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Loading Capacity (loading + capacity)
Kinds of Loading Capacity Selected AbstractsCapillary electrophoresis-time of flight-mass spectrometry using noncovalently bilayer-coated capillaries for the analysis of amino acids in human urineELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 12 2008Rawi Ramautar Abstract A capillary electrophoresis-time of flight-mass spectrometry (CE-TOF-MS) method for the analysis of amino acids in human urine was developed. Capillaries noncovalently coated with a bilayer of Polybrene (PB) and poly(vinyl sulfonate) (PVS) provided a considerable EOF at low pH, thus facilitating the fast separation of amino acids using a BGE of 1,M formic acid (pH,1.8). The PB,PVS coating proved to be very consistent yielding stable CE-MS patterns of amino acids in urine with favorable migration time repeatability (RSDs <2%). The relatively low sample loading capacity of CE was circumvented by an in-capillary preconcentration step based on pH-mediated stacking allowing 100-nL sample injection (i.e. ca. 4% of capillary volume). As a result, LODs for amino acids were down to 20,nM while achieving satisfactory separation efficiencies. Preliminary validation of the method with urine samples showed good linear responses for the amino acids (R2 >0.99), and RSDs for peak areas were <10%. Special attention was paid to the influence of matrix effects on the quantification of amino acids. The magnitude of ion suppression by the matrix was similar for different urine samples. The CE-TOF-MS method was used for the analysis of urine samples of patients with urinary tract infection (UTI). Concentrations of a subset of amino acids were determined and compared with concentrations in urine of healthy controls. Furthermore, partial least squares,discriminant analysis (PLS,DA) of the CE-TOF-MS dataset in the 50,450,m/z region showed a distinctive grouping of the UTI samples and the control samples. Examination of score and loadings plot revealed a number of compounds, including phenylalanine, to be responsible for grouping of the samples. Thus, the CE-TOF-MS method shows good potential for the screening of body fluids based on the analysis of endogenous low-molecular weight metabolites such as amino acids and related compounds. [source] Comprehensive proteome analysis of mouse liver by ampholyte-free liquid-phase isoelectric focusingELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 11 2008Hua Zhong Abstract In this study, ampholyte-free liquid-phase IEF (LIEF) was combined with narrow pH range 2-DE and SDS-PAGE RP-HPLC for comprehensive analysis of mouse liver proteome. Because LIEF prefractionation was able to reduce the complexity of the sample and enhance the loading capacity of IEF strips, the number of visible protein spots on subsequent 2-DE gels was significantly increased. A total of 6271 protein spots were detected after integrating five narrow pH range 2-DE gels following LIEF prefractionation into a single virtual 2-DE gel. Furthermore, the pH,3,5 LIEF fraction and the unfractionated sample were separated by pH,3,6 2-DE and identified by MALDI-TOF/TOF MS, respectively. In parallel, the pH 3,5 LIEF fraction was also analyzed by SDS-PAGE RP-HPLC MS/MS. LIEF-2-DE and LIEF-HPLC could obviously improve the separation efficiency and the confidence of protein identification, which identified a higher number of low-abundance proteins and proteins with extreme physicochemical characteristics or post-translational modifications compared to conventional 2-DE method. Furthermore, there were 207 proteins newly identified in mouse liver in comparison with previously reported large-scale datasets. It was observed that the combination of LIEF-2-DE and LIEF-HPLC was effective in promoting MS-based liver proteome profiling and could be applied on similar complex tissue samples. [source] Preparative capillary zone electrophoresis using a dynamic coated wide-bore capillaryELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 15 2006Mahmoud M. Yassine Abstract Preparative capillary zone electrophoresis separations of cytochrome,c from bovine and horse heart are performed efficiently in a surfactant-coated capillary. The surfactant, dimethylditetradecylammonium bromide (2C14DAB), effectively eliminated protein adsorption from the capillary surface, such that symmetrical peaks with efficiencies of 0.7,million plates/m were observed in 50-µm,id capillaries when low concentrations of protein were injected. At protein concentrations greater than 1,g/L, electromigration dispersion became the dominant source of band broadening and the peak shape distorted to triangular fronting. Matching of the mobility of the buffer co-ion to that of the cytochrome,c resulted in dramatic improvements in the efficiency and peak shape. Using 100,mM bis(2-hydroxyethyl)imino-tris(hydroxymethyl)methane phosphate buffer at pH,7.0 with a 100-µm,id capillary, the maximum sample loading capacity in a single run was 160,pmol (2.0,µg) of each protein. [source] Biphasic Resorbable Calcium Phosphate Ceramic for Bone Implants and Local Alendronate Delivery,ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 5 2010Shashwat S. Banerjee A novel biphasic calcium phosphate ceramic composed of tricalcium phosphate (TCP) and calcium pyrophosphate (CP) is synthesized in order to tailor the biodegradation behavior of the ceramic. The results show