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Lorenzo Vannozzi,1 Leonardo Ricotti,1 Carlo Filippeschi,2 Stefania Sartini,3 Vito Coviello,3 Vincenzo Piazza,4 Pasqualantonio Pingue,5 Concettina La Motta,3 Paolo Dario,1 Arianna Menciassi1 1The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, 2Center for MicroBioRobotics at SSSA, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pontedera, 3Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, 4Center for Nanotechnology Innovation at NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 5NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore, Istituto Nanoscienze-CNR, Pisa, Italy Abstract: This work aims to demonstrate the possibility to fabricate ultra-thin polymeric films loaded with an anti-restenotic drug and capable of tunable drug release kinetics for the local treatment of restenosis. Vascular nanopatches are composed of a poly(lactic acid) supporting membrane (thickness: ~250 nm) on which 20 polyelectrolyte bilayers (overall thickness: ~70 nm) are alternatively deposited. The anti-restenotic drug is embedded in the middle of the polyelectrolyte structure, and released by diffusion mechanisms. Nanofilm fabrication procedure and detailed morphological characterization are reported here. Barium titanate nanoparticles (showing piezoelectric properties) are included in the polymeric support and their role is investigated in terms of influence on nanofilm morphology, drug release kinetics, and cell response. Results show an efficient drug release from the polyelectrolyte structure in phosphate-buffered saline, and a clear antiproliferative effect on human smooth muscle cells, which are responsible for restenosis. In addition, preliminary evidences of ultrasound-mediated modulation of drug release kinetics are reported, thus evaluating the influence of barium titanate nanoparticles on the release mechanism. Such data were integrated with quantitative piezoelectric and thermal measurements. These results open new avenues for a fine control of local therapies based on smart responsive materials. Keywords: restenosis, micro/nanotherapeutic systems, thin films, layer-by-layer polyelectrolytes, barium titanate nanoparticles, drug delivery, ultrasound

The treatment of trapeziometacarpal (TM) osteoarthritis is still debated, as many surgical options are available, and no technique has proven to be superior. Prosthetic treatment in this context has been described since the early 60s. Recently, the use of pyrolytic carbon-based prosthesis has revolutionized arthroplasty surgery in the hand. We performed a retrospective investigation of our surgical management of TM osteoarthritis since 2010 including the study only patients treated with partial trapeziectomy and Pyrodisk implant, with at least 5 years follow-up. After the application of inclusion criteria, 26 patients (6 males and 20 females) were retained. Despite the literature suggesting that implant TM surgery is well suited for older patients, in our experience, the procedure was mainly proposed to the young manual worker, with high demands in terms of thumb strength and stability (mean age of 53 years old, range 37–65). A statistically significant improvement in post-operative DASH, Kapandji and scores was observed. As well, strength measurements, particularly pinch strength and grip strength, increased significantly after the surgery. According to our findings, the Pyrodisk implant provides satisfactory results in terms of thumb strength and stability even in young and active patients and should therefore be considered as a valuable option in selected cases. Meticulous surgical procedure is mandatory in order to avoid complications and should therefore be executed by an expert surgeon. Abbreviation: IV: level of evidence [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Delivery by cesarean section (SC) increases the risk of a surgical site infection (SSI). Therapy from health services and complementary therapy reduce the risk of infection and accelerate the wound-healing process. This study compared wound healing after SC with a turmeric extract gel and original Trigona honey. Methods Female white rats (Rattus novergicus) with pre- and post-testing and a control group were included in this experiment, which was conducted in June-July 2022. The test animals were 56 female white rats, 2-4 months old, weighing 150–350 g. The treatment group was divided into three subgroups with application of 50% and 75% turmeric extract gel and Trigona honey. The turmeric was given twice daily, and the honey was divided into two applications of twice a day and once a day. Wounds were assessed using the Reeda Scale. Results The fastest wound healing occurred in the group given Trigona honey twice daily. Redness, ecchymosis, and edema disappeared in this group on day 9 (score 0), and granulation tissue formed on day 9. The group that was administered 50% and 75% turmeric gel extract and Trigona honey once a day healed by days 12 and 15, respectively; all three of these interventions were better than the control group. Conclusions Administering Trigona honey twice daily was more effective for accelerating wound healing than the 50% or 75% turmeric extract gel. Original Trigona honey has the potential to be a post-SC wound healing agent.

Lemon cui dikenal dengan sebutan lemon ikan atau lemon kalamansidiketahui mengandung diantaranya vitamin C yang berpotensi sebagai antioksidan sehingga dapat diaplikasikan sebagai bahan aktif pada sediaan masker peel off. Penelitian ini dilakukan dengan tujuan untuk mendapatkan konsentrasi PVA terbaik dalam pembuatan masker gel peel-off dari sari buah lemon cui yang memenuhi syarat uji stabilitas fisik. Metode pembuatan sampel sari buah lemon cui diperoleh dengan cara dihaluskan menggunakan blender, ditambahkan air 100 mL lalu dipisahkan ampasnya hingga diperoleh sari. Formulasi sediaan masker gel peel-off menggunakan variasi konsentrasi PVA (Polivinil Alkohol) yaitu F1 (10%), F2 (13%) dan F3 (16%). Pengujian kestabilan fisik meliputi uji organoleptik, uji homogenitas, uji daya sebar, uji pH, uji daya lekat dan uji waktu sediaan mengering. Hasil penelitian diperoleh bahwa sediaan F1, F2 dan F3 menunjukkan kestabilan secara fisik berdasarkan hasil uji organoleptik, uji homogenitas, uji daya sebar, uji pH, uji daya lekat dan uji waktu sediaan mengering sebelum dan setelah kondisi penyimpanan dipercepat. Berdasarkan hasil pengujian yang diperoleh maka dapat disimpulkan bahwa formulasi sediaan masker gel peel-off sari buah Lemon Cui dari ketiga konsentrasi PVA memenuhi syarat kestabilan secara fisik. Konsentrasi PVA yang terbaik adalah 10% karena memiliki waktu kering yang paling baik.

