Economically feasible approaches are needed for wastewater treatment. Electrocoagulation (EC) is an electrochemical treatment method that removes various pollutants from wastewater. It has grown in ...popularity over conventional treatment methods, especially in industrial wastewater, due to its high performance and the ability to remove toxic compounds. However, it is crucial to reduce the costs associated with EC for widespread implementation. It is also important to decrease nickel (Ni) concentrations in wastewater to prevent potential health and environmental problems. Therefore, this study investigates Ni removal from synthetic and real wastewater using electrocoagulation. Zinc, as a novel electrode, was used as the sacrificial anode. Several operating conditions were assessed, including current density, initial pH, electrolysis time, and spacing between electrodes. The maximum Ni removal efficiency, after 90 min, reached 99.9% at a current density of 10 mA/cm
2
when the pH was 9.2 and the gap distance was 4 cm. The Ni removal rate reached 94.4% and 94.9% at a 2- and 6-cm spacing, respectively, after 90 min. Anode morphology, kinetic modeling, electrical energy consumption, and cost analysis were also investigated. The type of corrosion was uniform, which is easily predicted compared to pitting corrosion. The comparison between chemical coagulation and electrocoagulation was also reported. Experimental results indicated that the maximum Ni removal rates reached 99.89% after 90 min. The optimum spacing between electrodes was 4 cm, and the optimum current density was 10 mA/cm
2
. Additionally, the kinetic data were best represented through the second-order Lagergren model. The results demonstrated that the electrocoagulation performance was better than that of chemical coagulation for Ni removal. The maximum electrical energy consumption was 23.79 KWh/m
3
for Ni removal.
The removal of phenolic compounds from aqueous solutions using novel adsorption techniques becomes a key research item. Of those, nanoparticles in particular, the low-cost and the high-strength ...aluminum oxide nanoparticles showed promising results in pollutant uptake and increase in the adsorption efficiency. This study examined various physicochemical process parameters such as temperature, pH, initial phenol concentration, and adsorbent doses, in addition to the impact of those parameters on the adsorption removal mechanism of phenol. The results highlighted that aluminum oxide nanoparticles successfully exhibited superior phenol removal from an aqueous solution in addition to a high potential regeneration of the consumed nanoparticles by HCl. For the adsorbent mass of 0.5 g, phenol adsorption uptake reached 92%. Kinetic studies performed using several models demonstrated the data best fitting with a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Examining equilibrium studies of various isotherms, the adsorption data of phenol into aluminum oxide nanoparticles was confirmed to be controlled by film diffusion and best represented by the Langmuir isotherm. The maximum capacity of adsorption was 16.97 mg/g. For thermodynamics studies, the results indicated that the adsorption process can vary between endothermic and exothermic reactions. Such relative differences in heat generation and spontaneity in adsorption processes were demonstrated and confirmed by principal component analysis (PCA). This evidence is key for future investigations for the efficiency of adsorption conditions concerning the contaminant type and adsorbate compounds.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the furthermost advanced neurodegenerative disorders resulting in cognitive and behavioral impairment. Citicoline sodium (CIT) boosts the brain's secretion of ...acetylcholine, which aids in membrane regeneration and repair. However, it suffers from poor blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeation, which results in lower levels of CIT in the brain.
This study targeted to encapsulate CIT into novel nano-platform transbilosomes decorated with hyaluronic acid CIT-HA*TBLs to achieve enhanced drug delivery from the nose to the brain.
A method of thin-film hydration was utilized to prepare different formulae of CIT-TBLs using the Box-Behnken design. The optimized formula was then hyuloranated via integration of HA to form the CIT-HA*TBLs formula. Furthermore, AD induction was performed by aluminum chloride (Alcl
), animals were allocated, and brain hippocampus tissue was isolated for ELISA and qRT-PCR analysis of malondialdehyde (MDA), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB), and microRNA-137 (miR-137) coupled with immunohistochemical amyloid-beta (Aβ
42) expression and histopathological finding.
