scholarly journals A Review of the Responses of Two- and Three-Dimensional Engineered Tissues to Electric Fields

2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 167-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Hronik-Tupaj ◽  
David L. Kaplan

Over most of each active region in nematic and chiral nematic twist cells the motion and configuration of the liquid crystal layer does not vary appreciably with position parallel to the surfaces. In such laminar regions the statics, dynamics and optics ot the cell can be accurately simulated at low cost on a computer of moderate size, given the appropriate physical parameters. Methods and recent advances in simulation of laminar regions are reviewed. Bistable twist cells are simulated for illustration. Important problems of stability and edge effects in the presence of electric fields await solution with two- or three-dimensional simulations.


2017 ◽  
pp. 1133-1164
Author(s):  
Snežana S. Ilić-Stojanović ◽  
Ljubiša B. Nikolić ◽  
Vesna D. Nikolić ◽  
Slobodan D. Petrović

The latest development in the field of smart hydrogels application as drugs carriers is shown in this chapter. Hydrogels are three-dimensional polymer network consisting of at least one hydrophilic monomer. They are insoluble in water, but in the excess presence of water or physiological fluids, swell to the equilibrium state. The amount of absorbed water depends on the chemical composition and the crosslinking degree of 3D hydrogel network and reaches over 1000% of the xerogel weight. Stimuli-responsive hydrogels exhibit significant change of their properties (swelling, color, transparency, conductivity, shape) due to small changes in the external environment conditions (pH, ionic strength, temperature, light wavelength, magnetic or electric fields, ultrasound, or a combination thereof). This smart hydrogels, with different physical and chemical properties, chemical structure and technology of obtaining, show great potential for application in the pharmaceutical industry. The application of smart hydrogels is very promising and at the beginning of the development and exploitation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 471-482
Author(s):  
Jean-Daniel Malcor ◽  
Emma J Hunter ◽  
Natalia Davidenko ◽  
Daniel V Bax ◽  
Ruth Cameron ◽  
...  

Abstract Porous biomaterials which provide a structural and biological support for cells have immense potential in tissue engineering and cell-based therapies for tissue repair. Collagen biomaterials that can host endothelial cells represent promising tools for the vascularization of engineered tissues. Three-dimensional collagen scaffolds possessing controlled architecture and mechanical stiffness are obtained through freeze–drying of collagen suspensions, followed by chemical cross-linking which maintains their stability. However, cross-linking scaffolds renders their biological activity suboptimal for many cell types, including human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), by inhibiting cell–collagen interactions. Here, we have improved crucial HUVEC interactions with such cross-linked collagen biomaterials by covalently coupling combinations of triple-helical peptides (THPs). These are ligands for collagen-binding cell-surface receptors (integrins or discoidin domain receptors) or secreted proteins (SPARC and von Willebrand factor). THPs enhanced HUVEC adhesion, spreading and proliferation on 2D collagen films. THPs grafted to 3D-cross-linked collagen scaffolds promoted cell survival over seven days. This study demonstrates that THP-functionalized collagen scaffolds are promising candidates for hosting endothelial cells with potential for the production of vascularized engineered tissues in regenerative medicine applications.


2006 ◽  
Vol 24 (10) ◽  
pp. 2519-2532
Author(s):  
H. F. Parish ◽  
L. R. Lyons

Abstract. Observations of neutral winds from rocket release experiments within the premidnight and postmidnight substorm recovery phase aurora, show very large E-region neutral winds of several hundred m/s, where winds measured on the dusk side are even larger than those on the dawn side. These large winds are also associated with strong shears, and there is evidence that some of the regions below these shears may be unstable. The mechanisms which generate this strong vertical structure are not well understood. It is also not known whether the acceleration conditions in the pre and post midnight sectors of the aurora may produce significantly different neutral responses on the dawn and dusk sides. Simulations have been performed using a three-dimensional high resolution limited area thermosphere model to try to understand the neutral structure within the dawn and dusk side aurora. When simulations are performed using auroral forcing alone, for equivalent conditions within the dawn and dusk sectors, differences are found in the simulated response on each side. When measured values of auroral forcing parameters, and background winds and tides consistent with recent observations, are used as model inputs, some of the main features of the zonal and meridional wind observations are reproduced in the simulations, but the magnitude of the peak zonal wind around 140 km tends to be too small and the maximum meridional wind around 130 km is overestimated. The winds above 120 km altitude are found to be sensitive to changes in electric fields and ion densities, as was the case for the dawn side, but the effects of background winds and tides on the magnitudes of the winds above 120 km are found to be relatively small on the dusk side. The structure below 120 km appears to be related mainly to background winds and tides rather than auroral forcing, as was found in earlier studies on the dawn side, although the peak magnitudes of simulated wind variations in the 100 to 120 km altitude range are smaller than those observed. The source of the strong shears measured around 110 km altitude on the dusk side is uncertain, but may be related to different kinds of oscillations, such as gravity waves, non migrating semidiurnal tides, or secondary oscillations produced by non linear interactions between waves.


