Extraction of homogeneous lignin oligomers by ozonation of Miscanthus giganteus and vine shoots in a pilot scale reactor

Lignin, a complex phenolic polymer crucial for plant structure, is mostly used as fuel but it can be harnessed for environmentally friendly applications. This article explores ozonation as a green method for lignin extraction from lignocellulosic biomass, aiming to uncover the benefits of the extracted lignin. A pilot-scale ozonation reactor was employed to extract lignin from Miscanthus giganteus (a grass variety) and vine shoots (a woody biomass). The study examined the lignin extraction and modification of the fractions and identified the generation of phenolic and organic acids. About 48 % of lignin was successfully extracted from both biomass types. Phenolic monomers were produced, vine shoots yielding fewer monomers than Miscanthus giganteus. Ozonation generated homogeneous lignin oligomers, although their molecular weight decreased during ozonation, with vine shoot oligomers exhibiting greater resistance to ozone. Extracted fractions were stable at 200 °C, despite the low molecular weight, outlining the potential of these phenolic fractions.

Propofol-induced hippocampal Neurotoxicity: A mitochondrial perspective

Propofol is a frequently used anesthetic. It can induce neurodegeneration and inhibit neurogenesis in the hippocampus. This effect may be temporary. It can, however, become permanent in vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, who are more susceptible to Alzheimer's disease, and neonates and children, whose brains are still developing and require neurogenesis. Current clinical practice strategies have failed to provide an effective solution to this problem. In addition, the molecular mechanism of this toxicity is not fully understood. Recent advances in molecular research have revealed that apoptosis, in close association with mitochondria, is a crucial mechanism through which propofol contributes to hippocampal toxicity. Preventing the toxicity of propofol on the hippocampus has shown promise in in-vivo, in-vitro, and to a lesser extent human studies. This study seeks to provide a comprehensive literature review of the effects of propofol toxicity on the hippocampus via mitochondria and to suggest translational suggestions based on these molecular results.

A case report of diabetic ketoacidosis due to endocarditis of the mitral valve

In the context of diabetic ketoacidosis, clinicians should consider uncommon origins of infection, notably infective endocarditis. This is especially crucial when confronted with cases that recur persistently or exhibit resistance to treatment. This is a case of a diabetic patient with diabetic ketoacidosis admitted to our facility. A 35-year-old diabetic patient presented with DKA precipitated by mitral valve endocarditis. To our knowledge and according to the literature review, only one case of DKA precipitated by endocarditis has been reported in the past. This report highlights the importance of considering endocarditis as a possible etiology in patients presenting.

Environmental exposures to cadmium and lead as potential causes of eye diseases

Humans are exposed to cadmium and lead in various regions of the world daily due to industrial development and climate change. Increasing numbers of preclinical and clinical studies indicate that heavy metals, such as cadmium and lead, play a role in the pathogenesis of eye diseases. Excessive exposure to heavy metals such as cadmium and lead can increase the risk of impaired vision. Therefore, it is essential to better characterize the role of these non-essential metals in disease etiology and progression. This article discusses the potential role of cadmium and lead in the development of age-related eye diseases, including age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma. Furthermore, we discuss how cadmium and lead affect ocular cells and provide an overview of putative pathological mechanisms associated with their propensity to damage the eye.

The retina-brain axis and diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a major contributor to permanent vision loss and blindness. Changes in retinal neurons, glia, and microvasculature have been the focus of intensive study in the quest to better understand DR. However, the impact of diabetes on the rest of the visual system has received less attention. There are reports of associations of changes in the visual system with preclinical and clinical manifestations of diabetes. Simultaneous investigation of the retina and the brain may shed light on the mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration in diabetics. Additionally, investigating the links between DR and other neurodegenerative disorders of the brain including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease may reveal shared mechanisms for neurodegeneration and potential therapy options.

