Preparation and Characterization of Plasma-Derived Fibrin Hydrogels Modified by Alginate di-Aldehyde

Fibrin hydrogels are one of the most popular scaffolds used in tissue engineering due to their excellent biological properties. Special attention should be paid to the use of human plasma-derived fibrin hydrogels as a 3D scaffold in the production of autologous skin grafts, skeletal muscle regeneration and bone tissue repair. However, mechanical weakness and rapid degradation, which causes plasma-derived fibrin matrices to shrink significantly, prompted us to improve their stability. In our study, plasma-derived fibrin was chemically bonded to oxidized alginate (alginate di-aldehyde, ADA) at 10%, 20%, 50% and 80% oxidation, by Schiff base formation, to produce natural hydrogels for tissue engineering applications. First, gelling time studies showed that the degree of ADA oxidation inhibits fibrin polymerization, which we associate with fiber increment and decreased fiber density; moreover, the storage modulus increased when increasing the final volume of CaCl₂ (1% w/v) from 80 µL to 200 µL per milliliter of hydrogel. The contraction was similar in matrices with and without human primary fibroblasts (hFBs). In addition, proliferation studies with encapsulated hFBs showed an increment in cell viability in hydrogels with ADA at 10% oxidation at days 1 and 3 with 80 µL of CaCl₂; by increasing this compound (CaCl₂), the proliferation does not significantly increase until day 7. In the presence of 10% alginate oxidation, the proliferation results are similar to the control, in contrast to the sample with 20% oxidation whose proliferation decreases. Finally, the viability studies showed that the hFB morphology was maintained regardless of the degree of oxidation used; however, the quantity of CaCl₂ influences the spread of the hFBs.     

Identification of Bioactive Peptides from Cereal Storage Proteins and Their Potential Role in Prevention of Chronic Diseases

Cereal grains, such as wheat, barley, rice, rye, oat, millet, sorghum, and corn, have been staples in human diets since ancient times. At present, there is a significant body of scientific evidence showing the health benefits of consuming whole grains in chronic disease prevention, particularly in regards to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. The objective was to determine bioactive peptides in cereal grains that may prevent cardiovascular disease, cancer, inflammation, and diabetes. Bioactive peptides that may be obtained from cereal grains, particularly wheat, oat, barley, and rice, were identified. Bioactive peptides that play a role in chronic disease prevention have been found primarily in legumes and dairy products; although research connecting cereal grains with potential bioactive peptide activity is limited. In this review, 4 cereal grains, wheat, oat, barley, and rice, were evaluated for bioactive peptide potential using the BIOPEP database. In addition, research information was compiled for each grain regarding evidence about the effect of their proteins in prevention of chronic diseases. All 4 grains showed high occurrence frequencies of angiotensin‐converting enzyme‐inhibitor peptides (A = 0.239 to 0.511), as well as of dipeptidyl peptidase‐inhibitor and antithrombotic, antioxidant, hypotensive, and opioid activity. Wheat and rice proteins had anticancer sequences present. Wheat and barley showed the greatest diversity and abundance of potential biological activity among the cereal proteins. Further research needs to be conducted to learn how these biologically active peptide sequences are released from cereal grains. This study supports the notion that cereal grains are a nutritious part of a healthy diet by preventing chronic diseases.     

Repercussions of Bisphenol A on the Physiology of Human Osteoblasts

(1) Background: Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine disruptor that is widely present in the environment and exerts adverse effects on various body tissues. The objective of this study was to determine its repercussions on bone tissue by examining its impact on selected functional parameters of human osteoblasts. (2) Methods: Three human osteoblast lines were treated with BPA at doses of 10⁻⁵, 10⁻⁶, or 10⁻⁷ M. At 24 h post-treatment, a dose-dependent inhibition of cell growth, alkaline phosphatase activity, and mineralization was observed. (4) Results: The expression of CD54 and CD80 antigens was increased at doses of 10⁻⁵ and 10⁻⁶ M, while the phagocytic capacity and the expression of osteogenic genes (ALP, COL-1, OSC, RUNX2, OSX, BMP-2, and BMP-7) were significantly and dose-dependently reduced in the presence of BPA. (5) Conclusions: According to these findings, BPA exerts adverse effects on osteoblasts by altering their differentiation/maturation and their proliferative and functional capacity, potentially affecting bone health. Given the widespread exposure to this contaminant, further human studies are warranted to determine the long-term risk to bone health posed by BPA.     

Solution Combustion Synthesis: Low‐Temperature Processing for p‐Type Cu:NiO Thin Films for Transparent Electronics

Low‐temperature solution processing opens a new window for the fabrication of oxide semiconductors due to its simple, low cost, and large‐area uniformity. Herein, by using solution combustion synthesis (SCS), p‐type Cu‐doped NiO (Cu:NiO) thin films are fabricated at a temperature lower than 150 °C. The light doping of Cu substitutes the Ni site and disperses the valence band of the NiO matrix, leading to an enhanced p‐type conductivity. Their integration into thin‐film transistors (TFTs) demonstrates typical p‐type semiconducting behavior. The optimized Cu_5%NiO TFT exhibits outstanding electrical performance with a hole mobility of 1.5 cm² V^?1 s^?1, a large on/off current ratio of ≈10⁴, and clear switching characteristics under dynamic measurements. The employment of a high‐k ZrO₂ gate dielectric enables a low operating voltage (≤2 V) of the TFTs, which is critical for portable and battery‐driven devices. The construction of a light‐emitting‐diode driving circuit demonstrates the high current control capability of the resultant TFTs. The achievement of the low‐temperature‐processed Cu:NiO thin films via SCS not only provides a feasible approach for low‐cost flexible p‐type oxide electronics but also represents a significant step toward the development of complementary metal–oxide semiconductor circuits.     

