organ printing

Wearable sensors hold immense potential for real-time and non-destructive sensing of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), requiring both efficient sensing performance and robust mechanical properties. However, conventional colorimetric sensor arrays, acting as artificial olfactory systems for highly selective VOC profiling, often fail to meet these requirements simultaneously. Here, a high-performance wearable sensor array for VOC visual detection is proposed by extrusion printing of hybrid inks containing surface-functionalized sensing materials...

Microplastics (MPs) can act as carriers of environmental arsenic species into the stomach with food and release arsenic species during digestion, which threatens human health. Herein, an integrated dynamic stomach model (DSM)-capillary electrophoresis-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (CE-ICPMS) is developed for online monitoring of the release and transformation behaviors of arsenic species loaded on MPs (As-MPs) in the simulated human stomach. The 3D-printed DSM with a soft stomach chamber enables the behaviors of gastric peristalsis, gastric and salivary fluid addition, pH adjustment, and gastric emptying (GE) to be controlled by a self-written program after oral ingestion of food with As-MPs...

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to identify organisational homeostasis factors in the context of healthcare organisations and to develop a conceptual model for green transformation. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The organisational homeostasis factors were determined by review of literature study and the opinions of healthcare experts. Scheduled interviews and closed-ended questionnaires are employed to collect data for this research. This study employed "TISM methodology" and "MICMAC analysis" to better comprehend how the components interact with one another and prioritise them based on their driving and dependence power...

The rapid evolution of healthcare and technology has given rise to advancements in the fields of bioprinting, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine. 3D bioprinting has emerged as an alternative to traditional practices by offering the potential to create functional tissues. Traditional tissue engineering has faced challenges due to irregular cell distribution on scaffolds, limited cell density, and the difficulty of manufacturing patient-specific tissues, which 3D bioprinting overcomes through layer-by-layer fabrication...

Creating a reusable adhesive that can hold objects on a wall and can yet be easily removed al for researchers in the adhesives community for many years. Geckos and other climbing organisms demonstrate just this ability: to hold large loads (on-state) due to specialized digits and microstructures, yet they are also able to quickly peel their feet from a surface while climbing (off-state). Inspired by the simplicity of the gecko's geometric switching mechanism, we have investigated the use of origami design methods to create geometries that can transition from a stiff configuration to a more flexible and easily peeled configuration...

In this study, a micro helium dielectric barrier discharge (μHDBD) plasma device fabricated using 3D printing and molding techniques was coupled with a mini spectrometer to detect and identify different classes of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) using optical emission spectrometry (OES). We tested 11 VOCs belonging to three different classes (straight-chain alkanes, aromatics, and polar organic compounds). Our results clearly demonstrate that the optical emission spectra of different classes of VOCs show clear differences, and therefore, can be used for identification...

Bilateral Wilms tumour (BWT) is a surgically challenging condition. Virtual reality (VR) reconstruction aids surgeons to foresee the anatomy ahead of Nephron Sparing Surgery (NSS). Three-dimensional (3D) visualisation improves the anatomical orientation of surgeons performing NSS. We herewith report a case of BWT where VR planning and 3D printing were used to aid NSS. Conventional imaging is often found to be inadequate while assessing the tumour-organ-vascular anatomy. Advances like VR and 3D printing help surgeons plan better for complex surgeries like bilateral NSS...

This study presents a 3D in vitro cell culture model, meticulously 3D printed to replicate the conventional aqueous outflow pathway anatomical structure, facilitating the study of trabecular meshwork (TM) cellular responses under glaucomatous conditions. Glaucoma affects TM cell functionality, leading to extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffening, enhanced cell-ECM adhesion, and obstructed aqueous humor outflow. Our model, reconstructed from polyacrylamide gel with elastic moduli of 1.5 and 21.7 kPa, is based on serial block-face scanning electron microscopy images of the outflow pathway...

Inkjet printing (IJP) has become a versatile, cost-effective technology for fabricating organic and hybrid electronic devices. Heavy-metal-based quantum dots (HM QDs) play a significant role in these inkjet-printed devices due to their excellent optoelectrical properties. Despite their utility, the intrinsic toxicity of HM QDs limits their applications in commercial products. To address this limitation, developing alternative HM-free quantum dots (HMF QDs) that have equivalent optoelectronic properties to HM QD is a promising approach to reduce toxicity and environmental impact...

Recently, the replication of biological microstructures has garnered significant attention due to their superior flexural strength and toughness, coupled with lightweight structures. Among the most intriguing biological microstructures renowned for their flexural strength are those found in the Euplectella Aspergillum (EA) marine sponges. The remarkable strength of this sponge is attributed to its complex microstructure, which consists of concentric cylindrical layers known as spicules with organic interlayers...

