Biodegradable Natural Hydrogels for Tissue Engineering, Controlled Release, and Soil Remediation.

This article provides insights into hydrogels of the most promising biodegradable natural polymers and their mechanisms of degradation, highlighting the different possibilities of controlling hydrogel degradation rates. Since biodegradable hydrogels can be designed as scaffolding materials to mimic the physical and biochemical properties of natural tissues, these hydrogels have found widespread application in the field of tissue engineering and controlled release. In the same manner, their potential as water reservoirs, macro- and microelement carriers, or matrixes for the selective adsorption of pollutants make them excellent candidates for sustainable soil amendment solutions.

Prenatal diagnosis of cor triatriatum sinister associated with early pericardial effusion: A case report.

Background: Cor triatriatum sinistrum or cor triatriatum sinister is a rare congenital heart disease that accounts for approximately 0.1% of all cardiac abnormalities. It is defined as the presence of an anomalous septum that divides the left atrium into two cavities, and in most cases, it can be asymptomatic or less frequently very severe.

The different roles for the advanced glycation end products axis in heart failure and acute coronary syndrome settings.

Aims: This work aimed to compare the behavior of the advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and their soluble receptor (sRAGE) in two cohorts of patients: those with heart failure (HF) and acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Methods And Results: A unicentric observational clinical study was performed in 102 patients with ACS and 102 patients with chronic HF matched by age and gender. At inclusion, fluorescent AGEs were measured by quantitative fluorescence spectroscopy of plasma, and total sRAGE and endogenous secretory RAGE (esRAGE) levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits.