Mean Particle Size Research Articles

An improved dynamic magnetic hysteresis model in soft magnetic composites

In this paper, an improved static Jiles-Atherton (J-A) hysteresis model is proposed to simulate the hysteresis properties of soft magnetic composites (SMC) by introducing an excitation factor to control the rotational component of magnetic domains in the effective magnetic field based on the internal demagnetization effect and magnetization mechanism. On the other hand, Since SMC is usually applied in the mid-frequency band, an improved dynamic hysteresis model is necessary to be proposed. The analytical expression for calculating the intraparticle eddy current loss is proposed based on the microstructural parameters of the SMC. And the microstructural parameters are determined by discrete element method DEM. For the intraparticle eddy current loss, the squared term of the mean particle size in the expression is further clarified. Eventually, this improved dynamic J-A hysteresis model was derived through the theory of magnetic field separation. The results show that SMC hysteresis loops with magnetic flux densities up to 1.5 T and frequencies up to 1 kHz can be evaluated by the proposed model.

Particle-resolved hyperspectral pyrometry of metal particles

We present temperature histories of individual combusting metal particles using hyperspectral pyrometry. This method gives an increase in accuracy over traditionally used two- or three-color pyrometry, while maintaining temporal and spatial resolution. Temperatures can be determined between 1800 to >3000 K with a precision of typically <1%. It is shown that the maximum temperature of the burning iron particles increases from 2760 K to 2840 K with an increasing mean particle size from 32 to 54 μm in air with 21 % oxygen. The relatively high temperatures and its dependence on particle size are possibly related to flow field properties of the current experimental setup. Opportunities for this method, as well as future work, are discussed.Novelty and Significance Statement: In this article, a method to use a CCD camera and spectrograph as a hyperspectral detector, gaining a wavelength dimension while maintaining two spatial dimensions, is demonstrated and validated. This method is applied to measure the temperature of iron particles, a carbon free and circular energy carrier. This method is then used to prove that there is a particle size dependence on the maximum temperature, an open question which is often disputed in literature. This work will also add a dataset that can be used for the validation of numerical models. There are only two such datasets available for iron at this moment. Our analysis suggests that the heat release of iron is dependent on the slip velocity, possibly due to a circulating flow inside of the particle.

Downscaling grain size toward the nanometre range – A key-factor for tuning the crystalline structure, phase transitions, dielectric and ferroelectric behaviour in Ba0·8Sr0·2TiO3 ceramics

The present study aims to describe the role of the grain size on the properties of submicron- and nano-structured Ba0·8Sr0·2TiO3 (BST) ceramics. Dense (1 − 2% porosity) ceramics with average grain sizes in the range of (77 − 234) nm were consolidated under different spark plasma sintering conditions starting from nanopowders with a mean particle size of 70 nm, synthesized via the acetate variant of the sol-gel method. The structural analysis based on XRD data revealed a mixture of cubic and tetragonal modifications at room temperature for the precursor powders and for all the investigated ceramics. The structural heterogeneity of the individual ceramic grains with coexistence of cubic and tetragonal polymorphs was confirmed by HR-TEM investigations. Accordingly, a “brick-wall" model with cubic grain boundary regions and tetragonal grain cores is proposed. By increasing the grain size, from 77 to 234 nm, a decrease of the phase transitions diffuseness accompanied by an increase of the permittivity maxima (from 650 to 4500) and dielectric losses (from 5 to 7.5%, at 100 Hz), was detected by broadband dielectric spectroscopy. No variation of the Curie temperature in the investigated Ba0·8Sr0·2TiO3 ceramics was detected, unlike typically reported for BaTiO3 ceramics with similar grain sizes. The Curie-Weiss temperature and the Curie constant decrease when grain size is diminished, indicating an overall reduction of the ferroelectric active volume, as a scaling effect. The ferroelectric switching was demonstrated for all the selected fine-grained BST ceramics, either at nanoscale or macroscopically, with an increased ferroelectric character for the coarser submicron-structured ceramics, with respect to the nanocrystalline one. The observed properties of the fine-grained Ba0·8Sr0·2TiO3 ceramics are explained in the frame of multiphase coexistence and ferroelectricity “dilution” due to the increasing role of non-ferroelectric grain boundaries when reducing grain size and complete the knowledge on the scale-dependent properties of dense fine-grained BaTiO3-based ceramics.

