Carrier Platform Research Articles

Simulation and testing analysis of the vibration characteristics of the panoramic sight platform during the driving of a certain tank

Abstract To study the vibration characteristics of the panoramic sight platform during the driving of a certain tank, the vibration transmission path of the tank was analyzed, modal simulations were performed on the turret, the carrier platform of the panoramic sight platform, the vibration characteristics of the panoramic sight platform during the driving of tank under different working conditions were tested. The results showed that the vibration modes of the turret were located at the location of panoramic sight platform in the third, sixth, and eighth modes, with natural frequencies of 52.439 Hz, 65.012 Hz, and 87.064 Hz, the main response frequency of each structural component of the panoramic sight platform ranged from 46.5 Hz to 52.5 Hz, which was consistent with the main excitation frequency of the turret and the simulated natural frequency. Therefore, resonance was prone to occur in the panoramic sight platform. The simulation and test results have certain engineering guidance significance for the design and overall layout research of tank panoramic sight platform.

Is Communications-Company Ownership of Video Content a Threat to Competition?

Abstract For the past decade, U.S. communications policymakers have been debating the need for net-neutrality regulation of “dominant” communications carrier platforms. One of the reasons advanced for regulating these carriers derives from a fear that carriers could reduce competition in the production and distribution of video media through their ownership of media companies, but is there any evidence supporting the notion that vertically integrated communications companies have successfully used such a strategy? This paper provides evidence from the financial markets that carrier integration into video production has not redounded to the benefit of these companies’ stockholders. In fact, this integration appears to reduce the value that investors place on such carriers, a result that suggests that the difficulties in managing a large, vertically integrated media and communications company more than offset any benefits (if any) that may derive from anticompetitive behavior induced by vertical integration.

Evolution of support policies for the development of distant-water fishing bases in China: Review, performance, challenges and prospects

Distant-water fishing bases are an important carrier and development platform for the development of distant-water fishing. It is necessary to analyze the evolution of the policies supporting offshore fishing bases in order to promote the standardized and orderly development of distant-water fisheries. Based on 302 policy documents, this paper adopts the content analysis method to analyze the policies since 1993 using ROSTCM6 software. These policies can be divided into three phases: the start-up period (1993–2010), the rapid development period (2011–2015) and the steady development period (2016–2023). The study found that the interrelationship and complementarity between fishing base-focused and related policies have increased, with continuous improvements in the policy framework, a shift toward developing a green and healthy industry chain, and an expanded scope of policy support. However, there are still some limitations in the evolution of support policies for the development of distant-water fishing bases, including an imperfect industrial support system, insufficient talent reserves and inadequate management policies. Finally, the paper emphasizes the need to improve the policy system, promote the development of the whole industry chain of distant-water fisheries, build a talent training system, strengthen scope and capacity of international cooperation in distant-water fisheries, promote the sustainable development of fisheries and enhancing international compliance capacity.

Quinine-Based Polymers Are Versatile and Effective Vehicles for Intracellular pDNA, mRNA, and Cas9 Protein Delivery.

Quinine-based polymers have previously demonstrated promising performance in delivering pDNA in cells owing to their electrostatic as well as the nonelectrostatic interactions with pDNA. Herein, we evaluate whether quinine-based polymers are versatile for delivery of mRNA and Cas9-sgRNA complexes, especially in a serum-rich environment. Both mRNA and the Cas9-sgRNA complex are potent therapeutics that are structurally, chemically, and functionally very different from pDNA. By exploring a family of 7 quinine-based polymers that vary in monomer structure and polymer composition, we tested numerous formulations (42 with pDNA, 96 with mRNA, and 48 with Cas9-sgRNA) for payload-polymer complexation and delivery to compare payload-dependent structure-activity relationships. Several formulations demonstrated performance comparable to or better than the commercially available transfection agent jetPEI. The results of this study demonstrate the potential of quinine-based as a versatile carrier platform for delivering a wide range of nucleic acid therapeutics and serving the drug delivery needs in the field genetic medicine.

