Bridge-rich and loop-less hydrogel networks through suppressed micellization of multiblock polyelectrolytes.

Most triblock copolymer-based physical hydrogels form three-dimensional networks through micellar packing, and formation of polymer loops represents a topological defect that diminishes hydrogel elasticity. This effect can be mitigated by maximizing the fraction of elastically effective bridges in the hydrogel network. Herein, we report hydrogels constructed by complexing oppositely charged multiblock copolymers designed with a sequence pattern that maximizes the entropic and enthalpic penalty of micellization.

Development of 3D Printed Bruch's Membrane-Mimetic Substance for the Maturation of Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells.

Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is a monolayer of the pigmented cells that lies on the thin extracellular matrix called Bruch's membrane. This monolayer is the main component of the outer blood-retinal barrier (BRB), which plays a multifunctional role. Due to their crucial roles, the damage of this epithelium causes a wide range of diseases related to retinal degeneration including age-related macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, and Stargardt disease.

Scenarios of energy reduction potential of zero energy building promotion in the Asia-Pacific region to year 2050.

Building energy consumption in the Asia-Pacific region continues to rise. It is important to understand the energy use and future trends of 21 members of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and to find more effective ways to achieve APEC's dual goals of reducing energy intensity by 45% of 2005 levels by 2035 and doubling the share of renewable energy in the energy mix between 2010 and 2030. Recently, promoting building toward ultra-low energy, nearly zero energy and zero energy is becoming a consensus trend.

Correction to: Graft immaturity and safety concerns in transplanted human kidney organoids.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Knotting of a Cervical Epidural Catheter in the Patient with Post-Herpetic Neuralgia: A Rare Complication.

Epidural block is achieved either by single injection of local anesthetic through an epidural needle or as a continuous block by infusion pump through an epidural catheter. Complications associated with epidural catheters include breakage, entrapment, and knotting. Knotting of epidural catheters is very rare, but knotting in lumbar epidural catheters has been reported in a number of studies, and most of these cases involved removal difficulty.

Transient Oliguria during Anesthesia in Cerebral Salt Wasting Syndrome.

Cerebral salt wasting syndrome is a hyponatremic and hypovolemic condition caused by intracranial disorders, such as head injury, subarachnoid hemorrhage, brain tumor, and brain operations. We report a case of a 5-year-old girl that had cerebral salt wasting syndrome with marked polyuria who showed transient oliguria during general anesthesia. The patient had undergone an operation for traumatic intracranial hemorrhage three months prior and has had marked polyuria and hyponatremia since then.

A fermented barley and soybean formula enhances skin hydration.

Skin hydration is one of the primary aims of beauty and anti-aging treatments. Barley (Hordeum vulgare) and soybean (Glycine max) are major food crops, but can also be used as ingredients for the maintenance of skin health. We developed a natural product-based skin treatment using a barley and soybean formula (BS) incorporating yeast fermentation, and evaluated its skin hydration effects as a dietary supplement in a clinical study.

Dietary fermented soybean suppresses UVB-induced skin inflammation in hairless mice via regulation of the MAPK signaling pathway.

Soybean may be a promising ingredient for regulating UVB-induced inflammatory damage to the skin. We investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of diets supplemented with fermented soybean on UVB-induced skin photodamage and the effectiveness of soybean (S) and fermented soybean (FS) dietary supplementation. To investigate the effects of two major isoflavones-daidzein and genistein-from FS, we used cocultures with keratinocytes and fibroblasts.

Effects of combined mechanical stimulation on the proliferation and differentiation of pre-osteoblasts.

We observed how combined mechanical stimuli affect the proliferation and differentiation of pre-osteoblasts. For this research, a bioreactor system was developed that can simultaneously stimulate cells with cyclic strain and ultrasound, each of which is known to effectively stimulate bone tissue regeneration. MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts were chosen for bone tissue engineering due to their osteoblast-like characteristics.

An implementation story: moving the GAIN from pilot project to statewide use.

Similar to implementing an evidence-based practice (EPB), implementing an evidence-based assessment (EBA) is a long, complex process that can take several years to complete. Between 2002 and 2007, the state of Missouri first piloted the Global Appraisal of Individual Needs-Initial (GAIN-I; Dennis et al. 2006) assessment at one state-contracted adolescent substance abuse treatment program and then implemented the GAIN statewide.