An antimicrobial blue light prototype device controls infected wounds in a preclinical porcine model.

We developed a translational prototype antimicrobial blue light (ABL) device for treating skin wounds with ABL. Partial-thickness surgical wounds were created in live swine, an animal whose skin is considered the most like human skin, then heavily contaminated and left untreated for 24 hours with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). ABL treatment stabilized and reduced MRSA infection by greater than four orders of magnitude (>99.

Ten-Year Analysis of Bacterial Colonisation and Outcomes of Major Burn Patients with a Focus on .

A retrospective descriptive study included patients admitted with severe burns over the course of 10 years (2008-2018). Across all patients, there were 39 different species of bacteria, with 23 species being Gram-negative and 16 being Gram-positive bacteria, with also five different species of fungi cultured. was the most commonly isolated organism, with 57.

Backpack-mediated anti-inflammatory macrophage cell therapy for the treatment of traumatic brain injury.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a debilitating disease with no current therapies outside of acute clinical management. While acute, controlled inflammation is important for debris clearance and regeneration after injury, chronic, rampant inflammation plays a significant adverse role in the pathophysiology of secondary brain injury. Immune cell therapies hold unique therapeutic potential for inflammation modulation, due to their active sensing and migration abilities.

Electrical Stimulation of Vocal Fold Adduction Triggered by Laryngeal Electromyography Using a Custom Implant.

Purpose: Medialization procedures for unilateral vocal fold (VF) paralysis generally improve voice but do not fully replace dynamic VF adduction. Paralyzed VFs typically experience synkinetic reinnervation, which makes it feasible to elicit movement through electrical stimulation. We tested a novel laryngeal pacing implant capable of providing closed-loop (automatic) stimulation of a VF triggered by electromyography (EMG) potentials from the contralateral VF.

Infection responsive coatings to reduce biofilm formation and encrustation of urinary catheters.

Aims: The care of patients undergoing long-term urethral catheterization is frequently complicated by Proteus mirabilis infection. This organism forms dense, crystalline biofilms, which block catheters leading to serious clinical conditions. However, there are currently no truly effective approaches to control this problem.

Analysis of Cellular Damage Resulting from Exposure of Bacteria to Graphene Oxide and Hybrids Using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy.

With the increase in antimicrobial resistance, there is an urgent need to find new antimicrobials. Four particulate antimicrobial compounds, graphite (G), graphene oxide (GO), silver-graphene oxide (Ag-GO) and zinc oxide-graphene oxide (ZnO-GO) were tested against , , and . The antimicrobial effects on the cellular ultrastructure were determined using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and selected FTIR spectral metrics correlated with cell damage and death arising from exposure to the GO hybrids.

Lipopolysaccharide structure modulates cationic biocide susceptibility and crystalline biofilm formation in .

Chlorhexidine (CHD) is a cationic biocide used ubiquitously in healthcare settings. , an important pathogen of the catheterized urinary tract, and isolates of this species are often described as "resistant" to CHD-containing products used for catheter infection control. To identify the mechanisms underlying reduced CHD susceptibility in , we subjected the CHD tolerant clinical isolate RS47 to random transposon mutagenesis and screened for mutants with reduced CHD minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs).

Boot camp: Training and dressing regimens for modeling plantar wounds in the swine.

Foot ulceration annually affects millions of patients and accounts for billions of dollars in medical expenses in the US alone. Many previous studies have investigated co-morbidities associated with impaired healing, such as microbial infection, compromised circulation, and diabetes. By comparison, little is known about how wound healing proceeds in plantar skin, despite its many unique specializations related to its load-bearing function.

Robust, long-term video EEG monitoring in a porcine model of post-traumatic epilepsy.

To date, post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE) research in large animal models has been limited. Recent advances in neocortical microscopy have made possible new insights into neocortical PTE. However, it is very difficult to engender convincing neocortical PTE in rodents.

