Design of Nanoparticle-Based Carriers for Targeted Drug Delivery

Nanoparticles have shown promise as both drug delivery vehicles and direct antitumor systems, but they must be properly designed in order to maximize efficacy. Computational modeling is often used both to design new nanoparticles and to better understand existing ones. Modeled processes include the release of drugs at the tumor site and the physical interaction between the nanoparticle and cancer cells. In this paper, we provide an overview of three different targeted drug delivery methods (passive targeting, active targeting, and physical targeting) and compare methods of action, advantages, limitations, and the current stages of research. For the most commonly used nanoparticle carriers, fabrication methods are also reviewed. This is followed by a review of computational simulations and models on nanoparticle-based drug delivery

Signature of coexistence of superconductivity and ferromagnetism in two-dimensional NbSe\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e triggered by surface molecular adsorption

Ferromagnetism is usually deemed incompatible with superconductivity. Consequently, the coexistence of superconductivity and ferromagnetism is usually observed only in elegantly designed multi-ingredient structures in which the two competing electronic states originate from separate structural components. Here we report the use of surface molecular adsorption to induce ferromagnetism in two-dimensional superconducting NbSe2, representing the freestanding case of the coexistence of superconductivity and ferromagnetism in one two-dimensional nanomaterial. Surface-structural modulation of the ultrathin superconducting NbSe2 by polar reductive hydrazine molecules triggers a slight elongation of the covalent Nb–Se bond, which weakens the covalent interaction and enhances the ionicity of the tetravalent Nb with unpaired electrons, yielding ferromagnetic ordering. The induced ferromagnetic momentum couples with conduction electrons generating unique correlated effects of intrinsic negative magnetoresistance and the Kondo effect. We anticipate that the surface molecular adsorption will be a powerful tool to regulate spin ordering in the two-dimensional paradigm

Altered Brain Function in Treatment-Resistant and Non-treatment-resistant Depression Patients: A Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

ObjectiveIn this study, we used amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and regional homogeneity (ReHo) to observe differences in local brain functional activity and its characteristics in patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and non-treatment-resistant depression (nTRD), and to explore the correlation between areas of abnormal brain functional activity and clinical symptoms.MethodThirty-seven patients with TRD, 36 patients with nTRD, and 35 healthy controls (HCs) were included in resting-state fMRI scans. ALFF and ReHo were used for image analysis and further correlation between abnormal brain regions and clinical symptoms were analyzed.ResultsANOVA revealed that the significantly different brain regions of ALFF and ReHo among the three groups were mainly concentrated in the frontal and temporal lobes. Compared with the nTRD group, the TRD group had decreased ALFF in the left/right inferior frontal triangular gyrus, left middle temporal gyrus, left cuneus and bilateral posterior lobes of the cerebellum, and increased ALFF in the left middle frontal gyrus and right superior temporal gyrus, and the TRD group had decreased ReHo in the left/right inferior frontal triangular gyrus, left middle temporal gyrus, and increased ReHo in the right superior frontal gyrus. Compared with the HC group, the TRD group had decreased ALFF/ReHo in both the right inferior frontal triangular gyrus and the left middle temporal gyrus. Pearson correlation analysis showed that both ALFF and ReHo values in these abnormal brain regions were positively correlated with HAMD-17 scores (P < 0.05).ConclusionAlthough the clinical symptoms were similar in the TRD and nTRD groups, abnormal neurological functional activity were present in some of the same brain regions. Compared with the nTRD group, ALFF and ReHo showed a wider range of brain area alterations and more complex neuropathological mechanisms in the TRD group, especially in the inferior frontal triangular gyrus of the frontal lobe and the middle temporal gyrus of the temporal lobe

Functional Synchronization of Biological Rhythms in a Tritrophic System

In a tritrophic system formed by a plant, an herbivore and a natural enemy, each component has its own biological rhythm. However, the rhythm correlations among the three levels and the underlying mechanisms in any tritrophic system are largely unknown. Here, we report that the rhythms exhibited bidirectional correlations in a model tritrophic system involving a lima bean, a pea leafminer and a parasitoid. From the bottom-up perspective, the rhythm was initiated from herbivore feeding, which triggered the rhythms of volatile emissions; then the rhythmic pattern of parasitoid activities was affected, and these rhythms were synchronized by a light switch signal. Increased volatile concentration can enhance the intensity of parasitoid locomotion and oviposition only under light. From the top-down perspective, naive and oviposition-experienced parasitoids were able to utilize the different volatile rhythm information from the damaged plant to locate host leafminers respectively. Our results indicated that the three interacting organisms in this system can achieve rhythmic functional synchronization under a natural light-dark photoperiod, but not under constant light or darkness. These findings provide new insight into the rhythm synchronization of three key players that contribute to the utilization of light and chemical signals, and our results may be used as potential approaches for manipulating natural enemies

High speed train

This article discussed one of the fastest transportations in China, High-speed Train. During the research, we found that a lot of new technologies have been used to make the trip runs successfully

Mitochondrial genome of Arcynopteryx dichroa (McLachlan, 1872) (Plecoptera: Perlodidae) and phylogenetic analysis

To better understand the diversity and phylogeny of Perlodidae, we sequenced and annotated the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Arcynopteryx dichroa. This mitogenome was 16,215 bp long and encoded 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), 2 ribosomal RNA unit genes (rRNAs), and a control region like other plecopteran. The nucleotide composition of A. dichroa mitochondrial genome obviously biases toward A and T. The A + T content of the whole mitochondrial genome, the PCGs, tRNAs, rRNAs, and the control region were: 69.3%, 67.6%, 69.8%, 71.3%, and 78.7%. Phylogenetic relationship based on the concatenated sequences of 13 PCGs and two ribosomal RNAs showed that the family Perlodidae and Chloroperlidae are sister relationship, family Perlidae being the sister group to the clade (Perlodidae + Chloroperlidae). The monophyly of the family Perlodidae is well supported but the subfamily Perlodinae and Isoperlinae are not monophyletic groups