Ultrasound-Mediated Lysozyme Microbubbles Targeting NOX4 Knockdown Alleviate Cisplatin-Exposed Cochlear Hair Cell Ototoxicity.

The nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase 4 (NOX4) protein plays an essential role in the cisplatin (CDDP)-induced generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, we evaluated the suitability of ultrasound-mediated lysozyme microbubble (USMB) cavitation to enhance NOX4 siRNA transfection in vitro and ex vivo. Lysozyme-shelled microbubbles (LyzMBs) were constructed and designed for siNOX4 loading as siNOX4/LyzMBs. We investigated different siNOX4-based cell transfection approaches, including naked siNOX4, LyzMB-mixed siNOX4, and siNOX4-loaded LyzMBs, and compared their silencing effects in CDDP-treated HEI-OC1 cells and mouse organ of Corti explants. Transfection efficiencies were evaluated by quantifying the cellular uptake of cyanine 3 (Cy3) fluorescein-labeled siRNA. In vitro experiments showed that the high transfection efficacy (48.18%) of siNOX4 to HEI-OC1 cells mediated by US and siNOX4-loaded LyzMBs significantly inhibited CDDP-induced ROS generation to almost the basal level. The ex vivo CDDP-treated organ of Corti explants of mice showed an even more robust silencing effect of the NOX4 gene in the siNOX4/LyzMB groups treated with US sonication than without US sonication, with a marked abolition of CDDP-induced ROS generation and cytotoxicity. Loading of siNOX4 on LyzMBs can stabilize siNOX4 and prevent its degradation, thereby enhancing the transfection and silencing effects when combined with US sonication. This USMB-derived therapy modality for alleviating CDDP-induced ototoxicity may be suitable for future clinical applications.

Computer-Aided Diagnosis of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Based on Texture Pattern Recognition on Ultrasound Images Using Unsupervised Clustering Algorithms and Deep Learning.

OBJECTIVE: The feasibility of using deep learning in ultrasound imaging to predict the ambulatory status of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) was previously explored for the first time. The present study further used clustering algorithms for the texture reconstruction of ultrasound images of DMD data sets and analyzed the difference in echo intensity between disease stages. METHODS: k-means (Kms) and fuzzy c-means (FCM) clustering algorithms were used to reconstruct the DMD data-set textures. Each image was reconstructed using seven texture-feature categories, six of which were used as the primary analysis items. The task of automatically identifying the ambulatory function and DMD severity was performed by establishing a machine-learning model. RESULTS: The experimental results indicated that the Gaussian Naïve Bayes and k-nearest neighbors classification models achieved an accuracy of 86.78% in ambulatory function classification. The decision-tree model achieved an identification accuracy of 83.80% in severity classification. A deep convolutional neural network model was established as the main structure of the deep-learning model while automatic auxiliary interpretation tasks of ambulatory function and severity were performed, and data augmentation was used to improve the recognition performance of the trained model. Both the visual geometry group (VGG)-16 and VGG-19 models achieved 98.53% accuracy in ambulatory-function classification. The VGG-19 model achieved 92.64% accuracy in severity classification. CONCLUSION: Regarding the overall results, the Kms and FCM clustering algorithms were used in this study to reconstruct the characteristic texture of the gastrocnemius muscle group in DMD, which was indeed helpful in quantitatively analyzing the deterioration of the gastrocnemius muscle group in patients with DMD at different stages. Subsequent combination of machine-learning and deep-learning technologies can automatically and accurately assist in identifying DMD symptoms and tracking DMD deterioration for long-term observation.

Supercritical CO2 mediated construction of aluminium waste recovered γ-Al2O3 impregnated Dracaena trifasciata biomass-derived carbon composite: A robust electrocatalyst for mutagenic pollutant detection.

