Characterization of doxorubicin nanoparticles prepared by ionic gelation

Purpose: To prepare and characterise doxorubicin nanopatrticles and study their drug delivery in breast cancer.Methods: Doxorubicin nanoparticles were prepared by ionic gelation method using sodium alginate as polymer. The formulations were optimized by cross-linking CaCl2 with sodium alginate at different concentrations. Zeta sizer Nano ZS (UK) was used to determine the mean particle size distribution of the nanoparticle preparations. The shape and external morphologies of the nanoparticles were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Drug release was determined and kinetic release analysis was applied to determine the mechanism of drug release.Results: Entrapment efficiency and mean particle size values were correlated. Scanning electron micrographs showed that the nanoparticles were spherical with little irregularity but without cracks. Doxorubicin release from the sodium alginate nanoparticles followed Korsmeyer-Peppas model which suggest that drug release from the nanoparticles was by diffusion and dissociation from the natural polymer matrix.Conclusion: The doxorubicin-loaded nanoparticles showed concentration-dependent increases in entrapment efficiency. The nanoparticles displayed anticancer properties in breast cancer cell line, thus indicating its potential fo chemotherapeutic application.Keywords: Doxorubicin, Ionic gelation, Nanoparticles, Sodium alginate, Drug release mechanism, Anticance

Nature-based solutions can help reduce the impact of natural hazards: A global analysis of NBS case studies

The knowledge derived from successful case studies can act as a driver for the implementation and upscaling of nature-based solutions (NBS). This work reviewed 547 case studies to gain an overview of NBS practices and their role in reducing the adverse impact of natural hazards and climate change. The majority (60 %) of case studies are situated in Europe compared with the rest of the world where they are poorly represented. Of 547 case studies, 33 % were green solutions followed by hybrid (31 %), mixed (27 %), and blue (10 %) approaches. Approximately half (48 %) of these NBS interventions were implemented in urban (24 %), and river and lake (24 %) ecosystems. Regarding the scale of intervention, 92 % of the case studies were operationalised at local (50 %) and watershed (46 %) scales while very few (4 %) were implemented at the landscape scale. The results also showed that 63 % of NBS have been used to deal with natural hazards, climate change, and loss of biodiversity, while the remaining 37 % address socio-economic challenges (e.g., economic development, social justice, inequality, and cohesion). Around 88 % of NBS implementations were supported by policies at the national level and the rest 12 % at local and regional levels. Most of the analysed cases contributed to Sustainable Development Goals 15, 13, and 6, and biodiversity strategic goals B and D. Case studies also highlighted the co-benefits of NBS: 64 % of them were environmental co-benefits (e.g., improving biodiversity, air and water qualities, and carbon storage) while 36 % were social (27 %) and economic (9 %) co-benefits. This synthesis of case studies helps to bridge the knowledge gap between scientists, policymakers, and practitioners, which can allow adopting and upscaling of NBS for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation and enhance their preference in decision-making processes

Translating drug resistant tuberculosis treatment guidelines to reality in war-torn Kandahar, Afghanistan: a retrospective cohort study

Introduction Afghanistan is affected by one of the world’s longest protracted armed conflicts, frequent natural disasters, disease outbreaks and large population movements and it suffers from a high burden of tuberculosis (TB), including rifampicin-resistant TB (RR-TB). The study shows Médecins Sans Frontières’ experiences with care for patients with RR-TB in Kandahar Province. We describe the uptake of RR-TB treatment, how World Health Organisation criteria for the choice between the short and an individualized regimen were implemented, and treatment outcomes. Methods This is a retrospective cohort analysis of routinely collected data from RR-TB patients enrolled in care from 2016 until 2019. Descriptive analysis was performed to present characteristics of patients and treatment outcomes. Multivariable Cox analysis was performed to identify risk factors for having an unfavourable treatment outcome. Results Out of 146 enrolled RR-TB patients, 112 (76.7%) started treatment: 41 (36.6%) and 71 (63.4%) with the short and individualized treatment regimen, respectively. Of 82 with results for fluoroquinolone susceptibility, 39 (47.6%) had fluoroquinolone-resistant TB. Seven patients with initially fluoroquinolone-resistant TB and three pregnant women started the short regimen and 18 patients eligible for the short regimen started the injectable-free individualized regimen. Overall, six-month smear and culture conversion were 98.7% and 97.1%, respectively; treatment success was 70.1%. Known initial fluoroquinolone resistance (aHR 3.77, 95%CI:1.53–9.27) but not choice of regimen predicted having an unfavourable outcome. Conclusion Even though criteria for the choice of treatment regimen were not applied strictly, we have achieved acceptable outcomes in this cohort. To expand RR-TB care, treatment regimens should fit provision at primary health care level and take patient preferences into account

A resources ecosystem for digital and heritage-led holistic knowledge in rural regeneration

