A case of intra-abdominal gossypiboma diagnosed preoperatively by endoscopic ultrasound fine-needle-aspiration.

Gossypiboma is an extremely rare adverse event occurring post-surgery, where surgical gauze is left within the body. If aseptically retained, it can lead to the formation of granulation tissue through chronic inflammation and adhesion with surrounding tissues, potentially persisting asymptomatically for many years. While diagnosis of this condition has been reported through various imaging modalities such as abdominal ultrasound and computed tomography, cases not presenting with typical findings are difficult for preoperative diagnosis, and instances where it is discovered postoperatively exist. Particularly when in contact with the gastrointestinal tract within the abdominal cavity, differentiation from submucosal tumors of the digestive tract becomes problematic. This report describes the imaging characteristics of endoscopic ultrasound and the usefulness of endoscopic ultrasound-fine-needle-aspiration for tissue diagnosis in the preoperative diagnosis of intra-abdominal gossypiboma.

Glucosamine sulfate-loaded nanofiber reinforced carboxymethyl chitosan sponge for articular cartilage restoration.

Cartilage is severely limited in self-repair after damage, and tissue engineering scaffold transplantation is considered the most promising strategy for cartilage regeneration. However, scaffolds without cells and growth factors, which can effectively avoid long cell culture times, high risk of infection, and susceptibility to contamination, remain scarce. Hence, we developed a cell- and growth factor-dual free hierarchically structured nanofibrous sponge to mimic the extracellular matrix, in which the encapsulated core-shell nanofibers served both as mechanical supports and as long-lasting carriers for bioactive biomass molecules (glucosamine sulfate). Under the protection of the nanofibers in this designed sponge, glucosamine sulfate could be released continuously for at least 30 days, which significantly accelerated the repair of cartilage tissue in a rat cartilage defect model. Moreover, the nanofibrous sponge based on carboxymethyl chitosan as the framework could effectively fill irregular cartilage defects, adapt to the dynamic changes during cartilage movement, and maintain almost 100 % elasticity even after multiple compression cycles. This strategy, which combines fiber freeze-shaping technology with a controlled-release method for encapsulating bioactivity, allows for the assembly of porous bionic scaffolds with hierarchical nanofiber structure, providing a novel and safe approach to tissue repair.

Hyaluronic acid-based ε-polylysine/polyurethane asymmetric sponge for enhanced wound healing.

Asymmetric sponge dressings with a hydrophobic surface and a hydrophilic inner layer can prevent bacterial infiltration and ensure efficient absorption of wound exudate. In this work, ε-polylysine/aliphatic polyurethane sponge (EPU) was prepared by prepolymer foaming process, and oxidized hyaluronic acid (OHA) was cross-linked with ε-polylysine (EPL) in EPU through schiff-base reaction to obtain EHPU. Octaisobutyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (Oi-POSS) was uniformly sprayed onto the surface of EHPU as the hydrophobic layer, resulting in asymmetric sponge dressings denoted as P-EHPU. These dressings demonstrate capabilities in resisting staining and bacterial invasion, with internal EPL effectively inhibiting bacterial proliferation on the wound surface. The introduction of OHA and EPL leads to a denser and more complete pore structure of the sponge, endowing it with good compression, tensile strength, and hemostatic performance. Wound healing studies indicate that P-EHPU effectively prevents external bacterial infiltration and promotes wound healing.

A cell-free system for functional studies of small membrane proteins.

Numerous small proteins have been discovered across all domains of life, among which many are hydrophobic and predicted to localize to the cell membrane. Based on a few that are well-studied, small membrane proteins are regulators involved in various biological processes, such as cell signaling, nutrient transport, drug resistance, and stress response. However, the function of most identified small membrane proteins remains elusive. Their small size and hydrophobicity make protein production challenging, hindering function discovery. Here, we combined a cell-free system with lipid sponge droplets and synthesized small membrane proteins in vitro. Lipid sponge droplets contain a dense network of lipid bilayers, which accommodates and extracts newly synthesized small membrane proteins from the aqueous surroundings. Using small bacterial membrane proteins MgrB, SafA, and AcrZ as proof of principle, we showed that the in vitro produced membrane proteins were functionally active, for example, modulating the activity of their target kinase as expected. The cell-free system produced small membrane proteins, including one from human, up to micromolar concentrations, indicating its high level of versatility and productivity. Furthermore, AcrZ produced in this system was used successfully for in vitro co-immunoprecipitations to identify interaction partners. This work presents a robust alternative approach for producing small membrane proteins, which opens a door to their function discovery in different domains of life.

