Surface characterization and cytotoxicity response of biodegradable magnesium alloys.

Magnesium alloys have raised an immense amount of interest to many researchers because of their evolution as a new kind of third generation materials. Due to their biocompatibility, density, and mechanical properties, magnesium alloys are frequently reported as prospective biodegradable implant materials. Moreover, magnesium alloys experience a natural phenomenon to biodegrade in aqueous solutions due to its corrosion activity, which is excellent for orthopedic and cardiovascular applications.

A novel simple one-step air jet spinning approach for deposition of poly(vinyl acetate)/hydroxyapatite composite nanofibers on Ti implants.

A biocompatible coating consists of a poly(vinyl acetate)/hydroxyapatite (PVAc/HA) composite nanofiber mat was applied to NaOH-treated titanium metal by means of a novel, facile and efficient air jet spinning (AJS) approach. Results showed that HA nanoparticles (NPs) strongly embedded onto the AJS single fiber surface resulting in a strong chemical interfacial bonding between the two phases due to the difference in kinetic energies. It was proven that AJS membrane coatings can provide significant improvement in the corrosion resistance of titanium substrate.

Blissfully unaware: Anosognosia and anosodiaphoria after acquired brain injury.

Historically, anosognosia referred to under-report of striking symptoms of acquired brain injury (e.g., hemiplegia) with debilitating functional consequences and was linked with anosodiaphoria, an emotional reaction of indifference.

A selective, expeditious and sustainable entry en route to benzopyrazines and bis-benzopyrazines.

A convenient green synthesis of benzopyrazines and bis-benzopyrazines has been performed by the condensation of diversely substituted diamines and dicarbonyl compounds in water using indium powder as catalyst under controlled microwave exposure. The effects of microwave power, and temperature on this reaction are investigated in detail to identify the best condition. A wide range of diversely substituted diamines and dicarbonyl compounds produce excellent yield of the corresponding benzopyrazines and bis-benzopyrazines.

High Throughput Screen Identifies Natural Product Inhibitor of Phenylalanyl-tRNA Synthetase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Streptococcus pneumoniae are causative agents in a wide range of infections. Genes encoding proteins corresponding to phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase (PheRS) were cloned from both bacteria. The two forms of PheRS were kinetically evaluated and the K(m)'s for P.

Age of dementia diagnosis in community dwelling bilingual and monolingual Hispanic Americans.

Bilingualism has been reported to delay the age of retrospective report of first symptom in dementia. This study determined if the age of clinically diagnosed Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia occurred later for bilingual than monolingual, immigrant and U.S.

Palladium-Catalyzed C8-Selective C-H Arylation of Quinoline -Oxides: Insights into the Electronic, Steric and Solvation Effects on the Site-Selectivity by Mechanistic and DFT Computational Studies.

We report herein a palladium-catalyzed C-H arylation of quinoline -oxides that proceeds with high selectivity in favor of the C8-isomer. This site-selectivity is unusual for palladium, since all of the hitherto described methods of palladium-catalyzed C-H functionalization of quinoline -oxides are highly C2-selective. The reaction exhibits a broad synthetic scope with respect to quinoline -oxides and iodoarenes and can be significantly accelerated to sub-hour reaction times under microwave irradiation.

Desertification, salinization, and biotic homogenization in a dryland river ecosystem.

This study determined long-term changes in fish assemblages, river discharge, salinity, and local precipitation, and examined hydrological drivers of biotic homogenization in a dryland river ecosystem, the Trans-Pecos region of the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo del Norte (USA/Mexico). Historical (1977-1989) and current (2010-2011) fish assemblages were analyzed by rarefaction analysis (species richness), nonmetric multidimensional scaling (composition/variability), multiresponse permutation procedures (composition), and paired t-test (variability). Trends in hydrological conditions (1970s-2010s) were examined by Kendall tau and quantile regression, and associations between streamflow and specific conductance (salinity) by generalized linear models.

Farmer to pharmacist: curcumin as an anti-invasive and antimetastatic agent for the treatment of cancer.

A huge number of compounds are widely distributed in nature and many of these possess medicinal/biological/pharmacological activity. Curcumin, a polyphenol derived from the rhizomes (underground stems) of Curcuma longa Linn (a member of the ginger family, commonly known as turmeric) is a culinary spice and therapeutic used in India for thousands of years to induce color and flavor in food as well as to treat a wide array of diseases. The origin of turmeric as spice and folklore medicine is so old that it is lost in legend.

Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus Habitat Preferences in South Texas, USA.

The South Texas region has a historical record of occasional dengue outbreaks. The recent introduction of chikungunya virus to the Caribbean suggests that this disease may be a concern as well. Six different cities and three field habitat types (residential, tire shops, and cemeteries) were examined for evidence of habitat and longitudinal preference of two vector species, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus.

To Crowdfund Research, Scientists Must Build an Audience for Their Work.

As rates of traditional sources of scientific funding decline, scientists have become increasingly interested in crowdfunding as a means of bringing in new money for research. In fields where crowdfunding has become a major venue for fundraising such as the arts and technology, building an audience for one's work is key for successful crowdfunding. For science, to what extent does audience building, via engagement and outreach, increase a scientist's abilities to bring in money via crowdfunding? Here we report on an analysis of the #SciFund Challenge, a crowdfunding experiment in which 159 scientists attempted to crowdfund their research.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel pyrenyl derivatives as anticancer agents.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are widespread in nature with a toxicity range from non-toxic to extremely toxic. A series of pyrenyl derivatives has been synthesized following a four-step strategy where the pyrene nucleus is attached with a basic heterocyclic moiety through a carbon linker. Virtual screening of the physicochemical properties and druggability has been carried out.

