Displaying publications 81 - 100 of 626 in total

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  1. Fulltext Electrochemical Sodiation/Desodiation into Mn3O4 Nanoparticles
    Mahamad Yusoff NF, Idris NH, Md Din MF, Majid SR, Harun NA, Rahman MM
    ACS Omega, 2020 Nov 17;5(45):29158-29167.
    PMID: 33225147 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.0c03888
    Mn3O4 is considered to be a promising anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) because of its low cost, high capacity, and enhanced safety. However, the inferior cyclic stability of the Mn3O4 anode is a major challenge for the development of SIBs. In this study, a one-step solvothermal method was established to produce nanostructured Mn3O4 with an average particle size of 21 nm and a crystal size of 11 nm. The Mn3O4 obtained exhibits a unique architecture, consisting of small clusters composed of numerous tiny nanoparticles. The Mn3O4 material could deliver high capacity (522 mAh g-1 at 100 mA g-1), reasonable cyclic stability (158 mAh g-1 after 200 cycles), and good rate capability (73 mAh g-1 at 1000 mA g-1) even without further carbon coating, which is a common exercise for most anode materials so far. The sodium insertion/extraction was also confirmed by a reversible conversion reaction by adopting an ex situ X-ray diffraction technique. This simple, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly synthesis technique with good electrochemical performance shows that the Mn3O4 nanoparticle anode has the potential for SIB development.
    Matched MeSH terms: Particle Size
  2. Lactoferrin-tethered betulinic acid nanoparticles promote rapid delivery and cell death in triple negative breast and laryngeal cancer cells
    Halder A, Jethwa M, Mukherjee P, Ghosh S, Das S, Helal Uddin ABM, et al.
    Artif Cells Nanomed Biotechnol, 2020 Nov 17;48(1):1362-1371.
    PMID: 33284038 DOI: 10.1080/21691401.2020.1850465
    Cancer management presents multifarious problems. Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is associated with inaccurate prognosis and limited chemotherapeutic options. Betulinic acid (BA) prevents angiogenesis and causes apoptosis of TNBC cells. NIH recommends BA for rapid access in cancer chemotherapy because of its cell-specific toxicity. BA however faces major challenges in therapeutic practices due to its limited solubility and cellular entree. We report lactoferrin (Lf) attached BA nanoparticles (Lf-BAnp) for rapid delivery in triple negative breast (MDA-MB-231) and laryngeal (HEp-2) cancer cell types. Lf association was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and FT-IR analysis. Average hydrodynamic size of Lf-BAnp was 147.7 ± 6.20 nm with ζ potential of -28.51 ± 3.52 mV. BA entrapment efficiency was 75.38 ± 2.70% and the release mechanism followed non-fickian pattern. Impact of Lf-BAnp on cell cycle and cytotoxicity of triple negative breast cancer and its metastatic site laryngeal cancer cell lines were analyzed. Lf-BAnp demonstrated strong anti-proliferative and cytotoxic effects, along with increased sub-G1 population and reduced number of cells in G1 and G2/M phases of the cell cycle, confirming reduced cell proliferation and significant cell death. Speedy intracellular entry of Lf-BAnp occurred within 30 min. Lf-BAnp design was explored for the first time as safer chemotherapeutic arsenals against complex TNBC conditions.
    Matched MeSH terms: Particle Size
  3. Fulltext Biosynthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles by cell-biomass and supernatant of Lactobacillus plantarum TA4 and its antibacterial and biocompatibility properties
    Mohd Yusof H, Abdul Rahman N, Mohamad R, Zaidan UH, Samsudin AA
    Sci Rep, 2020 Nov 17;10(1):19996.
    PMID: 33204003 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-76402-w
    This study aims to utilize the cell-biomass (CB) and supernatant (CFS) of zinc-tolerant Lactobacillus plantarum TA4 as a prospective nanofactory to synthesize ZnO NPs. The surface plasmon resonance for the biosynthesized ZnO NPs-CFS and ZnO NPs-CB was 349 nm and 351 nm, respectively, thereby confirming the formation of ZnO NPs. The FTIR analysis revealed the presence of proteins, carboxyl, and hydroxyl groups on the surfaces of both the biosynthesized ZnO NPs that act as reducing and stabilizing agents. The DLS analysis revealed that the poly-dispersity indexes was less than 0.4 for both ZnO NPs. In addition, the HR-TEM micrographs of the biosynthesized ZnO NPs revealed a flower-like pattern for ZnO NPs-CFS and an irregular shape for ZnO NPs-CB with particles size of 291.1 and 191.8 nm, respectively. In this study, the biosynthesized ZnO NPs exhibited antibacterial activity against pathogenic bacteria in a concentration-dependent manner and showed biocompatibility with the Vero cell line at specific concentrations. Overall, CFS and CB of L. plantarum TA4 can potentially be used as a nanofactory for the biological synthesis of ZnO NPs.
