Insight into the preformed albumin corona on in vitro and in vivo performances of albumin-selective nanoparticles

Preformed albumin corona of albumin-nonselective nanoparticles(NPs)is widely exploited to inhibit the unavoidable protein adsorption upon intravenous administration.However,very few studies have concerned the preformed albumin corona of albumin-selective NPs.Herein,we report a novel type of albumin-selective NPs by decorating 6-maleimidocaproyl polyethylene glycol stearate(SA)onto PLGA NPs(SP NPs)surface,taking albuminnonselective PLGA NPs as control.PLGA NPs and SP NPs were prepared by emulsion-solvent evaporation method and the resultant NPs were in spherical shape with an average diameter around 180 nm.The corresponding albumin-coating PLGA NPs(PLGA@BSA NPs)and albumin-coating SP NPs(SP@BSA NPs)were formulated by incubating SP NPs or PLGA NPs with bovine serum albumin solution,respectively.The impact of albumin corona on particle characteristics,stability,photothermal effect,cytotoxicity,cell uptake,spheroid penetration and pharmacokinetics was investigated.In line with previous findings of preformed albumin coating,PLGA@BSA NPs exhibited higher stability,cytotoxicity,cell internalization and spheroid penetration performances in vitro,and longer blood circulation time in vivo than those of albumin-nonselective PLGA NPs,but albumin-selective SP NPs is capable of achieving a comparable in vitro and in vivo performances with both SP@BSA NPs and PLGA@BSA NPs.Our results demonstrate that SA decorated albumin-selective NPs pave a versatile avenue for optimizing nanoparticulate delivery without preformed albumin corona.

Model of Preformed Hole-Pairs in c-Axis Transport in Cuprate Superconductors

Model of hole-pairs in electrical transport along ab plane in cuprate superconductors has already been proposed. It has been found to be in the shape of 3dx2–y2 orbital of an electron in an atom. This time, model of hole-pairs in transport along c-axis in cuprate superconductors is proposed. In ab-plane, hole-pairs are formed along CuO2 plane;one hole-pair covering 9 - 10 two dimensional CuO2 unit cells in 3dx2–y2 configuration. In the investigation of c-axis hole-pairs, cuprate superconductors have been sub-divided into three categories depending on the number of CuO2 planes/formula unit. There is a little different treatment for finding out the order parameter in each category. Coherence lengths along ab-planes are of the order of a few tens of Angstroms, whereas along c-axis, they are less than even their a-, b-lattice constants. In cuprates with 2 or 3 CuO2 planes, the order parameter is of 3dz2–x2 type in zx-plane with lobes along both the axes much constrained. For cuprates with a single CuO2 layer, the order parameter is of 3dx2–y2 type, but its dimensions are less than a-, b-lattice constants.

Degradable preformed particle gel as temporary plugging agent for low-temperature unconventional petroleum reservoirs:Effect of molecular weight of the cross-linking agent

The development of unconventional petroleum resources has gradually become an important succession for increasing oil production.However,the related engineers and researchers are paying more and more attention to the application of temporary plugging agents(TPAs)for their efficient development.TPAs can expand the stimulated reservoir volume(SRV)and facilitate the flow of oil and gas to the bottom of the well.Particle-gels used as temporary plugging agents have the characteristics of the simple injection process,good deformation,high plugging strength,and complete self-degradation performance,which have been widely applied in recent years.In this paper,five samples of DPPG polymerized by different molecular weights of cross-linking agents were prepared.In addition,infrared spectroscopy analysis,differential calorimetry scanning(DSC)analysis,static particle gel swelling and degradation performance evaluation experiments,and dynamic temporary plugging performance experiments in cores were conducted at 34°C.Results show that as the molecular weight of the cross-linking agent(at 0.01 g)in the DPPG molecule decreased from 1,000 to 200 Da,the fewer cross-linking sites of DPPG,the looser the microscopic three-dimensional mesh structure formed.The swelling ratio increased from 7 to 33 times.However,the complete degradation time increased from 40 to 210 min.Moreover,the DSC results confirmed that the higher the molecular weight of the cross-linking agent,the worse is chemical stability and the more prone it to self-degradation.DPPG samples had good temporary plugging performance in reservoir cores.DPPGs prepared by the cross-linking agent with smaller molecular weight has a stronger swelling ratio,higher gel strength,and greater plugging strength in the core permeabilities.Moreover,the degraded DPPG is less damaging to the cores.However,their slower degradation rates take a slightly longer times to reach complete degradation.The results of this paper can provide new ideas and a theoretical basis for the development of particle gel-type temporary plugging agents(TPA)with controllable degradation time in low-temperature reservoirs.It can help to expand the application range of existing DPPG reservoir conditions.