Retinal Neurodegeneration in Euglycemic Hyperinsulinemia, Prediabetes, and Diabetes

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a challenging public health problem mainly because of its growing prevalence and risk of blindness. In general, our current knowledge and practice have failed to prevent the onset or progression of DR to sight-threatening complications. While there are treatment options for sight-threatening complications of DR, it is crucial to pay more attention to the early stages of DR to decrease its prevalence. Growing evidence suggests many pathologic changes occur before clinical presentations of DR in euglycemic hyperinsulinemia, prediabetes, and diabetes. These pathological changes occur in retinal neurons, glia, and microvasculature. A new focus on these preclinical pathologies - especially on hyperinsulinemia - may provide further insight into disease mechanisms, endpoints for clinical trials, and druggable targets in early disease. Here, we review the current evidence on the pathophysiological changes reported in preclinical DR and appraise preventive and treatment options for DR.

Mineral Oil for in vitro Embryo Production: What We Should Know?

Mineral oil as a barrier can minimize temperature, osmolality, and pH fluctuation of the media in the in vitro embryo production system (IVP). Regardless of these advantages, mineral oil quality is varied and may deteriorate during storage or transport conditions. So, it can affect the IVP outcome by absorbing the essentials factors or realizing the toxic components into the media. Although, some methods have already been developed to reduce these side effects, still there is a big concern about the safety and use of mineral oil in the IVP system. In this review, we provided an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of using mineral oil in the IVP system. We also reviewed available methods for its quality control and finally, we introduced some methods for reducing the side effects of mineral oil.

Monoclonal antibodies in diabetic retinopathy

INTRODUCTION

Diabetic retinopathy (DR), as one of the main complications of diabetes, is among the leading causes of blindness and visual impairment worldwide.

AREAS COVERED

Current clinical therapies include photocoagulation, vitrectomy, and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapies. Bevacizumab and ranibizumab are two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) inhibiting angiogenesis. Intravitreal ranibizumab and bevacizumab can decrease the rate of blindness and retinal thickness, and improve visual acuity whether as monotherapy or combined with other treatments. They can increase the efficacy of other treatments and decrease their adverse events. Although administered intravitreally, they also might enter the circulation and cause systemic effects. This study is aimed to review our current knowledge about mAbs, bevacizumab and ranibizumab, in DR including superiorities, challenges, and limitations. Meanwhile, we tried to shed light on new ideas to overcome these limitations. Our latest search was done in April 2021 mainly through PubMed and Google Scholar. Relevant clinical studies were imported.

EXPERT OPINION

Future direction includes detection of more therapeutic targets considering other components of DR pathophysiology and shared pathogenesis of DR and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, the treat-and-extend regimen, and new ways of drug delivery and other routes of ocular drug administration.

Driving powers of the globalization on the urban ecology, a comparative study

BACKGROUND

The present study investigates the driving effects of globalization on the urban environment in two countries of Italy and Japan, which have the regular amplified economy among the advanced countries. For this purpose, a model with the collaboration of two main subjects of globalization coverage and urbanization and the methodological procedures of correlation test and structural analysis was constructed. A globalization index, namely the Maastricht globalization index (MGI), was assumed based on the integrated values of ten factors [HDI, ITA, GDP, FDI, TEI, GEE, GME, MCS, and IUI] besides three ecological indicators as the baseline of the urban environment, namely carbon dioxide emission (CDE), municipal solid wastes (MSW), and wastewater treatment plants (WTP).

RESULTS

Results revealed the positive associations between globalization and wastewater treatment of urban areas in both countries, exposing the influential role of globalization in connecting the urban population to the sewage plants. The results confirmed the positive role of globalization in decreasing carbon dioxide emissions and overall its practical influences to mitigate urban air pollution. However, the overall globalization effect on urban waste production was estimated differently in both countries.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the MICMAC analysis, only three factors, namely HDI, ITA, GDP, and FDI, can express driving powers and a significant share of globalization coverage. Consequently, enhancing such indicators that belong to globalization's social and economic domains certainly can act as driver powers to mitigate the environmental issues of urbanization in the study areas.

