Sodium alginate/carboxymethyl starch/κ-carrageenan enteric soft capsule: Processing, characterization, and rupture time evaluation.

Although gelatin has good characteristics in preparing soft capsules, its noticeable shortcomings force researchers to further develop substitutes for gelatin soft capsules. In this paper, sodium alginate (SA), carboxymethyl starch (CMS) and κ-carrageenan (κ-C) were used as matrix materials, and the formula of the co-blended solutions was screened through rheological method. In addition, films of the different blends were characterized by thermogravimetry analysis, SEM, FTIR, X-ray, water contact angle and mechanical properties. The results showed that κ-C had strong interaction with CMS and SA, and the mechanical properties of capsule shell were greatly improved by the addition of κ-C. When the ratio of CMS/SA/κ-C was 2:0.5:1.5, the microstructure of the films was more dense and uniform. In addition, this formula had the best mechanical properties and adhesion properties, and was more suitable for the production of soft capsules. Finally, a novel plant soft capsule was successfully prepared by dropping method, and its appearance and rupture properties met the requirements of enteric soft capsules. In simulated intestinal fluid, the soft capsules were almost completely degraded within 15 min, and they were superior to the gelatin soft capsules. Therefore, this study provides an alternative formula for preparing enteric soft capsules.

Accurate Discrimination of Benign Biliary Diseases and Cholangiocarcinoma with Serum Multiomics Revealed by High-Throughput Nanoassisted Laser Desorption Ionization Mass Spectrometry.

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is an aggressive malignant tumor with a poor prognosis. Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 is an essential biomarker for CCA diagnosis, but its low sensitivity (72%) makes the diagnosis unreliable. To explore potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of CCA, a high-throughput nanoassisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry technique was constructed. We performed serum lipidomics and peptidomics analyses from 112 patients with CCA and 123 patients with benign biliary diseases. Lipidomics analysis showed that various lipids, such as glycerophospholipids, glycerides, and sphingolipids, were perturbed. Peptidomics analysis revealed perturbations of multiple proteins involved in the coagulation cascade, lipid transport, and so on. After data mining, 25 characteristic molecules including 20 lipids and 5 peptides were identified as potential diagnostic biomarkers. After screening various machine learning algorithms, artificial neural network was selected to construct a multiomics model for CCA diagnosis with 96.5% sensitivity and 96.4% specificity. The sensitivity and specificity of the model in the independent test cohort were 93.8 and 87.5%, respectively. Furthermore, integrated analysis with transcriptomic data in the cancer genome atlas confirmed that genes altered in CCA significantly affected multiple lipid- and protein-related pathways. Data are available via MetaboLights with the identifier MTBLS6712.

Two-Dimensional Electrochemiluminescence on Porous Silicon Platform for Explosive Detection and Discrimination.

This work established a rapid and sensitive explosive detection and recognition technique. We report a two-dimensional electrochemiluminescence (2-D ECL) method based on porous silicon (pSi) by monitoring the dynamic change in peak position and peak intensity of pSi-ECL. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were deposited on the pSi surface to promote the electrochemical reaction and electron transfer efficiency at the pSi-electrolyte interface. The 2-D ECL can effectively detect and discriminate different classes of explosives including nitro compounds, peroxides with nitrogen atoms, and peroxides without nitrogen atoms due to their different oxidation and electron transfer ability.

Drug-Porous Silicon Dual Luminescent System for Monitoring and Inhibition of Wound Infection.

Wound monitoring and curing is of great importance in biomedical research. This work created a smart bandage that can simultaneously monitor and inhibit wound infection. The main components of the smart bandage are luminescent porous silicon (LuPSi) particles loaded with ciprofloxacin (CIP). This dual luminescent system can undergo accelerated fluorescent color change from red to blue upon the stimulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and elevated pH, which are main biomarkers in the infected wound. The mechanism behind the chemical-triggered fluorescent color change was studied in detail. In vitro experiment showed that the ratiometric fluorescent intensity (IRed/IBlue) of CIP-LuPSi particles decreased from 10 to 0.03 at pH 7.5 after 24 h, while the value deceased from 10 to 2.15 at pH 7.0. Strong correlation can be also found between the IRed/IBlue value and ROS concentration ranging from 0.1 to 10 mM. In addition, the oxidation of LuPSi also simultaneously triggered the release of CIP molecules, which exhibited bacterial inhibition activity. Therefore, the ratiometric fluorescent intensity change at red and blue channels can indicate not only the wound infection status but also the release of antibiotics. In vivo test proved that the smart bandage could distinguish infected wounds from acute wounds, just relying on the naked eyes or a cell phone camera. On the basis of the Si nanotechnology established in this work, theranostic wound care will be realized in future.

Volume-Targeted Versus Pressure-Limited Noninvasive Ventilation in Subjects With Acute Hypercapnic Respiratory Failure: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Volume-targeted noninvasive ventilation (VT-NIV), a hybrid mode that delivers a preset target tidal volume (VT) through the automated adjustment of pressure support, could guarantee a relatively constant target VT over pressure-limited noninvasive ventilation (PL-NIV) with fixed-level pressure support. Whether VT-NIV is more effective in improving ventilatory status in subjects with acute hypercapnic respiratory failure (AHRF) remains unclear. Our aim was to verify whether, in comparison with PL-NIV, VT-NIV would be more effective in correcting hypercapnia, hence reducing the need for intubation and improving survival in subjects with AHRF. METHODS: We performed a prospective randomized controlled trial in the general respiratory wards of 8 university-affiliated hospitals in China over a 12-month period. Subjects with AHRF, defined as arterial pH <7.35 and ≥7.25 and PaCO2 >45 mm Hg, were randomly assigned to undergo PL-NIV or VT-NIV. The primary end point was the decrement of PaCO2 from baseline to 6 h after randomization. Secondary end points included the decrement of PaCO2 from baseline to 2 h after randomization as well as outcomes of subjects (eg, need for intubation, in-hospital mortality). RESULTS: A total of 58 subjects were assigned to PL-NIV (29 subjects) or VT-NIV (29 subjects) and included in the analyses. The decrement of PaCO2 from baseline to 6 h after randomization was not statistically different between the PL-NIV group and the VT-NIV group (9.3 ± 12.6 mm Hg vs 11.7 ± 12.9 mm Hg, P = .48). There were no differences between the PL-NIV group and the VT-NIV group in the decrement of PaCO2 from baseline to 2 h after randomization (6.4 ± 12.7 mm Hg vs 5.0 ± 15.8 mm Hg, P = .71) as well as in the need for intubation (17.2% vs 10.3%, P = .70), and in-hospital mortality (10.3% vs 6.9%, P > .99). CONCLUSIONS: Regardless of whether a VT- or PL-NIV strategy is employed, it is possible to provide similar support to subjects with AHRF. (ClinicalTrials.gov registration NCT02538263.).