Enhanced Decomposition of Ammonium Perchlorate-Ethyl Cellulose-Molybdenum Disulfide Nanocomposites.

Ammonium perchlorate (AP) is commonly used in propulsion technology. Recent studies have demonstrated that two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials such as graphene (Gr) and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) dispersed with nitrocellulose (NC) can conformally coat the surface of AP particles and enhance the reactivity of AP. In this work, the effectiveness of ethyl cellulose (EC) as an alternative to NC was studied.

Objective biometric measurements of calf-fed Holstein steers fed in confinement.

Understanding the maximum slaughter size for calf-fed Holstein steers based on hip-height has become a contemporary issue in the beef processing industry. Increased carcass size, in terms of both weight and length, has outpaced the ability of some abattoirs to handle the larger animals. Moreover, some abattoirs have begun rejecting animals that exceed 147.

High-density biosynthetic fuels: the intersection of heterogeneous catalysis and metabolic engineering.

Biosynthetic valencene, premnaspirodiene, and natural caryophyllene were hydrogenated and evaluated as high performance fuels. The parent sesquiterpenes were then isomerized to complex mixtures of hydrocarbons with the heterogeneous acid catalyst Nafion SAC-13. High density fuels with net heats of combustion ranging from 133-141 000 Btu gal(-1), or up to 13% higher than commercial jet fuel could be generated by this approach.

Synthesis, characterization, and cure chemistry of renewable bis(cyanate) esters derived from 2-methoxy-4-methylphenol.

A series of renewable bis(cyanate) esters have been prepared from bisphenols synthesized by condensation of 2-methoxy-4-methylphenol (creosol) with formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and propionaldehyde. The cyanate esters have been fully characterized by infrared spectroscopy, (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy, and single crystal X-ray diffraction. These compounds melt from 88 to 143 °C, while cured resins have glass transition temperatures from 219 to 248 °C, water uptake (96 h, 85 °C immersion) in the range of 2.

Plasma lithography--thin-film patterning of polymeric biomaterials by RF plasma polymerization I: Surface preparation and analysis.

Plasma lithography, combining plasma deposition with photolithography, is described as a versatile method to manufacture all-polymeric substrates with thin-film patterns for applications in biomedical engineering. Patterns of a hydrophobic fluorocarbon plasma polymer with feature sizes between 5 and 100 microm were deposited on a base substrate in a lift-off process: an intermediate tetraglyme plasma polymer layer provides non-fouling properties to the base substrate. Careful analysis of critical process parameters identified the narrow window of process conditions that led to the formation of functional surface patterns.

Quantitative interrogation of micropatterned biomolecules by surface force microscopy.

Synthetic biomaterials are widely used in medical implants with success in improving and extending quality of life. However, these materials were not originally designed to interact with cells through specific signaling pathways. As a result, the interaction with the body is mediated through passive adsorption of a disorganized protein monolayer.

Comprehensive surface analysis of hydrophobically functionalized SFM tips.

Tip-sample interactions have been of interest since the early development of the scanning force microscope. Investigations of interfacial interactions at the molecular level are of importance for fundamental studies of bi-molecular interactions and for possible applications in biomedical research and industrial settings. By engineering the surface chemical properties of the SFM probes, specific force interactions may be measured.

Template-imprinted nanostructured surfaces for protein recognition.

Synthetic materials capable of selectively recognizing proteins are important in separations, biosensors and the development of biomedical materials. The technique of molecular imprinting creates specific recognition sites in polymers by using template molecules. Molecular recognition is attributed to binding sites that complement molecules in size, shape and chemical functionality.

Scanning probe microscopy for the characterization of biomaterials and biological interactions.

The scanning probe microscopies provide a unique view of biological and biomedical systems at a nanoscale appropriate to appreciate molecular events. The advent of these methods has brought the ability to acquire quantitative information at the molecular level. Given the proliferation of microscopes and associated methods, the probability for important discoveries is high.

A new method for straightening DNA molecules for optical restriction mapping.

We have developed an improved method of straightening DNA molecules for use in optical restriction mapping. The DNA was straightened on 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane-coated glass slides using surface tension generated by a moving meniscus. In our method the meniscus motion was controlled mechanically, which provides advantages of speed and uniformity of the straightened molecules.

Effect of PGML excipient mixture in a transdermal system on the in vitro transport of estradiol across skin.

Purpose: To measure the effect of a combination of excipients from a silicone based pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) on drug transport across skin.

Methods: Partitioning of propylene glycol monolaurate (PG-ML) from silicone PSA and a solution formulation into the stratum corneum (SC) was measured using radiolabeled PG-ML. Transport of a model drug, estradiol, as well as PG-ML across skin were measured in vitro using heat separated epidermis from human cadaver skin.

Fluorescence spectroscopy of 9-anthroyloxy fatty acids in solvents.

A series of anthroyloxy fatty acid (AF) fluorescent probes, with the anthroyloxy group covalently linked at various positions along the alkyl chain, were studied in solvents exhibiting a wide range of polarity and hydrogen-bond donor (Hd) and acceptor (Ha) ability. These probes were sensitive to the solvent polarity as reflected by the Stokes' shift observed in steady state fluorescence. As determined by multi-linear regression analysis of the observed Stokes' shift and solvent parameters, such as orientation polarizability (delta f), Hd and Ha of the solvents, all the probes were sensitive to the Hd of solvents but were not affected by the Ha of solvents except the 2-AF.