Temperature/pH/magnetic triple‐sensitive nanogel–hydrogel nanocomposite for release of anticancer drug

Hydrogels, nanogels and nanocomposites show increasing potential for application in drug delivery systems due to their good chemical and physical properties. Therefore, we were encouraged to combine them to produce a new compound with unique properties for a long‐term drug release system. In this regard, the design and application of a nanocomposite hydrogel containing entrapped nanogel for drug delivery are demonstrated. To this aim, we first prepared an iron oxide nanocomposite nanogel based on poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide)‐co‐((2‐dimethylaminoethyl) methacrylate) (PNIPAM‐co‐PDMA) grafted onto sodium alginate (NaAlg) as a biocompatible polymer and iron oxide nanoparticles (ION) as nanometric base (PND/ION‐NG). This was then added into a solution of PDMA grafted onto NaAlg. Through dropwise addition of mixed aqueous solution of iron salts into the prepared polymeric solution, a novel hydrogel nanocomposite with excellent pH, thermal and magnetic responsivity was fabricated. The synthesized samples were fully characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy with energy‐dispersive X‐ray analysis, vibrating sample magnetometry and atomic force microscopy. A mechanism for the formation of PNIPAM‐co‐PDMA/NaAlg‐ION nanogel–PDMA/NaAlg‐ION hydrogel and PND/ION nanogel is suggested. Swelling capacity was measured at various temperatures (25 to 45 °C), pH values (from 2 to 11) and magnetic field and under load (0.3 psi) and the dependence of swelling properties of the nanogel–hydrogel nanocomposite on these factors was well demonstrated. The release rate of doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) as an anticancer drug was studied at different pH values and temperatures in the presence and absence of a magnetic field. The results showed that these factors have a high impact on drug release from this nanocomposite. The result showed that DOX release could be sustained for up to 12.5 days from these nanocomposite hydrogels, significantly longer than that achievable using the constituent hydrogel or nanogel alone (<1 day). The results indicated that the nanogel–hydrogel nanocomposite can serve as a novel nanocarrier for anticancer drug delivery. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry     

pHEMA: An Overview for Biomedical Applications

Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (pHEMA) as a biomaterial with excellent biocompatibility and cytocompatibility elicits a minimal immunological response from host tissue making it desirable for different biomedical applications. This article seeks to provide an in-depth overview of the properties and biomedical applications of pHEMA for bone tissue regeneration, wound healing, cancer therapy (stimuli and non-stimuli responsive systems), and ophthalmic applications (contact lenses and ocular drug delivery). As this polymer has been widely applied in ophthalmic applications, a specific consideration has been devoted to this field. Pure pHEMA does not possess antimicrobial properties and the site where the biomedical device is employed may be susceptible to microbial infections. Therefore, antimicrobial strategies such as the use of silver nanoparticles, antibiotics, and antimicrobial agents can be utilized to protect against infections. Therefore, the antimicrobial strategies besides the drug delivery applications of pHEMA were covered. With continuous research and advancement in science and technology, the outlook of pHEMA is promising as it will most certainly be utilized in more biomedical applications in the near future. The aim of this review was to bring together state-of-the-art research on pHEMA and their applications.     

Modeling soft granular materials

Soft-grain materials such as clays and other colloidal pastes share the common feature of being composed of grains that can undergo large deformations without rupture. For the simulation of such materials, we present two alternative methods: (1) an implicit formulation of the material point method (MPM), in which each grain is discretized as a collection of material points, and (2) the bonded particle model (BPM), in which each soft grain is modeled as an aggregate of rigid particles using the contact dynamics method. In the MPM, a linear elastic behavior is used for the grains. In order to allow the aggregates in the BPM to deform without breaking, we use long-range center-to-center attraction forces between the primary particles belonging to each grain together with steric repulsion at their contact points. We show that these interactions lead to a plastic behavior of the grains. Using both methods, we analyze the uniaxial compaction of 2D soft granular packings. This process is nonlinear and involves both grain rearrangements and large deformations. High packing fractions beyond the jamming state are reached as a result of grain shape change for both methods. We discuss the stress-strain and volume change behavior as well as the evolution of the connectivity of the grains. Similar textures are observed at large deformations although the BPM requires higher stress than the MPM to reach the same level of packing fraction.     

