Fabrication of gelatin nanofibrous scaffolds using ethanol/phosphate buffer saline as a benign solvent

Electrospinning of natural polymer nanofibers useful for biomedical applications often requires the use of cytotoxic organic solvents. In this study, gelatin nanofibers are electrospun from phosphate buffer saline/ethanol binary mixtures as a benign solvent at ambient temperature. The influences of ionic strength, ethanol concentration, and gelatin concentration on the electrospinnability of gelatin solutions and the fiber microarchitectures are analyzed. The electrospun scaffolds retain their morphologies during vapor‐phase crosslinking with glutaraldehyde in ethanol and the subsequent removal of salts contained in the nanofibers via water rinsing. When fully hydrated, the mechanically preconditioned scaffolds display a Young's modulus of 25.5 ± 5.3 kPa, tensile strength of 55.5 ± 13.9 kPa, deformability of 160 ± 15%, and resilience of 89.9 ± 1.8%. When cultured on the gelatin scaffolds, 3T3 fibroblasts displayed spindle‐like morphology, similar to the cell's normal morphology in a 3D extracellular matrix. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 97:1026–1036, 2012.     

Mechanical disruption of seagrass in the digestive tract of the dugong

The cheek teeth in dugongs are considered to be largely non-functional whereas the oral horny pads are important both in mechanical disruption of the diet and in conveying seagrass through the mouth. Particle size distributions of digesta from 41 dead stranded dugongs were examined to investigate the relationship between degree of food breakdown, gut region and functional surface area of the mouthparts. The in vitro ease of fracture of major dietary seagrass species were compared. The rate of food breakdown through the gut appears to be more closely linked to fibre level of the diet than to size or age of the dugong and its mouthparts. Low fibre seagrass, for example Halophila ovalis , breaks down at a faster rate than high fibre seagrass, for example Zostera capricorni both in dugong guts and in vitro . Several structural characteristics of seagrass, including level and arrangement of fibre, and water content, make it particularly amenable to mechanical breakdown. The soft mouthparts of the dugong are highly modified so that the entire oral cavity functions to crush low fibre seagrasses. Thus, the dugong has developed an efficient method of food ingestion and mastication that is suited to processing large quantities of soft seagrass during short dive times. The potential cost to the dugong in having lost its hard dental surfaces is that it has become restricted to a low fibre diet.     

Vibratory stimulation enhances thyroid epithelial cell function

The tissues of the body are routinely subjected to various forms of mechanical vibration, the frequency, amplitude, and duration of which can contribute both positively and negatively to human health. The vocal cords, which are in close proximity to the thyroid, may also supply the thyroid with important mechanical signals that modulate hormone production via mechanical vibrations from phonation. In order to explore the possibility that vibrational stimulation from vocalization can enhance thyroid epithelial cell function, FRTL-5 rat thyroid cells were subjected to either chemical stimulation with thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), mechanical stimulation with physiological vibrations, or a combination of the two, all in a well-characterized, torsional rheometer-bioreactor. The FRTL-5 cells responded to mechanical stimulation with significantly (p<0.05) increased metabolic activity, significantly (p<0.05) increased ROS production, and increased gene expression of thyroglobulin and sodium-iodide symporter compared to un-stimulated controls, and showed an equivalent or greater response than TSH only stimulated cells. Furthermore, the combination of TSH and oscillatory motion produced a greater response than mechanical or chemical stimulation alone. Taken together, these results suggest that mechanical vibrations could provide stimulatory cues that help maintain thyroid function.     

掌叶木种皮障碍及种子各部位内源抑制活性的研究

掌叶木(Handeliodendron bodinieri)是残遗于中国的稀有单种属植物,因人为破坏、生境特殊及自身特性的影响,资源稀少,被列为国家一级重点保护野生珍稀濒危植物。该研究以掌叶木种子为材料,研究了4种不同发芽条件下(带种皮、浓硫酸处理种皮、完全去除种皮、仅露出胚根)种子萌发性、种皮透水性、掌叶木果皮、假种皮、种皮和种仁四个部位不同浓度甲醇浸提物(0、3.125、6.25、12.5、25 mg/m L)对白菜种子萌发及幼苗生长的影响以及掌叶木各部位浸提物对种子萌发的影响。结果表明:(1)掌叶木种皮具有一定的透水性,为掌叶木种子的萌发提供必要的透水透气条件,不影响种子萌发前的水分吸收,但掌叶木种皮的机械阻碍、易霉变对种子的萌发影响较大。(2)掌叶木的果皮、假种皮、种皮和种仁甲醇浸提物对白菜种子的萌发和生长都有影响,尤其对白菜幼根的生长有较强的抑制作用,抑制强度依次是种仁果皮假种皮种皮,且随着浓度的升高,抑制作用增强。该研究结果揭示了掌叶木种子难发芽、发芽率低的原因,为掌叶木的人工扩繁和保护与利用奠定了基础。     

