Investigation on anti-quorum sensing activities of chitosan AgNP's-chitosanase against MDR pathogens.

Marine bio-nanotechnology is a new promising field having high perspective in the area of biological research. In 2018 the production of crustacean shells especially from shrimp is about 54,500 tons on South East coast of India. The current study focuses on the use of extracted chitosan (Squilla shells) polymer in silver nanoparticle synthesis along with immobilized chitosanase synergistically improves the antimicrobial and quorum quenching effects against the multi drug resistant (MDR) pathogens. The main objective of the study is to synthesize the chitosan AgNPs and to immobilize the enzyme chitosanase with it and to study the anti quorum sensing (quorum quenching) activity against MDR pathogens. This study will render a new ideology to eliminate biofilm formation and suppress the pathogenicity of planktonic MDR pathogens. Since the combinations of chitosanase, as well as chitosan AgNPs, are very efficient in eliminating them.

Scalable approach to fabricate paper-based biomass reduced graphene sensor for the detection of exhaled diabetic breath.

Herein, we demonstrate a microwave-assisted chemical reduction technique to exfoliate a few layers of graphene from the natural waste material, 'coconut shell'. The microwave irradiation coconut shell is subjected to structural, morphological and functional groups characterization methods including SEM, Raman, FTIR and XPS spectroscopic analyses. The formation of biomass reduced graphene (BRG) has been confirmed through Raman and FTIR spectroscopic analyzes with the presence of D, G and 2D and other functional spectral bands, respectively. The surface topography of the BRG exhibits two-dimensional mat structures with wrinkle topography, imaged by electron microscopic techniques. The metallic behaviour of the BRG is evaluated by band structure calculation using density functional theory. The synthesized nanostructure has been evaluated for exhaled diabetic breath sensing application by fabricating sensor device on the paper-based substrate by roll-to-roll coating technique. The BRG sensor exhibited enhanced sensing response at a very lower concentration of diabetic biomarker with long term stability and rapid response/recovery time of 1.11 s/41.25 s, respectively. Based on our findings, the microwave-assisted BRG is a potential candidate for fabricating highly scalable, inherently safe, economically viable and excellent sensing performance to detect exhaled diabetic breath at room temperature.

Effect of Titania Concentration in Bioglass/TiO2 Nanostructures and Its In Vitro Biological Property Assessment.

Bioglass 45S5 (45% SiO2-24.5% NaO-24.5% CaO-6% P2O5) is a unique bioactive material, which is being used for bone and dental substitution. This system has been highly preferred for its osteoconductive and osteoinductive performance. Despite its attractive bioactivity, there are limitations in using this material for orthopedic and dental applications due to its poor processability and mechanical strength. To improve the load-sharing and stress distribution, TiO2 nanoparticles have been introduced into the nanoBioglass (nBG) by sol-gel method. The structural analyses of the samples were confirmed using X-ray diffraction, Raman-spectroscopy and FTIR. The morphologies of the samples were characterized by FESEM. The apatite formation of the nBG/TiO2 composites was investigated by immersing the samples in simulated body Fluid (SBF) solution for 1 and 3 days, which reveals the acceptable compatibility for different concentrations of all the composition. Hemolysis studies of the nanobiomaterials were carried out to understand the interactions of biomaterials with blood which shows 0.2%-2% of lysis which is acceptable as per ASTM standard. Cell culture and cell proliferation studies of bioglass, nBG/TiO2 nanocomposite on MG-63 pre-osteoblast cell line for 24 h, 48 h and 72 h showed 80% to 95% of cell viability. Also, it was found that the nBG/TiO2 bio-nanocomposites containing low content of titania had good bioactivity properties that is comparable to cortical bone. Hence, nBG/TiO2 bio-nanocomposites are greatly promising for medical applications such as bone substitutes especially in load-bearing sites.

