Biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) scaffolds have been widely used in orthopedic and dental fields as osteoconductive bone substitutes. However, BCP scaffolds are not satisfactory for the stimulation of osteogenic differentiation and maturation. To enhance osteogenic differentiation, we prepared alendronate- (ALN-) eluting BCP scaffolds. The coating of ALN on BCP scaffolds was confirmed by scanni...

AlN thin films were grown on HF-etched Si~111! substrates at 400– 600 °C by plasma source molecular beam epitaxy. Reflection high energy electron diffraction and transmission electron microscopy studies show that AlN films grown at 400 °C form an initial amorphous region at the interface, followed by c-axis oriented columnar grains with slightly different tilts and twists. AlN films grown at 60...

Piezoelectric aluminum nitride thin films were deposited on aluminum-molybdenum (AlMo) metallic nanocomposites using reactive DC sputtering at room temperature. The effect of sputtering parameters on film properties was assessed. A comparative study between AlN grown on AlMo and pure aluminum showed an equivalent (002) crystallographic texture. The piezoelectric coefficients were measured to be...

INTRODUCTION: Alendronate (Aln) is a bisphosphonate agent that has been widely used for the treatment of osteoporosis. Recently, several studies have suggested an association between long-term use of Aln and the occurrence of low-energy subtrochanteric/femoral shaft (ST/FS) fractures. Previous studies described characteristic imaging features of this atypical fracture including transverse orien...

Influence of sapphire pretreatment conditions on crystalline quality of AlN epilayers has been investigated by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). Compared to alumination treatment, it is found that appropriate sapphire nitridation significantly straightens the surface atomic terraces and decreases the X-ray diffraction (0002) full width at half maximum (FWHM) to a minimum of 55 ar...

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common bacterial infections in febrile children, especially in those aged 2 years or younger. The association between UTI and congenital abnormalities, like vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), may put children at high risk for acute pyelonephritis (APN) and subsequent renal scarring. Moreover, it has been believed that post-pyelonephritic renal scarring...

Osteoporosis leads to increased bone fragility, thus effective approaches enhancing bone strength are needed. Hence, this study investigated the effect of single or combined application of high-frequency (HF) loading through whole body vibration (WBV) and alendronate (ALN) on the mechanical competence of ovariectomy-induced osteoporotic bone. Thirty-four female Wistar rats were ovariectomized (...

We describe the design and characterization of a potent human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) nucleocapsid gene-specific small interfering RNA (siRNA), ALN-RSV01. In in vitro RSV plaque assays, ALN-RSV01 showed a 50% inhibitory concentration of 0.7 nM. Sequence analysis of primary isolates of RSV showed that the siRNA target site was absolutely conserved in 89/95 isolates, and ALN-RSV01 demon...

Record-low sheet-resistance of $ 128 O=sq have been obtained in two-dimensional electron gases at ultrathin single AlN/GaN heterojunctions by optimizing the metal fluxes used in molecular beam epitaxy growth. Multiple 2DEGs have been found in AlN/GaN superlattices, with the net electron density measured 4 1 Â 10 14 cm À2 at room temperature. This very high electron density also leads to a furth...