A Multicomponent Microneedle Patch for the Delivery of Meloxicam for Veterinary Applications.

This study evaluates the use of poly(vinyl alcohol), collagen, and chitosan blends for developing a microneedle patch for the delivery of meloxicam (MEL). Results confirm successful MEL encapsulation, structural integrity, and chemical stability even after ethylene oxide sterilization. Mechanical testing indicates the patch has the required properties for effective skin penetration and drug delivery, as demonstrated by load-displacement curves showing successful penetration of pig ear surfaces at 3N of normal load.

Rationally Designed Peptoid Inhibitors of Amyloid-β Oligomerization.

While plaques comprised of fibrillar Aβ aggregates are hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease, soluble Aβ oligomers present higher neurotoxicity. Thus, one therapeutic approach is to prevent the formation of Aβ oligomers and reduce their associated harmful effects. We have proposed a peptoid mimic of the Aβ hydrophobic KLVFF core as an ideal candidate aggregation inhibitor due to its ability to evade proteolytic degradation via repositioning of the side chain from the α-carbon to the amide nitrogen.

Surface Modification of Nerve Guide Conduits with ECM Coatings and Investigating Their Impact on Schwann Cell Response.

In this study, layer-by-layer coatings composed of heparin and collagen are proposed as an extracellular mimetic environment on nerve guide conduits (NGC) to modulate the behavior of Schwann cells (hSCs). The authors evaluated the stability, degradation over time, and bioactivity of six bilayers of heparin/collagen layer-by-layer coatings, denoted as (HEP/COL). The stability study reveals that (HEP/COL) is stable after incubating the coatings in cell media for up to 21 days.

Novel Strategy to Enhance Human Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Immunosuppression: Harnessing Interferon-Gamma Presentation in Metal-Organic Frameworks Embedded on Heparin/Collagen Multilayers.

The immunomodulatory potential of human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs) can be boosted when exposed to interferon-gamma (IFN-γ). While pretreating hMSCs with IFN-γ is a common practice to enhance their immunomodulatory effects, the challenge lies in maintaining a continuous IFN-γ presence within cellular environments. Therefore, in this research, we investigate the sustainable presence of IFN-γ in the cell culture medium by immobilizing it in water-stable metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) [PCN-333(Fe)].

Guar-Based Injectable Hydrogel for Drug Delivery and In Vitro Bone Cell Growth.

Injectable hydrogels offer numerous advantages in various areas, which include tissue engineering and drug delivery because of their unique properties such as tunability, excellent carrier properties, and biocompatibility. These hydrogels can be administered with minimal invasiveness. In this study, we synthesized an injectable hydrogel by rehydrating lyophilized mixtures of guar adamantane (Guar-ADI) and poly-β-cyclodextrin (p-βCD) in a solution of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) maintained at pH 7.

Modulating the RAGE-Induced Inflammatory Response: Peptoids as RAGE Antagonists.

While the primary pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is defined by brain deposition of amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques and tau neurofibrillary tangles, chronic inflammation has emerged as an important factor in AD etiology. Upregulated cell surface expression of the receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE), a key receptor of innate immune response, is reported in AD. In parallel, RAGE ligands, including Aβ aggregates, HMGB1, and S100B, are elevated in AD brain.

High flux novel polymeric membrane for renal applications.

Biocompatibility and the ability to mediate the appropriate flux of ions, urea, and uremic toxins between blood and dialysate components are key parameters for membranes used in dialysis. Oxone-mediated TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanomaterials have been demonstrated to be excellent additives in the production and tunability of ultrafiltration and dialysis membranes. In the present study, nanocellulose ionic liquid membranes (NC-ILMs) were tested in vitro and ex vivo.

Personalized LSTM Models for ECG Lead Transformations Led to Fewer Diagnostic Errors Than Generalized Models: Deriving 12-Lead ECG from Lead II, V2, and V6.

