AMP-activated protein kinase is a key regulator of obesity-associated factors.

An imbalance between caloric intake and energy expenditure leads to obesity. Obesity is an important risk factor for the development of several metabolic diseases including insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease. So, controlling obesity could be effective in the improvement of obesity-related diseases. Various factors are involved in obesity, such as AMP-activated protein kinases (AMPK), silent information regulators, inflammatory mediators, oxidative stress parameters, gastrointestinal hormones, adipokines, angiopoietin-like proteins, and microRNAs. These factors play an important role in obesity by controlling fat metabolism, energy homeostasis, food intake, and insulin sensitivity. AMPK is a heterotrimeric serine/threonine protein kinase known as a fuel-sensing enzyme. The central role of AMPK in obesity makes it an attractive molecule to target obesity and related metabolic diseases. In this review, the critical role of AMPK in obesity and the interplay between AMPK and obesity-associated factors were elaborated.

Enzyme-sensitive nanoparticles, smart TAT and cetuximab conjugated immunoliposomes to overcome multidrug resistance in breast cancer cells.

Due to recent advances in the field of small molecule-based drugs, designing an efficient siRNA delivery system seems essential. Here, modified sets of lipids conjugated with cell-penetrating TAT peptide, MMP2 enzyme-sensitive moiety, and cetuximab antibodies against the EGF receptor were synthesized, purified and verified on HPLC, TLC, SEM, and DLS analyses. Different cellular and molecular experiments were designed to evaluate the transfection efficiency, targeting properties, and functions, including cytotoxicity assay, resensitization assessments, flow cytometry-based uptake assay, BCRP silencing efficiency, real-time PCR, and western blotting. The final targeted liposomes represented an average diameter of 160 nm; zeta-potential and siRNA encapsulation rates were respectively around -28.9 ± 3.16 mV and 88.3 ± 0.9 w/w. The siBCRP carried by the TAT+Cetuximab+ liposome led to an increase in the tumoricidal effect of mitoxantrone by a reduction in IC50 value by 4-fold (*** P < 0.001). Flow cytometry results showed that the cellular uptake rate of final immunoliposomes was significantly higher than the naked liposomes (*** P < 0.001). The Targeted siRNA encapsulating liposomes decreased BCRP transcript and protein levels in MCF7-MX cells by 0.24 and 0.2-fold after 48 h, respectively. Due to the silencing results of the BCRP by the encapsulated siRNA and the inhibitory effects of cetuximab on the EGFR, this formulation could widely be utilized as a carrier for tumor-directed gene delivery.

Quantifying Signal Quality for Joint Acoustic Emissions Using Graph-Based Spectral Embedding.

We present a new method for quantifying signal quality of joint acoustic emissions (JAEs) from the knee during unloaded flexion/extension (F/E) exercises. For ten F/E cycles, JAEs were recorded, in a clinical setting, from 34 healthy knees and 13 with a meniscus tear (n=24 subjects). The recordings were first segmented by F/E cycle and described using time and frequency domain features. Using these features, a symmetric k-nearest neighbor graph was created and described using a spectral embedding. We show how the underlying community structure of JAEs was comparable across joint health levels and was highly affected by artifacts. Each F/E cycle was scored by its distance from a diverse set of manually annotated, clean templates and removed if above the artifact threshold. We validate this methodology by showing an improvement in the distinction between the JAEs of healthy and injured knees. Graph community factor (GCF) was used to detect the number of communities in each recording and describe the heterogeneity of JAEs from each knee. Before artifact removal, there was no significant difference between the healthy and injured groups due to the impact of artifacts on the community construction. Following implementation of artifact removal, we observed improvement in knee health classification. The GCF value for the meniscus tear group was significantly higher than the healthy group (p<0.01). With more JAE recordings being taken in the clinic and at home, this paper addresses the need for a robust artifact removal method which is necessary for an accurate description of joint health.

