Functional outcome of autologous platelet rich plasma injection in plantar fasciitis and tennis elbow

Recent developments in cellular and molecular biology have emerged as a potent tool in the management of orthopaedic illnesses and injuries. Upon binding to the target cell receptor, the growth factor from platelets triggers the activation of an intracellular signal transduction system, which results in a biological response that is essential for chemotaxis, cell proliferation, and osteoblastic differentiation. The aim of this study is to determine the efficacy and safety of autologous platelet-rich plasma injection in tennis elbow and plantar fasciitis. We conducted a prospective study with patients who were suffering from plantar fasciitis (n=37) or tennis elbow (n=23) and were given with autologous platelet-rich plasma injection. A short term follow up of all these cases were done at regular intervals for 1, 4, 8, and 12 weeks. The clinical outcomes were analyzed with severity of pain and movements of the pathological part. The functional outcomes were analyzed with VAS and AOFAS scoring for plantar fasciitis and VAS and Mayo’s elbow scoring for tennis elbow. All these patients were statistically analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA test. Our investigation found a statistically significant difference between pre-procedural and post-procedural scores in both the subjective (VAS) and functional (AOFAS and Mayo elbow score) grading systems used in this study. Patients who received an autologous platelet-rich plasma injection experienced a statistically significant (p <0.05) improvement in their ability to combat both of the musculoskeletal illnesses studied. Autologous platelet-rich plasma acts as a promising efficacious biological therapeutic agent for use in musculoskeletal disorders such as plantar fasciitis and tennis elbow without major complications upon its usage.

Engineering strategies towards overcoming bleeding and glial scar formation around neural probes

Neural probes are sophisticated electrophysiological tools used for intra-cortical recording and stimulation. These microelectrode arrays, designed to penetrate and interface the brain from within, contribute at the forefront of basic and clinical neuroscience. However, one of the challenges and currently most significant limitations is their ‘seamless’ long-term integration into the surrounding brain tissue. Following implantation, which is typically accompanied by bleeding, the tissue responds with a scarring process, resulting in a gliotic region closest to the probe. This glial scarring is often associated with neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration, and a leaky blood–brain interface (BBI). The engineering progress on minimizing this reaction in the form of improved materials, microfabrication, and surgical techniques is summarized in this review. As research over the past decade has progressed towards a more detailed understanding of the nature of this biological response, it is time to pose the question: Are penetrating probes completely free from glial scarring at all possible?

Soil Biological Responses under Different Vegetation Types in Mediterranean Area

The knowledge of the effects of fire on soil properties is of particular concern in Mediterranean areas, where the effects of vegetation type are still scarce also. This research aimed: to assess the properties of burnt soils under different vegetation types; to highlight the soil abiotic properties driving the soil microbial biomass and activity under each vegetation type; to compare the biological response in unburnt and burnt soils under the same vegetation type, and between unburnt and burnt soils under different vegetation types. The soils were collected at a Mediterranean area where a large wildfire caused a 50% loss of the previous vegetation types (holm oak: HO, pine: P, black locust: BL, and herbs: H), and were characterized by abiotic (pH, water, and organic matter contents; N concentrations; and C/N ratios) and biotic (microbial and fungal biomasses, microbial respiration, soil metabolic quotient, and hydrolase and dehydrogenase activities) properties. The biological response was evaluated by the Integrative Biological Responses (IBR) index. Before the fire, organic matter and N contents were significantly higher in P than H soils. After the fire, significant increases of pH, organic matter, C/N ratio, microbial biomass and respiration, and hydrolase and dehydrogenase activities were observed in all the soils, especially under HO. In conclusion, the post-fire soil conditions were less favorable for microorganisms, as the IBR index decreased when compared to the pre-fire conditions.

Microwave Irradiated Synthesis of Pyrimidine Containing, Thiazolidin-4-ones: Antimicrobial, Anti-tuberculosis, Antimalarial, and Anti-protozoa evaluation

Aim: This study aims to synthesize thiazolidine-4-one compounds with a pyrimidine nucleus and evaluate against different species of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and the malaria parasite. Background: Microwave irradiation was the best method for synthesizing the thiazolidin-4-one ring system. It took only 15 minutes for synthesizing thiazolidin-4-one while the conventional method required 12 hours. The rapid reaction was the main concern of this research. Objective: Pyrimidine and Thiazolidin-4-one nucleus have broad-spectrum biological activity and when it is introduced with other hetero atoms containing moiety, many types of biological activities have been found; antimicrobial, anti-tuberculosis, anti-protozoa, antimalarial are the main activities. The activity of these compounds inspired us to do extra research on Thiazolidin-4-one fused pyrimidines with different functional groups. The aim of this is to synthesize a combination of these two ring systems in less time by using a microwave irradiation method and to evaluate new compounds for different bioactivity. Method: 2-(4-Chlorophenyl)-3-(4-(substituted phenyl)-6-(substituted aryl) pyrimidin-2-yl) thiazolidin-4-ones (6A-J) were synthesized by microwave irradiation to save energy and time. The structure of all newly synthesized motifs was characterized by spectral analysis (1H NMR, 13C NMR, IR, spectroscopy) and screened for antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus pyogenes, antifungal activity against Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus clavatus, anti-tuberculosis activity against M. tuberculosis H37RV, antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum and anti-protozoa activity against L. mexicana and T. cruzi. Result: Because of microwave irradiation synthesis, time period is very less for preparing the new compound. Biological response given by compounds 6B, 6C, 6D, 6E, 6G, 6H, and 6J was found excellent. Conclusion: Good yield with purity of the newly synthesized thiazolidine-4-one compounds obtained in less time by using microwave irradiation. The biological response of some of the compounds of this series was found excellent

