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In this technical world, the properties and internal structure of materials renders a vital part in building up of the components for various specific purposes and improvise their efficiencies in a better way. The combination of copper with other metals is always an interesting one. In this, brass of grade BS90 is an alloy of zinc added with copper and it is lustrous in nature. The amount of zinc that is mixed with copper can be varied to develop different categories of brass with different melting temperatures that develops distinct electrical and mechanical potency. In the process of better understanding of the powder metallurgy technique and analyzing and improvising the properties of brass, this research is carried out. Primarily, this process is carried out based on the powder metallurgy technique. The prime intention of this investigation is to develop and process the specimens under predetermined conditions of powder metallurgy and then their mechanical hardness and the microstructure are to be characterized. The secondary objective is to analyze these characteristic values and compare them relatively to the specified conditions.

Towards environmental sustainability and reducing the environmental degradation new materials are to be identified for usage in commercial and medical fields. Biodegradable polymers are the solution to that which reduces the effect of harmful polymers on environmental pollution. Polylactic acid (PLA) is the most broadly utilized ecological polymer but their limitations such as low glass transition temperature makes it unsuitable for high temperature applications and has low thermal stability and impact resistance than other polymers. In order to improve these properties reinforcements are done to improve their mechanical, thermal, wear and corrosion behavior thereby making it suitable for wider applications in automotive and biomedical applications. In this paper, an extensive review is being carried out to study the different fabrication methods, various reinforcements added to improve the mechanical performance of the various PLA based composites.

Highly proficient, long-lasting non-noble-metal-supported electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction are important for hydrogen energy production through alkaline electrolyte. In transition metal dichalcogenides, tungsten sulfide is one of the popular materials and is used in a wide variety of applications. In this work, pristine and cationic surfactant assisted tungsten sulfide were successfully synthesized via simple hydrothermal method in alkaline electrolyte for hydrogen evolution reaction. X-ray diffraction confirmed tungsten sulfide rhombohedral structure formation with high index plane (003). Scanning electron microscopy explored tungsten sulfide nanosheet-assembled mesoporous sphere morphology. Tungsten sulfide and cationic surfactant assisted tungsten sulfide overpotential values were found to be 141 and 102 mV at 10 mA/cm2 from linear sweep voltammetry curves. The obtained Tafel slope of tungsten sulfide and cationic surfactant assisted tungsten sulfide were 26.9 and 21.4 mV/dec, respectively. The solution and charge transfer resistance of the prepared materials were obtained from Nyquist plot and found to be 1.7 and 1.4 Ω, and 53.6 and 32 Ω, respectively. The specific surface area, pore diameter, and volume were analyzed by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method and obtained values for surface area, pore size, and volume of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide assisted tungsten sulfide were 65.05 m2/g, 3.502 nm, and 0.067 cc/g, respectively. The obtained result suggested that 0.1 M cationic surfactant assisted tungsten sulfide showed high catalytic activity with minimum overpotential. Long-term durability studies also suggested that the optimized surfactant-assisted tungsten sulfide had excellent stability over a prolong time of 16 h without any decay. However, the stability of the material exhibited only 90% retention which will improve in our near future works by using carbon-based materials. Hence, carbon-based materials exhibited outstanding chemical stability and offer large surface area, which significantly improves the hydrogen evolution reaction activity and suggests to be used in large-scale applications.

The beneficial immunomodulation effects of a biological response modifier glucan (BRMG) produced by two strains of Aureobasidium pullulans, AFO-202 and N-163, have already been reported. Herein, we compared their efficacy on immune-inflammatory parameters in Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. This study was performed on four groups of healthy SD rats, n=6 in each group: Group 1, euthanised on Day 0 for baseline values; Group 2, control (drinking water); Group 3, AFO-202 beta glucan, 200 mg/kg/day; and Group 4, N-163 beta glucan, 300 mg/kg/day. The neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) decreased and leukocyte-to C-reactive protein ratio (LeCR) increased in Group 3 (AFO-202) at 15 and 29 days whereas the lymphocyte to C-reactive protein ratio (LCR) increased in group 4 (N-163), within the normal physiological range. These promising results warrant further investigations in larger numbers of healthy and diseased models to develop appropriate strategies for balancing immune system dysregulation.

