Temporal Analysis of Postoperative Outcomes With or Without Intraoperative Motor Evoked Potentials and Somatosensory Evoked Potentials Monitoring for Intracranial Meningioma Surgery.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to retrospectively assess results of intracranial meningioma surgery with or without intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) in a single institution. METHODS: Two cohorts (a historical cohort and a monitoring cohort) were collected for the analysis. Before IONM was introduced, a total of 107 patients underwent intracranial meningioma operation without IONM from January 2000 to December 2008 by one neurosurgeon (historical cohort). After IONM was introduced, a total of 99 patients with intracranial meningioma were operated under IONM between November 2018 and February 2023 by two neurosurgeons (monitoring cohort). A retrospective comparison was made on the complications from meningioma surgery between the two groups. RESULTS: In the monitoring cohort, warning signals of motor evoked potential (MEPs) or somatosensory evoked potential (SSEPs) were alarmed in 10 patients. Two of these 10 patients aborted the operation and eight of these 10 patients with warning signals underwent tumor resection. Of these eight patients, five showed postoperative morbidity. Five of 89 patients without warning signals developed neurological deficits. In the historical cohort, 14 of 107 patients showed postoperative morbidity or mortality. CONCLUSION: Even after successful resection of intracranial meningiomas prior to the advent of IONM, integration of MEPs and SSEPs monitoring yielded valuable insights for surgical teams during operative procedures.

Powdered activated carbon (PAC)-assisted peroxymonosulfate activation for efficient urea elimination in ultrapure water production from reclaimed water.

Urea is a problematic pollutant in reclaimed water for ultrapure water (UPW) production. The sulfate radical-based advanced oxidation process (SR-AOP) has been recognized as an effective method for urea degradation. However, conventional metal-based catalysts for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation are unsuitable for UPW production due to issues related to metal ion leaching. In this study, the use of powdered activated carbon (PAC) was investigated for the removal of urea from reclaimed water. The PAC exhibited a high degree of defects (ID/IG = 1.709) and various surface oxygen functional groups (C-OH, C=O, and C-O), which greatly enhanced its catalytic capability. The PAC significantly facilitated PMS activation in the PMS + PAC system, leading to the complete urea decomposition. The PMS + PAC system demonstrated excellent urea removal efficiency within a wide pH range, except for pH < 3. Among the various anions present, the CO32- and PO43- inhibited urea degradation, while the coexistence of Cl- promoted urea removal. Furthermore, the feasibility test was evaluated using actual reclaimed water. The quenching test revealed that SO4-·, ·OH, and O2-· played crucial roles in the degradation of urea in the PAC-assisted SR-AOP. The oxygen functional groups (C-OH and O-C=O) and defect sites of PAC clearly contributed to PMS activation.

Function of hepatocyte spheroids in bioactive microcapsules is enhanced by endogenous and exogenous hepatocyte growth factor.

The ability to maintain functional hepatocytes has important implications for bioartificial liver development, cell-based therapies, drug screening, and tissue engineering. Several approaches can be used to restore hepatocyte function in vitro, including coating a culture substrate with extracellular matrix (ECM), encapsulating cells within biomimetic gels (Collagen- or Matrigel-based), or co-cultivation with other cells. This paper describes the use of bioactive heparin-based core-shell microcapsules to form and cultivate hepatocyte spheroids. These microcapsules are comprised of an aqueous core that facilitates hepatocyte aggregation into spheroids and a heparin hydrogel shell that binds and releases growth factors. We demonstrate that bioactive microcapsules retain and release endogenous signals thus enhancing the function of encapsulated hepatocytes. We also demonstrate that hepatic function may be further enhanced by loading exogenous hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) into microcapsules and inhibiting transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß1 signaling. Overall, bioactive microcapsules described here represent a promising new strategy for the encapsulation and maintenance of primary hepatocytes and will be beneficial for liver tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and drug testing applications.