Biological Response of Planktic Foraminifera to Decline in Seawater pH

Understanding the way in which a decline in ocean pH can affect calcareous organisms could enhance our ability to predict the impacts of the potential decline in seawater pH on marine ecosystems, and could help to reconstruct the paleoceanographic events over a geological time scale. Planktic foraminifera are among the most important biological proxies for these studies; however, the existing research on planktic foraminifera is almost exclusively based on their geochemical indices, without the inclusion of information on their biological development. Through a series of on-board experiments in the western tropical Pacific (134°33′54″ E, 12°32′47″ N), the present study showed that the symbiont-bearing calcifier Trilobatus sacculifer—a planktic foraminifer—responded rapidly to a decline in seawater pH, including losing symbionts, bleaching, etc. Several indices were established to quantify the relationships between these biological parameters and seawater pH, which could be used to reconstruct the paleoceanographic seawater pH. We further postulated that the loss of symbionts in planktic foraminifera acts as an adaptive response to the stress of low pH. Our results indicate that an ongoing decline in seawater pH may hinder the growth and calcification of planktic foraminifera by altering their biological processes. A reduction in carbonate deposition and predation could have profound effects on the carbon cycle and energy flow in the marine food web.

Basic morphometric parameters of the biostatic donkey body model

The domestic donkey (Equus asinus) has a very specific body construction. It is built in such a way that the mutual relationship of individual body regions enables great work endurance. The fact that this breed of domestic animal originates from wild ancestors, originated and developed in Africa, clearly shows that the breed developed in harsh climatic and ecological conditions that conditioned the appropriate biological response. The biostatic model causes the biodynamic effect, i.e., the production of biokinetic energy. Movement forwards occurs as a consequence of the creation of biokinetic energy and its transfer from the back part of the body, where it originates, to the front part of the body. The most efficient transfer of biokinetic energy is enabled by the existence of an appropriate biostatic model, i.e., body structure, and this leads to a biodynamic effect that is defined as a movement. For the process of movement, the muscles must be well developed. Two muscle groups are distinguished; a) pelvic muscles, b) external hip and croup joint muscles. The basic lever for the transfer of biokinetic energy is the femur. The generated energy is transferred from the hip joint to the thigh muscles, which shortening leads to the movement of the hind leg forward, its leaning against the ground and pushing the whole body forward. The generated biokinetic energy cause the bio kinematic effect, which is characterized as a movement.

Metabolomic Alteration in the Plasma of Wild Rodents Environmentally Exposed to Lead: A Preliminary Study

Lead poisoning is often considered a traditional disease; however, the specific mechanism of toxicity remains unclear. The study of Pb-induced alterations in cellular metabolic pathways is important to understand the biological response and disorders associated with environmental exposure to lead. Metabolomics studies have recently been paid considerable attention to understand in detail the biological response to lead exposure and the associated toxicity mechanisms. In the present study, wild rodents collected from an area contaminated with lead (N = 18) and a control area (N = 10) were investigated. This was the first ever experimental metabolomic study of wildlife exposed to lead in the field. While the levels of plasma phenylalanine and isoleucine were significantly higher in a lead-contaminated area versus the control area, hydroxybutyric acid was marginally significantly higher in the contaminated area, suggesting the possibility of enhancement of lipid metabolism. In the interregional least-absolute shrinkage and selection operator (lasso) regression model analysis, phenylalanine and isoleucine were identified as possible biomarkers, which is in agreement with the random forest model. In addition, in the random forest model, glutaric acid, glutamine, and hydroxybutyric acid were selected. In agreement with previous studies, enrichment analysis showed alterations in the urea cycle and ATP-binding cassette transporter pathways. Although regional rodent species bias was observed in this study, and the relatively small sample size should be taken into account, the present results are to some extent consistent with those of previous studies on humans and laboratory animals.

Inflammation in Focus: The Beginning and the End

The inflammation is an important biological response induced by various harmful stimuli, like viruses, bacterial infections, toxins, toxic compounds, tissue injury. During inflammation inflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen species are produced. Inflammatory cytokines act on various receptors present on the plasma membrane of target cells. To initiate signaling cascade, and activate transcription factors, receptors should be internalized and enter the early endosomes, where the members of the signaling cascade can meet. The further cytoplasmic fate of the receptor plays crucial role in the progression and the course of inflammation. Usually acute inflammation removes injurious stimuli and helps to regain the normal healthy status of the organism. In contrast to this the uncontrolled chronic inflammation—stimulating other than immune cells, inducing transdifferentiation—can provide base of various serious diseases. This paper draws the attention of the long-lasting consequence of chronic inflammation, pointing out that one of the most important step in medication is to identify in time the factors initiating and maintaining inflammation.