Medical Materials Research Articles

Efficacy of Episil® in patients with hematologic malignancies: a comparative study

BackgroundEpisil® is a nonabsorbable liquid medical material used to coat and protect the mucosa in patients with oral mucositis. A few studies have reported its efficacy in patients with head and neck cancer. However, reports on its use in patients with hematologic malignancies are scarce. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Episil for the treatment of oral mucositis in patients with acute myelogenous leukemia, malignant lymphoma, acute lymphocytic leukemia, multiple myeloma, and myelodysplastic syndrome.MethodsBetween May 2018 and March 2019, a total of thirty-seven patients with acute myelogenous leukemia, malignant lymphoma, acute lymphocytic leukemia, multiple myeloma, and myelodysplastic syndrome who received Episil® for the treatment of oral mucositis were included in this study. All patients were treated at the Hiroshima Red Cross and Atomic-bomb Surgery Hospital. To determine the severity of oral mucositis, 22 out of the 37 patients were interviewed and compared objectively using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 3.0. In addition, subjective measures of the effects of oral mucositis were assessed using an original evaluation protocol (a unique evaluation chart specific to the Department of Oral Surgery, Hiroshima Red Cross & Atomic-bomb Survivors Hospital).ResultsOut of 37 participants recruited in the study, 31 (84%) described the sensation of Episil® as very good or good. Moreover, the severity of mucositis was found to decrease after the use of Episil® in seven patients out of 22 (19%), particularly in those with mucositis at multiple sites. Participants' evaluations revealed pain relief and improvement in speech and feeding functions. Participants with grade 3 mucositis reported a greater improvement in pain relief, speech, and feeding functions than those with grade 2 mucositis.ConclusionsThis study suggests the efficacy of Episil® in treating oral mucositis in patients with hematologic malignancies, particularly in those with oral mucositis at multiple sites. In addition to pain relief, Episil® may improve speech and feeding functions.

Abstract PO5-23-06: Predictive Factors for Reconstructive Method and Outcomes in Mutation-Positive Breast Cancer Patients

Abstract Background: BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations significantly increase the risk of breast cancer, and prophylactic mastectomy reduces the risk by around 90% in these patients. Previous studies have explored predictors of mastectomy type in high-risk genetic mutation patients, but further characterization is needed. This study aims to identify factors associated with resection and reconstruction methods and predictors of postoperative complications in mutation-positive (M+) patients. Methods: A multicenter retrospective cohort study included patients with a genetic predisposition for breast cancer undergoing breast surgery, seen between January 2016 and October 2022. Patient demographics, comorbidities, oncologic history, operative details, and postoperative outcomes were collected. Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression were performed. Results: Among the 176 patients analyzed, 75 (42.6%) had BRCA1, 71 (40.3%) had BRCA2, 11 (6.3%) had PALB2, and 8 (4.5%) had CHEK2 mutations. Mean age and body mass index (BMI) were 41.0±17 years and 24.9±6.9 kg/m2, respectively. Among patients with prior breast reconstruction (n=86, 48.9%), augmentation mammoplasty (n=31, 17.6%) was the most common procedure, followed by oncologic resection (n=21, 11.9%) and reduction mammoplasty (n=15, 8.5%). Nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) (n=107, 60.8%) was the most frequent surgical approach, followed by skin-sparing mastectomy (SSM) (n=43, 24.4%), simple mastectomy (n=14, 8.0%), lumpectomy (n=4, 2.3%), and radical mastectomy (n=4, 2.3%). Tissue expander (n=77, 43.8%) was the most common reconstruction method. By a median follow-up duration of 23.9 months, 66 (37.5%) of patients experienced postsurgical complications. Operative complications recorded within 30 days included seroma (n=9, 5.1%), hematoma (n=8, 4.5%), cellulitis (n=10, 5.7%), dehiscence (n=13, 7.4%), surgical site infection (n=11, 6.3%), and delayed wound healing (DWH) (n=24, 13.6%). Other long-term complications included mastectomy flap necrosis (n=22, 12.5%), total reconstructive failure (n=9, 5.1%), red breast syndrome (n=2, 1.1%), and capsular contracture (n=12, 6.8%). The choice of autologous breast reconstruction was correlated with younger age (OR 0.81, 95% CI: 0.69-0.95, p = 0.012) and Hispanic or Latino race (OR 0.01, 95% CI: 0.001-0.25, p=0.007). BMI was significantly correlated with incidence of hematoma (OR 1.17, 95% CI: 1.02-1.33, p=0.024), DWH (OR=1.1, 95% CI: 1.01-1.20, p=0.030), and dehiscence (OR 1.25, 95% CI: 1.09-1.43, p=0.001). Choice of autologous reconstruction was positively correlated with DWH (OR 8.86, 95% CI: 2.25-34.86, p=0.002) and dehiscence (OR 18.24, 95% CI: 2.58-129.158, p=0.004). Conclusion: In this macroscopic study, the most common breast reconstruction method for M+ patients was tissue expander-based. However, only autologous reconstruction was found to have positive correlates, specifically younger age and Hispanic or Latino origin. Younger patients may pursue this method given less concern for short term complications, which are historically increased in autologous reconstruction. Minority distrust of foreign medical material implantation may play a role in Hispanic or Latino choice. Additionally, autologous reconstruction and BMI were associated with certain postoperative complications, particularly dehiscence, DWH, and hematoma, results consistent with general breast cancer surgery cohorts. This study helps better characterize the M+ population and contributes insight into the resection and reconstructive choice in this patient population. Citation Format: Shrayus Sortur, Jaytin Gupta, Christian Lava, Lauren Berger, Varsha Harish, Zoya Khan, Daisy Spoer, Lindy Rosal, Ian Greenwalt, Lucy De La Cruz, David Song, Kenneth Fan. Predictive Factors for Reconstructive Method and Outcomes in Mutation-Positive Breast Cancer Patients [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO5-23-06.

