SODIUM CITRATE

Flexible pressure sensors are pivotal for e-skin, artificial intelligence interactions, and personalized medicine. Nevertheless, integrating high sensitivity, a broad detection range, and biodegradability remains difficult. Herein, we developed a flexible piezoresistive tactile sensor comprising a gelatin/deep eutectic solvent/sodium citrate (GDS) ionogel substrate, a carbon nanotube (CNT)/gelatin sprayed hierarchical microstructure sensing layer, and a gelatin gel-based interdigitated electrode. The hierarchical microstructures and interdigital microgrooves, fabricated via template transfer printing, mimic the interlocking spinous structures of human skin, enhancing stress distribution and sensitivity. Due to the superior mechanical properties of the GDS ionogel matrix and the "interlocking effect" between the microstructures and interdigital electrode, the sensor achieves high sensitivity (6.16 kPa -1 ), broad range (up to 173 kPa), fast response (<10 ms), low detection limit (10 Pa), and excellent cycling stability over 8000 cycles. Applications in human activity monitoring and human-computer interaction highlight its potential for ultraprecise sensing.

Osteochondral defects (OCDs) present significant clinical challenges, necessitating scaffolds that effectively regenerate both cartilage and subchondral bone. We developed a bilayer scaffold using fish collagen extracted from Catla catla skin to overcome the limitations of conventional biomaterials, such as mammalian collagen and synthetic polymers, which often suffer from immunogenic risks, poor bioactivity, or inadequate structural integration. The scaffold is comprised of collagen/fibrin (CC/FIB) for the articular cartilage layer and collagen/sodium citrate/hydroxyapatite (CC/NAC/HAP) for the subchondral bone layer, which is cross-linked with citric acid. Physicochemical characterization confirmed scaffold integration, enhanced thermal stability, and a porous architecture. The scaffold demonstrated optimal porosity (63.12%), degradation (62.08% over 28 days), superior swelling potential, and enhanced bio-mineralization in simulated body fluid. In vitro studies using MG-63 osteoblast-like cells and MC3T3-E1 cells showed high biocompatibility, increased alkaline phosphatase activity, and enhanced calcium deposition (33.73 ± 0.53 μg/mg of protein at 21 days). Gene expression analysis revealed upregulation of osteogenic (COL I ~23-fold, RUNX-2 ~15-fold, OCN ~8-fold) and chondrogenic (COL II ~12-fold, SOX-9 ~10-fold, ACAN ~6-fold) markers, confirming osteochondral regeneration potential. In vivo studies involving the implantation of 3 mm femoral trochlear OCDs in albino Wistar rats (n = 3 per group) resulted in substantial bone and cartilage regeneration, with complete defect closure by 12 weeks. Radiographic and histological assessments at 4, 8, and 12 weeks confirmed well-organized osteochondral repair, demonstrating superior regenerative capability compared to control groups. This study establishes the novelty of the fish collagen-based bilayer scaffold as a promising candidate for osteochondral tissue engineering, supporting effective cartilage and subchondral bone regeneration in OCD treatment.

Developing breathable dressings with multifunctional properties (such as exudate management, easy removal, and immunometabolism regulation) presents significant challenges in wound healing. This study employs the Hofmeister effect to prepare a sodium citrate-cross-linked cryogel (CA-CS) with versatile functions, including porous and loose structures, rapid shape recovery ability, superior fatigue resistance behavior, and outstanding biocompatibility capabilities. The CA-CS cryogels demonstrated strong anti-inflammatory properties by reversing the lipopolysaccharides-induced M1 macrophages and increasing M2 macrophage percentages in vitro . Additionally, these breathable CA-CS cryogels exhibited superior hemostatic activity in vivo . The easily detachable CA-CS cryogels enhanced nutrient exchange, promoted exudate absorption, regulated immune response, and induced metabolic reprogramming, thereby supporting skin regeneration and hair follicle formation in a full-thickness skin defect mouse model. We expect that these CA-CS cryogels will drive the development of next-generation dressings for effective wound regeneration in clinical practice.

