Colossal barocaloric effects in plastic crystals.

Refrigeration is of vital importance for modern society-for example, for food storage and air conditioning-and 25 to 30 per cent of the world's electricity is consumed for refrigeration1. Current refrigeration technology mostly involves the conventional vapour compression cycle, but the materials used in this technology are of growing environmental concern because of their large global warming potential2. As a promising alternative, refrigeration technologies based on solid-state caloric effects have been attracting attention in recent decades3-5. However, their application is restricted by the limited performance of current caloric materials, owing to small isothermal entropy changes and large driving magnetic fields. Here we report colossal barocaloric effects (CBCEs) (barocaloric effects are cooling effects of pressure-induced phase transitions) in a class of disordered solids called plastic crystals. The obtained entropy changes in a representative plastic crystal, neopentylglycol, are about 389 joules per kilogram per kelvin near room temperature. Pressure-dependent neutron scattering measurements reveal that CBCEs in plastic crystals can be attributed to the combination of extensive molecular orientational disorder, giant compressibility and highly anharmonic lattice dynamics of these materials. Our study establishes the microscopic mechanism of CBCEs in plastic crystals and paves the way to next-generation solid-state refrigeration technologies.

Two-dimensional quantum universality in the spin-1/2 triangular-lattice quantum antiferromagnet Na2BaCo(PO4)2.

An interplay of geometrical frustration and strong quantum fluctuations in a spin-1/2 triangular-lattice antiferromagnet (TAF) can lead to exotic quantum states. Here, we report the neutron-scattering, magnetization, specific heat, and magnetocaloric studies of the recently discovered spin-1/2 TAF Na2BaCo(PO4)2, which can be described by a spin-1/2 easy axis XXZ model. The zero-field neutron diffraction experiment reveals an incommensurate antiferromagnetic ground state with a significantly reduced ordered moment of about 0.54(2) µB/Co. Different magnetic phase diagrams with magnetic fields in the ab plane and along the easy c-axis were extracted based on the magnetic susceptibility, specific heat, and elastic neutron-scattering results. In addition, two-dimensional (2D) spin dispersion in the triangular plane was observed in the high-field polarized state, and microscopic exchange parameters of the spin Hamiltonian have been determined through the linear spin wave theory. Consistently, quantum critical behaviors with the universality class of d = 2 and νz = 1 were established in the vicinity of the saturation field, where a Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) of diluted magnons occurs. The newly discovered quantum criticality and fractional magnetization phase in this ideal spin-1/2 TAF present exciting opportunities for exploring exotic quantum phenomena.

Gelatin-Encapsulated Tetrahedral DNA Nanostructure Enhances Cellular Internalization for Treating Noise-Induced Hearing Loss.

Nanoparticle-based drug delivery strategies have emerged as a crucial avenue for comprehensive sensorineural hearing loss treatment. Nevertheless, developing therapy vectors crossing both biological and cellular barriers has encountered significant challenges deriving from various external factors. Herein, the rational integration of gelatin nanoparticles (GNPs) with tetrahedral DNA nanostructures (TDNs) to engineer a distinct drug-delivery nanosystem (designed as TDN@GNP) efficiently enhances the biological permeability and cellular internalization, further resolving the dilemma of noise-induced hearing loss via loading epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) with anti-lipid peroxidation property. Rationally engineering of TDN@GNP demonstrates dramatic alterations in the physicochemical key parameters of TDNs that are pivotal in cell-particle interactions and promote cellular uptake through multiple endocytic pathways. Furthermore, the EGCG-loaded nanosystem (TDN-EGCG@GNP) facilitates efficient inner ear drug delivery by superior permeability through the biological barrier (round window membrane), maintaining high drug concentration within the inner ear. The TDN-EGCG@GNP actively overcomes the cell membrane, exhibiting hearing protection from noise insults via reduced lipid peroxidation in outer hair cells and spiral ganglion neurons. This work exemplifies how integrating diverse vector functionalities can overcome biological and cellular barriers in the inner ear, offering promising applications for inner ear disorders.

