Bio-based polylactic acid labware as a sustainable alternative for microbial cultivation in life science laboratories.

Single-use plastics (SUPs) in life science laboratories account for approximately 5.5 million tonnes of waste per year globally. Of SUPs used in life science laboratories, Petri dishes, centrifuge tubes, and inoculation loops are some of the most common.

Miniaturizing Nanotoxicity Assays in Daphnids.

The rapid progress of the modern world has resulted in new materials and products created at an accelerating pace. As such, nanoparticles have widespread applications and often find their way into the aquatic ecosystem. In the case of freshwater ecosystems, one of the commonly used bioindicators species used for pollution assessment is .

The impact of 60 days of -6° head down tilt bed rest on mitochondrial content, respiration and regulators of mitochondrial dynamics.

It is unclear how skeletal muscle metabolism and mitochondrial function adapt to long duration bed rest and whether changes can be prevented by nutritional intervention. The present study aimed (1) to assess the effect of prolonged bed rest on skeletal muscle mitochondrial function and dynamics and (2) to determine whether micronutrient supplementation would mitigate the adverse metabolic effect of bed rest. Participants were maintained in energy balance throughout 60 days of bed rest with micronutrient supplementation (INT) (body mass index: 23.

Pharmacological modulation of vascular ageing: A review from VascAgeNet.

Vascular ageing, characterized by structural and functional changes in blood vessels of which arterial stiffness and endothelial dysfunction are key components, is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular and other age-related diseases. As the global population continues to age, understanding the underlying mechanisms and developing effective therapeutic interventions to mitigate vascular ageing becomes crucial for improving cardiovascular health outcomes. Therefore, this review provides an overview of the current knowledge on pharmacological modulation of vascular ageing, highlighting key strategies and promising therapeutic targets.

Development of Sensitive Methods for the Detection of Minimum Concentrations of DNA on Martian Soil Simulants.

Several methods used for the quantification of DNA are based on UV absorbance or the fluorescence of complexes with intercalator dyes. Most of these intercalators are used in gels to visualize DNA and its structural integrity. Due to many extraterrestrial samples, such as meteorites or comets, which are likely to contain very small amounts of biological material, and because the ability to detect this material is crucial for understanding the origin and evolution of life in the universe, the development of assays that can detect DNA at low limits and withstand the rigors of space exploration is a pressing need in the field of astrobiology.

SIRT4 is a regulator of human skeletal muscle fatty acid metabolism influencing inner and outer mitochondrial membrane-mediated fusion.

Objective: The mitochondrial phenotype, governed by the balance of fusion-fission, is a key determinant of energy metabolism. The inner and outer mitochondrial membrane (IMM) fusion proteins optic atrophy 1 (OPA1) and Mitofusin 1 and 2 (Mfn1/2) play an important role in this process. Recent evidence also shows that Sirtuin 4 (SIRT4), located within the mitochondria, is involved in the regulation of fatty acid oxidation.

Immunoprecipitation: Variations, Considerations, and Applications.

Immunoprecipitation (IP) refers to methods of affinity chromatography that enrich and/or purify a specific protein from a complex mixture using a specific antibody immobilized on a solid support. Several operations and processes that are dependent on the isolation, concentration, and modification of proteins have seen improvement in their selectivity and separation based on the integration of IP-specific reactions into their workflows. This relatively simple principle has contributed significantly to our understanding of proteins and their behaviors and has become increasingly fundamental to most protein characterization studies today.

Ion-Exchange Chromatography: Basic Principles and Application.

Ion-exchange chromatography (IEC) is a fractionation technique that allows for the separation of ionizable molecules on the basis of differences in their electrostatic properties. Its large sample-handling capacity, broad applicability (particularly to proteins and enzymes), moderate cost, powerful resolving ability, ability to perform simultaneous quantitation, and ease of scale-up and automation have led to it becoming one of the most versatile and widely used of all liquid chromatography (LC) techniques. In this chapter, we review the basic principles of IEC, as well as the broader criteria for selecting IEC conditions.

Factors associated with concussion management behavior in Ladies Gaelic Football players.

