Comparative biomechanical study of different screw fixation methods for minimally invasive hallux valgus surgery: A finite element analysis.

BACKGROUND: There are different screw configurations utilised for minimally invasive hallux valgus (HV) deformity despite limited biomechanical data assessing the stability and strength of each construct. We aimed to compare the strength of various screw configurations for minimally invasive HV surgery using finite element analysis (FEA). METHODS: A FEA model was developed from a CT of a female with moderate HV deformity. Five screw configurations utilizing one or two bicortical or intramedullary screws were tested. Stress analysis considered osteotomy displacement, maximum and minimum principal stresses, and von Mises stress for both implants and bone for each screw configuration. RESULTS: Fixation with two screws (one bicortical and one intramedullary) demonstrated the lowest values for osteotomy displacement, minimum and maximum total stress, and equivalent von Mises stress on the bone and screws in both loading conditions. CONCLUSION: The optimal configuration when performing minimally invasive surgery for moderate HV is one bicortical and one intramedullary screw. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.

Functionalized bioadhesion-enhanced carboxymethyl cellulose/polyvinyl alcohol hybrid hydrogels for chronic wound dressing applications.

Wounds produced by trauma, burns, and chronic diseases cause millions of patients to suffer discomfort, pain, and, in many cases, disability and death, leading to enormous health, social and financial impacts globally. Regrettably, current clinical treatments for chronic wounds remain unsatisfactory. Thus, this study reports for the first time the design, development, and synthesis of chemically biofunctionalized hybrid hydrogels made of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) crosslinked by citric acid using an entirely biocompatible and green process. They demonstrated suitable physicochemical properties, cytocompatibility, and hemocompatibility to be applied as a smart wound dressing for skin tissue engineering. These novel hybrids were biofunctionalized with l-arginine and RGD peptide through carbodiimide mediated-amide formation to promote bioadhesion of fibroblast and keratinocyte cells as a potential enhancement for wound healing and skin tissue engineering applications.

Gold nanoparticle-carboxymethyl cellulose nanocolloids for detection of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) using laser light scattering immunoassay.

It is estimated that over 100 million people have been infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) resulting in approximately 30 million deaths globally. Herein, we designed and developed novel nano-immunoconjugates using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) biopolymer, which performed simultaneously as an eco-friendly in situ reducing agent and surface stabilizing ligand for the aqueous colloidal process. These AuNPs-CMC nanocolloids were biofunctionalized with the gp41 glycoprotein receptor (AuNPs-CMC-gp41) or HIV monoclonal antibodies (AuNPs-CMC_PolyArg-abHIV) for detection using the laser light scattering immunoassay (LIA). These AuNPs-CMC bioengineered nanoconjugates were extensively characterized by morphological and physicochemical methods, which demonstrated the formation of spherical nanocrystalline colloidal AuNPs with the average size from 12 to 20 nm and surface plasmon resonance peak at 520 nm. Thus, stable nanocolloids were formed with core-shell nanostructures composed of AuNPs and biomacromolecules of CMC-gp41, which were cytocompatible based on in vitro cell viability results. The AuNPs-CMC-gp41 nanoconjugates were tested against HIV monoclonal antibodies conjugates (AuNPs-CMC_PolyArg-abHIV) using the light scattering immunoassay (LIA) where they behaved as active nanoprobes for the detection at nM level of HIV-1 antigenic proteins. This strategy offers a novel nanoplatform for creating bioprobes using green nanotechnology for the detection of HIV-1 and other virus-related diseases.

Poverty-associated emerging infection of Cystic Echinococcosis in population of Northern Pakistan: A hospital based study.

