Self-assembled monolayers on gold for the fabrication of radioactive stents

An innovative and easily applicable method for the fabrication of radioactive stents, to be used for the treatment of restenosis, is presented. By incorporating the b-emitting radioisotopes 186Re, 188Re, 90Y, or 32P into sulfur-containing adsorbates, it becomes possible to cover a gold surface with a radioactive self-assembled monolayer (SAM). Two methods have been investigated. In the first, SAMs consisting of potentially radioactive rhenium-, yttrium-, and phosphorus-containing adsorbates have been assembled on 2D gold substrates, after which they have been studied by wettability measurements, electrochemistry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The stability of these SAMs under simulated physiological conditions (phosphate buffered saline, PBS solution) for periods up to two months has been demonstrated. Alternatively, potentially radioactive monolayers have been prepared by exposure of SAMs of mono-, bi-, and tridentate ligands to a solution containing a radiometal (rhenium) in order to bind the metal to the monolayer. The polydentate ligands exhibit excellent binding capacity, leading to SAMs containing over 10±10 mol/cm2 of the radiometal, which is more than sufficient to make this system viable for the delivery of therapeutical dosages of radiation

Will 3D printers manufacture your meals?

These days, 3D printers are laying down plastics, metals, resins, and other materials in whatever configurations creative people can dream up. But when the next 3D printing revolution comes, you'll be able to eat it

Method for the production of an edible object by powder bed (3D) printing and food products obtainable therewith

The present invention relates to a method for the production of an edible object, comprising providing an edible powder composition and at least one edible liquid, wherein the edible powder composition comprises a water soluble protein, a hydrocolloid and a plasticizer, and subjecting said composition to powder bed printing by depositing the edible liquid by spraying it onto the powder and thereby obtaining the edible object. Also food products obtainable with the method of the invention, particularly, a pasta, a cake object and a protein bar are disclosed

Protecting Substrates from Enzymatic Cleavage: Hydrogels of Low Molecular Weight Gelators Do The Trick

An enzymatically cleavable low molecular weight gelator (LMWG)-drug conjugate is described that is capable of gelating water at concentrations as low as 0.45 mM (=0.03 wt.%). By comparing the enzymatic cleavage kinetics of the LMWG-drug conjugate with those of a nongelating substrate, it was shown that although the enzyme (α-chymotrypsin) is still functional in the gel, molecules present within the gel fibers are protected from enzymatic cleavage.

Experimental investigation of a polymer coating in sliding contact with skin-equivalent silicone rubber in an aqueous environment

A study on the effect of a brush coating of polyacrylic 20 acid (PAA) grafted with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) (PAAQ1 g-PEG) on friction was done for a sliding system that involves silicone skin L7350: a silicone rubber used by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) for the determination of skin–surface friction in combination with artificial 25 grass. Friction experiments were carried out using a reciprocating flat-on-flat test setup with the selected brush coating and compared with PAA-coated and fluoroalkane-coated samples. The experiments were focused on the effect of water. Results for the coatings tested at dry conditions showed a coefficient 30 of friction above 1. Effective lubrication by water was able to reduce friction to a coefficient of friction below 0.01 at low sliding velocities. The results are currently used to further develop low-friction products for sliding interactions with human skin; for example, artificial grass and possibly medical textiles