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

CapsuleBot: A Novel Compact Hybrid Aerial-Ground Robot with Two Actuated-wheel-rotors

This paper presents the design, modeling, and experimental validation of CapsuleBot, a compact hybrid aerial-ground vehicle designed for long-term covert reconnaissance. CapsuleBot combines the manoeuvrability of bicopter in the air with the energy efficiency and noise reduction of ground vehicles on the ground. To accomplish this, a structure named actuated-wheel-rotor has been designed, utilizing a sole motor for both the unilateral rotor tilting in the bicopter configuration and the wheel movement in ground mode. CapsuleBot comes equipped with two of these structures, enabling it to attain hybrid aerial-ground propulsion with just four motors. Importantly, the decoupling of motion modes is achieved without the need for additional drivers, enhancing the versatility and robustness of the system. Furthermore, we have designed the full dynamics and control for aerial and ground locomotion based on the bicopter model and the two-wheeled self-balancing vehicle model. The performance of CapsuleBot has been validated through experiments. The results demonstrate that CapsuleBot produces 40.53% less noise in ground mode and consumes 99.35% less energy, highlighting its potential for long-term covert reconnaissance applications.Comment: 7 pages, 10 figures, submitted to 2024 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA). This work has been submitted to the IEEE for possible publication. Copyright may be transferred without notice, after which this version may no longer be accessibl

Surface acoustic wave generation and detection in quantum paraelectric regime of SrTiO3_3-based heterostructure

Strontium titanate (STO), apart from being a ubiquitous substrate for complex-oxide heterostructures, possesses a multitude of strongly-coupled electronic and mechanical properties. Surface acoustic wave (SAW) generation and detection offers insight into electromechanical couplings that are sensitive to quantum paraelectricity and other structural phase transitions. Propagating SAWs can interact with STO-based electronic nanostructures, in particular LaAlO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ (LAO/STO). Here we report generation and detection of SAW within LAO/STO heterointerfaces at cryogenic temperatures ($T\ge$~2 K) using superconducting interdigitated transducers (IDTs). The temperature dependence shows an increase in the SAWs quality factor that saturates at $T\approx 8$ K. The effect of backgate tuning on the SAW resonance frequency shows the possible acoustic coupling with the ferroelastic domain wall evolution. This method of generating SAWs provides a pathway towards dynamic tuning of ferroelastic domain structures, which are expected to influence electronic properties of complex-oxide nanostructures. Devices which incorporate SAWs may in turn help to elucidate the role of ferroelastic domain structures in mediating electronic behavior

All nonhomologous chromosomes and rearrangements in Saccharum officinarum × Saccharum spontaneum allopolyploids identified by oligo-based painting

Modern sugarcane cultivars (Saccharum spp., 2n = 100~120) are complex polyploids primarily derived from interspecific hybridization between S. officinarum and S. spontaneum. Nobilization is the theory of utilizing wild germplasm in sugarcane breeding, and is the foundation for utilizing S. spontaneum for stress resistance. However, the exact chromosomal transmission remains elusive due to a lack of chromosome-specific markers. Here, we applied chromosome-specific oligonucleotide (oligo)-based probes for identifying chromosomes 1-10 of the F1 hybrids between S. officinarum and S. spontaneum. Then, S. spontaneum-specific repetitive DNA probes were used to distinguish S. spontaneum in these hybrids. This oligo- fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) system proved to be an efficient tool for revealing individual chromosomal inheritance during nobilization. We discovered the complete doubling of S. officinarum-derived chromosomes in most F1 hybrids. Notably, we also found defective S. officinarum-derived chromosome doubling in the F1 hybrid Yacheng75-4191, which exhibited 1.5n transmission for all nonhomologous chromosomes. Altogether, these results highlight the presence of variable chromosome transmission in nobilization between S. officinarum and S. spontaneum, including 1.5n + n and 2n + n. These findings provide robust chromosome markers for in-depth studies into the molecular mechanism underlying chromosome doubling during the nobilization, as well as tracing chromosomal inheritance for sugarcane breeding

Characterization, Genomic Organization, Abundance, and Chromosomal Distribution of Ty1-copia Retrotransposons in Erianthus arundinaceus