Betel chewing among bus drivers in Jaffna district

Objective: To assess the prevalence, pattern and sociocultural factors associated with betel chewing among bus drivers in Jaffna district. Methodology: Cross-sectional study was conducted among 423 registered drivers using an interviewer administered questionnaire from March to April 2014. Results: All were males. Mean age of the respondents was 41.42 years (SD= ±10.3; range 20-65). The overall prevalence of betel chewing was 70.4%. Of the total 9.4% had chewed betel in the past. Of the current users 61% had chewed betel for more than 5 years. Betel was chewed daily by 89.2%. (of them 60.8% used ≤3 times). Almost all current chewers used areca nut. Fifty five percent of the drivers said they used betel to improve concentration while driving. Seventy five percent of those who used betel in the past said that staining of teeth was the reason for stopping the habit. Private bus drivers were more likely to chew betel while driving than SLTB drivers (p=0.002). Conclusion: The prevalence of betel chewing among bus drivers in Jaffna District was high. Majority had chewed betel for more than five years. Areca nut was a main ingredient of betel quid.

Phase separation induced shell thickness variations in electrospun hollow Bioglass 45S5 fiber mats for drug delivery applications.

In the present study, sub-micron sized hollow Bioglass 45S5 nanofibers are synthesised using an electrospinning technique with the assistance of polyvinyl pyrrolidone. The electrospinning process parameters are optimized to obtain reproducible nanofibers. The effects of solvent and polymer concentrations on the morphology and formation of fibers are studied. Ethanol and water are used to vary the concentration and it is observed that an increase in dilution by water decreases the shell thickness of the hollow fibers. The mechanism of the formation of the hollow fibers is attributed to phase separation, which occurs during physical cooling of the fibers. Fibers prepared from a solution diluted with an equal ratio of ethanol and water show a higher performance in drug loading and releasing kinetics due to their narrow and linear size distribution. These fibers are also highly suitable for bone tissue engineering applications due to their linear fibrous 3D structural mat architecture and they are suitable for large size scaling.

Analysis of solvent induced porous PMMA-Bioglass monoliths by the phase separation method--mechanical and in vitro biocompatible studies.

Mimicking three dimensional microstructural scaffolds with their requisite mechanical properties in relation to human bone is highly needed for implant applications. Various biocompatible polymers and bioactive glasses were synthesized to achieve these properties. In the present study, we have fabricated highly porous and bioactive PMMA-Bioglass scaffolds by the phase separation method. Chloroform, acetone and an ethanol-water mixture were used as the different solvent phases in preparing the scaffolds. Large interconnecting pores of sizes ∼100 to 250 µm were observed in the scaffolds and a porosity percentage up to 54% was also achieved by this method. All samples showed a brittle fracture with the highest modulus of 91 MPa for the ethanol-water prepared scaffolds. The bioactivities of the scaffolds were further studied by immersing them in simulated body fluid for 28 days. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Raman spectra confirmed the formation of bioactive hydroxyl calcium apatite on the surfaces of the scaffolds.

Versatility of electrospinning in the fabrication of fibrous mat and mesh nanostructures of bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3) and their magnetic and photocatalytic activities.

This study demonstrates the fabrication of electrospun bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3/BFO) fiber mat and fibrous mesh nanostructures consisting of aligned and random fibers respectively. The formation of these one dimensional (1D) nanostructures was mediated by the drum and plate collectors in the electrospinning process that yielded aligned and random nanofibers of BFO respectively. The single phase and rhombohedral crystal structure of the fabricated 1D BFO nanostructures are confirmed through X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies indicated that the fabricated fibers are stoichiometric BFO with native oxidation states +3. The surface texture and morphology are analyzed using the field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) techniques. The average size of fibers in mat and mesh nanostructures is found to be 200 nm and 150 nm respectively. The band gap energy of BFO mat and mesh deduced from their UV diffuse reflectance spectra (UV-DRS) was found to be 2.44 eV and 2.39 eV, respectively, which evidenced the improved visible light receptivity of BFO mesh compared to that of the mat. Magnetization studies using a super conducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer revealed the weak ferromagnetic properties of BFO mesh and mat nanostructures that could emerge due to the dimension induced suppression of cycloidal spin structures. The photocatalytic degradation properties of the fibrous mesh are found to be enhanced compared to that of the mat. This could be attributed to the reduced band gap energy and an improved semiconductor band-bending phenomenon in the mesh that favoured the transportation of excited charge carriers to the photocatalyst-dye interfaces and the production of more number of reactive species that lead to the effective degradation of the dye molecules.

