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After half a billion years of evolution, arthropods have developed sophisticated compound eyes with extraordinary visual capabilities that have inspired the development of artificial compound eyes. However, the limited 2D nature of most traditional fabrication techniques makes it challenging to directly replicate these natural systems. Here, we present a biomimetic apposition compound eye fabricated using a microfluidic-assisted 3D-printing technique. Each microlens is connected to the bottom planar surface of the eye via intracorporal, zero-crosstalk refractive-index-matched waveguides to mimic the rhabdoms of a natural eye. Full-colour wide-angle panoramic views and position tracking of a point source are realized by placing the fabricated eye directly on top of a commercial imaging sensor. As a biomimetic analogue to naturally occurring compound eyes, the eye’s full-colour 3D to 2D mapping capability has the potential to enable a wide variety of applications from improving endoscopic imaging to enhancing machine vision for facilitating human–robot interactions. Insect-like biomimetic compound eyes have many technological applications. Here, the authors present a facile fabrication scheme involving microfluidics assisted 3D printing that permits to completely separate design, optimization and construction of optical and sensor components.

While mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have gained enormous attention due to their unique properties of self-renewal, colony formation, and differentiation potential, the MSC secretome has become attractive due to its roles in immunomodulation, anti-inflammatory activity, angiogenesis, and anti-apoptosis. However, the precise stimulation and efficient production of the MSC secretome for therapeutic applications are challenging problems to solve. Here, we report on Acoustofluidic Interfaces for the Mechanobiological Secretome of MSCs: AIMS. We create an acoustofluidic mechanobiological environment to form reproducible three-dimensional MSC aggregates, which produce the MSC secretome with high efficiency. We confirm the increased MSC secretome is due to improved cell-cell interactions using AIMS: the key mediator N-cadherin was up-regulated while functional blocking of N-cadherin resulted in no enhancement of the secretome. After being primed by IFN-γ, the secretome profile of the MSC aggregates contains more anti-inflammatory cytokines and can be used to inhibit the pro-inflammatory response of M1 phenotype macrophages, suppress T cell activation, and support B cell functions. As such, the MSC secretome can be modified for personalized secretome-based therapies. AIMS acts as a powerful tool for improving the MSC secretome and precisely tuning the secretory profile to develop new treatments in translational medicine. Efficient production of MSC secretome for therapeutic applications remains a challenging task. Here, the authors present an approach whereby an acoustofluidic mechanobiological environment can form reproducible 3D MSC aggregates, allowing for secretome production with high efficiency.

Elevated intracranial fluid volume can drive intracranial pressure increases, which can potentially result in numerous neurological complications or death. This study’s focus was to develop a passive skin patch sensor for the head that would non-invasively measure cranial fluid volume shifts. The sensor consists of a single baseline component configured into a rectangular planar spiral with a self-resonant frequency response when impinged upon by external radio frequency sweeps. Fluid volume changes (10 mL increments) were detected through cranial bone using the sensor on a dry human skull model. Preliminary human tests utilized two sensors to determine feasibility of detecting fluid volume shifts in the complex environment of the human body. The correlation between fluid volume changes and shifts in the first resonance frequency using the dry human skull was classified as a second order polynomial with R2 = 0.97. During preliminary and secondary human tests, a ≈24 MHz and an average of ≈45.07 MHz shifts in the principal resonant frequency were measured respectively, corresponding to the induced cephalad bio-fluid shifts. This electromagnetic resonant sensor may provide a non-invasive method to monitor shifts in fluid volume and assist with medical scenarios including stroke, cerebral hemorrhage, concussion, or monitoring intracranial pressure.

Modern wearable devices show promising results in terms of detecting vital bodily signs from the wrist. However, there remains a considerable need for a device that can conform to the human body’s variable geometry to accurately detect those vital signs and to understand health better. Flexible radio frequency (RF) resonators are well poised to address this need by providing conformable bio-interfaces suitable for different anatomical locations. In this work, we develop a compact wearable RF biosensor that detects multisite hemodynamic events due to pulsatile blood flow through noninvasive tissue–electromagnetic (EM) field interaction. The sensor consists of a skin patch spiral resonator and a wearable transceiver. During resonance, the resonator establishes a strong capacitive coupling with layered dielectric tissues due to impedance matching. Therefore, any variation in the dielectric properties within the near-field of the coupled system will result in field perturbation. This perturbation also results in RF carrier modulation, transduced via a demodulator in the transceiver unit. The main elements of the transceiver consist of a direct digital synthesizer for RF carrier generation and a demodulator unit comprised of a resistive bridge coupled with an envelope detector, a filter, and an amplifier. In this work, we build and study the sensor at the radial artery, thorax, carotid artery, and supraorbital locations of a healthy human subject, which hold clinical significance in evaluating cardiovascular health. The carrier frequency is tuned at the resonance of the spiral resonator, which is 34.5 ± 1.5 MHz. The resulting transient waveforms from the demodulator indicate the presence of hemodynamic events, i.e., systolic upstroke, systolic peak, dicrotic notch, and diastolic downstroke. The preliminary results also confirm the sensor’s ability to detect multisite blood flow events noninvasively on a single wearable platform.