Hospitalization expenses of coronary heart disease inpatients in China: evidence from two hospitals in Ningxia Hui autonomous region

AimThe increasing morbidity from coronary health disease (CHD) has imposed a significant social and economic burden in China. We analyzed the factors affecting hospitalization expenses of CHD patients.DesignFrom 2012 to 2018, data on 16,726 CHD patients were collected from the hospital information system in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.MethodsA multiple ordered logistic regression model was used to analyze the factors affecting hospitalization expenses.ResultsThe average hospitalization expense was RMB30998.26 ± 29890.03. Hospital materials expenses accounted for roughly 60% of total hospitalization costs. The older adult, patients who were male, in critical health status, with longer hospital stays, unemployed, using antibiotics and undergoing an operation without incision had significantly raised hospital expenses, while those with fewer complications, no operations and self-paying for health care had reduced hospitalization costs (p < 0.05). The length of hospital stay played a partial mediator role (p < 0.05).Public contributionControlling the increase of medical materials costs and preventing over-consumption of hospital services by insured patients are recommended.

A Clinical Study of Antibacterial Medical Textiles Containing Polyhydroxyalkanoate Oligomers for Reduction of Hospital-Acquired Infections.

The prevention and control of hospital-acquired infections remain a significant challenge worldwide, as textiles used in hospital wards are highly involved in transmission processes. Herein, we report a new antibacterial medical fabric used to prepare hospital pillowcases, bottom sheets, and quilt covers for controlling and reducing hospital-acquired infections. The medical fabric was composed of blended yarns of staple polyester and degradable poly(3-hydroxybutyrate co-3-hydroxyvalerate)/polylactide fibres, which were then coated with polylactide oligomers, an environmentally friendly and safe antimicrobial agent with excellent thermal stability in high-temperature laundry. A clinical trial was conducted with emphasis on the bacterial species that were closely related to the infection cases in the trial hospital. After 7 days of usage, 94% of PET/PHBV/PLA-PLAO fabric could keep less than 20 CFU/100 cm2 of total bacterial amount, meeting hygiene and cleanliness standards. This study demonstrates the potential of fabrics containing polyhydroxyalkanoate oligomers as highly effective, safe, and long-lasting antimicrobial medical textiles that can effectively reduce the incidence of hospital-acquired infections.

