This study examines the behavior of stearic acid (SA) and 12-hydroxystearic acid (12-HSA) aqueous mixtures as a function of temperature and 12-HSA/SA molar ratio (R). Whatever R, the system exhibits a morphological transition at a given threshold temperature, from multilamellar self-assemblies at low temperature towards small micelles at high temperature, as shown by a combination of transmittance measurements, Wide Angle X-ray diffraction (WAXS), small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) experiments. Such transition originates from the melting of the crystallized fatty acids within the lamellar phase. The precise determination of the threshold temperature, which ranges between 20°C and 50°C depending on R, allows for the construction of the whole phase diagram of the system as a function of R. At high temperature the micelles that are formed are oblate for pure SA solutions (R = 0) and prolate for pure 12-HSA solution (R = 1). In the case of mixtures, there is a progressive continuous transition from oblate to prolate shape when increasing R, with micelles that are almost purely spherical for R = 0.33.

The efficacy and safety of organic UV-filters could benefit from their incorporation into lipid nanoparticles because of the ability of such carriers to reflect solar radiations, thus acting synergically as physical sunscreens. In this work, bemotrizinol (BMTZ), a broad-spectrum UV-filter, was loaded into nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) whose lipid matrix contained different oils to assess the effects of the lipid core composition on the properties of the resulting NLC. Subsequently, the effects of incorporating different concentrations of optimized BMTZ-loaded NLC on the technological properties of O/W emulsions (pH, viscosity, spreadability, occlusion factor, in vitro BMTZ release and skin permeation, in vitro sun protection factor) were assessed. Optimized BMTZ-loaded NLC showed mean size=190.6±9.8 nm, PDI=0.153±0.013, ζ-potential=-10.6±1.7 mV, loading capacity=8% w/w. The incorporation of increasing concentrations of optimized BMTZ-loaded into emulsions provided slight increase of spreadability, lower viscosity and no change of pH, occlusion factor and BMTZ release compared to the control. No BMTZ skin permeation was observed from all formulations. About 20% increase of sun protection factor values was obtained for vehicles containing BMTZ-loaded NLC. Therefore, BMTZ-loaded NLC incorporation into emulsions could be a promising strategy to develop safer and more effective sunscreen formulations.

Fluorescent labels, especially FRET probes, are promising tools for studying a number of bio-chemical processes. In this paper, we promoted 2 important applications of FRET probes (MUTMAC-R6G and FITC-R6G): i) the formation of micelles from surfactants of various natures and polymers (chitosan – fatty acid), as well as ii) monitoring of enzymatic activity with improved parameters (increased analytical signal and improved selectivity due to shift to the long-wavelength region). The formation of micelles is accompanied by the convergence of fluorophores in the hydrophobic micelle core by a distance closer than in the buffer solution, thus r/R0 (where R0 – Foerster radius) is chosen as an analytical signal of micelle formation, including critical micelle concentration (CMC) and critical pre-micelle concentration (CPMC). The CMC values calculated using FRET probes are in a good agreement with literature data. At the same time, the r/R0 function provides valuable information about the nature and mechanism of micelle formation. With the second analytical application of FRET probes, we considered the optimization of techniques for studying enzymatic activity. The enzyme catalyses the reaction with the release of a fluorescent product, the signal from which may not be enough for detection, or it may be quenched, for example, in the reverse micelles (AOT-octane). Here we have proposed a solution – a FRET probe containing a rhodamine 6G (R6G) acceptor, which allows us to monitor the enzymatic reaction selectively (in the red region, 550-600 nm), and obtain a significantly higher fluorescence yield (potentially from 10 to 250 times). Thus, we have demonstrated a high potential for the FRET probes application as indicators of micelle formation as well as for the study of the enzyme catalytic activity. In the future, the method developed has prospects for application in the visualization of the enzyme functioning in cells due to the shift of the fluorescence signal to the long-wavelength region with an increase in the signal selectivity to suppress autofluorescence.

Phyllanthus emblica (P. emblica) has been described in many studies to have multiple therapeutic activities and is considered an important part of Ayurvedic and Unani medicinal systems. This study successfully synthesized P. emblica loaded polyvinylalcohol/gelatin based cryogels (PVA/Gel/P.emblica) to examine their potential in wound dressing applications. Swelling tests, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and morphology analysis were conducted within the scope of characterization studies. In vitro cell culture studies were performed using HaCaT cells to illustrate the suitability of the synthesized cryogels as wound dressing material. The swelling tests and BET analysis results showed that swelling and surface area properties of cryogels increased with increasing P. emblica amounts. Morphological results displayed that the cryogels had a dense, interconnected pore morphology and a macroporous structure. 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), trypan blue exclusion and live-dead assay results revealed that adding of P. emblica into cryogels led to enhanced cell proliferation, increased cell number, and improved cell viability. Based on the phase contrast microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM), immunofluorescence and giemsa staining images, it was observed that P. emblica promoted cell attachment, proliferation and penetration. In conclusion, it has been shown that PVA/Gel/P.emblica cryogels are suitable for use as wound dressing materials and can be developed with further studies.

Today, polymeric Drug Delivery Systems (DDS) appear as an interesting solution against bacterial resistance, having great advantages such as low toxicity, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. In this work, two polyketones (PK) have been post-functionalized with taurinate (PKT) or sulfanilate (PKSK) and employed as biocompatible carriers for Vancomycin against bacterial infections. Mod-ified PKs were easily prepared by Paal-Knorr reaction and loaded with Vancomycin at variable pH. All polymers were characterized by FT-IR, DSC, TGA, SEM and elemental analysis. Antimicrobial activity was tested against Gram positive Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and correlated to the different pH used for its loading (between 2.3 and 8.8). Distinctively, minimum inhibitory con-centrations achieved with PKT and PKSK loaded with Vancomycin are similar, 0.23μg/mL and 0.24μg/mL respectively, i.e. six times lower that Vancomycin alone. The use of post-functionalized aliphatic polyketones has thus been demonstrated to be a promising way to obtain very efficient polymeric DDS.

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease which results in the destruction of the tooth’ s supporting tissues and the alveolar bone resorption. The complement becomes a major link between infection and inflammatory pathology including periodontitis. Gingipians as important virulence factors of P. gingivalis have the activity of C5 convertase, could cleave C5 into fully functional C5a to activate C5aR. The above process could be blocked by the C5aR antagonist (PMX-53) to suppress local periodontal inflammation, and then achieves the purpose of treatment of periodontitis. Nanoparticles incorporated within gelatin are promising carrier system for drug delivery in recent years. This study aimed to investigate whether gelatin nanoparticles loaded with PMX-53 prevents alveolar bone resorption in miniature swines model of periodontitis. Four miniature swines were placed ligatures around the maxillary and mandibular fourth premolar and first molar on both sides for seven weeks to induce periodontitis. Then, animals were assigned randomly to four groups: minocycline-treated group, gelatin with PMX53-treated group, gelatin-treated group and a sham control group. They were treated with 1ml related drugs respectively, into gingival sulcusl for 4 times at one-week intervals. We showed that local treatments with gelatin nanoparticles loaded with PMX-53 could inhibit alveolar bone loss of periodontitis. Our study revealed that gelatin nanoparticles loaded with PMX-53 prevented alveolar bone resorption miniature swines model of periodontitis. In addition, provided proof-of-concept for local targeting of gelatin nanoparticles loaded with PMX-53 as a powerful candidate for the treatment of periodontitis.

For the last two decades, an increasing demand for low-cost adsorbents for drinking water treatment has been challenged in the rural areas of developing countries that have problems with arsenic (As) contamination. In this work, spent bleaching earth (SBE), a residual material that is formed during the process of refining vegetable oil, has been utilized to prepare the new magnetic adsorbent Fe-SBE/C by modifying its surface area through calcination and co-precipitation with iron. The experimental results demonstrate that Fe-SBE/C exhibits a substantial adsorption capacity towards both arsenite (As(III)) and arsenate (As(V)). Optimal pH conditions were found to be pH 10 for As(III) and pH 3 for As(V), resulting in adsorption percentages of 76.7% and 94.1%, respectively. Other experimental parameters such as calcination conditions, adsorbent dosage, iron-loading ratio, and the presence of co-existing ions were thoroughly investigated. The kinetic study revealed that the adsorption processes follow the Elovich and intraparticle diffusion models, suggesting a combined adsorption mechanism of boundary layer control and chemisorption. Furthermore, the isotherm followed the Langmuir model with a maximum adsorption capacity of 202.61 μg g-1 for As(III) and 187.61 μg g-1 for As(V). Through thermodynamic analysis and reinforcement by activation energy data, this research validates that the observed adsorption process is indicative through chemisorption. The regeneration study revealed the potential for multiple cycles of arsenic removal, highlighting the practical applicability of Fe-SBE/C in environmental contexts. In conclusion, the findings of this study underscore the efficacy of Fe-SBE/C in arsenic removal and present it as a promising and environmentally friendly solution for mitigating arsenic pollution.

Calcium sulphate (CS) is currently used as a bioabsorbable, completely synthetic and sterile material in the management of infected tissues and dead spaces (DS) mainly resulting from surgical procedures. Residual DS in the postoperative, may create an environment where hematomas fill up and bacteria can proliferate, leading to a high incidence of postoperative infections. Considering the available reviews in the literature, CS has been mainly studied in orthopedic surgery mostly giving brilliant results and low complication rates. Nowadays, orthopedists avail it in the form of pearls both as a bone void filler and as an “off-label” delivery agent for antibiotics in arthroplasty, chronic osteomyelitis and open fractures, paving the way of its application in many other contexts given its natural dis-position to biodegradation. In the last years, CS beads have been gaining ground in the general, vascular and endocrinological surgical specialties. Despite its clear potential and the increasing number of scientific evidences on the safety and effectiveness of CS application in the prophylaxis and treatment of infections, there are not many studies reporting on its application in fields other than orthopedics, with a substantial paucity in plastic and reconstructive surgery literature. This is some-how surprising, since reconstructive surgery often deals with complex wounds secondary to bone and soft tissue exposure, suture dehiscence, trauma, and surgical site infections. As far as we know this is the first updated systematic review assessing the state of the art, indications and new perspectives on the application of CS beads in plastic and reconstructive surgery.

Management of chronic inflammation and wounds has always been a key issue in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sector. Curcumin (CCM) is an active ingredient extracted from turmeric rhizomes that has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial activities, thus showing significant effectiveness toward wound healing. However, its shortcomings such as poor water solubility, poor chemical stability and fast metabolic rate limit its bioavailability and long-term use. In this context, hydrogels appear to be a versatile matrix for carrying and stabilizing drugs due to the biomimetic structure, soft porous microarchitecture, and pleasant biomechanical properties. The drug loading/releasing efficiencies can also be controlled by use of highly crystalline and porous metal organic frameworks (MOFs). Here, a flexible hydrogel composed of sodium alginate (SA) matrix and CCM-loaded MOFs was constructed for long-term drug release and antibacterial activity. The morphology and physicochemical properties of composite hydrogels were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Raman spectroscopy and mechanical property tests. The results showed that the composite hydrogel was highly twistable and bendable to mechanically comply with human skin. The as-prepared hydrogel could capture efficient CCM for slow drug release as well as effective killing of bacteria. Therefore, such composite hydrogel is expected to provide a new management system for chronic wound dressings.

We developed an ovarian cancer-targeted drug delivery system based on a follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) peptide. The lipophilic chemotherapeutic drug SN38 and the photosensitizer IR820 were loaded into the phospholipid bilayer of liposomes. Near-infrared laser irradiation stimulated the generation of reactive oxygen species, causing short-term reactive molecular species and spatial-temporal restricted photodamage to the biological targets. The reactive molecular species and spatial-temporal restricted photodamage enhanced the release and uptake of chemotherapy drugs and increased the sensitivity to chemotherapy drugs in ovarian cancer cells. FSH liposomes loaded with SN38 and IR820 (SN38/IR820-Lipo@FSH) were prepared using thin-film hydration-sonication. FSH peptide binding was analyzed using 1H NMR spectrum and Maldi-Tof. The average size and zeta potential of SN38/IR820-Lipo@FSH were 105.1 ± 1.15 nm (PDI: 0.204 ± 0.03) and −27.8 ± 0.42 mV, respectively. SN38/IR820-Lipo@FSH exhibited good drug-loading properties and the in vitro release was slow. FSH significantly increased the uptake of liposomes, inhibited cell proliferation, and induced apoptosis in A2780 cells. Moreover, SN38/IR820-Lipo@FSH exhibited good tumor-targeting ability and anti-ovarian cancer activity in vivo. The SN38/IR820-Lipo@FSH exhibited specific targeting to A2780 ovarian cancer cells. The combination of chemotherapy and photodynamic treatment based on an FSH peptide-targeted delivery system may be an effective approach to treating ovarian cancer.

A typical halogen-free flame-retardant (HFFR) formulation for electric cables may contain polymers, various additives, and fire-retardant fillers. In this study, composites are prepared by mixing natural magnesium hydroxide (n-MDH) with linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) and a few types of ethylene-octene copolymers (C₈-POE). Depending on the content of LLDPE and C₈-POE, we obtained composites with different crystallinity that affected the final mechanical properties. The nucleation effect of the n-MDH and the variations in crystallinity caused by the blending of C₈-POE/LLDPE/n-MDH were investigated. In the C₈-POE/LLDPE blend, we found a decrease in the crystallization temperature of LLPDE compared to pure LLDPE and an increase in the crystallization temperature of C₈-POE compared to pure C₈-POE. On the contrary, the addition of n-MDH led to an increase in the crystallization temperature of LLDPE. As expected, the increase in the crystallinity of the polyolefin matrix of composites led to higher elastic modulus, higher tensile strength, and lower elongation at break. Overall, these results show how to obtain the required mechanical features for halogen-free flame-retardant compounds for electric cable applications depending on the quantities of the two miscible components in the final blend.

Preventing the occurrence of secondary caries serves as one of the significant issues in dental clinic, thus make it indispensable to improving the properties of conventional composite resin (CR) by developing a novel CR. In present study, two groups of experimental CRs loaded with different contents of fluoride-doped nano-zirconia fillers (25 wt% and 50 wt%) were fabricated. The surface topography, mechanical performance, fluoride release, antibacterial effect, aging property and cytotoxicity of the experimental CRs were evaluated subsequently. A uniform distribution of the F-zirconia fillers over the whole surface of resin matrix could be observed. The experimental CRs showed continuous fluoride release within 28 days, which was positively correlated with the content of F-zirconia fillers. Moreover, the amount of fluoride release increased in the acidic buffer. Addition of F-zirconia fillers could improve the color stability, wear resistance and microhardness of the experimental CRs, without reducing the flexure strength. Furtherly, the fluoride ions released continuously from the experimental CRs resulted in effective contact and antibacterial properties, while they showed no cytotoxicity. As a consequence, considerations can be made to employ this new kind of composite resin loaded with fluoride-doped nano-zirconia fillers to meet clinical requirements when the antimicrobial benefits are desired.