A noble metal-enhanced Au@CuO heterostructure with multienzyme-mimicking activities for colorimetric detection of tannic acid.

Nanozymes, serving as synthetic alternatives to natural enzymes, offer several benefits including cost-effectiveness, enzyme-like catalytic abilities, enhanced stability, adjustable catalytic activity, easy recyclability, mild reaction conditions, and environmental friendliness. Nonetheless, the ongoing quest to develop nanozymes with enhanced activity and to delve into the catalytic mechanism remains a challenge. In our research, we effectively developed Au@CuO nanocomposites (Au@CuO Nc), replicating the functions of four enzymes found in nature: peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and oxidase (OXD). The catalytic efficiency of Au@CuO Nc for TMB oxidation (oxTMB) was approximately 4.8 times greater than that of plain Cu2O cubes, attributed to the synergistic catalytic impact between the Au element and Cu2O within Au@CuO Nc. Mechanistic studies revealed that the novel Au@CuO Nc nanozyme greatly enhances the decomposition of H2O2 to reactive oxygen species (ROS) intermediates (˙OH, ˙O2- and 1O2), resulting in increased POD-like activity of the single-component Cu2O cubes. When an antioxidant like TA was added to the chromogenic system, it converted oxTMB into a colorless form of TMB, enabling further evaluation of TA. Hence, a colorimetric sensor was developed for the rapid and precise quantitative measurement of TA, demonstrating strong linearity between 0.3 and 2.4 µM and featuring a low detection threshold of 0.25 µM. Moreover, this sensor was effectively utilized for the assessment of TA in actual tea samples. This work innovatively proposes a simplified and reliable strategy for the advanced design of highly effective Cu-based nanozymes, enhancing enzyme-like reactions for simultaneous, on-site colorimetric probing of antioxidants.

Solid-state electron-mediated z-scheme heterostructured semiconductor nanomaterials induce dual programmed cell death for melanoma therapy.

The programmed cell death (PCD) pathway removes functionally insignificant, infection-prone, or potentially tumorigenic cells, underscoring its important role in maintaining the stability of the internal environment and warding off cancer and a host of other diseases. PCD includes various forms, such as apoptosis, copper death, iron death, and cellular pyroptosis. However, emerging solid-state electron-mediated Z-scheme heterostructured semiconductor nanomaterials with high electron-hole (e-h+) separation as a new method for inducing PCD have not been well studied. We synthesize the Bi2S3-Bi2O3-Au-PEG nanorods (BB-A-P NRs) Z-scheme heterostructured semiconductor has a higher redox capacity and biocompatibility. Firstly, the BB-A-P NRs are excited by near-infrared (NIR) light, which mimics the action of catalase by supplying oxygen (O2) and converting it to a single-linear state of oxygen (1O2) via e-h+ transfer. Secondly, they react with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and water (H2O) in tumor to produce hydroxyl radicals (•OH), inducing apoptosis. Intriguingly, the Caspase-1/Gasdermin D (GSDMD)-dependent conventional pyroptosis pathway induced cellular pyroptosis activated by apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) which causes the intense release of damage associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), leading to the inflammatory death of tumor cells. This, in turn, activates the immunological environment to achieve immunogenic cell death (ICD). BB-A-P enables computed tomography imaging, which allows for visualization of the treatment. BB-A-P activated dual PCD can be viewed as an effective mode of cell death that coordinates the intracellular environment, and the various pathways are interrelated and mutually reinforcing which shows promising therapeutic effects and provides a new strategy for eliminating anoxic tumors.

