Impact of extended sinus surgery on allograft infection, allograft function and overall survival in cystic fibrosis lung transplant recipients.

BACKGROUND: Studies investigating the impact of sinus surgery for cystic fibrosis (CF) patients performed early after lung transplantation (Ltx) are scarce. Recent studies evaluating frequency of respiratory infections and graft outcomes are not available. OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: To determine whether there is a difference in allograft infection, allograft function and overall survival among CF lung transplant recipients with and without concomitant sinus surgery. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective single-center study. METHODS: We examined 71 CF patients who underwent Ltx between 2009 and 2019 at our center. Fifty-nine patients had sinus surgery before or/and after transplantation and twelve did not undergo sinus surgery. We assessed the survival, the diagnosis of chronic allograft dysfunction (CLAD) and all elevated (> 5 mg/l) c-reactive protein episodes during the observed period. The infectious events of the upper and lower airways were categorized in mild infections (5-15 mg/l CRP) and severe infections (> 15 mg/l CRP). RESULTS: There was no difference in the long-time overall survival (p = 0.87) and no benefit in the short-term survival at 4 year post-transplant (p = 0.29) in both groups. There was no difference in both groups concerning CLAD diagnosis (p = 0.92). The incidence of severe upper and lower airway infections (CRP > 15 mg/l) was significantly decreased in the sinus surgery group (p = 0.015), whereas in mild infections there was a trend to decreased infections in the sinus surgery group (p = 0.056). CONCLUSIONS: CF patients undergoing Ltx benefit from extended endoscopic sinus surgery (eESS) in terms of frequency of severe infectious events of the upper and lower airways. There was no difference in overall survival and frequency of CLAD in the two groups.

Investigation of the surfactant distribution in oil-in-water emulsions during the crystallization of the dispersed phase via nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry and diffusometry.

The crystallization of melt emulsions is of great interest to the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. Surfactants are used in emulsions and suspensions to stabilize the dispersed phase; thus, questions arise about the liquid-liquid and solid-liquid interfaces of the droplets or particles and the distribution of the surfactant in the different phases (continuous and dispersed phase, interface). Nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation and diffusion measurements revealed that the internal and rotational mobility of surfactant molecules at the liquid-liquid interface decreases with increasing droplet sizes. Additionally, solid-liquid interfaces have fewer surfactants than liquid-liquid interfaces as a result of the desorption of the surfactant molecules during the crystallization of the droplets. Relaxation rates of surfactant molecules in aqueous solution as single molecules, micelles, and at the liquid-liquid and solid-liquid interface are analyzed for the first time.

Characterization of Fractal Structures by Spray Flame Synthesis Using X-ray Scattering.

In this work, we take on an in-depth characterization of the complex particle structures made by spray flame synthesis. Because of the resulting hierarchical aggregates, very few measurement techniques are available to analyze their primary particle and fractal properties. Therefore, we use small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to investigate the influence of the precursor concentration on the fractal structures of zirconia nanoparticles. The combination of information gained from these measurement results leads to a detailed description of the particle system, including the polydispersity and size distribution of the primary particles. Based on our findings, unstable process conditions could be identified at low precursor concentrations resulting in the broadest size distribution of primary particles with rough surfaces. Higher precursor concentrations lead to reproducible primary particle sizes almost independent of the initial precursor concentration. Regarding the fractal properties, the typical shape of aggregates for aerosols is present for the investigated range of precursor concentrations. In conclusion, the consistent results for SAXS and TEM show a conclusive characterization of a complex particle system, allowing for the identification of the underlying particle formation mechanism.

Enzyme Scaffolds with Hierarchically Defined Properties via 3D Jet Writing.

The immobilization of enzymes into polymer hydrogels is a versatile approach to improve their stability and utility in biotechnological and biomedical applications. However, these systems typically show limited enzyme activity, due to unfavorable pore dimensions and low enzyme accessibility. Here, 3D jet writing of water-based bioinks, which contain preloaded enzymes, is used to prepare hydrogel scaffolds with well-defined, tessellated micropores. After 3D jet writing, the scaffolds are chemically modified via photopolymerization to ensure mechanical stability. Enzyme loading and activity in the hydrogel scaffolds is fully retained over 3 d. Important structural parameters of the scaffolds such as pore size, pore geometry, and wall diameter are controlled with micrometer resolution to avoid mass-transport limitations. It is demonstrated that scaffold pore sizes between 120 µm and 1 mm can be created by 3D jet writing approaching the length scales of free diffusion in the hydrogels substrates and resulting in high levels of enzyme activity (21.2% activity relative to free enzyme). With further work, a broad range of applications for enzyme-laden hydrogel scaffolds including diagnostics and enzymatic cascade reactions is anticipated.

Healthy lifestyle and glucagon-like peptide-1 in young and healthy adults: A population-based study.

A healthy lifestyle is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular events and mortality, but underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. The aim of our study was to investigate the relationships between a healthy lifestyle and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), an incretin hormone with both glycemic and cardiovascular properties. Healthy participants aged 25-41years without cardiovascular disease, diabetes or a body mass index (BMI) >35kg/m2 were enrolled in a population-based study. The following metrics were used to build a lifestyle score ranging from 0 to 7 (a higher score indicating a healthier lifestyle): blood pressure (BP) (<120/80mmHg), plasma levels of glycated hemoglobin (<5.7%), total cholesterol levels (<200mg/dl), BMI (<25kg/m2), not smoking cigarettes, moderate (≥150min/week) or vigorous (≥75min/week) physical activity and a healthy diet. Among 2133 participants median age was 36.7years and 53.3% were female. GLP-1 levels decreased significantly from 39.5 to 30.9ng/l (p<0.0001) across increasing lifestyle score categories. This linear relationship persisted in multivariable adjusted linear regression models (B for GLP-1 per 1-unit increase of the lifestyle score -0.06; 95% confidence intervals -0.07, -0.04; p<0.0001). Individual health metrics that were significantly associated with GLP-1 were a normal BMI (-0.07; -0.12, -0.03; p=0.001), low total cholesterol levels (-0.07; -0.12, -0.03; p=0.001), normal BP (-0.05; -0.10, -0.00; p=0.047) and not smoking (-0.06; -0.10, -0.01; p=0.01). A healthy lifestyle is strongly associated with lower GLP-1 levels in young and healthy adults.