Molecular Weight Ratio Research Articles

Foxtail millet bran dietary fibres foster in vitro beneficial gut microbes and metabolites while suppressing pathobionts

Foxtail millet bran soluble dietary fibre (MBSDF) is a dietary compound with various bioactivities, potentially modulated by the gut microbiota. To elucidate this bioregulatory mechanism, this study focused on the structureal composition and in vitro fermentation characteristics of MBSDF. The results revealed that MBSDF has a molecular weight of 18.26 kDa. The main chain is connected through a glycosidic bond in the form of →4)-α-D-Glcp-(1 → 4)-β-D-Xylp-(1→, being branched by →4, 6)-α-D-Glcp-(1 → O-6 and →3, 4)-β-D-Xylp-(1 → O3 bonds. After 24 h fermentation, the carbohydrate utilisation rate reached 59.15 %, with a decreased molecular weight and monosaccharide composition molar mass ratio. Meanwhile, a increase was observed in the short-chain fatty acid, accompanied by an increased relative abundance of Faecalibacterium, Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus and suppressed growth of pathogenic Enterococcus. Interestingly, the modulation of gut homeostasis probably occurs via butyrate metabolism pathway. Collectively, MBSDF can selectively regulate the gut microbiota and their metabolites.

Optimizing Electron‐Beam Photothermal Pyrolysis Parameters for Enhanced Molecular Biodegradability of Polyvinyl Chloride Plastics

AbstractPolyvinyl chloride (PVC), a synthetic plastic notable for harmful emissions during deterioration, has potential to be molecularly adjusted by photo‐oxidative ultraviolet degradation. This research investigates the influence of electron beam irradiation and near‐infrared photothermal treatment utilizing gold nanoparticles to establish the optimized molecular weight and beam time exposure for biodegradable PVC properties while maintaining a minimum tensile strength as measured through the ratio of peak tension force by cross sectional area. PVC powder samples with number‐average molecular weights ranging from 20.0 to 90.0 kDa and varying exposure times of a 100 kGy electron beam from 80 to 115 ms are employed for the study. Outcomes from PVC irradiation reveal the optimal parameters for inducing biodegradability in samples: an e‐beam exposure duration of 95 ms applied to PVC powder with a sample molecular weight of 20.0 kDa. Analysis of the ratio of number average molecular weight and weight average molecular weight demonstrates that shorter irradiation durations result in lower molecular weights and molecular weight is directly proportional to Tg and crystallinity. Future work aims to scale up the procedure to industrial applications and investigate the treatment's applicability to a variety of thermoplastics.

In vitro digestion and fecal fermentation behaviors of exopolysaccharide from Morchella esculenta and its impacts on hypoglycemic activity via PI3K/Akt signaling and gut microbiota modulation

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of gastrointestinal digestion on the physicochemical properties and hypoglycemic activity of extracellular polysaccharides from Morchella esculenta (MEPS). The results showed that the MEPS digestibility was 22.57 % after saliva-gastrointestinal digestion and only partial degradation had occurred. Contrarily, after 48 h of fecal fermentation, its molecular weight and molar ratios of the monosaccharide composition varied significantly due to being utilized by human gut microbiota, and the final fermentation rate was 76.89 %. Furthermore, the MEPS-I, the final product of saliva-gastrointestinal digestion still retained significant hypoglycemic activity, it alleviated insulin resistance and increased the IR cells glucose consumption by activating PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. MEPS-I treatment reduced the proportion of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes, and the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria that enhanced insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake was promoted. This research can provide a theoretical basis for the further development of Morchella esculenta as a health functional food.

