Glycerol monooleate-blood interactions

In the present study the initial blood compatibility of glycerol monooleate (GMO)-coated surfaces was evaluated after deposition to surfaces and in bulk. The model surface was silica onto which multiple layers of fibrinogen or human serum albumin (HSA) was immobilized. The protein-coated surfaces were subsequently dip-coated in GMO in ethanol and used for blood plasma and whole blood experiments. The characterization methods included null ellipsometry, scanning electron microscopy, imaging of coagulation, hemolysis test and whole blood coagulation time by free oscillation rheometry. The results showed a GMO film thickness of approximately 350 A (approximately 4 microg/cm(2)) upon dip-coating in ethanolic solution. A major part of the deposited layer detached in aqueous solutions, especially during shear conditions. The coagulation time on GMO was significantly prolonged compared to that on HSA coated silica. Whole blood tests showed that GMO is a very weak hemolytic agent. Deposited GMO detached easily from surfaces upon rinsing or shearing, although a stable layer with undefined phase structure and a thickness of 50-70 A remained on HSA and fibrinogen precoated surfaces. This indicates that GMO has stronger adhesive forces to its substrate compared to the cohesive forces acting within the bulk GMO. The ability of GMO to detach from itself and tentatively form micelles or lipid bilayers when subjected to flowing blood may be of use in extravascular applications. It is concluded that GMO results in weak blood activation, and the material may in spite of this be suitable in selected biomaterial applications, especially as a biosealant and in colloidal dispersions.     

Alkaline steeping of dissolving pulp. Part I: cellulose degradation kinetics

The production of cellulosic man made fibres by the viscose process has been known for more than 120 years now, but still some aspects are not sufficiently understood in detail. The carbohydrates in the pulp are exposed to varying conditions during the manufacturing process. In the first production step of steeping, the strong alkaline treatment leads to undesirable loss reactions of the cellulose. In this study, a comprehensive kinetic model was developed for process simulation of cellulose degradation for the fist time comprising primary and secondary peeling, stopping and alkaline hydrolysis. A total chlorine free bleached beech sulfite pulp was treated with 18 % sodium hydroxide at 40, 50 and 60 °C for time periods up to 80 h. The corresponding reaction rates, activation energies and frequency factors for all reaction steps were calculated. The peeling-off reaction was of great significance for the cellulose yield loss, due to a contribution of the secondary peeling after random chain scission. The moderate decrease of the intrinsic viscosity and the changes in molar mass distribution indicated the validity of the assumption. Further, a reduction of the carbonyl and an increase of the carboxyl groups in the cellulose were observed due to the formation of the stable metasaccharinic acid at the reducing ends of the molecules. The fibre morphology was investigated by SEM measurements. Already short alkaline treatment times favored the dissolution of fibril fragments from the fibre surface leading to a smooth fibre surface.     

Adsorption of albumin and IgG to porous and smooth titanium

The possibility to load submicrometer porous titanium surfaces with relatively small proteins, albumin and immunoglobulin G (IgG) was investigated. The loading ability is of interest due to the possibility of slow release of molecules from biomaterial surfaces, and may be important for the manipulation of wound healing around prostheses. Iodine-125 (125I) labeled albumin and IgG were adsorbed onto smooth and to porous titanium with a pore diameter of 200-300 nm. The smooth and porous surfaces were divided into three groups: hydrophilic, hydrophobic, or to amine-terminated silane (3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane) that bound proteins via glutaraldehyde. The protein solution pH and protein concentrations were varied, and the adsorption experiments made without or in the presence of calcium and magnesium ions. The adsorbed amounts were quantified with a gamma counter. Two to eleven times more proteins adsorbed onto porous than smooth surfaces and the adsorbed amounts increased with increasing protein concentration (0.1-10 mg/ml) during a constant incubation time. The elutability by sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) was incomplete on porous surfaces.     

