Hasil untuk "Miscellaneous systems and treatments"

Jin Woo Park, S. Hwang, In-Soo Yoon

Growth factors are endogenous signaling molecules that regulate cellular responses required for wound healing processes such as migration, proliferation, and differentiation. However, exogenous application of growth factors has limited effectiveness in clinical settings due to their low in vivo stability, restricted absorption through skin around wound lesions, elimination by exudation prior to reaching the wound area, and other unwanted side effects. Sophisticated systems to control the spatio-temporal delivery of growth factors are required for the effective and safe use of growth factors as regenerative treatments in clinical practice, such as biomaterial-based drug delivery systems (DDSs). The current review describes the roles of growth factors in wound healing, their clinical applications for the treatment of chronic wounds, and advances in growth factor-loaded DDSs for enhanced wound healing, focusing on micro- and nano-particulate systems, scaffolds, hydrogels, and other miscellaneous systems.

Fatou Gning, C. Jourdan, D. Marone et al.

Root traits of tree species are of great importance for selection of trees in dry zone agroforestry systems. Climate models predict increased frequency and severity of drought in the Sahel but our understanding on the strategies of root growth of tree species under drought is limited. To increase our knowledge of species differences in rooting patterns we investigated root growth of nine dryland tree species in West Africa during one year when exposed to drought stress. Seedlings were planted in 2 m tubes inserted into the soil and subjected to irrigation and drought (no irrigation during the dry season). After 4, 8 and 12 months, we assessed root growth and root biomass, supplemented with assessments of water potential, leaf phenology, and above-ground growth. Tree species showed significant differences in rooting profile. Drought induced deeper root growth, especially in deciduous species. Adansonia digitata, Sterculia setigera and Anacardium occidentale had shallow roots when irrigated. Acacia senegal, Acacia nilotica and Faidherbia albida had deeper root growth and showed clear differences in leaf water potential between treatments while A. digitata and S. setigera appeared to be water conserving under drought. Our results link root growth with phenology, physiology and above-ground growth and provide an attempt to group dryzone tree species in functional types based on their root growth.

Wenhang Yin, Yueyun Zhang, Churan Li et al.

Eucalyptus wood particleboard (EPB), commonly used in indoor decoration, releases volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can adversely affect indoor air quality and human health. This study systematically examined the VOC emission characteristics of EPB using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A total of 65 VOCs were identified, with medium-volatility organic compounds (MVOCs) accounting for 28 compounds, low-volatility organic compounds (LVOCs) for 26, and high-volatility organic compounds (HVOCs) for 11. Terpenoids dominated the VOCs, comprising 78.46%, followed by aldehydes (10.77%) and alkanes (7.69%). Key odorant compounds (KOCs) were identified using the relative odor activity value (ROAV), with hexanal (ROAV = 100) and o-cymene (ROAV = 76.90) emerging as the most significant contributors to the overall odor profile. Thermal post-treatment at temperatures of 50–60 °C for durations of 6–12 h was found to be an effective method for reducing the residual VOCs and KOCs in the EPB, leading to a marked decrease in the peak areas of key odorants. The findings suggest several strategies for minimizing VOC emissions and eliminating residual odor, including reducing the use of miscellaneous wood materials, controlling the production of o-cymene, and employing thermal post-treatment at moderate temperatures. These measures provide a promising approach to reducing VOC and odor emissions from EPB and similar composite wood products, thereby enhancing their suitability for indoor applications. This study innovatively establishes an evaluation system for VOC emission characteristics in wood-based panels based on the ROAV. It elucidates the contribution mechanisms of key odor-active substances (e.g., hexanal and pentanal) and presents a thermal post-treatment process for source control, achieving simultaneous VOCs and odor elimination. A ROAV-guided hierarchical management strategy is proposed, providing scientific guidelines for the industrial production of high-quality particleboards with ultralow emissions (TVOC < 50 μg/m3) and minimal odor intensity (OI < Grade 3).

