Scaffolds for bone tissue engineering: role of surface patterning on osteoblast response

The fabrication of tissue engineering scaffolds necessitates amalgamation of a multitude of attributes including a desirable porosity to encourage vascular invasion, desired surface chemistry for controlled deposition of calcium phosphate-based mineral as well as ability to support attachment, proliferation, and differentiation of lineage specific progenitor cells. Scaffold fabrication often includes additional surface treatments to bring about desired changes in the surface chemistry. In this perspective, this review documents the important natural and synthetic scaffolds fabricated for bone tissue engineering applications in tandem with the surface treatment techniques to maneuver the biocompatibility of engineered scaffolds. This review begins with a discussion on the fundamental concepts related to biocompatibility as well as the characteristics of the biological micro-environment. The primary focus is to discuss the effects of surface micro/nano patterning on the modulation of bone cell response. Apart from reviewing a host of experimental studies reporting the functionality of osteoblast-like bone cells and stem cells on surface modified or textured bioceramic/biopolymer scaffolds, theoretical insights to predict cell behavior on a scaffold with different topographical features are also briefly analyzed.

The dual role of Zn-acid medium for one-step rapid synthesis of M@rGO (M = Au, Pt, Pd and Ag) hybrid nanostructures at room temperature

We report a new protocol for the synthesis of M@rGO (M = Au, Pt, Pd, Ag and rGO = reduced graphene oxide) hybrid nanostructures at room temperature in Zn-acid medium. The roles of Zn-acid are to reduce the GO by generated hydrogen and the deposition of metal nanoparticles on rGO by galvanic replacement reaction between Zn and Mn+.

Preparation of zinc oxide coatings by using newly designed metal-organic complexes of Zn: Effect of molecular structure of the precursor and surfactant over the crystallization, growth and luminescence

We report large scale deposition of tapered zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods on Si(100) substrate by using newly designed metal-organic complex of zinc (Zn) as the precursor, and microwave irradiation assisted chemical synthesis as a process. The coatings are uniform and high density ZnO nanorods (similar to 1.5 mu m length) grow over the entire area (625 mm(2)) of the substrate within 1-5 min of microwave irradiation. ZnO coatings obtained by solution phase deposition yield strong UV emission. Variation of the molecular structure/molecular weight of the precursors and surfactants influence the crystallinity, morphology, and optical properties of ZnO coatings. The precursors in addition with the surfactant and the solvent are widely used to obtain desired coating on any substrate. The growth mechanism and the schematics of the growth process of ZnO coatings on Si(100) are discussed. (c) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High catalytic activity of Au-PEDOT nanoflowers toward electrooxidation of glucose

Electrochemically deposited porous film of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) on carbon paper current collector is used as the substrate for electrochemical deposition of Au. PEDOT facilitates the formation of Au nanoflowers with an enhanced electrochemical active surface area, when compared with sub-micron size Au particles deposited on bare carbon paper electrode. Owing to enhanced surface area of Au nanoflowers, the Au-PEDOT/C electrode shows greater activity than Au/C electrode toward electrooxidation of glucose in 0.5 M NaOH electrolyte. Cyclic voltammetry studies show that the peak current density increases with increase in concentrations of glucose and NaOH in the electrolyte. H-1-NMR spectroscopy data indicates that sodium formate and gluconate are the primary products of electrooxidation of glucose on Au-PEDOT/C electrode. Repetitive cyclic voltametry and amperometry studies suggest that the electrochemical stability of Au-PEDOT/C electrode is higher than that of Au/C electrode. Thus, electrochemically deposited nanostructured Au on PEDOT/C is an efficient catalyst for direct glucose oxidation in alkaline media. (C) 2013 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.

Optical, Electrochemical, and Structural Properties of Spray Coated Dihexyl Substituted Poly (3,4 propylene dioxythiophene) Film for Optoelectronics Devices

The dihexyl substituted poly (3,4-propylenedioxythiophene) (PProDOT-Hx(2)) thin films uniformly deposited by cost effective spray coating technique on transparent conducting oxide coated substrates. The electro-optical properties of PProDOT-Hx(2) films were studied by UV-Vis spectroscopy that shows the color contrast about 45% with coloration efficiency of approximate to 185cm(2)/C. The electrochemical properties of PProDOT-Hx(2) films were studied by cyclic voltammetry and AC impedance techniques. The cyclic voltammogram shows that redox reaction of films are diffusion controlled and ions transportation will be faster on the polymer film at higher scan rate. Impedance spectra indicate that polymer films are showing interface charge transfer process as well as capacitive behavior between the electrode and electrolyte. The XRD of the PProDOT-Hx(2) thin films revealed that the films are in amorphous nature, which accelerates the transportation of ions during redox process.

