Conventional Injection Research Articles

Combination of pretarsal and preseptal botulinum toxin injections in the treatment of blepharospasm: A prospective nonrandomized clinical trial

PurposeTo compare the efficacy of two botulinum toxin (BoNT) injection methods, pretarsal (PT) combined with preseptal (PS) injection (PT-PS) and conventional PT injection, in the treatment of benign essential blepharospasm (BEB). DesignProspective nonrandomized clinical trial. MethodsFrom January 2023 to April 2024, 95 BoNT injections into orbicularis oculi were performed in 45 BEB patients, including 52 PT-PS injections s and 43 PT injections. Jankovic Rating Scale (JRS) and Blepharospasm Disability Index (BSDI) were used to assess motor symptoms. The efficacy of two injection methods for BEB was compared in terms of latency to response (LTR), latency to the peak response (LPR), duration of peak response (DPR), duration of response (DOR), satisfaction degree, and possible complications. ResultsBoth injection methods significantly improved JRS and BSDI scores in patients with BEB. However, PT-PS injections showed a shorter LTR [(4.00(3.00,6.00) vs 5.00(4.00,7.00) days, p=0.024] and LPR [23.50(16.00,26.00) vs 26.00(20.00,30.00) days, p=0.040], a longer DPR [88.00(80.50,104.75) vs 75.00(65.00,92.00) days, p=0.003] and DOR [135.00(118.50,153.75) vs 121.00(107.00,135.00) days, p=0.003] than PT injections. Patients with PT-PS injections were more satisfied than those with PT injections [9.50(8.50,10.00) vs 8.00(7.50,9.00), p<0.001], and around 2/3 of patients were more willing to receive the combined injection method later. Among patients receiving PT-PS injections, only one case experienced ptosis, and there were no significant differences in other complications such as lacrimation, dry eyes, and blurred vision between the two injection methods. ConclusionsPT-PS injections of BoNT showed more advantages in the treatment of BEB than PT injections in terms of both their efficacy and patients’ satisfactions.

Impact of Runner Size, Gate Size, Polymer Viscosity, and Molding Process on Filling Imbalance in Geometrically Balanced Multi-Cavity Injection Molding.

The injection molding process is one of the most widely used methods for polymer processing in mass production. Three critical factors in this process include the type of polymer, injection molding machines, and processing molds. Polypropylene (PP) is a widely used semi-crystalline polymer due to its favorable flow characteristics, including a high melt flow index and the absence of a need for a mold temperature controller. Additionally, PP exhibits good elongation and toughness, making it suitable for applications such as box hinges. However, its tensile strength is a limitation; thus, glass fiber is added to enhance this property. It is important to note that the incorporation of glass fiber increases the viscosity of PP. Multi-cavity molds are commonly employed to achieve cost-effective and efficient mass production. The filling challenges associated with geometrically balanced layouts are well documented in the literature. These issues arise due to the varying shear rates of the melt in the runner. High shear rate melts lead to high melt temperatures, which decrease melt viscosity and facilitate easier flow. Consequently, this results in an imbalanced filling phenomenon. This study examines the impact of runner size, gate size, polymer viscosity, and molding process on the filling imbalanced problem in multi-cavity injection molds. Tensile bar injection molding was performed using conventional injection molding (CIM) and microcellular injection molding (MIM) techniques. The tensile properties of the imbalanced multi-cavity molds were analyzed. Flow length within the cavity served as an indicator of the filling imbalance. Additionally, computer simulations were conducted to assess the shear rate's effect on the runner's melt temperature. The results indicated that small runner and gate sizes exacerbate the filling imbalance. Conversely, glass fiber-filled polymer composites also contribute to increased filling imbalance. However, foamed polymers can mitigate the filling imbalance phenomenon.

