Exploring the Piezoresistive Characteristics of Solution Styrene Butadiene Rubber composites under static and Dynamic Conditions - A Novel Route to Visualize Filler Network Behavior in Rubbers

For the development of intelligent vehicle tires, especially for future self-driving cars, suitable strain sensors are mandatory. The design of such a strain sensor must fulfill several criteria and most important of them all, it must be easily mounted or implanted into the tire and the elastic nature of the sensors must synchronize with the deformation of the tire. This work is therefore focused on understanding the piezoresistive characteristics of a composite developed from tire rubber. Thus, a commercially available grade of solution styrene butadiene rubber (SSBR) was primarily chosen as the matrix rubber along with butadiene rubber (BR) and natural rubber (NR). The initial focus was given to develop simple strain sensors by exploiting the concept of piezoresistivity with conductive rubber composites based on SSBR filled with carbon black and carbon nanotubes. As the internal structure of the filler particles was found to rearrange or alter during deformation, it was important to study the piezoresistive performance with respect to critical material parameters such as crosslink density, hardness, and stiffness of the composite in details. The developed sensors were able to be stretched to several hundred percents of their original length and strain sensitivity as much as ~1000 (gauge factor) was achieved. Quasi-static cyclic tests indicated the ability of the developed materials to respond and recover within the given time frame. This motivated to assess the suitability of these materials for dynamic sensing. As a consequence, the dynamic piezoresistive characteristics were studied for the conducting SSBR composites. The temporal changes in electrical resistance of the SSBR composites were monitored real-time during dynamic mechanical studies. The influence of critical parameters such as filler content, test frequency, test temperature, and matrix crosslink density was taken into consideration. The filler network was found to rearrange in the rubber matrix during dynamic loading, witnessed from the changes in electrical resistance over time. The findings offered a preliminary understanding of the filler network behavior inside the SSBR matrix. Situations that eased the filler mobility such as high temperature, low frequency, and low crosslink density resulted in the minimal effect on the filler network changes. For a given strain cycle, the samples responded with two distinct responses pertaining to the loading and unloading, reflecting as two signals. Filler network reconfiguration during unloading was found to be the reason for the second piezoresistive response. The behavior of the second peaks was analyzed in detail at different conditions. The stress relaxation, an inevitable process pertaining to viscoelastic materials, resembled the overall piezoresistance change of the material. The two properties were therefore correlated, and a relationship was deduced, offering the possibility to monitor the mechanical performance using electrical resistance data. Apart from evaluating the phase shifts between stress and strain (δσ-ε) during the dynamic tests, phase shifts were also evaluated between resistance and strain (δR-ε) as well as between stress and resistance (δσ-R). The piezoresistive phase shift values (δσ-R) were found to be larger than the mechanical phase shifts values (δσ-R > δσ-ε) It perceived information regarding the time taken by the filler network to respond for the applied strain. To realize the concept of dynamic piezoresistivity in commercial use, (i) SSBR filled with conventional carbon blacks N220, N330, and N660 and (ii) NR and BR (two more rubbers that are widely used in tire industry) filled with Printex carbon black were tested for their piezoresistive behavior under dynamic conditions. The experimental results were promising and guaranteed the applicability of the concept for all rubber - filler combinations that display piezoresistive characteristics. This basic scientific study would be the stepping stone to understand dynamic piezoresistivity in rubbers, which would help in developing rubber-based sensors that are capable of performing under dynamic conditions for the future. Moreover, the study offered a much deeper insight not only on the dynamic piezoresistivity but also on the behavior and changes in the filler network during dynamic deformation.Für die Entwicklung von intelligenten Fahrzeugreifen, insbesondere für zukünftige selbstfahrende Autos, sind geeignete Dehnungssensoren notwendig. Die Konstruktion eines