Experience with the ACURATE neo and neo2 transcatheter aortic valves in Spain. The PRECISA (PRospective Evaluation Complementing Investigation with ACURATE devices) registry.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have documented a high rate of implantation success with the ACURATE neo2 valve, as well as a reduction in paravalvular leak (PVL) compared to its predecessor, the ACURATE neo. However, there are no studies that have reviewed and compared the long-term clinical and hemodynamic outcomes of these patients. AIMS: This study aimed to evaluate the results of the ACURATE neo transcatheter aortic valve in a real-world context, and to compare the results of the outcomes of both generations of this device (ACURATE neo and ACURATE neo2), with a specific focus on procedural success, safety, and long-term effectiveness. METHODS: A prospective study including all consecutive patients treated with the ACURATE neo device in seven hospitals was conducted (Clinical Trials Identification Number: NCT03846557). The primary endpoint consisted of a composite of adverse events, including mortality, aortic insufficiency, and other procedural complications. As the second-generation device (ACURATE neo2) replaced the ACURATE neo during the study period, hemodynamic and clinical results before admission, at 30 days, and at 1 year of follow-up were compared between the two generations. RESULTS: A total of 296 patients underwent transcatheter aortic valve implantation with the ACURATE device, with 178 patients receiving the ACURATE neo and 118 patients receiving the ACURATE neo2. In the overall population, the absence of device success occurred in 14.5%. The primary reason for the absence of device success was the presence of para-valvular regurgitation ≥ 2. There were no instances of coronary occlusions, valve embolization, annulus rupture, or procedural deaths. ACURATE neo2 was associated with a significantly higher device success rate (91.7% vs. 82%, p = 0.04), primarily due to a significantly lower rate of para-valvular regurgitation, which remained significant at 1 year. CONCLUSION: The use of ACURATE neo and neo2 transcatheter aortic valves is associated with satisfactory clinical results and an extremely low rate of complications. The ACURATE neo2 enables a significantly higher device success rate, primarily attributed to a significant reduction in the rate of PVL.

Headache Disorders: Differentiating Primary and Secondary Etiologies.

In the initial assessment of a headache patient, several dangerous secondary etiologies must be considered. A thorough history and physical examination, along with a comprehensive differential diagnosis may alert a physician to the diagnosis of a secondary headache particularly when it is accompanied by certain clinical features. Evaluation and workup include a complete neurological examination, consideration of neuroimaging, and serum/spinal fluid analysis if indicated. Careful attention to the patients' history and physical examination will guide the diagnostic work-up and management. In this review, we summarize the diagnostic workup of various primary and secondary headache etiologies. Although most headaches are primary in nature, it is essential to screen for headache "red flags", as they can suggest life threatening secondary etiologies. When secondary causes are suspected, appropriate neuroimaging can further differentiate the underlying cause. The appropriate imaging is dependent on the most likely secondary etiology, which is deduced from history and physical examination. When no red flags are present, primary headaches are more likely. These can be differentiated by frequency, location, duration, triggers, and presence of aura. The different clinical presentations for secondary headaches, as well as the distinguishing features for primary headaches are outlined in this review.

In vivo schistosomicidal activity of (±)-licarin A-loaded poly(ε-caprolactone) nanoparticles.

Schistosomiasis mansoni is an infectious parasitic disease caused by worms of the genus Schistosoma, and praziquantel (PZQ) is the medication available for the treatment of schistosomiasis. However, the existence of resistant strains reinforces the need to develop new schistosomicidal drugs safely and effectively. Thus, the (±)-licarin A neolignan incorporated into poly-Ɛ-caprolactone (PCL) nanoparticles and not incorporated were evaluated for their in vivo schistosomicidal activity. The (±)-licarin A -loaded poly(ε-caprolactone) nanoparticles and the pure (±)-licarin A showed a reduction in the number of worm eggs present in spleens of mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni. In addition, the (±)-licarin A incorporated in the concentration of 20 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg reduced the number of worms, presenting percentages of 56.3% and 41.7%, respectively.

In Vivo and in Silico Trypanocidal Activity Evaluation of (-)-Cubebin Encapsulated in PLGA Microspheres as Potential Treatment in Acute Phase.

