Reduction In Count Research Articles

Population pharmacokinetic and exposure-toxicity analyses of nab-paclitaxel after pegylated recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor administration in patients with metastatic breast cancer.

This study aimed to establish a population pharmacokinetic (PK) model to evaluate the dynamic relationship between the concentrations of total and unbound paclitaxel, and the exposure-response analysis of albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-paclitaxel) after pegylated recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (PEG-G-CSF) administration in patients with metastatic breast cancer. A total of 653 concentrations corresponding to total paclitaxel and 334 concentrations corresponding to unbound paclitaxel were analyzed in 24 subjects who randomized received a single 260 mg/m2 dose of two nab-paclitaxel formulations with a 21-35-day washout period. PEG-G-CSF was administered to all the patients in each cycle to prevent neutropenia. The exposure-response relationships were evaluated using the exposure to total, albumin-coated, and unbound paclitaxel, as well as the reduction in neutrophil count. The exposure data were analyzed using nonlinear mixed-effect modeling. A linear regression model was used to test the statistical significance of the correlation between percentage of reduction in neutrophil count and exposure. The PK characteristics of total paclitaxel were described using a three-compartment model with first-order elimination, and a mechanism-based model incorporating linear release of nab-paclitaxel and the saturated binding of unbound paclitaxel to plasma components was established. The release ratio of paclitaxel from nab-paclitaxel was estimated to be 4.60% and the maximum unbound fraction (2.76%) was reached at the end of the infusion. The study found that a longer duration of total paclitaxel concentration > 0.19 µmol/L was significantly correlated with a reduction in neutrophil count (r2 = 0.23, P = 0.00062). Specifically, a duration of > 8.6h was a predictor of a decreased neutrophil count. The decrease in neutrophils induced by nab-paclitaxel was significantly correlated with the duration above a total paclitaxel concentration of 0.19 µmol/L despite the use of PEG-G-CSF.

Gaseous ozone inactivation of Bacillus atrophaeus spores on ceramic and porcelain tiles

In this study, we investigated the ozone inactivation efficiency of Bacillus atrophaeus spores attached to various tile surfaces. Eight different types of tiles were employed, considering factors such as porosity (ceramic, porcelain), color (white, black), and glossiness (matte, glossy). Inactivation was performed by exposing the spore-loaded tiles to ozone gas for a specified duration. The inactivation efficiencies of ozone gas on different tile surfaces were compared by analyzing the colony-forming units of desorbed Bacillus atrophaeus cultured in a growth medium. Results revealed a reduction in colony counts with increasing ozone exposure time, indicating a proportional enhancement in inactivation effectiveness on ozone exposure time. After exposure to ozone gas for 30 min or longer, more than 90% of spores on each tile were inactivated. Regarding porosity, ceramic tiles exhibited slightly superior inactivation effects compared to porcelain tiles. Additionally, in terms of glossiness, glossy tiles demonstrated better inactivation effects than matte tiles. However, no significant differences were observed in inactivation effects based on the color of the tiles.

Phytochemical analysis and effect of short-term administration of aqueous seed extract of Aframomum melegueta on haematologic indices of female albino rats

Background and aims: Aframomum melegueta (Alligator pepper) is a dietary spice widely used for entertainment, religious rites, food flavor enhancer, possessing erythropoietic potentials, and many other medicinal uses. Women are included in eating this widely used spice. This experiment determined the health risk or benefit of short-term administration of aqueous seed extract of A. melegueta on haematologic indices of female albino rats. Methods: Thirty adult female albino rats weighing 160 to 200 g were used for the study. Male rats were introduced into the female rat cages of groups II-V within 12h at the expected estrous phase for mating and withdrawn afterward. Groups I, II, and III were orally administered distilled water only, while groups IV and V received oral doses of 5 µg/kg b.w. Cabergoline and 3000 mg/kg b.w. aqueous seed extract of A. melegueta respectively 24 hours postpartum and once daily by oral gavage for three days. Results: Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) identified twelve functional groups in the seed extracts, namely –OH, -NH2 , CH, -NH3 +, -CH3 , -OH, -N=C=O, -C≡N, -C=C=C, -NH, -CH3 and -1,3,5-trisubstituted benzenes, while gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (GCFID) determined 15 bioactive components namely kaempferol, naringenin, Sapogernin, flavanones, anthocyanin, flavan-3-ol, cyanogenic glycoside, ribalinidine, rutin, catechin, resveratrol, spartein, epicatechin, steroid and phytate. Non-significant alterations in hemoglobin, packed cell volume (PCV), and red blood cell count were observed. There was a significant (P<0.05) decrease in WBC during pregnancy, but it was improved postpartum. However, platelet count was significantly (P<0.05) reduced after extract administration. Conclusion: The results indicate no adverse anemic condition elicited during pregnancy and delivery on haematologic parameters, namely red blood cells, hemoglobin, and PCV, with a significant decrease in WBC during pregnancy as well as reduction in platelet counts (thrombocytopenia) of extract treated animals post-partum likely due to the flavonoid, resveratrol as well as rutin and (–)-epicatechin components of A. melegueta and thus may increase the risk of bleeding disorders but reflects a positive anti-atherogenic and cardioprotective effect.

