Network of cyano-p-aramid nanofibres creates ultrastiff and water-rich hydrospongels.

The structure-property paradox of biological tissues, in which water-rich porous structures efficiently transfer mass while remaining highly mechanically stiff, remains unsolved. Although hydrogel/sponge hybridization is the key to understanding this phenomenon, material incompatibility makes this a challenging task. Here we describe hydrogel/sponge hybrids (hydrospongels) that behave as both ultrastiff water-rich gels and reversibly squeezable sponges. The self-organizing network of cyano-p-aramid nanofibres holds approximately 5,000 times more water than its solid content. Hydrospongels, even at a water concentration exceeding 90 wt%, are hard as cartilage with an elastic modulus of 50-80 MPa, and are 10-1,000 times stiffer than typical hydrogels. They endure a compressive strain above 85% through poroelastic relaxation and hydrothermal pressure at 120 °C. This performance is produced by amphiphilic surfaces, high rigidity and an interfibrillar, interaction-driven percolating network of nanofibres. These features can inspire the development of future biofunctional materials.

Effects of Loganin on Bone Formation and Resorption In Vitro and In Vivo.

Osteoporosis is a disease caused by impaired bone remodeling that is especially prevalent in elderly and postmenopausal women. Although numerous chemical agents have been developed to prevent osteoporosis, arguments remain regarding their side effects. Here, we demonstrated the effects of loganin, a single bioactive compound isolated from Cornus officinalis, on osteoblast and osteoclast differentiation in vitro and on ovariectomy (OVX)-induced osteoporosis in mice in vivo. Loganin treatment increased the differentiation of mouse preosteoblast cells into osteoblasts and suppressed osteoclast differentiation in primary monocytes by regulating the mRNA expression levels of differentiation markers. Similar results were obtained in an osteoblast-osteoclast co-culture system, which showed that loganin enhanced alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and reduced TRAP activity. In in vivo experiments, the oral administration of loganin prevented the OVX-induced loss of bone mineral density (BMD) and microstructure in mice and improved bone parameters. In addition, loganin significantly increased the serum OPG/RANKL ratio and promoted osteogenic activity during bone remodeling. Our findings suggest that loganin could be used as an alternative treatment to protect against osteoporosis.

Controlled Phase Separation in Poly( p-phenyleneethynylene) Thin Films and Its Relationship to Vapor-Sensing Properties.

In this paper, we report the synthesis and mesoporous film formation of hydrophobic rodlike poly( p-phenyleneethynylene)s (PPEs) and present porosity-dependent quenching studies using 1,3,5-trinitrotoluene (TNT) vapors. Nonsolvent vapor-induced phase separation was used to induce pore formation during film casting, and the concentration of PPEs in the casting solution was controlled carefully to prevent excimer formation. We found that the structures of the sidechains of the PPEs strongly influence the range of relative humidity at which controlled pore generation occurs, which could be rationalized from interfacial energies calculated from contact angle measurements. Porosity of the PPE films resulted in increased efficiency of fluorescence quenching toward TNT vapors, which previously required very thin films (below 5 nm) for sensing applications. The control of the porous structure as well as film thickness constitutes a promising strategy for enhancing the efficiency of chemosensors and in more general applications requiring fine-tuned polymer-gas interactions.

Papaver nudicaule (Iceland poppy) alleviates lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation through inactivating NF-κB and STAT3.

BACKGROUND: Papaver nudicaule belongs to the Papaveraceae family, which is planted as an annual herbaceous species generally for ornamental purpose. Papaver rhoeas in the same family has been reported to have various pharmacological activities such as antioxidant and analgesic effects. In contrast, little is known about the pharmacological activity of Papaver nudicaule. In this study, the anti-inflammatory activity of Papaver nudicaule extracts and the action mechanisms were investigated in RAW264.7 macrophage cells. METHODS: To investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of five cultivars of Papaver nudicaule with different flower color, samples were collected from their aerial parts at two growth stages (60 and 90 days) and their ethanol extracts were evaluated in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated RAW264.7 cells by measuring nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) levels. Interleukin 1-beta (IL-1ß), Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) production were also analyzed by RT-PCR and multiplex assays. Nuclear Factor-kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) and Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathways were examined using western blotting and luciferase reporter assays to reveal the action mechanism of Papaver nudicaule extracts in their anti-inflammatory activity. RESULTS: All of the Papaver nudicaule extracts were effective in reducing the LPS-induced NO, which is an important inflammatory mediator, and the extract of Papaver nudicaule with white flower collected at 90 days (NW90) was selected for further experiments because of the best effect on reducing the LPS-induced NO as well as no toxicity. NW90 lowered the LPS-induced PGE2 level and decreased the LPS-induced Nitric oxide synthase 2 (NOS2) and Cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2). In addition, NW90 reduced the LPS-induced inflammatory cytokines, IL-1ß and IL-6. Furthermore, NW90 inhibited the LPS-induced activation of NF-κB and STAT3. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that NW90 may restrain inflammation by inhibiting NF-κB and STAT3, suggesting the potential therapeutic properties of Papaver nudicaule against inflammatory disease.

