Topical application of zein-silk sericin nanoparticles loaded with curcumin for improved therapy of dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis is characterized by leukocyte migration into the skin dermis and typically driven by excessive chemokine production at the site of inflammation. Conventional topical formulations such as gels, creams, and ointments are insufficient for this treatment because of low penetration of drug molecules into the targeted skin tissues. Herein, using a simple, green, sustainable strategy, we have developed novel primary zein nanoparticles embedded in curcumin (Cur) and coated with silk sericin (ZHSCs) for the topical delivery of Cur to penetrate into the dermis and exercise anti-dermatitis effects on the lesion with minimal side-effects. Transdermal delivery experiments and porcine skin fluorescence imaging indicated that ZHSCs facilitate the penetration of Cur across the epidermis layer of skin to reach deep-seated sites. Notably, ZHSCs = 1:0.25 (zein-to-silk sericin mass ratios of 1:0.25) markedly elevated the skin permeability and cumulative turnover of Cur transferred, which were provided a greater than a 3.8-fold increase relative to free Cur. The special nanoparticles of ZHS = 1:0.25 possessed the deepest localization depth and experience a transition of the particle structure and core-shell separation after penetrating into the dermis of skin. In a cell model of dermatitis induced by tumor necrosis factor α/interferon γ co-stimulation, compared with free Cur, Cur-loaded ZHS nanoparticles down-regulated the generation of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in keratinocytes through suppression of the nuclear translocation of NF-κBp65 and hence exerted an anti-dermatitis effect. This strategy may provide new avenues and direction for the demanding issues of valid topical delivery systems.     

Hierarchical motion planning at the acceleration level based on task priority matrix for space robot

Nonlinear Dynamics - A capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) due to many benefits is being considered as an imaging and therapeutic technology recently. The critical challenge is to...     

Limit for the Euler-genus distributions of ladder-like sequences of graphs

Journal of Algebraic Combinatorics - In this paper, we demonstrate a method for calculating the production matrices for the Euler-genus polynomials of H-linear families of graphs. Particularly, for...     

A visible light responsive molecularly imprinted photoelectrochemical sensor for the sensitive detection of BSA

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - A molecularly imprinted photoelectrochemical (PEC) cathodic sensor was developed for the detection of bovine serum albumin (BSA). The PEC sensor was...     

Portfolio Selection and Risk Control for an Insurer With Uncertain Time Horizon and Partial Information in an Anticipating Environment

Methodology and Computing in Applied Probability - This paper is devoted to the study of an optimal investment and risk control problem for an insurer. The risky asset process and the insurance...     

Quantitative Analysis of Al in Flour Products by Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Combined with Partial Least Squares

Journal of Applied Spectroscopy - Based on partial least squares (PLS) analysis, the effects of different smoothing points and different preprocessing methods on the accuracy and precision of the...     

Extension/Compression-Controlled Complete Band Gaps in 2D Chiral Square-Lattice-Like Structures

Achieving tunable band gaps in a structure by external stimuli is of great importance in acoustic applications. This paper aims to investigate the tunability of band gaps in square-lattice-like elastic periodic structures that are usually not featured with notable band gaps.Endowed with chirality, the periodic structures here are able to undergo imperfection-insensitive large deformation under extension or compression. The influences of geometric parameters on band gaps are discussed via the nonlinear finite element method. It is shown that the band gaps in such structures with curved beams can be very rich and, more importantly, can be efficiently and robustly tuned by applying appropriate mechanical loadings without inducing buckling. As expected, geometry plays a more significant role than material nonlinearity does in the evolution of band gaps. The dynamic tunability of band gaps through mechanical loading is further studied. Results show that closing, opening, and shifting of band gaps can be realized by exerting real-time global extension or compression on the structure. The proposed periodic structure with well-designed chiral symmetry can be useful in the design of particular acoustic devices.     

Piezoelectric Actuator Placement Optimization and Active Vibration Control of a Membrane Structure

The placement optimization of piezoelectric actuators and active vibration control of a membrane structure are studied in this paper. The classical linear quadratic regulator controllers are designed to suppress the unwanted vibration. Simulation results indicate that the optimal locations of piezoelectric actuators are affected deeply by the additional mass and stiffness of actuators, the computational efficiency of particle swarm optimizer is higher than that of genetic algorithm for this particular problem, and the control performance of optimally placed actuators is better than that of non-optimally placed actuators.