Microbulbifer spongiae sp. nov., isolated from marine sponge Diacarnus erythraeanus.

A novel bacterium, designated as MI-GT, was isolated from marine sponge Diacarnus erythraeanus. Cells of strain MI-GT are Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, and rod or coccoid-ovoid in shape. MI-GT is able to grow at 10-40 °C (optimum, 28 °C), with 1.0-8.0% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 4.0%), and at pH 5.5-9.0 (optimum, pH 8.0). The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain MI-GT shows 98.35, 97.32 and 97.25% similarity to those of Microbulbifer variabilis Ni-2088T, Microbulbifer maritimus TF-17T and Microbulbifer echini AM134T, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis also exhibits that strain MI-GT falls within a clade comprising members of the genus Microbulbifer (class Gammaproteobacteria). The genome size of strain MI-GT is 4478124 bp with a G+C content of 54.51 mol%. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values between strain MI-GT and other type strains are 71.61-76.44% (ANIb), 83.27-84.36% (ANIm) and 13.4-18.7% (dDDH), respectively. These values are significantly lower than the recommended threshold values for bacterial species delineation. Percentage of conserved proteins and average amino acid identity values among the genomes of strain MI-GT and other closely related species are 52.04-59.13% and 67.47-77.21%, respectively. The major cellular fatty acids of MI-GT are composed of summed feature 8 (C18 : 1 ω7c or C18 : 1 ω6c), iso-C11 : 0 3-OH, iso-C15 : 0, C16 : 0, and summed feature 9 (C17 : 1 iso ω9c or C16 : 0 10-methyl). The polar lipids of MI-GT mainly consist of phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, aminolipid, and two glycolipids. The major respiratory quinone is Q-8. Based on differential phenotypic and phylogenetic data, strain MI-GT is considered to represent a novel species of genus Microbulbifer, for which the name Microbulbifer spongiae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is MI-GT (=MCCC 1K07826T=KCTC 8081T).

Under Water Superelastic Porous Nanofibrous Sponge for Efficient RNA Separation and Purification.

Developing monolithic materials for chromatography columns with a novel interconnected porous structure is vital for the enhancement of the separation efficiency of RNA purification processes. Herein, a porous nanofibrous sponge (PNFS) is constructed by freeze molding and freeze-drying a nanofiber dispersion with ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer nanofibers as the skeleton, chitosan (CS) and polyethylenimine (PEI) as the binders, and glutaraldehyde (GA) as the crosslinking agent. The results show that when the CS content of the dispersion is 1.5 wt %, PNFS demonstrates a high static adsorption capacity of 406.5 mg/g (30.7 mg/m2) and a dynamic adsorption capacity of 382.6 mg/g (28.9 mg/m2) at a flow rate of 1 mm/min. Moreover, PNFS shows a high specific adsorption performance toward RNA in the presence of bovine serum albumin, lecithin, or DNA by adjusting the solution pH value and the method of gradient elution. Besides, PNFS presents exceptional performance in the rapid separation of RNA from HT22 cells without degradation. This result can be attributed to optimized morphology, pore structure, and comprehensive performance of PNFS, benefiting from the synergistic effect of the highly oriented porous structure and CS-PEI interaction derived from the high-density adsorption ligands on the channel walls of PNFS. This work provided an efficient strategy to handle the permeability/adsorptivity trade-off for ion-exchange chromatographic materials.

Flexible and robust polyaniline/cross-linked collagen sponge with fibrils network structure as a piezoresistive sensing material.

