Search

Background Tribenuron-methyl is a registered herbicide for broad-leaf weed control in wheat, however, low solubility in water and reacting with hard water's ions could substantially decrease its efficacy. The present work aimed to enhance the dispersing and bioactivity of this herbicide by developing nanoparticles using zein as a promising nano-delivery system and to assess the effects of nanoparticles on the efficacy of tribenuron-methyl in the suppression of Convolvulus arvensis as a problematic weed in wheat fields. Results Based on SEM analyses nanoparticles sizes were 80–120 nm. DLS results showed an average size of 170 nm for tribenuron-methyl zein-based nanoparticles (TMZNP-5). The entrapment efficiency (EE%) of tribenuron-methyl inside the zein nanoparticles was ca. 81% ± 3. Five-week after application of tribenuron-methyl nanoparticles on C. arvensis, it was able to reduce the dry weight (53%), acetolactate synthase (ALS) enzyme activity (82%), and plant height (77%) of C. arvensis as compared with untreated plants. Additionally, tribenuron-methyl used in nanoparticles at the half rate of the recommended dose had the same efficacy as commercial tribenuron-methyl. Conclusion Based on these results, zein nanoparticles can be potentially utilized as nanocarriers for enhancing the solubility of tribenuron-methyl to further enhance its bioavailability and performance on sensitive weeds. Graphic abstract

BACKGROUND: Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) remains a significant cause of morbidity in patients undergoing distal pancreatectomy (DP). The use of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and recombinant human albumin sealant gel applied to the transected pancreatic margin in DP may reduce POPF rates and was assessed. METHODS: A retrospective single centre cohort study of patient undergoing DP at an Australian high volume tertiary institution between January 2015 and January 2021. Rates of POPF in patients undergoing stapled pancreatic transection with PEG sealant were compared to other methods. RESULTS: A total of 54 cases were identified for analysis, with 16 undergoing stapled DP combined with staple line application of PEG (PEG group). Most patients in the control group had stapled DP 92% (35 of 38), with 47% (18 of 38) combined with a reinforcing buttress, with or without the use other glue types. Overall, 28 of 54 (52%) developed a POPF, with a significantly lower rate in the PEG group (3 of 16 vs. 25 of 38 in the Control group; p = 0.003). Clinically significant Grade B/C POPF was lower in the PEG group (0 of 16 vs. 9 of 28 in the Control group; p = 0.045), and patients in the PEG group had a shorter median (range) length of hospital stay (6 [4-14] days vs. 10 [6-41] days p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Stapled DP with the application of PEG and recombinant human albumin sealant to the transection line appears to be associated with a lower rate of clinically significant POPF.

Among common strategies for amyloid fibrillation inhibition, the use of naturally occurring polyphenols as an efficient therapeutic approach has attracted a growing body of attention. However, the poor water solubility and low bioavailability of these compounds have greatly restricted their clinical application in amyloid-related diseases. Thus, different types of formulations have been developed to overcome these limitations; among them, nanonization appears to be one of the most notable approaches. Herein, we show that the polyphenolic fraction of propolis (PFP), in the nanosheet form (PFP nanosheet), exhibits an improved capacity for amyloid fibrillation inhibition as well as clearance of preformed fibrils of bovine insulin. This increased efficiency is suggested to be related to the aqueous solubility and surface area enhancement as well as surface modifications upon undergoing the nanonization process, which can lead to strong binding with and trapping of protein at the surface of the nanosheets. On the basis of thioflavin T results, it is suggested that although PFP may modulate the fibrillation process via shortening of the lag phase, prolongation of the nucleation phase through interaction with and stabilizing monomeric species is the mechanism of action of PFP nanosheets. We propose that nanonization of natural small molecules can be considered as a powerful approach to improve their anti-amyloidogenic properties and overcome obstacles originating from poor water solubility and low bioavailability of drug candidates relating to neurodegenerative diseases. Taken together, the obtained results may suggest PFP nanosheets as a potential candidate for use against neurological disorders.

The main purpose of this study is to develop papers with thermoregulation performance. The papers were made of nanofibrillated cellulose containing microencapsulated phase change materials (n-hexad...

Controlled-release drug delivery systems are promising platforms in medicine. Among various types of material in drug delivery, hydrogels are interesting ones. They are water-soluble and tissue compatible polymers with a high capacity to carry and release drugs in a controllable manner. In this study, we introduce the synthesis, characterization, and application of an α-amylase responsive hydrogel in controlled drug delivery. The newly synthesized starch-based hydrogels structurally characterized by means of Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. A proapoptotic drug, doxorubicin, was loaded into the hydrogels and the controlled release of the drug was assessed in the presence of α-amylase and ultimately it was evaluated to controlled-drug release in vitro and subsequently in killing cancer cells. Our results highlight the effectiveness of temporal drug delivery using α-amylase responsive hydrogels in killing cancer cells.

In this study, we fabricated and characterized nanometric chitosan (Cs)/laponite (La) nanocomposite nanogels for controlled drug delivery applications. Cs and Cs/La nanocomposite nanogels were formed by ionic gelation method using tripolyphosphate. The release of honey as a model drug was monitored using a blood glucose meter. The results of dynamic light scattering and field emission scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that in the wet state, the mean particle size of nanogels were 133 nm and 118 nm for Cs nanogels and Cs/La nanocomposite nanogels, moderately reducing to 32 nm and 95 nm at dried state, respectively. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed exfoliated morphology for nanocomposite nanogels. Although honey loading increased the size of the nanogels, it had no effect on the morphology of nanocomposite nanogels. The loading efficiency and loading capacity of encapsulation decreased in nanocomposite nanogels. The honey release profile of nanocomposite nanogels began with a burst release, and showed lower values compared to Cs nanogels during the first hour. Our results corroborated to the higher cross-linking density and barrier effect of La in nanocomposite nanogels.

Magnetic polymeric nanocomposite particles were used as an adsorbent for the extraction of atrazine in soil and water samples. The authors combined magnetic dispersive solid-phase extraction (MD-SPE) and dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) coupled with a gas chromatography-nitrogen phosphor detection for the preconcentration and determination of the analyte. Magnetic nanocomposites of cross-linked poly(styrene/divinylbenzene) (Fe3O4@PS/DVB-MNPs) with the mean size of about 60 nm were prepared by a mini-emulsion polymerization technique. The parameters affecting the extraction efficiency including the amount of adsorbent, absorption and desorption times, the volume of the elution (disperser) and extraction solvents, pH and volume of the sample solution, and salt concentration were optimized by a response surface methodology. Acetone was selected as the eluent in MD-SPE and disperser solvent in DLLME, and chlorobenzene was used as the extraction solvent. Under the optimized conditions, the enrichment factor was 750 and extraction recovery was 53%. The response was linear in the range of 0.05–450 μg L−1 with a determination coefficient of 0.9988. The limit of detection was 0.01 μg L−1. The intra-day and inter-day precisions of the method were in the range of 2.8–5.2% and 4.6–7%, respectively. The relative recovery of the method was in the range of 81–103% for the real samples.

