Changes in protein secondary structure during gluten deformation studied by dynamic fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy was used to monitor changes in the secondary structure of wheat prolamins, the main components of gluten, during mechanical deformation in a series of cycles of extension and relaxation. A sample derived from protein bodies isolated from developing grain showed a buildup of persistent beta-sheet structure. In gluten, the ratio of beta-sheet to random and beta-turn structures changed on extension. After the applied force was released, the sample recovered some of its original shape and structure, but the material became stiffer in consecutive extension cycles. The relationship between gluten structure and mechanical properties is discussed in terms of a model in which conversion of beta-turn to beta-sheet structure is a response to extension and a means by which elastic energy is stored in the system.     

In vitro cytotoxicity of a novel injectable and biodegradable alveolar bone substitute

The unsaturated polyphosphoester (UPPE) polymer is being investigated as an injectable and biodegradable system for alveolar bone repair in the treatment of periodontal diseases. The incorporation of β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) particles into the UPPE polymer was previously shown to significantly increase the material’s mechanical properties. Moreover, in vitro experiments demonstrated that the UPPE/β-TCP composite was capable of zero-order release of tetracycline for over 2 weeks. In this study, we investigated the in vitro cytotoxicity of each individual component, the resulting cross-linked network and the degradation products of the UPPE/β-TCP composite using an AlamarBlue viability assay. We confirmed that each individual component except β-TCP and the in vitro degradation products of the composite displayed a dose-dependent cytotoxic response. Once cross-linked, however, the composite did not demonstrate an adverse response. Our results suggest that the UPPE/β-TCP composite holds great promise for use as an injectable and biodegradable alveolar bone substitute.     

Bulk cellulose plastic materials from processing cellulose powder using back pressure-equal channel angular pressing

Bulk cellulose plastic materials with a continuous morphology were successfully processed from cellulose powder through back pressure-equal channel angular pressing (BP-ECAP) at 150 °C without using any additives. The strong shear deformation during the process caused an efficient deformation of cellulose granular and crystalline structures, resulting in effective chain penetration and strong intermolecular interactions throughout the whole material. The mechanical behaviour of the cellulose plastics was comparable to those of polymer/cellulose composites. Ball milling the cellulose powder prior to processing disrupted the crystalline structures thus resulting in more significant modifications of the molecular motions of the cellulose. The outcome of this research provides a potential methodology for manufacturing renewable and biodegradable bulk materials from cellulose-based agricultural waste.     

Studies on the decomposition of amino acids in soils

Summary 1. Under soil-percolation conditions the decomposition of amino acids is entirely aerobic.2. Amino-acid decomposition proceeds under aerobic conditions without extra-cellular accumulation of appreciable concentrations of simple soluble organic compounds.3. During leucine decomposition 40 per cent of the leucine-carbon is converted into carbon dioxide while the remaining leucine is synthesised into cellular material. Any carbon dioxide evolved thereafter is due to oxidation of this synthesised cellular material.4. The micro-organisms induced in three different soils in response to leucine percolation had similar abilities in metabolizing different amino acids. The metabolizing abilities of micro-organisms induced in a garden soil in response to percolation withdl-alanine, ordl-aspartic acid, ordl-leucine ordl-phenylalanine have also been studied.5. Progressive drying of soil, stimulated by percolation with specific amino acids, has little effect on its immediate metabolising activity until a low soil-moisture content is reached and the soil particles change colour. At this point the micro-organisms produced by stimulation are irreversibly inactivated.6. The micro-organisms induced in soil/percolate systems in response to leucine percolation are adsorbed by different soils to different extents.     

On some basic laws in physiological systems

Summary By the application of a new concept of activity, which is an extension of excitability in physiology, it was possible to establish the activity cycle in relation to the interstimulus interval as an extension of excitability cycle. It was proved also that the response area and audiogram in the auditory system, as well as the spectral response curve in the visual system can be described in uniform fashion as a special situation of activity.It was further found that Fechner's law and Stevens' power function are none other than one of the laws of activity in the semi-logarithmic and in the double logarithmic domains, respectively.     