Antimicrobial Efficacy of Mangifera indica, Mentha arvensis, and Chlorhexidine Mouthwashes on Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans in Children: A Comparative In Vivo Study.

Herbal medicines are both promotive and preventive in inhibiting dental caries. Most commonly used natural plant extracts like mango (Mangifera indica) and pudina (Mentha arvensis) as an entire or together are scientifically well proven to be safe and effective against various oral health problems, especially in preventing dental caries and periodontal diseases. The present study aims to comparatively evaluate the effect of Mangifera indica, Mentha arvensis, and Chlorhexidine (CHX) (0.2%) mouthwashes on Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) and Candida albicans (C. albicans) in children. By random allocation, 45 healthy children were selected between the age-group of 7 and 10 years of both genders from a residential school. They were divided into three study groups of 15 in each; group I-CHX (control group), group II-Mangifera indica mouthwash, and group III-Mentha arvensis mouthwash. Stimulated whole saliva sample collected for the amount of colony forming units and cultured for S. mutans and C. albicans. The data was tabulated, and statistical analysis was done with one-way variance analysis of the variance (ANOVA), Tukey's post hoc honestly significant difference (HSD) test, and Bonferroni and Kruskal-Wallis test. Mangifera indica (group II) and Mentha arvensis (group III) showed a significant reduction of salivary counts at baseline, 14th day, and 21st day period and minimal effect on C. albicans for Mangifera indica. Among the three types of mouthwash, the CHX was the most superior; it showed a statistically significant reduction overall. When compared to Mangifera indica with Mentha arvensis, Mentha arvensis showed a statistically significant reduction in S. mutans and C. albicans and had an almost equivocal effect like CHX. Both herbal mouthwashes had a significant reduction in the S. mutans and C. albicans in children. So, it can be considered an active ingredient in mouthwashes. It may serve as a natural antimicrobial mouthwash with no adverse effects. Kajjari S, K VB, Janardhanan S, et al. Antimicrobial Efficacy of Mangifera indica, Mentha arvensis, and Chlorhexidine Mouthwashes on Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans in Children: A Comparative In Vivo Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2024;17(S-1):S78-S83.

Fabrication and Characterization of Four-State Inverter Utilizing Quantum Dot Gate Field-Effect Transistors (QDGFETS)

This paper presents the experimental results of nMOS quantum dot gate field-effect transistor (QDG-FET) based four-state inverter fabricated and tested with Si/SiO2 and Ge/GeO2 quantum dots. The site-specific self-assembly of SiOx-cladded Si and GeOx-cladded Ge quantum dot layers in the gate region implements both the driver and load FETs in enhancement nMOS inverters. A four-state inverter will allow the reduction of FET count in logic block in microprocessors.

In Vivo Antischistosomicidal and Immunomodulatory Effects of Dietary Supplementation with Taraxacum officinale.

