Efficacy and Safety of a Mixture of Microencapsulated Sodium Butyrate, Probiotics, and Short Chain Fructooligosaccharides in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome-A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study.

Biotics are increasingly being used in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of a mixture of microencapsulated sodium butyrate, probiotics ( DSM 26357, DSM 32418, DSM 32946, DSM 32403, and DSM 32269), and short-chain fructooligosaccharides (scFOSs) in IBS patients. This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 120 adult participants with IBS.

Thermal and Acoustic Stabilization Of Volatile Phase-Change Contrast Agents Via Layer-By-Layer Assembly.

Objective: Phase-change contrast agents (PCCAs) are perfluorocarbon nanodroplets (NDs) that have been widely studied for ultrasound imaging in vitro, pre-clinical studies, and most recently incorporated a variant of PCCAs, namely a microbubble-conjugated microdroplet emulsion, into the first clinical studies. Their properties also make them attractive candidates for a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic applications including drug-delivery, diagnosis and treatment of cancerous and inflammatory diseases, as well as tumor-growth tracking. However, control over the thermal and acoustic stability of PCCAs both in vivo and in vitro has remained a challenge for expanding the potential utility of these agents in novel clinical applications.

Effects of Microencapsulated Sodium Butyrate, Probiotics and Short Chain Fructooligosaccharides in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Study Protocol of a Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disease in the pathogenesis of which gut dysbiosis may play an important role. Thus, probiotics, prebiotics, or microbiota metabolites, such as butyric acid, are considered to be effective therapy for IBS. However, there are still no trials presenting the efficacy of these three biotic components administered simultaneously.

Expression of tryptophan hydroxylase in gastric mucosa in symptomatic and asymptomatic infection.

Introduction: infection induces clinical symptoms in 15-20% of subjects, and the reason for this variation is still not clear. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the expression of tryptophan hydroxylase (TpH-1) in gastric mucosa of patients with symptomatic and asymptomatic infection in relation to the intensity of bacterial colonization and severity of dyspeptic symptoms.

Material And Methods: Ninety subjects (aged 35-49 years) were enrolled in the study and separated into 3 groups of 30 subjects each.

Intraoperative brain tumor resection with indocyanine green using augmented microscopy.

Treatment outcomes for brain cancer have seen dismal improvements over the last two decades as evident in available statistical data. Efforts to address this challenge include development of near-infrared contrast agents for improvements in diagnostic and therapeutic modalities. This creates a need for imaging technologies that can support the intraoperative use of such agents.

Near-Infrared Activated Release of Doxorubicin from Plasmon Resonant Liposomes.

Precise control of drug release from nanoparticles can improve efficacy and reduce systemic toxicity associated with administration of certain medications. Here, we combined two phenomena, photothermal conversion in plasmon resonant gold coating and thermal sensitivity of liposome compositions, to achieve a drug delivery system that rapidly releases doxorubicin in response to external stimulus. Thermosensitive liposomes were loaded with doxorubicin and gold-coated to produce plasmon resonant drug delivery system.

Excitation Modulation of Upconversion Nanoparticles for Switch-like Control of Ultraviolet Luminescence.

The ability to control ultraviolet (UV) luminescence intensity in a switch-like manner is demonstrated through the use of 980 nm excitation pulse-width modulation in NaYF:Yb,Tm upconversion nanoparticles (UNPs). Varying the ytterbium doping resulted in a single order of magnitude improvement of UV luminescence intensity. The excitation pulse-width modulation technique applied to these optimized UNPs enables 3 orders of magnitude control over UV luminescence intensity while maintaining NIR luminescence emission at 800 nm.

[Excretion and metabolism of dopamine in patients with functional dyspepsia].

Unlabelled: Dopamine is one of major neurotransmitter in the central and peripheral nervous system. A significant amount of dopamine is also produced in the visceral nervous system and in gastrointestinal tract, where exhibits inhibitory activity on motility.

Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the parameters of dopamine secretion and metabolism in patients with functional dyspepsia.

