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Solid supported catalysts such as amines are in high demand for the chemical fixation of CO2 into commodity chemicals. Here, we demonstrate an accelerated platform for 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU)-ionic liquid (IL) catalyzed CO2 fixation via the grafting of DBU-ILs over magnetically separable Fe3O4 nanoparticles (MNPs). The DBU-ILs were covalently immobilized over Fe3O4 MNPs utilizing the thio–ene reaction of allyl-DBU with –SH modified Fe3O4 MNPs. The DBU-IL-grafted Fe3O4 (Fe3O4@DBU-ILs) materials were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and vibrating-sample magnetometry (VSM). TEM revealed that the MNPs have a spherical structure with a particle size of 12–20 nm. VSM showed the gradual decrease in magnetization after stepwise grafting from Fe3O4 to Fe3O4@DBU-ILs. The efficacy of the two different Fe3O4@DBU-ILs, Fe3O4@[HDBU+][TFE−] and Fe3O4@[HDBU+][AcO−] prepared by neutralization of  Fe3O4@DBU with 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (TFE) and acetic acid (AcOH), was investigated by simultaneous fixation of CO2 into the important heterocyclic compounds quinazoline-2,4(1H,3H)-dione and benzimidazolone. This approach shows excellent recyclability with a nominal decrease (2–3%) in product yields after each cycle. In particular, the energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) mapping of Fe3O4@[HDBU+][TFE−] used for five cycles demonstrated significant leaching of TFE. Interestingly, after retreatment with TFE, Fe3O4@[HDBU+][TFE−] showed a similar yield to that of a fresh catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary goal of this study is to highlight the rheological and mechanical properties of a new blend composed of naturally-derived hydrogel materials- psyllium husk (PH) and gelatin (G) for its potential use in three-dimensional (3D) printing technology. The mixtures were prepared at various weight ratios of 100PH, 75PH + 25G and 50PH + 50G. A suitable selection of the printable ink was made based on the preliminary screening steps of manual filament drop test and layer stacking by 3D printing. Printing of the common features such as hexagon and square grids helped evaluating shape fidelity of the chosen ink. Although 50PH + 50G blend was found meeting most of the criteria for an ideal 3D printable ink, rheological and mechanical characterizations have been performed for all the ratios of polymeric blends. This study documents the correlation between various factors of rheology that should be taken into account while categorizing any biomaterial as a printable ink. Yield stress was measured as 18.59 ± 4.21 Pa, 268.74 ± 13.56 Pa and 109.16 ± 9.85 Pa for 50PH + 50G, 75PH + 25G and 100PH, respectively. Similarly, consistency index (K) and flow index (n) were calculated using the power law equation and found as 49.303 ± 4.17, 530.59 ± 10.92, 291.82 ± 10.53 and 0.275 ± 0.04, 0.05 ± 0.005, 0.284 ± 0.04 for 50PH + 50G, 75PH + 25G and 100PH, respectively. The loss modulus (G″) was observed dominating over storage modulus (G′) for 50PH + 50G, that depicts its liquid-like property; whereas storage modulus (G′) was found dominating in case of 75PH + 25G and 100PH, indicating their solid-like characteristics. In addition, the loss tangent value (tan δ) of 50PH + 50G was observed exceeding unity (1.05), supporting its plastic behavior, unlike 75PH + 25G (0.5) and 100PH (0.33) whose loss tangent values were estimated less than unity revealing their elastic behavior. Also, 50PH + 50G was found to have the highest mechanical strength amongst the three blends with a Young's modulus of 9.170 ± 0.0881 kPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To design, optimize and evaluate docetaxel-loaded chitosan nanoparticles with (targeted) and without (nontargeted) cetuximab conjugation for the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Materials & methods: Risk-assessment, optimization, in vitro characterizations, stability assessments, release studies, cell-culture studies were performed along with histopathology, pharmacokinetic and anticancer efficacy studies. Results: The nanoparticles of desired particle size (152.59 ± 3.90 nm to 180.63 ± 5.21 nm) which could sustain drug release for up to 70 h, were obtained. The cell-culture studies demonstrated the superiority of the formulations over Docel™. The pharmacokinetic evaluation showed the excellent systemic bioavailability of prepared NPs. The histopathology screening revealed lesser toxicity of both the nontargeted and targeted formulations. The targeted nanoformulation significantly reduced tumor growth than the nontargeted formulation and Docel. Conclusion: These results demonstrate the therapeutic potential of the prepared nanoformulation. After proper clinical validation, it could be a promising approach for the treatment of NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amyloids are a group of proteins that are capable of forming aggregated amyloid fibrils, which is responsible for many neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD). In our previous study, synthesis and characterization of star‐shaped poly(D,L‐lactide)‐b‐gelatin (ss‐pLG) have been reported. In the present work, we have extended our work to study ss‐pLG against protein aggregation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the inhibition of amyloid fibrillation by protein grafted poly(D,L‐lactide). Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was chosen as the model protein, which readily forms fibril under high temperature. We found that ss‐pLG efficiently suppressed the fibril formation of BSA compared with gelatin (Gel), which was supported by Thioflavin T assay, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM). In addition, ss‐pLG significantly curtailed amyloid‐induced hemolysis. We also found that incubation of ss‐pLG with neuroblastoma cells (MC65) protected the cells from fibril‐induced toxicity. The rescuing efficiency of ss‐pLG was better than Gel, which could be attributed to the reduced lamella thickness in branched ss‐pLG. These results suggest the significance of gelatin grafting, which probably allows gelatin to interact with the key residues of the amyloidogenic core of BSA effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An optical contact pH sensor integrated with capillary microfluidics is proposed in this paper. The complementary metal-oxide–semiconductor sensing array detects the changes of light intensity after absorption by a phenol red-doped sol-gel filter, while the level of absorbance corresponds to a pH value of the analyte. The optical signal is analyzed by image processing to compare the change in intensity of the filter following sample introduction, thereby obtaining the actual pH value. Deposition methods of sol-gel are optimized and compared. A spin-coating screen-printing process is proposed and tested for creating thin and crack-free sol-gel patterns. Two similar phenol red-doped sol-gel filters are patterned on the same sensor array to collect more precise results. This system offers the capability to perform an optical-based multi-parametric detection. Capillary microfluidics is utilized to enable a real-time flow in and out of the sample, as well as, for establishing more precise control over the sample introduction. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In the past few years, promising efforts to utilize microfabrication-based technologies have laid the foundation for developing advanced, and importantly more physiologically-realistic, microfluidic methods for risk assessment of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs). In the present review, we discuss the wave of recent developments using microfluidic-based in vitro models and platforms for nanotoxicological assays, such as determination of cell viability, cellular dose, oxidative stress and nuclear damage. Here, we specifically highlight the tangible advantages of microfluidic devices in providing promising tools to tackle many of the current and ongoing challenges faced with traditional toxicology assays. Most importantly, microfluidic technology not only allows to recreate physiologically-relevant in vitro models for nanotoxicity examinations, but also provides platforms that deliver an attractive strategy towards improved control over applied ENM doses. In a final step, we present examples of state-of-the-art microfluidic platforms for in vitro assessment of potential adverse ENM effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our current understanding of respiratory physiology and pathophysiological mechanisms of lung diseases is often limited by challenges in developing in vitro models faithful to the respiratory environment, both in cellular structure and physiological function. The recent establishment and adaptation of microfluidic-based in vitro devices (μFIVDs) of lung airways have enabled a wide range of developments in modern respiratory physiology. In this paper, we address recent efforts over the past decade aimed at advancing in vitro models of lung structure and airways using microfluidic technology and discuss their applications. We specifically focus on μFIVDs covering four major areas of respiratory physiology, namely, artificial lungs (AL), the air-liquid interface (ALI), liquid plugs and cellular injury, and the alveolar-capillary barrier (ACB). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, scientific communities have been concerned about the potential health effects of periodic electromagnetic field exposure (≤1 h/d). The objective of our study is to determine the impact of extremely low-frequency pulsed electromagnetic fields (ELF-PEMF) (1-3 mT, 50 Hz) on mouse fibroblast (red fluorescent protein (RFP)-L929) cells and adult Wistar rats to gain a comprehensive understanding of biological effects. We observed that RFP-L929 exhibits no significant changes in cell proliferation and morphology but mild elevation in aspartate aminotransferases, alanine aminotransferases, total bilirubin, serum creatinine, and creatine kinase-myocardial band levels in ELF-PEMF exposed groups under in vitro and in vivo conditions. However, the histological examination showed no significant alterations in tissue structure and morphologies. Our result suggests that 50-Hz ELF-PEMF exposure (1-3 mT, 50 Hz) with duration (<1 h/d) can trigger mild changes in biochemical parameters, but it is insufficient to induce any pathological alterations., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

This study presents a biosensor utilizing electrospun SnO 2 nanofiber films for real-time monitoring of C2C12 cells. The biosensor demonstrates sensitivity towards cellular behaviours, including adhesion, proliferation, and detachment. Alterations in semi-circle and dielectric properties are validated through Nyquist plot and an EEC model, highlighting the biosensor's potential for analyzing cellular dynamics.