Laser- induced optical properties change in Sb10S40Se50 chalcogenide thin films: An investigation through FTIR and XPS measurements

Chalcogenide glasses are interesting materials for their infrared transmitting properties and photo-induced effects. This paper reports the influence of light on the optical properties of Sb10S40Se50 thin films. The amorphous nature and chemical composition of the deposited film was studied by X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX). The optical constants, i.e., refractive index, extinction coefficient, and optical band gap as well as film thickness are determined from the measured transmission spectra using the Swanepoel method. The dispersion of the refractive index is discussed in terms of the single-oscillator Wemple-DiDomenico model. The dispersion energy parameter was found to be less for the laser-irradiated film, which indicates the laser-irradiated film is more microstructurally disordered as compared to the as-prepared film. It is observed that laser-irradiation of the films leads to decrease in optical band gap (photo-darkening) while increase in refractive index. The decrease in the optical band gap is explained on the basis of change in nature of films due to chemical disorderness and the increase in refractive index may be due to the densification of films with improved grain structure because of microstructural disorderness in the films. The optical changes are supported by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data. (C) 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim

Rad51-Rad52 Mediated Maintenance of Centromeric Chromatin in Candida albicans

Specification of the centromere location in most eukaryotes is not solely dependent on the DNA sequence. However, the non-genetic determinants of centromere identity are not clearly defined. While multiple mechanisms, individually or in concert, may specify centromeres epigenetically, most studies in this area are focused on a universal factor, a centromere-specific histone H3 variant CENP-A, often considered as the epigenetic determinant of centromere identity. In spite of variable timing of its loading at centromeres across species, a replication coupled early S phase deposition of CENP-A is found in most yeast centromeres. Centromeres are the earliest replicating chromosomal regions in a pathogenic budding yeast Candida albicans. Using a 2-dimensional agarose gel electrophoresis assay, we identify replication origins (ORI7-LI and ORI7-RI) proximal to an early replicating centromere (CEN7) in C. albicans. We show that the replication forks stall at CEN7 in a kinetochore dependent manner and fork stalling is reduced in the absence of the homologous recombination (HR) proteins Rad51 and Rad52. Deletion of ORI7-RI causes a significant reduction in the stalled fork signal and an increased loss rate of the altered chromosome 7. The HR proteins, Rad51 and Rad52, have been shown to play a role in fork restart. Confocal microscopy shows declustered kinetochores in rad51 and rad52 mutants, which are evidence of kinetochore disintegrity. CENP-A(CaCse4) levels at centromeres, as determined by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) experiments, are reduced in absence of Rad51/Rad52 resulting in disruption of the kinetochore structure. Moreover, western blot analysis reveals that delocalized CENP-A molecules in HR mutants degrade in a similar fashion as in other kinetochore mutants described before. Finally, co-immunoprecipitation assays indicate that Rad51 and Rad52 physically interact with CENP-A(CaCse4) in vivo. Thus, the HR proteins Rad51 and Rad52 epigenetically maintain centromere functioning by regulating CENP-A(CaCse4) levels at the programmed stall sites of early replicating centromeres.

Organic passivation layer on flexible Surlyn substrate for encapsulating organic photovoltaics

Barrier materials are required for encapsulating organic devices. A simple methodology based on organic passivation layer on a flexible substrate has been developed in this work. Stearyl stearate ( SS) was directly coated over the flexible Surlyn film. The barrier films with SS passivation layer exhibited much lower water vapor transmission rates compared to the neat Surlyn films. Moreover, the effect of the process of deposition of organic passivation layer on the resultant water vapor properties of the barrier films was evaluated. The accelerated lifetime studies conducted on encapsulated organic photovoltaics showed that the passivation layer improved the device performance by several fold compared to the non-passivated barrier films. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.

