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Texas Children’s Hospital

2 ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN JoVE

Bioengineering

Preparation of Monodomain Liquid Crystal Elastomers and Liquid Crystal Elastomer Nanocomposites

Hojin Kim¹, Bohan Zhu¹, Huiying Chen², Oluwatomiyin Adetiba², Aditya Agrawal¹, Pulickel Ajayan³, Jeffrey G. Jacot^2,4, Rafael Verduzco^1,3

¹Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, ²Bioengineering, Rice University, ³Materials Sciences and NanoEngineering, Rice University, ⁴Congenital Heart Surgery Services, Texas Children’s Hospital

We demonstrate the preparation of siloxane-based and epoxy-based liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) and LCE nanocomposites. The LCEs are characterized with respect to reversible strain, liquid crystal ordering, and stiffness. As a potential application, we demonstrate their use as shape-responsive substrates in a custom device for active cell culture.

Medicine

Evaluation of Hepatic Glucose Production in a Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Mouse Model

Alexandra L. Gannon^1,2, Shaji K. Chacko³, Inka C. Didelija³, Juan C. Marini^3,4, Chellakkan S. Blesson^1,2

¹Department of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Baylor College of Medicine, ²Family Fertility Center, Texas Children’s Hospital, ³Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, ⁴Critical Care Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine

This study describes the direct measurement of hepatic glucose production in a polycystic ovary syndrome mouse model by using a stable isotopic glucose tracer via tail vein in both fasting and glucose-rich states in tandem.