The hypothesis of the present research is that by altering the substrate topography and/or stiffn... more The hypothesis of the present research is that by altering the substrate topography and/or stiffness to make it biomimetic, we can modulate cells behavior. Substrates with similar surface chemistry and varying stiffnesses and topographies were prepared. Bulk PCL and CNTs-reinforced PCL composites were manufactured by solvent casting method and electrospinning and further processed to obtain tunable moduli of elasticity in the range of few MPa. To ensure the same chemical profile for the substrates, a protein coating was added. Substrate topography and properties were investigated. Further on, the feedback of Wharton’s Jelly Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells to substrates characteristics was investigated. Solvent casting scaffolds displayed superior mechanical properties compared to the corresponding electrospun films. However, the biomimetic fibrous texture of the electrospun substrates induced improved feedback of the cells with respect to their viability and proliferation. Cel...
Autologous cell therapy uses patients’ own cells to deliver precise and ideal treatment through a... more Autologous cell therapy uses patients’ own cells to deliver precise and ideal treatment through a personalized medicine approach. Isolation of patients’ cells from residual tissue extracted during surgery involves specific planning and lab steps. In the present manuscript, a path from isolation to in vitro research with human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) obtained from residual bone tissues is described as performed by a medical unit in collaboration with a research center. Ethical issues have been addressed by formulating appropriate harvesting protocols according to European regulations. Samples were collected from 19 patients; 10 of them were viable and after processing resulted in MSCs. MSCs were further differentiated in osteoblasts to investigate the biocompatibility of several 3D scaffolds produced by electrospinning and 3D printing technologies; traditional orthopedic titanium and nanostructured titanium substrates were also tested. 3D printed scaffolds proved superior compa...
Composite Materials Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics, University of Pa... more Composite Materials Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics, University of Patras, Patras 26500, Greece. School of Dentistry, Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, University of Athens, Greece. School of Mechanical Engineering, ATEI of Thessaly, Larisa, Thessalia, Greece. Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics, Laboratory of Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering,University of Patras, Rion 26500, Greece.
The response of fiber-reinforced polymer composites to an externally applied mechanical excitatio... more The response of fiber-reinforced polymer composites to an externally applied mechanical excitation is closely related to the microscopic stress transfer mechanisms taking place in the fiber–matrix interphasial region. In particular, in the case of viscoelastic responses, these mechanisms are time dependent. Defining the interphase thickness as the maximum radial distance from the fiber surface where a specific matrix property is affected by the fiber presence, it is important to study its variation with time. In the present investigation, the stress relaxation behavior of a glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) under flexural conditions was studied. Next, applying the hybrid viscoelastic interphase model (HVIM), developed by the first author, the interphase modulus and interphase thickness were both evaluated, and their variation with time during the stress relaxation test was plotted. It was found that the interphase modulus decreases with the radial distance, being always higher t...
Scopul lucrării este de a descrie o tehnică de obţinere a nanotuburilor de TiO2 pe suprafața tita... more Scopul lucrării este de a descrie o tehnică de obţinere a nanotuburilor de TiO2 pe suprafața titanului şi de a prezenta parametrii care influențează geometria şi morfologia suprafeței. Lucrarea prezintă posibilele aplicații ale nanotuburilor de TiO2 în diferite domenii tehnologice şi în special în biomedicină. Creșterea nanotuburilor de TiO2 s-a realizat prin oxidare anodică în diferite soluții de electrolit. Pentru determinarea parametrilor de suprafață caracteristici, probele au fost analizate prin SEM, studiile despre mecanismul de aderare a osteoblastelor pe suprafața nanotuburilor TiO2 folosind modelul viscoelastic al interfeței hibride. Combinând procedurile experimentale de creștere a nanotuburilor, analiza SEM şi calculele matematice pentru interfața nanotuburi – osteoblaste s-au stabilit caracteristicile necesare obținerii unor noi materiale pentru aplicații biomedicale.
