Modern Biomedicine Research Articles

Animal research nexus: a new approach to the connections between science, health and animal welfare

Animals used in biological research and testing have become integrated into the trajectories of modern biomedicine, generating increased expectations for and connections between human and animal health. Animal research also...

Pillared Graphene Structures Supported by Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotubes as the Potential Recognition Element for DNA Biosensors.

The development of electrochemical biosensors is an important challenge in modern biomedicine since they allow detecting femto- and pico-molar concentrations of molecules. During this study, pillared graphene structures supported by vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNT-graphene) are examined as the potential recognition element of DNA biosensors. Using mathematical modeling methods, the atomic supercells of different (VACNT-graphene) configurations and the energy profiles of its growth are found. Regarding the VACNT(12,6)-graphene doped with DNA nitrogenous bases, calculated band structure and conductivity parameters are used. The obtained results show the presence of adenine, cytosine, thymine, and guanine on the surface of VACNT(12,6)-graphene significantly changes its conductivity so the considered object could be the prospective element for DNA biosensing.

Adaptation of Bio-Layer Interferometry for Quantitative Assessment of the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Content in Cell-Conditioned Culture Medium

Quantitative determination of cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, and other soluble protein molecules in various biological fluids is a routine task of modern diagnostics and biomedicine; however, currently existing methods of analysis include several stages and take a long time. This paper presents a protocol that allows determination of an analyte concentration in a sample within a few minutes using biomolecule layer interferometry. Conditioned media in which mouse mesenchymal stem cells were grown under normoxia and hypoxia in the form of monolayer, 3D cell sheets, or 3D spheroids were used as a model system, in which the concentration of VEGF-A (vascular endothelial growth factor) was determined. The method showed high sensitivity (at least 0.10 ng/mL of VEGF-A). The obtained values of VEGF-A concentrations in mesenchymal stem cell conditioned media were close to the values determined by enzyme immunoassay. Using biomolecule layer interferometry, a significant 2.5–3.0 fold increase in VEGF-A production by spheroids and cell sheets of mesenchymal stem cells was found in comparison with the cells grown in a monolayer. Thus, the developed protocol made it possible to adapt the method of biomolecule layer interferometry for rapid quantitative analysis of growth factors in the conditioned media.

Биосоциальность и биоидентичность: современная ситуация и этические перспективы

Развитие генетических технологий способствовало стремительной биосоциализации современного общества. Биосоциальность и биоидентичность - феномены, описывающие важнейшие глобальные и локальные процессы развития современной биомедицины, определяющие интересы все большего числа людей. Создание групп по биосоциальным признакам невозможно без принципа конвергенции усилий. Он работает на разных уровнях общественной жизни, оказывая влияние и на формирование научного знания. Телесность пациента может рассматриваться в качестве гибридной формы, где сплетается органика, знание, технологии и экзистенциальный опыт персональной истории болезни. Возможности легитимации в будущем генетических технологий улучшения человека закладывают основание для формирования новых локусов биосоциальности и биоидентичности. The development of genetic technologies has contributed to the rapid biosocialization of modern society. Biosociality and bioidentity are phenomena that describe the most important global and local processes of development of modern biomedicine, which determine the interests of an increasing number of people. Creating groups on biosocial grounds is impossible without the principle of convergence of efforts. It works at different levels of social life, influencing the formation of scientific knowledge. The physicality of the patient can be considered as a hybrid form where organics, knowledge, technology and existential experience of a personal medical history are intertwined. The possibilities of legitimizing the future genetic technologies for human enhancement lay the foundation for the formation of new loci of biosociality and bioidentity.

Programmed Cell Death: Historical Notes from Russia.

The investigation of cell death mechanisms is one of the fastest growing areas of modern biomedicine. A particular interest in this research topic arose in 1972 after publication of an article by Kerr, Wyllie, and Currie, in which apoptosis, one of the types of cell death, was first considered as a basic biological phenomenon regulating tissue homeostasis. Several Russian groups involved in the investigation of the mechanisms of radiation-induced cell death have drawn attention to the similarity between these two mechanisms. Unfortunately, these studies have been for a long time inaccessible to the international scientific community. These introductory remarks attempt to restore the chain of events that have taken place during the past 50years.

