Printing three-dimensional tissue analogues with decellularized extracellular matrix bioink

The ability to print and pattern all the components that make up a tissue (cells and matrix materials) in three dimensions to generate structures similar to tissues is an exciting prospect of bioprinting. However, the majority of the matrix materials used so far for bioprinting cannot represent the complexity of natural extracellular matrix (ECM) and thus are unable to reconstitute the intrinsic cellular morphologies and functions. Here, we develop a method for the bioprinting of cell-laden constructs with novel decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) bioink capable of providing an optimized microenvironment conducive to the growth of three-dimensional structured tissue. We show the versatility and flexibility of the developed bioprinting process using tissue-specific dECM bioinks, including adipose, cartilage and heart tissues, capable of providing crucial cues for cells engraftment, survival and long-term function. We achieve high cell viability and functionality of the printed dECM structures using our bioprinting method.open11349353sciescopu

Dyon condensation in topological Mott insulators

We consider quantum phase transitions out of topological Mott insulators in which the ground state of the fractionalized excitations (fermionic spinons) is topologically non-trivial. The spinons in topological Mott insulators are coupled to an emergent compact U(1) gauge field with a so-called "axion" term. We study the confinement transitions from the topological Mott insulator to broken symmetry phases, which may occur via the condensation of dyons. Dyons carry both "electric" and "magnetic" charges, and arise naturally in this system because the monopoles of the emergent U(1) gauge theory acquires gauge charge due to the axion term. It is shown that the dyon condensate, in general, induces simultaneous current and bond orders. To demonstrate this, we study the confined phase of the topological Mott insulator on the cubic lattice. When the magnetic transition is driven by dyon condensation, we identify the bond order as valence bond solid order and the current order as scalar spin chirality order. Hence, the confined phase of the topological Mott insulator is an exotic phase where the scalar spin chirality and the valence bond order coexist and appear via a single transition. We discuss implications of our results for generic models of topological Mott insulators.Comment: 14 pages, accepted to the New Journal of Physic

Understanding Solidification of Polythiophene Thin Films during Spin-Coating: Effects of Spin-Coating Time and Processing Additives

Spin-coating has been used extensively in the fabrication of electronic devices; however, the effects of the processing parameters have not been fully explored. Here, we systematically characterize the effects of the spin-coating time on the microstructure evolution during semiconducting polymer solidification in an effort to establish the relationship between this parameter and the performances of the resulting polymer field-effect transistors (FETs). We found that a short spin-coating time of a few seconds dramatically improve the morphology and molecular order in a conjugated polymer thin film because the p-p stacking structures formed by the polymer molecules grow slowly and with a greater degree of order due to the residual solvent present in the wet film. The improved ordering is correlated with improved charge carrier transport in the FETs prepared from these films. We also demonstrated the effects of various processing additives on the resulting FET characteristics as well as on the film drying behavior during spin-coating. The physical properties of the additives are found to affect the film drying process and the resulting device performance.113427Ysciescopu

Phenolic contents, antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibition properties of Nepalese strain buckwheat vegetables

The sprouts, microgreens and leafy greens of common and tartary buckwheat of Nepalese strain were compared for the phenolic contents and biological activity. The tartary buckwheat samples expressed higher total phenolic and flavonoid contents compared to the common buckwheat. The sprouts had the highest total phenolic contents (9333.48 ± 150.23 and 6976.21 ± 213.65 mgGAE/100g dw in tartary and common buckwheat, respectively) whereas, the highest total flavonoid content was present in the leafy greens (7635.39 ± 141.40 and 4414.61 ± 70.85 mgRE/100g dw in tartary and common buckwheat respectively). The high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) results revealed that the tartary buckwheat vegetables had higher rutin, (3800.28 ± 434.41 mg/100g in leafy greens), quercetin (159.75 ± 9.04 mg/100g in sprouts) and chlorogenic acid (293.47 ± 65.06 mg/100g in microgreens) contents than those of common buckwheat. However, other phenolics like vitexin, isovitexin, orientin and isoorientin contents were more abundant in common buckwheat. In biochemical assay, all three types of vegetable of common and tartary buckwheat showed higher antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibition effect in dose dependent manner. Based on these results, it can be conformed that all the vegetables (microgreens, sprouts and leafy greens) of both varieties of buckwheat of Nepalese strains can be regarded as a potent sour ce of functional food.Key words: Antioxidant, α-glucosidase, buckwheat vegetables, Nepalese strain buckwheat, phenolics