Cystic Echinococcosis (CE) is one of the most important zoonotic parasitic diseases in human, livestock, and wildlife globally. The prevalence of CE depends upon human behavioral risk factors, the diversity and ecology of animal host interactions and the genetic diversity within Echinococcus species which differ in their zoonotic potential and pathogenicity. It is a neglected, economic and socio-cultural problem in Pakistan. The available data about the incidence of CE is very limited and no extensive study has been reported in Pakistan. The current study was aimed to analyze the hospital reported cases of CE and the associated risk factors related to the incidence of CE. The hospital-based data of CE for the time period of January 2012-December 2017 was collected from Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Peshawar. The data covered demographic characteristics including age, gender, and cyst localization of infected individuals and socioeconomic determinants. The data was analyzed based upon different risk factors along with the different socioeconomic parameters that has an important impact on the distribution of disease. A total of 228 cases were presented in the selected hospitals of different cities during the study period. Out of total 228 patients, 59.21% were males and 40.78% were females (P<0.001). Most infections have been recorded in young adults (>20-30) showing 22.8% of total infected individuals followed by children (0-10) showing 10.5% (n=24), respectively (P<0.001). Liver was the most vulnerable organ (58.77%, n=134) followed by lungs (14.47%, n=33) (P<0.001). The infection was higher among rural communities (84.2%) than urban (12.8%) (P<0.001). Socioeconomic and demographic factors had an important impact on the intensity of disease (P<0.001). The occurrence of cases in children and young adults was an important finding as it indicated an active transmission of the parasite in Pakistan along with the poverty index. Emergence of echinococcosis in Pakistan showed that emerging health issues in Pakistan could bring the disease to limelight for future research. This finding, together with the fact that 1 hospital reported 214 cases over 6 years 325 underlines the need for a program for prevention/control of this disease in Pakistan. The timely measure needs to be taken to hamper the disease development and establishment. In order to control the disease, complete surveillance should be done which in turn weighs down the disease progress.

ZnCl2 loaded TiO2 nanomaterial: an efficient green catalyst to one-pot solvent-free synthesis of propargylamines.

One-pot green synthesis of propargylamines using ZnCl2 loaded TiO2 nanomaterial under solvent-free conditions has been effectively accomplished. The aromatic aldehydes, amines, and phenylacetylene were reacted at 100 °C in the presence of the resultant catalyst to form propargylamines. The nanocrystalline TiO2 was initially synthesized by a sol-gel method from titanium(iv) isopropoxide (TTIP) and further subjected to ZnCl2 loading by a wet impregnation method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns revealed the formation of crystalline anatase phase TiO2. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) showed the formation of agglomerated spheroid shaped particles having a size in the range of 25-45 nm. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) validates cubical faceted and nanospheroid-like morphological features with clear faceted edges for the pure TiO2 sample. Surface loading of ZnCl2 on spheroid TiO2 nanoparticles is evident in the case of the ZnCl2 loaded TiO2 sample. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed the presence of Ti4+ and Zn2+ species in the ZnCl2 loaded TiO2 catalyst. Energy-dispersive X-ray (EDS) spectroscopy also confirmed the existence of Ti, O, Zn and Cl elements in the nanostructured catalyst. 15% ZnCl2 loaded TiO2 afforded the highest 97% yield for 3-(1-morpholino-3-phenylprop-2-ynyl)phenol, 2-(1-morpholino-3-phenylprop-2-ynyl)phenol and 4-(1,3-diphenylprop-2-ynyl)morpholine under solvent-free and aerobic conditions. The proposed nanostructure-based heterogeneous catalytic reaction protocol is sustainable, environment-friendly and offers economic viability in terms of recyclability of the catalyst.

Translation, Adaptation and Validation of Rapid Geriatric Assessment to the Brazilian context.

OBJECTIVES: Translate, cross-culturally adapt and validate the Rapid Geriatric Assessment (RGA) for Brazilian community-dwelling adults. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study, using a quantitative approach. SETTING: Urban population from the city of São Carlos, located in the interior of São Paulo State, Brazil. PARTICIPANTS: 148 individuals aged 60 or over. MEASUREMENTS: Participants were assessed using the RGA, Fried Frailty Phenotype, International Physical Activity Questionnaire - long version, Addenbrooke´s Cognitive Exam - Revised Version, Mini Nutritional Assessment, short Form - 36, EuroQol 5-Dimension, Geriatric Depression Scale - short version, in addition to performing Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry to diagnose sarcopenia, according to the criteria established by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People. RESULTS: In the translation and adaption process of the RGA, steps recommended by the literature were followed: initial translation, synthesis of translations, backward translation, evaluation from the panel of judges, and pre-test. When evaluating the psychometric properties of the scale, satisfactory reliability (internal consistency and stability) and validity (content, concurrent criterion and convergent, divergent and discriminant construct) were verified. CONCLUSION: The Brazilian version of the RGA is reliable and valid, and can be used in the Brazilian context to evaluate the elderly population.

In vitro and in vivo assessment of nanotoxicity of CdS quantum dot/aminopolysaccharide bionanoconjugates.