In this study, the trypomastigotes of a Y strain of Trypanosoma cruzi were inoculated intraperitoneally into male BALB/c mice weighing approximately 25 g each, which were divided into groups for evaluation of the trypanocidal activity. For the treatment of experimental groups, encapsulated and unencapsulated (-)-cubebin, Benznidazole, and two groups as negative controls were used. The encapsulated (-)-cubebin showed a 68.1 % encapsulation efficiency. The parasitemia peak of substances remained around the 9th day after the observed reduction in the number of circulating trypomastigotes. The encapsulated (-)-cubebin and (-)-cubebin unloaded showed a decrease of 61.3 % and 58.5 % in the number of parasites as compared to the negative control, respectively. Moreover, animals treated with encapsulated (-)-cubebin had a higher survival time as compared to the other groups. In conclusion, the results obtained were more promising for encapsulated (-)-cubebin as compared to unloaded particles.

When a Red-NIR-Emissive Cs2 [Mo6 Br14 ] Interacts with an Active Diureasil-PEO Matrix: Design of Tunable and White-Light-Emitting Hybrid Material.

Hybrid materials that combine diureasil matrices and octahedral molybdenum clusters have been synthesized to design lead-, cadmium- and rare-earth-free emitters for lighting or optoelectronic applications. This association leads to homogeneous and stable hybrids, for which the emission color can be tailored in the entire visible range, including white light; this is thanks to effective energy transfers from the host to the nanocluster.

Effect of gadolinium incorporation on the structure and luminescence properties of niobium-based materials.

In this work, we have investigated how the concentration of Gd3+ ions affects the structural and luminescent properties of niobium oxide-based matrices doped with Eu3+ ions obtained by the adapted non-hydrolytic sol-gel route. X-ray diffractograms revealed that increasing the concentration of Gd3+ ions favored the onset of the Gd2O3 structure decreasing the GdNbO4 phase. The excitation spectra (λ em = 613 nm) presented bands corresponding to the 7F0 â†’ 5LJ transitions (L = D, G, and L, where J = 0-7), attributed to the Eu3+ ions, and a broad band at 270 nm, assigned to the charge transfer of the [Formula: see text] group. The emission spectra contained bands refer to the 5D0 â†’ 7FJ internal configuration transitions (J = 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4). Finally, the CIE chromaticity coordinates met the standard for the color red established by the National Television Standard Committee (NTSC).

In vitro schistosomicidal activity of the lignan (-)-6,6'-dinitrohinokinin (DNHK) loaded into poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles against Schistosoma mansoni.

CONTEXT: (-)-6,6'-Dinitrohinokinin (DNHK) display remarkable antiparasitic activity and was, therefore, incorporated into a nanoparticle formulation. OBJECTIVE: Incorporation of DNHK in poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanoparticles aiming to improve its biological activities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Synthesis, characterization and incorporation of DNHK into glycolic acid (PLGA) nanoparticles by nanoprecipitation method. The nanoparticles were characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, field emission electron microscopic scanning mansoni (FESEM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). For the in vitro test with Schistosoma mansoni, the DNHK-loaded PLGA was diluted into the medium, and added at concentrations 10-200 µM to the culture medium containing one adult worm pair. The parasites were kept for 120 h and monitored every 24 h to evaluate their general condition, including: pairing, alterations in motor activity and mortality. RESULTS: The loaded PLGA nanoparticles gave an encapsulation efficiency of 42.2% and showed spherical characteristics in monodisperse polymeric matrix. The adult worm pairs were separated after 120 h of incubation for concentrations higher than 50 µM of DNHK-loaded PLGA. The groups incubated with 150 and 200 µM of DNHK-loaded PLGA for 24 and 120 h killed 100% of adult worms, afforded LC50 values of 137.0 ± 2.12 µM and 79.01 ± 1.90 µM, respectively, which was similar to the effect displayed by 10 µM of praziquantel. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The incorporation of DNHK-loaded showed schistosomicidal activity and allowed its sustained release. The loaded PLGA system can be administered intravenously, as well as it may be internalized by endocytosis by the target organisms.

Does Plan B work? Home range estimations from stored on board and transmitted data sets produced by GPS-telemetry in the Colombian Amazon.

