Porous nano-structured micro-granules from silica-milk bi-colloidal suspension: Synthesis and characterization

Synthesis and characterization of nano-structured porous granules, with fairly defined morphology and porosity, is crucial because such granules are widely utilized for various technological applications. However, an easy, one-step, economic synthesis protocol for large scale production is extremely desirable. In the present work, we have reported the synthesis and characterization of the nano-structured micro-granules using aerosol drying of bi-colloidal suspension of nano-silica and milk. Removal of soft organic component from the granules results in formation of meso and macro pores with moderate specific surface area. Granule morphology and porosity depends strongly on the concentration ratio of the individual components in the drying aerosol as well as the interaction between them.

Primary Pulmonary Diffuse Large B Cell Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma: A Case Report and Literature Review

Patient: Female, 48

Final Diagnosis: Primary pulmonary DLBCL

Symptoms: Cough • weigh loss

Medication: R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone)

Clinical Procedure: Bone marrow biopsy • CT-guided lung biopsy

Specialty: Oncology

Occupational chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a standard of care

BACKGROUND

Consistent evidence from population studies report that 10-15% of the total burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with workplace exposures. This proportion of COPD could be eliminated if harmful workplace exposures were controlled adequately.

AIMS

To produce a standard of care for clinicians, occupational health professionals, employers and employees on the identification and management of occupational COPD.

METHODS

A systematic literature review was used to identify published data on the prevention, identification and management of occupational COPD. Scottish Intercollegiate Guidance Network grading and the Royal College of General Practitioner three star grading system were used to grade the evidence.

RESULTS

There are a number of specific workplace exposures that are established causes of COPD. Taking an occupational history in patients or workers with possible or established COPD will identify these. Reduction in exposure to vapours, gases, dusts and fumes at work is likely to be the most effective method for reducing occupational COPD. Identification of workers with rapidly declining lung function, irrespective of their specific exposure, is important. Individuals can be identified at work by accurate annual measures of lung function.

CONCLUSIONS

Early identification of cases with COPD is important so that causality can be considered and action taken to reduce causative exposures thereby preventing further harm to the individual and other workers who may be similarly exposed. This can be achieved using a combination of a respiratory questionnaire, accurate lung function measurements and control of exposures in the workplace.

Working with asbestos and the possible health risks

BACKGROUND

The generic term asbestos refers to a group of crystalline mineral silicates that occur naturally in various forms. Because of their properties of strength, heat and electrical resistance and their ability to withstand corrosion by acids and sea water, asbestos was used extensively both in the UK and worldwide.

AIMS

To provide a historical perspective of this ubiquitous occupational hazard, consider the key changes in UK legislation aimed at improving the management of this occupational health risk and describe the evidence from the scientific literature concerning asbestos and disease.

METHODS

Original articles, reviews (including reference textbooks) and scientific literature in PubMed and other principal medical science databases, 1960-2014, were searched. Publications by regulatory agencies and by governmental organizations were also considered and included where relevant.

RESULTS

Asbestos remains the biggest cause of cancer deaths worldwide. For malignant mesothelioma deaths alone, it is estimated that in the UK, between 2015 and 2020, the number of cases will peak at 2500 cases annually. It is not clear whether there is a safe level of asbestos fibres in air. Evidence for the efficacy of health surveillance is lacking.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the use of asbestos was banned in the UK in 1985 (amosite and crocidolite) and 1999 (chrysotile), it remains a significant occupational risk factor for work-related morbidity and mortality, causing both benign and malignant diseases, often with long latency. Further research is needed regarding exposure levels and health surveillance.

Health surveillance for occupational asthma in the UK

BACKGROUND

Periodic health surveillance (HS) of workers can identify early cases of occupational asthma. Information about its uptake and its content in the UK is lacking.

AIMS

To identify the overall levels of uptake and quality of HS for occupational asthma within three high-risk industry sectors in the UK.

METHODS

A telephone survey of employers, and their occupational health (OH) professionals, carried out in three sectors with exposures potentially capable of causing occupational asthma (bakeries, wood working and motor vehicle repair).

