Exploring the antimicrobial potential of Leukocyte- and Platelet-Rich Fibrin - an in vitro study.

This study investigates the antimicrobial properties of leukocyte- and platelet-rich fibrin (L-PRF) against Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 29212), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), and Candida albicans (ATCC 90028). Infections can hinder wound healing posing challenges. L-PRF's potential for regeneration and antimicrobial action has been studied.

Comprehensive analysis of L-PRF exudate components and their impact on whole blood platelets.

Objective: This study assessed the cellular composition and effects of leukocyte-platelet-rich fibrin (L-PRF) exudate on whole blood platelets from healthy volunteers. Key objectives included evaluating leukocyte subpopulations, platelet activation markers, platelet-leukocyte interactions and quantifying inflammatory cytokines within the L-PRF exudate.

Materials And Methods: L-PRF was obtained from 20 healthy donors.

Pediatric asthma knowledge: Insights from a Portuguese central hospital study.

Background: Asthma is a common chronic condition in children, with parental and child health literacy affecting health outcomes and asthma control. This study examined pediatric asthma knowledge at a Portuguese central hospital and its determinants.

Methods: We conducted a comparative cross-sectional study, applying the Asthma Knowledge Questionnaire (QCSA), answered by adolescents and/or caregivers.

Ivacaftor: Five-year outcomes in the West of Scotland cystic fibrosis population.

Introduction: Ivacaftor has shown to be effective in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) with a G551D mutation.

Objectives: This work aims to evaluate ivacaftor's effectiveness and safety in the real world, over 5 years, in the West of Scotland CF population.

Methods: We evaluated ivacaftor's effect on pulmonary function, body mass index (BMI), hospital bed occupancy, and adverse effects in patients ≥6 years with at least one G551D mutation.

Brazilian Portuguese version and content validity of the Strengthening and Stretching for Rheumatoid Arthritis of the Hand (SARAH).

Introduction: The Strengthening and Stretching for Rheumatoid Arthritis of the Hand (SARAH) program is a personalized, progressive 12-week exercise program for people with hand problems due to rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Patients are provided with two guidance documents, the 'Patient Exercise Booklet' and the 'Personal Exercise Guide', to continue the exercises independently at home.

Objective: This study aimed to translate and culturally adapt the SARAH protocol into Brazilian Portuguese and validate its content.

Nanocarriers as Active Ingredients Enhancers in the Cosmetic Industry-The European and North America Regulation Challenges.

"Flawless skin is the most universally desired human feature" is an iconic statement by Desmond Morris. Skin indicates one´s health and is so important that it affects a person's emotional and psychological behavior, these facts having propelled the development of the cosmetics industry. It is estimated that in 2023, this industry will achieve more than 800 billion dollars.

Platelet activation and antimicrobial activity of L-PRF: a preliminary study.

Leukocyte and platelet rich fibrin (L-PRF) is one of the platelet concentrates used to support regeneration and healing process. Many studies showed possible immunological and antibacterial properties of L-PRF. We perform an in vitro study to analyze the effect of L-PRF on platelet activation, platelet-leukocytes interactions and antimicrobial activity, important components in the healing process.

Remnant oral biofilm and microorganisms after autoclaving sterilization of retrieved healing abutments.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the sterilization effectiveness against biofilms on retrieved healing abutments used in implant dentistry.

Background: A large number of clinicians reuse healing abutments to decrease treatment costs although it can promote infection due to the presence of remnant biofilm biomass.

Methods: One hundred and eighty-five titanium healing abutments previously used for 3 months in oral cavity were assessed in this study.

A soft-chemistry approach to the synthesis of amorphous calcium ortho/pyrophosphate biomaterials of tunable composition.

The development of amorphous phosphate-based materials is of major interest in the field of biomaterials science, and especially for bone substitution applications. In this context, we herein report the synthesis of gel-derived hydrated amorphous calcium/sodium ortho/pyrophosphate materials at ambient temperature and in water. For the first time, such materials have been obtained in a large range of tunable orthophosphate/pyrophosphate molar ratios.

Effects of the implementation of a hand hygiene education program among ICU professionals: an interrupted time-series analysis.

Objective: To evaluate the effects that a hand hygiene education program has on the compliance of health professionals in an ICU.

Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study with an interrupted time-series design, conducted over a 12-month period: the 5 months preceding the implementation of a hand hygiene education program (baseline period); the 2 months of the intensive (intervention) phase of the program; and the first 5 months thereafter (post-intervention phase). Hand hygiene compliance was monitored by one of the researchers, unbeknownst to the ICU team.

New concepts in palliative care in the intensive care unit.

Some patients admitted to an intensive care unit may face a terminal illness situation, which usually leads to death. Knowledge of palliative care is strongly recommended for the health care providers who are taking care of these patients. In many situations, the patients should be evaluated daily as the introduction of further treatments may not be beneficial to them.

Effects of an unsupervised pedometer-based physical activity program on daily steps of adults with moderate to severe asthma: a randomized controlled trial.

Supervised exercise has shown benefits for subjects with asthma, but little is known about the effectiveness of unsupervised physical activity on this population. We investigated the effects of a 12-week unsupervised pedometer-based physical activity program on daily steps and on clinical and psychological parameters of adults with asthma. Clinically stable adults with moderate to severe asthma were encouraged to take daily 30-minute walks and were randomized to pedometer and control groups.

Objectively measured daily-life physical activity of moderate-to-severe Brazilian asthmatic women in comparison to healthy controls: A cross-sectional study.