Imaging, spectroscopy, mechanical, alignment and biocompatibility studies of electrospun medical grade polyurethane (Carbothane™ 3575A) nanofibers and composite nanofibers containing multiwalled carbon nanotubes.

In the present study, we discuss the electrospinning of medical grade polyurethane (Carbothane™ 3575A) nanofibers containing multi-walled-carbon-nanotubes (MWCNTs). A simple method that does not depend on additional foreign chemicals has been employed to disperse MWCNTs through high intensity sonication. Typically, a polymer solution consisting of polymer/MWCNTs has been electrospun to form nanofibers.

Pathogenic Landscape of Transboundary Zoonotic Diseases in the Mexico-US Border Along the Rio Grande.

Transboundary zoonotic diseases, several of which are vector borne, can maintain a dynamic focus and have pathogens circulating in geographic regions encircling multiple geopolitical boundaries. Global change is intensifying transboundary problems, including the spatial variation of the risk and incidence of zoonotic diseases. The complexity of these challenges can be greater in areas where rivers delineate international boundaries and encompass transitions between ecozones.

Development of tannic acid/chitosan/pullulan composite nanofibers from aqueous solution for potential applications as wound dressing.

This study presents the successful development of biocompatible tannic acid (TA)/chitosan (CS)/pullulan (PL) composite nanofibers (NFs) with synergistic antibacterial activity against the Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli. The NFs were developed utilizing the forcespinning(®) (FS) technique from CS-CA aqueous solutions to avoid the usage of toxic organic solvents. The ternary nanofibrous membranes were crosslinked to become water stable for potential applications as wound dressing.

Imaging, Spectroscopic, Mechanical and Biocompatibility Studies of Electrospun Tecoflex EG 80A Nanofibers and Composites Thereof Containing Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes.

The present study discusses the design, development and characterization of electrospun Tecoflex EG 80A class of polyurethane nanofibers and the incorporation of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to these materials. Scanning electron microscopy results confirmed the presence of polymer nanofibers, which showed a decrease in fiber diameter at 0.5% wt.

Utility of magneto-electropolished ternary nitinol alloys for blood contacting applications.

The thrombogenicity of a biomaterial is mainly dependent on its surface characteristics, which dictates its interactions with blood. Surface properties such as composition, roughness wettability, surface free energy, and morphology will affect an implant material's hemocompatibility. Additionally, in the realm of metallic biomaterials, the specific composition of the alloy and its surface treatment are important factors that will affect the surface properties.

Ethnicity and cultural values as predictors of the occurrence and impact of experienced workplace incivility.

Workplace incivility is a subtle type of deviant work behavior that is low in intensity and violates workplace norms of respect. Past research demonstrates the harmful impact of incivility on work attitudes and employee wellbeing; however, little is known about how incivility is experienced by individuals of different ethnicities and cultural orientations. In the current study, we compared the amount and impact of workplace incivility that was experienced by Hispanic and white, non-Hispanic employees.

Metformin and erlotinib synergize to inhibit basal breast cancer.

Basal-like breast cancers (BBCs) are enriched for increased EGFR expression and decreased expression of PTEN. We found that treatment with metformin and erlotinib synergistically induced apoptosis in a subset of BBC cell lines. The drug combination led to enhanced reduction of EGFR, AKT, S6 and 4EBP1 phosphorylation, as well as prevented colony formation and inhibited mammosphere outgrowth.

Gait characteristic analysis and identification based on the iPhone's accelerometer and gyrometer.

Gait identification is a valuable approach to identify humans at a distance. In this paper, gait characteristics are analyzed based on an iPhone's accelerometer and gyrometer,and a new approach is proposed for gait identification. Specifically, gait datasets are collected by the triaxial accelerometer and gyrometer embedded in an iPhone.

Analysis of high fat diet induced genes during mammary gland development: identifying role players in poor prognosis of breast cancer.

Background: Epidemiological studies have shown that consumption of a high-fat diet (HFD) increases the risk of developing breast cancer (BC). Studies in rodents have shown HFD causes changes in the genetic programming of the maturing mammary gland (MG) increasing the susceptibility of developing the disease. Less is known about how HFD induced genes impact BC development.

Thermodynamics, Kinetics, and Activation energy Studies of the sorption of chromium(III) and chromium(VI) to a MnO nanomaterial.

In this study, a manganese oxide, MnO was used to remove chromium(III) and chromium(VI) from aqueous solutions. The MnO nanomaterial was synthesized through a precipitation method, and was characterized using XRD, which confirmed the material had a crystal structure similar to hausmannite. In addition, using Scherrer's equation it was determined that the nanomaterial had an average grain size of 19.

Sorption of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) to High and Low Pressure Synthetic Nano-Magnetite (FeO)Particles.

The binding of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) to synthetic nano-magnetie particles synthesized under open vessel conditions and a microwave assisted hydrothermal synthesis techniques was investigated. Batch studies showed that the binding of both the Cr(III) and Cr(VI) bound to the nano-materials in a pH dependent manner. The Cr(III) maximized at binding at pH 4 and 100% binding.

Study of As(III) and As(V) Oxoanion Adsorption onto Single and Mixed Ferrite and Hausmannite Nanomaterials.

The removal of arsenic(III) and arsenic(V) from an aqueous solution through adsorption on to FeO, MnFeO, 50% Mn substituted FeO, 75% Mn substituted FeO, and MnO nanomaterials was investigated. Characterization of the nanomaterials using XRD showed only pure phases for MnO, MnFeO, and FeO. The 50% and 75% substituted nanomaterials were found to be mixtures of MnO and FeO.