    Matched MeSH terms: Particle Size
  4. Fulltext Dual-action of thermoresponsive gels containing DsiRNA-loaded gold nanoparticles for diabetic wound therapy: Characterization, in vitro safety and healing efficacy
    Nor Azlan AYH, Katas H, Habideen NH, Mh Busra MF
    Saudi Pharm J, 2020 Nov;28(11):1420-1430.
    PMID: 33250649 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsps.2020.09.007
    Diabetic wounds are difficult to treat due to multiple causes, including reduced blood flow and bacterial infections. Reduced blood flow is associated with overexpression of prostaglandin transporter (PGT) gene, induced by hyperglycaemia which causing poor vascularization and healing of the wound. Recently, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been biosynthesized using cold and hot sclerotium of Lignosus rhinocerotis extracts (CLRE and HLRE, respectively) and capped with chitosan (CS) to produce biocompatible antibacterial nanocomposites. The AuNPs have shown to produce biostatic effects against selected gram positive and negative bacteria. Therefore, in this study, a dual therapy for diabetic wound consisting Dicer subtract small interfering RNA (DsiRNA) and AuNPs was developed to improve vascularization by inhibiting PGT gene expression and preventing bacterial infection, respectively. The nanocomposites were incorporated into thermoresponsive gel, made of pluronic and polyethylene glycol. The particle size of AuNPs synthesized using CLRE (AuNPs-CLRE) and HLRE (AuNPs-HLRE) was 202 ± 49 and 190 ± 31 nm, respectively with positive surface charge (+30 to + 45 mV). The thermoresponsive gels containing DsiRNA-AuNPs gelled at 32 ± 1 °C and released the active agents in sufficient amount with good texture and rheological profiles for topical application. DsiRNA-AuNPs and those incorporated into thermoresponsive pluronic gels demonstrated high cell viability, proliferation and cell migration rate via in vitro cultured cells of human dermal fibroblasts, indicating their non-cytotoxicity and wound healing properties. Taken together, the thermoresponsive gels are expected to be useful as a potential dressing that promotes healing of diabetic wounds.
    Matched MeSH terms: Particle Size
  5. Fulltext Screening of Electrospray-operating Parameters in the Production of Alginate-Royal Jelly Microbeads Using Factorial Design
    Shaiqah MR, Salahuddin HM, Afiful Huda AYA, Izzuddin M, Nur Shafiq NIM, Nur Hakimah MA, et al.
    J Pharm Bioallied Sci, 2020 Nov;12(Suppl 2):S703-S706.
    PMID: 33828364 DOI: 10.4103/jpbs.JPBS_249_19
    Introduction: Royal jelly (RJ) has been consumed as food or as a supplement because of its high nutritional and medicinal values. A fresh harvested RJ is yellowish to whitish in color and contains proteins, free amino acids, lipids, vitamins, and sugar. Without proper storage conditions, such as at 4°C, the color of RJ changes to much darker yellow and produces a rancid smell. To prolong its shelf life, RJ is usually mixed with honey. Alginate, a natural and edible polymer derived from seaweed, is commonly used to encapsulate drugs and food due to its ability to form gels by reacting with divalent cations. However, there is a lack of research on the microencapsulation of RJ in alginate using electrospray. The electrospray technique has the advantage in producing consistent size and shape of alginate microbeads under optimum parameters.

    Aim: This research aimed to optimize electrospray-operating parameters in producing alginate-RJ microbeads.

    Materials and Methods: Optimization of alginate-RJ microbeads electrospray parameters was carried out using 24 factorial design with three center points (19 runs). The studied parameters were flow rate, high voltage, nozzle size, and tip-to-collector distance, whereas the responses were particle size, particle size distribution, and sphericity factor. The responses of each run were analyzed using Design-Expert software.

    Results: Nozzle size is a significant parameter that influences the particle size. Flow rate is a significant parameter influencing the sphericity factor.

