Effect of Squid Cartilage Chitosan Molecular Structure on the Properties of Its Monofilament as an Absorbable Surgical Suture.

Suture is an important part of surgery, and wounds closing after surgery remains a challenge for postoperative care. Currently, silk, linen fiber, and cotton are available in the market as non-absorbable suture biomaterials. So, there is an urgent need to develop a novel suture with advantageous characteristics compared to the ones available on the market.

MicroRNA-18a-5p represses scar fibroblast proliferation and extracellular matrix deposition through regulating Smad2 expression.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression and role of microRNA-18a-5p (miR-18a-5p) during the formation of hypertrophic scar (HS), and to further explore the molecular mechanisms involved. Downregulation of miR-18a-5p in HS tissues and human HS fibroblasts (hHSFs) was detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The binding sites between miR-18a-5p and the 3'-untranslated region of SMAD family member 2 (Smad2) were predicted by TargetScan and confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay.

Jawbones Scaffold Constructed by TGF-β1 and BMP-2 Loaded Chitosan Microsphere Combining with Alg/HA/ICol for Osteogenic-Induced Differentiation.

Bone scaffolds based on multi-components are the leading trend to address the multifaceted prerequisites to repair various bone defects. Chitosan is the most useable biopolymer, having excellent biological applications. Therefore, in the present study, the chitosan microsphere was prepared by the ion-gel method; transforming growth factor β (TGF-β1) and bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) were loaded onto it and then combined with alginate/hyaluronic acid/collagen (Alg/HA/ICol) to construct a jawbones scaffold.

Construction of Stretching-Bending Sequential Pattern to Recognize Work Cycles for Earthmoving Excavator from Long Video Sequences.

Counting the number of work cycles per unit of time of earthmoving excavators is essential in order to calculate their productivity in earthmoving projects. The existing methods based on computer vision (CV) find it difficult to recognize the work cycles of earthmoving excavators effectively in long video sequences. Even the most advanced sequential pattern-based approach finds recognition difficult because it has to discern many atomic actions with a similar visual appearance.

A new type of bilayer dural substitute candidate made up of modified chitin and bacterial cellulose.

In the field of neurosurgery, timely and effective repair of dura mater plays an important role in stabilizing the physiological functions of the human body. Therefore, the aim of this study is to develop a new type of bilayer membrane as a dural substitute candidate. It consists of a dense layer that prevents cerebrospinal fluid leakage and a porous layer that promotes tissue regeneration.

Regulation of the Morphological and Physical Properties of a Soft Tissue Scaffold by Manipulating DD and DS of -Carboxymethyl Chitin.

To improve the biocompatibility/biodegradability as well as to lower the cost of the popular glycosaminoglycan/collagen scaffold, a monocomponent's polysaccharide scaffold based on biomimetic chemical modification of chitin from lower organisms was developed creatively. -Carboxymethyl chitin (-CMCH) was prepared by chloroacetic acid substitution of alkalized chitin. The cross-linked -CMCH soft tissue scaffold was constructed by a sol-gel freeze-drying method.

SVM+KF Target Tracking Strategy Using the Signal Strength in Wireless Sensor Networks.

Target Tracking (TT) is a fundamental application of wireless sensor networks. TT based on received signal strength indication (RSSI) is by far the cheapest and simplest approach, but suffers from a low stability and precision owing to multiple paths, occlusions, and decalibration effects. To address this problem, we propose an innovative TT algorithm, known as the SVM+KF method, which combines the support vector machine (SVM) and an improved Kalman filter (KF).

Antibacterial and antioxidant activity of exopolysaccharide mediated silver nanoparticle synthesized by Lactobacillus brevis isolated from Chinese koumiss.

Recently, silver nanoparticles gain significant attention due to their applications in various fields. The aim of present study was to develop the eco-friendly, cost effective, and simple method to biosynthesized the silver nanoparticle using sliver nitrate as precursor. In this study, we investigated the physical characterization and biotechnological applications of biosynthesized silver nanoparticle using exopolysaccharide of probiotic Lactobacillus brevis MSR104 isolated from Chinese koumiss.