Temperature-Controllable Hydrogels in Double-Walled Microtube Structure Prepared by Using a Triple Channel Microfluidic System.

Hydrogels in the shape of double-walled microtubes possess great potential for development into artificial human blood vessels. In this work, we have prepared temperature-responsive tubular hydrogels with selectively controllable wall diameters, by using alginate templated photopolymerization in a triple channel microfluidic device. These tubular hydrogels mimic human blood vessels because of the separate thermally active inner and passive outer walls. The different behavior of each wall leads to the expansion of the hollow center volume with increasing temperature. This temperature-based control of the hollow center volume cannot be achieved in the case of conventional hydrogel microtubes. Furthermore, through this method, the hydrogels can be modified to achieve a controllable outer diameter while maintaining the hollow center dimensions simply by changing the position of the hydrogel walls. The ability to change the layer properties of the developed system indicates that the preparation of hydrogels with various monomers is possible.

Microfluidic Fabrication of Multistimuli-Responsive Tubular Hydrogels for Cellular Scaffolds.

Stimuli-responsive hydrogel microfibers and microtubes are in great demand for biomedical applications due to their similarity to the native extracellular matrix. In this study, we prepared pH- and temperature-responsive hydrogel microfibers and microtubes using a microfluidic device through alginate-templated photopolymerization. Hydrogel monomer solutions containing N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAm) and sodium acrylate (SA) or allyl amine (AA) were irradiated with UV light to invoke in situ photopolymerization. A repulsive force between the ionized SA or AA groups caused by protonation/deprotonation of the acrylate or amine groups, respectively, led to changes in the diameters and wall thicknesses of the fibers and/or tubes depending on the pH of the medium. Poly(NIPAm) is a well-known thermally responsive polymer wherein the NIPAm-based copolymer microfibers exhibited a thermal behavior close to the lower critical solution temperature. We have demonstrated that these multistimuli-responsive volume changes are fully reversible and repeatable. Furthermore, the positively charged microfibers were shown to exhibit cell adhesion, and the number of cells attached to the microfibers could be further increased by supplying nutrients, presenting the possibility of their application in tissue engineering and other biomedical fields.

Tuning of volume phase transition for poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) ionogels by copolymerization with solvatophilic monomers.

Ionogels are crosslinked polymer networks that swell in ionic liquids (ILs) and exhibit high conductivity and chemical stability. Combined with a representative thermally responsive polymer, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm), previously studied ionogels fulfilled the requirements for smart responsive materials, but their transition temperature in hydrophobic ILs exceeded that which could be used for practical applications. In this study, we prepared transition temperature tunable ionogels via copolymerization of NIPAm with solvatophilic N,N'-diethylacrylamide (NDEAm). The hydrophobic diethyl moiety in NDEAm promoted ionogel solvatophilicity toward the IL, resulting in a larger swelling ratio, lower volume phase transition temperature, and narrower transition range with increase in NDEAm content in the prepared ionogels. Based on these fundamental observations, ionogels that exhibit a volume phase transition near room temperature were prepared. We also studied the swelling and deswelling kinetics of the prepared ionogels, revealing that the deswelling rate is much slower than swelling due to the formation of a dense skin layer on the ionogel surface.

Identification and metabolite profiling of alkaloids in aerial parts of Papaver rhoeas by liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry.

Papaver plants can produce diverse bioactive alkaloids. Papaver rhoeas Linnaeus (common poppy or corn poppy) is an annual flowering medicinal plant used for treating cough, sleep disorder, and as a sedative, pain reliever, and food. It contains various powerful alkaloids like rhoeadine, benzylisoquinoline, and proaporphine. To investigate and identify alkaloids in the aerial parts of P. rhoeas, samples were collected at different growth stages and analyzed using liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry. A liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry method was developed for the identification and metabolite profiling of alkaloids for P. rhoeas by comparing with Papaver somniferum. Eighteen alkaloids involved in benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis were used to optimize the liquid chromatography gradient and mass spectrometry conditions. Fifty-five alkaloids, including protoberberine, benzylisoquinoline, aporphine, benzophenanthridine, and rhoeadine-type alkaloids, were identified authentically or tentatively by liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry in samples taken during various growth stages. Rhoeadine alkaloids were observed only in P. rhoeas samples, and codeine and morphine were tentatively identified in P. somniferum. The liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry method can be a powerful tool for the identification of diverse metabolites in the genus Papaver. These results may help understand the biosynthesis of alkaloids in P. rhoeas and evaluate the quality of this plant for possible medicinal applications.

