The influence of physical and spatial substrate characteristics on endothelial cells.

Cardiovascular diseases are a main cause of death worldwide, leading to a growing demand for medical devices to treat this patient group. Central to the engineering of such devices is a good understanding of the biology and physics of cell-surface interactions. In existing blood-contacting devices, such as vascular grafts, the interaction between blood, cells, and material is one of the main limiting factors for their long-term durability.

Enzyme Kinetics Analysis: An online tool for analyzing enzyme initial rate data and teaching enzyme kinetics.

Enzymes are nature's catalysts, mediating chemical processes in living systems. The study of enzyme function and mechanism includes defining the maximum catalytic rate and affinity for substrate/s (among other factors), referred to as enzyme kinetics. Enzyme kinetics is a staple of biochemistry curricula and other disciplines, from molecular and cellular biology to pharmacology.

Predicting the risk of hospital readmissions using a machine learning approach: a case study on patients undergoing skin procedures.

Introduction: Even with modern advancements in medical care, one of the persistent challenges hospitals face is the frequent readmission of patients. These recurrent admissions not only escalate healthcare expenses but also amplify mental and emotional strain on patients.

Methods: This research delved into two primary areas: unraveling the pivotal factors causing the readmissions, specifically targeting patients who underwent dermatological treatments, and determining the optimal machine learning algorithms that can foresee potential readmissions with higher accuracy.

Targeted screening of inflammatory mediators in spontaneous degenerative disc disease in dogs reveals an upregulation of the tumor necrosis superfamily.

Background: The regulation of inflammatory mediators in the degenerating intervertebral disc (IVD) and corresponding ligamentum flavum (LF) is a topic of emerging interest. The study aimed to investigate the expression of a broad array of inflammatory mediators in the degenerated LF and IVD using a dog model of spontaneous degenerative disc disease (DDD) to determine potential treatment targets.

Methods: LF and IVD tissues were collected from 22 normal dogs (Pfirrmann grades I and II) and 18 dogs affected by DDD (Pfirrmann grades III and IV).

Biochar as a sustainable alternative to carbon black in agricultural mulch films.

Examples of biochar as an alternative to traditional plastic fillers, like carbon black, are numerous and growing. However, in the agricultural mulch film application, both the polymer and its fillers are pushed to their mechanical limit to obtain an effective product, using the least amount of plastic. Through a combined techno-economic analysis (TEA) and life cycle assessment (LCA), this study characterizes the use of carbon-negative biochar as an opacity filler in mulch film applications.

Smart high-yield tomato cultivation: precision irrigation system using the Internet of Things.

The Internet of Things (IOT)-based smart farming promises ultrafast speeds and near real-time response. Precision farming enabled by the Internet of Things has the potential to boost efficiency and output while reducing water use. Therefore, IoT devices can aid farmers in keeping track crop health and development while also automating a variety of tasks (such as moisture level prediction, irrigation system, crop development, and nutrient levels).

Ibuprofen-loaded electrospun poly(ethylene--vinyl alcohol) nanofibers for wound dressing applications.

Chronic wounds are characterized by a prolonged inflammation phase preventing the normal processes of wound healing and natural regeneration of the skin. To tackle this issue, electrospun nanofibers, inherently possessing a high surface-to-volume ratio and high porosity, are promising candidates for the design of anti-inflammatory drug delivery systems. In this study, we evaluated the ability of poly(ethylene--vinyl alcohol) nanofibers of various chemical compositions to release ibuprofen for the potential treatment of chronic wounds.

Resveratrol Microencapsulation into Electrosprayed Polymeric Carriers for the Treatment of Chronic, Non-Healing Wounds.

Chronic, non-healing wounds represent a challenging socio-economic burden, demanding innovative approaches for successful wound management. Resveratrol (RSV) represents a promising therapeutic candidate, but its therapeutic efficacy and clinical applicability have been hampered by its rapid degradation and/or depletion. Herein, RSV was encapsulated into poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) microparticles by electrospraying with the aim to prolong and preserve RSV’s release/activity, without affecting its therapeutic properties.

Acrylonitrile and Pullulan Based Nanofiber Mats as Easily Accessible Scaffolds for 3D Skin Cell Models Containing Primary Cells.

