5-Fluorouracil loaded magnetic cellulose bionanocomposites for potential colorectal cancer treatment

Magnetic polymer nanocomposites are inherently multifunctional and harbor assorted physiochemical actions for applications thereof as novel drug nanocarriers. Herein, Fe3O4-nanoparticles were supported on rice straw cellulose for 5-fluorouracil carrier abbreviated as MC/5-FU for potential colorectal cancer treatments. Several analyses indicated the multifunctional properties of MC/5-FU bionanocomposites. Transmission and scanning electron microscopy study demonstrated that Fe3O4 nanofillers covered the cellulose matrix. The drug release from MC/5-FU was evaluated under various pH and temperature conditions, showing the maximum release at pH 7.4 and 44.2 °C. In in vitro anticancer assay, MC/5-FU exhibited enhanced selectivity and anticancer actions against 2D monolayer and 3D tumour spheroid models colorectal cancer cells. The anticancer effects of MC/5-FU with magnetic targeting and heat induction were also examined. This easily synthesized MC/5-FU indicated the potential in application as a low-cost drug formulation for colorectal cancer treatments

Mn(OAc)(3)-promoted sulfur-directed addition of an active methylene compound to alkenes

Various alkenes substituted at the 1,2-positions by phenyl, thiophene and furan rings were reacted with 3-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3-oxopropanenitrile in the presence of Mn(OAc)(3)center dot 2H(2)O. The exact structure and configuration of the dihydrofuran derivatives formed were determined. In all cases only one regioisomer was formed. The observed regioselectivity was explained on the basis of the formation of a complex between Mn(OAc)(3), alkene, and 3-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3-oxopropanenitrile, which directs the mode of the addition to the double bond

Adherence to continuous positive airway pressure therapy in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: effect of visual education

WOS: 000311301700037PubMed ID: 22167633Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is the most effective treatment in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) although it is known that adherence to therapy is limited. The aims of this study were to evaluate the effect of visual education on CPAP adherence and to identify the factors affecting adherence. Out of 133 consecutive newly diagnosed moderate-to-severe OSAS patients, 66 were informed about OSAS and CPAP therapy and received visual education by videotape (video group), whereas only information was given to 67 of them (control group). The patients were followed up in the 1st, 3rd, and 6th months. After 6-month follow-up, adherence rate to CPAP therapy was 71.2% in the video group and 56.7% in the control group (p = 0.08). OSAS symptoms, such as witnessed apnea, morning headache, night sweating, dry mouth, and Epworth sleepiness score (ESS), were ameliorated more significantly in the video group (p < 0.05). In order to assess predictors of adherence, 85 patients using CPAP effectively were compared to 48 nonadherent patients; significant improvement in OSAS symptoms and ESS was observed in the adherent patients (p < 0.05). ESS was negatively correlated with the duration of CPAP use (r = -0.524, p < 0.0001). Adverse effects such as mask intolerance, choking, noise, and nasal congestion were related to poorer adherence (p < 0.01). It is shown that adherence rate to CPAP therapy might be improved by visual education although the difference was not significant. Besides, patients with better adherence to CPAP treatment report the greatest improvement in OSAS symptoms and daytime sleepiness, and adverse effects are significantly related to poorer adherence

Effect of size and shape dependent of synthesized copper nanoparticle using natural honey

A study on the effect of size and shape of copper nanoparticles (Cu-NPs) by varying the amount of honey has been done using a facile green synthesis method with the presence of ultrasonic assistance. Several amount of different % w/v of honey (0%, 1%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% w/v) that contain carbohydrate which are mainly glucose and fructose, and other polyhydroxyl groups act as stabilizing agent and a weak reducing agent supported by ascorbic acid were used to produce the Cu-NPs. The synthesized Cu-NPs were characterized using UV-visible, XRD and HRTEM to prove the size and shape of the nanoparticles. The best amount of honey used to produce Cu-NPs with uniform particle size and shape is at 15 % w/v. The size is 3.81 ± 1.135 nm and it shows a consistence spherical shape using HRTEM analysis image. UV-visible supported the results from the HRTEM. And XRD shows good diffraction pattern for pure Cu-NPs. It proves that honey has the ability to act as stabilizing agent in controlling the size and shape of nanoparticles

A chest-based continuous cuffless blood pressure method:estimation and evaluation using multiple body sensors