The polyaniline/cross-linked collagen sponge (PANI/CCS) was synthesized by polymerizing PANI onto the collagen skeleton using mesoscopic collagen fibrils (CFs) as building blocks, serving as a piezoresistive sensing material. The structure and morphology of PANI/CCS were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and thermal analysis (TA). The mechanical properties of PANI/CCS could be controlled by adjusting the CFs content and polymerization conditions. PANI/CCS treated with pure water exhibited exceptional compressive elasticity under 1000 compression cycles, demonstrating a wide strain range (0-85 %), rapid response time (200 ms), recovery time (90 ms), and high sensitivity (6.72 at 40-50 % strain). The treatment of the ionic liquid further improved the elasticity and the strain sensing range (0-95 %). The presence of PANI nanoparticles and mesoscopic collagen fibrils imparted antibacterial properties, stability in solvents, and biodegradability to PANI/CCS. Utilizing PANI/CCS as a piezoresistive sensing material enabled monitoring human movement behavior through the assembled sensor, showing significant potential for flexible wearable devices.

Effect of sponge city facilities on the exposure characteristics and ecological risks of antibiotics in urban inland lakes: A case study at Fuzhou, China.

Antibiotics are increasingly found in urban lakes, posing significant ecological risks to lake ecosystems. The impact of sponge city facilities on urban flood control is significant; however, their influence on the exposure characteristics and risks associated with antibiotics in urban inland lakes remains unclear. This study investigated the exposure characteristics and evaluated the ecological risks of 15 antibiotics across seven lakes of Fuzhou (as the target of sponge city) in different seasons, in comparison to non-sponge cities. The results revealed that 12 antibiotics were consistently detectable across all lakes, with concentrations ranging from non-detectable (ND) to 20.61 ng/L, with sulfamethoxazole (SMX) emerging as the predominant contaminant. Most antibiotics exhibited higher concentrations in the dry season, attributed to environmental conditions, biological mechanisms, and their physicochemical properties. SMX, tetracycline (TTC), oxytetracycline (OTC), and ciprofloxacin (CIP) posed moderate to high ecological risks, with risk quotient (RQ) values of 0.46, 0.14, 0.17, and 0.61, respectively, while the remaining antibiotics presented lower ecological risks in both seasons. Notably, the RQ values for TTC, OTC, and CIP were elevated during the dry season, whereas SMX displayed a higher RQ value in the wet season, indicating an increased ecological risk during the dry months. In comparison to non-sponge cities, sponge cities exhibited significantly lower concentrations of nearly all antibiotics, particularly during the wet season (p ≤ 0.05). Moreover, over 85% of the antibiotics in non-sponge cities were classified as high risk, contrasted with only 55% in sponge cities, underscoring the heightened ecological risks associated with non-sponge urban designs. This study provides critical insights for controlling antibiotic pollution in the lakes of Fuzhou and serves as a valuable reference for maintaining aquatic ecosystem health through the implementation of sponge city infrastructure.

Developing a multifunctional chitosan composite sponge for managing traumatic injuries.

Developing porous hemostatic sponges that are both biosafe and multifunctional remains a complex challenge. Conventional hemostatic techniques often fall short in managing bleeding effectively, leading to severe critical cases such as suboptimal hemostasis, increased infection risk, and complications arising from profuse bleeding. To address these deficits, our study introduces a novel multifunctional nanocomposite sponge that synergistically incorporates chitosan (CS), cellulose (Cel), graphene oxide (GO), and silver (Ag) nanoparticles. The resulting CS/Cel/GO/Ag developed demonstrates a swelling rate exceeding 3000 %, an absorption rate of over 2100 %, and the lowest stress surpassing 20 kPa at an initial 80 % strain. In vitro analyses reveal that the CS/Cel/GO/Ag sponge has excellent cytocompatibility, non-hemolytic nature, and competence in blood cell adherence and bacterial inhibition. In vivo evaluations further demonstrate that compared to conventional hemostatic methods, the sponge substantially enhances hemostatic efficacy, as evidenced by the marked reductions in clotting times and diminished blood loss compared to conventional hemostatic methods. Specifically, the test results of the CS/Cel/GO/Ag sponge across three different models are as follows: for the rat tail amputation model, the clotting time was 99 s, while blood loss was 222 mg; for the rat liver injury model, the clotting time was 129 s. while blood loss was 812 mg; for the rat femoral artery laceration model, the clotting time was 96 s, while blood loss was 758 mg. The compelling attributes of the CS/Cel/GO/Ag sponges position them as a promising solution for the acute management of bleeding. Their excellent performance indicates they have potential role to play in trauma care.

