The Greer, Pujo-Menjouet and Webb model [Greer et al., J. Theoret. Biol., 242 (2006), 598–606] for prion dynamics was found to be in good agreement with experimental observations under no-flow conditions. The objective of this work is to generalize the problem to the framework of general polymerization-fragmentation under flow motion, motivated by the fact that laboratory work often involves pr...

This paper presents the design, simulation and characterization of a new type of in-plane thermal unimorph, which utilizes composite SU-8/silicon microstructures. The unimorph consists of a silicon skeleton and SU-8 photoresist, which encapsulates the silicon skeleton. The silicon skeleton is asymmetric in shape, consisting of a straight segment and a meandering segment. Gaps and surrounds of t...

Polymer based nanocomposites, in which inorganic nanoparticles are dispersed in organic polymer matrices, have attracted materials scientists’ attention owing to their unique properties, resulting from their nano-scale microstructure. Because of their large surface area, nanoparticles interact with the polymer matrix and carry a load effectively. The mechanical properties of these composites ca...

Composites of small magnetic-shape-memory (MSM) particles embedded in a polymer matrix have been proposed as an energy damping mechanism and as actuators. Compared to a single crystal bulk material, the production is simpler and more flexible, as both type of the polymer and geometry of the microstructure can be tuned. Compared to polycrystals, in composites the soft polymer matrix permits the ...

A novel bioanalogue hydroxyapatite (HAp)/chitosan phosphate (CSP) nanocomposite has been synthesized by a solution-based chemical methodology with varying HAp contents from 10 to 60% (w/w). The interfacial bonding interaction between HAp and CSP has been investigated through Fourier transform infrared absorption spectra (FTIR) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). The surface morphology of the composite...

The dissolution characteristics of pharmaceutical tablets are key to determining the bioavailability of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and it is therefore vital to understand the physical processes that affect drug release. As well as the API, tablets also consist of a supporting polymer matrix (known as the excipient) and other compounds such as fillers, binders, lubricants etc. Th...

Every year, millions of people are suffering from bone defect arising from trauma, tumor or bone diseases. Therefore, there is a growing need for the development of biocomposites with excellent bioactivity and compatibility. In this study, nano-hydroxyapatite was elaborated by using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) under mild temperature condition. Comparison with pure nan...

We shall discuss the following phenomena found in various colloidal systems in shear flow. We recently observed shear-banding in suspensions of fd-virus in a cylindrical shear cell. Small angle light scattering experiments revealed that the shear-banding transition is preceded by a relatively fast process (minutes) of nematic-to-paranematic phase separation during which inhomogeneities on the m...

Thermal transport in aqueous suspensions of Au-core polymer-shell nanoparticles is investigated by time-resolved measurements of optical absorption. The addition of an organic cosolvent to the suspension causes the polystyrene component of the polymer shell to swell, and this change in the microstructure of the shell increases the effective thermal conductivity of the shell by a factor of appro...

Absorbable polymers are unique materials that find application as temporary scaffolds in tissue engineering. They are often extremely sensitive to histological processing and, for this reason, studying fragile, tissue-engineered constructs before implantation can be quite difficult. This research investigates the use of noninvasive imaging using magnetic resonance microscopy (MRM) as a tool to ...