Biomedical Sciences

pH-sensing materials and configurations are rapidly evolving toward exciting new applications, especially those in biomedical applications. In this review, we highlight rapid progress in electrochemical pH sensors over the past decade (2008− 2018) with an emphasis on key considerations, such as materials selection, system configurations, and testing protocols. In addition to recent progress in optical pH sensors, our main focus in this review is on electromechanical pH sensors due to their significant advances, especially in biomedical applications. We summarize developments of electrochemical pH sensors that by virtue of their optimized material chemistries (from metal oxides to polymers) and geometrical features (from thin films to quantum dots) enable their adoption in biomedical applications. We further present an overview of necessary sensing standards and protocols. Standards ensure the establishment of consistent protocols, facilitating collective understanding of results and building on the current state. Furthermore, they enable objective benchmarking of various pH-sensing reports, materials, and systems, which is critical for the overall progression and development of the field. Additionally, we list critical issues in recent literary reporting and suggest various methods for objective benchmarking. pH regulation in the human body and state-of-the-art pH sensors (from ex vivo to in vivo) are compared for suitability in biomedical applications. We conclude our review by (i) identifying challenges that need to be overcome in electrochemical pH sensing and (ii) providing an outlook on future research along with insights, in which the integration of various pH sensors with advanced electronics can provide a new platform for the development of novel technologies for disease diagnostics and prevention. CONTENTS

Biomedical applications of nanomaterials have received considerable attention and interest from many researchers over the past decade due to the key role they can play in enhancing public health. Different types of nanomaterials possess both diagnostic and therapeutic potential owing to their outstanding properties compared to their bulk counterparts. Herein, we present, analyze and provide significant insights and recent advances about the promising biomedical applications of nanoparticles including bioimaging of biological environments and its role as a significant tool for early detection of many diseases with respect to traditional means, explaining their types and limitations. In addition, different types of nanoparticles acting as effective bio-sensors and detectors of our body have been analyzed. Moreover, the therapeutic potential of different types of nanoparticles and their attractive antimicrobial effects allowing them to act as powerful and new drug substitutes against multi-drug resistant bacteria and pathogenic fungi. Finally, we introduce some nanoparticles as powerful anti-oxidants and promising candidates in cancer therapeutics. We conclude that this review can give up-to-date information about various biomedical applications of nanoparticles and will be of great value and interest to researchers and scientists of materials science, biology, chemistry, and medicine.

This article reviews the applications of nanotechnology in the fields of medical and life sciences. Nanoparticles have shown promising applications from diagnosis to treatment of various types of diseases including cancer. In this review, we discuss the applications of nanostructured materials such as nanoparticles, quantum dots, nanorods, nanowires, and carbon nanotubes in diagnostics, biomarkers, cell labeling, contrast agents for biological imaging, antimicrobial agents, drug delivery systems, and anticancer nanodrugs for treatment of cancer and other infectious diseases. The adverse affects of nanoparticles on human skin from daily use in cosmetics and general toxicology of nanoscale materials are also reviewed.
KEYWORDS: Medical Applications, Nanoparticles, Contrast Agents for Biological Imaging, Cell Labeling, Antimicrobial Agents, Anticancer Nanodrugs, Cosmetics, Nanotoxicology.

Wnt/-catenin signaling is a branch of a functional network that dates back to the first metazoans and it is involved in a broad range of biological systems including stem cells, embryonic development and adult organs. Deregulation of components involved in Wnt/-catenin signaling has been implicated in a wide spectrum of diseases including a number of cancers and degenerative diseases. The key mediator of Wnt signaling,-catenin, serves several cellular functions. It functions in a dynamic mode at multiple cellular locations , including the plasma membrane, where-catenin contributes to the stabilization of intercellular adhesive complexes, the cytoplasm where-catenin levels are regulated and the nucleus where-catenin is involved in transcriptional regulation and chromatin interactions. Central effectors of-catenin levels are a family of cysteine-rich secreted glycoproteins, known as Wnt morphogens. Through the LRP5/6-Frizzled receptor complex, Wnts regulate the location and activity of the destruction complex and consequently intracellular-catenin levels. However,-catenin levels and their effects on transcriptional programs are also influenced by multiple other factors including hypoxia, inflammation, hepatocyte growth factor-mediated signaling, and the cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin. The broad implications of Wnt/-catenin signaling in development, in the adult body and in disease render the pathway a prime target for pharmacological research and development. The intricate regulation of-catenin at its various locations provides alternative points for therapeutic interventions.