High performance polyvinyl alcohol/lignin fibers with excellent mechanical and water resistance properties

To address the shortcoming of Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers for food or medical packaging materials including low mechanical strength and poor water resistance, lignin (LN) was used as raw material, acetone/H2O as solvent to self-assemble into lignin nanoparticles (LNP) by adverse solvent precipitation approach, and then PVA/LNP composite fibers with different LNP contents were fabricated successfully by wet and dry spinning. Herein, vast hydrophilic hydroxyl groups in PVA decreased owing to the hydrogen bond between LN and PVA, Especially, with only 0.5 wt% loading of LNP into the PVA/LNP fibers, the diameter was 94.4 dtex, tensile strength was 10.1 cN/dtex (1279.8 MPa), initial modulus was 94.7 cN/dtex (12.0 GPa), the crystallinity was 56.7 %, the orientation was 97.1 %, and water contact angle was 103.1°. Compared with pure PVA fibers, the tensile strength of PVA/LNP-0.5 fibers was increased by 44.2 % and the contact angle was increased 37°. This work provides novel insights into obtaining lignin-reinforced PVA composite fibers with strong mechanical properties and excellent water resistance properties, indicating the potential of the PVA/LNP fibers for food or medical packaging application.

A new approach to contact angle measurement and effects of evaporation on the contact angle

The solid material's wettability behavior is determined by the contact angle value. The wettability of materials is critical in the coating, lubricating, and insulating industries. In high-tech industries including corrosion resistance, water-oil separation, medical material production, implant technology, and friction reduction, the contact angle is very important. A new method called the full angle method was used to measure the contact angle and compared with current methods. The wettability behavior of plexiglass, which is employed in a variety of applications ranging from lighting to decorating, and industrial designs to accessory production, was explored in this study. The measurement of the contact angle was done by dropping 1.8 M (molar) of saltwater over the plexiglass materials. In order to examine the effect of evaporation on the contact angle, changes in contact angle, height and baseline were investigated depending on the waiting time. 

Self-Assembling Triple-Helix Recombinant Collagen Hydrogel Enriched with Tyrosine.

The self-assembly of collagen within the human body creates a complex 3D fibrous network, providing structural integrity and mechanical strength to connective tissues. Recombinant collagen plays a pivotal role in the realm of biomimetic natural collagen. However, almost all of the reported recombinant collagens lack the capability of self-assembly, severely hindering their application in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Herein, we have for the first time constructed a series of self-assembling tyrosine-rich triple helix recombinant collagens, mimicking the structure and functionality of natural collagen. The recombinant collagen consists of a central triple-helical domain characterized by the (Gly-Xaa-Yaa)n sequence, along with N-terminal and C-terminal domains featuring the GYY sequence. The introduction of GYY has a negligible impact on the stability of the triple-helical structure of recombinant collagen while simultaneously promoting its self-assembly into fibers. In the presence of [Ru(bpy)3]Cl2 and APS as catalysts, tyrosine residues in the recombinant collagen undergo covalent cross-linking, resulting in a hydrogel with exceptional mechanical properties. The recombinant collagen hydrogel exhibits outstanding biocompatibility and bioactivity, significantly enhancing the proliferation, adhesion, migration, and differentiation of HFF-1 cells. This innovative self-assembled triple-helix recombinant collagen demonstrates significant potential in the fields of tissue engineering and medical materials.

Glycosylation in autoimmune diseases: A bibliometric and visualization study

An increasing amount of research has shown that glycosylation plays a crucial role in autoimmune diseases (ADs), prompting our interest in conducting research on the knowledge framework and hot topics in this field based on bibliometric analysis. Studies on glycosylation in the field of ADs from 2003 to 2023 were collected by searching the Web of Science Core Collection database. Bibliometric analysis was conducted using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and Bibliometrix software. This study included a total of 530 studies. According to the H, G, and M indices, the United States has made the most contributions worldwide, with China making significant contributions in recent years. Leiden University from the Netherlands ranks among the top institutions in terms of publication and citation rankings, with the institution's author Manfred Wuhrer contributing the most to this field. Frontiers in Immunology is the journal with the highest H-index. Research in this field has focused on antibody glycosylation, particularly the specific glycosylation of IgG and IgA, and its role in various ADs. The application of glycoengineering glycosylated proteins in the synthesis of targeted monoclonal antibodies, drug delivery, and regenerative medical materials may be a new trend in the treatment of ADs. Artificial intelligence is an emerging tool in glycobiology. This study summarizes the objective data on glycosylation in the field of AD publications in recent years, providing a reference for researchers in this field.