Low-calorie d-allulose as a sucrose alternative modulates the physicochemical properties and volatile profile of sponge cake.

d-Allulose, a C-3 epimer of d-fructose, is a rare sugar with ∼70% of the sweetness of sucrose but a caloric content of only 0.4 kcal/g. Due to its low-calorie nature, d-allulose has garnered increasing interest in the food industry. This study was the first attempt to explore the effect of d-allulose as a sucrose replacer on the properties of sponge cake, a widely consumed high-sugar product. Substituting sucrose with d-allulose generated negligible impact on the batter system, while pronounced differences in physicochemical properties of cakes were detected, including specific volume, texture, microstructure, color, and antioxidant activity. In addition, sponge cake containing d-allulose displayed a distinctive aroma volatile profile, with more furans and pyrazines generation. Furthermore, correlations of physicochemical properties across all formulations were depicted, and the potential mechanism behind the property alterations modulated by d-allulose was revealed from the perspectives of starch gelatinization and browning reactions. Overall, this study provides insights into the application potential of d-allulose as a sucrose substitute in bakery product. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study elucidates the effect of d-allulose as a low-calorie sugar substitute on sponge cakes. This finding is valuable for the food industry, providing insights into a healthier alternative to traditional sugar in baked goods.

Comparison of Thermal Stability Between Immersion Bath and Sponge Bath Followed by Kangaroo Mother Care in Stable Preterm in Postnatal Ward.

BACKGROUND: Preterm neonates are at high risk of hypothermia, which can lead to adverse health outcomes. This study aimed to compare the effects of immersion bath followed by Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) versus sponge bath followed by KMC on the thermal stability of preterm neonates. METHODS: A prospective interventional study was conducted on 76 preterm neonates, with 38 neonates in each group (immersion bath and sponge bath). Axillary temperature was measured before the bath and at various time intervals after the bath (immediately, 15, 30, 45, and 60 minutes). RESULTS: The mean axillary temperature was significantly higher in the immersion bath group compared to the sponge bath group immediately after the bath (97.6°F vs. 96.3°F, p<0.001), at 15 minutes (97.6°F vs. 96.8°F, p<0.001), 30 minutes (97.9°F vs. 97.3°F, p=0.001), and 45 minutes (98.1°F vs. 97.7°F, p=0.002) post-bath. However, the difference was not statistically significant at 60 minutes post-bath (98.2°F vs. 98.0°F, p=0.091). CONCLUSION: Immersion bathing followed by KMC is more effective than sponge bathing followed by KMC in maintaining thermal stability in preterm neonates. Healthcare providers should consider adopting this approach as the preferred bathing method for preterm neonates to promote better health outcomes.

[Corrigendum] Circular RNAs in osteosarcoma: An update of recent studies (Review).

