Preparation and characterisation of thermoresponsive poly[(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylamide-co-(hydroxyethyl acrylate)] microspheres as a matrix for the pulsed release of drugs

Despite the large number of publications and patents concerning pH/thermoresponsive polymers, few data are available concerning the preparation of thermoresponsive cross-linked microspheres from preformed polymers. Therefore, N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylamide-co-(2-hydroxyethyl acrylate) copolymers were obtained as a new thermoresponsive material with a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) around 36 degrees C, in phosphate buffer at pH 7.4, and with a cross-linkable OH group in their structure. The LCST value was determined both by UV spectroscopy and microcalorimetric analysis. These copolymers were solubilised in acidified aqueous solution below their LCST, dispersed in mineral oil, and transformed into stable microspheres by cross-linking with glutaraldehyde. The thermoresponsive microspheres were characterised by optical and scanning electron microscopy, degree of swelling, and water retention. The pore dimensions of the microspheres and the retention volumes of some drugs and typical compounds were evaluated at different temperatures by liquid chromatography. Indomethacin, as a model drug, was included in the microspheres by the solvent evaporation method. Finally, the influence of temperature and of temperature cycling on drug release was investigated.     

Development of a multicriteria assessment model for ranking biomass feedstock collection and transportation systems

This study details multicriteria assessment methodology that integrates economic, social, environmental, and technical factors in order to rank alternatives for biomass collection and transportation systems. Ranking of biomass collection systems is based on cost of delivered biomass, quality of biomass supplied, emissions during collection, energy input to the chain operations, and maturity of supply system technologies. The assessment methodology is used to evaluate alternatives for collecting 1.8×10⁶ dry t/yr based on assumptions made on performance of various assemblies of biomass collection systems is based on cost of delivered biomass, quality of biomass supplied, emissions during collection, energy input to the chain operations, and maturity of supply system technologies. The assessment methodology is used to evaluate alternatives for collecting 1.8×10⁶ dry t/yr based on assumptions made on performance of various assemblies of biomass collection systems. A proposed collection option using loafer/stacker was shown to be the best option followed by ensiling and baling. Ranking of biomass transport systems is based on cost of biomass transport, emissions during transport, traffic congestion, and maturity of different technologies. At a capacity of 4×10⁶ dry t/yr, rail transport was shown to be the best option, followed by truck transport and pipeline transport, respectively. These rankings depend highly on assumed maturity of technologies and scale of utilization. These may change if technologies such as loafing or ensiling (wet storage) methods are proved to be infeasible for large-scale collection systems.     

Analytical study of Joule heating effects on electrokinetic transportation in capillary electrophoresis

Electric fields are often used to transport fluids (by electroosmosis) and separate charged samples (by electrophoresis) in microfluidic devices. However, there exists inevitable Joule heating when electric currents are passing through electrolyte solutions. Joule heating not only increases the fluid temperature, but also produces temperature gradients in cross-stream and axial directions. These temperature effects make fluid properties non-uniform, and hence alter the applied electric potential field and the flow field. The mass species transport is also influenced. In this paper we develop an analytical model to study Joule heating effects on the transport of heat, electricity, momentum and mass species in capillary-based electrophoresis. Close-form formulae are derived for the temperature, applied electrical potential, velocity, and pressure fields at steady state, and the transient concentration field as well. Also available are the compact formulae for the electric current and the volume flow rate through the capillary. It is shown that, due to the thermal end effect, sharp temperature drops appear close to capillary ends, where sharp rises of electric field are required to meet the current continuity. In order to satisfy the mass continuity, pressure gradients have to be induced along the capillary. The resultant curved fluid velocity profile and the increase of molecular diffusion both contribute to the dispersion of samples. However, Joule heating effects enhance the sample transport velocity, reducing the analysis time in capillary electrophoretic separations.     

Ein lösbarkeitskriterium für ein mehrstufen – mehrsorten – transportproblem

A variant for checking a solvability eriterion for multilevel multisort transportation problem is given.     

