Effects of plasma treatment on biocompatibility of poly[(L‐lactide)‐co‐(ϵ‐caprolactone)] and poly[(L‐lactide)‐co‐glycolide] electrospun nanofibrous membranes

Poly[(l ‐lactide)‐co ‐(? ‐caprolactone)] (PLCL) and poly[(l ‐lactide)‐co ‐glycolide] (PLGA) copolymers are widely used in neural guide tissue regeneration. In this research, the surface modification of their hydrophilicity was achieved using plasma treatment. Attachment and proliferation of olfactory ensheathing cells on treated electrospun membranes increased by 26 and 32%, respectively, compared to the untreated PLCL and PLGA counterparts. Cells cultivated on both the PLCL and PLGA membranes showed high viability (>95%) and healthy morphologies with no evidence of cytotoxic effects. Cells grown on treated electrospun fibres displayed significant increases in mitochondrial activity and reductions in membrane leakage when compared to untreated samples. The results suggested that plasma treatment of the surface of the polymers enhanced both cell viability and growth without incurring any cytotoxic effects. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry     

A Water Cyclone to Preserve Insoluble Aerosols in Liquid Flow—An Interface to Flow Cytometry to Detect Airborne Nucleic Acid

A miniature cyclone was designed to gently capture fine aerosols into a continuous liquid flow. The geometry of the cyclone was designed so that the friction of the turning air swirls a 100 μl volume of water at the base of the cone, creating a standing liquid vortex which coats the inside deposition surface. The collection efficiency of the cyclone was characterized as a function of insoluble particle size, both in stand-alone operation and preceded by aerosol growth by water vapor condensation. The aerosol growth lowered the smallest collected particle size and created synonymous sample-into-substrate material conditions at the point of impact. The cyclone collection efficiencies were higher than 88% for the fluorescent polystyrene latex bead diameter sizes 50–3000 nm. The cyclone was further interfaced to a flow cytometer to detect airborne nucleic acid (as a virus test aerosol) in the cyclone sample flow. The flow cytometer, which is commonly used for single cell identification via fluorescence, was modified to accept a continuous sample flow (nominal 60 μl min^?1) from the cyclone for real-time detection. A rod-shaped plant virus (Tobamovirus) and a protein-enveloped insect virus (Baculovirus) were aerosolized, collected by the cyclone, and stained inline using the nucleic acid dyes SYBR Green I, SYTO-9, and SYTO-24 (Molecular Probes, Inc.). In addition, an Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM) was used to confirm the collection of single virus particles and qualitatively evaluate the degree to which the aerosolization and collection process affected the integrity of the virus.     

Magnetic separation of Fe catalyst from single-walled carbon nanotubes in an aqueous surfactant solution

We report an efficient technique to separate ferromagnetic catalyst particles from an aqueous surfactant solution of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) by the use of a 1.3 T permanent magnet. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) demonstrates that SWNTs are coated with a surfactant layer that stabilises the aqueous dispersions of SWNTs. The residual quantities of Fe catalyst (∼3%) can be effectively removed from a colloid solution of SWNTs in a magnetic field while absorbance spectra of the initial and purified solutions show that the nanotube diameter distribution remains unchanged.     

DNA Antenna Tile‐Associated Deoxyribozyme Sensor with Improved Sensitivity

Some natural enzymes increase the rate of diffusion‐limited reactions by facilitating substrate flow to their active sites. Inspired by this natural phenomenon, we developed a strategy for efficient substrate delivery to a deoxyribozyme (DZ) catalytic sensor. This resulted in a three‐ to fourfold increase in sensitivity and up to a ninefold improvement in the detection limit. The reported strategy can be used to enhance catalytic efficiency of diffusion‐limited enzymes and to improve sensitivity of enzyme‐based biosensors.     

Three-dimensional microstructural changes in the Ni–YSZ solid oxide fuel cell anode during operation

Microstructural evolution in solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) cermet anodes has been investigated using X-ray nanotomography along with differential absorption imaging. SOFC anode supports composed of Ni and yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) were subjected to extended operation and selected regions were imaged using a transmission X-ray microscope. X-ray nanotomography provides unique insight into microstructure changes of all three phases (Ni, YSZ, pore) in three spatial dimensions, and its relation to performance degradation. Statistically significant 3D microstructural changes were observed in the anode Ni phase over a range of operational times, including phase size growth and changes in connectivity, interfacial contact area and contiguous triple-phase boundary length. These observations support microstructural evolution correlated to SOFC performance. We find that Ni coarsening is driven by particle curvature as indicated by the dihedral angles between the Ni, YSZ and pore phases, and hypothesize that growth occurs primarily by means of diffusion and particle agglomeration constrained by a pinning mechanism related to the YSZ phase. The decrease in Ni phase size after extended periods of time may be the result of a second process connected to a mobility-induced decrease in the YSZ phase size or non-uniform curvature resulting in a net decrease in Ni phase size.     

