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Redox potential plays a key role in regulating intracellular signaling pathways, with its quantitative analysis in individual cells benefiting our understanding of the underlying mechanism in the pathophysiological events. Here, a metal organic framework (MOF)-functionalized SERS nanopotentiometer has been developed for the dynamic monitoring of intracellular redox potential. The approach is based on the encapsulation of zirconium-based MOF (Uio-66-F4) on a surface of gold–silver nanorods (Au–Ag NRs) that is modified with the newly synthesized redox-sensitive probe ortho-mercaptohydroquinone (HQ). Thanks to size exclusion of MOF as the chemical protector, the nanopotentiometer can be adapted to long-term use and possess high anti-interference ability toward nonredox species. Combining the superior fingerprint identification of SERS with the electrochemical activity of the quinone/hydroquinone, the nanopotentiometer shows a reversible redox responsivity and can quantify redox potential with a relatively wide range of −250–100 mV. Furthermore, the nanopotentiometer allows for dynamic visualization of intracellular redox potential changes induced by drugs’ stimulation in a high-resolution manner. The developed approach would be promising for offering new insights into the correlation between redox potential and tumor proliferation-involved processes such as oxidative stress and hypoxia.

The application of a male-sterile line is an ideal approach for hybrid seed production in non-heading Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapassp. chinensis). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying male sterility in B. rapaare still largely unclear. We previously obtained the natural male sterile line WS24-3 of non-heading Chinese cabbage and located the male sterile locus, Bra2Ms, on the A2 chromosome. Cytological observations revealed that the male sterility of WS24-3 resulted from disruption of the meiosis process during pollen formation. Fine mapping of Bra2Msdelimited the locus within a physical distance of about 129 kb on the A2 chromosome of B. rapa. The Bra039753gene encodes a plant homeodomain (PHD)-finger protein and is considered a potential candidate gene for Bra2Ms. Bra039753was significantly downregulated in sterile line WS24-3 compared to the fertile line at the meiotic anther stage. Sequence analysis of Bra039753identified a 369 bp fragment insertion in the first exon in male sterile plants, which led to an amino acid insertion in the Bra039753 protein. In addition, the 369 bp fragment insertion was found to cosegregate with the male sterility trait. This study identified a novel locus related to male sterility in non-heading Chinese cabbage, and the molecular marker obtained in this study will be beneficial for the marker-assisted selection of excellent sterile lines in non-heading Chinese cabbage and other Brassicacrops.

The dense extracellular matrix and high interstitial pressure within tumors hinder nanoparticle penetration, reducing therapeutic efficacy. To address this, we engineered a dual-driven nanomotor based on a diselenide metal-organic framework (MOF) using a layer-by-layer assembly process for multimodal synergistic tumor therapy. Diselenide-containing imidazole derivatives coordinated with Zn2+form the MOF, sequentially encapsulating near-infrared-II (NIR-II) photothermal-responsive gold nanorods (AuRods), Mn2CO10(MnCO), and glucose oxidase (GOD). The nanoparticle surface was functionalized with 4T1 cancer cell membranes (DSACGM NPs), guiding it to drive toward the tumor site. The photothermal effect of AuRods and CO release drives nanomotor propulsion, enhancing tumor tissue penetration. GOD catalyzes glucose (Glu) oxidation, inducing tumor starvation, while the resulting H2O2triggers CO release, suppressing heat shock protein (HSP) expression and enhancing mild photothermal therapy (PTT). The release of CO and the Mn2+-triggered Fenton-like reaction from MnCO increased intracellular ROS levels, while diselenide depletion of glutathione (GSH) amplified chemodynamic therapy (CDT). In vitroand in vivoexperiments show that DSACGM NPs induce cancer cell apoptosis under NIR-II irradiation and efficiently ablate tumors in mice at sub-hyperthermic temperatures (<45°C) with excellent biocompatibility. This study provides valuable insights into nano-medicine design and its potential in advanced tumor therapies.

Macrocyclic peptides are an important class of therapeutic agents for the biological targets that are difficult to modulate by small-molecule compounds. Meanwhile, DNA-encoded library technology (DELT) provides a powerful platform for hits discovery. The unity of both fields has proven highly productive in finding cyclic peptide hits against diverse pharmaceutical proteins. Many researchers have extended the chemical toolbox for constructing head-to-tail macrocyclic DNA-encoded libraries with various ring sizes. However, the linear peptides of different lengths necessitate tuning the distance between closing sites and DNA-linked sites to perform the macrocyclization process, presumably due to the constrained conformation of linear precursors. To tackle this issue and streamline the synthetic workflow, we report a two-directional synthesis strategy. This method starts from a trifunctional reagent and prepares DNA-linked macrocyclic peptides of ring size between 15 (5-mer) and 24 (8-mer) via amide bond formation reaction, a common method to create macrocyclic peptides.

Generally, a high quality surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrate often requires a highly-tailorable electromagnetic (EM) field generated at nanoparticle (NP) surfaces by the regulation of the morphologies, components and roughness of NPs. However, most recent universal approaches are restricted to single components, and integrating these key factors into one system to achieve the theoretically maximum signal amplification is still challenging. Herein, we design a triple SERS signal amplification platform by the coordination of spiky Au NPs with rich-tip nanostructures, controllable silver nanoshell, as well as tailorable surface roughness into one nano-system. As a result, the theoretical electromagnetic field of the interfacial self-assembled 2D substrate can be improved by nearly 5 orders of magnitude, and the ideal tracing capability for the model SERS molecule can be achieved at levels of 5 × 10−11M. Finally, diverse analytes in pesticide residues, environmental pollutants as well as medically diagnose down to 10−11M and can be fingerprinted by the proposed SERS nano-platform. Our integrated triple amplification platform not only provides an effective SERS sensing strategy, but also makes it possible to simultaneously achieve high sensitivity, stability as well as universality into one plasmonic-based SERS sensing system.

