Biocompatible PAMAM-PLGA-PCL Nanocarrier for Efficient Curcumin Delivery to Lung Cancer Cells: In Vitro Studies.

We developed a novel polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA)-polyamidoamine G4 (PAMAM G4)-polycaprolactone (PCL) nanocarrier for efficient delivery of curcumin (Cur) to A549 lung cancer cells. The synthesized nanocarrier was characterized by applying analytical techniques, FT-IR, DLS, TEM, and TGA. Successful synthesis, nano-size diameter (40 to 80 nm), near neutral surface charge (8.0 mV), and high drug entrapment (11.5%) were measured for the nanocarrier. Controlled (about 5 folds within first 2 h) and pH-sensitive (2 to 3 folds faster within first hours) Cur release observed for PLGA-PAMAM-PCL-Cur. Cell viability test (MTT assay) indicated the high capability of nanocarrier in suppression of A549 cancer cells (21% viability after 24 h of treatment with 200 nM) while did not result in toxicity on MSC normal cells. The IC50 observed for 50 nM at 24 h of post-treatment in A549 cells. The qRT-PCR technique indicated inducing the expression of apoptotic genes (Caspase9 and Bax) by 6-8 folds and suppressing anti-apoptotic gene (Bcl2) by 7 folds. ROS considerably increased in cancer cells as well. This nanocarrier would be a promising drug delivery system against lung cancer.

Chromoionophoric probe-anchored mesoporous silica nanospheres for rapid and reliable naked-eye detection of Ni(II) ions in petroleum products and removal from electroplating wastewater.

This paper presents the expansion of an optical, chemical sensor that can rapidly and reliably detect, quantify, and remove Ni(II) ions in oil products and electroplating wastewater sources. The sensor is based on mesoporous silica nanospheres (MSNs) that have an extraordinary surface area, uniform surface morphology, and capacious porosity, making them an excellent substrate for the anchoring of the chromoionophoic probe,3'-{(1E,1' E)-[(4-chloro-1,2 phenylene)bis (azaneylylidene)]-bis(methaneylylidene)}bis(2-hydroxybenzoic acid) (CPAMHP). The CPAMHP probe is highly selective and sensitive to Ni(II), enabling it to be used in naked-eye colorimetric recognition of Ni(II) ions. The MSNs provide several accessible exhibited sites for uniform anchoring of CPAMHP probe molecules, making it a viable chemical sensor even with the use of naked-eye sensing. The surface characters and structural analysis of the MSNs and CPAMHP sensor samples were examined using various techniques. The CPAMHP probe-anchored MSNs exhibit a clear and vivid color shift from pale yellow to green upon exposure to various concentrations of Ni(II) ions, with a reaction time down to approximately 1 minute. Furthermore, the MSNs can serve as a base to retrieve extremely trace amounts of Ni(II) ions, making the CPAMHP sensor a dual-functional device. The calculated limit of recognition for Ni(II) ions using the fabricated CPAMHP sensor samples is 0.318 ppb (5.43 × 10-9 M). The results suggest that the proposed sensor is a promising tool for the sensitive and reliable detection of Ni(II) ions in petroleum products and for removing Ni(II) ions in electroplating wastewater; the data indicate an excellent removal of Ni (II) up to 96.8%, highlighting the high accuracy and precision of our CPAMHP sensor.

Preparation of green colorimetric pH sensor using Humulus lupulus L. (common hop) biomolecular extract for sweat monitoring.

