A Comparative Study of the Use of Mesoporous Carbon and Mesoporous Silica as Drug Carriers for Oral Delivery of the Water-Insoluble Drug Carvedilol

Mesoporous carriers have been extensively applied to improve the dissolution velocity and bioavailability of insoluble drugs. The goal of this work was to compare the drug-loading efficiency (LE) and drug-dissolution properties of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) and mesoporous carbon nanoparticles (MCN) as drug vectors oral delivery of water-insoluble drugs. For this purpose, MSN and MCN with similar particle size, surface area, and mesoporous diameter were prepared to precisely evaluate the effects of different textures on the drug-loading and dissolution behavior of insoluble drugs. Carvedilol (CAR), a Bio-pharmaceutic Classification System (BCS) class II drug, was loaded in the MSN and MCN by the solvent adsorption method and solvent evaporation method with different carrier−drug ratios. The carboxylated MCN (MCN−COOH) had a higher LE for CAR than MSN for both the two loading methods due to the strong adsorption effect and π−π stacking force with CAR. In vitro drug dissolution study showed that both MSN and MCN-COOH could improve the dissolution rate of CAR compared with the micronized CAR. In comparison to MSN, MCN-COOH displayed a slightly slower dissolution profile, which may be ascribed to the strong interaction between MCN-COOH and CAR. Observation of cell cytotoxicity and gastrointestinal mucosa irritation demonstrated the good biocompatibility of both MSN and MCN−COOH. The present study encourages further research of different carriers to determine their potential application in oral administration

Comparison of pregnancy outcomes between 4th day morula and 5th day blastocyst after embryo transfer: a retrospective cohort study

Abstract Background This study was designed to evaluate pregnancy outcomes between morulae transferred on day 4 (D4) and blastocysts transferred on day 5 (D5). Methods From September 2017 to September 2020, 1963 fresh transfer cycles underwent early follicular phase extra-long protocol for assisted conception in our fertility center were divided into D4 (324 cases) and D5 (1639 cases) groups, and the general situation and other differences of patients in both groups were compared. To compare the differences in pregnancy outcomes, the D4 and D5 groups were further divided into groups A and B based on single and double embryo transfers. Furthermore, the cohort was divided into two groups: those with live births (1116 cases) and those without (847 cases), enabling a deeper evaluation of the effects of D4 or D5 transplantation on assisted reproductive outcomes. Results In single embryo transfer, there was no significant difference between groups D4A and D5A (P > 0.05). In double embryo transfer, group D4B had a lower newborn birthweight and a larger proportion of low birthweight infants (P  0.05). Conclusion When factors such as working life and hospital holidays are being considered, D4 morula transfer may be a good alternative to D5 blastocyst transfer. Given the in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) success rate and risk of twin pregnancy, D4 morula transfer requires an adapted decision between single and double embryo transfer, although a single blastocyst transfer is recommended for the D5 transfer in order to decrease the twin pregnancy rate. In addition, age, endometrial thickness and other factors need to be taken into account to personalize the IVF program and optimize pregnancy outcomes

A Review of Lithium-Ion Battery Capacity Estimation Methods for Onboard Battery Management Systems: Recent Progress and Perspectives

With the widespread use of Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries in Electric Vehicles (EVs), Hybrid EVs and Renewable Energy Systems (RESs), much attention has been given to Battery Management System (BMSs). By monitoring the terminal voltage, current and temperature, BMS can evaluate the status of the Li-ion batteries and manage the operation of cells in a battery pack, which is fundamental for the high efficiency operation of EVs and smart grids. Battery capacity estimation is one of the key functions in the BMS, and battery capacity indicates the maximum storage capability of a battery which is essential for the battery State-of-Charge (SOC) estimation and lifespan management. This paper mainly focusses on a review of capacity estimation methods for BMS in EVs and RES and provides practical and feasible advice for capacity estimation with onboard BMSs. In this work, the mechanisms of Li-ion batteries capacity degradation are analyzed first, and then the recent processes for capacity estimation in BMSs are reviewed, including the direct measurement method, analysis-based method, SOC-based method and data-driven method. After a comprehensive review and comparison, the future prospective of onboard capacity estimation is also discussed. This paper aims to help design and choose a suitable capacity estimation method for BMS application, which can benefit the lifespan management of Li-ion batteries in EVs and RESs

Determination of ultra-low level Am-241 in soil and sediment using chemical separation and triple quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry measurement with He-NH3 as collision-reaction gas

Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) has been becoming a competitive technique for the measurement of trace americium isotopes, but the isobaric and polyatomic ions interference (Pu-241, (PbCl)-Pb-206-Cl-35, (PbCl)-Pb-204-Cl-37, etc.) will deteriorate the analysis accuracy for soil and sediment samples with high concentration of interfering elements (e.g., Pb). This study developed a novel analysis method to determine Am-241 using ICP-MS with tandem quadrupoles and collision/reaction cell. The interference of isobaric and polyatomic ions was effectively removed by the mass filter of quadrupole and reactions with NH3, with the contribution efficiency of interfering elements at m/z 241 or 243 lower than 1 x 10(-8), and the measurement sensitivity in this mode relatively (1170 Mcps/(mg/L)) higher than in other modes. The detection limit of 0.091 fg/g for Am-241 was achieved, 3 times better than other types of ICP-MS (Q-ICP-MS, SF-ICP-MS, etc.). The collision focusing by He and the chemical reaction with NH3 played an important role in the improvement of Am sensitivity and elimination of polyatomic ions. This study suggested that the presence of Cl- could significantly increase the polyatomic ions interference ((PbCl)-Pb-206-Cl-35, (PbCl)-Pb-204-Cl-37, (PbCl)-Pb-208-Cl-35, (PbCl)-Pb-206-Cl-37, etc.) because of the high Pb concentration in the soil or sediment samples, and thus should be completely removed. The developed method had been validated with two certified reference materials of soil (IAEA-375 and IAEA-Soil-6) and successfully applied to measure Am-241 concentrations in seven soil samples collected in different regions of China and one sediment sample collected in Denmark