Erianthus arundinaceus is an important wild species of the genus Saccharum with many valuable traits. However, the composition and structure of its genome are largely unknown, which have hindered its utilization in sugarcane breeding and evolutionary research. Retrotransposons constitute an appreciable fraction of plant genomes and may have played a significant role in the evolution and sequence organization of genomes. In the current study, we investigate the phylogenetic diversity and genomic abundance of Ty1-copia retrotransposons for the first time and inspect their chromosomal distribution patterns in E. arundinaceus. In total, 70 Ty1-copia reverse transcriptase (RT) sequences with significant levels of heterogeneity were obtained. The phylogenetic analysis revealed these Ty1-copia retrotransposons were classified into four distinct evolutionary lineages (Tork/TAR, Tork/Angela, Retrofit/Ale, and Sire/Maximus). Dot-blot analysis showed estimated the total copy number of Ty1-copia retrotransposons to be about 4.5 × 103 in the E. arundinaceus genome, indicating they were a significant component. Fluorescence in situ hybridization revealed that Ty1-copia retrotransposons from the four lineages had strikingly similar patterns of chromosomal enrichment, being exclusively enriched in the subterminal heterochromatic regions of most E. arundinaceus chromosomes. This is the first clear evidence of the presence of Ty1-copia retrotransposons in the subterminal heterochromatin of E. arundinaceus. Altogether, these results promote the understanding of the diversification of Ty1-copia retrotransposons and shed light on their chromosomal distribution patterns in E. arundinaceus

Traditional Chinese medicine Dingkun pill to increase fertility in women with a thin endometrium—a prospective randomized study

ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to optimize the treatment methods of infertility, which is suggested to be mainly caused by thin endometrium, using a special form of traditional Chinese medicine, the Dingkun pill (DKP), to increase the beneficial endometrial effect of conventional hormone/progestogen therapy.MethodsA total of 307 patients visiting our specialized gynecological endocrinology department because of infertility, which we suggested to be caused by thin endometrium [endometrial thickness (EMT) < 7 mm], were randomly assigned to the experimental group and the control group. The experimental group was treated with estradiol + sequential dydrogesterone + DKP (every day); the control group received hormonal treatment without the Chinese medicine. All patients were monitored in terms of follicle diameter, EMT, and endometrial type every 2 days from the 8th to the 10th day of the menstrual cycle until ovulation day during three menstrual cycles. Serum progesterone levels on 7–8 days after ovulation were measured, and the cumulative pregnancy rate during three menstrual cycles between the two groups was compared.ResultsEMT on ovulation day in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group (7.88 vs. 7.15 mm; p < 0.001). The proportion of type A and type B endometrium in total was significantly higher in the experimental group than that in the control group (83.2% vs. 77.7%; p < 0.05). Progesterone levels were significantly higher in the experimental group than those in the control group (10.874 vs. 10.074 ng/mL; p < 0.001). The cumulative pregnancy rate, the main outcome of the study, was significantly higher in the experimental group than that in the control group (29.2% vs. 15.7%; p < 0.05).ConclusionDKP added to conventional estrogen/progestogen therapy can significantly improve EMT and luteal function in patients attending due to infertility. Because this regimen increased the cumulative pregnancy rate in our study, we conclude that DKP can be used to increase the so-called “thin endometrium infertility”

Evaluating the safety and efficacy of cryopreserved ovarian tissue transplantation in leukemia patients with different bone marrow remission status using xenotransplantation

BackgroundLeukemia patients undergoing cryopreserved ovarian tissue transplantation (OTT) may carry a high risk of disease induction. Measurable residual disease (MRD) in bone marrow is linked to an elevated risk of relapse. It is controversial whether leukemia patients must be allowed to achieve measurable residual disease negative (MRD-negative) status instead of measurable residual disease positive (MRD-positive) status before ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTC).ObjectiveTo explore the safety and efficacy of OTT in acute leukemia patients with different MRD status by using xenotransplantation.MethodCryopreserved ovarian tissue from 19 leukemia patients was thawed and xenotransplanted to ovariectomized BALB/C nude mice (n=36). The mice were divided into 2 groups based on the patient’s MRD status before OTC: MRD-negative group (n=18) and MRD-positive group (n=18), additionally, a control group consisted of ovariectomized mice (n=9). Body weight was measured weekly and mortality, emaciation, and other abnormalities were recorded. Twenty-six weeks post-surgery, livers, spleens, uteruses, and ovarian grafts were removed for macroscopic and histological examinations to evaluate the efficacy of xenotransplantation and assess malignant cell contamination in mice.ResultsFollicle growth was visible in the ovarian grafts of the MRD-negative and MRD-positive groups. Compared with the ovariectomized group, a significant decrease in body weight (p<0.01) was noted, the uterine volume was notably larger, estradiol (E2) levels were significantly higher (p<0.01), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels were significantly lower (p<0.001) in the other two groups. Mice in the MRD-positive group showed a significantly higher incidence of death (p<0.001) and emaciation (p<0.01), compared to the MRD-negative group. Histological observation revealed the presence of malignant cells in the grafts, livers, and spleens of 3 mice in the MRD-positive group. No abnormalities were observed in the mice from the MRD-negative group in both macroscopic and histological observations except one mouse was sacrificed for ascites unrelated to leukemia relapse.ConclusionFor leukemia patients having ovarian tissue preserved in the first and only centralized human ovarian tissue cryobank in China, immunodeficient mice xenotransplantation can be a method to evaluate the safety and efficacy of OTT; the risk of malignant cell reimplantation due to OTT is higher in leukemia patients with MRD-positive status than those with MRD-negative status before OTC