Background: Intestinal parasitic infections (IPI) are a major public health concern in HIV/AIDS patients particularly in
resource-limited settings of Sub-Saharan Africa. Studies investigating the relationship between intestinal parasitic
infections and CD4+ T cell counts and diarrhea in HIV/AIDS patients with or without antiretroviral therapy in the region are not readily available hence the need to perform this study.
Methods: In a comparative cross-sectional study involving 52 pre-ART and 248 on-ART HIV patients. Stool samples were collected and analysed for intestinal parasites by wet and iodine mounts, Kato-Katz, formol ether, modified field staining, and modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining techniques. Blood samples were collected and analysed for CD4+ T cell counts by flow cytometry. A pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographic and clinical presentation. Data were analysed using STATA version 12.1. Statistical tests performed
included the Pearson Chi-square, logistic regression and student’s t-test. P < 0.05 was considered to be statistically
significant.
Results: The prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in pre-ART and on-ART was 84.6 % and 82.3 % respectively with no significant difference observed with respect to age (p = 0.06), and gender (p = 0.736). All the opportunistic parasites including Cryptosporidium parvum, Cyclospora cayetanensis, Isospora belli and Microsporidium spp. were isolated from both groups, with only Microsporidium spp. significantly associated with CD4+ T cell counts below 200 cells/μl in pre-ART (p = 0.006) while Cryptosporidium parvum, Microsporidium spp. and Isospora belli were associated with counts below 200 cells/μl in on-ART. Cryptosporidium parvum was significantly associated with diarrhea in pre-ART (p = 0.025)
meanwhile it was significantly associated with diarrhea in on-ART (p = 0.057). The risk of diarrhea was highest in patients with CD4+ T cell counts below 200 cells/μl (COR=10.21, p = 0.000) for both pre- and on-ART treatment.
Conclusion: A very high prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections was observed, which did not differ with respect to
ART status. All known opportunistic parasites were isolated in both pre-ART and on-ART patients. Low CD4+ T cell
count may appear to be a factor for intestinal parasitic infections and development of diarrhea. Regular screening and
treatment of intestinal parasitic infections is very vital in improving the overall quality of care of HIV/AIDS patients.

The COVID-19 disease is caused by the recently identified SARS-CoV-2 virus, thought to have
originated in bats (Rhinolophus affinis), the virus being highly infective within the human
population and spread by respiratory droplets, contaminated surfaces and close person-to-person
contact. The virus is now pandemic and widely disseminated to almost every continent and
nation with globally over twenty-seven million infections and over ninety-thousand reported
deaths attributed to the COVID-19 disease. SARS-CoV-2 is a single stranded RNA virus, similar
in structure to that of other coronaviruses and comprising three main viral proteins; membrane
(M), spike (S) and envelope (E). The clinical features of COVID‐19 disease can be classified
according to different degrees of severity, with some patients, particularly those of older age and
with long-standing chronic illnesses, developing progressive respiratory failure and acute
respiratory distress syndrome requiring mechanical ventilation. In these severe cases, the disease
can frequently be fatal. In addition, many infections are asymptomatic or only cause mild
symptoms. As there is no specific treatment for COVID-19 there is considerable scientific
endeavor globally to raise a safe and effective vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, in addition to
engineering neutralizing antibody interventions. In the absence of an effective vaccine, interim
measures involving movement control and lock downs of varying stringencies have been
imposed, in order to control the spread of the virus. Whilst early enforced lockdown measures
have been effective in reducing the spread of infection, these measures may prove to be less
effective against the current and predominant strain of SARS-CoV-2, the G614 clade.
Conversely, other mutations of the virus, such as the Δ382 variant could reduce the clinical
relevance of infection, and therefore may reduce the need for stringent movement control,
particularly once vaccines become widely available. The front runners in the race to develop an
effective vaccine focus on the SARS-Co-V-2 Spike protein. However, vaccines that produce a
CD4 and CD8 response to a wider range of SARS-Co-V-2 viral proteins, may be more effective.
Lastly, population based studies that determine the level of innate immunity to SARS-CoV-2
existing in the community, from prior exposure to the virus or to other coronaviruses, will have important implications for the stringencies of government imposed movement control and upon
the strategic delivery of vaccination programmes.

