Enhancement of glass-ceramic performance by TiO2 doping: In vitro cell viability,proliferation, and differentiation

A new TiO₂-containing bioactive glass and glass-ceramics based on 50SiO₂-(45-X)CaO-(XTiO₂)-5P₂O₅ system was designed using a sol–gel technique (where X = 5, 7.5 and 10 wt %). The roles of the crystallization behavior and physicochemical characteristics of the designed glass and glass-ceramics which were played in the introduction of TiO₂ substitutions were investigated. Moreover, cell proliferation and differentiation were evaluated against human osteosarcoma cells (Saos-2). The TiO₂/CaO replacements led to the formation of a stronger glass structure and thus increased thermal parameters and the chemical stabilization of the designed materials. The FTIR data confirmed the existence of Ti within the glass and glass-ceramics samples, and no remarkable effect on their chemical integrity was observed. The XRD patterns indicated that calcium-containing minerals, including Ca₂SiO₄,Ca₃(PO₄)₂, Ca(Ti,Si)O₅, CaTiSiO₅, and Ca₁₅(PO₄)₂·(SiO₄)₆ phases were developed as a role of structure/texture under the applied heat-treatment. The results of the cytotoxicity test proved that a safe sample dose is 12–50 μg/ml, at which cell viability is ≥ 85%. The cell differentiation determined by ALP test proved the superiority of glass-ceramics compared with their native glasses. Therefore, the obtained materials could be safely used as novel biocompatible materials for the regeneration of bone tissue.     

Effect of cellulose acetate/cellulose triacetate ratio on reverse osmosis blend membrane performance

Surface functionalization and modification including the grafting process are effective approaches to improve and enhance the reverse osmosis (RO) membrane performance. This work is aimed to synthesize grafted/crosslinked cellulose acetate (CA)/cellulose triacetate (CTA) blend RO membranes using N-isopropylacrylamide (N-IPAAm) as a monomer and N,N-methylene bisacrylamide (MBAAm) as a crosslinker. The morphology of these membranes was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and their surface roughness was characterized by atomic force microscopy. The performance of these membranes was evaluated through measuring two major parameters of salt rejection and water flux using RO unit at variable operating pressures. It was noted that the surface average roughness obviously decreased from 148 nm for the pure CA/CTA blend membrane with 2.5% CTA to 110 nm and 87 nm for the grafted N-IPAAm and grafted/crosslinked N-IPAAM/MBAAm/CA/CTA-RO membranes, respectively. Moreover, the contact angle decreased from 51.98° to 47.6° and 43.8° after the grafting and crosslinking process. The salt rejection of the grafted CA/CTA-RO membrane by 0.1% N-IPAAm produced the highest value of 98.12% and the water flux was 3.29 L/m²h at 10 bar.     

Wavefront reduction using graphs,neural networks and genetic algorithm

This paper presents an algorithm for nodal numbering in order to obtain a small wavefront. Element clique graphs are employed as the mathematical models of finite element meshes. A priority function containing five vectors is used, which can be viewed as a generalization of Sloan's function. These vectors represent different connectivity properties of the graph models. Unlike Sloan's algorithm, which uses two fixed coefficients, here, five coefficients are employed, based on an evaluation by artificial neural networks. The networks weights are obtained using a simple genetic algorithm. Examples are included to illustrate the performance of the present hybrid method. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Maximizing learning without sacrificing the fun: Stealth assessment,adaptivity and learning supports in educational games

In this study, we investigated the validity of a stealth assessment of physics understanding in an educational game, as well as the effectiveness of different game-level delivery methods and various in-game supports on learning. Using a game called Physics Playground, we randomly assigned 263 ninth- to eleventh-grade students into four groups: adaptive, linear, free choice and no-treatment control. Each condition had access to the same in-game learning supports during gameplay. Results showed that: (a) the stealth assessment estimates of physics understanding were valid—significantly correlating with the external physics test scores; (b) there was no significant effect of game-level delivery method on students' learning; and (c) physics animations were the most effective (among eight supports tested) in predicting both learning outcome and in-game performance (e.g. number of game levels solved). We included student enjoyment, gender and ethnicity in our analyses as moderators to further investigate the research questions.     

Design,Facile Synthesis and Characterization of Porphyrin-Zirconium-Ferrite@SiO2 Core-Shell and Catalytic Application in Cyclohexane Oxidation

Silicon - In this study, a new magnetic ZrFe2O4@SiO2-TCPP nanocatalyst with high efficiency was used for the oxidation of cyclohexane to cyclohexanone (Ke) and cyclohexanol (Al). The mesoporous...     

Experimental determination of gas holdup and volumetric mass transfer coefficient in a jet bubbling reactor

The hydrodynamics and mass transfer characteristics of a lab-scale jet bubbling reactor(JBR) including the gas holdup, volumetric mass transfer coefficient and specific interfacial area were assessed experimentally investigating the influence of temperature, p H and superficial gas velocity. The reactor diameter and height were 11 and 30 cm,respectively. It was equipped with a single sparger, operating at atmospheric pressure, 20 and 40℃, and two p H values of 3 and 6. The height of the liquid was 23 cm, while the superficial gas velocity changed within 0.010–0.040 m·s~(-1) range. Experiments were conducted with pure oxygen as the gas phase and saturated lime solution as the liquid phase. The liquid-side volumetric mass transfer coefficient was determined under unsteady-state oxygen absorption in a saturated lime solution. The gas holdup was calculated based on the liquid height change, while the specific interfacial area was obtained by a physical method based on the bubble size distribution(BSD) in different superficial gas velocities. The results indicated that at the same temperature but different p H, the gas holdup variation was negligible, while the liquid-side volumetric mass transfer coefficient at the p H value of 6 was higher than that at the p H = 3. At a constant p H but different temperatures, the gas holdup and the liquid-side volumetric mass transfer coefficients at 40℃ were higher than that of the same at 20℃. A reasonable and appropriate estimation of the liquid-side volumetric mass transfer coefficient(kla) in a pilot-scale JBR was provided which can be applied to the design and scale-up of JBRs.     

