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AbstractLiver fibrosis is a key pathological process shared by the progression of various chronic liver diseases. Treatment of liver fibrosis can effectively block the occurrence and development of hepatic cirrhosis or even carcinoma. Currently, there is no effective drug delivery vehicle for curing liver fibrosis. In this study, we designed matrine (MT)-loaded mannose 6-phosphate (M6P) modified human serum albumin (HSA) conjugated solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN), named M6P-HSA-MT-SLN for treatment of hepatic fibrosis. We demonstrated that M6P-HSA-MT-SLN exhibited controlled and sustained release properties and good stability over 7 days. The drug release experiments showed that M6P-HSA-MT-SLN exhibited slow and controlled drug release characteristics. In addition, M6P-HSA-MT-SLN showed a significant targeted ability to fibrotic liver. Importantly, in vivo studies indicated that M6P-HSA-MT-SLN could significantly improve histopathological morphology and inhibit the fibrotic phenotype. In addition, in vivo experiments demonstrate that M6P-HSA-MT-SLN could reduce the expression of fibrosis markers and alleviate the damage of liver structure. Hence, the M6P-HSA-MT-SLN provide a promising strategy to deliver therapeutic agents to fibrotic liver to prevent liver fibrosis.

We propose and demonstrate a hybrid communication architecture that combines millimeter-wave (MMW) in the radio frequency (RF) domain and free-space-optics (FSO) technologies using adaptive combining and hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) techniques. At the receiving end, we employed joint signal processing with an adaptive diversity combining technique (ADCT) based on a maximum ratio combining (MRC) algorithm. We derived closed-form expressions for the outage probability and throughput of the hybrid RF and FSO (RF/FSO) system, considering various characteristics of atmospheric turbulence in the FSO link. Experimental testing with 10-Gbaud quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) data was conducted under different simulated atmospheric turbulence intensities, FSO and MMW speed-ratios, and forward error correction (FEC) overheads. Additionally, we validated improvements in terms of bit error ratio (BER), outage probability, and throughput performance.

The explosive development of emerging telecommunication services has stimulated a huge growth in bandwidth demand as people seek universal access to telecommunication networks. In addition, the kinds of services of an existing optical access network are becoming more flexible. In order to provide higher capacity and meet higher transmission performance requirements, it is necessary to further explore the application of the beyond-100G passive optical network (PON). This paper offers a comprehensive review and outline of the prospects of technologies for bringing a beyond-100G PON to practical applications in the future. We review the current existing technologies, mainly in terms of the physical layer and higher media access control layer. These key technologies for the beyond-100G PON, which plays an increasingly significant role, include the advanced multiplexing technology, physical layer digital signal processing technology, infrastructure-sharing technology, security protection technology, and intelligent control management key technologies. Finally, open issues and new challenges for the next-generation PON are focused upon.

The prevalence of obesity has reached alarming levels, which is considered a major risk factor for several metabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes (T2D), non-alcoholic fatty liver, atherosclerosis, and ischemic cardiovascular disease. Obesity-induced chronic, low-grade inflammation may lead to insulin resistance, and it is well-recognized that macrophages play a major role in such inflammation. In the current review, the molecular mechanisms underlying macrophages, low-grade tissue inflammation, insulin resistance, and T2D are described. Also, the role of macrophages in obesity-induced insulin resistance is presented, and therapeutic drugs and recent advances targeting macrophages for the treatment of T2D are introduced.

Gout is a kind of joint disease characterized by the accumulation of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals in the joint and its surrounding tissue, causing persistent hyperuricemia. Colchicine is the first choice of treatment for acute gout attacks. Due to strong toxicity of colchicines oral tablets, there are high fluctuations of blood drug concentration and serious irritation of gastrointestinal tract, and hence a transdermal preparation can help to slow down the blood drug concentration, reduce the frequency of drug taking, and improve the patients' compliance of the drug. The ethosome is a lipid carrier with high concentration of ethanol and has been proved to promote the penetration of drugs into the skin. Borneol (BO) is an excellent penetration enhancer in Chinese medicine, which can promote the entry of drugs into the skin. This paper prepared the borneol-physically-modified colchicine ethosome (COL-bpES) and used the prepared borneol-dioleoyl phosphoethanloamine (BO-DOPE) to prepare borneol-chemically-modified colchicine ethosome (COL-bcES). Compared to the free colchicine aqueous solution (free COL) and normal colchicine ethosome (COL-ES), the borneol-modified colchicine ethosome (COL-bES) demonstrated better drug penetration effect, while the particle size of the COL-bcES was lower than that of the COL-bpES. Toxicity, in vitro diffusion, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics are superior to those of COL-bpES, providing a better delivery system for the treatment of small molecule inflammatory drugs.