Preparation and release pattern study of long-term controlled release Blonanserin microspheres

To prepare a PLGA microsphere loaded with the antipsychotic Blonanserin without release leg period and released in a near-zero model for long time, in this study, 15 kDa and 75 kDa PLGA were chosen to be mixed with different ratios, and Blonanserin microspheres (Bn-MS) without significant differences in the particle size, drug loading capacity, and encapsulation rate were prepared by microfluidics. The release kinetic model was fitted to the release behavior by monitoring the changes in particle size and morphology during the Bn-MS release to investigate microspheres’ in vitro release pattern. The results showed that the addition of appropriate ratios of mixed molecular weights to Bn-MS could eliminate the release hysteresis period. When the ratio of 15 kDa and 75 kDa was 1:9 (F3), the Bn-MS had a low burst release rate, moderate release rate, no release hysteresis period, a long release period of up to 35 days, and a stable release pattern close to the zero level. The results of the release mechanism study indicated that the hybrid PLGA improved the release behavior of the microspheres by adjusting the dissolution degradation rate of Bn-MS, which in turn affected the release mechanism of the microspheres.

Sulfotransferase-mediated phase II drug metabolism prediction of substrates and sites using accessibility and reactivity-based algorithms.

Sulphotransferases (SULTs) are a major phase II metabolic enzyme class contributing ~20 % to the Phase II metabolism of FDA-approved drugs. Ignoring the potential for SULT-mediated metabolism leaves a strong potential for drug-drug interactions, often causing late-stage drug discovery failures or black-boxed warnings on FDA labels. The existing models use only accessibility descriptors and machine learning (ML) methods for class and site of sulfonation (SOS) predictions for SULT. In this study, a variety of accessibility, reactivity, and hybrid models and algorithms have been developed to make accurate substrate and SOS predictions. Unlike the literature models, reactivity parameters for the aliphatic or aromatic hydroxyl groups (R/Ar-O-H), the Bond Dissociation Energy (BDE) gave accurate models with a True Positive Rate (TPR)=0.84 for SOS predictions. We offer mechanistic insights to explain these novel findings that are not recognized in the literature. The accessibility parameters like the ratio of Chemgauss4 Score (CGS) and Molecular Weight (MW) CGS/MW and distance from cofactor (Dis) were essential for class predictions and showed TPR=0.72. Substrates consistently had lower BDE, Dis, and CGS/MW than non-substrates. Hybrid models also performed acceptablely for SOS predictions. Using the best models, Algorithms gave an acceptable performance in class prediction: TPR=0.62, False Positive Rate (FPR)=0.24, Balanced accuracy (BA)=0.69, and SOS prediction: TPR=0.98, FPR=0.60, and BA=0.69. A rule-based method was added to improve the predictive performance, which improved the algorithm TPR, FPR, and BA. Validation using an external dataset of drug-like compounds gave class prediction: TPR=0.67, FPR=0.00, and SOS prediction: TPR=0.80 and FPR=0.44 for the best Algorithm. Comparisons with standard ML models also show that our algorithm shows higher predictive performance for classification on external datasets. Overall, these models and algorithms (SOS predictor) give accurate substrate class and site (SOS) predictions for SULT-mediated Phase II metabolism and will be valuable to the drug discovery community in academia and industry. The SOS predictor is freely available for academic/non-profit research via the GitHub link.

Recent Advances in Polysaccharides from Chaenomeles speciosa (Sweet) Nakai.: Extraction, Purification, Structural Characteristics, Health Benefits, and Applications.

This article systematically reviews the extraction and purification methods, structural characteristics, structure-activity relationship, and health benefits of C. speciosa polysaccharides, and their potential application in food, medicine, functional products, and feed, in order to provide a useful reference for future research. Chaenomeles speciosa (Sweet) Nakai. has attracted the attention of health consumers and medical researchers as a traditional Chinese medicine with edible, medicinal, and nutritional benefits. According to this study, C. speciosa polysaccharides have significant health benefits, such as anti-diaetic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic, anti-tumor, and immunomodulatory effects. Researchers determined the molecular weight, structural characteristics, and monosaccharide composition and ratio of C. speciosa polysaccharides by water extraction and alcohol precipitation. This study will lay a solid foundation for further optimization of the extraction process of C. speciosa polysaccharides and the development of their products. As an active ingredient with high value, C. speciosa polysaccharides are worthy of further study and full development. C. speciosa polysaccharides should be further explored in the future, to innovate their extraction methods, enrich their types and biological activities, and lay a solid foundation for further research and development of products containing polysaccharides that are beneficial to the human body.

