mechanical preparation

Drying protein-based drugs, usually via lyophilization, can facilitate storage at ambient temperature and improve accessibility but many proteins cannot withstand drying and must be formulated with protective additives called excipients. However, mechanisms of protection are poorly understood, precluding rational formulation design. To better understand dry proteins and their protection, we examine Escherichia coli adenylate kinase (AdK) lyophilized alone and with the additives trehalose, maltose, bovine serum albumin, cytosolic abundant heat soluble protein D, histidine, and arginine...

Photocatalysis, which is an alternative technology to conventional methods, utilizes solar energy as the driving force to address environmental concerns and has attracted widespread attention from chemists worldwide. In this study, a series of photocatalytic materials composed of agricultural waste and titanium dioxide (TiO2 ) nanomaterial was prepared for the synergistic adsorption-photocatalytic reduction of hexavalent chromium in wastewater under mild conditions. The results showed that the TiO2 nanomaterial exhibited a higher photogenerated carrier separation efficiency and performance for the adsorption-photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) after loading straw biochar (BC)...

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber materials have gained immense recognition due to their good biocompatibility and wide applications. However, methods allowing the synergistic enhancement of mechanical strength and toughness of PVA fibers still remain a key challenge. To this end, we developed covalently cross-linked ultrastrong SiO2 -loaded polyvinyl alcohol fibers via a microfluidic spinning chemistry strategy. The thermal stretching and annealing processes not only promote the ordered arrangement of molecules, but also facilitate the ring opening reaction and increase crystallinity...

In this paper, a novel CeO2 /Co3 [Co(CN)6 ]2 (CeO2 /PBACo-Co ) composite was prepared with co-precipitation and utilized to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to eliminate tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH). Catalyst screening showed that the composite with a CeO2 :PBACo-Co mass ratio of 1:5 (namely, 0.2-CeO2 /PBACo-Co ) had the best performance. The degradation efficiency of TCH in 0.2-CeO2 /PBACo-Co /Oxone system was investigated. The experimental results illustrated that 98% of 50 mg/L TCH and 48.5% of TOC were degraded by 50 mg/L 0...

Neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE) is a potentially serious and life-threatening complication of SLE. The presentation and severity of neuropsychiatric involvement in SLE may show considerable variability. The disease can affect the neural tissue directly or may be associated with vascular involvement, mainly associated with anti-phospholipid (aPL) antibodies. A direct causal link with SLE may sometimes be challenging since there are many confounding factors and the symptoms may be non-specific...

mRNA vaccines have emerged as an optimistic technological platform for vaccine innovation in this new scientific era. mRNA vaccines have dramatically altered the domain of vaccinology by offering a versatile and rapid approach to combating infectious diseases and virus-induced cancers. Clinical trials have demonstrated efficacy rates of 94-95% in preventing COVID-19, and mRNA vaccines have been increasingly recognized as a powerful vaccine platform. Although mRNA vaccines have played an essential role in the COVID-19 pandemic, they still have several limitations; their instability and degradation affect their storage, delivery, and over-all efficiency...

The European Union's recent decision to renew the authorization for the use of glyphosate until 15 December 2033 has stimulated scientific discussion all around the world regarding its toxicity or otherwise for humans. Glyphosate is a chemical of which millions of tons have been used in the last 50 years worldwide to dry out weeds in cultivated fields and greenhouses and on roadsides. Concern has been raised in many areas about its possible presence in the food chain and its consequent adverse effects on health...

Although spearmint oil (SMO) has various pharmacological properties, especially for cancer treatment, its low water solubility results in poor bioavailability. This limits its application as a medicine. One possible solution is to the use of SMO in the form of nanoemulsion, which has already been shown to have anticancer effects. However, the mechanism of SMO nanoemulsion formation remains unclear. The objective of this study was to use molecular dynamics (MD) for clarifying the formation of SMO nanoemulsion with triglycerides (trilaurin, tripalmitin, and triolein) and Cremophor RH40 (PCO40)...

Attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopic imaging is a powerful tool to visualize the distribution of components, and it has been used to analyze drug release from tablets. In this work, ATR-FTIR spectroscopic imaging was applied for observing the dissolution of molecular crystals from tablet compacts. The IR spectra provided chemically specific information about the transformation of crystal structures during the dissolution experiments. Theophylline (TPL) anhydrate and its cocrystals were used as model systems of molecular crystals...

The BCN-heterocyclic B-N chain compounds, the sodium and potassium salts of 3 and 4 anions (Na 3 , Na 4 , and K 4 ), were synthesized by reactions of ethane 1,2-diamineborane (BH3 NH2 CH2 CH2 NH2 BH3 , 1 ) and propane 1,2-diamineborane (BH3 NH2 CH2 CH2 CH2 NH2 BH3 , 2 ) with MH (M = Na and K). Then, the neutral B-N chain compounds 5 and 6 were prepared with dehydrogenation of [NH4 ] 3 and [NH4 ] 4 , formed by metathesis reactions of Na 3 and Na 4 with NH4 Cl or NH4 SCN, respectively. Compounds 7 and 8 , analog 5 , were also prepared using pyridine and 4-methoxypyridine instead of NH3 in 5 ...

