Study on depolymerization kinetics of formic acid dimers in binary mixture.

In this study, polarization Raman spectra were collected for binary mixtures of formic acid/methanol and formic acid/acetonitrile with different volume fractions. The broad band of formic acid in the CO vibration region was divided into four vibration peaks, corresponding to CO symmetric and anti-symmetric stretching vibration from cyclic dimer, CO stretching from open dimer, and CO stretching from the free monomer. The experiments showed that as the volume fraction of formic acid in the binary mixture decreased, the cyclic dimer gradually converted to the open dimer, and at a volume fraction of 0.1, fully depolymerized into monomer form (free monomer, solvated monomer, and hydrogen bonding monomer clusters with solvent). The contribution percentage of the total CO stretching intensity of each structure at different concentrations was quantitatively calculated using high resolution infrared spectroscopy, and the results were consistent with the conclusions predicted by polarization Raman spectroscopy. Concentration-triggered 2D-COS synchronous and asynchronous spectra also confirmed the kinetics of formic acid diluted in acetonitrile. This work provides a spectroscopic method for studying the structure of organic compounds in solution and concentration-triggering kinetics in mixtures.

The intermolecular polar bond interaction and coupling induced spectral splitting phenomenon for a binary mixture.

To explain the polarization Raman noncoincidence effect of specific polar bonds and the noncoincidence phenomenon between FT-Raman and FT-IR spectra, aggregation-induced spectral splitting theory was proposed. In this paper, the vibration splitting theory was demonstrated using two strategies: improving the spectral resolution with cryogenic matrix isolation techniques and identifying cases where the coupling splitting is large enough to be distinguishable. The monomer and dimer splitting bands of acetone were detected when cryogenically isolated by the Ar matrix. Additionally, the polarization Raman and two-dimensional infrared spectra of a ß-propiolactone (PIL)/CCl4 binary mixture were collected at room temperature, and the spectral splitting phenomenon was clearly observed. The dynamic transformation between the monomer and dimer could be achieved and detected by adjusting the PIL concentration. The observed splitting phenomenon was further confirmed by theoretical DFT calculations based on the monomer and dimer of PIL, as well as the FT-IR and FT-Raman spectra of PIL. Concentration-triggered 2D-COS synchronous and asynchronous spectra also confirmed the splitting phenomenon and the dilution kinetics of PIL/CCl4.

The polarized Raman spectra of N-methylpyrrolidone-an effective method for determination of intermolecular interaction and H-bond formation.

The isotropic and anisotropic component Raman spectra and H NMR of N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP)/carbon tetrachloride and NMP/methanol binary mixture at different volume fractions have been collected. The polarization Raman frequencies and frequency differences of CO stretching vibration for NMP/methanol mixture show unique concentration-dependence and abrupt jump feature. It is found that the H-bond between solute and solvent does not destroy the noncoincidence (NCE) phenomenon, but has a significant synergistic effect on the NCE. Two distinctive clusters constrained by H-bond and intermolecular interactions were easily determined by means of linear extension method from abrupt jump curve. The experimental phenomena can be well explained by aggregation-induced splitting theory with the proposed dimer structure and H-bond cluster model. Applying the same methodology the conformation of NMP in water has been determined successfully. The establishment of this method will play an important role in the determination of biomolecule aggregation behavior and supramolecular self-assembly structure.

Aggregation induced spectral splitting and Fermi resonance of Ethylene Carbonate in binary mixture.

The vibration band of the ring stretching (ν14), the fundamental ring breathing (ν17) and the Fermi resonance band of carbonyl stretching mixing with the overtone of the ring breathing (ν5 + 2ν17) have been investigated in solid ethylene carbonate (EC) and EC/CH3CN and EC/CHCl3 binary mixture. Dimer structure with aggregation-induced spectral splitting model (AIS) was applied to calculate the vibration spectra using the B3LYP-D3/6-311+G (d,p) procedure. The noncoincidence effect (NCE) and concentration induced frequency shifts of the ν14 and ν5 could be well explained by AIS model based on the dimer structure. Four bands were observed with two in the isotropic and two in the anisotropic Raman spectra and their NCE value decreased with the decrease of EC volume fraction in the binary mixture, and finally disappeared. NCE value and the Fermi resonance constants of EC at different concentrations were calculated from the experimental data.

