Upcycling imperfect broccoli and carrots into healthy snacks using an innovative 3D food printing approach.

Vegetables are healthy foods with nutritional benefits; however, nearly one-third of the world's vegetables are lost each year, and some of the losses happen due to the imperfect shape of the vegetables. In this study, imperfect vegetables (i.e.

Multi-objective Bayesian algorithm automatically discovers low-cost high-growth serum-free media for cellular agriculture application.

In this work, we applied a multi-information source modeling technique to solve a multi-objective Bayesian optimization problem involving the simultaneous minimization of cost and maximization of growth for serum-free C2C12 cells using a hyper-volume improvement acquisition function. In sequential batches of custom media experiments designed using our Bayesian criteria, collected using multiple assays targeting different cellular growth dynamics, the algorithm learned to identify the trade-off relationship between long-term growth and cost. We were able to identify several media with more growth of C2C12 cells than the control, as well as a medium with 23% more growth at only 62.

Observations of Ethylene-for-CO Ligand Exchanges on a Zeolite-Supported Single-Site Rh Catalyst by X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy.

Quick-scanning X-ray absorption fine structure (QXAFS) measurements were used to characterize the exchanges of ethylene and CO ligands in a zeolite HY-supported single-site Rh complex at a sampling rate of 1.0 Hz. The two ligands were reversibly exchanged on the rhodium, with quantitative results determined for the CH-for-CO exchange that are consistent with a first-order process.

Porous Aromatic Framework Nanosheets Anchored with Lewis Pairs for Efficient and Recyclable Heterogeneous Catalysis.

Lewis pairs (LPs) with outstanding performance for nonmetal-mediated catalysis reactions have high fundamental interest and remarkable application prospects. However, their solubility characteristics lead to instability and deactivation upon recycling. Here, the layered porous aromatic framework (PAF-6), featuring two kinds of Lewis base sites (N and N), is exfoliated into few-layer nanosheets to form the LP entity with the Lewis acid.

An Alkaline Based Method for Generating Crystalline, Strong, and Shape Memory Polyvinyl Alcohol Biomaterials.

Strong, stretchable, and durable biomaterials with shape memory properties can be useful in different biomedical devices, tissue engineering, and soft robotics. However, it is challenging to combine these features. Semi-crystalline polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) has been used to make hydrogels by conventional methods such as freeze-thaw and chemical crosslinking, but it is formidable to produce strong materials with adjustable properties.

Toward Fast Screening of Organic Solar Cell Blends.

The ever increasing library of materials systems developed for organic solar-cells, including highly promising non-fullerene acceptors and new, high-efficiency donor polymers, demands the development of methodologies that i) allow fast screening of a large number of donor:acceptor combinations prior to device fabrication and ii) permit rapid elucidation of how processing affects the final morphology/microstructure of the device active layers. Efficient, fast screening will ensure that important materials combinations are not missed; it will accelerate the technological development of this alternative solar-cell platform toward larger-area production; and it will permit understanding of the structural changes that may occur in the active layer over time. Using the relatively high-efficiency poly[(5,6-difluoro-2,1,3-benzothiadiazol-4,7-diyl)-alt-(3,3'''-di(2-octyldodecyl)-2,2';5',2'';5'',2'''-quaterthiophen-5,5'''-diyl)] (PCE11):phenyl-C61-butyric acid-methyl-ester acceptor (PCBM) blend systems, it is demonstrated that by means of straight-forward thermal analysis, vapor-phase-infiltration imaging, and transient-absorption spectroscopy, various blend compositions and processing methodologies can be rapidly screened, information on promising combinations can be obtained, reliability issues with respect to reproducibility of thin-film formation can be identified, and insights into how processing aids, such as nucleating agents, affect structure formation, can be gained.

Size, shape, and flexibility influence nanoparticle transport across brain endothelium under flow.

Nanoparticle-based therapeutic formulations are being increasingly explored for the treatment of various ailments. Despite numerous advances, the success of nanoparticle-based technologies in treating brain diseases has been limited. Translational hurdles of nanoparticle therapies are attributed primarily to their limited ability to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which is one of the body's most exclusive barriers.

Role of synergy and immunostimulation in design of chemotherapy combinations: An analysis of doxorubicin and camptothecin.

Combination chemotherapy is often employed to improve therapeutic efficacies of drugs. However, traditional combination regimens often utilize drugs at or near-their maximum tolerated doses (MTDs), elevating the risk of dose-related toxicity and impeding their clinical success. Further, high doses of adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapies can cause myeloablation, which compromises the immune response and hinders the efficacy of chemotherapy as well as accompanying treatments such as immunotherapy.

Earth-Abundant Tin Sulfide-Based Photocathodes for Solar Hydrogen Production.

Tin-based chalcogenide semiconductors, though attractive materials for photovoltaics, have to date exhibited poor performance and stability for photoelectrochemical applications. Here, a novel strategy is reported to improve performance and stability of tin monosulfide (SnS) nanoplatelet thin films for H production in acidic media without any use of sacrificial reagent. P-type SnS nanoplatelet films are coated with the -CdS buffer layer and the TiO passivation layer to form type II heterojunction photocathodes.

