Metal and Metal Oxide Nanoparticle as a Novel Antibiotic Carrier for the Direct Delivery of Antibiotics

In addition to the benefits, increasing the constant need for antibiotics has resulted in the development of antibiotic bacterial resistance over time. Antibiotic tolerance mainly evolves in these bacteria through efflux pumps and biofilms. Leading to its modern and profitable uses, emerging nanotechnology is a significant field of research that is considered as the most important scientific breakthrough in recent years. Metal nanoparticles as nanocarriers are currently attracting a lot of interest from scientists, because of their wide range of applications and higher compatibility with bioactive components. As a consequence of their ability to inhibit the growth of bacteria, nanoparticles have been shown to have significant antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and antiparasitic efficacy in the battle against antibiotic resistance in microorganisms. As a result, this study covers bacterial tolerance to antibiotics, the antibacterial properties of various metal nanoparticles, their mechanisms, and the use of various metal and metal oxide nanoparticles as novel antibiotic carriers for direct antibiotic delivery.     

Silver nanoparticle studded porous polyethylene scaffolds: bacteria struggle to grow on them while mammalian cells thrive

Silver nanoparticle studded scaffolds were prepared by exploiting the Ag(+) ion reducing activity of sophorolipids--a class of 'glycolipids' that cap the ensuing nanoparticles as well. To achieve this, the porous polyethylene scaffolds are subjected to N(2) + H(2) plasma treatment, in the first step. Subsequently the sophorolipids are covalently attached to the amine groups on the polymer surface through simple amide chemistry to yield sophorolipid grafted polymer scaffolds. These are then exposed to Ag(+) ions under appropriate conditions leading to the formation of silver nanoparticles immobilized on the polymer scaffolds. It has been found that while bacteria do not survive on these silver studded scaffolds, CHO-K1 cells thrive on them making them good candidates for tissue engineering and bio-implant applications.     

Collaborative Virtual Environment to Facilitate Game Design Evaluation with Children with ASC

ABSTRACT

Involvement of children with autism spectrum conditions (ASC) in the design of new educational technology is becoming more prevalent. Despite potential barriers due to communication and ideation difficulties for children with ASC, adapted participatory design methods can successfully facilitate their direct involvement. Nonetheless, methods requiring face-to-face communication can still be difficult for children with ASC and research suggests that technology mediation could facilitate their contribution. This study explores the use of collaborative virtual environments (CVEs) as a medium through which students evaluated existing computer games and offered suggestions for game development. CVEs in which the users were represented by (a) avatars and (b) video-pods were compared to a face-to-face condition. Twelve typically developing (aged 8–9 years), 12 higher ability ASC (12–14) and 4 lower ability ASC children (12–14) participated. All student groups preferred the video-pod CVE and students with ASC were generally better able to contribute effectively through this medium than face-to-face.     

Health and safety implications of virtual reality: a review of empirical evidence

For the last 10 years a number of papers have been written that discuss human factors issues associated with virtual reality (VR). The nature of these papers has gradually evolved from speculation and anecdotal report to empirical research. Despite developments in VR technology, some participants still experience health and safety problems associated with VR use-termed VR-induced symptoms and effects (VRISE). The key concern from the literature is VR-induced sickness, experienced by a large proportion of VR participants, but for the majority these effects are mild and subside quickly. This paper makes a number of recommendations regarding the future direction of research into health and safety implications of VR, including the need to take into account the way in which VR is being used when conducting empirical research: first, to ensure that studies consider both effects and their consequences, second, to ensure that empirical trials reflect the actual likely context of VR use; third, to consider interactions between effects: and finally, to consider ways in which effects can be managed.     

Production and Quantitative Analysis of Trehalose Lipid Biosurfactants Using High‐Performance Liquid Chromatography

Trehalose lipids (THL) are glycolipid biosurfactants having a wide range of biomedical and environmental applications. Low yield, high purification cost, and the absence of a valid analytical method hinders their application. Hence, in the present study a simple, rapid, and reliable isocratic high‐performance liquid chromatography (LC) method was developed for the identification and quantification of trehalose lipid biosurfactants from Rhodococcus erythropolis. THL having a minimum surface tension of 24 mN m^?1 and a critical micellar concentration of 25 mg L^?1 were produced using hexadecane as a substrate. A standard was developed from the crude THL mixture using thin‐layer chromatography and column chromatography and its structure was confirmed using infrared spectroscopy, mass spectroscopy, and ¹H NMR. A high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for quantitation was developed using a C18 column with water/acetonitrile (80:20) as the mobile phase at a 1 mL min^?1 flow rate and UV detection at 208 nm. This method was validated according to International Conference on Harmonization guidelines for linearity, precision, accuracy, robustness, LOD, and LOQ. This method was found to be linear over the range 10‐50 μg m L^?1 (r² =0.99801), precise, accurate, and robust. This method can detect minimum 3.2 μg mL^?1 and quantify minimum 9.2 μg mL^?1 of THL. Standards were developed from R. erythropolis, broth and purified standard trehalose 6,6′‐dimycolate from Mycobacterium bovis, having the same retention time of 2.0 min. The yield was calculated from the calibration curve and was found to be 25 g L^?1.     