High resolution DOA estimation of acoustic plane waves: An innovative comparison among Cuckoo search heuristics and subspace based algorithms.

SONAR signal processing plays an indispensable role when it comes to parameter estimation of Direction of Arrival (DOA) of acoustic plane waves for closely spaced target exclusively under severe noisy environments. Resolution performance of classical MUSIC and ESPRIT algorithms and other subspace-based algorithms decreases under scenarios like low SNR, smaller number of snapshots and closely spaced targets. In this study, optimization strength of swarm intelligence of Cuckoo Search Algorithm (CSA) is accomplished for viable DOA estimation in different scenarios of underwater environment using a Uniform Linear Array (ULA). Higher resolution for closely spaced targets is achieved using smaller number of snapshots viably with CSA by investigating global minima of the highly nonlinear cost function of ULA. Performance analysis of CSA for different number of targets employing estimation accuracy, higher resolution, variance analysis, frequency distribution of RMSE over the monte Carlo runs and robustness against noise in the presence of additive-white Gaussian measurement noise is achieved. Comparative studies of CSA with Root MUSIC and ESPRIT along with Crammer Rao Bound analysis witnesses better results for estimating DOA parameters which are further endorsed from the results of Monte Carlo simulations.

Synergistic combination of ACQ and AIE moieties to enhance the emission of hexagonal metallacycles.

Herein, we show the synergistic combination of aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) and aggregation-induced emission (AIE) units into two hexagonal metallacycles. The resultant metallacycles displayed emergent photophysical properties including tunable fluorescence using the polarity and solubility of the solvents as well as enhanced emissive efficacy. Our work demonstrates the synergistic enhancement of these two orthogonal effects via coordination-driven self-assembly.

A line-scanning chromatic confocal sensor for three-dimensional profile measurement on highly reflective materials.

We developed a practical Line-Scanning Chromatic Confocal Sensor (LSCCS) that can generate three-dimensional (3D) points with up to 32 000/s with a high-precision motion device. An optical route of line-scanning confocal spectroscopy is designed and verified by simulation. The LSCCS is composed of a white laser source, a chromatic confocal optics, and a self-developed spectrometer. The chromatic confocal optics consists of a slit, a chromatic lens (dispersive objective lens), and a beam splitter, and the spectrometer consists of an adjustable slit, a collimating lens, a blazed grating, a focusing lens, a CMOS, and an image processing circuit. The slit and the chromatic lens are designed for a line focus, and the polarizing beam splitter is selected to maximize the white light power collected by the CMOS. The motion device is made to realize the full-field 3D scanning. The key algorithms involved are developed to accurately restore the peak wavelength that includes the position information of the measured surface from the collected spectral image. Theoretical analysis and simulation showed that the corresponding resolutions in Z (depth), X (direction of optical fibers layout), and Y (direction of line-scanning) directions are 0.6, 10, and 5 µm, with a line length of 8 mm and a depth field of 2.4 mm. Experimental results showed that the sensor produces a measurement accuracy of 0.886 µm and a scanning speed of 90 fps. It is of great significance for the accurate measurement of the 3D profile and thickness on the highly reflective materials in the fields of optics, semiconductors, or micromechanics.

UV-Vis, Raman spectroscopic and density functional theoretical studies on microsolvation 1, 2, 4-triazole-3-thione clusters.

