Nondegradative microextrusion of resorbable polyesters for pharmaceutical and biomedical applications: The cases of poly‐lactic‐acid and poly‐caprolactone

In recent years biodegradable polymers, particularly polyesters such as the poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and polycaprolactone (PCL), have gained high interests for their applicability in the biomedical and pharmaceutical fields where they're used for manufacturing various different resorbable devices, from tissue engineering scaffolds to controlled drug release systems. Despite many positive characteristics, processability of these materials still remains a critical issue as they easily tend to degrade during manufacturing. In this article we aimed to assess microextrusion as a nondegradative process for manufacturing PLA and PCL. The results we experimentally obtained, that are hereby presented, set a new point in the on‐going debate on degradation during processing of resorbable polymers as they allow to affirm that microextrusion leaves unmodified molecular weight distributions without producing any evident reductions in mean molecular weight. Microextrusion thus represents a risk‐free high molecular weight polymer processing solution for obtaining nondegraded products within pharmaceutical and biomedical production lines, such as for scaffolds for tissue engineering applications or drug delivery. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Dynamic photorheological analysis of photopolymerizable urethane dimethacrylate resins with varying diluent content and light fluence

The in situ measurement of dynamic changes in viscosity induced by illumination has been performed on a range of photosensitive urethane dimethacrylates (UDMA) evaluating the response at three different illuminations intensities (1, 2, and 5 W cm^?2) and at three different diluent concentrations (15, 30, and 50%), using 1,6‐hexanediol dimethacrylate (HDDMA). The initial viscosity value ranged between 1 and 10 Pa s for the mixtures with final viscosities approaching 1 × 10⁷ Pa s after illumination. The initial rise in viscosity was analyzed using an exponential model with an exponent ranging from 1.0 to 2.5 with time under exposure. Higher conversion rates were observed with both higher intensity and lower HDDMA content. The analytical approach taken here could aid in developing more sophisticated models that consider simultaneous flow and cure advancement in other thermosets. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Preparation of Phase-Pure M1 MoVTeNb Oxide Catalysts by Hydrothermal Synthesis—Influence of Reaction Parameters on Structure and Morphology

This work presents a detailed investigation of the preparation of MoVTeNbO _x catalysts by hydrothermal synthesis. Phase-pure synthesis of M1 has been achieved applying the metals in a molar ratio Mo/V/Te/Nb = 1/0.25/0.23/0.12. Raman, UV/Vis spectroscopy, and SEM/EDX analysis show that the elements are inhomogeneously distributed in the initial suspension that is formed after mixing the metal salts in an aqueous medium. Iso- and heteropoly anions of molybdenum, free telluric acid as well as supra-molecular polyoxometalate clusters are observed in the solution, whereas all metals have been found in the precipitate. Complete rearrangement of molecular building blocks under hydrothermal conditions is essential for formation of phase-pure materials. Optimized synthesis conditions with respect to temperature and time result in the formation of a precursor consisting of nano-structured M1 characterized by an extended periodic organization in the [001] direction and a fairly homogeneous distribution of the elements. Residual ammonium containing supra-molecular species in the precursor result in the formation of phase mixtures during the subsequent crystallization by heat treatment in inert gas. Phase-pure M1 exhibits a distinct degree of flexibility with respect to the chemical composition that becomes obvious by incorporating Nb not exclusively into pentagonal bi-pyramidal units, but also into octahedral coordinated positions as shown by EXAFS. Anisotropic growth of the needle-like M1 crystals has been observed during the final heat treatment performed at 873–923 K in inert atmosphere disclosing a potential method to control the catalytic properties of MoVTeNbO _x catalysts.     

Dissolution of U,Np, Pu,and Am Oxides and Their Mixtures in Tributyl Phosphate Saturated with HNO3

It was shown for the first time that weighable amounts of uranium dioxide and its mixtures with Np, Pu, and Am in the form of solid solutions can be efficiently and quantitatively dissolved in the presence of tributyl phosphate saturated with HNO₃. Individual PuO₂ and NpO₂ are not dissolved under these conditions. In treatment of a mechanical mixture of UO₂ with PuO₂ or NpO₂, uranium is completely dissolved, while plutonium and neptunium remain in the precipitate.     

On-Chip Optical Technology in Future Bus-Based Multicore Designs

This work investigates the integration of CMOS-compatible optical technology to on-chip coherent buses for future CMPs. The analysis results in a hierarchical optoelectrical bus that exploits the advantages of optical technology while abiding by projected limitations. This bus achieves significant performance improvement for high-bandwidth applications relative to a state-of-the-art fully electrical bus     

Mapping urban change in the UK using satellite radar interferometry

A multitemporal sequence of ERS interferometric coherence data acquired between 1993 and 1999 are utilised for automatically mapping urban change within South Wales, UK. Validation of the change map derived from the coherence data is performed using independent, multidate, digital survey data of the city of Cardiff, UK. All major building developments that have occurred within the study area are located. There is evidence to suggest that this approach is generalisable for a wide range of coherence data and to other regions with similar landscapes.