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Magnetorheological (MR) fluids have been successfully utilized in versatile fields but are still limited by their relatively inferior long-term dispersion stability. Herein, bio-inspired passion fruit-like Fe3O4@C nanospheres were fabricated via a simple hydrothermal and calcination approach to tackle the settling challenge. The unique structures provide sufficient active interfaces for the penetration of carrier mediums, leading to preferable wettability between particles and medium oils. Compared with the bare Fe3O4 nanoparticle suspension, the resulting Fe3O4@C nanosphere-based MR fluid exhibits desirable stability and relatively low field-off viscosity even at a high particle concentration up to 35 vol %.
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The development of two-dimensional (2D) inorganic materials-based quantum dots (QDs) is still in its infancy but is triggering immense enthusiasm due to their high chemical stability, good aqueous dispersibility, excellent optical property, good biocompatibility and easy functionalization. This review covers almost all the extant 2D-QDs based on graphene, phosphorene, silicene, carbides, nitrides, transition metal dichalcogenide, transition metal oxides and MXenes, etc. Their categories, synthetic routes, properties, functionalization and applications are critically highlighted. In the application section, special emphasis is placed on the progress in bioimaging, cancer therapy, fluorescent sensing and optoelectronics. Meanwhile, the latest advances in 2D QDs-based catalysis and energy since 2015 are addressed. Moreover, 2D nanoclusters, in particular 2D-QDs, are also included. This review provides guidance for 2D-QDs studies to meet the increasing demands in the many diverse applications.
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The Pickering emulsion process is an important and interesting way of forming hybrid soft matter particles stabilized by solid particles as surfactants instead of the extensive use of conventionally available organic surfactant molecules. This Highlight briefly reviews stimuli-responsive polymer/inorganic hybrid materials fabricated by Pickering emulsion polymerization along with the rheological characteristics of their electrorheological and magnetorheological smart fluids under electric and magnetic fields, respectively.
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Results obtained in various species, from mammals to invertebrates, show that arrest in the cell cycle of mature oocytes is due to a high ERK activity. Apoptosis is stimulated in these oocytes if fertilization does not occur. Our previous data suggest that apoptosis of unfertilized sea urchin eggs is the consequence of an aberrant short attempt of development that occurs if ERK is inactivated. They contradict those obtained in starfish, another echinoderm, where inactivation of ERK delays apoptosis of aging mature oocytes that are nevertheless arrested at G1 of the cell cycle as in the sea urchin. This suggests that the cell death pathway that can be activated in unfertilized eggs is not the same in sea urchin and in starfish. In the present study, we find that protein synthesis is necessary for the survival of unfertilized sea urchin eggs, contrary to starfish. We also compare the effects induced by Emetine, an inhibitor of protein synthesis, with those triggered by Staurosporine, a non specific inhibitor of protein kinase that is widely used to induce apoptosis in many types of cells. Our results indicate that the unfertilized sea urchin egg contain different mechanisms capable of leading to apoptosis and that rely or not on changes in ERK activity, acidity of intracellular organelles or intracellular Ca and pH. We discuss the validity of some methods to investigate cell death such as measurements of caspase activation with the fluorescent caspase indicator FITC-VAD-fmk or acidification of intracellular organelles, methods that may lead to erroneous conclusions at least in the sea urchin model.
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Apoptose/efeitos dos fármacos , MAP Quinases Reguladas por Sinal Extracelular/metabolismo , Óvulo/citologia , Ouriços-do-Mar/citologia , Animais , Cálcio/metabolismo , Caspase 3/metabolismo , Emetina/farmacologia , Mitocôndrias/metabolismo , Óvulo/efeitos dos fármacos , Biossíntese de Proteínas , Inibidores de Proteínas Quinases/farmacologia , Inibidores da Síntese de Proteínas/farmacologia , Ouriços-do-Mar/fisiologia , Transdução de Sinais , Estaurosporina/farmacologiaRESUMO
Graphene oxide (GO), a graphene-related material containing oxygen-functional groups, has attracted considerable attention because of its strongly hydrophilic behavior and potential use in GO-hybrid composites. We put our focus on the fabrication and rheological characteristics of GO-based electrorheological and magnetorheological smart fluids under electric and magnetic fields, respectively in this Highlight. A brief perspective on the significant role of GO in tribology and the amphiphilic characteristics of Pickering emulsions are also included.
