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Alzheimer's disease is a progressive and age-related neurodegenerative disorder that is manifested by neuropathological changes and clinical symptoms. Recently, cell-based therapeutic interventions have been considered as the promising and effective strategies in this field. Herein, we investigated therapeutic effects of neural stem cell secretome on Alzheimer's disease-like model by triggering of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. In this study, mice were randomly allocated into three different groups as follows: Control, AD + Vehicle, and AD + NSCs-CM groups. To induce mouse model of AD, Aβ1-42 was injected into intracerebroventricular region. Following AD-like confirmation through thioflavin S staining and Passive avoidance test, about 5 µl mouse NSCs-CM was injected into the target areas 21 days after AD induction. For evaluation of endogenous proliferation rate (BrdU/Nestin + cells), 50 µg/kbW BrdU was intraperitoneally injected for 5 consecutive days. To track NSC differentiation, percent of BrdU/NeuN + cells were monitored via immunofluorescence staining. Histological Nissl staining was done to neurotoxicity and cell death in AD mice after NSCs-CM injection. Morris Water maze test was performed to assess learning and memory performance. Data showed that NSCs-CM could reverse the learning and memory deficits associated with Aβ pathology. The reduced expression of Wnt/β-catenin-related genes such as PI3K, Akt, MAPK, and ERK in AD mice was increased. Along with these changes, NSCs-CM suppressed overactivity of GSK3β activity induced by Aβ deposition. Besides, NSCs increased BrdU/Nestin + and BrdU/NeuN + cells in a paracrine manner, indicating proliferation and neural differentiation of NSCs. Moreover, neurotoxicity rate and cell loss were deceased after NSCs-CM injection. In summary, NSCs can regulate adult neurogenesis through modulating of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and enhance the behavioral performance in the AD mice. These data present the alternative and effective approach in the management of AD and other cognitive impairments., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

The lack of sufficient selectivity is the main limitation of chemiluminescence (CL) methods; because the CL reagent is not restricted to a specific analyte. This study investigated the preconcentration and determination of ethion using a flow injection CL (FIA-CL) method using a molecularly imprinted poly high internal phase emulsion (MIP-polyHIPE) adsorbent. Preliminary studies showed that ethion could be determined with high sensitivity in the Ru(bipy) 3 2+ -acidic Ce(IV) CL system. A MIP-polyHIPE adsorbent was synthesized and used for preconcentration to increase the selectivity and sensitivity of the method. The adsorption of ethion on the adsorbent was investigated using density functional theory (DFT) and molecular dynamics (MD), UV-vis and FTIR spectrophotometry and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS). Response surface methodology (RSM) and central composite design (CCD) were used to find optimized concentrations of variables. The linear dynamic range (LDR) and limit of detection (LOD) for ethion in the FIA-CL method were calculated 1.0 ⨯ 10 -9 to 2.0 ⨯ 10 -7 and 6.0 ⨯ 10 -10  mol L -1 , respectively. The percentage of relative standard deviation for five repetitive measurements of 5.0 ⨯ 10 -8  mol L -1 ethion was 4.2%. The proposed method was successfully used to separate and preconcentrate ethion from drinking and surface water sources., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

A small low-power humidifier with a simple programmable on/off switch was used as a pulsed ultrasound generator. Using this tool, a novel sonochemiluminescence (SCL) method was developed to determine bentazone. To the best of our knowledge, no chemiluminescence method has been proposed to determine this pesticide. Only five studies have been proposed for SCL quantitative applications so far. Therefore, revealing new aspects of SCL promises to develop analytical methods for the quantitative determination of different substances. A molecularly imprinted polymerized high internal phase emulsion (MIP-polyHIPE) was synthesized, bentazone separated from aqueous solutions, and pre-concentrated by the MIP-polyHIPE foam. The adsorption of bentazone on the MIP-polyHIPE adsorbent was theoretically studied by density functional theory through molecular dynamics simulation. Both experimental and simulation results indicated removal and pre-concentration of bentazone by the MIP-polyHIPE adsorbent. Using the proposed SCL method and without pre-concentration process, a linear dynamic range (LDR) of 2.5 × 10 -7 -5.0 × 10 -5  mol L -1 and a limit of detection (LOD) of 8.4 × 10 -8  mol L -1 were obtained for bentazone with a relative standard deviation of 2.64%. The LDR and LOD were improved