Importance: Sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors reduce morbidity and mortality in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Clinicians may find estimates of the projected long-term benefits of sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors a helpful addition to clinical trial results when communicating the benefits of this class of drug to patients. Objective: To estimate the projected long-term treatment effects of dapagliflozin in patients with HFrEF over the duration of a patient’s lifetime. Design, Setting, and Participants: Exploratory analysis was performed of Dapagliflozin and Prevention of Adverse Outcomes in Heart Failure (DAPA-HF), a phase 3 randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial conducted at 410 sites in 20 countries. Patients with an ejection fraction less than or equal to 40% in New York Heart Association functional classification II to IV and elevated plasma levels of N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide were enrolled between February 15, 2017, and August 17, 2018, with final follow-up on June 6, 2019. Mean (SD) duration of follow-up was 17.6 (5.2) months. Interventions: Dapagliflozin, 10 mg, once daily vs placebo in addition to standard therapy. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary composite outcome was time to first hospitalization for heart failure, urgent heart failure visit requiring intravenous therapy, or cardiovascular death. The trial results were extrapolated to estimate the projected long-term treatment effects of dapagliflozin over the duration of a patient’s lifetime for the primary outcome and the secondary outcome of death from any cause. Results: A total of 4744 patients (1109 women [23.4%]; 3635 men [76.6%]) were randomized in DAPA-HF, with a mean (SD) age of 66.3 (10.9) years. The extrapolated mean event-free survival for an individual aged 65 years from a primary composite end point event was 6.2 years for placebo and 8.3 years for dapagliflozin, representing an event-free survival time gain of 2.1 years (95% CI, 0.8-3.3 years; P = .002). When considering death from any cause, mean extrapolated life expectancy for an individual aged 65 years was 9.1 years for placebo and 10.8 years for dapagliflozin, with a gain in survival of 1.7 years (95% CI, 0.1-3.3; P = .03) with dapagliflozin. Similar results were seen when extrapolated across the age range studied. In analyses of subgroups of patients in DAPA-HF, consistent benefits were seen with dapagliflozin on both event-free and overall survival. Conclusions and Relevance: These findings indicate that dapagliflozin provides clinically meaningful gains in extrapolated event-free and overall survival. These findings may be helpful in communicating the benefits of this treatment to patients with HFrEF. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03036124.

International audience; Excessive and unwarranted administration of antibiotics has invigorated the evolution of multidrug-resistant microbes. There is, therefore, an urgent need for advanced active compounds. Ionic liquids with short-lived ion-pair structures are highly tunable and have diverse applications. Apart from their unique physicochemical features, the newly discovered biological activities of ionic liquids have fascinated biochemists, microbiologists, and medical scientists. In particular, their antimicrobial properties have opened new vistas in overcoming the current challenges associated with combating antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Discussions regarding ionic liquid derivatives in monomeric and polymeric forms with antimicrobial activities are presented here. The antimicrobial mechanism of ionic liquids and parameters that affect their antimicrobial activities, such as chain length, cation/anion type, cation density, and polymerization, are considered. The potential applications of ionic liquids in the biomedical arena, including regenerative medicine, biosensing, and drug/biomolecule delivery, are presented to stimulate the scientific community to further improve the antimicrobial efficacy of ionic liquids.

A thin film sensor based on hollow polyaniline nanofibers is fabricated for ammonia sensing applications at room temperature (25 °C). Polyaniline nanotubular structures (H.PANI) are synthesized via in-situ chemical polymerization method with the inner diameter of 200–300 nm and the outer diameter of 350–450 nm. FE-SEM, FTIR, and XRD tests are performed to analyze the H.PANI structure. To investigate the effect of structure on gas sensing performances, H.PANI sensor is compared with the polyaniline powder (P.PANI) sensor. The measured LOD of H.PANI sensor is 81 ppb, which is an indication that it can be used in various applications. There is a great proton exchange between H.PANI and ammonia gas due to its high surface to volume ratio, leading to high sensitivity. The response of the H.PANI and P.PANI sensors at one ppm ammonia are about 3.36% and 1.26%, respectively.

Study of protein stability in solutions is important for better understanding the pathogenesis of diseases caused by abnormal protein folding and aggregation. Lysozyme is known to form mesoscopic aggregates (30–100 nm radius) in concentrated solutions (>30 mg/mL), however the origin and thermodynamic status of these aggregates remain unclear. In this work we have investigated the effects of concentration, filtration, and temperature on the sizes and relative amount of mesoscale aggregates in solutions of lysozyme. We have used dynamic light scattering, small-angle X-ray scattering, and size exclusion chromatography (SEC). Mesoscopic protein aggregates were commonly thought to be in equilibrium with protein monomers in solution, resulting from a reversible self-assembly of the monomers. We instead show that systematic filtration through 20 nm pore size filters completely removes the aggregates from solution. The aggregates do not reemerge. Without filtering, the relative number of monomers decreases with increasing solution temperature, indicating formation of more aggregates. SEC was used to search for the presence of lysozyme dimers, which have been previously hypothesized to be related to the formation of mesoscopic aggregates. SEC did not detect dimers in solutions of filtered or unfiltered lysozyme. Taken together, our results strongly suggest that the mesoscopic aggregates in lysozyme are not caused by reversible self-assembly of lysozyme monomers and are not an intrinsic property of lysozyme monomers in their native state. We hypothesize that the lysozyme aggregation is likely due to some impurities in lysozyme introduced during purification or lyophilization and/or to traces of misfolded lysozyme.

In this work, a metal-oxide gas sensor array was fabricated for discriminating several gases at room temperature using ultraviolet (UV) illumination. The sensor array consisted of four interdigitated gold microelectrodes, and titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanofibres were electrospun on them. The nanofibres were calcined at 550°C for 1 h. Finally, one of these sensors was coated with a thin layer of gold (Au) using DC sputtering method at a thickness of 2 nm. Similarly, the other two sensors were coated with a thin layer of platinum (Pt) and copper (Cu), respectively, and the last one remained uncoated. The nanofibres were characterised by scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, and UV spectroscopy. The examined analytes were methanol, ethanol, NH3, and acetone, each at seven various concentration levels, including 50, 100, 150, 200, 300, 400, and 500 ppm. Principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis were used to evaluate the proposed technique. The results demonstrated that the sensor array along with UV illumination could successfully discriminate the analytes at room temperature.‏

Transparent enclosures formed of nanolayer composite panels have been proposed to provide high transmittance in the visible range as well as good shielding effectiveness in applications with challenging requirements in terms of low weight, small size, and transparency. We present herein a practical method to optimize the performance of such enclosures, then based on the Robinson et al. model, an analytical model is introduced to approximately calculate their shielding effectiveness. The results of the proposed model show acceptable agreement with CST simulation and measurement results, while the Robinson et al. cannot be used to analyze composite enclosures due to its inability to take into account the effects of multilayer panels. In the next step, gold nanolayers with various thicknesses were deposited on patterned indium tin oxide (ITO) glass panels using the thermal evaporation technique. Then, considering the tradeoff between the shielding effectiveness and optical transparency, an optimum thickness for the gold nanolayer was selected. To assess the results of the performance optimization, the results for the copper, ITO glass, and gold-deposited enclosures were compared, revealing that the 10-nm gold-deposited ITO glass enclosure provided good shielding effectiveness, similar to that of the copper structure (and about 20 dB better than that of the ITO glass enclosure) as well as acceptable optical transparency, whereas metallic enclosures cannot provide transparency.

