Infection is a severe complication in chronic wounds, often leading to morbidity or mortality. Cu... more Infection is a severe complication in chronic wounds, often leading to morbidity or mortality. Current treatments rely on dressings, which frequently contain silver as a broad-spectrum antibacterial agent, although improper dosing can result in severe side effects. This work proposes a novel methylcellulose (MC)-based hydrogel designed for the topical release of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) via an intelligent mechanism activated by the pH variations in infected wounds. A preliminary optimization of the physicochemical and rheological properties of MC hydrogels allowed defining the optimal processing conditions in terms of crosslinker (citric acid) concentration, crosslinking time, and temperature. MC/AgNPs nanocomposite hydrogels were obtained via an in situ synthesis process, exploiting MC both as a capping and reducing agent. AgNPs with a 12.2 ± 2.8 nm diameter were obtained. MC hydrogels showed a dependence of the swelling and degradation behavior on both pH and temperature and a...
In this study, micro-engineered chitosan substrates were employed to investigate the compounded e... more In this study, micro-engineered chitosan substrates were employed to investigate the compounded effects of topography, roughness and stiffness on the response of DRGs and hMSCs.
Metal replacement is one of the most promising solutions in industrial appliances [1,2], both to ... more Metal replacement is one of the most promising solutions in industrial appliances [1,2], both to save money, reduce weight and increase competitiveness on market. Polymers in cooking environments are risky materials if exposed to heat and fire, and flame retardant additives and fire behaviour are key points that has to be considered before replace metals and in general in initial materials selection during appliances project and production. M. Bassoa, A. Pisellib, M. Simonatoc, L. De Nardoa
The effects of experimental variables on zirconia nanocrystal growth are investigated, correlatin... more The effects of experimental variables on zirconia nanocrystal growth are investigated, correlating the morphological transformations with phase composition in synthesized nanopowders.
The International Journal of Artificial Organs, 2018
Advances in regenerative medicine and in modern biomedical therapies are fast evolving and set go... more Advances in regenerative medicine and in modern biomedical therapies are fast evolving and set goals causing an upheaval in the field of materials science. This review discusses recent developments involving the use of biopolymers as smart materials, in terms of material properties and stimulus-responsive behavior, in the presence of environmental physico-chemical changes. An overview on the transformations that can be triggered in natural-based polymeric systems (sol–gel transition, polymer relaxation, cross-linking, and swelling) is presented, with specific focus on the benefits these materials can provide in biomedical applications.
Journal of Applied Biomaterials & Functional Materials, 2014
Purpose The accurate selection of materials and the fine tuning of their properties represent a f... more Purpose The accurate selection of materials and the fine tuning of their properties represent a fundamental aspect in the realization of new active systems able to produce actuating forces, such as artificial muscles. In this regard, exciting opportunities for the design of new advanced systems are offered by materials belonging to the emerging class of functional polymers: exploiting their actuation response, specific devices can be realized. Along this direction, materials showing either shape-memory effect (SME) or shape-change effect (SCE) have been the subject of extensive studies aimed at designing of actuators as artificial muscles. Here, we concisely review active polymers in terms of properties and main applications in artificial muscle design. Structure The main aspects related to material properties in both shape-memory polymers (SMPs) and electroactive polymers (EAPs) are reviewed, based on recent scientific literature. SME in thermally activated SMPs is presented by pre...
Electrochemical deposition is a versatile surface modification technology for the realization of ... more Electrochemical deposition is a versatile surface modification technology for the realization of advanced coatings for biomedical applications. Here, we studied the effects of bath composition on the morphology of chitosan films prepared via cathodic polarization of titanium substrates in acidic baths. Since electrocoagulation processes strongly depend on local reduction at the cathode, in turn affected by the acid/base equilibrium in solution, we examined three different water-based acid bath (1gl− 1) at different pH ranges: acetic acid ...
Osteoporosis is a well recognized problem affecting millions of individuals worldwide. The abilit... more Osteoporosis is a well recognized problem affecting millions of individuals worldwide. The ability to diagnose problems in an effective, efficient, and affordable manner and identify individuals at risk is essential. Site-specific assessment of bone mechanical properties is necessary, not only in the process of fracture risk assessment, but may also be desirable for other applications, such as making intraoperative decisions during spine and joint replacement surgeries. The present study evaluates the use of a one-dimensional granular crystal sensor to measure the elastic properties of bone at selected locations via direct mechanical contact. The granular crystal is composed of a tightly packed chain of particles that interact according to the Hertzian contact law. Such chains represent one of the simplest systems to generate and propagate highly nonlinear acoustic signals in the form of compact solitary waves. First, we investigated the sensitivity of the sensor to known variations...