In the pursuit of functional foods that promote health, nanoliposomal carriers have been used to enhance the stability and functionality of dairy products such as yogurt, promising therapeutic benefits. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of fucoxanthin-loaded nanoliposomes in yogurt on its antioxidant, physico-chemical, and rheological properties under cold storage (21 days). Fucoxanthin-loaded nanoliposomes were prepared using the ultrasonic film dispersion technique and added at concentrations of 0%, 5% and 10% at the yogurt (Y-C, Y-FXN-5, Y-FXN-10). Homogeneous and uniform nanoliposomes (98.28 nm) were ob-tained, preserving their integrity and functionality, and ensuring prolonged release and bioavailability of fucoxanthin. Y-FXN-10 maintained the highest antioxidant activity according to the DPPH (52.96%), ABTS (97.97%), and FRAP (3.16 mmol ET/g) methods. This formulation exhibited enhanced erythroprotective potential, inhibiting hemolysis, photohemolysis, and heat-induced hemolysis, thereby preventing lipid pe-roxidation. However, viscosity and firmness decreased, affecting the texture and appearance. Sensory properties such as color, flavor, aftertaste, texture, and overall acceptance improved with the 10% fuco-xanthin-enriched yogurt formulation. These results suggest that nanoliposomal are suitable for carries fuco-xanthin, their incorporation into food matrices is key to developing functional foods. Regulatory approvals and consumer perceptions regarding nanotechnology-based products must be addressed, emphasizing their safety and health benefits.

In this work, zinc oxide (ZnO)/ granular activated carbon (GAC) composites at different ZnO concentration (0.25M-ZnO@GAC, 0.5M-ZnO@GAC, and 0.75M-ZnO@GAC) were prepared by an in-situ hydrothermal method and demonstrated synergistic photocatalytic degradation and ad-sorption of Rhodamine B (RhB). The thermal stability, morphological structure, elemental com-position, crystallographic structure, and textural properties of developed catalysts were charac-terized by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA/DTG), scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive-x-ray (SEM-EDS), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis. Successful loading of ZnO onto GAC was confirmed by SEM-EDS and XRD analysis. The BET surface areas of GAC, 0.25M-ZnO@GAC, 0.5M-ZnO@GAC, and 0.75M-ZnO@GAC were 474 m2/g, 450 m2/g, 453 m2/g, and 421 m2/g, respectively. The decrease in GAC could be attributed to the successful loading of ZnO on the GAC surface. Notably, 0.5M-ZnO@GAC exhibited the best photocatalytic degradation efficiency of 82% and 97% under UV-A and UV-C light over 120 min, attributed to improved crystallinity and visible light absorption. The photocatalytic degradation parameters revealed that lowering the RhB concentration, raising the catalyst dosage and pH be-yond the point of zero charge (PZC) would favor the RhB degradation. Photocatalytic reusability was demonstrated over 5 cycles. Scavenger tests revealed that the hydroxyl radicals (•OH), su-peroxide radicals (O2−•), and photoinduced hole (h+) radicals play a major role during the RhB degradation process. Based on the TOC results, the RhB mineralization efficiency of 79.1% was achieved by 0.5M-ZnO@GAC. Additionally, GAC exhibited a strong adsorptive performance towards RhB with adsorption capacity and RhB removal of 487.1 mg/g and 99.5% achieved within 90 min equilibrium time. The adsorption characteristics were best described by pseu-do-second-order kinetics, suggesting chemical adsorption. This research offers a new strategy for the development of effective photocatalyst materials with potential for wider wastewater treat-ment applications.

To improve efficacy and safety of sunscreen emulsions, UV‐filter skin permeation could be kept as low as possible by reducing UV‐filter content or changing emulsion composition. In this work, different lipid phase ratio (12, 14 and 16% w/w) were assessed for their ability to affect the technological and sensory properties of O/W emulsions in which bemotrizinol (BMTZ), a broad spectrum sunscreen agent, was incorporated free or loaded into nanostructured lipid nanocarriers (NLC) to reduce its release from the vehicle and, hence, its skin permeation. The following technological properties were evaluated in vitro by suitable methodologies: spreadability, viscosity, pH, occlusion factor, BMTZ release, sun protection factor (SPF). Sensory attributes were assessed by trained panelists in three different phases: before/during pick‐up, rub‐in, after application. Raising the lipid phase ratio led to an increase of viscosity and to a corresponding drop of spreadability while the incorporation of BMTZ‐loaded NLC determined a decrease of occlusion factor and an increase of SPF. No BMTZ release was observed from all emulsions. Sensory attributes were mainly affected by lipid phase ratio. These results suggest that lipid phase ratio and BMTZ incorporation into NLC could contribute to determine technological and sensory properties of O/W emulsions.

This paper deals with miniaturization technique based on frequency reduction using top loaded dielectric discs. In contrast to a simple monopole, the resonant frequency of monopole loaded with two dielectric discs changes from 1.98 to 1.29 GHz, resulting 34.84% reduction in resonant frequency keeping the antenna length (36.00 mm) unaltered. It is well-known fact that dielectric material can trap the energy to be delivered from source to antenna and as a result, it is unable to radiate efficiently. Then any approach to use the dielectric material for miniaturization process must, therefore, antenna coupled in such a way that it can radiate efficiently. The dielectric disc on top of monopole creates an inductive situation in a similar way to oppositely directed wire loop compensate the capacitive effect present at monopole causes the reduction in resonant frequency. This concept is implemented without sacrificing any desired features like bandwidth, radiation characteristics and efficiency (more than 98%) and analyzed with an equivalent circuit model. Experimental results illustrate good agreement with simulation results. This monopole antenna in car can be designed for GPS system, car to car communication, GSM or CDMA operation.

Tryptanthrin has not been widely applied in clinical practice due to its poor solubility and low bioavailability in spite of possessing several biological and pharmacological activities. Here, to improve the solubility of tryptanthrin, two types of novel tryptanthrin-loaded micelles were prepared. One was tryptanthrin physically encapsulated by distearoyl phosphatidylethanolamine polyethylene glycol (DSPE-PEG) and the other was pegylated tryptanthrin synthesized by acid-sensitive hydrazone bond and further prepared as micelles. Molecular imprinting technology was used to separate pegylated tryptanthrin and free mPEG-COOH in the preparation of PEGylated tryptanthrin micelles with considerably high separation efficiency. The solubility of tryptanthrin-loaded DSPE-PEG micelles (TDMs) and PEGylated tryptanthrin micelles (PTMs) was increased by 300 and 1493 fold compared with that of tryptanthrin, respectively. The PTMs increased the solubility of tryptanthrin more effectively and 95% of tryptanthrin was released from PTMs at pH 5.5 in 12 h. The cytotoxicity of PTMs decreased under physiological conditions compared with that of tryptanthrin, whereas at pH 5.5, the PTMs showed comparable cytotoxicity with that of tryptanthrin, indicating successful drug release from the carrier in response to tumor cell pH. Overall, we elucidated an efficient method to improve water solubility of tryptanthrin and indicated pegylated tryptanthrin is a promising prodrug.

The fast-paced evolution of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), natural language processing (NLP), large language model (LLM) applications, and generative pre-trained transformer (GPT) have set the stage for improved and autonomous project scheduling models. This study demonstrates how project scheduling can be enhanced by employing building information modeling (BIM) to predict reliable schedules for each project element. The research is based on design science research (DSR) methodology and focus group discussion. The proposed system consists of six components: project analyzer, data warehouse, activity identifier and sequencing, activity magnitude and direct cost calculator, activity duration calculator, and schedule analyzer. Unlike other solutions, the proposed solution sequences activities based on an ML model rather than constraint matrices. The proposed solution thus enhances project performance through proactive planning and risk management. Integrating the autonomous project scheduling solution with the other components of an autonomous project management system would surmount schedule challenges and would result in greater cost efficiency and fewer delays.

The production, processing of agricultural products results in massive generation of waste, which has an environmental impact. In current study on the node of valorisation of the processed waste, orange and banana peel waste are utilized for the production of biscuits. The fortified biscuits were analysed for proximate and sensory analysis. The fibre content of the fortified biscuits increases several folds. From the sensory score the proportion of biscuits with 7.5% and 10% has undesirable quality parameters, whereas up to 5% concentration all the parameters are more desirable. Fortifying biscuits with orange and banana peel powder may be an excellent source of dietary fibre and an enhanced valorisation technique.

The design of multifunctional microcarriers has attracted significant attention because they combine various functions within a single system. In this study, we developed a set of multi-layered hydrogel microcarriers, which were first loaded with chemotherapeutic curcumin (CUR), then using the layer-by-layer (LbL) technique, coated through a polyelectrolyte shell consisting of chitosan (CHIT) or poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH). As an outer layer with antimicrobial function, newly synthesised alkylene quaternary ammonium salt functionalised polyelectrolytes (A-QAS-PEs) were applied. For this purpose, poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) was decorated with dif-ferent hydrophobic side chains (n-hexane and n-dodecane side entities) and different degrees of substitution (m) of quaternary ammonium groups (abbreviated as PAA-C(O)O-(CH2)n-N+(CH3)3(m); n=6,12; m=8-14%). The grafting approach of PAA with the al-kylene quaternary ammonium salt moiety was performed under mild reaction conditions using Steglich esterification followed by quaternisation. The structure of antimicrobial decorated PAA was confirmed by 1H NMR and FTIR, and the mean diameter of all multifunctional microparticles was characterised by SEM. The viscoelastic properties of the functional layers were studied using QCM-D. The release of CUR from the microcarriers was described using a hybrid model, i.e., a combination of first-order kinetics and the Korsmeyer-Peppas model. The antimicrobial activity of functionalised PAA and multilayered CUR-loaded hydrogel microcarriers with quaternary am-monium function was assessed against Staphylococcus aureus and Serratia marcescens by the agar diffusion assay method. Only a limited inhibition zone of PAA was observed, but in the case of both antimicrobial decorated PAA and the corresponding multilayered nanocarriers, the inhibi-tory activity increase was achieved against both strains of bacteria.

A combination of Poloxamer 407 (P407) and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) hydrosols is proposed as an in situ thermo-gelling vehicle for the nasal drug delivery of chlorhexidine-silver nanoparticles conjugates (SN-CX). Varying ratios of P407 and HPMC were applied in the presence and absence of SN-CX in order to optimize the gelation temperature (Tg) to values close to the physiological nasal such (30–34°C). Mechanisms for the observed gelation phenomena were suggested based on viscosimetry, texture analysis, and dynamic light scattering. Tests were carried out for sprayability, washout time, in vitro drug release, ex vivo permeation, and antimicrobial activity. When applied separately, HPMC was found to lower the P407 gelation temperature, whereas SN-CX increased it. However, in the presence of HPMC, SN-CX interfered with the P407 micellar organization in a principally contrasting way, while leading to an even further decrease in Tg. SN-CX-loaded nasal formulation composed of P407 16% and HPMC 0.1% demonstrated a desired gelation at 31.9 °C, good sprayability (52.95% coverage of the anterior nasal cavity), mucoadhesion for 70 min under simulated nasal clearance, expedient release and permeation, and preserved anti-infective activity against seasonal Influenza virus and beta-coronavirus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus and other pathogens. Our findings suggest that the current development could be considered a potential formulation of a protective nasal spray against respiratory infections.

Keywords: FTY720, self-assembled nanoparticles, intracerebral hemorrhage, neuroprotection

Single-fluid electrospinning creates nanofibers from molten polymer solutions with active ingredients. The study utilized a combination of a fractional factorial design and a Box-Behnken design to examine crucial factors among a multitude of parameters and to optimize the electrospinning conditions that impact the fiber mats' morphology and entrapment efficiency of the Senna alata leaf extract. The findings indicated that the shellac content had the greatest impact on both fiber diameter and bead formation. The optimum electrospinning conditions were identified as a voltage of 24 kV, a solution feed rate of 0.8 mL/h, and a shellac-extract ratio of 38.5:3.8. These conditions produced nanosized fibers with a diameter of 306 nm, a low bead-to-fiber ratio of 0.29, and an extract entrapment efficiency of 96% within the fibers. The biphasic profile of optimized nanofibers was confirmed through an in vitro release study. This profile consisted of an initial burst release of 88% within the first hour, which was succeeded by a sustained release pattern surpassing 90% for the next 12 h, as predicted by zero-order release kinetics. The optimized nanofibers demonstrated antimicrobial efficacy against diverse pathogens, suggesting promising applications in wound dressings and protective textiles.

The SBA-15 loaded with methylene blue was successfully prepared by sample adsorption of methylene blue in SBA-15 and is characterized by an XRD, SEM, FTIR, and BET. The photocatalytic activity for methyl orange (MO) degradation was investigated under visible light irradiation under LEDs. Experimental results demonstrate that the SBA-15-MB exhibited higher photocatalytic activity than SBA-15 under visible light irradiation. The degradation efficiency of MO (50 ppm) by SBA-15-MB could reach 80% within 180 min under 25W LED visible light. The photocatalytic activity of SBA-15 could be attributed to the excitation of methylene blue by visible light, the transfer of electrons from methylene blue to SBA-15, and the production of radicals at the surface of SBA-15.

Recently concluded, large-scale cancer genomics studies involving multiregion sequencing of primary tumors and paired metastases appear to indicate that many or most cancer patients have one or more “clonal" mutations in their tumors. Clonal mutations are those that are present in all of a patient’s cancer cells. Achilles Therapeutics is currently the only company specifically targeting clonal mutations. However, they are doing so with tumor-derived T cells. To address the potential limitations of immunotherapy, I have devised another approach for exploiting clonal mutations, which I call “Oncolytic Vector Efficient Replication Contingent on Omnipresent Mutation Engagement” (OVERCOME). The ideal version of OVERCOME would likely employ a bioengineered facultative intracellular bacterium. The bacterium would initially be attenuated, but (transiently) reverse its attenuation upon clonal mutation detection.

A study was conducted to predict failure stresses, failure locations, and their paths of initiation of perforated polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) specimens as they were loaded using pins inserted into the holes. First, a series of experiments were conducted for perforated PMMA coupons. There were six different types of coupons. The test specimens had three different widths with a circular hole of a diameter of 8 mm, which was placed at two different locations along the specimen length. All the specimens were loaded using a pin inserted into the hole with three different pins of nominal diameters of 8 mm, 6 mm, and 5 mm, respectively. To predict the failure and compare the results against the experimental data, the recently proposed universal failure criterion was used in the study using finite element analyses. The failure criteria gave acceptable results as compared to the experimental data.

