Fabrication of garlic composites nano-biotics and investigating their anti-bacterial activities

Bacterial infections are considered the second main cause of death worldwide and the third main cause of death in the developed countries and as a result, many antibacterial coatings have been prepared in order to fight the different strains of bacteria and decrease the mortality rates. Natural antibacterial products become of great interest nowadays and their use is preferred over the synthetic products in order to overcome the resistance to the synthetic antibiotics. A wide variety of antibacterial coatings have been developed ranging from polymeric to polymer Nano-composites (PNCs) materials. Using nanomaterials as fillers within polymer matrices have been reported to enhance the antibacterial properties significantly. The polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) are promising for natural antibacterial drug delivery. In this study, two types of Garlic oil nano-composites (GO-NCs) have been developed by using two polymers which are poly lactic-co-glycolic (PLGA) and poly lactic-co-glycolic/poly ethylene glycol (PLGA/PEG) mixed with garlic oil (GO). The two polymer Nano-composites were named PLGA-GO-NCs and PLGA-PEG-GO-NCs respectively. Single emulsion/solvent evaporation (SE/SE) technique was involved in the preparation of the different nanocomposite formulations. The polymers conjugated with GO were prepared at three different homogenization time intervals (5, 10 and 15 min.) at the same homogenization speed of 11,000 rpm. All the preparation parameters, such as the concentration of polymers, concentration of GO, amounts of surfactant used (polaxmer 407) and the homogenization speed, were kept constant to identify the effect of the homogenization time on the physicochemical properties and the antibacterial activities of the PNCs. In addition, the effect of other factors such as the effect of solution settling, the use of Buchner funnel in solution filtration, the use of biological filters in solution filtration and the effect of mechanical shaking the solutions by using vortex stirring on the different formulations were carefully examined. The particle sizes, zeta potential and poly dipsersity index (PDI) and GO% in each formulation have been measured. The morphological examination of the prepared nanocomposite formulations was carried out by using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), and the chemical structural characteristics were examined by using Fourier Transform-Infra-red spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Ultraviolet-Visible spectrophotometry (UV-vis). In addition, antibacterial assessment has been carried out against Eichercia Coli (E. coli) (ATCC 8739) as a Gram-negative bacterium, and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) (ATCC 6538) as a Gram-positive bacterium using Colony Counting Method (CCM). The results revealed four important factors that need to be considered during the preparation of GO NPs which are (i) settling of the solutions, (ii) filtration through biological filters, (iii) Buchner filtration and (iv) vortex stirring of solutions. These factors play a crucial role in controlling the size and stability of PNCs. Furthermore, we have observed that the addition of PEG to the PLGA-GO formulations has a significant effect on decreasing the particle sizes and increasing the GO% in the formulations. These results could be promising in producing polymeric drug/extract NPs of small particle sizes, high stability and of pronounced antibacterial activity which is stronger than the original dtug/extract

Nonlinear robust H∞ control.

A new theory is proposed for the full-information finite and infinite horizontime robust H∞ control that is equivalently effective for the regulation and/or tracking problems of the general class of time-varying nonlinear systems under the presence of exogenous disturbance inputs. The theory employs the sequence of linear-quadratic and time-varying approximations, that were recently introduced in the optimal control framework, to transform the nonlinear H∞ control problem into a sequence of linearquadratic robust H∞ control problems by using well-known results from the existing Riccati-based theory of the maturing classical linear robust control. The proposed method, as in the optimal control case, requires solving an approximating sequence of Riccati equations (ASRE), to find linear time-varying feedback controllers for such disturbed nonlinear systems while employing classical methods. Under very mild conditions of local Lipschitz continuity, these iterative sequences of solutions are known to converge to the unique viscosity solution of the Hamilton-lacobi-Bellman partial differential equation of the original nonlinear optimal control problem in the weak form (Cimen, 2003); and should hold for the robust control problems herein. The theory is analytically illustrated by directly applying it to some sophisticated nonlinear dynamical models of practical real-world applications. Under a r -iteration sense, such a theory gives the control engineer and designer more transparent control requirements to be incorporated a priori to fine-tune between robustness and optimality needs. It is believed, however, that the automatic state-regulation robust ASRE feedback control systems and techniques provided in this thesis yield very effective control actions in theory, in view of its computational simplicity and its validation by means of classical numerical techniques, and can straightforwardly be implemented in practice as the feedback controller is constrained to be linear with respect to its inputs

Spinal Muscle Atrophy Disease Modelling as Bayesian Network

We investigate the molecular gene expressions studies and public databases for disease modelling using Probabilistic Graphical Models and Bayesian Inference. A case study on Spinal Muscle Atrophy Genome-Wide Association Study results is modelled and analyzed. The genes up and down-regulated in two stages of the disease development are linked to prior knowledge published in the public domain and co-expressions network is created and analyzed. The Molecular Pathways triggered by these genes are identified. The Bayesian inference posteriors distributions are estimated using a variational analytical algorithm and a Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling algorithm. Assumptions, limitations and possible future work are concluded