Novel smart cotton diagnostic assay was developed toward onsite sensing of sweat pH variations for possible medical applications such as drug test and healthcare purposes. Humulus lupulus L. extract was obtained according to previously reported procedure. As reported by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), the extract demonstrated the presence of hop acids, prenylchalcones, and prenylflavanones, which is responsible for the colorimetric changes. The extract was applied to cellulose fibers employing potassium aluminum sulfate as mordant. This was observed by the formation of mordant/xanthohumol nanoparticles onto cotton surface. The absorption spectra and CIE (Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage) Lab screening of the prepared cotton assay showed colorimetric changes in association with hypsochromic shift from 600 nm to 433 nm upon exposure to sweat simulant fluid (pH < 7). The biochromic activity of the xanthohumol-finished cotton depends mainly on the halochromic performance of the xanthohumol chromophore to show a colorimetric switch from yellow to white owing to intramolecular charge transfer in the xanthohumol molecule. No substantial defects were detected in gas-permeability and stiffness of the treated fabrics. Satisfactory fastness was approved for the xanthohumol-dyed diagnostic cotton assay.

Accuracy of Using Generative Adversarial Networks for Glaucoma Detection: Systematic Review and Bibliometric Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Glaucoma leads to irreversible blindness. Globally, it is the second most common retinal disease that leads to blindness, slightly less common than cataracts. Therefore, there is a great need to avoid the silent growth of this disease using recently developed generative adversarial networks (GANs). OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to introduce a GAN technology for the diagnosis of eye disorders, particularly glaucoma. This paper illustrates deep adversarial learning as a potential diagnostic tool and the challenges involved in its implementation. This study describes and analyzes many of the pitfalls and problems that researchers will need to overcome to implement this kind of technology. METHODS: To organize this review comprehensively, articles and reviews were collected using the following keywords: ("Glaucoma," "optic disc," "blood vessels") and ("receptive field," "loss function," "GAN," "Generative Adversarial Network," "Deep learning," "CNN," "convolutional neural network" OR encoder). The records were identified from 5 highly reputed databases: IEEE Xplore, Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and PubMed. These libraries broadly cover the technical and medical literature. Publications within the last 5 years, specifically 2015-2020, were included because the target GAN technique was invented only in 2014 and the publishing date of the collected papers was not earlier than 2016. Duplicate records were removed, and irrelevant titles and abstracts were excluded. In addition, we excluded papers that used optical coherence tomography and visual field images, except for those with 2D images. A large-scale systematic analysis was performed, and then a summarized taxonomy was generated. Furthermore, the results of the collected articles were summarized and a visual representation of the results was presented on a T-shaped matrix diagram. This study was conducted between March 2020 and November 2020. RESULTS: We found 59 articles after conducting a comprehensive survey of the literature. Among the 59 articles, 30 present actual attempts to synthesize images and provide accurate segmentation/classification using single/multiple landmarks or share certain experiences. The other 29 articles discuss the recent advances in GANs, do practical experiments, and contain analytical studies of retinal disease. CONCLUSIONS: Recent deep learning techniques, namely GANs, have shown encouraging performance in retinal disease detection. Although this methodology involves an extensive computing budget and optimization process, it saturates the greedy nature of deep learning techniques by synthesizing images and solves major medical issues. This paper contributes to this research field by offering a thorough analysis of existing works, highlighting current limitations, and suggesting alternatives to support other researchers and participants in further improving and strengthening future work. Finally, new directions for this research have been identified.

Impact of wind speed and air pollution on COVID-19 transmission in Pakistan.

This study investigated the effect of wind speed and air pollution on COVID-19 from March 10, 2020, to October 04, 2020, in Pakistan. Wind speed and COVID-19 had positive correlation in Pakistan and its provinces. The inverted U-shaped dose-response curve was found for wind speed and COVID-19 in Punjab. Initially, the dose-response curve showed a positive link between wind speed and COVID-19 in Pakistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad Capital Territory. Later, it becomes downward sloped in Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad Capital Territory. The expected log count of COVID-19 was increased by 0.113 times (Pakistan), 0.074 times (Punjab), 0.042 times (Sindh), and 0.082 times (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) for a 1 km/h increase in the wind speed. The correlation between particulate matter and COVID-19 was positive (Pakistan, Punjab, and Islamabad Capital Territory) and negative (Sindh). The dose-response curve for particulate matter and COVID-19 had inverted U-shaped (Pakistan, Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) positively sloped (Islamabad Capital Territory), and negatively sloped (Sindh). The inverted U-shaped association shows that the COVID-19 initially increased due to a rise in the particulate matter but reduced when the particulate matter was above the threshold level. The particulate matter was also responsible to wear face masks and restricted mobility. The expected log count of COVID-19 cases was reduced by 0.005 times in Sindh for 1 unit increase in particulate matter. It is recommended to reduce particulate matter to control respiratory problems. The government should use media (print, electronic, social) and educational syllabus to create awareness about precautionary measures.