Background And Objective: The prevalence of chronic cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) has risen globally, nearly doubling from 1990 to 2019. ECG is a simple, non-invasive measurement that can help identify CVDs at an early and treatable stage. A multi-lead ECG, up to 15 leads in a wearable form factor, is desirable.

Biodegradable microneedle patch for delivery of meloxicam for managing pain in cattle.

Microneedle patches are a promising source for transdermal diffusion of macromolecules and are designed to painlessly penetrate the skin. In this study, a biodegradable chitosan microneedle patch to deliver meloxicam for managing pain in cattle was tested. The potential of reuse of the polymeric solution to fabricate the patches, optimization of fabrication, morphological analysis of the microneedle patch and analysis of preservation of the chemical composition after sterilization were evaluated.

Band Offsets of the MOCVD-Grown β-(AlGa)O/β-GaO (010) Heterojunction.

The band offsets for the β-(AlGa)O/β-GaO (010) heterojunction have been experimentally measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. High-quality β-(AlGa)O films were grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition for characterization. The indirect band gap of β-(AlGa)O was determined by optical transmission to be 4.

Dietary Practices during Pregnancy in a Marshallese Community: A Mixed Methods Analysis.

Dietary practices during pregnancy play a pivotal role in the health of women and their children and set the foundation for long-term health. Marshallese women have disproportionally higher rates of maternal and infant health disparities, yet little is known about the dietary practices during their pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to identify dietary practices during pregnancy among Marshallese women.

Immunomodulatory functions of human mesenchymal stromal cells are enhanced when cultured on HEP/COL multilayers supplemented with interferon-gamma.

Human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs) are multipotent cells that have been proposed for cell therapies due to their immunosuppressive capacity that can be enhanced in the presence of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ). In this study, multilayers of heparin (HEP) and collagen (COL) (HEP/COL) were used as a bioactive surface to enhance the immunomodulatory activity of hMSCs using soluble IFN-γ. Multilayers were formed, via layer-by-layer assembly, varying the final layer between COL and HEP and supplemented with IFN-γ in the culture medium.

Electrochemical nutrient removal from natural wastewater sources and its impact on water quality.

In this study, a suite of natural wastewater sources is tested to understand the effects of wastewater composition and source on electrochemically driven nitrogen and phosphorus nutrient removal. Kinetics, electrode behavior, and removal efficiency were evaluated during electrochemical precipitation, whereby a sacrificial magnesium (Mg) anode was used to drive precipitation of ammonium and phosphate. The electrochemical reactor demonstrated fast kinetics in the natural wastewater matrices, removing up to 54% of the phosphate present in natural wastewater within 1 min, with an energy input of only 0.

Development of Custom Wall-Less Cardiovascular Flow Phantoms with Tissue-Mimicking Gel.

Purpose: Flow phantoms are used in experimental settings to aid in the simulation of blood flow. Custom geometries are available, but current phantom materials present issues with degradability and/or mimicking the mechanical properties of human tissue. In this study, a method of fabricating custom wall-less flow phantoms from a tissue-mimicking gel using 3D printed inserts is developed.

Mammary tumors in Sprague Dawley rats induced by N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea for evaluating terahertz imaging of breast cancer.

The objective of this study is to quantitatively evaluate terahertz (THz) imaging for differentiating cancerous from non-cancerous tissues in mammary tumors developed in response to injection of N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) in Sprague Dawley rats. While previous studies have investigated the biology of mammary tumors of this model, the current work is the first study to employ an imaging modality to visualize these tumors. A pulsed THz imaging system is utilized to experimentally collect the time-domain reflection signals from each pixel of the rat's excised tumor.

Influence of soil heterogeneity on soybean plant development and crop yield evaluated using time-series of UAV and ground-based geophysical imagery.

Understanding the interactions among agricultural processes, soil, and plants is necessary for optimizing crop yield and productivity. This study focuses on developing effective monitoring and analysis methodologies that estimate key soil and plant properties. These methodologies include data acquisition and processing approaches that use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and surface geophysical techniques.

