-
European Journal of Pharmaceutical... Jun 2024This study aimed to develop a thermosensitive in situ gel formulation for rectal delivery of Ibuprofen as an efficient alternative dosage form. Utilizing poloxamer 188,...
This study aimed to develop a thermosensitive in situ gel formulation for rectal delivery of Ibuprofen as an efficient alternative dosage form. Utilizing poloxamer 188, poloxamer 407, and HPMC via cold technique method, a thermosensitive in situ gel was successfully prepared. The concentration of Ibuprofen in the formulations was 1.2% (w/w). The prepared gels underwent assessment for clarity, gelation temperature, gelation time, gel strength, spread ability, syringe-ability, pH, viscosity, FTIR, and drug content. The selected formulations exhibited a gelation temperature within the range of 30°C to 36°C, with consistent amount of drug soluble in the formulations (93% - 110%). Mucoadhesive studies, in vitro release tests, ex vivo modeling of drug release, kinetic studies modeling, and histopathology testing were also conducted. The formulation comprising 18% poloxamer 407, 12% poloxamer 188, and 1% sodium chloride (FS15) demonstrated suitable gelation temperature and desirable drug release rate. In vitro drug release tests indicated completion within one hour for both FS10 (20% P407 & 10% P188) and FS15 (18% P407 & 12% P188), with consistent and predictable release patterns observed through kinetic modeling analysis. Microscopic histopathology examination confirmed the safety of the selected formula, exhibiting no irritation in the mucosal membrane of the sheep. In conclusion, Ibuprofen thermosensitive in situ gel presents a promising and convenient strategy as a rectal carrier and an alternative dosage form to solid suppositories.
PubMed: 38950638
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2024.106843 -
Annual Review of Marine Science Jul 2024When President Bill Clinton and Francis Collins, then the director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, celebrated the near completion of the human genome... (Review)
Review
When President Bill Clinton and Francis Collins, then the director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, celebrated the near completion of the human genome sequence at the White House in the summer of 2000, it is unlikely that they or anyone else could have predicted the blossoming of meta-omics in the following two decades and their applications in modern human microbiome and environmental microbiome research. This transformation was enabled by the development of high-throughput sequencing technologies and sophisticated computational biology tools and bioinformatics software packages. Today, environmental meta-omics has undoubtedly revolutionized our understanding of ocean ecosystems, providing the genetic blueprint of oceanic microscopic organisms. In this review, I discuss the importance of functional genomics in future marine microbiome research and advocate a position for a gene-centric, bottom-up approach in modern oceanography. I propose that a synthesis of multidimensional approaches is required for a better understanding of the true functionality of the marine microbiome.
PubMed: 38950441
DOI: 10.1146/annurev-marine-020123-100931 -
Optics Letters Jul 2024Open-top light-sheet (OTLS) microscopy offers rapid 3D imaging of large optically cleared specimens. This enables nondestructive 3D pathology, which provides key...
Open-top light-sheet (OTLS) microscopy offers rapid 3D imaging of large optically cleared specimens. This enables nondestructive 3D pathology, which provides key advantages over conventional slide-based histology including comprehensive sampling without tissue sectioning/destruction and visualization of diagnostically important 3D structures. With 3D pathology, clinical specimens are often labeled with small-molecule stains that broadly target nucleic acids and proteins, mimicking conventional hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) dyes. Tight optical sectioning helps to minimize out-of-focus fluorescence for high-contrast imaging in these densely labeled tissues but has been challenging to achieve in OTLS systems due to trade-offs between optical sectioning and field of view. Here we present an OTLS microscope with voice-coil-based axial sweeping to circumvent this trade-off, achieving 2 µm axial resolution over a 750 × 375 µm field of view. We implement our design in a non-orthogonal dual-objective (NODO) architecture, which enables a 10-mm working distance with minimal sensitivity to refractive index mismatches, for high-contrast 3D imaging of clinical specimens.
Topics: Imaging, Three-Dimensional; Humans; Microscopy; Staining and Labeling; Light
PubMed: 38950270
DOI: 10.1364/OL.521591 -
PloS One 2024Electrospun (ES) fibrous nanomaterials have been widely investigated as novel biomaterials. These biomaterials have to be safe and biocompatible; hence, they need to be...
