bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sodium Selenite Alleviates Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema Independent of Antioxidant Defense System
Authors: Han Hye Won , Yang Eun Joo , Lee Seung-Min
Published: May 2019

Long-term surveillance is necessary to identify patients at risk of developing secondary lymphedema after breast cancer surgery. We assessed how sodium selenite supplementation would affect breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) symptoms and parameters in association with antioxidant effects. A randomized, double-blind, controlled trial was conducted on 26 participants with clinical stage II to III BCRL. The control group (CTRL, n = 12) and selenium group (SE, n = 14) underwent five sessions of 0.9% saline and 500 μg sodium selenite (Selenase®) IV injections, respectively, within 2 weeks. All patients were educated on recommended behavior and self-administered manual lymphatic drainage. Clinical diagnosis on lymphedema by physicians, bioimpedance data, blood levels of oxidative markers, including glutathione (GSH), glutathione disulfide (GSSG), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase activity (GSH-Px), and serum oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) levels, were investigated at timelines defined as baseline, 2-week, and follow-up. Sodium selenite increased whole blood selenium concentration in the SE group. Compared to the baseline, at 2 weeks, 75.0% of participants in clinical stage showed improvement, while there was no change in the CTRL group. At follow-up, 83.3% and 10.0% of the SE and CTRL, respectively, showed stage changes from III to II (p = 0.002). Extracellular water (ECW) ratios were significantly reduced at 2 weeks and follow-up, only in the SE group. Blood GSH, GSSG, GSH/GSSG ratio, MDA, and ORAC levels did not change by selenium supplementation. Sodium selenite improved diagnostic stages of BCRL along with ECW ratios, although the beneficial effect might not be related to its antioxidant activity. Selenite’s effect on lymphedema may be associated with non-antioxidant properties, such as anti-inflammation and immune function. Further mechanistic research using a larger population is needed.
Effects of Intestinal Microbial–Elaborated Butyrate on Oncogenic Signaling Pathways
Authors: Chen Jiezhong , Zhao Kong-Nan , Vitetta Luis
Published: May 2019

The intestinal microbiota is well known to have multiple benefits on human health, including cancer prevention and treatment. The effects are partially mediated by microbiota-produced short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as butyrate, propionate and acetate. The anti-cancer effect of butyrate has been demonstrated in cancer cell cultures and animal models of cancer. Butyrate, as a signaling molecule, has effects on multiple signaling pathways. The most studied effect is its inhibition on histone deacetylase (HDAC), which leads to alterations of several important oncogenic signaling pathways such as JAK2/STAT3, VEGF. Butyrate can interfere with both mitochondrial apoptotic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways. In addition, butyrate also reduces gut inflammation by promoting T-regulatory cell differentiation with decreased activities of the NF-κB and STAT3 pathways. Through PKC and Wnt pathways, butyrate increases cancer cell differentiation. Furthermore, butyrate regulates oncogenic signaling molecules through microRNAs and methylation. Therefore, butyrate has the potential to be incorporated into cancer prevention and treatment regimens. In this review we summarize recent progress in butyrate research and discuss the future development of butyrate as an anti-cancer agent with emphasis on its effects on oncogenic signaling pathways. The low bioavailability of butyrate is a problem, which precludes clinical application. The disadvantage of butyrate for medicinal applications may be overcome by several approaches including nano-delivery, analogue development and combination use with other anti-cancer agents or phytochemicals.
Association between Healthy Dietary Patterns and Self-Reported Sleep Disturbances in Older Men: The ULSAM Study
Authors: van Egmond Lieve , Tan Xiao , Sjögren Per , Cederholm Tommy , Benedict Christian
Published: May 2019

To date, little is known about how dietary patterns may link to measures of sleep quality in older subjects, who often suffer from sleep problems. Here, we investigated, in an older male population from Sweden (n = 970; aged 71 ± 1 year), whether adherence to the Healthy Diet Indicator (HDI; based on recommendations from the World Health Organization) or the Mediterranean Diet (MD) is linked to sleep disturbances. The diet scores were calculated using a seven-day food diary, and self-reported sleep initiation or maintenance problems were assessed by questionnaires. When adjusted for potential confounders, no associations between dietary scores and sleep parameters were found. In contrast, low consumption of milk and dairy products —one of the dietary features of the MD —was associated with better subjective sleep initiation. This association was, however, not found in men with adequate reports of daily energy intake (~54% of the cohort). To summarize, our findings do not suggest that older men can mitigate perceived difficulties to fall and stay asleep by adhering to either the HDI or MD. Whether low consumption of milk and dairy products can facilitate sleep initiation must be confirmed in future studies by utilizing objective measures of sleep such as polysomnography. Finally, when investigating associations between dietary patterns and sleep, particular attention should be paid to the potential confounder of inadequate reporting of energy intake.
Estimating Vitamin C Status in Critically Ill Patients with a Novel Point-of-Care Oxidation-Reduction Potential Measurement
Authors: Rozemeijer Sander , Spoelstra-de Man Angélique M. E. , Coenen Sophie , Smit Bob , Elbers Paul W. G. , de Grooth Harm-Jan , Girbes Armand R. J. , Oudemans-van Straaten Heleen M.
Published: May 2019

