The term bionanocomposites was introduced several years ago, to define an emerging class of biohybrid materials, resulting from the combination of biopolymers such as polysaccharides, proteins, nucleic acids, etc. with inorganic solids at the nanometric scale [1] and [2]. Such inorganic fraction consists of finely divided solids, spanning from clays to phosphates or carbonates, whose origin can...

Tailoring the interface interactions between a biomaterial and the surrounding tissue is a capital aspect to consider for the design of medical devices. Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogels present suitable mechanical properties for various biological substitutes, however the lack of cell adhesion on their surface is often a problem. The common approach is to incorporate biomolecules, either by ...

BACKGROUND Left ventricular mechanical efficiency is one of the most important measures of left ventricular pump performance. Several clinical studies, however, have shown that mechanical efficiency does not fall substantially as the heart fails. To clarify the insensitivity of mechanical efficiency to the change in pump performance, we analyzed human left ventricular mechanical efficiency, app...

We studied whether the oxygen cost of mechanical energy is time-invariant in the excised, cross-circulated canine heart. The total mechanical energy generated by ventricular contraction can be quantified by the total pressure-volume area (PVA) according to the time-varying eiastance model. In this model, mechanical energy generated until a specified time (t) during systole can be quantified by ...

Combined individually tailored methods for diagnosis and therapy (theragnostics) could be beneficial in destructive diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. Nanoparticles are promising candidates for theragnostics due to their excellent biocompatibility. Nanoparticle modifications, such as improved surface coating, are in development to meet various requirements, although safety concerns mean th...

INTRODUCTION Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) is a highly hydrophilic, nontoxic and biocompatible semicrystalline polymer with excellent properties such as strength, water solubility, gas permeability and thermal characteristics. PVA is available in a variety of degrees of hydrolysis (DH) because it is derived from the hydrolysis (or alcoholysis) of poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc).1–3 The properties of PVA...

We studied whether the oxygen cost of mechanical energy is time-invariant in the excised, cross-circulated canine heart. The total mechanical energy generated by ventricular contraction can be quantified by the total pressure-volume area (PVA) according to the time-varying elastance model. In this model, mechanical energy generated until a specified time (t) during systole can be quantified by ...

BACKGROUND Recently, several indexes such as tension-time index (TTI), tension-time or force-time integral (FTI), rate-pressure product (RPP), pressure-work index (PWI), and systolic pressure-volume area (PVA) have been developed as predictors of myocardial oxygen consumption in experimental and clinical studies. However, it is still unclear whether these indexes are reliable predictors of myoc...

An axenic culture of a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-degrading symbiont, Pseudomonas sp. strain VM15C, was established on PVA with a crude preparation of the growth factor (factor A) produced by the symbiotic partner Pseudomonas putida VM15A. An increase of factor A in the culture medium enhanced the cell-associated PVA oxidase activity as well as the growth rate, but decreased production of extracel...

Controlled delivery of hydrophilic proteins is an important therapeutic strategy. However, widely used methods for protein delivery suffer from low incorporation efficiency and loss of bioactivity. The versatile interfacial polyelectrolyte complexation (IPC) fibers have the capacity for precise spatiotemporal release and protection of protein, growth factor, and cell bioactivity. Yet its weak m...