Comparison of the cytotoxic and inflammatory responses of titanium particles with different methods for endotoxin removal in RAW264.7 macrophages

It is generally accepted that periprosthetic bone resorption is initiated through aseptic inflammation aggravated by wear particles that are generated from artificial joint. However, some studies have demonstrated that “endotoxin-free” wear particles are almost completely unable to stimulate the macrophage-mediated production of proinflammatory cytokines. Here, we compare the titanium particles with different methods of endotoxin removal. The results indicated that different titanium particle preparation dosages did not significantly change particle size, morphology, and chemical composition. But it could cause variations in the endotoxin concentration of titanium particles and inflammatory responses in RAW264.7 macrophages. The particles with higher endotoxin levels correlated with more extensive inflammatory responses. When testing endotoxins using the supernatant of particle suspensions, it would lead to false negative results compared with testing the particle themselves. And when using the particles themselves, all the particles should be removed by centrifugation to avoid particle interference before the absorbance value was determined. Therefore, we suggest that research concerning wear particles should completely describe the endotoxin testing process, including endotoxin removal from particles and the details of endotoxin testing. Moreover, future research should focus on the surface of wear particles (the potential role of adherent endotoxin) rather than the particles themselves.     

Comparison of cytotoxicity of pristine and covalently functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes in RAW 264.7 macrophages

Carbon nanotubes may be applied in different fields including biomedicine and mechanical engineering. It is important to understand the potential hazards of carbon nanotubes. In the present study, the toxicological effects of the pristine multi-walled carbon nanotubes (p-MWCNTs) and taurine functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (tau-MWCNTs) were assessed on RAW 264.7 macrophages. We tested cell viability, GSH/GSSG ratio, apoptosis, intracellular calcium concentration, ultrastructural changes of cell morphology, and the release of IL-8. We observed the loss of cell viability, decline in the cellular GSH/GSSG ratio, increase of IL-8, and the increase of intracellular calcium concentration in RAW 264.7 macrophages when exposed to p-MWCNTs at high dosage. Additionally, exposure to p-MWCNTs resulted in ultrastructural and morphological changes in RAW 264.7 macrophages. In contrast, the RAW 264.7 macrophages exposed to the tau-MWCNTs did not exhibit altered morphology. Our results conclude that the tau-MWCNTs show lower toxicity than that of p-MWCNTs.     

Regulation of RAW 264.7 macrophages behavior on anodic TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanotubular arrays

Titanium (Ti) implants with TiO₂ nanotubular arrays on the surface could regulate cells adhesion, proliferation and differentiation to determine the bone integration. Additionally, the regulation of immune cells could improve osteogenesis or lead in appropriate immune reaction. Thus, we evaluate the behavior of RAW264.7 macrophages on TiO₂ nanotubular arrays with a wide range diameter (from 20 to 120 nm) fabricated by an electrochemical anodization process. In this work, the proliferation, cell viability and cytokine/chemokine secretion were evaluated by CCK-8, live/dead staining and ELISA, respectively. SEM and confocal microscopy were used to observe the adhesion morphology. Results showed that the small size nanotube surface was benefit for the macrophages adhesion and proliferation, while larger size surface could reduce the inflammatory response. These findings contribute to the design of immune-regulating Ti implants surface that supports successful implantation.     

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes induce apoptosis in RAW 264.7 cell-derived osteoclasts through mitochondria-mediated death pathway

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have attracted great interest with respect to biomaterials, particularly for use as an implant material in bone-tissue engineering. Accordingly, the bone-tissue compatibility of CNTs and their influence on new bone formation are important issues. In the present study, we examined the effects of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on the receptor activator of nuclear factor kappaB ligand (RANKL)-supported osteoclastogenesis using a murine monocytic cell line RAW 264.7. MWCNTs significantly suppressed the differentiation of RAW 264.7 cells into osteoclasts. Treatment with MWCNTs induced apoptosis in osteoclasts as characterized by nuclear condensation, DNA fragmentation, caspase-3 activation and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage, but did not decrease the cell viability of the osteoblast-like cell line MC3T3-E1. MWCNTs also induced loss of the mitochondrial membrane potential (deltapsim) by regulating expression of Bcl-2 family proteins and caused release of cytochrome c from mitochondria to cytosol. MWCNTs-induced apoptosis in osteoclasts was inhibited both by cyclosporin A, a blocker of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore, and by DEVD-CHO, a cell-permeable inhibitor of caspase-3. The present study suggests that MWCNTs suppresse osteoclastogenesis via the inhibition of osteoclast differentiation and the induction of apoptosis in osteoclasts, rendering them promising candidate for the treatment of osteoclast-related diseases.     