Photophysical and photochemical reactions of microsolvation clusters are attracting an increasing attention due to their wide applications in materials science and biology. In this paper, 1, 2, 4-triazole-3-thione (3TT) is investigated in solid, protic, and aprotic solvents using FT-Raman, resonance Raman and electronic absorption spectroscopic experiments. The structures of microsolvation clusters in solvents were confirmed by 488 nm Raman spectroscopy combining with density functional theory (DFT) calculation. Steady-state absorption and resonance Raman spectra of 3TT in different environments indicate that the intermolecular hydrogen bonding may reveal important insights in the photophysical and photochemical process. With the aid of DFT and time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations, we assigned the observed Raman spectra to the microsolvation clusters in acetonitrile, water and methanol, and carried out preliminary investigations on spectrum shifts of UV and Raman spectra due to the hydrogen bonding with the solvent molecules. The intermolecular >NH···O and >=S···H hydrogen bonding interactions, which are the key constituents of stable thione structure of 3TT, revealed the obvious spectrum shifts of 3TT, including Raman and absorption shifts in CH3CN, CH3OH and H2O. The hydrogen bond sites were further confirmed to be located on the functional group SCNH of 3TT with CH3CN, H2O and CH3OH.

Robust underwater image enhancement method based on natural light and reflectivity.

The poor visibility of underwater images is caused not only by scattering and absorption effects but is also related to light conditions. To improve robustness, a novel underwater image enhancement method based on natural light and reflectivity is proposed. Aiming at the scattering effects of reflectivity, a dehazing process based on the non-correlation of a foreground scene and background light is first conducted. Then, a more precise reflectivity can be estimated by substituting the captured image with the dehazed image. Moreover, classical methods often regard the dehazed image as the final result, but ignore the fact that attenuated natural light and nonuniform artificial light, which lead to insufficient brightness and halo effects, are included in the dehazed image, and are not robust to all scenes. This phenomenon enables us to remove the artificial light disturbance by introducing the dehazed image in the Lambertian model, and compensate for the loss of natural light energy by exploiting the light attenuation ratio map. Thus, the least-attenuated natural light can be further derived. Experimental results demonstrate that our method is satisfactory in producing more pleasing results under various circumstances.

Anti-cancer effect of miR-139-3p on laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma by targeting rab5a: In vitro and in vivo studies.

BACKGROUND: Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Nowadays, as traditional treatment methods are gradually limited, the development of new treatment methods needs to be resolved. This study aimed to investigate the role of microRNA(miR)-139-3p in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma, and further explored the underlying mechanism. METHODS: In this study, we first used quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to detect the level of miR-139-3p in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma tissue. Then, TargetScan and dual luciferase reporter assay were used to explore and verify whether rab5a was a direct target of miR-139-3p. Thereafter, the expression of miR-139-3p and rab5a in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma cell line SNU46 was changed by transfection with miR-139-3p mimic or rab5a-plasmid. Then, SNU46 cell proliferation, cell apoptosis, cell cycle, cell migration and cell invasion were determined using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), flow cytometry, scratch assay and Transwell assay, respectively. Finally, mouse tumor formation experiments were used to test whether miR-139-3p still exerted its role in inhibiting laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma in vivo. RESULTS: Compared with the adjacent normal tissues, miR-139-3p significantly down-regulated in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma tissue. It was confirmed by dual luciferase reporter experiment that rab5a was a direct target of miR-139-3p. Moreover, the up-regulation of miR-139-3p could effectively inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma cells, and induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. In the molecular level study, we found that up-regulation of miR-139-3p inhibited the expression of rab5a in SNU46 cells. In addition, the protein and mRNA expression of factors related to cell migration, invasion, proliferation and apoptosis, such as integrin ß1, Focal adhesion kinase (FAK), paxillin, B cell lymphoma-2 (bcl-2), nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9), in SNU46 cells were changed after miR-139-3p up-regulation. Consistent with the results of in vitro studies, in vivo experiments showed that miR-139-3p mimic inhibited laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma tumor growth. All the effects of miR-139-3p on laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma were reversed by rab5a over-expression. CONCLUSION: miR-139-3p could inhibit laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma by targeting rab5a both in vitro and in vivo.

