Search Results (27)

Background and Clinical Significance: Serratus Anterior Muscle Pain Syndrome (SAMPS) is an underdiagnosed cause of anterior chest wall pain, often attributed to myofascial trigger points of the serratus anterior muscle (SAM) or dysfunction of the Long Thoracic Nerve (LTN), leading to significant disability and affecting ipsilateral upper limb movement and quality of life. Current diagnosis relies on exclusion and physical examination, with limited treatment options beyond conservative approaches. This case report presents a novel approach to chronic SAMPS, successfully diagnosed using Sonoguided Digital Palpation (SDP) and treated with ultrasound-guided hydrodissection of the LTN using 5% dextrose in water (D5W) without local anesthetic (LA), in a patient where conventional treatments had failed. Case Presentation: A 72-year-old male presented with a three-year history of persistent left chest pain radiating to the upper back, exacerbated by activity and mimicking cardiac pain. His medical history included two percutaneous coronary interventions. Physical examination revealed tenderness along the anterior axillary line and a positive hyperirritable spot at the mid axillary line at the 5th rib level. SDP was used to visualize the serratus anterior fascia (SAF) and LTN, and to reproduce the patient’s concordant pain by palpating the LTN. Ultrasound-guided hydrodissection of the LTN was then performed using 20–30cc of D5W without LA to separate the nerve from the surrounding tissues, employing a “fascial unzipping” technique. The patient reported immediate pain relief post-procedure, with the pain reducing from 9/10 to 1/10 on the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), and sustained relief and functional improvement at the 12-month follow-up. Conclusions: Sonoguided Digital Palpation (SDP) of the LTN can serve as a valuable diagnostic adjunct for visualizing and diagnosing SAMPS. Ultrasound-guided hydrodissection of the LTN with D5W without LA may provide a promising and safe treatment option for patients with chronic SAMPS refractory to conservative management, resulting in rapid and sustained pain relief. Further research, including controlled trials, is warranted to evaluate the long-term efficacy and generalizability of these findings and to compare D5W to other injectates. Full article

Remote sensing and AI models have been utilized for monitoring Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), a primary indicator of eutrophication across broad water bodies. Previous studies have primarily relied on optical remote sensing data for assessing Chl-a’s spectral characteristics. Synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) data, which contain valuable information about surface algae containing Chl-a, remains underutilized despite its high potential for improving Chl-a retrieval accuracy. Therefore, this study aims to develop a Convolutional neural network (CNN) based Chl-a retrieval model utilizing both SAR data and optical data in Korean lakes. The model dataset was established by acquiring Chl-a concentration data and Sentinel-1/2 imagery from the Copernicus Open Access Hub. The CNN model trained on both optical and SAR data exhibited superior performance (R² = 0.7992, RMSE = 10.3282 mg/m³, RPD = 2.2315) compared with the model trained exclusively on optical data. Moreover, SAR data exhibited moderate variable importance among all variables, demonstrating their efficacy as input variables for Chl-a concentration estimation. Furthermore, the CNN model estimated Chl-a concentrations with a spatial distribution that matched the observed spatial heterogeneity of Chl-a concentrations. These results are expected to serve as a foundation for future research on remote monitoring of Chl-a using such data. Full article

Benthic diatoms are key primary producers in aquatic ecosystems and sensitive bioindicators for water quality monitoring; for example, the Yellow River Basin exhibits high diatom species diversity. However, traditional microscopic identification of such species remains inefficient and inaccurate. To enable automated identification, we established a benthic diatom dataset containing 3157 SEM images of 32 genera/species from the Yellow River Basin and developed a novel identification method. Specifically, the knowledge extraction module distinguishes foreground features from background noise by guiding spatial attention to focus on mutually exclusive regions within the image. This mechanism allows the network to focus more on foreground features that are useful for the classification task while significantly reducing the interference of background noise. Furthermore, a dual knowledge guidance module is designed to enhance the discriminative representation of fine-grained diatom images. This module strengthens multi-region foreground features through grouped channel attention, supplemented with contextual information through convolution-refined background features assigned low weights. Finally, the proposed method integrates multi-granularity learning, knowledge distillation, and multi-scale training strategies, further improving the classification accuracy. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed network outperforms comparative methods on both the self-built diatom dataset and a public diatom dataset. Ablation studies and visualization further validate the efficacy of each module. Full article

