Cyclo[6]aramide-Tropylium Charge Transfer Complex as a Colorimetric Chemosensor for Differentiation of Intimate and Loose Ion Pairs

Shape-persistent iso-C16-cyclo[6]aramide (1) was found to form a charge-transfer (CT) complex with aromatic carbonium tropylium (Tr(+)). The resulting CT complex was evidenced by both experimental results and theoretical calculations. Particularly, dibutylammonium salt with PF6(-) as the counterion can extrude Tr(+) from the CT complex, but it cannot do so with Cl(-), thereby offering a visual approach to identify organic intimate ion pairs and loose ion pairs.

Downregulation of COMMD1 by miR-205 promotes a positive feedback loop for amplifying inflammatory- and stemness-associated properties of cancer cells

Sustained activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in cancer cells has been shown to promote inflammation, expansion of cancer stem cell (CSC) population, and tumor development. In contrast, recent studies reveal that CSCs exhibit increased inflammation due to constitutive NF-κB activation; however, the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. In the present study, the analysis of microarray data revealed upregulation of NF-κB-regulated pro-inflammatory genes and downregulation of copper metabolism MURR1 domain-containing 1 (COMMD1) during the enrichment for stemness in SAS head and neck squamous-cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cells. The 3′-UTR of COMMD1 mRNA contains microRNA (miR)-205 target site. Parallel studies with HNSCC and NSCLC cells indicated that miR-205 is upregulated upon NF-κB activation and suppresses COMMD1 expression in stemness-enriched cancer cells. COMMD1 negatively regulates the inflammatory responses induced by TLR agonists, IL-1β, and TNF-α by targeting RelA for degradation. The shRNA-mediated downregulation of COMMD1 in cancer cells enhanced inflammatory response, generating favorable conditions for macrophage recruitment. In addition, genes associated with stemness were also upregulated in these cells, which exhibited increased potential for anchorage-independent growth. Furthermore, COMMD1 downregulation promoted in vivo tumorigenesis and tumor growth, and tumors derived from COMMD1-knockdown cells displayed elevated level of NF-κB activation, increased expression of inflammatory- and stemness-associated genes, and contain expanded population of tumor-associated leukocytes and stemness-enriched cancer cells. These results suggest that COMMD1 downregulation by miR-205 promotes tumor development by modulating a positive feedback loop that amplifies inflammatory- and stemness-associated properties of cancer cells.

The safety and feasibility of probiotics in children and adolescents undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation

Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) has become a standard treatment for many adult and pediatric conditions. Emerging evidence suggests that perturbations in the microbiota diversity increase recipients' susceptibilities to gut-mediated conditions such as diarrhea, infection and acute GvHD. Probiotics preserve the microbiota and may minimize the risk of developing a gut-mediated condition; however, their safety has not been evaluated in the setting of HCT. We evaluated the safety and feasibility of the probiotic, Lactobacillus plantarum (LBP), in children and adolescents undergoing allogeneic HCT. Participants received once-daily supplementation with LBP beginning on day -8 or -7 and continued until day +14. Outcomes were compliance with daily administration and incidence of LBP bacteremia. Administration of LBP was feasible with 97% (30/31, 95% confidence interval (CI) 83-100%) of children receiving at least 50% of the probiotic dose (median 97%; range 50-100%). We did not observe any case of LBP bacteremia (0% (0/30) with 95% CI 0-12%). There were not any unexpected adverse events related to LBP. Our study provides preliminary evidence that administration of LBP is safe and feasible in children and adolescents undergoing HCT. Future steps include the conduct of an approved randomized, controlled trial through Children's Oncology Group.

Factor Xa induces pro-inflammatory cytokine expression in RAW 264.7 macrophages via protease-activated receptor-2 activation

Coagulation proteases have been suggested to trigger a diversity of inflammatory responses in addition to their critical role in the coagulation cascade. It has been well established that the inflammatory and coagulation pathways are invariably linked. However, the mechanisms through which coagulation protease factor Xa (FXa) causes inflammation remain unclear. Thus, we assessed the pro-inflammatory effects of FXa in RAW 264.7 macrophages. We show that FXa elicits signal transduction in RAW 264.7 macrophages. FXa-induced signal transduction was dependent on the activation of protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR-2), PAR-2 desensitization but not PAR-1 desensitization abolished FXa-induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation. The PAR-2-dependent cellular effects of FXa led to the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α and IFN-γ in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Furthermore, a specific inhibitor of the ERK1/2 pathway, U0126, decreased the FXa-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines expression significantly. Taken together, our data indicate that FXa induces PAR-2-dependent pro-inflammatory activity in RAW 264.7 macrophages through the ERK1/2 pathway.

