Typical hydrogels undergo slow and continuous shape change. Inspired by the Venus Flytrap, the current work presents a hydrogel assembly that can reversibly undergo a non-continuous rapid snapping shape change due to a bi-stable structure of the assembly. In particular, the reversible snapping change goes beyond the Venus Flytrap and is not known in the literature.
Owing to drug synergy effects, drug combinations have become a new trend in combating complex diseases like cancer, HIV and cardiovascular diseases. However, conventional synergy quantification methods often depend on experimental dose–response data which are quite resource-demanding. In addition, these methods are unable to interpret the explicit synergy mechanism. In this review, we give representative examples of how systems biology modeling offers strategies toward better understanding of drug synergy, including the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network-based methods, pathway dynamic simulations, synergy network motif recognitions, integrative drug feature calculations, and “omic”-supported analyses. Although partially successful in drug synergy exploration and interpretation, more efforts should be put on a holistic understanding of drug-disease interactions, considering integrative pharmacology and toxicology factors. With a comprehensive and deep insight into the mechanism of drug synergy, systems biology opens a novel avenue for rational design of effective drug combinations.
Responsive materials typically require external stimulation for triggering. In contrast, temporal programmable materials exhibit autonomous trigger-free responses that are uniquely attractive. Its largely under-explored molecular enabling mechanisms, however, prohibit its expansion into functionally diverse devices. We illustrate here that the dynamic ionic bonds within a tough hydrogel can be an effective and generally applicable mechanism for temporal programming. This leads to an unusual shapeshifting behavior that can be precisely manipulated without requiring any external triggering. Further incorporation of photoswitchable dynamic disulfide bonds in the hydrogel network introduces another mechanism for the spatial control of the geometric shapeshifting pathway. The synergistic effect of temporal programmability and photodefinability allows access to multifunctional shapeshifting devices with versatility beyond conventional systems.
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