Attenuation of inflammatory bowel disease by oral administration of mucoadhesive polydopamine-coated yeast β-glucan via ROS scavenging and gut microbiota regulation

Treatment for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is challenging since current anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive therapies do not address the underlying causes of the illness, which include increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and dysbiosis of the gut commensal microbiota. Additionally, these treatments often have systemic off-target effects and adverse side effects. In this study, we have developed a prebiotic yeast β-glucan nanocomplex coated with bio-adhesive polydopamine (YBNs@PDA) to effectively prolong their retention time in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The oral administration of YBNs@PDA restored the epithelium barriers, reduced ROS levels, and minimized systemic drug exposure while improved therapeutic efficacy in an acute colitis mouse model. Furthermore, 16S ribosomal RNA genes sequencing demonstrated a higher richness and diversity in gut microflora composition following the treatments. In particular, YBNs@PDA markedly augmented the abundance of Lachnospiraceae NK4A136 and Bifidobacterium, both of which are probiotics with crucial roles in relieving colitis via retaining gut homeostasis. Cumulatively, these results demonstrate that the potential of YBNs@PDA as a novel drug-free, ROS-scavenging and gut microbiota regulation nanoplatform for the treatment of GI disorders.

Unzipped carbon nanotubes assisted 3D printable functionalized chitosan hydrogels for strain sensing applications

Developing multifunctional hydrogels for wearable strain sensors has received significant attention due to their diverse applications, including human motion detection, personalized healthcare, soft robotics, and human-machine interfaces. However, integrating the required characteristics into one component remains challenging. To overcome these limitations, we synthesized multifunctional hydrogels using carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) and unzipped carbon nanotubes (f-CNTs) as strain sensor via a one-pot strategy. The polar groups in CMCS and f-CNTs enhance the properties of the hydrogels through different interactions. The hydrogels show superior printability with a uniformity factor (U) of 0.996 ± 0.049, close to 1. The f-CNTs-assisted hydrogels showed improved storage modulus (8.8 × 105 Pa) than the pure polymer hydrogel. The hydrogels adequately adhered to different surfaces, including human skin, plastic, plastic/glass interfaces, and printed polymers. The hydrogels demonstrated rapid self-healing and good conductivity. The biocompatibility of the hydrogels was assessed using human fibroblast cells. No adverse effects were observed with hydrogels, showing their biocompatibility. Furthermore, hydrogels exhibited antibacterial potential against Escherichia coli. The developed hydrogel exhibited unidirectional motion and complex letter recognition potential with a strain sensitivity of 2.4 at 210 % strain. The developed hydrogels could explore developing wearable electronic devices for detecting human motion.

Influence of the Use of Irrigation Solution Inhibitors in Improving Dentine Adhesion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

INTRODUCTION

This systematic review examined the effect of neutralizing agents on bond strength after irrigation with sodium hypochlorite and their existing protocols in literature.

METHODS

This present study adhered to the PRISMA guidelines and was registered at PROSPERO. Five electronic databases were searched (sept-2020/jan-2021) in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, without any restrictions on publication date. Cases reports, editorials and literature reviews were not included. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration tool. From the initial 7,147 studies, 2,745 were removed as duplicates and 4,382 were excluded after a title/abstract screen.

RESULTS

Seventeen in vitro studies were included. The results showed that the higher the concentration of sodium hypochlorite, the lower the bond strength at dentine/restoration interface (p⟨0.01). Among the studies, sodium ascorbate was the most widely used neutralizer and showed the most significant results in increasing bond strength (p⟨0.01). The bond strength values were found to increase with longer application time of the neutralizing substances (p⟨0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

The use of sodium ascorbate as a neutralizing agent can reverse the negative effects of the sodium hypochlorite and improve the bond strength between dentine and resin cement, however, it isn't possible to determine the best protocol for use.

Fabrication of versatile lignocellulose nanofibril/polymerizable deep eutectic solvent hydrogels with anti-swelling, adhesive and low-temperature resistant properties via a one-pot strategy

Lignocellulosic nanofibril (LCNF) is indispensable in numerous potential applications because of its unsurpassed quintessential characteristics. While it still remains a challenge to assemble LCNF in a facile and environmental economy-first manner. In this work, a simple and green one-step synthetic approach was reported to prepare a series of LCNF-containing versatile hydrogels using deep eutectic solvent (DES). In particular, the LCNF5% hydrogel (namely LCNF5%-gel) in this work perfectly integrated superior stretchability (∼643 %), and displayed a dramatically improved anti-swelling ability (25 %) compared to the control sample (neat DES hydrogel, 2252 %). Simultaneously, the LCNF5% hydrogel presented underwater adhesiveness and outstanding long-term low-temperature resistance (stable at -25 °C for a month). This novel multifunctional hydrogel, prepared by a facile and eco-friendly strategy, is potentially useful in wet adhesion or underwater applications.

