Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a continuum that includes epithelial, partial EMT, and mesenchymal states, each of which is associated with cancer progression, invasive capabilities, and ...ultimately, metastasis. We used a lineage-traced sporadic model of pancreatic cancer to generate a murine organoid biobank from primary and secondary tumors, including sublines that underwent partial EMT and complete EMT. Using an unbiased proteomics approach, we found that organoid morphology predicts the EMT state, and the solid organoids are associated with a partial EMT signature. We also observed that exogenous TGFβ1 induces solid organoid morphology that is associated with changes in the S100 family, complete EMT, and the formation of high-grade tumors. S100A4 may be a useful biomarker for predicting EMT state, disease progression, and outcome in patients with pancreatic cancer.
•PET was finished by plasma treatment and SWCNT coating to improve antistatic property.•Plasma modification had a positive effect on SWCNT coating on PET fiber surface.•O2 plasma was more effective ...in SWCNT coating than Ar plasma in the shorter time.•Antistatic enhanced and then declined with enhancing treatment time and output power.•Antistatic increased with increasing concentration, curing time, curing temperature.
This study introduced a green method to prepare antistatic polyester (PET) fabrics by plasma pretreatment and single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) coating. The influences of plasma conditions and SWCNT coating parameters on antistatic property of PET fabrics were investigated. PET fabrics were pretreated under various plasma conditions such as different treatment times, output powers and working gases, and then SWCNT coating on the plasma treated PET fabrics was carried out by coating-dry-cure using various coating parameters including different SWCNT concentrations, curing times and curing temperatures. PET fabrics were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and volume resistivity. SEM and XPS analysis of the plasma treated PET fabrics revealed the increase in surface roughness and oxygen/nitrogen containing groups on the PET fiber surface. SEM and XPS analysis of the plasma treated and SWCNT coated PET fabrics indicated the SWCNT coating on PET fiber surface. The plasma treated and SWCNT coated PET fabrics exhibited a good antistatic property, which increased and then decreased with the increasing plasma treatment time and output power. The antistatic property of the O2 plasma treated and SWCNT coated PET fabric was better and worse than that of N2 or Ar plasma treated and SWCNT coated PET fabric in the shorter treatment time and the longer treatment time, respectively. In addition, the antistatic property of the plasma treated and SWCNT coated PET fabrics also increased with the increasing SWCNT concentration, curing time and curing temperature in the range studied. Plasma conditions and SWCNT coating parameters had signally influence on the antistatic property of plasma treated and SWCNT coated PET fabrics. Therefore, adequate parameters should be carefully selected for the optimum antistatic property of the plasma treated and SWCNT coated PET fabrics.
With the development of applications for microelectromechanical system (MEMS) components and micromachining technology, planar microelectrodes have attracted considerable interest. To study the ...discharge characteristics of these structures, planar microelectrodes with a variety of plate-shaped and needle-shaped microelectrode structures fabricated from indium tin oxide (ITO) and copper (Cu) with microelectrode gaps ranging from 5 to 35 µm were manufactured using MEMS technology in this study. Experiments carried out in atmospheric air show that the microelectrode configuration has a crucial impact on the discharge current, breakdown voltage, and current response to varying electrode gaps. The electrode surface area plays a significant role in the discharge characteristics of planar microelectrodes, which is a factor dominating the discharge current and breakdown voltage. The commonly used formulas in macroscale corona discharge cannot be directly applied to planar microelectrodes. Planar microelectrodes fabricated with Cu on Si substrates have larger discharge currents, higher breakdown voltages, and better resistance to breakdown strength than ITO ones on quartz substrates under nA-scale current, while ITO damaged microelectrodes because of breakdown can still discharge when accompanied by different discharge characteristics.
To investigate the diagnostic performance of Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) version 2017 for diagnosing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), by using major features only and combined ...major and ancillary features on computed tomography (CT).
A total of 147 HCC, 35 non-HCC malignancy, and 37 benign lesions in 205 patients at high risk of HCC were evaluated retrospectively, and the diagnostic performance of LI-RADS for diagnosing HCC were compared between using major features only and adopting major and ancillary features in combination.
When using LR-5 as a predictor for diagnosing HCC, the diagnostic specificity (90.3% versus 91.7%), positive predictive value (92.3% versus 93.3%), and accuracy (68% versus 68.8%) were increased based on major and ancillary features in combination than just using major features on CT. When using LR-4/5 as a predictor for diagnosing HCC, the diagnostic sensitivity (78.9% versus 85.7%), negative predictive value (64.4% versus 72%), and accuracy (78.5% versus 82.2%) were increased while preserving a high specificity (77.8% versus 75%), according to major and ancillary features in combination rather than just using major features on CT. The LI-RADS categories of 8.7% (19/219) lesions were adjusted by adding the ancillary features on CT.
Adding the ancillary features visible on CT can improve the diagnostic performance of the LI-RADS v2017 algorithm for diagnosing HCC, especially for LR-3 lesions.
•Adding ancillary features on CT can improve the diagnostic performance of HCC.•Mosaic architecture is the most frequent ancillary feature for HCC on CT.•Nonenhancing capsule is the second frequent ancillary feature for HCC on CT.•8.7% lesions adjusted LI-RADS categories by adding the ancillary features on CT.
