A novel cancer-targeting drug delivery system is constructed and characterized, based on folic acid-functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles with pore-loaded anticancer drug vinblastine and ...pore-blocking fullerenol molecules. The selective treatment efficacy based on targeting of cancer-overexpressed folate receptors is demonstrated by comparison of cell viability upon the treatment of healthy MRC-5, breast cancer MCF-7 and cervical cancer HeLa cells, which are known to differ in the amount of folate receptors on their surfaces.
Emerging robotic systems with compliant characteristics, incorporating nonrigid links and/or elastic actuators, are opening new applications with advanced safety features, as well as improved ...performance and energy efficiency in contact tasks. However, the complexity of such systems poses challenges in modeling and control due to their nonlinear nature and model variations over time. To address these challenges, the paper introduces Locally Weighted Projection Regression (LWPR) and its online learning capabilities to keep the model of compliant actuators accurate and enable the model-based controls to be more robust. The approach is experimentally validated in Cartesian position and stiffness control for a 4 DoF planar robot driven by Variable Stiffness Actuators (VSA), whose real-time implementation is supported by the Sequential Least Squares Programming (SLSQP) optimization approach.
Although the gold standard in the management of kidney tumors is surgical treatment, thermal ablation methods are a viable therapeutic option for patients with small (<4 cm) renal masses who are poor ...surgical candidates. The aim of this study was to compare the technical success, primary efficacy and complication rate of percutaneous radiofrequency and microwave ablation in the treatment of small renal masses. A retrospective analysis of consecutive patients with small renal masses treated with radiofrequency or microwave ablation between December 2017 and January 2022 was conducted. Response to the ablative therapy was assessed on contrast-enhanced computed tomography examination after 3 months. Ablations of 44 kidney lesions were performed in 43 patients. Sixteen lesions were treated with radiofrequency and 28 with microwave ablation. Both methods were associated with high technical success (100%). Primary efficacy rates of radiofrequency and microwave ablation were 81.3% and 89.3%, respectively. Ablation-related complications were noted only in the patients treated with microwave ablation (18.5%), all of them being low grade (Clavien-Dindo 1 and 2). Radiofrequency and microwave ablation exhibited comparable efficacy in the treatment of small renal masses. Microwave ablation was associated with a comparatively higher number of complications.Although the gold standard in the management of kidney tumors is surgical treatment, thermal ablation methods are a viable therapeutic option for patients with small (<4 cm) renal masses who are poor surgical candidates. The aim of this study was to compare the technical success, primary efficacy and complication rate of percutaneous radiofrequency and microwave ablation in the treatment of small renal masses. A retrospective analysis of consecutive patients with small renal masses treated with radiofrequency or microwave ablation between December 2017 and January 2022 was conducted. Response to the ablative therapy was assessed on contrast-enhanced computed tomography examination after 3 months. Ablations of 44 kidney lesions were performed in 43 patients. Sixteen lesions were treated with radiofrequency and 28 with microwave ablation. Both methods were associated with high technical success (100%). Primary efficacy rates of radiofrequency and microwave ablation were 81.3% and 89.3%, respectively. Ablation-related complications were noted only in the patients treated with microwave ablation (18.5%), all of them being low grade (Clavien-Dindo 1 and 2). Radiofrequency and microwave ablation exhibited comparable efficacy in the treatment of small renal masses. Microwave ablation was associated with a comparatively higher number of complications.
The anticancer drug amsacrine is loaded inside the mesopores of mercaptopropyl-functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles and entrapped by capping the mesopore-entrances with Ru(bpy) sub(2)(PPh ...sub(3))- moieties (bpy = bipyridine, PPh sub(3) = triphenylphosphine) through mercaptopropyl-Ru coordination. Exposure to visible light irradiation leads to cleavage of the Ru-S coordination bond, which releases the anticancer drug and capping moieties from the material, as determined by absorption and fluorescence measurements. Viability tests on HeLa cells confirmed the capability of the constructed drug delivery system to induce cell death upon exposure to visible light irradiation. These results prove the applicability of a harmless, visible light as the stimulus for cancer targeting, which may lead to better clinical outcomes in anticancer therapy.