Characterization, generative design, and fabrication of a carbon fiber-reinforced industrial robot gripper via additive manufacturing

Robot grippers are crucial components across various industrial applications, requiring special design and production for obtaining the optimal performance. Conventional plastic injection moulding techniques fall short in achieving the specificity needed for these grippers. To address this challenge, current paper focuses on developing a robot gripper using carbon fiber-reinforced polyamide with a next-generation composite filament and employing the innovative Generative Design technique. In the work, we began by characterizing and optimizing the composite material specifications. Then, the tensile strength and fracture mechanics of standard samples based on printing parameters, applying Taguchi experimental design for optimization were evaluated. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used for factor analysis to fine-tune the process. Using the Generative Design technique, we determined optimal geometries, which were then fabricated through Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM). As a result, the optimization efforts led to significant improvements i.e., tensile strength increased from 103.2 to 116 MPa, and the elasticity modulus from 8386 to 8990 MPa. In practical industrial applications, we achieved a reduction in material weight from 14 to 4 g, lowered production costs from $5.16 to $1.50, and cut production time from 58 to 28 min. This study presents a validated method for developing industrial products with reduced material usage and costs, promoting sustainable production practices.

Real-time robust liver and gallbladder segmentation during laparoscopic cholecystectomy using convolutional neural networks: an analysis

Aim: Images in different laparoscopic cholecystectomy datasets are acquired using various camera models, parameters, and settings, with the annotation methods varying by institution. These factors result in inconsistent inference performance of the network model. This study aims to identify the optimal network model architecture for liver and gallbladder segmentation from several options. Then, the performance and robustness of the optimal network model are evaluated using an independent dataset that is not included in the training. Methods: The public dataset, CholecSeg8k, was utilized as the input for the network model training, validation, and testing. A local private dataset from KPJ Damansara Hospital, Selangor, Malaysia, was used for testing purposes only. For the implementation of liver and gallbladder segmentation, segmentation models, a public Python library was employed. Results: Among the experiments, highly accurate liver and gallbladder segmentation results were achieved using the feature pyramid network (FPN) architecture as the network model, with the Inception-ResNet-v2 architecture as the network backbone. The best-trained network model resulted in a loss of 0.070955, a mean intersection over union (IoU) score of 0.95896, and a mean F1-score of 0.9773 on the test set. However, visualized results for the private dataset contained considerable false-negative areas. Conclusion: The proposed automated technique has the potential to serve as an alternative to the conventional indocyanine green injection along with near-infrared fluorescence imaging (ICG-NIRF)-based method for liver and gallbladder segmentation during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Future work will focus on enhancing the results of the private dataset. Additionally, a surgeon-assistant robotic arm that will use the liver and gallbladder segmentation results for camera steering will be analyzed.

Therapeutic Performance of Needle Injection Versus Needle-Free Jet Injector System for Polynucleotide Filler in Skin Rejuvenation.

Polynucleotide (PN) filler often causes pain and can lead to delivery inaccuracies when applied via intradermal injection using a traditional needle. To evaluate the efficacy of treatment and the pain during the procedure using conventional needle injection versus a needle-free jet system for intradermal PN filler application. In this split-face clinical trial, 10 Korean subjects were enrolled. Each subject received an intradermal injection of PN filler on one side of the face and a needle-free jet injection using CureJet on the other side. Assessments included global and 3D skin imaging at each visit. Pain intensity was evaluated using visual analogue scale (VAS) scores during the injection. Additionally, patient satisfaction and adverse events were documented. Findings revealed that Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale scores and patient satisfaction were significantly higher with the CureJet compared to the needle injection method. VAS scores were notably lower on the CureJet side. Improvements in both pore and wrinkle indices were observed from baseline, with a more pronounced improvement rate on the CureJet side compared to the needle injection side. Needle-free injection of PN for aging skin was found to be effective in enhancing pore and wrinkle improvement, while reducing associated discomfort.

Prediction of residual stress in precision injection molding of plastic optical lenses based on an improved solidification layer model

Precision injection molding technology (PIM) is the primary technique used for large scale manufacture of plastic optical lenses. However, the injection molding of plastic optical lenses results in a problem of residual stress, which affects the imaging quality of the optical system. The conventional injection molding process uses an orthogonal approach for adjusting the process parameters, requiring a large number of experiments. Therefore, this article proposes an improved residual stress model for precision injection molding of plastic optical lenses based on the solidification layer theory. The residual stress of precision injection molded aspherical plastic optical lens used for imaging optical systems was analyzed through simulation and experimentation. The results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves residual stress prediction for plastic optical lenses after injection molding.

