Water Harvesting of Bioinspired Microfibers with Rough Spindle-Knots from Microfluidics.

Heterostructure rough spindle-knot microfibers (HRSFs) are fabricated via a flexible parallel-nozzle microfluidic method. In this method, the bioinspired HRSF with a roughness gradient between spindle-knots and joints, can be manufactured in large-scale, and with which the size of the spindle-knots and joints can be precisely adjusted by regulating flow rates. The HRSFs, fabricated with chitosan and calcium alginate, have strong mechanical properties and corrosion resistance in acid environment (pH = 5) and alkaline environment (pH = 9), respectively. More attractively, under controlled treatment conditions, the morphology of the spindle-knots on the HRSFs can be effectively managed by changing the composite content of calcium chloride in the fluid. During the water collection process, tiny droplets of moisture can be captured on the surface of the HRSFs, subsequently, the droplets can coalesce and be transported from joint to spindle-knot sections. It is demonstrated that the surface morphology of spindle-knots directly influences the water collection efficiency, where a higher roughness gradient generates higher water collection efficiency. This parallel-nozzle microfluidic technology provides a low-cost and flexible method to manufacture high biocompatibility bioinspired rough spindle-knot microfibers, which has many potential applications in large-scale water collection, sustained drug release, and directional water collection.

Solid-contact polymeric membrane ion-selective electrodes based on electrodeposited NiCo2S4 nanosheet arrays.

In situ growth of quasi-superhydrophobic porous NiCo2S4 nanosheet arrays with a one-step electrodeposition method was provided. A calcium ion-selective electrodes (Ca2+-ISE) was subsequently constructed by using the prepared NiCo2S4 as a solid contact layer. The proposed Ca2+-ISE exhibits a good Nernstian slope of 30.7 ± 0.3 mV/dec and a detection limit of 1.6 × 10-7 M. Due to the large redox capacitance of 1.8 mF, the Ca2+-ISE based on NiCo2S4 nanosheet arrays shows a high potential stability of 1.9 ± 0.5 µV/h over 90 h. Excellent reproducibilities for the NiCo2S4-based Ca2+-ISEs can be obtained with the single batch and batch-to-batch E° standard deviations of 0.3 (n = 6) and 0.7 mV (n = 5), respectively. The NiCo2S4 nanosheet arrays have a large contact angle of 148 ± 1.4°, which effectively suppresses the formation of a water layer at the sensing membrane/NiCo2S4 interface.

Fabrication of individual scaffolds based on a patient-specific alveolar bone defect model.

Fabricating individualized tissue engineering scaffolds based on the three-dimensional shape of patient bone defects is required for the successful clinical application of bone tissue engineering. However, there are currently no reported studies of individualized bone tissue engineering scaffolds that truly reproduce a patient-specific bone defect. We fabricated individualized tissue engineering scaffolds based on alveolar bone defects. The individualized poly(lactide-co-glycolide) and tricalcium phosphate composite scaffolds were custom-made by acquiring the three-dimensional model through computed tomography, which was input into the computer-aided low-temperature deposition manufacturing system. The three-dimensional shape of the fabricated scaffold was identical to the patient-specific alveolar bone defects, with an average macropore diameter of 380 µm, micropore diameters ranging from 3 to 5 µm, and an average porosity of 87.4%. The mechanical properties of the scaffold were similar to adult cancellous bone. Scaffold biocompatibility was confirmed by attachment and proliferation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Successful realization of individualized scaffold fabrication will enable clinical application of tissue-engineered bone at an early date.

Human dental pulp stem cell is a promising autologous seed cell for bone tissue engineering.

BACKGROUND: The seed cell is a core problem in bone tissue engineering research. Recent research indicates that human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) can differentiate into osteoblasts in vitro, which suggests that they may become a new kind of seed cells for bone tissue engineering. The aim of this study was to evaluate the osteogenic differentiation of hDPSCs in vitro and bone-like tissue formation when transplanted with three-dimensional gelatin scaffolds in vivo, and hDPSCs may become appropriate seed cells for bone tissue engineering. METHODS: We have utilized enzymatic digestion to obtain hDPSCs from dental pulp tissue extracted during orthodontic treatment. After culturing and expansion to three passages, the cells were seeded in 6-well plates or on three-dimensional gelatin scaffolds and cultured in osteogenic medium. After 14 days in culture, the three-dimensional gelatin scaffolds were implanted subcutaneously in nude mice for 4 weeks. In 6-well plate culture, osteogenesis was assessed by alkaline phosphatase staining, Von Kossa staining, and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis of the osteogenesis-specific genes type I collagen (COL I), bone sialoprotein (BSP), osteocalcin (OCN), RUNX2, and osterix (OSX). In three-dimensional gelatin scaffold culture, X-rays, hematoxylin/eosin staining, and immunohistochemical staining were used to examine bone formation. RESULTS: In vitro studies revealed that hDPSCs do possess osteogenic differentiation potential. In vivo studies revealed that hDPSCs seeded on gelatin scaffolds can form bone structures in heterotopic sites of nude mice. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggested that hDPSCs may be valuable as seed cells for bone tissue engineering. As a special stem cell source, hDPSCs may blaze a new path for bone tissue engineering.

Effects of TiO2 nanotubes with different diameters on gene expression and osseointegration of implants in minipigs.

Titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) nanotubes can accelerate the adhesion and differentiation of osteoblasts, yet little is known how this nano-modified implant surface affects osseointegration at molecular level in vivo. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of TiO(2) nanotubes with different diameters (30 nm, 70 nm and 100 nm) on biological attachment mechanism of implants to bone in vivo by studying the gene expression and bone formation around the implants. The histological features and fluorochrome labeling changes of bone around implants on the non-decalcified sections (at 3, 5 and 8 weeks after implantation) were investigated by using traditional light- and fluorescent microscopy, and the gene expression of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osterix (Osx), collagen-I (Col-I) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) was examined by using real-time PCR at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 weeks after implantation. Comparing with machined titanium implants, a significant increase in bone-implant contact (BIC) and gene expression levels was found in the bone attached to implants with TiO(2) nanotubes, especially with 70 nm diameter nanotubes. At the same time, the sequential fluorescent labeling images illustrated dynamic bone deposition. In conclusion, TiO(2) nanotubes can modulate bone formation events at the bone-implant interface as to reach favorable molecular response and osseointegration; in addition, the diameters of nanotubes can be precisely controlled in order to obtain better bone formation.