Sharif Digital Repository

Biofiltration of Triethylamine (TEA) vapor used as a catalyst in casting operations was evaluated in this study The unit consisted of a 6-L three-stage biofilter containing a mixture of compost and wood chips (40:60 v/v) as the filter medium. Seed microbial population from municipal activated sludge was acclimated for a period of three weeks prior to the actual experimental runs. In the startup period, high pH values up to 10 was observed due to alkaline nature of TEA and inadequate formation of biofilm and low overall biodegradation. Steady increase of organic-N concentration along with gradual upward trend of pressure drop indicated sound establishment of microbial population. Operational... 

In this study, EVAc/PLA/organo clay nanocomposites were prepared via solution mixing method. The SEM images were used to investigate the morphology of nanocomposites revealing no phase separation or agglomeration of disperse phase in EVAc/PLA blends and nanocomposites. SAXS spectra confirmed the intercalated morphology of nanocomposites. Soil burial test were carried out and the rate of degradation of the samples were measured indirectly. Oxygen gas permeability of EVAc was slightly decreased by adding PLA to the matrix, when small loads of clay caused dramatic improvement in barrier properties. Melt rheological frequency sweep test illustrated the compatibility of EVAc with low contents of... 

Design and development of biodegradable scaffolds with highly uniform and controlled internal structure that stimulate tissue regeneration are the focus of many studies. The aim of this work is to apply a modified three-dimensional (3D) printing process to fabricate polymer-matrix composites with controlled internal architecture. Computationally-designed plaster molds with various pore sizes in the range of 300-800. μm were prepared by employing 3D printing of a water-based binder. The molds were converted to ε-polycaprolactone (PCL) and PCL/bioactive glass (BG) composite scaffolds by solvent casting and freeze drying methods. Optical and electron microscopy studies revealed that the pore... 

The fabrication of a suitable scaffold material is one of the major challenges for bone tissue engineering. Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is one of the most favorable matrix materials in bone tissue engineering owing to its biocompatibility and biodegradability. However, PLA suffers from some shortcomings including low degradation rate, low cell adhesion caused by its hydrophobic property, and inflammatory reactions in vivo due to its degradation product, lactic acid. Therefore, the incorporation of bioactive reinforcements is considered as a powerful method to improve the properties of PLA. This review presents a comprehensive study on recent advances in the synthesis of PLA-based biocomposites... 

Thermoplastic starch (TPS), as a natural based polymer, is known to have the capability to be used in biological applications due to its biocompatibility and biodegradability. In this study, mechanical properties of TPS are enhanced by incorporating bioactive β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) particles for bone tissue engineering applications. Starch-based nanocomposites containing 3, 5, and 10 wt% of β-TCP nanoparticles (TT3, TT5, TT10) were made using a co-rotating twin-screw extruder. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques were employed to analyze the nanocomposites. Moreover, degradability, swelling degree, and biomineralization in a simulated body fluid (SBF)... 

In this study, nanostructured biodegradable pure Zn, Zn-4 wt. % Mn and Zn-24 wt % Mn alloys were produced by 20 h mechanical alloying and consequent cold pressing and sintering. Structural evolutions were investigated using the X-ray diffraction technique. Also, the microstructure was characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The effects of alloy composition on density, mechanical properties, corrosion behavior in Hank's solution, cell viability and cell attachment were investigated. Crystallite size of the synthesized alloys after 20 h of milling reached to less than 40 nm and remained less than 80 nm after consolidation and sintering for 1 h. Alloys contain MnZn13 as second phase... 

In this study a membrane bioreactor (MBR) has been studied experimentally for the treatment of oil field wastewater (produced water). This type of wastewater is characterised with relativity moderate to high amount of salt and oil. The normal bacteria which are growing in conventional activated sludge and MBR cannot withstand at these adverse conditions, therefore it is necessary to be adapted. In this study, different samples from sea sediment in Bushehr (south of Iran) were analysed and different groups of bacteria were isolated and adapted for surveying under high salinity conditions. The performance and efficiency of these bacteria in the degradation of model oil has been studied. The... 

Cartilage is an avascular tissue with limited self-repair ability. Since the methods for treatment of cartilage defects have not been effective, new therapies based on tissue engineering are considered over the recent years. In this study, human cartilage tissue was decellularized and porous injectable microcarriers (MCs) composed of acellular extracellular matrix (ECM) of cartilage tissue and chitosan (CS), with different ECM weight ratios, were fabricated by electrospraying technique to be used in the treatment of articular cartilage defects. Various properties of ECM/CS MCs such as microstructure, mechanical strength, water uptake behaviour, and biodegradability rate were investigated.... 

Objective: a convenient numerical model has been developed to predict release profile of different types of agents from bulk biodegrading polymer microspheres, including magnitude methods are less accurate than analytical methods. Usually, this study used analytical solutions for the model and compared the analytical results with numerical solution and experimental data. Methods: The objective drug controlled release profiles were modeled based on a four-phase pattern. Then, a specific formulation was considered based on Fick’s second law. After calculating various parameters, the equations were solved using an analytical method. Results: Comparison results showed that analytical solution... 

Printing technologies have opened larger windows of innovation and creativity to biomaterials engineers by providing them with the ability to fabricate complex shapes in a reasonable time, cost, and weight. However, there has always been a trouble with function adjusting in printing technologies in view of the multiplicity of materials and apparatus parameters. 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, revolutionized biomaterials engineering by the conversion of a digital subject into a printed object (implants, scaffolds, or diagnostics and drug delivery devices/systems). Inspired by the lessons learned from 3D printing, the concept of 4D printing (better called shape-morphing... 