Fabrication and characteristics of polyfluorene based organic photodetectors using fullerene derivatives

The characteristics of organic photodetectors (OPDs) by solution process using one of the polyfluorene derivatives poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene-co-bithiophene) (F8T2) and two fullerene derivatives [6-6]phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) or N-Ts aziridinofullerene (TsAF) are investigated. F8T2:PCBM devices showed good rectifying characteristics in a dark state and photosensitive characteristics, and fast frequency responses. Weight ratio of 1:1 device showed larger photocurrent than 1:4 device and obtained over 50 MHz of cutoff frequency under reverse bias voltage of 10 V. This result suggests that F8T2:PCBM device can be applied to a photodetector for detecting several tens of megahertz optical signals under blue light irradiation. The polarity of J–V characteristics of F8T2:fullerene derivative device is strongly affected by charge injection and extraction between fullerene derivative and electrodes.     

Charge-associated effects of fullerene derivatives on microbial structural integrity and central metabolism

The effects of four types of fullerene compounds (C60, C60-OH, C60-COOH, C60-NH2) were examined on two model microorganisms (Escherichia coli W3110 and Shewanella oneidensis MR-1). Positively charged C60-NH2 at concentrations as low as 10 mg/L inhibited growth and reduced substrate uptake for both microorganisms. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed damage to cellular structures. Neutrally charged C60 and C60-OH had mild negative effects on S. oneidensis MR-1, whereas the negatively charged C60-COOH did not affect either microorganism's growth. The effect of fullerene compounds on global metabolism was further investigated using [3-13C]L-lactate isotopic labeling, which tracks perturbations to metabolic reaction rates in bacteria by examining the change in the isotopic labeling pattern in the resulting metabolites (often amino acids).1-3 The 13C isotopomer analysis from all fullerene-exposed cultures revealed no significant differences in isotopomer distributions from unstressed cells. This result indicates that microbial central metabolism is robust to environmental stress inflicted by fullerene nanoparticles. In addition, although C60-NH2 compounds caused mechanical stress on the cell wall or membrane, both S. oneidensis MR-1 and E. coli W3110 can efficiently alleviate such stress by cell aggregation and precipitation of the toxic nanoparticles. The results presented here favor the hypothesis that fullerenes cause more membrane stress 4-6 than perturbation to energy metabolism.7.     

Comparison of inter- and intra-chromosomal aberrations in blood samples exposed to different dose rates of gamma radiation

Peripheral blood samples obtained from a normal healthy volunteer were exposed in vitro to gamma radiation with various doses at different dose rates of 1.0, 0.1 and 0.0014 Gy min(-1). The exposed samples were analysed for different chromosomal aberrations such as dicentrics (DC), centric rings (CR) and double-minutes (DM). The ratio of DC chromosomes (inter) to the total number of centric rings (CR) and double-minutes (DM) (CR + DM = intra) were analysed for all the three dose rates. The study showed that the frequency of inter-arm chromosomal aberrations was more then three times higher than that observed with intra-arm chromosomal aberrations in samples exposed at a dose rate of 1.0 and 0.1 Gy min (-1). However, the frequency of inter- and intra-arm chromosomal aberrations were almost same (ratio 1:1) in samples exposed at a dose rate of 0.0014 Gy min(-1). This paper discusses the usefulness of the ratio of inter- and intra-arm chromosome aberration in finding out whether the sample was exposed to high or low dose rate radiation.     

Direct writing of semiconducting polythiophene and fullerene derivatives composite from bulk heterojunction solar cell by inkjet printing

The direct writing approach of poly(3-hexylthiophene):[6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT:PCBM) composite from bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) solar cell was efficiently addressed by inkjet printing technology using conventional chlorobenzene ink solution. The structure of inkjet-printed P3TH:PCBM BHJ film was fabricated by the repetitive direct writing of new line overlapped partially on former line. The best structure of P3HT:PCBM film for BHJ solar cell was observed from inkjet printing condition of around 50% of droplet overlaps with 2 wt.% BHJ ink at 25 °C of substrate temperature. The maximum power conversion efficiency reached 2.83% with an open circuit voltage of 0.62 V, a short circuit current density of 8.60 mA/cm², and a fill factor of 0.53 under air mass 1.5 G irradiation (100 mW/cm²).     