有创-无创序贯机械通气对急性心源性肺水肿患者低氧血症和血流动力学的影响

目的:探讨有创-无创序贯机械通气对急性心源性肺水肿患者低氧血症及血流动力学的影响。方法:按照随机数字表法将2013年3月至2015年3月我院收治的49例急性心源性肺水肿患者分为两组,对照组行常规抗心衰治疗联合有创机械通气,观察组接受对照组治疗方案后,再给予无创鼻面罩双水平气道正压通气。比较两组患者治疗前后的动脉血气分析指标及血流动力学指标,以及有创机械通气时间、机械通气总时间、呼吸机相关肺炎(VAP)发生率、再发心衰率及死亡例数。结果:两组患者治疗过程中未出现死亡病例,治疗后,两组患者动脉血气分析指标、血流动力学指标较治疗前不同程度的改善,差异有统计学意义(P0.05),两组患者治疗后的动脉血气分析指标、血流动力学指标比较,差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。观察组患者有创通气时间、通气总时间少于对照组,VAP发生率低于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P0.05),两组患者再发心衰率差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:有创-无创序贯机械通气能有效改善急性心源性肺水肿患者的低氧血症和血流动力学指标,安全有效,作为抢救急性心源性肺水肿的措施具有重要临床价值。     

Epithelial Viscoelasticity Is Regulated by Mechanosensitive E-cadherin Turnover

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黔中喀斯特坡地浅层裂隙土壤机械组成对降雨的响应

运用野外取样调查结合室内吸管法,分析黔中喀斯特坡地不同土地利用类型浅层裂隙土壤机械组成随降雨的变化特征,以期为该区地下土壤漏失研究提供理论依据和技术支撑.结果表明: 黔中喀斯特坡地浅层裂隙土壤粒径含量总体以粉粒为主,约占57％.在不同降雨量的作用下,坡耕地裂隙土壤颗粒含量变化整体表现为细砂粒含量的减少和粉粒、黏粒含量的增大.草地裂隙土壤颗粒的变化主要是细砂粒含量的减少和黏粒含量的增加.乔木林地和灌木林地裂隙土壤颗粒的变化不规律.降雨量与土壤砂粒含量变化之间存在正相关关系.随着土层深度的增加,各土地利用类型的裂隙对粉粒和极粗砂粒含量的变化有一定影响,其中,粉粒含量随土层深度的增加而减少.     

Patterning of polymer nanofiber meshes by electrospinning for biomedical applications

The end-product of the electrospinning process is typically a randomly aligned fiber mesh or membrane. This is a result of the electric field generated between the drop of polymer solution at the needle and the collector. The developed electric field causes the stretching of the fibers and their random deposition. By judicious selection of the collector architecture, it is thus possible to develop other morphologies on the nanofiber meshes. The aim of this work is to prepare fiber meshes using various patterned collectors with specific dimensions and designs and to evaluate how those patterns can affect the properties of the meshes relevant to biomedical applications. This study aims at verifying whether it is possible to control the architecture of the fiber meshes by tailoring the geometry of the collector. Three different metallic collector topographies are used to test this hypothesis. Electrospun nonwoven patterned meshes of polyethylene oxide (PEO) and poly( -caprolactone) (PCL) were successfully prepared. Those fiber meshes were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Both mechanical properties of the meshes and cell contacting experiments were performed to test the effect of the produced patterns over the properties of the meshes relevant for biomedical applications. The present study will evaluate cell adhesion sensitivity to the patterns generated and the effect of those patterns on the tensile properties of the fiber meshes.     

Characterization of coating systems

Polymeric film coatings have been applied to solid substrates for decorative, protective, and functional purposes. Irrespective of the reasons for coating, certain properties of the polymer films may be determined as a method to evaluate coating formulations, substrate variables, and processing conditions. This article describes experimental techniques to assess various properties of both free and applied films, including water vapor and oxygen permeability, as well as thermal, mechanical, and adhesive characteristics. Methods to investigate interfacial interactions are also presented.