Light-triggered OVA release based on CuS@poly(lactide-co-glycolide acid) nanoparticles for synergistic photothermal-immunotherapy of tumor.

The immunotherapy played a vital role in the treatment of metastatic tumor. To further enhance the effect of the immunotherapy, the combination of photothermal effect can not only eradicate the tumor cells by hyperthermia, but also improved the antigen release in vivo to achieve enhanced immune responses. In this study, a core-shell structured nanocomplex was developed by loading of ovalbumin (OVA) and copper sulfide nanoparticles (CuS-NPs) into the poly(lactide-co-glycolide acid) nanoparticles (PLGA-NPs). The CuS-NPs exhibited favorable photothermal effect, which significantly kill the 4T1 tumor cells in vitro. The photothermal effect of the CuS-NPs accelerated the OVA release, which led to higher levels of IL-6, IL-12 and TNF-α, and activation of CD8+ T cells. Both of the OVA-PLGA-NPs and CuS-NPs with NIR light irradiation contributed inhibited primary tumor while the growth of the distant tumors was not hindered. The irradiated CuS@OVA-PLGA-NPs exhibited a minimal primary tumor because of the combined effect of photothermal therapy and immunotherapy. Moreover, the irradiated CuS@OVA-PLGA-NPs showed the most extensive distribution of CD8+ T cells in the primary and distant tumor, which blocked the rise of the distant tumor. In conclusion, the CuS@OVA-PLGA-NPs presented as a promising strategy for metastatic tumor therapy.

Enteric-coated capsule containing ß-galactosidase-loaded polylactic acid nanocapsules: enzyme stability and milk lactose hydrolysis under simulated gastrointestinal conditions.

In order to protect peroral ß-galactosidase from being degraded and hydrolyse milk lactose efficiently in the environments of gastrointestinal tract, a double-capsule delivery system composed of enteric-coated capsule and polylactic acid (PLA) nanocapsules (NCs) was developed for encapsulation of ß-galactosidase. ß-galactosidase-loaded PLA NCs in the size range of 100-200 nm were prepared by a modified w1/o/w2 technique. During the encapsulation process, dichloromethane/ethyl acetate (1 : 1, v/v) as the solvent composition, high-pressure homogenisation (150 bar, 3 min) as the second emulsification method and polyvinyl alcohol or Poloxamer 188 as a stabiliser in the inner phase could efficiently improve the activity retention of ß-galactosidase (>90%). Subsequently, the prepared NCs were freeze-dried and filled in a hydroxypropyl methylcellulose phthalate (HP55)-coated capsule. In vitro results revealed that the HP55-coated capsule remained intact in the simulated gastric fluid and efficiently protected the nested ß-galactosidase from acidic denaturation. Under the simulated intestinal condition, the enteric coating dissolved rapidly and released the ß-galactosidase-loaded PLA NCs, which exhibited greater stability against enzymatic degradation and higher hydrolysis ratio (∼100%) towards milk lactose than the free ß-galactosidase. These results suggest that this double-capsule delivery system represents promising candidate for efficient lactose hydrolysis in the gastrointestinal tract.

Response of a simulated aquatic fungal community to nanoplastics exposure and functional consequence on leaf decomposition.

Nanoplastics pose a potential threat to a wide variety of aquatic organisms. Despite the awareness of this existing hazard, the impact of nanoplastics on natural fungal communities remains a research gap. In this study, five dominant fungi species, isolated from a stream ecosystem, were used to explore the effects of different nano-polystyrene (nano-PS) particles concentrations on a simulated fungal community. Specifically, the evaluation was conducted regarding the fungal growth, reproductivity, structural composition, and ecological function in leaf litter decomposition. A 15-day exposure experiment showed that 100 µg/L nano-PS significantly reduced the microcosm pH. The extracellular enzyme activities of ß-glucosidase, leucine-aminopeptidase, and peroxidase were significantly promoted by nano-PS exposure for 5 days or 15 days. Total sporulation rate significantly decreased after the 15-day exposure to 1 and 100 µg/L nano-PS and significantly increased under 10 µg/L nano-PS. In contrast, nano-PS concentrations had no effects on fungal biomass. In addition, the reduced relative abundance of Geotrichum candidum lowered its contribution to leaf decomposition, resulting in a decreased litter decomposition rate of a 24.5-27.9 % after exposure. This suggests that 1-100 µg/L nano-PS inhibited leaf decomposition by inhibiting fungal reproduction and reducing the contribution of specific fungal species. In addition, the findings highlight the importance of exploring the potential mechanisms of the interaction between nanoplastics and fungal species.

