Nguyenzhu9798

The incorporation of nanoparticles into a hydrogel matrix enables the development of innovative smart materials with enhanced biophysical properties. In this proof-of-concept study, we encapsulated different shapes (spherical, triangular and rod) of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) within a hydrogel matrix of polyacrylamide (PAA) and N-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) (PAA-MBA) to investigate whether these hydrogels exhibited shape-dependent antimicrobial and mechanical properties. We examined the mechanism of adsorption of different shapes of AgNPs using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). Results showed that the adsorption of AgNPs was primarily occurring on the surface/outer pores of the PAA-MBA hydrogel and that rod AgNPs demonstrated a relatively slower adsorption within the hydrogel matrix. The mechanical properties of AgNP-doped hydrogels were evaluated using rheology and atomic force microscopy (AFM) quantitative imaging. We observed a higher storage and Young's modulus which proved that the incorporation of the various shapes of AgNPs increased the mechanical properties of the hydrogels with no significant differences between the different shapes. While both spherical and triangular AgNP-doped hydrogels showed strong antimicrobial activity, the hydrogel with the rod AgNPs had a relatively lower antimicrobial activity. Overall, our preliminary results demonstrated that nanocomposite hydrogels were promising materials for applications in the future development of wound dressings.Conjugation of cytostatic drugs to nanomaterials seeks to improve their low bioavailability and selectivity to overcome the important associated side effects. In this work, we aimed to synthesize water-soluble gold nanoparticles as transporters for synthetic cyclic peptides with a potential anticancer activity but with a limited bioavailability. The highly water-soluble nanoparticles (2.5 nm diameter gold core) are coated with a mixture of polyethylene glycol linkers, one bearing a terminal hydroxyl group for increasing dispersibility in water, and the second bearing a carboxylic acid group for peptide conjugation through amide bond formation. Peptide-functionalized particles have a 9.7 ± 1.8 nm hydrodynamic diameter and are highly water-soluble and stable in solution for at least one year. The morphology of the gold cores as well as their organic coating was studied using Transmission Electron Microscopy, showing that the attachment of a limited number of peptides per nanoparticle leads to a uneven organic coating of two different thicknesses, one of 2.0 ± 0.6 nm formed by polyethylene glycol linkers, and a second of 3.6 ± 0.5 nm which includes the peptide. GNP significantly enhance the internalization of the cyclic peptide BPC734 in cells as compared to peptide in solution, with improved uptake in cancerous HT29 cells. Cytotoxicity studies show that peptide BPC734 in solution is toxic in the micromolar range, whereas peptide-functionalized particles are toxic at nanomolar peptide concentrations and with a significantly higher toxicity for cancerous cells. All these results, besides the stability and expected passive tumor targeting, make these particles a promising option for improving the bioavailability, efficacy, and selectivity in cancer therapy.Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common cancer of bone. Jaw osteosarcoma (JOS) is rare and it differs from long-bone OS (LBOS) in terms of the time of onset (two decades later), lower metastatic spread, and better survival. OS is characterized by the proliferation of osteoblastic precursor cells and the production of osteoid or immature bone. OS arises from a combination of genetic aberrations and a favourable microenvironment. This local microenvironment includes bone cells, blood vessels, stromal cells, and immune infiltrates, all of which may constitute potential targets for anti-cancer drugs. Differences in the clinical and biological behaviour of JOS versus LBOS are likely to at least in part be due to differences in the microenvironment between the two sites. selleck inhibitor The present review provides a brief overview of the known pathophysiological parameters involved in JOS.

Yoga has shown promise as a treatment for depression and anxiety. The present pilot study investigated the feasibility of an eight-week grouptreatment integrating emotion-focused psychoeducation, compassion-focused therapy, and Virya yoga for depression and anxiety in primary healthcare.

Patients seeking treatment for depression and anxiety in a primary healthcare centre completed either an integrative group-treatment (N=14) or treatment as usual (TAU, N=17). Outcome measures were analysed pre- and posttreatment. Correlations in the intervention group were investigated between treatment outcomes and amount of yoga practice between sessions.

Large within-group effect sizes on all outcome measures were found at posttreatment. Symptom reduction did not differ between groups (p=0.155). Improvement in alexithymia correlated significantly (p<0.05) with amount of yoga practice between sessions.

Integrating yoga with a psychological group-treatment is a somewhat feasible approach to treatment for depression and anxiety in primary healthcare.

Integrating yoga with a psychological group-treatment is a somewhat feasible approach to treatment for depression and anxiety in primary healthcare.Due to the deliberate use of cupric fungicides in the last century for crop-defence programs, copper (Cu) has considerably accumulated in the soil. The concentrations of Cu often exceed the safety limits of risk assessment for Cu in soil and this may cause toxicity in plants. Copper toxicity induces nutritional imbalances in plants and constraints to plants growth. These aspects might be of paramount importance in the case of phosphorus (P), which is an essential plant macronutrient. In this work, hydroponically grown cucumber plants were used to investigate the influence of the exposure to different Cu concentrations (0.2, 5, 25 and 50 μM) on i) the phenotypic traits of plants, particularly at root level, ii) the nutrient content in both roots and shoots, and iii) the P uptake mechanisms, considering both the biochemical and molecular aspects. At high Cu concentrations (i.e. above 25 μM), the shoot and root growth resulted stunted and the P influx rate diminished. Furthermore, two P transporter genes (i.e. CsPT1.