Hydrogels have garnered considerable interest in water purification owing to their distinctive physicochemical characteristics, including high porosity, modifiable surface chemistry, and superior water retention capacity. This paper provides a thorough examination of the use of hydrogels in wastewater treatment. It encompasses their categorization and separation procedures, including size exclusion, adsorption, electrostatic interactions, and non-sieving processes. Furthermore, it examines how functional groups improve the efficiency of pollutant removal. The review examines hydrogel composites and their filtering processes, measuring their efficacy in adsorption and evaluating the benefits and limits of hydrogels, especially regarding regeneration capacities. It explores hydration processes in hydrogels, emphasizing the fundamental mechanisms and measuring methods involved. Future research must prioritize optimizing hydrogel design to enhance mechanical strength and reusability, investigate innovative functionalization techniques to address emergent contaminants, and establish scalable manufacturing methods for extensive industrial use. Full article

Promoting rapid healing is a concern in skin wound treatment, as the increased pain and the loss of functional ability when wounds become chronic create a complex problem to manage. This scoping review aimed to explore the literature and synthesize existing knowledge on the therapeutic use of CO₂ in treating cutaneous wounds. The literature was selected using previously defined inclusion and exclusion criteria, and 22 articles were selected for data extraction. The most researched type of injury was chronic wounds located on the extremities of the limbs. Carboxytherapy was performed in five different ways: subcutaneous, intradermal, or intralesional injections; in hot water baths with temperatures ranging from 30 to 42 °C; transcutaneous application; intra-abdominal insufflation; and a paste for transcutaneous local application. The main effects of CO₂ therapy described were as follows: improved blood flow and local oxygenation, reduction of the inflammatory process, increased collagen production, and improved clinical aspects of wounds, with faster healing. Carboxytherapy can be considered a good alternative for treating skin wounds, although further studies should be pursued to elucidate its molecular mechanisms and enhance its efficacy. Full article

Muscle atrophy, an age-related condition, presents a growing healthcare concern within the context of global population aging. While studies have investigated Hirsutella sinensis for its potential antifatigue properties, reports on its active components remain limited. This study evaluated the efficacy of H. sinensis mycelium extract on muscle health, utilizing a 1:1 water–ethanol preparation administered to C57BL/6 mice exhibiting acute hind leg atrophy. The results indicated no adverse effects, with significant improvements in muscle endurance and soleus muscle mass observed over a 14-day period. To further elucidate the mechanisms and effects of H. sinensis mycelium on dexamethasone-induced muscle atrophy, the water extract was fractionated into components of <3.5 kDa, 3.5–10 kDa, and >10 kDa using dialysis membranes. The investigation utilized a C2C12 cell atrophy model, induced by dexamethasone, to analyze the expression of relevant genes via qPCR. The results demonstrated that the <3.5 kDa and >10 kDa fractions significantly upregulated the expression of Myh2 and Myh7 genes while simultaneously downregulating the expression of MuRF-1 and Atrogin-1. It is noteworthy that the <3.5 kDa fraction exclusively enhanced MYHC protein expression and suppressed AMPK expression, as confirmed by Western blot analysis. This comprehensive pilot study suggests that the low-molecular-weight fraction of H. sinensis mycelium exhibits considerable potential for muscle mass preservation and atrophy mitigation. As a result, it offers a promising direction for the development of supplements aimed at addressing fatigue and preventing muscle atrophy. Full article

