Sharif Digital Repository

Although curcumin is highly cytotoxic against cancer cells, its hydrophobicity and fast degradation at physiological pH limit its effective practical application. To prevent such limitations, inexpensive curcumin-loaded starch particles are synthesized in this research. Particles are prepared by water-in-oil (W/O) miniemulsion technique and an adsorption method is used for curcumin loading. Also, encapsulation efficiency (%EE) is improved by using pluronic F-127 in the drug solution. Particles are characterized, swelling studies are performed, and MTT assays against human adipose mesenchymal stem cells (hAMSCs) and MG-63 cells are utilized for investigations. Results indicate that... 

This work has focused on in-situ crosslinking of gelatin (G) to produce electrospun scaffold with improved fiber morphology retention and mechanical properties. As per this approach, we prepared G nanofibers through mixing G, 1-ethyl-3-(3 dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) in the new solvent system. Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to study the influence of solution parameters on fiber diameter. The morphological structure was examined, and the appropriate level of setting to obtain smooth fibers with a favorable diameter was reported. Results revealed using EDC/NHS for in-situ crosslinking improves the mechanical properties... 

This work has focused on in-situ crosslinking of gelatin (G) to produce electrospun scaffold with improved fiber morphology retention and mechanical properties. As per this approach, we prepared G nanofibers through mixing G, 1-ethyl-3-(3 dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) in the new solvent system. Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to study the influence of solution parameters on fiber diameter. The morphological structure was examined, and the appropriate level of setting to obtain smooth fibers with a favorable diameter was reported. Results revealed using EDC/NHS for in-situ crosslinking improves the mechanical properties... 

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is an extracellular natural polymer produced by many microorganisms and its properties could be tailored via specific fabrication methods and culture conditions. There is a growing interest in BC derived materials due to the main features of BC such as porous fibrous structure, high crystallinity, impressive physico-mechanical properties, and high water content. However, pristine BC lacks some features, limiting its practical use in varied applications. Thus, fabrication of BC composites has been attempted to overcome these constraints. This review article overviews most recent advance in the development of BC composites and their potential in biomedicine including... 

Miniaturized systems based on the principles of microfluidics are widely used in various fields, such as biochemical and biomedical applications. Systematic design processes are demanded the proper use of these microfluidic devices based on mathematical simulations. Aggregated proteins (e.g., inclusion bodies) in solution with chaotropic agents (such as urea) at high concentration in combination with reducing agents are denatured. Refolding methods to achieve the native proteins from inclusion bodies of recombinant protein relying on denaturant dilution or dialysis approaches for suppressing protein aggregation is very important in the industrial field. In this paper, a modeling approach is... 

In this research, a facile, two-step synthesis of Fe3O4–LCysteine–graphene quantum dots (GQDs) nanocomposite is reported. This synthesis method comprises the preparation of GQDs via hydrothermal route, which should be conjugated to the LCysteine functionalized core–shell magnetic structure with the core of about 7.5-nm iron oxide nanoparticle and 3.5-nm LCysteine shell. LCysteine, as a biocompatible natural amino acid, was used to link magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) with GQDs. X-ray powder diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray were used to investigate the presence and formation of MNPs, L Cysteine functionalized MNPs,... 

In this research, a facile, two-step synthesis of Fe3O4–LCysteine–graphene quantum dots (GQDs) nanocomposite is reported. This synthesis method comprises the preparation of GQDs via hydrothermal route, which should be conjugated to the LCysteine functionalized core–shell magnetic structure with the core of about 7.5-nm iron oxide nanoparticle and 3.5-nm LCysteine shell. LCysteine, as a biocompatible natural amino acid, was used to link magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) with GQDs. X-ray powder diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray were used to investigate the presence and formation of MNPs, L Cysteine functionalized MNPs,... 

Microfluidic systems (MFS) provide a range of advantages in biomedical applications, including improved controllability of material characteristics and lower consumption of reagents, energy, time and money. Fabrication of MFS employs various materials, such as glass, silicon, ceramics, paper, and metals such as gold, copper, aluminum, chromium and titanium. In this review, gold thin film microfluidic channels (GTFMFC) are discussed with reference to fabrication methods and their diverse use in chemical and biomedical applications. The advantages of gold thin films (GTF) include flexibility, ease of manufacture, adhesion to polymer surfaces, chemical stability, good electrical conductivity,... 

Optical Coherence Optical coherence tomography is a powerful high-resolution imaging method with a broad biomedical application. Nonetheless, OCT images suffer from a multiplicative artefacts so-called speckle, a result of coherent imaging of system. Digital filters become ubiquitous means for speckle reduction. Addressing the fact that there still a room for despeckling in OCT, we proposed an intelligent speckle reduction framework based on OCT tissue morphological, textural and optical features that through a trained network selects the winner filter in which adaptively suppress the speckle noise while preserve structural information of OCT signal. These parameters are calculated for... 

In this paper, different polymers are utilized for controlling the release rate of iodine in drinking water to counteract iodine deficiency. Polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride and ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer are used to fabricate polymeric reservoirs of Nal. Zero-order release kinetics with different release rates has been achieved through choosing different materials and various formulation factors. The experimental results are consistent with the expectation that by using a polymer with a greater permeability or a device with a large release area, higher release rate could be achieved  

Foams for biomedical applications were made from polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl alcohol / polyvinyl pyrrolidone blend and their nanocomposites with nanoclay by clean processes. Air was entrapped into the aqueous polymer solutions during vigorous mixing and then the solutions were freeze-dried. The foams structure was stabilized by crosslinking via gamma irradiation without using any harmful chemicals. The hydrophilic biocompatible foams possessed interconnected open cell structure with remarkable capacity to absorb and retain water. The foams in wet state were soft and flexible. Desirable pore structure and higher water absorption was obtained at a solution concentration of 5 wt% for both... 