Bilharziasis is a widespread trematode parasite that poses a severe public health burden. Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) has several pharmacological and traditional properties critical for treating several hepatic disorders. The present study was designed to assess the potential efficacy of T. officinale root (TOR) dietary supplementation with or without praziquantel (PZQ) against liver and intestinal disorders in mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni. This study was conducted on five groups; G1: uninfected control, G2: untreated S. mansoni-infected mice, G3: infected animals treated with 250 mg/kg PZQ for three alternative days, G4: infected animals were orally administered 600 mg/kg bw TOR daily for 10 days, and G5: infected animals that received both PZQ and TOR as previously described. The current findings after different treatments indicated topographical scanning electron microscopy alterations of male adult worms and a critical reduction in worm burden, ova count, granuloma diameter, hepatic and intestinal histological abnormalities, fibrosis, immunohistochemical expression of CD3+ and CD20+ cells, oxidative stress, and interleukin-10, also upregulation of interferon-gamma, and antioxidant enzymes, when compared to the infected untreated mice. The best results were obtained in mice administered PZQ+TOR together because of their antioxidant properties and ability to promote the host immune response to parasitic infection.

3D Melt-Extrusion Printing of Medium Chain Length Polyhydroxyalkanoates and Their Application as Antibiotic-Free Antibacterial Scaffolds for Bone Regeneration.

In this work, we investigated, for the first time, the possibility of developing scaffolds for bone tissue engineering through three-dimensional (3D) melt-extrusion printing of medium chain length polyhydroxyalkanoate (mcl-PHA) (i.e., poly(3-hydroxyoctanoate-co-hydroxydecanoate-co-hydroxydodecanoate), P(3HO-co-3HD-co-3HDD)). The process parameters were successfully optimized to produce well-defined and reproducible 3D P(3HO-co-3HD-co-3HDD) scaffolds, showing high cell viability (100%) toward both undifferentiated and differentiated MC3T3-E1 cells. To introduce antibacterial features in the developed scaffolds, two strategies were investigated. For the first strategy, P(3HO-co-3HD-co-3HDD) was combined with PHAs containing thioester groups in their side chains (i.e., PHACOS), inherently antibacterial PHAs. The 3D blend scaffolds were able to induce a 70% reduction of Staphylococcus aureus 6538P cells by direct contact testing, confirming their antibacterial properties. Additionally, the scaffolds were able to support the growth of MC3T3-E1 cells, showing the potential for bone regeneration. For the second strategy, composite materials were produced by the combination of P(3HO-co-3HD-co-HDD) with a novel antibacterial hydroxyapatite doped with selenium and strontium ions (Se-Sr-HA). The composite material with 10 wt % Se-Sr-HA as a filler showed high antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive (S. aureus 6538P) and Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli 8739), through a dual mechanism: by direct contact (inducing 80% reduction of both bacterial strains) and through the release of active ions (leading to a 54% bacterial cell count reduction for S. aureus 6538P and 30% for E. coli 8739 after 24 h). Moreover, the composite scaffolds showed high viability of MC3T3-E1 cells through both indirect and direct testing, showing promising results for their application in bone tissue engineering.

Mepolizumab in Severe Pediatric Asthma: Certainties and Doubts through a Single-Center Experience and Review of the Literature.

Although, in most children with asthma, good symptom control is achieved with a low to moderate dose of inhaled corticosteroids, a small group of patients still experiences frequent symptoms, and even severe exacerbations, impairment of lung function, and reduced quality of life. Some of these subjects with severe asthma require biologic drugs as add-on therapy. In the past decade, numerous monoclonal antibodies have been approved for children or adolescents with severe asthma, in addition to their increasing use in adult asthma. However, the available evidence on how to select the most appropriate biologic based on a single patient's clinical, functional, and laboratory characteristics is still scant, and is insufficient to guide clinicians in the decision-making process of a personalized treatment. We report a case series of four patients with severe eosinophilic asthma treated with mepolizumab, an anti-interleukin-5 monoclonal antibody, and review the existing literature on this treatment in children and adolescents. Our patients, all with blood eosinophilia and elevated fractional exhaled nitric oxide levels, developed poor symptom control despite prolonged treatment with high-dose inhaled corticosteroids plus a second controller, addressing the addition of a biologic drug. In all of them, a 12-month treatment with subcutaneous mepolizumab showed a reduction in the blood eosinophil count and in asthma exacerbations, as well as an improvement on the Asthma Control Test. The results of the literature search focused on the strengths and limitations of the pediatric use of mepolizumab and highlighted the areas worthy of further research. Mepolizumab has proven effective in improving symptom control in pediatric patients with severe asthma. Additional well-powered clinical trials will be helpful in developing evidence-based guidelines regarding biologic drugs in the pediatric population.

