Optoregulated Drug Release from an Engineered Living Material: Self‐Replenishing Drug Depots for Long‐Term,Light‐Regulated Delivery

On‐demand and long‐term delivery of drugs are common requirements in many therapeutic applications, not easy to be solved with available smart polymers for drug encapsulation. This work presents a fundamentally different concept to address such scenarios using a self‐replenishing and optogenetically controlled living material. It consists of a hydrogel containing an active endotoxin‐free Escherichia coli strain. The bacteria are metabolically and optogenetically engineered to secrete the antimicrobial and antitumoral drug deoxyviolacein in a light‐regulated manner. The permeable hydrogel matrix sustains a viable and functional bacterial population and permits diffusion and delivery of the synthesized drug to the surrounding medium at quantities regulated by light dose. Using a focused light beam, the site for synthesis and delivery of the drug can be freely defined. The living material is shown to maintain considerable levels of drug production and release for at least 42 days. These results prove the potential and flexibility that living materials containing engineered bacteria can offer for advanced therapeutic applications.     

圆柱形带壳推进剂装药枪击响应特性

为研究某圆柱形带壳推进剂装药的枪击响应特性,设计了一种12.7 mm子弹撞击试验。利用高速摄影机记录带壳装药在子弹撞击下的响应过程,并测试不同距离、方位处的空气超压及壳体破片速度,同时进行带壳装药在理想爆轰条件下的数值计算,得到了带壳装药的能量释放率。一共开展了四次圆柱形带壳装药的枪击试验,前三次装药发生了爆燃反应,第四次几乎无反应。结果表明:子弹撞击位置对圆柱形带壳装药的反应和能量释放率有较大影响,当子弹垂直入射带壳装药轴线后,推进剂发生点火、冒烟、熄火和低压燃烧的时序响应,其相对能量释放率为1.146%;而当子弹撞击位置偏离轴线一定距离时,推进剂几乎无反应,其相对能量释放率仅为0.473%;推进剂的反应对壳体破片有加速效应,带壳装药发生爆燃反应时的破片速度可达428.6 m·s~(-1),而几乎无反应时的最高破片速度仅有70.1 m·s~(-1)。     

Temperature-sensitive polyurethane (TSPU) film incorporated with carvacrol and cinnamyl aldehyde: antimicrobial activity,sustained release kinetics and potential use as food packaging for Cantonese-style moon cake

Temperature-sensitive polyurethane (TSPU) films incorporated with carvacrol and cinnamyl aldehyde were prepared for the potential use of food packaging. The antimicrobial properties and sustained release kinetics of carvacrol and cinnamyl aldehyde in TSPU film were investigated. Results indicated that cinnamyl aldehyde and carvacrol had favourable antimicrobial properties at relatively low addition ratio. The diffusion and release of carvacrol were linearly related to temperature and its addition ratio. The release rates of carvacrol from TSPU film increased from 0.6% to 2.2% with the increase of addition ratio and temperature. The first-order kinetic equation could be used to describe its diffusion and sustained release process. TSPU films could significantly prolong the shelf life of Cantonese-style moon cakes by effectively inhibiting microbial growth and decreasing lipid oxidation comparing with commonly used polyethylene food packaging. Results obtained in the present work can provide technical guide of sustained release food packaging films with antimicrobial properties.     

Prolonged drug release using PCL–TMZ nanofibers induce the apoptotic behavior of U87 glioma cells

In situ prolonged delivery of drugs at the site of tumor can be satisfactorily accelerated patient recovery. We compared the effect of temozolomide while incorporated by polycaprolactone nanofibers on the apoptotic behavior of U87 glioma cells. After biocompatibility evaluation of nanofibers by scanning electron microscope and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide analysis, the apoptosis of U87 cells was evaluated using p53, Bcl2 and Bax genes expression. It was found that nanofiber-temozolomide group showed a greater ability to induce apoptosis as well as have a significantly diminished initial burst release of drug compared with other groups and have promising potential in treating cancer.     

Homogeneous non-equilibrium two-phase choked flow modeling

The estimation of the release conditions is critical input to subsequent risk assessment accident analysis. To this respect a new homogeneous non-equilibrium two-phase model is proposed to simulate the depressurization from stagnation conditions leading to the bubbly flow regime. The proposed model, being intermediate between HEM (homogeneous equilibrium) and HFM (homogeneous frozen) models, presents no discontinuity in the liquid phase depressurization path gradient and therefore no discontinuity in sound speed. The proposed model is successfully validated against the NASA hydrogen critical flow experiments and compared against predictions from both HEM and HFM, using hydrogen physical properties from NIST. An increase of the pressure difference between stagnation and the intersection of isentropic with saturation line leads to increase of the choked mass flux, decrease of the throat to stagnation pressure ratio, decrease of the liquid superheat and decrease of the vapor quality. The proposed model was found to overestimate the experimental throat mass fluxes by no more than 10% and underestimate the experimental throat to stagnation pressure ratios by no more than 50%, while predicted liquid superheat values range from 3.8 to 11% of the saturation temperature. Deviations between models were found to increase for low values of the pressure difference parameter, where non-equilibrium effects become more important. Under these conditions the throat mass flux is underestimated by maximum 20% by HEM and overestimated up to 32% by HFM, while the throat to stagnation pressure ratio is overestimated by up to 72% and underestimated by 80% respectively.     

