Radiant Efficiency Research Articles

Enhancing Pancreatic Cancer Therapy with Targeted CD133-Exosome Delivery of PD-L1 siRNA: A Preclinical Investigation.

This study assessed the anticancer potential of genetically modified exosomes engineered to express CD133-binding peptides on their surface and carry PD-L1 siRNA for the treatment of murine model of metastatic pancreatic cancer. CD133-targeting exosomes (tEx) were generated by harvesting conditioned media from adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) that had undergone transformation using pDisplay vectors encoding CD133-binding peptide sequences. Subsequently, siPD-L1-loaded CD133-targeting Exosomes, referred to as tEx(s), were created by incorporating PD-L1 siRNA into the tEx using Exofect kit. tEx(s) demonstrated superior targetability compared to other materials, including Ex, Ex(p), and tEx. This was substantiated by higher Total Radiant Efficiency (TRE) observed in metastatic liver and pancreatic tissues following intravenous administration of tEx(s) (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the intravenous delivery of tEx(s) resulted in the most pronounced upregulation of pro-apoptotic markers (BIM and c-caspase 3) and the least downregulation of the anti-apoptotic markers (Mcl-1 and Bcl-xL) which has been demonstrated in various methods, including RT-PCR, Western blot analysis, and immunohistochemistry in the metastatic lesions in the livers (P < 0.05). PD-L1 siRNA-loaded CD133-targeting exosomes demonstrated remarkable anticancer efficacy, characterized by specific binding to CD133-positive pancreatic cancer cells and suppression of PD-L1 expression within these cells.

Platelet membrane coated r-SAK to improve thrombolytic efficacy by targeting thrombus

Abstract Background Thrombolytic therapy is one of the most effective treatments to achieve rapid thrombus clearance and recanalization of blocked vessels in thrombotic diseases. However, the application of thrombolytic strategy has been limited due to unsatisfied thrombolytic efficacy, relatively higher bleeding complications, and consequently restricted indications.[1] With the development of nanotechnology and biotechnology, platelet membrane nanoparticles have been developed to enable the targeted delivery of thrombolytic agents to local thrombus sites.[2] Recombinant staphylokinase (r-SAK) is a third-generation thrombolytic agent produced by genetic engineering technology. In this study, platelet membrane coated r-SAK (PLT-r-SAK) was constructed, and its thrombolytic efficacy was evaluated in in-vitro and in-vivo experiments. Purpose We aimed to construct a thrombus-targeting agent of PLT-r-SAK and investigate its thrombolytic efficacy. Methods PLT-r-SAK was prepared by encapsulating r-SAK into platelet membrane vesicles using a membrane extrusion method. An in-vitro thrombolytic experiment was performed to examine the thrombolytic efficacy of PLT-r-SAK, and a totally occluded femoral artery thrombosis model of rabbit was developed to evaluate the in-vivo thrombolytic efficacy of PLT-r-SAK. The changes in femoral artery pressure were adopted to assess the vessel opening status. Besides, the effect of the antiplatelet drugs on the thrombolytic efficacy of PLT-r-SAK was explored. Finally, near-infrared fluorescence imaging system was used to verify the thrombus-targeting effect of PLT-r-SAK. Results PLT-r-SAK was firstly constructed, which exhibited a uniformly dispersed spherical morphology with a diameter of 185.8 ± 1.5 nm and a zeta potential of -26.1 ± 0.8 mV. In the in-vitro animal experiment, the thrombolysis rate of PLT-r-SAK was significantly higher than that of the same (low) dose and 4-fold (high) dose r-SAK (Figure 1a, 1b). In the in-vivo experiment, the initial recanalization time of PLT-r-SAK was significantly shorter than that of the low dose and high dose r-SAK, and the duration of the reperfusion time of PLT-r-SAK was prolonged compared to low dose and high dose r-SAK (Figure 1c). Another in-vitro experiment showed that the increased thrombolysis rate of PLT-r-SAK could be inhibited by platelet poor plasma (PPP) from aspirin- and ticagrelor-treated patients. Finally, both the in-vitro and in-vivo near-infrared fluorescence imaging showed significantly higher radiant efficiency in the PLT-r-SAK group as compared to the NS group (Figure 2). Conclusions Platelet membrane coating significantly improves the thrombolytic efficacy of r-SAK, which is related to the thrombus-targeting activity of the platelet membrane and can be inhibited by aspirin- and ticagrelor-treated plasma.Thrombolytic efficacy of PLT-r-SAKThrombus-targeting evidence of PLT-r-SAK

