Enhanced Maturation of 3D Bioprinted Skeletal Muscle Tissue Constructs Encapsulating Soluble Factor-Releasing Microparticles

Several microfabrication technologies have been used to engineer native-like skeletal muscle tissues. However, the successful development of muscle remains a significant challenge in the tissue engineering field. Muscle tissue engineering aims to combine muscle precursor cells aligned within a highly organized 3D structure and biological factors crucial to support cell differentiation and maturation into functional myotubes and myofibers. In this study, the use of 3D bioprinting is proposed for the fabrication of muscle tissues using gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) incorporating sustained insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1)-releasing microparticles and myoblast cells. This study hypothesizes that functional and mature myotubes will be obtained more efficiently using a bioink that can release IGF-1 sustainably for in vitro muscle engineering. Synthesized microfluidic-assisted polymeric microparticles demonstrate successful adsorption of IGF-1 and sustained release of IGF-1 at physiological pH for at least 21 days. Incorporating the IGF-1-releasing microparticles in the GelMA bioink assisted in promoting the alignment of myoblasts and differentiation into myotubes. Furthermore, the myotubes show spontaneous contraction in the muscle constructs bioprinted with IGF-1-releasing bioink. The proposed bioprinting strategy aims to improve the development of new therapies applied to the regeneration and maturation of muscle tissues.     

Collodial cluster arrays by electrohydrodynamic printing

A "stable" electrohydrodynamic jet is used to print arrays of colloidal suspensions on hydrophobic surfaces. Printed lines break up into sessile drops, and capillary forces guide the self-assembly of colloidal particles during the evaporation of the liquid, resulting in arrays of colloidal single particles or particle clusters depending on the concentration of the suspensions. The clusters differ from those formed in the absence of a substrate when the number of particles is larger than three. Multiple structures are found for the same number of particles.     

Solid electrodes in electroanalytical chemistry: present applications and prospects for high throughput screening of drug compounds

This review summarizes recent progress in the development and application of solid electrodes to the screening of pharmaceutical dosage forms and biological fluids. Recent trends and advances in the electroanalytical chemistry of solid electrodes, microelectrodes and electrochemical sensors are reviewed. The varieties of solid electrodes and their basic physico-chemical properties and some specific characteristics including some supramolecular phenomena at their surface are surveyed. This review also includes some selected designs and their applications. Despite many reviews about individual solid electrodes in the literature, this review offers the first comprehensive report on all forms of solid electrodes. Special attention is paid to the possibilities of solid electrodes in high throughput electroanalytical investigation of drug dosage forms and biological samples using modern electroanalytical techniques. Various selected studies on these subjects since 1996 are reviewed in this paper.     

Synthesis of cyclopropane-annulated conduritol derivatives: norcaran-2,3,4,5-tetraoles

Norcaran-2,3,4,5-tetraoles were synthesized starting from methyl 1,3,5-cycloheptatriene-7-carboxylate in several steps. Norcaradiene endoperoxide is the key component; it was obtained by photooxygenation of methyl 1,3,5-cycloheptatriene-7-carboxylate. The other oxygen functionalities are introduced through epoxide ring opening and OsO₄-hydroxylation reactions.     

Anticarcinogenic and antimitotic effects of Turkish propolis and mitomycin-C on tissue cultures of bladder cancer

The in vitro anticarcinogenic and antimitotic effects of propolis and mitomycin-C (MMC) on transitional carcinoma cell cultures were investigated. Tissue samples were obtained from 22 patients with bladder carcinomas, which were exposed to propolis (0.1 mL) and MMC (1.6 microL). The mean MI rates for control, propolis and MMC were 8.327 +/- 0.624, 6.990 +/- 0.519 and 5.423 +/- 0.479, respectively. The differences between the control and exposed cells were significant (p < 0.05). We conclude that exposure to propolis can decrease cell division and it may be used as an antimitotic and anticarcinogenic agent.     

pH-Driven Fluorescent Switch Behavior of Azometine Dyes in Solid Matrix Materials

Photoinduced switch behaviors of two dimethylamino-bearing azometine derivatives (AZM-I and AZM-II) were investigated in conventional solvents, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and ethyl cellulose (EC) by means of absorption and emission spectroscopy. The fluorescence modulation of the molecular switches arises from increasing response of the exploited molecules to pH between pH = 6.00 and 11.00 in emission intensity at 590 and 582 nm. In the employed systems optical or chemical inputs are transduced into detectable spectroscopic outputs after the controlled exchange of protons between solution and membrane phases. In immobilized phases the attained reversible relative signal changes were very good; 97% and 99% for AZM-I and AZM-II respectively. Sensitivities of the molecular switches to most abundant anions and metal cations were also investigated. Except that of bicarbonate, Hg²⁺ and Ag⁺, presence of anions and metal cations in test medium did not restrict the proton sensing ability of the molecules.     

Synthesis of a new series of 2-vinylindoles and their cycloaddition reactivity

The regioselective synthesis of 2-vinylindoles was achieved through the use of 4,7-dihydroindole 19. Reactions of these 2-vinylindoles as 4π-component gave 2,3-disubstitue indoles as well as the expected Diels-Alder products.     

Essential oil composition of four endemic Ferulago species growing in Turkey

The essential oils from aerial parts of Ferulago pachyloba (Fenzl) Boiss., F. platycarpa Boiss. & Bal., F. isaurica Penmen, and F. longistylis Boiss. (Apiaceae) were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC and GC-MS. The highest oil yield (1.50%) was obtained from F. pachyloba followed by F. longistylis (0.16%), F. isaurica (0.08%) and F. platycarpa (0.07%). Fifty-three compounds were identified in the oil of F. pachyloba with (Z)-beta-ocimene (25.7%) and alpha-pinene (9.8%) as main constituents; sixty-seven in the oil of F. platycarpa with 2,3,6-trimethylbenzaldehyde (29.8%) and cis-chrysanthenyl acetate (24.2%) as main components; seventy-eight in the oil of F. isaurica with nonacosane (25.5%) and hexadecanoic acid (14.8%) as main constituents; and fifty-nine in the oil of F. longistylis with 2,3,6-trimethylbenzaldehyde (32.7%) and bornyl acetate (12.6%) as main components. Quantitative and qualitative differences in the oil compositions of these four species were observed.     

Syntheses and Structural Characterization of 1-（4-Phenyl-2-thiazolyl）-3-（4-methylphenyl）-5-（2-furyl）-4,5-dihydro-（1H）-pyrazole and 1-（4-（4-Fluoro）phenyl-2-thiazolyl）-3-（4-methyl-phenyl）-5-（2-furyl）-4,5-dihydro-（1H）-pyrazole

The title compounds were synthesized and characterized by IR,1H-NMR,Mass and elementary analysis and single-crystal X-ray diffraction.In 1a,intermolecular C-H…π interactions produce a three-dimensional network.In 1b,intermolecular C-H…O hydrogen bonds generate an R22(22) ring.The hydrogen bonding is supported by C-H…π interactions.