In vitro study of the SBF and osteoblast-like cells on hydroxyapatite/chitosan–silica nanocomposite

Hydroxyapatite/chitosan–silica (HApCSi) nanocomposites were synthesized by co-precipitated method and their potential application as filler materials for bone regeneration were investigated in simulated body fluid (SBF). To study their biocompatibility, they were cultured with rat osteoblast-like UMR-106 cells for 3, 7, 14, and 21 days. Studies of the silica contents in chitosan matrix showed the presence of silinol (Si–OH) groups in CSi hybrid and their decrease after being composited with calcium phosphate (CaP) which is desirable for the formation of the apatite. XRD and TEM studies showed that the HAp formed in the CSi matrix were nanometer (20–40 nm) in size. Nanocomposites of HApCSi20 processed with 20%v/v silica whisker showed a micro hardness of 84.7 ± 3.3 MPa. Mineralization study in SBF showed the formation of apatite crystals on the HApCSi surface after being incubated for 7 days. In vitro biocompatibility, cell morphology, proliferation, and cell adhesion tests confirmed the osteoblast attachment and growth on the HApCSi20 surface. The density of cells and the production of calcium nodules on the substrate were seen to increase with increasing cultured time. The mechanical evaluation and in vitro experiment suggested that the use of HApCSi composite will lead to the formation of new apatite particles and thus be a potential implant material.     

Josephson Current in a Gapped Graphene Superconductor/Barrier/Superconductor Junction: Case of Massive Electrons

The Josephson effect in a gapped graphene-based superconductor/barrier/superconductor junction is studied. The superconductivity in gapped graphene may be achieved by depositing conventional superconductor on the top of the gapped graphene such as graphene grown on SiC substrate. In gapped graphene system, the carriers exhibit massive Dirac fermions. We focus on the effect of pseudo-Dirac-like mass on the supercurrent. In contrast to that in the gapless graphene superconductor/barrier/superconductor junction, we find that the supercurrent exhibits dependency of the Fermi energy. Also, the massive supercurrent anomalously oscillates as a function of the gate potential. This novel behavior is due to the effect of electrons acquiring mass in gapped graphene.     

Anisotropic Supercurrent in Strained Graphene Josephson Junction

The Weyl?CDirac fermions in graphene-based SG/I/SG (SG denoting superconducting graphene; I, an insulator) junctions subjected to strains become highly asymmetric. The effect of the strain-induced symmetry change of the fermions on the supercurrent is studied. The highly anisotropic velocity near the critical deformation causes the critical current parallel to the direction of strain to oscillate as a function of gate voltage at a very high frequency. The same anisotropic velocity destroys the oscillation of the gate-dependent critical current when the current is perpendicular to the direction of strain. The direction-dependent supercurrent is due to the strain turning the two-dimensional massless relativistic electrons into nearly one-dimensional massless relativistic fermions near the critical deformation. This work reveals that a new effect can be induced by applying strain on a graphene-based Josephson junction.     

Biomagnetic of Apatite-Coated Cobalt Ferrite: A Core–Shell Particle for Protein Adsorption and pH-Controlled Release

Magnetic nanoparticle composite with a cobalt ferrite (CoFe₂O₄, (CF)) core and an apatite (Ap) coating was synthesized using a biomineralization process in which a modified simulated body fluid (1.5SBF) solution is the source of the calcium phosphate for the apatite formation. The core–shell structure formed after the citric acid–stabilized cobalt ferrite (CFCA) particles were incubated in the 1.5 SBF solution for 1 week. The mean particle size of CFCA-Ap is about 750 nm. A saturation magnetization of 15.56 emug^-1 and a coercivity of 1808.5 Oe were observed for the CFCA-Ap obtained. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was used as the model protein to study the adsorption and release of the proteins by the CFCA-Ap particles. The protein adsorption by the CFCA-Ap particles followed a more typical Freundlich than Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The BSA release as a function of time became less rapid as the CFCA-Ap particles were immersed in higher pH solution, thus indicating that the BSA release is dependent on the local pH.