Inter‐plant competition must be carefully managed to realize the yield potential of increased plant density of maize (Zea mays L.). Twin row planting arrangement, P fertility, and hybrid selection may be important components of managing increased plant density. Our hypotheses were (i) that twin row planting arrangement would be superior to traditional 0.76‐m rows at ultra‐high densities and (ii) that supplemental P fertility would alleviate inter‐plant competition. In 2010 and 2011, twin row planting arrangement was compared to single 0.76‐m rows across densities ranging from 61,775 to 160,615 plants ha−1 and P fertility treatments ranging from 0 to 168 kg P2O5 ha−1. Twin rows did not increase yield relative to single rows, and twin rows often yielded significantly less at plant densities greater than 111,195 plants ha−1. Mean responses to supplemental fertility were 1.0 and 0.3 Mg ha−1 in 2010 and 2011, respectively. There was no interaction between plant density and P fertility suggesting that extra resource availability does not necessarily overcome inter‐plant competition. In 2011, two hybrids of contrasting ear type were included to explore the role of hybrid selection in plant density response. Maximum yields of each hybrid were achieved at contrasting densities, and genetic differences in plant density tolerance appeared to be related to (i) kernel number response on a per‐area basis and (ii) stability of individual kernel weight. These results highlight the importance of independently optimizing row spacing and soil fertility while understanding the plant density response characteristics of maize hybrids.

The alteration of the hydrostatic pressure gradient in the human body has been associated with changes in human physiology, including abnormal blood flow, syncope, and visual impairment. The focus of this study was to evaluate changes in the resonant frequency of a wearable electromagnetic resonant skin patch sensor during simulated physiological changes observed in aerospace applications. Simulated microgravity was induced in eight healthy human participants (n = 8), and the implementation of lower body negative pressure (LBNP) countermeasures was induced in four healthy human participants (n = 4). The average shift in resonant frequency was −13.76 ± 6.49 MHz for simulated microgravity with a shift in intracranial pressure (ICP) of 9.53 ± 1.32 mmHg, and a shift of 8.80 ± 5.2097 MHz for LBNP with a shift in ICP of approximately −5.83 ± 2.76 mmHg. The constructed regression model to explain the variance in shifts in ICP using the shifts in resonant frequency (R2 = 0.97) resulted in a root mean square error of 1.24. This work demonstrates a strong correlation between sensor signal response and shifts in ICP. Furthermore, this study establishes a foundation for future work integrating wearable sensors with alert systems and countermeasure recommendations for pilots and astronauts.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a global cause of morbidity and mortality. Initial management and risk stratification of patients with TBI is made difficult by the relative insensitivity of screening radiographic studies as well as by the absence of a widely available, noninvasive diagnostic biomarker. In particular, a blood-based biomarker assay could provide a quick and minimally invasive process to stratify risk and guide early management strategies in patients with mild TBI (mTBI). Analysis of circulating exosomes allows the potential for rapid and specific identification of tissue injury. By applying acoustofluidic exosome separation—which uses a combination of microfluidics and acoustics to separate bioparticles based on differences in size and acoustic properties—we successfully isolated exosomes from plasma samples obtained from mice after TBI. Acoustofluidic isolation eliminated interference from other blood components, making it possible to detect exosomal biomarkers for TBI via flow cytometry. Flow cytometry analysis indicated that exosomal biomarkers for TBI increase in the first 24 h following head trauma, indicating the potential of using circulating exosomes for the rapid diagnosis of TBI. Elevated levels of TBI biomarkers were only detected in the samples separated via acoustofluidics; no changes were observed in the analysis of the raw plasma sample. This finding demonstrated the necessity of sample purification prior to exosomal biomarker analysis. Since acoustofluidic exosome separation can easily be integrated with downstream analysis methods, it shows great potential for improving early diagnosis and treatment decisions associated with TBI.

