Traumatic brain injury heterogeneity affects cell death and autophagy.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) mechanism and severity are heterogenous clinically, resulting in a multitude of physical, cognitive, and behavioral deficits. Impact variability influences the origin, spread, and classification of molecular dysfunction which limits strategies for comprehensive clinical intervention. Indeed, there are currently no clinically approved therapeutics for treating the secondary consequences associated with TBI. Thus, examining pathophysiological changes from heterogeneous impacts is imperative for improving clinical translation and evaluating the efficacy of potential therapeutic strategies. Here we utilized TBI models that varied in both injury mechanism and severity including severe traditional controlled cortical impact (CCI), modified mild CCI (MTBI), and multiple severities of closed-head diffuse TBI (DTBI), and assessed pathophysiological changes. Severe CCI induced cortical lesions and necrosis, while both MTBI and DTBI lacked lesions or significant necrotic damage. Autophagy was activated in the ipsilateral cortex following CCI, but acutely impaired in the ipsilateral hippocampus. Additionally, autophagy was activated in the cortex following DTBI, and autophagic impairment was observed in either the cortex or hippocampus following impact from each DTBI severity. Thus, we provide evidence that autophagy is a therapeutic target for both mild and severe TBI. However, dramatic increases in necrosis following CCI may negatively impact the clinical translatability of therapeutics designed to treat acute dysfunction in TBI. Overall, these results provide evidence that injury sequalae affiliated with TBI heterogeneity is linked through autophagy activation and/or impaired autophagic flux. Thus, therapeutic strategies designed to intervene in autophagy may alleviate pathophysiological consequences, in addition to the cognitive and behavioral deficits observed in TBI.

Lightweight, Thermally Conductive Liquid Metal Elastomer Composite with Independently Controllable Thermal Conductivity and Density.

Lightweight and elastically deformable soft materials that are thermally conductive are critical for emerging applications in wearable computing, soft robotics, and thermoregulatory garments. To overcome the fundamental heat transport limitations in soft materials, room temperature liquid metal (LM) has been dispersed in elastomer that results in soft and deformable materials with unprecedented thermal conductivity. However, the high density of LMs (>6 g cm-3 ) and the typically high loading (⩾85 wt%) required to achieve the desired properties contribute to the high density of these elastomer composites, which can be problematic for large-area, weight-sensitive applications. Here, the relationship between the properties of the LM filler and elastomer composite is systematically studied. Experiments reveal that a multiphase LM inclusion with a low-density phase can achieve independent control of the density and thermal conductivity of the elastomer composite. Quantitative design maps of composite density and thermal conductivity are constructed to rationally guide the selection of filler properties and material composition. This new multiphase material architecture provides a method to fine-tune material composition to independently control material and functional properties of soft materials for large-area and weight-sensitive applications.

Magnetic Patterning of Vorticella convallaria in a Microfluidic Device.

We describe an inexpensive magnetic cell patterning method as a tool for protozoologists. The ciliate Vorticella convallaria is useful for various biofluidics applications. Here, we show that V. convallaria will ingest metal beads and that permanent magnets can be used to pattern cells in Petri dishes or a microfluidic device. Patterning is reversibly achieved by placing magnets at the point of desired cell attachment. Analogous magnetic manipulation could be performed using other phagocytic cells.

Stalk-length-dependence of the contractility of Vorticella convallaria.

Vorticella convallaria is a sessile protozoan of which the spasmoneme contracts on a millisecond timescale. Because this contraction is induced and powered by the binding of calcium ions (Ca2+), the spasmoneme showcases Ca2+-powered cellular motility. Because the isometric tension of V. convallaria increases linearly with its stalk length, it is hypothesized that the contractility of V. convallaria during unhindered contraction depends on the stalk length. In this study, the contractile force and energetics of V. convallaria cells of different stalk lengths were evaluated using a fluid dynamic drag model which accounts for the unsteadiness and finite Reynolds number of the water flow caused by contracting V. convallaria and the wall effect of the no-slip substrate. It was found that the contraction displacement, peak contraction speed, peak contractile force, total mechanical work, and peak power depended on the stalk length. The observed stalk-length-dependencies were simulated using a damped spring model, and the model estimated that the average spring constant of the contracting stalk was 1.34 nN µm-1. These observed length-dependencies of Vorticella's key contractility parameters reflect the biophysical mechanism of the spasmonemal contraction, and thus they should be considered in developing a theoretical model of the Vorticella spasmoneme.

