Moldless Printing of Silicone Lenses with Embedded Nanostructured Optical Filters

In this work, both light‐shaping and image magnification features are integrated into a single lens element using a moldless procedure that takes advantage of the physical and optical properties of mesoporous silicon (PSi) photonic crystal nanostructures. Casting of a liquid poly(dimethylsiloxane) pre‐polymer solution onto a PSi film generates a droplet with a contact angle that is readily controlled by the silicon nanostructure, and adhesion of the cured polymer to the PSi photonic crystal allows preparation of lightweight (10 mg) freestanding lenses (4.7 mm focal length) with an embedded optical component (e.g., optical rugate filter, resonant cavity, and distributed Bragg reflector). The fabrication process shows excellent reliability (yield 95%) and low cost and the lens is expected to have implications in a wide range of applications. As a proof‐of‐concept, using a single monolithic lens/filter element it is demonstrated: fluorescence imaging of isolated human cancer cells with rejection of the blue excitation light, through a lens that is self‐adhered to a commercial smartphone; shaping of the emission spectrum of a white light emitting diode to tune the color from red through blue; and selection of a narrow wavelength band (bandwidth 5 nm) from a fluorescent molecular probe.     

Photoactive Electrodes Incorporating Electrosprayed Bacterial Reaction Centers

Highly efficient light absorption and charge separation within the photosystem and reaction center (RC) complexes of photosynthetic plants and bacteria are of great interest for solar cell and photo detector applications, since they offer almost unity quantum yield and expected ultimate power conversion efficiencies of more than 18% and 12%, respectively. In addition, the charge separated states created by these protein complexes are very long lived compared to conventional semiconductor solar cells. In this work, a novel technique is presented for the deposition of photosynthetic protein complexes, by electrospraying RCs of Rhodobacter sphaeroides onto highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) electrodes. Remarkably, it is shown that the RCs not only survive exposure to the high electric fields but also yield peak photocurrent densities of up to 7 μA cm^?2, which is equal to the highest value reported to date.     

Minimum-energy broadcast and multicast in wireless networks: An integer programming approach and improved heuristic algorithms

Both integer programming models and heuristic algorithms have been proposed for finding minimum-energy broadcast and multicast trees in wireless ad hoc networks. Among heuristic algorithms, the broadcast/multicast incremental power (BIP/MIP) algorithm is most known. The theoretical performance of BIP/MIP has been quantified in several studies. To assess the empirical performance of BIP/MIP and other heuristic algorithms, it is necessary to compute an optimal tree or a very good lower bound of the optimum. In this paper, we present an integer programming approach as well as improved heuristic algorithms. Our integer programming approach comprises a novel integer model and a relaxation scheme. Unlike previously proposed models, the continuous relaxation of our model leads to a very sharp lower bound of the optimum. Our relaxation scheme allows for performance evaluation of heuristics without having to compute optimal trees. Our contributions to heuristic algorithms consist of the power-improving algorithm successive power adjustment (SPA), and improved time complexity of some previously suggested algorithms. We report extensive numerical experiments. Algorithm SPA finds better solutions in comparison to a host of other algorithms. Moreover, the integer programming approach shows that trees found by algorithm SPA are optimal or near-optimal.     

Bioinspired Scaffolds with Varying Pore Architectures and Mechanical Properties

Scaffolds with potential biological applications having a variety of microstructural and mechanical properties can be fabricated by freezing colloidal solutions into porous solids. In this work, the structural and mechanical properties of TiO₂ freeze cast with different soluble additives, including polyethylene glycol, NaOH or HCl, and isopropanol alcohol, are characterized to determine the effects of slurry viscosity, pH, and alcohol concentration on the freezing process. TiO₂ powders mixed with water and these different additives are directionally frozen in a mold, then sublimated and sintered to create the porous scaffolds. The different scaffolds are characterized to compare the compressive strength, modulus, porosity, and pore morphology. For all scaffolds, the overall porosity remains constant (80–85%). By changing the concentration of each additive, the lamellar thickness, pore area, and aspect ratio vary significantly, showing inverse relationships to both the compressive strength and modulus. The strength is predicted from the pore aspect ratio of the scaffolds when subjected to compressive loading with the primary failure mode identified as Euler buckling. TiO₂ scaffolds freeze cast with different soluble additives are suitable for biomedical applications, such as bone replacements, requiring high porosity and specific pore morphologies.     

