The N-Myc-responsive lncRNA MILIP promotes DNA double-strand break repair through non-homologous end joining.

The protooncoprotein N-Myc, which is overexpressed in approximately 25% of neuroblastomas as the consequence of MYCN gene amplification, has long been postulated to regulate DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair in neuroblastoma cells, but experimental evidence of this function is presently scant. Here, we show that N-Myc transcriptionally activates the long noncoding RNA MILIP to promote nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) DNA repair through facilitating Ku70-Ku80 heterodimerization in neuroblastoma cells. High MILIP expression was associated with poor outcome and appeared as an independent prognostic factor in neuroblastoma patients. Knockdown of MILIP reduced neuroblastoma cell viability through the induction of apoptosis and inhibition of proliferation, retarded neuroblastoma xenograft growth, and sensitized neuroblastoma cells to DNA-damaging therapeutics. The effect of MILIP knockdown was associated with the accumulation of DNA DSBs in neuroblastoma cells largely due to decreased activity of the NHEJ DNA repair pathway. Mechanistical investigations revealed that binding of MILIP to Ku70 and Ku80 increased their heterodimerization, and this was required for MILIP-mediated promotion of NHEJ DNA repair. Disrupting the interaction between MILIP and Ku70 or Ku80 increased DNA DSBs and reduced cell viability with therapeutic potential revealed where targeting MILIP using Gapmers cooperated with the DNA-damaging drug cisplatin to inhibit neuroblastoma growth in vivo. Collectively, our findings identify MILIP as an N-Myc downstream effector critical for activation of the NHEJ DNA repair pathway in neuroblastoma cells, with practical implications of MILIP targeting, alone and in combination with DNA-damaging therapeutics, for neuroblastoma treatment.

Kidney-brain axis in the pathogenesis of cognitive impairment.

The kidney-brain axis is a bidirectional communication network connecting the kidneys and the brain, potentially affected by inflammation, uremic toxin, vascular injury, neuronal degeneration, and so on, leading to a range of diseases. Numerous studies emphasize the disruptions of the kidney-brain axis may contribute to the high morbidity of neurological disorders, such as cognitive impairment (CI) in the natural course of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Although the pathophysiology of the kidney-brain axis has not been fully elucidated, epidemiological data indicate that patients at all stages of CKD have a higher risk of developing CI compared with the general population. In contrast to other reviews, we mentioned some commonly used medicines in CKD that may play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of CI. Revealing the pathophysiology interactions between kidney damage and brain function can reduce the potential risk of future CI. This review will deeply explore the characteristics, indicators, and potential pathophysiological mechanisms of CKD-related CI. It will provide a theoretical basis for identifying CI that progresses during CKD and ultimately prevents and treats CKD-related CI.

Integrated analysis of RNA methylation regulators crosstalk and immune infiltration for predictive and personalized therapy of diabetic nephropathy.

BACKGROUND: RNA methylation is a widely known post-transcriptional regulation which exists in many cancer and immune system diseases. However, the potential role and crosstalk of five types RNA methylation regulators in diabetic nephropathy (DN) and immune microenvironment remain unclear. METHODS: The mRNA expression of 37 RNA modification regulators and RNA modification regulators related genes were identified in 112 samples from 5 Gene Expression Omnibus datasets. Nonnegative Matrix Factorization clustering method was performed to determine RNA modification patterns. The ssGSEA algorithms and the expression of human leukocyte antigen were employed to assess the immune microenvironment characteristics. Risk model based on differentially expression genes responsible for the modification regulators was constructed to evaluate its predictive capability in DN patients. Furthermore, the results were validated by using immunofluorescence co-localizations and protein experiments in vitro. RESULTS: We found 24 RNA methylation regulators were significant differently expressed in glomeruli in DN group compared with control group. Four methylation-related genes and six RNA regulators were introduced into riskScore model using univariate Logistic regression and integrated LASSO regression, which could precisely distinguish the DN and healthy individuals. Group with high-risk score was associated with high immune infiltration. Three distinct RNA modification patterns were identified, which has significant differences in immune microenvironment, biological pathway and eGFR. Validation analyses showed the METTL3, ADAR1, DNMT1 were upregulated whereas YTHDC1 was downregulated in DN podocyte cell lines comparing with cells cultured by the normal glucose. CONCLUSION: Our study reveals that RNA methylation regulators and immune infiltration regulation play critical roles in the pathogenesis of DN. The bioinformatic analyses combine with verification in vitro could provide robust evidence for identification of predictive RNA methylation regulators in DN.