A Study on the Effects of Preheating Thevetia Peruviana Biodiesel on the Performance of CI Engine

Biodiesel is becoming increasingly popular as a substitute fuel for compression ignition (CI) engines because of its comparable characteristics to those of diesel and its little environmental impact. The development of diesel engines that run on biodiesel and reduce emissions of pollutants, while also improving thermal efficiency, are key concerns in engine design. The most crucial prerequisites for achieving these are precise and quick air-fuel mixing. However, biodiesel's viscosity is considered a drawback for its application as a substitute fuel for IC engines. Heating can greatly lower the viscosity, which can eliminate the problems caused by excessive viscosity during injection. Hence in this effort, preheated Thevetia Peruviana biodiesel (Methyl Ester) is utilized. The present research aims to examine how preheating biodiesel affects the operation of a direct injection (DI) diesel engine. Engine tests were done on a stationary, single-cylinder, constant speed, naturally aspirated, water-cooled CI engine with a preheated 20% blend of Thevetia Peruviana biodiesel (PH-TPME20 with a conventional jerk type injection system. Engine performance of preheated TPME20 was compared with the unheated 20% blend of TPME and diesel. Preheating reduced the viscosity of the oil, which resulted in a noticeable improvement in engine performance. A considerable drop in emission levels from the engine exhaust gas was noted. The preheating improved combustion characteristics i.e. it lowered the delay period and resulted in quicker release of heat because of improved fuel-air mixing, fuel vaporization, and atomization.

Comparing the Efficacy of 8.4% and 7.5% Buffered Lidocaine during Surgical Removal of Impacted Mandibular Third Molar- A Split Mouth Double Blinded Randomized Controlled Study.

Conventional injection technique with adrenaline during removal of impacted third molar of mandible had proportionally increased pain during administration with slow onset of action and shorter duration of anesthesia. The purpose of this study was to compare the effective nature of 8.4% and 7.5% buffered lidocaine hydrochloride during surgical removal of mandibular impacted third molar. This prospective crossover study included 50 patients requiring bilateral removal of impacted mandibular third molars. Group I included 50 impacted mandibular third molars that were administered with 8.4% buffered lidocaine hydrochloride and group II included 50 impacted mandibular third molars were administered with 7.5% buffered lidocaine hydrochloride. The outcome variables were pain on injection, time of onset of anesthesia, and duration of action of anesthesia. The above parameters were recorded by the investigator and statistically analyzed through Chi-square test using SPSS software. Patients in group I had mild pain (1.02) and patients in group II (5.74) had moderate pain with a statistical significance of p< 0.05 for group I respectively. The mean onset of action of anesthesia in group I was 0.08 seconds and 0.59 seconds in group II (p< 0.05). The duration of anesthesia was 342.51 minutes from group I and 122.06 minutes in group II (p< 0.05) respectively. Lidocaine hydrochloride buffered with 8.4 % sodium bicarbonate was found to be more effective in reduction of pain during injection, also had a faster onset of action and longer duration of the action of anesthesia when compared to 7.5% buffered lidocaine hydrochloride.

Study of Injection Molding Process to Improve Geometrical Quality of Thick-Walled Polycarbonate Optical Lenses by Reducing Sink Marks.