Amorphous catalysts, thanks to their uniquely coordinated unsaturated properties and abundance of defect sites, tend to possess higher activity and selectivity than their crystalline counterparts. ...

Nitric oxide (NO) is one of the major signalling molecules in the mammalian body playing critical role in regulation of blood pressure, cardiovascular disease including stroke, immune activation, neuronal and cell communication. Moreover, hyper production of NO by the activity of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) involved in neuropathic pain, neurodegenerative disorders and stroke. Hence, the search on small molecules from the natural sources for the inhibition of NOS is desirable in therapeutic point of view. The elevated level of NO caused by NOS enzyme become a novel target in finding new inhibitors from natural sources as antistroke agents. The present study focuses on the molecular docking of quercetin and its analogues against NOS. The active site of the enzyme was docked with the ligand and pharmacological properties were analysed. From this result, we suggest the therapeutic property of quercetin and its analogues against NOS.

Purpose McCarey-Kaufman’s (MK) medium and Optisol-GS medium are the most commonly employed media for human donor corneal preservation. In this study, we evaluated the preservation efficacy of discarded human donor corneas using a Thermo-reversible gelation polymer (TGP) added to these two media. Methods Thirteen human corneal buttons collected from deceased donors, which were otherwise discarded due to low endothelial cell density (ECD) were used. They were stored in four groups: MK medium, MK medium with TGP, Optisol-GS and Optisol-GS with TGP at 4 °C for 96 h. Slit lamp examination and specular microscopy were performed. Corneal limbal tissues from these corneas were then cultured using explant methodology one with and the other without TGP scaffold, for 21 days. Results MK + TGP and Optisol-GS + TGP preserved corneas better than without TGP, which was observed by maintenance of ECD which was significantly higher in Optisol-GS + TGP than MK + TGP (p-value = 0.000478) and corneal thickness remaining the same for 96 h. Viable corneal epithelial cells could be grown from the corneas stored only in MK + TGP and Optisol-GS + TGP. During culture, the TGP scaffold helped maintain the native epithelial phenotype and progenitor/stem cell growth was confirmed by RT-PCR characterization. Conclusion TGP reconstituted with MK and Optisol—GS media yields better preservation of human corneal buttons in terms of relatively higher ECD maintenance and better in vitro culture outcome of corneal limbal tissue. This method has the potential to become a standard donor corneal transportation-preservation methodology and it can also be extended to other tissue or organ transportation upon further validation.

Background Chondrocyte transplantation to address cartilage damage is an established solution. Because hyaluronic acid (HA) is an essential component for homeostasis of the cartilage, in order to arrive at methodologies to utilize its advantages in cell-based therapies, we compared the HA retention capability of a thermoreversible gelation polymer scaffold-based environment (3D-TGP) with conventional in vitro cell culture methodologies. Methods Chondrocytes derived from osteoarthritis-affected knee joint cartilage of elderly patients were used and accomplished in three phases. In Phase I, the levels of HA secreted by chondrocytes were measured in culture supernatant. In Phase II, retention capacity of externally added HA was quantified indirectly by measuring the HA released in culture supernatant, and in Phase III, the expression of CD44 on cells was analysed by immunohistochemistry. Results In Phase I, the average HA in the 3D supernatant was 3% that of 2D. In phase II, 80% of externally added HA was detected in the 2D on day 7, while in 3D-TGP, only 0.1% was released until day 21. In Phase III, 2D yielded individual cells that started degenerating from the third week; in 3D-TGP cells grew for a longer duration, formed a tissue-like architecture with extracellular matrix with significantly intense staining of CD44 than 2D. Conclusion The capability of the 3D-TGP culture environment to retain HA and support chondrocytes to grow with a tissue-like architecture expressing higher HA content is considered advantageous as it serves as an in vitro culture platform that enables tissue engineering of cartilage tissue with native hyaline phenotype and higher HA expression. The in vitro environment being conducive, based on this data, we also recommend that the TGP be tried as an encapsulation material in clinical studies of chondrocyte implantation for optimal clinical outcome.

