Composite nanoparticles

The method of measuring the partition coefficient of a test molecule comprises incorporating the molecule in a composition of nanoparticles having a porous surface and a first solvent, wherein a second solvent has been absorbed into the porous surface, and said first solvent is immiscible with said second solvent, and then separating the nanoparticles and the first solvent. The amount of the molecule which remains in the first solvent is determined to enable calculation of the partition coefficient. The nanoparticles may have a magnetic core to allow easy separation.

Novel polyvinylpyrrolidones to improve delivery of poorly-water soluble drugs; from design to synthesis and evaluation

Polyvinylpyrrolidone is a widely used in tablet formulations with the linear form acting as a wetting agent and disintegrant whereas the cross-linked form is a super-disintegrant. We have previously reported that simply mixing the commercial cross-linked polymer with ibuprofen disrupted drug crystallinity with consequent improvements in drug dissolution behavior. In this study, we have designed and synthesized novel cross-linking agents containing a range of oligoether moieties which have then be polymerized with vinylpyrrolidone to generate a suite of novel excipients with enhanced hydrogen-bonding capabilities. The polymers have a porous surface and swell in most common solvents and in water; properties which suggest their value as disintegrants. The polymers were evaluated in simple physical mixtures with ibuprofen as a model poorly-water soluble drug. The results show that the novel PVPs induce the drug to become “X-ray amorphous”, which increased dissolution to a greater extent than that seen with commercial cross-linked PVP. The polymers stabilize the amorphous drug with no evidence for recrystallization seen after 20 weeks storage.

Estudo e desenvolvimento de um capacitor eletrolítico de nióbio

It seeks to find an alternative to the current tantalum electrolytic capacitors in the market due to its high cost. Niobium is a potential substitute, since both belong to the same group of the periodic table and because of this have many similar physical and chemical properties. Niobium has several technologically important applications, and Brazil has the largest reserves, around 96%. There are including niobium in reserves of tantalite and columbite in Rio Grande do Norte. These electrolytic capacitors have high capacitance specifies, ie they can store high energy in small volumes compared to other types of capacitors. This is the main attraction of this type of capacitor because is growing demand in the production of capacitors with capacitance specifies increasingly high, this because of the miniaturization of various devices such as GPS devices, televisions, computers, phones and many others. The production route of the capacitor was made by powder metallurgy. The initial niobium powder supplied by EEL-USP was first characterized by XRD, SEM, XRF and laser particle size, to then be sieved into three particle size, 200, 400 e 635mesh. The powders were then compacted and sintered at 1350, 1450 and 1550°C using two sintering time 30 and 60min. Sintering is one of the most important parts of the process as it affects properties as porosity and surface cleaning of the samples, which greatly affected the quality of the capacitor. The sintered samples then underwent a process of anodic oxidation, which created a thin film of niobium pentóxido over the whole porous surface of the sample, this film is the dielectric capacitor. The oxidation process variables influence the performance of the film and therefore the capacitor. The samples were characterized by electrical measurements of capacitance, loss factor, ESR, relative density, porosity and surface area. After the characterizations was made an annealing in air ate 260ºC for 60min. After this treatment were made again the electrical measurements. The particle size of powders and sintering affected the porosity and in turn the specific area of the samples. The larger de area of the capacitor, greater is the capacitance. The powder showed the highest capacitance was with the smallest particle size. Higher temperatures and times of sintering caused samples with smaller surface area, but on the other hand the cleaning surface impurities was higher for this cases. So a balance must be made between the gain that is achieved with the cleaning of impurities and the loss with the decreased in specific area. The best results were obtained for the temperature of 1450ºC/60min. The influence of annealing on the loss factor and ESR did not follow a well-defined pattern, because their values increased in some cases and decreased in others. The most interesting results due to heat treatment were with respect to capacitance, which showed an increase for all samples after treatment

Estudo do comportamento no estado fresco e endurecido do concreto com incorporação de resíduo de corte de botão

This works aims at investigating the effects of adding waste from RCBP-polyester button manufacturing to Portland cement concrete, particularly regarding its consistency and mechanic strength. The RCBP used came from a button factory located in Parnamirim, RN, Brazil. The waste was added to the concrete on different ratios: 5 %, 10 %, 15 % and 20 % of the total cement mass. A sample of concrete without the RCBP was used as reference, 1:1,33:2,45:0,50. For the mechanic strength test four samples were tested with different ages (3, 7 and 28 days old) and mixtures. Furthermore, a Slump Test was also conducted in order to verify the concrete s consistency. A tendency to a reduction in the compression resistance was noticed for all samples. For the samples with 5 % and 10 %, there was also an increase in the traction resistance during inflexion, regarding the reference concrete. In the microstructural analysis, the RBCP was observed to show an irregular and porous surface, thus explaining the consistency decrease

Histomorphometric evaluation of a threaded, sandblasted, acid-etched implant retrieved from a human lower jaw: A case report

