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Light is being vastly explored towards favoring the advancement of technology and the improvement of the life quality of the population. Photonic materials that can manipulate light in a nanometric scale have become very competitive for the construction of chemical and bio sensors, mainly because they can be more sensitive, specific, and of a lower cost. Considering the serious health crisis experienced worldwide due to COVID-19, the importance of research in this field has become even clearer and greater. In this article, sensing platforms based on the exciting and promising plasmonic materials is broadly addressed. The sections covered here seek not just to introduce the theoretical concepts and state-of-the-art techniques, but also highlight the achieved advances and inspire future research on this rich and promising area. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
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Mg-Zn co-dopedGaN powders via the nitridation of a Ga-Mg-Zn metallic solution at 1000 °C for 2 h in ammonia flow were obtained. XRD patterns for the Mg-Zn co-dopedGaN powders showed a crystal size average of 46.88 nm. Scanning electron microscopy micrographs had an irregular shape, with a ribbon-like structure and a length of 8.63 µm. Energy-dispersive spectroscopy showed the incorporation of Zn (Lα 1.012 eV) and Mg (Kα 1.253 eV), while XPS measurements showed the elemental contributions of magnesium and zinc as co-dopant elements quantified in 49.31 eV and 1019.49 eV, respectively. The photoluminescence spectrum showed a fundamental emission located at 3.40 eV(364.70 nm), which was related to band-to-band transition, besides a second emission found in a range from 2.80 eV to 2.90 eV (442.85-427.58 nm), which was related to a characteristic of Mg-doped GaN and Zn-doped GaN powders. Furthermore, Raman scattering demonstrated a shoulder at 648.05 cm-1, which could indicate the incorporation of the Mg and Zn co-dopants atoms into the GaN structure. It is expected that one of the main applications of Mg-Zn co-doped GaN powders is in obtaining thin films for SARS-CoV-2 biosensors.
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Studies are still being conducted to find a sustainable and long-lasting solution to the lethal consequences of the feared virus characterized as coronavirus disease (Covid-19) and its accompanying pathogenic replication, which pose a serious threat to human survival in the wake of its broad distribution. Since its emergence, researchers have investigated synthetic approaches in search of a dependable vaccine or treatment and curtail the spread of the virus and also enhance the health of a patient who has been affected. Unfortunately, the infection is yet to be entirely eradicated in many parts of the world. Despite the introduction of synthetic pharmaceuticals like remdesivir and derivatives of chloroquine, plant extracts may be an alternative reliable strategy that could successfully combat the operation of the virus. Herein, we investigated the prospects of fagara zanthoxyloides lam. (rutaceae) (syn. zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides), a well-known medicinal tree whose extracts have demonstrated success in treating many microbiological and viral-related infections. The distinctive plant extracts contain several bioactive phytochemicals with promising biological activity with minimal or no side effects and are being researched for a variety of applications, particularly in the pharmaceutical and medicinal industries. Consequently, in this review, we examined the crude extracts from the Fagara species and suggested that careful consideration should be given to its independent use or combination with other bioactive molecules, such as biopolymers and nano-metallic composites, to combat the terrifying Covid-19 virus and its associates. © 2023 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston 2023.
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The rapid transmission of contagious viruses responsible for global pandemic and various extraordinary risk to precious human life including death. For instance, the current ongoing worldwide COVID-19 pandemic caused by novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is a communicable disease which is transmitted via touching the contaminated surfaces and then nosocomial route. In absence of effective vaccines and therapies, antiviral coatings are essential in order to prevent or slowdown rapid transmission of viruses. In this prospective, sustainable nanotechnology and material engineering have provided substantial contribution in development of engineered nanomaterial based antiviral coated surfaces to the humanity. In the recent past, nanomaterials based on silver (Ag), titanium oxide (TiO2), copper sulfide (CuS) and copper oxide (CuO) have been modified in the form of engineered nanomaterials with effective antiviral efficacy against SARS-CoV-2. In this review, various recent fundamental aspects for fabrication of metallic nanoparticles (Ag, Ti, Cu etc.) based coated surfaces on various substrates and their antiviral efficacy to inhibit viral transmission of SARS-CoV-2 are discussed along with their respective conceptual mechanisms. The antiviral mechanism based on chemistry of engineered nanomaterials is the key outcome of this review that would be useful for future research in designing and development of more advance antiviral materials and coated surfaces in order to control of future epidemics. © 2022 Elsevier B.V.