to 2.6 × 10 -9 -2.0 × 10 -7  mol L -1 and 8.8 × 10 -10  mol L -1 , respectively, using MIP-polyHIPE adsorbents. The method's application was evaluated by removing and pre-concentration of bentazone from water samples, including well, river, and tap water. The results showed that the pre-concentration factor and recovery percentages were 113-131 times and 93-106%, respectively, using the MIP-polyHIPE absorbent., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Impairment in neurogenesis correlates with memory and  cognitive dysfunction in AD patients. In the recent decade, therapies with stem cell bases are growing and proved to be efficient. This study is a preliminary attempt to explore the impact of NTF-SCs on hippocampal neurogenesis mediated by the Wnt/β-catenin signaling cascade in AD-like mouse brain parenchyma., Methods: The BALB/c mice were divided into four groups: Control, AD +Vehicle, AD+ TF-SCs-CM and AD+NTF-SCs (n = 10). For AD induction, 100 µM Aβ 1-42 was injected into lateral ventricles. The AD-like model was confirmed via passive avoidance test and Thioflavin-S staining 21 days following Aβ injection. Next, NTF-SCs were differentiated from ADMSCs, and both NTF-SCs and supernatant (NTF-SCs-CM) were injected into the hippocampus after AD confirmation. Endogenous neural stem cells (NSCs) proliferation capacity was assessed after 50 mg/kbW BrdU injection for 4 days using immunofluorescence (IF) staining. The percent of BrdU/Nestin and BrdU/NeuN positive NSCs were calculated. Real-time RT-PCR was used to detect genes related to the Wnt/β-catenin signaling cascade. The spatial learning and memory alternation was evaluated using the Morris water maze (MWM)., Results: Data showed the reduction in escape latency over 5 days in the AD mice compared to the control group. The administration of NTF-SCs and NTF-SCs-CM increased this value compared to the AD-Vehicle group. Both NTF-SCs and NTF-SCs-CM were the potential to reduce the cumulative distance to the platform in AD mice compared to the AD-Vehicle group. The time spent in target quadrants was ameliorated following NTF-SCs and NTF-SCs-CM transplantation followed by an improved MWM performance. IF imaging revealed the increase in BrdU/Nestin + and BrdU/NeuN + in AD mice that received NTF-SCs and NTF-SCs-CM, indicating enhanced neurogenesis. Based on real-time PCR analysis, the expression of PI3K, Akt, MAPK, ERK, Wnt, and β-catenin was upregulated and coincided with the suppression of GSK-3β after injection of NTF-SCs-CM and NTF-SCs. In this study, NTF-SCs had superior effects in AD mice that received NTF-SCs compared to NTF-SCs-CM., Conclusions: The activation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway via NTF-SCs can be touted as a possible therapeutic approach to restore neurogenesis in AD mice., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have been proposed as a wholly organic architecture sharing high crystallinity, porosity, and tuneability. Moreover, they exhibit highly stable structures against harsh chemical environments, including boiling water, strong acids and bases, and oxidation and reduction conditions, making them good candidates for extreme conditions. For the first time, a porous COF structure based on terephthalaldehyde and melamine was synthesized and employed as a novel nanocontainer for hosting corrosion inhibitors to provide a coating with superior active/passive anti-corrosion properties. In this study, the multi-walled carbon nanotube was utilized as a platform for growing COF ( CC ) to improve the coating's barrier and thermo-mechanical properties. The zinc cations were loaded into the CC structure (called CCZ ) as one of the most promising inhibitors for mild steel. The COF-based nanoparticles' characterization was done by Fourier transform infrared, Raman, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. Moreover, the Density functional theory modeling and molecular dynamics simulation quantitatively highlighted the adsorption propensity of the investigated COF structures onto the oxidized CNT-based nanostructures and the interactions of epoxy with these nanostructures. The CCZ nanoparticles (NPs) showed 75% inhibition efficiency in saline solution and 418 ppm zinc ions release after 24 h at acidic pH. The CCZ / EP coating revealed the smart release of inhibitor for 24 h and represented excellent barrier properties after 9 weeks of immersion in saline solution. In terms of mechanical properties, the elastic modulus values derived from the dynamic mechanical thermal analyzer were enhanced by 107 and 137% in CC / EP and CCZ / EP samples compared to the neat epoxy. Furthermore, the yield stress and breakpoint elongation were strengthened by 102 and 63% for the CC / EP sample, respectively. Finally, the highest pull-off adhesion strength in dry (8.53 MPa) and wet (2.7 MPa) conditions, along with the lowest adhesion loss (68.3%), was related to the CCZ / EP sample.