Polymer-Based Room-Temperature Phosphorescence Materials Exhibiting Emission Lifetimes up to 4.6 s under Ambient Conditions.

The long-emission-lifetime nature of room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) materials lays the foundation of their applications in diverse areas. Despite the advantage of mechanical property, processability and solvent dispersity, the emission lifetimes of polymer-based room-temperature phosphorescence materials remain not particularly long because of the labile nature of organic triplet excited states under ambient conditions. Specifically, ambient phosphorescence lifetime (τP) longer than 2 s and even 4 s have rarely been reported in polymer systems. Here, luminescent compounds with small phosphorescence rate on the order of approximately 10-1 s-1 are designed, ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) as polymer matrix and antioxidant 1010 to protect organic triplets are employed, and ultralong phosphorescence lifetime up to 4.6 s under ambient conditions by short-term and low-power excitation are achieved. The resultant materials exhibit high afterglow brightness, long afterglow duration, excellent processability into large area thin films, high transparency and thermal stability, which display promising anticounterfeiting and data encryption functions.

Novel immune cross-talk between inflammatory bowel disease and IgA nephropathy.

The mechanisms underlying the complex correlation between immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remain unclear. This study aimed to identify the optimal cross-talk genes, potential pathways, and mutual immune-infiltrating microenvironments between IBD and IgAN to elucidate the linkage between patients with IBD and IgAN. The IgAN and IBD datasets were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Three algorithms, CIBERSORTx, ssGSEA, and xCell, were used to evaluate the similarities in the infiltrating microenvironment between the two diseases. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was implemented in the IBD dataset to identify the major immune infiltration modules, and the Boruta algorithm, RFE algorithm, and LASSO regression were applied to filter the cross-talk genes. Next, multiple machine learning models were applied to confirm the optimal cross-talk genes. Finally, the relevant findings were validated using histology and immunohistochemistry analysis of IBD mice. Immune infiltration analysis showed no significant differences between IBD and IgAN samples in most immune cells. The three algorithms identified 10 diagnostic genes, MAPK3, NFKB1, FDX1, EPHX2, SYNPO, KDF1, METTL7A, RIDA, HSDL2, and RIPK2; FDX1 and NFKB1 were enhanced in the kidney of IBD mice. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis showed 15 mutual pathways between the two diseases, with lipid metabolism playing a vital role in the cross-talk. Our findings offer insights into the shared immune mechanisms of IgAN and IBD. These common pathways, diagnostic cross-talk genes, and cell-mediated abnormal immunity may inform further experimental studies.

Doping Ferrocene-Based Conjugated Microporous Polymers with 7,7,8,8-Tetracyanoquinodimethane for Efficient Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction.

The design and synthesis of organic photocatalysts remain a great challenge due to their strict structural constraints. However, this could be mitigated by achieving structural flexibility by constructing permanent porosity into the materials. Conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs) are an emerging class of porous materials with an amorphous, three-dimensional network structure, which makes it possible to integrate the elaborate functional groups to enhance photocatalytic performance. Here, we report the synthesis of a novel CMP, named TAPFc-TFPPy-CMP, constructed by 1,1'3,3'-tetra(4-aminophenyl)ferrocene (TAPFc) and 1,3,6,8-tetrakis(4-formylphenyl)pyrene (TFPPy) monomers. The integration of the p-type dopant 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) into the TAPFc-TFPPy-CMP improved the light adsorption performance, leading to a decrease in the optical bandgap from 2.00 to 1.43 eV. The doped CMP (TCNQ@TAPFc-TFPPy-CMP) exhibited promising catalytic activity in photocatalytic CO2 reduction under visible light, yielding 546.8 µmol g-1 h-1 of CO with a selectivity of 96% and 5.2 µmol g-1 h-1 of CH4. This represented an 80% increase in the CO yield compared to the maternal TAPFc-TFPPy-CMP. The steady-state photoluminescence (PL) and fluorescence lifetime (FL) measurements reveal faster carrier separation and transport after the doping. This study provides guidance for the development of organic photocatalysts for the utilization of renewable energy.

