Surface decoration of magnetic nanoparticles with folate-conjugated poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-itaconic acid): A facial synthesis of dual-responsive nanocarrier for targeted delivery of doxorubicin

The aim of study was to develop a novel drug nanocarrier via facile coating of a folate-conjugated dual-responsive copolymer with carboxylic functional groups on the surface of magnetic nanoparticles for the efficient loading and cell-specific targeting of a positively charged anticancer agent. The nanocarrier exhibited many favorable capabilities such as narrow distributed nano-ranged size (～30 nm), high drug loading capacity (～65%), and stimuli-responsive drug release. The results of various cell cytotoxicity studies such as MTT assay, DAPI staining, and flow cytometry concluded that the developed smart nanocarrier paves a way for efficient cancer therapy by the multiple targeting strategies.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Privileged Monodentate Phosphoramidite Ligands and Chiral Brønsted Acids Derived from d-Mannitol

The synthesis of several novel chiral phosphoramidite ligands (L1–L8) with C₂ symmetric, pseudo C₂ symmetric secondary amines and chiral Brønsted acids 1a,b has been achieved. These chiral auxiliaries were obtained from commercially available d-mannitol, and secondary amines in moderate to excellent yields. Excellent diastereoselectivites of ten chiral auxiliaries were obtained. The chiral phosphoramidite ligands and chiral Brønsted acids were fully characterized by spectroscopic methods.     

Inactivation of pathogenic Klebsiella pneumoniae by CuO/TiO2 nanofibers: A multifunctional nanomaterial via one-step electrospinning

The fabrication and characterization of one-dimensional CuO/TiO₂ nanofibers with high photocatalytic and antibacterial activities are presented. The CuO/TiO₂ nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning of colloid composed of titanium isopropoxide, poly(vinylpyrroliodine) (PVP) and copper nanoparticles and calcination at 700 °C in air for 1 h. The antibacterial activity was tested using Klebsiella pneumoniae as model organism by calculation of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). The obtained CuO/TiO₂ nanofibers showed prominent photocatalytic activity under visible light to degrade reactive black5 and reactive orange16 dyes in aqueous solutions and effectively catalyze K. pneumoniae inactivation. The decomposition process of the cell wall and cell membrane was directly observed by TEM analysis after the exposure of the K. pneumoniae to the nanofibers. Interestingly, the introduced photocatalyst can be reused with the same photocatalytic activity. Overall, the combination of CuO and TiO₂ can be synergistic and resulted in CuO/TiO₂ composite nanofibers having superior photocatalytic and antimicrobial potential to impede K. pneumoniae growth which causes bacterium to die ultimately.     

Rheological,Thermodynamic, and Gas Solubility Properties of Phenylacetic Acid‐Based Deep Eutectic Solvents

Choline chloride + phenylacetic acid‐based deep eutectic solvents are studied. Their most relevant experimental physicochemical properties at different mixing ratios together with the CO₂ solubility data obtained in wide pressure and temperature ranges are reported. The presented materials exhibit a significant CO₂ capture performance with low corrosion effect when compared with the most common amine‐based CO₂ capture agents. Detailed rheological measurements are carried out and various models are applied to describe the dynamic flow behavior of the solvents. The CO₂ absorption mechanism is evaluated by studying the behavior of the liquid gas and interface. Due to the advantages of low cost, nontoxicity, and favorable physical properties, these solvents are an environmentally promising alternative for effective CO₂ capture technological applications.     

Stability of gravitationally unstable double diffusive transient boundary layers with variable viscosity in porous media

We study the double diffusive convection (DDC) in porous media through linear stability analysis (LSA) and direct numerical simulations (DNS). Unlike the previous studies that assume static solutal or thermal fields, the developed model is able to capture the transient behavior of both fields. We show that under the assumption of static field, the role of Lewis number cannot be distinguished. Under transient fields, we conclude that higher Lewis numbers result in earlier instability of the boundary layers. Moreover, the effect of viscosity contrast is explained in terms of the mobility of the boundary layer. The DNS results confirm the validity of LSA predictions. We also obtain the critical Rayleigh number and show that in the presence of viscosity contrast, it can be much smaller than the conventional limit of 4π². This study provides a better understanding of the transient nature of DDC in the presence of viscosity variations. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 63: 2471–2482, 2017     

Tea and coffee consumption in relation to vitamin D and calcium levels in Saudi adolescents

