Copper (Cu) and its alloys are prospective materials in fighting covid-19 virus and several microbial pandemics, due to its excellent antiviral as well as antimicrobial properties. Even though many ...studies have proved that copper and its alloys exhibit antiviral properties, this research arena requires further research attention. Several studies conducted on copper and its alloys have proven that copper-based alloys possess excellent potential in controlling the spread of infectious diseases. Moreover, recent studies indicate that these alloys can effectively inactivate the covid-19 virus. In view of this, the present article reviews the importance of copper and its alloys in reducing the spread and infection of covid-19, which is a global pandemic. The electronic databases such as ScienceDirect, Web of Science and PubMed were searched for identifying relevant studies in the present review article. The review starts with a brief description on the history of copper usage in medicine followed by the effect of copper content in human body and antiviral mechanisms of copper against covid-19. The subsequent sections describe the distinctive copper based material systems such as alloys, nanomaterials and coating technologies in combating the spread of covid-19. Overall, copper based materials can be propitiously used as part of preventive and therapeutic strategies in the fight against covid-19 virus.
NIR light responsiveness of dual drug encapsulated microcapsules for cancer chemo-photothermal therapy.
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•Weak polyelectrolyte based multilayer capsules incorporated with gold ...nanorods.•Co-encapsulation of hydrophilic doxorubicin and hydrophobic nimbin in same capsules.•Remotely activated release of doxorubicin and nimbin by NIR laser irradiation.•Effective in-vitro chemo-photothermal therapy.
Layer-by-layer (LbL) assembled poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and poly(methacrylic acid) (PMA) microcapsules were designed to incorporate gold nanorods (NRs) and co-encapsulate and release two drugs for cancer therapy. Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) microparticles modified with preformed NRs were used as sacrificial templates for the fabrication of hollow PAH/PMA/NR capsules incorporated with NRs. The hollow capsules were found to be 4.5 ± 0.5 µm in size and appeared with uniformly distributed NRs in the interior of the capsules. The morphology of the capsules transformed from pore free continuous structure to porous structure under laser light irradiation at 808 nm and 0.5 W cm−2. The encapsulation experiments showed that the hydrophilic drug (doxorubicin hydrochloride, Dox) was encapsulated in the interior of the capsules while the hydrophobic drug (nimbin, NB) was entrapped in the porous polymeric network of the layer components. The encapsulation efficiency was found to be 30% for both Dox and NB. The release experiments showed an initial burst release followed by sustained release up to 3 h. Notably, the release was completed within 30 min under NIR irradiation at 808 nm. The estimated IC50 values against THP-1 cells were 75 and 1.8 µM for NB and Dox, respectively. The dual drug loaded capsules showed excellent anticancer activity against THP-1 cells under NIR light exposure in in-vitro experiments. Thus, such remotely addressable dual-drug loaded capsules with the provision for encapsulation of natural drugs demonstrate high potential for use as theranostics in cancer therapy.
Strontium in Al–Si–Mg Alloy: A Review Ganesh, M. R. Sai; Reghunath, Nikhil; J.Levin, M. ...
Metals and materials international,
2022/1, Letnik:
28, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
The present article reviews the development of cast aluminium alloy with highlights on improvement in the morphological, mechanical, tribological, and ageing properties of Sr modified Al–Si and ...Al–Si–Mg alloys. Aluminium and its alloys find application in the automobile and aviation industries. The main objective of utilizing aluminium alloys for structural application, manufacturing of pistons and engine block for automobile industries is its lightweight and low density. However, the low hardness of these alloys results in a high wear rate. The main factor that affects the properties of aluminium alloys is its microstructure, morphological behaviour, size of the grain and phase distribution. The morphological modification for these alloys is done through different processing techniques like casting, heat treatment, solutionising, and alloying element addition which augments the mechanical, corrosion, and tribological behaviour of these alloys. Of the alloying element additions Sr has proved to a very effective modifier for the alloy, and hence the method of modification was studied in detail. The unwanted effects especially porosity, being one of the main factors for failure of components, were investigated and methods to reduce it according to many researchers were included. Reinforcing the aluminium matrix with ceramic particles and surface modification also enhances the properties of aluminium alloys. The current article reviews the recent techniques to augment the microstructure, value of hardness, tensile properties, tribological properties, and corrosion behaviour of cast Al–Si and Al–Si–Mg alloys by the addition of strontium. Moreover, this review also focuses on the future scope of these aluminium alloys for structural application in automobile and lightweight industries.
Graphic Abstract
BBV152 is a whole-virion inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine that has been deployed in India. The results of the phase 3 trial have shown clinical efficacy of BBV152. We aimed to evaluate the ...effectiveness of BBV152 against symptomatic RT-PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection.
We conducted a test-negative, case-control study among employees of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (a tertiary care hospital in New Delhi, India), who had symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 and had an RT-PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 during the peak of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in India between April 15 and May 15, 2021. Cases (test-positives) and controls (test-negatives) were matched (1:1) on the basis of age and gender. The odds of vaccination with BBV152 were compared between cases and controls and adjusted for level of occupational exposure (to COVID-19), previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, and calendar time, using conditional logistic regression. The primary outcome was effectiveness of two doses of BBV152 (with the second dose received at least 14 days before testing) in reducing the odds of symptomatic RT-PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, expressed as (1 – odds ratio) × 100%.
