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Potential of Resveratrol to Combine with Hydrogel for Photodynamic Therapy against Bacteria and Cancer—A Review
No full textBacterial infections and cancers are important issues in public health around the world. Currently, Western medicine is the most suitable approach when dealing with these issues. “Antibiotics” and “Corticosteroids” are the Western medicines used for bacterial infection. “Chemotherapy drugs”, “surgery”, and “radiotherapy” are common techniques used to treat cancer. These are conventional treatments with many side effects. PDT is a non-invasive and effective therapy for bacterial infection and cancer diseases. Methods: Nine electronic databases, namely WanFang Data, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science, Springer Link, SciFinder, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), were searched to conduct this literature review, without any regard to language constraints. Studies focusing on the photodynamic actions of hydrogel and Resveratrol were included that evaluated the effect of PDT against bacteria and cancer. All eligible studies were analyzed and summarized in this review. Results: Resveratrol has antibacterial and anticancer effects. It can also act as PS in PDT or adjuvant but has some limitations. This is much better when combined with a hydrogel to enhance the effectiveness of PDT in the fight against bacteria and cancer. Conclusions: Resveratrol combined with hydrogel is possible for PDT treatment in bacteria and cancer. They are compatible and reinforce each other to increase the effectiveness of PDT. However, much more work is required, such as cytotoxicity safety assessments of the human body and further enhancing the effectiveness of PDT in different environments for future investigations
Exhibition - Towards A Circular Economy - Interview with Pieter van Os and Prof Dann van Eijk
Get PDFImagine a world where resources can always be reduced, reused, repaired, recycled or recovered. The picture is perfect, but do such ambitions have a chance in a wasteful city like Hong Kong
Synergistic effect during co-pyrolysis of tea seed shell and waste printed circuit board: Thermogravimetric characteristics and operation parameter optimization
Get PDFTo convert tea seed shell (TSS) into bio-energy, the co-pyrolysis behaviors of TSS and waste printed circuit boards (WPCB) were studied. The impacts of synergy during co-pyrolysis were ascertained by analyzing the thermogravimetric characteristics and product properties. Blends with varying ratios of TSS and WPCB were studied using TGA for thermal decomposition analysis and a fixed-bed reactor for product analysis. According to thermal behavior analysis, the results revealed a synergistic effect when WPCB and TSS were co-pyrolysis. The dynamics of the co-pyrolysis process was confirmed using Coats–Redfern (C–R) method and the Arrhenius method. For WPCB, the values of Ea using the C–R method with the reaction orders of 1 and 1.5 were about 310.08 and 370.91 kJ/mol, respectively, while for the mixture containing 80% TSS, those values were reduced to 59.80 and 73.48 kJ/mol, respectively. To optimize the operation process, the effects of operated factors, e.g. mixing ratio, on the yields and properties of the products were fully investigated in a fixed-bed reactor. The presence of synergistic effects was further confirmed, but different results were observed for the experiments from TGA and the fixed-bed reactor. Under the optimized condition, the yields of gas, liquid, and solid products were 48.71%, 34.79%, and 16.5%, respectively
Hollowing out and reinventing higher education: An individualist perspective
No full textUniversity-oriented higher education is now expanding. However, its monopolistic role has encountered challenges from new public management, advancement of technology and emerging views towards credentials. Although researchers like (Carlson, Sustaining the College Business Model: How to Shore Up Institutions Now and Reinvent Them for the Future, Chronicle of Higher Education, 2018) and (Letizia, Policy Futures in Education 14:360–376, 2016) investigated how higher education responds to difficulties of sustainability, individualism is infrequently applied to studying the issue. Since individualism concerns the rights and efforts of individuals to solve one’s issue, to narrow down the academic gap, this short article adopted it as a theoretical framework aiming at offering an unconventional view of strengthening higher education from an individualist perspective. Through concepts of “hollowing out” and “reinventing” from public management, this theoretical article outlined the challenges to higher education and depicted its need for reinvention. This article further proclaimed that ideas of autonomy, choice, and self-reliance from individualism offer insightful directions for reinvention. This article will have significant implications for the leadership of higher education and education policymakers
NIR-Responsive Methotrexate-Modified Iron Selenide Nanorods for Synergistic Magnetic Hyperthermic, Photothermal, and Chemodynamic Therapy