In this study, a novel planar MEMS-based gas ionization sensor based on the field ionization of zinc oxide nanowires is reported. Selective and seedless ZnO nanowires have been grown directly on gold electrodes by low-cost and low-temperature hydrothermal method. Low operating voltage with fast response and recovery times have been achieved for detecting Argon, Helium, Air + %32 RH, Nitrogen, Dry Air, Oxygen, and Carbon dioxide at ambient temperature in atmospheric pressure. Sharp tips of ZnO nanowires reduce the gas breakdown voltage of different gases as shown for Helium and Argon to about 115 V, 85 V respectively due to their local electric field enhancement characteristic. Furthermore, an excellent semi linear response (about 80 V decrease in breakdown voltage) was observed by introducing 250 ppm of NH3 to pure N2 in 4 stages from 0 ppm to 1000 ppm as ammonia gas sensor. In addition, ZnO nanowires protect high conductive Au cathode and anode against sputtering and deformation due to their superior physical, chemical and mechanical properties.

Background: Cannabinoid extracts may have anticancer properties, which can improve cancer treatment outcomes. The aim of this review is to determine the potentially utility of cannabinoids in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Methods: A literature review focused on the biological effects of cannabinoids in cancer treatment, with a focus on pancreatic cancer, was conducted. In vitro and in vivo studies that investigated the effects of cannabinoids in pancreatic cancer were identified and potential mechanisms of action were assessed. Results: Cannabinol receptors have been identified in pancreatic cancer with several studies showing in vitro antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects. The main active substances found in cannabis plants are cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). There effects are predominately mediated through, but not limited to cannabinoid receptor-1, cannabinoid receptor-2, and G-protein-coupled receptor 55 pathways. In vitro studies consistently demonstrated tumor growth-inhibiting effects with CBD, THC, and synthetic derivatives. Synergistic treatment effects have been shown in two studies with the combination of CBD/synthetic cannabinoid receptor ligands and chemotherapy in xenograft and genetically modified spontaneous pancreatic cancer models. There are, however, no clinical studies to date showing treatment benefits in patients with pancreatic cancer. Conclusions: Cannabinoids may be an effective adjunct for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Data on the anticancer effectiveness of various cannabinoid formulations, treatment dosing, precise mode of action, and clinical studies are lacking.

International audience; Efforts to widen the scope of ionic liquids applications across diverse research areas have flourished in the last two decades with developments in understanding and tailoring their physical, chemical, and biological properties. The promising applications of ionic liquids-based materials as antimicrobial systems is due to their ability and flexibility to be tailored in varying sizes, morphologies, and surface charges. Ionic liquids are also considered as greener materials. Common methods for the preparation of ionic liquid-based materials include crosslinking, loading, grafting, and combination of ionic liquids with other polymeric materials. Recent research focuses on the tuning of the biological properties to design novel ionic liquids-based antimicrobial materials. Here, the properties, synthesis and applications of ionic liquids and ionic liquids-based materials are reviewed with focus on antimicrobial activities applied to water treatment, air filtration, food packaging, and anticorrosion.

The interlacing of biopolymers and synthetic polymers is a promising strategy to fabricate hydrogel-based tissue scaffolds to biomimic a natural extracellular matrix for cell growth. Herein, open-cellular macroporous 3D scaffolds with a semi-interpenetrating network were fabricated through high internal phase emulsion templating. The scaffolds are prepared by (I) the curing of PEG diacrylate (PEGDAC) and gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) in the continuous aquatic phase of a coconut oil-in-water emulsion stabilized by GelMA nanoparticles, and (II) the removal of the internal phase. The effect of the main contributing parameters such as pH, GelMA content, and GelMA/PEGDAC weight ratio on the emulsion features was investigated systematically. Due to the isoelectric point of GelMA at around pH 6, the GelMA particle (aggregation) size decreased at both sides of pH from 1000 to 100–140 nm because of the increased number of positive and negative charges on GelMA. These GelMA nanoparticles were able to produce stable emulsions with narrowly distributed small emulsion droplets. Moreover, the stability and emulsion droplet size were enhanced and increased, respectively, with GelMA content increasing and GelMA/PEGDAC weight ratio decreasing. These trends lie in the prevented coalescence phenomenon caused by the improved viscosity and likely partially formed network by GelMA chains in the continuous phase. Hence, the following formulation was selected for scaffold preparation: φoil = 74%, pH = 12, GeMA = 4 wt%, and GelMA/PEGDAC = 10/8. Then, PCL in different contents was infiltrated into the scaffold to balance hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity. The cell culture assay proved that the scaffold with a pore size of 60–180 μm and containing 51.2 wt% GelMA, 10.3 wt% PEG, and PCL 27.2 wt% provided a suitable microenvironment for mouse fibroblast cell (L929) adhesion, growth, and spreading. These results show that this strategy suggests promising culture for tissue engineering applications.

The novel SARS-CoV-2 which was first reported in China is the cause of infection known as COVID-19. In comparison with other coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV and MERS, the mortality rate of SARS-CoV-2 is lower but the transmissibility is higher. Immune dysregulation is the most common feature of the immunopathogenesis of COVID-19 that leads to hyperinflammation. Micronutrients such as zinc are essential for normal immune function. According to the assessment of WHO, approximately one-third of the world's society suffer from zinc deficiency. Low plasma levels of zinc are associated with abnormal immune system functions such as impaired chemotaxis of polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) and phagocytosis, dysregulated intracellular killing, overexpression of the inflammatory cytokines, lymphopenia, decreased antibody production, and sensitivity to microbes especially viral respiratory infections. Zinc exerts numerous direct and indirect effects against a wide variety of viral species particularly RNA viruses. The use of zinc and a combination of zinc-pyrithione at low concentrations impede SARS-CoV replication in vitro. Accordingly, zinc can inhibit the elongation step of RNA transcription. Furthermore, zinc might improve antiviral immunity by up-regulation of IFNα through JAK/STAT1 signaling pathway in leukocytes. On the other hand, zinc supplementation might ameliorate tissue damage caused by mechanical ventilation in critical COVID-19 patients. Finally, zinc might be used in combination with antiviral medications for the management of COVID-19 patients. In the current review article, we review and discuss the immunobiological roles and antiviral properties as well as the therapeutic application of zinc in SARS-CoV-2 and related coronaviruses infections.

