Bahareh Tajvidi Safa¹, Jordan Rosenbohm¹, Ruiguo Yang^1,2,*

The International Conference on Computational & Experimental Engineering and Sciences, Vol.31, No.4, pp. 1-1, 2024, DOI:10.32604/icces.2024.011477

Abstract Cell-cell adhesions are often subjected to mechanical strains of different rates and magnitudes in normal tissue function and in disease conditions. To date, few strategies exist to directly and quantitatively investigate the effect of mechanical forces exerted by cell-cell adhesions, even less the effect of applied load on the transduction of these forces into biochemical signals. To address this knowledge gap, we designed and fabricated a platform that performs quantitative mechanical characterization of single cell-cell adhesion structures using two photon polymerization of multiple materials [1]. This microsystem provides interrogation and stimulation of cell-cell junctions through… More >

Haimin Yao^1,*

The International Conference on Computational & Experimental Engineering and Sciences, Vol.31, No.3, pp. 1-1, 2024, DOI:10.32604/icces.2024.012649

Abstract Despite the remarkable progress of anti-icing and deicing technologies in the past decades, it remains a grand challenge to dislodge freezing water from a solid surface without consuming external energy. Herein, we propose a strategy to dislodge freezing water from solid surfaces just by leveraging its volume expansion resulting from the phase change from water to ice. The implementation of this energy-saving strategy relies on a simple micropillar-based gadget on the surface, termed freezing-empowered droplet catapult (FEDC), whereby the work done by the volume expansion of a freezing droplet accreted on it can be harvested… More >

A. NOEL GRAVINA^1,2, NOELIA D´ELÍA^1,2, LUCIANO A. BENEDINI^2,3,*, PAULA MESSINA^1,2

BIOCELL, Vol.48, No.11, pp. 1517-1520, 2024, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2024.055513 - 07 November 2024

Abstract This article navigates the relationship between biomaterials and osteogenic cell adhesion, highlighting the importance of mimicking the physiological response for bone tissue regeneration. Within this spirit is an initial description of the interaction between osteoblasts and osteoprogenitor cells with the extracellular matrix, explaining the leading role of integrins and cadherins in cell adhesion, and the intracellular signaling pathways elicited. Additionally, there is a focus on the strategies of advanced biomaterials that foster osteogenesis by replicating the native environment, taking advantage of these known specific signaling pathways. The final remarks lay on the need for careful More >

Haitao Hei¹, Jian Wang¹, Yonggang Zheng¹, Hongfei Ye^1,*

The International Conference on Computational & Experimental Engineering and Sciences, Vol.30, No.1, pp. 1-1, 2024, DOI:10.32604/icces.2024.011298

Abstract Micro- and nano-scale collisions are widely involved in molecular movement, drug delivery, the actuation of micro-nano devices, etc. They often exhibit extraordinary behaviour relative to the common macroscopic collisions. A deep understanding on the scale reduction-induced novel collision phenomenon and the related mechanism is rather crucial. In this work, the comprehensive impact behaviour of metal projectiles on graphene is investigated on the basis of molecular dynamics simulations. It is found that besides the common penetration and rebound behaviours, the impacting metal projectile can also be captured by the ultrasoft two-dimensional materials, i.e., the adhesion behaviour.… More >

Huiyan Liang¹, Wei Fang¹, Xiqiao Feng^1,*

The International Conference on Computational & Experimental Engineering and Sciences, Vol.29, No.2, pp. 1-1, 2024, DOI:10.32604/icces.2024.012719

Abstract Cell–extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions play a pivotal role in many functions of cells, for example, sensing, signaling, migration, and gene expression. The spatial-temporal dynamic evolution of cell–substrate adhesions involves complicated mechano-bio-chemical coupling mechanisms of integrin, adaptor and signaling proteins, and the interplay between the cytoskeleton and ECM as well. In this paper, we establish a multiscale dynamic model of cell–substrate interfaces considering intermolecular force transmission pathways, i.e., intra- and extra-cellular bond dynamics, and mechanochemical coupling regulations. To illustrate its applications, this model is used to reproduce several adhesion-related experimental phenomena of cells, including substrate rigidity… More >

