6 research outputs found
Programming hydrogel adhesion with engineered polymer network topology
Hydrogel adhesion that can be easily modulated in magnitude, space, and time
is desirable in many emerging applications ranging from tissue engineering, and
soft robotics, to wearable devices. In synthetic materials, these complex
adhesion behaviors are often achieved individually with mechanisms and
apparatus that are difficult to integrate. Here, we report a universal strategy
to embody multifaceted adhesion programmability in synthetic hydrogels. By
designing the surface network topology of a hydrogel, supramolecular linkages
that result in contrasting adhesion behaviors are formed on the hydrogel
interface. The incorporation of different topological linkages leads to
dynamically tunable adhesion with high-resolution spatial programmability
without alteration of bulk mechanics and chemistry. Further, the association of
linkages enables stable and tunable adhesion kinetics that can be tailored to
suit different applications. We rationalize the physics of chain slippage,
rupture, and diffusion that underpins emergent programmable behaviors. We then
incorporate the strategy into the designs of various devices such as smart
wound patches, fluidic channels, drug-eluting devices, and reconfigurable soft
robotics. Our study presents a simple and robust platform in which adhesion
controllability in multiple aspects can be easily integrated into a single
design of a hydrogel network
Association of dietary live microbe intake with abdominal aortic calcification in US adults: a cross-sectional study of NHANES 2013–2014
ObjectTo explore the potential association between dietary live microbe intake and abdominal aortic calcification (AAC).MethodsWe conducted a cross-section study based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). We categorized the participants into three groups (low, medium, and high dietary intake of live microbes) according to Sanders’s dietary live microbe classification system and participants’ 24-h dietary recall data. AAC was quantified by using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and diagnosed by using the Kauppila AAC-24 score system. The analyses utilized weighted logistic regression and weighted linear regression.ResultsA total of 2,586 participants were included. After the full adjustment for covariates, compared to participants with a low dietary live microbe intake, participants with a high dietary live microbe intake had a significantly lower risk of severe AAC (OR: 0.39, 95% CI: 0.22, 0.68, p = 0.003), and the AAC score was also significantly decreased (β:−0.53, 95% CI: −0.83, −0.23, p = 0.002).ConclusionIn this study, more dietary live microbial intake was associated with lower AAC scores and a lower risk of severe AAC. However, more research is needed to verify this
Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Sensor on an Optical Fiber Probe Fabricated with a Femtosecond Laser
A novel fabrication method for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensors that used a fast femtosecond (fs) laser scanning process to etch uniform patterns and structures on the endface of a fused silica optical fiber, which is then coated with a thin layer of silver through thermal evaporation is presented. A high quality SERS signal was detected on the patterned surface using a Rhodamine 6G (Rh6G) solution. The uniform SERS sensor built on the tip of the optical fiber tip was small, light weight, and could be especially useful in remote sensing applications
Data_Sheet_1_Association of dietary live microbe intake with abdominal aortic calcification in US adults: a cross-sectional study of NHANES 2013–2014.docx
ObjectTo explore the potential association between dietary live microbe intake and abdominal aortic calcification (AAC).MethodsWe conducted a cross-section study based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). We categorized the participants into three groups (low, medium, and high dietary intake of live microbes) according to Sanders’s dietary live microbe classification system and participants’ 24-h dietary recall data. AAC was quantified by using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and diagnosed by using the Kauppila AAC-24 score system. The analyses utilized weighted logistic regression and weighted linear regression.ResultsA total of 2,586 participants were included. After the full adjustment for covariates, compared to participants with a low dietary live microbe intake, participants with a high dietary live microbe intake had a significantly lower risk of severe AAC (OR: 0.39, 95% CI: 0.22, 0.68, p = 0.003), and the AAC score was also significantly decreased (β:−0.53, 95% CI: −0.83, −0.23, p = 0.002).ConclusionIn this study, more dietary live microbial intake was associated with lower AAC scores and a lower risk of severe AAC. However, more research is needed to verify this.</p