The noble metal nanoparticle has been widely utilized as a plasmonic unit to enhance biosensors, by leveraging its electric and/or optical properties. Integrated with the “flexible” feature, it further enables opportunities in developing healthcare products in a conformal and adaptive fashion, such as wrist pulse tracers, body temperature trackers, blood glucose monitors, etc. In this work, we present a holistic review of the recent advance of flexible plasmonic biosensors for the healthcare sector. The technical spectrum broadly covers the design and selection of a flexible substrate, the process to integrate flexible and plasmonic units, the exploration of different types of flexible plasmonic biosensors to monitor human temperature, blood glucose, ions, gas, and motion indicators, as well as their applications for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and colorimetric detections. Their fundamental working principles and structural innovations are scoped and summarized. The challenges and prospects are articulated regarding the critical importance for continued progress of flexible plasmonic biosensors to improve living quality.

ABSTRACTLong noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play vital roles in the progression of hypertrophic scar (HS). We aimed to explore the effect of lncRNA INHBA Antisense RNA1 (INHBA-AS1) in the formation of HS and identify the potential mechanisms. INHBA-AS1 and microRNA (miR)-141-3p expression in human HS fibroblasts (hHSFs) was determined using RT-qPCR. LncBase online database predicted that miR-141-3p could be a putative target of INHBA-AS1, and the interaction of them was verified by luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay. Subsequently, following INHBA-AS1 silencing, cell proliferation and migration were evaluated using CCK-8, wound healing and Transwell assays. And rescue experiments were conducted to analyze the impact of INHBA-AS1 and miR-141-3p on HS formation. Immunofluorescence assay was employed to examine the expression of extracellular matrix (ECM)-related proteins. Then, StarBase database predicated that myeloid cell leukemia 1 (MCL1) was a potential target of miR-141-3p, which was verified with luciferase reporter- and RIP assays. Finally, cell function and ECM deposition were determined after MCL1-downregulation. INHBA-AS1 was significantly elevated while miR-141-3p was notably reduced in hHSFs. And it was confirmed that miR-141-3p was directly targeted by INHBA-AS1. Moreover, INHBA-AS1 silencing markedly attenuated the proliferation, migration and ECM accumulation of hHSFs, which were restored after miR-141-3p silencing. Additionally, MCL1 was confirmed as a direct target of miR-141-3p, and MCL1-knockdown remarkably alleviated the proliferation, migration and ECM accumulation of hHSFs. INHBA-AS1-knockdown suppresses the formation of HS by regulating miR-141-3p/MCL1 pathway, suggesting a promising therapeutic target for HS treatment.

The self-assembled gold nanoparticle (NP) superlattice displays unusual but distinctive features such as high mechanical and free-standing performance, electrical conductivity, and plasmonic properties, which are widely employed in various applications especially in biological diagnostics and optoelectronic devices. For a two-dimensional (2D) superlattice monolayer film composed of a given metal nanostructure, it is rather challenging to tune either its plasmonic properties or its optical properties in a reversible way, and it has not been reported. It is therefore of significant value to construct a free-standing 2D superlattice monolayer film of gold nanoparticles with an intelligent response and desired functions. Herein, we developed an easy and efficient approach to construct a gold nanoparticle superlattice film with a dual-responsive plasmonic switch. In this system, gold nanoparticles were coated by polyaniline (PANI) and then interracially self-assembled into a monolayer film at the air–liquid interface. The PANI shell plays two important roles in the superlattice monolayer film. First, the PANI shell acts as a physical spacer to provide a steric hindrance to counteract the van der Waals (vdW) attraction between densely packed nanoparticles (NPs), resulting in the formation of a superlattice by adjusting the thickness of the PANI shell. Second, the PANI shells provide the superlattice film with multiple stimuli such as electrical potential and pH change, leading to reversible optical and plasmonic responsiveness. The superlattice monolayer film can show a vivid color change from olive green to pink, or from olive green to violet by the change of the corresponding stimuli. Also, the localized surface plasmonic resonance (LSPR) of the superlattice monolayer film can be reversibly modulated by both by changing the local pH and applying an electric potential. Notably, a significant plasmonic shift of 157 nm can be achieved in the superlattice monolayer film when the PANI shell with a thickness of 35 nm and gold nanorods as a core were used. The superlattice monolayer film with dual-responsive plasmonic switches is promising for a range of potential applications in optoelectronic devices, plasmonic and colorimetric sensors, and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS).

