Femtosecond laser multi-patterning of zirconia for screening of cell-surface interactions

Yttria-stabilised tetragonal zirconia polycrystals (3Y-TZP) bioinert ceramics combine excellent strength and toughness, good aesthetics, high resistance to corrosion and absence of allergic reaction. However, improved osseointegration is needed as higher marginal bone loss was sometimes reported. In the present work, 3Y-TZP multi-patterned samples for rapid screening of cell-surface interactions were fabricated by femtosecond laser micromachining. Pits with well-defined edges and micrometric precision in pit diameter, depth and spacing were produced, as determined by white light interferometry. Pits showed a nanometric granular texture on the sidewalls and ripples at pit bottom, as attested by scanning electron microscopy. Focused ion beam analyses indicated limited laser-induced damage. Micropatterns impacted human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) size and morphology. Cell area and aspect ratio were mainly influenced by pit diameter, while solidity and circularity were affected by both pit diameter and depth. The pattern 30 μm diameter/10 μm depth induced the strongest osteoblastic hMSC commitment.     

Quality assessment of corn snacks enriched with soybean ferritin among young healthy people and patient with Crohn’s disease: the effect of extrusion conditions

Fortified extruded snacks are convenient products to supplement malnourished patients’ diet, e.g. suffering from Crohn’s disease. The snacks were extruded with different additions of iron-biofortified sprouts under varying process conditions (temperature and humidity). The sensory profiling showed the correlation between extrusion temperature and snack stickiness (R = 0.835), crispiness (R = 0.727), hardness (R=−0.485), as well as the intensity of corn (R = 0.888), powder (R=−0.795), metallic (R=−0.606) and bitter (R=−0.901) tastes. The sprouts addition affected metallic taste (R = 0.606) and aroma (R = 0.666) intensity. The product desirability was compared between healthy people (HP) and Crohn’s patients (CP). Overall desirability positively correlated with taste desirability in both groups. In the HP group, taste desirability was associated with metallic taste (R=−0.857) and Fe(III) content (R=−0.717). Also, aroma desirability (connected with pyrazines) was more significant to HP. Higher tolerance of CP to metallic and bitter flavours was observed. This confirms that the taste and aroma preferences of CP and HP are different.     

Crystalline nanocellulose/thermoplastic polyester composites prepared by in situ polymerization

In situ polymerization by polycondensation was implemented to disperse crystalline nanocellulose (CNC) in poly(ethylene succinate) (PESu). The in situ polymerization technique resulted in good dispersion of the CNC nanoparticles in the PESu matrix. The polymerization kinetics were altered with increasing CNC content, causing a decrease in the polymer molecular weight. The addition of CNC particles having a large aspect ratio resulted in significant increases in the viscosity of the resulting composites, and significantly enhanced crystallization kinetics. PESu containing well‐dispersed 0.25 wt% CNC maintained the tensile properties of the matrix, demonstrating that at these very low loadings the CNC acts as an efficient nucleating agent, without compromising the mechanical properties and biodegradability POLYM. ENG. SCI., 59:989–995, 2019. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers     

The effect of compatibilizers and organically modified nanoclay on the morphology and performance properties of poly(acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene)/polypropylene blends

In this study, poly(acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene)/polypropylene (ABS/PP) blends with various compositions were prepared by melt intercalation in a twin‐screw extruder. Modifications of the above blends were performed by using organically modified montmorillonite (OMMT, Cloisite 30B) reinforcement as well as two types of compatibilizers, namely polypropylene grafted with maleic anhydride (PP‐g‐MAH) and ABS grafted with maleic anhydride (ABS‐g‐MAH). Increasing the PP content in ABS matrix seems to increase the melt flow and thermal stability of their blends, whereas a deterioration of the tensile properties was recorded. On the other hand, the addition of ABS to PP promotes the formation of the β‐crystalline phase, which became maximum at 30 wt% ABS concentration, and increases the crystallization temperature (T_c) of PP. A tendency for increase of T_c was also recorded by incorporation of the above compatibilizers, whereas the glass transition temperature (T_g) of PP and SAN phase in ABS was reduced. Regarding the Young's modulus, the greatest improvement was observed in pure ABS/PP blends containing organically modified nanoclay. However, in reinforced pure PP, the use of compatibilizers is recommended in order to improve the elastic modulus. The addition of OMMT to noncompatibilized and compatibilized ABS/PP blends significantly improves their storage modulus. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 56:458–468, 2016. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers     