Individualized treatment for allergic rhinitis based on key nasal clinical manifestations combined with histamine and leukotriene D4 levels / Tratamento individualizado para a rinite alérgica baseado nas principais manifestações clínicas nasais e dos níveis de histamina e leucotrieno D4

Abstract Introduction The types of allergic rhinitis are roughly classified based on the causative antigens, disease types, predilection time, and symptom severity. Objective To examine the clinical typing and individualized treatment approach for allergic rhinitis and to determine the optimal treatment method for this disease using various drug combination therapies. Methods A total of 108 participants with allergic rhinitis were divided into three groups based on symptoms. Subsequently, each group was further categorized into four subgroups based on the medications received. The efficacy of the treatments was evaluated using the visual analog scale VAS scores of the total and individual nasal symptoms, decline index of the symptom score, histamine and leukotriene levels, and mRNA and protein expression levels of histamine 1 and cysteinyl leukotriene 1 receptors. Results Loratadine + mometasone furoate and loratadine + mometasone furoate + montelukast significantly improved the sneezing symptom and reduced the histamine levels compared with the other combination therapies (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, montelukast + mometasone furoate and montelukast + mometasone furoate + loratadine considerably improved the nasal obstruction symptom and decreased the leukotriene D4 levels compared with the other combination therapies (p < 0.05). Conclusion Clinical symptom evaluation combined with experimental detection of histamine and leukotriene levels can be an objective and accurate method to clinically classify the allergic rhinitis types. Furthermore, individualized treatment based on allergic rhinitis classification can result in a good treatment efficacy.

Resumo Introdução A rinite alérgica é basicamente classificada de acordo com os antígenos causadores, tipos de doença, peridiocidade e gravidade dos sintomas. Objetivo Avaliar os tipos clínicos e a abordagem terapêutica individualizada para cada tipo de rinite alérgica e determinar o método de tratamento ideal utilizando várias terapias de combinação de fármacos. Método Um total de 108 participantes com rinite alérgica foram divididos em três grupos com base nos sintomas. Posteriormente, cada grupo foi subsequentemente categorizado em quatro subgrupos com base nos medicamentos recebidos. A eficácia dos tratamentos foi avaliada utilizando os escores da escala visual analógica EVA dos sintomas nasais totais e individualmente, índice de declínio do escore de sintomas, níveis de histamina e leucotrienos e níveis de expressão de mRNA e proteína dos receptores de histamina 1 e cisteinil-leucotrieno 1. Resultados As associações entre loratadina + furoato de mometasona, assim como a de loratadina + furoato de mometasona + montelucaste melhoraram significativamente o sintoma de espirros e reduziram os níveis de histamina em comparação às outras terapias combinadas (p < 0,05). Por outro lado, a associação montelucaste + furoato de mometasona, assim como a associação montelucaste + furoato de mometasone + loratadina melhoraram consideravelmente o sintoma de obstrução nasal e diminuíram os níveis de leucotrieno D4 em comparação com as outras combinações (p < 0,05). Conclusão A avaliação clínica dos sintomas combinada com a detecção experimental dos níveis de histamina e leucotrieno pode ser um método objetivo e preciso para classificar clinicamente os tipos de rinite alérgica. Além disso, o tratamento individualizado baseado na classificação da rinite alérgica pode resultar no aumento da eficácia do tratamento.

The noncoincidence phenomenon of acetonylacetone C[double bond, length as m-dash]O stretching in a binary mixture and the aggregation-induced split theory.

This article aims to correlate the noncoincidence effect phenomenon with the aggregation state of acetylacetone C[double bond, length as m-dash]O stretching in a binary mixture. C[double bond, length as m-dash]O stretching noncoincidence effect (NCE) was observed not only between IR and Raman spectra but also between the isotropic and anisotropic Raman spectra of acetonylacetone. The difference in C[double bond, length as m-dash]O stretching wavenumbers of the isotropic and anisotropic Raman spectra (NCE value) in a binary mixture at different concentrations has been calculated. We found that both isotropic and anisotropic Raman wavenumbers of C[double bond, length as m-dash]O stretching increase with the dilution of acetonylacetone by CCl4 while the NCE value decreases. These noncoincidence and concentration effect phenomena seem to go against the quantum theory. Herein, we proposed an aggregation-induced split (AIS) model to explain the NCE phenomenon and concentration effect. The experimental data were consistent with the DFT calculations performed at the B3LYP-D3/6-311++G (d,p) levels based on the proposed model. The dynamics of transformation from monomers to an aggregated structure can be easily controlled by tuning the concentration. Solvent dependent experiments show that the value of NCE decreased with the increase of the solvent dielectric constant at the same concentration, which is in accordance with Logan's theory.