Serratia sp. CP-13 augments the growth of cadmium (Cd)-stressed Linum usitatissimum L. by limited Cd uptake, enhanced nutrient acquisition and antioxidative potential.

AIMS: The current study was aimed to evaluate the beneficial effects and bioremediation potential of a Cd-tolerant bacterial strain, Serratia sp. CP-13, on the physiological and biochemical functions of Linum usitatissimum L., under Cd stress. METHODS AND RESULTS: The bacterial strain was isolated from the wastewater collection point of Chakera, Faisalabad, Pakistan, as this place contains industrial wastewater of the Faisalabad region. The Serratia sp. CP-13, identified through 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, exhibited a significant phyto-beneficial potential in terms of in vitro inorganic phosphate solubilization, indole-3-acetic acid production and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase activity. Effects of Serratia sp. CP-13 inoculation on L. usitatissimum were evaluated by growing the plants in CdCl2 (0, 5 or 10 mg kg-1 dry soil)-spiked soil. Without inoculation of Serratia sp. CP-13, Cd stress significantly reduced the plant biomass as well as the quantity of proteins and photosynthetic pigments due to enhanced H2 O2 , malondialdehyde (MDA) contents and impaired nutrient homeostasis. Subsequently, Serratia sp. CP-13 increased the plant fresh and dry biomass, plant antioxidation capacity, whereas it decreased the lipid peroxidation under Cd stress. In parallel, Serratia sp. inoculation assisted the Cd-stressed plants to maintain an optimum level of nutrients (K, Ca, P, Mg, Fe and Mn). CONCLUSIONS: The isolated bacterial strain (Serratia sp. CP-13) when applied to Cd-stressed L. usitatissimum inhibited the Cd uptake, reduced Cd-induced lipid peroxidation, maintained the optimum level of nutrients and thereby, enhanced L. usitatissimum growth. The analysis of bio-concentration and translocation factor revealed that L. usitatissimum with Serratia sp. CP-13 inoculation sequestered Cd in plant rhizospheric zone. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Serratia sp. CP-13 inoculation is a potential candidate for the development of low Cd-accumulating linseed and could be used for phytostabilization of Cd-contaminated rhizosphere/soil colloids.

Evaluation of interleukins (IL-1α, IL-1Ra, IL-12, IL-17A, IL-31, and IL-33) and chemokines (CXCL10 and CXCL16) in the serum of male patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

BACKGROUND: A case-control study was performed to explore eight pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, namely interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1Ra (IL-1 receptor antagonist), IL-12, IL-17A, IL-31, IL-33, CXCL10 (C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10), and CXCL16, with the aim to understand their role in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) pathogenesis and evaluate their utility as markers to differentiate between diseased and healthy individuals. Among these cytokines, IL-31 and CXCL16 have not been well studied in AS. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 94 male patients with AS and 91 age-matched control males. Interleukin and chemokine levels were measured using ELISA kits. RESULTS: Serum levels of IL-17A, CXCL10, and CXCL16 were significantly elevated in patients compared to controls, while IL-31 levels were significantly decreased in patients. IL-17A, CXCL10, and CXCL16 were associated with an increased risk of AS, while IL-31 was associated with a decreased risk of disease (odds ratio = 1.22, 1.78, 1.14, and 0.89, respectively). As indicated by the area under the curve (AUC), IL-17A, IL-31, CXCL10, and CXCL16 were potential markers to differentiate between AS patients and controls (AUC = 0.877, 0.735, 0.8, and 0.7, respectively). IL-1α, IL-1Ra, IL-12, and IL-33 levels showed no significant variations between patients and controls. CONCLUSIONS: Among the eight cytokines examined, IL-17A, CXCL10, and CXCL16 were up-regulated in the serum of AS patients, while IL-31 was down-regulated. The levels of IL-1α, IL-1Ra, IL-12, and IL-33 showed no significant differences between patients and controls. Serum levels of all cytokines were not affected by disease duration, HLA-B27 positivity, or disease activity.