Lubricant‐Infused Nanoparticulate Coatings Assembled by Layer‐by‐Layer Deposition

Omniphobic coatings are designed to repel a wide range of liquids without leaving stains on the surface. A practical coating should exhibit stable repellency, show no interference with color or transparency of the underlying substrate and, ideally, be deposited in a simple process on arbitrarily shaped surfaces. We use layer‐by‐layer (LbL) deposition of negatively charged silica nanoparticles and positively charged polyelectrolytes to create nanoscale surface structures that are further surface‐functionalized with fluorinated silanes and infiltrated with fluorinated oil, forming a smooth, highly repellent coating on surfaces of different materials and shapes. We show that four or more LbL cycles introduce sufficient surface roughness to effectively immobilize the lubricant into the nanoporous coating and provide a stable liquid interface that repels water, low‐surface‐tension liquids and complex fluids. The absence of hierarchical structures and the small size of the silica nanoparticles enables complete transparency of the coating, with light transmittance exceeding that of normal glass. The coating is mechanically robust, maintains its repellency after exposure to continuous flow for several days and prevents adsorption of streptavidin as a model protein. The LbL process is conceptually simple, of low cost, environmentally benign, scalable, automatable and therefore may present an efficient synthetic route to non‐fouling materials.     

Porous Silicon Nanoparticles Embedded in Poly(lactic‐co‐glycolic acid) Nanofiber Scaffolds Deliver Neurotrophic Payloads to Enhance Neuronal Growth

Scaffolds made from biocompatible polymers provide physical cues to direct the extension of neurites and to encourage repair of damaged nerves. The inclusion of neurotrophic payloads in these scaffolds can substantially enhance regrowth and repair processes. However, many promising neurotrophic candidates are excluded from this approach due to incompatibilities with the polymer or with the polymer processing conditions. This work provides one solution to this problem by incorporating porous silicon nanoparticles (pSiNPs) that are preloaded with the therapeutic into a polymer scaffold during fabrication. The nanoparticle‐drug‐polymer hybrids are prepared in the form of oriented poly(lactic‐co‐glycolic acid) nanofiber scaffolds. Three different therapeutic payloads are tested: bpV(HOpic), a small molecule inhibitor of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN); an RNA aptamer specific to tropomyosin‐related kinase receptor type B (TrkB); and the protein nerve growth factor (NGF). Each therapeutic is loaded using a loading chemistry that is optimized to slow the rate of release of these water‐soluble payloads. The drug‐loaded pSiNP‐nanofiber hybrids release approximately half of their TrkB aptamer, bpV(HOpic), or NGF payload in 2, 10, and >40 days, respectively. The nanofiber hybrids increase neurite extension relative to drug‐free control nanofibers in a dorsal root ganglion explant assay.     

Influence of Variety,Moisture Content,Kernel Size and Applied Current Frequency on the Electric Properties of Wheat Grain

The work aimed at determination of electric properties of wheat grain in dependence on its variety, moisture, geometrical features of kernels and applied current frequency. Wheat grain of 4 Polish winter varieties: Korweta, Juma, Mikon and Kobra from harvest 2001 were used as the material for study. Grain was sized into 3 fractions: (1) > 2,8mm, (2) 2,5–2,8mm, and (3) 2,2–2,5mm. Basic geometrical features were determined for not sorted grain (control sample) and its three fractions by the use of digital image analysis. Electric properties of grain (at 11% and 15% moisture content) have been performed with the Hewlett Packard 4263B meter. Measurements of impedance, resistance, admittance, conductance, as well as equivalent parallel capacitance and equivalent series capacitance were made. Obtained results were subjected to statistical analysis with the use of Statistica? programme. Changes in electric properties of grain significantly depended on all of studied factors. Most of all significant correlations appeared between geometrical features and studied electric properties of grain of 15% moisture. Statistical analysis of the results proved significant linear correlations between electric properties of kernels and their length, perimeter and circularity coefficient R_C2 at higher measurement frequencies.