Biodesign Exhibition Catalog

Catalogue created on the occasion of Biodesign: From Inspiration to Integration, August 24 to September 27, 2018, an exhibition organized as part of RISD Nature Lab’s 80th anniversary celebrations at the Woods-Gerry Gallery, Providence, Rhode Island. Curated by William Myers, Lucia Monge, David Kim, Neal Overstrom, Julia van den Hout, and Peter Rogers

Cosmosis

Cosmographies deal with the order of nature. They are general descriptions of the universe, and this thesis is a cosmography, dealing with visual content, constraints, and the complexity of symbolism. Visual experience is dynamic, interrelated, and inherently tied to a value hierarchy. On a micro level, design is my way of understanding the world, while on a macro level, it is a tool to generate new perceptual structures for engaging with, not merely seeing, design. The work is based on the idea that multiple symbolisms are inherent to all things, and these symbolisms will shift based on context. Cosmographies are elaborate systems of sense making that constellate a view on the order of things, allowing artists and designers to engage with intertwined concepts in their work. Using the histories of art, philosophy, science, and museology, I shaped a cosmography around which I have developed this thesis and the work within it. I pull from these subjects, parse, and re-present the concepts in a new form that relies on the fundamentals of human perception, while striving for a better understanding of our relationship with and our reactions to visual stimuli. Ancient beginnings, Bronze Age metallurgical technologies, bestiaries, French theory, and contemporary art allow for a robust visual system to evolve that relies on the importance of context and conceptualized information. Flipping symbolism, content, time, and history are all integral to constructing human visual concepts, and provide the methods to re-inhabit hackneyed content in order to explore alternative hierarchies and value structures

Radio frequency sputtered Al: ZnO-Ag transparent conductor: A plasmonic nanostructure with enhanced optical and electrical properties

International audienceOptimization of metal-based transparent conductors (MTCs) made of silver and aluminium-doped zinc oxide (AZO) prepared by radio-frequency (r.f.) sputtering has been carried out through tuning of metal film properties. The influence of morphology and related plasmonic features of AZO/Ag/AZO MTCs on their optical and electrical performance is demonstrated and it is shown that the nominal thickness of the silver layer itself is not the most crucial value determining the MTC performance. The MTC performance has been optimized by a search of deposition conditions ensuring fractal-type metal layer formation up to a certain coalescence state that enables full gaining from silver optical properties, including its plasmonic features. For 150 W- and 200 W-deposited silver, MTCs with maximum transmittance as high as 83.6% have been obtained. These coatings have a figure of merit as good as 0.01 Ω−1 and a remarkably wide spectral transparency region: transmittance higher than 70% down to 1200 nm for 200W-samples. Modelling of the MTC coatings is proposed additionally, based on variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometric measurements, which takes into account the variation of the optical properties of silver when deposited in various conditions and embedded in a semiconductor stack

Lignin–Cobalt Nano-Enabled Poly(pseudo)rotaxane Supramolecular Hydrogel for Treating Chronic Wounds

Chronic wounds (CWs) are a growing issue for the health care system. Their treatment requires a synergic approach to reduce both inflammation and the bacterial burden. In this work, a promising system for treating CWs was developed, comprising cobalt-lignin nanoparticles (NPs) embedded in a supramolecular (SM) hydrogel. First, NPs were obtained through cobalt reduction with phenolated lignin, and their antibacterial properties were tested against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive strains. The anti-inflammatory capacity of the NPs was proven through their ability to inhibit myeloperoxidase (MPO) and matrix metalloproteases (MMPs), which are enzymes involved in the inflammatory process and wound chronicity. Then, the NPs were loaded in an SM hydrogel based on a blend of α-cyclodextrin and custom-made poly(ether urethane)s. The nano-enabled hydrogel showed injectability, self-healing properties, and linear release of the loaded cargo. Moreover, the SM hydrogel’s characteristics were optimized to absorb proteins when in contact with liquid, suggesting its capacity to uptake harmful enzymes from the wound exudate. These results render the developed multifunctional SM material an interesting candidate for the management of CWs

Compression of liquid Ni and Co under extreme conditions explored by x-ray absorption spectroscopy

International audienc

Clinical and Molecular Data Define a Diagnosis of Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy in a Carrier of a Brugada-Syndrome-Associated PKP2 Mutation

Plakophilin-2 (PKP2) is the most frequently mutated desmosomal gene in arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM), a disease characterized by structural and electrical alterations predominantly affecting the right ventricular myocardium. Notably, ACM cases without overt structural alterations are frequently reported, mainly in the early phases of the disease. Recently, the PKP2 p.S183N mutation was found in a patient affected by Brugada syndrome (BS), an inherited arrhythmic channelopathy most commonly caused by sodium channel gene mutations. We here describe a case of a patient carrier of the same BS-related PKP2 p.S183N mutation but with a clear diagnosis of ACM. Specifically, we report how clinical and molecular investigations can be integrated for diagnostic purposes, distinguishing between ACM and BS, which are increasingly recognized as syndromes with clinical and genetic overlaps. This observation is fundamentally relevant in redefining the role of genetics in the approach to the arrhythmic patient, progressing beyond the concept of "one mutation, one disease", and raising concerns about the most appropriate approach to patients affected by structural/electrical cardiomyopathy. The merging of genetics, electroanatomical mapping, and tissue and cell characterization summarized in our patient seems to be the most complete diagnostic algorithm, favoring a reliable diagnosis

Assessment of the Risk of Nodal Involvement in Rectal Neuroendocrine Neoplasms: The NOVARA Score, a Multicentre Retrospective Study

Rectal neuroendocrine tumors (r-NETs) are rare tumors with overall good prognosis after complete resection. However, there is no consensus on the extension of lymphadenectomy or regarding contraindications to extensive resection. In this study, we aim to identify predictive factors that correlate with nodal metastasis in patients affected by G1–G2 r-NETs. A retrospective analysis of G1–G2 r-NETs patients from eight tertiary Italian centers was performed. From January 1990 to January 2020, 210 patients were considered and 199 were included in the analysis. The data for nodal status were available for 159 cases. The nodal involvement rate was 9%. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to identify the diameter (>11.5 mm) and Ki-67 (3.5%), respectively, as cutoff values to predict nodal involvement. In a multivariate analysis, diameter > 11.5 mm and vascular infiltration were independently correlated with nodal involvement. A risk scoring system was constructed using these two predictive factors. Tumor size and vascular invasion are predictors of nodal involvement. In addition, tumor size > 11.5 mm is used as a driving parameter of better-tailored treatment during pre-operative assessment. Data from prospective studies are needed to validate these results and to guide decision-making in r-NETs patients in clinical practice