Inspired by the waste-to-wealth concept, we have recovered the gamma phase aluminium oxide nanoparticles (γ-Al2O3 NPs) from waste aluminium (Al) foils and fabricated a composite with Dracaena trifasciata biomass-derived activated carbon matrix (DT-AC) using supercritical carbon-di-oxide (SC-CO2) pathway. The prepared samples are characterized altogether by various micro- and spectroscopic analyses. Based on the results, the recovered γ-Al2O3 NPs are well impregnated in the DT-AC surface by the action of the microbubble effect from the SC-CO2. The higher D-band and ID/IG value of 1.07 in the Al2O3/DT-AC nanocomposite indicate increased defects and the amorphous nature of the carbon materials. The effect of scan rate (ν) demonstrated greater linearity in ν1/2 vs peak current in the electrochemical detection study of the mutagenic pollutant 4-(methylamino) phenol hemi sulfate, showing a quasi-reversible electron transfer process undergoing diffusion-controlled kinetics. Furthermore, the limit of detection is determined to be 3.2 nM L-1 with an extensive linear range, spanning from 0.05 to 618.25 µM/L. The incredible sensitivity of 2.117 µA µM-1 cm-2, along with excellent selectivity, repeatability, and stability, is observed. Further, the respectable recovery percentage of 98.61 % in the environmental water sample is perceived. The observed outcomes suggest that the prepared Al2O3/DT-AC composite performs as an excellent electrocatalyst material, and the processing techniques used are thought to be sustainable in nature.

Development and evaluation of ultrasound image tracking technology based on Mask R-CNN applied to respiratory motion compensation system.

Background: For respiration induced tumor displacement during a radiation therapy, a common method to prevent the extra radiation is image-guided radiation therapy. Moreover, mask region-based convolutional neural networks (Mask R-CNN) is one of the state-of-the-art (SOTA) object detection frameworks capable of conducting object classification, localization, and pixel-level instance segmentation. Methods: We developed a novel ultrasound image tracking technology based on Mask R-CNN for stable tracking of the detected diaphragm motion and applied to the respiratory motion compensation system (RMCS). For training Mask R-CNN, 1800 ultrasonic images of the human diaphragm are collected. Subsequently, an ultrasonic image tracking algorithm was developed to compute the mean pixel coordinates of the diaphragm detected by Mask R-CNN. These calculated coordinates are then utilized by the RMCS for compensation purposes. The tracking similarity verification experiment of mask ultrasonic imaging tracking algorithm (M-UITA) is performed. Results: The correlation between the input signal and the signal tracked by M-UITA was evaluated during the experiment. The average discrete Fréchet distance was less than 4 mm. Subsequently, a respiratory displacement compensation experiment was conducted. The proposed method was compared to UITA, and the compensation rates of three different respiratory signals were calculated and compared. The experimental results showed that the proposed method achieved a 6.22% improvement in compensation rate compared to UITA. Conclusions: This study introduces a novel method called M-UITA, which offers high tracking precision and excellent stability for monitoring diaphragm movement. Additionally, it eliminates the need for manual parameter adjustments during operation, which is an added advantage.

Combined use of microbubbles of various sizes and single-transducer dual-frequency ultrasound for safe and efficient inner ear drug delivery.

