Unlabelled: Cells possess the remarkable ability to generate tissue-specific 3D interconnected networks and respond to a wide range of stimuli. Understanding the link between the spatial arrangement of individual cells and their networks' emergent properties is necessary for the discovery of both fundamental biology as well as applied therapeutics. However, current methods spanning from lithography to 3D photo-patterning to acoustofluidic devices are unable to generate interconnected and organized single cell 3D networks within native extracellular matrix (ECM).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdvances in digital light projection(DLP) based (bio) printers have made printing of intricate structures at high resolution possible using a wide range of photosensitive bioinks. A typical setup of a DLP bioprinter includes a vat or reservoir filled with liquid bioink, which presents challenges in terms of cost associated with bioink synthesis, high waste, and gravity-induced cell settling, contaminations, or variation in bioink viscosity during the printing process. Here, we report a vat-free, low-volume, waste-free droplet bioprinting method capable of rapidly printing 3D soft structures at high resolution using model bioinks and model cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTranscranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive and painless technique of brain neuromodulation that applies a low-intensity galvanic current to the scalp with the aim of stimulating specific areas of the brain. Preliminary investigations have indicated the potential therapeutic efficacy of multisession tDCS applied to the auditory cortex (AC) in the treatment of chronic tinnitus. The aim of this study was to explore the therapeutic effects of repeated sessions of bilateral tDCS targeting the AC on chronic tinnitus.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPseudotumor cerebri (PTC) encompasses a constellation of symptoms caused by elevated intracranial pressure of unclear etiology. Various associations have been described, rarely hypovitaminosis D. Vitamin D deficiency should be considered as a potential etiology of neurological manifestations like PTC and seizures in children.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: The incidence of chronic subdural haematoma (cSDH) is relatively high among the elderly population. Other known risk factors for cSDH include male sex, dependency on anti-platelet or anticoagulant medication, and chronic alcoholism. Although, the standard mode of treatment for cSDH is surgery, embolization of the middle meningeal artery (MMA), either upfront or as an adjunct to surgical evacuation can be used for the treatment of cSDH.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdvances in Digital Light Processing (DLP) based (bio) printers have made printing of intricate structures at high resolution possible using a wide range of photosensitive bioinks. A typical setup of a DLP bioprinter includes a vat or reservoir filled with liquid bioink, which presents challenges in terms of cost associated with bioink synthesis, high waste, and gravity-induced cell settling, contaminations, or variation in bioink viscosity during the printing process. Here, we report a vat-free, low-volume, waste-free droplet bioprinting method capable of rapidly printing 3D soft structures at high resolution using model bioinks.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPulmonary arteriovenous malformation (PAVM) is a rare vascular anomaly characterized by abnormal communication between the pulmonary artery and vein. It is a rare cause of hemoptysis. Computed tomographic angiography (CTA) has become the preferred and dependable diagnostic approach for identifying PAVM.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFKey Clinical Message: Balloon kyphoplasty is a promising treatment option for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures with posterior cortical defect, offering pain relief, vertebral height restoration, and low risk of cement leakage.
Abstract: Millions of people worldwide suffer from osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs) annually, which cause pain and functional limitations, particularly in the elderly. Conservative treatments such as pain management, rest, and medication are frequently used, while surgical options such as vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty are considered.
We report a new method to shape double-network (DN) hydrogels into customized 3D structures that exhibit superior mechanical properties in both tension and compression. A one-pot prepolymer formulation containing photo-cross-linkable acrylamide and thermoreversible sol-gel κ-carrageenan with a suitable cross-linker and photoinitiators/absorbers is optimized. A new TOPS system is utilized to photopolymerize the primary acrylamide network into a 3D structure above the sol-gel transition of κ-carrageenan (80 °C), while cooling down generates the secondary physical κ-carrageenan network to realize tough DN hydrogel structures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: Dengue infection may have various surgical complications. Splenic hematoma is a rare complication of dengue hemorrhagic fever and may be life-threatening.
Case Presentation: A 54-year-old male, diagnosed with dengue infection detected at another hospital, presented on the 10th day of fever with left upper abdominal pain for 7 days without history of trauma.