A Novel Accelerometer Mounting Method for Sensing Performance Improvement in Acoustic Measurements From the Knee.

In this study, we propose a new mounting method to improve accelerometer sensing performance in the 50 Hz-10 kHz frequency band for knee sound measurement. The proposed method includes a thin double-sided adhesive tape for mounting and a 3D-printed custom-designed backing prototype. In our mechanical setup with an electrodynamic shaker, the measurements showed a 13 dB increase in the accelerometer's sensing performance in the 1-10 kHz frequency band when it is mounted with the craft tape under 2 N backing force applied through low-friction tape. As a proof-of-concept study, knee sounds of healthy subjects (n = 10) were recorded. When the backing force was applied, we observed statistically significant (p < 0.01) incremental changes in spectral centroid, spectral roll-off frequencies, and high-frequency (1-10 kHz) root-mean-square (RMS) acceleration, while low-frequency (50 Hz-1 kHz) RMS acceleration remained unchanged. The mean spectral centroid and spectral roll-off frequencies increased from 0.8 kHz and 4.15 kHz to 1.35 kHz and 5.9 kHz, respectively. The mean high-frequency acceleration increased from 0.45 mgRMS to 0.9 mgRMS with backing. We showed that the backing force improves the sensing performance of the accelerometer when mounted with the craft tape and the proposed backing prototype. This new method has the potential to be implemented in today's wearable systems to improve the sensing performance of accelerometers in knee sound measurements.

Synthetic biology in various cellular and molecular fields: applications, limitations, and perspective.

Synthetic biology breakthroughs have facilitated genetic circuit engineering to program cells through novel biological functions, dynamic gene expressions, as well as logic controls. SynBio can also participate in the rapid development of new treatments required for the human lifestyle. Moreover, these technologies are applied in the development of innovative therapeutic, diagnostic, as well as discovery-related methods within a wide range of cellular and molecular applications. In the present review study, SynBio applications in various cellular and molecular fields such as novel strategies for cancer therapy, biosensing, metabolic engineering, protein engineering, and tissue engineering were highlighted and summarized. The major safety and regulatory concerns about synthetic biology will be the environmental release, legal concerns, and risks of the engineered organisms. The final sections focused on limitations to SynBio.

Vibration Characterization of the Human Knee Joint in Audible Frequencies.

Injuries and disorders affecting the knee joint are very common in athletes and older individuals. Passive and active vibration methods, such as acoustic emissions and modal analysis, are extensively used in both industry and the medical field to diagnose structural faults and disorders. To maximize the diagnostic potential of such vibration methods for knee injuries and disorders, a better understanding of the vibroacoustic characteristics of the knee must be developed. In this study, the linearity and vibration transmissibility of the human knee were investigated based on measurements collected on healthy subjects. Different subjects exhibit a substantially different transmissibility behavior due to variances in subject-specific knee structures. Moreover, the vibration behaviors of various subjects' knees at different leg positions were compared. Variation in sagittal-plane knee angle alters the transmissibility of the joint, while the overall shape of the transmissibility diagrams remains similar. The results demonstrate that an adjusted stimulation signal at frequencies higher than 3 kHz has the potential to be employed in diagnostic applications that are related to knee joint health. This work can pave the way for future studies aimed at employing acoustic emission and modal analysis approaches for knee health monitoring outside of clinical settings, such as for field-deployable diagnostics.

