Adhesion Capability Research Articles

Deficiency of the flagellin subunit FliC exacerbates the pathogenicity of extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli in BALB/c mice by inducing a more intense inflammation.

Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) can cause systemic infections in livestock and poultry. Flagellin, a classical virulence factor, acts as a promoter of cell adhesion and invasion, as well as an inducer of inflammatory responses during intestinal pathogen infection. Further understanding is needed regarding the interaction between flagellin and host within the extra-intestinal ecological niche to facilitate a deeper comprehension of ExPEC infection mechanisms. In this study, we constructed a FliC mutant strain (ΔfliC) of ExPEC XM which exhibited reduced motility and enhanced biofilm formation in vitro assays. The ΔfliC strain also demonstrated diminished adherence and invasion capabilities on hBMEC cells while inducing decreased levels of apoptosis. In vivo experiments with BALB/c mice revealed that the ΔfliC strain displayed enhanced pathogenicity compared to wild-type strains, resulting in an earlier time to death, higher tissue load, severe bacteremia, and more intense inflammatory response observed in serum and tissues. These results suggest that the flagellar protein FliC plays different roles for extraintestinal pathogens compared to enteric pathogens. This study further elucidates the functional role of FliC in ExPEC infection while providing a research basis for exploring pathogenic mechanisms and prevention/control strategies for systemic infectious bacterial diseases.

Sepiolite-based PDA-PAM hydrogels with enhanced interfacial adhesion capability

Sepiolite-based PDA-PAM hydrogels with enhanced interfacial adhesion capability

Molecular characterization of exopolysaccharide from Periweissella beninensis LMG 25373T and technological properties in plant-based food production.

Periweissella beninensis LMG 25373T, belonging to the recently established Periweissella genus, exhibits unique motility and high adhesion capabilities, indicating significant probiotic potential, including resilience under simulated gastrointestinal conditions. This study demonstrates for the first time that P. beninensis LMG 25373^T produces a dextran-type exopolysaccharide (EPS) with a distinctive high degree of branching (approximately 71% of α-(1→6)-linkages and 29% α-(1→3)-linkages). Growth performance, acidification, and proteolytic activity were investigated in various plant-based substrates (lentil, chickpea, and rice flours water soluble extracts and semi-liquid mixtures), in comparison with the well-characterized lactic acid bacteria strains Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides DSM 20193 (EPS-producing) and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG (probiotic). The strain displayed effective pro-technological properties, especially in gelatinized and non-gelatinized legume-based substrates, achieving EPS synthesis levels of up to 1.3g/100g and 2.7±0.2g/100g, respectively. When used as a starter for a plant-based yogurt-type ("gurt") prototype, compared to the control, P. beninensis LMG 25373T produced a substantial increase in viscosity which remained stable during refrigerated storage, confirming the role of its unique structure pattern as a hydrocolloid. Furthermore, the strain demonstrated high viability throughout storage, an essential trait for probiotic food applications.

Chemo-Mechanical Due-Biomimetic Approach for Ultra-Stable Adsorption Across Multiple Scenarios.

The unique adhesion capabilities of soft-bodied creatures such as leeches and octopuses have provided considerable inspiration for the development of artificial adhesive materials. However, previous studies have either focused on the design of sucker structures or concentrated on the synthesis of adhesive materials, with the combination of these two aspects not yet having been deeply investigated. In this study, inspired from leech's unique adsorption ability, a biomimetic approach is proposed that combined artificial sucker and mucus, to achieve remarkable adhesion stability on rough surfaces using 5cm diameter silicone suction cups. Even on 40-mesh substrates, the mucus-coated suction cups maintained over 95% of their adhesion force compared to smooth surfaces. The formation of a liquid seal by the mucus at the suction cup edges effectively prevented gas leakage on rough substrates, thus ensuring stable adhesion. This experiments across various scenarios and real-world objects substantiated the stability and versatility of this strategy. In summary, a straightforward method is presented for achieving reliable adhesion with centimeter-scale suction cups, thereby unveiling new avenues for the development of commercially viable adhesion devices.

