Investigation on cost-effective composites for CO adsorption from post-gasification residue and metal organic framework.

Cost-effective CO adsorbents are gaining increasing attention as viable solutions for mitigating climate change. In this study, composites were synthesized by electrochemically combining the post-gasification residue of Macadamia nut shell with copper benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate (CuBTC). Among the different composites synthesized, the ratio of 1:1 between biochar and CuBTC (B 1:1) demonstrated the highest CO adsorption capacity.

CCR4 Blockade Diminishes Intratumoral Macrophage Recruitment and Augments Survival of Syngeneic Pancreatic Cancer-Bearing Mice.

Pancreatic cancer is known for its tumor microenvironment (TME), which is rich in stromal and immune cells supporting cancer growth and therapy resistance. In particular, tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are known for their angiogenesis- and metastasis-promoting properties, which lead to the failure of conventional therapies for pancreatic cancer. Hence, treatment options targeting TAMs are needed.

In vitro aged, hiPSC-origin engineered heart tissue models with age-dependent functional deterioration to study myocardial infarction.

Deaths attributed to ischemic heart disease increased by 41.7% from 1990 to 2013. This is primarily due to an increase in the aged population, however, research on cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been overlooking aging, a well-documented contributor to CVD.

Impact of Nanoparticle Uptake on the Biophysical Properties of Cell for Biomedical Engineering Applications.

Nanomaterials are currently the state-of-the-art in the development of advanced biomedical devices and applications where classical approaches have failed. To date, majority of the literature on nanomaterial interaction with cells have largely focused on the biological responses of cells obtained via assays, with little interest on their biophysical responses. However, recent studies have shown that the biophysical responses of cells, such as stiffness and adhesive properties, play a significant role in their physiological function.

YAP and TAZ limit cytoskeletal and focal adhesion maturation to enable persistent cell motility.

Cell migration initiates by traction generation through reciprocal actomyosin tension and focal adhesion reinforcement, but continued motility requires adaptive cytoskeletal remodeling and adhesion release. Here, we asked whether de novo gene expression contributes to this cytoskeletal feedback. We found that global inhibition of transcription or translation does not impair initial cell polarization or migration initiation, but causes eventual migratory arrest through excessive cytoskeletal tension and over-maturation of focal adhesions, tethering cells to their matrix.

Determination of Fluoroquinolones in Pharmaceutical Formulations by Extractive Spectrophotometric Methods Using Ion-Pair Complex Formation with Bromothymol Blue.

In this paper, we reported a new, simple, accurate, and precise extractive spectrophotometric method for the determination of fluoroquinolones (FQs) including ciprofloxacin (CFX), levofloxacin (LFX), and ofloxacin (OFX) in pharmaceutical formulations. The proposed method is based on the ion-pair formation complexes between FQs and an anionic dye, bromothymol blue (BTB), in acidic medium. The yellow-colored complexes which were extracted into chloroform were measured at the wavelengths of 420, 415, and 418 nm for CFX, LFX, and OFX, respectively.

Stromal cell-laden 3D hydrogel microwell arrays as tumor microenvironment model for studying stiffness dependent stromal cell-cancer interactions.

Tumor properties such as growth and metastasis are dramatically dependent on the tumor microenvironment (TME). However, the diversity of the TME including the stiffness and the composition of the extracellular matrix (ECM), as well as the involvement of stromal cells, makes it extremely difficult to establish proper in vitro models for studying tumor growth and metastasis. In this research, we fabricated a stromal cell-laden microwell array system with tunable stiffness ranging from 200 Pa up to 3 kPa, which covers the stiffness range of normal and cancerous mammary tissues, to study the effect of ECM stiffness on stromal-cancer interaction.

Notch expressed by osteocytes plays a critical role in mineralisation.

Unlabelled: Notch is actively involved in various life processes including osteogenesis; however, the role of Notch signalling in the terminal mineralisation of bone is largely unknown. In this study, it was noted that Hey1, a downstream target of Notch signalling was highly expressed in mature osteocytes compared to osteoblasts, indicating a potential role of Notch in osteocytes. Using a recently developed thermosensitive cell line (IDG-SW3), we demonstrated that dentin matrix acidic phosphoprotein 1 (DMP1) expression was inhibited and mineralisation process was significantly altered when Notch pathway was inactivated via administration of N-[N-(3,5-Difluorophenacetyl)-L-alanyl]-S-phenylglycine t-butyl ester (DAPT), an inhibitor of Notch.

