DSpace Collection:

Skin-interfaced wireless biosensors for perinatal and paediatric health

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Title: Skin-interfaced wireless biosensors for perinatal and paediatric health Authors: Kim, Joohee; Yoo, Seonggwang; Liu, Claire; Kwak, Sung Soo; Walter, Jessica R.; Xu, Shuai; Rogers, John A. Abstract: Continuous monitoring of the？parameters that define physiological health status is an essential aspect of modern care for critically ill patients, particularly for vulnerable populations. Current hospital-grade systems for such purposes involve sensors taped to the skin, with hard-wired connections to large, expensive data-acquisition and display systems. Soft, wireless, skin-interfaced alternatives reduce associated burdens on the patients, simplify operations in clinical care, minimize risks of adhesive-induced skin injuries and reduce the costs of monitoring, as recently demonstrated in devices designed for maternal, foetal and paediatric health. The implications extend beyond hospital and home settings in well？resourced areas of the globe to remote clinics in low and middle-income countries. This Review summarizes the latest progress in this research area, with an emphasis on the growing range of options in device configurations and form factors, sensor modalities and operational features. Examples of technologies capable of monitoring all key vital signs as well as various unconventional metrics of health status highlight the transition from academic prototypes to manufactured systems and scaled deployments.

Screening of Natural Compounds for CYP11A1 Stimulation Against Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

Wed, 01 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Title: Screening of Natural Compounds for CYP11A1 Stimulation Against Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Authors: Ong, Hien Thi My; Ates, Eda; Kwon, Oh-Seung; Kang, Min-Jung Abstract: Background Renal cancer therapies are challenging owing to the extensive spreading of this cancer to other organs and its ability to pose resistance to current medications. Therefore, drugs targeting novel targets are urgently required to overcome these challenges. The cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme (CYP11A1) is closely associated with steroidogenesis, and its downregulation is linked to adrenal dysfunction and several types of carcinoma. We previously found that overexpression of CYP11A1 inhibited epithelial-mesenchymal transition and induced G2/M arrest in the kidney cancer Caki-1 cell line. In this context, natural compounds that exhibit potent CYP11A1 stimulation activity can be promising therpaeutic agents for kidney cancer. Methods We screened a panel of 1374 natural compounds in a wound-healing assay using CYP11A1-transfected Caki-1 cells. Of these, 167 promising biologically active compounds that inhibited cancer cell migration by more than 75% were selected, and their half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) were determined. The IC50 of 159 compounds was determined and 38 compounds with IC50 values less than 50 ？M were selected for further analysis. Steroid hormones (cholesterol and pregnenolone) levels in cells treated with the selected compounds were quantitated using LC？MS/MS to determine their effect on CYP11A1 activity. Western blotting for CYP11A1, autophagy signaling proteins, and ferroptosis regulators were performed to ivestigate the mechanisms underlying the action of the selected compounds. Results We screened five promising natural lead compounds that inhibited cancer cell proliferation after three screening steps. The IC50 of these compounds was determined to be between 5.9 and 14.6 μM. These candidate compounds increased the expression of CYP11A1 and suppressed cholesterol levels while increasing pregnenolone levels, which is consistent with the activation of CYP11A1. Our results showed that CYP11A1 activation inhibited the migration of cancer cells, promoted ferroptosis, and triggered autophagy signaling. Conclusions This study indicates that the CYP11A1-overexpressing Caki-1 cell line is useful for screening drugs against kidney cancer. The two selected compounds could be utilized as lead compounds for anticancer drug discovery, and specifically for the development of antirenal cancer medication.

Reinforced poly(dibenzyl-co-terphenyl piperidinium) membranes for highly durable anion-exchange membrane water electrolysis at 2 A cm-2 for 1000 h

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Title: Reinforced poly(dibenzyl-co-terphenyl piperidinium) membranes for highly durable anion-exchange membrane water electrolysis at 2 A cm-2 for 1000 h Authors: Hu, Chuan; Lee, Ju Yeon; Lee, Young Jun; Kim, Se Hak; Hwang, Hyewon; Yoon, Kyoung-Seok; Park, Chang-dae; Lee, So Young; Lee, Young Moo Abstract: Low-cost anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) is an attractive technology to address global energy shortages and environmental issues. However, AEMWE remains far from industrial application because of its poor performance and durability, issues that are associated with a lack of qualified anion exchange membranes (AEMs). Here, we describe the use of reinforced membrane technology in AEMs to prepare robust membranes, and systematically explore the effect of support-layer and polymer-membrane thicknesses on water electrolysis. Due to the excellent electrochemical properties of filled poly(dibenzyl-co-terphenyl piperidinium) polymers, the prepared reinforced membrane displays outstanding mechanical properties, with a tensile strength > 112 MPa, and an elongation at break > 84 %, conductivity (96.3 mS cm？1), and dimensional stability (swelling ratio < 50 % at 80 °C). More importantly, AEMWE based on the reinforced membrane simultaneously can achieve an exceptional current density of 4.86 A cm？2@2.0 V and in-situ durability under 1 and 2 A cm？2 at 60 °C for 1000 h with a voltage decay rate of 0.02 mV h？1 and 0.1 mV h？1, respectively. These findings provide insight into the development of AEMWEs using reinforced membranes.

Challenges and advances in materials and fabrication technologies of small-diameter vascular grafts (vol 27, 58, 2023)

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Title: Challenges and advances in materials and fabrication technologies of small-diameter vascular grafts (vol 27, 58, 2023) Authors: Li, Mei-Xian; Wei, Qian-Qi; Mo, Hui-Lin; Ren, Yu; Zhang, Wei; Lu, Huan-Jun; Joung, Yoon Ki Abstract: The original article [1] mistakenly affiliated several authors who have since been re-affiliated to their correct institutions.