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Lignocellulosic bioplastics were produced using four different green wastes: hemp, parsley stem, pineapple leaves and walnut shell. Two different solutions were used to dissolve the green wastes: trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and pure water. The changes in their natural structures and the solvent effect during the regeneration in biofilm formation were investigated by using Synchrotron FTIR Microspectroscopy (SR-µFTIR). The presence of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin components in the water-based biofilms was confirmed. After dissolving in TFA, the spectra demonstrated some additional bands especially in the hemicellulose region. This is due to the hydrolysis of ester bonds and conversion to carboxylic acids. Principal component analysis showed grouping due to different solvents and polymer addition. Hemp-PVA (Polyvinyl Alcohol) composite biofilms were obtained by adding polyvinyl alcohol to the hemp solution to give extra strength to the hemp biofilms. It has been shown that water-based hemp-PVA biofilms do not cause any significant spectral changes, comparing with pure hemp and PVA spectra. However, after dissolving in TFA, unlike water-based biofilms, it appears that TFA molecules are retained by PVA through hydrogen bonds of TFA's carboxylic acid and hydroxyl groups and distinct spectral regions belong to TFA bands are clearly identified., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Nanoparticle-mediated histotripsy (NMH) is a novel ablation method that combines nanoparticles as artificial cavitation nuclei with focused ultrasound pulsing to achieve targeted, non-invasive, and cell-selective tumor ablation. The study described here examined the effect of dual-frequency histotripsy pulsing on the cavitation threshold, bubble cloud characteristics, and ablative efficiency in NMH. High-speed optical imaging was used to analyze bubble cloud characteristics and to measure ablation efficiency for NMH inside agarose tissue phantoms containing perfluorohexane-filled nanocone clusters, which were previously developed to reduce the histotripsy cavitation threshold for NMH., Methods: Dual-frequency histotripsy pulsing was applied at a 1:1 pressure ratio using a modular 500 kHz and 3 MHz dual-frequency array transducer. Optical imaging results revealed predictable, well-defined bubble clouds generated for all tested cases with similar reductions in the cavitation thresholds observed for single-frequency and dual-frequency pulsing., Results: Dual-frequency pulsing was seen to nucleate small, dense clouds in agarose phantoms, intermediate in size of their component frequencies but closer in area to that of the higher component frequency. Red blood cell experiments revealed complete ablations were generated by dual-frequency NMH in all phantoms in <1500 pulses. This result was a significant increase in ablation efficiency compared with the ∼4000 pulses required in prior single-frequency NMH studies., Conclusion: Overall, this study indicates the potential for using dual-frequency histotripsy methods to increase the ablation efficacy of NMH., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest E.V. and T.L.H. have research and financial relationships with HistoSonics Inc., (Copyright © 2024 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Several therapeutic approaches have been developed to promote bone regeneration, including guided bone regeneration (GBR), where barrier membranes play a crucial role in segregating soft tissue and facilitating bone growth. This study emphasizes the importance of considering specific tissue requirements in the design of materials for tissue regeneration, with a focus on the development of a double-layered membrane to mimic both soft and hard tissues within the context of GBR. The hard tissue-facing layer comprises collagen and zinc-doped bioactive glass to support bone tissue regeneration, while the soft tissue-facing layer combines collagen and chitosan. The electrospinning technique was employed to achieve the production of nanofibers resembling extracellular matrix fibers. The production of nano-sized (~116 nm) bioactive glasses was achieved by microemulsion assisted sol-gel method. The bioactive glass-containing layers developed hydroxyapatite on their surfaces starting from the first week of simulated body fluid (SBF) immersion, demonstrating that the membranes possessed favorable bioactivity properties. Moreover, all membranes exhibited distinct degradation behaviors in various mediums. However, weight loss exceeding 50% was observed in all tested samples after four weeks in both SBF and phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). The double-layered membranes were also subjected to mechanical testing, revealing a tensile strength of approximately 4 MPa. The double-layered membranes containing zinc-doped bioactive glass demonstrated cell viability of over 70% across all tested concentrations (0.2, 0.1, and 0.02 g/mL), confirming the excellent biocompatibility of the membranes. The fabricated polymer bioactive glass composite double-layered membranes are strong candidates with the potential to be utilized in tissue engineering applications.

This work introduces rationally designed, improved amphiphilic single-chain polymer nanoparticles (SCNPs) for imaging and photodynamic therapy (PDT) in zebrafish embryo xenografts. SCNPs are ultrasmall polymeric nanoparticles with sizes similar to proteins, making them ideal for biomedical applications. Amphiphilic SCNPs result from the self-assembly in water of isolated synthetic polymeric chains through intrachain hydrophobic interactions, mimicking natural biomacromolecules and, specially, proteins (in size and when loaded with drugs, metal ions or fluorophores also in function). These ultrasmall, soft nanoparticles have various applications, including catalysis, sensing, and nanomedicine. Initial in vitro experiments with nonfunctionalized, amphiphilic SCNPs loaded with a photosensitizing Zn phthalocyanine with four nonperipheral isobutylthio substituents, ZnPc, showed promise for PDT. Herein, the preparation of improved, amphiphilic SCNPs containing ZnPc as highly efficient photosensitizer encapsulated within the nanoparticle and surrounded by anthracene units is disclosed. The amount of anthracene groups and ZnPc molecules within each single-chain nanoparticle controls the imaging and PDT properties of these nanocarriers. Critically, this work opens the way to improved PDT applications based on amphiphilic SCNPs as a first step toward ideal, long-term artificial photo-oxidases (APO)., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Healthcare Materials published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Nanocone clusters (NCCs) have been developed as clusters with inclusion complexes of FDA-approved β-cyclodextrin (βCD) and perfluorocarbons (PFC) (i.e., perfluoropentane (PFP) and perfluorohexane (PFH)) and have shown promise in nanoparticle-mediated histotripsy (NMH) applications owing to their lowered cavitation threshold, ease of production, and fluorocarbon quantification. However, there is still a lack of information on the best conditions of the synthesis of NCCs as a product that can have a maximum determinable fluorocarbon content and maintain the stability of the NCC during synthesis and when used as histotripsy agents or exposed to physiological conditions. These concerns about the stability of the clusters and the best possible formulation are investigated in the current work. The cluster formation potential was tested taking into consideration the nature of both PFCs and βCD by employing different synthesis conditions in terms of solution and environmental parameters such as concentration of solvent, stoichiometry between βCD and PFCs, temperature, pH, solvent type, etc. The best route of synthesis was then translated into various batch sizes and investigated in terms of the PFC loading and yield. These studies revealed that preparing NCCs in double-distilled water in an ice bath at the optimized solution concentration gave the highest yields and optimal PFC loading, as determined from gas chromatography. Furthermore, the stability of the clusters with different stoichiometries was scrutinized in varying concentrations, mechanical disruption times, pH levels, and temperature conditions, showing effects on each cluster's particle size in dynamic light scattering, visualized in transmission electron microscopy, and cavitation behavior in agarose gel tissue phantoms. These studies revealed stable clusters for all formulations, with PFH-containing NCCs emerging to be the most stable in terms of their cluster size and bubble formation potential in histotripsy. Finally, the shelf life of these clusters was investigated using DLS, which revealed a stable cluster. In conclusion, NCCs have shown high stability in terms of both synthesis, which can be replicated in gram-level production, and the cluster itself, which can be exposed to harsher conditions and still form stable bubbles in histotripsy.