Box-Behnken design assisted approach in optimizing lipid composition for cationic liposome formulation as gene carrier

BackgroundCationic liposomes represent a promising non-viral carrier platform for gene delivery. The successful intracellular delivery of genes to the target cell is highly influenced by lipid compositions in the liposomal formulation. In the present study, a Box-Behnken design was applied to investigate the optimal lipid composition for the liposome-based transfection agent. MethodsThe concentrations of DOTAP, DSPE-PEG, and cholesterol were set as independent factors. A total of 15 lipid compositions were generated and tested for specific responses, including particle size, encapsulation efficiency, cell viability, and cell transfection. The data were then analyzed to predict the optimal composition using response surface methodology (RSM). ResultsThe results for particle size, encapsulation efficiency, cell viability and fluorescence intensity ranged from 158.7 to 2064 nm, 48.19–95.72%, 81.50–122.67%, and 0.0–9.08, respectively. Compositions of liposome-based transfection agent without DOTAP, those without cholesterol, and those containing DSPE-PEG2000 with a molar ratio equal to or greater than that of cholesterol tended to exhibit low encapsulation efficiency. The ability of the liposome to complex DNA, as determined through electrophoresis gel retardation assay, showed that the composition without DOTAP produced DNA bands, indicating that the prepared liposomes had a less ability to complex DNA. The cytotoxicity test results indicated that all lipid compositions were considered non-toxic, as they exhibited >80% cell viability. The cell transfection assay demonstrated that the lipid composition containing a combination of DOTAP and cholesterol was able to transfect DNA into cells. According to response analysis, RSM predicted that the optimal lipid composition consisted of 2.75 μmol DOTAP and 0.91 μmol cholesterol, with a desirability value of 0.85. ConclusionsAlthough the equation model is still acceptable for predicting the optimal lipid composition, further study is needed to obtain a model with higher desirability, such as by using more lipid compositions, increased replications, and different variable responses.

Coupling enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli heat-stable peptide toxin with 8-arm PEG enhances immunogenicity.

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) strains, which produce the heat-stable enterotoxin (ST) either alone or in combination with the heat-labile enterotoxin, contribute to the bulk of the burden of child diarrheal disease in resource-limited countries and are associated with mortality. Developing an effective vaccine targeting ST presents challenges due to its potent enterotoxicity, non-immunogenicity, and the risk of autoimmune reaction stemming from its structural similarity to the human endogenous ligands, guanylin, and uroguanylin. This study aimed to assess a novel synthetic vaccine carrier platform employing a single chemical coupling step for making human ST (STh) immunogenic. Specifically, the method involved cross-linking STh to an 8-arm N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) ester-activated PEG cross-linker. A conjugate of STh with 8-arm structure was prepared, and its formation was confirmed through immunoblotting analysis. The impact of conjugation on STh epitopes was assessed using ELISAs with polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies targeting various epitopes of STh. Immunization of mice with the conjugate induced the production of anti-STh antibodies, exhibiting neutralizing activity against STh.

Synthesis and Structure Optimization of Star Copolymers as Tunable Macromolecular Carriers for Minimal Immunogen Vaccine Delivery.

Minimal immunogen vaccines are being developed to focus antibody responses against otherwise challenging targets, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but multimerization of the minimal peptide immunogen on a carrier platform is required for activity. Star copolymers comprising multiple hydrophilic polymer chains ("arms") radiating from a central dendrimer unit ("core") were recently reported to be an effective platform for arraying minimal immunogens for inducing antibody responses in mice and primates. However, the impact of different parameters of the star copolymer (e.g., minimal immunogen density and hydrodynamic size) on antibody responses and the optimal synthetic route for controlling those parameters remains to be fully explored. We synthesized a library of star copolymers composed of poly[N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide] hydrophilic arms extending from poly(amidoamine) dendrimer cores with the aim of identifying the optimal composition for use as minimal immunogen vaccines. Our results show that the length of the polymer arms has a crucial impact on the star copolymer hydrodynamic size and is precisely tunable over a range of 20-50 nm diameter, while the dendrimer generation affects the maximum number of arms (and therefore minimal immunogens) that can be attached to the surface of the dendrimer. In addition, high-resolution images of selected star copolymer taken by a custom-modified environmental scanning electron microscope enabled the acquisition of high-resolution images, providing new insights into the star copolymer structure. Finally, in vivo studies assessing a star copolymer vaccine comprising an HIV minimal immunogen showed the criticality of polymer arm length in promoting antibody responses and highlighting the importance of composition tunability to yield the desired biological effect.

Plant-Produced Chimeric Hepatitis E Virus-like Particles as Carriers for Antigen Presentation.

