PREPARATION OF CROSSLINKED TYRAMINE-ALGINATE HYDROGEL USING EDC/NHS WITH SELF-IMMOBILIZED HRP

Alginate is a natural polymer present in the cell wall of brown algae. Due to its many advantages, it has been used extensively in the food industry, pharmacy, and biomedicine. To enhance properties, such as stability and biodegradability, alginate is often chemically crosslinked. In this study, alginate was crosslinked using N-hydroxysuccinimide, 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride and tyramine hydrochloride. Horseradish peroxidase was self-immobilized within hydrogel microbeads during the polymerization reaction. The glucose oxidase/glucose system generates H2O2 internally, which can prevent the detrimental effect of excess peroxide. A small amount of leaking enzyme shows potential for longer storage and reuse

Naturally derived biomaterials: advances and opportunities

Biomaterials are materials that have been formed from or created by biological organisms such as plants, animals, bacteria, fungus, and other forms of life are referred to as biologically derived materials. Biomaterials are normally designed to interface with biological systems, for the treatment, augmentation, or replace-ment of biological functions. Across billions of years, life has been composed of and existed within these biomaterial molecules, monomers, and polymers. For instance, biomaterials of polysaccharides are sugars or starch polymers. Cellulose is the most ubiquitous and abundant polysaccharide. Polysaccharides are found in the tissues of both trees and humans. Meanwhile, natural biomaterials are substances that are derived from natural sources such as plants, animals, or minerals, and are used in medical and healthcare applications. Examples of natural biomaterials include collagen, chitosan, silk, cellulose, hyaluronic acid, and bone minerals such as hydrox-yapatite. These materials are attractive in the field of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering due to their biocompatibility and biodegradability. Additionally, some natural biomaterials can mimic the physical and chemical properties of the body’s natural tissues, making them ideal for use in implants and scaffolds. Recent advances in the production of natural biomaterials include the development of more efficient and scalable manufacturing processes, which has made them more widely available and accessible for use in medical applications. In addition, advances in the under-standing of the biological interactions between these materials and the body have allowed for the development of new and improved medical devices and therapies. The use of natural biomaterials also provides unique opportunities for customization and personalization in medical treatment. For example, natural biomaterials such as collagen and hyaluronic acid can be engineered to meet specific patient needs, such as tissue repair and regeneration, wound healing, and drug delivery. Overall, natural biomaterials have shown great promise in many fields. This chapter’s goal is to give readers a quick introduction to naturally derived biomaterials and their advances and opportunities. For example, recent developments in the production of natural biomaterials have made them more widely available and accessible for use in medical applications, and advances in the understanding of the biological interac-tions between these materials and the body have allowed for the development of new and improved medical devices and therapies. In the coming years, the adoption of new advanced experimental methodologies, such as bioengineering approaches, will alter the practice of medicine in the applications using natural derived biomaterials. Tissue engineering, a multidisciplinary field of research involving the principles of materials science, engineering, biological sciences, and medical research, is a clear illustration of this

Design of a New 3D Gelatin—Alginate Scaffold Loaded with Cannabis sativa Oil

There is an increasing medical need for the development of new materials that could replace damaged organs, improve healing of critical wounds or provide the environment required for the formation of a new healthy tissue. The three-dimensional (3D) printing approach has emerged to overcome several of the major deficiencies of tissue engineering. The use of Cannabis sativa as a therapy for some diseases has spread throughout the world thanks to its benefits for patients. In this work, we developed a bioink made with gelatin and alginate that was able to be printed using an extrusion 3D bioprinter. The scaffolds obtained were lyophilized, characterized and the swelling was assessed. In addition, the scaffolds were loaded with Cannabis sativa oil extract. The presence of the extract provided antimicrobial and antioxidant activity to the 3D scaffolds. Altogether, our results suggest that the new biocompatible material printed with 3D technology and with the addition of Cannabis sativa oil could become an attractive alternative to common treatments of soft-tissue infections and wound repair.Pablo E. Antezana is grateful for his postdoctoral fellowship granted by the CONICET. The authors would like to acknowledge grants from the Universidad de Buenos Aires, UBACYT 20020150100056BA and PIDAE 2022 (Martín F. Desimone), which supported this work. Gorka Orive wishes to thank the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (PID2019-106094RB-I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033) and to acknowledge technical assistance from the ICTS NANBIOSIS (Drug Formulation Unit, U10) at the University of the Basque Country. We also appreciate the support from the Basque Country Government (Grupos Consolidados, No ref: IT1448-22)

