Cellulose Diacetate-g-poly(p-dioxanone) Co-polymer: Synthesis, Properties and Microsphere Preparation
A novel biodegradable graft co-polymer based on cellulose diacetate (CDA) and poly(p-dioxanone) was synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of p-dioxanone (PDO). The molecular structure of co-polymers was characterized by one- and two-dimensional NMR. The graft co-polymers with different lengths of PPDO side-chains could be controllably synthesized by changing the in-feed ratio of CDA/PDO. It was found that the PPDO content had great effect on the thermal transition behavior, crystallization ability and thermal stability of the graft co-polymer. The in vitro degradation rates of CDA-g-PPDO were higher than that of linear PPDO due to their lower crystallinity. Moreover, porous microspheres of graft co-polymers with a diameter of about 5 μm, prepared through the solvent evaporation of water-in-oil emulsion (W/O), indicated it may have potential applications in drug-delivery systems.
Chapter 1 – Nanotechnology: A Toolkit for Cell Behavior
Tissue engineering seeks to effectively manipulate cellular populations to improve the function of damaged or diseased tissues and organs. Many techniques can affect cell behavior; however, in order to maintain desirable function, scientists and engineers design solutions that are as biomimetic as possible. True biomimeticity is very challenging without the incorporation of nanotechnology. Since cells in human tissues are surrounded by a 3D hierarchical tissue extracellular matrix containing numerous nano components, a revolutionary change in tissue engineering is to explore biomimetic nanobiomaterials and advanced 3D nano/microfabrication techniques for creating novel tissue constructs and regulating cell behavior. This chapter will provide an overview of recent nanotechnology in tissue engineering applications. We will put special emphasis on integrating cutting-edge 3D nano/microfabrication techniques with nanobiomaterials for complex tissue and organ regeneration.
Fascism in Britain: A History, 1918-1985
Tracing its origins from shortly after the World War I, this book presents a portrait of fascism in the 1930s. It reassesses Mosley's career, describes the reasons for internment in 1940 and the effect it had on leading fascists, exposes the famous Britons who subscribed to fascism, reveals the ominous re-emergence of the tradition after 1945, and explains its remarkable persistence into the l980s.