Melting and Recrystallization of Copper Nanoparticles Prepared by Microwave-Assisted Reduction in the Presence of Triethylenetetramine

The small sized copper nanoparticles (Cu-NPs), prepared in the presence of triethylene tetramine (TETA) and assisted with microwave irradiation, have an extremely low melting temperature. Melting of the small sizezd Cu-NPs can be triggered by the heat generated from the e-beam irradiation during SEM and TEM image construction. The dispersed Cu atoms around the agglomerated big Cu particles can undergo recrystallization immediately due to the strong driving force of the huge temperature difference to normal melting temperature (T_m = 1085 °C). Some of the Cu-NPs with bigger sizes also recrystallize and agglomerate into dense, big particles. According to X-ray diffraction patterns, these particles can agglomerate into compact, ordered Cu crystals in less than five minutes at 60 °C. The melting and recrystallization related endothermic and exothermic phase transitions of Cu-NPs can be found from differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) thermograms and optical microscopic pictures.

Polyaniline Based Pt-Electrocatalyst for a Proton Exchanged Membrane Fuel Cell

Calcination reduction reaction is used to prepare Pt/EB (emeraldine base)-XC72 (Vulcan carbon black) composites as the cathode material of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). The EB-XC72 core-shell composite obtained from directly polymerizing aniline on XC72 particles is able to chelate and capture the Pt-ions before calcination. X-ray diffraction spectra demonstrate Pt particles are successfully obtained on the EB-XC72 when the calcined temperature is higher than 600 °C. Micrographs of TEM and SEM illustrate the affluent, Pt nanoparticles are uniformly distributed on EB-XC72 at 800 °C (Pt/EB-XC72/800). More Pt is deposited on Pt/EB-XC72 composite as temperatures are higher than 600 °C. The Pt/EB-XC72/800 catalyst demonstrates typical type of a cyclic voltammograms (C-V) curve of a Pt-catalyst with clear Pt-H oxidation and Pt-O reduction peaks. The highest number of transferred electrons during ORR approaches 3.88 for Pt/EB-XC72/800. The maximum power density of the single cell based on Pt/EB-XC72/800 reaches 550 mW cm^-2.

FeNxC Based Catalysts Prepared by the Calcination of Iron-Ethylenediamine@Polyaniline as the Cathode-Catalyst of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell

Calcinated tris(ethylenediamine)iron(III) chloride was used as a non-precious metal catalyst (NPMCs) for a proton exchanged membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) under the protection of polyaniline (PANI), which behaves as both nitrogen source and carbon supporter. The optimal ratio of FeCl3/EDA was found to be close to 1/3 under the consideration of the electrocatalytic performance, such as better oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and higher power density. Two-stage calcination, one at 900 °C in N2 and the other at 800 °C in mixed gases of N2 and NH3, result in an FeNxC catalyst (FeNC-900-800-A) with pretty high specific surface area of 1098 m2·g-1 covered with both micro- and mesopores. The ORR active sites focused mainly on Fe-Nx bonding made of various pyridinic, pyrrolic, and graphitic N-s after calcination. The max. power density reaches 140 mW·cm-2 for FeNC-900-800-A, which is superior to other FeNxC catalysts, experiencing only one-stage calcination in N2. The FeNxC demonstrates only 10 mV half-wave-voltage (HWV) loss at 1600 rpm after 1000 redox cycles, as compared to be 27 mV for commercial Pt/C catalyst in the durability test.

[Clinical and bacteriological analysis of lymphoid tissue neoplasms patients with bacteria bloodstream infections]

