Iodinated PSMA Ligands as XFI Tracers for Targeted Cell Imaging and Characterization of Nanoparticles.

Prostate cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in men worldwide. Despite this, current diagnostic tools are still not satisfactory, lacking sensitivity for early-stage or single-cell diagnosis. This study describes the development of small-molecule tracers for the well-known tumor marker prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA).

Effects of on Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells.

Atherosclerosis is initiated by injury or damage to the vascular endothelial cell monolayer. Therefore, the early repair of the damaged vascular endothelium by a proliferation of neighbouring endothelial cells is important to prevent atherosclerosis and thrombotic events. (AP) has been used as a dietary supplement, mainly due to its high content of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and pigments such as chlorophylls, carotenoids, and phycocyanin, ingredients with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-thrombotic properties.

Application of Sortase-Mediated Ligation for the Synthesis of Block Copolymers and Protein-Polymer Conjugates.

Sortase-mediated ligation (SML) has become a powerful tool for site-specific protein modification. However, sortase A (SrtA) suffers from low catalytic efficiency and mediates an equilibrium reaction. Therefore, ligations with large macromolecules may be challenging.

Development of a Screening Platform for Optimizing Chemical Nanosensor Materials.

Chemical sensors, relying on changes in the electrical conductance of a gas-sensitive material due to the surrounding gas, typically react with multiple target gases and the resulting response is not specific for a certain analyte species. The purpose of this study was the development of a multi-sensor platform for systematic screening of gas-sensitive nanomaterials. We have developed a specific Si-based platform chip, which integrates a total of 16 sensor structures.

A method to measure molecular hybridization.

Fluorescence-based oligonucleotide probes have a great importance in research of molecular interactions. Molecular beacons (MBs) are special case of fluorescent probes that form a stem-loop shape, bringing together a fluorophore and quencher, thus emitting fluorescence only when hybridized to a complementary target. Here we describe a new method for the quantitation of MB hybridization based on the measurement of changes in free energy instead of the fluorescence intensity.

Antibacterial Nanoplatelets via Crystallization-Driven Self-Assembly of Poly(l-lactide)-Based Block Copolymers.

Membrane-active antimicrobial materials are promising substances to fight antimicrobial resistance. Herein, crystallization-driven self-assembly (CDSA) is employed for the preparation of nanoparticles with different morphologies, and their bioactivity is explored. Block copolymers (BCPs) featuring a crystallizable and antimicrobial block were synthesized using a combination of ring-opening and photoiniferter RAFT polymerizations.

Redox-Triggered Debonding of Mussel-Inspired Pressure Sensitive Adhesives: Improving Efficiency Through Functional Design.

Debondable pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) promise access to recyclability in microelectronics in the transition toward a circular economy. Two PSAs were synthesized from a tetravalent thiol star-polyester forming thiol-catechol-connectivities (TCC) with either the biorelated DiDopa-bisquinone (BY*Q) or the fossil-based bisquinone A (BQA). The PSAs enable debonding by oxidation of TCC-catechols to quinones.

Degradation of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) Reinforced with Regenerated Cellulose Fibers.

PHBV is a promising plastic for replacing conventional petroleum-based plastics in the future. However, the mechanical properties of PHBV are too low for use in high-stress applications and the degradation of the polymer limits possible applications. In this work, the mechanical properties were, therefore, increased using bio-based regenerated cellulose fibers and degradation processes of the PHBV-RCF composites were detected in accelerated aging tests under various environmental conditions.

Disclosing Topographical and Chemical Patterns in Confined Films of High-Molecular-Weight Block Copolymers under Controlled Solvothermal Annealing.

The microphase separation of high-molecular-weight block copolymers into nanostructured films is strongly dependent on the surface fields. Both, the chain mobility and the effective interaction parameters can lead to deviations from the bulk morphologies in the structures adjacent to the substrate. Resolving frustrated morphologies with domain period L above 100 nm is an experimental challenge.

4D-Printed Tool for Compressing a Shape Memory Polyurethane Foam during Programming.

Although several force application concepts are known that can be used to deform shape memory polymers (SMPs) within the scope of programming, controlled deformation is challenging in the case of samples with a cylinder-like shape, which need to be homogeneously compressed starting from the lateral surface. To solve this problem, this contribution follows a material approach that takes advantage of four-dimensional (4D) printing. Fused filament fabrication (FFF) was used as an additive manufacturing (AM) technique to produce a thermoresponsive tool in a cylindrical shape from a polyether urethane (PEU) having a glass transition temperature () close to 55 °C, as determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).

Influence of the hard segments content on the properties of electrospun aliphatic poly(carbonate-urethane-urea)s.

The study investigated the impact of hard segments (HS) content on the morphology and thermomechanical properties of electrospun aliphatic poly(carbonate-urea-urethane)s (PCUUs). The obtained nonwovens exhibited surface porosity ranging from 50% to 57%, and fiber diameters between 0.59 and 0.

Spectroscopic characterization of europium binding to a calmodulin-EF4 hand peptide-polymer conjugate.

The emergence of biological ligand as an alternative to chemical ligands enables a sustainable lanthanide extraction route. In this study, a peptide originating from the loop of domain 4 calmodulin (EF4) was synthesized and the interaction with europium ions was monitored using time resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS). Despite being retracted from its full protein structure, the twelve amino acids of calmodulin-EF4 showed binding to europium.