solches Sensors muss mehrere Kriterien erfüllen: am wichtigsten ist, dass er einfach in den Reifen eingebaut oder implantiert werden kann und dass die Verformung des Sensors mit der Verformung des Reifens synchronisiert ist. Daher konzentriert diese Arbeit sich auf das Verständnis der piezoresistive Eigenschaften eines bekannten Reifenkautschuks, gefüllt mit leitfähigen Füllstoffpartikeln. Eine kommerziell erhältliche Sorte von Lösungs-Styrol-Butadien-Kautschuk (SSBR), Butadien-Kautschuk (BR) und Naturkautschuk (NR), welche in der modernen Reifenindustrie weit verbreitet sind, wurden deshalb als Matrix-Kautschuk gewählt. Der Fokus lag zunächst auf der Entwicklung einfacher Dehnungssensoren unter Ausnutzung des Konzepts der Piezoresistivität mit leitfähigen Gummimischungen auf Basis von SSBR, welche mit leitfähigem Ruß und Kohlenstoff-Nanoröhrchen gefüllt sind. Da sich die innere Struktur der Füllstoffpartikel während der Verformung verändert, war es wichtig, das piezoresistive Verhalten in Bezug auf kritische Materialparameter wie Vernetzungsdichte, Härte und Steifigkeit des Komposits im Detail zu untersuchen. Die Sensoren konnten auf mehrere hundert Prozent ihrer ursprünglichen Länge gestreckt werden, wobei eine Empfindlichkeit bis zu ~1000 (Gauge Faktor) erreicht wurden. Quasistatische zyklische Tests zeigten die Fähigkeit der entwickelten Materialien, innerhalb des vorgegebenen Zeitrahmens zu reagieren und sich zu erholen. Dies motivierte dazu, die Eignung dieser Materialien für die dynamische Sensorik zu beurteilen. In der Folge wurden die dynamischen piezoresistiven Eigenschaften für die elektrisch leitfähigen SSBR-Verbundwerkstoffe untersucht. Die zeitlichen Veränderungen des elektrischen Widerstandes dieser SSBR-Verbundwerkstoffe wurden während dynamisch-mechanischer Studien in Echtzeit überwacht. Der Einfluss kritischer Parameter wie Füllstoffgehalt, Matrixvernetzungsdichte, Messfrequenz, und Messtemperatur wurde dabei berücksichtigt. Es wurde festgestellt, dass sich das Füllstoffnetzwerk während der dynamischen Belastung in der Elastomermatrix neu anordnet, wie die Veränderungen des elektrischen Widerstands im zeitlichen Verlauf zeigen. Diese Ergebnisse bieten ein vorläufiges Verständnis des Verhaltens des Füllstoffnetzwerks der SSBR-Matrix. Situationen, die die Füllstoffmobilität begünstigen, wie hohe Temperatur, niedrige Frequenz und niedrige Vernetzungsdichte, führten zu minimalen Auswirkungen auf das Füllstoffnetzwerk. Für einen gegebenen Dehnungszyklus reagierten die Proben mit zwei getrennten Signalen, welche dem Be- und Entlasten des Materials entsprechen und sich als zwei Peaks in der Widerstandsmessung widerspiegeln. Der Grund für das zweite piezoresistive Signal ist die Rekonfiguration des Füllstoffnetzwerks während der Entlastung. Das Verhalten dieser zweiten Peaks wurde unter verschiedenen Bedingungen detailliert analysiert. Die Spannungsrelaxation, ein unvermeidlicher Prozess bei viskoelastischen Materialien, ähnelte der gesamten Piezowiderstandsänderung des Materials. Diese beiden Eigenschaften wurden daher korreliert und ein Zusammenhang abgeleitet, der die Möglichkeit bietet, die mechanische Leistung anhand von elektrischen Widerstandsdaten zu überwachen. Neben der Auswertung der Phasenverschiebungen zwischen Spannung und Dehnung (δσ-ε) bei dynamischen Tests wurden auch die Phasenverschiebungen zwischen Widerstand und Dehnung (δR-ε) sowie zwischen Spannung und Widerstand (δσ-R) bewertet. Die piezoresistiven Phasenverschiebungswerte (δσ-R) erwiesen sich als größer als die mechanischen Phasenverschiebungswerte (δσ-R > δσ-ε). Dies bietet Informationen über die Zeit, die das Füllernetzwerk benötigt, um auf eine angelegte Belastung zu reagieren. Um das Konzept der dynamischen Piezoresistivität im kommerziellen Einsatz zu realisieren, wurden (i) SSBR gefüllt mit konventionellen Rußen N220, N330 und N660 und (ii) NR und BR (zwei weitere Kautschuke, die in der Reifenindustrie weit verbreitet sind) gefüllt mit leitfähigem Ruß auf ihr piezoresistives Verhalten unter dynamischen Bedingungen getestet. Die experimentellen Ergebnisse sind vielversprechend und garantieren die Anwendbarkeit des Konzepts für alle Gummi-Füllstoff-Kombinationen mit piezoresistiven Eigenschaften. Diese grundlegende wissenschaftliche Studie ist ein wichtiger Schritt, um die dynamische Piezoresistivität in Kautschuken zu verstehen, was bei der Entwicklung von zukünftigen, dynamisch arbeitenden Sensoren auf Kautschukbasis helfen kann. Darüber hinaus liefert diese Studie einen viel tieferen Einblick nicht nur in die dynamische Piezoresistivität, sondern auch in das Verhalten und die Veränderungen im Füllstoffnetzwerk während der dynamischen Verformung