Vitamin C deficiency is common in critically ill patients. Vitamin C, the most important antioxidant, is likely consumed during oxidative stress and deficiency is associated with organ dysfunction and mortality. Assessment of vitamin C status may be important to identify patients who might benefit from vitamin C administration. Up to now, vitamin C concentrations are not available in daily clinical practice. Recently, a point-of-care device has been developed that measures the static oxidation-reduction potential (sORP), reflecting oxidative stress, and antioxidant capacity (AOC). The aim of this study was to determine whether plasma vitamin C concentrations were associated with plasma sORP and AOC. Plasma vitamin C concentration, sORP and AOC were measured in three groups: healthy volunteers, critically ill patients, and critically ill patients receiving 2- or 10-g vitamin C infusion. Its association was analyzed using regression models and by assessment of concordance. We measured 211 samples obtained from 103 subjects. Vitamin C concentrations were negatively associated with sORP (R2 = 0.816) and positively associated with AOC (R2 = 0.842). A high concordance of 94–100% was found between vitamin C concentration and sORP/AOC. Thus, plasma vitamin C concentrations are strongly associated with plasma sORP and AOC, as measured with a novel point-of-care device. Therefore, measuring sORP and AOC at the bedside has the potential to identify and monitor patients with oxidative stress and vitamin C deficiency.
Plasma Metabolites Associated with Coffee Consumption: A Metabolomic Approach within the PREDIMED Study
Authors: Papandreou Christopher , Hernández-Alonso Pablo , Bulló Mònica , Ruiz-Canela Miguel , Yu Edward , Guasch-Ferré Marta , Toledo Estefanía , Dennis Courtney , Deik Amy , Clish Clary , Razquin Cristina , Corella Dolores , Estruch Ramon , Ros Emilio , Fitó Montserrat , Arós Fernando , Fiol Miquel , Lapetra José , Ruano Cristina , Liang Liming , Martínez-González Miguel A. , Hu Frank B. , Salas-Salvadó Jordi
Published: May 2019

Few studies have examined the association of a wide range of metabolites with total and subtypes of coffee consumption. The aim of this study was to investigate associations of plasma metabolites with total, caffeinated, and decaffeinated coffee consumption. We also assessed the ability of metabolites to discriminate between coffee consumption categories. This is a cross-sectional analysis of 1664 participants from the PREDIMED study. Metabolites were semiquantitatively profiled using a multiplatform approach. Consumption of total coffee, caffeinated coffee and decaffeinated coffee was assessed by using a validated food frequency questionnaire. We assessed associations between 387 metabolite levels with total, caffeinated, or decaffeinated coffee consumption (≥50 mL coffee/day) using elastic net regression analysis. Ten-fold cross-validation analyses were used to estimate the discriminative accuracy of metabolites for total and subtypes of coffee. We identified different sets of metabolites associated with total coffee, caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee consumption. These metabolites consisted of lipid species (e.g., sphingomyelin, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylcholine) or were derived from glycolysis (alpha-glycerophosphate) and polyphenol metabolism (hippurate). Other metabolites included caffeine, 5-acetylamino-6-amino-3-methyluracil, cotinine, kynurenic acid, glycocholate, lactate, and allantoin. The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.60 (95% CI 0.56–0.64), 0.78 (95% CI 0.75–0.81) and 0.52 (95% CI 0.49–0.55), in the multimetabolite model, for total, caffeinated, and decaffeinated coffee consumption, respectively. Our comprehensive metabolic analysis did not result in a new, reliable potential set of metabolites for coffee consumption.
Aspects of Dietary Diversity Differ in Their Association with Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Risk in a Racially Diverse US Adult Population
Authors: Fanelli Kuczmarski Marie , Brewer Benjamin C. , Rawal Rita , Pohlig Ryan T. , Zonderman Alan B. , Evans Michele K.
Published: May 2019

The study objectives were to measure dietary diversity (DD) of an urban US population and to determine if associations of 10 year atherosclerotic cardiovascular (ASCVD) risk with DD were independent of dietary quality. Participants were drawn from the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study, wave 4 (n = 2066, 1259 African Americans (AA), 807 Whites (W). Three DD measures were derived from 2 days of 24 h recall data collected with the USDA automated-multiple-pass-method. Count was based on consumption of at least half an equivalent of food from 21 subgroups. Evenness was calculated using Berry Index (BI) and BI-adjusted by food health values. Dissimilarity was calculated by Mahalanobis Distance. Diet quality was assessed by Mean Nutrient Adequacy (MAR) and DASH scores. Associations of DD and quality with ASCVD risk, calculated using 2013 American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association guidelines, were assessed with multivariable regression. Covariates included income, education, food security, and energy/kg weight. Count and MAR were positively associated whereas dissimilarity was negatively associated with ASCVD risk. There was no evidence that evenness contributed to cardiovascular health. The findings suggest more diversity in food attributes and diets rich in micronutrients rather than increased count support cardiovascular health.
Dairy Food Consumption is Inversely Associated with the Prevalence of Periodontal Disease in Korean Adults
Authors: Lee Kyueun , Kim Jihye
Published: May 2019