Climate effects on the COVID-19 outbreak: a comparative analysis between the UAE and Switzerland

The main aim of the present study is to disclose the similarities or differences of the climate effects on the COVID-19 outbreak in two countries, which have different climatic conditions. Using the correlation modeling, the results revealed that some climatic factors, such as the ULR, temperature, and CH₄ in the UAE and aerosol index and NO₂ in Switzerland have positive lagged correlations with the outburst of COVID-19 by intensifying role within − 9, − 7, and − 2 days. The mitigating role was also observed for ozone/solar radiation and temperature/long-wave radiation in the UAE and Switzerland, respectively. The initial hypotheses of the research have confirmed the correlations between new cases of COVID-19 and ULR and aerosol indices in the UAE and Switzerland. However, the main finding revealed that the climate effects on the COVID-19 outbreak show different roles in the different countries, locating in dissimilar climatic zones. Accordingly, the COVID-19 can be intensified by increases of the ULR and temperature in an arid region, while it can be exactly mitigated by increases of these factors in a temperate area. This finding may be useful for future researches for identifying the essential influencing factors for the mitigating COVID-19 outbreak.

Supplementation of ram's semen extender with Mito-TEMPO I: Improvement in quality parameters and reproductive performance of cooled-stored semen

Supplementation of cooling medium with some antioxidants could be a helpful way to improve sperm quality during chilling process. The current study was aimed to assess the influence of using Mito-TEMPO in cooling medium on quality parameters and reproductive performance of sheep semen during chilling process. In this study, diluted semen samples were assigned into 5 parts, and received 0, 0.5, 5, 50 and 500 μM Mito-TEMPO. The prepared samples were stored at 5 °C up to 48 h. Chilled sperm motility, viability, abnormal morphology, mitochondrial membrane potential, membrane functionality and malondialdehyde concentration were assessed during 0, 24 and 48 h. For evaluation of reproductive performance, artificial insemination was performed via 24 h-chilled semen. In results, at time 0, no difference was observed among groups. Using 5 and 50 μM Mito-TEMPO resulted in higher (P ≤ 0.05) cooled sperm total motility, progressive motility, membrane functionality, viability and lower malondialdehyde concentration than the other groups during 24 and 48 h storage. The rate of mitochondrial membrane potential was greater (P ≤ 0.05) in treated groups with 5, 50 and 500 μM Mito-TEMPO. Pregnancy, parturition and lambing rates were higher (P ≤ 0.05) when ewes were inseminated with 24 h-chilled semen samples containing 5 and 50 μM Mito-TEMPO compared to the control group. Therefore, supplementation of cooling medium with Mito-TEMPO (5 and 50 μM) could be an efficient method to improve the quality and reproductive efficiency of ram's cooled semen during storage period.

Synthesis of mesoscale ordered two-dimensional π-conjugated polymers with semiconducting properties

Two-dimensional materials with high charge carrier mobility and tunable band gaps have attracted intense research effort for their potential use in nanoelectronics. Two-dimensional π-conjugated polymers constitute a promising subclass because the band structure can be manipulated by varying the molecular building blocks while preserving key features such as Dirac cones and high charge mobility. The major barriers to the application of two-dimensional π-conjugated polymers have been the small domain size and high defect density attained in the syntheses explored so far. Here, we demonstrate the fabrication of mesoscale ordered two-dimensional π-conjugated polymer kagome lattices with semiconducting properties, Dirac cone structures and flat bands on Au(111). This material has been obtained by combining a rigid azatriangulene precursor and a hot dosing approach, which favours molecular diffusion and eliminates voids in the network. These results open opportunities for the synthesis of two-dimensional π-conjugated polymer Dirac cone materials and their integration into devices.