Background: Sport-related concussion (SRC) management may be poor in community sports such as Ladies Gaelic Football (LGF). This study examined factors associated with SRC management behavior in adult LGF players.

Methods: Participants ( = 657) answered an online survey on demographic factors, concussion knowledge, attitudes, and education, and SRC management behavior.

Production of Silver Nano-Inks and Surface Coatings for Anti-Microbial Food Packaging and Its Ecological Impact.

Food spoilage is an ongoing global issue that contributes to rising carbon dioxide emissions and increased demand for food processing. This work developed anti-bacterial coatings utilising inkjet printing of silver nano-inks onto food-grade polymer packaging, with the potential to enhance food safety and reduce food spoilage. Silver nano-inks were synthesised via laser ablation synthesis in solution (LaSiS) and ultrasound pyrolysis (USP).

Controlled degradation of polycaprolactone-based micropillar arrays.

Herein we demonstrate the fabrication of arrays of micropillars, achieved through the combination of direct laser writing and nanoimprint lithography. By combining two diacrylate monomers, polycaprolactone dimethacrylate (PCLDMA) and 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate (HDDA), two copolymer formulations that, owing to the varying ratios of the hydrolysable ester functionalities present in the polycaprolactone moiety, can be degraded in the presence of base in a controllable manner. As such, the degradation of the micropillars can be tuned over several days as a function of PCLDMA concentration within the copolymer formulations, and the topography greatly varied over a short space of time, as visualised using scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy.

Shear Stress Markedly Alters the Proteomic Response to Hypoxia in Human Pulmonary Endothelial Cells.

Blood flow produces shear stress that homeostatically regulates the phenotype of pulmonary endothelial cells, exerting antiinflammatory and antithrombotic actions and maintaining normal barrier function. Hypoxia due to diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), causes vasoconstriction, increased vascular resistance, and pulmonary hypertension. Hypoxia-induced changes in endothelial function play a central role in the development of pulmonary hypertension.

Concussion in Ladies Gaelic Football: Self-reported History, Clinical Profiles, and Management Behavior.

Objective: To describe the prevalence, characteristics, and management behavior of self-reported sport-related concussion (SRC) in Ladies Gaelic Football (LGF) players.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Online survey distributed to LGF clubs throughout Ireland.

Exopolysaccharides of Lactic Acid Bacteria: Production, Purification and Health Benefits towards Functional Food.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are capable of synthesising metabolites known as exopolysaccharides (EPS) during fermentation. Traditionally, EPS plays an important role in fermented dairy products through their gelling and thickening properties, but they can also be beneficial to human health. This bioactivity has gained attention in applications for functional foods, which leads them to have prebiotic, immunomodulatory, antioxidant, anti-tumour, cholesterol-lowering and anti-obesity activity.

A Review of Polylactic Acid as a Replacement Material for Single-Use Laboratory Components.

Every year, the EU emits 13.4 Mt of CO solely from plastic production, with 99% of all plastics being produced from fossil fuel sources, while those that are produced from renewable sources use food products as feedstocks. In 2019, 29 Mt of plastic waste was collected in Europe.

Pathophysiology of Circulating Biomarkers and Relationship With Vascular Aging: A Review of the Literature From VascAgeNet Group on Circulating Biomarkers, European Cooperation in Science and Technology Action 18216.

Impairment of the arteries is a product of sustained exposure to various deleterious factors and progresses with time; a phenomenon inherent to vascular aging. Oxidative stress, inflammation, the accumulation of harmful agents in high cardiovascular risk conditions, changes to the extracellular matrix, and/or alterations of the epigenetic modification of molecules, are all vital pathophysiological processes proven to contribute to vascular aging, and also lead to changes in levels of associated circulating molecules. Many of these molecules are consequently recognized as markers of vascular impairment and accelerated vascular aging in clinical and research settings, however, for these molecules to be classified as biomarkers of vascular aging, further criteria must be met.

COMP-Ang1: Therapeutic potential of an engineered Angiopoietin-1 variant.