Formulation and optimisation of famotidine proniosomes: an in vitro and ex vivo study

The aim of the study was to develop a proniosomal system for famotidine (FAM), a potent H₂ receptor antagonist that could efficiently deliver entrapped drug over a prolonged period of time. The proniosomal system was formulated by selecting various ratios of Span 60 and cholesterol using a coacervation-phase separation method. The formulated systems were characterised for drug excipient compatibility studies by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), vesicle size determination by the particle size analyser, % drug encapsulation, drug-release profiles, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) for surface morphology, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and vesicular stability at different storage conditions. By using this method, the % drug loading that resulted by the encapsulation of proniosome was found to be 78%–89%. Increase in cholesterol and surfactant concentration increases encapsulation efficiency, but further increment decreases encapsulation. In vitro drug-release studies showed prolonged release of entrapped famotidine. The highest % cumulative drug release was achieved in formulation FAM2 (96%) in 24 hours. The ex vivo data on the release of famotidine from proniosomal formulations have shown significantly increased per cent release and flux in comparison to the same dose of marketed preparation of famotidine. Stability studies were carried out in refrigerated conditions, and higher drug retention was observed. It is evident from this study that proniosomes are a promising prolonged delivery system for famotidine and have reasonably good stability characteristics.     

Developing speech input for virtual reality applications: A reality based interaction approach

An input device should be natural and convenient for a user to transmit information to a computer, and should be designed from an understanding of the task to be performed and the interrelationship between the task and the device from the perspective of the user. In order to investigate the potential of speech input as a reality based interaction device, this paper presents the findings of a study that investigated speech input in a VR application. Two independent user trials were combined within the same experimental design to evaluate the commands that users employed when they used free speech in which they were not restricted to a specific vocabulary. The study also investigated when participants were told they were either talking to a machine (e.g. a speech recognition system) or instructing another person to complete a VR based task. Previous research has illustrated that when users are limited to a specific vocabulary, this can alter the interaction style employed. The findings from this research illustrate that the interaction style users employ are very different when they are told they are talking to a machine or another person. Using this knowledge, recommendations can be drawn for the development of speech input vocabularies for future VR applications.     

Datalink in air traffic management: Human factors issues in communications

This paper examines issues underpinning the potential move in aviation away from real speech radiotelephony (R/T) communications towards datalink communications involving text and synthetic speech communications. Using a novel air traffic control (ATC) task, two experiments are reported. Experiment 1 compared the use of speech and text while Experiment 2 compared the use of real and synthetic speech communications. Results indicated that generally there were no significant differences between speech and text communications and that either type could be used without any main effects on performance. However, a number of specific differences were observed across the different phases of the scenarios indicating that workload levels may be more varied when speech communications are used. Experiment 2 illustrated that participants placed a greater level of trust in real speech than synthetic speech, and trusted true communications more than false communications (regardless of whether they were real or synthetic voices). The findings are considered in terms of datalink initiatives for future air traffic management, the importance placed on real speech R/T communications, and the need to develop more natural synthetic speech in this application area.     

Radiation-assisted phosphorous diffused polyimide as low thermal emissivity material

Radiation enhanced diffusion of phosphorous into the surface layer of polyimide is shown to be effective in lowering its thermal emissivity in the range of wavelengths between 8 and 14 μm. The effect of the fluence of irradiation on the value of emittance has been studied and lowest emissivity was associated with the formation of nanoclusters on the surface. The variation in the dielectric constant of the irradiated polyimide has been monitored as a function of irradiation. Increase in the value of dielectric constant is correlated to the corresponding value of the thermal emittance. Semiempirical calculations, using Fresnel’s relation, are used to validate the measurements. Elemental concentration of phosphorous in the surface region of the film and its morphology has been studied by energy dispersive X-ray analysis using scanning electron microscope.