Complex wounds pose a significant healthcare challenge due to their susceptibility to infections and delayed healing. This study focuses on developing electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofiber membranes coated with Type I collagen derived from bovine skin and functionalized with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) to address these issues. The collagen coating enhances biocompatibility, while AgNPs synthesized through chemical reduction with sodium citrate provide broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties. The physical properties of the membranes were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Results showed the formation of nanofibers without defects and the uniform distribution of AgNPs. A swelling test and contact angle measurements confirmed that the membranes provided an optimal environment for wound healing. In vitro biological assays with murine 3T3 fibroblasts revealed statistically significant ( p ≤ 0.05) differences in cell viability among the membranes at 24 h ( p = 0.0002) and 72 h ( p = 0.022), demonstrating the biocompatibility of collagen-coated membranes and the minimal cytotoxicity of AgNPs. Antibacterial efficacy was evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus (SA), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA), and Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), with the significant inhibition of biofilm formation observed for VRE ( p = 0.006). Overall, this novel combination of collagen-coated electrospun PCL nanofibers with AgNPs offers a promising strategy for advanced wound dressings, providing antimicrobial benefits. Future in vivo studies are warranted to further validate its clinical and regenerative potential.

Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) are a promising target for research due to their small size and the resulting plasmonic properties, which depend, among other things, on the chosen reducer. This is important because removing excess substrate from the reaction mixture is problematic. However, Au NPs are an excellent component of various materials, enriching them with their unique features. One example is hydrogels, which provide a good, easily modifiable base for multiple applications such as cosmetics. For this purpose, various compounds, including hyaluronic acid (HA) and its derivatives, are distinguished by their high water-binding capacity and many characteristics resulting from their natural origin in organisms, including biocompatibility, biodegradability, and tissue regeneration. In this work Au NPs were synthesized using a green chemistry method, either by using onion extract as a reductant or chemically reducing them with sodium citrate. A complete characterization of the nanoparticles was carried out using the following methods: Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Electrophoretic (ELS), and Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) as well as Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Their antioxidant activity was also tested using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH). The results showed that the synthesized nanoparticles enrich the hydrogels with antioxidant properties and new surface properties (depending on the reducing agent, they can be more hydrophilic or hydrophobic). Preliminary observations indicated low cytotoxicity of the nanomaterials in both liquid form and as a hydrogel component, as well as their lack of penetration through pig skin. The cosmetic properties of hydrogel masks were also confirmed, such as increasing skin hydration.

Hydrogels used for flexible sensing usually require a good balance between mechanical strength and conductivity. In this study, polyvinyl alcohol/carboxymethyl cellulose/cellulose nanofibers (PVA/CMC/CNF) hydrogels with multi-hierarchical structures were firstly prepared by adjusting the CNF content. Then, PVA/CMC/CNF-xM with excellent mechanical properties and conductivity were prepared by cyclic freezing-thawing and sodium citrate/aluminium chloride (Na 3 Cit/AlCl 3 ) dual ions salt equilibrium methods. Results showed that at an ion concentration of 3 mol/L, PVA/CMC/CNF-3 M hydrogel exhibited a tensile strength, elongation at break and conductivity of 3.41 MPa, 1271 % and 0.35 S/m, respectively. The structural evolution of PVA/CMC/CNF-xM conductive hydrogels were studied, and the results indicated that Cit 3- formed numerous intermolecular hydrogen bonds, while Al 3+ could strongly coordinate with carboxyl and hydroxyl groups between the polysaccharide chains. Meanwhile, PVA/CMC/CNF-3 M possessed a low strain detection limit of 1 %, making it not only can be used for human motion monitoring, but also information encoding and transmission. This work may provide a facile approach for preparing high-strength and conductive hydrogels, which can be applied in flexible wearable electronic devices and information transmission.

While nafamostat mesylate (NM) and sodium citrate serve as commonly used extracorporeal anticoagulants in clinical practice, the characteristics and potential risks of their adverse events (AEs) need to be systematically evaluated. This study comparatively analyzed the reporting characteristics of the AEs of the above-mentioned two drugs based on the World Health Organization Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Database (WHO-VigiAccess), to identify their safety signals and provide evidence-based guidance for optimizing their clinical uses. Mining of the global AE reporting data of NM and sodium citrate was conducted using the WHO-VigiAccess database, with the data collected until 29 December 2024. Statistical analysis was performed using the Reporting Odds Ratio (ROR), the Proportional Reporting Ratio (PRR), the Bayesian Confidence Propagation Neural Network (BCPNN), and the Empirical Bayes Geometric Mean (EBGM). The signal strengths of the AEs of the two drugs at the system organ class and preferred term levels were systematically evaluated in combination with the standardized coding MedDRA. This study included 1,572 NM-related reports (59 AEs) and 485 sodium citrate-related reports (102 AEs). NM AEs were mainly concentrated in immune system diseases (23.80%), skin and subcutaneous tissue diseases (16.25%), and gastrointestinal diseases (10.10%), with strong disproportionality signals observed for thrombosis in devices (n = 18, ROR = 264.71), shock (n = 119, ROR = 186.27) and anaphylactoid shock (n = 4, ROR = 143.45). In contrast, sodium citrate-related AEs primarily included systemic diseases with various reactions at the administration site (15.75%) and gastrointestinal disorders (11.63%). The reporting proportion of mortality for sodium citrate (2.83%) was higher than that for NM, although this finding may be influenced by reporting bias and confounding by indication. In addition, this study detected signals not described in the instructions, such as citrate toxicity (ROR = 6,740.61) and spinal muscular atrophy (ROR = 665.94). Both drugs shared several high-incidence AEs, including pruritus, vomiting and dyspnea, but there are significant differences in gender, age and geographical distribution. The use of NM was associated with a strong disproportionality signal for severe immune-related AEs, such as anaphylactic shock, and requires strengthened monitoring. The metabolic complications of sodium citrate and its exposure risks during pregnancy require targeted optimization of medication strategies. Real-world data suggested that both drugs may cause AEs that were not mentioned in the instructions, so risk management needs to be improved through dynamic pharmacological vigilance. This study provided important references for individualized selection and safety management of anticoagulation regimens for patients requiring hemodialysis.