Hydrogels are widely used materials due to their biocompatibility, their ability to mimic the hydrated and porous extracellular microenvironment, as well as their ability to tune both mechanical and biochemical properties. However, most hydrogels lack mechanical toughness, and shaping them into complicated three-dimensional (3D) structures remains challenging. In the past decade, tough and stretchable double-network hydrogels (DN gels) were developed for tissue engineering, soft robotics, and applications that require a combination of high-energy dissipation and large deformations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFACS Appl Mater Interfaces
June 2022
Inspired by nature's ability to shape soft biological materials to exhibit a range of optical functionalities, we report femtosecond (fs) laser-induced densification as a new method to generate volume or subsurface diffractive gratings within ordinary hydrogel materials. We characterize the processing range in terms of fs laser power, speed, and penetration depths for achieving densification within poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) hydrogel and characterize the associated change in local refractive index (RI). The RI change facilitates the fabrication of custom volume gratings (parallel line, grid, square, and ring gratings) within PEGDA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Febrile seizure is the most common convulsive event in children younger than 60 months. Fever plays an important role in causing disturbances in fluid and electrolyte balance, also hyponatremia has been thought to enhance the susceptibility to seizures. The objective of this study is to find out the prevalence of febrile seizures among children admitted to the Department of Paediatrics of a tertiary care centre.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: It is critical to capture data and modeling from the COVID-19 pandemic to understand as much as possible and prepare for future epidemics and possible pandemics. The Hawaiian Islands provide a unique opportunity to study heterogeneity and demographics in a controlled environment due to the geographically closed borders and mostly uniform pandemic-induced governmental controls and restrictions.
Objective: The goal of the paper is to quantify the differences and similarities in the spread of COVID-19 among different Hawaiian islands as well as several other archipelago and islands, which could potentially help us better understand the effect of differences in social behavior and various mitigation measures.
Toxicity imposed by organophosphate pesticides to the freshwater cultivable fish species mrigal (Cirrhinus mrigala) was assessed under laboratory conditions. Healthy juveniles were exposed to chlorpyrifos, dichlorvos, and their equitoxic mixture in geometric series. Median lethal concentrations of chlorpyrifos were found to be 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFComp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol
January 2022
Increasing pesticide application is a serious threat to human health and biodiversity. In nature, pesticides prevail in mixtures; therefore the joint effects of pesticides should be taken into consideration due to their priority in toxicity research when aiming at realistic evaluations. In this study, individual and mixture toxicity of the commonly used organophosphate insecticides- chlorpyrifos and dichlorvos was explored.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTolosa-Hunt Syndrome is a rare disease characterized by painful ophthalmoplegia affecting third, fourth, and/or sixth cranial nerve caused by non-specific inflammation in the cavernous sinus or superior orbital fissure of unknown etiology. We presented a 67-year-old female with Tolosa-Hunt Syndrome. She had a right-sided headache and periorbital pain with double vision.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) mutations may diminish vaccine-induced protective immune responses, particularly as antibody titers wane over time. Here, we assess the effect of SARS-CoV-2 variants B.1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHydrogels, due to their optical transparency and biocompatibility, have emerged as an excellent alternative to conventional optical materials for biomedical applications. Advances in microfabrication techniques have helped convert conventional hydrogels into optically functional materials such as hydrogel-based diffraction optical elements (hDOEs). However, key challenges related to device customization and ease/speed of fabrication need to be addressed to enable widespread utility and acceptance of hDOEs in the field.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFComp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol
August 2021
Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) is an important aquaculture species. However, their production and health is sometimes threatened by pesticides. In common carp, extensive studies have been done for exposures of single pesticides, but effects of mixtures such as those of the commonly used chlorpyrifos and dichlorvos, are still unknown for this species.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn the past 5 years, oxygen-permeable films have been widely used for continuous additive manufacturing. These films create a polymerization inhibition zone that facilitates continuous printing in the additive mode of fabrication. Typically, oxygen-permeable films made out of Teflon are currently used.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFACS Appl Nano Mater
August 2020
Metal nanoclusters (NCs) are nanomaterials of size of less than 2 nm that exhibit a set of unique physical, chemical, optical, and electronic properties. Because of recent interest in NCs, a great deal of effort is being made to develop synthetic routes that allow control over the NC size, shape, geometry, and properties. Direct laser writing is one of the few synthesis methods that allow the generation of photostable NCs with high quantum yield in a highly controlled fashion.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFComp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol
February 2021
Golden mahseer (Tor putitora) is an economically important but endangered fish species in many countries. Increasing pesticide application can possess a threat to this species but their sensitivity to pesticides, typically chlorpyrifos and dichlorvos, is unknown. We determined 96 h-LC of chlorpyrifos and dichlorvos to be 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPersistent neural activity in cortical, hippocampal, and motor networks has been described as mediating working memory for transiently encountered stimuli. Internal emotional states, such as fear, also persist following exposure to an inciting stimulus, but it is unclear whether slow neural dynamics are involved in this process. Neurons in the dorsomedial and central subdivisions of the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMHdm/c) that express the nuclear receptor protein NR5A1 (also known as SF1) are necessary for defensive responses to predators in mice.
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