Multilayered hydrogel coatings covalently-linked to glass surfaces showing a potential to mimic mucosal tissues

Multilayered hydrogel coatings can be developed on the surface of glass slides via layer-by-layer deposition of hydrogen-bonded interpolymer complexes formed by poly(acrylic acid) and methylcellulose. Chemical modification of the glass surface with (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane with subsequent layer-by-layer deposition and cross-linking of interpolymer complexes by thermal treatment allows fabrication of ultrathin hydrogel coatings, not detachable from the substrate. The thickness of these coatings is directly related to the number of deposition cycles and cross-linking conditions. An unusual dependence of the hydrogel swelling properties on the sample thickness is observed and can be interpreted by gradual transitions between two- and three-dimensional networks. The hydrogels exhibit pH-responsive swelling behaviour, achieving higher swelling degrees at pH > 6.0. These coatings can be used as model substrates to study the adhesive properties of pharmaceutical tablets and can potentially mimic the total work of adhesion observed for the detachment of mucoadhesives from porcine buccal mucosa but fail to exhibit identical detachment profiles.

Pollen ultrastructure in anther cultures of Datura innoxia. II. The generative-cell wall.

In young pollen grains of Datura innoxia, a wall of the usual hemispherical type separates the 2 gametophytic cells initially and, in the electron microscope, appears as an electron-translucent matrix which is contiguous with the intine. Before detachment of the generative cell from the intine, the matrix decreases in thickness and in places is dispersed altogether leaving the plasmalemmae on either side of it in close apposition. A particularly prominent zone, triangular in profile, is left where the wall joins with the intine. After detachment of the cell, remnants of the matrix can be seen distributed irregularly around the cell and it is supposed that these are partly derived from material in the triangular zone as the cell is drawn away from the intine. The wall residues persist throughout the maturation phase of the pollen and are considered to be either callose resulting from incomplete digestion of the initial wall, or some other polysaccharide material which is unevenly laid down along the wall and concentrated at the junction with the intine. In pollen induced into embryogenesis by anther culture, wall material is also distributed irregularly around the detached cell in a series of discrete zones, but these are more extensive than in vivo, closer together and in many instances highly dilated. The wall profiles thus have a beaded appearance, the 'beads' being connected together by short links of the 2 apposed plasmalemmae. The contents of the swollen zones have a similar electron density to that of the matrix in vivo but also show traces of a fibrillar component. It is postulated that this unusual swelling is a prelude to dispersal of the wall by disruption of the plasmalemmal links and to the establishment of cytoplasmic continuity between the 2 cells. The significance of such binucleate pollen grains in the formation of non-haploid embryos is discussed.

Microblock ionomers: a new concept in high temperature, swelling-resistant membranes for PEM fuel cells

A novel series of polyaromatic ionomers with similar equivalent weights but very different sulphonic acid distributions along the ionomer backbone has been designed and prepared. By synthetically organising the sequence-distribution so that it consists of fully defined ionic segments (containing singlets, doublets or quadruplets of sulphonic acid groups) alternating strictly with equally well-defined nonionic spacer segments, a new class of polymers which may be described as microblock ionomers has been developed. These materials exhibit very different properties and morphologies from analogous randomly substituted systems. Progressively extending the nonionic spacer length in the repeat unit (maintaining a constant equivalent weight by increasing the degree of sulphonation. of the ionic segment) leads to an increasing degree of nanophase separation between hydrophilic and hydrophobic domains in these materials. Membranes cast from ionomers with the more highly phase-separated morphologies show significantly higher onset temperatures for uncontrolled swelling in water. This new type of ionomer design has enabled the fabrication of swelling-resistant hydrocarbon membranes, suitable for fuel cell operation, with very much higher ion exchange capacities (>2 meq g(-1)) than those previously reported in the literature. When tested in a fuel cell at high temperature (120 degrees C) and low relative humidity (35% RH), the best microblock membrane matched the performance of Nafion 112. Moreover, comparative low load cycle testing of membrane -electrode assemblies suggests that the durability of the new membranes under conditions of high temperature and low relative humidity is superior to that of conventional perfluorinated materials.