Graphene and its derivative materials present high potential towards medical and biological applications, including drug delivery and bioimaging, due to their exceptional properties such as thermal conductivity and high specific surface area. The main focus of this work is to review the current development of graphene materials and the derivatives for biocompatible, bioimaging and drug delivery applications. Also, the synthesis methods with variation of graphene nanocomposites and the functionalisation will be further explained. For the graphene approaches, chemical vapour deposition (CVD) is the best-known technique to make high-quality graphene sheet by growth route with mass production. By considering the organic graphene nanocomposites, the biocompatibility and cytotoxic effects against graphene nanocomposites were evaluated for biomedical employments such as high quality bioimaging and effective drug delivery for cancer treatments. For example, graphene oxide incorporated with PEG and loaded with SN 38 for camptothecin analolgue as anticancer drug and revealed high cytotoxicity has an effect of 1000 times better effect than CPT in HCT-116 cells. Their drug delivery ability for both in-vivo and in-vitro applications compared to the controlled drugs such as doxorubicin (DOX) will be discussed accordingly. The graphene and its deriavatives possess some intriguing properties, which will lead to drug delivery due to strong biocompatibility and cyctotoxic effect towards biomedicine applications.

This article reviews the recent developments in microfluidic technologies for in vitro cancer diagnosis. We summarize the working principles and experimental results of microfluidic platforms for cancer cell detection, and separation based on magnetic activated micro-sorting, and differences in cellular biophysics (e.g., cell size and dielectrophoresis (DEP)).

Iron-platinum alloy nanoparticles (FePt NPs) are extremely promising candidates for the next generation of contrast agents for magnetic resonance (MR) diagnostic imaging and MR-guided interventions, including hyperthermic ablation of solid cancers. FePt has high Curie temperature, saturation magnetic moment, magneto-crystalline anisotropy, and chemical stability. We describe the synthesis and characterization of a family of biocompatible FePt NPs suitable for biomedical applications, showing and discussing that FePt NPs can exhibit low cytotoxicity. The importance of engineering the interface of strongly magnetic NPs using a coating allowing free aqueous permeation is demonstrated to be an essential parameter in the design of new generations of diagnostic and therapeutic MRI contrast agents. We report effective cell internalization of FePt NPs and demonstrate that they can be used for cellular imaging and in vivo MRI applications. This opens the way for several future applications of FePt NPs, including regenerative medicine and stem cell therapy in addition to enhanced MR diagnostic imaging.

However, labelling of stem cells using nanoparticles (NPs) for tracking purpose has been intensively investigated, the biosafety of these materials needs more clarification. Herein, different forms of iron oxide Fe 2 O 3 , Fe 3 O 4 , and Co x Ni 1Àx Fe 2 O 4 NPs either uncoated or starch-coated (ST-coated) were prepared. We successfully labelled adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) using these NPs with the aid of lipofectamine as a transfection agent (TA). We then evaluated the effect of these NPs on stem cell proliferation, viability, migration and angiogenesis. Results showed that ASCs labelled with Fe

Tissue engineering based on stem cells has gained interest recently as attempts are made to engineer scaffold environments mimicking the stem cell niche, which contains a reservoir of multipotent stem cells that can maintain normal tissue or restore unhealthy cell populations in response to mechanisms of quiescence, self-renewal, and differentiation of the stem cells. These cell behaviors are governed by soluble signals that are systemic or presented by local niche cells. In this review, current and emergent approaches based on stem cells in the field of tissue engineering are presented for specific applications of human tissues and organs. The combination of stem cells and tissue engineering opens new perspectives in tissue regeneration for stem cell therapy because of the potential to control stem cell behavior with the physical and chemical characteristics of the engineered scaffold environment.