Role of elastin anisotropy in structural strain energy functions of arterial tissue

The vascular wall exhibits nonlinear anisotropic mechanical properties. The identification of a strain energy function (SEF) is the preferred method to describe its complex nonlinear elastic properties. Earlier constituent-based SEF models, where elastin is modeled as an isotropic material, failed in describing accurately the tissue response to inflation–extension loading. We hypothesized that these shortcomings are partly due to unaccounted anisotropic properties of elastin. We performed inflation–extension tests on common carotid of rabbits before and after enzymatic degradation of elastin and applied constituent-based SEFs, with both an isotropic and an anisotropic elastin part, on the experimental data. We used transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBFSEM) to provide direct structural evidence of the assumed anisotropy. In intact arteries, the SEF including anisotropic elastin with one family of fibers in the circumferential direction fitted better the inflation–extension data than the isotropic SEF. This was supported by TEM and SBFSEM imaging, which showed interlamellar elastin fibers in the circumferential direction. In elastin-degraded arteries, both SEFs succeeded equally well in predicting anisotropic wall behavior. In elastase-treated arteries fitted with the anisotropic SEF for elastin, collagen engaged later than in intact arteries. We conclude that constituent-based models with an anisotropic elastin part characterize more accurately the mechanical properties of the arterial wall when compared to models with simply an isotropic elastin. Microstructural imaging based on electron microscopy techniques provided evidence for elastin anisotropy. Finally, the model suggests a later and less abrupt collagen engagement after elastase treatment.     

In vitro cytotoxicity of injectable and biodegradable poly(propylene fumarate)-based networks: unreacted macromers,cross-linked networks,and degradation products

This study evaluates the in vitro biocompatibility of an injectable and biodegradable polymeric network based on poly(propylene fumarate) (PPF) and the cross-linking agent PPF-diacrylate (PPF-DA). Using a methyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay, the effect of the concentrations of PPF and PPF-DA on the cytotoxicity of its unreacted macromers, cross-linked networks, and degradation products was examined. The influence of network structure properties on cell viability and attachment to the cross-linked material was also investigated. The unreacted macromers exhibited a time- and dose-dependent cytotoxic response that increased with more PPF-DA in the mixture. Conversely, the cross-linked networks formed with more PPF-DA did not demonstrate an adverse response because increases in conversion and cross-linking density prevented the extraction of toxic products. Fibroblast attachment was observed on the PPF/PPF-DA networks with the highest double bond conversions. The degradation products, obtained from the complete breakdown of the networks in basic conditions, displayed a dose-dependent cytotoxic response. These results show that there are concerns regarding the biocompatibility of injectable, biodegradable PPF/PPF-DA networks but also sheds light onto potential mechanisms to reduce the cytotoxic effects.     

Biodegradable microfluidic scaffolds for tissue engineering from amino alcohol-based poly(ester amide) elastomers

Biodegradable polymers with high mechanical strength, flexibility and optical transparency, optimal degradation properties and biocompatibility are critical to the success of tissue engineered devices and drug delivery systems. Most biodegradable polymers suffer from a short half-life due to rapid degradation upon implantation, exceedingly high stiffness, and limited ability to functionalize the surface with chemical moieties. This work describes the fabrication of microfluidic networks from poly(ester amide), poly(1,3-diamino-2-hydroxypropane-co-polyol sebacate) (APS), a recently developed biodegradable elastomeric polymer. Microfluidic scaffolds constructed from APS exhibit a much lower Young''s modulus and a significantly longer degradation half-life than those of previously reported systems. The device is fabricated using a modified replica-molding technique, which is rapid, inexpensive, reproducible and scalable, making the approach ideal for both rapid prototyping and manufacturing of tissue engineering scaffolds.Key words: biodegradable, microfluidics, tissue engineering, elastomer, scaffold, polymer     

Strain-Induced Alignment in Collagen Gels

Collagen is the most abundant extracellular-network-forming protein in animal biology and is important in both natural and artificial tissues, where it serves as a material of great mechanical versatility. This versatility arises from its almost unique ability to remodel under applied loads into anisotropic and inhomogeneous structures. To explore the origins of this property, we develop a set of analysis tools and a novel experimental setup that probes the mechanical response of fibrous networks in a geometry that mimics a typical deformation profile imposed by cells in vivo. We observe strong fiber alignment and densification as a function of applied strain for both uncrosslinked and crosslinked collagenous networks. This alignment is found to be irreversibly imprinted in uncrosslinked collagen networks, suggesting a simple mechanism for tissue organization at the microscale. However, crosslinked networks display similar fiber alignment and the same geometrical properties as uncrosslinked gels, but with full reversibility. Plasticity is therefore not required to align fibers. On the contrary, our data show that this effect is part of the fundamental non-linear properties of fibrous biological networks.     

