Alginate Hydrogel Beads with a Leakproof Gold Shell for Ultrasound-Triggered Release.

Focused ultrasound has advantages as an external stimulus for drug delivery as it is non-invasive, has high precision and can penetrate deep into tissues. Here, we report a gold-plated alginate (ALG) hydrogel system that retains highly water-soluble small-molecule fluorescein for sharp off/on release after ultrasound exposure. The ALG is crosslinked into beads with calcium chloride and layered with a polycation to adjust the surface charge for the adsorption of catalytic platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs).

Clinical cut-offs for hip- and knee arthroplasty outcome - minimal clinically important improvement (MCII) and patient acceptable symptom state (PASS) of patient-reported outcome measures (PROM).

Purpose: Clinical cut-offs like minimum clinically important improvement (MCII) and patient acceptable symptom state (PASS) increase the interpretability of patient reported outcome measures (PROMs), but cut-off estimates vary considerably, clouding a clear definition of a successful surgical outcome. We report estimates of MCII and PASS following hip- and knee arthroplasty using multiple methods and compare the different estimation methods.

Methods: Elective hip or knee arthroplasty patients who underwent the regular pre- and postoperative assessments 2014-2018 were included.

Severe traumatic injury is associated with profound changes in DNA methylation.

Whether DNA methylation changes follow human physical trauma is uncertain. We aimed to investigate if severe trauma was associated with DNA methylation changes. In a prospective, observational, clinical study, we included severely injured adults and adults undergoing elective surgery (controls).

Experiences of pain communication in endometriosis: A meta-synthesis.

Introduction: Endometriosis is the leading cause of chronic pelvic pain among women. The pain associated with endometriosis significantly impacts various aspects of patients' quality of life. A notable void in the literature is the absence of a systematic review exploring pain communication between patients with endometriosis and healthcare professionals.

Identification of Streptomycin-Resistant in Iowa.

is a bacterial pathogen that causes fire blight, an important disease in apples and pears. Applying the antibiotic streptomycin during the phenological bloom stage is considered the most effective management tactic for fire blight. Although streptomycin-resistant (SmR) populations have emerged in major U.