that biphasic TCP/CP ceramic has a strength of 62.2,±,2.1 MPa, which is superior to single-phase TCP and CP ceramics, which show strengths of 44.3,±,3.0 and 53.0,±,4.8 MPa, respectively. In addition, biphasic TCP/CP ceramic displays a controlled strength degradation from 62.2,±,2.1 to 40.5,±,1.0 MPa in stimulated body fluid over a period of 28 d. An in vitro cell materials interaction study using human fetal osteoblast cells indicates that TCP/CP ceramic is cytocompatible. TCP/CP ceramic also show a good loading capacity for alendronate. Adsorption of alendronate (AD) on the TCP/CP surface is found to proceed via ligand exchange mechanism and the in vitro release profile of AD from TCP/CP surface is characterized by an initial fast release followed by a slow and sustained release. Strong electrostatic interactions between AD groups and surface Ca2+ ions enable the slow and sustained release of AD. These results demonstrate that the newly developed biphasic ceramic, with its controlled strength degradation and drug release, shows promise for use in orthopedic and tissue engineering applications. [source] A Graphene Oxide,Streptavidin Complex for Biorecognition , Towards Affinity PurificationADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 17 2010Zunfeng Liu Abstract In our postgenomic era, understanding of protein-protein interactions by characterizing the structure of the corresponding protein complex is becoming increasingly important. An important problem is that many protein complexes are only stable for a few minutes. Dissociation will occur when using the typical, time-consuming purification methods such as tandem affinity purification and multiple chromatographic separations. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a quick and efficient protein-complex purification method for 3D structure characterization. The graphene oxide (GO)·streptavidin complex is prepared via a GO·biotin·streptavidin strategy and used for affinity purification. The complex shows a strong biotin recognition capability and an excellent loading capacity. Capturing biotinylated DNA, fluorophores and Au nanoparticles on the GO·streptavidin complexes demonstrates the usefulness of the GO·streptavidin complex as a docking matrix for affinity purification. GO shows a high transparency towards electron beams, making it specifically well suited for direct imaging by electron microscopy. The captured protein complex can be separated via a filtration process or even via on-grid purification and used directly for single-particle analysis via cryo-electron microscopy. Therefore, the purification, sample preparation, and characterization are rolled into one single step. [source] Hollow Mesoporous Zirconia Nanocapsules for Drug DeliveryADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 15 2010Shaoheng Tang Abstract Hollow mesoporous zirconia nanocapsules (hm -ZrO2) with a hollow core/porous shell structure are demonstrated as effective vehicles for anti-cancer drug delivery. While the highly porous feature of the shell allows the drug, doxorubicin(DOX), to easily pass through between the inner void space and surrounding environment of the particles, the void space in the core endows the nanocapsules with high drug loading capacity. The larger the inner hollow diameter, the higher their DOX loading capacity. A loading of 102% related to the weight of hm -ZrO2 is achieved by the nanocapsules with an inner diameter of 385,nm. Due to their pH-dependent charge nature, hm -ZrO2 loaded DOX exhibit pH-dependent drug releasing kinetics. A lower pH offers a faster DOX release rate from hm -ZrO2. Such a property makes the loaded DOX easily release from the nanocapsules when up-taken by living cells. Although the flow cytometry reveals more uptake of hm -ZrO2 particles by normal cells, hm -ZrO2 loaded DOX release more drugs in cancer cells than in normal cells, leading to more cytotoxicity toward tumor cells and less cytotoxicity to healthy cells than free DOX. [source] Fabrication and Drug Delivery of Ultrathin Mesoporous Bioactive Glass Hollow FibersADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 9 2010Youliang Hong Abstract Ultrathin mesoporous bioactive glass hollow fibers (MBGHFs) fabricated using an electrospinning technique and combined with a phase-separation-induced agent, poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), are described. The rapid solvent evaporation during electrospinning and the PEO-induced phase separation process demonstrated play vital roles in the formation of ultrathin bioactive glass fibers with hollow cores and mesoporous walls. Immersing the MBGHFs in simulated body fluid rapidly results in the development of a layer of enamel-like apatite mesocrystals at the fiber surfaces and apatite nanocrystals inside the hollow cores. Drug loading and release experiments indicate that the drug loading capacity and drug release behavior of the MBGHFs strongly depends on the fiber length. MBGHFs with fiber length >50,µm can become excellent carriers for drug delivery. The shortening of the fiber length reduces drug loading amounts and accelerates drug release. The MBGHFs reported here with sophisticated structure, high bioactivity, and good drug delivery capability can be a promising scaffold for hard tissue repair and wound healing when organized into 3D macroporous membranes. [source] Spatiotemporal Control over Molecular Delivery