The anticancer activity of disulfiram (DS) is copper(ii) (Cu)-dependent.

that offers novel electrical, electronic, and optical properties that are distinct from their bulk counterparts along with mechanical flexibility and high compatibility with state-of-the-art silicon-based platform. [2][3][4] Among prominently studied materials in the last few decades is zinc oxide (ZnO), a highly versatile tunable material. [5] The optoelectronic properties of ZnO in various morphologies have been investigated widely. [6] Due to its strong absorption in the UV region, ZnO is an attractive candidate for visible-blind photodetectors. [7] With a wide bandgap of 3.39 eV, exciton binding energy as large as 60 meV at room temperature, and the ability to undergo a strong quantum confinement effect, atomically thin ZnO promises an excellent platform for optoelectronic applications. [8] Most importantly, oxygen adsorbed onto the surface of ZnO provides low electron densities that can enable low dark current which is ideal for low energy applications. [9] Though thin nanosheets (<20 nm) ZnO has been used as an active layer for various applications, the lack of a reliable and controllable synthesis technique to obtain large area few atoms thin ZnO has prevented the miniaturization of ZnO based optoelectronic devices slowly making the material less competitive compared to other emerging systems relying on atomically thin functional layers. [10][11][12] Also, ZnO and other planar metal-semiconductormetal (MSM) based UV photodetectors developed to date have Atomically thin 2D materials are highly sought for high-performance electronic and optoelectronic devices. Despite being a widely recognized functional material for a plethora of applications, ultra-thin nanosheets of zinc oxide (ZnO) at a millimeter-scale for developing high-performance electronic/optoelectronic devices have not been reported. This has prevented the exploration of electronic and optical properties of ZnO when it is only a few atoms thick. Here, a liquid metal exfoliation technique is used that takes advantage of the van der Waals forces between the interfacial oxide and the chosen substrate to obtain ZnO nanosheets with lateral dimensions in the millimeter scale and thickness down to 5 nm. Their suitability for applications is shown by demonstrating a visible-blind photodetector with high figures of merit as compared to other ZnO morphologies. At extremely low operating bias of 50 mV and low optical intensity of 0.5 mW cm −2 , the ZnO photodetector demonstrates an external quantum efficiency (EQE), responsivity (R), and detectivity (D*) of 4.3 × 10 3 %, 12.64 A W −1 , and 5.81 × 10 15 Jones at a wavelength of 365 nm. The trap-mediated photoresponse in the ZnO nanosheets is further utilized to demonstrate optoelectronic synapses. Versatile synaptic functions of the nervous systems are optically emulated with the ultra-thin ZnO nanosheets.

The quality of decision and assessment of risk are key determinants of successful sport performance. Athletes differ fundamentally in their decision-making ability according to their athletic expertise level. Moreover, given the influence of emotions on decision-making, it is likely that a trait reflecting emotional functioning, trait emotional intelligence, may also influence decision-making. Therefore, the aim of this research was to investigate the respective contribution of athletic expertise and trait emotional intelligence to non-athletic decision-making. In total, 269 participants aged between 18 and 26 years with a range of athletic experience i.e. none (n = 71), novice (n = 54), amateur (n = 55), elite (n = 45) and super-elite (n = 44), completed the Emotional Intelligence Scale and the Cambridge Gambling Task. Regression modelling indicated a significant positive relationship of athletic expertise and trait emotional intelligence with the quality of decision-making, and a negative relationship with deliberation time and risk-taking. Cognitive skills transfer may explain the higher decision-making scores associated with higher athletic expertise, while individuals with higher trait emotional intelligence may anticipate better the emotional consequences linked with a gambling task, which may help individuals make better decisions and take less risks.

Material choice is a fundamental consideration when it comes to designing a solid dosage form. The matrix material will ultimately determine the rate of drug release since the physical properties (solubility, viscosity, and more) of the material control both fluid ingress and disintegration of the dosage form. The bulk properties (powder flow, concentration, and more) of the material should also be considered since these properties will influence the ability of the material to be successfully manufactured. Furthermore, there is a limited number of approved materials for the production of solid dosage forms. The present study details the complications that can arise when adopting pharmaceutical grade polymers for fused-filament fabrication in the production of oral tablets. The paper also presents ways to overcome each issue. Fused-filament fabrication is a hot-melt extrusion-based 3D printing process. The paper describes the problems encountered in fused-filament fabrication with Kollidon® VA64, which is a material that has previously been utilized in direct compression and hot-melt extrusion processes. Formulation and melt-blending strategies were employed to increase the printability of the material. The paper defines for the first time the essential parameter profile required for successful 3D printing and lists several pre-screening tools that should be employed to guide future material formulation for the fused-filament fabrication of solid dosage forms.

Disulfiram (DS), an anti-alcoholism drug, shows very strong cytotoxicity in many cancer types. However its clinical application in cancer treatment is limited by the very short half-life in the bloodstream. In this study, we developed a poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA)-encapsulated DS protecting DS from the degradation in the bloodstream. The newly developed DS-PLGA was characterized. The DS-PLGA has very satisfactory encapsulation efficiency, drug-loading content and controlled release rate in vitro. PLGA encapsulation extended the half-life of DS from shorter than 2 minutes to 7 hours in serum. In combination with copper, DS-PLGA significantly inhibited the liver cancer stem cell population. CI-isobologram showed a remarkable synergistic cytotoxicity between DS-PLGA and 5-FU or sorafenib. It also demonstrated very promising anticancer efficacy and antimetastatic effect in liver cancer mouse model. Both DS and PLGA are FDA approved products for clinical application. Our study may lead to repositioning of DS into liver cancer treatment.