Naegleria fowleri, the brain-eating amoeba, is a free-living amoeboflagellate with three different life cycles (trophozoite, flagellated, and cyst) that lives in a variety of habitats around the world including warm freshwater and soil. It causes a disease called naegleriasis leading meningitis and primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) in humans. N. fowleri is transmitted through contaminated water sources such as insufficiently chlorinated swimming pool water or contaminated tap water, and swimmers are at risk. N. fowleri is found all over the world, and most infections were reported in both developed and developing countries with high mortality rates and serious clinical findings. Until now, there is no FDA approved vaccine and early diagnosis is urgent against this pathogen. In this study, by analyzing the N. fowleri vaccine candidate proteins (Mp2CL5, Nfa1, Nf314, proNP-A and proNP-B), it was aimed to discover diagnostic/vaccine candidate epitopes and to design a multi-epitope peptide vaccine against this pathogen. After the in silico evaluation, three prominent diagnostic/vaccine candidate epitopes (EAKDSK, LLPHIRILVY, and FYAKLLPHIRILVYS) with the highest antigenicities were discovered and a potentially highly immunogenic/antigenic multi-epitope peptide vaccine (NaeVac) was designed against the brain-eating amoeba N. fowleri causing human meningitis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) is prominent in the diagnostics of opaque deep learning (DL) models, especially in medical imaging. Saliency methods are commonly used, yet there's a lack of quantitative evidence regarding their performance., Objectives: To quantitatively evaluate the performance of widely utilized saliency XAI methods in the task of breast cancer detection on mammograms., Methods: Three radiologists drew ground-truth boxes on a balanced mammogram dataset of women (n = 1496 cancer-positive and negative scans) from three centers. A modified, pre-trained DL model was employed for breast cancer detection, using MLO and CC images. Saliency XAI methods, including Gradient-weighted Class Activation Mapping (Grad-CAM), Grad-CAM++, and Eigen-CAM, were evaluated. We utilized the Pointing Game to assess these methods, determining if the maximum value of a saliency map aligned with the bounding boxes, representing the ratio of correctly identified lesions among all cancer patients, with a value ranging from 0 to 1., Results: The development sample included 2,244 women (75%), with the remaining 748 women (25%) in the testing set for unbiased XAI evaluation. The model's recall, precision, accuracy, and F1-Score in identifying cancer in the testing set were 69%, 88%, 80%, and 0.77, respectively. The Pointing Game Scores for Grad-CAM, Grad-CAM++, and Eigen-CAM were 0.41, 0.30, and 0.35 in women with cancer and marginally increased to 0.41, 0.31, and 0.36 when considering only true-positive samples., Conclusions: While saliency-based methods provide some degree of explainability, they frequently fall short in delineating how DL models arrive at decisions in a considerable number of instances., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Loss of blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity is hypothesised to be one of the earliest microvascular signs of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Existing BBB integrity imaging methods involve contrast agents or ionising radiation, and pose limitations in terms of cost and logistics. Arterial spin labelling (ASL) perfusion MRI has been recently adapted to map the BBB permeability non-invasively. The DEveloping BBB-ASL as a non-Invasive Early biomarker (DEBBIE) consortium aims to develop this modified ASL-MRI technique for patient-specific and robust BBB permeability assessments. This article outlines the study design of the DEBBIE cohorts focused on investigating the potential of BBB-ASL as an early biomarker for AD (DEBBIE-AD)., Methods and Analysis: DEBBIE-AD consists of a multicohort study enrolling participants with subjective cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment and AD, as well as age-matched healthy controls, from 13 cohorts. The precision and accuracy of BBB-ASL will be evaluated in healthy participants. The clinical value of BBB-ASL will be evaluated by comparing results with both established and novel AD biomarkers. The DEBBIE-AD study aims to provide evidence of the ability of BBB-ASL to measure BBB permeability and demonstrate its utility in AD and AD-related pathologies., Ethics and Dissemination: Ethics approval was obtained for 10 cohorts, and is pending for 3 cohorts. The results of the main trial and each of the secondary endpoints will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal., Competing Interests: Competing interests: FB is a consultant for Roche, Celltrion, Rewind Therapeutics, Merck, IXICO, Jansen, Combinostics, and has research agreements with Merck, Biogen, GE Healthcare, Roche. All other authors report no disclosures., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

An acousto-optic (AO)-based electric field sensor is presented for time domain measurement under magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A fully MR-compatible sensor is designed and fabricated using a phase-shifted fiber Bragg grating mechanically coupled to a piezoelectric transducer. Mechanical resonance of the piezoelectric transducer is matched to the operating frequencies of commonly used MRI systems to increase the sensitivity of the sensor. Sensitivity of the sensor is measured as 1.27 mV/V/m, with a minimum detectable electric field of 4.4 mV/m/√/Hz. Directivity of the sensor is measured with a 18 dB orthogonal component rejection. The dynamic range of the sensor is calculated as 117 dB/Hz, which allows the measurement of electric fields up to 3.2 kV/m. In MRI studies, the AO sensor was able detect local hot spots around a reference implant accurately with high signal-to-noise ratio. AO sensor exhibited similar or better performance when compared with commercially available MRI compatible electric field sensors. Furthermore, the small size of the sensor with the flexible fiber optic link could allow in situ measurements of electric fields during critical interventional procedures such as pacemaker lead or deep brain stimulator placement as an MRI dosimeter during diagnostic scans., Competing Interests: Disclosures The authors do not have any financial interest to disclose.

Myocardial infarction (MI) is a cardiovascular disease that occurs when there is an elevated demand for myocardial oxygen as a result of the rupture or erosion of atherosclerotic plaques. Globally, the mortality rates associated with MI are steadily on the rise. Traditional diagnostic biomarkers employed in clinical settings for MI diagnosis have various drawbacks, prompting researchers to investigate fast, precise, and highly sensitive biosensor platforms and technologies. Biosensors are analytical devices that combine biological elements with physicochemical transducers to detect and quantify specific compounds or analytes. These devices play a crucial role in various fields including healthcare, environmental monitoring, food safety, and biotechnology. Biosensors developed for the detection of cardiac biomarkers are typically electrochemical, mass, and optical biosensors. Nanomaterials have emerged as revolutionary components in the field of biosensing, offering unique properties that significantly enhance the sensitivity and specificity of the detection systems. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the advancements and applications of nanomaterial-based biosensing systems. Beginning with an exploration of the fundamental principles governing nanomaterials, we delve into their diverse properties, including but not limited to electrical, optical, magnetic, and thermal characteristics. The integration of these nanomaterials as transducers in biosensors has paved the way for unprecedented developments in analytical techniques. Moreover, the principles and types of biosensors and their applications in cardiovascular disease diagnosis are explained in detail. The current biosensors for cardiac biomarker detection are also discussed, with an elaboration of the pros and cons of existing platforms and concluding with future perspectives., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Background and Purpose: Cell biology approaches have gained a successful integration, development and application of nanotechnology with stem cell engineering and have led to the emergence of a new interdisciplinary field known as stem cell nanotechnology (SCN). Recent studies showed the potential and the advancement of developments for SCN applications in drug delivery systems. Cancer, neurodegenerative, muscle and blood diseases, cell and gene therapies, and tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications are the important targets of SCN., Experimental Approach: In this overview, we searched the literature using the common online websites for research and read the open access, full-text available articles since 2013., Key Results: The studies vary according to the type of disease they targeted and the strategies they proposed, whether diagnostic or therapeutic. In addition to the use of stem cells, the utilisation of their membranes, secretomes, exosomes and extracellular vesicles with an appropriate nanotechnology strategy is also an aspect of the research., Conclusion: This brief overview of stem cell nanotechnology over the last ten years aims to provide insight into the frontiers of stem cell engineering for nanotechnology-mediated drug delivery systems., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: Authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 by the authors.)