Clinicohematological Profile of Patients with Bicytopenia

Abstract Background Bicytopenia (BC) is a reduction in counts in any of two cell lineages of blood, which can be a combination of anemia with thrombocytopenia, anemia with leukopenia, or leukopenia with thrombocytopenia. The etiology of BC can be a malignancy, nonmalignant disease, infectious cause, or drug-induced. Aim To assess the clinicohematological profile in patients with BC. Materials and Methods This prospective study was conducted in the hematology laboratory at the Justice K.S. Hegde Charitable Hospital. Patients with BC detected during the analysis of blood for any clinical condition were included in the study. Blood parameters assessed were hemoglobin, red blood cell count, total leukocyte count, and platelet count. Results In this study, 86 patients' samples with BC were collected, out of which 55.8% were male, and 44.2% were female. The most common BC was anemia with thrombocytopenia (69.8%). The most common etiology of BC was found to be nonmalignant (37.2%), followed by malignant (37.2%), infectious (25.6%), and drug-induced (4.7%) cases. Most of the patients with BC presented with fever, pallor, and generalized weakness. Conclusion Anemia with thrombocytopenia emerged as the predominant form of BC in the nonmalignant group, while the malignant etiology group presented with anemia with leukopenia. The infectious etiology group presented with leukopenia with thrombocytopenia. Neonatal sepsis emerged as the most prevalent cause of BC in the age group younger than 10 years, viral fever in the age group of 10 to 39 years, acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the age group of older than 70 years, and chronic liver disease in patients aged between 40 and 69 years.

Impact of Age on Efficacy and Safety of Fixed-Dose Clindamycin Phosphate 1.2%/Adapalene 0.15%/Benzoyl Peroxide 3.1% Gel in Participants with Moderate-to-Severe Acne

Introduction: Topical clindamycin phosphate 1.2%/adapalene 0.15%/benzoyl peroxide 3.1% (CAB) gel is the first fixed-dose, triple-combination formulation approved for the treatment of acne. In three clinical studies of participants with moderate-to-severe acne, CAB gel demonstrated superior efficacy to vehicle and component dyads, with good safety/tolerability. As acne pathogenesis and treatment outcomes can vary with age, this post hoc analysis was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CAB in pediatric and adolescent participants (aged 9-24 years) versus adult participants (≥25 years). This age cutoff was chosen as acne in patients aged 18-24 years is more similar to adolescents than adults, and age 25 is often used to define “adult acne”. Methods: In a phase 2 (NCT03170388) and two phase 3 (NCT04214652, NCT04214639) studies, participants aged ≥9 years with moderate-to-severe acne were randomized to once-daily CAB or vehicle gel. Endpoints included percentage of participants achieving treatment success (defined as ≥2-grade reduction from baseline in Evaluator’s Global Severity Score and clear/almost clear skin) and least-squares mean percent change from baseline in inflammatory/noninflammatory lesion counts at week 12. Treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were also assessed. Pooled data across all three studies were analyzed for participants aged 9-24 years (CAB: n=297; vehicle: n=218) or ≥25 years (n=91; n=51). Results: At week 12, approximately half of CAB-treated participants in both age groups achieved treatment success (9-24 years: 50.6%; ≥25: 49.0%) versus less than one-fourth with vehicle (15.7% and 20.6%; P<0.01, both). Treatment with CAB resulted in >70% reductions from baseline in inflammatory and noninflammatory lesions in both age groups, versus 45%-62% with vehicle (P≤0.001, all). There were no significant differences between CAB-treated participants in the two age groups across any of these efficacy endpoints (P=0.68-0.97). Most TEAEs with CAB were of mild-moderate severity, with no age-related trends in safety/tolerability. Conclusions: Fixed-dose, triple-combination CAB gel was efficacious and well tolerated in participants with moderate-to-severe acne, regardless of age. Approximately half of pediatric/adolescent and adult participants achieved clear/almost clear skin with CAB, and lesion count reductions of >70% were observed. Funding: Ortho Dermatologics

