Isolated Spinal Cord Neurocysticercosis.

The incidence of neurocysticercosis is increasing in the US. The diagnosis is primarily made based on imaging findings, with clinical presentation and epidemiological exposure also playing a role. The differential diagnosis for neurocysticercosis (NCC) is extensive, and being able to differentiate between these conditions on imaging is crucial to making a proper diagnosis. Herein we present a case of a 37-year-old female who presented with lower extremity weakness and was found to have isolated spinal NCC. In this article, we will discuss the symptoms and imaging findings of neurocysticercosis to help guide diagnosis and management.

Postpolypectomy coagulation syndrome - an uncommon complication of colonoscopy.

Colonoscopy is the most sensitive and specific test for detecting colon cancer and is a common procedure performed in over 19 million people annually in the United States as of 2017. Though the incidence of complications from colonoscopy is low, there are several important complications that may require surgical intervention including bowel perforation, bleeding, splenic injury, and diverticulitis. Post-polypectomy coagulation syndrome (PPCS) is an uncommon complication of colonoscopy however, clinical presentation mimics bowel perforation and the differentiation between the two is vital as the management differs. Herein we present a case of a 43-year-old female with abdominal pain after undergoing colonoscopy and developed PPCS.

3D-Printed Multidrug-Eluting Stent from Graphene-Nanoplatelet-Doped Biodegradable Polymer Composite.

Patients with percutaneous coronary intervention generally receive either bare metal stents or drug-eluting stents to restore the normal blood flow. However, due to the lack of stent production with an individual patient in mind, the same level of effectiveness may not be possible in treating two different clinical scenarios. This study introduces for the first time the feasibility of a patient-specific stenting process constructed from direct 3D segmentation of medical images using direct 3D printing of biodegradable polymer-graphene composite with dual drug incorporation. A biodegradable polymer-carbon composite is prepared doped with graphene nanoplatelets to achieve controlled release of combinatorics as anticoagulation and antirestenosis agents. This study develops a technology prototyped for personalized stenting. An in silico analysis is performed to optimize the stent design for printing and its prediction of sustainability under force exerted by coronary artery or blood flow. A holistic approach covering in silico to in situ-in vivo establishes the structural integrity of the polymer composite, its mechanical properties, drug loading and release control, prototyping, functional activity, safety, and feasibility of placement in coronary artery of swine.

Paper-Based Analytical Biosensor Chip Designed from Graphene-Nanoplatelet-Amphiphilic-diblock-co-Polymer Composite for Cortisol Detection in Human Saliva.

Cortisol has been identified as a biomarker in saliva to monitor psychological stress. In this work, we report a label-free paper-based electrical biosensor chip to quantify salivary cortisol at a point-of-care (POC) level. A high specificity of the sensor chip to detect cortisol with a detection limit of 3 pg/mL was achieved by conjugating anticortisol antibody (anti-CAB) on top of gold (Au) microelectrodes using 3,3'-dithiodipropionic acid di(N-hydroxysuccinimide ester (DTSP) as a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) agent. The electrode design utilized poly(styrene)-block-poly(acrylic acid) (PS67-b-PAA27) polymer and graphene nanoplatelets (GP) suspension coated on filter paper to increase the sensitivity of the immune response. A biosensor chip was then integrated with a lab-built low-cost miniaturized printed circuit board (PCB) to provide an electrical connection and to wirelessly transmit/receive electrical signals using MATLAB. This fully integrated proposed hand-held device successfully exhibited a wide cortisol-detection range from 3 pg/mL to 10 µg/mL, with a sensitivity of 50 Ω (pg mL-1)-1. The performance of the proposed cortisol sensor chip was validated using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique with a regression value of 0.9951. The advantages of the newly developed cortisol immune biosensor over previously reported chips include an improved limit of detection, no need for additional redox medium for electron exchange, faster response to achieve stable data, excellent shelf life, and its economical production.

Nanoscopic poly-DNA-cleaver for breast cancer regression with induced oxidative damage.

A novel strategy for efficient "nanodelivery" of DNA-cleaving molecules for breast cancer regression is presented here. The synthetic methodology can be tweaked for controlled delivery and better bioavailability of effective doses of these DNA-cleaving agents through a defined self-assembled polymeric nanoarchitecture. In vitro studies in ER+ and ER- breast cancer human cell lines confirmed an efficient "nano"-delivery of DNA-cleaving molecules and indicated their capability to mediate oxidative damage to nucleobases and/or to the 2-deoxyribose moiety. Prepared E-poly-DNA-cleaver and C-poly-DNA-cleaver were found to be interacting with plasmid DNA pBR322 (pDNA) and active to cause oxidative cleavage of pDNA in the presence of ascorbic acid and H2O2. They were found to be significantly active as DNA cleaving agents in vitro and showed highly improved cancer regression in MCF-7 and MD-MB231 cancer cells compared to small molecule DNA cleaver. Surface conjugated nanoparticles were found to be more effective than noncovalent encapsulation and the small molecule agent, whereas in all the cases RCM was significantly inactive toward DNA cleavage. Blood contact complement activation properties were evaluated to gauge their likelihood to promote acute toxicity following systemic administration. The complement activation analyses together with the blood smear study confirm the feasibility of using these poly-DNA-cleavers without risk of induced immune response.