Effects of natural aging on hydrophilicity and mechanical properties of PDMS in various storage environments.

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is a synthetic elastomer widely used in biomedical and industrial applications. Despite its widespread use, the natural evolution of its mechanical and surface properties over time remains poorly understood. In this study, we fabricated PDMS samples with base-to-curing agent mixing ratios from 5:1 to 30:1 and aged them for up to 8 weeks under six non-harsh conditions at room temperature.

Characterization of glioma spheroid viability and metastatic potential following monophasic and biphasic pulsed electric fields.

Currently, the leading 3D cell culture models for characterizing and validating pulsed electric fields (PEFs) are spheroids and cell-laden hydrogels. We hypothesize that incorporating a glioblastoma multicellular tumor spheroid (MTS) onto a collagen hydrogel will leverage their strengths to form a more physiologically relevant model to study viability, proliferation, and migration. The MTS-hydrogel platform was subjected to PEFs varying in pulse width and electric field (EF) strength.

Quantifying differences in head kinematics associated with tackle form in youth football.

American football has a high rate of concussion and subconcussive head impacts resulting from tackling collisions. A tackle must be properly executed to maximize safety for involved athletes. The study objective was to develop a grading rubric and evaluate the relationship between tackle form and head kinematics in youth football.

On-Field Evaluation of Mouthpiece-and-Helmet-Mounted Sensor Data from Head Kinematics in Football.

Purpose: Wearable sensors are used to measure head impact exposure in sports. The Head Impact Telemetry (HIT) System is a helmet-mounted system that has been commonly utilized to measure head impacts in American football. Advancements in sensor technology have fueled the development of alternative sensor methods such as instrumented mouthguards.

Burst sine wave electroporation (B-SWE) for expansive blood-brain barrier disruption and controlled non-thermal tissue ablation for neurological disease.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) limits the efficacy of treatments for malignant brain tumors, necessitating innovative approaches to breach the barrier. This study introduces burst sine wave electroporation (B-SWE) as a strategic modality for controlled BBB disruption without extensive tissue ablation and compares it against conventional pulsed square wave electroporation-based technologies such as high-frequency irreversible electroporation (H-FIRE). Using an rodent model, B-SWE and H-FIRE effects on BBB disruption, tissue ablation, and neuromuscular contractions are compared.

Microfluidic-based systems for the management of diabetes.

Diabetes currently affects approximately 500 million people worldwide and is one of the most common causes of mortality in the United States. To diagnose and monitor diabetes, finger-prick blood glucose testing has long been used as the clinical gold standard. For diabetes treatment, insulin is typically delivered subcutaneously through cannula-based syringes, pens, or pumps in almost all type 1 diabetic (T1D) patients and some type 2 diabetic (T2D) patients.

Trunk postural control during unstable sitting among individuals with and without low back pain: A systematic review with an individual participant data meta-analysis.

Introduction: Sitting on an unstable surface is a common paradigm to investigate trunk postural control among individuals with low back pain (LBP), by minimizing the influence lower extremities on balance control. Outcomes of many small studies are inconsistent (e.g.

High-Frequency Dielectrophoresis Reveals That Distinct Bio-Electric Signatures of Colorectal Cancer Cells Depend on Ploidy and Nuclear Volume.

Aneuploidy, or an incorrect chromosome number, is ubiquitous among cancers. Whole-genome duplication, resulting in tetraploidy, often occurs during the evolution of aneuploid tumors. Cancers that evolve through a tetraploid intermediate tend to be highly aneuploid and are associated with poor patient prognosis.

A Simple Mathematical Model Demonstrates the Potential for Cell-Based Hormone Therapy to Address Dysregulation of the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Ovary Axis in Females with Loss of Ovarian Function.

Tissue-engineering and cell-based strategies provide an intriguing approach to treat complex conditions such as those of the endocrine system. We have previously developed a cell-based hormone therapy (cHT) to address hormonal insufficiency associated with the loss of ovarian function. To assess how the cHT strategy may achieve its efficacy, we developed a mathematical model to determine if known autocrine, paracrine, and endocrine effects of the native hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary (HPO) axis could explain our previously observed effects in ovariectomized rats following treatment with cHT.

Development of a novel air-liquid interface airway tissue equivalent model for in vitro respiratory modeling studies.

The human airways are complex structures with important interactions between cells, extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and the biomechanical microenvironment. A robust, well-differentiated in vitro culture system that accurately models these interactions would provide a useful tool for studying normal and pathological airway biology. Here, we report the development and characterization of a physiologically relevant air-liquid interface (ALI) 3D airway 'organ tissue equivalent' (OTE) model with three novel features: native pulmonary fibroblasts, solubilized lung ECM, and hydrogel substrate with tunable stiffness and porosity.

A novel multi-modality imaging phantom for validating interstitial needle guidance for high dose rate gynecological brachytherapy.

Purpose: To design, manufacture, and validate a female pelvic phantom for multi-modality imaging (CT, MRI, US) to benchmark a commercial needle tracking system with application in HDR gynecological (GYN) interstitial procedures.

Materials And Methods: A GYN needle-tracking phantom was designed using CAD software to model an average uterus from a previous patient study, a vaginal canal from speculum dimensions, and a rectum to accommodate a transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) probe. A target volume (CTV ) was designed as an extension from the cervix-uterus complex.

Characterization of Head Acceleration Exposure During Youth Football Practice Drills.

Many head acceleration events (HAEs) observed in youth football emanate from a practice environment. This study aimed to evaluate HAEs in youth football practice drills using a mouthpiece-based sensor, differentiating between inertial and direct HAEs. Head acceleration data were collected from athletes participating on 2 youth football teams (ages 11-13 y) using an instrumented mouthpiece-based sensor during all practice sessions in a single season.