This study presents the design and implementation of an antimicrobial peptide-based electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) based biosensor system. The biosensor consists of a gold coated carbon electrode with MXene and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) for the label-free detection of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) envelope protein gp120. Scanning electron microscopy was used to confirm the presence and distribution of MXene and AgNPs on the biosensor surface. The employment of the antimicrobial peptide on the electrode surface minimized the denaturation of the biorecognition receptor to ensure reliable and stable performance. The biosensor exhibited a linear range of 10-4000 pg mL-1 for gp120 detection, demonstrating good repeatability in real samples. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were also calculated as 0.05 pg mL -1 and 0.14 pg mL -1 , respectively. This biosensing platform has promising applications in the detection of HIV in clinical and point-of-care settings., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

Respiratory infections caused by coronaviruses (CoVs) have become a major public health concern in the past two decades as revealed by the emergence of SARS-CoV in 2002, MERS-CoV in 2012, and SARS-CoV-2 in 2019. The most severe clinical phenotypes commonly arise from exacerbation of immune response following the infection of alveolar epithelial cells localized at the pulmonary blood-air barrier. Preclinical rodent models do not adequately represent the essential genetic properties of the barrier, thus necessitating the use of humanized transgenic models. However, existing monolayer cell culture models have so far been unable to mimic the complex lung microenvironment. In this respect, air-liquid interface models, tissue engineered models, and organ-on-a-chip systems, which aim to better imitate the infection site microenvironment and microphysiology, are being developed to replace the commonly used monolayer cell culture models, and their use is becoming more widespread every day. On the contrary, studies on the development of nanoparticles (NPs) that mimic respiratory viruses, and those NPs used in therapy are progressing rapidly. The first part of this review describes in vitro models that mimic the blood-air barrier, the tissue interface that plays a central role in COVID-19 progression. In the second part of the review, NPs mimicking the virus and/or designed to carry therapeutic agents are explained and exemplified.

Background: Biosensors and MEMS have witnessed rapid development and enormous interest over the past decades. Constant advancement in diagnostic, medical, and chemical applications has been demonstrated in several platforms and tools. In this study, the analytical and FEA of the microcantilever used in biomolecular analyses were compared with the experimental analysis results., Methods: In this study, MITF antigen, which is a melanoma biomarker, and anti-MITF antibody (D5) were selected as biomolecules. A MEMS-type microcantilever biosensor was designed by functionalizing the AFM cantilever by utilizing the specific interaction dynamics and intermolecular binding ability between both molecules. Surface functionalization of cantilever micro biosensors was performed by using FEA. The stress that will occur as a result of the interactions between the MITF-D5 has been determined from the deviation in the resonant frequency of the cantilever., Results: It has been found that the simulation results are supported by analytical calculations and experimental results., Conclusion: The fact that the results of the simulation study overlap with the experimental and mathematical results allows us to get much cheaper and faster answers compared to expensive and time-consuming experimental approaches., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Electrogastrography (EGG) is a novel diagnostic modality for assessing the gastrointestinal tract (GI) that generates spontaneous electrical activity and monitors gastric motility. The aim of this study was to compare patients with functional dyspepsia (FD) and diabetic gastroparesis (D-GP) with healthy controls (CT) to use established findings on abnormalities of gastric motility based on EGG characteristics. In this study, 50 patients with FD, 50 D-GP patients, and 50 CT subjects were studied to compare EGG with discrete wavelet transform models (DWT) to extract signal characteristics using a variety of different qualitative and quantitative metrics from pre-prandial and postprandial states. As a result, higher statistically significant ( p  < 0.05*) were found in the DWT models based on power spectral density (PSD) analysis in both states. We also present that the correlations between EGG metrics and the presence of FD, D-GP, and CT symptoms were inconsistent. This paper represents that EGG assessments of FD and D-GP patients differ from healthy controls in terms of abnormalities of gastric motility. Additionally, we demonstrate that diverse datasets showed adequate gastric motility responses to a meal. We anticipate that our method will provide a comprehensive understanding of gastric motility disorders for better treatment and monitoring in both clinical and research settings. In conclusion, we present potential future opportunities for precise gastrointestinal electrophysiological disorders., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

This study determined the influence and ideal ratios of various coconut oil (CO) amounts in gelatin (G) based-films as wound dressings since there are limited comparative studies to evaluate the sole effect of increasing CO on protein-based biomaterials. Homogenous films at G:CO ratio of 4:0,4:2,4:3,4:4 (w:w) corresponding to CO-0, CO-2, CO-3, CO-4, respectively, were obtained using solution casting. SEM showed CO caused rougher surfaces decreasing mechanical strength. However, no pores were observed in CO-4 due to bigger clusters of oil improving stretchability compared to CO-3; and durability since aging of CO-4 was >10% lower than CO-0 in aqueous media. FTIR showed triglycerides' band only in CO films with increasing amplitude. Moreover, amide-I of CO-2 was involved in more hydrogen bonding, therefore, CO-2 had the highest melt-like transition temperatures (Tmax) at ∼163 °C while others' were at ∼133 °C; and had more ideal mechanical properties among CO films. XTT showed that increased CO improved 3T3 cell viability as CO-0 significantly decreased viability at 10,50,75,100 μg/mL ( p  < 0.05), whereas CO-2 and CO-3 within 5-75 μg/mL and CO-4 within 5-100 μg/mL range increased viability ≥100% suggesting proliferation. All CO samples at 25 μg/mL stimulated 3T3 cell migration in Scratch Assay indicating wound healing. CO amounts mainly improved thermal and healing properties of gelatin-based biomaterial. CO-2 was more thermally stable and CO-4 had better influence on cell viability and wound healing than CO-0. Therefore, increased CO ratios, specifically 4:2 and 4:4, G:CO (w:w), in gelatin-based films can be ideal candidates for wound dressing materials.

One of the biggest challenges in the fight against cancer is early detection. Early diagnosis is vital, but there are some barriers such as economic, cultural, and personal factors. Considering the disadvantages of radiological imaging techniques or serological analysis methods used in cancer diagnosis, such as being expensive, requiring expertise, and being time-consuming, there is a need to develop faster, more reliable, and cost-effective diagnostic methods for use in cancer diagnosis. Exosomes, which are responsible for intercellular communication with sizes ranging from 30-120 nm, are naturally produced biological nanoparticles. Thanks to the cargo contents they carry, they are a potential biomarker to be used in the diagnosis of cancer. Exosomes, defined as extracellular vesicles of endosomal origin, are effective in cancer growth, progression, metastasis, and drug resistance, and changes in microenvironmental conditions during tumor development change exosome secretion. Due to their high cellular activity, tumor cells produce much higher exosomes than healthy cells. Therefore, it is known that the number of exosomes in body fluids is significantly rich compared to other cells and can act as a stand-alone diagnostic biomarker. Cancer- derived exosomes have received great attention in recent years for the early detection of cancer and the evaluation of therapeutic response. In this article, the content, properties, and differences of exosomes detected in common types of cancer (lung, liver, pancreas, ovaries, breast, colorectal), which are the leading causes of cancer-related deaths, are reviewed. We also discuss the potential utility of exosome contents as a biomarker for early detection, which is known to be important in targeted cancer therapy., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the oncological outcomes and toxicity profile of 177 Lu-PSMA-I&T radioligand therapy (RLT) in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), as well as our initial experience in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC)., Patients and Methods: A total of 38 consecutive patients with metastatic prostate cancer (33 mCRPC and 5 mHSPC) received 177 Lu-PSMA-I&T RLT, with a median of 2 cycles per patient (range, 1-7). Response to RLT was evaluated based on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) changes and imaging response. Clinical progression-free survival and overall survival were used to report oncological outcomes. Toxicity was assessed using the Common Toxicity Criteria for Adverse Events criteria., Results: In mCRPC, 22 (69%), 18 (56%), and 11 (34%) patients achieved any PSA decline, PSA response of ≥30%, and PSA response of ≥50%, respectively. The clinical progression-free survival and overall survival after the first cycle of RLT were 6.3 and 21.4 months, respectively. In mHSPC, 177 Lu-PSMA-I&T RLT resulted in excellent PSA response (93.0%-99.9%) in all cases. Clinical progression and cancer-related mortality occurred in only 1 case. Toxicity profile was favorable in both mHSPC and mCRPC., Conclusions: 177 Lu-PSMA-I&T RLT demonstrated favorable PSA response (≥30%) in over half of the patients with mCRPC and excellent PSA response in all patients with mHSPC. Toxicity profile was favorable in both mHSPC and mCRPC settings. Further studies are needed to evaluate the role of 177 Lu-PSMA-I&T RLT in the management of metastatic prostate cancer., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest and sources of funding: B.E. is supported by the European Urological Scholarship Programme through a 1-year research scholarship., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Ventriculoarterial connection is one of the important points of the segmental approach to congenital cardiac malformations. Double outlet of both ventricles is a rare form where both great arterial roots override the interventricular septum. In this article, we aimed to draw attention to this very rare form of ventriculoarterial connection by presenting an infant case diagnosed using echocardiography, CT angiography, and 3-dimensional modelling.