Development of photoluminescent viscose fibers integrated with polymer containing lanthanide-doped phosphor.

Smart clothing refers to textiles that can sense an external stimulus by changing their physical properties such as colorimetric and fluorescent fabrics. The pad-dry-curing coloration approach was used to apply a luminous and hydrophobic composite coating onto cellulose-based materials. This novel method includes incorporating phosphor nanoparticles made from lanthanide-doped strontium aluminum oxide (LSAO) into room temperature vulcanizing silicone rubber (RTV). The LSAO nano-sized particles (3-8 nm) must be mixed evenly throughout RTV without aggregation to allow for the formation of a colorless layer onto viscose surface. Pad-dry-curing the film onto viscose cloth worked well at room temperature. The contact angles of the luminous fibers enhanced from 138.6° to 158.2° as the LSAO ratio increased. The antimicrobial and ultraviolet (UV) protection of the LSAO-finished viscose were investigated. The transparent fluorescent film on viscose surface was excited at 367 nm to display an emission peak at 518 nm. According to CIE Lab coordinates and luminescence analyses, the fluorescent viscose fibers showed various colors, including white under visible light, intense green beneath UV device, and greenish-yellow under darkness. The comfort properties of the LSAO-finished viscose were assessed by measuring their bend length and permeability to air. Transmission electron microscopic analysis of LSAO nanoparticles was explored. Energy dispersive x-ray, x-ray fluorescence, and scanning electron microscopy were utilized to describe the spectroscopic outcomes of the treated textiles. The colorfastness of the LSAO-finished viscose fabrics was examined. The coated fabrics exhibited a non-fatigable reversible luminous photochromism in response to UV illumination. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Multifunctional LSAO@RTV nanocomposite was pad-dry-cured onto viscose textile. Photochromism to green under UV light and greenish-yellow in the dark was detected. Efficient antimicrobial, UV protective, and superhydrophobic activity were observed. The antimicrobial properties were maintained for 24 washing cycles. Pad-dry-cured viscose showed good comfortability and photostability.

Magnetic hybrid spheres of glauconite/calcium alginate interface for methylene blue adsorption: Synthesis, characterization, and novel physicochemical insights through theoretical treatment.

Fe3O4 nanoparticles were embedded within a glauconite­calcium alginate (G/CA) matrix to create magnetic hybrid spheres (MNPs-G/CA), with the aim of purifying water from methylene blue (MB) at temperatures of 25, 40, and 50 °C. MNPs-G/CA adsorbent was characterized using numerous techniques, including elemental mapping, zeta potential, FTIR, FESEM, XRD, EDX, and TEM. The greatest amount of the removed MB was achieved under definite conditions of solution pH 8.0, MNPs-G/CA mass (25 mg), interaction time (2 h), and 200 mg/L of MB concentration. The MB uptake process kinetic followed a pseudo-second-order equation (R2 > 0.99) at all tested temperatures. The equilibrium data were fitted to a statistical physics multilayer model in conjunction with the Langmuir and Freundlich equations. The steric n parameter reveals that MNPs-G/CA adsorbent possesses a mixed adsorption orientation (i.e., ranging from 0.69 to 0.93) across various temperatures. The amount of MNPs-G/CA active positions (the NM parameter) was progressively increased from 245 mg/g to 419 mg/g. The measured adsorption capacities (Qsat) ranged from 466.49 to 664.37 mg/g, and the removal of MB molecules was consistent with an endothermic interaction. The interface between the MNPs-G/CA-MB was principally dictated by electrostatic attractions, as evidenced by the values of adsorption energies (∆E), which varied from 16.75 to 21.52 kJ/mol. The regenerated MNPs-G/CA offered over 80 % of its adsorption strength after the fourth adsorption-desorption cycle. This study contributes to our understanding of the physicochemical parameters controlling the MB adsorption mechanism on multifunctional hybrid adsorbents, like the interface between glauconite, alginate, and MNPs.

