Cells interact mechanically with their environment, exerting mechanical forces that probe the extracellular matrix (ECM). The mechanical properties of the ECM determine cell behavior and control cell differentiation both in 2D and 3D environments. Gelatin (Gel) is a soft hydrogel into which cells can be embedded. This study shows significant 3D Gel shrinking due to the high traction cellular forces exerted by the cells on the matrix, which prevents cell differentiation. To modulate this process, Gel with hyaluronic acid (HA) has been combined in an injectable crosslinked hydrogel with controlled Gel–HA ratio. HA increases matrix stiffness. The addition of small amounts of HA leads to a significant reduction in hydrogel shrinking after cell encapsulation (C2C12 myoblasts). We show that hydrogel stiffness counterbalanced traction forces of cells and this was decisive in promoting cell differentiation and myotube formation of C2C12 encapsulated in the hybrid hydrogels. image

Maritime transport in the European Union has increased in the last years, triggering congestion in many of the most important sea and river ports. A lot of works have highlighted how the connection between these ports and dry ports can contribute to reducing port congestion and emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs). This work aims to improve the knowledge about the functionalities of Terminal Operating Systems (TOSs) managing container terminals of sea, river, and dry ports, with the aim of improving their performance and contributing to reducing congestion and GHG emissions to achieve a higher sustainability. The contribution and novelty of this paper in the field of container-terminals logistics research is the use of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to identify and hierarchize TOS functionalities. The robustness of the model was checked by applying a sensitivity analysis. One hundred and seven functionalities were grouped into six main clusters: Warehouse, Maritime Operations, Gate, Master Data, Communications, and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) Dashboard. The results show that time tracking of vessels, space optimization, development of loading and unloading lists, and optimization of container locations are the most important functionalities of a TOS. This work is addressed to developers, sellers, managers, and users of TOSs and researchers working on container-terminal performance.

Gelatin–hyaluronic acid (Gel–HA) hybrid hydrogels have been proposed as matrices for tissue engineering because of their ability to mimic the architecture of the extracellular matrix. Our aim was to explore whether tyramine conjugates of Gel and HA, producing injectable hydrogels, are able to induce a particular phenotype of encapsulated human mesenchymal stem cells without the need for growth factors. While pure Gel allowed good cell adhesion without remarkable differentiation and pure HA triggered chondrogenic differentiation without cell spreading, the hybrids, especially those rich in HA, promoted chondrogenic differentiation as well as cell proliferation and adhesion. Secretion of chondrogenic markers such as aggrecan, SOX-9, collagen type II, and glycosaminoglycans was observed, whereas osteogenic, myogenic, and adipogenic markers (RUNX2, sarcomeric myosin, and lipoproteinlipase, respectively) were not present after 2 weeks in the growth medium. The most promising matrix for chondrogenesis seems to be a mixture containing 70% HA and 30% Gel as it is the material with the best mechanical properties from all compositions tested here, and at the same time, it provides an environment suitable for balanced cell adhesion and chondrogenic differentiation. Thus, it represents a system that has a high potential to be used as the injectable material for cartilage regeneration therapies.

Gelatin injectable hydrogels have attracted attention for soft tissues regeneration; however, their poor mechanical properties limit their applications. The authors present a versatile strategy to enhance mechanical properties by mixing gelatin (Gel) with different proportions of hyaluronic acid (HA). The protein-polysaccharide systems are inspired by extracellular matrix and benefit from adhesive properties of RGD sequences in Gel and enhanced hydration and stiffness of HA. The authors were able to raise the Young’s modulus from 4 kPa to 6 kPa and gelation times can be tuned between 4 to 9 min, giving surgeons the option of adapting the material to specific requirements. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

The increased number of transports with dangerous goods (TDG) increases the risk of both accidents and terrorist attacks. Digitalisation is crucial in order to avoid human errors and to increase safety, security and efficiency, however there are few research studies that analyse digitalisation for the TDG, this being the first time, to the author’s knowledge, that barriers to the implementation of information and communication technology (ICT) solutions for the transport of dangerous goods has been analysed. A new elicitation methodology called the ‘implementation acceleration methodology for ICT (IAM-ICT)’ has been created, with the aim of identifying and hierarchizing potential barriers to the implementation and integration of ICT solutions involved in the multimodal TDG, and with a view to overcoming the most relevant problems at an early stage. This methodology combines user-driven innovation (UDI), the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and Bayesian networks. The application of this methodology, which is easily replicable in other fields, will enable a better design of ICT solutions so that they can be implemented and integrated in SMEs and large companies. The results show a hierarchy of potential barriers for a multi-modular ICT solution used as use case study, in two different co-designed schemes for a small and medium enterprise (SME) and for a large company.