Value of section plane,MPR,and 3D-CTVR techniques in the fine differential diagnosis of ossicular chain in the case of conductive hearing loss with intact tympanic membrane

Aim: To assess the quality of high-resolution CT section planes(HRCT), multi-planar reformation(MPR) and 3-dimensional volume rendered computer tomography(3D-CTVR) were here used in the fine differential diagnosis of ossicular chain in the case of conductive hearing loss with intact tympanic membrane.Methods: Here, 17 cases of otosclerosis and 22 cases of ossicular chain deformity were selected. All patients had normal external ear canals,intact tympanic membranes, conductive hearing loss, type A tympanograms, and negative Gelle's tests. The respective radiological reports of the status of the ossicles via 3 protocols were compared to surgical findings. The quantitative assessments of the representation of different segments of the ossicular chain were based on a 3-point scoring system.Results: MPR and CTVR imaging both showed the integrity of whole ossicular chain well. MPR and CTVR imaging were found to be superior to section planes with respect to showing the superstructure of the stapes and malformations(P > 0.05).Conclusion: CTVR and MPR imaging were found to be better able to show the whole ossicular chain in the conductive hearing loss with normal tympanic membranes. Furthermore, the use of these techniques can have profound contributive value in the differential diagnosis of otosclerosis and ossicular chain absence or malformation.

Preparation of green cellulose diacetate-based antibacterial wound dressings for wound healing

Managing wounds is a growing universal problem and developing effective wound dressings to staunch bleeding and protect wounds from bacterial infections is an increasingly serious challenge.In this work,a remolding electrospinning nanofiber three-dimensional structure wound dressing(CCP)was prepared with superhydrophilicity,high water absorption and absorbing capacity,excellent hemostatic capacity and antibacterial ability,and biocompatibility to promote wound healing.Polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrochloride(PHMG)was grafted to cellulose diacetate(CDA)wound dressing surface through an amide reaction.A water contact angle analysis demonstrated that CCP wound dressing could be beneficial to promote wound exudate management effectively with rapid absorption of water within 0.2 s.In vitro hemo-and cytocompatibility assay showed that a CCP wound dressing had no significant hemotoxicity or cytoxicity.Specifically,CCP wound dressings could be beneficial to accelerate wound hemostasis and further reduce mortality caused by uncontrolled bleeding.Furthermore,CCP wound dressings have an excellent antibacterial ability,which could be beneficial to inhibit wound inflammatory over-reaction and promote normal wound healing.Combined together,the prepared wound dressing in this research effort is expected to have high-potential in clinical applications.

Highly resilient and fatigue-resistant poly(4-methyl-ε-caprolactone)porous scaffold fabricated via thiol-yne photo-crosslinking/salt-templating for soft tissue regeneration

Elastomeric scaffolds, individually customized to mimic the structural and mechanical properties of natural tissues have been used for tissue regeneration. In this regard, polyester elastic scaffolds with tunable mechanical properties and exceptional biological properties have been reported to provide mechanical support and structural integrity for tissue repair. Herein, poly(4-methyl-ε-caprolactone) (PMCL) was first double-terminated by alkynylation (PMCL-DY) as a liquid precursor at room temperature. Subsequently, three-dimensional porous scaffolds with custom shapes were fabricated from PMCL-DY via thiol-yne photocrosslinking using a practical salt template method. By manipulating the Mn of the precursor, the modulus of compression of the scaffold was easily adjusted. As evidenced by the complete recovery from 90% compression, the rapid recovery rate of >500 mm min 1, the extremely low energy loss coefficient of <0.1, and the superior fatigue resistance, the PMCL20-DY porous scaffold was confirmed to harbor excellent elastic properties. In addition, the high resilience of the scaffold was confirmed to endow it with a minimally invasive application potential. In vitro testing revealed that the 3D porous scaffold was biocompatible with rat bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs), inducing BMSCs to differentiate into chondrogenic cells. In addition, the elastic porous scaffold demonstrated good regenerative efficiency in a 12-week rabbit cartilage defect model. Thus, the novel polyester scaffold with adaptable mechanical properties may have extensive applications in soft tissue regeneration.