Fabrication of an appropriate skin scaffold needs to meet several standards related to the mechanical and biological properties. Fully natural/green scaffolds with acceptable biodegradability, biocompatibility, and physiological properties quite often suffer from poor mechanical properties. Therefore, for appropriate skin tissue engineering and to mimic the real functions, we need to use synthetic polymers and/or additives as complements to green polymers. Green nanocomposites (either nanoscale natural macromolecules or biopolymers containing nanoparticles) are a class of scaffolds with acceptable biomedical properties window (drug delivery and cardiac, nerve, bone, cartilage as well as skin... 

Nano-biocomposites are a new class of hybrid materials composed of nano-sized filler (nanofiller) incorporated into a bio-based matrix. Such an association between eco-friendly biopolymers and nano-objects, with the aim to obtain synergic effects, is one of the most innovating routes to enhance the properties of these bio-matrices. In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in Starch as an inexpensive and renewable source has been used as a filler for environmentally friendly plastics for about two decades. However, the poor mechanical properties of starch based biopolymers, leads to use of nanoparticles as reinforcing materials. In the present study, the influence of a... 

Background: Extensive full-thickness burns require replacement of both epidermis and dermis. In designing skin replacements, the goal has been to re-create this model and make a product which has both essential components. Methods: In the present study, we developed procedures for establishing confluent, stratified layers of cultured human keratinocytes on the surface of modified collagen-chitosan scaffold that contains fibroblasts. The culture methods for propagation of keratinocytes and fibroblasts isolated from human neonatal foreskin were developed. The growth and proliferation of normal human keratinocytes were evaluated in serum-free (keratinocyte growth medium) and our modified... 

In this study, the effectiveness of PASylation in enhancing the potency and plasma half-life of pharmaceutical proteins has been accredited as an alternative technique to the conventional methods such as PEGylation. Proline, alanine, and serine (PAS) chain has shown some advantages including biodegradability improvement and plasma half-life enhancement while lacking immunogenicity or toxicity. Although some experimental studies have been performed to find the mechanism behind PASylation, the detailed mechanism of PAS effects on the pharmaceutical proteins has remained obscure, especially at the molecular level. In this study, the interaction of interferon α-2a (IFN) and PAS chain is... 

The biodegradability and mechanical properties of polysaccharides are dependent on their architecture (linear or branched) as well as their crystallinity (size of crystals and crystallinity percent). The amount of crystalline zones in the polysaccharide significantly governs their ultimate properties and applications (from packaging to biomedicine). Although synthesis, characterization, and properties of polysaccharides have been the subject of several review papers, the effects of crystallization kinetics and crystalline domains on the properties and application have not been comprehensively addressed. This review places focus on different aspects of crystallization of polysaccharides as... 

Effect of cathodic enzymatic decolorization of reactive blue 221 (RB221) on the performance of a dual-chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC) was investigated. Immobilized laccase on the surface of a modified graphite electrode was used in the cathode compartment in order to decolorize the azo dye and enhance the oxygen reduction reaction. First, methylene blue which is an electroactive polymer was electropolymerized on the surface of a graphite bar to prepare the modified electrode. Utilization of the modified electrode with no enzyme in the MFC increased the power density up to 57% due to the reduction of internal resistance from 1000 to 750 Ω. Using the electropolymerized-enzymatic cathode... 

Abstract: Commercially pure titanium and titanium alloys have been among the most commonly used materials for biomedical applications since the 1950s. Due to the excellent mechanical tribological properties, corrosion resistance, biocompatibility, and antibacterial properties of titanium, it is getting much attention as a biomaterial for implants. Furthermore, titanium promotes osseointegration without any additional adhesives by physically bonding with the living bone at the implant site. These properties are crucial for producing high-strength metallic alloys for biomedical applications. Titanium alloys are manufactured into the three types of α, β, and α + β. The scientific and clinical... 

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) cause many significant ecological problems because of their low degradability, high harmfulness, and solid bioaccumulation.Two bacterial strains were isolated from soil that had been polluted with electrical transformer liquid for more than 40 years. The isolates were distinguished as Lysinibacillus macrolides DSM54Tand Bacillus firmus NBRC15306Tthrough 16S rRNA sequencing analysis.This is the primary report of an agent of the genus Bacillus firmus equipped for the removal of PCBs. The strains could develop broadly on 2-Chlorobiphenyl and 2,4-dichlorobiphenyl. GC/MS analysis of individual congeners revealed up to 80% degradation of the xenobiotics in 96h,... 

Chlorobenzoic acids (CBAs) are recalcitrant and toxic materials which enter the environment directly using pesticides and herbicides, or indirectly through the biodegradation of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) compounds. In the conducted study, biodegradation of 4-chlrobenzoic acid was investigated by Lysinibacillus macrolides DSM54T, which had previously been isolated from PCB-polluted soils. Environmental factors including pH, temperature, 4-CBA concentration and inoculation percentage were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). 58 experiments were designed according to Historical Data, because of the arbitrary selection of experiments, and the combined effects of the... 

Background: This research follows some investigations through neural tissue engineering, including fabrication, surface treatment, and evaluation of novel self-stimuli conductive biocompatible and degradable nanocomposite scaffolds. Methods: Gelatin as a biobased material and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as a mechanical, electrical, and piezoelectric improvement agent were co-electrospun. In addition, polyaniline/graphene (PAG) nanoparticles were synthesized and added to gelatin solutions in different percentages to induce electrical conductivity. After obtaining optimum PAG percentage, cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) treatment was applied over the best samples by different plasma variable...