The nanotoxicity of Cd-containing quantum dots (QDs) for biomedical applications is very controversial and not completely understood. In this study, we evaluated the cytotoxicity of surface-biofunctionalized CdS QDs with chitosan directly synthesized via aqueous route at room temperature. These core-shell CdS-chitosan nanoconjugates showed different degrees of cytotoxic responses using MTT cell proliferation assay toward three human cell cultures, human osteosarcoma cell line (SAOS), non-Hodgkin's B cell lymphoma (Toledo), and human embryonic kidney cell line (HEK293T), under three exposure times (1, 3, and 5days) and three colloidal concentrations (10nM, 50nM, and 100nM). The results clearly demonstrated that the CdS QDs, regardless to the fact that they were coated with a biocompatible aminopolysaccharide shell, induced a severe dose- and time-dependent inhibition of cell viability. In addition, the HEK293T and SAOS cell lines showed much more sensitive response compared to Toledo, which indicated that the cytotoxicity was also cell-type dependent. The exceptional resistance of Toledo cells to toxic effects of CdS nanoconjugates even at severe test conditions was assigned to specific role of B-lineage cells of the immune defense system. Remarkably, no conclusive evidence of toxicity of CdS nanoconjugates was observed in vivo using intravenous injections of CdS nanoconjugates in BALB/c mouse animal models for 30days, but localized fluorescence was detected in ex-vivo liver tissue samples. Therefore, these results prove that there is no guarantee of "risk-free" use of CdS nanoconjugates for in vivo applications, even when functionalized with biopolymer ligands, as they can pose an excessive threat due to unpredicted and uncorrelated responses under in vitro and in vivo biological assays with highly toxic cadmium ions.

Influence of subphase parameters on the nanostructures of 5,10,15,20-tetraphenyl-21H,23H-porphine films at air-water interface.

In this work, we have evaluated the influence of concentration of 5,10,15,20-tetraphenyl-21H,23H-porphine solutions on pi-A isotherms, varying the pH of subphase. The obtained pi-A isotherms indicated the existence of different aggregation states and the dependence of area/molecule with the pH was established. There is an increase in the area/molecule for both pH = 5 and pH = 8 in low concentrations with a marked increase for the acid pH. Such trend has given such clearly evidence that proton (H+) effect in the chromophore macrocycle is potentially indicated for the pH-sensitive gas sensors.

Biocompatibility evaluation of hydroxyapatite/collagen nanocomposites doped with Zn+2.

In this work, novel composites based on calcium phosphates (CaP)/collagen (COL) doped with Zn(+2) have been synthesized. They were characterized by SEM coupled to EDS microprobe in order to evaluate their morphology and chemical composition, respectively. The biocompatibility of these synthetic CaP/COL nanocomposites doped and undoped with Zn(+2) was investigated through osteoblast cell culture assay. Calcium phosphates were produced via aqueous precipitation routes where two different phases were obtained, hydroxyapatite (HAP) and biphasic hydroxyapatite-betatricalcium phosphate (HAPbetaTCP). In the sequence, the type-I collagen (COL) was added to the inorganic phase based on calcium phosphate and the mixture was blended until a homogenous composite was obtained. Zn(+2) aqueous solution (1.0 wt%) was used as the doping reagent. The cell viability and the alkaline phosphatase production of osteoblasts in the presence of the composites were evaluated and compared to control osteoblasts. Also, the biocompatibility of the composite was investigated through cell morphological analysis using optical microscopy of osteoblasts. All experiments were performed in triplicates (n = 3) from three different experiments. They were analyzed by variance test (ANOVA) and Bonferroni's post-test with differences statistically significant at p < 0.05. The results showed that the CaP/COL composites doped and undoped with Zn(+2) did not present alterations in cell morphology in 72 h and had similar cell viability and alkaline phosphatase activity to the control. All the tested CaP/COL composites showed adequate biological properties with the potential to be used in bone tissue replacement applications.

Design of novel hybrid organic-inorganic nanostructured biomaterials for immunoassay applications.

