Blow up of Solutions for a Coupled Kirchhoff-type Equations with Degenerate Damping Terms

In this paper, we investigate a system of coupled Kirchhoff-type equations with degenerate damping terms. We prove a nonexistence of global solutions with positive initial energy. Later, we give some estimates for lower bound of the blow up time

In vivo performance of antibiotic embedded electrospun PCL membranes for prevention of abdominal adhesions

The aim of this study was to prepare nonwoven materials from poly(-caprolactone) (PCL) and their antibiotic containing forms by electrospinning, so as to prevent postsurgery induced abdominal adhesions in rats. -Caprolactone was first polymerized by ring-opening polymerization, and then it was processed into matrices composed of nanofibers by electrospinning. A model antibiotic (Biteral®) was embedded within a group of PCL membranes. In the rat model, defects on the abdominal walls in the peritoneum were made to induce adhesion. The plain or antibiotic embedded PCL membranes were implanted on the right side of the abdominal wall. No membrane implantation was made on the left side of the abdominal wall that served as control. Macroscopical and histological evaluations showed that using these barriers reduces the extent, type, and tenacity of adhesion. The antibiotic embedded membranes significantly eliminated postsurgery abdominal adhesions, and also improved healing

In vitro and in vivo degradation of non-woven materials made of poly(e-caprolactone) nanofibers prepared by electrospinning at different conditions

The aim of this study was to prepare non-woven materials from a biodegradable polymer, poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) by electrospinning. PCL was synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone in bulk using stannous octoate as the catalyst under nitrogen atmosphere. PCL was then processed into non-woven matrices composed of nanofibers by electrospinning of the polymer from its solution using a high voltage power supply. The effects of PCL concentration, composition of the solvent (a mixture of chloroform and DMF with different DMF content), applied voltage and tip–collector distance on fiber diameter and morphology were investigated. The diameter of fibers increased with the increase in the polymer concentration and decrease in the DMF content significantly. Applied voltage and tip–collector distance were found critical to control 'bead' formation. Elongation-at-break, ultimate strength and Young's modulus were obtained from the mechanical tests, which were all increased by increasing fiber diameter. The fiber diameter significantly influenced both in vitro degradation (performed in Ringer solution) and in vivo biodegradation (conducted in rats) rates. In vivo degradation was found to be faster than in vitro. Electrospun membranes were more hydrophobic than PCL solvent-casted ones; therefore, their degradation was a much slower process

New strategies for surface modification of cotton and silk textiles with antimicrobial properties

Throughout the past decades hospitals have been facing a major challenge concerning the growing multi-drug microbial resistance, especially in immunodepressed patients. The development of antimicrobial textiles offers a promising solution in the prevention of infections in clinical settings since microbial shedding from our body contributes to microorganism spreading into a textile material, either directly in clothes or on surrounding textiles. The use of some chemical antimicrobial agents in textiles has already been tested, as for example quaternaryammonium- compounds (QACs), biguanidines, silver, triclosan, and N-halamines. However, these have proved to be of limited clinical applicability. They exhibit some cytotoxicity causing some irritation of the skin, toxicity to the environment and, except for silver and N-halamines, exhibit a reduced spectrum of microbial inhibition thus bringing about microbial resistance. Besides, with the exception of QACs, which establish durable bonds with textiles, they gradually lose their bioactivity with use and laundering. Therefore a new strategy to develop non-toxic antimicrobial textiles without microbial resistance side-effects are hereby described. Our results demonstrate the potential of the cotton and silk covalent and non-covalent modification with aminoacids and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and openingnewavenues to a world of applications in the area of increased risk microbial infections

Covalent and non-covalent strategies for surface modification of different textile materials with antimicrobial properties