Nisin is a 3.4 kDa antimicrobial peptide, produced by Lactococcus lactis (ATCC 11454). This bacteriocin can inhibit spores gemination and gram-positive bacteria development and has gained visibility in therapeutic use. The bacterial cellulose (CB) has been considered an ideal material and with high quality applied in food and medical-pharmaceutical inputs. Because of all this benefits, it is important to know the system proceeding of CB with nisin. Therefore, it was realize nisin release profile analysis of CBs was performed; analysis of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of nisin against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Pseudomonas aeuroginosa ATCC 9721 and Staphylococus aureus ATCC 10390; antimicrobial stability test, for 100 days at different temperatures of 4º, 25º and 37 ° C against microorganisms: S. aureus e L. sakei. The results show that nisin is released by the CB in 4 hours of contact with medium and the MIC of nisin is 78 µg/mL for S. aureus, doesn’t have gram-negative inhibition. It had stability until 100 days against L. sakei and 60 days for S. aureus. The system proved to be efficient and CB potentiated the antimicrobial action of nisin, acting as a selective barrier for other compounds present in the standard solution, serving as protection of the peptide at different temperatures. The CB loading system can be an ideal antimicrobial stability system for nisin.

Biphasic oily/water nanoemulsions have been proposed as delivery systems for the intranasal administration of curcumin (CUR) and quercetin (QU), due to their high drug entrapment efficiency, the possibility of simultaneous drug administration and protection of the encapsulated compounds from the degradation. To better understand the physicochemical and biological performance of the selected formulation simultaneously co-encapsulating CUR and QU, a stability test of the compounds mixture was firstly carried out using X-ray powder diffraction and thermal analyses, such as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analyses (TGA). The determination and quantification of the encapsulated active compounds was then required being an essential tool for the development of innovative nanomedicines. Thus, a new HPLC–UV/Vis method for the simultaneous determination of CUR and QU in the nanoemulsions and their evaluation in stability studies in simulated biological fluids was developed and validated. The X-ray diffraction analyses demonstrated that no interaction between the mixture of active ingredients, if any, is strong enough to take place in the solid state. Moreover, the thermal analysis demonstrated that the CUR and QU are stable in the nanoemulsion production temperature range. The proposed analytical method for the simultaneous quantification of the two actives was selective and linear for both compounds in the range of 0.5 – 12.5 µg/mL (R2 > 0.9997), precise (RSD below 3%), robust and accurate (recovery 100 ± 5 %). The method was validated in accordance with ICH Q2 R1 “Validation of Analytical Procedures” and CDER-FDA 2validation of chromatographic methods” guideline. Furthermore, the low detection (LOD < 0.005 µg/mL for CUR and <0.14 µg/mL for QU) and quantification limits (LOQ < 0.017 µg/mL for CUR and < 0.48 µg/mL for QU) of the method were suitable for the application to drug release and permeation studies planned for the development of the nanoemulsions. The method was then applied for the determination of nanoemulsions CUR and QU encapsulation efficiencies (> 99%), as well as for the stability studies of the two compounds in simulated biological fluids over time. The proposed method represents, to our knowledge, the only method for the simultaneous quantification of CUR, and QU in nanoemulsions.

Intravaginal drug administration offers several advantages over other administration routes, primarily by bypassing the initial stages of metabolism. Additionally, this route has demonstrated both local and systemic effects. To prevent the disintegration of molecules in the mucous barriers of wet cavities, mucoadhesive polymeric systems can be utilized. In this study, the performance and characteristics of a mucoadhesive film composed of HPMC-PEG 400 containing retinol molecules was determined using various techniques. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was employed to determine the porous structure of the film. Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) was conducted at different temperatures to assess thermal stability. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analyzed the functional groups and the intermolecular interactions between the film and the drug. Swelling and weight loss tests indicated that the film disintegrated within 3-4 days. For drug delivery evaluation based on the Higuchi equation, UV-VIS spectroscopy was used. Additionally, the surface wetting properties were assessed through contact angle measurements. The biocompatibility of the system was confirmed using the MTT assay. Finally, adhesion and glide tests demonstrated the film's interaction with porcine uterine tissue. This study shows that the HPMC-PEG 400 film containing retinol molecules interacts effectively with tissue and could be considered a novel tool for treating damaged epithelial tissues.

The aim of this study was to synthesize and optimize polylactide-co-glycolide (PLGA) nanoparticles loaded with rifampicin (RIF), with a given size and high loading rate, using the central composite design (CCD) method. CCD was used to investigate the influence of independent factors such as PLGA:RIF ratio, type of PLGA, type and concentration of surfactants, power and duration of homogenization, and type of organic solvent and its ratio to the aqueous phase on the dependent physicochemical characteristics of the nanoparticles. The optimized nanoparticles were investigated using scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Comparative evaluation of the drug release kinetics was carried out using different pH and different setups: flow cuvette (USP 4 apparatus) and Franz diffusion cuvette. In addition, the mucoadhesive properties and mycobacterial activity of PLGA-RIF NPs were studied.

This study was to designed to develop sorafenib-loaded polymeric nanoparticles, surface-modified with pluronic F-127 for the effective treatment of hepatocellular (HCC) and renal cell carcinomas (RCC). Poly lactic coglycolic acid (PLGA) was used to encapsulate different concentrations of sorafenib by a simple modified solvent evaporation method applying pluronic F-127 as a surfactant and coating agent. The preformulation and characterization studies were conducted to evaluate the incompatibilities among sorafenib, PLGA and pluronic F-127, and physicochemical properties of the formulations, respectively. The sizes of the coated and plain PLGA nanoparticles were ~140 ± 14.7 nm and ~ 120 ± 10.1 nm, respectively. It has been confirmed from the in vitro release studies that PLGA sustained the release of sorafenib, avoiding the initial burst release, while the in vivo studies demonstared that surface-modified nanoparticles have greater affinity in the target aorgans than plain PLGA nanoparticles and free drug keeping the dose constant (20 mg/kg body weight). The delivery of sorafenib-loaded polymeric PLGA nanoparticles into the target tissues and their pharmacokinetic parameters have been improved significantly compared to the reported formulations.

Bovine lactoferrin (bLf) is a milk-derived protein that exhibits multiple biological activities and has been explored towards different therapeutic applications. Since this molecule is susceptible to degradation and some of its properties depend on its tertiary structure, the encapsulation of bLf in stimuli-responsive therapeutic formulations provides an added value to potentiate its biological activities when administered. Plasmonic magnetoliposomes emerge as promising nanosystems for dual hyperthermia (magneto-photothermia) and local therapy, since the combination of magnetic and gold nanoparticles (NPs) in a single nanosystem (multifunctional liposomes) enables the targeting and controlled release of encapsulated drugs. In this work, plasmonic magnetoliposomes (PMLs) containing manganese ferrite nanoparticles (28 nm size) and gold nanoparticles (~ 5 nm size) functionalized with 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid or octadecanethiol, were synthesized and loaded with bLf. The structural, magnetic and optical properties of the nanoparticles were measured by TEM, SQUID and UV/vis/NIR absorption spectroscopy. Specific Absorption Rate was determined to assess the capabilities for magnetic and photothermal hyperthermia. Finally, Saccharomyces cerevisiae was used as an eukaryotic cellular model to assess the biological activity and the mechanism of entry of bLf-loaded PMLs, through counting of colony forming units and fluorescence microscopy, respectively. The results demonstrate that PMLs are mainly internalized through an energy- and temperature-dependent endocytic process, though the contribution of a diffusion component cannot be discarded. Most notably, only bLf-loaded PMLs exhibit cytotoxicity with an efficiency similar to free bLf, attesting their promising potential for bLf delivery in the context of therapeutic interventions.

The adsorption of supramolecular composites for Cs(I) in high level liquid waste (HLLW) are different due to different carriers. We chose 25,27-bis(ethyl)-calix[4]arene-26,28-crown-6 (EC[4]C6) as adsorbent, SiO2-P, XAD-7 and UiO-66 as carriers. The synthesis and characterization of supramolecular EC[4]C6 loaded with three different carriers were presented. SEM, N2 adsorption/desorption isotherms, TG-DSC spectra, FT-IR spectra results shown that EC[4]C6 was successfully introduced into the pores of carriers via physical intermolecular interactions. EC[4]C6/SiO2-P, EC[4]C6/XAD-7 and EC[4]C6/UiO-66 shown high efficiency, high selectivity towards Cs(I) over 18 typical fission or corrosion products in HNO3 solution. The adsorption properties of the three materials were investigated after electron irradiation. These results demonstrate that EC[4]C6/SiO2-P possess greater potential for highly efficient removal of Cs(I) from HLLW.

Green electrospun materials are gaining popularity in the quest for a more sustainable environment for human life. Bee pollen (BP) is a valuable apitherapeutic product, and has many beneficial features such as, antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Alginate is a natural and low-cost polymer. Both natural materials show good compatibility with human tissues for biomedical applications and have no toxic effect on the environment. In this study, bee pollen-loaded sodium alginate and polyvinyl alcohol (SA/PVA) nanofibrous mats were fabricated by the electrospinning technique. The green electrospun nanofibrous mats were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). According to the findings of the study, the toxin-free electrospinning method is suitable for producing green nanomaterial. Because of the useful properties of the bee pollen and the favorable biocompatibility of the alginate fibers, the bee pollen-loaded SA/PVA electrospun mats have the potential for use in a variety of biomedical applications

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) can be used as carrier materials for the controlled release of pesticides while reducing their negative environmental impact. In this study, we screened an active ingredient, p-cymene (PC), with an excellent inhibitory effect on rice bacterial blight. Subsequently, the PC was successfully loaded onto MSNs via physisorption(PC@MSNs). PC@MSNs, characterized by a regular spherical shape, smooth surface, and an MSN average size of 262.9 nm, achieved an 8.6 % drug loading capacity. The release kinetics of the PC from the PC@MSNs demonstrated a sustained release (288 h) pattern influenced by drug diffusion. The efficacy of the PC@MSNs against Xanthomonas oryzae pv. Oryzae paralleled those of PC. Acute toxicity assays re-vealed that the PC@MSNs were less toxic to aquatic life (LC50=257.867 mg/L) and that the formu-lation showed no adverse effects on rice seedling growth. In summary, these results suggest that PC@MSNs can broaden PC's application scope in managing rice diseases.

This paper presents for the first time the design of a microwave sensing setup for the potential monitoring and identification of red palm weevil (RPW) gender type. The microwave sensor consists of a planar two-port transmission line (TL) with a single complementary split-ring resonant (CSRR) inclusion etched from the bottom metallic layer. The CSRR sensor is placed on top of a customized non-conductive container. The microwave sensing setup has been designed, numerically demonstrated, fabricated and tested experimentally. Simulated results correlate quite well with the experimental data. Moreover, the sensitivity of the CSRR sensor when in close proximity to different RPW gender has been evaluated both numerically and experimentally. Based on the measured results from 15 RPW collected samples with different body sizes, different RPW gender types showed unique microwave signatures. Notable shift to the sensor's resonance frequency has been achieved, where on average a resonant frequency shift of 10% for adult RPWs was achieved, while 2.4% frequency change was obtained for larvae (young) RPWs. Hence, the proposed microwave sensing setup can be adopted in field trials to examine and differentiate between various RPW genders at various development stages.

Because of their high biocompatibility, stability, ability to negotiate biological barrier passage, and functionalization properties, biological nanoparticles have been actively investigated for many medical applications. Biological nanoparticles, including natural extracellular vesicles (EVs) and synthetic extracellular vesicle-mimetic nanovesicles (EMNVs) represent novel drug delivery vehicles that can accommodate different payloads. In this study, we investigated EVs and EMNVs for their physical, biological and delivery properties and we showed that EMNVs have similar delivery properties compared to EVs. In addition, these nanotherapeutics were analyzed for their cytostatic properties in combination with the FDA-approved drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), which increased their cytostatic thanks to its lysosome-destabilizing properties. Altogether, these data demonstrated that, at least in vitro, the use of synthetic biomimetic particles is comparable to the natural counterparts, while their synthesis is significantly faster and more cost effective. In addition, we highlighted the benefits of combining biological nanoparticles with a lysosome destabilizing agent that increased the delivery properties of the particles.

The concern about consuming eco-friendly products has motivated research in the development of new materials. Therefore, films based on natural polymers have been used to replace traditional polymers. This study consists of a production of films based on gelatin reinforced with black pepper essential oil-loaded nanoemulsions and Cloisite Na⁺. The films were characterized by water vapor permeability, mechanical and thermal properties, surface contact angle, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. It was observed that the films containing the nanoemulsion have higher permeability values and an increase in their mechanical resistance. The addition of nanoclay contributed to an increase in the surface hydrophobicity of the film and an increase in the tensile strength at break by about 150%. The addition of essential oil nanoemulsions led to an increase in thermal stability. The presence of clay dispersion contributed to the formation of a surface that was slightly rougher and grainier. The addition of the black pepper essential oil nanoemulsion resulted in an increase in porosity of the gelatin matrix. Through X-ray diffraction analysis, it was possible to conclude that both the polymeric gelatin matrix and the essential oils nanoemulsion are intercalated with the clay dispersion.

Among the different ways to reduce the secondary effects of antineoplastic drugs in cancer treatment, the use of nanoparticles has demonstrated good results due to the protection of the drug and the possibility of releasing compounds to a specific therapeutic target. The α-isoform of folate receptor (FR) is overexpressed on a significant number of human cancers; therefore, folate-targeted crosslinked nanoparticles based on BSA and alginate mixtures and loaded with paclitaxel (PTX) have been prepared to maximizing the proven antineoplastic activity of the drug against solid tumors. Nanometric-range sized particles (169 ± 28nm - 296 ± 57nm), with negative Z-potential values (between -0.12 ± 0.04 and -94.1± 0.4), were synthesized. The loaded PTX (2.63±0.19 - 3.56 ±0.13 µg PTX/mg Np) was sustainably released along 23 and 27h. Three cell lines (MCF-7, MDA-MB-231 and HeLa) were selected to test the efficacy of the folate-targeted PTX-loaded BSA/ALG nanocarriers. The presence of FR on cell membrane led to a significant larger uptake of BSA/ALG-Fol nanoparticles regarding to the equivalent nanoparticles without folic acid on its surface. The cell viability results demonstrated a cytocompatibility of unloaded nanoparticle-Fol and a gradual decrease in cell viability after treatment with PTX-loaded nanoparticles-Fol due to the sustainable PTX release.