Quartic balance theory: Global minimum with imbalanced triangles

Balance theory proposed by Heider for the first time modeled triplet interaction in a signed network, stating that relationships between two people, friendship or enmity, is dependent on a third person. The Hamiltonian of this model has an implicit assumption that all triads are independent, meaning that the type of each triad, being balanced or imbalanced, determined apart from the state of other triads. This independence forces the network to have completely balanced final states. However, there exists evidence indicating that real networks are partially balanced, raising the question of what is the mechanism preventing the system to be perfectly balanced. Our suggestion is to consider a quartic interaction which dissolves the triad's independence. We use the mean-field method to study the thermal behavior of such systems where the temperature is a parameter that allows the stochastic behavior of agents. We show that under a certain temperature, the symmetry between balanced and imbalanced triads will spontaneously break and we have a discrete phase transition. As a consequence, stability arises where either similar balanced or imbalanced triads dominate, hence the system obtains two new imbalanced stable states. In this model, the critical temperature depends on the second power of the number of nodes, which was a linear dependence in thermal balance theory. Our simulations are in good agreement with the results obtained by the mean-field method.

A novel layer-by-layer heterogeneous cation exchange membrane for heavy metal ions removal from water

A novel layer-by-layer (LbL) cation exchange membrane was prepared for heavy metal ions removal from water via electrodialysis. LBL membranes fabricated by coating of [chitosan-co-activated carbon nanoparticles] layer on polyvinyl chloride-based heterogeneous cation exchange membrane. Betterment in adherence of layers was achieved through glutaraldehyde cross linking. FTIR, FESEM, 3D-surface images and BET analysis were used for LBL membrane characterization. Membrane surface hydrophilicity, flux, membrane potential, transport number, and their permselectivity were studied. FTIR spectra confirm LbL formation decisively. FESEM images and BET analysis demonstrated that coating of second layer on PVC membrane led to a compact structure. LbL membrane showed smoother and more hydrophilic surface compared to pristine membrane. The transport number and permselectivity increased by deposition of second layer whereas sodium flux showed up-down trend. ED experiment showed good ability in heavy metal ions removal for LBL membrane that follows (Cu²⁺> Ni²⁺> Pb²⁺) sequence. EDX analysis showed a competitive adsorption for heavy metal ions on LBL membrane as (Pb²⁺> Cu²⁺≥Ni²⁺). The effect of ultrasonic waves on regeneration of fouled membranes by heavy metals was investigated. The results showed improved performance for the regenerated membrane. Mechanical resistance also improved by utilizing of ACNs in chitosan layer.

Temperature-induced molecular reorganization on Au(111) driven by oligomeric defects

The formation of ordered molecular structures on surfaces is determined by the balance between molecule-molecule and molecule-substrate interactions. Whether the aggregation process is guided by non-covalent forces or on-surface reactions, a deeper understanding of these interactions is pivotal to formulating a priori predictions of the final structural features and the development of bottom-up fabrication protocols. Theoretical models of molecular systems corroborate the information gathered through experimental observations and help explain the thermodynamic factors that underpin on-surface phase transitions. Here, we report a scanning tunneling microscopy investigation of a tribromo-substituted heterotriangulene on the Au(111) surface, which initially forms an extended close-packed ordered structure stabilized by BrBr halogen bonds when deposited at room temperature. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals that annealing the self-assembled layer induces a fraction of the molecular precursors to partially dehalogenate that in turn leads to the formation of a less stable BrO non-covalent network which coexists with the short oligomers. Density functional theory (DFT) and Monte Carlo (MC) simulations illustrate how dimer moieties act as defects whose steric hindrance prevents the retention of the more stable configuration. A small number of dimers is sufficient to drive the molecular reorganization into a lower cohesive energy phase. Our study shows the importance of a combined DFT - MC approach to understand the evolution of molecular systems on substrates.

