Physical Treatments and Therapies for Androgenetic Alopecia.

Androgenetic alopecia, the most common cause of hair loss affecting both men and women, is typically treated using pharmaceutical options, such as minoxidil and finasteride. While these medications work for many individuals, they are not suitable options for all. To date, the only non-pharmaceutical option that the United States Food and Drug Administration has cleared as a treatment for androgenetic alopecia is low-level laser therapy (LLLT).

Preparation and Characterization of Hydrogels Fabricated From Chitosan and Poly(vinyl alcohol) for Tissue Engineering Applications.

In this study, we report on the preparation, characterization, and cytocompatibility of hydrogels for biomedical applications made from two different molecular weights of chitosan (CS) blended with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and chemically cross-linked with tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) followed by freeze-drying. A series of CS-PVA hydrogels were synthesized with different amounts of chitosan (1%, 2%, and 3% by weight). The structure of these CS-PVA hydrogels was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

The effects of plantarflexor weakness and reduced tendon stiffness with aging on gait stability.

Falls among older adults are a costly public health concern. Such falls can be precipitated by balance disturbances, after which a recovery strategy requiring rapid, high force outputs is necessary. Sarcopenia among older adults likely diminishes their ability to produce the forces necessary to arrest gait instability.

Simulations suggest walking with reduced propulsive force would not mitigate the energetic consequences of lower tendon stiffness.

Aging elicits numerous effects that impact both musculoskeletal structure and walking function. Tendon stiffness (kT) and push-off propulsive force (FP) both impact the metabolic cost of walking and are diminished by age, yet their interaction has not been studied. We combined experimental and computational approaches to investigate whether age-related changes in function (adopting smaller FP) may be adopted to mitigate the metabolic consequences arising from changes in structure (reduced kT).

American Society of Biomechanics Journal of Biomechanics Award 2021: Exploring the Functional Boundaries and Metabolic Consequences of Triceps Surae Force-Length Relations during Walking.

The relationship between individual muscle dynamics and whole-body metabolic cost is not well established. Here we use biofeedback to modulate triceps surae (TS) activity during walking to test the following hypotheses based on basic principles of muscle physiology: (1) increased TS activity would increase metabolic cost via shorter muscle fascicle lengths and thus reduced force capacity and (2) decreased TS activity would decrease metabolic cost via longer muscle fascicle lengths and thus increased force capacity. 23 young adults walked on an instrumented treadmill at 1.

Focal Cryo-Immunotherapy with Intratumoral IL-12 Prevents Recurrence of Large Murine Tumors.

Focal ablation technologies are routinely used in the clinical management of inoperable solid tumors but they often result in incomplete ablations leading to high recurrence rates. Adjuvant therapies, capable of safely eliminating residual tumor cells, are therefore of great clinical interest. Interleukin-12 (IL-12) is a potent antitumor cytokine that can be localized intratumorally through coformulation with viscous biopolymers, including chitosan (CS) solutions.

Non-invasive transcranial volumetric ultrasound localization microscopy of the rat brain with continuous, high volume-rate acquisition.

Structure and function of the microvasculature provides critical information about disease state, can be used to identify local regions of pathology, and has been shown to be an indicator of response to therapy. Improved methods of assessing the microvasculature with non-invasive imaging modalities such as ultrasound will have an impact in biomedical theranostics. Ultrasound localization microscopy (ULM) is a new technology which allows processing of ultrasound data for visualization of microvasculature at a resolution better than allowed by acoustic diffraction with traditional ultrasound systems.

Plasma-Induced Diallyldimethylammonium Chloride Antibacterial Hernia Mesh.

A hernia is a pathological condition caused by a defect or opening in the muscle wall, which leads to organs pushing through the opening or defect. Hernia recurrence, seroma, persistent pain, tissue adhesions, and wound infection are common complications following hernia repair surgery. Infection after hernia mesh implantation is the third major complication leading to hernia recurrence.

Slowing down to preserve balance in the presence of optical flow perturbations.

Background: The use of sensory and mechanical perturbations applied during walking has grown in popularity due to their ability to elicit instability relevant to falls. However, the vast majority of perturbation studies on walking balance are performed on a treadmill at a fixed speed.

Research Question: The aim of this study was to quantify the effects of mediolateral optical flow perturbations on walking speed and balance outcomes in young adults walking with fixed-speed and self-paced treadmill controllers.

Modeling insights into SARS-CoV-2 respiratory tract infections prior to immune protection.

Mechanistic insights into human respiratory tract (RT) infections from SARS-CoV-2 can inform public awareness as well as guide medical prevention and treatment for COVID-19 disease. Yet the complexity of the RT and the inability to access diverse regions pose fundamental roadblocks to evaluation of potential mechanisms for the onset and progression of infection (and transmission). We present a model that incorporates detailed RT anatomy and physiology, including airway geometry, physical dimensions, thicknesses of airway surface liquids (ASLs), and mucus layer transport by cilia.

Acoustic Molecular Imaging Beyond the Diffraction Limit In Vivo.