Telemetry based on Global Positioning Systems (GPS) makes possible to gather large quantities of information in a very fine scale and work with species that were impossible to study in the past. When working with GPS telemetry, the option of storing data on board could be more desirable than the sole satellite transmitted data, due to the increase in the amount of locations available for analysis. Nonetheless, the uncertainty in the retrieving of the collar unit makes satellite-transmitted technologies something to take into account. Therefore, differences between store-on-board (SoB) and satellite-transmitted (IT) data sets need to be considered. Differences between SoB and IT data collected from two lowland tapirs (Tapirus terrestris), were explored by means of the calculation of home range areas by three different methods: the Minimum Convex Polygon (MCP), the Fixed Kernel Density Estimator (KDE) and the Brownian Bridges (BB). Results showed that SoB and IT data sets for the same individual were similar, with fix ranging from 63 % to 85 % respectively, and 16 m to 17 m horizontal errors. Depending on the total number of locations available for each individual, the home ranges estimated showed differences between 2.7 % and 79.3 %, for the 50 % probability contour and between 9.9 % and 61.8 % for the 95 % probability contour. These differences imply variations in the spatial coincidence of the estimated home ranges. We concluded that the use of IT data is not a good option for the estimation of home range areas if the collar settings have not been designed specifically for this use. Nonetheless, geographical representations of the IT based estimators could be of great help to identify areas of use, besides its assistance to locate the collar for its retrieval at the end of the field season and as a proximate backup when collars disappear.

Ureasil-poly(ethylene oxide) hybrid matrix for selective adsorption and separation of dyes from water.

Herein, we present a cross-linked ureasil-polyether-siloxane hybrid (labeled PEO500) that can function as a stimuli-sensitive material; it swells or shrinks in response to changes in the environmental conditions and it can also, effectively and selectively, remove dyes from water solution. We also developed a methodology to separate a mixture of cationic and anionic dyes present in water. Addition of PEO500 to an aqueous solution of the anionic orange II (OII) or the ponceau S (PS) dye rendered the solution colorless, but an aqueous solution of cationic methylene blue (MB) remained unchanged after 2 h of contact with the insoluble matrix. In situ small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) showed that the distance of siloxane nanodomains are strongly affected by the swelling or shriking. By in situ UV-vis adsorption experiments, we found that the kinetics of OII and PS removal followed a pseudo-first-order rate equation. We accomplished B3LYP calculations, to establish which sites on the matrix interacted with the dyes and to investigate the nature of the matrix-dye chemical bonds. On the basis of the experimental and theoretical investigations, we proposed some mechanisms to explain how PEO500 adsorbs anionic dyes efficiently. This "smart" matrix is potentially applicable as an efficient, fast, selective, and convenient device in water treatment and stimuli-sensitive response materials.

Characteristics of natural salt licks located in the Colombian Amazon foothills.

Salt licks are key places for the ecological dynamics of wildlife communities around the world and are locations where animals develop geophagical behaviours. Geophagy is a method for animals to supplement their diets or facilitate their digestive processes and is related to the health of individuals and populations. This study characterises a series of salt licks located in the Colombian Amazon foothills and describes their structural, mineralogical and physicochemical properties, as well as the fauna that visit these locations. The results are analysed in reference to the geological characteristics of the study area and in relation to the role of the salt lick in the nutritional ecology of the Amazonian fauna. Located in the study area are two types of salt licks that are significantly different in composition. These salt licks are located in an area where young geological materials have been exposed. The characteristics of the salt licks supports the hypothesis that they are used to solve nutritional problems that result from herbivorous diets. The clear importance of salt licks in the ecology of several Amazonian animal species emphasises the need to prioritise conservation areas by maximising the complementarities of salt lick sites.

Facilitating Seed Iron Uptake through Amine-Epoxide Microgels: A Novel Approach to Enhance Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) Germination.

Enhancing the initial stages of plant growth by using polymeric gels for seed priming presents a significant challenge. This study aimed to investigate a microgel derived from polyetheramine-poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) and a bisepoxide (referred to as micro-PPO) as a promising alternative to optimize the seed germination process. The micro-PPO integrated with an iron micronutrient showed a positive impact on seed germination compared with control (Fe solutions) in which the root length yield improved up to 39%. Therefore, the element map by synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence shows that the Fe intensities in the seed primers with the micro-PPO-Fe gel are about 3-fold higher than those in the control group, leading to a gradual distribution of Fe species through most internal embryo tissues. The use of micro-PPO for seed priming underscores their potential for industrial applications due to the nontoxicity results in zebrafish assays and environmentally friendly synthesis of the water-dispersible monomers employed.

TechMaps: exploring technology relationships through patent information based proximity.

