Anticorrosive and antibacterial smart integrated strategy for biomedical magnesium

Biomedical magnesium is an ideal material for hard tissue repair and replacement.However,its rapid degradation and infection after implantation significantly hindersclinical applications.To overcome these two critical drawbacks,we describe an integrated strategybased on the changes in pH and Mg^(2+)triggered by magnesiumdegradation.This system can simultaneously offer anticorrosion and antibacterial activity.First,nanoengineered peptide-grafted hyperbranched polymers(NPGHPs)with excellent antibacterial activity were introduced to sodium alginate(SA)to construct a sensitive NPGHPs/SA hydrogel.The swelling degree,responsiveness,and antibacterial activity were then investigated,indicating that the system can perform dual stimulation of pH and Mg^(2+)with controllable antimicrobial properties.Furthermore,an intelligent platform was constructed by coating hydrogels on magnesium with polydopamine as the transition layer.The alkaline environment generated by the corrosion of magnesium reduces the swelling degree of the coatingso that the liquid is unfavorable for contacting the substrate,thus exhibiting superior corrosion resistance.Antibacterial testing shows that the material can effectively fight against bacteria,while hemolytic and cytotoxicity testing suggest that it is highly biocompatible.Thus,this work realizes the smart integration of anticorrosion and antibacterial properties of biomedical magnesium,thereby providing broader prospects for the use of magnesium.

AUTHENTICATED SYMMETRIC-KEY ESTABLISHMENT FOR MEDICAL BODY SENSOR NETWORKS

This study concerns security issues of the emerging Wireless Body Sensor Network (WBSN) formed by biomedical sensors worn on or implanted in the human body for mobile healthcare appli-cations. A novel authenticated symmetric-key establishment scheme is proposed for WBSN,which fully exploits the physiological features obtained by network entities via the body channel available in WBSN but not other wireless networks. The self-defined Intrinsic Shared Secret (ISS) is used to replace the pre-deployment of secrets among network entities,which thus eliminates centralized services or au-thorities essential in existing protocols,and resolves the key transport problem in the pure symmet-ric-key cryptosystem for WBSN as well. The security properties of the proposed scheme are demon-strated in terms of its attack complexity and the types of attacks it can resist. Besides,the scheme can be implemented under a light-weight way in WBSN systems. Due to the importance of the ISS concept,the analysis on using false acceptance/false rejection method to evaluate the performance of ISS for its usage in the scheme is also demonstrated.

Microfluidic chips for the endothelial biomechanics and mechanobiology of the vascular system

Endothelial cells arranged on the vessel lumen are constantly stimulated by blood flow,blood pressure and pressureinduced cyclic stretch.These stimuli are sensed through mechanical sensory structures and converted into a series of functional responses through mechanotransduction pathways.The process will eventually affect vascular health.Therefore,there has been an urgent need to establish in vitro endothelial biomechanics and mechanobiology of models,which reproduce three-dimensional structure vascular system.In recent years,the rapid development in microfluidic technology makes it possible to replicate the key structural and functionally biomechanical characteristics of vessels.Here,we summarized the progress of microfluidic chips used for the investigation of endothelial biomechanics and mechanobiology of the vascular system.Firstly,we elucidated the contribution of shear stress and circumferential stress,to vascular physiology.Then,we reviewed some applications using microfluidic technology in angiogenesis and vasculogenesis,endothelial permeability and mechanotransduction,as well as the blood-brain barrier under these physical forces.Finally,we discussed the future obstacles in terms of the development and application of microfluidic vascular chips.

A Hybrid Biofuel and Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Bioenergy Harvesting

Various types of energy exist everywhere around us,and these energies can be harvested from multiple sources to power micro-/nanoelectronic system and even personal electronic products.In this work,we proposed a hybrid energy-harvesting system(HEHS)for potential in vivo applications.The HEHS consisted of a triboelectric nanogenerator and a glucose fuel cell for simultaneously harvesting biomechanical energy and biochemical energy in simulated body fluid.These two energy-harvesting units can work individually as a single power source or work simultaneously as an integrated system.This design strengthened the flexibility of harvesting multiple energies and enhanced corresponding electric output.Compared with any individual device,the integrated HEHS outputs a superimposed current and has a faster charging rate.Using the harvested energy,HEHS can power a calculator or a green light-emitting diode pattern.Considering the widely existed biomechanical energy and glucose molecules in the body,the developed HEHS can be a promising candidate for building in vivo self-powered healthcare monitoring system.