Association of LTF, ENAM, and AMELX polymorphisms with dental caries susceptibility: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: This meta-analysis evaluated the association of LTF, ENAM, and AMELX polymorphisms with dental caries susceptibility. METHODS: We searched the Scopus, PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases to retrieve articles published by October 2019. Review Manager 5.3 software was used to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The results of publication bias tests were retrieved by Comprehensive Meta-Analysis 2.0 software. RESULTS: A total of 150 relevant records were identified; out of which, 16 were entered into the analysis (4 studies assessed LTF, 11 ENAM, and 11 AMELX polymorphisms). Of all polymorphisms, there was a significant association only between ENAM rs3796704 polymorphism and dental caries susceptibility. Both ENAM rs3796704 and AMELX rs17878486 polymorphisms had a significant association with dental caries risk in the Caucasian ethnicity and the studies including caries-free control group. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this meta-analysis showed that the G allele and the GG genotype of ENAM rs3796704 were associated with an increased risk of caries in the case group compared with the control group. But there was no association between LTF rs1126478, ENAM (rs1264848 and rs3796703), and AMELX (rs946252, rs17878486, and rs2106416) polymorphisms and dental caries susceptibility.

Design, Analysis, and Fabrication of a Piezoelectric Force Tray for Total Knee Replacements.

Force plates have been widely adopted in biomechanical gait analysis to measure reaction forces and the center of pressure. In this work, the force plate concept is miniaturized and extended for use within the polyethylene bearing insert of a total knee replacement (TKR). A simplified rectangular-shaped force plate with multiple integrated piezoelectric sensors, including designs with six and eight transducers, is presented in this work. The performance of the sensory system is investigated through finite element analysis and experimental validation. Initially, the ability of the two designs in sensing compartmental forces and contact point locations on one side of the force plate is numerically investigated. Selected designs of the force plate are then fabricated and used to experimentally validate the performance of the system. The results show a maximum error of less than 6% and 4.5% in compartmental force amplitude sensing for the force plates with six and eight transducers, respectively. The force plates were able to detect the contact point location with maximum errors of less than 1 mm. The relatively small sensing error quantities show the potential of using a piezoelectric force plate sensor design in TKR as well as other force sensing applications.

Salivary and Serum Interferon-Gamma/Interleukin-4 Ratio in Oral Lichen Planus Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background and Objectives: Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ)/interleukin-4 (IL-4) ratio may indicate a change in the immune response with a potential pathological effect presented in oral lichen planus (OLP) patients. Herein, this meta-analysis evaluated the role of serum and salivary interferon-gamma/interleukin-4 ratio in the severity and development of OLP. Materials and Methods: The Scopus, Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Web of Science databases were systematically searched to retrieve the relevant studies published up from the database inception to March 2019. The crude mean difference (MD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated by RevMan 5.3 software using a random-effects model. A sensitivity analysis was performed on the results using the CMA 2.0 software. A total of 98 studies were retrieved from the databases, of which at last seven studies were included in this meta-analysis. Results: The findings showed that the pooled MDs of serum and salivary IFN-γ/IL-4 ratio were -0.22 (95% CI: -1.16, 0.72; p = 0.64) and 0.17 (95% CI: -1.50, 1.84; p = 0.84) in OLP patients compared to controls, respectively. In addition, the pooled MDs of serum and salivary IFN-γ/IL-4 ratio were -0.15 (95% CI: -0.53, 0.23; p = 0.43) and -0.39 (95% CI: -0.63, -0.15; p = 0.001) in patients with erythematous/ulcerative subtype compared to patients with reticular subtype, respectively. Conclusions: In conclusion, the results of meta-analysis demonstrated that serum and salivary IFN-γ/IL-4 ratio cannot play a major role in OLP development and severity.

Energy Harvesting and Sensing with Embedded Piezoelectric Ceramics in Knee Implants.