Ultrasound molecular imaging (USMI) is a technique used to noninvasively estimate the distribution of molecular markers by imaging microbubble contrast agents (MCAs) that have been modified to target receptors of interest on the vascular endothelium. USMI is especially relevant for preclinical and clinical cancer research and has been used to predict tumor malignancy and response to treatment. In the last decade, methods that improve the resolution of contrast-enhanced ultrasound by an order of magnitude and allow researchers to noninvasively image individual capillaries have emerged.

Muscle metabolic energy costs while modifying propulsive force generation during walking.

We pose that an age-related increase in the metabolic cost of walking arises in part from a redistribution of joint power where muscles spanning the hip compensate for insufficient ankle push-off and smaller peak propulsive forces (F). Young adults elicit a similar redistribution when walking with smaller F via biofeedback. We used targeted F biofeedback and musculoskeletal models to estimate the metabolic costs of operating lower limb muscles in young adults walking across a range of F.

Impact of elastic ankle exoskeleton stiffness on neuromechanics and energetics of human walking across multiple speeds.

Background: Elastic ankle exoskeletons with intermediate stiffness springs in parallel with the human plantarflexors can reduce the metabolic cost of walking by ~ 7% at 1.25 m s. In a move toward 'real-world' application, we examined whether the unpowered approach has metabolic benefit across a range of walking speeds, and if so, whether the optimal exoskeleton stiffness was speed dependent.

Ultrasound imaging links soleus muscle neuromechanics and energetics during human walking with elastic ankle exoskeletons.

Unpowered exoskeletons with springs in parallel to human plantar flexor muscle-tendons can reduce the metabolic cost of walking. We used ultrasound imaging to look 'under the skin' and measure how exoskeleton stiffness alters soleus muscle contractile dynamics and shapes the user's metabolic rate during walking. Eleven participants (4F, 7M; age: 27.

The EXIT Strategy: an Approach for Identifying Bacterial Proteins Exported during Host Infection.

Exported proteins of bacterial pathogens function both in essential physiological processes and in virulence. Past efforts to identify exported proteins were limited by the use of bacteria growing under laboratory () conditions. Thus, exported proteins that are exported only or preferentially in the context of infection may be overlooked.

Intravenous Cardiac Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes Ameliorate Cardiac Dysfunction in Doxorubicin Induced Dilated Cardiomyopathy.

Despite the efficacy of cardiac stem cells (CSCs) for treatment of cardiomyopathies, there are many limitations to stem cell therapies. CSC-derived exosomes (CSC-XOs) have been shown to be responsible for a large portion of the regenerative effects of CSCs. Using a mouse model of doxorubicin induced dilated cardiomyopathy, we study the effects of systemic delivery of human CSC-XOs in mice.

Evanescent wave fluorescence biosensors: Advances of the last decade.

Biosensor development has been a highly dynamic field of research and has progressed rapidly over the past two decades. The advances have accompanied the breakthroughs in molecular biology, nanomaterial sciences, and most importantly computers and electronics. The subfield of evanescent wave fluorescence biosensors has also matured dramatically during this time.

Visinets: a web-based pathway modeling and dynamic visualization tool.

In this report we describe a novel graphically oriented method for pathway modeling and a software package that allows for both modeling and visualization of biological networks in a user-friendly format. The Visinets mathematical approach is based on causal mapping (CMAP) that has been fully integrated with graphical interface. Such integration allows for fully graphical and interactive process of modeling, from building the network to simulation of the finished model.

Inhibition of Lapatinib-Induced Kinome Reprogramming in ERBB2-Positive Breast Cancer by Targeting BET Family Bromodomains.

Therapeutics that target ERBB2, such as lapatinib, often provide initial clinical benefit, but resistance frequently develops. Adaptive responses leading to lapatinib resistance involve reprogramming of the kinome through reactivation of ERBB2/ERBB3 signaling and transcriptional upregulation and activation of multiple tyrosine kinases. The heterogeneity of induced kinases prevents their targeting by a single kinase inhibitor, underscoring the challenge of predicting effective kinase inhibitor combination therapies.

Transcriptome-wide identification and study of cancer-specific splicing events across multiple tumors.

Dysregulation of alternative splicing (AS) is one of the molecular hallmarks of cancer, with splicing alteration of numerous genes in cancer patients. However, studying splicing mis-regulation in cancer is complicated by the large noise generated from tissue-specific splicing. To obtain a global picture of cancer-specific splicing, we analyzed transcriptome sequencing data from 1149 patients in The Cancer Genome Atlas project, producing a core set of AS events significantly altered across multiple cancer types.

Translating textiles to tissue engineering: Creation and evaluation of microporous, biocompatible, degradable scaffolds using industry relevant manufacturing approaches and human adipose derived stem cells.

Polymeric scaffolds have emerged as a means of generating three-dimensional tissues, such as for the treatment of bone injuries and nonunions. In this study, a fibrous scaffold was designed using the biocompatible, degradable polymer poly-lactic acid in combination with a water dispersible sacrificial polymer, EastONE. Fibers were generated via industry relevant, facile scale-up melt-spinning techniques with an islands-in-the-sea geometry.