Dendritic cells (DCs) secrete vast quantities of exosomes termed as dexosomes. Dexosomes are symmetric nanoscale heat-stable vesicles that consist of a lipid bilayer displaying a characteristic series of lipid and protein molecules. They include tetraspanins and all established proteins for presenting antigenic material such as the major histocompatibility complex class I/II (MHC I/II) and CD1a, b, c, d proteins and CD86 costimulatory molecule. Dexosomes contribute to antigen-specific cellular immune responses by incorporating the MHC proteins with antigen molecules and transferring the antigen-MHC complexes and other associated molecules to naïve DCs. A variety of ex vivo and in vivo studies demonstrated that antigen-loaded dexosomes were able to initiate potent antitumor immunity. Human dexosomes can be easily prepared using monocyte-derived DCs isolated by leukapheresis of peripheral blood and treated ex vivo by cytokines and other factors. The feasibility of implementing dexosomes as therapeutic antitumor vaccines has been verified in two phase I and one phase II clinical trials in malignant melanoma and non small cell lung carcinoma patients. These studies proved the safety of dexosome administration and showed that dexosome vaccines have the capacity to trigger both the adaptive (T lymphocytes) and the innate (natural killer cells) immune cell recalls. In the current review, we will focus on the perspective of utilizing dexosome vaccines in the context of cancer immunotherapy.

The anti-cancer effects of cannabinoids including CBD (Cannabidiol) and THC ((&minus, )-trans-∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol) have been reported in the case of pancreatic cancer (PC). The connection of these cannabinoids to KRas oncogenes that mutate in more than 90% of PC, and their effects on PD-L1, a key target of immune checkpoint blockade, have not been thoroughly investigated. Using cell lines and mouse models of PC, the effects of CBD and THC on cancer growth, the interaction between PC cells and a stromal cell, namely pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs), and the mechanism(s) involved were determined by cell-based assays and mouse study in vivo. CBD and THC inhibited the proliferation of PC, PSC, and PSC-stimulated PC cells. They also suppressed pancreatic tumour growth in mice. Furthermore, CBD and/or THC reduced the expression of PD-L1 by either PC or PSC cells. Knockout of p-21 activated kinase 1 (PAK1, activated by KRas) in PC and PSC cells and, in mice, dramatically decreased or blocked these inhibitory effects of CBD and/or THC. These results indicated that CBD and THC exerted their inhibitions on PC and PSC via a p-21 activated kinase 1 (PAK1)-dependent pathway, suggesting that CBD and THC suppress Kras activated pathway by targeting PAK1. The inhibition by CBD and THC of PD-L1 expression will enhance the immune checkpoint blockade of PC.

There are many reports demonstrating that various derivatives of carbon nanoparticles are effective inhibitors of protein aggregation. As surface structural features of nanoparticles play a key role on modulating amyloid fibrillation process, in the present in vitro study, bovine insulin and hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL) were selected as two model proteins to investigate the reducing effect of graphene oxide quantum dots (GOQDs) on their assembly under amyloidogenic conditions. GOQDs were prepared through direct pyrolysis of citric acid, and the reduction step was carried out using ascorbic acid. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized by UV-Vis, X-ray photoelectron, and FT-IR spectroscopies, transmission electron and atomic force microscopies, zeta potential measurement, and Nile red fluorescence assay. They showed the tendencies to modulate the assembly of the proteins through different mechanisms. While GOQDs appeared to have the capacity to inhibit fibrillation, the presence of reduced GOQDs (rGOQDs) was found to promote protein assembly via shortening the nucleation phase, as suggested by ThT fluorescence data. Moreover, the structures produced in the presence of GOQDs or rGOQDs were totally nontoxic. We suggest that surface properties of these particles may be part of the differences in their mechanism(s) of action.

In this work, we investigate the role of folding/unfolding equilibrium in protein aggregation and formation of a gel network. Near the neutral pH and at a low buffer ionic strength, the formation of the gel network around unfolding conditions prevents investigations of protein aggregation. In this study, by deploying the fact that in lysozyme solutions the time of folding/unfolding is much shorter than the characteristic time of gelation, we have prevented gelation by rapidly heating the solution up to the unfolding temperature (~80 &deg, C) for a short time (~30 min.) followed by fast cooling to the room temperature. Dynamic light scattering measurements show that if the gelation is prevented, nanosized irreversible aggregates (about 10&ndash, 15 nm radius) form over a time scale of 10 days. These small aggregates persist and aggregate further into larger aggregates over several weeks. If gelation is not prevented, the nanosized aggregates become the building blocks for the gel network and define its mesh length scale. These results support our previously published conclusion on the nature of mesoscopic aggregates commonly observed in solutions of lysozyme, namely that aggregates do not form from lysozyme monomers in their native folded state. Only with the emergence of a small fraction of unfolded proteins molecules will the aggregates start to appear and grow.

One of the most prevalent cancers in men is prostate cancer and could be managed with immunotoxins or antibody treatment. Because of the substantial rise of the Prostate-Specific Antigen and the Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA), cancer vaccination should be rendered with these antigens. Through pharmacodynamic experiments in a library of natural compounds from ZINC database, the current research sought to identify compounds that could suppress PSMA protein. To test the most productive compounds for further research, the Library has been scanned with Pharmacophore and ADMET analysis followed by molecular docking methods in the first phase. After selecting 15 ligands with the best pose related to docking results, to evaluate the stability of the ligand-protein bounds of the compounds, a molecular dynamics simulation considering the effect of the presence of zinc ions on the protein structure was performed. The measurement of ligand binding modes and free energy has shown that four compounds, including Z10, Z06, Z01, and Z03, have formed critical interactions with the active site's residues. Besides, multiple approaches were employed to determine their inhibition rating and describe the variables that facilitate the attachment of ligands to the protein active site. The results are obtained from the MMPBSA/GBSA analysis of four selected small molecules (Z10, Z06, Z01, and Z03), which are very close to the IC50 value of reference ligand (DCIBzl); they are −13.85 kcal/mol, −12.58 kcal/mol, −10.71 kcal/mol and −9.39 kcal/mol respectively. Finally, we evaluate the results obtained from selected ligands using hydrogen bond and decomposition analyzes. We have examined the effective interactions between ligands and S1/S1ˊpockets in protein. Our computational results illustrate the design of more efficient inhibitors of PSMA.

Modified polymer surfaces have experienced rapid growth over the past decade in industries such as biomedical, bioprocessing, food packaging, microelectronics and textiles. Although the final use of the bio-functionalized polymer varies with each application, the general concept is the same. The first step is to design or select a polymer with bulk properties matching the needs of the final applications, such as conductivity, degradability, elasticity, optical clarity, origin (natural vs. synthetic) and strength. The second step is, therefore, to optimize surface functionalization techniques in order to introduce the desired type and amount of reactive functional groups. This chapter aims to introduce the advances in the covalent bonding to functionalized polymer surfaces, including the relevant techniques in the modification of the polymeric surface.