Electrospun (ES) fibrous nanomaterials have been widely investigated as novel biomaterials. These biomaterials have to be safe and biocompatible; hence, they need to be tested for cytotoxicity before being administered to patients. The aim of this study was to develop a suitable and biorelevant in vitro cytotoxicity assay for ES biomaterials (e.g. wound dressings). We compared different in vitro cytotoxicity assays, and our model wound dressing was made from polycaprolactone and polyethylene oxide and contained chloramphenicol as the active pharmaceutical ingredient. Baby Hamster Kidney cells (BHK-21), human primary fibroblasts and MTS assays together with real-time cell analysis were selected. The extract exposure and direct contact safety evaluation setups were tested together with microscopic techniques. We found that while extract exposure assays are suitable for the initial testing, the biocompatibility of the biomaterial is revealed in in vitro direct contact assays where cell interactions with the ES wound dressing are evaluated. We observed significant differences in the experimental outcome, caused by the experimental set up modification such as cell line choice, cell medium and controls used, conducting the phosphate buffer washing step or not. A more detailed technical protocol for the in vitro cytotoxicity assessment of ES wound dressings was developed.
Topics: Animals; Wound Healing; Biocompatible Materials; Humans; Bandages; Cell Line; Materials Testing; Cricetinae; Polyesters; Fibroblasts; Anti-Infective Agents; Polyethylene Glycols; Chloramphenicol
PubMed: 38950036
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0305137 -
Biomacromolecules Jul 2024Cholesteric mesophases based on cellulose ethers, such as ethyl cellulose and hydroxypropyl cellulose, have been studied widely for their remarkable ability to display...
Cholesteric mesophases based on cellulose ethers, such as ethyl cellulose and hydroxypropyl cellulose, have been studied widely for their remarkable ability to display macroscopic structural color. However, the typical time scales involved in the multiscale self-assembly of cholesteric liquid crystals, from individual nanoscale helical arrangements to discrete microscopic domains, and their dependence on the gel's viscoelastic properties remain underexplored. Here, we establish a quantitative relationship between the kinetics of structural color formation after shear deformation and cholesteric order development at the nano- and microscales. Utilizing rheology in tandem with static and time-resolved reflectivity measurements, we underscore the strong influence of polymer diffusivity and chain elasticity on self-assembly kinetics in cholesteric cellulose ether gels. We show that our phenomenological model can be employed to assess the structure-property relationships of multiple polysaccharide systems, elucidating key design guidelines for the development and processing of structurally colored cholesteric mesophases.
PubMed: 38949966
DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.4c00411 -
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in... Jul 2024Type I main-chain polyrotaxanes (PRs) with multiple wheels threaded onto the axle are widely employed to design slide-ring materials. However, Type II main-chain PRs...
Type I main-chain polyrotaxanes (PRs) with multiple wheels threaded onto the axle are widely employed to design slide-ring materials. However, Type II main-chain PRs with axles threading into the macrocycles on the polymer backbones have rarely been studied, although they feature special topological structures and dynamic characteristics. Herein, we report the design and preparation of Type II main-chain PR-based mechanically interlocked networks (PRMINs), based on which the relationship between microscopic motion of mechanical bonds on the PRs and macroscopic mechanical performance of materials has been revealed. The representative PRMIN-2 exhibits a robust feature in tensile tests with high stretchability (1680%) and toughness (47.5 MJ/m3). Moreover, it also has good puncture performance with puncture energy of 22.0 mJ. Detailed rheological measurements and coarse-grained molecular dynamics (CGMD) simulation reveal that the embedded multiple [2]rotaxane mechanical bonds on the PR backbones of PRMINs could undergo a synergistic long-range sliding motion under external force, with the introduction of collective dangling chains into the network. As a result, the synchronized motions of coherent PR chains can be readily activated to accommodate network deformation and efficiently dissipate energy, thereby leading to enhanced mechanical performances of PRMINs.
