Tailoring neo/adjuvant systemic therapy in breast cancer: "The advent of a personalized approach"-The Breast-Gynecological and Immuno-Oncology International Cancer Conference (BGICC) consensus and recommendations.

BACKGROUND: The management of early breast cancer (BC) has witnessed an uprise in the use of neoadjuvant therapy and a remarkable reshaping of the systemic therapy postneoadjuvant treatment in the last few years, with the evolution of many controversial clinical situations that require consensus. METHODS: During the 14th Breast-Gynecological and Immuno-Oncology International Cancer Conference held in Egypt in 2022, a panel of 44 BC experts from 13 countries voted on statements concerning debatable challenges in the neo/adjuvant treatment setting. The recommendations were subsequently updated based on the most recent data emerging. A modified Delphi approach was used to develop this consensus. A consensus was achieved when ≥75% of voters selected an answer. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The consensus recommendations addressed different escalation and de-escalation strategies in the setting of neoadjuvant therapy for early BC. The recommendations recapitulate the available clinical evidence and expert opinion to individualize patient management and optimize therapy outcomes. Consensus was reached in 63% of the statements (52/83), and the rationale behind each statement was clarified.

Myeloperoxidase Inhibition in Heart Failure With Preserved or Mildly Reduced Ejection Fraction: SATELLITE Trial Results.

BACKGROUND: Inflammation is a key driver of heart failure with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction. AZD4831 inhibits extracellular myeloperoxidase, decreases inflammation, and improves microvascular function in preclinical disease models. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this double-blind phase 2a study (Safety and Tolerability Study of AZD4831 in Patients With Heart Failure [SATELLITE]; NCT03756285), patients with symptomatic heart failure, left ventricular ejection fraction of ≥40%, and elevated B-type natriuretic peptides were randomized 2:1 to once-daily oral AZD4831 5 mg or placebo for 90 days. We aimed to assess target engagement (primary end point: myeloperoxidase specific activity) and safety of AZD4831. Owing to coronavirus disease 2019, the study was terminated early after randomizing 41 patients (median age 74.0 years, 53.7% male). Myeloperoxidase activity was decreased by more than 50% from baseline to day 30 and day 90 in the AZD4831 group, with a placebo-adjusted decreased of 75% (95% confidence interval, 48, 88, nominal P < .001). No improvements were noted in secondary or exploratory end points, apart from a trend in Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire overall summary score. No deaths or treatment-related serious adverse events occurred. AZD4831 treatment-related adverse events were generalized maculopapular rash, pruritus, and diarrhea (all n = 1). CONCLUSIONS: AZD4831 inhibited myeloperoxidase and was well tolerated in patients with heart failure and left ventricular ejection fraction of 40% or greater. Efficacy findings were exploratory owing to early termination, but warrant further clinical investigation of AZD4831. LAY SUMMARY: Few treatments are available for patients with the forms of heart failure known as heart failure with preserved or mildly reduced ejection fraction. Current treatments do not target inflammation, which may play an important role in this condition. We tested a new drug called AZD4831 (mitiperstat), which decreases inflammation by inhibiting the enzyme myeloperoxidase. Among the 41 patients in our clinical trial, AZD4831 had a good safety profile and inhibited myeloperoxidase by the expected amount. Results mean we can conduct further trials to see whether AZD4831 decreases the symptoms of heart failure and improves patients' ability to participate in physical exercise.

Skin histopathological responses of Oreochromis niloticus (Nile tilapia) to transportation in water with and without salt.