Nowadays it is still a great sustainable processes challenge to produce efficient, selective and easy magnetic recovery and recycling catalysts for oxidation of alcohols using air as the oxidant. In this work, a new magnetic nanohydrogel comprising [DABCO-allyl][Br] ionic liquid, allyl alcohol and N,N'-methylenebis(acrylamide) is used for stabilization of small and highly uniform palladium nanoparticles of 3–4 nm size MXCPILNHG@Pd. This material has been characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), atomic adsorption spectroscopy (AAS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), SEM-Map, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), vibrating-sample magnetometer (VSM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). According to optimization of cross-linking degree and ratio of DABCO-IL, MXCPILNHG-2@Pd is found as a highly selective catalyst in oxidations of primary alcohols to the corresponding aldehydes in toluene and to acids in water. Furthermore, secondary alcohols were reacted efficiently to the corresponding ketones in both toluene and water. Catalyst is magnetically recovered and recycled for several times in both toluene and water and the reused catalysts are characterized by TEM and XPS. The authors are grateful to Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS) Research Council, Zanjan University and Iran National Science Foundation (INSF-Grant number of 95,844,587) for support of this work. The authors are also thankful to the Spanish Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad, Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER, EU) (projects CTQ2016-76782-P and CTQ2016-81797-REDC), the Generalitat Valenciana (PROMETEOII/ 2014/017) and the University of Alicante.

Optimal distribution of cerium oxide nanoparticles (CONPs) or nanoceria can have a significant impact on their cytotoxicity, cellular uptake, and radioprotection effects. In this study, two different distribution plans of CONPs were investigated. A scanner electron microscope (SEM) was used for chemical analysis and recording of CONP images. Using MTT assay, the non-toxic concentrations of nanoceria with two different distribution plans were determined in MRC-5 and MCF-7 cell lines. Nanoceria cellular uptake at 50, 150, and 250 μM with two different dispersion plans was determined by using the UV/VIS absorbance of cell culture medium after 24 h of incubation. In order to quantify radioprotection effect, cells treated with non-toxic concentrations of nanoceria were exposed to 10, 40, and 100 cGy of 6 MV photon beams. The diameter of the spherical CONPs was 29 nm. Energy dispersive spectroscopy analysis showed that the cerium element has the highest weight percentage in CONPs (97.9%). Accumulation rate of filtered and non-filtered suspension were determined as 0.3608 and 14.2708 μg/ml/h, respectively. The 70 and 110 μM concentration of sustained nanoceria suspension did not have any toxicity for MRC-5 and MCF-7 cells, respectively. In both cell lines, 50, 150, and 250 μM of filtered nanoceria had a significant uptake than the non-filtered nanoceria. A total of results showed that the 70 μM of nanoceria have a significant radioprotection on normal cells in the radiation dose of 40 and 100 cGy, while the highest cellular uptake of nanoceria occurred in cancer cells. The results suggest that using of stable distribution of CONPs for radiation protection could be a good choice, knowing that these nanostructures will have selective protection in normal cells.

In this letter, a practical method of enhancing the performance of optically transparent enclosures is presented. The proposed method involves homogeneous and heterogeneous gold nanolayer deposition by the thermal evaporation technique. Certainly, gold nanolayer films of various thicknesses are deposited on the patterned indium tin oxide (ITO) glass panels, and then by making a tradeoff between optical transparency and shielding effectiveness (SE), an optimized gold film thickness is selected. The results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method and show 9 nm gold-deposited ITO enclosure, which provides significant electromagnetic shielding. Finally, the heterogeneous deposition technique is used to improve optical transparency. In this technique, a 9 nm gold film is deposited on the location where the current density is high. SE of this case is improved (about 12 dB better than the ITO enclosure at the resonance frequency), while optical transparency is sustained. To assess the method, the final results of copper, ITO, as well as homogeneous and heterogeneous gold-deposited enclosures is compared.

Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) is a member of the PTP superfamily which is considered to be a negative regulator of insulin receptor (IR) signaling pathway. PTP1B is a promising drug target for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cancer. The existence of allosteric site in PTP1B has turned the researcher's attention to an alternate strategy for inhibition of this enzyme. Herein, the molecular interactions between the allosteric site of PTP1B with three non-competitive flavonoids, (MOR), (MOK), and (DPO) have been investigated. Three ligands were docked into allosteric site of the enzyme. The resulting protein-ligand complexes were used for molecular dynamics studies. Principal component and free-energy landscape (FEL) as well as cluster analyses were used to investigate the conformational and dynamical properties of the protein and identify representative enzyme substrates bounded to the inhibitors. Per residue energy decomposition analysis attributed dissimilar affinities of three inhibitors to the several hydrogen bonds and non-bonded interactions. In conclusion, our results exhibited an inhibitory pattern of the ligands against PTP1B.

Today’s the technology based on dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) has an important role in all photovoltaic system technologies. DSSCs can generate electricity with various degrees of transparency; this makes it suitable for use in various industries, especially in construction industry as smart windows. In fact DSSC can produce electricity and having natural light, simultaneously. It is obvious that DSSCs need to absorb solar radiation as much as possible. Since, the effective use of all incident lights leads to an increase in cell efficiency and this increase in efficiency is related to the amount of dye adsorbed on the surface of nanostructured electrode, so higher amount of dye for higher efficiency tends to the reduction of transparency of the cell. This paper has been attempted to investigate the relationship between these two parameters of transparency and efficiency for DSSCs by maintaining the cell stability in a long-term time interval. The results showed that the thickness of the nano-porous titanium dioxide film and the size of its nanoparticles have an important role as the photo-anode due to the absorption of the dye molecules in the DSSCs. Using the smallest size of TiO2 nano-particles in the anatase phase, and optimizing the TiO2 layer thickness by adding terpineol solvent in it, the stability of the DSSC is improved exceedingly and the level of transparency increased from 30.43 to 46.5% with maintaining the efficiency of the 3.2%. Besides, we used a new two-step method to fabricate higher performance cells and the efficiency increased to 3.78 with saving its 46.5% transparency. Results indicate that other parameters like using different electrolytes and different deposition methods of platinum counter electrode have lower effects in this optimization compared to the photo-anode effect.

In this study, a series of meso-tetraarylporphyrins (aryl = phenyl, 2-methylphenyl and 2-chlorophenyl), H2T(aryl)P immobilized on nanosized Amberlyst-15 (nanoAmb) through the acid–base reaction were utilized as highly efficient (turnover number in the range of 4 × (8000 to 10 000) for 4 successive reactions with the same catalyst), stable and reusable heterogeneous photocatalysts for the aerobic oxidation of olefins under green conditions. Interestingly, nanoAmb with an average diameter of less than 200 nm was produced from Amb beads by overnight magnetic stirring in ethyl acetate at room temperature. The catalysts may be reused at least four times without a significant decrease in catalytic activity. The immobilization of porphyrin on the polymer was confirmed by diffuse reflectance UV-vis and IR spectroscopy. Also, the supported porphyrin was released from the nanoAmb surface by alkaline treatment and analyzed by UV-vis spectroscopy. N2 porosimetry analysis showed a significant decrease in the BET surface area and pore volume values of the polymer after the immobilization of porphyrins. The influence of different parameters, including the photosensitizer to olefin molar ratio, porphyrin loading, solvent, type of light source and meso substituents were investigated. H2T(2-Me)PP@nanoAmb and H2T(2-Cl)PP@nanoAmb showed the highest oxidative stability and catalytic activity among the series of porphyrins, respectively. In order to overcome the photooxidative degradation of porphyrin photosensitizers, different degrees of catalyst loading were examined and the lowest loading showed the best performance. The use of 1,4-benzoquinone and 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran as the quenchers of the superoxide anion radical and singlet oxygen species revealed that the oxidation reaction mainly proceeds with a singlet oxygen mechanism.

