Preparation of pelargonic acid vesicles and sustained drug release

This study has selected the medium-chain saturated fatty acid pelargonic acid as the raw material for the first time, and added the surface catalyst Tween-80 to the aqueous solution to form pelargonic acid-Tween-80 composite vesicles by a surface tension method. The compound vesicle was used to encapsulate five heterocyclic drugs (ceftazolin sodium, chlorpromazine hydrochloride, gemcitabine hydrochloride, metronidazole, and isoniazid), all of which have disadvantages when used directly, and the effects of the vesicles on the five kinds of drugs was evaluated in terms of encapsulation rate and the in vitro sustained-release in a simulated artificial intestinal fluid environment. The results revealed that the pelargonic acid-Tween-80 composite vesicles exhibit an encapsulation efficiency above 45%, and that the encapsulated drugs achieve a cumulative release effect of 6-10 hours in a simulated artificial intestinal fluid environment, and the cumulative release rate is above 35%. This study proves that pelargonic acid-Tween-80 composite vesicles can be used as a carrier for encapsulated drugs, and this can extend the time of action of the drugs. This research illustrates the potential for application of pelargonic acid in the field of medicine

Revisiting the built environment: 10 potential development changes and paradigm shifts due to COVID-19

This study explores potential development and paradigm shifts in two main sectors of construction and the built environment due to COVID-19. These development changes are discussed based on evidence from previous pandemics, current and expected impacts on both industries, and how they are likely to shape the next policy, practices, and perspectives. By assessing the primary areas of both sectors through an expert-led analysis, this study suggests 10 potential development changes that we could expect in the post-COVID time. These potential changes are discussed as possible new practices, empowered regulations, or adaptive measures; and eventually towards paradigm shifts. A total of 50 participants contributed to the selection, identification, and assessment of these potential changes. The findings from this study feed into the assessment of ongoing and forthcoming changes as a result of the current pandemic, specifically on two sectors of ‘construction’ and ‘the built environment’. These will include paradigm shifts in architecture practices, civil engineering practices, project management, and urbanism. Some of the suggestions in this study may harness shared practices, and some may simply develop into new forms of development practices in both sectors

Study on the Preparation Technology of Omeprazole Vesicles

Herein a study on the process of converting omeprazole into omeprazole vesicles by a film dispersion method is presented. Using encapsulation efficiency as an index, the formulation and technology of omeprazole vesicles are optimized by a single factor experiment and a central composite design-response surface method. The optimized formulation and technology are as follows: the ratio of Tween-80 to cholesterol is 3 : 1, the hydration time is 65 min, the hydration temperature is 30°C, and hydration solvent pH is 11. Under such conditions, the average particle diameter of the obtained the omeprazole vesicles is 70 nm, and the encapsulation efficiency is 92.40%, which is close to the theoretical value of 93.43%. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) characterization reveals that the omeprazole vesicles are of regular spherical shape, and IR and TG characterization demonstrate that omeprazole has been encapsulated by the vesicles. The release time of pure omeprazole drug in simulated human intestinal fluid (pH = 6.8) is about 70 min, and the release time of omeprazole vesicles is ca 75 min, with a release rate of 33.19%

Aminocarbyne-Alkyne Coupling in Diruthenium Complexes: Exploring the Anticancer Potential of the Resulting Vinyliminium Complexes and Comparison with Diiron Homologues

New diruthenium complexes based on the scaffold Ru2Cp2(CO)(2) (Cp = eta(5)-C5H5) and containing a bridging vinyliminium ligand, [2a-d]CF3SO3, were synthesized through regioselective coupling of alkynes with an aminocarbyne precursor (85-90% yields). The reaction involving phenylacetylene proceeded with the formation of a diruthenacyclobutene byproduct, [4]CF3SO3 (10% yield). Complexes [2a-d](+) undergo partial alkyne extrusion in contact with alumina or CDCl3. All products were characterized by elemental analysis, infrared and multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, and single crystal X-ray diffraction in two cases. Complexes [2a-d](+) revealed an outstanding stability in DMEM cell culture medium at 37 degrees C (<1% degradation over 72 h). These complexes exhibited cytotoxicity in human colon colorectal adenocarcinoma HT-29 cells in the low micromolar range, with lower IC50 values than those obtained with the homologous diiron complexes previously reported. Evaluation of ROS (reactive oxygen species) production and O-2 consumption rate (OCR) highlighted the higher potential of Ru-2 complexes, compared to the Fe-2 counterparts, to impact mitochondrial activity, with the heterometallic Ru-2-ferrocenyl complex [2d](+) showing the best performance