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Glaucium corniculatum (L.) Curtis extract and evaluation of its antibacterial activity

The metal nanoparticles, due to interesting features such as electrical, optical, chemical and magnetic properties, have been investigated repeatedly. Also, the mentioned nanoparticles have specific uses in terms of their antibacterial activity. The biosynthesis method is more appropriate than the chemical method for producing the nanoparticles because it does not need any special facilities; it is also economically affordable. In the current study, the silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were obtained by using a very simple and low‐cost method via Glaucium corniculatum (L.) Curtis plant extract. The characteristics of the AgNPs were investigated using techniques including: X‐ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The SEM and TEM images showed that the nanoparticles had a spherical shape, and the mean diameter of them was 53.7 and 45 nm, respectively. The results of the disc diffusion test used for measuring the anti‐bacterial activity of the synthesised nanoparticles indicated that the formed nanoparticles possessed a suitable anti‐bacterial activity.Inspec keywords: silver, nanoparticles, antibacterial activity, nanomedicine, nanofabrication, X‐ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectraOther keywords: green synthesis, silver nanoparticles, Glaucium corniculatum Curtis extract, antibacterial activity, metal nanoparticles, biosynthesis method, X‐ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, SEM, TEM, spherical shape, disc diffusion test, Ag     

Interactions of inorganic oxide nanoparticles with sewage biosolids

The use of nanoparticles (NPs) in manufacturing continues to increase despite the growing concern over their potential environmental and health effects. Understanding the interaction of NPs and sewage sludge is crucial for determining the ultimate fate of NPs released to municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) as those interactions will determine whether the bulk of the material is retained in the sludge or released in the effluent stream. Analyzing the affinity of aluminum oxide, cerium oxide, and silicon oxide NPs, which are commonly used in semiconductor manufacturing processes, for biosolids used in municipal WWTPs provides a basis for estimating their removal efficiency. Batch studies were performed and the NPs were shown to partition onto the cellular surface. At the maximum equilibrium values tested (75-92 mg nanoparticles/L), the concentration of Al(2)O(3), CeO(2) and SiO(2) associated with the sludge was 137, 238, and 28 mg/g-sludge VSS, respectively. These results suggest that electrostatic interactions play a major role in determining NP association with biosolids.     

Optimization of the removal of phenol by soybean seed coats using response surface methodology

Peroxidase from soybean seed coats catalyzes the oxidation and polymerization of aromatic compounds in the presence of H(2)O(2). The present study investigated the optimization of the phenol removal from wastewaters by direct using of soybean seed coats that can be extended to large scale, as a cost-effective option in comparison to pure enzyme. A central composite design was used to evaluate the effect of the following factors on the phenol removal: H(2)O(2) concentration (1-40 mmol/L), polyethylene glycol (PEG) concentration (0-1 g/L) and the amount of soybean seed coats (10-60 g/L). The results showed that PEG concentration had no significant effect on phenol conversion. Additionally, by increasing the amount of soybean seed coats, the extent of phenol conversion was increased and a higher concentration of H(2)O(2) was required to reach the maximum phenol conversion. Under optimum conditions for 1 mmol/L initial phenol, 50 g/L soybean seed coats, 14 mmol/L H(2)O(2) and 0.8 g/L PEG, the phenol conversion after 30 min was 78%. After 2 h, the catalyzed process was capable of achieving 90-92% removal of the total phenol from synthetic wastewater. A cubic model was also developed that was verified by predicting some independent experimental results.     

