The impact of copper nanoparticles surfactant on the structural and biological properties of chitosan/sodium alginate wound dressings.

Multifunctional wound dressings based on hydrogels are an efficacious and practicable strategy in therapeutic processes and accelerated chronic wound healing. Here, copper (Cu) nanoparticles were added to chitosan/sodium alginate (CS/SA) hydrogels to improve the antibacterial properties of the prepared wound dressings. Due to the super-hydrophobicity of Cu nanoparticles, polyethylene glycol (PEG) was used as a surfactant, and then added to the CS/SA-based hydrogels. The CS/SA/Cu hydrogels were synthesized with 0, 2, 3.5, and 5 wt% Cu nanoparticles. The structural and morphological properties in presence of PEG were evaluated using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The biodegradation and swelling properties of the hydrogels were investigated in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) at 37 °C for up to 30 days. Cell viability and adhesion, as well as antibacterial behavior, were investigated via MTT assay, FESEM, and disk diffusion method, respectively. The obtained results showed that PEG provided new intra- and intermolecular bonds that affected significantly the hydrogels' degradation and swelling ratio, which increased up to ~1200 %. Cell viability reached ~110 % and all samples showed remarkable antibacterial behavior when CS/SA/Cu containing 2 wt% was introduced. This study provided new insights regarding the use of PEG as a surfactant for Cu nanoparticles in CS/SA hydrogel wound dressing, ultimately affecting the chemical bonding and various properties of the prepared hydrogels.

Muscular and hepatosplenic candidiasis in a patient with acute myeloblastic leukemia: A case report and literature review.

Key Clinical Message: Muscular and subcutaneous candidiasis is a rare entity in immunocompromised patients, but it should be kept in mind when we see multiple cystic soft tissue masses in addition to target-shaped hepatosplenic lesions in neutropenic patients. US and MRI are useful imaging modalities for the diagnosis and follow-up of these patients. Abstract: Soft tissue candidiasis is an opportunistic infection in immunocompromised patients and must always be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible. In this case report, the patient is a 14-year-old boy with acute myeloid leukemia M3-type who presented with numerous soft tissue and hepatosplenic candidal abscesses.

Gliomatosis cerebri with blindness: A case report with literature review.

Cerebral gliomatosis (GC) is a rare diffuse infiltrative growth pattern of glioma with nonspecific clinical manifestations like visual impairment that may involve bilateral temporal lobes. Herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) and limbic encephalitis (LE) can also lead to temporal lobe involvement. Differentiating these entities is necessary for patients with misleading presentations and imaging findings. To the best of our knowledge, this is the third case of GC presenting with blindness. The patient was a 35 years-old male in a drug rehabilitation center for heroin addiction. He presented with a headache, a single episode of seizure, and a 2-month history of bilateral decrease in visual acuity, which had acutely worsened. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) showed bilateral temporal lobe involvement. Ophthalmological studies showed bilateral papilledema, absence of visual evoked potential, and thickening of the retinal nerve fiber layer. Due to this clinical presentation, normal laboratory data, and suspicious MRI findings, further investigation with magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) was performed. Results showed a greatly increased ratio of choline to creatinine(Cr) or N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), suggesting a neoplastic nature of the disease. Subsequently, the patient was referred for a brain tissue biopsy with a suspicion of malignancy. The pathology results revealed adult-type diffuse glioma with isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutation. Bilateral blindness, as well as bilateral temporal lobe involvement, each has many different causes. However, as demonstrated in this study, adult-type diffuse glioma must be considered a rare cause of concomitant bilateral temporal lobe involvement and blindness.

High-Fidelity 3D Stray Magnetic Field Mapping of Smartphones to Address Safety Considerations with Active Implantable Electronic Medical Devices.

Case reports indicate that magnets in smartphones could be a source of electromagnetic interference (EMI) for active implantable medical devices (AIMD), which could lead to device malfunction, compromising patient safety. Recognizing this challenge, we implemented a high-fidelity 3D magnetic field mapping (spatial resolution 1 mm) setup using a three-axis Hall probe and teslameter, controlled by a robot (COSI Measure). With this setup, we examined the stray magnetic field of an iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 12, and MagSafe charger to identify sources of magnetic fields for the accurate risk assessment of potential interferences with AIMDs. Our measurements revealed that the stray fields of the annular array of magnets, the wide-angle camera, and the speaker of the smartphones exceeded the 1 mT limit defined by ISO 14117:2019. Our data-driven safety recommendation is that an iPhone 13 Pro should be kept at least 25 mm away from an AIMD to protect it from unwanted EMI interactions. Our study addresses safety concerns due to potential device-device interactions between smartphones and AIMDs and will help to define data-driven safety guidelines. We encourage vendors of electronic consumer products (ECP) to provide information on the magnetic fields of their products and advocate for the inclusion of smartphones in the risk assessment of EMI with AIMDs.

