Co-delivery of paclitaxel and doxorubicin using polypeptide-engineered nanogels for combination therapy of tumor

Loading of chemotherapeutic agents into nanoparticles has been demonstrated to be an effective strategy for cancer therapy. However, simultaneous delivery of different functional drugs to tumor sites for chemotherapy still remains challenging. In this study, nanogels formed by an engineered coiled-coil polypeptide PC10A were designed and prepared as a carrier for co-delivery of paclitaxel (PTX) and doxorubicin (DOX) through ultrasonic treatment and electrostatic adsorption. The drug loading content and encapsulation efficiency of PTX and DOX in the PC10A/PTX/DOX nanogels were 5.98 wt.%, 70 wt.%, and 8.55 wt.%, 83 wt.%, respectively. Because the polypeptide PC10A was non-toxic and biodegradable, the PC10A/PTX/DOX nanogels exhibited good biocompatibility. The in vitro and in vivo antitumor experiments showed that the PC10A/PTX/DOX nanogels possessed obviously synergistic therapy effect of tumors and lower side effects compared with free PTX/DOX. Therefore, the PC10A/PTX/DOX nanogels are promising to provide a new strategy for combination therapy of different functional drugs.

HA/PEI-coated acridine orange-loaded gold-core silica shell nanorods for cancer-targeted photothermal and chemotherapy

Aims: To develop a tumor-targeted chemo-photothermal nanomedicine through the functionalization of acridine orange (AO)-loaded gold-core mesoporous silica shell (AuMSS) nanorods with polyethylenimine (PEI) and hyaluronic acid (HA). Methods: Functionalization of the AuMSS nanorods was achieved through the chemical linkage of PEI followed by electrostatic adsorption of HA. Results: HA functionalization improved AuMSS' cytocompatibility by decreasing blood hemolysis, and PEI-HA inclusion promoted a controlled and sustained AO release. In vitro assays revealed that HA functionalization increased the internalization of nanoparticles by human negroid cervix epithelioid carcinoma cancer (HeLa) cells, and the combinatorial treatment mediated by AuMSS/PEI/HA_AO nanorods presented an enhanced effect, with >95% of cellular death. Conclusion: AuMSS/PEI/HA_AO formulations can act as tumor-targeted chemo-photothermal nanomedicines for the combinatorial therapy of cervical cancer.

Robot end effector based on electrostatic adsorption for manipulating garment fabrics

To improve the effectiveness of industrial robots in the textile and garment industry, it is necessary to expand the application range of electrostatic adsorption end effectors and solve the problem of automatically grasping and transferring fabrics during garment processing. Taking weft-knit fabric as an example, this paper begins by analyzing the factors that influence the electrostatic adsorption capacity, and then constructing an electrostatic adsorption capacity model based on the fabric characteristics. Next, the shape arrangement and structural parameters of the electrode plate are optimized by taking the electrostatic adsorption force model and maximizing the adsorption force per unit area. Finally, the adsorption effect of the electrostatic adsorption end effector is verified by simulation and experiment. The verification results show that the electrode with a comb-shaped arrangement and optimized structural parameters can adsorb clothing fabric well and meets the requirements of clothing automated production lines. This study provides a new method for solving the problem of automatically grasping and transferring fabrics and provides technical support for improving automation in the garment industry.

Novel Design of Amine and Metal Hydroxide Functional Group Modified Onto Sludge Biochar for Arsenic Removal

Among the arsenic removal technologies, the adsorption method is found to be an efficient, inexpensive and simple method with obvious advantages and application value for arsenic removal in water. While, each method has its limitations, the traditional adsorption method used for arsenic removal due to its high operating cost and low adsorption efficiency. Consequently, this study explicitly designed sludge biochar (SB) adsorbed for arsenic removal with lower operation costs and higher adsorption efficiency properties. Generally, biochar only relies on micropores for pollutant adsorption, but physical adsorption is not highly efficient for arsenic removal. Therefore, in order to improve the removal efficiency of arsenic by SB, diethylenetriamine (DETA) and FeCl3 were used in this study to modify the surface of SB by an immersion method. The modified SB has not only pore adsorption characteristics but also electrostatic adsorption, oxidation-reduction and complexation characteristics. The objectives of this research are to obtain optimum operation conditions by assessing the effect of different Fe content, pH and initial concentration on adsorbing arsenic. The arsenic adsorption mechanism on SB was studied using Density Functional Theory (DFT) to understand the functional effect on arsenic adsorption. Results showed the presence of amine and iron oxyhydroxides functional greatly promoted SB surface activity and its arsenic adsorption potential. DFT model result is the same as the result of arsenic adsorption performance with the high adsorption energy. The reaction mechanism is divided into four pathways, including oxidation-reduction, complexation, electrostatic adsorption and pore adsorption.