Oral in vivo biodistribution of fluorescent labelled nano lipid carrier system of erlotinib using real time optical imaging technique

This study investigates the biodistribution of a nano lipid carrier system (NLCs) containing the hydrophobic drug erlotinib (ERL-NLCs). The system was labelled with the fluorescent dye IR-780 for real-time dynamic imaging. ERL-NLCs were initially developed using the ultrasonication method with oleic acid and stearic acid. In vitro and ex vivo studies were performed to confirm the formation and penetration of NLCs within the intestine. Subsequently, the biological distribution of ERL-NLCs was monitored using a fluorescent dye through the IVIS® fluorescent optical imaging technique in whole live animals. Mice were orally administered blank IR 780 dye solution, ERL suspension, and IR 780 labelled NLCs. Fluorescence images were acquired at different time intervals up to 24 h and then total radiant efficiency was calculated through the region of interest (ROI) of the whole animal at each interval of time for all three groups. To validate the results obtained from in vivo imaging, various organs including lungs, heart, liver, both kidneys, stomach, and intestine were subsequently extracted and examined after 24 h. The ROI was found to be higher in the blank IR 780 dye solution, followed by the drug suspension and IR 780 labelled NLCs. These results confirm that the plain ERL suspension distributes across the body, and its encapsulation in NLCs facilitates passage through the lymphatic intestinal pathway, effectively avoiding first-pass metabolism. The remarkable results indicated that the NLCs formulation effectively circumvents first-pass metabolism by adopting the intestinal lymphatic pathway, thereby enhancing the oral bioavailability of the drug. This observed behaviour underscores the potential of NLCs in optimizing drug delivery and minimizing adverse effects associated with gastrointestinal and metabolic processes.

Design and development of electric radiant heaters for local heating inside the cabin of electric vehicles

The transition towards electric vehicles (EVs) represents a crucial step in mitigating global warming and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, the energy efficiency of EVs, particularly in terms of cabin thermal management, remains a significant challenge, especially under extreme climatic conditions. This manuscript addresses the challenge by focusing on the design and optimization of electric radiant (ER) heaters for enhancing the thermal management of EV cabins. Through an in-depth investigation involving experimental analysis and computational modeling, this study explores various materials in the design of the ER heater, aiming to maximize radiant heating effect while ensuring energy conservation. Key findings reveal that the choice of materials for the ER heater’s components significantly impacts its thermal performance. Specifically, a combination of rigid polyurethane (PU) foam as insulation and expanded polypropylene (EPP) 30 for the base structure was identified as the optimal design to achieve a maximum radiant power efficiency of about 47.3%. This improved radiant power efficiency outperformed the baseline design by more than 25%.

Abstract Tu007: The Impact of Shear-Thinning Hydrogel Delivery on Extracellular Vesicle Cardiac Retention

Background: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are essential mediators of intercellular communication. EVs secreted by cardiosphere-derived cells (CDC-EVs) hold promise as vectors in the context of cardiac repair and remodeling through modulation of cardiomyocyte apoptosis and the immune response following injury. Cardiac retention of CDC-EVs is a critical factor influencing their therapeutic efficacy as first-pass uptake and washout from the myocardium remains a variable. We hypothesized that loading CDC-EVs in a shear-thinning, hybrid hydrogel would provide sustained myocardial delivery and reduced EV extraction by the lungs. Methods: The hydrogel system was constructed via a two-step approach utilizing Michael-addition reaction and host-guest complexation. This system incorporates four components: (1) an adamantane-functionalized multi-arm polyethylene glycol, (2) monosubstituted β-cyclodextrin-maleimide, (3) a thiolated hyaluronic acid, and (4) a heparin molecule containing thiol moieties. Following LAD ligation, intramyocardial injections of DiR-labeled EVs or hydrogel-encapsulated DiR-labeled EVs were performed on mice. Animals were euthanized after 24 hours and organs harvested. Whole organ biofluorescence was performed using IVIS Spectrum imaging. Results: Hydrogel-encapsulated EVs exhibited enhanced cardiac retention 24 hours post-MI when compared with EVs without hydrogel (17 ± 4.4 vs. 3.4 ± 0.9, mean radiant efficiency as a % of dose ± SEM, p&lt;0.01 using unpaired two-tailed t-test). Mice treated with hydrogel encapsulated EVs showed reduced EV retention in the lungs compared to controls treated with EVs alone (5.7 ± 0.9 vs. 10.6 ± 1.4, mean radiant efficiency as a % of dose ± SEM, p&lt;0.05 using unpaired two-tailed t-test). Conclusion: Usage of shear-thinning hydrogel as an EV delivery vehicle enhances EV retention in the heart and decreases off-target uptake of EVs following acute MI. This finding suggests that hydrogel delivery may be a promising strategy to improve the therapeutic efficacy of CDC-EVs for cardiac repair.

