Effectiveness of the engineered pinecone-derived biochar for the removal of fluoride from water.

Drinking fluoride (F-)-contaminated water (>1.5 mg L-1) causes severe dental and skeletal disorders. In the central province of Pakistan, ∼20 times higher levels of F- in the drinking groundwater (compared with the 1.5 mg L-1 permissible limit of the World Health Organization) are triggering bone abnormalities in teenagers. In this study, we demonstrated the potential of pinecone-derived biochar (pristine) impregnated with Fe- and Al-salts (engineered) to defluoridate water. Batch mode adsorption experiments were carried out under variable conditions of solution pH, F- initial concentration, adsorbent dose, and contact time. The engineered biochars resulted in greater adsorption than that of pristine biochar. Specifically, the AlCl3-modified biochar exhibited a maximum adsorption capacity of 14.07 mg g-1 in spiked water and 13.07 mg g-1 in in-situ groundwater. The equilibrium isothermal and kinetic models predicted monolayer, cooperative, and chemisorption types of the adsorption process. The chemical interaction and outer-sphere complexation of F- with Al, Na, and H elements were further confirmed by the post-adsorption analysis of the AlCl3-modified biochar by FTIR and XRD. The AlCl3-modified biochar resulted in 87.13% removal of F- from the in-situ F--contaminated groundwater, even in the presence of naturally occurring competing ions (such as Cl-, HCO3-, SO42-, and NO3-). We conclude that the AlCl3-modified biochar derived from pinecone could be a promising cost-effective adsorbent for the defluoridation of water.

Biomaterials evolution: from inert to instructive.

The field of biomaterials has experienced substantial evolution in recent years, driven by advancements in materials science and engineering. This has led to an expansion of the biomaterials definition to include biocompatibility, bioactivity, bioderived materials, and biological tissues. Consequently, the intended performance of biomaterials has shifted from a passive role wherein a biomaterial is merely accepted by the body to an active role wherein a biomaterial instructs its biological environment. In the future, the integration of bioinspired designs and dynamic behavior into fabrication technologies will revolutionize the field of biomaterials. This perspective presents the recent advances in the evolution of biomaterials in fabrication technologies and provides a brief insight into smart biomaterials.

Poly (ß amino esters) copolymers: Novel potential vectors for delivery of genes and related therapeutics.

The unique properties of polymers have performed an essential contribution to the drug delivery system by providing an outstanding platform for the delivery of macromolecules and genes. However, the block copolymers have been the subject of many recently published works whose results have demonstrated excellent performance in drug targeting. Poly(ß-amino esters) (PßAEs) copolymers are the synthetic cationic polymers that are tailored by chemically joining PßAEs with other additives to demonstrate extraordinary efficiency in designing pre-defined and pre-programmed nanostructures, site-specific delivery, andovercoming the distinct cellular barriers. Different compositional and structural libraries could be generated by combinatorial chemistry and by the addition of various novel functional additives that fulfill the multiple requirements of targeted delivery. These intriguing attributes allow PßAE-copolymers to have customized therapeutic functions such as excellent encapsulation capacity, high stability, and stimuli-responsive release. Here, we give an overview of PßAE copolymers-based formulations along with focusing on most notable improvements such as structural modifications, bio-conjugations, and stimuli-responsive approaches, for safe and effective nucleic acids delivery.

Smoking cessation interventions in South Asian countries: protocol for scoping review.

INTRODUCTION: Unfortunately, like many other health risks, smoking rate has been on the rise in developing countries. Half of current smokers in the world reside in only three countries of Asia that include India. Many smoking cessation interventions that were developed and successfully implemented in the context of developed countries have not been equally successful in South Asia. Hence, there is a dire need of culturally relevant smoking cessation interventions. We propose a scoping review with objectives to explore the extent and nature of interventions for smoking cessation and its associated factors in South Asian Region by systematically reviewing the available published and unpublished literature. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The review has been registered in Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) systematic reviews register and details are given in the Methodology section. The updated framework of JBI for scoping review methodology will be used as guide for conduct of this scoping review. Electronic databases (PubMed, CINAHL plus, Proquest Theses and Dissertations, EBSCO Dentistry and Oral Sciences, and Wiley Cochrane Library), reference lists of selected studies and grey literature will be considered for inclusion in this review. The literature search is anticipated to be carried out in December-January 2020. Initially, two reviewers in consultation with a librarian will develop search syntax followed by search from the selected sources. Consequently, the reviewers will screen all the titles, abstracts and full articles to establish relevance of each study for inclusion. Factors associated with smoking cessation will be coded and categorised applying qualitative content analysis, while interventions extracted from the literature will be described with the stated level of effectiveness.