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Pancreatic cancer remains a significant health issue with limited treatment options. The tumor stroma, a complex environment made up of different cells and proteins, plays a crucial role in tumor growth and chemoresistance. Targeting tumor stroma, consisting of diverse non-tumor cells such as fibroblasts, extracellular matrix (ECM), immune cells, and also pre-vascular cells is encouraging for remodeling solid cancers, such as pancreatic cancer. Remodeling the stroma of pancreas tumors can be suggested as a strategy for reducing resistance to chemo/immunotherapy. Several studies have shown that phytochemicals from plants can affect the tumor environment and have anti-cancer properties. By targeting key pathways involved in stromal activation, phytochemicals may disrupt communication between the tumor and stroma and make tumor cells more sensitive to different treatments. Additionally, phytochemicals have immunomodulatory and anti-angiogenic properties, all of which contribute to their potential in treating pancreatic cancer. This review will provide a detailed look at how phytochemicals impact the tumor stroma and their effects on pancreatic tumor growth, spread, and response to treatment. It will also explore the potential of combining phytochemicals with other treatment options like chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrasonic manufacturing has emerged as a promising eco-friendly approach to synthesize lipid-based nanocarriers for targeted drug delivery. This study presents the novel ultrasonic preparation of lipid nanocarriers loaded with Scutellaria barbata extract, repurposed for anticancer and antibacterial use. High-frequency ultrasonic waves enabled the precise self-assembly of DSPE-PEG, Span 40, and cholesterol to form nanocarriers encapsulating the therapeutic extract without the use of toxic solvents, exemplifying green nanotechnology. Leveraging the inherent anticancer and antibacterial properties of Scutellaria barbata, the study demonstrates that lipid encapsulation enhances the bioavailability and controlled release of the extract, which is vital for its therapeutic efficacy. Dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy analyses confirmed the increase in size and successful encapsulation post-loading, along with an augmented negative zeta potential indicating enhanced stability. A high encapsulation efficiency of 91.93% was achieved, and in vitro assays revealed the loaded nanocarriers' optimized release kinetics and improved antimicrobial potency against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, compared to the free extract. The combination of ultrasonic synthesis and Scutellaria barbata in an eco-friendly manufacturing process not only advances green nanotechnology but also contributes to sustainable practices in pharmaceutical manufacturing. The data suggest that this innovative nanocarrier system could provide a robust platform for the development of nanotechnology-based therapeutics, enhancing drug delivery efficacy while aligning with environmental sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With growth the Coronavirus disease the proposing and delivery of effective drugs is an important challenge in world. Here, potential and ability of Mn-doped nanostructures to transfer of Cimetidine are examined by computational models. The ΔGadsorption and recovery time for interactions of Cimetidine with Mn-doped nanostructures are calculated by computational models. The Mn adoption of nanostructures are increased the Ecohesive values and so Mn-doped nanostructures have the more negative Ecohesive values than nanostructures. The Eadsorption for Cimetidine-Mn-doped nanostructures in possible positions are valuable and negative values. The Eadsorption of Mn-BNNT (8, 0) to Cimetidine adsorption are higher than other nanostructures. The nanotubes have more negative Eadsorption than Mn-B36N36 and Mn-Si72 to Cimetidine adsorption. The nanotubes have higher ΔGadsorption to Cimetidine than nanocages. The water is increased the capacity of Mn-doped nanostructures to deliver the Cimetidine. Finally, based on calculated Eadsorption and ΔGadsorption it can be concluded the Mn-doped nanostructures have high capacity to Cimetidine delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the performances of Zn-doped nanotubes and Zn-doped nanocages to delivery of Triazavirin as drugs of Coronavirus disease is examined. The ΔGadsorption and recovery time for complexes of Triazavirin with Zn-C48, Zn-Si48, Zn-CNT (5, 0) and Zn-SiNT (5, 0) are calculated by theoretical methods. The ΔGadsorption of complexes of b, d, f, h including the Triazavirin-Zn-C48, Triazavirin-Zn-Si48, Triazavirin-Zn-CNT (5, 0) and Triazavirin-Zn-SiNT (5, 0) in water are -3.46, -3.61, -4.28 and -4.40 eV, respectively. The τ of complexes of b, d, f, h including the Triazavirin-Zn-C48, Triazavirin-Zn-Si48, Triazavirin-Zn-CNT (5, 0) and Triazavirin-Zn-SiNT (5, 0) in water are 55.16, 58.52, 62.06 and 67.07 s respectively. Finally, the Zn-SiNT (5, 0) and Zn-CNT (5, 0) have high potential to Triazavirin delivery and these nano-structures can propose to use as deliver of important drugs of Coronavirus disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, the potential of Zn doped carbon nanostructures and Zn doped silicon nanostructures to catalyze the OER and ORR processes is investigated by theoretical methods. The O*, H*, *OH, *OOH, O2 and H2O species are adsorbed on Zn-CNT(5, 0) and Zn-SiNT(5, 0). The potential-determining steps on catalysts are *OH removal and *OOH formation. The overpotential of ORR are 1.01, 0.96, 1.13 and 1.10 V, respectively. The H2O is adsorbed on Zn-C70, Zn-Si70, Zn-CNT(5, 0) and Zn-SiNT(5, 0) catalysts physically. The H2O can desorb on on Zn-C70, Zn-Si70 and Zn-CNT(5, 0) catalysts, easily. The overpotential for OER are 1.15, 1.09, 1.25 and 1.20 V, respectively. The Zn-SiNT(5, 0) catalyst has lower overpotential values than Zn-C70, Zn-Si70 and Zn-CNT(5, 0) catalysts. The Zn-SiNT(5, 0) with