Porous PVDF composites with ultralow percolation threshold for wide-range dynamic and static pressure sensing

Porous conductive polymer composites are very attractive for static pressure sensing due to high sensitivity and good elasticity contributed by the porous structure, while they are hard to detect dynamic pressure. Herein, we report a porous conductive poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) composite capable of detecting static and dynamic pressure over a pressure range of 0–1 MPa, which was fabricated by melt mixing PVDF, polyethylene oxide (PEO) and carbon nanofillers, followed by etching PEO with water. Such porous PVDF composites have a very low percolation threshold (0.035 wt%) of carbon nanostructures (i.e., branched carbon nanotubes) thanks to the selective distribution of conductive fillers in the pore wall after etching. At the same time, the pore size and porosity of the porous PVDF composites can be tuned by the molecular weight (Mw) and blending ratios of two polymers, leading to the kinetically-tailorable blend morphology for tunable mechanical and electrical properties. The as-fabricated porous PVDF composites with a good combination of mechanical properties and electrical conductivities, which can be used as pressure sensors toward wide-range (0–1 MPa) dynamic and static pressure sensing. Such pressure sensors demonstrate potential applications in detecting the degree of finger bending, distinguishing the walking and running, and monitoring a series of technical movements in playing soccer, i.e., static and dynamic exercises.

The synthesis of asymmetrical anilinotropone nickel and palladium complexes for olefin polymerization

For the Coordination-insertion olefin polymerization, the development of high-performance transition-metal catalysts is always the key issue and extensive efforts have been made in this field. In this contribution, we designed several asymmetrical anilinotropone nickel and palladium catalysts. Compared to palladium complex, the nickel catalysts exhibited high activity in ethylene polymerization. The topology microstructure of polyethylene could be modulated by different polymerization temperature. The anilinotropone nickel catalysts Ni2 and Ni3 in this work demonstrated higher thermolability, generating polyethylene with higher molecular weight (up to 285.9 kg mol−1). Moreover, these nickel systems also promoted the copolymerization of ethylene with norbornene-type polar monomers (NB–COOMe, NB-OAc), which demonstrated great polar group tolerance in this system. The generated copolymer exhibited high molecular weight (up to 93.1 kg mol−1) and high polar monomer incorporation ratio (up to 6.9 mol%). The design of asymmetrical anilinotropone catalysts in this work presented a unique form in olefin polymerization and may attract wide application interests in metal catalysis areas.

Polielektrolitlerin Molekül Ağırlığı ve Harman Oranının Çok Tabakalı Filmlerin Gelişimine Etkisinin ve İlaç Adsorpsiyon/Desorpsiyon Uygulamalarında Kullanımlarının QCM-D Tekniğiyle Takibi