Engineered nanoparticles are increasingly being considered for use as biosensors, imaging agents and drug delivery vehicles. Their versatility in design and applications make them an attractive proposition for new biological and biomedical approaches. Despite the remarkable speed of development in nanoscience, relatively little is known about the interaction of nanoscale objects with living systems. In a biological fluid, proteins associate with nanoparticles, and the amount and the presentation of the proteins on their surface could lead to a different in vivo response than an uncoated particle. Here, in addition to protein adsorption, we are going to introduce concept of cell "vision",... 

The present study is aimed at the development of a novel approach based on the magnetic improvement of DNA-directed antibody immobilization to prepare a highly efficient sensing platform. Magnetic nanoparticle substrates with high surface area capture the dual DNA-conjugated antibodies in a solution. This allows overcoming the typical mass transport limitation of the surface-based antibody immobilization. Antibody-magnetic nanoparticle conjugation is based on a robust hybridization between a DNA tether (attached to the antibody) and its complementary sequence (immobilized on the nanoparticle). Conventional antibody immobilization for the detection of proteins is often insignificant for the... 

Microchannels in hydrogels play an essential role in enabling a smart contact lens. However, microchannels have rarely been created in commercial hydrogel contact lenses due to their sensitivity to conventional microfabrication techniques. Here, we report the fabrication of microchannels in poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (poly(HEMA)) hydrogels that are used in commercial contact lenses with a three-dimensional (3D) printed mold. We investigated the corresponding capillary flow behaviors in these microchannels. We observed different capillary flow regimes in these microchannels, depending on their hydration level. In particular, we found that a peristaltic pressure could reinstate flow in... 

Here, the carboxamide ligand N-(thiazole-2-yl) picolinamide (L) was synthesized in an ionic liquid tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) as the benign reaction medium. The sensitivity of L towards different metal-ions was investigated, and a comprehensive, logical optical investigation was conducted for the IIB transition metal ions, Hg2+, Cd2+ and Zn2+, based on off-on switch sensor protocols. In the absence of these metal ions, L showed weak emission only, but fluorescence intensity increased considerably upon their addition to a sensitivity range of 10-6 M. This phenomenon was enhanced significantly in the presence of Zn2+ compared to other metal ions, likely due to the coordination of... 

Micro-magnetofluidics offers a promising tool for better control over the ferrofluid droplet manipulation which has been vastly utilized in biomedical applications in recent years. In this study, the ferrofluid droplet splitting under an asymmetric Pulse-Width-Modulated (PWM) magnetic field in a T-junction is numerically investigated using a finite volume method and VOF two-phase model. By utilizing the PWM magnetic field, two novel regimes of ferrofluid droplet splitting named as Flowing through the Same Branch (FSB) and Double Splitting (DS) have been observed for the first time. In the FSB regime, the daughter droplets move out of the same microchannel outlet, and in the DS regime, the... 

The functionality of multi-stimuli-responsive hydrogels in physiological states is the reason for the increased attention of hydrogels nowadays. Multi-stimuli-responsive hydrogels exhibit tunable changes in swelling or mechanical properties in response to predetermined combinations of stimuli such as pH, temperature, ionic strength, electric field, magnetic field, light, chemical triggers, enzyme concentration, redox species, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and glucose levels. This review summarizes the recent advances in multi-stimuli-responsive hydrogels used in medical approaches. The first part of the review highlights the medical applications of polymer-based and supramolecular hydrogels... 

In recent years, key questions about the interaction of 2D MXene nanomaterials in electrochemical and biomedical applications have been raised. Most research has focused on clarifying the exclusive properties of the materials; however, only limited reports have described the biomedical applications of 2D nanomaterials. 2D MXenes are monolayer atomic nanosheets resulting from MAX phase ceramics. The hydrophilic properties, metallic conductivity, stability, and exclusive physiochemical performances make them promising materials for electrochemical and biomedical applications, including CO2 reduction, H2 evolution, energy conversion and storage, supercapacitors, stimuli-responsive drug delivery... 

Polysaccharides (PSA) have taken specific position among biomaterials for advanced applications in medicine. Nevertheless, poor mechanical properties are known as the main drawback of PSA, which highlights the need for PSA modification. Nanocomposites PSA (NPSA) are a class of biomaterials widely used as biomedical platforms, but despite their importance and worldwide use, they have not been reviewed. Herein, we critically reviewed the application of NPSA by categorizing them into generic and advanced application realms. First, the application of NPSA as drug and gene delivery systems, along with their role in the field as an antibacterial platform and hemostasis agent is discussed. Then,... 

In response to the imperfections of current sequence alignment methods, originated from the inherent serialism within their corresponding electrical systems, a few optical approaches for biological data comparison have been proposed recently. However, due to their low performance, raised from their inefficient coding scheme, this paper presents a novel all-optical high-throughput method for aligning DNA, RNA, and protein sequences, named HELIOS. The HELIOS method employs highly sophisticated operations to locate character matches, single or multiple mutations, and single or multiple indels within various biological sequences. On the other hand, the HELIOS optical architecture exploits...