Blood pressure (BP) is a critical vital sign in health, measured millions of times per day worldwide. Current BP measurement requires cumbersome tools, is painful and can be inconvenient. Non-invasive cuffless BP measurement based on pulse arrival time (PAT) techniques allow an alternative way of monitoring BP in healthcare settings with refined wearability and user-friendly features. PAT extraction requires at least two measurements, one as a time reference and another to obtain time delay; there are several approaches to calculate the PAT from various sensors placed on the body. Commonly used signals are electrocardiography (ECG) and photoplethysmography (PPG), which can be recorded from a patients body using more than two separate sensors attachment set-ups. In this work, cuffless BP calculation based on five different PAT readings using Bio-impedance (BImp) at the shoulder as an alternative to PPG, has been investigated. Sensor placement is on the patients chest; which hides them beneath the patient's clothes making them more suitable for ambulatory monitoring systems. Technology performance was assessed using different postures, exercises and Glyceryl Trinitrate (GTN) spray doses; which provided stable, rising and falling BPs for evaluation. Data were collected from 41 participants who were sitting, standing and supine. Twenty-four of 41 participants undertook experiments including a handgrip task (isometric exercise), three periods of cycling on an exercise bike with light, moderate and heavy resistance settings and an observed rest period at the end. The remaining 17 of 41 subjects received GTN spray for predefined times with variable recovery periods afterwards. Different methods of PAT extraction from BImp data were compared for accuracy. Comparisons were made between PAT readings alone and PAT combined with Heart Rate and the combination model performed better when calculating BP. Simultaneously, data were collected using PPG-based PATs compared to BImp-based PATs. BImp-based PATs proved 3% more accurate than PPG-based PATs, demonstrating the potential superiority of BImp-based BP calculations. © 2019 The AuthorsLP16010182

Silver nanoparticles on pullulan derived via gamma irradiation method: A preliminary analysis

Radiation induced technique was employed during the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on pullulan. In this study, the Ag-NPs on pullulan by γ irradiated process is performed to reduce Ag+ ions at the ambient temperature without using excessive reducing agents or producing unwanted by-products of the reductant. Moreover, reducing agent can be uniformly distributed in the solution and AgNPs are produced in highly pure and stable form. The results from ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis) and XRD demonstrated that the silver nanoparticles can be synthesize using pullulan. This can be confirmed by absorption band of UV-vis spectrum at 420 nm as well as the XRD pattern at (1 1 1), (2 0 0), (2 2 0), and (3 1 1) planes of silver. In addition, the pullulan also acts as a reducing and stabilizing agent. TEM images showed formed AgNPs are spherical in shape with smooth edges. The TEM also revealed that the increasing radiation dose decreases the particle size and increase the rate of reduction. It was found that the mean diameter of silver nanoparticles was about 3.98-14.87 nm. In addition, the size of the AgNPs is believed can be tuned by controlling the radiation doses. The γ-rays doses also provide the powerful reduction process in a harmless condition by producing a very stable silver nanoparticles

Experimental study on the dependence of antenna type and polarization on the link reliability in on-body UWB systems

An experimental study on the use of ultra-wideband antenna systems (3.5–4.5 GHz) on the human body for wireless body area network (WBAN) applications is conducted. It has been found that the link reliability can be improved and transmit power can be reduced by properly selecting the transmit and receive antennas with different radiation properties (omni-directional, directional, pattern diversity) and polarizations (vertical and horizontal) at each location on the body. Moreover, when there is blockage by the body, it may be possible to achieve better transmission when the antennas are horizontally polarized. Also, antennas with pattern diversity can be used to enhance the overall reliability of the communication system. In order to eliminate the use of cables in the measurements, an on-body UWB system has been developed and the reliability can be assessed more practically in terms of the peak amplitude of the received waveform and the bit error rate. It has been observed that when the link quality is improved, the transmit power can be reduced by more than 20 dB without compromising on the reliability, which will conserve the battery power

Green synthesis of gold nanoparticles using aqueous extract of Clitoria Ternatea flower

The synthesis of gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) is being accomplished by the reduction of aqueous gold metal ions, gold(III) chloride trihydrate (HAuCl4.3H2O) reacted with the aqueous flower extract of Clitoria Ternatea (CT). CT flower extract plays an important role in synthesizing Au-NPs. It acts as a reducing (Au3+ to Au) and stabilizing agent that can eliminate the usage of chemicals during the production of Au-NPs. Besides that, it also reduces the production of unwanted by-products which would cause hazardous to the surroundings and environment. In this study, an absorption peak of Au-NPs is observed at the range of 540-550 nm from ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis) analysis. Furthermore, the diffraction peaks at 2θ = 38.44°, 44.41°, 65.03° and 77.58° respectively which correspond to face-centered cubic structure with (111), (200), (220) and (311) plane confirm the successful synthesis of Au-NPs. According to transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the majority of Au-NPs are spherical in shape and having a mean particle size distribution of 18.16 nm with a standard deviation of 4.67 nm