and Cellular Encapsulation from Electropolymerized Micro- and Nanopatterned Surfaces,ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 18 2009Eric Stern Abstract Bioactive, patterned micro- and nanoscale surfaces that can be spatially engineered for three-dimensional ligand presentation and sustained release of signaling molecules represent a critical advance for the development of next-generation diagnostic and therapeutic devices. Lithography is ideally suited to patterning such surfaces due to its precise, easily scalable, high-throughput nature; however, to date polymers patterned by these techniques have not demonstrated the capacity for sustained release of bioactive agents. Here a class of lithographically defined, electropolymerized polymers with monodisperse micro- and nanopatterned features capable of sustained release of bioactive drugs and proteins is demonstrated. It is shown that precise control can be achieved over the loading capacity and release rates of encapsulated agents and this aspect is illustrated using a fabricated surface releasing a model antigen (ovalbumin) and a cytokine (interleukin-2) for induction of a specific immune response. Furthermore, the ability of this technique to enable three-dimensional control over cellular encapsulation is demonstrated. The efficacy of the described approach is buttressed by its simplicity, versatility, and reproducibility, rendering it ideally suited for biomaterials engineering. [source] Biodegradable Dextran Nanogels for RNA Interference: Focusing on Endosomal Escape and Intracellular siRNA DeliveryADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 9 2009Koen Raemdonck Abstract The successful therapeutic application of small interfering RNA (siRNA) largely relies on the development of safe and effective delivery systems that are able to guide the siRNA therapeutics to the cytoplasm of the target cell. In this report, biodegradable cationic dextran nanogels are engineered by inverse emulsion photopolymerization and their potential as siRNA carriers is evaluated. The nanogels are able to entrap siRNA with a high loading capacity, based on electrostatic interaction. Confocal microscopy and flow cytometry analysis reveal that large amounts of siRNA-loaded nanogels can be internalized by HuH-7 human hepatoma cells without significant cytotoxicity. Following their cellular uptake, it is found that the nanogels are mainly trafficked towards the endolysosomes. The influence of two different strategies to enhance endosomal escape on the extent of gene silencing is investigated. It is found that both the application of photochemical internalization (PCI) and the use of an influenza-derived fusogenic peptide (diINF-7) can significantly improve the silencing efficiency of siRNA-loaded nanogels. Furthermore, it is shown that an efficient gene silencing requires the degradation of the nanogels. As the degradation kinetics of the nanogels can easily be tailored, these particles show potential for intracellular controlled release of short interfering RNA. [source] Cover Picture: Synthesis of Gadolinium-Labeled Shell-Crosslinked Nanoparticles for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Applications (Adv. Funct.ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 8 2005Mater. Abstract Robust, amphiphilic core,shell nanoparticles that are selectively labeled with gadolinium in the hydrophilic and water-swollen shell layer are depicted in the cover picture. These well-defined nanostructured materials exhibit high relaxivity, a large loading capacity, and are based upon a biocompatible platform for ultimate function in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) applications, as reported by Wooley and co-workers on p.,1248. Shell-crosslinked knedel-like nanoparticles (SCKs; "knedel" is a Polish term for dumplings) were derivatized with gadolinium chelates and studied as robust magnetic-resonance-imaging-active structures with hydrodynamic diameters of 40,±,3,nm. SCKs possessing an amphiphilic core,shell morphology were produced from the aqueous assembly of diblock copolymers of poly-(acrylic acid) (PAA) and poly(methyl acrylate) (PMA), PAA52,b,PMA128, and subsequent covalent crosslinking by amidation upon reaction with 2,2,-(ethylenedioxy)bis(ethylamine) throughout the shell layer. The properties of these materials, including non-toxicity towards mammalian cells, non-immunogenicity within mice, and capability for polyvalent targeting, make them ideal candidates for utilization within biological systems. The synthesis of SCKs derivatized with GdIII and designed for potential use as a unique nanometer-scale contrast agent for MRI applications is described herein. Utilization of an amino-functionalized diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid,Gd analogue allowed for direct covalent conjugation throughout the hydrophilic shell layer of the SCKs and served to increase the rotational correlation lifetime of the Gd. In addition, the highly hydrated nature of the shell layer in which the Gd was located allowed for rapid water exchange; thus, the resulting material demonstrated large ionic relaxivities (39,s,1,mM,1) in an applied magnetic field of 0.47,T at 40,°C and, as a result of the large loading capacity of the material, also demonstrated high molecular relaxivities (20,000,s,1,mM,1). [source] Lyophilization to improve drug delivery for chitosan-calcium phosphate