pH-Triggered Size-Tunable Silver Nanoparticles: Targeted Aggregation for Effective Bacterial Infection Therapy.

The rapid spread of drug-resistant pathogens threatens human health. To address the current antibacterial dilemma, the development of antibiotic-free strategies using nanotechnology is imperative. In this study, silver nanoparticles (Ag-P&C NPs) with pH-sensitive charge reversal and self-aggregation capacities are successfully synthesized. In the acidic microenvironment of bacterial biofilms, protonation of the surface peptide enhances the affinity of Ag-P&C NPs for bacteria, which can make Ag-P&C NPs prone to target and penetrate into biofilms, and the self-aggregated capacity helps Ag-P&C NPs remain in biofilms for a long time to disrupt bacterial biofilm formation. In addition, biocompatible Ag-P&C NPs are utilized in three types of bacteria-infected animal models. They exhibit an excellent performance in killing bacteria, inhibiting plaque biofilms, and ameliorating inflammatory responses. In conclusion, this study offers new insights into antibiotic-free antibacterial strategies, and exhibits promising application prospects.

A single-center experience of parathyroidectomy in 1500 cases for secondary hyperparathyroidism: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global public health problem. With the deterioration of renal function, a certain proportion of CKD patients enter the uremic stage, and secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) becomes a challenge. For refractory hyperparathyroidism, parathyroidectomy (PTX) plays a key role in reducing mortality and improving prognosis. Nevertheless, no consensus has been reached on the optimal surgical method. We aimed to provide evidence for the effectiveness of surgical treatment by summarizing the experience from our center. METHODS: Clinical data from 1500 patients undergoing parathyroidectomy were recorded, which included 1419 patients in a total parathyroidectomy without autotransplantation (tPTX) group, 54 patients in a total parathyroidectomy plus autotransplantation (tPTX + AT) group, and 27 patients in the other group. Perioperative basic data, intact parathyroid hormone (i-PTH) levels, serum calcium levels, serum phosphorus levels, pathological reports, coexisting thyroid diseases, short-term outcomes and complications were analyzed. Moreover, postoperative complications were compared between the tPTX and tPTX + AT groups. RESULTS: Parathyroid hormone, serum calcium and phosphorus levels decreased significantly post-surgery. Two patients died during the perioperative period. As the two most common complications, the incidences of severe hypocalcemia and hyperkalemia were 36.20% (543 cases) and 24.60% (369 cases), respectively. Pre-iPTH levels (OR = 1.001, 95% CI: 1.001-1.001, p < 0.01), serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels (OR = 1.002, 95% CI: 1.001-1.002, p < 0.01) and the mass of excised parathyroid gland (OR = 3.06, 95% CI: 1.24-7.55, p = 0.02) were positively associated with postoperative severe hypocalcemia, while age and serum calcium were negatively associated with it. Pathological reports of resected parathyroid and thyroid glands indicated that 96.49% had parathyroid nodular hyperplasia, 13.45% had thyroid nodular hyperplasia, and 4.08% had thyroid papillary carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: Parathyroidectomy is a safe and effective treatment for refractory secondary hyperparathyroidism. Severe hypocalcemia is the main complication, and coexistent thyroid diseases should never be neglected.

Photothermal-Enhanced Fenton-like Catalytic Activity of Oxygen-Deficient Nanotitania for Efficient and Safe Tooth Whitening.

The growing demand for charming smiles has led to the popularization of tooth bleaching procedures. Current tooth bleaching products with high-concentration hydrogen peroxide (HP, 30-40%) are effective but detrimental due to the increased risk of enamel destruction, tooth sensitivity, and gingival irritation. Herein, we reported a less-destructive and efficient tooth whitening strategy with a low-concentration HP, which was realized by the remarkably enhanced Fenton-like catalytic activity of oxygen-deficient TiO2 (TiO2-x). TiO2-x nanoparticles were synthesized with a modified solid-state chemical reduction approach with NaBH4. The Fenton-like activity of TiO2-x was optimized by manipulating oxygen vacancy (OV) concentration and further promoted by the near-infrared (NIR)-induced photothermal effect of TiO2-x. The TiO2-x sample named BT45 was chosen due to the highest methylene blue (MB) adsorption ability and Fenton-like activity among acquired samples. The photothermal property of BT45 under 808 nm NIR irradiation was verified and its enhancement on Fenton-like activity was also studied. The BT45/HP + NIR group performed significantly better in tooth whitening than the HP + NIR group on various discolored teeth (stained by Orange II, tea, or rhodamine B). Excitingly, the same tooth whitening performance as the Opalescence Boost, a tooth bleaching product containing 40% HP, was obtained by a self-produced bleaching gel based on this novel system containing 12% HP. Besides, negligible enamel destruction, safe temperature range, and good cytocompatibility of TiO2-x nanoparticles also demonstrated the safety of this tooth bleaching strategy. This work indicated that the photothermal-enhanced Fenton-like performance of the TiO2-x-based system is highly promising in tooth bleaching application and can also be extended to other biomedical applications.

Eyelid margin cleaning using Deep Cleaning Device for the treatment of meibomian gland dysfunction-associated dry eye: a preliminary investigation.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of eyelid margin cleaning using Deep Cleaning Device for the treatment of meibomian gland dysfunction-associated dry eye. METHODS: This was a prospective, randomized, open-label, investigator-masked, and self-controlled study. We randomly assigned one eye of patients with meibomian gland dysfunction-associated dry eye to the treatment group, and the other eye to the control group. Both groups received artificial tears and lid warming; the treatment group received an additional one-time in-office eyelid margin cleaning using Deep Cleaning Device. Non-invasive tear break-up time (NITBUT) and tear meniscus height (TMH) of each eye, and Standard Patient Evaluation for Eye Dryness II (SPEED II) score of each patient were evaluated before and at one week after treatment. RESULTS: Thirty eyes of 15 patients were enrolled. No adverse effects occurred during the treatment. Compared with the baseline values, the SPEED score decreased significantly at one week after treatment (mean±95% confidence interval, 11.00±0.99 vs. 5.67±1.67, P<0.0001), the NITBUT-first in the treatment group increased significantly at one week after treatment ((4.74±1.27) s vs. (7.49±2.22) s, P=0.01). The NITBUT-first was significantly longer in the treatment group ((7.49±2.22) s) than in the control group ((5.17±0.91) s) at one week after treatment (P=0.042). No significant differences were found in other tear film parameters between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Eyelid margin cleaning using the novel Deep Cleaning Device is a convenient, effective, and safe treatment for patients with meibomian gland dysfunction-associated dry eye.