Mullite–zirconia composites containing 20% zirconia（mass fraction） were prepared by reaction sintering route utilizing Indian coastal zircon flour and sillimanite beach sand. 4%-12% of CaO（mole fraction） with res...Mullite–zirconia composites containing 20% zirconia（mass fraction） were prepared by reaction sintering route utilizing Indian coastal zircon flour and sillimanite beach sand. 4%-12% of CaO（mole fraction） with respect to zirconia was used as additive. The effect of additive on densification, microstructure as well as various mechanical and thermo-mechanical properties was studied. Incorporation of CaO reduced the densification temperature of the composites to 1550 ℃ compared to 1600 ℃（for CaO free samples）. CaO formed small amount of liquid phase（calcium aluminosilicate）, which facilitated sintering. Average grain size of the composites decreased up to 4% CaO addition, afterwards grain size increased with further addition of CaO. Samples with 4% CaO exhibited ～225 MPa of flexural strength, ～6 MPa·m^1/2 of fracture toughness and significant improvement in thermal shock resistance. CaO stabilized the tetragonal zirconia phase and thus improved the mechanical properties.展开更多
Extracellular vesicles or exosomes are membrane encapsulated biological nanometric particles secreted virtually by all types of cells throughout the animal kingdom.Tey carry a cargo of active molecules to proximal and...Extracellular vesicles or exosomes are membrane encapsulated biological nanometric particles secreted virtually by all types of cells throughout the animal kingdom.Tey carry a cargo of active molecules to proximal and distal cells of the body as mechanism of physiological communication,to maintain natural homeostasis as well as pathological responses.Exosomes carry a tremendous potential for liquid biopsy and therapeutic applications.Tus,there is a global demand for simple and robust exosome isolation methods amenable to point-of-care diagnosis and quality control of therapeutic exosome manufacturing.Tis can be achieved by molecular profling of the exosomes for use with specifc sets of molecular-markers for diagnosis and quality control.Liquid biopsy is undoubtedly the most promising diagnosis process to advance“personalized medicine.”Currently,liquid biopsy is based on circulating cancer cells,cell free-DNA,or exosomes.Exosomes potentially provide promise for early-stage diagnostic possibility;in order to facilitate superior diagnosis and isolation of exosomes,a novel platform is developed to detect and capture them,based on localized surface plasmon resonance(LSPR)of gold nanoislands,through strong afnity between exosomes and peptide called Venceremin or Vn96.Physical modeling,based on the characteristics of the gold nanoislands and the bioentities involved in the sensing,is also developed to determine the detection capability of the platform,which is optimized experimentally at each stage.Preliminary results and modeling present a relationship between the plasmonic shif and the concentration of exosomes and,essentially,indicate possibilities for label-free early diagnosis.展开更多
基金the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Govt. of India, for financial support under project No. ESC-0202
文摘Mullite–zirconia composites containing 20% zirconia（mass fraction） were prepared by reaction sintering route utilizing Indian coastal zircon flour and sillimanite beach sand. 4%-12% of CaO（mole fraction） with respect to zirconia was used as additive. The effect of additive on densification, microstructure as well as various mechanical and thermo-mechanical properties was studied. Incorporation of CaO reduced the densification temperature of the composites to 1550 ℃ compared to 1600 ℃（for CaO free samples）. CaO formed small amount of liquid phase（calcium aluminosilicate）, which facilitated sintering. Average grain size of the composites decreased up to 4% CaO addition, afterwards grain size increased with further addition of CaO. Samples with 4% CaO exhibited ～225 MPa of flexural strength, ～6 MPa·m^1/2 of fracture toughness and significant improvement in thermal shock resistance. CaO stabilized the tetragonal zirconia phase and thus improved the mechanical properties.
基金The authors acknowledge the support of M.Packirisamy from Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada(NSERC)and Concordia Research Chair and New Brunswick Innovation Foundation(NBIF).
文摘Extracellular vesicles or exosomes are membrane encapsulated biological nanometric particles secreted virtually by all types of cells throughout the animal kingdom.Tey carry a cargo of active molecules to proximal and distal cells of the body as mechanism of physiological communication,to maintain natural homeostasis as well as pathological responses.Exosomes carry a tremendous potential for liquid biopsy and therapeutic applications.Tus,there is a global demand for simple and robust exosome isolation methods amenable to point-of-care diagnosis and quality control of therapeutic exosome manufacturing.Tis can be achieved by molecular profling of the exosomes for use with specifc sets of molecular-markers for diagnosis and quality control.Liquid biopsy is undoubtedly the most promising diagnosis process to advance“personalized medicine.”Currently,liquid biopsy is based on circulating cancer cells,cell free-DNA,or exosomes.Exosomes potentially provide promise for early-stage diagnostic possibility;in order to facilitate superior diagnosis and isolation of exosomes,a novel platform is developed to detect and capture them,based on localized surface plasmon resonance(LSPR)of gold nanoislands,through strong afnity between exosomes and peptide called Venceremin or Vn96.Physical modeling,based on the characteristics of the gold nanoislands and the bioentities involved in the sensing,is also developed to determine the detection capability of the platform,which is optimized experimentally at each stage.Preliminary results and modeling present a relationship between the plasmonic shif and the concentration of exosomes and,essentially,indicate possibilities for label-free early diagnosis.