Chitosan Microspheres as Carriers for pH‐Indicating Species in Corrosion Sensing

Chitosan microspheres containing bromocresol green, cresol red, and phenolphthalein for corrosion detection, through pH change, are synthesized in order to be used in protective coatings for aluminium alloys. Microspheres containing corrosion detection species are characterized morphologically (SEM) and physico‐chemically (FTIR, TGA). Release studies (UV–vis) are performed in corrosion‐promoting conditions (pH, NaCl), and detection studies by immersion in media associated with corrosion activity while microspheres' sensing activity is evaluated visually. Electrochemical characterization of AA2024 substrates in the presence of chitosan spheres is performed to understand material performance, and a color change is observed as a result of local pH increase in cathodic areas when corrosion takes place. These findings can be correlated with the results from release studies and seem a promising approach for corrosion sensing purposes, not only because pH increase is possible to detect due to corrosion, but also because chitosan is considered an environmentally friendly material.     

控锻控冷工艺对GCr15轴承钢力学性能的影响

探究不同控锻控冷热处理工艺对GCr15钢力学性能的影响,测试了它的回火稳定性、冲击性能、滚动接触疲劳寿命。结果表明,采用控锻控冷工艺可提高试样的抗回火稳定性,冲击性能提高50%以上,接触疲劳寿命提高40%以上。     

镜面杂质与水汽吸放对露点仪影响的实验研究

显微成像露点仪在研制和测试过程中发现镜面杂质和内腔材质吸放水汽等影响测量精度的问题。针对镜面杂质对显微成像露点仪测量的影响开展了镜面图像特征的实验研究，结果表明：镜面杂质点处露珠凝结具有优先性，且反复凝结消散后镜面出现杂质沉降现象。针对水汽吸放对显微成像露点仪的影响开展了水汽释放与吸附效应的实验研究，结果表明：当温度发生变化时，显微成像露点仪感应舱内壁氧化铝材质存在释放（或吸附）水汽现象，使得显微成像露点仪测量值偏大（或偏小）。研究结果为露点仪在功能设置及镜面与腔体材料选择方面提供了参考。     

A supplemental computer-assisted intervention programme to prevent early reading difficulties in Spanish learners: A stratified random control trial

Difficulties in implementing effective instruction for at-risk students arise from two challenges: the transfer of evidence-based knowledge and the lack of economic resources. Computer-assisted programmes offer a suitable solution, providing quality instruction using low-cost resources. Thirty-two first-grade students with early learning difficulties were identified and paired based on at least three of the pre-intervention reading measures (reading efficiency of monosyllabic and disyllabic items, words, pseudowords and text reading speed). Each pair was assigned to one of two different intervention programmes: a computer-assisted intervention programme (CAIP) focused on syllables or the programme provided by the Spanish State School Assistance Services (SSAS). Every week, the CAIP participants received in pairs four 15-min training sessions on syllable decoding plus one 30-min group comprehension session. The CAIP was delivered by trainee students. The SSAS programme typically consisted of a 1-hr individual or in small groups sessions per week delivered by trained practitioners. Both programmes were administered for 11 weeks. The CAIP intervention showed better results than the SSAS intervention for both decoding and comprehension, with moderate to large effect sizes.     

Rare earth element cerium substituted Ca–Si–Mg system bioceramics: From mechanism to mechanical and degradation properties

Cerium (Ce)-substituted diopsides (CaMgSi₂O₆) with enhanced mechanical strength and bioactivity were fabricated by precipitation method, followed by annealing at 1000 °C for 4 h. The mineralogical, morphological, in vitro biomineralization, degradation, and mechanical properties were investigated in order to assess the factors and mechanisms affecting the resultant properties. The X-ray diffractometer results showed that the onset of substitutional solid solubility in 0.25 mol Ce would result in new phase formation (cerium dioxide [CeO₂], and magnesium silicate [MgSiO₃]) further causing lattice instability. With increasing Ce dopant levels to 1.00 mol, the initial CaMgSi₂O₆ phase was completely replaced by new phases. The field-emission scanning electron microscopy results indicated that the 0.25 mol Ce had the best biomineralization performance in vitro, while less hydroxyapatite precipitates were found with further increasing Ce dopant levels, suggesting the new phases led to the hindrance of precipitates. The weight loss values indicated that the high dissolution rate of ions in the matrix was observed in the pure sample, while the high readsorption rate of ions in the simulated body fluid (SBF) occurred with increasing Ce dopant levels. The pH value and the inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer results suggested that the release of Ca and Mg ions controlled the pH value. The mechanical strength of matrices before SBF immersion was related to the phase transformation, the elastic modulus of CeO₂ and CaMgSi₂O₆, and the release of Mg ions, while the mechanical strength of matrices after SBF immersion was dominated by the structure of matrices.