Hope Global -- In Process Laser Cutter Blade Cleaning

Since 1883, Hope Global has been manufacturing and supplying various high quality and durable textiles to businesses and industries around the globe. Their most demanded product is the beaded profile which is used primarily in interior seat linings of trucks. [1] These are produced across four production lines and involves a 1000W laser cutter on each. In these laser cutters are configurations of aluminum blades that act as supports for the profiles running underneath the laser. When the laser makes its automated cuts, the polypropylene plastic of the beaded profile gets melted on to the blades. Over the course of continuous cutting, the melted plastic builds up these blades and becomes a problem. The current cleaning process of these blades involves the machine operator opening the laser cutter door which stops the laser from cutting. However, the profile is still fed through the line at 80 ft/min creating scrap. The time it takes the operator to clean each blade takes about two minutes per production line. The blades are usually cleaned two or three times per hour during a 21-hour work day, which, across four separate lines, creates huge amounts of scrap throughout the day. This immense amount of scrap causes significant material loss for Hope Global which means significant money lost. The scope of this project is to reduce the clean time of these blades as much as possible to reduce the scrap produced. Throughout the course of this semester, a design was formulated to help Hope Global with this problem. Extensive research was performed to generate ideas and explore similar design concepts and ideas. This search was two-fold; firstly, a scholarly literature search was performed, then a patent search. Unfortunately, because the laser cutter machine is custom built to fit Hope Global’s needs, there are no similar designs on the market today. Therefore, a bank of concepts was generated among group members and analyzed until a design concept was chosen for the foundation and continuation of the project. This concept was reviewed while considering the design specifications laid out later in this report, and continuously improved upon. After review, the design was constructed and proven to work in physical form. This provided evidence for an integral step in the design process, the proof of concept. After proving the basic design worked effectively, the process of optimizing the design began. Over the course of the Spring semester, the team prototyped and tested its proof of concept repeatedly. After numerous tests, it was determined a scraper design was more effective than a brush design. For the remainder of this semester, this scraper idea was applied to the prototype and optimized into the final product of the project. The design was proven to work very effectively and efficiently and was easy enough to operate by the machine operators to deem it as a viable and usable way to clean aluminum blade sin the laser cutter. Overall, the team’s work on this project was successful in completing the main objective from the beginning of the year

Fahmy's four quadrant sutures: a new technique for control of blood loss during cesarean delivery for placenta previa

Background: The objective of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of Fahmy's four quadrant suture technique (FFQS) in controlling blood loss during cesarean delivery for placenta previa (PP).Methods: The study was carried out in a tertiary University Hospital between January 2017 to December 2017 involved 12 women with heavy bleeding occurred after removal of the placenta from the lower section during cesarean delivery for PP. The FFQS technique consisted of two sutures to ligate the uterine branches on both sides and two sutures on the anterior and posterior wall of the lower uterine segment. Details regarding the management and maternal outcomes were recorded.Results: The mean age of the study participants was 29.58±5.29 years and the mean parity was 2.25±1.14. The mean gestational age at termination of pregnancy was 36.91±1.38 weeks.  The mean duration of the whole surgery was 78.75±43.28 minutes, while the mean duration of FFQS technique was only 10±2.09 minutes. The technique was exclusively effective in 8 out of 12 cases (66.67%) while 2 cases needed bilateral internal iliac artery ligation and 2 cases needed hysterectomy. The mean amount of blood loss in all cases was 2433.33±833.76 ml. the mean amount of transfused packed RBCs was 3.92±1.68 units and fresh frozen plasma (FFP) was 3.42±1.44 units. All cases had uneventful postoperative course and no mortality cases in present series.Conclusions: The new technique; FFQS represents a rapid, effective, and inexpensive opportunity for women with bleeding from the lower segment of uterus due to PP. This simple procedure should be attempted before other complex measures to achieve good hemostasis

A Snapshot of photoresponsive liposomes in cancer chemotherapy and immunotherapy: opportunities and challenges

© 2023 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society. This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives CC BY-NC-ND licence, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0To provide precise medical regimens, photonics technologies have been involved in the field of nanomedicine. Phototriggered liposomes have been cast as promising nanosystems that achieve controlled release of payloads in several pathological conditions such as cancer, autoimmune, and infectious diseases. In contrast to the conventional liposomes, this photoresponsive element greatly improves therapeutic efficacy and reduces the adverse effects of gene/drug therapy during treatment. Recently, cancer immunotherpay has been one of the hot topics in the field of oncology due to the great success and therapeutic benefits that were well-recognized by the patients. However, several side effects have been encountered due to the unmonitored augmentation of the immune system. This Review highlights the most recent advancements in the development of photoresponsive liposome nanosystems in the field of oncology, with a specific emphasis on challenges and opportunities in the field of cancer immunotherapy.Peer reviewe

