Processing and Properties of Nanofibrous Bacterial Cellulose-Containing Polymer Composites: A Review of Recent Advances for Biomedical Applications

Abstract

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is an extracellular natural polymer produced by many microorganisms and its properties could be tailored via specific fabrication methods and culture conditions. There is a growing interest in BC derived materials due to the main features of BC such as porous fibrous structure, high crystallinity, impressive physico-mechanical properties, and high water content. However, pristine BC lacks some features, limiting its practical use in varied applications. Thus, fabrication of BC composites has been attempted to overcome these constraints. This review article overviews most recent advance in the development of BC composites and their potential in biomedicine including wound dressing, tissue engineering scaffolds, and drug delivery. Special emphasis is placed on the fabrication and applications of BC-containing nanofibrous composites for biomedical usage. It summarizes electrospinning of BC-based nanofibers and their surface modification with an outline on challenges and future perspective.     

Scaled constraint qualifications for generalized equation constrained problems and application to nonsmooth mathematical programs with equilibrium constraints

Positivity - In this paper, the notion of graphical derivatives is applied to define a new class of several well-known constraint qualifications for a nonconvex multifunction M at a point of its...     

CuI-catalyzed thioarylation of active methylene compounds with in situ generated benzenethiols: Preparation of α-thioaryl-β-dicarbonyls and 4-thioaryl-5-pyrazolones

In this paper, a one-step copper-catalyzed procedure for oxidative coupling of active methylene compounds including cyclic β-diketones, cyclic β-ketoesters and 5-pyrazolone with benzenethiols is described. Benzenethiols are in situ generated in the reaction mixture from aryl halides and thiourea as sulfur transfer reagent. α-Thioaryl compounds are obtained in excellent yields and in short reaction time via the process which is free from the foul smell of thiols.     

Extremal principle based on the linear subdifferential

An extremal principle in the vein of Mordukhovich is proved based on the linear generalized gradient.     

Calmness of Set-Valued Mappings Between Asplund Spaces and Application to Equilibrium Problems

The paper deals with the calmness of two classes of nonconvex set-valued mappings in Asplund spaces and its application to equilibrium problems. Its main part is devoted to establish new sufficient conditions for calmness, which are derived in terms of coderivatives and w* boundaries of normal cones to constraint sets. In order to achieve this goal, a new concept so-called “sequential normal smoothness” for the sets in Asplund spaces is introduced and compared with two well-known notions of convexity and semismoothness. Finally, the results are applied to prove necessary optimality conditions for nonparametric equilibrium problems under new weak constraint qualifications.     

Solid State Deoximation with Clay SupportedAmmonium Chlorochromate: Regenerationof Carbonyl Compounds Using Microwavesin a Solventless System

Summary.  Ammonium chlorochromate adsorbed on montmorillonite K-10 rapidly regenerates carbonyl compounds from their corresponding oximes under microwave irradiation and solvent-free conditions. Received October 11, 1999. Accepted (revised) November 15, 1999     

Nonsmooth Calculus of Semismooth Functions and Maps

In this paper, we pursue two goals. First, we find exact relationships between the three concepts of semismooth sets, functions, and maps. Then, we consider the nonsmooth calculus of these notions. Particularly, we prove that the Mordukhovich and linear subdifferentials (coderivatives) are equal for the semismooth functions (maps). Several examples are presented to illustrate the results of the paper.