scholarly journals Reconfiguring Nature’s Cholesterol Accepting Lipoproteins as Nanoparticle Platforms for Transport and Delivery of Therapeutic and Imaging Agents

Nanomaterials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 906 ◽  
Author(s):  
Skylar T. Chuang ◽  
Siobanth Cruz ◽  
Vasanthy Narayanaswami

Apolipoproteins are critical structural and functional components of lipoproteins, which are large supramolecular assemblies composed predominantly of lipids and proteins, and other biomolecules such as nucleic acids. A signature feature of apolipoproteins is the preponderance of amphipathic α-helical motifs that dictate their ability to make extensive non-covalent inter- or intra-molecular helix–helix interactions in lipid-free states or helix–lipid interactions with hydrophobic biomolecules in lipid-associated states. This review focuses on the latter ability of apolipoproteins, which has been capitalized on to reconstitute synthetic nanoscale binary/ternary lipoprotein complexes composed of apolipoproteins/peptides and lipids that mimic native high-density lipoproteins (HDLs) with the goal to transport drugs. It traces the historical development of our understanding of these nanostructures and how the cholesterol accepting property of HDL has been reconfigured to develop them as drug-loading platforms. The review provides the structural perspective of these platforms with different types of apolipoproteins and an overview of their synthesis. It also examines the cargo that have been loaded into the core for therapeutic and imaging purposes. Finally, it lays out the merits and challenges associated with apolipoprotein-based nanostructures with a future perspective calling for a need to develop “zip-code”-based delivery for therapeutic and diagnostic applications.

Author(s):  
Osamu Sawada

Chapter 1 introduces the aim and the target phenomenon of this book, that is, the dual-use phenomenon of scalar modifiers and the meaning and use of pragmatic scalar modifiers. After a brief overview of the current views on the notion of conventional implicatures (CIs) and the semantics/pragmatics interface, and observation of data for the dual-use phenomenon of pragmatic scalar modifiers, this book raises questions concerning (i) the similarities and differences between at-issue scalar meanings and CI (not-at-issue) scalar meanings, (ii) variations in pragmatic scalar modifiers, (iii) the interpretations of embedded pragmatic scalar modifiers, and (iv) the historical development of pragmatic scalar modifiers. It then also briefly outlines the core ideas and analytical directions used for answering these questions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 138 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-114
Author(s):  
Thino Bekker

The summary judgment procedure in South African law provides for a speedy judgment in favour of a deserving plaintiff where it can be shown that the defendant does not have a triable defence. In 2019 the Rules Board made certain drastic amendments to the procedure of summary judgment in the high court. In this article the historical development of the procedure of summary judgment will be discussed, and the new amendments to rule 32 of the Uniform Rules of Court critically evaluated. It will be argued that the amendments to rule 32 were unnecessary and that it may diminish the right to access to justice in civil disputes. It will, however, also be argued that there are some merits in the critique raised by the Rules Board in relation to rule 32 and that the Rules Board missed a golden opportunity to overhaul the entire summary judgment procedure in a more sensible manner and in line with the core constitutional values of s 34 of the Constitution. It will be argued that rule 32 should be replaced in its entirety by a new, more streamlined procedure, and some recommendations for legal reform will be made in this regard.


2021 ◽  
pp. 72-77
Author(s):  
A.V. Verkhoturov ◽  
◽  
A.A. Obukhov

Analyzed is one of the most comprehensive modern approaches to the problem of the existence of evolution of human society as such and of specific human communities, i.e. “General Theory of Historical Development” by American historian and sociologist Stephen Sanderson. While agreeing, in general, with its main ideas, we believe that it is important to note that the issue of existence of individual communities demonstrating devolution (regression to an earlier historical state), stagnation or degeneration at certain historical stages is practically ignored in the framework of the theory under consideration. This creates its vulnerability in the face of specific empirical data, indicating a deviation from the evolutionary trend. We believe that overcoming this theoretical difficulty is possible in the process of comprehending the theory of S. Sanderson in the context of ideas of the world-system approach of Immanuel Wallerstein. We want to show that examples of devolution, stagnation and degeneration of societies do not deny general progressive evolutionary tendencies, characteristic for the world-system as a whole, but only indicate the transition of a particular society to a lower level within the world-system (from the core to the semi-periphery, or from the semi-periphery to the periphery).