The hyuloranated CIT-HA*TBLs formula, which contained the following ingredients: PL (300 mg), Sp 60 (43.97 mg), and SDC (20 mg). They produced spherical droplets at the nanoscale (178.94 ±12.4 nm), had a high entrapment efficiency with 74.92± 5.54%, had a sustained release profile of CIT with 81.27 ±3.8% release, and had ex vivo permeation of CIT with 512.43±19.58 μg/cm
. In vivo tests showed that CIT-HA*TBL thermogel dramatically reduces the hippocampus expression of miR-137 and (Aβ
42) expression, boosting cholinergic neurotransmission and decreasing MDA and NF-kB production. Furthermore, CIT-HA*TBLs thermogel mitigate histopathological damage in compared to the other groups.
Succinctly, the innovative loading of CIT-HA*TBLs thermogel is a prospectively invaluable intranasal drug delivery system that can raise the efficacy of CIT in Alzheimer's management.
The Red Sea specimen of the marine sponge
(order Dictyoceratida) was found to contain scalarane-type sesterterpenes. 12-
-deacetyl-12,19-di-
-scalarin (
), a new scalarane sesterterpenoid, along with ...fourteen previously-reported scalarane-type sesterterpenes (
⁻
and
) have been isolated. The chemical structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated on the basis of detailed 1D and 2D NMR spectral data and mass spectroscopy, as well as by comparison with reported data. The anti-
, antitubercular and cytotoxic activities of all fifteen compounds were evaluated to reveal the potency of Compounds
,
,
,
,
,
and
. Amongst these, Compounds
,
,
,
and
displayed a promising bioactivity profile, possessing potent activities in the antitubercular and anti-
bioassay. Compounds
and
showed the most promising cytotoxic profile, while Compounds
and
showed a moderate cytotoxic profile against MCF-7, HCT-116 and HepG2 cell lines.
Cardiosphere-derived cells (CDCs), one of the promising stem cell sources for myocardial repair, have been tested in clinical trials and resulted in beneficial effects; however, the relevant ...mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study, we examined the hypothesis that CDCs favor heart repair by switching the macrophages from a pro-inflammatory phenotype (M1) into a regulatory anti-inflammatory phenotype (M2). Macrophages from mice were cultured with CDCs-conditioned medium or with fibroblasts-conditioned medium as a control. Immunostaining showed that CDCs-conditioned medium significantly enhanced the expression of CD206 (a marker for M2 macrophages), but decreased the expression of CD86 (a marker for M1 macrophages) 3 days after culture. For animal studies, we used an acute myocardial infarction model of mice. We injected CDCs, fibroblasts, or saline only into the border zone of infarction. Then we collected the heart tissues for histological analysis 5 and 14 days after treatment. Compared with control animals, CDCs treatment significantly decreased M1 macrophages and neutrophils but increased M2 macrophages in the infarcted heart. Furthermore, CDCs-treated mice had reduced infarct size and fewer apoptotic cells compared to the controls. Our data suggest that CDCs facilitate heart repair by modulating M1/M2 macrophage polarization and neutrophil recruitment, which may provide a new insight into the mechanisms of stem cell-based myocardial repair.
A modification of the conventional dumbbell-shaped coplanar waveguide defected ground structure (DGS) is proposed. This modification permits the continuous tuning of the rejected frequencies by using ...reconfiguration technique and it allows the control of the DGS equivalent-circuit model. The modified DGS possesses two-dimensional symmetry, hence, it has been studied under different symmetry conditions and the corresponding equivalent-circuit model in each case has been developed. Based upon this study, a tunable bandstop DGS resonator is proposed. 19% tuning range centered at 3.7 and 7.4 GHz, respectively, is achieved. The equivalent-circuit model of the resonator is also developed. All proposed structures have been fabricated. Measurements as well as three-dimensional simulations are found to be in a very good agreement with theoretical predictions
•Novel glass-ceramic materials based on enstatite and leucite were fabricated and investigated for use in dental applications.•Crystallization increases with an increasing percentage of enstatite.•By ...increasing the percentage of enstatite, the mechanical properties are improved.•Chemical resistance and density increase with increasing enstatite content.•Increasing the percentage of leucite helps in surface crystallization.