bone scaffold construct: A preliminary investigationJOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS RESEARCH, Issue 1 2009Benjamin T. Reves Abstract Lyophilization was evaluated in chitosan-calcium phosphate microspheres and scaffolds to improve drug delivery of growth factors and antibiotics for orthopedic applications. The dual delivery of an antibiotic and a growth factor from a composite scaffold would be beneficial for treatment of complex fracture sites, such as comminuted fractures and segmental bone defects. The aim of this investigation was to increase the loading capacity of the composite by taking advantage of the increased porosity, due to lyophilization, and to produce an extended elution profile using a secondary chitosan-bead coating. The physiochemical properties of the composite were investigated, and loading and elution studies were performed with alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), and amikacin. Lyophilization was found to increase the surface area of scaffolds by over 400% and the porosity of scaffolds by 50%. Using ALP as a model protein, the loading capacity was increased by lyophilization from 4.3 ± 2.5 to 24.6 ± 3.6 ,g ALP/mg microspheres, and the elution profile was extended by a supplemental chitosan coating. The loading capacity of BMP-2 for composite microspheres was increased from 74.4 ± 3.7 to 102.1 ± 8.0 ,g BMP-2/g microspheres with lyophilization compared with nonlyophilized microspheres. The elution profiles of BMP-2 and the antibiotic amikacin were not extended with the supplemental coating. Additional investigations are planned to improve these elution characteristics for growth factors and antibiotics. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2009 [source] Effects of cationic polymer on start-up and granulation in upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactorsJOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 3 2004Ying Wang Abstract The upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) has been used successfully to treat a variety of industrial wastewaters. It offers a high degree of organics removal, low sludge production and low energy consumption, along with energy production in the form of biogas. However, two major drawbacks are its long start-up period and deficiency of active biogranules for proper functioning of the process. In this study, the influence of a coagulant polymer on start-up, sludge granulation and the associated reactor performance was evaluated in four laboratory-scale UASB reactors. A control reactor (R1) was operated without added polymer, while the other three reactors, designated R2, R3 and R4, were operated with polymer concentrations of 5 mg dm,3, 10 mg dm,3 and 20 mg dm,3, respectively. Adding the polymer at a concentration of 20 mg dm,3 markedly reduced the start-up time. The time required to reach stable treatment at an organic loading rate (OLR) of 4.8 g COD dm,3 d,1 was reduced by more than 36% (R4) as compared with both R1 and R3, and by 46% as compared with R2. R4 was able to handle an OLR of 16 g COD dm,3 d,1 after 93 days of operation, while R1, R2 and R3 achieved the same loading rate only after 116, 116 and 109 days respectively. Compared with the control reactor, the start-up time of R4 was shortened by about 20% at this OLR. Granule characterization indicated that the granules developed in R4 with 20 mg dm,3 polymer exhibited the best settleability and methanogenic activity at all OLRs. The organic loading capacities of the reactors were also increased by the addition of polymer. The maximum organic loading of the control reactor (R1) without added polymer was 19.2 g COD dm,3 d,1, while the three polymer-assisted reactors attained a marked increase in organic loading of 25.6 g COD dm,3 d,1. Adding the cationic polymer could result in shortening of start-up time and enhancement of granulation, which may in turn lead to improvement in the efficiency of organics removal and loading capacity of the UASB system. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry [source] EXPERIMENTAL AND NEURAL NETWORK PREDICTION OF THE PERFORMANCE OF A SOLAR TUNNEL DRIER FOR DRYING JACKFRUIT BULBS AND LEATHERJOURNAL OF FOOD PROCESS ENGINEERING, Issue 6 2005B.K. BALA ABSTRACT This article presents the field performance of a solar tunnel drier for drying jackfruit bulbs and leather. The drier consists of a transparent plastic-covered flat-plate collector and a drying tunnel connected in series to supply hot air directly into the drying tunnel using two direct-current fans operated by a photovoltaic module. The drier has a loading capacity of 120,150 kg of fruits. Sixteen experimental runs were conducted for drying jackfruit bulbs and leather (eight runs each). The use of a solar tunnel drier led to a considerable reduction in drying time and dried products of better quality in comparison to products dried under the sun. A multilayered neural network approach was used to predict the performance of the solar tunnel drier. Using solar drying data of jackfruit bulbs and leather, the model has been trained using backpropagation algorithm. The prediction of the performance of the drier was found to be excellent after it was adequately trained. It can be used to predict the potential of the drier for different locations, and can also be used in a predictive optimal control algorithm. [source] Reversible addition,fragmentation