New Solution for Stem Cell Manufacturing: 3D Printing and Microfluidics!
Microfluidic devices have shown promising applications in the bioprocessing industry. However, the lack of modularity and high cost of testing and error limit their implementation in the industry. Advances in 3D printing technologies have facilitated the conversion of microfluidic devices from research output to applicable industrial systems. The system can be multiplexed and scaled up to process large volumes of the industry.
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Transmission electron microscopy: multi analysis device!
X-ray emission consequent to the interaction of the primary electron beam with the sample, can also be detected by an energy-dispersive spectrometer (EDS) within the TEM. As the resulting X-ray energies are characteristic of the atomic structure of the element they originated from, the spectra generated can be used to identify the constituent elements.
It is also possible to measure the loss of energy from the inelastic scattering of electrons in specimen transmission (EELS). This information can be used to infer elemental composition, chemical bonding, valence and conduction band electronic properties.
A scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) is a type of TEM. While in TEM parallel electron beams are focused perpendicular to the sample plane, in STEM the beam is focused at a large angle and is converged into a focal point. The transmitted signal is collected as a function of the beam location as it is rastered across the sample.
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dostarlimab: in patients with mismatch repair–deficient stage II or III rectal adenocarcinoma!
Transplantation of a human liver following 3 days of ex situ normothermic preservation
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High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
Reversed-phase HPLC (RP-HPLC) is the most commonly used mode of HPLC and, as the name implies, this mode is just the reverse of normal phase HPLC (NP-HPLC), whereby the stationary phase is more nonpolar than the eluting solvent. Generally, RP-HPLC has a nonpolar stationary phase, e.g., C18 silica, and a moderately polar aqueous mobile phase.
In RP-HPLC there is strong attraction between the polar solvent and polar molecules in the mixture being passed through the column, but there is not much attraction between the hydrocarbon chains attached to the silica (the stationary phase) and the polar molecules in the solution. Therefore, polar molecules in the mixture spend most of their time moving with the solvent. Nonpolar compounds in the mixture tend to form attractions with the hydrocarbon groups because of van der Waals dispersion forces. They are less soluble in the solvent because of the need to break hydrogen bonds as they squeeze in between the water or methanol molecules. They spend less time in solution in the solvent, and this slows them down on their way through the column, which means longer retention time. In RP-HPLC the polar molecules travel through the column more quickly.
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Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): a different mode of action than what was known previously
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kienbock's disease: any definitive treatment?
There is no single cause of Kienbock’s disease. It can be caused by multiple factors such as:
Skeletal variations, Trauma, and other medical conditions: Kienbock’s disease can be found more commonly in people who have medical conditions that affect blood supply. It is also associated with diseases like lupus, sickle cell anemia and cerebral palsy.
Although there's no single cure for Kienböck's disease, medications, immobilizing the wrist and surgery have been used for the management of the disease.
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Triple whammy: Anyone who is taking a diuretic and a renin-angiotensin system (RSA) inhibitor for high blood pressure should be cautious about also taking ibuprofen!
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May: High Blood Pressure Education Month!
- Top number (systolic pressure). The first, or upper, number measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats.
- Bottom number (diastolic pressure). The second, or lower, number measures the pressure in your arteries between beats.
Most people with high blood pressure have no signs or symptoms, even if blood pressure readings reach dangerously high levels. A few people with high blood pressure may have headaches, shortness of breath or nosebleeds, but these signs and symptoms aren't specific and usually don't occur until high blood pressure has reached a severe or life-threatening stage.
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April 25th, DNA day!
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Human distal airways contain a multipotent secretory cell that can regenerate alveoli!
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Heart disease and mental health disorders are related!
- Heart attack: Chest pain or discomfort, upper back or neck pain, indigestion, heartburn, nausea or vomiting, extreme fatigue, upper body discomfort, dizziness, and shortness of breath.
- Arrhythmia: Fluttering feelings in the chest (palpitations).
- Heart failure: Shortness of breath, fatigue, or swelling of the feet, ankles, legs, abdomen, or neck veins.
High blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and smoking are key risk factors for heart disease. About half of people in the United States (47%) have at least one of these three risk factors. Several other medical conditions and lifestyle choices can also put people at a higher risk for heart disease, including
- Diabetes
- Overweight and obesity
- Unhealthy diet
- Physical inactivity
- Excessive alcohol use
- Mental health disorders
A large and growing body of research shows that mental health is associated with risk factors for heart disease before a diagnosis of a mental health disorder and during treatment. These effects can arise both directly, through biological pathways, and indirectly, through risky health behaviors.
People experiencing depression, anxiety, stress, and even PTSD over a long period of time may experience certain physiologic effects on the body, such as increased cardiac reactivity (e.g., increased heart rate and blood pressure), reduced blood flow to the heart, and heightened levels of cortisol. Over time, these physiologic effects can lead to calcium buildup in the arteries, metabolic disease, and heart disease.
Evidence shows that mental health disorders—such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD—can develop after cardiac events, including heart failure, stroke, and heart attack. These disorders can be brought on after an acute heart disease event from factors including pain, fear of death or disability, and financial problems associated with the event.
Some literature notes the impact of medicines used to treat mental health disorders on cardiometabolic disease risk. The use of some antipsychotic medications has been associated with obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, heart attacks, atrial fibrillation, stroke, and death.
Mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression may increase the chance of adopting behaviors such as smoking, inactive lifestyle, or failure to take prescribed medications. This is because people experiencing a mental health disorder may have fewer healthy coping strategies for stressful situations, making it difficult for them to make healthy lifestyle choices to reduce their risk for heart disease.
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Obesity risk: The consequences of sleep deficiency!
Twelve healthy, nonobese individuals (9 males, age range 19 to 39 years) completed a randomized, controlled, crossover, 21-day inpatient study comprising 4 days of acclimation, 14 days of experimental sleep restriction (4 hour sleep opportunity) or control sleep (9 hour sleep opportunity), and a 3-day recovery segment. Repeated measures of energy intake, energy expenditure, body weight, body composition, fat distribution and circulating biomarkers were acquired. The results of this study indicated that sleep restriction combined with ad libitum food promotes excess energy intake without varying energy expenditure. Weight gain and particularly central accumulation of fat indicate that sleep loss predisposes to abdominal visceral obesity.
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Cataract: one of the most common eye problems!
A cataract is a clouding of the normally clear lens of the eye. For people who have cataracts, seeing through cloudy lenses is a bit like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window. Clouded vision caused by cataracts can make it more difficult to read, drive a car (especially at night) or see the expression on a friend's face. Most cataracts develop slowly and don't disturb the eyesight early on. But with time, cataracts will eventually interfere with vision.
At first, stronger lighting and eyeglasses can be helpful in dealing with cataracts. But if impaired vision interferes with the usual activities, cataract surgery might be needed. Fortunately, cataract surgery is generally a safe, effective procedure.
Most cataracts develop when aging or injury changes the tissue that makes up the eye's lens. Proteins and fibers in the lens begin to break down, causing vision to become hazy or cloudy. Some inherited genetic disorders that cause other health problems can increase the risk of cataracts. Cataracts can also be caused by other eye conditions, past eye surgery or medical conditions such as diabetes. Long-term use of steroid medications, too, can cause cataracts to develop.
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Stress and Cancer: Is there any relationship?
The best quality clinical studies have followed up many people for several years. They have found no evidence that those who are more stressed are more likely to get cancer. However, it should be noted that animal studies leverage their ability to synchronize stress exposure with specific phases of cancer growth and metastasis that are critically prone to stress. By contrast, epidemiological studies and most clinical trials assessing stress-reducing psychosocial interventions did not focus on stress-prone phases, some of which cannot be identified and addressed clinically.
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Celiac disease, celiac sprue or gluten-sensitive enteropathy: an immune reaction to eating gluten!