The mechanical behavior of isolated Avena coleoptile walls subjected to constant stress: properties and relation to cell elongation

In order to assess the role of the mechanical properties of the wall in auxin-induced cell elongation, a study has been made of the ability of isolated Avena coleoptile walls to extend (creep) when subjected to a constant applied stress. Creep occurs as a viscoelastic extension which has the following characteristics: the extension is proportional to log time and is partly reversible, and the extension rate has a Q₁₀ of about 1.05 and is markedly greater in auxin-pretreated walls. In nonconditioned walls the extension rate is proportional to applied stress, but pre-extension causes the appearance of an apparent yield strain. The similarity of creep and instantaneous plastic deformation in response to temperature or to pretreatment with auxin or KCN suggests that the instantaneous deformation is simply the viscoelastic extension which occurs at very short times. A comparison of these viscoelastic properties with the properties of auxin-induced cell elongation indicates that cell elongation requires more than just a physical extension of the wall. It is suggested that elongation occurs as a series of extension steps, each of which involves a viscoelastic extension preceded or accompanied by an auxin-dependent biochemical change in the wall properties.     

Biodegradation of polyesters containing aromatic constituents

Polymers, which undergo a controlled biological degradation by micro-organisms came to remarkable interest during the last years. Composting for instance could so be established as an alternative waste management system for parts of the plastic waste. Within this group of innovative polymer, polyesters play a predominant role, due to their potentially hydrolyzable ester bonds. While aromatic polyesters such as poly(ethylene terephthalate) exhibit excellent material properties but proved to be almost resistant to microbial attack, many aliphatic polyesters turned out to be biodegradable but lack in properties, which are important for application. To combine good material properties with biodegradability, aliphatic-aromatic copolyesters have been developed as biodegradable polymers for many years. This article reviews the attempts to combine aromatic and aliphatic structures in biodegradable plastics and work, which has been done to evaluate the degradation behaviour and environmental safety of biodegradable polyesters, containing aromatic constituents.     

Chemically mediated mechanical expansion of the pollen tube cell wall

Morphogenesis of plant cells is tantamount to the shaping of the stiff cell wall that surrounds them. To this end, these cells integrate two concomitant processes: 1), deposition of new material into the existing wall, and 2), mechanical deformation of this material by the turgor pressure. However, due to uncertainty regarding the mechanisms that coordinate these processes, existing models typically adopt a limiting case in which either one or the other dictates morphogenesis. In this report, we formulate a simple mechanism in pollen tubes by which deposition causes turnover of cell wall cross-links, thereby facilitating mechanical deformation. Accordingly, deposition and mechanics are coupled and are both integral aspects of the morphogenetic process. Among the key experimental qualifications of this model are: its ability to precisely reproduce the morphologies of pollen tubes; its prediction of the growth oscillations exhibited by rapidly growing pollen tubes; and its prediction of the observed phase relationships between variables such as wall thickness, cell morphology, and growth rate within oscillatory cells. In short, the model captures the rich phenomenology of pollen tube morphogenesis and has implications for other plant cell types.     

GABA and glutamate specifically induce contractions in the sponge <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tethya wilhelma</Emphasis>

Sponges (Porifera) are nerve- and muscleless. Nevertheless, they react to external stimuli in a coordinated way, by body contraction, oscule closure or stopping pumping activity. The underlying mechanisms are still unknown, but evidence has been found for chemical messenger-based systems. We used the sponge Tethya wilhelma to test the effect of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate (l-Glu) on its contraction behaviour. Minimal activating concentrations were found to be 0.5 μM (GABA) and 50 μM (l-Glu), respectively. Taking maximum relative contraction speed and minimal relative projected body area as a measure of the sponge’s response, a comparison of the dose–response curves indicated a higher sensitivity of the contractile tissue for GABA than for l-Glu. The concentrations eliciting the same contractile response differ by about 100-fold more than the entire concentration range tested. In addition, desensitising effects and spasm-like reactions were observed. Presumably, a GABA/l-Glu metabotropic receptor-based system is involved in the regulation of contraction in T. wilhelma. We discuss a coordination system for sponges based on hypothetical chemical messenger pathways. Electronic supplementary material Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at and is accessible for authorized users. K. Ellwanger and A. Eich contributed equally and designed and performed experiments, analysed data and revised the paper, M. Nickel designed the study and experiments, analysed data, prepared the figures, wrote and revised the paper.     

