Effect of collagen denaturation degree on mechanical properties and biological activity of nanofibrous scaffolds.

Further progress in regenerative medicine and bioengineering highly depends on the development of 3D polymeric scaffolds with active biological properties. The most attention is paid to natural extracellular matrix components, primarily collagen. Herein, nonwoven nanofiber materials with various degrees of collagen denaturation and fiber diameters 250-500 nm were produced by electrospinning, stabilized by genipin, and characterized in detail.

Hydrophobicity of polymer based anion-exchange columns for ion chromatography.

The regularities of the retention of alkanoic and alkanesulfonic acids homologues were investigated for the set of 36 anion-exchange columns produced by various manufacturers. The role of hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions in the retention and separation of organic anions was studied. The methylene selectivity increments α(CH) were measured for the studied columns with 10 mM sodium hydroxide eluent.

Peculiarities of Cell Seeding on Electroformed Polycaprolactone Scaffolds Modified with Surface-Active Agents Triton X-100 and Polyvinylpyrrolidone.

We compared the capability of human fibroblasts to populate porous polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds modified during fabrication with surface-active agents Triton Х-100 (type 1 scaffold) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (type 2 scaffold). The mean fiber diameter in both scaffolds was almost the same: 3.90±2.

Effects of CYP2C19*17 polymorphisms on the efficacy and safety of bromodigyrochlorophenylbenzodiazepine in patients with anxiety disorder and comorbid alcohol use disorder.

Background Bromodihydrochlorophenylbenzodiazepine (Phenazepam®) is used in the therapy of anxiety disorders in patients with alcohol dependence. However, Phenazepam therapy often turns out to be ineffective, and some patients develop dose-related adverse drug reactions (ADR): severe sedation, dizziness, headache, dyspepsia, falling, etc. That ensures the effectiveness of this category of patients.

[Palivizumab: four seasons in Russia].

In 2010, the Russian Federation (RF) registered palivizumab--innovative drug, based on monoclonal antibodies for passive immunization of seasonal respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in children of disease severe progress risk group, which include primarily premature infants, children with bronchopulmonary dysplasia and hemodynamically significant congenital heart disease. Currently, palivizumab is included in the list of recommended medicines and medical care standards of different countries, including Russia. In the review the results of Russian research on the progress of RSV infection, its epidemiology and immunization experience gained over the 2010-2014 period are summarized in relation to the foreign data.

3D printed metal columns for capillary liquid chromatography.

Coiled planar capillary chromatography columns (0.9 mm I.D.

Porous layer open tubular columns in capillary liquid chromatography.

This review covers the latest developments and applications of porous layer open tubular columns in capillary liquid chromatography. Here, the authors provide a concise background on the fundamentals of porous layer open tubular columns, their fabrication and application. Over the past two decades, growing interest in the areas of proteomics and hyphenated LC-MS techniques have played a large part in the development of porous layer structures within capillary formats due to their high permeability, excellent efficiency and exceptional peak capacity.

A new N-hydroxyethyliminodiacetic acid modified core-shell silica phase for chelation ion chromatography of alkaline earth, transition and rare earth elements.

Bare core-shell silica (1.7μm) has been modified with iminodiacetic acid functional groups via standard silane chemistry, forming a new N-hydroxyethyliminodiacetic acid (HEIDA) functionalised core-shell stationary phase. The column was applied in high-performance chelation ion chromatography and evaluated for the retention of alkaline earth, transition and heavy metal cations.

Focussed ion beam serial sectioning and imaging of monolithic materials for 3D reconstruction and morphological parameter evaluation.

A new characterisation method, based on the utilisation of focussed ion beam-scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM), has been employed for the evaluation of morphological parameters in porous monolithic materials. Sample FIB serial sectioning, SEM imaging and image processing techniques were used to extract the pore boundaries and reconstruct the 3D porous structure of carbon and silica-based monoliths. Since silica is a non-conducting material, a commercial silica monolith modified with activated carbon was employed instead to minimise the charge build-up during FIB sectioning.

Fabrication and characterization of nanotemplated carbon monolithic material.

A novel hierarchical nanotemplated carbon monolithic rod (NTCM) was prepared using a novel facile nanotemplating approach. The NTCM was obtained using C60-fullerene modified silica gels as hard templates, which were embedded in a phenolic resin containing a metal catalyst for localized graphitization, followed by bulk carbonization, and template and catalyst removal. TEM, SEM, and BET measurements revealed that NTCM possessed an integrated open hierarchical porous structure, with a trimodal pore distribution.

Nano-particle modified stationary phases for high-performance liquid chromatography.

This review covers the latest developments and applications of nano-materials in stationary phase development for various modes of high-performance liquid chromatography. Specific attention is placed upon the development of new composite phases, including the synthetic and immobilisation strategies used, to produce either encapsulated nano-particles, or surface attached nano-particles, layers, coatings and other structures. The resultant chromatographic applications, where applicable, are discussed with comment upon enhanced selectivity and/or efficiency of the nano-particle modified phases, where such effects have been identified.

In-process phase growth measurement technique in the fabrication of monolithic porous layer open tubular (monoPLOT) columns using capacitively coupled contactless conductivity.

A technique for the in-process measurement of polymer stationary phase growth inside fused silica capillaries during the fabrication of monolithic porous layer open tubular (monoPLOT) columns is presented. In this work, capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (C4D) was applied as an online measurement tool for porous polymer layer growth within fused silica capillaries. The relationship between effective capillary diameter and C4D response was investigated for two polymers, butyl methacrylate-ethylene dimethacrylate (BuMA-EDMA) and polystyrene-divinylbenzene (PS-DVB) over a range of capillary diameters and layer thicknesses.

