Higher solid contents (20 % and 40 %) nanocomposites of poly (styrene-co-butyl acrylate) including higher content of Cloisite 30B (7 wt% and 10 wt %) were prepared via miniemulsion polymerization. Stability of the final latexes proved outstanding combination of polymerization procedure and surfactants. Morphological studies revealed by TEM, SAX and XRD showed three structures of core-shell, arm...

The mechanical fracture of polymer produces polymeric free radical chain-ends, by which liner block copolymers have been synthesized. A diblock copolymer of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and poly 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (pHEMA) was produced by the mechanochemical polymerization under vacuum and room temperature. The fraction of pHEMA in MCC-block-pHEMA produced by the mechanochemical pol...

Two-photon polymerization has developed as a powerful tool for making micro- and nanoscale structures for regenerative medicine applications. This review discusses micro- and nanoscale aspects of tissue engineering, which are followed by a brief description of the two-photon polymerization process and how it has been used thus far in tissue engineering and other regenerative medicine applicatio...

Our long-term research goal is to understand and exploit the natural biochemical properties of the fibrinogen/fibrin system for greater control of fibrin polymerization and degradation. In R21EB008463, we hypothesized that a fibrin knob fusion with thermo-responsive elastin-like peptide repeats will bind to fibrinogen polymerization pockets and prevent polymerization in a temperature-dependent ...

The polymerization of thrombin and ancrod fibrin monomers was studied with a standardized technique that evaluated turbidity changes and protein incorporation into the clot. Ancrod fibrin monomers were found to polymerize more slowly and form less turbid clots (at identical protein concentrations). Changes in ionic strength and pH influences ancrod fibrin monomer polymerization to a greater ext...

Ring-expansion metathesis polymerization (REMP) mediated by recently developed cyclic Ru catalysts has been studied in detail with a focus on the polymer products obtained under varied reaction conditions and catalyst architectures. Depending upon the nature of the catalyst structure, two distinct molecular weight evolutions were observed. Polymerization conducted with catalysts bearing six-car...

For the emergence of early life, the formation of biopolymers such as RNA is essential. However, the addition of nucleotide monomers to existing oligonucleotides requires millimolar concentrations. Even in such optimistic settings, no polymerization of RNA longer than about 20 bases could be demonstrated. How then could self-replicating ribozymes appear, for which recent experiments suggest a m...

Measurement of polymerization degree of condensed phosphates was examined by solid-state NMR. Broad peaks of the NMR of endand middle-PO4 groups of condensed phosphates were observed at about 1 and -20 ppm, respectively. The NMR. peak area ratio (Ro) of middle-PO4 group to end-PO4 group has the following relation with the polymerization degree (n) of polyphosphate: Ro (middle-PO4/end-PO4) = (n-...

The inhibitory effect of ketotifen on platelet activating factor (PAF)-induced actin polymerization in a human eosinophilic leukaemia cell line, EoL-1, was examined by flow cytometry with the use of reagents specific for the filamentous form of actin (F-actin). Actin polymerization has been considered to be essential for locomotion of cells, chemotaxis and chemokinesis, and thus it reflects the...

Wild-type actin and a mutant actin were isolated from yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and the polymerization properties were examined at pH 8.0 and 20 degrees C. The polymerization reaction was followed either by an increase in pyrene-labeled actin fluorescence or by a decrease in intrinsic fluorescence in the absence of pyrene-labeled actin. While similar to the properties of skeletal muscle ...