Holographic patterning of graphene-oxide films by light-driven reduction.

We report on the patterning and reduction of graphene-oxide films by holographic lithography. Light reduction can be used to engineer low-cost graphene-based devices by performing a local conversion of insulating oxide into the conductive graphene. In this work, computer-generated holograms have been exploited to realize complex graphene patterns in a single shot, different from serial laser writing or mask-based photolithographic processes. The technique has been further improved by achieving speckle noise reduction: submicron and diffraction-limited features have been obtained. In addition we have also demonstrated that the gray-scale lithography capability can be used to obtain different reduction levels in a single exposure.

Mechanical properties of low-density polyethylene filled by graphite nanoplatelets.

The mechanical properties of GNP/LDPE nanocomposites (graphite nanoplatelets/low density polyethylene) have been investigated, in order to establish the effect of nanoscale reinforcement within the polymer matrix. Results show that the presence of the filler does not involve a change in the microscopic structure of the polymer. However, on a macroscopic scale, GNPs limit the mobility of the polymer chains, resulting in an increase in stiffness for the final composite. Orientation of GNPs within the LDPE matrix is also an important issue that affects mechanical properties and it has been evaluated by testing nanocomposites made by different manufacturing techniques (compression moulding and blown extrusion). The comparison between the experimental data and the Halpin-Tsai model shows that the orientation of GNPs due to the extrusion process leads to values of tensile modulus higher than that obtained with the randomly oriented disposition resulting from the compression moulding technique.

New class of three-body states.

We calculate the three-body spectrum for identical bosons interacting via attractive 1/r(2) potentials. We find an infinite number of three-body states even when the pair interactions are too weak to support any two-body states. These new states thus share this surprising scenario with the Efimov effect, but are not themselves Efimov states. Our effect occurs for both identical bosons and identical fermions, and it persists in the presence of two-body bound states.

Fast curing of restorative materials through the soft light energy release.

OBJECTIVE: The effect of a novel light curing process, namely soft light energy release (SLER), on shrinkage, mechanical strength and residual stress of four dental restorative materials (DEI experience, Gradia Direct, Enamel Plus HFO and Venus) was investigated. METHODS: Composite specimens were fast cured through high level of power density and soft light energy release. Temperature, linear shrinkage and light power measurements were acquired in parallel in order to assess the effect of light modulation on temperature and shrinkage profiles during the light curing process and the following dark reaction phase. The small punch test and Raman spectroscopy were adopted to investigate the effect of SLER on mechanical strength and on internal stress, respectively. RESULTS: The soft light energy release photo-polymerization allows to reduce of about 20% the shrinkage rate and to increase the strength of fast light cured specimens. In addition, a more relaxed and homogeneous internal stress distribution was observed. SIGNIFICANCE: Properties of fast cured restorative materials can be improved by adopting the soft light energy release process.

The Eulerian buckling test for orthodontic wires.

Orthodontic treatment is mainly dependent on the loads developed by metal wires. The load developed by a buckled orthodontic wire is of great concern for molar distalization and cannot be simply derived from mechanical properties measured through classical tests (i.e. tensile, torsion, and bending). A novel testing method, based on the Eulerian approach of a simple supported beam, has been developed in order to measure the load due to buckling of orthodontic wires. Elastic titanium molybdenum alloy (TMA; SDS Ormco) and superelastic Nitinol (3M Unitek) and copper nickel-titanium (NiTi; SDS Ormco) wires, each having a rectangular cross section of 0.016 x 0.022 square inches (0.41 x 0.56 mm(2)), were used. The wires were activated and deactivated by loading and unloading. In order to analyse thermo-mechanical properties in buckling, mechanical tests were assisted by calorimetric measurements through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Statistical analysis to determine differences between the samples was undertaken using two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's post hoc test, and one-way ANOVA to assess differences between the tested wires under similar conditions and different materials. The results suggest that the load due to buckling depends on material composition, wire length, the amount of activation, temperature, and deformation rate. The results can be considered as the lower bound for the loads experienced by teeth as far as a buckled wire is concerned. At a temperature higher than the austenite finish transition temperature, superelastic wires were strongly dependent on temperature and deformation rate. The effect due to an increase of deformation rate was similar to that of a decrease of temperature. Load variations due to temperature of a superelastic wire with a length of 20 mm were estimated to be approximately 4 g/degrees C. The high performance of an applied superelastic wire may be related to the high dynamics of the load in relation to temperature.