Dairy food consumption is known to be inversely associated with periodontal disease. However, there are conflicting results depending on the type of dairy foods. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between individual dairy food consumption and periodontal disease. A total of 9798 Korean adults, aged ≥30 years, who participated in the fifth and sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were included in this study’s analysis. Dairy food consumption was measured by the semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Periodontal disease was defined as Community Periodontal Index score ≥3 in more than one of six sextants. Frequent intake of dairy foods (≥7 servings/week) was associated with a 24% lower prevalence of periodontal disease compared with never consumers after adjustment for age, gender, income, education, smoking, alcohol consumption, body mass index, diabetes mellitus status, calcium intake, tooth brushing frequency, and use of dental floss (Odds ratio (OR)= 0.76, 95% CI = 0.63–0.91, p for trend = 0.052). Also, frequent intake of milk (≥7 servings/week) was associated with a 26% lower prevalence of periodontal disease after adjustment for potential confounders (OR = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.61–0.89, p for trend = 0.022). Frequent consumption of dairy food including milk may have a beneficial effect on periodontal disease in the Korean adult population.
3-(4-Hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)propionic Acid Produced from 4-Hydroxy-3-methoxycinnamic Acid by Gut Microbiota Improves Host Metabolic Condition in Diet-Induced Obese Mice
Authors: Ohue-Kitano Ryuji , Taira Satsuki , Watanabe Keita , Masujima Yuki , Kuboshima Toru , Miyamoto Junki , Nishitani Yosuke , Kawakami Hideaki , Kuwahara Hiroshige , Kimura Ikuo
Published: May 2019

4-Hydroxy-3-methoxycinnamic acid (HMCA), a hydroxycinnamic acid derivative, is abundant in fruits and vegetables, including oranges, carrots, rice bran, and coffee beans. Several beneficial effects of HMCA have been reported, including improvement of metabolic abnormalities in animal models and human studies. However, its mitigating effects on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity, and the mechanism underlying these effects, remain to be elucidated. In this study, we demonstrated that dietary HMCA was efficacious against HFD-induced weight gain and hepatic steatosis, and that it improved insulin sensitivity. These metabolic benefits of HMCA were ascribable to 3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)propionic acid (HMPA) produced by gut microbiota. Moreover, conversion of HMCA into HMPA was attributable to a wide variety of microbes belonging to the phylum Bacteroidetes. We further showed that HMPA modulated gut microbes associated with host metabolic homeostasis by increasing the abundance of organisms belonging to the phylum Bacteroidetes and reducing the abundance of the phylum Firmicutes. Collectively, these results suggest that HMPA derived from HMCA is metabolically beneficial, and regulates hepatic lipid metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and the gut microbial community. Our results provide insights for the development of functional foods and preventive medicines, based on the microbiota of the intestinal environment, for the prevention of metabolic disorders.
The Immunomodulatory Properties of Extracellular Vesicles Derived from Probiotics: A Novel Approach for the Management of Gastrointestinal Diseases
Authors: Molina-Tijeras Jose Alberto , Gálvez Julio , Rodríguez-Cabezas Maria Elena
Published: May 2019

Probiotics, included in functional foods, nutritional supplements, or nutraceuticals, exhibit different beneficial effects on gut function. They are extensively used to improve the digestive processes as well as reduce the symptoms and progression of different diseases. Probiotics have shown to improve dysbiosis and modulate the immune response of the host by interacting with different cell types. Probiotics and the host can interact in a direct way, but it is becoming apparent that communication occurs also through extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from probiotics. EVs are key for bacteria–bacteria and bacteria–host interactions, since they carry a wide variety of components that can modulate different signaling pathways, including those involved in the immune response. Interestingly, EVs are recently starting to be considered as an alternative to probiotics in those cases for which the use of live bacteria could be dangerous, such as immunocompromised individuals or situations where the intestinal barrier is impaired. EVs can spread through the mucus layer and interact with the host, avoiding the risk of sepsis. This review summarizes the existing knowledge about EVs from different probiotic strains, their properties, and their potential use for the prevention or treatment of different gastrointestinal diseases.
Association of Infant Feeding Patterns with Taste Preferences in European Children and Adolescents: A Retrospective Latent Profile Analysis
Authors: Sina Elida , Buck Christoph , Jilani Hannah , Tornaritis Michael , Veidebaum Toomas , Russo Paola , Moreno Luis A. , Molnar Denes , Eiben Gabriele , Marild Staffan , Pala Valeria , Ahrens Wolfgang , Hebestreit Antje
Published: May 2019

The aim was to investigate associations between the duration of infant feeding practices (FP) and taste preferences (TP) in European children and adolescents. A total of 5526 children (6–16 years old) of the I.Family study completed a Food and Beverage Preference Questionnaire to measure their preferences for sweet, fatty and bitter tastes. Mothers retrospectively reported the FPs duration in months: exclusive breastfeeding (EBF), exclusive formula milk feeding (EFMF), combined breastfeeding (BF&FMF) and the age at the introduction of complementary foods (CF). Using logistic regression analyses and latent class analysis (latent profiles of FP and CF were identified), we explored associations between profiles and TP, adjusting for various covariates, including the Healthy Diet Adherence Score (HDAS). A total of 48% of children had short durations of EBF (≤4 months) and BF&FMF (≤6 months) and were introduced to CF early (<6 months). No significant relationship was observed between the single FPs and TP, even when considering common profiles of FP. HDAS was inversely associated with sweet and fatty TP, but positively with bitter TP. Contrary to our hypotheses, we did not observe associations between FP and children’s TP later in life. Further studies with higher FP variation and longitudinal design are needed to investigate the causal associations between infant FP and taste preferences later in life.
American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolium L.) as a Source of Bioactive Phytochemicals with Pro-Health Properties
Authors: Szczuka Daria , Nowak Adriana , Zakłos-Szyda Małgorzata , Kochan Ewa , Szymańska Grażyna , Motyl Ilona , Blasiak Janusz
Published: May 2019

