A comparative study on the clinical profile of COVID-related and non-COVID-related acute invasive fungal rhino sinusitis.

PURPOSE: To compare the clinical profile of COVID-related and non-COVID-related rhino-orbito-cerebral invasive fungal disease. METHODS: We have compared the comorbidities, clinical features, course of the disease and outcome between COVID-related and non-COVID-related acute invasive fungal rhinosinusitis (AIFRS) of the rhino-orbito-cerebral form. RESULTS: HbA1c and blood sugar at the time of admission were significantly higher in the non-COVID group (P < 0.05). Duration of stay, and use of steroids were significantly higher among the COVID group (P < 0.05). The period of hospital stay was significantly higher in the COVID group. The overall survival in the COVID group was 67.57%. In the non-COVID group the overall survival was 61.90%.This study found that odds of surgical treatment was significantly lower among non-survivors (P < 0.05). Similarly patients who developed stages 3 & 4 of the disease had a lower survival rate (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Diabetes mellitus is a key risk factor for the development of AIFRS. Pre-existing, grossly uncontrolled DM was the predisposing factor in the non-COVID group. Deranged glucose profile associated with COVID illness and its treatment and immunological disturbances in a vulnerable population, contributed to the surge in cases of AIFRS in the COVID-19-related group. Patients who underwent combined medical and surgical treatment had a significantly better outcome following AIFRS.

A Rare Case of Parotid Swelling Presenting as Branchial Cleft Cyst.

First brachial cleft cyst arise due to incomplete fusion of first and second brachial arches. It is classified into type 1, which is thought to arise from the duplication of the membranous external ear canal and are composed of ectoderm only, and type 2 that have both ectoderm and mesoderm which presents as parotid swelling. As it is rare it is easily misdiagnosed and mismanaged. First branchial cleft cyst are rare causes of parotid swellings as in this case reports.

Impact of styrene maleic anhydride (SMA) based hydrogel on rat fallopian tube as contraceptive implant with selective antimicrobial property.

Development of non-hormonal female contraception is a need to combat against increasing population growth. The presently available short term or long term female contraceptives and sterilization methods have their own restrictions and side effects. With this objective, herein, we describe an innovative insight about the use of hydrogel formulation consisting of Styrene Maleic Anhydride (SMA) dissolved in Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) as non-hormonal fallopian tube contraceptive implant. Firstly, in vitro behavior of SMA hydrogel was evaluated by in vitro swelling and rheological properties to comprehend the polymeric hydrogel property post implantation inside the fallopian tube. Simulated Uterine Fluid (SUF) was used to simulate female reproductive tract environment in this study. Mechanical strength of the hydrogel when subjected to dynamic environment post implantation in the fallopian tube was estimated by the G' values demonstrated. SMA hydrogel expressed selective antimicrobial activity against opportunistic pathogens (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus) while having limited consequence over the growth of Lactobacillus spp. After confirmation of cytocompatibility against primary rat endometrial cell lines, the polymeric hydrogel was implanted inside the uterine horns of Sprague-Dawley rats. In vivo biocompatibility of the hydrogel was confirmed by histological and immunohistochemical evaluation of uterine tissue sections. Hematology, blood biochemistry and organ toxicity (kidney, liver, spleen, lungs and heart) also revealed biocompatibility of SMA hydrogel. The results of the current study indicated that the SMA copolymer dissolved in DMSO to form hydrogel has excellent biocompatibility for application as female contraceptive gel which can be implanted in the fallopian tube.

Potential targetability of multi-walled carbon nanotube loaded with silver nanoparticles photosynthesized from Ocimum tenuiflorum (tulsi extract) in fertility diagnosis.

Nanocarrier mediated targeted delivery and biosensing in reproductive health care is a major exploratory domain. This work demonstrates the loading of silver nanoparticle (AgNP) inside the multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) and their targetability to the intracellular part of the sperm cell for its further application in biosensing based infertility diagnosis. Ocimum tenuiflorum (tulsi extract) mediated photosynthesized AgNP exhibited spherical shape, 5-40 nm size and surface plasmonic resonance at 430 nm. After loading of freshly prepared AgNP into emulsified MWCNT, the loading was confirmed with spectroscopic and microscopic methods. FTIR analysis displayed significant shifting at 3450 cm-1 (-OH stretching) and 1615 cm-1 (CNT back bone) which validated the binding of AgNP with MWCNT and interestingly heat flow analysis revealed that Ag loaded MWCNT has greater stability than AgNP. Moreover, AFM based surface profile height analysis clearly showed the loading of AgNP inside MWCNT as surface height of MWCNT increased from 22 to 32 nm, which in turn confirmed the encapsulation of 10 nm size of AgNP inside the tube. Furthermore, surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) confirmed the homogeneous loading as there were no changes in D/G ratio. SERS analysis for the interaction of AgNP loaded MWCNT with freshly collected healthy, motile human spermatozoa showed a significant Raman shift at 800-780 cm-1 (NH2+ twist) and 1050-1060 cm-1 (vas PO3-) for change in DNA packaging process and its stabilizing protein polyamine respectively. Finally, DNA fragmentation and morphological examination confirmed the binding and targetability of AgNP to the sperm nucleus. Improved targeting efficiency and biosenssing ability make AgNP-MWCNT composite suitable in fertility diagnosis.

