Self-healing injectable hydrogels incorporating hyaluronic acid and phytic acid: Rheological insights and implications for regenerative medicine.

Eying the increasing impact of hyaluronic acid (HA) and its multifaceted applications, this study employs a non-toxic, one-pot strategy to develop injectable, self-healing hydrogels for biomedical applications. Phytic acid (PA), a plant-derived organic acid with high biocompatibility and numerous hydroxyl groups, can act as a cross-linking agent to form hydrogen-bonded networks with the HA chains. The study examined the optimal mass ratio of HA to PA to achieve superior hydrogel performance.

Prototype isochoric preservation device for large organs.

This paper presents the design and prototype of a constant volume (isochoric) vessel that can be used for the preservation of large organs in a supercooled state. This prototype is a preliminary version of a more advanced design. The device consists of a cooling bath operated by a mechanical vapor compression refrigeration unit and an isochoric chamber made of stainless steel.

Study on cellulose nanofibrils/copolymacrolactone based nano-composites with hydrophobic behaviour, self-healing ability and antioxidant activity.

The multiple uses of cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) originate from their availability from renewable resources, and are due to their physico-chemical properties, biodegradability and biocompatibility. At the same time, reducing sensitivity to humidity, increasing interfacial adhesion and hydrophobic modification of the CNF surface to diversify applications and improve operation, are current targets pursued. This study focuses on the preparation of a novel gel structure using cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) and poly(ethylene brassylate-co-squaric acid) (PEBSA), a bio-based copolymacrolactone.

Evaluation of hyaluronic acid-polymacrolactone hydrogels with 3D printing capacity.

The implementation of personalized patches, tailored to individual genetic profiles and containing specific amounts of bioactive substances, has the potential to produce a transformative impact within the medical sector. There are several methods of designing scaffolds in the context of personalized medicine, with three-dimensional (3D) printing emerging as a pivotal technique. This innovative approach can be used to construct a wide variety of pharmaceutical dosage forms, characterized by variations in shape, release profile, and drug combinations, allowing precise dose individualization and the incorporation of multiple therapeutic agents.

Isochoric Supercooling Organ Preservation System.

This technical paper introduces a novel organ preservation system based on isochoric (constant volume) supercooling. The system is designed to enhance the stability of the metastable supercooling state, offering potential long-term preservation of large biological organs at subfreezing temperatures without the need for cryoprotectant additives. Detailed technical designs and usage protocols are provided for researchers interested in exploring this field.

Preservation of black grapes by isochoric freezing.

Fruits are perishable. It's crucial to have an efficient preservation technique that may extend storage duration while maintaining the physical quality and nutritional values to avoid wastage. The majority of long-term storage solutions for fruits use refrigeration.

An exploratory study on isochoric supercooling preservation of the pig liver.

This study was motivated by the increasing interest in finding ways to preserve organs in a supercooled state for transplantation. Previous research with small volumes suggests that the isochoric (constant volume) thermodynamic state enhances the stability of supercooled solutions. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility of storing a large organ, such as the pig liver, in a metastable isochoric supercooled state for clinically relevant durations.

Automatic Detection of the Orientation of Strain Gauges Bonded on Composite Materials with Polymer Matrix, in Order to Reduce the Measurement Errors.

Composite materials with a polymer matrix are used on a large scale to make light structures that involve high responsibility. The failure mechanisms of composite materials are very complex and for this reason, advanced techniques for damage detection and the assessment of structural integrity are required. The continuous structural health monitoring (SHM) uses nondestructive testing (NDT) techniques, sensors integrated into the structures, computers and dedicated software.

Analytical modelling of food storage cooling with solar ammonia-water absorption system, powered by parabolic trough collectors. Method.

The study presents a new analytical model capable to reveal the thermal behaviour of all the components of the solar ammonia-water absorption system, powered by parabolic trough collectors, serving different types of food storages: refrigeration chamber, refrigerated food storage, freezing chamber and frozen food storage. The heat inputs, that determine the total cooling load, for each food storage spaces consist of: heat gains through walls, heat gains through ventilation (fresh air), heat that must be dissipated from the stored products (technological cooling load required to cool down the products) and heat gains through operation. The influence of the number of solar parabolic trough collectors and of the storage tank size on different parameters of the refrigeration plant are investigated under low and high storage temperatures.

New Hydrogels Based on Agarose/Phytagel and Peptides.

Short aromatic peptide derivatives, i.e., peptides or amino acids modified with aromatic groups, such as 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc), can self-assemble into extracellular matrix-like hydrogels due to their nanofibrillar architecture.

Development of a new polymer network system carrier of essential oils.

The study presents the development of a new copolymacrolactone structure based on ethylene brassylate (EB) and squaric acid (SA) with different ratios between comonomers. The new system was tested as a network for essential oils encapsulation. The structure of the copolymers was confirmed by spectroscopic investigations and correlated in interdependence with the comonomers content.

Temperature-pressure correlations of cryoprotective additives for the design of constant volume cryopreservation protocols.

In the recent years, the use of constant volume (isochoric) cryopreservation, in medicine and biotechnology has captured more attention from the research community and now there is an increasing interest in the use of this new technology. It has been established that the thermodynamics of isochoric freezing is different from that of isobaric (constant pressure) freezing. This study provides researchers in the field experimental results for various compositions of cryoprotectants commonly used in isobaric cryopreservation, in terms of temperature-pressure-molar concentration correlation.

Synthesis and Comparative Studies of Glucose Oxidase Immobilized on FeO Magnetic Nanoparticles Using Different Coupling Agents.