Individualized treatment for allergic rhinitis based on key nasal clinical manifestations combined with histamine and leukotriene D4 levels.

INTRODUCTION: The types of allergic rhinitis are roughly classified based on the causative antigens, disease types, predilection time, and symptom severity. OBJECTIVE: To examine the clinical typing and individualized treatment approach for allergic rhinitis and to determine the optimal treatment method for this disease using various drug combination therapies. METHODS: A total of 108 participants with allergic rhinitis were divided into three groups based on symptoms. Subsequently, each group was further categorized into four subgroups based on the medications received. The efficacy of the treatments was evaluated using the visual analog scale VAS scores of the total and individual nasal symptoms, decline index of the symptom score, histamine and leukotriene levels, and mRNA and protein expression levels of histamine 1 and cysteinyl leukotriene 1 receptors. RESULTS: Loratadine+mometasone furoate and loratadine+mometasone furoate+montelukast significantly improved the sneezing symptom and reduced the histamine levels compared with the other combination therapies (p<0.05). Meanwhile, montelukast+mometasone furoate and montelukast+mometasone furoate+loratadine considerably improved the nasal obstruction symptom and decreased the leukotriene D4 levels compared with the other combination therapies (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Clinical symptom evaluation combined with experimental detection of histamine and leukotriene levels can be an objective and accurate method to clinically classify the allergic rhinitis types. Furthermore, individualized treatment based on allergic rhinitis classification can result in a good treatment efficacy.

Noncoincidence Effects of Dimethyl Carbonate in Binary Mixtures Probed by Raman Spectroscopy: Experimental and DFT Calculations.

The components of isotropic Raman and anisotropic Raman for dimethyl carbonate (DMC) dispersed in cyclohexane and acetone at different volume fractions were recorded separately. The noncoincidence effects (NCE) of the ν7(C=O) stretching mode were calculated accordingly. The NCE values (ΔνNCE) of the ν7(C=O) versus DMC volume fractions in the DMC/C6H12 mixtures exhibits a convex (upward) curvature pattern, while the ΔνNCE vs concentration in the DMC/CH3COCH3 mixtures exhibits a concave (downward) curvature. These different NCE behaviors in the different binary mixtures may arise from the solvent-induced aggregation character. Thus, monomer and dimer structures of DMC were optimized and the vibration spectra were obtained using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. An aggregation model was suggested to expound the DMC's characteristic NCE behavior and concentration effect. We found that the theoretical spectra from DFT/polarizable continuum model calculation based on the aggregation model is in accordance with our experimental data. Solvent-dependent experiments show the ΔνNCE values increase with the decrease of the solvent dielectric constant under the identical volume fractions.

Preparation of the heterojunction catalyst N-doping carbon quantum dots/P25 and its visible light photocatalytic activity.

N-doping carbon quantum dots were successfully loaded on P25 nanoparticles (denoted as N-CDs/P25) by facile hydrothermal process, and their morphology and chemical structure were systematically studied. The carrier of N-CDs can significantly broaden the photoresponse range of the P25 to the visible region, accelerate charge transportation and separation. Application of the N-CDs/P25 material for the photocatalytic decomposition of Rhodamine B (RhB) gave improved activity relative to P25. The best degradation activity obtained at 6mL N-CDs/P25 under visible light irradiation, which shows a 13.06 fold photocatalytic activity over P25. Radical trapping control experiment and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) measurements have been applied to explore the photodegradation dynamic and visible-light driven degradation mechanism. This work provides new insights into the fabrication of N-doping carbon quantum dots/TiO2 composite and is promising to open new possibilities in the application of carbon-TiO2 composites as the photocatalysts in the environmental protection issues.