An Eco-Friendly Approach to the Control of Pathogenic Microbes and Anopheles stephensi Malarial Vector Using Magnesium Oxide Nanoparticles (Mg-NPs) Fabricated by Penicillium chrysogenum

The discovery of eco-friendly, rapid, and cost-effective compounds to control diseases caused by microbes and insects are the main challenges. Herein, the magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgO-NPs) are successfully fabricated by harnessing the metabolites secreted by Penicillium chrysogenum. The fabricated MgO-NPs were characterized using UV-Vis, XRD, TEM, DLS, EDX, FT-IR, and XPS analyses. Data showed the successful formation of crystallographic, spherical, well-dispersed MgO-NPs with sizes of 7–40 nm at a maximum wavelength of 250 nm. The EDX analysis confirms the presence of Mg and O ions as the main components with weight percentages of 13.62% and 7.76%, respectively. The activity of MgO-NPs as an antimicrobial agent was investigated against pathogens Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans, and exhibited zone of inhibitions of 12.0 ± 0.0, 12.7 ± 0.9, 23.3 ± 0.8, 17.7 ± 1.6, and 14.7 ± 0.6 mm respectively, at 200 µg mL⁻¹. The activity is decreased by decreasing the MgO-NPs concentration. The biogenic MgO-NPs exhibit high efficacy against different larvae instar and pupa of Anopheles stephensi, with LC50 values of 12.5–15.5 ppm for I–IV larvae instar and 16.5 ppm for the pupa. Additionally, 5 mg/cm² of MgO-NPs showed the highest protection percentages against adults of Anopheles stephensi, with values of 100% for 150 min and 67.6% ± 1.4% for 210 min.     

Real-Time Monitoring the Effect of Cytopathic Hypoxia on Retinal Pigment Epithelial Barrier Functionality Using Electric Cell-Substrate Impedance Sensing (ECIS) Biosensor Technology

Disruption of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE barrier integrity is a hallmark feature of various retinal blinding diseases, including diabetic macular edema and age-related macular degeneration, but the underlying causes and pathophysiology are not completely well-defined. One of the most conserved phenomena in biology is the progressive decline in mitochondrial function with aging leading to cytopathic hypoxia, where cells are unable to use oxygen for energy production. Therefore, this study aimed to thoroughly investigate the role of cytopathic hypoxia in compromising the barrier functionality of RPE cells. We used Electric Cell-Substrate Impedance Sensing (ECIS) system to monitor precisely in real time the barrier integrity of RPE cell line (ARPE-19) after treatment with various concentrations of cytopathic hypoxia-inducing agent, Cobalt(II) chloride (CoCl₂). We further investigated how the resistance across ARPE-19 cells changes across three separate parameters: R_b (the electrical resistance between ARPE-19 cells), α (the resistance between the ARPE-19 and its substrate), and C_m (the capacitance of the ARPE-19 cell membrane). The viability of the ARPE-19 cells and mitochondrial bioenergetics were quantified with 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and seahorse technology, respectively. ECIS measurement showed that CoCl₂ reduced the total impedance of ARPE-19 cells in a dose dependent manner across all tested frequencies. Specifically, the ECIS program’s modelling demonstrated that CoCl₂ affected R_b as it begins to drastically decrease earlier than α or C_m, although ARPE-19 cells’ viability was not compromised. Using seahorse technology, all three concentrations of CoCl₂ significantly impaired basal, maximal, and ATP-linked respirations of ARPE-19 cells but did not affect proton leak and non-mitochondrial bioenergetic. Concordantly, the expression of a major paracellular tight junction protein (ZO-1) was reduced significantly with CoCl_2-treatment in a dose-dependent manner. Our data demonstrate that the ARPE-19 cells have distinct dielectric properties in response to cytopathic hypoxia in which disruption of barrier integrity between ARPE-19 cells precedes any changes in cells’ viability, cell-substrate contacts, and cell membrane permeability. Such differences can be used in screening of selective agents that improve the assembly of RPE tight junction without compromising other RPE barrier parameters.     

Synthesis and characterization of hydrophilic nanocomposite coating on glass substrate

Hydrophilic coatings based on 3‐glicidoxy propyl trimethoxy silane (GPTMS) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) were prepared with the incorporation of tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) and silica nanoparticle colloidal suspension by a sol–gel process. Characterization of the coatings has been performed by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Attenuated Total Reflectance Infrared (ATR‐IR) techniques. Morphological properties were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The distribution of Si atoms in the hybrid system was obtained by Si mapping. The particle size in sol solution of the coating was measured by light scattering analyzer. Optical properties were characterized by using UV–vis spectrophotometer. The hydrophilicity of the coating was determined by contact angle measurements, and also the results have been confirmed by surface energy and water uptake investigations. The obtained results indicate that the surfactants affected the contact angles remarkably but did not change the transparency. It has been found that applying silica nano particles leads to coatings with different properties than those using TMOS, while siloxane contents were the same in these two set of coatings. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 5322–5329, 2006