Balancing the rigidity of a π-conjugated structure for strong emission and the flexibility of liquid crystals for self-assembly is the key to realizing highly emissive liquid crystals (HELCs). Here ...we show that (1) integrating organization-induced emission into dual molecular cooperatively-assembled liquid crystals, (2) amplifying mesogens, and (3) elongating the spacer linking the emitter and the mesogen create advanced materials with desired thermal-optical properties. Impressively, assembling the fluorescent acceptor Nile red into its host donor designed according to the aforementioned strategies results in a temperature-controlled Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) system. Indeed, FRET exhibits strong S-curve dependence as temperature sweeps through the liquid crystal phase transformation. Such thermochromic materials, suitable for dynamic thermo-optical sensing and modulation, are anticipated to unlock new and smart approaches for controlling and directing light in stimuli-responsive devices.
A temperature-sensitive Förster resonance energy transfer system was constructed using a highly emissive liquid crystal co-assembled with Nile red, enabling thermo-optical modulation for controlling and directing light in stimuli-responsive devices.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate comparatively, in women undergoing caesarean section under spinal anesthesia, the effectiveness of hyperbaric bupivacaine combined with 3 different adjuvants ...(fentanyl, clonidine, and dexmedtomidine) on quality of blockade and maternal and neonatal repercussions.
84 patients undergoing elective surgeries under spinal anesthesia were randomized into 4 groups of 21 each, gB, gBF, gBC and gBD. Patients in groups gb, gBF, gBC and gBD were given bupivacaine alone, bupivacaine plus fentanyl (15.0 µg), bupivacaine plus fentanyl plus clonidine (75 µg), and bupivacaine plus dexmedetomidine (10 µg), respectively. Hemodynamic parameters evaluated were the onset and level of sensory block, perioperative analgesia, degree and recovery time of motor block, duration of analgesia, sedation, and maternal-foetal repercussions.
The onset of blockade was significantly faster in groups with adjuvants clonidine and dexmedetomidine compared with gB and gBF. Patients in Groups gB and gBF reported pain during the perioperative period. Duration of analgesia was significantly higher in Group gBD and was comparable to gBC and time to motor block recovery was significantly higher in Group gBD. Sedation was significant in Group gBD and gBC.
Addition of dexmedetomidine and clonidine as adjuvants to hyperbaric bupivacaine provided adequate anesthesia and postoperative analgesia compared to fentanyl adjuvant without causing any significant side effects.
Oral Diseases (2012) 18, 595–601
Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the bacterial profiles in saliva of the isolated children for studying caries etiology.
Materials and methods: ...Samples were collected from isolated children from 6 to 8 years old including 20 caries‐free (dmfs = 0) (healthy) and 30 caries‐active individuals (dmfs > 8) (patients). 16S rRNA genes were amplified by PCR from bacterial DNA of saliva sample and labeled via incorporation of Cy3‐dCTP in second nested PCR. After hybridization of labeled amplicons on HOMIM, the microarray slides were scanned and original data acquired from professional software.
Results: Collectively, 94 bacterial species or clusters representing six bacterial phyla and 30 genera were detected. A higher bacterial diversity was observed in patients than in healthy samples. Statistical analyses revealed eight species or clusters were detected more frequently in diseased patients than in healthy samples, while six different species were detected more frequently in healthy as compared to diseased patients.
Conclusion: The diversity of microbe within saliva derived from isolated population increased in caries‐active status, and there are some bacteria in salivary flora can be as candidate biomarkers for caries prognosis in mixed dentition. The imbalances in the resident microflora may be the ultimate mechanism of dental caries.
Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a well-described proinflammatory mediator. MIF overexpression has been observed in many tumors and is implicated in oncogenic transformation and tumor ...progression. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for regulating MIF expression remain poorly understood. In this study, we showed that the transcriptional repressor HBP1 (HMG box-containing protein 1) negatively regulates MIF expression. We first identified a large high-affinity HBP1 DNA-binding element at positions -811 to -792 from the transcriptional start site within the MIF promoter by computer analysis. Reporter analyses showed that this element was required for HBP1-mediated transcriptional repression. Furthermore, HBP1 associated with the MIF promoter in vivo and repressed endogenous MIF gene expression. Consistent with HBP1-mediated repression of MIF, low levels of HBP1 expression were associated with high levels of MIF expression in prostate cancer samples. Importantly, HBP1-mediated repression of MIF inhibited tumorigenic growth and invasion, and the repressive effect of HBP1 on tumorigenic growth and invasion could be partially rescued by the addition of recombinant MIF to the culture medium. Finally, prostate tumor samples with low HBP1 and high MIF expression were associated with a significant decrease in relapse-free survival. Taken together, these results indicated that HBP1 directly inhibited MIF gene transcription, and suggested that the loss of HBP1 expression or activity may contribute to the upregulation of MIF expression in prostate tumor tissue.