Here, we reported a new type of water expandable polystyrene (WEPS) beads containing cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs). This expansible material, called CNFWEPS, showed the highest expansion ratio (~16) for the as-synthesized beads and ~8 after 4.5 months, which has never been reported in the literature. Expandable beads containing 9–13 wt% of the well-dispersed water were synthesized through Pickering emulsion polymerization of styrene in the presence of CNF. During the polymerization, CNFs rearrange and create nanospheres which entrap water inside polystyrene beads. Morphological investigations along with thermogravimetric analysis showed that the entrapped water is either discrete water droplets of 9–10 µm in diameter or bound water with a strong adsorption to the hydrophilic nanoparticles inside the beads. Importantly, the bound water could be preserved several months after synthesis and therefore prolong the shelf-life of the CNFWEPS beads. The analysis of the expansion kinetics of the CNFWEPS beads revealed three-regime behavior with strong temperature dependency. The highest expansion ratio was obtained at 135 °C for the sample containing 0.2 wt% of CNF. Overall, apart from stabilization of water in the beads, the vital role of CNF unveiled to be reinforcing the foam structure and inhibiting the cell wall rupture by increasing melt strength of the matrix during expansion.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is one of the most lethal malignancies worldwide. All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) has been used as an antistromal agent in PDA, and its antitumor effect has also been reported in various kinds of cancer, including PDA. Inhibition of p21-activated kinases (PAKs) is associated with decreased tumor growth and increased gemcitabine sensitivity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the inhibitory effects of ATRA alone and in combination with gemcitabine on cell growth and migration of wild-type and gemcitabine-resistant PDA cells and the potential mechanism(s) involved. Human (MiaPaCa-2) and murine (TB33117) PDA cell lines were incubated in increasing concentrations of gemcitabine to establish resistant clones. Cell growth, clonogenicity, and migration/invasion were determined using a sulforhodamine B assay, a colony formation assay, and a Boyden chamber assay, respectively. Protein expression was measured by Western blotting. ATRA reduced cell proliferation, colony formation, and migration/invasion in both wild-type and gemcitabine-resistant cell lines. PAK1 expression was significantly increased in resistant cells. Cells treated with ATRA showed decreased expression of PAK1, PAK2, PAK4, and α-smooth muscle actin. The combination of ATRA and gemcitabine synergistically reduced cell growth in both wild-type and gemcitabine-resistant cell lines. Depletion of PAK1 enhanced ATRA sensitivity in MiaPaCa-2 cells. In conclusion, the antitumor effects of ATRA and its synergism with gemcitabine are associated with downregulation of PAKs.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The inhibitory effect of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) on cell proliferation, colony formation, and migration/invasion was associated with downregulation of p21-activated kinases (PAKs), and depletion of PAK1 enhanced ATRA sensitivity in MiaPaCa-2 cells. The combination of ATRA and gemcitabine synergistically reduced cell growth in both wild-type and gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells. As an important prognostic marker, α-smooth muscle actin also can be downregulated by ATRA in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells.

A novel dicationic Brönsted acidic ionic liquid, [(Et3N)2SO][HSO4]2, was prepared and characterized using FT-IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and MS and evaluated as a catalyst in the Biginelli reaction. The advantages of this method include novelty in terms of the ionic liquid, together with high efficiency, easy workup procedure and purification, convenient operation, and environmentally benign reaction conditions. Also, the catalyst can be easily separated from the reaction mixture and reused in five consecutive cycles without significant loss in catalytic activity.

In this paper, we report the use of amphiphilic crosslinked starch nanoparticles (CSTNs) as biocompatible, biodegradable and effective stabilizer for Pickering emulsion formulation. The nearly monodispersed CSTNs ( ˜ 140 nm) were synthesized through alkali-freezing method followed by crosslinking using citric acid. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy, zeta-potential measurements, dynamic light scattering, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The efficacy of the CSTNs toward the stability, the oil droplet size distribution and the surface area moment mean diameter (d3,2) of sunflower oil-in-water emulsions were then assessed as a function of pH. Increase in pH from 3 to 5 and 7.4 led to an enhance in the emulsion stability, decrease in d3,2 and narrowing of the size distribution of emulsions droplets. Moreover, the abundance of nanoparticles increased with pH so that the surface coverage for pH 3, 5 and 7.4 were calculated 10.6, 14.8 and 22.2%, respectively. In vitro controlled release studies showed that the encapsulated curcumin, as a lipophilic and therapeutic compound, into the Pickering emulsion can be tuned by pH of the release media; drug release increases with pH. Collectively, the facile preparation of emulsions stabilized by solid particles derived from biocompatible and renewable resources along with the pH responsivity of these emulsions make them promising drug carriers to treat gastrointestinal tissue disorders via oral drug delivery.

Polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) is an important class of photosensitive polymer with many tissue engineering applications. This study compared PEGDA and polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofiber matrix (NFM) coated PEGDA, referred to as PCL-PEGDA, scaffolds for their application in multiple tissue repair such as articular cartilage, nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disc (IVD). We examined each scaffold morphology, porosity, swelling ratio, degradation, mechanical strength, and in vitro cytocompatibility properties. A defect was created in Sprague Dawley rat tail IVD by scraping native cartilage tissue and disc space, then implanting the scaffolds in the disc space for 4 weeks to evaluate in vivo efficacy of multi-tissue repair. Maintenance of disc height and creation of a new cell matrix was assessed to evaluate each scaffold’s ability to repair the tissue defect. Although both PEGDA and PCL-PEGDA scaffolds showed similar porosity ∼73%, we observed distinct topographical characteristics and a higher effect of degradation on the water-absorbing capacity for PEGDA compared to PCL-PEGDA. Mechanical tests showed higher compressive strength and modulus of PCL-PEGDA compared to PEGDA. In vitro cell studies show that the PCL NFM layer covering PEGDA improved osteoblast cell adhesion, proliferation, and migration into the PEGDA layer. In vivo studies concluded that the PEGDA scaffold alone was not ideal for implantation in rat caudal disc space without PCL nanofiber coating due to low compressive strength and modulus. In vivo results confirm that the PCL-PEGDA scaffold-maintained disc space and created a proteoglycan and collagen-rich new tissue matrix in the defect site after 4 weeks of scaffold implantation. We concluded that our developed PCL-PEGDA has the potential to be used in multi-tissue defect site repair.