Between April 15 and May 15, 2021, 3732 individuals had an RT-PCR test. Of these, 2714 symptomatic employees had data on vaccination status, and 1068 matched case-control pairs were available for analysis. The adjusted effectiveness of BBV152 against symptomatic COVID-19 after two doses administered at least 14 days before testing was 50% (95% CI 33–62; p<0·0001). The adjusted effectiveness of two doses administered at least 28 days before testing was 46% (95% CI 22–62) and administered at least 42 days before testing was 57% (21–76). After excluding participants with previous SARS-CoV-2 infections, the adjusted effectiveness of two doses administered at least 14 days before testing was 47% (95% CI 29–61).
This study shows the effectiveness of two doses of BBV152 against symptomatic COVID-19 in the context of a huge surge in cases, presumably dominated by the potentially immune-evasive delta (B.1.617.2) variant of SARS-CoV-2. Our findings support the ongoing roll-out of this vaccine to help control the spread of SARS-CoV-2, while continuing the emphasis on adherence to non-pharmacological measures.
None.
For the Hindi translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.
We previously reported that chitosan nanoparticle-encapsulated Naringenin (CS-NPs/NAR) could scavenge free radicals at lower doses and be cytotoxic to cancer cells. The current study continues to ...focus on the mechanism behind CS-NPs/NAR-induced breast cancer cell (MDA-MB-231) death. MDA-MB-231 cells were treated with higher concentrations (100, 200, and 200 µg) of Chitosan nanoparticles (CS-NPs), naringenin (NAR), and chitosan-encapsulated naringenin (CS-NPs/NAR). The cell viability, proliferation, and oxidative stress parameters, such as nitric oxide NO, xanthine oxidase (XOD), and xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH) levels, were analyzed. ROS levels were determined through DCFDA analysis. MTT-based cell cytotoxicity and BrdU cell proliferation analysis depicted the cytotoxicity effects (37% and 29% for 24 and 48 h) and exhibited a reduction in the proliferation of MDA-MB-231 by CS-NPs/NAR. A significant increase in NO content, XOD, a decrease in XDH, and an increase in ROS levels were observed upon treatment with CS-NPs/NAR. Fluorescent images suggested the increase in the ROS level upon treatment with CS-NPs/NAR in cancer cells, and the results suggested that it could induce apoptosis. Further, to confirm this, the activity of caspase-3 was analyzed through western blotting, and the result suggested that the higher concentration of CS-NPs/NAR has increased the activation of procaspase3 when compared to free NAR. Hence, the current investigation concludes that high doses of CS-NPs/NAR induce and increase oxidative stress and so increased activation of procaspase3 may lead to cancer cell apoptosis and reduction in cell proliferation.
The main objective of the present analysis is to study an enhancement of heat transfer in an unsteady rotating flow for the aqueous suspensions of single wall nanotubes under nonlinear thermal ...radiation. Appropriate transformations are implemented for the conversion of partial differential systems into a set of ordinary differential equations. The transformed expressions have been scrutinized through RKF-45 order method along with shooting technique. The impact of various pertinent parameters for the velocity and temperature fields are analyzed through graphs in detail. Also, the role of substantial parameters on the fiction factor and mass transportation rates is determined and conferred in depth through graphs. Our simulations established that the higher value of rotation rate parameter reduces the thickness of the momentum boundary layer thickness. Further, an unsteadiness parameter increases velocity and temperature profile decreases.
Embryonic development is dictated by tight regulation of DNA replication, cell division and differentiation. Mutations in DNA repair and replication genes disrupt this equilibrium, giving rise to ...neurodevelopmental disease characterized by microcephaly, short stature and chromosomal breakage. Here, we identify biallelic variants in two components of the RAD18-SLF1/2-SMC5/6 genome stability pathway, SLF2 and SMC5, in 11 patients with microcephaly, short stature, cardiac abnormalities and anemia. Patient-derived cells exhibit a unique chromosomal instability phenotype consisting of segmented and dicentric chromosomes with mosaic variegated hyperploidy. To signify the importance of these segmented chromosomes, we have named this disorder Atelís (meaning - incomplete) Syndrome. Analysis of Atelís Syndrome cells reveals elevated levels of replication stress, partly due to a reduced ability to replicate through G-quadruplex DNA structures, and also loss of sister chromatid cohesion. Together, these data strengthen the functional link between SLF2 and the SMC5/6 complex, highlighting a distinct role for this pathway in maintaining genome stability.