Stress generation in the tension wood of poplar is based on the lateral swelling power of the G-layer

The mechanism of active stress generation in tension wood is still not fully understood. To characterize the functional interdependency between the G-layer and the secondary cell wall, nanostructural characterization and mechanical tests were performed on native tension wood tissues of poplar (Populus nigra x Populus deltoids) and on tissues in which the G-layer was removed by an enzymatic treatment. In addition to the well-known axial orientation of the cellulose fibrils in the G-layer, it was shown that the microfibril angle of the S2-layer was very large (about 36 degrees). The removal of the G-layer resulted in an axial extension and a tangential contraction of the tissues. The tensile stress-strain curves of native tension wood slices showed a jagged appearance after yield that could not be seen in the enzyme-treated samples. The behaviour of the native tissue was modelled by assuming that cells deform elastically up to a critical strain at which the G-layer slips, causing a drop in stress. The results suggest that tensile stresses in poplar are generated in the living plant by a lateral swelling of the G-layer which forces the surrounding secondary cell wall to contract in the axial direction.

pH-mediated interactions between poly(acrylic acid) and methylcellulose in the formation of ultrathin multilayered hydrogels and spherical nanoparticles

Poly(acrylic acid) forms insoluble hydrogen-bonded interpolymer complexes with methylcellulose in aqueous solutions under acidic conditions. In this work the reaction heats and binding constants were determined for the complexation between poly(acrylic acid) and methylcellulose by isothermal titration calorimetry at different pH and findings are correlated with the aggregation processes occurring in this system. The principal contribution to the complexation heat results from primary polycomplex particle aggregation. Transmission electron microscopy of nanoparticles produced at pH 1.4 and 2.4 demonstrated that they are spherical and dense structures. The nanoparticles ranged from 80 to 200 nm, whereas particles formed at pH 3.2 were 20-30 nm and were stabilized against aggregation by a network of uncomplexed macromolecules. For the first time, multilayered materials were developed on the basis of hydrogen-bonded complexes of poly(acrylic acid) and methylcellulose using layer-by-layer deposition on a glass surface. The thickness of these films was a linear function of the number of deposition cycles. The materials were subsequently cross-linked by thermal treatment, resulting in ultrathin hydrogels which detached from the glass substrate upon swelling. The swelling capacity of ultrathin hydrogels differed from the swelling of the thicker films of a similar chemical composition.

Production and evaluation of dry alginate-chitosan microcapsules as an enteric delivery vehicle for probiotic bacteria

This study investigates the production of alginate microcapsules, which have been coated with the polysaccharide chitosan, and evaluates some of their properties with the intention of improving the gastrointestinal viability of a probiotic (Bifidobacterium breve) by encapsulation in this system. The microcapsules were dried by a variety of methods, and the most suitable was chosen. The work described in this Article is the first report detailing the effects of drying on the properties of these microcapsules and the viability of the bacteria within relative to wet microcapsules. The pH range over which chitosan and alginate form polyelectrolyte complexes was explored by spectrophotometry, and this extended into swelling studies on the microcapsules over a range of pHs associated with the gastrointestinal tract. It was shown that chitosan stabilizes the alginate microcapsules at pHs above 3, extending the stability of the capsules under these conditions. The effect of chitosan exposure time on the coating thickness was investigated for the first time by confocal laser scanning microscopy, and its penetration into the alginate matrix was shown to be particularly slow. Coating with chitosan was found to increase the survival of B. breve in simulated gastric fluid as well as prolong its release upon exposure to intestinal pH.

Wave scattering by an axisymmetric ice floe of varying thickness

The problem of water wave scattering by a circular ice floe, floating in fluid of finite depth, is formulated and solved numerically. Unlike previous investigations of such situations, here we allow the thickness of the floe (and the fluid depth) to vary axisymmetrically and also incorporate a realistic non-zero draught. A numerical approximation to the solution of this problem is obtained to an arbitrary degree of accuracy by combining a Rayleigh–Ritz approximation of the vertical motion with an appropriate variational principle. This numerical solution procedure builds upon the work of Bennets et al. (2007, J. Fluid Mech., 579, 413–443). As part of the numerical formulation, we utilize a Fourier cosine expansion of the azimuthal motion, resulting in a system of ordinary differential equations to solve in the radial coordinate for each azimuthal mode. The displayed results concentrate on the response of the floe rather than the scattered wave field and show that the effects of introducing the new features of varying floe thickness and a realistic draught are significant.