    Conclusion: Screening of the electrospray-operating parameters paves the way in determining the significant parameters and their design space to produce consistent alginate-RJ microbeads.

    Matched MeSH terms: Particle Size
  6. Antiproliferative effects of boswellic acid-loaded chitosan nanoparticles on human lung cancer cell line A549
    Solanki N, Mehta M, Chellappan DK, Gupta G, Hansbro NG, Tambuwala MM, et al.
    Future Med Chem, 2020 11;12(22):2019-2034.
    PMID: 33124483 DOI: 10.4155/fmc-2020-0083
    Aim: In the present study boswellic acids-loaded chitosan nanoparticles were synthesized using ionic gelation technique. The influence of independent variables were studied and optimized on dependent variables using central composite design. Methodology & results: The designed nanoparticles were observed spherical in shape with an average size of 67.5-187.2 nm and have also shown an excellent entrapment efficiency (80.06 ± 0.48). The cytotoxicity assay revealed enhanced cytotoxicity for drug-loaded nanoparticles in contrast to the free drug having an IC50 value of 17.29 and 29.59 μM, respectively. Flow cytometry confirmed that treatment of cells with 40 μg/ml had arrested 22.75 ± 0.3% at SubG0 phase of the cell cycle when compared with untreated A459 cells. The observed results justified the boswellic acids-loaded chitosan nanoparticles were effective due to greater cellular uptake, sustained intercellular drug retention and enhanced antiproliferative effect by inducing apoptosis.
    Matched MeSH terms: Particle Size
  7. Fulltext Docetaxel-Loaded Poly(3HB-co-4HB) Biodegradable Nanoparticles: Impact of Copolymer Composition
    Faisalina AF, Sonvico F, Colombo P, Amirul AA, Wahab HA, Majid MIA
    Nanomaterials (Basel), 2020 Oct 26;10(11).
    PMID: 33114572 DOI: 10.3390/nano10112123
    Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) copolymers show a relatively higher in vivo degradation rate compared to other PHAs, thus, they receive a great deal of attention for a wide range of medical applications. Nanoparticles (NPs) loaded with poorly water-soluble anticancer drug docetaxel (DCX) were produced using poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate), P(3HB-co-4HB), copolymers biosynthesised from Cupriavidus malaysiensis USMAA1020 isolated from the Malaysian environment. Three copolymers with different molar proportions of 4-hydroxybutirate (4HB) were used: 16% (PHB16), 30% (PHB30) and 70% (PHB70) 4HB-containing P(3HB-co-4HB). Blank and DCX-loaded nanoparticles were then characterized for their size and size distribution, surface charge, encapsulation efficiency and drug release. Preformulation studies showed that an optimised formulation could be achieved through the emulsification/solvent evaporation method using PHB70 with the addition of 1.0% PVA, as stabilizer and 0.03% VitE-TPGS, as surfactant. DCX-loaded PHB70 nanoparticles (DCX-PHB70) gave the desired particle size distribution in terms of average particle size around 150 nm and narrow particle size distribution (polydispersity index (PDI) below 0.100). The encapsulation efficiency result showed that at 30% w/w drug-to-polymer ratio: DCX- PHB16 NPs were able to encapsulate up to 42% of DCX; DCX-PHB30 NPs encapsulated up to 46% of DCX and DCX-PHB70 NPs encapsulated up to 50% of DCX within the nanoparticle system. Approximately 60% of DCX was released from the DCX-PHB70 NPs within 7 days for 5%, 10% and 20% of drug-to-polymer ratio while for the 30% and 40% drug-to-polymer ratios, an almost complete drug release (98%) after 7 days of incubation was observed.
    Matched MeSH terms: Particle Size
  8. Fulltext Influence of Sputtering Temperature of TiO2 Deposited onto Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanosheet as Efficient Photoanodes in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells
    Low FW, Chin Hock G, Kashif M, Samsudin NA, Chau CF, Indah Utami AR, et al.
    Molecules, 2020 Oct 21;25(20).
