Electrodeposited poly(3,4-ethylenedioxypyrrole) films as neural interfaces: Cytocompatibility and electrochemical studies

Conducting polymers have been extensively reported as promising coating materials for applications involving interactions with electrically excitable tissues. Specifically, metal electrodes functionalized with conducting polymer coatings have been employed as biointerfaces presenting tailored properties to promote electrode integration as well as chronic functionality. Currently, polypyrrole (PPy) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) represent the most extensively studied conducting polymers, exhibiting favourable electrochemical properties and biocompatibility. In this paper, we study electrodeposited poly(3,4-ethylenedioxypyrrole) (PEDOP), a conducting polymer which is structurally related to both PEDOT and PPy, and is expected to outperform its “parent” polymers in terms of electrochemical properties and biocompatibility. The performance of PEDOP doped with chloride/phosphate, p-toluenesulfonate or polystyrene sulfonate was subsequently investigated to assess the efficacy of these ionic dopants in promoting electrochemical stability and neural cytocompatibility. Electrodeposited PEDOP films exhibited a high charge storage capacity (50.07 ± 6.96 mC cm−2), charge injection capacity (203 ± 24 μC cm−2) and substantial stability (performance loss of 0.49 ± 0.06% after 100 000 stimulation pulses). Furthermore, PEDOP films promoted enhanced neuron outgrowth and viability relative to control substrates. In particular, PEDOP/PTS was shown to increase the average neurite length by a factor of three when compared with cells cultured on bare Pt control substrates. Consequently, due to its favourable electrochemical characteristics together with high neural cytocompatibility, PEDOP can be indicated as a promising alternative to PPy and PEDOT in the field of neural science.This publication has emanated from research conducted with the financial support of Science Foundation Ireland and is co-funded under the European Regional Development Fund under Grant Number 13/RC/2073. This project has received funding from the European Union\u27s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 713690 and SFI Technology Innovation Development Programme, grant no. 15/TIDA/2992. This work has been supported by the Polish National Science Centre in the framework of Sonata 2016/23/D/ST5/01306. The authors acknowledge the facilities and scientific and technical assistance of the Centre for Microscopy & Imaging at the National University of Ireland Galway, a facility that is funded by NUIG and the Irish Government\u27s Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions, Cycles 4 and 5, National Development Plan 2007–2013.2021-02-0

Potential utility of urinary chemokine CCL2 to creatinine ratio in prognosis of 5‐year graft failure and mortality post 1‐year protocol biopsy in kidney transplant recipients

Abstract Background Chemokines (chemotactic cytokines) are small proteins which are engaged in many pathophysiological processes, including inflammation and homeostasis. In recent years, application of chemokines in transplant medicine was intensively studied. The aim of this study was to determine the utility of urinary chemokines CCL2 (C‐C motif ligand 2) and CXCL10 (C‐X‐C motif chemokine ligand 10) in prognosis of 5‐year graft failure and mortality post 1‐year protocol biopsy in renal transplant recipients. Methods Forty patients who had a protocol biopsy 1 year after renal transplantation were included. Concentrations of CCL2 and CXCL10 in urine with reference to urine creatinine were measured. All patients were under the supervision of one transplant center. Long‐term outcomes within 5 years after 1‐year posttransplant biopsy were analyzed. Results Urinary CCL2:Cr at the time of biopsy was significantly increased in patients who died or had graft failure. CCL2:Cr was proven to be a significant predictor of 5‐year graft failure and mortality (odds ratio [OR]: 1.09, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02–1.19, p = .02; OR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.02–1.16, p = .04; respectively). Conclusion Chemokines are easily detected by current methods. In the era of personalized medicine, urinary CCL2:Cr can be considered as a factor providing complementary information regarding risk of graft failure or increased mortality

3-D-Printed Flat Optics for THz Linear Scanners

THz beam shaping via a single diffractive optical element is used to convert a divergent beam into a focal line segment perpendicular to the optical axis. The novel structure was designed for narrowband applications as a kinoform element and we successfully applied it in active, high-speed, THz linear scanners. The theoretical approach and experimental results are presented