Thermodynamic Phase Diagram,Half-Metallic and Optical Properties of the Zr2TiSi [111] Films Based on DFT

Silicon - Thermodynamic stability, electronic and optical properties of the Zr2TiSi compound in the bulk and its [111] films have been investigated, based on the density functional theory (DFT)...     

Tricalcium phosphate and tricalcium phosphate/polycaprolactone particulate composite for controlled release of protein

β-Tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) with three different particle size ranges was used to study the effects of particle size and surface area on protein adsorption and release. Polycaprolactone (PCL) coating was applied on the particle systems to investigate its effect on particulate system properties from both structural and application aspects. The maximum loading of 27 mg/g was achieved for 100 nm particles. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) loading amount was controlled by varying the BSA loading solution concentration, as well as the sample powder's surface area. Increasing the surface area of the delivery powder significantly increased loading and release yield. Unlike the samples with low surface area, the lowest particle size samples showed sigmoidal release profile. This indicated that release was governed by different mechanisms for particles with different sizes. While the majority of samples showed no more than 50% release, the 550 nm particles demonstrated 100% release. PCL coating showed no significant ability to attenuate burst release in PBS. However, it led to a steadier release profile as compared to the bare TCP particles. FTIR analysis also proved that the secondary structure of BSA did not change significantly during the adsorption; however, minor denaturation was found during the release. The same results were found when PCL coating was applied on the TCP particles. We envision potential use of TCP and TCP + PCL systems in bone growth factor or orthopedic drug delivery applications in future bone tissue engineering application.     

Loofa immobilized Bacillus sp. DSM 2523 as a whole cell biocatalyst for production of cyclodextrin glucanotransferase in an airlift reactor with a net draft tube

Cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase) production was studied using loofa-immobilized Bacillus sp. DSM 2523 and starch substrate. The bacterial cells from 2- and 4-day old cultures were used in the flask studies. Loofa and chitosan were added for cell immobilization and cell flocculation, respectively, and different treatments were considered according to the timing of their addition. The cell responses were evaluated for their degree of cell immobilization and level of CGTase activity. With the use of the selected treatment, testing was carried out in an airlift reactor with a net draft tube having specific geometric properties. The cell capacity for reusability also was examined. The production of CGTase was higher in the second cycle in the reactor operated at 0.25 vvm where the enzyme activity reaching 0.20?U/ml within 2?h. In the flask experiments, CGTase activity reached 0.23?U/ml after 19?h in the second cycle.     

Cobalt-Doped Brushite Cement: Preparation,Characterization, and In Vitro Interaction with Osteosarcoma Cells

Brushite cement (BrC) is being widely used in bone and dental tissue engineering application because of its significant biocompatibility, bioresorbability, and moldability. Here, we have reported the effects of cobalt (Co) and its concentration on physical and biological properties of BrC. Our results show that Co addition stabilizes the tricalcium phosphate structure and decreases the amount of BrC phase in the final product. The in vitro interaction of samples with osteosarcoma MG-63 cells proved the cytocompatibility of all compositions in both normoxic and hypoxic conditions. Although the cell viability increased under hypoxia, the change was insignificant compared with normoxic conditions. Our data show that Co addition reduced hypoxia inducible factor-1α and glioma-associated oncogene family zinc finger 2 expression in MG-63, suggesting Co may provide the benefit of reducing the effects of hypoxia on gene expression in the osteosarcoma cell line.     

Empirical Modeling of Starch Ester Synthesis from Octenylsuccinic Anhydride

In the present work, response surface methodology (RSM) was used to determine the mathematical relationship between octenylsuccinic anhydride (OSA) treated maize starch and the octenylsuccinylation reaction conditions. A second‐order polynomial model was chosen to approximate the relationship between the response variable (y, as the degree of substitution “DS” used to define the extent of the octenylsuccinylation) and the three regressors, x₁ as the temperature, x₂ as the time and x₃ as the pH. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed a high R² coefficient of 0.9905, thus ensuring a satisfactory adjustment of the selected model with the experimental data. Only temperature‐pH interaction was found to have a non‐significant effect. The positive sign for the regression coefficient of the temperature variable indicated that the y_DS increased with the increased levels of this factor from 25 to 45°C. The negative sign for the coefficient of time and also pH indicated that y_DS decreased as either the time or pH increased in the region of the tested range. The negative coefficients of the interaction between x₂ and x₃ indicated that a simultaneous increase in reaction time with decrease in pH of the esterification reaction led to an increase in y_DS. Maize starch octenylsuccinate synthesis on basis of its DS value was optimized for the three independent variables tested in this study. The predicted value for the DS was 0.02 where temperature, time and pH of the reaction were 28.0°C, 8.1 h, and pH 7.11, respectively. Results of some of the selected physicochemical properties of starch, tested in the present work were also discussed.     

