Peptide and protein nanoparticle conjugates: versatile platforms for biomedical applications

Peptide– and protein–nanoparticle conjugates have emerged as powerful tools for biomedical applications, enabling the treatment, diagnosis, and prevention of disease. In this review, we focus on the key roles played by peptides and proteins in improving, controlling, and defining the performance of nanotechnologies. Within this framework, we provide a comprehensive overview of the key sequences and structures utilised to provide biological and physical stability to nano-constructs, direct particles to their target and influence their cellular and tissue distribution, induce and control biological responses, and form polypeptide self-assembled nanoparticles. In doing so, we highlight the great advances made by the field, as well as the challenges still faced in achieving the clinical translation of peptide- and protein-functionalised nano-drug delivery vehicles, imaging species, and active therapeutics

Perceptional components of brand equity: Configuring the Symmetrical and Asymmetrical Paths to brand loyalty and brand purchase intention

\ua9 2018 This research investigates the impact of brand perception on brand loyalty and brand purchase intention using the lenses of complexity theory. First, the study conceptualizes and operationalizes perceptional and behavioral components of brand equity. It then examines the dimensions of brand perception, and by assessing the consequences of favorable brand perception, the study enables a better understanding regarding whether a brand marketing approach helps to improve marketing performance. The research was conducted using a mixed methodology, beginning with interviews in order to gain a better understanding of the relationship between the dimensions of brand perception. These were followed by a questionnaire survey, and the resulting data were analyzed through content analysis and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). The results indicate that brand awareness, perceived quality, brand association, brand fondness, brand image, and product country image have a strong impact on the management of brand perception. The finding illustrates that it is the combinations of various perceptional elements of brand equity rather than any single factor that have strong impacts on brand loyalty and brand purchasing intention. The results support the importance of brand perception for the fashion industry, which needs to be more interactive in order to increase their customers\u27 brand loyalty and brand purchasing intention

Physical Significance of Certain Apparent Irregularities in the Magmeto-Resistance Curves of Nickel

This paper describes the Physical Significance of Certain Apparent Irregularities in the Magneto-Resistance Curves of Nickel@IAC

Histomorphological changes in the goat, <i>Capra hircus</i> L. rumen during different stages of gestation

597-605Understanding the fetal development is essential to treat different anomalies of livestock after birth. Biological and anatomical data on the developing rumen of goat is scanty. Here, we investigated histomorphological changes in the ruminal part of the fore stomach of the goat, Capra hircus L. to elucidate the transformation of rumen prior to its functional state. For this study, 36 developing rumen were collected from healthy and normal embryos/foeti of either sex of goat from the first stage of prenatal life until birth. Tissues were processed by paraffin embedding technique and sections were stained. Definite four layers of the tubular structure were elucidated first at 51 days of gestation. We observed the ruminal wall lined by undifferentiated stratified epithelium up to 100 days which gradually became stratified squamous keratinized epithelium at 145 days of foetal life. Throughout the gestation lamina muscularis was absent. Reticular fibers evident first followed by collagen and elastic fibers. The prenatal development of the goat ruminal mucosa evidenced a considerable resemblance with the post natal rumen; however, certain morphological changes are still incomplete in order to meet the functional demands in postnatal life

Removal of ecotoxicity of 17α-ethinylestradiol using TAML/peroxide water treatment

