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Antimicrobial and biocompatibility assessment of platinum-based metal alloy coatings for total joint arthroplasty
No full textPeriprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a challenging complication in orthopedic surgery, driven by bacterial biofilm formation on implant surfaces. With rising antimicrobial resistance, antibacterial coatings that do not rely on antibiotics are urgently needed. Platinum-based coatings offer exceptional chemical inertness, corrosion resistance, and mechanical stability, making them potential candidates for articulating implant surfaces subjected to high friction. This study investigated the antimicrobial potential of three platinum-based alloys: platinum-iridium (Pt[sbnd]Ir), platinum-zirconium (Pt[sbnd]Zr), and platinum-copper (Pt[sbnd]Cu). These alloys were sputter-coated onto titanium substrates, producing thin (~85 nm) and smooth (Ra ~24 nm) coatings. The composition of the coatings was analyzed using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and ion release was quantified via inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Cytotoxicity was assessed according to ISO 10993-5, using fibroblast viability assays, which confirmed biocompatibility. Antibacterial properties were evaluated by exposing the coatings to Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli inocula. After a 4-hour incubation period, adherent bacteria were quantified. The Pt[sbnd]Cu coating achieved a 1-log reduction in bacterial adherence, while Pt[sbnd]Ir and Pt[sbnd]Zr coatings displayed no significant antibacterial effects. Although the current Pt-based alloy coatings did not achieve the clinically required antibacterial effect, the findings provide insights into their potential. Enhancing the copper content in Pt[sbnd]Cu alloys could improve antibacterial efficacy. Additionally, incorporating other known antibacterial metals, such as silver or zinc, into Pt-based alloys and increasing their weight percentage in the coating could further enhance antibacterial properties
Advancing breast, lung and prostate cancer research with federated learning. A systematic review
No full textFederated learning (FL) is advancing cancer research by enabling privacy-preserving collaborative training of machine learning (ML) models on diverse, multi-centre data. This systematic review synthesises current knowledge on state-of-the-art FL in oncology, focusing on breast, lung, and prostate cancer. Unlike previous surveys, we critically evaluate FL's real-world implementation and impact, demonstrating its effectiveness in enhancing ML generalisability and performance in clinical settings. Our analysis reveals that FL outperformed centralised ML in 15 out of 25 studies, spanning diverse models and clinical applications, including multi-modal integration for precision medicine. Despite challenges identified in reproducibility and standardisation, FL demonstrates substantial potential for advancing cancer research. We propose future research focus on addressing these limitations and investigating advanced FL methods to fully harness data diversity and realise the transformative power of cutting-edge FL in cancer care
Transforming women's health, empowerment, and gender equality with digital health:evidence-based policy and practice
No full textWe evaluated the effects of digital health technologies (DHTs) on women's health, empowerment, and gender equality, using the scoping review method. Following a search across five databases and grey literature, we analysed 80 studies published up to Aug 18, 2023. The thematic appraisal and quantitative analysis found that DHTs positively affect women's access to health-care services, self-care, and tailored self-monitoring enabling the acquisition of health-related interventions. Use of these technologies is beneficial across various medical fields, including gynaecology, endocrinology, and psychiatry. DHTs also improve women's empowerment and gender equality by facilitating skills acquisition, health education, and social interaction, while allowing cost-effective health services. Overall, DHTs contribute to better health outcomes for women and support the UN Sustainable Development Goals by improving access to health care and financial literacy
Insights into interstitial lung disease pathogenesis
No full textThis review summarises some of the key features of interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) from a translational science point of view and brings insights into potential therapeutic options. Genetic predisposition and environmental factors like smoking, pollution and infections significantly impact the onset, progression and treatment response in ILDs, highlighting the need for personalised management. Fibroblasts are central to ILD pathology, influencing the tissue microenvironment, immune cell interactions and extracellular matrix (ECM) production, making them critical therapeutic targets. Monocyte-derived M2 macrophages drive fibrosis in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis by secreting cytokines and remodelling the ECM. Understanding macrophage subtypes and their dynamics offers new therapeutic possibilities. Chronic type 2 immunity contributes to fibrosis, emphasising the need to enhance protective markers in order to even out the balance shift of pathological immune responses in ILD treatments. Serum biomarkers like Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6), surfactant protein (SFTP) D, matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7), and C-C motif chemokine ligand (CCL)-18 are valuable for diagnosing and predicting ILD progression, although more research is needed for clinical application. Animal models, especially bleomycin-based models, offer insights into ILD pathology, but challenges like lung hyperinflation highlight the need for careful model selection and translational research to bridge preclinical and clinical findings