    PMID: 33096759 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25204852
    Renewable solar energy is the key target to reduce fossil fuel consumption, minimize global warming issues, and indirectly minimizes erratic weather patterns. Herein, the authors synthesized an ultrathin reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheet with ~47 nm via an improved Hummer's method. The TiO2 was deposited by RF sputtering onto an rGO nanosheet with a variation of temperature to enhance the photogenerated electron or charge carrier mobility transport for the photoanode component. The morphology, topologies, element composition, crystallinity as well as dye-sensitized solar cells' (DSSCs) performance were determined accordingly. Based on the results, FTIR spectra revealed presence of Ti-O-C bonds in every rGO-TiO2 nanocomposite samples at 800 cm-1. Besides, XRD revealed that a broad peak of anatase TiO2 was detected at ~25.4° after incorporation with the rGO. Furthermore, it was discovered that sputtering temperature of 120 °C created a desired power conversion energy (PCE) of 7.27% based on the J-V plot. Further increase of the sputtering temperature to 160 °C and 200 °C led to excessive TiO2 growth on the rGO nanosheet, thus resulting in undesirable charge recombination formed at the photoanode in the DSSC device.
    Matched MeSH terms: Particle Size
  9. Fulltext In Vitro Performance of Dutasteride-Nanostructured Lipid Carriers Coated with Lauric Acid-Chitosan Oligomer for Dermal Delivery
    Noor NM, Abdul-Aziz A, Sheikh K, Somavarapu S, Taylor KMG
    Pharmaceutics, 2020 Oct 20;12(10).
    PMID: 33092119 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics12100994
    Dutasteride, licensed as an oral medicine for the treatment of benign prostatic hypoplasia, has been investigated as a treatment for androgenic alopecia. In this study, the potential for dustasteride to be delivered topically in order to reduce systemic exposure, irritation of the skin, and also cytotoxicity was explored. Chitosan oligomer (CSO) was successfully synthesised with lauric acid as a coating for a dutasteride-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (DST-NLCs) system. DST-NLCs were prepared using a combination of melt-dispersion and ultrasonication. These negatively charged NLCs (-18.0 mV) had a mean particle size of ~184 nm, which was not significantly increased (p > 0.05) when coated with lauric acid-chitosan oligomer (CSO-LA), whilst the surface charge changed to positive (+24.8 mV). The entrapment efficiency of DST-NLCs was 97%, and coated and uncoated preparations were physically stable for up to 180 days at 4-8 °C. The drug release was slower from DST-NLCs coated with CSO-LA than from uncoated NLCs, with no detectable drug permeation through full-thickness pig ear skin from either preparation. Considering the cytotoxicity, the IC50 values for the DST-NLCs, coated and uncoated with CSO-LA were greater than for dutasteride alone (p < 0.05). DST-NLCs and empty NLCs coated with CSO-LA at 25 µM increased the cell proliferation compared to the control, and no skin irritation was observed when the DST-NLC formulations were tested using EpiDerm™. The cell and skin uptake studies of coated and uncoated NLCs incorporating the fluorescent marker Coumarin-6 showed the time-dependent uptake of Coumarin-6. Overall, the findings suggest that DST-NLCs coated with CSO-LA represent a promising formulation strategy for dutasteride delivery for the treatment of androgenic alopecia, with a reduced cytotoxicity compared to that of the drug alone and lower irritancy than an ethanolic solution of dutasteride.
    Matched MeSH terms: Particle Size
  10. A correlation on ultrasonication with nanocrystalline cellulose characteristics
    Mohd Ishak NA, Khalil I, Abdullah FZ, Muhd Julkapli N
    Carbohydr Polym, 2020 Oct 15;246:116553.
    PMID: 32747237 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2020.116553
    Catalytic ionic liquid hydrolysis of cellulosic material have been considered as a green and highly efficient dissolution process. However, application of a pre-treatment process, i.e; ultrasonication enhances the hydrolysis of cellulose in ionic liquid by providing mechanical force. In this paper, we describe the impact of both chemical and mechanical approaches to produce nanocrytalline cellulose (NCC) with anticipated particle size, and crystallinity with improved yields. The ultrasonication treatment was evaluated in terms of treatment time and vibration amplitude. It was found that the lowest ultrasonication time (5 min) produced the NCC of highest crystallinity (73 %), but the lowest yield (84 %). In contrary, the highest ultrasonication vibration amplitude at 90 % produced NCC with highest crystallinity value (67 %) as well as yields (90 %). It concludes that ultrasonic pre-treatment improves the hydrolysis process of cellulose in ionic liquid with increasing yield and crystallinity of NCC.