Comprehensive evaluation of wild Cordyceps cicadae from different geographical origins by TOPSIS method based on the macroscopic infrared spectroscopy (IR) fingerprint.

Cordyceps cicadae is an entomogenous fungus that has been used as a valuable traditional Chinese herbal tonic, however, it can be difficult to discern the false from the genuine. In this study, the macroscopic IR fingerprint methods containing Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and second derivative infrared spectroscopy (SD-IR) were used to elucidate wild C. cicadae. The TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) method was used to comprehensively evaluate C. cicadae from different geographical origins based on the macroscopic infrared spectroscopy (IR) fingerprint. The FT-IR spectra of C. cicadae exhibited the major characteristics of the absorptive peaks of carbohydrates, lipids and nucleosides at the position of 3291, 2925, 2845, 1651, 1547, 1455, 1080 and 950 cm-1. The high resolution of SD-IR further amplified the difference and revealed the potentially characteristic IR absorption spectrum. TOPSIS evaluation showed that C. cicadae from Anhui possess the strongest intensity of absorption bands among all the samples. Notably, FT-IR combined with SD-IR can effectively reveal the overall chemical components without damaging medicinal materials, and TOPSIS methods can provide a novel scientific evidence for comprehensively assessing different origins of wild C. cicadae.

Construction of carbon quantum dots/single crystal TiO2 nanosheets with exposed {001} and {101} facets and their visible light driven catalytic activity.

Carbon quantum dots were successfully doped into anatase TiO2 single crystal nanosheets (TNS) with exposed {001} and {101} reactive facets by a facile solvothermal process. SEM and TEM confirmed the as-prepared TiO2 nanosheet structure and that the dominant exposed face is the {001} facet, and the loaded N-CDs are nearly spherical with an average size of about 3 nm. XPS results confirmed that the deposited N-CDs were chemically integrated into the TiO2 nanosheets. UV-vis DRS spectroscopy shows that with the dotting of N-CDs, the absorption edge of N-CDs/TNS has been extended into the visible light region. The ability of the N-CDs/TNS to degrade Rhodamine B (RhB) in aqueous solution under visible light irradiation (λ ≥ 400 nm) was investigated. The results show that the photocatalytic performance of N-CDs/TNS was substantially improved relative to pure TNS. The photodegradation efficiency reached its maximum value with 6 mL of N-CDs/TNS, showing a 9.3-fold improvement in photocatalytic activity over TNS. Fluorescence spectroscopy (PL) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies were conducted to characterize the active species during the degradation period, based on which the possible photodegradation mechanism of N-CDs/TNS by visible light irradiation was given.

The Pinx1 Gene Downregulates Telomerase and Inhibits Proliferation of CD133+ Cancer Stem Cells Isolated from a Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cell Line by Regulating Trfs and Mad1/C-Myc/p53 Pathways.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are important factors for the continuous growth, recurrence, and metastasis of malignant tumors. They are responsible for the ineffectiveness of traditional radiotherapy and chemotherapy toward malignant tumors. Currently, stem cells or side-population cells have been isolated from many cancer cell lines and malignant tumor tissues, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Exploring the biological characteristics of CSCs for CSC-targeted therapy has gained importance. CSCs possess higher telomerase activity; thus, the use of the gene encoding telomerase inhibitor PinX1 gene to target telomerase in CSCs and inhibit proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of CSCs has become an important means for the treatment of malignant tumors. PinX1 may regulate complex pathways, including TRF1, Mad1/c-Myc, and p53. METHODS: In this study, nasopharyngeal CD133+ CSCs were sorted using CD133 immunomagnetic beads by flow cytometry The successful isolation of CD133+ CSCs was confirmed by examining their surface markers, namely CD44, NaNOG, and SOX2 as well as their ability to undergo in vivo tumorigenesis and in vitro sphere formation, proliferation, migration, and invasion. In addition, CD133+ CSCs were transfected with the constructed PinX1 overexpression plasmid or siRNA and the resulting effects on their proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis were detected using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), transwell assay, and scratch test, respectively. Furthermore, their effects on mRNA and protein levels of TRF1, TRF2, Mad1, c-Myc, and p53 were examined using quantitative real-time PCR and western blot, respectively. RESULTS: The overexpression of PinX1 in CD133+ CSCs significantly decreased hTERT (P < 0.001), inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion, induced apoptosis, and significantly decreased c-Myc mRNA levels (P < 0.001), while it increased TRF1, Mad1, and p53 mRNA levels (all P < 0.001). On the other hand, PinX1 silencing in CD133+ CSCs significantly decreased TRF1, Mad1, and p53 mRNA levels (all P < 0.01), while it increased hTERT and c-Myc mRNA levels (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: These results indicate that PinX1 downregulates telomerase activity in CD133+ CSCs, inhibits its proliferation, migration, and invasion, and induces apoptosis possibly through TRF1, Mad1/c-Myc, and p53-mediated pathways.