The effects of temperature and moisture on flexural and thermomechanical properties of neat and f... more The effects of temperature and moisture on flexural and thermomechanical properties of neat and filled epoxy with both multiwall carbon nanotubes (CNT), carbon nanofibers (CNF), and their hybrid components were investigated. Two regimes of environmental aging were applied: Water absorption at 70 °C until equilibrium moisture content and thermal heating at 70 °C for the same time period. Three-point bending and dynamic mechanical tests were carried out for all samples before and after conditioning. The property prediction model (PPM) was successfully applied for the prediction of the modulus of elasticity in bending of manufactured specimens subjected to both water absorption and thermal aging. It was experimentally confirmed that, due to addition of carbon nanofillers to the epoxy resin, the sorption, flexural, and thermomechanical characteristics were slightly improved compared to the neat system. Considering experimental and theoretical results, most of the epoxy composites filled...
Glass fiber reinforced polymer composites are widely used as structural materials. These two-comp... more Glass fiber reinforced polymer composites are widely used as structural materials. These two-component materials can be tailored to suit a large variety of applications. A better understanding of the properties of the fiber-matrix ''interphase'' can facilitate optimum design of the composite structure. The interphase is a microscopic region around the fiber and hence nano-scale investigation using nano-indentation techniques is appropriate to determine mechanical property variations within this region. In this study the atomic force microscope adapted with a commercial nanoindenter has been used to determine the variation of the elastic modulus across the interphase for different silane coated glass fiber reinforced polyester matrix composites. A comparative study of the elastic modulus variation in the various interphases is reported. The results are discussed in the light of the current limitations of the instrumentation and analysis.
The present investigation aims to take a step forward for the transfer of a simple laboratory ele... more The present investigation aims to take a step forward for the transfer of a simple laboratory electrochemical method of surface nano-treatment of aluminum to industrial applications. The electrochemical method has been applied to process 1050A aluminum. Surface nano-structuring has been achieved and resulted in the formation of an organized alumina nanotubes layer on commercial aluminum plates used as adherends for the manufacturing of aluminum single-lap adhesive joints. The mechanical properties of single-lap aluminum adhesive joints constructed with both non-anodized and anodized adherends were investigated and compared. Two types of epoxy resins were used to prove that the anodization of the adherends is equally effective, independently of the adhesives’ type. Furthermore, three overlap lengths were used (7, 10, and 25 mm) to study the effect of the overlap length on the overall joint mechanical response. Results of both three-point bending and tensile–shear testing showed that ...
The goal of the present investigation was to find a solution to crucial engineering aspects relat... more The goal of the present investigation was to find a solution to crucial engineering aspects related to the elaboration of multi-layered tissue-biomimicking composites. 3D printing technology was used to manufacture single-layered and gradient multi-layered 3D porous scaffolds made of poly-lactic acid (PLA). The scaffolds manufacturing process was optimized after adjusting key printing parameters. The scaffolds with 60 μm side length (square-shaped pores) showed increased stiffness values comparing to the other specimens. A silicone adhesive has been further used to join biomedical titanium plates, and the PLA scaffolds; in addition, titania nanotubes (TNTs were produced on the titanium for improved adhesion. The titanium-PLA scaffold single lap joints were evaluated in micro-tensile testing. The electrochemical processing of the titanium surface resulted in a 248% increase of the ultimate strength in the overlap area for dry specimens and 40% increase for specimens immersed in simul...
The effect of an electric field within specific intensity limits on the activity of human cells h... more The effect of an electric field within specific intensity limits on the activity of human cells has been previously investigated. However, there are a considerable number of factors that influence the in vitro development of cell populations. In biocompatibility studies, the nature of the substrate and its topography are decisive in osteoblasts bone cells development. Further on, electrical field stimulation may activate biochemical paths that contribute to a faster, more effective self-adjustment and proliferation of specific cell types on various nanosubstrates. Within the present research, an electrical stimulation device has been manufactured and optimum values of parameters that led to enhanced osteoblasts activity, with respect to the alkaline phosphatase and total protein levels, have been found. Homogeneous electric field distribution induced by a highly organized titanium dioxide nanotubes substrate had an optimum effect on cell response. Specific substrate topography in co...