The purpose of this study was to histomorphometrically evaluate the bone-to-implant contact and bone area around a titanium implant retrieved from a human lower jaw. A screw-shaped titanium implant (sandblasted and acid-etched surface) was removed from a 68-year-old male after having been in function for 40 months because of a fracture of the abutment screw. Following the implant removal, an undecalcified section was obtained. The histomorphometric analysis showed a rate of 75.40% of bone-to-implant contact and 89.30% of bone area filling within the limits of the implant threads. The surrounding bone healed in a well-organized pattern and could not be differentiated from the anginal alveolus. The histologic evidence showed a high degree of osseointegration in a threaded, sandblasted, and acid-etched implant retrieved from a human lower jaw after functional loading for 40 months. Copyright © 2005 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Comparação in vivo da biocompatilidade de amostras com superfície porosa confeccionadas com diferentes ligas de titânio

Pós-graduação em Biopatologia Bucal - ICT

Preparation and Characterization of Chitosan Nanoparticles for Zidovudine Nasal Delivery

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Implantes nanotopograficamente modificados pela ação do laser Yb-YAG

Titanium has proven its suitability as an implant material in surgery over many years. Excellent biocompatibility and corrosion resistance are outstanding features. Implant surfaces always causes concern and interest in scientific communities, due to its close relationship with the time required for osseointegration. Surface modification can be performed by several methods, being laser irradiation one of them. Titanium implants with two different surfaces were inserted in rabbits: Group I (G-I: machined surface, control group), and group II (G-II: laser irradiated, test group) being processed 30 and 60 days after surgery for histological analysis. Surface characterization was performed with SEM-EDS, contact angle measurement, and mean roughness (Ra) parameters. Surface analysis in the GII group showed a nanomorphology affected by melt and quick solidification zones following laser irradiation (SEM), as well as total wettability and Ra mean values significantly higher than in the G-I group. The laser treatment resulted in a homogenized, porous surface, with increased surface area and volume. Histological analysis of bone-implant contact linear extension (BIC) showed better results in G-II at 30 days (39.26 ± 18.23 and 68.41 ± 13.68 for G-I and G-II groups, respectively). Titanium implants modified by laser irradiation showed important features that may accelerate early osseointegration.

Mineral Loss and Morphological Changes in Dental Enamel Induced by a 16% Carbamide Peroxide Bleaching Gel

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Titanium-35niobium alloy as a potential material for biomedical implants: in vitro study

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Comparison of the capacity of enamel matrix derivative gel and enamel matrix derivative in liquid formulation to adsorb to bone grafting materials.

BACKGROUND The use of an enamel matrix derivative (EMD) has been shown to enhance periodontal regeneration (e.g., formation of root cementum, periodontal ligament, and alveolar bone). However, in certain clinical situations, the use of EMD alone may not be sufficient to prevent flap collapse or provide sufficient stability of the blood clot. Data from clinical and preclinical studies have demonstrated controversial results after application of EMD combined with different types of bone grafting materials in periodontal regenerative procedures. The aim of the present study is to investigate the adsorption properties of enamel matrix proteins to bone grafts after surface coating with either EMD (as a liquid formulation) or EMD (as a gel formulation). METHODS Three different types of grafting materials, including a natural bone mineral (NBM), demineralized freeze-dried bone allograft (DFDBA), or a calcium phosphate (CaP), were coated with either EMD liquid or EMD gel. Samples were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy or transmission electron microscopy (TEM) using an immunostaining assay with gold-conjugated anti-EMD antibody. Total protein adsorption to bone grafting material was quantified using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit for amelogenin. RESULTS The adsorption of amelogenin to the surface of grafting material varied substantially based on the carrier system used. EMD gel adsorbed less protein to the surface of grafting particles, which easily dissociated from the graft surface after phosphate-buffered saline rinsing. Analyses by TEM revealed that adsorption of amelogenin proteins were significantly farther from the grafting material surface, likely a result of the thick polyglycolic acid gel carrier. ELISA protein quantification assay demonstrated that the combination of EMD liquid + NBM and EMD liquid + DFDBA adsorbed higher amounts of amelogenin than all other treatment modalities. Furthermore, amelogenin proteins delivered by EMD liquid were able to penetrate the porous surface structure of NBM and DFDBA and adsorb to the interior of bone grafting particles. Grafting materials coated with EMD gel adsorbed more frequently to the exterior of grafting particles with little interior penetration. CONCLUSIONS The present study demonstrates a large variability of adsorbed amelogenin to the surface of bone grafting materials when enamel matrix proteins were delivered in either a liquid formulation or gel carrier. Furthermore, differences in amelogenin adsorption were observed among NBM, DFDBA, and biphasic CaP particles. Thus, the potential for a liquid carrier system for EMD, used to coat EMD, may be advantageous for better surface coating.