With the explosion of traffic demand in recent years, the integration of satellite optical networks and terrestrial networks (ISTN) creates a promising networking solution for future low-latency, high-rate, and high-capacity communications. Owing to the high cost of deploying and maintaining a satellite optical network, it is critical to carefully design and plan the network to ensure the performance of the network. Thus, a semi-physical simulation platform based on software-defined networks (SDNs) is developed to simulate a satellite optical network and evaluate the performance of the proposed label-based advanced orbiting system (AOS) frame switching method that adheres to the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems’ recommended standard (CCSDS). The semi-physical simulation platform has two major innovations: (1) adapting and integrating network protocols between the CCSDS and open system interconnect (OSI) reference models, particularly at the data link layer, and (2) the foundation for an SDN-based satellite optical network. In the control plane, real-time VxWorks Simulators serve as controllers to establish and manage various network protocols and the link manager protocol (LMP). Here, network protocols include open shortest path first (OSPF) for routing managing and controlling messages, constraint shortest path first–traffic engineering (CSPF-TE), and constraint-label distribution protocol (CR-LDP) for routing data services. LMP is used to assign and reserve satellite optical link resources. The performance of the architecture and protocols is evaluated via a semi-physical simulation platform.

Dantrolene sodium (DS) is the only drug specifically used for the treatment of malignant hyperthermia. Nevertheless, its clinical application is significantly restricted due to its aqueous insolubility and the limited formulations available in clinical practice. In order to solve these problems, a novel mixed micelle composed of phospholipid and Cremophor EL was designed and evaluated. The mixed micelle was prepared using a stirring- ultrasonic method. The Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) results showed that the micelle was small in size (12.14 nm) and narrowly distributed (PdI = 0.073). Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) images showed that the micelle was homogeneous and spherical. The stability study indicated that the system was stable for storage and dilution with distilled water, while the safety testing showed that the micelle was safe for intravenous administration with low hemolysis rates and low allergic reaction rates. In the pharmaceutics study, the Cmax and AUC0-t of the DS-loaded micelle were 4- and 4.5- folds higher than that of the DS. Therefore, the constructed phospholipid-Cremophor EL mixed micelle is a promising drug delivery system for DS.

