Purpose: The study aims to present a specialized educational program using a 3D printed model for managing Grade IV and V liver injuries. Hepatic packing, a common technique, may not always achieve sufficient hemostasis in these cases, warranting alternative solutions such as mesh liver wrapping. However, mastering this procedure is challenging due to limited teaching resources and the need for repeated practice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOne of the key challenges in diagnosing thyroid cancer lies in the substantial percentage of indeterminate diagnoses of thyroid nodules that have undergone ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy for cytological evaluation. This delays the definitive diagnosis and treatment plans. We recently demonstrated that hydroxyapatite microcalcifications (MCs) aspirated from thyroid nodules may aid nodule diagnosis based on their composition.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTargeting the cell nucleus remains a challenge for drug delivery. Here, we present a universal platform for the smart design of nanoparticle (NP) decoration that is based on: (i) a spacer polymer, commonly biotin-polyethylene-glycol-thiol, whose grafting density and molecular weight can be tuned for optimized performance, and (ii) protein binding peptides, such as cell penetrating peptides (CPPs), cancer-targeting peptides, or nuclear localization signal (NLS) peptides, that are linked to the PEG free-end by universal chemistry. We manifested our platform with two different bromo-acetamide (Br-Ac) modified NLSs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMineral particles that form in soft tissues in association with disease conditions are heterogeneous in their composition and physiochemical properties. Hence, it is challenging to study the effect of mineral type on disease progression in a high-throughput and realistic manner. For example, most early breast precancer lesions, termed ductal carcinoma (DCIS), contain microcalcifications (MCs), calcium-containing pathological minerals.
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