Multifractal Analysis to Determine the Effect of Surface Topography on the Distribution, Density, Dispersion and Clustering of Differently Organised Coccal-Shaped Bacteria.

The topographic features of surfaces are known to affect bacterial retention on a surface, but the precise mechanisms of this phenomenon are little understood. Four coccal-shaped bacteria, , , , and , that organise in different cellular groupings (grape-like clusters, tetrad-arranging clusters, short chains, and diploid arrangement, respectively) were used. These differently grouped cells were used to determine how surface topography affected their distribution, density, dispersion, and clustering when retained on titanium surfaces with defined topographies.

Diamine Oxidase-Conjugated Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes to Facilitate Electrode Surface Homogeneity.

Carbon nanomaterials have gained significant interest over recent years in the field of electrochemistry, and they may be limited in their use due to issues with their difficulty in dispersion. Enzymes are prime components for detecting biological molecules and enabling electrochemical interactions, but they may also enhance multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) dispersion. This study evaluated a MWCNT and diamine oxidase enzyme (DAO)-functionalised screen-printed electrode (SPE) to demonstrate improved methods of MWCNT functionalisation and dispersion.

Photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy coupled with the use of the photosensitizers methylene blue and temoporfin as a potential novel treatment for in burn infections.

Photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (PACT) is a novel alternative antimicrobial therapy that elicits a broad mechanism of action and therefore has a low probability of generating resistance. Such properties make PACT ideally suited for utilization in localized applications such as burn wounds. The aim of this study was to determine the antimicrobial activity of MB and temoporfin against both a isolate and a isolate in light (640 nm) and dark conditions at a range of time points (0-20 min).

Red blood cell transfusion-induced non-transferrin-bound iron promotes Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms in human sera and mortality in catheterized mice.

Transfusion of storage-damaged red blood cells (RBCs) increases non-transferrin-bound iron (NTBI) levels in humans. This can potentially enhance virulence of microorganisms. In this study, Pseudomonas aeruginosa replication and biofilm production in vitro correlated with NTBI levels of transfused subjects (R  = 0·80; P < 0·0001).

The Removal of Meat Exudate and from Stainless Steel and Titanium Surfaces with Irregular and Regular Linear Topographies.

Bacterial retention and organic fouling on meat preparation surfaces can be influenced by several factors. Surfaces with linear topographies and defined chemistries were used to determine how the orientation of the surface features affected cleaning efficacy. Fine polished (irregular linear) stainless steel (FPSS), titanium coated fine polished (irregular linear) stainless steel (TiFP), and topographically regular, linear titanium coated surfaces (RG) were fouled with mixed with a meat exudate (which was utilised as a conditioning film).

Ionic gold demonstrates antimicrobial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains due to cellular ultrastructure damage.

Due to the ever-increasing rise of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) bacteria, the development of alternative antimicrobial agents is a global priority. The antimicrobial activity of ionic gold was explored against four Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains with different AMR profiles in order to determine the antimicrobial activity of ionic gold and elucidate the mechanisms of action. Disc diffusion assays (zone of inhibition: ZoI) coupled with minimum inhibitory/bactericidal concentrations (MIC/MBC) were conducted to determine the antimicrobial efficacy of ionic gold.

A traditional Ugandan Ficus natalensis bark cloth exhibits antimicrobial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Aims: Surgical site, soft tissue and wound infections are some of the most prominent causes of healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs). Developing novel antimicrobial textiles and wound dressings may help alleviate the risk of developing HCAIs. We aimed to determine the antimicrobial efficacy of natural Ugandan bark cloth derived exclusively from the Ficus natalensis tree.

The Influence of Surface Topography and Wettability on Removal from Polymeric Materials in the Presence of a Blood Conditioning Film.