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Silica-graphene oxide (Si-GO) hybrid composite particles were prepared by the hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) in the presence of hydrophilic GO obtained from a modified Hummers method. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images provided visible evidence of the silica nanoparticles grafted on the surface of GO, resulting in Si-GO hybrid composite particles. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra indicated the coexistence of silica and GO in the composite particles. The Si-GO hybrid composite particles showed better thermal stability than that of GO according to thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The electrorheological (ER) characteristics of the Si-GO hybrid composite based ER fluid were examined further by optical microscopy and a rotational rheometer in controlled shear rate mode under various electric field strengths. Shear stress curves were fitted using both conventional Bingham model and a constitutive Cho-Choi-Jhon model. The polarizability and relaxation time of the ER fluid from dielectric spectra measured using an LCR meter showed a good correlation with its ER characteristics.
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Immunotherapy is an individualized therapeutic strategy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, few molecular targets are clinically satisfactory. This work aimed to integrate bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing data to identify novel biomarkers involved in NPC. We performed differentially expressed gene (DEG) analysis, Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis, and immune cell infiltration analysis prior to correlation analysis of the identified genes and immune cells and further assessed the prognostic effects of the biomarkers and immune cells in NPC. As a result, PKP1, a potential molecular biomarker associated with immune infiltration, and tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte-B cells (TIL-Bs) were identified as promising therapeutic targets for NPC. Importantly, immunohistochemistry (IHC) validated that PKP1 protein expression was mainly found in NPC cells rather than noncancerous cells. In addition, the tumor microenvironment (TME) of NPC was characterized by the infiltration of more dendritic cells (DCs) and γδT cells but fewer B cells. Our results suggest that the interaction of PKP1 and TIL-B cells is involved in NPC development. It is possible that TIL-B cells produce immunoglobulin G (IgG) to tumor antigens, such as PKP1, or viral antigens, including EBV and HPV, to execute antitumor ability through DC and T cells. In response, NPC cells express proteins such as PKP1 (absent in normal nasopharynx) to induce myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSC) expansion, which subsequently impairs the proliferation of B cells and results in B-cell death by generating iNOS and NOX2. In summary, our findings provide a potential therapeutic strategy for NPC by disrupting the interaction of PKP1 and TIL-Bs in the TME.
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BACKGROUND: The efficacy and safety of ticagrelor following percutaneous coronary intervention for patients with acute coronary syndrome remains unclear. This study sought to evaluate clinical outcomes of ticagrelor as part of dual-antiplatelet treatment for these patients. METHODS: PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, and other Internet sources were searched for eligible citations. The primary end point was major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, consisting of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, and stroke. The secondary end point was the occurrence of definite/probable stent thrombosis (ST). The risk of bleeding was chosen to be the safety end point. RESULTS: Eleven clinical trials - six randomized trials and five observational trials - were finally analyzed. A tendency toward reduction in the risk of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events was observed only with respect to ticagrelor (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.66-1.03; P=0.091), which might have resulted from the lower risk of cardiovascular death (OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.68-0.89; P<0.001). The overall incidence of ST differed significantly between the ticagrelor group and the clopidogrel group (OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.59-0.93; P=0.009), but the risk of bleeding, regardless of major or minor bleeding, increased significantly. CONCLUSION: As part of dual-antiplatelet treatment following percutaneous coronary intervention, ticagrelor significantly reduced the risk of cardiovascular death and ST in acute coronary syndrome patients, but at the cost of bleeding. More powerful relevant randomized trials are still warranted to guide clinical decision-making.
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Síndrome Coronariana Aguda/tratamento farmacológico , Síndrome Coronariana Aguda/cirurgia , Clopidogrel/uso terapêutico , Intervenção Coronária Percutânea , Ticagrelor/uso terapêutico , Clopidogrel/administração & dosagem , Humanos , Estudos Observacionais como Assunto , Ensaios Clínicos Controlados Aleatórios como Assunto , Ticagrelor/administração & dosagemRESUMO
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a particularly common malignant disease in areas of south China and Southeast Asia. To characterize the gene expression profiling of NPC, we detected the gene expression profiles in 22 NPC and 10 nontumor nasopharyngeal epithelial tissues by complementary DNA microarray. We identified 503 genes that were significantly (P < .001) differentially regulated between NPC and nontumor nasopharyngeal epithelial tissues. The differentially expressed genes are involved in many signaling pathways, such as the Wnt, transforming growth factor-beta, and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways. The aberrant expression of the Wnt signaling pathway components, such as wingless-type MMTV integration site family, member 5A, Frizzled homolog 7, casein kinase IIbeta, beta-catenin, CREB-binding protein, and Dishevelled-associated activator of morphogenesis 2 was validated on the NPC tissue microarrays. The data suggest that the Wnt signaling pathway may be abnormally regulated in NPC, which provides insight into the molecular mechanisms of NPC.
