The paper aims to investigate the cytotoxic effect on tumor cells of irradiated AuNPs in green light and subsequently functionalized with HS-PEG-NH 2. The toxicity level of gold conjugates after their functionalization with DOX and TAT peptide was also evaluated. The AuNPs were prepared using the modified Turkevich method and exposed to visible light at a wavelength of 520 nm prior their PEGylation. The optical properties were analyzed by UV-vis spectroscopy, the surface modification was investigated using FTIR and XPS spectroscopies and their sizes and morphologies were evaluated by TEM and DLS techniques. DOX and TAT peptide were linked to the surface of PEGylated AuNPs by reacting their amino groups with glycidyloxypropyl of PEGylated DOX or TAT conjugates under mild conditions at room temperature and in the presence of ethanol as catalyst. The conjugates containing DOX or DOX and TAT have been characterized by fluorescence and FTIR techniques. The changes of electrochemical features were observed using cyclic voltammetry, suggesting a better stability of irradiated nanoparticles. By mass spectrometry it was confirmed that the compounds of interest were obtained. The cell viability test showed that irradiated and non-irradiated nanoparticles coated with PEG are not toxic in normal cells. Tumor cell viability analysis showed that the PEGylated nanoparticles modified with DOX and TAT peptide were more effective than pristine DOX, indicating cytotoxicity up to 10% higher than non-irradiated ones. The presence of gold nanomaterials (AuNPs) in biomedicine and particularly in antitumor therapy still remains a topic of wide debate, as evidenced by the tremendous amount of scientific works on this issue in recent years 1-3. An impressive number of research studies have straightened their efforts toward the use of AuNPs in enhancing the efficiency of cancer treatment, due to their ease production and chemical functionalization of their surface 4,5. Gold nanoparticles are feasible to be developed as versatile nontoxic carriers for drug release as long as they are able to be conjugated with different molecules, including chemotherapeutics, antibodies, peptides, ligands, and other structures which are likely to promote a great capacity to penetrate the tumor site, resulting in a predominant accumulation of bioactive agent in the tumor region 6,7. On the other hand, the passive anticancer effect based on the accumulation strategy of AuNPs at the tumor site is limited by the inherent heterogeneities of tumor vasculature 8. It was shown that nanoparticle concentration in the target tissue is influenced by renal clearance rate, and also by activation of immune system mechanisms such as opsonization or nonspecific particle phagocytosis, fulfilled by the reticuloendothelial system (RES).

Rationale:Pentalogy of Cantrell, a very rare congenital condition, has an estimated incidence of 5.5 per 1 million live births. It includes five defects: a midline supraumbilical wall defect, a diaphragmatic defect, a cleft distal sternum, a defect in the diaphragmatic pericardium, and an intracardiac defect. Very few cases of this condition have been reported in the literature, most of them diagnosed in the second or third trimester of pregnancy.Patient concerns:We present a case of pentalogy of Cantrell associated with cranioschisis and unilateral anophthalmia diagnosed at 14 weeks of amenorrhea.Diagnoses:The combination of abdominal and vaginal sonography established the diagnosis of 14 weeks of amenorrhea with a plurimalformative syndrome including: ectopia cordis, large suprambilical anterior abdominal wall defect, omphalocele, anomaly of the shape of the skull, and anomalies of the brain.Interventions:After counseling the parents, the pregnancy was interrupted, as requested by the family.Outcomes:Pathological examination of the fetus after the therapeutic abortion confirmed the diagnosis.Lessons:Because of the poor prognosis of Cantrell's pentalogy, early antenatal sonographic detection is important and allows for elective abortion before viability.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the ongoing global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Although initially viewed as an acute respiratory illness, COVID-19 is clearly a complex multisystemic disease with extensive cardiovascular involvement. Emerging evidence shows that the endothelium plays multiple roles in COVID-19 physiopathology, as both a target organ that can be directly infected by SARS-CoV-2 and a mediator in the subsequent inflammatory and thrombotic cascades. Arterial stiffness is an established marker of cardiovascular disease. The scope of this review is to summarize available data on the acute and long-term consequences of COVID-19 on vascular function. COVID-19 causes early vascular aging and arterial stiffness. Fast, noninvasive bedside assessment of arterial stiffness could optimize risk stratification in acute COVID-19, allowing for early escalation of treatment. Vascular physiology remains impaired at least 12 months after infection with SARS-CoV-2, even in otherwise healthy adults. This raises concerns regarding the extent of arterial remodeling in patients with preexisting vascular disease and the potential development of a persistent, chronic COVID-19 vasculopathy. Long-term follow up on larger cohorts is required to investigate the reversibility of COVID-19-induced vascular changes and their associated prognostic implications.

Background Alopecia areata (AA) is a T-cell-mediated autoimmune disease and affects up to 2% of the population. There is a need for a more profound and rigorous understanding of the structure and composition of human hair affected by AA in order to manage this disease. The aim of this article is to understand the effects of AA on the structure and composition of human hair. Methods Several physico-chemical investigation methods, such as Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), and microbeam Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS), were used to analyze human hair samples obtained from healthy donors and patients with AA. Results SEM revealed more severe hair surface defects for the white regrown hair (W-AA) samples. TEM showed the presence of air-like vesicles located in the endocuticle of regrown hair. Analysis of ultrathin sections of W-AA showed the existence of empty vesicles and smaller melanin granules compared to control samples. SAXS demonstrated that unaffected hair of patients with AA (B-AA) and W-AA melanin aggregates are different in their sizes and shapes compared to the control samples. EDX data showed that W-AA elemental composition was significantly different from the other sample groups. Our study showcases promising non-invasive techniques for a better and more accurate understanding of changes in the internal structure and composition of hair affected by AA.

Background and Objectives: Functional capacity (FC) assessed via cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is a novel, independent prognostic marker for patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are two readily available predictors of systemic inflammation and cardiovascular event risk, which could be used as cost-effective predictors of poor FC. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of NLR and PLR in predicting poor FC in patients with CAD and recent elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Materials and Methods: Our cross-sectional retrospective analysis included 80 patients with stable CAD and recent elective PCI (mean age 55.51 ± 11.83 years, 71.3% male) who were referred to a cardiovascular rehabilitation center from January 2020 to June 2021. All patients underwent clinical examination, cardiopulmonary exercise testing on a cycle ergometer, transthoracic echocardiography and standard blood analysis. Results: Patients were classified according to percent predicted oxygen uptake (% VO2 max) in two groups—poor FC (≤70%, n = 35) and preserved FC (>70%, n = 45). There was no significant difference between groups regarding age, gender ratio, presence of associated comorbidities, left ventricular ejection fraction and NLR. PLR was higher in patients with poor FC (169.8 ± 59.3 vs. 137.4 ± 35.9, p = 0.003). A PLR cut-off point of 139 had 74% sensitivity and 60% specificity in predicting poor FC. After multivariate analysis, PLR remained a significant predictor of poor functional status. Conclusions: Although CPET is the gold standard test for assessing FC prior to cardiovascular rehabilitation, its availability remains limited. PLR, a cheap and simple test, could predict poor FC in patients with stable CAD and recent elective PCI and help prioritize referral for cardiovascular rehabilitation in high-risk patients.