Schisandrin B is an active monomer of the Chinese magnolia vine (Schisandra chinensis) that can reduce transaminase activity in liver cells, inhibit lipid peroxidation, enhance antioxidant status, ...has protective effects in the liver and has antitumor effects. The present study investigated the potential protective effects of schisandrin B on the p53 signaling pathway in attenuating the inflammatory response, oxidative stress and apoptosis induced by traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) in adult rats. Behavioral examination, inclined plate test and spinal cord water content were used to evaluate the protective effect of schisandrin B in TSCI rats. The expression levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), nuclear factor (NF)‑κB subunit p65 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‑α were examined using ELISA kits. Western blot analysis was performed to analyze the protein expression of caspase‑3 and phosphorylated (p)‑p53 in TSCI rats. In the present study, schisandrin B improved behavioral examination results and the maximum angle of inclined plate test, and inhibited spinal cord water content in rats with TSCI. Notably, schisandrin B reduced the activation of traumatic injury‑associated pathways, including SOD, MDA, NF‑κB p65 and TNF‑α, in TSCI rats. In addition, schisandrin B suppressed the TSCI‑induced expression of caspase‑3 and p‑p53 in TSCI rats. These results indicated that schisandrin B may attenuate the inflammatory response, oxidative stress and apoptosis in TSCI rats by inhibiting the p53 signaling pathway in adult rats.
Supramolecular forces govern self‐assembly and further determine the final morphologies of self‐assemblies. However, how they control the morphology remains hitherto largely unknown. In this paper, ...we have discovered that the self‐assembled nanostructures of rigid organic semiconductor chromophores can be finely controlled by the secondary forces by fine‐tuning the surrounding environments. In particular, we used water/methanol/hydrochloric acid to tune the environment and observed five different phases that resulted from versatile molecular self‐assemblies. The representative self‐assembled nanostructures were nanotapes, nanoparticles and their 1D assemblies, rigid microplates, soft nanoplates, and hollow nanospheres and their 1D assemblies, respectively. The specific nanostructure formation is governed by the water fraction, Rw, and the concentration of hydrochloric acid, HCl. For instance, nanotapes formed at low HCl and Rw values, whereas hollow nanospheres formed when either the HCl concentration is high, or the water fraction is low, or both. The significance of this paper is that it provides a useful phase diagram by using Rw and HCl as two variables. Such a self‐assembly phase diagram maps out the fine control that the secondary forces have on the self‐assembled morphology, and thus allows one to guide the formation toward a desired nanostructure self‐assembled from rigid organic semiconductor chromophores by simply adjusting the two key parameters of Rw and HCl.
Tug of war: Rigid π chromophores produce diverse self‐assembled nanostructures, yet the parameters and conditions that define the morphological control are hitherto unknown. In this paper, we demonstrate that the “push–pull” effects of water and pyridine on the protons provided tunable secondary forces to generate a wealth of self‐assembled nanostructures (see figure).
Pituitary tumor-transforming gene-1 (PTTG1) is a proto-oncogene that promotes tumorigenesis and metastasis in numerous cell types and is overexpressed in a variety of human tumors. We have ...demonstrated that PTTG1 expression was up-regulated in both human prostate cancer specimens and prostate cancer cell lines. For a more direct assessment of the function of PTTG1 in prostate tumorigenesis, RNAi-mediated knockdown was used to selectively decrease PTTG1 expression in PC3 human prostate tumor cells. After three weeks of selection, colonies stably transfected with PTTG1-targeted RNAi (the knockdown PC3 cell line) or empty vector (the control PC3 cell line) were selected and expanded to investigate the role of PTTG1 expression in PC3 cell growth and invasion. Cell proliferation rate was significantly slower (28%) in the PTTG1 knockdown line after 6 days of growth as indicated by an MTT cell viability assay (P < 0.05). Similarly, a soft agar colony formation assay revealed significantly fewer (66.7%) PTTG1 knockdown PC3 cell colonies than control colonies after three weeks of growth. In addition, PTTG1 knockdown resulted in cell cycle arrest at G1 as indicated by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. The PTTG1 knockdown PC3 cell line also exhibited significantly reduced migration through Matrigel in a transwell assay of invasive potential, and down-regulation of PTTG1 could lead to increased sensitivity of these prostate cancer cells to a commonly used anticancer drug, taxol. Thus, PTTG1 expression is crucial for PC3 cell proliferation and invasion, and could be a promising new target for prostate cancer therapy.