Collagen I Fibrous Substrates Modulate the Proliferation and Secretome of Estrogen Receptor-Positive Breast Tumor Cells in a Hormone-Restricted Microenvironment.

The fibril orientation of type I collagen has been shown to contribute to tumor invasion and metabolic changes. Yet, there is limited information about its impact on tumor cells' behavior in a restrictive growth environment. Restrictive growth environments are generated by the inhibition of a proliferation stimulus during therapy or as an inflammatory response to suppress tumor expansion.

Consumer acceptability and monetary value perception of iced coffee beverages vary with drinking conditions using different types of straws or lids.

A recent trend of environmental sustainability has induced many coffee providers to offer alternatives to plastic straws. There has been little research regarding consumer perception of these alternative drinking conditions. This study aimed to determine differences in consumer perception of iced coffee beverages (without ice cubes) between plastic straw and alternative drinking conditions.

Methods for the Assembly and Characterization of Polyelectrolyte Multilayers as Microenvironments to Modulate Human Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Response.

Thin films are of interest in materials design because they allow for the modification of surface properties of materials while the bulk properties of the material are largely unaffected. In this work, we outline methods for the assembly of thin films using a technique known as layer-by-layer (LbL). Furthermore, their interactions with human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs) are discussed.

Design, characterization, and modeling of a chitosan microneedle patch for transdermal delivery of meloxicam as a pain management strategy for use in cattle.

This work describes the formulation and evaluation of a chitosan microneedle patch for the transdermal delivery of meloxicam to manage pain in cattle. Microneedle patches composed of chitosan and chitosan/meloxicam were evaluated regarding their chemical composition, uniformity of physical characteristics, capacity to penetrate the skin, and response to thermal and thermo-mechanical changes. Microneedle patches were prepared by varying the percentage of acetic acid used during solution preparation, including 90% (v/v), 50% (v/v), and 10% (v/v).

Understanding the effects of vehicle platoons on crash type and severity.

Crash type is an informative indicator to infer driving behaviors and conditions that cause a crash. For example, rear-end and side-swipe crashes are typically caused by improper vehicle interaction such as sudden lane-changing or speed control while hit-object crashes are likely the result of a single driver's mistake. This study investigated the impact of vehicles travelling as a group (platoon) and its configuration (i.

Electroless Production of Fertilizer (Struvite) and Hydrogen from Synthetic Agricultural Wastewaters.

The drive toward sustainable phosphorus (P) recovery from agricultural and municipal wastewater streams has intensified. However, combining P recovery with energy conservation is perhaps one of the greatest challenges of this century. In this study, we report for the first time the simultaneous electroless production of struvite and dihydrogen from aqueous ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (NHHPO) solutions in contact with either a pure magnesium (Mg) or a Mg alloy as the anode and 316 stainless steel (SS) as the cathode placed in a bench-scale electrochemical reactor.

Real-time monitoring of human Schwann cells on heparin-collagen coatings reveals enhanced adhesion and growth factor response.

In this work, we evaluate the enhancing effect of six bilayers of heparin/collagen (HEP/COL) layer-by-layer coatings on human Schwann cell (hSCs) adhesion and proliferation in the presence or absence of nerve growth factor (NGF). hSCs behavior and in vitro bioactivity were studied during six days of culture using end-point viability and proliferation assays as well as an impedance-based real-time monitoring system. An end-point viability assay revealed that hSCs cultured on the (HEP/COL) coatings increased their growth by more than 230% compared to controls.

Low Fouling, Peptoid-Coated Polysulfone Hollow Fiber Membranes-the Effect of Grafting Density and Number of Side Chains.

The development of low fouling membranes to minimize protein adsorption has relevance in various biomedical applications. Here, electrically neutral peptoids containing 2-methoxyethyl glycine (NMEG) side chains were attached to polysulfone hollow fiber membranes via polydopamine. The number of side chains and grafting density were varied to determine the effect on coating properties and the ability to prevent fouling.