Targeted Drug Delivery System for Kidney and/or Liver Failure Patients Using Human Serum Albumin

Compromised liver and/or kidney function reduces the acceptable dosage of a variety of medications that can be administered to patients. These patients still have a need for drugs such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antivirals, and antibiotics. The project goal is to provide a drug delivery system to accommodate these reduced dosage limits with added therapeutic benefits to address symptoms of liver or kidney failure. Localized drug delivery allows for a smaller, concentrated dose rather than inundating the patient\u27s system with the drug of interest. Human serum albumin (HSA) is a researched candidate for drug delivery with therapeutic properties. HSA was tested as a drug delivery vehicle for localized, percutaneous drug release aided by a displacing compound and changes in temperature and ultrasound generated by an external device. Dynamic light scattering (DLS), UV/Vis spectroscopy, and optical microscopy were employed in verifying drug binding, release, and effectiveness. The optimization of the proposed drug release method, the design of the device to promote drug delivery, and the testing of the drug delivery system with in vitro tissue testing were performed to validate the designed system

Targeted Drug Delivery System for Kidney and Liver Failure Patients Using Human Serum Albumin

Due to kidney or liver failure, normally harmless doses of prescription drugs can have toxic effects leading to further medical complications (Ing, 1979). Those suffering from kidney and liver failure frequently suffer related and unrelated ailments, but are restricted on the medications and the amounts thereof. Site-‐ specific ailments such as arthritis, localized viral infections, neuropathic pain, and other illnesses could be treated with smaller doses if the treating drug were only made available at the targeted site. The project goal is to develop a drug delivery system using human serum albumin (HSA) as a carrier for anti-‐ inflammatory, antibiotic, antiviral, and antioxidant drugs. This drug delivery system is unique in using rapid-‐ sequence, local hyperthermia, hypothermia, and ultrasound at a specific site of interest in the body. The proposed system is designed for patients with compromised liver and kidney function who are unable to safely use normal, oral doses of these medication types

iSAW: Integrating Structure, Actors, and Water to Study Socio-Hydro-Ecological Systems

Urbanization, climate, and ecosystem change represent major challenges for managing water resources. Although water systems are complex, a need exists for a generalized representation of these systems to identify important components and linkages to guide scientific inquiry and aid water management. We developed an integrated Structure-Actor-Water framework (iSAW) to facilitate the understanding of and transitions to sustainable water systems. Our goal was to produce an interdisciplinary framework for water resources research that could address management challenges across scales (e.g., plot to region) and domains (e.g., water supply and quality, transitioning, and urban landscapes). The framework was designed to be generalizable across all human–environment systems, yet with sufficient detail and flexibility to be customized to specific cases. iSAW includes three major components: structure (natural, built, and social), actors (individual and organizational), and water (quality and quantity). Key linkages among these components include: (1) ecological/hydrologic processes, (2) ecosystem/geomorphic feedbacks, (3) planning, design, and policy, (4) perceptions, information, and experience, (5) resource access and risk, and (6) operational water use and management. We illustrate the flexibility and utility of the iSAW framework by applying it to two research and management problems: understanding urban water supply and demand in a changing climate and expanding use of green storm water infrastructure in a semi-arid environment. The applications demonstrate that a generalized conceptual model can identify important components and linkages in complex and diverse water systems and facilitate communication about those systems among researchers from diverse disciplines

Bioenergy from wastewater-based biomass

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has stated that biomass is the only renewable resource that can supplant petroleum-based liquid transportation fuels in the near term. Wastewater is beginning to be viewed as a potential resource that can be exploited for biomass production and conversion to bioenergy. We suggest that using wastewater from municipalities and industries as a resource for cultivating biomass and combining wastewater treatment with the production of biomass for bioenergy would provide benefits to both industries. Two waste-based biomass production systems that currently have large nationwide infrastructures include: (1) wastewater treatment systems that can be used to cultivate algae biomass, and (2) land application/treatment systems for non-food terrestrial biomass. These existing infrastructures could be used in the relatively near future for waste-based biomass production and conversion to bioenergy, thereby reducing capital costs and scalability challenges while making a contribution to energy independence and national security

Bioenergy from Wastewater-Based Biomass

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has stated that biomass is the only renewable resource that can supplant petroleum-based liquid transportation fuels in the near term. Wastewater is beginning to be viewed as a potential resource that can be exploited for biomass production and conversion to bioenergy. We suggest that using wastewater from municipalities and industries as a resource for cultivating biomass and combining wastewater treatment with the production of biomass for bioenergy would provide benefits to both industries. Two waste-based biomass production systems that currently have large nationwide infrastructures include: (1) wastewater treatment systems that can be used to cultivate algae biomass, and (2) land application/treatment systems for non-food terrestrial biomass. These existing infrastructures could be used in the relatively near future for waste-based biomass production and conversion to bioenergy, thereby reducing capital costs and scalability challenges while making a contribution to energy independence and national security