Facile synthesis and characterization of a magnetic biosorbent derived from sodium alginate and activated graphite schist: Experimental and statistical physics analysis for Mn(VII) remediation.

H2O2-modified graphite schist (GS) and sodium alginate (SA) interface was loaded by Fe3O4 nanoparticles (MNPs) to prepare a magnetic biosorbent that was employed in removing Mn(VII) from solutions. The prepared GS/SA/MNPs adsorbent was investigated using a variety of techniques, including elemental mapping, TEM, XPS, FTIR, FESEM, EDX, XRD, XPS, and zeta potential. An experimental study supported by statistical physics calculations was carried out to obtain a new outline of the Mn(VII) uptake mechanism. The classical Freundlich and the statistical physical double-layer models adequately described the Mn(VII) uptake process at pH 3.0 and a temperature of 25-55 °C. The removed number of Mn ions (such as Mn+7 and Mn+2) per GS/SA/MNPs active site ranged from 0.70 to 0.84, indicating a mixed adsorption orientation driven by surface complexation and attraction forces mechanisms. The adsorption energies (∆E) calculated by the double-layer model ranged from 18.79 to 24.94 kJ/mol, suggesting that the interaction between Mn(VII) and GS/SA/MNPs was controlled by physical forces. Increasing the adsorption capacity at saturation (Qsat) from 333.14 to 369.52 mg/g with temperature proposed an endothermic capture process. Thermodynamic functions clarified the viability and spontaneity of Mn(VII) uptake on the GS/SA/MNPs adsorbent.

A novel chitosan-alginate@Fe/Mn mixed oxide nanocomposite for highly efficient removal of Cr (VI) from wastewater: Experiment and adsorption mechanism.

In this study, the synthesis and experimental theoretical evaluation of a new chitosan/alginate/hydrozyapatite nanocomposite doped with Mn2 and Fe2O3 for Cr removal was reported. The physicochemical properties of the obtained materials were analyzed using the following methods: SEM-EDX, XRD, FTIR, XPS, pH drift measurements, and thermal analysis. The adsorption properties were estimated based on equilibrium and adsorption kinetics measurements. The Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin isotherms were applied to analyze the equilibrium data. The thermodynamic analysis of adsorption isotherms was performed. A number of equations and kinetic models were used to describe the adsorption rate data, including pseudo-first (PFOE) and pseudo-second (PSOE) order kinetic equations. The obtained test results show that the synthesized biomaterial, compared to pure chitosan, is characterized by greater resistance to high temperatures. Moreover, this biomaterial had excellent adsorption properties. For the adsorption of Cr (VI), the equilibrium state was reached after 120 min, and the sorption capacity was 455.9 mg/g. In addition, DFT calculations and NCI analyses were performed to get more light on the adsorption mechanism of Cr (VI) on the prepared biocomposite.

Inflammation reduction potential of nanostructured lipid carriers encapsulated with rat's bone marrow cells' lysate.