Panax quinquefolium L. (American Ginseng, AG) is an herb characteristic for regions of North America and Asia. Due to its beneficial properties it has been extensively investigated for decades. Nowadays, it is one of the most commonly applied medical herbs worldwide. Active compounds of AG are ginsenosides, saponins of the glycosides group that are abundant in roots, leaves, stem, and fruits of the plant. Ginsenosides are suggested to be primarily responsible for health-beneficial effects of AG. AG acts on the nervous system; it was reported to improve the cognitive function in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease, display anxiolytic activity, and neuroprotective effects against neuronal damage resulting from ischemic stroke in animals, demonstrate anxiolytic activity, and induce neuroprotective effects against neuronal damage in ischemic stroke in animals. Administration of AG leads to inhibition of hypertrophy in heart failure by regulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in mice as well as depletion of cardiac contractile function in rats. It also has an anti-diabetic and anti-obesity potential as it increases insulin sensitivity and inhibits formation of adipose tissue. AG displays anti-cancer effect by induction of apoptosis of cancer cells and reducing local inflammation. It exerts antimicrobial effects against several pathogenic strains of bacteria. Therefore, AG presents a high potential to induce beneficial health effects in humans and should be further explored to formulate precise nutritional recommendations, as well as to assess its value in prevention and therapy of some disorders, including cancer.
Duvelisib: A 2018 Novel FDA-Approved Small Molecule Inhibiting Phosphoinositide 3-Kinases
Authors: Rodrigues Daniel A. , Sagrillo Fernanda S. , Fraga Carlos A. M.
Published: May 2019

Duvelisib (Copiktra®) is a dual inhibitor of phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Kδ and PI3Kγ). In 2018, duvelisib was first approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL)/ small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) after at least two prior therapies. Duvelisib has also been approved under accelerated track for relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (FL) after at least two prior systemic therapies. In this review, we provide a series of information about duvelisib, such as the development of clinical trials for LLC/SLL and FL and the steps used for its synthesis.
Chitosan-Based Hydrogels Embedded with Hyaluronic Acid Complex Nanoparticles for Controlled Delivery of Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2
Authors: Min Qing , Yu Xiaofeng , Liu Jiaoyan , Wu Jiliang , Wan Ying
Published: May 2019

Chitosan(CH)-poly(dioxanone) (CH-PDO) copolymers containing varied amounts of PDO and having free amino groups at their CH backbone were synthesized using a group protection method. The selected CH-PDO with soluble characteristics in aqueous media was used together with hyaluronic acid (HA) to prepare HA/CH-PDO polyelectrolyte complex nanoparticles (NPs) via an ionotropic gelation technique, and such a type of HA/CH-PDO NPs was employed as a carrier for delivering bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2). The optimal BMP-2-encapsulated HA/CH-PDO NPs with high encapsulation efficiency were embedded into CH/glycerophosphate composite solutions to form different hydrogels in order to achieve long-term BMP-2 release. The formulated gels were found to be injectable at room temperature and had its thermosensitive phase transition near physiological temperature and pH. They also showed abilities to administer the release of BMP-2 in approximately linear manners for a few weeks while effectively preserving the bioactivity of the encapsulated BMP-2. In view of their fully biocompatible and biodegradable components, the presently developed gel systems have promising potential for translation to the clinic use in bone repair and regeneration where the sustained and controlled stimuli from active signaling molecules and the stable biomechanical framework for housing the recruited cells are often concurrently needed.
Developing Body-Components-Based Theranostic Nanoparticles for Targeting Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Edelman Ravit , Assaraf Yehuda G. , Slavkin Anton , Dolev Tamar , Shahar Tal , Livney Yoav D.
Published: May 2019

Ovarian cancer mortality is the highest among gynecologic malignancies. Hence, the major challenges are early diagnosis and efficient targeted therapy. Herein, we devised model theranostic nanoparticles (NPs) for combined diagnostics and delivery of chemotherapeutics, targeted to ovarian cancer cells. These NPs were made of natural biocompatible and biodegradable body components: hyaluronic acid (HA) and serum albumin (SA). The hydrophilic HA served as the targeting ligand for cancer cells overexpressing CD44, the HA receptor. SA, the natural carrier of various ligands through the blood, served as the hydrophobic block of the self-assembling block copolymeric Maillard-conjugates. We show the successful construction of fluorescently-labeled SA-HA conjugate-based theranostic NPs, their loading with paclitaxel (PTX) (association constant (8.6 ± 0.8) × 103 M−1, maximal loading capacity of 4:1 PTX:BSA, and 96% encapsulation efficiency), selective internalization and cytotoxicity to CD44-overexpressing ovarian cancer cells (IC50: 26.4 ± 2.3 nM, compared to 115.0 ± 17.4 of free PTX, and to 58.6 ± 19.7 nM for CD44-lacking cognate ovarian cancer cells). Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) was used for in vitro imaging, whereas long wavelength fluorophores or other suitable tracers would be used for future in vivo diagnostic imaging. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that fluorescent HA-SA NPs harboring a cytotoxic drug cargo can specifically target, label CD44-expressing ovarian cancer cells and efficiently eradicate them.
Pharmaceutical Applications of Hot-Melt Extrusion: Continuous Manufacturing, Twin-Screw Granulations, and 3D Printing
Authors: Maniruzzaman Mohammed
Published: May 2019

