Meniscus Allograft Transplantation in Conjunction With Arthroscopic Biologic Knee Restoration Delays Arthroplasty in Patients Older Than 50 Years.

Purpose: To evaluate the utility of meniscus allografts in combination with other procedures to delay knee arthroplasty in patients older than 50 years previously advised joint arthroplasty.

Methods: A total of 108 meniscus allograft transplants using the arthroscopic 3-tunnel technique between 1997 and 2019 in patients older than 50 years were retrospectively reviewed with a 2-year minimum follow-up period. Inclusion criteria were patients recommended for knee arthroplasty with pain and preservation of some joint space by standing flexion radiographs.

Irreversible Electroporation of the Liver Increases the Transplant Engraftment of Hepatocytes.

Introduction: Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is a tissue ablation technology that kills cells with short electrical pulses that do not induce thermal damage, thereby preserving the extracellular matrix. Preclinical research suggests that IRE may be developed as a tool for regenerative surgery by clearing existing host cells within a solid organ and creating a supportive niche for new cell engraftment. We hypothesized that hepatocytes transplanted by injection into the portal circulation would preferentially engraft within liver parenchyma pretreated with IRE.

Chemically Driven Oscillating Soft Pneumatic Actuation.

Pneumatic actuators are widely studied in soft robotics as they are facile, low cost, scalable, and robust and exhibit compliance similar to many systems found in nature. The challenge is to harness high energy density chemical and biochemical reactions that can generate sufficient pneumatic pressure to actuate soft systems in a controlled and ecologically compatible manner. This investigation evaluates the potential of chemical reactions as both positive and negative pressure sources for use in soft robotic pneumatic actuators.

CD4-mediated colitis in mice is independent of the GPR183 and GPR18 pathways.

Colitis is characterized by an exacerbated intestinal immune response, but the genetic and other mechanisms regulating immune activation remain incompletely understood. In order to identify new pathways leading to colitis, we sought to identify genes with increased expression in the colons of patients that also are near loci identified by genome wide association studies (GWAS) associated with IBD risk. One such SNP, rs9557195 was of particular interest because it is within an intron of , known to be important for lymphocyte migration.

Impact of disease-modifying therapies on MRI and neurocognitive outcomes in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: a protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Introduction: Disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) are the mainstay of treatment for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). There is established evidence that DMTs are effective at reducing relapse rate and disease progression in RRMS, but there has been less consideration to the synthesis of MRI and neurocognitive outcomes, which play an increasingly important role in treatment decisions. The aim of this systematic review and network meta-analysis is to examine the relative efficacy, acceptability and tolerability of DMTs for RRMS, using MRI and neurocognitive outcomes.

Metabolic activation and colitis pathogenesis is prevented by lymphotoxin β receptor expression in neutrophils.

Inflammatory bowel disease is characterized by an exacerbated intestinal immune response, but the critical mechanisms regulating immune activation remain incompletely understood. We previously reported that the TNF-superfamily molecule TNFSF14 (LIGHT) is required for preventing severe disease in mouse models of colitis. In addition, deletion of lymphotoxin beta receptor (LTβR), which binds LIGHT, also led to aggravated colitis pathogenesis.

[A Rare Differential Diagnosis of Chronic Cough].

 We report on a 62-year-old male patient with dry cough for 3 months, constitutional symptoms and elevated inflammatory markers.  Despite extensive diagnostics no infectious, malignant or rheumatologic disease could be found. Bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage showed lymphocytosis.

Light-Triggered Soft Artificial Muscles: Molecular-Level Amplification of Actuation Control Signals.

The principle of control signal amplification is found in all actuation systems, from engineered devices through to the operation of biological muscles. However, current engineering approaches require the use of hard and bulky external switches or valves, incompatible with both the properties of emerging soft artificial muscle technology and those of the bioinspired robotic systems they enable. To address this deficiency a biomimetic molecular-level approach is developed that employs light, with its excellent spatial and temporal control properties, to actuate soft, pH-responsive hydrogel artificial muscles.

Innovative treatment modalities for urinary incontinence: a European survey identifying experience and attitude of healthcare providers.

Introduction And Hypothesis: Urinary incontinence is a common condition in women, with a reported prevalence ranging from 25% to 51%. Of these women, an estimated 38% suffer from stress urinary incontinence (SUI). A European research consortium is investigating an innovative system based on information and communication technology for the conservative treatment of women with SUI.

Reduced paucimannosidic N-glycan formation by suppression of a specific β-hexosaminidase from Nicotiana benthamiana.