Polymeric barrier membranes are used in periodontal applications to prevent fibroblastic cell migration into the cavities of bone tissue and to properly guide the proliferation of tissues. In this study, the fabrication, characterization, bioactivity, and in vitro biological properties of polyvinyl alcohol-based nanofibrous membranes containing nano-sized 45S5 bioactive glass (BG) loaded with chlorhexidine (CH) gluconate with biocompatible, bioactive, and antibacterial properties for using as dental barrier membranes were investigated. Nanofibrous membranes with an average fiber diameter, pore size, and porosity of 210 nm, 24.73 μm, and 12.42%, respectively, were loaded with 1% and 2% CH, and the release profile was investigated. The presence of BG in the membranes promoted fibroblastic proliferation and the presence of CH provided antibacterial properties. Nanofibrous membranes exhibit a high ability to restrict bacterial growth while fulfilling the necessary conditions for use as a dental barrier thanks to their low swelling rates, significant surface bioactivities, and appropriate degradation levels., (© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Pulmonary valve replacement is recommended in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot based on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) criteria. This procedure is performed by surgical or transcatheter approaches., Objective: We aimed to investigate the differences in preprocedural MRI characteristics (volume, function, strain) and morphology of the right ventricular outflow tract and branch pulmonary arteries in patients for whom surgical or transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement was planned., Materials and Methods: Cardiac MRI of 166 patients with tetralogy of Fallot were analyzed. Of these, 36 patients for whom pulmonary valve replacement was planned were included. Magnetic resonance imaging characteristics, right ventricular outflow tract morphology, branch pulmonary artery flow distribution and diameter were compared between surgical and transcatheter groups. Spearman correlation and Kruskal-Wallis tests were performed., Results: Circumferential and radial MRI strain for the right ventricle were lower in the surgical group (P=0.045 and P=0.046, respectively). The diameter of the left pulmonary artery was significantly lower (P=0.021) and branch pulmonary artery flow and diameter ratio were higher (P=0.044 and P = 0.002, respectively) in the transcatheter group. There was a significant correlation between right ventricular outflow tract morphology and right ventricular end-diastolic volume index and global circumferential and radial MRI strain (P=0.046, P=0.046 and P= 0.049, respectively)., Conclusion: Preprocedural MRI strain, right-to-left pulmonary artery flow, diameter ratio and morphological features of the right ventricular outflow tract were significantly different between the two groups. A transcatheter approach may be recommended for patients with branch pulmonary artery stenosis, since both pulmonary valve replacement and branch pulmonary artery stenting can be performed in the same session., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The central nervous system (CNS) exploits anticipatory (APAs) and compensatory (CPAs) postural adjustments to maintain the balance. The postural adjustments comprising stability of the center of mass (CoM) and the pressure distribution of the body influence each other if there is a lack of performance in either of them. Any predictable or sudden perturbation may pave the way for the divergence of CoM from equilibrium and inhomogeneous pressure distribution of the body. Such a situation is often observed in the daily lives of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients due to their poor APAs and CPAs and induces their falls. The way of minimizing the risk of falls in neurological patients is by utilizing perturbation-based rehabilitation, as it is efficient in the recovery of the balance disorder. In light of the findings, we present the design, implementation, and experimental evaluation of a novel 3 DoF parallel manipulator to treat the balance disorder of MS. The robotic platform allows angular motion of the ankle based on its anthropomorphic freedom. Moreover, the end-effector endowed with upper and lower platforms is designed to evaluate both the pressure distribution of each foot and the CoM of the body, respectively. Data gathered from the platforms are utilized to both evaluate the performance of the patients and used in high-level control of the robotic platform to regulate the difficulty level of tasks. In this study, kinematic and dynamic analyses of the robot are derived and validated in the simulation environment. Low-level control of the first prototype is also successfully implemented through the PID controller. The capacity of each platform is evaluated with a set of experiments considering the assessment of pressure distribution and CoM of the foot-like objects on the end-effector. The experimental results indicate that such a system well-address the need for balance skill training and assessment through the APAs and CPAs., Competing Interests: The authors have also declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 ERSOY, HOCAOGLU. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Accurate models of scattering and noise parameters of transistors are instrumental in facilitating design procedures of microwave devices such as low-noise amplifiers. Yet, data-driven modeling of transistors is a challenging endeavor due to complex relationships between transistor characteristics and its designable parameters, biasing conditions, and frequency. Artificial neural network (ANN)-based methods, including deep learning (DL), have been found suitable for this task by capitalizing on their flexibility and generality. Yet, rendering reliable transistor surrogates is hindered by a number of issues such as the need for finding good match between the input data and the network architecture and hyperparameters (number and sizes of layers, activation functions, data pre-processing methods), possible overtraining, etc. This work proposes a novel methodology, referred to as Fully Adaptive Regression Model (FARM), where all network components and processing functions are automatically determined through Tree Parzen Estimator. Our technique is comprehensively validated using three examples of microwave transistors and demonstrated to offer a competitive edge over the state-of-the-art methods in terms of modeling accuracy and handling the aforementioned issues pertinent to standard ANN-based surrogates., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Purpose: Children with cerebral palsy have limitations in utilizing neural information to perform smooth movement and maintain balance during walking. This study aimed to develop a wearable sensor that tracks balance continuously and provides haptic biofeedback to its user through real-time vibration stimulus to assist patients with balance and postural control impairments such as cerebral palsy., Methods: Twelve children with cerebral palsy and 12 age-matched typically developed children used the sensor during walking at a self- -selected speed. The lower extremity joint kinematics, center of mass, and spatial-temporal parameters were recorded with Xsens MVN during "with" and "without" biofeedback conditions., Results: The sensor did not disturb healthy gait. Pearson correlation coefficient and Root Mean Square Error techniques showed that biofeedback regulated the gait parameters and trunk stability of the CP group. The extended stance percentage (without BF: 73.91% ± 10.42, with BF: 63.53% ± 2.99), step width (without BF: 0.20 m ± 0.05, with BF: 0.18 m ± 0.07), and step time (without BF: 1.55 s ± 1.07, with BF: 0.73 s ± 0.14) parameters decreased. Similarly, cadence and walking speed increased., Conclusions: Obtained results indicated that this wearable sensor can be integrated into the physical therapy and rehabilitation process of children with balance and postural control impairments to improve motor learning and balance control. The present findings contribute to a better understanding of the adaptation of innovative engineering applications with rehabilitation processes, which, in turn, could assist patients with balance impairments and facilitate their integration into society.

Aim: Silybum marianum extract (SME) possesses neuroprotective potency through its high antioxidant content. We attempted to increase the effectiveness of SME by encapsulating them in chitosan. Neuroprotective potency of SME and SME-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (SME-CNPs) were shown in SH-SY5Y cell line against H 2 O 2 -induced oxidative stress., Methods: We produced CNPs and SME-CNPs by ionic gelation method and properly determined their physical characteristics. Encapsulation efficiency, loading capacity, and in vitro release tests were performed for SME-CNPs. The neurotoxicity and neuroprotective efficiency in SH-SY5Y cell line against H 2 O 2 was also investigated., Results: The size of SME-CNPs was 168.2 ± 11.12 nm with zeta potential 10.6 ± 1.0 mV. The encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity were successfully achieved at 96.6% and 1.89% respectively. SME and SME-CNPs improved cell viability higher than 80%, and SME-CNPs exhibited significant neuroprotective effects against H 2 O 2 damage., Conclusions: It was concluded that SME and SME-CNPs highly prevent damage caused by H 2 O 2 and reduce cell damage in vitro by their neuroprotective effects.