We have previously applied ultrasound (US) with microbubbles (MBs) to enhance inner ear drug delivery, with most experiments conducted using single-frequency, high-power density US, and multiple treatments. In the present study, the treatment efficacy was enhanced and safety concerns were addressed using a combination of low-power-density, single-transducer, dual-frequency US (I SPTA = 213 mW/cm2) and MBs of different sizes coated with insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). This study is the first to investigate the drug-coating capacity of human serum albumin (HSA) MBs of different particle sizes and their drug delivery efficiency. The concentration of HSA was adjusted to produce different MB sizes. The drug-coating efficiency was significantly higher for large-sized MBs than for smaller MBs. In vitro Franz diffusion experiments showed that the combination of dual-frequency US and large MB size delivered the most IGF-1 (24.3 ± 0.47 ng/cm2) to the receptor side at the second hour of treatment. In an in vivo guinea pig experiment, the efficiency of IGF-1 delivery into the inner ear was 15.9 times greater in animals treated with the combination of dual-frequency US and large MBs (D-USMB) than in control animals treated with round window soaking (RWS). The IGF-1 delivery efficiency was 10.15 times greater with the combination of single-frequency US and large size MBs (S-USMB) than with RWS. Confocal microscopy of the cochlea showed a stronger distribution of IGF-1 in the basal turn in the D-USMB and S-USMB groups than in the RWS group. In the second and third turns, the D-USMB group showed the greatest IGF-1 distribution. Hearing assessments revealed no significant differences among the D-USMB, S-USMB, and RWS groups. In conclusion, the combination of single-transducer dual-frequency US and suitably sized MBs can significantly reduce US power density while enhancing the delivery of large molecular weight drugs, such as IGF-1, to the inner ear.

A new class of layered Bi2O2S nanopetals by one-pot supercritical-CO2 approach: A reliable electrocatalyst for analgesic bioflavonoid detection.

Nanomaterials frequently draw a lot of interest in a variety of disciplines, including electrochemistry. Developing a reliable electrode modifier for the selective electrochemical detection of the analgesic bioflavonoid i.e., Rutinoside (RS) is a great challenge. Here in, we have explored the supercritical-CO2 (SC-CO2) mediated synthesis of bismuth oxysulfide (SC-BiOS) and reported it as a robust electrode modifier for the detection of RS. For a comparison study, the same preparation procedure was carried out in the conventional approach (C-BiS). The morphology, crystallography, optical, and elemental contribution analyses were characterized to understand the paradigm shift in the physicochemical properties between SC-BiOS and C-BiS. The results exposed the C-BiS had a nano-rod-like structure with a crystallite size of 11.57 nm; whereas the SC-BiOS had a nano-petal-like structure with a crystallite size of 9.03 nm. The B2g mode in the optical analysis confirms the formation of bismuth oxysulfide by the SC-CO2 method with the Pmnn space group. As an electrode modifier, the SC-BiOS achieved a higher effective surface area (0.074 cm2), higher electron transfer kinetics (0.13 cm s-1), and lower charge transfer resistance (403 Ω) than C-BiS. Further, it provided a wide linear range of 0.1-610.5 µM L-1 with a low detection and quantification limit of 9 and 30nM L-1 and an appreciable sensitivity of 0.706 µA µM-1 cm-2. The selectivity, repeatability, and real-time application towards the environmental water sample with a recovery of 98.87% were anticipated for the SC-BiOS. This SC-BiOS unlocks a fresh avenue to construct a design for the family of electrode modifiers utilized in electrochemical applications.

In-situ fabrication of manganese ferrite grafted polyaniline nanocomposite: A magnetically reusable visible light photocatalyst and a robust electrode material for supercapacitor.

Herein, we reported the in-situ preparation of manganese ferrite (MnFe2O4) grafted polyaniline (Pani), a magnetic nanocomposite for the potential visible light photocatalytic material as well as electrode material for supercapacitor. The physical characterization of the prepared nanoparticle and nanocomposite was examined with various spectroscopic and microscopic analyses. The peaks observed in the X-ray diffraction study confirm the face-centered cubic phase of MnFe2O4 nanoparticles with a grain size of ∼17.6 nm. The surface morphology analysis revealed the uniform distribution of spherical-like MnFe2O4 nanoparticles on the surface of Pani. The degradation of malachite green (MG) dye under exposure to visible light was investigated using MnFe2O4/Pani nanocomposite as a photocatalyst. The results exposed the faster degradation of MG dye was accomplished by MnFe2O4/Pani nanocomposite than MnFe2O4 nanoparticles. The energy storage performance of the MnFe2O4/Pani nanocomposite was analyzed through cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge/discharge, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analyses. The results exposed that the MnFe2O4/Pani electrode achieved a capacitance of 287.1 F/g than the MnFe2O4 electrode (94.55 F/g). Further, the respectable capacitance of 96.92% was achieved even after 3000 repetitive cycles stability . Based on the outcomes, the MnFe2O4/Pani nanocomposite can be suggested as a promising material for both photocatalytic and supercapacitor applications.