Grain size effect on the anisotropic shear behavior of sand–textured geomembrane interface

A set of direct shear tests was conducted to investigate the effects of sand mean grain size and geomembrane surface roughness on the shear behaviour of the sand–geomembrane interface. Four types of sands with different mean grain sizes were used and the interfaces included a smooth geomembrane (SGM) and four textured ones with different asperity characteristics. The samples were prepared in a direct shear box at five sedimentation angles. The experimental results showed that the peak friction angle of the soil–textured geomembrane interface was dependent on the mean grain size, inherent anisotropy and surface roughness of the geomembrane. The shear strength of sand–textured geomembranes was two to three times larger than that of the sand–SGM interface. The peak and residual friction angles of sand-SGM interface occurred at sedimentation angle of 72° while it was 108° for sand-TGM interfaces. An increase in mean grain size increased the shear strength of the sand–textured geomembrane interface; while a reverse condition occurred for the sand–SGM interface. The shear strength occurred at larger horizontal displacement as mean particle size increased and the effect of relative roughness on peak friction angle increased with increase in mean grain size.

Enhanced anti-glioma activity of annonaceous acetogenins based on a novel liposomal co-delivery system with ginsenoside Rh2

Annonaceous acetogenins (ACGs) have potent anti-tumor activity, and the problems of their low solubility, hemolysis, and in vivo delivery have been solved by encapsulation into nanoparticles. However, the high toxicity still limits their application in clinic. In this paper, the co-delivery strategy was tried to enhance the in vivo anti-tumor efficacy and reduce the toxic effects of ACGs. Ginsenoside Rh2, a naturally derived biologically active compound, which was reported to have synergistic effect with paclitaxel, was selected to co-deliver with ACGs. And due to its similarity with cholesterol in chemical structure, the co-loading liposomes, (ACGs + Rh2)-Lipo, were successfully constructed using Rh2 instead of cholesterol as the membrane material. The obtained (ACGs + Rh2)-Lipo and ACGs-Lipo had similar mean particle size (about 80 nm), similar encapsulation efficiency (EE, about 97%) and good stability. The MTS assay indicated that (ACGs + Rh2)-Lipo had stronger toxicity in vitro. In the in vivo study, in contrast to ACGs-Lipo, (ACGs + Rh2)-Lipo demonstrated an improved tumor targetability (3.3-fold in relative tumor targeting index) and significantly enhanced the antitumor efficacy (tumor inhibition rate, 72.9 ± 5.4% vs. 60.5 ± 5.4%, p < .05). The body weight change, liver index, and spleen index of tumor-bearing mice showed that Rh2 can attenuate the side effects of ACGs themselves. In conclusion, (ACGs + Rh2)-Lipo not only alleviated the toxicity of ACGs to the organism, but also enhanced their anti-tumor activity, which is expected to break through their bottleneck.

Formulation and Antimicrobial studies of Microencapsulated Musanga cecropioides Stem Bark Extract

Microencapsulation is the process of coating small droplets of liquid or solid materials with a continuous film of polymeric substances. The aim of the research was to formulate microparticles of Musanga cecropioides stem bark extract. The dried, powdered stem bark of Musanga cecropioides was extracted by maceration. The aqueous extract was microencapsulated using polymers such as alginate, pectin and hydroxylpropyl methylcellulose acetate succinate (HPMCAS) by counter-ion coacervation method using an electrostatic droplet generator. The formulated microcapsules were evaluated for flow properties, particle size, drug content, antimicrobial activity and in vitro release kinetics in simulated gastric and intestinal fluids. The microparticles were subjected to stability tests under different temperature (45°C, 25°C and 8°C) and relative humidity (100% RH, 78% RH and 0% RH) conditions for a period of three (3) months. The mean particle size of the microcapsules decreased with increasing applied voltage of the electrostatic generator. Particle size range for the batches of formulated microparticles was 68.20-223.84µm. The percentage entrapment efficiency of the batches of microparticles ranged from 80.26-86.58%. The microparticles lost a significant percent of its drug content after storage at different temperature and relative humidity conditions. The formulated microparticles and crude extract possess significant antibacterial action against both gram positive and negative bacteria as well as antifungal effect against C. albicans. Microparticles of M. cecropioides extract were formulated by counter-ion coacervation method using an electrostatic droplet generator which conferred advantages of sustained drug release, reduced frequency of dosing, masked unpalatable taste, improved stability and enhanced patient acceptance on the crude extract.

