Intracellular delivery and deep tissue penetration of nucleoside triphosphates using photocleavable covalently bound dendritic polycations.

Nucleoside triphosphates (NTPs) are essential in various biological processes. Cellular or even organismal controlled delivery of NTPs would be highly desirable, yet and applications are hampered owing to their negative charge leading to cell impermeability. NTP transporters or NTP prodrugs have been developed, but a spatial and temporal control of the release of the investigated molecules remains challenging with these strategies.

Spatiotemporal Regulation of FMNL2 by N-Terminal Myristoylation and C-Terminal Phosphorylation Drives Rapid Filopodia Formation.

The actin nucleating and polymerizing formin-like 2 (FMNL2) is upregulated in several cancers and has been shown to play important roles in cell migration, invasion, cell-cell adhesion and filopodia formation. Here, using structured illumination microscopy we show that FMNL2 promotes rapid and highly dynamic filopodia formation in epithelial cells while remaining on the tip of the growing filopodia. This filopodia tip localization depends fully on its N-terminal myristoylation.

Vesicle-Associated Actin Assembly by Formins Promotes TGFβ-Induced ANGPTL4 Trafficking, Secretion and Cell Invasion.

Vesicle trafficking has emerged as an important process driving tumor progression through various mechanisms. Transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ)-mediated secretion of Angiopoietin-like 4 (ANGPTL4) is important for cancer development. Here, Formin-like 2 (FMNL2) is identified to be necessary for ANGPTL4 trafficking and secretion in response to TGFβ.

A systematic review of patient-reported nasal obstruction scores: defining normative and symptomatic ranges in surgical patients.

IMPORTANCE A gold standard objective measure of nasal airway obstruction (NAO) does not currently exist, so patient-reported measures are commonly used, particularly the Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) scale and the visual analog scale (VAS). However, questions remain regarding how best to use these instruments. OBJECTIVES To systematically review studies on NOSE and VAS scores in patients with NAO and to compile and standardize the data to (1) define symptomatic and normative values for presurgical and postsurgical patients with NAO, asymptomatic individuals, and the general population; (2) determine if postsurgical scores are comparable with asymptomatic scores; and (3) determine if there is a clinically useful preoperative and postoperative score change.

Quantification of airflow into the maxillary sinuses before and after functional endoscopic sinus surgery.

Background: The effects of increases in maxillary sinus (MS) airflow following functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) are unknown. The goal of this study was to quantify the effects of FESS on airflow into the MS in a cohort of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis, and compare MS flow rate with patient-reported outcome measures.

Methods: A pilot study was conducted in which preoperative and postoperative computed tomography scans of 4 patients undergoing bilateral or unilateral FESS were used to create 3-dimensional (3D) reconstructions of the nasal airway and paranasal sinuses using Mimics™ (Materialise, Inc.

Modeling nasal physiology changes due to septal perforations.

Objective: To use computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technology to help providers understand (1) how septal perforations may alter nasal physiology and (2) how these alterations are influenced by perforation size and location.

Study Design: Computer simulation study.

Setting: Facial plastic and reconstructive surgery clinic.

Computed intranasal spray penetration: comparisons before and after nasal surgery.

Background: Quantitative methods for comparing intranasal drug delivery efficiencies pre- and postoperatively have not been fully utilized. The objective of this study is to use computational fluid dynamics techniques to evaluate aqueous nasal spray penetration efficiencies before and after surgical correction of intranasal anatomic deformities.

Methods: Ten three-dimensional models of the nasal cavities were created from pre- and postoperative computed tomography scans in 5 subjects.

Computed nasal resistance compared with patient-reported symptoms in surgically treated nasal airway passages: a preliminary report.

Background: Nasal airway obstruction (NAO) is a common health condition impacting mood, energy, recreation, sleep, and overall quality of life. Nasal surgery often addresses NAO but the results are sometimes unsatisfactory. Evaluating surgical treatment efficacy could be improved if objective tests were available that correlated with patient-reported measures of symptoms.

Computed nasal resistance compared with patient-reported symptoms in surgically treated nasal airway passages: A preliminary report.

Background: Nasal airway obstruction (NAO) is a common health condition impacting mood, energy, recreation, sleep, and overall quality of life. Nasal surgery often addresses NAO but the results are sometimes unsatisfactory. Evaluating surgical treatment efficacy could be improved if objective tests were available that correlated with patient-reported measures of symptoms.

Role of virtual surgery in preoperative planning: assessing the individual components of functional nasal airway surgery.

Objectives: To demonstrate the effect of individual components of functional nasal airway surgery in a patient with multifactorial obstruction and to discuss the potential benefit of computational fluid dynamics (CFD)–aided virtual surgery.

Methods: A 53-year-old woman underwent septoplasty,turbinate reduction, and nasal valve repair. Presurgery and postsurgery digital nasal models were created from computed tomographic images, and nasal resistance was calculated using CFD techniques.

Effects of anatomy and particle size on nasal sprays and nebulizers.

Objective: To study the effects of nasal deformity on aerosol penetration past the nasal valve (NV) for varying particle sizes using sprays or nebulizers.

Study Design: Computed mathematical nasal airway model.

Setting: Department computer lab.

Dounreay hot particles: the story so far.

The first Dounreay hot particle (hereafter 'Particle') to be formally identified was recovered from the Dounreay foreshore in 1983. A further single Particle was recovered from Sandside beach the following year. Particles have been detected and removed from the Dounreay foreshore regularly since 1984 and from the offshore sediments since 1997.