The knee replacement is one of the most common orthopedic surgical interventions in the United States; however, recent studies have shown up to 20% of patients are dissatisfied with the outcome. One of the key issues to improving these operations is a better understanding of the ligamentous balance during and after surgery. The goal of this work is to investigate the feasibility of embedding piezoelectric transducers in the polyethylene bearing of a total knee replacement to act as self-powered sensors to aid in the alignment and balance of the knee replacement by providing intra- and postoperative feedback to the surgeon. A model consisting of a polyethylene disc with a single embedded piezoelectric ceramic transducer is investigated as a basis for future work. A modeling framework is developed including a biomechanical model of the knee joint, a finite element model of the knee bearing with encapsulated transducer, and an electromechanical model of the piezoelectric transducer. Model predictions show that a peak voltage of 2.3 V with a load resistance of 1.01 MΩ can be obtained from a single embedded piezoelectric stack, and an average power of 12 µW can be obtained from a knee bearing with four embedded piezoelectric transducers. Uniaxial compression testing is also performed on a fabricated sample for model validation. The results found in this work show promising potential of embedded piezoelectric transducers to be utilized for autonomous, self-powered in vivo knee implant force sensors.

Serum and Salivary IgA, IgG, and IgM Levels in Oral Lichen Planus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Case-Control Studies.

Immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG, and IgM) are significant anti-inflammatory factors. The meta-analysis aimed to assess the serum and salivary levels of Igs as more important immunoglobulins in patients affected by oral lichen planus (OLP) compared to the healthy controls. Four databases, including PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library as well as Iranian databases were checked up to January 2018 without language restriction. The quality of each involved study was done using the Newcastle⁻Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (NOS) questionnaire. A random-effects model analysis was done by RevMan 5.3 software applying the mean difference (MD) plus 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The CMA 2.0 software was applied to calculate the publication bias among the studies. Out of 70 studies found in the databases, 8 studies were involved and analyzed in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis included 282 OLP patients and 221 healthy controls. The pooled MDs of serum levels of IgA, IgG, and IgM were -0.13 g/L [95% CI: -0.24, -0.02; P = 0.02], 1.01 g/L [95% CI: -0.91, 2.93; P = 0.30], and -0.06 g/L [95% CI: -0.25, 0.14; P = 0.56], respectively; whereas, the salivary IgA and IgG levels were 71.54 mg/L [95% CI: 12.01, 131.07; P = 0.02] and 0.59 mg/L [95% CI: -0.20, 1.38; P = 0.14], respectively. Considering the few studies performed on saliva, the results suggested that the salivary levels, especially IgA level had higher values than the serum levels. Therefore, the salivary immunoglobulins can play a significant function in the OLP pathogenesis.

Association between alcohol dehydrogenase polymorphisms (rs1229984, rs1573496, rs1154460, and rs284787) and susceptibility to head and neck cancers: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Head and neck cancer (HNC) is a prevalent and complex group of malignancies with increasing incidence globally. Alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) play a crucial role in alcohol metabolism, and their polymorphisms have been linked to HNC risk. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the association between ADH polymorphisms and susceptibility to HNCs, incorporating additional analyses and adding more studies to increase power and accuracy of the results. DESIGN: Subgroup analysis, meta-regression analysis, and sensitivity analyses were conducted to explore potential differences within the data and assess the stability of pooled odds ratios (ORs). To mitigate the risk of false conclusions from meta-analyses, a trial sequential analysis was performed. RESULTS: For ADH1B rs1229984, the pooled OR (95 % confidence interval (CI)) was 0.73 (0.65, 0.82), 0.42 (0.35, 0.50), 0.57 (0.44, 0.73), 0.56 (0.50, 0.62), and 0.80 (0.73, 0.88), as well as for ADH7 rs1573496, the pooled OR was 0.72 (0.62, 0.85), 0.36 (0.17, 0.74), 0.76 (0.64, 0.91), 0.80 (0.71, 0.91), and 0.38 (0.18, 0.78) with a p < 0.05 in all allelic, homozygous, heterozygous, recessive, and dominant models, respectively. However, no significant association was found between the ADH7 rs1154460 and rs284787 polymorphisms and the risk of HNC with pooled ORs of 1.11 (p = 0.19) and 1.09 (p = 0.24) for the recessive model, respectively. The ethnicities, tumor subsites, control sources, sample sizes, quality scores, and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium statuses were confounding factors. CONCLUSION: The ADH1B rs1229984 and ADH7 rs1573496 polymorphisms are significantly associated with a reduced risk of HNC.