Recently, hot-melt extrusion (HME) techniques have been presented as innovative platforms to produce various pharmaceuticals [...]
Penetration Efficiency of Antitumor Agents in Ovarian Cancer Spheroids: The Case of Recombinant Targeted Toxin DARPin-LoPE and the Chemotherapy Drug, Doxorubicin
Authors: Sokolova Evgeniya , Kutova Olga , Grishina Alena , Pospelov Anton , Guryev Evgeniy , Schulga Alexey , Deyev Sergey , Balalaeva Irina
Published: May 2019

The efficiency of delivering a therapeutic agent into a tumor is among the crucial factors determining the prospects for its clinical use. This problem is particularly acute in the case of targeted antitumor agents since many of them are high-molecular-weight compounds. In this work, the penetration of therapeutic agents of two distinct molecular weights into the spheroids of ovarian adenocarcinoma overexpressing human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) was studied. It was shown that the low-molecular-weight chemotherapy drug, doxorubicin (~0.5 kDa), effectively penetrates through almost the entire depth of a 300 to 400 μm spheroid, while the penetration depth of the HER2-specific recombinant targeted toxin, DARPin-LoPE (~42 kDa), is only a few surface layers of cells and does not exceed 70 μm. The low penetration of the targeted toxin into spheroid was shown along with a significant decrease in its efficiency against the three-dimensional tumor spheroid as compared with the two-dimensional monolayer culture. The approaches to increasing the accumulation of agents in the tumor are presented and prospects of their use in order to improve the effectiveness of therapy are discussed.
Thermally-Responsive Loading and Release of Elastin-Like Polypeptides from Contact Lenses
Authors: Wang Wan , Lee Changrim , Pastuszka Martha , Laurie Gordon W. , MacKay J. Andrew
Published: May 2019

Contact lenses are widely prescribed for vision correction, and as such they are an attractive platform for drug delivery to the anterior segment of the eye. This manuscript explores a novel strategy to drive the reversible adsorption of peptide-based therapeutics using commercially available contact lenses. To accomplish this, thermo-sensitive elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) alone or tagged with a candidate ocular therapeutic were characterized. For the first time, this manuscript demonstrates that Proclear CompatiblesTM contact lenses are a suitable platform for ELP adsorption. Two rhodamine-labelled ELPs, V96 (thermo-sensitive) and S96 (thermo-insensitive), were employed to test temperature-dependent association to the contact lenses. During long-term release into solution, ELP coacervation significantly modulated the release profile whereby more than 80% of loaded V96 retained with a terminal half-life of ~4 months, which was only 1–4 days under solubilizing conditions. A selected ocular therapeutic candidate lacritin-V96 fusion (LV96), either free or lens-bound LV96, was successfully transferred to HCE-T cells. These data suggest that ELPs may be useful to control loading or release from certain formulations of contact lenses and present a potential for this platform to deliver a biologically active peptide to the ocular surface via contact lenses.
Concurrent Osteosarcoma Theranostic Strategy Using Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound and Drug-Loaded Bubbles
Authors: Kuo Tai-Tzung , Wang Chung-Hsin , Wang Jir-You , Chiou Hong-Jen , Fan Ching-Hsiang , Yeh Chih-Kuang
Published: May 2019

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common bone tumor in children and teenagers. The multidrug resistant property of OS produces a major obstacle to chemotherapy, since the effective drug dose cannot be achieved via conventional drug delivery routes without serious systemic cytotoxicity. Microbubbles in conjunction with ultrasound (US) has recently been shown to spatially and temporally permeabilize the cellular membrane, promoting drug penetration into tumors. Here, we investigated whether drug (doxorubicin, DOX)-loaded bubbles (DOX-bubbles) can serve as drug-loaded carriers in combination with US in order to facilitate tumor drug delivery. The proposed bubbles have a high payload capacity (efficiency of 69.4 ± 9.1%, payload of 1.4 mg/mL) for DOX. In vitro data revealed that when used in combination with US (1-MHz), these DOX-bubbles facilitate DOX entering into tumor cells. In tumor-bearing animals, DOX-bubbles + US could provide 3.7-fold suppression of tumor growth compared with the group without insonation (1.8 ± 0.9 cm3 vs. 8.5 ± 2.2 cm3) because of the acceleration of DOX-induced tumor necrosis. In the meantime, the tumor perfusion and volume can be monitored by DOX-bubbles with contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging. Our data provide useful information in support of translating the use of theranostic US-responsive bubbles for regulated tumor drug delivery into clinical use.
Pectin-Rich Amendment Enhances Soybean Growth Promotion and Nodulation Mediated by Bacillus Velezensis Strains
Authors: Hassan Mohammad K. , McInroy John A. , Jones Jarrod , Shantharaj Deepak , Liles Mark R. , Kloepper Joseph W.
Published: May 2019