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Nanoparticles can be used as inhibitory agents against various microorganisms, including bacteria, algae, archaea, fungi, and a huge class of viruses. The mechanism of action includes inhibiting the function of the cell membrane/stopping the synthesis of the cell membrane, disturbing the transduction of energy, producing toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS), and inhibiting or reducing RNA and DNA production. Various nanomaterials, including different metallic, silicon, and carbon-based nanomaterials and nanoarchitectures, have been successfully used against different viruses. Recent research strongly agrees that these nanoarchitecture-based virucidal materials (nano-antivirals) have shown activity in the solid state. Therefore, they are very useful in the development of several products, such as fabric and high-touch surfaces. This review thoroughly and critically identifies recently developed nano-antivirals and their products, nano-antiviral deposition methods on various substrates, and possible mechanisms of action. By considering the commercial viability of nano-antivirals, recommendations are made to develop scalable and sustainable nano-antiviral products with contact-killing properties. Copyright © 2022 Hussain, Abro, Ahmed, Memon and Memon.
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Biosensors are considered the tools of the future in medicine. With the pandemic caused by the new corona-virus (SARS-COV-2), the development of biosensors with fast diagnostics has become a public health need. Optical biosensors, in particular, have gained strength in the market due to their high sensitivity and detection capability. In this category, sensors based on surface plasmon resonance technology have gained prominence. In this work, a prism-coupler set using the Ktreschamnn configuration was designed and built. The prism-coupler smodel consists of an automated optical-mechanical system and a triangular prism. Thin films of 50 nm of gold and 5 nm of titanium were deposited on glass slices and coupled to a commercial prism (refractive index 1.50). The movement of the optical-mechanical system and the data acquisition are carried out by 2 microcontrollers that are configured using a Labview software. A simulation program using MatLab software was also developed in this work to determine the SPR curves at different refractive index solutions. At first, measurement in air was carried out obtaining a resonance angle in 35 degrees. Afterwards, sucrose solutions were measured using our system at concentrations of 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50%. Finally, experimental and simulated results were compared and analyzed in this work.
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The prevalence of uncertainty is evident in natural resources and financial markets almost every period. However, the global financial crisis and the recent Covid-19 pandemic is considered the most distressful event that disturbs the global economic and financial performance. In such crises, natural resource (mineral) prices also fluctuate as a result of demand and supply shocks. Identifying volatility in metallic resource prices is now the time's need, which consequently leads to implementing appropriate policies for recovery of the global markets. In this sense, the current study analyzed these two period from August 21, 2007, to December 31, 2009 (global financial crisis) and from January 01, 2019, to September 17, 2021 (Covid-19 pandemic). The empirical results obtained via threshold generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (TGARCH) and exponential autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (EGARCH) model asserted that volatility exists in metallic resource prices in both the crises periods. Concerning the global financial cristhe metallic resource prices were more volatile in 2008, while such priwere are highly volatile during the Covid-19 pandemic peak year (2020). Additionally, volatility in metallic resources is found higher in the Covid-19 pandemic, relative to global financial crisis. Based on the empirical results, this study suggests the appropriate policy measures that could help tackle the issue of metallic resource price volatility.