    Matched MeSH terms: Particle Size
  11. Fulltext PEGylated Lipid Polymeric Nanoparticle-Encapsulated Acyclovir for In Vitro Controlled Release and Ex Vivo Gut Sac Permeation
    Mahmood S, Kiong KC, Tham CS, Chien TC, Hilles AR, Venugopal JR
    AAPS PharmSciTech, 2020 Oct 14;21(7):285.
    PMID: 33057878 DOI: 10.1208/s12249-020-01810-0
    Currently, pharmaceutical research is directed wide range for developing new drugs for oral administration to target disease. Acyclovir formulation is having common issues of short half-life and poor permeability, causing messy treatment which results in patient incompliance. The present study formulates a lipid polymeric hybrid nanoparticles for antiviral acyclovir (ACV) agent with Phospholipon® 90G (lecithin), chitosan, and polyethylene glycol (PEG) to improve controlled release of the drugs. The study focused on the encapsulation of the ACV in lipid polymeric particle and their sustained delivery. The formulation developed for the self-assembly of chitosan and lecithin to form a shell encapsulating acyclovir, followed by PEGylation. Optimisation was performed via Box-Behnken Design (BBD), forming nanoparticles with size of 187.7 ± 3.75 nm, 83.81 ± 1.93% drug-entrapped efficiency (EE), and + 37.7 ± 1.16 mV zeta potential. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy images displayed spherical nanoparticles formation. Encapsulation of ACV and complexity with other physical parameters are confirmed through analysis using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and X-ray diffraction. Nanoparticle produced was capable of achieving 24-h sustained release in vitro on gastric and intestinal environments. Ex vivo study proved the improvement of acyclovir's apparent permeability from 2 × 10-6 to 6.46 × 10-6 cm s-1. Acyclovir new formulation was achieved to be stable up to 60 days for controlled release of the drugs. Graphical abstract.
    Matched MeSH terms: Particle Size
  12. Fulltext Role of Phase-Dependent Dielectric Properties of Alumina Nanoparticles in Electromagnetic-Assisted Enhanced Oil Recovery
    Adil M, Lee KC, Zaid HM, Manaka T
    Nanomaterials (Basel), 2020 Oct 06;10(10).
    PMID: 33036153 DOI: 10.3390/nano10101975
    The utilization of metal-oxide nanoparticles in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) has generated considerable research interest to increase the oil recovery. Among these nanoparticles, alumina nanoparticles (Al2O3-NPs) have proved promising in improving the oil recovery mechanism due to their prominent thermal properties. However, more significantly, these nanoparticles, coupled with electromagnetic (EM) waves, can be polarized to reduce water/oil mobility ratio and create disturbances at the oil/nanofluid interface, so that oil can be released from the reservoir rock surfaces and travelled easily to the production well. Moreover, alumina exists in various transition phases (γ, δ, θ, κ, β, η, χ), providing not only different sizes and morphologies but phase-dependent dielectric behavior at the applied EM frequencies. In this research, the oil recovery mechanism under EM fields of varying frequencies was investigated, which involved parameters such as mobility ratio, interfacial tension (IFT) and wettability. The displacement tests were conducted in water-wet sandpacks at 95 °C, by employing crude oil from Tapis. Alumina nanofluids (Al2O3-NFs) of four different phases (α, κ, θ and γ) and particle sizes (25-94.3 nm) were prepared by dispersing 0.01 wt. % NPs in brine (3 wt. % NaCl) together with SDBS as a dispersant. Three sequential injection scenarios were performed in each flooding scheme: (i) preflushes brine as a secondary flooding, (ii) conventional nano/EM-assisted nanofluid flooding, and (iii) postflushes brine to flush NPs. Compared to conventional nanofluid flooding (3.03-11.46% original oil in place/OOIP) as incremental oil recovery, EM-assisted nanofluid flooding provided an increase in oil recovery by approximately 4.12-12.90% of OOIP for different phases of alumina. It was established from these results that the recovery from EM-assisted nanofluid flooding is itself dependent on frequency, which is associated with good dielectric behavior of NPs to formulate the oil recovery mechanism including (i) mobility ratio improvement due to an electrorheological (ER) effect, (ii) interfacial disturbances by the oil droplet deformation, and (iii) wettability alteration by increased surface-free energy.
    Matched MeSH terms: Particle Size
  13. Fulltext Dataset on applying HPMC polymer to improve encapsulation efficiency and stability of the fish oil: In vitro evaluation
    Zaidul ISM, Fahim TK, Sahena F, Azad AK, Rashid MA, Hossain MS
    Data Brief, 2020 Oct;32:106111.