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are increasingly used in crops worldwide. While selected PGPR strains can reproducibly promote plant growth under controlled greenhouse conditions, their efficacy in the field is often more variable. Our overall aim was to determine if pectin or orange peel (OP) amendments to Bacillus velezensis (Bv) PGPR strains could increase soybean growth and nodulation by Bradyrhizobium japonicum in greenhouse and field experiments to reduce variability. The treatments included untreated soybean seeds planted in field soil that contained Bv PGPR strains and non-inoculated controls with and without 0.1% (w/v) pectin or (1 or 10 mg/200 μL) orange peel (OP) amendment. In greenhouse and field tests, 35 and 55 days after planting (DAP), the plants were removed from pots, washed, and analyzed for treatment effects. In greenhouse trials, the rhizobial inoculant was not added with Bv strains and pectin or OP amendment, but in the field trial, a commercial B. japonicum inoculant was used with Bv strains and pectin amendment. In the greenhouse tests, soybean seeds inoculated with Bv AP193 and pectin had significantly increased soybean shoot length, dry weight, and nodulation by indigenous Bradyrhizobium compared to AP193 without pectin. In the field trial, pectin with Bv AP193 significantly increased the shoot length, dry weight, and nodulation of a commercial Bradyrhizobium japonicum compared to Bv AP193 without pectin. In greenhouse tests, OP amendment with AP193 at 10 mg significantly increased the dry weight of shoots and roots compared to AP193 without OP amendment. The results demonstrate that pectin-rich amendments can enhance Bv-mediated soybean growth promotion and nodulation by indigenous and inoculated B. japonicum.
Preparation Methods of Polypropylene/Nano-Silica/Styrene-Ethylene-Butylene-Styrene Composite and Its Effect on Electrical Properties
Authors: Gao Mingze , Yang Jiaming , Zhao Hong , He Hui , Hu Ming , Xie Shuhong
Published: May 2019

Compared with traditional insulation materials, such as cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE), polypropylene (PP) is famous for its better recyclable and thermal properties, as well as its good electrical performance. However, the problem of poor impact strength has restricted the application of pure PP in high-voltage, direct current (HVDC) cables. In this paper, styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene block copolymer (SEBS) was used as a toughening filler, and nano-SiO2 was expected to improve the electric properties of the nano-composite. By controlling the masterbatch system, the dispersion characteristics of nano-SiO2 in the ternary composite system were changed. When PP/SiO2 was used as the masterbatch and then blended with SEBS, nano-SiO2 tended to disperse in the PP phase, and the number of nano-particles in the SEBS phase was lower. When PP/SEBS was used as the masterbatch, nano-SiO2 was distributed in both the PP phase and the SEBS phase. When SEBS/SiO2 was used as the masterbatch, nano-SiO2 tended to be dispersed in the SEBS phase. The different dispersion characteristics of nano-SiO2 changed the crystallization and mechanical properties of the ternary composite system and produced different electrical performance improvement effects. The results of our experiment revealed that the space charge suppression capability was positively correlated with the direct current (DC) breakdown strength improvement effect. Compared with the DC performance of 500 kV commercial XLPE materials, the self-made PP-based ternary composite system has better space charge suppression effects and higher DC breakdown strength. When nano-SiO2 was more dispersed in the PP phase, the space charge improvement effect was best. When the nano-SiO2 particles were more dispersed in the SEBS phase, the expected electrical property improvement was not obtained. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the nano-SiO2 particles in the SEBS phase were more dispersed at the interface than in the SEBS matrix, indicating that the nano-particles were poorly dispersed, which may be a reason why the electrical properties of the composite system were not significantly improved.
Enhanced Transfection of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells Using a Hyaluronic Acid/Calcium Phosphate Hybrid Gene Delivery System
Authors: Lee Jung Eun , Yin Yue , Lim Su Yeon , Kim E. Seul , Jung Jaeback , Kim Dahwun , Park Ji Won , Lee Min Sang , Jeong Ji Hoon
Published: May 2019

Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) show enormous potential in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. However, current use of hMSCs in clinics is still limited because there is no appropriate way to control their behavior in vivo, such as differentiation to a desired cell type. Genetic modification may provide an opportunity to control the cells in an active manner. One of the major hurdles for genetic manipulation of hMSCs is the lack of an efficient and safe gene delivery system. Herein, biocompatible calcium phosphate (CaP)-based nanoparticles stabilized with a catechol-derivatized hyaluronic acid (dopa-HA) conjugate were used as a carrier for gene transfection to hMSCs for improved differentiation. Owing to the specific interactions between HA and CD44 of bone marrow-derived hMSCs, dopa-HA/CaP showed significantly higher transfection in hMSCs than branched polyethylenimine (bPEI, MW 25 kDa) with no cytotoxicity. The co-delivery of a plasmid DNA encoding bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2 pDNA) and micro RNA 148b (miRNA-148b) by dopa-HA/CaP achieved significantly improved osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs.
Additive Manufacturing of PLA-Based Composites Using Fused Filament Fabrication: Effect of Graphene Nanoplatelet Reinforcement on Mechanical Properties, Dimensional Accuracy and Texture
Authors: Caminero Miguel , Chacón Jesús , García-Plaza Eustaquio , Núñez Pedro , Reverte José , Becar Jean
Published: May 2019

