Corneal crosslinking (CXL) represents a paradigm shift in the management of corneal ectatic disorders. Before CXL was introduced, patients would need specialty contact lenses and possible corneal transplantation. CXL involves a biochemical reaction in which ultraviolet A light is used in conjunction with Riboflavin to form crosslinks in between corneal stromal collagen. This leads to strengthening and stabilizing of the collagen lamellae, resulting in mechanical stiffening of the cornea. Multiple protocols have been proposed including epithelium on versus off and varying light intensity and duration of treatment. All protocols appear to be safe and effective with few reported complications including infection, stromal haze, scarring, and endothelial toxicity. Overall, CXL has demonstrated to halt the progression of the disease clinically and in keratometry readings and improve the quality of life for patients. It is a minimally invasive, cost-effective procedure that can be performed in an outpatient setting with a fast recovery time and long-lasting results.

Under the umbrella of targeted drug delivery systems, several techniques are unleashed in the market that allow a drug or other pharmacologically active material to be delivered to the target cell to treat a condition or health problem. The improvement of the pharmaceutical delivery systems\' effectiveness, safety, and stability is accomplished through the Formulation of the nano-gel-based delivery system. Nanogels are aqueous dispersions of submicronsized, three-dimensional, strongly cross-linked networks of hydrophilic polymers that are inflated by water. Through a variety of delivery routes, such as oral, pulmonary, nasal, parenteral, and intraocular, an active pharmaceutical agent or therapeutic agent with a high or low molecular weight can be easily encapsulated into nanogels. Nanogels have been researched as drug delivery systems due to their beneficial qualities, such as biocompatibility, high stability, flexible particle size, drug loading capacity, and potential surface modification for active targeting by attaching ligands that recognize cognate receptors on target cells or tissues. By responding to internal or external stimuli, including pH, temperature, light, and redox, nano gels can be made to be stimulus-responsive, allowing for regulated drug release. Thus, in the fact of said characteristics\' of nano gels, this review manuscript aims to provide an overview of characterization, evaluation, formulation technique, recent applications, and patents of nano gels.

UNASSIGNED: Corneal ectasia leads to progressive irregular corneal curvature and reduced visual acuity.
UNASSIGNED: To assess the safety and effectiveness of corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) for managing corneal ectasia resulting from refractive laser surgery (RSL).
UNASSIGNED: A systematic review and meta-analysis were realized according to PRISMA guidelines. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases for studies on CXL in patients with ectasia after RLS. The outcomes of interest included visual acuity, refractive outcomes, topographic parameters (Kmax, index surface variance (ISV), index of Vertical Asymmetry (IVA), keratoconus index (KI), central keratoconus index (CKI), index of height asymmetry (IHA), index of height decentration (IHD) and Rmin (minimum sagittal curvature)), central corneal thickness, endothelial cell count, and possible adverse events. Statistical analysis was performed using the R software (version 4.2.3, R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria).
UNASSIGNED: 15 studies encompassing 421 patients (512 eyes) were included. The mean age was 32.03 ± 4.4 years. The pooled results showed a stable uncorrected visual acuity post-CXL, with a significant improvement in corrected distance visual acuity (SMD = 0.09; 95% CI: -0.07 to 0.26). The spherical equivalent decreased significantly (SMD = -0.09; 95% CI: -0.35, -0.02). The topographic parameter Kmax decreased significantly (SMD = 0.15; 95% CI:0.01 to 0.28); however, the other parameters, ISV, IVA, KI, CKI, IHA, IHD, and Rmin, did not change significantly. Central corneal thickness decreased significantly (SMD = 0.24; 95% CI:0.07 to 0.41), and the endothelial cell count remained stable The complications were rare.
UNASSIGNED: CXL is a safe and effective technique for managing corneal ectasia after RLS.