PURPOSE: Nurse leaders are challenged by ethical issues in today's complex health-care settings. The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze key elements of moral distress identified by nurse leaders from health-care systems in the USA, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The aim was to develop an understanding of distressing ethical issues nurse leaders face in the USA and three German-speaking European countries. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: This descriptive cross-sectional study surveyed a convenience sample of nurse leaders in the USA, Germany, Austria and Switzerland...

PREMISE: During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, all laboratory work was suspended, and we were obliged to work from home, causing delays in our research. As the disruption to supply chains made it difficult to obtain our regular lab supplies, we were obliged to search for substitutes. We became familiar with a plastic material known as biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) that is widely used in the food industry for wrapping or storing fruits, vegetables, and meat. BOPP is easily dissolved in organic solvents such as xylenes, acetone, or thinner, but these reagents are very toxic, flammable, and can cause nausea in some users...

Three-dimensional (3D)-cultured cells have attracted the attention of researchers in tissue engineering- and drug screening-related fields. Among them, 3D cellular fibers have attracted significant attention because they can be stacked to prepare more complex tissues and organs. Cellular fibers are widely fabricated using extrusion 3D bioprinters. For these applications, it is necessary to evaluate cellular activities, such as the oxygen consumption rate (OCR), which is one of the major metabolic activities...

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recognized the need for a research program to address the underlying structural factors that impact health. To inform the development of the NIH Common Fund Community Partnerships to Advance Science for Society (ComPASS) Program, NIH obtained input through community listening sessions. Through its design, ComPASS recognizes the essential role of community organizations as the lead in addressing persistent structural and social challenges to accelerate progress toward advancing health equity...

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Three-dimensional (3D) printing has become popular in dentistry, but studies on the influence of incorporating organic and inorganic nanofillers on 3D printed materials are lacking. PURPOSE: The purpose of this in vitro study was to assess the flexural strength, color, and antimicrobial efficacy of 3D printed photopolymerizable resin upon adding titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) and silanized chitosan nanoparticles (s CS NPs). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A stereolithographic material (VarseoSmile Crown plus; Bego) was used as a control group (VSC resin), and 3 nanocomposite resin groups were prepared by adding nanoparticles as follow: titanium dioxide group (VSC resin + 0...

The massive use of paper has resulted in significant negative impacts on the environment. Fortunately, recent progress has been made in the field of rewritable paper, which has great potential in solving the increasing demand for paper while minimizing its environmental footprint. In this work, we report a green and economic strategy to develop ink-free rewritable paper by introducing hydrochromic covalent organic frameworks (COFs) in paper and using water as the sole trigger. When exposed to water or acidic solvents, two kinds of imino COFs change their colors reversibly from red to black...

Ever since the implementation of microfluidics in the biomedical field, in vitro models have experienced unprecedented progress that has led to a new generation of highly complex miniaturized cell culture platforms, known as Organs-on-a-Chip (OoC). These devices aim to emulate biologically relevant environments, encompassing perfusion and other mechanical and/or biochemical stimuli, to recapitulate key physiological events. While OoCs excel in simulating diverse organ functions, the integration of the immune organs and immune cells, though recent and challenging, is pivotal for more comprehensive representation of human physiology...

Ciliates are powerful unicellular model organisms that have been used to elucidate fundamental biological processes. However, the high motility of ciliates presents a major challenge in studies using live-cell microscopy and microsurgery. While various immobilization methods have been developed, they are physiologically disruptive to the cell and incompatible with microscopy and/or microsurgery. Here, we describe a Simple Microfluidic Operating Room for the Examination and Surgery of Stentor coeruleus (SMORES)...

Zebrafish eyes are anatomically similar to humans and have a higher percentage of cone photoreceptors more akin to humans than most rodent models, making them a beneficial model organism for studying vision. However, zebrafish are different in that they can regenerate their optic nerve after injury, which most other animals cannot. Vision in zebrafish and many other vertebrate animals, including humans, can be accessed using the optokinetic response (OKR), which is an innate eye movement that occurs when tracking an object...

Sustainability of a medical device has not yet become a major issue in public discussions compared to other topics with impact to material performance, clinical application, production economy and environmental pollution. Due to their unique properties, polymers (plastics) allow for multiple, flexible applications in medical device technology. Polymers are part of the majority of disposable and single use medical device and contribute with 3% to the worldwide production of plastics. The global medical polymer market size was valued 19...