When people with celiac disease eat gluten (a protein found in wheat, rye and barley), their body mounts an immune response that attacks the small intestine. These attacks lead to damage on the villi, small fingerlike projections that line the small intestine, that promote nutrient absorption. When the villi get damaged, nutrients cannot be absorbed properly into the body. Celiac disease is hereditary, meaning that it runs in families. People with a first-degree relative with celiac disease (parent, child, sibling) have a 1 in 10 risk of developing celiac disease.
Celiac disease can develop at any age after people start eating foods or medicines that contain gluten. Left untreated, celiac disease can lead to additional serious health problems.
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Cellular rejuvenation therapy safely reverses signs of aging!
truly work or if they do their effects are minimal. This may soon change. Scientists at the Salk Institute, in collaboration with Genentech, a member of the Roche group, have made a major breakthrough and safely reversed the aging process in middle-aged and elderly mice. They achieved this by partially resetting their cells to more youthful states.
Partial reprogramming by expression of reprogramming factors (Oct4, Sox2, Klf4 and c-Myc) for short periods of time restores a youthful epigenetic signature to aging cells and extends the life span of a premature aging mouse model. However, the effects of longer-term partial reprogramming in physiologically aging wild-type mice are unknown. In this study, they performed various long-term partial reprogramming regimens, including different onset timings, during physiological aging. Long-term partial reprogramming lead to rejuvenating effects in different tissues, such as the kidney and skin, and at the organismal level; duration of the treatment determined the extent of the beneficial effects. The rejuvenating effects were associated with a reversion of the epigenetic clock and metabolic and transcriptomic changes, including reduced expression of genes involved in the inflammation, senescence and stress response pathways. Overall, their observations indicate that partial reprogramming protocols can be designed to be safe and effective in preventing age-related physiological changes. We further conclude that longer-term partial reprogramming regimens are more effective in delaying aging phenotypes than short-term reprogramming.
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Lupus: Causes, Symptoms, therapeutic methods, and perspective!
Lupus is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the immune system attacks its own tissues and organs. Inflammation caused by lupus can affect many different body systems including joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart and lungs. Lupus can be difficult to diagnose because its signs and symptoms often mimic those of other ailments. A facial rash that resembles the wings of a butterfly unfolding across both cheeks is known as the most distinctive sign of lupus which occurs in many but not all cases of lupus. Some people are born with a tendency toward developing lupus, which may be triggered by infections, certain drugs or even sunlight. While there's no cure for lupus, treatments can help control symptoms.
The medications most commonly used to control lupus include Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Over-the-counter NSAIDs, such as naproxen sodium (Aleve) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others), may be used to treat pain, swelling and fever associated with lupus.
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PLG nanoparticles: prevention of skin and lung fibrosis in scleroderma!
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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (a-my-o-TROE-fik LAT-ur-ul skluh-ROE-sis), or ALS, is a progressive nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle control. ALS is often called Lou Gehrig's disease, after the baseball player who was diagnosed with it. Doctors usually don't know why ALS occurs. Some cases are inherited. ALS often begins with muscle twitching and weakness in a limb, or slurred speech. Eventually, ALS affects control of the muscles needed to move, speak, eat and breathe. There is no cure for this fatal disease.
Signs and symptoms of ALS vary greatly from person to person, depending on which neurons are affected. It generally begins with muscle weakness that spreads and gets worse over time. Signs and symptoms might include:
- Difficulty walking or doing normal daily activities
- Tripping and falling
- Weakness in your legs, feet or ankles
- Hand weakness or clumsiness
- Slurred speech or trouble swallowing
- Muscle cramps and twitching in your arms, shoulders and tongue
- Inappropriate crying, laughing or yawning
- Cognitive and behavioral changes
ALS often starts in the hands, feet or limbs, and then spreads to other parts of your body. As the disease advances and nerve cells are destroyed, your muscles get weaker. This eventually affects chewing, swallowing, speaking and breathing.
There's generally no pain in the early stages of ALS, and pain is uncommon in the later stages. ALS doesn't usually affect your bladder control or your senses.
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