chain-transfer graft polymerization of styrene: Solid phases for organic and peptide synthesisJOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE (IN TWO SECTIONS), Issue 23 2002Leonie Barner Abstract The ,-initiated reversible addition,fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT)-agent-mediated free-radical graft polymerization of styrene onto a polypropylene solid phase has been performed with cumyl phenyldithioacetate (CPDA). The initial CPDA concentrations range between 1 × 10,2 and 2 × 10,3 mol L,1 with dose rates of 0.18, 0.08, 0.07, 0.05, and 0.03 kGy h,1. The RAFT graft polymerization is compared with the conventional free-radical graft polymerization of styrene onto polypropylene. Both processes show two distinct regimes of grafting: (1) the grafting layer regime, in which the surface is not yet totally covered with polymer chains, and (2) a regime in which a second polymer layer is formed. Here, we hypothesize that the surface is totally covered with polymer chains and that new polymer chains are started by polystyrene radicals from already grafted chains. The grafting ratio of the RAFT-agent-mediated process is controlled via the initial CPDA concentration. The molecular weight of the polystyrene from the solution (PSfree) shows a linear behavior with conversion and has a low polydispersity index. Furthermore, the loading of the grafted solid phase shows a linear relationship with the molecular weight of PSfree for both regimes. Regime 2 has a higher loading capacity per molecular weight than regime 1. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 4180,4192, 2002 [source] Small molecule adsorption on to polyester capillary-channeled polymer fibers: Frontal analysis of naphthalene and naphthol (naphthalene and naphthol adsorption on capillary-channeled polymer fibers)JOURNAL OF SEPARATION SCIENCE, JSS, Issue 1 2010Christine M. Straut Abstract Frontal analysis was carried out employing poly(ethylene-terephthalate) capillary-channeled polymer fibers as the stationary phase for the immobilization of low-molecular-weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compounds (naphthol and naphthalene) from 2% methanol/water solutions. The effects of several experimental parameters on the frontal profile, the breakthrough volume, and the equilibrium parameters were determined for each solute. The amount adsorbed at exhaustion of naphthalene and naphthol was also compared. The kinetics and thermodynamics were maintained at relatively fast flow rates/linear velocities (,6,18,mm/s). Comparisons of dynamic capacity revealed that naphthalene was more retained than naphthol, in most situations more than five times that of the naphthol adsorption. This increase in capacity is most likely due to the multilayering of naphthalene on the surface of the fibers through ,,, interactions between the solute and the fiber surface and successive layering of solute molecules. The extent of layering is a function of the flow, with faster flow rates (and subsequent shear forces) reducing the extent of adsorbate,adsorbate interactions. Although the overall loading capacity of the capillary-channeled polymer fibers is far below porous phases, there are a number of attractive attributes that support further development. [source] Assessing a novel microfluidic interface for shotgun proteome analysesJOURNAL OF SEPARATION SCIENCE, JSS, Issue 10 2007An Staes Abstract Microfluidic interfaces coupled to ESI mass spectrometers hold great potential for proteomics as they have been shown to augment the overall sensitivity of measurements and require only a minimum of operator manipulations as compared to conventional nano-LC interfaces. Here, we evaluated a new type of HPLC-Chips holding larger enrichment columns (thus an increased sample loading capacity) for gel-free proteome studies. A tryptic digest of a human T-cell proteome was fractionated by strong cation exchange chromatography and selected fractions were analyzed by MS/MS on an IT mass spectrometer using both the new HPLC-Chip as well as a conventional nano-LC-MS/MS interface. Our results indicate that the HPLC-Chip is capable of handling very complex peptide mixtures and, in fact, leads to the identification of more peptides and proteins as compared to when a conventional interface was used. The HPLC-Chip preferentially produced doubly charged tryptic peptides. We further show that MS/MS spectra of doubly charged tryptic peptide ions are more readily identified by MASCOT as compared to those from triply charged precursors and thus argue that besides the improved chromatographic conditions provided by the HPLC-Chip, its peptide charging profile might be a secondary factor leading to an increased proteome coverage. [source] Preparation of a monolithic column for weak cation exchange chromatography and its application in the separation of biopolymersJOURNAL OF SEPARATION SCIENCE, JSS, Issue 1 2006Yinmao Wei Abstract A procedure for the preparation of a monolithic column for weak cation exchange chromatography was presented. The structure of the monolithic column was evaluated by mercury intrusion. The hydrodynamic and chromatographic properties of the monolithic column , such as back pressures at different flow rates, effects of pH on protein retention, dynamic loading capacity, recovery, and stability , were determined under conditions typical for ion-exchange chromatography. The prepared