(1) Background: Three-dimensional (3D) collagen I-based skin models are commonly used in drug development and substance testing but have major drawbacks such as batch-to-batch variations and ethical concerns. Recently, synthetic nanofibrous scaffolds created by electrospinning have received increasing interest as potential alternatives due to their morphological similarities to native collagen fibrils in size and orientation. The overall objective of this proof-of-concept study was to demonstrate the suitability of two synthetic polymers in creating electrospun scaffolds for 3D skin cell models.

Evidence-Based Network Modelling to Simulate Nucleus Pulposus Multicellular Activity in Different Nutritional and Pro-Inflammatory Environments.

Initiation of intervertebral disc degeneration is thought to be biologically driven. This reflects a process, where biochemical and mechanical stimuli affect cell activity (CA) that compromise the tissue strength over time. Experimental research enhanced our understanding about the effect of such stimuli on different CA, such as protein synthesis or mRNA expression.

pH-Responsive Chitosan/Alginate Polyelectrolyte Complexes on Electrospun PLGA Nanofibers for Controlled Drug Release.

The surface functionalization of electrospun nanofibers allows for the introduction of additional functionalities while at the same time retaining the membrane properties of high porosity and surface-to-volume ratio. In this work, we sequentially deposited layers of chitosan and alginate to form a polyelectrolyte complex via layer-by-layer assembly on PLGA nanofibers to introduce pH-responsiveness for the controlled release of ibuprofen. The deposition of the polysaccharides on the surface of the fibers was revealed using spectroscopy techniques and ζ-potential measurements.

Extracellular Vesicles: Potential Mediators of Psychosocial Stress Contribution to Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is characterized by low bone mass and damage to the bone tissue's microarchitecture, leading to increased fracture risk. Several studies have provided evidence for associations between psychosocial stress and osteoporosis through various pathways, including the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis, the sympathetic nervous system, and other endocrine factors. As psychosocial stress provokes oxidative cellular stress with consequences for mitochondrial function and cell signaling (e.

Engineering Advanced In Vitro Models of Systemic Sclerosis for Drug Discovery and Development.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a complex multisystem disease with the highest case-specific mortality among all autoimmune rheumatic diseases, yet without any available curative therapy. Therefore, the development of novel therapeutic antifibrotic strategies that effectively decrease skin and organ fibrosis is needed. Existing animal models are cost-intensive, laborious and do not recapitulate the full spectrum of the disease and thus commonly fail to predict human efficacy.

Multiscale Regulation of the Intervertebral Disc: Achievements in Experimental, In Silico, and Regenerative Research.

Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is a major risk factor of low back pain. It is defined by a progressive loss of the IVD structure and functionality, leading to severe impairments with restricted treatment options due to the highly demanding mechanical exposure of the IVD. Degenerative changes in the IVD usually increase with age but at an accelerated rate in some individuals.

Uncovering the secretome of mesenchymal stromal cells exposed to healthy, traumatic, and degenerative intervertebral discs: a proteomic analysis.

Background: Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been introduced as promising cell source for regenerative medicine. Besides their multilineage differentiation capacity, MSCs release a wide spectrum of bioactive factors. This secretome holds immunomodulatory and regenerative capacities.

Electrospinning and 3D bioprinting for intervertebral disc tissue engineering.

Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is a major cause of low back pain and represents a massive socioeconomic burden. Current conservative and surgical treatments fail to restore native tissue architecture and functionality. Tissue engineering strategies, especially those based on 3D bioprinting and electrospinning, have emerged as possible alternatives by producing cell-seeded scaffolds that replicate the structure of the IVD extracellular matrix.

Effects of Early Life Stress on Bone Homeostasis in Mice and Humans.

Bone pathology is frequent in stressed individuals. A comprehensive examination of mechanisms linking life stress, depression and disturbed bone homeostasis is missing. In this translational study, mice exposed to early life stress (MSUS) were examined for bone microarchitecture (μCT), metabolism (qPCR/ELISA), and neuronal stress mediator expression (qPCR) and compared with a sample of depressive patients with or without early life stress by analyzing bone mineral density (BMD) (DXA) and metabolic changes in serum (osteocalcin, PINP, CTX-I).