Formulation and evaluation of hyaluronic acid and adipic acid dihydrazide modified graphene quantum dot-based nanotherapeutics for paclitaxel-targeted delivery in breast cancer

BackgroundPaclitaxel (PAC) was the first-ever natural chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of breast cancer. However, it has some drawbacks like low water solubility, a long half-life, an unregulated rate of discharge, etc. Thus, this research paper aimed to develop PAC-loaded nanoparticles to lessen toxicity and boost PAC's solubility in water. In this case, hyaluronic acid (HA), graphene quantum dots (GQDs), and adipic acid dihydrazide (ADH) have been combined in a unique way to suggest pH-responsive nanoconjugates that can improve the therapeutic effect of medicinal molecule PAC with fluorescence and breast cancer targeting.ResultsThe investigation of the particle dimensions revealed that the majority of the particles were discovered to be between 25–50 nm. Additionally, the loading efficiency of PAC in PAC@HA-ADH-GQDs nanoconjugates was 93.56% and the release of PAC was around 70% at pH 5 and 20% at pH 7.4 in 24 h. The MTT test's risk-free methodology successfully supports the classification of HA-ADH-GQD as a biocompatible substance as it demonstrates cell viability of more than 75%. Additionally, cellular uptake research has shown that MCF7 cancer cells absorbed more PAC@HA-ADH-GQDs than GQDs alone due to the presence of targeting agent HA.ConclusionIn this study, we have investigated the potential of the hyaluronic acid motif (HA-ADH-GQDs)-attached nanotherapeutics (NTCs) as a carrier for simultaneous fluorescence imaging and pH-triggered targeted administration of anticancer medication for the treatment of breast cancer. The suggested study is innovative since anticancer drug delivery using HA-GQDs NTCs with adhesive capabilities of ADH has not been previously described.Graphical Diagrammatic representation of the preparation of PAC@HA-ADH-GQDs NTCs for breast cancer targeting

Natural Protein Films from Textile Waste for Wound Healing and Wound Dressing Applications.

In recent years, several studies have focused on the development of sustainable, biocompatible, and biodegradable films with potential applications in wound healing and wound dressing systems. Natural macromolecules, particularly proteins, have emerged as attractive alternatives to synthetic polymers due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, low immunogenicity, and adaptability. Among these proteins, keratin, extracted from waste wool, and fibroin, derived from Bombyx mori cocoons, exhibit exceptional properties such as mechanical strength, cell adhesion capabilities, and suitability for various fabrication methods. These proteins can also be functionalized with antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory compounds, making them highly versatile for biomedical applications. This review highlights the promising potential of keratin- and fibroin-based films as innovative platforms for wound healing, emphasizing their advantages and the prospects they offer in creating next-generation wound dressing devices.

Genomic characteristics and virulence of common but overlooked Yersinia intermedia, Y. frederiksenii, and Y. kristensenii in food.

Yersinia intermedia, Y. frederiksenii, and Y. kristensenii are a group of pathogens that are commonly found in food and are often overlooked in terms of their pathogenic potential. This study conducted a systematic and comprehensive genomic analysis of 114 Y. intermedia genomes, 20 Y. frederiksenii genomes, and 65 Y. kristensenii genomes from public database and our previous study. The results showed that these species were most frequently detected in Europe (56.28%, 112/199), followed by in Asia (20.6%, 41/199). Additionally, 33.17% (66/199) genomes were isolated from food. Y. intermedia were grouped into Bayesian analysis of population structure (Baps) groups 3 and 4, demonstrating significant genomic diversity. This species has a high proportion of accessory genes (79.43%), approximately 50% of which have unknown functions, indicating a high degree of genomic plasticity. The three species carried a large number of mobile genetic elements (MGEs), including plasmids such as ColRNAI_1, ColE10_1, Col440II_1, Col440I_1, and Col (Ye4449) _1; insertion sequences (ISs) like MITEYpe1, MITEEc1, and IS1635; genomic islands (GIs); and prophages. In Y. intermedia, the following antibiotics resistance genes (ARGs) were detected: qnrD1 in 3.51% (4/114), aph(3')-Ia in 2.63% (3/114), blaA in 1.75% (2/114), and catA1, vat(F), and tet(C) each in 0.88% (1/114). In Y. kristensenii, vat(F) was present in 98.46% (64/65), blaTEM-116 in 7.69% (5/65), and aph(3')-Ia in 1.54% (1/65). However, only one Y. frederiksenii genome carried vat(F). There were differences in the virulence gene composition of the three species, with Y. kristensenii having the highest number of virulence genes, particularly its complete cytotoxic genes (yaxA and yaxB) and flagellar motor proteins genes (motA and motB). The pathogenic mechanisms of Y. intermedia and Y. frederiksenii were more similar, especially in the carriage of O-antigen related genes. Y. frederiksenii's unique mechanisms also include the yapC gene, which encodes the autotransporter protein YapC from Y. pestis. After co-cultured with human colonic epithelial cell lines Caco-2 and HT-29, Y. intermedia and Y. kristensenii demonstrated different adhesive and invasive capabilities, particularly the Y. intermedia strain y7, which exhibited stronger adhesion and invasion in both cell lines. In strains y118 and y119 of Y. intermedia, an Arg378del mutation in the UreC protein was identified, resulting in the loss of urease activity. Therefore, this study revealed the pathogenic potential of Y. intermedia, Y. frederiksenii, and Y. kristensenii. Future research should focus on identifying their unknown virulence genes and strengthening public food safety measures to mitigate potential risks.

