One of the most complex human physiological processes to study is pregnancy. Standard animal models, as well as two-dimensional models, lack the complexity and biological relevance required to accurately study such a physiological process. Recent studies have focused on the development of three-dimensional models based on microfluidic systems, designated as placental microphysiological systems (PMPSs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProtein-based hydrogels have great potential to be used as bioinks for biofabrication-driven tissue regeneration strategies due to their innate bioactivity. Nevertheless, their use as bioinks in conventional 3D bioprinting is impaired due to their intrinsic low viscosity. Using embedding bioprinting, a liquid bioink is printed within a support that physically holds the patterned filament.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOver the last decade, researchers have developed a variety of new analytical and clinical diagnostic devices. These devices are predominantly based on microfluidic technologies, where biological samples can be processed and manipulated for the collection and detection of important biomolecules. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is the most commonly used material in the fabrication of these microfluidic devices.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOlive pomace is an agro-industrial waste product generated from the olive oil industry and constituted by bioactive compounds with potential applications in several industrial sectors. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the effects of electron beam (e-beam) radiation on olive pomace, specifically on phenolic compounds (by HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS) and the bioactive properties (antioxidant, antiproliferative, and antimicrobial activities) of crude olive pomace (COP) and extracted olive pomace (EOP) extracts. The amount of total flavonoid content and the reducing power of COP extracts were higher than those obtained for EOP extracts.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPorous titanium scaffolds fabricated by powder bed fusion additive manufacturing techniques have been widely adopted for orthopedic and bone tissue engineering applications. Despite the many advantages of this approach, topological defects inherited from the fabrication process are well understood to negatively affect mechanical properties and pose a high risk if dislodged after implantation. Consequently, there is a need for further post-process surface cleaning.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Pulmonary artery aneurysm (PAA) is a rare abnormality of pulmonary vasculature. It can be idiopathic or secondary to various pathologies, frequently with multiple factors leading to its formation. We report the case of a man with concomitant sarcoidosis and PAA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is the most common cancer worldwide, among which 80% is basal cell carcinoma (BCC). Current therapies' low efficacy, side effects, and high recurrence highlight the need for alternative treatments. In this work, a partially reduced nanographene oxide (p-rGOn) developed in our laboratory was used.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis brief report presents the findings of an epidemiological investigation into a large-scale outbreak of norovirus gastroenteritis that occurred in a hotel in Algarve, Portugal, in August 2022. A total of 244 cases were reported, primarily affecting Portuguese families, with the parents aged 40-50 years and the children aged 0-19 years. Reported symptoms included vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhoea.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDeveloping biocompatible, non-fouling and biodegradable hydrogels for blood-contacting devices remains a demanding challenge. Such materials should promote natural healing, prevent clotting, and undergo controlled degradation. This study evaluates the biocompatibility and biodegradation of degradable poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (d-pHEMA) hydrogels with or without reinforcement with oxidized few-layer graphene (d-pHEMA/M5ox) in a long term implantation in rats, assessing non-desired side-effects (irritation, chronic toxicity, immune response).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFComput Methods Programs Biomed
January 2024
Background And Objective: By combining biomaterials, cell culture, and microfluidic technology, organ-on-a-chip (OoC) platforms have the ability to reproduce the physiological microenvironment of human organs. For this reason, these advanced microfluidic devices have been used to resemble various diseases and investigate novel treatments. In addition to the experimental assessment, numerical studies of biodevices have been performed aiming at their improvement and optimization.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMeniscus injuries are a common problem in orthopedic medicine and are associated with a significantly increased risk of developing osteoarthritis. While developments have been made in the field of meniscus regeneration, the engineering of cell-laden constructs that mimic the complex structure, composition and biomechanics of the native tissue remains a significant challenge. This can be linked to the use of cells that are not phenotypically representative of the different zones of the meniscus, and an inability to direct the spatial organization of engineered meniscal tissues.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: To compare positive airway pressure (PAP) adherence between patients with or without excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in mild, moderate and severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
Methods: Patients ≥18 years diagnosed with OSA in 2018 and 2019, without previous history of PAP usage and with adherence registration in the first medical consultation after treatment initiation, were included. EDS was defined as a score of ≥10 on the Epworth Scale.
Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are associated with several drawbacks that limit their application in the biomedical field, including toxicity, thrombogenicity, and poor performance in the presence of fluids. By proposing the use of a hemo/biocompatible hydrogel, poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (pHEMA), this study bypasses these barriers. In contact-separation mode, using polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) as a reference, pHEMA generates an output of 100.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDegradable biomaterials for blood-contacting devices (BCDs) are associated with weak mechanical properties, high molecular weight of the degradation products and poor hemocompatibility. Herein, the inert and biocompatible FDA approved poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (pHEMA) hydrogel was turned into a degradable material by incorporation of different amounts of a hydrolytically labile crosslinking agent, pentaerythritol tetrakis(3-mercaptopropionate). In situ addition of 1wt.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFmodels of biological systems are usually very complex and rely on a large number of parameters describing physical and biological properties that require validation. As such, parameter space exploration is an essential component of computational model development to fully characterize and validate simulation results. Experimental data may also be used to constrain parameter space (or enable model calibration) to enhance the biological relevance of model parameters.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFComput Struct Biotechnol J
February 2023
Cancer cells metabolize glucose through metabolic pathways that differ from those used by healthy and differentiated cells. In particular, tumours have been shown to consume more glucose than their healthy counterparts and to use anaerobic metabolic pathways, even under aerobic conditions. Nevertheless, scientists have still not been able to explain why cancer cells evolved to present an altered metabolism and what evolutionary advantage this might provide them.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiliary ascariasis is rare in non-endemic areas. This infection is associated with severe complications of the biliary tract, which can become a medical emergency. Treatment with oral anthelmintics is often effective, but, in some cases, surgery is required.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFibroblasts play an essential role in tissue repair and regeneration as they migrate to wounded areas to secrete and remodel the extracellular matrix. Fibroblasts recognize chemical substances such as growth factors, which enhance their motility towards the wounded tissues through chemotaxis. Although several studies have characterized single-cell fibroblast motility before, the migration patterns of fibroblasts in response to external factors have not been fully explored in 3D environments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRecurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) is a rare manifestation of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. It is characterized by relapsing bulky papillomas in the respiratory tract, which are usually benign in nature. We describe a challenging case of RRP in an HIV-infected patient with extensive pulmonary disease, presenting with worsening dyspnea.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe meniscus is characterised by an anisotropic collagen fibre network which is integral to its biomechanical functionality. The engineering of structurally organized meniscal grafts that mimic the anisotropy of the native tissue remains a significant challenge. In this study, inkjet bioprinting was used to deposit a cell-laden bioink into additively manufactured scaffolds of differing architectures to engineer fibrocartilage grafts with user defined collagen architectures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFis a non-tuberculous mycobacteria present in natural and non-chlorinated bodies of water. It is a known fish pathogen but can also cause human disease. It usually causes cutaneous lesions but in rare cases may originate more invasive diseases with the involvement of deep structures.
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