Objective: To investigate the clinical status of lymphoid tissue neoplasms patients with bacteria bloodstream infections, bacteriology and drug susceptibility results, and provide the basis for rational clinical anti-infection option. Methods: A retrospectively analysis of clinical data and bacterial susceptibility test results of patients with bacteria bloodstream infections from September 2010 to December 2014 was conducted. Results: A total of 134 cases including 107 patients with bloodstream infections were enrolled. 84 cases were male, 50 cases were female, the median age was 31 (12-71) years old. 112 cases were agranulocytosis, and 106 cases were severe agranulocytosis (ANC<0.1×10(9)/L) . 27 cases underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, 100 cases received chemotherapy[33 cases with VD (I) CP±L (vincristine+daunorubicin/idarubicin + cyclophosphamide + prednison±asparaginasum) induction chemotherapy, 41 cases with intensive chemotherapy of Hyper-CVAD/MA or MA (mitoxantrone+cytarabine) , 26 cases with other chemotherapy regimens], and 7 cases were infected without chemotherapy. 10 patients discharged from hospital owing to treatment abandoning, 120 cases were cured through anti-infective therapy, 2 patients died of bacteria bloodstream infections, 1 patient died of sudden cardiac, and 1 patient died of GVHD after allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. A total of 144 strains were isolated, including 108 strains (75.0%) of Gram-negative bacteria and 36 strains (25.0%) of Gram-positive cocci. The susceptibility of Gram-negative bacteria to the carbapenems was 98.00%, and the adjustment treatment rate of carbapenems was 3.0%. The susceptibility of Gram-negative bacteria to the other antibiotics was 60.30%, and the adjustment treatment rate was 90.5%. The susceptibility of Grampositive cocci to the carbapenems was 49.3%, and to glycopeptides and linezolid was 100.0%. Comparing all patients'empirical use of antimicrobial agents with the drugs susceptibility results of blood cultures, 80.1% of the patients'initial drug selection was sensitive. Conclusion: The lymphoid neoplasms patients experienced bacteria bloodstream infections most often after receiving the chemotherapy regimens of treating acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The majority type of bacteria was Gram-negative bacteria. Drug susceptibility test showed that susceptibility of Gram-negative bacteria to the carbapenems was the highest, and the treatment adjustment rate was obviously lower. The susceptibility of Gram-positive cocci to glycopeptides and linezolid was high, and which could be applied to the patients with Gram-positive cocci sepsis on basis of susceptibility results in general.

[Changes of intestinal mucosal barrier in mice with chronic ulcerative colitis]

Objective: To study the damage and mechanism of intestinal mucosal barrier function in mice with ulcerative colitis induced by Dextran sulphate sodium (DSS). Methods: Mice models of chronic ulcerative colitis induced by DSS were established. The mice were completely randomized into normal control group and DSS group, 25 mice in each group. The body weight and colon length of the mice were monitored. The pathological examination of colon tissue was confirmed the success of the model and assessed the integrity of the colonic mucosal barrier; Evan's Blue's intestinal permeability analysis assessed the function of colon mucosal barrier; immunofluorescence staining and Western blot were used to evaluate the expression of intestinal mucosal barrier integrity-related proteins. Results: Compared with the normal control group, the DSS group had lower body weight [(25.6±0.7)g vs (23.5±0.7)g, t=2.14, P<0.05], and the colon length was shorter [(7.3±0.4)cm vs (5.6±0.2)cm, t=3.975, P<0.001]; colonic pathological results showed that the intestinal mucosa became thinner and part of the intestinal mucosa was defective; Evan's Blue instilled into the intestinal lumen was more abundant into the intestinal mucosa, and the optical density at 620 nm (OD(620))/colon tissue weight (g) was higher [(0.11±0.01) vs (0.15±0.01), t=4.174, P<0.05]; immunofluorescence and Western blot results showed lower expression of ZO-1, Claudin-1, and F-actin in colonic mucosa. Conclusion: The structure and function of intestinal mucosal barrier in DSS-induced chronic ulcerative colitis mice is impaired.

Preparation of Pt-Catalyst by Poly(p-phenylenediamine) Nanocomposites Assisted by Microwave Radiation for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell

The Pt elements are prepared via the redox reaction with microwave (MW) irradiation in the presence of poly(p-phenylenediamine) (PpPD) which is polymerized on XC72 carbon matrix (PpPD/XC72), behaving as reducing agent. The free primary amines of PpPD are actually converted (oxidized) to secondary ones (5,10-dihydrophenazine) after MW irradiation. Transmission electronic microscopy (TEM) micrographs reveal the prepared Pt nanoparticles are well-dispersed on the carbon matrix like commercial Pt-implanted carbon nanocomposite (Pt/C). From the residue weights of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) thermograms of Pt-loaded PpPD/XC72 (PpPD/XC72-Pt-MW), more Pt (18.49 wt %) nanoparticles are implanted on PpPD/XC72 composite. The Pt-implanted wt % on PpPD/XC72 matrix is just slightly lower than that of commercial Pt/C (22.30 wt %). The Pt-catalyst supports of PpPD/XC72-Pt-MW illustrate typical cyclic voltammograms (C-V) of Pt-catalyst, including significant Pt⁻H oxidation and Pt⁻O reduction peaks. The electrochemical active surface area of PpPD/XC72-Pt-MW is found to be as high as 60.1 m² g-1. Max. number of electron transfer during oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) approaches 3.83 for PpPD/XC72-Pt-MW, higher than that of commercial Pt/C (3.62). Single cell based on PpPD/XC72-Pt-MW demonstrates much higher specific max. power density to be 34.6 mW cm-2 Pt, higher than that single cell prepared with commercial Pt/C electrode (30.6 mW cm-2 Pt).

[Retrospective analysis of cuffed-tunneled catheters in pediatric patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis]

Objective: To summarize the characteristics of cuffed-tunneled catheters insertion and investigate the values of cuffed-tunneled catheters in pediatric patients. Methods: Between March 2015 and July 2017, all the pediatric patients who received maintenance hemodialysis at least 3 consecutive months in our center were included. Sixteen cuffed-tunneled hemodialysis catheters were inserted in patients for long-term hemodialysis access. The clinical manifestations and complications were retrospectively reviewed. Results: Fifteen pediatric patients with end stage ranal disease (ESRD) were included in this study and they received 16 cuffed-tunneled catheters for long-term vascular access, including 10 males and 5 females; median age at start of catheter insertion was 11.5 (4.2-14.5) years. Body weight was (27.8±8.0)kg (16.0-39.4 kg) . The size and the length of the catheters were based on the height of patients as follows: 28 cm for (115.6±10.6) cm (102.0-130.0 cm) ,36 cm for (148.6±9.9)cm (140.0-167.0 cm) . Cuffed-tunneled catheters outcome: 10 cuffed-tunneled catheters were still functional at the end of the study; 5 catheters were removed after successful kidney transplantation. Catheter failure occurred in 1 out of 16 cuffed-tunneled catheters due to catheter-related infections. The median catheter survival time was 11.9 months (range 3.5-21.3 months). Complications of cuffed-tunneled catheters: Catheter placements operation was successful in 15 cases using ultrasound guidance. No serious complications were observed in any patients receiving catheter inserting operation. The overall rate of catheter-related infections and thrombosis/malposition was 6.3% and 18.7%, respectively. Conclusions: Ultrasound guidance is suggested in pediatric patients during the catheters insertion. The size and the length of the catheters should be based on the height of patients. Cuffed-tunneled hemodialysis catheters could be effectively used for maintenance of hemodialysis vascular access for pediatric patients with ESRD.

Epigenetics regulates gene expression patterns of skeletal muscle induced by physical exercise

As it is well known, proper exercise benefits our mind and body, especially the skeletal muscle. Exercise increases the capacity of muscle metabolism, enhances the biological function of mitochondria, regulates the transformation of muscle fiber types and increases the muscle power. In recent years, more and more researches show that epigenetic regulation plays an important role in strengthening the muscle, and these studies mainly include DNA methylation, histone modification, and regulation of miRNA expression. In order to adapt to the body movement, these three epigenetic patterns change the metabolic capacity of skeletal muscle, mitochondrial biological function and muscle fiber types by regulating the gene expression of skeletal muscle. In this review, we summarize research progresses of exercise-induced epigenetic regulation of gene expression of skeletal muscle, in order to provide a reference for further studies of how sports improve our body health.