Oreochromis niloticus (Nile tilapia) is a well-known economic fish species that can thrive under the right environmental circumstances. The transport of live fish, either for food or as companion animals, presents a big issue for animal welfare at the same time it is considered one of stressful conditions. Hence, the present study investigated the skin histopathological responses of O. niloticus that were attributed to stress and salt addition during transportation. Three experimental groups of O. niloticus the 1st is the control non-transported group (CG), the 2nd is transport in water without salt (PT-S) and the 3rd is transport in water containing 5gL- 1salt (PT + S), the last 2 groups were transported in 5 h transport model. Results indicate that the skin of PT-S fish showed a marked decrease in epidermal thickness, decreased number of goblet cells, and an increase in the sub-epidermal and dermal pigments with the presence of large edematous vacuoles. Fish skin from PT + S demonstrated mild hydropic swelling in epidermal cells with normal goblet (mucous) cells density, and more or less normal melanin pigment distribution in sub epidermis and on the dermis layers, however, dermis showed mild edematous spaces. Scanning microscopy of PT-S skin tissue showed few scratched white patches among normal regions that may represent a thickened surface with the decreased number of goblets cell opening, while the PT + S group showed moderate preservation of surface skin architectures with the presence of goblet (mucous) cells opening in spite of presence of slight thickened white patches. The estimated total lesion changes present in PT-S group showed a significant increase (P < 0.001) compared with the control (CG) group. On the other hand, PT + S showed significant (P < 0.001) improvement in the overall previously recorded changes compared with the PT-S group, and a non- significant change in the histological architectures compared with the control group. Our findings underlined the importance of skin and its mucous cover health during transportation. The use 5 gL- 1salt during O. niloticus transportation appears to preserve the surface skin features, and keep the goblet (mucous) cells open to the external surface, and may act as a deterrent for the release of mucus from goblet (mucous) cells in response to stress and lessen the stress of transportation.

Clinical and radiographical evaluation of CAD-CAM crowns with and without deep margin elevation: 10-year results.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Current in vitro and short-term clinical studies suggest that deep margin elevation (DME) is a suitable approach to relocate subgingival margins to a supragingival position. However, long-term clinical results are lacking. PURPOSE: The purpose of this retrospective multicenter practice-based study was to assess the long-term clinical performance and periodontal health of teeth restored with computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) crowns with or without DME. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients who had received CAD-CAM lithium disilicate (LD) crowns with or without DME in 2013 were invited for a follow-up appointment. When indicated, DME had been performed using resin-based restoration. A total of 275 LD crowns had been fabricated chairside, and 151 crowns had been laboratory milled. The crowns had been cemented with 3 different adhesive and self-adhesive resin cements. Clinical and radiographical assessment of the crowns and supporting periodontal structures were performed according to the modified United States Public Health Service (USPHS) criteria. Linear mixed effect models were used to assess the effect of the follow-up time on repeated measurements (α=.05). The Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were determined. RESULTS: A total of 380 patients with 426 crowns (153 with DME and 273 without DME) were examined with a follow-up period of 10 years. Overall, 15 teeth with secondary caries, 4 with loss of vitality, 4 crown fractures, and 3 crowns with lost retention were observed. The DME profile was rated good in 74%, acceptable in 17.5%, and poor in 8.5% of crowns. The periodontal parameters of teeth with DME were not significantly different from teeth without DME (P>.05). The 10-year survival rates for the DME and without DME groups were 95.8% and 94.7%, respectively, while the 10-year success rates for the DME and without DME groups were 94.1% and 93%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The use of DME and lithium disilicate crowns as well as adhesive bonding is considered a safe and reliable treatment option. The integrity of periodontal tissue was not affected by the DME or by the crowns.

Detection and description of a novel Psychrobacter glacincola infection in some Red Sea marine fishes in Hurghada, Egypt.