Starch, a natural storage polysaccharide of plant kingdom, has many industrial applications. However, native starch has some inherent shortages, which can be overcome by structural modification. Dialdehyde starch, one kind of oxidized starch produced by periodate oxidation, has good physical properties and bioactivities with wide applications in different fields. Dialdehyde starch is typically achieved by oxidizing native starch slurry through periodate oxidation under controlled reaction conditions. Several factors including the source of starch, the type of oxidant, the molar ratio of oxidant to starch, reaction temperature, reaction time and solution pH value can influence the synthesis of dialdehyde starch. Dialdehyde starch shows different spectroscopic/chromatographic characters and physicochemical properties from native starch. Moreover, dialdehyde starch exhibits good antioxidant activity, antimicrobial activity and cross-linking property. Based on these functional properties, dialdehyde starch has shown application potentials in food packaging, thermoplastic production, enzyme immobilization, heavy metal ion adsorption, drug delivery, wood adhesion and leather tanning. In this review, the preparation conditions, structural characteristics, physicochemical properties, functional properties and potential applications of dialdehyde starch are summarized for the first time. The future research and development prospects of dialdehyde starch are also discussed.

The β-cyclodextrins (β-CD) are biocompatible macrocyclic candidates for the preparation of various composites with enhanced functions. While nontoxic and biodegradable citric acid (CA) is the favorite crosslinking agent for fabricating hierarchical advanced structures. The carboxyl and hydroxyl groups on CA can serve as \"structural bridges\" and enhance the solubility of β-CD. Leading to the construction of CA cross-linked β-CD with marvelous complicated structures and targeted functions. Here, we directly categorized the grafted composite materials into two main types such as organic and inorganic materials. Particularly, some representative composite materials are listed and analyzed in detail according to their preparation, advantages of unique characteristics, as well as the possible applications in environmental and biomedical fields such as adsorption of pollutants, sensors, and biomedical applications.

Pushed by the environmental pollution and health hazards of plastic packaging, the development of biodegradable food packaging films (FPFs) is a necessary and sustainable trend for social development. Most protein molecules have excellent film-forming properties as natural polymer matrices, and the assembled films have excellent barrier properties, but show defects such as low water resistance and poor mechanical properties. In order to improve the performance of protein-based films, transglutaminase (TG) is used as a safe and green cross-linking (CL) agent. This work covers recent developments on TG cross-linked protein-based FPFs, mainly comprising proteins of animal and plant origin, including gelatin, whey protein, zein, soy proteins, bitter vetch protein, etc. The chemical properties and reaction mechanism of TG are briefly introduced, focusing on the effects of TG CL on the physicochemical properties of different protein-based FPFs, including barrier properties, water resistance, mechanical properties and thermal stability. It is concluded that the addition of TG can significantly improve the physical and mechanical properties of protein-based films, mainly improving their water resistance, barrier, mechanical and thermal properties. It is worth noting that the effect of TG on the properties of protein-based films is not only related to the concentration of TG added, but also related to CL temperature and other factors. Moreover, TG can also be used in combination with other strategies to improve the properties of protein-based films.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study is to evaluate the safety and outcomes of corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) and different CXL protocols in progressive keratoconus (PK) population at short and long-term.
METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted. A total of eight literature databases were searched (up to February 15, 2022). Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing CXL versus placebo/control or comparing different CXL protocols in the PK population were included. The primary objective was assessment of outcomes of CXL versus placebo and comparison of different CXL protocols in terms of maximum keratometry (Kmax) or Kmax change from baseline (Δ), spherical equivalent, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and central corneal thickness (CCT) in both at short term (6 months) and long term (1st, 2nd, and 3rd year or more). The secondary objective was comparative evaluation of safety. For the meta-analysis, the RevMan5.3 software was used.
RESULTS: A total of 48 RCTs were included. Compared to control, CXL was associated with improvement in Δ Kmax at 1 year (4 RCTs, mean difference [MD], -1.78 [-2.71, -0.86], P = 0.0002) and 2 and 3 years (1 RCT); ΔBCVA at 1 year (7 RCTs, -0.10 [-0.14, -0.06], P < 0.00001); and Δ CCT at 1 year (2 RCTs) and 3 years (1 RCT). Compared to conventional CXL (C-CXL), deterioration in Δ Kmax, ΔBCVA and endothelial cell density was seen at long term in the transepithelial CXL (TE-CXL, chemical enhancer). Up to 2 years, there was no difference between TE-CXL using iontophoresis (T-ionto) and C-CXL. At 2 and 4 years, C-CXL performed better compared to accelerated CXL (A-CXL) in terms of improving Kmax. Although CCT was higher in the A-CXL arm at 2 years, there was no difference at 4 years. While exploring heterogeneity among studies, selection of control eye (fellow eye of the same patient vs. eye of different patient) and baseline difference in Kmax were important sources of heterogeneity.
CONCLUSIONS: CXL outperforms placebo/control in terms of enhancing Kmax and CCT, as well as slowing disease progression over time (till 3 years). T-ionto protocol, on the other hand, performed similarly to C-CXL protocol up to 2 years.

