Biodistribution and in vivo performance of fattigation-platform theranostic nanoparticles.

This study was aimed at characterizing superparamagnetic nanoparticles surface-functionalized with gelatin-oleic acid (GOAS-MNPs) and loaded with paclitaxel by assessing the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of paclitaxel in tissues and the in vivo efficacy of antitumor activity after the administration of the drug. Initially, instrumental analysis was performed to examine the particle size distribution, surface charge, and morphology of the paclitaxel-loaded GOAS-MNPs. Furthermore, we evaluated their magnetic properties and performed T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on cells.

Neuronal substrates underlying stress resilience and susceptibility in rats.

Background: Stress and stressful life events have repeatedly been shown as causally related to depression. The Chronic Mild Stress rat model is a valid model of stress-induced depression. Like humans, rats display great heterogeneity in their response to stress and adversity.

Noninvasive iPhone Measurement of Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction Using Intrinsic Frequency Methodology.

Objective: The study is based on previously reported mathematical analysis of arterial waveform that extracts hidden oscillations in the waveform that we called intrinsic frequencies. The goal of this clinical study was to compare the accuracy of left ventricular ejection fraction derived from intrinsic frequencies noninvasively versus left ventricular ejection fraction obtained with cardiac MRI, the most accurate method for left ventricular ejection fraction measurement.

Design: After informed consent, in one visit, subjects underwent cardiac MRI examination and noninvasive capture of a carotid waveform using an iPhone camera (The waveform is captured using a custom app that constructs the waveform from skin displacement images during the cardiac cycle.

Fattigation-platform theranostic nanoparticles for cancer therapy.

A new conceptual nanoparticle consisting of a silica-coated iron oxide magnetic core and a fattigation-based biocompatible shell with oleic acid and hydrophilic protein (gelatin). The prepared particle can be a useful theranostics platform material for diagnostic imaging and as a drug delivery system. Oleic acid and gelatin were conjugated on the silica-coated magnetic nanoparticle surface to provide three primary functionalities: 1) enhancing biocompatibility and solubility in aqueous solution and providing the ability to incorporate hydrophobic chemical drugs into the shell for delivery, 2) improving treatment-response magnetic monitoring as a diagnostic agent with low nanotoxicity, and 3) increasing anticancer efficacy owing to the controlled release of the incorporated drug in cells and in an animal model.

Microemulsion-Based Mucoadhesive Buccal Wafers: Wafer Formation, In Vitro Release, and Ex Vivo Evaluation.

Microemulsion has the potentials to enhance dissolution as well as facilitate absorption and permeation of poorly water-soluble drugs through biological membranes. However, its application to govern a controlled release buccal delivery for local treatment has not been discovered. The aim of this study is to develop microemulsion-based mucoadhesive wafers for buccal delivery based on an incorporation of the microemulsion with mucoadhesive agents and mannitol.

Brain activation profiles in mTBI: evidence from ERP activity of working memory response.

In this study we analyzed event related potentials (ERPs) obtained in an N-back working memory test that varied in difficulty from 0- to 2-back. We collected 21 channels of activity from 11 mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) patients and 7 normal controls, on three different visits, and used the amplitude and latency of the P300 component to characterize the subjects. A preprocessing procedure based on independent component analysis was used first to identify and eliminate electrophysiological noise on a single trial basis.

α-Glucosidase Inhibitory and Cytotoxic Taxane Diterpenoids from the Stem Bark of Taxus wallichiana.

From a CHCl extract of the bark of Taxus wallichiana, six new taxoids, wallitaxanes A-F (1-6), were isolated, together with 29 known compounds. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data interpretation. Wallitaxane D (4) was identified as an opened oxetane-type taxoid having the first naturally occurring C(H)-20 acetal group, while wallitaxanes E (5) and F (6) are representative of the rare abeo-taxoid class.

Crystal Growth and Structure Analysis of CeWO: A Complex Oxide Containing Tungsten in an Unusual Trigonal Prismatic Coordination Environment.