Transcriptome Profiling of Two Ornamental and Medicinal Papaver Herbs.

The Papaver spp. (Papaver rhoeas (Corn poppy) and Papaver nudicaule (Iceland poppy)) genera are ornamental and medicinal plants that are used for the isolation of alkaloid drugs. In this study, we generated 700 Mb of transcriptome sequences with the PacBio platform. They were assembled into 120,926 contigs, and 1185 (82.2%) of the benchmarking universal single-copy orthologs (BUSCO) core genes were completely present in our assembled transcriptome. Furthermore, using 128 Gb of Illumina sequences, the transcript expression was assessed at three stages of Papaver plant development (30, 60, and 90 days), from which we identified 137 differentially expressed transcripts. Furthermore, three co-occurrence heat maps are generated from 51 different plant genomes along with the Papaver transcriptome, i.e., secondary metabolite biosynthesis, isoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis (BIA) pathway, and cytochrome. Sixty-nine transcripts in the BIA pathway along with 22 different alkaloids (quantified with LC-QTOF-MS/MS) were mapped into the BIA KEGG map (map00950). Finally, we identified 39 full-length cytochrome transcripts and compared them with other genomes. Collectively, this transcriptome data, along with the expression and quantitative metabolite profiles, provides an initial recording of secondary metabolites and their expression related to Papaver plant development. Moreover, these profiles could help to further detail the functional characterization of the various secondary metabolite biosynthesis and Papaver plant development associated problems.

Assessing psychological flexibility in patients with chronic pain: the Korean adaptation of the Brief Pain Response Inventory.

PURPOSE: This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Korean version of the Brief Pain Response Inventory (K-BPRI) regarding patients with chronic pain. METHODS: This study employed a retrospective survey design. One hundred sixty-four Korean patients with chronic pain participated in the study. Construct validity was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis and Pearson correlation. Internal consistency reliability, test-retest reliability, and measurement error were examined using Cronbach's α, the inter-item correlation coefficients, and the item-total correlation coefficients; the intra-class correlation coefficient; and the standard error of measurements, respectively. RESULTS: Confirmatory factory analysis showed the best fit to the data for the adjusted two-factor structure of the K-BPRI. The K-BPRI demonstrated good internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Measurement errors for the K-BPRI and subscale scores were standard error of measurements = 5.74, 5.63, and 10.26, respectively, and minimum detectable change = 15.86, 15.56, and 28.35, respectively. Weak-to-moderate negative correlations were observed between the K-BPRI and the numerical rating scale for pain intensity and the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale, and moderately positive correlations were observed between the K-BPRI and Short Form-12. CONCLUSION: This study provided evidence for the psychometric properties of the K-BPRI, suggesting that it can be a brief and efficient instrument for measuring psychological flexibility in coping with chronic pain.

Progression and Management of Duodenal Neoplasia in Familial Adenomatous Polyposis: A Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the natural history and outcomes of surveillance of duodenal neoplasia in familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). BACKGROUND: Duodenal cancer is the most common cause of death in FAP. METHODS: Cohort study of patients prospectively enrolled in an upper endoscopic surveillance protocol from 1982 to 2012. The duodenum was assessed by side-viewing endoscopy and classified as stage 1 to 5 disease. Endoscopic and/or operative interventions were performed according to stage. RESULTS: There were 218 patients in the protocol (98 with advanced stage). They had a median of 9 endoscopies (range: 2-25) over a median of 11 years (range: 1-26). Median age at diagnosis of stage 3 disease (adenoma: 2.1-10 mm) was 41 years and stage 4 disease (adenoma >10 mm) was 45 years. Median time from first esophagogastroduodenoscopy to stage 4 disease was 22.4 years. The risk of stage 4 disease was 34.3% [95% confidence interval (CI) 23.8-43.4] at 15 years. In multivariate analysis, sex, type of colorectal surgery, years since colorectal surgery, and stage were significantly associated with risk of progression to stage 4 disease. Five of 218 (2.3%) patients developed duodenal cancer at median age of 58 years (range: 51-65). The risk of developing duodenal cancer was 2.1% (95% CI: 0-5.2) at 15 years. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with advanced duodenal polyposis progress in the severity of disease (size and degree of dysplasia); however, the rate of progression to carcinoma is slow. Aggressive endoscopic and surgical intervention, especially in the presence of large polyps and high-grade dysplasia, appears to be effective in preventing cancer deaths in FAP.