Structural, Morphological and Antibacterial Investigation of Ag-Impregnated Sol-Gel-Derived 45S5 NanoBioglass Systems.

An increasing percentage of ageing population requires 30-year survivability of orthopedic devices that is not possible with the current bioinert materials, having a maximum of 15-year survivability. To satisfy this growing need, a shift is needed from replacement of tissues to regeneration of tissues. This is highly possible through the use of silica-bioactive glasses. However, a failure of implant can occur due to infections even by using such materials. Advances in using silver for antibacterial applications have been commercialized. However, higher concentrations of silver also lead to toxic effects. In this study, nanoBioglass 45S5 (NBG) and Ag-NBG were synthesized by using sol-gel method followed by solution-phase method, respectively. The bioactive crystals such as Na2Ca2Si3O9, CaCO3, and AgPO3, very much needed in the field of bone tissue engineering and in antibacterial strategies, were obtained in the NBG Matrix. The morphological investigation of NBG with 1 mM Ag+ concentrations shows the nanospikes arrangement of size 30-40 nm with spherical porous structure of size 10-20 nm, which supports the formation of collagen molecular fibrils on the surface of NBG matrices and enhances osseointegration. Both gram-positive and gram-negative strains show higher antibacterial activity for nanoBioglass with 1 mM Ag+ concentration.

Prevalence and risk factors of diabetes mellitus among adults in Jaffna District.

A cross sectional descriptive study was carried out to determine the prevalence and risk factors of diabetes mellitus among adults in Jaffna District. Multistage stratified cluster sampling technique was employed to select 544 participants. An interviewer administrated questionnaire was used. Anthropometric and blood pressure (BP) measurements were recorded and biochemical parameters were analysed. Response rate was 95.3%. Of them, 224 (43.8%) were male. The prevalence of diabetes mellitus was 16.4% (95% CI: 13.3- 19.9); in males 19.6% (95% CI: 14.6-25.4) and in females 13.9% (95% CI: 10.1-18.5). Of the diabetics, 27.4% were previously undiagnosed. In the final multivariable model, participants with family history of diabetes were 3.5 times (p<0.001) more likely and those with high waist hip ratio were 2 times (p=0.009) more likely to develop diabetes mellitus.

Multi-functional bandage - bioactive glass/metal oxides/alginate composites based regenerative membrane facilitating re-epithelialization in diabetic wounds with sustained drug delivery and anti-bactericidal efficacy.

Chronic wounds, especially diabetic, foot and pressure ulcers are a major health problem affecting >10 % of the world's populace. Calcium phosphate materials, particularly, bioactive glasses (BG), used as a potential material for hard and soft tissue repair. This study combines nanostructured 45S5 BG with titania (TiO2) and alumina (Al2O3) into a composite via simple sol-gel method. Prepared composites with alginate (Alg) formed a bioactive nanocomposite hydrogel membrane via freezing method. X-ray diffraction revealed formation of two phases such as Na1.8Ca1.1Si6O14 and ß-Na2Ca4(PO4)2SiO4 in the silica network. Fourier transformed InfraRed spectroscopy confirmed the network formation and cross-linking between composite and alginate. <2 % hemolysis, optimal in vitro degradation and porosity was systematically evaluated up to 7 days, resulting in increasing membrane bioactivity. Significant cytocompatibility, cell migration and proliferation and a 3-4-fold increase in Collagen (Col) and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) expression were obtained. Sustained delivery of 80 % Dox in 24 h and effective growth reduction of S. aureus and destruction of biofilm development against E. coli and S. aureus within 24 h. Anatomical fin regeneration, rapid re-epithelialization and wound closure were achieved within 14 days in both zebrafish and in streptozotocin (STZ) induced rat in vivo animal models with optimal blood glucose levels. Hence, the fabricated bioactive membrane can act as effective wound dressing material, for diabetic chronic infectious wounds.