Rhodamine B dye degradation using used face masks-derived carbon coupled with peroxymonosulfate.

Catalytic carbon materials from used face masks (UFM) activated by peroxymonosulfate (PMS) were developed for the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) dye in aqueous solution. The UFM-derived carbon (UFMC) catalyst had a relatively large surface area as well as active functional groups and promoted the generation of singlet 1O2 and radicals from PMS, giving a high RhB degradation performance (98.1% after 3 h) in the presence of 3 mM PMS. The UFMC could degrade only 13.7% at a minimal RhB dose of 10-5 M. The principal reactive oxygen species of sulphate (SO4•), hydroxyl radicals (•OH), and singlet 1O2 were discovered using electron paramagnetic resonance and radical scavenger studies. Finally, a toxicological plant and bacterial study was performed to demonstrate the potential non-toxicity of the degraded RhB water sample.

A biogenesis construction of CuO@MWCNT via Chenopodium album extract: an effective electrocatalyst for synaptic plasticity neurodegenerative drug pollutant detection.

Clioquinol (CLQ) is one of the most toxic halogenated neurodegenerative drugs, and its synaptic plasticity effect directly affects human health and the environment. Cupric oxide (CuO) is an ideal electrocatalyst owing to its earth-abundance, non-toxic nature, and cost-effectiveness. Since phenolate oxygen and pyridine nitrogen in CLQ act as an electron donor and pave the way for detection with Cu2+ ions in the CuO. Designing the architecture of CuO with a multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) is a sensible strategy to improve the electrochemical activity of the developed sensor. Inspired by the bio-synthesis and green processing, we have demonstrated the in-situ synthesis of CuO nanosphere-decorated MWCNT by Chenopodium album leaf extract through a sonochemical approach and explored its electrochemical sensing performance toward CLQ. The physical comprehensive characterization of prepared nanocomposite was investigated by various microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. For comparison studies, the CuO nanosphere was prepared by the same preparation process without MWCNT. Based on the physical characterization outcomes, the morphological nature of CuO was observed to be a sphere-like structure, which was decorated on the MWCNT with an average crystallite size of 16 nm (± 1 nm). Based on the electrochemical studies, the fabricated nanocomposite exhibits a wider linear range of 0.025-1375 µM, with a minimum detection limit of 4.59 nM L-1 toward CLQ. The viability examination on the biological matrix obtained considerable spike recoveries.

Recovery of Al2O3 from hazardous Al waste as a reinforcement particle for high-performance Ni/Al2O3 corrosion resistance coating via ultrasonic-aided supercritical-CO2 electrodeposition.

The unprocessed dumping of aluminium wastes in the landscape leads to generation of heat and toxic gases, which are detrimental to the ecosystem. Motivated by the waste-to-wealth notion, we demonstrated the recovery of aluminium oxide nanoparticles (Al2O3NPs) from domestic aluminium wastes via a sonochemical approach and synthesis of nickel/aluminium oxide (Ni/Al2O3) coating via ultrasonic-coupled supercritical carbon dioxide (US-SC-CO2) electrodeposition method for higher corrosion resistance performance. The physical characterization and material confirmation of prepared films were examined by microscopic and various spectroscopic techniques. The electrochemical corrosion resistance studies were explored via potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques. Based on the results, the US-SC-CO2 strategy exposed an improved distribution of Al2O3 NPs assimilation in Ni matrix, higher corrosion resistance, and microhardness. The integration of ultrasonic irradiation into the SC-CO2 process promises an enhanced coating quality. Thereby, the novel US-SC-CO2 approach for Ni/Al2O3 synthesis is expected to achieve a sustainable green impact in real-world applications.

Treatment efficacy of low-dose 5-fluorouracil with ultrasound in mediating 5-fluorouracil-loaded microbubble cavitation in head and neck cancer.

Over the past 50 years, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) has played a critical role in the systemic chemotherapy of cancer patients. Bolus intravenous (IV) 5-FU infusion has been used due to the limitation of its extremely short half-life (10-15 min). This study used ultrasound (US) mediating 5-FU-loaded microbubbles (MBs) cavitation as a tool to increase local intratumoral 5-FU levels with a reduced dose of 5-FU (a single IV injection of 2.5 mg/kg instead of a single intraperitoneal injection of 25-200 mg/kg as used in previous studies in mice). The 5-FU-MBs were prepared with a 132 mg/mL albumin solution and a 0.30 mg/mL 5-FU solution. The diameters of the MBs and 5-FU-MBs were 1.24 ± 0.85 and 2.00 ± 0.53 µm (mean ± SEM), respectively, and the maximum loading efficiency of 5-FU on MBs was 19.04 ± 0.25%. In the in vitro study, the cell viabilities of 5-FU and 5-FU-MBs did not differ significantly, but compared with the 5-FU-MBs treatment-alone group, cell toxicity increased to 31% in the 5-FU-MBs + US group (p < 0.001). The biodistribution results indicated that the 5-FU levels of the tumors in small animals were significant higher for the 5-FU-MBs + US treatment than for either the 5-FU-MBs or 5-FU treatment with low 5-FU systemic treatment doses (2.5 mg/kg 5-FU IV). In small-animal treatment, 2.5 mg/kg 5-FU therapeutic IV doses injected into mice caused a more-significant reduction in tumor growth in the 5-FU-MBs + US group (65.9%) than in the control group after 34 days of treatment.

Mechanisms of ultrasound-microbubble cavitation for inducing the permeability of human skin.

We have previously reported that ultrasound (US)-mediated microbubble (MB) cavitation (US-MB) changed the permeability of the skin and significantly enhanced transdermal drug delivery (TDD) without changing the structure of the skin. In this study we found that US-MB enhanced TDD via disruption of epidermal cell-cell junctions and increased matriptase activity. Matriptase is a membrane-bound serine protease regulated by its inhibitor hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor-1 (HAI-1), and it is expressed in most epithelial tissues under physiologic conditions. Matriptase is expressed in mice after chronic exposure to UV radiation. This study found that US-MB can be used to monitor active matriptase, which rapidly formed the canonical 120-kDa matriptase-HAI-1 complex. These processes were observed in HaCaT human keratinocytes when matriptase activation was induced by US-MB. The results of immunoblot analysis indicated that the matriptase-HAI-1 complex can be detected from 10 min to 3 h after US-MB. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) of human skin revealed that US-MB rapidly increased the activated matriptase, which was observed in the basal layer, with this elevation lasting 3 h. After 3 h, the activated matriptase extended from the basal layer to the granular layer, and then gradually decayed from 6 to 12 h. Moreover, prostasin expression was observed in the epidermal granular layer to the spinous layer, and became more obvious in the granular layer after 3 h. Prostasin was also detected in the cytoplasm or on the cell membrane after 6 h. These results suggest that matriptase plays an important role in recovering from US-MB-induced epidermal cell-cell junction disruption within 6 h. US-MB is therefore a potentially effective method for noninvasive TDD in humans.

3D-flower-like porous neodymium molybdate nanostructure for trace level detection of organophosphorus pesticide in food samples.

Herein we report (i) designing of porous 3D flower-like neodymium molybdate nanosheets (pf-NdM NSs) and (ii) attaining reasonable selectivity towards methyl parathion (MP, organophosphate pesticide) in the presence of structurally comparable interferents. Herein the pf-NdM NSs as a catalyst for electrochemical detection of MP in food samples is reported for the first time. Because of porous morphology, and high surface area, the proposed catalyst offers a high electrocatalytic activity toward MP reduction. As a result, a low detection limit (5.7 nM), wide linear range (0.5 - 300 µM), and good sensitivity (1.88 µA µM-1 cm-2), with decent selectivity were achieved. Further, the real sample analysis in tomato juice, and paddy grains, yielded good recovery results, demonstrating the practicability of the proposed sensor. Overall, our study presents a method for designing a novel-nanostructured material for trace-level detection of pesticides that is simple to fabricate, and also delivers a good performance.

The feasibility of an approximate irregular field dose distribution simulation program applied to a respiratory motion compensation system.

PURPOSE: This study optimized our previously proposed simulation program for the approximate irregular field dose distribution (SPAD) and applied it to a respiratory motion compensation system (RMCS) and respiratory motion simulation system (RMSS). The main purpose was to rapidly analyze the two-dimensional dose distribution and evaluate the compensation effect of the RMCS during radiotherapy. METHODS: This study modified the SPAD to improve the rapid analysis of the dose distribution. In the experimental setup, four different respiratory signal patterns were input to the RMSS for actuation, and an ultrasound image tracking algorithm was used to capture the real-time respiratory displacement, which was input to the RMCS for actuation. A linear accelerator simultaneously irradiated the EBT3 film. The gamma passing rate was used to verify the dose similarity between the EBT3 film and the SPAD, and conformity index (CI) and compensation rate (CR) were used to quantify the compensation effect. RESULTS: The Gamma passing rates were 70.48-81.39% (2%/2mm) and 88.23-96.23% (5%/3mm) for various collimator opening patterns. However, the passing rates of the SPAD and EBT3 film ranged from 61.85% to 99.85% at each treatment time point. Under the four different respiratory signal patterns, CR ranged between 21% and 75%. After compensation, the CI for 85%, 90%, and 95% isodose constraints were 0.78, 0.57, and 0.12, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study has demonstrated that the dose change during each stage of the treatment process can be analyzed rapidly using the improved SPAD. After compensation, applying the RMCS can reduce the treatment errors caused by respiratory movements.

Development of thermosensitive poloxamer 407-based microbubble gel with ultrasound mediation for inner ear drug delivery.

ABSTRACTSOur previous study first investigated feasibility of applying ultrasound (US) and microbubbles (MBs) via external auditory canal to facilitate drug delivery into inner ear. However, most drugs are in aqueous formulae and eliminated via Eustachian tubes after drug application. In this study, feasibility of sustained release of thermosensitive poloxamer 407 (P407)-based MB gel for US mediation-enhanced inner ear drug (dexamethasone, DEX) delivery was investigated. The sol-to-gel transition temperature showed that mixture of DEX and only 10% and 12.5% P407 in MBs can be used for in vitro and in vivo drug delivery experiments. In in vitro Franz diffusion experiments, the release rates of 12.5% P407-MBs + US groups in the model using DEX as the delivered reagent at 3 h resulted in values 1.52 times greater than those of 12.5% P407-MBs groups. In guinea pigs, by filling tympanic bulla with DEX in 12.5% P407-MBs (DEX-P407-MBs), USMB applied at post-treatment days 1 and 7 induced 109.13% and 66.67% increases in DEX delivery efficiencies, respectively, compared to the group without US. On the 28th day after US-mediated P407-MB treatment, the safety assessment showed no significant changes in the hearing thresholds and no damage to the integrity of cochlea or middle ear. These are the first results to demonstrate feasibility of US-modified liquid form DEX-P407-MB cavitation for enhancing permeability of round window membrane. Then, a gel form of DEX-P407-MBs was generated and thus prolonged the release of DEX in middle ear to maintain the therapeutic DEX level in inner ear for at least 7 days.

Minoxidil-Coated Lysozyme-Shelled Microbubbes Combined With Ultrasound for the Enhancement of Hair Follicle Growth: Efficacy In Vitro and In Vivo.

Lysozyme (Lyz) is an antimicrobial peptide, a safe adjunct, and it has been indicated that Lyz can promote vibrissae follicle growth by enhancing the hair-inductive capacity of dermal papilla cells in mice. The present study produced a new type of minoxidil (Mx)-coated antifungal Lyz-shelled microbubble (LyzMB) for inhibiting bacteria and allergies on the oily scalp. The potential of Mx-coated LyzMBs (Mx-LyzMBs) combined with ultrasound (US) and the role of LyzMB fragments in enhancing hair follicle growth were investigated. Mx grafted with LyzMBs were synthesized and the loading efficiency of Mx on cationic LyzMBs was 20.3%. The biological activity of Lyz in skin was determined using an activity assay kit and immunohistochemistry expression, and the activities in the US+Mx-LyzMBs group were 65.8 and 118.5 µU/mL at 6 and 18 h, respectively. In hair follicle cell culture experiments, the lengths of hair follicle cells were significantly enhanced in the US+Mx-LyzMBs group (108.2 ± 11.6 µm) compared to in the US+LyzMBs+Mx group (44.3 ± 9.8 µm) and the group with Mx alone (79.6 ± 12.0 µm) on day 2 (p < 0.001). During 21 days of treatment in animal experiments, the growth rates at days 10 and 14 in the US+Mx-LyzMBs group increased by 19.4 and 65.7%, respectively, and there were significant differences (p < 0.05) between the US+Mx-LyzMBs group and the other four groups. These findings indicate that 1-MHz US (applied at 3 W/cm2, acoustic pressure = 0.266 MPa) for 1 min combined with Mx-LyzMBs can significantly increase more penetration of Mx and LyzMB fragments into skin and enhance hair growth than Mx alone.

Influence of ultrasonic combined supercritical-CO2 electrodeposition process on copper film fabrication: Electrochemical evaluation.

Introducing ultrasound irradiation to the electrodeposition process can significantly improve the physical and chemical properties of deposited films. Meanwhile, the beneficial effects from supercritical-CO2, such as high diffusivity, high permeability, low surface tension, etc., would improve the electrodeposition process with better surface quality. In the shed of the light, the present work deals with the preparation of copper (Cu) films using the integrated techniques, i.e., ultrasonic-assisted supercritical-CO2 (US-SC-CO2) electrodeposition approach. For comparison, Cu films were also prepared by normal supercritical-CO2 (SC-CO2) and conventional electrodeposition methods. To investigate the characteristics of Cu films, surface morphology analysis, roughness analysis, X-ray diffraction studies (XRD), Linear polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and cyclic voltammetry (CV) were performed. In this work, EIS analysis was utilized for interfacial charge transfer resistance analysis with 5 mM [Fe(CN)6]-3/-4 redox system and corrosion analysis with 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. The observed results revealed that the film prepared with the US-SC-CO2 method have superior properties than those produced by normal SC-CO2 and conventional methods. Due to the combination of US-SC-CO2, the cavitation implosion occurs rapidly that enriches the deposited film quality, such as sufficient grain size, smoother surface, enhanced corrosion resistance, and charge carrier dynamics. On the other hand, the ultrasound effect with SC-CO2 helped to remove the weakly adhered metal ions on the electrode's surface.

Ultrasonic-assisted supercritical-CO2 electrodeposition of Zn-Co film for high-performance corrosion inhibition: A greener approach.

The ultrasonic-assisted electrodeposition process significantly improves the mechanical and electrochemical properties. Meanwhile, supercritical fluid technology also enhances the electrodeposition process with increased benefits, such as low surface tension, permeability, high diffusivity, and density, which improves the surface quality through grain refinement. In this study, Zn-Co films were prepared using the ultrasonic-assisted supercritical-CO2 (US-SC-CO2) electrodeposition approach, and its pressure effect on the film was evaluated. The films were also prepared by the conventional and typical supercritical-CO2 (SC-CO2) methods for a comparison study. All the prepared films were characterized by morphological studies, elemental composition, crystal structure orientation, and microhardness tests. Later, the fabricated films were examined by potentiodynamic polarization technique and electrochemical impedance technique (EIS) with 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution for corrosion evaluation. Based on results, Zn-Co film prepared through the US-SC-CO2 process shows a spherical nodule like structure with reduced grain size and significantly enhanced hardness property. In XRD studies, the shift in diffracted peak's position reveals the increased proportion of Co ions. Further, EDX results also confirm the same with the characteristic peaks. Finally, compared to the other methods, the corrosion resistance was more efficient in the US-SC-CO2 process by 73.75%.

Fast Fourier transform combined with phase leading compensator for respiratory motion compensation system.

BACKGROUND: The reduction of the delaying effect in the respiratory motion compensation system (RMCS) is still impossible to completely correct the respiratory waveform of the human body due to each patient has a unique respiratory rate. In order to further improve the effectiveness of radiation therapy, this study evaluates our previously developed RMCS and uses the fast Fourier transform (FFT) algorithm combined with the phase lead compensator (PLC) to further improve the compensation rate (CR) of different respiratory frequencies and patterns of patients. METHODS: In this study, an algorithm of FFT automatic frequency detection was developed by using LabVIEW software, uisng FFT combined with PLC and RMCS to compensate the system delay time. Respiratory motion compensation experiments were performed using pre-recorded respiratory signals of 25 patients. During the experiment, the respiratory motion simulation system (RMSS) was placed on the RMCS, and the pre-recorded patient breathing signals were sent to the RMCS by using our previously developed ultrasound image tracking algorithm (UITA). The tracking error of the RMCS is obtained by comparing the encoder signals of the RMSS and RMCS. The compensation effect is verified by root mean squared error (RMSE) and system CR. RESULTS: The experimental results show that the patient's respiratory patterns compensated by the RMCS after using the proposed FFT combined with PLC control method, the RMSE is between 1.50-5.71 and 3.15-8.31 mm in the right-left (RL) and superior-inferior (SI) directions, respectively. CR is between 72.86-93.25% and 62.3-83.81% in RL and SI, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study used FFT combined with PLC control method to apply to RMCS, and used UITA for respiratory motion compensation. Under the automatic frequency detection, the best dominant frequency of the human respiratory waveform can be determinated. In radiotherapy, it can be used to compensate the tumor movement caused by respiratory motion and reduce the radiation damage and side effects of normal tissues nearby the tumor.

Low-frequency dual-frequency ultrasound-mediated microbubble cavitation for transdermal minoxidil delivery and hair growth enhancement.

Ultrasound (US) has been found to rejuvenate and invigorate the hair follicles, increase the size of hair shafts, and promote new hair growth. Our present study found that dual-frequency US-mediated microbubble (MB) cavitation significantly enhanced minoxidil (Mx) delivery in both in vitro and in vivo models, while increasing the hair growth efficacy compared to single-frequency US sonication. The in vitro experiments showed that cavitation activity was enhanced more significantly during dual-frequency sonication than single-frequency sonication in higher concentration of MBs. The pigskin penetration depth in the group in which dual-frequency US was combined with MBs was 1.54 and 2.86 times greater than for single-frequency US combined with MBs and in the control group, respectively; the corresponding increases in the release rate of Mx at 18 hours in in vitro Franz-diffusion-cell experiments were 24.9% and 43.7%. During 21 days of treatment in C57BL/6J mice experiments, the growth rate at day 11 in the group in which dual-frequency US was combined with MBs increased by 2.07 times compared to single-frequency US combined with MBs. These results indicate that dual-frequency US-mediated MB cavitation can significantly increase both skin permeability and transdermal drug delivery. At the same US power density, hair growth was greater in the group with dual-frequency US plus MBs than in the group with single-frequency US plus MBs, without damaging the skin in mice.