A Validation Study of the Repeatability and Accuracy of Atomic Force Microscopy Indentation Using Polyacrylamide Gels and Colloidal Probes.

The elasticity of soft biological materials is a critical property to understand their biomechanical behaviors. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) indentation method has been widely employed to measure the Young's modulus (E) of such materials. Although the accuracy of the method has been recently evaluated based on comparisons with macroscale E measurements, the repeatability of the method has yet to be validated for rigorous biomechanical studies of soft elastic materials. We tested the AFM indentation method using colloidal probes and polyacrylamide (PAAM) gels of E < 20 kPa as a model soft elastic material after having identified optimal trigger force and probe speed. AFM indentations repeated with time intervals show that the method is well repeatable when performed carefully. Compared with the rheometric method and the confocal microscopy indentation method, the AFM indentation method is evaluated to have comparable accuracy and better precision, although these elasticity measurements appear to rely on the compositions of PAAM gels and the length scale of measurement. Therefore, we have confirmed that the AFM indentation method can reliably measure the elasticity of soft elastic materials.

Three-Dimensional Confocal Microscopy Indentation Method for Hydrogel Elasticity Measurement.

The stiffness of the extracellular matrix (ECM) plays an important role in controlling cell functions. As an alternative to the ECM, hydrogels of tunable elasticity are widely used for in vitro cell mechanobiology studies. Therefore, characterizing the Young's modulus of the hydrogel substrate is crucial. In this paper, we propose a confocal microscopy indentation method for measuring the elasticity of polyacrylamide gel as a model hydrogel. Our new indentation method is based on three-dimensional imaging of the indented gel using confocal microscopy and automated image processing to measure indentation depth from the three-dimensional image stack. We tested and validated our method by indenting polyacrylamide gels of different rigidities with various sphere indentors and by comparing it with the rheometric method. Our measurements show consistent results regardless of the type of the indentors and agree with rheometric measurements. Therefore, the proposed confocal microscopy indentation method can accurately measure the stiffness of hydrogels.

Convection-Enhanced Drug Delivery: Experimental and Analytical Studies of Infusion Behavior in an In Vitro Brain Surrogate.

Convection-enhanced drug delivery (CED) directly infuses drugs with a large molecular weight toward target cells as a therapeutic strategy for neurodegenerative diseases and brain cancers. Despite the success of many previous in vitro experiments on CED, challenges still remain. In particular, a theoretical predictive model is needed to form a basis for treatment planning, and developing such a model requires well-controlled injection tests that can rigorously capture the convective (advective) and diffusive transport of an infusate. For this purpose, we investigated the advection-diffusion transport of an infusate (bromophenol blue solution) in the brain surrogate (0.2% w/w agarose gel) at different injection rates, ranging from 0.25 to 4 µL/min, by closely monitoring changes in the color intensity, propagation distance, and injection pressures. One dimensional closed-form solution was examined with two variable sets, such as the mathematically calculated coefficient of molecular diffusion and average velocity, and the hydraulic dispersion coefficient and seepage velocity by the least squared method. As a result, the seepage velocity was greater than the average velocity to some extent, particularly for the later infusion times. The poroelastic deformation in the brain surrogate might lead to changes in porosity, and consequently, slight increases in the actual flow velocity as infusion continues. The limitation of efficiency of the single catheter was analyzed by dimensionless analysis. Lastly, this study suggests a simple but robust approach that can properly capture the convective (advective) and diffusive transport of an infusate in an in vitro brain surrogate via well-controlled injection tests.

A new angle on microscopic suspension feeders near boundaries.