As the plant-based food market grows, demand for plant protein is also increasing. Proteins are a major component in foods and are key to developing desired structures and textures. Seed storage proteins are the main plant proteins in the human diet. They are abundant in, for example, legumes or defatted oilseeds, which makes them an excellent candidate to use in the development of novel plant-based foods. However, they often have low and inflexible functionalities, as in nature they are designed to remain densely packed and inert within cell walls until they are needed during germination. Enzymes are often used by the food industry, for example, in the production of cheese or beer, to modify ingredient properties. Although they currently have limited applications in plant proteins, interest in the area is exponentially increasing. The present review first considers the current state and potential of enzyme utilization related to plant proteins, including uses in protein extraction and post-extraction modifications. Then, relevant opportunities and challenges are critically discussed. The main challenges relate to the knowledge gap, the high cost of enzymes, and the complexity of plant proteins as substrates. The overall aim of this review is to increase awareness, highlight challenges, and explore ways to address them.

Climate change and water are inseparably connected. Extreme weather events cause water to become more scarce, polluted, and erratic than ever. Therefore, we urgently need to develop solutions to reduce water contamination. This review intends to demonstrate that pectin-based materials are an excellent route to detect and mitigate pollutants from water, with several benefits. Pectin is a biodegradable polymer, extractable from vegetables, and contains several hydroxyl and carboxyl groups that can easily interact with the contaminant ions. In addition, pectin-based materials can be prepared in different forms (films, hydrogels, or beads) and cross-linked with several agents to change their molecular structure. Consequently, the pectin-based adsorbents can be tuned to remove diverse pollutants. Here, we will summarize the existing water remediation technologies highlighting adsorption as the ideal method. Then, the focus will be on the chemical structure of pectin and, from a historical perspective, on its structure after applying different cross-linking methods. Finally, we will review the application of pectin as an adsorbent of water pollutants considering the pectin of low degree methoxylation.

The development of enzyme biosensors has successfully overcome various challenges such as enzyme instability, loss of enzyme activity or long response time. In the electroanalytical field, tyrosinase is used to develop biosensors that exploit its ability to catalyze the oxidation of numerous types of phenolic compounds with antioxidant and neurotransmitter roles. This review critically examines the main tyrosinase immobilization techniques for the development of sensitive electrochemical biosensors. Immobilization strategies are mainly classified according to the degree of reversibility/irreversibility of enzyme binding to the support material. Each tyrosinase immobilization method has advantages and limitations, and its selection depends mainly on the type of support electrode, electrode-modifying nanomaterials, cross-linking agent or surfactants used. Tyrosinase immobilization by cross-linking is characterized by very frequent use with outstanding performance of the developed biosensors. Additionally, research in recent years has focused on new immobilization strategies involving cross-linking, such as cross-linked enzyme aggregates (CLEAs) and magnetic cross-linked enzyme aggregates (mCLEAs). Therefore, it can be considered that cross-linking immobilization is the most feasible and economical approach, also providing the possibility of selecting the reagents used and the order of the immobilization steps, which favor the enhancement of biosensor performance characteristics.