Fast preparation of hydroxyapatite/superhydrophilic vertically aligned multiwalled carbon nanotube composites for bioactive application

A method for the electrodeposition of hydroxyapatite films on superhydrophilic vertically aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes is presented. The formation of a thin homogeneous film with high crystallinity was observed without any thermal treatment and with bioactivity properties that accelerate the in vitro biomineralization process and osteoblast adhesion.     

A Teflon pressure-transducer-specimen bond for ultrasonic measurements over a wide temperature range

A major limitation for the application of megahertz ultrasonic techniques to the study of the properties of solids is the problem of finding transducer-specimen bonds useful over a wide temperature range. A Teflon pressure bond has been developed and tested. It appears to overcome most of the problems, and promises to allow for many studies previously more difficult or impracticable.     

Evidence of distributed interstitialcy-like relaxation of the shear modulus due to structural relaxation of metallic glasses

The interstitialcy theory is used to calculate the kinetics of shear modulus relaxation induced by structural relaxation of metallic glasses. A continuous distribution of activation energies is shown to be a salient feature of the relaxation. High precision in situ contactless electromagnetic acoustic-transformation shear modulus (600- kHz) measurements performed on a Zr-based bulk metallic glass are found to strongly support the approach under consideration. It is revealed that the activation energy spectra derived from isothermal and isochronal shear modulus measurements are in good agreement with each other. It is concluded that the increase of the shear modulus during structural relaxation can be understood as a decrease of the concentration of structural defects similar to dumbbell interstitials in simple crystalline metals.     

Composite Polyamide 6/Polypyrrole Conductive Nanofibers

Conductive Polyamide 6 (PA‐6) nanofibers were prepared by making a conductive polypyrrole coating obtained by a polymerization of pyrrole molecules directly on the fiber surface. A solution of PA‐6 added with ferric chloride in formic acid has been electrospun and the fibers obtained showed an average diameter of 260 nm with a smooth surface. The fibers have been then exposed to pyrrole vapours and a compact coating of polypyrrole was formed on the fiber surface. The growth of the coating was monitored by measuring the increment of the fiber diameter and by FT‐IR spectroscopy. The same technique was used to study the interaction between the ferric chloride and the polyamide chains. The polypyrrole coating on the fibers turned out to be conductive with a pure resistive characteristic and the stability of the conductivity was evaluated in air at room temperature.

     

Disposable Electrospun Electrodes Based on Conducting Nanofibers

A new approach for the fabrication of disposable electrochemical surfaces is presented. Conducting fibers have been produced by a two‐step process. Firstly, a fine web mat composed of nylon‐6 and ferric chloride fibers (with diameters of about 200 nm) were electrospun on a flat collector. Afterwards, the electrospun mat was exposed to pyrrole vapor under controlled dry atmosphere until each nylon thread was fully coated with a conducting polypyrrole layer. The conducting fiber mat was finally integrated within an electrochemical cell and used as a disposable sensor device. The suitability of the sensor was tested using phosphate and carbonate organic anions. The large scale fabrication of conducting tissue, in the form of a fine web of spun nanofibers, is relatively fast and inexpensive, and it paves the way to the build up of new disposable electrodes.     

Production of Bioactive Peptides from Baltic Herring (Clupea harengus membras): Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitory,Antioxidant and Antiproliferative Properties

This study aimed to produce bioactive protein hydrolysates from undervalued fish, namely Baltic herring, and its filleting by-products. Protein hydrolysates were produced with Alcalase and Flavourzyme to achieve effective hydrolysis. The hydrolysates were evaluated for chemical composition, molecular weight distribution, antioxidant capacity, dipeptidyl-peptidase 4 (DPP4) inhibitory activity, effects on cell proliferation and surface hydrophobicity. The protein content of the hydrolysates was high, from 86% to 91% (dm), while the fat content was low, from 0.3% to 0.4% (dm). The hydrolysates showed high DPP4 inhibition activities with IC₅₀ values from 5.38 mg/mL to 7.92 mg/mL. The scavenging activity of the hydrolysates towards DPPH was low, but an intermediate Folin–Ciocalteu reducing capacity and Cu²⁺ chelating ability was observed. The solid phase extraction with Sep-Pak C18 cartridges increased the DPP4 inhibition activity and antioxidant capacity, indicating peptides’ crucial role in the bioactivities. The cytotoxicity of the hydrolysates was evaluated on the HCT8, IMR90, and A549 cell lines. The hydrolysates inhibited cell growth in the cancer and normal cells, although they did not reduce cell viability and were not lethal. Overall, our results indicate that protein hydrolysates from Baltic herring have potential as health-promoting foods and nutraceuticals, especially for enhancing healthy blood glucose regulation.