RESULTS

A total of 457 organizations participated (31% response rate). About 77% employed <10 people, 17% between 10 and 50 and 6% >50. Risk assessments were common (67%) and 14% carried out some form of HS for occupational asthma, rising to 19% if only organizations reporting asthma hazards and risks were considered. HS was carried out both by in-house (31%) and external providers (69%). Organizational policies were often used to define HS approaches (80%), but infrequently shared with the OH provider. OH providers described considerable variation in practice. Record keeping was universal, but worker-held records were not reported. HS tools were generally developed in-house. Lung function was commonly measured, but only limited interpretation evident. Referral of workers to local specialist respiratory services was variable.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provided new insights into the real world of HS for occupational asthma. We consider that future work could and should define simpler, more practical and evidence-based approaches to HS to ensure maximal consistency and use of high-quality approaches.

Gene therapy as a potential tool for treating neuroblastoma-a focused review

Neuroblastoma, a solid tumor caused by rapid division of undifferentiated neuroblasts, is the most common childhood malignancy affecting children aged <5 years. Several approaches and strategies developed and tested to cure neuroblastoma have met with limited success due to different reasons. Many oncogenes are deregulated during the onset and development of neuroblastoma and thus offer an opportunity to circumvent this disease if the expression of these genes is restored to normalcy. Gene therapy is a powerful tool with the potential to inhibit the deleterious effects of oncogenes by inserting corrected/normal genes into the genome. Both viral and non-viral vector-based gene therapies have been developed and adopted to deliver the target genes into neuroblastoma cells. These attempts have given hope to bringing in a new regime of treatment against neuroblastoma. A few gene-therapy-based treatment strategies have been tested in limited clinical trials yielding some positive results. This mini review is an attempt to provide an overview of the available options of gene therapy to treat neuroblastoma.

Temperature Mediated Morphological Transition during Drying of Spray Colloidal Droplets

Understanding how a tiny dilute evaporative colloidal spray droplet gets transformed into a microgranule with a characteristic morphology is crucial from scientific as well as technological points of view. In the present work, it is demonstrated that the morphology and the size distribution of the microcapsules can be tuned simply by adjusting the drying temperature. Shape and size of the capsules are quantified at four different drying temperatures. It is shown that the morphology transits gradually from sphere to toroid with increasing temperature keeping the average volume-fraction of the correlated nanoparticles nearly unaffected for the synthesized granules. A plausible mechanism for the chronological pathway of such morphological transformation is illustrated. Computer simulation corroborates the experimentally observed morphological transition. The variation in hollowness and buckling tendency of the capsules are elucidated by scattering and imaging techniques.

Amorphous carbon nanotubes as potent sorbents for removal of a phenolic derivative compound and arsenic: theoretical support of experimental findings

Amorphous carbon nanotubes can be uses as potential material for water purification.

Colloidal Nanoparticle Interaction Transition during Solvent Evaporation Investigated by in-Situ Small-Angle X-ray Scattering

In-situ scanning small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) experiments have been performed to probe the drying of a single suspended droplet of silica colloids. It has been demonstrated that the formation of a nanoparticle shell during drying can be confirmed just by measuring the temporal evolution of the spatial transmission profile across the drying droplet. The shrinkage of the droplet stops once the shell is formed. The temporal dependence of the shell thickness and droplet radius has been estimated by quantitative analysis of the functionality of the transmission profiles. It is revealed that the position of the correlation peak originating from interactions between silica nanoparticles evolves linearly during the initial stage of drying and exhibits sigmoidal growth behavior in later stages. The interaction between colloidal particles in different drying stages has been investigated. We provide experimental confirmation of the transition from repulsive interaction to a capillary-driven short-range attraction during shell formation. The present work demonstrates that in-situ scanning SAXS on a suspended droplet is an invaluable technique for monitoring the dynamic self-organization of colloids as it probes the drying of complex fluids without the interference of a substrate.

Formation of nano-structured core–shell micro-granules by evaporation induced assembly

Nano-structured spherical micro-granules of core–shell morphology have been realized by utilizing the contrasting interfacial interaction of two different types of nano-particles with liquid solvent.

Organic–inorganic composite micro-granules by evaporation induced assembly: role of trapped water in structural evolution

Nano-structured composite micro-granules are promising candidates for many technological and medical applications.