monolithic column might be used in a relatively broad pH range from 4.0 to 12.0 and exhibited an excellent separation to five proteins at the flow rates of both 1.0 and 8.0 mL/min, respectively. In addition, the prepared column was first used in the purification and simultaneous renaturation of recombinant human interferon gamma (rhIFN-,) in the extract solution with 7.0 mol/L guanidine hydrochloride. The purity and specific bioactivity of the purified rhIFN-, in only one chromatographic step were obtained to be 93% and 7.8×107 IU/mg, respectively. [source] Experimental study of the friction and wear behaviour of a polymer disc/primer coating combination used in ball-joints by means of large-scale testingLUBRICATION SCIENCE, Issue 2 2006P. Samyn Abstract The surfaces of a heavily loaded ball-joint were initially covered with a sliding spray, and suffer wear. A solution is found by incorporating ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) discs with a carbon fibre/epoxy reinforced ring as sliding material into the chairs of the structure. The ball side is covered with a zinc phosphate primer coating. For design purposes the local static and dynamic behaviour of the hybrid UHMWPE discs in contact with steel or Zn-coated counterfaces should be large-scale tested in terms of their loading capacity, low friction and wear resistance. Also the influence of creep and wear on friction is examined. After the large-scale verification tests in laboratory, a good correlation is found with a test in the field. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The Influence of Pendant Hydroxyl Groups on Enzymatic Degradation and Drug Delivery of Amphiphilic Poly[glycidol- block -(, -caprolactone)] CopolymersMACROMOLECULAR BIOSCIENCE, Issue 11 2009Jing Mao Abstract An amphiphilic diblock copolymer PG- b -PCL with well-controlled structure and pendant hydroxyl groups along hydrophilic block was synthesized by sequential anionic ring-opening polymerization. The micellization and drug release of PG- b -PCL copolymers using pyrene as a fluorescence probe were investigated for determining the influences of copolymer composition and lipase concentration on drug loading capacity and controlled release behavior. The biodegradation of PG- b -PCL copolymers was studied with microspheres as research samples. It has been concluded that the polar hydroxyl groups along each repeat unit of hydrophilic PG block in PG- b -PCL copolymer have great influences on drug encapsulation, drug release, and enzymatic degradation of micelles and microspheres. [source] The design of a multi-dimensional LC-SPE-NMR system (LC2 -SPE-NMR) for complex mixture analysis,MAGNETIC RESONANCE IN CHEMISTRY, Issue 1 2006A. J. Alexander Abstract In this communication, we describe the design of an online multi-chromatographic approach to the routine NMR analyses of low-level components (,0.1%) in complex mixtures. The technique, termed LC2 -SPE-NMR, optimally combines multi-dimensional liquid chromatography with SPE technology for isolating, enriching and delivering trace analytes to the NMR probe. The fully automated LC2 -SPE-NMR system allows for maximal loading capacity (in the first, preparative LC dimension), close to optimal peak resolution (in the second, analytical LC dimension) and enhanced sample concentration (through SPE). Using this system, it is feasible to conveniently conduct a wide range of NMR experiments on, for example, drug impurities at the low microgram per milliliter level, even for components poorly resolved in the first dimension. Such a sensitivity gain significantly elevates the analytical power of online NMR technology in terms of the level at which substances of pharmaceutical significance can be structurally characterized. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A comparison of capillary-scale LC,NMR with alternative techniques: spectroscopic and practical considerations,MAGNETIC RESONANCE IN CHEMISTRY, Issue 9 2005Richard J. Lewis Abstract Experimental and practical details for the use of capillary LC (CapLC),NMR are reported. The capillary NMR probe has high sensitivity and excellent flow characteristics and we found CapLC,NMR to be best suited to samples that are truly mass limited. CapLC,NMR relies on good capillary-scale chromatography where highly concentrated peaks with a volume closely matched to the NMR flow cell are achievable. Provided that the loading capacity of the capillary column is not limiting, the combination of high sensitivity and high solvent suppression quality makes CapLC,NMR an excellent choice. For many real samples, however, the loading is limiting and we found the combination of LC,SPE,MS,NMR with a cryoprobe enables more material to be purified for NMR analysis, while retaining sensitivity. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Preparation of monodisperse hydrophilic polymer microspheres with N,N,-methylenediacrylamide as crosslinker by distillation precipitation polymerizationPOLYMER INTERNATIONAL, Issue 7 2007Guangyu Liu Abstract Highly crosslinked cauliflower-like poly(N,N,-methylenebisacrylamide) particles were prepared by distillation precipitation polymerization in neat acetonitrile with 2,2,-azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator. Monodisperse hydrophilic polymer microspheres with various functional groups, such as amide, pyrrolidone and carboxylic acid, with a spherical shape and smooth surface in the size range 120,600 nm were prepared by distillation precipitation copolymerizations of functional comonomers including N -isopropylacrylamide, N -vinylpyrrolidone, methacrylic acid with N,N,-methylenebisacrylamide as crosslinker. The polymer particles were formed and precipitated out from the reaction medium during the distillation of the solvent from the reaction system through an entropic precipitation manner. The effects of the solvent and the degree of crosslinking on the morphology and the loading capacity of the functional groups of the resultant polymer particles were investigated. The resulting polymer particles were characterized with scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Survey of albumin purification methods for the analysis of albumin-organic toxicant adducts by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometryPROTEINS: STRUCTURE, FUNCTION AND BIOINFORMATICS, Issue 18 2005Carrie L. Young Abstract HSA has been shown to react with many organic toxicants to form adducts that are useful biomarkers for exposure. Albumin isolation is an important first step for the analysis of these protein-toxicant adducts. We tested several approaches to isolate albumin from serum treated with an electrophilic organic toxicant known to form adducts with albumin, i.e., sulfur mustard agent (HD) (2,2'-dichloroethyl sulfide), in order to evaluate these techniques as purification methods. To select the most efficient isolation strategy, methods were evaluated using gel electrophoresis, total protein quantitation, and peptide-adduct identification by MS. Results suggest that the albumin-rich fractions obtained can be used to identify exposure by quantitating the albumin adducts to electrophilic organic toxicants such as HD. The HiTrap Blue HP albumin isolation system appears to display the most promising results for purifying albumin to detect HD-adducts, exhibiting high purification efficiency, satisfactory albumin recovery, promising specificity, and a higher loading capacity for serum. [source] Effect of ADP on slow-twitch muscle fibres of the rat: implications for muscle fatigueTHE JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 1 2006W. A. Macdonald Slow-twitch mechanically skinned fibres from rat soleus muscle were bathed in solutions mimicking the myoplasmic environment but containing different [ADP] (0.1 ,m to 1.0 mm). The effect of ADP on sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ -content was determined from the magnitude of caffeine-induced force responses, while temporal changes in SR Ca2+ -content allowed determination of the effective rates of the SR Ca2+ -pump and of the SR Ca2+ -leak. The SR Ca2+ -pump rate, estimated at pCa (,log10[Ca2+]) 7.8, was reduced by 20% as the [ADP] was increased from 0.1 to 40 ,m, with no further alteration when the [ADP] was increased to 1.0 mm. The SR Ca2+ -leak rate constant was not altered by increasing [ADP] from 0.1 to 40 ,m, but was increased by 26% when the [ADP] was elevated to 1.0 mm. This ADP-induced SR Ca2+ -leak was insensitive to ruthenium red but was abolished by 2,5-di(tert-butyl)-1,4-hydroquinone (TBQ), indicating that the leak pathway is via the SR Ca2+ -pump and not the SR Ca2+ -release channel. The decrease in SR Ca2+ -pump rate and SR Ca2+ -leak rate when [ADP] was increased led to a 40% decrease in SR Ca2+ -loading capacity. Elevation of [ADP] had only minor direct effects on the contractile apparatus of slow-twitch fibres. These results suggest that ADP has only limited depressing effects on the contractility of slow-twitch muscle fibres. This is in contrast to the marked effects of ADP on force responses in fast-twitch muscle fibres and may contribute to the fatigue-resistant nature of slow-twitch muscle fibres. [source] Mathematics-aided quantitative analysis of diffusion characteristics of pHEMA sponge hydrogelsASIA-PACIFIC JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, Issue 6 2007X. Lou Abstract This study reports the current progress in quantitative analysis of the release characteristics of pHEMA spongy hydrogels using prednisolone 21-hemisuccinate sodium salt as a model drug. Extraction of effective diffusion coefficients of the drug from various pHEMA matrices was made using a novel mathematical model that handles both boundary layer and initial burst effects. Drug loading level and entrapment efficiency were also determined. The computed diffusion coefficients and the drug loading capacity in relation to the device porous structure and drug concentration of the loading solution, as well as the size of device are discussed. Mathematical modelling proves to be a powerful tool not only for establishing and interpreting structure and performance relationships but also for handling experimental ambiguity. Copyright © 2007 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Formulation and evaluation of chitosan microspheres of aceclofenac for colon-targeted drug deliveryBIOPHARMACEUTICS AND DRUG DISPOSITION, Issue 7 2010S. K. Umadevi Abstract The objective of this investigation was to develop novel colon specific drug delivery. Aceclofenac, a NSAID, was successfully encapsulated into chitosan microspheres. Various formulations were prepared by varying the ratio of chitosan, span-85 and stirring speed and the amount of glutaraldehyde. The SEM study showed that microspheres have smooth surfaces. Microspheres were