Construction of a bioactive copper-based metal organic framework-embedded dual-crosslinked alginate hydrogel for antimicrobial applications.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) containing bioactive metals have the potential to exhibit antimicrobial activity by releasing metal ions or ligands through the cleavage of metal-ligand bonds. Recently, copper-based MOFs (Cu-MOFs) with sustained release capability, porosity, and structural flexibility have shown promising antimicrobial properties. However, for clinical use, the controlled release of Cu2+ over an extended time period is crucial to prevent toxicity. In this study, we developed an alginate-based antimicrobial scaffold and encapsulated MOFs within a dual-crosslinked alginate polymer network. We synthesized Cu-MOFs containing glutarate (Glu) and 4,4'-azopyridine (AZPY) (Cu(AZPY)-MOF) and encapsulated them in an alginate-based hydrogel through a combination of visible light-induced photo and calcium ion-induced chemical crosslinking processes. We confirmed Cu(AZPY)-MOF synthesis using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis. This antimicrobial hydrogel demonstrated excellent antibacterial and antifungal properties against two bacterial strains (MRSA and S. mutans, with >99.9 % antibacterial rate) and one fungal strain (C. albicans, with >78.7 % antifungal rate) as well as negligible cytotoxicity towards mouse embryonic fibroblasts, making it a promising candidate for various tissue engineering applications in biomedical fields.

One-Pot Synthesis of Double-Network PEG/Collagen Hydrogel for Enhanced Adipogenic Differentiation and Retrieval of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells.

Hydrogels are widely used in stem cell therapy due to their extensive tunability and resemblance to the extracellular matrix (ECM), which has a three-dimensional (3D) structure. These features enable various applications that enhance stem cell maintenance and function. However, fast and simple hydrogel fabrication methods are desirable for stem cells for efficient encapsulation and to reduce adverse effects on the cells. In this study, we present a one-pot double-crosslinked hydrogel consisting of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and collagen, which can be prepared without the multi-step sequential synthesis of each network, by using bio-orthogonal chemistry. To enhance the adipogenic differentiation efficiency of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs), we added degradable components within the hydrogel to regulate matrix stiffness through cell-mediated degradation. Bio-orthogonal reactions used for hydrogel gelation allow rapid gel formation for efficient cell encapsulation without toxic by-products. Furthermore, the hybrid network of synthetic (PEG) and natural (collagen) components demonstrated adequate mechanical strength and higher cell adhesiveness. Therefore, ADSCs grown within this hybrid hydrogel proliferated and functioned better than those grown in the single-crosslinked hydrogel. The degradable elements further improved adipogenesis in ADSCs with dynamic changes in modulus during culture and enabled the retrieval of differentiated cells for potential future applications.

A Microfluidic Device for Long-Term Maintenance of Organotypic Liver Cultures.

Liver cultures may be used for disease modeling, testing therapies and predicting drug-induced injury. The complexity of the liver cultures has evolved from hepatocyte monocultures to co-cultures with non-parenchymal cells and finally to precision-cut liver slices. The latter culture format retains liver's native biomolecular and cellular complexity and therefore holds considerable promise for in vitro testing. However, liver slices remain functional for ~72 h in vitro and display limited utility for some disease modeling and therapy testing applications that require longer culture times. This paper describes a microfluidic device for longer-term maintenance of functional organotypic liver cultures. Our microfluidic culture system was designed to enable direct injection of liver tissue into a culture chamber through a valve-enabled side port. Liver tissue was embedded in collagen and remained functional for up to 31 days, highlighted by continued production of albumin and urea. These organotypic cultures also expressed several enzymes involved in xenobiotic metabolism. Conversely, matched liver tissue embedded in collagen in a 96-well plate lost its phenotype and function within 3-5 days. The microfluidic organotypic liver cultures described here represent a significant advance in liver cultivation and may be used for future modeling of liver diseases or for individualized liver-directed therapies.

Coating Bioactive Microcapsules with Tannic Acid Enhances the Phenotype of the Encapsulated Pluripotent Stem Cells.