Light-activatable minimally invasive ethyl cellulose ethanol ablation: Biodistribution and potential applications.

While surgical resection is a mainstay of cancer treatment, many tumors are unresectable due to stage, location, or comorbidities. Ablative therapies, which cause local destruction of tumors, are effective alternatives to surgical excision in several settings. Ethanol ablation is one such ablative treatment modality in which ethanol is directly injected into tumor nodules. Ethanol, however, tends to leak out of the tumor and into adjacent tissue structures, and its biodistribution is difficult to monitor in vivo. To address these challenges, this study presents a cutting-edge technology known as Light-Activatable Sustained-Exposure Ethanol Injection Technology (LASEIT). LASEIT comprises a three-part formulation: (1) ethanol, (2) benzoporphyrin derivative, which enables fluorescence-based tracking of drug distribution and the potential application of photodynamic therapy, and (3) ethyl cellulose, which forms a gel upon injection into tissue to facilitate drug retention. In vitro drug release studies showed that ethyl cellulose slowed the rate of release in LASEIT by 7×. Injections in liver tissues demonstrated a 6× improvement in volume distribution when using LASEIT compared to controls. In vivo experiments in a mouse pancreatic cancer xenograft model showed LASEIT exhibited significantly stronger average radiant efficiency than controls and persisted in tumors for up to 7 days compared to controls, which only persisted for less than 24 h. In summary, this study introduced LASEIT as a novel technology that enabled real-time fluorescence monitoring of drug distribution both ex vivo and in vivo. Further research exploring the efficacy of LASEIT is strongly warranted.

The ultralow loss Li2Mg3Ti1−xAl4x/3O6 microwave dielectric ceramics and its design of dielectric resonator antenna

The Li2Mg3Ti1−xAl4x/3O6 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.1) ceramics are synthesized using the solid phase method, showing excellent microwave dielectric properties with εr = 14.05, Q × f = 144 500 GHz, and τf = −43 ppm/°C at x = 0.04. Rietveld refinements, based on the XRD data, reveal that the Li2Mg3Ti1−xAl4x/3O6 ceramics crystallize in the rock salt structure with Fm-3m space group. The relationship between the crystal structure and intrinsic microwave dielectric properties is studied in detail. The variation in the dielectric constant is related to ionic polarization and relative density. The quality factor (Q × f) demonstrates a strong correlation with lattice energy, relative density, and concentration of Ti3+. The variation of τf is influenced by the bond thermal expansion coefficient and bond valence. The dielectric resonant antenna, manufactured from Li2Mg3Ti0.96Al0.0533O6-0.09TiO2 ceramic with near-zero τf, shows a bandwidth of 230 MHz at 7.40 GHz and a high radiant efficiency, which indicates that high-quality factor Li2Mg3Ti0.96Al0.0533O6 ceramic has significant potential in relevant fields such as 5G and smart driving.