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Perfilação da Expressão Gênica , Neoplasias Nasofaríngeas/patologia , Transdução de Sinais/genética , Proteínas Wnt/genética , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Proteína de Ligação a CREB/genética , Proteína de Ligação a CREB/metabolismo , Caseína Quinase II/genética , Caseína Quinase II/metabolismo , Análise por Conglomerados , Feminino , Receptores Frizzled/genética , Receptores Frizzled/metabolismo , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica/genética , Humanos , Imuno-Histoquímica , Hibridização In Situ , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Neoplasias Nasofaríngeas/genética , Neoplasias Nasofaríngeas/fisiopatologia , Análise de Sequência com Séries de Oligonucleotídeos/métodos , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas/genética , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas/metabolismo , RNA Mensageiro/genética , RNA Mensageiro/metabolismo , Receptores Acoplados a Proteínas G/genética , Receptores Acoplados a Proteínas G/metabolismo , Transdução de Sinais/fisiologia , Proteínas Wnt/metabolismo , Proteína Wnt-5a , beta Catenina/genética , beta Catenina/metabolismoRESUMO
Epithelial surfaces constitute natural immunobarriers against environmental threats. These barriers are brimming with fluids that bind, transport, cleave or degrade bacterial cells and their endotoxic by-products. Saliva and the airway surface-lining fluid (ASL) comprise the important fluid constituents. Short palate, lung and nasal epithelium clone 1 (SPLUNC1) is a potential host defensive protein that is secreted from the submucosal gland to the saliva and nasal lavage fluid. However, its antimicrobial spectrum and antimicrobial mechanism is not clear. Through green fluorescence protein (GFP) mediated subcellular localization experiments in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) HNE1 cell line, we determined that the intracellular GFP-tagged SPLUNC1 protein binds to a miniscule microorganisms, approximately 50-400nm in size, after the bactericidal permeability increasing protein (BPI) domain was deleted, GFP-tagged truncated SPLUNC1 protein lost its function of binding to the miniscule microorganisms. We verified that these microorganisms are nanobacteria (NB) with a negative staining using transmitted electronic microscope (TEM) and immunofluorescent analysis using an NB-specific antibody. We isolated and cultured the NB from the cultured nasopharyngeal carcinoma epithelia HNE1 cell supernatant. We found that the NB did not absorb the Hoechst stain, even when we extended the staining time to 35min. However, with the time extension the larger sized NB (larger than 300nm) did stain positively. From the biopsy specimen of NPC, we also detected the NB, which can lead to the swelling of mitochondria in the infected host cells. We hypothesize that SPLUNC1 and NB co-localization is due to the GFP-tagged SPLUNC1 protein binding to the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of the Gram-negative NB, which can play an important role in the host defense of nasopharyngeal epithelium. This research sheds new light on the mechanism of SPLUNC1 involvement in the host upper respiratory tract defense system.
