Ion-Exchange Reaction-Mediated Hierarchical Dual Z-Scheme Heterojunction for Split-Type Photoelectrochemical Immunoassays.

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) immunoassays with ultrasensitive detection abilities are highly desirable for in vitro PEC diagnosis and biological detection. In this paper, dual Z-scheme PEC immunoassays with hierarchical nanostructures (TiO2@NH2-MIL-125@CdS) are synthesized through epitaxial growth of MOF-on-MOF and further in situ derivatization. The dual Z-scheme configuration not only extends the light absorption range but also increases the redox ability due to the interface structure nanoengineering, which synergistically suppresses bulk carrier recombination and promotes the charge transfer efficiency at the electron level. Furthermore, a smart MOF-derived labeling probe (CuO@ZnO nanocube) is designed to develop a split-type PEC biosensor by using prostate-specific antigen (PSA) as a target biomarker. In the presence of PSA, the Ab2-labeled CuO@ZnO would specifically bond to the dual Z-scheme electrode. Then, the MOF-derived CuO@ZnO is dissolved by hydrochloric acid to release Cu2+, which could replace Cd2+ via an ion-exchange reaction, thus leading to the decrease of the photocurrent due to the destruction of the dual Z-scheme configuration. In typical applications, the split-type PEC immunoassay exhibits an excellent detection performance for PSA with a LOD as low as 0.025 pg·mL-1.

Overexpression of Dermokine-α enhances the proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of pancreatic tumor cells.

Pancreatic cancer is a prevalent malignancy of the digestive system and a major cause of cancer-associated deaths. Previous studies have shown that mutation in the dermokine-ß (DMKN-ß) gene causes pancreatic and colorectal cancer. The role of the carboxy-terminal domain of DMKN-ß and dermokine-α (DMKN-α) genes in cancer tumorigenesis. Herein, the role of DMKN-α in pancreatic cancer (PC) tumorigenesis and the mechanisms underlying this process were investigated. Differentially expressed genes between PC and matched normal cells were identified through RNA-seq analysis, and the corresponding protein expression levels were verified using Western blot analysis. In vivo tumor formation experiment was also performed in nude mice. We found that the DMKN-α gene was overexpressed in cancerous pancreatic cell lines compared to normal pancreatic cell lines. CCK-8, colony formation, RTCA test, wound healing, as well as transwell test showed that the overexpression of DMKN-α enhanced the proliferation, migration, invasion, and EMT of PC cells. In vivo assays confirmed that DMKN-α promotes tumorigenesis. The findings of this study show that DMKN-α is a potential oncogene for pancreatic cancer.

Anionic metal-organic framework as a unique turn-on fluorescent chemical sensor for ultra-sensitive detection of antibiotics.

Herein, an anionic metal-organic framework, formulated as {[Zn3(OH)(bmipia)(H2O)3]4·[Zn(H2O)6.5]2}n (FCS-3), was prepared from zinc ions and semi-rigid carboxylate ligands of 5-[N,N-bis(5-methylisophthalic acid)amion] isophthalic acid (H6bmipia) and was employed as a unique fluorescence turn-on chemical sensor for the ultra-sensitive detection of various antibiotics in the aqueous phase.

Islet transplantation attenuates cardiac fibrosis in diabetic rats through inhibition of TGF-ß1/Smad3 pathway.

Although islet transplantation has been identified as a promising endocrine replacement treatment for patient with diabetes mellitus (DM), it still remains unclear whether islet transplantation can inhibit the diabetic-induced myocardial injury and subsequent adverse ventricular remodeling. Here, we sought to explore the molecular mechanism underlying the cardioprotective effect of islet transplantation. We established the diabetic rat model by intraperitoneal injection of STZ, which was followed by either islet transplantation or conventional insulin treatment. Compared with insulin treatment, islet transplantation further reduced the elevated blood glucose which was nearly restored to normoglycaemia. In addition, islet transplantation attenuated the increased levels of cTn-I and CK-MB, cleaved-caspase-3 in response to DM, and ameliorated diabetic-induced cardiac hypertrophy and interstitial fibrosis, along with improved extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition. Moreover, diabetic rats that underwent islet transplantation had lower expression of TGF-ß1 and lower phosphorylation levels of Smad3. Therefore, islet transplantation exerted protective effect against diabetic-induced myocardial injury and fibrotic remodeling through deactivation of TGF-ß1/Smad3 signaling pathway.

Fluorescent Metal-Organic Framework (MOF) as a Highly Sensitive and Quickly Responsive Chemical Sensor for the Detection of Antibiotics in Simulated Wastewater.

A Zn(II)-based fluorescent metal-organic framework (MOF) was synthesized and applied as a highly sensitive and quickly responsive chemical sensor for antibiotic detection in simulated wastewater. The fluorescent chemical sensor, denoted FCS-1, exhibited enhanced fluorescence derived from its highly ordered, 3D MOF structure as well as excellent water stability in the practical pH range of simulated antibiotic wastewater (pH = 3.0-9.0). Remarkably, FCS-1 was able to effectively detect a series of sulfonamide antibiotics via photoinduced electron transfer that caused detectable fluorescence quenching, with fairly low detection limits. Two influences impacting measurements related to wastewater treatment and water quality monitoring, the presence of heavy-metal ions and the pH of solutions, were studied in terms of fluorescence quenching, which was nearly unaffected in sulfonamide-antibiotic detection. Additionally, the effective detection of sulfonamide antibiotics was rationalized by the theoretical computation of the energy bands of sulfonamide antibiotics, which revealed a good match between the energy bands of FCS-1 and sulfonamide antibiotics, in connection with fluorescence quenching in this system.

catena-Poly[[[tetra-aqua-cobalt(II)]-µ-4,4'-bipyridine-κN:N'] pyridine-3,5-dicarboxyl-ate trihydrate].

The crystal structure of the title compound, {[Co(C(10)H(8)N(2))(H(2)O)(4)](C(7)H(3)NO(4))·3H(2)O}(n), consists of Co(II) polymeric complex cations, uncoordinated pyridine-3,5-dicarboxyl-ate anions and lattice water mol-ecules. The Co(II) cation is coordinated by two N atoms from two 4,4'-bipyridine ligands and four water mol-ecules in a distorted octa-hedral geometry. The 4,4'-bipyridine ligands bridge Co cations, forming a polymeric chain running along the b axis. The two pyridine rings of the 4,4'-biyridine are twisted to each other by a dihedral angle of 8.95 (9)°. Extensive O-H⋯O hydrogen bonding network is present in the crystal structure.