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SESSION TITLE: Great Procedural Cases: Fire, Ice, Struts, Valves, and Glue SESSION TYPE: Case Reports PRESENTED ON: 10/19/2022 11:15 am - 12:15 pm INTRODUCTION: While rarely reported, there has been an increasing incidence of tracheobronchial mucormycosis in patients infected with COVID-19, especially when associated with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus. We describe a complex case of central airway obstruction due to mucormycosis that was managed with a custom 3D printed silicone Y-stent. CASE PRESENTATION: A 54-year-old woman with diabetes, prior COVID-19 infection, presented with dyspnea and cough. She underwent a CT chest which showed left lower lobe atelectasis and left main stem bronchus (LMSB) obstruction. Bronchoscopy showed a large exophytic mass extruding from the LMSB. There was necrosis leading to a fistula between the left and right mainstem bronchi distal to the carina. Pathology of the mass showed necrotic bronchial mucosa and cartilage with invasive mucormycosis. She underwent placement of a 10X40mm covered stent in LMSB. However, due to granulation tissue and recurrent mucus plugging, she needed a bronchoscopy every 3-4 weeks and multiple stent revisions. Despite these interventions, her respiratory symptoms did not change significantly. Ultimately, her airway was also complicated by tracheobronchomalacia (TBM) of the right main stem bronchus (RMSB). Subsequently a custom printed 3D silicone Y-stent from VisionAir was placed that allowed successful recanalization of LMSB and management of the TBM of RMSB simultaneously. The patient reported significant improvement in respiratory symptoms. She was maintained on Isavuconazole for mucormycosis suppression therapy DISCUSSION: Mucormycosis infections commonly occur in the pulmonary or rhino-cerebral region with high morbidity and mortality. Mucor can involve the major airways as well as rarely invade the tracheal cartilage leading to TBM. There is often granulation tissue, gray-white mucoid material, with edematous and necrotic airway. This can be associated with complex central airway obstruction. While the covered tracheobronchial stent (Bonastent) allowed us to recanalize LMSB, it was complicated by obstructive granulation tissue formation and mucous plugging requiring frequent stent revision to maintain stent patency. At the same time, the TBM in the right airway was contributing significantly to dyspnea and cough. While a standard silicon Y stent was considered for the management of bilateral mainstem bronchi disease, due to the significant distortion in airway anatomy this was not an ideal option. By using the VisionAir stent, we placed a custom stent that would best fit her airway anatomy. The patient had sustained improvement in her symptoms for several months following the procedure. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first case report of a custom designed and 3D printed stent for the treatment of benign central airway obstruction caused by tracheobronchial mucormycosis. Custom stents are a promising tool to individualize and tailor intervention for patients with complex airway anatomy. Reference #1: Tracheal Mucormycosis Pneumonia: A Rare Clinical Presentation. Satyawati Mohindra, Bhumika Gupta, Karan Gupta and Amanjit Bal. Respiratory Care November 2014, 59 (11) e178-e181 Reference #2: Keshishyan S, DeLorenzo L, Hammoud K, Avagyan A, Assallum H, Harris K. Infections causing central airway obstruction: role of bronchoscopy in diagnosis and management. J Thorac Dis. 2017;9(6):1707-1724. doi:10.21037/jtd.2017.06.31 Reference #3: Leon CA, Inaty H, Urbas A, Grafmeyer K, Machuzak M, Sethi S, Gildea T. Early outcomes with 3D printing and airway stents. CHEST 2019 annual meeting s. DISCLOSURES: No relevant relationships by Sisir Akkineni No relevant relationships by Kelly Daymude No relevant relationships by Wissam Jaber No relevant relationships by Abesh Niroula
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SESSION TITLE: Drug-Induced Critical Care SESSION TYPE: Rapid Fire Case Reports PRESENTED ON: 10/19/2022 12:45 pm - 1:45 pm INTRODUCTION: Intravenous magnesium sulfate (MgSo4) is commonly used for inpatient magnesium repletion. However, it is infrequently shown to be associated with the development of pulmonary edema. We present a case of acute hypoxic respiratory failure due to pulmonary edema after starting magnesium infusion in a patient recovering from COVID-19. CASE PRESENTATION: 60 year old female with a history of metastatic breast cancer presented with hypoxic respiratory failure due to COVID-19. CT angiogram of her chest showed diffuse bilateral ground-glass opacities with no evidence of pulmonary embolism. She had prolonged weaning from high flow nasal cannula and was treated with antibiotics, remedesivir, and dexamethasone. Following treatment, her inflammatory markers significantly improved. On day thirty, she was on 25 L at 45% FiO2 on high flow nasal cannula. Her magnesium level was low at 1.5 mg/dl, and 2 grams of intravenous MgSo4 was given for replacement. A few minutes after starting the infusion, the patient complained of metallic taste, severe shortness of breath, and tachypnea with a drop in oxygen saturation to 67%, which improved with increasing oxygen. CXR showed worsening perihilar infiltrates compared to prior, suggesting acute pulmonary edema. An echocardiogram showed normal function without evidence of structural abnormalities. Thyroid function was normal. She did not receive any blood products or opioids prior to this event. She responded very well to diuresis, was weaned to 5L nasal cannula in three days, and was eventually discharged