Hypothesis: Silane (sol-gel)-based coatings have been introduced as an eco-friendly system for reducing the metals' corrosion in NaCl solutions. However, due to the lack of active protection property for this type of coatings, their modification is totally recommended for achieving durable protection properties. The present study introduces Beta-cyclodextrin (β-CD) as a novel/effective organic nano-container for Benzimidazole (BM) encapsulation to obtain reliable active protection property via a controlled-release property., Experiments: The chemical structure of the β-CD-BM macromolecule was explored by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), and Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis). Besides, the Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) and polarization (potentiodynamic) tests were carried out for investigating the inhibition impacts of the constructed containers. The exposed and unexposed samples' surfaces were analyzed by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS)/mapping, and Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) experiments. Also, the EIS test was conducted over the Silane-based composite film (SCF) for analyzing the anti-corrosion performance of the constructed composites., Findings: The EIS achievements demonstrated that by the addition of β-CD-BM complexes to the saline solution, the mild steel corrosion was mitigated by about 84%. The EIS results also displayed that the total resistance of the modified composite was enhanced from 5540 Ω.cm 2 to 10967 Ω.cm 2 and the intact coating provided a total resistance of 80254 Ω.cm 2 . The dispersion-corrected Density Functional Theory (DFT)-D explorations ascertained the inclusion capacity of benzimidazole inside the β-CD. The Monte Carlo/Molecular Dynamics (MC/MD) calculations strongly affirmed the adsorption of BM and β-CD-BM over the substrate., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

During the last decades, numerous basic and clinical studies have been conducted to assess the delivery efficiency of therapeutic agents into the brain and spinal cord parenchyma using several administration routes. Among conventional and in-progress administrative routes, the eligibility of stem cells, viral vectors, and biomaterial systems have been shown in the delivery of NTFs. Despite these manifold advances, the close association between the delivery system and regeneration outcome remains unclear. Herein, we aimed to discuss recent progress in the delivery of these factors and the pros and cons related to each modality., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

For the first time, the zeolite-imidazole (ZIF-67) framework, a new subfamily of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), is synthesized on the graphene oxide (GO) platform. Co 2+ (as a central atom) and 2-methylimidazole (as organic ligands) were assembled to fabricate ZIF-67/GO NPs for providing epoxy-based anti-corrosion coatings with both active (self-healing) and passive (barrier) performance. Also, the ZIF-67/GO NPs were modified by 3-Aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APS) to improve the particles compatibility with the epoxy matrix and control their solubility in saline media. The FE-SEM, FT-IR, UV-Vis, Raman, TGA, and low-angle XRD techniques were used to prove the successful ZIF-67 particles growth onto the GO platforms. Tafel (potentiodynamic) polarization test demonstrated that the ZIF-67/GO@APS NPs could protect the surface of steel through mixed anodic/cathodic type (O 2 reduction/Fe oxidation) mechanisms and the corrosion current density of the iron sample decreased to 1.41 µA·cm -2 . Interestingly, the epoxy coatings containing ZIF-67/GO and ZIF-67/GO@APS particles revealed long-term corrosion protection durability and outstanding self-healing anti-corrosion performance, which were well studied via EIS, salt spray, cathodic delamination, and pull-off techniques. The impedance value at the lowest frequency for the coating containing ZIF-67/GO@APS after 50 days decreased from 10.7 Ω·cm 2 to 10.2 Ω·cm 2 that showed the lowest reduction among the studied samples., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Cognitive dysfunction is a state of losing or having difficulties in remembering, learning, focusing, or making decisions that impact individual healthy life. Small single-stranded and nonprotein coding RNAs, microRNAs (miRNAs) participate actively in regulatory processes, incorporate cognitive signaling pathways, and intensely affect cognitive evolution. miRNAs exert their modification activities through translational or transcriptional processes. Reportedly, cognitive impairment and dementia are rising, especially in developing countries. Herein we provided a brief review of original studies addressing miRNA changes in the most common neurological diseases with a focus on dementia and Alzheimer's disease. It must be noted that an increase in the level of certain miRNAs but a decrease in other ones deteriorate cognitive performance. The current review revealed