The purpose of this study was to develop novel hybrid organic-inorganic materials based on poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) polymer chemically crosslinked network to be tested as solid support on bovine herpesvirus immunoassay. Hybrids were synthesized by reacting PVA with three different alkoxysilanes modifying chemical groups: tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS) and 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS). PVA-derived hybrids were also modified by chemically crosslinking with glutaraldehyde (GA) during the synthesis reaction. In order to investigate the structure in the nanometer-scale, PVA-derived hybrids were characterized by using small-angle x-ray scattering synchrotron radiation (SAXS) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). PVA hybrids' chemical functionalities and their interaction with herpesviruses were also characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The bioactivity assays were tested through enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). SAXS results have indicated nano-ordered disperse domains for PVA hybrids with different x-ray scattering patterns for PVA polymer and PVA-derived hybrids. FTIR spectra have shown major vibration bands associated with organic-inorganic chemical groups present in the PVA, PVA-derived by silane modifier and PVA chemically crosslinked by GA. The immunoassay results have shown that PVA hybrids with chemically functionalized structures regulated to some extent the specific bioimmobilization of herpesvirus onto solid phase. We think that it is due to the overall balance of forces associated with van der Waals interaction, hydrophilic and hydrophobic forces and steric hindrance acting at the surface. PVA and PVA-derived hybrid materials were successfully produced with GA crosslinking in a nanometer-scale network. Also, such a PVA-based material could be advantageously used in immunoassays with enhanced specificity for diagnosis.

Biomaterial with chemically engineered surface for protein immobilization.

The last 3 decades have been a revolution in the area of sol-gel-derived materials. They can be used to encapsulate biomolecules such as enzymes, antibodies, hormones, and proteins retaining their functional state. Proteins can be immobilized in many ways but it is crucial that they retain their native conformational structure and, therefore, bioactivity. Porous silica gel matrixes with modified surfaces offer unlimited possibilities to control the protein-solid interaction behavior. The bioimmobilization process on sol-gel biomaterials with chemically engineered surface has driven applications on solid-phase materials, affinity chromatography, biosensors and many others. In the present work, we have aimed to produce surface-modified silica glass materials obtained via sol-gel route to be used as solid support on drug delivery systems and as solid-phase in immunodiagnostic. The functionalization process was carried out by reacting alkoxysilanes with 5 different silane surface modifying chemical groups: tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS) and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES), 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS) and 3-isocyanatopropyltriethoxysilane (ICPES). The bioactivity assays were based on two main tests: (a) An in vivo bioresponse of rats with sol-gel disk implants with insulin protein incorporated. In vivo tests with adult male rats were used to verify the immobilized insulin bioactivity after implantation of different biomaterial with functionalized surfaces. All surface modified materials have presented hypoglycemic peak response associated with the insulin bioactivity. (b) The produced solid-phase sol-gel disks with protein substrates were tested through Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (ELISA). The immunoassay results have showed that glasses with chemically functionalized surfaces regulated the extent of bioimmobilization of protein. The amine, thiol and hydroxyl terminated porous gels have showed significant interaction with the antibody-antigen, during the coupling process. We believe that it is due to balance of forces associated with Van der Waals interaction, hydrophilic and hydrophobic forces and steric hindrance acting at the surface. Therefore, such novel biomaterial could be advantageously used in drug delivery systems and in immunoassays of diagnostic kits.

Surface functionalization of porous glass networks: effects on bovine serum albumin and porcine insulin immobilization.

Biomolecules can be immobolized in many different ways. They can also be entrapped or tightly adsorbed within porous gels, clays, membranes, resins, and several other materials, but it is crucial that they retain their active conformation after the incorporation procedure. Porous gel matrixes with functionalized surfaces offer unlimited possibilities to control the protein-substrate interaction behavior. In the present work, we have studied the adsorption and the relative stability of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and porcine insulin(PI) incorporated in gels of SiO2 glass matrixes. The porous gel matrixes were obtained using tetramethoxysilane (TMOS)/metanol and functionalized with (3-mercaptopropyl) trimethoxysilane and (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane. The relative adsorption kinetics and stability of BSA and PI incorporated in glass networks were evaluated by immersion in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) and alkaline elution media for different periods of time. The kinetics of protein release from the gel matrix was monitored by UV-visible spectroscopy. A significantly larger PI release was observed compared to BSA in PBS solutions. We believe this is mainly associated with the difference on protein interactions with the modified surface, according to the characterization results of porosity, surface area, and contact angle of different functionalized gel matrixes. We could not observe any evidence of denaturation with either proteins after their desorption from gel matrixes using the ultraviolet spectroscopy technique. These results have also been confirmed with the strong bioactivity response from "in vivo" test conducted in rats, where porous gels with PI incorporated were implanted, showing that released proteins retained their native conformation.