Narrowband Organic/Inorganic Hybrid Afterglow Materials.

Narrowband afterglow materials display interesting functions in high-quality anti-counterfeiting and multiplexed bioimaging. However, there is still a limited exploration of these afterglow materials, especially for those with a full width at half maxima (FWHM) around 30 nm. Here, we report the fabrication of narrowband organic/inorganic hybrid afterglow materials via energy transfer technology. Coronene (Cor) with a long phosphorescence feature and broad phosphorescence band is selected as the donor for energy transfer, and inorganic quantum dots (QDs) of CdSe/ZnS with a narrowband emission are used as acceptors. Upon doping into the organic matrix, the resultant three-component materials exhibit a narrowband afterglow with an afterglow lifetime of approximately 3.4 s and an FWHM of 31 nm. The afterglow wavelength of the afterglow materials can be controlled by the QDs. This work based on organic/inorganic hybrids provides a facile approach for developing multicolor and narrowband afterglow materials, as well as opens a new way for expanding the features of organic afterglow for multifunctional applications. It is expected to rely on narrowband afterglow emitters to solve the "spectrum congestion" problem of high-density information storage in optical anti-counterfeiting and information encryption.

Highly Efficient Capture of Volatile Iodine by Conjugated Microporous Polymers Constructed Using Planar 3- and 4-Connected Organic Monomers.

The effective capture and recovery of radioiodine species associated with nuclear fuel reprocessing is of significant importance in nuclear power plants. Porous materials have been proven to be one of the most effective adsorbents for the capture of radioiodine. In this work, we design and synthesize a series of conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs), namely, TPDA-TFPB CMP, TPDA-TATBA CMP, and TPDA-TECHO CMP, which are constructed based on a planar rectangular 4-connected organic monomer and three triangular 3-connected organic monomers, respectively. The resultant CMPs are characterized using various characterization techniques and used as effective adsorbents for iodine capture. Our experiments indicated that the CMPs exhibit excellent iodine adsorption capacities as high as 6.48, 6.25, and 6.37 g g-1 at 348 K and ambient pressure. The adsorption mechanism was further investigated and the strong chemical adsorption between the iodine and the imine/tertiary ammonia of the CMPs, 3D network structure with accessible hierarchical pores, uniform micromorphology, wide π-conjugated structure, and high-density Lewis-base sites synergistically contribute to their excellent iodine adsorption performance. Moreover, the CMPs demonstrated good recyclability. This work provides guidance for the construction of novel iodine adsorbent materials with high efficiency in the nuclear power field.

[Transcriptome data mining combined with clinical and animal experiments for identification of syndrome element marker genes during entire course of steroid-induced osteonecrosis of femoral head].

