A Multimodal Spectroscopic Approach Combining Mid-infrared and Near-infrared for Discriminating Gram-positive and Gram-negative Bacteria.

The rapid and accurate identification of pathogenic bacteria is crucial for combating the growing threat of antibiotic resistance, nosocomial infections, and food safety concerns. This study presents a novel and comprehensive comparison of two vibrational spectroscopic techniques - attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy and a low-cost miniature near-infrared (NIR) spectrometer - for distinguishing Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial samples grown using the same stock media solution. This is the first report of NIR spectroscopy being applied to differentiate Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, as well as the first direct comparison of ATR-FTIR and NIR for the combined multimodal analysis of clinical bacterial isolates.

Gold Nanoparticles: Tunable Characteristics and Potential for Nasal Drug Delivery.

A general procedure to prepare gold nanourchins (GNUs) via a seed-mediated method was followed using dopamine hydrochloride as a reducing agent and silver nitrate salt (AgNO) as a shape-directing agent. The novelty of this study comes from the successful incorporation of the prepared gold urchins as an aqueous suspension in a nasal pressurized metered dose inhaler (pMDI) formulation and the investigation of their potential for olfactory targeting for direct nose-to-brain drug delivery (NTBDD). The developed pMDI formulation was composed of 0.

A Cell-Based Nasal Model for Screening the Deposition, Biocompatibility, and Transport of Aerosolized PLGA Nanoparticles.

The olfactory region of the nasal cavity directly links the brain to the external environment, presenting a potential direct route to the central nervous system (CNS). However, targeting drugs to the olfactory region is challenging and relies on a combination of drug formulation, delivery device, and administration technique to navigate human nasal anatomy. In addition, in vitro and in vivo models utilized to evaluate the performance of nasal formulations do not accurately reflect deposition and uptake in the human nasal cavity.

[Dealing with opioid dependence and withdrawal in hospitals].

Background: In opioid addiction tolerance occurs requiring substitution with unusually high doses. A balance must be struck between the risk of overdose with respiratory depression and QTc interval prolongation on one hand and underdosing with withdrawal syndrome on the other hand. An unreliable anamnesis can complicate adequate dosing.

An in vitro and ex vivo wound infection model to test topical and systemic treatment with antibiotics.

Aims: This study aimed to develop a wound infection model that could be used to test antibiotic-loaded electrospun matrices for the topical treatment of infected skin and compare the effectiveness of this treatment to systemically applied antibiotics.

Methods And Results: 3D-printed flow chambers were made in which Staphylococcus aureus biofilms were grown either on a polycarbonate membrane or explanted porcine skin. The biofilms were then treated either topically, by placing antibiotic-loaded electrospun matrices on top of the biofilms, or systemically by the addition of antibiotics in the growth medium that flowed underneath the membrane or skin.

The Black Box of Technological Outcome Measures: An Example in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Background: Outcome measures for non-ambulant Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients are limited, with only the Performance of the Upper Limb (PUL) approved as endpoint for clinical trials.

Objective: We assessed four outcome measures based on devices developed for the gaming industry, aiming to overcome disadvantages of observer-dependency and motivation.

Methods: Twenty-two non-ambulant DMD patients (range 8.

Intestinal Transcytosis of a Protein Cargo and Nanoparticles Mediated by a Non-Toxic Form of Exotoxin A.

The low permeability of nanoparticles (NPs) across the intestinal epithelium remains a major challenge for their application of delivering macromolecular therapeutic agents via the oral route. Previous studies have demonstrated the epithelial transcytosis capacity of a non-toxic version of exotoxin A (ntPE). Here, we show that ntPE can be used to deliver the protein cargo green fluorescent protein (GFP) or human growth hormone (hGH), as genetic fusions, across intact rat jejunum in a model where the material is administered by direct intra-luminal injection (ILI) in vivo in a transcytosis process that required less than 15 min.

In Vitro Evaluation of Nasal Aerosol Depositions: An Insight for Direct Nose to Brain Drug Delivery.

