3,996 research outputs found
Complexation of a polyelectrolyte with oppositely charged liposomes: reentrant condensation and formation of large equilibrium clusters
No full textInvited tal
Dielectric Spectroscopy in biological systems: from cell suspensions to biosensors
No full textInvited tal
Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy as a tool to investigate polyelectrolytes and their interactions with biomembranes
No full textPolyelectrolyte oppositely-charged liposome complexes: theory and possible applications
No full textInvited Tal
Equivalent conductivity of carboxymethylcellulose aqueous solutions with divalent counterions.
No full textPolymeric hollow micro and nanospheres for biotechnological applications: A focused review
No full textThe rapid advancement of nanotechnology in the last ten years opened in medicine a real perspective of a significant breakthrough in the ability of therapeutics and imaging contrast agents to reach exactly the desired targets, with marginal or no collateral damages. Nanotechnologies based on the self-assembly of molecules resulting in nano-sized complexes play a key role in this advancement. In fact, molecular assemblies promise a tremendous potential for developing new diagnostic and therapeutic tools, as genuine 'nano-devices', able to interact with biological systems at molecular levels and with a high degree of specificity. However, the strong expectations raised by this approach, despite the great effort in terms of research and investments, have been since now frustrated by the rather low efficiency of the existing vectors. Nevertheless, taking into account the difficulty of the challenge, results are encouraging, and considering the importance of the stake, research in this field continues to be intensive. In this review we focus on a particular class of "micro/nano-devices", i.e. hollow spheres, that appear to be particularly useful as "carriers" of active substances in biotechnological applications. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.The rapidadvancementofnanotechnologyinthelasttenyearsopenedinmedicinearealperspectiveof
a significant breakthroughintheabilityoftherapeuticsandimagingcontrastagentstoreachexactlythe
desired targets,withmarginalornocollateraldamages.Nanotechnologiesbasedontheself-assemblyof
molecules resultinginnano-sizedcomplexesplayakeyroleinthisadvancement.Infact,molecular
assemblies promiseatremendouspotentialfordevelopingnewdiagnosticandtherapeutictools,as
genuine ‘nano-devices’, abletointeractwithbiologicalsystemsatmolecularlevelsandwithahigh
degree ofspecificity.However,thestrongexpectationsraisedbythisapproach,despitethegreateffortin
terms ofresearchandinvestments,havebeensincenowfrustratedbytheratherlowefficiency ofthe
existingvectors.Nevertheless,takingintoaccountthedifficulty ofthechallenge,resultsareencouraging,
and consideringtheimportanceofthestake,researchinthis field continuestobeintensive.Inthis
reviewwefocusonaparticularclassof “micro/nano-devices”, i.e.hollowspheres,thatappeartobe
pa
Salt-induced aggregation in cationic liposome aqueous suspensions resulting in multi-step self-assembling complexes
No full textOccurrence of an intermediate relaxation process in water-in-oil microemulsions below percolation: The electrical modulus formalism
No full textThe dielectric and conductometric spectra of water-in-oil microemulsions below percolation in the frequency range from 1 MHz to 1.8 GHz have been analyzed on the basis of the electrical modulus formalism. In the frequency range investigated, this approach clearly evidences the presence of a particular polarization mechanism, resulting in a well-defined dielectric dispersion, located between that due to the orientational polarization of the bulk aqueous phase and that due to the ionic structure of the interface, usually occurring in heterogeneous systems. This polarization mechanism has been attributed to the "in-phase" correlation displacement of surfactant polar head groups surrounding each water droplet dispersed in the oil phase. This mechanism differs from the usual interfacial Maxwell-Wagner effect. The advantage of the electrical modulus formalism, in comparison with the analysis of the directly measured quantities, the permittivity ε′(ω), and the total electrical conductivity σ(ω), are briefly discussed. (c) 2001 Academic Press
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