Correction to:A Hybrid Biofuel and Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Bioenergy Harvesting

In the original publication,the authors’contribution is missing in the acknowledgment section.The correct acknowledgement is provided in this correction.Also,in Fig.4,the second(c)after figure(d)should be read as(e).In Fig.5(i),the Y-axis label“Current(μA)”should be read as“Voltage”.

Characterization of Low Cost Ion Conducting Poly(AAc-co-DMAPMA) Membrane for Fuel Cell Application

Poly(AAc-co-DMAPMA) membrane (PADMA) is synthesized by free radical aqueous copolymerization of acrylic acid (AAc) and N-3-[dimethylamino)propyl]-methacrylamide (DMAPMA) to check its stability and conductivity. The hydrogel membrane characterized physically to study morphology by SEM, thermal stability by TGA and mechanical stability by measuring compressive strength and ionic conductivity by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in alkaline as well as in acidic environment at different temperatures. The compression modulus of the hydrogel membrane is 24 kPa at pH = 1.0 and 16 kPa at pH = 7.0, and stable (no fracture) till 72% deformation. The PADMA hydrogel membrane ionic conductivity increased with the increase in temperature and structurally stable up to 190°C. Improvement in ionic conductivity is observed after the heat treatment of the membrane. Compared with ionic conductivity of Nafion? (SE512), the PADMA membrane found to be inferior. However, the PADMA hydrogel membrane conductivity was greater (~1 × 10-4S/cm) at low and high pH compared with neutral pH (~1 × 10-5S/cm) indicating the possibility of using the membrane as either a proton and hydroxyl ion conductor.

3D printing method for bone tissue engineering scaffold

3D printing technology is an emerging technology.It constructs solid bodies by stacking materials layer by layer,and can quickly and accurately prepare bone tissue engineering scaffolds with specific shapes and structures to meet the needs of different patients.The field of life sciences has received a great deal of attention.However,different 3D printing technologies and materials have their advantages and disadvantages,and there are limitations in clinical application.In this paper,the technology,materials and clinical applications of 3D printed bone tissue engineering scaffolds are reviewed,and the future development trends and challenges in this field are prospected.

A Biomimetic Hip Joint Simulator and its Application in in vitro Study of the Integrity of Replacement Cemented Hip

A biomimetic hip joint simulator that can be used to evaluate the outcome of the cemented total hip replacement has been designed, manufactured and evaluated. The simulator produces motion in the extension/flexion plane, with a socket to rotate internal/externally. At the same time a dynamic loading cycle is applied. A validation test was performed on a cemented femoral stem within a novel composite femur. The hone quality has a strong effect on the stem migration and on the integrity of the interfaces. The migration of the stem is a combination of 3-D translation and rotation of the stem. Under the same loading conditions, weak bone allows more stem migration than strong bone. There is a great decrease in the strength of the stem-cement interface after the dynamic test, and the weak bone composite exhibited a greater reduction in interfacial strength than the strong bone composite. The decrease of the interfacial strength indicates that the primary bonding between the stem and the cement mantle had deteriorated and the integrity of stem-cement interface was damaged. The study demonstrates the value of using a hip joint simulator to investigate stem migration and interface integrity within the cemented hip replacement, suggesting that method can be used for in vitro evaluation of the biomaterials used in the cemented hip replacements.

Bacteriocin-like inhibitory substance (BLIS) activity of Streptococcus macedonicus MBF10-2 and its synergistic action in combination with antibiotics

Objective: To characterize the bacteriocin-like inhibitory-substances(BLIS) activity of Streptococcus macedonicus MBF10-2 [named BLIS(MBF10-2)], a bacteriocinogenic strain isolated from an Indonesian tofu byproduct.Methods: BLIS(MBF10-2) was obtained by culturing the bacterium, and standard deferred antagonism assays were used to demonstrate its activity. The antibacterial testing of fractions collected by filtration using 3–30 kDa cut-off membrane sizes were carried out by performing well diffusion method.Results: The growth of Micrococcus luteus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Lactococcus lactis,Leuconostoc mesenteroides and Weissella confusa were inhibited by BLIS(MBF10-2).Interestingly, BLIS-containing fractions obtained from sequential application on ultrafiltration membranes indicated that this bacterium Streptococcus macedonicus MBF10-2 could produces at least two antimicrobial peptides activities, one of which is likely to be a lantibiotic peptide. Potential synergistic activity against certain Gram-positive(but not Gram-negative) species when partnered with antibiotics(ampicillin, tetracycline or kanamycin) were observed.Conclusion: Combination of some BLIS(MBF10-2) active fractions with antibiotics(ampicillin, tetracycline or kanamycin) could demonstrate synergistic activities against certain Gram-positive species.