Differential effect of Ayurvedic nootropics on C. elegans models of Parkinson’s disease

BackgroundGlobally, there is increased incidence of Parkinson’s Disease (PD), which is the second most common age-related neurodegenerative disease. The currently available PD-therapeutics provide only symptomatic relief. Thus, there is an urgent need to devise an effective and safe treatment strategy for PD. The holistic approach of Ayurveda can be a potential effective strategy for treating PD. The integration of different medicine systems, such as modern bio-medicine and Ayurveda can be an effective strategy for treatment of complex diseases, including PD. ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the neuroprotective mechanism of six Ayurvedic nootropics that are commonly used to treat PD. Material and methodsSix Ayurvedic herbs, namely Mucuna pruriens (MP), Bacopa monnieri (BM), Withania somnifera (WS), Centella asiatica (CA), Sida cordifolia (SC), and Celastrus paniculatus (CP), were selected after consultation with Ayurvedic scholars and physicians. The mode of action of methanolic herbal extracts was evaluated using the Caenorhabditis elegans BZ555 and NL5901 strains, which can be used to model the two main hallmarks of PD, namely degeneration of dopaminergic neurons and aggregation of α-synuclein protein. ResultsAll six herbal extracts exhibited neuroprotective effect. The extracts of BM and MP exhibited maximum protection against 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium iodide (MPP+ iodide)-induced dopaminergic neurodegeneration in the BZ555 strain. Furthermore, the herbal extracts, except CA extract, inhibited the aggregation of heterologously expressed human α-synuclein in the NL5901 strain. ConclusionAyurvedic herbs used in the treatment of PD exhibited differential neuroprotective and protein aggregation mitigating effects in C. elegans.

Colonizing Madness: Asylum and Community in Fiji

The cover artwork of this book created by Rotuman artist John Mausio, and titled ‘I am Here’ depicts an arresting image of a person painted as a combination of shadow and solid form, seated on a layer of rocks against a backdrop of a woven and solid brick wall. Mausio is himself an active artist in the mental health area working with the St Giles Hospital, a key centre of the book’s narrative. Comprising of seven chapters and populated with images of people and buildings, Leckie states ‘this book explores the way the practices and discourse of modern bio-medicine and mental health were articulated in local communities as well as in the asylum’ (p.3). Furthermore, her interest is in ‘reading the lunacy archive to address how madness was constructed and managed and how it affected individuals and communities in colonial Fiji’ (p.4). Leckie draws on archival research from ‘the remaining records of former patients at St Giles to explore the nebulous condition and label of madness and states of mental difference’ (p.4). These records are described as ‘fragmentary’ and ‘scribbled in shorthand by colonial officials and the doctors’ (p.5). Nonetheless, they provide an account of a complex and deeply affective narratives.

Sociocultural factors in cardiology: previous knowledge de novo

Despite the progression in cardiovascular biomedicine, the issue of a person's social life and his social relations remains relevant. The impact on adherence to lifestyle changes and therapy, on risk factors such as stress or physical inactivity, is imperative and cannot be realized through biomedical methods alone. In the modification of sociocultural and psychosocial risk factors, the work of a doctor with a patient is the interaction of two subjects, who have experience in their lives. The article provides a brief analysis of the modern understanding of sociocultural aspects of cardiovascular processes and proposes the concept of identity as a unit of meaning in such a coordinate system. The modern understanding of the biosocial structure of a person makes it possible to move from the declarative principles of “treating the patient — not just the disease” to a scientific interdisciplinary and practical concept. The inclusion of a humanitarian knowledge about the structure of culture and society in modern biomedicine will provide a novel, constructive understanding of doctor-patient relationship.

Scheduling a proportionate flow shop of batching machines

In this paper we study a proportionate flow shop of batching machines with release dates and a fixed number m ge 2 of machines. The scheduling problem has so far barely received any attention in the literature, but recently its importance has increased significantly, due to applications in the industrial scaling of modern bio-medicine production processes. We show that for any fixed number of machines, the makespan and the sum of completion times can be minimized in polynomial time. Furthermore, we show that the obtained algorithm can also be used to minimize the weighted total completion time, maximum lateness, total tardiness and (weighted) number of late jobs in polynomial time if all release dates are 0. Previously, polynomial time algorithms have only been known for two machines.