[Long-term follow-up of multiple myeloma after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a single center results]

目的

评价诱导治疗联合自体周血造血干细胞移植（ASCT）治疗、移植后巩固维持治疗的整体方案治疗多发性骨髓瘤（MM）患者的有效性和长期随访结果。

方法

回顾性分析2005年1月1日至2016年2月1日接受整体方案治疗的144例MM患者资料，总结其长期随访结果，分析移植前疗效、移植后缓解深度，以及早期移植、晚期移植、不同预后分期系统等因素对患者生存的影响。

结果

144例患者中获得部分缓解（PR）以上治疗反应率为89.4%[完全缓解（CR）率64.1%]。中位随访47（6~121）个月，患者中位总体生存（OS）和无进展生存（PFS）时间分别为120.9和56.9个月；早期和晚期移植组患者的中位OS分别为120.9和50.1个月，中位PFS时间分别为60.2和16.7个月（P值均<0.001）。127例可进行修订的国际分期系统（R-ISS）分期患者中，Ⅰ期（43例）、Ⅱ期（64例）、Ⅲ期（20例）患者的中位OS时间分别为120.9、88.4、35.6个月，组间差异有统计学意义（P=0.000）。对早期和晚期移植组患者进行亚组生存分析，R-ISS Ⅲ期患者中位OS时间差异有统计学意义（35.6个月对15.8个月，P=0.031）；两组患者各期中位PFS时间差异均有统计学意义（Ⅰ期：72.1个月对18.9个月；Ⅱ期：53.4个月对16.7个月；Ⅲ期：28.5对5.9个月，P值分别为0.000、0.012、0.001）。多因素分析结果显示R-ISS Ⅲ期是影响患者OS的危险因素（HR=8.486，95%CI 2.549~28.255，P=0.003），移植后未获得CR是影响患者PFS的危险因素（HR=2.412，95%CI 1.364~4.266，P=0.002）。

结论

以新药为基础的化疗联合ASCT的整体治疗方案对适合移植的MM患者是有效的，可进一步提高缓解率和缓解深度，延长患者的PFS和OS时间。早期较晚期移植可明显延长患者的OS和PFS时间。R-ISS分期和移植前疗效是影响患者生存的预后因素。

TET2 binds the androgen receptor and loss is associated with prostate cancer

Genetic alterations associated with prostate cancer (PCa) may be identified by sequencing metastatic tumour genomes to identify molecular markers at this lethal stage of disease. Previously, we characterized somatic alterations in metastatic tumours in the methylcytosine dioxygenase ten-eleven translocation 2 (TET2), which is altered in 5-15% of myeloid, kidney, colon and PCas. Genome-wide association studies previously identified non-coding risk variants associated with PCa and melanoma. We perform fine-mapping of PCa risk across TET2 using genotypes from the PEGASUS case-control cohort and identify six new risk variants in introns 1 and 2. Oligonucleotides containing two risk variants are bound by the transcription factor octamer-binding protein 1 (Oct1/POU2F1) and TET2 and Oct1 expression are positively correlated in prostate tumours. TET2 is expressed in normal prostate tissue and reduced in a subset of tumours from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Small interfering RNA-mediated TET2 knockdown (KD) increases LNCaP cell proliferation, migration and wound healing, verifying loss drives a cancer phenotype. Endogenous TET2 bound the androgen receptor (AR) and AR-coactivator proteins in LNCaP cell extracts, and TET2 KD increases prostate-specific antigen (KLK3/PSA) expression. Published data reveal TET2 binding sites and hydroxymethylcytosine proximal to KLK3. A gene co-expression network identified using TCGA prostate tumour RNA-sequencing identifies co-regulated cancer genes associated with 2-oxoglutarate (2-OG) and succinate metabolism, including TET2, lysine demethylase (KDM) KDM6A, BRCA1-associated BAP1, and citric acid cycle enzymes IDH1/2, SDHA/B, and FH. The co-expression signature is conserved across 31 TCGA cancers suggesting a putative role for TET2 as an energy sensor (of 2-OG) that modifies aspects of androgen-AR signalling. Decreased TET2 mRNA expression in TCGA PCa tumours is strongly associated with reduced patient survival, indicating reduced expression in tumours may be an informative biomarker of disease progression and perhaps metastatic disease.

Synthesis of novel sulfonated poly(arylene ether)s containing a tetra-trifluoromethyl side chain and multi-phenyl for proton exchange membrane fuel cell application

Herein, a series of novel sulfonated poly(arylene ether)s consisting of tetra-trifluoromethyl-substituted multi-phenyl was synthesized and post-sulfonated to obtain sulfonated polymers with ion exchange capacities ranging from 1.27 to 2.53 mmol g⁻¹.