Flexible, rapid self-healing and ultra-sensitive hydrogel sensor with dynamic multi-interactions for human motion detection

Hydrogels are extensively utilized as strain sensors in the domain of wearable devices. However, balancing mechanical properties, adhesion, and self-healing capabilities in hydrogel sensors has consistently been a research challenge. In this study, a novel P(AA-AMPS)/PEI hydrogel was synthesized through a straightforward one-step radical polymerization with acrylic acid (AA) and 2-Acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid (AMPS) as monomers, polyethyleneimine (PEI) and AlCl3 as physical crosslinkers to effectively solve the above challenge. The P(AA-AMPS)/PEI hydrogel demonstrated good mechanical properties with a tensile strength of 42.54 kPa, a high self-adhesion strength to pigskin up to 37.48 kPa, and rapid self-healing efficiency of 100 % after 1 h. The P(AA-AMPS)/PEI hydrogel sensor exhibited good stability, precision, and dependability in real-time monitoring of both subtle and large human movements due to the ultra-high sensitivity (GF values were 5.92, 13.82, and 20.89 within the strain ranges of 0–300 %, 300–600 %, and 600–850 %). It must be noted that the sensing performance of the healed P(AA-AMPS)/PEI hydrogel remained unchanged. The developed hydrogel sensor exhibited promising applications in wearable devices, electronic skin, and human–machine interaction.

The RNA-binding protein CMSS1 promotes the progression of non-small cell lung cancer by regulating the telomerase protein subunit hTERT.

High telomerase activity has been detected in over 85 % of tumors, with the activation of hTERT being the most crucial mechanism for re-establishing telomerase activity. Activation of hTERT maintains telomere length in cells, enabling cancer cells to proliferate indefinitely. Nevertheless, the specific mechanism of telomerase activation in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unclear, and post-transcriptional regulation of hTERT could be a potential activation mechanism. We explored the regulatory impact of CMSS1 on hTERT expression in NSCLC cells using several methods: Yeast three-hybrid system, Reporter gene assay, Western blot, RNA decay assay, and Telomere length measurement. Our analysis revealed significant overexpression of CMSS1 in NSCLC, which correlated with poor prognosis, as determined by bioinformatics and tissue microarray techniques. RNA sequencing analysis showed that CMSS1 knockdown influenced the adhesion capabilities of NSCLC cells. Additionally, potential interacting proteins with CMSS1 were identified through mass spectrometry and co-immunoprecipitation experiments. We discovered that CMSS1 regulates hTERT expression in NSCLC cells by binding to the 5' UTR of hTERT mRNA, impacting its mRNA stability and thereby influencing NSCLC progression. RNA-Seq results and adhesion experiments indicated that CMSS1 knockdown disrupts cell adhesion. hTERT also affects cell adhesion in NSCLC, underscoring CMSS1's role as an upstream regulator of hTERT. Mass spectrometry and Co-IP studies suggest potential interactions between CMSS1, RBM34, and DDX5 that further modulate hTERT expression. These findings indicate that CMSS1 plays a crucial role in NSCLC progression through its interaction with hTERT, making it a promising therapeutic target.