Surface modification of textured silicon and its wetting behaviour

Textured silicon (Si) substrate were prepared using various texturing methods both chemical and physical and their water contact angle, surface topography and Raman spectra were studied and investigated. The effect of plasma and chemical treatment on micro/nanostructure and roughness of the surface with and without deposition of Octadecyltrichlorosilane (ODTS, Cl3Si (CH3)(17)), self-assembled monolayer (SAM) is investigated for achieving higher water contact angle (theta(c)). The importance of synergism of texturing with deposition of ODTS SAM in preparing superhydrophobic silicon surfaces has been discussed. It is shown that superhydrophobic silicon surfaces can be achieved on silicon surfaces by coating with ODTS, irrespective of whether it is textured or not, polished or unpolished, provided a chemical treatment is given to the surface prior to the ODTS coating.

SnO2 nanowire anchored graphene nanosheet matrix for the superior performance of Li-ion thin film battery anode

All solid state batteries are essential candidate for miniaturizing the portable electronics devices. Thin film batteries are constructed by layer by layer deposition of electrode materials by physical vapour deposition method. We propose a promising novel method and unique architecture, in which highly porous graphene sheet embedded with SnO2 nanowire could be employed as the anode electrode in lithium ion thin film battery. The vertically standing graphene flakes were synthesized by microwave plasma CVD and SnO2 nanowires based on a vapour-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism via thermal evaporation at low synthesis temperature (620 degrees C). The graphene sheet/SnO2 nanowire composite electrode demonstrated stable cycling behaviours and delivered a initial high specific discharge capacity of 1335 mAh g(-1) and 900 mAh g(-1) after the 50th cycle. Furthermore, the SnO2 nanowire electrode displayed superior rate capabilities with various current densities.

CTFS-ForestGEO: a worldwide network monitoring forests in an era of global change

Global change is impacting forests worldwide, threatening biodiversity and ecosystem services including climate regulation. Understanding how forests respond is critical to forest conservation and climate protection. This review describes an international network of 59 long-term forest dynamics research sites (CTFS-ForestGEO) useful for characterizing forest responses to global change. Within very large plots (median size 25ha), all stems 1cm diameter are identified to species, mapped, and regularly recensused according to standardized protocols. CTFS-ForestGEO spans 25 degrees S-61 degrees N latitude, is generally representative of the range of bioclimatic, edaphic, and topographic conditions experienced by forests worldwide, and is the only forest monitoring network that applies a standardized protocol to each of the world's major forest biomes. Supplementary standardized measurements at subsets of the sites provide additional information on plants, animals, and ecosystem and environmental variables. CTFS-ForestGEO sites are experiencing multifaceted anthropogenic global change pressures including warming (average 0.61 degrees C), changes in precipitation (up to +/- 30% change), atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and sulfur compounds (up to 3.8g Nm(-2)yr(-1) and 3.1g Sm(-2)yr(-1)), and forest fragmentation in the surrounding landscape (up to 88% reduced tree cover within 5km). The broad suite of measurements made at CTFS-ForestGEO sites makes it possible to investigate the complex ways in which global change is impacting forest dynamics. Ongoing research across the CTFS-ForestGEO network is yielding insights into how and why the forests are changing, and continued monitoring will provide vital contributions to understanding worldwide forest diversity and dynamics in an era of global change.

A Comparative Study on Electrochemical Behaviour of Co3O4 and Co3O4-MWCNTs for Supercapacitors

Co3O4 and Co3O4/MWCNTs were prepared by hydrothermal process under autogenous pressure in Teflon lined autoclave and calcined at 250 degrees C. Both samples were characterized by PXRD, FT-IR, SEM-EDS, TEM & FT-Raman to evaluate their surface and bulk properties. The PXRD pattern of the materials indicated the formation of cubic phase of Co3O4. FT-IR results showed the presence of metal oxygen bond in the samples. The SEM and TEM images of the Co3O4 / MWCNTs indicated spherical and cubic aggregates of metal oxide particles (10-30 nm) decorated both on the surface and inside the tubes of carbon nanotubes. The characteristic Ig and Id (graphitic and defects) Raman bands indicated the retention of tubular structure of MWCNTs even after the deposition of Co3O4. The calcined Co3O4-MWCNTs composites and Co3O4 exhibited specific capacitance of 284 & 205 F/g at a sweep rate of 2mVs(-1) in 6M KOH by cyclic voltammetry. The psuedocapacitance performances of calcined Co3O4-MWCNTs were found to be better than Co3O4. Chronopotentiometric studies made for the materials at a current density of 500mA/g indicated 100% columbic efficiency at 2000th cycle for Co3O4/ MWCNTs which is a better electrode material than Co3O4.