Measurement uncertainty assessment of magnesium trisilicate column for determination of Sudan colorants in food by HPLC using C8 column

This study aimed to conduct measurement uncertainty assessment of a new method for determination of Sudan colorants (Sudan I, II, III and IV) in food by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Samples were extracted with organic solvents (hexane, 20% acetone) and first purified by magnesium trisilicate (2MgO·3SiO2). The Sudan colorants (Sudan I-IV) were also initially separated on C8 by gradient elution using acetonitrile and 0.1% (v/v) formic acid aqueous solution as the mobile phases and detected with diode-array detector (DAD). The uncertainty of mathematical model of Sudan I, II, III and IV is based on EURACHEM guidelines. The sources and components of uncertainty were calculated. The experiment gave a good linear relationship over the concentration from 0.4 to 4.0 μg/mL and spiked recoveries were from 74.0% to 97.5%. The limits of determination (LOD) were 48, 61, 36, 58 μg/kg for the four analytes, respectively. The total uncertainty of Sudan colorants (Sudan I, II, III and IV) was 810±30.8, 790±28.4, 750±27.0, 730±50.0 μg/kg, respectively. The recovery uncertainty was the most significant factor contributing to the total uncertainty. The developed method is simple, rapid, and highly sensitive. It can be used for the determination of trace Sudan dyes in food samples. The sources of uncertainty have been identified and uncertainty components have been simplified and considered.

Active follow-up versus passive linkage with cancer registries for case ascertainment in a cohort

BACKGROUND

Ascertaining incident cancers is a critical component of cancer-focused epidemiologic cohorts and of cancer prevention trials. Potential methods: for cancer case ascertainment include active follow-up and passive linkage with state cancer registries. Here we compare the two approaches in a large cancer screening trial.

METHODS

The Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) cancer screening trial enrolled 154,955 subjects at ten U.S. centers and followed them for all-cancer incidence. Cancers were ascertained by an active follow-up process involving annual questionnaires, retrieval of records and medical record abstracting to ascertain and confirm cancers. For a subset of centers, linkage with state cancer registries was also performed. We assessed the agreement of the two methods in ascertaining incident cancers from 1993 to 2009 in 80,083 subjects from six PLCO centers where cancers were ascertained both by active follow-up and through linkages with 14 state registries.

RESULTS

The ratio (times 100) of confirmed cases ascertained by registry linkage compared to active follow-up was 96.4 (95% CI: 95.1-98.2). Of cancers ascertained by either method, 86.6% and 83.5% were identified by active follow-up and by registry linkage, respectively. Of cancers missed by active follow-up, 30% were after subjects were lost to follow-up and 16% were reported but could not be confirmed. Of cancers missed by the registries, 27% were not sent to the state registry of the subject's current address at the time of linkage.

CONCLUSION

Linkage with state registries identified a similar number of cancers as active follow-up and can be a cost-effective method to ascertain incident cancers in a large cohort.

Downregulation of TIM-3 mRNA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

The T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain (TIM) family is associated with autoimmune diseases, but its expression level in the immune cells of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients is not known. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the expression of TIM-3 mRNA is associated with pathogenesis of SLE. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis (qRT-PCR) was used to determine TIM-1, TIM-3, and TIM-4 mRNA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 132 patients with SLE and 62 healthy controls. The PBMC surface protein expression of TIMs in PBMCs from 20 SLE patients and 15 healthy controls was assayed by flow cytometry. Only TIM-3 mRNA expression decreased significantly in SLE patients compared with healthy controls (P<0.001). No significant differences in TIM family protein expression were observed in leukocytes from SLE patients and healthy controls (P>0.05). SLE patients with lupus nephritis (LN) had a significantly lower expression of TIM-3 mRNA than those without LN (P=0.001). There was no significant difference in the expression of TIM-3 mRNA within different classes of LN (P>0.05). Correlation of TIM-3 mRNA expression with serum IgA was highly significant (r=0.425, P=0.004), but was weakly correlated with total serum protein (r_s=0.283, P=0.049) and serum albumin (r_s=0.297, P=0.047). TIM-3 mRNA expression was weakly correlated with the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI; r_s=-0.272, P=0.032). Our results suggest that below-normal expression of TIM-3 mRNA in PBMC may be involved in the pathogenesis of SLE.