Nurturing Indonesia: Medicine and Decolonisation in the Dutch East Indies, by Hans Pols

Historians have long noted the significant connections between the rise of modern medicine and the rise of nationalism in late colonial Indonesia. They point most notably to the prominence of medical students and doctors within the first generations of nationalist leaders in the early twentieth century. For many, the connection has seemed straightforward. Young medical students and physicians were among the most educated, well-connected and liberally minded members of an aspiring indigenous middle class in late colonial society. As such, they naturally stood at the forefront of efforts at national organisation and mobilisation. While certainly true, little has been done to venture beyond this point of recognition to explore a broader and more complex history of the relationship between modern biomedicine and Indonesian nationalism in the late colonial and postcolonial eras. Hans Pols’ recent book shows us just what we have been missing by leaving this historical relationship under-explored. It...

Utilization of Lipids, Polymers by Modern Techniques for Innovative Pharmaceutical Formulations and Medical Devices

With advancing science and technology, new futuristic technologies have been upcoming that are having a greater impact on the pharmaceutical and biomedical fields. Many lipids and polymer of natural and synthetic origin have spread horizons enabling to reach in fabricating delivery systems for unmet medical needs. In this modern biomedicine era, we must outline and scrutiny the roles of these biomaterials and the modern technologies that are shaping up the advancing medicines. The real challenges in modulating, fine-tuning the biomaterials for their bioactive properties are vital for assessing the in-vivo performance of the developed systems. Therefore, the present review discusses the detailed analysis of the current research reported in the technologies of utilizing the lipids, polymers, and their role in delivering the drugs, genes, and designing advanced implantable medical devices. The scrutiny also focuses on key optimization tools, analytical methods, formulation, and biomedical techniques helpful in developing the solutions that can be administered different routes in different therapeutic indications.

Nanosized Anti-Stokes Phosphors for Antitumor Drug Delivery and Solid Tumor Theranostics.

Abstract-Theranostics is the direction in modern biomedicine aimed at developing drugs that combine the capabilities of diagnosis and therapy of tumors in one agent. Upconversion nanophosphors (UCNPs) are inorganic crystalline materials that can be used to create a nanoplatform providing diagnostic and therapeutic modalities. They have been proposed as luminescent markers for optical imaging of biological tissue due to their anti-Stokes luminescence, lack of photodegradation and low toxicity. In this article, UCNPs as a theranostic agent for both optical imaging and delivery of anticancer drugs have been offered. To obtain biocompatible nanocomplexes, UCNP surface with a core/shell structure of NaYF4:Yb3+Tm3+/NaYF4 was modified with polylactic acid in the presence of various stabilizers (dextran, polyvinyl alcohol, and poly-N-vinylpyrrolidone). To give the therapeutic modality to the nanocomplex, the antitumor antibiotic doxorubicin was loaded into the polymer shell. The loading efficiency was up to 0.1 mg per 1 mg UCNPs. The toxicity and the intracellular accumulation of nanocomplexes were evaluated in vitro. It was concluded that the modification of UCNPs with polylactic acid provides the transport of doxorubicin, allowing the combination of diagnostic and therapeutic modalities in one agent.

Systemically-delivered biodegradable PLGA alters gut microbiota and induces transcriptomic reprogramming in the liver in an obesity mouse model

Biodegradable materials, including the widely used poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles contained in slow-release drug formulations, scaffolds and implants, are ubiquitous in modern biomedicine and are considered inert or capable of being metabolized through intermediates such as lactate. However, in the presence of metabolic stress, such as in obesity, the resulting degradation products may play a detrimental role, which is still not well understood. We evaluated the effect of intravenously-administered PLGA nanoparticles on the gut-liver axis under conditions of caloric excess in C57BL/6 mice. Our results show that PLGA nanoparticles accumulate and cause gut acidification in the cecum, accompanied by significant changes in the microbiome, with a marked decrease of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. This was associated with transcriptomic reprogramming in the liver, with a downregulation of mitochondrial function, and an increase in key enzymatic, inflammation and cell activation pathways. No changes were observed in systemic inflammation. Metagenome analysis coupled with publicly available microarray data suggested a mechanism of impaired PLGA degradation and intestinal acidification confirming an important enterohepatic axis of metabolite-microbiome interaction resulting in maintenance of metabolic homeostasis. Thus, our results have important implications for the investigation of PLGA use in metabolically-compromised clinical and experimental settings.