that induction of miR-214-3p, miR-302, miR-21, miR- 200b/c, miR-207, miR-132, miR-188-3p and 5p, and miR-873 improved cognitive impairment in various cognitive tasks. On the other hand, intentionally lowering the level of miR-34a, miR-124, miR-574, and miR-191a enhanced cognitive function and memory. Synaptic dysfunction is a core cause of cognitive dysfunction; miRNA-34, miRNA-34-c, miRNA-124, miRNA-188-5p, miRNA-210-5p, miRNA-335-3p, and miRNA-134 strongly influence synaptic-related mechanisms. The downregulation of miRNA-132 aggregates both amyloid and tau in tauopathy. Concerning the massive burden of neurological diseases worldwide, the future challenge is the translation of animal model knowledge into the detection of pathophysiological stages of neurocognitive disorders and designing efficient therapeutic strategies. While the delivery procedure of agomir or antagomir miRNAs into the brain is invasive and only applied in animal studies, finding a safe and specific delivery route is a priority., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Utilization of the coatings with self-healing anti-corrosion activities is one of the most promising routes for the development of advanced anti-corrosion coatings. In the present work, the green/sustainable corrosion inhibitive compounds based on the cerium acetylacetonate (CeA) was loaded into a beta-cyclodextrin (β-CD) nano-container (with negligible hazardous impacts) and through combined computer modeling and experimental approaches, the host-guest interactions/desorptions of the inclusion complexes of CeA with beta-cyclodextrin (β-CD) were assessed. The inhibition performance of the β-CD-CeA inclusion complex was investigated by electrochemical and surface experiments in a saline solution (NaCl, 3.5 wt.%). The particles were analyzed by Raman, XRD, FT-IR, and UV-vis spectroscopies. Additionally, the thermal properties in the 30-600 °C temperature range were examined by employing TGA/DTG test, and via the ICP analysis, the concentration of the released inorganic compounds in the electrolyte was studied. Achievements demonstrated 24 ppm Ce element existence after introducing β-CD-CeA inclusion complexes (during 24 h) in NaCl 3.5 wt.% solution. The analysis of Tafel curves proved that the prepared β-CD-CeA inclusion complex could inhibit the metallic substrate corrosion following the mixed cathodic and anodic mechanisms. The EIS investigation disclosed about 82 % inhibition degree after 48 h of metal immersion in the solution containing β-CD-CeA extract. The EIS analysis clarified that the silane coating (SC) resistance was enhanced noticeably by introducing the β-CD-CeA particles into the SC matrix. Using detailed-level (i.e., electronic and atomic) computer modeling techniques applying density functional theory (DFT), Mote Carlo (MC) and molecular dynamics (MD), the active sites, and the adsorption propensity of CeA complexes over the steel-based metallic adsorbents were explored. These modelings evidenced the CeA complexes interfacial adsorption on the steel., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Recently, the high research considerations have been devoted to designing smart coatings with self-healing propensity along with improved anti-corrosion properties, durability, and effectiveness. In the present work, a novel nano-container, namely beta-cyclodextrin (β-CD), was introduced and applied for encapsulating and subsequent controlled release of a metal-organic inhibitor, namely zinc acetylacetonate (ZnA) in the polymeric matrix. The smart release is another principal object which has been lacked in recent reports. For this aim, graphene oxide nanoparticles were employed to carry the inclusion complexes (β-CD-ZnA) to the defected zones of coatings. FT-IR, Raman, XRD, and UV-vis experiments ascertained that the β-CD-ZnA inclusion complex successfully adsorbed onto the GO sheets modified by 3-aminopropyl tri-ethoxysilane (MGO). The electrochemical inspections (i.e., potentiodynamic polarization and EIS) proved that the β-CD-ZnA-MGO particles could remarkably inhibit the steel corrosion in 3.5 % NaCl solution via mixed cathodic/anodic retardation mechanisms with approximately 93 % efficiency after 48 h metal exposure. It was also found that the corrosion protection performance of the polymeric matrix loaded by β-CD-ZnA-MGO nano-particles enhanced markedly, assigning to the significant epoxy defect coverage by β-CD-ZnA. The intelligent transmission was affirmed by EDS-mapping analysis in the defected regions of epoxy coating. The high quantity of the Zn element ensured the successful adsorption of the ZnA on the metal surface. The damage, as well as the delaminated degrees of the un-scratched epoxy coating, was estimated by the EIS experiment outcomes. Achievements reflected that the presence of β-CD-ZnA-MGO nano-filler in the epoxy resin matrix significantly reduced the electrolyte/ion diffusion. Furthermore, the computational results elucidated from DFT-D approach clarified the stronger β-CD-ZnA affinity towards the GO adsorbent compared with the