This paper presents a digital resources ecosystem prototype of integrated tools and resources to support heritage-led regeneration of rural regions, thanks to a deeper understanding of the complexity of cultural natural landscapes throughout their historical and current development. The ecosystem is conceived as a distributed software platform establishing data ecosystem and open standards for the management of information, aimed at providing different services and applications to address the needs of the various end-users identified. The platform has been conceived and realised in the framework of a Horizon 2020 research project, with a view to building a set of holistic knowledge about rural regions and their cultural and natural heritage and making it available for long-lasting heritage-led territorial processes of change. It is the product of a multidisciplinary collaboration amongst heritage, digital humanities and ICTs experts, and combines data and methodologies from a range of approaches to humanities together with the customisation of effective digital tools. It has been designed for deployment also in cloud systems compliant with the Infrastructure-as-a-Service paradigm. All data is Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable (FAIR data). It hosts and integrates different tools, making the data gathered with/for local stakeholders usable and making the same data re-usable within the tools’ functions, generating integrated heritage knowledge. It comprises data on 19 rural pilot territories, where the tools and their integration have been developed and tested, while 62 more are partially included as additional territories which participate in certain activities within the project. The main testers for this platform and its functions are the local stakeholders of these territories. The paper describes and analyses the platform and its impact, discussing the integration of tools as an innovative approach that goes beyond the use of individual tools in shaping a multidimensional vision. It also offers an analysis of the potential of an integrated digital ecosystem in evidence-based and place-based regeneration strategies. Some reflections for developments and cooperation during the pandemic are also presented

Prediction of Surface Roughness as a Function of Temperature for SiO2 Thin-Film in PECVD Process

An analytical model to predict the surface roughness for the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process over a large range of temperature values is still nonexistent. By using an existing prediction model, the surface roughness can directly be calculated instead of repeating the experimental processes, which can largely save time and resources. This research work focuses on the investigation and analytical modeling of surface roughness of SiO2 deposition using the PECVD process for almost the whole range of operating temperatures, i.e., 80 to 450 °C. The proposed model is based on experimental data of surface roughness against different temperature conditions in the PECVD process measured using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The quality of these SiO2 layers was studied against an isolation layer in a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) for light steering applications. The analytical model employs different mathematical approaches such as linear and cubic regressions over the measured values to develop a prediction model for the whole operating temperature range of the PECVD process. The proposed prediction model is validated by calculating the percent match of the analytical model with experimental data for different temperature ranges, counting the correlations and error bars

Therapeutic Applications of Interleukin 24 (IL24): A Review

Fisher's group identified melanoma differentiation-associated protein-7 (MDA-7) upon discovery of cell surface receptor MDA-7 renamed Interleukin 24 (IL24).It has three N-glycosylation sites. IL24 signals through receptors. Binding of IL24 to receptors leads to the activation of STAT-3 and STAT-1. IL 24 induces the secretion of high level of Interferon Gamma (IFN-γ) ,IL6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and low levels of IL1,IL12 and granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMC). IL24 has growth suppressive properties in a wide variety of human cancer cell lines without inducing harmful effects in normal cells. This review is focused on the role of IL 24 on tumor cell biology and its potential therapeutic applications

Development of optical MEMS-based micromirror arrays on flexible substrate for curvilinear surfaces

Gefördert im Rahmen des Projekts DEA

IMMEDIATE RESULTS OF URETROPLASTY IN DIFFERENT FORMS OF HYPOSPADIAS

Objective: To summarize a ten-year experience of urethroplasty in various forms of hypospadias. Methods: The results of surgical treatment of 165 patients with hypospadias aged 2-25 years operated at the Maiwand Hospital in Kabul were analyzed. More than half of the patients (n=95; 57.6%) were residents of Kabul province, while the remaining patients (n=60; 42.4%) came from other provinces of Afghanistan. The following forms of hypospadias were identified: glanular (n=40; 24.2%), coronal (n=45; 27.3%), mid-penile (n=51; 30.9%), and scrotal (n=29; 17, 6%). Results: Most of the patients were operated using the Salinas method (n=30; 18.2%), Dupley repair (n=40; 24.2%), and their combinations (n=20; 12.1%) methods. Patients with severe penile curvature, scrotal and perineal forms of hypospadias underwent the two-stage operations. General anesthesia was mainly used for surgery, while local anesthesia with neuroleptanalgesia was applied in patients aged 15 years and above. In all cases, optical magnification and microsurgical technique were used. Satisfactory results were obtained in 140 (84.8%) patients. Urethro-cutaneous fistulas developed in 20 (12.2%) patients. Marginal flap necrosis occurred in 2 (1.2%) cases, and partial wound suppuration occurred in 3 (1.8%) cases. There were no lethal outcomes. Conclusion: The use of optical magnification and precision technique made it possible to achieve satisfactory results in the early postoperative period in 84.8% of patients. Our observations showed that circumcision in children should only be performed by an experienced surgeon, since in most cases a novice surgeon can miss the presence of hypospadias. Patients diagnosed with hypospadias, should be referred to specialized centers where successful urethroplasty operations may be performed