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSCs) have been used for treating inflammatory disorders. Due to the large size of BMSCs compared to nanoparticles, BMSCs cannot be loaded into the nanoparticles. It is hypothesized that BMSCs lysate loading into the nanocarriers will effectively deliver cellular contents and regulatory elements of BMSCs at the injury site. This study aimed to investigate nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) loading with BMSCs lysate through basic characterization and morphological analysis. Moreover, this study was mainly designed to investigate the role of NLC loaded BMSCs lysate in reducing inflammation via in-vitro and in-vivoassays. The in-vitro study involves cell viability assays, p53, annexin V and VEGF expression through ELISA and immunocytochemistry, real-time BAX, caspase-3, IL-6, IL-8, TOP2A, PCNA, and Ki-67 gene expression analysis. Additionally, to evaluate in-vivo anti-inflammatory activity, the carrageenan-induced rat paw oedema model was used. In-vitro results showed that NLC loaded BMSCs lysate increased cell viability, decreased apoptosis and pro-inflammatory genes expression and up-regulated angiogenesis and proliferation in H2O2 pre-stimulated cells. Findings of the in-vivo assay also indicated a reduction in rat's paw oedema volume in NLC-loaded BMSCs lysate, and downregulation of BAX, Caspase-3, IL-6, and IL-8 was observed. Enhanced expressions of TOP2A, PCNA, and Ki-67 were obtained. Concluding the results of this study, NLC-loaded BMSCs lysate could reduce inflammation and possibly regenerate damaged tissue mainly via increasing cell viability, angiogenesis and proliferation, and reducing apoptosis and pro-inflammatory cytokines.

The Healing Effect of Biodegradable Scaffolds Treated with Bone-Marrow Obtained Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Major Tendon Damage in the Dog as a Model.

The present study aimed to evaluate the implantation of decellularized small intestinal submucosa- extracellular matrix )SIS-ECM( seeded with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) to repair full-thickness Achilles tendon defect. For this purpose, 20 healthy adult stray dogs aged 8-12 months old (15±3 kg of weight) were enrolled in this study under an aseptic environment and general anesthesia. A 1.5 cm-long segment-based resection was performed in the mid-substance of the Achilles tendon in the control group (n=10) that did not receive treatment. While, in the experimental group (n=10), regarding the defect of the tendon, the stumps were bridged with decellularized SIS seeded with BM-MSCs (5×106) cells implanted. Afterward, the stumps of the tendon were sutured using the modified Kessler technique (4-0) polypropylene thread. The biomechanical observations of the tendon defect showed an increase in the tensile strength in the experimental group, compared to the control animals. It should be mentioned that this difference was significant (P≤0.05). Histopathological observations of biopsies harvested after the 4th, 8th, and 12th weeks revealed that the implanted graft had seeded with MSCs enhanced high-quality cellular infiltration and the host tissue healing was improved. Similar to the normal tendon, a dense organized collagenous tissue with high cellularity and vascularity was observed due to the presence of the remodeled ECM. However, the arrangement of collagen-fiber-derived connective tissue appeared to be more dominant than that in the experimental group, with less adhesion in the 12th week post-treatment. These findings suggest that the BM-MSCs inoculated with SIS can be employed to repair a damaged Achilles tendon due to the fact that this combination enhances the regeneration of the affected tendon.

Assessment of Antimicrobial Stewardship through objective structured clinical examination in pharmacy education.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the implementation and assess whether an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) is a viable assessment tool for testing Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) principles. METHODS: A three-station OSCE set in a hospital and community pharmacy was designed and mapped to the World Health Organisation's AMS intervention practical guide. This OSCE comprised 39 unique cases and was implemented across two campuses (Malaysia and Australia) at one institute. Stations were 8 min long and consisted of problem-solving and applying AMS principles to drug therapy management (Station 1), counselling on key antimicrobials (Station 2) or managing infectious diseases in primary care (Station 3). Primary outcome measure to assess viability was the proportion of students who were able to pass each case. KEY FINDINGS: Other than three cases with pass rates of 50, 52.8 and 66. 7%, all cases had pass rates of 75% or more. Students were most confident with referral to medical practitioner cases and switching from intravenous to oral or empirical to directed therapy. CONCLUSIONS: An AMS-based OSCE is a viable assessment tool in pharmacy education. Further research should explore whether similar assessments can help improve students' confidence at recognising opportunities for AMS intervention in the workplace.