The risk of a second primary cancer in PTEN Hamartoma Tumor Syndrome (PHTS)
No full textPurpose: Patients with PTEN Hamartoma Tumor Syndrome (PHTS) have high hereditary cancer risks for breast, endometrial, and thyroid cancer. Patients develop multiple primary cancers, but these risks remain uncertain. We aimed to provide the second primary cancer risk. Methods: This European cohort study assessed second primary cancer risks with Kaplan-Meier analyses using data from medical files, registries and/or patient questionnaires. Results: Overall, 279 adult PHTS patients with (a history of) cancer were included (80% female). Among females, 106 (54%) developed a PHTS-related second primary cancer after a PHTS-related first primary cancer, whereas 10 (29%) males developed a PHTS-related second primary cancer after a PHTS-related first primary cancer. The 5- and 10-year PHTS-related second primary cancer risks were 24.5% (95% CI = 18.1-32.5) and 45.7% (95% CI = 36.9-55.4) in females and 14.5% (95% CI = 5.7-34.1) and 19.8% (95% CI = 8.6-41.9) in males, respectively. Furthermore, 5- and 10-year risks for a second primary breast cancer after a first primary breast cancer were 23.3% (95% CI = 14.9-35.2) and 45.6% (95% CI = 33.0-60.2) in females, respectively. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that PHTS patients have high second primary cancer risks, which is driven by breast cancer in females. Hence, identifying patients with PHTS before or at first primary cancer diagnosis is essential to enable potential early detection or prevention of a second primary cancer through surveillance or risk-reducing surgery.</p
Food for thought:medical nutrition therapy in acute myeloid leukemia patients during intensive treatment
Get PDFPatients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) receiving intensive chemotherapy often experience severe side effects that impair nutritional intake, putting them at high risk of malnutrition. Guidelines recommend early initiation of medical nutrition therapy (MNT)—including enteral and parenteral nutrition—when oral intake is insufficient. The primary goal of MNT should not only be to maintain body weight or fat mass, but also to preserve muscle mass. This thesis is the first to compare a proactive MNT strategy—where MNT is initiated as soon as a patient's nutritional intake becomes insufficient—with a wait-and-see approach, in which MNT is provided only in exceptional or severe cases. It also investigates barriers to implementing MNT guidelines and explores patients’ and health care professionals’ perceptions of different strategies. Findings show that a proactive approach is associated with fewer nutrition impact symptoms and complications, shorter hospital stays, and better maintenance of body weight through better preservation of fat mass. Improved body composition was associated with better clinical and physical outcomes. These results informed a nutritional support pathway to guide shared decision-making and improve nutritional care for this population
Normative Acceptance of Power Abuse
No full textWhile extensive research has shown how power corrupts those who wield it, less is known about its effects on the powerless. Victims of power abuse may either become dissatisfied with such norm violations by those in power or normalize such behavior, corrupting their own normative standards. In a laboratory experiment, we create communities where a single individual holds the power to punish others. We find that there is general agreement that it is socially inappropriate for those in power both to undercontribute and to enforce higher contributions from others. Yet we find that the powerless who are randomly exposed to this behavior believe it to be less socially inappropriate than those who are spared from it. These findings shed light on how power abuse can perpetuate itself and contribute to the persistence of corrupt institutions
Does every body matter? The relationship between engagement with body-positive and appearance-ideal content on instagram and aspects of positive and negative body image
No full textBody-positive content is prevalent on social networking sites (SNS). Research shows that engagement with bodypositive content reduces aspects of negative body image and increases aspects of positive body image. However, the mechanisms accounting for the impact of body-positive content on body image are not well understood. In this study, we used the tripartite influence model (Thompson et al., 1999) and acceptance model of intuitive eating (Avalos & Tylka, 2006) to examine how engagement with appearance-ideal and body-positive content on Instagram relates to aspects of negative and positive body image. Structural equation modelling of cross-sectional data from 454 female participants (Mage = 22.65) revealed that engagement with appearance-ideal content was indirectly associated with (higher) negative and (lower) positive body image through lower internal body orientation and body acceptance by others, and (in case of negative body image) through higher thin-ideal internalisation. Engagement with body-positive content predicted (higher) positive body image but not negative body image; appearance comparison, thin-ideal internalisation, internal body orientation, and body acceptance by others did not mediate this effect. These findings illustrate the value of combining elements of the tripartite influence model and acceptance model of intuitive eating to understand the relationship between SNS and body image