Nanoparticle-induced Ferroptosis for Cancer Therapy

Ferroptosis is a recently identified form of non-apoptotic regulated cell death (RCD). It is primarily characterized by the accumulation of lipid peroxide, which is iron-dependent. Ferroptosis is essential for the treatment of tumors, renal failure, and ischemia reperfusion exposure (IRI). Ferroptosis and nanomedicine are now the subjects of intense study and clinical attention. There is, however, a limited amount of data on the precise molecular pathways behind ferroptosis and the contribution of nanoparticles. This work provides a thorough overview of ferroptosis, its regulations, and the various mechanisms by which iron- and non-iron-based nanoparticles potentially trigger ferroptosis in the context of cancer therapy. We investigated the most recent developments in ferroptosis research and nanoparticles as ferrotosis-inducing agents by performing extensive literature studies based on the notion of ferroptosis and cancer therapy and a thorough examination of various publications regarding nanoparticles. Our results suggest that tumor suppression and treatment efficacy can both be enhanced by ferroptosis triggered via nanoparticles. New ideas and viewpoints have also been put out for the treatment of ferroptosis-induced cancer, which will make a significant contribution to cancer therapy

Polymerization of N-phenylmaleimide Using Different Catalysts

The polymerization of N-phenylmaleimide (N-PMI) employing sodium phosphate tribasic as a catalyst has been successfully investigated in this study. The effect of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solvent on the principal catalyst, sodium phosphate tribasic, was extensively studied. The effects of several catalysts, including tetrabutylammonium acetate (TBAA), 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP), Benzyl triethylammonium chloride (BTEAC), 1,5-diazabicyclo[4.3.0]non-5-ene (DBN), 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU), 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO), 1-Methylimidazole (1MA) and potassium phthalimide salt on polymerization of N-PMI have been discussed in this study. Additionally, the kinetics of polymerization in DMSO with Na3PO4 as the initiator is investigated. By using 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrum analysis, attenuated total Reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR), the resultant polymers were identified. Thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetric analyses were used to study the thermal behaviors. Our results prove that a salt form of catalyst can initiate the polymerization of N-PMI in dimethyl sulfoxide at a suitable concentration and under favorable conditions

MODELLING STUDIES OF THE DIFFUSIVITY AND INTERSOLUBILITY OF SEMI VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS IN WATER

Semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) are hazardous contaminants found in several products - ranging from personal care products to plastic products and the environment. Their chemical migration into food substances, raising environmental and health concerns, has been well documented. The dispersion/diffusion and solubility of SVOCs in food simulants is an indicator of their migration from food packaging materials. Here, we employed molecular dynamics simulations to investigate molecular mass transfer/diffusivity and intersolubility of three (S)VOCs from various sources into water. The simulation results illustrated that the molecular weight of SVOCs affects their dispersion and solubility in water. SVOC molecules are also much easier to diffuse into water at higher temperatures and longer time periods. The intersolubility of SVOCs in water according to the Flory-Huggins parameter (χ) and Hildebrand solubility parameter (δ) occurs in the following order: methyl isocyanate > caprolactam > naphthalene. The solubility of SVOCs increases with temperature, as evident by the decreasing δSVOCs and χsvocs. These results will play a key role in expanding the knowledge base of chemical migration of small molecules into food simulants

The Role of Job Dissatisfaction on Low Productivity in Ghanaian Sectors: Finding the Way Forward.

The rate of employee turnover in Ghanaian sectors poses a threat to employers and, to some extent, the Ghanaian economy as a whole. Most Organizations in Ghana still face the challenge of satisfying their employees to enhance productivity or maximize profit. This has resulted in several organizations experiencing low productivity and minimized profit. This study sought to investigate the role of job dissatisfaction on low productivity in Ghana and the ways to curb this problem. The study employed a questionnaire and semi-structured interview questions to gather data from 150 respondents based on relevant theories and literature reviews. The study’s findings revealed that dissatisfied employees could negatively affect an organization’s productivity owing to the fact that they will possess negative attitudes and perform poorly. This was supported by the study’s hypothesis of having a positive relationship between job dissatisfaction and low productivity. The empirical findings from the study indicated that several factors account for job dissatisfaction among employees, with such issues being insufficient salary, poor working conditions, lack of motivation, and fewer opportunities for career development. It was suggested that fulfillment elements (productive work conditions, chances to advance, high salary, and motivation) should be proactive measures to boost productivity in Ghana

The Role of Information Overload on Consumers’ Online Shopping Behavior

In today's market, there exists a variety of products and brands for creating various items based on the needs and demands of customers. As technology advances, more companies are emerging, and it is evident that multiple businesses have developed products that are comparable to one another. To expose the products to the market and attract customers, each of these businesses adopts unique description techniques. This sometimes results in information overload. The study sought to investigate the role of information overload on consumers’ online shopping behavior. Based on reviews of relevant theories and principles of the consumer decision-making process, questionnaires were used to gather data from 201 respondents. The findings revealed that as a textual description of product attributes increases, so do the perceptions of information overload, and customers become overwhelmed while trying to process the information. The findings indicated that information overload significantly causes consumers to experience stress, frustration, and perceived risk. Following the study findings, it recommended that managers realize that excessive information can potentially decrease consumers' ability to analyze attributes of products and to compare alternatives; hence, they should analyze the scope to which the amount of provided information can be processed by their target consumers without difficulty

Diving into the interface-mediated Mars-van Krevelen (M−vK) characteristic of CuOx-supported CeO2 catalysts

The unique interface synergistic catalytic properties for metal oxide-supported catalysts have long been explored in several critical heterogeneous catalytic processes (e.g., CO oxidation reactions). However, interfacial synergistic catalysis is still a hitherto undescribed mechanism due to the lack of direct evidence at the atomic level. Thereinto, the CuOx-supported CeO2 (CuOx/CeO2) catalyst is a typical case. Herein, a combination study including representative theoretical calculations, in situ DRIFTS spectra and tailored molecular probe experiments supports a new carbonate-interface mediated Mars-van Krevelen (M−vK) mechanism for CO oxidation, i.e., CO molecules form carbonate intermediate species directly between spatial proximity (2.99 Å) double lattice oxygen sites with low oxygen vacancies formation energy (EformOv = 0.82 eV/0.83 eV) at the copper−ceria interface. The reaction energy barrier of this process is 0.32 eV, much lower than the 1.23 eV of the conventional M−vK mechanism. Besides, the spatial effect of double oxygen vacancies (Ov) generated by the depletion of intermediate carbonate species promotes the sustained and dynamic activation of O2, hence facilitating the efficient operation of the M−vK mechanism at low temperatures