Longitudinal changes in objectively measured sedentary behaviour and their relationship with adiposity in children and adolescents: systematic review and evidence appraisal

This review aimed to determine longitudinal changes in objectively measured overall sedentary behaviour, and to examine their associations with adiposity in children and adolescents. A search for longitudinal studies was performed using several electronic databases. Of 161 potentially eligible papers, 10 for change in sedentary behaviour and 3 for longitudinal associations with change in adiposity were included. Weighted mean increase in daily sedentary behaviour per year was 5.7% for boys and 5.8% for girls. Only one paper included preschool children, and it showed a decrease in sedentary behaviour. Nine studies were from Western countries. Null associations were reported between sedentary behaviour and adiposity in two studies, the other found that increases in sedentary behaviour were associated with increases in adiposity, but only in those with body mass index above the 50th percentile. There was consistent evidence that sedentary behaviour increases with age in school-age children and adolescents, by approximately 30 min extra daily sedentary behaviour per year. There was little evidence on the influence of changes in sedentary behaviour on changes in adiposity. There is a need for more longitudinal research, for more evidence from outside the Western world, and for more studies that examine 'dose-response' associations between changes in sedentary behaviour and changes in adiposity.

Can diffusion tensor imaging noninvasively detect IDH1 gene mutations in astrogliomas? A retrospective study of 112 cases

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

IDH1 mutational status probably plays an important role in the predictive response for patients with astroglioma. This study explores whether DTI metrics are able to noninvasively detect IDH1 status in astrogliomas.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The DTI data of 112 patients with pathologically proven astroglioma (including 25, 12, and 10 cases with IDH1 mutation and 11, 11, and 43 cases without mutation in grades II, III, and IV, respectively) were retrospectively reviewed. The maximal fractional anisotropy, minimal ADC, ratio of maximal fractional anisotropy, and ratio of minimal ADC in the tumor body were measured. In the same World Health Organization grading, the imaging parameters of patients with and without IDH1 R132H mutation were compared by means of optimal metrics for detecting mutations. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed.

RESULTS

The maximal fractional anisotropy and ratio of maximal fractional anisotropy values had statistical significance between patients with IDH1 R132H mutation and those without mutation in astrogliomas of grades II and III. The areas under the curve for maximal fractional anisotropy and ratio of maximal fractional anisotropy were both 0.92 in grade II and 0.80 and 0.82 in grade III. The minimal ADC value and ratio of minimal ADC value also demonstrated statistical significance between patients with mutation and those without mutation in all astroglioma grades. The areas under the curve for minimal ADC were 0.94 (II), 0.76 (III), and 0.66 (IV), and the areas under the curve for ratio of minimal ADC were 0.93 (II), 0.83 (III), and 0.70 (IV).

CONCLUSIONS

Fractional anisotropy and ADC from DTI can noninvasively detect IDH1 R132H mutation in astrogliomas.

Inhibitory effects of curcumin on gastric cancer cells: a proteomic study of molecular targets