The reduction of biofouling and the reduction of cross-contamination in the food industry are important aspects of safety management systems. Polymeric surfaces are used extensively throughout the food production industry and therefore ensuring that effective cleaning regimes are conducted is vital. Throughout this study, the influence of the surface characteristics of three different polymeric surfaces, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), on the removal of using a wipe clean method utilising 3% sodium hypochlorite was determined.

Persistent Infectious Hyperkeratotic Dermatitis in Immunocompetent Epidermal-Mutant Mice.

During a previously reported program-wide outbreak, both immunocompetent depilated () mutant mice and transgenic mice that express the papillomavirus E6 oncoprotein became persistently infected with . An orthokeratotic, hyperkeratotic, acanthotic dermatitis developed in the -infected mice, which remained PCR-positive for >45 days prior to euthanasia as part of the program-wide eradication effort. Since both affected strains of mice have altered skin homeostasis, immune status or the presence of hair may not alone be sufficient to explain strain susceptibility to -related cutaneous disease.

Review of Rodent Euthanasia Methods.

The optimal choice of euthanasia method for laboratory rodents depends on a number of factors, including the scientific goals of the study, the need to minimize animal pain and/or distress, applicable guidelines and laws, the training and proficiency of personnel, and the safety and emotional needs of the personnel performing the euthanasia. This manuscript aims to provide guidance to researchers so they may select the method of euthanasia that results in minimal experimental confounds, such as the creation of artifact and alteration of tissues and analytes. Specific situations addressed include euthanasia of large numbers of rodents and euthanasia of neonates.

A murine neonatal model of necrotizing enterocolitis caused by anemia and red blood cell transfusions.

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is an idiopathic, inflammatory bowel necrosis of premature infants. Clinical studies have linked NEC with antecedent red blood cell (RBC) transfusions, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Here we report a neonatal murine model to investigate this association.

Rhenium and yttrium ions as antimicrobial agents against multidrug resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii biofilms.

Antimicrobial resistance presents major global concerns to patient health. In this study, metal ions of molybdenum, rhenium, yttrium and thallium were tested against bacteria in planktonic and biofilm form using one strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii. The antimicrobial efficacy of the metal ions was evaluated against the planktonic bacterial strains using minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum bactericidal concentrations, whilst the efficacy of the metal ions against biofilms was tested using a crystal violet biofilm assay.

The effects of blood conditioning films on the antimicrobial and retention properties of zirconium-nitride silver surfaces.

External bone fixation devices provide support and rehabilitation for severely damaged/broken bones, however, this invasive procedure is prone to infection. Zirconium nitride/silver (Ti-ZrN/Ag) coatings were characterised for surface topography, chemical composition, physicochemistry and antimicrobial efficacy (against Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis), in the presence of a blood conditioning film. The conditioning film altered the width of the microtopography of the surfaces however, the depth of the features remained relatively constant.

Exploring the electrochemical performance of graphite and graphene paste electrodes composed of varying lateral flake sizes.

We report the fabrication, characterisation (SEM/EDX, TEM, XRD, XPS and Raman spectroscopy) and electrochemical properties of graphite and graphene paste electrodes with varying lateral flake sizes. The fabricated paste electrodes are electrochemically analysed using both outer-sphere and inner-sphere redox probes, namely; hexaammineruthenium(iii) chloride, N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine (TMPD), potassium ferrocyanide(ii) and ammonium ferrous(ii) sulphate. Upon comparison of different graphite paste electrodes, a clear correlation between the lateral flake sizes (La), ranging from 1.

Antimicrobial synergy of cationic grafted poly(-phenylene ethynylene) and poly(-phenylene vinylene) compounds with UV or metal ions against .

The rise in multidrug resistant bacteria is an area of growing concern and it is essential to identify new biocidal agents. Cationic grafted compounds were investigated for their antimicrobial properties using minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) tests. Synergy testing was carried out using the compounds in the presence of ultraviolet (UV).

Author Correction: Antimicrobial activity of Ti-ZrN/Ag coatings for use in biomaterial applications.

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has been fixed in the paper.