Temperature and pH dual‐sensitive polyaspartamide derivatives for antitumor drug delivery

The pH‐sensitive tertiary amino groups were introduced to synthesize temperature and pH dual‐sensitive degradable polyaspartamide derivatives (phe/DEAE‐g‐PHPA) containing pendant aromatic structures and ionizable tertiary amino groups. The thermo/pH‐responsive behavior of phe/DEAE‐g‐PHPA polymer can be tuned by adjusting the graft copolymer composition. Due to the pH sensitivity of the phe/DEAE‐g‐PHPA‐g‐mPEG polymer with hydrophilic long PEG chain, the micelles and the anticancer drug‐loaded micelles were prepared by a quick pH‐changing method without using toxic organic solvent. The obtained polymeric micelles, paclitaxel‐loaded micelles and doxorubicin‐loaded micelles were stable under physiological conditions. Both the drug‐loaded micelles showed much faster release at pH 5 than at pH 7.4. The doxorubicin‐loaded micelles showed obvious and better anticancer activity against both HepG2 and HeLa cells than free doxorubicin. Thus these nontoxic, dual thermo‐ and pH‐sensitive phe/DEAE‐g‐PHPA‐g‐mPEG micelles may be a promising anticancer drug delivery system. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 879–888     

基于DID模型的ITS对北京交通拥堵改善的研究:评价期的视角

采用双重差分模型,基于智能交通系统(ITS)效用发挥滞后时间为3年,选择2010年和2014年作为评价时点对ITS实施效果和北京交通拥堵之间的相关性进行分析.DID模型计量分析的最终结果显示,ITS效果的发挥明显改善了北京交通拥堵问题.为了验证评价结果的可信度,通过改变评价时点这一参数对评价结果进行稳健性检验,结果仍显示ITS效应发挥对北京交通拥堵改善有很大的促进作用.     

Construction and application of photoresponsive smart nanochannels

In living organisms, many biological processes are inextricably linked with light, such as the photosynthesis systems and rhodopsin. Hence, construction of light-sensitive biomimetic-nanochannels, which can realize the functions of cells and other membrane structures with high degree of spatial and temporal control, is particularly attractive and challenging. As a cornerstone of light-sensitive nanochannels, the photoresponsive materials are a big family and at their mature stage after several decades of development, which can provide different strategies to construct biomimetic photoresponsive nanochannels. In this review, we mainly summarize the construction and applications of photoresponsive nanochannels on the basis of various photoresponsive materials. The construction of photoresponsive nanochannels can be classified into four categories: photoresponsive inorganic nanochannels based on inorganic-compound-based photonic sensitive materials; photoresponsive organic nanochannels based on organic-compound-based photonic sensitive materials; photoresponsive polymers nanochannel based on photoresponsive polymers materials and potential photoresponsive nanochannels based on other photoresponsive materials. After introducing the construction of photoresponsive nanochannels, the review highlights some of the most recent applications of photoresponsive nanochannels in separation, energy conversion and storage, drug delivery and so on.     

带凹性生产成本运输问题的新随机规划模型及其求解

提出了一种新的能反映决策者满意度的随机变量序关系,并据此研究了随机不等式的确定性等价类,方法被称为满意度方法.最后将其应用于带凹性生产成本运输问题的求解中,并将方法与常用的机会约束方法进行比较,说明满意度法不仅合理可行,而且当决策者对约束条件的要求越高时,它所得最优值越优于机会约束法所得最优值.     

Corresponding Angle Feedback in an innovative weighted transportation system

The optimal information feedback has a significant effect on many socioeconomic systems like stock market and traffic systems aiming to make full use of resources. In this Letter, we study dynamics of traffic flow with real-time information. The influence of a feedback strategy named Corresponding Angle Feedback Strategy (CAFS) is introduced, based on a two-route scenario in which dynamic information can be generated and displayed on the board to guide road users to make a choice. Our model incorporates the effects of adaptability into the cellular automaton models of traffic flow and simulation results adopting this optimal information feedback strategy have demonstrated high efficiency in controlling spatial distribution of traffic patterns compared with the other three information feedback strategies, i.e., vehicle number and flux.     

A superhydrophobic magnetic elastomer actuator for droplet motion control

For the fast droplet transportation on an open surface, a new magnetic elastomer with a superhydrophobic surface has been developed. Because the surface is superhydrophobic, the water droplet can easily roll off on the surface. The movement of the droplet was controlled by a deliberate local deformation of the surface of the elastomer induced by magnetic actuation. The direction and speed of the droplet motion was easily controlled by changing the surface topography using magnetic force. We also demonstrate the applicability of the devices as a new type of open‐surface digital microfluidics using a simple chemical reaction. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.