Kosmotrope-like hydration behavior of polyethylene glycol from microcalorimetry and binding isotherm measurements.

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) at various molecular weights (MWs) has been regarded as a wonder molecule in biomedical applications. For instance, PEG serves as a unique moiety for pegylation of "biobetter" drug development, PEG provides controlled-release and preserved activity of biologics, and PEG modified surface works as an antibiofouling surface. The primary characteristics of PEG molecules used in relevant applications have been attributed mainly to the hydration behavior in aqueous solutions.

Coupling molecular dynamics simulations with experiments for the rational design of indolicidin-analogous antimicrobial peptides.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have attracted much interest in recent years because of their potential use as new-generation antibiotics. Indolicidin (IL) is a 13-residue cationic AMP that is effective against a broad spectrum of bacteria, fungi, and even viruses. Unfortunately, its high hemolytic activity retards its clinical applications.

Comparison of ultrasound and electromagnetic field effects on osteoblast growth.

This study compares the mechanisms of ultrasound (US) on osteoblast proliferation with those of pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF), by different signal transduction pathway inhibitors. The cells were stimulated for 15 min under US or for 2 h under PEMF exposure. Twenty-four h after the beginning of stimulation, the cells were harvested and used for mitochondrial activity test (MTT) analysis.