Plastein reaction enhances the emulsifying and rheological properties of silver carp hydrolysates in oil-in-water emulsions

The plastein reaction was ubiquitously acknowledged for its capacity to enhance the functional properties of protein hydrolysates. Despite this, the specific impact of the plastein reaction on emulsification, a critical functional aspect of protein hydrolysates, remains incompletely understood. In this study, the plastein reaction in silver carp protein hydrolysate (SCPH) was explored. A detailed comparison between the primary product (PP) and the blended product (SCPH–P) in terms of their oil-water interfacial adsorption kinetics and the shear strain of oil-in-water emulsions was reported. The interfacial adsorption kinetics suggested that the higher molecular weight imparted a slow rate of diffusion, penetration, and reorganization to the PP compared to SCPH-P. Furthermore, the elevated surface hydrophobicity also resulted in higher surface activity (i.e., high interfacial pressure) for PP. Simultaneously, nonlinear rheological analysis revealed that PP possessed enhanced resistance to shear strain due to its strong affinity for the oil-water interface of emulsion. These improvements manifested in PP-stabilized emulsions with reduced mean particle size (71.6 μm–9.5 μm), diminished instability index (nearly 3-fold prolongation of stabilization time), and increased electrostatic repulsion (zeta potential values increased from 6-15 mV to 21–27 mV), which underscored a substantial enhancement in the emulsification of SCPH through the plastein reaction. Notably, the emulsifying and rheological properties of PP at a 1% (w/w) concentration were nearly equivalent to those of soybean protein isolate at 0.5% (w/w), highlighting the plastein reaction's innovative potential in utilizing SCPH as a promising emulsifier.

Temozolomide nano-in-nanofiber delivery system with sustained release and enhanced cellular uptake by U87MG cells

Objective The study was aimed at formulating temozolomide (TMZ) loaded gelatin nanoparticles (GNPs) encapsulated into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofibers (TMZ–GNPs–PVA NFs) as the nano-in-nanofiber delivery system. The secondary objective was to explore the sustained releasing ability of this system and to assess its enhanced cellular uptake against U87MG glioma cells in vitro. Significance Nano-in-nanofibers are the emerging drug delivery systems for treating a wide range of diseases including cancers as they overcome the challenges experienced by nanoparticles and nanofibers alone. Methods The drug-loaded GNPs were formulated by one-step desolvation method. The Design of Experiments (DoE) was used to optimize nanoparticle size and entrapment efficiency. The optimized drug-loaded nanoparticles were then encapsulated within nanofibers using blend electrospinning technique. The U87MG glioma cells were used to investigate the uptake of the formulation. Results A 32 factorial design was used to optimize the mean particle size (145.7 nm) and entrapment efficiency (87.6%) of the TMZ-loaded GNPs which were subsequently ingrained into PVA nanofibers by electrospinning technique. The delivery system achieved a sustained drug release for up to seven days (in vitro). The SEM results ensured that the expected nano-in-nanofiber delivery system was achieved. The uptake of TMZ–GNPs–PVA NFs by cells was increased by a factor of 1.964 compared to that of the pure drug. Conclusion The nano-in-nanofiber drug delivery system is a potentially useful therapeutic strategy for the management of glioblastoma multiforme.

Green synthesis of copper nanoparticles by using pineapple peel waste: in vitro characterizations and antibacterial potential.

A considerable amount of fruit waste is being produced every day worldwide. The green synthesis of metal nanoparticles from fruit peel waste can be an innovative, cost-effective, and eco-friendly alternative to traditional methods. Copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) were synthesized by a green method using the pineapple peels extract (PLX) and copper sulfate pentahydrate. The formation of CuNPs was visually identified and detected by UV-Visible spectroscopy. The CuNPs were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, particle size analyzer, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The antioxidant and reducing power of CuNPs were conducted by %DPPH scavenging and electron transfer-based ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, respectively. The antibacterial properties of CuNPs were determined in gram-positive, and gram-negative bacteria. The results showed that the CuNPs were spherical in shape with mean particle size 290.5nm. The zeta potential of the nanoparticles was found to be -12.3mV indicating the instability in the colloidal state. The FTIR study confirmed the peaks of phytochemicals present in the PLX and the nanoparticles supporting the use of pineapple peels as stabilizing, reducing and capping agents. Both the DPPH and reducing power assay depicted that the synthesized CuNPs had significant antioxidant activity. However, the synthesized CuNPs had strong inhibitory capacity against both gram-positive and gram-negative test organisms. Thus, the CuNPS could be used for its viable antibacterial potential to preserve fruits, flowers, and vegetables from bacterial contamination.