SATB1 is a potential therapeutic target in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is the second most common primary malignant tumor of the liver with a poor prognosis. Upregulation of special AT-rich sequence-binding protein 1 (SATB1) promotes tumor progression. However, little is known about the role of SATB1 in ICC tumorigenesis.

METHODS

We firstly investigated the expression of SATB1 in 88 cases of ICC by immunohistochemistry (IHC), QRT-PCR, and western blot. Meanwhile, we constructed stably knockdown (shRNA) of SATB1 in ICC cell lines to evaluate the effects of SATB1 on the ability of cell proliferation and invasion by MTT and transwell invasion assay.

RESULTS

Our result showed that SATB1 was overexpressed in ICC tissues samples. Knockdown of SATB1 could inhibit ICC cell proliferation, and suppress ICC cell invasion of ICC cell lines. In addition, the depletion of SATB1 expression suppressed the MYC levels in vitro.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results highlight the significance of SATB1 in ICC and suggest that SATB1 could be a promising therapy target and a potential biomarker for prognosis in ICC patients.

Transumbilical thoracic sympathectomy: a single-centre experience of 148 cases with up to 4 years of follow-up†

OBJECTIVES

Thoracic sympathectomy is considered as the most effective method to treat palmar hyperhidrosis (PH). Here, we report our experience of transumbilical thoracic sympathectomy with an ultrathin flexible endoscope for PH in a series of 148 patients with up to 4 years of follow-up.

METHODS

A prospective database was used in this retrospective analysis of 148 patients (61 males, 87 females, with a mean age of 21.3 years) with PH who were operated on by the same surgeon in a single institution from April 2010 to March 2014. All procedures were performed under general anaesthesia involving intubation with a double-lumen endotracheal tube. Demographic, postoperative and long-term data of patients were recorded and statistical analyses were performed. All patients were followed up at least 6 months post procedure through clinic visits or telephone/e-mail interviews.

RESULTS

The procedure was performed successfully in 148 of the 150 patients. Two patients had to be converted to conventional thoracoscopic procedure because of severe pleural adhesions. The mean operating time was 43 min (ranging from 39 to 107 min) and the mean postoperative length of stay was 1 day (range 1-4 days). All patients were interviewed 6-48 months after surgery and no diaphragmatic hernia or syndrome was observed. The rate of resolution of PH and axillary hyperhidrosis was 98 and 74.6%, respectively. Compensatory sweating was reported in 22.3% of patients. Almost all of the patients were satisfied with the surgical results and the cosmetic outcome of the incision.

CONCLUSIONS

This preliminary human experience suggested that transumbilical thoracic sympathectomy was a safe and efficacious alternative to the conventional approach. This technique avoided the chronic pain and chest wall paraesthesia that are associated with the chest incision. In addition, this novel procedure afforded maximum cosmetic benefits.

Downregulation of miR-320a/383-sponge-like long non-coding RNA NLC1-C (narcolepsy candidate-region 1 genes) is associated with male infertility and promotes testicular embryonal carcinoma cell proliferation

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), which are extensively transcribed from the genome, have been proposed to be key regulators of diverse biological processes. However, little is known about the role of lncRNAs in regulating spermatogenesis in human males. Here, using microarray technology, we show altered expression of lncRNAs in the testes of infertile men with maturation arrest (MA) or hypospermatogenesis (Hypo), with 757 and 2370 differentially down-regulated and 475 and 163 up-regulated lncRNAs in MA and Hypo, respectively. These findings were confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) assays on select lncRNAs, including HOTTIP, imsrna320, imsrna292 and NLC1-C (narcolepsy candidate-region 1 genes). Interestingly, NLC1-C, also known as long intergenic non-protein-coding RNA162 (LINC00162), was down-regulated in the cytoplasm and accumulated in the nucleus of spermatogonia and primary spermatocytes in the testes of infertile men with mixed patterns of MA compared with normal control. The accumulation of NLC1-C in the nucleus repressed miR-320a and miR-383 transcript and promoted testicular embryonal carcinoma cell proliferation by binding to Nucleolin. Here, we define a novel mechanism by which lncRNAs modulate miRNA expression at the transcriptional level by binding to RNA-binding proteins to regulate human spermatogenesis.