A Study on Herbal Finish for Wound Healing on Adhesive Bandage

Textile industry is one of the largest contributing sectors of India. It is the second largest employer after agriculture, provided direct employment to over 45 million people. Medical textiles are a category of textiles specifically designed for medical purposes, including first aid, clinical, surgical, and hygienic uses. They are engineered to provide various benefits such as biocompatibility, flexibility, strength, and sterility, anti-allergic, anti-bacterial, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective properties. In that an adhesive bandage is also known as sticking plaster, medical plaster, or simply plaster in British English, is a small medical dressing used for injuries not for serious injuries to require a full-size bandage. Finishes plays a major role in the field of medical textiles, in that herbal finishes are one such category. Tridax is a genus of plants in the family Asteraceae. The most well-known species in this genusis Tridax procumbens, commonly known as coat buttons or tridax daisy. It is a perennial herb that is native to tropical and subtropical regions, and it is widely distributed in countries such as India, Nigeria, Brazil, and the United States. Tridax procumbens has been used in various folk medicinal practices. Parts of the plant, such as the leaves and roots, have been used to treat conditions like skin infections, respiratory issues, digestive problems, and even snakebites in some cultures. This paper deals with the research on tridax finish applied on a bandage to analyse the wound healing property.

Pseudo-Eutectic of Isodimorphism to Design Biaxially-Oriented Bio-Based PA56/512 with High Strength, Toughness and Barrier Performances.

The biaxially-oriented PA56/512 has excellent mechanical strength, extensibility and water-oxygen barrier properties and has broad application prospects in green packaging, lithium battery diaphragm and medical equipment materials. The correlation between the aggregation structure evolution and macroscopic comprehensive properties of copolymer PA56/512 under biaxial stretching has been demonstrated in this work. The structure of the random copolymerization sequence was characterized by 13C Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The typical isodimorphism behavior of the co-crystallization system of PA56/512 and its BOPA-56/512 films was revealed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) tests. And the aggregation structure, including the hydrogen bond arrangement, crystal structure and crystal morphology of PA56/512 before and after biaxial stretching, was investigated by XRD, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and polarized optical microscopy (POM) tests. Furthermore, the effect of the biaxially-oriented stretching process on the mechanical properties of PA56/512 has been demonstrated. In addition, a deep insight into the influence of the structure on the crystallization process and physical-mechanical performance has been presented. The lowest melting point at a 512 content of 60 mol% is regarded as a "eutectic" point of the isodimorphism system. Due to the high disorder of the structural units in the polymer chain, the transition degree of the folded chain (gauche conformation) is relatively lowest when it is straightened to form an extended chain (trans conformation) during biaxially-oriented stretching, and part of the folded chain can be retained. This explains why biaxially stretched PA56/512 has high strength, outstanding toughness and excellent barrier properties at the pseudo-eutectic point. In this study, using the unique multi-scale aggregation structure characteristics of a heterohomodymite polyamide at the pseudo-eutectic point, combined with the new material design scheme and the idea of biaxial-stretching processing, a new idea for customized design of high-performance multifunctional polyamide synthetic materials is provided.

Topological Insights into Nanostar Dendrimers by Computing the Augmented Zagreb Index.