Standard procedures regarding osteoblast cells deposition on different subtrates to test the bioc... more Standard procedures regarding osteoblast cells deposition on different subtrates to test the biocompatibility of materials are not available. Aspects related to cells morphology depending on their number on the surface area of the substrate were studied for the first time. Osteoblasts were successfully isolated from residual bone resulted from two different patients after total hip arthroplasty. Different numbers of osteoblasts in populations (3x104 cells/cm2, 6x104 cells/cm2, 1x105 cells/cm2) were deposited on tissue culture polystyrene for 7 and 10 days of incubation. Results suggested that the protocol of osteoblasts deposition should be adjusted to assure a fair distribution of cells on the entire available area of the substrate, possible if a very good dispersion in the medium is achieved prior to deposition. Some other key factors in cells appropriate development, such as substrate nature, topography and incubation time,were detected. The present investigation helps declaring ...
In this paper the elaboration and characterization of TiO2 nanotubes as a function of anodizing c... more In this paper the elaboration and characterization of TiO2 nanotubes as a function of anodizing conditions are studied taking into consideration electrolyte composition and voltage. The obtained results show that the nanotubes dimensions and surface features depend on elaboration conditions. The technique of surface characteristics investigation (2D and 3 D images) was atomic force microscopy which permitted roughness and porosity evaluation.
Two kinds of nanotube structures differing from the point of view of their dimensions were obtain... more Two kinds of nanotube structures differing from the point of view of their dimensions were obtained using anodizing in two different fluoride electrolytes and these structures were investigated regarding stability. The nanotubes have diameters of around 100 and 65 nm, respectively, and the testing solutions were simulated body fluids (SBF) and NaCl 0.9%. As stability experiments, cyclic voltammetry was performed and ions release was measured. The quantity of released cations in time as a kinetic aspect of passive stratum behavior was followed with an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) and apatite forming in SBF was found with infrared spectra. This study led to a comparison between the modification and the behavior of passive stratum on nanotubes as a function of their diameters.
2. EXPERIMENTAL PART Nanotubes elaboration. TiO2 self organized nanotubes structure was realized ... more 2. EXPERIMENTAL PART Nanotubes elaboration. TiO2 self organized nanotubes structure was realized in inorganic mixtures of fluoride electrolytes as NaF, NH4, F HF, (NH4)2 SO4. etc., and in a hybrid organic-inorganic structure as floride-glycerol. Monitoring a large variety of ...
The hypothesis of the present research is that by altering the substrate topography and/or stiffn... more The hypothesis of the present research is that by altering the substrate topography and/or stiffness to make it biomimetic, we can modulate cells behavior. Substrates with similar surface chemistry and varying stiffnesses and topographies were prepared. Bulk PCL and CNTs-reinforced PCL composites were manufactured by solvent casting method and electrospinning and further processed to obtain tunable moduli of elasticity in the range of few MPa. To ensure the same chemical profile for the substrates, a protein coating was added. Substrate topography and properties were investigated. Further on, the feedback of Wharton’s Jelly Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells to substrates characteristics was investigated. Solvent casting scaffolds displayed superior mechanical properties compared to the corresponding electrospun films. However, the biomimetic fibrous texture of the electrospun substrates induced improved feedback of the cells with respect to their viability and proliferation. Cel...
Autologous cell therapy uses patients’ own cells to deliver precise and ideal treatment through a... more Autologous cell therapy uses patients’ own cells to deliver precise and ideal treatment through a personalized medicine approach. Isolation of patients’ cells from residual tissue extracted during surgery involves specific planning and lab steps. In the present manuscript, a path from isolation to in vitro research with human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) obtained from residual bone tissues is described as performed by a medical unit in collaboration with a research center. Ethical issues have been addressed by formulating appropriate harvesting protocols according to European regulations. Samples were collected from 19 patients; 10 of them were viable and after processing resulted in MSCs. MSCs were further differentiated in osteoblasts to investigate the biocompatibility of several 3D scaffolds produced by electrospinning and 3D printing technologies; traditional orthopedic titanium and nanostructured titanium substrates were also tested. 3D printed scaffolds proved superior compa...
Composite Materials Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics, University of Pa... more Composite Materials Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics, University of Patras, Patras 26500, Greece. School of Dentistry, Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, University of Athens, Greece. School of Mechanical Engineering, ATEI of Thessaly, Larisa, Thessalia, Greece. Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics, Laboratory of Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering,University of Patras, Rion 26500, Greece.