A research strategy combining transcriptome data mining and experimental verification was adopted to identify the marker genes characterizing the syndrome elements of phlegm, stasis, and deficiency in steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head(SONFH). Firstly, the common differentially expressed gene sets of SONFH with the syndromes of phlegm-stasis obstructing collaterals, vessel obstruction, and liver-kidney deficiency were obtained from the clinical transcriptomic analysis of a previous study. The differential expression trend analysis and functional gene mining were then employed to predict the candidate marker gene sets representing phlegm, stasis, and deficiency. The whole blood samples from SONFH patients, whole blood samples from SONFH rats, and affected femoral head tissue samples were collected for qPCR, which aimed to determine the expression levels of the candidate marker genes mentioned above. Furthermore, the receiver operating characteristic curve(ROC) was established to objectively evaluate the syndrome differentiation effectiveness of the candidate marker genes mentioned above. The transcriptome data analysis results showed that the candidate marker genes for phlegm was ELOVL fatty acid elongase 6(ELOVL6), and those for stasis were ankyrin 1(ANK1), glycophorin A/B(GYPA/B), and Rh-associated glycoprotein(RHAG). The candidate marker genes for deficiency were solute carrier family 2 member 1(SLC2A1) and stomatin(STOM). The qPCR results showed that compared with that in the non-SONFH group, ELOVL6 had the lowest expression level in the peripheral blood of the SONFH patients with the syndrome of phlegm-stasis obstructing collaterals(P<0.05). Compared with that in the normal control group, ELOVL6 had the lowest expression level in the peripheral blood and affected femoral head tissue of SONFH rats modeled for 4 weeks(P<0.01), and it showed better syndrome differentiation effectiveness of rats modeled for 4 weeks(AUC=0.850, P=0.006) than at other modeling time points(8, 12, 16, and 21 weeks, AUC of 0.689, 0.766, 0.588, and 0.662, respectively). Compared with that in the non-SONFH group, the expression levels of ANK1, GYPA, and RHAG were the lowest in the peripheral blood of SONFH patients with the vessel obstruction syndrome(P<0.05). The expression levels of the three genes were the lowest in the peripheral blood and affected femoral head tissue of SONFH rats modeled for 12 weeks(P<0.05, P<0.01), and their syndrome differentiation effectiveness in the rats modeled for 12 weeks(GYPA: AUC=0.861, P=0.012; ANK1: AUC=0.855, P=0.006; RHAG: AUC=0.854, P=0.009) was superior to that for 4, 8, 16, and 21 weeks(GYPA: AUC=0.646, 0.573, 0.691, and 0.617, respectively; ANK: AUC1=0.630, 0.658, 0.657, and 0.585, respectively; RHAG: AUC=0.592, 0.511, 0.515, and 0.536, respectively). Compared with the non-SONFH group, both SLC2A1 and STOM had the lowest expression levels in the peripheral blood of patients with the syndrome of liver and kidney deficiency(P<0.05). Compared with the normal control group, their expression levels were the lowest in the peripheral blood and affected femoral head tissue of SONFH rats modeled for 21 weeks(P<0.05, except STOM in the peripheral blood of rats). Moreover, the syndrome differentiation effectiveness of SLC2A1 in the rats modeled for 21 weeks(AUC=0.806, P=0.009) was superior to that for 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks(AUC=0.520, 0.580, 0.741, 0.774, respectively), and STOM was meaningless in syndrome differentiation. In summary, the candidate marker gene for phlegm in SONFH is ELOVL6; the candidate marker genes for stasis are GYPA, RHAG, and ANK1; the candidate marker gene for deficiency is SLC2A1. The results help to reveal the biological connotations of phlegm, stasis, and deficiency in SONFH at the genetic level.

Crystalline, Porous Helicene Covalent Organic Frameworks.

Helicenes are a class of fascinating chiral helical molecules with rich chemistry developed continuously over the past 100 years. Their helical, conjugated, and twisted structures make them attractive for constructing molecular systems. However, studies over the past century are mainly focused on synthesizing helicenes with increased numbers of aromatic rings and complex heterostructures, while research on inorganic, organic, and polymeric helicene materials is still embryonic. Herein, we report the first examples of helicene covalent organic frameworks, i.e., [7]Helicene sp2 c-COF-1, by condensing [7]Helicene dialdehyde with trimethyl triazine via the C=C bond formation reaction under solvothermal conditions. The resultant [7]Helicene sp2 c-COF-1 exhibits prominent X-ray diffraction peaks and assumes a highly ordered 2D lattice structure originated from the twisted configuration of [7]Helicene unit. The C=C linked [7]Helicene sp2 c-COF-1 materials exhibited extended π conjugation and broadly tuned their absorption, emission, redox activity, photoconductivity, and light-emitting activity, demonstrating rich multifunctionalities and great potentials in developing various applications. This work opens a way to a new family of COFs as well as helicene materials, enabling the exploration of unprecedented π architectures and properties.

Post-traumatic growth in adult patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a cross-sectional study in China.