Association analysis of polymorphism in KIAA1717, HUMMLC2B, DECR1 and FTO genes with meat quality traits of the Berkshire breed

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in KIAA1717, HUMMLC2B, DECR1, and FTO genes have been found to be associated with some pork meat quality traits. In this study, we discovered that, in addition to meat quality traits reported previously, SNPs in these genes also are significantly associated with other meat quality traits in the Berkshire breed. A total of 323 Berkshire pigs bred under the same conditions were used for meat quality evaluation and polymerase chain reaction-amplified genes with restriction endonucleases (PCR-RFLP) genotyping analyses. The association analysis of RFLP genotyping with meat quality traits revealed that the SNPs in these 4 genes have novel associations with multiple meat quality traits (p < 0.01 or p < 0.05); a SNP in KIAA1717 was associated with meat color (CIE L), backfat thickness, drip loss, water-holding capacity, and pH24hr; a SNP in HUMMLC2B was associated with chemical composition (collagen), drip loss, shear force, and pH24hr; a SNP in DECR1 was associated with meat color (CIE a and b) and backfat thickness; and a SNP in FTO was associated with meat color (CIE L, a and b), protein content, drip loss, and water-holding capacity. Taken collectively, our results suggest that these 4 SNPs may be used for marker-assisted selection as a genetic marker for meat quality traits in Berkshire pigs.Key words: Berkshire, genetic markers, meat quality, SN

Redefining the Septal L-Strut in Septal Surgery

In septal surgery, the surgeon preserves the L-strut, the portion anterior to a vertical line drawn from the rhinion to the anterior nasal spine (ANS) and at least a 1-cm width of the dorsal and caudal septal segment, to decrease the potential for loss of the tip and dorsal nasal support. However, nasal tip collapse and saddle deformities occur occasionally. We utilized a mechanical approach to determine the safe width size for the L-strut in contact with the maxillary crest. Five L-strut models were designed based on computed tomography data (80 patients) and previous studies (55 patients). All L-strut models connected the perpendicular plate of the ethmoid bone (PPE) and the maxillary crest and were assumed to be fixed to the PPE and maxillary crest. An approximated daily load was applied to the dorsal portion of the L-strut. Finite element analyses were performed to compare the stress, strain, and displacement distribution of all L-strut models. According to the differences in the contact area between the caudal L-strut and maxillary crest, there are significant differences in terms of the stress, strain, and displacement distribution in the L-strut. High stresses occurred at the inner corner of the L-strut when 60 - 100% of the strut was in contact with the maxillary crest. High stresses also occurred at the inferior portion of the caudal L-strut when 20 - 40% of the caudal strut was in contact with maxillary crest. We conclude that it is important to preserve the 1-cm width L-strut caudal segment, which corresponds to the portion posterior to a vertical line drawn from the rhinion to the ANS. In particular, we must maintain more than 40% of the contact area between the L-strut and the maxillary crest when the septal cartilage in the caudal portion of the L-strut is harvested.ope

Evaluation of 3D printed PCL/PLGA/beta-TCP versus collagen membranes for guided bone regeneration in a beagle implant model

Here, we compared 3D-printed polycaprolactone/poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)/beta-tricalcium phosphate (PCL/PLGA/beta-TCP) membranes with the widely used collagen membranes for guided bone regeneration (GBR) in beagle implant models. For mechanical property comparison in dry and wet conditions and cytocompatibility determination, we analyzed the rate and pattern of cell proliferation of seeded fibroblasts and preosteoblasts using the cell counting kit-8 assay and scanning electron microscopy. Osteogenic differentiation was verified using alizarin red S staining. At 8 weeks following implantation in vivo using beagle dogs, computed tomography and histological analyses were performed after sacrifice. Cell proliferation rates in vitro indicated that early cell attachment was higher in collagen than in PCL/PLGA/beta-TCP membranes; however, the difference subsided by day 7. Similar outcomes were found for osteogenic differentiation, with approximately 2.5 times greater staining in collagen than PCL/PLGA/beta-TCP, but without significant difference by day 14. In vivo, bone regeneration in the defect area, represented by new bone formation and bone-to-implant contact, paralleled those associated with collagen membranes. However, tensile testing revealed that whereas the PCL/PLGA/beta-TCP membrane mechanical properties were conserved in both wet and dry states, the tensile property of collagen was reduced by 99% under wet conditions. Our results demonstrate in vitro and in vivo that PCL/PLGA/beta-TCP membranes have similar levels of biocompatibility and bone regeneration as collagen membranes. In particular, considering that GBR is always applied to a wet environment (e.g. blood, saliva), we demonstrated that PCL/PLGA/beta-TCP membranes maintained their form more reliably than collagen membranes in a wet setting, confirming their appropriateness as a GBR membrane.11109Ysciescopu