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Coffee and tea consumption was hypothesized to interact with variants of vitamin D-receptor polymorphisms, but limited evidence exists. Here we determine for the first time whether increased coffee and tea consumption affects circulating levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in a cohort of Saudi adolescents. METHODS: A total of 330 randomly selected Saudi adolescents were included. Anthropometrics were recorded and fasting blood samples were analyzed for routine analysis of fasting glucose, lipid levels, calcium, albumin and phosphorous. Frequency of coffee and tea intake was noted. 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. RESULTS: Improved lipid profiles were observed in both boys and girls, as demonstrated by increased levels of HDL-cholesterol, even after controlling for age and BMI, among those consuming 9--12 cups of coffee/week. Vitamin D levels were significantly highest among those consuming 9--12 cups of tea/week in all subjects (p-value 0.009) independent of age, gender, BMI, physical activity and sun exposure. CONCLUSION: This study suggests a link between tea consumption and vitamin D levels in a cohort of Saudi adolescents, independent of age, BMI, gender, physical activity and sun exposure. These findings should be confirmed prospectively.     

Graphene network enabled high speed electrical actuation of shape memory nanocomposite based on poly(vinyl acetate)

Here strong electroactive shape memory nanocomposites were prepared by incorporating graphene nanoplatelets into poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc ) through the simple solvent mixing method. TEM and XRD revealed that well exfoliated graphene nanoplatelets formed a continuous network throughout the matrix with a large amount of interconnectedness. Dynamic mechanical analysis showed that the inclusion of graphene significantly improves both glassy and rubbery moduli of the matrix. Furthermore, the prepared nanocomposites demonstrated a marked electrical conductivity up to 24.7 S m^?1 and thereby surprisingly rapid electrical actuation behaviour exhibiting a 100% recovery ratio in 2.5 s. Moreover, PVAc and its nanocomposites displayed scratch self‐healing capability. This work demonstrates that the PVAc /graphene nanocomposites with high modulus and excellent electroactive shape memory performance can be a promising material in many applications such as sensors and fast deployable and actuating devices. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry     

Influence of steel-concrete interface condition on galvanic corrosion currents in carbonated concrete

This paper presents specific experiments which were developed in order to assess galvanic currents in macrocell corrosion specimens involving active steel in carbonated concrete and passive steel in sound concrete. The influence of the steel-concrete interface condition on the galvanic current was also experimentally investigated. To focus on macrocell corrosion rate assessment, the initiation time of the corrosion process (concrete carbonation) was accelerated. FEM simulations were carried out in order to enhance the physical comprehension of these corrosion experiments. It was found that, in realistic condition, the electrical coupling of active and passive steel areas leads to high galvanic currents and consequently high corrosion levels according to RILEM recommendation. Moreover, steel-concrete interfacial defaults significantly increase the macrocell driving potential and, therefore, the galvanic corrosion current.     

One‐Pot Thioetherification of Aryl Halides Using Thiourea and Alkyl Bromides Catalyzed by Copper(I) Iodide Free from Foul‐Smelling Thiols in Wet Polyethylene Glycol (PEG 200)

In this article, we have developed a new protocol for the thioarylation of structurally diverse alkyl bromides such as benzyl, cinnamyl, n‐octyl, cyclohexyl, cyclopentyl, and tert‐butyl bromides with aryl iodides, bromides and an activated chloride using thiourea catalyzed by copper(I) iodide in wet polyethylene glycol (PEG 200) as an eco‐friendly medium in the presence of potassium carbonate at 80 and 100 °C under an inert atmosphere. The process is free from foul‐smelling thiols which makes this method more practical for the thioetherification of aryl halides. Another important feature of this method is the variety of alkyl bromides which are commercially available for the in situ generation of thiolate ions with respect to the existing protocols in which the less commercially available thiols are directly used for the preparation of arylthio ethers.     

Functionalization of Electrospun Titanium Oxide Nanofibers with Silver Nanoparticles: Strongly Effective Photocatalyst

In the present study, we are introducing silver-doped titanium oxide nanofibers produced by electrospinning technique. Calcination of dry nanofiber mats consisting of silver nitrate–titanium isopropoxide/PVAc in air at 600°C for 1 h leads to produce Ag-doped titania nanofibers. Two dyes have been invoked to check the photocatalytic ability of the produced nanofibers; methylene blue dihydrate and methyl red. The obtained results indicated that the silver-doped titanium oxide nanofibers can eliminate >92% of the methylene blue dye within 10 min only. In a case of methyl red, almost the dye was decayed (93%) within 3 h.