Kinetics of the radical scavenging activity of β-carotene-related compounds

To clarify the non-enzymatic radical-scavenging activity of β-carotene-related compounds and other polyenes, we used differential scanning calorimetry to study the kinetics of radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) by 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) or benzoyl peroxide (BPO) in the absence or presence of polyenes under nearly anaerobic conditions at 70°C, and analyzed the results with an SAR approach. The polyenes studied were all-trans retinol, retinol palmitate, calciferol, β-carotene and lycopene. Polyenes produced a small induction period. The stoichiometric factor (n) (i.e. the number of radicals trapped by each inhibitor molecule) of polyenes was close to 0. Tetraterpenes (β-carotene, lycopene) suppressed significantly more of the initial rate of polymerization (R ^inh) than did diterpenes (retinol, retinol palmitate). The inhibition rate constants (k ^inh) for the reaction of β-carotene with AIBN-or BPO-derived radicals were determined to be 1.2–1.6?×?10⁵ l?/?mol?s, similar to published values. A linear relationship between k ^inh and the kinetic chain length (KCL) for polyenes was observed; as k ^inh increased, KCL decreased. KCL also decreased significantly as the number of conjugated double bonds in the polyenes increased. Polyenes, particularly β-carotene and lycopene, acted as interceptors of growing poly-MMA radicals.     

Mechanism and Influencing Factors of Wettability Alteration of Water-Wet Sandstone Surface by CTAB

Different experimental methods including ellipsometry, zeta potential measurements, imbibition studies, and contact angle measurements were used to study the mechanism and influencing factors of wettability alteration of water-wet sandstone surface caused by CTAB (hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide). Results show that when the concentration of CTAB reaches a certain level (below CMC), due to the electrostatic attraction between the positively charged head groups of CTAB and the negatively charged sandstone surface, the monolayer of CTAB is formed and hydrophobic chains of CTAB molecules are toward the aqueous phase, making the solid surface oil-wet. When the concentration of CTAB continues to increase (above CMC), due to the hydrophobic interaction, the compact bilayer of CTAB is formed and hydrophilic head groups of CTAB molecules are toward the aqueous phase, rendering the solid surface water-wet. The contact angles between the oil–water interface and the surface treated with CTAB increase with the increase of the concentration of NaCl and CaCl_2. Compared to NaCl, the inorganic salt CaCl₂ has a greater impact on the contact angle. In addition, the contact angles increase with the increase of temperature and decrease with the increase of pH value of the aqueous solution.     

Incommensurate Phase in Λ-cobalt (III) Sepulchrate Trinitrate Governed by Highly Competitive N−H⋅⋅⋅O and C−H⋅⋅⋅O Hydrogen Bond Networks**

Phase transitions in molecular crystals are often determined by intermolecular interactions. The cage complex of [Co(C₁₂H₃₀N₈)]³⁺ ⋅ 3 NO₃⁻ is reported to undergo a disorder-order phase transition at T_c1 ≈133 K upon cooling. Temperature-dependent neutron and synchrotron diffraction experiments revealed satellite reflections in addition to main reflections in the diffraction patterns below T_c1. The modulation wave vector varies as function of temperature and locks in at T_c3≈98 K. Here, we demonstrate that the crystal symmetry lowers from hexagonal to monoclinic in the incommensurately modulated phases in T_c1<T<T_c3. Distinctive levels of competitions: trade-off between longer N−H⋅⋅⋅O and shorter C−H⋅⋅⋅O hydrogen bonds; steric constraints to dense C−H⋅⋅⋅O bonds give rise to pronounced modulation of the basic structure. Severely frustrated crystal packing in the incommensurate phase is precursor to optimal balance of intermolecular interactions in the lock-in phase.     