Biotransformation of Isoeugenol into Vanillin Using Immobilized Recombinant Cells Containing Isoeugenol Monooxygenase Active Aggregates.

For efficiently enhancing the activity of isoeugenol monooxygenase, a whole cell overproducing active aggregate IEM720-18A was successfully fabricated via the fusion of amphiphilic short peptide 18A (EWLKAFYEKVLEKLKELF) and isoeugenol monooxygenase and then efficiently expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3). Such resulting bacteria, E.

Chitosan and its derivatives: synthesis, biotechnological applications, and future challenges.

Chitosan is a naturally occurring biodegradable as well as a non-toxic polymer generated from chitin through alkaline deacetylation reaction, and it is insoluble in organic/inorganic solvents and water. Furthermore, chitosan is one of the most plentiful cationic polymers in natural surroundings. Due to its non-toxicity and biocompatibility, chitosan is extensively employed in industrial, biomedical, food, pharmaceutical, environmental, and agricultural industry.

Insights on the ultra high antibacterial activity of positionally substituted 2'-O-hydroxypropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan: A joint interaction of -NH and -N(CH) with bacterial cell wall.

The positionally substituted 2'-O-hydroxypropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride chitin (2'-O-HTACCT) with different substitution degree of quaternary ammonium salt were synthesized directly from β-chitin, after that these 2'-O-HTACCT were then deacetylated to obtain corresponding 2'-O-hydroxypropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan (2'-O-HTACCS) with different deacetylation degree. The antibacterial activity and mechanism against E. coli and S.

Depth Reconstruction from Single Images Using a Convolutional Neural Network and a Condition Random Field Model.

This paper presents an effective approach for depth reconstruction from a single image through the incorporation of semantic information and local details from the image. A unified framework for depth acquisition is constructed by joining a deep Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and a continuous pairwise Conditional Random Field (CRF) model. Semantic information and relative depth trends of local regions inside the image are integrated into the framework.

Antibacterial activity and mechanism of chitosan with ultra high molecular weight.

Chitosan with different degree of deacetylation (DD) and ultra high molecular weight (MW >10(6)) was prepared from β-chitin by mild deacetylation. The effects of DD of chitosan and pH value of its solution/suspension on its antibacterial activity were investigated. The results showed that the optimal pH value was 6.

Efficacy and Safety of Transurethral Photoselective Greenlight(™) Laser Vaporization for the Treatment of Orthotopic Ureteroceles in Adults.

Objective: This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the safety and efficacy of transurethral photoselective Greenlight(™) laser vaporization in adult patients with orthotopic ureterocele.

Materials And Methods: Thirty adult patients diagnosed with orthotopic urecterocele were recruited at our center. Transurethral photoselective Greenlight laser vaporization was used as the exclusive technique for endoscopic management during the study period.

Preparation and characterization of cross-linked carboxymethyl chitin porous membrane scaffold for biomedical applications.

Porous dermal scaffold membrane (PDSM) was successfully prepared by using a so-called sol-gel freeze-drying method. In this method, the carboxymethyl chitin (CMC) hydrosol was first cross-linked by 1-ethyl-3-[3-dimethylaminopropyl] carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS), and then lyophilized to form the PDSM. For the first time, this research focused on the cross-linked CMC as the only component for three-dimensional PDSM.

Comparing the treatment outcomes of potassium-titanyl-phosphate laser vaporization and transurethral electroresection for primary nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer: A prospective, randomized study.

Background And Objectives: In urology, potassium-titanyl-phosphate (KTP) laser is mainly used in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia with a low rate of intraoperative and postoperative complications. A prospective, randomized study was undertaken to investigate the treatment outcomes of KTP laser vaporization for primary non-muscle-invasive bladder tumors (NMIBTs) as compared with conventional monopolar transurethral resection of bladder tumors (TURBT).

