Atopic
dermatitis (eczema) is a widespread disorder, with researchers
constantly looking for more efficacious treatments. Natural oils are
reported to be an effective therapy for dry skin, and medical textiles
can be used as an alternative or supporting therapy. In this study,
fibrous membranes from poly(vinyl butyral-co-vinyl alcohol-co-vinyl
acetate) (PVB) with low and high molecular weights were manufactured
to obtain nano- and micrometer fibers
via
electrospinning
for the designed patches used as oil carriers for atopic skin treatment.
The biocompatibility of PVB patches was analyzed using proliferation
tests and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which combined with
a focused ion beam (FIB) allowed for the 3D visualization of patches.
The oil spreading tests with evening primrose, black cumin seed, and
borage were verified with cryo-SEM, which showed the advantage nanofibers
have over microfibers as carriers for low-viscosity oils. The skin
tests expressed the usability and the enhanced oil delivery performance
for electrospun patches. We demonstrate that through the material
nano- and microstructure, commercially available polymers such as
PVB have great potential to be deployed as a biomaterial in medical
applications, such as topical treatments for chronic skin conditions.
In this study, large-scale molecular dynamic simulations were performed to analyze the dislocation substructure interaction with various types of obstacles present in microalloyed steels during severe plastic deformation. Specifically, fully functional numerical models of the atomic upsetting test were developed, with particular emphasis on the presence of precipitates inside the microstructure grains. The obtained results compared with the microstructural tests, performed using Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) techniques, allowed for a more accurate assessment of the microstructure refinement mechanisms by means of the in-situ recrystallization effect in the deformed samples subjected to the multi-axis compression using the MaxStrain system (Dynamic Systems Inc., New York, NY, USA).
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