It is a great challenge to remove VOCs and NO x simultaneously from flue gas in nonelectric industries. This study focuses on the construction of Fe-MnO2 catalysts that perform well in the simultaneous removal of toluene and NO x at low temperatures. Utilizing the Fe-induced phase transition of MnO2 , Fe-MnO2 -F&R catalysts with a composite morphology of nanoflowers and nanorods were successfully prepared that provided an abundant microporous structure to facilitate the diffusion of molecules of different sizes...

By integrating magnetic resonance-visible components with scaffold materials, hydrogel microspheres (HMs) become visible under magnetic resonance imaging(MRI), allowing for non-invasive, continuous, and dynamic monitoring of the distribution, degradation, and relationship of the HMs with local tissues. However, when these visualization components are physically blended into the HMs, it reduces their relaxation rate and specificity under MRI, weakening the efficacy of real-time dynamic monitoring. To achieve MRI-guided in vivo monitoring of HMs with tissue repair functionality, we utilized airflow control and photo-crosslinking methods to prepare alginate-gelatin-based dual-network hydrogel microspheres (G-AlgMA HMs) using gadolinium ions (Gd (III)), a paramagnetic MRI contrast agent, as the crosslinker...

The channels commonly responsible for maintaining cell resting membrane potentials are referred to as K2P (two-P-domain K+ subunit) channels. These K+ ion channels generally remain open but can be modulated by their local environment. These channels are classified based on pharmacology, pH sensitivity, mechanical stretch, and ionic permeability. Little is known about the physiological nature of these K2P channels in invertebrates. Acidic conditions depolarize neurons and muscle fibers, which may be caused by K2P channels given that one subtype can be blocked by acidic conditions...

The dissolution behavior of tablets, particularly those containing poorly water-soluble drugs, is a critical factor in determining their absorption and therapeutic efficacy. Traditionally, the particle size of excipients has been considered a key property affecting tablet dissolution. However, lurasidone hydrochloride (LH) tablets prepared by similar particle size mannitol, namely M200 (D90  = 209.68 ± 1.42 μm) and 160C (D90  = 195.38 ± 6...

The variety of bioactive compounds found in different species of Amaranthus, an herb that is a staple food in many parts of India. The plethora of herb Amaranthus has been a rich source of bioactive compounds like essential oils, sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, triterpenes, phenolic acids, flavonoids, etc. The traditional uses of Amaranthus, spp. have been established scientifically and were shown due to the presence of different phytochemicals. Although the pharmacological activities of Amaranthus genus have been well-documented, further studies are needed to fully understand their mechanisms of action and clinical applications...

Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is one endogenous metabolic molecule that functions as a regulator in glucose and lipid homeostasis. However, the effect of FGF21 on L-lactate homeostasis and its mechanism remains unclear until now. Forty-five Six-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were divided into three groups: control, L-lactate, and FGF21 (1.5 mg/kg) groups. At the end of the treatment, nuclear magnetic resonance-based metabolomics, and key proteins related to L-lactate homeostasis were determined respectively to evaluate the efficacy of FGF21 and its mechanisms...

Mechanical properties of a material play a pivotal role in its performance when such porous material is used in a flow-through mode. This study delves into the effect of porosity and microstructure on the compressibility of methacrylate polymer, focusing on two distinct microstructures: cauliflower and high internal phase emulsion. Samples with various porosities yet identical chemical composition were prepared and their Young's modulus was measured. The effect of porosity on Young's modulus was described by an exponential law model with the cauliflower microstructure exhibiting an exponent of 3...

In this study, a novel drug delivery system (MSN-PEG-Hypericin) was successfully fabricated using tetraethyl orthosilicate and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane as raw materials, and the PEGylation of the prepared aminated mesoporous silica and grafting of hypericin onto the carrier were further conducted to obtain MSN-PEG-Hypericin. The successful preparation of MSN-PEG-Hypericin was characterized by several physical-chemical techniques. Furthermore, the MSN-PEG-Hypericin system increased the ability of hypericin to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vitro ...

Fractures of the proximal humerus constitute approximately 5% of all fractures. Shoulder joint injuries without any external mechanical impact during seizures with the occurrence of spasms occur only sporadically. The occurrence rate is reported in approximately 0.4% of patients. Very rarely they occur in the form of epileptic seizure-induced dorsal fracturedislocation impacting both sides. The case report describes a case of a 48-year-old woman with no treatment for epileptic seizures in her medical history...

BACKGROUND: Finding a dead body in water raises an issue concerning determining the cause of death as drowning because of the complex pathophysiology of drowning. In addition, the corpse may be submersed postmortem. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the role of oxidative stress markers and NF-KB/iNOS inflammatory pathway as diagnostic biomarkers in drowning and whether they could differentiate freshwater from saltwater drowning. METHODS: This study included forty-five adult male albino rats classified into five groups: control group (C), Freshwater-drowned group (FD), Freshwater postmortem submersion group (FPS), saltwater-drowned group (SD), and saltwater postmortem submersion group (SPS)...