An important food-producing sector in Egypt is aquaculture and fisheries; however, several pathogenic microorganisms lead to high mortalities and significant economic losses. The occurrence of Psychrobacter glacincola infection among 180 wild marine fishes collected from the Red sea at Hurghada, Egypt were investigated in the present study. The disease prevalence rate was 6.7%. The recovered isolates were subjected to biochemical and molecular identification. The study also investigated pathogenicity and the antibiogram profile of the recovered isolates. The clinical examination of the infected fish revealed various signs that included lethargy and sluggish movement, hemorrhages and ulcers on the body and the operculum, scale loss, and fin congestion and rot, especially at the tail fin. Furthermore, during postmortem examination, congestion of the liver, spleen, and kidney was observed. Interestingly, 12 isolates were recovered and were homogenous bacteriologically and biochemically. The phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene confirmed that MRB62 identified strain was closely related the genus Psychrobacter and identified as P. glacincola and was pathogenic to Rhabdosargus haffara fish, causing 23.3% mortality combined with reporting a series of clinical signs similar to that found in naturally infected fishes. The present study also showed that P. glacincola isolates were sensitive to all antibiotics used for sensitivity testing. Our findings add to the body of knowledge regarding the occurrence of pathogenic P. glacincola infection in Egyptian marine fishes and its potential effects on fish. Future large-scale surveys exploring this bacterium among other freshwater and marine fishes in Egypt would be helpful for the implementation of effective strategies for the prevention and control of this infection are warranted.

Microwave-assisted synthesis, spectroscopic characterization, and biological evaluation of fused thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidines as potential anti-cancer agents targeting EGFRWT and EGFRT790M.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a transmembrane protein tyrosine kinase that is usually overexpressed in many types of cancers. In the present study, an effort was done in synthesis of new 3,4-diaminothieno[2,3-b] thiophene-2,5-dicarbonitrile derivatives 2-8, assisted by a microwave device. Different spectroscopic instruments were used for their analysis and confirmed their chemical structures. The antimicrobial properties of the produced compounds were investigated and found to be promising. Next, they were tested for cytotoxicity against MCF-7, HepG-2, HCT-116, and A549 cell lines. Moreover, in vitro cytotoxicity evaluation against well-known standards, namely, gefitinib and erlotinib was achieved using MTT method. The obtained compounds (2-8) were found to be more effective against the two tested cancer cell lines than erlotinib. In MCF-7 and A549 cells, compound 3 was found to be 4.42 and 4.12 times more active than erlotinib, respectively. The activity of radical scavenging was inhibited by 78%. The most cytotoxic compounds were subsequently studied for their kinase inhibitory effect against EGFRWT and EGFRT790M using the HTRF assay. Compound 3 was shown to be the most powerful against both kinds of EGFR, with IC50 values of 0.28 and 5.02. Furthermore, compound 2 demonstrated the highest antioxidant activity as it has a radical scavenging activity of 78%. Compounds 2,6,7 and 8 revealed to be the most safe compounds, none hepatotoxic, none carcinogenic, none immunotoxic, none mutagenic and none cytotoxic.

Clinical evaluation of zirconia crowns cemented with two different resin cements: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Self-adhesive resin cement has been used extensively with zirconia crowns. Several in vitro studies showed that adhesive resin cementation may increase zirconia crowns' retention and their fatigue resistance. OBJECTIVES: This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the clinical performance, survival and success rates and complications encountered with zirconia crowns cemented with two different self-adhesive resin cements. METHODS: A total of 112 patients who received 176 monolithic zirconia crowns were evaluated. Crowns were cemented with RelyX Unicem 2 (n = 74) and Panavia SA (n = 102) self-adhesive resin cements. Clinical assessments of the crowns and supporting periodontal structures were performed following the modified California Dental Association (CDA) criteria. Intraoral photographs and periapical and bitewing radiographs were obtained for further assessment by two evaluators. Descriptive statistics, McNemar, t-test, log rank (Mantel-Cox) tests and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were performed (a = .05). RESULTS: The 5-year survival and success rates were 100% and 96.4%, respectively. The complications encountered were recurrent caries (2.2%) and the need for endodontic treatment (0.5%). No technical complications, such as fracture or loss of retention, were observed. The type of cement and patient-related factors did not influence the survival and success rates of the crowns. CONCLUSIONS: Survival rate of zirconia crowns cemented with two different self-adhesive resin cements was 100% after 5 years.