Large scaled two-dimensional free-standing monolayer films of gold nanoparticles show distinctive optical, electrical, and chem-physical propertie making them a new class of advanced plasmonic materials differing from bulk materials and individual nanoparticles in solution. The conventional 2D gold nanoparticle films usually possess symmetric structures and identical properties of gold nanoparticles on both sides. Herein, we developed an easy and efficient approach to construct a new type of free-standing 2D gold nanoparticle monolayer film with asymmetric gold nanoparticle structures and functions, called a 2D Janus gold nanoparticle film. The remarkable feature of our method is the subsequent asymmetric growth on one side of the interfacial self-assembled gold nanoparticle monolayer film at the air–liquid interface. It is very easy to control the morphology of the Janus film by simply and precisely adjusting the size and shape of the gold nanoparticles on the top side, and selectively tuning the structure and composition on the bottom side of the film by growing gold nanoparticles or other noble metals such as Ag, Pt, and Pd. Unlike the conventionally prepared Janus films at solid substrate that require long-time etching and transfer procedures, other features of our method include the short time in which the interfacial self-assembly and the subsequent asymmetric growth are completed as well as the easily transferable property of the Janus film onto different substrates, such as quartz glass sheets, silicon wafers, and PDMS. The obtained Janus gold nanoparticle film shows asymmetric wettabilities, optical properties, and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) effects, which is promising for a range of potential applications in optical devices, sensors, and asymmetric catalysis.

Searching for new green phosphors featured with a narrow band, small Stokes-shift, high thermal stability, and decent chemical resistance is critical for white light emitting diodes (LEDs) in liquid-crystal displays (LCDs). For the first time, we introduce a uranyl (UO22+) compound with inherently bright green emission as the activator for fabricating high-performance phosphor-converted LEDs. UO22+was successfully incorporated into a dense, rigid, UV-transparent, and photoluminescent borate framework (Na[(UO2)B6O10(OH)]·2H2O (NaUBO-4)) exhibiting surprisingly high internal and external quantum efficiencies (close to 100% and 92% for excitation at 260 nm, respectively), low thermal quenching (96% of the initial emission intensity can be maintained at 120 °C), and high luminous stability after long-term exposure to moisture and UV radiation. Furthermore, the vibronically coupled emission from UO22+with relatively narrow emission bands leading to a wide color range of 95% of the National Television System Committee (NTSC) standard for a white LED device, fabricated by a InGaN blue chip, green-emitting NaUBO-4, and a commercially available red-emitting phosphor KSM:Mn4+. These results make depleted uranium extremely attractive for potential applications as backlight units in wide-color-gamut LCDs.

Gold–silver (Au@Ag) core–shell nanostructures have a stronger surface plasma response, wider absorption and scattering in the UV–vis–NIR region, and distinctive optical properties, which are widely explored in biosensors, information processing, photothermal therapy, and catalysis. Core–shell nanostructures are usually formed by the deposition of the second metal atoms onto the first core metal particles via the chemical wet method. The conventional approaches for the manipulation of the shape usually were done by homogeneous growth or etching of isotropic nanoparticles. Through in situ modification of the first metal core at the different locations, the different growth model of the second metal can be regulated to control the shapes of core–shell structures. Herein, we modified the gold nanorods (AuNRs) asymmetrically at the end and side parts using thiolated molecules to regulate the morphology of gold nanorod@silver (AuNR@Ag) core–shell nanoparticles. Interestingly, the obvious eccentric nanostructures of AuNR@Ag core–shell nanoparticles were obtained with the increase of the molecular weight of macromolecules modified at the end of AuNRs. Therefore the growth mode was adjusted from Frank–van der Merwe mode to Stranski–Krastanow mode. By changing the length of the hydrocarbon chain and functional groups of the small mercaptan molecules at the side of AuNRs, the silver shell exhibits selective growth at the side of the AuNRs, resulting in heterogeneous core–shell nanoparticles and various shapes of the AuNR@Ag core–shell. Our method opens up a new avenue toward preparing core–shell nanostructures with controlled shapes, and the obtained structures are promising in various applications.

Well-designed 2D materials with ultrathin structures show great potential for humidity-sensing performance owing to their high surface-volume ratio and a great number of exposed atoms on the surface. However, some sensing elements employed for healthcare applications may be considered as potentially risky, such as inflammation, granuloma formation, and carcinogenesis. Herein, we explored biofriendly humidity-sensing characteristics inspired by the great biocompatibility and conductivity of hyperbranched polyethyleneimine-capped gold nanoparticles and cross-linked with polydopamine from the adhesive proteins in mussels. It was successfully employed into two kinds of wearable devices, sports watches and breathing masks, for real-time recording humidity’s fluctuation in expiration and sweat with changes of individual’s crying, laughing, nervous, sleeping, training, and cold states. The wearable devices allow us to monitor individual’s physical activities and emotional states well, suggesting a promising prospect in safe, reusable, long term, and noncontact human health monitoring applications.

Full-spectrum phosphor-converted white-light-emitting diodes (pc-WLED) are emerging as a mainstream technology in semiconductor lighting. Nevertheless, high-performance blue phosphor which can be excited efficiently by a 400 nm NUV diode chip is still lacking. Herein, we present a blue-emitting Na3KMg7(PO4)6:Eu2+phosphor synthesized by the solid-reaction method. Particularly, we find that the using of Li2CO3as flux can significantly improve the crystal quality and thus the emission efficiency of the phosphor. Meanwhile, the excitation peak of the phosphor shifts from 365 to 400 nm, which is pivotal for efficient NUV (400 nm) diode chip excitation. The practical Eu2+concentration is also enhanced by using Li2CO3as flux, and the absorption efficiency is greatly increased. This phosphor exhibits superior PL thermal stability, namely retains 94% integrated photoluminescence intensity at 150 °C of that at 25 °C. As a result, the optimized phosphor shows an emission band peaked at 437 nm with a bandwidth of 40 nm and a high external photoluminescence quantum yield of 51.7%. Finally, a pc-WLED was fabricated by using NKMPO:Eu2+blue, Sr2SiO4:Eu2+green, CaAlSiN3:Eu2+red phosphors, and a 400 nm NUV diode chip. It shows a high color rendering index of Ra = 96.4 and a correlated color temperature of 4358 K. These results prove that NKMPO:Eu2+is a promising blue phosphor for full-spectrum WLED based on NUV diode chips.

