Cytokine Secreting Microparticles Engineer the Fate and the Effector Functions of T‐Cells

T‐cell immunotherapy is a promising approach for cancer, infection, and autoimmune diseases. However, significant challenges hamper its therapeutic potential, including insufficient activation, delivery, and clonal expansion of T‐cells into the tumor environment. To facilitate T‐cell activation and differentiation in vitro, core–shell microparticles are developed for sustained delivery of cytokines. These particles are enriched by heparin to enable a steady release of interleukin‐2 (IL‐2), the major T‐cell growth factor, over 10+ d. The controlled delivery of cytokines is used to steer lineage specification of cultured T‐cells. This approach enables differentiation of T‐cells into central memory and effector memory subsets. It is shown that the sustained release of stromal cell‐derived factor 1α could accelerate T‐cell migration. It is demonstrated that CD4+ T‐cells could be induced to high concentrations of regulatory T‐cells through controlled release of IL‐2 and transforming growth factor beta. It is found that CD8+ T‐cells that received IL‐2 from microparticles are more likely to gain effector functions as compared with traditional administration of IL‐2. Culture of T‐cells within 3D scaffolds that contain IL‐2‐secreting microparticles enhances proliferation as compared with traditional, 2D approaches. This yield a new method to control the fate of T‐cells and ultimately to new strategies for immune therapy.     

A high-performance chitosan-based double layer proton exchange membrane with reduced methanol crossover

A novel double layer proton exchange membrane (PEM) comprising a layer of structurally modified chitosan, as a methanol barrier layer, coated on Nafion^®112 was prepared and assessed for direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) applications. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrographs of the designed membrane revealed a tight adherence between layers, which indicate the high affinity of opposite charged polyelectrolyte layers. Proton conductivity and methanol permeability measurements showed improved transport properties of the designed membrane compared to Nafion^®117. Moreover, DMFC performance tests revealed a higher open circuit voltage and power density, as well as overall fuel cell efficiency for the double layer membrane in comparison with Nafion^®117, especially at elevated methanol solution feed. The obtained results indicate the designed double layer membrane as a promising PEM for high-performance DMFC applications.     

Multi-Objective Optimization of Integrated Surface and Groundwater Resources Under the Clean Development Mechanism

Acquiring sustainable water resources for water-based development of countries is the experts? concern in this field, who seek to follow the clean development mechanism (CDM) regulations and overcome water crisis through integrated water resources management (IWRM). The Great Karun River basin is one of the major basins in the Middle East. This basin, containing six of the largest reservoir dams with a cumulative power plant capacity of more than 10,500 MW generates about 93% of hydropower of Iran. The water balance of the aquifer in the study area was simulated using MODFLOW model while water resources and surface water reserves were simulated by the water evaluation and planning (WEAP) model. A separate simulation was performed with each of two models and the results of two models were coupled using a link file. The multi-objective function optimization process including the maximized supply of demands and hydropower and the minimized aquifer drawdown was completed using non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II). All effective system components, such as inter-basin water transfer, integrated use of water resources, variation of irrigation network efficiencies, and the effect of water shortage were studied and analyzed under the targeted scenarios. Finally, the best scenario, which was capable to supply the future needs until time horizon of 2040 was planned for the basin considering minimization of aquifer drawdown and optimal generation of hydropower resulting in a maximum decrease in emission of greenhouse gases.

     

Electrochemical investigation of sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone)/clay nanocomposite membranes for moderate temperature fuel cell applications

In the present study, polyelectrolyte membranes based on partially sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (sPEEK) with various degrees of sulfonation are prepared. The optimum degree of sulfonation is determined according to the transport properties and hydrolytic stability of the membranes. Subsequently, various amounts of the organically modified montmorillonite (MMT) are introduced into the sPEEK matrices via the solution intercalation technique. The proton conductivity and methanol permeability measurements of the fabricated composite membranes reveal a high proton to methanol selectivity, even at elevated temperatures. Membrane based on sPEEK and 1 wt% of MMT, as the optimum nanoclay composition, exhibits a high selectivity and power density at the concentrated methanol feed. Moreover, it is found that the optimum nanocomposite membrane not only provides higher performance compared to the neat sPEEK and Nafion^®117 membranes, but also exhibits a high open circuit voltage (OCV) at the elevated methanol concentration. Owing to the high proton conductivity, reduced methanol permeability, high power density, convenient processability and low cost, sPEEK/MMT nanocomposite membranes could be considered as the alternative membranes for moderate temperature direct methanol fuel cell applications.     

