pH-independent dissolution enhancement for multiple poorly water-soluble drugs by nano-sized solid dispersions based on hydrophobic–hydrophilic conjugates

The objective of this study was to achieve an optimal formulation of hydrophilic–hydrophobic conjugates for nano-sized solid dispersions (SDs) with enhanced dissolution of multiple drugs in different gastrointestinal (GI) tract environments. A new conjugate powder with an optimized process was used to fabricate SDs that contained three poorly water-soluble drugs that were also poorly soluble in different dissolution media. The self-assembled nanoparticle formation, drug crystallinity and SD molecular interactions were investigated by measuring the particle size during dissolution testing and physicochemical property analysis (powder X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy). Drug release studies indicated that SD containing conjugated powder significantly improved the dissolution rates of these poorly water-soluble drugs in the GI tract. In addition, particle size analysis showed nano-sized particles in the dissolution media in the early stage with a tendency to reduce smaller particles over time. Physicochemical characterizations demonstrated almost amorphous drug states and hydrogen bonding interactions between the drugs and conjugates in the SD. This study optimized a promising material for SD, and the material was shown to have a promising performance under various pH medium conditions with poorly water-soluble drugs.     

A smartphone attachment for remote ophthalmic slit lamp examinations

Microsystem Technologies - A low-cost, self-imaging smartphone attachment has been developed for remote slit lamp examination of the human eye. The device is designed with off-the-shelf optical...     

Pd coated one-dimensional Ag nanostructures: Controllable architecture and their electrocatalytic performance for ethanol oxidation in alkaline media

One-dimensional (1D) metal-coated Pd structures are efficient catalysts for the ethanol electro-oxidation and promising strategy for minimizing the Pd-loading toward commercialization of direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs). Herein, the decorated and core-shell architectures of a novel Pd coating on Ag nanowires (PdAg-NWs) are controllable by a two-step polyol method based on the galvanic replacement reaction. The integration of uniform shell with a low Pd concentration and partial hollow structure onto 1D PdAg-NWs exhibits the highest efficiency for ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) in alkaline solution. In comparison with Pd nanoparticles (PdNPs/C), the PdAgNWs/C performes 11 times superior EOR activity, and the onset potential shifts 80 mV negatively. The presence of Ag in PdAg-NWs enhances the absorption capacity of ethanol molecules and hydroxyl ions on the active sites, and improves the catalyst tolerance to CO-like intermediates, making them a potential anodic catalyst for DEFCs.     

Fabrication of tungsten oxide photoanode by doctor blade technique and investigation on its photocatalytic operation mechanism

WO₃ is a potential material candidate for construction of photoanode for solar driven water splitting. In this work, μm-thick porous WO₃ photoanode is prepared by depositing a stable ink made of WO₃ nanoparticles and Aristoflex velvet polymer in water using the doctor blade technique, followed by a sintering in air. The nature of WO₃ nanoparticles, its loading mass on F-doped tin oxide electrode as well as sintering temperature are examined in order to optimize the photocatalytic activity of the resultant WO₃ photoanode. The operation of WO₃ photoanode is investigated by varying the light illumination direction and light incident intensity as well as changing the nature of the electrolyte. Dissolved tungsten in electrolyte is quantified by ICP-MS providing insights into the influences of electrolyte nature and operating conditions to the corrosion of WO₃. It is proposed that the H₂O₂ and OH^. radical generated as by-products of the photo-driven water oxidation on the photoanode surface are harmful species that accelerate the dissolution of WO₃.     

The efficient lignocellulose-based sorbent for oil spill treatment from polyurethane and agricultural residue of Vietnam

In this study, new and efficient sorbent with density 0.2 g/cm³ was fabricated by incorporating rice straw into polyurethane matrix to get an open cell structure material with high oil uptake capacity. The influences of various important factors such as amount of adding rice straw, size of rice straw particles, and adsorption time on oil adsorption capacity of new sorbent material were investigated. The results showed that the oil absorption rate occurred fast in first 15–30 min, then slowed down and reached saturation level after about 2 h of treatment. Oil adsorption capacity of the new sorbent material was relatively high, up to 12.0 g/g. In comparison with pristine polyurethane or lignocellulosic materials, the new sorbents had higher oil adsorption capacity. Some characteristics of the as-obtained sorbent, such as surface shapes and porosity, were also studied by SEM analysis.     

A Novel 1,8-Naphthyridine-2-Carboxamide Derivative Attenuates Inflammatory Responses and Cell Migration in LPS-Treated BV2 Cells via the Suppression of ROS Generation and TLR4/Myd88/NF-κB Signaling Pathway

Novel 1,8-naphthyridine-2-carboxamide derivatives with various substituents (HSR2101-HSR2113) were synthesized and evaluated for their effects on the production of pro-inflammatory mediators and cell migration in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated BV2 microglial cells. Among the tested compounds, HSR2104 exhibited the most potent inhibitory effects on the LPS-stimulated production of inflammatory mediators, including nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-6. Therefore, this compound was chosen for further investigation. We found that HSR2104 attenuated levels of inducible NO synthase and cyclooxygenase 2 in LPS-treated BV2 cells. In addition, it markedly suppressed LPS-induced cell migration as well as the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). Moreover, HSR2104 abated the LPS-triggered nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) through inhibition of inhibitor kappa Bα phosphorylation. Furthermore, it reduced the expressions of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) in LPS-treated BV2 cells. Similar results were observed with TAK242, a specific inhibitor of TLR4, suggesting that TLR4 is an upstream regulator of NF-κB signaling in BV2 cells. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that HSR2104 exhibits anti-inflammatory and anti-migratory activities in LPS-treated BV2 cells via the suppression of ROS and TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway. Based on our observations, HSR2104 may have a beneficial impact on inflammatory responses and microglial cell migration involved in the pathogenesis of various neurodegenerative disorders.     