Mucosal immunization with a low-energy electron inactivated respiratory syncytial virus vaccine protects mice without Th2 immune bias.

The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of acute lower respiratory tract infections associated with numerous hospitalizations. Recently, intramuscular (i.m.

Electropolymerization of an EDOT-Quinoxaline Monomer for Green Electrochromic Thin Films and Devices.

In this study, we present a 5,8-bis(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)quinoxaline monomer with two 4-(octyloxy)phenyl side chains (EDOTPQ) that can be electropolymerized on ITO glass in standard electrolytes containing lithium salts and propylene carbonate as solvent. The electrochemically deposited PEDOTPQ layers show very good adhesion and homogeneity on ITO. The green-colored polymer thin films exhibit promising electrochromic (EC) properties and are interesting for applications such as adaptive camouflage, as well as smart displays, labels, and sensors.

Advances in Nanoarchitectonics: A Review of "Static" and "Dynamic" Particle Assembly Methods.

Particle assembly is a promising technique to create functional materials and devices from nanoscale building blocks. However, the control of particle arrangement and orientation is challenging and requires careful design of the assembly methods and conditions. In this study, the static and dynamic methods of particle assembly are reviewed, focusing on their applications in biomaterial sciences.

AI-guided pipeline for protein-protein interaction drug discovery identifies a SARS-CoV-2 inhibitor.

Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) offer great opportunities to expand the druggable proteome and therapeutically tackle various diseases, but remain challenging targets for drug discovery. Here, we provide a comprehensive pipeline that combines experimental and computational tools to identify and validate PPI targets and perform early-stage drug discovery. We have developed a machine learning approach that prioritizes interactions by analyzing quantitative data from binary PPI assays or AlphaFold-Multimer predictions.

4D Fabrication of Two-Way Shape Memory Polymeric Composites by Electrospinning and Melt Electrowriting.

This work presents a new method for 4D fabrication of two-way shape memory materials that are capable of reversible shapeshifting right after manufacturing, upon application of proper heating and cooling cycles. The innovative solution presented here consists in the combination of highly stretched electrospun shape memory polymer (SMP) nanofibers with a melt electrowritten elastomer. More specifically, the stretched nanofibers are made of a biocompatible thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) with crystallizable soft segments, undergoing melt-induced contraction and crystallization-induced elongation upon heating and cooling, respectively.

Boosting the photo-switchability of double-responsive water-soluble polymers by incorporating arylazopyrazole dyes.

Dual thermo- and light-responsive water-soluble copolymers that respond to exclusively non-invasive triggers are obtained by functionalising poly(,-dimethylacrylamide) with arylazopyrazole side chains. The light-induced - (-) photo isomerisation of these dyes provides an exceptionally effective photo-switch, which can reversibly shift the LCST-type phase transition temperatures by almost 25 K.

Decoration of 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA) with N-oxides increases the T relaxivity of Gd-complexes.

High complex stability and longitudinal relaxivity of Gd-based contrast agents are important requirements for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) because they ensure patient safety and contribute to measurement sensitivity. Charged and zwitterionic Gd-complexes of the well-known chelator 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA) provide an excellent basis for the development of safe and sensitive contrast agents. In this report, we describe the synthesis of DOTA-NOx, a DOTA derivative with four N-oxide functionalities via "click" functionalization of the tetraazide DOTAZA.

Efficient recycling pathway of bio-based composite polyurethane foams via sustainable diamine.

Aminolysis is widely recognized as a valuable chemical route for depolymerizing polymeric materials containing ester, amide, or urethane functional groups, including polyurethane foams. Bio-based polyurethane foams, pristine and reinforced with 40 wt% of sustainable fillers, were depolymerized in the presence of bio-derived butane-1,4-diamine, BDA. A process comparison was made using fossil-derived ethane-1,2-diamine, EDA, by varying amine/polyurethane ratio (F/A, 1:1 and 1:0.

Electrospun Poly(carbonate-urea-urethane)s Nonwovens with Shape-Memory Properties as a Potential Biomaterial.

Poly(carbonate-urea-urethane) (PCUU)-based scaffolds exhibit various desirable properties for tissue engineering applications. This study thus aimed to investigate the suitability of PCUU as polymers for the manufacturing of nonwoven mats by electrospinning, able to closely mimic the fibrous structure of the extracellular matrix. PCUU nonwovens of fiber diameters ranging from 0.

Boric Acid as A Low-Temperature Graphitization Aid and Its Impact on Structure and Properties of Cellulose-Based Carbon Fibers.

In the present paper, a scalable, economically feasible, and continuous process for making cellulose-based carbon fibers (CFs) is described encompassing precursor spinning, precursor additivation, thermal stabilization, and carbonization. By the use of boric acid (BA) as an additive, the main drawback of cellulose-based CFs, i.e.

The Biocompatibility Analysis of Artificial Mucin-Like Glycopolymers.

The ocular surface is covered by a tear film consisting of an aqueous/mucin phase and a superficial lipid layer. Mucins, highly -glycosylated proteins, are responsible for lubrication and ocular surface protection. Due to contact lens wear or eye disorders, lubrication of the ocular surface can be affected.