Targeted Polymeric Nanoparticles For Tumor Hypoxia Mediated Payload Delivery

Tumor hypoxia is an oxygen deprived condition that is generally localized at the central core of the (necrotic) tumors. The necrotic core is surrounded by rapidly proliferating tumor epithelial cells, angiogenic blood vessel and tumor stromal components. Accumulated literature data indicate that tumor hypoxia has important roles in inducing drug resistance and maintaining cancer stemness (supporting a sub-population of virulent cancer stem cells, CSCs) that negatively impact therapeutic outcome as well as promote tumor relapse and metastasis. Thus, there is an urgent unmet need to target tumor hypoxic and CSCs for achieving better therapeutic response to drug treatment. It has been found that cell surface enzymes such as carbonic anhydrases (CA) that catalyze the reversible conversion of CO2 to bicarbonate are upregulated in various types of hypoxic tumors such as Colorectal Cancer. Thus, targeting CA and it responsive protein, such as Hypoxia Inducing Factor-1α (HIF-1α) is an important strategy for selective cancer therapy. Further, it is believed that developing a dual targeting delivery system that acts on the CSCs such as CD44 is a more effective strategy of tumor therapy. Towards this end, several studies are ongoing to develop CA-specific small molecule, peptide, and antibody based inhibitors that can be utilized in combination with Hyaluronic acid for tumor hypoxia targeting as well as CSCs targeting. Along these lines, we propose to develop biocompatible polymeric micelles decorated with CA-inhibitors for therapeutic warhead delivery to Colorectal Cancer. Using this hypothesis, we intend to establish the proof-of-concept to show that targeting hypoxia can be a potent strategy for the treatment of highly aggressive and resistant cancers

MoSe2-WS2 Nanostructure for an Efficient Hydrogen Generation under White Light LED Irradiation

In this work, MoSe2-WS2 nanocomposites consisting of WS2 nanoparticles covered with few MoSe2 nanosheets were successfully developed via an easy hydrothermal synthesis method. Their nanostructure and photocatalytic hydrogen evolution (PHE) performance are investigated by a series of characterization techniques. The PHE rate of MoSe2-WS2 is evaluated under the white light LED irradiation. Under LED illumination, the highest PHE of MoSe2-WS2 nanocomposite is 1600.2 µmol g−1 h−1. When compared with pristine WS2, the MoSe2-WS2 nanostructures demonstrated improved PHE rate, which is 10-fold higher than that of the pristine one. This work suggests that MoSe2-WS2 could be a promising photocatalyst candidate and might stimulate the further studies of other layered materials for energy conversion and storage

Smart Non-Invasive Hemoglobin Measurement Using Portable Embedded Technology

Hemoglobin plays a major role for the existence of the healthy human being it carries oxygen supply to every cell for its survival in the entire body. As its level varies from person to person between 12-17 grams per deciliter if very high or low cause diseases. Usually low hemoglobin cause anemia in many of the women during pregnancy. In the present article the hemoglobin measurement is done noninvasively using the photoplethysmography method at the fingertip by Infrared LED with a wavelength of (880 – 940) nm and Red LED with wavelength of 660nm. The empirical calculation of Hemoglobin estimation is carried indirectly through model of oxygen saturation in skin-tissue- bone attenuation of the light on to the extremities. The analysis is supported by the Arduino IDE and MATLAB toolboxes for filtering the noise in signal and processing for target parameters. Further these real time parameters were sent to expertise to check for corrective ness and with the actual invasive methods   for diagnosing its course of action. Internet of Things (IOT) technology to the outside world communication through Android mobile App

Nanostructure stabilization in electrodeposited Al-Mg dendrites

Electrodeposited Al-Mg dendrites with globular morphology exhibited core-shell (coarse-fine) type microstructure with grain sizes similar to 100 and similar to 16 nm, respectively. The grain boundary and grain compositions of core are similar to 10 and similar to 6 at.% Mg, respectively. Those of shell are similar to 36 and similar to 20 at.% Mg, respectively. The excess Mg ratio at boundaries of shell and core (Gamma(Mgfine)/Gamma(Mgcoarse)) is 1.17:1. This relative grain, boundary segregation of Mg decreases the grain boundary energy from coarse to fine region and can result in nanostructure stabilization of fine shell at similar to 16 nm. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Anomalous Al-Mg Electrodeposition Using an Organometallic-Based Electrolyte