Study Design: This is a finite element study., Purpose: This study is aimed to compare the biomechanical behaviors of three screw-based atlantoaxial fixation techniques., Overview of Literature: Screw-based constructs that are widely used to stabilize the atlantoaxial joint come with their own challenges in surgery. Clinical and in vitro studies have compared the effectiveness of screw-based constructs in joint fixation. Nevertheless, there is limited information regarding the biomechanical behavior of these constructs, such as the stresses and strains they experience., Methods: A finite element model of the upper cervical spine was developed. A type II dens fracture was induced in the intact model to produce the injured model. The following three constructs were simulated on the intact and injured models: transarticular screw (C1- C2TA), lateral mass screw in C1 and pedicle screw in C2 (C1LM1-C2PD), and lateral mass screw in C1 and translaminar screw in C2 (C1LM1-C2TL)., Results: In the intact model, flexion-extension range of motion (ROM) was reduced by up to 99% with C11-C2TA and 98% with C1LM1-C2PD and C1LM1-C2TL. The lateral bending ROM in the intact model was reduced by 100%, 95%, and 75% with C11-C2TA, C1LM1-C2PD, and C1LM1-C2TL, respectively. The axial rotation ROM in the intact model was reduced by 99%, 98%, and 99% with C11-C2TA, C1LM1-C2PD, and C1LM1-C2TL, respectively. The largest maximum von Mises stress was predicted for C1LM1-C2TL (332 MPa) followed by C1LM1-C2PD (307 MPa) and C11-C2TA (133 MPa). Maximum stress was predicted to be at the lateral mass screw head of the C1LM1-C2TL construct., Conclusions: Our model indicates that the biomechanical stability of the atlantoaxial joint in lateral bending with translaminar screws is not as reliable as that with transarticular and pedicle screws. Translaminar screws experience large stresses that may lead to failure of the construct before the required bony fusion occurs.

Ionizing radiation (IR) is a genuine genotoxic agent and a major modality in cancer treatment. IR disrupts DNA sequences and exerts mutagenic and/or cytotoxic properties that not only alter critical cellular functions but also impact tissues proximal and distal to the irradiated site. Unveiling the molecular events governing the diverse effects of IR at the cellular and organismal levels is relevant for both radiotherapy and radiation protection. Herein, we address changes in the expression of mammalian genes induced after the exposure of a wide range of tissues to various radiation types with distinct biophysical characteristics. First, we constructed a publicly available database, termed RadBioBase, which will be updated at regular intervals. RadBioBase includes comprehensive transcriptomes of mammalian cells across healthy and diseased tissues that respond to a range of radiation types and doses. Pertinent information was derived from a hybrid analysis based on stringent literature mining and transcriptomic studies. An integrative bioinformatics methodology, including functional enrichment analysis and machine learning techniques, was employed to unveil the characteristic biological pathways related to specific radiation types and their association with various diseases. We found that the effects of high linear energy transfer (LET) radiation on cell transcriptomes significantly differ from those caused by low LET and are consistent with immunomodulation, inflammation, oxidative stress responses and cell death. The transcriptome changes also depend on the dose since low doses up to 0.5 Gy are related with cytokine cascades, while higher doses with ROS metabolism. We additionally identified distinct gene signatures for different types of radiation. Overall, our data suggest that different radiation types and doses can trigger distinct trajectories of cell-intrinsic and cell-extrinsic pathways that hold promise to be manipulated toward improving radiotherapy efficiency and reducing systemic radiotoxicities.

In this study, novel folate-receptor-targeted polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer functional mesoporous silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles were prepared for drug delivery agents for photodynamic therapy applications. The surface of the magnetic nanoparticles was coated with mesoporous silica (M-MSN). The M-MSN nanoparticles were functionalized with siloxane-cored PAMAM dendrons (generation 1 to 3). The surface of the M-MSN-PAMAM nanocarriers was targeted with folic acid. Indocyanine green (ICG) a near-infrared dye was loaded in the M-MSN-PAMAM nanocarriers and the photodynamic therapy efficiency of the drug-loaded nanocarriers was evaluated on MCF-7 cells. MCF-7 cells were subjected to tissue culture E-Plate that was used to generate dynamic real-time data by measuring electrical impedance across interdigitated microelectrodes on the bottom of the plate. Light source (LEDs) was designed as a system that fit 96 well-plate and cells were irradiated at 785 nm for 20 min. Also, these results were confirmed by WST-1 assay in dark and light conditions for MCF-7 cells. The results showed that in vitro application of ICG loaded M-MSN-PAMAM-FA causes apoptosis in the MCF-7 cell line., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: One-third of all extraintestinal manifestations are mucocutaneous findings in patients with Crohn's disease and there is a relationship between some risk factors. Our aim is to evaluate factors associated with mucocutaneous manifestations in our cohort of patients with Crohn's disease with a follow-up duration of up to 25 years., Methods: In the study, 336 patients with Crohn's disease who were followed up between March 1986 and October 2011 were included. The demographic characteristics, Crohn's disease-related data, and accompanying mucocutaneous manifestations were recorded. The cumulative probability of mucocutaneous extraintestinal manifestations and possible risk factors were analyzed., Results: Oral and skin involvement were detected in 109 (32%) and 31 (9.2%) patients, respectively. The cumulative probability of developing oral and skin manifestations were 43.2% and 20.3%, respectively. Cox regression analysis showed that female gender (odds ratio: 3.28, 95% CI: 1.51-7.14, P = .003) and corticosteroid use (odds ratio: 7.88, 95% CI: 1.07-57.97, P = .043) are independently associated with the development of skin manifestations, while family history (odds ratio: 3.59, 95% CI: 2.18-5.93, P < .001) and inflammatory-type disease (odds ratio: 1.776, 95% CI: 1.21-2.61, P = .004) were independently associated with the development of oral ulcers., Conclusion: Mucocutaneous extraintestinal manifestations are associated with female gender, corticosteroid use, family history, and disease type in a large cohort of patients with Crohn's disease. Defining the specific relationships of immune-mediated diseases will help to better understand the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease and associated mucocutaneous manifestations and to use more effective treatments.

In this study, poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) [p(HEMA)] based hydrogels responsive to the pH, temperature and magnetic field were synthesized. The surface properties of p(HEMA) were improved by designing the stimuli-responsive hydrogels made of MAGA, NIPAAm and methacrylate-decorated magnetite nanoparticles as a function of pH-, thermo- and magnetic responsive cell culture surfaces. These materials were then modified an abundant extracellular matrix component, type I collagen, which has been considered as a biorecognition element to increase the applicability of hydrogels to cell viability. Based on results from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), stimuli-responsive hydrogel demonstrated improved non-porous structures and thermal stability with a high degree of cross-linking. Mechanical analyses of the hydrogels also showed that stimuli-responsive hydrogels are more elastomeric due to the polymeric chains and heterogeneous amorphous segments compared to plain hydrogels. Furthermore, surface modification of hydrogels with collagen provided better biocompatibility, which was confirmed with L929 fibroblast cell adhesion. Produced stimuli-responsive hydrogels modulated cellular viability by changing pH and magnetic field., (© 2022 IOP Publishing Ltd.)