Occurrence of fenbendazole resistance in Parascaris spp. on breeding farms in Sweden

Anthelmintic resistance is an increasing problem in many gastrointestinal parasites of grazing animals. Among these, the equine roundworm, Parascaris spp., has developed wide-spread resistance to macrocyclic lactones over the past decades. Additionally, there are recent observations of emerging treatment failure of both tetrahydropyrimidine and fenbendazole. Therefore, the aims of this study were to further investigate the occurrence of fenbendazole resistance on breeding farms and to explore potential management-related risk factors associated with resistance in Parascaris spp. in Sweden. Eleven farms with 92 foals positive for Parascaris spp. were included in a faecal egg count reduction test during the years 2021–2023. According to the clinical protocol of the guidelines of the World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology, fenbendazole resistance was present on four farms with efficacies varying from 45 % to 96 %. Having previously reported reduced efficacy on one of these farms, we can now confirm that fenbendazole resistance in Parascaris spp. has established. Farms with more than 40 yearly born foals had a significantly higher probability of having resistant Parascaris spp. Populations compared with smaller farms, (generalized linear model (GLM), t = 70.39, p < 0.001). In addition, there was a correlation between the number of foals on the farm and the frequency of yearly treatments showing that farms with < 20 foals were notably inclined to administer treatments twice during the first year (GLM, t=2.76, p < 0.05) in contrast to larger farms with > 40 foals that were using more frequent treatment intervals. In conclusion, this study confirms the establishment of fenbendazole resistance in Parascaris spp. populations on Swedish stud farms with the number of foals on the farm identified as a risk factor for development of anthelmintic resistance.

Rotating Kernel CNN Optimization for Efficient IoT Surveillance on Low-Power Devices

This study presents an innovative method to optimize convolutional neural networks (CNNs) tailored for the prevalent low-power platforms in IoT and embedded devices, which are integral to smart city infrastructures. Our approach introduces a novel “Rotating Convolutional Kernel” technique, designed to significantly reduce the computational load of CNNs while maintaining high accuracy, an essential feature for the constrained processing capabilities of devices produced by Hisilicon, MediaTek, and Novatek, among others. By leveraging the intelligent video engine (IVE) capabilities inherent in low-end CPUs, our optimized YOLOv3-Tiny model, with fewer than 100 K parameters and specifically fine-tuned for pedestrian and vehicle detection, demonstrates impressive processing speeds of 52 ms/frame on the HI3516EV200 chip and 66 ms/frame on the MSC313E chip, with minimal accuracy compromise. Despite a substantial reduction in parameter count compared to that in MobileNetV2, our model’s top-1 accuracy only slightly decreases by 2.6%, showcasing the effectiveness of our optimization technique. Our findings highlight the potential and applicability of our method in enhancing the performance and utility of IoT and embedded devices within smart cities. By achieving an optimal balance between computational efficiency and detection accuracy, our approach offers a promising avenue for advancing the capabilities of low-power devices in urban surveillance, traffic management, and other smart city applications, thereby contributing to the development of more intelligent, efficient, and responsive urban environments.

Detachment and re-attachment of Salmon lice during full-scale delousing operations on Salmon farms