on 2L supplemental oxygen. DISCUSSION: Pulmonary edema is due to the movement of excess fluid into the alveoli. It can be due to cardiogenic and noncardiogenic causes. Noncardiogenic pulmonary edema is due to a rise in transcapillary filtration, causing an increase in capillary permeability due to several factors, most importantly direct endothelial damage due to inflammation. Mechanisms for MgSo4 induced pulmonary edema are unknown, but theories include direct capillary damage or transient cardiac depression. It is seen in studies to be an independent risk factor for the development of pulmonary edema in pregnancy. Higher risk is associated with faster MgSo4 infusion, less concentrated MgSo4, and infection[1]. She was on abemaciclib for breast cancer before her admission, known to cause pneumonitis but was thought unlikely to cause her acute decompensation. The lack of other etiologies explaining sudden respiratory failure, her rapid improvement on stopping magnesium, and her response to diuretics supported our diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of noncardiogenic pulmonary edema involves addressing the underlying cause of the event and is mainly supportive. Given how commonly Mgso4 is used for repletion in the inpatient setting, MgSo4 induced pulmonary edema should be in the differential for acute hypoxic respiratory failure and promptly addressed. Reference #1: Samol JM, Lambers DS. Magnesium sulfate tocolysis and pulmonary edema: the drug or the vehicle? Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2005 May;192(5):1430-2. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2005.02.093. PMID: 15902128. DISCLOSURES: No relevant relationships by Nasir Alhamdan No relevant relationships by Harshitha Mergey Devender No relevant relationships by Abira Usman No relevant relationships by Vishruth Vyata No relevant relationships by Harika Yadav
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Light is being vastly explored towards favoring the advancement of technology and the improvement of the life quality of the population. Photonic materials that can manipulate light in a nanometric scale have become very competitive for the construction of chemical and bio sensors, mainly because they can be more sensitive, specific, and of a lower cost. Considering the serious health crisis experienced worldwide due to COVID-19, the importance of research in this field has become even clearer and greater. In this article, sensing platforms based on the exciting and promising plasmonic materials is broadly addressed. The sections covered here seek not just to introduce the theoretical concepts and state-of-the-art techniques, but also highlight the achieved advances and inspire future research on this rich and promising area.
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A variety of diseases are produced by oxidative stress in the human body. Arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, loss of memory, depression, arteriosclerosis, cancer, ageing and diabetes have elements of oxidative stress in them. Selenium has several benefits on human health. It has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunological activities. Various multivitamin/multimineral formulations containing selenium are available in the market. Selenium is an ingredient of sodium selenite, selenium-enriched yeast and selenomethionine. Despite numerous benefits on human health selenium can also lead to toxicity in excess amounts. Metallic taste in mouth, smell of garlic, skin rashes and lesions, nausea, abnormalities of the nervous system, irritability and mottled teeth are certain complications associated with selenium. Selenium is very important for human health and helps in optimum functioning of the body but it can be disastrous to human health if it is consumed in excess amounts. © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Due to the prevailing existence of the COVID-19 pandemic, novel and practical strategies to combat pathogens are on the rise worldwide. It is estimated that, globally, around 10% of hospital patients will acquire at least one healthcare-associated infection. One of the novel strategies that has been developed is incorporating metallic particles into polymeric materials that neutralize infectious agents. Considering the broad-spectrum antimicrobial potency of some materials, the incorporation of metallic particles into the intended hybrid composite material could inherently add significant value to the final product. Therefore, this research aimed to investigate an antimicrobial polymeric PLA-based composite material enhanced with different microparticles (copper, aluminum, stainless steel, and bronze) for the antimicrobial properties of the hybrid composite. The prepared composite material samples produced with fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printing technology were tested for different time intervals to establish their antimicrobial activities. The results presented here depict that the sample prepared with 90% copper and 10% PLA showed the best antibacterial activity (99.5%) after just 20 min against different types of bacteria as compared to the other samples. The metallic-enriched PLA-based antibacterial sheets were remarkably effective against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli; therefore, they can be a good candidate for future biomedical, food packaging, tissue engineering, prosthetic material, textile industry, and other science and technology applications. Thus, antimicrobial sheets made from PLA mixed with metallic particles offer sustainable solutions for a wide range of applications where touching surfaces is a big concern.