Objective . This paper is an initial work towards developing particle-mediated histotripsy (PMH) as a novel method of treating catheter-based medical device (CBMD) intraluminal biofilms. Impact Statement . CBMDs commonly become infected with bacterial biofilms leading to medical device failure, infection, and adverse patient outcomes. Introduction . Histotripsy is a noninvasive focused ultrasound ablation method that was recently proposed as a novel method to remove intraluminal biofilms. Here, we explore the potential of combining histotripsy with acoustically active particles to develop a PMH approach that can noninvasively remove biofilms without the need for high acoustic pressures or real-time image guidance for targeting. Methods . Histotripsy cavitation thresholds in catheters containing either gas-filled microbubbles (MBs) or fluid-filled nanocones (NCs) were determined. The ability of these particles to sustain cavitation over multiple ultrasound pulses was tested after a series of histotripsy exposures. Next, the ability of PMH to generate selective intraluminal cavitation without generating extraluminal cavitation was tested. Finally, the biofilm ablation and bactericidal capabilities of PMH were tested using both MBs and NCs. Results . PMH significantly reduced the histotripsy cavitation threshold, allowing for selective luminal cavitation for both MBs and NCs. Results further showed PMH successfully removed intraluminal biofilms in Tygon catheters. Finally, results from bactericidal experiments showed minimal reduction in bacteria viability. Conclusion . The results of this study demonstrate the potential for PMH to provide a new modality for removing bacterial biofilms from CBMDs and suggest that additional work is warranted to develop histotripsy and PMH for treatment of CBMD intraluminal biofilms., Competing Interests: Dr. Eli Vlaisavljevich has a research partnership and financial interest in HistoSonics, Inc. Dr. Klibanov is supported in part via NIH R01 EB023055, as well as SoundPipe Therapeutics Inc., Charlottesville VA (NIH R44 HL13924). All other authors have no conflicts of interest to report., (Copyright © 2022 Christopher Childers et al.)

For limiting the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the effects on both humoral and cellular immune responses due to vaccines and previous infection should be taken into consideration. In some of the studies about the humoral immune response of the virus and different vaccines, it has been suggested that there can be a discordance between cellular and humoral immune responses during COVID-19 infection. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of humoral and cellular immune responses against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) antigens in three groups of healthcare workers (HCWs) who were vaccinated with two doses of inactivated virus vaccine (CoronaVac), non-vaccinated and recovered COVID-19 infection and non-infected healthy controls by comparing the variables of gender and age and to examine the relationships between them. In this study, the antibody recognizing the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the spike (S) glycoprotein (IgG-S), nucleocapsid protein (IgG-N) of SARS CoV-2 and Interferon Gamma (IFN-γ) titres were determined among non-infected and vaccinated with two doses of inactivated virus vaccine (IVV) (n= 56, 1st group: 27 men, 29 women), non-vaccinated and COVID-19 convalescents (CG) (n= 41; 2nd group: 21 men, 20 women) and non-vaccinated and non-infected healthy controls (HCG) (n= 23, 3rd group: 10 men, 13 women) in 120 HCWs. Diagnosis of all the participants in COVID-19 CG was confirmed for SARS CoV2 infection with reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test according to manufacturer's instruction (Bio-speedy® SARS CoV-2 Double Gene RT-qPCR, Bioeksen R and D Technologies, Turkey). IgG-S and IgG-N antibody levels were determined quantitatively by Abbott Architect i2000 (Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, IL, USA) system. (Qiagen, MD, USA). IFN-γ levels were determined by using the QuantiFERON SARS-CoV-2 Starter Blood Collection Tubes (Qiagen, MD, USA). All statistical data analysis were conducted using SPSS (version 22, IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Student's independent t-test or Mann-Whitney U test was used for the differences between bivariate groups and Spearman Rank correlation was used to evaluate the monotonic relationship between nonnormally distributed data sets. Spearman rho > 0.7 denotes high, 0.7 > rho > 0.5 moderate and rho > 0.05 was considered as significant. For each of the immunity parameters, there were no significant differences between males and females in the IVV group, as well as in the CG. In neither of the groups age and immunity parameters were found to be highly correlated. All three immunity parameters of males in CG and IVV groups significantly differed from each other. Although humoral immunity parameters of females between CG and IVV groups did not show any significant difference, the IFN-γ titres significantly differed from each other. There were no significant differences in the IgG-S titres between CG and IVV combined gender groups. However, IgG-N and IFN-γ titres significantly differed from each other between CG and IVV groups. Antibody and particularly IFN-γ levels in two dose CoronaVac vaccinated group were less pronounced in comparison to the observed responses in COVID-19 convalescents group, indicating that CoronaVac may induce substantially less robust and persistent cellular and humoral responses than natural SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Atropa belladonna is one of the herbs used to treat wounds and prevent inflammation. This study provides a scientific assessment for the wound healing potential of biodegradable nanofibers containing Ag nanoparticles encapsulated with atropa belladonna extract (eAgNPs). Ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy was used to observe the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) band of AgNPs synthesized from atropa belladonna extract prepared under different conditions. Polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibers with eAgNPs were fabricated using the electrospinning technique. The distribution of AgNPs and eAgNPs and the size of nanofibers were characterized with scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM, TEM) before and after degradation at the end of 18 weeks. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy showed the surface interactivity between AgNPs, atropa belladonna extract and PCL nanofibers and also approved the modification of PCL nanofibers with eAgNPs. X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) defined the formation of the crystalline AgNPs and appreciated the orientation of the nanofibers. Results of tension tests revealed that modification of PCL nanofibers with pure AgNPs and eAgNPs significantly increased strength and tensile modulus. Due to the hydrophobic nature of PCL, modification with pure AgNPs and eAgNPs slightly reduced its hydrophobicity. Biodegradation tests of PCL nanofibers with eAgNPs exhibited a higher degradation rate than neat PCL nanofibers. In vitro MTT results revealed that eAgNPs doped PCL samples have better cell viability than AgNPs doped and neat PCL nanofibers. Owing to their antibacterial properties, biodegradation rates, low cytotoxicity, mechanical and surface morphologic properties of AgNPs modified PCL nanofibers containing atropa belladonna are considered to have a great potential for skin regeneration.

Objectives: To evaluate the hemodynamicdynamic advantage of a new Fontan surgical template that is intended for complex single-ventricle patients with interrupted inferior vena cava-azygos and hemi-azygos continuation. The new technique has emerged from a comprehensive pre-surgical simulation campaign conducted to facilitate a balanced hepatic flow and somatic Fontan pathway growth after Kawashima procedure., Methods: For 9 patients, aged 2 to18 years, majority having poor preoperative oxygen saturation, a pre-surgical computational fluid dynamics customization is conducted. Both the traditional Fontan pathways and the proposed novel Y-graft templates are considered. Numerical model was validated against in vivo phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging data and in vitro experiments., Results: The proposed template is selected and executed for 6 out of the 9 patients based on its predicted superior hemodynamic performance. Pre-surgical simulations performed for this cohort indicated that flow from the hepatic veins (HEP) do not reach to the desired lung. The novel Y-graft template, customized via a right- or left-sided displacement of the total cavopulmonary connection anastomosis location resulted a drastic increase in HEP flow to the desired lung. Orientation of HEP to azygos direct shunt is found to be important as it can alter the flow pattern from 38% in the caudally located direct shunt to 3% in the cranial configuration with significantly reversed flow. The postoperative measurements prove that oxygen saturation increased significantly (P-value = 0.00009) to normal levels in 1 year follow-up., Conclusions: The new Y-graft template, if customized for the individual patient, is a viable alternative to the traditional surgical pathways. This template addresses the competing hemodynamic design factors of low physiological venous pressure, high postoperative oxygen saturation, low energy loss and balanced hepatic growth factor distribution possibly assuring adequate lung development., Date and Number of Irb Approval: 25 October 2019, 280011928-604.01.01., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery.)