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Bactérias/metabolismo , Proteínas Sanguíneas/metabolismo , Células Epiteliais/microbiologia , Glicoproteínas/química , Glicoproteínas/metabolismo , Proteínas de Membrana/metabolismo , Neoplasias Nasofaríngeas/metabolismo , Neoplasias Nasofaríngeas/microbiologia , Fosfoproteínas/química , Fosfoproteínas/metabolismo , Peptídeos Catiônicos Antimicrobianos , Bactérias/ultraestrutura , Biópsia , Proteínas de Fluorescência Verde/metabolismo , Humanos , Neoplasias Nasofaríngeas/patologia , Neoplasias Nasofaríngeas/ultraestrutura , Estrutura Terciária de Proteína , Transporte Proteico , Proteínas Recombinantes de Fusão/metabolismo , Células Tumorais CultivadasRESUMO
Studies have revealed that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection, genetic aberration, and environmental factors are of importance in the development of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), although the definite mechanism remains to be fully elucidated. The aim of our study is to investigate using tissue microarray analysis whether differential expression of EBV-encoded small RNA-1 (EBER-1) and several tumor-related genes were associated with NPC carcinogenesis. Immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization were performed on tissue microarrays containing 148 NPCs and 164 noncancerous nasopharyngeal epithelia (NPE) with different morphologic features. We found that overexpressions of EBER-1 hybridization signals, p53, p21ras, and bcl-2 proteins and loss expressions of p16 and p27 proteins were significantly increased in NPC tissues compared with normal NPE and hyperplastic NPE (P = .001). The overexpressions of EBER-1 and p53 (P < .001) and the loss expressions of P16 (P < .001) and P27 (P = .005) were also significantly higher and more frequently observed in NPC than in dysplastic NPE. The positive expression of EBER-1 hybridization signals in NPC had significant associations with overexpressions of p53 (P < .001), p21ras (P = .041), and bcl-2 proteins (P < .001) and loss expression of p16 protein (P = .001). Further analysis confirmed that the abnormal expression of p53, p16, and p27 proteins occurred in the earliest stage of nasopharyngeal epithelial carcinogenesis. In the final logistic regression analysis model, the positive hybridization signals of EBER-1 and the abnormal expression of p53, p16, and p27 proteins were independent contributions for nasopharyngeal carcinogenesis, and EBER-1 was the most significant, independent predictor of nasopharyngeal carcinogenesis (hazard ratio = 13.412, 95% confidence interval 6.179-29.111, P < .001). In conclusion, EBV infection, together with overexpressions of p53, and loss expressions of p16 and p27 proteins are involved in the multistep process of human nasopharyngeal epithelial carcinogenesis.
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Adenocarcinoma/virologia , Neoplasias Nasofaríngeas/virologia , Proteínas de Neoplasias/metabolismo , RNA Viral/análise , Análise Serial de Tecidos/métodos , Adenocarcinoma/metabolismo , Adenocarcinoma/patologia , Biomarcadores Tumorais/genética , Biomarcadores Tumorais/metabolismo , Células Epiteliais/metabolismo , Células Epiteliais/patologia , Humanos , Hiperplasia , Imuno-Histoquímica , Hibridização In Situ , Neoplasias Nasofaríngeas/metabolismo , Neoplasias Nasofaríngeas/patologia , Proteínas de Neoplasias/genéticaRESUMO
Novel Fe3O4/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) composite nanoparticles were synthesized and confirmed by FT-IR spectra as good candidates for magnetic stimuli-responsive magnetorheological (MR) materials. The morphology of Fe3O4/RGO was observed by both scanning and transmission electron microscopy and their sedimentation stability improved due to a decreased density of the synthesized composites. The MR performance of the Fe3O4/RGO-based fluid was investigated with a rotational rheometer, and the Cho-Choi-Jhon model of the rheological equation of state was adopted to explain their performances for the entire shear rate region.
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OBJECTIVE: To analyze the expression and location of coding protein of UBAP1 gene and to understand the relationship between the expression pattern of the protein and cell carcinogenesis. METHODS: Bioinformatics was used to analyze the protein character to provide an available clue of subsequent research. The codon frame cDNA was amplified by PCR, and subcloned into enhance green fluorescence protein (EGFP) of pEGFP-C2. The recombinant plasmid was transfected into HNE1 cells. The expression of coding protein was observed by fluorescence microscopy. RESULTS: The expressed GFP-fusion protein generated striking green fluorescence in the cytoplasm in HNE1 cells. EGFP/UBAP1 was expressed and existed mainly in the nuclear, especially accumulated on the nuclear envelope. CONCLUSION: The expression difference in HNE1 might be related to the carcinogenesis of NPC.
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Neoplasias Nasofaríngeas/metabolismo , Proteínas de Neoplasias/biossíntese , Sequência de Bases , Proteínas de Transporte , Proteínas de Fluorescência Verde/biossíntese , Proteínas de Fluorescência Verde/genética , Humanos , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Proteínas de Neoplasias/genética , Proteínas Recombinantes/biossíntese , Proteínas Recombinantes/genética , TransfecçãoRESUMO
Core-shell structured electrorheological (ER) and magnetorheological (MR) particles have attracted increasing interest owing to their outstanding field-responsive properties, including morphology, chemical and dispersion stability, and rheological characteristics of shear stress and yield stress. This study covers recent progress in the preparation of core-shell structured materials as well as their critical characteristics and advantages. Broad emphasises from the synthetic strategy of various core-shell particles to their feature behaviours in the magnetic and electric fields have been elaborated.
