Synthesis of pseudopolyrotaxanes-coated Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles as new MRI contrast agent

Item does not contain fulltextSuperparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles (SPIONs) were synthesized and coated with pseudopolyrotaxanes (PPRs) and proposed as a novel hybrid nanostructure for medical imaging and drug delivery. PPRs were prepared by addition of alpha-cyclodextrin rings to functionalized polyethylene glycol (PEG) chain with hydrophobic triazine end-groups. Non-covalent interactions between SPIONs and PPRs led to the assembly of SPIONs@PRs hybrid nanomaterials. Measurements of the (1)H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) relaxation times T(1) and T(2) allowed us to determine the NMR dispersion profiles. Comparison between our SPIONs@PRs hybrid nano-compound and the commercial SPION compound, Endorem(R), showed a higher transverse relaxivity for SPIONs@PRs. In vitro MRI experiments showed that our SPIONs@PRs produces better negative contrast compared to Endorem(R) and can be considered as a novel MRI contrast agent

Principles and Research Agenda for Sustainable, Data-Driven Food Production Planning and Control

This paper investigates the topics of data, sustainability, and production planning and control in food supply chains from the perspective of industrial food producers. To stay competitive in an industry with low profit margins, strong competition, and sustainability concerns, food producers need new solutions. The capture, digitization, and use of producer and downstream supply chain data enable opportunities for using data in new ways to address the existing challenges. This study proposes some principles for sustainable, data-driven production planning and control (PPC) such as capturing real-time data and tacit knowledge for use in PPC. It then investigates how these principles can impact the sustainability for food producers and the overall supply chain, by giving benefits such as reduced food waste, lower inventory levels, and reduced planning time and effort. Future research topics should address topics such as data availability, use of data in PPC, potential value of data, sustainability trade-offs, and the applications of digital technology in PPC