Subsequently to the publication of the above review, the authors have contacted the Editorial Office to explain that the article was regrettably published containing a few errors. First, on p. 3, left­hand column, the '3. Functions of circRNAs in OS' section, line 23, the sentence here should have read as follows (changes shown in bold, where appropriate): 'Circ_0001649 has been reported as a sponge of various miRNAs that inhibit cell proliferation (62,83).' (i.e., mentioning 'Circ_0001649' twice was an error/oversight). Secondly, in the '4. Mechanisms of circRNAs in OS' section, paragraph 5, line 23 on p. 8, the four consecutive sentences that start on this line should have read as follows: 'Hsa_circ_0000190 is significantly downregulated in OS tissues and cell lines. This circRNA inhibits the Wnt/ß­catenin signaling pathway by sponging miR­767­5p, the target of which is TET1 (61). And hsa_circ_0002052 can sponge miR­1205, the target of which is adenomatosis polyposis coli 2 (APC2), a negative regulator of the Wnt/ß­catenin signaling pathway. Hence, hsa_circ_0000190 and hsa_circ_0002052 can function as inhibitors of the Wnt/ß­catenin signaling pathway by promoting TET1 and APC2 expression via miRNA sponging, ultimately resulting in the delayed development of OS (50,61).' (i.e., the first sentence was corrected to read 'Hsa_circ_0000190' and 'hsa_circ_0000190' was added to the fourth sentence, and ref. 61 was added to the second sentence in this section, and included with ref. 50 at the end of the fourth sentence). Thirdly (and finally), changes were required to both Fig. 3 and its accompanying legend, and these are featured on the next page; essentially, 'CircRNA CDR1as (47)' should not have been included in the Fig. 3 legend as this circRNA is not described in the figure, and some changes have been made to the figure itself in terms of wrongly placed lines and arrows. The authors are grateful to the Editor of International Journal of Oncology for allowing them this opportunity to publish this Corrigendum, and all the authors agree with its publication. Furthermore, the authors apologize to the readership for any inconvenience caused. [International Journal of Oncology 63: 123, 2023; DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2023.5571].

Electron Sponge Effect by Dynamic-Regulated Electron Self-Flow toward Coupled Electrochemical Ammonia Synthesis.

A dynamic-regulated Pd-Fe-N electrocatalyst was effectively constructed with electron-donating and back-donating effects, which serves as an efficient engineering strategy to optimize the electrocatalytic activity. The designed PdFe3/FeN features a comprehensive electrocatalytic performance toward the nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR, yield rate of 29.94 µg h-1 mgcat-1 and FE of 38.43% at -0.2 V vs RHE) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER, 308 mV at 100 mA cm-2). Combining in situ ATR-FTIR, XAS, and DFT results, the role of the interstitial-N-dopant-induced electron sponge effect has been significantly elucidated in strengthening the electrocatalytic NRR process. Specifically, the introduction of a N dopant, an electron acceptor, initiates the generation of robust Lewis-acidic Fe sites, facilitating free N2 capture and bonding. Simultaneously, after NH3 adsorption, the N dopant can back-donate electrons to Fe sites, strengthening the NH3 deportation through weakening the Lewis acidity of Fe centers. Besides, the electron-deficient Fe sites contribute to the reconstruction of FeOOH, the real active species during the OER, which accelerates the four-electron reaction kinetics. This research offers a perspective on electrocatalyst design, potentially facilitating the evolution of advanced material engineering for efficient electrocatalytic synthesis and energy storage.

Selection of marine bacterial consortia efficient at degrading chitin leads to the discovery of new potential chitin degraders.

Chitin degradation is a keystone process in the oceans, mediated by marine microorganisms with the help of several enzymes, mostly chitinases. Sediment, seawater, and filter-feeding marine invertebrates, such as sponges, are known to harbor chitin-degrading bacteria and are presumably hotspots for chitin turnover. Here, we employed an artificial selection process involving enrichment cultures derived from microbial communities associated with the marine sponge Hymeniacidon perlevis, its surrounding seawater and sediment, to select bacterial consortia capable of degrading raw chitin. Throughout the artificial selection process, chitin degradation rates and the taxonomic composition of the four successive enrichment cultures were followed. To the best of our knowledge, chitin degradation was characterized for the first time using size exclusion chromatography, which revealed significant shifts in the numbered average chitin molecular weight, strongly suggesting the involvement of endo-chitinases in the breakdown of the chitin polymer during the enrichment process. Concomitantly with chitin degradation, the enrichment cultures exhibited a decrease in alpha diversity compared with the environmental samples. Notably, some of the dominant taxa in the enriched communities, such as Motilimonas, Arcobacter, and Halarcobacter, were previously unknown to be involved in chitin degradation. In particular, the analysis of published genomes of these genera suggests a pivotal role of Motilimonas in the hydrolytic cleavage of chitin. This study provides context to the microbiome of the marine sponge Hymeniacidon perlevis in light of its environmental surroundings and opens new ground to the future discovery and characterization of novel enzymes of marine origin involved in chitin degradation processes.IMPORTANCEChitin is the second most abundant biopolymer on Earth after cellulose, and the most abundant in the marine environment. At present, industrial processes for the conversion of seafood waste into chitin, chitosan, and chitooligosaccharide (COS) rely on the use of high amounts of concentrated acids or strong alkali at high temperature. Developing bio-based methods to transform available chitin into valuable compounds, such as chitosan and COS, holds promise in promoting a more sustainable, circular bioeconomy. By employing an artificial selection procedure based on chitin as a sole C and N source, we discovered microorganisms so-far unknown to metabolize chitin in the rare microbial biosphere of several marine biotopes. This finding represents a first important step on the path towards characterizing and exploiting potentially novel enzymes of marine origin with biotechnological interest, since products of chitin degradation may find applications across several sectors, such as agriculture, pharmacy, and waste management.