Role of the Ang2-Tie2 Axis in Vascular Damage Driven by High Glucose or Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinase B Deficiency

Ablation of nucleoside diphosphate kinase B (NDPK-B) in mice causes a breakdown of the neurovascular unit in the retina, mimicking diabetic retinopathy. The NDPK-B deficiency-induced vascular damage is mediated by excessive angiopoietin 2 (Ang2). Herein, the potential involvement of its receptor, Tie2, was investigated. NDPK-B-deficient mouse retinas showed an upregulation of Tie2, specifically in the deep capillary layer. A similar upregulation of Tie2 was observed in cultured endothelial cells (ECs) from different origins upon NDPK-B depletion, whereas high glucose (HG) treatment did not alter Tie2 expression. Immunofluorescence staining and subcellular fractionation showed that the majority of Tie2 upregulation occurred at the plasma membrane. Similar to HG, however, NDPK-B depletion reduced Tie2 tyrosine phosphorylation. Compared to HG, a stronger increase of Ang2 was observed in NDPK-B depleted ECs. Treatment of ECs with soluble Tie2 or siRNA-mediated Tie2 knockdown attenuated NDPK-B depletion- but not HG-induced Ang2 upregulation. Like NDPK-B depletion, overexpression of recombinant Ang2 in ECs enhanced Ang2 secretion and concomitantly promoted the upregulation of Tie2. Thus, we identified a new mechanism showing that after reaching a threshold level of secretion, Ang2 sustains its own expression and secretion by a Tie2-dependent positive feedback loop

Involvement of NDPK-B in Glucose Metabolism-Mediated Endothelial Damage via Activation of the Hexosamine Biosynthesis Pathway and Suppression of O-GlcNAcase Activity

Our previous studies identified that retinal endothelial damage caused by hyperglycemia or nucleoside diphosphate kinase-B (NDPK-B) deficiency is linked to elevation of angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) and the activation of the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway (HBP). Herein, we investigated how NDPK-B is involved in the HBP in endothelial cells (ECs). The activities of NDPK-B and O-GlcNAcase (OGA) were measured by in vitro assays. Nucleotide metabolism and O-GlcNAcylated proteins were assessed by UPLC-PDA (Ultra-performance liquid chromatography with Photodiode array detection) and immunoblot, respectively. Re-expression of NDPK-B was achieved with recombinant adenoviruses. Our results show that NDPK-B depletion in ECs elevated UDP-GlcNAc levels and reduced NDPK activity, similar to high glucose (HG) treatment. Moreover, the expression and phosphorylation of glutamine:fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase (GFAT) were induced, whereas OGA activity was suppressed. Furthermore, overall protein O-GlcNAcylation, along with O-GlcNAcylated Ang-2, was increased in NDPK-B depleted ECs. Pharmacological elevation of protein O-GlcNAcylation using Thiamet G (TMG) or OGA siRNA increased Ang-2 levels. However, the nucleoside triphosphate to diphosphate (NTP/NDP) transphosphorylase and histidine kinase activity of NDPK-B were dispensable for protein O-GlcNAcylation. NDPK-B deficiency hence results in the activation of HBP and the suppression of OGA activity, leading to increased protein O-GlcNAcylation and further upregulation of Ang-2. The data indicate a critical role of NDPK-B in endothelial damage via the modulation of the HBP