Identification of genes and pathways in nasopharyngeal carcinoma by bioinformatics analysis.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a metastatic malignant tumor originating from nasopharyngeal epithelium. Lacking or nonspecific symptoms of patients with early stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma have significantly reduced the accuracy of diagnosing and predicting nasopharyngeal carcinoma development. This study aimed to identify gene signatures of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and uncover potential mechanisms. Two gene expression profiles (GSE12452 and GSE13597) containing 56 nasopharyngeal carcinoma samples and 13 normal control samples were analyzed to identify the differentially expressed genes. In total, 179 up-regulated genes and 238 down-regulated genes were identified. Functional and pathway enrichment analysis showed that up-regulated genes were significantly involved in cell cycle, oocyte meiosis, DNA replication and p53 signaling pathway, while down-regulated genes were enriched in Huntington's disease,metabolic pathways. Subsequently, the top 10 hub genes, TOP2A (topoisomerase (DNA) II alpha), CDK1 (cyclin-dependent kinase 1), CCNB1 (cyclin B1), PCNA (proliferating cell nuclear antigen), MAD2L1 (mitotic arrest deficient 2 like 1), BUB1 (budding uninhibited by benzimidazoles 1 homolog), CCNB2 (cyclin B2), AURKA (aurora kinase A), CCNA2 (cyclin A2), CDC6 (cell division cycle 6 homolog), were identified from protein-protein interaction network. Furthermore, Module analysis revealed that the ten hub genes except TOP2A were belonged to module 1, indicating the upregulation of these hub genes associated molecular pathways in nasopharyngeal carcinoma might activate nasopharyngeal carcinoma pathogenesis. In conclusion, this study indicated that the identified differentially expressed genes and hub genes enrich our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, which could eventually translate into additional biomarkers to facilitate the early diagnosis and therapeutic approaches.

Local order and vibrational coupling of the C=O Stretching Mode of γ-Caprolactone in liquid binary mixtures.

The isotropic and anisotropic parts Raman spectra of γ-Caprolactone in the binary mixture at different concentrations have been measured. The non-coincidence effect (NCE) of γ-Caprolactone was determined in carbon tetrachloride solution and DMSO solution. The NCE of the ν11(C=O) stretching mode in the γ-Caprolactone/DMSO mixtures exhibits a linear plot, in contrast to that in the γ-Caprolactone/CCl4 mixtures, which shows an upward (convex) curvature. The reduction and enhancement of the dimer structure (short-range orientational order) of γ-Caprolactone in the γ-Caprolactone/DMSO and γ-Caprolactone/CCl4 mixtures respectively may play a major role in shifting of peak frequencies, thus the geometries of monomer and dimer of γ-Caprolactone were calculated at the B3LYP-D3/6-311 G (d,p) level of theory. We proposed aggregated model to explain the γ-Caprolactone C=O vibration NCE phenomenon and its concentration effect and found it largely consistent with our experimental findings. Solvent dependent experiment show the value of NCE declined with the increase of the solvent dielectric constant under the same condition which is consistent with the Logan's theory.