Nanoengineering Hybrid Supramolecular Multilayered Biomaterials Using Polysaccharides and Self‐Assembling Peptide Amphiphiles

Developing complex supramolecular biomaterials through highly dynamic and reversible noncovalent interactions has attracted great attention from the scientific community aiming key biomedical and biotechnological applications, including tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, or drug delivery. In this study, the authors report the fabrication of hybrid supramolecular multilayered biomaterials, comprising high‐molecular‐weight biopolymers and oppositely charged low‐molecular‐weight peptide amphiphiles (PAs), through combination of self‐assembly and electrostatically driven layer‐by‐layer (LbL) assembly approach. Alginate, an anionic polysaccharide, is used to trigger the self‐assembling capability of positively charged PA and formation of 1D nanofiber networks. The LbL technology is further used to fabricate supramolecular multilayered biomaterials by repeating the alternate deposition of both molecules. The fabrication process is monitored by quartz crystal microbalance, revealing that both materials can be successfully combined to conceive stable supramolecular systems. The morphological properties of the systems are studied by advanced microscopy techniques, revealing the nanostructured dimensions and 1D nanofibrous network of the assembly formed by the two molecules. Enhanced C2C12 cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation are observed on nanostructures having PA as outermost layer. Such supramolecular biomaterials demonstrate to be innovative matrices for cell culture and hold great potential to be used in the near future as promising biomimetic supramolecular nanoplatforms for practical applications.     

Comparison among emission and susceptibility reduction techniques for electromagnetic interference in digital integrated circuits

This paper presents a comparative study of susceptibility reduction techniques for electromagnetic interference (EMI) in digital integrated circuits (ICs). Both direct power injection (DPI) and very-fast transmission-line pulsing (VF-TLP) methods are used to inject interference into the substrate of a single test chip. This IC is built around six functionally identical cores, differing only by their EMI protection strategies (RC protection, isolated substrate, meshed power supply network) which were initially designed for low emission design rules. The ranking of three of these cores in terms of electromagnetic immunity is then compared with the one of their radiated emission, thanks to near-field scanning (NFS) measurements. This leads to the establishing of design guidelines for low EMI in digital ICs.     

Special Issue on the Internet of Things (ISCC 2020)

Journal of Signal Processing Systems -     

Increasing Reliability in Cable-Free Radio LANs Low Level Forwarding in HIPERLAN

Radio LANs are emerging in the computing world. They are supported by distinct configurations: on the one hand radio LANs with base stations and a wired backbone, on the other hand radio LANs implementing Intra-forwarding. Adding a new node in a radio LAN with Intra-forwarding, increases the reliability, while this reliability decreases with ad hoc or hub configurations. This advantage of Intra-forwarding is quantified. Intra-forwarding, as defined in the HIPERLAN standard, is based on a hop-by-hop policy and link check procedures. It is shown how point-to-point packets and broadcast packets are forwarded. The three basic components of Intra-forwarding needed to build and update the Intra-forwarding database are described. The originality of this approach is the use of multipoint relays which enable better scalability. The correctness of the Intra-forwarding protocol is proved and its cost is evaluated.     

Mlcrolasers based on silica microspheres

Light can be confined efficiently in the high-Q, small-volume whispering-gallery-modes observed in silica microspheres. By coupling these microspheres to eroded optical fibers and fiber tips, direct mapping of the whispering-gallery modes has been achieved and the mode numbers have been assessed. The properties of these modes have allowed us to obtain laser action with very low thresholds in Nd-doped silica microspheres. Further projects in the field of non-linear optics and cavity quantum electrodynamics are described.     

A Coating that Combines Lotus‐Effect and Contact‐Active Antimicrobial Properties on Silicone