This study examined salmon lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) numbers during different full-scale lice treatments of salmon, with focus on detachment during crowding and re-attachment post-treatment. Data was collected from 259 non-medicinal treatments (NMM) during 2018 and 2019. The dataset included data from thermal (Optilicer), mechanical (Flatsetsund Engineering, SkaMik, Hydrolicer) and freshwater treatments. Salmon lice were counted by the staff at the aquaculture sites, and registered in the following categories: sessile, preadult/adult male (PA/AM) and adult female. A counting protocol was established in collaboration with staff from the aquaculture companies taking part, where the time for counting the parasitic salmon lice was: Sample 0: before crowding; Sample 1: at the end of the first crowding; Sample 2: during unloading of the salmon after treatment; and Sample 3: after delousing of the salmon, in the net pen. In addition to the treatments registered directly according to the protocol, we retrieved data for additional treatments directly from the aquaculture companies' own registration system. The objectives of this observational study was (1) investigate whether salmon lice detach during crowding before an NMM; (2) investigate the effect of NMM; and (3) investigate possible re-attachment after delousing. We observed an overall trend of a reduction of salmon lice numbers, with a median percentage decrease of 22% for PA/AM and 29% for adult female lice during crowding. A likely explanation for these observations is that lice detach from the salmon due to mechanical action associated with the increased density of crowding. One-sided Wilcoxon tests corroborated the hypothesis of a reduction in lice counts during crowding for PA/AM and adult female lice (p < 0.05). As expected, we also observed a substantial reduction in lice numbers from Sample 1 to Sample 2, which is most likely due to the effect of the delousing treatment with the NMM. We observed an increase in sessile and PA/AM salmon lice when studying possible re-attachment after delousing. For sessile lice, the increase in lice numbers was most likely due to new infestation. For PA/AM, the increase can primarily be explained by re-infestation with lice that detached during crowding. The increase for PA/AM was greater when the salmon were placed in the same cage (a doubling of lice numbers), compared to placing them in a new cage (p < 0.05), indicating that the salmon lice could re-infest to a greater extent when the salmon were moved a shorter distance. The results presented in this article shed light on the possible dispersal of parasitic salmon lice, which is largely an unexplored topic.

Effects of the Irrigation Needle Design on Root Canal Disinfection and Cleaning

IntroductionThis ex vivo study evaluated the disinfecting and cleaning effects of root canal preparation using sodium hypochlorite irrigation with 3 different needle designs. MethodsMesial roots from extracted mandibular molars with Vertucci class II configuration were anatomically matched based on micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) analyses and distributed into 3 groups (n = 18/group). The canals were contaminated with a mixed bacterial culture for 30 days and then subjected to preparation using 2.5% sodium hypochlorite irrigation with open-ended flat needle (3 mm short of the working length - WL), closed-ended side-vented irrigation needle (1 mm short of the WL), or a closed-ended plastic needle with 2 lateral outlets (TruNatomy) (1 mm short of the WL). Bacteriological samples were taken from the canals before (S1) and after preparation (S2). After another micro-CT scan, the roots were sectioned and samples were also taken from the apical canal segment (S3). Bacterial reduction was assessed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The amount of accumulated hard tissue debris was evaluated by micro-CT. ResultsA substantial reduction in bacterial counts was observed in all 3 groups when comparing S1 with S2 (99.95%, 98.93%, and 98.90% in the open-ended, closed-ended, and TruNatomy needle groups, respectively) (P < .01). No significant differences were observed between groups for bacterial reduction in the full and apical canal (P > .05). There were no intergroup differences in the amount of accumulated hard tissue debris either (P > .05). The open-ended needle group showed significantly more specimens with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction negative results for bacteria in S3 than TruNatomy (P < .05). ConclusionWhen used up to an appropriate insertion depth, the 3 needle types result in similar antibacterial and cleaning performance, provided variables such as needle size and irrigant type, volume and flow rate are controlled. Exclusive analysis of the apical segment, including the isthmus, revealed that the open-ended needle yielded more cases negative for bacteria.

Effect of a lime-based bedding conditioner on physical-chemical characteristics and microbiological counts of recycled manure solids.