2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Peratta ◽  
Andres Peratta ◽  
Dragan Poljak

The paper introduces a three dimensional multidomainboundary element model of a pregnant woman and foetus for the analysis of exposure to high voltage extremely low frequency electric fields. The definition of the differentphysical and geometrical properties of the relevant tissues is established according to medical information available in existing literature. The model takes into account changes in geometry, body mass, body fat, and overall chemical composition in the body which influence the electrical properties, throughout the different gestational periods. The developed model is used to solve the case of exposure to overhead power transmission lines at different stages of pregnancy including weeks 8, 13, 26 and 38. The results obtained are in line with those published in the earlier works considering different approaches. In addition, a sensitivity analysis involving varying scenarios of conductivity, foetus postures and geometry for each stage is defined and solved. Finally, a correlation between the externally applied electric field and the current density inside the foetus is established and the zones of maximum exposure are identified.


2007 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 1311-1322 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. B. Cosgrove

Abstract. It has recently been shown, by computation of the linear growth rate, that midlatitude sporadic-E (Es) layers are subject to a large scale electrodynamic instability. This instability is a logical candidate to explain certain frontal structuring events, and polarization electric fields, which have been observed in Es layers by ionosondes, by coherent scatter radars, and by rockets. However, the original growth rate derivation assumed an infinitely thin Es layer, and therefore did not address the short wavelength cutoff. Also, the same derivation ignored the effects of F region loading, which is a significant wavelength dependent effect. Herein is given a generalized derivation that remedies both these short comings, and thereby allows a computation of the wavelength dependence of the linear growth rate, as well as computations of various threshold conditions. The wavelength dependence of the linear growth rate is compared with observed periodicities, and the role of the zeroth order meridional wind is explored. A three-dimensional paper model is used to explain the instability geometry, which has been defined formally in previous works.


2007 ◽  
Vol 135 (7) ◽  
pp. 2525-2544 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric C. Bruning ◽  
W. David Rust ◽  
Terry J. Schuur ◽  
Donald R. MacGorman ◽  
Paul R. Krehbiel ◽  
...  

Abstract On 28–29 June 2004 a multicellular thunderstorm west of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was probed as part of the Thunderstorm Electrification and Lightning Experiment field program. This study makes use of radar observations from the Norman, Oklahoma, polarimetric Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler, three-dimensional lightning mapping data from the Oklahoma Lightning Mapping Array (LMA), and balloon-borne vector electric field meter (EFM) measurements. The storm had a low flash rate (30 flashes in 40 min). Four charge regions were inferred from a combination of LMA and EFM data. Lower positive charge near 4 km and midlevel negative charge from 4.5 to 6 km MSL (from 0° to −6.5°C) were generated in and adjacent to a vigorous updraft pulse. Further midlevel negative charge from 4.5 to 6 km MSL and upper positive charge from 6 to 8 km (from −6.5° to −19°C) were generated later in quantity sufficient to initiate lightning as the updraft decayed. A negative screening layer was present near the storm top (8.5 km MSL, −25°C). Initial lightning flashes were between lower positive and midlevel negative charge and started occurring shortly after a cell began lofting hydrometeors into the mixed phase region, where graupel was formed. A leader from the storm’s first flash avoided a region where polarimetric radar suggested wet growth and the resultant absence of noninductive charging of those hydrometeors. Initiation locations of later flashes that propagated into the upper positive charge tracked the descending location of a polarimetric signature of graupel. As the storm decayed, electric fields greater than 160 kV m−1 exceeded the minimum threshold for lightning initiation suggested by the hypothesized runaway breakdown process at 5.5 km MSL, but lightning did not occur. The small spatial extent (≈100 m) of the large electric field may not have been sufficient to allow runaway breakdown to fully develop and initiate lightning.


2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Bahukudumbi ◽  
Michael A. Bevan ◽  
Ali Beskok

Clustering of colloidal particles near an electrode surface during and after electrophoretic deposition has been reported in the literature [1, 2, 3, 4]. The aggregation of colloidal particles has made the precise assembly of two and three dimensional colloidal crystals possible. In this paper, we demonstrate the use of external electric fields to sensitively tune the interactions between colloidal particles to form ordered structures. The directed assembly of colloidal particles on patterned electrode surfaces is also investigated as a means of building three-dimensional nanostructures. Finally, a new method to map potential energy landscapes of templated substrates using a diffusing colloidal particle as a sensitive local energy probe is described.


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