Devitrite (Na2Ca3Si6O16) phase dominated nanostructured 45S5 bioactive glass: exploring its structural and biological properties.

This research study is primarily centred around calcination temperature and time influence on phase formation in bioactive glasses (BGs). In the present study, BG with a nominal composition of 45S5 was synthesized through the sol-gel process. The developed BGs then underwent heat treatment for various sintering durations and temperatures. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of the BGs reveals that the sintering process led to the crystallization of both devitrite (Na2Ca3Si6O16) and combeite (Na2Ca2Si3O9) phases. The field emission scanning electron microscopy study divulges morphological alterations, from sheet-like to rod-like structures to eventually transforming into spherical and sheet-like structures. The surface area and Type-IV mesoporous porosity were validated through Brunauer Emmett Teller analysis, highlighting a notable increase in pore volume and mechanical strength at a lower sintering temperature.In vitroapatite formation was carried out in Hank's balance salt in order to evaluate the bioactivity of the glass. After 7 d of immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF), XRD patterns and scanning electron microscopy micrographs results showed that formation of hydroxyapatite layer on the surface of the BGs. The BG compatibility with erythrocytes (red blood cells) was also studied, and the results revealed that there was only a low 2% lysis, showing good hemocompatibility. The drug loading and release behaviour of the BGs was studied in thein vitroanalysis. The findings showed a high drug encapsulation effectiveness of up to 90% and continuous drug release from the BGs for 24 h. The materials biocompatibility was unambiguously confirmed by cytocompatibility and proliferation studies. This study provides compelling evidence for the exceptional efficacy and promise of the distinct 45S5 BGs in advancing the field of regenerative medicine.

Chitosan bioactive glass scaffolds for in vivo subcutaneous implantation, toxicity assessment, and diabetic wound healing upon animal model.

This study aims to develop chitosan-bioactive glass (BG) scaffolds for diabetic wound healing, toxicity valuation, and subcutaneous implantation in animals for biocompatibility assessment. The scaffolds were prepared by lyophilization technique. In specific BG without sodium (Na), composited with chitosan for better biological activities. The equipped scaffolds were studied for their physiochemical, biological, in vitro and in vivo performances. The chitosan and chitosan-BG (Na free) scaffolds show reliable biocompatibility, cytocompatibility, anti-oxidant, and tissue regeneration. The biocompatibility, toxicity assessments, and diabetic skin wound healing experiments were examined through in vivo studies using Sprague Dawley rats. The extracted tissue samples were analyzed using hematoxylin-eosin- (H and E) and Masson's trichrome staining. Further, tissue excised after scaffold implantation declared non-toxic, non-allergic, and anti-inflammatory nature of chitosan scaffolds. Moreover, the total ribonucleic acid (RNA) expression levels were measured using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for the scaffolds against vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and collagen type one (Col-1) primers. Admirably, the scaffolds achieved the best level of skin wound healing via tissue regeneration by increasing epithetical cell formation and collagen deposition. Thus, the biocompatibility, non-toxicity, anti-inflammatory, and wound healing efficiency proved that the chitosan-BG (Na free) scaffold can be readily substantial for wound healing.

Covalent organic frameworks: Pioneering remediation solutions for organic pollutants.

Covalent Organic Frameworks (COFs) have emerged as a promising class of crystalline porous materials with customizable structures, high surface areas, and tunable functionalities. Their unique properties make them attractive candidates for addressing environmental contamination caused by pharmaceuticals, pesticides, industrial chemicals, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and endocrine disruptors (EDCs). This review article provides a comprehensive overview of recent advancements and applications of COFs in removing and remedying various environmental contaminants. We delve into the synthesis, properties, and performance of COFs and their potential limitations and future prospects.

Synthesis of silver and silver/gold anisotropic nanostructures for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy applications.