This study investigates the challenges and potential of conventional injection molding for producing thick-walled optical components. The research primarily focuses on optimizing process parameters and mold design to enhance product quality. The methods include software simulations and experimental validation using polycarbonate test samples (optical lenses). Significant parameters such as melt temperature, mold temperature, injection pressure, and packing pressure were varied to assess their impact on geometric accuracy and visual properties. The results show that lower melt temperatures and higher mold temperatures significantly reduce the occurrence of dimensional defects. Additionally, the design of the gate system was found to be crucial in minimizing defects and ensuring uniform material flow. Effective packing pressure was essential in reducing volumetric shrinkage and sink marks. Furthermore, we monitored the deviation between the predicted and actual defects relative to the thickness of the sample wall. After optimization, the occurrence of obvious defects was eliminated across all sample thicknesses (lenses), and the impact of the critical defect, the sink mark on the planar side of the lens, was minimized. These findings demonstrate the substantial potential of conventional injection molding to produce high-quality thick-walled parts when these parameters are precisely controlled. This study provides valuable insights for the efficient design and manufacturing of optical components, addressing the growing demand for high-performance thick-walled plastic products.

Dynamic Injection and Permutation Coding for Enhanced Data Transmission.

In this paper, we propose a novel approach to enhance spectral efficiency in communication systems by dynamically adjusting the mapping between cyclic permutation coding (CPC) and its injected form. By monitoring channel conditions such as interference levels and impulsive noise strength, the system optimises the coding scheme to maximise data transmission reliability and efficiency. The CPC method employed in this work maps information bits onto non-binary symbols in a cyclic manner, aiming to improve the Hamming distance between mapped symbols. To address challenges such as low data rates inherent in permutation coding, injection techniques are introduced by removing δ column(s) from the CPC codebook. Comparative analyses demonstrate that the proposed dynamic adaptation scheme outperforms conventional permutation coding and injection schemes. Additionally, we present a generalised mathematical expression to describe the relationship between the spectral efficiencies of both coding schemes. This dynamic approach ensures efficient and reliable communication in environments with varying levels of interference and impulsive noise, highlighting its potential applicability to systems like power line communications.

Optimization on self-assembled ultra-micro foam system for carbon dioxide flooding

Given the problem that the conventional foam injection and salt resistance are poor, the oil displacement effect is not obvious, and it is difficult to enhance oil recovery in the ultra-low permeability and high salinity reservoirs of Yanchang Oilfield, it is imperative to study a new foam flooding agent. Based on the surfactant’s self-assembled properties, foaming agent, stabilizer and complexing agent were screened in the absence of polymer and non-alkali. Three sets of self-assembly worm-like micelle systems were screened, and then a set of carbon dioxide foaming system was selected through comparative analysis: 0.50 wt% EAPMAC-12 + 0.20 wt% SDS + 0.09 wt% TEOA + 0.08 wt% EDTA. Under this condition, its viscosity, foaming volume, foam half-life and foam composite index are 18.8 mpa·s, 531 mL, 25 min and 9956 mL·min, respectively. Under the condition of the ratio of gas to liquid 3:1, the ultra-micro foam was obtained by gas–liquid co-injection in the sand pack, and the foam was round rather than the traditional pentagonal or hexagonal shape and the size was 5–31 um, indicating that the foam had good injection. Oil displacement experiment showed the average enhanced recovery rate was 12.84 % in ultra-low permeability cores, indicating that the foam had good oil displacement effect in ultra-low permeability reservoirs.

Additive manufacturing of variothermal injection moulding insert made of Al-40Si

Injection moulding has been a pivotal technology in the mass production of polymer optics for many years. The surface quality of the moulding inserts exerts a significant influence on the quality of the optics produced. In the production of micro-structured polymer optics, such as Fresnel lenses, conventional isothermal injection moulding is unable to achieve the requisite surface accuracy. Variothermal injection moulding allows for improved surface accuracy and reduced residual stresses, but increases technical effort and cycle times. To reduce the cycle time and residual stresses of variothermal injection moulding, the potential of additive manufacturing of Al-40Si for the fabrication of moulding inserts is investigated. In order to achieve these objectives, the offered design freedom of additive manufacturing is investigated with a view to developing optimised conformal cooling channels. Numerical methods will be used for thermal and structural analyses. The performance of the newly developed moulding insert is evaluated experimentally by thermographic measurements and the measurement of stress birefringence on replicated PMMA samples.