pure β-CD, supporting the experimental findings., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The Authors of this manuscript have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this work, graphene oxide (GO) based nano-platforms were applied as a non-hazardous solid container with high encapsulating capacity and controllable release activity of eco-friendly inhibitor. For the first time, the adsorption and release properties of the praseodymium cations (Pr 3+ ) on GO nanosheets functionalized with polyaniline (PANI) were investigated. The Pr 3+ cations adsorption/desorption capacity of GOPANI nano-sheets was assessed by Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), and High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) techniques. The obtained results proved that the container modified with Pr 3+ cations at pH of 7, 600 ppm of adsorpt, and 1 mg/cc of adsorbent dosage provided the highest capacity of inhibitors adsorption/release rates. The adsorption capacity of the GO-PANIs reached more than 500 mg/g. Also, the modified carrier desorbed about 70 % of loaded Pr 3+ cations in the corrosion simulated condition. The self-healing anti-corrosion ability of the constructed containers in an organic-inorganic hybrid coating (OIHC) was shown by electrochemical analyses results. The resistance of coating with the loaded carriers has increased about 1 order of magnitude in comparison with the neat silane. Moreover, the scratched coatings containing the inhibitor loaded GO-PANIs showed extraordinary total resistance of about 25 Kohm. cm 2 ., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The major focus of the recent studies in metals corrosion protection field is now the development of non-hazardous and eco-friendly materials as effective substitutes for some of the well-known conventional toxic/unsafe inhibitors based on chromate, lead, phosphate, and azole derivatives. The present work focuses on the sustainable development of an intelligent self-healing anticorrosion coating using nanocarriers based on the graphene oxide nanoplatform-Tamarindus indiaca extract-Zn 2+ (GON-Ti.E-Zn)-through a facile green assisted route. The GON-Ti.E-Zn nanocarrier was introduced into the epoxy ester film (EEF) to achieve a smart barrier/self-healing anti-corrosive property. To this end, a couple of characterization tests, including FT-IR, UV-vis, XRD, TGA, and Raman spectroscopy, have been carried out to investigate the GON-Ti.E-Zn nanocarrier structure/composition. The effectiveness of the anti-corrosion performance of the established coatings was confirmed by EIS, FE-SEM, and accelerated salt spray (SS) test. The observation of the high impedance magnitude at low-frequency (47.14 Gohm cm 2 after 5 weeks immersion in saline solution) for the un-defected EEF and significant impedance enhancement for the defected EEF including GON-Ti.E-Zn nanocarrier confirmed the excellent barrier effect of GO and synergistic behavior and noticeable corrosion inhibition impact of Tamarindus indiaca along with the zinc cations on the mild steel corrosion mitigation., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This study aims at finding a suitable alternative for traditional and hazardous organic/inorganic corrosion inhibitors. In this study, the aqueous extract of Esfand seed (ESE) was used as a unique green source of nitrogen-based organic compound with great capability of the steel corrosion inhibition in a saline solution. Surface and electrochemical analyses were carried out by Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and polarization methods. Furthermore, the adsorption of inhibitors on the steel surface was explored by Monte Carlo (MC), molecular dynamics (MD) and quantum mechanics (QM) methods. The electrochemical studies established the effectiveness of the zinc cations addition to the ESE containing solution on its inhibition efficiency. The sample inhibited by 300 ppm ESE + 700 ppm Zn showed the highest anti-corrosion properties. The inhibition efficiency of this sample was reached 98.8% after 264 h which is much higher than those reported in the previous studies. QM computations proved the formation of complexes via donor-acceptor action. MC and MD simulations supported the inhibitors adsorption on the steel., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Eucalyptus leaves extract (ELE) inhibition impact toward mild steel (MS) corrosion in the HCl solution was examined by combined experimental and computational studies. The degree of inhibition was investigated by EIS and polarization test. The EIS analysis results showed that the increase of ELE concentration led to the significant increment of charge transfer resistance. An inhibition efficiency of ~88% was obtained using 800 ppm ELE after 5 h exposure. Polarization test results indicated the mixed inhibition effects of ELE with slight cathodic prevalence. The i corr values for the uninhibited and inhibited (800 ppm ELE) samples were 0.93 μA/cm 2 and 0.25 μA/cm 2 , respectively. The ELE molecules adsorption on the surface of MS followed