Curcumin Pyrazole and its derivative (N-(3-Nitrophenylpyrazole) Curcumin inhibit aggregation, disrupt fibrils and modulate toxicity of Wild type and Mutant alpha-Synuclein

Accumulating evidence suggests that deposition of neurotoxic a-synuclein aggregates in the brain during the development of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease can be curbed by anti-aggregation strategies that either disrupt or eliminate toxic aggregates. Curcumin, a dietary polyphenol exhibits anti-amyloid activity but the use of this polyphenol is limited owing to its instability. As chemical modifications in curcumin confiscate this limitation, such efforts are intensively performed to discover molecules with similar but enhanced stability and superior properties. This study focuses on the inhibitory effect of two stable analogs of curcumin viz. curcumin pyrazole and curcumin isoxazole and their derivatives against a-synuclein aggregation, fibrillization and toxicity. Employing biochemical, biophysical and cell based assays we discovered that curcumin pyrazole (3) and its derivative N-(3-Nitrophenylpyrazole) curcumin (15) exhibit remarkable potency in not only arresting fibrillization and disrupting preformed fibrils but also preventing formation of A11 conformation in the protein that imparts toxic effects. Compounds 3 and 15 also decreased neurotoxicity associated with fast aggregating A53T mutant form of a-synuclein. These two analogues of curcumin described here may therefore be useful therapeutic inhibitors for the treatment of a-synuclein amyloidosis and toxicity in Parkinson's disease and other synucleinopathies.

High Catalytic Activity of Amorphous Ir-Pi for Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Large-scale production of hydrogen gas by water electrolysis is hindered by the sluggish kinetics of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at the anode. The development of a highly active and stable catalyst for OER is a challenging task. Electrochemically prepared amorphous metal-based catalysts have gained wide attention after the recent discovery of a cnbalt-phosphate (Co-Pi) catalyst: Herein, an amorphous iridium-phosphate (Ir-Pi) is investigated as an oxygen evolution catalyst. The catalyst is prepared by the anodic polarization of carbon paper electrodes in neutral phosphate buffer solutions containing IrCl3. The Ir-Pi film deposited on the substrate has significant amounts of phosphate and It centers in an oxidation state higher than +4. Phosphate plays a significant role in the deposition of the catalyst and also in its activity toward OER. The onset potential of OER on the Ir-Pi is about 150 mV lower in comparison with the Co-Pi under identical experimental conditions. Thus, Ir-Pi is a promising catalyst for electrochemical oxidation of water.

Atmospheric pressure plasma chemical vapor deposition reactor for 100 mm wafers, optimized for minimum contamination at low gas flow rates

Gas discharge plasmas used for thinfilm deposition by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) must be devoid of contaminants, like dust or active species which disturb the intended chemical reaction. In atmospheric pressure plasma systems employing an inert gas, the main source of such contamination is the residual air inside the system. To enable the construction of an atmospheric pressure plasma (APP) system with minimal contamination, we have carried out fluid dynamic simulation of the APP chamber into which an inert gas is injected at different mass flow rates. On the basis of the simulation results, we have designed and built a simple, scaled APP system, which is capable of holding a 100 mm substrate wafer, so that the presence of air (contamination) in the APP chamber is minimized with as low a flow rate of argon as possible. This is examined systematically by examining optical emission from the plasma as a function of inert gas flow rate. It is found that optical emission from the plasma shows the presence of atmospheric air, if the inlet argon flow rate is lowered below 300 sccm. That there is minimal contamination of the APP reactor built here, was verified by conducting an atmospheric pressure PECVD process under acetylene flow, combined with argon flow at 100 sccm and 500 sccm. The deposition of a polymer coating is confirmed by infrared spectroscopy. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy shows that the polymer coating contains only 5% of oxygen, which is comparable to the oxygen content in polymer deposits obtained in low-pressure PECVD systems. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.