characterised by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to confirm the absence of chemical interactions between drug and polymer and to know the formation of microspheres structure. The microspheres were evaluated for particle size, encapsulation efficiency, drug loading capacity, mucoadhesion studies, stability studies, in vitro and in vivo drug release studies. Particle sizes, as measured by the laser light scattering technique, were of an average size in the range 41,80,µm. The swelling index was in the range 0.37,0.82 and the entrapment efficiency range was 51,75% for all the formulations. The optimised batch ACM13 released 83.6% at 8,h and 104% at 24,h in SCF containing rat caecal content. Eudragit coated chitosan microspheres prevented the release of the aceclofenac in the physiological environment of the stomach and small intestine and released 95.9±0.34% in the colon. With regard to release kinetics, the data were best fitted with the Higuchi model and showed zero order release with non-Fickian diffusion mechanism. The in vivo findings suggest that aceclofenac microspheres exhibit a prolonged effect of aceclofenac in rats and produce a significant anti-inflammatory effect. The findings of the present study conclusively state that chitosan microspheres are promising for colon targeting of aceclofenac to synchronise with chronobiological symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Adsorption of SO2 on Activated Carbon for Low Gas ConcentrationsCHEMICAL ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY (CET), Issue 5 2007P. Zhang Abstract Adsorption experiments of SO2 on activated carbon has been carried out for low concentrations (about 100,ppm) at room temperature (15 to 33,°C) with varying humidity in the air. The breakthrough curves show that at high relative humidity or relative higher SO2 concentration, the load capacity increases with respect to temperature. The humidity of the air is also of benefit to the load capacity of SO2. When an adsorption process is interrupted and the activated carbon is kept closed for a while, the SO2 concentration at the exit of a fixed-bed adsorber is similar to that of the fresh activated carbon and begins at a very low value. It appears that the sorption potential has been refreshed after the storage period. Analysis of desorption experiments by simultaneous thermal analysis combined with mass spectrometry (MS) after loading, shows that the physisorbed SO2 and H2O are desorbed at low temperatures. At higher temperatures, the MS peak of SO2 and H2O occur at the same time. Compared with desorption immediately after loading, after one day, the desorption peak due to the physisorbed SO2 disappears. From this, it can be concluded that the refreshment of the loading capacity of the activated carbon after storage is mainly due to a change in the nature of the SO2 from a physisorbed state to a chemisorbed form. The same mechanism leads to a continuous refreshment of the sorption potential by means of a chemical reaction during the adsorption process. [source] Freeze-dried bone for maxillary sinus augmentation in sheepCLINICAL ORAL IMPLANTS RESEARCH, Issue 6 2002Part II: Biomechanical findings Abstract: This study examines the biomechanical loading capacity of dental implants placed in the posterior maxilla in conjunction with subantral augmentation with either homogeneous demineralized freeze-dried bone from sheep (s-DFDB) or heterogeneous demineralized freeze-dried human bone (h-DFDB) as grafting material in sheep. In 36 adult female mountain sheep, the Schneiderian membrane was elevated extraorally in both maxillary sinuses, and two titanium plasma-flame-sprayed cylindrical implants were inserted in each lateral antral wall. Three groups of 18 maxillary sinuses each were augmented with s-DFDB, h-DFDB and autogenous bone from the illiac crest, respectively. In the remaining 18 sinuses, the subantral hollow space was left empty. Pull-out tests were carried out after intervals of 12, 16 and 26 weeks. The mean pull-out force needed, irrespective of time, was 259.3 N in the empty control group, 356.7 N in the group augmented with autogenous bone, 278.1 N in the test group augmented with h-DFDB and 365.2 N in the group augmented with s-DFDB, revealing no significant difference between the individual groups (P > 0.05). The implants of the group augmented with autogenous bone showed an increase in the mean pull-out force from 223.8 N after 12 weeks to 523.7 N after 26 weeks. The nonaugmented control group yielded values of 248 N after 12 weeks, which rose to 269.8 N at the last test, while the values of the h-DFDB group increased from 275.4 N to 325.4 N. The highest initial pull-out values were obtained in the s-DFDB group. They amounted to 310.5 N after 12 weeks and rose to 481.4 N after 26 weeks. Time thus proved to have a significant influence on the pull-out forces (P = 0.014) with a statistically proven linear trend (P = 0.007). The findings of this experimental study indicate that the use of homogeneous DFDB in one-stage sinus lift procedures results in a mechanical loading capacity of implants comparable to that achieved by autogenous cancellous bone from the iliac crest. In contrast, the use of heterogenous-DFDB resulted in only slightly higher pull-out forces than those observed in the nonaugmented control group after 26 weeks. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||