Immunomodulatory Functions of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Tissue Engineering

The inflammatory response to chronic injury affects tissue regeneration and has become an important factor influencing the prognosis of patients. In previous stem cell treatments, it was revealed that stem cells not only have the ability for direct differentiation or regeneration in chronic tissue damage but also have a regulatory effect on the immune microenvironment. Stem cells can regulate the immune microenvironment during tissue repair and provide a good “soil” for tissue regeneration. In the current study, the regulation of immune cells by mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the local tissue microenvironment and the tissue damage repair mechanisms are revealed. The application of the concepts of “seed” and “soil” has opened up new research avenues for regenerative medicine. Tissue engineering (TE) technology has been used in multiple tissues and organs using its biomimetic and cellular cell abilities, and scaffolds are now seen as an important part of building seed cell microenvironments. The effect of tissue engineering techniques on stem cell immune regulation is related to the shape and structure of the scaffold, the preinflammatory microenvironment constructed by the implanted scaffold, and the material selection of the scaffold. In the application of scaffold, stem cell technology has important applications in cartilage, bone, heart, and liver and other research fields. In this review, we separately explore the mechanism of MSCs in different tissue and organs through immunoregulation for tissue regeneration and MSC combined with 3D scaffolds to promote MSC immunoregulation to repair damaged tissues

N-Acetyl-Glucosamine Sensitizes Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells to TRAIL-Induced Apoptosis by Activating Death Receptor 5

Background/Aims: Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a potential anti-cancer agent due to its selective toxicity. However, many human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells are partially resistant to TRAIL, thereby limiting its clinical application. Therefore, there is a need for the development of novel adjuvant therapeutic agents to be used in combination with TRAIL. Methods: In this study, the effect of N-acetyl-glucosamine (GlcNAc), a type of monosaccharide derived from chitosan, combined with TRAIL was evaluated in vitro and in vivo. Thirty NSCLC clinical samples were used to detect the expression of death receptor (DR) 4 and 5. After GlcNAc and TRAIL co-treatment, DR expression was determined by real-time PCR and western blotting. Cycloheximide was used to detect the protein half-life to further understand the correlation between GlcNAc and the metabolic rate of DR. Non-reducing sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to detect receptor clustering, and the localization of DR was visualized by immunofluorescence under a confocal microscope. Furthermore, a co-immunoprecipitation assay was performed to analyze the formation of death-inducing signaling complex (DISC). O-linked glycan expression levels were evaluated following DR5 overexpression and RNA interference mediated knockdown. Results: We found that the clinical samples expressed higher levels of DR5 than DR4, and GlcNAc co-treatment improved the effect of TRAIL-induced apoptosis by activating DR5 accumulation and clustering, which in turn recruited the apoptosis-initiating protease caspase-8 to form DISC, and initiated apoptosis. Furthermore, GlcNAc promoted DR5 clustering by improving its O-glycosylation. Conclusion: These results uncovered the molecular mechanism by which GlcNAc sensitizes cancer cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis, thereby highlighting a novel effective agent for TRAIL-mediated NSCLC-targeted therapy

Determination of ultra-trace level plutonium isotopes in soil samples by triple-quadrupole inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry with mass-shift mode combined with UTEVA chromatographic separation

Although triple-quadrupole inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS/MS) has become an attractive technique for the measurement of long-lived radionuclides, the abundance sensitivity, isobaric and polyatomic ions interferences seriously restrict the application. The spectral peak tailing and uranium hydrides (UH+, UH2+) from U-238 have a serious influence on the accurate measurement of Pu-239 and Pu-240, especially for the ultra-trace level plutonium isotopes in the higher uranium sample. A new method was developed using ICPMS/MS measurement in mass-shift mode with collision-reaction gas combined with a chemical separation procedure. As O-2 readily converted Pu+ ion to PuO2+, while disassociated the interfering diatomic ions of interfering elements (U, Pb, Hg, Tl, etc.), the interferences from these elements were completely eliminated if plutonium was detected as PuO2+ at the m/z more than 270. By the mass filter in MS/MS mode combined with O-2 as reaction gas the lower peak tailing of U-238(+) (<5 x 10(-12)) was significantly suppressed. By this way, the (UO2H+)-U-238/(UO2+)-U-238 atomic ratio was reduced to 4.82 x 10(9), which is significantly lower than that of other collision-reaction gas modes. Interferences from Pb, Hg and Tl polyatomic ions were also completely eliminated. Thus, accurate measurement of ultra-trace level 239Pu in high uranium sample solutions with the Pu-239/U-238 concentration ratio of 10(-10) was achieved by the mass-shift mode with 0.15 mL/min O-2/He + 12.0 mL/min He as collision-reaction gas, and high elimination efficiency of uranium interferences up to 10(14) can be obtained by combination with the chemical separation using a single UTEVA resin column. The developed method can be applied to accurately determine the fg level Pu-239 in high uranium samples, such as large-size deep seawater, deep soil and sediment, uranium debris of nuclear fuel