17α -ethinylestradiol (EE2), a synthetic oestrogen in oral contraceptives, is one of many pharmaceuticals found in inland waterways worldwide as a result of human consumption and excretion into wastewater treatment systems. At low parts per trillion (ppt), EE2 induces feminisation of male fish, diminishing reproductive success and causing fish population collapse. Intended water quality standards for EE2 set a much needed global precedent. Ozone and activated carbon provide effective wastewater treatments, but their energy intensities and capital/operating costs are formidable barriers to adoption. Here we describe the technical and environmental performance of a fast- developing contender for mitigation of EE2 contamination of wastewater based upon smallmolecule, full-functional peroxidase enzyme replicas called “TAML activators”. From neutral to basic pH, TAML activators with H2O2 efficiently degrade EE2 in pure lab water, municipal effluents and EE2-spiked synthetic urine. TAML/H2O2 treatment curtails estrogenicity in vitro and substantially diminishes fish feminization in vivo. Our results provide a starting point for a future process in which tens of thousands of tonnes of wastewater could be treated per kilogram of catalyst. We suggest TAML/H2O2 is a worthy candidate for exploration as an environmentally compatible, versatile, method for removing EE2 and other pharmaceuticals from municipal wastewaters.Heinz Endowments, the Swiss National Science Foundation, the Steinbrenner Institute for a Steinbrenner Doctoral Fellowship. NMR instrumentation at CMU was partially supported by NSF (CHE-0130903 and CHE-1039870)

Removal of hexavalent chromium of contaminated soil by coupling electrokinetic remediation and permeable reactive biobarriers

PURPOSE: In this study, a novel and ecological alternative have been developed to treat soils contaminated with hexavalent chromium coupling two well-known systems: electrokinetic remediation and permeable reactive biobarriers. The electric field promotes the electromigration of the hexavalent chromium oxyanions towards the anode. The biobarriers were placed before the anode electrode, in order to promote the reduction and retention of the chromium migrating in its direction. Thus, this technology provided a global treatment to soil removal without subsequent treatments of the contaminated effluents. METHODS: The electrokinetic system was coupled with two different permeable reactive biobarriers composed by Arthrobacter viscosus bacteria, supported either in activated carbon or zeolite. An electric field of 10 V was applied and two different treatment times of 9 and 18 days were tested. RESULTS: Removal values of 60% and 79% were obtained when electrokinetic treatment was coupled with zeolite and activated carbon biobarriers, respectively, for a test period of 18 day. The reduction of hexavalent chromium to trivalent chromium was around 45% for both systems. CONCLUSIONS: In this work, two types of biobarriers were efficiently coupled to electrokinetic treatment to decontaminate soil with Cr(VI). Furthermore, the viability of the new coupling technology developed (electrokinetic + biobarriers) to treat low-permeability polluted soils was demonstrated.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (CTQ2008-03059/PPQ), Xunta de Galicia (08MDS034314PR). The authors are grateful to the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation for providing financial support for Marta Pazos under the Ramon y Cajal program and the Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia, Ministerio da Ciencia e Tecnologia, Portugal through the PhD grant of Bruna Fonseca (SFRH/BD/27780/2006)

Cytodifferentiation of fundic part of glandular stomach in non descript breed of Indian prenatal goat

Though the anatomy and physiology of the adult caprine (Capra hircus L.) stomach have been investigated extensively, the early development of the abomasum has not yet been fully elucidated. The glandular part of abomasum plays an important role in digestion of ingested food by action of gastric juices. Very few studies have been conducted so far regarding histogenesis of goat foetal abomasum in India. In the present study, we have investigated the embryonic and early foetal development of the goat, Capra hircus L. fundic abomasum. We collected 36 developing abomasum of healthy and normal embryos/foeti of goat and assigned them into three group viz. Gr. I (0-50 days of gestation), Gr. II (51-100 days of gestation) and Gr. III (101-150 days of gestation). Small pieces of tissues were processed by routine paraffin. The wall of glandular stomach, the fundic part, was composed of epithelium, pleuripotent blastemic tissue and serosa up to 44 days of gestation. Tunica muscularis became separable at 46 days of gestation. The epithelium was stratified type up to 50 days and gradually changed to pseudo-stratified columnar to simple columnar type from 76 days of gestation. Primary and secondary abomasal folds were observed at 51 and 76 days of gestation, respectively. Gastric pit, the fore runner of gastric gland was reported first at 70 days. The gland became branched tubular type at 145 days. The cells found in the mucosa of the abomasum were surface epithelial cells, chief cells, parietal cells, mucous neck cells and undifferentiated cells. Chief and parietal cell were observed at 76 days and mucous neck cells at 82 days of gestation. Reticular, collagen and elastic fibers came into sight at 38, 76 and 100 days of gestation, respectively. The present study is expected to supplement known data and knowledge regarding histogenesis of goat fetal abomasum and help in diagnosis and treatment of related congenital anomalies