Traditional analytical methods of thorium contamination suffer from several disadvantages such as time-consuming procedures and an equipment-intensive nature, leading to substantial challenges in rapid and on-site monitoring of thorium concentrations in complex natural water systems. We report here the first case of a luminescent metal organic framework based probe (ThP-1) for highly sensitive and selective self-calibrated sensing of Th4+contamination in natural fresh water media with a notably facilitated detection procedure. The detection limit of ThP-1was determined to be 24.2 μg/L, much lower than the thorium contamination standard of 246 μg/L in drinking water defined by the World Health Organization. Importantly, the detection procedure based on the rarely reported self-calibration manner is greatly beneficial in improving the detection accuracy. The self-calibrated luminescence evolution process shows a great anti-interference ability capable of detecting thorium contamination in a wide concentration range from 24.2 μg/L to 300 mg/L, which can not be achieved directly by the traditional methods. The Th4+-selective luminescence response originates from the selective uptake and efficient enrichment of Th4+by the host framework of ThP-1through inner-sphere coordination, which is further confirmed by batch experiments, X-ray absorption spectroscopic study, and DFT calculations.

A new potential oxidation process is provided by CuFe2O4/hydroxylamine (HA) system for degradation of antibiotics in water. The CuFe2O4/HA system can generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) for the degradation of sulfamethoxazole (SMX). The addition of radical scavengers, including benzoquinone (BQ) and catalase (CAT), inhibited the oxidation of SMX in CuFe2O4/HA system. Electron transfer in the CuFe2O4/HA system played a key function for the generation of ROS and the degradation of SMX. The main ROS, was the superoxide radical (O2•–) mainly generated from adsorbed oxygen (O2(A)), which came from the oxidation of the lattice oxygen (O2–(L)) in CuFe2O4. The CuFe2O4/HA system was effectively applicable for a broad pH range (approximately 5–10). In addition, the activation mechanism for CuFe2O4/HA system was studied with the target contaminant SMX. Finally, the degradation pathways of SMX were proposed under the optimal conditions in CuFe2O4/HA system.

Two-dimensional (2D) gold nanoparticle (Au NP) monolayer film possesses a lot of fascinating peculiarities, and has shown promising applications in photoelectrical devices, catalysis, spectroscopy, sensors, and anticounterfeiting. Because of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) property predetermined by the natural structure of metal nanoparticles, it is usually difficult to realize the reversible LSPR transition of 2D film. In this work, we report on the fabrication of a large-area free-standing Au NP monolayer film with dual-responsive switchable plasmonic property using a pH- or thermal-responsive dendronized copolymer as a stimuli-sensitive linker. In this system, an oligoethylene-glycol-based (OEG-based) dendronized copolymer (named PG1A) with pH or temperature sensitivity was first modified onto the surface of a Au NP. Then, polyethylene glycol dibenzyl aldehyde (PEG-DA) was introduced to interact with the amino moieties from PG1A before the process of oil–water interfacial self-assembly of NPs, resulting in an elastic, robust, pH- or temperature-sensitive interpenetrating network among Au NPs in monolayer films. In addition, the film could exhibit reversibly plasmonic shifts of about 77 nm and inherent color changes through varying temperature or pH. The obtained free-standing monolayer film also shows an excellent transferable property, which can be easily transferred onto substrates such as plastic molds, PDMS, copper grids, and silicon wafers. In virtue of these peculiarities of the free-standing property, special plasmonic signal, and homologous macroscopic color, the transferred film was primely applied to an anticounterfeiting security label with clear color change at the designed spots, providing a new avenue to plasmonic nanodevices with various applications.

Fluoroalkylated quinoxlines with various groups were efficiently synthesized via a one-pot tandem Michael addition/azidation/cycloamination process. Under the mild and metal-free conditions, a bis-imine intermediate (4a) was detected and isolated for the first time. KI played a crucial role in this reaction. The mechanism was described.

Although the construction of superwettability materials for oil/water separation has been developed rapidly, the postprocess of the used separation materials themselves is still a thorny problem due to their nondegradation in the natural environment. In this work, we reported the functionalization of polylactic acid (PLA) nonwoven fabric as superoleophilic and superhydrophobic material for efficient treatment of oily wastewater with eco-friendly post-treatment due to the well-known biodegradable nature of PLA matrix.