Summary
The Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis) is an endemic and critically endangered species in China. In this study, a total of 24 polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated and ...characterized using Illumina sequencing for A. sinensis. The number of alleles (Na) per locus ranged from 2 to 6 (mean 4.04), mean expected heterozygosities (He), Shannon‐Wiener Diversity Indices (SW) and evenness (E) per locus ranged from 0.235 to 0.786 (mean 0.62), from 0.396 to 1.608 (mean 1.13), and from 0.060 to 0.213 (mean 0.13), respectively. Exact tests revealed that nine loci showed significant (P < 0.01) deviation from Hardy‐Weinberg equilibrium (HWE). Cross amplification was tested in congeneric species A. schrenskii, A. baerii, A. dabryanus and Huso dauricus. The new microsatellite markers described herein will be useful for further studies on genetic variation, parentage analysis, and conservation management.
Pituitary tumor-transforming gene-1 (PTTG1) is a proto-oncogene that promotes tumorigenesis and metastasis in numerous cell types and is overexpressed in a variety of human tumors. We have ...demonstrated that PTTG1 expression was up-regulated in both human prostate cancer specimens and prostate cancer cell lines. For a more direct assessment of the function of PTTG1 in prostate tumorigenesis, RNAi-mediated knockdown was used to selectively decrease PTTG1 expression in PC3 human prostate tumor cells. After three weeks of selection, colonies stably transfected with PTTG1-targeted RNAi (the knockdown PC3 cell line) or empty vector (the control PC3 cell line) were selected and expanded to investigate the role of PTTG1 expression in PC3 cell growth and invasion. Cell proliferation rate was significantly slower (28%) in the PTTG1 knockdown line after 6 days of growth as indicated by an MTT cell viability assay (P<0.05). Similarly, a soft agar colony formation assay revealed significantly fewer (66.7%) PTTG1 knockdown PC3 cell colonies than control colonies after three weeks of growth. In addition, PTTG1 knockdown resulted in cell cycle arrest at G1 as indicated by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. The PTTG1 knockdown PC3 cell line also exhibited significantly reduced migration through Matrigel in a transwell assay of invasive potential, and down-regulation of PTTG1 could lead to increased sensitivity of these prostate cancer cells to a commonly used anticancer drug, taxol. Thus, PTTG1 expression is crucial for PC3 cell proliferation and invasion, and could be a promising new target for prostate cancer therapy.
We investigated the ozone pollution trend and its sensitivity to key
precursors from 1990 to 2015 in the United States using long-term EPA Air Quality System (AQS)
observations and mesoscale ...simulations. The modeling system, a coupled
regional climate–air quality model (CWRF-CMAQ; Climate-Weather Research Forecast and
the Community Multiscale Air Quality), captured well the summer
surface ozone pollution during the past decades, having a mean slope of
linear regression with AQS observations of ∼0.75. While the
AQS network has limited spatial coverage and measures only a few key
chemical species, CWRF-CMAQ provides comprehensive simulations to enable
a more rigorous study of the change in ozone pollution and chemical
sensitivity. Analysis of seasonal variations and diurnal cycle of ozone
observations showed that peak ozone concentrations in the summer afternoon
decreased ubiquitously across the United States, up to 0.5 ppbv yr−1 in major
non-attainment areas such as Los Angeles, while concentrations at certain
hours such as the early morning and late afternoon increased slightly.
Consistent with the AQS observations, CMAQ simulated a similar decreasing
trend of peak ozone concentrations in the afternoon, up to 0.4 ppbv yr−1, and
increasing ozone trends in the early morning and late afternoon. A monotonically
decreasing trend (up to 0.5 ppbv yr−1) in the odd oxygen (Ox=O3+NO2) concentrations are simulated by CMAQ at all daytime hours.
This result suggests that the increased ozone in the early morning and late
afternoon was likely caused by reduced NO–O3 titration, driven by
continuous anthropogenic NOx emission reductions in the past decades.
Furthermore, the CMAQ simulations revealed a shift in chemical regimes of
ozone photochemical production. From 1990 to 2015, surface ozone production
in some metropolitan areas, such as Baltimore, has transited from a
VOC-sensitive environment (>50 % probability) to a
NOx-sensitive regime. Our results demonstrated that the long-term
CWRF-CMAQ simulations can provide detailed information of the ozone
chemistry evolution under a changing climate and may partially explain the
US ozone pollution responses to regional and national regulations.
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