The management of post-consumer discarded plastic wastes (PCPW) creates new challenges in developing countries due to the lack of amenities, technological interventions, and associated negative ...environmental externalities. The fate of untreated recyclable and non-recyclable plastic wastes lies in open dumping along with other solid waste, and improper management leads to environmental externalities such as pollution, global climate change, and health issues. Additionally, open dumping upsurges the emerging microplastics and nano plastics (MNPs) contaminants. The externalities depend on the waste generating sources (household, industries, commercial), waste composition, and its characteristics. However, urban mining can minimize environmental externalities where waste plastics can convert into potential anthropogenic resources and also helps in achieving the target of sustainable development goals (SDGs 11 & 12). Moreover, various treatment technologies that help in the sustainable utilization of plastic wastes are extensively reviewed in this study and evaluate the costs benefits arising during various stages of treating plastic waste through recycling (R), incineration (I), and landfilling (L). The recycling of plastic waste has demonstrated the lowest impact on global warming potential (GWP) and total energy use (TEU), followed by landfilling and incineration (R < L < I). Nevertheless, when energy is recovered from inert (non-recyclable) plastic waste in the form of fuel or by its utilization in construction purposes, the environmental impacts are more negligible (Incineration < Landfilling). Therefore, this study determines the significance of circular economy with legislative approach and standards on plastic waste management, which help in reducing environmental externalities besides yielding a secondary resource as energy and materials through urban mining. A sustainable plastic waste management (SPWM) model is proposed for developing countries to convert plastic waste into resources and use it as a sustainable tool in urban mining.
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•Globally, 0.4 billion tons of plastic wastes have been generated.•Mismanagement of plastic waste creates negative environmental externalities.•The SPWM model reduces environmental externalities.•Urban mining is a sustainable tool to convert plastic waste into resources.
•The Interplay between stress fields and finite size effects profoundly influences the coherent to semi-coherent transition.•Compressive stress expands the phase field of the coherent state, while ...tensile stress has the opposite effect.•The re-entrant interface character transition to the coherent state can be suppressed by tensile stress.•In 'very small' domains the coherent state can be stabilized in spite of being subjected to tensile stress.
In systems with 'moderate' misfit, on nucleation and in the initial stages of the growth, precipitate crystals may be coherent with the matrix. This reduces the interfacial chemical energy; but a higher cost is paid in terms of the energy stored in the long range strain fields. On the growth beyond a critical size (r*), the energy of the system is minimized via the formation of interfacial misfit dislocation loops. It has been shown that the coherent state is stable in two separate size regimes of the precipitate in finite bodies (i.e. shows a re-entrant interface character transition) and further the coherent state can be fully stabilized below a critical size of the domain (R*). The presence of stress fields in the material, either due to internal sources or due to externally applied loads, is expected to alter the magnitude of the r*. In the current work, finite element simulations are used to study the effect of elastic stress fields on r*. The Cu-2wt.%γFe alloy is used as a model system towards this end. A map is generated demarcating the regions of stability of the coherent and semi-coherent states; with normalized r*, domain size (R) and elastic stress (σyy) as axes. We conclude the following. (i) Stresses of the order of GPa leads to a change in r*. (ii) The re-entrant interface character transition to the coherent state is suppressed by tensile stress. (iii) The coherent state is stabilized due to compressive stress. (iv) Compressive stress expands the phase field of the coherent state, while tensile stress has the opposite effect. (v) In 'very small' domains the coherent state can be stabilized in spite of being subjected to tensile stress.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a progressive lung disease with a high mortality rate. Because the signaling pathways activated by several tyrosine kinase receptors have been shown to be involved in ...lung fibrosis, it has been suggested that the inhibition of these receptors may slow the progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
In a 12-month, phase 2 trial, we assessed the efficacy and safety of four different oral doses of the tyrosine kinase inhibitor BIBF 1120 as compared with placebo in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The primary end point was the annual rate of decline in forced vital capacity (FVC). Secondary end points included acute exacerbations, quality of life (measured with the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire SGRQ), and total lung capacity.
A total of 432 patients underwent randomization to receive one of four doses of BIBF 1120 (50 mg once a day, 50 mg twice a day, 100 mg twice a day, or 150 mg twice a day) or placebo. In the group receiving 150 mg of BIBF 1120 twice a day, FVC declined by 0.06 liters per year, as compared with 0.19 liters per year in the placebo group, a 68.4% reduction in the rate of loss with BIBF 1120 (P = 0.06 with the closed testing procedure for multiplicity correction; P = 0.01 with the hierarchical testing procedure). This dose also resulted in a lower incidence of acute exacerbations, as compared with placebo (2.4 vs. 15.7 per 100 patient-years, P = 0.02) and a small decrease in the SGRQ score (assessed on a scale of 0 to 100, with lower scores indicating better quality of life) as compared with an increase with placebo (-0.66 vs. 5.46, P = 0.007). Gastrointestinal symptoms (which led to more discontinuations in the group receiving 150 mg twice a day than in the placebo group) and increases in levels of liver aminotransferases were more frequent in the group receiving 150 mg of BIBF 1120 twice daily than in the placebo group.
In patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, BIBF 1120 at a dose of 150 mg twice daily, as compared with placebo, was associated with a trend toward a reduction in the decline in lung function, with fewer acute exacerbations and preserved quality of life. (Funded by Boehringer Ingelheim; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00514683 .).
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