Hemorrhagic shock is the primary cause of death in patients with severe trauma, and the development of rapid and efficient hemostatic methods is of great significance in promoting the life-saving of trauma patients. In this study, polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofiber membrane was prepared by electrospinning technology. The PCL-PDA loading system was developed by modifying the surface of polydopamine (PDA) inspired by mussel adhesion protein, and the efficient and stable loading of thrombin (TB) was realized on the premise of ensuring the bioactivity of TB. The new thrombin loading system overcomes the disadvantages of harsh storage conditions, poor strength, easy to fall off, and can use thrombin to start rapid coagulation cascade reaction, which has the characteristics of fast hemostasis, good biocompatibility, high safety and wide range of hemostasis. The physicochemical properties and biocompatibility of PCL-PDA-TB membrane were verified by scanning electron microscopy, cell proliferation test, cell adhesion test and extract cytotoxicity test. Red blood cell adhesion, platelet adhesion, dynamic coagulation time and animal models all verified the coagulation effect of PCL-PD-TB membrane. Therefore, PCL-PDA-TB membrane has great potential in wound hemostasis.

Biochar is a carbon allotrope obtained by pyrolysis of biomass, usually agro-waste. Owing to the demand for sustainable development, biochar is continuously raising much hope in the scientific community. However, in order to impart it with new properties, its modification is required, either in situ during pyrolysis, or after the carbonization process. Herein, we propose a new direct approach to obtain bimetallic copper/nickel nanoparticle-loaded on olive stone biochar. The bimetallic-coated biochar and the reference materials bare biochar, copper-loaded and nickel-loaded biochar were prepared at 400 °C under a stream of dinitrogen from olive pit powder particles impregnated first with citric acid (CA), and then with copper and nickel nitrates. We have employed citric acid in the process in order to check its effect on the structural and textural properties of biochar supporting the metallic nanoparticles. Surprisingly, citric acid induced the formation of agglomerated or even raspberry-shaped, bimetallic copper/nickel nanoparticles. Large 450-500 nm-sized agglomerates of ~80 nm bimetallic CuNi NPs were noted for B-CA@CuNi. Interestingly, for biochar material prepared with initial Cu/Ni=10 molar ratio (B-CA@CuNi10/1), the bimetallic NPs formed unusual nano-raspberries (1748 nm in size) which are agglomerates of individual 10-20 nm-sized CuNi10/1 nanoparticles. The B-CA@CuNi and reference materials were characterized by Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and magnetometry. The B-CA@CuNi and B-CA@Ni materials could be attracted efficiently with a magnet, but not B-CA@CuNi10/1 due to a low nickel loading. B-CA@CuNi was tested as a catalyst for the degradation of methyl orange (MO). Discoloration was noted within 10 min, much faster than a similar material prepared in the absence of CA. B-CA@CuNi could be recycled at least 3 times with exhibit as fast discoloration catalysis performance. This paper stresses the important role of citric acid in shaping the bimetallic nanoparticles loaded in situ on biochar during the slow pyrolysis process and to enable faster catalysed discoloration of organic dye solution.

Lanthanum chemical compound incorporates a sensible anionic complexing ability, however lacks stability at low pH scale. Biochar fibers will benefit of their massive space and plethoric useful teams on surface to support metal chemical compound. Herein, wet spinning technology was used to load La3+ onto sodium alginate fiber, and convert La3+ into La2O3 through carbonization. The La2O3 modified biochar (La-BC) fiber was characterized by SEM, XRD and XPS, etc. The adsorption experiment proved that La-BC showed excellent adsorption capacity for chromates, and its saturation adsorption capacity was about 104.93mg/g. The information suggested that the adsorption was in step with both Langmuir and Freundlich model, followed pseudo-second-order surface assimilation mechanics, which instructed that the Cr (VI) adsorption was characterized by single-phase and polyphase adsorption, mainly chemical adsorption. Thermodynamic parameter proved that the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic. The mechanistic investigation revealed that the mechanism of adsorption of Cr (VI) by La-BC may include electrostatic interaction, ligand exchange or complexation. Moreover, co-existing anions and regeneration experiments proved that La-BC was recyclable and had a good prospect in the field of chrome-containing wastewater removal.

Implantable drug-delivery systems provide new means for achieving therapeutic drug concentration over a prolonged time to achieve better tissue protection and enhanced recovery. The hypothesis of the current study was to test the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of genistein and nanofibers on the spinal cord tissue following experimental spinal cord injury (SCI). Rats were treated post SCI with genistein loaded on chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol (CS/PVA) nanofibers as an implantable drug-delivery system. SCI caused marked oxidative damage and inflammation as evident by the reduction in the super oxide dismutase (SOD) activity and the level of interleukin-10 (IL-10) in injured spinal cord tissue, as well as, the significant increase in the levels of nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). Treatment of rats post SCI with genistein and CS/PVA nanofibers improved most of the above mentioned biochemical parameters and shifted them toward the control group values. Genistein induced an increase in the activity of SOD and the level of IL-10, while causing a decrease in the levels of NO, MDA and TNF-α in injured spinal cord tissue. Genistein and CS/PVA nanofibers provide a novel combination for treating inflammatory nervous tissue conditions, especially when combined as an implantable drug-delivery system.

Addressing the growing need for effective and environmentally friendly fungicides in agricul-ture, this study explored the potential of alginate microparticles loaded with metal ions as a novel approach to combat fungal pathogens. Novel alginate microparticles (microspheres and microcapsules) loaded with zinc or simultaneously with zinc and silver ions were prepared and physicochemically characterized (microparticle size, morphology, topography, encapsulation efficiency, loading capacity, and swelling behavior). Investigation of molecular interactions in microparticles using FTIR-ATR spectroscopy exhibited complex interactions between all con-stituents. Fitting to the simple Korsmeyer-Peppas empirical model revealed the rate-controlling mechanism of zinc and silver ions release from microparticles is Fickian diffusion. Lower values of the release constant k imply a slower release rate of Zn or Ag ions from microcapsules com-pared to that of microspheres. The antimicrobial potential of the new formulations against the fungus Botrytis cinerea was evaluated. When subjected to tests against the fungus, microspheres and microparticles loaded with both zinc and silver ions effectively reduced its growth and al-tered the fungal hyphal structures well as exhibited superior antifungal activity. The results showed the potential of these novel microparticles as potent fungicides in agriculture.

One of the key pathogenetic links of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is the formation of insulin resistance (IR). Besides a wide selection of synthetic antidiabetic drugs, various plant-origin extracts are also available to support the treatment of T2DM. This study aimed to investigate and gain knowledge of the chemical composition and potential IR correction effect of American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton) leaf extracts and formulate novel 3D-printed oral dosage forms for such extracts. The bioactivity and IR of L-arginine-loaded cranberry leaf extracts were studied in vivo in rats. The cranberry leaf extracts consisted of quinic, 3-caffeoylquinic (chlorogenic), p-coumaroylquinic acids, quercetin 3-O-galactoside, quercetin-3-O-glucoside, quercetin-3-xyloside, quercetin-3-O-arabino-pyranoside, quercetin-3-O-arabinofuranoside, quercetin 3-O-rhamnoside and quercetin-O-p-coumaroyl-hexoside-2 identified by HPLC. In-vivo studies with rats showed that the oral administration of the cranberry leaf extracts had a positive effect on insulin sensitivity coefficients under ITT test, and affected HOMA-IR levels and liver lipid content with experimental IR. A novel 3D-printed immediate-release dosage form was developed for the oral administration of cranberry leaf extracts using polyethylene oxide (PEO) as a carrier gel in a semi-solid extrusion (SSE) 3D printing. In conclusion, American cranberry leaf extracts loaded with L-arginine could find uses in preventing health issues associated with IR.

Starch is a widespread natural polymer used in healthcare applications due to its low cost and antibacterial properties. The use of starch in its many forms and its sometimes combination with metallic nanoparticles have all contributed to the advancement of biomaterials. However, few studies have been conducted on biocomposites composed of jackfruit starch and silver nanopar-ticles (AgNPs). As a result, this research aims to study the physicochemical, morphological, and cytotoxic features of a Brazilian jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) starch-based scaffold loaded with AgNPs. Gelatinization and chemical reduction were used to synthesize the scaffold and AgNPs, respectively. X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were utilized to explore the properties. The findings supported the development of anisotropic, stable, monodispersed AgNPs. The presence of AgNPs in the scaffold matrix was revealed by XRD and SEM-EDS. AgNPs were found to modify the crystallinity, roughness, and thermal stability of the scaffold while leaving its chemical and physical characteristics unchanged. Finally, the scaffolds did not show adverse effects on the L929 cells.

In recent years, natural polymers have replaced synthetic polymers for antibacterial orthopedic applications owing to their excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability. Zein is a biopolymer found in corn. The lacking mechanical stability of zein is overcome by incorporating bioceramics e.g. mesoporous bioactive glass nanoparticles (MBGNs). In present study, pure zein and zein/Zn-Mn MBGNs composite coatings were deposited via electrophoretic deposition (EPD) on 316L stainless steel (SS). Zn and Mn were co-doped in MBGNs in order to make use of their antibacterial and osteogenic potential, respectively. A Taguchi design of experiment (DoE) study was established to evaluate the effect of various working parameters on the morphology of the coatings. It was observed that coatings deposited at 20 V for 5 min with 4 g/L concentration (conc.) of Zn-Mn MBGNs showed highest deposition yield. Uniform coatings with highly dispersed MBGNs were obtained adopting these optimized parameters. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were employed to investigate the morphology and elemental composition of zein/Zn-Mn MBGNs composite coating. Surface properties i.e. coating roughness and wettability analysis concluded that composite coatings were appropriate for cell attachment and proliferation. For adhesion strength various techniques including tape test, bend test, pencil hardness test, and tensile test were performed. Wear and corrosion analysis highlighted the mechanical and chemical stability of coatings. Colony forming unit (CFU) test showed that zein/Zn-Mn MBGNs composite coating was highly effective against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) due to the presence of Zn. The formation of hydroxyapatite (HA) like structure upon immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF) validated the in vitro bioactivity of the coating. It was concluded that zein/Zn-Mn MBGNs coating synthesized in this work can be used for bioactive and antibacterial orthopedic applications.

Biofilms play a crucial role in the development of Candida-associated denture stomatitis. Inhibition of microbial adhesion to PMMA and phosphate containing PMMA has been examined in this work. C. albicans and mixed salivary microbial biofilms were compared on naked and salivary pre-conditioned PMMA surfaces in the presence or absence of antimicrobials (cetyl pyridinium chloride [CPC], KSL-W, histatin 5 [his 5]). Polymers with varying amounts of phosphate (0-25%) were tested using four C. albicans oral isolates as well as mixed salivary bacteria and 24 h biofilms were assessed for metabolic activity and confirmed using Live/Dead staining and confocal microscopy. Biofilm metabolism was reduced as phosphate density increased (15%: P=0.004; 25%: P=0.001). Loading of CPC on 15% phosphated disks showed a substantial decrease (P=0.001) in biofilm metabolism in the presence or absence of a salivary pellicle. Salivary pellicle on uncharged PMMA enhanced the antimicrobial activity of CPC only. CPC also demonstrated remarkable antimicrobial activity on mixed salivary bacterial biofilms under different conditions displaying the potent efficacy of CPC (350 µg/ml) when combined with an artificial protein pellicle (Biotene half strength).

Cellulose-based carbon (CBC) has been widely concerned with its porous structure, high specific surface area, and is liable to adsorb gas molecules and macromolecular pollutants. However, the application of CBC in gas sensing has been little studied. In this paper, ZnO/CBC heterojunction was formed by means of simple co-precipitation and high temperature carbonization. As a new ammonia sensor, the prepared ZnO/CBC sensor can detect ammonia compared with that of the previous pure ZnO ammonia sensor can not at room temperature. It has great gas sensing response, stability and selectivity to ammonia concentration at 200 ppm. This study provides a new idea for the design and synthesis of biomass carbon-metal oxide composites.

Accruing evidence on the influence of β-carotene regarding the prevention of several chronic diseases - in addition to its well-acknowledged role in vision has been a strong driver for developing alternative delivery systems. Though oral delivery is accepted as the most fitting, mild and safe path for delivering bioactive agents, β-carotene delivery via food items poses challenges due to its lipophilic nature, poor water-solubility, high chemical/photochemical instability and poor oral bioavailability. Nanotechnology has opened new windows for delivering bioactive agents. Their physiochemical characteristics, i.e. small size, high surface area, unique composition, biocompatibility and biodegradability make these nanomaterials an attractive tool for β-carotene delivery. Delivering β-carotene through nanoparticles does not only improve its bioavailability/bioaccumulation in target tissues, but also lessens its sensitivity against environmental factors during processing. Regardless of these benefits, nanocarriers inherit some limitations, such as variations in sensory quality, modification of the food matrix, increasing costs, as well as limited consumer acceptance and regulatory challenges. This research area has been rapidly evolved, with a plethora of innovative nano-engineered materials, including micelles, nano/microemulsion, liposomes, niosomes, solid-lipid nanoparticles and nanostructured lipid carriers. These nano-delivery systems make conventional delivery systems appear archaic and promise better solubilization, protection during processing, improved shelf-life, higher bioavailability as well as controlled and targeted release. This review provides information on the state of knowledge on β-carotene nano-delivery systems adopted for developing functional foods: depicting their classification, composition, preparation methods, challenges, release-and absorption of β-carotene in the GIT and possible risks and future prospects.

Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) co-polymers show relatively higher in vivo degradation rate compared to other PHAs thus they received a great deal of attention for a wide range of medical applications. Nanoparticles (NPs) loaded with poorly water soluble anticancer drug docetaxel (DCX) were produced using poly 3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate, P(3HB-co-4HB), co-polymers biosynthesised from Cupriavidus sp. USMAA1020 isolated from Malaysian environment. Three co-polymers with different molar proportions of 4-hydroxybutirate (4HB) were used: 16% (PHB16), 30% (PHB30) and 70% (PHB70) 4HB-containing P(3HB-co-4HB). Blank and DCX loaded nanoparticles were then characterized for their size and size distribution, surface charge, encapsulation efficiency and drug release. Pre-formulation studies showed that an optimised formulation could be achieved through the emulsification/solvent evaporation method using PHB70 with the addition of 1.0% PVA, as stabilizer and 0.03% VitE-TPGS, as surfactant. DCX-loaded PHB70 nanoparticles (DCX-PHB70) gave the desired particle size distribution in term of average particles sizes around 150 nm and narrow particle size distribution (PDI below 0.100). The encapsulation efficiencies result showed that at 30% w/w drug-to-polymer ratio: DCX- PHB16 NPs were able to encapsulate up to 42% of DCX; DCX-PHB30 NPs encapsulated up to 46% of DCX and DCX-PHB70 NPs encapsulated up to 50% of DCX within the nanoparticles system. Approximately 60% of DCX was released from the DCX-PHB70 NPs within 7 days for 5%, 10% and 20% of drug to polymer ratio while for the 30% and 40% drug to polymer ratios, an almost complete drug release (98%) after 7 days of incubation was observed.