Reactivity of Human Preformed Natural Antibodies with Various Porcine Pancreatic Cells

The reactivity of human preformed natural antibodies (PNAbs) with various porcine pancreatic cells and its isotypes was investigated. Eighteen serum samples from patients with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and 20 serum samples from healthy human subjects were collected. The frozen sections of the pig pancreas were incubated with these sera, and subsequently incubated with FITC conjugated goat antihuman IgG and IgM monoclonal antibodies. The reactivity of human PNAbs with various porcine pancreatic cells was determined by indirect immunofluorescence staining technique. The results showed that 55.6 % of IDDM patients and 55.0 % of healthy human individuals contained PNAbs against porcine endocrine cells. However, the percentage of strongly reacting sera in the patient group was significantly increased as compared with that in the control group. All used sera from IDDM patients and 95 % of sera from healthy controls could react to one or more of the various pancreatic cell types, including: endocrine cells, exocrine cells, vascular endothelial cells, ductal epithelial cells and macrophages. The isotypes of PNAbs contained both IgG and IgM. In view of strongly positive reactivity of PNAbs with various porcine pancreatic cells, pretransplantly cross matching test and graft pretreatment may be necessary for survival of islet transplants.

Model of Preformed Hole-Pairs in Cuprate Superconductors

A model of preformed hole-pairs in cuprate superconductors has been proposed based on some experimental results i.e., 1) electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of quenched superconductors which show very frequently the fragment (CuO)4 broken off from the CuO2 layer in the structure, 2) 41 meV peak observed in neutron diffraction and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of superconductors, 3) Heisenberg exchange interaction leading to ferromagnetism observed in CuO which is an essential ingredient of all superconductors and some generally accepted conclusions i.e., a) that the order parameter in superconductors has dx2–y2 symmetr and b) coherence length is of the order of 15 - 20 Angstrom. Heisenberg exchange interaction between two (CuO4) plaquettes each containing a lattice hole binds the two holes which are the charge carriers in the cuprate superconductors. It is not very clear whether the hole-pair is in the triplet or singlet state, but the triplet state is supported by the experimental observation of ferromagnetism in the parent material CuO. The proposed hole-pair singlet is different from Zhang-Rice singlet.

Modeling human hypertrophic scars with 3D preformed cellular aggregates bioprinting

The therapeutic interventions of human hypertrophic scars(HHS)remain puzzle largely due to the lack of accepted models.Current HHS models are limited by their inability to mimic native scar architecture and associated pathological microenvironments.Here,we create a 3D functional HHS model by preformed cellular aggregates(PCA)bioprinting,firstly developing bioink from scar decellularized extracellular matrix(ECM)and alginate-gelatin(Alg-Gel)hydrogel with suitable physical properties to mimic the microenvironmental factors,then pre-culturing patient-derived fibroblasts in this bioink to preform the topographic cellular aggregates for sequent printing.We confirm the cell aggregates preformed in bioink displayed well defined aligned structure and formed functional scar tissue self-organization after bioprinting,hence showing the potential of creating HHS models.Notably,these HHS models exhibit characteristics of early-stage HHS in gene and protein expression,which significantly activated signaling pathway related to inflammation and cell proliferation,and recapitulate in vivo tissue dynamics of scar forming.We also use the in vitro and in vivo models to define the clinically observed effects to treatment with concurrent anti-scarring drugs,and the data show that it can be used to evaluate the potential therapeutic target for drug testing.The ideal humanized scar models we present should prove useful for studying critical mechanisms underlying HHS and to rapidly test new drug targets and develop patient-specific optimal therapeutic strategies in the future.