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) may be differentiated into any adult cell type and therefore hold incredible promise for cell therapeutics and disease modeling. There is increasing interest in three-dimensional (3D) hPSC culture because of improved differentiation outcomes and potential for scale up. Our team has recently described bioactive heparin (Hep)-containing core-shell microcapsules that promote rapid aggregation of stem cells into spheroids and may also be loaded with growth factors for the local and sustained delivery to the encapsulated cells. In this study, we explored the possibility of further modulating bioactivity of microcapsules through the use of an ultrathin coating composed of tannic acid (TA). Deposition of the TA film onto model substrates functionalized with Hep and poly(ethylene glycol) was characterized by ellipsometry and atomic force microscopy. Furthermore, the presence of the TA coating was observed to increase the amount of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) incorporation by up to twofold and to extend its release from 5 to 7 days. Most significantly, TA-microcapsules loaded with bFGF induced higher levels of pluripotency expression compared to uncoated microcapsules containing bFGF. Engineered microcapsules described here represent a new stem cell culture approach that enables 3D cultivation and relies on local delivery of inductive cues.

3-D porous cellulose nanofibril aerogels with a controllable copper nanoparticle loading as a highly efficient non-noble-metal catalyst for 4-nitrophenol reduction.

Nitrophenols(NPs) are highly toxic compounds that occur in various industrial effluents. Herein, we investigated Cu nanoparticle-loaded cellulose nanofibril (CNF/PEI-Cu) aerogels as a catalyst for degrading 4-nitrophenol (4NP) in the wastewater. Non-noble metal based low-cost catalyst material and easily scalable preparation method make CNF/PEI-Cu aerogel as an appropriate catalyst for practical application in 4NP wastewater treatment. Our strategy to improve the loading amount of homogeneously distributed Cu nanoparticles was to functionalize a CNF aerogel using polyethylene imine (PEI), which can bind Cu2+ ions. Porous CNF aerogels with homogenously distributed 20-40 nm Cu nanoparticles were obtained by adsorbing Cu2+ ions and chemically reducing them to Cu metal. The FTIR, XRD, SEM, XPS and ICP-OES analysis were used to confirm the in-situ formation of Cu nanoparticles. In the presence of the CNF/PEI-Cu aerogels, 4NP was effectively reduced to 4-aminophenol (4AP) without loss of the Cu nanoparticles. The activation energy (Ea) and reaction rate constant (kapp) of the catalytic 4NP reduction reaction by the CNF/PEI2-Cu aerogels were calculated to be Ea = 39.56 kJ mol-1 and kapp = 0.770 min-1, respectively. The Ea is similar or even smaller than the Ea values of the corresponding reactions involving noble-metal catalysts, demonstrating that the CNF/PEI-Cu aerogels developed in the present study have strong potential as practical and economical catalysts.

Thermoresponsive fiber-based microwells capable of formation and retrieval of salivary gland stem cell spheroids for the regeneration of irradiation-damaged salivary glands.

Three-dimensional spheroid culture enhances cell-to-cell interactions among stem cells and promotes the expression of stem cell properties; however, subsequent retrieval and delivery of these cells remain a challenge. We fabricated a thermoresponsive fiber-based microwell scaffold by combining electrospinning and hydrogel micropatterning. The resultant scaffold appeared to facilitate the formation of cellular spheroids of uniform size and enabled the expression of more stem cell-secreting growth factor genes (EGF, IGF-1, FGF1, FGF2, and HGF), pluripotent stem cell-related genes (SOX2 and NANOG), and adult epithelial stem cell-related genes (LGR4, LGR5, and LGR6) than salivary gland stem cells in a monolayer culture (SGSCmonolayer). The spheroids could be retrieved efficiently by decreasing temperature. SGSC-derived spheroid (SGSCspheroid) cells were then implanted into the submandibular glands of mice at 2 weeks after fractionated X-ray irradiation at a dose of 7.5 Gy/day. At 16 weeks post-irradiation, restoration of salivary function was detected only in SGSCspheroid-implanted mice. The production of submandibular acini specific mucin increased in SGSCspheroid-implanted mice, compared with PBS control. More MIST1+ mature acinar cells were preserved in the SGSCspheroid-implanted group than in the PBS control group. Intriguingly, SGSCspheroid-implanted mice exhibited greater amelioration of tissue damage and preservation of KRT7+ terminally differentiated luminal ductal cells than SGSCmonolayer-implanted mice. The SGSCspheroid-implanted mice also showed less DNA damage and apoptotic cell death than the SGSCmonolayer-implanted mice at 2 weeks post-implantation. Additionally, a significant increase in Ki67+AQP5+ proliferative acinar cells was noted only in SGSCspheroid-implanted mice. Our results suggest that a thermoresponsive fiber-based scaffold could be of use to facilitate the production of function-enhanced SGSCspheroid cells and their subsequent retrieval and delivery to damaged salivary glands to alleviate radiation-induced apoptotic cell death and promote salivary gland regeneration.