A wide range of virus-like particles (VLPs) is extensively employed as carriers to display various antigens for vaccine development to fight against different infections. The plant-produced truncated variant of the hepatitis E virus (HEV) coat protein is capable of forming VLPs. In this study, we demonstrated that recombinant fusion proteins comprising truncated HEV coat protein with green fluorescent protein (GFP) or four tandem copies of the extracellular domain of matrix protein 2 (M2e) of influenza A virus inserted at the Tyr485 position could be efficiently expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana plants using self-replicating vector based on the potato virus X genome. The plant-produced fusion proteins in vivo formed VLPs displaying GFP and 4M2e. Therefore, HEV coat protein can be used as a VLP carrier platform for the presentation of relatively large antigens comprising dozens to hundreds of amino acids. Furthermore, plant-produced HEV particles could be useful research tools for the development of recombinant vaccines against influenza.

Grapefruit‐Inspired Polymeric Capsule with Hierarchical Microstructure: Advanced Nanomaterial Carrier Platform for Energy Storage, Drug Delivery, Catalysis, and Environmental Applications (Small 30/2024)

Grapefruit‐Inspired Polymeric Capsule with Hierarchical Microstructure: Advanced Nanomaterial Carrier Platform for Energy Storage, Drug Delivery, Catalysis, and Environmental Applications (Small 30/2024)

Amidoxime-based radio-microspheres for Internal Irradiation combined with a checkpoint-blocking nanobody boost antitumor immunity

Trans-arterial radioembolization (TARE) therapy confronts significant technical challenges in the preparation of metal nuclide-labeled microsphere carriers, the development of stable and efficient radionuclide labeling strategies, and the ability to treat multiple small lesions in solid tumors. In this study, we synthesized 177Lu-labeled amidoxime-based polyvinyl alcohol microspheres (177Lu-PVA-g-PAO-Ms) using in situ synthesis of trunk compounds with chem-induced grafting polymerization. The resulting 177Lu-PVA-g-PAO-Ms showed excellent stability in radiolabeling and demonstrated high accumulation and prolonged retention in various preclinical rodent models, as observed through SPECT/CT imaging. The cumulative radioactivity uptake in the tumor reached as high as 12.27 %ID/g. In a mouse subcutaneous metastatic tumor model, we observed a significant abscopal effect of radioimmunotherapy after administering a combination of 177Lu-PVA-g-PAO-Ms and an anti-PD-L1 nanobody. These findings highlight the ability of PVA-g-PAO-Ms to chelate radionuclides efficiently and securely. Furthermore, when combined with nanobodies with enhanced tissue penetration capabilities, these microspheres hold great potential as innovative carrier platforms, offering new therapeutic strategies for integrating TARE with systemic immunotherapy.

Location and routing of armed Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and carrier platforms against mobile targets

In this study, we consider a real-life combinatorial optimization problem related to deploying and routing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and naval carrier platforms. In particular, we seek to determine the initial locations for carrier platforms and the optimal type and number of UAVs to be stationed on each carrier platform as well as their spatial/temporal routes for engaging hostile surface targets in the region. Our modeling framework incorporates a number of realistic but challenging ingredients and assumptions such as the mobility of surface targets and carrier platforms during the mission, capacitated multiple platforms and UAVs, UAV-carrier platform compatibility, and allowance for different takeoff/land on platforms for UAVs. In the effort to represent the problem mathematically, we first formulated an Integer Linear Program (ILP) model which seeks to maximize the total time-dependent weights of the targets engaged. Next, we proposed a heuristic solution algorithm based on the ant colony optimization framework. Our computational experiments performed on instances with different sizes showed that the heuristic approach achieves high-quality solutions even for large-size problem instances in short CPU times.

Dual electro-/pH-responsive nanoparticle/hydrogel system for controlled delivery of anticancer peptide

An electro-chemo-responsive carrier has been engineered for the controlled release of a highly hydrophilic anticancer peptide, CR(NMe)EKA (Cys-Arg- N-methyl-Glu-Lys-Ala). Remotely controlled on demand release of CR(NMe)EKA, loaded in electro-responsive poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) nanoparticles, has been achieved by applying electrical stimuli consisting of constant positive (+0.50 V) or negative voltages (−0.50 V) at pre-defined time intervals. In addition, after loading CR(NMe)EKA/PEDOT nanoparticles into an injectable pH responsive hydrogel formed by phenylboronic acid grafted to chitosan (PBA-CS), the efficiency of the controlled peptide release has increased approximately by a factor of 2.6. The hydration ratio of such hydrogel is significantly lower in acidic environments than in neutral and basic media, which has been attributed to the dissociation of the boronate bonds between polymer chains. Hence, the electro-controlled peptide release from PBA-CS/CR(NMe)EKA/PEDOT hydrogels, in the acidic environment of tumors, combines the effects of the oxidation and reduction of PEDOT chains on the interactions with the peptide and the carrier, with the peptide concentration gradient at the interface between the collapsed hydrogel and the release medium. Furthermore, the peptide released by electro-stimulation preserved its bioactivity assessed by promoting human prostate cancer cells death. Overall, this work is a promising attempt to develop a carrier platform for small hydrophilic anticancer peptides, which delivery rationale is synergistically regulated by the electrical and pH responsiveness of the carrier.