a Langmuir isotherm. Furthermore, the molecular simulation results evidenced the adsorption of ELE compounds on the iron surface., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Objectives: Amyloid β plaques, in Alzheimer's disease, are deposits in different areas of the brain such as prefrontal cortex, molecular layer of the cerebellum, and the hippocampal formation. Amyloid β aggregates lead to the release of cytochrome c and finally neuronal cell death in brain tissue. hCG has critical roles in brain development, neuron differentiation, and function. Therefore, we investigated the effect of hCG on the density of the congophilic Aβ plaque and cytochrome c-ir neurons in the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and cerebellum of Streptozotocin (STZ)-treated rats., Materials and Methods: Alzheimer model in rats (except the control group) was induced by streptozotocin (3 mg/kg, Intracerebroventricularly (ICV)). Experimental group rats received streptozotocin and then different doses of hCG (50, 100, and 200 IU, intraperitoneally) for 3 days. 48 hr after last drug injection and after histological processing, the brain sections were stained by congo red for congophilic amyloid β plaques and cytochrome c in the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and cerebellum were immunohistochemically stained., Results: Density of congophilic Aβ plaques and cytochrome c-immunoreactive neurons was significantly higher in ICV STZ treated rats than controls. Treatment with three doses of hCG significantly decreased the density of congophilic Aβ plaques and cytochrome c-immunoreactive neurons in the rat hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and cerebellum in ICV STZ-treated rats ( P <0.05)., Conclusion: hCG can be useful in AD patients to prevent the congophilic Aβ plaque formation and decrease cytochrome c-immunoreactive neuron density in the brain., Competing Interests: All authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

Serotonin-based nanoparticles represent a class of previously unexplored multifunctional nanoplatforms with potential biomedical applications. Serotonin, under basic conditions, self-assembles into monodisperse nanoparticles via autoxidation of serotonin monomers. To demonstrate potential applications of polyserotonin nanoparticles for cancer therapeutics, we show that these particles are biocompatible, exhibit photothermal effects when exposed to near-infrared radiation, and load the chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin, releasing it contextually and responsively in specific microenvironments. Quantum mechanical and molecular dynamics simulations were performed to interrogate the interactions between surface-adsorbed drug molecules and polyserotonin nanoparticles. To investigate the potential of polyserotonin nanoparticles for in vivo targeting, we explored their nano-bio interfaces by conducting protein corona experiments. Polyserotonin nanoparticles had reduced surface-protein interactions under biological conditions compared to polydopamine nanoparticles, a similar polymer material widely investigated for related applications. These findings suggest that serotonin-based nanoparticles have advantages as drug-delivery platforms for synergistic chemo- and photothermal therapy associated with limited nonspecific interactions.

Introduction: The pharmacological suppression of luteinising hormone or human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) can reduce Aβ plaques in the brains of rats and mice, but the effects of hCG on the phosphorylated tau protein level in the hippocampus have not been studied. Therefore, we investigated the effects of hCG on the phosphorylated tau protein level and its effect on hCG receptor-immunoreactive neuron density in the hippocampus of Alzheimer's disease (AD) model rats (streptozotocin [STZ] injected intracerebroventricularly)., Material and Methods: The rats were administered hCG (50, 100, and 200 IU/200 µl saline, intraperitoneally) or vehicle once/day for three days after injection of STZ. The passive avoidance memory test was performed 6 hours after the last hCG injection. The phosphorylated tau protein level in the hippocampus was measured by ELISA, and hCG receptor-immunoreactive neurons were shown by immunohistochemical technique in areas of hippocampus., Results: Treatment with hCG attenuated memory deficiencies and reduced the level of phosphorylated tau protein in the hippocampus. hCG also improved the density of hCG receptor-immunoreactive neurons. The high dose of hCG hormone (200 IU/200 µl saline) seemed to have a significant effect on passive avoidance memory, phosphorylated tau protein concentration, and accumulation of hCG receptor-immunoreactive neurons in Alzheimeric rats' hippocampus., Conclusions: In conclusion, hCG can provide protection against memory deficits induced by STZ and it can inhibit accumulation of tau hyperphosphorylation in the hippocampus. Furthermore, hCG can increase the hCG receptor-ir neurons number in the rats hippocampus after ICV injection of STZ.