Glucosamine protects against neuronal but not vascular damage in experimental diabetic retinopathy

Objective: Glucosamine, an intermetabolite of the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway (HBP), is a widely used nutritional supplement in osteoarthritis patients, a subset of whom also suffer from diabetes. HBP is activated in diabetic retinopathy (DR). The aim of this study is to investigate the yet unclear effects of glucosamine on DR. Methods: In this study, we tested the effect of glucosamine on vascular and neuronal pathology in a mouse model of streptozotocin-induced DR in vivo and on cultured endothelial and Müller cells to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of action in vitro. Results: Glucosamine did not alter the blood glucose or HbA1c levels in the animals, but induced body weight gain in the non-diabetic animals. Interestingly, the impaired neuronal function in diabetic animals could be prevented by glucosamine treatment. Correspondingly, the activation of Müller cells was prevented in the retina as well as in cell culture. Conversely, glucosamine administration in the normal retina damaged the retinal vasculature by increasing pericyte loss and acellular capillary formation, likely by interfering with endothelial survival signals as seen in vitro in cultured endothelial cells. Nevertheless, under diabetic conditions, no further increase in the detrimental effects were observed. Conclusions: In conclusion, the effects of glucosamine supplementation in the retina appear to be a double-edged sword: neuronal protection in the diabetic retina and vascular damage in the normal retina. Thus, glucosamine supplementation in osteoarthritis patients with or without diabetes should be taken with care

The Taste of Waste: The Edge of Eggshell Over Calcium Carbonate in Acrylonitrile Butadiene Rubber

Rubber technology experiences a new age by the use of biowaste or natural fillers. In this regard, taking properties of reinforcing agents from biowaste fillers remains as the challenging matter. Chicken eggshell (ES) biowaste has recently been introduced to substitute calcium carbonate (CaCO3) duo to its superior properties and low price. In this work, composites based on acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) reinforced with ES and CaCO3 microfillers at various loading levels were prepared and characterized. To improve the interactions between fillers and the NBR matrix, ES and CaCO3 were surface-functionalized using a terpolymer, namely poly(vinyl 2-pyrrolidone-co-maleic acid-co-acrylic acid). Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were used to characterize the modified fillers. The incorporation of the functionalized fillers resulted in a significant rise in the maximum torque according to the rheometric measurements. The Young’s modulus of the ES-based and CaCO3-based compounds showed a mild improvement over a wide range of filler contents. The elongation at break of the NBR composites, however, was dependent on the filler content. This work provides exciting opportunities for the design of novel and innovative coupling agents to be used in rubber applications. © 2019, The Author(s)

Investigation of the potential role of glucosamine in experimental diabetic retinopathy

The hexosamine biosynthesis pathway (HBP), an offshoot of glycolysis, functions as a nutrient sensing pathway, and incorporates elements of amino acid, fatty acid, glucose, and nucleotide metabolisms. The HBP is implicated in post-translational protein modification via O-GlcNAc cycling, and plays a role in the initiation and progression of diabetic retinopathy. Glucosamine, an intermetabolite in the HBP, is a hexose sugar that is found naturally occurring in bones and crustacean shells. It is currently widely prescribed as an oral supplement in the treatment of osteoarthritis to promote cartilage renewal and to restore normal joint function. Due to its antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties, and its role in the HBP, the aim of this study was to investigate the role of glucosamine in an experimental model of diabetic retinopathy, and to uncover the underlying mechanism of action using cultured cell models. The general metabolic parameters including blood glucose, HbA1c, the consumption of food and water, and the subsequent excretion of urine and feces were unaffected by glucosamine supplementation in the diet. Despite this, the non-diabetic animals treated with glucosamine exhibited a body weight gain compared to the controls. Examination of the neuroretinal function in vivo via electroretinogram (ERG) showed that supplementation of glucosamine reduced the P1-wave amplitude elevated in diabetic animals, suggesting an improvement in neuroretinal function possibly via modulation of Müller cells. Moreover, cultured Müller cells treated with glucosamine demonstrated a decrease in GFAP expression, suggesting an amelioration in Müller cell function that correlates with the in vivo ERG results. Additionally, reduction in VEGF expression in the Müller cells upon glucosamine treatment was detected, indicating a possible impact of glucosamine on retinal vasculature. However, glucosamine supplementation induced vascular damage in the retina, which is also a prominent characteristic in diabetic retinopathy. Unexpectedly, similar to the diabetic animals, glucosamine-treated retinas showed increased pericyte loss and acellular capillary numbers in the non-diabetic and diabetic retinas. The assessment of endothelial signaling showed a dose-dependent decrease in Ang2 and VEGFR2 protein levels upon glucosamine treatment in both normal and high glucose conditions, suggesting that glucosamine may cause vascular damage by interfering with endothelial survival signals. In conclusion, glucosamine can have multi-faceted effects, and any supplementation, especially in osteoarthritis patients suffering concomitantly with diabetes, should be taken with care

