Microplastics (MPs) are commonly found with hydrophobic contaminants in the water column and pose a serious threat to aquatic organisms. The effects of polystyrene microplastics of different particle sizes on the accumulation of triclosan in the gut of Xenopus tropicalis, its toxic effects, and the transmission of resistance genes were evaluated. The results showed that co-exposure to polystyrene (PS-MPs) adsorbed with triclosan (TCS) caused the accumulation of triclosan in the intestine with the following accumulation capacity: TCS + 5 µm PS group > TCS group > TCS + 20 µm PS group > TCS + 0.1 µm PS group. All experimental groups showed increased intestinal inflammation and antioxidant enzyme activity after 28 days of exposure to PS-MPs and TCS of different particle sizes. The TCS + 20 µm PS group exhibited the highest upregulated expression of pro-inflammatory factors (IL-10, IL-1β). The TCS + 20 µm group showed the highest increase in enzyme activity compared to the control group. PS-MPs and TCS, either alone or together, altered the composition of the intestinal microbial community. In addition, the presence of more antibiotic resistance genes than triclosan resistance genes significantly increased the expression of tetracycline resistance and sulfonamide resistance genes, which may be associated with the development of intestinal inflammation and oxidative stress. This study refines the aquatic ecotoxicity assessment of TCS adsorbed by MPs and provides informative information for the management and control of microplastics and non-antibiotic bacterial inhibitors.

In this study, we explore the mechanical treatment of two metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), HKUST-1 and MOF-76, applying various milling methods to assess their impact on stability, porosity, and CO2 adsorption capacity. The effects of different mechanical grinding techniques, such as high-energy ball milling and hand grinding, on these MOFs were compared. The impact of milling time, milling speed and ball size during high-energy ball milling was assessed via the Design of Experiments methodology, namely using a 33 Taguchi orthogonal array. The results highlight a marked improvement in CO2 adsorption capacity for HKUST-1 through hand milling, increasing from an initial 25.70 wt.% (5.84 mmol g-1) to 41.37 wt.% (9.40 mmol g-1), marking a significant 38% increase. In contrast, high-energy ball milling seems to worsen this property, diminishing the CO2 adsorption abilities of the materials. Notably, MOF-76 shows resistance to hand grinding, closely resembling the original sample\'s performance. Hand grinding also proved to be well reproducible. These findings clarify the complex effects of mechanical milling on MOF materials, emphasising the necessity of choosing the proper processing techniques to enhance their stability, texture, and performance in CO2 capture and storage applications.

The interaction between nanoscale copper oxides (nano-CuOs) and soil matrix significantly affects their fate and transport in soils. This study investigates the retention of nano-CuOs and Cu2+ ions in ten typical agricultural soils by employing the Freundlich adsorption model. Retention of nano-CuOs and Cu2+ in soils was well fitted by the Freundlich model. The retention parameters (KD, KF, and N) followed an order of CuO NTs > CuO NPs > Cu2+, highlighting significant impact of nano-CuOs morphology. The KF and N values of CuO NPs/Cu2+ were positively correlated with soil pH and electrical conductivity (EC), but exhibited a weaker correlation for CuO NTs. Soil pH and/or EC could be used to predict KF and N values of CuO NPs or CuO NTs, with additional clay content should be included for Cu2+.The different relationship between retention parameters and soil properties may suggest that CuO NTs retention mainly caused by agglomeration, whereas adsorption and agglomeration were of equal importance to CuO NPs. The amendment of Ca2+ at low and medium concentration promoted retention of nano-CuOs in alkaline soils, but reduced at high concentration. These findings provided critical insights into the fate of nano-CuOs in soil environments, with significant implications for environmental risk assessment and soil remediation strategies.