Predicting changes in the status of patient-reported outcome measures after Birmingham Hip Resurfacing: an observational cohort study with a median follow-up of ten years

AIMS

It is not known whether change in patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) over time can be predicted by factors present at surgery, or early follow-up. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with changes in PROM status between two-year evaluation and medium-term follow-up.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients undergoing Birmingham Hip Resurfacing completed the Veteran's Rand 36 (VR-36), modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), Tegner Activity Score, and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) at two years and a minimum of three years. A change in score was assessed against minimal clinically important difference (MCID) and patient-acceptable symptom state (PASS) thresholds. Binary logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between patient factors and deterioration in PASS status between follow-ups.

RESULTS

Overall, 18% of patients reported reductions in mHHS total score exceeding MCID, and 21% reported similar reductions for WOMAC function scores. Nonetheless, almost all patients remained above PASS thresholds for WOMAC function (98%) and mHHS (93%). Overall, 66% of patients with mHHS scores < PASS at two years reported scores > PASS at latest follow-up. Conversely, 6% of patients deteriorated from > PASS to < PASS between follow-ups. Multivariable modelling indicated body mass index (BMI) > 27 kg/m², VR-36 Physical Component Score (PCS) < 51, VR-36 Mental Component Score (MCS) > 55, mHHS < 84 at two years, female sex, and bone graft use predicted these deteriorating patients with 79% accuracy and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.84.

CONCLUSION

Due to largely acceptable results at a later follow-up, extensive monitoring of multiple PROMs is not recommended for Birmingham Hip Resurfacing patients unless they report borderline or unacceptable hip function at two years, are female, are overweight, or received a bone graft during surgery. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2019;101-B:1431-1437.

A Numerical Study on Fluid Flow and Acoustic Characteristics of a Supersonic Impinging Jet Using Vorticity Confinement

The objective of this work is to numerically study the fluid flow and acoustic field of a supersonic impinging jet by applying the vorticity confinement (VC) method. For this aim, the three-dimensional compressible Navier-Stokes equations with the incorporation of the VC method are considered and the resulting system of equations is solved by using the sixth-order compact finite-difference scheme. To eliminate the numerical instability, a low-pass high-order filter is used. The nonreflective boundary conditions are applied for all the free boundaries and the radiated sound field is obtained by the Kirchhoff surface integration. Comparisons of the present results with the experimental data and other numerical simulations show that the solution methodology adopted based on the application of the VC method with the high-order compact finite-difference scheme provides a good prediction of the fluid flow and the acoustic field of the impingement region on coarser grids than that usually required in the LESs, and thus, the calculations of coarse grid LESs are improved.

Effects of corn supplementation on meat quality and fatty acid composition of Dorper lambs fed PKC-Urea treated rice straw

BACKGROUND

The increasing costs of feed has subsequently increased the costs of production of livestock, thereby decreasing the profit margin of this sector. The utilization of agro-industrial by-products has to some extent substitute some of the corn grains and soyabean meal, commonly used in animal feeds. In Malaysia, palm kernel cake (PKC) is a by-product of the oil palm industry and is frequently used to supply both crude protein (14-16% CP) and energy (11 MJ/kg) in ruminants. The energy and protein content are adequate for maintenance in the majority of ruminants. However, highly available energy supplementation is known to improve growth performance and protein deposition. This study was carried out to determine the effect on the quality of meat and fatty acid composition of the semitendinosus (ST), supraspinatus (SS), and longissimus lumborum (LL) muscles of Dorper lambs by including corn as an energy source in a basal diet of PKC urea-treated rice straw.

RESULTS

The results show that the LL muscle-drip loss was greater in animals supplemented with 5% corn compared to the other groups. Higher pH values of SS and LL muscles were observed in animals supplemented with 5 and 10% corn. Furthermore, the L* value of ST muscle was increased in lambs fed on 5% corn while, reduced in those fed on 0% corn, but the a* and b* values were not significantly different in the treatment groups. The fatty acid composition of the SS muscles showed that lambs fed on 10% corn had higher levels of sum PUFA n-3 compared to those fed on 0% corn. The concentration of C18:1trans11 and CLA c12 t10 in ST muscle from the lambs fed on supplemented diets were higher than those of the controls.