Drug delivery through Liposomes has shown tremendous potential in terms of the therapeutic application of nanoparticles. There are several drug-loaded liposomal formulations approved for clinical use that help mitigate harmful effects of life-threatening diseases. Developments in the field of liposomal formulations and drug delivery have made it possible for clinicians and researchers to find therapeutic solutions for complicated medical conditions. A key aspect in the development of drug-loaded liposomes is a careful review of optimization techniques to improve the overall formulation stability and efficacy. Optimization studies help in improving/modulating the various properties of drug-loaded liposomes and are vital for the development of this class of delivery systems. A comprehensive overview of the various process variables and factors involved in the optimization of drug-loaded liposomes is presented in this review. The influence of different independent variables on drug release and loading properties with the application of a statistical experimental design is also explained in this article.

The aim of the current study was to develop and evaluate the therapeutic potential of apocynin (APO) loaded pH-sensitive nanoparticles (NPs) based transdermal hydrogel for management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Slightly modified nanoprecipitation technique was used for preparation of polymeric nanoparticles. Optimization was done through design expert software. Optimized APO-NPs were loaded into carbopol-934 based hydrogel as final dosage form and further studied for physicochemical properties. Optimized APO-NPs formulation had a minimum particle size 63.44 nm, polydisperibility index 0.161, and zeta potential -15mV with a maximum encapsulation efficiency of 89%. In-vitro and ex-vivo studies of APO-NPs based hydrogel was performed at pH 5.5 (pH of normal skin) and 6.8 (pH of inflammed joint) showed a pH-responsive sustained drug release and increased penetration in comparison to free APO based hydrogel. The stability studies of APO-NPs based hydrogel were done to strengthen the potential use of the prepared formulation through transdermal route. Assessment and therapeutic efficacy of the prepared pH-sensitive nanocarriers system was evaluated in chronic inflammatory RA mice model. Parameters associated with chronic inflammation were investigated including behavioral changes and histopathological, and radiological x-rays images of joints of mice paws. In-vivo study depicts improvement in behavioral parameter, decline in synovial hyperplasia and bone structure restoration. In conclusion, APO loaded pH-sensitive NPs based transdermal is a promising carrier system that can effectively manage RA.

Water contamination has intensified over the year as the world's population and industrial activities have grown. Heavy metals (HMs) are amongst the environmental contaminants commonly found in water and wastewater. These include Lead, Manganese, Chromium, Mercury, etc. Various techniques have been used to remediate this environmental challenge and adsorption has proven to be more effective because it is simple to use, excellent efficiency, low cost, possibility to operate in several experimental conditions. Regrettably, this method yields waste materials, which represents a scaling restriction. Furthermore, after the HM has been removed and loaded onto the adsorbent, there is still a question of the fate of the metal-loaded adsorbent. Most of the time these metal loaded adsorbents are discarded in the environment and constitute a secondary pollution. New applications for heavy metals laden have been investigated. This review article presents the various applications that had been investigated to reuse the loaded metal adsorbent. A case study on developing tools for combatting gender-based violence (GBV) has also been discussed.

Curcumin has restrained clinical applications due to poor bioavailability. This study aimed to synthesize cockle shell-derived calcium carbonate (aragonite) nanoparticles (CSCaCO3NP) for delivery of curcumin and to evaluate its kinetic release in vitro. CSCaCO3NP was synthesized and conjugated with curcumin (Cur-CSCaCO3NP) using a simple top down approach and characterized for its physicochemical properties as a potential curcumin carrier. In vitro release profile was assessed using dialysis bag membrane method. The release data were fitted to Korsmeyer-Peppas, Zero order and Higuchi models to evaluate the mechanism of release pattern. A spherical shaped CSCaCO3NP with a surface area of 14.48±0.1 m2/g, average mean diameter size of 21.38±2.7 nm and a zeta potential of -18.7 mV was synthesized which has a high loading content and encapsulation efficiency. The FT-IR and XRD revealed less observable changes on the peaks after conjugation. In vitro kinetic release profile demonstrated sustained release and best fitted to the Higuchi equation model. The results of this study showed the capacity of the synthesized CSCaCO3NP to encapsulate curcumin efficiently with a stable release in vitro. This could give an insight and supportive ideas on the potentials of CSCaCO3NP for curcumin delivery. Therefore, CSCaCO3NP holds future prospects in preclinical framework to enhance curcumin efficacy for oral therapeutic applications.

We report the development of an extrinsic self-healing coating system that shows no fluorescence from the intact coating, yellowish fluorescence in cracked regions, and greenish fluorescence in healed regions, thus allowing the separate monitoring of cracking and healing of coatings. This fluorescence monitoring self-healing system consisted of a top coating, an epoxy matrix resin containing mixed dye-loaded in single microcapsule. The dye-loaded microcapsules consisted of a poly(urea-formaldehyde) shell encapsulating a healing agent containing MAT-PDMS and styrene, a photo-initiator and a mixture of two dyes, one that fluoresces only in the solid state (DCM) and a second that fluoresces dramatically increased in the solid than solution state (4-TPAE). A mixture of the healing agent, photo-initiator and the two dyes was yellow due to fluorescence from DCM. On UV curing of this mixture, however, the color changed from yellow to green and the fluorescence intensity increased due to fluorescence from 4-TPAE in the solid state. When a self-healing coating embedded with microcapsules containing the DCM/4-TPAE dye mixture was scratched, the damaged region exhibited a yellowish color that changed to green after healing. Thus, the self-healing system reported here allows the separate monitoring of cracking and healing based on changes in fluorescence color.

Abstract: Tumor-targeting and blood-brain barrier (BBB)-penetrating are highly desirable for the treatment of glioma. In this study, we developed Pep-1&borneol-bifunctionalized carmustin-loaded micelles (Pep-1/Bor/CMS-M) capable of targeting to IL-13 receptor-overexpressed glioma and penetrating the brain microvascular endothelial cells-associated physiologic barriers. Pep-1/Bor/CMS-M were nearly spherical particles with a dimeter of 32.6 ± 1.1 nm and zeta potential of -21.3 ± 3.1 mV. Carmustine (CMS) released from Pep-1/Bor/CMS-M in pH 7.4 was significantly faster than in acidic environments. In human glioma BT325 cellular studies, Pep-1/Bor/CMS-M remarkably increased the cytotoxicity, notably improved the internalization and effectively induced the cell apoptosis. Likewise, in human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC) cells, Pep-1/Bor/CMS-M obviously promoted the cellular uptake, rapidly decreased the transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and thereby of enhancing the ability of penetration. In orthotopic Luc-BT325 glioma tumor-bearing nude mouse models, the stronger fluorescence signal and longer retention were observed in brain tissues compared with other controls, after single administration of DiD-labelled Pep-1/Bor/M (DiD/Pep-1/Bor/M). Importantly, Pep-1/Bor/CMS-M displayed the strongest inhibition of tumor growth, the longest survival period and low systemic toxicity in treating orthotopic glioma tumor-bearing nude mice. Simultaneous functionalization of Pep-1 and borneol offers a novel strategy for designing CMS-based nanomedicine and precisely treating glioma.

In this study, functionalized-MWCNTs with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) loaded titania nanoparticles (MWCNTs-APTES-TiO₂) were prepared to investigate their physicochemical properties and photocatalytic activity for methyl orange (MO) degradation. The TiO₂ nanoparticles, functionalized-MNCNT and composite powders were characterized by XRD, raman, and TEM. The results obtained proved that titania (TiO₂) nanoparticles was successfully loaded on APTES-MWCNTs. The best photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange solution under UV light irradiation was recorded over MWCNTs-APTES-TiO₂ (1:2), with 87% after 180 min. Kinetic analysis indicated that photocatalytic degradation of MO solution by MWCNTs-APTES-TiO₂ obeyed second-order kinetic model (R² > 0.95), supported by half-life equations and graph. The presence of carbon nanotubes accelerated the degradation of methyl orange due to inhibition of electron-hole recombination, the formation of additional hydroxyl radicals and functional groups of the latter had an inhibitory effect on the degradation of methyl orange. This study shows that the MWCNTs-APTES-TiO₂ nanocomposites exhibit promising photocatalytic degradation against methyl orange.

In this study, we attempted to verify the hypothesis that total metals bound to dust of different particle sizes may reflect pollution levels, but cannot predict its bioavailability and risks in human health assessments. Dust samples were collected using active sampling method; during the dry season months of November, 2014 to March, 2015 at different locations in Akure (7˚10ʹN and 5˚15ʹE). The samples were sorted into different particle sizes (< 10µm, 10 – 50 µm, >50µm), analyzed for some physicochemical properties and assessed for metals bioavailability using two-step physiological extraction method. The amount of metals (Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, Zn and Mn) released in each particle sizes were determined using Perkin-Elmer 6000 Inductively Coupled Plasma - Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES) analysis. The results showed that bioavailability of some metals (Cd, Ni, Pb, and Zn) decreases with increasing particle sizes, however, the reverse trend was observed for Mn, Cu and Fe concentrations. This may be attributed to some combination of physicochemical characteristics of the dust and metal speciation. Hence, it was concluded that metal bioaccessibility in dust can best be described by the knowledge of physicochemical characteristics. The exposure dose of the metals showed that cancer risks due to inhalation were very high when compared to other exposure routes (ingestion and dermal contact). The calculated non-cancer (HQ) and cancer risk (HI) for humans in the area showed values higher than unity, indicating possibility of the metals’ body burden.

Hydrogels can provide instant relief to pain and facilitate the fast recovery of wounds. Currently the incorporation of medicinal herbs/plants in polymer matrix is being investigated due to their anti-bacterial and wound healing properties. Herein, we investigated the novel combination of chitosan (CS), chondroitin sulfate (CHI) and garlic (Gar) to synthesize hydrogels through freeze gelation process for faster wound healing and resistance to microbial growth at the wound surface. The synthesized hydrogels were characterized via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), which confirmed the presence of relevant functional groups. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images exhibited the porous structure of the hydrogels, which is useful for the sustained release of Gar from the hydrogels. The synthesized hydrogels showed significant inhibition zones against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Furthermore, cell culture studies confirmed the cyto-compatibility of the synthesized hydrogels. Thus, the novel hydrogels presented in this study can offer antibacterial effect during wound healing and promote tissue regeneration.

The purpose of the research is to investigate the unique solvability of a nonlocal boundary value problem for a loaded equation of parabolic-hyperbolic type in a special domain. Methods: Using representations of a general regular solution, the existence and uniqueness of the problem posed is proved. Results: A new method for proving the unique solvability of nonlocal boundary value problems for one loaded equation of mixed type in a special domain has been formed and developed. Conclusions: The obtained results make it possible to solve some problems of genetics, immunology, transonic gas dynamics and thermal physics, which are associated with displacement.

Recent advances in embedded antenna and sensor technologies for 5G communications have galvanized a response toward the investigation of their electromagnetic (EM) performance for urban context and civil engineering applications. This article quantitatively investigates the effects of material loading on an evolved antecedent-based design of a hexagonal-stubbed Complementary Split-Ring Resonator (CSRR)-loaded antenna through simulation and experimentation. The optimized antenna design is first conceptualized within a simulation environment to achieve EM resonance at 3.50 GHz before delving into the analysis of operational performance characteristics. As a proof-of-concept, a physical antenna prototype is fabricated on a printed circuit board for the in-situ evaluation of S11 parameter plot. Subsequently, a simulation-based parametric study is conducted on antenna prototypes embedded into Ordinary Portland Cement pastes with varying weight percentages of iron(III) oxide. Simulation-derived and experimental results are mutually verified, achieving a systemic downward shift in resonant frequency and corresponding variations in impedance matching induced by changes in the loading reactance. Finally, an inversion modeling procedure is employed using perturbation theory to extrapolate the relative permittivity of the dielectric embedding materials. Our proposed analysis contributes to optimizing concrete-embedded 5G antenna sensor designs and establishes a foundational framework for estimating unknown EM parameters of cement-based composites.

Films obtained from a main biopolymer phase of fish gelatin (GelA, 3% w/w) encapsulated with cinnamon essential oil (CEO, 0.03 – 0.48% v/w) and loaded with bacterial cellulose nanocrystals (BCNCs, 0.06% w/w) at pH = 3.5 were characterized. CEO-GelA/BCNCs films were prepared by casting and analyzed in terms of thickness, light transmittance (TT) and haze (H), surface hydrophobicity, tensile properties, chemical composition, and water solubility (WS). All tested films displayed outstanding optical properties (TT &gt; 89.4%), with haze slightly exceeding a 3% value only when the highest CEO loading was used during nanoemulsion preparation. The CEO plasticizing effect yielded an increase in the elongation at break (EAB, from 0.84% up to 3.79%), which corresponded to a decrease in tensile strength (TS, from 8.98 MPa down to 1.93 MPa). The FT-IR spectra of films revealed a good degree of interaction among single nanoemulsion components via hydrogen bonding. The intrinsic hydrophobic nature of the CEO negatively impacted the WS (from 52.08% down to 8.48%) of the films. Results obtained in this work confirmed the possibility to produce packaging systems from renewable sources to be potentially used in the form of edible films/coatings for preserving water-sensitive food products, both vegan-based (fruits/vegetables), and animal-based (meat/seafood).

The aim of this study was to develop a novel nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) with hepatocytes targeting as carriers for the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent (i.e., magnetic nanostructured lipid carriers, MNLCs), and to evaluate the targeting ability of the MNLCs with T2-weighted MRI both in vitro and in vivo. Here, the galactose-octadecylamine (Gal-ODA) conjugates were synthesized by chemical coupling reaction between lactose acid (LA) and octadecylamine (ODA). Then the superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) loaded nanostructured lipid carrier (conjugated by Gal-ODA, Gal-NLC-SPIO) was prepared by emulsification-ultrasonic method using monoglyceride as lipid materials. The Gal-NLC-SPIO with a diameter of about 50 nm could specifically internalize into LO2 (human hepatic cell line) cells. In vitro MRI results also proved the specific targeting ability of Gal-NLC-SPIO to LO2 cells. The in vivo MR imaging experiments using an orthotopic intrahepatic xenograft tumor model further validated the hepatocytes targeted effect of Gal-NLC-SPIO. The results of this study suggested that Gal-NLC-SPIO can be used as a contrast agent to aid in the diagnosis of hepatic diseases.

Ocular drug delivery is one of the most challenging administration routes due to the very low drug bioavailability. In this work, we produce and characterize mucoadhesive mixed polymeric micelles (PMs) made of chitosan and poly(vinyl alcohol) backbones graft-hydrophobized with short poly(methyl methacrylate) blocks and use them to encapsulate cannabidiol (CBD), an anti-inflammatory cannabinoid. CBD-loaded mixed PMs are physically stabilized by ionotropic crosslinking of the CS domains with sodium tripolyphoshate and spray-drying. These mixed PMs display CBD loading capacity of 20% w/w and sizes of 100-200 nm, and spherical morphology (cryogenic-transmission electron microscopy). The good compatibility of the unloaded and CBD-loaded PMs is assessed in a human corneal epithelial cell line. Then, we confirm the permeability of CBD-free PMs and nanoencapsulated CBD in cornea cell monolayers under liquid-liquid and air-liquid conditions. Overall, our results highlight the potential of these polymeric nanocarriers for ocular drug delivery.