An artificial signaling pathway primitive-based intelligent biomimetic nanoenzymes carrier platform for precise treatment of Her2 (+) tumors

In tumor treatment, the deposition of nanoenzymes in normal tissues and cause potential side effects are unavoidable. Here, we designed an intelligent biomimetic nanoenzymes carrier platform (MSCintelligent) that endows the carrier platform with “wisdom” by introducing Affibody-Notch(core)-VP64-GAL4/UAS-HSV-TK artificial signal pathways to mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). This intelligent nanoenzymes carrier platform is distinguished from the traditional targeting tumor microenvironment or enhancing affinity with tumor, which endue MSCintelligent with tumor signal recognition capacity, so that MSCintelligent can autonomously distinguish tumor from normal tissue cells and feedback edited instructions. In this study, MSCintelligent can convert tumor signals into HSV-TK instructions through artificial signal pathway after recognizing Her2 (+) tumor. Subsequently, the synthesized HSV-TK can rupture MSCintelligent under the mediation of ganciclovir, and release the preloaded Cu/Fe nanocrystal clusters to kill the tumor accurately. Meanwhile, MSCintelligent without recognizing tumors will not initiate the HSV-TK instructions, thus being unresponsive to GCV and blocking the release of nanoenzymes in normal tissues. Consequently, MSCintelligent is the first intelligent biomimetic nanoenzymes carrier platform, which represents a new biomimetic nanoenzymes targeting mode.

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles: aversatile carrier platform in lung cancer management.

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) are inorganic nanoparticles that have been comprehensively investigated and are intended to deliver therapeutic agents. MSNPs have revolutionized the therapy for various conditions, especially cancer and infectious diseases. In this article, the viability of MSNPs'administration for lung cancer therapy has been reviewed. However, certain challenges lay ahead in the successful translation such as toxicology, immunology, large-scale production, and regulatory matters have made it extremely difficult to translate such discoveries from the bench to the bedside. This review highlights recent developments, characteristics, mechanism of action and customization for targeted delivery. This review also covers the most recent data that sheds light on MSNPs'extraordinary therapeutic potential in fighting lung cancer as well as future hurdles.

Near-infrared Light-Triggered Size-Shrinkable theranostic nanomicelles for effective tumor targeting and regression

Most nanomedicines with suitable sizes (normally 100–200 nm) exhibit favorable accumulation in the periphery of tumors but hardly penetrate into deep tumors. Effective penetration of nanomedicines requires smaller sizes (less than 30 nm) to overcome the elevated tumor interstitial fluid pressure. Moreover, integrating an efficient diagnostic agent in the nanomedicines is in high demand for precision theranostics of tumors. To this end, a near-infrared light (NIR) −triggered size-shrinkable micelle system (Fe3O4@AuNFs/DOX-M) coloaded antitumor drug doxorubicin (DOX) and biomodal imaging agent magnetic gold nanoflower (Fe3O4@AuNFs) was developed to achieve efficient theranostic of tumors. Upon the accumulation of Fe3O4@AuNFs/DOX-M in the tumor periphery, a NIR laser was irradiated near the tumor sites, and the loaded Fe3O4@Au NFs could convert the light energy to heat, which triggered the cleavage of DOX-M to the ultra-small micelles (∼5 nm), thus realizing the deep penetration of micelles and on-demand drug release. Moreover, Fe3O4@AuNFs in the micelles could also be used as CT/MRI dual-modal contrast agent to “visualize” the tumor. Up to 92.6 % of tumor inhibition was achieved for the developed Fe3O4@AuNFs/DOX-M under NIR irradiation. This versatile micelle system provided a promising drug carrier platform realizing efficient tumor dual-modal diagnosis and photothermal-chemotherapy integration.

Grapefruit-Inspired Polymeric Capsule with Hierarchical Microstructure: Advanced Nanomaterial Carrier Platform for Energy Storage, Drug Delivery, Catalysis, and Environmental Applications.