Bu çalışmada, harman zayıf ve kuvvetli polielektrolit çiftlerinin kullanımı ile tabakalı kaplama, layer-by-layer (LbL), yöntemi ile çok tabakalı fonksiyonel ince filmlerin kontrol edilebilir kalınlıkta, kompozisyonda, morfolojide hazırlanması ve ilaç salımında kullanımları araştırılmıştır. Kuartz Kristal Mikrobalans-Dissipasyon (QCM-D) tekniği ile kendi kendine bir araya gelen saf/harman yapılı LbL ince filmlerin gelişimlerinin nanogram seviyesinde takibi, ilaç yükleme/salım karakterizasyonu, model ilaç ile LbL film yüzeyi arası etkileşimler ve filmlerin ilaçla etkileşimde viskoelastik değişimleri başarıyla incelenmiştir. Ayrıca, hazırlanan çok tabakalı harman fonksiyonel ince filmlerin gelişiminin takibi için UV ve QCM-D analizi gerçekleştirilerek harman film yapısındaki polielektrolit oranları tespit edilmiştir. Ek olarak, LbL saf/harman yapılı ince filmlerin kontrol edilebilir yüzey ve topografik özelliklerinin kullanılan biyobozunur ve sentetik polielektrolit çiftlerine, harman oranına ve LbL kaplama koşullarına bağlı olarak değişimlerinin incelenmesi amacıyla taramalı elektron mikroskopu (SEM) analizleri ve yüzey temas açısı çalışmaları gerçekleştirilmiştir. Hazırlanan LbL saf/harman yapılı fonksiyonel filmlerde ibuprofen sodyum ilacı için yükleme ve salım çalışmaları QCM-D tekniği ve UV-Vis analizleriyle nötral (pH:6,8), asidik (pH:2) ve bazik (pH:11) fosfat tampon çözeltisinde (PBS) gerçekleştirilmiştir. Çalışmada, ilaç salım sistemleri için yenilikçi, ekonomik ve pratik bir yaklaşımın sunulmasının yanı sıra; LbL kaplama koşullarına bağlı olarak (i) morfolojisi ve kompozisyonu kontrol edilebilen, (ii) ilaç yükleme ve salım özellikleri ayarlanabilen ve geniş bir pH (pH:2-11) aralığında ilaç salımı yapabilen sistemler geliştirilmiştir. Elde edilen sonuçlar, ilaç uygulamaları için LbL fonksiyonel filmlerin yapısına, yüzey özelliklerine, ortamın pH’ına ve ilaç-film arası etkileşimine bağlı olarak farklılıklar taşıması gerektiğini göstermiştir. LbL tekniğiyle fonksiyonel filmlerin kontrol edilebilen özelliklerde hazırlanması ve ilaç salım uygulamalarında kullanılması oldukça ümit verici sonuçlar vermiştir.

Fabrication and optimization of PES/PVP hollow fiber membranes using Box–Behnken model and CART algorithm

AbstractThis study focuses on the optimization of polyethersulfone (PES) hollow fiber membranes fabricated with the phase inversion method. A Box–Behnken experimental design was employed with three different PES concentration ratios (11, 14, 17 wt.%), three polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) molecular weight ratios (K30/K90 ratios of 6:0, 3:3, 0:6 wt.%), three different bore fluid (BF) composition ratios (water/alcohol ratios of 20:80, 60:40, 100:0), and three different air gap values (24, 37, and 50 cm). The results were analyzed in terms of pure water permeability (PWP) and porosity as optimization parameters using response surface methodology and the classification and regression tree (CART) model. ANOVA results revealed significant effects of PES concentration, PVP molecular weight, and BF composition on the outcomes. After optimization, the maximum PWP and the maximum porosity were obtained as 360.15 L/m2 h bar, 60.57%, respectively. The CART model achieved sufficient accuracy in classifying samples.

Isothermal and non-isothermal transport properties of diluted fullerene binary and ternary aromatic solvent mixtures.

We present mass transport properties of C60 fullerene in five aromatic solvents, methylnaphthalene, toluene and three xylene isomers. Optical beam deflection and thermogravitational column techniques were used to determine molecular diffusion, thermodiffusion and Soret coefficients. All thermo-optical properties necessary to determine the abovementioned coefficients are also given at a mean working temperature of 298.15 K and an atmospheric pressure of 0.101 MPa. The magnitude of all transport properties is governed by the molecular weight ratio. In the particular case of the isomers, experiments revealed that movement under isothermal conditions (described by molecular diffusion) is dominated by density, while under non-isothermal conditions viscous forces affect the displacement (thermodiffusion depends on the dynamic viscosity). In the case of the Soret coefficients, as a combination of both, density is the dominant parameter and also the moment of inertia.

Adiponectin Resistance in Obesity: Adiponectin Leptin/Insulin Interaction.