Chemometric analytical approach for the cloud point extraction and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometric determination of zinc oxide nanoparticles in water samples

Cloud point extraction (CPE) with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) was applied to the analysis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs, mean diameter ～40 nm) in water and wastewater samples. Five CPE factors, surfactant (Triton X-114 (TX-114)) concentration, pH, ionic strength, incubation temperature, and incubation time, were investigated and optimized by orthogonal array design (OAD). A three-level OAD, OA(27) (3(13)) matrix was employed in which the effects of the factors and their contributions to the extraction efficiency were quantitatively assessed by the analysis of variance (ANOVA). Based on the analysis, the best extraction efficiency (87.3%) was obtained at 0.25% (w/v) of TX-114, pH = 10, salt content of 15 mM NaCl, incubation temperature of 45 °C, and incubation time of 30 min. The results showed that surfactant concentration, pH, incubation time, and ionic strength exert significant effects on the extraction efficiency. Preconcentration factors of 62 and 220 were obtained with 0.25 and 0.05% (w/v) TX-114, respectively. The relative recoveries of ZnO NPs from different environmental waters were in the range 64-123% at 0.5-100 μg/L spiked levels. The ZnO NPs extracted into the TX-114-rich phase were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) combined with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and UV-visible spectrometry. Based on the results, no significant changes in size and shape of NPs were observed compared to those in the water before extraction. The extracted ZnO NPs were determined after microwave digestion by ICPMS. A detection limit of 0.05 μg/L was achieved for ZnO NPs. The optimized conditions were successfully applied to the analysis of ZnO NPs in water samples.     

On‐Chip Fabrication of Paclitaxel‐Loaded Chitosan Nanoparticles for Cancer Therapeutics

The use of solvent‐free microfluidics to fine‐tune the physical and chemical properties of chitosan nanoparticles for drug delivery is demonstrated. Nanoparticle self‐assembly is driven by pH changes in a water environment, which increases biocompatibility by avoiding organic solvent contamination common with traditional techniques. Controlling the time of mixing (2.5–75 ms) during nanoparticle self‐assembly enables us to adjust nanoparticle size and surface potential in order to maximize cellular uptake, which in turn dramatically increases drug effectiveness. The compact nanostructure of these nanoparticles preserves drug potency better than previous nanoparticles, and is more stable during long‐term circulation at physiological pH. However, when the nanoparticles encounter a tumor cell and the associated drop in pH, the drug contents are released. Moreover, the loading efficiency of hydrophobic drugs into the nanoparticles increases significantly from previous work to over 95%. The microfluidic techniques used here have applications not just for drug‐carrying nanoparticle fabrication, but also for the better control of virtually any self‐assembly process.     

Physical modeling and frequency-response analysis of a high-temperature Superconducting terahertz photomixer

A physical modeling and a rigorous theoretical analysis consisting of the two-temperature model and the generalized transmission-line model is used to evaluate a photo-induced terahertz continuous-wave voltage from a dc current-biased high-temperature superconducting (HTS) transmission line by optical heterodyne photomixing. The electrical and optical frequency-response analyses show the amplitude of this voltage increases with increasing beat frequency and decreasing optical frequency of laser beams. Its maximum frequency is found to be limited by the gap frequency of the HTS material, which is consistent with the available experiments reported in the literature. The developed model along with our numerical simulation reveal the ways to produce a coherent traveling-wave and high-power terahertz signal with proper choice of an HTS material, bias condition, geometrical configuration, and parameters of the transmission line and characteristics of two laser beams. This HTS photomixer can play an important role in terahertz transceivers as broadly tunable local oscillators with low-noise/low-power consumption characteristics.     

Kinetic inductive model of a millimeter-wave high-temperature superconducting optoelectronic mixer

We introduce and analyze an optoelectronic mixer (OEM) based on the kinetic inductive photoresponse in high-temperature superconducting (HTS) films. This device combines photodetection and optoelectronic mixing functions through a nonlinear change in the kinetic inductance of the HTS film when it is irradiated by an optically modulated microwave signal. A comprehensive theoretical analysis is presented using the two-temperature model to describe the nonbolometric (quantum) photoresponse and the kinetic inductance model for the electrical part. Upon the optical irradiation, the change in the electron temperature of the HTS film leads to a parametric change in the kinetic inductance of the photoexcited HTS bridge, which in the presence of a bias current produces a periodic voltage waveform. In order to obtain the temporal behavior and the frequency content of the output voltage in terms of the input local oscillator and modulation frequencies, the kinetic inductance model and Fourier series analysis have been used and their physical consequences have been discussed in detail. The merit characteristics of the kinetic inductive HTS-OEM, such as intrinsic and optical conversion gains and noise temperature, are evaluated and compared with other high-frequency mixers. This is followed by the numerical simulation of the proposed device.     

Nonlinear Josephson left-handed transmission lines

In the paper, a new nonlinear left-handed transmission line (NLHTL) that incorporates arrays of Josephson junctions (JJs) is proposed. The nonlinearity of the newly developed Josephson left-handed transmission line (JLHTL) is due to the highly nonlinear nature of the JJs that provide the shunt inductances required to realise an LHTL. The current-voltage relationship of an array of JJs is utilised to realise an inductively tunable LHTL. Dispersion analysis along with the scattering parameters of the JLHTL are presented to study the left-handed behaviour of the JLHTL. Finally, harmonic generation of the proposed JLHTL is studied