For fabrication of novel glass-ceramic materials for use as dental restoration, seven glass compositions of different calculated percentages of enstatite and leucite, ranging from 10% to 70% enstatite, at 10% intervals, were prepared. Batches were melted in electric furnace at 1600°C-1670°C for 3-4 hours, casted, annealed, then subjected to heat treatments. Phase analysis using x-ray diffraction and microstructural characterization via scanning electron microscope were obtained. In addition, density, Vickers microhardness, flexural strength, and chemical solubility measurement were performed according to dental ceramics standards.
Phase analysis revealed the characteristic peaks of leucite, forsterite, enstatite, and quartz that were confirmed through the microstructural investigations. Superior microhardness (9.081 GPa), flexural strength (122.075 MPa) and chemical durability (0.026% weight loss) were documented for 70% enstatite and 30% leucite glass-ceramic sample, suggesting its use in many dental applications. It was concluded that density, mechanical properties and chemical resistance increase with increasing enstatite content.
This Letter presents a novel pseudo-omnidirectional antenna that is appropriate for wide beam applications, e.g. handheld devices, along with a reduced back radiation that suits wearable applications ...as well. The design consists of a horizontal omnidirectional antenna placed on a proposed artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) surface that enhances the gain in the broadside direction, reduces the back radiation, and enables good radiation in the side directions. A 5 GHz folded dipole on a 2 × 2 AMC array surface is designed and characterised. Simulations and measurements, which are in a very good agreement, show that the radiation has a heart-shaped pattern, with a front to back ratio of >13 dB, a front to side ratio of <2.5 dB, and a half-power beam width of >230°.
This article presents novel wideband fully differential hybrid and rat-race couplers whose design methodologies are based on the multimode star junction. The couplers benefit from the even and odd ...modes of the slotted-microstrip sections that constitute the junction to realize compact equivalent transmission lines, while they exploit the characteristics of the slotline to achieve differential ports with wideband performance and high common mode rejection ratio (CMRR). The differential signals are extracted through slotline to coupled-microstrip line transitions that maintain the phase relation between the ports. Measurements, which are in good agreement with electromagnetic (EM) and circuit simulations, confirm the theoretical predictions. The proposed hybrid coupler has 12% and 33.3% 15-dB return loss (RL)/isolation and 3-dB fractional bandwidths (FBWs), respectively, <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">0.6\lambda _{g} \times 0.6\lambda _{g} </tex-math></inline-formula> size, and 0.6-dB insertion loss (IL). While the proposed rat-race coupler has 32.5% and 35% 15-dB RL/isolation and 3-dB FBWs, respectively, <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">0.7\lambda _{g} \times 0.7\lambda _{g} </tex-math></inline-formula> size, and 0.6-dB IL. For both structures, the CMRR exceeds 50 dB at the operating frequency and the CM rejection FBW exceeds 300%.
Fluorouracil (5-FU) is an antimetabolite drug used in the treatment of various malignancies, such as colon and skin cancers. However, its systemic administration results in severe side effects. ...Topical 5-FU delivery for the treatment of skin cancer could circumvent these shortcomings, but it is limited by the drug poor permeability through the skin. To enhance 5-FU efficacy against skin cancer and reduce its systemic side effects, it was loaded into a gold nanoparticle (GNP)-based topical delivery system. 5-FU was loaded onto GNPs capped with CTAB through ionic interactions between 5-FU and CTAB. GNPs were prepared at different 5-FU/CTAB molar ratios and evaluated using different techniques. GNP stability and drug release were studied as a function of salt concentration and solution pH. Optimum 5-FU/CTAB-GNPs were incorporated into gel and cream bases, and their ex vivo permeability was evaluated in mice dorsal skin. The in vivo anticancer efficacy of the same preparations was evaluated in A431 tumor-bearing mice. The GNPs had spherical shape and a size of ∼16–150 nm. Maximum 5-FU entrapment was achieved at 5-FU/CTAB molar ratio of 1:1 and pH 11.5. Drug release from GNPs was sustained and pH-dependent. 5-FU GNP gel and cream had around 2-fold higher permeability through mice skin compared with free 5-FU gel and cream formulations. Further, in vivo studies in a mouse model having A431 skin cancer cells implanted in the subcutaneous space showed that the GNP gel and cream achieved 6.8- and 18.4-fold lower tumor volume compared with the untreated control, respectively. These results confirm the potential of topical 5-FU/CTAB-GNPs to enhance drug efficacy against skin cancer.
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