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Full-Text Articles in Biomaterials
Development Of An Injectable Methylcellulose Hydrogel System For Nucleus Pulposus Repair And Regeneration, Nada A. Haq-Siddiqi
Development Of An Injectable Methylcellulose Hydrogel System For Nucleus Pulposus Repair And Regeneration, Nada A. Haq-Siddiqi
Dissertations and Theses
Low back pain is the most common cause of disability in the world and is often caused by degeneration or injury of the intervertebral disc (IVD). The IVD is a complex, fibrocartilaginous tissue that allows for the wide range of spinal mobility. Disc degeneration is a progressive condition believed to begin in the central, gelatinous nucleus pulposus (NP) region of the tissue, for which there are few preventative therapies. Current therapeutic strategies include pain management and exercise, or surgical intervention such as spinal fusion, none of which address the underlying cause of degeneration. With an increasingly aging population, the socioeconomic …
Molecular Dynamics Investigation Of The Arabinan-Cellulose Interface For Cellulose Nanocomposite Applications, Luke Thornley
Molecular Dynamics Investigation Of The Arabinan-Cellulose Interface For Cellulose Nanocomposite Applications, Luke Thornley
Materials Engineering
Atom level computer simulations of the arabinan and cellulose interface were performed to better understand the mechanisms that give arabinan-cellulose composites (ArCCs) their strength with the goal to improve man-made ArCCs. The molecular dynamics (MD) software LAMMPS was used in conjunction with the ReaxFF/c force field to model the bond between cellulose and arabinan. A cellulose nanocrystal with dimensions 51 x 32 x 8 Å was minimized with various weight percent of water, 0%, 3%, 5%, 8%, 10%, and 12%. After the system was equilibrated for at least 100,000 femtoseconds, an arabinan molecule composed of 8 arabinose rings was added …