Effects of nanoplastic exposure routes on leaf decomposition in streams.

Polystyrene nanoparticles (PS NPs) released from plastic products have been demonstrated to pose a threat to leaf litter decomposition in streams. Given the multitrophic systems of species interactions, the effects of PS NPs through different exposure routes on ecosystem functioning remain unclear. Especially dietary exposure, a frequently overlooked pathway leading to toxicity, deserves more attention. A microcosm experiment was conducted in this study to assess the effects of waterborne and dietary exposure to PS NPs on the litter-based food chain involving leaves, microbial decomposers, and detritivores (river snails). Compared to waterborne contamination, dietary contamination resulted in lower microbial enzyme activities and a significantly higher decrease in the lipid content of leaves. For river snails, their antioxidant activity was significantly increased by 20.21%-69.93%, and their leaf consumption rate was significantly reduced by 16.60% through the dietary route due to the lower lipid content of leaves. Besides, the significantly decreased nutritional quality of river snails would negatively influence their palatability to predators. The findings of this study indicate that dietary exposure to PS NPs significantly impacts microbial and detritivore activities, thus affecting their functions in the detritus food chain as well as nutrient cycling.

Polystyrene size-dependent impacts on microbial decomposers and nutrient cycling in streams.

The particle size of plastic is one of the most important factors influencing its ecotoxicity, but we are unclear about the effect of polystyrene (PS) particle size on microbial decomposers and consequent nutrient cycling in streams. Here, using microcosm experiments, we assessed how three PS sizes (50 nm, 1 µm, and 20 µm) influenced the process and consequences of leaf litter decomposition. Under acute exposure to 1 µm and 20 µm PS, fungal biomass significantly decreased, but microbial biomass significantly increased, indicating compensations may work between fungi and other microbial decomposers. After chronic exposure to 50 nm and 1 µm PS, the leaf decomposition rate decreased by 19.27 % and 15.22 %, respectively, due to the reduced microbial enzyme activity, fungal diversity, and dominance of Anguillospora. As a result, the regeneration of nutrients, especially phosphorus, was significantly depressed, which might influence the primary productivity of streams. Therefore, our results suggest that nanoscale PS has a greater impact on microbial activity, thus affecting their functioning in leaf litter decomposition and consequent nutrient cycling. The findings provide a data support for the risk assessment of plastic pollution in freshwater systems.

Application of moving bed biofilm reactor - nanofiltration - membrane bioreactor with loose nanofiltration hollow fiber membranes for synthetic roxithromycin-containing wastewater treatment: Long-term performance, membrane fouling and microbial community.

The present study operated the novel moving bed biofilm reactor-nanofiltration-membrane bioreactor (MBBR-NF-MBR) with loose polyamide NF membranes for the first time to treat roxithromycin (ROX) wastewater. Results showed that both MBBR-NF-MBRs achieved superior COD removal of 98.4% and 97.2% and excellent removal of ROX at 74.1% and 65.5%, respectively. The main membrane fouling mechanism was reversible fouling caused by the combination of abundant polysaccharides, proteins and Ca-P precipitates, which could be effectively removed by acidic cleaning. Sorption and biodegradation were the main removal routes of ROX in MBBR. Partial retention of loose NF membrane contributed to microbial metabolism and increased microbial diversity, especially the genera Hyphomicrobium in attached biofilm, which was reasonable for ROX removal. The cleavage of cladinose, demethylation, phosphorylation and ß-oxidation in macrolactone ring were the main biotransformation reactions of ROX. This study provides novel insights for micropollutants wastewater treatment by using loose NF membrane in MBR.