Experimental and numerical investigation on H2-fueled micro-thermophotovoltaic with CH4 and C3H8 blending in a tube fully/partially inserted porous media

Energy conversion and utilization of micro-thermophotovoltaic (TPV) system are limited by the micro-combustor, so the stepped tube inserted with porous media (PM) is proposed for H2-powered systems with blending CH4 or C3H8. Effects of blended CH4 and C3H8 on the H2/air combustion are experimentally investigated and numerically simulated. The results show that the addition of CH4 and C3H8 improves the thermal performance at lower blending ratios to stabilize the combustion and increase the energy efficiency, and the addition of CH4 gives superior thermal performance compared to C3H8. In addition, to increase the power output of micro-TPV system, the effects of micro-burners with different PM setups are investigated under varied operating conditions, which indicate that the insertion of PM alters the flame regime, enhancing combustion stability and energy conversion. For instance, the maximum radiant efficiency is obtained in the burner with PM L3 = 19 mm at vp = 4 m/s, while burner with PM L3 = 25 mm gains the maximum radiant efficiency of 46 % at vp = 6 m/s and is 12.4 % higher than that without PM. Therefore, the power output of the burner with longer PM is higher at high flow rates. When vp = 8 m/s, the maximum radiated power and system output power of the micro-TPV system with InGaAsSb cells reached 81.2 W and 4.2 W, respectively.

Investigation on enhancement of energy conversion of H2/CH4 fueled combustion in a micro tube with multi-channel-outlet

To improve the flame stability and energy utilization of micro-generators, experimental and numerical investigations of a micro-thermophotovoltaic fueled by H2/CH4 are conducted. The coupling effects of multi-channel-outlet setting of micro tube and CH4 addition on combustion characteristics and thermal performance are compared and analyzed. The results reveal that the multi-channel-outlet of the tube significantly enhances the flame stability of premixed H2/CH4/air and the heat transmission via flow recirculation in the combustion chamber. It also notes that 2.5–10 % CH4 addition effectively affects the flame regime and extends the high-temperature zone to obtain a higher radiation temperature. Burners with larger dimensions achieve a lower wall temperatures but attain a higher radiant power, which can be improved with the extension of the multi-channel-outlet length and burner size. And radiant power increases with increasing fuel flow rate, while energy efficiency is reduced. So, the burner with properly multi-channel-outlet setting and a small fraction of CH4 addition is beneficial to improve system thermal performance. It especially obtains that the burner C6-12 has the highest radiant power of 39.6 W at Vf = 640 mL/min and 7.5 % CH4, and burner C6-20 achieves the highest radiant efficiency of 44.1 % at Vf = 410 mL/min.

Upconversion and ligand-sensitized downshifting from active inert shell in Ln-doped core–shell nanocrystals for anticounterfeiting applications

Luminescent nanocrystals (NCs), with their ability to emit multiple colors in response to various excitation sources, have gained significant importance in various fields, especially in information storage and anticounterfeiting applications. Here, we engineered lanthanide-doped core-shell and core-shell-shell NCs using the thermal decomposition method. These core-shell NCs exhibit blue and green emissions from Er/Tm ions when sensitized by Yb ions under 980 nm laser irradiation. Similar emissions are observed from core-shell-shell NCs, where Yb and Nd ions sensitize emissions under 980 and 800 nm excitations, respectively. However, due to surface defects on the core and core-shell NCs, their upconversion efficiency is very low, limiting their applications. To address this, we improved the upconversion luminescence efficiency by introducing an active inert layer as a shell on the core and core-shell NCs. This active inert layer, doped with Eu/Tb ions, acts as a protective layer, enhancing radiant efficiency by mitigating defects on the NC surface. Moreover, we functionalized the NC surface with 2,6-PDA ligands using the hydrothermal method, enabling excitation of the NCs under UV light irradiation. Upon 282 nm excitation, strong red/green emissions are observed from Eu/Tb ions via 2,6-PDA ligand sensitization. Using these NCs, we developed stable fluorescent inks mediated by carboxymethyl cellulose. NC-based fluorescent inks were employed to print various images on nonfluorescent paper using a simple and cost-effective screen-printing method. These flexible printed patterns remain invisible under ambient light but exhibit different colors upon exposure to 980 or 800 nm NIR and 254 nm UV light. This demonstrates the potential of dual-mode excitable multi-shell NCs for anticounterfeiting applications.