This systematic review aims to evaluate whether the application of antioxidant solutions can enhance the bond strength of resin-based materials to sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl)-treated dentin. This study follows the PICOT strategy: population (sodium hypochlorite-treated dentin), intervention (application of antioxidants), control (distilled water), outcome (bond strength), and type of studies (in vitro studies). The systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Electronic databases were searched for in vitro studies evaluating the effects of antioxidants on bond strength to sodium hypochlorite-treated dentin. Two independent reviewers screened articles, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias. Meta-analyses were performed using a random-effects model to compare standardized mean differences in bond strength between antioxidant pretreatment and control groups. Inclusion criteria consisted of in vitro studies that examined the bond strength of resin-based materials to NaOCl-treated dentin with antioxidant application, while exclusion criteria included studies with incomplete data, those not using a control group, or those that did not directly measure bond strength. From 3041 initial records, 29 studies were included in the qualitative analysis and 25 in the meta-analysis. Ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate, grape seed extract, green tea, and rosmarinic acid significantly improved bond strength to sodium hypochlorite-treated dentin (p < 0.05). The effectiveness of grape seed extract varied with adhesive system type. Hesperidin, p-toluene sulfonic acid, and sodium thiosulfate did not significantly improve bond strength. Most studies had a high risk of bias. This suggests that the conclusions drawn from these studies should be interpreted with caution, and further research with more robust methodologies may be needed to confirm the findings. In conclusion, this systematic review implies that certain antioxidants can improve bond strength to sodium hypochlorite-treated dentin, with efficacy depending on the specific agent and adhesive system used. Further standardized studies are needed to optimize protocols and confirm these findings. Full article

This study explores the incorporation of 10% 3-O-ethyl L-ascorbic acid (ETVC), a derivative of vitamin C, into two lipid gel systems: a hydrogel (HG) consisting exclusively of lipids and water and a bigel (BG) combining the hydrogel with an oleogel made from olive oil and beeswax. We investigated the ETVC release profiles from both materials using synthetic membranes and measured their permeation through porcine skin in vitro. Additionally, the interaction of these lipid gel systems with the stratum corneum (SC) was determined. Results from the release study indicate that the BG exhibited slower ETVC release compared to the HG. The permeation experiments showed that the presence of lipids in the formulations enhanced ETVC retention in the skin. The HG delivered a higher amount to the SC, while the BG achieved greater retention in the epidermis. This difference is attributed to the different lipophilic nature of each material. The structural analysis of SC lipids revealed that the organization of surface lipids remained unaltered by the application of the gels. Finally, an in vitro efficacy test in porcine skin using methylene blue indicated that our ETVC gels exhibited antioxidant activity. These findings provide valuable insights into the potential of lipid-based gels for topical applications. Full article

Aedes aegypti, the primary vector of dengue, undergoes preimaginal development in brackish water (BW). However, dengue vector control exclusively targets freshwater (FW) habitats. The present study evaluated the predatory efficacy of nymphal odonates that can develop in both FW and BW. Nymphs of three damselfly and three dragonfly species from FW and BW habitats were identified and acclimatized to FW (<0.5 gL⁻¹ salt) and BW (10 gL⁻¹ salt) mesocosm conditions. The experiment was repeated nine times with nine different individual predators per species under both salinity conditions. One hundred L3 Ae. aegypti from FW and BW laboratory colonies were introduced to determine the predatory rate (PR) and clearance rate (CR) after 24, 48, and 72 h, and one hundred L3 larvae were introduced every 24 h. The dragonfly nymph Hydrobasileus croceus and the damselfly nymph Paracercion hieroglyphicum showed the highest PR and CR under both rearing conditions at all times. However, damselfly and dragonfly nymphs significantly (p < 0.05) differed in their CR under both FW and BW conditions. Thus, all six odonate species have predatory potential and this suggests that they could be used as biological control agents to eliminate preimaginal stages of Ae. aegypti developing in both FW and BW habitats. Full article

In this study, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to discern the underlying trends for 31 distinct MFI (Mobil No. 5)-zeolite membranes of 11 textural, chemical, and operational factors related to manufacturing processes. Initially, a comprehensive PCA approach was employed for the entire dataset, revealing a moderate influence of the first two principal components (PCs), which collectively accounted for around 38% of the variance. Membrane samples exhibited close proximity, which prevented the formation of any clusters. To address this limitation, a subset acquisition strategy was followed, based on the findings of the PCA for the entire dataset. This resulted in an enhanced overall contribution and the revelation of diverse patterns among the membranes and the considered manufacturing factors (total variance between 55% and 77%). The segmentation of the data unveiled a robust correlation between silica (SiO₂) concentration and pervaporation conditions. Additionally, a notable clustering of the chemical compositions of the preparation solutions underscored their significant influence on the operational efficacy of MFI zeolite membranes. On the other hand, an exclusive chemical composition of the preparation solution was noticed. This highlighted the high influence of the chemical composition on the operational efficiency of MFI zeolite membranes. The coupling of PCA with experimental results can provide a data-driven enhancement strategy for the manufacturing of MFI-type zeolite membranes used for ethanol/water separation. Full article