There are many Buddhist religious rituals in Indonesia. One of them is Tribuana Manggala Bakti which contains universal values in nature conservation. The purpose of this study is to describe the dynamics of the Menoreh community in terms of managing the natural environment, to describe Tribuana Manggala Bakti as Buddhist spirituality, and to analyze the role of Tribuana Manggala Bakti spirituality with universal values in Menoreh environmental management. This research is a qualitative research with library research. This study uses the theory of using Capra's holistic spiritual theory in understanding the function and purpose of Tribuana Manggala Bakti. Menoreh's natural resource management started from an ideational culture to a sensate culture. Sensate culture is seen when people begin to exploit natural resources. Tribuana Manggala Bakti originated from the concern of Buddhists towards the Menoreh nature. Tribuana Manggala Bakti is a series of Vesak events in the form of taking Vesak holy water followed by tree planting, and releasing fish and birds. The release of animals and the planting of trees as a tangible form of awareness of the importance of nature underlies the behavior of an environmentally friendly lifestyle, protecting and caring for the environment. As said by Fritjof Capra as one of the real solutions to the environmental crisis. In Ecoliteracy Capra, realizing the importance of nature has an impact on environmentally friendly lifestyle behavior, protecting and caring for the environment.

Indonesia and Malaysia share contiguous territories and are renowned for their honey production. In addition, they possess extensively published studies on honey. This study aims to present a comprehensive analysis of the many types of honey found in Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as their health-promoting components. The employed methodology entails conducting a comprehensive review of both primary and secondary literature. The literature search employed online tools, including NCBI-PubMed, Google Scholar, and Elsevier. Indonesia and Malaysia share similar species of bees, including Apis Dorsata, Apis Mellifera, Apis Trigona, and Apis Cerana. The phenolics and antioxidants have garnered the most focus among the components. Notable health advantages encompass the facilitation of diabetic wound healing, enhancement of reproductive health, and promotion of mental well-being.

Introduction: Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) calyces possess natural antioxidants that may provide therapeutic benefits. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of Roselle calyx water extract against isoniazid (INH) and rifampicin (RIF) induced liver and renal toxicities.Methods: Male Wistar rats (150-250 g) were designated into five groups: control group, INH-RIF group that was treated with INH-RIF at the toxic doses (50-100 mg/kg for 4 weeks, followed by 100-200 mg/kg for 2 weeks), and Roselle groups that were treated daily with Roselle extract at the doses 62.5, 125, and 250 mg/kg, respectively prior to INH-RIF administration. Blood samples were withdrawn weekly for 6 weeks before removing rats’ livers and kidneys for tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) and histopathological analysis.Results: The results showed all rats in the INH-RIF group experienced marked elevations of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), urea, creatinine, and tissue MDA levels compared to the controls (P

The emergence of pathogenic bacteria with β-lactam antibiotics-resistant profile has threatened the continued use of such antibiotics in the future. This research was conducted to investigate the antimicrobial activity of green tea ethanol extract (GTE) and its ability to improve the antibacterial action of several β-lactam antibiotics against Enterobacter cloacae clinical isolates. The simplicia of green tea was extracted by sonication for 30 minutes using 50% ethanol solvent, and the total phenolic content of the GTE was subsequently determined. Next, the GTE used in testing against two clinical isolates of E. cloacae was obtained from the Pathology Laboratory of Wahidin Sudiro Husodo Hospital in Makassar. The sensitivity of bacteria to GTE was confirmed using the agar diffusion method, the Vitek® rapid method, and the double-disk synergistic test. Antibacterial activity of antibiotics, GTE, and combination of antibiotics with GTE were then tested against clinical isolates of E. cloacae using the checkerboard microdilution assay. The results showed that GTE contained 51.64 ± 0.21 % measured as gallic acid equivalent and 37.95 + 5.17 % Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). The confirmatory test results indicated that one clinical isolate of E. cloacae (code 13/04) was resistant to amoxicillin-clavulanate but did not produce an extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL). Another clinical E. cloacae isolate (code 275B/06) was indicated to produce ESBL and demonstrated to yield resistance to amoxicillin-clavulanate and cefotaxime. The minimum inhibitory concentration of GTE against the two clinical isolates of E. cloacae was >8000 ppm (8 mg/ml). In conclusion, GTE could not increase the antibacterial activity of amoxicillin and cefotaxime, but it was sufficient to improve the activity of imipenem against the tested isolates of E. cloacae.

Globally, the increase of pathogenic bacteria with antibiotic-resistant characteristics has become a critical challenge in medical treatment. The misuse of conventional antibiotics to treat an infectious disease often results in increased resistance and a scarcity of effective antimicrobials to be used in the future against the organisms. Here, we discuss the rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the need to combat it through the discovery of new synthetic or naturally occurring antibacterial compounds, as well as insights into the application of various drug delivery approaches delivered via various routes compared to conventional delivery systems. AMR-related infectious diseases are also discussed, as is the efficiency of various delivery systems. Future considerations in developing highly effective antimicrobial delivery devices to address antibiotic resistance are also presented here, especially on the smart delivery system of antibiotics.