2021 ◽  
pp. 115
Author(s):  
Aliya R. Sharipova

Differentiation of justice into several sectors, depending on the material and legal features of resolved cases, once became a natural consequence of the historical development of the legal system. However, an analysis of the procedural rules and institutions attributed by the legislator to different procedural branches gives reason to assert that there are much more similarities between different types of judicial activity than is commonly believed, differences do not always have objective grounds, and intersectoral procedural convergence once again updates the idea of judicial law, supported by the author.


2001 ◽  
Vol 113 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 67-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander D Dergunov ◽  
Gennady E Dobretsov ◽  
Sophie Visvikis ◽  
Gerard Siest

Elements ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 155-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy L. Ross ◽  
David R. Cole

The fundamental properties of the neutron make it a powerful tool for Earth science investigations because neutrons provide information that cannot be obtained by any other research method. This is because neutrons are magnetically sensitive, nondestructive, and sensitive to the lighter elements, such as hydrogen. They provide a unique, nondestructive method for obtaining information ranging from Ångstrom-scale atomic structures (and related motions) to micron-scale material strain, stress, and texture, and even up to meso-scale porous matrices and defects in materials and functional components. In this article, we introduce neutrons and their unique properties, neutron production and sources, and provide an overview of the different types of neutron methods applicable to the Earth sciences.


Author(s):  
Alexander D. Dergunov ◽  
Gennady E. Dobretsov ◽  
Josee Taveirne ◽  
Hans Caster ◽  
Berlinda Vanloo ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Gëzim Visoka

This chapter provides a new account of identity and practices of agents in the context of post-conflict peacebuilding. It investigates how place, habitus, and fields of interaction alongside the performative roles shape the identity of agents and their socialization in practice. To explore the relation between the agents’ presence and their impact on peacebuilding, this paper bypasses the exclusionary dichotomies between local/international and liberal/indigenous agents, and develops a typology of six types of agents horizontally arranged around their insideness and outsideness towards a particular conflict-affected place. Using human geography and critical hermeneutics, this paper categorises ‘agents of peace’ in six different types: existential insiders, subjective insiders, empathetic insiders, behavioural insiders, objective outsiders, and existential outsiders. The core argument of this article is that the differentiation of agents around the geographical and performance towards a particular place facilitates the exploration of pluralist forms of agency and a more nuanced understanding of dynamics in post-conflict societies. An expanded and plural view of agents captures better the fields of interaction and hybridization, agential knowledge and narratives, modes of governance, and various everyday practices that enable or inhibit sustainable peace.


2011 ◽  
pp. 404-413
Author(s):  
Jane Moon

There has been an explosion in the number of different types of portals in the last decade, and at the same time there has been a lot of confusion with them, especially in relation to the enormous number of portals and their differences from Web sites or Web-pages. This coincides with increased use by consumers seeking medical information on the Internet, and with the important role played by medical portals for evidence based medicine. This article explores current portal technology available from an evaluation of market leaders in the industry and identifies important functional components that are necessary in building an intelligent portal to assist users seeking information on the Internet. The emphasis will be on government to consumer portals (G2C) and uses two reputable government portals Betterhealth and Healthinsite as examples to discuss issues involved with those.


Materials ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (19) ◽  
pp. 3202
Author(s):  
Sumita Swar ◽  
Veronika Máková ◽  
Ivan Stibor

Our study was focused on the synthesis of selective mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs: MCM-41, MCM-48, SBA-15, PHTS, MCF) that are widely studied for drug delivery. The resulting mesoporous surfaces were conveniently prepared making use of verified synthetic procedures. The MSNs thus obtained were characterized by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The selected MSNs with various pore diameters and morphologies were examined to evaluate the capability of L-DOPA drug loading and release. L-DOPA is a well-known drug for Parkinson’s disease. The L-DOPA drug loading and release profiles were measured by UV-VIS spectroscopy and SBA-15 was proved to be the most effective amongst all the different types of tested mesoporous silica materials as L-DOPA drug vehicle.


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