Development of Polymer Complexed Lamella That Retains α-gel Structure When Dried.

This paper reports a novel α-gel formulation technology referred to as polymer complexed lamella (PCL) that uses hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) and glycerol. The PCL method suppressed lipid crystallization even after drying. This effect was maximized by the addition of HPMC and glycerol at high temperature. HPMC and lipids coexisted when mixed at high temperature, which decreased the mobility of HPMC, an effect that was enhanced by the strong interaction of glycerol with HPMC. These results indicate that mixing of HPMC with glycerol directly regulates the lipid structure and suppresses crystallization. PCL also maintained the effect of occlusion related to the moisturization of skin, even if the membrane was repeatedly bent such as in facial expressions.

Oleic acid-induced interleukin-36γ: A possible link between facial skin redness and sebum.

BACKGROUND: Redness of the facial skin is an important cosmetic concern. Although qualitative and quantitative modifications of sebum on the skin surface are major pathogenic factors of chronic inflammatory skin conditions, the relationship between skin redness, sebum, and mild inflammation on the cheeks of healthy subjects remains elusive. AIMS: We aimed to explore the correlation between cheek redness and sebum and inflammatory cytokines in the stratum corneum (SC) of healthy subjects. We also examined the effects of representative sebum lipids on the gene expression of inflammatory cytokines in cultured keratinocytes. PATIENTS/METHODS: This study included 198 healthy participants. Skin sebum was analyzed using flow injection analysis, and skin redness was assessed using a spectrophotometer. Inflammatory cytokines in tape-stripped SC were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Cheek redness parameters positively correlated with the amount of skin sebum and the proportion of monounsaturated free fatty acids (C16:1 and C18:1) in the sebum. They also positively correlated with the interleukin (IL)-36γ/IL-37 ratio in the SC. Among the representative sebum lipids examined, oleic acid (C18:1, cis-9) dose- and time-dependently regulated the mRNA expression of IL-36γ and IL-37 in cultured keratinocytes, and this effect was attenuated by the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-type glutamate receptor antagonist, MK801. CONCLUSIONS: Skin surface sebum may be related to cheek redness in healthy subjects, and oleic acid-induced IL-36γ through NMDA-type glutamate receptors may be a link between them. Our study provides a possible skincare strategy for mitigating unfavorable increase in skin redness by targeting the facial skin sebum, particularly oleic acid.

Ether-Functionalized Pyrrolidinium-Based Room Temperature Ionic Liquids: Physicochemical Properties, Molecular Dynamics, and the Lithium Ion Coordination Environment.

The physicochemical properties of room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) consisting of bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide (TFSA- ) combined with 1-hexyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium (Pyr1,6+ ), 1-(butoxymethyl)-1-methylpyrrolidinium (Pyr1,1O4+ ), 1-(4-methoxybutyl)-1-methyl pyrrolidinium (Pyr1,4O1+ ), and 1-((2-methoxyethoxy)methyl)-1-methylpyrrolidinium (Pyr1,1O2O1+ ) were investigated using both experimental and computational approaches. Pyr1,1O2O1 TFSA, which contains two ether oxygen atoms, showed the lowest viscosity, and the relationship between its physicochemical properties and the position and number of the ether oxygen atoms was discussed by a careful comparison with Pyr1,1O4 TFSA and Pyr1,4O1 TFSA. Ab initio calculations revealed the conformational flexibility of the side chain containing the ether oxygen atoms. In addition, molecular dynamics (MD) calculations suggested that the ion distributions have a significant impact on the transport properties. Furthermore, the coordination environments of the Li ions in the RTILs were evaluated using Raman spectroscopy, which was supported by MD calculations using 1000 ion pairs. The presented results will be valuable for the design of functionalized RTILs for various applications.

Correction: The effects of the position of the ether oxygen atom in pyrrolidinium-based room temperature ionic liquids on their physicochemical properties.

Correction for 'The effects of the position of the ether oxygen atom in pyrrolidinium-based room temperature ionic liquids on their physicochemical properties' by Kazuki Yoshii et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2020, DOI: .

The effects of the position of the ether oxygen atom in pyrrolidinium-based room temperature ionic liquids on their physicochemical properties.

Room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) containing ether oxygen atoms have been investigated for a gamut of science and technology applications owing to their superior physicochemical properties. However, the effect of the position of the ether oxygen atom in the side chain on their physicochemical properties is not clearly understood. This study investigates, using both experimental and computational approaches, the effect of ether oxygen atoms on the physicochemical properties of RTILs consisting of bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide (TFSA-) with 1-methyl-1-propylpyrrolidinium (MPP+), 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium (BMP+), 1-methoxymethyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium (MOMMP+), 1-ethoxymethyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium (EOMMP+), and 1-methoxyethyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium (MOEMP+). The viscosity of the RTILs containing the ether oxygen atom was lower than that of the alkyl analogues. Moreover, the viscosity of EOMMPTFSA was lower than that of MOEMPTFSA, albeit EOMMPTFSA and MOEMPTFSA have the same molecular weight with ether oxygen atoms at different positions. Ab initio calculations reveal that the number of methylene groups between nitrogen and oxygen atoms in the cation structure profoundly impacts the local stable structure of the cation. Furthermore, we discussed the relationship between the transport properties and the spatial distribution of ions obtained by MD simulations. This result will be valuable in the design of functionalized RTILs, via the judicious tuning of the conformational flexibility of ether oxygen atoms in related ionic liquids.