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Anti-Infective Agents , COVID-19 Drug Treatment , Aluminum , Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Anti-Infective Agents/pharmacology , Copper , Escherichia coli , Humans , Pandemics , Polyesters , Polymers , Printing, Three-Dimensional , Stainless SteelABSTRACT
The current study investigates volatility in natural resource commodity prices in the case of the US. Particularly, this study focused on the rarely explained indicators of natural resources, including palladium, platinum, and silver price volatility, from February 28, 2012, to March 18, 2020. Since the Covid-19 pandemic creates havoc in the global economic system, that creates uncertainty in the natural resources market. Therefore, the period of the Covid-19 pandemic is also considered in the empirical investigation. This study uses the traditional autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (ARCH) approach, which reveals that the ARCH effect is valid in the mentioned variables in both the pre and post Covid-19 pandemic periods. Besides, this study also employed the threshold generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (TGARCH) and exponential generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (EGARCH) models to analyze shock asymmetry. The estimated outcomes asserted that platinum and silver prices are more sensitive to negative shocks such as the Covid-19 pandemic. However, positive shocks play a more influential role in palladium price volatility. Thus, the shock asymmetry is valid for all three metallic resources. Based on the empirical findings, this study suggests implementing price ceiling policies. Besides, metallic resources hedging and the imposition of strong regulations in the financial market could help reduce volatility in natural resources.
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A Cu film with the ability to rapidly inactivate the COVID-19 virus was easily fabricated at approximately 23°C on a Na-free glass substrate. The well-adhered Cu films with thickness of approximately 16 μm and surface area of 8.71 10-3 m2 g-1 were obtained by immersion of the glass substrate into an aqueous solution with dissolved Cu (II) complex of ammonia and ascorbic acid. The interface bonded between the film and glass substrate was very strong, such that the film did not peel off even when it was exposed to an ultrasonic wave of 100 mW (42 kHz) in water. The anti-COVID-19 activity in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) is effective within 2 h and is faster than that of commercial copper plates. The changes in the relative abundance of Cu2O and CuO crystallines on the Cu film due to DMEM treatment and those in surface morphology were examined by X-ray diffraction peak analysis and field emission-scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The flame atomic absorption analyses of the recovered solutions after DMEM treatment indicated that the Cu ions from the Cu film with DMEM treatment for 1 hour at a concentration of 0.64 ± 0.03 ppm were eluted 2.3 times faster than those from the Cu plate. The rapid elution of Cu ions from Cu2O crystallines on the film in the early stage is the primary factor in the inactivation of the COVID-19 virus, as elucidated from the time dependence of eluted Cu ions by DMEM treatment. Results from thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA) of the powder scratched from the Cu film suggested that a trace amount of organic residues remaining in the Cu film was important in the rapid activity. © 2022 World Scientific Publishing Company.
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In the past few decades, nanotechnology has been receiving significant attention globally and is being continuously developed in various innovations for diverse applications, such as tissue engineering, biotechnology, biomedicine, textile, and food technology. Nanotechnological materials reportedly lack cell-interactive properties and are easily degraded into unfavourable products due to the presence of synthetic polymers in their structures. This is a major drawback of nanomaterials and is a cause of concern in the biomedicine field. Meanwhile, particulate systems, such as metallic nanoparticles (NPs), have captured the interest of the medical field due to their potential to inhibit the growth of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, and viruses). Lately, researchers have shown a great interest in hydrogels in the biomedicine field due to their ability to retain and release drugs as well as to offer a moist environment. Hence, the development and innovation of hydrogel-incorporated metallic NPs from natural sources has become one of the alternative pathways for elevating the efficiency of therapeutic systems to make them highly effective and with fewer undesirable side effects. The objective of this review article is to provide insights into the latest fabricated metallic nanocomposite hydrogels and their current applications in the biomedicine field using nanotechnology and to discuss the limitations of this technology for future exploration. This article gives an overview of recent metallic nanocomposite hydrogels fabricated from bioresources, and it reviews their antimicrobial activities in facilitating the demands for their application in biomedicine. The work underlines the fabrication of various metallic nanocomposite hydrogels through the utilization of natural sources in the production of biomedical innovations, including wound healing treatment, drug delivery, scaffolds, etc. The potential of these nanocomposites in relation to their mechanical strength, antimicrobial activities, cytotoxicity, and optical properties has brought this technology into a new dimension in the biomedicine field. Finally, the limitations of metallic nanocomposite hydrogels in terms of their methods of synthesis, properties, and outlook for biomedical applications are further discussed.