Our work provides a novel method for rich information discovery about the evolution of technical fields and company developments through patent relationships. A new exploratory method and graphical tool to discover technology proximity based on patent classification information are introduced. By technology we mean a technical field (defined by an International Patent Classification-IPC-code or a combination of them) or an organization (such as a tech company, research center, or institution). A single data structure is used for characterizing both technical fields and organizations, to visualize them as items of the very same body. This new method generates two graphs: the first graph, the TechnologyMap, visualizes technology items in a 2D plot wherein technical fields and companies will appear positioned relative to each other; the. A second graph, the Focused TechnologyMap, visualizes technology items with respect to a selected one, the focus, which is located in the center of a circle whose radii correspond to the complete set of IPC codes. This article represents the process and algorithms used for production of the graphs, and solidifies the assumptions of validity by presenting two of the many successful test cases to which it was applied.

Role of Genetics and Surgical Interventions for the Management of Cerebral Cavernous Malformations (CMM).

Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) are comprised of tissue matter within the brain possessing anomalous vascular architecture. In totality, the dilated appearance of the cavernomatakes on a mulberry-like shape contributed by the shape and relation to vascular and capillary elements. Analyzing its pathophysiology along with its molecular and genetic pathways plays a vital role in whether or not a patient receives GKRS, medical management, or Surgery, the most invasive of procedures. To avoid neurological trauma, microsurgical resection of cavernomas canbe guided by the novel clinical application of a 3D Slicer with Sina/MosoCam. When cavernomas present in deep lesions with poor accessibility, gamma knife stereotactic radiosurgery (GKSR) is recommended. For asymptomatic and non-multilobal lesions, medical and symptom management is deemed standard, such as antiepileptic therapy. The two-hit hypothesis serves to explain the mutations in three key genes that are most pertinent to the progression of cavernomas: CCM1/KRIT1, CCM2/Malcavernin, and CCM3/PDCD10. Various exon deletions and frameshift mutations can cause dysfunction in vascular structure through loss and gain of function mutations. MEKK3 and KLF2/4 are involved in a protein kinase signaling cycle that promotes abnormal angiogenesis and cavernoma formation. In terms of potential treatments, RhoKinase inhibitors have shown to decrease endothelial to mesenchymal transition and CCM lesion development in mice models. All in all, understanding the research behind the molecular genetics in CCMs can foster personalized medicine and potentially create new neurosurgical and medicative treatments.

Very long-term efficacy and safety of paclitaxel-eluting balloon after a bare-metal stent for the treatment of ST-elevation myocardial infarction: 8-year results of a randomized clinical trial (PEBSI study).

Background: Drug-eluting stents (DES) are considered the therapy of choice in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI); however, a low persistent rate of revascularizations and stent thrombosis exist over the time. We have previously shown that a paclitaxel (PTX)-drug-coated balloon (DCB) after a bare-metal stent (BMS) implantation (DCB-combined strategy) yields superior angiographic and clinical results compared to BMS in the short term. However, the long-term safety and efficacy of this approach remain uncertain. Methods: An 8-year clinical follow-up was conducted on patients enrolled in the randomized PEBSI-1 trial (NCT01839890). The original trial included patients who suffered a STEMI, patients were randomly assigned to receive a DCB-combined strategy or BMS only and the primary endpoint was in-stent late luminal loss (LLL) at 9-month follow-up. After the completion of this study, death, myocardial re-infarction, ischemia-driven repeated revascularizations included target lesion revascularization (TLR) and target vessel revascularization (TVR), and stent thrombosis, were assessed by yearly contact by a clinical visit, telephone or by electronic records. These outcomes were adhered to ARC-2 criteria. Results: The rate of incomplete follow-up was very low, with only 3 out of 111 patients (2.7%) in the DCB-combined strategy group and 1 out of 112 patients (0.9%) in the BMS group. At 8 years there were a lower rate of TVR [3.7% vs. 14.3%; hazard ratio (HR): 0.243; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.081-0.727; P=0.006], and a trend towards lower TLR (2.8% vs. 8.9%; HR: 0.300; 95% CI: 0.083-1.090; P=0.052) in the DCB-combined strategy group. No statistical difference between the DCB-combined strategy and BMS groups were found for all causes of death, deaths from cardiovascular disease, reinfarctions or stent thrombosis. Notably in the DCB-combined strategy group, no episode of stent thrombosis occurred after the first year. Similarly, there were no cardiovascular deaths, TVR and TLR in the DCB-combined strategy group after 5 years. In contrast, during the period from year 5 to 8, the BMS group experienced an additional cardiovascular death, as well as one case of TVR, one case of TLR, and one case of stent thrombosis. Conclusions: In STEMI patients, the DCB-combined strategy maintains its safety and clinical efficacy over time. Our rates of TVR, TLR, and very late stent thrombosis (VLST) at very long-term are the lowest ever found in a STEMI trial. Further studies are warranted to assess the potential superiority of this novel strategy as compared with new-generation DES to prevent very late events in these patients. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov; identifier: NCT01839890.