Gravity spun polycaprolactone fibres for soft tissue engineering:interaction with fibroblasts and myoblasts in cell culture

Poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) fibres were produced by wet spinning from solutions in acetone under low shear (gravity flow) conditions. As-spun PCL fibres exhibited a mean strength and stiffness of 7.9 MPa and 0.1 GPa, respectively and a rough, porous surface morphology. Cold drawing to an extension of 500% resulted in increases in fibre strength (43 MPa) and stiffness (0.3 GPa) and development of an oriented, fibrillar surface texture. The proliferation rate of Swiss 3T3 mouse fibroblasts and C2C12 mouse myoblasts on as-spun, 500% cold-drawn and gelatin-modified PCL fibres was determined in cell culture to provide a basic measure of the biocompatibility of the fibres. Proliferation of both cell types was consistently higher on gelatin-coated fibres relative to as-spun fibres at time points below 7 days. Fibroblast growth rates on cold-drawn PCL fibres exceeded those on as-spun fibres but myoblast proliferation was similar on both substrates. After 1 day in culture, both cell types had spread and coalesced on the fibres to form a cell layer, which conformed closely to the underlying topography. The high fibre compliance combined with a potential for modifying the fibre surface chemistry with cell adhesion molecules and the surface architecture by cold drawing to enhance proliferation of fibroblasts and myoblasts, recommends further investigation of gravity-spun PCL fibres for 3-D scaffold production in soft tissue engineering. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Estudo e desenvolvimento de um capacitor eletrolítico de nióbio

It seeks to find an alternative to the current tantalum electrolytic capacitors in the market due to its high cost. Niobium is a potential substitute, since both belong to the same group of the periodic table and because of this have many similar physical and chemical properties. Niobium has several technologically important applications, and Brazil has the largest reserves, around 96%. There are including niobium in reserves of tantalite and columbite in Rio Grande do Norte. These electrolytic capacitors have high capacitance specifies, ie they can store high energy in small volumes compared to other types of capacitors. This is the main attraction of this type of capacitor because is growing demand in the production of capacitors with capacitance specifies increasingly high, this because of the miniaturization of various devices such as GPS devices, televisions, computers, phones and many others. The production route of the capacitor was made by powder metallurgy. The initial niobium powder supplied by EEL-USP was first characterized by XRD, SEM, XRF and laser particle size, to then be sieved into three particle size, 200, 400 e 635mesh. The powders were then compacted and sintered at 1350, 1450 and 1550°C using two sintering time 30 and 60min. Sintering is one of the most important parts of the process as it affects properties as porosity and surface cleaning of the samples, which greatly affected the quality of the capacitor. The sintered samples then underwent a process of anodic oxidation, which created a thin film of niobium pentóxido over the whole porous surface of the sample, this film is the dielectric capacitor. The oxidation process variables influence the performance of the film and therefore the capacitor. The samples were characterized by electrical measurements of capacitance, loss factor, ESR, relative density, porosity and surface area. After the characterizations was made an annealing in air ate 260ºC for 60min. After this treatment were made again the electrical measurements. The particle size of powders and sintering affected the porosity and in turn the specific area of the samples. The larger de area of the capacitor, greater is the capacitance. The powder showed the highest capacitance was with the smallest particle size. Higher temperatures and times of sintering caused samples with smaller surface area, but on the other hand the cleaning surface impurities was higher for this cases. So a balance must be made between the gain that is achieved with the cleaning of impurities and the loss with the decreased in specific area. The best results were obtained for the temperature of 1450ºC/60min. The influence of annealing on the loss factor and ESR did not follow a well-defined pattern, because their values increased in some cases and decreased in others. The most interesting results due to heat treatment were with respect to capacitance, which showed an increase for all samples after treatment

Surface diffusion of adsorbed molecules in porous media: Monolayer, multilayer, and capillary condensation regimes

This review provides an overview of surface diffusion and capillary condensate flow in porous media. Emphasis has been placed on the distinction between purely surface diffusion, multilayer surface diffusion, and, capillary condensate flow.

Surface diffusion of strong adsorbing vapours on porous carbon

Surface diffusion of strongly adsorbing hydrocarbon vapours on activated carbon was measured by using a constant molar flow method (D.D. Do, Dynamics of a semi-batch adsorber with constant molar supply rate: a method for studying adsorption rate of pure gas, Chem. Eng. Sci. 50 (1995) 549), where pure adsorbate is introduced into a semi-batch adsorber at a constant molar flow rate. The surface diffusivity was determined from the analysis of pressure response versus time, using a linear mathematical model developed earlier. To apply the linear theory over the non-linear range of the adsorption isotherm, we implement a differential increment method on the system which is initially equilibrated with some pre-determined loading. By conducting the experiments at different initial loadings, the surface diffusivity can be extracted as a function of loading. Propane, n-butane, n-hexane, benzene, and ethanol were used as diffusing adsorbate on a commercial activated carbon. It is found that the surface diffusivity of these strongly adsorbing vapours increases rapidly with loading, and the surface diffusion flux contributes significantly to the total flux and cannot be ignored. The surface diffusivity increases with temperature according to the Arrhenius law, and for the paraffins tested it decreases with the molecular weight of the adsorbate. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.