CONCLUSION

This study has concluded the supplementation of corn as a source of energy into a PKC urea-treated rice straw-based diet increased the PUFA concentrations of muscles as compared to control groups.

Surface-mediated assembly, polymerization and degradation of thiophene-based monomers

Ullmann coupling of halogenated aromatics is widely used in on-surface synthesis of two-dimensional (2D) polymers and graphene nanoribbons. It stands out among other reactions for regioselectively connecting aromatic monomers into 1D and 2D π-conjugated polymers, whose final structure and properties are determined by the initial building blocks. Thanks to their exceptional electronic properties, thiophene-containing monomers are frequently used for the synthesis of various conjugated materials. On the other hand, their use in on-surface polymerization is hampered by the possibility of ring opening when adsorbed on metal surfaces. In the present work, we mapped the temperature regime for these two competing reactions by investigating the adsorption of a thiophene-based prochiral molecule using scanning tunneling microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations. We followed the formation of organometallic (OM) networks, their evolution into covalent structures and the competition between C-C coupling and thiophene ring opening. The effect of surface reactivity was explored by comparing the adsorption on three (111) coinage metal substrates, namely Au, Ag and Cu. While outlining strategies to minimize the ring opening reaction, we found that the surface temperature during deposition is of paramount importance for the preparation of 2D OM networks, greatly enhancing the overall ordering of the product by depositing on hot Ag surface. Notably, the same protocol permits the creation of OM structures on the air-stable Au surface, thereby allowing the synthesis and application of 2D OM networks outside the ultra-high vacuum environment.

Self-assembly of 5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid: polymorphism of a eumelanin building block on Au(111)

Investigating two-dimensional (2D) self-assembled structures of biological monomers governed by intermolecular interactions is a prerequisite to understand the self-assembly of more complex biomolecular systems. 5,6-Dihydroxyindole carboxylic acid (DHICA) is one of the building blocks of eumelanin - an irregular heteropolymer and the most common form of melanin which has potential applications in organic electronics and bioelectronics. By means of scanning tunneling microscopy, density functional theory and Monte Carlo calculations, we investigate DHICA molecular configurations and interactions underlying the multiple 2D patterns formed on Au(111). While DHICA self-assembled molecular networks (SAMNs) are dominated by the hydrogen bonding of carboxylic acid dimers, a variety of 2D architectures are formed due to the multiple weak interactions of the catechol group. The hydroxyl group also allows for redox reactions, caused by oxidation via O2 exposure, resulting in molecular rearrangement. The susceptibility of the molecules to oxidation is affected by their SAMNs architectures, giving insights on the reactivity of indoles as well as highlighting non-covalent assembly as an approach to guide selective oxidation reactions.

Electroencephalographic and blood parameters changes in anaesthetised goats subjected to slaughter without stunning and slaughter following different electrical stunning methods