Heavy Metal Removal by Alginate Based Agriculture and Industrial Waste Nanocomposites

The use of biopolymers and nonliving organisms as sorbents is one of the most promising techniques because they contain several functional groups which show different affinities towards various metal ions. Alginate is naturally occurring anionic biopolymer extracted from brown algae. It also contains numerous applications in biomedical science and engineering due to its favorable properties and ease of gelatin. This chapter represents a overview based on alginate based agriculture and industrial waste nanocomposites and found that limited studies are reported for combination of alginate with industrial/agriculture waste in nanoscalic material so far, but this review study enlightening the several studies based on nanocomposite combinations of alginates and biopolymers and these biopolymers can also be derived from various agro/industrial waste by simple chemical and mechanical methods. So, we should work on the formulation of alginates agro/industrial waste nanocomposites. Preparation of alginate nanomaterials with agriculture/industrial waste constituents confirms its effectiveness in water purification. In the environment, we can control its reutilization by desorption studies. Another advantage is that it can be transform from nanoparticles to nano polymeric films and support to batch adsorption process to fixed bed column in form of large-scale application

Improvement of andean blueberries postharvest preservation using carvacrol/alginate-edible coatings

Edible coatings are attractive strategies for blueberries postharvest preservation. In this work, carvacrol/alginate coatings were developed for application on Andean blueberries. Coating formulations were prepared based on blends of sodium alginate (2% w/v), carvacrol (0%, 0.03%, 0.06% or 0.09%), glycerol, and water and applied to the fruits by dip-coating. Then, the fruits were immersed in a calcium batch to induce a crosslink reaction. Changes in the physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of the blueberries were monitored during 21 days of storage at 4◦C. Coated blueberries were better preserved throughout the 21 days of storage because of their lower respiration rate and water loss, in comparison with the uncoated ones. Besides, the coatings enhanced the appearance and the gloss of the fruits. Control fruits showed a significant decrease in the firmness, while, in the coated fruits, this critical postharvest quality was preserved during the entire storage. Coating formulations with 0.09% of carvacrol was the most effective in preventing mesophilic aerobic bacteria and molds/yeasts growth on the fruits during the storage. Edible carvacrol/alginate coatings can be considered as a useful alternative to complement the benefits of refrigerated storage by delaying post-harvest spoilage of Andean blueberries.Fil: Medina Jaramillo, Carolina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Quintero Pimiento, Carmen. Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia; ColombiaFil: Diaz Diaz, Edgar Dario. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Física. Laboratorio de Polímeros y Materiales Compuestos; ArgentinaFil: Goyanes, Silvia Nair. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: López Córdoba, Alex. Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia; Colombi

Smart alginate inks for tissue engineering applications

Amazing achievements have been made in the field of tissue engineering during the past decades. However, we have not yet seen fully functional human heart, liver, brain, or kidney tissue emerge from the clinics. The promise of tissue engineering is thus still not fully unleashed. This is mainly related to the challenges associated with producing tissue constructs with similar complexity as native tissue. Bioprinting is an innovative technology that has been used to obliterate these obstacles. Nevertheless, natural organs are highly dynamic and can change shape over time; this is part of their functional repertoire inside the body. 3D-bioprinted tissue constructs should likewise adapt to their surrounding environment and not remain static. For this reason, the new trend in the field is 4D bioprinting – a new method that delivers printed constructs that can evolve their shape and function over time. A key lack of methodology for printing approaches is the scalability, easy-to-print, and intelligent inks. Alginate plays a vital role in driving innovative progress in 3D and 4D bioprinting due to its exceptional properties, scalability, and versatility. Alginate's ability to support 3D and 4D printing methods positions it as a key material for fueling advancements in bioprinting across various applications, from tissue engineering to regenerative medicine and beyond. Here, we review the current progress in designing scalable alginate (Alg) bioinks for 3D and 4D bioprinting in a "dry"/air state. Our focus is primarily on tissue engineering, however, these next-generation materials could be used in the emerging fields of soft robotics, bioelectronics, and cyborganics.</p