Curcumin, a natural anticancer agent, has been shown to inhibit cell growth in a number of tumor cell lines and animal models. We examined the inhibition of curcumin on cell viability and its induction of apoptosis using different gastric cancer cell lines (BGC-823, MKN-45 and SCG-7901). 3-(4,5-dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl)-2-5-diphenyltetrazolium-bromide (MTT) assay showed that curcumin inhibited cell growth in a dose- (1, 5, 10 and 30 μM) and time- (24, 48, 72 and 96 h) dependent manner; analysis of Annexin V binding showed that curcumin induced apoptosis at the dose of 10 and 30 μM when the cells were treated for 24 and 48 h. As cancers are caused by dysregulation of various proteins, we investigated target proteins associated with curcumin by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and MALDI-TOF-TOF mass spectrometer. BGC-823 cells were treated with 30 μM curcumin for 24 h and total protein was extracted for the 2-DE. In the first dimension of the 2-DE, protein samples (800 μg) were applied to immobilized pH gradient (IPG) strips (24 cm, pH 3-10, NL) and the isoelectric focusing (IEF) was performed using a step-wise voltage ramp; the second dimension was performed using 12.5% SDS-PAGE gel at 1 W constant power per gel. In total, 75 proteins showed significant changes over 1.5-fold in curcumin-treated cells compared to control cells (Student's t-test, p<0.05). Among them, 33 proteins were upregulated and 42 proteins downregulated by curcumin as determined by spot densitometry. 52 proteins with significant mascot scores were identified and implicated in cancer development and progression. Their biological function included cell proliferation, cycle and apoptosis (20%), metabolism (16%), nucleic acid processing (15%), cytoskeleton organization and movement (11%), signal transduction (11%), protein folding, proteolysis and translation (20%), and immune response (2%). Furthermore, protein-protein interacting analysis demonstrated the interaction networks affected by curcumin in gastric cancer cells. These data provide some clues for explaining the anticancer mechanisms of curcumin and explore more potent molecular targets of the drug expected to be helpful for the development of new drugs.

Preparation of insulating SiO2 nanostructured thin films by the sol-gel process

Organic dispersion agents can effectively decrease the surface roughness of films. Here, films containing organic dispersion agents are used to produce metal-insulator-metal structures. It was found that addition of Triton caused films to become denser, and thicker, and the leak current of devices to decrease by 10 times compared with that without Triton because of its uniform dispersion in the films. The resulting films were used as the insulator layer of thin film transistors containing a semiconductor layer of evaporated pentacene. The interface between the insulator and semiconductor layers was found to affect the arrangement of pentacene, and O2 plasma was used to improve the interface activity to increase the order of the pentacene molecules and enhance the carrier mobility of the devices.

Design of multi-porous layer for dye-sensitized solar cells by doping with TiO2 nanoparticles

We propose a multi-layer dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). Conventional DSSC components use a singular TiO2 particle size and a mono-layer active layer, but we demonstrate a multi-layer and multi-scale TiO2 particle based DSSC. Doping with large TiO2 particles can produce light scattering inside the DSSC component. Light scattering effects reduce TiO2 absorption at wavelengths of 200-300 nm. The unabsorbed light zig-zags between the Pt back electrode layer and the substrate, and enhances the Ru-dye absorption. To enhance the scattering, we doped the active layer with 20 wt% of large diameter TiO2. The multi-layer DSSC increases efficiency by about 15% compared with standard DSSCs.

Functional flexible substrate in altering substitution phenylene core of fluorinated poly(arylene ether)s

We proposed three degrees n” of phenyl substition on the middle phenylene core of novel poly(arylene ether)s (PAEs). The PAEs were prepared via nucleophilic displacement of fluorine atoms on the terminal benzene ring with trifluoromethylactivated bisfluoro monomer. The thermal property of polymers showed ~273 °C glass transition point and ~457 °C decomposition temperature for 5% weight loss. In addition, investigations revealed that spiro-annulated textures resulted from multisubstituted phetaphenylene moiety and trifluoromethyl groups. Furthermore, PAE films were experimentally demonstrated to have wide-range solubility, high transparencies greater than 90% in visible light region, low coefficient of thermal expansion about 30 ppm/°C, low polarities below 2.8 at 1 kHz, and hydrophobicities

Hierarchical structured TiO2 photoanodes for dye-sensitized solar cells

A novel approach has been developed to fabricate hills-like hierarchical structured TiO2 photoanodes for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The appropriately aggregated TiO2 clusters in the photoanode layer could cause stronger light scattering and higher dye loading that increases the efficiency of photovoltaic device. For detailed light-harvesting study, different molecular weights of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) were used as binders for TiO2 nanoparticles (P-25 Degussa) aggregation. A series of TiO2 films with dissimilar morphology, the reflection of TiO2 films, absorbance of attached dye, amount of dye loading, and performance of fabricated DSSC devices, were measured and investigated. An optimized device had energy conversion efficiency of 4.47% having a higher dye loading and good light harvesting, achieving a 23% increase of short-circuit current J(sc) in DSSCs.