Challenges and Perspectives for Future Considerations in the Bioengineering of a Bioartificial Pancreas.

There is an unrelenting interest in the development of a reliable bioartificial pancreas construct since the first description of this technology of encapsulated islets by Lim and Sun in 1980 because it promised to be a curative treatment for Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM). Despite the promise of the concept of encapsulated islets, there are still some challenges that impede the full realization of the clinical potential of the technology. In this review, we will first present the justification for continued research and development of this technology.

Recent Advancements in Electroporation Technologies: From Bench to Clinic.

Over the past decade, the increased adoption of electroporation-based technologies has led to an expansion of clinical research initiatives. Electroporation has been utilized in molecular biology for mammalian and bacterial transfection; for food sanitation; and in therapeutic settings to increase drug uptake, for gene therapy, and to eliminate cancerous tissues. We begin this article by discussing the biophysics required for understanding the concepts behind the cell permeation phenomenon that is electroporation.

Modeling lymphangiogenesis: Pairing in vitro and in vivo metrics.

Lymphangiogenesis is the mechanism by which the lymphatic system develops and expands new vessels facilitating fluid drainage and immune cell trafficking. Models to study lymphangiogenesis are necessary for a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms and to identify or test new therapeutic agents that target lymphangiogenesis. Across the lymphatic literature, multiple models have been developed to study lymphangiogenesis in vitro and in vivo.

Real-Time Temperature Rise Estimation during Irreversible Electroporation Treatment through State-Space Modeling.

To evaluate the feasibility of real-time temperature monitoring during an electroporation-based therapy procedure, a data-driven state-space model was developed. Agar phantoms mimicking low conductivity (LC) and high conductivity (HC) tissues were tested under the influences of high (HV) and low (LV) applied voltages. Real-time changes in impedance, measured by Fourier Analysis SpecTroscopy (FAST) along with the known tissue conductivity and applied voltages, were used to train the model.

A Comparative Modeling Study of Thermal Mitigation Strategies in Irreversible Electroporation Treatments.

Irreversible electroporation (IRE), also referred to as nonthermal pulsed field ablation (PFA), is an attractive focal ablation modality for solid tumors and cardiac tissue due to its ability to destroy aberrant cells with limited disruption of the underlying tissue architecture. Despite its nonthermal cell death mechanism, application of electrical energy results in Joule heating that, if ignored, can cause undesired thermal injury. Engineered thermal mitigation (TM) technologies including phase change materials (PCMs) and active cooling (AC) have been reported and tested as a potential means to limit thermal damage.

Perspectives and Challenges on the Potential Use of Exosomes in Bioartificial Pancreas Engineering.

Exosomes are enclosed within a single outer membrane and exemplify a specific subtype of secreted vesicles. Exosomes transfer signalling molecules, including microRNAs (miRNAs), messenger RNA (mRNA), fatty acids, proteins, and growth factors, making them a promising therapeutic tool. In routine bioartificial pancreas fabrication, cells are immobilized in polymeric hydrogels lacking attachment capability for cells and other biological cues.

Longitudinal relationship of baseline functional brain networks with intentional weight loss in older adults.

Objective: The goal of this study was to determine whether the degree of weight loss after 6 months of a behavior-based intervention is related to baseline connectivity within two functional networks (FNs) of interest, FN1 and FN2, in a group of older adults with obesity.

Methods: Baseline functional magnetic resonance imaging data were collected following an overnight fast in 71 older adults with obesity involved in a weight-loss intervention. Functional brain networks in a resting state and during a food-cue task were analyzed using a mixed-regression framework to examine the relationships between baseline networks and 6-month change in weight.

Effect of Alginate Microbead Encapsulation of Placental Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Their Immunomodulatory Function.

In this research we have used different cytokines and progesterone to enhance the immunomodulatory capacity of placental-derived stem cells (PLSCs) prior to their encapsulation. We assessed the effect of microencapsulation of the cells without (control) or after 3-day treatment with interferon gamma (INFγ), interleukin10 (IL-10), or progesterone (P4). Treated PLSCs demonstrated strong immunosuppressive effects on phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNCs).

Islet cell encapsulation - Application in diabetes treatment.

In this minireview, we briefly outline the hallmarks of diabetes, the distinction between type 1 and type 2 diabetes, the global incidence of diabetes, and its associated comorbidities. The main goal of the review is to highlight the great potential of encapsulated pancreatic islet transplantation to provide a cure for type 1 diabetes. Following a short overview of the different approaches to islet encapsulation, we provide a summary of the merits and demerits of each approach of the encapsulation technology.

Semiconducting polymer nanoparticles for photothermal ablation of colorectal cancer organoids.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment is currently hindered by micrometastatic relapse that cannot be removed completely during surgery and is often chemotherapy resistant. Targeted theranostic nanoparticles (NPs) that can produce heat for ablation and enable tumor visualization via their fluorescence offer advantages for detection and treatment of disseminated small nodules. A major hurdle in clinical translation of nanoparticles is their interaction with the 3D tumor microenvironment.

Functional Brain Networks: Unique Patterns with Hedonic Appetite and Confidence to Resist Eating in Older Adults with Obesity.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether baseline measures of hedonic hunger-the Power of Food Scale-and self-control for food consumption-the Weight Efficacy Lifestyle Questionnaire-were associated with network topology within two sets of brain regions (regions of interest [ROIs] 1 and 2) in a group of older adults with obesity. These previously identified brain regions were shown in a different cohort of older adults to be critical for discriminating weight loss success and failure.

Methods: Baseline functional magnetic resonance imaging data (resting state and food cue task) were collected in a novel cohort of 67 older adults with obesity (65-85 years, BMI = 35-42 kg/m ) participating in an 18-month randomized clinical trial on weight regain.