Materials And Methods: This study was designed as a prospective, randomized trial.

Preparation of acetylsalicylic acid-acylated chitosan as a novel polymeric drug for drug controlled release.

The acetylsalicylic acid-acylated chitosan (ASACTS) with high degree of substitution (DS) was successfully synthesized, and characterized with FTIR, (1)H NMR and elemental analysis methods. The optimum synthesis conditions were obtained which gave the highest DS (about 60%) for ASACTS. Its drug release experiments were carried out in simulated gastric and intestine fluids.

Impact of 160 W Greenlight laser vaporization of the prostate on erectile function: a prospective randomized controlled trial with 1-year follow-up.

Objective: Our aim was to evaluate the impact of 160 W Greenlight laser vaporization of the prostate on erectile function by the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) in 1-year follow-up in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

Background Data: Although high-power Greenlight laser has greatly improved the efficiency of vaporization of the prostate, the impact of it on erectile function remains uncertain.

Materials And Methods: A total of 80 BPH patients with normal erectile function or mild erectile dysfunction (IIEF-5 ≥12) were included in this study.

Surface molecularly imprinted electrospun affinity membranes with multimodal pore structures for efficient separation of proteins.

Molecular imprinting is an important tool for generating synthetic receptors with specific recognition sites. The resulting artificial receptor has been extensively used in areas that require molecular recognition. Nevertheless, various imprinted materials synthesized using conventional imprinting protocols have low binding capacities and slow binding kinetics because of difficulty in extracting the original templates and high resistance to mass transfer.

A prospective, randomized controlled trial of circumcision in adult males using the CO2 laser: modified technique compared with the conventional dorsal-slit technique.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the safety and efficacy of a modified CO2 laser technique for circumcision in adult males as compared with the conventional dorsal-slit method.

Background Data: Circumcision is one of the most commonly performed surgeries in the world. Although present techniques produce a good long-term result, there is a continuing need to improve the safety and efficacy of the circumcision procedure.

Highly potent silver-organoalkoxysilane antimicrobial porous nanomembrane.

We used a simple electrospinning technique to fabricate a highly potent silver-organoalkoxysilane antimicrobial composite from AgNO3-polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)/3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS)/tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) solution. Spectroscopic and microscopic analyses of the composite showed that the fibers contain an organoalkoxysilane 'skeleton,' 0.18 molecules/nm2 surface amino groups, and highly dispersed and uniformly distributed silver nanoparticles (5 nm in size).

[Clinical efficacy of Yougui capsules and Wuziyanzong pills on oligoasthenospermia].

Objective: To investigate the clinical effects of the Chinese traditional medicine Yougui Capsules and Wuziyanzong Pills on sperm viability and motility in patients with oligoasthenospermia.

Methods: A total of 80 infertile men oligoasthenospermia were equally randomized into a trial and a control group, the former treated with Yougui Capsules at 1.68 g tid, while the latter with Wuziyanzong Pills at 6 g bid, both for a course of 12 weeks.

MiR-138 suppresses expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) in clear cell renal cell carcinoma 786-O cells.

Objectives: Hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1a) is widely considered to be one of the key regulators in cancer cells. Here, we investigated a microRNA regulating expression of HIF-1a and explored its functions in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) cells.

Methods And Materials: Western blot and reporter assays were used to assess HIF-1a as a direct target of miR-138.

Expression of miR-143 reduces growth and migration of human bladder carcinoma cells by targeting cyclooxygenase-2.

Systemic chemotherapy is the only current modality that provides the potential for long-term survival in bladder carcinoma patients with metastatic disease. Overexpression of cyclooxygenase-2 COX-2 induces expression of immune- and cell proliferation-related genes and is associated with the grade, prognosis and recurrence of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. There is abundant evidence that aberrant expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) is implicated in numerous disease states and miRNAs have the potential to be used for cancer therapeutics.