Fusobacterium sphaericum sp. nov., isolated from a human colon tumor adheres to colonic epithelial cells and induces IL-8 secretion

ABSTRACT Cancerous tissue is a largely unexplored microbial niche that provides a unique environment for the colonization and growth of specific bacterial communities, and with it, the opportunity to identify novel bacterial species. Here, we report distinct features of a novel Fusobacterium species, F. sphaericum sp. nov. (Fs), isolated from primary colon adenocarcinoma tissue. We acquire the complete closed genome and associated methylome of this organism and phylogenetically confirm its classification into the Fusobacterium genus, with F. perfoetens as its closest neighbor. Fs is phenotypically and genetically distinct, with morphological analysis revealing its coccoid shape, that while similar to F. perfoetens is rare for most Fusobacterium members. Fs displays a metabolic profile and antibiotic resistance repertoire consistent with other Fusobacterium species. In vitro, Fs has adherent and immunomodulatory capabilities, as it intimately associates with human colon cancer epithelial cells and promotes IL-8 secretion. An analysis of the prevalence and abundance of Fs in > 20,000 human metagenomic samples shows that it is a rarely detected member within human stool with variable relative abundance, found in both healthy controls and patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Our study sheds light on a novel bacterial species isolated directly from the human CRC tumor niche and given its in vitro interaction with cancer epithelial cells suggests that its role in human health and disease warrants further investigation.

ITGB3 is reduced in pregnancies with preeclampsia and its influence on biological behavior of trophoblast cells.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a serious pregnancy complication associated with impaired trophoblast function. Integrin β3 (ITGB3) is a cell adhesion molecule that plays a role in cell movement. The objective of this study was to identify the biological function and expression level of ITGB3 in PE. Cell proliferation, migration, invasion, adhesion, and apoptosis were estimated by CCK8 assay, transwell, scratch assays, and flow cytometry, respectively. The expression levels of ITGB3 were determined by qRT-PCR, western blot, and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Co-immunoprecipitation and Alphafold-Multimer protein complex structure prediction software were employed to identify the molecules that interact with ITGB3. Cell functional experiments conducted on HTR8/SVneo cells demonstrated that ITGB3 significantly enhanced proliferation, migration, invasion, and adhesion, while simultaneously inhibiting apoptosis. Relative ITGB3 expression levels were observed to be lower in PE placental tissue than in normal tissue and similarly reduced in hypoxic HTR8/SVneo cells. RNA-sequencing data from PE placental samples in the GEO database were analyzed to identify differentially expressed genes associated with the disease. We identified a total of 1460 mRNAs that were significantly differentially expressed in PE patients. Specifically, 798 mRNAs were significantly upregulated, and 662 mRNAs were significantly downregulated. Notably, the ITGB3 exhibited a pronounced down-regulation among the differential expression mRNA. This study suggested that ITGB3 plays an important role in promoting the proliferative, migratory, invasive, and adhesive capabilities of trophoblast cells. These findings may facilitate a more in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanisms that promote PE progression.

Interplay of chain dynamics and ion transport on mechanical behavior and conductivity in ionogels.

Understanding the interplay among the mechanical behavior, ionic conductivity and chain dynamics of ionogels is essential for designing flexible conductors that exhibit both high conductivity and excellent mechanical properties. In this study, ionogels were synthesized via the radical polymerization of N,N'-dimethylacrylamide (DMAA) and methacrylic acid (MAAc) monomers in the presence of ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethane sulfonate ([EMIM][OTf]). By varying the mass content of ionic liquid within ionogels, we investigated the mechanical behavior and ionic conductivity at the macroscopic scale using tensile, rheological testing and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, as well as the dynamic behavior of chain segments and ions within the network at the microscopic scale using broadband dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (BDS) over a broad temperature range. Our findings revealed that variations in ionic liquid concentration significantly affect mechanical performance, ionic conductivity, complex conductivity spectra, and complex permittivity spectra. These ionogels exhibited remarkable stretchability, adhesion, and strain-sensing capabilities. Analysis of BDS indicated that the temperature dependence of the hopping frequency (ωH), the conductivity of free ions (σdc), and the relaxation time (τs) of chain segments conforms to the Vogel-Tammann-Fulcher (VTF) equation for ionogels with varying ionic liquid content. By correlating τs measured through rheological tests and BDS, we observed a transition from Arrhenius to VTF behavior, which shifts towards lower temperatures with increasing ionic liquid content. This study highlighted a strong coupling between σdc and ωH, as well as between 1/τs and ωH, at low ionic concentrations, facilitating high mechanical performance of the ionogels due to viscoelastic energy dissipation. However, as the ionic concentration increased, a slight decoupling of σdc and ωH was noted, leading to a substantial reduction in the mechanical properties of the ionogels. Ultimately, these ionogels demonstrate potential as polymer electrolytes for applications in flexible wearable devices.