Praveen Balakrishnan, Emy S. Surendran, Lisha S. Raj

Intervertebral disc prolapse (IVDP) or disc herniation is a moderately common disorder in males during their third to fifth decade of life. Conservative treatments are limited and surgery is an effective treatment option, but without much benefits in the long-term follow-up. Many claims of effects of Ayurveda interventions for IVDP are made, but evidence of effects of Ayurveda interventions in acute cases is meagre. This case report highlights the effects of Ayurveda management (following a multimodal approach with lepa, upanaha, pinda sweda, and vasti) within a short period of time of 26 days, in an acute case of IVDP. The Oswestry Disability Index reduced from 45 to zero and Functional Rating Index from 40 to 2. There was a linear reduction in pain and numbness in weekly follow up using the visual analogue scale. This case report highlights the role of Ayurveda treatments in the management of acute cases of intervertebral disc prolapse to achieve result within a short span of time.

Eun-Byul Cho, Jae-Chang Lee, Eun-Jung Kim et al.

Objectives: The present study aimed to analyze the status and needs of Korean Medicine doctors’ (KMDs) continuing professional development (CPD) and establish future improvement directions. Methods : A cross-sectional survey targeting all KMDs was conducted between October 23 to November 5, 2024, obtaining 624 responses. The questionnaire was developed to assess satisfaction with continuing education and residency training, perceived efficacy on competency development, and improvement needs. Results : While current CPD programs effectively enhanced optimal patient care competencies (highest-rated domain), approximately 40% of respondents indicated minimal improvement in social accountability and clinical management competencies. The most requested improvements were the expansion of practical training opportunities (63.0%) and curriculum improvement (37.0%). For residency training, respondents prioritized developing competency-centered curricula (65.0%) and standardized educational programs across training hospitals (63.3%). Conclusion : Findings indicate that KMDs desire increased practical training opportunities, competency-based standardized curricula, and expanded scope of practice through institutional support. Establishing competency frameworks across clinical departments and strengthening competencies required in modern healthcare environments are essential for advancing Korean Medicine practice.

Diana Veneri, Raquel DiVincenzo, Madeline Lynch et al.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to determine muscle activation during four standing yoga poses and their chair equivalent versions. Methods: The approval was obtained from the university’s institutional review board committee. Twenty-six healthy adults, 7 males and 19 females, with an average age of 23.73 ± 1.64 years participated. Surface electromyographic was collected using the Noraxon TeleMyo 2400GT. Electrodes were placed over the muscle bellies of bilateral biceps femoris (BF), rectus femoris (RF), external obliques (EOs), and the erector spinae (ES) on the side of the nondominant leg. Subjects performed the 8 poses in random order and held each for 10 s with the dominant leg forward for the 3 asymmetrical poses. Results: Results of the nonparametric Wilcoxon signed-rank test revealed that muscle activation was significantly greater during standing for all muscles except for the right EO during both extended side angle and goddess pose. Similarly, peaceful warrior demonstrated significantly more activation during standing for all muscles except for the left EO. Warrior I only demonstrated significant differences between left RF and left BF with standing having greater activation. Conversely, goddess pose demonstrated more activation of the left EO and left ES during sitting, P < 0.05. Discussion: Muscle activation was higher in the legs (BF and RF) during the standing poses, and core activation was higher during the seated poses (EO and ES). Conclusion: This is the first study to compare muscle activation during standing and chair equivalent versions of select yoga poses.

Andressa Oliveira Braz Dias, Carlos André Moura Arruda, Alissan Karine Lima Martins et al.

