for infertility.
INTERVENTION(S)
Tape-recorded interviews with 88 women and 30 men were transcribed and analyzed for emergent themes.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)
Cultural beliefs regarding fertility and infertility, the value placed on having children, access to and use of health care resources, and non-biomedical approaches to having children.
RESULT(S)
Latino women and men believed that children were the basis of the marital relationship and that childless marriages were considered a failure. No couples had the economic resources to pursue medical treatment beyond a basic level. A difference was found in approaches to infertility treatment between women raised in the United States and those raised elsewhere, with those raised in the United States being more assertive in seeking care. Women frequently saw practitioners of Western biomedicine and humoral medicine. Women reported that they would continue trying to conceive until they reached menopause.
CONCLUSION(S)
Infertility is a devastating experience for Latinos that has far-reaching effects, both on women and men individually and on the couple relationship.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Female; Hispanic or Latino; Humans; Infertility; Interviews as Topic; Male; Marriage; Middle Aged; Patient Acceptance of Health Care; Poverty; San Francisco
PubMed: 16580369
DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2005.09.052 -
Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) Nov 2019This study aimed to explore the accuracy and precision of three-dimensional optical (3DO) whole-body scanning for automated anthropometry and estimating total and...
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to explore the accuracy and precision of three-dimensional optical (3DO) whole-body scanning for automated anthropometry and estimating total and regional body composition.
METHODS
Healthy children and adolescents (n = 181, ages 5-17 years) were recruited for the Shape Up! Kids study. Each participant underwent whole-body dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and 3DO scans; multisite conventional tape measurements served as the anthropometric criterion measure. 3DO body shape was described using automated body circumference, length, and volume measures. 3DO estimates were compared with criterion measures using simple linear regression by the stepwise selection method.
RESULTS
Of the 181 participants, 112 were used for the training set, 49 were used for the test set, and 20 were excluded for technical reasons. 3DO body composition estimates were strongly associated with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry measures for percent body fat, fat mass, and fat-free mass (R : 0.83, 0.96, and 0.98, respectively). 3DO provided reliable measurements of fat mass (coefficient of variation, 3.30; root mean square error [RMSE], 0.53), fat-free mass (coefficient of variation, 1.34; RMSE, 0.53 kg), and percent body fat (RMSE = 1.2%).
CONCLUSIONS
3DO surface scanning provides accurate and precise anthropometric and body composition estimates in children and adolescents with high precision. 3DO is a safe, accessible, and practical method for evaluating body shape and composition in research and clinical settings.
Topics: Absorptiometry, Photon; Adolescent; Anthropometry; Body Composition; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Humans; Imaging, Three-Dimensional; Male; Whole Body Imaging
PubMed: 31689009
DOI: 10.1002/oby.22637 -
International Journal of Pharmaceutics Mar 2020Local anaesthetics are administered as a diffuse superficial slow injection in blepharoplasty. Current transcutaneous local anaesthetic formulations are not licensed for...
Local anaesthetics are administered as a diffuse superficial slow injection in blepharoplasty. Current transcutaneous local anaesthetic formulations are not licensed for use on the face due to safety concerns. Here we report for the first time the permeation of local anaesthetics (lidocaine, bupivacaine loaded SNEDDS and their hydrogels) across human eyelid and mouse skin as a novel and ocular safe formulation for eyelid surgery. SNEDDS were loaded with high levels of anaesthetics and incorporated within carbomer hydrogels to yield nano-enabled gels. Lidocaine hydrogels have a significantly reduced lag time compared to EMLA, while they enhance lidocaine flux across human eyelid skin by 5.2 fold. Ex vivo tape stripping experiments indicated localisation of anaesthetics within the stratum corneum and dermis. Initial histopathological studies have shown no apparent signs of skin irritation. These results highlight the potential clinical capability of nano-enabled anaesthetic hydrogels as a non-invasive anaesthetic procedure for eyelid surgery.