Synthesis and characterization of macroporous poly(ethylene glycol)-based hydrogels for tissue engineering application.

Peptide activated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based hydrogels have received wide attention as material for tissue engineering application. However, the close structure of these materials may pose severe barriers to tissue invasion and nutrient transport. The aim of this work was to synthesize highly interconnected macroporous PEG hydrogels, suitable for use as tissue engineering scaffolds, by combining the photocrosslinking reaction with a foaming process. In particular, various porous samples, differing for both the polymer molecular weight and concentration in the starting precursor solution, have been prepared and characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy and mercury porosimetry. Moreover, water swelling properties have been evaluated and compared with those of the conventional nonporous ones, by performing both equilibrium and kinetic swelling measurements in distilled water. Results indicated that foamed hydrogels display a well-interconnected porous network, suitable for tissue invasion and free molecular trafficking within them. Pores dimension as well as swelling rate can be modulated by polymer concentrations and bubbling agent composition in the precursor solution.

Mutual information and electron correlation in momentum space.

Mutual information and information entropies in momentum space are proposed as measures of the nonlocal aspects of information. Singlet and triplet state members of the helium isoelectronic series are employed to examine Coulomb and Fermi correlations, and their manifestations, in both the position and momentum space mutual information measures. The triplet state measures exemplify that the magnitude of the spatial correlations relative to the momentum correlations depends on and may be controlled by the strength of the electronic correlation. The examination of one- and two-electron Shannon entropies in the triplet state series yields a crossover point, which is characterized by a localized momentum density. The mutual information density in momentum space illustrates that this localization is accompanied by strong correlation at small values of p.

Basic structural parameters for the design of composite structures as ligament augmentation devices.

Composite structures are designed to mimic the morphology and mechanical properties of natural ligaments. Filament winding technology has been implemented in order to obtain a composite material based on a polyurethane matrix (HydroThaneTM ), reinforced with degradable and non-degradable fibers. The mechanical properties of the matrix and fiber have been analysed to define the optimal type, volume ratio and winding angle of the reinforcement. The typical J-shaped stress-strain curve, displayed by natural tendons and ligaments, is reproduced. The mechanical behaviour of HydroThaneTM reinforced with poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fibers were modified by varying the winding angle of the fibers. Fibers comprising poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA), poly(glycolic acid) (PGA) and PET, individually and in combination, were considered as candidate materials for the reinforcement of a composite ligament augmentation device (LAD). Mechanical and degradation studies demonstrated that, by combining different types of fiber, at a fixed volume fraction and winding angle (20 degrees ), it is possible to optimize mechanical properties and degradation kinetics of the device.

An experimental and theoretical composite model of the human mandible.

The purpose is to design and manufacture a composite mandible replicate suitable for testing the influence of prosthetic materials on the stress distribution of bone. Composite mandibles made of a poly(methylmethacrylate) core and a glass reinforced outer shell are manufactured and characterised through mechanical tests assisted by the finite element analysis. The mandible replicate has been conveniently equipped with strain gauges, moreover a video extensometer has also been used in order to measure the arch width change during loading. A close agreement is found between the experimental data and the theoretical predictions. By laterally loading the mandibles the maximum values of stress and strain take place in the premolar-incisal region. By varying technological parameters such as the fiber volume fraction and orientation, it is easy to replicate the behaviour of mandibles having different stiffnesses. The results obtained by laterally loading the composite mandibles through the condyles or through the gonion regions are consistent with literature data relative to the arch width decrease of natural jaws during opening and closing. This novel synthetic system coupled with the Finite Element model constitutes an experimental-theoretical model suitable to investigate the biomechanical effects of oral rehabilitations on mandibular bone.

Mutual information and correlation measures in atomic systems.

Mutual information is introduced as an electron correlation measure and examined for isoelectronic series and neutral atoms. We show that it possesses the required characteristics of a correlation measure and is superior to the behavior of the radial correlation coefficient in the neon series. A local mutual information, and related local quantities, are used to examine the local contributions to Fermi correlation, and to demonstrate and to interpret the intimate relationship between correlation and localization.

Local correlation measures in atomic systems.