New concept in selecting blue dye injection site effect on clinical outcome of early-stage breast cancer patients: a retrospective cohort

BackgroundClinico-anatomical review and pilot studies demonstrated that intraparenchymal injection at any site, even those not containing the index lesion, or periareolar injections should provide concordant outcomes to peritumoral injections.MethodThis was a single-center retrospective cohort at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital. The electronic medical records of patients were characterized into conventional and new injection concept groups. The inclusion criteria were patients who had either a mastectomy or BCS along with SLNB. We excluded patients who underwent ALND, received neoadjuvant therapy, or had non-invasive breast cancer. The primary outcome was the 5-year rate of breast cancer regional recurrence. Additionally, we reported on the re-operation rate, disease-free period, distant disease-free period, mortality rate, and recurrence rates both locoregional and systemic. Recurrences were identified through clinical assessments and imaging. Surgical technique: 3 ml of 1%isosulfan blue dye was injected, with the injection site varying according to the specific concept being applied. In cases of SSM and NSM following the new concept, the blue dye was injected at non-periareolar and non-peritumoral sites. After the injection, a 10-minute interval was observed without massaging the injection site. Following this interval, an incision was made to access the SLNs, which were subsequently identified, excised, and sent for either frozen section analysis or permanent section examination.ResultThere were no significant differences in DFS, DDFS or BCSS between the two groups (p = 0.832, 0.712, 0.157). Although the re-operation rate in the NI group was approximately half that of the CI group, this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.355).ConclusionOur study suggests that tailoring isosulfan blue dye injection site based on operation type rather than tumor location is safe and effective approach for SLN localization in early-stage breast cancer. However, this study has limitations, including being a single-center study with low recurrence and death cases. Future studies should aim to increase the sample size and follow-up period.

Adrenaline intravenous therapy persistence grade I severe allergic reaction: A case report and literature review.

At present, there is still insufficient understanding of the progression from persistent allergic reactions to severe reactions. Adrenaline remains the preferred medication for severe allergic reactions, and intramuscular injection of adrenaline can also be considered for patients with grade I reactions that are difficult to alleviate gastrointestinal symptoms. It is worth further discussing whether it is possible to break the conventional intramuscular injection recommended by the guidelines when the effect of intramuscular injection is not ideal for persistent grade I severe allergic reactions. A young male, 20 years of age, was admitted to emergency department because of repeated rash for 3 days and abdominal pain for 6 hours after taking traditional Chinese medicine. After hormone therapy, the rash continued to recur and secondary gastrointestinal symptoms occurred on the 3th day. Adrenaline intramuscular injection was given to temporarily relieve the rash and abdominal pain, but symptoms still persisted. The patient was diagnosed with persistent severe allergic reaction (grade I). Continuous intravenous infusion of low-dose adrenaline under electrocardiographic monitoring, real-time monitoring of heart rate and blood pressure, and routine treatment with methylprednisolone, diphenhydramine, calcium gluconate, and cetirizine. During this period, adrenaline intramuscular injection is temporarily added when abdominal pain symptoms are obvious. The entire treatment process used a total of 6.8 mg of adrenaline. During the entire period of adrenaline intervention, the patient did not experience any new discomfort, and there were no abnormal fluctuations in heart rate, rhythm, or blood pressure. The symptoms of rash and abdominal pain gradually improved. For patients with persistent grade I severe allergic reactions, intravenous administration of low-dose adrenaline under close vital sign monitoring is safe, feasible, and highly effective in preventing biphasic, persistent, or worsening allergic reactions.

Waveguide fabrication with integrated coupling optic

We present the fabrication of a waveguide with integrated injection optics using a laser photoinscription technique in the bulk of a chalcogenide glass. The injection optic is a gradient index lens with a parabolic refractive index profile. Its focusing characteristics depend on the amplitude of the index gradient and the thickness of the lens. These two parameters can be used to optimize light injection when the lens is written in front of a waveguide. We show experimentally that the coupling efficiency can be superior to that obtained by conventional injection with an external lens. Numerical simulations show that this coupling efficiency can be as high as 85%. The simultaneous inscription of a waveguide and its injection lens result in a monolithic component that is compact, lightweight and insensitive to mechanical or thermal perturbations. Performance has been evaluated in the mid-infrared range, but these results can be extended to the visible.