Membrane-Associated Transporter Protein (MATP) Regulates Melanosomal pH and Influences Tyrosinase Activity

The SLC45A2 gene encodes a Membrane-Associated Transporter Protein (MATP). Mutations of this gene cause oculocutaneous albinism type 4 (OCA4). However, the molecular mechanism of its action in melanogenesis has not been elucidated. Here, we discuss the role of MATP in melanin production. The SLC45A2 gene is highly enriched in human melanocytes and melanoma cell lines, and its protein, MATP, is located in melanosomes. The knockdown of MATP using siRNAs reduced melanin content and tyrosinase activity without any morphological change in melanosomes or the expression of melanogenesis-related proteins. Interestingly, the knockdown of MATP significantly lowered the melanosomal pH, as verified through DAMP analysis, suggesting that MATP regulates melanosomal pH and therefore affects tyrosinase activity. Finally, we found that the reduction of tyrosinase activity associated with the knockdown of MATP was readily recovered by copper treatment in the in vitro L-DOPA oxidase activity assay of tyrosinase. Considering that copper is an important element for tyrosinase activity and that its binding to tyrosinase depends on melanosomal pH, MATP may play an important role in regulating tyrosinase activity via controlling melanosomal pH.112820Ysciescopu

Redefining the septal L-strut in septal surgery

In septal surgery, the surgeon preserves the L-strut, the portion anterior to a vertical line drawn from the rhinion to the anterior nasal spine (ANS) and at least a 1-cm width of the dorsal and caudal septal segment, to decrease the potential for loss of the tip and dorsal nasal support. However, nasal tip collapse and saddle deformities occur occasionally. We utilized a mechanical approach to determine the safe width size for the L-strut in contact with the maxillary crest. Five L-strut models were designed based on computed tomography data (80 patients) and previous studies (55 patients). All L-strut models connected the perpendicular plate of the ethmoid bone (PPE) and the maxillary crest and were assumed to be fixed to the PPE and maxillary crest. An approximated daily load was applied to the dorsal portion of the L-strut. Finite element analyses were performed to compare the stress, strain, and displacement distribution of all L-strut models. According to the differences in the contact area between the caudal L-strut and maxillary crest, there are significant differences in terms of the stress, strain, and displacement distribution in the L-strut. High stresses occurred at the inner corner of the L-strut when 60 - 100% of the strut was in contact with the maxillary crest. High stresses also occurred at the inferior portion of the caudal L-strut when 20 - 40% of the caudal strut was in contact with maxillary crest. We conclude that it is important to preserve the 1-cm width L-strut caudal segment, which corresponds to the portion posterior to a vertical line drawn from the rhinion to the ANS. In particular, we must maintain more than 40% of the contact area between the L-strut and the maxillary crest when the septal cartilage in the caudal portion of the L-strut is harvested.open1166sciescopu

Health literacy, health status, and healthcare utilization of Taiwanese adults: results from a national survey

Abstract Background Low health literacy is considered a worldwide health threat. The purpose of this study is to assess the prevalence and socio-demographic covariates of low health literacy in Taiwanese adults and to investigate the relationships between health literacy and health status and health care utilization. Methods A national survey of 1493 adults was conducted in 2008. Health literacy was measured using the Mandarin Health Literacy Scale. Health status was measured based on self-rated physical and mental health. Health care utilization was measured based on self-reported outpatient clinic visits, emergency room visits, and hospitalizations. Results Approximately thirty percent of adults were found to have low (inadequate or marginal) health literacy. They tended to be older, have fewer years of schooling, lower household income, and reside in less populated areas. Inadequate health literacy was associated with poorer mental health (OR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.35-0.91). No association was found between health literacy and health care utilization even after adjusting for other covariates. Conclusions Low (inadequate and marginal) health literacy is prevalent in Taiwan. High prevalence of low health literacy is not necessarily indicative of the need for interventions. Systematic efforts to evaluate the impact of low health literacy on health outcomes in other countries would help to illuminate features of health care delivery and financing systems that may mitigate the adverse health effects of low health literacy.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78252/1/1471-2458-10-614.xmlhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78252/2/1471-2458-10-614.pdfPeer Reviewe