The noncentrosymmetric tungstate oxide, CeWO, was synthesized for the first time as high-quality single crystals via the molten chloride flux method and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The compound is a structural analogue to the previously reported LaWO, which crystallizes in the hexagonal space group P6̅2c. The +3 oxidation state of cerium in CeWO was achieved via the in situ reduction of Ce(IV) to Ce(III) using Zn metal.

Enrichment of circulating head and neck tumour cells using spiral microfluidic technology.

Whilst locoregional control of head and neck cancers (HNCs) has improved over the last four decades, long-term survival has remained largely unchanged. A possible reason for this is that the rate of distant metastasis has not changed. Such disseminated disease is reflected in measurable levels of cancer cells in the blood of HNC patients, referred to as circulating tumour cells (CTCs).

Structural Insights into the Regulation of Hippo Signaling.

During development, the Hippo pathway regulates the balance between cell proliferation and apoptosis to control organ size. Appropriate Hippo signaling is associated with stem cell maintenance, while inappropriate signaling can result in tumorigenesis and cancer. Cellular and genetic investigations have identified core components and determined that complex formation and protein phosphorylation are crucial regulatory events.

Beryllium-Free β-Rb Al B O as a Possible Deep-Ultraviolet Nonlinear Optical Material Replacement for KBe BO F.

A new beryllium-free deep-ultraviolet (DUV) nonlinear optical (NLO) material, β-Rb Al B O (β-RABO), has been synthesized and characterized. The chiral nonpolar acentric material shows second-harmonic generation (SHG) activity at both 1064 and 532 nm with efficiencies of 2×KH PO and 0.4×β-BaB O , respectively, and exhibits a short absorption edge below 200 nm.

Effective experimental validation of miRNA targets using an improved linker reporter assay.

miRNAs are small, non-coding RNAs that play critical roles in various cellular processes. Although there are several algorithms that can predict the potential candidate genes that are regulated by a miRNA, these algorithms require further experimental validation in order to demonstrate genuine targets of miRNAs. Moreover, most algorithms predict hundreds to thousands of putative target genes for each miRNA, and it is difficult to validate all candidates using the whole 3'-untranslated region (UTR) reporter assay.

Strategies of Engineering Nanoparticles for Treating Neurodegenerative Disorders.

Background: Neurodegenerative disorders (NDs) are typically referred to Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and prion disease. These are commonly debilitating and, unfortunately, have few therapeutic options.

Objective: In this review, we describe some emerging advances in nanoengineering strategies for the treatment of NDs.

Sonication-Assisted Nanoprecipitation in Drug Delivery.

Sonication-assisted nanoprecipitation provides an effective tool for nanomedicine engineering in therapeutic improvement. In the scope of this review, original works in interdisciplinary areas of using sonication with precipitation method for nanoparticulate drug delivery systems and its applications in management of different diseases are discussed. The use of sonication-assisted nanoprecipitation has been proved to improve drug bioavailability, which attracts tremendous interests as an effective strategy for drug delivery.

Nanotechnology in Neuroscience and its Perspective as Gene Carrier.

Gene therapy has a strong potential in neuroscience by suppressing or replacing abnormalities in genetic materials. The employment of nano-gene carrier for neurological disorders is comparatively young and restricted since the aim to effectively deliver therapeutic agents into the central nervous system (CNS) commonly has confronted difficulties of several natural occurring barriers in the body and unfavorable characteristics of pharmaceutical agents. Two major anatomical and biochemical barriers are blood-brain barrier (BBB) and blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (BCSFB), which significantly prevent permeation of most drugs and genes to brain parenchyma.

Mixed-Metal Carbonate Fluorides as Deep-Ultraviolet Nonlinear Optical Materials.

Noncentrosymmetric mixed-metal carbonate fluorides are promising materials for deep-ultraviolet (DUV) nonlinear optical (NLO) applications. We report on the synthesis, characterization, structure-property relationships, and electronic structure calculations on two new DUV NLO materials: KMgCOF and CsMg(CO)F. Both materials are noncentrosymmetric (NCS).

Perspectives on Strategies Using Swellable Polymers in Solid Dispersions for Controlled Drug Release.