Synthesis of biodegradable chiral poly(ester-imide)s derived from valine-, leucine- and tyrosine-containing monomers

The present demand for a drastic reduction in environmental pollution is extended to qualitative change in the approach to development of biodegradable polymers. The aim of this article is to focus on the synthesis of biodegradable optically active poly(ester-imide)s (PEI)s, which compose of different amino acids in the main chain as well as in the side chain. These polymers were synthesized by polycondensation of diacid monomers such as 5-(2-phthalimidyl-3-methyl butanoylamino) isophthalic acid (1), 5-(4-methyl-2-phthalimidyl pentanoylamino)isophthalic acid (2) with N,N′-(pyromellitoyl)-bis-l-tyrosine dimethyl ester (3) as a phenolic diol. The direct polycondensation reaction was carried out in a system of tosyl chloride, pyridine and N,N-dimethylformamide as a condensing agent under conventional heating conditions. The optically active PEIs were obtained in good yield and moderate inherent viscosity. The synthesized polymers were characterized by means of FT-IR, ¹H-NMR, elemental and thermo gravimetric analysis techniques. In addition, in vitro toxicity and soil burial test were employed for assessing the sensitivity of these compounds to microbial degradation. To this purpose, biodegradability behavior of the monomers and polymers were investigated in culture media and soil condition. The results of this study revealed that synthesized monomers and their derived polymers are biologically active and probably microbiologically biodegradable.     

Preparation and characterization of biodegradable poly-3-hydroxybutyrate-starch blend films

Bacterial polyesters have attracted much attention as biodegradable biocompatible polymers. Poly-3-hydroxybutyrate, a microbially produced thermoplastic, has similar material properties to polypropylene. Its potential application as biodegradable and biocompatible plastics is well documented. However, due to high cost it is used mainly in biomaterials for medical applications. Materials with useful properties may result from blending bacterial polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) with other polymers. In this paper, the compatibility of PHB with starch for improved properties and cost reduction is discussed. The thermal and mechanical properties of the blended films were studied by means of thermogravimetry, differential scanning calorimetry and an automated material testing system. The results revealed that blend films had a single glass transition temperature for all the proportions of PHB:starch tested. The nature of all combinations was found to be crystalline. The tensile strength was optimum for the PHB:starch ratio of 0.7:0.3 (wt/wt). The variation in tensile strength, Young's modulus, extension needed to break, thermal stability, glass transition temperature, melting temperature, for the different proportions of PHB:starch are discussed.     

Autolysis Promotes the Extension Capacity of Zea mays Coleoptile Cell Walls in Response to Acid pH Solutions

The relationship between autolytic degradation of ß(1–3),(1–4)-D-glucanand acid pH-induced extension of isolated Zea mays cell wallshas been investigated using a constant-load extension technique.Acidic buffer (4.5) was able to induce an additional extension(E_a) on cell walls already extended at pH 6.8 buffer under a20 g-mass load, indicating that the additional extension (E_a)was the parameter that better represented the effect of thedifferent treatments on the mechanical properties of maize coleoptilecell walls. The additional extension in response to acidic pHwas higher when cell walls had been previously autolysed for24 h at pH 5.5. Furthermore, the acid-pH effect was dependenton the presence during the constant load extension of some thermo-labilefactors, suggesting the participation of expansins. Acid pHincreased E_a of native cell walls through an increase in theplastic extension (E_p) in agreement with a one step mechanismleading directly to irreversible (plastic) wall extension assuggested by Cosgrove (1977). The autolytic degradation of ß(1–3),(1–4)-D-glucan was also able to modify the mechanicalproperties of maize coleoptile cell walls increasing its elasticextension (E_e) in response to pH 4.5 buffer but that modificationonly leads to an increase in wall extension when expansins areactive, suggesting a cooperation between ß-glucanturnover and expansin action. (Received August 5, 1998; Accepted March 16, 1999)     

Early American studies on respiration calorimetry

Summary W. C. Atwater, student of American food materials, transplanted respiration calorimetry to the United States, following his experience with the subject in the German laboratories of Volt and Rubner. He began construction, in 1892 with the collaboration ofE. B. Rosa, of an instrument capable of accurate measurement of energy and material balances in a human being. This represents one of the first examples in America of the funding and construction of a large but sensitive scientific instrument and its operation by a team of skilled specialists.Atwater's group quickly established that the first law of thermodynamics was applicable to man. His associate,F. G. Benedict laid the foundations for application of respiration relationships to the understanding of basal metabolism in human beings both in health and disease.G. Lusk andE. F. Du Bois greatly extended the clinical aspects of calorimetry.Animal calorimetry had its origin in Lavoisier's laboratory, its resurgence withRegnault andReiset, and its major successes in Germany in the laboratories of Voit at Munich and Rubner in Marburg and Berlin. The vigorous development in America at the turn of the century was an extension of the studies in Germany. Every prominent member of the American school of calorimetrists was either educated with Voit or Rubner or in regular contact through correspondence and travel.Presented at the Conference on the Historical Development of Bioenergetics held at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences on October 11–13, 1973, Boston, Mass. The support of the National Science Foundation, grant GS-27505, for this study is gratefully acknowledged.     