Analysis of the characteristics of paulownia lignocellulose and hydrogen production potential via photo fermentation.

Paulownia biomass is rich in carbohydrates, making which a potential feedstock for biohydrogen production. In the study, different parts and varieties of Paulownia were chose as substrates to evaluate hydrogen production potential of paulownia lignocellulose via biohydrogen production by photo fermentation (BHPPF) and energy conversion efficiency (ECE). Results showed the highest cumulative hydrogen yield (CHY) of 67.11 mL/g total solids (TS) and ECE of 4.74% were obtained from leaves of Paulownia, which were 121.06% and 115.45% higher than those of the branches. Moreover, Paulownia jianshiensis leaves were found to be the best variety for BHPPF, with the maximum CHY of 98.83 mL/g TS and ECE of 7.18%. Using Paulownia waste as the substrate to produce hydrogen helps broaden the range of raw materials for BHPPF and improve the economic utilization of forestry waste.

Simethicone administration improves gastric cleanness for esophagogastroduodenoscopy: a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Esophagogastroduodenoscopy is very useful in diagnosing and treating upper gastrointestinal mucosal disorders, but too much foam and water in stomach decrease its diagnostic efficiency. Simethicone administration can help remove excessive foam. AIMS: To determine the optimal simethicone administration strategies in a comparative randomized controlled clinical trial. METHODS: Adult outpatients with indications for esophagogastroduodenoscopy were enrolled and randomly divided into group 1 (simethicone solution intake 20-30 min before procedure, n = 110), group 2 (simethicone solution intake 31-60 min before procedure, n = 92), and group 3 (simethicone solution intake > 60 min before procedure). Primary and secondary outcomes were procedure time and the patients' satisfaction after the examination. All symptoms like abdominal pain and distension were recorded. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were found on the patients' demographic and clinical features and mean examination time (all P values > 0.05). The distribution of patients with different endoscopic and pathological diagnosis was comparable among three groups, respectively (P = 0.607; P = 0.289). However, the proportion of patients with Gastric Cleanness Grade A was most in group 2 (n = 73, 79.3%), and patient proportion with Gastric Cleanness Grade C was most found in group 1 (n = 72, 65.5%), which was greatly different (P < 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference on the satisfaction scores [immediately 6 (3-8) vs. 6 (1-10) vs. 6 (1-9), P = 0.533; 2 h after 10 (8-10) vs. 10 (10-10) vs. 10 (8-10), P = 0.463]. CONCLUSION: Simethicone solution intake 31-60 min before esophagogastroduodenoscopy can help obtain the best gastric cleanness, which is recommended in clinical practice (registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03776916 on December 13, 2018).

Research on an On-Chip MEMS Based Safety and Arming Device with a Mechanical Encryption System.

The design and characterization of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) based on-chip SAD (Safety and Arming Device) are proposed. An encryption system has been integrated into the device to enhance its reliability during the electromagnetic interference. The conversion between safe status and arm status is reversible due to the bidirectional actuation design of the slider and pawl on the SOI (Silicon on Insulator) chip, being driven by the chevron electrothermal actuators. The width of each tooth on the slider, which contains coding information, is different from that of its adjacent neighbor. Additionally, the different teeth width, respectively 32 µm, 82 µm, requiring different decoding displacement of 100 µm and 150 µm, corresponds to the different decoding voltage of 13.5 V and 14.8 V. The travel range of interrupter in the SAD will only be limited by the chip dimension and be able to cover the motion of ±1 mm in the present research, due to the capability of motion retention. Finally, the SAD is integrated with a copper azide exploding chip to measure the average velocity of the titanium flyer for the application feasibility validation.