3D printing techniques and their applications to organ-on-a-chip platforms: a systematic review

Three-dimensional (3D) in vitro models, such as organ-on-a-chip platforms, are an emerging and effective technology that allows the replication of the function of tissues and organs, bridging the gap amid the conventional models based on planar cell cultures or animals and the complex human system. Hence, they have been increasingly used for biomedical research, such as drug discovery and personalized healthcare. A promising strategy for their fabrication is 3D printing, a layer-by-layer fabrication process that allows the construction of complex 3D structures. In contrast, 3D bioprinting, an evolving biofabrication method, focuses on the accurate deposition of hydrogel bioinks loaded with cells to construct tissue-engineered structures. The purpose of the present work is to conduct a systematic review (SR) of the published literature, according to the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, providing a source of information on the evolution of organ-on-a-chip platforms obtained resorting to 3D printing and bioprinting techniques. In the literature search, PubMed, Scopus, and ScienceDirect databases were used, and two authors independently performed the search, study selection, and data extraction. The goal of this SR is to highlight the importance and advantages of using 3D printing techniques in obtaining organ-on-a-chip platforms, and also to identify potential gaps and future perspectives in this research field. Additionally, challenges in integrating sensors in organs-on-chip platforms are briefly investigated and discussed.The authors are grateful for the funding of FCT through the projects NORTE-01-0145- FEDER-029394, NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-030171 funded by COMPETE2020, NORTE2020, PORTUGAL2020, and FEDER. This work was also supported by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) under the strategic grants UIDB/04077/2020, UIDB/00319/2020, UIDB/04436/2020 and UIDB/00532/2020. This work was also funded by AMED-CREST Grant Number JP20gm1310001h0002.Violeta Carvalho acknowledges the PhD scholarship UI/BD/151028/2021 attributed by FCT. Inês Gonçalves acknowledges the PhD scholarship BD/08646/2020 attributed by FCT

Organ-on-a-chip platforms for drug screening and delivery in tumor cells: a systematic review

The development of cancer models that rectify the simplicity of monolayer or static cell cultures physiologic microenvironment and, at the same time, replicate the human system more accurately than animal models has been a challenge in biomedical research. Organ-on-a-chip (OoC) devices are a solution that has been explored over the last decade. The combination of microfluidics and cell culture allows the design of a dynamic microenvironment suitable for the evaluation of treatments’ efficacy and effects, closer to the response observed in patients. This systematic review sums the studies from the last decade, where OoC with cancer cell cultures were used for drug screening assays. The studies were selected from three databases and analyzed following the research guidelines for systematic reviews proposed by PRISMA. In the selected studies, several types of cancer cells were evaluated, and the majority of treatments tested were standard chemotherapeutic drugs. Some studies reported higher drug resistance of the cultures on the OoC devices than on 2D cultures, which indicates the better resemblance to in vivo conditions of the former. Several studies also included the replication of the microvasculature or the combination of different cell cultures. The presence of vasculature can influence positively or negatively the drug efficacy since it contributes to a greater diffusion of the drug and also oxygen and nutrients. Co-cultures with liver cells contributed to the evaluation of the systemic toxicity of some drugs metabolites. Nevertheless, few studies used patient cells for the drug screening assays.This work has been supported by the projects NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-030171 (project reference PTDC/EME-SIS/30171/2017), NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-029394 (project reference PTDC/EMDEMD/29394/2017), through the COMPETE2020, the Lisb@2020, the Programa Operacional Regional do Norte–Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) and by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), and through FEDER and FCT, project references EXPL/EMD-EMD/0650/2021 and PTDC/EEI-EEE/2846/2021. The authors also acknowledge the partial financial support within the R&D Units Project Scope: UIDB/00319/2020, UIDB/04077/2020, UIDB/00690/2020, UIDB/04436/2020. This work was also funded by AMED-CREST Grant Number JP20gm1310001h0002. Raquel O. Rodrigues (R.O.R.) thanks FCT for her contract funding provided through 2020.03975.CEECIND

Enhancing Network Slicing Architectures with Machine Learning, Security, Sustainability and Experimental Networks Integration

Network Slicing (NS) is an essential technique extensively used in 5G networks computing strategies, mobile edge computing, mobile cloud computing, and verticals like the Internet of Vehicles and industrial IoT, among others. NS is foreseen as one of the leading enablers for 6G futuristic and highly demanding applications since it allows the optimization and customization of scarce and disputed resources among dynamic, demanding clients with highly distinct application requirements. Various standardization organizations, like 3GPP's proposal for new generation networks and state-of-the-art 5G/6G research projects, are proposing new NS architectures. However, new NS architectures have to deal with an extensive range of requirements that inherently result in having NS architecture proposals typically fulfilling the needs of specific sets of domains with commonalities. The Slicing Future Internet Infrastructures (SFI2) architecture proposal explores the gap resulting from the diversity of NS architectures target domains by proposing a new NS reference architecture with a defined focus on integrating experimental networks and enhancing the NS architecture with Machine Learning (ML) native optimizations, energy-efficient slicing, and slicing-tailored security functionalities. The SFI2 architectural main contribution includes the utilization of the slice-as-a-service paradigm for end-to-end orchestration of resources across multi-domains and multi-technology experimental networks. In addition, the SFI2 reference architecture instantiations will enhance the multi-domain and multi-technology integrated experimental network deployment with native ML optimization, energy-efficient aware slicing, and slicing-tailored security functionalities for the practical domain.Comment: 10 pages, 11 figure