Plasma-generated RONS in liquid transferred into cryo-microneedles patch for skin treatment of melanoma

Malignant melanoma is the most lethal form of skin cancer. As a promising anti-cancer agent, plasma-activated water (PAW) rich in reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) has shown significant potential for melanoma treatment. However, rapid decay of RONS and inefficient delivery of PAW in conventional injection methods limit its practical applications. To address this issue, here we report a new approach for the production of plasma-activated cryomicroneedles (PA-CMNs) patches using custom-designed plasma devices and processes. Our innovation is to incorporate PAW into the PA-CMNs that are fabricated using a fast cryogenic micro-molding method. It is demonstrated that PA-CMNs can be easily inserted into skin to release RONS and slow the decay of RONS thereby prolonging their bioactivity and effectiveness. The new insights into the effective melanoma treatment suggest that the rich mixture of RONS within PA-CMNs prepared by custom-developed hybrid plasma-assisted configuration induces both ferroptosis and apoptosis to selectively kill tumor cells. A significant inhibition of subcutaneous A375 melanoma growth was observed in PA-CMNs-treated tumor-bearing nude mice without any signs of systemic toxicity. The new approach based on PA-CMNs may potentially open new avenues for a broader range of disease treatments.

Liposomal irinotecan (HR070803) in combination with 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin in patients with advanced solid tumors: a phase 1b dose-escalation and expansion study

This phase 1b study aimed to evaluate the dose-limiting toxicity (DLT), maximum tolerated dose (MTD), pharmacokinetics, and preliminary efficacy of HR070803, a novel nanoliposomal formulation of irinotecan, in combination with 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin in patients with pretreated advanced solid tumors. This study consisted of dose-escalation and expansion stages. Dose escalation was performed with a traditional 3 + 3 design; patients received intravenous infusion of HR070803 from 60 to 80 mg/m2, followed by leucovorin (200 mg/m2) and 5-fluorouracil (2000 mg/m2) every 2 weeks. In the expansion stage, patients received treatments at selected tolerable dose. Fifteen patients received treatments at 60 mg/m2 (n = 12) and 80 mg/m2 (n = 3). DLTs occurred in 2 patients at 80 mg/m2 (grade 2 neutropenia that resulted in a dose delay of ≥ 7 days, n = 1; grade 3 febrile neutropenia, n = 1). The MTD was determined to be 60 mg/m2. The most frequent HR070803related adverse events included anorexia, leukopenia, neutropenia, nausea, fatigue, and diarrhea. SN-38, the active metabolite of irinotecan, exhibited lower maximum plasma concentrations and a prolonged terminal half-life when irinotecan was administered via nanoliposome compared to conventional injection. Overall, 4 patients achieved a partial response (confirmed, n = 2), and 9 had stable disease. The MTD of HR070803 was 60 mg/m2 when infused with 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin. Nanoliposomal encapsulation modified the pharmacokinetics of irinotecan and SN-38. HR070803 with 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin demonstrated a manageable safety profile and promising antitumor efficacy in advanced solid tumors.Trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov, NCT05086848. Retrospectively registered on Oct. 12, 2021.

Biopolymer-enhanced delivery of reactive sulfide reagents for in-situ mercury remediation of heterogeneous contaminated soils