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COVID-19 is caused via the SARS-CoV-2 virus, a lipid-based enveloped virus with spike-like projections. At present, the global epidemic of COVID-19 continues and waves of SARS-CoV-2, the mutant Delta and Omicron variant which are associated with enhanced transmissibility and evasion to vaccine-induced immunity have increased hospitalization and mortality, the biggest challenge we face is whether we will be able to overcome this virus? On the other side, warm seasons and heat have increased the need for proper ventilation systems to trap contaminants containing the virus. Besides, heat and sweating accelerate the growth of microorganisms. For example, medical staff that is in the front line use masks for a long time, and their facial sweat causes microbes to grow on the mask. Nowadays, efficient air filters with anti-viral and antimicrobial properties have received a lot of attention, and are used to make ventilation systems or medical masks. A wide range of materials plays an important role in the production of efficient air filters. For example, metals, metal oxides, or antimicrobial metal species that have anti-viral and antimicrobial properties, including Ag, ZnO, TiO2, CuO, and Cu played a role in this regard. Carbon nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, or derivatives have also shown their role well. In addition, natural materials such as biopolymers such as alginate, and herbal extracts are employed to prepare effective air filters. In this review, we summarized the utilization of diverse materials in the preparation of efficient air filters to apply in the preparation of medical masks and ventilation systems. In the first part, the employing metal and metal oxides is examined, and the second part summarizes the application of carbon materials for the fabrication of air filters. After examination of the performance of natural materials, challenges and progress visions are discussed.
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Air Filters , Anti-Infective Agents , COVID-19 , Nanotubes, Carbon , Aerosols , COVID-19/prevention & control , Humans , Masks , Oxides , SARS-CoV-2ABSTRACT
Background: Venous stents are small mesh tubes used mostly for SVC stenosis, SVC syndrome, May-Thurner syndrome and to a lesser extent for IVC obstruction/stenosis. Even though this procedure can relieve obstruction, it has been associated with a wide variety of complications such as thrombosis, migration, obstruction and fracture. Limited guidelines exist about the use of such stents in the IVC. We present a rare case of IVC stent migration causing RA-AO fistula in a 56 year old female. Case: 56 year old female with a history including Autoimmune thyroiditis, hepatitis, breast cancer, recurrent VTE on warfarin found to have IVC stenosis leading to IVC BMS stent 24 x 70mm Wallstent placement in March 2021 after a new DVT was found while on warfarin, switched to Xarelto, COVID pneumonia in august with SOB with a workup showing extension of the IVC stent to the right atrium. Her fatigue and SOB was initially attributed to COVID pneumonia and she was scheduled to have a repeat TTE as outpatient to follow up on the stent. She continued to have worsening SOB and fatigue even after recovering from COVID PNA. Decision-making: Repeat TTE showed severe MR that was not present before and confirmed the presence of the IVC stent in the RA. TEE showed right atrial-aortic cusp fistula attributed to IVC wallsent extending from RA to Aorta leading to high output state and therefore severe MR carpentier IIIb. The patient was admitted to the hospital where a surgical intervention was entertained, she had LHC and RHC that showed normal coronaries with severe Pulmonary hypertension and Qp/Qs: 1.89. Surgical consultation was obtained and she underwent patch repair of aortic fistula with partial IVC stent removal and MV and TV repair. Conclusion: An arteriovenous fistula involving the coronary arteries and the aorta is rare. Even though IVC stents have the potential to alleviate symptoms caused by large narrowed veins, It is important to recognize complications caused by such stents especially in a patient with new Symptoms of heart failure and Valvular regurgitation as an Iatrogenic cause that requires prompt surgical consultation and intervention.