Anti-angiogenesis agents plus chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced nasopharyngeal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate literature evidences about the efficacy and safety of anti-angiogenesis agents plus chemoradiotherapy versus chemoradiotherapy in the treatment of locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma. METHODS: The relevant literature was systematically searched from the date of establishment to April 2023 in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biological Medicine, Wanfang and VIP database. Search terms included: Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms, Angiogenesis inhibitors, Endostar, Anlotinib, Apatinib, Bevacizumab, Sunitinib, Pazopanib, Chemoradiotherapy. The literature was strictly screened according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and 8 eligible studies were finally included in our meta-analysis (4 randomized controlled trials and 4 retrospective studies). RESULTS: A total of 642 patients were included, with 316 in the anti-angiogenesis agents plus chemoradiotherapy group and 326 in the chemoradiotherapy group. The results of our meta-analysis showed that compared with chemoradiotherapy group, the complete response rate (RR = 1.35, 95% CI 1.05-1.74, P = 0.02), objective response rate (RR = 1.26, 95% CI 1.12-1.43, P = 0.0002) in the anti-angiogenesis agents plus chemoradiotherapy group were significantly improved. In terms of safety, there was a higher incidence of cardiac arrhythmia (RR = 3.63, 95% CI 1.16-11.37, P = 0.03) and hypertension (RR = 1.85, 95% CI 1.04-3.27, P = 0.004) in the anti-angiogenesis agents plus chemoradiotherapy group, while no statistically significant differences were reported in other adverse reactions (all P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Compared with chemoradiotherapy, anti-angiogenesis agents plus chemoradiotherapy could bring more benefits in terms of short-term efficacy, particularly by notably improving both complete response rate and objective response rate, and overall adverse reactions were acceptable. Anti-angiogenesis agents plus chemoradiotherapy may provide a promising direction for the treatment of locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: https://inplasy.com/inplasy-2023-8-0076/ , registration number INPLASY202380076.

Evaluating the quality of home care in community health service centres: A machine learning approach.

AIMS: The aim of the study is to develop a model using a machine learning approach that can effectively identify the quality of home care in communities. DESIGN: A cross-sectional design. METHODS: In this study, we evaluated the quality of home care in 170 community health service centres between October 2022 and February 2023. The Home Care Service Quality Questionnaire was used to collect information on home care structure, process and outcome quality. Then, an intelligent and comprehensive evaluation model was developed using a convolutional neural network, and its performance was compared with random forest and logistic regression models through various performance indicators. RESULTS: The convolutional neural network model was built upon seven variables, which encompassed the qualification of home nursing staff, developing and practicing emergency plan to cope with different emergency rescues in home environment, being equipped with medication and supplies for first aid according to specific situations, assessing nutrition condition of home patients, allocation of the number of home nursing staff, cases of new pressure ulcers and patient satisfaction rate. Remarkably, the convolutional neural network model demonstrated superior performance, outperforming both the random forest and regression models. CONCLUSION: The successful development and application of the convolutional neural network model highlight its ability to leverage data from community health service centres for rapid and accurate grading of home care quality. This research points the way to home care quality improvement. IMPACT: The model proposed in this study, coupled with the aforementioned factors, is expected to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of a comprehensive evaluation of home care quality. It will also help managers to take purposeful measures to improve the quality of home care. REPORTING METHOD: The reporting of this study (Observational, cross-sectional study) conforms to the STROBE statement. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE: The application of this model has the potential to contribute to the advancement of high-quality home care, particularly in lower-middle-income communities.

Custom-Made Piezoelectric Solid Solution Material for Cancer Therapy.

Piezoelectric material-mediated sonodynamic therapy (SDT) has received considerable research interest in cancer therapy. However, the simple applications of conventional piezoelectric materials do not realize the full potential of piezoelectric materials in medicine. Therefore, the energy band structure of a piezoelectric material is modulated in this study to meet the actual requirement for cancer treatment. Herein, an elaborate PEGylated piezoelectric solid solution 0.7BiFeO3 -0.3BaTiO3 nanoparticles (P-BF-BT NPs) is synthesized, and the resultant particles achieve excellent piezoelectric properties and their band structure is tuned via band engineering. The tuned band structure of P-BF-BT NPs is energetically favorable for the synchronous production of superoxide radicals (•O2 - ) and oxygen (O2 ) self-supply via water splitting by the piezoelectric effect. Besides, the P-BF-BT NPs can initiate the Fenton reaction to generate hydroxyl radical (•OH), and thus, chemodynamic therapy (CDT) can be augmented by ultrasound. Detailed in vitro and in vivo research has verified the promising effects of multimodal imaging-guided P-BF-BT NP-mediated synergistic SDT/CDT by the piezo-Fenton process in hypoxic tumor elimination, accompanied by high therapeutic biosafety. The current demonstrates a novel strategy for designing and synthesizing "custom-made" piezoelectric materials for cancer therapy in the future.