Objective Treatment decisions for depression are a complex process, influenced by factors such as clinical characteristics, socioeconomic factors, and patient/caregiver preferences. This study examines the characteristics of treatment options during the first month of enrollment among depressed youth. Methods Data for 646 depressed youth were extracted from the Texas Youth Depression and Suicide Research Network study. Participants' treatments during the first month were categorized as no treatment (NT), psychotherapy only (THER), pharmacotherapy only (MED), or a combination of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy (COMB). Sociodemographic and clinical features were compared across these treatment types. Results 7% were on NT, 5% on THER, 35% on MED, and 53% on COMB. The MED group was more likely to have low income compared to the COMB group. Compared to the MED group, COMB treatment had higher depression severity and suicidality. The NT group showed higher rates of social risk compared to the group with COMB. Treatment groups did not differ significantly in sex or race. When treatment preferences were examined, 40% of youth on MED expressed a preference for COMB treatment. Conclusions Treatment options vary with demographic characteristics, depression severity, suicidality, and high‐risk social factors. The finding that youth on MED are more likely to have low income compared to COMB treatment, despite a preference for COMB treatment among many, may suggest a potential barrier to accessing comprehensive treatment options. Relevance to Clinical Practice Findings highlight the need to address barriers to combination treatment, which is preferred by youth and caregivers for managing depression. Highlights In a state‐wide sample of youth with depression and/or suicide, the most prevalent treatment for youth depression was a combination of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy (COMB) treatment (52.8%) followed by pharmacotherapy only (MED) (34.8%). Youth in the COMB treatment group had higher depression severity and suicidality, while those receiving MED had a higher likelihood of coming from lower‐income households. Despite a substantial number of youth receiving MED (34.8%), both these youth (40.7%) and their guardians (66.3%) reported a preference for COMB treatment, which might suggest potential barriers to accessing combination treatment.

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a condition caused by atherosclerotic blockages in the arteries supplying the lower limbs and is characterized by ischemia of the leg, progressive myopathy, and increased risk of limb loss. The affected leg muscles undergo significant changes of their biochemistry and metabolism including variations in the levels of many key proteins, lipids, and nucleotides. The mechanisms behind these changes are poorly understood. The objective of this study was to correlate the severity of the PAD disease stage and associated hemodynamic limitation (determined by the ankle brachial index, ABI) in the legs of the patients with alterations in the biochemistry of chronically ischemic leg muscle as determined by ATR‐Fourier transform infrared micro‐spectroscopy. Muscle (gastrocnemius) biopsies were collected from 13 subjects including four control patients (ABI≥0.9), five claudicating patients (0.4 ≤ ABI<0.9), and four critical limb ischemia (CLI) patients (ABI<0.4). Slide mounted specimens were analyzed by ATR‐Fourier transform infrared micro‐spectroscopy. An analysis of variance and a partial least squares regression model were used to identify significant differences in spectral peaks and correlate them with the ABI. The spectra revealed significant differences (P < 0.05) across control, claudicating, and CLI patients in the fingerprint and functional group regions. Infrared microspectroscopic probing of ischemic muscle biopsies demonstrates that PAD produces significant and unique changes to muscle biochemistry in comparison to control specimens. These distinctive biochemical profiles correlate with disease progression and may provide insight and direction for new targets in the diagnosis and therapy of muscle degeneration in PAD. This study characterizes the degree of myopathy as it relates to progression in Peripheral artery disease (PAD) using ATR‐FTIR microspectroscopy. Spectral signatures taken from muscle tissue samples predicted hemodynamic limitation and progression of the disease. The spectral biomarkers investigated may provide insight into new therapeutic targets.

This case discusses a 33-year-old transgender Army Veteran, diagnosed with co-occurring Bipolar Disorder Type 1 (Bipolar I) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), both with psychotic features. The patient exhibited recurrent mood swings, delusions, auditory hallucinations, and passive suicidal thoughts. Concurrent symptoms, such as disrupted sleep, irritability, and intrusive thoughts, complicated diagnosis and treatment. The patient’s medical history included migraines, chronic pain, medication-induced seizures, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and Borderline Personality Disorder.During the assessment, the patient displayed mood fluctuations, cognitive issues, and intermittent tearfulness. They were averse to sedative medications and preferred non-pharmacological approaches. The Alpha-Stim (Cranial Electrical Stimulator – CES) was recommended for anxiety, depression, insomnia, and chronic pain.Medication options (Aripiprazole, Lurasidone, and Risperidone) were discussed, and the patient chose Aripiprazole. The treatment plan included Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder and potential polysomnography to evaluate sleep disorders.This case underscores the management challenges of co-occurring Bipolar I and PTSD with psychotic features, emphasizing the need for further research on their interplay, impact on functioning, and optimal treatments. It also explores CES as a potential intervention for psychosis during mood episodes.FundingNo Funding