Polysaccharides to combat viruses (Covid-19) and microbes: New updates

COVID-19, which is speedily distributed across the world and presents a significant challenge to public health, is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Following MERS coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and SARS, this is the third severe coronavirus outbreak in less than 20 years. To date, there are no exact agents and vaccines available for the treatment of COVID-19 that are clinically successful. Antimicrobial medications are effective in controlling infectious diseases. However, the extensive use of antibiotics makes microbes more resistant to drugs and demands novel bioactive agents’ development. Polysaccharides are currently commonly used in the biomedical and pharmaceutical industries for their remarkable applications. Polysaccharides appear to have a wide range of anti-virus (anti-coronavirus) and antimicrobial applications. Polysaccharides are able to induce bacterial cell membrane disruption as they demonstrate potency in binding onto the surfaces of microbial cells. Here, the antiviral mechanisms of such polysaccharides and their success in the application of antiviral infections are reviewed. Additionally, this report provides a summary of current advancements of well-recognized polysaccharides as antimicrobial and anti-biofilm agents.

Nanomedicine Strategies for Management of Drug Resistance in Lung Cancer

Lung cancer (LC) is one of the leading causes of cancer occurrence and mortality worldwide. Treatment of patients with advanced and metastatic LC presents a significant challenge as malignant cells use different mechanisms to resist chemotherapy. Drug resistance (DR) is a complex process that occurs due to a variety of genetic and acquired factors. Identifying the mechanisms underlying DR in LC patients and possible therapeutic alternatives for more efficient therapy is a central goal of LC research. Advances in nanotechnology resulted in the development of targeted and multifunctional nanoscale drug constructs. The possible modulation of the components of nanomedicine, their surface functionalization, and encapsulation of various active therapeutics provide promising tools to bypass crucial biological barriers. These attributes enhance the delivery of multiple therapeutic agents directly to the tumor microenvironment (TME), resulting in reversal of LC resistance to anticancer treatment. This review provides a broad framework for understanding the different molecular mechanisms of DR in lung cancer; presents novel nanomedicine therapeutics aimed to improve the efficacy of treatment of various forms of resistant LC; outlines current challenges in using nanotechnology for reversing DR; and discusses the future directions for clinical application of nanomedicine in management of LC resistance.

An Urchin-Shaped Copper-Based Metalloporphyrin Nanosystem as a Sonosensitizer for Sonodynamic Therapy

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT), as a novel cancer therapy strategy, might be a promising approach due to the depth-penetration property in tissue. Sonosensitizers are the key element for efficient SDT. However, the development of sonosensitizers with strong sonosensitization efficacy is still a significant challenge. Herein, an urchin-shaped copper-based metalloporphyrin liposome nanosystem (FA–L–CuPP) is constructed and identified as an excellent sonosensitizer. Under ultrasound (US) irradiation, FA–L–CuPP can be highly excited to generate several reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as singlet oxygen (1O2) and free radicals (⋅OH). The molecular orbital distribution calculations reveal that a strong intramolecular charge transfer might occur in the CuPP complex under US irradiation, which could afford enough energy to the surrounding O2 and H2O to concert 1O2, O2− and ⋅OH. Working as “ammunitions”, the largely produced ROS can kill 4T1 tumor cells, effectively inhibiting tumor growth. This work provides an urchin-shaped nanosonosensitizer based on a copper complex, which might provide an idea to design a novel sonosensitizer for noninvasive and precise SDT antitumor applications.

Biological and chemical forms in controlling oral biofilms

Although there have been many advances in the medical field regarding disease control and management, it has been demonstrated that certain diseases and infections still represent a significant challenge. For example, the presence of oral biofilms indicates the virulence of the underlying infection in different dental infections diseases, including peri-implantitis, periapical periodontitis, periodontitis, gingivitis, and dental caries. We have discussed various mechanical, chemical, and biological modalities that can be applied to control biofilms and limit plaque formation and secondary caries. Although physical brushing might be efficacious in cleaning, evidence indicates that it cannot eradicate the underlying bacteria. Accordingly, using biological and chemical materials is essential to achieve adequate disinfection and enhance the outcomes. Many modalities have been proposed in the literature, such as nanomaterials, organic compounds such as arginine, dietary substances, and the various chemical oral cleansers discussed in the current study. Bacteriophages are also promising in this context. However, they need further exploration regarding their efficacy and safety. In addition, resistance against these compounds is a serious issue and needs to be addressed in future research.

