Graphene as a novel material has laid a foundation for its applications in optical fiber sensors, due to its unique properties, especially the optical properties. On the other hand, optical fiber ...sensors have received world-wide attention due to their high sensitivity, small size, good anti-electromagnetism disturbance ability and other potential advantages. In this paper, the developments of graphene in the applications of optical fiber sensors were reviewed from four aspects. Firstly, the common preparation methods of graphene were introduced. Next, the optical properties of graphene have been concluded. And then, some typical optical fiber chemical and biological sensors based on graphene, such as temperature sensors, biological sensors and gas sensors, were reviewed. It was shown that graphene had a great potential in the optical fiber sensing technology. Furthermore, the deficiencies and challenges of the graphene in the applications of optical fiber sensors were analyzed. In a whole, the unique advantages of graphene have present their versatility and importance in the application fields of optical fiber sensors.
Background
Paclitaxel (PTX) is a first‐line chemotherapeutic drug for the treatment of prostate cancer. However, most patients develop resistance and metastasis, and thus new therapeutic approaches ...are urgently required. Recent studies have identified widespread anti‐tumor effects of zinc (Zn) in various tumor cell lines, especially prostate cancer cells. In this study, we examined the effects of Zn as an adjuvant to PTX in prostate cancer cells.
Methods
PC3 and DU145 cells were treated with different concentrations of Zn and/or PTX. MTT assay was used to detect cell viability. Real‐time cell analysis (RTCA) and microscopy were used to observe morphological changes in cells. Western blotting was used to detect the expression of epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT)‐related proteins. qPCR (reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction) was used to examine changes in TWIST1 mRNA levels. Cell invasion and migration were detected by scratch and transwell assays. shRNA against TWIST1 was used to knockdown TWIST1. Colony formation assay was used to detect cell proliferation, while Annexin V and propidium iodide (PI) staining was used to detect cell apoptosis.
Results
Zn and PTX increased proliferation inhibition in a dose‐ and time‐dependent manner in prostate cancer cells, while Zn increased prostate cancer cell chemosensitivity to PTX. Combined Zn and PTX inhibited prostate cancer cell invasion and migration by downregulating the expression of TWIST1. Furthermore, knockdown of TWIST1 increased the sensitivity of prostate cancer cells to PTX. In addition, Zn and PTX reduced cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in prostate cancer cells.
Conclusions
Our results demonstrated that Zn and PTX combined therapy inhibits EMT by reducing the expression of TWIST1, which reduces the invasion and migration of prostate cancer cells. SiTWIST1 increased the sensitivity of prostate cancer cells to PTX. In addition, with prolonged treatment, Zn and PTX inhibited proliferation and led to prostate cancer cell apoptosis. Therefore, Zn may be a potential adjuvant of PTX in treating prostate cancer and combined treatment may offer a promising therapeutic strategy for prostate cancer.
Platinum‐based therapeutic strategies have been widely used in ovarian cancer treatment. However, drug resistance has greatly limited therapeutic efficacy. Recently, tolerance to cisplatin has been ...attributed to other factors unrelated to DNA. p62 (also known as SQSTM1) functions as a multifunctional hub participating in tumorigenesis and may be a therapeutic target. Our previous study showed that p62 was overexpressed in drug‐resistant ovarian epithelial carcinoma and its inhibition increased the sensitivity to cisplatin. In this study, we demonstrate that the activity of the NF‐κB signaling pathway and K63‐linked ubiquitination of RIP1 was higher in cisplatin‐resistant ovarian (SKOV3/DDP) cells compared with parental cells. In addition, cisplatin resistance could be reversed by inhibiting the expression of p62 using siRNA. Furthermore, deletion of the ZZ domain of p62 that interacts with RIP1 in SKOV3 cells markedly decreased K63‐linked ubiquitination of RIP1 and inhibited the activation of the NF‐κB signaling pathway. Moreover, loss of the ZZ domain from p62 led to poor proliferative capacity and high levels of apoptosis in SKOV3 cells and made them more sensitive to cisplatin treatment. Collectively, we provide evidence that p62 is implicated in the activation of NF‐κB signaling that is partly dependent on RIP1. p62 promotes cell proliferation and inhibits apoptosis thus mediating drug resistance in ovarian cancer cells.
Our previous study showed that p62 was upregulated in drug‐resistant ovarian epithelial carcinoma cancer cells.we provide evidence that p62 involves in the activation of NF‐κB signaling at least partly dependent on RIP1 that promotes cell proliferation and inhibits apoptosis thereby mediating drug resistance in ovarian cancer cells.
