Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) microgel particles are synthesized using a semi-batch surfactant-free emulsion polymerization method. Particle diameter can be precisely adjusted by controlling the initial conditions, the electrolyte concentration, and the monomer feeding rate and duration. Larger particles are obtained in the presence of small amounts of co-monomer with cationic amino groups that c...

Gas chromatography (GC) is considered the least common application of both polymer and silica-based monolithic columns. This study describes the fabrication of alkyl methacrylate monolithic materials for use as stationary phases in capillary gas chromatography. Following the deactivation of the capillary surface with 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate (TMSM), the monoliths were formed by th...

Molecular chaperones, suchas the small heat shockproteins (sHsps), maintain normal cellular function by controlling protein homeostasis in stress conditions. However, sHsps are not only activated in response to environmental insults, but also exert developmental and tissuespecific functions that aremuch less known.Here,weshow that during normal development the Drosophila sHsp CryAB [L(2)efl] is...

The chemically crosslinked metal-complexed chitosans were synthesized by using the ion-imprinting method from a chitosan with four metals (Cu(II), Zn(II), Ni(II) and Pb(II)) as templates and glutaraldehyde as a crosslinker. The influences of adsorption conditions, including molar ratios of crosslinker/chitosan and pH changes, were studied. They were used to investigate for comparative adsorptio...

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is used extensively to study cell-substrate interactions because its mechanical properties are easily tuned in physiologically relevant ranges. However, changes in mechanical properties also modulate surface chemistry and cell response. Here, we correlate the mechanical and surface properties of PDMS to vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) behavior. We find that a 5-fo...

Monodispersed poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) nanoparticles, with hydrodynamic radius less than 50 nm at room temperature, have been synthesized in the presence of a large amount of emulsifiers. These microgel particles undergo a swollen–collapsed volume transition in an aqueous solution when the temperature is raised to around 34 °C. The volume transition and structure changes of the micr...

It has been suggested that GAP-43 (growth-associated protein) binds to various proteins in growing neurons as part of its mechanism of action. To test this hypothesis in vivo, differentiated N1E-115 neuroblastoma cells were labeled with [(35)S]-amino acids and were treated with a cleavable crosslinking reagent. The cells were lysed in detergent and the lysates were centrifuged at 100,000 x g to...

In the present study, twenty-five male goat kids (20±2.5 kg BW) were used during an 84- day experimental period to determine the effect of source and level of sulfur supplementation on mohair characteristics and performance. Experimental diets were diets containing 0.18% (as control), 0.24% and 0.34% DM inorganic or organic sulfur. The data were analyzed as a 2 × 2 factorial design. Methionine ...

Among the methods available to reduce water production, injecting a gelling system composed of a polymer and a crosslinker has been widely used. In this work, a hydrogel was prepared by crosslinking of an aqueous solution containing hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) as crosslinker, hydrochloric acid (HCl) as an activator, and the co-polymer of 2-acrylamido-2methyl-propanesulfonic-acid sodium salt (...