Infection is a severe complication in chronic wounds, often leading to morbidity or mortality. Cu... more Infection is a severe complication in chronic wounds, often leading to morbidity or mortality. Current treatments rely on dressings, which frequently contain silver as a broad-spectrum antibacterial agent, although improper dosing can result in severe side effects. This work proposes a novel methylcellulose (MC)-based hydrogel designed for the topical release of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) via an intelligent mechanism activated by the pH variations in infected wounds. A preliminary optimization of the physicochemical and rheological properties of MC hydrogels allowed defining the optimal processing conditions in terms of crosslinker (citric acid) concentration, crosslinking time, and temperature. MC/AgNPs nanocomposite hydrogels were obtained via an in situ synthesis process, exploiting MC both as a capping and reducing agent. AgNPs with a 12.2 ± 2.8 nm diameter were obtained. MC hydrogels showed a dependence of the swelling and degradation behavior on both pH and temperature and a...
In this study, micro-engineered chitosan substrates were employed to investigate the compounded e... more In this study, micro-engineered chitosan substrates were employed to investigate the compounded effects of topography, roughness and stiffness on the response of DRGs and hMSCs.
Metal replacement is one of the most promising solutions in industrial appliances [1,2], both to ... more Metal replacement is one of the most promising solutions in industrial appliances [1,2], both to save money, reduce weight and increase competitiveness on market. Polymers in cooking environments are risky materials if exposed to heat and fire, and flame retardant additives and fire behaviour are key points that has to be considered before replace metals and in general in initial materials selection during appliances project and production. M. Bassoa, A. Pisellib, M. Simonatoc, L. De Nardoa
The effects of experimental variables on zirconia nanocrystal growth are investigated, correlatin... more The effects of experimental variables on zirconia nanocrystal growth are investigated, correlating the morphological transformations with phase composition in synthesized nanopowders.
The International Journal of Artificial Organs, 2018
Advances in regenerative medicine and in modern biomedical therapies are fast evolving and set go... more Advances in regenerative medicine and in modern biomedical therapies are fast evolving and set goals causing an upheaval in the field of materials science. This review discusses recent developments involving the use of biopolymers as smart materials, in terms of material properties and stimulus-responsive behavior, in the presence of environmental physico-chemical changes. An overview on the transformations that can be triggered in natural-based polymeric systems (sol–gel transition, polymer relaxation, cross-linking, and swelling) is presented, with specific focus on the benefits these materials can provide in biomedical applications.
Journal of Applied Biomaterials & Functional Materials, 2014
Purpose The accurate selection of materials and the fine tuning of their properties represent a f... more Purpose The accurate selection of materials and the fine tuning of their properties represent a fundamental aspect in the realization of new active systems able to produce actuating forces, such as artificial muscles. In this regard, exciting opportunities for the design of new advanced systems are offered by materials belonging to the emerging class of functional polymers: exploiting their actuation response, specific devices can be realized. Along this direction, materials showing either shape-memory effect (SME) or shape-change effect (SCE) have been the subject of extensive studies aimed at designing of actuators as artificial muscles. Here, we concisely review active polymers in terms of properties and main applications in artificial muscle design. Structure The main aspects related to material properties in both shape-memory polymers (SMPs) and electroactive polymers (EAPs) are reviewed, based on recent scientific literature. SME in thermally activated SMPs is presented by pre...
Electrochemical deposition is a versatile surface modification technology for the realization of ... more Electrochemical deposition is a versatile surface modification technology for the realization of advanced coatings for biomedical applications. Here, we studied the effects of bath composition on the morphology of chitosan films prepared via cathodic polarization of titanium substrates in acidic baths. Since electrocoagulation processes strongly depend on local reduction at the cathode, in turn affected by the acid/base equilibrium in solution, we examined three different water-based acid bath (1gl− 1) at different pH ranges: acetic acid ...
Osteoporosis is a well recognized problem affecting millions of individuals worldwide. The abilit... more Osteoporosis is a well recognized problem affecting millions of individuals worldwide. The ability to diagnose problems in an effective, efficient, and affordable manner and identify individuals at risk is essential. Site-specific assessment of bone mechanical properties is necessary, not only in the process of fracture risk assessment, but may also be desirable for other applications, such as making intraoperative decisions during spine and joint replacement surgeries. The present study evaluates the use of a one-dimensional granular crystal sensor to measure the elastic properties of bone at selected locations via direct mechanical contact. The granular crystal is composed of a tightly packed chain of particles that interact according to the Hertzian contact law. Such chains represent one of the simplest systems to generate and propagate highly nonlinear acoustic signals in the form of compact solitary waves. First, we investigated the sensitivity of the sensor to known variations...
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