Abstract A proof of principle study toward developing a novel methodology which could be applicable for a non-invasive monitoring of the release of cargo molecules from therapeutic and diagnostic ...nanoparticles, as well as for possible monitoring of tissue pH variations. This was achieved by quantifying changes in longitudinal relaxation time (T 1 ) before and after the pH-responsive release of contrast agents, for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), from the pores of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs). The pores were filled with the FDA-approved contrast agent Gadobutrol (GdB), and its retention inside the pores ensured by covalent attachment of β-cyclodextrin monoaldehyde to hydrazine-functionalized MSN, through acidification-cleavable hydrazone linkage. The release kinetics of GdB was measured by fluorescence spectroscopy which revealed that the release of the contrast agent was enhanced at pH 5.0 in comparison to the release at pH 6.0 and 7.4. Furthermore, the changes in T 1 , occurring in response to the enhanced release of GdB from the pores of MSN at weakly acidic conditions, were successfully demonstrated by MRI measurements. It is envisioned that this approach using contrast agent-loaded nanoparticles before the treatment with the drug-filled analogs, could be applied in the future for tracking the locations and efficacies of nanomedicines for therapeutic cargo delivery. Graphical Abstract
Graphene-based materials are actively being investigated as sensing elements for the detection of different analytes. Both graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and graphene oxide (GO) ...produced by the modified Hummers' method are actively used in the development of biosensors. The production costs of CVD graphene- and GO-based sensors are similar; however, the question remains regarding the most efficient graphene-based material for the construction of point-of-care diagnostic devices. To this end, in this work, we compare CVD graphene aptasensors with the aptasensors based on reduced GO (rGO) for their capabilities in the detection of NT-proBNP, which serves as the gold standard biomarker for heart failure. Both types of aptasensors were developed using commercial gold interdigitated electrodes (IDEs) with either CVD graphene or GO formed on top as a channel of liquid-gated field-effect transistor (FET), yielding GFET and rGO-FET sensors, respectively. The functional properties of the two types of aptasensors were compared. Both demonstrate good dynamic range from 10 fg/mL to 100 pg/mL. The limit of detection for NT-proBNP in artificial saliva was 100 fg/mL and 1 pg/mL for rGO-FET- and GFET-based aptasensors, respectively. While CVD GFET demonstrates less variations in parameters, higher sensitivity was demonstrated by the rGO-FET due to its higher roughness and larger bandgap. The demonstrated low cost and scalability of technology for both types of graphene-based aptasensors may be applicable for the development of different graphene-based biosensors for rapid, stable, on-site, and highly sensitive detection of diverse biochemical markers.
Freight transport represents a very dynamic and competitive market with high requirements for reliability, lead time, cost, flexibility and visibility of transport service. Rationalization of ...transport service, reduced travelling time and reliable delivery times represent the main prerequisites for lowering the costs and increasing the efficiency of entire transport chain. These performance indicators actually represent the main factors affecting the shipper’s mode choice. Improvement of these factors could be achieved by improved coordination between rail and non-rail-related stakeholders involved in freight transport service planning and realization. Since this solution requires a multi-stakeholder collaboration, it is needed to evaluate the interests of each of them in order to derive a preferred set of indicators, which will facilitate a collectively accepted solution and value alignment of all involved actors. In this paper, the preferred set of indicators was selected by using the DEcision MAking Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) model technique integrated with the Analytic Network Process (ANP). DEMATEL is applied to analyse the causal relationships among the relevant dimensions and among the criteria within each dimension. The causal relationships are then used in ANP for determining the weights of the criteria. An empirical case study based on implementation of information sharing platform in rail intermodal transport chain is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Based on this study the attributes that belong to reliability (“departing / arriving on-time”, “cancelled services”), lead time (“idle time”) and investment cost (“organizational culture”, “business process redesign”) dimensions represent five the most critical factors for obtaining a collectively accepted solution. This effective evaluation model enables policy makers and stakeholders in transportation / logistics to understand and conduct appropriate actions towards fulfilling the objectives for greener transportation.
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