We are reporting the one pot chemical reduction synthesis of isotropic spherical silver nanoparticles of size around 4-8 nm and some anisotropic nanostructures of silver and silver-gold systems such as silver nanoprisms of size around 60-80 nm, silver/gold prismatic core/shell nanostructures of size around 30-50 nm and alloy like silver-gold prismatic nanoframes of size around 40-60 nm and investigated their plasmonic properties for the surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) applications. Morphology and shape dependent plasmonic properties of these nanostructures were characterized by using high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and UV-Visible spectroscopy techniques respectively. The surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) properties of all the fabricated nanostructures were investigated on Methylene Blue (MB) molecule. A gradual improvement in the SERS effect was observed with respect to the change of morphology from spherical to nanoframes and the order of SERS effect was found to be nanoframes > core/shell prismatic nanostructures > nanoprisms > spherical nanoparticles. Our investigation revealed that the phenomenon of the improved SERS effect of anisotropic silver and silver-gold nanostructures is primarily attributed to their prismatic geometrical configurations.

Facile synthesis of ZnO/TiO2 core-shell nanostructures and their photocatalytic activities.

We reveal a new strategy for synthesizing ZnO/TiO2 core-shell nanostructures with different TiO2 shell thickness by wet chemical method. This is a facile and rapid process, requires inexpensive precursors with excellent fidelity. The thickness of a typical core-shell nanostructure ranges from 20-50 nm in size with TiO2 shell thickness of 3-6 nm which were confirmed by Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). X-ray diffraction peaks intensity of TiO2 gradually increased while we increase precursor ratio which confirmed the increase of shell thickness. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results indicated that zinc ions did not enter TiO, lattice and more likely to bonded with oxygen atoms to form TiO2 coupled on the surface of ZnO. However, the PL intensity gradually increased with the increase of the TiO2 shell thickness, indicating charge transfer between the two materials of the ZnO/TiO2 core-shell nanostructures. Further investigation, revealed that the core-shell nanostructures possessed significantly higher solar light photocatalytic activity which was twice than that of original 1-D ZnO nanostructures. The mechanism of the optimal TiO2 shell thickness to reach the maximum photocatalytic activity in the ZnO/TiO2 core-shell nanostructures are proposed and discussed. It is believed that this facile, rapid wet chemical process is scalable and can be applied to synthesize other (oxide/oxide) core-shell nanostructures for various applications.

Bioceramic and polycationic biopolymer nanocomposite scaffolds for improved wound self-healing and anti-inflammatory properties: an in vitro study.

The development of wound healing scaffolds with high porosity, rapid healing properties, and anti-inflammatory functionality is vital in the chronic wound healing stage for the production of extracellular matrices of injured tissues. The 45S5 bioactive glass (BG) possesses good biocompatibility and provides a potential bonding resource for fibroblast cell proliferation, growth factor synthesis, and granulated tissue formation. Chitosan, a natural polymer, promotes tissue regeneration and has anti-microbial properties. BG and chitosan scaffolds were prepared by the freeze-drying (lyophilization) method. The chitosan scaffold is a semi-crystalline polymer with a random crystal structure because it contains more hydroxyl groups. Chitosan alone shows a sheet-like morphology with a porous microstructure (1.7475 nm). BG particulates were well decorated over the surface of the chitosan scaffold with a homogeneous dispersion. Cell viability was observed for L929 cells on the chitosan-BG scaffolds. Confocal images vividly depict the interaction of the L929 cells with the scaffold without causing any damage to the cell membrane. In vitro scratch assay shows the best wound healing activity (complete wound closure) for the BG-chitosan nanocomposite scaffolds at 18 h. The chitosan-BG scaffolds were combined with anti-inflammatory drugs and induced inflammatory genes at an inhibition rate of COX of (36, 28, and 30%), LOX of (20, 13, and 14%), and NO of (48, 38, and 39%) for chitosan, chitosan-BG, and chitosan-BG (Na-free) at 100 µL addition. The in vitro bioactivities proved that the chitosan-BG scaffolds could enable better cell formation, and exhibited improved biocompatibility, and anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties.

Unveiling pro-angiogenesis and drug delivery using dual-bio polymer with bio-ceramic based nanocomposite hydrogels.