An interpretable machine learning strategy for pursuing high piezoelectric coefficients in (K0.5Na0.5)NbO3-based ceramics

Abstract Perovskite-type lead-free piezoelectric ceramics allow access to illustrious piezoelectric coefficients (d 33) through intricate composition design and experimental modulation. Developing a swift and accurate technology for identifying (K, Na)NbO3 (KNN)-based ceramic compositions with high d 33 in exceedingly large “compositional” space will establish an innovative research paradigm surpassing the traditional empirical trial-and-error method. Herein, we demonstrate an interpretable machine learning (ML) framework for quick evaluation of KNN-based ceramics with high d 33 based on data from published literature. Specifically, a thorough feature construction was carried out from the global and local dimensions to establish tree regression models with d 33 as the target property. Subsequently, the feature-property mapping rules of KNN-based piezoelectric ceramics are further optimized through feature screening. To intuitively understand the correlation mechanisms between ML regression targets and features, the sure independence screening and sparsifying operator (SISSO) method was employed to extract the essential descriptors to explain d 33. A straightforward descriptor, $${\text{e}}^{({{NM}}_{\text{B}}-{{MV}}_{\text{B}})}\cdot {ST}/{(I{D}_{\text{A}})}^{2}$$ e ( NM B − MV B ) ⋅ ST / ( I D A ) 2 , consisting of only four easily accessible parameters, can accelerate the evaluation of a series of novel KNN-based ceramics with high d 33 while exhibiting strong theoretical interpretability. This work not only provides a tool for the rapid discovery of high piezoelectric performance in KNN-based ceramics but also offers a data-driven route for the design of property descriptors in perovskites

Tumor‐derived exosomal miR‐148b‐3p mediates M2 macrophage polarization via TSC2/mTORC1 to promote breast cancer migration and invasion

Abstract Background Emerging evidence has revealed that tumor‐associated macrophages (TAMs) and exosomes play a crucial role in the microenvironment for tumor growth. However, the mechanisms through which exosomal miRNAs modulate TAMs and tumor development in breast cancer are not fully understood. Methods We constructed a macrophage model and an indirect coculture system consist of breast cancer cells and macrophages. Exosomes were isolated from BC cells culture supernatant and identified by transmission electron microscopy, Western blot and Nanosight LM10 system. The expression of miR‐148b‐3p in exosomes was determined by qRT‐PCR and the effect of exosomal miR‐148b‐3p on macrophage polarization was measured using qRT‐PCR and ELISA. The proliferation, migration and invasion of BC cells were estimated by EdU, wound healing assay and transwell assay. We employed bioinformatics, luciferase reporter assay and Western blot to identify the target gene of miR‐148b‐3p. Western blot was used to clarify the mechanism of exosomal miR‐148b‐3p mediated the crosstalk between BC cells and M2 macrophages. Results Cancer‐derived exosomes could induce M2 polarization of macrophages, which promoted the migration and invasion of breast cancer cells. We found that exosomal miR‐148b‐3p was overexpressed in breast cancer cell‐derived exosomes and correlated with lymph node metastasis, late tumor stage and worse prognosis. Upregulated miR‐148b‐3p expression in exosomes modulated macrophage polarization by targeting TSC2, which promoted the proliferation and might affect migration and invasion of breast cancer cells. Interestingly, we found that exosomal miR‐148b‐3p could induce M2 macrophage polarization via the TSC2/mTORC1 signaling pathway in breast cancer. Conclusion Overall, our study elucidated that miR‐148b‐3p could be transported by exosomes from breast cancer cells to surrounding macrophages and induced M2 polarization by targeting TSC2, providing novel insights for breast cancer therapy

Using High-Temporal-Resolution Ambient Data to Investigate Gas-Particle Partitioning of Ammonium over Different Seasons