In this research, an innovative protocol is introduced to address crucial deficiencies in the formulation of chitosan nanoparticles (Cs NPs). While NPs show potential in drug delivery systems (DDSs), their application in the clinic is hindered by various drawbacks, such as toxicity, high material costs, and time-consuming and challenging preparation procedures. Within polymer-based NPs, Cs is a plentiful natural substance derived from the deacetylation of chitin, which can be sourced from the shells of shrimp or crab. Cs NPs can be formulated using the ionic gelation technique, which involves the use of a negatively charged agent, such as tripolyphosphate (TPP), as a crosslinking agent. Even though Cs is a cost-effective and biocompatible material, the formulation of Cs NPs with the correct size and surface electrical charge (zeta potential) presents a persistent challenge. In this study, various techniques were employed to analyze the prepared Cs NPs. The size and surface charge of the NPs were evaluated using dynamic light scattering (DLS). Morphological analysis was conducted using field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The chemical composition and formation of Cs NPs were investigated using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). The stability analysis was confirmed through X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Lastly, the biocompatibility of the NPs was assessed through cell cytotoxicity evaluation using the MTT assay. Moreover, here, 11 formulations with different parameters such as reaction pH, Cs:TPP ratio, type of Cs/TPP, and ultrasonication procedure were prepared. Formulation 11 was chosen as the optimized formulation based on its high stability of more than three months, biocompatibility, nanosize of 75.6 ± 18.24 nm, and zeta potential of +26.7 mV. To conclude, the method described here is easy and reproducible and can be used for facile preparation of Cs NPs with desirable physicochemical characteristics and engineering ideal platforms for drug delivery purposes.

Berberine is used in the treatment of metabolic syndrome and its low solubility and very poor oral bioavailability of berberine was one of the primary hurdles for its market approval. This study aimed to improve the solubility and bioavailability of berberine by preparing pellet formulations containing drug-excipient complex (obtained by solid dispersion). Berberine-excipient solid dispersion complexes were obtained with different ratios by the solvent evaporation method. The maximum saturation solubility test was performed as a key factor for choosing the optimal complex for the drug-excipient. The properties of these complexes were investigated by FTIR, DSC, XRD and dissolution tests. The obtained pellets were evaluated and compared in terms of pelletization efficiency, particle size, mechanical strength, sphericity and drug release profile in simulated media of gastric and intestine. Solid-state analysis showed complex formation between the drug and excipients used in solid dispersion. The optimal berberine-phospholipid complex showed a 2-fold increase and the optimal berberine-gelucire and berberine-citric acid complexes showed more than a 3-fold increase in the solubility of berberine compared to pure berberine powder. The evaluation of pellets from each of the optimal complexes showed that the rate and amount of drug released from all pellet formulations in the simulated gastric medium were significantly lower than in the intestine medium. The results of this study showed that the use of berberine-citric acid or berberine-gelucire complex could be considered a promising technique to increase the saturation solubility and improve the release characteristics of berberine from the pellet formulation.

Spatially offset Raman scattering (SORS) line-mapping was explored as a versatile tool to examine accuracy variations in compositional analyses of tablets with different particle sizes. SORS spectra collected near the laser irradiation were less representative of tablet composition due to the limited spectroscopic sampling volume, while the signal-to-noise (S/N) ratios of corresponding spectra were higher. On the other hand, SORS spectra at longer offset distances were better representative of tablet composition, while their S/N ratios were decreased considerably. Therefore, the use of only a certain portion of sliced (line-mapped) spectra balanced with the sample representation and S/N ratio could be advantageous to enhance accuracy. Moreover, a group of optimal slice spectra is expected to vary when the particle size of the tablet changes since the characteristics of internal photon propagation also would change. For the overall examination, SORS spectra of 30 Anaprox tablets (composed of 4 constituents including naproxen sodium) with 2 particle sizes (88.4 ± 11.8 µm and 118.9 ± 38.8 µm) were analyzed, and the concentrations of three components in these tablets were determined. A total of 6 cases (3 components and 2 particle sizes) were examined. When the average optimal slice spectra were employed in each case, the errors were lower compared to those using the average of all slice spectra. The demonstrated scheme was versatile to study the offset distance-dependent accuracy variations according to particle size and target component.

