Observation of the Effects of Extended Comfort Nursing on Cancer-Related Fatigue in Patients with Lung Cancer Undergoing Chemotherapy.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical effects of providing extended comfort care to lung cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and its impact on cancer-related fatigue levels. Methods: Using a retrospective data analysis approach, a total of 88 lung cancer patients receiving chemotherapy at our hospital from March 2021 to March 2022 were selected as research participants. They were divided into an observation group and a control group based on different nursing methods, with 44 patients in each group. The observation group received extended comfort nursing interventions, while the control group received routine nursing care. Patients' comfort levels in both groups were compared, and changes in cancer-related fatigue, self-efficacy, psychological state, coping style, sleep quality, and overall life quality were assessed. Results: Following the nursing interventions, patients in the observation group exhibited better physical, psychological, spiritual, sociocultural, and environmental well-being compared to the control group (P < .05). The observation group also showed lower scores for emotional exhaustion, physical exhaustion, cognitive exhaustion, and overall exhaustion compared to the control group (P < .05). Moreover, patients in the observation group demonstrated higher levels of self-efficacy on the health promotion strategy questionnaire (Supph) (P < .05) and lower scores on the self-rating anxiety and depressive symptoms scales (P < .05) after receiving nursing care. In terms of coping style, patients in the observation group exhibited lower avoidance and yield scores but higher face scores than the control group (P < .05). The observation group also reported higher overall life quality scale item grades (P < .05) and lower Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores (P < .05) compared to the control group. Conclusions: Extended comfort care for lung cancer patients during chemotherapy improves emotional and physical comfort and effectively reduces cancer-related fatigue levels. These findings have significant implications for clinical practice.

Structural Characterization, Simulated Digestion and Anti-Aging Activities of an Acidic Polysaccharide from Salvia Miltiorrhiza.

An acidic polysaccharide (SMP) with a molecular weight (Mw) of 1.28 × 106 Da was isolated from Salvia miltiorrhiza. The monosaccharide composition in molar percentages was rhamnose (Rha): galacturonic acid (GalA): galactose (Gal): arabinose (Ara) = 6.15: 55.98: 21.27: 16.69. The results of simulated digestion in vitro showed that SMP was not degraded in saliva, gastric juice or intestinal juice. The Y maze test and new object recognition test showed that SMP could improve the working memory impairment of aging mice. SMP could also increase the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in serum and brain tissue, decrease the content of malondialdehyde (MDA), decrease the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in brain tissue, and increase the content of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) in the intestine. In addition, SMP could also regulate the intestinal flora structure, including increasing the relative abundance of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes and decreasing the relative abundance of Proteobacteria. This work lays a foundation for the development of functional foods related to Salvia miltiorrhiza.

Stromal cell-derived factor-1 promotes osteoblastic differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells via the lncRNA-H19/miR-214-5p/BMP2 axis.

BACKGROUND: Stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) plays an important role in the osteoblastic differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMMSCs), but the specific mechanism remains unclear. Our study aimed to clarify the role of the lncRNA-H19/miR-214-5p/BMP2 axis in the osteoblastic differentiation of hBMMSCs induced by SDF-1. METHODS: We used reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, alkaline phosphatase activity test, and Alizarin red staining to evaluate the osteoblastic differentiation of primary hBMMSCs and the luciferase reporter assay to determine if lncRNA-H19 binds with miR-214-5p. RESULTS: Our results indicated that SDF-1 (50 ng/mL) promotes the osteoblastic differentiation of hBMMSCs, significantly upregulates osteoblastogenic genes (OCN, OSX, RUNX2, and ALP), and increases Alizarin red staining, alkaline phosphatase activity, and lncRNA-H19 expression. Luciferase reporter assay verified that lncRNA-H19 binds with and represses miR-214-5p, thereby upregulating BMP2 expression. Use of miR-214-5p inhibitor or overexpression of lncRNA-H19 can promote the osteoblastic differentiation of hBMMSCs, but miR-214-5p or shH19 inhibits the osteoblastic differentiation of hBMMSCs. Treatment with an miR-214-5p inhibitor could rescue the inhibitory effect of shH19 on the osteoblastic differentiation of hBMMSCs. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, SDF-1 promotes the osteoblastic differentiation of hBMMSCs through the lncRNA-H19/miR-214-5p/BMP2 axis. Increased osteoblastic differentiation by an miR-214-5p inhibitor reveals a new possible strategy for the treatment of bone defect and osteoporosis.