acceptable catalytic activity is proposed to catalyze the ORR and OER processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of N-4 piperazinyl ciprofloxacin derivatives as urea-tethered ciprofloxacin-chalcone hybrids 2a-j and thioacetyl-linked ciprofloxacin-pyrimidine hybrids 5a-i were synthesized. The target compounds were investigated for their antibacterial activity against S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, E. coli, and C. albicans strains, respectively. Ciprofloxacin derivatives 2a-j and 5a-i revealed broad antibacterial activity against either Gram positive or Gram negative strains, with MIC range of 0.06–42.23 µg/mL compared to ciprofloxacin with an MIC range of 0.15–3.25 µg/mL. Among the tested compounds, hybrids 2b, 2c, 5a, 5b, 5h, and 5i exhibited remarkable antibacterial activity with MIC range of 0.06–1.53 µg/mL against the tested bacterial strains. On the other hand, compounds 2c, 2e, 5c, and 5e showed comparable antifungal activity to ketoconazole against candida albicans with MIC range of 2.03–3.89 µg/mL and 2.6 µg/mL, respectively. Further investigations showed that some ciprofloxacin hybrids have inhibitory activity against DNA gyrase as potential molecular target compared to ciprofloxacin with IC50 range of 0.231 ± 0.01–7.592 ± 0.40 µM and 0.323 ± 0.02 µM, respectively. Docking studies of compounds 2b, 2c, 5b, 5c, 5e, 5h, and 5i on the active site of DNA gyrase (PDB: 2XCT) confirmed their ability to form stable complex with the target enzyme like that of ciprofloxacin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fabrication of new neodymium zinc tellurite glasses in the form [(TeO2)0.70 (ZnO)0.30]1−x (Nd2O3)x and x = 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04 and 0.05 mol% were performed by the melt-quenching technique. The glasses' density and molar volume were measured. Also, XRD, FTIR, and UV–Vis spectroscopies have been measured for every glass sample. The spectra of the FTIR obtained showed IR absorption indicating the presence of TeO3 and TeO4 structural units. Direct and indirect bandgap, refractive index, metallization criterion, dielectric constants, polarizability, optical basicity, and linear dielectric susceptibility were determined and discussed. The band gap energies, Urbach energy, polaron radius, transmission coefficient, and reflection loss were determined and discussed. The values of the obtained optical parameters for the present glasses indicated that the glasses are semiconducting and possess great potential for applications such as in electronic packaging, nonlinear optics, and fiber optics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide, thyroid cancer accounts for some 10% of total cancer incidence, most markedly for females. Thyroid cancer radiotherapy, typically using 131I (T1/2 8.02 days; β− max energy 606 keV, branching ratio 89.9%), is widely adopted as an adjunct to surgery or to treat inoperable cancer and hyperthyroidism. With staff potentially receiving significant doses during source preparation and administration, radiation protection and safety assessment are required in ensuring practice complies with international guidelines. The present study, concerning a total of 206 patient radioiodine therapies carried out at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center over a 6-month period, seeks to evaluate patient and occupational exposures during hospitalization, measuring ambient doses and estimating radiation risk. Using calibrated survey meters, patient exposure dose-rate estimates were obtained at a distance of 30-, 100- and 300 cm from the neck region of each patient. Occupational and ambient doses were measured using calibrated thermoluminescent dosimeters. The mean and range of administered activity (AA, in MBq) for the thyroid cancer and hyperthyroidism treatment groups were 4244 ± 2021 (1669–8066), 1507.9 ± 324.1 (977.9–1836.9), respectively. The mean annual occupational doses were 1.2 mSv, that for ambient doses outside of the isolation room corridors were found to be 0.2 mSv, while ambient doses at the nursing station were below the lower limit of detection. Exposures to staff from patients being treated for thyroid cancer were less compared to hyperthyroidism patients. With a well-defined protocol, also complying with international safety requirements, occupational exposures were found to be relatively high, greater than most reported in previous studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gentamicin is a well-known that is drug effective against a wide range of microbes. It is not effective on some bacterial strains. The combination of gentamicin and other bioactive nanostructures can increase the biological properties of the nanocomposite while maintaining its biological properties. Microwave irradiation was utilized to synthesize novel nanocomposites in this study, which consisted of Zn-MOF, gentamicin, and oxidized chitosan. Its structure using EA, XRD, FT-IR, XPS, EDAX, BET, SEM, and TEM were characterized and confirmed. Antimicrobial evaluations were conducted on various bacterial strains according to the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute’s standards and guidelines, and IZD, MIC, and MBC were reported. The antimicrobial studies resulted in interesting findings. In general, in antimicrobial activity, MIC of synthesized Zn-MOF/gentamicin/oxidized chitosan nanocomposites between 2 and 128 µg/mL, MBC of 4–256 µg/mL and IZD of 15.5–22.7 mm were observed. It was observed that synthesized Zn-MOF/gentamicin/oxidized chitosan nanocomposites were more effective on the strains where gentamicin was effective, and it is also effective on the strains where gentamicin was not effective. These results can be attributed to the loading of gentamicin on the nano substrate as well as the presence of natural bioactive polymer (oxidized chitosan) and the bioactive metal (zinc) in the structure of the final synthesized nanocomposite as well as high specific surface area, and being nano-sized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]