Immobilized metal ion affinity adsorbents have been widely used in separation technique to purify proteins. Due to the leakage of metal ion from the adsorbents, there is no metal ion affinity adsorbent for hemoperfusion has been applied to clinical trial. In this study, in order to prevent the leakage of Zn²⁺ loaded from cellulose beads based adsorbent, improve its stability and adsorption capacity for testosterone, Freeze-drying method was used to enhance the porosity of cellulose beads, improve the surface area of the cellulose beads and adsorption capacity for testosterone. Chitosan was used to coat the adsorbents for preventing the leakage of Zn²⁺ loaded and improve the adsorbent’s stability. Moreover, the factors affecting adsorption ability and some components in plasma were also investigated. The results indicate the adsorption ability of the adsorbent can be significantly improved by freeze-drying. After the adsorbent was coated with 0.02% chitosan solution, the highest adsorption percentage reached 48%. During adsorption, the Zn²⁺ concentration in plasma did not rise. In addition, the adsorption percentage for total proteins was below 15%. The results may be caused by the pore size and surface area of the adsorbent enlarged via freeze-drying, and the chitosan solution went into the pores and coated the outer and inner surface of the adsorbent. The adsorbent has a potential clinical application to remove testosterone in patients with recurrent and metastatic prostate cancer.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) exerts a considerable concern in healthcare and the community. Globally MRSA strains cause numerous infections with high morbidity and mortality rates. The success of MRSA is a result of the extensive production of virulence factors. With the limited treatment options for the MRSA infection and growing resistance problem, an urgent call is needed to search for an alternative to antibiotics. One of the promising strategies is targeting the quorum sensing (QS) system, of the MRSA, by using a dendrimer loaded with kinase inhibitor peptide. This study formulates a poly-amidoamine dendrimers (PAMAM) G4 dendrimers loaded with Quorum Quencher (QQ), QQ3 peptide which is a Histidine Kinase inhibitor. The physicochemical properties of the formula were characterized using different in-vitro analysis method such as Zetasizer and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The antibacterial activity and anti-virulence effect of the formula was tested against MRSA and different mutant stains using growth assay, haemolysis assay and biofilm assay. Overall, QQ3-G4 complex showed antibacterial and anti-virulence activity and it can be a potential alternative treatment to overcome antimicrobial resistance and treat MRSA infection.

The process of full-thickness skin regeneration is complex and has many parameters involved, which makes it difficult to use a single dressing to meet the various requirements of the complete regeneration at the same time. Therefore, developing hydrogel dressings with multifunction, including tunable rheological properties and aperture, hemostatic, antibacterial and super cytocompatibility, is a desirable candidate in wound healing. In this study, a series of complex hydrogels were developed via the hydrogen bond and covalent bond between chitosan (CS) and alginate (SA). These hydrogels exhibited suitable pore size and tunable rheological properties for cell adhesion. Chitosan endowed hemostatic, antibacterial properties and great cytocompatibility and thus solved two primary problems in the early stage of the wound healing process. Moreover, the sustained cytocompatibility of the hydrogels was further investigated after adding FGF and VE-cadherin via the co-culture of L929 and EC for 12 days. The confocal 3D fluorescent images showed that the cells were spherical and tended to form multicellular spheroids, which distributed in about 40-60μm thick hydrogels. Furthermore, the hydrogel dressings significantly accelerate defected skin turn to normal skin with proper epithelial thickness and new blood vessels and hair follicles through the histological analysis of in vivo wound healing. The findings mentioned above demonstrated that the CS/SA hydrogels with growth factors have tremendous potential as multifunctional hydrogel dressings for full-thickness skin regeneration incorporated with hemostatic, antibacterial, sustained cytocompatibility for 3D cell culture and normal skin repairing.

Soil microbial fuel cells (sMFC) are a novel technique that use organic matters in soils as an alternative energy source. External resistance (ER) is a key factor influencing sMFC performance and, furthermore, alters the soil’s biological and chemical reactions. However, little information is available on how the microbial community and soil component changes in sMFC with different ER. Therefore, the effects of anodes of sMFC at different ER (2000 Ω, 1000 Ω, 200 Ω, 80 Ω and 50 Ω) were examined by measuring organic matter (OM) removal efficiency, trace elements in porewater and bacterial community structure in contaminated paddy soil. The results indicated that ER has significant effects on sMFC power production, OM removal efficiency and bacterial beta diversity. Moreover ER influences iron, arsenic and nickel concentration as well in soil porewater. In particular, greater current densities were observed at lower ER (2.4mA, 50Ω) compared to a higher ER (0.3mA, 2000Ω). The removal efficiency of OM increased with decreasing ER whereas it decreased with soil distance away from the anode. Furthermore, principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) revealed that ER may shape the bacterial communities that develop in the anode vicinity but have minimal effect on that of the bulk soil. The current study illustrates that lower ER can be used to selectively enhance the relative abundance of electrogenic bacteria and lead to high OM removal.

Surgical site infections (SSI) occur very frequently during post-operatory procedures and are often treated with oral antibiotics, which may cause some side-effects. This type of infections could be avoided by encapsulating antimicrobial/anti-inflammatory drugs within the surgical suture materials so that these can more efficiently act on the site of action during wound closure, avoiding post-operatory bacterial infection and spreading. This work was aimed at developing novel electrospun biobased anti-infective fiber-based yarns as novel suture materials for preventing surgical site infections. For this, yarns based on flying intertwined nanofibers were fabricated in-situ during the electrospinning process using a specially designed yarn collector. The electrospun yarn sutures were made of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) with different contents of 3HV units and contained ciprofloxacin hydrochloride (CPX) as the antimicrobial active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). The yarns were then analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, wide-angle X-ray scattering, differential scanning calorimetry and in vitro drug release. The yarns were also analyzed in terms of antimicrobial and mechanical properties. The material characterization indicated that the varying polymer molecular architecture affected the attained polymer crystallinity, which was correlated with the different drug-eluting profiles. Moreover, the materials exhibited the inherent stiff behavior of PHBV, which was further enhanced by the API. Lastly, all the yarn sutures presented antimicrobial properties for a time release of 5 days against both gram positive and gram-negative pathogenic bacteria. The results presented highlight the potential of the herein developed antimicrobial electrospun fiber yarns as potential innovative suture materials to prevent surgical infections.

Apigenin (API) possesses excellent antitumor properties, but its limited water solubility and low bioavailability restrict its therapeutic impact. Thus, a suitable delivery systems is needed to overcome these limitations and improve the therapeutic efficiency. Poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) is a copolymer extensively utilized in drug delivery. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a major extracellular matrix and can specifically bind with CD44 on colon cancer cells. Chitosan (CS) can serve as an intermediate binding with HA and PLGA. Herein, we aimed to perpare receptor-selective HA-coated PLGA nanoparticles (NPs) for colon cancer with high expression of CD44. Firstly, API was encapsulated in PLGA to obtain PLGA-API-NPs, which were then sequentially combined with CS and HA to form HA-coated PLGA NPs. HA coated PLGA NPs had a stronger sustained-release capability. Cellular uptake of HA coated PLGA NPs was enhanced in HT-29 cells with high expression of CD44. HA-PLGA-DiR-NPs can target specificity towards the HT-29 ectopic tumor model. Overall, HA coated PLGA NPs was an effectively drug deliver platform for API in treatment of colon cancer with high expression of CD44.

The aim of current study is adjusted and synthesized liposomal compound of N. sativa and evaluation its antifungal properties against C. parapsilosis isolates. Fifteen clinical isolates of C. parapsilosis complex isolates were obtained from hospitalized patients affected by candidemia in Mashhad city, Iran, along with a reference strain of C. parapsilosis (ATCC 22019) were assessed by flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF) method, as described previously. N. sativa is encapsulated in liposomal Nanocariers by using thin film hydration technique. At the beginning liposomal nanoparticles was characterized and confirmed with the dynamic light scattering technique (DLS) and Transmission electron microscopy. Then minimum inhibitory concentration of liposomal N. sativa oil was conducted with the CLSI M27 A3 protocol and finally Cytotoxicity function of N. sativa oil liposomal nanocarriers on PBMCs was investigated and confirmed with MTT assay by the results of this research N. sativa oil-Lip-NP didn’t show any toxic effect on PBMCs and The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) range of free N. sativa oil and liposomal formulation with inhibitory effects on candida isolates was between 128 - 8, 250 - 31.25 µg ml also MIC50 and MIC90 were 125,187 and 32,96, µg ml respectively. Due to the hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity, biocompatibility, particle size, non-toxic effect, and higher cell viability of N. sativa oil -Lip-NP, it could be considered a more effective approach to treating fungal infections.

Multipactor is a common discharge phenomenon occurred in space microwave systems. The surface microstructure has been verified to be effective to mitigate multipactor. In this work, we design a square coaxial low-pass filter (SCLPF) with dielectric sheets loaded to check the multipactor dependence on the structure parameters of the loaded dielectric sheets, and further model groove structures on the sensitive area surface to lower the risk of multipactor. Simulation results indicate that the SCLPF loaded with alumina and PTFE exhibits good operational characteristics, and the multipactor threshold is significantly improved after introducing the surface grooves. Then we investigate the effects of three typical groove parameters, groove depth, groove number, and aspect ratio, on the multipactor threshold of the SCLPF device. The results show that the multipactor threshold raise at first as the groove number and groove depth increase, and then the threshold reaches a saturation status. For a deeper analysis of multipactor, we discuss how the grooves shelter the secondary electrons, and further mitigate the electron avalanche. Furthermore, the mechanisms of threshold saturation under the effect of groove parameters are analyzed in detail, and a contour map for the multipactor threshold of PTFE-loaded SCLPFs is given, which makes significant sense for predicting the multipactor threshold of the devices with its sensitive surface being grooved. The regularity of modulating the multipactor threshold by the groove structures obtained in this study is of engineering significance for suppressing multipactor in microwave devices in practical applications.

In this paper, the functional variable method is used to establish solitary wave solutions and periodic wave solutions of the loaded quadratic non-linear Klein-Gordon equation, the loaded cubic non-linear Klein-Gordon equation and the loaded coupled non-linear Klein-Gordon equation. All solutions of these equations have been examined and three dimensional graphics of the obtained solutions have been drawn by using the Matlab software. The main advantage of the proposed functional variable method over other methods is that it provides more new exact traveling wave solutions along with additional free parameters. The graphical representations of the soliton solutions and the periodic wave solutions by using distinct values of random parameter are demonstrated to better understand their physical features. The exact solutions have its great importance to reveal the internal mechanism of the physical phenomena.

Risedronate sodium (RIS) possesses very low bioavailability and several adverse effects in the gastrointestinal tract when administered through an oral route. Thus, this necessitates the need to develop novel formulation. Hence, we had developed RIS-HA-TCS loaded mPEG coated nanoparticles for the treatment of osteoporosis. Chitosan was used to synthesize thiolated chitosan and its characterization was done using DSC and FTIR. Ellman's reagent was used to measure the degree of thiol immobilization. The RIS-HA fabrication was done and was further conjugated with the synthesized TCS. The Box-Behnken design process was used for designing fifteen batches of RIS-HA-TCS nanoparticles, which were formulated by ionic gelation procedure in which tripolyphosphate (TPP) was used as a crosslinking agent. Moreover, RIS and RIS-HA-TCS in-silico activity was compared for farnesyl pyrophosphate synthetase enzyme. The obtained results revealed that the binding affinity of RIS was much more than the conjugated RIS. Successful docking results paved the way for thiolation of chitosan with RIS. The drug entrapment efficiency (%EE), particle size and Polydispersity index (PDI) of RIS-HA-TCS nanoparticles obtained were 85.4 ±2.21%, 252.1 ±2.44 nm and 0.2± 0.01 respectively. The particle size, PDI, and encapsulation efficiency of RIS-HA-TCS were reported to be 264.9 ±1.91 nm, 0.120± 0.01, and 91.1 ±1.17%, respectively, after being further conjugated with mPEG. TEM showed the spherical particle size of RIS-HA-TCS and RIS-HA-TCS-mPEG. The in-vitro release of RIS-HS-TCS-mPEG was found to be significantly higher (95.13±4.64%) as compared to RIS-HA-TCS (91.74 ± 5.13%), RIS suspension (56.12 ± 5.19%) and marketed formulation (74.69 ± 3.98%). In an ex-vivo gut permeation study, RIS-HA-TCS-mPEG nanoparticles was found to have an apparent permeability of 0.5858×10-1 cm/min which was better than the apparent permeabilities of RIS-HA-TCS formulation (0.4011 ×10-4cm/min), RIS suspension (0.2005 ×10-4 cm/min) and marketed preparation (0.3401 ×10-4 cm/min)..

Despite past efforts towards therapeutical innovation, cancer remains a highly incident and lethal disease, with current treatments many times lacking efficiency and leading to severe side-effects. Hence, it is imperative to develop new, more efficient, and safer therapies. Bee venom has proven to have multiple and synergistic bioactivities, including antitumor effects. Nevertheless, some toxic effects have been associated with its administration. To tackle these issues, in this work, bee venom-loaded niosomes were developed, for cancer treatment. The vesicles had a small (150.4 ± 3.7 nm) and homogeneous (PDI of 0.162 ± 0.008) particle size, and revealed good therapeutic efficacy in in vitro gastric, colorectal, breast, lung, and cervical cancer models, with GI50 values between 12.37 ng/mL and 14.72 ng/mL. Additionally, they also revealed substantial anti-inflammatory activity, with an IC50 of 28.98 ng/mL, effects that have been reported to be complementary to direct antitumor activity. Finally, the niosomes' safety was assessed, both in vitro, on skin, liver and kidney cells, and ex vivo, in a HET-CAM assay, and results showed that compound encapsulation increased its safety. Hence, small and homogeneous bee venom-loaded niosomes were successfully developed, with substantial anticancer and anti-inflammatory effects, making them potentially promising primary or adjuvant cancer therapies.

