Interaction of silver nanoparticles with Tacaribe virus

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Silver nanoparticles possess many unique properties that make them attractive for use in biological applications. Recently they received attention when it was shown that 10 nm silver nanoparticles were bactericidal, which is promising in light of the growing number of antibiotic resistant bacteria. An area that has been largely unexplored is the interaction of nanomaterials with viruses and the possible use of silver nanoparticles as an antiviral agent.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>This research focuses on evaluating the interaction of silver nanoparticles with a New World arenavirus, Tacaribe virus, to determine if they influence viral replication. Surprisingly exposing the virus to silver nanoparticles prior to infection actually facilitated virus uptake into the host cells, but the silver-treated virus had a significant reduction in viral RNA production and progeny virus release, which indicates that silver nanoparticles are capable of inhibiting arenavirus infection <it>in vitro</it>. The inhibition of viral replication must occur during early replication since although pre-infection treatment with silver nanoparticles is very effective, the post-infection addition of silver nanoparticles is only effective if administered within the first 2-4 hours of virus replication.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Silver nanoparticles are capable of inhibiting a prototype arenavirus at non-toxic concentrations and effectively inhibit arenavirus replication when administered prior to viral infection or early after initial virus exposure. This suggests that the mode of action of viral neutralization by silver nanoparticles occurs during the early phases of viral replication.</p

Confirmation of the Electrostatic Self-Assembly of Nanodiamonds

A reliable explanation for the underlying mechanism responsible for the persistent aggregation and self-assembly of colloidal 5 nm diamond nanoparticles is critical to the development of nanodiamond-based technologies. Although a number of mechanisms have been proposed, validation has been hindered by the inherent difficulty associated with the identification and characterisation of the inter-particle interfaces. In this paper we present results of high resolution aberration corrected electron microscopy and complementary computer simulations to explicate the features involved, and confirm the electrostatic interaction mechanism as the most probable cause for the formation of agglutinates and agglomerates of primary particles.Comment: 9 pages (including Supplementary Information), accepted for publication by Nanoscal

Composite Reinforcement Architectures: A Review of Field-Assisted Additive Manufacturing for Polymers

The demand for additively manufactured polymer composites with increased specific properties and functional microstructure has drastically increased over the past decade. The ability to manufacture complex designs that can maximize strength while reducing weight in an automated fashion has made 3D-printed composites a popular research target in the field of engineering. However, a significant amount of understanding and basic research is still necessary to decode the fundamental process mechanisms of combining enhanced functionality and additively manufactured composites. In this review, external field-assisted additive manufacturing techniques for polymer composites are discussed with respect to (1) self-assembly into complex microstructures, (2) control of fiber orientation for improved interlayer mechanical properties, and (3) incorporation of multi-functionalities such as electrical conductivity, self-healing, sensing, and other functional capabilities. A comparison between reinforcement shapes and the type of external field used to achieve mechanical property improvements in printed composites is addressed. Research has shown the use of such materials in the production of parts exhibiting high strength-to-weight ratio for use in aerospace and automotive fields, sensors for monitoring stress and conducting electricity, and the production of flexible batteries

Characterization of Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) and Ag-Carbon Black TPU Nanocomposite for Potential Application in Additive Manufacturing

Electromechanical, adhesion, and viscoelastic properties of polymers and polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) are of interest for additive manufacturing (AM) and flexible electronics. Development/optimization of inks for AM is complex, expensive, and substrate/interface dependent. This study investigates properties of free standing films of a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) polymer and an Ag–carbon black (Ag-CB) TPU PNC in a lightly loaded low strain compression contact as a rough measure of their suitability for AM. The TPU exhibited high hysteresis and a large viscoelastic response, and sufficient dwell time was needed for polymer chain relaxation and measurable adhesion. A new discovery is that large enough contact area is needed to allow longer time constant polymer ordering in the contact that led to higher adhesion and better performance/reliability. This has previously unknown implications for interface size relative to polymer chain length in AM design. The standard linear model was found to be a good fit for the viscoelastic behavior of the TPU. The PNC exhibited no adhesion (new result), low electrical resistance, and relatively small viscoelastic response. This implies potential for AM electrical trace as well as switch applications

Pearl-Chain Formation of Discontinuous Carbon Fiber under an Electrical Field

The purpose of this paper is to develop a theoretical derivation on aligning discontinuous carbon fiber with an applied electric field, and prove the theory with experiment. A principle with regard to the occurrence of carbon fiber alignment is presented after an introduction of the electromechanical quantities of dielectrics. Based on this principle, an estimation of the polarizability tensor is employed to calculate the required electric field to achieve fiber alignment in liquid solution (e.g., water, resin, etc.). Individual carbon fiber is modeled as a polarizable dielectric cylinder in liquid resin and its motion under direct current (DC) electrical field is decomposed into a polarization effect and rotation effect. A value of 20.12 V/mm is required to align short carbon fibers (0.15 mm) long in liquid resin and is experimentally validated. Finally, an expression to include weight percentage as a means of controlling pearl-chain formation is derived to change the composite’s electrical conductivity

MULTIFUNCTIONALIZED SPIONs FOR NUCLEAR TARGETING: CELL UPTAKE AND GENE EXPRESSION

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are used in many biological applications, which necessitate intracellular targeting. Here, we investigate intracellular localization and gene expression in HeLa cells after treatment with functionalized SPIONs. Functional groups investigated included positive amino propyl silane (APS), polyethylene glycol and targeting peptides: nuclear targeting peptide (NTP) and/or cancer cell uptake promoting peptide (cRGD). Results revealed that the intracellular localization of SPIONs was strongly dependent on the surface chemistry. Nuclear targeted SPIONs functionalized with only NTP or both NTP and cRGD were mostly localized in perinuclear endosomes with a small fraction entering the nucleus. The biocompatibility of cells after treatment was also dependent on surface chemistry, where SPIONs functionalized with both NTP and cRGD exhibited a more significant reduction of cell proliferation compared to NTP or cRGD individually. Interestingly, gene expression after treatment with SPIONs was similar, regardless of the surface functionalization or intracellular localization. The results of this study showed that cellular uptake and intracellular localization predominantly depended on the surface chemistry, while gene expression exhibited a more generic response to SPION treatment