Recent research advances of the biomimetic tumor microenvironment and regulatory factors on microfluidic devices: A systematic review

Tumor microenvironment is a multicomponent system consisting of tumor cells, noncancer cells, extracellular matrix, and signaling molecules, which hosts tumor cells with integrated biophysical and biochemical elements. Because of its critical involvement in tumor genesis, invasion, metastasis, and resistance, the tumor microenvironment is emerging as a hot topic of tumor biology and a prospective therapeutic target. Unfortunately, the complex of microenvironment modeling in vitro is technically challenging and does not effectively generalize the local tumor tissue milieu. Recently, significant advances in microfluidic technologies have provided us with an approach to imitate physiological systems that can be utilized to mimic the characterization of tumor responses with pathophysiological relevance in vitro. In this review, we highlight the recent progress and innovations in microfluidic technology that facilitates the tumor microenvironment study. We also discuss the progress and future perspective of microfluidic bionic approaches with high efficiency for the study of tumor microenvironment and the challenges encountered in cancer research, drug discovery, and personalized therapy.     

Efficiency assessment of primary care providers: A conditional nonparametric approach

This paper uses a fully nonparametric approach to estimate efficiency measures for primary care units incorporating the effect of (exogenous) environmental factors. This methodology allows us to account for different types of variables (continuous and discrete) describing the main characteristics of patients served by those providers. In addition, we use an extension of this nonparametric approach to deal with the presence of undesirable outputs in data, represented by the rates of hospitalization for ambulatory care sensitive condition (ACSC). The empirical results show that all the exogenous variables considered have a significant and negative effect on efficiency estimates.     

Nonvertex‐Balanced Factors in Random Graphs

We prove part of a conjecture by Johansson, Kahn, and Vu (Factors in random graphs, Random Struct. Algorithms 33 (2008), 1, 1–28.) regarding threshold functions for the existence of an H‐factor in a random graph . We prove that the conjectured threshold function is correct for any graph H which is not covered by its densest subgraphs. We also demonstrate that the main result of Johansson, Kahn, and Vu (Factors in random graphs, Random Struct. Algorithms 33 (2008), 1, 1–28) generalizes to multigraphs, digraphs, and a multipartite model.     

相干梯度敏感干涉测量技术及在静态断裂力学实验中的应用

介绍了相干梯度敏感(CGS)干涉测量技术的基本原理及其在静态Ⅰ型断裂实验中的应用,验证了该方法对裂纹尖端局部变形场和断裂特性进行定量研究的可行性。给出了代表静态Ⅰ型裂纹尖端奇异场光力学信息的CGS控制方程,模拟并分析了Ⅰ型裂纹尖端的CGS条纹模式,对静态Ⅰ型裂纹尖端变形场和断裂特性进行了三点弯曲的CGS试验,并提取了应力强度因子KⅠ。结果表明,试验结果与理论分析结果相吻合。     

Standing wave-assisted acoustic droplet vaporization for single and dual payload release in acoustically-responsive scaffolds

An ultrasound standing wave field (SWF) has been utilized in many biomedical applications. Here, we demonstrate how a SWF can enhance drug release using acoustic droplet vaporization (ADV) in an acoustically-responsive scaffold (ARS). ARSs are composite fibrin hydrogels containing payload-carrying, monodispersed perfluorocarbon (PFC) emulsions and have been used to stimulate regenerative processes such as angiogenesis. Elevated amplitudes in the SWF significantly enhanced payload release from ARSs containing dextran-loaded emulsions (nominal diameter: 6 μm) compared to the -SWF condition, both at sub- and suprathreshold excitation pressures. At 2.5 MHz and 4 MPa peak rarefactional pressure, the cumulative percentage of payload released from ARSs reached 84.1 ± 5.4% and 66.1 ± 4.4% under + SWF and -SWF conditions, respectively, on day 10. A strategy for generating a SWF for an in situ ARS is also presented. For dual-payload release studies, bi-layer ARSs containing a different payload within each layer were exposed to temporally staggered ADV at 3.25 MHz (day 0) and 8.6 MHz (day 4). Sequential payload release was demonstrated using dextran payloads as well as two growth factors relevant to angiogenesis: basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB). In addition, bubble growth and fibrin degradation were characterized in the ARSs under +SWF and -SWF conditions. These results highlight the utility of a SWF for modulating single and dual payload release from an ARS and can be used in future therapeutic studies.