Introdução: A Estratégia Saúde da Família (ESF) tem sido o principal fator de aprimoramento da Atenção Primária à Saúde (APS) no Brasil. Essa pesquisa aborda as Populações do Campo, da Floresta e das Águas (PCFA) caracterizadas por povos que têm seus modos de vida relacionados com a natureza. Objetivo: Analisar a atuação de equipes da ESF em territórios de PCFA do Ceará. Metodologia: Trata-se de estudo transversal exploratório e descritivo, com amostra intencional de 68 profissionais da saúde e usuários de equipes da ESF rural dos municípios de Crato, Itapipoca, Quiterianópolis e Trairi, no Ceará. Todos os participantes estavam vinculados a experiências significativas desenvolvidas nesses territórios. As equipes e comunidades foram selecionadas por meio do recebimento de experiências inovadoras cadastradas por membros das comunidades e profissionais de saúde na página do SERPOVOS (https://ceara.fiocruz.br/serpovos/). A partir deste cadastro, foram selecionados quatro municípios em que as experiências se situavam em áreas rurais, que atendiam comunidades/movimentos populares do campo, da floresta e das águas. Os participantes de pesquisa foram convidados a participar de uma oficina e a responder um instrumento constituído pela ficha de caracterização dos participantes e questionário. Análises estatísticas de implementação dos atributos da APS foram realizadas. Resultados: Os 68 participantes de pesquisa eram predominantemente mulheres (61,8%), na faixa etária de 31 a 50 anos (47%). A avaliação da presença dos atributos essenciais da APS nos territórios apresentou fragilidades. Apenas o atributo longitudinalidade mostrou resultado favorável com 80,7% das respostas e os demais parâmetros como abordagem centrada no território, acesso e acolhimento, integralidade e coordenação do cuidado, não atingiram os resultados desejados. Conclusão: Observou-se a necessidade de incentivar a prática dos atributos da Política Nacional da Atenção Básica pelos profissionais das equipes da ESF e usuários, pois muitos dos parâmetros comuns às equipes não estão sendo realizados nos territórios rurais.

A. Allayeh, Aliaa H. El-boghdady, Mohamed A. Said et al.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic at the end of 2019 had major worldwide health and economic consequences. Until effective vaccination approaches were created, the healthcare sectors endured a shortage of operative treatments that might prevent the infection’s spread. As a result, academia and the pharmaceutical industry prioritized the development of SARS-CoV2 antiviral medication. Pyranopyrazoles have been shown to play a prominent function in pharmaceutical chemistry and drug sighting because of their significant bioactive properties. We provide herein a novel sequence of pyranopyrazoles and their annulated systems whose antiviral efficacy and cytotoxicity were explored versus human coronavirus 229E (HCoV-229E) Vero-E6 cell lines as a model for the Coronaviridae family. Fifteen synthetic congeners pointed out miscellaneous antiviral efficacies against HCoV-229E with variable inhibition degrees. Compound 18 showed a high selectivity index (SI = 12.6) that established spectacular inhibitory capacity against human coronavirus 229E. Compounds 6, 7, and 14 exposed moderate efficacies. Compounds 6, 7, 14, and 18 exhibited substantial antiviral action through the replication phase with reduction percentages extending from 53.6%, 60.7%, and 55% to 82.2%, correspondingly. Likewise, when assessed to the positive control tipranavir (88.6%), the inhibitory efficiency of compounds 6, 7, 14, and 18 versus the SARS-CoV2 Mpro provided high percentages of 80.4%, 73.1%, 81.4% and up to 84.5%, respectively. In silico studies were performed to investigate further the biological activity and the target compounds’ physical and chemical features, including molecular dynamic (MD) simulations, protein–ligand docking, ADME studies, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. These inquiries demonstrated that this series of metabolically stable pyranopyrazoles and their annulated systems are effective human coronavirus inhibitors that inhibit the viral Mpro protein and may have emerged as a novel COVID-19 curative option.

K. Shanti, G. Gopinathan

Diplopia or double vision has many aetiologies and often presents to the ophthalmologist. The causes of diplopia may be ocular or neurogenic in origin. Any trauma to the eyes in the form of blow-out fractures causes diplopia by damaging the third nerve. The management by the practitioners of contemporary science depends upon the extent of the nerve or muscle injury. Entrapment of muscles requires surgical intervention, whereas others are managed conservatively. The recovery rate is the least for diplopia of traumatic origin.A 50-year-old male who sought Ayurvedic treatment for diplopia in the last three months was diagnosed with partial third nerve palsy after a fracture of the left orbit. He underwent Ayurvedic therapy in the form of internal medicines such as Danadanayanadi kashaya, Ksheerabala 101, Vaishwanara churna, and external treatments such as Pratimarsha Nasya, Siro abhyanga, and Tarpana.At the end of 2 months of Ayurvedic treatment, the patient completely recovered from diplopia.Ayurvedic treatment effectively resolved diplopia in a short time. Patients can benefit from the same if treated promptly in the early stage itself. However, more extensive studies with larger samples will yield more data to prove the potential of Ayurveda in such cases.