Preparation of (R)-3-aminopiperidine by resolution with optically active cyclic phosphoric acids.

(R)-3-aminopiperidine ((R)-APD), a key intermediate for alogliptin, trelagliptin, and linagliptin, was successfully resolved from racemic 3-aminopiperidine with an enantiomerically pure resolving agent, namely, (R)-4-(2-chlohydroxy-1.3.2-dioxaphosphorinane 2-oxide ((R)-CPA), via diastereomeric salt formation. By this resolution approach, (R)-3-aminopiperidine was obtained in 99.5% yield with 99.6%e.e.

A novel prognostic model based on epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related genes predicts patient survival in gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer (GC) represents a major malignancy and is the third deathliest cancer globally. Several lines of evidence indicate that the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has a critical function in the development of gastric cancer. Although plentiful molecular biomarkers have been identified, a precise risk model is still necessary to help doctors determine patient prognosis in GC. METHODS: Gene expression data and clinical information for GC were acquired from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and 200 EMT-related genes (ERGs) from the Molecular Signatures Database (MSigDB). Then, ERGs correlated with patient prognosis in GC were assessed by univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses. Next, a risk score formula was established for evaluating patient outcome in GC and validated by survival and ROC curves. In addition, Kaplan-Meier curves were generated to assess the associations of the clinicopathological data with prognosis. And a cohort from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database was used for validation. RESULTS: Six EMT-related genes, including CDH6, COL5A2, ITGAV, MATN3, PLOD2, and POSTN, were identified. Based on the risk model, GC patients were assigned to the high- and low-risk groups. The results revealed that the model had good performance in predicting patient prognosis in GC. CONCLUSIONS: We constructed a prognosis risk model for GC. Then, we verified the performance of the model, which may help doctors predict patient prognosis.

Drug-Drug Interactions of Glecaprevir and Pibrentasvir Coadministered With Human Immunodeficiency Virus Antiretrovirals.

BACKGROUND: Treatment of patients coinfected with hepatitis C and human immunodeficiency viruses (HCV; HIV) requires careful consideration of potential drug-drug interactions between HCV direct-acting antiviral agents (DAA) and HIV antiretrovirals. Glecaprevir/pibrentasvir is a fixed-dose combination of an NS3/4A protease inhibitor and an NS5A inhibitor approved for the treatment of chronic HCV genotype 1-6 infection, including patients with HIV coinfection. METHODS: A series of phase 1 studies was conducted to evaluate potential interactions of glecaprevir and pibrentasvir with elvitegravir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide, abacavir/dolutegravir/lamivudine, raltegravir, rilpivirine, atazanavir/ritonavir, darunavir/ritonavir, lopinavir/ritonavir, or efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate. Pharmacokinetics of the antiretrovirals and DAAs were characterized when administered alone and in combination to quantify changes in systemic drug exposure. RESULTS: Glecaprevir area under the curve increased >4-fold in the presence of ritonavir-boosted HIV protease inhibitors, while pibrentasvir concentrations were not significantly affected; elevations in alanine transaminase occurred in combination with atazanavir/ritonavir only. Exposures of glecaprevir and pibrentasvir may be significantly decreased by efavirenz. Coadministration with glecaprevir and pibrentasvir did not result in clinically significant changes in the exposure of any antiretroviral agents. CONCLUSIONS: Atazanavir is contraindicated with glecaprevir/pibrentasvir and use of boosted protease inhibitors or efavirenz is not recommended. No clinically significant interactions were observed with other studied antiretrovirals.

A phase 1 study evaluating safety and pharmacokinetics of losatuxizumab vedotin (ABBV-221), an anti-EGFR antibody-drug conjugate carrying monomethyl auristatin E, in patients with solid tumors likely to overexpress EGFR.