Traditional three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting has always been associated with the challenge of print fidelity of complex geometries due to the gel-like nature of the bioinks. Embedded 3D bioprinting has emerged as a potential solution to print complex geometries using proteins and polysaccharides-based bioinks. This study demonstrated the Freeform Reversible Embedding of Suspended Hydrogels (FRESH) 3D bioprinting method of chitosan bioink to 3D bioprint complex geometries. 4.5% chitosan was dissolved in an alkali solvent to prepare the bioink. Rheological evaluation of the bioink described its shear-thinning nature. The power law equation was fitted to the shear rate-viscosity plot. The flow index value was found to be less than 1, categorizing the material as pseudo-plastic. The chitosan bioink was extruded into another medium, a thermo-responsive 4.5% gelatin hydrogel. This hydrogel supports the growing print structures while printing. After this, the 3D bioprinted structure was crosslinked with hot water to stabilize the structure. Using this method, we have 3D bioprinted complex biological structures like the human tri-leaflet heart valve, a section of a human right coronary arterial tree, a scale-down outer structure of the human kidney, and a human ear. Additionally, we have shown the mechanical tunability and suturability of the 3D bioprinted structures. This study demonstrates the capability of the chitosan bioink and FRESH method for 3D bioprinting of complex biological models for biomedical applications., (© 2024 IOP Publishing Ltd.)

We investigated the role of flow-induced shear stress on the mechanisms regulating surfactant secretion in type II alveolar epithelial cells (ATII) using microfluidic models. Following flow stimulation spanning a range of wall shear stress (WSS) magnitudes, monolayers of ATII (MLE-12 and A549) cells were examined for surfactant secretion by evaluating essential steps of the process, including relative changes in the number of fusion events of lamellar bodies (LBs) with the plasma membrane (PM) and intracellular redistribution of LBs. F-actin cytoskeleton and calcium levels were analyzed in A549 cells subjected to WSS spanning 4-20 dyn/cm(2). Results reveal an enhancement in LB fusion events with the PM in MLE-12 cells upon flow stimulation, whereas A549 cells exhibit no foreseeable changes in the monitored number of fusion events for WSS levels ranging up to a threshold of ∼8 dyn/cm(2); above this threshold, we witness instead a decrease in LB fusion events in A549 cells. However, patterns of LB redistribution suggest that WSS can potentially serve as a stimulus for A549 cells to trigger the intracellular transport of LBs toward the cell periphery. This observation is accompanied by a fragmentation of F-actin, indicating that disorganization of the F-actin cytoskeleton might act as a limiting factor for LB fusion events. Moreover, we note a rise in cytosolic calcium ([Ca(2+)]c) levels following stimulation of A549 cells with WSS magnitudes ranging near or above the experimental threshold. Overall, WSS stimulation can influence key components of molecular machinery for regulated surfactant secretion in ATII cells in vitro.