A B S T R A C T Sexual dysfunction in the epileptic patient is difficult to confirm whether it is ailment or therapy related. Antiepileptic drugs often use in reproductive age, through reproductive progress and maturation. On the other side, cold-pressed oils are rich in bioactive phytochemicals with health-promoting traits. The target of this work was to appraise the sexual dysfunction of antiepileptic Topiramate (TPM) and cold pressed ginger oil (CPGO) as antiepileptic alternative medicine in male mice. Fifty-four adult male albino mice were divided into nine groups (n = 6 mice). One group given saline and used as negative control; another one was given corn oil as vehicle. Six groups administered orally with TPM or CPGO at 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg. Moreover, group of animals co-administrated orally CPGO with TPM (400 mg/kg) to study their interaction. Fatty acid profile and tocols composition of CPGO were determined. in vitro assays were undertaken to evaluate radical scavenging traits of CPGO utilizing sable 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH·) and galvinoxyl radicals. The study investigated antioxidant and oxidative stress markers, sexual hormones levels, mRNA levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (Vegfa), synaptonemal complex protein (Sycp3), Wilms tumor gene (Wt1) as well as histopathological and immunohistochemical examination. Strong radical scavenging potential of CPGO against stable DPPH· and galvinoxyl radicals was recorded. The results revealed that TPM caused a dose-dependent reduction in the an-tioxidant activities and testosterone content, while, malonaldehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) as oxidative stress markers were elevated. Vegfa and Sycp3 mRNA expression down-regulated at all Topiramate tested doses, but Wt1 up-regulated at 400 mg/kg. TPM (400 mg/kg) revealed histological alterations associated with strong positive Bax immune reactive spermatogoneal and Leydig cells. Ginger oil elevated the CAT and SOD (anti-oxidant enzymes), serum testosterone and diminished the oxidative stress, up regulated the expression of Vegfa and Sycp3 and down-regulated the Wt1 expression. Meanwhile, CPGO revealed no histopathological alterations and no Bax immune-reactive cells. CPGO co-administration with TPM (400 mg/kg) attenuated the TPM toxicity. High doses of TPM may exhibit sexual dysfunction but CPGO is safe and has androgenic property. CPGO co-administration could protect the antiepileptic patient from the TPM sexual dysfunction.

There is a conceptual crisis in the biomedical sciences  that  is  particularly  salient  in  psychopathology research. Underlying the crisis is a controversy that pertains to the current medical model of disease that largely draws from causal-mechanistic explanations. The bedrock of this model is the analysis of biological part-dysfunctions that aims at unequivocally defining a pathological condition and demarcating it from its neighboring entities. This endeavor has led to a quest for physiological, biochemical, and genetic signatures. Yet, so far there is little evidence for reliable biomarkers for any mental disorder. The contemporary biomedical paradigm largely ignores historical, dynamic, and system-level aspects—a view that has contributed much to the conceptual disjunction of the patient as a person from his/her disease. Notwithstanding the impressive progress in the biomedical sciences, increasingly more critics question whether the constituting framework is sufficient to convey a comprehensive understanding of illnesses, especially mental illnesses. Thus, the medical model urgently requires an update. But rather than revamping it by methodological advancements, it will be necessary to critically review its philosophical roots. The most problematic issues that require reworking are: the preponderance of the biostatistical theory; the undue decoupling of physiological from evolutionary explanations of function; the clinging to the Modern Synthesis (if etiological aspects are ever considered); and the neglect of dynamic and system-level properties. The proposed overhaul requires the heeding of historical explanations that draw from the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis as well as systems biology approaches for tackling multilevel and dynamic phenomena of complex systems.

The main objective of this study is to hydrophobize nitinol (Ni-Ti alloy) for cardiovascular applications. For this purpose, medical nitinol samples were subjected to sodium hydroxide hydrothermal treatments at various temperatures, followed by hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDTMS) functionalization. Then, the structure, wett-ability, corrosion, cytocompatibility and cell adhesion of the prepared samples were evaluated. According to the results, porous blade-shaped layers of sodium titanate were formed on the substrate surface as a result of the alkaline treatment. These nano-rough features offered considerable hydrophobicity after HDTMS processing, where a maximum water contact angle of about 140°was obtained for the sample treated at 120°C, followed by the HDTMS coating. In contrast to the individual application of the alkaline treatments, the subsequent HDTMS processing improved corrosion resistance in the simulated body fluid. Although all the samples presented appropriate cytocompatibility with respect to human umbilical vein endothelial cells, the cells did not show an adhesion tendency to the hydrophobic surfaces. It is concluded that alkaline hydrothermal and HDTMS processed nitinol can be considered for cardiovascular applications demanding hydrophobic surfaces.