Citrus fruits contain sufficient citric acid, which is the main tricarboxylic acid. The properties of citric acid make it an important additive in various process industries. This experimental study aims to produce citric acid from orange and grape juices. The chemical route for the synthesis of citric acid from citrus juices involves three steps: (i) neutralization to adjust pH (9-11) with a 2.8 M NaOH solution, (ii) addition of CaCl2 solution (40.3-41.1% w/v), and (iii) acidification with an H2SO4 solution (1.5-2.3 M) to produce citric acid. In this study, the fruits were peeled, crushed, filtered, neutralized, added CaCl2 solution, and acidified to obtain citric acid. The experiments were carried out by varying the final pH of the solution and the concentrations of CaCl2 and H2SO4 solutions, maintaining the total volume constant. A maximum citric acid yield of 91.1% and 79.8% were achieved from orange and grapefruits, respectively, at the optimum final pH of the solution and the concentrations of CaCl2 and H2SO4 solutions at 10, 40.7% w/v, and 1.9 M, respectively. Finally, the purified citric acid crystals were characterized using FTIR and XRD. Thus, it could be concluded that orange fruit would be a promising source for citric acid production than grape.

This study proposed the methodology to produce silicon carbide particulate MMCs based on aluminum to create typical low-cost MMCs and achieve a homogeneous scattering of ceramic material. The trial was done with a different weight fraction of Silicon Carbide (2%, 3%) and Tungsten Carbide (2%, 3%) with all other parameters being maintained. A growing hardness was noticed with the rise in SiC & WC weight 2 to 3%. The advantages of this technique include improved mechanical characteristics, minimal residual stress and deformation, and fewer flaws. Although casting technique poses numerous technical obstacles, this problem can nevertheless be addressed. Aluminum materials with high strength to weight and low density have been proven to be the best option. As lightweight materials are developed, weight reduction has been offered several alternatives through conducting different tests to analyze different features such as mechanical and metallurgical characteristics.

Fabrication of sodium-ion full cell (SIFC) with optimized anode and cathode material is in the initial phases. The successful fabrication of full cell is depended on effective improvement in electrode materials and performance of sodium-ion half-cells. Cathode material plays crucial role in the performance of full cell. Sodium-ion full cell was fabricated based P2-type Na0.67Ni0.167Co0.167Mn0.67O2 (Na-NCM) material synthesized by sol-gel process and commercially available hard carbon. The electrochemical properties of Na-NCM material and hard carbon were systematically investigated. The hard carbon material achieved a reversible capacity of 210.82 mAh g−1 with initial columbic efficiency of 81.15% in Na/Hard Carbon half-cell. The Na-NCM material exhibits a discharge capacity of 149.27 mAh g−1 at C/20 rate in Na/Na-NCM half cell. The fabricated SIFC in coin cell configuration delivers a specific capacity of 74.6 mAh g−1 at C/20 rate, with 40% of the initial discharge capacity delivered after 100 cycles at C/20 and the columbic efficiency is more than 90%. The coin cell in full cell configuration displays reasonable performance at the rates of C/20 to 3C indicating the capability of high rate performance of anode and cathode materials. The first discharge capacity of fabricated SIFC in prismatic configuration is 2.16Ah.

During the last few decade, magnetite/hydroxyapatite nanoparticles have attracted much attention for its potential applications in the field of medicine and controlled drug delivery. In the present work, we have intended and synthesized, magnetite/hydroxyapatite nanoparticles by wet-chemical precipitation route. The thermal decomposition of the prepared sample was carried out by Thermogravimetric and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (TG/DSC) analysis upto 1000 °C, it showed that the sample was stable up to 919.2 °C. The phase formation, functional groups, morphology and magnetic property of as-prepared and annealed samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), micro Raman, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and vibrating-sample magnetometer (VSM). By adopting Scherer method detailed structural analysis like the crystallite size, strain, dislocation density, lattice parameter, unit cell volume, surface area and fraction of crystallinity were calculated for as-prepared and annealed HAP samples. The average crystallite size of the as-prepared, annealed at 700 °C, 800 °C and 900 °C are 39, 46, 51 and 65 nm, respectively. The dislocation density, strain and surface area were decreased. FT-IR and Raman spectra showed both as-prepared and annealed samples possessed the characteristic bands of HAP. FE-SEM and TEM images depicted and confirmed the morphological characteristics of HAP. The VSM analysis confirmed that both as-prepared and annealed samples of HAP are in diamagnetic nature. The dielectric constant of as-prepared and annealed samples decreased with increase in annealing temperature whereas the conductivity increases with increase in frequency. The antibacterial property of apatite samples depending on the types of bacterial strains and also activity changed with the crystallite size.

