Fabrication of poly(ϵ-caprolactone)/paclitaxel (core)/chitosan/zein/multi-walled carbon nanotubes/doxorubicin (shell) nanofibers against MCF-7 breast cancer

In the present study, paclitaxel (PTX), multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), and doxorubicin (DOX) have been simultaneously doped into the poly(ϵ-caprolactone) (PCL)/chitosan/zein core-shell nanofibers to increase its cytotoxicity for MCF-7 breast cancers killing. The physico-chemical properties of synthesized nanofibers were determined by scanning electron microscope, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, tensile strength, and degradation rate determinations. The in vitro release studies demonstrated the sustained release of drugs from core-shell nanofibrous scaffold. The cytotoxicity and compatibility of core-shell nanofibers were investigated by their treating with MCF-7 breast cancer cells and L929 normal cells, respectively. PCL/PTX/chitosan/zein/MWCNTs/DOX core-shell nanofibers containing 1 wt% MWCNTs, 100 μg ml⁻¹ DOX and 100 μg ml⁻¹ PTX had a high biocompatibility with a 84% MCF-7 cancer cells killing. The in vivo studies revealed the synergic effects of MWCNTs and anticancer drugs on the tumor inhibition. This method could be considered as a new way for developing of MWCNTs loaded-nanofibers for cancer treatment in future.     

Targeted Delivery of Anticancer Drug Loaded Charged PLGA Polymeric Nanoparticles Using Electrostatic Field

Pure positive electrostatic charges (PPECs) show suppressive effect on the proliferation and metabolism of invasive cancer cells without affecting normal tissues. PPECs are used for the delivery of drug-loaded polymeric nanoparticles (DLNs) capped with negatively charged poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) and Poly(vinyl-alcohol) PVA into the tumor site of mouse models. The charged patch is installed on top of the skin in the mouse models' tumor region, and the controlled selective release of the drug is assayed by biochemical, radiological, and histological experiments on both tumorized models and normal rats' livers. It is found that DLNs synthesized by PLGA show great attraction to PPECs due to their stable negative charges, which would not degrade immediately in blood. The burst and drug release after less than 48h of this synthesized DLNs are 10% and 50%, respectively. These compounds can deliver the loaded-drug into the tumor site with the assistance of PPECs, and the targeted-retarded release will take place. Hence, local therapy can be achieved with much lower drug concentration (conventional chemotherapy [2 mg kg⁻¹] versus DLNs-based chemotherapy [0.75 mg kg⁻¹]) with negligible side effects in non-targeted organs. PPECs have many potential clinical applications for advanced-targeted chemotherapy with the lowest discernible side effects.     

Guanidine Hydrochloride: A Highly Efficient Organocatalyst for the Synthesis of 12‐Aryl‐8,9,10,12‐tetrahydrobenzo[a]xanthene‐11‐ones Under Solvent‐Free Conditions

A new green protocol has been developed for the synthesis of 12‐aryl‐8,9,10,12‐tetrahydrobenzo[a]xanthen‐11‐ones using guanidine hydrochloride as an organocatalyst under solvent‐free conditions. Operational simplicity, mild reaction conditions, enhanced rates, high isolated yields of the pure products, and purification of products by nonchromatographic methods are significant advantages of the protocol presented here.     

Dark energy cosmology with tachyon field in teleparallel gravity

We construct a tachyon teleparallel dark energy model for a homogeneous and isotropic flat universe in which a tachyon as a non-canonical scalar field is non-minimally coupled to gravity in the framework of teleparallel gravity. The explicit form of potential and coupling functions are obtained under the assumption that the Lagrangian admits the Noether symmetry approach. The dynamical behavior of the basic cosmological observables is compared to recent observational data, which implies that the tachyon field may serve as a candidate for dark energy.     

A simple and high sensitive spectrophotometric method for ultra trace determination of ruthenium with its catalytic effect on the oxidation of pyronin B by periodate

A new simple, selective, high sensitive and rapid method has been developed for spectrophotometric determination of ultra trace amounts of ruthenium based on its catalytic effect on the oxidation of pyronin B by periodate at lambdamax=555 nm. The described method is able to quantify ruthenium in the range of 0.1-100 ng ml-1 (r=0.9973), with a detection limit (S/N=3) of 0.036 ng ml-1. Under optimum conditions, this procedure has been successfully applied to determine the trace levels of ruthenium in the environmental and biological samples. The precision, expressed as relative standard deviation of three measurements, is better than 2.44%.     