New advances have been released in textile industry. Contributions at the level of textile fiber chains engineering has allowed modification of their structure, production of smart polymers responding to changes in environment, and attachment or entrapment of cells and bioactive molecules. Likewise, our society high demand of hygienic patterns, has raised the intensive research and development of antimicrobial textiles. Applications are being extended to underwear, sportswear, home furnishing, protective clothes, wound-dressings and in areas with high risk of microbial infection, as hospitals, schools and hotels. Throughout last decades hospitals have faced tough challenges concerning microbial multi-resistance, especially in immunodepressed patients. The strongest cause for microbial resistance may be due to the abuse of antibiotics uptake, either by humans to treat something non appropriately, as by animals, to earn weight. The development of antimicrobial textiles arise as a promising solution that may significantly decrease the risk of nosocomial infections. Several antimicrobial agents have been applied in textiles, namely quaternary ammonium compounds, silver, polyhexamethylene biguanides and triclosan. However, they have shown a reduced spectrum of microbial inhibition which cause resistances, cytotoxicity causing skin irritation, as well as toxic to the environment. Furthermore, these compounds gradually lose their bioactivity with use and launderings. L-cysteine (L-Cys) that is found in several living organisms is a natural defensive thiolated aminoacid never studied before as a potential antimicrobial agent for textiles, which can grant antibacterial properties without cytotoxicity. Furthermore, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) belong to innate immune system of multicellular organisms and appear as an alternative to antibiotics. They are small, amphipathic, and strongly cationic which bind to negatively charged phospholipid headgroups of microbial membranes. Although the mechanism of AMPs-microbial killing is still not known, many hypotheses have been proposed: (i) membrane depolarization, (ii) formation of physical holes at the membrane, (iii) programmed bacterial death processes, (iv) phospholipidic redistribution, and (v) internalization of the AMP. They have broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. Once their target is the bacterial membrane microorganisms hardly develop resistance, otherwise they would have to change all their lipidic composition and/or organization, which is high demanding and not energetically worth it. During this work, non-covalently adsorbed L-Cys to wool (patent PAT 104540 A) and to cotton showed to be non-toxic to human cells, and had antimicrobial effects against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria and its main mechanism of action on cotton was assessed by flow citometry. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) will also be immobilized on textiles, in order to find if textile imobilized-AMP can attract and kill bacteria. Natural polymers have shown few adverse reactions, once they have excellent humidity control, biocompatibility and low-allergic responses, due to their similarity to macromolecules which biological environment is prepared to recognize and to deal with metabolically. AMPs will be selected, based on their 3D structure, terminal charge and size. Best-studied AMPs are cationic due to their action on negative surface charged microorganisms. Evaluation of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of AMPs will elucidate the amount of AMPs to be used to functionalize textile substrates and cytotoxicity studies will provide the toxicity of functionalized textiles to human cells. In order to develop long-lasting and washable functionalized textiles we propose the covalent binding of AMPs on textiles through selected chemistries already employed on surface modifying of medical devices elsewhere. Alternatively, we will use plasma treatment, which is usually used to modify many surface properties of polymeric materials. This study may allow the development of innovative antimicrobial textiles, simulating microbial-free microenvironments in order to develop, in the future, antimicrobial fabrics to avoid airborne spreading and improve patient’s quality of life in a hospital context

Nano- and micro-fiber combined scaffolds : a new architecture for bone tissue engineering

One possible interesting way of designing a scaffold for bone tissue engineering is to base it on trying to mimic the biophysical structure of natural extracellular matrix (ECM). This work was developed in order to produce scaffolds for supporting bone cells. Nano and micro fiber combined scaffolds were originally produced from starch based biomaterials by means of a fiber bonding and a electrospinning, two step methodology. The cell culture studies with SaOs-2 human osteoblast-like cell line and rat bone marrow stromal cells demonstrated that presence of nanofibers influenced cell shape and cytoskeletal organization of the cells on the nano/micro combined scaffolds. Moreover, cell viability and Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) activity for both cell types was found to be higher in nano/micro combined scaffolds than in control scaffolds based on fiber meshes without nanofibers. Consequently, the developed structures are believed have a great potential on the 3D organization and guidance of cells that is provided for engineering of 3-dimensional bone tissues