Chelation ion chromatography of alkaline earth and transition metals a using monolithic silica column with bonded N-hydroxyethyliminodiacetic acid functional groups.

A commercially available porous silica monolithic column (Onyx Monolithic Si, 100 mm×4.6 mm I.D.

Iminodiacetic acid functionalised organopolymer monoliths: application to the separation of metal cations by capillary high-performance chelation ion chromatography.

Lauryl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate monoliths were polymerised within fused silica capillaries and subsequently photo-grafted with varying amounts of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA). The grafted monoliths were then further modified with iminodiacetic acid (IDA), resulting in a range of chelating ion-exchange monoliths of increasing capacity. The IDA functional groups were attached via ring opening of the epoxy group on the poly(GMA) structure.

Separation of selected transition metals by capillary chelation ion chromatography using acetyl-iminodiacetic acid modified capillary polymer monoliths.

Capillary housed laurylmethacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate (LMA-co-EDMA) polymer monoliths were fabricated, functionalised with varying amounts of vinyl azlactone, followed by immobilisation of iminodiacetic acid (IDA), forming a range of acetyl-iminodiacetic acid (AIDA) functionalised monoliths, applied to the chelation ion chromatographic separation of selected transition and heavy metals. A number of monoliths of varying length and ligand density were prepared, resulting in increased cation retention and chromatographic resolution on those displaying the highest capacity. Ligand density and related column capacity were confirmed visually using scanning capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (sC(4)D) techniques.

Porous graphitized carbon monolith as an electrode material for probing direct bioelectrochemistry and selective detection of hydrogen peroxide.

For the first time, graphitized carbon particles with a high surface area have been prepared and evaluated as a new material for probing direct electrochemistry of hemoglobin (Hb). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging revealed that the carbon monolithic skeleton was constructed by a series of mesopores with irregular shapes and an average pore diameter of ~5.6 nm.

Versatile capillary column temperature control using a thermoelectric array based platform.

A new direct contact platform for capillary column precise temperature control based upon the use of individually controlled sequentially aligned Peltier thermoelectric units is presented. The platform provides rapid temperature control for capillary and microbore liquid chromatography columns and allows simultaneous temporal and spatial temperature programming. The operating temperature range of the platform was between 15 and 200 °C for each of 10 aligned Peltier units, with a ramp rate of approximately 400 °C/min.

Monolithic porous layer open tubular (monoPLOT) columns for low pressure liquid chromatography of proteins.

Glycidyl methacrylate-ethylene dimethacrylate (GMA-co-EDMA) based monolithic porous layer open tubular (monoPLOT) columns (0.05 mm I.D.

Comparative metal distribution in scalp hair of Pakistani and Irish referents and hypertensive patients.

The abnormal metabolism of metal ions plays an important role in health and disease conditions, and studies about them have been attracting significant interest. The aim of our study was to assess the heavy metals (cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn)) in scalp hair samples of 50 Irish and 78 Pakistani hypertensive patients of an urban population together with 50 Irish and 96 Pakistani non-hypertensive male subjects in the age group of 30-50 years. The concentrations of trace and toxic elements were measured by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrophotometer and atomic absorption spectrophotometer before microwave-assisted acid digestion.

Preparation, characterisation and modification of carbon-based monolithic rods for chromatographic applications.

A range of porous carbon-based monolithic (PCM) rods with flow-through pore sizes of 1, 2, 5 and 10 mum, were produced using a silica particle template method. The rods were characterised using SEM and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, BET surface area and porous structure analysis, dilatometry and thermal gravimetry. SEM evaluation of the carbon monolithic structures revealed an interconnected rigid bimodal porous structure and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis verified the quantitative removal of the embedded silica beads.

Holistic visualisation of the multimodal transport and fate of twelve pharmaceuticals in biosolid enriched topsoils.

The use of municipal biosolids as agricultural fertilisers has raised significant concerns in recent years. As part of this, the presence of complex mixtures of pharmaceutical residues and their effects on soil ecosystems remains particularly under-researched. This study focuses on the transfer of a selection of pharmaceutical residues from municipal sewage sludge to agricultural topsoils and their fate therein after an accelerated 6-month rainfall event.

Zwitterionic ion-exchangers in ion chromatography: A review of recent developments.

Significant advances within the field of ion chromatography (IC) have often had their roots in research focussed on the development of new phase technologies, aimed to both simultaneously increase efficiency and vary selectivity. To increase selectivity it is necessary to develop new selective ion-exchangers, achieved by varying the nature of functional groups and the matrix of the stationary phase. In this comprehensive review, developments over the past decade in the production and application of zwitterionic and amphoteric ion-exchangers are presented and discussed.

Simultaneous separation of inorganic anions and metal-citrate complexes on a zwitterionic stationary phase with on-column complexation.

The retention and separation selectivity of inorganic anions and on-column derivatised negatively charged citrate or oxalate metal complexes on reversed-phase stationary phases dynamically coated with N-(dodecyl-N,N-dimethylammonio)undecanoate (DDMAU) has been investigated. The retention mechanism for the metal-citrate complexes was predominantly anion exchange, although the amphoteric/zwitterionic nature of the stationary phase coating undoubtedly also contributed to the unusual separation selectivity shown. A mixture of 10 inorganic anions and metal cations was achieved using a 20 cm monolithic DDMAU modified column and a 1 mM citrate eluent, pH 4.