Pressure-Enabled Drug Delivery (PEDD) of a class C TLR9 agonist in combination with checkpoint inhibitor therapy in a murine pancreatic cancer model

BackgroundSystemic immunotherapy has had limited clinical benefit in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. This is thought to be due to its desmoplastic immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment in addition to high intratumoral pressures that limit drug delivery. Recent preclinical cancer models and early-phase clinical trials have demonstrated the potential of toll-like receptor 9 agonists, including the synthetic CpG oligonucleotide SD-101, to stimulate a wide range of immune cells and eliminate suppressive myeloid cells. We hypothesized that Pressure-Enabled Drug Delivery via Pancreatic Retrograde Venous Infusion of toll-like receptor 9 agonist would improve responsiveness to systemic anti-programmed death receptor-1 checkpoint inhibitor therapy in a murine orthotopic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma model. MethodsMurine pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (KPC4580P) tumors were implanted into the pancreatic tails of C57BL/6J mice and treated 8 days after implantation. Mice were assigned to one of the following treatment groups: Pancreatic Retrograde Venous Infusion delivery of saline, Pancreatic Retrograde Venous Infusion delivery of toll-like receptor 9 agonist, systemic anti-programmed death receptor-1, systemic toll-like receptor 9 agonist, or the combination of Pancreatic Retrograde Venous Infusion delivery of toll-like receptor 9 agonist and systemic anti-programmed death receptor-1 (Combo). Fluorescently labeled toll-like receptor 9 agonist (radiant efficiency) was used to measure uptake of the drug on day 1. Changes in tumor burden were evaluated by necropsy at 2 different time points, 7 and 10 days after toll-like receptor 9 agonist treatment. Blood and tumors were collected at necropsy 10 days after toll-like receptor 9 agonist treatment for flow cytometric analysis of tumor-infiltrating leukocytes and plasma cytokines. ResultsAll mice analyzed survived to necropsy. Site of tumor fluorescence measurements revealed 3-fold higher intensity fluorescence in Pancreatic Retrograde Venous Infusion delivery of toll-like receptor 9 agonist compared to systemic toll-like receptor 9 agonist mice. Tumor weights were significantly lower in the Combo group compared to Pancreatic Retrograde Venous Infusion delivery of saline. Flow cytometry of the Combo group demonstrated significantly increased overall T-cell number, specifically CD4+ T-cells, and a trend toward increased CD8+ T-cells. Cytokine analysis showed significantly decreased IL-6 and CXCL1. ConclusionPressure-Enabled Drug Delivery of toll-like receptor 9 agonist by Pancreatic Retrograde Venous Infusion with systemic anti-programmed death receptor-1 demonstrated improved pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma tumor control in a murine pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma model. These results support study of this combination therapy in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients and expansion of ongoing Pressure-Enabled Drug Delivery clinical trials.

Neutrophil membrane biomimetic delivery system (Ptdser-NM-Lipo/Fer-1) designed for targeting atherosclerosis therapy.

Atherosclerosis is a progressive inflammatory disease characterised by excessive lipid accumulation and inflammatory cell infiltration and is the basis of most cardiovascular diseases and peripheral arterial diseases. Therefore, an effectively targeted delivery system is urgently needed to deliver ferroptosis-specific inhibitors to the site of arterial plaque and the inflammatory microenvironment. Inspired by the fact that neutrophils can be recruited to arterial plaques under the action of adhesion molecules and chemokines, the authors developed a neutrophil membrane hybrid liposome nano-mimetic system (Ptdser-NM-Lipo/Fer-1) that delivers Ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1) to the atherosclerotic plaque effectively, which is composed of Fer-1-loaded Ptdser-modified liposomes core and neutrophils shell. Fer-1 was released at the AS plaque site to remove reactive oxygen species (ROS) and improve the inflammatory microenvironment. In vitro ROS clearance experiments have shown that 50μmol/ml Fer-1 can significantly remove ROS produced by H2 O2 -induced MOVAS cells and Ptdser-NM-Lipo/Fer-1 revealed a 3-fold increase in the inhibition rate of ROS than free Fer-1 in induced-RAW264.7, demonstrating its superior ROS-cleaning effect. Based on the interaction of adhesion molecules, such as vascular cell adhesion molecule 1, ICAM-1, P-selectin, E-selectin, and chemokines released in the inflamed site, the aorta in NM-Lipo-treated mice displayed 1.3-fold greater radiant efficiency than platelet membrane-Lipo-treated mice. Meanwhile, due to the modification of the Ptdser, the aorta in Ptdser-NM-Lipo/Fer-1-treated mice exhibited the highest fluorescence intensity, demonstrating its excellent targeting ability for atherosclerosis. Therefore, we present a specific formulation for the treatment of atherosclerosis with the potential for novel therapeutic uses.

