•The significance of the luminescence thermochromism is illustrated.•Representative studies about metal-containing crystalline luminescent thermochromic materials are illustrated.•Crystalline ...materials provide direct insights into the chromic mechanisms of luminescence thermochromism.
Stimuli-responsive functional materials with specific properties have been garnering recent attention. Various external stimulations, such as light, mechanical or pressure, vapor, solvent or temperature, have been extensively utilized to induce physical property changes. Temperature, the most fundamental parameter, is believed to serve as an efficient stimulus for triggering luminescence changes. This thermal, stimuli-responsive luminescence change is known as luminescence thermochromism. This review focuses on the systematic developments of metal-containing crystalline luminescence thermochromic materials, which will be of interest to researchers attempting to design and develop new temperature-induced luminescence-changing materials. Additionally, focusing on crystalline materials provides direct insight into the chromic mechanisms of luminescence thermochromism, which are also discussed.
Emerging evidence suggests that epithelial‐mesenchymal transitions (EMTs) play important roles in tumor metastasis and recurrence. Understanding molecular mechanisms that regulate the EMT process is ...crucial for improving treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in HCC; however, the mechanisms by which miRNAs target the EMT and their therapeutic potential remains largely unknown. To better explore the roles of miRNAs in the EMT process, we established an EMT model in HCC cells by transforming growth factor beta 1 treatment and found that several tumor‐related miRNAs were significantly decreased. Among these miRNAs, miR‐125b expression was most strongly suppressed. We also found down‐regulation of miR‐125b in most HCC cells and clinical specimens, which correlated with cellular differentiation in HCC patients. We then demonstrated that miR‐125b overexpression attenuated EMT phenotype in HCC cancer cells, whereas knockdown of miR‐125b promoted the EMT phenotype in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, we found that miR‐125b attenuated EMT‐associated traits, including chemoresistance, migration, and stemness in HCC cells, and negatively correlated with EMT and cancer stem cell (CSC) marker expressions in HCC specimens. miR‐125b overexpression could inhibit CSC generation and decrease tumor incidence in the mouse xenograft model. Mechanistically, our data revealed that miR‐125b suppressed EMT and EMT‐associated traits of HCC cells by targeting small mothers against decapentaplegic (SMAD)2 and 4. Most important, the therapeutic delivery of synthetic miR‐125b mimics decreased the target molecule of CSC and inhibited metastasis in the mice model. These findings suggest a potential therapeutic treatment of miR‐125b for liver cancer. Conclusion: miR‐125b exerts inhibitory effects on EMT and EMT‐associated traits in HCC by SMAD2 and 4. Ectopic expression of miR‐125b provides a promising strategy to treat HCC. (Hepatology 2015;62:801–815)
Magnetic drug targeting is a method by which magnetic drug carriers in the body are manipulated by external magnetic fields to reach the target area. This method is potentially promising in ...applications for treatment of diseases like cancers, nervous system diseases, sudden sensorineural hearing loss, and so on, due to the advantages in that it can improve efficacy, reduce drug dosage and side effects. Therefore, it has received extensive attention in recent years. Successful magnetic drug targeting requires a good magnet system to guide the drug carriers to the target site. Up to date there have been many efforts to design the magnet systems for targeted drug delivery. However, there are few comprehensive reviews on these systems. Here we review the progresses made in this field. We summarized the systems already developed or proposed, and categorized them into two groups: static field magnet systems and varying field magnet systems. Based on the requirements for more powerful targeting performance, the prospects and the future research directions in this field are anticipated.
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanovesicles released by various cell types. EVs are known for cell-to-cell communications and have potent biological activities. Despite great progress in recent ...years for studies exploring the potentials of EVs for early disease detection, therapeutic application and drug delivery, determination of the favorable storage conditions of EVs has been challenging. The understanding of the impact of storage conditions on EVs before and after isolation is still limited. Storage may change the size, number, contents, functions, and behaviors of EVs. Here, we summarized current studies about the stability of EVs in different conditions, focusing on temperatures, durations, and freezing and thawing cycles. -80 °C seems to remain the most favorable condition for storage of biofluids and isolated EVs, while isolated EVs may be stored at 4 °C shortly. Lyophilization is promising for storage of EV products. Challenges remain in the understanding of storage-mediated change in EVs and in the development of advanced preservation techniques of EVs.
Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. Although genomic mutations and single nucleotide polymorphisms have been extensively studied, the epigenomic status in colorectal ...cancer patient tissues remains elusive. Here, together with genomic and transcriptomic analysis, we use ChIP-Seq to profile active enhancers at the genome wide level in colorectal cancer paired patient tissues (tumor and adjacent tissues from the same patients). In total, we sequence 73 pairs of colorectal cancer tissues and generate 147 H3K27ac ChIP-Seq, 144 RNA-Seq, 147 whole genome sequencing and 86 H3K4me3 ChIP-Seq samples. Our analysis identifies 5590 gain and 1100 lost variant enhancer loci in colorectal cancer, and 334 gain and 121 lost variant super enhancer loci. Multiple key transcription factors in colorectal cancer are predicted with motif analysis and core regulatory circuitry analysis. Further experiments verify the function of the super enhancers governing PHF19 and TBC1D16 in regulating colorectal cancer tumorigenesis, and KLF3 is identified as an oncogenic transcription factor in colorectal cancer. Taken together, our work provides an important epigenomic resource and functional factors for epigenetic studies in colorectal cancer.
