Nanoanalytical analysis of bisphosphonate-driven alterations of microcalcifications using a 3D hydrogel system and in vivo mouse model

Vascular calcification predicts atherosclerotic plaque rupture and cardiovascular events. Retrospective studies of women taking bisphosphonates (BiPs), a proposed therapy for vascular calcification, showed that BiPs paradoxically increased morbidity in patients with prior acute cardiovascular events but decreased mortality in event-free patients. Calcifying extracellular vesicles (EVs), released by cells within atherosclerotic plaques, aggregate and nucleate calcification. We hypothesized that BiPs block EV aggregation and modify existing mineral growth, potentially altering microcalcification morphology and the risk of plaque rupture. Three-dimensional (3D) collagen hydrogels incubated with calcifying EVs were used to mimic fibrous cap calcification in vitro, while an ApoE-/- mouse was used as a model of atherosclerosis in vivo. EV aggregation and formation of stress-inducing microcalcifications was imaged via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). In both models, BiP (ibandronate) treatment resulted in time-dependent changes in microcalcification size and mineral morphology, dependent on whether BiP treatment was initiated before or after the expected onset of microcalcification formation. Following BiP treatment at any time, microcalcifications formed in vitro were predicted to have an associated threefold decrease in fibrous cap tensile stress compared to untreated controls, estimated using finite element analysis (FEA). These findings support our hypothesis that BiPs alter EV-driven calcification. The study also confirmed that our 3D hydrogel is a viable platform to study EV-mediated mineral nucleation and evaluate potential therapies for cardiovascular calcification

Engaging consumers with sustainable fashion on Instagram

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore drivers of consumer engagement with sustainable fashion brands on Instagram to specifically answer the research question: what drives popularity of sustainable fashion among digital consumers? Design/methodology/approach Twenty-five global fashion retailers were identified and categorized as either (a) sustainable fashion brands (SFB), (b) sustainably aware mainstream brands (SAB) or (c) traditional fashion brands (TFB). Content analysis of the 25 retailer's Instagram posts over a three-week period was analyzed and categorized according to content theme. Data were analyzed for quantity of Likes and Comments (engagement) to identify engagement strategies with each of the brand groups. Findings It was found that different strategies may be taken regarding social media strategy for SFB, SAB or TFB. Consumers were engaged with unfamiliar content, for instance, sustainability to a consumer unfamiliar with the topic or how it applies to a specific brand. Digital consumers were looking for exciting and aesthetically pleasing posts. Specifically, all consumers were engaged with posts about Fashion and Lifestyle. Practical implications As the result of this study, sustainable fashion best practices and social media strategies were presented for the three brand categories of fashion retailers. Originality/value This study analyzed a cross-section of global fashion brands and identified “best practices” for digital consumer engagement with sustainable messages through Instagram. The findings provide original value, specifically in the area of fashion marketing via social media to communicate brand identify to digital consumers for brand growth.This accepted article is published as Testa, D.S., Bakhshian, S. and Eike, R. (2021), "Engaging consumers with sustainable fashion on Instagram", Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, Vol. 25 No. 4, pp. 569-584. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-11-2019-0266. Posted with permission.Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited<br

New insights into complex interactions between heterogeneity and wettability influencing dynamics of two‐phase flow in porous media

Bureau of Economic Geolog

Attitudes and Knowledge of Iranian Nurses about Hospice Care

CONTEXT: Due to expansion of chronic diseases and increase of health care costs, there is a need for planning and delivering hospice care for patients in their final stages of life in Iran. The aim of the present study is to investigate the knowledge and attitudes of nurses about delivering hospice care for End of Life (EOL) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2012 with a sample size of 200 nurses that were selected by convenient (available) sampling. The data collection instrument was a self-administered questionnaire whose validity was approved by experts' opinions and its reliability was approved by test-retest method. RESULTS: Among all participants of this study, 87% were female. The mean age of nurses was 32.00 ± 6.72. From all respondents 62% stated that they have no knowledge about hospice care and 80% declared that need for hospice care is increasing. Most of the participants felt that, appropriate services are not presented to patients in the final stages of their lives. About 80% believed that hospice care leads to reduction of health care costs, improvement of physical, mental and social health of patients and finally improvement of the quality of health care services. There was a significant relationship between age, employment history and level of education of nurses and their attitude and knowledge about how this service is provided. CONCLUSION: In view of the increase in chronic illnesses and the costs of caring, the need for provision of hospice care is felt more and more every day. However the awareness level of nurses about these services is low. Therefore the need for including these issues in nursing curriculum and holding scientific courses and seminars in this field is needed

Smart drug delivery: Capping strategies for mesoporous silica nanoparticles

Systematic delivery of therapeutic agents to specific sites, with a stimulus-responsive drug release profile is currently a rapidly growing area. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) are the useful platforms as drug/gene delivery systems due to their unique properties including the ability to control the pore size, high porosity, and morphology, which can directly affect the mechanism and profile of drug release. The appropriate fabrication strategy can tailor the particle shape and size, leading to enhanced delivery and release mechanisms. The MSN surface can be modified by using either organic or inorganic molecules to induce smart and site-specific drug delivery and release. Furthermore, application of molecules that function as pore gatekeepers with the ability to uncap via physiochemical stimuli can enhance the efficiency of drug delivery and release. This report aims to highlight the recent efforts and developments of strategies applied to render MSNs smarter and more effective for drug delivery applications. © 2020 Elsevier Inc

Effect of deformation on the thermal conductivity of granular porous media with rough grain surface

Heat transfer in granular porous media is an important phenomenon that is relevant to a wide variety of problems, including geothermal reservoirs and enhanced oil recovery by thermal methods. Resistance to flow of heat in the contact area between the grains strongly influences the effective thermal conductivity of such porous media. Extensive experiments have indicated that the roughness of the grains\u27 surface follows self‐affine fractal stochastic functions, and thus, the contact resistance cannot be accounted for by models based on smooth surfaces. Despite the significance of rough contact area, the resistance has been accounted for by a fitting parameter in the models of heat transfer. In this Letter we report on a study of conduction in a packing of particles that contains a fluid of a given conductivity, with each grain having a rough self‐affine surface, and is under an external compressive pressure. The deformation of the contact area depends on the fractal dimension that characterizes the grains\u27 rough surface, as well as their Young\u27s modulus. Excellent qualitative agreement is obtained with experimental data. Deformation of granular porous media with grains that have rough self‐affine fractal surface is simulated. Thermal contact resistance between grains with rough surfaces is incorporated into the numerical simulation of heat conduction under compressive pressure. By increasing compressive pressure, thermal conductivity is enhanced more in the grains with smoother surfaces and lower Young\u27s modulus. Excellent qualitative agreement is obtained with the experimental data