• Advanced Composite Materials
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.287-295
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• 2009

$\beta$-Tricalcium phosphate ($\beta$-TCP) particles reinforced bioresorbable plastics poly-L-lactide (PLLA) composites were prepared by injection molding. The nominal weight ratio of $\beta$-TCP was selected as 5, 10 and 15%. In order to clarify effects of the PLLA crystallinity on the mechanical properties, the specimens were heat treated isothermally. Results of differential scanning calorimetry indicated that the PLLA crystallinity increased with increasing heat treatment temperature. Bending and compressive tests were conducted on the specimen with different $\beta$-TCP contents and crystallinities. The results show that the bending and compressive moduli increased with increasing $\beta$-TCP contents and crystallinity. On the other hand, bending strength decreased with increasing $\beta$-TCP contents. Maximum bending strength was obtained at the heat treatment of $70^{\circ}C$ for 24 h, whereas compressive 0.2% proof strength increased with increasing heat treatment temperature. This difference is attributed to the difference in the microscopic damages.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2003.10b
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• pp.226.2-226.2
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• 2003

.The healing of a bone defect is complex, and involves a wide range of cellular, molecular, physiological, and biological processes. The main effect of bone substitute is to promote wound healing by induce cell proliferation. Bone defect sites usually are localized below the original bone surface; therefore, space production and maintenance between the membrane and the original bone surface is essential. As a result, membranes must have proper mechanical strength to prevent the collapse of the soft tissue and maintain wound space that permits membranes of poly (L-lactide) (PLLA) were fabricated to provide and maintain sufficient space for bone growth. (omitted)

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.464-470
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• 2006

Diblock copolymers consisting of methoxy Poly (ethylene glycol) (MPEG) and poly (${\epsilon}-ca$ prolactone) (PCL), poly(${\delta}-valerolactone$) (PVL), poly(L-lactide) (PLLA), or poly(L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) were prepared to compare the characterization of diblock copolymers as a drug carrier. MPEG-PCL, MPEG-PVL, MPEG-PLLA, and MPEG-PLGA diblock copolymers were synthesized by the ring-opening polymerization of ${\epsilon}$-caprolactone or ${\delta}$-valerolactone in the presence of $HCl{\cdot}Et_2O$ as a monomer activator at room temperature and by the ring-opening polymerization of L-lactide or a mixture of L-lactide and glycolide in the presence of stannous octoate at $130^{\circ}C$, respectively. The synthesized diblock copolymers were characterized with $^1H-NMR$, GPC, DSC, and XRD. The micellar characterization of MPEG-polyester diblock copolymers in an aqueous phase was carried out by using NMR, dynamic light scattering, AFM, and fluorescence techniques. Most micelles exhibited a spherical shape in AFM. Thus, ore confirmed that the micelles formed with MPEG-polyester diblock copolymers have possibility as a potential hydrophobic drug delivery vehicle because a hydrophobic drug could be preferentially distributed in the micelle core.

• Composites Research
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.15-26
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• 2001

Interfacial properties and microfailure degradation mechanisms of the bioabsorbable composites fur implant materials were investigated using micromechanical technique and nondestructive acoustic emission (AE). As hydrolysis time increased, the tensile strength, the modulus and the elongation of poly(ester-amide) (PEA) and bioactive glass fibers decreased, whereas these of chitosan fiber almost did not change. Interfacial shear strength (IFSS) between bioactive glass fiber and poly-L-lactide (PLLA) was much higher than PEA or chitosan fiber/PLLA systems using dual matrix composite (DMC) specimen. The decreasing rate of IFSS was the fastest in bioactive glass fiber/PLLA composites whereas that of chitosan fiber/PLLA composites was the slowest. AE amplitude and AE energy of PEA fiber decreased gradually, and their distributions became narrower than those in the initial state with hydrolysis time. In case of bioactive glass fiber, AE amplitude and AE energy in tensile failure were much higher than in compression. In addition, AE parameters at the initial state were much higher than those after degradation under both tensile and compressive tests. In this work, interfacial properties and microfailure degradation mechanisms can be important factors to control bioabsorbable composite performance.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.260-266
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• 2007

A thermophilic bacterium capable of poly (L-lactide)(PLLA) degradation was isolated from cultivating soil in Korea. The isolate was Gram positive rod-shaped bacterium, and was identified as Geobacillus caldoxylosilyticus based on the 16S rDNA sequence analysis. The strain proved to be a new PLLA degrading bacterium which has not been reported in the open literatures yet. The degradation activity of the strain was assessed in a sterilized compost inoculated with the strain under controlled compost condition at $58^{\circ}C$ for 40 days. The strain mineralized 66%, 57%, 41% and 40% of PLLA5000, PLLA11000, PLLA34000 and PLLA256000 whose weight average molecular weights were 5000, 11000, 34000 and 256000, respectively. Incorporation of 0.1% each of gelatin, yeast extract and ammonium sulfate in the compost containing PLLA256000 as a nutritional supplement raised the biodegradation activity by 27%, 13% and 10%, respectively. Increase of the inoculum size from $10^9cfu\;g^{-1}\;to\;10^{10}cfu\;g^{-1}\;and\;10^{11}cfu\;g^{-1}$ also enhanced the biodegradation activity by 14% and 20%, respectively.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.365-370
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• 2011