A double Pickering emulsion was designed to fabricate hollow imprinted microspheres (H-IMMs) for the detection of l -Cysteine ( l -Cys). In a w1/o/w2 double emulsion, the main o/w2 emulsion droplets stabilized by hydrophilic partially reduced graphene oxides (r-GOs) encapsulating smaller w1/o emulsion droplets stabilized by hydrophobic reduced graphene oxide quantum dots (r-GOQDs). The results revealed that size distribution and calculated volume-surface mean diameter (d3,2) of main droplets were narrowed and decreased from 48.2 to 16.7 μm with pH variation from 4 to 12 ; the reason lies in the pH-sensitivity of r-GOs. Polymerization of methacrylic acid and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate in the presence of l -Cys, as a target molecule, at the oil phase led to the synthesize of H-IMMs. Investigations by cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry methods demonstrated that the prepared H-IMMs is responsive to l -Cys. The response of H-IMMs leach/CPE displayed a linearity range of 0.01 μM to 1 μM Cys with a limit of detection of 15.5 nM.

Microemulsions have received particular interest as novel vehicles for drug delivery. Herein, a new tribenuron-methyl (TM) loaded oil-in-water Pluronic F127-stabilized microemulsion is developed as a promising delivery nanocarrier for herbicides to control the growth of wheat weed (Convolvulus arvensis). The diameter for the TM-loading microemulsions was determined to be 7.5 nm. Experimental results revealed a high entrapment (83% ± 6%) and loading efficiency (0.44% ± 0.07%) of TM in F127-stabilized microemulsions. The in-vitro release profile from the microemulsions ensured a controlled and sustained release of the loaded TM, with ca. 50% release of TM was achieved from the microemulsions within the first 35 h, in comparison to a complete release of free TM within the first 5 h. After 5 weeks, TM-microemulsions were able to reduce the fresh weight (76%), dry weight (55%), acetolactate synthase activity (83%), and plant height (79%) of C. arvensis in comparison with controls. Using a herbicide concentration as low as ca. 50% [15 g of active ingredient per hectare,g a.i. ha−1)], of the recommended dose of commercial herbicides (Granstar) great inhibitions of weed growth were obtained. Therefore, the present microemulsion system opens the door to new nanocarriers for effective weed control to reduce economic costs and potential pollution issues.

In situ bromination of vinyl monomers with tetra-n-butyl ammonium tribromide and irradiation of the corresponding dibromide upon exposure to visible-LED (λ = 400 nm) followed by C-Br bond photocleavage, successfully synthesis of polystyrene, polyacrylamide and the related random and block compolymers. GPC data revealed relatively low distributions in molecular weight for Dibromide-synthesized homo/copolymers, comparable with data obtained for ATRP, photo-ATRP and metal-free photo-ATRP.

Background: This study aimed to compare the effect of four temporary luting agents on preventing the coronal microleakage of teeth restored with custom cast post and core. Materials and Methods: In this in vitro original study, after removing 9 mm of gutta percha from root canals of 32 single‑canaled premolars, the acrylic resin patterns of the post and core were fabricated. Patterns were cast with Ni‑Cr metal alloy and then cemented with glass ionomer. Using self‑curing acrylic resin, provisional restorations were made. Then, teeth were randomly allocated to four groups for each temporary cement including zinc oxide eugenol (Temp Bond), zinc oxide noneugenol (Temp Bond NE), noneugenol resin‑based temporary luting agent (Temp Bond Clear), and noneugenol urethane methacrylate polymer‑based temporary luting agent (Dento temp). Teeth were subjected to thermocycling, immersed in silver nitrate for 6 h and then sectioned. The amount of dye penetration in the margin of provisional crown and into the coronal part of the root canals was measured using a stereomicroscope. Data were analyzed using the Kruskal–Wallis and Dunn tests with significance level of 0.05. Results: All the luting agents showed some degree of microleakage (Group 1 showed the most microleakage). According to the pair comparison between the groups, Group 1 revealed a significant difference with others (P < 0.05). Furthermore, Group 2 showed more microleakage as compared to Group 4 (P = 0.037). Conclusion: Temp Bond showed the highest microleakage as compared to other luting agents. Furthermore, Temp Bond NE revealed a weaker sealability as compared to Dento temp. Key Words: Dental cement, nonvital tooth, temporary dental restoration

Background In Islamic countries alcohol consumption is considered as against religious values. Therefore, estimation of frequency of alcohol consumptions using direct methods is prone to different biases. In this study, we indirectly estimated the frequency of alcohol use in Iran, in network of a representative sample using network scale up (NSU) method. Methods In a national survey, about 400 participants aged above 18 at each province, around 12 000 in total, were recruited. In a gender-match face to face interview, respondents were asked about the number of those who used alcohol (even one episode) in previous year in their active social network, classified by age and gender. The results were corrected for the level of visibility of alcohol consumption. Results The relative frequency of alcohol use at least once in previous year, among general population aged above 15, was estimated at 2.31% (95% CI: 2.12%, 2.53%). The relative frequency among males was about 8 times higher than females (4.13% versus 0.56%). The relative frequency among those aged 18 to 30 was 3 times higher than those aged above 30 (3.97% versus 1.36%). The relative frequency among male aged 18 to 30 was about 7%. Conclusion It seems that the NSU is a feasible method to monitor the relative frequency of alcohol use in Iran, and possibly in countries with similar culture. Alcohol use was lower than non-Muslim countries, however, its relative frequency, in particular in young males, was noticeable.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic cancer continues to have a poor survival rate with an urgent need for improved treatments. Glaucarubinone, a natural product first isolated from the seeds of the tree Simarouba glauca, has recently been recognized as having anti-cancer properties that may be particularly applicable to pancreatic cancer. METHODS: The effect of glaucarubinone on the growth and migration of murine pancreatic cancer cells was assessed by (3)H-thymidine incorporation assay. The survival impact of glaucarubinone alone and in combination with gemcitabine chemotherapy was assessed using an immunocompetent orthotopic murine model of pancreatic cancer. RESULTS: Glaucarubinone inhibited the growth of the murine pancreatic cancer cell lines LM-P and PAN02. Treatment with either glaucarubinone or gemcitabine reduced proliferation in vitro and the combination was synergistic. The combination treatment improved survival two-fold compared to gemcitabine treatment alone (p = 0.046) in PAN02 cells. CONCLUSIONS: The synergistic inhibition by glaucarubinone and gemcitabine observed in vitro and the improved survival in vivo suggest that glaucarubinone may be a useful adjunct to current chemotherapy regimens.