The Diagnosis of Sigmoid Liposarcoma in a Young Male with Metabolic Syndrome.

The clinical picture and risk factors are decisive in differential diagnosis. It was proved that patients with metabolic syndrome have increased incidence of malignant tumours. The visceral adipose tissue releases active proteins that promote oncogenesis.

Augmented microscopy: real-time overlay of bright-field and near-infrared fluorescence images.

Intraoperative applications of near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent contrast agents can be aided by instrumentation capable of merging the view of surgical field with that of NIR fluorescence. We demonstrate augmented microscopy, an intraoperative imaging technique in which bright-field (real) and electronically processed NIR fluorescence (synthetic) images are merged within the optical path of a stereomicroscope. Under luminance of 100,000 lx, representing typical illumination of the surgical field, the augmented microscope detects 189 nM concentration of indocyanine green and produces a composite of the real and synthetic images within the eyepiece of the microscope at 20 fps.

Integration of indocyanine green videoangiography with operative microscope: augmented reality for interactive assessment of vascular structures and blood flow.

Background: Preservation of adequate blood flow and exclusion of flow from lesions are key concepts of vascular neurosurgery. Indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence videoangiography is now widely used for the intraoperative assessment of vessel patency.

Objective: Here, we present a proof-of-concept investigation of fluorescence angiography with augmented microscopy enhancement: real-time overlay of fluorescence videoangiography within the white light field of view of conventional operative microscopy.

Focal activation of cells by plasmon resonance assisted optical injection of signaling molecules.

Experimental methods for single cell intracellular delivery are essential for probing cell signaling dynamics within complex cellular networks, such as those making up the tumor microenvironment. Here, we show a quantitative and general method of interrogation of signaling pathways. We applied highly focused near-infrared laser light to optically inject gold-coated liposomes encapsulating bioactive molecules into single cells for focal activation of cell signaling.

Simultaneous multiplane imaging of human ovarian cancer by volume holographic imaging.

Ovarian cancer is the most deadly gynecologic cancer, a fact which is attributable to poor early detection and survival once the disease has reached advanced stages. Intraoperative laparoscopic volume holographic imaging has the potential to provide simultaneous visualization of surface and subsurface structures in ovarian tissues for improved assessment of developing ovarian cancer. In this ex vivo ovarian tissue study, we assembled a benchtop volume holographic imaging system (VHIS) to characterize the microarchitecture of 78 normal and 40 abnormal tissue specimens derived from ovarian, fallopian tube, uterine, and peritoneal tissues, collected from 26 patients aged 22 to 73 undergoing bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, or abdominal cytoreductive surgery.

Multiphoton Imaging of Upconverting Lanthanide Nanoparticles in Three Dimensional Models of Cancer.

While upconverting lanthanide nanoparticles have numerous advantages over other exogenous contrast agents used in scanned multiphoton imaging, their long luminescence lifetimes cause images collected with non-descanned detection to be greatly blurred. We demonstrate herein the use of Richardson-Lucy deconvolution to deblur luminescence images obtained via multiphoton scanning microscopy. Images were taken of three dimensional models of colon and ovarian cancer following incubation with NaYF:Yb,Er nanoparticles functionalized with an antibody for EGFR and folic acid respectively.

Protective role of melatonin in liver damage.

The liver plays a key role in the detoxification of numerous molecules which results in the formation of an excessive number of toxic reactive oxygen species. This results in oxidative damage to the hepatocytes, which when severe, compromises the function of this critical organ. A variety of antioxidants protect the liver from free radical-mediated damage, one of the best of which is melatonin.

Melatonin levels in serum and ascitic fluid of patients with hepatic encephalopathy.

Cirrhotic patients exhibit disturbed melatonin homeostasis, which may lead to sleep disturbances, but an influence on the hepatic encephalopathy has not been elucidated. Aim. In the present study, the association of melatonin levels in serum and ascitic fluid and ammonia concentration related to the intensity of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) was investigated.

Light-activated content release from liposomes.