Chalcone derivatives as xanthine oxidase inhibitors: synthesis, binding mode investigation, biological evaluation, and ADMET prediction.

Xanthine oxidase (XO) is a crucial target for the treatment of hyperuricemia and gout. A series of derivatives based on natural 3,4-dihydroxychalcone, obtained from Carthamus tinctorious and Licorice, were designed and synthesized. Nine derivatives (9a-e, 10b,c, and 15a,b) exhibited apparent XO inhibitory activity in vitro (IC50 values varied from 0.121 to 7.086 µM), 15b presented the most potent inhibitory activity (IC50 = 0.121 µM), which was 27.47-fold higher than that of allopurinol (IC50 = 3.324 µM). The SAR analysis indicated that introducing hydroxyl groups at 3'/4'/5'-position on ring A was more beneficial to the inhibition of XO than at 2'/6'-position; the removal of 3­hydroxyl group on ring B could weaken the inhibitory potency of hydroxychalcones on XO, but it was beneficial to the XO inhibitory potency of methoxychalcones. Molecule modeling studies afforded insights into the binding mode of 15b with XO and supported the findings of SAR analysis. Additionally, kinetics studies demonstrated that 15b presented a reversible and competitive XO inhibitor, which spontaneously combined with XO through hydrophobic force, and finally changed the secondary conformation of XO. Furthermore, the acute hyperuricemia model was employed to investigate the hypouricemic effect of 15b, which could effectively reduce the serum uric acid levels of rats at an oral dose of 10 mg/kg. ADMET prediction suggested that compound 15b possessed good pharmacokinetic properties. Briefly, compound 15b emerges as an interesting XO inhibitor for the treatment of hyperuricemia and gout with beneficial effects on serum uric acid levels regulating. Meanwhile, the XO inhibitors with chalcone skeleton will deserve further attention and discussion.

Rack1 regulates cellular patterning and polarity in the mouse cochlea.

Rack1 features seven WD40 repeats that fold into a multifaceted scaffold used to build signaling complexes in a context-dependent manner. Previous in vitro studies have revealed associations between Rack1 and many other proteins. Rack 1 is required for establishing planar cell polarity (PCP) in zebrafish and Xenopus. However, any molecular role of Rack1 in protein complexes or polarity regulation remains unclear. Here, we show that Rack1 is an essential gene in mice. Conditional knockout of Rack1 shortened the cochlear duct and induced cellular patterning defects characteristic of defective convergent extension (this PCP process is mediated by cellular junctional remodeling in the developing cochlear epithelium). Also, cochlear hair cells were no longer uniformly oriented in Rack1 conditional knockout mutants. Rack1 was enriched in the cellular cortices of sensory hair cells. In Rack1-deficient cochleae, E-cadherin expression at the cellular boundaries was greatly reduced. Together, the findings reveal a molecular role of Rack1 in PCP signaling that likely involves modulation of E-cadherin levels at the adherens junctions of the plasma membrane.

An enhanced antioxidant strategy of astaxanthin encapsulated in ROS-responsive nanoparticles for combating cisplatin-induced ototoxicity.