Behavioral and neurobiological effects of GnRH agonist treatment in mice-potential implications for puberty suppression in transgender individuals.

In the United States, ~1.4 million individuals identify as transgender. Many transgender adolescents experience gender dysphoria related to incongruence between their gender identity and sex assigned at birth.

Hypo-Osmotic Loading Induces Expression of IL-6 in Nucleus Pulposus Cells of the Intervertebral Disc Independent of TRPV4 and TRPM7.

Painful intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is an age-related process characterized by reduced tissue osmolarity, increased catabolism of the extracellular matrix, and elevated levels of pro-inflammatory molecules. With the aging population and constantly rising treatment costs, it is of utmost importance to identify potential therapeutic targets and new pharmacological treatment strategies for low back pain. Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels are a family of Ca permeable cell membrane receptors, which can be activated by multitude of stimuli and have recently emerged as contributors to joint disease, but were not investigated closer in the IVD.

The Role of in Intervertebral Disc Inflammation.

Recently, the role of infection of the intervertebral disc (IVD) with () as a contributor to disc-related low back pain (LBP) has been discussed. The aim of this study was to investigate whether and how contributes to the inflammatory processes during IVD disease. The prevalence of infection in human IVD tissue was determined by aerobic and anaerobic culture.

Magnetic fields modulate metabolism and gut microbiome in correlation with Pgc-1α expression: Follow-up to an in vitro magnetic mitohormetic study.

Exercise modulates metabolism and the gut microbiome. Brief exposure to low mT-range pulsing electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) was previously shown to accentuate in vitro myogenesis and mitochondriogenesis by activating a calcium-mitochondrial axis upstream of PGC-1α transcriptional upregulation, recapitulating a genetic response implicated in exercise-induced metabolic adaptations. We compared the effects of analogous PEMF exposure (1.

MicroRNAs in Intervertebral Disc Degeneration, Apoptosis, Inflammation, and Mechanobiology.

Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is a multifactorial pathological process associated with low back pain, the leading cause of years lived in disability worldwide. Key characteristics of the pathological changes connected with degenerative disc disease (DDD) are the degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM), apoptosis and senescence, as well as inflammation. The impact of nonphysiological mechanical stresses on IVD degeneration and inflammation, the mechanisms of mechanotransduction, and the role of mechanosensitive miRNAs are of increasing interest.

Therapeutic Potential of Extracellular Vesicles in Degenerative Diseases of the Intervertebral Disc.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid membrane particles carrying proteins, lipids, DNA, and various types of RNA that are involved in intercellular communication. EVs derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been investigated extensively in many different fields due to their crucial role as regeneration drivers, but research for their use in degenerative diseases of the intervertebral disc (IVD) has only started recently. MSC-derived EVs not only promote extracellular matrix synthesis and proliferation in IVD cells, but also reduce apoptosis and inflammation, hence having multifunctional beneficial effects that seem to be mediated by specific miRNAs (such as miR-233 and miR-21) within the EVs.

Spatial coefficient of variation of arterial spin labeling MRI as a cerebrovascular correlate of carotid occlusive disease.

Clinical interpretation of arterial spin labeling (ASL) perfusion MRI in cerebrovascular disease remains challenging mainly because of the method's sensitivity to concomitant contributions from both intravascular and tissue compartments. While acquisition of multi-delay images can differentiate between the two contributions, the prolonged acquisition is prone to artifacts and not practical for clinical applications. Here, the utility of the spatial coefficient of variation (sCoV) of a single-delay ASL image as a marker of the intravascular contribution was evaluated by testing the hypothesis that sCoV can detect the effects of differences in label arrival times between ipsi- and contra-lateral hemispheres even in the absence of a hemispheric difference in CBF.

Differential regulation of TRP channel gene and protein expression by intervertebral disc degeneration and back pain.

Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration and consequent low back pain (LBP) are common and costly pathological processes that require improved treatment strategies. Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) channels constitute a family of multimodal ion channels that have recently emerged as contributors to disc pathologies and were thus proposed as potential therapeutic targets, although limited data on their presence and function in the IVD exist. The purpose of this study was to determine the mRNA and protein expression of TRP channels in non-degenerated and degenerated human IVD tissue (with different pain intensity and chronicity) using gene array, conventional qPCR and immunohistochemistry.