This cross-sectional study aims to evaluate the post-traumatic growth (PTG) level and explores its predictors among adult patients with SLE in China. From April 2020 to April 2021, 135 hospitalized adult SLE patients completed the questionnaire including sociodemographic and disease-related data, Post-traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire (MCMQ), Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Self-Perceived Burden Scale (SPBS). Descriptive analysis, pearson's correlation analysis, and forward multiple line regression analysis were used for analysis by SPSS 22.0. Results showed that, the mean PTGI score was 57.52 ± 20.82. Pearson correlation analysis showed that, complicated autoimmune hemolytic anemia (r = - 0.185), CD4 +/CD8 + (r = - 0.383), acceptance-resignation (r = - 0.185), poor PSQI (r = - 0.215), and depression (r = - 0.322) were negatively associated with total PTGI score; while the relationship with lupus nephritis (r = 0.247), confrontation (r = 0.313), avoidance (r = 0.379), and SSRS (r = 0.242) were positive (all P < 0.05). The total score of PTGI and its five sub-dimensions were not correlated with anxiety and self-perceived burden. Further, CD4 +/CD8 +, confrontation of MCMQ, and SSRS could explain 30.3% of the variance in total PTGI (F = 6.646, P < 0.01). In summary, Chinese adults with SLE experience moderate levels of PTG. Clinical nurses need pay attention to the current disease status and individual characteristics of patients, as well as their mental health, to promote their growth experience, so that they can cope with the future life in a better state and coexist well with SLE.

Urate-lowering therapy adherence and the association with medication beliefs, self-efficacy, depression, anxiety, and COVID-19 pandemic-related concern in Chinese gout patients: a cross-sectional study.

This study aims to assess urate-lowering therapy adherence and the relationship with medication beliefs, self-efficacy, depression, anxiety, and COVID-19 pandemic-related concerns in Chinese gout patients during the COVID-19 outbreak. 101 gout patients receiving urate-lowering therapy were involved to evaluate adherence, medication beliefs, self-efficacy, depression, anxiety, and COVID-19 pandemic-related concerns via a mobile app-based questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 22.0. A total of 101 valid responses were included in the statistical analysis. The results showed that, the rate of adherence to urate-lowering therapy during the COVID-19 outbreak was 22.8% in Chinese patients with gout, higher than that in normal times (9.6%). Compared to the adherent group, non-adherent gout patients had shorter disease duration, lower self-efficacy, lower necessity about urate-lowering therapy score, higher concerns about urate-lowering therapy score, and smaller necessity-concerns differential. Depression and anxiety rates (3.0% and 5.0%, respectively) during the COVID-19 break were lower than that in normal times. Additionally, depression, anxiety, as well as COVID-19 pandemic-related concerns (27.7%) were not related to urate-lowering therapy adherence. In conclusion, adherence rate to urate-lowering therapy in Chinese gout patients during the COVID-19 outbreak was 22.8%, higher than normal times, but still very poor. Except for a little concern about being more susceptible to the virus, patients' mental state is relatively good. While the country puts great efforts into COVID-19 prevention and control, attention must also be paid to the medication management of patients with chronic diseases such as gout.

Modern zoning plans versus traditional landscape structures: Ecosystem service dynamics and interactions in rapidly urbanizing cultural landscapes.

Cultural landscapes provide abundant and diverse ecosystem services (ES) for human-wellbeing. However, many traditional cultural landscapes worldwide are currently undergoing rapid urbanization. In decision-making concerning sustainable urbanization, tradeoffs frequently occur between different objectives (i.e., between multiple ES) and between different pathways or urbanization strategies (e.g., following modern zoning principles or traditional landscape structures). This study aims to examine the dynamics and interactions between multiple ES under different strategies for the urbanization of cultural landscapes. A case study was conducted in Nansha, China. Three scenarios-business-as-usual, zoning plan-based, and traditional landscape structure-based-were developed to reflect the most common urbanization strategies, each parameterized with identical land-use quantities. Land-use change from 2020 to 2035 under different scenarios was simulated using the PLUS model (integrated Random Forest and Cellular Automata models). The traditional landscape structure-based scenario used the settlement pattern before urbanization to predict the chances of future urban areas' occurrence. Eleven ES indicators were used to examine ES dynamics and interactions in the simulation outcomes. The results showed that the amount of ES provided by the landscape declined and significant tradeoffs occurred between cultural and non-cultural ES. The business-as-usual scenario resulted in the greatest decrease in ES. The zoning plan-based scenario did not offer a significant improvement over the business-as-usual scenario. The traditional landscape structure-based scenario was the most effective in limiting ES decline, which also mitigated the tradeoff between urban development and flood regulation and fostered synergy between urban efficiency and ecotourism opportunity. Based on these findings, we recommend that traditional landscape structures should be emphasized in the development of cultural landscapes.