The loose and porous structure and abundant pores of biochar provide conditions for being a suitable fertilizer carrier. Biochar loaded with beneficial microorganisms will greatly promote plant growth and soil improvement. In this work, an environmentally friendly Paenibacillus mucilaginosus loaded biochar-based fertilizer (B@PM) with high nutrient content, good slow-release effect and increased biological activity was prepared. The released mechanism of P-K-Ca from B@PM and the synergistic effect on the soil nutrients and plant growth were also analyzed. The experimental results showed that the release behavior of P, K and Ca from B@PM was diffusive and dissolved, which conforms to the Power function and Parabolic diffusion models, respectively. The potting experiment showed that the root length (30.77%), leaf width (71.67%), and plant height (81.08%) of Chinese cabbage were enhanced after the application of B@PM, and the organic matter, available phosphorus, available potassium, and total calcium in the soil were also substantially enhanced. In addition, the abundance of the Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes in the in the rhizosphere soil was increased, as well as the activities of catalase (82.84%) and alkaline phosphatase (39.64%). The results of RDA analyses showed that B@PM increased the content of the environmental factors, such as OM, URE, EC, TCa, AK, CAT, AP and ALP, thus improving soil quality and plant length.

Catalyst with high catalytic activity and good stability are desirable in the electrocatalytic oxidation of glucose. Herein, Pt concave nanocubes with high-index facets (HIFs) supported by carbon black (Pt CNC/CB) are prepared through a hydrothermal method. The experimental results demonstrate that the peak current densities in different potential regions on the Pt CNC/CB anode are 0.22, 0.20, and 0.60 mA cm−2, respectively. The glucose oxidation reaction shows superior performances in basic and neutral conditions than in acid conditions. Better stability is achieved by Pt CNC/CB than Pt concave nanocubes (Pt CNCs). Abundant surface defects with low-coordinated atom numbers, such as the steps, kinks, and edges, are served as active sites in the electrocatalytic oxidation of glucose. With the addition of carbon black, the catalytic activity can be improved by facilitating the full exposure of the active surface defects on the HIFs of Pt CNCs. Moreover, to address the aggregation of Pt CNCs, caused by the high surface energy of HIFs, the introduction of carbon material is an effective way to preserve the HIFs, and thus enhance the stability of the catalyst. Hence, the prepared Pt CNC/CB electrocatalyst has great potential to be applied in the electrooxidation of glucose.

Slow and controlled release systems for drugs, have attracted increasing interest recently. A highly efficient metal-organic gels (MOGs) drug delivery carrier, i.e., MIL-100(Al) gels, has been fabricated by a facile, low cost and environment friendly one-pot process. The unique structure of MIL-100(Al) gels leads to a high loading efficiency (620 mg/g) towards doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) as a kind of anticancer drugs. DOX-loaded MOGs exhibited high stability under physiological conditions and sustained release capacity of DOX for up to 3 days (under acidic environments). They further showed sustained drug release behavior and excellent antitumor effects in in vitro experiments on HeLa cells, in contrast with the extremely low biotoxicity of MOGs. Our work provides a promising way for the anticancer therapy, by utilizing this MOGs-based drug delivery system, as an efficient and safe vehicle.

Based on previous studies of our group in which we demonstrated that dalbavancin loaded in bone cement had good elution capacity for the treatment of biofilm-related periprosthetic infections, we now assess the anti-biofilm activity of dalbavancin and compare it with that of vancomycin up to a 3-month period. We performed an in vitro model based on calculation of percentage reduction of log cfu/ml counts of sonicated steel discs contaminated with Staphylococci and further exposed to bone cement discs loaded with 2.5% or 5% vancomycin and dalbavancin at each study period (24 hours, 48 hours, 1 week, 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months). In addition, we tested the anti-biofilm activity of eluted vancomycin and dalbavancin at each study period based on a 96-well plate model assessing percentage reduction of metabolic activity. Overall, dalbavancin showed a significant concentration decrease from 2 weeks of incubation and maintain its anti-biofilm activity up to 3 months, whereas, despite vancomycin showed a significant decrease at 1w and then it gradually increased, its anti-biofilm activity was significantly lower. Dalbavancin percentage reduction cfu/ml counts were higher than those of vancomycin, both at 2.5% and 5% concentrations. Reduction of log cfu/ml counts were higher for S. epidermidis than for S. aureus, being more notable for 5% dalbavancin at month 3. In addition, percentage reduction of metabolic activity also decreased at 3 months in 5% dalbavancin and 5% vancomycin, being more notable in the last.

Plantago major L. is a worldwide available plant that has been used traditionally for several medical application due to its properties such as wound healing, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial etc. This work aimed to develop and evaluate nanostructured PCL electrospun dressing with P. major extract encapsulated in nanofibers for application in wound healing. The extract from leaves was obtained by extraction in a mixture of water:ethanol= 1:1 of the freeze-dried extract presented a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for Staphylococcus Aureus susceptible and resistant to methicillin of 5.3 mg/mL, a high antioxidant capacity, but a low content of total flavonoids. Electrospun mats without defects were successfully produced using two P. major extract concentrations based on MIC value. The extract incorporation in PCL nanofibers was confirmed by FTIR and contact angle measurements. The PCL/P. major extract was evaluated by DSC and TGA demonstrating that incorporation of the extract decreases the thermal stability of the mats as well as the degree of crystallinity of PCL-based fibers. The P. major extract incorporation on electrospun mats produced a significant swelling degree (more than 400%) and increased the capacity of adsorbing wound exudates and moisture, important characteristics for skin healing. The extract-controlled release evaluated by in vitro study in PBS (pH, 7.4) shows that P. major extract delivery from the mats occurs in the first 24 h, demonstrating their potential capacity to be used in wound healing.

The future power equipment tends to take hydrogen or middle/low heat-value syngas as fuel for low emission. The heat transfer of film cooled turbine blade shall be influenced more by radiation. Its characteristic of conjugate heat transfer is studied experimentally and numerically in the paper by considering radiation heat transfer, multi-composition gas and TBC. The Weighted Sum of Gray Gases spectral model and Discrete Transfer Model are utilized to solve the radiative heat transfer in the multi-composition field, while validated against the experimental data for the studied cases. It is shown that the plate temperature increases significantly when considering the radiation and the temperature gradient of the film cooled plate becomes larger. It is also shown that increasing percentage of steam in gas composition results in increased temperature on the film-cooled plate. The normalized temperature of the film-cooled plate decreases about 0.02, as the total percentage of steam in hot gas increases per 7%. As for the TBC effect, it can smooth out the the temperature distribution and insulate the heat to a greater extent when the radiative heat transfer becomes significant.

Resistive patch array incorporating with metallic backplane provided an effective way to the achievement of broadband metamaterial absorbers(MAs). When loading metallic metamaterial to resistive MA, the outstanding construction helps realize more flexible and diversified forms of broadband absorption. In this paper, we attempted to load metallic resonators(MRs) to resistive MA in the three-dimensional construction, which benefits further enhancement of lower-frequency absorption. Simulation showed that the partial absorption band was separated to lower frequency, while the rest of broadband absorption was unaffected. Meanwhile, after combining multi-unit of the proposed MAs, the stair-stepping broadband absorption was also achieved. At last, three samples were fabricated. The agreements between simulations and experimental results demonstrated that resistive MA loaded with MRs provided an effective way for further enhancement of lower-frequency absorption with almost no change of the absorbing structure and areal density. Thus, it is worthy to expect a wide range of applications to emerge inspired from the proposed attempt.

Intravitreal injections (IVTs) of corticosteroids as triamcinolone acetonide (TA) are frequently used for the treatment of many vitreous and retinal disorders. However, IVTs are related to severe ocular complications. Lately, a topical ophthalmic TA loaded liposomes formulation (TALF) was designed to transport TA into the posterior segment of the eye when instilled in the ocular surface. To evaluate the safety, tolerability, and biologic activity of TALF, an animal study and a phase I clinical assay was performed. Moreover, four patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) were treated with TALF in order to explore the biologic activity of the formulation. No inflammation, lens opacity, swelling or intraocular pressure rising were recorded after the instillation of TALF in any of the animal or clinical study. Mainly, mild and transient adverse events such as dry eye (30%) and burning (30%) were reported. TALF improves significantly visual acuity and diminishes central foveal thickness in patients with DME. The current data demonstrate the safety, tolerability, and biologic activity of TALF. It seems that TALF can be used topically to treat vitreous and retinal diseases that respond to TA such as DME, avoiding the use of corticosteroids IVTs and its associated hazards.

Immediate load of full-arch rehabilitations over implants, specially over 4 implants are very well documented in the literature. More recently, the use of computed surgical guides to help the planning and the execution of these treatments, in many situations without the need of raising a flap, and diminishing the appearance of hematomas, bleeding and with less trauma to the patient has gained preference among implantologists. The objective of this case report is to show a clinical case of an immediate load full-arch fixed rehabilitation over 4 implants produced by 3D printing manufacturing technology, and placed with a computed surgical guide, in the same appointment, and the 24 months follow-up. The patient returned after 3 months to replace the immediate temporary fixed prosthesis for a new one, with metallic bar, better teeth and more delicate. Soft and hard tissue around the implants seemed to be stable, without signs of inflammation, either on the 3 or the 24 months follow-up. 3D printing of implants by direct metal laser sintering is a technology that seems to be promising for oral implantology, with solid studies showing reliable results, as seen in this single case. More clinical studies are necessary to testify its efficacy.

Our previous study found that intravesical perfusion metformin has excellent inhibitory effects against bladder cancer (BC). However, this administration route allows the drug to be diluted and excreted in urine. Therefore, increasing the adhesion of metformin to the bladder mucosal layer may prolong the retention time and increase the pharmacological activity. It is well known that chitosan (Cs) has a strong adhesion to the bladder mucosal layer. Thus, this study established a novel for-mulation of metformin to enhance its antitumor activity by extending its retention time. In this research, we prepared Cs freeze-dried powder and investigated the effect of metformin-loaded chitosan hydrogels (MLCH) in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that MLCH had a strong in-hibitory effect against proliferation and colony formation in vitro. The reduction in BC weight and expression of tumour biomarkers in orthotopic mice showed the robust antitumor activity of MLCH via intravesical administration in vivo. The non-toxic profile of MLCH was observed as well, using histological examinations. Mechanistically, MLCH showed stronger functional activation of the AMPK/mTOR signalling pathway compared with metformin alone. These findings highlighted the potential of this novel formulation as an efficient candidate for managing BC via intravesical ad-ministration.

Bacterial infections are a constant challenge in the management of acute and chronic wounds. Chronic wounds, like diabetic foot ulcers, have increased significantly in the last years due to the rise of an aging population. A better understanding of the infectious pathophysiological mechanisms is urgently needed along with new options for the treatment of wound infections and wound healing disorders. New advances in the preparation of biocompatible dressing materials that can be loaded with antimicrobial drugs may improve the topical treatment of infected wounds. In this study, we investigated the antimicrobial activity of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) foils loaded with ciprofloxacin (Cipro-foils) in the presence of acetic acid as co-solvent. We used ex vivo human wounds that were infected with two bacterial strains: Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PAO1). The effectiveness of the treatment was demonstrated by the quantification of the living bacteria extracted from the wound and the detection of released immunological mediators in skin extracts and in the skin culture media. We found that Cipro-foils effectively treated the infection with both PAO1 and MRSA. Other than PAO1, MRSA had not proteolytic effects. MRSA infections increased cytokines expression and release. Interestingly, treatment with Cipro-foils could partially counteract these effects.

Transcription factors must scan genomic DNA, recognize the cognate sequence of their control element(s), and bind tightly to them. The DNA recognition process is primarily carried out by their DNA binding domains (DBD), which interact with the cognate site with high affinity and more weakly with any other DNA sequence. DBDs are generally thought to bind to their cognate DNA without changing conformation (lock-and-key). Here we used nuclear magnetic resonance and circular dichroism to investigate the interplay between DNA recognition and DBD conformation in the Engrailed homeodomain (EnHD), as model case for the homeodomain family of eukaryotic DBDs. We found that the conformational ensemble of EnHD is rather flexible and becomes more structured as ionic strength increases following a Debye-Hückel’s dependence. Our analysis indicates that EnHD’s response to ionic strength is mediated by a built-in electrostatic spring-loaded latch that operates as conformational transducer. We also found that, at moderate ionic strengths, EnHD changes conformation upon binding to cognate DNA. This change is of larger amplitude and somewhat orthogonal to the response to ionic strength. As a consequence, very high ionic strengths (e.g. 700 mM) block the electrostatic-spring-loaded latch and binding to cognate DNA becomes lock-and-key. However, the interplay between EnHD conformation and cognate DNA binding is robust across a range of ionic strengths (i.e. 45 to 300 mM) that covers the most physiologically-relevant conditions. Therefore, our results demonstrate the presence of a mechanism for the conformational control of cognate DNA recognition on a eukaryotic DBD. This mechanism can function as a signal transducer that immediately locks the DBD in place upon encountering the cognate site during active DNA scanning. The electrostatic-spring-loaded latch of EnHD can also enable the fine control of DNA recognition in response to local/temporal changes in ionic strength induced by variate physiological processes.

Crystalline phase engineering is a prominent strategy for synergistically optimizing the sur-face-body phases of a catalyst. In this work, TiO2 nanosheets assembled into nanotubes (TNSTs) with two-phases of anatase and rutile were firstly synthesized via crystal engineering by simple thermal annealing, and subsequently loaded with Ru nanoparticles to create efficient benzene hydrogenation catalyst Ru/TNSTs. The well- designed nanosheet-tubes structure boasts large specific surface area and excellent transmission channels, which effectively prevents the ag-glomeration and deactivation of loaded Ru nanoparticles, as well as promotes the internal diffu-sion in the reaction process of benzene hydrogenation to cyclohexene. Furthermore, titanium dioxide nanosheet-tubes contain numerous Ti3+ defects, which not only improves the overall generation rate of cyclohexene, but also enhances the suppression of cyclohexene adsorption. Most importantly, the two-phases of titanium dioxide increases the ratio of the electron defi-ciencies of Ru and promotes cyclohexene desorption. These synergistic properties enhance the selectivity and efficiency of the Ru/TNSTs catalysts, resulting in excellent performance in the hydrogenation of benzene to cyclohexene. Especially the Ru/TNSTs-4 catalyst achieves a 95% in-itial selectivity and 51% yield of cyclohexene in the reaction, outperforming most supported Ru-based catalysts. This work may provide new perspectives for designing efficient benzene hydrogenation catalysts via crystalline phase engineering.