No full textBreast cancer is a malignant tumor with a high mortality rate among women. Therefore, it is necessary to develop novel therapies to effectively treat this disease. In this study, iron selenide nanorods (FeSe2 NRs) were designed for use in magnetic hyperthermic, photothermal, and chemodynamic therapy (MHT/PTT/CDT) for breast cancer. To illustrate their efficacy, FeSe2 NRs were modified with the chemotherapeutic agent methotrexate (MTX). MTX-modified FeSe2 (FeSe2- MTX) exhibited excellent controlled drug release properties. Fe2+ released from FeSe2 NRs induced the release of •OH from H2O2 via a Fenton/Fenton-like reaction, enhancing the efficacy of CDT. Under alternating magnetic field (AMF) stimulation and 808 nm laser irradiation, FeSe2-MTX exerted potent hyperthermic and photothermal effects by suppressing tumor growth in a breast cancer nude mouse model. In addition, FeSe2 NRs can be used for magnetic resonance imaging in vivo by incorporating their superparamagnetic characteristics into a single nanomaterial. Overall, we presented a novel technique for the precise delivery of functional nanosystems to tumors that can enhance the efficacy of breast cancer treatment
Inorganic nanoparticles for photothermal treatment of cancer
No full textIn recent years, inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) have attracted increasing attention as potential theranostic agents in the field of oncology. Photothermal therapy (PTT) is a minimally invasive technique that uses nanoparticles to produce heat from light to kill cancer cells. PTT requires two essential elements: a photothermal agent (PTA) and near-infrared (NIR) radiation. The role of PTAs is to absorb NIR, which subsequently triggers hyperthermia within cancer cells. By raising the temperature in the tumor microenvironment (TME), PTT causes damage to the cancer cells. Nanoparticles (NPs) are instrumental in PTT given that they facilitate the passive and active targeting of the PTA to the TME, making them crucial for the effectiveness of the treatment. In addition, specific targeting can be achieved through their enhanced permeation and retention effect. Thus, owing to their significant advantages, such as altering the morphology and surface characteristics of nanocarriers comprised of PTA, NPs have been exploited to facilitate tumor regression significantly. This review highlights the properties of PTAs, the mechanism of PTT, and the results obtained from the improved curative efficacy of PTT by utilizing NPs platforms
Impact of the Belt and Road Initiative on the United States’ textiles and clothing imports from Asian countries: Evaluating the significance of Chinese aid and ACFTA
No full textThis study analyzes how Chinese aid and the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) within the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) impact Asian countries’ textiles and clothing (T&C) exports to the United States (US). The BRI is viewed as a hub-and-spoke network, with China as the central hub providing resources to the spoke countries along the Belt and Road region. These resources are intended to improve trade infrastructure and attract export-oriented foreign direct investment in the T&C sector. Utilizing an extended gravity model with a panel dataset, the study examines the effects of Chinese aid and ACFTA on the US T&C imports from 16 Asian economies between 2008 and 2019. The findings, obtained through the application of the feasible generalized least squares method, indicate a positive impact of Chinese aid and ACFTA on T&C exports. Policymakers are advised to leverage the BRI to stimulate T&C sector growth for export purposes, thereby creating more value for all stakeholders
The Power of Partnerships 眾志成城
Get PDFRosewood Hotel Group\u27s global internship programme provides invaluable international exposure to young aspiring professionals.
瑰麗酒店集團的環球實習計劃，為有抱負的年輕專業人士開拓國際視野
Industry Updates 行業快訊
Get PDFThe latest buzz from Hong Kong\u27s vibrant hospitality scene! From exciting events to the dynamic business landscape, here\u27s VTC\u27s insider info on what\u27s hot and happening in this bustling city\u27s world of hospitality.
香港的款待業發展蓬勃，最新動向盡在掌握！從精彩的活動到千變萬化的商業環境，職業訓練局為您網羅在這個璀璨繁華都市裡的最熱門的酒店旅遊業資訊
Empirical determination of the carbon impacts of urban forest management in Hong Kong: Removal of Acacia confusa and Leucaena leucocephala
Get PDFUrban trees contribute to decarbonisation. However, the removal of trees may release the stored carbon within them. In Hong Kong, Acacia confusa and Leucaena leucocephala are being removed, but with unknown carbon impacts. This industry-academia-government collaborative research aimed to: (1) report the amount of carbon stored inside A. confusa and L. leucocephala harvested from slopes; (2) estimate the carbon storage of a tree using dendrometric measurements; and (3) explain the variation in carbon content percentage of urban trees with respect to tree species, part of the tree, and position within the part. 10 A. confusa and 10 L. leucocephala were harvested during March–September, 2023. Each tree was weighed for carbon storage estimation. Results showed that A. confusa had higher mean wood volume, biomass and carbon storage than L. leucocephala. The mean carbon content of the analysed samples (45.53−52.58%) were mostly significantly different from 50%. But the difference may become insignificant depending on how volatile carbon loss was controlled. Diameter at breast height (mm) was a significant predictor of carbon storage (kg) for both A. confusa (β = 0.9574) and L. leucocephala (β = 0.3909). Significant interaction between tree species and tree part on carbon content percentage was confirmed. This research demonstrated the impacts of past arboricultural decisions on present decarbonisation plans