Fused filament fabrication (FFF) is a promising additive manufacturing (AM) technology due to its ability to build thermoplastics parts with advantages in the design and optimization of models with complex geometries, great design flexibility, recyclability and low material waste. This technique has been extensively used for the manufacturing of conceptual prototypes rather than functional components due to the limited mechanical properties of pure thermoplastics parts. In order to improve the mechanical performance of 3D printed parts based on polymeric materials, reinforcements including nanoparticles, short or continuous fibers and other additives have been adopted. The addition of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) to plastic and polymers is currently under investigation as a promising method to improve their working conditions due to the good mechanical, electrical and thermal performance exhibited by graphene. Although research shows particularly promising improvement in thermal and electrical conductivities of graphene-based nanocomposites, the aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of graphene nanoplatelet reinforcement on the mechanical properties, dimensional accuracy and surface texture of 3D printed polylactic acid (PLA) structures manufactured by a desktop 3D printer. The effect of build orientation was also analyzed. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images of failure samples were evaluated to determine the effects of process parameters on failure modes. It was observed that PLA-Graphene composite samples showed, in general terms, the best performance in terms of tensile and flexural stress, particularly in the case of upright orientation (about 1.5 and 1.7 times higher than PLA and PLA 3D850 samples, respectively). In addition, PLA-Graphene composite samples showed the highest interlaminar shear strength (about 1.2 times higher than PLA and PLA 3D850 samples). However, the addition of GNPs tended to reduce the impact strength of the PLA-Graphene composite samples (PLA and PLA 3D850 samples exhibited an impact strength about 1.2–1.3 times higher than PLA-Graphene composites). Furthermore, the addition of graphene nanoplatelets did not affect, in general terms, the dimensional accuracy of the PLA-Graphene composite specimens. In addition, PLA-Graphene composite samples showed, in overall terms, the best performance in terms of surface texture, particularly when parts were printed in flat and on-edge orientations. The promising results in the present study prove the feasibility of 3D printed PLA-graphene composites for potential use in different applications such as biomedical engineering.
Recycled Heavy Bio Oil as Performance Enhancer for Rubberized Bituminous Binders
Authors: Yu Jiangmiao , Ren Zhibin , Gao Zheming , Wu Qi , Zhu Zihan , Yu Huayang
Published: May 2019

Asphalt rubber (AR) is a sustainable paving material with merits including waste tire consumption, low traffic noise, and enhanced mechanical performance. However, the poor workability and storage stability limited its further application. This study attempted to alleviate these two concerns of AR simultaneously by incorporating heavy bio oil (HBO). To achieve this goal, bio-AR binders with three different mixing sequences were prepared. A series of rheological and chemical tests were conducted. Test results prove that the bio-AR binders exhibited superior rutting and fatigue resistance compared to AR binder. The viscosity values of bio-ARs were closed to AR modified with commercial warm mix additive, which indicates enhancement in workability. Due to the relatively high density of HBO, the density difference between the asphalt liquid phase and crumb rubber in the bio-AR system narrowed, which brought improved storage stability. Among bio-ARs prepared with different mixing sequences, the direct mixing one (ARB) had the most satisfied overall performance. The early incorporation of HBO had limited negative influence on binder performance, but allowed for more energy saving during the bio-AR binder production. Future study will be conducted on performance of bio-AR mixtures and quantitative estimation of its energy saving during the blending and compacting process.
Study of the Effects of the Structure of Phthalazinone’s Side-Group on the Properties of the Poly(phthalazinone ether ketone)s Resins
Authors: Bao Feng , Zhang Fengfeng , Wang Chenghao , Song Yuanyuan , Li Nan , Wang Jinyan , Jian Xigao
Published: May 2019

The application of poly(phthalazinone ether ketone)s (PPEKs) resin containing phthalazinone moiety is limited, due to its poor thermoforming processability. To investigate the effects of the phthalazinone’s side-group on the thermal stability and processability of the resin, a series of PPEKs resins with different side-group (–H/–CH3/–Ph) were prepared by nucleophilic aromatic substitution polymerization. The properties of the obtained resins were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry analysis (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), dynamic thermomechanical analysis (DMA), and rheogoniometer. The results show that the introduction of methyl or phenyl into the PPEKs resin, significantly reduced the melting viscosity of the resin, but resulted in a slight decrease in the thermal stability of it. This might be due to the presence of methyl or phenyl, which enhanced the free volume of the molecule and reduced the entanglement between the chains; the results of the computer simulation confirmed it. Moreover, the resin films displayed excellent tensile strength with the introduction of methyl or phenyl. In a word, a novel poly(phthalazinone ether ketone)s resin with thermal resistance, easy processing and excellent mechanical properties could be obtained by introducing appropriate bulk-rigid side-groups into the phthalazinone moiety.
The Impact of the Seasoning Conditions on Mechanical Properties of Modified and Unmodified Epoxy Adhesive Compounds
Authors: Rudawska Anna
Published: May 2019

The aim of this study was to analyse the impact of the adhesive samples seasoning conditions (temperature and time) on selected mechanical properties of four epoxy adhesive compounds (two unmodified and two modified ones). The samples were made of Epidian 53 epoxy resin mixed with the two different amine curing agents in appropriate stoichiometric proportions. A filler in the form of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) powder was used as a modifier. The adhesive compound samples were cured for seven days. Six seasoning variants were used. Four of them were related with the seasoning time at ambient temperature of 24 ± 2 °C for: one month, two months, five months and eight months, respectively. Two other variants were related with seasoning at negative temperature (−10 ± 2 °C) for one month. The last variant (F) also included seasoning at ambient temperature (24 ± 2 °C) for five months right after seasoning in negative temperature. Cured and cylinder-shaped adhesive compound samples were subjected to compressive strength tests (according to the ISO 604 standard). The strength tests were performed using a Zwick/Roell Z150 testing machine. Based on the tests, it was observed that both temperature and time of seasoning influenced the adhesive’s mechanical properties. In the perspective of eight months, these changes were relatively minor for the samples seasoned at ambient temperature. The adhesive samples prepared for the tests were especially sensitive to negative temperature.
Superhydrophobic Polytetrafluoroethylene/Heat-Shrinkable Polyvinyl Chloride Composite Film with Super Anti-Icing Property
Authors: Jiang Zhiqing , Wang Xueqin , Jia Huiying , Zhou Yanfen , Ma Jianwei , Liu Xinyu , Jiang Liang , Chen Shaojuan
Published: May 2019