Macrophages are highly heterogeneous and exhibit a diversity of functions and phenotypes. They can be divided into pro‐inflammatory macrophages (M1) and anti‐inflammatory macrophages (M2). Diabetic ...wounds are characterized by a prolonged inflammatory phase and difficulty in healing due to the accumulation of pro‐inflammatory (M1) macrophages in the wound. Therefore, hydrogel dressings with macrophage heterogeneity regulation function hold great promise in promoting diabetic wound healing in clinical applications. However, the precise conversion of pro‐inflammatory M1 to anti‐inflammatory M2 macrophages by simple and biosafe approaches is still a great challenge. Here, an all‐natural hydrogel with the ability to regulate macrophage heterogeneity is developed to promote angiogenesis and diabetic wound healing. The protocatechuic aldehyde hybridized collagen‐based all‐natural hydrogel exhibits good bioadhesive and antibacterial properties as well as reactive oxygen species scavenging ability. More importantly, the hydrogel is able to convert M1 macrophages into M2 macrophages without the need for any additional ingredients or external intervention. This simple and safe immunomodulatory approach shows great application potential for shortening the inflammatory phase of diabetic wound repair and accelerating wound healing.
An all‐natural hydrogel composed of small molecules pro‐catechol and collagen is developed to promote diabetic wound healing by modulating macrophage heterogeneity. The hydrogel exhibits good bioadhesive, antibacterial, and reactive oxygen species scavenging abilities. In vitro and in vivo experiments show that the hydrogel is able to promote the conversion of pro‐inflammatory (M1) macrophages to anti‐inflammatory (M2) macrophages and the expression of anti‐inflammatory factors.
Simple thiol derivatives, such as cysteine (Cys), homocysteine (Hcy), and glutathione (GSH), play key roles in biological processes, and the fluorescent probes to detect such thiols in vivo ...selectively with high sensitivity and fast response times are critical for understanding their numerous functions. However, the similar structures and reactivities of these thiols pose considerable challenges to the development of such probes. This review focuses on various strategies for the design of fluorescent probes for the selective detection of biothiols. We classify the fluorescent probes for discrimination among biothiols according to reaction types between the probes and thiols such as cyclization with aldehydes, conjugate addition-cyclization with acrylates, native chemical ligation, and aromatic substitution-rearrangement.
Morphology, microstructure, and distribution of antennal sensilla were compared between female and male Pseudosymmachia flavescens (Brenske) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae). Lamellate ...antennae of P. flavescens were shown to have typical scape, pedicel, and flagellum segments. The flagellum consists of a four-segmented funicle and a three-segmented club. The lengths of their pedicel and funicle were found to be similar in females and males. Distinct sexual differences were observed in the length of lamellar segments. Nine types/subtypes of sensilla were identified on the antennae of both sexes, including Böhm sensilla, sensilla trichodea, sensilla basiconica (SB), and two subtypes for sensilla chaetica, sensilla coeloconica, and sensilla placodea each. Olfactory sensilla (e.g., SB and placodea) are mainly located on three lamellar segments of the antennal club. Variation was also seen in abundance of various types of antennal sensilla, with males possessing significantly more sensilla than females. Sensilla placodea were the most abundant, and their number in males was twice of that in females, showing a clear sexual dimorphism. The difference in the distribution of sensilla placodea might reflect their roles in sexual chemical communication.
A facile approach for the preparation of supramolecular polymer‐based fluorescent nanoparticles (FNPs) is reported. FNPs with homogeneous shape and size distribution are fabricated from ...low‐molecular‐weight molecules, and thus, different compositional constituents can be efficiently incorporated via copolymerization. The emission color of the FNPs covers a wide region from blue to near infrared and can be easily tuned using efficient excitation energy transfer. The photoswitchable fluorescent nanoparticles with high on–off fluorescence contrast are also simply prepared by copolymerization of monomers containing a fluorophore and a photochromic unit. Our FNPs are successfully applied in living cell imaging and as fluorescent inks.
A new set of fluorescent nanoparticles (FNPs) are fabricated from hydrogen‐bonded supramolecular polymers. Their preparation is straightforward, and nanoparticles with homogeneous shape and size are obtained. The emission color of the FNPs covers a wide region from blue to near infrared and is easily tunable by excitation energy transfer. These FNPs are successfully used in bioimaging and as fluorescent inks.
Depression is a major mental health issue worldwide, and university students with heavy burdens of study are at a high risk for depression. While a number of studies have been conducted regarding ...depression among university students in China, there is a lack of information regarding the national prevalence of depression among Chinese university students. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to statistically pool the prevalence of depression among Chinese university students.
A systematic search of scientific databases was conducted, including Chinese Web of Knowledge, Embase, PubMed, Wanfang (a Chinese database) and Weipu (a Chinese database) to find relevant publications published between 1995 and December 2015. This was supplemented by a secondary review of the reference lists of all retrieved papers to find additional relevant citations. Studies published in either English or Chinese that provided prevalence estimates of depression in Chinese university students were considered. Prevalence estimates of each eligible study were extracted and pooled in our meta-analysis using a random-effects model.
A total of 39 studies conducted between 1997 and 2015 including 32,694 university students were analyzed. Our results indicate that the overall prevalence of depression among Chinese university students is 23.8% (95% CI: 19.9%-28.5%). Substantial heterogeneity in prevalence estimates was noted. Subgroup analysis revealed that the prevalence of depression among medical students is higher than among other students.
Overall, the prevalence of depression among Chinese university students is exceedingly high. This suggests that it is imperative that more attention be given to the development of appropriate mental healthcare strategies for university students in China.
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