Probing suitable therapeutic nanoparticles for controlled drug delivery and diagnostic reproductive health biomarker development.

Nanomaterial mediated drug delivery represents a highly promising technique while its selectivity for reproductive healthcare application still remains a challenge. Since the delicate structure and functional role of reproductive tissue and gametes require the use of biocompatible nanomedicine/devices that do not affect fertility or the development of resulting offspring, this paper reports an intercomparative study of human spermatozoa interaction with three different nanoparticles (NPs) namely; iron oxide (Fe3O4), multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and graphene platelet nanopowder (GPN) to probe their suitability for drug delivery carrier and biomarker development purposes. ATR-FTIR results revealed that the sperm cell interaction with GPN had maximum amide I absorption for cell proteins and CO stretching of the peptide backbone at the band around 1657 cm(-1) followed by iron oxide NPs whereas MWCNT had no absorption. These results showed that GPN followed by iron oxide NPs got maximally entrapped by cell membrane protein with maximum disruption but MWCNT exhibited less entrapment but significantly higher internalization which was further validated by morphological analysis of these cell NP interaction by SEM, HRTEM and fluorescence microscopy. The uptake kinetics and penetration mechanism of NPs were examined with isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). Interestingly, ITC results confirmed ATR-FTIR and morphological observations that the binding of GPN and Fe3O4 NPs with cell was exothermic and their bindings were favored by both negative enthalpy and positive entropy whereas in the case of MWCNT it was endothermic supported by unfavorable positive enthalpy and a favorable entropy change. Hence, it was evident that MWCNT had better internalization efficiency without disrupting the sperm lipid membrane compared to Fe3O4 and GPN NPs. Therefore, this work proposes CNT as promising means.

An emerging interface between life science and nanotechnology: present status and prospects of reproductive healthcare aided by nano-biotechnology.

Among the various applications of nano-biotechnology, healthcare is considered one of the most significant domains. For that possibility to synthesize various kind of nanoparticles (NPs) and the ever-increasing ability to control their size as well as structure, to improve surface characteristics and binding NPs with other desired curing agents has played an important role. In this paper, a brief sketch of various kinds of nanomaterials and their biomedical applications is given. Despite claims of bio-nanotechnology about to touch all areas of medical science, information pertaining to the role of nanotechnology for the betterment of reproductive healthcare is indeed limited. Therefore, the various achievements of nano-biotechnology for healthcare in general have been illustrated while giving special insight into the role of nano-biotechnology for the future of reproductive healthcare betterment as well as current achievements of nanoscience and nanotechnology in this arena.

An approach to noninvasive delivery, biodistribution, and fertility control potential evaluation of the Cuproferrogel iron oxide-copper-styrene maleic anhydride-dimethyl sulphoxide in the female.

Under guidance of an external pulsed magnetic field the Cuproferrogel iron oxide-copper-styrene maleic anhydride-dimethyl sulphoxide delivered into the rat/rabbit oviduct resulted in oocytes with granulated cytoplasm, zona enlargement, membrane disintegration, and finally loss of viability in 72 hours. Also, the percentage biodistribution of magnetic and electrically conductive particles observed under safe level advocates the use of Cuproferrogel as a potential female fertility control molecule.

Smart RISUG: a potential new contraceptive and its magnetic field-mediated sperm interaction.

The rationale and technique underlying a novel concept of noninvasive fertility control by a new Cuproferrogel contraceptive drug, iron oxide-copper-styrene maleic anhydride-dimethyl sulphoxide (Fe3O4-Cu-SMA-DMSO) composite named 'Smart RISUG' (smart reversible inhibition of sperm under guidance) in presence of pulsed magnetic field (PMF; 1 mT to 800 mT) is explained. It was synthesized by dispersing iron oxide particles and copper particles into SMA-DMSO (male contraceptive RISUG) and characterized for particle distribution, particle size measurement and transmittance peaks, etc. Interaction of the RISUG particles as well as Smart RISUG particles with Albino rat sperm cell was studied in presence as well as absence of PMF. To find an explanation to increased reaching of the Smart RISUG drug into sperm under influence of magnetic field, the transport properties were characterized by high resolution transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Smart RISUG could be mobilized into sperm cell membrane at the PMF, 760 mT in about 50 seconds. Adoption of novel drug Smart RISUG involving new technique may open the pathway for non surgical control of drug distribution, detection and restoration of the normal fertility after removal of the contraceptive from the male/female reproductive tube in presence of electromagnetic field.