Deformations and end effects in isolated blood vessel testing

Blood vessels are commonly studied in isolation to define their mechanical and biological properties under controlled conditions. While sections of the wall are sometimes tested, vessels are most often attached to needles and examined in their natural cylindrical configuration where combinations of internal pressure and axial force can be applied to mimic in vivo conditions. Attachments to needles, however, constrain natural vessel response, resulting in a complex state of deformation that is not easily determined. As a result, measurements are usually limited to the midsection of a specimen where end effects do not extend and the deformation is homogeneous. To our knowledge, however, the boundaries of this uninfluenced midsection region have not been explored. The objective of this study was to define the extent of these end effects as a function of vessel geometry and material properties, loading conditions, and needle diameter. A computational fiber framework was used to model the response of a nonlinear anisotropic cylindrical tube, constrained radially at its ends, under conditions of axial extension and internal pressure. Individual fiber constitutive response was defined using a Fung-type strain energy function. While quantitative results depend on specific parameter values, simulations demonstrate that axial stretch is always highest near the constraint and reduces to a minimum in the uninfluenced midsection region. Circumferential stretch displays the opposite behavior. As a general rule, the length of the region disturbed by a needle constraint increases with the difference between the diameter of the needle and the equilibrium diameter of the blood vessel for the imposed loading conditions. The reported findings increase the understanding of specimen deformation in isolated vessel experiments, specifically defining considerations important to identifying a midsection region appropriate for measurement.     

壳聚糖膜在治疗宫颈疾病中的降解时间与影响因素的研究

目的:研究不同壳聚糖膜在体外及体内的生物降解时间。方法:用不同分子量壳聚糖为制膜材料,将4组不同组成成分的壳聚糖溶于1.5%乙酸中,配成1%溶液,加入辅料烘干成膜称其重量,剪成大小相等的小块,精称后放置于弱酸介质和雌鼠阴道中。定时取样,水洗,烘干后称重,按W-W'W×100%算得降解百分率。结果:1号较2号降解时间快,而加入PVA的3号与4号又较1号与2号更快。结论:壳聚糖是一种生物可降解材料,壳聚糖膜的降解时间与其分子量、PVA比例、介质酸性强度等因素相关。     

Measurement of local strain on cell membrane at initiation point of calcium signaling response to applied mechanical stimulus in osteoblastic cells

In adaptive bone remodeling, it is believed that bone cells such as osteoblasts, osteocytes and osteoclasts can sense mechanical stimuli and modulate their remodeling activities. However, the mechanosensing mechanism by which these cells sense mechanical stimuli and transduce mechanical signals into intracellular biochemical signals is still not clearly understood. From the viewpoint of cell biomechanics, it is important to clarify the mechanical conditions under which the cellular mechanosensing mechanism is activated. The aims of this study were to evaluate a mechanical condition, that is, the local strain on the cell membrane, at the initiation point of the intracellular calcium signaling response to the applied mechanical stimulus in osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells, and to investigate the effect of deformation velocity on the characteristics of the cellular response. To apply a local deformation to a single cell, a glass microneedle was directly indented to the cell and moved horizontally on the cell membrane. To observe the cellular response and the deformation of the cell membrane, intracellular calcium ions and the cell membrane were labeled using fluorescent dyes and simultaneously observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. The strain distribution on the cell membrane attributable to the applied local deformation and the strain magnitude at the initiation point of the calcium signaling responses were analyzed using obtained fluorescence images. From two-dimensionally projected images, it was found that there is a local compressive strain at the initiation point of calcium signaling. Moreover, the cellular response revealed velocity dependence, that is, the cells seemed to respond with a higher sensitivity to a higher deformation velocity. From the viewpoint of cell biomechanics, these results provide us a fundamental understanding of the mechanosensing mechanism of osteoblast-like cells.