Muon states in metals: Recent progress

We report on our results in two interesting questions related to muon spin rotation studies in condensed matter: (i) energetics of muons in metals, including lattice relaxation and zero point motion in self-trapping phenomena, and (ii) systematics of Knight shifts and hyperfine fields.In the former topic, a comprehensive theory is developed which entails the construction of the muon potential energy field in terms of the effective-medium or quasi-atom theory first introduced by Zaremba, Stott, NØrskov and Lang. The muon wave function is then solved by numerical (3-D) relaxation techniques. From this the forces exerted by the muon on the neighbouring lattice atoms are calculated, and the ensuing relaxations are evaluated by lattice Green's function techniques. These in turn modify the potential energy field, and the calculation is iterated to self-consistency. We search for the stable trapping sites in bcc and fcc metals, calculate self-trapping energies, diffusion barriers and excitation energies. Other hydrogenic imputies are also considered, and isotopic effects in e.g. heats of solution are investigated.In the latter topic, the spin-density functional theory is applied, including in the Knight shift calculation both the contact spin density and the diamagnetic shielding. The lattice potential is described in terms of the spherical solid model. A systematic behaviour as a function of the electron density and the host valency is found in good agreement with the experimental results.     

Electron impact mass spectra of 2-(2-pyridyl)methylene-1,3-dicarbonyl compounds: Unusual abundance of the [M + 1]+ ion and the effect of stereochemistry

Electron impact mass spectra of 2-(2-pyridyl)methylene-1,3-dicarbonyl compounds and related heteroaryl species have been investigated. In 3-(2-pyridyl)methylene-2,4-pentanedione, its 6′-methyl and 6′-methoxycarbonyl derivatives and in E- and Z-ethyl 3-oxo-2-(2-pyridyl)methylenebutanoates the base peak arises from the loss of methyl radical from the molecular ion to produce a 3-oxo-3H-indolizinium ion. A marked difference is observed in the behaviour of the geometric isomers of the keto esters. The diketones and E-keto ester carrying a 2-pyridyl substituent and ketone functionality on the same side of the carbon-carbon double bond exhibit an unusually high [M + 1]⁺/[M]^+˙ ratio (about 2.5) under normal ionization conditions (pressure 10–100 μPa). This abnormality is a function of pressure only and independent of temperature. In the case of the Z-keto ester, the corresponding malonate, 3- and 4-(2-pyridyl)methylene-2,4-pentanediones, and 2-furyl, 2-thienyl and phenyl diketone analogues, the ratio does not differ much from that due to the natural isotope abundance. Results for 1,1,1,5,5,5-hexadeuterio-2-(2-pyridyl)-methylene-2,4-pentanedione (strong M + 2 peak) suggest one mass unit transfer as an intermolecular proton shift from a methyl group to give a 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-3H-indolizinium ion. This real mass spectrometric phenomenon is a unique example of low pressure self-chemical ionization.     

Laser Ion Source Project at IGISOL

The application of laser ionisation is being developed for the IGISOL mass separator facility in Jyväskylä, Finland. The conceived laser ion source will have two independent pulsed laser systems based on all solid-state lasers and dye lasers for maximal coverage of ionisation schemes throughout the periodic table. A laser ion source trap, LIST, method will be pursued for optimal selectivity.     

Superconducting virtual bound state alloys

Static and dynamic properties of superconducting alloys containing resonant impurity scattering centers are considered. The formation of bound states within the energy gap is described and connected with locald-level correlations induced by superconductivity. The effect of the bound states on the exactly solubled-spin dynamics is investigated by evaluating the impurity atom's magnetic excitation spectrum. Finite impurity concentrations are treated within a self-consistent approximation scheme. For increasing impurity content the bound states merge to impurity bands which tend to suppress superconductivity. The relevance of the simple extra orbital model is discussed in connection with the interpretation of pressure-induced variations on the properties of superconductors alloyed with ambivalent rare earth ions.     

Electron density and positron trapping at a vacancy

The redistribution of valence electrons at a vacancy in aluminium is calculated in the Thomas-Fermi approximation. This result is then used in evaluating the annihilation characteristics of positrons trapped at vacancies. A good agreement with experiments is established.