Jaewook Lee¹, Byung-Dae Park^1,*, Qinglin Wu²

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.12, No.7, pp. 1187-1205, 2024, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2024.049948 - 21 August 2024

Abstract Lignin is the most abundant aromatic natural polymer, and receiving great attention in replacing various petroleum-based polymers. The aim of this study is to investigate the feasibility of technical lignin as a polyol for the synthesis of non-isocyanate polyurethane (NIPU) adhesives to substitute current polyurethane (PU) adhesives that have been synthesized with toxic isocyanate and polyols. Crude hardwood kraft lignin (C-HKL) was extracted from black liquor from a pulp mill followed by acetone fractionation to obtain acetone soluble-HKL (AS-HKL). Then, C-HKL, AS-HKL, and softwood sodium lignosulfonate (LS) were used for the synthesis of technical lignin-based… More > Graphic Abstract

XINFENG ZHANG^1,2,#, SHUANG LI^2,#, MEIRU SONG^1,2, YUE CHEN³, LIANGZHENG CHANG³, ZHERUI LIU⁴, HONGYUAN DAI³, YUTAO WANG⁴, GANGQI YANG³, YUN JIANG^5,6,*, YINYING LU^1,2,*

Oncology Research, Vol.32, No.4, pp. 679-690, 2024, DOI:10.32604/or.2024.046231 - 20 March 2024

Abstract Liver cancer is a prevalent malignant cancer, ranking third in terms of mortality rate. Metastasis and recurrence primarily contribute to the high mortality rate of liver cancer. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has low expression of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), which increases the risk of metastasis and recurrence. Nevertheless, the efficacy of FAK phosphorylation inhibitors is currently limited. Thus, investigating the mechanisms by which FAK affects HCC metastasis to develop targeted therapies for FAK may present a novel strategy to inhibit HCC metastasis. This study examined the correlation between FAK expression and the prognosis of HCC. Additionally,… More >

QIAN HU, MENGYAO WANG, JINJIN WANG, YALI TAO, TING NIU^*

Oncology Research, Vol.32, No.4, pp. 753-768, 2024, DOI:10.32604/or.2023.043647 - 20 March 2024

Abstract Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematologic malignancy notorious for its high relapse rate and development of drug resistance, in which cell adhesion-mediated drug resistance plays a critical role. This study integrated four RNA sequencing datasets (CoMMpass, GSE136337, GSE9782, and GSE2658) and focused on analyzing 1706 adhesion-related genes. Rigorous univariate Cox regression analysis identified 18 key prognosis-related genes, including KIF14, TROAP, FLNA, MSN, LGALS1, PECAM1, and ALCAM, which demonstrated the strongest associations with poor overall survival (OS) in MM patients. To comprehensively evaluate the impact of cell adhesion on MM prognosis, an adhesion-related risk score (ARRS)… More >

Demiao Chu¹, Redžo Hasanagić², Leila Fathi³, Mohsen Bahmani^3,*, Miha Humar⁴

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.12, pp. 4061-4078, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2023.043657 - 10 November 2023

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the water absorption capacity of thermally modified and non-modified spruce and blue-stained spruce wood. The wettability of wood depends on various factors, including its type, density, porosity, and surface treatment. Wood can swell and become distorted when exposed to water or humidity, impacting its structural integrity. Hence, it is crucial to consider the water and water vapour uptake in the wood when choosing materials for applications that are likely to be exposed to moisture. Various moisture absorption tests were conducted to assess water absorption capacity, including short-term and long-term water… More > Graphic Abstract

Zhaohe Dai^1,*

The International Conference on Computational & Experimental Engineering and Sciences, Vol.26, No.2, pp. 1-1, 2023, DOI:10.32604/icces.2023.09223

Abstract The flexible and clinging nature of ultra-thin films require the understanding of their elastic and adhesive properties in a wide range of circumstances from fabrications to applications. Simultaneously measuring both properties, however, is extremely difficult as the film thickness diminishes to nanoscales. In this talk, I will show our recent work that addresses such difficulties through peeling by vertically pulling thin films off from the substrates (we thus refer to it as “pull-to-peel”). Particularly, we perform in-situ pull-to-peel of graphene and MoS2 films in a scanning electron microscope and achieve simultaneous determination of their Young’s More >