Structural changes of starch under different milling degrees affect the cooking and textural properties of rice

A long-term consumption of white rice increases the risk of T2D. Finding an appropriate milling degree (MD) of rice balancing nutrition and palatability benefits public health. This study investigated effects of MD-0 s, 5 s, 60 s on morphological, cooking and textural properties of rice. Texture profile analysis showed that milling decreased hardness, while increased adhesiveness of rice. SEM images showed that milling induced notches and structural damage, which facilitated gelatinization of rice determined by DSC. Leached starch was further analyzed by size exclusion chromatography and chain-length distribution. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that milling induced more leached shot-chain amylose and long-chain amylopectin, which decreased hardness and increased adhesiveness of cooked rice. Collectively, milling-induced changes of starch gelatinization and fine structure of leached starch were decisive factors of rice texture. Moderate processing improved the texture of brown rice and maintained nutrients. This would provide guidance for the health industry of whole grains.

Atomic force microscopy-based assessment of multimechanical cellular properties for classification of graded bladder cancer cells and cancer early diagnosis using machine learning analysis

Cellular mechanical properties (CMPs) have been frequently reported as biomarkers for cell cancerization to assist objective cytology, compared to the current subjective method dependent on cytomorphology. However, single or dual CMPs cannot always successfully distinguish every kind of malignant cell from its benign counterpart. In this work, we extract 4 CMPs of four different graded bladder cancer (BC) cell lines by AFM (atomic force microscopy)-based nanoindentation to generate a CMP database, which is used to train a cancerization-grade classifier by machine learning. The classifier is tested on 4 categories of BC cells at different cancer grades. The classification shows split-independent robustness and an accuracy of 91.25% with an AUC-ROC (ROC stands for receiver operating characteristic, and ROC curve is a graphical plot which illustrates the performance of a binary classifier system as its discrimination threshold is varied) value of 97.98%. Finally, we also compare our proposed method with traditional invasive diagnosis and noninvasive cancer diagnosis relying on cytomorphology, in terms of accuracy, sensitivity and specificity. Unlike former studies focusing on the discrimination between normal and cancerous cells, our study fulfills the classification of 4 graded cell lines at different cancerization stages, and thus provides a potential method for early detection of cancerization. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: We measured four cellular mechanical properties (CMPs) of 4 graded bladder cancer (BC) cell lines using AFM (atomic force microscopy). We found that single or dual CMPs cannot fulfill the task of BC cell classification. Instead, we employ MLA (Machine Learning Algorithm)-based analysis whose inputs are BC CMPs. Compared with traditional cytomorphology-based prognoses, the non-invasive method proposed in this study has higher accuracy but with many fewer cellular properties as inputs. The proposed non-invasive prognosis is characterized with high sensitivity and specificity, and thus provides a potential tumor-grading means to identify cancer cells with different metastatic potential. Moreover, our study proposes an objective grading method based on quantitative characteristics desirable for avoiding misdiagnosis induced by ambiguous subjectivity.

Redox-activity of polydopamine for ultrafast preparation of self-healing and adhesive hydrogels

The high adhesive property of polydopamine (PDA) has spurred various hydrogels for biological and medical applications. Herein, a dual-catalytic redox system was constructed by using the inner dynamic redox-activity of PDA and free radical initiator ammonium persulfate (APS) to initiate the polymerization of acrylic acid (AA) monomer to obtain Fe-PDA hydrogels within 2 h at room temperature. Fe-PDA NPs functions as both initiator to activate APS to generate free radicals and promotes the formation of the hydrogel and dynamic cross-linking mediator between the polymer chains. The tensile strength and ductility of the obtained hydrogels vary with the content of Fe-PDA NPs. Hydrogel with 0.15 wt% of Fe-PDA NPs has the highest tensile strength (~0.62 MPa) and hydrogel with 0.6 wt% of Fe-PDA NPs has the highest elongation, about ~650%. The introduction of PDA NPs imparts PAA hydrogel with reproducible adhesive properties and self-healing ability. The doped iron ion further endows hydrogel enhanced photothermal properties (up to 160 ℃ with 808 nm laser irradiation for 120 s) and conductivity.

Robust and adhesive lignin hybrid hydrogel as an ultrasensitive sensor

The fabrication of hydrogel for sensing purposes remains to be a challenge since the hydrogel needs to have both good mechanical strength and adhesiveness. This work reports a robust and adhesive hydrogel mainly constructed with AgNPs@lignin, polyacrylamide (PAM) and sodium alginate (SA). The silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were in-situ generated via the reaction between lignin and silver ammonia ([Ag(NH₃)₂]⁺). The resultant lignin hybrid hydrogel exhibited a stress, strain and tearing energy up to 0.055 MPa, 1000% and 250 J·m^-2, respectively. Furthermore, the hydrogel adhered to different materials with an adhesion energy of higher than 230 J·m^-2. This hydrogel was demonstrated to be an ideal sensing material since it could detect both large-scale motions and tiny physiological signals including breathing and pulse. The hydrogel also exhibited good antibacterial performance and biocompatibility. This work provides a good example to design a lignin-based high-performance hydrogel material for sensing purposes.

