Electrospun poly(L‐lactide)/poly(ε‐caprolactone) blend fibers and their cellular response to adipose‐derived stem cells

Polymer blending is one of the most effective methods for providing new, desirable biocomposites for tissue‐engineering applications. In this study, electrospun poly(L ‐lactide)/poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PLLA/PCL) blend fibrous membranes with defect‐free morphology and uniform diameter were optimally prepared by a 1 : 1 ratio of PLLA/PCL blend under a solution concentration of 10 wt %, an applied voltage of 20 kV, and a tip‐to‐collector distance of 15 cm. The fibrous membranes also showed a porous structure and high ductility. Because of the rapid solidification of polymer solution during electrospinning, the crystallinity of electrospun PLLA/PCL blend fibers was much lower than that of the PLLA/PCL blend cast film. To obtain an initial understanding of biocompatibility, adipose‐derived stem cells (ADSCs) were used as seed cells to assess the cellular response, including morphology, proliferation, viability, attachment, and multilineage differentiation on the PLLA/PCL blend fibrous scaffold. Because of the good biocompatibility and nontoxic effect on ADSCs, the PLLA/PCL blend electrospun fibrous membrane provided a high‐performance scaffold for feasible application in tissue engineering using ADSCs. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Elevated temperature nanoindentation behaviour of polyamide 6

It has been found, in this study, that there is no close correlation between the tensile and nanoindentation moduli of polyamide 6 (PA6) at high temperatures. It is demonstrated that heat modifies the surface of PA6 specimens, but its effect on the nanomechanical properties is minor. The main spurious factor which affects the nanoindentation results is adhesion, especially at low indentation depths. The overestimation in the measured indentation moduli can be corrected by performing indentations with loads high enough so that the modulus is independent of the applied load. It is concluded that the lack of strict correlations between the tensile and indentation moduli (after corrections of adhesion) is caused by the shift in the glass transition temperature of PA6 owing to the hydrostatic stress imposed by the indenter. Further proof is given with two examples on hydrostatic pressure‐dependent polymers: polytetrafluoroethylene and polycarbonate. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Interactions between Artemisinins and other Antimalarial Drugs in Relation to the Cofactor Model—A Unifying Proposal for Drug Action

Artemisinins are proposed to act in the malaria parasite cytosol by oxidizing dihydroflavin cofactors of redox‐active flavoenzymes, and under aerobic conditions by inducing their autoxidation. Perturbation of redox homeostasis coupled with the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) ensues. Ascorbic acid–methylene blue (MB), N‐benzyl‐1,4‐dihydronicotinamide (BNAH)–MB, BNAH–lumiflavine, BNAH–riboflavin (RF), and NADPH–FAD–E. coli flavin reductase (Fre) systems at pH 7.4 generate leucomethylene blue (LMB) and reduced flavins that are rapidly oxidized in situ by artemisinins. These oxidations are inhibited by the 4‐aminoquinolines piperaquine (PPQ), chloroquine (CQ), and others. In contrast, the arylmethanols lumefantrine, mefloquine (MFQ), and quinine (QN) have little or no effect. Inhibition correlates with the antagonism exerted by 4‐aminoquinolines on the antimalarial activities of MB, RF, and artemisinins. Lack of inhibition correlates with the additivity/synergism between the arylmethanols and artemisinins. We propose association via π complex formation between the 4‐aminoquinolines and LMB or the dihydroflavins; this hinders hydride transfer from the reduced conjugates to the artemisinins. The arylmethanols have a decreased tendency to form π complexes, and so exert no effect. The parallel between chemical reactivity and antagonism or additivity/synergism draws attention to the mechanism of action of all drugs described herein. CQ and QN inhibit the formation of hemozoin in the parasite digestive vacuole (DV). The buildup of heme–Fe^III results in an enhanced efflux from the DV into the cytosol. In addition, the lipophilic heme–Fe^III complexes of CQ and QN that form in the DV are proposed to diffuse across the DV membrane. At the higher pH of the cytosol, the complexes decompose to liberate heme–Fe^III. The quinoline or arylmethanol reenters the DV, and so transfers more heme–Fe^III out of the DV. In this way, the 4‐aminoquinolines and arylmethanols exert antimalarial activities by enhancing heme–Fe^III and thence free Fe^III concentrations in the cytosol. The iron species enter into redox cycles through reduction of Fe^III to Fe^II largely mediated by reduced flavin cofactors and likely also by NAD(P)H–Fre. Generation of ROS through oxidation of Fe^II by oxygen will also result. The cytotoxicities of artemisinins are thereby reinforced by the iron. Other aspects of drug action are emphasized. In the cytosol or DV, association by π complex formation between pairs of lipophilic drugs must adversely influence the pharmacokinetics of each drug. This explains the antagonism between PPQ and MFQ, for example. The basis for the antimalarial activity of RF mirrors that of MB, wherein it participates in redox cycling that involves flavoenzymes or Fre, resulting in attrition of NAD(P)H. The generation of ROS by artemisinins and ensuing Fenton chemistry accommodate the ability of artemisinins to induce membrane damage and to affect the parasite SERCA PfATP6 Ca²⁺ transporter. Thus, the effect exerted by artemisinins is more likely a downstream event involving ROS that will also be modulated by mutations in PfATP6. Such mutations attenuate, but cannot abrogate, antimalarial activities of artemisinins. Overall, parasite resistance to artemisinins arises through enhancement of antioxidant defense mechanisms.     