Squaric acid (SA) is a compound with potential to crosslink biomacromolecules. Although SA has become over the last years a well-known crosslinking agent as a result of its good biocompatibility, glutaraldehyde (GA), a compound with proven cytotoxicity is still one of the most used crosslinkers to develop nanomaterials. In this regard, the novelty of the present study consists in determining whether it may be possible to substitute GA with a new bifunctional and biocompatible compound, such as SA, in the process of enzyme immobilization on the surface of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs).

The Use of Organic Rankine Cycles for Recovering the Heat Lost in the Compression Area of a Cryogenic Air Separation Unit.

The use of organic Rankine cycles (ORCs) is a viable solution for the recovery of waste heat. For an air separation unit (ASU) with a production of V˙O2=58300mN3/h operating in Romania, the value of utilization of the heat transferred to the cooling system of the compression area represents 21% of the global system electrical energy input. To recover this thermal energy and transform it into mechanical energy, an ORC system was proposed.

Exergetic Analysis of a Cryogenic Air Separation Unit.

This case study analyzes a cryogenic air separation unit (ASU) with a production of V˙O2=58,300 [m3Nh] of gaseous oxygen with a concentration greater than 98.5%, operating in Romania on a steel plant platform. The goal of the paper is to provide an extensive model of exergetic analysis that could be used in an optimization procedure when decisional parameters are changed or structural design modifications are implemented.

Glucose and glycerol temperature-pressure correlations for the design of cryopreservation protocols in an isochoric system at subfreezing temperature.

There is growing interest in the use of isochoric (constant volume) freezing for cryopreservation of biological matter. The goal of this study is to generate fundamental experimental data on the pressure temperature relation during the freezing of an isochoric system of aqueous solutions of two compounds, glucose and glycerol. Glucose and glycerol are commonly used as cryoprotectants in conventional isobaric (constant pressure) cryopreservation protocols.

The effects of cinnamon supplementation on blood lipid concentrations: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Cinnamon is a rich botanical source of polyphenols, whose positive effects on blood lipid concentrations have been hypothesized, but have not been conclusively studied.

Objective: The objective of the study was to systematically review and evaluate the effect of administration of cinnamon on blood lipid concentrations.

Methods: We assessed 13 randomized controlled trials with 750 participants investigating the effect of cinnamon supplementation on blood lipid concentrations.

Pressure in isochoric systems containing aqueous solutions at subzero Centigrade temperatures.

Objective: Preservation of biological materials at subzero Centigrade temperatures, cryopreservation, is important for the field of tissue engineering and organ transplantation. Our group is studying the use of isochoric (constant volume) systems of aqueous solution for cryopreservation. Previous studies measured the pressure-temperature relations in aqueous isochoric systems in the temperature range from 0°C to - 20°C.

A comparison of freezing-damage during isochoric and isobaric freezing of the potato.

Background: Freezing is commonly used for food preservation. It is usually done under constant atmospheric pressure (isobaric). While extending the life of the produce, isobaric freezing has detrimental effects.

Isochoric and isobaric freezing of fish muscle.

We have recently shown that, a living organism, which succumbs to freezing to -4 °C in an isobaric thermodynamic system (constant atmospheric pressure), can survive freezing to -4 °C in an isochoric thermodynamic system (constant volume). It is known that the mechanism of cell damage in an isobaric system is the freezing caused increase in extracellular osmolality, and, the consequent cell dehydration. An explanation for the observed survival during isochoric freezing is the thermodynamic modeling supported hypothesis that, in the isochoric frozen solution the extracellular osmolality is comparable to the cell intracellular osmolality.

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans survives subfreezing temperatures in an isochoric system.

This study is the first experimental evidence showing that a living multicellular organism, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, can survive subfreezing temperatures in an isochoric (constant volume) thermodynamic system, while immersed in a simple isotonic solution, without the addition of cryoprotectants. Some of the test conditions were more extreme than those found at the ice/water interface of the Antarctic subglacial Vostok lake. On earth, life takes place in an isobaric (constant pressure) environment.

User Interface Design in Medical Distributed Web Applications.

User interfaces are important to facilitate easy learning and operating with an IT application especially in the medical world. An easy to use interface has to be simple and to customize the user needs and mode of operation. The technology in the background is an important tool to accomplish this.

Effects of supplementation with pomegranate juice on plasma C-reactive protein concentrations: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Pomegranate juice (PJ) has a high content of antioxidants and bioactive polyphenols, being widely used for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and chemopreventive effects.

Purpose: The objective of this meta-analysis consisted in investigating the impact of PJ on plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations.

Methods: The search included SCOPUS, Medline and two Iranian bibliographic databases namely MagIran and Scientific Information Database (from inception to December 09, 2014) to identify prospective trials for investigating the impact of pomegranate preparations on serum concentrations of CRP.

User experience integrated life-style cloud-based medical application.

Having a modern application capable to automatically collect and process data from users, based on information and lifestyle answers is one of current challenges for researchers and medical science. The purpose of the current study is to integrate user experience design (UXD) in a cloud-based medical application to improve patient safety, quality of care and organizational efficiency. The process consists of collecting traditional and new data from patients and users using online questionnaires.

eduCRATE--a Virtual Hospital architecture.

eduCRATE is a complex project proposal which aims to develop a virtual learning environment offering interactive digital content through original and integrated solutions using cloud computing, complex multimedia systems in virtual space and personalized design with avatars. Compared to existing similar products the project brings the novelty of using languages for medical guides in order to ensure a maximum of flexibility. The Virtual Hospital simulations will create interactive clinical scenarios for which students will find solutions for positive diagnosis and therapeutic management.