Force spectroscopy of interactions between Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and Yersinia pestis cells and monoclonal antibodies using optical tweezers

The interactions of a microbial cell with host cells and humoral factors play an important role in the development of infectious diseases. The study of these mechanisms contributes to the development of effective methods for the treatment of bacterial infections. One of the possible approaches to studying bacterial adhesion to host cells is based on the use of the optical trap method. The aim of this work was to assess the significance of lipopolysaccharide O-antigen on the adhesiveness of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis using a model system including a bacterial cell captured by a laser beam and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) bound covalently to a glass substrate. Registered interaction forces between Y. pseudotuberculosis cells and complementary antibodies to the O-antigen of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or the B antigen outer membrane protein were 5.9 ± 3.3 and 2.0 ± 1.8 pN, respectively. Interaction forces between O-antigen deficient Y. pestis cells and the mentioned mAbs were 4.2 ± 2.9 and 9.6 ± 4.9 pN. The results are qualitatively consistent with earlier data obtained by using a model system based on polymer beads sensitized with LPS from Y. pseudotuberculosis and Y. pestis and surfaces coated by the aforementioned antibodies. This indicates that the immunochemical activity of Y. pseudotuberculosis cells is mediated mainly by the lipopolysaccharide. The model described can be used in similar studies of physicochemical and immunochemical mechanisms of bacterial adhesiveness.

Evaluation of cellulose based films comprising tea tree oil against dermatophytes and yeasts

BACKGROUND

Onychomycosis is defined as infection caused by nondermatophytic molds and yeasts: tinea unguium is caused by dermatophytes.

PURPOSE

Within this study, hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) as an important non-ionic, water-soluble cellulose derivative was chosen to develop formulations containing tea tree oil as active antifungal agent were developed and evaluated for their potential in the treatment of onychomycosis.

METHODS

Two polymeric films based on HEC (HEC-B-04 and HEC-E-10) were obtained by solvent evaporation method and characterized in terms of appearance, disintegration, stickiness, elongation, rheological behavior and adhesiveness. Moreover, different strains of dermatophytes such as Trichophyton rubrum and yeasts as Candida albicans were treated with polymeric films containing tea tree oil (0.5 - 2 % v/v) in order to determine their antifungal potential by the inhibition zone assay.

RESULTS

HEC-B-04 and HEC-E-10 were investigated by SEM measurements resulting in confluent surface morphology. HEC-B-04 and HEC-E-10 showed disintegration after 32.7 min and 34.0 min, respectively. Furthermore, HEC-E-10 revealed a moisture index of 1.74 and underpinned adhesive properties in terms of required detachment force with 4.86 N. HEC-E-10 pointed to the most antifungal one among the others against Trichophyton rubrum and Candida albicans.

CONCLUSION

Taking these findings in consideration, promising adhesive onychial formulations were developed as forthcoming approach in treatment of nail infections.

Influence of Different Surface Pretreatments of Zirconium Dioxide Reinforced Lithium Disilicate Ceramics on the Shear Bond Strength of Self-Adhesive Resin Cement

Aim

To analyze the influence of different surface pretreatments of zirconium dioxide reinforced lithium disilicate ceramics on the shear bond strength of self-adhesive resin cement.

Materials and methods

Eighty-four zirconium reinforced lithium disilicate disc Vita suprinity (Vita Zahnfabrick, Bad Säckingen, Germany) 14x12x2 mm specimens were fabricated according to the manufacturer's recommendations. The specimens were embedded in acrylic resin blocks and randomly divided in seven groups (n=12/each) accorrding to the treatment: Group 1- 10% hydrofluoric acid; Group 2- silane; Group 3- hydrofluoric and silane; Group 4- sandblasting with silane; Group 5- Er: YAG laser+ silane; Group 6- Nd: YAG laser + silane; and the control group, in which the specimens were not treated. Round shape composite discs (Filtek Bulk fill, 3M ESPE, St.Paul, Minnesota, USA) with 3.5 mm diameter, were made for shear bond strength testing, and then cemented to the ceramic sample surface using composite cement (RelyX U200 Automix, 3M ESPE, Neuss, Germany). After cementing the composite disc on the sample, the samples were subjected to shear bond strength test of 10 N with a “stress rate” of 1 MPa / s. To determine the nature of the fracture (adhesive, cohesive or adhesive-cohesive), the broken samples were examined under a stereomicroscope. The ANOVA test and the Tukey test were used to compare the values ​​of the bond strength characteristics between different types of materials. All tests were performed with a significance level of α = 0.05.