Losatuxizumab vedotin (formerly ABBV-221) is a second-generation antibody-drug conjugate targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). In this multicenter phase 1 study, eligible patients with EGFR-dependent solid tumors received losatuxizumab vedotin (3 + 3 design) intravenously at starting dose of 0.3 mg/kg over 3 h per 21-day cycle, with alternate dosing schedules utilized (2 weeks on/1 week off or weekly) to mitigate infusion reactions. Forty-five patients received ≥1 doses of losatuxizumab vedotin (13 colon, 6 non-small cell lung cancer, 5 head and neck [HNC], 5 glioblastoma multiforme, 2 breast, 14 other). Tumor samples were evaluated for EGFR protein expression by immunohistochemistry, EGFR and EGFR ligand mRNA expression by RNAseq, and results compared with outcome. Most common adverse events were infusion-related reaction (22/45; 49%) and fatigue (20/45; 44%). While most infusion reactions were grade ≤ 2, four patients experienced grade ≥3 infusion reactions. Several infusion reaction mitigation strategies were explored. Because of the high incidence of infusion reactions, the trial was stopped and the maximum tolerated dose was not reached. The last cleared dose: 6 mg/kg/cycle. Nineteen patients (42%) had stable disease; 4 remained on study >6 months. One HNC patient with increased levels of EGFR and EGFR ligands (amphiregulin, epiregulin) achieved a confirmed partial response. Pharmacokinetic analysis of losatuxizumab vedotin showed exposures appeared to be approximately dose-proportional. The high frequency of infusion reactions necessitated early closure of this trial. The detailed mitigation strategies used in this protocol for infusion-related reactions may provide beneficial information for trial design of agents with high infusion reaction rates.

New model of the fiber coupling efficiency of a partially coherent Gaussian beam in an ocean to fiber link.

The fiber coupling efficiency between the turbulent ocean to fiber of a partially coherent Gaussian beam propagating through the weak to strong anisotropic oceanic turbulence is studied. We derive the expression of new model of the fiber coupling efficiency for the partially coherent Gaussian beam. The numerical analyses reveal that larger inner scale and anisotropic factor, weaker oceanic turbulence strength, and smaller temperature-salinity contribution ratio will lead to a higher coupling efficiency; a longer wavelength, an suitable aperture diameter of the coupling lens, an optimum focal length and beam size, and a higher coherent degree will improve the fiber coupling efficiency. Our fiber coupling efficiency is higher than the previous fiber coupling efficiency.

Impact of ritonavir dose and schedule on CYP3A inhibition and venetoclax clinical pharmacokinetics.

PURPOSE: Venetoclax is a selective BCL-2 inhibitor indicated for the treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). It is predominately metabolized by cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A. The study objective was to determine the effect of different dosage regimens of ritonavir, a strong CYP3A inhibitor, on the pharmacokinetics of venetoclax in 20 healthy subjects. METHODS: In cohorts 1 and 2, subjects received single 10 mg doses of venetoclax in periods 1 and 2 and a single 50- or 100-mg dose of ritonavir in period 2. In cohort 3, subjects received 10-mg venetoclax doses on day 1 of period 1 and days 1 and 11 of period 2, and 50 mg ritonavir daily on days 1 to 14 of period 2. RESULTS: Single doses of 50 and 100 mg ritonavir increased the venetoclax maximum concentration (Cmax) 2.3- to 2.4-fold compared to venetoclax alone and the area under the curve (AUC) 6.1- and 8.1-fold, respectively. Daily 50 mg ritonavir resulted in a 2.4- and 7.9-fold increase in venetoclax Cmax and AUC, respectively. Administration of 50 mg ritonavir daily saturated CYP3A inhibition and completely inhibited the formation of the major venetoclax metabolite M27. Time-dependent CYP3A inhibition with daily 50 mg ritonavir was offset by ritonavir CYP3A induction, resulting in a limited net increase in CYP3A inhibition with multiple doses. CONCLUSION: After completion of the dose ramp-up, venetoclax dose reductions of at least 75% are recommended when administered concomitantly with strong CYP3A inhibitors to maintain venetoclax exposures within the established therapeutic window for CLL treatment.

Fiber coupling efficiency of Gaussian-Schell model beams in an ocean to fiber link with a Zernike tilt correction.