Phytoliths are formed from silica carried up from groundwater and some plants. The weathering of silicate minerals at the Earth’s surface provides large amounts of soluble silica, some of which is absorbed by growing plants. In solution, silica exists as mono silicic acid Si (OH4) with pH values of 2–9. It is carried upward in the vascular system and becomes concentrated during transpiration around the leaf stomata. The supersaturated solution begins to polymerize or gel then solidifies and forms solid opaline silica (SiO2:nH2O) bodies (phytoliths) within and between some of the plant cells. Phytoliths were extracted from the 7.4 meter loess core and analyzed morphologically and isotopically from the occluded carbon. Rates of isotopic fractionation between plant and phytolith were determined by measurements from many modern tree, fern, and grass species. The use of phytolith biochar as a Si fertilizer offers the undeniable potential to mitigate desilication and to enhance Si ecological services due to soil weathering and biomass removal. Silicon is accumulated at levels equal to or greater than essential nutrients in plant species belonging to the families Poaceae, Equisetaceae, and Cyperaceae. However, the abundance of silicon in soils is not an indication that sufficient supplies of soluble silicon are available for plant uptake.

Cardiac mesenchymal cells (CMCs) are promising cell type that showed therapeutic potential in heart failure models. The analysis of underlying mechanisms by which the CMCs improve cardiac function are on track. This study aimed to investigate the expression of N-Cadherin, a trans-membrane protein that enhance the cell adhesion and recently gained attention for differentiation and augmentation of stem cell function. The mouse cardiac mesenchymal cells were isolated and analyzed for the mesenchymal markers using flow cytometry. qRT-PCR and western blot analysis were used to assess the expression of N-Cadherin along with its counteracting molecule E-Cadherin and their regulator Zeb1 in CMCs and dermal fibroblast. The expression level of miR-200c and miR-429 was analyzed using miRNA assays. Transient transfection of miR-200c followed by qRT-PCR, western blot and immunostaining were done in CMCs to analyze the expression of Zeb1, N-Cadherin and E-Cadherin. Flow cytometry analysis showed that CMCs possess mesenchymal markers and absence for hematopoietic and immune cell markers. Increased expression of N-Cadherin and Zeb1 in CMCS was observed in CMCs at both RNA and protein level compared to fibroblast. We found significant down regulation of miR-200c and miR-429 in CMCs. The ectopic expression of miR-200c in CMCs significantly down regulated Zeb1 and N-Cadherin expression. Our findings suggest that the significant down regulation of miR-200c/429 in CMCs maintain the expression of N-Cadherin, which may be important for its functional integrity. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

The ·OH-initiated reaction mechanism and kinetics of sulfoxaflor were investigated by using electronic structure calculations. The possible hydrogen atom and cyano group abstraction reaction pathways were studied, and the calculated thermochemical parameters show that the hydrogen atom abstraction from the C7 carbon atom is the more favorable reaction pathway. The subsequent reactions for the favorable intermediate (I4) with other atmospheric reactive species, such as O2, H2O, HO2·, and NOx· (x = 1, 2), were studied in detail. The products identified from the subsequent reactions could contribute to secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation in the atmosphere. The intermediates and products formed from the initial and subsequent reactions are equally as toxic as the parent sulfoxaflor. At 298 K, the rate constant calculated for the formation of the favorable intermediate I4 is 2.54 × 10-12 cm3 molecule-1 s-1, which shows that the lifetime of sulfoxaflor is 54 h. The excited-state calculation performed through time-dependent density functional theory shows that the photolysis of the title molecule is unlikely in the atmosphere. The global warming potentials (GWPs) for different time horizons, photochemical ozone creation potential (POCP), and ecotoxicity analysis were also studied for the insecticide sulfoxaflor.