PubMed: 38949776
DOI: 10.1002/anie.202410834 -
Bulletin of Environmental Contamination... Jun 2024Microplastics (MPs) pollution is a profound problem around the world yet it's study on the effect on zooplankton including copepods are very limited. The study was...
Microplastics (MPs) pollution is a profound problem around the world yet it's study on the effect on zooplankton including copepods are very limited. The study was conducted between January 2021 and January 2022 in the Lower Meghna Estuary to investigate MPs ingestion in two different family of copepod: Calanoid and Cyclopoid. A method of acid digestion along with Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) was used to identify MPs ingested by copepods from the conducted area. However, three types of MPs namely fiber, fragment and foam were extracted from this copepod biomass. Fibers represent highest (> 50%) of the ingested MPs from both group of copepod that exceed fragments and foams in all sampling stations. The overall ingestion rate of Calanoid was found higher (0.084 ± 0.002 particles/individual) compared to the Cyclopoid group (0.077 ± 0.001 particles/individual). The results of the study have effectively illustrated that copepod, obtained from multiple sampling sites within the Lower Meghna Estuary, display a propensity to ingest MPs and subsequently endangering the food security of seafood industry.
Topics: Copepoda; Animals; Microplastics; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Environmental Monitoring; Estuaries; Bangladesh; Eating
PubMed: 38949743
DOI: 10.1007/s00128-024-03919-5 -
The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery Jul 2024In children with large soft tissue defects of the foot and ankle, it is difficult to cover the wound completely using a local skin flap, and skin grafting of the donor...
In children with large soft tissue defects of the foot and ankle, it is difficult to cover the wound completely using a local skin flap, and skin grafting of the donor area for repair causes secondary damage. Free skin flaps require good vascular anastomoses and are prone to vascular crises. The authors evaluated the effectiveness and safety of cross-inguinal flaps for the repair of large soft tissue defects of the foot and ankle in children. The records of 15 children who underwent cross-groin flap transplantation between June 2017 and June 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. All the flaps survived without infection, necrosis, or other complications. The flap shape was good, the donor area was sutured directly, and the damage was minimal. This surgical method is simple, effective, and safe and can replace microsurgery, making it suitable for use in primary-level hospitals that are not equipped for microscopic surgery.
PubMed: 38949509
DOI: 10.1097/SCS.0000000000010427 -
The Review of Scientific Instruments Jul 2024We have designed an oven for optical reflection measurements at temperatures as high as 1000 K. The compact setup can be attached to any Fourier-transform infrared...
We have designed an oven for optical reflection measurements at temperatures as high as 1000 K. The compact setup can be attached to any Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer using a microscope. The details of the layout, operation, and performance are discussed as well as ways for reference measurements and data correction. Finally, the high-temperature setup is utilized to determine the infrared reflectivity of tungsten up to T = 1000 K, which can serve as a reference mirror for future experiments.
PubMed: 38949470
DOI: 10.1063/5.0214629 -
The Review of Scientific Instruments Jul 2024We present a low-temperature magnetic force microscope (MFM) incorporating a piezoresistive cantilever and a dual-range scanner for experiments across a wide temperature...
We present a low-temperature magnetic force microscope (MFM) incorporating a piezoresistive cantilever and a dual-range scanner for experiments across a wide temperature range from cryogenic levels to room temperature. The piezoresistor-based MFM eliminates the need for optical readjustment, typically required due to thermal expansion at varying temperatures, thereby providing a more stable and precise measurement environment. The integration of a dual scanner system expands the versatility of scanning operations, enabling accurate sample positioning for detailed exploration of magnetic and superconducting properties under diverse thermal conditions. To demonstrate the capabilities of our MFM, we show detailed imaging of Fe3GaTe2, a van der Waals ferromagnet, and Yb0.7Y0.3CuAs2, a ferromagnetic cluster glass material. These studies demonstrate the potential of our MFM in revealing intricate details of magnetic domain dynamics and contribute to our understanding of materials exhibiting the anomalous Hall effect as well as superconducting phenomena.
PubMed: 38949468
DOI: 10.1063/5.0214904