Quantification of the Bactericidal,Fungicidal, and Sporicidal Efficacy of the JLA Ltd. Ozone Laundering System

The objective of this study was to demonstrate the bactericidal, fungicidal, and sporicidal efficacy of the in-use concentration of ozone in solution generated continuously by the JLA Limited OTEX validated ozone laundering system against a range of typical microorganisms associated with laundering applications. The study used the JLA HC 100 laundering machine as the containment vessel. Test microbial suspensions were introduced directly into the drum of the laundering machine containing a known level of water in the presence of soluble ozone. Using standard microbiological techniques, the numbers of surviving bacteria, mold spores or bacterial spores were determined, and reductions in viable counts were calculated. The following test organisms were employed: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Enterococcus faecalis, E. coli, Acinetobacter baumannii, Aspergillus niger (spores), and Clostridium difficile (spores). All tests used multiple contact times of 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 11 and 15 minutes at 20 °C±2 °C. Levels of ≤0.25 mg/L of dissolved ozone had minimal effect on the bacteria. Levels of >0.45 mg/L ozone showed good biocidal activity, except against Acinetobacter baumannii, which showed strong resistance to ozone. Against fungal spores, dissolved ozone levels of >1.2 mg/L were required to obtain a 2.8 log reduction. For Clostridium difficile spores, a dissolved ozone level between 0.90 and 1.20 mg/L gave >1.6 log reduction with no discernable spore recovery. In every instance, the control tests (no ozone) recovered levels of microorganisms that proved that the action of the laundering machine has no antimicrobial activity, and that the log reductions obtained are solely due to the effects of dissolved ozone.     

Porous polymer monolith templated by small polymer molecules

Porous poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) monoliths have been prepared by UV‐initiated polymerization of PEGDA oligomer (M_n = 700 g/mol). In the mean time, the addition of hydrophobic poly(propylene oxide) (PPO, M_n = 725 g/mol) as porogen into an ethanol solution of PEGDA oligomer to form a homogenous mixture, causes a phase separation between PPO and PEGDA following removal of ethanol by UV heating. Porous PEGDA monolith was prepared by immediate heating at 300°C to remove PPO molecules from the as‐synthesized PEGDA/PPO hybrid. The micrometer pores of the PEGDA monolith have relatively concentrated pore size distribution according to the mercury intrusion porosimetry results and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM).     

Effect of Electrode Microstructure on the Sensitivity and Response Time of Potentiometric NOX Sensors

Nanometric La₂CuO₄ was synthesized with the Pechini method, co-precipitation, and two variations of the auto-ignition technique for fabricating NO _X sensor electrodes. The auto-ignition technique produced the most phase-pure powder with the smallest particle size and the largest specific surface area. The sensor electrodes were subjected to various thermal treatments resulting in a variety of electrode grain sizes and distributions. The response times of the sensors were exponentially dependent on electrode grain size. Sensors with fine-grained electrodes were able to produce a steady-state and consistent voltage at lower temperatures; improving their response sensitivity. Sensors fabricated with powders synthesized through the auto-ignition route responded quickly, sensitively, and reproducibility to NO.     

Metallocene QACs: The Incorporation of Ferrocene Moieties into monoQAC and bisQAC Structures

Inspired by the incorporation of metallocene functionalities into a variety of bioactive structures, particularly antimicrobial peptides, we endeavored to broaden the structural variety of quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) by the incorporation of the ferrocene moiety. Accordingly, 23 ferrocene-containing mono- and bisQACs were prepared in high yields and tested for activity against a variety of bacteria, including Gram-negative strains and a panel of clinically isolated MRSA strains. Ferrocene QACs were shown to be effective antiseptics with some displaying single-digit micromolar activity against all bacteria tested, demonstrating yet another step in the expansion of structural variety of antiseptic QACs.