Ammonium is one of the dominant inorganic water-soluble ions in fine particulate matter (PM2.5). In this study, source apportionment and thermodynamic equilibrium models were used to analyze the relationship between pH and the partitioning of ammonium (epsilon(NH4+)) using hourly ambient samples collected from Tianjin, China. We found a "Reversed-S curve" between pH and epsilon(NH4+) from the ambient hourly aerosol dataset when the theoretical epsilon(NO3-)* (an index identified in this work) was within specific ranges. A Boltzmann function was then used to fit the Reversed-S curve. For the summer data set, when epsilon(NO3-)* was between 0.7 and 0.8, the fitted R-2 was 0.88. Through thermodynamic analysis, we found that the values of k[H+](2) (k = 3.08 X 10(4) L-2 mol(-2)) and epsilon(NO3-)* can influence the pH- epsilon(NH4+) curve. Under certain situations, the values of k[H+](2) and epsilon(NO3-)* are similar to each other, and epsilon(NH4+) is sensitive to pH, suggesting that epsilon(NO3-)* plays an important role in affecting the epsilon(NH4+). During summer, winter, and spring seasons, when the relative humidity was greater than 0.36 and epsilon(NO3-)* was between 0.8 and 0.95, there was an obvious Reversed-S curve, with R-2 = 0.60. The theoretical k[H+](2) and epsilon(NO3-)* developed in this work can be used to analyze the gas-particle partitioning of ammonia-ammonium and nitrate-nitric acid in the ambient atmosphere. Also, it is the first time that we created the joint source-NH3 /HNO3 maps to integrate sources, aerosol pH and liquid water content, and ions (altogether in one map), which can provide useful information for designing effective strategies to control particulate matter pollution

Inhalable Jojoba Oil Dry Nanoemulsion Powders for the Treatment of Lipopolysaccharide- or H2O2-Induced Acute Lung Injury

Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis (Link) C.K. Schneid) is a dioecious plant in desert and semi-desert areas, e.g., the Ismailia Desert in Egypt. Jojoba oil (JJBO) is a natural slight yellow oil with the functions of skin barrier repairing and wound healing, which is dermally applied as a traditional medication or cosmetic in the Middle East. The objective of this study was to prepare JJBO dry nanoemulsion powders (JNDs) and investigate their anti-acute lung injury effects. JJBO nanoemulsions (JNEs) were prepared and then lyophilized to JNDs and the properties and simulated lung deposition were measured. Rat acute lung injury (ALI) models were established after intratracheal (i.t.) administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). JNDs and dexamethasone (DXM) solutions were also i.t. administered to the rats. The pathological states of lung tissues were checked. Inflammatory and oxidative factors in the lung tissues were determined using ELISA methods. NF-κB p65 and caspase-3 were measured with a Western blotting method and an immunohistochemical method, respectively. JNDs had an appropriate mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of 4.17 µm and a fine particle fraction (FPF) of 39.11%. JNDs showed higher anti-inflammatory effect on LPS-induced ALI than DXM with a decrease in total protein content and down-regulation of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and NF-κB p65. JNDs also showed higher anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidation effect on H2O2-induced ALI than DXM with elimination of reactive oxygen species (ROS), increasing of superoxide dismutase (SOD), decrease in of lipid peroxide malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH), and inhibition of caspase-3 expression. Moreover, i.t. JNDs attenuated bleeding and infiltrations of the inflammatory cells in the two ALI models. JNDs are a promising natural oil-contained inhalable medication for the treatment of LPS- or H2O2-induced ALI

Detailed Analysis of Estimated pH, Activity Coefficients, and Ion Concentrations between the Three Aerosol Thermodynamic Models

In this work, we utilize a rich set of simulated and ground-based observational data in Tianjin, China to examine and compare the differences in aerosol acidity and composition predicted by three popular thermodynamic equilibrium models: ISORROPIA II, the Extended Aerosol Inorganics Model vision IV (E-AIM IV), and the Aerosol Inorganic-Organic Mixtures Functional groups Activity Coefficients model (AIOMFAC). The species used to estimate aerosol acidity for both simulated and ambient data were NH4+, Na+, SO42-, NO3- , and Cl-. For simulated data, there is good agreement between ISORROPIA II and E-AIM IV predicted acidity in the forward and metastable mode, resulting from the hydrogen ion activity coefficient (gamma((H+)) and the molality (m((H+))) showing opposite trends. While almost all other inorganic species concentrations are found to be similar among the three models, such is not the case for the bisulfate ion (HSO4-), which is linked to m((H+)). We find that differences in predicted bisulfate between the three models primarily result from differences in the treatment of the HSO4- H+ + SO42- reaction for highly acidic conditions. This difference in bisulfate is responsible for much of the difference in estimated pH for the ambient data (average pH of 3.5 for ISORROPIA II and 3.0 for E-AIM IV)