An An Open-Label, Single Center, Retrospective Study to Evaluate Clinical Outcomes with Surgical Sealant in Bentall Procedures: A Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular surgery is associated with substantial risk for postoperative bleeding with increased patient morbidity and mortality. Numerous intraoperative techniques have been utilized to reduce this risk. This study was to assess postoperative bleeding-related parameters following Bentall procedures and to examine the impact of intraoperative surgical sealant application. METHOD: The medical/surgical records of 100 consecutive Bentall procedure cases were examined retrospectively for perioperative surgical sealant use and postoperative bleeding-related outcomes. RESULTS: Of the 100 patient cases, three died during the postoperative period, and 97 were evaluable. Surgical sealant was utilized in 56 patient cases (57.8%). The utilization versus no utilization of surgical sealant was associated with significant reductions in most postoperative bleeding-related parameters, including less drainage (P = .028), resternotomy for hemorrhage (P = .036), transfusion of red blood cells (P = .022 at 48 hours; P = .027 total in-hospital), transfusion of fresh frozen plasma (P = .04 at 48 hours; P = .004 total in-hospital), and a higher percentage of cases not needing blood transfusion (P = .002). The surgical sealant group had longer cardiopulmonary bypass circuit (P = .016) and aortic cross-clamp time (P = .001), with no significant between-group differences in intubation time (P = .636) or intensive care unit duration (P = .294). When excluding urgent cases or Stanford type A aortic dissections, intensive care unit duration significantly was shorter in the surgical sealant group (P = .017). Surgical sealant use was not associated with any adverse events. CONCLUSION: The application of surgical sealant to the anastomosis suture line in Bentall procedures reduces postoperative drainage, bleeding, and transfusion utilization. Further studies are warranted to investigate these benefits in prospective, randomized clinical trials.

Evaluating a Cobalt-Tetraphenylporphyrin Complex, Functionalized with a Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite, for Improved Tooth Whitening.

OBJECTIVES: To study using cobalt-tetraphenylporphyrin/reduced graphene oxide (CoTPP/RGO), a nanocomposite highly catalytic both for oxidizing and for reducing hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ), to whiten teeth. METHODS: Dyes (D&C Red 34, Orange No. 4), tea, and betel nuts (Areca catechu) were used to stain the tooth specimens for three days and subsequently bleached using H2 O2 alone, H2 O2 plus CoTPP, or H2 O2 plus CoTPP/RGO for 0.5-70 hours. The process was photographed using an electronic chromometer and a camera. Color change was assessed after each session. The results of bleaching teeth with and without photoirradiation were compared. RESULTS: CoTPP/RGO increased the tooth-whitening efficacy of H2 O2 for specimens stained with dyes, tea, and betel nuts. Using lamps (photoactivation) (wavelengths: 254 nm and 310 nm) to catalyze the H2 O2 bleaching agent reduced the bleaching treatment time. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: First, the Co/TPP/RGO complex allows improved tooth bleaching and shorter treatment times. Second, because the Co/TPP/RGO complex bleached D&C Red 34 at a similar rate and to a similar degree as tea and other natural agents stain teeth, it is a convenient staining agent for studying many vital aspects of tooth bleaching. (J Esthet Restor Dent 28:321-329, 2016).

Electrochemical oxidation of cysteine at a film gold modified carbon fiber microelectrode its application in a flow-through voltammetric sensor.

A flow-electrolytical cell containing a strand of micro Au modified carbon fiber electrodes (CFE) has been designedand characterized for use in a voltammatric detector for detecting cysteine using high-performance liquid chromatography. Cysteine is more efficiently electrochemical oxidized on a Au /CFE than a bare gold and carbon fiber electrode. The possible reaction mechanism of the oxidation process is described from the relations to scan rate, peak potentials and currents. For the pulse mode, and measurements with suitable experimental parameters, a linear concentration from 0.5 to 5.0 mg·L(-1) was found. The limit of quantification for cysteine was below 60 ng·mL(-1).

Nanoparticle-enhanced generation of gene-transfected mesenchymal stem cells for in vivo cardiac repair.

Transplantation of gene-transfected bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) is a promising strategy for ischemic myocardium repair, but current therapeutic strategy suffers from high toxicity and inefficient gene transfection in primary BMMSCs. Here we designed and synthesized molecularly organic-inorganic hybrid hollow mesoporous organosilica nanoparticles (HMONs) based on nano-synthetic chemistry, which are featured with concurrent large pore size over 20 nm, small particulate size, hollow cavity and high dispersity for gene transfection in BMMSCs and subsequent in vivo cardiac repair. To efficiently create the therapeutic gene-transfected stem-cell lines, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) gene was applied to transfect BMMSCs via biocompatible surface-engineered HMONs as a high-performance gene-delivery nanosystem. On the rat model of myocardial infarction, transplantation of HGF gene-transfected BMMSCs enables the largely decreased apoptotic cardiomyocytes, reduced infarct scar size, relieved interstitial fibrosis, and increased angiogenesis in myocardium. The resultant cardiac repair further promotes the significant improvement of heart function. Therefore, the fabricated organic-inorganic hybrid HMONs with large pore size represent a generalizable strategy and platform for gene transfection in BMMSCs and further regenerative medicine.

Enhanced infarct myocardium repair mediated by thermosensitive copolymer hydrogel-based stem cell transplantation.

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation by intramyocardial injection has been proposed as a promising therapy strategy for cardiac repair after myocardium infarction. However, low retention and survival of grafted MSCs hinder its further application. In this study, copolymer with N-isopropylacrylamide/acrylic acid/2-hydroxylethyl methacrylate-poly(ɛ-caprolactone) ratio of 88:9.6:2.4 was bioconjugated with type I collagen to construct a novel injectable thermosensitive hydrogel. The injectable and biocompatible hydrogel-mediated MSC transplantation could enhance the grafted cell survival in the myocardium, which contributed to the increased neovascularization, decreased interstitial fibrosis, and ultimately improved heart function to a significantly greater degree than regular MSC transplantation. We suggest that this novel hydrogel has the potential for future stem cell transplantation.