In this study, the combined antimicrobial and mosquito repellency treatment on woven cotton fabric using microencapsulated Coleus aromaticus was optimized through Box Behnken experimental design to...

The present study aims at optimization of dyeing process parameters such as dyeing temperature, dyeing pH, and mordant concentration toward achieving maximum color strength and antimicrobial activi...

The present research work is focused on the production of aluminum alloy 8011 with 12 wt.-% fly ash composite by using the stir casting method. A three-level central composite design experiment is developed using response surface methodology (RSM) with various parameters. Load, time and sliding velocity are varied in the range of (5-15 N), (5-15 min) and (1.5-4.5 m × s-1), respectively. Dry sliding wear tests are performed as per the experimental design using a pin-on-disc at room temperature. This paper describes how optimization studies were carried out on a dry sliding wear process with multi-response characteristics based on MCDM using the TOPSIS approach. The process parameters, load, time and sliding velocity are optimized with multi-response characteristics, including the wear rate (WR), and the coefficient of friction (COF). A sensitivity analysis is also carried out and compared with the relative impact of input parameters on wear behavior in order to verify the measurement errors on the values of the uncertainty in estimated parameters. The experimental results indicate that the multi-response characteristics of aluminum alloy 8011 with 12 wt.-% fly ash composite used during the wear behavior process can be enhanced through the TOPSIS method.

Recently, heterocyclic compounds play important role in drug industries. The benzothiazole (BTA) is a bicyclic compound in heterocyclic because of their biological properties. In this paper the synthesis and characterization of benzothiazole were reported. The chemical structures of synthesized compounds were established based on spectral data of 1HNMR, 13CNMR, and IR. The mass of the novel compounds was established with the help of the LCMS test. The formation of the crystal was confirmed by powder XRD and the sharp peaks show the purity and crystalline nature of the samples. The photoluminescence spectra explain the optical property of the compound. The biological studies of synthesized compounds show that compound 5c possesses good antibacterial activity and compound 5d has good antifungal activity.

Silk is a functional protein biomaterial produced by a variety of insects like flies, silkworms, scorpions, spiders, and mites. Silk synthesized by silkworms is extensively studied for its applications in tissue engineering and wound healing. Silk is undoubtedly a natural biocompatible material with humans and has its role in medical treatments from ancient times. The silk worm protein comprises two types of proteins namely fibroin and sericin. Silk fibroin makes up approximately 70% of cocoon weight and has wide applications in textiles and in all biomedical applications owing to its biocompatible, nontoxic, biodegradable, less immunogenic, and noncarcinogenic nature. It possesses outstanding toughness and mechanical strength, while silk sericin possesses high defensive ability against ultraviolet light and oxidation. Silk fibroin has been known to induce wound healing by increasing cell proliferation and growth and migrating various types of cells which are involved in different stages of wound healing process. With several silk varieties like silk worm fibroin, silk sericin, recombinant silk materials, and native spider silk have been investigated for its wound healing applications over the last several decades. With an objective of harnessing the silk regenerative properties, plentiful strategies have been studied and applied to develop bioartificial skin grafts and bioactive wound dressings in recent times. This review gives a detailed insight into the structure, general properties, fibroin structure-properties relationship, and biomedical applications of silk fibroin.

Ternary nanomaterials Cu-Cu2O/rGO-NH2 (rGO = reduced graphene oxide) exhibited a synergistic effect in the quantitative catalysis of selective aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol. The synergistic effect is attributed to the heterojunctions among the three components and in intrinsic nature, the formation of the heterojunctions lowered the conduction band (CB) energy level and raised the valence band (VB) energy level of the main catalyst Cu2O, which eases electron transfer from the catalyst to O2 in its activation and from the substrate to the catalyst in the oxidation, respectively.