The aim of the study was to investigate in vitro the antibacterial activity of 8 commercial drinking water additives against major zoonotic poultry pathogens (Campylobacter spp., Escherichia coli, Salmonella Typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria spp.). We tested two essential oil-based phytogenics (Phyto CSC Liquide B, AEN 350 B Liquid), two acid-based eubiotics (Salgard^® liquid, Intesti-Flora), and four blends of essential oils and organic acids (ProPhorce^TM SA Exclusive, Herbal acid, Rigosol-N and Eubisan 3000). The antibacterial activity was determined by estimating the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) using a microdilution method. The MICs of the products against Campylobacter spp. ranged from 0.071% to 0.568% v/v, in which Herbal acid, a blend rich in lactic and phosphoric acids, also containing thyme and oregano oils, exhibited the highest efficacy (MIC: 0.071% v/v) against all the tested strains. The MICs of the tested products against Escherichia coli ranged between 0.071% and 1.894% v/v. Specifically, the MIC of Rigosol-N, a blend of high concentrations of lactic and acetic acid, was 0.142% v/v for both tested strains, whereas the MICs of Intesti-Flora, a mixture rich in lactic and propionic acid, ranged from 0.284% to 0.568% v/v. The MICs of the products against Salmonella Typhimurium were between 0.095% and 1.894% v/v. Specifically, the MIC of Eubisan 3000, a blend rich in oregano oil, was 0.284% v/v. The MICs against Staphylococcus aureus were between 0.142% and 9.090% v/v. The MICs of Phyto CSC Liquide B, which is rich in trans-cinnamaldehyde, were between 3.030% and 9.090% v/v, showing the highest MIC values of all tested products. Finally, the MIC values of the tested commercial products against Listeria spp. were 0.095% to 3.030% v/v. The MICs of ProPhorce^TM SA Exclusive, a highly concentrated blend of formic acid and its salts, were 0.095–0.142% v/v against Listeria spp., while the MICs of AEN 350 B Liquid were between 0.284% and 1.894% exhibiting high Listeria spp. strain variability. In conclusion, all the selected commercial products exhibited more or less antibacterial activity against pathogenic bacteria and, thus, can be promising alternatives to antibiotics for the control of zoonotic poultry pathogens and the restriction of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. Full article

The objective of this narrative review was to summarize existing literature on the effectiveness of school-based interventions, implemented in Europe, under the aim of promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors in children (6–10 years old). A search of PubMed, Scopus, EFSA and Google Scholar databases was performed for studies published from January 2016 to June 2022. Specific search terms and exclusion criteria were used. Based on the results, diet and physical activity interventions had favorable effects on a series of health outcomes, including anthropometric parameters, biomarkers, eating behavior and self-efficacy. Diet-only interventions had a positive impact specifically on eating habits, mostly on water consumption. Most successful interventions lasted for 1 school year, and they were characterized by parental involvement and teachers’ training. Full article

