Methotrexate nanoparticle delivery system for treatment of inflammatory bowel disease in pediatric patients

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of methotrexate (MTX) nanoparticles in pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).Methods: In this randomized, open-label clinical study, 28 pediatric patients with moderate to severe IBD were randomly assigned to treatment (MTX  nanoparticles,15 mg/week) or control (azathioprine, AZA, 2 mg/kg/day) group.  Nanoparticles were synthesized by adding calcium chloride to sodium alginate solution containing MTX, and was further treated with poly-L-lysine aqueous  solution. The nanoparticles were evaluated for particle size, zeta potential and drug encapsulation efficacy. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine transaminase, and disease activity scores were used to assess IBD remission.Results: Nanoparticle size, zeta potential and encapsulation efficacy were 164.4 ± 6.9 nm, -32.6 ± 3.7 mV, and 97.8 ± 4.2 %, respectively. After 12 weeks of therapy, the mean Pediatric Crohn's Disease Activity Index (PCDAI) scores for control and treatment groups were 22.3 ± 2.14 and 16.8 ± 1.87, respectively, while mean Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis Activity (PUCAI) Index scores were 24.3 ± 1.47 and18.7 ± 1.92, respectively. Eight patients in the treatment and five patients in the control group achieved remission. Biochemical parameters varied significantly between the groups.Conclusion: MTX nanoparticles are safe and more effective than standard first-line IBD therapy. However, further studies are required to determine the suitability of the formulation for therapeutic use.Keywords: Pediatric patient, Methotrexate nanoparticle, Inflammatory bowel disease, Azathioprin

Fermions Tunneling from Apparent Horizon of FRW Universe

In the paper [arXiv:0809.1554], the scalar particles' Hawking radiation from the apparent horizon of Friedmann-Robertson-Walker(FRW) universe was investigated by using the tunneling formalism. They obtained the Hawking temperature associated with the apparent horizon, which was extensively applied in investigating the relationship between the first law of thermodynamics and Friedmann equations. In this paper, we calculate Fermions' Hawking radiation from the apparent horizon of FRW universe via tunneling formalism. Applying WKB approximation to the general covariant Dirac equation in FRW spacetime background, the radiation spectrum and Hawking temperature of apparent horizon are correctly recovered, which supports the arguments presented in the paper [arXiv:0809.1554].Comment: 8 pages, no figure

Investigating characteristics of the long-term settlement of railway embankments in warm permafrost areas

Introduction: The embankment in the permafrost zone of the Qinghai–Tibet Railway (QTR) faces the problem of permafrost degradation, especially in the warm and ice-rich permafrost areas. The settlement deformation of the embankment is more serious in these areas.Methods: This study systematically investigates the settlement deformation characteristics during 16 operational years of three types of typical roadbed structures. The traditional embankment (TE), U-shaped crushed-rock embankment (UCRE), and crushed-rock revetment embankment (CRRE) are the roadbed structures. The long-term monitoring ground temperature and deformation data of the embankment section along the QTR in warm permafrost areas from 2005 to 2020 are utilized in analysis.Results and Discussion: This study focuses on the influence law of the roadbed structure form, shady–sunny slope effect, and temperature field change on the settlement of the roadbed. The results indicated that the two types of the crushed-rock embankment (CRE) of the long-term cumulative settlement are less than 50% of the cumulative settlement of the TE, and the impact on controlling the settlement is significant. The annual settlements of the three types of embankment structures are related to the artificial permafrost table (APT) and influenced by cyclical climate change at the regional scale. The annual growth rate of the settlement at the left and right shoulders of the UCRE as a result of the effect of the shady–sunny slope does not vary considerably as the number of operational years increases. The impact of the shady–sunny slope on the CRRE for the various settlements before 2008 was negligible. After 2008, the thermal disturbance to the embankment temperature field induced by the preconstruction and the effect of shady–sunny slopes decreased gradually as the number of operational years increased. In some years of operation, a thawed interlayer in the TE and CRRE greatly affected the embankment settlement acceleration. The settlement growth rate of the TE is related to the decline of the artificial permafrost table (APT). During the operational years, there was no thawed interlayer in the UCRE. The development of the settlement rate is unaffected by the temperature field for either the left or right embankment shoulder

Generation of a vortex point adjustable vortex array based on decentered annular beam pumping

An adjustable optical vortex arrays (OVAs) based on decentered annular beam pumping has been demonstrated in an end-pumped Nd:YVO4 laser. This method allows for not only the transverse mode locking of different modes, but also the ability to adjust the mode weight and phase by manipulating the position of the focusing lens and axicon lens. To explain this phenomenon, we propose a threshold model for each mode. Using this approach, we were able to generate optical vortex arrays with 2-7 phase singularities, achieving a maximum conversion efficiency of 25.8%. Our work represents an innovative advancement in the development of solid-state lasers capable of generating adjustable vortex points.<br/

Dynamic Covalent Synthesis of Crystalline Porous Graphitic Frameworks

Porous graphitic framework (PGF) is a two-dimensional (2D) material that has emerging energy applications. An archetype contains stacked 2D layers, the structure of which features a fully annulated aromatic skeleton with embedded heteroatoms and periodic pores. Due to the lack of a rational approach in establishing in-plane order under mild synthetic conditions, the structural integrity of PGF has remained elusive and ultimately limited its material performance. Here, we report the discovery of the unusual dynamic character of the C=N bonds in the aromatic pyrazine ring system under basic aqueous conditions, which enables the successful synthesis of a crystalline porous nitrogenous graphitic framework with remarkable in-plane order, as evidenced by powder X-ray diffraction studies and direct visualization using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The crystalline framework displays superior performance as a cathode material for lithium-ion batteries, outperforming the amorphous counterparts in terms of capacity and cycle stability. Insertion of well-defined, evenly spaced nanoscale pores into the two-dimensional (2D) layers of graphene invokes exciting properties due to the modulation of its electronic band gaps and surface functionalities. A bottom-up synthesis approach to such porous graphitic frameworks (PGFs) is appealing but also remains a great challenge. The current methods of building covalent organic frameworks rely on a small collection of thermodynamically reversible reactions. Such reactions are, however, inadequate in generating a fully annulated aromatic skeleton in PGFs. With the discovery of dynamic pyrazine formation, we succeeded in applying this linking chemistry to obtain a crystalline PGF material, which has displayed high electrical conductivity and remarkable performance as a cathode material for lithium-ion batteries. We envision that the demonstrated success will open the door to a wide array of fully annulated 2D porous frameworks, which hold immense potential for clean energy applications. We report the unusual dynamic characteristics of the C=N bonds in the pyrazine ring promoted under basic aqueous conditions, which enables the successful synthesis of two-dimensional porous graphitic frameworks (PGFs) featuring fully annulated aromatic skeletons and periodic pores. The PGF displayed high electrical conductivity and remarkable performance as a cathode material for lithium-ion batteries, far outperforming the amorphous counterparts in terms of capacity and cycle stability