Exploring the Piezoresistive Characteristics of Solution Styrene Butadiene Rubber composites under static and Dynamic Conditions - A Novel Route to Visualize Filler Network Behavior in Rubbers

For the development of intelligent vehicle tires, especially for future self-driving cars, suitable strain sensors are mandatory. The design of such a strain sensor must fulfill several criteria and most important of them all, it must be easily mounted or implanted into the tire and the elastic nature of the sensors must synchronize with the deformation of the tire. This work is therefore focused on understanding the piezoresistive characteristics of a composite developed from tire rubber. Thus, a commercially available grade of solution styrene butadiene rubber (SSBR) was primarily chosen as the matrix rubber along with butadiene rubber (BR) and natural rubber (NR). The initial focus was given to develop simple strain sensors by exploiting the concept of piezoresistivity with conductive rubber composites based on SSBR filled with carbon black and carbon nanotubes. As the internal structure of the filler particles was found to rearrange or alter during deformation, it was important to study the piezoresistive performance with respect to critical material parameters such as crosslink density, hardness, and stiffness of the composite in details. The developed sensors were able to be stretched to several hundred percents of their original length and strain sensitivity as much as ~1000 (gauge factor) was achieved. Quasi-static cyclic tests indicated the ability of the developed materials to respond and recover within the given time frame. This motivated to assess the suitability of these materials for dynamic sensing. As a consequence, the dynamic piezoresistive characteristics were studied for the conducting SSBR composites. The temporal changes in electrical resistance of the SSBR composites were monitored real-time during dynamic mechanical studies. The influence of critical parameters such as filler content, test frequency, test temperature, and matrix crosslink density was taken into consideration. The filler network was found to rearrange in the rubber matrix during dynamic loading, witnessed from the changes in electrical resistance over time. The findings offered a preliminary understanding of the filler network behavior inside the SSBR matrix. Situations that eased the filler mobility such as high temperature, low frequency, and low crosslink density resulted in the minimal effect on the filler network changes. For a given strain cycle, the samples responded with two distinct responses pertaining to the loading and unloading, reflecting as two signals. Filler network reconfiguration during unloading was found to be the reason for the second piezoresistive response. The behavior of the second peaks was analyzed in detail at different conditions. The stress relaxation, an inevitable process pertaining to viscoelastic materials, resembled the overall piezoresistance change of the material. The two properties were therefore correlated, and a relationship was deduced, offering the possibility to monitor the mechanical performance using electrical resistance data. Apart from evaluating the phase shifts between stress and strain (δσ-ε) during the dynamic tests, phase shifts were also evaluated between resistance and strain (δR-ε) as well as between stress and resistance (δσ-R). The piezoresistive phase shift values (δσ-R) were found to be larger than the mechanical phase shifts values (δσ-R > δσ-ε) It perceived information regarding the time taken by the filler network to respond for the applied strain. To realize the concept of dynamic piezoresistivity in commercial use, (i) SSBR filled with conventional carbon blacks N220, N330, and N660 and (ii) NR and BR (two more rubbers that are widely used in tire industry) filled with Printex carbon black were tested for their piezoresistive behavior under dynamic conditions. The experimental results were promising and guaranteed the applicability of the concept for all rubber - filler combinations that display piezoresistive characteristics. This basic scientific study would be the stepping stone to understand dynamic piezoresistivity in rubbers, which would help in developing rubber-based sensors that are capable of performing under dynamic conditions for the future. Moreover, the study offered a much deeper insight not only on the dynamic piezoresistivity but also on the behavior and changes in the filler network during dynamic deformation.Für die Entwicklung von intelligenten Fahrzeugreifen, insbesondere für zukünftige selbstfahrende Autos, sind geeignete Dehnungssensoren notwendig. Die Konstruktion eines