Microscopic sessile suspension feeders are a critical component in aquatic ecosystems, acting as an intermediate trophic stage between bacteria and higher eukaryotic taxa. Because they live attached to boundaries, it has long been thought that recirculation of the feeding currents produced by sessile suspension feeders inhibits their ability to access fresh fluid. However, previous models for the feeding flows of these organisms assume that they feed by pushing fluid perpendicular to surfaces they live upon, whereas we observe that sessile suspension feeders often feed at an angle to these boundaries. Using experiments and calculations, we show that living suspension feeders (Vorticella) likely actively regulate the angle that they feed relative to a substratum. We then use theory and simulations to show that angled feeding increases nutrient and particle uptake by reducing the reprocessing of depleted water. This work resolves an open question of how a key class of suspension-feeding organisms escapes physical limitations associated with their sessile lifestyle.

Experimental Study: The Effect of Pore Shape, Geometrical Heterogeneity, and Flow Rate on the Repetitive Two-Phase Fluid Transport in Microfluidic Porous Media.

Geologic subsurface energy storage, such as porous-media compressed-air energy storage (PM-CAES) and underground hydrogen storage (UHS), involves the multi-phase fluid transport in structurally disordered or heterogeneous porous media (e.g., soils and rocks). Furthermore, such multi-phase fluid transport is likely to repeatedly occur due to successive fluid injections and extractions, thus, resulting in cyclic drainage-imbibition processes. To complement our preceding study, we conducted a follow-up study with microfluidic pore-network devices with a square solid shape (Type II) to further advance our understanding on the effect of the pore shape (aspect ratio, Type I: 5-6 > Type II: ~1), pore-space heterogeneity (coefficient of variation, COV = 0, 0.25, and 0.5), and flow rates (Q = 0.01 and 0.1 mL/min) on the repetitive two-phase fluid flow in general porous media. The influence of pore shape and pore-space heterogeneity were observed to be more prominent when the flow rate was low (e.g., Q = 0.01 mL/min in this study) on the examined outcomes, including the drainage and imbibition patterns, the similarity of those patterns between repeated steps, the sweep efficiency and residual saturation of the nonwetting fluid, and fluid pressure. On the other hand, a higher flow rate (e.g., Q = 0.1 mL/min in this study) appeared to outweigh those factors for the Type II structure, owing to the low aspect ratio (~1). It was also suggested that the flow morphology, sweep efficiency, residual saturation, and required pressure gradient may not severely fluctuate during the repeated drainage--imbibition processes; instead, becoming stabilized after 4-5 cycles, regardless of the aspect ratio, COV, and Q. Implications of the study results for PM-CAES and UHS are discussed as a complementary analysis at the end of this manuscript.

A Review on the Coalescence of Confined Drops with a Focus on Scaling Laws for the Growth of the Liquid Bridge.

The surface-tension-driven coalescence of drops has been extensively studied because of the omnipresence of the phenomenon and its significance in various natural and engineering systems. When two drops come into contact, a liquid bridge is formed between them and then grows in its lateral dimensions. As a result, the two drops merge to become a bigger drop. The growth dynamics of the bridge are governed by a balance between the driving force and the viscous and inertial resistances of involved liquids, and it is usually represented by power-law scaling relations on the temporal evolution of the bridge dimension. Such scaling laws have been well-characterized for the coalescence of unconfined or freely suspended drops. However, drops are often confined by solid or liquid surfaces and thus are a different shape from spheres, which affects their coalescence dynamics. As such, the coalescence of confined drops poses more complicated interfacial fluid dynamics challenges compared to that of unconfined drops. Although there have been several studies on the coalescence of confined drops, they have not been systematically reviewed in terms of the properties and geometry of the confining surface. Thus, we aim to review the current literature on the coalescence of confined drops in three categories: drop coalescence on a solid surface, drop coalescence on a deformable surface, and drop coalescence between two parallel surfaces with a small gap (i.e., Hele-Shaw cell), with a focus on power-law scaling relations, and to suggest challenges and outlooks for future research on the phenomena.

Co-culture models of endothelial cells, macrophages, and vascular smooth muscle cells for the study of the natural history of atherosclerosis.

