Environmental impact and human health effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and remedial strategies: A detailed review.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) profoundly impact public and environmental health. Gaining a comprehensive understanding of their intricate functions, exposure pathways, and potential health implications is imperative to implement remedial strategies and legislation effectively. This review seeks to explore PAH mobility, direct exposure pathways, and cutting-edge bioremediation technologies essential for combating the pervasive contamination of environments by PAHs, thereby expanding our foundational knowledge.

CRISPR/Cas9 Gene Editing of Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells for Gene Therapy Applications.

CRISPR/Cas9 is a highly versatile and efficient gene-editing tool adopted widely to correct various genetic mutations. The feasibility of gene manipulation of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) in vitro makes HSPCs an ideal target cell for gene therapy. However, HSPCs moderately lose their engraftment and multilineage repopulation potential in ex vivo culture.

A comparative study of experimental urinary catheters containing silver and zinc for biofilm inhibition.

Both commercial and experimental antibacterial urinary catheters were investigated for their efficacy in preventing planktonic growth and biofilm formation of bacteria in a synthetic urine solution. Experimental antibacterial catheters having thin (<500 µm) dispersions of Ag, Ag/AgO, or Zn/AgO in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) binder all exhibited significant antimicrobial activity, outperforming traditional commercial antibacterial catheters. All experimental catheters prevented planktonic growth of bacteria and did not exhibit biofilm formation during a six-day test period using a colony forming unit (CFU) measurement method.

Cost analysis of removing pediatric ureteral stents with and without a retrieval string.

Background: Indwelling ureteral stents are commonly placed in urologic surgeries where optimal urinary drainage is necessary. In the pediatric population, removing a stent without retrieval string (SWOS) requires a secondary operation and additional anesthetic exposure. Although these burdens can be mitigated through the placement of a stent with retrieval string (SWS), fears of complications may prevent widespread adoption of this practice by pediatric urologists.

Reducing Opioid Prescriptions in Outpatient Pediatric Urological Surgery.

Purpose: We assessed the impact of a 2-phase Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle to decrease opioid prescriptions following pediatric urological surgery.

Materials And Methods: Parents of children undergoing outpatient urological procedures were given questionnaires to assess opioid dosing and pain scores using the Parents' Postoperative Pain Measure scale. Age, procedure and opioid prescription data were recorded, as well as volume of medication administered.