BACKGROUND: Excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been documented as the crucial cellular mechanism of cisplatin-induced ototoxicity. However, numerous antioxidants have failed in clinical studies partly due to inefficient drug delivery to the cochlea. A drug delivery system is an attractive strategy to overcome this drawback. METHODS AND RESULTS: In the present study, we proposed the combination of antioxidant astaxanthin (ATX) and ROS-responsive/consuming nanoparticles (PPS-NP) to combat cisplatin-induced ototoxicity. ATX-PPS-NP were constructed by the self-assembly of an amphiphilic hyperbranched polyphosphoester containing thioketal units, which scavenged ROS and disintegrate to release the encapsulated ATX. The ROS-sensitivity was confirmed by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and an H2O2 ON/OFF stimulated model. Enhanced release profiles stimulated by H2O2 were verified in artificial perilymph, the HEI-OC1 cell line and guinea pigs. In addition, ATX-PPS-NP efficiently inhibited cisplatin-induced HEI-OC1 cell cytotoxicity and apoptosis compared with ATX or PPS-NP alone, suggesting an enhanced effect of the combination of the natural active compound ATX and ROS-consuming PPS-NP. Moreover, ATX-PPS-NP attenuated outer hair cell losses in cultured organ of Corti. In guinea pigs, NiRe-PPS-NP verified a quick penetration across the round window membrane and ATX-PPS-NP showed protective effect on spiral ganglion neurons, which further attenuated cisplatin-induced moderate hearing loss. Further studies revealed that the protective mechanisms involved decreasing excessive ROS generation, reducing inflammatory chemokine (interleukin-6) release, increasing antioxidant glutathione expression and inhibiting the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, this ROS-responsive nanoparticle encapsulating ATX has favorable potential in the prevention of cisplatin-induced hearing loss.

Determination of ginsenoside Rh3 in rat plasma by LC-MS/MS and its application to a pharmacokinetic study.

Ginsenoside Rh3 (GRh3) is a bacterial metabolite of ginsenoside Rg5, which is the main component of hot-processed ginseng. A simple, efficient and sensitive method was developed and validated for the determination of GRh3 in rat plasma by LC-tandem mass spectrometry. After protein precipitation with methanol/acetonitrile (1:1, vol/vol) using propranolol as the internal standard, the target analytes were separated on an XDB C18 column, with methanol containing 0.1% formic acid and water containing 0.1% formic acid used as mobile phases for gradient elution. Mass spectrometry was performed in electrospray ion source-positive ion mode and multiple reaction monitoring mode, monitoring the transitions m/z 622.5 → 425.5 and m/z 260.1 → 116.1 for GRh3 and internal standard, respectively. The concentration range of GRh3 was 20-20,000 ng/mL and the correlation coefficient (r2 ) was greater than 0.99. The accuracy error and relative standard deviation were below 15%. The extraction recovery and matrix effect were 74.2% to 78.7% and 96.9% to 108.4%, respectively. Under different conditions, GRh3 was stable in the range of 1.8%-8.7%. This method has been successfully applied to study the pharmacokinetics of GRh3 with an oral dose of 10.0 mg/kg and an intravenous dose of 2.0 mg/kg in rats, respectively. The absolute bioavailability of GRh3 was 37.6%.

Correction to: Astaxanthin-loaded polymer-lipid hybrid nanoparticles (ATX-LPN): assessment of potential otoprotective effects.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Astaxanthin-loaded polymer-lipid hybrid nanoparticles (ATX-LPN): assessment of potential otoprotective effects.