Application of the central composite design and response surface methodology to the advanced treatment of olive oil processing wastewater using Fenton's peroxidation

The central composite design (CCD) technique was used to study the effect of the Fenton's peroxidation on the removal of organic pollutants from olive oil mill wastewater (OMW). The ratio of hydrogen peroxide-to-Fe(II) (x1) was between 1.67 and 8.33. Fe(II) concentration was constant at 0.03 M while the H2O2 concentration was set at three levels: 0.05, 0.15 and 0.25 M. Based on the molarity ratio, the selected ratio were in the low range of Fe(II)-to-H2O2 ratio (<1). While based on the wt/wt ratio, the tested Fe(II)-to-H2O2 ratios were in the range of < or =1:5. pH (x2) was between 3 and 5. The concentration of OMW (x3) was varied between 40 and 100%. The influence of these three independent variables on the four dependent variables, i.e. COD, total phenolics (TP), color and aromaticity removal was evaluated using a second-order polynomial multiple regression model. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed a high coefficient of determination (R2) value of 0.902-0.998, thus ensuring a satisfactory adjustment of the second-order regression model with the experimental data. H2O2-to-Fe(II) ratio had significant effect on all the four dependent variables. The positive sign for the regression coefficient of this regressor variable indicated that the level of the pollutant removal increased with the increased levels of factor x1 from 1.67 to 8.33 and this effect was the most pronounced for TP removal. pH had also significant effect on the pollutant removal and the effect was the most noticeable for TP reduction. The negative coefficient of this variable (pH) indicated that level of the pollutant removal decreased as the pH increased from 3 to 5. The negative coefficient of the interaction between variable x1 and x2 indicated that a simultaneous increase in H2O2-to-Fe(II) ratio with decrease in the pH of the reaction led to an increase in the COD, TP and color removal. Quadratic models were predicted for the response variable, i.e. pollutant removal, and the maximum model-predicted removals were 56, 100, 33 and 32% for COD, TP, color and aromaticity, respectively. Optimum conditions for this wastewater treatment was obtained based on the performance of the Fenton's peroxidation in the experiment where the H2O2-to-Fe(II) ratio was at its high level (8.33) and the pH and OMW concentration were 4 and 70%, respectively.     

Rheological characterization of ferrous sulfate-containing water-in-oil-in-water (W1/O/W2) double emulsions

With use of response surface methodology (RSM), the W₁/O/W₂ emulsions containing ferrous sulfate as the inner phase were optimized in terms of stability (ES) and apparent viscosity (μ _app ). Curvature display of the responses around their optimal settings was appropriately described using the quadratic polynomial regression model. The non-Newtonian behavior of the test W₁/O/W₂ emulsions was characterized using the power-law model and change from non-Newtonian to Newtonian (n?1) was seen in the case of W₁/O:W₂ ratio equal 20: 80 when the level of Tween-80 was 1 v%. Results of the size distribution pattern showed 60% of the particles were less than 5 μm. Rheological properties of the test W₁/O/W₂ emulsions as the viscoelastic liquids were analyzed and the results of oscillatory experiments considering shear stress and frequency dependency of G′ and G″ moduli were discussed in terms of the internal microstructure of the emulsions.     

Effects of silymarin on metabolic syndrome: a review

Metabolic syndrome is one of the rising global health problems and medical challenges due to several clinical complications it may cause, for example increasing the risk of myocardial infarction and hypertension. However, great attention has been directed toward determining the worthiness of herbal medicines. There are emerging studies on preventive and therapeutic effects of silymarin on different components of metabolic syndrome. Extracted from the dried seeds of milk thistle plant (Silybum marianum L.), silymarin has been used in the treatment of different diseases for many years. Several protective effects have been identified for this herb such as decreasing insulin resistance, regulating blood pressure and lipid profile, as well as antioxidant and cytoprotective effects. This review aims to discuss available human and experimental researches into the promising effects of silymarin on different elements of metabolic syndrome. All related human and experimental papers published from 2012 to date were included in this review. Reviewing different human and experimental studies into the effects of silymarin on metabolic syndrome, we deduced that silymarin possesses promising effects on different components of this syndrome. Although the complete mechanism of action and target organs for silymarin require further verification and investigation, high‐risk individuals may benefit from supplementation with this herbal medicine. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry