There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality.

Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …

I and i

다중혈관 관상동맥 환자에서 y-문합을 이용하여 양쪽 내흉동맥만을 사용한 우회술의 조기 성적

[신간의 별자리x] 우리/미술, 그리고 ‘슬픔의 박물관’

Although conventional chemotherapy has been successful to some extent, the main drawbacks of chemotherapy are its poor bioavailability, high-dose requirements, adverse side effects, low therapeutic indices, development of multiple drug resistance, and non-specific targeting. The main aim in the development of drug delivery vehicles is to successfully address these delivery-related problems and carry drugs to the desired sites of therapeutic action while reducing adverse side effects. In this review, we will discuss the different types of materials used as delivery vehicles for chemotherapeutic agents and their structural characteristics that improve the therapeutic efficacy of their drugs and will describe recent scientific advances in the area of chemotherapy, emphasizing challenges in cancer treatments.

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Controlled drug delivery vehicles for cancer treatment and their performance.

Hydrogels for biomedical applications.

Functionalized chitosan/spherical nanocellulose-based hydrogel with superior antibacterial efficiency for wound healing.

Nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite (HAp) was synthesized from biowaste eggshells through sonication followed by the heat treatment. Calcium oxide as a precursor moiety for the synthesis of HAp was obtained through the heat treatment of eggshells at 900°C for 3 hr. The prepared HAp was characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The appearance of the FTIR absorption peaks in between at 516-1031 and 3,636 cm-1 shows phosphate and hydroxyl groups in prepared HAp, respectively. The XRD-patterns indicate the formation of HAp started within 5 min of sonication. The SEM morphologies suggested that the synthesized HAp was highly crystalline and compact. We tested the elemental analysis of the synthesized HAp through X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy. The higher Ca/P ratio has observed in heat-treated HAp. These results show that heat treatment facilitates the formation of highly crystalline and compact HAp. Cytotoxicity and osteogenic potential of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) were also evaluated in the presence of HAp. No significant cytotoxicity was noted in the presence of HAp, suggested their biocompatibility. Enhanced osteogenesis of hMSCs occurred with HAp powder, confirming the feasibility in the treatment of osteogenesis. Thus, synthesized HAp has the potential to use a biomaterial in tissue engineering applications for bone tissues.

Osteogenic potential of human mesenchymal stem cells on eggshells-derived hydroxyapatite nanoparticles for tissue engineering.

Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) have attracted significant attention for tissue engineering because of their ability to differentiate into bone cells, chondrocytes, adipocytes, and muscle cells. Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have been considered as a potential material for tissue engineering applications due to their unique properties, such as high aspect ratio, excellent electrocatalytic activity, and biocompatibility. Here we prepared exfoliated SWCNTs layers through an ultra-sonication process in the acidic medium and evaluated their cytotoxicity using hMSCs. Improved viability and osteogenesis of hMSCs were observed in the presence of exfoliated SWCNTs. Besides, the higher expression of osteogenic differentiation-related genes in the presence of exfoliated SWCNTs further confirmed their enhanced osteogenic nature. These results indicated the potential of SWCNTs as a biomaterial for tissue engineering applications.

Enhanced Osteogenesis of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Presence of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

The purpose of this review is to provide comprehensive and relevant information on the utilization and pharmacological activities of Strychnos nux-vomica Linn. (Loganiaceae), used for the treatment of various diseases. Strychnos nux-vomica is an evergreen tree native to Southeast Asia and its dried seeds are used for the treatment of neurodisorders, arthritis and vomiting. The different use of this plant as herbal remedy in Chinese medicine is also reported in the literature. Strychnine and brucine are major pharmacologically active phytoconstituents of Strychnos nux-vomica, which are central nervous stimulant, but also found to be poisonous at high dosage. Owing to its diversity of phytoconstituents, it is used for treatment of various disorders. Pharmacologically it has been validated for its effect on inflammation, microbial infections, gastrointestinal problem, nervous system, bones cells, cardiovascular systems, cancer and blood glucose level. It also has antioxidant activity and antifeedant activity. Informations about Strychnos nux-vomica, compiled in the present review article could be useful to the researchers for the scientific validation of its traditional claim in the future.

Dinesh K. Patel

Papers

Functionalized chitosan/spherical nanocellulose-based hydrogel with superior antibacterial efficiency for wound healing.

Osteogenic potential of human mesenchymal stem cells on eggshells-derived hydroxyapatite nanoparticles for tissue engineering.

Enhanced Osteogenesis of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Presence of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

A review on medicinal uses, analytical techniques and pharmacological activities of Strychnos nux-vomica Linn.: A concise report.

Hybanthus enneaspermus (L.) F. Muell: a concise report on its phytopharmacological aspects.