Activation of epidermal growth factor receptors in triple-negative breast cancer cells by morphine; analysis through Raman spectroscopy and machine learning.

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a very aggressive form of breast cancer, and the analgesic drug morphine has been shown to promote the proliferation of TNBC cells. This article investigates whether morphine causes activation of epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR), the roles of µ-opioid and EGFR receptors on TNBC cell proliferation and migration. While examining the changes with molecular techniques, we also aimed to investigate the analysis ability of Raman spectroscopy and machine learning-based approach. Effects of morphine on the proliferation and migration of MDA.MB.231 cells were evaluated by MTT and scratch wound-healing tests, respectively. Morphine-induced phosphorylation of the EGFR was analyzed by western blotting in the presence and absence of µ-receptor antagonist naltrexone and the EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor gefitinib. Morphine-induced EGFR phosphorylation and cell migration were significantly inhibited by pretreatments with both naltrexone and gefitinib; however, morphine-increased cell proliferation was inhibited only by naltrexone. While morphine-induced changes were observed in the Raman scatterings of the cells, the inhibitory effect of naltrexone was analyzed with similarity to the control group. Principal component analysis (PCA) of the Raman confirmed the epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like effect of morphine and was inhibited by naltrexone and partly by gefitinib pretreatments. Our in vitro results suggest that combining morphine with an EGFR inhibitor or a peripherally acting opioidergic receptor antagonist may be a good strategy for pain relief without triggering cancer proliferation and migration in TNBC patients. In addition, our results demonstrated the feasibility of the Raman spectroscopy and machine learning-based approach as an effective method to investigate the effects of agents in cancer cells without the need for complex and time-consuming sample preparation. The support vector machine (SVM) with linear kernel automatically classified the effects of drugs on cancer cells with ∼95% accuracy.

Mechanochemical Activation of Silicone for Large-Scale Fabrication of Anti-Biofouling Liquid-like Surfaces.

Large-scale preparation of liquid-like coatings with perfect transparency via solventless and room-temperature processes using low-cost and biocompatible materials is of tremendous interest for a broad range of applications. Here, we present a mechanochemical activation strategy for solventless grafting of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) onto glass, silicon wafers, and ceramics. Activation is achieved via ball milling PDMS without using any solvents or additives prior to application. Ball milling results in chain scission and generation of free radicals, allowing room-temperature grafting at durations ≤1 h. The deposition of ball-milled PDMS can be facilitated by brushing or drop-casting, enabling large-scale applications. The resulting surfaces facilitate the sliding of droplets at angles <20° for liquids with surface tension ranging from 22 to 73 mN/m. An important application for public health is generating anti-biofouling coatings on sanitary ware. For example, PDMS-grafted surfaces prepared on a regular-size toilet bowl exhibit a 105-fold decrease in the attachment of bacteria from urine. These findings highlight the significant potential of mechanochemical processes for the practical preparation of liquid-like surfaces.

Food-Grade Physically Unclonable Functions.

Counterfeit products in the pharmaceutical and food industries have posed an overwhelmingly increasing threat to the health of individuals and societies. An effective approach to prevent counterfeiting is the attachment of security labels directly on drugs and food products. This approach requires the development of security labels composed of safely digestible materials. In this study, we present the fabrication of security labels entirely based on the use of food-grade materials. The key idea proposed in this study is the exploitation of food-grade corn starch (CS) as an encoding material based on the microscopic dimensions, particulate structure, and adsorbent characteristics. The strong adsorption of a food colorant, erythrosine B (ErB), onto CS results in fluorescent CS@ErB microparticles. Randomly positioned CS@ErB particles can be obtained simply by spin-coating from aqueous solutions of tuned concentrations followed by transfer to an edible gelatin film. The optical and fluorescence microscopy images of randomly positioned particles are then used to construct keys for a physically unclonable function (PUF)-based security label. The performance of PUFs evaluated by uniformity, uniqueness, and randomness analysis demonstrates the strong promise of this platform. The biocompatibility of the fabricated PUFs is confirmed with assays using murine fibroblast cells. The extremely low-cost and sustainable security primitives fabricated from off-the-shelf food materials offer new routes in the fight against counterfeiting.

An extremely rare tracheal tumor in coronavirus disease-2019 screening: Marginal zone lymphoma.