Exploring low-cost, highly efficient, and sustainable non-precious electrocatalysts for electrolytic H2 generation is driving research for the sustainable green urban development. Herein, we present a simple synthetic approach, through a two-step process, to prepare the bifunctional electrode of Co3O4–C@FeMoP hybrid micro rods/nanosheets anchored on nickel foam (NF), in which the Co3O4–C microrods grown on NF surface are decorated by FeMoP nanosheet layers, which is directly grown through a simple hydrothermal followed by post-phosphorization processes. The obtained hybrid hierarchical Co3O4–C@FeMoP/NF shows a significant enhancement in the electrocatalytic activities of oxygen/hydrogen evolution reactions (OER/HER) in comparison to the individual Co3O4–C and FeMoP nanostructures, thanks to more heterointerface active sites provided by FeMoP nanostructures with three-dimensional (3-D) layered architectures. The Co3O4–C@FeMoP/NF catalyst exhibits a relatively small overpotential of 200 mV vs. RHE for OER to achieve 20 mA/cm2 and 123 mV vs RHE at 10 mA/cm2 for HER along with excellent durability in alkaline electrolytes. We demonstrate the bifunctional electrocatalytic electrode as the electrolyzer for the generation of H2 via water splitting at small applied voltage of 1.61 V to achieve 10 mA/cm2 and good stability for 24-h continuous running.

Ointments are widely used as topical medication as a mode of transdermal drug delivery for treatment of skin lesions. In this study, Tridax procumbens infused oil (oil phase) and Gelatin stabilized silver nanoparticle (Aqueous phase) were blended with natural biosurfactant extracted from Lactobacillus casei (MT012285) to prepare an ointment for topical wounds. GC–MS of infused oil showed the presence of pentadecanoic acid and 1,19-eicosadiene. FT-IR studies show the presence of aliphatic and amino group of biosurfactant from L. casei confirm the presence of lipopeptide, which can form stable W/O emulsion in ointment. The prepared ointment shows higher microbial reduction capacity on clinical pathogens tested namely Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Further, herbal-nano-ointment exhibits minimal hemolytic action on human red blood cells at 100 µg/mL. At higher concentration of 4.0 mg/mL of ointment low cytotoxic effect on L929 fibroblastic cell line was observed. Cell migration rate of 62% was recorded at 24 h using wound scratch assay. Based on the study we find that biosurfactant-based nano-topical ointment from T. procumbens oil with G-AgNPs, has low cytotoxic effect and a high cell migration rate and hence can be used in the topical application for treatment of wound.

Transcriptional factor EB (TFEB), a master regulator of autophagy and lysosomal biogenesis, is generally regarded as a pro-survival factor. Here, we identify that besides its effect on autophagy induction, TFEB exerts a pro-apoptotic effect in response to the cyclopentenone prostaglandin 15-deoxy-∆-(12,14)-prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2). Specifically, 15d-PGJ2 promotes TFEB translocation from the cytoplasm into the nucleus to induce autophagy and lysosome biogenesis via reactive oxygen species (ROS) production rather than mTORC1 inactivation. Surprisingly, TFEB promotes rather than inhibits apoptosis in response to 15d-PGJ2. Mechanistically, ROS-mediated TFEB translocation into the nucleus transcriptionally upregulates the expression of ATF4, which is required for apoptosis elicited by 15d-PGJ2. Additionally, inhibition of TFEB activation by ROS scavenger N-acetyl cysteine or inhibition of protein synthesis by cycloheximide effectively compromises ATF4 upregulation and apoptosis in response to 15d-PGJ2. Collectively, these results indicate that ROS-induced TFEB activation exerts a novel role in promoting apoptosis besides its role in regulating autophagy in response to 15d-PGJ2. This work not only evidences how TFEB is activated by 15d-PGJ2, but also unveils a previously unexplored role of ROS-dependent activation of TFEB in modulating cell apoptosis in response to 15d-PGJ2.

Physicochemical attributes and solubilization of reactive dyes in single and mixed micellar media are elaborated in this study. The enhanced entrapment of reactive dyes was observed in the mixed-mi...

