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Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Provisional restorative treatment is an essential part of fixed prosthodontics. Incorporation of adequately constructed provisional restorations will enhance the success rate of definitive restorations. Repairing or replacing failed provisional restorations is a concern for both clinicians and patients. The objective of this investigation was to study the effects of alumina nanofibers reinforcement on the mechanical properties of commercially available provisional fixed partial denture PMMA material. The hypothesis was that the addition of alumina nanofibers to commercially available PMMA resin will significantly increase its flexural strength, fracture toughness, and microhardness. Alumina nanofibers at 0.0 wt %, 0.5 wt %, 1.0 wt %, and 2.5 wt % were added to commercially available provisional fixed partial material (Jet Tooth Shade). A quaternary ammonium acetate dispersant (CC-59, Goldschmidt, Janesville, WI) was added to the acrylic monomer at 0.0 wt %, 1.0 wt %, 2.0 wt % and 5.0 wt % of the nanofiber weight (12 test groups, 1 control). Samples from each group were evaluated for flexural strength, flexural modulus, fracture toughness, and microhardness. The samples were tested after storing in distilled water for 24 hours and 7 days at 37ºC. Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test the effects of storage time and combinations of alumina nanofiber level and quaternary ammonium acetate dispersant level on the flexural strength, fracture toughness, and microhardness of the provisional PMMA resin. Pair-wise comparisons between groups were performed using Tukey’s multiple comparisons procedure to control the overall significance level at 5 percent. Three fracture toughness samples/group were randomly selected for Energy Dispersive Spectrometry (EDS) to qualitatively evaluate the dispersion of the fibers. The data obtained from this study showed that control sample values were in the acceptance range compared with previous research. The experimental samples did not reinforce the provisional resin in the flexural strength, modulus, fracture toughness, or microhardness. There are several factors may attribute to these results, such as poor bonding at the filler/matrix interface. The more homogeneous the mixture of PMMA and fiber, the stronger the acrylic resin. In fact, the presence of poorly bonded fibers, to which little load is transferred, can be almost equivalent to voids. In addition, as seen with EDS images, alumina nanofibers had a tendency to agglomerate. The use of a magnetic stirrer was not effective in physically separating nanofibers agglomerates. Direct dispersion of alumina nanofibers in methyl methacrylate monomer and quaternary ammonium acetate dispersant was not effective in separating the nanofibers into nano-scaled single crystals. The presence of fiber agglomerates acts as a structural defect that detrimentally affects the mechanical properties. Further studies are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of fibers, dispersion techniques, and coupling agents to enhance the mechanical properties of the provisional PMMA resin.

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No / Infection is the major reason of GTR/GBR membrane failure in clinical application. In this work, we developed GTR/GBR nanofiber membranes with localized drug delivery function to prevent infection. Metronidazole (MNA), an antibiotic, was successfully incorporated into electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibers at different concentrations (0, 1, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 40 wt% polymer). To obtain the optimum anti-infection membrane, we systematically investigated the physical-chemical and mechanical properties of the nanofiber membranes with different drug contents. The interaction between PCL and MNA was identified by molecular dynamics simulation. MNA released in a controlled, sustained manner over 2 weeks and the antibacterial activity of the released MNA remained. The incorporation of MNA improved the hydrophilicity and in vitro biodegradation rate of PCL nanofibers. The nanofiber membranes allowed cells to adhere to and proliferate on them and showed excellent barrier function. The membrane loaded with 30% MNA had the best comprehensive properties. Analysis of subcutaneous implants demonstrated that MNA-loaded nanofibers evoked a less severe inflammatory response than pure PCL nanofibers. These results demonstrate the potential of MNA-loaded nanofiber membranes as GTR/GBR membrane with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory function for extensive biomedical applications.