We propose and demonstrate a hybrid communication architecture that combines millimeter-wave (MMW) in the radio frequency (RF) domain and free-space-optics (FSO) technologies using adaptive combining and hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) techniques. At the receiving end, we employed joint signal processing with an adaptive diversity combining technique (ADCT) based on a maximum ratio combining (MRC) algorithm. We derived closed-form expressions for the outage probability and throughput of the hybrid RF and FSO (RF/FSO) system, considering various characteristics of atmospheric turbulence in the FSO link. Experimental testing with 10-Gbaud quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) data was conducted under different simulated atmospheric turbulence intensities, FSO and MMW speed-ratios, and forward error correction (FEC) overheads. Additionally, we validated improvements in terms of bit error ratio (BER), outage probability, and throughput performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liver fibrosis is a key pathological process shared by the progression of various chronic liver diseases. Treatment of liver fibrosis can effectively block the occurrence and development of hepatic cirrhosis or even carcinoma. Currently, there is no effective drug delivery vehicle for curing liver fibrosis. In this study, we designed matrine (MT)-loaded mannose 6-phosphate (M6P) modified human serum albumin (HSA) conjugated solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN), named M6P-HSA-MT-SLN for treatment of hepatic fibrosis. We demonstrated that M6P-HSA-MT-SLN exhibited controlled and sustained release properties and good stability over 7 days. The drug release experiments showed that M6P-HSA-MT-SLN exhibited slow and controlled drug release characteristics. In addition, M6P-HSA-MT-SLN showed a significant targeted ability to fibrotic liver. Importantly, in vivo studies indicated that M6P-HSA-MT-SLN could significantly improve histopathological morphology and inhibit the fibrotic phenotype. In addition, in vivo experiments demonstrate that M6P-HSA-MT-SLN could reduce the expression of fibrosis markers and alleviate the damage of liver structure. Hence, the M6P-HSA-MT-SLN provide a promising strategy to deliver therapeutic agents to fibrotic liver to prevent liver fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The explosive development of emerging telecommunication services has stimulated a huge growth in bandwidth demand as people seek universal access to telecommunication networks. In addition, the kinds of services of an existing optical access network are becoming more flexible. In order to provide higher capacity and meet higher transmission performance requirements, it is necessary to further explore the application of the beyond-100G passive optical network (PON). This paper offers a comprehensive review and outline of the prospects of technologies for bringing a beyond-100G PON to practical applications in the future. We review the current existing technologies, mainly in terms of the physical layer and higher media access control layer. These key technologies for the beyond-100G PON, which plays an increasingly significant role, include the advanced multiplexing technology, physical layer digital signal processing technology, infrastructure-sharing technology, security protection technology, and intelligent control management key technologies. Finally, open issues and new challenges for the next-generation PON are focused upon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of obesity has reached alarming levels, which is considered a major risk factor for several metabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes (T2D), non-alcoholic fatty liver, atherosclerosis, and ischemic cardiovascular disease. Obesity-induced chronic, low-grade inflammation may lead to insulin resistance, and it is well-recognized that macrophages play a major role in such inflammation. In the current review, the molecular mechanisms underlying macrophages, low-grade tissue inflammation, insulin resistance, and T2D are described. Also, the role of macrophages in obesity-induced insulin resistance is presented, and therapeutic drugs and recent advances targeting macrophages for the treatment of T2D are introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the explosion of traffic demand in recent years, the integration of satellite optical networks and terrestrial networks (ISTN) creates a promising networking solution for future low-latency, high-rate, and high-capacity communications. Owing to the high cost of deploying and maintaining a satellite optical network, it is critical to carefully design and plan the network to ensure the performance of the network. Thus, a semi-physical simulation platform based on software-defined networks (SDNs) is developed to simulate a satellite optical network and evaluate the performance of the proposed label-based advanced orbiting system (AOS) frame switching method that adheres to the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems' recommended standard (CCSDS). The semi-physical simulation platform has two major innovations: (1) adapting and integrating network protocols between the CCSDS and open system interconnect (OSI) reference models, particularly at the data link layer, and (2) the foundation for an SDN-based satellite optical network. In the control plane, real-time VxWorks Simulators serve as controllers to establish and manage various network protocols and the link manager protocol (LMP). Here, network protocols include open shortest path first (OSPF) for routing managing and controlling messages, constraint shortest path first–traffic engineering (CSPF-TE), and constraint-label distribution protocol (CR-LDP) for routing data services. LMP is used to assign and reserve satellite optical link resources. The performance of the architecture and protocols is evaluated via a semi-physical simulation platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hui Song, Man Wei, Nan Zhang, He Li, Xiaochuan Tan, Yujia Zhang, Wensheng Zheng Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Delivery Technology and Novel Formulation, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China Introduction: The incidence of central nervous system disease has increased in recent years. However, the transportation of drug is restricted by the blood–brain barrier, contributing to the poor therapeutic effect in the brain. Therefore, the development of a new brain-targeting drug delivery system has become the hotspot of pharmacy. Materials and methods: Borneol, a simple bicyclic monoterpene extracted from Dryobalanops aromatica, can direct drugs to the upper body parts according to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine. Dioleoyl phosphoethanolamine (DOPE) was chemically modified by borneol as one of the lipid materials of solid lipid nanoparticle (SLN) in the present study. Results: The borneol-modified chemically solid lipid nanoparticle (BO-SLN/CM), borneol-modified physically solid lipid nanoparticle (BO-SLN/PM), and SLN have similar diameter (of about 87 nm) and morphological characteristics. However, BO-SLN/CM has a lower cytotoxicity, higher cell uptake, and better blood–brain barrier permeability compared with BO-SLN/PM and SLN. BO-SLN/CM has a remarkable targeting function to the brain, while BO-SLN/PM and SLNs are concentrated at the lung. Conclusion: The present study provides an excellent drug delivery carrier, BO-SLN/CM, having the application potential of targeting to the brain and permeating to the blood–brain barrier. Keywords: blood–brain barrier, solid lipid nanoparticle, phospholipid modification, BBB model in vitro, body distribution

