Tumor metastasis is a hallmark of cancer. Metastatic cancer cells often reside in distal tissues and organs in their dormant state. Mechanisms underlying the pre-metastatic niche formation are poorly ...understood. Here we show that in a colorectal cancer (CRC) model, primary tumors release integrin beta-like 1 (ITGBL1)-rich extracellular vesicles (EVs) to the circulation to activate resident fibroblasts in remote organs. The activated fibroblasts induce the pre-metastatic niche formation and promote metastatic cancer growth by secreting pro-inflammatory cytokine, such as IL-6 and IL-8. Mechanistically, the primary CRC-derived ITGBL1-enriched EVs stimulate the TNFAIP3-mediated NF-κB signaling pathway to activate fibroblasts. Consequently, the activated fibroblasts produce high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines to promote metastatic cancer growth. These findings uncover a tumor-stromal interaction in the metastatic tumor microenvironment and an intimate signaling communication between primary tumors and metastases through the ITGBL1-loaded EVs. Targeting the EVs-ITGBL1-CAFs-TNFAIP3-NF-κB signaling axis provides an attractive approach for treating metastatic diseases.
Based on Knowledge-Based View, the study examines the effects of knowledge-oriented leadership on knowledge management processes in research universities and test the direct association among ...knowledge management processes and organizational (university) performance. This study further examines the mediating role of knowledge worker productivity between knowledge management processes and organizational performance. This study used a sample frame of 536 academic and administrative employees from research universities of China, furthermore, the assumed logical associations were analyzed using PLS-SEM. Irrespective of enhanced stature of knowledge management in higher education institutions, there is a lack of studies that examine the inter-relationship of knowledge management, knowledge worker productivity and organizational performance. The current study is an initial pool of researches that empirically examines the interface of knowledge-oriented leadership, knowledge management processes, and higher education performance while enlightens the valuable insights into the prevailing literature by instantaneous investigation of the mediating role of knowledge worker productivity.
Constructed upon Knowledge-Based View (KBV), this research investigates the interrelationship of trust, organisational climate, Knowledge Management (KM) processes, and Organisational Performance ...(OP). This research further examines the intervening function of Creative Organisational Learning (COL) in an association among KM processes and OP. This research used a sample frame of 536 academic and administrative staff from research-based higher education institutes (HEI's) of China. The associations were confirmed via Smart PLS 3.2.8. The outcomes discovered that trust and organisational climate have a substantial influence on KM processes. The outcomes also reveal a direct significant impact of KM processes on OP and indirectly via COL. This unique research not only empirically examines the interface of KM enablers (trust, organisational climate), KM processes, and performance of HEI's but also enlighten visions into the present KBV literature by instantaneous investigation of the mediating role of COL.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to extend the existing literature on entrepreneurial intentions (EIs) by employing the integrated model of personality traits and the theory of planned behavior ...(TPB). It further examines the mediating role of TPB’s dimensions between personality traits and EIs of final-year university students in two diverse economies: China and Pakistan.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses a survey method for data collection, administered both in electronic and paper form. The authors use structural equation modeling and the partial least square (PLS) method on a sample of 1,016 students and present PLS path modeling, mediation analysis and multigroup analysis.
Findings
Results reveal several differences regarding personality traits and TPB on EIs across the two countries. The impact of TPB was positive and significant in both countries; however, TPB demonstrated more explaining power in China’s student sample. Using three personality traits (risk-taking propensity, proactive personality and internal locus of control) as antecedents to TPB, the results reveal a stronger influence of personality traits among Chinese students. The mediation of three dimensions of TPB also revealed differences between country samples.
Originality/value
This is the first study of its kind to compare and contrast the differences between EIs in terms of personality and the determinants of planned behavior among university students in two diverse economies. The integrated model is original, supports both TPB and personality factors and provides a valuable perspective through its findings on two culturally diverse Asian countries. By applying the model in two different cultures, this study distinguishes the results for the two economies from those conducted in other economies.
The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between identity centrality and entrepreneurial intention. Based on a survey of 275 academic scientists from 14 Chinese universities, the ...results show that entrepreneurial identity centrality positively influences the intention to engage in research commercialisation activities, such as spin-off creation, patenting and licensing, contracting research and consulting. We also found that the conflict between entrepreneurial and scientific identity centrality is less problematic than expected in the literature. In fact, the interaction between both identity centralities strengthens academics scientists’ intention to involve in academic entrepreneurship. Concerning the influence of institutional factor on academic entrepreneurship, the finding confirms that university entrepreneurial mission moderates the relationship between both identity centralities and the intention to establish spin-offs. Finally, this paper provides insights for academic entrepreneurship in China and practical recommendation for policy makers.
