Antibacterial and surface properties of post-light-activated metal-free phthalocyanine-deposited TiO nanotube smart surfaces.

The utilisation of implantable medical devices has become safer and more prevalent since the establishment of sterilisation methods and techniques a century ago. Nevertheless, device-associated infections remain a significant and growing concern, particularly in light of the continued rise in the number of medical device implantations. This underscores the imperative for the development of efficacious prevention and treatment strategies for device-associated infections, as well as further investigation into the design of innovative antibacterial surfaces for medical device applications.

Surface characterization and antibacterial efficiency of well-ordered TiO nanotube surfaces fabricated on titanium foams.

Titanium (Ti)-based implants are not compatible enough due to their bio-inert character, insufficient antibacterial capabilities and stress-shielding problem for dental and orthopaedic implant applications. Thus, this work focused to fabricate, analyze and improve antibacterial properties titanium dioxide (TiO) nanotube array surfaces on Ti foam by anodic oxidation (AO) process. The well-ordered nanotube arrays with approximately 75 nm were successfully fabricated at 40 V for 1 h on Ti foams.

Readout of histone methylation by Trim24 locally restricts chromatin opening by p53.

The genomic binding sites of the transcription factor (TF) and tumor suppressor p53 are unusually diverse with regard to their chromatin features, including histone modifications, raising the possibility that the local chromatin environment can contextualize p53 regulation. Here, we show that epigenetic characteristics of closed chromatin, such as DNA methylation, do not influence the binding of p53 across the genome. Instead, the ability of p53 to open chromatin and activate its target genes is locally restricted by its cofactor Trim24.

Characterization and investigation of biological properties of silver nanoparticle-doped hydroxyapatite-based surfaces on zirconium.

The infections leading to failed implants can be controlled mainly by metal and metal oxide-based nanoparticles. In this work, the randomly distributed AgNPs-doped onto hydroxyapatite-based surfaces were produced on zirconium by micro arc oxidation (MAO) and electrochemical deposition processes. The surfaces were characterized by XRD, SEM, EDX mapping and EDX area and contact angle goniometer.

Characterization and investigation of electrochemical and biological properties of antibacterial silver nanoparticle-deposited TiO nanotube array surfaces.

The one of main reasons of the premature failure of Ti-based implants is infections. The metal- and metal oxide-based nanoparticles have very high potential on controlling of infections. In this work, the randomly distributed AgNPs-deposited onto well-ordered TiO nanotube surfaces were fabricated on titanium by anodic oxidation (AO) and electrochemical deposition (ED) processes.

Evidence that direct inhibition of transcription factor binding is the prevailing mode of gene and repeat repression by DNA methylation.

Cytosine methylation efficiently silences CpG-rich regulatory regions of genes and repeats in mammalian genomes. To what extent this entails direct inhibition of transcription factor (TF) binding versus indirect inhibition via recruitment of methyl-CpG-binding domain (MBD) proteins is unclear. Here we show that combinatorial genetic deletions of all four proteins with functional MBDs in mouse embryonic stem cells, derived neurons or a human cell line do not reactivate genes or repeats with methylated promoters.

Molecular Signatures of Human Chronic Atrial Fibrillation in Primary Mitral Regurgitation.

Objectives: Transcriptomics of atrial fibrillation (AFib) in the setting of chronic primary mitral regurgitation (MR) remains to be characterized. We aimed to compare the gene expression profiles of patients with degenerative MR in AFib and sinus rhythm (SR) for a clearer picture of AFib pathophysiology.

Methods: After transcriptomic analysis and bioinformatics ( = 59), differentially expressed genes were defined using 1.

In vitro biological and antimicrobial properties of chitosan-based bioceramic coatings on zirconium.

Ca-based porous and rough bioceramic surfaces were coated onto zirconium by micro-arc oxidation (MAO). Subsequently, the MAO-coated zirconium surfaces were covered with an antimicrobial chitosan layer via the dip coating method to develop an antimicrobial, bioactive, and biocompatible composite biopolymer and bioceramic layer for implant applications. Cubic ZrO, metastable CaZrO, and Ca(PO) were detected on the MAO surface by powder-XRD.

BANP opens chromatin and activates CpG-island-regulated genes.

The majority of gene transcripts generated by RNA polymerase II in mammalian genomes initiate at CpG island (CGI) promoters, yet our understanding of their regulation remains limited. This is in part due to the incomplete information that we have on transcription factors, their DNA-binding motifs and which genomic binding sites are functional in any given cell type. In addition, there are orphan motifs without known binders, such as the CGCG element, which is associated with highly expressed genes across human tissues and enriched near the transcription start site of a subset of CGI promoters.

Long-term follow-up of patients with Buerger's disease after autologous stem cell therapy.

Objective: We investigated the long-term results of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells (ABMMNCs) implantation in patients with Buerger's disease (BD).

Methods: Twenty-eight patients (25 males and 3 females) who had BD and critical unilateral limb ischemia were investigated between April 2003 and August 2005. The patients were administered multiple injections of CD34+ and CD45+ positive ABMMNCs into the gastrocnemius muscle, the intermetatarsal region, and the dorsum of the foot (n=26) or forearm (n=2) and saline injection into the contralateral limb.

Effects of Preoperative Tricuspid Valve Diameters on Early Postoperative Surgical Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Tricuspid Valve Surgery.

Background: Many of the previous studies on tricuspid valve surgery were on the materials that were used and the advantages and disadvantages of them. In this study, effects of preoperative tricuspid valve diameter on early postoperative outcomes were investigated. Methods: A total of 43 patients who underwent tricuspid valve repair surgery with the ring between the years 2012-2014 were included in this study.