Development of effluent-free dry-peeling method for shallots (Allium cepa L. aggregatum): Spectral characterization of mid and long infrared peak wavelengths for maximizing the peeling performance.

Different wavelength emitting infrared (IR) lamps (transparent quartz tungsten (TQT), ruby-coated quartz tungsten (RCQT), and ceramic) were used for dry peeling and evaluating the spectral characteristics of emitted radiations. The maximum temperatures for ceramic, RCQT, and TQT were 560, 662, and 861°C, respectively. The peak wavelength determined by Wien's law was between 3.37 and 21.47µm. Comparatively, longer wavelength was emitted by ceramic lamp. The spectral emissive power determined by Stefan Boltzmann's law was 1.14-37.49kWm-2 using the IR emitters at different power levels. The radiant efficiency was higher for the ceramic lamp. The peak wavelength and emissive power had a major influence on the peeling performance and quality during IR peeling. The optimized parameters for IR dry peeling of shallots are 60mm distance between lamp and product, 59.74% IR power level, 15min of heating time using the ceramic (peak wavelength 8.16µm) lamp. Practical Application: Infrared dry peeling of shallots is a sustainable alternative to traditional peeling methods that leaves adverse environmental footprints. Spectral characteristics of the infrared lamp can be used to determine the suitable emitter for the dry-peeling operation. It is necessary to check the wavelength emitted by the source for designing the IR system based on the food product and application. This study will be helpful in food processing industries to use an effective infrared lamp that can efficiently peel the agricultural product and sustainably maintain quality.

Pressure-Enabled Drug Delivery (PEDD) of a class C TLR9 agonist in combination with checkpoint inhibitor therapy in a murine pancreatic cancer model.

729 Background: Systemic immunotherapy has had limited clinical benefit in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). This is thought to be due to its desmoplastic immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment in addition to high intratumoral pressures that limit drug delivery. Recent pre-clinical cancer models and early-phase clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of toll-like receptor 9 agonists (TLR9a), including the synthetic CpG oligonucleotide SD101, to stimulate innate and adaptive immune cells and eliminate suppressive myeloid cells. We hypothesized that Pressure Enabled Drug Delivery (PEDD) via Pancreatic Retrograde Venous Infusion (PRVI) of a TLR9a would improve responsiveness to systemic anti-programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) checkpoint inhibitor therapy in a murine orthotopic PDAC model. Methods: Murine PDAC (KPC4580P) tumors were implanted into the pancreatic tails of C57BL/6J mice and treated 8 days after implantation. Mice were assigned to PRVI saline (pSAL, n=9), systemic anti-PD1 100 mcg/mouse on Day 0, 2 and 4 (sAPD1, n = 6), 30mcg PRVI TLR9a (pTLR9a, n=9), 30mcg systemic TLR9a (sTLR9a, n=7) on Day 0, and combination 30mcg PRVI TLR9a on Day 0 and systemic anti-PD1 100 mcg/mouse on Day 0, 2 and 4 (COMBO, n =9). Fluorescently-labeled TLR9a (radiant efficiency [RE]) was measured on day 1. Blood and tumors were collected at necropsy 12 days after infusion. Results: All mice survived to necropsy. Site of tumor fluorescence measurements revealed higher intensity fluorescence in pTLR9a compared to sTLR9a (7.5x10^5 vs. 2.4x10^5 RE, p= 0.048). Significantly lower MDSCs in the COMBO vs. pSAL are shown. Tumor weights were significantly lower in the COMBO group compared to pSAL (400 vs. 964 mg, p=0.003), and were also lower, although not significantly, than in the pTLR9a (400 vs. 518mg, p=0.50), and sAPD1 (400 vs. 645 mg, p = 0.70) groups. Conclusions: PEDD of TLR9a by PRVI with systemic anti-PD-1 demonstrated improved PDAC tumor control. These results support study of this combination therapy in PDAC patients and expansion of ongoing PEDD clinical trials. [Table: see text]