solches Sensors muss mehrere Kriterien erfüllen: am wichtigsten ist, dass er einfach in den Reifen eingebaut oder implantiert werden kann und dass die Verformung des Sensors mit der Verformung des Reifens synchronisiert ist. Daher konzentriert diese Arbeit sich auf das Verständnis der piezoresistive Eigenschaften eines bekannten Reifenkautschuks, gefüllt mit leitfähigen Füllstoffpartikeln. Eine kommerziell erhältliche Sorte von Lösungs-Styrol-Butadien-Kautschuk (SSBR), Butadien-Kautschuk (BR) und Naturkautschuk (NR), welche in der modernen Reifenindustrie weit verbreitet sind, wurden deshalb als Matrix-Kautschuk gewählt. Der Fokus lag zunächst auf der Entwicklung einfacher Dehnungssensoren unter Ausnutzung des Konzepts der Piezoresistivität mit leitfähigen Gummimischungen auf Basis von SSBR, welche mit leitfähigem Ruß und Kohlenstoff-Nanoröhrchen gefüllt sind. Da sich die innere Struktur der Füllstoffpartikel während der Verformung verändert, war es wichtig, das piezoresistive Verhalten in Bezug auf kritische Materialparameter wie Vernetzungsdichte, Härte und Steifigkeit des Komposits im Detail zu untersuchen. Die Sensoren konnten auf mehrere hundert Prozent ihrer ursprünglichen Länge gestreckt werden, wobei eine Empfindlichkeit bis zu ~1000 (Gauge Faktor) erreicht wurden. Quasistatische zyklische Tests zeigten die Fähigkeit der entwickelten Materialien, innerhalb des vorgegebenen Zeitrahmens zu reagieren und sich zu erholen. Dies motivierte dazu, die Eignung dieser Materialien für die dynamische Sensorik zu beurteilen. In der Folge wurden die dynamischen piezoresistiven Eigenschaften für die elektrisch leitfähigen SSBR-Verbundwerkstoffe untersucht. Die zeitlichen Veränderungen des elektrischen Widerstandes dieser SSBR-Verbundwerkstoffe wurden während dynamisch-mechanischer Studien in Echtzeit überwacht. Der Einfluss kritischer Parameter wie Füllstoffgehalt, Matrixvernetzungsdichte, Messfrequenz, und Messtemperatur wurde dabei berücksichtigt. Es wurde festgestellt, dass sich das Füllstoffnetzwerk während der dynamischen Belastung in der Elastomermatrix neu anordnet, wie die Veränderungen des elektrischen Widerstands im zeitlichen Verlauf zeigen. Diese Ergebnisse bieten ein vorläufiges Verständnis des Verhaltens des Füllstoffnetzwerks der SSBR-Matrix. Situationen, die die Füllstoffmobilität begünstigen, wie hohe Temperatur, niedrige Frequenz und niedrige Vernetzungsdichte, führten zu minimalen Auswirkungen auf das Füllstoffnetzwerk. Für einen gegebenen Dehnungszyklus reagierten die Proben mit zwei getrennten Signalen, welche dem Be- und Entlasten des Materials entsprechen und sich als zwei Peaks in der Widerstandsmessung widerspiegeln. Der Grund für das zweite piezoresistive Signal ist die Rekonfiguration des Füllstoffnetzwerks während der Entlastung. Das Verhalten dieser zweiten Peaks wurde unter verschiedenen Bedingungen detailliert analysiert. Die Spannungsrelaxation, ein unvermeidlicher Prozess bei viskoelastischen Materialien, ähnelte der gesamten Piezowiderstandsänderung des Materials. Diese beiden Eigenschaften wurden daher korreliert und ein Zusammenhang abgeleitet, der die Möglichkeit bietet, die mechanische Leistung anhand von elektrischen Widerstandsdaten zu überwachen. Neben der Auswertung der Phasenverschiebungen zwischen Spannung und Dehnung (δσ-ε) bei dynamischen Tests wurden auch die Phasenverschiebungen zwischen Widerstand und Dehnung (δR-ε) sowie zwischen Spannung und Widerstand (δσ-R) bewertet. Die piezoresistiven Phasenverschiebungswerte (δσ-R) erwiesen sich als größer als die mechanischen Phasenverschiebungswerte (δσ-R > δσ-ε). Dies bietet Informationen über die Zeit, die das Füllernetzwerk benötigt, um auf eine angelegte Belastung zu reagieren. Um das Konzept der dynamischen Piezoresistivität im kommerziellen Einsatz zu realisieren, wurden (i) SSBR gefüllt mit konventionellen Rußen N220, N330 und N660 und (ii) NR und BR (zwei weitere Kautschuke, die in der Reifenindustrie weit verbreitet sind) gefüllt mit leitfähigem Ruß auf ihr piezoresistives Verhalten unter dynamischen Bedingungen getestet. Die experimentellen Ergebnisse sind vielversprechend und garantieren die Anwendbarkeit des Konzepts für alle Gummi-Füllstoff-Kombinationen mit piezoresistiven Eigenschaften. Diese grundlegende wissenschaftliche Studie ist ein wichtiger Schritt, um die dynamische Piezoresistivität in Kautschuken zu verstehen, was bei der Entwicklung von zukünftigen, dynamisch arbeitenden Sensoren auf Kautschukbasis helfen kann. Darüber hinaus liefert diese Studie einen viel tieferen Einblick nicht nur in die dynamische Piezoresistivität, sondern auch in das Verhalten und die Veränderungen im Füllstoffnetzwerk während der dynamischen Verformung