A Combined ULBP2 and SEMA5A Expression Signature as a Prognostic and Predictive Biomarker for Colon Cancer.

Prognostic biomarkers for cancer have the power to change the course of disease if they add value beyond known prognostic factors, if they can help shape treatment protocols, and if they are reliable. The aim of this study was to identify such biomarkers for colon cancer and to understand the molecular mechanisms leading to prognostic stratifications based on these biomarkers. We used an in house R based script (SSAT) for the discovery of stage-independent prognostic biomarkers using two cohorts, GSE17536 and GSE17537, that include 177 and 55 colon cancer patients, respectively.

Targeted Ablation Using Laser Nanosurgery.

Laser-mediated dissection methods have been used for many years to micro-irradiate biological samples, but recent technological progress has rendered this technique more precise, powerful, and easy to use. Today pulsed lasers can be operated with diffraction limited, sub-micrometer precision to ablate intracellular structures. Here, we discuss laser nanosurgery setups and the instrumentation in our laboratory.

Clinical Results of Cardiac Surgery in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C and Their Role in Risk Models: A Case-Control Study.

Background: To evaluate the results of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) following cardiac surgery in the TurcoSCORE (TrS) database.

Methods: Sixty patients with HCV who underwent cardiac surgery between 2005 and 2016 in our clinic out of a total 8,018 patients from the TrS database were included in the study. The perioperative morbidity and mortality rates in these patients were compared with a matched cohort.

Thrombus resolution and right ventricular functional recovery using ultrasound-accelerated thrombolysis in acute massive and submassive pulmonary embolism.

Background: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-accelerated catheter-directed thrombolysis (UACDT) in the treatment of massive and submassive pulmonary embolism (PE).

Methods: We conducted a prospective, observational cohort study of consequtive patients with massive or submassive PE treated with low-dose UACDT using EKOS EkoSonic® system at single center from May 2014 until April 2015. Overall, thirty-eight patients (median age, 64.

Bioactivity and biocompatibility of hydroxyapatite-based bioceramic coatings on zirconium by plasma electrolytic oxidation.

In the present work, hydroxyapatite (HAP)-based plasma electrolytic oxide (PEO) coatings were produced on zirconium at different current densities in a solution containing calcium acetate and β-calcium glycerophosphate by a single step. The phase structure, surface morphology, functional groups, thickness and roughness of the coatings were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), eddy current method and surface profilometer, respectively. The phases of cubic-zirconia, calcium zirconate and HAP were detected by XRD.

Pharmacomechanical thrombectomy of upper extremity deep vein thrombosis.

Background: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-accelerated catheter-directed thrombolysis (UACDT) in the treatment of upper extremity deep vein thrombosis (UEDVT).

Methods: We conducted a prospective, observational cohort study of consecutive patients with acute UEDVT with low-dose UACDT using the Ekosonic® Endovascular System (EKOS Corporation, Bothell, WA, USA) at a single center from September 2012 until October 2014. Overall, sixteen patients (11 males and 6 females, age range 18 to 70 years, mean age, 45.

Primary Left Cardiac Angiosarcoma with Mitral Valve Involvement Accompanying Coronary Artery Disease.

We report here on a 43-year-old female patient presenting with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction, severe mitral regurgitation, and mild mitral stenosis secondary to encroachment of the related structures by a primary cardiac angiosarcoma. A coronary angiography revealed significant stenosis in the left main and left circumflex arteries and at exploration, the tumour was arising from posterior left atrial free wall, invading the posterior mitral leaflet, and extending into all of the pulmonary veins and pericardium. Therefore, no further intervention was performed, except for left internal mammarian artery to left anterior descending artery anastomosis and biopsy.

Luminal signalling links cell communication to tissue architecture during organogenesis.

Morphogenesis is the process whereby cell collectives are shaped into differentiated tissues and organs. The self-organizing nature of morphogenesis has been recently demonstrated by studies showing that stem cells in three-dimensional culture can generate complex organoids, such as mini-guts, optic-cups and even mini-brains. To achieve this, cell collectives must regulate the activity of secreted signalling molecules that control cell differentiation, presumably through the self-assembly of microenvironments or niches.

Distinct roles for BAI1 and TIM-4 in the engulfment of dying neurons by microglia.

The removal of dying neurons by microglia has a key role during both development and in several diseases. To date, little is known about the cellular and molecular processes underlying neuronal engulfment in the brain. Here we took a live imaging approach to quantify neuronal cell death progression in embryonic zebrafish brains and studied the response of microglia.

An MRAS, SHOC2, and SCRIB complex coordinates ERK pathway activation with polarity and tumorigenic growth.

SHOC2 is mutated in Noonan syndrome and plays a key role in the activation of the ERK-MAPK pathway, which is upregulated in the majority of human cancers. SHOC2 functions as a PP1-regulatory protein and as an effector of MRAS. Here we show that SHOC2 and MRAS form a complex with SCRIB, a polarity protein with tumor suppressor properties.

Activation of histone deacetylase-6 induces contractile dysfunction through derailment of α-tubulin proteostasis in experimental and human atrial fibrillation.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is characterized by structural remodeling, contractile dysfunction, and AF progression. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) influence acetylation of both histones and cytosolic proteins, thereby mediating epigenetic regulation and influencing cell proteostasis. Because the exact function of HDACs in AF is unknown, we investigated their role in experimental and clinical AF models.

Directional tissue migration through a self-generated chemokine gradient.

The directed migration of cell collectives is a driving force of embryogenesis. The predominant view in the field is that cells in embryos navigate along pre-patterned chemoattractant gradients. One hypothetical way to free migrating collectives from the requirement of long-range gradients would be through the self-generation of local gradients that travel with them, a strategy that potentially allows self-determined directionality.