California sea cucumbers (Apostichopus californicus) are often abundant at oyster farms in British Columbia, Canada both on the suspended gear as juveniles and on the seafloor beneath them as a mixture of juveniles and adults. Their natural abundance, high value, and potential to mitigate benthic organic loading has led to an interest in their coculture with oysters. Whether farmed sea cucumbers ought to be contained to physically separate them from wild stocks is debated. The present three-year field study examined the movement of wild California sea cucumbers on/off an operational oyster farm (~3000 m²) to help inform future sea cucumber aquaculture development. Sea cucumber effects on organic loading, immigration to/emigration from the farm, and the efficacy of various containment-material mesh types and sizes were examined. Juvenile and adult sea cucumber densities on the farm steadily increased from the end of winter through the end of summer, likely due in large part to juveniles falling off the suspended oyster gear, which occurred at an average rate of ~780 ind d⁻¹ (for the whole farm) in the summer months. The largest increase in abundance on the farm was observed between January and March/April, when the population increased by 100–350 ind d⁻¹. Between late summer and early winter, sea cucumbers emigrated from the farm at a rate of 50–90 ind d⁻¹, neither juvenile nor adult densities on the farm changing appreciably over the winter. The sea cucumber density showed a progressive decrease in the first 20 m from the farm, after which the animals were scarcely noticed. Apostichopus californicus did not significantly decrease sediment organics beneath the farm compared to a nearby control site, but such an effect may have been lost due to their seasonal feeding cycles and/or the presence of other benthic grazers that were not part of our exclusion trial. Overall, our findings suggest that the separation of farmed and wild California sea cucumbers on a shellfish farm can only be guaranteed through containment, given the dynamic immigration and emigration patterns of wild stocks. Through laboratory trials, we found that individuals of A. californicus were able to squeeze through mesh as small as 32% of their contracted width and could escape fenced areas (90 ± 4% escape from nylon fencing and 40 ± 8% escape from Vexar^TM fencing) unless the fencing extended above the water surface (where there was no escape from either type). Full article

Ascorbic acid (AA) has many health benefits, including immune and cardiovascular deficiency protection, prenatal problems, and skin diseases. Unfortunately, AA is easily oxidized and has limited bioavailability. Thus, the development of formulations that stabilize and enhance the efficacy of AA is a challenge. In this study, 4% AA was encapsulated in two recently developed gels, a hydrogel and a bigel. The hydrogel was formed exclusively with lipids and water, and the bigel was a combination of the hydrogel with an oleogel formed with olive oil and beeswax. The effect of AA in gel microstructures was determined using X-ray scattering, rheology, and texture analysis. Additionally, the capacity of these materials to protect AA from degradation upon temperature and sunlight was studied. Results showed that the incorporation of AA into both materials did not affect their microstructure. Moreover, hydrogel-protected AA showed only 2% degradation after three months at 8 °C, while in aqueous solution, it degraded by 12%. Regarding sunlight, bigel showed a good shielding effect, exhibiting only 2% AA degradation after 22 h of exposure, whereas in aqueous solution, AA degraded by 10%. These results suggest that both proposed gels could be used in biomedical applications and the field of food. Full article

Bacterial conjunctivitis significantly impacts public health, including more than one-third of eye diseases reported worldwide. It is an infection caused by various aerobic and anaerobic bacteria and is highly contagious. Therefore, it has a high incidence of bacterial resistance to the antibiotics commonly used for treatment. Among the most recent antibiotics, besifloxacin is a fourth-generation fluoroquinolone antibiotic indicated exclusively for topical ophthalmic use. Due to its importance in treating bacterial conjunctivitis and its low solubility in water, limiting its efficacy, a nanotechnology-based drug delivery preparation was developed to overcome this hurdle. Besifloxacin nanocrystals were prepared by small-scale wet milling and response surface methodology, using Povacoat^® as a stabilizer. The particle’s average hydrodynamic diameter (Z-ave) was approximately 550 nm (17 times smaller than raw material), with a polydispersity index (PdI) of less than 0.2. The saturation solubility increased about two times compared to the raw material, making it possible to increase the dissolution rate of this drug substance, potentially improving its bioavailability and safety. The optimized preparation was stable under an accelerated stability study (90 days). The Z-ave, PZ, PdI, and content did not alter significantly during this period. Furthermore, the 0.6% m/m besifloxacin nanocrystals at the maximum dose and the Povacoat^® stabilizer did not show toxicity in Galleria mellonella larvae. The innovative ophthalmic preparation minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was 0.0960 µg/mL and 1.60 µg/mL against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, respectively, confirming in vitro efficacy. Therefore, besifloxacin nanocrystals revealed the potential for reduced dosing of the drug substance, with a minor occurrence of adverse effects and greater patient adherence to treatment. Full article