Biodegradable and drug-eluting inorganic composites based on mesoporous zinc oxide for urinary stent applications

Conventional technologies for ureteral stent fabrication suffer from major inconveniences such as the development of encrustations and bacteria biofilm formation. These drawbacks typically lead to the failure of the device, significant patient discomfort and an additional surgery to remove and replace the stent in the worst cases. This work focuses on the preparation of a new nanocomposite material able to show drug elution properties, biodegradation and eventually potential antibacterial activity. Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) or the crosslinked poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-co-poly(acrylic acid) hydrogels were prepared by the radical polymerization method and combined with a biodegradable and antibacterial filling agent, i.e., flower-like Zinc Oxide (ZnO) micropowders obtained via the hydrothermal route. The physico-chemical analyses revealed the correct incorporation of ZnO within the hydrogel matrix and its highly mesoporous structure and surface area, ideal for drug incorporation. Two different anti-inflammatory drugs (Ibuprofen and Diclofenac) were loaded within each composite and the release profile was monitored up to two weeks in artificial urine (AU) and even at different pH values in AU to simulate pathological conditions. The addition of mesoporous ZnO micropowders to the hydrogel did not negatively affect the drug loading properties of the hydrogel and it was successfully allowed to mitigate undesirable burst-release effects. Furthermore, the sustained release of the drugs over time was observed at neutral pH, with kinetic constants (k) as low as 0.05 h-1. By exploiting the pH-tunable swelling properties of the hydrogel, an even more sustained release was achieved in acidic and alkaline conditions especially at short release times, with a further reduction of burst effects (k ≈ 0.01-0.02 h-1). The nanocomposite system herein proposed represents a new material formulation for preparing innovative drug eluting stents with intrinsic antibacterial properties

Ultrasound Triggered ZnO-Based Devices for Tunable and Multifaceted Biomedical Applications

Smart materials able to respond to an external stimulus or an environmental condition represent milestone developments in modern medicine. Among them, zinc oxide (ZnO) is a highly intriguing inorganic material with versatile morphologies/shapes and multifunctional properties like piezoelectricity, enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and antimicrobial ones. Here, the fabrication of smart ZnO-based films is shown that can remotely be activated by ultrasound (US). US exposure induces electrical potentials on the fabricated devices that can be exploited to stimulate electrically responsive cells or promote ROS generation for cancer treatment. ZnO microparticles with surface nanostructuring are thus synthesized and processed in the form of a paste to deposit thin films on flexible polymeric supports. ZnO paste formulation and the fabrication procedure of the final device are optimized in terms of uniformity, hydrophilicity, and purity. Graphene oxide and poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) are also layered onto the ZnO films in order to provide the devices with additional functionalities. ROS generation and electro-mechanical performances upon US stimulation are evaluated for all of the developed devices. Finally, biocompatibility studies are conducted with osteoblast-like cell cultures for possible applications in the contexts of bone tissue engineering/therapy

Determination of yielding parameters of food granular materials

W pracy podjęto próbę wyznaczania parametrów plastycznego płynięcia wybranych sypkich surowców spożywczych charakteryzujących się dużym stopniem rozdrobnienia i dużą podatnością na zagęszczanie. Pomiary przeprowadzano w aparacie bezpośredniego ścinania Jenike'go. Zastosowana procedura wielokrotnego ścinania umożliwiała wykonanie od 4 do 7 ścięć tej samej próbki przy coraz mniejszych wartościach naprężenia normalnego. Dzięki temu zmniejsza się znacznie pracochłonność testu w porównaniu do klasycznej procedury Jenike'go. W pracy określono zależność warunku plastyczności, efektywnego kąta tarcia i funkcji płynięcia od naprężenia normalnego dla mąki pszennej, kaszy manny i cukru pudru.In the paper an attempt of determination of the yield locus for easy compactable food powders was undertaken. Experiments were performed in the Jenike shear cell. The procedure of multiplex shearing allowed to perform from 4 to 7 shearings of the same sample with decreasing normal load in each next pull. This method allows to reduce labour consumption as compared to standard Jenike's method. In this paper the influence of the normal loading on the yield locus, the effective angle of internal friction and the flow function was determined for wheat flour, semolina and sugar

Regulacje zespolow kombajnu w celu ograniczenia uszkodzen i strat ilosciowych nasion rzepaku podczas zbioru jednoetapowego

A standard grain combine harvester in its factory version causes great losses and damage of rape seeds during harvesting. These losses are resulting from a different reaction of rape plants from that of cereals to the operation of combine working elements. In the course of many years invetigations the sources and causes of these losses have been determined. A technology of harvesting, which allowed to decrease quantitative losses and seed damages was elaborated. An adequate combine adaptation and optimum selection of working parameters of its assemblies for the actual physical state of canopy, varieties, time of harvesting and agrometeorological factors have been made.Standardowy kombajn zbożowy w wersji fabrycznej powoduje duże straty i uszkodzenia nasion rzepaku w czasie zbioru. Straty te wynikają z innej reakcji rzepaku niż zbóż na działanie elementów roboczych kombajnu. W czasie wieloletnich badań określono źródła i przyczyny powstawania tych strat. Opracowano technologię zbioru, która pozwoliła na ograniczenie strat ilościowych i uszkodzeń nasion, dzięki zastosowaniu odpowiednich adaptacji kombajnu oraz optymalnemu dostosowaniu parametrów pracy jego zespołów do aktualnego stanu fizycznego łanu, odmian, terminu zbioru i czynników agrometeorologicznych