Cyclin D1 is an important regulator of the cell cycle and overexpression of this protein by immunohistochemistry is characteristically seen in mantle cell lymphoma and other B-cell neoplasms. However, little is known about the expression of this protein in T-cell lymphomas. Cyclin-dependent kinase pathway inhibitors are in development, therefore identifying cyclin D1-positive T-cell lymphomas may provide a therapeutic target in a disease where novel treatments are urgently needed. We collected 200 peripheral T-cell lymphomas from three institutions including the following types of cases: 34 anaplastic large cell lymphoma, ALK+, 44 anaplastic large cell lymphoma, ALK negative, 68 peripheral T-cell lymphomas, not otherwise specified, 24 angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphomas, 7 extranodal NK/T-cell lymphomas, 4 enteropathy associated T-cell lymphomas, 3 hepatosplenic T-cell lymphomas, 12 cutaneous T-cell lymphomas, and 4 large granular lymphocytic leukemias. Immunohistochemical stains for cyclin D1 protein (SP4 clone) were performed on paraffin-embedded tissue. In a subset of cases, IGH/CCND1 fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis was also performed. Cyclin D1 staining was predominantly seen in anaplastic large cell lymphoma, including 8 of 34 cases with ALK+ anaplastic large cell lymphoma (24%), and 3 of 44 cases of ALK-negative (7%) anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Three cases of peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified, were also positive (3/68, 4%). All other T-cell lymphomas were negative for cyclin D1. In four of the cyclin D1-positive T-cell lymphomas by immunohistochemistry, fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis was negative for IGH/CCND1 translocation or extra copies of the CCND1 gene. Cyclin D1 overexpression by immunohistochemistry is not limited to B-cell lymphomas and is also observed in some peripheral T-cell lymphomas, particularly in anaplastic large cell lymphoma, ALK+. Cyclin D1 expression was not associated with extra copies or translocation of the CCND1 gene. Cyclin D1 overexpression may be the result of a post-translational phenomenon and may represent a potential therapeutic target using agents that target the cyclin-dependent kinase pathway.

Cyclin D1 is an important regulator of the cell cycle and overexpression of this protein by immunohistochemistry is characteristically seen in mantle cell lymphoma and other B-cell neoplasms. However, little is known about the expression of this protein in T-cell lymphomas. Cyclin-dependent kinase pathway inhibitors are in development, therefore identifying cyclin D1-positive T-cell lymphomas may provide a therapeutic target in a disease where novel treatments are urgently needed. We collected 200 peripheral T-cell lymphomas from three institutions including the following types of cases: 34 anaplastic large cell lymphoma, ALK+, 44 anaplastic large cell lymphoma, ALK negative, 68 peripheral T-cell lymphomas, not otherwise specified, 24 angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphomas, 7 extranodal NK/T-cell lymphomas, 4 enteropathy associated T-cell lymphomas, 3 hepatosplenic T-cell lymphomas, 12 cutaneous T-cell lymphomas, and 4 large granular lymphocytic leukemias. Immunohistochemical stains for cyclin D1 protein (SP4 clone) were performed on paraffin-embedded tissue. In a subset of cases, IGH/CCND1fluorescence in situhybridization analysis was also performed. Cyclin D1 staining was predominantly seen in anaplastic large cell lymphoma, including 8 of 34 cases with ALK+ anaplastic large cell lymphoma (24%), and 3 of 44 cases of ALK-negative (7%) anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Three cases of peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified, were also positive (3/68, 4%). All other T-cell lymphomas were negative for cyclin D1. In four of the cyclin D1-positive T-cell lymphomas by immunohistochemistry, fluorescence in situhybridization analysis was negative for IGH/CCND1translocation or extra copies of the CCND1gene. Cyclin D1 overexpression by immunohistochemistry is not limited to B-cell lymphomas and is also observed in some peripheral T-cell lymphomas, particularly in anaplastic large cell lymphoma, ALK+. Cyclin D1 expression was not associated with extra copies or translocation of the CCND1gene. Cyclin D1 overexpression may be the result of a post-translational phenomenon and may represent a potential therapeutic target using agents that target the cyclin-dependent kinase pathway.

We present the uniform and high-yield synthesis of a novel gold nanostructure of compass shape composed of a Au sphere at the central and two gradually thinning conical tips at the opposed poles. The Au compass shapes were synthesized through a seed-mediated growth approach employing a binary mixture of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and sodium oleate (NaOL) as the structure-directing agents. Under the condition of single surfactant (CTAB), the spherical seeds tend to grow into larger spherical Au nanoparticles (NPs); while the spherical seeds favor the formation of Au compass shaped NPs using two mixed surfactants (CTAB/NaOL). The reaction kinetics clearly shows a growth mechanism of Au compass shaped NPs. Interestingly, due to their anisotropic structure, Au compass shaped NPs show two distinctive plasmonic resonances, similar to those from Au nanorods. Particularly, the longitudinal surface plasmon resonances of Au compass shaped NPs exhibit a broadly tunable range from 600 to 865 nm. In addition, the obtained Au compass shaped NPs can be self-assembled into a two-dimensional monolayer with closely packed and highly aligned NPs, which results in periodic arrays of overlapped Au tips, generating hot spots for high-performance surface-enhanced Raman scattering.

Nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) codoped reduced graphene oxide (N,S-rGO) was synthesized through a facile solvothermal process. The introduction of N and S heteroatoms into GO effectively activated the sp2-hybridized carbon lattice and made the material an ideal electron/energy acceptor. Such unique properties enable this material to perform as a general platform for rapid and sensitive detection of various biological species through simple fluorescence quenching and recovering. When quantum dot (QD)-labeled HBV (human being disease-related gene hepatitis B virus DNA) and HIV (human being disease-related gene human immunodeficiency virus DNA) molecular beacon probes were mixed with N,S-rGO, QD fluorescence was quenched; when target HBV and HIV DNA were added, QD fluorescence was recovered. By the recovered fluorescence intensity, the target virus DNA detection limits were reduced to 2.4 nM for HBV and 3.0 nM for HIV with detection time of less than 5 min. It must be stressed out that different viruses in the same homogeneous aqueous media could be discriminated and quantified simultaneously through choosing diverse QD probes with different colors. Moreover, even one mismatched target DNA could be distinguished using this method. When altering the molecular beacon loop domain to protein aptamers, this sensing strategy was also able to detect thrombin and IgE in 5 min with detection limits of 0.17 ng mL–1and 0.19 ng mL–1, respectively, which was far more rapid and sensitive than bare GO-based fluorescence detection strategy.