The Al-Mg electrodeposition is investigated using the organometallic-based electrolyte: Na[AlEt4]+2Na[Et3Al-H-AlEt3]+2.5AlEt(3)+6toluene (Et =-C2H5), employing Mg anode. With an increase of Mg in the deposit the predominant morphology and its composition changes from ground (90-95 atom% Al) to smooth globules (75-80 atom% Al) to rough globules (15-45 atom% Al). The ground and smooth globules possessed face centered cubic (fcc) Al(+Mg) phase and the rough globules possess hexagonal close packed (hcp) Mg(+Al) phase. The overall composition (atom% Al-the more noble metal) of the deposits is less than that of the electrolyte, and increases steeply with a slight change in the latter. This indicates the absence of preferred deposition of the more noble metal suggesting the anomalous electrodeposition of Al-Mg. A critical ratio of Al/Mg exists in the electrolyte beyond which the anomalousness is enhanced. This critical ratio is identified by the onset of hcp Mg(+Al) phase formation in the deposits. A lack of trend in the overall deposit composition with electrolyte agitation affirms the anomalous electrodeposition of Al-Mg system under present experimental conditions. (C) 2016 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved

Smart Non-Invasive Hemoglobin Measurement Using Portable Embedded Technology

Hemoglobin plays a major role for the existence of the healthy human being it carries oxygen supply to every cell for its survival in the entire body. As its level varies from person to person between 12-17 grams per deciliter if very high or low cause diseases. Usually low hemoglobin cause anemia in many of the women during pregnancy. In the present article the hemoglobin measurement is done noninvasively using the photoplethysmography method at the fingertip by Infrared LED with a wavelength of (880 – 940) nm and Red LED with wavelength of 660nm. The empirical calculation of Hemoglobin estimation is carried indirectly through model of oxygen saturation in skin-tissue- bone attenuation of the light on to the extremities. The analysis is supported by the Arduino IDE and MATLAB toolboxes for filtering the noise in signal and processing for target parameters. Further these real time parameters were sent to expertise to check for corrective ness and with the actual invasive methods   for diagnosing its course of action. Internet of Things (IOT) technology to the outside world communication through Android mobile App

Effect of calcination temperature on the microstructure and electronic properties of TiO2-ZnO nanocomposites and implications on photocatalytic activity

TiO2-ZnO nanocomposites with a constant Ti:Zn molar ratio of 1:0.1 were prepared via sol-gel process followed by calcination at 300, 400, 500, 600, and 700 degrees C. The structural and compositional characterizations of these nanocomposites were performed through XRD, FTIR, SEM, and EDAX. Bandgap was measured using DRS. Photocatalytic performance of the nanocomposites was evaluated by decolorization of methyl orange dye under UV and visible irradiation with and without aeration. The results showed that increase in calcination temperature resulted in nanocomposites with well-defined morphology. Although the particle size increased with increase in calcination temperature, the crystallinity of the particles also increased, resulting in enhanced photocatalytic activity. A temperature-dependent anatase-to-rutile phase transformation was observed in TiO2-ZnO nanocomposite beyond 600 degrees C. The calcination temperature influenced both dye adsorption on the nanocomposites and also dye decolorization by photocatalysis. Even when present at low molar concentration, ZnO in the nanocomposite caused sufficient decrease in bandgap (2.6 eV) at temperatures as low as 400 degrees C, such that visible irradiation could cause dye decolorization. However, the best decolorization performance was observed in the presence of the nanocomposite calcined at 600 degrees C. Aerated systems showed better performance in all cases. Desorption of the dye remaining adsorbed on the nanocomposite at the end of the photocatalytic reaction, confirmed that adsorption accounted for only 6.6 and 3% of dye removal in the nanocomposites calcined at 600 degrees C with UV and visible irradiation, respectively. However, in other systems, ignoring adsorption may cause significant overestimation in photocatalytic loss of dye from the system

Evolution of Morphology and Microstructure in Electrodeposited Nanocrystalline Al–Mg Alloy Dendrites

Nanocrystalline Al–Mg dendrites were fabricated through galvanostatic electrodeposition. Initially feather-like morphology was formed exhibiting morphological evolution to smooth globules at its tips. With eventual deposition, rough globules formed over the smooth ones. The feather-like and smooth globules possessed supersaturated face centered cubic (fcc)–Al(Mg) phase with ~7 and ~20 at.% Mg respectively. The rough globules contained hexagonal close packed (hcp)–Mg(Al) phase with ~80 at.% Mg. Microstructural examinations revealed that the feather-like and rough globules possessed grain sizes of ~42 ± 15 and ~36 ± 12 nm respectively. The region, which exhibited morphological evolution from feather-like to smooth globules, possessed ~16 ± 7 nm grain size. The observed microstructural and compositional features were attributed to the local current density values. The formation of the Al–Mg dendrites is discussed in this paper