Background Liver transplantation-associated acute kidney injury (AKI) carries significant morbidity and mortality. We hypothesized that sodium bicarbonate would reduce the incidence and/or severity of liver transplantation-associated AKI. Methods In this double-blinded pilot RCT, adult patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation were randomized to an infusion of either 8.4% sodium bicarbonate (0.5 mEq/kg/h for the first hour; 0.15 mEq/kg/h until completion of surgery); (n = 30) or 0.9% sodium chloride (n = 30). Primary outcome: AKI within the first 48 h post-operatively. Results There were no significant differences between the two treatment groups with regard to baseline characteristics, model for end-stage liver disease and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II scores, and pre-transplantation renal function. Intra-operative factors were similar for duration of surgery, blood product requirements, crystalloid and colloid volumes infused and requirements for vasoactive therapy. Eleven patients (37%) in the bicarbonate group and 10 patients (33%) in the sodium chloride group developed a post-operative AKI (p = 0.79). Bicarbonate infusion attenuated the degree of immediate post-operative metabolic acidosis; however, this effect dissipated by 48 h. There were no significant differences in ventilation hours, ICU or hospital length of stay, or mortality. Conclusions The intra-operative infusion of sodium bicarbonate did not decrease the incidence of AKI in patients following orthotopic liver transplantation.

Introduction: Retinal capillary nonperfusion (CNP) is one of the retinal vascular diseases in diabetic retinopathy (DR) patients. As there is no comprehensive detection technique to recognize CNP areas, we proposed a different method for computing detection of ischemic retina, non-perfused (NP) regions, in fundus fluorescein angiogram (FFA) images. Methods: Whilst major vessels appear as ridges, non-perfused areas are usually observed as ponds that are surrounded by healthy capillaries in FFA images. A new technique using homomorphic filtering to correct light illumination and detect the ponds surrounded in healthy capillaries on FFA images was designed and applied on DR fundus images. These images were acquired from the diabetic patients who had referred to the Nikookari hospital and were diagnosed for diabetic retinopathy during one year. Our strategy was screening the whole image with a fixed window size, which is small enough to enclose areas with identified topographic characteristics. To discard false nominees, we also performed a thresholding operation on the screen and marked images. To validate its performance we applied our detection algorithm on 41 FFA diabetic retinopathy fundus images in which the CNP areas were manually delineated by three clinical experts. Results: Lesions were found as smooth regions with very high uniformity, low entropy, and small intensity variations in FFA images. The results of automated detection method were compared with manually marked CNP areas so achieved sensitivity of 81%, specificity of 78%, and accuracy of 91%.The result was present as a Receiver operating character (ROC) curve, which has an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.796 with 95% confidence intervals. Conclusion: This technique introduced a new automated detection algorithm to recognize non-perfusion lesions on FFA. This has potential to assist detecting and managing of ischemic retina and may be incorporated into automated grading diabetic retinopathy structures.

Lovastatin as a cholesterol lowering drug produced by a filamentous fungi Aspergillus terreus. In A. terreus morphology small dense pellets are believed to be the optimum morphology in the submerged cultivation for lovastatin production. Hence, magnesium silicate microparticles (talc) can be used in microparticle-enhanced cultivations (MPEC) to decrease pellet size. In this study, a fast and online method, namely impedimetry, was proposed to predict biomass and morphological changes within a second time frame so as to improve controlling of fungal morphology. A. terreus was cultivated in a bubble column bioreactor at 28 °C for 8 days. An impedimetric device was specially designed for this bioreactor. It consisted of chromium-gold electrodes of special structure and the data were recorded every 30 min at varying alternate current frequencies in the band from 1 to 5000 kHz. For monitoring the correlation between morphology and impedimetric parameters (capacitance), the cultivation was conducted without and with talc microparticles to achieve fungal morphology alteration. Experimental results showed that biomass concentration and morphology correlated with capacitance in one percent level at 4700 kHz in the cultivations with and without talc addition. Ultimately, this study gives a new insight into the monitoring of filamentous fungi morphological changes during submerged cultivations with an impedance electrode.

This study focused on preparation of curcumin (CUR) loaded poly (lactic acid) (PLA) nanofibers by electrospinning technique. The hydrophilicity of nanofibers was modified by the addition of poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) with molecular weight of 1500 in different weight (0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 wt% related to the PLA content) and also by the addition of PEG with different molecular weights (6000, 3350, 1500, 600, 400) in the same content of 10 wt% related to the PLA content. The electrospun PLA/CUR/PEG nanofibers are characterized by scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, contact angle measurements and weight loss investigation in the phosphate buffered saline. Vertical diffusion cell was used to perform in vitro drug release from the prepared nanofiber mats through recording curcuminoids content by high performance liquid chromatography. The results showed that the drug release was intensified with decrease in the molecular weight of PEG and increase in the PEG content. As well, the adhesion assay of the PLA/CUR/PEG nanofiber mats were examined and the related SEM images revealed that the MG-63 cells could growth well and spread out over the surface of the PLA/CUR/PEG nanofiber mats with 20 wt% of PEG1500 in comparison with the nanofibers containing 0 wt% of PEG1500. Eventually, the prepared electrospun CUR-loaded nanofibers with capable of providing a susceptible medium for accelerating the drug release can be good candidate for wound dressing applications.

A new application of metal deposited poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) microchannel for optical detection of toluene in the UV spectrum region is presented in this study. Laser cutting and hole formation in initial PMMA sheets, micro-milling for groove shaping, aluminium deposition on two caps using DC magnetron sputtering for increasing optical path length, and bonding process using thermally-solvent method are the main steps for the microchannel fabrication. The dimensions and length of microchannel are 370 μm × 370 μm and 5 cm, respectively. The SEM and leakage tests are implemented to investigate the quality of the microchannel. Besides, the characterization results indicate that Al deposition has no adverse influence on the bonding process. Our simulation results indicate that the optical path length enhanced by 2.2% and the loss decreased by 48.9% when Al is deposited on the surfaces of the microchannel. Also, the effect of microchannel length on optical path length and loss is investigated using simulation. The optical detection tests are performed in a single step using UV spectroscopy based on absorption for toluene in concentration range within 20–800 ppm. The tests are repeated several times for each toluene concentration. Our experimental observation indicate that the results obtained from this optofluidic system is repeatable with linear gas detection and fast response and perfect selectivity which make it a good candidate for toluene detection applications.

In this work, for the first time, zein nanofiber mats loaded with ethanol extracts propolis (EEP) were successfully produced. Raw propolis was extracted by ethanol 70% and total flavonoid content was estimated by aluminum chloride colorimetric method. The anti-microbial activity of the EEP was investigated and compared with amoxicillin via zone of inhibition test against various microorganisms included gram-positive: Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, gram-negative: Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and fungus: Candida albicans. The EEP showed activity only against gram-positive types and fungus, whereas no activity was observed against gram-negative types. Electrospun zein nanofiber was obtained from 70% ethanolic solutions included different content of zein, 15-40 wt.%. The SEM images revealed a smooth ribbon-like morphology for zein nanofibers without any beads in zein content more than 25 wt.%. As well, the SEM images of electrospun zein nanofibers containing different content of propolis (0-40 wt.% based on the zein content) disclosed the increase in the average size of fibers with propolis content from 264 to 419 nm. This increasing was more probably due to the reduction in ionic conductivity of zein solutions with propolis content. The proteinic nature of zein along with the antimicrobial activity and the herbal nature of the propolis make the obtained mats promising candidate for more evaluation in wound healing study.