Subdiaphragmatic vagotomy promotes tumor growth and reduces survival via TNFα in a murine pancreatic cancer model.

This study analyses the effects of vagotomy on tumor growth and survival in a murine, pancreatic cancer model in wild-type and TNFα-knockout (-/-) mice.Throughout many operative procedures in the upper gastrointestinal tract the partial or complete transection of the vagus nerve or its local nerve fibers is unavoidable. Thereby its anti-inflammatory effects in residual tumor tissue may get lost.

3D hydrogel-based microwell arrays as a tumor microenvironment model to study breast cancer growth.

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is distinctly heterogeneous and is involved in tumor growth, metastasis, and drug resistance. Mimicking this diverse microenvironment is essential for understanding tumor growth and metastasis. Despite the substantial scientific progress made with traditional cell culture methods, microfabricated three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures that can be precisely controlled to mimic the changes occur in the TME over tumor progression are necessary for simulating organ-specific TME in vitro.

Investigation of Cell-Substrate Adhesion Properties of Living Chondrocyte by Measuring Adhesive Shear Force and Detachment Using AFM and Inverse FEA.

It is well-known that cell adhesion is important in many biological processes such as cell migration and proliferation. A better understanding of the cell adhesion process will shed insight into these cellular biological responses as well as cell adhesion-related diseases treatment. However, there is little research which has attempted to investigate the process of cell adhesion and its mechanism.

Chronic stress increases experimental pancreatic cancer growth, reduces survival and can be antagonised by beta-adrenergic receptor blockade.

Background/objectives: Chronic stress could promote tumour growth and reduce survival of pancreatic cancer patients via beta-adrenergic receptors of tumour cells. We have tested the impact of chronic acoustic and restraint stress on tumour development in an orthotopic syngeneic murine model of pancreatic cancer.

Methods And Results: Tumour-bearing C57BL/6 mice exposed to chronic stress had 45% (p = 0.

Investigation of the Effects of Extracellular Osmotic Pressure on Morphology and Mechanical Properties of Individual Chondrocyte.

It has been demonstrated that most cells of the body respond to osmotic pressure in a systematic manner. The disruption of the collagen network in the early stages of osteoarthritis causes an increase in water content of cartilage which leads to a reduction of pericellular osmolality in chondrocytes distributed within the extracellular environment. It is therefore arguable that an insight into the mechanical properties of chondrocytes under varying osmotic pressure would provide a better understanding of chondrocyte mechanotransduction and potentially contribute to knowledge on cartilage degeneration.

Microscale consolidation analysis of relaxation behavior of single living chondrocytes subjected to varying strain-rates.

Besides the elastic stiffness, the relaxation behavior of single living cells is also of interest of various researchers when studying cell mechanics. It is hypothesized that the relaxation response of the cells is governed by both intrinsic viscoelasticity of the solid phase and fluid-solid interactions mechanisms. There are a number of mechanical models have been developed to investigate the relaxation behavior of single cells.

A poroviscohyperelastic model for numerical analysis of mechanical behavior of single chondrocyte.

The aim of this paper is to use a poroviscohyperelastic (PVHE) model, which is developed based on the porohyperelastic (PHE) model to explore the mechanical deformation properties of single chondrocytes. Both creep and relaxation responses are investigated by using finite element analysis models of micropipette aspiration and atomic force microscopy experiments, respectively. The newly developed PVHE model is compared thoroughly with the standard neo-Hookean solid and PHE models.

Determination of strain-rate-dependent mechanical behavior of living and fixed osteocytes and chondrocytes using atomic force microscopy and inverse finite element analysis.

The aim of this paper is to determine the strain-rate-dependent mechanical behavior of living and fixed osteocytes and chondrocytes, in vitro. First, atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to obtain the force-indentation curves of these single cells at four different strain-rates. These results were then employed in inverse finite element analysis (FEA) using modified standard neo-Hookean solid (MSnHS) idealization of these cells to determine their mechanical properties.