Effective removal of Cr(VI) and methyl orange by nano magnetite loaded starch/muscovite biocomposite: Characterization, experiments, advanced modeling, and physicochemical parameters interpretation.

Magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) synthesized from heated basalt were used to support a biocomposite prepared from muscovite (Mus) and carbohydrate polymer starch (St). The developed Mus/St/MNPs composite was characterized by XRD, FTIR, FESEM, TGA, DSC, and Zeta potential techniques. This multifunctional composite showed outstanding adsorption properties for hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) and methyl orange (MO) removal at 25-55 °C and pH 3.0. The adsorption isotherms were fitted to Langmuir model for Cr(VI) and Freundlich equation for MO. To understand microscopically these systems and to analyze their adsorption geometry and interactions mechanism, three statistical physics models were utilized. Theoretical calculations indicated that Cr(VI) ions were adsorbed on composite surface presenting a combination of horizontal and vertical positions, while the aggregated MO molecules displayed a non-parallel adsorption orientation and multi-interactions mechanism. The saturation adsorption capacity increased from 243.37 to 371.59 mg/g for Cr(VI) and 409.29 to 457.62 mg/g for MO at 25 and 55 °C (i.e., endothermic interactions). Cr(VI) and MO adsorption on Mus/St/MNPs was controlled by van der Waals forces, hydrogen bonding, and electrostatic interactions where the calculated adsorption energies were 12.5-30.62 kJ/mol. The utilized adsorbent was easily reactivated and reused several times where regenerated Mus/St/MNPs composite showed nearly 79 % of Cr(VI) and 85 % of MO adsorption capacities even after the fourth adsorption-desorption cycle. This study contributes to understand the physicochemical factors of Cr(VI) and MO adsorption on multifunctional adsorbents like MNPs/carbohydrate polymers/aluminosilicates interface.

Pore-scale modeling of two-phase flow: A comparison of the generalized network model to direct numerical simulation.

Despite recent advances in pore-scale modeling of two-phase flow through porous media, the relative strengths and limitations of various modeling approaches have been largely unexplored. In this work, two-phase flow simulations from the generalized network model (GNM) [Phys. Rev. E 96, 013312 (2017)2470-004510.1103/PhysRevE.96.013312; Phys. Rev. E 97, 023308 (2018)2470-004510.1103/PhysRevE.97.023308] are compared with a recently developed lattice-Boltzmann model (LBM) [Adv. Water Resour. 116, 56 (2018)0309-170810.1016/j.advwatres.2018.03.014; J. Colloid Interface Sci. 576, 486 (2020)0021-979710.1016/j.jcis.2020.03.074] for drainage and waterflooding in two samples-a synthetic beadpack and a micro-CT imaged Bentheimer sandstone-under water-wet, mixed-wet, and oil-wet conditions. Macroscopic capillary pressure analysis reveals good agreement between the two models, and with experiments, at intermediate saturations but shows large discrepancy at the end-points. At a resolution of 10 grid blocks per average throat, the LBM is unable to capture the effect of layer flow which manifests as abnormally large initial water and residual oil saturations. Critically, pore-by-pore analysis shows that the absence of layer flow limits displacement to invasion-percolation in mixed-wet systems. The GNM is able to capture the effect of layers, and exhibits predictions closer to experimental observations in water and mixed-wet Bentheimer sandstones. Overall, a workflow for the comparison of pore-network models with direct numerical simulation of multiphase flow is presented. The GNM is shown to be an attractive option for cost and time-effective predictions of two-phase flow, and the importance of small-scale flow features in the accurate representation of pore-scale physics is highlighted.

Exploring the eHealth literacy and mobile health application utilisation amongst Malaysian pharmacy students.