The adiponectin (APN) levels in obesity are negatively correlated with chronic subclinical inflammation markers. The hypertrophic adipocytes cause obesity-linked insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. Furthermore, macrophage polarization is a key determinant regulating adiponectin receptor (AdipoR1/R2) expression and differential adiponectin-mediated macrophage inflammatory responses in obese individuals. In addition to decrease in adiponectin concentrations, the decline in AdipoR1/R2 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression leads to a decrement in adiponectin binding to cell membrane, and this turns into attenuation in the adiponectin effects. This is defined as APN resistance, and it is linked with insulin resistance in high-fat diet-fed subjects. The insulin-resistant group has a significantly higher leptin-to-APN ratio. The leptin-to-APN ratio is more than twofold higher in obese individuals. An increase in expression of AdipoRs restores insulin sensitivity and β-oxidation of fatty acids via triggering intracellular signal cascades. The ratio of high molecular weight to total APN is defined as the APN sensitivity index (ASI). This index is correlated to insulin sensitivity. Homeostasis model of assessment (HOMA)-APN and HOMA-estimated insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) are the most suitable methods to estimate the metabolic risk in metabolic syndrome. While morbidly obese patients display a significantly higher plasma leptin and soluble (s)E-selectin concentrations, leptin-to-APN ratio, there is a significant negative correlation between leptin-to-APN ratio and sP-selectin in obese patients. When comparing the metabolic dysregulated obese group with the metabolically healthy obese group, postprandial triglyceride clearance, insulin resistance, and leptin resistance are significantly delayed following the oral fat tolerance test in the first group. A neuropeptide, Spexin (SPX), is positively correlated with the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI) and APN. APN resistance together with insulin resistance forms a vicious cycle. Despite normal or high APN levels, an impaired post-receptor signaling due to adaptor protein-containing pleckstrin homology domain, phosphotyrosine-binding domain, and leucine zipper motif 1 (APPL1)/APPL2 may alter APN efficiency and activity. However, APPL2 blocks adiponectin signaling through AdipoR1 and AdipoR2 because of the competitive inhibition of APPL1. APPL1, the intracellular binding partner of AdipoRs, is also an important mediator of adiponectin-dependent insulin sensitization. The elevated adiponectin levels with adiponectin resistance are compensatory responses in the condition of an unusual discordance between insulin resistance and APN unresponsiveness. Hypothalamic recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV)-leptin (Lep) gene therapy reduces serum APN levels, and it is a more efficient strategy for long-term weight maintenance.

Compositional asymmetry in a crystalline-amorphous block copolymer influences the phase and crystallization behaviors of its blend with an amorphous block copolymer.

This study determined the phase and crystallization behaviors of blends composed of asymmetric polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-PEO) and symmetric polystyrene-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS-PMMA). The PS blocks in the various binary block copolymers exhibited nearly identical molecular weights, whereas the molecular weight ratios of PEO and PMMA varied. The compatibility of the PEO and PMMA chains aided the binary block copolymers in co-ordering in a lamellar microdomain morphology, with the PEO and PMMA blocks sharing a common microdomain. Adding short tethered PMMA chains to long tethered PEO chains led to a decrease in the common microdomain spacing and an increase in the grafting density. These behaviors increased PEO chain stretching, causing macrophase separation. The mismatch in PEO and PMMA block lengths divided the common PEO/PMMA microdomain into two sections: the coexisting PEO/PMMA section close to the microdomain interface and the neat PEO section far away from it. The high-glass-transition-temperature PMMA reduced PEO chain mobility, inhibiting PEO crystallization in the coexisting PEO/PMMA section but not in the neat PEO section. When the block length ratio of PEO to PMMA decreased, the neat PEO section narrowed. The increase in the extent of PEO confinement led to a reduction in PEO crystallizability.

Precision control of molecular weight ratios in fully conjugated block copolymers using flow synthesis

Successful synthesis of fully conjugated block copolymers (BCPs) with controlled block ratios has been achieved in a reproducible manner using a flow reactor.

Synergistic effects of dry-brush compatibility and shear stress on rapid alignment of lamellar microstructures for block copolymer reflectors