Results

There was a significant difference in the shear bond strength of self-adhesive cement to dental lithium-disilicate ceramics reinforced with zirconium dioxide after different preparation protocols (p<0, 05). The treatment of lithium disilicate ceramics reinforced with zirconium dioxide by silanization, sandblasting + silanization, Nd: YAG + silanization resulted in significantly higher bond strength compared to the control group. There was statistically higher bond strength of self-adhesive cement after pretreatment of lithium disilicate ceramics Nd: YAG + silanization compared to Er: YAG + silanization (p <0.05). Adhesive fracture dominated in the control group, sandblasting + silanization group, and in the laser groups, while mixed fracture dominated in other groups.

Conclusion

Under the limitations of this study, the Nd:YAG irradiation with silanization could be used as pretreatment for providing greater shear bond strength of self-adhesive resin cement to zirconium reinforced lithium disilicate.

Stickiness of extracellular polymeric substances on different surfaces via magnetic tweezers

Organic particle dynamics in the surface ocean plays a critical part in the marine carbon cycle. Aggregation of marine organic particles drives their downward transport to support various marine organisms on their transit to the sediments. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) from various microbes are a major contributor to the oceanic organic particle pool. The stickiness of EPS is expected to play a determining role in the aggregation process of particles; however, stickiness parameters are usually indirectly estimated through data fitting without direct assessment. Here a magnetic tweezer method was developed to quantitatively assess the stickiness of three model EPS produced by: Amphora sp., (diatom), Emiliania huxleyi (coccolithophore), and Sagittula stellata (bacteria), under different in vitro environmental conditions (salinity or EDTA complexed cations) and surface matrices (EPS-EPS and bare glass). Our results showed the stickiness of three microbial EPS decreasing for S. stellata > E. huxleyi > Amphora sp., in line with their decreasing protein-to-carbohydrate (P/C) ratios (related to their relative hydrophobicity). The data not only emphasize the importance of hydrophobicity on EPS stickiness, but also demonstrates that salinity and the nature of the substrate surface can influence the stickiness. Furthermore, we investigated stickiness between various types of EPS, and the observed selective stickiness of EPS between species may shed light on the interactions among heterogeneous marine microorganisms. Overall, this newly developed system provides a platform to assess the EPS stickiness to advance our understanding of the aggregation and sedimentation process of organic particles that are critical for the fate of organic carbon as well as for biofilm formation and microbial colonization of surfaces in the ocean.

Associating chitosan and microemulsion as a topical vehicle for the administration of herbal medicines

A viscous solution of low molecular weight chitosan (CH) at 5% w/v (10.2 kDa, 75 % deacetylated, 1451 cP at 25 °C) was associated with a microemulsion (ME) that undergoes a phase transition after water absorption in situ (≈28 % w/w), forming a more viscous liquid crystal, which was potentially evaluated as a topical vehicle. The ME was selected from a phase diagram, selecting a composition based on Tween® 80 (52 %), myristate isopropyl (28 %), and the aqueous phase (water and polyethylene glycol 400, 60:40 w/w) (20 %), which was after replaced by CH and herbal medicines (HM). HM are alternatives to treat candidiasis, and Stryphnodendron adstringens shell extract, characterized by molecular networking, and Melaleuca alternifolia Chell essential oil (46 % of terpinen-4-ol), showed in vitro activity against Candida albicans. Associating CH in ME improved the mechanical properties of the topical formulation, as adhesiveness, which is an advantageous feature for the topical treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis.

Structural basis of wheat starch determines the adhesiveness of cooked noodles by affecting the fine structure of leached starch

The relationship between the fine structure of original starch, leached starch during cooking, and the adhesiveness of noodles prepared by adding starches separated from different wheat cultivars was analyzed. The adhesiveness of noodles was primarily determined by the chain-length distributions of amylopectin rather than amylose. The adhesiveness of cooked noodles was positively correlated with the amount of short amylopectin chains with the degree of polymerization (DP) of 6-12, but negatively correlated with the amount of long chains with 25 < DP ≤ 36. The decrease of the proportion of short amylopectin chains and amylose chains and the increase of the amount of very long amylopectin chains with 37 < DP ≤ 100 in leachate led to decreased adhesiveness of cooked noodles. The reduction of the short-chain content in leached amylopectin caused by the increased proportion of long chains in original amylopectin is proposed to weaken the adhesiveness of cooked noodles.

