Fabrication of a Low Cost Superhydrophobic Substrate for Surface Enhanced Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy and Its Utility through Identification of Electrolyte Variation for Oral Cancer Detection.

Ultratrace elemental detections from a limited volume of samples can offer significant benefits in biomedical fields. However, it can be challenging to concentrate the particles being analyzed in a small area to improve the accuracy of detection. Ring-like deposits on the edges of colloidal droplets are a vexing problem in many applications. Herein, we report ultratrace elemental detection using a superhydrophobic surface-enhanced laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (SELIBS) substrate fabricated by laser ablation followed by a soft lithography technique. In this work, the SELIBS spectra on a superhydrophobic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate replicated from a laser-patterned master Teflon substrate are investigated. This work highlights the application of this newly created superhydrophobic substrate for detecting trace elements in body fluids using SELIBS. The developed PDMS substrate was successfully adopted to investigate the electrolyte variation in serum samples of oral cancer patients and normal volunteers. Principal component analysis (PCA) and match-no-match analysis were used to distinguish the elemental variation in cancer and control groups.

Efficient internalization of nano architectured 177Lu-hyaluronic acid@ zirconium-based metal-organic framework for the treatment of neuroblastoma: Unravelling toxicity, stability, radiolabelling and bio-distribution.

Zirconium-based metal-organic frameworks (UiO-66) have gained considerable attention owing to their versatile application. In the present research, UiO-66 was synthesized via a defect engineering approach, and its toxicity profile was explored. The synthesized nanomaterial was extensively characterized via spectroscopic methods such as FTIR and Raman spectroscopy, which confirmed the formation of the framework. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to determine the crystallinity, shape and size of the nanoformulations. Thermal gravimetric analysis, 1H NMR spectroscopy and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis were used to identify the differences between pristine and defective UiO-66. Furthermore, the synthesized MOF was exposed to various pH conditions, serum protein and DMEM. Drug loading and release studies were evaluated using 5-fluorouracil as a model anticancer drug. The synthesized MOFs were modified with hyaluronic acid via mussel-inspired polymerization to increase their uptake and stability. More importantly, the toxicity of the nanoformulation was investigated via various toxicity studies, such as hemolysis assays and cell viability assays, and was further supported by in vivo acute and subacute toxicity data obtained from Wistar rats. Radiolabelling and bio-distribution studies were also performed using 177Lu to explore the bio-distribution profile of UiO-66.

Effect of Dentine Conditioning with Silver Diamine Fluoride on Wettability of Root Canal Sealers.

OBJECTIVE: To test the null hypothesis that dentine treatment with silver diamine fluoride (SDF), a potent antimicrobial agent, following use of proteolytic and chelating agents does not influence the wettability of an epoxy resin (AH Plus, Dentsply Sirona, Charlotte, NC, USA) and a tricalcium silicate sealer (BioRoot RCS, Septodont, Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, France). METHODS: Seventy-two intraradicular dentine specimens were divided into six groups based on the final irrigation solutions used: 2.5% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) (NaOCl-EDTA) (group 1); NaOCl-EDTA-NaOCl (group 2); NaOCl-EDTA followed by 3.8% SDF, NaOCl-EDTA-SDF (group 3); NaOCl-EDTA-NaOCl-SDF (group 4); SDF (group 5) and saline (group 6). After irrigation, the specimens were divided into subgroups according to the sealer used, AH Plus or BioRoot RCS. Contact angles were measured using a contact angle analyser. The data were analysed using an independent t test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tamhane T2 post hoc test, with the level of significance set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: In the epoxy resin sealer group, dentine surfaces treated with only SDF showed the lowest contact angle. This was significantly less than the groups in which NaOCl was used as the final irrigant (P < 0.05). In the tricalcium silicate-based sealer group, the groups treated with SDF showed significantly greater contact angles when compared to the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: It was concluded that SDF conditioning of dentine favours the wettability of epoxy resin sealer but is detrimental to the wettability of tricalcium silicate sealer.

ZIF-8 nano confined protein-titanocene complex core-shell MOFs for efficient therapy of Neuroblastoma: Optimization, molecular dynamics and toxicity studies.

In the present study, we have developed the core-shell metal organic framework (MOF) of zinc, wherein titanocene dichloride (TC) loaded lactoferrin (Lf) functioned as a core. The complexation of TC to Lf was studies using molecular dynamics study, Quantum mechanical model and spectroscopic investigations. Plackett-Burman design was used to screen and select the critical factors affecting the responses (size, zeta potential and PDI) while the effect of those parameter on the quality attributes (size and yield) was studied by means of a Box-Behnken design. The optimised Lf-TC nanoparticles were loaded inside the ZIF-8 framework along with an anticancer agent 5 Fluorouracil and characterized using techniques like FTIR, PXRD, Raman spectroscopy, EDX and UV-NIR spectroscopy and morphological techniques like SEM, TEM, AFM. The compatibility of the loaded ZIF-8 framework was examined by haemocompatibility studies. The potential of developed nanoplatform against Neuroblastoma was assessed using a cell line studies along with in vivo toxicity studies to ascertain its safety for after in-vivo administration in Wistar rats. Therefore, we can conclude that by employing the approach of DOE we were able to optimize the size and yield of Lf-TC NPs and further by loading inside ZIF-8 framework along with an anticancer drug like 5 fluorouracil we were able to develop a potential nanoplatform for the multimodal therapy of Neuroblastoma.