The fiber coupling efficiency of Gaussian-Schell model beams propagating through the oceanic turbulence of the Zernike tilt correction is studied. We derive the expression of the Zernike tilt corrected wave structure function. The numerical analysis reveals that a higher correction factor and spatial coherence of the laser beam increase the fiber coupling efficiency of the link. Our work shows that the increment of the fiber coupling efficiency caused by Zernike tilt correction under strong turbulence conditions is stronger than in the weak turbulence conditions, and the salinity fluctuation has a greater impact on it than temperature fluctuation does.

Contact Angle Measurements: an Alternative Approach Towards Understanding the Mechanism of Increased Drug Dissolution from Ethylcellulose Tablets Containing Surfactant and Exploring the Relationship Between Their Contact Angles and Dissolution Behaviors.

The addition of surfactant in tablet was a well-defined approach to improve drug dissolution rate. While the selected surfactant played a vital role in improving the wettability of tablet by medium, it was equally important to improve the dissolution rate by permeation effect due to production of pores or the reduced inter-particle adhesion. Furthermore, understanding the mechanism of dissolution rate increased was significant. In this work, contact angle measurement was taken up as an alternative approach for understanding the dissolution rate enhancement for tablet containing surfactant. Ethylcellulose, as a substrate, was used to prepare tablet. Four surfactants, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS), dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB), and sodium lauryl sulfonate (SLS), were used. Berberine hydrochloride, metformin hydrochloride, and rutin were selected as model drugs. The contact angle of tablet in the absence and presence of surfactant was measured to explore the mechanism. The dissolution test was investigated to verify the mechanism and to establish a correlation with the contact angle. The result showed that the mechanism was the penetration effect rather than the wetting effect. The dissolution increased with a reduction in the contact angle. DTAB was found to obtain the highest level of dissolution enhancement and the lowest contact angle, while SDS, SDBS, and SLS were found to be the less effective in both dissolution enhancement and contact angle decrease. Therefore, contact angle was a good indicator for dissolution behavior besides exploring the mechanism of increased dissolution, which shows great potential in formula screening.

Application of Solvent Parameters for Predicting Organogel Formation.

Solvents, accounting the majority of the organogel system, have a tremendous impact on the characteristics of gels. To date, there is a large variety of organogel systems; relatively few have been investigated in the field of structure-solvent correlation. Here, a series of solvent parameters were applied to explore the role of solvent effect on network forming and gel property, intending to build the connection between the precise solvent parameter and gel property. Among the solvent parameters, Kamlet-Taft Parameters and Hansen solubility parameters can distinguish specific types of intermolecular interactions, which could correlate solvent parameter with the gel property. From an analysis of the morphologies obtained from POM and SEM, the gelator structure has an impact on its self-assembly. For possible conformations, the gelators were investigated through XRD. The investigation of solvent-property relationship will provide a theoretical basis for controllable drug delivery implants.

Intensity of vortex modes carried by Lommel beam in weak-to-strong non-Kolmogorov turbulence.

We investigate the atmospheric turbulence effects on the propagation of vortex modes carried by Lommel beam. The analytic expression of the received signal and crosstalk mode intensity is derived based on the weak-to-strong non-Kolmogorov turbulence theory. The simulation results show that turbulence with small non-Kolmogorov spectrum parameter, small inner-scale factor and large outer-scale factor is more likely to induce modal crosstalk. With the increment of turbulence strength, the crosstalk spreads from adjacent modes to peripheral modes. The received signal intensity can be improved by use of Lommel beam with small asymmetry parameter, low orbital angular momentum quantum number and long wavelength. The results are helpful to the design of orbital angular momentum based free-space optical communication link.