Ultrasonic-assisted extraction of grape seed procyanidins, preparation of liposomes, and evaluation of their antioxidant capacity

The residue remaining after oil extraction from grape seed contain abundant procyanidins. An ultrasonic-assisted enzyme method was performed to achieve a high extraction efficiency of procyanidins when the optimal extraction conditions were 8 U/g of cellulase, ultrasound power of 200 W, ultrasonic temperature of 50 ℃, and ultrasonic reaction time of 40 min. The effects of free procyanidins on both radical scavenging activity and thermal stability at 40, 60, and 80 ℃ of the procyanidins-loaded liposomal systems prepared by the ultrasonic-assisted method were discussed. The presence of procyanidins at concentrations ranging from 0.02 to 0.10 mg/mL was observed to be effective at inhibiting lipid oxidation by 15.15 % to 69.70 % in a linoleic acid model system during reaction for 168 h, as measured using the ferric thiocyanate method. The procyanidins-loaded liposomal systems prepared by the ultrasonic-assisted method were characterized by measuring the mean particle size and encapsulation efficiency. Moreover, the holographic plots showed that the effect–response points of procyanidins combined with α-tocopherol in liposomes were lower than the addition line and 95 % confidence interval limits. At the same time, there were significant differences between the theoretical IC50add value and the experimental IC50mix value. The interaction index (γ) of all combinations was observed to be less than 1. These results indicated that there was a synergistic antioxidant effect between procyanidins combined with α-tocopherol, which will show promising prospects in practical applications. In addition, particle size differentiation and morphology agglomeration were observed at different time points of antioxidant activity determination (0, 48, 96 h).

Impact of Grinding Balls on the Size Reduction of Aprepitant in Wet Ball Milling Procedure

One of the widely used approaches for improving the dissolution of poorly water-soluble drugs is particle size reduction. Ball milling is a mechanical, top-down technique used to reduce particle size. The effect of ball number, ball size and milling speed on the properties of milled Aprepitant is evaluated. A full factorial design was employed to investigate the influence of affecting factors on particle size reduction. The initial suspension was made by suspending the drug in distilled water using excipients followed by milling in a planetary ball mill. Ball size, ball number and milling speed modulated particle size distribution of Aprepitant. Increasing the number of balls from minimum to maximum for each ball size led to approximately a 28% reduction in mean particle size, a 37% decrease in D90%, and a 25% decrease in the ratio of volume mean particle diameter to numeric mean particle diameter. On average, using 10 mm balls instead of 30 mm balls reduced mean particle size by 1.689 µm. As a result, ball size, ball number, and milling speed are three effective factors in the process of ball milling. By increasing the ball number and decreasing the ball size, efficient micronization of drug particles takes place and the particle size is more uniform.

Brain Delivery of Biomimetic Phosphorus Dendrimer/Antibody Nanocomplexes for Enhanced Glioma Immunotherapy via Immune Modulation of T Cells and Natural Killer Cells.

Fully mobilizing the activities of multiple immune cells is crucial to achieve the desired tumor immunotherapeutic efficacy yet still remains challenging. Herein, we report a nanomedicine formulation based on phosphorus dendrimer (termed AK128)/programmed cell death protein 1 antibody (aPD1) nanocomplexes (NCs) that are camouflaged with M1-type macrophage cell membranes (M1m) for enhanced immunotherapy of orthotopic glioma. The constructed AK128-aPD1@M1m NCs with a mean particle size of 160.3 nm possess good stability and cytocompatibility. By virtue of the decorated M1m having α4 and β1 integrins, the NCs are able to penetrate the blood-brain barrier to codeliver both AK128 with intrinsic immunomodulatory activity and aPD1 to the orthotopic glioma with prolonged blood circulation time. We show that the phosphorus dendrimer AK128 can boost natural killer (NK) cell proliferation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, while the delivered aPD1 enables immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) to restore the cytotoxic T cells and NK cells, thus promoting tumor cell apoptosis and simultaneously decreasing the tumor distribution of regulatory T cells vastly for improved glioma immunotherapy. The developed nanomedicine formulation with a simple composition achieves multiple modulations of immune cells by utilizing the immunomodulatory activity of nanocarrier and antibody-mediated ICB therapy, providing an effective strategy for cancer immunotherapy.