Seed inoculation with microbial cells is one of the potential invigouration techniques for enhancing the emergence and growth of plants. Herein, we approached a new localized delivery of beneficial microbial cells (Methylobacterium) by invigorating seeds with electrospun Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofibre containing microbial cells. Methylobacterium is a growth promoting bacteria that has recently drawn attention in agriculture, particularly for drought management. PVA was used in this research because of its electrospinnability and biodegradability. Encapsulation study shows effective immobilization of bacteria cells (Methylorubrum aminovorans) in PVA nanofibre. SEM and TEM characterization further confirmed the entrapment of microbial cells. The microbial plating enumeration reveals 6.6 × 105 CFU g−1 of nanofibre to the initial loading population of 1 × 108 CFU. Viability of nanofibre encapsulated bacterial cells under ambient environment found 1.85 × 105 CFU g−1, 2.2 × 104 CFU g−1 and 1.2 × 104 CFU g−1 on 10, 20 and 30 days after storage, respectively. In vitro bio-efficacy study exhibits that the seeds coated by PVA nanofibres containing M. aminovorans recorded higher germination, root & shoot length, seedling vigor, drymatter production, plant biomass, plant root volume, nodule numbers and fresh weight of nodules. The study concludes that microbial cells could be immobilized in electrospun nanofibre for extended shelf-life of microbial cells and as an effective seed coating for localized delivery.

Methadone is a synthetic opioid used as an analgesic and for the treatment of opioid abuse disorder. The analgesic dose in the pediatric population is not well‐defined. The pharmacokinetics (PKs) of methadone is highly variable due to the variability in alpha‐1 acid glycoprotein (AAG) and genotypic differences in drug‐metabolizing enzymes. Additionally, the R and S enantiomers of methadone have unique PK and pharmacodynamic properties. This study aims to describe the PKs of R and S methadone and its metabolite 2‐ethylidene‐1,5‐dimethyl‐3,3‐diphenylpyrrolidine (EDDP) in pediatric surgical patients and to identify sources of inter‐ and intra‐individual variability. Children aged 8–17.9 years undergoing orthopedic surgeries received intravenous methadone 0.1 mg/kg intra‐operatively followed by oral methadone 0.1 mg/kg postoperatively every 12 h. Pharmacokinetics of R and S methadone and EDDP were determined using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry assays and the data were modeled using nonlinear mixed‐effects modeling in NONMEM. R and S methadone PKs were well‐described by two‐compartment disposition models with first‐order absorption and elimination. EDDP metabolites were described by one compartment disposition models with first order elimination. Clearance of both R and S methadone were allometrically scaled by bodyweight. CYP2B6 phenotype was a determinant of the clearance of both the enantiomers in an additive gene model. The intronic CYP3A4 single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2246709 was associated with decreased clearance of R and S methadone. Concentrations of AAG and the SNP of AAG rs17650 independently increased the volume of distribution of both the enantiomers. The knowledge of these important covariates will aid in the optimal dosing of methadone in children.

BACKGROUND: Chondrocytes are used in cell-based therapies such as autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) and matrix-associated cartilage implantation (MACI). To transport the cartilage tissue to the laboratory for in vitro culturing, phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), Euro-Collins solution (ECS) and Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium (DMEM) are commonly employed at 4–8 °C. METHODS: In this study, eight samples of human cartilage biopsy tissues from elderly patients with severe osteoarthritis undergoing arthroscopy, which would otherwise have been discarded, were used. The cartilage tissue samples were compared to assess the cell yield between two transportation groups: i) a thermo-reversible gelation polymer (TGP) based method without cool preservation (∼25 °C) and ii) ECS transport at 4 °C. These samples were subjected to in vitro culture in a two-dimensional (2D) monolayer for two weeks and subsequently in a three-dimensional (3D) TGP scaffold for six weeks. RESULTS: The cell count obtained from the tissues transported in TGP was higher (0.2 million cells) than those transported in ECS (0.08 million cells) both after initial processing and after in vitro culturing for 2 weeks in 2D (18 million cells compared with 10 million cells). In addition, mRNA quantification demonstrated significantly higher expression of Col2a1 and SOX-9 in 3D-TGP cultured cells and lower expression of COL1a1 in RT-PCR, characteristic of the hyaline cartilage phenotype, than in 2D culture. CONCLUSION: This study confirms that the TGP cocktail is suitable for both the transport of human cartilage tissue and for in vitro culturing to yield better-quality cells for use in regenerative therapies.