Enterprise IT Operations

Over the past decade or so, for most enterprises, information technology (IT) has shifted from being a support function to be a synonym for business wellness. During the same period, though, the scale and complexity of IT for running business has grown significantly; today, performing any business function requires complex interplay of many, often invisible and dynamically changing, technology components. This is making design resilient and interruption-free IT a significant challenge. This chapter discusses limitations of traditional approaches for managing enterprise IT operations; introduces the concept of cognitive automation, a novel approach that blends intelligence with automation to transform enterprise IT operations; and describes the design of ignio™, a cognitive automation platform for enterprises. The author concludes by highlighting the challenges in driving cognitive transformation of enterprise operations and providing some suggestions for embarking upon this journey.

Towards a Restructured Theorization of Development and Adaptability for the Post-COVID-19 Era

It becomes progressively understood that the health crisis (and the deriving socioeconomic crisis) of COVID-19 drives the global system towards radical transformations. The successful adaptation of the various socioeconomic actors in this emerging reality probably constitutes the most significant challenge ahead. This chapter suggests a restructured theorization of socioeconomic development for the post-COVID-19 era, focused on the prerequisite organizational adaptation. This conceptual research examines fundamental evidence concerning current developments globally, arriving at a repositioning in evolutionary and interdisciplinary terms by adopting the strategy-technology-management synthesis to change management and innovation (Stra.Tech.Man).

Rapid Predictions of the Colour Purity of Luminescent Organic Molecules

Designing luminescent organic materials exhibiting narrowband emission is crucial for achieving high resolution and energy efficient organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), but remains a significant challenge. Herein we establish the...

Control of Cu morphology on Ru-passivated and Ru-doped TaN Surfaces – promoting growth of 2D conducting copper for CMOS interconnects

Prolonging the lifetime of Cu as level 1 and level 2 interconnect metal in future nanoelectronic devices is a significant challenge as device dimensions continue to shrink and device structures...

Clotting Dysfunction in Sepsis: A Role for ROS and Potential for Therapeutic Intervention

Sepsis is regarded as one of the main causes of death among the critically ill. Pathogen infection results in a host-mediated pro-inflammatory response to fight infection; as part of this response, significant endogenous reactive oxygen (ROS) and nitrogen species (RNS) production occurs, instigated by a variety of sources, including activated inflammatory cells, such as neutrophils, platelets, and cells from the vascular endothelium. Inflammation can become an inappropriate self-sustaining and expansive process, resulting in sepsis. Patients with sepsis often exhibit loss of aspects of normal vascular homeostatic control, resulting in abnormal coagulation events and the development of disseminated intravascular coagulation. Diagnosis and treatment of sepsis remain a significant challenge for healthcare providers globally. Targeting the drivers of excessive oxidative/nitrosative stress using antioxidant treatments might be a therapeutic option. This review focuses on the association between excessive oxidative/nitrosative stress, a common feature in sepsis, and loss of homeostatic control at the level of the vasculature. The literature relating to potential antioxidants is also described.

Discussion of Issues Related to Assessment Constructs in Spoken and Signed Languages

Thinking about what is assessed—the construct—in any language assessment raises questions about the nature of language use, the nature of developmental trajectories, and whose language patterns determine what is ‘standard’. The assessment of signed languages draws attention to assessment practices and understandings that are entrenched, for better or worse, in the assessment of spoken languages. Spoken language assessments of standardized varieties tend to value the written sentence as an ideal unit, a legacy of standardization. Signed language assessments, on the other hand, may be emerging alongside processes of standardization. Capturing semiotic complexity in the construct remains a significant challenge for both signed and spoken language assessments, despite the development of corpora which exemplify it. This chapter discusses these theoretical, ideological, and practical challenges for assessing signed and spoken language abilities. It brings together key ideas from chapters Chapters 7.1 and 7.2 and offers future directions in the development of theory and practice in signed and spoken language assessments.