Fabrication of a sensitive electrochemical sensor based on hybrid polyamide/chromotropic acid nanofibers electrospun on glassy carbon electrode for Hg2+ sensing in drinking water and canned fish samples.

In this study, a new electrochemical sensor was designed based on a hybrid of polyamide (PA) and chromotropic acid (CA) nanofibers electrospun on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) configured as PANFs-CANFs/GCE. The electrochemical response of this sensor showed an excellent electrochemical activity for the detection of Hg2+ ions using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) methods. The proposed sensor exhibited the prominent electrocatalytic value of (α = 0.60, Log Ks = 3.45 s-1 and Γ = 3.30 × 10 -9 mmol/cm2) as a result of PANFs-CANFs/GCE response to Hg2+ ions. The recommended sensor also demonstrated a linear portion in the calibration curve over the concentration range of 30 to 450 nM with the limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) of 9.98 nM and 29.97 nM, respectively. The fabricated sensor revealed reproducible and repeatable responses with a high level of stability. Therefore, we highly recommend this new electro-spun based sensor for quantifying Hg2+ in drinking water and canned fish samples with the accurate and precise results and no side interferences.

Magnetic field-induced interactions between phones containing magnets and cardiovascular implantable electronic devices: Flip it to be safe?

BACKGROUND: Recent case reports and small studies have reported activation of the magnet-sensitive switches in cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) by the new iPhone 12 series, initiating asynchronous pacing in pacemakers and suspension of antitachycardia therapies in implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs). OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this prospective single-center observational study was to quantify the risk of magnetic field interactions of the iPhone 12 with CIEDs. METHODS: A representative model of each CIED series from all manufacturers was tested ex vivo. Incidence and minimum distance necessary for magnet mode triggering were analyzed in 164 CIED patients with either the front or the back of the phone facing the device. The magnetic field of the iPhone 12 was analyzed using a 3-axis Hall probe. RESULTS: Ex vivo, magnetic interference occurred in 84.6% with the back compared to 46.2% with the front of the iPhone 12 facing the CIED. In vivo, activation of the magnet-sensitive switch occurred in 30 CIED patients (18.3%; 21 pacemaker, 9 ICD) when the iPhone 12 was placed in close proximity over the CIED pocket and the back of the phone was facing the skin. Multiple binary logistic regression analysis identified implantation depth (95% confidence interval 0.02-0.24) as an independent predictor of magnet-sensitive switch activation. CONCLUSION: Magnetic field interactions occur only in close proximity and with precise alignment of the iPhone 12 and CIEDs. It is important to advise CIED patients to not put the iPhone 12 directly on the skin above the CIED. Further recommendations are not necessary.

Ultra-sensitive electrochemical aptasensor for label-free detection of Aflatoxin B1 in wheat flour sample using factorial design experiments.

Considering the significance of mycotoxin detection in food industries, herein, an ultrasensitive aptasensor was developed based on aflatoxin B1 aptamer immobilized on Carbon quantum dots/octahedral Cu2O nanocomposite. Electrochemical measurements were based on Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) and Differential Pulse Voltammetry (DPV). Since the effective parameters (pH, temperature, incubation time and concentration of aptamers) are interdependent, so their dependent study can be nonideal. Taguchi method has solved this problem and optimized the experimental conditions using a smaller number of experiments. Under optimum conditions, the electrochemical signals declined as AFB1 concentrations increased with a dynamic range of 3 ag.ml-1 -1.9 µg.ml-1 and a low limit of detection (LOD) of 0.9 ± 0.04 ag ml-1. The obtained results proved sufficient repeatability (RSD = 2.4%), reproducibility (RSD = 2.56%), accuracy (97.2-104.4% recovery), and robustness (RSD = 3.25%). Furthermore, considerable selectivity, stability and reliability of the aptasensor confirmed the capability to work in future real assays.