Biosynthesis and Metabolism of Garlic Odor Compounds in Cultivated Chinese Chives (Allium tuberosum) and Wild Chinese Chives (Allium hookeri).

Chinese chives is a popular herb vegetable and medicine in Asian countries. Southwest China is one of the centers of origin, and the mountainous areas in this region are rich in wild germplasm. In this study, we collected four samples of germplasm from different altitudes: a land race of cultivated Chinese chives (Allium tuberosum), wide-leaf chives and extra-wide-leaf chives (Allium hookeri), and ovoid-leaf chives (Allium funckiaefolium). Leaf metabolites were detected and compared between A. tuberosum and A. hookeri. A total of 158 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAM) were identified by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS), among which there was a wide range of garlic odor compounds, free amino acids, and sugars. A. hookeri contains a higher content of fructose, garlic odor compounds, and amino acids than A. tuberosum, which is supported by the higher expression level of biosynthetic genes revealed by transcriptome analysis. A. hookeri accumulates the same garlic odor compound precursors that A. tuberosum does (mainly methiin and alliin). We isolated full-length gene sequences of phytochelatin synthase (PCS), γ-glutamyltranspeptidases (GGT), flavin-containing monooxygenase (FMO), and alliinase (ALN). These sequences showed closer relations in phylogenetic analysis between A. hookeri and A. tuberosum (with sequence identities ranging from 86% to 90%) than with Allium cepa or Allium sativum (which had a lower sequence identity ranging from 76% to 88%). Among these assayed genes, ALN, the critical gene controlling the conversion of odorless precursors into odor compounds, was undetected in leaves, bulbs, and roots of A. tuberosum, which could account for its weaker garlic smell. Moreover, we identified a distinct FMO1 gene in extra-wide-leaf A. hookeri that is due to a CDS-deletion and frameshift mutation. These results above reveal the molecular and metabolomic basis of impressive strong odor in wild Chinese chives.

Immobilization of Ionic Liquid on a Covalent Organic Framework for Effectively Catalyzing Cycloaddition of CO2 to Epoxides.

Transforming CO2 into value-added chemicals has been an important subject in recent years. The development of a novel heterogeneous catalyst for highly effective CO2 conversion still remains a great challenge. As an emerging class of porous organic polymers, covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have exhibited superior potential as catalysts for various chemical reactions, due to their unique structure and properties. In this study, a layered two-dimensional (2D) COF, IM4F-Py-COF, was prepared through a three-component condensation reaction. Benzimidazole moiety, as an ionic liquid precursor, was integrated onto the skeleton of the COF using a benzimidazole-containing building unit. Ionization of the benzimidazole framework was then achieved through quaternization with 1-bromobutane to produce an ionic liquid-immobilized COF, i.e., BMIM4F-Py-COF. The resulting ionic COF shows excellent catalytic activity in promoting the chemical fixation of CO2 via reaction with epoxides under solvent-free and co-catalyst-free conditions. High porosity, the one-dimensional (1D) open-channel structure of the COF and the high catalytic activity of ionic liquid may contribute to the excellent catalytic performance. Moreover, the COF catalyst could be reused at least five times without significant loss of its catalytic activity.

Endohedrally Functionalized Heteroleptic Coordination Cages for Phosphate Ester Binding.

Metallosupramolecular hosts of nanoscopic dimensions, which are able to serve as selective receptors and catalysts, are usually composed of only one type of organic ligand, restricting diversity in terms of cavity shape and functional group decoration. We report a series of heteroleptic [Pd2 A2 B2 ] coordination cages that self-assemble from a library of shape complementary bis-monodentate ligands in a non-statistical fashion. Ligands A feature an inward pointing NH function, able to engage in hydrogen bonding and amenable to being functionalized with amide and alkyl substituents. Ligands B comprise tricyclic aromatic backbones of different shape and electronic situation. The obtained heteroleptic coordination cages were investigated for their ability to bind phosphate diesters as guests. All-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in explicit solvent were conducted to understand the mechanistic relationships behind the experimentally determined guest affinities.