The response of fiber-reinforced polymer composites to an externally applied mechanical excitatio... more The response of fiber-reinforced polymer composites to an externally applied mechanical excitation is closely related to the microscopic stress transfer mechanisms taking place in the fiber–matrix interphasial region. In particular, in the case of viscoelastic responses, these mechanisms are time dependent. Defining the interphase thickness as the maximum radial distance from the fiber surface where a specific matrix property is affected by the fiber presence, it is important to study its variation with time. In the present investigation, the stress relaxation behavior of a glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) under flexural conditions was studied. Next, applying the hybrid viscoelastic interphase model (HVIM), developed by the first author, the interphase modulus and interphase thickness were both evaluated, and their variation with time during the stress relaxation test was plotted. It was found that the interphase modulus decreases with the radial distance, being always higher t...
Scopul lucrării este de a descrie o tehnică de obţinere a nanotuburilor de TiO2 pe suprafața tita... more Scopul lucrării este de a descrie o tehnică de obţinere a nanotuburilor de TiO2 pe suprafața titanului şi de a prezenta parametrii care influențează geometria şi morfologia suprafeței. Lucrarea prezintă posibilele aplicații ale nanotuburilor de TiO2 în diferite domenii tehnologice şi în special în biomedicină. Creșterea nanotuburilor de TiO2 s-a realizat prin oxidare anodică în diferite soluții de electrolit. Pentru determinarea parametrilor de suprafață caracteristici, probele au fost analizate prin SEM, studiile despre mecanismul de aderare a osteoblastelor pe suprafața nanotuburilor TiO2 folosind modelul viscoelastic al interfeței hibride. Combinând procedurile experimentale de creștere a nanotuburilor, analiza SEM şi calculele matematice pentru interfața nanotuburi – osteoblaste s-au stabilit caracteristicile necesare obținerii unor noi materiale pentru aplicații biomedicale.
The effects of temperature and moisture on flexural and thermomechanical properties of neat and f... more The effects of temperature and moisture on flexural and thermomechanical properties of neat and filled epoxy with both multiwall carbon nanotubes (CNT), carbon nanofibers (CNF), and their hybrid components were investigated. Two regimes of environmental aging were applied: Water absorption at 70 °C until equilibrium moisture content and thermal heating at 70 °C for the same time period. Three-point bending and dynamic mechanical tests were carried out for all samples before and after conditioning. The property prediction model (PPM) was successfully applied for the prediction of the modulus of elasticity in bending of manufactured specimens subjected to both water absorption and thermal aging. It was experimentally confirmed that, due to addition of carbon nanofillers to the epoxy resin, the sorption, flexural, and thermomechanical characteristics were slightly improved compared to the neat system. Considering experimental and theoretical results, most of the epoxy composites filled...
Glass fiber reinforced polymer composites are widely used as structural materials. These two-comp... more Glass fiber reinforced polymer composites are widely used as structural materials. These two-component materials can be tailored to suit a large variety of applications. A better understanding of the properties of the fiber-matrix ''interphase'' can facilitate optimum design of the composite structure. The interphase is a microscopic region around the fiber and hence nano-scale investigation using nano-indentation techniques is appropriate to determine mechanical property variations within this region. In this study the atomic force microscope adapted with a commercial nanoindenter has been used to determine the variation of the elastic modulus across the interphase for different silane coated glass fiber reinforced polyester matrix composites. A comparative study of the elastic modulus variation in the various interphases is reported. The results are discussed in the light of the current limitations of the instrumentation and analysis.
The present investigation aims to take a step forward for the transfer of a simple laboratory ele... more The present investigation aims to take a step forward for the transfer of a simple laboratory electrochemical method of surface nano-treatment of aluminum to industrial applications. The electrochemical method has been applied to process 1050A aluminum. Surface nano-structuring has been achieved and resulted in the formation of an organized alumina nanotubes layer on commercial aluminum plates used as adherends for the manufacturing of aluminum single-lap adhesive joints. The mechanical properties of single-lap aluminum adhesive joints constructed with both non-anodized and anodized adherends were investigated and compared. Two types of epoxy resins were used to prove that the anodization of the adherends is equally effective, independently of the adhesives’ type. Furthermore, three overlap lengths were used (7, 10, and 25 mm) to study the effect of the overlap length on the overall joint mechanical response. Results of both three-point bending and tensile–shear testing showed that ...