Successful integration of diagnostic and therapeutic actions at the level of individual cells requires new materials that combine biological compatibility with functional versatility. This review focuses on the development of liposome-based functional materials, where payload release is activated by light. Methods of sensitizing liposomes to light have progressed from the use of organic molecular moieties to the use of metallic plasmon resonant structures.

NIR-activated content release from plasmon resonant liposomes for probing single-cell responses.

Technological limitations have prevented the interrogation and manipulation of cellular activity in response to bioactive molecules within model and living systems that is required for the development of diagnostic and treatment modalities for diseases, such as cancer. In this work, we demonstrate that gold-coated liposomes are capable of encapsulation and on-demand release of signaling molecules with a spatial and temporal resolution leading to activation of individual cells. As a model system, we used cells modified to overexpress a certain G-protein coupled receptor, the CCK2 receptor, and achieved its activation in a single cell via the localized release of its agonist.

Molecular catch and release: controlled delivery using optical trapping with light-responsive liposomes.

Gold-coated liposomes are maneuvered using an optical trap to achieve precise delivery of encapsulated molecular cargo. Movement and payload release from these plasmon resonant nanocapsules are independently controlled using a pulsed trapping beam. This technology enables in vitro delivery of a payload to a selected cell and may be applied to the interrogation of individual cells within their biological microenvironment.

Scanning two-photon microscopy with upconverting lanthanide nanoparticles via Richardson-Lucy deconvolution.

The use of upconverting lanthanide nanoparticles in fast-scanning microscopy is hindered by a long luminescence decay time, which greatly blurs images acquired in a nondescanned mode. We demonstrate herein an image processing method based on Richardson-Lucy deconvolution that mitigates the detrimental effects of their luminescence lifetime. This technique generates images with lateral resolution on par with the system's performance, ∼1.

Toward the Use of Two-Color Emission Control in Upconverting NaYF:Er, Yb Nanoparticles for Biomedical Imaging.

In the interest of generating new biomedical sensing techniques as well as improving those that currently exist, a great deal of attention has been given to upconverting lanthanide nanoparticles in recent years. In order to develop these nanoparticles for use in multiplexed and ratiometric sensing techniques, many recent studies have focused on experimental control of their emission wavelengths. Here we describe a new method for controlling the relative intensity of green and red emission bands in NaYF:Yb, Er nanoparticles via control of the excitation pulse repetition rate.

Wavelength-Selective Light-Induced Release from Plasmon Resonant Liposomes.

Biodegradable, spectrally tunable plasmon resonant nanocapsules are created via the deposition of gold onto the surface of 100 nm diameter thermosensitive liposomes. These nanocapsules demonstrate selective release of encapsulated contents upon illumination with light of a wavelength matching their distinct resonance bands, which correspond to 760 and 1210 nm in this study. Spectrally selective release is accomplished through the use of multiple, low intensity laser pulses delivered over a period of less than four minutes, ensuring that illumination affects only the gold-coated liposomes and avoids heating the surrounding media.

Control of Green and Red Upconversion in NaYF:Yb,Er Nanoparticles by Excitation Modulation.

Control of the two strongest upconversion emission lines in NaYF:Yb, Er nanoparticles is demonstrated by varying the excitation repetition rate. This technique may enable new multiplexed sensing modalities based on multicolor luminescent nanoparticles, currently contemplated for biomedical imaging and diagnostics.

Plasmon resonant gold-coated liposomes for spectrally controlled content release.

We recently demonstrated that liposome-supported plasmon resonant gold nanoshells are degradable into components of a size compatible with renal clearance, potentially enabling their use as multifunctional agents in applications in nanomedicine, including imaging, diagnostics, therapy, and drug delivery (Troutman et al., Adv. Mater.

[The diagnostic value of 24-hour bile reflux monitoring in patients with functional dyspepsia].

Unlabelled: The pathogenesis of functional dyspepsia is still not clear. One of the supposed mechanisms are disturbences of motility of upper part of gastrointestinal tract. There only the few informations, concerning the role of retrograde refluxes.