The nasal cavity is an attractive route for both local and systemic drug delivery and holds great potential for access to the brain via the olfactory region, an area where the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is effectively absent. However, the olfactory region is located at the roof of the nasal cavity and only represents ~5-7% of the epithelial surface area, presenting significant challenges for the deposition of drug molecules for nose to brain drug delivery (NTBDD). Aerosolized particles have the potential to be directed to the olfactory region, but their specific deposition within this area is confounded by a complex combination of factors, which include the properties of the formulation, the delivery device and how it is used, and differences in inter-patient physiology.

Exercise Improves Cognitive Function-A Randomized Trial on the Effects of Physical Activity on Cognition in Type 2 Diabetes Patients.

Background: Lifestyle habits strongly influence health. It is strongly believed that physical activity may improve cognitive function. We examined the association between two kinds of physical activity and cognitive function in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Decellularized grass as a sustainable scaffold for skeletal muscle tissue engineering.

Scaffold materials suitable for the scale-up and subsequent commercialization of tissue engineered products should ideally be cost effective and accessible. For the in vitro culture of certain adherent cells, synthetic fabrication techniques are often employed to produce micro- or nano-patterned substrates to influence cell attachment, morphology, and alignment via the mechanism of contact guidance. Here we present a natural scaffold, in the form of decellularized amenity grass, which retains its natural striated topography and supports the attachment, proliferation, alignment and differentiation of murine C2C12 myoblasts, without the need for additional functionalization.

Disposable Coverslip for Rapid Throughput Screening of Malaria Using Attenuated Total Reflection Spectroscopy.

Malaria is considered to be one of the most catastrophic health issues in the whole world. Vibrational spectroscopy is a rapid, robust, label-free, inexpensive, highly sensitive, nonperturbative, and nondestructive technique with high diagnostic potential for the early detection of disease agents. In particular, the fingerprinting capability of attenuated total reflection spectroscopy is promising as a point-of-care diagnostic tool in resource-limited areas.

The end of the laboratory developed test as we know it? Recommendations from a national multidisciplinary taskforce of laboratory specialists on the interpretation of the IVDR and its complications.

The in vitro diagnostic medical devices regulation (IVDR) will take effect in May 2022. This regulation has a large impact on both the manufacturers of in vitro diagnostic medical devices (IVD) and clinical laboratories. For clinical laboratories, the IVDR poses restrictions on the use of laboratory developed tests (LDTs).

Silk fibroin/gelatin microcarriers as scaffolds for bone tissue engineering.

Microcarrier cell scaffolds have potential as injectable cell delivery vehicles or as building blocks for tissue engineering. The use of small cell carriers allows for a 'bottom up' approach to tissue assembly when moulding microparticles into larger structures, which can facilitate the introduction of hierarchy by layering different matrices and cell types, while evenly distributing cells through the structure. In this work, silk fibroin (SF), purified from Bombyx mori cocoons, was blended with gelatin (G) to produce materials composed of varying ratios of the two components (SF: G 25:75, 50:50, and 75:25).

A pilot study of the implementation of pharmacogenomic pharmacist initiated pre-emptive testing in primary care.

Despite the nationwide availability of pharmacogenomic (PGx) guidelines in electronic medication surveillance systems in The Netherlands, PGx guided prescribing is still uncommon in primary care. We set out to investigate the adoption of pharmacist initiated PGx testing in primary care. Community pharmacists were offered a free PGx test covering 40 variants in 8 genes to test patients receiving an incident prescription (IRx) of a selection of 10 drugs.

Estimated nationwide impact of implementing a preemptive pharmacogenetic panel approach to guide drug prescribing in primary care in The Netherlands.

Background: Pharmacogenetics (PGx) is currently implemented in hospitals to optimize therapy with high-risk drugs. However, many drugs with dosing recommendations from the Dutch Pharmacogenetics Working Group and the Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium are used in primary care. Actionable phenotypes for the genes covered in these guidelines are common with estimates ranging from 85 to 95% of the population carrying at least one actionable phenotype.

Pharmacist-Initiated Pre-Emptive Pharmacogenetic Panel Testing with Clinical Decision Support in Primary Care: Record of PGx Results and Real-World Impact.