C60 fullerene derivatized nanoparticles and their application to therapeutics

Fullerenes can be formed into many new materials and devices. They have a wide range of applications in medicine, electronics, biomaterials, and energy production. An overview of the nanostructure and the physical and chemical characteristics of fullerene-drug derivatives is given. The biological behavior of fullerene derivatives shows their potential to medical application fields because C(60) is rapidly absorbed by tissues and is excreted through urinary tract and enterons, which reveals low toxicity in vitro and in vivo studies. Nanomedicine has become one of the most promising areas of nanotechnology, while many have claimed its therapeutic use against cancer, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and neurodegenerative disorders. Water-soluble C(60) fullerene derivatives that come from chemical modification largely enhance the biological efficacy. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a physical barrier composed of endothelial tight junctions that restrict the paracellular permeability. A major challenge facing neuropharmacology is to find compounds that can be delivered into the brain through the bloodstream. Fullerene C(60) was demonstratively able to cross the BBB by hybridizing a biologically active moiety dyad, which provides a promising clue as a pharmacological therapy of neural disorders.     

Mechanical characteristics of self-compacting concretes with different filler materials,exposed to elevated temperatures

In this paper, the studies concern the influence that different fillers have on the properties of SCC of different strength classes when exposed to high temperatures. A total of six different SCC and two conventional concrete mixtures were produced. The specimens produced are placed at the age of 180 days in an electrical furnace which is capable of reaching 300°C at half an hour and 600°C at 70 min. The maximum temperature is maintained for an hour. Then the specimens are let to cool down in the furnace. The hardened properties measured after fire exposures are the compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, water capillary absorption and the ultrasonic pulse velocity. Explosive spalling occurred in most cases when specimens of higher strength class are exposed to high temperatures. The spalling tendency is increased for specimens of higher strength class C30/37 irrespective of the mixture type (SCC or NC) and the type of filler used.     

Hydrogen sieving and storage in fullerene intercalated graphite

The geometrical properties of recently synthesised C60 intercalated in graphite have been confirmed by density-functional-based computer simulations. The capability of this material to store molecular hydrogen by physisorption is evaluated. While the material can sieve H2 from heavier molecular gases, our free energy calculations indicate that further tuning of the system by reducing the amount of intercalated fullerene cages is necessary to achieve H2 loadings which are interesting for technical applications.     

Estimation of dose rates to humans exposed to elevated natural radioactivity through different pathways in the island of Ikaria, Greece

A radiological survey has been carried out in the island of Ikaria based on the natural radionuclide inventory in abiotic environment and the consequent dose rate assessment for the critical groups of population. The island of Ikaria-Aegean Sea, Greece is characterised by the presence of mineral and thermo-mineral springs, which have an apparent influence on natural background radiation of the island. The levels of natural radionuclides in spring water (either for spa treatment and household use), potable water (local domestic network), and rock and soil samples were measured in this island. The concentrations of (222)Rn and natural gamma emitters were found to be significantly elevated in spring water and some rock and soil samples. In terms of NORM and TENORM, the external and internal dose rates (mSv y(-1)) were estimated in three groups of population selected on the basis of water use as: habitants of the island, working personnel and bathers in spa installations. According to the derived results, the working personnel in the thermal spa installations are exposed to significant radiological risk due to waterborne (222)Rn with a maximum dose rate up to 35 mSv y(-1), which led to overexposure in terms of the 20 mSv y(-1) professional limits. Therefore, this group can be considered as the critical one for the radiological impact assessment in the island.     

Nanoscale modeling of an embedded multi-shell fullerene and its application to vibrational analysis

In this paper, nanoscale modeling of a multi-shell fullerene embedded in an elastic medium and its application to vibrational analysis is investigated. The spherical layers of the multi-shell fullerene are concentrically nested, with carbon-carbon van der Waals interactions between them. Also, the whole multi-shell fullerene is influenced by polymer-carbon van der Waals forces from the surrounding elastic medium. The elasticity generated by the carbon-carbon bonds is assumed to be distributed isotropically over the fullerene surfaces. Following derivation of explicit equations for the motion of the multi-shell fullerene, vibrational behavior of a double-shell fullerene is analyzed and resonant frequencies and the associated mode shapes are determined.     

Bonding nature and structural phase transition in fullerene based nanomaterials

Rare-earth-metal-doped fullerides with a nominal composition of R3C70 (R = Sm, Eu, Yb) adopt a pseudomonoclinic structure in which C70 dimers glued with rare-earth ions are involved. High-temperature powder X-ray diffraction experiments revealed that the dimers undergo reversible first-order structural phase transitions, associated with reduction of the unit cell volume, similar to the results observed in previous high-pressure experiments. Structural analyses showed that C70 molecules are realigned to form closely packed structures, causing a reduction of volume at high temperature. The derived charge density map indicates that the transitions can be regarded as reversible structural changes from fullerene dimers to monomers. These features are ascribed to the unique bonding nature of rare-earth C70 compounds.     