Surface Topography Steer Soft Tissue Response and Antibacterial Function at the Transmucosal Region of Titanium Implant.

Metallic dental implants have been extensively used in clinical practice due to their superior mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and aesthetic outcomes. However, their integration with the surrounding soft tissue at the mucosal region remains challenging and can cause implant failure due to the peri-implant immune microenvironment. The soft tissue integration of dental implants can be ameliorated through different surface modifications. This review discussed and summarized the current knowledge of topography-mediated immune response and topography-mediated antibacterial activity in Ti dental implants which enhance soft tissue integration and their clinical performance. For example, nanopillar-like topographies such as spinules, and spikes showed effective antibacterial activity in human salivary biofilm which was due to the lethal stretching of bacterial membrane between the nanopillars. The key findings of this review were (I) cross-talk between surface nanotopography and soft tissue integration in which the surface nanotopography can guide the perpendicular orientation of collagen fibers into connective tissue which leads to the stability of soft tissue, (II) nanotubular array could shift the macrophage phenotype from pro-inflammatory (M1) to anti-inflammatory (M2) and manipulate the balance of osteogenesis/osteoclasia, and (III) surface nanotopography can provide specific sites for the loading of antibacterial agents and metallic nanoparticles of clinical interest functionalizing the implant surface. Silver-containing nanotubular topography significantly decreased the formation of fibrous encapsulation in per-implant soft tissue and showed synergistic antifungal and antibacterial properties. Although the Ti implants with surface nanotopography have shown promising in targeting soft tissue healing in vitro and in vivo through their immunomodulatory and antibacterial properties, however, long-term in vivo studies need to be conducted particularly in osteoporotic, and diabetic patients to ensure their desired performance with immunomodulatory and antibacterial properties. The optimization of product development is another challenging issue for its clinical translation, as the dental implant with surface nanotopography must endure implantation and operation inside the dental microenvironment. Finally, the sustainable release of metallic nanoparticles could be challenging to reduce cytotoxicity while augmenting the therapeutic effects.

The wound healing effect of polycaprolactone-chitosan scaffold coated with a gel containing Zataria multiflora Boiss. volatile oil nanoemulsions.

AIMS: Thymus plant is a very useful herbal medicine with various properties such as anti-inflammatory and antibacterial. Therefore, the properties of this plant have made this drug a suitable candidate for wound healing. In this study, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) gel containing Zataria multiflora volatile oil nanoemulsion (neZM) along with polycaprolactone/chitosan (PCL-CS) nanofibrous scaffold was used, and the effect of three experimental groups on the wound healing process was evaluated. The first group, HPMC gel containing neZM, the second group, PCL-CS nanofibers, and the third group, HPMC gel containing neZM and bandaged with PCL-CS nanofibers (PCL-CS/neZM). Wounds bandaged with common sterile gas were considered as control. METHODS: The nanoemulsion was synthesized by a spontaneous method and loaded into a hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) gel. The DLS test investigated the size of these nanoemulsions. A PCL-CS nanofibrous scaffold was also synthesized by electrospinning method then SEM and contact angle tests investigated morphology and hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity of its surface. The animal study was performed on full-thickness skin wounds in rats, and the process of tissue regeneration in the experimental and control groups was evaluated by H&E and Masson's trichrome staining. RESULTS: The results showed that the nanoemulsion has a size of 225±9 nm and has an acceptable dispersion. The PCL-CS nanofibers synthesized by the electrospinning method also show non-beaded smooth fibers and due to the presence of chitosan with hydrophilic properties, have higher surface hydrophobicity than PCL fibers. The wound healing results show that the PCL-CS/neZM group significantly reduced the wound size compared to the other groups on the 7th, 14th, and 21st days. The histological results also show that the PCL-CS/neZM group could significantly reduce the parameters of edema, inflammation, and vascularity and increase the parameters of fibrosis, re-epithelialization, and collagen deposition compared to other groups on day 21. CONCLUSION: The results of this study show that the PCL-CS/neZM treatment can effectively improve wound healing.

