Immunocompatibility and non-thrombogenicity of gelatin-based hydrogels.

Immunocompatibility and non-thrombogenicity are important requirements for biomedical applications such as vascular grafts. Here, gelatin-based hydrogels formed by reaction of porcine gelatin with increasing amounts of lysine diisocyanate ethyl ester were investigated in vitro in this regard. In addition, potential adverse effects of the hydrogels were determined using the "Hen's egg test on chorioallantoic membrane" (HET-CAM) test and a mouse model.The study revealed that the hydrogels were immunocompatible, since complement activation was absent and a substantial induction of reactive oxygen species generating monocytes and neutrophils could not be observed in whole human blood. The density as well as the activation state of adherent thrombocytes was comparable to medical grade polydimethylsiloxane, which was used as reference material. The HET-CAM test confirmed the compatibility of the hydrogels with vessel functionality since no bleedings, thrombotic events, or vessel destructions were observed. Only for the samples synthesized with the highest LDI amount the number of growing blood vessels in the CAM was comparable to controls and significantly higher than for the softer materials. Implantation into mice showed the absence of adverse or toxic effects in spleen, liver, or kidney, and only a mild lymphocytic activation in the form of a follicular hyperplasia in draining lymph nodes (slightly increased after the implantation of the material prepared with the lowest LDI content). These results imply that candidate materials prepared with mid to high amounts of LDI are suitable for the coating of the blood contacting surface of cardiovascular implants.

Quantitative allocation of Bragg scattering effects in highly efficient OLEDs fabricated on periodically corrugated substrates.

Bragg scattering effects in bottom-emitting organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) grown on corrugated aluminum-doped zinc oxide electrodes are analyzed. Periodic corrugation is introduced by structuring the oxide electrode via UV laser ablation, a process that enables flexible adjustment of the period and height of corrugation. We demonstrate that fabrication of stable and electrically efficient OLEDs on these rough substrates is feasible. Sharp spectral features are superimposed onto the broad emission spectra of the OLEDs, providing clear evidence for Bragg scattering of light from guided modes into the air cone. Theoretical analysis based on an emissive dipole model and conservation of momentum considerations allows a quantitative description of scattering and the associated dispersion relations.

Physically crosslinked gelatins functionalized with tyrosine moieties do not induce angiogenesis or thrombus formation in the developing vasculature in the avian chorioallantoic membrane.

Gelatins functionalized with desaminotyrosine or desaminotyrosyl tyrosine form physically crosslinked polymer networks due to the interactions between the introduced aromatic moeties. In the swollen state, their mechanical properties can be tailored in a range similar to the elasticity of soft tissues. The aim of this study was to evaluate their potential as biomaterials by determining whether these materials - in comparison to plain gelatin - induce bleedings, thrombotic processes, or angiogenesis. These investigations were performed using the hen's egg chorioallantoic membrane (HETCAM) assay. These results indicate that the gelatin-based hydrogels did not possess angiogenic effects and also did not induce bleedings, thrombotic processes or vessel destruction (avascular zones). The biocompatibility of the materials in vitro motivates the exploration of their application as matrix in local drug-release systems with short half-life times (1 hour up to several days).

Immuno-compatibility of soft hydrophobic poly (n-butyl acrylate) networks with elastic moduli for regeneration of functional tissues.

The need for engineered devices to treat cardiovascular diseases is increasing due to an aging population and a changing lifestyle. Soft poly(n-butyl acrylate) (cPnBA) networks were recently described as polymer networks with adjustable mechanical properties and suggested as soft substrates for cells, which could potentially be used for cardiovascular implants. Vascular prostheses designed to be implanted in arteries should have an elasticity similar to blood vessels (elastic modulus at body temperature between 100 and 1200 kPa). Therefore, cPnBA networks with E-moduli of 250 kPa (cPnBA0250) and 1100 kPa (cPnBA1100) were developed. Recently, it was shown that both materials were non-cytotoxic for murin fibroblasts, human primary endothelial cells and human monocytes. However, before such newly developed polymers can be used in vivo, it has to be assured that the sterilized materials have a very low endotoxin load to avoid an unspecific activation of the immune system, which otherwise might cause local or systemic inflammatory responses and could lead to severe pathologies. In this study we investigated the immuno-compatibility of sterilized cPnBA0250 and cPnBA1100 with the help of an immuno-competent macrophage cell line as well as with whole human blood.

Fano signatures in the intersubband terahertz response of optically excited semiconductor quantum wells.

Absorption and transmission spectra of broadband terahertz pulses are measured to probe the intersubband response of an optically excited quantum-well heterostructure. While the terahertz absorption shows the single peak of the resonant intersubband transition, the transmission spectra display strong Fano signatures due to the phase sensitive superposition of ponderomotive and terahertz currents as predicted by our microscopic theory.

In situ laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) analysis of petroleum product-contaminated soil samples.

General considerations of the calibrations of in situ measurements are presented and the concept of using an "average oil" with average analysability for calibration purposes is introduced. The in situ analysis of 30 petroleum product-contaminated soil samples with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopy was performed. Compared to an uncontaminated laboratory reference (LR) soil, 23 soil samples exhibited significantly higher LIF signals, so that these soil samples were classified as contaminated. The repeatability and reproducibility of the in situ LIF analysis were investigated. For the calibration of the LIF data, two LR oils (a fuel oil and a crude oil) were employed. The degree of soil contamination with petroleum products ranged from the limit of detection (LOD) for LIF analysis (ca. 100 ppm), or below, to more than 10,000 ppm. The petroleum product concentrations determined with in situ LIF analysis reveal a reasonable correlation with the results of standard IR analysis after extraction of the contaminated soils.

Fluorescence spectroscopy of polynuclear aromatic compounds in environmental monitoring.

The occurrence of polynuclear aromatic compounds (PAC) in the environment and experimental techniques suitable for the detection of PAC in environmental compartments are briefly reviewed. The specific requirements for on-site andin situ environmental analysis are outlined. Particular emphasis is given to fluorescence spectroscopic techniques for the investigation of humic acid- and soil-containing samples. Some examples of studies in the literature on Shpol'skii and jet spectroscopy and on laser-induced fluorescence (OF) measurements of PAC and mineral oils are highlighted. Contaminants in the environment are usually encountered as multicomponent mixtures in very complex matrices. Total fluorescence analysis in combination with the chemometrical technique of rank annihilation factor analysis (RAFA) was employed for the evaluation of a six-component PAC mixture in toluene. It was shown that even in the presence of strong spectral overlap the qualitative identification of all compounds and the reliable quantification of five substances was possible. Results are presented from our stationary and time-resolved fluorescence investigations of the interactions between pyrene and humic acid in water. The Stern-Volmer analysis showed a significant effect of pH on the static quenching efficiency which can be explained by the pH-dependent macromolecular structure of humic acids. Preliminary results from studies of the deactivation of triplet PAC and quenching of delayed fluorescence by humic acid are reported. LIF measurements of mineral oils directly from soil surfaces and of a model oil in a soil column were performed with a fiber-optic coupled multichannel spectrometer. The fluorescence intensity/ concentration relationships were established for a crude and a fuel oil; the corresponding lower limits of detection (LOD) were determined to be 0.025 and 0.125% m/m (mass/mass percentages). These detection limits are compared with realistic oil contaminations of soils. In a soil column designed to mimic fixed-bed bioreactors the distributions of fluorescence signal intensities from a perylene-doped model oil before and after water flooding were determined. These results fromin situ measurements can provide a quantitative basis for the modelling of temporal and spatial contaminants' distributions in reactor design.