The Angiopoietin-1/2 system is an opportune target for therapeutic intervention in a wide range of vascular pathologies, particularly through its association with endothelium. The complex multi-domain structure of native human Angiopoietin-1 has hindered its widespread applicability as a therapeutic agent, prompting the search for alternative approaches to mimicking the Ang1:Tie2 signalling axis; a system with highly complex patterns of regulation involving multiple structurally similar molecules. An engineered variant, Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein - Angiopoietin-1 (COMP-Ang1), has been demonstrated to overcome the limitations of the native molecule and activate the Tie2 pathway with several fold greater potency than Ang1, both in vitro and in vivo.

TRAIL inhibits oxidative stress in human aortic endothelial cells exposed to pro-inflammatory stimuli.

Studies suggest that tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) has vasoprotective potential, as low levels of TRAIL cause accelerated vascular calcification, whereas exogenous TRAIL administration exhibits anti-atherosclerotic activity. The mechanism of TRAIL-mediated vasoprotection remains unclear. We studied the effects of TRAIL (100 ng/ml) on human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) exposed to pro-atherogenic conditions; (a) oscillatory shear stress (±10 dynes/cm ) using the ibidi µ-slide fluidic system; (b) pro-inflammatory injury, that is, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α, 100 ng/ml) and hyperglycemia (30 mM d-glucose).

RANKL treatment of vascular endothelial cells leading to paracrine pro-calcific signaling involves ROS production.

Numerous studies have highlighted the causal link between over-production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cardiovascular complications such as vascular calcification (VC). Receptor-activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) has previously been shown to act on endothelial cells, eliciting the production/release of paracrine pro-calcific signals that act, in-turn, upon underlying vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) to induce osteoblastic differentiation and VC. A role for endothelial ROS signaling in this process has not been established however.

COMP-Ang1 Stabilizes Hyperglycemic Disruption of Blood-Retinal Barrier Phenotype in Human Retinal Microvascular Endothelial Cells.

Purpose: Current treatments for diabetic retinopathy (DR) have considerable limitations, underpinning the need for new therapeutic options. In this article, the ability of an engineered angiopoietin-1 variant (COMP-Ang1) to ameliorate the injurious effects of hyperglycemia on barrier integrity in a human retinal microvascular endothelial cell (HRMvEC) model is comprehensively investigated.

Methods: Confluent HRMvECs were treated (0-72 hours) with d-glucose (5 or 30 mM) in the absence and presence of COMP-Ang1 (10-200 ng/mL).

Pulmonary endothelial permeability and tissue fluid balance depend on the viscosity of the perfusion solution.

Fluid filtration in the pulmonary microcirculation depends on the hydrostatic and oncotic pressure gradients across the endothelium and the selective permeability of the endothelial barrier. Maintaining normal fluid balance depends both on specific properties of the endothelium and of the perfusing blood. Although some of the essential properties of blood needed to prevent excessive fluid leak have been identified and characterized, our understanding of these remains incomplete.

Activation of the non-canonical NF-κB/p52 pathway in vascular endothelial cells by RANKL elicits pro-calcific signalling in co-cultured smooth muscle cells.

Background: The intimal endothelium is known to condition the underlying medial smooth muscle cell (SMC) layer of the vessel wall, and is highly responsive to receptor-activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) and tumour necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), pro-calcific and anti-calcific agents, respectively. In this paper, we tested the hypothesis that RANKL-induced activation of endothelial NF-κB signalling is essential for pro-calcific activation of the underlying SMCs.

Methods: For these studies, human aortic endothelial and smooth muscle cell mono-cultures (HAECs, HASMCs) were treated with RANKL (0-25 ng/ml ± 5 ng/ml TRAIL) for 72 h.

RANKL Inhibits the Production of Osteoprotegerin from Smooth Muscle Cells under Basal Conditions and following Exposure to Cyclic Strain.

Receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) promotes vascular calcification, while osteoprotegerin (OPG) opposes it by blocking RANKL activity. It remains unclear which vascular cell populations produce and secrete OPG/RANKL. This study characterizes the production of OPG/RANKL from human aortic endothelial and smooth muscle cells (HAECs and HASMCs) under various conditions.