Pluronic F127 thermosensitive injectable smart hydrogels for controlled drug delivery system development

YesUnderstanding structure-property relationships is critical for the development of new drug delivery systems. This study investigates the properties of Pluronic smart hydrogel formulations for future use as injectable controlled drug carriers. The smart hydrogels promise to enhance patient compliance, decrease side effects and reduce dose and frequency. Pharmaceutically, these systems are attractive due to their unique sol-gel phase transition in the body, biocompatibility, safety and injectability as solutions before transforming into gel matrices at body temperature. We quantify the structural changes of F127 systems under controlled temperature after flow, as experienced during real bodily injection. Empirical formulae combining the coupled thermal and shear dependency are produced to aid future application of these systems. Induced structural transitions measured in-situ by small angle x-ray and neutron scattering reveal mixed oriented structures that can be exploited to tailor the drug release profile

The hierarchical response of human corneal collagen to load

Fibrillar collagen in the human cornea is integral to its function as a transparent lens of precise curvature, and its arrangement is now well-characterised in the literature. While there has been considerable effort to incorporate fibrillar architecture into mechanical models of the cornea, the mechanical response of corneal collagen to small applied loads is not well understood. In this study the fibrillar and molecular response to tensile load was quantified using small and wide angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS), and digital image correlation (DIC) photography was used to calculate the local strain field that gave rise to the hierarchical changes. A molecular scattering model was used to calculate the tropocollagen tilt relative to the fibril axis and changes associated with applied strain. Changes were measured in the D-period, molecular tilt and the orientation and spacing of the fibrillar and molecular networks. These measurements were summarised into hierarchical deformation mechanisms, which were found to contribute at varying strains. The change in molecular tilt is indicative of a sub-fibrillar “spring-like” deformation mechanism, which was found to account for most of the applied strain under physiological and near-physiological loads. This deformation mechanism may play an important functional role in tissues rich in fibrils of high helical tilt, such as skin and cartilage

Characterising precipitate evolution in multi-component cast aluminium alloys using small-angle X-ray scattering

Aluminium alloys can be strengthened significantly by nano-scale precipitates that restrict dislocation movement. In this study, the evolution of inhomogenously distributed trialuminide precipitates in two multi component alloys was characterised by synchrotron small angle Xray scattering (SAXS). The appropriate selection of reference sample and data treatment required to successfully characterise a low volume fraction of precipitates in multi-component alloys via SAXS was investigated. The resulting SAXS study allowed the analysis of statistically significant numbers of precipitates (billions) as compared to electron microscopy (hundreds). Two cast aluminium alloys with different volume fractions of Al3ZrxV1-x precipitates were studied. Data analysis was conducted using direct evaluation methods on SAXS spectra and the results compared with those from transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Precipitates were found to attain a spherical structure with homogeneous chemical composition. Precipitate evolution was quantified, including size, size distribution, volume fraction and number density. The results provide evidence that these multi-component alloys have a short nucleation stage, with coarsening dominating precipitate size. The coarsening rate constant was calculated and compared to similar precipitate behaviour

Synthesis and characterization of BaTiO3/-Fe2O3 core/shell structure

Multiferroic materials attracted a lot of attention in recent years because of their significant scientific interest and technological applications. The multiferroic core/shell powders have a better connectivity between the phases, resulting in superior dielectric and magneto electric properties. In this study, the influence of preparation condition on structure and properties of BaTiO3/-Fe2O3 core/shell composite materials was examined. The five samples were obtained by varying synthesis conditions, such as synthesized method (co-precipitation and sonochemical method) and pH values of solution. XRD and Raman spectroscopy analyses were performed in order to determine phase composition and structural changes within samples. Morphology modifications were examined by SEM and EDS analyses. Finally, effect of structural and microstructural changes on magnetic and electrical properties was detected and explained

НОВЫЕ ТЕНДЕНЦИИ УКРАИНСКОЙ ПСИХОЛОГИИ ЗДОРОВЬЯ

Зроблено спробу обґрунтування сучасних тенденцій в українській психології здоров’я (варіативне розмаїття – інтегративність підходів; «позитивні» – «негативні» концепти; одно-, багаторівневі та моно-, міждисциплінарні моделі хвороби/ здоров’я; розрив /«схизіс» – трансдисциплінарна взаємодія теорії та практики «підвищення», промоція здоров’я). Автори статті розглядають дані тенденції як індикатори незавершеної методологічної кризи в психології в цілому та транзитивності позицій наук про здоров’я, що розвиваються від класичної парадигми пізнання до нової позитивної пост-не-класичніBackground. The problem of development of health psychology subject and definition of its basic terms (“psychic”, “mental”, “psychological” health, “well-being”, dichotomies “health/ ilness”) have been studied by numerous researchers (N. Amosov, G. Apanasenko, B. & V. Ananievs, I. Galetcka, А. Maslow, J. Matarazzo, G. Nikiforov, V. Noskov, G. Olport, K. Rodgers, V. Frankl et al.). At the beginning of the third millennium the salutogenic approach made the real revolution in the health sciences (A. Antonovsky, B. Lindstrom, M. Eriksson, P. Wikstrom). Significant changes happened in the complex of natural and humanitarian sciences in the frame of which psychic health had been studying. In this way the starting point of postmodern or post-non-classical psychology was realized (K. Gergen, F. Capra, D. Polkinhorne).The objective of the present study is to examine current trends in the development of Ukrainian health psychology.Method – theoretical investigation.Results. In the framework of  theory called post-non-classical paradigm the current trends are: 1) the  trend of  a subject-matter renovation – refusing  from  sharply “negative” orientation and as a result the diversity organization of  scientific knowledge, and, on contrary, introduction of integrated bio-natural, humanitarian-spiritual logic of health sciences which provokes a “positive” paradigm in psychology and also  mutually correlated network of  theories to be broaden and deepen; 2) the  trend of  the united methodology  as tools and methods of cognition – from one- or mono- to multi-level, multi-dimensional models of health/illness as holistic cultural framework of research models (enhancing of communication  between “subjective” and “objective” spheres, as for example, by means of  intersubjectivity in humanistic psychology); 3) the “promotion” health trend as enhancing of  the  Ukrainian population – that means not only the way of psychoprevention presentation as psychooptimization of the individuals and communities’ lives but also the way of solving the problem of overcoming  gap between fundamental theory and researches/intervention practice (“skheesis” dilemma, F. Vasilyuk). Conclusion. The theoretical research findings open up new prospects for assessing the role of health psychology in enhancing positive aspects of health science evolution.Сделана попытка обоснования современных тенденций в украинской психологии здоровья (вариативное разнообразие - интегративность подходов, «позитивные» - «негативные» концепты; одно-, многоуровневые и моно-, междисциплинарные модели болезни / здоровья; разрыв / «схизис» - трансдисциплинарное взаимодействие теории и практики «повышения», продвижения здоровья). Авторы статьи рассматривают данные тенденции как индикаторы незавершенного методологического кризиса в психологии в целом и транзитивности позиций наук о здоровье развивающихся от классической парадигмы познания к новой позитивной  пост-не классическо