The objective of this research was to evaluate changes in flow behavior of chocolate during chocolate grinding using a stone grinder as affected by chocolate formulation. Three different types of chocolates were evaluated. Two chocolates without milk added (70% chocolate) and two chocolates with milk added and with different amounts of cocoa nibs (30% chocolate and 14% chocolate) were tested. For the 70% chocolates, nibs of two different origins were used; therefore, a total of four samples were evaluated. Chocolates were processed in a stone grinder, and samples were taken as a function of grinding time. For each timepoint, the flow behavior of the samples was measured using a rotational rheometer and fitted to the Casson model. Particle size was measured using a laser scattering instrument. Results showed that yield stress increased linearly while the Casson plastic viscosity decreased exponentially with grinding time (smaller particles). Particle size distribution of the chocolates showed a prominent bimodal distribution for short grinding times (∼9 h) with small (∼15 µm) and large (∼100 µm) particles; with longer grinding time, the population of larger particles decreased. Yield stress values were higher for the 70% chocolate, but they were not very different between the two milk chocolates tested. The Casson plastic viscosity was greatest for the 70% chocolate, followed by the 30% chocolate. The 14% chocolate had the lowest Casson plastic viscosity. Changes of Casson plastic viscosity with particle size were more evident for the dark chocolates compared to the milk ones. These results are helpful to small chocolate producers who need better understanding of how the formulation and grinding of chocolate affect its flow behavior, which will ultimately affect chocolate handling during production.

To evaluate the modification of allergic dermatitis on the association between PM exposure and allergic rhinitis in preschool children. This cross-sectional study was based on a questionnaire conducted between June 2019 and June 2020 to caregivers of children aged 3 to 6 years in the kindergartens of 7 Chinese cities to collect information on allergic rhinitis and allergic dermatitis. A mature machine learning-based space-time extremely randomized trees model was applied to estimate early-life, prenatal, and first-year exposure of PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 at 1 km×1 km resolution. A combination of multilevel logistic regression and restricted cubic spline functions was used to quantitatively assess whether allergic dermatitis modifies the associations between size-specific PM exposure and the risk of childhood allergic rhinitis. The results showed that out of 28 408 children, 14 803 (52.1%) were boys and 13 605 (47.9%) were girls; the age of children ranged from 3.1 to 6.8 years, with a mean age of (4.9±0.9) years, of which 3 586 (12.6%) were diagnosed with allergic rhinitis. Among all children, 17 832 (62.8%) were breastfed for more than 6 months and 769 (2.7%) had parental history of atopy. A total of 21 548 children (75.9%) had a mother with an educational level of university or above and 7 338 (29.6%) had passive household cigarette smoke exposure. The adjusted ORs for childhood allergic rhinitis among the children with allergic dermatitis as per interquartile range (IQR) increase in early-life PM1(9.8 μg/m3), PM2.5 (14.9 μg/m3) and PM10 (37.7 μg/m3) were significantly higher than the corresponding ORs among the children without allergic dermatitis [OR: 1.45, 95%CI (1.26, 1.66) vs. 1.33, 95%CI (1.20, 1.47), for PM1; OR: 1.38, 95%CI (1.23, 1.56) vs. 1.32, 95%CI (1.21, 1.45), for PM2.5; OR: 1.56, 95%CI (1.31, 1.86) vs. 1.46, 95%CI (1.28, 1.67), for PM10]. The interactions between allergic dermatitis and size-specific PM exposure on childhood allergic rhinitis were statistically significant (Z value=19.4, all P for interaction<0.001). The similar patterns were observed for both prenatal and first-year size-specific PM exposure and the results of the dose-response relationship were consistent with those of the logistic regression. In conclusion, allergic dermatitis, as an important part of the allergic disease progression, may modify the association between ambient PM exposure and the risk of childhood allergic rhinitis. Children with allergic dermatitis should pay more attention to minimize outdoor air pollutants exposure to prevent the further progression of allergic diseases.
本研究评估特应性皮炎在颗粒物暴露与学龄前儿童过敏性鼻炎发生风险关联中的效应修饰作用。采用横断面研究的设计，通过问卷调查的方式于2019年6月至2020年6月在中国7个城市的幼儿园收集了共计28 408名3~6岁学龄前儿童有关过敏性鼻炎和特应性皮炎的信息。运用一种成熟的基于机器学习的时空模型以1 km的空间分辨率水平估算不同城市儿童生命早期、孕期和出生后第1年PM1、PM2.5和PM10暴露水平。采用多水平logistic回归和暴露反应关系相结合的方法定量评估特应性皮炎作为效应修饰因子是否会改变不同粒径颗粒物暴露与儿童过敏性鼻炎发生风险的关联。结果显示，在28 408名儿童中，男孩为14 803名（52.1%），女孩为13 605名（47.9%）；年龄范围是3.1~6.8岁、（4.9±0.9）岁，其中患过敏性鼻炎的儿童为3 586名（12.6%）。在总人群中，母乳喂养持续时间大于6个月的儿童为17 832名（62.8%），父母有过敏史的为769名（2.7%）。母亲教育水平为大学及以上的儿童为21 548名（75.9%）。有被动吸烟暴露的儿童为7 338名（29.6%）。生命早期PM1（9.8 μg/m3）、PM2.5（14.9 μg/m3）和PM10（37.7 μg/m3）每增加一个四分位区间（IQR）浓度，儿童过敏性鼻炎调整后的OR值在特应性皮炎儿童中高于无特应性皮炎儿童中对应的OR值［PM1：OR=1.45，95%CI（1.26，1.66）vs. OR=1.33，95%CI（1.20，1.47）；PM2.5：OR=1.38，95%CI（1.23，1.56）vs. OR=1.32，95%CI（1.21，1.45）；PM10：OR=1.56，95%CI（1.31，1.86）vs. OR=1.46，95%CI（1.28，1.67）］。特应性皮炎与不同粒径PM暴露对儿童过敏性鼻炎的交互作用差异有显著的统计学意义（Z值=19.4，交互作用P值均<0.001）。在孕期和出生后第1年也观察到了类似的结果，且剂量反应关系的结果与logistic回归的结果具有一致性。综上，作为过敏性疾病进程重要环节的特应性皮炎可能会修饰大气颗粒物暴露与儿童过敏性鼻炎发生风险的关联。提示患特应性皮炎的儿童更应重视减少室外空气污染物的暴露，防止过敏性疾病的发生和进一步发展。.