In regenerative medicine, blood vessel development is of utmost importance as it enables the restoration of blood flow to tissues, and facilitate rapid vascularization in clinical tissue-engineered grafts. Herein, we fabricate the nanocomposite hydrogels from BG (clinophosinaite), alginate, Polyethylene glycol (PEG) and Dexamethasone (DEX) for the dual applications of drug delivery and angiogenesis assay. The hydrogels were fabricated through cross-linking approach and termed as alginate/PEG (A), alginate/PEG/clinophosinaite (AC), and alginate/PEG/clinophosinaite/DEX (ACD) that further subjected to structural characterization, using powder X-ray diffraction, and fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Porous nanostructures and sheets were imaged using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), which aid in nutrient and oxygen transport to support angiogenesis. The nanocomposite hydrogels evidently demonstrated good hemocompatibility and fully hydrophilic (30.20°). By means of liquid displacement technique, the nanocomposite hydrogel achieves 47% of porosity with the compressive strength about 0.04 MPa. In alginate/PEG/clinophosinaite and alginate/PEG/clinophosinaite/DEX systems, water absorption capacity reached 85% in 6 h and maintained 90% retention after 12 h. Further, leachable tests revealed that the hydrogel had not deformed even after 24 h. In vitro drug release studies evidently divulge sustainable delivery of DEX from alginate/PEG/clinophosinaite/DEX hydrogel with superior characteristics for drug release. The angiogenesis assay also evidently revealed that the AC and ACD hydrogels, demonstrated higher angiogenic properties with, promoted blood vessel development.

3D interconnected porous PMMA scaffold integrating with advanced nanostructured CaP-based biomaterials for rapid bone repair and regeneration.

Bioactive scaffolds with polymer and nanostructured bioactive glass-based composites are promising materials for regenerative applications in consequence of close mimics of natural bone composition. Poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) is a highly preferred thermoplastic polymer for orthopedic applications as it has good biocompatibility. Different kinds of bioactive, biodegradable as well as biocompatible biomaterial composites such as Bioglass (BG), Hydroxyapatite (Hap), and Tricalcium phosphate (TCP) can be integrated with PMMA, so as to augment the bioactivity, porosity as well as regeneration of hard tissues in human body. Among the bioactive glass, 60S BG (Bioactive glass with 60 percentage of Silica without Sodium ions) is better materials among aforementioned systems owning to mechanical stability as well as controlled bioactive material. In this work, the fabrication of PMMA-CaP (calcium phosphate)-based scaffolds were carried out by Thermal Induced Phase Separation method (TIPS). X-ray diffractogram analysis (XRD) is used to examine the physiochemical properties of the scaffolds that evidently reveal the presence of calcium phosphate besides calcium phosphate silicate phases. The Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) studies obviously exhibited the microstructure of the scaffolds as well as their interconnected porous morphology. The PMMA/60S BG/TCP (C50) scaffold has the maximum pore size, measuring 77 ± 23 µm, while the average pore size ranges from 50 ± 20 to 80 ± 23 µm. By performing a liquid displacement method, the C50 scaffold is found to have the largest porosity of 50%, high hydrophilicity of 118.16°, and a compression test reveals the scaffolds to have a maximum compressive strength of 0.16 MPa. The emergence of bone-like apatite on the scaffold surface after 1st and 21st days of SBF immersion is further supported by in vitro bioactivity studies. Cytocompatibility and hemocompatibility analyses undoubtedly confirmed the biocompatibility behavior of PMMA-based bioactive scaffolds. Nano-CT investigation demonstrates that PMMA-CaP scaffolds provide more or less alike morphologies of composites that resemble the natural bone. Therefore, this combination of scaffolds could be considered as potential biomaterials for bone regeneration application. This detailed study promisingly demonstrates the eminence of the unique scaffolds in the direction of regenerative medicines.

A high valence binary metal-organic framework as an electrode material for aqueous asymmetric supercapacitors.

This study presents the chemical transformation of nickel-based metal-organic frameworks into binary metal-organic frameworks by introducing cobalt metal ions. The resulting NiCo-BDC hierarchical nanostructure exhibited higher oxidation states, resulting in an impressive capacitance of 1431 F g-1. Additionally, the device based on this material exhibited exceptional capacity retention over 3000 cycles.