The field of nanobiotechnology uses precise nanofabrication techniques to advance our understanding and control of biological systems. Due to their remarkable properties, dendrimers, which are hyperbranched macromolecular structures with distinct and well-defined architectures, have emerged as pivotal entities within this field. They are gaining increasing attention for their potential to catalyze a paradigm shift in medical therapeutics, biotechnological applications, and advanced material sciences. This paper focuses on a novel analytical expression and determines the precise value of the augmented Zagreb index, a topological descriptor, for eight classes of nanostar dendrimers. The Zagreb index is a topological invariant to predict molecular behaviour and reactivity. In this paper, we have explored its application in characterizing the branching of nanostar dendrimers through computational modelling and mathematical rigor. Our research has measured the augmented Zagreb index for nanostar dendrimers, which fall into eight distinct classes. The results better explain the relationship between the dendrimers' topology and chemical properties. This correlation has implications for their structural stability and reactivity, potentially leading to new applications. Developing the augmented Zagreb index for nanostar dendrimers is a significant breakthrough in nanobiotechnology. Based on the correlation between the calculated topological index and the corresponding molecular attributes, our analytical approach has opened up new possibilities for designing and synthesizing dendrimers tailored to specific functions in medical and material science applications. This precise topological quantification could significantly enhance the utility and functionalization of dendrimers in cutting-edge nanotechnological applications.

Assessing Amylose Content with Iodine and Con A Methods, In Vivo Digestion Profile, and Thermal Properties of Amylosucrase-Treated Waxy Corn Starch.

In this study, waxy corn starch was modified with 230 U or 460 U of amylosucrase (AS) from Neisseria polysaccharea (NP) to elongate the glucan. The amylose content of the AS-modified starches was determined using iodine and concanavalin A (Con A) methods, and their in vivo digestion, thermal, swelling, and pasting properties were evaluated. The amylose content of AS-treated starches was not significantly different (p > 0.05) when using the Con A method but was significantly higher than that of non-AS-treated samples when using the iodine method. In vivo, rats fed AS-treated starch had significantly lower blood glucose levels at 15 min than other rats; rats fed 460 U AS had lower blood glucose levels at 30 and 60 min than non-AS-treated rats. DSC analysis revealed that AS-treated starches exhibited higher initial, melting, and completion temperatures. Minimal volume expansion was observed by swelling factor analysis, while a Rapid Visco Analyzer assessment revealed that they had higher pasting onset temperatures, lower peak viscosities, and no trough viscosity compared to native starch. The elongated glucans in AS-treated starch reinforced their crystalline structure and increased slowly digestible and enzyme-resistant starch content. Overall, AS-treated starch showed unique thermal properties and a reduced blood glucose index upon administration. This distinctive characteristic of NPAS-treated starch makes it a good candidate food or non-food material for cosmetic products, medical materials, and adhesives.

GLI1 Coamplification in Well-Differentiated/Dedifferentiated Liposarcomas: Clinicopathologic and Molecular Analysis of 92 Cases

GLI1(12q13.3) amplification is identified in a subset of mesenchymal neoplasms with a distinct nested round cell/epithelioid phenotype. MDM2 and CDK4 genes are situated along the oncogenic 12q13-15 segment, amplification of which defines well-differentiated liposarcoma (WDLPS)/dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDLPS). The 12q amplicon can occasionally include GLI1, a gene in close proximity to CDK4. We hereby describe the first cohort of GLI1/MDM2/CDK4 coamplified WD/DDLPS. The departmental database was queried retrospectively for all cases of WD/DDLPS having undergone next-generation (IMPACT) sequencing with confirmed MDM2, CDK4, and GLI1 coamplification. Clinicopathologic data were obtained from a review of the medical chart and available histologic material. Four hundred eighty-six WD/DDLPS cases underwent DNA sequencing, 92 (19%) of which harbored amplification of the GLI1 locus in addition to MDM2 and CDK4. These included primary tumors (n = 60), local recurrences (n = 29), and metastases (n = 3). Primary tumors were most frequently retroperitoneal (47/60,78%), mediastinal (4/60,7%), and paratesticular (3/60, 5%). Average age was 63 years, with a male:female ratio of 3:2. The cohort comprised of DDLPS (86/92 [93%], 6 of which were comprised of WDLPS with early dedifferentiation) and WDLPS without any longitudinal evidence of dedifferentiation (6/92, 7%%). One-fifth (13/86,17%) of DDLPS cases showed no evidence of a well-differentiated component in any of the primary, recurrent, or metastatic specimens. Dedifferentiated areas mostly showed high-grade undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma-like (26/86, 30%) and high-grade myxofibrosarcoma-like (13/86, 16%) morphology. A disproportionately increased incidence of meningothelial whorls with/without osseous metaplasia was observed as the predominant pattern in 16/86 (19%), and GLI1-altered morphology as described was identified in a total of 10/86 (12%) tumors. JUN (1p32.1), also implicated in the pathogenesis of WD/DDLPS, was coamplified with all 3 of MDM2, CDK4, and GLI1 in 7/91 (8%) cases. Additional loci along chromosomal arms 1p and 6q, including TNFAIP3, LATS1, and ESR1, were also amplified in a subset of cases. In this large-scale cohort of GLI1 coamplified WD/DDLPS, we elucidate uniquely recurrent features including meningothelial whorls and GLI-altered morphology in dedifferentiated areas. Assessment of tumor location (retroperitoneal or mediastinal), identification of a well-differentiated liposarcoma component, and coamplification of other spatially discrete genomic segments (1p and 6q) might aid in distinction from tumors with true driver GLI1 alterations.