Flavonoids, polyphenols with anti-oxidative activity have high potential as novel therapeutics for neurodegenerative disease, but their applicability is rendered by their poor water solubility and chemical instability under physiological conditions. In this study, this is overcome by delivering flavonoids to model cell membranes (unsaturated DOPC) using prepared and characterized biodegradable mesoporous silica nanoparticles, MSNs. Quercetin, myricetin and myricitrin have been investigated in order to determine the relationship between flavonoid structure and protective activity towards oxidative stress i.e. lipid peroxidation induced by addition of hydrogen peroxide and/or Cu²⁺ ions. Among investigated flavonoids, quercetin showed the most enhanced and prolonged protective anti-oxidative activity. The nanomechanical (Young modulus) measurement of the MSNs treated DOPC membranes during lipid peroxidation confirmed attenuated membrane damage. By applying combination of experimental techniques (AFM, force spectroscopy, ELS, DLS), this work generated detailed knowledge about the effects of flavonoid loaded MSNs on the elasticity of model membranes, especially under oxidative stress conditions. Results from this study will pave the way towards the development of innovative and improved markers for oxidative stress-associated neurological disorders. In addition, the obtained could be extended to designing effective delivery systems of other high potential bioactive molecules with an aim to improve human health in general.

The objective of this study was to analyze the in vitro stability and toxicity of liposomes containing guarana in skin cell lines. The liposomes were produced by the reverse phase evaporation method containing 1 mg/mL guarana. The stability of the liposomes was evaluated by physical-chemical parameters for up to 90 d using three different storage conditions. The cytotoxicity of guarana (GL), liposomes (B-Lip), and guarana-loaded liposomes (G-Lip) was evaluated on spontaneously immortalized human keratinocyte cell lines (HaCaT), murine swiss albino fibroblasts (3T3), and human fibroblast (1BR.3.G). The evaluation was performed using cellular viability analysis. The techniques used were 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and neutral red capturing (NRU) and the analyses were conducted after 24, 48, and 72 h exposure of these cells to the different treatments. The G-Lip exhibited physical-chemical stability for 60 d when the samples were stored in a refrigerator. The GL, B-Lip, and G-Lip demonstrated low cytotoxicity in the three cell cultures tested since a low reduction in cell viability was only observed at the highest concentrations. In addition, greater cell damage was observed for B-Lip; however, guarana protects cells from this damage. Thus, G-Lip structures can be considered as promising systems for topical applications.

A novel approach for the long-term medical treatment of the inner ear is the diffusion of drugs through the round window membrane from a patient-individualized, drug-eluting implant, which is inserted in the middle ear. In this study, drug-loaded (10 wt% Dexamethasone) guinea pig round window niche implants (GP-RNIs, ~1.30 mm x 0.95 mm x 0.60 mm) were manufactured with high precision via micro injection molding (µIM, Tmold = 160 °C, crosslinking time of 120 s). The medical grade silicone elastomer MED-4244 (NuSil Technology LLC, Radnor, PA, USA) was used. Molds for µIM were 3D printed from a commercially available resin PlasGRAY V2 (Asiga, Alexandria, Australia, TG = 84 °C) via a high-resolution DLP process (xy-resolution of 32 µm, z-resolution of 10 µm, 3D printing time of about 6 h). Drug release, biocompatibility, and bio-efficacy of the GP-RNIs were investigated in vitro. GP-RNIs could be successfully produced. Wear of the molds due to thermal stress was observed. However, the molds are suitable for single use in the µIM process. About 10% of the drug load (8.2 ± 0.6 µg) was released after 6 weeks (medium: isotonic saline). The implants showed high biocompatibility over a time of 28 days (lowest cell viability ~80%). Moreover, we found anti-inflammatory effects over a time of 28 days in a TNF-α-reduction test. These results are promising for the development of long-term drug-releasing implants for human inner ear therapy.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL)is a fatal disease caused by the protozoa Leishmania infantum for which dogs are the main reservoirs. A vaccine against canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) could be an important tool in the control of human and CVL by reducing the infection pressure of L. infantum. Despite the CVL vaccine available on the market, the Brazilian Ministry of Health did not implement the use of it in their control programs. In this sense, there is an urgent need to develop more efficient vaccines. In this study, the association between two polymeric nanoformulations, [poly (D, L-lactic) acid (PLA) polymer] loading Leishmania amazonensis antigens, was evaluated as a potential immunobiological agent against VL using golden hamsters as an experimental model. The results indicated that no significant adverse reactions were observed in animals vaccinated with LAPSmP. LAPSmP presented similar levels of total anti-Leishmania IgG as compared to LAPSmG. The LAPSmP and LAPSmG groups showed an intense reduction in liver and spleen parasitic load by qPCR. The LAPSmP and LAPSmG vaccines showed exceptional results, indicating that they may be promising candidates as a VL vaccine.

Curcumin attracts a huge attention because of its biological properties: antiproliferative, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and so on. However, its usage has been limited by poor water solubility and low bioavailability. Herein, to solve these problems we developed curcumin-loaded nanoparticles based on end-capped amphiphilic poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone). Nanoparticles were obtained using the suspension method and were characterized by dynamic and electrophoretic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The average particle size was 200 nm, and ζ-potential was -4 mV. Curcumin release studies showed that nanoparticles are stable in water solution. In vitro release study showed prolonged action in gastric, intestinal and colonic fluids, consistently and in PBS. In vitro studies on epidermoid carcinoma and human embryonic kidney cells showed that the cells absorbed more curcumin in nanoparticles compared to pure curcumin. Nanoparticles are safe for healthy cells and show high cytotoxicity for glioblastoma cells in cytotoxicity studies in vitro. Median lethal dose was determined in acute toxicity assay on Zebrafish and was 23 μM. Overall, the curcumin-loaded nanoparticles seem promising for cancer treatment.

Background: Multiple drug delivery systems obtained by loading nanoparticles (NPs) with different drugs with different physicochemical properties present a promising strategy to achieve synergistic effects between drugs or overcome undesired effects. This study aims to develop a new NP by loading Quercetin (Que) and valproic acid (VPA) onto chitosan. In this context, our study investigated the antioxidant activities of chitosan NPs loaded with single and dual drugs containing Que against oxidative stress. Method: The synthesis of single (Que or VPA) and dual-drug (Que and VPA) loaded chitosan NPs, characterization of the NPs, conducting in vitro antioxidant activity studies, and analysis of the cytotoxicity and antioxidant activity of the NPs in SH-SY5Y cell lines were performed. Result: The NP applications that protected cell viability to the greatest extent against H2O2-induced cell damage were, respectively, 96 µg/ml of Que-loaded chitosan NP (77.30%, 48 h), 2 µg/ml of VPA-loaded chitosan NP (70.06%, 24 h), 96 µg/ml of blank chitosan NP (68.31%, 48 h), and 2 µg/ml of Que and VPA-loaded chitosan NP (66.03%, 24 h). Conclusion: Our study establishes a successful paradigm in developing drug-loaded NPs, with uniform and homogeneous distribution of drugs onto NPs. Chitosan NPs loaded with both single and dual drugs possessing antioxidant activity were successfully developed.

Thermal processing of Zr-loaded ion-exchangers is a facile route to synthetize (ZrO2, ZrC)@C composites. The chemical character of the functional groups in the cation exchanger is an essential factor in the composition and properties of the (ZrO2, ZrC)@C composites. In the present paper furnace and RF-thermal plasma processing of ZrOCl2 loaded thiourea-functionalized styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer was investigated that led to various composites containing ZrO2 and ZrC. Depending on the synthesis conditions, different ZrO2@C composites were formed between 1000 and 1400 °C in 2 h, whereas the composite containing ZrC was created at 1400 °C in 8 h. The ratio of ZrO2/ZrC, the prevailing ZrO2 modifications, and the crystallite sizes strongly depend on the synthesis conditions. The ZrC-containing composites formed only at 1400 °C in 8 hours and by the plasma treatment of the ZrO2@C sample prepared in the furnace, resulting in 8 and 16% ZrC content, with 44 and 41 nm ZrC crystallite sizes, respectively. The ZrO2-containing composites (tetragonal, monoclinic, and cubic modifications with 65–88 nm ZrO2 crystallite sizes and 15–43 m2/g BET surface areas, depending on the carbonization temperature) formed in a tube furnace between 1000 and 1400 °C in 2 h. The tube furnace–prepared sample formed at 1400 °C in 8 h contained ZrC, ZrO2 modifications, and amorphous carbon, whereas the plasma-treated sample contained ZrC, ZrO2 modifications, and graphite. All ZrO2@C composites had both amorphous carbon and graphite, and their ratio is temperature-dependent. The carbonaceous compounds of the prepared composites were characterized by Raman spectroscopy, with analysis of the G and D band intensities. XPS studies showed the surface oxidation of ZrC.

Nanosized drug delivery systems (DDS) have been studied as a novel strategy against cancer due to their potential to simultaneously decrease drug inactivation and systemic toxicity and increase passive and/or active drug accumulation within the tumor(s). Triterpenes are plant-derived compounds with interesting therapeutic properties. Betulinic acid (BeA) is a pentacyclic triterpene which has great cytotoxic activity against different cancer types. Herein, we developed a nanosized protein-based DDS of bovine serum albumin (BSA) as the drug carrier combining two compounds: doxorubicin (Dox) and the triterpene BeA using an oil-water-like micro-emulsion method. Spectrophotometric assays were performed to determine protein and drug concentrations in the DDS. The biophysical properties of these DDS were characterized using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy confirming nanoparticle (NP) formation and drug loading into the protein structure, respectively. The encapsulation efficiency was 77% for Dox and 18% for BeA. More than 50% of both drugs were released within 24 h, at pH 6.8, while less drug was released at pH 7.4 in this time period. Co-incubation viability assays of Dox and BeA alone for 24 h demonstrated synergistic cytotoxic activity in the low μM range against the non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) A549 cells. Viability assays of the BSA(Dox+BeA) DDS demonstrated a higher synergistic cytotoxic activity than the two drugs with no carrier. Moreover, confocal microscopy analysis confirmed cellular internalization of the DDS and nucleus accumulation of the Dox. We determined the mechanism of action of the BSA(Dox+BeA) DDS, confirming S-phase cell cycle arrest, DNA damage, caspase cascade activation, and downregulation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression. This DDS has the potential to synergistically maximize the therapeutic effect of Dox and diminish chemoresistance induced by EGFR expression using a natural triterpene against NSCLC.

The sustainable development of innovative eco-friendly multifunctional nanocomposites, possessing superior characteristics, is a noteworthy topic. Novel semi-interpenetrated nanocomposite films based on poly(vinyl alcohol) covalently and thermally crosslinked with oxalic acid (OA), reinforced with a novel organophosphorus flame retardant (PFR-4) derived from co-polycondensation in solution reaction of equimolar amounts of co-monomers, namely, bis((6-oxido-6H-dibenz[c,e][1,2]oxaphosphorinyl)-(4-hydroxyaniline)-methylene)-1,4-phenylene, bisphenol S, and phenylphosphonic dichloride, in a molar ratio of 1:1:2, and additionally doped with silver-loaded zeolite L nanoparticles (ze-Ag), have been prepared by casting from solution technique. The morphology of the as prepared PVA-oxalic acid films and their semi-interpenetrated nanocomposites with PFR-4 and ze-Ag was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while the homogeneous distribution of the organophosphorus compound and nanoparticles within the nanocomposite films has been introspected by means of energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). It was established that composites with a very low phosphorus content had noticeably improved flame retardancy. The peak of the heat release rate was reduced up to 55%, depending on the content of the flame retardant additive and the doping ze-Ag nanoparticles introduced into the PVA/OA matrix. The ultimate tensile strength and elastic modulus increased significantly in the reinforced nanocomposites. Considerably increased antimicrobial activity was revealed in the case of the samples containing silver-loaded zeolite L nanoparticles.

One-dimensional nanostructures such as silver nanowires (AgNWs) have attracted considerable attention owing to their outstanding electrical, thermal and antimicrobial properties; however, their application in the prevention of infections linked to bone tissue regeneration interventions has not yet been explored. Here we report on the development of an innovative scaffold prepared from chitosan, composite hydroxyapatite and AgNWs (CS-HACS-AgNWs) having both bioactive and antibacterial properties. In vitro results highlighted the antibacterial potential of AgNWs against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The CS-HACS-AgNWs composite scaffold demonstrated suitable Ca/P deposition, improved gel strength, reduced gelation time, and sustained Ag+ release within therapeutic concentrations. Antibacterial studies showed that the composite formulation was capable of inhibiting bacterial growth in suspension and of completely preventing biofilm formation on the scaffold in the presence of resistant strains. The hydrogels were also shown to be biocompatible, allowing cell proliferation. In summary, the developed CS-HACS-AgNWs composite hydrogels demonstrated significant potential as a scaffold material to be employed in bone regenerative medicine, as it presents enhanced mechanical strength combined with the ability to allow calcium salts deposition, while efficiently decreasing the risk of infections. The results presented justify further investigations into potential clinical applications of these materials.

Ralstonia solanacearum is the pathogen responsible for Ralstonia solanacearum, which is soil-borne, infests plant conduits to cause disease.They are not easy to control and are harmful.Therefore the development of a controlled-release agent responsive to the pathogen's soil temperature and moisture conditions could aid in its control. Corn kernel powder is used as a carrier for Tetramycin biopesticide, with various compounds tested for bonding.They were then made by extrusion moulding.Temperature and wetness responsive components, including Pentaerythritol Tetrastearate, Pentaerythritol Tetraoleate, Polyethylene Glycol Stearate, and Polyethylene Glycol Monooleate,are compounded and coated onto Tetramycin cores to form an intermediate shell layer. Finally, Ethyl cellulose(EC)and Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose(HPMC) are dissolved and sprayed onto the outermost layer to complete the pellet's shell layer.After the evaluation of texture performance test,DSC analysis,TG test,temperature and humidity response performance test, as well as pellet cross-section SEM observation, field effectiveness test, etc., the preferred formulations were screened.The results showed that the preferred Core formulation:Corn kernel powder:Tetramycin aqueous:Xanthan gum mass ratio=13.5:23:2; Intermediate Shell layer:PETS: PETO: PEG400MO mass ratio=10:30:10; and Outer Shell layer: Ethyl cellulose (EC):Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) mass ratio=5:1.Under soil conditions of high incidence of Ralstonia solanacearum, i.e., sustained warmth (30-35℃) and high humidity (30% moisture content), the formulated pills showed a release rate of 95.18% to 96.24% over a period of 35 days. Moreover, they showed a stepwise cyclic release process under alternating warm and humid-dry and cold conditions.In field tests on tobacco, a relative preventive efficacy of 54.74% was achieved 106 days post-transplanting. Soil bacterial community structure analysis revealed a significant decrease (2.28-2.84 times) in the abundance of Solanaceae Raelia under Tetramycin pellet treatment compared to the control. Additionally, fungal community structure showed highter consistency initially across various soil depths, with diversity differences between soil layers reestablished later (106 days), while the predominant categories of bacteria and fungi remained unchanged.In this study, we successfully developed a nucleoshell-type slow-controlled release pill embedded with Tetramycin. This pill effectively responded to temperature and humidity changes, resulting in high efficacy in disease prevention.This development holds significant promise for effectively improving drug utilization and easing application challenges, offering broad prospects for Ralstonia solanacearum prevention and control in agriculture.