In Vivo Biological Behavior of Polymer Scaffolds of Natural Origin in the Bone Repair Process

Autologous bone grafts, used mainly in extensive bone loss, are considered the gold standard treatment in regenerative medicine, but still have limitations mainly in relation to the amount of bone available, donor area, morbidity and creation of additional surgical area. This fact encourages tissue engineering in relation to the need to develop new biomaterials, from sources other than the individual himself. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of an elastin and collagen matrix on the bone repair process in critical size defects in rat calvaria. The animals (Wistar rats, n = 30) were submitted to a surgical procedure to create the bone defect and were divided into three groups: Control Group (CG, n = 10), defects filled with blood clot; E24/37 Group (E24/37, n = 10), defects filled with bovine elastin matrix hydrolyzed for 24 h at 37 °C and C24/25 Group (C24/25, n = 10), defects filled with porcine collagen matrix hydrolyzed for 24 h at 25 °C. Macroscopic and radiographic analyses demonstrated the absence of inflammatory signs and infection. Microtomographical 2D and 3D images showed centripetal bone growth and restricted margins of the bone defect. Histologically, the images confirmed the pattern of bone deposition at the margins of the remaining bone and without complete closure by bone tissue. In the morphometric analysis, the groups E24/37 and C24/25 (13.68 ± 1.44; 53.20 ± 4.47, respectively) showed statistically significant differences in relation to the CG (5.86 ± 2.87). It was concluded that the matrices used as scaffolds are biocompatible and increase the formation of new bone in a critical size defect, with greater formation in the polymer derived from the intestinal serous layer of porcine origin (C24/25).     

Numerical simulation and experimental validation of heat transfer within rotating flows for three‐dimensional non‐axisymmetric,turbulent conditions

A control volume type numerical methodology for the analysis of steady three‐dimensional rotating flows with heat transfer, in both laminar and turbulent conditions, is implemented and experimentally tested. Non‐axisymmetric momentum and heat transfer phenomena are allowed for. Turbulent transport is alternatively represented through three existing versions of the k–ε model that were adjusted to take into account the turbulence anisotropy promoted by rotation, streamline curvature and thermal buoyancy. Their relative performance is evaluated by comparison of calculated local and global heat balances with those obtained through measurements in a laboratory device. A modified version of the Lam and Bremhorst, low Reynolds number model is seen to give the best results. A preliminary analysis focused on the flow structure and the transfer of heat is reported. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Natural abundance 13C - 13C coupling constants observed via double quantum coherence. Structural elucidation by the one- and the two-dimensional NMR experiements of velloziolone,a new seco-diterpene.

With the help of Natural Abundance ¹³C - ¹³C Coupling Constants, observed via double quantum coherence, the structural determination of VELLOZIOLONE (1), a new diterpene, has been carried out.     

Multivariate resolution of NMR labile signals by means of hard- and soft-modelling methods

One of the difficulties frequently encountered when studying acid–base equilibria with NMR spectroscopy is the labile behaviour of the measured signal, which hinders the application of bilinear multivariate data analysis methods. In this work, a mathematical transformation is proposed for the conversion of NMR labile signals to inert signals, which make possible the application of multivariate data analysis methods, based on bilinear data models. The procedure has been applied to the analysis of NMR data corresponding to the acid–base equilibria of nucleotides dCMP and dGMP. Both hard-modelling (EQUISPEC) and soft-modelling (MCR-ALS) approaches have been applied for the analysis and resolution of transformed bilinear NMR data matrices.     

Interaction of aryldiazonium salts with some schiff-base complexes of cobalt and ruthenium

The interaction of aryldiazonium ions with some Schiff-base complexes of cobalt and ruthenium have been studied. With cobalt, one-electron oxidation of [Co(II)Salen] occurred; with [Co(I)Salen] the corresponding Co(III)-aryl complexes were isolated. In the case of ruthenium oxidation also occurs, [Ru(Salen)(CO)py] gave the corresponding monocation. The results, especially for ruthenium, are in contrast to the stabilisation of both nitrosyl and aryldiazonium adducts in analogous porphyrin complexes.     