Engineering intelligent chassis cells via recombinase-based MEMORY circuits.

Synthetic biologists seek to engineer intelligent living systems capable of decision-making, communication, and memory. Separate technologies exist for each tenet of intelligence; however, the unification of all three properties in a living system has not been achieved. Here, we engineer completely intelligent Escherichia coli strains that harbor six orthogonal and inducible genome-integrated recombinases, forming Molecularly Encoded Memory via an Orthogonal Recombinase arraY (MEMORY). MEMORY chassis cells facilitate intelligence via the discrete multi-input regulation of recombinase functions enabling inheritable DNA inversions, deletions, and genomic insertions. MEMORY cells can achieve programmable and permanent gain (or loss) of functions extrachromosomally or from a specific genomic locus, without the loss or modification of the MEMORY platform - enabling the sequential programming and reprogramming of DNA circuits within the cell. We demonstrate all three tenets of intelligence via a probiotic (Nissle 1917) MEMORY strain capable of information exchange with the gastrointestinal commensal Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron.

Effect of epichlorohydrin treatment on the coating process and performance of high-barrier paper packaging.

The fabrication of coated papers using hydrophilic and biodegradable polymers is important for developing sustainable packaging materials with high barrier and superior mechanical properties. However, water, which is used as the solvent in the paper coating process using hydrophilic polymers, deforms the shape of the paper and deteriorates performance. Therefore, we propose a new coating process that treats Kraft paper (KP) with epichlorohydrin (ECH) as a binder before the coating process. Crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol is coated on the ECH-treated KP using a solution casting method. ECH maintains the shape of the paper and improves coating uniformity; significantly enhances interfacial interactions, which increases barrier properties and sealing strength; and extends the shelf life of biscuits by reducing oxygen and moisture permeability. An ecotoxicity test using Lolium multiflorum demonstrates an insignificant phytotoxicity level for the as-prepared coated papers. Thus, ECH-treated KP is a potential candidate for high-barrier food packaging.

Visible-Light Communication with Lighting: RGB Wavelength Division Multiplexing OLEDs/OPDs Platform.

A multichannel/multicolor visible light communication (VLC) system using entirely organic components, including organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) and organic photodiodes (OPDs), is developed to demonstrate indoor lighting applications where the integration of OLEDs and OPDs has significant potential. To achieve this, tricolor (Red/Green/Blue(R/G/B))-selective OPD arrays for the receiver and tricolor OLED arrays for the emitter are developed. For (R/G/B)-selective OPDs, a Fabry-Pérot electrode to enhance color selectivity and a thick junction structure to effectively accommodate a wide range of driving voltages are introduced. For tricolor OLEDs, fluorescent-emitting materials are used to enhance the operating frequency in addition to introducing a cavity structure to achieve narrow emission. Utilizing these spectrally refined tricolor OPDs/OLEDs, a VLC system is designed for indoor lighting applications, and a systematic analysis of their signal-to-interference ratio dependence on the distance or angle between the transmitter and receiver is performed. The study's findings indicate the importance of emission angle-dependent wavelength shift of the OLED and the luminosity function, which varies with wavelength, in the R/G/B mixed-white-light-based VLC systems. Finally, the feasibility of VLC using tricolor OPDs/OLEDs in the real-life context of indoor white-color lighting is demonstrated, showing that the transmitted data patterns well-matched the received data patterns.

Advancing Fab-Compatible Color-Selective Organic Photodiodes: Tailored Molecular Design and Nanointerlayers.

High-performance organic photodiodes (OPDs) and OPD-based image sensors are primarily realized using solution processes based on various additives and coating methods. However, vacuum-processed OPDs, which are more compatible with large-scale production, have received little attention, thereby hindering their integration into advanced systems. This study introduces innovations in the material and device structures to prepare superior vacuum-processed OPDs for commercial applications. A series of vacuum-processable, low-cost p-type semiconductors is developed by introducing an electron-rich cyclopentadithiophene core containing various electron-accepting moieties to fine-tune the energy levels without any significant structural or molecular weight changes. An additional nanointerlayer strategy is used to control the crystalline orientation of the upper-deposited photoactive layer, compensating for device performance reduction in inverted, top-illuminated OPDs. These approaches yielded an external quantum efficiency of 70% and a specific detectivity of 2.0 × 1012 Jones in the inverted structures, which are vital for commercial applications. These OPDs enabled visible-light communications with extremely low bit error rates and successful X-ray image capture.