INTRODUCTION: Pharmacy students should be eHealth literate by being skilful in searching, evaluating and applying online health information. Mobile health applications should be utilised when making clinical decisions to achieve optimal patient care with the ever-changing pharmacy practice. This study aims to explore the eHealth literacy and mobile health application utilisation amongst pharmacy undergraduates. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from March to April 2021. An online survey, consisting of socio-demographic characteristics, Internet use, eHealth Literacy Scale and mobile health application utilisation, was distributed amongst pharmacy undergraduates in public and private universities in Malaysia. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance test, Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis test. RESULTS: A total of 415 participants completed the survey (response rate = 82.5%). The median eHealth Literacy Scale score (out of 40) was 31.0 ± 3.0 (interquartile range). More than one-third of participants (34.7%) were found to have low eHealth literacy. Many lacked confidence in making health decisions from online information (42.4%) and skills in distinguishing between high-quality and low-quality health resources (35.2%). Only 70.4% of the participants had mobile health applications installed on their smartphones and/or tablets. Some students felt that they were neither knowledgeable nor skilful enough to utilise mobile health applications (24.8%), whereas 23.9% were unaware of the mobile health applications available. CONCLUSION: In summary, the eHealth literacy of Malaysian pharmacy students can be further enhanced by incorporating eHealth literacy-focused programmes into the curriculum. Moreover, pharmacy students' mobile health application utilisation can be improved through increased awareness and support from universities.

Superficial and Inkjet Scalable Printed Sensors Integrated with Iron Oxide and Reduced Graphene Oxide for Sensitive Voltammetric Determination of Lurasidone.

The present work demonstrated the fabrication and the electrochemical characterization of novel printed electrochemical sensors integrated with an innovative nanosensing platform based on the synergic electrocatalytic effect of iron oxide nanoparticles (FeONPs) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) for precise voltammetric determination of the antipsychotic drug lurasidone hydrochloride (LUH). The features of the electrode surface fabricated using the ordinary inkjet printer were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Among different ink formulations, integration of the printing ink with the ratio 15 mg FeONPs and 20 mg rGO was found to be the most appropriate for sensitive quantification of LUH in biological fluids and pharmaceutical formulations in the presence of LUH degradation products. Under the optimized experimental and electroanalytical parameters, the recorded square-wave voltammograms were correlated to LUH within the linear concentration ranging from 50 to 2150 ng mL-1 with detection limit and limit of quantification values of 15.64 and 47.39 ng mL-1, respectively. Based on the cyclic voltammograms recorded for LUH at different scan rates, the electrode reaction was assumed to be a diffusion reaction mechanism accompanied by the transfer of two electrons/protons through the oxidation of the five-membered ring nitrogen atom as assumed by the molecular orbital calculations carried out on the LUH molecule. The C max of LUH and the efficiency of the fabricated sensors enabled their clinical application for monitoring LUH in human biological fluids and pharmaceutical formulations in the presence of degradants for diverse quality control applications and green chemistry analysis.

Novel Iron Oxide Nanoparticle-Fortified Carbon Paste Electrode for the Sensitive Voltammetric Determination of Atomoxetine.

Herein, the fabrication and full characterization of a novel atomoxetine (ATX) voltammetric carbon paste electrode (CPE) fortified with iron oxide nanoparticles (FeONPs) is demonstrated. Modification of the carbon paste matrix with the metallic oxide nanostructure provides proper electrocatalytic activity against the oxidation of ATX molecules at the carbon paste surface, resulting in a noticeable improvement in the performance of the sensor. At the recommended pH value, ATX recorded an irreversible anodic peak at 1.17 V, following a diffusion-controlled reaction mechanism. Differential pulse voltammograms exhibited peak heights linearly correlated to the ATX content within a wide concentration range from 45 to 8680 ng mL-1, with the limit of detection reaching 11.55 ng mL-1. The electrooxidation mechanism of the ATX molecule was proposed to be the oxidation of the terminal amino group accompanied by the transfer of two electrons and two protons. The fabricated FeONPs/CPE sensors exhibited enhanced selectivity and sensitivity and therefore can be introduced for voltammetric assaying of atomoxetine-indifferent pharmaceutical and biological samples in the presence of its degradation products and metabolites.