Utilization of nanoparticulate therapy in cancer targeting

Cancer is a disease affecting millions of people worldwide. Early detection as well as appropriate treatment regimens are crucial in combating the deadly disease. The advent of nanotechnology has had a truly transformative impact on health care. Today, nanotechnology finds applications in multiple areas including diagnostics and therapeutics. The exponential growth in the field has made it possible to detect diseases such as cancer much earlier than previously possible. Additionally, nanoparticles are emerging as frontline candidates for the treatment of several types of cancer. Several clinical results suggest that nanoparticles possess the potential to reduce side effects and increase efficacy of treatment options, owing to some distinctive properties they display. This review provides a brief description of nanoparticle mediated tumor-targeting approaches with an emphasis on recent developments in the field

AN EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION ON STRENGTH PARAMETERS OF M25 GRADE CONCRETE ALONG WITH ARTIFICIAL FIBRES AND NATURAL FIBRES

International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology (IJCIET) Volume 8, Issue 7, July 2017, pp. 1096–1102 Article ID: IJCIET_08_07_11

Contribution of the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway in the hyperglycemia-dependent and -independent breakdown of the retinal neurovascular unit

Background: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) remains one of the most common complications of diabetes despite great efforts to uncover its underlying mechanisms. The pathogenesis of DR is characterized by the deterioration of the neurovascular unit (NVU), showing damage of vascular cells, activation of glial cells and dysfunction of neurons. Activation of the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway (HBP) and increased protein O-GlcNAcylation have been evident in the initiation of DR in patients and animal models. Scope of review: The impairment of the NVU, in particular, damage of vascular pericytes and endothelial cells arises in hyperglycemia-independent conditions as well. Surprisingly, despite the lack of hyperglycemia, the breakdown of the NVU is similar to the pathology in DR, showing activated HBP, altered O-GlcNAc and subsequent cellular and molecular dysregulation. Major conclusions: This review summarizes recent research evidence highlighting the significance of the HBP in the breakdown of the NVU in hyperglycemia-dependent and -independent manners, and thus identifies joint avenues leading to vascular damage as seen in DR and thus identifying novel potential targets in such retinal diseases