Mimicking exposures to acute and lifetime concentrations of inhaled silver nanoparticles by two different in vitro approaches

• Fabian Herzog,
• Kateryna Loza,
• Sandor Balog,
• Martin J. D. Clift,
• Matthias Epple,
• Peter Gehr,
• Alke Petri-Fink and
• Barbara Rothen-Rutishauser

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 1357–1370, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.149

• , resulting in increased surface concentrations of 1.7, 3.4, and 5.1 µg Ag/cm2. Therefore, the two exposure scenarios could be compared due to similar mass deposition on the lung cells surface. Cell morphology and particle uptake The cell morphology was studied with laser scanning microscopy (LSM) (Figure 2

• ; Sigma-Aldrich) served as positive control to induce the release of TNF-α and IL-8, respectively. Laser scanning microscopy As described in [44], the triple cell co-cultures were fixed on the cell culture insert with 3% paraformaldehyde in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) for 15 min at room temperature

Dry friction of microstructured polymer surfaces inspired by snake skin

• Martina J. Baum,
• Lars Heepe,
• Elena Fadeeva and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 1091–1103, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.122

• elevated, so the snake can generate propulsion due to the interlocking of its microstructure with surface asperities. The results of the study of the snake skin’s microstructure by using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) showed that the anisotropic geometry of the

Fibrillar adhesion with no clusterisation: Functional significance of material gradient along adhesive setae of insects

• Stanislav N. Gorb and
• Alexander E. Filippov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 837–845, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.95

• revealed by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). This gradient is hypothesized to be an evolutionary optimization enhancing adaptation of adhesive pads to rough surfaces, while simultaneously preventing setal clusterisation. Such an optimisation presumably increases the performance of the adhesive