Effect of ketoconazole, a strong CYP3A inhibitor, on the pharmacokinetics of venetoclax, a BCL-2 inhibitor, in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

AIMS: To examine the effect of a strong cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A inhibitor, ketoconazole, on the pharmacokinetics, safety and tolerability of venetoclax. METHODS: Twelve patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) were enrolled in this Phase 1, open-label, fixed-sequence study. Patients received a single 50 mg dose of venetoclax orally on Day 1 and Day 8, and a 400 mg once daily dose of ketoconazole on Days 5-11. Blood samples were collected predose and up to 96 h after each venetoclax dose on Day 1 and Day 8. RESULTS: Eleven patients had evaluable pharmacokinetic data and were therefore included in the statistical analyses. Compared to administration of a single 50 mg dose of venetoclax alone, ketoconazole increased the venetoclax mean maximum observed plasma concentration (Cmax ) and area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time 0 to infinity (AUC∞ ) by 2.3-fold (90% confidence interval [CI]: 2.0-2.7) and 6.4-fold (90% CI: 4.5-9.2; range: 2- to 12-fold), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Coadministration of venetoclax with multiple doses of ketoconazole resulted in a significant increase of venetoclax exposures, strongly suggesting that CYP3A plays a major role in elimination of venetoclax in patients. These results suggest the need to avoid concomitant use with strong and moderate inhibitors or inducers of CYP3A during the venetoclax ramp-up phase in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) patients. For patients who have completed the ramp-up phase, a modification in venetoclax dose for use with strong and moderate inhibitors or inducers of CYP3A is recommended.

Late-onset primary dystonia in Zhejiang province of China: a service-based epidemiological study.

Dystonia is characterized by sustained muscle contractions, causing repetitive movements and abnormal postures. The epidemiological study of dystonia of Chinese population was limited reported. In this study, we investigated the epidemiology of primary dystonia, and its clinical characteristics in an adult population in China. We identified all dystonia patients from the movement disorders database and botulinum toxin clinic between 2009 and 2013. The medical records were reviewed to verify the diagnosis of dystonia, and demographic and clinical data were collected. A total of 1481 patients with primary dystonia were studied. The most common focal dystonia were blepharospasm (56.4 %), cervical dystonia (36.7 %), limb dystonia (3.4 %), oromandibular dystonia (2.9 %) and laryngeal dystonia (0.6 %). Males with primary dystonia were found to have an earlier age of onset. A female predominance was noted for most of the primary dystonia, with a men to women ratio (M:F) of 1:2.01. The minimum estimate of prevalence of primary dystonia was 27.0 (95 % confidence interval: 25.6-28.3) per million persons in this study. Despite the difference in genetic background and geographic area, the epidemiological features of dystonia in China from our study share most features around the world, such as women dystonia dominance, early-onset age of dystonia with women, etc. But East Asia countries (China and Japan) may share more common features of dystonia.

Studies on the in vitro and in vivo degradation behavior of amino acid derivative-based organogels.

The in vitro degradation behavior of organogel with different gelators based on amino acid was investigated in detail. Two methods were applied in this research: weighting method and high-performance liquid chromatography with evaporative light scattering detection (HPLC-ELSD) method, which was established for the first time. Their degradation behaviors in vivo were investigated by varying the kind and concentration of gelators via subcutaneous implantation. The results showed that the stronger the gelation ability or the higher the gelator concentration, the slower the degradation rate of organogel. Moreover, the organogel prepared by oils with longer alkyl length degraded slower than that of the shorter ones, which also decreased in thermal stability and mechanical strength. The investigation on degradation process showed that the degradation rate was mainly controlled by the collapse of network structure formed by gelators. In conclusion, organogel had a tunable degradation rate through altering the gelator type, oil type and the gelator concentration. It remains a promising candidate for subcutaneous in-situ implant as drug delivery vehicle.

Drug-drug interaction profile of the all-oral anti-hepatitis C virus regimen of paritaprevir/ritonavir, ombitasvir, and dasabuvir.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Paritaprevir (administered with ritonavir, PTV/r), ombitasvir (OBV), and dasabuvir (DSV) are direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Thirteen studies were conducted to characterize drug-drug interactions for the 3D regimen of OBV, PTV/r, and DSV and various medications in healthy volunteers to inform dosing recommendations in HCV-infected patients. METHODS: Mechanism-based drug-drug interactions were evaluated for gemfibrozil, ketoconazole, carbamazepine, warfarin, omeprazole, digoxin, pravastatin, and rosuvastatin. Drug-drug interactions with medications commonly used in HCV-infected patients were evaluated for amlodipine, furosemide, alprazolam, zolpidem, duloxetine, escitalopram, methadone, buprenorphine/naloxone, and oral contraceptives. Ratios of geometric means with 90% confidence intervals for maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) and area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) were used to determine the magnitude of interaction. RESULTS: Coadministration with the 3D regimen of OBV, PTV/r, and DSV resulted in a <2-fold change in mean Cmax and AUC for most medications and the DAAs, indicating minimal to modest interactions. Carbamazepine decreased PTV, ritonavir, and DSV exposures substantially, while gemfibrozil increased DSV exposures substantially. Although coadministration with ethinyl estradiol-containing contraceptives resulted in elevated alanine aminotransferase levels, coadministration with a progestin-only contraceptive did not. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of medications can be coadministered with the 3D regimen of OBV, PTV/r, and DSV without dose adjustment, or with clinical monitoring or dose adjustment. Although no dose adjustment is necessary for the 3D regimen when coadministered with 17 of the 20 medications, coadministration with gemfibrozil, carbamazepine, or ethinyl estradiol-containing contraceptives is contraindicated.