Perception of thickness, mouth-coating and mouth-drying of dairy beverages by younger and older volunteer

Sensory perception has been found to change during ageing. The perception of mouth feel by older adults, and the role of ageing on the sensory perception of texture attributes is uncertain. . This study investigated perception of the textural attributes of thickness, mouth-coating and mouth-drying, in the context of dairy beverages, by older and younger adults. Just noticeable differences (JND) of a starch thickener and for cream concentration within milk were established for thickness and mouth-coating perception, finding no age-related differences between participant groups. Mouth-drying was assessed through the directional paired comparison of a mouth-drying milk beverage to a skimmed milk sample. The older adults were found to be more sensitive to mouth-drying (p=0.03) than the younger adults. This study found no age-related decline in texture perception with older adults finding perception of some attributes such as mouth-drying enhanced by ageing.

Cortical thickness changes in the non-lesioned hemisphere associated with non-paretic arm immobilization in modified CI therapy

Recent evidence suggests that immobilization of the upper limb for 2–3 weeks induces changes in cortical thickness as well as motor performance. In constraint induced (CI) therapy, one of the most effective interventions for hemiplegia, the non-paretic arm is constrained to enforce the use of the paretic arm in the home setting. With the present study we aimed to explore whether non-paretic arm immobilization in CI therapy induces structural changes in the non-lesioned hemisphere, and how these changes are related to treatment benefit. 31 patients with chronic hemiparesis participated in CI therapy with (N = 14) and without (N = 17) constraint. Motor ability scores were acquired before and after treatment. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data was obtained prior to treatment. Cortical thickness was measured with the Freesurfer software. In both groups cortical thickness in the contralesional primary somatosensory cortex increased and motor function improved with the intervention. However the cortical thickness change was not associated with the magnitude of motor function improvement. Moreover, the treatment effect and the cortical thickness change were not significantly different between the constraint and the non-constraint groups. There was no correlation between fractional anisotropy changes in the non-lesioned hemisphere and treatment outcome. CI therapy induced cortical thickness changes in contralesional sensorimotor regions, but this effect does not appear to be driven by the immobilization of the non-paretic arm, as indicated by the absence of differences between the constraint and the non-constraint groups. Our data does not suggest that the arm immobilization used in CI therapy is associated with noticeable cortical thinning.

Consistent and contrasting decadal Arctic sea ice thickness predictions from a highly optimized sea ice model

[1] Decadal hindcast simulations of Arctic Ocean sea ice thickness made by a modern dynamic-thermodynamic sea ice model and forced independently by both the ERA-40 and NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data sets are compared for the first time. Using comprehensive data sets of observations made between 1979 and 2001 of sea ice thickness, draft, extent, and speeds, we find that it is possible to tune model parameters to give satisfactory agreement with observed data, thereby highlighting the skill of modern sea ice models, though the parameter values chosen differ according to the model forcing used. We find a consistent decreasing trend in Arctic Ocean sea ice thickness since 1979, and a steady decline in the Eastern Arctic Ocean over the full 40-year period of comparison that accelerated after 1980, but the predictions of Western Arctic Ocean sea ice thickness between 1962 and 1980 differ substantially. The origins of differing thickness trends and variability were isolated not to parameter differences but to differences in the forcing fields applied, and in how they are applied. It is argued that uncertainty, differences and errors in sea ice model forcing sets complicate the use of models to determine the exact causes of the recently reported decline in Arctic sea ice thickness, but help in the determination of robust features if the models are tuned appropriately against observations.

Optimization of a sea ice model using basinwide observations of Arctic sea ice thickness, extent, and velocity

A stand-alone sea ice model is tuned and validated using satellite-derived, basinwide observations of sea ice thickness, extent, and velocity from the years 1993 to 2001. This is the first time that basin-scale measurements of sea ice thickness have been used for this purpose. The model is based on the CICE sea ice model code developed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, with some minor modifications, and forcing consists of 40-yr ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA-40) and Polar Exchange at the Sea Surface (POLES) data. Three parameters are varied in the tuning process: Ca, the air–ice drag coefficient; P*, the ice strength parameter; and α, the broadband albedo of cold bare ice, with the aim being to determine the subset of this three-dimensional parameter space that gives the best simultaneous agreement with observations with this forcing set. It is found that observations of sea ice extent and velocity alone are not sufficient to unambiguously tune the model, and that sea ice thickness measurements are necessary to locate a unique subset of parameter space in which simultaneous agreement is achieved with all three observational datasets.