C‐aryl glycosides are popular basic skeletons in biochemistry and pharmaceutical chemistry. Herein, ruthenium‐catalyzed highly stereo‐ and site‐selective ortho‐ and meta‐CAr−H glycosylation is ...described. A series of C‐aryl pyranosides and furanosides were synthesized by this method. The strategy showed good substrate scope, and various N‐heterocyclic directing groups were compatible with the reaction system. A mechanistic study suggested that the key pathway of ortho‐CAr−H glycosylation might involve oxidative addition/reduction elimination, whereas aryl meta‐C−H glycosylation was mediated by σ‐activation. Density functional theory calculations also showed that the high stereoselectivity of meta‐CAr−H glycosylation was due to steric hindrance.
A series of C‐aryl pyranosides and furanosides were synthesized by ruthenium‐catalyzed ortho‐ and meta‐CAr−H glycosylation. Mechanistic studies suggest that the key pathway of ortho‐CAr−H glycosylation involves an oxidative addition/reductive elimination process, while aryl meta‐C−H glycosylation is mediated by σ‐activation. DFT calculations showed that steric hindrance is responsible for the high stereoselectivity of meta‐CAr−H glycosylation.
The aryl‐to‐vinyl nickel 1,4‐migration (1,4‐Ni migration) reaction has been reported for the first time. The generated alkenyl Ni species undergo a reductive coupling reaction with unactivated ...brominated alkanes affording a series of trisubstituted olefins. This tandem reaction exhibits mild conditions, a broad substrate scope, high regioselectivity, and excellent Z/E stereoselectivity. A series of controlled experiments have shown that the critical 1,4‐Ni migration process is reversible. In addition, the alkenyl nickel intermediates obtained after migration are highly Z/E stereoselective and do not undergo Z/E isomerization. The obtained trace isomerization products are caused by the instability of the product.
The 1,4‐nickel migration process from aryl to alkenyl groups is now reported for the first time. The alkenyl nickel intermediates generated by this highly stereoselective migration process can be coupled with brominated alkanes to form multisubstituted olefins. The current method provides a new and efficient approach for the synthesis of Z/E olefins with high stereoselectivity.
Acute respiratory disease caused by 2019 novel coronavirus (2019‐nCoV) has rapidly spread throughout China. Children and adults show a different clinical course. The purpose of the current study is ...to comparatively analyze the clinical characteristics of 2019‐nCoV infection in children and adults and to explore the possible causes for the discrepancies present. The medical records of 25 adults and 7 children confirmed cases of 2019‐2019‐nCoV acute respiratory diseases were reviewed retrospectively. All children were family clusters. The total adult patients were differentiated into the local residents of Wuhan, a history of travel to Wuhan and direct contact with people from Wuhan. The numbers were 14 (56%), 10 (40%), and 1 (4%), respectively. The median incubation period of children and adults was 5 days (ranged, 3‐12 days) and 4 days (ranged, 2‐12 days), respectively. Diarrhoea and/or vomiting (57.1%) were demic by World Health Organiza more common in children, whereas for adults it was myalgia or fatigue (52%). On admission, the percentage of children having pneumonia (5%, 71.4%) was roughly the same as adults (20%, 80%). A total of 20% of adults had leucopoenia, but leukocytosis was more frequently in children (28.6%, P=.014). A higher number of children had elevated creatine kinase isoenzyme (57.1% vs 4%, P=.004). Antiviral therapy was given to all adult patients but to none of the children. In summary, knowledge of these differences between children and adults will not only be helpful for the clinical diagnosis of 2019‐nCoV disease, but also for a future discussion on age‐specific coronavirus infection.
Highlights
The routes of infection were more diverse in adults than children.
Diarrhoea and/or vomiting were more common in children, whereas for adults it was myalgia or fatigue.
More adults had leucopoenia, but leukocytosis was more frequently in children.
A higher number of children had elevated creatine kinase isoenzyme.
The percentage of children having pneumonia was roughly the same as adults.
Exploiting useful contacts: The exceptional catalytic performance of a photocatalyst composed of Pd nanoparticles and mesoporous carbon nitride for the dehydrogenation of formic acid in water at room ...temperature to produce H2 gas (see picture) is due to enhanced electron enrichment of the Pd nanoparticles through charge transfer at the interface of the Mott–Schottky contact.