The antimicrobial equipment of materials is of great importance in medicine but also in daily life. A challenge is the antimicrobial modification of hydrophobic surfaces without increasing their low surface energy. This is particularly important for silicone‐based materials. Because most antimicrobial surface modifications render the materials more hydrophilic, methods are needed to achieve antimicrobial activity without changing the high water‐contact‐angle. This is achieved in the present work, where SiO₂ nanoparticles are prepared and functionalized with 3‐(trimethoxysilyl)‐propyldimethyloctadecyl ammonium chloride (QAS) in a one‐pot synthesis. The modified nanoparticles are applied onto a silicone surface from suspension with no need of elaborate pretreatment. The resulting surface exhibits a Lotus‐Effect combined with contact‐active antimicrobial properties. The particle surfaces show self‐organizing micro‐ and nanostructures that afford a water‐contact angle of 144° and a hysteresis below 10°. The particles are self‐adhering on the silicone after solvent evaporation and resistant against immersion into and washing with water for at least 5 d. Thereby, the adhesion of the bacterial strain Staphylococcus aureus to these surfaces is reduced and the remaining bacterial cells are killed within 16 h. This is the first example of a Lotus‐Effect surface with intrinsic contact‐active antimicrobial properties.     

Functionalized Microparticles Producing Scaffolds in Combination with Cells

The development of biologically instructive biomaterials with application for tissue regeneration has become the focus of intense research over the last years. This work reports a novel approach for the production of three‐dimensional constructs for tissue engineering applications based on the assembly of chitosan microparticles exhibiting specific biological response with cells. Chitosan microparticles with a size range between 20 and 70 μm are functionalized with platelet derived growth factor (PDFG‐BB). The functionalization is achieved by previous immobilization of an anti‐PDGF‐BB antibody, using a water‐soluble carbodiimide. When incubated with a cocktail of growth factors‐platelet lysates, the previously functionalized particles are able to target PDGF‐BB from the protein mixture. In vitro studies are carried out focusing on the ability of these systems to promote the assembly into a stable 3D construct triggered by the presence of human adipose stem cells, which act as crosslinker agents and induce the formation of a hydrogel network. The presence of immobilized growth factors gives to this system a biological functionality towards control on cell function. It is also bioresponsive, as cells drive the assembly process of the microgel. These versatile biomimetic microgels may provide a powerful tool to be used as an injectable system for non‐invasive tissue engineering applications with additional control over cellular function by creating specific microenvironments for cell growth.     

Inter‐annual variability,risk and confidence intervals associated with propagation statistics. Part II: parameterization and applications

This set of two companion papers aims at providing a model for the inter‐annual variability of earth‐space propagation statistics and for the inherent risk and CIs. In part I, it was proposed to model the yearly variance σ² of empirical complementary CDFs so that where is the variance of estimation, the inter‐annual climatic variance and p the long‐term probability. Particularly, an analytical formulation of was derived and parameterized from synthetic rain attenuation data. Considering the statistical framework developed in part I, this part II is specifically devoted to the parameterization of the variance of estimation from experimental data of rain attenuation and rainfall rate. Then, a methodology to model and parameterize worldwide the inter‐annual climatic variance is presented. The model of yearly variance of the empirical complementary CDFs is finally compared against yearly experimental variances derived from data collected worldwide. The knowledge of this variability is very useful for system design as it allows the risk on a required availability and associated with a given propagation margin to be quantified. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Nanoimprint Lithography Facilitated Plasmonic-Photonic Coupling for Enhanced Photoconductivity and Photocatalysis

Imprint lithography has emerged as a reliable, reproducible, and rapid method for patterning colloidal nanostructures. As a promising alternative to top-down lithographic approaches, the fabrication of nanodevices has thus become effective and straightforward. In this study, a fusion of interference lithography (IL) and nanosphere imprint lithography on various target substrates ranging from carbon film on transmission electron microscope grid to inorganic and dopable polymer semiconductor is reported. 1D plasmonic photonic crystals are printed with 75% yield on the centimeter scale using colloidal ink and an IL-produced polydimethylsiloxane stamp. Atomically smooth facet, single-crystalline, and monodisperse colloidal building blocks of gold (Au) nanoparticles are used to print 1D plasmonic grating on top of a titanium dioxide (TiO₂) slab waveguide, producing waveguide-plasmon polariton modes with superior 10 nm spectral line-width. Plasmon-induced hot electrons are confirmed via two-terminal current measurements with increased photoresponsivity under guiding conditions. The fabricated hybrid structure with Au/TiO₂ heterojunction enhances photocatalytic processes like degradation of methyl orange (MO) dye molecules using the generated hot electrons. This simple colloidal printing technique demonstrated on silicon, glass, Au film, and naphthalenediimide polymer thus marks an important milestone for large-scale implementation in optoelectronic devices.