Recent decades have witnessed a major development in broadband near-infrared (NIR)-emitting phosphors because of their potential applications in real-time nondestructive examination. These applications require the emission spectra of phosphors to be as broad as possible for efficient performance. Therefore, a blue-light excited LiInF4: Cr3+phosphor with a NIR emission covering 700–1400 nm is successfully synthesized. Under 470 nm excitation, it shows broadband emission peaked at 980 nm with the full-width at half maximum of 210 nm. The structure and crystal field environment are investigated in detail, and the LiInF4: Cr3+possesses a weak crystal field strength and strong electron–phonon coupling. An efficient NIR phosphor-converted light-emitting diode (pc-LED) is fabricated by the prepared LiInF4: Cr3+phosphor and commercial blue diode chip, generating a NIR radiant flux of 5.54 mW at 150 mA drive current. Finally, the NIR pc-LED is successfully applied to identify the blood vessel distribution of the hand. This work suggests the potential of LiInF4: Cr3+phosphor in applications.

In this paper, fluorescent graphene quantum dots (GQDs) grafted onto the surface of mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN) vehicles were prepared and characterized. The as-prepared graphene quantum dot-decorated mesoporous silica nanoparticles (GQD-MSNs) exhibited excellent luminescence properties in vitro. Interestingly, compared to pure MSNs, the specific surface area and pore volume of GQD-MSNs increased by 59.1% and 48.9%, respectively. These optimized features granted GQD-MSNs a high aspirin loading capacity, which was twice as much as that of pure MSN. Moreover, most of the aspirin encapsulated (95.15%) could be released from the surface of GQD-MSNs under acidic conditions (pH 2.5) within 33 h.

A new proline derivative of (S)-5-prolylamide-triazole was synthesized and evaluated as an organocatalyst for the direct asymmetric aldol reaction of acetone with aromatic aldehydes under no extra solvent. At room temperature and in the absence of extra solvent, 15 mol catalyst efficiently catalyzed the direct asymmetric aldol reactions to give aldol adducts, with modest enantiomeric excess (ee) of up to 74. The titled reactions can be carried out in an environmentally friendly manner of no extra solvent and less catalyst loading.

Aim To guide clinicians in selecting treatment options for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), it is desirable to have reliable markers predicting clinical outcome. This study analyzed the correlation between signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and cyclin D1 in NSCLC and their association with clinicopathological features and survival.Methods We investigated 65 specimens of NSCLC tissues by immunohistochemistry using STAT3 and cyclin D1 antibodies. First we determined the correlation between STAT3 and cyclin D1 expression and the clinicopathological features of the tumor. Then we assessed the prognostic relevance of STAT3 and cyclin D1.Results A significant correlation was found between high levels of STAT3 expression and the degree of tumor differentiation. Additionally, a significant positive correlation was found between the expression of STAT3 and cyclin D1 (r=0.405, p=0.001). The overexpression of STAT3 and the presence of metastasis were significantly associated with shorter overall survival in univariate analysis (p=0.028 and p=0.036, respectively). Multivariate analysis confirmed that STAT3 expression was an independent prognostic factor (p=0.001).Conclusions STAT3 might be correlated with tumor differentiation, and its elevated expression may be an adverse prognostic indicator for patients with NSCLC. Activation of the STAT3/cyclin D1 signaling pathway may be attributed to the malignant transformation of NSCLC and may represent a possible target for therapy.

RNA silencing is a conserved eukaryotic pathway involved in the suppression of gene expression via sequence-specific interactions that are mediated by 21-23 nt RNA molecules. During infection, RNAi can act as an innate immune system to defend against viruses. As a counter-defensive strategy, silencing suppressors are encoded by viruses to inhibit various stages of the silencing process. These suppressors are diverse in sequence and structure and act via different mechanisms. In this review, we discuss whether RNAi is a defensive strategy in mammalian host cells and whether silencing suppressors can be encoded by mammalian viruses. We also review the modes of action proposed for some silencing suppressors.

To assess the influence of depressive symptoms on adherence with heart failure medications and to determine whether the effect of a pharmacy-based intervention to improve heart failure medication adherence is modified by depressive symptoms.

This review highlights some of the recent progress that has been made in our laboratory and others in the field of trifluoromethylated (CF3) heterocyclic compounds starting from CF3-containing building blocks. Under mild reaction conditions, ethyl 4,4,4-trifluoroacetoacetate and its derivatives reacted with various organic reagents to produce CF3- containing N, O, S-heterocycles.