Migration characteristics and profile control capabilities of preformed particle gel in porous media

Inspired by the viscoelastic displacement theory,a product called preformed particle gel(PPG)is developed as conformance control agent to enhance oil recovery and control excess water production.The migration law of PPG suspension in porous media is related to its deep profile control and displacement capability.Laboratory experiments indicate that PPG suspension has good viscosity increasing,and the apparent viscosity decreases with the increase of shear rate.PPG suspension is mainly elastic,and its network structure makes it have certain shear stability.PPG particles realize migration in porous media in the way of“accumulation and blockage/pressure increase/deformation and migration”.When the ratio of the PPG particle size to the pore throat diameter d ranges from 35.52 to 53.38,the particles can match through the porous medium.When the permeability difference of the parallel model is 5,PPG suspension has the highest profile improvement rate,69.10%.PPG suspension can adjust the planar heterogeneity,and increase the oil recovery rate by 20.75%.The PPG suspension can effectively start“cluster"、“film”and“blind end residual oil”,and has a high oil washing efficiency.The core NMR T2 spectrum shows that PPG suspension mainly reduces oil saturation in mesopores and macropores.After PPG flooding,the EOR capacity of small pores is the highest,39.11%.

Fluxless bonding with silver nanowires aerogel in die-attached interconnection

The electronic product has gravitated towards component miniaturization and integration, employment of lead-free materials, and low-temperature soldering processes. Noble-metal aerogels have drawn increasing attention for high conduction and low density. However,the noble metal aerogels with outstanding solderability were rarely studied. This work has successfully synthesized an aerogel derived from silver nanowires(AgNWs) using a liquid phase reduction method. It is found that the noble metal aerogels can be made into diverse aerogel preformed soldering sheets. The influence of bonding temperature(150-300 ℃), time(2-20 min), and pressure(5-20 MPa) on the joint strength of the AgNWs aerogel affixed to electroless nickel/silver copper plates were investigated. Additionally, the AgNWs aerogel displays almost the same shear strength for substrates of various sizes. In a word, this study presents a flux-free, high-strength, and adaptable soldering structural material.

An Overview of 3D Thin Shell Textile Preforms

The automobiles, aircraft, and lightweight industries continuously demand thin near-net-shape preforms just out-of-machine as close to the final shape. This study addresses the possibilities of 3D thin shell textile preform as the solution of lightweight reinforcement in various applications. Investigation into the development of 3D thin shells has led to different manufacturing processes. However, 3D thin shell preforms are mostly made by weaving and knitting, but nonwoven, winding, and/or layup techniques have been reported for over a decade. Owing to the complex thin shell manufacturing processes, they are not similar to the conventional methods. The different 3D thin shell preforms can extend the opportunities for new applications in various technical fields. This study presents existing research gaps and a few potential issues to be solved regarding 3D thin shell preforms in the near future.

An Overview of 3D Thin Shell Textile Preforms

The automobiles, aircraft, and lightweight industries continuously demand thin near-net-shape preforms just out-of-machine as close to the final shape. This study addresses the possibilities of 3D thin shell textile preform as the solution of lightweight reinforcement in various applications. Investigation into the development of 3D thin shells has led to different manufacturing processes. However, 3D thin shell preforms are mostly made by weaving and knitting, but nonwoven, winding, and/or layup techniques have been reported for over a decade. Owing to the complex thin shell manufacturing processes, they are not similar to the conventional methods. The different 3D thin shell preforms can extend the opportunities for new applications in various technical fields. This study presents existing research gaps and a few potential issues to be solved regarding 3D thin shell preforms in the near future.

