Effect of Ethylcellulose on the Rheology and Mechanical Heterogeneity of Asphaltene Films at the Oil-Water Interface.

Asphaltenes are surface-active molecules that exist naturally in crude oil. They adsorb at the water-oil interface and form viscoelastic interfacial films that stabilize emulsion droplets, making water-oil separation extremely challenging. There is, thus, a need for chemical demulsifiers to disrupt the interfacial asphaltene films, and, thereby, facilitate water-oil separation. Here, we examine ethylcellulose (EC) as a model demulsifier and measure its impact on the interfacial properties of asphaltene films using interfacial shear microrheology. When EC is mixed with an oil and asphaltene solution, it retards the interfacial stiffening that occurs between the oil phase in contact with a water phase. Moreover, EC introduces relatively weak regions within the film. When EC is introduced to a pre-existing asphaltene film, the stiffness of the films decreases abruptly and significantly. Direct visualization of interfacial dynamics further reveals that EC acts inhomogeneously, and that relatively soft regions in the initial film are seen to expand. This mechanism likely impacts emulsion destabilization and provides new insight to the process of demulsification.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of late-onset BK virus nephropathy in kidney and kidney-pancreas transplant recipients.

BACKGROUND: BK virus nephropathy (BKPyVAN) is a major complication in kidney transplant recipients (KTR) and typically occurs within 1 year of transplant. Guidelines vary in recommendations for BKPyV screening beyond 1 year. A systematic characterization of risk factors and outcomes of late-onset (>1 year) BKPyVAN has not previously been reported. METHODS: We retrospectively compared characteristics and outcomes of early- (<1 year) and late-onset BKPyVAN (definitive [biopsy-confirmed] or presumptive [plasma BKPyV >10 000 copies/mL]) in a cohort of 671 KTR and simultaneous kidney-pancreas transplant (SPK) recipients between 2008 and 2013 at a single US transplant center. Proportions were compared using Chi-square or Fisher's exact test with P < .05 considered significant. RESULTS: BKPyVAN was diagnosed in 96 (14.3%) patients (proven 16.7%, presumptive 83.3%): 79 (82.3%) early- and 17 (17.7%) late-onset. The proportion with late-onset BKPyVAN was significantly higher among SPK than KTR (4 of 7 [57.1%] vs 13 of 89 [14.6%], P = .017). Late-onset represented "de novo" infection (no BKPyV detection within the first year) in 14 (82.4%) and progression of earlier lower grade BKPyV reactivation in 3 (17.6%). Clinical outcomes were similar for early- and late-onset BKPyVAN (P > .05 all comparisons). In a pooled analysis of prior studies of BKPyVAN in SPK recipients, 62.9% (17 of 27) were late-onset. CONCLUSION: A significant proportion of BKPyVAN is late-onset, especially among SPK recipients, and supports a longer duration of BKPyV monitoring for SPK recipients than recommended in some guidelines.

Layer-by-layer synthesis of mechanically robust solvent-permeable silica nanoshells.

A layer-by-layer (LbL) synthesis of mechanically robust micrometer-diameter nanoshell silica was developed. Silica was templated onto polstyrene latex particles using a modified Stöber synthesis. Each subsequent silica layer was deposited after adsorbing cationic polymer poly(allylamine) hydrochloride. The silica shell grew approximately 30 nm for each reaction step. The polystyrene-silica core-shell particles were calcined at 500 °C to remove the latex core. The synthesis was adapted to nonspherical shapes using anisotropic polystyrene dicolloids as templates. The silica nanoshells were functionalized to render them organophilic or fluorescent. The rates at which water, ethanol, and aqueous sucrose solution (60% w/w) permeate the silica shells were compared using spectrophotometry and conductivity measurements. The rate of solvent uptake ranged between under 1 h to over 1 week depending on the surface chemistry of the nanoshells.

Hsp90 inhibition protects the brain microvascular endothelium against oxidative stress.

The brain endothelium is an integral element of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Dysfunction of this formation due to increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) progresses the establishment of neurological disorders including stroke and traumatic brain injury. Heat shock protein 90 inhibitors are anti-inflammatory agents, and their activities are mediated, at least in part, by P53. This is a tumor suppressor protein which regulates the opposing activities of Rac1 and RhoA in the cellular cytoskeleton. In the present study we investigated the role of Hsp90 inhibitors in the H2O2-induced brain endothelium breakdown, by employing human cerebral microvascular endothelial cells (hCMEC/D3). Our findings suggest that H2O2 downregulates P53 by enhancing the P53 suppressor mouse double minute 2 homolog (MDM2), as well as by increasing the apyrimidinic endonuclease 1/redox factor 1 (APE1/Ref1). The H2O2 - triggered violation of the brain endothelium barrier was reflected in measurements of transendothelial resistance, and the increased expression of the key cytoskeletal modulators cofilin and myosin light chain 2 (MLC2). Treatment of the hCMEC/D3 cells with Hsp90 inhibitors counteracted those events, and reduced the generation of the hydrogen peroxide - induced reactive oxygen species. Hence, our study suggests that Hsp90 inhibition supports the BBB integrity, and may represent a promising therapeutic approach for disorders associated with brain endothelium breakdown; including COVID-19.

Colloidal gel elasticity arises from the packing of locally glassy clusters.

Colloidal gels formed by arrested phase separation are found widely in agriculture, biotechnology, and advanced manufacturing; yet, the emergence of elasticity and the nature of the arrested state in these abundant materials remains unresolved. Here, the quantitative agreement between integrated experimental, computational, and graph theoretic approaches are used to understand the arrested state and the origins of the gel elastic response. The micro-structural source of elasticity is identified by the l-balanced graph partition of the gels into minimally interconnected clusters that act as rigid, load bearing units. The number density of cluster-cluster connections grows with increasing attraction, and explains the emergence of elasticity in the network through the classic Cauchy-Born theory. Clusters are amorphous and iso-static. The internal cluster concentration maps onto the known attractive glass line of sticky colloids at low attraction strengths and extends it to higher strengths and lower particle volume fractions.

A Procedural Approach to Teaching Residents To Conduct Intensive Care Unit Family Conferences.

RATIONALE: Family conferences are an essential component of high-quality ICU care and an important skill for physicians. For residents, intensive care unit (ICU) rotations represent an opportunity to learn to conduct family conferences, and residents are already familiar with an approach for learning ICU procedures with steps of increasing responsibility organized as a module. OBJECTIVES: To determine the acceptability and feasibility of a procedure-training module for teaching family conferences. METHODS: We conducted a feasibility pilot study of a family conference training module with residents during a one-month ICU rotation over a three-month period. The module had five components: (1) two-minute instructional video; (2) faculty observation of two family conferences; (3) standardized observation and formative evaluation; (4) online resident procedure log; and (5) family conference note template to document the conference in the medical record. We evaluated acceptability with an anonymous survey. RESULTS: Twenty-seven residents rotated through the ICU during the pilot with 11 completing only one observed conference (41%) and 4 completing two or three observed conferences (15%). The most common reasons for not having conducted observed and evaluated conferences included competing work demands and conferences occurring at night. The survey response rate was 44% (12/27). Of respondents, 92% gave the module a rating of good, very good, or excellent and 92% stated they would recommend the module to others. CONCLUSIONS: This five-component module for teaching family conferences was rated as acceptable by most respondents, but significant barriers to successful implementation must be addressed before this is likely to be an effective teaching method.