Irradiation with 365 nm and 405 nm wavelength shows differences in DNA damage of swine pancreatic islets.

Introduction3D printing is being used more extensively in modern biomedicine. One of the problems is selecting a proper crosslinking method of bioprinted material. Amongst currently used techniques we can distinguish: physical crosslinking (e.g. Ca2+ and Sr2+) and chemical crosslinking–the UV light crosslinking causing the biggest discussion. UV radiation is selectively absorbed by DNA, mainly in the UV-B region but also (to some extent) in UV-A and UV-C regions. DNA excitement results in typical photoproducts. The amount of strand breaks may vary depending on the period of exposition, it can also differ when cells undergo incubation after radiation.AimThe aim of this study was to show whether and how the time of irradiation with 405 nm and 365 nm wavelengths affect DNA damage in cell lines and micro-organs (pancreatic islets).Materials and methodsThe degree of DNA damage caused by different wavelengths of radiation (405 nm and 365 nm) was evaluated by a comet assay. The test was performed on fibroblasts, alpha cells, beta cells and porcine pancreatic islets after 24 hours incubation period. Samples without radiation treatment were selected as a control group. Results analysis consisted of determining the percent of cells with damaged DNA and the tail intensity evaluation.ResultsThe degree of DNA damage in pancreatic islets after exposure to 405 nm wavelength oscillated between 2% and 6% depending on the tested time period (10 – 300 seconds). However, treating islets using 365 nm wavelength resulted in damage up to 50%. This clearly shows significantly less damage when using 405 nm wavelength. Similar results were obtained for the tested cell lines.ConclusionsCrosslinking with 405 nm is better for pancreatic islets than crosslinking with 365 nm UV light.

The Hydrolytic Destruction of Modified Cellulosic Materials in Conditions Simulating a Purulent Wound

The development of new effective agents for purulent wounds treatment remains one of the most priority tasks of modern Biomedicine. An important aspect of ensuring the wound healing process is the selection of appropriate dressings. The right choice allows you to provide proper supportive therapy that accompanies the treatment of the root cause. Unlike cotton cellulose, dialdehyde cellulose undergoes significant hydrolytic and biological degradation in the human body under physiological conditions. Modern dressings are developed and produced on the basis of dialdehyde cellulose, chitosan, and various therapeutic agents (including enzymes). The kinetics of hydrolytic destruction of materials based on modified cellulose was studied. Using UV- and IR- spectroscopy, and dynamic light scattering methods, the decomposition of various cellulose matrices based on cotton medical gauze (1/15M phosphate buffer solution, pH 6.2, 37ºC) was studied. The properties of the cellulose carrier’ degradation products also were investigated. Their biological properties have been studied. It was found that the products of hydrolytic destruction of dialdehyde cellulose have antioxidant properties. The degradation of the cellulose carrier increases with the raising of cellulose modification degree, temperature, time, and pH of the solution. Chitosan stabilization of the oxidized cellulose carrier was found.

Extraordinary Manifestation of Evanescent Wave in Biomedical Application

The paper summarizes the latest obtained results illustrating the rectilinear and rotational motion of micro-objects in a biological environment. Such a motion is stipulated by the action of the optical force, on the one hand, and the special influence of the toque of the evanescent wave, on the other one. The reason of this unusual action is the presence of a transverse spin component of the evanescent wave. This feature appears due to the method of excitation: a linearly polarized wave with the azimuth of polarization of 45° at total internal reflection (TIR) at the interface of a prism and a biological medium is used. The objects of the study were gold micro-particles located in a biological environment and red blood cells (RBC) in blood plasma. We demonstrate the possibility for controlling these objects using an evanescent wave under specially selected experimental conditions. The obtained results are highly relevant in modern pharmacology and biomedicine.