The knee is a multi-component organ system comprised of several tissues which function coordinately to provide mobility. Injury to any one component compromises the integrity of the system and leads to adaptation of the other components. Over time, such events often lead to dysfunction and degeneration of the knee. Therefore, there has been considerable research emphasis to repair injured components in the knee including cartilage, menisci, and ligaments. Approaches to improving healing and repair/regeneration of knee tissues have included surgery, anti-sense gene therapy, injection of growth factors and inflammatory cytokine antagonists, transplantation of in vitro expanded chondrocytes, enhancement of endogenous cells via microfracture, injection of mesenchymal stem cells, and implantation of in vitro tissue engineered constructs. Some of these approaches have lead to temporary improvement in knee functioning, while others offer the potential to restore function and tissue integrity for longer periods of time. This article will review the status of many of these approaches, and provide a perspective on their limitations and potential to contribute to restoration of knee function across the lifespan.

Fluid pressure and fluid velocity carry important information for cancer diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. Recent
work has demonstrated that estimation of these parameters is theoretically possible using ultrasound poroelastography.
However, accurate estimation of these parameters requires high quality axial and lateral strain estimates from noisy
ultrasound radio frequency (RF) data. In this paper, we propose a filtering technique combining two efficient filters
for removal of noise from strain images, i.e., Kalman and nonlinear complex diffusion filters (NCDF). Our proposed
filter is based on a novel noise model, which takes into consideration both additive and amplitude modulation noise
in the estimated strains. Using finite element and ultrasound simulations, we demonstrate that the proposed filtering
technique can significantly improve image quality of lateral strain elastograms along with fluid pressure and velocity
elastograms. Technical feasibility of the proposed method on an in vivo set of data is also demonstrated. Our results
show that the CNRe of the lateral strain, fluid pressure and fluid velocity as estimated using the proposed technique
is higher by at least 10.9%, 51.3% and 334.4% when compared to the results obtained using a Kalman filter only, by
at least 8.9%, 27.6% and 219.5% when compared to the results obtained using a NCDF only and by at least 152.3%,
1278% and 742% when compared to the results obtained using a median filter only for all SNRs considered in this
study.

Over the last forty years in the field of peripheral arterial disease, there has been a plethora of research into cell-based therapies for tissue repair, regeneration and angiogenesis, progressing from protein-based therapies to gene therapies to stem cell research. Initial pre-clinical research successes have given birth to a whole industry, aimed at translating these laboratory hopes into clinical successes. However, heretofore these expected clinical results have failed to materialize, in part due to the lack of attention to the ischaemic desert like tissue and systemically diseased patient into which the stem cells are being implanted. Unsatisfactory clinical outcomes on the treatment of Critical Limb Ischaemia (CLI) have forced researchers to direct their efforts to the less intimidating challenge of claudication and to lower their clinical outcome thresholds from superior to “non-inferior”. Major questions on safety and durability have also arisen. What needs to be objectively established is the impact on the net health outcome of these therapies. Infusion or injection for stem cell therapy is still considered experimental and investigational. In this review we examine the clinical evidence for angiogenic therapies, focusing specifically on stem cell trials, in an attempt to answer the question “Is stem cell therapy a failed experiment or will there be light at the end of the tunnel?”

Expanding on the recent call for a ‘critical medical humanities’ to intervene in questions of the ontology of health, this article develops a what we call a ‘speculative’ orientation to such interventions in relation to some of the ontological commitments on which contemporary biomedical cultures rest. We argue that crucial to this task is an approach to ontology that treats it not as a question of first principles, but as a matter of the consequences of the images of nature that contemporary biomedical research practices espouse when they make claims to evidence, as well as the possible consequences of imagining different worlds in which health and disease processes partake. By attending to the implicit ontological assumptions involved in the method par excellence of biomedical research, namely the randomised controlled trial (RCT), we argue that the mechanistic ontology that tacitly informs evidence-based biomedical research simultaneously authorises a series of problematic consequences for understanding and intervening practically in the concrete realities of health. As a response, we develop an alternative ontological proposition that regards processes of health and disease as always situated achievements. We show that, without disqualifying RCT-based evidence, such a situated ontology enables one to resist the reduction of the realities of health and disease to biomedicine's current forms of explanation. In so doing, we call for medical humanities scholars to actively engage in the speculative question of what nature may be capable of.