Under flera månaders tid har ett kandidatexamensarbete utförts med syftet att optimera produktionen av protein-nanofibrer av vassleproteinisolat. Vassleproteinisolat består till stor del av proteinet β-laktoglobulin. Detta protein kan under upphettning bilda nanofibrer i sur miljö. Det var därför med avseende på parametrarna värme, koncentration och inkubationstid som processen optimerades eftersom det redan existerar ett pH-optimum vid pH-värdet 2. Lösningar av vassleproteinisolat med olika koncentrationer inkuberades under 24 timmar vid fyra olika temperaturer. Samtliga lösningar hade pH-värdet 2. För varje temperatur och inkubering togs proverna ut en åt gången för att sedan analyseras. De olika proverna analyserades sedan med Thioflavin T fluorescens för att se indikationer på fibrillering. De erhållna ThT spektrumen visade på fibrillbildning och resultaten för detta experiment visar på att utbytet av fibrilleringsreaktionen blir högre i takt med att hydrolysens hastighetskonstant blir lägre samt att lägre temperaturer kan gynna fibrillbildning . Ytterligare försök, tid och resurser bör läggas ner på detta område för att med säkerhet kunna optimera produktionen av nanofibrer av vassleproteinisolat. / This bachelor’s degree project’s aim was to optimize the production of protein nanofibrils originating from whey protein isolate. Whey protein isolate largely consists of the protein β-lactoglobulin, which can form nanofibrils while immersed in an acidic environment when heated. Therefore, the process was attempted to be optimized with regards to the yield of the final product of protein nanofibrils by varying parameters such as incubation time, initial concentration and temperature, with a constant pH-value of 2. Solutions of the whey protein isolate at different concentrations were incubated during a time interval of 24 hours and at different temperatures. For every temperature and time period of incubation, one sample at a time was taken out to be measured and analyzed, a total of four samples per initial concentration. The samples were analyzed with Thioflavin T fluorescence to see indications of the existence of fibrillation. The obtained ThT spectra showed intensity diagrams that can be related to the amount of formed nanofibrils, and this experiment shows that the yield of fibrils increases while the rate constant of the hydrolysis decreases, and that the fibrillation is favoured by lower temperatures. To optimize the production of nanofibrils of whey protein with certainty, further experiments, time and resources should be invested in this area.

Organic coatings are extensively used as protective coatings in several industries including the automotive and aircraft industries. The last few years have witnessed an increased interest in improving not only the mechanical properties but also the corrosion protection properties of organic coatings. Among the currently investigated methods of improving the performance of organic coatings is the incorporation of additives in the organic paint matrix. Vapor grown carbon nanofibers (VGCNFs) are a class of carbon fibers that are produced by catalytic dehydrogenation of a hydrocarbon at high temperatures. Depending on the method of synthesis and the post-treatment processes, the diameter of the VGCNFs is normally in the 10-300 nm range. The small size, light weight, high aspect ratio, and unique physical, thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties of VGCNF make it an ideal reinforcing filler in polymer matrix nanocomposites to enhance the mechanical properties of the pure polymeric material in high performance applications in several industries such as the automotive, aircraft, battery, sensors, catalysis, electronics, and sports industries. The main objective of the current investigation was to study the corrosion protection offered by the incorporation of VGCNFs into a commercial alkyd paint matrix applied to the surface of mild steel coupons. The corrosion protection was investigated by immersing samples in air saturated 3% NaCl solution (artificial seawater). The samples were studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) along with other measurements, including electrochemical (open circuit potential, cyclic voltammetry), chemical (salt spray test), electrical conductivity, and surface analysis (SEM, AFM, optical profilometry, and nanoindentation). The study involved the investigation of the effect of the weight percent (wt %) of the VGCNF as well as the coating film thickness on the corrosion protection performance of the coated steel samples when exposed to the corrosive electrolyte. By way of contrast, the EIS behavior of steel coupons coated with a paint coating incorporating different weight percents of powdered silicon carbide (SiC) particles was also studied. The EIS spectra were used to calculated and graph several corrosion parameters for the investigated systems. At the end, the studied coatings were ranked in order of their anticorrosive properties.

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Yes / Infection is the major reason for guided tissue regeneration/guided bone regeneration (GTR/GBR) membrane failure in clinical application. In this work, we developed GTR/GBR membranes with localized drug delivery function to prevent infection by electrospinning of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and gelatin blended with metronidazole (MNA). Acetic acid (HAc) was introduced to improve the miscibility of PCL and gelatin to fabricate homogeneous hybrid nanofiber membranes. The effects of the addition of HAc and the MNA content (0, 1, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 40 wt.% of polymer) on the properties of the membranes were investigated. The membranes showed good mechanical properties, appropriate biodegradation rate and barrier function. The controlled and sustained release of MNA from the membranes significantly prevented the colonization of anaerobic bacteria. Cells could adhere to and proliferate on the membranes without cytotoxicity until the MNA content reached 30%. Subcutaneous implantation in rabbits for 8 months demonstrated that MNA-loaded membranes evoked a less severe inflammatory response depending on the dose of MNA than bare membranes. The biodegradation time of the membranes was appropriate for tissue regeneration. These results indicated the potential for using MNA-loaded PCL/gelatin electrospun membranes as anti-infective GTR/GBR membranes to optimize clinical application of GTR/GBR strategies.