Effect of Organomontmorillonite-Cloisite® 20A Incorporation on the Structural and Drug Release Properties of Ureasil-PEO Hybrid.

This paper presents the influence of the presence of a modified organoclay, Cloisite® 20A (MMTA) on the structural and drug release properties of ureasil organic-inorganic hybrid. Sol-gel process was used to prepare the hybrid nanocomposites containing sodium diclofenac (DCF) at 5% wt. The effect of the amount of MMTA incorporated into the ureasil hybrid matrix was evaluated and characterized in depth by different techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and swelling properties. The influence of MMTA on ureasil nanocomposites release profile was evaluated by in situ UV-vis. The diffraction patterns of the UPEO-MMTA nanocomposites showed a synergistic contribution effect that led to an intensity increase and narrowed the diffraction peaks, evidencing a crystallite PEO growth as a function of the modified nanoclay content. The interactions between polyether chains and the hydrogenated tallow of MMTA led to an easy intercalation process, as observed in UPEO-MMTA nanocomposites containing low (1% wt) or high (20% wt) nanoclay content. The waterway (channels) created in UPEO-MMTA nanocomposites contributed to a free volume increase in the swollen network compared to UPEO without MMTA. The hypothesis of the channels created after intercalation of the PEO phase in the interlayer of MMTA containing organoammonium ions corroborates with the XRD results, swelling studies by SAXS, and release assays. Furthermore, when these clay particles were dispersed in the polymeric matrix by an intercalation process, water uptake improvement was observed, with an increased amount of DCF release. The design of ureasil-MMTA nanocomposites containing modified nanoclay endows them with tunable properties; for example, swelling degree followed by amount of controlled drug release, opening the way for more versatile biomedical applications.

In vitro and in silico cytotoxicity of hinokinin-loaded PLGA microparticle systems against tumoral SiHa cells.

This work aimed to synthesize poly (D, L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microparticles containing hinokinin (HNK) and to evaluate their cytotoxic activity against tumoral SiHa cells and non-tumoral HaCaT cells. Hinokinin was incorporated into PLGA (PLGA-HNK) with an encapsulation efficiency of 84.18 ± 2.32%. PLGA and PLGA-HNK were characterized by SEM microscopy and showed spherical morphology with an average size of ∼3.33. Encapsulation efficiency was determined by a calibration curve using UV-vis spectroscopy. PLGA-HNK more active inhibiting proliferation of SiHa cells (IC50 = 14.68 µM) than free HNK (IC50 = 225.5 µM). In relation to HaCaT cells, PLGA-HNK showed no significant difference compared to the negative control. These results led to an increase in HNK bioavailability and thereby, biological activity. In silico prediction analysis suggests that HNK is cytotoxic against SiHa cells with E6 and MDM2 inhibition as possible main mechanism of action.

Evaluation of lignan-loaded poly(ε-caprolactone) nanoparticles: synthesis, characterization, in vivo and in silico schistosomicidal activity.

Lignan dinitrohinokinin displays important biological activities, which led to the preparation of its poly-ε-caprolactone nanoparticles. Kinetics analysis revealed initially slow drug release followed by a prolonged, moderate release 6 h later due to DNHK diffusion through the polymeric matrix. Molecular dynamics simulations show that DNHK molecules that interact stronger with other DNHK molecules near the PCL/DNHK surface are more difficult to dissociate from the nanoparticle. The smaller diameter nanocapsules with negative surface charge conferred good colloidal stability. The formulations showed a size distribution with monodisperse systems formation. In vivo evaluation of schistosomicidal activity against Schistosoma mansoni showed that DNHK, when incorporated into nanoparticles, caused egg number reduction of 4.2% and 28.1% at 40 mg/kg and 94.2% and 84.4% at 400 mg/kg in the liver and the spleen, respectively. The PCL nanoparticles were stable in aqueous dispersion and could be optimized to be used as a promising lignan release agent.

