Interaction of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells with Soft Nanocomposite Hydrogels Based on Polyethylene Glycol and Dendritic Polyglycerol

Keeping the stemness of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) and their adipocyte differentiation potential is critical for clinical use. However, these features are lost on traditional substrates. hMSCs have often been studied on stiff materials whereas culturing hMSCs in their native niche increases their potential. Herein, a patterned hydrogel nanocomposite with the stiffness of liver tissues is obtained without any molding process. To investigate hMSCs' mechanoresponse to the material, the RGD spacing units and the stiffness of the hydrogels are dually tuned via the linker length. This work suggests that hMSCs' locomotion is influenced by the nature of the hydrogel layer (bulk or thin film). Contrary to on bulk surfaces, cell traction occurs during cell spreading on thin films. In addition, hMSCs' spreading behavior varies from shorter to longer linker‐based hydrogels, where on both surfaces hMSCs maintains their stemness as well as their adipogenic differentiation potential with a higher number of adipocytes for nanocomposites with a longer polymer linker. Overall, this work addresses the need for a new alternative for hMSCs culture allowing the cells to differentiate exclusively into adipocytes. This material represents a cell‐responsive platform with a tissue‐mimicking architecture given by the mechanical and morphological properties of the hydrogel.     

The preparation of surfactant-free highly dispersed ethylene glycol-based aluminum nitride-carbon nanofluids for heat transfer application

In the present study, aluminum nitride-carbon (AlN-C) nanocomposites are synthesized through a green, facile and inexpensive mechanochemical route. Well-dispersed nanofluids are prepared by milling of nanocomposite in ethylene glycol (EG) without using any surfactants/ dispersants. The resulting nanofluids have an excellent stability with no obvious sedimentation for at least three months. The results confirm the in-situ polymerization of EG on AlN surface and the formation of hyperbranched glycerol upon milling which in turn stabilizes the particles through a steric effect. The working nanofluids with very low loadings of up to 0.22 vol% of powder exhibit an enhanced heat transfer coefficient (h) of about 24% compared to that of the base fluid in a laminar flow regime (Re = 160). Brownian motion and boundary layer thinning are known as the main mechanisms, causing for this enhancement.     

Thermoresponsive Hydrogels as Microniches for Growth and Controlled Release of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

The recently emerging stem-cell artificial niche engineering in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSCs) 3D cultures has provided enormous opportunities to fully utilize the potential of these cells in biomedical applications. Although a fully chemically defined niche environment can supply cells with desirable safety for clinical use, establishing an artificial degradable niche environment for the controlled release of proliferated cells under mild conditions is still a big challenge. Here, an advanced controlled releasable iPSC 3D artificial niche is reported based on dendritic polyglycerol and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-co-polyethylene glycol polymers via a physical–chemical cogelation strategy. Benefiting from the chemically defined synthetic materials and their precise cooperation by covalent cross-linking and physical phase transition, the cogelation-based artificial niche system can be adjusted with optimal parameters and owns high cell biocompatibility to support the robust production of high quality iPSCs with an excellent expansion efficiency. Moreover, the expanded cells can be released out of their niche environment controllably only by adjusting the temperature. Overall, this controlled release hydrogel scaffold shows great promise in iPSC 3D culture for downstream applications.     

Electrospray mass spectrometry for characterizing polyglycerols and the effects of adduct ion and cone voltage

Polyglycerol intermediates have been characterized by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) with electrospray ionization (ESI). Linear and cyclic components from n=2–23 in a sample of decaglycerol, for example, have been resolved in the second dimension or mass axis. Molecular weight (MW) distributions for tri-, hexa-, and decaglycerol products have been analyzed as a function of cone voltage and adduct ion (H⁺, Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Rb⁺, Cs⁺, and NH₄ ⁺). A different combination is required to obtain a reliable MW distribution for each polyglycerol intermediate. The best distribution obtained by ESI/MS is determined by comparing the calculated hydroxyl number and cyclic content to that obtained by wet chemistry and gas chromatography, respectively. Once ESI/MS conditions are established, the distribution can be used, for the first time in polyglycerol analysis, to calculate important parameters such as number average MW, weight average MW, polydispersity, % cyclics, hydroxyl number, wt% above n=6, etc.     

聚甘油的生产,性质及其酯的应用

介绍了各种类型聚甘油的生产、聚甘油的性质及聚甘油酯类在化妆品中的应用。聚甘油酯作为化妆品生产原料可用作乳化剂、赋形剂、保湿剂、柔软剂和分散剂, 并具有稳定、调理和控制粘度的作用。聚甘油酯可用于生产防晒霜、眼影、婴儿霜、保湿手霜、护肤霜等, 是化妆品生产理想的原料。     

聚甘油的国内外研究进展

聚甘油是两个或多个甘油分子间的羟基经脱水后生成醚键的多元醇,既可直接用作于化妆品原料,也可与环氧化合物、脂肪酸和脂肪胺反应生成其环氧加成物、聚甘油脂肪酸酯和脂肪胺聚甘油醚等衍生物。文章概述了近十年来国内外在聚甘油的催化合成工艺、精制提纯技术和分析方法的研究进展,展望了其今后的发展方向。     

精炼工艺对大豆油中微量物质变化的影响研究

植物油的精炼过程在除去不利于油脂稳定性的游离脂肪酸、过氧化物和磷脂及其他影响食用安全和油脂品质的物质同时,也造成油脂中微量营养物质的损失,以及一些新的有害物质的生成。研究了国内5个厂家的大豆油在精炼过程中微量物质的含量变化。结果发现,精炼后大豆油中生育酚及甾醇含量显著降低,分别由26.0~37.4 mg/100 g、402.75~841.92 mg/kg降为15.3~31.3mg/100 g、291.90~372.50 mg/kg,同时反式脂肪酸、聚合甘油三酯、缩水甘油酯含量分别提高到0.23%~1.85%、0.220%~0.738%、0.40%~2.94%。对精炼各工序中微量物质的含量进行显著性分析发现,除甾醇主要是在碱炼工序损失外,生育酚、反式脂肪酸、聚合甘油三酯及缩水甘油酯变化最显著均在脱臭工序。同时还考察了不同厂家各工序段的工艺参数,以期阐明大豆油精炼过程中微量物质的变化规律,为植物油适度精炼工艺的改进提供依据。