Study on Heat Transfer Characteristics and Performance of the Full Premixed Cauldron Stove with Porous Media

The cauldron stoves used in restaurants and canteens usually adopt the combustion mode of blast diffusion. Low combustion efficiency leads to low thermal efficiency and high CO and NOx emissions. To address these problems, a 52 kW fully premixed stove with porous media is designed, and the heat transfer characteristics of the stove are analyzed by theoretical analysis and numerical simulation. The results show that under the rated power, the thermal efficiency of the stove reaches 68.55%, which is more than twice the thermal efficiency of the traditional blast diffusion stove. Among them, the radiant heat efficiency of the stove reaches 47.16%; thus, radiation heat transfer has become an important way of heat transfer of the porous media stove. Moreover, increasing the diameter and emissivity of porous media will increase the radiant thermal efficiency of the stove, but it will significantly reduce the flame temperature. In addition, the influence of the diameter is greater than the emissivity. The increase of the thickness of porous media can significantly improve the preheating temperature of the premixed gas, thus improving the ignition performance of the stove. Additionally, the stove has an appropriate thickness (approximately 3 mm), which not only ensures the preheating temperature but also does not easily allow for breakage and damage of porous media. Increasing the pore density or reducing the porosity of porous media can enhance the ignition performance of the stove. Moreover, the results of numerical simulation verify the theoretical results to a certain extent and shows that there is an optimal flue position as well.

Effects of Electrical Pulse Width and Output Irradiance on Intense Pulse Light Inactivation.

The effects of electrical pulse width and output irradiance on the inactivation effect of intense pulse light (IPL) are studied in this paper. The measured radiant efficiency of pulsed xenon lamp can be more than 50%, and its irradiance can reach levels 100-times greater than that of a low-pressure mercury lamp. Staphylococcus aureus is used in inactivation experiments. When the irradiance and dose are both constant, there is no significant difference in inactivation efficiency when the pulse width is changed. However, a narrow pulse width corresponding to high irradiance at the same single-pulsed dose displays better inactivation effect. Experimental results are compared between the xenon lamp and low-pressure mercury lamp. The reduction factor (RF) value of the xenon lamp is more than 1.0 higher under the condition of both the same dose and irradiance. In order to achieve the same RF value, the dose of continuous-wave light must be at least three-times greater than that of pulsed light. The spectral action of the pulsed light is also studied. It is confirmed that UVC plays a major role across the whole spectrum. The experimental results show that extreme high-pulsed irradiance presents the main contributing factor behind the excellent bactericidal effect of IPL.

Effects of titanium dioxide quantum dots on the color deviation and luminous flux of white light-emitting diodes

The application of &lt;span&gt;quantum dots has been considered as a promising approach to the advancement of phosphor-converted light-emitting diodes (pc-LEDs) since they perform an excellent extinction coefficient. Yet, it is challenging to manage their influences on the optical properties of LEDs due to their different nanometers in size. Hence, the object of this research is to analyze the influences of quantum dot (QDs) to figure out the solution to control the enhancement of LED lighting performances. Particularly, the study worked on investigating the scattering and absorption features of titanium dioxide (TiO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;) QDs. It demonstrated that the radiant efficiency and luminous stability of the TiO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; QDs-converted LEDs (QC-LEDs) was inferior due to the strong light absorption and reabsorption occurring inside the LED packages. Additionally, it also presented low uniformity of color distribution because the scattering ability of QDs is weak. Therefore, reducing the concentration of QDs when adding to the LED structure seems to be possible to enhance the luminous output of QC-LEDs. We propose 0.05% wt. TiO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; for white LED to reduce the illumination losing caused by re-absorbent and total internal backscattering, resulting in approximate 31% lumen improvement and high color rendering index (CRI) measured at about 85, at a high color temperature of 7500 K&lt;/span&gt;.