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There are around 300 night markets in Taiwan, and they have been drawing an increasing number of tourists in recent years. As a result, public awareness over air quality in the night markets has grown tremendously. In response to this, a specific night market in Kaohsiung City was chosen for this study in order to characterize the existing air quality in and around the night markets. In this present study, we employed an Industrial Source Complex Short-Term (ISCST3) air quality model for the simulation of PM2.5 diffusions. The model as a technique can simulate the pollutants emissions, diffusions, transportation, and pollution sources in specific areas and subsequently evaluate the influence between the source and the receiver. Therefore, we compared pollutants emissions data from several air quality monitoring stations with our sampling data of three different sampling sites in Kaohsiung City. The findings of this study showed that the average concentration of PM2.5 was in the range of 29-61 mu g m(-3) during opening hours of the night market, whereas the average concentration of PM2.5 range was between 22-38 mu g m(-3) before the night market opening hours. The concentration of metallic elements (ME) (Mg, Na, Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu, Al, Ba, Cd, Pb and Ca) was determined with the support of Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). During the night market opening hours, the result disclosed that the ME concentrations in PM2.5 was in an increasing order as follows: Na > Fe > Al > Ca. With respect to the concentration of carbonaceous species, our results showed that the highest total carbon (TC) concentration was found to be 6.52 mu g m(-3) during the downwind sampling interval. The highest elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) concentration were found to be 6.53 mu g m(-3) and 2.70 mu g m(-3) of the PM2.5 concentration, respectively. This study's findings have significant consequences for Taiwan policymakers and urban planners, particularly those responsible for coordinating environmental protection and economic development in cities. Therefore, policy actions to abate urban air pollution can be attained on diverse governing echelons, resulting in synergistic effects such as a reduction in climate change impacts.
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The research presented herein follows an urgent global need for the development of novel surface engineering techniques that would allow the fabrication of next-generation cardiovascular stents, which would drastically reduce cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The combination of hydrothermal treatment (HT) and treatment with highly reactive oxygen plasma (P) allowed for the formation of an oxygen-rich nanostructured surface. The morphology, surface roughness, chemical composition and wettability of the newly prepared oxide layer on the Ti substrate were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and water contact angle (WCA) analysis. The alteration of surface characteristics influenced the material's bio-performance; platelet aggregation and activation was reduced on surfaces treated by hydrothermal treatment, as well as after plasma treatment. Moreover, it was shown that surfaces treated by both treatment procedures (HT and P) promoted the adhesion and proliferation of vascular endothelial cells, while at the same time inhibiting the adhesion and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells. The combination of both techniques presents a novel approach for the fabrication of vascular implants, with superior characteristics.
Subject(s)
Endothelial Cells/cytology , Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/cytology , Plasma/chemistry , Titanium/chemistry , Cell Adhesion , Cell Line , Cell Proliferation , Humans , Microscopy, Atomic Force , Microscopy, Electron, Scanning , Nanostructures , Particle Size , Stents , Surface Properties , WettabilityABSTRACT
Coronaviruses (CoVs) are enveloped viruses with particle-like characteristics and a diameter of 60-140 nm, positively charged, and single-stranded RNA genomes, which caused a major outbreak of human fatal pneumonia in the beginning of the 21st century. COVID-19 is currently considered a continuous potential pandemic threat across the globe. Therefore, considerable efforts have been made to develop innovative methods and technologies for suppressing the spread of viruses as well as inactivating the viruses but COVID-19 vaccines are still in the development phase. This perspective focuses on the sensing, detection and therapeutic applications of CoVs using inorganic- based nanomaterials, metal complexes, and metal-conjugates. Synthetic inorganic- based nanoparticles interact strongly with proteins of viruses due to their morphological similarities, and therefore, numerous antivirals have been tested for efficacy against different viruses in vitro through colorimetric and electrochemical assays. Metal complexes- based agents such as bismuth complexes form an attractive class of drugs with a number of therapeutic applications, including the inhibition and duplex-unwinding activity of SARS-CoV helicase by quantitative real-time PCR (Q-RT-PCR), phosphate release assay and radioassay studies. Metal-conjugates show major effects on inhibiting the 3Clike protease of SARS-CoV and the replication of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). We anticipate that these approaches will provide rapid and accurate antiviral strategies in the development of these innovative sensors for the detection, inhibition and antiviral activities of coronaviruses.