Application of amperometric sol-gel biosensor to flow injection determination of glucose

A glucose biosensor with enzyme immobilised by sol–gel technology was constructed and evaluated. The glucose biosensor reported is based on encapsulated GOX within a sol–gel glass, prepared with 3-aminopropyltriethoxy silane, 2-(3,4-epoxycyclohexyl)-ethyltrimetoxy silane and HCl. A flow system incorporating the amperometric biosensor constructed was developed for the determination of glucose in the 1×10⁻⁴–5×10⁻³ mol l⁻¹ range with a precision of 1.5%. The results obtained for the analysis of electrolytic solution for iv administration and human serum samples showed good agreement between the proposed method and the reference procedure, with relative error <5%.     

Design and synthesis of push-pull chromophores for second-order nonlinear optics derived from rigidified thiophene-based pi-conjugating spacers.

Two series of push-pull chromophores built around thiophene-based pi-conjugating spacers rigidified either by covalent bonds or by noncovalent intramolecular interactions have been synthesized and characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, electric field induced second harmonic generation (EFISH) and differential scanning calorimetry. Comparison of the linear and second-order nonlinear optical properties of chromophores based on a covalently bridged dithienylethylene (DTE) spacer with those of their analogues based on open chain DTE shows that the rigidification of the spacer produces a considerable bathochromic shift of the absorption maximum together with a dramatic enhancement of the molecular quadratic hyperpolarizability (mu beta) which reaches values among the highest reported so far. A second series of NLO-phores has been derived from a 2,2'-bi(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (BEDOT) pi-conjugating spacer. As indicated by X-ray and UV-vis data, rigidification of the spacer originates in that case, from noncovalent intramolecular interactions between sulfur and oxygen atoms. Again, comparison with the parent compounds based on an unsubstituted bithiophene spacer reveals a marked red shift of the absorption maximum and a large enhancement of mu beta. In an attempt to distinguish the contribution of the electronic and geometrical effects of the ethylenedioxy group, a third series of NLO-phores based on 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) and 3,4-dihexyloxythiophene spacers has been synthesized. Comparison with compounds based on unsubstituted thiophene shows that, despite a red shift of lambda(max), introduction of alkoxy groups leads to a decrease of mu beta. Theoretical calculations indicate that this effect results from a decrease of the dipole moment (mu) caused by the auxiliary electron-donor alkoxy groups on the thiophene ring. In contrast, replacement of BT by BEDOT produces an increase of mu, which associated with the noncovalent rigidification of the BT system accounts for the observed enhancement of mu beta.     

Complete 1H and 13C NMR assignments for two new monodesmoside saponins from Pentaclethra macroloba (Willd.) Kuntze

A detailed NMR study and full assignments of the 1H and 13C spectral data for two novel triterpenoid saponins isolated from the stem bark of Pentaclethra macroloba (Willd.) Kuntze are described. Their structures were established using a combination of 1D and 2D NMR techniques including 1H,1H-COSY, TOCSY, NOESY, gs-HMQC and gs-HMBC, and also electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and chemical methods. The structures were established as 3beta-O-([O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->2)-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->3)-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)]-[O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->3)-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)])-alpha-L-arabinopyranosylhederagenin (1) and 3beta-O-)[O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->2)-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->3)-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)]-[O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->3)-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)])-alpha-L-arabinopyranosyloleanolic acid (2).     

Selective extraction of benzoic acid from landfill leachate by solid-phase extraction and ion-exchange chromatography

In this work a simple method was described for selective extraction of benzoic acid from landfill leachate samples. The samples were submitted to solid-phase extraction (SPE) with XAD-4 resin as the stationary phase and ion-exchange chromatography (IEC) using the ion-exchange resin Amberlyst A-27. The instrumental analysis was performed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection (GC-MSD). Benzoic acid was isolated, identified and quantified. The extraction process is rapid, simple and of low cost. It was also environmental friendly, that is, it was used a minimum amounts of hazardous organic solvents and produced also minimum quantities of residues.