Postural balance in the comprehensive rehabilitation of adolescents with cleft lip and palate and maxillofacial anomalies: A literature review

BACKGROUND: Patients with cleft lip and palate experience significant jaw relationship disorders and pathological bite formation, leading to changes in the motor activity of chewing muscles and postural balance disturbances. Most studies on postural control are conducted on patients with skeletal dentofacial anomalies and deformities without cleft lip and palate. The state of postural balance in children with cleft lip and palate requiring long-term complex medical rehabilitation, including bone-reconstructive operations on the jaw bones, remains poorly understood.
 AIM: To analyze publications dedicated to the evaluation of postural balance in adolescents with cleft lip and palate combined with jaw relationship disorders and pathological bite formation.
 MATERIALS AND METHODS: The article includes an analysis and review of several studies that investigated the state of postural balance in adolescents with cleft lip and palate, particularly at the final stages of growth and formation of the musculoskeletal system. Scientific articles published in various medical journals, monographs, dissertations, and materials from scientific symposiums related to this topic were used in the literature review. PubMed, Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, and RSCI were searched without language restrictions. The search depth was 23 years, and 64 studies were selected.
 RESULTS: The article analyzes literature data related to theories of the mechanism of mutual influence between postural balance and the dentofacial apparatus (disorders and pathological bite formation). The state of postural balance is influenced by various factors, including the craniosacral system and anomalies of the cervical spine. Patients with cleft lip and palate, hemifacial microsomia, and other craniofacial dysostoses with growth disorders of jaw bones experience an imbalance in the entire “descending” chain, causing postural disturbances, increased plantar pressure, increased foot rigidity, and changes in photogrammetry indicators, which should be considered when developing an individual rehabilitation program for these patients. The treatment of these patients without considering postural balance disorders can lead to temporomandibular joint pathologies, unstable results of the conservative orthodontic treatment of bite pathologies, and bone-reconstructive operations on jaws.
 CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights the ways of adaptation of the musculoskeletal system in the presence of occlusal relationship disorders and emphasizes the need to evaluate this influence comprehensively for the treatment of these patients. The limitations of the presented studies should be emphasized: insufficient sample size, lack of control groups and prospective studies, limited types of examination, and lack of studies dedicated to more severe anomalies of craniofacial development.

Combinatorial Property Mapping of Titanium‐Zirconium Thin Film Libraries as Screening for Medical Material Candidates

By employing a co‐sputtering technique, combinatorial thin film libraries in the Ti–Zr system are produced. The libraries have a compositional spread ranging from 40 to 70 at% Ti. The confocal geometry of the sputtering system is maintained for the production of all thin films. The microstructural and crystallographic properties are elucidated by energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. Furthermore, contact angle measurements and nanoindentations are performed to map the wettability, hardness, and elastic modulus of the alloy system. The electrochemical properties, i.e., the oxide film formation factor and the relative permittivity of anodically grown oxides on the parent metal alloys are determined. The measurements are performed in phosphate‐buffered saline in order to best simulate a biological environment. A linear shift in the properties is observed along the compositional gradient for the EDX, XRD, and SEM analysis. For all other sets of measurements deviations from the linear behavior, are observed around the 60 at% Ti concentrations. This coincides with the formation of a congruent alloy in bulk material. The observed changes however, deviated also from expectations for bulk alloys. The implications and potential for those alloys as implant material are discussed in the following.