Salivary and serum levels of soluble E-cadherin in patients with gastrointestinal cancers: A comparative study.

AIM: According to the literature, high levels of salivary soluble E-cadherin may be lined to advanced stage and poor prognosis in cancers. This research aimed at comparing salivary and serum levels of soluble E-cadherin in cases with esophageal, gastric, and colorectal cancers. METHODS: This case-control research was performed on 68 patients with gastrointestinal cancers and 57 healthy volunteers as a control group to measure salivary and serum levels of soluble E-cadherin using ELISA kits. RESULTS: The results showed a statistically significant difference between salivary and serum levels of soluble E-cadherin in the case group, as opposed to the control group (P = 0.031). The salivary level of soluble E-cadherin in the control group was 2.138 ng/mL on average lower than that that in the case group. The median salivary level of soluble E-cadherin among cases with lymph node involvement was significantly higher compared with its median level in the control group (P = 0.049). Soluble E-cadherin salivary level and other variables, such as metastasis and cancer stage, were directly correlated, but it was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: According to the findings, the salivary level of soluble E-cadherin among cases with gastric cancer could be considered as a prognostic marker, but the diagnostic value of saliva could not be judged in esophageal and colorectal cancers because of small sample size, and more investigations are required for a definite conclusion.

The novel treatments based on tissue engineering, cell therapy and nanotechnology for cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a global public health issue. Conventional treatments have substantial costs, side effects, and parasite resistance. Due to easy application and inexpensive cost, topical treatment is the optimal approach for CL. It could be used alone or with systemic treatments. Electrospun fibers as drug release systems in treating skin lesions have various advantages such as adjustable drug release rate, maintaining appropriate humidity and temperature, gas exchange, plasticity at the lesion site, similarity with the skin extracellular matrix (ECM) and drug delivery with high efficiency. Hydrogels are valuable scaffolds in the treatment of skin lesions. The important features of hydrogels include preserving unstable drugs from degradation, absorption of wound secretions, high biocompatibility, improving the re-epithelialization of the wound and preventing the formation of scars. One of the issues in local drug delivery systems for the skin is the low permeability of drugs in the skin. Polymeric scaffolds that are designed as microneedle patches can penetrate the skin and overcome this challenge. Also, drug delivery using nanocarriers increases the effectiveness of drugs in lower and more tolerable doses and reduces the toxicity of drugs. The application of cell therapy in the treatment of parasitic and infectious diseases has been widely investigated. The complexity of leishmaniasis treatment requires identifying new treatment options like cell therapy to overcome the disease. Topics investigated in this study include drug delivery systems based on tissue engineering scaffolds, nanotechnology and cell therapy-based studies to reduce the complications of CL.

Advantages of Material Biofunctionalization Using Nucleic Acid Aptamers in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine.

Material engineering is a fundamental issue in the applications of materials in the medical field. One of the aspects of material engineering is incorporating recognition sites on the surface of biomaterials, which plays an essential role in increasing the efficiency of tissue engineering scaffolds in various aspects. The application of peptides and antibodies to establish the recognition and adhesion sites has limitations, such as fragility and instability under physical and chemical processes. Therefore, synthetic ligands such as nucleic acid aptamers have received much attention for easy synthesis, minimal immunogenicity, high specificity, and stability under processing. Due to the effective role of these ligands in increasing the efficiency of engineered constructs in this study, the advantages of nucleic acid aptamers in tissue engineering will be reviewed. Aptamer-functionalized biomaterials can attract endogenous stem cells to wounded areas and organize their actions to facilitate tissue regeneration. This approach harnesses the body's inherent regeneration potential to treat many diseases. Also, increased efficacy in controlled release, slow and targeted drug delivery are important issues in drug delivery for tissue engineering approaches which can be achieved by incorporating aptamers in drug delivery systems. Aptamer-functionalized scaffolds have very applications, such as diagnosis of cancer, hematological infections, narcotics, heavy metals, toxins, controlled release from the scaffolds, and in vivo cell tracing. Aptasensors, as a result of many advantages over other traditional assay methods, can replace older methods. Furthermore, their unique targeting mechanism also targets compounds with no particular receptors. Targeting cell homing, local and targeted drug delivery, cell adhesion efficacy, cytocompatibility and bioactivity of scaffolds, aptamer-based biosensor, and aptamer-functionalized scaffolds are the topics that will be examined in this review study.

