Nanoprobes to investigate nonspecific interactions in lipid bilayers: from defect-mediated adhesion to membrane disruption.

When a lipid membrane approaches a material/nanomaterial, nonspecific adhesion may occur. The interactions responsible for nonspecific adhesion can either preserve the membrane integrity or lead to its disruption. Despite the importance of the phenomenon, there is still a lack of clear understanding of how and why nonspecific adhesion may originate different resulting scenarios and how these interaction scenarios can be investigated.

Photoinduced chitosan-PEG hydrogels with long-term antibacterial properties.

Photochemical processes offer the possibility of preparing functional hydrogels under green conditions that are compatible with both synthetic and natural polymers. In this study, chitosan-based poly(ethylene) glycol (PEG) were successfully synthesized under light irradiation in aqueous medium. Kinetic studies under irradiation showed that less than 2 min were necessary to obtain fully cross-linked networks.

Enabling the synthesis of homogeneous or Janus hairy nanoparticles through surface photoactivation.

Nanoparticles (NPs) homogeneously covered with polymer chains or with chains of two different polymers segregated in distinct domains ("Janus" particles) possess remarkable features. Their unique colloidal properties can be finely tuned by the grafted polymers while the characteristics of the nano-core remain unaffected. Herein, a simple and robust photochemical approach is reported to synthesize, from 50 nm cores, homogeneous and Janus "hairy" nanoparticles with hydrophilic and amphiphilic properties, respectively.

Eosin-mediated synthesis of polymer coatings combining photodynamic inactivation and antimicrobial properties.

Polymer coatings exhibiting photodynamic bacterial inactivation properties have been successfully engineered. Such coatings were obtained by photoinduced crosslinking of a PEG-diacrylate monomer associated with the eosin Y dye which was used as both a radical photoinitiator and an antibacterial agent. A dual curing process was followed by combining compatible and solvent-free polymerization mechanisms, i.

Determinants of direct-care staff turnover in group homes for individuals with mental retardation.

A model of direct-care human service staff turnover was proposed and tested with 236 direct-care staff members in nine private, nonprofit New Jersey agencies. A path analysis of the data was conducted. Four variables were found to contribute to current job satisfaction: agreement of the job with personal goals and values, burnout, satisfaction with supervision, and employment history.