Poorly water-soluble drugs, which commonly face the issue of poor absorption and low bioavailability, have been under ongoing research of many formulation scientists for the past few decades. Solid dispersion is one of the most effective strategies in concerns for improving bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs. Either application of solid dispersions in dissolution enhancement of poorly water-soluble drugs or the use of swellable polymers in controlled drug release has been reported in pharmaceutical designs widely.

Hydrophilic-hydrophobic polymer blend for modulation of crystalline changes and molecular interactions in solid dispersion.

This research study aimed to develop a new strategy for using a polymer blend in solid dispersion (SD) for dissolution enhancement of poorly water-soluble drugs. SDs with different blends of hydrophilic-hydrophobic polymers (zein/hydroxypropyl methylcellulose - zein/HPMC) were prepared using spray drying to modulate the drug crystal and polymer-drug interactions in SDs. Physicochemical characterizations, including power X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, were performed to elucidate the roles of the blends in SDs.

The Effect of Hyponatremia and Sodium Variability on Outcomes in Adults with Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

Background: Hyponatremia is common in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage, but its effect on outcomes remains contentious. Fluctuation in sodium has been reported to negatively affect perioperative outcomes in general surgical patients, but not specifically in patients with a subarachnoid hemorrhage. The primary aim was to describe the relationship between 1) hyponatremia and 2) sodium fluctuations during intensive care and neurologic outcome at hospital discharge.

La2SrCr2O7: Controlling the Tilting Distortions of n = 2 Ruddlesden-Popper Phases through A-Site Cation Order.

Structural characterization by neutron diffraction, supported by magnetic, SHG, and μ(+)SR data, reveals that the n = 2 Ruddlesden-Popper phase La2SrCr2O7 adopts a highly unusual structural configuration in which the cooperative rotations of the CrO6 octahedra are out of phase in all three Cartesian directions (ΦΦΦz/ΦΦΦz; a(-)a(-)c(-)/a(-)a(-)c(-)) as described in space group A2/a. First-principles DFT calculations indicate that this unusual structural arrangement can be attributed to coupling between the La/Sr A-site distribution and the rotations of the CrO6 units, which combine to relieve the local deformations of the chromium-oxygen octahedra. This coupling suggests new chemical "handles" by which the rotational distortions or A-site cation order of Ruddlesden-Popper phases can be directed to optimize physical behavior.

Impact of aluminum chloride on process performance and microbial community structure of granular sludge in an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor for natural rubber processing wastewater treatment.

In this study, granular sludge formation was carried out using an aluminum chloride supplement in an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor treating natural rubber processing wastewater. Results show that during the first 75 days after the start-up of the UASB reactor with an organic loading rate (OLR) of 2.65 kg-COD·m(-3)·day(-1), it performed stably with a removal of 90% of the total chemical oxygen demand (COD) and sludge still remained in small dispersed flocs.

Inhibitory Effect of Zinc Sulfide Nanoparticles Towards Breast Cancer Stem Cell Migration and Invasion.

Cancer stem cells are demonstrated to be a highly malignant cancer with an extremely high migratory ability and conventional therapies have little effect on preventing cancer migration and invasion. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effect of zinc sulfide (ZnS) nanoparticles towards the migration and invasion of breast cancer stem cells MCF-7-SC. The cytotoxicity studies and the Hoechst staining experiments suggested that there is no obvious toxicity of ZnS has been observed upto a concentration of 400 µg/mL.

An investigation of effects of modification processes on physical properties and mechanism of drug release for sustaining drug release from modified rice.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of modification processes on physical properties and explain the mechanism of sustained drug release from modified rice (MR). Various types of Vietnamese rice were introduced in the study as the matrices of sustained release dosage form. Rice was thermally modified in water for a determined temperature at different times with a simple process.

Effects of 14 Versus 21 Days of Nimodipine Therapy on Neurological Outcomes in Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Patients.

Background: Oral nimodipine is standard therapy for patients suffering an aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). During a national drug shortage, nimodipine therapy was shortened from a 21-day course to a 14-day course at our institution.

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare neurological outcomes among patients who had previously received the standard duration of therapy compared with those who received a shortened duration as a result of the national drug shortage.