Bedding materials are aimed at providing a safe and comfortable resting environment for cows. Control of pathogen proliferation in these substrates is crucial to prevent intramammary infections in dairy cows, as these can significantly impact milk quality, cow health, and farm productivity. This is particularly relevant in the case of organic bedding substrates, including manure-derived materials. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro effect of a lime-based conditioner (LBC), composed of CaCO3MgCO3 and Mg(OH)2, at increasing concentrations on the physical-chemical characteristics and bacterial counts of untreated anaerobically digested manure solids (ADMS) and separated raw manure solids (SRMS). Unused ADMS and SRMS were evaluated at four LBC weight-based concentrations: 0 (as untreated control), 10, 15, and 20% of LBC inclusion. The bedding materials were assessed immediately after LBC addition (0 h) and after 24, 72, and 168 h of storage at 28°C. The dry matter content (DM), and pH were measured for all the time points. Standard microbiological methods were used to assess total bacterial counts (TBC), other Gram-negative bacteria, coliforms, Escherichia coli, and streptococci and streptococci-like organism (SSLO). It was observed a linear increase in both DM and pH with increasing concentrations of LBC. Specifically, for each percentage unit increase of LBC, the DM of ADMS and SRMS increased by 0.73 and 0.71%, respectively. Similarly, for each percentage unit of LBC, the pH of ADMS and SRMS increased by 0.15 and 0.19, respectively. Conversely, a linear decrease in TBC, Gram-negative bacteria, coliforms, E. coli, and SSLO was observed with increasing concentrations of the LBC. Manure-derived materials without the inclusion of the LBC had bacterial counts that tended to remain high or increase over time. Otherwise, bedding materials with LBC application had reduced bacterial counts. Based on the results of the present study, it was observed that the higher the concentration of LBC, the more significant the reduction of bacterial counts. Specifically, bacterial recovery was lower when higher concentrations of LBC were applied. Our findings underscore the potential of LBC in effectively controlling environmental bacteria and improving the physical-chemical characteristics of manure-derived bedding materials to improve cow health and welfare.

Efficacy of Rose Bengal-Mediated Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy as an Adjunct to Scaling and Root Planing on Clinical and Microbiological Parameters in the Management of Chronic Periodontitis: A Single-Blinded, Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

Aim: The study aims to assess the efficacy of rose bengal (RB)-mediated antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (a-PDT) as an adjunct to scaling and root planing in the management of chronic periodontitis patients in terms of clinical parameters like gingival index (GI), probing pocket depth (PPD), clinical attachment level (CAL), and microbiological parameters like total microbial count, total red complex organism count, Porphyromonas gingivalis count, Treponema denticola count, and Tannerella forsythia count. Materials and Methods: In this randomized controlled clinical trial, a total of 30 patients were recruited who met the inclusion criteria. The participants were randomly allocated into group A with scaling and root planning (SRP) alone and group B with SRP + a-PDT. The clinical and microbiological parameters were measured at baseline and at 3-month follow-up. Intergroup and intragroup comparisons were performed using independent t test and paired t test, respectively. Value of p < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: At 3-month follow-up, group B treated with SRP + a-PDT showed statistically significant reduction in GI (0.58 ± 0.20) and PPD (1.81 ± 0.32 mm), gain in CAL (0.73 ± 0.04 mm), and reduction in total microbial count [2.80 ± 0.08 × 104 colony forming unit (CFU)], total red complex count (0.29 ± 0.14 × 102 CFU), P. gingivalis count (0.43 ± 0.13 × 102 CFU), T. denticola count (0.61 ± 0.04 × 102 CFU), and T. forsythia count (0.59 ± 0.04 × 102 CFU) as compared with group A (p < 0.05). Conclusion: RB-mediated a-PDT as an adjunct to SRP was significantly more effective in improving GI, PPD, and CAL and in reducing microbial count as compared with SRP alone in the management of chronic periodontitis.

RBCs regulate platelet function and hemostasis under shear conditions through biophysical and biochemical means

AbstractRed blood cells (RBCs) have been hypothesized to support hemostasis by facilitating platelet margination and releasing platelet-activating factors such as adenosine 5′-diphosphate (ADP). Significant knowledge gaps remain regarding how RBCs influence platelet function, especially in (patho)physiologically relevant hemodynamic conditions. Here, we present results showing how RBCs affect platelet function and hemostasis in conditions of anemia, thrombocytopenia, and pancytopenia and how the biochemical and biophysical properties of RBCs regulate platelet function at the blood and vessel wall interface and in the fluid phase under flow conditions. We found that RBCs promoted platelet deposition to collagen under flow conditions in moderate (50 × 103/μL) but not severe (10 × 103/μL) thrombocytopenia in vitro. Reduction in hematocrit by 45% increased bleeding in mice with hemolytic anemia. In contrast, bleeding diathesis was observed in mice with a 90% but not with a 60% reduction in platelet counts. RBC transfusion improved hemostasis by enhancing fibrin clot formation at the site of vascular injury in mice with severe pancytopenia induced by total body irradiation. Altering membrane deformability changed the ability of RBCs to promote shear-induced platelet aggregation. RBC-derived ADP contributed to platelet activation and aggregation in vitro under pathologically high shear stresses, as observed in patients supported by left ventricular assist devices. These findings demonstrate that RBCs support platelet function and hemostasis through multiple mechanisms, both at the blood and vessel wall interface and in the fluidic phase of circulation.