Solventless granulation and spheronization of indomethacin crystals using a mechanical powder processor: Effects of mechanically induced amorphization on particle formation

Our aim was to reveal the effects of mechanically-induced amorphization on the solventless agglomeration and spheronization of drug crystals using a mechanical powder processor. This process can provide spherical particles comprising 100% drug. Indomethacin crystals were mechanically treated using various jacket temperatures and the resulting particles were characterized using particle and crystalline analyses. Also, the adhesive and mechanical properties of amorphous indomethacin were examined. At 20 °C, the indomethacin crystals fragmented and amorphized during processing, indicating that glassy-state indomethacin with no adhesiveness does not contribute to agglomeration or spheronization. At 40 °C, agglomeration occurred due to the transformation of mechanically-induced amorphous phases from non-adhesive glass to an adhesive supercooled liquid at around the glass transition temperature. However, at higher temperatures, the formation of agglomerates was suppressed by recrystallization of the amorphous surface. At 60 °C, the indomethacin crystals compacted and spheronized due to deformation of the particle surface, consistent with results showing that the stiffness of amorphous indomethacin decreased suddenly above 60 °C. The lifespan of the amorphous phase decreased due to enhanced recrystallization as the temperature increased, thereby reducing the degree of spheronization. In conclusion, agglomeration and spheronization are affected by the glass transition temperature and recrystallization of the mechanically-induced amorphous phase.

Clinical Evaluation of a Self-Adhering Flowable Resin Composite in Minimally Invasive Class I Cavities: 5-year Results of a Double Blind Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term clinical performance of a self-adhering flowable resin composite compared to a conventional flowable resin composite used with an etch&rinse adhesive system in minimally invasive Class I cavities.

Materials and Methods

Twenty-five patients received at least one pair of Class I restorations (n=65). After class I cavities had been prepared, they were randomly restored either with a self-adhering flowable resin composite (VertiseFlow/Kerr-VR) [Group-1 (n=33)], or with a flowable resin composite (Luxaflow/DMG-LX) in combination with an etch&rinse adhesive (Teco/DMG) [Group-2 (n=32)] according to the manufacturers' instructions. The restorations were evaluated at baseline and yearly during 5 years according to the FDI criteria by two evaluators. A statistical analysis was carried out using the Pearson Chi-Square test and the Cochran Q-test followed by the Mc Nemar's test (p=0.05).

Results

After 5 years a total of 47 restorations were evaluated with a recall rate of 68%. At 4-year, 3 (11.5%) VR and 2 LX (7.6%) restorations exhibited a cumulative retention loss. Seventeen (73.9%) VR and 14 LX (58.3%) restorations exhibited clinically acceptable (2) scores for marginal adaptation. At 5-year evaluations VR and LX showed similar results regarding all evaluated criteria (p > 0.05). The cumulative retention loss rates of VR and LX were 15.3% and 7.6%, respectively. None of the restorations demonstrated a recurrence of caries and post operative sensitivity. Both materials showed significant changes at 4 and 5 years regarding marginal staining when compared to baseline (p<0.001). Furthermore, significant changes were observed for VR and LX at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years for marginal adaptation according to baseline (p<0.001).

Conclusion

The use of both materials for the restoration of Class-I cavities demonstrated clinically acceptable performance at the end of 5-year. The self-adhering flowable composite exhibited a clinical performance similar to the conventional flowable applied with an etch&rinse adhesive.

Effects of different dentinal drying methods on the adhesion of glass ionomer restorations to primary teeth

BACKGROUND

Glass ionomer cements that form an inevitable part of pediatric restorative dentistry are inherently sensitive to moisture. The influence of different drying techniques on the shear bond strength of glass ionomer cements to primary teeth dentin has not been established.

AIMS

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effects of different drying methods for different drying time periods on the shear bond strength of GC Fuji IX to primary tooth dentine.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

A total of 135 caries-free primary teeth were selected and ground to a flat dentinal surface. Specimens were randomly divided into three groups - air dry, blot dry, and suction dry of 45 specimens each. Of these, 15 specimens each were dried for 2 s, 5 s, and 10 s. GC Fuji IX was condensed into Teflon molds, and the specimens were subjected to shear bond strength testing.

RESULTS

The mean shear bond strength values for the different time intervals were analyzed with analysis of variance test. In the air-dry group, the maximum shear bond strength values were obtained when the specimens were dried for 5 s and the least when dried for 2 s (P = 0.00). In the blot-dry and suction-dry groups, the highest values were obtained when the specimens were dried for 10 s and least for 2 s (P = 0.039 and 0.000, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Among the three drying methods employed in the study, the maximum shear bond strength of the glass ionomer restoration was observed in the air-dry group.

