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Biomedical subjects

D M Hercules

Publications and source records attributed to D M Hercules.

30 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

A freshwater bioprobe: Periostracum of the Asian Clam, Corbicula fluminea (Müller) combined with laser microprobe mass spectrometer.

A freshwater bioprobe, combining the Asiatic Clam, Corbicula fluminea (Müller) and the laser microprobe mass spectrometer (LAMMA), can determine anthropogenic chemical contamination of freshwater systems. Laser generated mass spectra from the periostracal layers of clams contaminated with either a salt, potassium bromide, or an aromatic compound, phenol, produce distinctive mass spectral signatures that are different from uncontaminated clams. Uncontaminated clams have characteristic signatures with distinctive spectral peaks less than m/z 41; while exposed clams have many strong peaks well above this m/z. This freshwater bioprobe, using LAMMA to analyze the surface of clams, can be used as a screening tool for monitoring the water-treatment systems, for determining the source of contaminated baseflow and return flow discharge to streams, and for monitoring the water chemistry of a body of water. This system exploits the facility of using the shell instead of soft tissue with the LAMMA and has potential to detect anthropogenically-derived chemical stress.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1981

Surface spectroscopic studies of Avcothane.

Avcothane is a commercially available copolymer of polyether, polyurethane, and polydimethylsiloxane; it is used primarily in aortic balloon pumps. The pumps consist of three segments which are cemented or fused together to form the balloon. The objective of this work is to characterize the surfaces, inside and outside, of the three balloon pump sections. By using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ESCA), ion scattering spectroscopy (ISS), and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) a detailed analysis of the Avcothane surfaces can be performed and comparisons between various surfaces made. Previous workers have reported ESCA and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) measurements of Avcothane and comparisons with their results will be presented. SIMS and ISS are useful analytical tools for studying polymeric biomaterials because these techniques are usually more surface sensitive than either ESCA or AES. SIMS and ISS data indicate that a thin fluorine-rich film (probably a fluorocarbon polymer) is present on the Avcothane surface. Signals from the fluorine-rich layer are more intense from the inside of the balloon pump and the intensity generally decreases from top to bottom. The outside sections of the aortic balloon pump also show the presence of fluorine, but the signals are far less intense than from the inside. One possible explanation for the fluorine-rich layer is that a fluorine-containing compound is deposited on the balloon pump during molding and preparation. Another possibility is that the layer is deposited during preparation of the Avcothane itself, but is essentially removed from the outside during sterilization.

Assisted Circulation↗
PubMed1981

Surface spectroscopic studies of Biomer.

The objective of this work was to determine whether there is a significant difference in composition between the air facing and mold facing sides of Biomer and to see if the mold itself affects the polymer surface. A detailed analysis of Biomer was undertaken using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ESCA), secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), and low energy ion scattering spectroscopy (ISS). Previous workers have used FTIR and ESCA to study Biomer and comparisons with their results will be discussed. Because of the increase in surface sensitivity SIMS and ISS can be valuable tools for studying polymeric materials. SIMS has been used to identify the structure of the Biomer air and mold facing surfaces from both glass and nickel molds. ESCA and ISS have indicated the presence of a silicon contaminant on the air and mold facing surfaces and SIMS has shown that the form of the silicon contaminant is probably a polysiloxane.

Air↗
PubMed1978

Fluorine and tin uptake by enamel studied by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ESCA).

ESCA has been combined with argon-ion etching to obtain depth profiles for SnF2-treated enamel. Three zones of products from the topical treatment are detected: a layer of tin oxide on the surface; fluoroapatite + hydroxyapatite at depths below about 0.2 micron; an intermediate layer CaF2, Sn(OH)2, Sn2PO4OH, and fluoroapatite between the two. Sn3F3PO4 was not detected.

Argon↗
PubMed1975

Ultrathin coating by plasma polymerization applied to corneal contact lens.

Plasma coating (deposition of polymer under the influence of plasma) is utilized to modify the surface properties of corneal contact lens. An ultrathin layer (thickness of roughly 200 A) of plasma polymer of acetylene/H20/N2 is applied to poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) corneal contact lenses. The surface becomes highly wettable with water compared to uncoated lens. When coated and uncoated contact lenses are placed on rabbit eyes, a remarkable difference in accumulation of mucous matter is observed. With the control lenses, the accumulation of mucous matter in a week is sufficient to affect the optical clarity of the lenses, whereas the coated lenses show no change after three months continuous wearing. The comparative degree of adhesion of the corneal epithelium cells onto glass, modified glass, PMMA, and coated PMMA surfaces is studied using tissue cultures and phase contrast microscopy. The coated PMMA surface exhibits a degree of tissue adhesion lower than that of control PMMA and higher than that of glass surface, and no sign of toxicity of the coated surface is observed by the tissue cultures.

Acetylene↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Composition of fluoridated dental enamel studied by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ESCA).

A combination of ESCA and argon-ion etching has been shown to be effective in determining the surface and subsurface composition of dental enamel. The heavy organic coating on enamel has been investigated. Beneath this coating, untreated enamel was found to have invariant phosphorus and calcuim concentrations over the region surface. The surface of enamel treated with an acid phosphate-fluoride gel was shown to be almost entirely connected to calcium fluoride. A phosphate species, noncalcium and possibly a sodium salt, was found to be present in the surface layer. At a depth lower than about 60 nm, there was a gradual increase in phosphorus concentration that approached the value for untreated enamel with increasing depth. The increasing phosphorus and decreasing fluorine concentrations were primarily caused by the increasing concentration of unreacted hydroxyapatite. These results have shown that ESCA coupled with argon-ion etching, can be used effectively to examine the surface and subsurface composition of dental enamel. The surface sensitivity, ability to strip thin layers of material, sensitivity to low atomic weight elements, and ability to differentiate between different oxidation states makes a combination of these two techniques extremely useful for dental research.

Acetates↗