Hitesh Chopra, R. Verma, Sakshi Kaushik et al.

Anti-cancer drugs are mostly limited in their use due to poor physicochemical and biopharmaceutical properties. Their lower solubility is the most common hurdle limiting their use upto their potential. In the recent years, the cyclodextrin (CD) complexation have emerged as existing approach to overcome the problem of poor solubility. CD-based nano-technological approaches are safe, stable and showed well in vivo tolerance and greater payload for encapsulation of hydrophobic drugs for the targeted delivery. They are generally chosen due to their ability to get self-assembled to form liposomes, nanoparticles, micelles and nano-sponges etc. This review paper describes a birds-eye view of the various CD-based nano-technological approaches applied for the delivery of anti-cancer moieties to the desired target such as CD based liposomes, niosomes, niosoponges, micelles, nanoparticles, monoclonal antibody, magnetic nanoparticles, small interfering RNA, nanorods, miscellaneous formulation of anti-cancer drugs containing CD. Moreover, the author also summarizes the various shortcomings of such a system and their way ahead.

Sathiyanarayanan Lohidasan, K.R. Mahadik, Pulok K. Mukherjee et al.

Melissa Martins Souto, Micael Doria de Andrade, Rosangela Andrade Aukar de Camargo

Nascimento pré-termo é aquele que ocorre com menos de 37 semanas de idade gestacional. Considera-se com baixo peso o bebê que nasce com menos de 2.500 gramas. Ambos são fatores de risco para o desenvolvimento de afecções perinatais. Embora existam estigmas envolvidos no nascimento de um bebê com essas condições – tais como falta de informações dos familiares –, o Método Canguru, como parte da educação em saúde, pode contribuir para mitigar mortalidades nesses recém-nascidos. Tais estratégias educativas podem ser realizadas pela utilização de tecnologias educacionais, como infográficos animados norteados por roteiros. O presente estudo objetivou a concepção e a execução da elaboração do conteúdo (roteiro) para o desenvolvimento de infográfico animado sobre o Método Canguru. Trata-se de um estudo metodológico. No roteiro, após análise documental e de similares (vídeos semelhantes na rede), delimitou-se o tema Método Canguru, com descrição de suas etapas e vantagens, focado em famílias de recém-nascidos pré-termo e/ou com baixo peso, hospitalizados em Unidades de Terapia Intensiva. Articulou-se a criação da identidade dos personagens com a locução e auxílios visuais, possibilitando explorar diferentes formas de aprendizagens e melhorar a capacidade de recepção das informações. Totalizaram-se 22 cenas que abordam a apresentação das personagens e dos conceitos, a descrição de etapas, as atribuições do enfermeiro neste contexto, as vantagens da realização da posição canguru e a importância do acompanhamento do bebê e da família pela Atenção Primária à Saúde. Apesar da complexidade que envolve a elaboração de recursos educacionais, foi possível construir um roteiro para o desenvolvimento do infográfico animado sobre o Método Canguru com informações que buscam atender às necessidades do público-alvo. Espera-se que este estudo possa fomentar e ampliar a prática da utilização de recursos educacionais para o cuidado qualificado do recém-nascido pré-termo e promover a reflexão de profissionais da saúde-gestores-comunidade sobre o tema. 

Yongchun Huang, Jie Zhang, Pengxiang Zhao et al.