Background: Medication adherence is suboptimal, and clinicians and researchers struggle with identifying nonadherent patients. Various measures of medication adherence exist, but there is controversy regarding which measures provide acceptable data and how nonadherence should be defined.Objective: To assess agreement among patient self-report, pharmacy refill, and electronic adherence measures and compare the sensitivity and specificity of different cut-points for defining nonadherence.Methods: Data were analyzed from 2 similarly designed randomized controlled trials that assessed a pharmacist's intervention to improve medication adherence among patients with hypertension or heart failure. For each participant, adherence was measured by patient self-report, prescription refill records, and electronic lids on medication containers. Agreement among measures was assessed using Spearman's correlation coefficient rho. Correlation coefficients were compared by patient characteristics using Fisher's Z transformation, The sensitivity and specificity of different cut-points for defining nonadherence were calculated.Results: Median adherence was 84% for self-report, 86% for electronic, and 91% for prescription refill adherence measurement. Refill and electronic adherence demonstrated the best agreement among measures (rho = 0.48). Age, depression, and other comorbid conditions influenced agreement among measures. Measures were generally in agreement, regardless of how nonadherence was defined. A cut-point of 80% illustrated a fair balance between sensitivity and specificity for all measures.Conclusions: All measures provided similar estimates of overall adherence, although refill and electronic measures were in highest agreement. In selection of a measure, practitioners should consider population and disease characteristics, since measurement agreement could be influenced by these and other factors. The commonly used, clinically based cut-point of 80% had a reasonable balance between sensitivity and specificity in studies of adherence in patients with heart failure or hypertension.

•Multi-tube latent heat storage (MTLHS) unit using tree-shaped fins is designed.•Charging characteristic and melting behavior of various MTLHS units are studied.•Complete melting time of innovative MTLHS units decreases by 34.4∼80.2%.•Appropriate increase in heating temperature facilitates heat storage efficiency.

A series of AOT (aerosol-OT) analogue surfactants (sodium salt of dibutyl-2-sulfosuccinate, sodium salt of dipentyl-2-sulfosuccinate, sodium salt of dihexyl-2-sulfosuccinate, and sodium salt of dioctyl-2-sulfosuccinate) were synthesized and characterized by 1H NMR and elemental analysis. A static method coupled with gravimetric analysis is developed to measure the solubility of the surfactants in 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134a) and supercritical CO2(scCO2). The solubilities of the surfactants in HFC-134a and scCO2are affected by the temperature, pressure, and carbon atom number of the surfactant. The solubility of the same surfactant in HFC-134a solvent is approximately two times that in the most commonly used supercritical solvent CO2. The pressure-temperature phase diagrams for water/HFC-134a microemulsions stabilized by the surfactants were determined using cloud-point measurements for a concentration range of the surfactant from (1.85 × 10-3to 5.60 × 10-3) M, temperature up to 338 K, and pressure up to 40 MPa in a high-pressure vessel. At a fixed temperature, the cloud-point pressure increased with increasing water-to-surfactant molar ratio (Wo). At a fixed Wo, the cloud-point pressure decreased with increasing temperature. The surfactant with the longest hydrocarbon chain has the highest cloud-point pressure even at lower surfactant concentrations.

A series of sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT) analogue surfactants sodium dibutyl sulfosuccinate (DBSS), sodium dipentyl sulfosuccinate (DPSS), sodium dihexyl sulfosuccinate (DHSS), and sodium dioctyl sulfosuccinate (DOSS) were synthesized and characterized with 1H NMR and elemental analysis. The solubilities of surfactants in supercritical CO2(scCO2) and supercritical 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134a) fluids at a temperature range from (308 to 338) K and under pressures of (10 to 30) MPa were measured using a static method coupled with gravimetric analysis. The solubilities of these surfactants are much higher in HFC-134a fluid as compared with that in scCO2. The solubilities increased with increasing temperature and pressure for both scCO2and HFC-134a fluids. The solubilities in scCO2increased with increasing carbon atom number of surfactant, whereas they decreased with increasing carbon atom number of surfactant in HFC-134a. The density of scCO2was simulated with the Peng−Robinson (P-R) equation. The experimental data were used to validate the accuracy of the P-R equation.

A series of novel fluorinated analogues of sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT) surfactants, the sodium salt of bis(3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,6-nonafluoro-1-hexanol) sulfosuccinate (CF3(CF2)3CH2CH2OOCCH2CH(SO3Na)COOCH2CH2(CF2)3CF3, di-HCF5), the sodium salt of bis(2,2,3,4,4,4-hexafluoro-1-butanol) sulfosuccinate (CF3CFHCF2CH2OOCCH2CH(SO3Na)COOCH2CF2CFHCF3, di-HCF3), the sodium salt of bis(2,2,3,3- tetrafluoro-1-propanol) sulfosuccinate (HCF2CF2CH2OOCCH2CH(SO3Na)COOCH2CF2CF2H, di-HCF2), and the sodium salt of bis(2,2,3,3,3-pentafluoro-1-propanol) sulfosuccinate (CF3CF2CH2OOCCH2CH(SO3Na)COOCH2CF2CF3, di-CF2), were synthesized and characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, 19F NMR and FT-IR spectroscopy, melting point, and elemental analysis. The pressure–temperature phase behavior for water-in-CO2microemulsions stabilized by the four surfactants was tested and the P–Tdiagrams were determined. In the phase behavior experiments, pressures up to 35 MPa, temperatures up to 65 °C, and water-to-surfactant molar ratios (Wo) from 10 to 30 were tested. The cloud-point pressure in microemulsions stabilized by the four fluorinated surfactants increased with increasing temperature, and at a fixed temperature, the cloud-point pressure increased with increasing Wo. However, the cloud-point pressure was only slightly affected by an increase in the concentration of surfactant at a settled Wo. The phase behavior for water-in-CO2microemulsions at different Cd(NO3)2concentrations in the aqueous phase with the surfactant di-HCF5 was also determined, which is useful for the formation of CdS nanoparticles in our future studies.