Novel Thermally Conductive Thermoplastic/Ceramic Composite Foams

Multifunctional materials that are lightweight and thermally conductive but electrically insulating are important for modern electronics, computer, and telecommunication technologies. Here, a novel foam structure of a polymer/matrix composite filled with ceramic platelets with improved thermal conductivity is reported. Such improvement is caused by the stress‐induced alignment of thermally conductive fillers in the cell wall of the plastic foam. The foam structure is very promising for use as a lightweight electronic packaging material owing to its light weight, thermal conduction ability, electrical insulation, and good processability.

     

SnO2 nanorod arrays: low temperature growth, surface modification and field emission properties

SnO(2) nanorod arrays have been deposited on 4 inch SiO(2)/Si and Si wafers and stainless steel substrates by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition without any high temperature treatment or additional catalysis. The SnO(2) nanorods grow up from seed nanocrystals along the [110] preferential direction by a self-catalyzed vapor-solid growth mechanism. The surface of the SnO(2) nanorods was modified by ZnO, Pt and Ni nanocrystals. After surface modification, the field emission properties of the SnO(2) nanorod arrays are improved. The Ni nanocrystal with sharp tips and edges act as additional field emission sites to SnO(2) nanorods and thus the Ni/SnO(2)/SiO(2)/Si outperforms other samples due to the synergistic effects of good conductivity and hierarchical sharp apexes. The field enhancement factor of the Ni/SnO(2)/SiO(2)/Si increased around 3 times while the turn-on field of 8.0 V μm(-1) is about one third of the SnO(2)/SiO(2)/Si device.     

Environmental factors and kinetics of microbial degradation of poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐3‐hydroxyvalerate) in an aqueous medium

Environmental factors such as oxygen, temperature, and microbial species may have significant effects on decomposition of biodegradable polymers. A representative biodegradable, thermoplastic polymer, poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV), was decomposed in an aqueous medium under controlled laboratory conditions by soil microbes for the intrinsic degradation kinetics and the effects of the environmental factors on polymer biodegradation. The amount of proteins, including the PHBV depolymerases, that attached to the polymer surfaces was quite constant during the period of significant mass loss of the polymer specimens. The microbial polymer degradation followed a zero‐order rate model, so the residual mass fraction of PHBV films declined linearly with time. The mixed aerobic microbial organisms from fertile soil showed a higher activity of polymer degradation than an aerobic PHBV‐producing bacterium and the mixed anaerobes in the same soil. The mixed anaerobic microorganisms from barren soil decomposed the polymer at a slower rate than the anaerobes from fertile soil, and this was attributed to fewer microbial cells in the barren soil instead of the difference in the microbial species. The temperature effect on PHBV degradation can be described with an Arrhenius equation, and the activation energy is around 16 kcal/mol. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 87: 205–213, 2003     

Micromechanical properties on the surface of PVC/SBR blends spatially resolved by a nanoindentation technique

The microhardness and micromodulus on the surface of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC)/styrene‐butadiene rubber (SBR) blends were determined using a nanoindenter. A flat surface was obtained by microtoming the sample at ?100°C in liquid nitrogen. Dozens of indents along a line with a spatial interval of 0.5 μm were performed. From the loading and unloading curves of each indentation, the stiffnesses of the unloading curve and the contact area between the sample and the indenter were evaluated, and the local modulus and hardness were calculated. Profiles of the local hardness and modulus were obtained from the lines of indents. Pure PVC and a miscible PVC/acrylonitrile‐butadiene rubber (NBR) (40/10) blend showed constant modulus and hardness values. In the case of an immiscible PVC/SBR (50/50) blend, which has a morphology of elongated PVC droplets in the SBR matrix, the hardness and modulus profiles showed regions of the different phases. At the interface between the SBR and PVC phases, a step change in the modulus and hardness profiles was observed. The force required to deform the material at the same displacement increased systematically across the interface from the SBR to the PVC phase because of the increasing contribution of the PVC phase. Polym. Eng. Sci. 44:609–614, 2004. © 2004 Society of Plastics Engineers.     

Microstress in Reaction‐Bonded SiC from Crystallization Expansion of Silicon

Microstress in reaction‐bonded silicon carbide (RBSiC) has been measured using piezo‐Raman spectroscopy. Compressive microstresses as high as 2 GPa exist in the silicon phase and tensile microstresses as high as 2.3 GPa exist in the SiC phase of RBSiC. This is much larger than expected for thermoelastic microstress from coefficient of thermal expansion mismatch would provide. Instead the microstresses arise from the crystallization of liquid silicon. During the reaction bonding process, not all of the silicon reacts to form SiC and there is liquid free silicon. The phase transformation of the free silicon from liquid to solid has a large volume expansion, which results in large residual microstress within the silicon and SiC phases of RBSiC.