Mucosal-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma is extremely rare due to the scarcity of lymphoid tissue in the trachea. To date, approximately 20 cases of tracheal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma have been reported. This case report presents a primary tracheal extranodal marginal zone lymphoma case detected incidentally during the coronavirus disease-2019 screening.

Effects of intraoperative fluid therapy on intensive care process, morbidity, and mortality after lung transplantation.

Background: This study aims to evaluate the effect of intraoperative fluid therapy on intensive care process and first 90-day morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing lung transplantation. Methods: Between March 2013 and December 2020, a total of 77 patients (64 males, 13 females; mean age: 47.6±13.0 years; range, 19 to 67 years) who underwent lung transplantation were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into two groups according to the amount of fluid given intraoperatively: Group 1 (<15 mL/kg-1/h-1) and Group 2 (>15 mL/kg-1/h-1). Demographic, clinical, intra- and postoperative data of the patients were recorded. Results: Less than 15 mL/kg-1/h-1 f luid w as a dministered t o 75.3% (n=58) of the patients (Group 1) and 24.7% (n=19) were administered more than 15 mL/kg-1/h-1 (Group 2). In t erms of native disease, the rate of diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis was higher in Group 1, and the rate of other diagnoses was higher in Group 2 (p<0.01). The ratio of women in Group 2 was higher (p<0.05), while the body mass index values were significantly lower in this group (p<0.01). The erythrocyte, fresh frozen plasma, platelet, crystalloid and total fluid given in Group 2 were significantly higher (p<0.001). Inotropic/vasopressor agent use rates and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation requirement were significantly higher in Group 2 (p<0.01). Primary graft dysfunction, gastrointestinal complications, and mortality rates were also significantly higher in Group 2 (p<0.05). Conclusion: The increased intraoperative fluid volume in lung transplantation is associated with primary graft dysfunction, gastrointestinal complications, and mortality rates.

Disintegration and Machine-Learning-Assisted Identification of Bacteria on Antimicrobial and Plasmonic Ag-CuxO Nanostructures.

Bacteria cause many common infections and are the culprit of many outbreaks throughout history that have led to the loss of millions of lives. Contamination of inanimate surfaces in clinics, the food chain, and the environment poses a significant threat to humanity, with the increase in antimicrobial resistance exacerbating the issue. Two key strategies to address this issue are antibacterial coatings and effective detection of bacterial contamination. In this study, we present the formation of antimicrobial and plasmonic surfaces based on Ag-CuxO nanostructures using green synthesis methods and low-cost paper substrates. The fabricated nanostructured surfaces exhibit excellent bactericidal efficiency and high surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity. The CuxO ensures outstanding and rapid antibacterial activity within 30 min, with a rate of >99.99% against typical Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. The plasmonic Ag nanoparticles facilitate the electromagnetic enhancement of Raman scattering and enables rapid, label-free, and sensitive identification of bacteria at a concentration as low as 103 cfu/mL. The detection of different strains at this low concentration is attributed to the leaching of the intracellular components of the bacteria caused by the nanostructures. Additionally, SERS is coupled with machine learning algorithms for the automated identification of bacteria with an accuracy that exceeds 96%. The proposed strategy achieves effective prevention of bacterial contamination and accurate identification of the bacteria on the same material platform by using sustainable and low-cost materials.

Self-Healing of Biocompatible Superhydrophobic Coatings: The Interplay of the Size and Loading of Particles.

The broad application potential of superhydrophobic coatings is limited by the usage of environment-threatening materials and poor durability. The nature-inspired design and fabrication of self-healing coatings is a promising approach for addressing these issues. In this study, we report a fluorine-free and biocompatible superhydrophobic coating that can be thermally healed after abrasion. The coating is composed of silica nanoparticles and carnauba wax, and the self-healing is based on surface enrichment of wax in analogy to the wax secretion in plant leaves. The coating not only exhibits fast self-healing, just in 1 min under moderate heating, but also displays increased water repellency and thermal stability after healing. The rapid self-healing ability of the coating is attributed to the relatively low melting point of carnauba wax and its migration to the surface of the hydrophilic silica nanoparticles. The dependence of self-healing on the size and loading of particles provides insights into the process. Furthermore, the coating exhibits high levels of biocompatibility where the viability of fibroblast L929 cells was ∼90%. The presented approach and insights provide valuable guidelines in the design and fabrication of self-healing superhydrophobic coatings.