Bioactive hydrogel microcapsules for guiding stem cell fate decisions by release and reloading of growth factors.

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC) hold considerable promise as a source of adult cells for treatment of diseases ranging from diabetes to liver failure. Some of the challenges that limit the clinical/translational impact of hPSCs are high cost and difficulty in scaling-up of existing differentiation protocols. In this paper, we sought to address these challenges through the development of bioactive microcapsules. A co-axial flow focusing microfluidic device was used to encapsulate hPSCs in microcapsules comprised of an aqueous core and a hydrogel shell. Importantly, the shell contained heparin moieties for growth factor (GF) binding and release. The aqueous core enabled rapid aggregation of hPSCs into 3D spheroids while the bioactive hydrogel shell was used to load inductive cues driving pluripotency maintenance and endodermal differentiation. Specifically, we demonstrated that one-time, 1 h long loading of pluripotency signals, fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß1, into bioactive microcapsules was sufficient to induce and maintain pluripotency of hPSCs over the course of 5 days at levels similar to or better than a standard protocol with soluble GFs. Furthermore, stem cell-carrying microcapsules that previously contained pluripotency signals could be reloaded with an endodermal cue, Nodal, resulting in higher levels of endodermal markers compared to stem cells differentiated in a standard protocol. Overall, bioactive heparin-containing core-shell microcapsules decreased GF usage five-fold while improving stem cell phenotype and are well suited for 3D cultivation of hPSCs.

Microfluidic Fabrication of Core-Shell Microcapsules carrying Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Spheroids.

Three-dimensional (3D) or spheroid cultures of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) offer the benefits of improved differentiation outcomes and scalability. In this paper, we describe a strategy for the robust and reproducible formation of hPSC spheroids where a co-axial flow focusing device is utilized to entrap hPSCs inside core-shell microcapsules. The core solution contained single cell suspension of hPSCs and was made viscous by the incorporation of high molecular weight poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and density gradient media. The shell stream comprised of PEG-4 arm-maleimide or PEG-4-Mal and flowed alongside the core stream toward two consecutive oil junctions. Droplet formation occurred at the first oil junction with shell solution wrapping itself around the core. Chemical crosslinking of the shell occurred at the second oil junction by introducing a di-thiol crosslinker (1,4-dithiothreitol or DTT) to these droplets. The crosslinker reacts with maleimide functional groups via click chemistry, resulting in the formation of a hydrogel shell around the microcapsules. Our encapsulation technology produced 400 µm diameter capsules at a rate of 10 capsules per second. The resultant capsules had a hydrogel shell and an aqueous core that allowed single cells to rapidly assemble into aggregates and form spheroids. The process of encapsulation did not adversely affect the viability of hPSCs, with >95% viability observed 3 days post-encapsulation. For comparison, hPSCs encapsulated in solid gel microparticles (without an aqueous core) did not form spheroids and had <50% viability 3 days after encapsulation. Spheroid formation of hPSCs inside core-shell microcapsules occurred within 48 h after encapsulation, with the spheroid diameter being a function of cell inoculation density. Overall, the microfluidic encapsulation technology described in this protocol was well-suited for hPSCs encapsulation and spheroid formation.

Hepatocyte cultures: From collagen gel sandwiches to microfluidic devices with integrated biosensors.