Impact of Palliative Care/Medicine on Realization of "Right to Life" and "Right to Dignity" in The Context of Human Rights Protection

This study aims to define the content, interpretation and understanding of palliative care / medicine in the context of the development of modern biomedicine with the priority of the role of protection and respect for human rights, while focusing on the categories of seriously ill and their implementation of "the right to life", "the right to health", and "The right to death".The study was conducted on the basis of the analysis of normative legal acts, jurisprudence, relevant scientific and statistical data that regulate the issues of palliative and hospice care, euthanasia and their interconnection. Comparative palliative care in different countries was based on theoretical sources, legislation of the countries and the "Quality of Death Index". The overview of the laws of the world was done and it was found that the country in which the euthanasia is legally possible; countries where it is not prohibited and the countries criminal law which establishes the prohibition of euthanasia with further punishment for its implementation.The statistics of recent years show that the majority of diseases, which in the future lead to incurable diseases, in which both patients and relatives find themselves in the path of despair and fear. In such circumstances the need for palliative care constantly ascending aye. In this context, questions arise as to the understanding of the nature of palliative care / medicine as a combination of therapeutic measures or a decent completion of life linking these two areas with the realization of such rights as the right to life, health, and death. In the context of the latter, the understanding of the role and place of euthanasia is becoming apparent not only for the severely ill, but also for healthy people, based on the desire for a decent completion of life and the impossibility of committing suicide, which is a punishable act.That is why the importance of palliative care/medicine is necessary, first of all, from the legal point of view and the protection of human rights, which is the priority of every democratic state.In the study, it was concluded that palliative care/medicine must have a clear understanding and legal consolidation at both the international and national levels, based on the concept of essence "pain" through a set of measures to right ted for rehabilitation or worthy end of life, in a speech last activity search effective ways to avoid future life-threatening cases. Therefore, palliative aid/medicine serves some basis for the rights to a decent life worthy of death of people with the prospect of an overall strategy of healthy and decent life for future generations.

Mercury: the beginnings in the medicalization of common names of medicinal plants in Brazil

Abstract Medicalization of common names of medicinal plants is a process that involves replacing popular native names by trademarked names of drugs, active principles or therapeutic indications used by modern biomedicine. In Brazil, this process seems to have been intensified in the early 2000s due to the increasing use of those names in ethnoscientific surveys in local communities. In this study, we aimed to trace the origins of that process. For this purpose, we reviewed data from the “grey literature” pre-1980, including 15 books, compendia, dictionaries, and guides of medicinal plants. Mercury and its lexical changes were the only medicalized names found in the literature before the 1980s. This is probably due to the ancient use of mercury in several medical systems through human history, including by Brazilian apothecaries since the seventeenth century. Moreover, Mercurochrome was the name of a Brazilian trademark of antiseptic that probably influenced the use of medicalized names of mercury in the past. The name “Mercury” and its “natural” epithet combinations, like “Mercúrio-vegetal” (Mercury-plant) and “Mercúrio-do-campo” (Field-mercury), could have been the original medicalized way of naming medicinal plants in Brazil.

Silk fibroins in multiscale dimensions for diverse applications.

Silk biomaterials in different forms such as particles, coatings and their assemblies, represent unique type of materials in multiple scales and dimensions. Herein, we provide an overview of multi-scale silk fibroin materials including silk particles, silk coatings and silk assemblies, each of which represents a unique type of material with wide range of applications. They feature tunable structures and mechanical properties with excellent biocompatibility, which are essentially required for various biomedical and drug delivery applications. The review focuses on bringing a new perspective on the utilization of regenerated silk fibroins in modern biomedicine by beginning with the fabrication of silk in multiscale dimensions and their state-of-the-art applications in various biomedical and bioelectronic fields. It covers the fundamentals of processing silk fibroins in multi-dimensions (sizes and shapes) with a specific emphasis on its structural tunability at various length scales (nano–micro) by using the latest fabrication methods/mechanisms and advanced fabrication technologies, followed by their recent applications in diverse fields of biomedicine.

A Review of Recent Advances in Robotic Cell Microinjection

Cell microinjection is a direct and effective way to transfer external materials into the cell. In the field of modern biomedicine, cell microinjection is very important, no matter in genetics, reproductive health, tumor therapy or others related research directions. Traditional manual cell microinjection has the disadvantages of low efficiency and low survival rate. In contrast, robotic cell microinjection can achieve precise and effective cell microinjection, and can be used in the injection of large quantities of cells. This paper reviews recent advances in robotic cell microinjection technologies. It summarizes the main approaches of key technologies and their advantages and disadvantages, such as cell identification, cell holding, precise positioning platform, cell injection strategy, sensors in cell microinjection, and cell modeling. The conclusion of the investigation is that the robotic cell microinjection has achieved remarkable results and still has great potential for further development. It is expected to be widely used in biomedicine and other fields to realize convenient, fast, and efficient microinjection operations of large number of individual cells.