Spectrophotometric study of acidity constants of Alizarine Red S in various water-organic solvent

The acidity constants of Alizarine Red S were determined spectrophotometrically at 25 degrees C and at constant ionic strength 0.1 M (KNO3) in pure water as well as in aqueous media containing variable mole percentages (5-70%) of organic solvents. The organic solvents used were methanol, ethanol, N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), acetonitrile and dioxan. The acidity constants of all related equilibria are estimated using the whole spectral fitting of the collected data to an established factor analysis model. DATAN program was applied for determining of acidity constants and pure spectra of different form of Alizarine Red S. The obtained results indicated that acidity constants decrease as the content of an organic solvent in the medium increases. There are linear relationship between acidity constants and the mole fraction of various organic solvents in the solvent mixtures. Effect of various solvents on acidity constants and pure spectrum of each component are also discussed.     

Synthesis of a Photoaffinity‐Labeled (11Z)‐Retinal: Identification of Retinal/Rhodopsin Cross‐Linked Sites along the Visual‐Transduction Path

The retinal chromophore (11Z)‐3‐diazo‐4‐oxoretinal ( 1 ) with two photo‐labile moieties has been synthesized by semi‐hydrogenation of an 11‐yne precursor with activated Zn in aqueous media. Incorporation of 1 into opsin yielded diazoketo rhodopsin (DK‐Rh), which, upon bleaching, gave rise to intermediates batho‐Rh, lumi‐Rh, meta‐Rh, and meta‐II‐Rh corresponding to those of native Rh but at lower temperatures. Photoaffinity labeling of DK‐Rh and these bleaching intermediates showed that the ionone ring cross‐linked to Trp265 of helix F in DK‐Rh and batho intermediate, and to Ala169 of helix D in lumi, meta‐I, and meta‐II intermediates. These results demonstrate the occurrence of large conformational changes along the visual transduction path, which, in turn, is responsible for activation of the G‐protein.     

Modeling interface shear behavior of granular materials using micro-polar continuum approach

Recently, the authors have focused on the shear behavior of interface between granular soil body and very rough surface of moving bounding structure. For this purpose, they have used finite element method and a micro-polar elasto-plastic continuum model. They have shown that the boundary conditions assumed along the interface have strong influences on the soil behavior. While in the previous studies, only very rough bounding interfaces have been taken into account, the present investigation focuses on the rough, medium rough and relatively smooth interfaces. In this regard, plane monotonic shearing of an infinite extended narrow granular soil layer is simulated under constant vertical pressure and free dilatancy. The soil layer is located between two parallel rigid boundaries of different surface roughness values. Particular attention is paid to the effect of surface roughness of top and bottom boundaries on the shear behavior of granular soil layer. It is shown that the interaction between roughness of bounding structure surface and the rotation resistance of bounding grains can be modeled in a reasonable manner through considered Cosserat boundary conditions. The influence of surface roughness is investigated on the soil shear strength mobilized along the interface as well as on the location and evolution of shear localization formed within the layer. The obtained numerical results have been qualitatively compared with experimental observations as well as DEM simulations, and acceptable agreement is shown.     

Aeroelastic analysis of a rotating wind turbine blade using a geometrically exact formulation

In this paper, an aeroelastic analysis of a rotating wind turbine blade is performed by considering the effects of geometrical nonlinearities associated with large deflection of the blade produced during wind turbine operation. This source of nonlinearity has become more important in the dynamic analysis of flexible blades used in more recent multi-megawatt wind turbines. The structural modeling, involving the coupled edgewise, flapwise and torsional DOFs, has been performed by using a nonlinear geometrically exact beam formulation. The aerodynamic model is presented based on the strip theory, by applying the principles of quasi-steady and unsteady airfoil aerodynamics. Compared to the conventional steady aerodynamic model, the presented model offers a more realistic consideration of fluid–structure interactions. The resulting governing equation, expanded up to the third-order terms, is analyzed by using the reduced-order model (ROM). The ROM is developed by employing the coupled mode shapes of a cantilever blade under free loading condition. The specifications of the 5MW-NREL wind turbine are used in the simulation study. After verifying the ROM results by comparing them with those of the full FEM model, the model is used in additional static, modal and transient dynamics analyses. The results indicate the important effect of geometrical nonlinearity, especially for larger structural deformations. Moreover, nonlinear analyses reveal the important effects of torsion induced by lateral deformations. It is also found that the governing equation is more efficient, and sufficiently accurate, when it is developed by using the second-order kinetic terms, third-order potential terms and the second-order aerodynamic terms together with third-order damping. Finally, the effects of nonlinearities on the flutter characteristics of wind turbine blades are evaluated through frequency and dynamic analyses.