The effect of a combined treatment of foot soak and lavender oil inhalation therapy on the severity of insomnia of patients with cancer: Randomized interventional study.

OBJECTIVES: This three-arm randomized intervention study was carried out with the aim to evaluate the effects of a combined foot soak and lavender oil inhalation therapy on the severity of insomnia of patients with cancer. METHOD: This research was carried out in oncology and palliative services. Forty-five patients were randomly assigned to three groups. Throughout a 14-day period, 20 min of foot soak treatment was applied to the patients in the F group, patients in the L group were applied lavender oil inhalation therapy for 5 min and a combined treatment of foot soak and lavender oil inhalation therapy were applied to the patients in the FL group. Insomnia severity of the patients in all groups were evaluated twice using the Insomnia Severity Index at the baseline and on the fifteenth day. RESULTS: The severity of the insomnia of the patients in all groups was found to be moderate. The severity of the insomnia in the second evaluation was found to be statistically significantly lower in the L and FL groups (p<0.05) compared to the baseline evaluation within the group, however no significant difference was found in the F group (p>0.05). The effect size of a combined treatment of foot soak and lavender oil inhalation therapy on the severity of insomnia of patients in the FL group was higher and moderate (d = 0.684) compared to merely foot soak and merely lavender oil inhalation therapy. CONCLUSION: A combined treatment of foot soak and lavender oil inhalation therapy shall mitigate the severity of a moderate level of insomnia of patients with cancer.

One-step Green Fabrication of Antimicrobial Surfaces via In Situ Growth of Copper Oxide Nanoparticles.

Microorganisms such as pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and viruses pose a serious threat to human health and society. Surfaces are one of the major pathways for the transmission of infectious diseases. Therefore, imparting antipathogenic properties to these surfaces is significant. Here, we present a rapid, one-step approach for practical fabrication of antimicrobial and antifungal surfaces using an eco-friendly and low-cost reducing agent, the extract of Cedrus libani. Copper oxide nanoparticles were grown in situ on the surface of print paper and fabric in the presence of the copper salt and extract, without the use of any additional chemicals. The morphology and composition of the grown nanoparticles were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction techniques. The analysis revealed that the grown particles consist of mainly spherical CuO nanoparticles with an average size of ∼14 nm and its clusters with an average size of ∼700 nm. The in situ growth process enables strong bonding of the nanoparticles to the surface, resulting in enhanced durability against wear and tear. Moreover, the fabricated surface shows excellent growth inhibition ability and bactericidal activity against both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, as well as antifungal activity against Candida albicans, a common pathogenic fungus. The ability to grow copper oxide nanoparticles on different surfaces paves the way for a range of applications in wound dressings, masks, and protective medical equipment.

Indomethacin prevents TGF-ß-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in pancreatic cancer cells; evidence by Raman spectroscopy.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a very low survival rate due to the late detection and poor response to chemotherapy. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is considered an important step in tumor progression with regard to invasion and metastasis, and Transforming Growth Factor-beta (TGF-ß) signaling has been shown to play an important role in EMT. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether indomethacin, an anti-inflammatory and analgesic drug, has any effect on TGF-ß-induced EMT in pancreatic cancer cell line and analyze the changes in their molecular structures by Raman spectroscopy and other molecular techniques. Indomethacin treated Panc-1 cells were analyzed with Raman spectroscopy, quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescence techniques after the induction of EMT with TGF-ß. The exposure of Panc-1 cells to TGF-ß resulted in characteristic morphological alterations of EMT, and indomethacin inhibits TGF-ß-induced EMT through up-regulation of E-cadherin and down-regulation of N-cadherin and Snail expressions. Raman spectroscopy supported by principal component analysis (PCA) confirmed the effects of both TGF-ß and indomethacin. Raman spectra were further analyzed using the PCA-assisted vector machine algorithm and it was seen that the data could be classified with 97.6% accuracy. Our results suggest that indomethacin may have a significant effect on PDAC metastasis, and Raman spectroscopy was able to probe EMT-related changes and the efficacy of indomethacin in a short time and without the need for specific reagents compared to other molecular techniques.

Blood repellent superhydrophobic surfaces constructed from nanoparticle-free and biocompatible materials.