Because of the high viscosity of severe chain entanglements, a time-consuming process of aligning microstructural orientation in high molecular-weight (Mw) block copolymer photonic crystal films imposed limitations on efficient mass production. In this study, the effective alignment of the block copolymer microstructures in the film state can be carried out within approximately a few minutes. This achievement was realized through the synergistic localized compatibility of dry brush and shear stress during the spin-casting process. The orientation and orderliness of the microphase-separated lamellar structure in as-spun poly(styrene)-block-poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P4VP) films can be meticulously controlled by introducing blends with PS homopolymer (hPS) of varying Mws (Mw,hPS) and cholesteric liquid crystal mesogen (Chol). Within the ternary blended films of hPS/PS-b-P4VP(Chol), the wet-brush miscibility by blending low-Mw hPS with a small molecular weight ratio (α) of Mw,hPS to Mw,bPS (Mw of the PS block chain) of α <1 results in the formation of disoriented lamellar structures, whereas dry-brush localization by introducing high-Mw hPS with α∼0.9 yields highly parallel-aligned lamellar structures to the substrate after spin casting, even with a massive quantity of additive hPS (∼59 wt%). The dry-brush compatibility can be demonstrated by morphological observation in the ternary blended film after extraction of the hPS. As a result, without any further efforts, such as additional solvent or thermal annealing treatments, the as-spun ternary blended film can exhibit visible structural colorations with controlled wavelengths by alternating the quantity of hPS. This provides an accessible solution for rapidly producing flexible photonic crystals featuring tunable photonic band gaps.

Amphiphilic polylactic acid-b-poly(N-(3-aminopropyl) methacrylamide) copolymers: Self-assembly to polymeric micelles for gene delivery

In this study, for the first time diblock copolymers of PLA-b-PAPMA with three different sizes were synthesized in order to fabricate cationic micelles. In this copolymer, p(APMA) block with hydrophilic cationic nature could serve as a nucleic acid condensation platform as well as the shell of micellar structure in the self-assembly process. The p(APMA) block was electrostatically complexed with nucleic acid, and formed a neutral or mildly positive charge micellar surface, thus providing the nanoparticles safety and stability. On the other hand, polylactic acid as a hydrophobic polymer in diblock copolymer structure formed core of micelles which could encapsulate hydrophobic therapeutics. The synthesized copolymers, PLA74-b-PAPMA14, PLA121-b-PAPMA22, PLA121-b-PAPMA103 were evaluated in terms of self-assembly capability, size, polydispersity index, plasmid condensation, transfection efficacy and cytotoxicity against C26 cells. Obtained results demonstrated low CMC values for all copolymers. PLA121-b-PAPMA103 diblock copolymer condensed green fluorescent protein plasmid at C/P 1 and higher, while other diblock copolymers were able to condense plasmid above C/P 70. The self-assembly structures of cationic micelles before and after plasmid condensation showed spherical morphology in SEM analysis while DLS data illustrated appropriate size (161.7 ± 8) and PDI (0.276) for PLA121-b-PAPMA103 diblock copolymer. It could be concluded that the cationic micelles with approximately the molecular weight ratio of hydrophilic block to total polymer mass of 60 % and larger than 50 % provided higher stability, condensation ability and transfection efficiency which could be attributed to the better self-assembly process and better amine groups exposure on the micellar surface.

Effects of chitosan molecular weight and mass ratio with natural blue phycocyanin on physiochemical and structural stability of protein

Phycocyanin (PC), an algae-extracted colorant, has extensive applications for its water-solubility and fresh blue shade. When PC is added to acidified media, dispersions are prone to aggregate and decolorize into cloudy systems. For palliating this matter, chitosan with high, medium, and low molecular weights (HMC, MMC, and LMC) were adopted in PC dispersions, and their protective effects were compared based on physiochemical stabilities. The optimal mass ratio between chitosan and PC was identified as 1:5 based on preliminary evaluations and was supported by the higher ζ-potential (31.0–32.1 mV), lower turbidity (39.6–43.6 NTU), and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis results. Through interfacial and antioxidant capacity analyses, LMC was found to display a higher affinity to PC, which was also confirmed by SEM images and the maximum increase in transition temperature of their complex (155.70 °C) in DSC measurements. The mechanism of electrostatic interaction reinforced by hydrophobic effects and hydrogen bonding was elucidated by FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy. Further comprehensive stability evaluations revealed that, without light exposure, LMC kept PC from internal secondary structure to external blueness luster to the maximum extent. While with light exposure, LMC was not so flexible as HMC, to protect chromophores from attack of free radicals.