Programmable ultrasound imaging guided theranostic nanodroplet destruction for precision therapy of breast cancer

Ultrasound-stimulated contrast agents have gained significant attention in the field of tumor treatment as drug delivery systems. However, their limited drug-loading efficiency and the issue of bulky, imprecise release have resulted in inadequate drug concentrations at targeted tissues. Herein, we developed a highly efficient approach for doxorubicin (DOX) precise release at tumor site and real-time feedback via an integrated strategy of “programmable ultrasonic imaging guided accurate nanodroplet destruction for drug release” (PND). We synthesized DOX-loaded nanodroplets (DOX-NDs) with improved loading efficiency (15 %) and smaller size (mean particle size: 358 nm). These DOX-NDs exhibited lower ultrasound activation thresholds (2.46 MPa). By utilizing a single diagnostic transducer for both ultrasound stimulation and imaging guidance, we successfully vaporized the DOX-NDs and released the drug at the tumor site in 4 T1 tumor-bearing mice. Remarkably, the PND group achieved similar tumor remission effects with less than half the dose of DOX required in conventional treatment. Furthermore, the ultrasound-mediated vaporization of DOX-NDs induced tumor cell apoptosis with minimal damage to surrounding normal tissues. In summary, our PND strategy offers a precise and programmable approach for drug delivery and therapy, combining ultrasound imaging guidance. This approach shows great potential in enhancing tumor treatment efficacy while minimizing harm to healthy tissues.

Abstract 3196: Overcoming lung cancer drug resistance: Enhanced cellular delivery using lipid-extracted nanoliposomes

Abstract Background: Lung cancer causes substantial cancer deaths in the U.S. Drug resistance remains a major issue. Nanoliposomes demonstrate enhanced drug targeting and resistance-overcoming potential. Incorporating lipid extracts derived from target cells shows improved delivery over conventional nanoliposomes. This study examined the effects of lung cancer cell lipid extract nanoliposomes against target and non-target cell populations from different environments. Method: Cellular Membrane Lipid-Extracted Nanoliposomes (CLENs) were fabricated with DOPC, DOTAP, ChaGo-K-1 lipid extract, cholesterol, PEG5000, and rhodamine fluorescent label was incorporated for uptake studies. The liposome size was reduced by probe sonication. Particle size and polydispersity index (PDI) were measured by dynamic light scattering. Zeta potential was quantified by laser Doppler micro-electrophoresis. Four cell lines were utilized: ChaGo-K-1 NSCLC target, A549 pulmonary microenvironment control, 4T1 extra-pulmonary control, and normal lung fibroblasts off-target control. All cell lines were cultured in 48-well plates at a seeding density of 10,000 cells/mL and incubated for 24 hours. Freshly prepared CLENs were added to all cell lines and incubated for an additional 24 hours. Cells were washed with PBS, and fluorescence intensity was then quantified and qualified by a microplate reader to measure the cellular uptake of the CLENs. Results: The mean particle size and PDI of the ChaGo-K-1 CLENs were 117 ± 0.7 nm and 0.216 ±0.009, compared to 126 ± 0.5 nm and 0.195 ± 0.008 for the control, respectively. Both formulations were within the optimal size range for drug delivery and tumor cell penetration. The zeta potential of the ChaGo-K-1 CLENs was -1.75 ± 1.81 mV compared to -1.74 ± 6 mV for the control. Quantification and qualification of cellular uptake using fluorescence intensity measurements revealed a 3.2-fold increase in ChaGo-K-1 CLENs compared to conventional liposomes without ChaGo-K-1 lipid extracts. This demonstrates that the inclusion of the lipid extracts in the CLEN significantly enhanced selectivity and delivery to target cancer cell populations. Conclusion: Higher uptake occurred with target cells using CLENs with lipid extracts versus standard liposomes. NSCLC-derived CLENs show potential to improve selective delivery and overcome drug resistance. Further, in vivo studies evaluating selective NSCLC tumor accumulation and efficacy enhancement are warranted. Citation Format: Mohammed Alqaryan, Rashad Allahyani, Dayeoun Lee, Robert B. Campbell. Overcoming lung cancer drug resistance: Enhanced cellular delivery using lipid-extracted nanoliposomes [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 3196.