A plug-and-play surface plasmon resonance (SPR) dual-parameter optical fiber biosensor is reported, in which Au film was firstly coated on the fiber surface for exciting SPR and the end half of the ...Au film was modified with Au nanoparticles to generate double SPR resonance valleys. For simultaneous detecting of glucose and cholesterol concentrations, modified P-mercaptophenylboronic acid (PMBA) and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) were subsequently coated on the surface of sensor probe. Due to the cis-diol structure of glucose, it can interact with PMBA, leading to a red shift of one SPR resonant valley, whose maximum wavelength shift is 11.228 nm in the range of 0–1.7 mM glucose concentration. On the same time, the cholesterol molecules can realize the host-guest combination with β-CD, leading to a red shift of another SPR resonant valley, and the maximum wavelength shift is 18.893 nm in the cholesterol concentration range of 0–300 nM. The detection limits of the sensor to glucose and cholesterol are 0.00078 mM and 0.012 nM, respectively. The enhances the practical value of the dual-parameter sensor. Both theory and experiment results verify the feasibility of the “plug-and-play” sensor to measure the dual biomass of glucose and cholesterol with ultra-low detection limit and good selectivity. The proposed method provides a huge research value for the optical fiber sensor in multi-parameter measurement.
•A highly-sensitive and reflective optical fiber SPR biosensor was proposed for dual-parameter measurement.•Glucose and cholesterol concentrations could be simultaneously measured by one sensor.•Au nanoparticles were coated on the sensor to adjust the resonant wavelength and enhance the sensor sensitivity.•The cross-sensitivity between glucose and cholesterol could be neglected by selecting PMBA and β-CD as sensitive materials.•The sensor has an ultra-low detection limit and excellent selectivity for detecting low concentrations of glucose and cholesterol.
The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in main characteristics, reporting and methodological quality between prospectively registered and nonregistered systematic reviews.
PubMed ...was searched to identify systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials published in 2015 in English. After title and abstract screening, potentially relevant reviews were divided into three groups: registered non-Cochrane reviews, Cochrane reviews, and nonregistered reviews. For each group, random number tables were generated in Microsoft Excel, and the first 50 eligible studies from each group were randomly selected. Data of interest from systematic reviews were extracted. Regression analyses were conducted to explore the association between total Revised Assessment of Multiple Systematic Review (R-AMSTAR) or Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) scores and the selected characteristics of systematic reviews.
The conducting and reporting of literature search in registered reviews were superior to nonregistered reviews. Differences in 9 of the 11 R-AMSTAR items were statistically significant between registered and nonregistered reviews. The total R-AMSTAR score of registered reviews was higher than nonregistered reviews mean difference (MD) = 4.82, 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.70, 5.94. Sensitivity analysis by excluding the registration-related item presented similar result (MD = 4.34, 95% CI: 3.28, 5.40). Total PRISMA scores of registered reviews were significantly higher than nonregistered reviews (all reviews: MD = 1.47, 95% CI: 0.64-2.30; non-Cochrane reviews: MD = 1.49, 95% CI: 0.56-2.42). However, the difference in the total PRISMA score was no longer statistically significant after excluding the item related to registration (item 5). Regression analyses showed similar results.
Prospective registration may at least indirectly improve the overall methodological quality of systematic reviews, although its impact on the overall reporting quality was not significant.
Metabolic reprogramming is a central hallmark of cancer. Therefore, targeting metabolism may provide an effective strategy for identifying promising drug targets for cancer treatment. In prostate ...cancer, cells undergo metabolic transformation from zinc‐accumulating, citrate‐producing cells to citrate‐oxidizing malignant cells with lower zinc levels and higher mitochondrial aconitase (ACO2) activity. ACO2 is a Krebs cycle enzyme that converts citrate to isocitrate and is sensitive to reactive oxygen species (ROS)‐mediated damage. In this study, we found that the expression of ACO2 is positively correlated with the malignancy of prostate cancer. Both zinc and p53 can lead to an increase in ROS. ACO2 can be a target for remodeling metabolism by sensing changes in the ROS levels of prostate cancer. Our results indicate that targeting ACO2 through zinc and p53 can change prostate cancer metabolism, and thus provides a potential new therapeutic strategy for prostate cancer.
In this study, we demonstrate that ACO2 expression positively correlates with prostate cancer malignancy and drug resistance. In addition, we found that p53 decreases SIRT3 expression and zinc increases the production of hydroxyl radicals, which lead to an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS). Furthermore, accumulated ROS causes a decrease in ACO2 activity, which leads to mitochondrial dysfunction and results in apoptosis. Thus, ACO2 can be a target for remodeling metabolism by sensing changes in ROS of prostate cancer cells, and targeting ACO2 through zinc and p53 to change the metabolic pattern of malignant cells can provide a new therapeutic strategy for prostate cancer.
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