Fieldwork carries a high risk of irregular, non-compressible traumatic wounds, which often initiate a vicious cycle of "traumatic bleeding-insect bite-secondary infection". Conventional dressings cannot combine rapid hemostasis with physical protection against venomous insects, creating an urgent demand for multifunctional field trauma dressings. To solve this problem, this study developed a shape-adaptive bilayer hydrogel that concurrently provides rapid hemostasis, promotes wound repair, and acts as a robust physical barrier. The hydrogel adopts a layered design: the bottom layer (PPTY) achieves autogelation within 3 s upon blood contact, while the top armor protective layer (AP) withstands pressures up to 942 kPa. By incorporating chitosan and sodium citrate into the AP precursor solution, the hydrogel achieved in situ formation within 50 s and developed a stable self-renewing armor layer. The tightly bonded bilayer showed complementary functions. In rat models of femoral artery puncture and tail vein bleeding, PPTY-AP hydrogel significantly reduced blood loss and shortened hemostasis time. Moreover, the hydrogel demonstrated excellent tissue adhesion and moisture retention capacity, promoting full-thickness skin wound healing. This multifunctional, rapidly deployable hydrogel presents a promising solution for field trauma management and offers a new design paradigm for advanced wound dressings.

Genicular artery embolization (GAE) using microparticulate embolic agents has recently been shown to improve pain and function in knee osteoarthritis (OA) patients. Despite encouraging outcomes, current clinical embolics are repurposed from non-GAE applications and remain suboptimal due to non-degradability or non-spherical shape, highlighting a need for biodegradable microspherical embolics specifically designed for GAE. Here, we engineered 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether (BDDE)-crosslinked hyaluronic acid (HA) microspheres with properties fine-tuned for GAE using a salt treatment approach, targeting a size range of ∼75-300 μm and degradation time of ∼48 h. Sodium citrate (Cit)-treated HA (HACit) microspheres with tunable properties were fabricated via emulsion crosslinking in the presence of varying Cit concentrations (0-20% w/v, named HACit-0 to HACit-20). >92% of microspheres measured between 75-300 µm. Treatment with 10% Cit (HACit-10) reduced the average microsphere size (from 195 ± 55 µm to 151 ± 53 µm), decreased the swelling ratio (from 24.3 ± 3.5 to 7.4 ± 0.1), and prolonged the in vitro degradation time (from 33 ± 3 h to 56 ± 4 h) compared to untreated microspheres (HACit-0). In a microfluidic occlusion test, HACit-10 microspheres exhibited enhanced strength to stably block microchannels, while HACit-0 microspheres failed to cause obstructions. NMR analysis verified complete Cit removal after microsphere washing, leaving FDA-approved BDDE-crosslinked HA as the sole embolic material. Cytotoxicity assessments using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) demonstrated cytocompatibility of HACit-10 microspheres. Collectively, HACit-10 microspheres fulfilled the proposed design criteria, representing a promising embolic agent for GAE. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disease, with pain being the most prominent symptom. Genicular artery embolization (GAE) provides an alternative option for a substantial subset (∼20%) of OA patients who fall into a treatment gap-those unresponsive to conservative treatments yet ineligible for total knee replacement. Hyaluronic acid (HA) microspheres are promising candidates for developing GAE-indicated embolics, as HA-based products are biocompatible, biodegradable, non-immunogenic, and FDA-approved for intra-articular injections, facilitating clinical translation. However, achieving an optimal balance of size, mechanical properties, and degradation time is challenging through crosslinker concentration adjustment alone. This study employs a recently developed salt treatment method to fabricate HA microspheres with suitable size, enhanced mechanical strength, and fine-tuned degradation kinetics, tailored for GAE.