Liposomal nanocarriers containing siRNA as small molecule-based drugs to overcome cancer drug resistance.

This review discusses the application of nanoliposomes containing siRNA/drug to overcome multidrug resistance for all types of cancer treatments. As drug resistance-associated factors are overexpressed in many cancer cell types, pumping chemotherapy drugs out of the cytoplasm leads to an inadequate therapeutic response. The siRNA/drug-loaded nanoliposomes are a promising approach to treating multidrug-resistant cancer, as they can effectively transmit a small-molecule drug into the target cytoplasm, ensuring that the drug binds efficiently. Moreover, nanoliposome-based therapeutics with advances in nanotechnology can effectively deliver siRNA to cancer cells. Overall, nanoliposomes have the potential to effectively deliver siRNA and small-molecule drugs in a targeted manner and are thus a promising tool for the treatment of cancer and other diseases.

A Feasibility Study on Tribological Origins of Knee Acoustic Emissions.

OBJECTIVE: Considering the knee as a fluid-lubricated system, articulating surfaces undergo different lubrication modes and generate joint acoustic emissions (JAEs). The goal of this study is to compare knee biomechanical signals against synchronously recorded joint sounds and assess the hypothesis that JAEs are attributed to tribological origins. METHODS: JAE, electromyography, ground reaction force signals, and motion capture markers were synchronously recorded from ten healthy subjects while performing two-leg and one-leg squat exercises. The biomechanical signals were processed to calculate a tribological parameter, lubrication coefficient, and JAEs were divided into short windows and processed to extract 64-time-frequency features. The lubrication coefficients and JAE features of two-leg squats were used to label the windows and train a classifier that discriminates the knee lubrication modes only based on JAE features. RESULTS: The classifier was used to predict the label of one-leg squat JAE windows and it achieved a high test-accuracy of 84%. The Pearson correlation coefficient between the estimated friction coefficient and predicted JAE scores was 0.83 ± 0.08. Furthermore, the lubrication coefficient threshold, separating two lubrication modes, decreased by half from two-leg to one-leg squats. This result was consistent with tribological changes in the knee load as it was inversely doubled in one-leg squats. SIGNIFICANCE: This study supports the potential use of JAEs as a quantitative biomarker to extract tribological information. Since arthritis and similar disease impact the roughness of the joint cartilage, the use of JAEs could have broad implications for studying joint frictions and monitoring joint structural changes with wearable devices.

Engineered cells along with smart scaffolds: critical factors for improving tissue engineering approaches.

In this review, gene delivery and its applications are discussed in tissue engineering (TE); also, new techniques such as the CRISPR-Cas9 system, synthetics biology and molecular dynamics simulation to improve the efficiency of the scaffolds have been studied. CRISPR-Cas9 is expected to make significant advances in TE in the future. The fundamentals of synthetic biology have developed powerful and flexible methods for programming cells via artificial genetic circuits. The combination of regenerative medicine and artificial biology allows the engineering of cells and organisms for use in TE, biomaterials, bioprocessing and scaffold development. The dynamics of protein adsorption at the scaffold surface at the atomic level can provide valuable guidelines for the future design of TE scaffolds /implants.