Can antitrust policy promote enterprise innovation? Evidence from Zhongguancun science and Technology Park.

Emerging countries usually rely on the innovation of enterprises within the regional innovation ecosystem to enhance the national innovation level. However, existing literature lacks insight into how antitrust policies might influence innovation within them. We estimate the impact of the implementation of the Anti-Monopoly Law on enterprise innovation within Zhongguancun Science and Technology Park, China's prominentregional innovation ecosystem. Using a cross-industry difference-in-difference design, we show that greater exposure to competition shock materially boosted enterprise innovation. Antitrust policy promotes enterprise innovation by increasing the R&D investment, human capital, and export. The promotion effect of antitrust is relatively strong in the sample of electronic information industry, firms with low levels of financing constraints, and those that undertake open innovation. Our findings elucidate the nexus between competition and innovation in regional innovation ecosystems and underscore the pivotal role of antitrust policies in the development of Zhongguancun Science and Technology Park.

Preparation, characterization and drug release properties of pH sensitive Zingiber officinale polysaccharide hydrogel beads.

The aim of this study was to prepare a drug carrier that could deliver oral insulin to the intestine. A hydrogel beads composed of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), Zingiber offtcinale polysaccharide (ZOP) and chitosan (CS) were prepared by ionic gel method as insulin carrier. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermogravimetric (TGA) showed that the hydrogel was formed by metal ion coordination between ZOP and CMC and Fe3+, and CS was coated on the surface of the hydrogel ball in the form of non covalent bond. The results showed that the swelling process of hydrogel spheres has significant pH sensitivity. In addition, the hydrogel beads successfully coated insulin, and the drug loading rate (DL) of (ZOP/CMC-Fe3+)@CS could reach 69.43 ± 7.32 mg/g, and the entrapment efficiency (EE) could reach 66.94 ± 7.43 %. In vitro release experiments, the release rate of (CMC/ZOP-Fe3+)@CS in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) for 2 h was <20 %, and the cumulative release rate of insulin after 9 h in simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) reached over 90 %. The results showed that the hydrogel beads prepared in this work could be used as a potential carrier for delivering oral insulin.

Understanding the potential of taxi sharing: The case of Chengdu.

The emergence of taxi sharing enhances urban transport efficiency and reduces carbon emissions. Using GPS tracking data from taxis in Chengdu, China, this study first outlines conditions for identifying shareable taxi orders based on their origins and destinations. We then develop a three-phase computational model to optimize matches among all potential shareable orders, calculating the shareable mileage and the proportion of original mileage that could be shared. Our comprehensive temporal and spatial analysis reveal a significant market for taxi sharing in Chengdu, with higher potential on workdays than non-workdays and four distinct demand peaks throughout the day. The morning peak on workdays and the night peak on non-workdays are particularly pronounced. Most shareable orders originate within major city districts. We find a positive correlation between the potential of taxi sharing and average traffic speed, and negative correlations with order volume, regional economic development, and population density. Functional zones related to Enterprises, Motorcycle Services, and Transportation Services exhibit significantly higher sharing potential. Compared to traditional taxi operations, taxi sharing significantly reduces total travel mileage. This quantitative analysis offers insights into the potential demand for taxi sharing among urban residents and may help government authorities optimize taxi resources for the sustainable development of urban transport.