Synthesis and characterization of (Ba (1.6-3/2X) Sr2.4Na2Nb10O30: xHo3+) ferroelectric nanomaterials by solid state reaction routes for device applications

Barium Strontium Sodium Niobate (Ba (1.6-3/2X)Sr2.4Na2Nb10O30:xHo3+) tungsten bronze structured ferroelectrics nanomaterial synthesized by conventional solid state reaction route is investigated. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), the scanning electron spectroscopy (SEM), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and UV–Vis Spectroscopy were used to study the structure, surface morphology/microstructure, elemental composition/mapping, functional groups identification and absorption, respectively. The XRD pattern revealed Tetragonal Tungsten Bronze structured crystallite phase that matches with the JCPDS card number -00-039-1453 having space group of p4bm and lattice parameters of a = 12.33 Å, b = 12.33 Å and c = 3.93 Å. The average crystallite size of the synthesized samples obtained at the prominent peak (311) for position/2ϴ = 32.320 is 67.52 nm. The SEM images showed that surface microstructures have random and nearly uniform distribution of nanoparticles with different shapes and size on the surface. Moreover, less porous surface microstructure was obtained and it is promising for enhancing ferroelectric properties. EDS analysis confirmed the presence of all the constituent elements with their proportional atomic and molecular weight ratios. For the pure metal oxide, the FTIR results showed the bond vibration mode at wavenumber of 540.60 cm−1, having only single collective metal oxide intense peak without impurities. For Ho3+ concentration corresponding to 0.05 and 0.10 %, additional peaks were observed at 429.92 cm−1 and 415.77 cm−1, respectively, confirming the existence of Ho–O bond vibration modes. The UV–vis results show that the absorption edges of all samples are at the same wavelength region (approximately 205 nm). Moreover, it was observed that the optimum absorption intensity was obtained for 0.03 % Ho3+ ions concentration.

Self-Healing of Poly(vinyl Alcohol)/Poly(acrylic Acid)-Polytetrahydrofuran-Poly(acrylic Acid) Blend Boosted via Shape Memory.

The self-healable polymers that can repair physical damage autonomously to extend their lifetime and reduce maintenance costs are promising intelligent materials. However, utilizing shape memory to facilitate self-repair is unusual at present. In this work, a series of poly(acrylic acid)-polytetrahydrofuran-poly(acrylic acid) polymers (PAA-PTMG-PAA, diPAA-PTMG) are synthesized as a switching phase and healing accelerator to blend into poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). The water swelling rate of the blend is up to 400.0% at 1/1 molecular weight ratio of PTMG/PAA and 20.0 wt % blend ratio of diPAA-PTMG to PVA, and its crystallization is changed significantly under wet conditions. The blend membrane exhibits not only a good hydrothermal-response shape memory effect but also a favorable self-healing behavior. The tensile strength and elongation at break are 12.4 MPa and 320.0% after healing at 25 °C, respectively. In particular, the wound membrane can achieve a better self-healing effect with the assistance of shape memory at 37 °C, and the elongation at the break increased to 515.9% after healing. The membrane is not cytotoxic, so it will be a promising biomedical material.

Prediction of enhanced drug solubility related to clathrate compositions and operating conditions: Machine learning study

Although complexation technique has been documented as a promising strategy to enhance the dissolution rate and bioavailability of water-insoluble drugs, prediction of the enhanced drug solubility related to clathrate compositions and operating conditions is still a challenge. Herein, clathrate compositions (drug content (DC), drug molecular weight (M) and molar ratio (Ratio)), operating conditions (drug concentration (C), pH, pressure (P), temperature (T) and dissolution time (t)) under the different excipients (PEG, PVP, HPMC and cyclodextrin) as main solubilizers of the clathrates condition as input parameters were used to predict two indexes (drug dissolved percentage and dissolution efficiency) simultaneously through machine learning methodfor the first time. The results show that PVP as the main solubilizer of clathrates had higher prediction accuracy to the drug dissolved percentage, and HPMC as the main solubilizer of clathrates had higher prediction accuracy to the drug dissolution efficiency. In addition, the influence of various factors and interactions on the target variables were analyzed. This study affords achievable hints to the quantitative prediction of the drug solubility affected by various compositions and different operating conditions.