Hybrid Crosslinked Methylcellulose Hydrogel: A Predictable and Tunable Platform for Local Drug Delivery.

Design of experiment is used to develop a hybrid methylcellulose hydrogel that combines physical and chemical crosslinks, resulting in an injectable, in situ stiffening, and long-lasting material with predictable swelling and rheological properties. Chemical crosslinking is complete prior to injection, allowing for ease of use and storage. Controlled release of two relevant protein therapeutics and biocompatibility of the hydrogel are demonstrated.

The PM10 fraction of road dust in the UK and India: Characterization, source profiles and oxidative potential.

Most studies of road dust composition have sampled a very wide range of particle sizes, but from the perspective of respiratory exposure to resuspended dusts, it is the PM10 fraction which is of most importance. The PM10 fraction of road dust samples was collected at two sites in Birmingham, UK (major highway and road tunnel) and one site in New Delhi, India. Dust loadings were found to be much higher for New Delhi compared to Birmingham, while concentrations of several species were much higher in the case of Birmingham.

Process for the synthesis of symmetric and unsymmetric oxygen bridged dimers of boron subphthalocyanines (μ-oxo-(BsubPc)2s).

A process for the gram scale synthesis of the oxygen bridged dimer of boron subphthalocyanine, μ-oxo-(BsubPc)2, has been developed. During the development it was found that a wide range of reaction pathways under diverse conditions lead to μ-oxo-(BsubPc)2 formation. However, obtaining μ-oxo-(BsubPc)2 as the main reaction product in appreciable yields and its subsequent isolation were extremely challenging.

An in vitro model of tissue boundary formation for dissecting the contribution of different boundary forming mechanisms.

During development and in adult tissues separation of phenotypically distinct cell populations is necessary to ensure proper organization and function of tissues and organs. Various phenomena, such as differential adhesion, differential mechanical tension and cell-cell repulsion, are proposed to cause boundary formation. Moreover, emerging evidence suggests that interplay between multiple such phenomena can underlie boundary formation.

A microfluidic device to apply shear stresses to polarizing ciliated airway epithelium using air flow.

Organization of airway epithelium determines ciliary beat direction and coordination for proper mucociliary clearance. Fluidic shear stresses have the potential to influence ciliary organization. Here, an in vitro fluidic flow system was developed for inducing long-term airflow shear stresses on airway epithelium with a view to influencing epithelial organization.

The Rational Design of a Single-Component Photocatalyst for Gas-Phase CO Reduction Using Both UV and Visible Light.

is a very important research challenge, with implications for both climate change and energy security. Herein, the key attributes of hydroxides and oxygen vacancies are experimentally identified in non-stoichiometric indium oxide nanoparticles, InO(OH), that function in concert to reduce CO to CO under simulated solar irradiation.

Enhancing pulp and paper mill biosludge dewaterability using enzymes.

There have been limited studies on the potential use of enzymes for enhancing the dewaterability of biosludge. The mechanisms for such enhancement have not been investigated despite the environmental advantages of using enzymes over synthetic polymers for biosludge conditioning. In order to find enzymes with this potential, a screening of commercially available enzymes was carried out using capillary suction time to assess biosludge dewaterability.

Photomethanation of Gaseous CO over Ru/Silicon Nanowire Catalysts with Visible and Near-Infrared Photons.

in the presence of H to CH at millimole per hour per gram of catalyst conversion rates, using visible and near-infrared photons. The catalyst used to drive this reaction comprises black silicon nanowire supported ruthenium. These results represent a step towards engineering broadband solar fuels tandem photothermal reactors that enable a three-step process involving i) CO capture, ii) gaseous water splitting into H, and iii) reduction of gaseous CO2 by H.

Anaerobic digestion of pulp and paper mill wastewater and sludge.

Pulp and paper mills generate large amounts of waste organic matter that may be converted to renewable energy in form of methane. The anaerobic treatment of mill wastewater is widely accepted however, usually only applied to few selected streams. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal rates in full-scale reactors range between 30 and 90%, and methane yields are 0.

A microgroove patterned multiwell cell culture plate for high-throughput studies of cell alignment.

Grooved substrates are commonly used to guide cell alignment and produce in vitro tissues that mimic certain aspects of in vivo cellular organization. These more sophisticated tissues provide valuable in vitro models for testing drugs and for dissecting out molecular mechanisms that direct tissue organization. To increase the accessibility of these tissue models we describe a simple and yet reproducible strategy to produce 1 µm-spaced grooved well plates suitable for conducting automated analysis of cellular responses.

Design of algal film photobioreactors: material surface energy effects on algal film productivity, colonization and lipid content.

A parallel plate air lift reactor was used to examine the growth kinetics of mixed culture algal biofilms grown on various materials (acrylic, glass, polycarbonate, polystyrene and cellulose acetate). The growth kinetics of the algal biofilms were non-linear overall and their overall productivities ranged from 1.10-2.

A defined co-culture of Geobacter sulfurreducens and Escherichia coli in a membrane-less microbial fuel cell.

Wastewater-fed microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are a promising technology to treat low-organic carbon wastewater and recover part of the chemical energy in wastewater as electrical power. However, the interactions between electrochemically active and fermentative microorganisms cannot be easily studied in wastewater-fed MFCs because of their complex microbial communities. Defined co-culture MFCs provide a detailed understanding of such interactions.

Comparison of different mechanical refining technologies on the enzymatic digestibility of low severity acid pretreated corn stover.

