Designable media can control properties of nanocomposite materials by spatially organizing nanoparticles. Here we theoretically study particle organization by ultrathin polymer films of grafted chains ("brushes"). Polymer-soluble nanoparticles smaller than a brush-determined threshold disperse in the film to a depth scaling inversely with particle volume. In the polymer-insoluble case, aggregat...

We investigate the mechanical properties of ultra-thin layers of polystyrene/poly (2-vinylpyridine) (PS/P2VP) block copolymers by means of a Surface Forces Apparatus adapted to operate as a rheometer at the molecular level. Two systems are studied: "brush/wall" and "brush/brush". A comparison of the normal force curves shows that when brushes are compressed against each other, they contract rat...

The brush border of intestinal epithelial cells consists of a tightly packed array of microvilli, each of which contains a core of actin filaments. It has been postulated that microvillar movements are mediated by myosin interactions in the terminal web with the basal ends of these actin cores (Mooseker, M.S. 1976. J. Cell. Biol. 71:417-433). We report here that two predictions of this model ar...

The nature of the cytoplasmic coat present on the apical invaginations of the kidney proximal tubule cell was investigated by immuneoverlay and immunocytochemistry of renal brush borders with anticlathrin antibodies. When kidney cortex was prepared for electron microscopy using methods that enhance visualization of clathrin coats, the apical invaginations at the base of the brush border microvi...

Previous research has demonstrated that extinction in the form of re-presentation of expelled bites is an effective intervention for treating food expulsion. The current study compared the effectiveness of re-presenting expulsions with a spoon to re-presenting with a Nuk brush for a 4-year-old boy with a feeding disorder. Fewer expulsions were observed when using the brush for re-presentation, ...

In this paper, we describe how to enhance the quality of brush-style-font expression, which are scratched look and blurred look, with regard to a form as a pattern of a Chinese character. The previous version of the system uses only a parameter similar to pen pressure, however actual calligraphic art requires more various factors in order to realize the expression. Our novel approach considers ...

It is now firmly established that disaccharidases are an intrinsic part of the mammalian intestinal (1) and renal (2) brush border. Isolated brush borders of hamster and rabbit intestine (3-6) are studded with knobs (65 A in diameter) or doughnut-shaped particles (45-110 A in diameter) respectively, when viewed as negatively stained preparations . Isolated brush borders of rabbit kidney do not ...

OBJECTIVE Mechanical techniques, including scaling with metal, plastic, or ultrasonic instruments, rubber cup polishing, air-powder abrasive system and brushing with a conventional or a rotating brush, have been used for the debridement of dental implants. Recently, rotating brushes with titanium bristles (titanium brush) have been introduced for the debridement of implant surface when peri-imp...

Two assays were developed to quantitate the adherence of an Escherichia coli strain (RDEC-1) known to colonize the mucosal surface of the small intestine of rabbits to brush borders isolated from rabbit intestinal epithelial cells. In the first assay, the mean adherence per rabbit brush border was determined by counting the number of organisms adhering to each of 40 brush borders under phase mi...

Technologies ranging from solvent extraction and drug delivery to tissue engineering are beginning to benefit from the unique ability of “smart polymers” to undergo controllable structural changes in response to external stimuli. The prototype is poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (P(NIPAAm)) which exhibits an abrupt and reversible hydrophilic to hydrophobic transition above its lower critical solutio...