Crystal engineering of the nbo metal–organic framework (MOF) platform MOF‐505 with a custom‐designed azamacrocycle ligand (1,4,7,10‐tetrazazcyclododecane‐N,N′,N′′,N′′′‐tetra‐p‐methylbenzoic acid) ...leads to a high density of well‐oriented Lewis active sites within the cuboctahedral cage in MMCF‐2, Cu2(Cu‐tactmb)(H2O)3(NO3)2. This MOF demonstrates high catalytic activity for the chemical fixation of CO2 into cyclic carbonates at room temperature under 1 atm pressure.
High catalytic activity for chemical fixation of CO2 into cyclic carbonates under ambient conditions has been demonstrated in the metal–organic framework (MOF) MMCF‐2 (see picture; C gray, O red, N blue, Cu pale blue). This MOF features a high density of well‐oriented Lewis acid active sites within the cuboctahedral cage.
BRAF plays an indispensable role in activating the MEK/ERK pathway to drive tumorigenesis. Receptor tyrosine kinase and RAS-mediated BRAF activation have been extensively characterized, however, it ...remains undefined how BRAF function is fine-tuned by stimuli other than growth factors. Here, we report that in response to proinflammatory cytokines, BRAF is subjected to lysine 27-linked poly-ubiquitination in melanoma cells by the ITCH ubiquitin E3 ligase. Lysine 27-linked ubiquitination of BRAF recruits PP2A to antagonize the S365 phosphorylation and disrupts the inhibitory interaction with 14-3-3, leading to sustained BRAF activation and subsequent elevation of the MEK/ERK signaling. Physiologically, proinflammatory cytokines activate ITCH to maintain BRAF activity and to promote proliferation and invasion of melanoma cells, whereas the ubiquitination-deficient BRAF mutant displays compromised kinase activity and reduced tumorigenicity. Collectively, our study reveals a pivotal role for ITCH-mediated BRAF ubiquitination in coordinating the signals between cytokines and the MAPK pathway activation in melanoma cells.
Berberin, extracted from Chinese herbal medicine Coptis chinensis, has been found to have anti-tumor activities. However, the underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. Our current study ...demonstrated that berberin inhibited the in vitro and in vivo growth, migration/invasion of CRC cells, via attenuating the expression levels of COX-2/PGE2, following by reducing the phosphorylation of JAK2 and STAT3, as well as the MMP-2/-9 expression. We further clarified that an increase of COX-2/PGE2 expression offset the repressive activity of Berberin on JAK2/STAT3 signaling, and a JAK2 inhibitor AZD1480 blocked the effect of COX-2/PGE2 on MMP-2/-9 expression. In summary, Berberin inhibited CRC invasion and metastasis via down-regulation of COX-2/PGE2- JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.
This paper aims to explore the impact of organizational context on individuals’ industry activities in Chinese universities. Academic engagement, which includes collaborative research, contract ...research, consulting and other informal outreach activities, is posited as being jointly determined by organizational and individual level factors. Based on 564 Chinese scientists’ survey responses, our results show that scientists perceiving their university as having a strong entrepreneurial mission or supportive policy context are more active in academic engagement. This relationship is, however, moderated by individual-level factors. Specifically, entrepreneurially oriented university missions and supportive policy are more strongly associated with intra-individual differences in academic engagement for junior scientists, and for scientists with established personal networks to industry. Our analysis also shows that several individual-level predictors of academic engagement identified in studies set in Europe and the US carry over to the Chinese context.
Resveratrol, extracted from Chinese herbal medicine Polygonum cuspidatum, is known to inhibit invasion and metastasis of human colorectal cancer (CRC), in which long non-coding Metastasis Associated ...Lung Adenocarcinoma Transcript 1 (RNA-MALAT1) also plays an important role. Using MALAT1 lentiviral shRNA and over-expression constructs in CRC derived cell lines, LoVo and HCT116, we demonstrated that the anti-tumor effects of resveratrol on CRC are through inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin signaling, thus the expression of its target genes such as c-Myc, MMP-7, as well as the expression of MALAT1. In detail, resveratrol down-regulates MALAT1, resulting in decreased nuclear localization of β-catenin thus attenuated Wnt/β-catenin signaling, which leads to the inhibition of CRC invasion and metastasis. This finding of ours surely provides important pre-clinical evidence supporting future use of resveratrol in prevention and treatment of CRC.
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