Aerobic granulation in a continuous-flow simultaneous nitrification, endogenous denitrification, and phosphorus removal system fed with low-strength wastewater: Granulation mechanism and microbial succession

The culture of aerobic granular sludge (AGS) in continuous-flow system for treating low-strength municipal wastewater is still a challenge for its widespread application. This study developed a continuous-flow reactor based on metabolic and hydraulic selection pressure to explore the feasibility of culturing AGS in conventional continuous-flow mode. The results showed that aerobic granulation was successfully achieved with a mean particle size of 373 μm and almost all granules (95.6 %) were larger than 200 μm. An obvious three-stages granulation process comprised of initial adhesion, the formation of early aggregates that acted as nuclei of granules, and the final AGS maturation, was observed in this work. The selective enrichment of slow-growing bacteria in alternating feast/famine condition played a critical role in the aerobic granulation. The analysis results of extracellular polymeric substances revealed that β-polysaccharides and proteins distributed uniformly within the mature granules, while α-polysaccharides were found mainly concentrated around the granules, which was believed to enhance the mechanical strength of granules. The continuous-flow AGS system exhibited an excellent simultaneous carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus removal performance with high removal efficiencies of NH4+-N (97.6 %), TIN (91.0 %), COD (93.7 %), and TP (94.8 %). Moreover, a low sludge yield of 0.1 gMLSS/gCOD was obtained for dramatic in situ sludge reduction. Illumina MiSeq sequencing results confirmed the outstanding accumulation of GAOs (Candidatus_Competibacter) and PAOs (Rhodocyclaceae) in the system, which were responsible for simultaneous C, N, P removal and sludge reduction. Overall, this study demonstrated the feasibility of aerobic granulation in conventional continuous-flow mode and offered insights into the granulation mechanism, providing implications and references for the application of AGS technology in existing wastewater treatment plants.

Amphiphilic, lauric acid-coupled pluronic-based nano-micellar system for efficient glipizide delivery

Glipizide; an insulin secretagogue belonging to the sulfonylurea class, is a widely used antidiabetic drug for managing type 2 diabetes. However, the need for life-long administration and repeated doses poses challenges in maintaining optimal blood glucose levels. In this regard, orally active sustained-release nano-formulations can be a better alternative to traditional antidiabetic formulations. The present study explored an innovative approach by formulating orally active sustained-release nano-micelles using the amphiphilic lauric acid-conjugated-F127 (LAF127) block copolymer. LAF127 block copolymer was synthesized through esterification and thoroughly characterized before being employed to develop glipizide-loaded nano-micelles (GNM) via the thin-film hydration technique. The optimized formulation exhibited mean particle size of 341.40 ± 3.21 nm and depicted homogeneous particle size distribution with a polydispersity index (PDI) < 0.2. The formulation revealed a surface charge of −17.11 ± 6.23 mV. The in vitro release studies of glipizide from developed formulation depicted a sustained release profile. Drug loaded micelles exhibited a substantial reduction in blood glucose levels in diabetic rats for a duration of up to 24 h. Notably, neither the blank nano-micelles of LAF127 nor the drug loaded micelles manifested any indications of toxicity in healthy rats. This study provides an insight on suitability of synthesized LAF127 block copolymer for development of effective oral drug delivery systems for anti-diabetic activity without any significant adverse effects.

Larger particle size distribution of environmental RNA compared to environmental DNA: a case study targeting the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene in zebrafish (Danio rerio) using experimental aquariums.