The phenomenon of electron correlation in atomic systems is examined and compared from the statistical, information theoretic, and energetic perspectives. Local correlation measures, based on the correlation coefficient, information entropies, and idempotency measure, are compared to the correlation energy density. Analysis of these local measures reveals that the chemically significant valence region is responsible for the behavior of their respective global measures in contrast to the correlation energy density which has large contributions to the correlation energy from both the core and valence regions. These results emphasize the difference in the mechanisms inherent in the different perspectives, the similarity between the statistical, information entropic, and idempotency views, and provides further evidence for the use of information theoretic based quantities in studies of electron correlation.

Hyaluronic-acid-based semi-interpenetrating materials.

In order to enhance the mechanical performances of hyaluronic acid (HA) without compromising its biological activity, HA has been interpenetrating with a fibrillar collagen scaffold. The semi-interpenetrating materials were obtained by mixing HA with different molecular weight and a pepsin-solubilized collagen (atelocollagen) solution, and then by inducing collagen fibrillogenesis. Results indicate that molecular weight of HA significantly influences the mechanical properties of the semi-interpenetrating materials and more specifically stronger material results from the use of low-molecular-weight (LMW) HA. According to the dynamic mechanical data the composite collagen-LMW HA has a higher elastic modulus than collagen, whereas the opposite is true for the high-molecular-weight (HMW) HA. This result highlights the role of specific interactions that occur between collagen and HA during the gel formation in controlling the network mechanical stability. LMW HA may, probably, interact more strongly with collagen during the fibrillogenesis process than HMW HA due to the higher mobility of the chains and the weaker homologous interactions. Moreover, morphological observations showed that LMW HA is intimately interdispersed within the collagen network and completely coated the fibrils, which act as mechanical support.

Cellulose derivative-hyaluronic acid-based microporous hydrogels cross-linked through divinyl sulfone (DVS) to modulate equilibrium sorption capacity and network stability.

The aim of this work is to obtain a chemically cross-linked hydrogel from hyaluronic acid and cellulose derivatives that exhibits sensitivity to variation of the composition of the external absorbing medium and an equilibrium sorption capacity higher than a common hyaluronic acid-based hydrogel, in view of its potential use in prevention of postsurgical soft tissue adhesion. This has been achieved by chemical stabilization of hyaluronic acid (HA) and cellulose derivatives, hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC) and carboxymethylcellulose (CMCNa) through the difunctional cross-linker divinyl sulfone. Significant increase in sorption capacity, both in water and in water solutions at different ionic strength, has been observed for these samples in comparison with hydrogels obtained through chemical stabilization of hyaluronic acid. Moreover, different dehydration procedures adopted for the xerogel synthesis have been used, which resulted in a modulation of the equilibrium sorption capacity. Hyaluronic acid stability has been confirmed by means of NMR analysis.

Biomedical application of a superabsorbent hydrogel for body water elimination in the treatment of edemas.

A novel system of body water elimination to be used for the treatment of edemas, based on superabsorbent cellulose derivatives able to absorb large amounts of water and water solutions, has been investigated. Hydrogels have been synthesized starting from water solutions of carboxymethylcellulose sodium salt and hydroxyethylcellulose, chemically crosslinked with divinylsulphone. Polyelectrolyte hydrogels displayed high sensitivity in sorption capacity to variations of the ionic strength and pH of the external solution, which is a key parameter for the application under investigation. Further, swelling properties have been modulated acting on the degree of crosslinking of the macromolecular network, and a direct method for the measurement of this parameter based on NMR solid-state analysis has been provided. The hydrogel biocompatibility has been studied in terms of its capacity either to induce nitric oxide and lactate dehydrogenase release by macrophages or influence their viability. The eventual release of toxic substances from the hydrogel was also investigated using Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts. The results obtained from the biocompatibility studies carried out in this work are consistent with the hypothesis that this gel may represent an alternative to diuretic therapies in those pathologic conditions in which edemas occur.

A general approach to describe the antimicrobial agent release from highly swellable films intended for food packaging applications.

A mathematical model able to describe the release kinetics of antimicrobial agents from crosslinked polyvinylalcohol (PVOH) into water is presented. The model was developed by taking into account the diffusion of water molecules into the polymeric film, the counter-diffusion of the incorporated antimicrobial agent from the film into water, and the polymeric matrix swelling kinetic. To validate the model the water sorption kinetics as well as the release kinetics of three antimicrobial agents (i.e., lysozyme, nisin and sodium benzoate, all approved to be used in contact with food) were determined at ambient temperature (25 degrees C). The three investigated active agents were entrapped in four films of PVOH with a different degree of crosslink. The model was successfully used to fit all the above sets of data, corroborating the validity of the hypothesis made to derive it.