Synthesis and Antiproliferative Potential of Thiazole and 4-Thiazolidinone Containing Motifs as Dual Inhibitors of EGFR and BRAFV600E.

Thiazole and thiazolidinone recur in a wide range of biologically active compounds that reach different targets within the context of tumors and represent a promising starting point to access potential candidates for treating metastatic cancer. Therefore, searching for new lead compounds that show the highest anticancer potency with the fewest adverse effects is a major drug-discovery challenge. Because the thiazole ring is present in dasatinib, which is currently used in anticancer therapy, it is important to highlight the ring. In this study, cycloalkylidenehydrazinecarbothioamides (cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, cyclooctyl, dihydronapthalenylidene, flurine-9-ylidene, and indolinonyl) reacted with 2-bromoacetophenone and diethylacetylenedicarboxylate to yield thiazole and 4-thiazolidinone derivatives. The structure of the products was confirmed by using infrared (IR) spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and single-crystal X-ray analyses. The antiproliferative activity of the newly synthesized compounds was evaluated. The most effective inhibitory compounds were further tested in vitro against both epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and B-Raf proto-oncogene, serine/threonine kinase (BRAFV600E) targets. Additionally, molecular docking analysis examined how these molecules bind to the active sites of EGFR and BRAFV600E.

Mechanisms of anti-ulcer actions of Prangos pabularia (L.) in ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in rats.

Peptic ulcer disease is the greatest digestive disorder that has increased incidence and recurrence rates across all nations. Prangos pabularia (L.) has been well documented as a folkloric medicinal herb utilized for multiple disease conditions including gastric ulcers. Hence, the target study was investigation the gastro-protection effects of root extracts of Prangos pabularia (REPP) on ethanol-mediated stomach injury in rats. Sprague Dawley rats were clustered in 5 cages: A and B, normal and ulcer control rats pre-ingested with 1 % carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)); C, reference rats had 20 mg/kg omeprazole; D and E, rats pre-supplemented with 250 and 500 mg/kg of REPP, respectively. After one hour, group A was given orally 1 % CMC, and groups B-E were given 100 % ethanol. The ulcer area, gastric acidity, and gastric wall mucus of all stomachs were determined. The gastric tissue homogenates were examined for antioxidant and MDA contents. Moreover, the gastric tissues were analyzed by histopathological and immunohistochemically assays. Acute toxicity results showed lack of any toxic effects or histological changes in rats exposed to 2 and 5 g/kg of REPP ingestion. The ulcer controls had extensive gastric mucosal damage with lower gastric juice and a reduced gastric pH. REPP treatment caused a significant reduction of the ethanol-induced gastric lacerations represented by an upsurge in gastric mucus and gastric wall glycoproteins (increased PAS), a decrease in the gastric acidity, leukocyte infiltration, positively modulated Bax and HSP 70 proteins, consequently lowered ulcer areas. REPP supplementation positively modulated oxidative stress (increased SOD, CAT, PGE2, and reduced MDA) and inflammatory cytokines (decreased serum TNF-α, IL-6, and increased IL-10) levels. The outcomes could be scientific evidence to back-up the folkloric use of A. Judaica as a medicinal remedy for oxidative stress-related disorders (gastric ulcer).

Randomized Clinical Comparison of the Dual-Therapy CD34 Antibody-Covered Sirolimus-Eluting Combo Stent With the Sirolimus-Eluting Orsiro Stent in Patients Treated With Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: The SORT OUT X Trial.