Objective:The aim of this study was to evaluate the progression of arthritis in a complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA)-induced Wistar rat model and to monitor inflammatory arthritis activity using thermal imaging compared with histopathology.Methodology: Fifteen adult male Wistar rats were studied in an adjuvant induced arthritis model by the injection of complete Freund’s adjuvant in the right hind limb and right forelimb, respectively, with the left limbs used as controls. Thermal image analysis based on skin temperature measurement, radiographic analysis based on erosion, limb circumference measurement, and histopathological evaluation were performed.Results. The average skin temperature difference on the arthritis-induced side and control for both the forelimb and hind limb were found to be 1.09 °C and 0.98 °C, respectively. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that skin surface temperature was positively correlated with the arthritis severity score (forelimb: r=0.64, hind limb: r=0.66, p<0.05).A significant correlation also existed between thermal imaging temperature and visual scoring of X-ray (forelimb: r=0.56, hind limb: r=0.67, p<0.05). Conclusion:Thermal imaging measurements correlated with arthritis severity score,radiological score, and ankle diameters. Hence, thermography could be used to diagnose and analyze inflammatory activity of arthritis at the preclinical stage.

Deep layers of the medial entorhinal cortex are considered to relay signals from the hippocampus to other brain structures, but pathways for routing of signals to and from the deep layers are not well established. Delineating these pathways is important for a circuit level understanding of spatial cognition and memory. We find that neurons in layers 5a and 5b have distinct molecular identities, defined by the transcription factors Etv1 and Ctip2, and divergent targets, with extensive intratelencephalic projections originating in layer 5a, but not 5b. This segregation of outputs is mirrored by the organization of glutamatergic input from stellate cells in layer 2 and from the hippocampus, with both preferentially targeting layer 5b over 5a. Our results suggest a molecular and anatomical organization of input-output computations in deep layers of the MEC, reveal precise translaminar microcircuitry, and identify molecularly defined pathways for spatial signals to influence computation in deep layers.

Virus cell-to-cell spread has been reported for many different viruses and may contribute to pathogenesis of viral disease. The role played by cell-to-cell contact in hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission was studied in vitro by cell co-cultivation experiments. A human lymphoblastoid B-cell line, infected persistently with HCV in vitro (TO.FEHCV), was used as HCV donor [Serafino et al., 2003]; recipient cells were the human hepatoma HepG2 cell line. Both cell types were co-cultured for 48 hr to allow the cell-to-cell contacts. The hepatoma HepG2 cells are not permissive to free-virus infection, but they were infected successfully using TO.FEHCV cells as source of virus. The kinetics of viral RNA synthesis and the percentage of infected cells were compared in cell-mediated-and cell-free-viral infection. After co-cultivation, a consistent proportion of hepatoma cells replicated HCV and stably expressed viral antigens. Virus produced was infectious as demonstrated by the ability to reinfect fresh B-cells. This cell model shows that permissiveness to HCV infection can be achieved in vitro in non-permissive hepatoma cells by direct cell-to-cell contacts with infected human B-cells. This mechanism of virus spread may also play a pathogenic role in vivo. J. Med. Virol. 78:192–201, 2006. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Treatment of burn wounds has many requirements to ensure wound closure with healthy tissue, increased vascularization, guarantee edema resolution, and control bacterial infection. We propose that titanium oxide (TiO 2) nanoparticles (NPs) will be more efficient than silver dioxide (Ag 2 O) in the treatment of burn wounds. Herein, gelatin loaded NPs (GLT-NPs) were evaluated for their efficacy to regenerate second-degree burn wound in rabbit skin. TEM results revealed that the average particle sizes were 7.5 and 17 nm for Ag 2 O and TiO 2 NPs, respectively. The results of the in vivo application of GLT-NPs on burn wound in the rabbit revealed that both Ag 2 O and TiO 2 NPs were efficient than the control none treated (CTRL) and GLT group. In terms of the healing rate, the GLT-TiO 2 did not show any significant difference than GLT-Ag 2 O (99.57% vs. 99.85%, p = 0.2). Meanwhile, the healing rate was significantly higher in both NPs' treated groups than CTRL (94.16%, p < 0.01) and GLT group (95.07%, p < 0.05). Also, the histological analysis using H&E staining showed re-epithelization, less edema, and enhanced vascularization in both GLT-NPs than CTRL and GLT groups. Furthermore, immunohistochemical analysis of TGF-β1 and α-SMA revealed significantly a higher expression in both GLT-NPs groups than CTRL and GLT groups at weeks 1 and 2 (p < 0.05). Interestingly, TGF-β1 and α-SMA were substantially higher in GLT-TiO 2 than GLT-Ag 2 O at weeks 1 and 2 (p < 0.05), but the expression was not significant at week 3. In conclusion, GLT-NPs showed higher regenerative capacity and enhanced the healing quality after burn wound compared to CTRL and GLT.