Objective: To investigate the pharmacological action and mechanism of cholic acid derivatives in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) based on the regulation of gene expression. Methods: Genome-wide gene expression profiles of Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7) cells treated with or without 4 cholic acid derivatives were detected by gene chip technology. Similarities in upregulated and downregulated genes were analyzed using the Connectivity Map (CMap) database. The affinity between cholic acid derivatives and the potential target was confirmed by molecular docking. The cholic acid derivative-regulated pathway enrichment analysis was performed by the STRING database, and the potential pathway was confirmed by in vitro experiments on MD Anderson-Metastatic Breast-231 (MDA-MB-231) cells. Results: Compared with the reference genome in the CMap database, the gene expression profiles of cholic acid derivatives were similar to those of antipsychotic, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-infective drugs. Among them, 4 derivatives were associated with antianxiety drugs, and molecular docking results showed that these compounds may act by binding to the ligand-binding site of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors. Moreover, the cytoskeletal pathway is one of the pathways enriched in the derivatives. Of them, ursodeoxycholic acid showed significant inhibitory activity on the cytoskeleton formation of MDA-MB-231 cells. Conclusion: The gene expression detection method, combined with CMap and pathway enrichment analysis, could be used to study the mechanism of the active ingredients of TCM. In addition, our research showed that cholic acid derivatives have a potential affinity for membrane receptors, where they can exert anxiolytic activity by modulating opioid receptor, GABA receptor, and dopamine receptor. Moreover, ursodeoxycholic and chenodeoxycholic acid inhibit cytoskeleton formation, probably by acting on membrane proteins to activate the corresponding cytoskeletal pathways.

Denys Tietbol Wolkmann Eilert, Angela Peña Ghisleni, Graciele Sbruzzi

A Organização Mundial da Saúde reconhece o modelo de práticas colaborativas para  enfrentamento das altas demandas de trabalho em saúde, apesar de existirem barreiras para sua implementação. Num contexto adverso e de investimentos reduzidos na saúde, a pandemia da COVID-19 desafiou profissionais da saúde a desenvolver, conforme preconizadas na literatura, competências para o trabalho interprofissional e colaborativo com o objetivo de oferecer uma assistência mais eficiente. Esta pesquisa objetiva identificar e analisar as competências colaborativas que foram desenvolvidas para atuar no enfrentamento da pandemia sob a perspectiva da interprofissionalidade e da visão dos profissionais do HCPA (Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil), hospital público e vinculado ao ensino, referência no atendimento aos pacientes com COVID-19. O estudo é qualitativo do tipo estudo de caso, foram realizadas entrevistas com 18 profissionais das equipes assistenciais COVID-19 do HCPA (fisioterapeutas, médicos, enfermeiros, fonoaudiólogos, nutricionistas e psicólogos). A partir da seleção e classificação das falas, a análise de conteúdo foi realizada para interpretação dos dados objetivos e subjetivos e para compreensão do corpus dos dados coletados. Observou-se, apesar dos desacordos quanto à tomada de decisão, o desenvolvimento das competências interprofissionais: respeito, compreensão dos papéis, liderança, solução de conflitos, compartilhamento de decisões e conhecimentos, cuidado centrado nos usuários e comunicação, sendo esta identificada como basilar para o trabalho interprofissional e desenvolvimento das demais competências.

A. Mayer, Abimael D Rodríguez, R. Berlinck et al.

Dae Hun Kim, Jung Hwa Lim, Cho-Rok Jung et al.

Background To date, nephrotoxicity in new drug development has been evaluated through two-dimensional culture of representative cell lines, such as HK-2 and human proximal tubule epithelial cells (hPTECs). Approximately 20% of new drugs that were safe in preclinical studies were withdrawn from clinical trials due to nephrotoxicity, which means the current renal cell lines used in preclinical trials have limitations for the accurate detection of nephrotoxicity. Methods and Results Here, we established proximal tubule cell lines from immortalized mixed primary renal cells and generated functional proximal tubule cell spheroids, which expressed all apical basolateral transporters and showed epithelial polarity. Moreover, they showed a more sensitive drug response than hPTECs, which have been commonly used as in vitro kidney models. Conclusion Taken together, the proximal tubule cells described in this study provide a more stable, reproducible, and accurate in vitro kidney model for predicting nephrotoxicity, which could help early compound development.

