1,720,993 research outputs found
Shear Stress and Its Effect on the Interaction of Myoblast Cells with Nanosized Drug Delivery Vehicles
No full textAn important aspect to ensure progress
in biomedicine is the fundamental
understanding of the interaction of cells and tissue with (bio)materials.
The consideration of shear stress in drug delivery and/or tissue engineering
remains largely unexplored. To illustrate the fundamental relevance,
we employ a microfluidic setup to evaluate the myoblast cell response
to two prominent drug carrier systems, namely, liposomes and nanoparticles,
in the presence of low shear stress. We show that positively charged
carriers have an enhanced interaction with myoblast cells in the presence
of shear stress. This effect can be translated into improved therapeutic
response in terms of reduction in cell viability when delivering a
cytotoxic compound or into a better translocation efficiency when
using lipoplexes. Taken together, our fundamental findings open up
new possibilities in tissue engineering and drug delivery by considering
an additional parameter when delivering beneficial compounds
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Comparative Evaluation of UV-Vis Spectroscopy-Based Approaches for Hemoglobin Quantification: Method Selection and Practical Insights
No full textThe growing demand for effective alternatives to red blood cells (RBCs) has spurred significant research into hemoglobin (Hb)-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs). Accurate characterization of HBOCs—including Hb content, encapsulation efficiency, and yield—is crucial for ensuring effective oxygen delivery, economic viability, and the prevention of adverse effects caused by free Hb. However, the choice of quantification methods for HBOCs is often driven more by tradition than by a thorough assessment of available options. This study meticulously compares various UV-vis spectroscopy-based methods for Hb quantification, focusing on their efficacy in measuring Hb extracted from bovine RBCs across different concentration levels. The findings identify the sodium lauryl sulfate Hb method as the preferred choice due to its specificity, ease of use, cost-effectiveness, and safety, particularly when compared to cyanmethemoglobin-based methods. Additionally, the study discusses the suitability of these methods for HBOC characterization, emphasizing the importance of considering carrier components and potential interferences by analyzing the absorbance spectrum before selecting a method. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the selection of accurate and reliable Hb quantification methods, which are essential for rigorous HBOC characterization and advancements in medical research
Topography: A Biophysical Approach to Direct the Fate of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Tissue Engineering Applications
No full textTissue engineering is a promising strategy to treat tissue and organ loss or damage caused by injury or disease. During the past two decades, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have attracted a tremendous amount of interest in tissue engineering due to their multipotency and self-renewal ability. MSCs are also the most multipotent stem cells in the human adult body. However, the application of MSCs in tissue engineering is relatively limited because it is difficult to guide their differentiation toward a specific cell lineage by using traditional biochemical factors. Besides biochemical factors, the differentiation of MSCs also influenced by biophysical cues. To this end, much effort has been devoted to directing the cell lineage decisions of MSCs through adjusting the biophysical properties of biomaterials. The surface topography of the biomaterial-based scaffold can modulate the proliferation and differentiation of MSCs. Presently, the development of micro- and nano-fabrication techniques has made it possible to control the surface topography of the scaffold precisely. In this review, we highlight and discuss how the main topographical features (i.e., roughness, patterns, and porosity) are an efficient approach to control the fate of MSCs and the application of topography in tissue engineering
Nanostructured polymer assemblies formed at interfaces: applications from immobilization and encapsulation to stimuli-responsive release
No full textHydrogels: Advanced Subcompartmentalized Microreactors: Polymer Hydrogel Carriers Encapsulating Polymer Capsules and Liposomes (Small 21/2013)
No full textVariations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
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