Plants are attractive hosts for the production of recombinant glycoproteins for therapeutic use. Recent advances in glyco-engineering facilitate the elimination of nonmammalian-type glycosylation and introduction of missing pathways for customized N-glycan formation. However, some therapeutically relevant recombinant glycoproteins exhibit unwanted truncated (paucimannosidic) N-glycans that lack GlcNAc residues at the nonreducing terminal end.

Glyco-engineering for the production of recombinant IgA1 with distinct mucin-type O-glycans in plants.

IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is a common autoimmune disease that is characterized by formation and deposition of IgA1-containing immune complexes frequently leading to end-stage kidney disease. The IgA1 in these immune complexes carries aberrantly glycosylated O-glycans. In circulating IgA1 these galactose-deficient mucin-type O-glycans are bound by autoantibodies and thus, contribute to immune complex formation and pathogenesis.

Transient Glyco-Engineering to Produce Recombinant IgA1 with Defined N- and O-Glycans in Plants.

The production of therapeutic antibodies to combat pathogens and treat diseases, such as cancer is of great interest for the biotechnology industry. The recent development of plant-based expression systems has demonstrated that plants are well-suited for the production of recombinant monoclonal antibodies with defined glycosylation. Compared to immunoglobulin G (IgG), less effort has been undertaken to express immunoglobulin A (IgA), which is the most prevalent antibody class at mucosal sites and a promising candidate for novel recombinant biopharmaceuticals with enhanced anti-tumor activity.

Using glyco-engineering to produce therapeutic proteins.

Introduction: Glycans are increasingly important in the development of new biopharmaceuticals with optimized efficacy, half-life, and antigenicity. Current expression platforms for recombinant glycoprotein therapeutics typically do not produce homogeneous glycans and frequently display non-human glycans which may cause unwanted side effects. To circumvent these issues, glyco-engineering has been applied to different expression systems including mammalian cells, insect cells, yeast, and plants.

Subcellular Targeting of Proteins Involved in Modification of Plant N- and O-Glycosylation.

Plants are attractive expression hosts for the production of recombinant glycoprotein therapeutics. The quality and efficiency of these biopharmaceuticals are very often influenced by the glycosylation profile. Consequently, approaches are needed that enable the production of recombinant glycoproteins with customized and homogenous N- and O-glycan structures.

A context-independent N-glycan signal targets the misfolded extracellular domain of Arabidopsis STRUBBELIG to endoplasmic-reticulum-associated degradation.

N-glycosylation of proteins plays an important role in the determination of the fate of newly synthesized glycoproteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Specific oligosaccharide structures recruit molecular chaperones that promote folding or mannose-binding lectins that assist in the clearance of improperly-folded glycoproteins by delivery to ER-associated degradation (ERAD). In plants, the mechanisms and factors that recognize non-native proteins and sort them to ERAD are poorly understood.

Biomimetic photo-actuation: sensing, control and actuation in sun-tracking plants.

Although the actuation mechanisms that drive plant movement have been investigated from a biomimetic perspective, few studies have looked at the wider sensing and control systems that regulate this motion. This paper examines photo-actuation-actuation induced by, and controlled with light-through a review of the sun-tracking functions of the Cornish Mallow. The sun-tracking movement of the Cornish Mallow leaf results from an extraordinarily complex-yet extremely elegant-process of signal perception, generation, filtering and control.

Topoisomerase II-targeting properties of a grapevine-shoot extract and resveratrol oligomers.

Grapevine-shoot extracts (GSE), containing trans-resveratrol and resveratrol oligomers, are commercially available as food supplements. Considering the topoisomerase-targeting properties of trans-resveratrol, the question of whether GSE affect these enzymes, thereby potentially causing DNA damage, was addressed. In a decatenation assay, GSE potently suppressed the catalytic activity of topoisomerase IIα (≥5 μg/mL).

Arterial puncture closure using a collagen plug, I. (Angio-Seal).

Closure devices can generally be categorized by their mechanism of obtaining hemostasis. Currently, devices are either suture-based, collagen-based, or utilize a combination of technologies. They can also be classified on the basis of whether or not they have an intravascular component or exclusively extra-vascular components.

Effect of different bowel preparations on residual fluid at CT colonography.

The effect of different bowel preparations on residual fluid during computed tomographic (CT) colonography was evaluated. Forty-two patients received either a polyethylene glycol electrolyte solution preparation or a phospho-soda preparation the day prior to CT colonography. The amount of residual fluid was calculated for each patient.