Hepatocytes are parenchymal cells of the liver responsible for drug detoxification, urea and bile production, serum protein synthesis, and glucose homeostasis. Hepatocytes are widely used for drug toxicity studies in bioartificial liver devices and for cell-based liver therapies. Because hepatocytes are highly differentiated cells residing in a complex microenvironment in vivo, they tend to lose hepatic phenotype and function in vitro. This paper first reviews traditional culture approaches used to rescue hepatic function in vitro and then discusses the benefits of emerging microfluidic-based culture approaches. We conclude by reviewing integration of hepatocyte cultures with bioanalytical or sensing approaches.

Synthesis of Copper Nanoparticles from Cu2+-Spiked Wastewater via Adsorptive Separation and Subsequent Chemical Reduction.

Copper in ionic form (Cu2+) should be removed from wastewater because of its harmful effects on human health. Meanwhile, Cu-metal nanoparticles (Cu0 NPs) are widely used in various applications such as catalysts, optical materials, sensors, and antibacterial agents. Here, we demonstrated the recovery of Cu2+ from wastewater and its subsequent transformation into Cu0 NPs, a value-added product, via continuous adsorption followed by chemical reduction by hydrazine. To separate and enrich Cu2+ from wastewater, a biosorbent that exhibits excellent selectivity and adsorption capacity toward Cu2+, i.e., polyethyleneimine-grafted cellulose nanofibril aerogel (PEI@CNF), was packed into a column and used to treat 20 mg/L Cu2+ wastewater at a flow rate of 5 mL/min. The Cu2+ adsorption reached equilibrium at 72 h, and the Cu2+-saturated column was eluted using 0.1 M of HCl. After five consecutive elutions of Cu2+ from the adsorbent column, a Cu2+-enriched solution with a concentration of 3212 mg/L was obtained. The recovered Cu2+ concentrate was chemically reduced to obtain Cu0 NPs by reaction with hydrazine as a reductant in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as a stabilizer. The solution pH and hydrazine/Cu2+ ratio strongly affected the reduction efficiency of Cu2+ ions. When 0.1 M of SDS was used, spherical 50-100 nm Cu0 NPs were obtained. The results demonstrate that Cu2+-spiked wastewater can be converted into Cu0 NPs as a value-added product via adsorption followed by chemical reduction.

Modified cellulose nanofibril aerogel: Tunable catalyst support for treatment of 4-Nitrophenol from wastewater.

4-Nitrophenol (4-NP) is a hazardous aromatic compound widely used for various industries. Catalytic reduction of 4-NP using metal nanoparticles (NPs) is a highly effective method to treat 4-NP from waste effluent. Even though lots of methods have investigated to prepare efficient metal NPs composites, the nano and/or micro size of composites makes it hard to recover after wastewater treatment, limiting its practical use. Here, we fabricate 3-dimensional polyethylene imine grafted cellulose nanofibril (CNF-PEI) aerogel as a porous support material for platinum (Pt) NPs to practically and effectively treat 4-NP from wastewater. The Pt NPs are formed in-situ mode on cylindrical CNF-PEI aerogel by adsorption reaction with amine groups of PEI and subsequently reduction with NaBH4. Control of PEI grafting density and the initial concentration of Pt ions allows manipulation of the loading mass, size, and distribution of Pt NPs on 3D scaffold of CNF-PEI aerogel. The composite aerogel shows high catalytic activity for conversion of 4-NP. The 4-NP conversion activity is strongly affected by the size of Pt NPs and effective surface area of aerogels. The 2.74 nm size Pt NPs with even distribution in the aerogel show fast reaction kinetics (k = 0.12 min-1). Finally, 4-NP reduction efficiency does not decrease during 5 times reuse cycle of Pt NPs loaded CNF-PEI aerogel. This CNF-PEI aerogel loaded with Pt NPs is recovered easily from wastewater after treatment, so it is reusable and offers high potential as a practical recyclable environmental catalyst.

Simultaneous removal of radioactive cesium and strontium from seawater using a highly efficient Prussian blue-embedded alginate aerogel.