Efficient support materials are crucial for maximizing the efficacy of nanomaterials in various applications such as energy storage, drug delivery, catalysis, and environmental remediation. However, traditional supports often hinder nanomaterial performance due to their high weight ratio and limited manageability, leading to issues like tube blocking and secondary pollution. To address this, a novel grapefruit-inspired polymeric capsule (GPC) as a promising carrier platform is introduced. The millimeter-scale GPC features a hydrophilic shell and an internal hierarchical microstructure with 80% void volume, providing ample space for encapsulating diverse nanomaterials including metals, polymers, metal-organic frameworks, and silica. Through liquid-phase bottom-up methods, it is successfully loaded Fe2O3, SiO2, polyacrylic acid, and Prussian blue nanomaterials onto the GPC, achieving high mass ratio (1776, 488, 898, and 634wt.%, respectively). The GPC shell prevents nanomaterial leakage and the influx of suspended solids, while its internal framework enhances structural stability and mass transfer rates. With long-term storage stability, high carrying capacity, and versatile applicability, the GPC significantly enhances the field applicability of nanomaterials.

Study on the influence of ship waves on the dynamic response of floating tidal current power generation device

To study the influence of ship traveling waves on the hydrodynamic performance between the carrier platform and the turbine, the computational fluid dynamics method and the DFBI motion module of STAR CCM+ software were adopted. Under the condition of the coupling of the ship traveling wave and wave current generated at different speeds, the overall motion response of the power plant is simulated. What’s more, the influence of different wave conditions on the heave, pitch, and roll of the carrier platform and the energy efficiency of the turbine is analyzed. The results show that the ship speed has little effect on the carrier heave motion, but the maximum value of the carrier pitch motion increases with the increase in the ship speed. The value of turbine energy acquisition efficiency always decreases with decreasing lateral spacing and increases with decreasing speed. This paper has a certain reference value for the engineering application of floating tidal current power generation equipment.

Paying for Ears: A Study on the Impact of Podcast Platform users’ Willingness for Knowledge Payments

With the development of the Internet era, the ways people receive information are becoming more and more diversified. While pursuing the breadth of information, people began to value the purity and directness of information, which directly led to the rapid development of podcasts and their carrier platforms. Perceived value is the overall value of a commodity or service that consumers feel subjectively. Perceived convenience covers a lot of aspects, which can be summarized as the total amount of money or energy consumed when consuming a certain product or service.These two important indicators are used by academics to measure consumer satisfaction and their overall impression of a product. Therefore, based on the characteristics of podcast platform, such as rich choices and one-way information, this paper introduces the concept of convenience perception through the theory of perceived value, and uses TAM model as the carrier to study the impact of value and convenience perception on consumers’ willingness to consume paid programs on podcast platform.

Multifunctional Lipidated Protein Carrier with a Built-In Adjuvant as a Universal Vaccine Platform Potently Elevates Immunogenicity of Weak Antigens.

Weak antigens represented by MUC1 are poorly immunogenic, which greatly constrains the development of relevant vaccines. Herein, we developed a multifunctional lipidated protein as a carrier, in which the TLR1/2 agonist Pam3CSK4 was conjugated to the N-terminus of MUC1-loaded carrier protein BSA through pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-mediated transamination reaction. The resulting Pam3CSK4-BSA-MUC1 conjugate was subsequently incorporated into liposomes, which biomimics the membrane structure of tumor cells. The results indicated that this lipidated protein carrier significantly enhanced antigen uptake by APCs and obviously augmented the retention of the vaccine at the injection site. Compared with the BSA-MUC1 and BSA-MUC1 + Pam3CSK4 groups, Pam3CSK4-BSA-MUC1 evoked 22- and 11-fold increases in MUC1-specific IgG titers. Importantly, Pam3CSK4-BSA-MUC1 elicited robust cellular immunity and significantly inhibited tumor growth. This is the first time that lipidated protein was constructed to enhance antigen immunogenicity, and this universal carrier platform exhibits promise for utilization in various vaccines, holding the potential for further clinical application.

Determination of a total and partial operational readiness for a complex technical system on the example of a mobile medical module

The article presents a proposal for a method to determine a total and partial operational readiness for a mobile medical module as a complex technical system. A new approach to determine the readiness factor characterizing the functional readiness of a complex technical system is proposed as parameter not only for the system in a state of full usability, but also in states of partial usability enabling the performance of selected functions required by the user. The communication system is discussed as the main system determining the operation of the mobile medical module. Markov chain modeling (expanded into semi-Markov chains) was used to determine the value of the readiness factor of this system. Due to the structural complexity of the mobile medical module (carrier platform, drive, basic and additional avionics equipment and basic and extended medical equipment), a total and partial operational readiness can be determined for a simple object (in a simplified version as full) or a complex system (as a total and partial).