Silibinin (SIL) Encapsulated Nanoliquid Crystalline (SIL-NLCs) particles were prepared to study neuroprotective effect against amyloid beta (Aβ1-42) neurotoxicity in Balb/c mice model. Theses NLCs were prepared through hot emulsification and probe sonication technique. The pharmacodynamics was investigatigated on Aβ1-42 intracerebroventricular (ICV) injected Balb/c mice. The particle size, zeta potential and drug loading were optimized to be 153 ± 2.5 nm, -21 mV, and 8.2%, respectively. Small angle X-ray (SAXS) and electron microscopy revealed to crystalline shape of SIL-NLCs. Thioflavin T (ThT) fluroscence and circular dichroism (CD) technique were employed to understand monomer inhibition effect of SIL-NLCs on Aβ1-4. In neurobehavioral studies, SIL-NLCs exhibited enhanced mitigation of memory impairment induced on by Aβ1-42 in T-maze and new object recognition test (NORT). Whereas biochemical and histopathological estimation of brain samples showed reduction in level of Aβ1-42 aggregate, acetylcholine esterase (ACHE) and reactive oxygen species (ROS). SIL-NLCs treated animal group showed higher protection against Aβ1-42 toxicity compared to free SIL and Donopezil (DPZ). Therefore SIL-NLCs promises great prospect in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer\'s disease.

Bedaquiline (BQ) solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), which have previously been formulated for parenteral administration, have a risk of patient non-compliance in treating tuberculosis. This research presents a strategy to develop BQ SLNs for oral delivery to improve patient adherence, The upper and lower levels for the formulation excipients were generated from screening experiments. Using 4 input factors (BQ, lecithin, Tween 80, and PEG), a full factorial design from 3 × 2x2 × 2 experiments was randomly arranged to investigate 3 response variables: Particle size distribution (PSD), polydispersity index (PdI), and zeta potential (ZP). High shear homogenization was used to mix the solvent and aqueous phases, with 15% sucrose as a cryoprotectant. The response variables were assessed using a zeta sizer while TEM micrographs confirmed the PSD data. Solid-state assessments were conducted using powdered X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging. A comparative invitro assessment was used to determine drug release from an equivalent dose of BQ free base powder and BQ-SLN, both packed in hard gelatin capsules. The sonicated formulations obtained significant effects for PSD, PdI, and ZP. The p-values (0.0001 for PdI, 0.0091 for PSD) for BQ as an independent variable in the sonicated formulation were notably higher than those in the unsonicated formulation (0.1336 for PdI, 0.0117 for PSD). The SEM images were between 100 - 400 nm and delineated nanocrystals of BQ embedded in the lipid matrix. The SLN formulation provides higher drug levels over the drug\'s free base; a similarity factor (f2 = 18.3) was estimated from the dissolution profiles.