CRISPR/Cas9-Based Mutagenesis of Histone H3.1 in Spinal Dynorphinergic Neurons Attenuates Thermal Sensitivity in Mice

Burn injury is a trauma resulting in tissue degradation and severe pain, which is processed first by neuronal circuits in the spinal dorsal horn. We have recently shown that in mice, excitatory dynorphinergic (Pdyn) neurons play a pivotal role in the response to burn-injury-associated tissue damage via histone H3.1 phosphorylation-dependent signaling. As Pdyn neurons were mostly associated with mechanical allodynia, their involvement in thermonociception had to be further elucidated. Using a custom-made AAV9_mutH3.1 virus combined with the CRISPR/cas9 system, here we provide evidence that blocking histone H3.1 phosphorylation at position serine 10 (S10) in spinal Pdyn neurons significantly increases the thermal nociceptive threshold in mice. In contrast, neither mechanosensation nor acute chemonociception was affected by the transgenic manipulation of histone H3.1. These results suggest that blocking rapid epigenetic tagging of S10H3 in spinal Pdyn neurons alters acute thermosensation and thus explains the involvement of Pdyn cells in the immediate response to burn-injury-associated tissue damage.     

Pharmacogenetics of Drug-Resistant Epilepsy (Review of Literature)

Pharmacogenomic studies in epilepsy are justified by the high prevalence rate of this disease and the high cost of its treatment, frequent drug resistance, different response to the drug, the possibility of using reliable methods to assess the control of seizures and side effects of antiepileptic drugs. Candidate genes encode proteins involved in pharmacokinetic processes (drug transporters, metabolizing enzymes), pharmacodynamic processes (receptors, ion channels, enzymes, regulatory proteins, secondary messengers) and drug hypersensitivity (immune factors). This article provides an overview of the literature on the influence of genetic factors on treatment in epilepsy.     

Sulfonamide Inhibitors of β-Catenin Signaling as Anticancer Agents with Different Output on c-MYC

The Wnt/β-catenin pathway is often found deregulated in cancer. The aberrant accumulation of β-catenin in the cell nucleus results in the development of various malignancies. Specific drugs against this signaling pathway for clinical treatments have not been approved yet. Herein we report inhibitors of β-catenin signaling of potential therapeutic value as anticancer agents. Ethyl 4-((4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)sulfonamido)benzoate (compound 14 ) inhibits the effect on Wnt reporter with an IC₅₀ value of 7.0 μM, significantly reduces c-MYC levels, inhibits HCT116 colon cancer cell growth (IC₅₀ 20.2 μM), does not violate Lipinski and Veber rules, and shows predicted Caco-2 and MDCK cell permeability P_app>500 nm s⁻¹. Compound 14 seems to have potential for the development of new anticancer therapies.     

Synergistic Inhibition Effect of Chitosan and L-Cysteine for the Protection of Copper-Based Alloys against Atmospheric Chloride-Induced Indoor Corrosion

The protection of metals from atmospheric corrosion is a task of primary importance for many applications and many different products have been used, sometimes being toxic and harmful for health and the environment. In order to overcome drawbacks due to toxicity of the corrosion inhibitors and harmful organic solvents and to ensure long-lasting protection, new organic compounds have been proposed and their corrosion inhibition properties have been investigated. In this work, we describe the use of a new environment-friendly anticorrosive coating that takes advantage of the synergism between an eco-friendly bio-polymer matrix and an amino acid. The corrosion inhibition of a largely used Copper-based (Cu-based) alloy against the chloride-induced indoor atmospheric attack was studied using chitosan (CH) as a biopolymer and l-Cysteine (Cy) as an amino acid. To evaluate the protective efficacy of the coatings, tailored accelerated corrosion tests were carried out on bare and coated Cu-based alloys, further, the nature of the protective film formed on the Cu-based alloy surface was analyzed by Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) while the surface modifications due to the corrosion treatments were investigated by optical microscopy (OM). The evaluation tests reveal that the Chitosan/l-Cysteine (CH/Cy) coatings exhibit good anti-corrosion properties against chloride attack whose efficiency increases with a minimum amount of Cy of 0.25 mg/mL.