Selective sorption of Fe(III) using modified forms of chitosan beads

Modified chitosan beads (CB) were prepared and used for the removal of Fe(III) ions from aqueous solution. The advantages of modified CB than raw CB have been explored. The sorption capacity (SC) of the modified forms of CB namely, protonated CB, carboxylated CB, and grafted CB were found to be 3533, 3905, and 4203 mg kg^?1, respectively, while the raw CB showed the SC of 2913 mg kg^?1 only. Batch adsorption studies were conducted to optimize various equilibrating conditions like contact time, pH, and coions. The sorbents were characterized by FTIR, WDXRF, and SEM with EDAX analysis. The sorption process has been explained with Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms. Thermodynamic parameters such as ΔG°, ΔH°, and ΔS° were calculated to understand the nature of sorption. Modified CB are more selective for Fe(III) than Cu(II), which inturn higher than Cr(VI). A suitable mechanism for iron sorption onto modified CB was established. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Production and in vitro characterization of solid dosage form incorporating drug nanoparticles

The objective of this study was to develop a tablet formulation of ketoconazole incorporating drug nanoparticles to enhance saturation solubility and dissolution velocity for enhancing bioavailability and reducing variability in systemic exposure. The bioavailability of ketoconazole is dissolution limited following oral administration. To enhance bioavailability and overcome variability in systemic exposure, a nanoparticle formulation of ketoconazole was developed. Ketoconazole nanoparticles were prepared using a media-milling technique. The nanosuspension was layered onto water-soluble carriers using a fluid bed processor. The nanosuspensions were characterized for particle size before and after layering onto water-soluble carriers. The saturation solubility and dissolution characteristics were investigated and compared with commercial ketoconazole formulation to ascertain the impact of particle size on drug dissolution. The drug nanoparticles were evaluated for solid-state transitions before and after milling using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD). This study demonstrated that tablet formulation incorporating ketoconazole nanoparticles showed significantly faster rate of drug dissolution in a discriminating dissolution medium as compared with commercially available tablet formulation. There was no affect on solid-state properties of ketoconazole following milling. The manufacturing process used is relatively simple and scalable indicating general applicability to enhance dissolution and bioavailability of many sparingly soluble compounds.     

A novel methodology for the development of an optimal agricultural crop field using Internet of Things

The Internet of Things (IoT) plays a vital role in the entity sharing and minimizing the workload of the human beings in various aspects. Nowadays the term IoT is used in various fields such as health care, automobiles, industry, agriculture, and so on. Agriculture is the main source of food to whole world. There are various problems faced by the farmers in agriculture due to shortage and wastage of water and fertilizers. In this regard, an optimal IoT model has been developed and proposed to attain an effective crop field. The proposed IoT model will monitor, record temperature, and soil moisture values, which will be continuously analyzed to achieve optimal plant growth and yield. The motor will be connected to the IoT model which automatically switch on/off based on optimal threshold temperature and soil moisture content value. A novel irrigation algorithm named differential waterflow algorithm has been proposed and deployed in the proposed IoT model for the automatic usage of the motor in the field. The proposed IoT model provides a web interface to the user through the cloud storage, so that the farmer can control and monitor the system in remote. The proposed system will reduce the water consumption and will ensure the uniform water distribution to the crops through the Poisson distribution which results in increasing yield.     

Contrast Enhancement of Medical Images through Adaptive Genetic Algorithm (AGA) over Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO)

Multimedia Tools and Applications - Assessment of images after processing is a significant step for determining how good the images are being analyzed. Quality of image is usually estimated with...     

Small-Molecule Inhibitors Targeting Proteasome-Associated Deubiquitinases

The 26S proteasome is the principal protease for regulated intracellular proteolysis. This multi-subunit complex is also pivotal for clearance of harmful proteins that are produced throughout the lifetime of eukaryotes. Recent structural and kinetic studies have revealed a multitude of conformational states of the proteasome in substrate-free and substrate-engaged forms. These conformational transitions demonstrate that proteasome is a highly dynamic machinery during substrate processing that can be also controlled by a number of proteasome-associated factors. Essentially, three distinct family of deubiquitinases–USP14, RPN11, and UCH37–are associated with the 19S regulatory particle of human proteasome. USP14 and UCH37 are capable of editing ubiquitin conjugates during the process of their dynamic engagement into the proteasome prior to the catalytic commitment. In contrast, RPN11-mediated deubiquitination is directly coupled to substrate degradation by sensing the proteasome’s conformational switch into the commitment steps. Therefore, proteasome-bound deubiquitinases are likely to tailor the degradation events in accordance with substrate processing steps and for dynamic proteolysis outcomes. Recent chemical screening efforts have yielded highly selective small-molecule inhibitors for targeting proteasomal deubiquitinases, such as USP14 and RPN11. USP14 inhibitors, IU1 and its progeny, were found to promote the degradation of a subset of substrates probably by overriding USP14-imposed checkpoint on the proteasome. On the other hand, capzimin, a RPN11 inhibitor, stabilized the proteasome substrates and showed the anti-proliferative effects on cancer cells. It is highly conceivable that these specific inhibitors will aid to dissect the role of each deubiquitinase on the proteasome. Moreover, customized targeting of proteasome-associated deubiquitinases may also provide versatile therapeutic strategies for induced or repressed protein degradation depending on proteolytic demand and cellular context.     

Production and In Vitro Characterization of Solid Dosage form Incorporating Drug Nanoparticles

The objective of this study was to develop a tablet formulation of ketoconazole incorporating drug nanoparticles to enhance saturation solubility and dissolution velocity for enhancing bioavailability and reducing variability in systemic exposure. The bioavailability of ketoconazole is dissolution limited following oral administration. To enhance bioavailability and overcome variability in systemic exposure, a nanoparticle formulation of ketoconazole was developed. Ketoconazole nanoparticles were prepared using a media-milling technique. The nanosuspension was layered onto water-soluble carriers using a fluid bed processor. The nanosuspensions were characterized for particle size before and after layering onto water-soluble carriers. The saturation solubility and dissolution characteristics were investigated and compared with commercial ketoconazole formulation to ascertain the impact of particle size on drug dissolution. The drug nanoparticles were evaluated for solid-state transitions before and after milling using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD). This study demonstrated that tablet formulation incorporating ketoconazole nanoparticles showed significantly faster rate of drug dissolution in a discriminating dissolution medium as compared with commercially available tablet formulation. There was no affect on solid-state properties of ketoconazole following milling. The manufacturing process used is relatively simple and scalable indicating general applicability to enhance dissolution and bioavailability of many sparingly soluble compounds.