Crickets are recognized as an alternative source of chitosan. This study aimed to assess the potential of cricket-derived chitosan as a natural source to develop chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs). Chitosan were isolated from different cricket species, including Gryllus bimaculatus , Teleogryllus mitratus , and Acheta domesticus . The isolated chitosan were characterized by their functional groups, crystallographic and thermal properties, molecular structure, morphology, water solubility, molecular weight, binding capacity, irritation potential, and cytotoxicity in comparison to commercial shrimp-based chitosan. CNPs were developed through an ionotropic gelation method, followed by the evaluation of particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), and zeta potential. The findings of this study indicate that chitosan can be successfully isolated from the three cricket species, with yields ranging from 4.35% to 5.22% w / w of the dried material. The characteristics of cricket-based chitosan were similar to those of commercial chitosan, except that the cricket-based chitosan displayed a higher crystallinity and a lower molecular weight. Additionally, CPNs were successfully produced from cricket-based chitosan using sodium citrate as a crosslinking agent. All cricket-based chitosan exhibited no irritation or cytotoxicity. Chitosan derived from A. domesticus however was found to be the most suitable to develop CPNs, as it produced the smallest particle size (522.0 ± 12.1 nm) with a comparatively narrow PDI (0.388 ± 0.026) and an acceptable positive zeta potential (34.2 ± 4.4 mV). Cricket-derived chitosan compares favorably with crustacean-derived chitosan and showed potential for a range of applications, including the use as a nanocosmeceutical delivery system in topical and cosmetic formulations.

Temperature detection is particularly important in the medical and scientific fields. Although there are various temperature detection methods, most of them focus on broad temperature detection, and basic research in specific fields, especially the detection of subtle temperature changes (32-34 °C) during wound infection, is still insufficient. For this purpose, a novel colorimetric temperature sensing probe is designed in this paper, which can quickly and intuitively respond to small temperature changes within a specific range through color changes. In this paper, hyperbranched polyethyleneimine (HPEI) was modified by isobutyrylation to prepare hyperbranched temperature-sensitive polymer (HPEI-IBAm). And it was combined with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) prepared by a sodium citrate reduction method to construct an HPEI-IBAm-AuNP colorimetric probe. The probe exhibits excellent stability, even at salt concentrations of up to 12 g/L, thanks to the abundant amino functional groups and the large steric hindrance effect unique to HPEI-IBAm. In particular, the temperature detection range of the probe is precisely locked within 32-34 °C, enabling it to respond quickly and accurately to small temperature changes of only 2 °C. This feature is perfectly suited to the practical needs of temperature detection in infected wounds. The linear fitting coefficient of the temperature response is as high as 0.9929, ensuring the accuracy of the test results. The detection performance of the probe remained highly consistent over 10 cycles, fully proving its excellent reusability and durability. In addition, a flexible colorimetric sensor was prepared by combining the probe with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) film. This sensor is capable of rapidly detecting human skin temperature in real time, achieving an accuracy of 99.07% to 100.61%. It can provide a possible solution to the challenges of delayed and difficult temperature detection caused by different body parts and uneven surfaces, among others. This demonstrates its extensive practical value and potential, and it is expected to be further applied in the monitoring of wound infections.

High-fidelity wireless electrophysiological monitoring is essential for ambulatory healthcare applications. Soft solid-like hydrogels have received significant attention as epidermal electrodes because of their tissue-like mechanical properties and high biocompatibility. However, it is challenging to develop a hydrogel electrode that provides robust contact and high adhesiveness with glabrous skin and hairy scalp for high-fidelity, continuous electrophysiological signal detection. Here, a paintable, fast gelation, highly adhesive, and conductive hydrogel is engineered for high-fidelity wireless electrophysiological monitoring. The hydrogel, consisting of gelatin, gallic acid, sodium citrate, lithium chloride, glycerol, and Tris-HCl buffer solution exhibits a reversible thermal phase transition capability, which endows it with the attributes of on-skin applicability and fast in situ gelation with 15 s, thereby addressing the aforementioned limitations. The introduction of gallic acid enhances the adhesive properties of the hydrogel, facilitating secure electrode attachment to the skin or hairy scalp. To accentuate the potential applications in at-home electrophysiological health monitoring, the hydrogel electrodes are demonstrated for high-fidelity electrocardiogram recording for one hour during various daily activities, as well as in simultaneous electroencephalogram and electrocardiogram recording during a 30 min nap.