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Carcinoma Nasofaríngeo/imunologia , Carcinoma Nasofaríngeo/metabolismo , Neoplasias Nasofaríngeas/imunologia , Neoplasias Nasofaríngeas/metabolismo , Autoantígenos/metabolismo , Proteínas de Ligação a Ácido Graxo , Glicoproteínas/metabolismo , Humanos , Imunidade Inata/imunologia , Lactoferrina/metabolismo , Fosfoproteínas/metabolismo , Proteínas/metabolismoRESUMO
Electro-responsive core-shell structured particles were fabricated in two steps. In the first step, a spherical and monodisperse poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) core was prepared by dispersion polymerization with an epoxy group, which was then functionalized with an amine functional group (ami-PGMA) via an epoxide-amine reaction with ethylenediamine. In the second step, a conducting polyaniline (PANI) shell was grafted onto the ami-PGMA surface via the in situ polymerization of an aniline monomer with a uniform thickness. The epoxy group on the PGMA microspheres provided a simple and fast way to react with amine functional groups without the need for a further swelling or grafting process. The morphology of the core-shell structure was confirmed by scanning election microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The electrorheological properties of the PGMA/PANI particles-based suspension were examined using a Couette-type rotational rheometer under an applied electric field. The shear stress curves were fitted to the Cho-Choi-Jhon (CCJ) model of the rheological equation of state.
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Compostos de Anilina/química , Microesferas , Modelos Químicos , Ácidos Polimetacrílicos/química , Microscopia Eletrônica de Varredura , Microscopia Eletrônica de Transmissão , Reologia/métodos , Resistência ao CisalhamentoRESUMO
Novel polarizable graphene oxide (GO) particles with oxidized groups on their edge and basal planes were prepared by a modified Hummers method, and their electro-responsive electrorheological (ER) characteristics when dispersed in silicone oil were examined with and without an electric field applied. The fibrillation phenomenon of this GO-based electro-responsive fluid was also observed via an optical microscope under an applied electric field. Both flow curves and dielectric spectra of the ER fluid were measured using a rotational rheometer and a LCR meter, respectively. Its viscoelastic properties of both storage and loss moduli were also examined using a vertical oscillation rheometer equipped with a high voltage generator, finding that the GO-based smart ER system behaves as a viscoelastic material under an applied electric field.
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A graphene oxide/titania (GO/TiO(2)) nanocomposite was fabricated by a facile electrostatic attraction method. With high polarization of GO particles and a relatively high dielectric constant of TiO(2) nanoparticles, the GO/TiO(2) nanocomposite is observed to be a potential electro-responsive electrorheological material under an applied electric field.
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Transcription factors (TFs) are crucial modulators of gene regulation during the development and progression of tumors. We previously reported the activation of TFs in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cell lines. In this study, we explored the activity profiles of TFs in Protein/DNA array data of a 12-tissue independent set and a 13-tissue pooled set of NPC that included different clinical stages. TFs associated with tumor progression were revealed using a generalized linear model-based regression analysis. Immunohistochemical analysis of clinical NPC samples was used to validate the results of array analysis. We identified 26 TFs that showed increased activities. Of these 26 TFs, 16 were correlated with clinical stages. Activity changes of AP2 and ATF/CREB were confirmed by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), and increased expression of AP2α, ß, γ, ATF2, and ATF1 in nuclei of tumor cells was associated with clinical stages. In addition, the expressions of AP2α, ATF2, and ATF1 were correlated with those of their target genes (epithelia growth factor receptor (EGFR) and matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2), respectively). This study provides data and valuable clues that can be used to further investigate the laws of gene transcription regulation in NPC and to identify suitable targets for the development of TF-targeted antitumor agents.
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Neoplasias Nasofaríngeas/metabolismo , Proteínas de Neoplasias/metabolismo , Análise de Sequência com Séries de Oligonucleotídeos , Fatores de Transcrição/metabolismo , Sequência de Bases , Western Blotting , Sondas de DNA , Progressão da Doença , Ensaio de Desvio de Mobilidade Eletroforética , Feminino , Humanos , Imuno-Histoquímica , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Neoplasias Nasofaríngeas/patologia , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase Via Transcriptase ReversaRESUMO
A nanocomposite of colloidal graphene oxide (CGO) and polyaniline (PANI) was fabricated via in situ oxidation polymerization in the presence of CGO prepared via a modified Hummers method without a dopant, in which the graphene oxide was individually exfoliated. Its electrorheological properties and other physical characteristics were studied.