BACKGROUND: Target lesion failure remains an issue with contemporary drug-eluting stents. Thus, the dual-therapy sirolimus-eluting and CD34+ antibody-coated Combo stent (DTS) was designed to further improve early healing. This study aimed to investigate whether the DTS is noninferior to the sirolimus-eluting Orsiro stent (SES) in an all-comers patient population. METHODS: The SORT OUT X (Combo Stent Versus Orsiro Stent) trial, was a large-scale, randomized, multicenter, single-blind, 2-arm, noninferiority trial with registry-based follow-up. The primary end point target lesion failure was a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, or target lesion revascularization within 12 months, analyzed using intention-to-treat. The trial was powered for assessing target lesion failure noninferiority of the DTS compared with the SES with a predetermined noninferiority margin of 0.021. RESULTS: A total of 3146 patients were randomized to treatment with the DTS (1578 patients; 2008 lesions) or SES (1568 patients; 1982 lesions). At 12 months, intention-to-treat analysis showed that 100 patients (6.3%) assigned the DTS and 58 patients (3.7%) assigned the SES met the primary end point (absolute risk difference, 2.6% [upper limit of 1-sided 95% CI, 4.1%]; P (noninferiority)=0.76). The SES was superior to the DTS (incidence rate ratios for target lesion failure, 1.74 [95% CI, 1.26-2.41]; P=0.00086). The difference was explained mainly by a higher incidence of target lesion revascularization in the DTS group compared with the SES group (53 [3.4%] vs. 24 [1.5%]; incidence rate ratio, 2.22 [95% CI, 1.37-3.61]; P=0.0012). CONCLUSIONS: The DTS did not confirm noninferiority to the SES for target lesion failure at 12 months in an all-comer population. The SES was superior to the DTS mainly because the DTS was associated with an increased risk of target lesion revascularization. However, rates of death, cardiac death, and myocardial infarction at 12 months did not differ significantly between the 2 stent groups. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT03216733.

Coronary flow velocity reserve predicts adverse prognosis in women with angina and no obstructive coronary artery disease: results from the iPOWER study.

AIMS: Many patients with angina, especially women, do not have obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) yet have impaired prognosis. We investigated whether routine assessment of coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) is feasible and predicts adverse outcome in women with angina and no obstructive CAD. METHODS AND RESULTS: After screening 7253, we included 1853 women with angina and no obstructive CAD on angiogram who were free of previous CAD, heart failure, or valvular heart disease in the prospective iPOWER (Improving Diagnosis and Treatment of Women with Angina Pectoris and Microvascular Disease) study. CMD was assessed by Doppler echocardiography in the left anterior descending artery as coronary flow velocity reserve (CFVR). Patients were followed for a composite outcome of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction (MI), heart failure, stroke, and coronary revascularization. CFVR was obtained in 1681 patients (91%) and the median CFVR was 2.33 (quartiles 1-3: 2.00-2.74). During a median follow-up of 4.5 years, 96 events occurred. In univariate Cox regression, CFVR was associated with the composite outcome {hazard ratio (HR) 1.07 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03-1.11] per 0.1 unit decrease in CFVR; P < 0.001}, primarily driven by an increased risk of MI and heart failure. Results remained significant in multivariate analysis [HR 1.05 (95% CI 1.01-1.09) per 0.1 unit decrease in CFVR; P = 0.01]. In exploratory analyses, CFVR was also associated with the risk of repeated hospital admission for angina and all-cause mortality. CONCLUSION: Assessment of CFVR by echocardiography is feasible and predictive of adverse outcome in women with angina and no obstructive CAD. Results support a more aggressive preventive management of these patients and underline the need for trials targeting CMD.