Effectiveness of Machine Learning Classifiers for Cataract Screening

Cataract is the leading cause of blindness and vision loss globally. The implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) in the healthcare industry has been on the rise in the past few decades and machine learning (ML) classifiers have shown to be able to diagnose patients with cataracts. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to assess the diagnostic accuracy of these ML classifiers for cataracts currently published in the literature. Retrieved from nine articles, the pooled sensitivity was 94.8% and the specificity was 96.0% for adult cataracts. Additionally, an economic analysis was conducted to explore the cost-effectiveness of implementing ML to diagnostic eye camps in rural Nepal compared to traditional diagnostic eye camps. There was a total of 22,805 patients included in the decision tree, and the ML-based eye camp was able to identify 31 additional cases of cataracts, and 2546 additional cases of non-cataract

Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Biomedical Sciences

Η παρακάτω διπλωματική εργασία αποτελεί μια εκτεταμένη βιβλιογραφική ανασκόπηση των Εφαρμογών της Τεχνητής Νοημοσύνης στις Βιοϊατρικές Επιστήμες. Πιο αναλυτικά, εστιάζει στις εφαρμογές της Τεχνητής Νοημοσύνης στην Ανάπτυξη Νέων Φαρμάκων, στην Ανάλυση Εικόνων (Image Analysis), στην Ιατρική Φροντίδα (Healthcare), στα Radiomics και στις Κλινικές Δοκιμές (Clinical Trials). Η Τεχνητή Νοημοσύνη έχει αποτελέσει ακρογωνιαίο λίθο στην ανάπτυξη πολλών άλλων επιστημών και σύμφωνα με πλήθος ειδικών και ερευνητών θεωρείτο η μεγαλύτερη ανακάλυψη του αιώνα. Στο πρώτο κεφάλαιο αναλύεται η ιστορία της Τεχνητής Νοημοσύνης καθώς και ο ορισμός αυτής. Στο επόμενο κεφάλαιο γίνεται η αναζήτηση της βιβλιογραφίας στην οποία παρουσιάζονται τα πρώτα βήματα που έγιναν ώστε να δημιουργηθεί η επιστήμη που γνωρίζουμε σήμερα. Έπειτα αναλύονται οι εφαρμογές αυτής σε διάφορους τομείς καθώς και η συμβολή της στην περαιτέρω ανάπτυξη τους. Τέλος, στο τελευταίο κεφάλαιο, κεφάλαιο 4, γίνεται η συζήτηση πάνω σε ό,τι ειπώθηκε προηγουμένως καθώς και προτείνονται νέοι δρόμοι ανάπτυξης της επιστήμης της Τεχνητής Νοημοσύνης.In this dissertation is presented the contribution of AI in biomedical sciences and particularly in drug development, image analysis, healthcare, radiomics and clinical trials. It will be demonstrated the general theoretical context behind the evolution of Artificial Intelligence, as well as its applications. The first chapter, analyzes the history of Artificial Intelligence starting with its definition. The second chapter includes a review of the literature underlining some of the most important milestones of the creation of Artificial Intelligence. As AI has been conducive to the development of many fields it has been characterized by many experts as the biggest innovation of the century. Thus, the third chapter presents the different methods of machine learning used in those fields. In the last chapter of the thesis, chapter 4, is represented a discussion about the findings of the thesis as well as about some new ways that Artificial Intelligence could be beneficial