    PMID: 32904423 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2020.106111
    Data examines the effect of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) HPMC15 cP, and HPMC 5 cP polymer composition on the physicochemical traits of encapsulated oil made using lab scale spray drying (180 °C). The data found showed that the properties of the reconstituted fish oil powder are significantly affected by the polymer's composition and ratio (p < 0.05). In this experiment, powder with the particle sizes below 60 μm was produced and it was observed that HPMC is a good emulsifier for all formulations and the encapsulation efficiency is high with 75.21% for AF1 formulation. It was also observed that the process of fish oil encapsulation employed by HPMC 5 cP produce a more volatile oil powder, while encapsulation with HPMC 15 cP produced a more stable fish oil powder. These finding shows that the utilisation of HPMC as a polymer to encapsulate fish oil can produce a more efficient and stable compound.
    Matched MeSH terms: Particle Size
  14. Fulltext Properties and Characterization of New Approach Organic Nanoparticle-Based Biocomposite Board
    Ismail I, Arliyani, Jalil Z, Mursal, Olaiya NG, Abdullah CK, et al.
    Polymers (Basel), 2020 Sep 28;12(10).
    PMID: 32998404 DOI: 10.3390/polym12102236
    Conventionally, panel boards are produced with material flex or microparticle with P.U. or U.F. as adhesives. However, in this study, nanoparticle with epoxy resin as an adhesive was used to produce nanoboard. Coconut shell nanoparticle composite with epoxy resin as an adhesive was prepared using a compression molding technique. The coconut shell particles were originally 200 mesh size and then milled mechanically with a ball mill for the duration of 10, 20, 30, and 40 h (milling times) to produce nanoparticles. The composition ratio of the composite is 85 vol.% of coconut shell and 15 vol.% of epoxy resin. The formation of nanoparticles was observed with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The mechanical, physical, and microstructure properties of the composite were examined with X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and universal testing machine. The results established that the properties of the composite (microstructures, mechanical, and physical) are influenced by the duration of milling of coconut shell particles. The modulus and flexural strength of the composite improved with an increase in the milling time. The density, thickness swelling, and porosity of the composite were also influenced by the milling times. The result suggested that the composite properties were influenced by the particle size of the coconut shell. The coconut shell nanoparticle composite can be used in the manufacturing of hybrid panels and board.
    Matched MeSH terms: Particle Size
  15. Fulltext Fibre-Reinforced Foamed Concretes: A Review
    Amran M, Fediuk R, Vatin N, Lee YH, Murali G, Ozbakkaloglu T, et al.
    Materials (Basel), 2020 Sep 28;13(19).
    PMID: 32998362 DOI: 10.3390/ma13194323
    Foamed concrete (FC) is a high-quality building material with densities from 300 to 1850 kg/m3, which can have potential use in civil engineering, both as insulation from heat and sound, and for load-bearing structures. However, due to the nature of the cement material and its high porosity, FC is very weak in withstanding tensile loads; therefore, it often cracks in a plastic state, during shrinkage while drying, and also in a solid state. This paper is the first comprehensive review of the use of man-made and natural fibres to produce fibre-reinforced foamed concrete (FRFC). For this purpose, various foaming agents, fibres and other components that can serve as a basis for FRFC are reviewed and discussed in detail. Several factors have been found to affect the mechanical properties of FRFC, namely: fresh and hardened densities, particle size distribution, percentage of pozzolanic material used and volume of chemical foam agent. It was found that the rheological properties of the FRFC mix are influenced by the properties of both fibres and foam; therefore, it is necessary to apply an additional dosage of a foam agent to enhance the adhesion and cohesion between the foam agent and the cementitious filler in comparison with materials without fibres. Various types of fibres allow the reduction of by autogenous shrinkage a factor of 1.2-1.8 and drying shrinkage by a factor of 1.3-1.8. Incorporation of fibres leads to only a slight increase in the compressive strength of foamed concrete; however, it can significantly improve the flexural strength (up to 4 times), tensile strength (up to 3 times) and impact strength (up to 6 times). At the same time, the addition of fibres leads to practically no change in the heat and sound insulation characteristics of foamed concrete and this is basically depended on the type of fibres used such as Nylon and aramid fibres. Thus, FRFC having the presented set of properties has applications in various areas of construction, both in the construction of load-bearing and enclosing structures.
