Comparative analysis of lipid-peptide nanoparticles prepared via microfluidics, reverse phase evaporation, and ouzo techniques for efficient plasmid DNA delivery.

In the current "era of lipid carriers," numerous strategies have been developed to manufacture lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). Nevertheless, the potential impact of various preparation methods on the characteristics, use, and/or stability of these LNPs remains unclear. In this work, we attempted to compare the effects of three different preparation methods: microfluidics (MF), reverse phase evaporation (RV), and ouzo (OZ) on lipid-peptide NPs (LPNPs) as plasmid DNA delivery carriers.

Expanding the horizon of transient CAR T therapeutics using virus-free technology.

The extraordinary success that chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies have shown over the years on fighting hematological malignancies is evidenced by the six FDA-approved products present on the market. CAR T treatments have forever changed the way we understand cellular immunotherapies, as current research in the topic is expanding even outside the field of cancer with very promising results. Until now, virus-based strategies have been used for CAR T cell manufacturing.

Assessment of Different Niosome Formulations for Optogenetic Applications: Morphological and Electrophysiological Effects.

Gene therapy and optogenetics are becoming promising tools for treating several nervous system pathologies. Currently, most of these approaches use viral vectors to transport the genetic material inside the cells, but viruses present some potential risks, such as marked immunogenicity, insertional mutagenesis, and limited insert gene size. In this framework, non-viral nanoparticles, such as niosomes, are emerging as possible alternative tools to deliver genetic material, avoiding the aforementioned problems.

Highlights of the 'I Congress ecancer Choosing Wisely' March 30 and 31, 2022 Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

The ecancer 'Choosing Wisely' conference was held for the first time in Latin America in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. The event had more than 150 registered attendees in addition to 22 speakers from different countries and different specialities in the field of oncology, who presented topics on prevention, oncological surgery, clinical oncology and palliative care, in order to demonstrate the current evidence of how to approach a patient in daily clinical practice based on the human resources, materials and drugs available, trying to offer the maximum benefit to the patient based on current scientific evidence. In addition to addressing issues of vital importance in breast cancer, during the 2 days of the event, updated information generated in recent years was presented, the results of which will change clinical practice.

Modeling dose rate increase from the addition of Uranium-232 for use as a tracer in uranium fuels.

The isotope U is being considered for additive to uranium fuel for use as a tracer. The U decay chain has high energy gammas that can be used for tracer purposes. However, the presence and intensity of such gammas may increase effective dose rates to workers around such materials This study examines the dose rate from different uranium materials that varying amounts of U has been added to.

Exploration of producing Uranium-232 for use as a tracer in uranium fuels.

This study examines the production of U via neutron irradiation. Uranium-232 is considered for use as a tracer in nuclear fuel. However, a source of U is needed.

How Far Are Non-Viral Vectors to Come of Age and Reach Clinical Translation in Gene Therapy?

Efficient delivery of genetic material into cells is a critical process to translate gene therapy into clinical practice. In this sense, the increased knowledge acquired during past years in the molecular biology and nanotechnology fields has contributed to the development of different kinds of non-viral vector systems as a promising alternative to virus-based gene delivery counterparts. Consequently, the development of non-viral vectors has gained attention, and nowadays, gene delivery mediated by these systems is considered as the cornerstone of modern gene therapy due to relevant advantages such as low toxicity, poor immunogenicity and high packing capacity.

Design of an Auscultation System for Phonoangiography and Monitoring of Carotid Artery Diseases.

Cerebrovascular diseases such as stenosis of the carotid artery are accountable for about 1 million death per year across Europe. Diagnostic tools like US, angiography or MRI require specific hardware and highly depend on the experience of the examining clinician. In contrast auscultation with a stethoscope can be used to screen for bruits - audible vascular sounds associated with turbulent blood flow.

NITINOL-based actuator for device control even in high-field MRI environment.

Background: The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) environment with its high-strength magnetic fields requires specialized and sometimes sophisticated solutions for otherwise simple problems. One of these problems is MR-compatible actuator mechanisms that transfer a signal into an action.

Purpose: Normal actuators are based on a magnetic effect (eg, relays) and will typically not work in magnetic fields exceeding 1000 G, eg, inside the bore of an MR scanner.

Novel clinical device tracking and tissue event characterization using proximally placed audio signal acquisition and processing.

We propose a new and complementary approach to image guidance for monitoring medical interventional devices (MID) with human tissue interaction and surgery augmentation by acquiring acoustic emission data from the proximal end of the MID outside the patient to extract dynamical characteristics of the interaction between the distal tip and the tissue touched or penetrated by the MID. We conducted phantom based experiments (n = 955) to show dynamic tool/tissue interaction during tissue needle passage (a) and vessel perforation caused by guide wire artery perforation (b). We use time-varying auto-regressive (TV-AR) modelling to characterize the dynamic changes and time-varying maximal energy pole (TV-MEP) to compute subsequent analysis of MID/tissue interaction characterization patterns.

Assessment of DDT and DDE levels in soil, dust, and blood samples from Chihuahua, Mexico.

The aim of this study was to assess levels of DDT and DDE in two environmental matrices (soil and dust) and to investigate the blood levels of these insecticides in exposed children living in a north Mexican state (Chihuahua) where DDT was sprayed several years ago during (1) health campaigns for the control of malaria and (2) agricultural activities. DDT and DDE were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. In general, lower levels were found in household outdoor samples.

Where the O2 goes to: preservation of human fetal oxygen delivery and consumption at high altitude.

Fetal growth is decreased at high altitude (> 2700 m). We hypothesized that variation in fetal O(2) delivery might account for both the altitude effect and the relative preservation of fetal growth in multigenerational natives to high altitude. Participants were 168 women of European or Andean ancestry living at 3600 m or 400 m.

Maternal oxygen delivery is not related to altitude- and ancestry-associated differences in human fetal growth.

Fetal growth is reduced at high altitude, but the decrease is less among long-resident populations. We hypothesized that greater maternal uteroplacental O(2) delivery would explain increased fetal growth in Andean natives versus European migrants to high altitude. O(2) delivery was measured with ultrasound, Doppler and haematological techniques.