Radioactive cesium (137Cs) and strontium (90Sr) contaminants in seawater have been a serious problem since the Fukushima accident in 2011 due to their long-term health risks. For the effective and simultaneous removal of radioactive cesium (137Cs) and strontium (90Sr) from seawater, a Prussian blue (PB)-immobilized alginate aerogel (PB-alginate aerogel) was fabricated and its adsorption performance was evaluated. PB nanoparticles were homogeneously dispersed in the three-dimensional porous alginate aerogel matrix, which enabled facile contact with seawater. The PB-alginate aerogel exhibited Cs+ and Sr2+ adsorption capacities of 19.88 and 20.10 mg/g, respectively, without substantial interference because Cs+ and Sr2+ adsorption occurred at different adsorption sites on the composite. The Cs+ and Sr2+ adsorption onto the PB-alginate aerogel was completed within 3 h due to the highly porous morphology of the aerogel. The Cs+ and Sr2+ adsorption behaviors on the PB-alginate aerogel were systematically investigated under various conditions. Compared with Cs+ adsorption, Sr2+ adsorption onto the PB-alginate aerogel was more strongly influenced by competing cations (Na+, Mg2+, Ca2+, and K+) in seawater. 137Cs and 90Sr removal tests in real seawater demonstrated the practical feasibility of the PB-alginate aerogel as an adsorbent.

Fabrication of cylindrical 3D cellulose nanofibril(CNF) aerogel for continuous removal of copper(Cu2+) from wastewater.

Heavy metal contamination in wastewater is a serious problem due to its high toxicity. In this study, three-dimensional porous and flexible polyethylene imine grafted cellulose nanofibril aerogel (PEI@CNF aerogel) is synthesized as a highly efficient biosorbent for continuous treatment of wastewater containing copper (Cu2+). The synthesized PEI@CNF aerogel efficiently separates Cu2+ from wastewater and exhibits outstanding selectivity for Cu2+ in the presence of other metal ions. The amine groups in polyethylene imine (PEI) grafted onto the porous cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) scaffold form chelates with Cu2+ thereby effectively adsorbing Cu2+. The combination of a flexible CNF scaffold and rigid PEI results in a durable elastic matrix of the aerogel providing excellent wet stability, shape recovery property and recycle ability of PEI@CNF aerogel. Finally, in the column test, the PEI@CNF aerogel treats 88 bed volumes of wastewater containing Cu2+(∼20 mg/L). This result demonstrates that PEI@CNF aerogels are practically viable and highly efficient bio-sorbents for the treatment of wastewater containing Cu2+.

Mechanically enhanced graphene oxide/carboxymethyl cellulose nanofibril composite fiber as a scalable adsorbent for heavy metal removal.

Recently, graphene oxide(GO) has gained much attention for heavy metal removal due to its high surface area and lots of functional groups on the surface. However, GO itself in powder form is far away from practical adsorbents because it remains dispersed in liquid phase which causes difficulty in the separation from effluent. In this study, GO/carboxymethyl cellulose nanofibril (CMCNF) composite fiber(CF) is developed as an efficient and durable adsorbent. Cross-linked GO/CMCNF CF was continuously produced by employing Fe3+ ion as a coagulant during a typical wet-spinning process. Based on multiple interactions such as ionic bonding and electrostatic interactions between Fe3+ and carboxyl group on CMCNF, the CF exhibits enhanced mechanical property than pure GO fiber. GO/CMCNF-Fe3+ CF showed efficient lead (Pb2+) uptake with successful adsorbent recovery, which indicates durable and cost-competitive fiber type adsorbent for heavy metal ions.

Prussian blue-embedded carboxymethyl cellulose nanofibril membranes for removing radioactive cesium from aqueous solution.