Hypoplastic model for crushable sand

A constitutive model for granular materials which considers grain crushing effects is developed in the framework of hypoplasticity. As grain crushing occurs the behaviour of granular material can usually be significantly affected. Several empirical relations between peak strength, uniformity coefficient and stiffness of sand depending on stress level or amount of grain crushing have been derived in the past. In this paper, such relations are employed to improve a basic hypoplastic constitutive model based on the changes of stress level or grain size distribution. In the proposed modified hypoplastic model only two additional physical parameters, namely uniformity coefficient and mean grain size are incorporated. The validation of the modified model for three different sands under triaxial test response with cell pressures up to 30?MPa is presented and shows a significantly better correspondence with regard to the original basic hypoplastic model.     

Comparison of particle-phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their variability causes in the ambient air in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and in Osaka, Japan, during 2005-2006

A comparative study of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) associated with particulate matter (TSP) in the ambient air in an urban area in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and in Osaka, Japan was carried out from 2005 to 2006. The objective of this study was to investigate the environmental levels, emission sources, seasonal variations and health risk of eleven PAHs in the two cities, especially Ho Chi Minh City where air pollution is becoming a serious concern. The results showed that the concentrations of TSP and total PAHs were significantly higher in Ho Chi Minh City than levels in Osaka. The concentrations of 5- and 6-ring PAHs (BeP, BbF, BkF, BaP, BghiP and InP) were much higher in TSP samples in Ho Chi Minh City than in Osaka, accounting for 82% and 51% of total PAHs, respectively. These PAHs are known to be highly carcinogenic and mutagenic in humans. Vehicular emission is suggested as one of the main pollution sources of PAHs in both cities. Motorcycles and gasoline automobiles are suggested as the main emission sources of PAHs in Ho Chi Minh City, whereas diesel automobiles are the primary source in Osaka. Seasonal variations of PAHs were observed in this study; higher concentrations of PAHs were found in the rainy season (May-December) and lower concentrations corresponded to the dry season (February-April) in Ho Chi Minh City, while higher concentrations of PAHs were observed in the winter (November-January) in Osaka. The number of sunshine hours was an important meteorological factor affecting seasonal variations of PAHs in Ho Chi Minh City, while the temperature was a main factor causing the variations of PAHs in Osaka. The high BaP equivalent concentration of 5- and 6-ring PAHs even in the ambient air is an alarming signal for harmfulness to human health and environmental quality in Ho Chi Minh City.     

Real-Time Path Generation and Obstacle Avoidance for Multirotors: A Novel Approach

Multirotors, among all aerial vehicles, are fundamental instruments in many situations, i.e. video recording of sport events, leisure, environmental monitoring before or after a disaster. In particular, in the context of environmental monitoring, the possibility of following a predetermined path while avoiding obstacles is extremely relevant. In this work, we propose a novel method for path definition in presence of obstacles, which describes a curve as the intersection of two surfaces. The planner, based on that path definition along with a Cascaded control architecture and utilizing a nonlinear control technique for both control loops (position and attitude), creates a framework to manipulate the multicopters’ behaviors. The method is demonstrated to be able to generate a safe path taking into account obstacles perceived in real-time and avoids collisions. These algorithms are embedded in a software package to control the flight of a fully autonomous AscTec Firefly hexacopter with two cameras and onboard processing capabilities.     

Controlling thickness to tune performance of high-mobility transparent conducting films deposited from Ga-doped ZnO ceramic target

Structure modification has been found to tune significantly the transparent-conducting performance, especially mobility and conductivity of hydrogenated Ga-doped ZnO (HGZO) films. The strong correlation between film thickness and mobility of the films is revealed. The mobility increases quickly with increasing the thickness from 350 to 900 nm, and then tends to be saturated at further thicknesses. A higher mobility than 50 cm²/Vs can be achieved, which is an extra-high value for polycrystalline ZnO films deposited by using the sputtering technique. The thickness-dependent mobility originates from scatterings on grain boundaries and dislocation-induced defects controlled by thin-film growth. Based on the Volmer-Weber model, an expansion model is built up to describe the thickness-dependent crystal growth of the HGZO films, especially at the thick films. As a result, the 800 nm-thick HGZO film obtains the highest performance with high mobility of 51.5 cm²/Vs, low resistivity of 5.3 × 10^?4 Ωcm, and good transmittance of 83.3 %.