Clinical performance of CAD-CAM crowns provided by predoctoral students at the University of Toronto.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: The clinical success of monolithic lithium disilicate glass-ceramic (LDGC) crowns manufactured with computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) technology provided by predoctoral students has not been fully investigated. PURPOSE: The purpose of this retrospective clinical study was to evaluate the performance of laboratory-fabricated monolithic posterior LDGC CAD-CAM crowns provided by predoctoral students at the University of Toronto. Specific patient- and provider-related factors were also investigated. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A sample of posterior LDGC CAD-CAM crowns (IPS e.max) provided by predoctoral students was evaluated. Crown preparations were made according to specific criteria, and crowns were milled in an in-house laboratory by using the CEREC Bluecam system. The crowns were cemented with Rely-X Unicem (3M ESPE) and Calibra Universal (Dentsply Sirona) resin cements. Clinical assessments of the crowns and supporting periodontal structures were performed following the modified California Dental Association (CDA) criteria. Intraoral photographs and periapical and bitewing radiographs were obtained for further assessment by 2 evaluators. Descriptive statistics, McNemar, t test, log rank (Mantel-Cox) tests, Pearson chi-squared tests, simple logistic regression, odds ratios, and Kaplan Meier survival analyses were performed (α=.05). RESULTS: A total of 189 patients receiving 210 crowns (108 premolar and 102 molar) were examined with a follow-up period of up to 6 years. Altogether, 28 complications were observed (12 technical, 11 biological, and 5 esthetic). No significant association was found between patient age, sex, periodontal condition, tooth type, tooth vitality, cement type, and crown longevity. However, significantly lower survival and success rates were found for mandibular crowns than for maxillary crowns (P=.029). The provider's experience had no significant effect on the clinical performance of LDGC CAD-CAM crowns. The 6-year cumulative survival rate was 93.0%, and the success rate was 86.4%. CONCLUSIONS: The ease of use of the CAD-CAM system and clinical performance of LDGC suggest that this technology should be used in the dental school setting by predoctoral students.

Randomized Comparison of the Polymer-Free Biolimus-Coated BioFreedom Stent With the Ultrathin Strut Biodegradable Polymer Sirolimus-Eluting Orsiro Stent in an All-Comers Population Treated With Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: The SORT OUT IX Trial.

BACKGROUND: In patients with increased bleeding risk, the biolimus A9-coated BioFreedom stent, a stainless steel drug-coated stent free from polymer, has shown superiority compared with a bare-metal stent. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the BioFreedom stent is noninferior to a modern ultrathin strut biodegradable polymer cobalt-chromium sirolimus-eluting Orsiro stent in an all-comers patient population treated with percutaneous coronary intervention. METHODS: The SORT OUT IX trial (Scandinavian Organization for Randomized Trials With Clinical Outcome IX), was a large-scale, registry-based, randomized, multicenter, single-blind, 2-arm, noninferiority trial. The primary end point, major adverse cardiovascular events, was defined as the composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction not related to any segment other than the target lesion, or target lesion revascularization within 1 year, analyzed by intention-to-treat. The trial was powered to assess noninferiority for major adverse cardiovascular events of the BioFreedom stent compared with the Orsiro stent with a predetermined noninferiority margin of 0.021. RESULTS: Between December 14, 2015 and April 21, 2017, 3151 patients were assigned to treatment with the BioFreedom stent (1572 patients, 1966 lesions) or to the Orsiro stent (1579 patients, 1985 lesions). Five patients were lost to follow-up because of emigration (99.9% follow-up rate). Mean age was 66.3±10.9, diabetes mellitus was seen in 19.3% of patients, and 53% of the patients had acute coronary syndromes. At 1 year, intention-to-treat analysis showed that 79 (5.0%) patients, who were assigned the BioFreedom stent, and 59 (3.7%), who were assigned the Orsiro stent, met the primary end point (absolute risk difference 1.29% [upper limit of one-sided 95% CI 2.50%]; Pnoninferiority=0.14). Significantly more patients in the BioFreedom stent group had target lesion revascularization than those in the Orsiro stent group (55 [3.5%] vs 20 [1.3%], rate ratio 2.77 [95% CI, 1.66-4.62]; P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The biolimus A9-coated BioFreedom polymer-free stent did not meet criteria for noninferiority for major adverse cardiovascular events at 12 months when compared with the ultrathin strut biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting Orsiro stent in an all-comers population Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT02623140.

Antimicrobial activity of bacteriocins produced by Enterococcus isolates recovered from Egyptian homemade dairy products against some foodborne pathogens.