The influences of steel surface treatment by a novel cerium-lanthanum (Ce-La) nanofilm on the adhesion mechanism of an epoxy adhesive were studied through experimental and modeling approaches. The surface morphology and microstructure of the film deposited were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The surface free energy and work of adhesion values were evaluated through contact angle analysis. Also, the interfacial adhesion strength between the epoxy adhesive and steel surface, together with failure forms, were examined through pull-off test, under dry and wet conditions, and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The results obtained from experiments revealed that depositing a Ce-La nanofilm on the steel surface increased its roughness and surface free energy, and strengthened the epoxy coating adhesion. It was also observed that the epoxy adhesion on the Ce-La treated steel was stronger, compared to the Ce-treated surface. Furthermore, the adhesion extent and surface bonding mechanism of aminoamide-cross-linked epoxy resin were computationally modeled by applying atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) and electronic density functional theory (DFT) methods. The modeling results evidenced that epoxy resin adhered more strongly to the conversion layer (represented by CeO 2 and La 2 O 3 ), compared to an untreated steel surface (i.e., pure and oxidized iron). The epoxy binding onto CeO 2 (111), La 2 O 3 (001), Fe 2 O 3 (110), and Fe 3 O 4 (100) almost occurred via electrostatic interactions, while its adhesion mechanism over FeO(100) and Fe(110) surfaces was based on van der Waals forces. The computations also demonstrated that the epoxy adsorption energy decreased in wet environments, because of solvent affinity toward the epoxy and the surface, but the rate of reduction was smaller over CeO 2 and La 2 O 3 , compared to that observed with iron oxides. These modeling outcomes were consistent with our experiments and proposed the superior epoxy adhesion on modified steel sheets.

Chitosan biopolymer has been extensively applied in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) as a potential replacement to conventional Nafion membrane for its considerably reduced methanol crossover. Here, we computationally explored the influences of methanol concentration, temperature, and pH parameters upon the nanostructure and dynamics, particularly the methanol crossover, in chitosan proton-exchange membrane (PEM) through molecular dynamics simulations. Theoretical results demonstrated the increased swelling and radius of gyration of chitosan chains at higher concentrations. Structural examinations further revealed that an increase in methanol loading weakened the water interactions with chitosan functionalities (amineNH 2 , hydroxylOH, and methoxyCH 2 OH) whereas improved the methanol affinities toward chitosan, reflecting higher methanol sorption capability of chitosan at enhanced concentrations. Additionally, it was found that interactions between solvents and chitosan strengthened under acidic pH conditions on account of amine protonation. The water diffusivity inside the swollen chitosan diminished by increasing CH 3 OH uptake, and in contrast diffusivity of methanol was noted to enhance. Furthermore, it was observed that an enhancement in temperature or a decrease in pH intensified solvent mobility. These insights imply that supplying methanol-concentrated and/or acidic feed solutions into DMFCs based on chitosan PEMs could lower membrane performance due to the significant methanol transport dynamics., (© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

The temperature-induced gelation of chitosan/glycerophosphate (Chs/GP) systems through physical interactions has shown great potential for various biomedical applications. In the present work, hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) was added to the thermosensitive Chs/GP solution to improve the mechanical strength and gel properties of the incipient Chs/HEC/GP gel in comparison with the Chs/GP hydrogel at body temperature. The physical features of the macromolecular complexes formed by the synergistic interaction between chitosan and hydroxyethyl cellulose in the presence of β-glycerophosphate disodium salt solution have been studied essentially from a rheological point of view. The temperature and time sweep rheological characterizations of the thermogelling systems revealed that the sol-gel transition temperature of the Chs/HEC/GP blends is equal to 37 °C at neutral pH; with increasing HEC content in the solutions, more compact networks with considerably improved gel strength are formed without influencing the gelation time. The formed hydrogel matrix has enough mechanical integrity and adequate strength for using it as injectable in situ forming matrices for biomedical applications. The classical Winter-Chambon (W-C) and Fredrickson-Larson (F-L) theories were applied to determine the gel point. In view of the obtained results, it is shown that the F-L theory can be employed as a robust and less tedious method than the W-C approach to precisely determine the gel point in these systems. At the end, molecular simulation studies were conducted by using ab initio quantum mechanics (QM) calculations carried out on Chs and HEC models, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of solvated Chs/HEC blend systems showed the binding behavior of Chs/HEC polymers. Analyses of interaction energy, radial distribution function, and hydrogen bonding from simulation studies strongly supported the experimental results; they all disclosed that hydrogen-bond formation between Chs moieties with regard to HEC chains plays an important role for the stabilization of the complexes.