Sungwoo Cho, Sungho Ko

New drug development is currently very expensive and time-consuming. In addition, some drugs that are approved after animal and clinical trials have their approval revoked because of adverse effects. About 30% of such drugs have heart side effects. Conventional cell-based drug toxicity tests are performed under conditions entirely different from the in vivo environment, and animal testing for drug evaluation has limitations because of differences between species. Therefore, researchers are increasingly focusing on developing models that can overcome these limitations to enable accurate drug toxicity tests. This review outlines biomimetic in vitro heart platforms, such as heart organoids, 3-dimensional bioprinting, and heart-on-a-chip devices, and describes their advantages, limitations, future perspectives. The development and use of effective cardiac biomimetic models could contribute to the development of alternatives to animal testing by providing more specific information on drug metabolism and reducing the rate of failure in later stages of drug development.

S. Ovadia, I. Efimenko, Anne-Sophie Lessard

G. Y. Töre, Ş. Sesler

Abstract Membrane bioreactor (MBR) systems are developed as an alternative technology to conventional activated sludge systems. In these systems, the final settling requirement in the conventional activated sludge process is eliminated by an integrated filtration system. The MBR system consists of a combination of activated sludge process with micro or ultrafiltration technologies. When this technology is used for landfill leachate treatment beside the municipal and industrial wastewater treatment, it allows the reuse of water treatments due to the high output water quality. First generation type MBRs, used for the treatment of municipal or domestic wastewater in urban, had been used mostly to treat very small flow rates, the regions’ wastewater not connected to sewer system and to recycle and reuse of wastewater. Second generation type MRBs has been activated as a result of increase in the first generation applications and technological developments. The most important characteristic of it is that the addition of nitrogen and phosphorus removal features compared to the first generation type. The main objective of the third generation type MRBs which had been to increase membrane flux and capacity, are to reduce the solids retention time and biomass and to optimize the total cost. Nowadays, when we consider applicable system capacities, there is a development toward fourth generation type MRBs. The last few years, when constructed or under construction MBRs were considered, it is shown that there is an increase in the number of MBRs not only in terms of total number but also the large-scale MBRs treated the wastewater which has different characteristics and large volume. So, in this study, MBR applications were compared with conventional activated sludge system and then sector-specific evaluations were done. Twelve different applications were evaluated such as textile, leather tanning, pulp and paper, pharmaceutical, dairy, wine, petrochemical industries wastewater treatment, respectively. When all these applications are evaluated in terms of wastewater recycling and reuse, it is concluded that the treatment of all wastewaters which have both complex/high pollution and moderate pollution with MBR technology, was found more effective than the conventional system and the water treated with this system is reusable for all type of industrial application.

Seok-Jae Ko, Keun Ho Kim, Sang Hun Lee et al.

Background: Abdominal examination (AE), one of the primary diagnostic tools used in traditional Korean medicine (TKM), has a limitation of being subjective due to depending on individual practitioner's experience. Therefore, we devised a novel patient-report pressure algometer (PA) and performed a clinical trial to investigate its validity. Methods: In total, 44 participants with functional dyspepsia and 44 healthy participants completed the study. The participants were allocated into one of two groups according to the existence of abdominal stiffness at 5 acupoints or abdominal tenderness at 12 acupoints diagnosed by TKM doctors. The pressure depth and pressure pain threshold (PPT) were evaluated using the PA at the same acupoints. We assessed the validity (sensitivity and specificity) of PA and calculated the area under the curve (AUC) and optimal cutoff value of the test variables (pressure depth and PPT) to criterion standards (abdominal stiffness and tenderness). Results: Pressure depth and PPT assessed by PA showed high sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing abdominal stiffness and tenderness. The validity at CV-14 of diagnosing abdominal tenderness with PPT by PA had a sensitivity of 73.1%, specificity of 77.8%, and an AUC of 0.807 with a P value of < 0.001. Conclusion: This study may provide evidence of standardization and quantification of AE through PA.