Potential Maintenance Mechanism in Atrial Fibrillation Patients Subject to Different Treatment Procedures： A Preliminary Study Based on a Human Atrial Model

Two clinical ablation protocols, 2C3L and stepwise, have been routinely used in our group to treat atrial fibrillation （AF）, but with a less than 60% long-term arrhythmia-free outcome achieved in patients. The goal of this study was to examine the underlying mechanism of low success in clinical outcome. MRI images from one patient were used to reconstruct a human atrial anatomical model, and fibrotic tissue was manually added to represent the arrhythmia substrate. AF was induced with standard protocols used in clinical practice. 2C3L and stepwise were then used to test the efficacy of arrhythmia termination in our model. The results showed that re-entries induced in our model could not be terminated by using either 2C3L or the stepwise protocol. Although some of the induced re-entries were terminated, others emerged in new areas. Ablation using only the 2C3L or stepwise method was not sufficient to terminate all re-entries in our model, which may partially explain the poor long-term arrhythmiafree outcomes in clinical practice. Our findings also suggest that computational heart modelling is an important tool to assist in the establishment of optimal ablation strategies.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS OF TERAHERTZ TECHNOLOGY IN BIOMEDICINE

Terahertz technology is continually evolving and much progress has been made in recent years.Many new applications are being discovered and new ways to implement terahertz imaging investigated.In this review,we limit our discussion to biomedical applications of terahertz imaging such as cancer detection,genetic sensing and molecular spectroscopy.Our discussion of the development of new terahertz techniques is also focused on those that may accelerate the progress of terahertz imaging and spectroscopy in biomedicine.

Non-invasive reversal of intraluminal vas deferens polymer injection-induced azoospermia——technology

Aim: The rationale and technique underlying a novel concept of non-invasive removal of an intravasal vas deferens poly-meric contraceptive drug to reverse drag injection-induced azoospermia are explained. Thus the conventional methods ofsurgical exploration to remove vas deferens plugs and intravasal injection of solvents to flush out contraceptive drugs are tobe replaced by steps which will be readily accepted by subjects. Methods: The approach is based upon the non-invasiveapplication of specific forces to various segments of the vas deferens so that non-sclerosing and non-tissue-adherent com-pounds, in particular styrene maleic anhydride (SMA) can be expelled. Forces are generated by palpation; percuta-neous electrical stimulation; vibration application; and percussion. The forces help to propel the intravasal polymer to-wards the ejaculatory duct for expulsion during ejaculation. All aspects of the total technique are clinically acceptable,simple, atraumatic, unlikely to cause pain and discomfort even without tranquilizers, local or general anaesthetics. Theprocedure may be repeated several times in different sittings spaced apart by about one week to achieve adequate plug ex-pulsion. Results: Model experiments demonstrated the feasibility of the concept. The polymer was nonadherent andcould be moved within the vas deferens by the application of specific forces. Sufficient removal was possible to enablespermatic fluid to be transported along a region previously occupied by the polymer. A corroborating subhuman primatestudy by an independent investigator has shown that the semen profile becomes normal following the reversal. Conclu-sion: Adoption of the new technique may provide a means of non surgical restoration of normal semen profile after a pe-riod of fertility control obtained by intravasal drag injection. (Asian J Androl 1999 Sep ; 1: 131 - 134)

Glycosylation-related gene expression in HT29-MTX-E12 cells upon infection by Helicobacter pylori