Hydrothane(R) interactions with biological components: a comparison with Chronoflex(R).

The interaction of a glycol-containing polyurethane, Hydrothane(R), was assessed with respect to protein adsorption and cell and bacterial adhesion. The results obtained were compared with those from a second polyurethane, Chronoflex(R). Dynamic contact angle (DCA) and protein adsorption studies indicated that the overall hydrophilic nature of Hydrothane in physiological environment was affected by the possible presence of hydrophobic domains still exposed at the surface after wetting. Indeed, despite the high degree of hydrophilicity in an aqueous environment, a stronger protein binding was evidenced on Hydrothane when the two serum- and urine-conditioned polyurethane surfaces were selectively washed by isopropanol/water mixtures of increasing concentrations. Furthermore, immunoblotting of the serum proteins adsorbed on Hydrothane demonstrated the presence on its surface of proteins able to establish hydrophobic interactions such as human serum albumin (HSA) and á 1-microglobulin ( á 1-m). The C3 fragment of complement showed an immunoblotting profile different from the control serum suggesting an activation of this fragment. The adhesion of fibroblasts and Pseudomonas aeruginosa on the surface of the two materials was evaluated and the data were related to protein adsorption. In both cases Hydrothane showed levels of adhesion of eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells significantly lower than Chronoflex. These data were related to the absence of a significant binding of proteins such as fibronectin bringing amino acid receptor sequences in their structure. (Journal of Applied Biomaterials & Biomechanics 2003; 1: 67-75).

Dynamic mechanical behavior of PMMA based bone cements in wet environment.

The mechanical properties of three wet commercial bone cements, namely Braxel (from Bioland), Simplex-P (from Howmedica) and CMW1-G (from DePuy) are investigated by means of stress relaxation and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The geometry of loading that was used is the three point bending method (ASTM D790); all the tests were performed in a water chamber by means of temperature sweeps between 17 and 57 degrees C and spanning four frequency decades. The results show that viscoelastic properties are strongly dependent on specimen conditioning (i.e. water uptake and heat treatment). The results also show that all the cements that were analyzed show mechanical properties which are intermediate between the ones of the cancellous bone and of the metals of which prostheses are normally made. As a consequence, the cement is able to reduce the stress concentrations due to the interfacing of materials which have very different stiffnesses. Moreover, the results of the DMA, particularly the ones concerning the damping factor (tan delta), indicate that at body temperature the bone cements tested show an increased capacity of dissipation, the higher is the loading frequency, thus displaying shock absorbing properties.

The biotechnology for the removal of specific pollutants.

In the last century, thanks to the development of molecular trials such as those involving genetic modification, biotechnologies have asserted themselves in diversified sectors and their evolution has been rapid, resulting in an enormous impact on the productive sector, on the quality of life, and on the consequences that their employment can have for man and, above all, for the environment. In particular, the application of biotechnologies in the sector concerned with the management and disposal of dangerous and non dangerous wastes, as well as in the sector concerned with the remediation of grounds contaminated by organic and inorganic pollutants, has led to the development of systems and processes that represent a valid and consolidated methodology for environmental improvement. This paper reviews the various different ways in which biotechnologies have been employed in the above sectors, citing the conditions necessary for their successful application, and stressing the great potential that these methodologies have, if optimised by means of further research, for solving environmental problems.

Spatial and structural dependence of mechanical properties of porcine intervertebral disc.

Structure-function relationship of natural tissues is crucial to design a device mimicking the structures present in human body. For this purpose, to provide guidelines to design an intervertebral disc (IVD) substitute, in this study the influence of the spatial location and structural components on the mechanical properties of porcine IVD was investigated. Local compressive stiffness (LCS) was measured on the overall disc, also constrained between the two adjacent vertebrae: the dependence on the lumbar position was evaluated. The compliance values in the anterior position (A) were higher than both in the central posterior (CP) and in the lateral-posterior (RP, LP) locations. The values of Young's Modulus (74.67+/-6.03 MPa) and compression break load (1.36x10(4)+/-0.09x10(4)N) of the disc were also evaluated by distributed compression test. The NP rheological behavior was typical of weak-gels, with elastic modulus G' always higher than viscous modulus G" all over the frequency range investigated (G' and G" respectively equal to 320 and 85 Pa at 1 Hz) and with the moduli trends were almost parallel to each other.