Conducting polymer (CP) hybrids, which combine CPs with heterogeneous species, have shown strong potential as electrical transducers in chemosensors. The charge transport properties of CPs are based ...on chemical redox reactions and provide various chemo-electrical signal transduction mechanisms. Combining CPs with other functional materials has provided opportunities to tailor their major morphological and physicochemical properties, often resulting in enhanced sensing performance. The hybrids can provide an enlarged effective surface area for enhanced interaction and chemical specificity to target analytes via a new signal transduction mechanism. Here, we review a selection of important CPs, including polyaniline, polypyrrole, polythiophene and their derivatives, to fabricate versatile organic and inorganic hybrid materials and their chemo-electrical sensing performance. We focus on what benefits can be achieved through material hybridization in the sensing application. Moreover, state-of-the-art trends in technologies of CP hybrid sensors are discussed, as are limitations and challenges.
Overweight and obesity are significant global public health concerns that are increasing in prevalence at an alarming rate. Numerous studies have demonstrated the benefits of probiotics against ...obesity. Postbiotics are the next generation of probiotics that include bacteria-free extracts and nonviable microorganisms that may be advantageous to the host and are being increasingly preferred over regular probiotics. However, the impact of postbiotics on obesity has not been thoroughly investigated. Therefore, the goal of this review is to gather in-depth data on the ability of postbiotics to combat obesity. Postbiotics have been reported to have significant potential in alleviating obesity. This review comprehensively discusses the anti-obesity effects of postbiotics in cellular, animal, and clinical studies. Postbiotics exert anti-obesity effects via multiple mechanisms, with the major mechanisms including increased energy expenditure, reduced adipogenesis and adipocyte differentiation, suppression of food intake, inhibition of lipid absorption, regulation of lipid metabolism, and regulation of gut dysbiosis. Future research should include further in-depth studies on strain identification, scale-up of postbiotics, identification of underlying mechanisms, and well-defined clinical studies. Postbiotics could be a promising dietary intervention for the prevention and management of obesity.
In non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations, acquired resistance to EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKI) can occur through a generation of ...bypass signals such as MET or AXL activation. In this study, we investigated the antitumor activity of NPS-1034, a newly developed drug that targets both MET and AXL, in NSCLC cells with acquired resistance to gefitinib or erlotinib (HCC827/GR and HCC827/ER, respectively). Characterization of H820 cells and evaluation of NPS-1034 efficacy in these cells were also performed. The resistance of HCC827/GR was mediated by MET activation, whereas AXL activation led to resistance in HCC827/ER. The combination of gefitinib or erlotinib with NPS-1034 synergistically inhibited cell proliferation and induced cell death in both resistant cell lines. Accordingly, suppression of Akt was noted only in the presence of treatment with both drugs. NPS-1034 was also effective in xenograft mouse models of HCC827/GR. Although the H820 cell line was reported previously to have T790M and MET amplification, we discovered that AXL was also activated in this cell line. There were no antitumor effects of siRNA or inhibitors specific for EGFR or MET, whereas combined treatment with AXL siRNA or NPS-1034 and EGFR-TKIs controlled H820 cells, suggesting that AXL is the main signal responsible for resistance. In addition, NPS-1034 inhibited cell proliferation as well as ROS1 activity in HCC78 cells with ROS1 rearrangement. Our results establish the efficacy of NPS-1034 in NSCLC cells rendered resistant to EGFR-TKIs because of MET or AXL activation or ROS1 rearrangement.
Macroalgae, particularly red seaweeds, have attracted significant attention due to their economic and health benefits.
, a red algae genus, despite its economic importance, seems to be undervalued. ...Among all its species,
has been meticulously documented for its biological properties, and little is known about other species. No comprehensive review of the biological properties of this genus has been acknowledged. Thus, this review aimed to summarize the available information on the chemical constituents and biological properties of a few selected species, including
,
,
, and
. We compiled and discovered that the genus is offering most of the important health-promoting benefits evidenced from in vitro and in vivo studies focused on antimicrobial, immunomodulation, neuroprotection, anti-atopic, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-diabetic, cytoprotective, antioxidant, anti-coagulation, nephroprotective, anti-tumor, and anti-venom activity, which speaks about the potential of this genus. Data on clinical studies are limited. Further, around 105 chemical constituents have been reported from
spp. Given its significance, further investigation is warranted, in the form of meticulously planned cell, animal, and clinical studies that concentrate on novel health-enhancing endeavors, in order to unveil the full potential of this genus. The review also outlines challenges and future directions.
In this study, we investigated the effects of black ginseng (BG) and ginsenoside Rb1, which induced browning effects in 3T3-L1 and primary white adipocytes (PWATs) isolated from C57BL/6 mice. BG and ...Rb1 suppressed the expressions of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha (C/EBPα) and sterol regulatory element-binding transcription factor-1c (SREBP-1c), whereas the expression level of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) was increased. Furthermore, BG and Rb1 enhanced the protein expressions of the brown-adipocyte-specific markers PR domain containing 16 (PRDM16), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 alpha (PGC-1α), and uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1). These results were further supported by immunofluorescence images of mitochondrial biogenesis. In addition, BG and Rb1 induced expressions of brown-adipocyte-specific marker proteins by AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation. BG and Rb1 exert antiobesity effects by inducing browning in 3T3-L1 cells and PWATs through AMPK-mediated pathway activation. We suggest that BG and Rb1 act as potential functional antiobesity food agents.