Unlabelled: Considering the complex relationship between asthma symptoms and exercise, asthmatics are usually believed to be less active in daily life than healthy subjects. However, few studies have objectively assessed daily-life physical activity (DLPA) of asthmatic adults.

Objective: To objectively assess DLPA of a sample of Brazilian asthmatic women in comparison to healthy controls, and to investigate the associations between DLPA and asthma control, health-related quality of life, anxiety and depression levels, and the Six-minute walk test (6MWT) in this population.

Exploring the molecular structure of imidazolium-silica-based nanoparticle networks by combining solid-state NMR spectroscopy and first-principles calculations.

A DFT-based molecular model for imidazolium-silica-based nanoparticle networks (INNs) is presented. The INNs were synthesized and characterized by using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), NMR spectroscopy, and theoretical ab initio calculations. (11)B and (31)P HETCOR CP MAS experiments were recorded.

Water-mediated structuring of bone apatite.

It is well known that organic molecules from the vertebrate extracellular matrix of calcifying tissues are essential in structuring the apatite mineral. Here, we show that water also plays a structuring role. By using solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, wide-angle X-ray scattering and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy to characterize the structure and organization of crystalline and biomimetic apatite nanoparticles as well as intact bone samples, we demonstrate that water orients apatite crystals through an amorphous calcium phosphate-like layer that coats the crystalline core of bone apatite.

Accurate characterization of pure silicon-substituted hydroxyapatite powders synthesized by a new precipitation route.

This paper presents a new aqueous precipitation method to prepare silicon-substituted hydroxyapatites Ca10(PO4)6-y(SiO4)y(OH)2-y(VOH)y (SiHAs) and details the characterization of powders with varying Si content up to y=1.25molmolSiHA(-1). X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to accurately characterize samples calcined at 400°C for 2h and 1000°C for 15h.

Comparison among parameters of maximal respiratory pressures in healthy subjects.

Objective: To investigate four parameters defining maximal respiratory pressures and to evaluate their correlations and agreements among those parameters for the determination of MIP and MEP.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving 49 healthy, well-nourished males and females. The mean age was 23.

New perspectives in the PAW/GIPAW approach: J(P-O-Si) coupling constants, antisymmetric parts of shift tensors and NQR predictions.

In 2001, Pickard and Mauri implemented the gauge including projected augmented wave (GIPAW) protocol for first-principles calculations of NMR parameters using periodic boundary conditions (chemical shift anisotropy and electric field gradient tensors). In this paper, three potentially interesting perspectives in connection with PAW/GIPAW in solid-state NMR and pure nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) are presented: (i) the calculation of J coupling tensors in inorganic solids; (ii) the calculation of the antisymmetric part of chemical shift tensors and (iii) the prediction of (14)N and (35)Cl pure NQR resonances including dynamics. We believe that these topics should open new insights in the combination of GIPAW, NMR/NQR crystallography, temperature effects and dynamics.

Implementation of high resolution 43Ca solid state NMR spectroscopy: toward the elucidation of calcium sites in biological materials.

Calcium is one of the most abundant cations in living organisms. It is found in the mineral phase of bone and in proteins like calmodulin. However, its exact environment beyond the first coordination sphere is often unknown, thus hampering the understanding of many biological processes.

New crystalline layered zinc phosphate with 10-membered-ring channels perpendicular to layers.

A novel layered zinc phosphate, [N(2)C(6)H(12)](2)[Zn(7)H(3)(HPO(4-x))(5)(PO(4))(3)]H(2)O, with unique 10-membered-ring ellipsoidal channels running perpendicularly to ladder-shaped tetrahedral layers, has been synthesized ionothermally via in situ generation of 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane.

Assessing the performance of windowed 1H CRAMPS methods, on biological solids, at high-field and MAS up to 35 kHz.

The performance of various high-resolution 1D (1)H CRAMPS pulse schemes at moderate and high static magnetic fields (400 MHz and 800 (1)H Larmor frequencies) and spinning rates up to 35 kHz, using state-of-the-art electronics is compared. The performance of the (1)H windowed acquisition decoupling schemes, wDUMBO, wPMLG3 and wSAM3 is investigated using their effective z-rotation variants on glycine and other small biological molecules, tripeptide reduced glutathione and nucleoside uridine. (1)H CRAMPS spectra, recorded with windowed (1)H-(1)H decoupling methods and fast MAS (35 kHz) and high-field are reported for the first time.

Practical aspects of Lee-Goldburg based CRAMPS techniques for high-resolution 1H NMR spectroscopy in solids: implementation and applications.

Elucidating the local environment of the hydrogen atoms is an important problem in materials science. Because (1)H spectra in solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) suffer from low resolution due to homogeneous broadening, even under magic-angle spinning (MAS), information of chemical interest may only be obtained using certain high-resolution (1)H MAS techniques. (1)H Lee-Goldburg (LG) CRAMPS (Combined Rotation And Multiple-Pulse Spectroscopy) methods are particularly well suited for studying inorganic-organic hybrid materials, rich in (1)H nuclei.

Advanced solid state NMR techniques for the characterization of sol-gel-derived materials.

A large array of advanced solid state NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) techniques is presented in the frame of the structural characterization of sol-gel-derived materials. These techniques include the pertinent detection of (17)O chemical shifts, MAS (magic angle spinning) J spectroscopy in the solid state, high-resolution (1)H spectroscopy, heteronuclear and homonuclear D (dipolar)-derived multidimensional correlation experiments, and first-principles calculations of NMR parameters. This spectroscopic approach is suitable for the in-depth description of multicomponent sol-gel derivatives, crystalline and amorphous biocompatible silicophosphates, Al-O-P clusters, and templated porous materials.