    Matched MeSH terms: Particle Size
  16. Fulltext Structural, Morphological and Thermal Properties of Cellulose Nanofibers from Napier fiber (Pennisetum purpureum)
    Radakisnin R, Abdul Majid MS, Jamir MRM, Jawaid M, Sultan MTH, Mat Tahir MF
    Materials (Basel), 2020 Sep 17;13(18).
    PMID: 32957438 DOI: 10.3390/ma13184125
    The purpose of the study is to investigate the utilisation of Napier fiber (Pennisetum purpureum) as a source for the fabrication of cellulose nanofibers (CNF). In this study, cellulose nanofibers (CNF) from Napier fiber were isolated via ball-milling assisted by acid hydrolysis. Acid hydrolysis with different molarities (1.0, 3.8 and 5.6 M) was performed efficiently facilitate cellulose fiber size reduction. The resulting CNFs were characterised through Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), particle size analyser (PSA), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The FTIR results demonstrated that there were no obvious changes observed between the spectra of the CNFs with different molarities of acid hydrolysis. With 5.6 M acid hydrolysis, the XRD analysis displayed the highest degree of CNF crystallinity at 70.67%. In a thermal analysis by TGA and DTG, cellulose nanofiber with 5.6 M acid hydrolysis tended to produce cellulose nanofibers with higher thermal stability. As evidenced by the structural morphologies, a fibrous network nanostructure was obtained under TEM and AFM analysis, while a compact structure was observed under FESEM analysis. In conclusion, the isolated CNFs from Napier-derived cellulose are expected to yield potential to be used as a suitable source for nanocomposite production in various applications, including pharmaceutical, food packaging and biomedical fields.
    Matched MeSH terms: Particle Size
  17. Enhanced nose-to-brain delivery of tranilast using liquid crystal formulations
    See GL, Arce F, Dahlizar S, Okada A, Fadli MFBM, Hijikuro I, et al.
    J Control Release, 2020 Sep 10;325:1-9.
    PMID: 32598958 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2020.06.028
    Intranasal administration is poised as a competent method in delivering drugs to the brain, because the nasal route has a direct link with the central nervous system bypassing the formidable blood-brain barrier. C17-monoglycerol ester (MGE) and glyceryl monooleate (GMO) as liquid crystal (LC)-forming lipids possess desirable formulation characteristics as drug carriers for intranasally administered drugs. This study investigated the effect of LC formulations on the pharmacokinetics of tranilast (TL), a lipophilic model drug, and its distribution in the therapeutic target regions of the brain in rats. The anatomical biodistribution of LC formulations was monitored using micro-computed tomography tandem in vivo imaging systems. MGE and GMO effectively formed LC with suitable particle size, zeta potential, and viscosity supporting the delivery of TL to the brain. MGE and GMO LC formulations enhanced brain uptake by 10- to 12-fold and 2- to 2.4- fold, respectively, compared with TL solution. The olfactory bulb had the highest TL concentration and fluorescent signals among all the brain regions, indicating a direct nose-to-brain delivery pathway of LC formulations. LC-forming lipids, MGE and GMO, are potential biomaterials in formulations intended for intranasal administration.
    Matched MeSH terms: Particle Size
  18. Preparation, characterization, and optimization of asenapine maleate mucoadhesive nanoemulsion using Box-Behnken design: In vitro and in vivo studies for brain targeting
    Kumbhar SA, Kokare CR, Shrivastava B, Gorain B, Choudhury H
    Int J Pharm, 2020 Aug 30;586:119499.