Environmental Benefits and Energy Savings from Gas Radiant Heaters’ Flue-Gas Heat Recovery

This paper demonstrates the need and potential for using waste heat recovery (WHR) systems from infrared gas radiant heaters, which are typical heat sources in large halls, due to the increasing energy-saving requirements for buildings in the EU and the powerful and wide-spread development of the e-commerce market. The types of gas radiant heaters are discussed and the classification of WHR systems from these devices is performed. The article also presents for the first time our innovative solution, not yet available on the market, for the recovery of heat from the exhaust gases of ceramic infrared heaters. The energy analysis for an industrial hall shows that this solution allows for environmental benefits at different levels, depending on the gas infrared heater efficiency, by reducing the amount of fuel and emissions for domestic hot water (DHW) preparation (36.8%, 15.4% and 5.4%, respectively, in the case of low-, standard- and high-efficiency infrared heaters). These reductions, considering both DHW preparation and hall heating, are 16.1%, 7.6% and 3.0%, respectively. The key conclusion is that the innovative solution can spectacularly improve the environmental effect and achieve the highest level of fuel savings in existing buildings that are heated with radiant heaters with the lowest radiant efficiency.

Cell proliferation effect of deep-penetrating microcavity tandem NIR OLEDs with therapeutic trend analysis

Long wavelengths that can deeply penetrate into human skin are required to maximize therapeutic effects. Hence, various studies on near-infrared organic light-emitting diodes (NIR OLEDs) have been conducted, and they have been applied in numerous fields. This paper presents a microcavity tandem NIR OLED with narrow full-width half-maximum (FWHM) (34 nm), high radiant emittance (> 5 mW/cm2) and external quantum efficiency (EQE) (19.17%). Only a few papers have reported on biomedical applications using the entire wavelength range of the visible and NIR regions. In particular, no biomedical application studies have been reported in the full wavelength region using OLEDs. Therefore, it is worth researching the therapeutic effects of using OLED, a next-generation light source, and analyzing trends for cell proliferation effects. Cell proliferation effects were observed in certain wavelength regions when B, G, R, and NIR OLEDs were used to irradiate human fibroblasts. The results of an in-vitro experiment indicated that the overall tendency of wavelengths is similar to that of the cytochrome c oxidase absorption spectrum of human fibroblasts. This is the first paper to report trends in the cell proliferation effects in all wavelength regions using OLEDs.

Research and development of pulse electronic control devices with UV lamps

Objectives. When used in lighting installations with tubular low-pressure ultraviolet (UV) lamps, electronic ballasts should meet the following basic requirements: low cost, reliable ignition at low temperatures, as well as combining high energy efficiency with reliable lamp operation. As compared with electromagnetic ballasts, electronic ballasts allow the luminous efficiency and power factor of discharge lamps to be increased, reducing the consumption of scarce materials along with the weight of devices. In order to improve their energy efficiency, complete UV lamps are based on low-pressure discharge lamps with pulsed electronic ballasts supplying power at the frequency of 22–50 kHz. Various circuit designs include such basic units as mains filter, rectifier, power factor corrector, smoothing filter, high-frequency converter, ballast, and ignition device. The present study aimed to develop an electronic semiconductor circuit for switching on and powering a discharge lamp of increased energy efficiency using a pulsed electronic ballast.Methods. Classical methods of mathematical research were applied for determining the flux of the 254-nm mercury resonance line using a structural electronic ballast diagram along with a mathematical description and adaptive model.Results. Equations for determining the parameters of pulses formed by an envelope having the form of input voltage and current supplied at industrial frequency were formulated for different instants of time. A mathematical description is given for determining pulse duration and lamp current depending on the values of nominal and operating voltage, as well as nominal current. Diagrams for instantaneous voltage values at the high-frequency switch input and generated pulsed current are presented. The parameters of the ‘UV lamp–electronic ballast’ set were calculated using an adaptive model for determining the flux of the 254-nm mercury resonance line according to the condition of lamp power constancy.Conclusions. Relative values for radiant efficiency of the 254-nm mercury line for UV lamps under study were determined. Theoretical research of electronic ballasts led to the development of a semiconductor switching and power supply circuit for the discharge lamp based on high-frequency rectangular pulses. The parameters of the element base were calculated along with selected basic initial characteristics of the blocking generator.