Logistics and (cost-)effectiveness of pharmacogenetic (PGx)-testing may be optimized when delivered through a pre-emptive panel-based approach, within a clinical decision support system (CDSS). Here, clinical recommendations are automatically deployed by the CDSS when a drug-gene interaction (DGI) is encountered. However, this requires record of PGx-panel results in the electronic medical record (EMR).

Patient-Tailored Augmented Reality Games for Assessing Upper Extremity Motor Impairments in Parkinson's Disease and Stroke.

In clinical practice, upper extremity motor impairments are commonly assessed with disease-specific, subjectively scored and low-resolution rating scales that often do not consider the variations in tasks and environment that are essential aspects of daily life. Augmented reality (AR) systems with contactless tracking of the hand and upper body offer opportunities for objective quantification of motor (dys)function in a challenging, engaging and patient-tailored environment. In this study, we explore the potential of AR for evaluating 1) speed and goal-directedness of movements within the individually determined interaction space, 2) adaptation of hand opening to objects of different sizes, and 3) obstacle avoidance in healthy individuals (N = 10) and two highly prevalent neurological conditions (N = 10 patients with Parkinson's Disease and N = 10 stroke patients).

Optical Hand Tracking: A Novel Technique for the Assessment of Bradykinesia in Parkinson's Disease.

Background: Evaluation of therapies for Parkinson's disease (PD) may benefit from objective quantification of the separate movement components of bradykinesia (i.e., velocity, amplitude, and rhythm).

Cognitive-motor interference during goal-directed upper-limb movements.

Research and clinical practice have focused on effects of a cognitive dual-task on highly automated motor tasks such as walking or maintaining balance. Despite potential importance for daily life performance, there are only a few small studies on dual-task effects on upper-limb motor control. We therefore developed a protocol for assessing cognitive-motor interference (CMI) during upper-limb motor control and used it to evaluate dual-task effects in 57 healthy individuals and two highly prevalent neurological disorders associated with deficits of cognitive and motor processing (57 patients with Parkinson's disease [PD], 57 stroke patients).

Implementation of Pharmacogenomics in Everyday Clinical Settings.

Currently, germline pharmacogenomics (PGx) is successfully implemented within certain specialties in clinical care. With the integration of PGx in pharmacotherapy multiple stakeholders are involved, which are identified in this chapter. Clinically relevant pharmacogenes with their related PGx test are discussed, along with diagnostic test criteria to guide clinicians and policy makers in PGx test selection.

A nationwide cross-sectional survey of pharmacy students on pharmacogenetic testing in The Netherlands.

Aim: To benchmark knowledge and attitude of pharmacy students toward pharmacogenetics (PGx) and PGx testing and compare the results with practicing colleagues.

Methods: All pharmacy students in The Netherlands were invited to participate in a web-based survey consisting of 28 questions. Out of the 824 invited students, 148 individuals (18.

Comparison of the Guidelines of the Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium and the Dutch Pharmacogenetics Working Group.

Both the Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC) and Dutch Pharmacogenetics Working Group provide therapeutic recommendations for well-known gene-drug pairs. Published recommendations show a high rate of concordance. However, as a result of different guideline development methods used by these two consortia, differences between the published guidelines exist.

The effect of ozone gas sterilization on the properties and cell compatibility of electrospun polycaprolactone scaffolds.

The growing area of tissue engineering has the potential to alleviate the shortage of tissues and organs for transplantation, and electrospun biomaterial scaffolds are extremely promising devices for translating engineered tissues into a clinical setting. However, to be utilized in this capacity, these medical devices need to be sterile. Traditional methods of sterilization are not always suitable for biomaterials, especially as many commonly used biomedical polymers are sensitive to chemical-, thermal- or radiation-induced damage.

Manipulation of visual information affects control strategy during a visuomotor tracking task.

Proper understanding of motor control requires insight into the extent and manner in which task performance and control strategy are influenced by various aspects of visual information. We therefore systematically manipulated the visual presentation (i.e.