Magnetic targeted drug delivery

Lung cancer is the most common cause of death from cancer in both men and women. Treatment by intravenous or oral administration of chemotherapy agents results in serious and often treatment-limiting side effects. Delivery of drugs directly to the lung by inhalation of an aerosol holds the promise of achieving a higher concentration in the lung with lower blood levels. To further enhance the selective lung deposition, it may be possible to target deposition by using external magnetic fields to direct the delivery of drug coupled to magnetic particles. Moreover, alternating magnetic fields can be used to induce particle heating, which in turn controls the drug release rate with the appropriate thermal sensitive material.With this goal, superparamagetic nanoparticles (SPNP) were prepared and characterized, and enhanced magnetic deposition was demonstrated in vitro and in vivo. SPNPs were also incorporated into a lipid-based/SPNP aerosol formulation, and drug release was shown to be controlled by thermal activation. Because of the inherent imaging potential of SPNPs, this use of nanotechnology offers the possibility of coupling the diagnosis of lung cancer to drug release, which perhaps will ultimately provide the “magic bullet” that Paul Ehrlich originally sought

State of charge estimation of lithium-ion battery based on extended Kalman filter algorithm

Due to excellent power and energy density, low self-discharge and long life, lithium-ion battery plays an important role in many fields. Directed against the complexity of above noises and the strong sensitivity of the common Kalman filter algorithm to noises, the state of charge estimation of lithium-ion battery based on extended Kalman filter algorithm is investigated in this paper. Based on the second-order resistor-capacitance equivalent circuit model, the battery model parameters are identified using the MATLAB/Simulink software. A battery parameter test platform is built to test the charge-discharge efficiency, open-circuit voltage and state of charge relationship curve, internal resistance and capacitance of the individual battery are tested. The simulation and experimental results of terminal voltage for lithium-ion battery is compared to verify the effectiveness of this method. In addition, the general applicability of state of charge estimation algorithm for the battery pack is explored. The ampere-hour integral method combined with the battery modeling is used to estimate the state of charge of lithium-ion battery. The comparison of extended Kalman filter algorithm between experimental results and simulation estimated results is obtained to verify the accuracy. The extended Kalman filter algorithm proposed in this study not only establishes the theoretical basis for the condition monitoring but also provides the safe guarantee for the engineering application of lithium-ion battery

EGFR of platelet regulates macrophage activation and bacterial phagocytosis function

Abstract Background Beyond their crucial role in hemostasis, platelets possess the ability to regulate inflammation and combat infections through various mechanisms. Stringent control of macrophage activation is essential during innate immune responses in sepsis. Macrophages are considered crucial phagocytic cells that aid in the elimination of pathogens. Platelet interactions with monocytes-macrophages are known to be significant in the response against bacterial infections, but the primary mediator driving these interactions remains unclear. EGFR plays critical role in the regulation of inflammation and infection through various mechanisms. Results The overexpression of platelets by thrombopoietin (TPO) leads to the sequestration of both pro-inflammatory (IL-6/IL-1) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokines in the organ tissue of septic mice. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is critical for platelet activation in sepsis. EGFR-licensed platelets enhance macrophage immune function, including the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the clearance of bacteria. Platelet EGFR also induces M1 macrophage polarization by increasing the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and CD64. Conclusion EGFR can activate platelet immune function. Moreover, activated platelets efficiently regulate bacterial phagocytosis and pro-inflammatory function of macrophages through an EGFR-dependent pathway

Melatonin Improves the Quality of Inferior Bovine Oocytes and Promoted Their Subsequent IVF Embryo Development: Mechanisms and Results

The inferior oocytes (IOs), which are not suitable for embryo development, occupy roughly one-third or more of the collected immature bovine oocytes. The IOs are usually discarded from the in vitro bovine embryo production process. Improving the quality of the inferior oocytes (IOs) and make them available in in vitro embryo production would have important biological, as well as commercial, value. This study was designed to investigate whether melatonin could improve the quality of IOs and make them usable in the in vitro maturation (IVM) and subsequent (in vitro fertilization) IVF embryo development. The results indicated that: the maturation rate of IOs and their subsequent IVF embryo developments were impaired compared to cumulus-oocyte complexes and melatonin treatment significantly improved the quality of IOs, as well as their IVF and embryo developments. The potential mechanisms are that: (1) melatonin reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and enhanced glutathione (GSH) levels in the IOs, thereby protecting them from oxidative stress; (2) melatonin improved mitochondrial normal distribution and function to increase ATP level in IOs; and (3) melatonin upregulated the expression of ATPase 6, BMP-15, GDF-9, SOD-1, Gpx-4, and Bcl-2, which are critical genes for oocyte maturation and embryo development and downregulated apoptotic gene expression of caspase-3

Additional file 1 of EGFR of platelet regulates macrophage activation and bacterial phagocytosis function

Supplementary Material 1: Key Resources tabl