Current Mechanistic Understandings of Lymphedema and Lipedema: Tales of Fluid,Fat, and Fibrosis

Lymphedema and lipedema are complex diseases. While the external presentation of swollen legs in lower-extremity lymphedema and lipedema appear similar, current mechanistic understandings of these diseases indicate unique aspects of their underlying pathophysiology. They share certain clinical features, such as fluid (edema), fat (adipose expansion), and fibrosis (extracellular matrix remodeling). Yet, these diverge on their time course and known molecular regulators of pathophysiology and genetics. This divergence likely indicates a unique route leading to interstitial fluid accumulation and subsequent inflammation in lymphedema versus lipedema. Identifying disease mechanisms that are causal and which are merely indicative of the condition is far more explored in lymphedema than in lipedema. In primary lymphedema, discoveries of genetic mutations link molecular markers to mechanisms of lymphatic disease. Much work remains in this area towards better risk assessment of secondary lymphedema and the hopeful discovery of validated genetic diagnostics for lipedema. The purpose of this review is to expose the distinct and shared (i) clinical criteria and symptomatology, (ii) molecular regulators and pathophysiology, and (iii) genetic markers of lymphedema and lipedema to help inform future research in this field.     

Effect of CB2 Stimulation on Gene Expression in Pediatric B-Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: New Possible Targets

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia type B (B-ALL) is the most common kind of pediatric leukemia, characterized by the clonal proliferation of type B lymphoid stem cells. Important progress in ALL treatments led to improvements in long-term survival; nevertheless, many adverse long-term consequences still concern the medical community. Molecular and cellular target therapies, together with immunotherapy, are promising strategies to overcome these concerns. Cannabinoids, enzymes involved in their metabolism, and cannabinoid receptors type 1 (CB1) and type 2 (CB2) constitute the endocannabinoid system, involved in inflammation, immune response, and cancer. CB2 receptor stimulation exerts anti-proliferative and anti-invasive effects in many tumors. In this study, we evaluated the effects of CB2 stimulation on B-ALL cell lines, SUP-B15, by RNA sequencing, Western blotting, and ELISA. We observe a lower expression of CB2 in SUP-B15 cells compared to lymphocytes from healthy subjects, hypothesizing its involvement in B-ALL pathogenesis. CB2 stimulation reduces the expression of CD9, SEC61G, TBX21, and TMSB4X genes involved in tumor growth and progression, and also negatively affects downstream intracellular pathways. Our findings suggest an antitumor role of CB2 stimulation in B-ALL, and highlight a functional correlation between CB2 receptors and specific anti-tumoral pathways, even though further investigations are needed.     

Rely-Guarantee Termination and Cost Analyses of Loops with Concurrent Interleavings

By following a rely-guarantee style of reasoning, we present novel termination and cost analyses for concurrent programs that, in order to prove termination or infer the cost of a considered loop: (1) infer the termination/cost of each loop as if it were a sequential one, imposing assertions on how shared-data is modified concurrently; and then (2) prove that these assertions cannot be violated infinitely many times and, for cost analysis, infer how many times they are violated. At the core of the analysis, we use a may-happen-in-parallel analysis to restrict the set of program points whose execution can interleave. Interestingly, the same kind of reasoning can be applied to prove termination and infer upper bounds on the number of iterations of loops with concurrent interleavings. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first method to automatically bound the cost of such kind of loops. We have implemented our analysis for an actor-based language, and showed its accuracy and efficiency by applying it on several typical applications for concurrent programs and on an industrial case study.     

Electroplasticity Mechanisms in hcp Materials

Herein, the mechanisms of the electroplastic effect (EPE) in different hexagonal close-packed (hcp) metals under varying loading conditions and current densities through the analysis of flow curves and microstructural changes are investigated. The investigations show a significant change in the forming behavior of the hcp materials as a result of superimposed electric current impulses. This behavior could be attributed to two effects. On the one hand, additional dislocation types are activated; on the other hand, new characteristic twin bands are formed. This is shown for all three hcp materials under investigation: Ti, Mg, and Zn. Furthermore, the hypothesis of the existence of a critical value of the current density at which a significant change in the plastic behavior occurs is verified by the experiments. The magnitude of this critical value for the analyzed hcp materials corresponds approximately to the theoretical values reported to be in the range of 1.6 to 2.0 kA mm⁻². In addition to the current density, the duration of the pulses also has an influence on the EPE. Understanding the correlation between the individual activated deformation mechanisms during electric pulse treatment can be crucial for controlling the electroplastic forming processes in a systematic and targeted manner.