To prepare α-(8-quinolinyloxy) monosubstituted phthalocyanine zinc nanosuspension (ZnPc-NS) for photodynamic therapy by intravenous administration. The formulation and preparation technology of ZnPc-NS were assessed by particle size using the precipitation-high pressure homogenization method. The efficacy of ZnPc-NS was evaluated based on particle size, zeta potential, sedimentation ratio, TEM imaging, stability assessment, photodynamic activity and safety. The content, average particle size, polydispersity and photodegradation constant of ZnPc-NS were 0.2 mg/ml, 219.7 ± 7.41 nm, 0.19 ± 0.02 and 0.006, respectively. The photosensitization rate of singlet oxygen (1O2) of the ZnPc-NS was three times higher than that of the ZnPc DMF solution. ZnPc-NS exhibited optimal antitumor activity in HepG2 cells under light exposure and low photo- and non-light-associated toxicity in HELFX cells. In addition, low hemolysis and vascular stimulation were evident in the experiments performed. The ZnPc-NS exhibited optimal stability, faster photosensitization rate of 1O2, and optimal antitumor activity and safety than the ZnPc DMF solution, which could provide potential support for further research and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gout is a kind of joint disease characterized by the accumulation of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals in the joint and its surrounding tissue, causing persistent hyperuricemia. Colchicine is the first choice of treatment for acute gout attacks. Due to strong toxicity of colchicines oral tablets, there are high fluctuations of blood drug concentration and serious irritation of gastrointestinal tract, and hence a transdermal preparation can help to slow down the blood drug concentration, reduce the frequency of drug taking, and improve the patients' compliance of the drug. The ethosome is a lipid carrier with high concentration of ethanol and has been proved to promote the penetration of drugs into the skin. Borneol (BO) is an excellent penetration enhancer in Chinese medicine, which can promote the entry of drugs into the skin. This paper prepared the borneol-physically-modified colchicine ethosome (COL-bpES) and used the prepared borneol-dioleoyl phosphoethanloamine (BO-DOPE) to prepare borneol-chemically-modified colchicine ethosome (COL-bcES). Compared to the free colchicine aqueous solution (free COL) and normal colchicine ethosome (COL-ES), the borneol-modified colchicine ethosome (COL-bES) demonstrated better drug penetration effect, while the particle size of the COL-bcES was lower than that of the COL-bpES. Toxicity, in vitro diffusion, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics are superior to those of COL-bpES, providing a better delivery system for the treatment of small molecule inflammatory drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthetic condition of tulobuterol was optimized to gain lower impurity content. Two intermediates were analyzed, and three degradation impurities were isolated using preparative liquid chromatography for the first time and subsequently characterized by various techniques. Possible degradation impurities were deduced by an oxidative mechanism. Two intermediate impurities were detected: α-bromo-2-chloroacetophenone and 1-(2-chlorophenyl)-2-bromoethanol. Three unreported degradation impurities were found and characterized as N - tert -butyl glycine, o -chloro-benzoic acid and chlorobenzene. The single crystal structure of tulobuterol was firstly reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article talks about the reform of banking system in China and challenges faced by government for improving its efficiency in serving economy. Topics include progress made by China in the disposal of non-performing loans and use of initial public offerings; problems faced by commercial banks after global financial crisis; and transformation of China Development Bank (CDB) into joint-stock bank in 2008,.