Oral Delivery of Psoralidin by Mucoadhesive Surface-Modified Bilosomes Showed Boosted Apoptotic and Necrotic Effects against Breast and Lung Cancer Cells

© 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).This study aims to design and optimize chitosan-coated bilosomal formulations loaded with psoralidin (Ps-CS/BLs) with improved physicochemical properties, oral bioavailability, and boosted apoptotic and necrotic effects. In this regard, uncoated bilosomes loaded with Ps (Ps/BLs) were nanoformulated using the thin-film hydration technique using different molar ratios of phosphatidylcholine (PC), cholesterol (Ch), Span 60 (S60), and sodium deoxycholate (SDC) (1:0.4:0.2:0.125, 1:0.4:0.2:0.25, and 1:0.4:0.2:0.5, respectively). The best-optimized formulation with respect to size, PDI, zeta potential, and EE% was selected and then coated with chitosan at two different concentrations (0.125 and 0.25 w/v%), forming Ps-CS/BLs. The optimized Ps/BLs and Ps-CS/BLs showed a spherical shape and relatively homogenous size with negligible apparent agglomerations. Additionally, it was demonstrated that coating Ps/BLs with chitosan has significantly increased the particle size from 123.16 ± 6.90 in the case of Ps/BLs to 183.90 ± 15.93 nm in the case of Ps-CS/BLs. In addition, Ps-CS/BLs exhibited higher zeta potential (+30.78 ± 1.44 mV) as compared to Ps/BLs (−18.59 ± 2.13 mV). Furthermore, Ps-CS/BL showed enhanced entrapment efficiency (EE%) of 92.15 ± 7.20% as compared to Ps/BLs (68.90 ± 5.95%). Moreover, Ps-CS/BLs exhibited a more sustained release behavior of Ps compared to Ps/BLs over 48 h, and both formulations were best obeying the Higuchi diffusion model. More importantly, Ps-CS/BLs displayed the highest mucoadhesive efficiency% (74.89 ± 3.5%) as compared to Ps/BLs (26.78 ± 2.9%), indicating the ability of the designed nanoformulation to improve oral bioavailability and extend the residence time inside the gastrointestinal tract upon oral administration. Moreover, upon evaluating the apoptotic and necrotic effects of free Ps and Ps-CS/BLs on human breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7) and human lung adenocarcinoma cell lines (A549), there was a dramatic increase in the percentages of the apoptotic and necrotic cell compared to the control and free Ps. Our findings suggest the possible oral use of Ps-CS/BLs in hampering breast and lung cancers.Peer reviewe

MAT-725: SELF LEVELING MORTAR: WHY AND HOW?

Concrete floors can develop faults over time which can cause damage thus hindering smooth transportation, industrial aspects and some residential drawbacks. In addition, flaws and cracks are known to progress into more serious damage with time and use. Self leveling mortar has been used on a relatively limited scale worldwide to allow for more even, higher performance and easy-to-apply flooring. However, there has been little information available with respect to their use and best practices. The primary focus of this work is to prepare mortar that possesses self-levelling flow characteristics. Hence, several mixtures have been designed using various constituents with moderate 28-day strength of 35 MPa. Chemical and mineral admixtures have been incorporated together with limestone to enhance the flow and cohesiveness as well as improve performance. The results reveal that self-levelling mortar can be successfully produced with comparable properties to ready-to-use market product. These mixtures were evaluated to have both performance and economic merits

The Role of Serum Periostin Level in Different Pediatric Allergic Diseases: A Case-Control Study

Background: Allergic diseases represent one of the most common types of diseases globally and affect a large sector of population especially children. The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the relation between serum periostin and different allergic diseases and to compare them with children of non-allergic diseases as a control group. Methods: 80 children were included in the study; 40 had allergic diseases and 40 children had no allergic diseases as controls. All participants completed the history and clinical examination, complete blood count, total serum immunoglobulin IgE (UI/ml), and serum periostin level. Results: Among the patients with allergic diseases, bronchial asthma was the most common diagnosed disease 29/40 (72.50%). Patients with allergic diseases had significantly higher mean (±SD) serum periostin when compared to infants with no allergic diseases (271.9±263.27 ng/ml and 115.33±191.42 ng/ml, P-value 0.0001). However, highly elevated serum periostin >150 ng/ml were found exclusively in patients with allergic diseases 22/40 (55.00%) and only in 4/40 (10.0%) of the controls (p-value<0.0001). Furthermore, there were a statistically significant difference between the patients with different degrees of allergic diseases severity and serum periostin level as it was 1080±251.73 ng/ml in severe allergic diseases compared to 244.5±263.57 ng/ml in mild allergic diseases (P- value 0.01). Conclusion: The most common type of allergic diseases in our study was bronchial asthma. Higher serum periostin levels were observed in allergic patients in comparison to the controls; and they were found to have a significant relationship with disease severity