Cytodifferentiation of fundic part of glandular stomach in non descript breed of Indian prenatal goat

64-73Though the anatomy and physiology of the adult caprine (Capra hircus L.) stomach have been investigated extensively, the early development of the abomasum has not yet been fully elucidated. The glandular part of abomasum plays an important role in digestion of ingested food by action of gastric juices. Very few studies have been conducted so far regarding histogenesis of goat foetal abomasum in India. In the present study, we have investigated the embryonic and early foetal development of the goat, Capra hircus L. fundic abomasum. We collected 36 developing abomasum of healthy and normal embryos/foeti of goat and assigned them into three group viz. Gr. I (0-50 days of gestation), Gr. II (51-100 days of gestation) and Gr. III (101-150 days of gestation). Small pieces of tissues were processed by routine paraffin. The wall of glandular stomach, the fundic part, was composed of epithelium, pleuripotent blastemic tissue and serosa up to 44 days of gestation. Tunica muscularis became separable at 46 days of gestation. The epithelium was stratified type up to 50 days and gradually changed to pseudo-stratified columnar to simple columnar type from 76 days of gestation. Primary and secondary abomasal folds were observed at 51 and 76 days of gestation, respectively. Gastric pit, the fore runner of gastric gland was reported first at 70 days. The gland became branched tubular type at 145 days. The cells found in the mucosa of the abomasum were surface epithelial cells, chief cells, parietal cells, mucous neck cells and undifferentiated cells. Chief and parietal cell were observed at 76 days and mucous neck cells at 82 days of gestation. Reticular, collagen and elastic fibers came into sight at 38, 76 and 100 days of gestation, respectively. The present study is expected to supplement known data and knowledge regarding histogenesis of goat fetal abomasum and help in diagnosis and treatment of related congenital anomalies

Antibacterial and antioxidant potential of biosynthesized copper nanoparticles mediated through Cissus arnotiana plant extract

© 2019 Elsevier B.V. Environment friendly methods for the synthesis of copper nanoparticles have become a valuable trend in the current scenario. The utilization of phytochemicals from plant extracts has become a unique technology for the synthesis of nanoparticles, as they possess dual nature of reducing and capping agents to the nanoparticles. In the present investigation we have synthesized copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) using a rare medicinal plant Cissus arnotiana and evaluated their antibacterial activity against gram negative and gram positive bacteria. The morphology and characterization of the synthesized CuNPs were studied and done using UV-Visible spectroscopy at a wavelength range of 350–380 nm. XRD studies were performed for analyzing the crystalline nature; SEM and TEM for evaluating the spherical shape within the size range of 60–90 nm and AFM was performed to check the surface roughness. The biosynthesized CuNPs showed better antibacterial activity against the gram-negative bacteria, E. coli with an inhibition zone of 22.20 ± 0.16 mm at 75 μg/ml. The antioxidant property observed was comparatively equal with the standard antioxidant agent ascorbic acid at a maximum concentration of 40 μg/ ml. This is the first study reported on C. arnotiana mediated biosynthesis of copper nanoparticles, where we believe that the findings can pave way for a new direction in the field of nanotechnology and nanomedicine where there is a significant potential for antibacterial and antioxidant activities. We predict that, these could lead to an exponential increase in the field of biomedical applications, with the utilization of green synthesized CuNPs, due to its remarkable properties. The highest antibacterial property was observed with gram-negative strains mainly, E. coli, due to its thin peptidoglycan layer and electrostatic interactions between the bacterial cell wall and CuNPs surfaces. Hence, CuNPs can be potent therapeutic agents in several biomedical applications, which are yet to be explored in the near future