1,721,099 research outputs found
Deposition in supercritical fluids: from silver to semiconductors
No full textThere is great interest in developing new routes to novel functional materials, particularly for heterogeneous nanocomposites of metals or semiconductors with polymeric hosts. Supercritical fluids have become important media for the synthesis of such nanocomposites largely because of their unique properties, but also through their perceived environmental benefits over conventional routes. In this feature article, we focus on the deposition of silver and semiconductor nanoparticles into polymer substrates by use of supercritical fluids. These processes develop nanocomposites with distinct characteristics for optical and biomedical applications. The preparation and characterisation of silver and semiconductor nanoparticles is described and a brief discussion is also extended to some other novel deposition systems in supercritical fluids
Microscopic spacial effect on the dispersion polymerization in scCO2
No full textWe report for the first time the microscopic spacial effect on the dispersion polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2). A variety of different-sized high-pressure vessels including microstructured holey optical fiber were employed to conduct the polymerization reactions. The molecular weights of the polymer products indicate that the function of the stabilizer and the process of chain growth are not significantly influenced. However, the SEM images show a gradual loss of the controlled morphology for the polymer products in reactors of dimension less than 1 mm under the same reaction conditions. This study provides a better understanding of the mechanism of the dispersion polymerization progress and gives a very important caution on the performance of microreactors.Short communication. Polymerization in supercritical CO2 is investigated, including unusual microfluidic reactors such as microstructured optical fibres. In microreactors of critical dimension <1 mm polymer chain growth is unchanged; however the morphology of the polymer is heavily modified. This provides an important caution on the performance of microreactors as a function of size.<br/
Gene therapy used for tissue engineering applications
No full textThis review highlights the advances at the interface between tissue engineering and gene therapy. There are a large number of reports on gene therapy in tissue engineering, and these cover a huge range of different engineered tissues, different vectors, scaffolds and methodology. The review considers separately in-vitro and in-vivo gene transfer methods. The in-vivo gene transfer method is described first, using either viral or non-viral vectors to repair various tissues with and without the use of scaffolds. The use of a scaffold can overcome some of the challenges associated with delivery by direct injection. The ex-vivo method is described in the second half of the review. Attempts have been made to use this therapy for bone, cartilage, wound, urothelial, nerve tissue regeneration and for treating diabetes using viral or non-viral vectors. Again porous polymers can be used as scaffolds for cell transplantation. There are as yet few comparisons between these many different variables to show which is the best for any particular application. With few exceptions, all of the results were positive in showing some gene expression and some consequent effect on tissue growth and remodelling. Some of the principal advantages and disadvantages of various methods are discussed
Development of a slow non-viral DNA release system from PDLLA scaffolds fabricated using a supercritical CO<sub>2</sub> technique
No full textPolyamidoamine polymers (PAA) comprising methylene-bisacrylamide/dimethylethylene-diamine monomers were synthesized, complexed with DNA and incorporated into porous P(DL)LA scaffolds by using a supercritical CO2 (scCO2) technique. Scaffolds were made in a dry state consequently there was a need to lyophilize the complexes. A statistically significant reduction of the transfection efficiency was observed in the absence of trehalose when compared to the original complex after freeze-drying. Increasing concentrations (0-10% w/v) of trehalose were added to the complex prior to freeze-drying. Structure dependent differences in DNA binding were evaluated by gel electrophoresis and thermal transition analysis. TEM and PCS showed aggregate formation after freeze-drying without trehalose. Scaffolds were characterized by pore sizes of 173 ± 73 µm and a porosity of 71%. The transfection potential of the released DNA was investigated by seeding scaffolds with A549 cells and following firefly luciferase as a marker gene after 48 h exposure. Low but continuous levels of transfection were observed for PAA complexes during a 60-day study. Complexes made with Lipofectaminetrade mark gave initially higher levels of DNA release but no further expression was seen after 40 days. Uncomplexed DNA showed background levels of transfection. Culturing cells on 3D scaffolds showed a benefit in retention of transfection activity with time compared to 2D controls. Transfection levels could be increased when cells were grown in OptiMEM. This study demonstrated that PAA/DNA complexes incorporated into a P(DL)LA scaffold made by using scCO2 processing exhibited a slow release and extended gene expression profile
Highly efficient surface enhanced Raman scattering using microstructured optical fibers with enhanced plasmonic interactions
Full text linkMicrostructured optical fibers "MOFs" represent a promising platform technology for fully integrated photonic-plasmonic devices. In this paper, we experimentally investigate the properties of two MOF templates impregnated with silver nanoparticles via a high pressure chemical deposition technique. By comparing fiber templates with different air filling fractions, we have quantified the importance of an increased field-particle overlap for improved surface enhanced Raman scattering sensitivity for the next generation of optical fiber sensors
Human osteoprogenitor bone formation using encapsulated bone morphogenetic protein 2 in porous polymer scaffolds
No full textThe ability to deliver, over time, biologically active osteogenic growth factors by means of designed scaffolds to sites of tissue regeneration offers tremendous therapeutic opportunities in a variety of musculoskeletal diseases. The aims of this study were to generate porous biodegradable scaffolds encapsulating an osteogenic protein, bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2), and to examine the ability of the scaffolds to promote human osteoprogenitor differentiation and bone formation in vitro and in vivo. BMP-2-encapsulated poly(DL-lactic acid) (PLA) scaffolds were generated by an innovative supercritical fluid process developed for solvent-sensitive and thermolabile growth factors. BMP-2 released from encapsulated constructs promoted adhesion, migration, expansion, and differentiation of human osteoprogenitor cells on three-dimensional scaffolds. Enhanced matrix synthesis and cell differentiation on growth factor-encapsulated scaffolds was observed after culture in an ex vivo model of bone formation developed on the basis of the chick chorioallantoic membrane model. BMP-2-encapsulated polymer scaffolds showed morphologic evidence of new bone matrix and cartilage formation after subcutaneous implantation and within diffusion chambers implanted into athymic mice as assessed by X-ray analysis and immunocytochemistry. The generation of threedimensional biomimetic structures incorporating osteoinductive factors such as BMP-2 indicates their potential for de novo bone formation that exploits cell–matrix interactions and, significantly, realistic delivery protocols for growth factors in musculoskeletal tissue engineering
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Time and spectrally resolved enhanced fluorescence using silver nanoparticle impregnated polycarbonate substrates
Full text linkSilver nanoparticle impregnated polycarbonate strips have been investigated as substrates for metal-enhanced photoluminescence of a blue emitting dye molecule (coumarin 102). By considering simultaneous time and spectrally resolved photoluminescence we observed fluorescence enhancement resulting from plasmon coupling with an increase in the emission by a factor of ~8.5 with an associated reduction in the photon lifetime. We relate the fast and slow components of the observed emission decay to the presence of both monomers and aggregates in the films and we discuss their different responses to the plasmon coupling
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