Biocompatibility, hemocompatibility and antimicrobial properties of xyloglucan-based hydrogel film for wound healing application

Crosslinked xyloglucan-poly(vinyl alcohol) based hydrogel films are interesting materials for wound healing applications. This work focuses on the hydrolytic degradation and consequent morphological modification of a XG-PVA film and on its interaction with cells, blood, bacteria. Biocompatibility of the film was assessed in vitro by investigating different aspects, such as cell viability, oxidative stress level, mitochondrial dysfunction and specific stress biomarkers. Partial adhesiveness was demonstrated by performing different attaching assays and phalloidin staining. Hemocompatibility of XG-PVA film after interaction with blood was evaluated by using a multi-parametric approach, including human Red Blood Cells (RBC) count, hemolytic response and platelets activation. Thrombin and fibrinogen concentrations were examined as marker of the coagulation cascade. After direct contact with human blood and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), no evidence of cell defense response was observed. Antimicrobial activity of XG-PVA film was tested against Escherichia coli (E.coli). XG-PVA film promotes bacterial retentivity and provides mechanical protection against bacterial infiltration. After loading the film with ampicillin, an inhibitory E. coli growth zone was observed. All together these results indicate that the XG-PVA system is a promising material to be tested in vivo for wound healing applications.

Influence on free amino acid and volatile compound profile

The impact of low temperature treatment and its combination with ultrasound has been evaluated in order to correct texture defects in dry-cured hams. A total of 26 dry-cured hams, classified as high proteolysis index (PI>36%), were used. From these hams, ten slices from each ham sample were cut, vacuum packed and submitted to three different treatments: control (without treatment), conventional thermal treatments (CV) and thermal treatment assisted by power ultrasound (US). The impact of these treatments on instrumental adhesiveness, free amino acid and volatile compounds profile were assessed. Statistical analysis showed that both US and CV treatments, significantly (P < .001) decreased the instrumental adhesiveness of dry-cured hams from 85.27 g for CO to 40.59 and 38.68 g for US and CV groups, respectively. The total free amino acid content was significantly (P < .001) affected by both treatments, presenting higher values the samples from the US group (6691.5 vs. 6067.5 vs. 5278.2 mg/100 g dry matter for US, CV and CO groups, respectively). No significant differences were observed between US and CV treatments. All the individual free amino acids were influenced by ultrasound and temperature treatments, showing the highest content in sliced dry-cured ham submitted to ultrasounds at 50 °C, except for isoleucine which presented the highest level in samples from CV group. Similarly, significant differences (P < .05) were also detected in the total volatile compound content between CO and US groups, with a higher concentration in the CO batch (56,662.84 AU × 10³/g of dry-cured ham) than in the US treatment (45,848.47 AU × 10³/g of dry-cured ham), being the values in the CV treatment intermediate (48,497.25 AU × 10³/g of dry-cured ham). Aldehydes, ethers and esters, carboxylic acids and sulphur compounds were more abundant in the CO group, while CV group showed higher concentrations of ketones, alcohols and nitrogen compounds.

Randomized, double-blind, crossover study of the adhesiveness of two formulations of rotigotine transdermal patch in patients with Parkinson's disease

OBJECTIVE

In patch-based transdermal drug delivery, adhesiveness is critical for safe and effective treatment, especially in Parkinson's disease (PD) where excessive sweating is common. This study compared the adhesiveness of two transdermal patch formulations of rotigotine (improved room temperature-stable [PR2.3.1/Treatment A] and intermediate cold storage product [PR2.1.1/Treatment B]), using the largest patch size (40 cm²).

METHODS

PD0018 (NCT02230904) was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, crossover study. PD patients received Treatments A and B in randomized order for 2 days each. Patch adhesiveness was measured immediately after patch application and 24 hours thereafter (before removal). Primary variable: change in average investigator-rated adhesiveness score between treatments, per modified European Medicines Agency scale (EMA/CHMP/QWP/911254/2011, 2012).

RESULTS

Fifty-seven patients were randomized; 56 patients completed the study. Five patients were excluded from analysis for accidental unblinding. Treatment A had better average adhesiveness score (mean ± SD Treatment A - Treatment B: 1.115 ± 1.635). A higher percentage of patients on both days had patch adhesiveness ≥95% at 24 hours for Treatment A (first day: 65.4%, second day: 71.2%) vs. Treatment B (46.2%, 36.5%), and were satisfied with patch adhesiveness of Treatment A (first day: 75.0%, second day: 73.1%) vs. Treatment B (65.4%, 59.6%). Average patch-wear duration was similar between formulations (23.761 hours vs. 23.495 hours per patch). Both formulations were well tolerated with no new safety observations.

CONCLUSION

Results indicated greater adhesiveness for the improved room temperature-stable formulation (PR2.3.1) vs. intermediate cold storage product (PR2.1.1) using the largest patch-size, with comparable safety and skin tolerability.