A Numerical Study of Densification Behavior of Silicon Carbide Matrix Composites in Isothermal Chemical Vapor Infiltration

We studied the characteristics of two-scale pore structure of preform in the deposition process and the mass transfer of reactant gas in dual-scale pores, and observed the physiochemical phenomenon associated with the reaction. Thereby, we established mathematical models on two scales, respectively, preform and reactor. These models were used for the numerical simulation of the process of ceramic matrix composites densified by isothermal chemical vapor infiltration(ICVI). The models were used to carry out a systematic study on the influence of process conditions and the preform structure on the densification behaviors. The most important findings of our study are that the processing time could be reduced by about 50% without compromising the quality of the material, if the processing temperature is 950-1 000 ℃ for the first 70 hours and then raised to 1 100 ℃.

Triple-phase interfaces of graphene-like carbon clusters on antimony trisulfide nanowires enable high-loading and long-lasting liquid Li_(2)S_(6)-based lithium-sulfur batteries

High performance of lithium-sulfur batteries have been dragged down by their shuttling behavior which is complicated multiphase transition-based 16-electron redox reactions of the S8/Li2 S.In this article,the triple-phase interfaces of graphene-like carbon clusters on antimony trisulfide(C-Sb_(2)S_(3))nanowires are tailored to design a multifunctional polysulfide host which can inhibit migration of polysulfides and accelerate conversion kinetics of redox electrochemical reactions.Benefiting from the triple-interface design of polysulfides/Sb_(2)S_(3)/carbon clusters,the C-Sb_(2)S_(3) electrode not only anchors polysulfide migration by the synergistic effect of Sb,S,and C atoms as interfacial active sites,but also the graphene-like carbon clusters shorten the diffusion paths to further favor redox electron/ion transport through the liquid(electrolyte/polysulfide)and solid(Li2 S/S8,carbon clusters,and Sb_(2)S_(3))-based triple-phases.Therefore,these Li_(2)S_(6)-based C-Sb_(2)S_(3) cells possess high sulfur loading,excellent cycling stability,impressive specific capacity,and great rate capability.This work of interfacial engineering reveals insight for powering reaction kinetics in the complicated multistep catalysis reaction with multiphase evolution-based chargetransfer/non-transfer processes.

Development and Characterization of Fe-Based Friction Material Made by Hot Powder Preform Forging for Low Duty Applications

This present paper investigates the friction and wear properties of friction material developed by ‘Hot Powder Preform Forging’ technique. The conventional technique to manufacture Metallo-ceramic brake pads was successfully and economically tried to replace the above process. Compacting and sintering technology suffers from certain major limitations such as inadequate joining of friction element with backing plate, poor density levels achieved in friction element owing to limited application of pressure during compacting, poor thermal conductivity due to high levels of porosity in the product, poor strength due to segregation of the impurities along prior particle boundaries (PPB’s) and, wide variations in final characteristics due to large number of variables involved. In contrast to these limitations, the present technique can offer brake pads of much simpler chemistry but with improved performance on account of simultaneous application of pressure and temperature and with better control of variables. Fade and recovery studies were carried out on a Krauss machine tester following the Economic Commission for Europe Regulation for replacement brake linings (ECE R-90). μfade, μrecovery, μperformance, % age fade , % age recovery & temperature rise lie within the range for friction materials used for low duty applications. The mechanical properties of these materials were characterized using ASTM standards.

Simulation and Experimental Study on a New Successive Forming Process for Large Modulus Gears

A successive tooth forming process for producing large modulus spur gears(m>2.5 mm)is firstly proposed in this paper to break the restrictions of large forming load and large equipment structure of traditional plastic forming.It contains the preforming stage and the finishing stage.In the first stage,the die with a single-tooth preforms gear teeth one by one through several passes.In the second stage,the other die with multi-teeth refines the preformed teeth into required shape.The influence of total pressing depth and feed distribution in preforming stage on final forming quality is analyzed by numerical simulation,and the reasonable process parameters are presented.Successive tooth forming experiments are carried out on the self-designed gear forming device to verify the optimal simulation results.Gears without fold defects are well formed both in simulations and experiments,proving the feasibility of this method.Compared with the whole die forging process,the new technology has advantages of smaller load and simpler tooling,which shows a good potential for manufacturing large modulus and large size spur gears.

