Transparent carbon nanotubes promote the outgrowth of enthorino-dentate projections in lesioned organ slice cultures

The increasing engineering of carbon-based nanomaterials as components of neuro-regenerative interfaces is motivated by their dimensional compatibility with subcellular compartments of excitable cells, such as axons and synapses. In neuroscience applications, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been used to improve electronic device performance by exploiting their physical properties. Besides, when manufactured to interface neuronal networks formation in vitro, CNT carpets have shown their unique ability to potentiate synaptic networks formation and function. Due to the low optical transparency of CNTs films, further developments of these materials in neural prosthesis fabrication or in implementing interfacing devices to be paired with in vivo imaging or in vitro optogenetic approaches are currently limited. In the present work, we exploit a new method to fabricate CNTs by growing them on a fused silica surface, which results in a transparent CNT-based substrate (tCNTs). We show that tCNTs favour dissociated primary neurons network formation and function, an effect comparable to the one observed for their dark counterparts. We further adopt tCNTs to support the growth of intact or lesioned Entorhinal-Hippocampal Complex organotypic cultures (EHCs). Through immunocytochemistry and electrophysiological field potential recordings, we show here that tCNTs platforms are suitable substrates for the growth of EHCs and we unmask their ability to significantly increase the signal synchronization and fibre sprouting between the cortex and the hippocampus with respect to Controls. tCNTs transparency and ability to enhance recovery of lesioned brain cultures, make them optimal candidates to implement implantable devices in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

“Perverse, dangereuse, intrigante .” Les stéréotypes entourant la femme incivique à travers les procès des condamnées à mort par la justice belge après la Seconde Guerre mondiale

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Cyanuric Acid/Epichlorohydrin Energetic Prepolymers

In this work new energetic prepolymers are synthesised and characterised. The structure of the prepolymers exhibits the 1,3,5-s-triazine ring with lateral chains derived from the epichlorohydrin ring opening. The chlorine atoms in these precursors are here substituted by azido groups. The presence of these groups was confirmed by FTIR and 1H NMR spectroscopy and elemental and thermal analysis. OH group content in the energetic prepolymers was found slightly lower than expected having in view the used inert precursors, while molar mass values were similar. Whereas the precursors show an endothermic thermal decomposition, the synthesised prepolymers show a clear exothermic thermal decomposition in DSC analyses. Due to the presence of the 1,3,5-s-triazine ring, the exothermic peaks were observed in a wide range of temperatures. The measured glass transition temperatures vary from -15.5 °C to -43.3 °C. High densities and a wide range of viscosities were found

Cyanuric acid-epichlorohydrin prepolymers

In this study, we investigated the reaction of cyanuric acid and epichlorohydrin (ECH). SnCl4 was used as a catalyst. Several reaction conditions were tested, and the products were analyzed by means of Fourier transform infrared and 1H-NMR spectroscopy, hydroxyl group content, molar mass, elemental and thermal analysis, viscosity, and density. ECH reacted with the amine groups of the cyanuric acid ring to form lateral chains that contained chloroalkyl and hydroxyl end groups. Full substitution of the amine groups was observed in all of the synthesized products. The solvent used in the synthesis was found to be very important for the structure of the final prepolymers. When N,N-dimethylformamide was used, relatively low-molar-mass prepolymers of cyanuric acid and ECH were obtained. When solvents with low dielectric constants were used, no reaction with cyanuric acid was observed. The prepared prepolymers were thermally stable up to 160°C. At this temperature, degradation started via the lateral chains. The viscosity of the products decreased as the ECH-cyanuric acid ratio increased, whereas the density remained basically constant. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 99: 3684-3691, 200