Self-Mixed Biphasic Liquid Metal Composite with Ultra-High Stretchability and Strain-Insensitivity for Neuromorphic Circuits.

Neuromorphic circuits that can function under extreme deformations are important for various data-driven wearable and robotic applications. Herein, biphasic liquid metal particle (BMP) with unprecedented stretchability and strain-insensitivity (ΔR/R0 = 1.4@ 1200% strain) is developed to realize a stretchable neuromorphic circuit that mimics a spike-based biologic sensory system. The BMP consists of liquid metal particles (LMPs) and rigid liquid metal particles (RLMPs), which are homogeneously mixed via spontaneous solutal-Marangoni mixing flow during coating. This permits facile single step patterning directly on various substrates at room temperature. BMP is highly conductive (2.3 × 106 S/m) without any post activation steps. BMP interconnects are utilized for a sensory system, which is capable of distinguishing variations of biaxial strains with a spiking neural network, thus demonstrating their potential for various sensing and signal processing applications.

Preparation and Characterization of Sodium Caseinate-Coated Papers Based on Glycerol and Sorbitol Contents for Packaging Application.

Bio-based packaging materials are promising alternatives to petroleum-based plastics. Paper-based packaging materials are candidates for improving food sustainability; however, paper has poor gas and water vapor barrier properties. In this study, entirely bio-based sodium caseinate (CasNa)-coated papers with two plasticizers, glycerol (GY) and sorbitol (SO), were prepared. The morphological and chemical structure, burst strength, tensile strength, elongation at break, air permeability, surface properties, and thermal stability of the pristine CasNa-, CasNa/GY-, and CasNa/SO-coated papers were evaluated. The use of GY and SO strongly affected the tensile strength, elongation at break, and air barrier of the CasNa/GY- and CasNa/SO-coated paper. The air barrier and flexibility of the CasNa/GY-coated papers were higher than those of the CasNa/SO-coated papers. Compared to SO, GY better coated and penetrated the CasNa matrix, which positively affected the chemical and morphological structure of the coating layer and the interaction between the coating layer and paper. Overall, CasNa/GY was superior to the CasNa/SO coating. CasNa/GY-coated papers may be a good alternative for packaging materials in the food, medical, and electronic sectors, which would promote sustainability.

Next generation synthetic memory via intercepting recombinase function.

Here we present a technology to facilitate synthetic memory in a living system via repurposing Transcriptional Programming (i.e., our decision-making technology) parts, to regulate (intercept) recombinase function post-translation. We show that interception synthetic memory can facilitate programmable loss-of-function via site-specific deletion, programmable gain-of-function by way of site-specific inversion, and synthetic memory operations with nested Boolean logical operations. We can expand interception synthetic memory capacity more than 5-fold for a single recombinase, with reconfiguration specificity for multiple sites in parallel. Interception synthetic memory is ~10-times faster than previous generations of recombinase-based memory. We posit that the faster recombination speed of our next-generation memory technology is due to the post-translational regulation of recombinase function. This iteration of synthetic memory is complementary to decision-making via Transcriptional Programming - thus can be used to develop intelligent synthetic biological systems for myriad applications.

Extracorporeal circulation models in small animals: beyond the limits of preclinical research.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) use has remarkably increased in recent years. Although ECMO has become essential for patients with refractory cardiac and respiratory failure, extracorporeal circulation (ECC) is associated with significant complications. Small-animal models of ECC have been developed and widely used to better understand ECC-induced pathophysiology. This review article summarizes the development of small-animal ECC models, including the animal species, circuit configuration, priming, perioperative procedures, cannulation, and future perspectives of small-animal ECMO models.

Abdominal compartment syndrome in critically ill patients.

Intra-abdominal hypertension can have severe consequences, including abdominal compartment syndrome, which can contribute to multi-organ failure. An increase in intra-abdominal hypertension is influenced by factors such as diminished abdominal wall compliance, increased intraluminal content, and certain systemic conditions. Regular measurement of intra-abdominal pressure is essential, and particular attention must be paid to patient positioning. Nonsurgical treatments, such as decompression of intraluminal content using a nasogastric tube, percutaneous drainage, and fluid balance optimization, play crucial roles. Additionally, point-of-care ultrasonography aids in the diagnosis and treatment of intra-abdominal hypertension. Emphasizing the importance of regular measurements, timely decompressive laparotomy is a definitive, but complex, treatment option. Balancing the urgency of surgical intervention against potential postoperative complications is challenging.