Hierarchical atom type definitions and extensible all-atom force fields

The extensibility of force field is a key to solve the missing parameter problem commonly found in force field applications. The extensibility of conventional force fields is traditionally managed in the parameterization procedure, which becomes impractical as the coverage of the force field increases above a threshold. A hierarchical atom-type definition (HAD) scheme is proposed to make extensible atom type definitions, which ensures that the force field developed based on the definitions are extensible. To demonstrate how HAD works and to prepare a foundation for future developments, two general force fields based on AMBER and DFF functional forms are parameterized for common organic molecules. The force field parameters are derived from the same set of quantum mechanical data and experimental liquid data using an automated parameterization tool, and validated by calculating molecular and liquid properties. The hydration free energies are calculated successfully by introducing a polarization scaling factor to the dispersion term between the solvent and solute molecules. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Electrical level of defects in single-layer two-dimensional TiO2

The remarkable properties of graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) have attracted increasing attention on two-dimensional materials, but the gate oxide, one of the key components of two-dimensional electronic devices, has rarely reported. We found the single-layer oxide can be used as the two dimensional gate oxide in 2D electronic structure, such as TiO2. However, the electrical performance is seriously influenced by the defects existing in the single-layer oxide. In this paper, a nondestructive and noncontact solution based on spectroscopic ellipsometry has been used to detect the defect states and energy level of single-layer TiO2 films. By fitting the Lorentz oscillator model, the results indicate the exact position of defect energy levels depends on the estimated band gap and the charge state of the point defects of TiO2.

Effect of endurance training on expiratory flow limitation and dynamic hyperinflation in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

BACKGROUND

Expiratory flow limitation (EFL) is the primary pathophysiological hallmark of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the effect of lower-extremity endurance training alone on EFL in patients with COPD remains largely unknown.

AIM

This study aims to determine the effects of endurance training on EFL and dynamic hyperinflation in patients with stable COPD.

METHODS

This was a prospective, single-blinded, non-randomised controlled 12-week study recruiting Chinese patients with stable COPD in an endurance training group (n = 15) or a control group (n = 13). Before and at the end of the study, we measured the EFL, pulmonary function, peak inspiratory flow (PIF) and maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP); moreover, the patients underwent a constant work rate exercise test in which Borg dyspnoea scale, tidal breathing flow volume curves and inspiratory capacity (IC) were determined every other minute.

RESULTS

Exercise training significantly improved the exercise endurance time (7.00 ± 3.05 vs 18.13 ± 6.44 min, P < 0.001), MIP (69.49 ± 16.03 vs 80.18 ± 15.97 cmH2 O, P < 0.001) and PIF (3.96 ± 1.01 vs 4.51 ± 1.13 L/s, P = 0.014), but not EFL (3.33 ± 0.49 vs 3.40 ± 0.51, P = 0.334). Subjects on training had decreased breathing frequency (26.26 ± 7.13 vs 23.15 ± 5.34 breaths/min, P = 0.002), minute ventilation (30.28 ± 7.52 vs 26.85 ± 4.17 L, P = 0.013), tidal peak expiratory flow (1.53 ± 0.22 vs 1.32 ± 0.20 L/s, P = 0.006), mean expiratory flow (0.87 ± 0.19 vs 0.68 ± 0.15 L/s, P = 0.011) and Borg dyspnoea score (7.20 ± 1.15 vs 3.93 ± 1.39, P < 0.001), as well as increased IC (1.50 ± 0.34 vs 1.67 ± 0.45 L, P = 0.002), expiratory time (1.47 ± 0.62 vs 1.72 ± 0.62 s, P = 0.004) and inspiratory flow reserve (2.05 ± 1.10 vs 2.95 ± 1.19 L/s, P = 0.002) at isotime. These changes were not observed in the control group.

CONCLUSION

Endurance training may benefit stable COPD patients in improving exercise endurance, inspiratory muscle strength, ventilatory requirements, exercise-induced hyperinflation and exertional dyspnoea.

Large-area high-quality 2D ultrathin Mo2C superconducting crystals

Transition metal carbides (TMCs) are a large family of materials with many intriguing properties and applications, and high-quality 2D TMCs are essential for investigating new physics and properties in the 2D limit. However, the 2D TMCs obtained so far are chemically functionalized, defective nanosheets having maximum lateral dimensions of ∼10 μm. Here we report the fabrication of large-area high-quality 2D ultrathin α-Mo2C crystals by chemical vapour deposition (CVD). The crystals are a few nanometres thick, over 100 μm in size, and very stable under ambient conditions. They show 2D characteristics of superconducting transitions that are consistent with Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless behaviour and show strong anisotropy with magnetic field orientation; moreover, the superconductivity is also strongly dependent on the crystal thickness. Our versatile CVD process allows the fabrication of other high-quality 2D TMC crystals, such as ultrathin WC and TaC crystals, which further expand the large family of 2D materials.