Mercury pollution from natural and anthropogenic sources demands effective remediation. This study focuses on optimizing a chemical stabilization approach using sulfur-containing compounds to create stable mercury sulfide (HgS) and immobilize elemental mercury in polluted soils. We propose using xanthan gum biopolymer to enhance the in-situ delivery of sulfide microparticles, overcoming soil heterogeneities due to its non-Newtonian behavior. Stability tests indicated that increased biopolymer concentration enhances particle stability due to the viscous and shear-thinning behavior of the polymer solutions. Various combinations (12 solutions) of xanthan polymer, pyrite microparticles, and sulfide-containing reagents were tested in batch experiments. Pyrite microparticles slightly reduced the xanthan solution's viscosity while retaining its non-Newtonian character. All solutions effectively transformed liquid mercury droplets into cinnabar, demonstrating successful mercury stabilization. Notably, solutions containing PIAX and SIPX, xanthate organosulfur compounds, significantly reduced the dissolved concentration of elemental mercury. Column experiments demonstrated xanthan gum's superior performance for in-situ injection of pyrite microparticles and sulfide mixtures into the soil compared to conventional water injection. At a polymer concentration of 4 g/L, a stable displacement front and an 88 % recovery of the initially injected particle-suspension density were achieved. The combined effects of xanthate's floating behavior and xanthan gum's shear-thinning nature substantially enhanced the delivery of pyrite microparticles in porous media for soil mercury remediation. This combination reduced the aqueous elemental mercury concentration in artificially polluted sand by up to 97 %, particularly with the xanthate organosulfur compound, PIAX. Xanthate has a higher potential to react with elemental mercury to form cinnabar compared to sodium thiosulfate. Additionally, the pyrite microparticles, rendered hydrophobic in xanthate solutions, integrated into the mercury droplets, forming a black paste. This study introduces a promising approach for efficient elemental mercury stabilization in contaminated soils by integrating biopolymers, reactive soluble compounds, and pyrite microparticles for sustainable decontamination.

CT myelography by intrathecal injection of contrast medium though percutaneous administration route visualizes compressed cervical spinal cord in a mouse

BackgroundChronic compressive myelopathy (CCM) is a major cause of spinal cord disorders in the elderly, in which the spinal cord is compressed by bony or soft tissue structures. Although computed tomography myelography (CTM) has been clinically used for the diagnosis of CCM, a method of CTM in rodents remains to be developed. New methodA 50 μl Hamilton syringe attached to a disposable needle was percutaneously inserted into the subarachnoid space (cisterna magna) between the occipital bone and C1 lamina in an anesthetized adult mouse, followed by the injection of contrast medium and CT imaging. ResultsCTM clearly visualized the shape of the spinal cord of intact mice and tiptoe-walking Yoshimura (Twy) mice without any health issues. Comparison with existing method(s)Unlike histology, the current method functions in live mice, directly depicts the compressed spinal cord, and provides clinically related image information. Furthermore, the intrathecal administration of contrast medium through the percutaneous route makes CTM less invasive and takes less time than a conventional intrathecal injection method. ConclusionsThe CTM method used in the present study enables clear visualization of the shape of the dural sac and spinal cord and is useful when conducting experiments on CCM and other spinal diseases in rodents.

Dual-Barb Microneedle with JAK/STAT Inhibitor-Loaded Nanovesicles Encapsulation for Tendinopathy.

Tendon stem/progenitor cells (TSPCs) are crucial for tendon repair, regeneration, and homeostasis. Dysfunction of TSPCs, due to aberrant activation of the Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) signaling pathway, contributes to tendinopathy. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of conventional subcutaneous injection targeting at suppressing JAK/STAT signaling pathway is limited due to the passive diffusion of drugs away from the injury site. Herein, a novel poly-gamma-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) dual-barb microneedle (MN) path loaded with TSPCs-derived nanovesicles (NVs) containing JAK/STAT inhibitor WP1066 (MN-WP1066-NVs) for tendinopathy treatment is designed. The dual-barb design of the MN ensures firm adhesion to the skin, allowing for sustained and prolonged release of WP1066-NVs, facilitating enhanced TSPCs self-renewal, migration, and stemness in tendinopathy. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrate that the degradation of γ-PGA patch tips facilitates the gradual release of WP1066-NVs at the lesion site. This release alleviates inflammation, suppresses extracellular matrix degradation, and restores normal tendon histological structure by inhibiting the JAK/STAT pathway. These findings suggest that the multifunctional dual-barb MN patch offers a novel and effective therapeutic strategy for tendinopathy treatment.