[Research on the effect of biological glue on augmenting the viscosity of tissue engineering retinal nerve scaffolds]

Objective: To evaluate the adhesion effect of tissue engineering retinal nerve scaffolds modified with biological glue. Methods: Experimental study. To fabricate a biological glue by blending laminin, collagen Ⅳ, entactin and HSPG(2) with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) buffer solution, scaffolds were then modified with the biological glue of various concentration levels (10 μl/cm(2), 20 μl/cm(2), 30 μl/cm(2) and 40 μl/cm(2)). The effects of various concentration levels glue on inducing scaffold adhesion were analyzed after 24 h. Cell count method and CCK-8 kit were used to assess the effects of biological glue on cell growth and toxicity. Then the scaffolds modified with or without glue were transplanted into rabbit's retina by 23 G pars plana vitrectomy. Intraocular pressure(IOP) and retina examination were assessed by ICare, fundus photograph and OCT. The adhesion effects of various concentration levels glue were analyzed by chi-square test. The cell adhesion rate of different scaffolds was analyzed by Mann-Whitney U test. One-Way ANOVA was used to compare the cell survival rate of different scaffolds. After transplantation, the IOP variance of rabbits was analyzed by repetitive measurement deviation analysis. Results: Compared with the control groups, the maximum adhesion rate of the biological glue was 91.7% (χ(2)=8.79, P<0.05) at 30μl/cm(2) concentration level. After 24h of cultivation, cell adhesion rate of glue-scaffold group (86.85%) was significantly higher than that of pure scaffold group (13.78%, U=0.01, P<0.05), while there was no significant difference between the cell survival rates of the two groups (F=7.235, P=0.11). There was no significant difference (F=79.16, P=0.07) between the IOP of viscosity modified group [(18.4+0.93) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa)] and non- modified group [(17.1±0.04)mmHg]. The retina adhesion rate of viscosity modified scaffold was 80% at 7 days postoperatively, and the fundus examination showed no inflammatory response in retina and vitreous cavity. Conclusion: This study showed that the biological glue has favorable viscosity modifying effect on tissue engineering neural retina scaffolds, which is beneficial for the biological material transplantation. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2018, 54: 277-282).

Adhesive free-standing multilayer films containing sulfated levan for biomedical applications

This work is the first reporting the use of layer-by-layer to produce adhesive free-standing (FS) films fully produced using natural-based macromolecules: chitosan (CHI), alginate (ALG) and sulfated levan (L-S). The deposition conditions of the natural polymers were studied through zeta potential measurements and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring analysis. The properties of the FS films were evaluated and compared with the control ones composed of only CHI and ALG in order to assess the influence of levan polysaccharide introduced in the multilayers. Tensile tests, dynamic mechanical analysis and single lap shear strength tests were performed to evaluate the mechanical properties of the prepared FS films. The presence of L-S conferred both higher tensile strength and shear strength to the developed FS membranes. The results showed an adhesion strength 4 times higher than the control (CHI/ALG) FS films demonstrating the adhesive character of the FS films containing L-S. Morphological and topography studies were carried out revealing that the crosslinking reaction granted the L-S based FS film with a higher roughness and surface homogeneity. Preliminary biological assays were performed by cultivating myoblasts cells on the surface of the produced FS films. Both crosslinked and uncrosslinked FS films containing L-S were cytocompatible and myoconductive.

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

Sutures remain as the "gold standard" for wound closure and bleeding control; however they still have limitations such as, high infection rate, inconvenience in handling, and concern over possible transmission of blood-borne disease through the use of needles. One of the challenges of tissue engineering consist on the design and development of biocompatible tissue adhesives and sealants with high adhesion properties to repair or attach devices to tissues. In this work, the introduction of sulfated levan (L-S) on multilayered free-standing membranes was proposed to confer adhesive properties. Moreover, the films were myoconductive even in the absence of crosslinking just by the presence of L-S. This study provides a promising strategy to develop biological adhesives and for cardiac tissue engineering applications.

Lipopolysaccharides of Pantoea agglomerans 7604 and 8674 with structurally related O-polysaccharide chains: Chemical identification and biological properties

Structurally related O-specific polysaccharide (O-antigen) and lipid A components were obtained by mild acid degradation of the lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) of two strains of bacteria Pantoea agglomerans, 7604 and 8674. Studies by sugar analysis along with 1D and 2D ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy enabled elucidation of the following structures of the O-polysaccharides, which differ only in the linkage configuration of a side-chain glucose residue: R=α-d-Glcp in strain 7604 or β-d-Glcp in strain 8674 Lipid A samples were studied by GC-MS and high-resolution ESI-MS and found to be represented by penta- and tetra-acyl species; lipid A of strain 8674 also included hexaacyl species. A peculiar feature of lipid A of both strains is the presence of the major cis-9-hexadecenoic (palmitoleic) acid, which has not been found in P. agglomerans strains studied earlier. The LPSs of both strains were pyrogenic, reduced the average adhesion and the index of adhesiveness and showed a relatively low level of lethal toxicity. O-antiserum against strain 7604 showed one-way cross-reactivity with the LPS of strain 8674, and O-antisera against both strains cross-reacted with LPSs of some other Р. agglomerans strains but more strains were serologically unrelated. These structural and serological data indicate immunochemical heterogeneity of Р. agglomerans strains and will find demand in classification of Р. agglomerans by O-antigens.