Wind power generation is an environmentally friendly way to produce electricity, but wind turbine blades that are prone to freeze in winter will reduce the efficiency of the generator. Therefore, the preparation of anti-icing blades is important and essential. Herein, anti-icing polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)/heat-shrinkable polyvinyl chloride (HSPVC) composite film was prepared by depositing a PTFE coating on the surface of HSPVC film via vacuum thermal evaporation. HSPVC films were pretreated respectively by argon and carbon tetrafluoride (CF4) plasma cleaning to introduce new groups and change their surface energy. After that, PTFE coating with a thickness of about 4 μm was deposited on the surface of HSPVC, obtaining a superhydrophobic surface with an apparent water contact angle of 150°. The results demonstrated that the breaking strength of the PTFE/HSPVC composite film using CF4 plasma pretreatment decreased by only 3.47% after exposing to ultraviolet light with the power of 1000 W for 5 min, suggesting an excellent anti-ultraviolet property. Furthermore, compared with the pristine films, the PTFE/HSPVC composite films exhibited better adhesive strength, super anti-icing property even after 10 icing–deicing cycles, and excellent dynamic anti-icing performance. The PTFE/HSPVC composite film with good adhesive strength, anti-ultraviolet, and anti-icing properties has prospective applications in packaging of wind turbine blades.
Engineering Sustainable Antimicrobial Release in Silica-Cellulose Membrane with CaCO3-Aided Processing for Wound Dressing Application
Authors: Shen Zhi , Cai Ning , Xue Yanan , Chan Vincent , Yu Bo , Wang Jianzhi , Song Hao , Deng Hang , Yu Faquan
Published: May 2019

The sustained release of antimicrobial therapeutics for wound dressing has become an attractive design strategy for prolonging the timespan of wound dressings and for reducing the risk of chronic wound infection. Recently, cellulose-based membrane has become a preferred option of wound dressings for the treatment of burn wounds and skin ulcers. In this work, novel cellulose membrane incorporated with mesoporous silica particles (SBA-15) was developed as an antimicrobial wound dressing with desirable sustained release functionality for targeting persistent bacterial pathogens. Attributed to a coated layer of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), SBA-15 particles were free from corrosion in alkaline condition during the preparation of cellulose-based composite membranes. SEM, TEM and BET results showed that the morphology, specific surface area, pore size and pore volume of pristine SBA-15 were preserved after the incorporation of CaCO3-coated SBA-15 into the cellulose matrix, while the mesoporous structure of SBA-15 was significantly disrupted without the use of CaCO3 coating. The resultant composite membranes containing 30 wt% SBA-15 (denoted as CM-Ca2-SBA(30%)) achieved 3.6 wt% of antimicrobial drug loading. Interestingly, CM-Ca2-SBA(30%) demonstrated the sustained release property of chloramphenicol for 270 h, driven by a two-stage drug release processes of SBA-15/cellulose. The water vapor permeability (WVTR) and swelling properties of composite membranes were shown to have complied with the primary requirements of wound dressing. Antibacterial assays revealed that strong antibacterial activities (144 h) of the composite membranes against Staphylococcus aureus and Eschericia coli were achieved. All results displayed that the strategy of coating silica with CaCO3 helps to obtain cellulose–silica composite membranes with desirable sustained release profiles and strong antibacterial activities. The antibacterial SBA-15/cellulose composite membranes show potential for the application of wound dressing.
Hydrogel Small-Diameter Vascular Graft Reinforced with a Braided Fiber Strut with Improved Mechanical Properties
Authors: Guan Guoping , Yu Chenglong , Xing Meiyi , Wu Yufen , Hu Xingyou , Wang Hongjun , Wang Lu
Published: May 2019

Acute thrombosis remains the main limitation of small-diameter vascular grafts (inner diameter <6 mm) for bridging and bypassing of small arteries defects and occlusion. The use of hydrogel tubes represents a promising strategy. However, their low mechanical strength and high swelling tendency may limit their further application. In the present study, a hydrogel vascular graft of Ca alginate/polyacrylamide reinforced with a braided fiber strut was designed and fabricated with the assistance of a customized casting mold. Morphology, structure, swellability, mechanical properties, cyto- and hemocompatibility of the reinforced graft were characterized. The results showed that the reinforced graft was transparent and robust, with a smooth surface. Scanning electron microscopic examination confirmed a uniform porous structure throughout the hydrogel. The swelling of the reinforced grafts could be controlled to 100%, obtaining clinically satisfactory mechanical properties. In particular, the dynamic circumferential compliance reached (1.7 ± 0.1)%/100 mmHg for 50–90 mmHg, a value significantly higher than that of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) vascular grafts. Biological tests revealed that the reinforced graft was non-cytotoxic and had a low hemolysis percentage (HP) corresponding to (0.9 ± 0.2)%. In summary, the braided fiber-reinforced hydrogel vascular grafts demonstrated both physical and biological superiority, suggesting their suitability for vascular grafts.