Durable and environment friendly superhydrophobic surfaces are needed for a set of important applications. Biomedical applications, in particular, impose stringent requirements on the biocompatibility of the materials used in the fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces. In this study, we demonstrate the fabrication of mechanically durable superhydrophobic surfaces via an in-situ structuring strategy starting from natural carnauba wax and biocompatible polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) materials. The transfer of the structure of the paper to a free-standing PDMS film provided the microscale structure. On top of this structured surface, the wax was spray-coated, initially resulting in a relatively homogeneous film with limited liquid repellence. The key in achieving superhydrophobicity was rubbing the surface for in-situ generation of a finely textured wax coating with a water contact angle of 169° and a sliding angle of 3°. The hierarchically structured surface exhibits mechanical robustness as demonstrated with water impact and linear abrasion tests. We finally demonstrate repellence of the surfaces against a range of blood products including platelet suspension, erythrocyte suspension, fresh plasma, and whole blood.

Pediatric type 1 cartilage tympanoplasty outcomes: A comparison of short and long term hearing results.

OBJECTIVE: Tympanoplasty is a commonly used procedure in children as in adults. The purposes of this study were to evaluate and report the long term results of type 1 cartilage tympanoplasty in pediatric population. Short term and long term hearing outcomes were compared according to age and perforation location. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated a total of 76 of 93 patients who had regularly come to visits (38 male and 38 female) with chronic otitis media (COM) and who were younger than 16 years (range, 9-16 years) and underwent a primary type 1 tympanoplasty in tertiary medical center. We divided our population into 2 groups; a younger group (age <12 years) and an older group (age ≥12 years). Age, gender, follow-up time, prior to surgery and at postoperative 6th and minimum 48th month follow-up pure tone audiometry (PTA) thresholds and if any residual perforation were noted. RESULTS: Successful closure occurred 74 in 76 patients and success rate was 97,03%. The mean 6th month follow-up bone conduction threshold values were 7,61±3,89 and 6,89±6,28 <12 years old and ≥12 years old children, respectively. The mean 48th month follow-up bone conduction threshold values were 6,93±4,00 and 7,12±6,40, <12 years old and ≥12 years old children, respectively. The mean 6th month follow-up air conduction threshold values were 23,75±8,38 and 24,73±10,41 <12 years old and ≥12 years old children, respectively. The mean 48th month follow-up air conduction threshold values were 17,15±6,04 and 20,30±10,30, <12 years old and ≥12 years old children, respectively. Among all children; preoperative mean air conduction differed significantly from postoperative 6th and 48th month follow-up mean air conduction thresholds (p<0.001). They had significant improvement in their ABG compared with their preoperative ABG scores. In addition according to groups, there was no significantly difference between pre and postoperative ABG improvement in both 6th and 48th month follow-up between <12 years old and ≥12 years old patient group. CONCLUSION: In pediatric patients type 1 tympanoplasty with cartilage graft, gives statistically significant success in long term follow up. Long term hearing results of primary type 1 cartilage tympanoplasty is seem to be better than short term hearing results as well. We consider that cartilage graft could be the best graft material for pediatric tympanoplasty for long term success.

Diagnosis and Management of Parathyroid Cysts: Description with Two Cases.

Parathyroid cysts are unilocular, thin-walled cysts, and they are seen very rarely. Their formation mechanisms are not clear. They are usually localized in the cervical region, and mediastinal settlements are rare. They are usually asymptomatic, but cysts that have settled in the neck may be symptomatic, such as tracheal pressure symptoms. There are two types-namely, functional cysts and non-functional cysts-depending on their hormonal characteristics. There are still difficulties in the diagnosis, and they can be mistaken by thyroid pathology. Treatment is surgery. We discussed two cases of parathyroid cysts that we surgically excised.

Pulmonary synovial sarcoma.

We describe the case of a 36-year-old man who presented with chest pain and a mass lesion occupying 2/3rds of the left hemithorax on a chest radiograph. A malignant pulmonary tumor was suspected, and after all diagnostic procedures, spindle-cell carcinoma was considered. Because of the proximity of the lesion to vascular structures, chemoradiotherapy was given before surgery. A left pneumonectomy was performed. Pathology identified a pulmonary synovial sarcoma which rarely occurs in the thorax.