Comparison of the Bactericidal Effect of Ultrasonic and Heat Combined with Ultrasonic Treatments on Egg Liquids and Additional Analysis of Their Effect by NIR Spectral Analysis.

Eggs are a valuable source of nutrients, but they represent a food safety risk due to the presence of microbes. In this work, three types of egg liquids (albumen, yolk and whole egg) previously contaminated with E. coli were treated with ultrasound (US) and a combination of ultrasound and low (55 °C) temperature (US+H). The US treatment parameters were 20 and 40 kHz and 180 and 300 W power and a 30, 45 or 60 min treatment time. The ultrasonic treatment alone resulted in a reduction in the microbial count of less than 1 log CFU, while the US+H treatment resulted in a reduction in CFU counts to below detectable levels in all three egg liquids. Heat treatment and ultrasound treatment had a synergistic effect on E. coli reduction. For all measurements, except for the whole egg samples treated with US, the 20 kHz treated samples showed a significantly (>90% probability level) lower bactericidal effect than the 40 kHz treated samples. PCA and aquaphotometric analysis of NIR spectra showed significant differences between the heat-treated groups' (H and US+H) and the non-heat-treated groups' (US and control) NIR spectra. LDA results show that heat-treated groups are distinguishable from non-heat-treated groups (for albumen 91% and for egg yolk and whole egg 100%).

A promising approach utilising photothermal energy to disinfect the root canal system: An invitro investigation.

This study aimed to assess root canal disinfection through various irrigation protocols, including a novel photothermal system called 'LEAP'. Mandibular premolars were infected with Enterococcus faecalis and divided into five groups for different treatments: Group 1: standard needle irrigation; Group 2: passive ultrasonic irrigation; Group 3: GentleWave; Group 4: LEAP; and Group 5: Group 1 + Group 4. Microbial counts were measured before (S1) and after disinfection (S2) using colony-forming units (CFU) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Results revealed a significant reduction in bacterial counts for all groups (p < 0.05). While the percentage of dead bacteria near the canal wall (0-50 μm) did not differ significantly, at 50-150 μm, LEAP and SNI + LEAP exhibited significantly higher bacterial reduction than other groups (p < 0.05). The findings indicate that LEAP is comparable to existing irrigation devices in the main root canal and notably superior in tubular disinfection.

The Effect of Long-Term Azithromycin on Objective and Subjective Cough in Chronic Respiratory Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials and Noncomparative Studies

IntroductionAzithromycin is an effective treatment for various respiratory conditions but its effect on cough is poorly understood. We synthesised data from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and noncomparative studies (NCT) examining its effect on objective and subjective cough.MethodsAfter prospective registration on PROSPERO, we searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CENTRAL for both RCTs and NCT trials examining the effect azithromycin on cough in respiratory disease.ResultsWe identified 1240 studies of which 6 (4 RCTs and 2 NCT studies) were included in the meta-analysis, with a total of 275 patients. Azithromycin was associated with significant improvement in Leicester Cough Questionnaire scores at follow-up when compared to baseline scores (SMD = 0.62 [95% CI 0.12 to 1.12], p = 0.01). However, when only RCTs were synthesised, no significant effect was observed (SMD = 0.12 [95% CI − 0.36 to 0.60], p = 0.62). There was no significant reduction in cough severity VAS score (SMD = − 0.39 [95% CI − 0.92 to 0.14], p = 0.15). There was no significant reduction in objective cough count (SMD = − 0.41 [95% CI − 1.04 to 0.32], p = 0.09).ConclusionAzithromycin therapy improves cough-related quality of life in various chronic respiratory diseases; however, there was no significant effect on cough outcomes when only data from RCTs were synthesised. We believe that to accurately identify which patients whose cough would benefit from azithromycin a large-scale clinical trial of patients with a broad spectrum of respiratory diseases, with sufficiently severe cough, should be undertaken with subgroup analysis of individual disease areas.