Hypothermic Oxygenated Machine Perfusion of the Human Donor Pancreas.

Background: Transplantation of beta cells by pancreas or islet transplantation is the treatment of choice for a selected group of patients suffering from type 1 diabetes mellitus. Pancreata are frequently not accepted for transplantation, because of the relatively high vulnerability of these organs to ischemic injury. In this study, we evaluated the effects of hypothermic machine perfusion (HMP) on the quality of human pancreas grafts.

Effect of the fluorination technique on the surface-fluorination patterning of double-walled carbon nanotubes.

Double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs) are fluorinated using (1) fluorine F at 200 °C, (2) gaseous BrF at room temperature, and (3) CF radio-frequency plasma functionalization. These have been comparatively studied using transmission electron microscopy and infrared, Raman, X-ray photoelectron, and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy. A formation of covalent C-F bonds and a considerable reduction in the intensity of radial breathing modes from the outer shells of DWCNTs are observed for all samples.

A computational study on the role of noncovalent interactions in the stability of polymer/graphene nanocomposites.

Understanding the interaction between graphene and polymers is of essential interest when designing novel nanocomposites with reinforced mechanical and electrical properties. In this computational study, the interaction of pristine graphene (PG) and graphene oxide (GO) with a series of functional groups, representative of the functionalised buildings blocks occurring in different polymers, and attached to aliphatic and aromatic chains, is analyzed using dispersion-corrected semi-empirical methods (PM6-D3H4X) and density functional theory calculations with empirical dispersion corrections. Functional groups include alkyl, hydroxyl, aldehyde, carboxyl, amino and nitro groups, and the binding energies of these groups with graphene derivatives (PG and GO) are determined.

Tuning aromaticity patterns and electronic properties of armchair graphene nanoribbons with chemical edge functionalisation.

Tuning the band gap of graphene nanoribbons by chemical edge functionalisation is a promising approach towards future electronic devices based on graphene. The band gap is closely related to the aromaticity distribution and therefore tailoring the aromaticity patterns is a rational way for controlling the band gap. In the present work, it is shown how the three distinct classes of aromaticity patterns already found for armchair graphene nanoribbons can be rationally tuned by chemical edge functionalisation to modify their electronic arrangement and band gap.

Effect of structural defects and chemical functionalisation on the intrinsic mechanical properties of graphene.

Due to its unique mechanical properties, graphene can be applied for reinforcement in nanocomposites. We analyse the Young's modulus of graphene at the semi-empirical PM6 level of theory. The internal forces are calculated and the Young's modulus is predicted for a finite graphene sheet when external strain is applied on the system.