The increasing mandate for fresh-like food products and the possible hazards of chemically preserved foods necessitate the search for alternatives. Bacteriocins represent a promising food biopreservative. In the present study, one hundred enterococci isolates recovered from Egyptian raw cow milk and homemade dairy products were screened for bacteriocin production. The overall detection rate was 10%. Three isolates, namely, Enterococcus faecalis (OE-7 and OE-12) and Enterococcus hirae (OE-9), showed the highest antibacterial activity with narrow spectrum against multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-positive foodborne bacteria: Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus. The antimicrobial activity was completely abolished by trypsin and proteinase K but not affected by lipase and/or amylase indicating the protein nature of the antimicrobial activity. Optimum conditions for bacteriocin production were cultivation in MRS broth at 37 °C, pH 6-6.5 for 16-24 h. The tested bacteriocins exhibited bactericidal activity on S. aureus subsp. aureus ATCC 25923; such activity was further investigated by transmission electron microscopy that revealed leakage and lysis of treated cells. Characterization of tested bacteriocins revealed high activity in a wide range of pH and temperature, storage stability, and heat resistance. PCR analysis revealed that the tested isolates produced multiple enterocins showing homology with the enterocins L50A, AS-48, and 31. Finally, this study reported potent antibacterial activity of bacteriocins derived from dairy products Enterococci against MDR foodborne and spoilage pathogens. The potency, specificity, and stability of these bacteriocins presented promising perspectives for application as biopreservatives in the food industry. The biopreservation of foods by bacteriocins produced by lactic acid bacteria recovered directly from foods remains an innovative approach.

Experimental Characterization of RGB LED Transceiver in Low-Complexity LED-to-LED Link.

This paper proposes a low-complexity and energy-efficient light emitting diode (LED)-to-LED communication system for Internet of Things (IoT) devices with data rates up to 200 kbps over an error-free transmission distance up to 7 cm. The system is based on off-the-shelf red-green-blue (RGB) LEDs, of which the red sub-LED is employed as photodetector in photovoltaic mode while the green sub-LED is the transmitter. The LED photodetector is characterized in the terms of its noise characteristics and its response to the light intensity. The system performance is then analysed in terms of bandwidth, bit error rate (BER) and the signal to noise ratio (SNR). A matched filter is proposed, which optimises the performance and increases the error-free distance.

Adaptation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates to benzalkonium chloride retards its growth and enhances biofilm production.

The increasing percentage of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains that are resistant to multiple antibiotics is a global problem. The exposure of P. aeruginosa isolates to repeated sub lethal concentrations of biocides in hospitals and communities may be one of the causes leading to increased antibiotic resistance. Benzalkonium chloride (BAC) is widely used as disinfectant and preservative. This study investigated the effect of exposure of P. aeruginosa clinical isolates to sub lethal concentrations of BAC on their antibiotic resistance, growth process and biofilm formation. The collected 43 P. aeruginosa clinical isolates were daily subjected to increasing sub lethal concentrations of BAC. The effect of adaptation on antibiotic resistance, growth process, cell surface hydrophobicity and biofilm formation of P. aeruginosa isolates were examined. Interestingly, Most P. aeruginosa isolates adapted to BAC showed an increase in antibiotic resistance and 66% of the isolates showed retardation of growth, 63% showed increased cell surface hydrophobicity and 23.5% exhibited enhanced biofilm formation by crystal violet assay. To define whether the effect of BAC adaptation on biofilm production was manifested at the transcriptional level, quantitative RT-PCR was used. We found that 60% of the tested isolates showed overexpression of ndvB biofilm gene. More efforts are required to diminish the increasing use of BAC to avoid bacterial adaptation to this biocide with subsequent retardation of growth and enhanced biofilm formation which could lead to antibiotic resistance and treatment failure of infections caused by this opportunistic pathogen.

NLoS underwater VLC system performance: static and dynamic channel modeling.