The phenylpropanoid pathway is a major secondary metabolite pathway that helps plants overcome biotic and abiotic stress and produces various byproducts that promote human health. Its byproduct ...caffeoylquinic acid is a soluble phenolic compound present in many angiosperms. Hydroxycinnamate-CoA shikimate/quinate transferase is a significant enzyme that plays a role in accumulating CQA biosynthesis. This study analyzed transcriptome-wide identification of the phenylpropanoid to caffeoylquinic acid biosynthesis candidate genes in A. spathulifolius flowers and leaves. Transcriptomic analyses of the flowers and leaves showed a differential expression of the PPP and CQA biosynthesis regulated unigenes. An analysis of PPP-captive unigenes revealed a major duplication in the following genes: PAL, 120 unigenes in leaves and 76 in flowers; C3′H, 169 unigenes in leaves and 140 in flowers; 4CL, 41 unigenes in leaves and 27 in flowers; and C4H, 12 unigenes in leaves and 4 in flowers. The phylogenetic analysis revealed 82 BAHDs superfamily members in leaves and 72 in flowers, among which five unigenes encode for HQT and three for HCT. The three HQT are common to both leaves and flowers, whereas the two HQT were specialized for leaves. The pattern of HQT synthesis was upregulated in flowers, whereas HCT was expressed strongly in the leaves of A. spathulifolius. Overall, 4CL, C4H, and HQT are expressed strongly in flowers and CAA and HCT show more expression in leaves. As a result, the quantification of HQT and HCT indicates that CQA biosynthesis is more abundant in the flowers and synthesis of caffeic acid in the leaves of A. spathulifolius.
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•Surface-modified nanofibers were effective for particulate matter (PM) filtration.•Intermolecular interaction was studied using density functional theory calculation.•A car interior ...air purifier was demonstrated using the nanofiber membrane.
Particulate matter (PM) pollution is serious human health issue. Various filter technologies have been developed to improve the air filtration efficiency. Recently, nanofibrous membrane filters have received much attention due to its outstanding transparency and high efficiency for PM ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5) capture/removal compared to conventional micro-structured filters. Although these filters provide high-efficiency PM2.5 capture, obtaining strong PM adhesion via surface engineering remains a challenge. In this study, we demonstrate a high efficiency PM2.5 capture air-filter by electrospun polyacrylonitrile nanofibers (EPNFs). The surface of the EPNFs was modified by oxygen plasma treatment for generating functional groups such as CONH2, COOH and COOR. The EPNFs were utilized as air filter in hand-made PM removal system which is consisted of DC power supply, PM source, PM sensor and PM removal test chamber. The test result showed high air flow and effective air filtration (PM2.5 removal efficiency: 94.02%, pressure drop: 18 Pa, Time to reach the PM level recommended by the World Health Organization (TWHO PM2.5): 15 min, quality factor: 0.1564 Pa−1) compared to commercial filters. The intermolecular interaction between the plasma-treated EPNFs (PEPNFs) and PMs was investigated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The PEPNF filter showed high long-term reproducibility in a cycle test with a high PM concentration (over 2,000 μg m−3). The filter was applied as a car interior air purifier using a cigar jack as a power supply, ca. 16 min was required to reach the PM level recommended by the World Health Organization (<25 μg m−3).
Abstract In this study, we examined the in vitro electrochemical detection of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) as cancer biomarker using p -type field-effect transistor (FET) biosensor. We ...demonstrated the high-performance FET sensor, which could detect ca. 400 fM of VEGF concentration, based on anti-VEGF RNA aptamer conjugated carboxylated polypyrrole nanotubes (CPNTs). The CPNTs used as high-performance transducers of this FET system were successfully fabricated by cylindrical micelle templates in a water-in-oil emulsion system. The functional carboxyl group (–COOH) was effectively incorporated into the polymer backbone during the polymerization by using pyrrole-3-carboxylic acid (P3CA) as a co-monomer. Two types of CPNTs (CPNT1: ca. 200 nm in diameter, CPNT2: ca. 120 nm in diameter) demonstrated the excellent conductivity performance in this FET system. Based on CPNTs conjugated with anti-VEGF RNA aptamer (CPNTs-aptamer), VEGF (target molecule) acts as the gate dielectrics of p -type FET sensor and specifically interacts with anti-VEGF aptamer attached to CPNT surfaces. Importantly, the VEGF detection limit of the FET sensor based on CPNT2-aptamer was found to be near 400 fM in real-time. Moreover, the CPNTs-aptamer FET sensors can be repeatedly used for various concentrations of the target molecule (VEGFs) through the washing and rinsing processes.
Depressive symptoms are a common menopausal feature in middle-aged women and are associated with dietary factors. This study aimed to determine the association between dietary patterns and depressive ...symptoms in 2190 Korean women aged 45-69 years. Depressive symptoms were screened using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and food intake was examined using a food frequency questionnaire. Dietary patterns were derived from principal components analysis and identified two dietary patterns: a "healthy" dietary pattern (high intake of whole-grain rice, legumes, vegetables, fruits, and fish) and an "unhealthy" dietary pattern (high intake of noodles, dumplings, sweets, red meat, soda, and coffee). After adjusting for all confounding factors, those with the highest healthy dietary pattern scores had a 0.56-fold lower risk of depressive symptoms than those with the lowest score (Odds Ratio (OR) = 0.56, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.37-0.84,
for trend = 0.006). Conversely, those with the highest unhealthy pattern scores had a 1.85-fold higher risk of depressive symptoms than that of those in the lowest quartile (OR = 1.85, 95% CI: 1.30-2.63,
for trend = 0.002). In middle-aged women, a dietary pattern of high intake of fiber-rich whole-grain rice, fruits, vegetables, and legumes may help prevent and manage depressive symptoms.
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