BACKGROUND: Ototoxicity is one of the major side effects of platinum-based chemotherapy, especially cisplatin therapy. To date, no FDA approved agents to alleviate or prevent this ototoxicity are available. However, ototoxicity is generally believed to be produced by excessive generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the inner ear, thus leading to the development of various antioxidants, which act as otoprotective agents. Astaxanthin (ATX) is an interesting candidate in the development of new therapies for preventing and treating oxidative stress-related pathologies, owing to its unique antioxidant capacity. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the potential antioxidant properties of ATX in the inner ear by using the HEI-OC1 cell line, zebrafish, and guinea pigs. Because ATX has poor solubility and cannot pass through round window membranes (RWM), we established lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticles (LPN) for loading ATX. The LPN enabled ATX to penetrate RWM and maintain concentrations in the perilymph in the inner ear for 24 h after a single injection. ATX-LPN were found to have favorable biocompatibility and to strongly affect cisplatin-induced generation of ROS, on the basis of DCFHDA staining in HEI-OC1 cells. JC-1 and MitoTracker Green staining suggested that ATX-LPN successfully reversed the decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential induced by cisplatin in vitro and rescued cells from early stages of apoptosis, as demonstrated by FACS stained with Annexin V-FITC/PI. Moreover, ATX-LPN successfully attenuated OHC losses in cultured organ of Corti and animal models (zebrafish and guinea pigs) in vivo. In investigating the protective mechanism of ATX-LPN, we found that ATX-LPN decreased the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins (caspase 3/9 and cytochrome-c) and increased expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2. In addition, the activation of JNK induced by CDDP was up-regulated and then decreased after the administration of ATX-LPN, while P38 stayed unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: To best of our knowledge, this is first study concluded that ATX-LPN as a new therapeutic agent for the prevention of cisplatin-induced ototoxicity.

Hydrogen bond dynamics and conformational flexibility in antipsychotics.

Effective treatment of disorders of the central nervous system can often be achieved using bioactive molecules of similar moieties to those known to be tolerable. A better understanding of the solid-state characteristics of such molecules could thereby create new opportunities for research on pharmaceutical preparations and drug prescriptions, while information about their rich intramolecular dynamics may well add an important aspect in the field of in silico drug discovery. We have therefore investigated three different antipsychotic drugs: haloperidol (C21H23ClFNO2, HAL), aripiprazole (C23H27Cl2N3O2, APZ) and quetiapine hemifumarate (C21H25N3O2S·0.5C4H4O4, QTP) based on similarities either in their structures, hydrophobic and hydrophilic moieties, or in their modes of action, typical or atypical. Our aim was to test the structural and molecular stability of these three different antipsychotics. To this end, we compared the molecular vibrations observed by inelastic neutron spectroscopy of these systems with those from theoretical periodic calculations of the crystalline antipsychotics using the Vienna ab initio simulation package (VASP). While most of the observed features in the lattice region were reasonably well represented by the calculations, the overall spectra were relatively complex, and hence traditional assignment procedures for the approximately 600 normal modes in the unit cell were not possible. These results indicate that in the search for new drug candidates, not only analysis of the flexibility of the receptor, but also the dynamics of the active molecules play a role in improving the prediction of binding affinities.

A dominant variant in DMXL2 is linked to nonsyndromic hearing loss.

PURPOSE: To explore the genetic etiology of deafness in a dominant family with late-onset, progressive, nonsyndromic hearing loss. METHODS: Genome-wide linkage analysis was performed for 21 family members. Candidate pathogenic variants were identified by whole-exome sequencing of selected family members and confirmed by Sanger sequencing of all family members. Cochlear expression of Dmxl2 was investigated by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunostaining of the organ of Corti from mice. RESULTS: The causative gene was mapped to a 9.68-Mb candidate region on chromosome 15q21.2 (maximum logarithm of the odds score = 4.03) that contained no previously described deafness genes. Whole-exome sequencing identified heterozygous c.7250G>A (p.Arg2417His) in DMXL2 as the only candidate pathogenic variant segregating the hearing loss. In mouse cochlea, expression of DMXL2 was restricted to the hair cells and the spiral ganglion neurons. CONCLUSION: Our data indicated that the p.Arg2417His variant in DMXL2 is associated with dominant, nonsyndromic hearing loss and suggested an important role of DMXL2 in inner ear function.Genet Med advance online publication 22 September 2016.

Magnetic Properties of the Distorted Kagomé Lattice Mn3(1,2,4-(O2C)3C6H3)2.

Kagomé lattice types have been of intense interest as idealized examples of extended frustrated spin systems. Here we demonstrate how the use of neutron diffraction and inelastic neutron scattering coupled with spin wave theory calculations can be used to elucidate the complex magnetic interactions of extended spin networks. We show that the magnetic properties of the coordination polymer Mn3(1,2,4-(O2C)3C6H3)2, a highly distorted kagomé lattice, have been erroneously characterized as a canted antiferromagnet in previous works. Our results demonstrate that, although the magnetic structure is ferrimagnetic, with a net magnetic moment, frustration persists in the system. We conclude by showing that the conventions of the Goodenough-Kanamori rules, which are often applied to similar magnetic exchange interactions, are not relevant in this case.