Electrical stunning is the most widely used stunning method for sheep and goats. Because low frequency head-to-back electrical stunning induces cardiac arrest, it is non-compliant with halal requirements. In addition, conventional head-only electrical stunning method can have adverse effects on carcass and meat quality. To address these issues high-frequency electrical stunning systems were developed. High frequency head-to-back removes the potential for pain and distress compared with non-stunned slaughter and does not induce cardiac arrest like low frequency head-to-back stunning making it appropriate for halal. However, this claim is yet to be proven through a comprehensive neurophysiological study. Thus, the present study examined the effects of different pre-slaughter electrical stunning methods and slaughter without stunning on electroencephalographic and blood biochemistry changes. Thirty-two male Boer crossbred bucks were distributed into four groups of eight animals each and subjected to slaughter without stunning (SWS), low frequency head-only (LFHO) and low frequency head-to-back (LFHB) or high frequency head-to-back electrical stunning (HFHB). Slaughtering of animals with or without stunning was performed under minimal anaesthesia. Based on electroencephalograph results, at slaughter, the SWS animals showed an increase in brain electrical activity, which is consistent with the presence of post slaughter noxious sensory input associated with tissue damage. Meanwhile the electroencephalograph activities decreased immediately after application of electrical stunning in all animals, suggesting that they were insensible to pain during and after the neck cut. Electrical brain activities for goats subjected to HFHB were comparable to those for LFHO and those for LFHB. The percentage of animals that exhibited severe clonic activity was significantly lower after LFHB or HFHB stunning compared with LFHO. The concentrations of catecholamines and hyperglycemia in electrically stunned goats were higher compared with those from SWS. It was observed that LFHB caused cardiac arrest in all goats whereas all HFHB goats had no cardiac arrest. High frequency head-to-back electrical stunning may be an improvement on non-stunned slaughter and has advantages for meat quality. However, stunning effectiveness after head-to-back electrical stunning with high frequencies needs to be evaluated under industrial conditions before any recommendation is given.

The outcome and survival of metal-on-metal hip resurfacing in patients aged less than 50 years

Aims

The aim of this study was to report the implant survival and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in a consecutive series of patients aged less than 50 years at the time of arthroplasty using the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing system (BHR), with a minimum follow-up of ten years.

Patients and Methods

A total of 226 patients with osteoarthritis of the hip, who underwent BHR and presented to a single surgeon, were included in the study. Survival of the implant was confirmed by cross-checking with the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry. Kaplan–Meier survival curves with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were constructed. Pre- and postoperative PROMs were compared with t-tests, and postoperative scores were compared using anchor analysis with age and gender matched normative data.

Results

At median follow-up of 12 years (interquartile range (IQR) 10 to 13), six BHRs were revised, with a cumulative rate of survival of 96.8% (95% confidence interval (CI) 94.2 to 99.4) at 15 years, and with a significantly lower (p = 0.019) cumulative rate of revision than the national average for the same device at ten years. Most revisions (n = 4) were undertaken early, less than three years postoperatively, and occurred in women. Patient-reported general health (Veteran’s Rand-36), disease state (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index), function (modified Harris Hip Score) and level of activity (Tegner activity score) maintained significant (p < 0.01 for each) improvements beyond ten years postoperatively and were equal to, or exceeded, age- and gender-matched normative data in more than 80% of the patients.

Conclusion

Longer term PROMs after BHR, from a single surgeon, for patients aged less than 50 years remain under-reported. We found that the outcome after a BHR, at a minimum of ten years postoperatively, remained satisfactory, particularly for self-reported hip function.

Evaluation of safety and antifungal activity of Lactobacillus reuteri and Pediococcus diacetilactis isolates against aflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus

Biocontrol of moulds by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) instead of antibiotics and chemical preservatives is a new approach in veterinary medicine. The aims of present research were to perform molecular identification of dominant sourdough LAB isolates and to evaluate their in vivo safety and in vitro antifungal properties for using as biopreservative agents. Sequencing results of PCR products led to identification of Lactobacillus reuteri and Pediococcus diacetilactis as LAB isolates. Antifungal activity of the isolates and their cell-free culture filtrate (CCF) were also confirmed against aflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus, respectively by overlay and spore spot methods. Accordingly, antagonistic effect of P. diacetilactis and its CCF were significantly (P<0.05) higher than L. reuteri and CCF of mentioned LAB isolate. Clinical chemistry and haematological findings in mice fed LAB demonstrated also insignificant difference vs control mice and were in the normal range, which confirmed the safety of LAB isolates. By considering the importance of safe, food grade biocontrol agents, L. reuteri and P. diacetilactis isolates and their CCF may be considered as an alternative for antibiotics and other chemical preservatives in food and feed processing chain