Temporal trend and potential impact of angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitors on transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) should be considered in patients with heart failure and secondary mitral regurgitation (MR). Angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors (ARNIs) have been demonstrated to improve prognosis in heart failure. We aimed to evaluate the impact ARNIs on patient selection and outcomes. METHODS: The population of the Spanish TEER prospective registry (March 2012 to January 2021) was divided into 2 groups: a) TEER before the ARNI era (n=450) and b) TEER after the recommendation of ARNIs by European Guidelines (n=639), with further analysis according to intake (n=52) or not (n=587) of ARNIs. RESULTS: A total of 1089 consecutive patients underwent TEER for secondary MR. In the ARNI era, there was a reduction in left ventricle dilation (82mL vs 100mL, P=.025), and better function (35% vs 38%, P=.011). At 2 years of follow-up, mortality (10.6% vs 17.3%, P <.001) and heart failure readmissions (16.6% vs 27.8%, P <.001) were lower in the ARNI era, but not recurrent MR. In the ARNI era, 1- and 2-year mortality were similar irrespective of ARNI intake but patients on ARNIs had a lower risk of readmission+mortality at 2 years (OR, 0.369; 95%CI, 0.137-0.992; P=.048), better NYHA class, and lower recurrence of MR III-IV (1.9% vs 14.3%, P=.011). CONCLUSIONS: Better patient selection for TEER has been achieved in the last few years with a parallel improvement in outcomes. The use of ARNIs was associated with a significant reduction in overall events, better NYHA class, and lower MR recurrence.

Facile and scalable design of light-emitting and ROS-generating hybrid materials made of polyurea gels embedding a molybdenum cluster-based salt.

Here, we demonstrate a facile and scalable preparation via sol-gel chemistry of hybrid polyurea gels containing various amounts of a phosphorescent inorganic octahedral molybdenum cluster-based ternary salt, namely Cs2Mo6Br14. The influence of the Cs2Mo6Br14 content (1-10 wt%) on the polyurea matrix and its physical properties are studied in depth by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray fluorescence microanalysis (µ-XRF). Regardless of the amount of cluster loaded into the polyurea, the integrity of these species was preserved and their dispersion is homogeneous as shown by µ-XRF mapping. Spectroscopic-structural analyses reveal a significant increase of the chain mobility (glass transition temperature Tg) from -65 °C to -55 °C after the incorporation of Cs2Mo6Br14 (DSC analyses). The FTIR studies show that the homogeneity of the dispersion is ensured by supramolecular interactions between the ether-type oxygen atoms of the PEO chains and the cluster compound. Photoluminescence studies show that the metal cluster emission properties are well retained within the host matrix whatever the loaded content. Such a combination of materials demonstrates the feasibility to fabricate a rubber NIR-emitting device. Moreover, the loaded polyurea is also able to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon irradiation in the UV-A region, opening new perspectives as versatile membranes in the field of photodynamic therapy.

Comparison of the effect of whole-body vibration therapy versus conventional therapy on functional balance of patients with Parkinson's disease: adding a mixed group.

OBJECTIVE: Assess the effect of Whole-Body Vibration (WBV) therapy in functional balance status of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and compare this to conventional and combined therapy. INTRODUCTION: PD patients experience a decreased mobility, inactivity, and loss of independence as consequence of disturbances in gait, posture, and balance. Rehabilitation therapy is a non-pharmacological way of improving functionality. One of the most studied modalities is WBV, with multiple studies showing improvement in motor function. However, results in this manner are inconsistent. METHODS: Forty-five patients were enrolled in a non-randomized controlled trial and divided into three groups. Group 1 received conventional therapy (thermotherapy, stretching, strengthening, coordination and balance). Group 2 received WBV therapy, and group 3 patients underwent a combined therapy protocol. A total of 20 sessions (3 per week) were conducted, assessing Berg Balance Scale (BBS) before initial and after final session. RESULTS: The 3 intervention groups showed significant improvement in BBS scores after concluding the 20-session trial compared to initial assessment. When comparing mean change in BBS score from initial to final assessment, the combined therapy group had a greater increase compared to conventional therapy, but no significant differences were observed comparing to WBV group. Mean change in BBS score showed no significant difference between conventional therapy and WBV therapy group. CONCLUSIONS: WBV therapy is a useful tool as co-adjuvant in conventional therapy. The combination of both therapies is a significant therapeutic alternative for the improvement of functional balance status in PD patients compared to conventional therapy alone.