Search results for "Biomaterial"

The effect of combining laser and nanohydroxy-apatite on the surface properties of enamel with initial defects

2017

Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of combining fractional CO2 LASER and nanohydroxy apatite on surface microhardness and color of enamel with initial defects. Material and Methods Two types of nano hydroxylapatite (nHAP) was prepared; Pure hydroxyapatite (nHA) and Fluoro hydroxyapatite (nFHA), Sixty extracted premolar teeth without visible caries or structural defects on enamel surface were used, immersed in 10 ml of a demineralizing solution for 2 weeks to create artificial white spot lesions, they were randomly allocated into two groups; Group 1: nHA, Group 2: nFHA, each group is then subdivided into 2 subgroups (A and B) where two different in vitroremineralizat…

Archetype Cationic Iridium Complexes and Their Use in Solid-State Light-Emitting Electrochemical Cells

2009

The archetype ionic transition-metal complexes (iTMCs) [Ir(ppy)2(bpy)][PF6] and [Ir(ppy)2(phen)][PF6], where Hppy = 2-phenylpyridine, bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, and phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, are used as the primary active components in light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs). Solution and solid-state photophysical properties are reported for both complexes and are interpreted with the help of density functional theory calculations. LEC devices based on these archetype complexes exhibit long turn-on times (70 and 160 h, respectively) and low external quantum efficiencies (~ 2%) when the complex is used as a pure film. The long turn-on times are attributed to the low mobility of the counter…

Ionizing radiation-engineered nanogels as insulin nanocarriers for the development of a new strategy for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease

2016

A growing body of evidence shows the protective role of insulin in Alzheimer's disease (AD). A nanogel system (NG) to deliver insulin to the brain, as a tool for the development of a new therapy for Alzheimer's Disease (AD), is designed and synthetized. A carboxyl-functionalized poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone) nanogel system produced by ionizing radiation is chosen as substrate for the covalent attachment of insulin or fluorescent molecules relevant for its characterization. Biocompatibility and hemocompatibility of the naked carrier is demonstrated. The insulin conjugated to the NG (NG-In) is protected by protease degradation and able to bind to insulin receptor (IR), as demonstrated by immunofl…

Smartphone snapshot mapping of skin chromophores under triple-wavelength laser illumination

2017

Abstract Chromophore distribution maps are useful tools for skin malformation severity assessment and for monitoring of skin recovery after burns, surgeries, and other interactions. The chromophore maps can be obtained by processing several spectral images of skin, e.g., captured by hyperspectral or multispectral cameras during seconds or even minutes. To avoid motion artifacts and simplify the procedure, a single-snapshot technique for mapping melanin, oxyhemoglobin, and deoxyhemoglobin of in-vivo skin by a smartphone under simultaneous three-wavelength (448–532–659 nm) laser illumination is proposed and examined. Three monochromatic spectral images related to the illumination wavelengths …

Ruthenium-Containing Block Copolymer Assemblies: Red-Light-Responsive Metallopolymers with Tunable Nanostructures for Enhanced Cellular Uptake and An…

2015

The use of self-assembled nanostructures consisting of red-light-responsive Ru(II)-containing block copolymers (BCPs) for anticancer phototherapy is demonstrated. Three Ru-containing BCPs with different molecular weights are synthesized. Each BCP contains a hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) block and an Ru-containing block. In the Ru-containing block, more than half of the side chains are coordinated with [Ru(2,2':6',2''-terpyridine)(2,2'-biquinoline)](2+) , resulting in more than 40 wt% Ru complex in the BCPs. The Ru complex acts as both a red-light-cleavable moiety and a photoactivated prodrug. Depending on their molecular weights, the BCPs assemble into micelles, vesicles, and large comp…

Flexible light-emitting electrochemical cells with single-walled carbon nanotube anodes

2016

Abstract In this work, we demonstrate flexible solution processed light emitting electrochemical cells (LECs) which use single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) films as the substrate. The SWCNTs were synthesized by an integrated aerosol method and dry-transferred on the plastic substrates at room temperature. The addition of a screen printed poly (3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene) doped with poly (styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) film onto the nanostructured electrode further homogenizes the surface and enlarges the work function, enhancing the hole injection into the active layer. By using an efficient phosphorescent ionic transition metal complex (iTMC) as the active material, efficacies up to 9…

Double-stranded RNA polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid immobilized onto gamma-Fe2O3 nanoparticles by using a multifunctional polymeric linker.

2007

Nanostructuring with a crosslinkable discotic material.

2007

A high-yielding synthesis afforded a hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene carrying acrylate units at the end of six attached alkyl spacers. The polymerization of these acrylate moieties could be initiated with thermal energy and through direct photoactivation without the addition of a photoinitiator. This allowed the organization of the liquid-crystalline material to be fixed in either the crystalline state or the mesophase, which preserved the organization in the respective phase. The use of a focused synchrotron beam permitted selected regions of a thin film to be rendered insoluble. After "developing" the film in this lithographic process by dissolving the soluble, unpolymerized material, defined…

Porous structure of Purevision™ versus Focus® Night&Day™ and conventional hydrogel contact lenses

2002

The surface and bulk structures of hydrogel contact lenses that contain siloxane moieties, Purevision™ (balafilcon A) and Focus®Night&Day™ (lotrafilcon A), were investigated. Standard hydrogel lenses of low (Seequence®), medium (Acuvue®), and high water content (Precision UV®) were used as controls. All the lenses were dehydrated in a series of ethanol solutions of increased concentration, critical-point dried in CO2, and sputter coated with gold/palladium before they were examined by scanning electron microscopy. Of all lenses examined, only the balafilcon lenses presented, in addition to the polymer network porosity characteristic of all hydrogels, a macroporous structure that was observe…

Chemical hydrogels based on a hyaluronic acid-graft-α-elastin derivative as potential scaffolds for tissue engineering

2013

In this work hyaluronic acid (HA) functionalized with ethylenediamine (EDA) has been employed to graft α-elastin. In particular a HA-EDA derivative bearing 50 mol% of pendant amino groups has been successfully employed to produce the copolymer HA-EDA-g-α-elastin containing 32% w/w of protein. After grafting with α-elastin, remaining free amino groups reacted with ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether (EGDGE) for producing chemical hydrogels, proposed as scaffolds for tissue engineering. Swelling degree, resistance to chemical and enzymatic hydrolysis, as well as preliminary biological properties of HA-EDA-g-α-elastin/EGDGE scaffold have been evaluated and compared with a HA-EDA/EGDGE scaffold. T…