Magnetic Excitations in Polyoxotungstate-Supported Lanthanoid Single-Molecule Magnets: An Inelastic Neutron Scattering and ab Initio Study.

Inelastic neutron scattering (INS) has been used to investigate the crystal field (CF) magnetic excitations of the analogs of the most representative lanthanoid-polyoxometalate single-molecule magnet family: Na9[Ln(W5O18)2] (Ln = Nd, Tb, Ho, Er). Ab initio complete active space self-consistent field/restricted active space state interaction calculations, extended also to the Dy analog, show good agreement with the experimentally determined low-lying CF levels, with accuracy better in most cases than that reported for approaches based only on simultaneous fitting to CF models of magnetic or spectroscopic data for isostructural Ln families. In this work we demonstrate the power of a combined spectroscopic and computational approach. Inelastic neutron scattering has provided direct access to CF levels, which together with the magnetometry data, were employed to benchmark the ab initio results. The ab initio determined wave functions corresponding to the CF levels were in turn employed to assign the INS transitions allowed by selection rules and interpret the observed relative intensities of the INS peaks. Ultimately, we have been able to establish the relationship between the wave function composition of the CF split LnIII ground multiplets and the experimentally measured magnetic and spectroscopic properties for the various analogs of the Na9[Ln(W5O18)2] family.

Reduced lncRNA Aim enhances the malignant invasion of triple-negative breast cancer cells mainly by activating Wnt/ß-catenin/mTOR/PI3K signaling.

Increasing evidence has suggested the important role of lncRNAs in the progression of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). In the current study, we first demonstrated that the expression of Airn was reduced in TNBC tissues and cells. Our data showed that the level of Airn was reduced in TNBC tissues and cell lines compared with that of normal control. Furthermore, silencing of Airn markedly enhanced MDA-MB-231 cell migration. Meanwhile, knockdown of Airn significantly increased MDA-MB-231 cell invasion. Western blot analysis showed that knockdown of Airn markedly enhanced the activation of Wnt/ß-catenin/mTOR/PI3K in both MDA-MB-231 cells. Moreover, real time PCR analysis showed that the mRNA level of IGF2R was significantly enhanced when Airn was silenced in MDA-MB-231 cells. In addition, overexpression of IGF2R significantly increased MDA-MB-231 cell migration and invasion. To further explore whether Airn activated Wnt/ß-catenin/mTOR/PI3K signaling independent of IGF-2R, a specific siRNA targeting IGF2R was selected. Western blot analysis showed that Wnt/ß-catenin/mTOR/PI3K signaling could be largely activated in MDA-MB-231 cells transfected with siRNA targeting Airn, even when the protein level of IGF2R was silenced. In summary, decreased expression of lncRNA Aim enhanced the malignant invasion of triple-negative breast cancer cells mainly by activating Wnt/ß-catenin/mTOR/PI3K signaling independent of Igf2R.

Unexpectedly Enhanced Solubility of Aromatic Amino Acids and Peptides in an Aqueous Solution of Divalent Transition-Metal Cations.

We experimentally observed considerable solubility of tryptophan (Trp) in a CuCl_{2} aqueous solution, which could reach 2-5 times the solubility of Trp in pure water. Theoretical studies show that the strong cation-π interaction between Cu^{2+} and the aromatic ring in Trp modifies the electronic distribution of the aromatic ring to enhance significantly the water affinity of Trp. Similar solubility enhancement has also been observed for other divalent transition-metal cations (e.g., Zn^{2+} and Ni^{2+}), another aromatic amino acid (phenylalanine), and three aromatic peptides (Trp-Phe, Phe-Phe, and Trp-Ala-Phe).