Self-Adaptive Zwitterionic Polysilazane Coatings with Mechanical Robustness, High Transparency, and Broad-Spectrum Antiadhesion Properties.

Antiadhesive coatings have been extensively studied owing to their wide applications in biology, environment, and energy. However, developing a mechanically robust coating with broad-spectrum antiadhesion properties remains challenging. Herein, a novel strategy for preparing hard yet flexible and self-adaptive zwitterionic polysilazane coatings with broad-spectrum antiadhesion properties (anti-biofouling, anti-liquid adhesion, and anti-scaling) is proposed. The coatings are prepared by combining polysilazane with a telomer (FT) consisting of a low-surface-energy fluorine motif and hydrolysis-induced zwitterions. Before Si─OH generation in polysilazane, the fluorine motif drives the zwitterionic precursor to enrich on the surface, generating a zwitterionic layer following pre-hydrolysis. This unique design prevents the coatings from swelling in water, allowing them to adapt to diverse environments. The fluorine motif can orient toward the surface of air, providing anti-liquid adhesion capabilities, whereas the zwitterions orient underwater to endow anti-biofouling, anti-liquid adhesion, and anti-scaling capabilities. The highly cross-linked network toughened by FT contributes to the high hardness (up to 7H) and good flexibility of the coating. The chemical bonding between the coating and substrates ensures their strong adhesion (≈2.06-7.67 MPa). This study contributes to the design of mechanically robust broad-spectrum antiadhesive coatings applicable in marine industries, optical devices, pipeline transportation, and other fields.

Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum relieves loperamide hydrochloride-induced constipation in mice by enhancing bile acid dissociation.

Bifidobacterium species are known for their efficacy in alleviating constipation. This study aimed to compare the constipation-relieving effects of different Bifidobacterium species (Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium animalis, Bifidobacterium breve, Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis, and Bifidobacterium adolescentis) and to explore the underlying mechanisms from both the bacterial and host perspectives. We evaluated six Bifidobacterium species for their physiological properties, including growth rate, oligosaccharide utilization, osmotic pressure resistance, cell adhesion, and bile acid dissociation capability. Mice with severe constipation induced by loperamide hydrochloride were treated with these bacteria at a density of 109 CFU per mL for 17 days. Gastrointestinal indices such as fecal water content, time to first black stool defecation, and small intestine propulsion rate were measured to assess constipation relief. Microbiome and metabolome (bile acid and tryptophan) analyses were conducted to elucidate the differences in constipation relief among the species. Our results demonstrated that Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum exhibited superior physiological traits, including rapid growth, extensive oligosaccharide utilization, and high bile salt dissociation capacity. Notably, only Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum significantly ameliorated constipation symptoms in the mouse model. Furthermore, this strain markedly restored bile acid and short-chain fatty acid levels in the intestines of constipated mice and altered the composition of the intestinal microbiota. These findings suggest that the enhanced efficacy of Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum in relieving constipation is associated with its ability to modulate intestinal physiology and microbiota structure and metabolism.