CD1d-restricted Vα24-invariant natural killer T cells (iNKTs) are important in immunoregulation. CD4+and CD4-iNKTs develop with similar frequencies in murine thymus and depend on interleukin-15 (IL-15) in periphery. However, homeostatic requirements of iNKTs have not been analyzed in humans. We evaluated thymic production, peripheral dynamics, and functional maturation of human iNKTs. CD4+subset comprises 90% of iNKTs in mature thymocytes and cord blood (CB) but only 40% in adult blood. Using T-cell receptor excision circle (TREC) analysis, we directly measured in vivo replicative history of CD4+and CD4-iNKT cells. Compared to CD4+, CD4-iNKTs contain fewer TRECs, express higher levels of IL-2Rβ, and proliferate with higher rate in response to IL-15. In contrast, CD4+cells express higher levels of IL-7Rα and better respond to IL-7. Neither thymic nor CB iNKTs are able to produce cytokines unless they are induced to proliferate. Therefore, unlike in the mouse, human CD4+iNKTs are mainly supported by thymic output and limited peripheral expansion, whereas CD4-cells undergo extensive peripheral expansion, and both subsets develop their functions in periphery. These findings reveal important differences in homeostatic requirements and functional maturation between murine and human iNKTs that are to be considered for clinical purposes.

CD1d-restricted Vα24-invariant natural killer T cells (iNKTs) are important in immunoregulation. CD4+ and CD4- iNKTs develop with similar frequencies in murine thymus and depend on interleukin-15 (IL-15) in periphery. However, homeostatic requirements of iNKTs have not been analyzed in humans. We evaluated thymic production, peripheral dynamics, and functional maturation of human iNKTs. CD4+ subset comprises 90% of iNKTs in mature thymocytes and cord blood (CB) but only 40% in adult blood. Using T-cell receptor excision circle (TREC) analysis, we directly measured in vivo replicative history of CD4+ and CD4- iNKT cells. Compared to CD4+, CD4- iNKTs contain fewer TRECs, express higher levels of IL-2Rβ, and proliferate with higher rate in response to IL-15. In contrast, CD4+ cells express higher levels of IL-7Rα and better respond to IL-7. Neither thymic nor CB iNKTs are able to produce cytokines unless they are induced to proliferate. Therefore, unlike in the mouse, human CD4+ iNKTs are mainly supported by thymic output and limited peripheral expansion, whereas CD4- cells undergo extensive peripheral expansion, and both subsets develop their functions in periphery. These findings reveal important differences in homeostatic requirements and functional maturation between murine and human iNKTs that are to be considered for clinical purposes.

The effects of support materials on catalytic performance were investigated in catalytic removal of toluene. And the Mn–Ce binary oxides as active components were supported on ZrO2, SiO2, γ-Al2O3and TiO2support materials. Many techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method (BET), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) and NH3-temperature-programmed desorption (NH3-TPD), were used to characterize physicochemical properties. Among the different catalysts, the MnCe/ZrO2catalyst with the lowest specific surface area (39.7 m2/g) shows the best catalytic activity. In terms of toluene conversion, the activity order is as follows: MnCe/ZrO2 > MnCe/TiO2 ≈ MnCe/SiO2 > MnCe/Al2O3. The better performance of MnCe/ZrO2should be attributed to the low-temperature reducibility, and abundant surface species (Mn4+and lattice oxygen). And XPS and TPR results reveal that more surface abundant Mn and Ce elements generate good interaction in MnCe/ZrO2. The weak interaction between metal oxide and support also boosts the dispersion and complete reduction of MnCe oxides at low temperature. In addition, the in-situDRIFTS results clarify that the carbonate species are main intermediates in MnCe/ZrO2sample during surface reaction process.

A new replication-defective human cytomegalovirus vaccine shows promise in protecting against this dangerous virus that can cause severe neurodevelopmental defects in babies.

Radiation-induced acute intestinal symptoms (RIAISs) are the most frequent complication of radiotherapy that causes great pain and limits the treatment efficacy. The aim of this study was to identify serum biomarkers of RIAISs in cervical cancer patients by surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF MS). Serum samples were collected from 66 cervical cancer patients prior to pelvic radiotherapy. In our study, RIAISs occurred in 11 patients. An additional 11 patients without RIAISs were selected as controls, whose age, stage, histological type and treatment methods were matched to RIAISs patients. The 22 sera were subsequently analyzed by SELDI-TOF MS, and the resulting protein profiles were evaluated to identify biomarkers using appropriate bioinformatics tools. Comparing the protein profiles of serum samples from the RIAIS group and the control group, it was found that 22 protein peaks were significantly different (P < 0.05), and six of these peaks with mass-to-charge (m/z) ratios of 7514.9, 4603.94, 6887.41, 2769.21, 3839.72 and 4215.7 were successfully identified. A decision tree model of biomarkers was constructed based on three biomarkers (m/z 1270.88, 1503.23 and 7514.90), which separated RIAIS-affected patients from the control group with an accuracy of 81%. This study suggests that serum proteomic analysis by SELDI-TOF MS can identify cervical cancer patients that are susceptible to RIAISs prior to pelvic radiotherapy.

A series of novel trifluoromethyl‐substituted spiro[indene‐2,3′‐piperidine] scaffolds are obtained in one‐pot multicomponent reactions of trifluoroacetoacetate (II), indandione (I), various aromatic aldehydes (III), and ammonium acetate.

The described procedure provides a facile work‐up.

The four‐component reaction proceeds via initial Michael addition and a subsequent intramolecular cyclization to give trifluoromethyl substituted piperidines, which are dehydrated to the corresponding dihydropyridine derivatives.

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.