Natural Nano-Minerals (NNMs): Conception, Classification and Their Biomedical Composites.

Natural nano-minerals (NNMs) are minerals that are derived from nature with a size of less than 100 nm in at least one dimension in size. NNMs have a number of excellent properties due to their unique nanostructure and have been applied in various fields in recent years. They are rising stars in various disciplines, such as materials, biomedicine, and chemistry, taking advantage of their huge surface area, multiple active sites, excellent adsorption capacity, large quantity, low cost, and nontoxicity, etc. To provide a more comprehensive overview of NNMs and the biomedical applications of NNMs-based nanocomposites, this review classifies NNMs into three types by dimension, lists the structure and properties of typical NNMs, and illustrates their biomedical applications. Furthermore, a novel concept of natural nanomineral medical materials (NNMMs) is proposed, focusing on the medical value of NNMs. In addition, this review attempts to address the current challenges and delineate future directions for the advancement of NNMs. With the deepening of biomedical applications, it is believed that NNMMMs will inevitably play an important role in the field of human health and contribute to its promotion.

Comprehensive study of antimicrobial polycaprolactone/clay nanocomposite films: Preparation, characterization, properties and degradation in simulated body fluid

AbstractEven though the biodegradability of polycaprolactone (PCL) and its nanocomposites is lower compared to other biodegradable polyesters, this property and good biocompatibility are used for development of materials for drug delivery with a long‐term effect. We prepared novel PCL/clay nanocomposite films with antimicrobials chlorhexidine (CH) or octenidine (OCT) combined with ZnO anchored on vermiculite (VER). The intercalation of CH and OCT into the interlayer of VER/ZnOVER was confirmed by XRD, FTIR and SEM. The organically modified nanofillers compared to VER (−46.0 mV) or ZnOVER (−34.9 mV) showed a positive ζ‐potential (+30.7 mV (VER_CH), +21.9 mV (VER_OCT), +24.6 mV (ZnOVER_CH)) indicating a relatively stable materials, except ZnOVER_OCT (+8.6 mV), which strongly agglomerated.Thin PCL/clay films were prepared by solvent casting method and the effect of used nanofillers on structural, thermal, mechanical and antimicrobial properties followed by degradation under hydrolytic conditions was studied. The results showed that presence of ZnO significantly decreases thermal and mechanical stability. The nanofillers with the higher hydrophilic character are responsible for the fastest degradation of PCL matrix. Films possessed high antimicrobial efficiency in long time intervals, hence these nanocomposites open new avenues for the possible application of such materials for the drug delivery with a long‐term effect.Highlights Antimicrobial active PCL/clay nanocomposites were prepared. Nanofillers influenced the structure and properties of prepared thin PCL films. ZnO caused lower thermal stability and worse mechanical properties of PCL films. PCL/clay nanocomposite films degraded slowly by a hydrolytic mechanism. High potential as medical materials with long‐lasting antimicrobial efficacy.

Radiological Risk to Inhalation of Thoron Gas from Medical Materials Samples Derived from Medical Plants in Iraq

