Incomplete encapsulation

Density of the core material can negatively affect some encapsulation processes. For example, increasing differences in shell and core material density for a coextrusion process may result in incomplete encapsulation of the core material, or off-centered cores. Density can also be a concern with emulsion-based processes, as a stable suspension is typically required during the formation of a shell or matrix. Density modification can be used to balance the core and shell systems to improve encapsulation efficiency. 

The electrochemical insulation of the enzyme-active site by its protein or glycoprotein shell usually precludes the possibility of any direct electron-transfer with bulk electrodes [15]. However, under carefully controlled conditions, some enzymes can exhibit direct, nonmediated electrical communication with electrode supports, and biocatalytic transformations can be driven by these processes [16, 17]. For example, the direct electroreduction of O2 and H2O2 biocatalyzed by laccase [18] and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) [19], respectively, have been demonstrated. This unusually facile electronic contacting is believed to be the consequence of incompletely encapsulated redox centers. When these enzymes are properly orientated at the electrode surface, the electrodeactive site distance is short enough for the electron-transfer to proceed relatively unencumbered. Direct electron communication between enzyme-active sites and electrodes may also be facilitated by the nanoscale morphology of the electrode. The modification of electrodes with metal nanoparticles allows the tailoring of surfaces with features that can penetrate close enough to the enzyme active site to make direct electron-transfer possible [20, 21]. 

In RPs, insufficient compaction and consolidation before plastic solidification or cure will result in air pockets, incomplete wet-out and encapsulation of the fibers, and/or insufficient fiber or uniform fiber content. These deficiencies lead to loss of strength and stiffness and susceptibility to deterioration by water and aggressive agents. 

Flame combustion calorimetry in oxygen is used to measure the enthalpies of combustion of gases and volatile liquids at constant pressure [54,90]. Some highly volatile liquids (e.g., n-pentane [91]) have also been successfully studied by static-bomb combustion calorimetry. In general, however, the latter technique is much more difficult to apply to these substances than flame combustion calorimetry. In bomb combustion calorimetry, the sample is burned in the liquid state and must be enclosed in a container prior to combustion. Encapsulation may be difficult, because it is necessary to minimize the amount of vaporized compound inside the container as much as possible. In addition, volatile liquids tend to burn violently under a pressure of 3.04 MPa of oxygen, which leads to incomplete combustion. These problems are avoided in flame combustion calorimetry, where the sample is carried to the combustion zone as a vapor and burned under controlled conditions at atmospheric pressure. 

Fig. 7.5 (a) Typical SEM image of the nanoscaie with encapsulated, silver nanowires. The insert shows an incompletely drilled tube with a pentagonal cross-section, (b) TEM image of typical silver-carbon nanocables formed after treating at 160 °C for 12 h 5 g starch, 5 mmoi AgN03, pH 4. 

Practically all available iodinated extracellular X-ray contrast agents have been encapsulated into liposomes using different lipids and methods of preparation. Table 1 gives a short and intentionally incomplete overview of some of the approaches. The first liposomal contrast agent preparation that was tested in humans contained diatrizoate [48]. The injected dose was up to 0.5 ml kg k The preparation was effective even in plain radiography where lesions down to 0.8-1.0 cm could be detected in patients. However, adverse events such as fever and hyperthermia, which occurred in 30% of the patients, limited further use. We have incorporated iopromide into MLVs that were prepared from phosphatidyl choline (PC), cholesterol and stearic acid at a molar ratio of 4 5 1 using the ethanol-evaporation technique [44]. The liposomes can be stored freeze-dried and they are reconstituted before use by... 

Since this process depends on the stoichiometry of the reactants, sufficient amounts of EDA must be present to produce fully solidified polymer particles. Incomplete reactions yielded a polyurethane shell, which on the removal of unreacted liquid in the core by evaporation resulted in hollow particles (68). It would appear that the solid encapsulating polymer inhibits the diffusion of EDA into the rest of the original droplet. 

Comparing the three substrates that were plasma-coated in this study, it has become clear that silica is very easy to encapsulate with a plasma coating, whereas carbon black is difficult to treat because of its inert chemical surface structure. Sulfur is also more difficult to handle, but in this case the incomplete coating is an advantage because the sulfur has to be released from the encapsulation shell in order to be efficient as curing agent. In all cases, the polarity of the substrate is reduced. 

An important distinction must be made between the humoral response to a pure, capsular polysaccharide, and to the same polysaccharide when it is an integral part of the bacterium. Thus, the immunity received on recovery from infection by encapsulated bacteria, in terms of the polysaccharide antigen, differs from that generated by purposeful immunization with purified capsular-polysaccharide vaccines. Fortunately, with the exception of infants, the polysaccharide vaccines still stimulate protective-antibody levels in humans, despite these differences. In infants, due to the immature nature of their immune systems, these polysaccharide vaccines are of only marginal benefit.7 Some insights into the nature of these different responses in humans can be found in studies on the cellular basis of the immune response to polysaccharides. However, for the purposes of this Chapter, it would be inappropriate to provide a lengthy description of this incompletely understood mechanism in-depth reviews of this burgeoning field of research can be referred to.144-147,162-166... 

It is evident that this classification is incomplete, and as new data become available, more groups and subgroups of encapsulating ligands will be included. 

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