Brainmask: an ultrasoft and moist micro-electrocorticography electrode for accurate positioning and long-lasting recordings.

Bacterial cellulose (BC), a natural biomaterial synthesized by bacteria, has a unique structure of a cellulose nanofiber-weaved three-dimensional reticulated network. BC films can be ultrasoft with sufficient mechanical strength, strong water absorption and moisture retention and have been widely used in facial masks. These films have the potential to be applied to implantable neural interfaces due to their conformality and moisture, which are two critical issues for traditional polymer or silicone electrodes. In this work, we propose a micro-electrocorticography (micro-ECoG) electrode named "Brainmask", which comprises a BC film as the substrate and separated multichannel parylene-C microelectrodes bonded on the top surface. Brainmask can not only guarantee the precise position of microelectrode sites attached to any nonplanar epidural surface but also improve the long-lasting signal quality during acute implantation with an exposed cranial window for at least one hour, as well as the in vivo recording validated for one week. This novel ultrasoft and moist device stands as a next-generation neural interface regardless of complex surface or time of duration.

IL-33 promotes double negative T cell survival via the NF-κB pathway.

IL-33, which is a crucial modulator of adaptive immune responses far beyond type 2 response, can enhance the function of several T cell subsets and maintain the immune homeostasis. However, the contribution of IL-33 to double negative T (DNT) cell remains unappreciated. Here, we demonstrated that the IL-33 receptor ST2 was expressed on DNT cells, and that IL-33 stimulation increased DNT cells proliferation and survival in vivo and in vitro. Transcriptome sequencing analysis also demonstrated that IL-33 enhanced the biological function of DNT cells, especially effects on proliferation and survival. IL-33 promoted DNT cells survival by regulating Bcl-2, Bcl-xl and Survivin expression. IL-33-TRAF4/6-NF-κB axis activation promoted the transmission of essential division and survival signals in DNT cells. However, IL-33 failed to enhance the expression of immunoregulatory molecules in DNT cells. DNT cells therapy combined with IL-33 inhibited T cells survival and further ameliorated ConA-induced liver injury, which mainly depended on the proliferative effect of IL-33 on DNT cells in vivo. Finally, we stimulated human DNT cells with IL-33, and similar results were observed. In conclusion, we revealed a cell intrinsic role of IL-33 in the regulation of DNT cells, thereby identifying a previously unappreciated pathway supporting the expansion of DNT cells in the immune environment.

Localized Surface Hydrophilicity Tailoring of Polyimide Film for Flexible Electronics Manufacturing Using an Atmospheric Pressure Ar/H2O Microplasma Jet.

The poor hydrophilicity of polyimide (PI) films limits their applications in flexible electronics, such as in wearable and implantable bio-MEMS devices. In this paper, an atmospheric pressure Ar/H2O microplasma jet (µAPPJ) with a nozzle diameter of 100 µm was utilized to site-selectively tune the surface hydrophilicity of a PI film. The electrical and optical characteristics of the µAPPJ were firstly investigated, and the results showed that multi-spikes occurred during the plasma discharge and that diverse reactive species, such as O atoms and OH radicals, were generated in the plasma plume. The physical and chemical properties of pristine and microplasma-modified PI surfaces were characterized by the water contact angle (WCA), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The wettability of the PI surface was significantly enhanced after microplasma modification, and the WCA could be adjusted by varying the applied voltage, water vapor content, plasma treatment time and storage time. The AFM images indicated that the surface roughness increased after the plasma treatment, which partially contributed to an improvement in the surface hydrophilicity. The XPS results showed a reduction in the C content and an increase in the O content, and abundant hydrophilic polar oxygen-containing functional groups were also grafted onto the PI film surface. Finally, the interaction mechanism between the PI molecular chains and the microplasma is discussed. The breaking of C-N and C-O bonds and the grafting of OH radicals were the key pathways to dominate the reaction process.

Insight into the short- and long-term effects of quinoline on anammox granules: Inhibition and acclimatization.

The short- and long-term influence of quinoline on the properties of anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) biogranules was evaluated. During batch tests, the bioactivity of anammox granules in the presence of different quinoline concentrations was monitored, and the IC50 of quinoline was calculated to be 13.1 mg L-1 using a non-competitive inhibition model. The response of anammox granules to pre-exposure to quinoline was dependent on metabolic status, and the presence of both quinoline and NO2--N had a rapid detrimental effect, resulting in a 64.5% decrease within 12 h. During continuous-flow experiments, the nitrogen removal rate (NRR) of the reactor decreased sharply within 3 days in the presence of 10 mg L-1 quinoline and then was restored to 2.6 kg N m-3 d-1. In the presence of quinoline-induced stress, the specific anammox activity and levels of extracellular polymeric substance and heme c were decreased, while settling velocity persistently increased. After cultivation and acclimation obtained by adding a medium level of quinoline to the influent, the anammox granule sludge was able to tolerate 10 mg L-1 quinoline in 178 days.