Photodynamic damage predominates on different targets depending on cell growth phase of Candida albicans

Photodynamic inactivation (PDI) has been reported to be effective to eradicate a wide variety of pathogens, including antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms. The aim of this study was to identify the potential molecular targets of PDI depending on growth phase of Candida albicans. Fungal cells in lag (6h) and stationary (48h) phases were submitted to PDI mediated by methylene blue (MB) combined with a (662±21) nm-LED, at 360mW of optical power. Pre-irradiation time was 10min and exposure times were 12min, 15min and 18min delivering radiant exposures of 129.6J/cm², 162J/cm² and 194.4J/cm², respectively, on a 24-well plate of about 2cm² at an irradiance of 180mW/cm². Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force spectroscopy (AFS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) were employed to evaluate the photodynamic effect in young and old fungal cells following 15min of irradiation. Morphological analysis revealed wrinkled and shrunk fungal cell membrane for both growth phases while extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) removal was only observed for old fungal cells. Damaged intracellular structures were more pronounced in young fungal cells. The surface nanostiffness of young fungal cells decreased after PDI but increased for old fungal cells. Cellular adhesion force was reduced for both growth phases. Fungal cells in lag phase predominantly showed degradation of nucleic acids and proteins, while fungal cells in stationary phase showed more pronounced degradation of polysaccharides and lipids. Taken together, our results indicate different molecular targets for fungal cells in lag and stationary growth phase following PDI.

Lipopolysaccharide of Pantoea agglomerans 7969: Chemical identification, function and biological activity

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Pantoea agglomerans 7969 isolated from apple tree was purified and characterized chemically by sugar and fatty acid analysis. Lipid A was analysed by negative-ion mode ESI MS and found to consist mainly of hexa- and tetra-acyl species typical of E. coli lipid A. The O-specific polysaccharide of the LPS was studied by sugar analysis, Smith degradation, and one- and two-dimensional ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. The polysaccharide is built up of linear tetrasaccharide repeating units, and about ∼25% repeats contain glycerol 1-phosphate on the GlcNAc residue: →3)-α-l-Rha p-(1→6)-α-d-Man p-(1→3)-α-d-Fuc p-(1→3)-β-d-Glc pNAc-(1→∼25% Gro-1-P-(O→6)^⌋ The LPS showed low levels of toxic and pyrogenic activities and reduced the average adhesion and the index of adhesiveness.

Preparation and evaluation of a novel dosage form for onychomycosis

Onychomycosis is a common infection of the nail caused by dermatophyte affecting mostly toenails in adults being associated with limited treatment options. In this study novel dosage forms were prepared and evaluated for their suitability in treatment of onychomycosis. Films were prepared comprising polymeric excipients such as chitosan, (hydroxypropyl)methyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl-cellulose, carboxymethylcellulose according to solvent evaporation method. Developed formulations were evaluated in terms of physical appearance, stability and adhesiveness. Furthermore skin and nail irritation studies were conducted. Five potential formulations (F1-F5) were designed while F1 and F4 exhibited the most promising results in terms of stability with 26min and 40.67min, respectively, and suitability in nail application. F1 as the most favorable dosage form revealed with 2.9438kg/m/s in terms of adhesive force the most adhesive properties in contrast to the other preparations. All formulations were found to be non-skin irritating and safe to use. Taken together, these findings suggest novel designed films containing polymeric excipients as a fruitful platform for the treatment in onychomycosis.

Physico-chemical and textural properties of Santra burfi as influenced by orange pulp content

The burfi prepared with addition of orange pulp in sweetened khoa is popularly known as Santra burfi in Maharashtra and it has great commercial potential owing to its typical taste. The present investigation was carried out with a view to generate technological data, which is requisite in product standardization and mechanization. The santra burfi was prepared by varying the rates of orange pulp addition and was tested for various textural properties such as hardness, cohesiveness, gumminess, chewiness, adhesiveness and springiness with TA-XT2i Texture Analyzer using two-bite compression. The data of product composition and quantified properties were analyzed using correlation and regression techniques. The hardness was found to have positive correlation with proteins, fat and ash content while the moisture and level of orange pulp had negative correlation. Similar trends were observed for springiness, gumminess, chewiness and cohesiveness with the exception of ash. On the contrary, the mean adhesiveness showed negative correlation with protein, fat and ash content and shown positive correlation with moisture content and level of orange pulp. The regression equations were also fitted for explaining the interrelationships between the textural properties as functions of product composition.