The influence of coconut oil (CO) on a gelatin-based film was investigated when used as a potential wound dressing material. There is limited study on CO in protein-based wound dressing materials. Therefore, in this study a self-supporting, continuous and homogenous CO incorporated gelatin-based film was formulated and obtained by solution casting method. The influence of CO on physicochemical and thermal properties of gelatin-based film was also determined. Moreover, the effect CO in gelatin films on cell viability and cell migration was analysed with a preliminary cell culture study. Homogenous dispersion of 10% (w/w) CO was obtained in films when 3% (v/w) Tween 80, a surfactant, was incorporated to 20% (w/w) plasticized gelatin film forming solution. Effect of CO on gelatin-based film was observed via phase separation by scanning electron microscopy analysis. Water uptake of gelatin film with no CO, GE film; and 10% (w/w) CO incorporated GE film, GE-CO, were 320% and 210%, respectively, after 3 h in water. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis showed triglyceride component of CO and increased hydrogen bonding between NH groups of gelatin in GE-CO films. Differential scanning calorimetry results suggested a more ordered structure of GE-CO film due to an increase in melt-like transition temperature and melting enthalpy of GE-CO film. CO content also increased cell viability, assessed by XTT assay since cell viability was approximately 100% when L929 cell culture was incubated with GE-CO of 5-100 μg ml -1 . Moreover, GE-CO samples within 5-25 μg ml -1 concentration range, increased proliferation of L929 cells since cell viability was significantly higher than the 100% viable cell culture control ( P < 0.05) which is also an indication of efficient healing. However, GE decreased viability of L929 cells significantly at 100-10 μg ml -1 concentration range ( P < 0.05) and were toxic at concentrations of 100, 75 and 50 μg ml -1 which decreased ∼50% of the viability of the cells. Scratch Assay to assess in vitro wound healing showed cell migration towards scratch after 24 h as an indication of wound healing only in GE-CO samples. This study showed that, CO could efficiently be added to gelatin-based films for preparation of a primary wound dressing biomaterial which is also demonstrated to have a promising wound healing effect for minor wounds., (© 2022 IOP Publishing Ltd.)

Fontan operation is the last stage of single-ventricle surgical reconstructions that connects superior and inferior vena cava (SVC, IVC) to the pulmonary arteries. The key design objectives in total cavopulmonary connections (TCPC) are to achieve low power loss (PL) and balanced hepatic flow distribution (HFD). Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) played a pivotal role in pre-surgical design of single-ventricle patients. However, the clinical application of current CFD techniques is limited due to their complexity, high computational time and untested accuracy for HFD prediction. This study provides a performance assessment of computationally low-cost steady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) k-ɛ turbulent models for simulation of Fontan hemodynamics. The performance is evaluated based on prediction accuracy for three clinically important Fontan hemodynamic indices: HFD, PL and total pulmonary flow split (TPFS). For this purpose, a low-cost experimental technique is developed for rapid quantification of Fontan performance indices. Experiments and simulations are performed for both an idealized and a complex 3D reconstructed patient-specific TCPC. Time-averaged flow data from phase contrast MRI was used as the boundary conditions for the patient-specific model. For the idealized model, different SVC/IVC flow ratios corresponding to different cardiac outputs and Reynolds' numbers were examined. This study revealed that steady RANS k-ɛ models are able to estimate the Fontan hemodynamic indices with acceptable accuracy within minutes. Among these, standard k-ɛ two-layer was found to deliver the best agreement with the in vitro data with an average error percentage of 1.7, 2.0 and, 3.9 for HFD, TPFS and, PL, respectively for all cases., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective : To evaluate the contribution of suprahyoid muscles to mouth opening in different hyoid bone positions. Methods : The jaw-opening and closing movements were imposed on the 3D inverse dynamic jaw model with and without the lateral pterygoid muscle (LPM). The activation of the muscles was evaluated for eight different positions of the hyoid bone. Results : The muscles with 100% activation provided maximum mouth opening (MMO). When the hyoid bone was replaced, the muscles could achieve MMO at the 135º, 180º, and 225º points with the LPM. Mouth opening was estimated to be 36.8 mm in the absence of the LPM. A jaw opening greater than 36.8 mm was seen when the hyoid bone was repositioned at the 90º, 180º, and 135º points. Discussion : The contribution of suprahyoid muscles to mouth opening varies in different hyoid bone positions, with the inferior and anterior positions having a positive impact.

Background: Controlling the trajectory of a neuroprosthesis to reach distant targets is a commonly used brain-machine interface (BMI) task in primates and has not been available for rodents yet., New Method: Here, we describe a novel, fine-tuned behavioral paradigm and setup which enables this task for rats in one-dimensional space for reaching two distant targets depending on their limited cognitive and visual capabilities compared to those of primates. An online transform was used to convert the activity of a pair of primary motor cortex (M1) units into two robotic actions. The rats were shaped to adapt to the transform and direct the robotic actuator toward the selected target by modulating the activity of the M1 neurons., Results: All three rats involved in the study were capable of achieving randomly selected targets with at least 78% accuracy. A total of 9 out of 16 pairs of units examined were eligible for exceeding this success criterion. Two out of three rats were capable of reversal learning, where the mapping between the activity of the M1 units and the robotic actions were reversed., Comparison With Existing Methods: The present work is the first demonstration of trajectory-based control of a neuroprosthetic device by rodents to reach two distant targets using visual feedback., Conclusion: The behavioral paradigm and setup introduced here can be used as a cost-effective platform for elucidating the information processing principles in the neural circuits related to neuroprosthetic control and for studying the performance of novel BMI technologies using freely moving rats., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanoparticles (30 to 1000 nm in diameter) surrounded by a lipid-bilayer which carry bioactive molecules between local and distal cells and participate in intercellular communication. Because of their small size and heterogenous nature they are challenging to characterize. Here, we discuss commonly used techniques that have been employed to yield information about EV size, concentration, mechanical properties, and protein content. These include dynamic light scattering, nanoparticle tracking analysis, flow cytometry, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, western blotting, and optical methods including super-resolution microscopy. We also introduce an innovative technique for EV characterization which involves immobilizing EVs on a microscope slide before staining them with antibodies targeting EV proteins, then using the reflectance mode on a confocal microscope to locate the EV plane. By then switching to the microscope's fluorescence mode, immunostained EVs bearing specific proteins can be identified and the heterogeneity of an EV preparation can be determined. This approach does not require specialist equipment beyond the confocal microscopes that are available in many cell biology laboratories, and because of this, it could become a complementary approach alongside the aforementioned techniques to identify molecular heterogeneity in an EV preparation before subsequent analysis requiring specialist apparatus., (© 2022 The Authors.)

Background: Transcutaneous electrogastrography is a novel modality to assess the human stomach's gastric myoelectrical activity. The purpose of this study was to compare functional dyspepsia, joint hypermobility, and diabetic gastroparesis patients with healthy control subjects in terms of gastric motility abnormalities through electrogastrography evaluations, and to then evaluate the correlation among variations in their blood parameters., Methods: This study analyzed 120 subjects with functional dyspepsia (n = 30), joint hypermobility (n = 30), diabetic gastroparesis (n = 30), and control subjects (n = 30). The electrogastrography parameters included the dominant frequency, dominant power, power ratio, and instability coefficient, which were analyzed preprandially and postprandially. Although there are similar studies in the literature, there is no other study in which all groups have been studied together, as in our study., Results: The electrogastrography results showed that preprandial dominant frequency (P = .031*), dominant power (P = .047*), and instability coefficient (P = .043*), and postprandial dominant frequency (P = .041*) and dominant power (P = .035*) results were statistically significant among the functional dyspepsia, joint hypermobility, diabetic gastroparesis, and control groups. There was no significant difference found in terms of power ratio (P = .114) values. However, only glucose (P = .04*) and calcium (P = .04*) levels showed statistical significance. Several blood tests including hemoglobin (P = .032*), creatinine (P= .045*), calcium (P = .037*), potassium (P= .041*), white blood cells (P = .038*), and alanine aminotransferase (P = .031*) also showed correlation with the dominant frequency, power ratio, and instability coefficient parameters., Conclusions: This joint methodology demonstrated that it is possible to differentiate between functional dyspepsia, joint hypermobility, and diabetic gastroparesis patients from healthy subjects by using electrogastrography. Moreover, the majority of patients showed adequate gastric motility in response to food.