The goal of the present investigation was to find a solution to crucial engineering aspects relat... more The goal of the present investigation was to find a solution to crucial engineering aspects related to the elaboration of multi-layered tissue-biomimicking composites. 3D printing technology was used to manufacture single-layered and gradient multi-layered 3D porous scaffolds made of poly-lactic acid (PLA). The scaffolds manufacturing process was optimized after adjusting key printing parameters. The scaffolds with 60 μm side length (square-shaped pores) showed increased stiffness values comparing to the other specimens. A silicone adhesive has been further used to join biomedical titanium plates, and the PLA scaffolds; in addition, titania nanotubes (TNTs were produced on the titanium for improved adhesion. The titanium-PLA scaffold single lap joints were evaluated in micro-tensile testing. The electrochemical processing of the titanium surface resulted in a 248% increase of the ultimate strength in the overlap area for dry specimens and 40% increase for specimens immersed in simul...
The effect of an electric field within specific intensity limits on the activity of human cells h... more The effect of an electric field within specific intensity limits on the activity of human cells has been previously investigated. However, there are a considerable number of factors that influence the in vitro development of cell populations. In biocompatibility studies, the nature of the substrate and its topography are decisive in osteoblasts bone cells development. Further on, electrical field stimulation may activate biochemical paths that contribute to a faster, more effective self-adjustment and proliferation of specific cell types on various nanosubstrates. Within the present research, an electrical stimulation device has been manufactured and optimum values of parameters that led to enhanced osteoblasts activity, with respect to the alkaline phosphatase and total protein levels, have been found. Homogeneous electric field distribution induced by a highly organized titanium dioxide nanotubes substrate had an optimum effect on cell response. Specific substrate topography in co...
Standard procedures regarding osteoblast cells deposition on different subtrates to test the bioc... more Standard procedures regarding osteoblast cells deposition on different subtrates to test the biocompatibility of materials are not available. Aspects related to cells morphology depending on their number on the surface area of the substrate were studied for the first time. Osteoblasts were successfully isolated from residual bone resulted from two different patients after total hip arthroplasty. Different numbers of osteoblasts in populations (3x104 cells/cm2, 6x104 cells/cm2, 1x105 cells/cm2) were deposited on tissue culture polystyrene for 7 and 10 days of incubation. Results suggested that the protocol of osteoblasts deposition should be adjusted to assure a fair distribution of cells on the entire available area of the substrate, possible if a very good dispersion in the medium is achieved prior to deposition. Some other key factors in cells appropriate development, such as substrate nature, topography and incubation time,were detected. The present investigation helps declaring ...
In this paper the elaboration and characterization of TiO2 nanotubes as a function of anodizing c... more In this paper the elaboration and characterization of TiO2 nanotubes as a function of anodizing conditions are studied taking into consideration electrolyte composition and voltage. The obtained results show that the nanotubes dimensions and surface features depend on elaboration conditions. The technique of surface characteristics investigation (2D and 3 D images) was atomic force microscopy which permitted roughness and porosity evaluation.
Two kinds of nanotube structures differing from the point of view of their dimensions were obtain... more Two kinds of nanotube structures differing from the point of view of their dimensions were obtained using anodizing in two different fluoride electrolytes and these structures were investigated regarding stability. The nanotubes have diameters of around 100 and 65 nm, respectively, and the testing solutions were simulated body fluids (SBF) and NaCl 0.9%. As stability experiments, cyclic voltammetry was performed and ions release was measured. The quantity of released cations in time as a kinetic aspect of passive stratum behavior was followed with an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) and apatite forming in SBF was found with infrared spectra. This study led to a comparison between the modification and the behavior of passive stratum on nanotubes as a function of their diameters.
2. EXPERIMENTAL PART Nanotubes elaboration. TiO2 self organized nanotubes structure was realized ... more 2. EXPERIMENTAL PART Nanotubes elaboration. TiO2 self organized nanotubes structure was realized in inorganic mixtures of fluoride electrolytes as NaF, NH4, F HF, (NH4)2 SO4. etc., and in a hybrid organic-inorganic structure as floride-glycerol. Monitoring a large variety of ...
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Papers by Diana V Portan