In this paper, the impact of water channels under different communication link parameters is studied for underwater visible light communication (UVLC). The objective is to highlight the best results for non-line of sight (NLoS) communication links. In addition, NLoS links are studied under different parameters: LED colors, viewing angle, receiving angle, and data rates. The results are obtained and plotted using MATLAB simulation. The performance of the received power is first measured at different wavelengths and data rates. Then, the best results are further investigated at different viewing angles and receiving angles. The obtained results show that using cyan color provides more depth for the NLoS case, as well as a low bit error rate compared to the other colors. Most of the literature is concerned with unpractical configurations in underwater scenarios, such as an empty sea or assuming no human-object or blockage environment. We use the practical setup in Zemax Optics Studio to allow a precise description of ray tracing and high order of reflections inside a sea water environment. The channel impulse response (CIR) is obtained for static channel modeling, including a blockage environment to evaluate the best transmitters in sea water. Also, we are able to compare the average delay and the average delay spread of the source colors. The reflection characteristics of the sea water are considered as wavelength dependent. The CIR obtained by Zemax Solver and MATLAB indicates that cyan is the best source in sea water for different LED chips. Moreover, other previous studies assume perfect alignment scenarios between divers, which is not practical and not suitable for real channel gain results. Accordingly, we present a comprehensive dynamic channel modeling and characterization study for UVLC. Our study is based on Zemax programming language (ZPL) combined with Zemax Optics Studio. Using ZPL enables us to apply a mobility algorithm for divers and measure the channel gain variations due to random motion. We introduce a dynamic motion in a single-input single-output scenario and a single-input multiple-output scenario in the presence of blockage divers. Statistical analyses are studied for the appropriate distributions that can fit the data with various transmitter and receiver specifications. All dynamic scenarios are performed using cyan color in sea water, as it is proven to have satisfactory performance. The statistical results are beneficial for further analysis. As case studies, we consider various underwater scenarios, and the resulting parameters of statistical distributions can be used for future analysis in UVLC dynamic environments.

Clinical performance of chairside monolithic lithium disilicate glass-ceramic CAD-CAM crowns.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the clinical performance and the effect of various patient and provider-related factors on the longevity of chairside monolithic posterior lithium disilicate glass-ceramic (LDGC) computer-aided design (CAD)-computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) crowns provided by predoctoral students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A sample of posterior LDGC CAD-CAM crowns was evaluated. Crown preparations were milled chairside using the CEREC Omnicam system and cemented with Rely-X Unicem or Calibra Universal resin cements. Clinical assessment of the crowns and supporting periodontal structures was performed using the modified California Dental Association (CDA) criteria. Intraoral photographs as well as radiographs were taken for further assessment by two evaluators. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed. RESULTS: A total of 40 crowns were inserted in 32 patients and evaluated for 4 years. Three complications were observed (two-technical and one-biological). No chipping or fracture of crowns was observed. No significant association was found between age, sex, periodontal condition, tooth type, tooth vitality, cement type, and longevity. The 4-year cumulative survival and success rates were 95.0 and 92.3%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Chairside LDGC CAD-CAM crowns exhibited a high survival rate after 4 years in function and were shown to be a viable and reliable treatment option for posterior teeth. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The high survival rate of chairside CAD-CAM crowns observed in this study suggests the likelihood of predictable performance in the predoctoral setup.

Ultrashort pulse synthesis for energy concentration control in nanostructures.

A waveform synthesis technique is introduced and applied to the femtosecond pulse excitation of plasmonic nanoantennas for temporal and spatial energy concentration control. The waveform synthesis process is based on phase and polarization shaping and an understanding of the electromagnetic response of the nanostructure. Linear and radial nano-dipole arrays are analyzed before the log-periodic toothed nanoantenna is investigated as a nanostructure capable of combining the benefits of the nano-dipole arrays. The consistent superiority of the log-periodic toothed nanoantenna is established by comparing its electromagnetic response to that of the radial nano-dipole array using a variety of synthesized excitation waveforms.