Grapevine is an important plant species known worldwide, counting more than 10,000 cultivars of Vitis vinifera spread all over the world. There is a strong need for long-term conservation of grapevine genetic resources. With so polymorphic species, it is highly difficult to obtain relevant results considering that cryopreservation protocols were
established testing only few very often specific cultivars. Regarding cryopreservation protocols, many factors are influencing the final result. Research articles processing cryopreservation protocols of grapevine are reporting a percentage of recovery, but a broader application of some protocol on a large range of Vitis vinifera cultivars is limited. How to design an efficient cryopreservation protocol, starting from plant material to the appropriate observation of recovery, will be discussed in this chapter.

Synthetic chalcones (SCs) having different side chains on the 1-(2-Hydroxy-3-(2-hydroxy-cyclohexyl)-4,6 dimethoxy-phenyl(-methanone structure were examined in-vitro for their antioxidant abilities by DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazine) radical scavenging activity, reducing ability, OH radical scavenging activity, inhibition of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and formation of diene conjugates. Overall, with few exceptions, all the SCs showed moderate biological activity in all the parameters examined. The SCs were found to be reactive towards DPPH radical and had considerable reducing ability. With few exceptions, all the test compounds under study were found to possess moderate to poor OH radical scavenging activity and inhibited PPO significantly and all were found to be effective inhibitors of hydroperoxide formation. These findings suggest that these SCs can be considered as potential antioxidant agents which might be further explored for the design of lead antioxidant drug candidates.

The existence of circular RNAs (circRNAs) was demonstrated over 30 years ago. They did not gain much interest at the time because they appeared to be relatively rare when compared to the abundance of the canonical linear RNAs. However, more recent evidence suggests that circRNAs are abundant in cells and tissues and possess intriguing biological properties. These recent developments have renewed our interest in this novel class of molecules. This report will provide an overview of circRNAs, discuss how they may modify our understanding of gene regulation and indicate their most likely relevance to health. The circRNAs from viruses, bacteria and archaea are not in the scope of this report, and we focused this review on circRNAs in eukaryotes.

Purpose Research has shown that many undergraduate students struggle with self-regulated learning (SRL) in clinical year as they are insufficiently supported by the staff in the early year to prepare them for the transition. Hence, this study aims to find out the SRL strategies and the approaches that could promote SRL among pre-clinical students in two medical schools. Method This is a mixed-method study. The Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) was used to collect student SRL strategies while semi-structured interviews with faculty members and focus group discussions with students were used to gather data on the approaches that promote SRL. Student MSLQ was analysed using descriptive statistics while interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. Results A pilot using MSLQ with 413 students recorded a Cronbach's alpha of 0.928 for the questionnaire. The actual study involved 457 Years 1 & 2 students. Students from both institutions are motivated by the Task Value, and they use Elaboration and Organisation strategies the most in their pre-clinical year. Three themes emerged from the qualitative analysis of this study: characteristics of strategies that promote SRL, hindrance in promoting SRL, and opportunities in promoting SRL. Conclusions Our findings indicate that students' intrinsic motivation is generally high in pre-clinical year. However, metacog-nition and critical thinking strategies will need to be enhanced among students. Despite knowing teaching and learning approaches could promote these strategies, many teachers are still not confident in doing so and hence training dang sharing best practices might be helpful in promoting SRL.

Osteoporosis is a complex and heterogeneous disorder, of multi-factor aetiology. It is the most frequent metabolic bone disorder, affecting an increasing number of post-menopausal women and aging individuals from both sexes. Although first recognized more than 250 years ago, the clinical and epidemiological knowledge about osteoporosis is largely limited to the last 70 years. Within the conceptual frames of paleopathology, disease is necessarily perceived in a space without depth (the skeleton) and of coincidence without development (the crucial moment of death) -but is also interpreted in a time interval which adds an historical gaze to its &quot;biography&quot;. The study of osteoporosis in past populations (which faced sociocultural conditions utterly different from the genus vitae experienced by modern communities) supplements diachronic depth to the knowledge about bone modifications related to age, menopausal status or lifestyle. This article aims to provide a comprehensive re...