Research on Multi-objective Optimization Torque Distribution Strategy for Distributed Drive Electric Vehicles Based on Dung Beetle Optimizer

Abstract Distributed drive electric vehicles (DDEVs), characterized by compact structure, efficient transmission, and flexible control, have gradually become the mainstream in the development of new energy electric vehicles. This study focuses on DDEVs and employs a hierarchical control strategy. At the upper level, a sliding mode controller is used for vehicle yaw stability control, while torque distribution is performed at the lower level. Addressing the shortcomings of conventional average and load-based distribution methods in terms of energy consumption, this paper proposes a multi-objective torque distribution strategy that optimizes tire load ratio, torque variation rate, and motor energy consumption. The strategy integrates objective functions using weighting coefficients and imposes constraints based on road adhesion and motor output capabilities. To tackle this optimization problem, the Dung Beetle Optimizer (DBO) algorithm is introduced, known for its efficient global search capabilities and adaptability. By applying the DBO algorithm, the optimal torque distribution scheme under constraints is determined. Finally, through joint simulations using Carsim and Matlab/Simulink, comparative experiments are conducted under different conditions to evaluate the simulation results of average distribution, load-based distribution, and DBO multi-objective optimization distribution. The experimental findings demonstrate that the proposed multi-objective torque distribution strategy effectively balances tire load ratio, torque variation rate, and motor energy consumption, thereby enhancing the overall performance of distributed drive electric vehicles.

Adaptation for Staphylococcus aureus to hosts via insertion mutation in the accessory gene regulator agrC gene: decreased virulence and enhanced persistence capacity.

In clinical antimicrobial therapy, bacterial strains often develop resistance to antimicrobial agents. Additionally, mutations in their gene regulatory networks can increase their persistence, especially in immunocompromised patients. This study identified an insertion mutation in the accessory gene regulator, agrC gene, carried by a Staphylococcus aureus strain isolated from the blood of a febrile patient, leading to the functional loss of AgrC. Further research revealed that despite the reduced virulence of the mutated strain, it significantly bolstered the capacity to adapt and endure within the host during prolonged infections. This was evidenced by increased adhesion and biofilm formation capabilities, development of antimicrobial tolerance, and decreased ATP levels linked to persistence. Therefore, monitoring these mutations in S. aureus is crucial clinically, as they can complicate treatment strategies.

Enhancing Skin Regeneration Efficacy of Human Dermal Fibroblasts Using Carboxymethyl Cellulose-Coated Biodegradable Polymer.

Polylactic acid (PLA) is extensively used in the medical and cosmetic industries for skin regeneration and as a dermal filler due to its biocompatibility and biodegradability. However, the effectiveness of PLA as a cosmetic filler is limited by its slow degradation rate and poor cell attachment properties. Recent studies have focused on enhancing the performance of PLA by combining it with other materials. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), known for its high biocompatibility, in comparison with the widely used hyaluronic acid (HA). Two types of PLA-based particles, HA-PLA and CMC-PLA were synthesized by combining PLA with HA and CMC, respectively. After characterizing the particles, we evaluated cell adhesion and viability using human dermal fibroblasts and analyzed gene and protein expression related to cell attachment and angiogenic paracrine factors. The CMC-PLA particles maintained a more uniform size distribution than the HA-PLA particles and exhibited superior cell adhesion properties. Cells attached on the CMC-PLA particles showed enhanced secretion of angiogenic paracrine factors, suggesting a potential improvement in therapeutic efficacy. CMC-PLA particles demonstrated superior cell adhesion and secretion capabilities compared with HA-PLA particles, indicating their potential for application in skin regeneration and tissue recovery. Further research, including in vivo studies, is required to fully explore and validate the therapeutic potential of CMC-PLA particles.

Divergent Synthesis of Bipolar Membranes Combining Strong Interfacial Adhesion and High-Rate Capability

