Aloe vera incorporated biomimetic nanofibrous scaffold: a regenerative approach for skin tissue engineering

Aloe vera (AV) is one of the medicinal herbs with a well-established spectrum of wound healing, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory property. AV-mediated therapeutics present significant tissue regenerative activity by modulating the inflammatory and proliferative phases of wound healing. The purpose of the present work was to combine the biological properties of AV and the advantages of electrospun meshes to prepare a potent transdermal biomaterial. The polycaprolactone (PCL) containing 5 and 10 wt % of lyophilized powder of AV was studied for electrospinning into nanoscale fiber mats and compared with PCL/Collagen blend for dermal substitutes. SEM revealed the average diameters of PCL, PCL-AV 5 %, PCL-AV 10 % and PCL/Collagen nanofiber scaffolds in the range of 519 ± 28, 264 ± 46, 215 ± 63 and 249 ± 52 nm, respectively. PCL-AV 10 % nanofiber scaffolds showed finer fiber morphology with improved hydrophilic properties and higher tensile strength of 6.28 MPa with a Young’s modulus of 16.11 MPa desirable for skin tissue engineering. The nanofibers were then used to investigate differences in biological responses in terms of proliferation and cell morphology of mice dermal fibroblasts. It was found that PCL-AV 10 % nanofibrous matrix favored cell proliferation compared to other scaffolds which almost increased linearly by (p ≤ 0.01) 17.79 % and (p ≤ 0.01) 21.28 % compared to PCL on sixth and ninth day. CMFDA dye expression, secretion of collagen and F-actin expression were significantly increased in PCL-AV 10 % scaffolds compared to other nanofibrous scaffolds. The obtained results proved that the PCL-AV 10 % nanofibrous scaffold is a potential biomaterial for skin tissue regeneration.     

Scanning droplet cell investigations on single grains of a FeAlCr light weight ferritic steel

Polycrystalline Fe7.5Al7Cr is a ferritic light weight steel that shows a strong anisotropic dissolution behaviour. This electrochemical phenomenon was investigated by use of a scanning droplet cell (SDC). The crystallographic orientation of the single grains was determined by electron back scatter diffraction (EBSD). The fraction of grains with a near 〈1 1 1〉 orientation (<10°) was 1.88 times higher than that of the near 〈0 0 1〉 orientation prior to annealing and 3.58 times higher after annealing. Voltammograms were performed on single grains with low index planes. The critical current density was 53% higher on 〈0 0 1〉 grains as compared to 〈1 1 1〉 grains. These results are used to discuss the electrochemical behaviour of the polycrystalline FeAlCr.     

Cowpea cooking characteristics as affected by micronisation temperature: a study of the physicochemical and functional properties of starch

Bechuana white cowpeas were micronised to three temperatures (130, 153 and 170 °C). Cooking properties of the cowpea seeds and the role of starch‐related properties were studied. In all cases, micronisation significantly reduced the cooking time and thus the time required for the cowpea seeds to attain a suitably soft texture. This was attributed in part to the significant improvement in rate of water absorption during cooking and starch pre‐gelatinisation, as evidenced by loss of birefringence and increased susceptibility of the cowpea starch to α‐amylase digestion. However, micronisation to 170 °C resulted in a severe deterioration in pasting properties of the cowpea flour, possibly due to starch depolymerisation and/or amylose‐associated crosslinking. Owing to these changes, cowpea seeds micronised to 170 °C required a longer cooking time than the other two micronised samples. Flour prepared from cowpea seeds micronised to 170 °C may have limited starch functionality. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

Cracking of concrete structures due to imposed strains with regard to design of reinforcement

The principles for control of cracking in concrete structures due to imposed strain are investigated in this paper. The effects of uniform and non-uniform cooling and shrinkage are studied in medium-thick walls with regard to the amount of reinforcement necessary to distribute cracks. The influence of reinforcement on the behavior after the first crack is investigated, in particular its ability to reduce crack widths. The restraint force is significantly reduced for non-uniformly distributed imposed strain due to softening and cracking in the concrete. The amount of minimum reinforcement needed to distribute cracks is therefore significantly smaller for imposed strain in the form of drying shrinkage than for thermal imposed strain. Crack reinforcement is most effective for structures with large dimensions in the direction of external restraint.     

CAVITATION MODELING WITH A CFD APPROACH

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Improving stability and release kinetics of microencapsulated tetanus toxoid by co-encapsulation of additives

PURPOSE: Tetanus toxoid (Ttxd) encapsulated in polyester microspheres (MS) for single injection immunization have so far given pulsatile in vitro release and strong immune response in animals, but no boosting effect. This has been ascribed to insufficient toxoid stability within the MS exposed to in vivo conditions over a prolonged time period. This study examined the effect of co-encapsulated putative stabilizing additives. METHODS: Two different Ttxd were encapsulated in poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA 50:50) and poly(D,L-lactic acid) (PLA) MS by spray-drying. The influence of co-encapsulated additives on toxoid stability, loading in and release from the MS, was studied by fluorimetry and ELISA. RESULTS: Co-encapsulated albumin, trehalose and gamma-hydroxypropyl cyclodextrin all improved the toxoid encapsulation efficiency in PLGA 50:50 MS. Albumin increased the encapsulation efficiency of antigenic Ttxd by one to two orders of magnitude. Further, with albumin or a mixture of albumin and trehalose ELISA responsive Ttxd was released over 1-2 months following a pulsatile pattern. CONCLUSIONS: Optimized Ttxd containing MS may be valuable for a single-dose vaccine delivery system.