AIM To identify glycosylation-related genes in the HT29 derivative cell line, HT29-MTX-E12, showing differential expression on infection with Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori).METHODS Polarised HT29-MTX-E12 cells were infected for 24 h with H. pylori strain 26695. After infection RNA was isolated from both infected and non-infected host cells. Sufficient infections were carried out to provide triplicate samples for microarray analysis and for q RTPCR analysis. RNA was isolated and hybridised to Affymetrix arrays. Analysis of microarray data identified genes significantly differentially expressed upon infection. Genes were grouped into gene ontology functional categories. Selected genes associated with host glycan structure(glycosyltransferases, hydrolases, lectins, mucins) were validated by real-time q RT-PCR analysis.RESULTS Infection of host cells was confirmed by the isolation of live bacteria after 24 h incubation and by PCR amplification of bacteria-specific genes from the host cell RNA. H. pylori do not survive incubation under the adopted culture conditions unless they associate with the adherent mucus layer of the host cell. Microarray analysis identified a total of 276 genes that were significantly differentially expressed(P < 0.05) upon H. pylori infection and where the fold change in expression was greater than 2. Six of these genes are involved in glycosylation-related processes. Real-time q RT-PCR demonstrated significant downregulation(1.8-fold, P < 0.05) of the mucin MUC20. REG4 was heavily expressed and significantly downregulated(3.1-fold, P < 0.05) upon infection. Gene ontology analysis was consistent with previous studies on H. pylori infection.CONCLUSION Gene expression data suggest that infection with H. pylori causes a decrease in glycan synthesis, resulting in shorter and simpler glycan structures.

Using computed tomography scans to develop an ex-vivo gastric model

The objective of this research was to use abdominal computed tomography (CT) scans to non-invasively quantify anthropometrical data of the human stomach and to concomitantly create an anatomically correct and distensible ex-vivo gastric model. Thirty-three abdominal CT scans of human subjects were obtained and were imported into reconstruction software to generate 3D models of the stomachs. Anthropometrical data such as gastric wall thickness, gastric surface area and gastric volume were subsequently quantified. A representative 3D computer model was exported into a selective laser sintering (SLS) rapid prototyping machine to create an anatomically correct solid gastric model. Subsequently, a replica wax template of the SLS model was created. A negative mould was offset around the wax template such that the offset distance was equivalent to that of the gastric wall thickness. A silicone with similar mechanical properties to the human stomach was poured into the offset. The lost wax manufacturing technique was employed to create a hollow distensible stomach model. 3D computer gastric models were generated from the CT scans. A hollow distensible silicone ex-vivo gastric model with similar compliance to that of the human stomach was created. The anthropometrical data indicated that there is no significant relationship between BMI and gastric surface area or gastric volume. There were inter- and intra-group differences between groups with respect to gastric wall thickness. This study demonstrates that abdominal CT scans can be used to both non-invasively determine gastric anthropometrical data as well as create realistic ex-vivo stomach models.

Bilayer nicorandil-loaded small-diameter vascular grafts improve endothelial cell function via PI3K/AKT/eNOS pathway

For the surgical treatment of cardiovascular disease(CVD),there is a clear and unmet need in developing small-diameter(diameter<6 mm)vascular grafts.In our previous work,sulfated silk fibroin(SF)was successfully fabricated as a potential candidate for preparing vascular grafts due to the great cytocompatibility and hemocompatibility.However,vascular graft with single layer is difficult to adapt to the complex internal environment.In this work,polycaprolactone(PCL)and sulfated SF were used to fabricate bilayer vascular graft(BLVG)to mimic the structure of natural blood vessels.To enhance the biological activity of BLVG,nicorandil(NIC),an FDA-approved drug with multi-bioactivity,was loaded in the BLVG to fabricate NIC-loaded BLVG.The morphology,chemical composition and mechanical properties of NIC-loaded BLVG were assessed.The results showed that the bilayer structure of NIC-loaded BLVG endowed the graft with a biphasic drug release behavior.The in vitro studies indicated that NIC-loaded BLVG could significantly increase the proliferation,migration and antioxidation capability of endothelial cells(ECs).Moreover,we found that the potential biological mechanism was the activation of PI3K/AKT/eNOS signaling pathway.Overall,the results effectively demonstrated that NIC-loaded BLVG had a promising in vitro performance as a functional small-diameter vascular graft.

What National Societies Should Do to Increase Capacity of Global CEs Professional Development

Despite the growing needs from hospitals for activities such as risk control, cost management, quality control and digital communication, most clinical engineers are not aware or do not risk to be responsible for these tasks. Unfortunately, the majority of CEs do not defy the comfortable state but keep claiming the lack of support from administration. Up to now, the Body of Practices as well as the Body of Knowledge for Clinical Engineering is not a world consensus. Hence, Clinical Engineering Societies must start to discuss how to change this situation; how to improve the interaction not only among clinical engineers but with the health staff and discuss how to help clinical engineers to present themselves as problem solvers regarding medical equipment technologies. Ultimately, the Clinical Engineering Societies must start a regional movement to define what is the Clinical Engineering model that best suits the need of the health system and communicate the academy about their findings. Here it is discussed some initiatives to be adopted by regional clinical engineering societies to promote the profession.