Pollution by thoron is one of the factors that is harmful to human health. Medical materials, especially those derived from plants, have natural ingredients which are a major source of natural radioactivity, thoron being one of them. Therefore, the presence of harmful radioactivity in these materials is a matter of concern. This study determined the concentrations of thoron (220Rn or radon-220) from 70 samples of medical materials derived from medical plants using a CR-39 detector. Samples are drugs (solid), skin creams, herbs, toothpaste, drugs (liquid), and cosmetic products found in Iraqi pharmacies. Also, radiological risks such as Annual Effective Dose (AED), Excessive Lifetime Cancer Risk (ELCR), and Lung Cancer Case (LCC) due to inhalation of thoron from medical materials samples in pharmacies were calculated. The results show that the results of the thoron  concentrations in the samples of medical materials ranged from 1.02 Bq/m3 to 74.53 Bq/m3, with an average value of 18.21 ± 2.00 Bq/m3. The range values of AED, ELCR (×10-3) and LCC (×10-6) were 0.01-0.588 mSv/y, 0.04-2.36, and 0.18-10.58, respectively. It was als found that the thoron concentrations in samples of the present study vary from a minimum of 12.82 Bq/m3 in cosmetic products samples to a maximum of 30.29 Bq/m3 in herbs samples. Nonetheless, all thoron and radiological risk values were lower than the acceptable world limit (thoron = 200-300 Bq/m3  by ICRP and AED = 1.1-4.4 mSv/y by UNSCEAR).

Pharmacodynamic study: Astragaloside IV/chitosan/polylactic acid composite electrospinning scaffold for wound healing in diabetic rats

The wound dressing plays an important role in wound repair as a medical textile that temporarily replaces the skin. However, ordinary wound dressings can only cover wounds and supply a protecting function for wounds, cannot meet some special requirements of chronic wounds, especially diabetic wounds. To overcome these drawbacks, in this study, a novel AS/CS/PLA nanofiber functional dressing was developed to promote diabetic wound healing by electrostatic spinning technology. The pharmacodynamics of AS/CS/PLA nanofiber functional dressings were evaluated. In in vitro pharmacodynamic experiment, the effect of the dressing on cell proliferation was detected by MTT assay. Cell adhesion to the dressing was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the cell migration ability promoted by the dressing was evaluated by an in vitro cell scratch test. In in vivo pharmacodynamic experiment, we established a skin wound model in diabetic rats. On the 7th and 15th days, we collected tissue samples from both the surrounding area and the wound area. The expressions of CD31 and TGF-β in wound tissue were detected by H&E and Masson three-color staining, respectively. The results showed that the AS/CS/PLA nanofiber functional dressing could promote cell proliferation, adhesion, and migration. It also increased collagen deposition and granulation tissue formation at wound. Moreover, it promoted the expression of CD31 and TGF-β factors at early stage, thereby accelerating wound healing. Our results indicated that the AS/CS/PLA nanofiber functional dressing have a potential as a treatment material to accelerate diabetic wound healing.

Synthesis and Characterization of Hybridfiber from Gelatin Modified by PVACOS Using Coaxial Electrospinning Techniques as an Advanced Medical Textile Material

The synthesis of hybrid fiber based on bovine bone gelatin combined with polyvinyl alcohol-chitosan-oxidized sucrose (PVACOS) has been successfully carried out using the coaxial electrospinning technique. The presence of oxidized sucrose can improve the diameter and the tensile strength of hybrid fibers due to the formation of new covalent bonds. The combination of gelatin with PVACOS material aims to increase the strength of the hybrid fiber so that it has better tensile strength characteristics and improves the diameter of the resulting hybrid fiber. The characterization of the resulting material was tested using FTIR, SEM, EDX, XRD, and TGA. Based on FTIR analysis, there is an increase in absorption intensity in the 2900 cm-1 – 3000 cm-1 band, which indicates the occurrence of covalent bond interactions so that it can increase the bond strength between materials with the performance of crystalline materials. Apart from that, the morphological structure of the hybrid fibers was also investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the resulting fiber diameter for Ge-Ch, Ge-Ch-PVA, Ge-PVACOS 3%, and Ge-PVACOS 5%, respectively, was 0.4049 µm. 0.3735 µm, 0.3388 µm, and 0.3206 µm. The tensile strengths of hybrid fiber for Ge-PVACOS 3% and Ge-PVACOS 5%, respectively, are 39.91935 N/m2 and 76.12507 N/m2. Statistical tests show that the concentration of oxidized sucrose has a significant influence on hybrid fiber performance. The significance values for diameter and tensile strength are 0.0486 and 0.0325, respectively. According to this performance, the Ge-PVACOS hybrid fiber is recommended as a material for advanced medical textiles. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2024-08-02-022 Full Text: PDF