In this study, we synthesized a Prussian blue (PB)-embedded macroporous carboxymethyl cellulose nanofibril (CMCNF) membrane for facile cesium (Cs) removal. The PB was formed in situ at Fe3+ sites on a CMCNF framework cross-linked using FeCl3 as a cross-linking agent. Cubic PB particles of size 5-20 nm were observed on the macroporous CMCNF membrane surface. The PB-CMCNF membrane showed 2.5-fold greater Cs adsorption capacity (130 mg/gPB-CMCNF) than commercial PB nanoparticles, even though the PB loading of the PB-CMCNF membrane was less than 100 mg/gPB-CMCNF. The macroporous structure of the CMCNF membrane led to improved diffusion in the solution, thereby increasing the Cs adsorption capacity. The Cs adsorption behavior was systematically investigated in different solution chemistry. Finally, 137Cs removal using a semicontinuous adsorption module was demonstrated in real seawater. The results showed that the PB-CMCNF membrane is a highly effective, practical material for the removal of 137Cs from aqueous environments.

Modified tunicate nanocellulose liquid crystalline fiber as closed loop for recycling platinum-group metals.

Rising demand and elemental rarity requires the recycling of precious metals such as platinum group elements (PGMs). Recently, biosorption has been focused on the capability of recovering precious metals, but in practice, recycling is inefficient or far away from a closed-loop material system. Here we use a polyethylenimine (PEI)-grafted spun-fiber made of cellulose nanofibril (CNF) extracted from a tunicate as a biosorbent for PGMs. Liquid crystallinity (LC) of TCNF suspension appears to contribute the generation of well-developed open porous structure in the fiber. We show the fiber has the selectivity and high capacity of Pt (120.2 mg/g, 86%) and Pd (26.5 mg/g, 74.2%) adsorption under the presence of other metals in simulated automobile waste. The adsorbed Pt and Pd with nano-scale clusters were uniformly distributed on the porous surface, which were directly applied as a catalyst. These results propose an easy approach to recover precious metals and reuse them directly, thereby closing loops of metal recycling.

Mobile medication manager application to improve adherence with immunosuppressive therapy in renal transplant recipients: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Nonadherence to immunosuppressive therapy after renal transplantation is associated with poor graft outcomes. We aimed to evaluate whether the use of the Adhere4U mobile medication manager application could improve adherence among renal transplant recipients ≥1 year posttransplantation. Adhere4U can provide medication reminders, monitor medication use, and provide information on immunosuppressants. METHODS: We conducted a prospective randomized controlled study to compare the rate of nonadherence to index immunosuppressant (tacrolimus or cyclosporine) in a group using the Adhere4U app (mobile group) and in another group receiving conventional care (control group). The primary outcome was the nonadherence rate, which was evaluated using an electronic medication event monitoring system during the 6-month intervention period. Our secondary outcome included self-reported adherence using the Basel Assessment of Adherence to Immunosuppressive Medication Scale (BAASIS) and the visual analog scale (VAS) based on a 4-week recall on days 28, 90, and 180. Longitudinal data of repeated measures of self-rated adherence were analyzed using generalized estimating equations (GEE) to compare the between-group difference in adherence change over time. RESULTS: Between November 2013 and May 2015, 138 renal transplant recipients were randomly allocated to the control (n = 67) or the mobile group (n = 71). The overall nonadherence rate over the 6-month study period by electronic monitoring was 63.6%, with no between-group difference [mobile group, 65.0% (n = 39/60); control group, 62.1% (n = 36/58); odds ratio 1.14; 95% confidence interval 0.53-2.40; p = 0.89]. Self-rated nonadherence assessed using the BAASIS and VAS at baseline was 53.7% and 51.5%, respectively. Although the self-rated nonadherence by BAASIS of the mobile group was lower than the control group throughout the study period, there was no between-group difference in the change of nonadherence over time (χ2 = 2.82, df = 3, p = 0.42 by logistic GEE). There also was no significant between-group difference in the nonadherence by VAS (χ2 = 1.71, df = 3, p = 0.63 by logistic GEE) over time. The main limitation of this study was the low rate of patient engagement with the app among the mobile group. The rate of app use was 47.6% (31/65) at 28 days, 33.9% (19/56) at 90 days, and 11.5% (6/52) at 180 days. CONCLUSIONS: The Adhere4U application did not improve adherence to immunosuppressive therapy. Our evidence is limited by the high rate of attrition. Further studies on strategies to facilitate patient engagement with mobile interventions are warranted.