Three-dimensional silk fibroin microsphere-nanofiber scaffolds for vascular tissue engineering

A significant limitation in the engineering of artificial small-diameter vascular scaffolds is that the number of endothelial cells(ECs)is not sufficient to generate a confluent coverage of the vascular scaffolds,so that the surfaces of vascular scaffolds form thrombus via platelet adhesion and aggregation.Thrombus decrease relies on three-dimensional(3D)scaffolds to mimic the natural extracellular matrix(ECM)as templates to regulate cell behavior and facilitate tissue maturation.Here,we developed 3D scaffolds consisting of silk fibroin(SF)nanofibers and homogeneous microspheres by electrospinning and microfluidics.The nanofibers with diameters ranging from 250 to 350 nm doped with microspheres(2–10μm)formed bridge-shaped structures.ECs were seeded and maintained on the 3D microsphere-nanofiber scaffolds with a mean fiber diameter of 300 nm.A 10%higher ratio of cell proliferation on 3D microsphere-nanofiber SF scaffolds was noted as compared to that on microporous and sponge-like SF scaffolds with small surface network fabricated by freeze-drying.Moreover,the gene transcript levels including CD146,VE-C and PECAM-1 were better preserved on 3D microsphere-nanofiber SF scaffolds than those on freeze-dried scaffolds.Thus,the developed 3D microsphere-nanofiber structure may have a myriad of applications in vascular tissue engineering scaffolds and cardiovascular devices.

Detection of Stiff Nodules Embedded in Soft Tissue Phantoms,Mimicking Cancer Tumours,Using a Tactile Resonance Sensor

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common form of cancer among males in Europe and in the USA and the most common curative treatment is removal of the prostate, i.e. prostatectomy. After the removal, the prostate is histopathologically analysed. One area of interest is to examine the perifery of the prostate, as tumours on and near the surface can indicate that the PCa has spread to other parts of the body. There are no current methods to examine the surface of the prostate at the time of surgery. Tactile resonance sensors can be used for detecting areas of different stiffness in soft tissue. Human prostate tissue affected by cancer is usually stiffer than healthy tissue, and for this purpose, a tactile resonance sensor was developed. The aim of this study was to investigate the depth at which embedded stiffer volumes could be detected, using soft tissue phantoms. Methods: With the tactile resonance sensor used in this study, the shift of the resonance frequency and the force at contact with tissue can be measured, and combined into a tissue stiffness parameter. The detection sensitivity of the sensor at impression depths, 0.4 and 0.8 mm, was measured for detection of inserted nodules of stiff silicone in softer silicone and in chicken muscle tissue, mimicking prostate tissue with cancer tumours. Results: Measurements on the silicone samples detected the hidden stiffer object at a depth of 1 - 4 mm with a difference in the stiffness parameter of 80 - 900 mN/kHz (p < 0.028, n = 48). At the depth 5 - 6 mm the difference was smaller but still significant < 30 mN/kHz (p < 0.05, n = 24). For the measurements on chicken muscle, the detectable depth was 4 mm (p < 0.05, n = 24). Conclusion: This model study suggests that, with only a small impression depth of ≤1 mm, the resonance sensor system described here can detect stiffness variations located at least 4 mm in silicone and chicken muscle, mimicking tumours in prostate tissue.

Bioinspiration review of Aquatic Unmanned Aerial Vehicle(AquaUAV)

The performance of Aquatic Unmanned Aerial Vehicle(AquaUAV)has always been limited so far and far from practical applications,due to insufficient propulsion,large-resistance structure etc.Aerial-aquatic amphibians in nature may facilitate the development of AquaUAV since their excellent amphibious locomotion capabilities evolved under long-term natural selection.This article will take four typical aerial-aquatic amphibians as representatives,i.e.,gannet,cormorant,flying fish and flying squid.We summarized the multi-mode locomotion process of common aerial-aquatic amphibians and the evolutionary trade-offs they have made to adapt to amphibious environments.The four typical propulsion mechanisms were investigated,which may further inspire the propulsion design of the AquaUAV.And their morphological models could guide the layout optimization.Finally,we reviewed the state of art in AquaUAV to validate the potential value of our bioinspiration,and discussed the futureprospects.