A microfluidics approach to synthesize core-shell nanocarriers with high pH tunability is described. The sacrificial shell protects the core layer with the drugs and prevents their release in the severe pH conditions of the gastrointestinal tract, while allowing for drug release in the proximity of a tumor. The proposed nanoparticulate drug-delivery system is designed for the oral administration of cancer therapeutics., (© 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Advancement of bone tissue engineering as an alternative for bone regeneration has attracted significant interest due to its potential in reducing the costs and surgical trauma affiliated with the effective treatment of bone defects. We have improved the conventional approach of producing polymeric nanoparticles, as one of the most promising choices for drug delivery systems, using a microfluidics platform, thus further improving our control over osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. Molecular dynamics simulations were carried out for theoretical understanding of our experiments in order to get a more detailed molecular-scale insight into the drug-carrier interactions. In this work, with the sustained intracellular delivery of dexamethasone from microfluidics-synthesized nanoparticles, we explored the effects of particle design on controlling stem cell fates. We believe that the insights learned from this work will lead to the discovery of new strategies to tune differentiation for in situ differentiation or stem cell therapeutics., From the Clinical Editor: The use of mesenchymal stem cells has been described by many researchers as a novel therapy for bone regeneration. One major hurdle in this approach is the control of osteogenic differentiation. In this article, the authors described elegantly their microfluidic system in which dexamethasone loaded nanoparticles were produced. This system would allow precise fabrication of nanoparticles and consequently higher efficiency in cellular differentiation., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aims: Here we report a one-step approach for reproducible synthesis of finely tuned targeting multifunctional hybrid nanoparticles (HNPs)., Materials & Methods: A microfluidic-assisted method was employed for controlled nanoprecipitation of bisphosphonate-conjugated poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) chains, while coencapsulating superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles and the anticancer drug Paclitaxel., Results: Smaller and more compact HNPs with narrower size distribution and higher drug loading were obtained at microfluidic rapid mixing regimen compared with the conventional bulk method. The HNPs were shown to have a strong affinity for hydroxyapatite, as demonstrated in vitro bone-binding assay, which was further supported by molecular dynamics simulation results. In vivo proof of concept study verified the prolonged circulation of targeted microfluidic HNPs. Biodistribution as well as noninvasive bioimaging experiments showed high tumor localization and suppression of targeted HNPs to the bone metastatic tumor., Conclusion: The hybrid bone-targeting nanoparticles with adjustable characteristics can be considered as promising nanoplatforms for various theragnostic applications.

Here, we demonstrate a new approach for the synthesis of ion exchange microfibers with finely tuned anhydrous conductivity. This work presents microfluidics as a system to control the size and phosphoric acid (PA) doping level of the polybenzimidazole (PBI) microfibers. It has been shown that the PA doping level can be controlled by varying the flow ratios in the microfluidic channel. The diameter of the microfibers increased with extending mixing time, whereas the doping level decreased with increasing flow ratio. The highest doping level, 16, was achieved at the flow ratio of 0.175. The anhydrous proton conductivity of the microfibers was found to be adjustable between 0.01 and 0.1 S cm(-1) at 160 °C, which is considerably higher than for conventionally doped PBI cast membranes (0.004 S cm(-1)). Furthermore, molecular dynamic simulation of proton conduction through the microfibers at different doping levels was in good agreement with the experimental results. These results demonstrate the potential of the microfluidic technique to precisely tune the physicochemical properties of PBI microfibers for various electrochemical applications such as hydrogen sensors, fuel cells as well as artificial muscles.