The effect of mechanical refining on the enzymatic digestibility of pretreated corn stover (PCS) was investigated. Low severity, dilute sulfuric acid PCS was subjected to mechanical refining using a bench-scale food processor blender, a PFI mill, a 12-inch laboratory disk refiner, and a 25 mm co-rotating twin-screw extruder. Glucose yields from enzymatic hydrolysis were improved by 10-15% after blending and disk refining, while PFI refining and twin-screw extrusion showed a glucose yield improvement of 16-20%.

Modified boron subphthalocyanines with stable electrochemistry and tuneable bandgaps.

The synthesis of boron subphthalocyanines (BsubPc) from modified phthalonitriles is reported. The BsubPcs have intense red-shifted absorption compared to normal BsubPcs and readily tuneable optoelectronic properties including enhanced electrochemical stability and the presence of up to two reversible electrochemical reductions.

The use of siloxanes, silsesquioxanes, and silicones in organic semiconducting materials.

Optimization of the physical and electronic properties of organic semiconductors is a key step in improving the performance of organic light emitting diodes, organic photovoltaics, organic field effect transistors, and other electronic devices. Separate tuning of the physical and electronic properties of these organic semiconductors can be achieved by the hybridization of organo-silicon structures (silicones, siloxanes, silsesquioxanes) with organic semiconductors. Common chemical means to achieve this hybridization are summarized while a large range of literature examples are covered to demonstrate the range and flexibility of this synthetic strategy.

Advantages of low pH and limited oxygenation in arsenite removal from water by zero-valent iron.

The removal of toxic arsenic species from contaminated waters by zero-valent iron (ZVI) has drawn considerable attention in recent years. In this approach, arsenic ions are mainly removed by adsorption to the iron corrosion products. Reduction to zero-valent arsenic on the ZVI surface is possible in the absence of competing oxidants and can reduce arsenic mobility and sludge formation.

Design principles for generating robust gene expression patterns in dynamic engineered tissues.

Recapitulating native tissue organization is a central challenge in regenerative medicine as it is critical for generating functional tissues. One strategy to generate engineered tissues with predictable and appropriate organization is to mimic the gene expression patterning process that organizes tissues in the developing embryo. In a developing embryo, correct organization is accomplished by tissue patterning via the generation of temporal and spatial patterns of gene expression coupled with, and leading to, extensive cellular re-organization.

Roles of sulfuric acid in elemental mercury removal by activated carbon and sulfur-impregnated activated carbon.

This work addresses the discrepancy in the literature regarding the effects of sulfuric acid (H(2)SO(4)) on elemental Hg uptake by activated carbon (AC). H(2)SO(4) in AC substantially increased Hg uptake by absorption particularly in the presence of oxygen. Hg uptake increased with acid amount and temperature exceeding 500 mg-Hg/g-AC after 3 days at 200 °C with AC treated with 20% H(2)SO(4).

Aluminum chloride activation of chloro-boronsubphthalocyanine: a rapid and flexible method for axial functionalization with an expanded set of nucleophiles.

We have developed a process whereby chloro-boronsubphthalocyanine (Cl-BsubPc) and other BsubPcs are activated to reaction with oxygen, sulfur, and nitrogen based nucleophiles by treatment with aluminum chloride under mild conditions. This allows for the scope of atoms chemically bound to the boron atom to be expanded beyond those derived from the traditional oxygen and carbon based nucleophiles. The successful formation of thiophenoxy and phenylamino derivatives of BsubPc was confirmed spectroscopically and by X-ray crystallography of single crystals.

The design of long-term effective uranium bioremediation strategy using a community metabolic model.

Acetate amendment at uranium contaminated sites in Rifle, CO. leads to an initial bloom of Geobacter accompanied by the removal of U(VI) from the groundwater, followed by an increase of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRBs) which are poor reducers of U(VI). One of the challenges associated with bioremediation is the decay in Geobacter abundance, which has been attributed to the depletion of bio-accessible Fe(III), motivating the investigation of simultaneous amendments of acetate and Fe(III) as an alternative bioremediation strategy.

Liquid triarylamines: the scope and limitations of Piers-Rubinsztajn conditions for obtaining triarylamine-siloxane hybrid materials.

New liquid triarylamine-siloxane hybrid materials are produced using the Piers-Rubinsztajn reaction. Under mild conditions, liquid analogues of conventional and commonly crystalline triarylamines are easily synthesized from readily available or accessible intermediates. Using a diverse selection of triarylamines, we explored the effects of siloxane group and substitution pattern on the physical properties of these materials, and we have demonstrated that relatively large molecular liquids with desirable electrochemical properties can be produced.

Folic acid fortification through existing fortified foods: iodized salt and vitamin A-fortified sugar.

Background: Folic acid fortification of cereal-grain products has markedly improved folate status and reduced the risks of neural tube defects and other chronic diseases in the populations participating in fortification programs. To more broadly extend its benefit to affected populations in developing countries, it would seem logical to incorporate folic acid fortification into existing or planned programs to minimize the incremental cost of this intervention.

Objective: To examine the feasibility of providing folic acid through ongoing programs for salt iodization and vitamin A fortification of sugar.

The hydrophobicity of silicone-based oils and surfactants and their use in reactive microemulsions.

In this work, for the first time, the Hydrophilic-Lipophilic Difference (HLD) framework for microemulsion formulation has been applied to silicone oils and silicone alkyl polyether surfactants. Based on the HLD equations and recently introduced mixing rules, we have quantified the hydrophobicity of the oils according to the equivalent alkane carbon number (EACN). We have found that, in a reference system containing sodium dihexyl sulfosuccinate (SDHS) as the surfactant, 0.

Adsorption and inactivation behavior of horseradish peroxidase on various substrates.

To produce bioactive papers, i.e. papers incorporating biomolecules that are useful for analyte detection, adequate immobilization strategies should be devised.