The prospect for spatial imaging with mass spectroscopy at the level of the cell requires new means of cell extraction to conserve molecular structure. To this aim, we demonstrate a new laser ...extraction process capable of extracting intact biological entities with conserved biological function. The method is based on the recently developed picosecond infrared laser (PIRL), designed specifically to provide matrix-free extraction by selectively exciting the water vibrational modes under the condition of ultrafast desorption by impulsive vibrational excitation (DIVE). The basic concept is to extract the constituent protein structures on the fastest impulsive limit for ablation to avoid excessive thermal heating of the proteins and to use strongly resonant 1-photon conditions to avoid multiphoton ionization and degradation of the sample integrity. With various microscope imaging and biochemical analysis methods, nanoscale single protein molecules, viruses, and cells in the ablation plume are found to be morphologically and functionally identical with their corresponding controls. This method provides a new means to resolve chemical activity within cells and is amenable to subcellular imaging with near-field approaches. The most important finding is the conserved nature of the extracted biological material within the laser ablation plume, which is fully consistent with in vivo structures and characteristics.
Because physical form and function are intimately linked, mechanisms that maintain cell shape and size within strict limits are likely to be important for a wide variety of biological processes. ...However, while intrinsic controls have been found to contribute to the relatively well-defined shape of bacteria and yeast cells, the extent to which individual cells from a multicellular animal control their plastic form remains unclear. Here, using micropatterned lines to limit cell extension to one dimension, we show that cells spread to a characteristic steady-state length that is independent of cell size, pattern width, and cortical actin. Instead, homeostatic length control on lines depends on a population of dynamic microtubules that lead during cell extension, and that are aligned along the long cell axis as the result of interactions of microtubule plus ends with the lateral cell cortex. Similarly, during the development of the zebrafish neural tube, elongated neuroepithelial cells maintain a relatively well-defined length that is independent of cell size but dependent upon oriented microtubules. A simple, quantitative model of cellular extension driven by microtubules recapitulates cell elongation on lines, the steady-state distribution of microtubules, and cell length homeostasis, and predicts the effects of microtubule inhibitors on cell length. Together this experimental and theoretical analysis suggests that microtubule dynamics impose unexpected limits on cell geometry that enable cells to regulate their length. Since cells are the building blocks and architects of tissue morphogenesis, such intrinsically defined limits may be important for development and homeostasis in multicellular organisms.
Summary
T cells play a pivotal role in controlling viral infection; however, the precise mechanisms responsible for regulating T‐cell differentiation and function during infections are incompletely ...understood. In this study, we demonstrated an expansion of myeloid‐derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), in particular the monocytic MDSCs (M‐MDSCs; CD14+ CD33+ CD11b+ HLA‐DR−/low), in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Notably, HCV‐induced M‐MDSCs express high levels of phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (pSTAT3) and interleukin‐10 (IL‐10) compared with healthy subjects. Blocking STAT3 signalling reduced HCV‐mediated M‐MDSC expansion and decreased IL‐10 expression. Importantly, we observed a significant increase in the numbers of CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells following incubation of healthy peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with MDSCs derived from HCV‐infected patients or treated with HCV core protein. In addition, depletion of MDSCs from PBMCs led to a significant reduction of Foxp3+ Treg cells developed during chronic HCV infection. Moreover, depletion of MDSCs from PBMCs significantly increased interferon‐γ production by CD4+ T effector (Teff) cells derived from HCV patients. These results suggest that HCV‐induced MDSCs promote Treg cell development and inhibit Teff cell function, suggesting a novel mechanism for T‐cell regulation and a new strategy for immunotherapy against human viral diseases.
In this study, we demonstrated: i) an expansion of M‐MDSCs in patients with chronic HCV infection; ii) HCV‐induced M‐MDSCs express high levels of pSTAT3 and IL‐10 compared to healthy subjects; iii) HCV‐induced MDSCs promote Treg cell development and inhibit Teff cell function.
Tobacco transcription factor WRKY4 is a modulator of leaf development and disease resistance Ren, X.J.,China Agricultural Univ., Beijing (China). Coll. of Agriculture and Biotechnology; Huang, W.D.,China Agricultural Univ., Beijing (China). Coll. of Agriculture and Biotechnology; Li, W.Z.,Yunnan Tobacco Science Academy, Yuxi (China). Inst. of Tobacco Agricultural Research ...
Biologia plantarum,
12/2010, Letnik:
54, Številka:
4
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
The role of tobacco transcription factor WRKY4 in leaf development and biotic stress tolerance was studied using RNAi suppressed transgenic plants. The leaves were more numerous and wider in NtWRKY4 ...RNAi suppressed transgenic lines compared to the vector control, while the levels of miRNA166 and miRNA396 were reduced in suppressed lines. NtWRKY4 expression was markedly induced in response to salicylic acid (SA), but not to abiotic stresses. When infected by tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), the leaves of the transgenic plants were more twisted and displayed a more obvious mosaic pattern compared to those of vector-transgenic plants. Less TMV viral RNA accumulated in vector-transformed plants than in transgenic plants. The results indicate that NtWRKY4 is involved in leaf morphogenesis and antiviral defense, which is seldom seen in WRKY family members.
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