Vehicle routing problem with uncertain demands: An advanced particle swarm algorithm

The Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) has been thoroughly studied in the last decades. However, the main focus has been on the deterministic version where customer demands are fixed and known in advance. Uncertainty in demand has not received enough consideration. When demands are uncertain, several problems arise in the VRP. For example, there might be unmet customers’ demands, which eventually lead to profit loss. A reliable plan and set of routes, after solving the VRP, can significantly reduce the unmet demand costs, helping in obtaining customer satisfaction. This paper investigates a variant of an uncertain VRP in which the customers’ demands are supposed to be uncertain with unknown distributions. An advanced Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm has been proposed to solve such a VRP. A novel decoding scheme has also been developed to increase the PSO efficiency. Comprehensive computational experiments, along with comparisons with other existing algorithms, have been provided to validate the proposed algorithms.     

Novel inorganic precursors [Co4.32Zn1.68(HCO2)18(C2H8N)6]/SiO2 and Co4.32Zn1.68(HCO2)18(C2H8N)6]/Al2O3 for Fischer–Tropsch synthesis

The silica- and alumina-supported Co–Zn catalysts were synthesized by thermal decomposition of new inorganic precursors [Co_4.32Zn_1.68(HCO₂)₁₈(C₂H₈N)₆]/SiO₂ or Al₂O₃. A novel coordination polymer formulated as [Co_4.32Zn_1.68(HCO₂)₁₈(C₂H₈N)₆] (1) was prepared using the solvothermal technique and characterized by elemental analysis, FT-infrared spectroscopy. Thermal stability of the complex 1 was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry, and its structure was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Characterization of catalysts was carried out using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and BET specific surface area. The catalysts were evaluated for Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) in the temperature range 200–300 °C. The results revealed that the synthesized catalysts have higher selectivity to the desired products at 260 °C. The performance of the catalysts was compared to those of catalysts constructed via impregnation method and the fabricated catalysts show higher activity and selectivity than the reference catalysts.     

The Role of Elastic and Plastic Anisotropy of Sn in Recrystallization and Damage Evolution During Thermal Cycling in SAC305 Solder Joints

Because failures in lead-free solder joints occur at locations other than the most highly shear-strained regions, reliability prediction is challenging. To gain physical understanding of this phenomenon, physically based understanding of how elastic and plastic deformation anisotropy affect microstructural evolution during thermomechanical cycling is necessary. Upon solidification, SAC305 (Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu) solder joints are usually single or tricrystals. The evolution of microstructures and properties is characterized statistically using optical and orientation imaging microscopy. In situ synchrotron x-ray measurements during thermal cycling are used to examine how crystal orientation and thermal cycling history change strain history. Extensive characterization of a low-stress plastic ball grid array (PBGA) package design at different stages of cycling history is compared with preliminary experiments using higher-stress package designs. With time and thermal history, microstructural evolution occurs mostly from continuous recrystallization and particle coarsening that is unique to each joint, because of the specific interaction between local thermal and displacement boundary conditions and the strong anisotropic elastic, plastic, expansion, and diffusional properties of Sn crystals. The rate of development of recrystallized microstructures is a strong function of strain and aging. Cracks form at recrystallized (random) boundaries, and then percolate through recrystallized regions. Complications arising from electromigration and corrosion are also considered.     

Bi-supported Ziegler–Natta TiCl4/MCM-41/MgCl2 (ethoxide type) catalyst preparation and comprehensive investigations of produced polyethylene characteristics

Bi-supported Ziegler–Natta catalysts (TiCl₄/MCM-41/MgCl₂ (ethoxide type)) were synthesized to improve the morphology and the properties of polyethylene. The morphology control is a crucial issue in polymerization process, while tailoring the properties of polymers is needed for specific applications. The catalysts were synthesized in different ratios of two supports with impregnation method. The polymerization process was carried out in atmospheric slurry reactor. The catalysts were characterized with scanning electron microscopy - energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDX), inductively coupled plasma, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) methods. The polymers were analyzed with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry, FTIR, and tensile-strength analyses. Ubbelohde viscometer and frequency sweep measurements showed that the synthesized polymers are ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene. Mechanical properties of polymers showed higher Young's modulus in samples containing MCM-41, having higher thermal stability supported by TGA analysis. SEM images of bi-supported catalyst showed a controlled spherical morphology with uniform size distribution. SEM analysis support that the polymers replicate their morphology from catalyst, improving their morphology comparing to MgCl₂-supported catalyst. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48553.