The accumulation of metal ions in the body is caused by human activities and industrial uses. Among these metal ions, copper is the third most abundant ion found in the human body and is indispensable for health because it works as a catalyst in the iron absorption processes. However, high doses of copper ions have been reported to generate various diseases. Different types of sensors are used to detect metal ions for several applications. To design selective and specific recognition sites on the sensor surfaces, molecular imprinting is one of the most used alteration methods to detect targets by mimicking natural recognition molecules. In this study, an ion-imprinted polymer-integrated plasmonic sensor was prepared to selectively detect copper (Cu(II)) ions in real-time. Following different characterization experiments, the Cu(II)-imprinted plasmonic sensor was employed for kinetic, selectivity, and reusability studies. According to the results, it was observed that this sensor can measure with 96% accuracy in the Cu(II) concentration range of 0.04-5 μM in buffer solution. The limit of detection and limit of quantification values were computed as 0.027 µM and 0.089 µM. The results also showed that this plasmonic sensor works successfully not only in a buffer solution but also in complex media such as plasma and urine.

Background: Quadratus lumborum (QL) discrete region extensions might change depending on whether leg length discrepancy (LLD) individually has any extra erector spinae action in the lumbar spine, which can result in serious injury to the lower extremities and lumbar vertebrae., Objective: This study aims to investigate the effect of QL muscle activity on LLD by using electromyography (EMG) signals., Methods: The study employed a randomized controlled design. A total of 100 right-handed volunteers were included in this study. All participants were assessed manually by tape measurement for LLD. EMG signals were recorded during the resting and maximal isometric contraction positions to determine QL muscle activity. The power spectral density (PSD) methods were applied to compute EMG signals., Results: In maximal isometric contraction position, comparing the short right LLD (Right side = 0.00064 ± 0.00001, Left side = 0.00033 ± 0.0006) and short left LLD (Right side = 0.00001 ± 0.00008, Left side = 0.00017 ± 0.0001), it was found that the short right LLD group had significantly increased PSD of EMG values. In resting position, the short right LLD (Right side = 0.0002 ± 0.0073, Left side = 0.00016 ± 0.0065) had significantly increased PSD of EMG compared to the short left LLD (Right side = 0.00004 ± 0.0003, Left side = 0.0001 ± 0.0008) values of the QL muscle activity. The results of both groups were also statistically significant (p< 0.05)., Conclusions: The present study showed that it is possible to determine effective experimental interventions for functional LLD using EMG signal analysis of QL muscle activity on an asymptomatic normal population.

The CoronaVac vaccine is an inactivated type two-dose regimen vaccine developed and manufactured by Sinovac Life Sciences Company, in China. It has already been used in China's vaccination program, while 21 other countries (including Indonesia, Turkey and Brazil) also granted emergency use authorization for this vaccine. In Turkey, on January 14, 2021, healthcare workers (HCWs) started to be vaccinated with CoronaVac as the priority group in vaccination. An important question that arose at this time was about how the vaccination schedule would be for people who had previously had Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that those who have had a previous COVID-19 infection can be vaccinated regardless of their previous infection. CDC guidelines also mention that "…if antibody (Ab) testing was done after the first dose of an mRNA vaccine, the vaccination series should be completed regardless of the Ab test result". It should be noted here that this statement applies particularly to mRNA type vaccines, whereas CoronaVac jab is an inactivated type two-dose regimen vaccine. The aim of this study was to present interim results of our ongoing study to compare the effect of two doses of inactivated CoronaVac vaccine on humoral immunity of people who had previously severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, and those people who did not have the infection. In our study, CoronaVac jab containing 600 SU inactivated SARS-CoV-2 antigen was administered as 0.5 ml to 62 HCWs in Yeditepe University Hospital (Istanbul, Turkey), in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations. Ab levels against spike receptor binding region of SARS-CoV-2 were measured quantitatively. SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay were performed using Abbott Architect i2000 instrument (Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, IL, USA). Ab titers were measured before vaccination (Ab0), one month after the first vaccination (Ab1), and one month after the second vaccination (Ab2). The Ab responses of 62 HCWs before and after CoronaVac vaccination were determined. Two groups were created. Group 1 consisted of 18 females and 15 males who were tested as COVID-19 positive, previously. Group 2 consisted of 20 females and 9 males who never had the infection. Minimum, median and maximum Ab0 values of Group1 were 1.6, 180.8 and 5582.6, respectively and Ab1 values were 26.3, 1005.7 and 3923.1; Ab2 values were 202.1, 1119.1 and 2885.9, (in au/mL) respectively. On the other hand, minimum, median and maximum Ab0 values of Group 2 were 0.1, 1.8, and 37.2, Ab1 values were 4.7, 72.7, 470.2, and Ab2 values were 270.3, 746.2 and 5554.1, respectively. In Group 1, 20 of the HCWs showed lower Ab2 titers, while 13 of the HCWs showed higher Ab2 titers than the Ab1 titers. Whereas in Group2 all HCWs had higher Ab2 titers than the Ab1 titers. When the increasing and decreasing Ab2 titers of both groups were evaluated with the 2×2 contingency table and Fisher's exact chi-square test, a statistically significant difference was found between the groups (p<0.001). As a result, we think that a single dose of CoronaVac vaccine similarly to mRNA vaccines can be administered to people who have had COVID-19 due to the possibility that the Ab levels measured after the first dose of vaccine will decrease after the second dose of vaccine.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY We aimed to evaluate the biomechanical properties of quadriceps tendon graft with a bone plug ending (QTBP) and a quadriceps graft with a tendinous ending(QTT) fixed on the femoral side with different fixation devices. MATERIAL AND METHODS Twenty-five paired 2-year-old calf QTs and 25 paired 2-year-old sheep femurs were used for this study. 90x8 mm central part of the quadriceps tendons with or without a bone plug was harvested. 8×25 mm tunnel was placed in lateral condyles. The QTT was fixed with four different fixation devices, including the adjustable suspensory system (QTT-ASS, group 1), biodegradable interference screws (QTT-BIS, group 2), titanium interference screws (QTT-TIS, group 3), and an adjustable suspensory system + biodegradable interference screws (QTT-(ASS+BIS), group 4); QTBP was fixed with titanium interference screws (QTBP-TIS, group 5). All groups were tested in a servohydraulic materials testing machine. Stiffness(N/mm), slippage of the tendon(mm), and the ultimate tensile load-bearing ability(N) of the groups were tested. The Kruskal-Wallis H test was used with the Monte Carlo simulation technique to compare the nonparametric variables of stiffness, slippage, and ultimate tensile load. Dunn's test was used for the post hoc analyses. RESULTS Group 3 had the stiffest fixation (median 45.09 N/mm). The amount of slippage was highest in group 1(median 6.41mm). Group 1 was the most resistant group against a tensile load during the load-to-failure test(464 N). Fixing the QTT with the ASS and BIS in group 4 increased both stiffness and ultimate tensile load strength. There was no significant difference between the QTBP and QTT fixed with titanium screws. Fixing QTT with titanium screws was significantly superior to fixation with BIS(p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates that QTBP fixation with TIS have no advantage over QTT fixation with TIS on the femoral side. Although the QTT group fixed with ASS was the most resistant group against tensile forces during load-to-failure test, amount of slippage was highest for this group as well. Thus, if an ASS is to be used, a strong tension force must be applied prior to tibial side fixation to prevent further slippage of the graft in the tunnel. Key words: anterior cruciate ligament, quadriceps tendon graft, femoral side, fixation, biomechanical properties.