Kinesin superfamily protein 21B acts as an oncogene in non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Kinesin superfamily proteins (KIFs) serve as microtubule-dependent molecular motors, and are involved in the progression of many malignant tumors. In this study, we aimed to investigate the expression pattern and precise role of kinesin family member 21B (KIF21B) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: KIF21B expression in 72 cases of NSCLC tissues was measured by immunohistochemical staining (IHC). We used shRNA-KIF21B interference to silence KIF21B in NSCLC H1299 and A549 cells and normal lung epithelial bronchus BEAS-2B cells. The biological roles of KIF21B in the growth and metastasis abilities of NSCLC cells were measured by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8), colony formation and Hoechst 33342/PI, wound-healing, and Transwell assays, respectively. Expression of apoptosis-related proteins was determined using western blot. The effect of KIF21B on tumor growth in vivo was examined using nude mice model. RESULTS: KIF21B was up-regulated in NSCLC tissues, and correlated with pathological lymph node and pTNM stage, its high expression was predicted a poor prognosis of patients with NSCLC. Silencing of KIF21B mediated by lentivirus-delivered shRNA significantly inhibited the proliferation ability of H1299 and A549 cells. KIF21B knockdown increased apoptosis in H1299 and A549 cells, down-regulated the expression of Bcl-2 and up-regulated the expression of Bax and active Caspase 3. Moreover, KIF21B knockdown decreased the level of phosphorylated form of Akt (p-Akt) and Cyclin D1 expression in H1299 and A549 cells. In addition, silencing of KIF21B impeded the migration and invasion of H1299 and A549 cells. Further, silencing of KIF 21B dramatically inhibited xenograft growth in BALB/c nude mice. However, silencing of KIF21B did not affect the proliferation, migration and invasion of BEAS-2B cells. CONCLUSIONS: These results reveal that KIF21B is up-regulated in NSCLC and acts as an oncogene in the growth and metastasis of NSCLC, which may function as a potential therapeutic target and a prognostic biomarker for NSCLC.

Self-Assembly of a Tetraphenylethylene-Based Capsule Showing Both Aggregation- and Encapsulation-Induced Emission Properties.

Functional molecular capsules have attracted a lot of attention in recent years because of their potential applications as chemosensors, catalysis, drug carriers, and so on. We report here the coordination-directed self-assembly of a fluorescent-lantern-type molecular capsule from four tetraphenylethylene-based ditopic ligands and two square-planar palladium(II) ions. The capsule has been thoroughly characterized by UV-vis, 1D/2D NMR, electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The aggregation-induced emission performance of the capsule has been studied by tuning the ratio of mixed solvents. Moreover, with an open cavity, the fluorescence of the capsule also displays anion sensitivity, with the best turn-on responsiveness observed for HCO3-, demonstrating for the first time an encapsulation-induced emission property.

Coordination-Enhanced Luminescence on Tetra-Phenylethylene-Based Supramolecular Assemblies.

Materials with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties have received increased attention recently due to their potential applications in light-emitting devices, chemo/biosensors and biomedical diagnostics. In general, AIE requires the forced aggregation of the AIEgens induced by the poor solvent or close arrangement of AIEgens covalently attached to polymer chains. Here, we report two coordination-enhanced fluorescent supramolecular complexes featuring hierarchically restricted intramolecular motions via the self-assembly of tetraphenylethylene (TPE)-based tetra-dentate (La) and bidentate (Lb) ligands and the cis-Pd(en)(NO3)2 (en = ethylenediamine) unit. While the free ligands are non-emissive in dilute solution and show typical AIE properties in both mixed solvent system and the solid state, the self-assembled complexes maintain their fluorescent nature in the solution state. In particular, the Pd4(La)2 complex shows remarkable 6-fold fluorescent enhancement over La in dilute solution. We anticipate that these kinds of coordination-enhanced emissive supramolecules will find applications in biomedical sensing or labeling.

Corrigendum to "Differences in primary and secondary stroke prevention strategies for Chinese men and women" [Prev. Med. Rep. 33 (2023) 102219].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2023.102219.].