Topics: Acrylic Resins; Administration, Cutaneous; Anesthetics, Local; Animals; Bupivacaine; Drug Delivery Systems; Emulsions; Eyelids; Humans; Hydrogels; Lidocaine; Lidocaine, Prilocaine Drug Combination; Male; Mice; Nanogels; Nanotechnology; Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures; Skin Absorption
PubMed: 31935474
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2019.119003 -
Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine Oct 2021Tape-type suture material is well-accepted in arthroscopy surgery.
BACKGROUND
Tape-type suture material is well-accepted in arthroscopy surgery.
PURPOSE
To compare the knot security of a high-tensile strength round suture and high-tensile strength tape with commonly used arthroscopic knots.
STUDY DESIGN
Controlled laboratory study.
METHODS
We compared the performance of No. 2 braided nonabsorbable high-strength suture with that of 1.3-mm braided nonabsorbable high-strength tape. Five commonly used arthroscopic knots were investigated: the Roeder knot; the Western knot; the Samsung Medical Center (SMC) knot; the Tennessee knot; and a static surgeon's knot. Seven knots were tied for each combination of knots and suture types. Knots were tied on a 30-mm circumferential metal post, and the suture loops were transferred to a materials testing machine. After preloading to 5 N, all specimens were loaded to failure. The clinical failure load, defined as the maximal force to failure at 3 mm of crosshead displacement, yield load, and stiffness, were recorded. A 2-way analysis of variance was used to determine differences between the groups.
RESULTS
Both suture type and knot type significantly affected the clinical failure load, yield load, and stiffness ( = .002). The high-strength tape resulted in a significantly greater clinical failure load than the high-strength suture in the case of the Roeder knot, Western knot, and SMC knot ( = .027, .005, and .016, respectively). When the high-strength round suture was used, the Roeder knot, Western knot, and SMC knot resulted in significantly smaller clinical failure loads compared with the Tennessee knot ( = .011, .003, and .035, respectively) and the static surgeon's knot ( < .001 for all). When the high-strength tape was used, the Roeder knot, Western knot, and SMC knot resulted in significantly smaller clinical failure loads compared with the static surgeon's knot ( = .001, .001, and .003, respectively).
CONCLUSION
The results of this study indicated that arthroscopic knots tied using 1.3-mm high-strength tape biomechanically outperformed knots tied using a No. 2 high-strength suture. While the static surgeon's knot exhibited the best biomechanical properties, the Tennessee knot resulted in generally better biomechanical properties among the arthroscopic sliding knots.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Elongation and loosening of tied knots possibly affects the clinical results of repaired constructs.
PubMed: 34671688
DOI: 10.1177/23259671211039554 -
BioMed Research International 2022This study aims to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Biosculptor's Bioscanner system in capturing transtibial residual limb volume fluctuations in active and...
This study aims to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Biosculptor's Bioscanner system in capturing transtibial residual limb volume fluctuations in active and nonactive amputees during walking activity. Residual limb volume was obtained by measuring the limb circumference after amputees walked for 5 to 25 minutes for five consecutive days. The comparison of mean circumference between Bioscanner and manual measurements (i.e., tape measure) showed that the Bioscanner gave a higher estimation of circumference for the different amputees. Short-term changes in girth and volume due to an activity such as walking do not fluctuate uniformly. The results reflected as such as nonconsistence circumference change identified at different locations of the circumference profiles. Both amputees experienced a significant increase in circumference at the distal end of the limbs after 5 minutes of walking (7.35% change in nonactive and 8.83% in active amputees), and the measurement decreased as amputees walked longer. At 4-8 cm below the mid-patella tendon (pressure tolerant areas), both amputees experienced minor changes in the size of their circumference. The residual limb volume calculation resulted in the percentage difference between the two methods ranging from 2.4% to 9.3%. Pearson coefficient correlation obtained showed a high correlation between the two techniques, ranging from 0.97 to 1. The analysis of the limit of agreements showed that the majority of measurements were closed to the mean, suggesting that Bioscanner and manual techniques may be interchangeable and agree with one another. This study has implied that Bioscanner is comparable to the standard measurement method and may serve as an alternative tool in managing daily residual limb volume change.
Topics: Amputees; Artificial Limbs; Humans; Prosthesis Design; Reproducibility of Results; Walking
PubMed: 36132074
DOI: 10.1155/2022/2669484