Nanoparticle-assisted high photoconductive gain in composites of polymer and fullerene

Polymer-inorganic nanocrystal composites offer an attractive means to combine the merits of organic and inorganic materials into novel electronic and photonic systems. However, many applications of these composites are limited by the solubility and distribution of the nanocrystals in the polymer matrices. Here we show that blending CdTe nanoparticles into a polymer-fullerene matrix followed by solvent annealing can achieve high photoconductive gain under low applied voltages. The surface capping ligand renders the nanoparticles highly soluble in the polymer blend, thereby enabling high CdTe loadings. An external quantum efficiency as high as approximately 8,000% at 350 nm was achieved at -4.5 V. Hole-dominant devices coupled with atomic force microscopy images show a higher concentration of nanoparticles near the cathode-polymer interface. The nanoparticles and trapped electrons assist hole injection into the polymer under reverse bias, contributing to efficiency values in excess of 100%.     

Composition and annealing effects in polythiophene/fullerene solar cells

We have fabricated organic solar cells with blends of regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and 1-(3-methoxycarbonyl)-propyl-1-phenyl-(6,6)C₆₁ (PCBM) as electron donor and electron acceptor, respectively. Blend composition and device annealing effects were investigated with optical absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, photocurrent spectroscopy, and current-voltage characteristic measurements on devices under monochromatic or air mass (AM) 1.5 simulated solar light illumination. The highest efficiency was achieved for the 1:1 (P3HT:PCBM) weight ratio composition. The good performance is attributed to an optimized morphology that enables close intermolecular packing of P3HT chains. Inferior performance for the 1:2 composition is attributed to poorer intermolecular packing with increased PCBM content, while phase segregation on a sub-micron scale was observed for the 1:4 composition. The power conversion efficiency (AM 1.5) was doubled by the thermal annealing of devices at 140^∘C to reach a value of 1.4%.     

Acoustic emission in dislocation-containing silicon exposed to current and thermal influences

An investigation was made of acoustic emission in silicon single crystals during passage of an electric current. It was observed that in the temperature range studied (T=300−450K) acoustic emission signals whose intensity increases with increasing dislocation density are excited in a static electric field. The acoustic emission of silicon single crystals with and without dislocations is compared. It is assumed that the acoustic emission in silicon is caused by the unpinning and migration of dislocations under the influence of the direct electric current and thermoelastic stresses. The activation energy of this process is estimated as E=0.53±0.05 eV during passage of a direct current of density j=2.8×10⁵ A/m². Pis’ma Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 25, 28–32 (February 12, 1999)     

Dispersion of luminescent nanoparticles in different derivatives of poly(ethyl methacrylate)

Gd2O3:Tb(5%) nanoparticles were prepared via the polyol route and dispersed without any stabilizer in several ethyl methacrylate derivatives matrices such as poly(ethyl methacrylate), poly(2-methoxyethyl methacrylate) and poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA). Nanocomposites were obtained via free-radical polymerization of methacrylic monomers with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as crosslinker and colloidal solution of Gd2O3:Tb(5%) nanoparticles. Best results are obtained with PHEMA in which the dispersed Gd2O3:Tb(5%) nanoparticles are spherical with a mean diameter of 15 nm, as measured by TEM. The obtained solid Gd2O3:Tb(5%)/PHEMA nanocomposites are highly transparent (in the visible spectral range) and exhibit characteristic photoluminescence of Tb3+ 5D4-7F(J) (J = 6-3), with 5D4-7F5 strong green emission at 536 nm upon UV excitation. The nanoparticles and nanocomposites have been well characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscope (TEM), UV/Vis transmission spectra, photoluminescence excitation, and emission spectra.     

Angular dependence of the TL reading of thin alpha-Al2O3:C dosemeters exposed to different beta spectra

The angular dependence of the thermoluminescent (TL) signal of thin alpha-Al2O3:C dosemeters was investigated for a series of beta-emitting radionuclides commonly employed in nuclear medicine and characterised by different mean energies (99Tc, 177Lu, 90Sr/90Y and 90Y). Irradiations were performed in a controlled geometry, using a properly designed irradiator intended to realistically reproduce the situation of exposure of hospital personnel to beta-emitting pharmaceuticals. Under the conditions of extended source and short source to detector distance, the TL signal of thin alpha-Al2O3:C layers per unit irradiation time was observed to be independent on the angle of incidence within acceptable limits, particularly for those radionuclides with maximum energy >500 keV. This property may be easily explained by using simple physical considerations, such as the limited thickness of the dosemeters. The results confirm that these detectors are suitable for beta-ray extremity dose measurements, when the photon contribution is negligible, as in the case considered.