Multifunctional stimuli responsive polymer-gated iron and gold-embedded silica nano golf balls: Nanoshuttles for targeted on-demand theranostics.

Multi-functional nanoshuttles for remotely targeted and on-demand delivery of therapeutic molecules and imaging to defined tissues and organs hold great potentials in personalized medicine, including precise early diagnosis, efficient prevention and therapy without toxicity. Yet, in spite of 25 years of research, there are still no such shuttles available. To this end, we have designed magnetic and gold nanoparticles (NP)-embedded silica nanoshuttles (MGNSs) with nanopores on their surface.

Lewis-Acid-assisted Hydrogen Atom Transfer to Manganese(V)-Oxo Corrole through Valence Tautomerization.

The kinetics of formation of the valence tautomers (tpfc)Mn(O-LA)] [where LA=Zn, Ca, Sc, Yb, B(CF), and trifluoroacetic acid (TFA); tpfc=5,10,15-tris(pentafluorophenyl) corrole] from (tpfc)Mn(O) were followed by UV/Vis spectroscopy, giving second-order rate constants ranging over five orders of magnitude from 10 for Ca to 10  m  s for Sc. Hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) rates from 2,4-di--butyl phenol (2,4-DTBP) to the various Lewis acid valence tautomers of manganese oxo corrole complexes were evaluated and compared. For LA=TFA, Sc, or Yb, the rate constants of HAT were comparable to unactivated (tpfc)Mn(O).

Influence of the Human and Rat Islet Amyloid Polypeptides on Structure of Phospholipid Bilayers: Neutron Reflectometry and Fluorescence Microscopy Studies.

Neutron reflectivity (NR) and fluorescent microscopy (FM) were used to study the interactions of human (hIAPP) and rat (rIAPP) islet amyloid polypeptides with several formulations of supported model lipid bilayers at the solid-liquid interface. Aggregation and deposition of islet amyloid polypeptide is correlated with the pathology of many diseases, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson, and type II diabetes (T2DM). A central component of T2DM pathology is the deposition of fibrils in the endocrine pancreas, which is toxic to the insulin secreting β-cells.

Measuring concentration fields in microfluidic channels in situ with a Fabry-Perot interferometer.

Recent advancements in microfluidic technology have allowed for the generation and control of complex chemical gradients; however, few general techniques can measure these spatio-temporal concentration profiles without fluorescent labeling. Here we describe a Fabry-Perot interferometric technique, capable of measuring concentration profiles in situ, without any chemical label, by tracking Fringes of Equal Chromatic Order (FECO). The technique has a sensitivity of 10(-5) RIU, which can be used to track local solute changes of ~0.

Challenges associated with Penetration of Nanoparticles across Cell and Tissue Barriers: A Review of Current Status and Future Prospects.

Nanoparticles (NPs) have emerged as an effective modality for the treatment of various diseases including cancer, cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases. Various forms of NPs including liposomes, polymer particles, micelles, dendrimers, quantum dots, gold NPs and carbon nanotubes have been synthesized and tested for therapeutic applications. One of the greatest challenges that limit the success of NPs is their ability to reach the therapeutic site at necessary doses while minimizing accumulation at undesired sites.

Dependence of skin permeability on contact area.

Purpose: We report that experimentally measured skin permeability to hydrophilic solutes increases with decreasing contact area between the formulation and the skin. Our results suggest that an array of smaller reservoirs should thus be more effective in increasing transdermal drug delivery compared to a large single reservoir of the same total area.

Methods: Experimental assessment of the dependence of skin permeability on reservoir size was performed using two model systems, an array of liquid reservoirs with diameters in the range of 2 mm to 6 mm and an array of gel disk reservoirs with diameters in the range of 3 mm to 16 mm.

Polymer adsorption-driven self-assembly of nanostructures.

Driven by prospective applications, there is much interest in developing materials that can perform specific functions in response to external conditions. One way to design such materials is to create systems which, in response to external inputs, can self-assemble to form structures that are functionally useful. This review focuses on the principles that can be employed to design macromolecules that when presented with an appropriate two-dimensional surface, will self-assemble to form nanostructures that may be functionally useful.

Combinatorial Heterogeneous Catalysis-A New Path in an Old Field.

Combinatorial catalysis is the systematic preparation, processing, and testing of large diversities of chemically and physically different materials libraries in a high-throughput fashion. It also embodies microfabrication, robotics, automation, instrumentation, computational chemistry, and large-scale information management (informatics), and as such carries the promise of a renaissance in catalytic reaction engineering. Significant progress has already been made in demonstrating the speed and economic advantage of combinatorial approaches by the discovery of superior catalytic materials in a matter of hours and days, as opposed to the months and years required using traditional methods.

Recombinant DNA techniques for bioremediation and environmentally-friendly synthesis.

A number of new recombinant DNA techniques have been developed for genetically engineered microorganisms for biodegradation of environmental contaminants or for the synthesis of small molecules. These techniques include new expression vectors to carry the heterologous genes into the host organism, new mechanisms to control gene expression, containment mechanisms to control persistence of genetically-engineered microorganisms, application of site-directed and random mutagenesis to increase the substrate range or activity of biodegradative enzymes, and methods to track genetically-engineered microorganisms.