Advancing availability of papillary muscle sandwich plasty from functional to organic mitral valve regurgitation.

An original papillary muscle heads approximation procedure, commonly known as a sandwich plasty, has been successfully used for the treatment of functional mitral regurgitation (MR) associated with ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) and aortic valve disease (AVD). In this study, we evaluated the availability of this method as the concomitant procedure for the plasty of organic MR in comparison with the operative results in patients with functional MR. Fifty-six patients who underwent sandwich plasty were reviewed, including 45 functional MR (29 ICM and 16 AVD) patients and 11 organic MR patients. The mean age of patients was 67 years. In the organic MR patients, predominant cardiac diseases were solitary MR in six patients and combined valve diseases including aortic valve stenosis in five. Mitral valve changes included prolapse in six patients and moderate cusp thickening with calcification in five. Two heads of the papillary muscle connecting to the choldae of both the anterior and posterior leaflets are fixed with two teflon-pledgeted 3-0 TiCron™ (Covidien, Dublin, Ireland) sutures in order to achieve coaptation of the two leaflets. Prominent MR was observed in a patient with functional MR after surgery, however residual MR was not detected in organic MR patients. The tenting height (coaptation distance) of mitral valve significantly decreased after surgery from 11±1 to 7±2mm in the organic MR patients, which was similar to the results in the functional MR patients (from 12±2 to 7±2 mm). The postoperative mean mitral orifice area in the organic MR patients was 4.3±0.1cm2 without stenosis. Sandwich plasty reduces the distance of choldae connecting to anterior and posterior leaflets and achieves the better coaptation of two leaflets. This procedure is effective in the treatment of both functional and organic MR.

Successful treatment of an infected new vascular graft.

A 71-year old male who underwent total aortic arch replacement using a newly developed uncoated vascular prosthesis (Triplex®) developed postoperative mediastinitis due to a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus infection. The Triplex® vascular prosthesis has a unique three-layer structure with a non-porous elastomer middle layer material and has several advantages over more traditional prosthesis, namely, good manipulability, good patency, dilatation resistance, and low inflammatory tissue reaction. This is the first reported case of a postoperative prosthesis infection that was successfully treated by omentum wrapping and closed irrigation with triphenylmethane dye. Bacterial cultures of blood samples were negative throughout the course of treatment, and 8 months after the initial operation. Computer tomographs revealed no evidence of infection or anastomotic pseudoaneurysms. In conclusion, the combination of omentum wrapping and the closed irrigation procedure using triphenylmethane dye can be considered to be an effective treatment for Triplex® graft infection.

Vacuum-assisted venous drainage in single-access minimally invasive cardiac surgery.

This retrospective study evaluated the influence of vacuum-assisted venous drainage in single-access minimally invasive cardiac surgery. A total of 104 patients who underwent cardiac surgery via minimal access incision were included in this study. Cardiopulmonary bypass was initiated with gravity alone, and vacuum-assisted venous drainage was applied only when the bypass flow was 2.2 l/min/m2 or less. We compared intraoperative variables of the patients to whom vacuum-assisted venous drainage (vacuum group) was applied with those who underwent gravity venous drainage alone (gravity group). In the 13 patients who most recently underwent isolated valve operations without maze procedures, free hemoglobin was measured to evaluate hemolysis. Vacuum-assisted venous drainage was required in 77 (72.6%) patients. Except for a smaller body surface area in the gravity group (P = 0.0118), patient characteristics did not differ significantly between the two groups. Free hemoglobin 60 mins after the beginning of cardiopulmonary bypass was higher in the vacuum group than in the gravity group (21.5 +/- 7.3 vs 11.1 +/- 7.1 mg/dl, P = 0.0284). Operative mortality and morbidity did not differ significantly between the groups. We found vacuum-assisted venous drainage to be a safe, simple, and effective technique in cases of minimally invasive cardiac surgery. However, there is a potential risk of hemolysis and air embolism, as shown in our findings and previous reports.

Renography as a measure of renal and neobladder function in patients with ileal bladder substitution.

INTRODUCTION: Using renography, we evaluated the function of both the kidneys and neobladder of 20 patients who underwent ileal bladder substitution. METHODS: The patients were measured for renal and neobladder function with renography using 99mTc MAG3. Renal function was assayed in every renal unit using O'Reilly patterns. Voiding function was estimated using radioisotope counts for the reservoir. RESULTS: Thirty-two of 37 renal units had normal renograms. Five renal units showed non-obstructive renograms. The percentage of total residual urine (RU) in the reservoir was 30% and more in 6 patients, 10-30% in 8, and <10% in 6. In 7 of 12 patients, the data on estimated RU correlated with the data on measured RU. However, in 5 patients, the data on estimated RU increased more in quantity than the data on RU measured at another time. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with bladder substitution the functions of both the kidneys and neobladder could be evaluated in a single renography.