Chitin-Assisted Synthesis of CuS Composite Sponge for Bacterial Capture and Near-Infrared-Promoted Healing of Infected Diabetic Wounds.

Diabetic wounds are prone to recurrent infections, often leading to delayed healing. To address this challenge, we developed a chitin-copper sulfide (CuS@CH) composite sponge, which combines bacterial trapping with near-infrared (NIR) activated phototherapy for treating infected diabetic wounds. CuS nanoparticles were synthesized and incorporated in situ within the sponge using a chitin assisted biomineralization strategy. The positively charged chitin surface effectively adhered bacteria, while NIR irradiation of CuS generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) heat and Cu2+ to rapidly damage the trapped bacteria. This synergistic effect resulted in an exceptional antibacterial performance against E. coli (∼99.9%) and S. aureus (∼99.3%). The bactericidal mechanism involved NIR-induced glutathione oxidation, membrane lipid peroxidation, and increased membrane permeability. In diabetic mouse models, the CuS@CH sponge accelerated the wound healing of S. aureus infected wounds by facilitating collagen deposition and reducing inflammation. Furthermore, the sponge demonstrated good biocompatibility. This dual-functional platform integrating bacterial capture and NIR-triggered phototherapy shows promise as an antibacterial wound dressing to promote healing of infected diabetic wound.

Tailored alginate sponges loaded with κ-carrageenan beads for controlled release of curcumin.

This study presents an innovative approach to develop and characterize an alginate sponge containing κ-carrageenan (κ-CRG) beads loaded with curcumin. The beads were fabricated using varying concentrations of κ-CRG, and their properties were extensively evaluated using inverted phase-contrast microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), FTIR, swelling behavior, mass distribution, encapsulation efficiency, in vitro drug release and kinetics of drug release. Beads formulated with specific concentrations of κ-CRG that exhibited optimal performance were then integrated into an alginate sponge matrix, which underwent similar comprehensive testing procedures as the individual beads. The characterized beads displayed a spherical morphology, a notable swelling degree of approximately 146 %, excellent mass uniformity, encapsulation efficiencies higher than 90 % and drug release rate exceeding 70 %. Moreover, the alginate sponge formulation demonstrated a satisfactory drug release profile of 67.9 ± 0.6 %. In terms of drug release kinetics, the Higuchi model was the most effective in explaining the release of curcumin from beads and sponge. These findings underscore the potential of both the beads and the sponge as effective vehicles for the controlled delivery of curcumin, positioning them as promising candidates for pharmaceutical applications across various fields.

Effect of delignification on the adsorption of loofah sponge-based immobilized metal affinity chromatography adsorbent for His-tagged trehalose synthase.