BACKGROUND: This work aims to present a fast, affordable, and reproducible three-cell co-culture system that could represent the different cellular mechanisms of atherosclerosis, extending from atherogenesis to pathological intimal thickening. METHODS AND RESULTS: We built four culture models: (i) Culture model #1 (representing normal arterial intima), where human coronary artery endothelial cells were added on top of Matrigel-coated collagen type I matrix, (ii) Culture model #2 (representing atherogenesis), which demonstrated the subendothelial accumulation and oxidative modification of low-density lipoproteins (LDL), (iii) Culture model #3 (representing intimal xanthomas), which demonstrated the monocyte adhesion to the endothelial cell monolayer, transmigration into the subendothelial space, and transformation to lipid-laden macrophages, (iv) Culture model #4 (representing pathological intimal thickening), which incorporated multiple layers of human coronary artery smooth muscle cells within the matrix. Coupling this model with different shear stress conditions revealed the effect of low shear stress on the oxidative modification of LDL and the upregulation of pro-inflammatory molecules and matrix-degrading enzymes. Using electron microscopy, immunofluorescence confocal microscopy, protein and mRNA quantification assays, we showed that the behaviors exhibited by the endothelial cells, macrophages and vascular smooth muscle cells in these models were very similar to those exhibited by these cell types in nascent and intermediate atherosclerotic plaques in humans. The preparation time of the cultures was 24 hours. CONCLUSION: We present three-cell co-culture models of human atherosclerosis. These models have the potential to allow cost- and time-effective investigations of the mechanobiology of atherosclerosis and new anti-atherosclerotic drug therapies.

Maximal force characteristics of the Ca(2+)-powered actuator of Vorticella convallaria.

The millisecond stalk contraction of the sessile ciliate Vorticella convallaria is powered by energy from Ca(2+) binding to generate contractile forces of ∼10 nN. Its contractile organelle, the spasmoneme, generates higher contractile force under increased stall resistances. By applying viscous drag force to contracting V. convallaria in a microfluidic channel, we observed that the mechanical force and work of the spasmoneme depended on the stalk length, i.e., the maximum tension (150-350 nN) and work linearly depended on the stalk length (∼2.5 nN and ∼30 fJ per 1 µm of the stalk). This stalk-length dependency suggests that motor units of the spasmoneme may be organized in such a way that the mechanical force and work of each unit cumulate in series along the spasmoneme.

The Dark Annulus of a Drop in a Hele-Shaw Cell Is Caused by the Refraction of Light through Its Meniscus.

Knowing the meniscus shape of confined drops is important for understanding how they make first contact and then coalesce. When imaged from the top view by brightfield microscopy, a liquid drop (e.g., corn syrup) confined in a Hele-Shaw cell, surrounded by immiscible liquid (e.g., mineral oil), had a dark annulus, and the width of the annulus decreased with increasing concentration of corn syrup. Since the difference in the annulus width was presumed to be related to the meniscus shape of the drops, three-dimensional images of the drops with different concentrations were obtained using confocal fluorescence microscopy, and their cross-sectional meniscus profile was determined by image processing. The meniscus of the drops remained circular despite varying concentration. Since the refractive index of corn syrup increased with concentration, while the surface tension coefficient between corn syrup and mineral oil remained unchanged, the observed change in the annulus width was then attributed to the refraction of light passing through the drop's meniscus. As such, a ray optics model was developed, which predicted that the annulus width of the drop would decrease as the refractive index of the drop approached that of the surrounding liquid. Therefore, the dark annulus of the drops in the Hele-Shaw cell was caused by the refraction of light passing through the circular meniscus of the drop.

Controllable fabrication of alginate/poly-L-ornithine polyelectrolyte complex hydrogel networks as therapeutic drug and cell carriers.

Polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) hydrogels are advantageous as therapeutic agent and cell carriers. However, due to the weak nature of physical crosslinking, PEC swelling and cargo burst release are easily initiated. Also, most current cell-laden PEC hydrogels are limited to fibers and microcapsules with unfavorable dimensions and structures for practical implantations. To overcome these drawbacks, alginate (Alg)/poly-L-ornithine (PLO) PEC hydrogels are fabricated into microcapsules, fibers, and bulk scaffolds to explore their feasibility as drug and cell carriers. Stable Alg/PLO microcapsules with controllable shapes are obtained through aqueous electrospraying technique, which avoids osmotic shock and prolongs the release time. Model enzyme and nanosized cargos are successfully encapsulated and continuously released for more than 21 days. Alg/PLO PEC fibers are then prepared to encapsulate brown adipose progenitors (BAPs) and Jurkat T cells. The electrostatic interactions between Alg and PLO are found to facilitate the printability and self-support ability of Alg/PLO bioinks. Alg/PLO PEC fibers and scaffolds support cell proliferation, differentiation, and functionalization. These results demonstrate new options for biocompatible PEC hydrogel preparation and improve the understanding of PEC hydrogels as drug and cell carriers. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: In this study, the concept of polyelectrolyte complex hydrogel networks as drug and cell carriers has been demonstrated. Their feasibility to achieve sustained drug release and cell functionality was explored, from microcapsules to fibers to three-dimension printed scaffolds. PEC microcapsules with controllable shapes were obtained. Therapeutic drugs can be encapsulated and continuously release for more than 21 days. Benefiting from the dynamic interactions of physically crosslinked PEC, self-healing fibers were achieved. Besides, the electrostatic interactions between polyelectrolytes were found to facilitate the printability and self-support ability of PEC bioinks. The PEC fibers and scaffolds with controllable structure supported cell proliferation, differentiation, and function. The outcome of current research promotes design of new biocompatible PEC hydrogels and potential drug and cell carriers.

In situ hydrodynamic lateral force calibration of AFM colloidal probes.

Lateral force microscopy (LFM) is an application of atomic force microscopy (AFM) to sense lateral forces applied to the AFM probe tip. Recent advances in tissue engineering and functional biomaterials have shown a need for the surface characterization of their material and biochemical properties under the application of lateral forces. LFM equipped with colloidal probes of well-defined tip geometries has been a natural fit to address these needs but has remained limited to provide primarily qualitative results. For quantitative measurements, LFM requires the successful determination of the lateral force or torque conversion factor of the probe. Usually, force calibration results obtained in air are used for force measurements in liquids, but refractive index differences between air and liquids induce changes in the conversion factor. Furthermore, in the case of biochemically functionalized tips, damage can occur during calibration because tip-surface contact is inevitable in most calibration methods. Therefore, a nondestructive in situ lateral force calibration is desirable for LFM applications in liquids. Here we present an in situ hydrodynamic lateral force calibration method for AFM colloidal probes. In this method, the laterally scanned substrate surface generated a creeping Couette flow, which deformed the probe under torsion. The spherical geometry of the tip enabled the calculation of tip drag forces, and the lateral torque conversion factor was calibrated from the lateral voltage change and estimated torque. Comparisons with lateral force calibrations performed in air show that the hydrodynamic lateral force calibration method enables quantitative lateral force measurements in liquid using colloidal probes.

Unsteady motion, finite Reynolds numbers, and wall effect on Vorticella convallaria contribute contraction force greater than the stokes drag.

Contraction of Vorticella convallaria, a sessile ciliated protozoan, is completed within a few milliseconds and results in a retraction of its cell body toward the substratum by coiling its stalk. Previous studies have modeled the cell body as a sphere and assumed a drag force that satisfies Stokes' law. However, the contraction-induced flow of the medium is transient and bounded by the substrate, and the maximum Reynolds number is larger than unity. Thus, calculations of contractile force from the drag force are incomplete. In this study, we analyzed fluid flow during contraction by the particle tracking velocimetry and computational fluid dynamics simulations to estimate the contractile force. Particle paths show that the induced flow is limited by the substrate. Simulation-based force estimates suggest that the combined effect of the flow unsteadiness, the finite Reynolds number, and the substrate comprises 35% of the total force. The work done in the early stage of contraction and the maximum power output are similar regardless of the medium viscosity. These results suggest that, during the initial development of force, V. convallaria uses a common mechanism for performing mechanical work irrespective of viscous loading conditions.

Chemical control of Vorticella bioactuator using microfluidics.