Lista de gêneros de Hymenoptera (Insecta) do Espírito Santo, Brasil

The first checklist of genera of Hymenoptera from Espírito Santo state, Brazil is presented. A total of 973 genera of Hymenoptera is listed, of which 555 (57%) are recorded for the first time from this state. Ichneumonoidea and Chalcidoidea are the two superfamilies with the most genera, 241 and 203 respectively. Braconidae, with 141 genera, are the richest family.The first checklist of genera of Hymenoptera from Espírito Santo state, Brazil is presented. A total of 973 genera of Hymenoptera is listed, of which 555 (57%) are recorded for the first time from this state. Ichneumonoidea and Chalcidoidea are the two superfamilies with the most genera, 241 and 203 respectively. Braconidae, with 141 genera, are the richest family.Fil: Azevedo, Celso O.. Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo; BrasilFil: Molin, Ana Dal. Texas A&M University; Estados UnidosFil: Penteado-Dias, Angelica. Universidade Federal do São Carlos; BrasilFil: Macedo, Antonio C. C.. Secretaria do Meio Ambiente do Estado de São Paulo; BrasilFil: Rodriguez-V, Beatriz. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Dias, Bianca Z. K.. Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo; BrasilFil: Waichert, Cecilia. State University of Utah; Estados UnidosFil: Aquino, Daniel Alejandro. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Entomología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Smith, David. Smithsonian Institution; Estados UnidosFil: Shimbori, Eduardo M.. Universidade Federal do São Carlos; BrasilFil: Noll, Fernando B.. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Gibson, Gary. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada; CanadáFil: Onody, Helena. Universidade Federal do São Carlos; BrasilFil: Carpenter, James M.. American Museum of Natural History; Estados UnidosFil: Lattke, John. Universidad Nacional de Loja; EcuadorFil: Ramos, Kelli dos S.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Williams, Kevin. Florida State Collection of Arthropods; Estados UnidosFil: Masner, Lubomir. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada; CanadáFil: Kimsey, Lynn. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Tavares, Marcelo T.. Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo; BrasilFil: Olmi, Massimo. Università degli Studi della Tuscia; ItaliaFil: Buffington, Matthew L.. United States Department of Agriculture; Estados UnidosFil: Ohl, Michael. Staatliches Museum fur Naturkunde Stuttgart; AlemaniaFil: Sharkey, Michael. University of Kentucky; Estados UnidosFil: Johnson, Norman F.. Ohio State University; Estados UnidosFil: Kawada, Ricardo. Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo; BrasilFil: Gonçalves, Rodrigo B.. Universidade Federal do Paraná; BrasilFil: Feitosa, Rodrigo. Universidade Federal do Paraná; BrasilFil: Heydon, Steven. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Guerra, Tânia M.. Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo; BrasilFil: da Silva, Thiago S. R.. Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo; BrasilFil: Costa, Valmir. Instituto Biológico; Brasi

A“Dirty” Footprint: Macroinvertebrate diversity in Amazonian Anthropic Soils

International audienceAmazonian rainforests, once thought to be pristine wilderness, are increasingly known to have been widely inhabited, modified, and managed prior to European arrival, by human populations with diverse cultural backgrounds. Amazonian Dark Earths (ADEs) are fertile soils found throughout the Amazon Basin, created by pre-Columbian societies with sedentary habits. Much is known about the chemistry of these soils, yet their zoology has been neglected. Hence, we characterized soil fertility, macroinvertebrate communities, and their activity at nine archeological sites in three Amazonian regions in ADEs and adjacent reference soils under native forest (young and old) and agricultural systems. We found 673 morphospecies and, despite similar richness in ADEs (385 spp.) and reference soils (399 spp.), we identified a tenacious pre-Columbian footprint, with 49% of morphospecies found exclusively in ADEs. Termite and total macroinvertebrate abundance were higher in reference soils, while soil fertility and macroinvertebrate activity were higher in the ADEs, and associated with larger earthworm quantities and biomass. We show that ADE habitats have a unique pool of species, but that modern land use of ADEs decreases their populations, diversity, and contributions to soil functioning. These findings support the idea that humans created and sustained high-fertility ecosystems that persist today, altering biodiversity patterns in Amazonia

The ocean sampling day consortium

Ocean Sampling Day was initiated by the EU-funded Micro B3 (Marine Microbial Biodiversity, Bioinformatics, Biotechnology) project to obtain a snapshot of the marine microbial biodiversity and function of the world’s oceans. It is a simultaneous global mega-sequencing campaign aiming to generate the largest standardized microbial data set in a single day. This will be achievable only through the coordinated efforts of an Ocean Sampling Day Consortium, supportive partnerships and networks between sites. This commentary outlines the establishment, function and aims of the Consortium and describes our vision for a sustainable study of marine microbial communities and their embedded functional traits