The effect of delignification on the adsorption capacity of loofah sponge-based immobilized metal affinity chromatography adsorbents was investigated with recombinant His-tagged trehalose synthase as the model protein. Pretreatments with [EMIM][Ac] ionic liquid at 80 °C for 5 h and with sodium chlorite/acetic acid at 80 °C for 2 h were found effective for the removal of lignin, leading to a loss in biomass of 15.7% and 25.2%, respectively. Upon delignification, the metal chelating capacities of the loofah sponge-based adsorbents prepared with 5-h ionic liquid pretreatment (712 ± 82 µmole Cu(II)/g) and with 2-h sodium chlorite/acetic acid pretreatment (1012 ± 18 µmole Cu(II)/g) were 38% and 97% higher than that of the control (514 ± 55 µmole Cu(II)/g), adsorbent prepared with untreated loofah sponge, respectively. Results of protein adsorption study indicated that the Co(II)-loaded adsorbent prepared with 2-h sodium chlorite/acetic acid pretreatment exhibited the highest adsorption capacity and selectivity for the recombinant His-tagged trehalose synthase, giving a purification product with a specific activity of 7.62 U/mg protein. The predicted maximum adsorption capacity of the delignified loofah sponge-based adsorbent, 2.04 ± 0.14 mg/g, was 73% higher than that of the control.

Self-expanding cellulose sponge with enhanced hemostatic ability by tannic acid/metal ion composite coating for highly effective hemostasis of difficult-to-control bleeding wounds.

Refractory bleeding presents a critical, life-threatening challenge, and the goal of medical professionals and researchers has always been to achieve safe and effective hemostasis for bleeding wounds. In this study, we utilized the benefits of a self-expanding cellulose sponge to control incompressible bleeding, which is achieved this by creating a tannic acid/metal ion coating on the surface and within the pores of the sponge to improve its hemostatic effectiveness. The effects of various types and concentrations of metal ions (calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc) on hemostatic efficiency and biosafety is systematically investigated. The results from bacteriostasis and in vitro coagulation experiments identified 0.3 wt% Fe3+ as the optimal metal ion coating. Scanning electron microscope energy spectrum analysis confirmed the uniform distribution of Fe3+ within the cellulose sponge. Furthermore, the in vivo and in vitro results demonstrated that the prepared tannic acid/Fe3+ coated composite hemostatic sponge exhibits excellent coagulation ability and biocompatibility. Both the bleeding time and theblood loss in two bleeding models are significantly reduced, showing promising potential for treating extensive surface bleeding and deep penetrating wounds. Furthermore, the straightforward preparation method for this composite hemostatic sponge facilitates additional research towards market application.

Rare type of Bellini Duct Carcinoma in a Patient With Cacchi-Ricci Disease: A Case Report and Mini-Review.

Medullary sponge kidney (MSK) is an uncommon kidney malformation, characterized by cystic dilatation of the precalyceal papillary collecting ducts. Urography and computed tomography scan represent the gold standard to detect this congenital disorder. A clear diagnosis is not always feasible, especially in the presence of a concomitant renal mass, which in turn can be difficult to detect in MSK patients. When conventional imaging is inconclusive, a renal biopsy can be considered in doubtful cases. Here, we report a unique case of a Bellini duct carcinoma in a patient with MSK and we review the literature on this complex condition.

One New Quinazoline-Containing Diketopiperazine Isolated from the Marine-Sponge-Derived Fungus Penicillium sp. SCSIO41043.

One new quinazoline-containing diketopiperazine (1), along with 24 known compounds including nine alkaloids (2-9, and 25), thirteen lactones (10-22), aspterric acid (23), and catechol (24), were isolated from the marine sponge-derived Penicillium sp. SCSIO41043. Their planar structures were unequivocally elucidated by spectroscopic analysis. The absolute configuration of 1 was determined by a comparison of reported and experimental electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. Compound 16 was found to notably inhibit the growth of five pathogenic bacteria and fungi with MIC values ranging from 0.5-16.0 µg/mL. Compounds 7, 17, 20, and 22 demonstrated moderate activity against Micrococcus luteus with MIC values ranging from 35.6 to 71.1 µg/mL. Moreover, 1-3 displayed different degrees of antioxidant activity with EC50 values of 0.98, 0.60, 0.46 mg/mL, respectively.