High Preformation SiC-AlN Composites

High performance SiC-AlN composites were fabricated by hot-pressing with Y2O3 as additive via liquid phase sintering. The SiC-AlN composites containing 5 vol. pct AlN exhibit superior mechanical properties with flexural strength, fracture toughness and Vickers hardness of 1131 MPa,6.1 MPa·m1/2 and 28.6 GPa respectively Microstructure observations indicate that the grain size of the composites is obviously inhibited due to the formation of solid solution. TEM-EDS analysis demonstrates the existence of the solid solution. In addition, subgrain boundaries induced by dislocations in the matrix SiC grains, seem to divide a large grain into numerous nano-sized small grains, which significantly increase the mechanical properties of the

X-ray Computed Tomography Characterization of 3D Tufted Twill Textile Composite for Aerostructures

Damage assessments in three dimensional (3D) textile composites subjected to mechanical loading can be performed by non-destructive and destructive techniques.This paper applies the two techniques to investigate the fracture behavior of 3D tufted textile composites.X-ray computed tomography as a non-destructive evaluation method is appropriate to detect damage locations and identify their progression in 3D textile composites.Destructive methods such as sectioning toward observing damage provide valuable information about damage patterns.The results of this research could be utilized to evaluate the initial cause of rupture in 3D tufted composites used in aerospace structures and analyze fracture modes and damage progression.

Design of hydroforming process for an automobile subframe by FEM and experiment

Tube hydroforming technology has shown the attention of the automotive industry due to its advantages over conventional stamping and welding methods.In this study,the tube hydroforming process including tube bending,preforming and hydroforming process for an automobile subframe is analyzed and designed by the simulation software AutoForm of a finite element method (FEM) program.A parametric study is carried out to obtain the effect of the forming parameters such as initial tube size and loading path on the forming results.The simulation results are also compared with experiment results.The research indicates that the multiple forming operation of the tube hydroforming process can be simulated accurately by using the implicit code AutoForm,and the formability of tube hydroforming can be improved by designing suitable forming parameters.

3D Woven Structures and Their Weave Design with Changing Cross-section on Warp and Weft Direction

With 3D orthogonal and pseudo-orthogonal weaves, woven sructures with lengthwise and widthwise changing cross section on one side or both sides of the structure can be constructed. The weave formation and the looming draft creation are discussed in this paper which can be used as references to manufacture woven preforms with changing cross sections.

Theoretical study of reactive melt infiltration to fabricate Co-Si/C composites

Cobalt-silicon based carbon composites(Co–Si/C)have established a noteworthy consideration in recent years as a replacement for conventional materials in the automotive and aerospace industries.To achieve the composite,a reactive melt infiltration process(RMI)is used,in which a melt impregnates a porous preform by capillary force.This method promises a high-volume fraction of reinforcement and can be steered in such a way to get the good“near-net”shaped components.A mathematical model is developed using reaction-formed Co–Si alloy/C composite as a prototype system for this process.The wetting behavior and contact angle are discussed;surface tension and viscosity are calculated by Wang’s and Egry’s equations,respectively.Pore radii of 5μm and 10μm are set as a reference on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite.The graphs are plotted using the model,to study some aspects of the infiltration dynamics.This highlights the possible connections among the various processes.In this attempt,the Co–Si(62.5 at.%silicon)alloy’s maximum infiltration at 5μm and 10μm radii are found as 0.05668 m at 125 s and 0.22674 m at 250 s,respectively.

Effect of preforming on the formability of TRIP steel sheet forming processes

In this study,the formability of transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) steel is studied during deep-drawing processes with preforming.The effects of preforming on theminimum thickness of can are investigated with a constitutive model accompanying strain-induced martensite transformation in prestrain condition.The constitutive model has been implemented into ABAQUS/UMAT for analysis of TRIP steel-forming processes.The results show that preforming slightly influences the thickness uniformity of TRIP steel in forming.