In this report, we demonstrate a microfluidic platform to control the stalk contraction and extension of Vorticella convallaria by changing concentration of Ca2+ with pneumatically-actuated elastomeric microvalves. Habitation, extraction and control of V. convallaria were carried out in a PDMS-based microfluidic device. By treating the cells with the permeant saponin, external actuation of cell-anchoring stalk between an extended and contracted state was achieved by cyclic exposure of the cells to a Ca2+ buffer (10(-6) M) and a rinse buffer containing EGTA as a chelation agent. When solutions were switched, the stalk contracted and extended responding to the ambient Ca2+ concentration change. The length of the stalk changed between 20 and 60 microm, resulting in a working distance of about 40 microm.

Rotating-liquid-based hydrogel bead generator.

Hydrogel beads are widely used in various applications, but producing such beads often requires complicated devices. Instead, we propose an easy-to-adopt, cost effective, open source hydrogel bead generator. This generator consists of two modules. The first module rotates two immiscible liquids in rigid body motion: mineral oil as the continuous phase (CP) liquid on top, and a hydrogel cross-linking (CL) liquid at bottom. The second module injects a hydrogel pre-polymer solution as the dispersed phase (DP) liquid into the rotating CP liquid. As the DP liquid flows out of a syringe needle, its drops are pinched off by the shear force from the CP liquid, and move with the CP liquid while settling down. When the drops enter the CL liquid, they become hydrogel beads. Experiments using water and mineral oil showed that the size of produced drops could be controlled by adjusting the flow speed of the CP and DP liquids. A demonstration using alginate showed that the proposed generator could successfully create alginate gel beads of uniform size and shape.

Fabrication of versatile dynamic hyaluronic acid-based hydrogels.

In this study, an injectable and self-healing hydrogel based on the boronic ester dynamic covalent bond between phenylboronic acid modified hyaluronic acid (HA-PBA) and the commercially available poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) is prepared and should have multi-functions for biomedical applications. The hydrogels were rapidly formed under mild conditions, and the rheological properties and in vitro degradation were systematically characterized. The HA-based hydrogels possessed good injectability and self-healing properties because of the dynamic bond. Moreover, due to the sensitivity of boronic ester to the biologically relevant concentration of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), a major reactive oxygen species (ROS), the injectable hydrogel could be used as a H2O2/ROS responsive drug delivery system. The hydrogels supported good viability of encapsulated neural progenitor cells (NPC) and protected NPC from ROS induced damage in vitro when H2O2 was present in the media. The dynamic hydrogels were further applied as bio-inks for 3D printing/bioprinting. Overall, this facilely prepared dynamic hydrogel based on HA-PBA and PVA may have many potential biomedical applications, including drug delivery, 3D culture of cells, and 3D bioprinting.

GSK3 inhibitor-loaded osteotropic Pluronic hydrogel effectively mitigates periodontal tissue damage associated with experimental periodontitis.

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease caused by complex interactions between the host immune system and pathogens that affect the integrity of periodontium. To prevent disease progression and thus preserve alveolar bone structure, simultaneous anti-inflammatory and osteogenic intervention are essential. Hence, a glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta inhibitor (BIO) was selected as a potent inflammation modulator and osteogenic agent to achieve this treatment objective. BIO's lack of osteotropicity, poor water solubility, and potential long-term systemic side effects, however, have hampered its clinical applications. To address these limitations, pyrophosphorylated Pluronic F127 (F127-PPi) was synthesized and mixed with regular F127 to prepare an injectable and thermoresponsive hydrogel formulation (PF127) of BIO, which could adhere to hard tissue and gradually release BIO to exert its therapeutic effects locally. Comparing to F127 hydrogel, PF127 hydrogels exhibited stronger binding to hydroxyapatite (HA). Additionally, BIO's solubility in PF127 solution was dramatically improved over F127 solution and the improvement was proportional to the polymer concentration. When evaluated on a rat model of periodontitis, PF127-BIO hydrogel treatment was found to be very effective in preserving alveolar bone and ligament, and preventing periodontal inflammation, as shown by the micro-CT and histological data, respectively. Altogether, these findings suggested that the thermoresponsive PF127 hydrogel is an effective local drug delivery system for better clinical management of periodontitis and associated pathologies.