    PMID: 32505580 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2020.119499
    The tight junctions between capillary endothelial cells of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) restricts the entry of therapeutics into the brain. Potential of the intranasal delivery tool has been explored in administering the therapeutics directly to the brain, thus bypassing BBB. The objective of this study was to develop and optimize an intranasal mucoadhesive nanoemulsion (MNE) of asenapine maleate (ASP) in order to enhance the nasomucosal adhesion and direct brain targetability for improved efficacy and safety. Box-Behnken statistical design was used to recognize the crucial formulation variables influencing droplet size, size distribution and surface charge of ASP-NE. ASP-MNE was obtained by incorporating GRAS mucoadhesive polymer, Carbopol 971 in the optimized NE. Optimized ASP-MNE displayed spherical morphology with a droplet size of 21.2 ± 0.15 nm and 0.355 polydispersity index. Improved ex-vivo permeation was observed in ASP-NE and ASP-MNE, compared to the ASP-solution. Finally, the optimized formulation was found to be safe in ex-vivo ciliotoxicity study on sheep nasal mucosa. The single-dose pharmacokinetic study in male Wistar rats revealed a significant increase in concentration of ASP in the brain upon intranasal administration of ASP-MNE, with a maximum of 284.33 ± 5.5 ng/mL. The time required to reach maximum brain concentration (1 h) was reduced compared to intravenous administration of ASP-NE (3 h). Furthermore, it has been established during the course of present study, that the brain targeting capability of ASP via intranasal administration had enhanced drug-targeting efficiency and drug-targeting potential. In the animal behavioral studies, no extrapyramidal symptoms were observed after intranasal administration of ASP-MNE, while good locomotor activity and hind-limb retraction test established its antipsychotic activity in treated animals. Thus, it can be concluded that the developed intranasal ASP-MNE could be used as an effective and safe tool for brain targeting of ASP in the treatment of psychotic disorders.
    Matched MeSH terms: Particle Size
  19. Solid-phase extraction using chloropropyl functionalized sol-gel hybrid sorbent for simultaneous determination of organophosphorus pesticides in selected fruit samples
    Veloo KV, Ibrahim NAS
    J Sep Sci, 2020 Aug;43(15):3027-3035.
    PMID: 32386268 DOI: 10.1002/jssc.201901237
    A new sol-gel hybrid methyltrimethoxysilane-chloropropyltriethoxysilane was prepared as sorbent for solid-phase extraction. The extraction efficiency of the prepared sol-gel hybrid methyltrimethoxysilane-chloropropyltriethoxysilane was assessed by using three selected organophosphorus pesticides, namely, chlorpyrifos, profenofos, and malathion. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used for detection of organophosphorus pesticides. Several vital parameters were optimized to identify the best extraction conditions. Under the optimum extraction conditions, solid-phase extraction-methyltrimethoxysilane-chloropropyltriethoxysilane method showed good linearity range (0.05-1 μg/mL) with coefficient of determination more than 0.995. The limits of detection obtained were in the range of 0.01-0.07 μg/mL and limits of quantification ranging from 0.03 to 0.21 μg/mL. The limits of detection obtained for the developed method were 2.3-6.5× lower than the limits of detection of commercial octadecyl silica sorbent. Real samples analysis was carried out by applying the developed method on red apple and purple grape samples. The developed method exhibited good recoveries (88.33-120.7%) with low relative standard deviations ranging from 1.6 to 3.3% compared to commercial octadecyl silica sorbent, which showed acceptable recoveries (70.3-100.2%) and relative standard deviations (6.3-8.8%). The solid-phase extraction-methyltrimethoxysilane-chloropropyltriethoxysilane method is presented as an alternative extraction method for determination of organophosphorus pesticides.
    Matched MeSH terms: Particle Size
  20. Fulltext Experimental dataset on the dispersion stability of natural polymer non-covalently functionalized graphene nanoplatelets in high salinity brines
    Hamdi SS, Al-Kayiem HH, Muhsan AS, Magaril E
    Data Brief, 2020 Aug;31:105702.
    PMID: 32462067 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2020.105702
    The data in this article present the effective parameters of experimental ultrasonication process on the dispersion stability of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) grafted with a natural polymer of Gum Arabic (GA). These datasets are supporting the article "Natural Polymer Non-Covalently Grafted Graphene Nanoplatelets for Improved Oil Recovery Process: A Micromodel Evaluation" [1]. The datasets were gained during experiments conducted at various dwell time (30, 60, 90 and 120 min) at constant power amplitude (60%) of sonication for preparing the stable GA-GNP/brine solutions aiming cost-effective and green agent solution for chemical enhanced oil recovery (C-EOR). The GA-GNPs dispersion data was verified using particle size analyser and UV-Vis measurements. The optimized time and power amplitude parameters of the sonication process were utilized for preparing stabilized samples of GA grafted GNPs in regarding to research work on Natural Polymer Non-Covalently Grafted Graphene Nanoplatelets for EOR. The dispersion stability of GA-GNPs nanofluids at reservoir conditions of high salinity and high temperatures (HSHT) was further demonstrated in the measured data through the sedimentation of nanoparticles.
    Matched MeSH terms: Particle Size
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