The use of bipolar membranes has the potential to broaden the scope of active and stable electrode materials in water and CO2 electrolyzers, and to mitigate challenges related crossover. 1,2 However, the high resistance of commercial bipolar membrane materials under reversed bias and their tendency to delaminate currently limit their practical use in these technologies. This contribution presents a new design strategy of bipolar membranes, where the individual anion- and cation exchange layers are derived from the same backbone chemistry to govern interfacial compatibility. This is achieved through divergent functionalization of a styrene-ethylene-butylene copolymer, through installation of sulfonic acid moieties or quaternary ammonium groups. When combined with earth abundant and active water dissociation catalysts, such as TiO2 or SnO2, the bipolar membrane system shows an order of magnitude higher adhesion force (50 N/m) than bipolar membranes derived from Nafion and PiperION. The polarization behavior under reversed bias is investigated in H-cell tests, and further evaluated in water electrolysis experiments. The dependencies on ion exchange capacity and the water dissociation catalyst loading at the interfacial junction are investigated. While benefiting on high adhesion strength fluorine-free chemistry, the optimized membrane supports current densities up to 500 mA/cm2 at 2.5 V in pure water electrolysis mode when combined with a Pt/C cathode and a noble-metal-free Co3O4 anode. 1 Blommaert, M. A.; Aili, D.; Tufa, R. A.; Li, Q.; Smith, W. A.; Vermaas, D. A. Insights and Challenges for Applying Bipolar Membranes in Advanced Electrochemical Energy Systems. ACS Energy Lett 2021, 2539–2548. 2 Tufa, R. A.; Blommaert, M. A.; Chanda, D.; Li, Q.; Vermaas, D. A.; Aili, D. Bipolar Membrane and Interface Materials for Electrochemical Energy Systems. ACS Appl Energy Mater 2021, 4 (8), 7419–7439. Figure 1

A double-layered optically clear adhesive with enhanced resistance to waviness and impact, designed for use in high-end mobile display

In high-tech display industries, excellent impact resistance and surface waviness implementation technologies have gained much attention as the products are being lightweight and thinned. In particular, as a black pixel defining layer is adopted instead of a polarizer used to prevent external light reflection, impact resistance performance and surface quality characteristics are problematic. Herein, we proposed the double-layered optically clear adhesive (OCA) structure consisting of urethane-acrylate type OCA and UV-curable acrylic OCA for simultaneously achieving impact resistance and surface quality performances. Urethane simultaneously contains the soft segment and the hard segment based on hydrogen bonding between urethane functional groups, indicating high shock absorption performance. In addition, due to this unique structure, it exhibited a high modulus in the compression direction, thereby realizing excellent surface waviness. The UV-curable acrylate OCA can implement basic properties of adhesives such as tacky, adhesion, and inkstep cover capability, while at the same time securing indentation resistance with high modulus after UV curing. Optimization of impact resistance performance and surface waviness according to the thickness and laminating order of the proposed double-layered OCA was performed, and as a result, the double-layered OCA in panel/urethane-acrylate type OCA 100 μm/UV-curable acrylic OCA 25 μm/window structure showed the improved surface quality of 0.22 Kc value improved by 56.8 % and impact resistance of 5.1 cm improved by 100 % compared to the conventional OCA.

Biological and structural properties of curcumin-loaded graphene oxide incorporated collagen as composite scaffold for bone regeneration.

To address the challenges related to bone defects, including osteoinductivity deficiency and post-implantation infection risk, this study developed the collagen composite scaffolds (CUR-GO-COL) with multifunctionality by integrating the curcumin-loaded graphene oxide with collagen through a freeze-drying-cross-linking process. The morphological and structural characteristics of the composite scaffolds were analyzed, along with their physicochemical properties, including water absorption capacity, water retention rate, porosity, in vitro degradation, and curcumin release. To evaluate the biocompatibility, cell viability, proliferation, and adhesion capabilities of the composite scaffolds, as well as their osteogenic and antimicrobial properties, in vitro cell and bacterial assays were conducted. These assays were designed to assess the impact of the composite scaffolds on cell behavior and bacterial growth, thereby providing insights into their potential for promoting osteogenesis and inhibiting infection. The CUR-GO-COL composite scaffold with a CUR-GO concentration of 0.05% (w/v) exhibits optimal biological compatibility and stable and slow curcumin release rate. Furthermore, in vitro cell and bacterial tests demonstrated that the prepared CUR-GO-COL composite scaffolds enhance cell viability, proliferation and adhesion, and offer superior osteogenic and antimicrobial properties compared with the CUR-GO composite scaffold, confirming the osteogenesis promotion and antimicrobial effects. The introduction of CUR-GO into collagen scaffold creates a bone-friendly microenvironment, and offers a theoretical foundation for the design, investigation and utilization of multifunctional bone tissue biomaterials.