Environmental RNA (eRNA) analysis is conventionally expected to infer physiological information about organisms within their ecosystems, whereas environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis only infers their presence and abundance. Despite the promise of eRNA application, basic research on eRNA characteristics and dynamics is limited. The present study conducted aquarium experiments using zebrafish (Danio rerio) to estimate the particle size distribution (PSD) of eRNA in order to better understand the persistence state of eRNA particles. Rearing water samples were sequentially filtered using different pore-size filters, and the resulting size-fractioned mitochondrial cytochrome b (CytB) eDNA and eRNA data were modeled with the Weibull complementary cumulative distribution function (CCDF) to estimate the parameters characterizing the PSDs. It was revealed that the scale parameter (α) was significantly higher (i.e., the mean particle size was larger) for eRNA than eDNA, while the shape parameter (β) was not significantly different between them. This result supports the hypothesis that most eRNA particles are likely in a protected, intra-cellular state, which mitigates eRNA degradation in water. Moreover, these findings also imply the heterogeneous dispersion of eRNA relative to eDNA and suggest an efficient method of eRNA collection using a larger pore-size filter. Further studies on the characteristics and dynamics of eRNA particles should be pursued in the future.

Feedback cooling of an insulating high-Q diamagnetically levitated plate

Levitated systems in vacuum have many potential applications ranging from new types of inertial and magnetic sensors through to fundamental issues in quantum science, the generation of massive Schrödinger cats, and the connections between gravity and quantum physics. In this work, we demonstrate the passive, diamagnetic levitation of a centimeter-sized massive oscillator, which is fabricated using a method that ensures that the material, though highly diamagnetic, is an electrical insulator. Electrical conductors moving in a magnetic field experience eddy damping—which can severely reduce their motional quality factor. By chemically coating a powder of microscopic graphite beads with silica and embedding the coated powder in high-vacuum compatible wax, we form a centimeter-sized thin square plate which magnetically levitates over a checkerboard magnet array. The insulating coating reduces eddy damping by almost an order of magnitude compared to uncoated graphite with the same particle size. These plates exhibit a different equilibrium orientation from pyrolytic graphite due to their isotropic magnetic susceptibility. We measure the motional quality factor to be Q∼1.58×105 for an approximately centimeter-sized composite resonator with a mean particle size of 12 μm. Furthermore, we apply delayed feedback to cool the vertical motion of frequency ∼19 Hz and achieve center-of-mass temperature decrease by three orders of magnitude.

Artificial neural network prediction of particle size of agglomerated polybutadiene latex

AbstractPolymer agglomeration is a useful way to enlarge the particle size of polybutadiene latex (PBL). However, the agglomeration process is very complex and is affected by many factors. Therefore, it is difficult to predict the mean particle size and distribution of agglomerated PBL. This study proposed a novel simulation method based on the artificial neural network (ANN) model. Firstly, the influence of agglomeration conditions on the particle size of agglomerated PBL were investigated, including the particle size of pre‐agglomerate PBL, the amount, the α‐methacrylic acid (α‐MAA) content, the solid content and the particle size of agglomerating agent. It is found that these factors have a close nonlinear relationship with the mean particle size and polydispersion index (PDI) of agglomerated PBL. Then, a model containing 236 data points was built using ANN including these properties as input with mean particle size and PDI of agglomerated PBL as output. The coefficient of determination (R2) values predicted by ANN for training, validation, test and total data are 0.9879, 0.9964, 0.9930, and 0.9902, respectively. It indicates that there is a good agreement between experimental data and predicted results by ANN. This study demonstrates that a simple machine learning method has good performance in predicting the particle size of agglomerated PBL, which further improves the development efficiency of PBL polymer agglomeration.

Biofabricated Green Synthesized Hibiscus Silver Nanoparticles Potentiate Antibacterial Activity and Cytotoxicity in Human Lung Cancer Cells.

Traditional medicine has long employed the shrub Hibiscus sabdariffa to treat a variety of illnesses.The biochemical characteristics of silver nanoparticles made using the plant extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa were examined in this work. According to the results, the plant extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa had a total phenolic quantity of 84.9mg/gm and a total quantity of flavonoids of 41.50mg/gm. The extract also showed antibacterial action against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus (75.15% scavenging activity). The silver nanoparticles of plant extracts were stable in PBS solution for at least 30days and had a mean size of particles of 21.22nm. Silver nanoparticles were shown to both be cytotoxic on human lung cancer cell line A-549 and have anti-inflammatory action. Overall, the research's findings demonstrate the fascinating biological activity of the silver nanoparticles made from the extract of the Hibiscus sabdariffa plant. To assess these compounds' potential as medicines, more research is required.