Electrospun nanofibers prepared with synthetic biodegradable polymer have some limitations in regulating adhesion, proliferation, and spreading of cells because of their surface hydrophobicity and absence of cell-interaction. In this study, we functionalized the electrospun poly(L-lactide-co-${\varepsilon}$-caprolactone) (PLCL) nanofibers with acrylic acid (AAc) to modulate their surface hydrophilicity using electron-beam irradiation method and then measured grafting ratio of AAc, water contact angle, and ATR-FTIR of AAc-grafted nanofibers. A grafting ratio of AAc on the nanofibers was increased as irradiation dose and AAc concentration were increased. AAc-grafted nanofibers also have higher wettability than non-modified nanofibers. In conclusion, those surface-modified nanofibers may be an essential candidate to regulate cell attachment in tissue engineering applications.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.274-281
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• 2010

In this study, PEG-PLA(or PLGA) amphiphilic di-block copolymers were synthesized by ring opening polymerization of D,L-lactide(or glycolide) and applied to polymeric micelle system for solubilization of a rosiglitazone as diabetes drug. The drug could be efficiently loaded into the polymer micelle by solid dispersion technique, and the drug-loaded micelles were characterized and evaluated as a drug delivery carrier by fluorescence spectrometer, DSC, and DLS measurements. The colloidal stability of drug loaded micelles in aqueous media could be enhanced by addition of 2-hydroxy-N-picolylnitinamide as a hydrotropic agent. The polymer micelles also showed biocompatible and nontoxic properties in vitro cell viability using MTT assay, and the drug loaded micelles were observed to be more effective than free drug for decreasing glucose in blood of rats.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.390-396
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• 2008

The hyaluronic acid (HA) polymers cross-linked with lactide (LA) using the crosslinking agent, 1,3-butadiene diepoxide (BD), were prepared in order to develop a biomedical material for tissue engineering. The degree of lactide and BD reaction of the crosslinked polymer was determined by the analysis of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Both degree of reaction and swelling ratio increased with BD concentration or LA/HA mole ratio. Tensile modulus decreased with increasing BD concentration or decreasing LA/HA mole ratio. Degradation was shown to be progressed at two different stages and became slow with increasing BD concentration. It was shown that the first stage degradation was mainly due to the decomposition of ester linkage in the crosslinked structure. The cell growth inhibition increased with BD concentration. Although cytotoxicity was slightly observed in the high BD concentration, the value was very low (below 6%) enough not to affect the cell growth.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.385-392
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• 2003

Biodegradable poly (L-lactide) (L-PLA) solution in methylene chloride was precipitated into microparticles by using supercritical carbon dioxide modified with polar cosolvents. The effects of the amount of polar cosolvents, solution concentration, temperature, and solution flow rate on the formation of microparticles were investigated. The mean particle size was found to increase with the increase of solution concentration and flow rate. It was also observed that the particle size not only increases but the size distribution also becomes less uniform as the temperature increases. The percent recovery of microparticles was found to be 30∼40% at all experimental conditions. The supercritical carbon dioxide modified with methanol and ethanol was employed to enhance the recovery, resulting in significant improvement up to about 80 and 70%, for methanol and ethanol, respectively. Furthermore, the mean diameter of L-PLA microparticles was found to be less than 1 $\mu\textrm{m}$ for both cosolvents.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.128-138
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• 2002

1,3-Bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU, Carmustine)-loaded poly(D, L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA, lactide/glycolide mole ratio 75 : 25) microparticles were prepared and fabricated into wafers in an attempt to study the possibility for the treatment of malignant glioma by direct inserting the wafers to the tumor or the cavity remained after surgical resection of the tumor. SEM observation of the microparticles prepared by spray drying method revealed that the microparticles were spherical, i. e. microspheres. Significant reduction of the crystallinity of BCNU encapsulated in PLGA was confirmed by X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry analyses of the BCNU-loaded PLGA microparticles. Release pattern of BCNU was dependent on several preparation parameters, such as the molecular weight and concentration of PLGA, and initial BCNU loading amount, etc. In vitro release of BCNU was prolonged over 8 weeks with close to zero-order release pattern after initial burst effect. Observations of morphological change of wafers and pH change of release media during release test period confirmed that hydration and degradation of PLGA would be facilitated with an increase of BCNU-loading amount.