MicroRNA-199: A Potential Therapeutic Tool for Hepatocellular Carcinoma in an Experimental Model.

Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the major health problems throughout the world with a very poor prognosis. MicroRNAs are small regulatory non-protein-coding RNA molecules. We aimed at investigating microRNA-199 as a potential therapeutic tool for HCC both in vitro and in an experimental model.

Biosurfactant electrospun nanofibers exhibit minimal side effects on the structure and function of the liver tissue in male rat model.

Oil spills can result in significant damage to marine estuaries, rivers, lakes, wetlands, and shorelines. Electrospun nanofibers containing biosurfactant (ENFs) can be used to clean oil spills up and protect the environmental biology. Present work aimed to study the side-effects of prepared nanofibers on animal models.

Sonochemical preparation of stable porous MnO and its application as an efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction.

Porous MnO as a non-noble metal oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalyst was prepared by a simple sonochemical route. The as-prepared porous MnO exhibited higher electrocatalytic activity, superior stability and better methanol tolerance than commercial Pt/C catalyst in alkaline media. Furthermore, the ORR proceeded via a nearly four-electron pathway.

Enhanced photoelectrochemical aptasensing platform amplified through the sensitization effect of CdTe@CdS core-shell quantum dots coupled with exonuclease-I assisted target recycling.

A novel, enhanced photoelectrochemical aptasensing platform was developed through integrating the sensitization effect of CdTe@CdS core-shell quantum dots (QDs) coupled with exonuclease-I (Exo-I) assisted target recycling for significant signal amplification. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) was selected as the target analyte to exhibit the analytical performance of this platform. Specifically, nitrogen-doped mesoporous TiO (mTiO:N) was firstly synthesized through an evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) method.

Target-triggered triple isothermal cascade amplification strategy for ultrasensitive microRNA-21 detection at sub-attomole level.

MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) is a promising diagnostic biomarker for breast cancer screening and disease progression, thus the method for the sensitive and selective detection of miR-21 is vital to its clinical diagnosis. Herein, we develop a novel method to quantify miR-21 levels as low as attomolar sensitivity by a target-triggered triple isothermal cascade amplification (3TICA) strategy. An ingenious unimolecular DNA template with three functional parts has been designed: 5'-fragment as the miR-21 recognition unit, middle fragment as the miR-21 analogue amplification unit, and 3'-fragment as the 8-17 DNAzyme production unit.

Bacteria-Affinity 3D Macroporous Graphene/MWCNTs/Fe3O4 Foams for High-Performance Microbial Fuel Cells.

Promoting the performance of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) relies heavily on the structure design and composition tailoring of electrode materials. In this work, three-dimensional (3D) macroporous graphene foams incorporated with intercalated spacer of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and bacterial anchor of Fe3O4 nanospheres (named as G/MWCNTs/Fe3O4 foams) were first synthesized and used as anodes for Shewanella-inoculated microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Thanks to the macroporous structure of 3D graphene foams, the expanded electrode surface by MWCNTs spacing, as well as the high affinity of Fe3O4 nanospheres toward Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, the anode exhibited high bacterial loading capability.

A multifunctional core-shell nanoplatform for enhanced cancer cell apoptosis and targeted chemotherapy.

A novel multifunctional nanoplatform was designed based on the combination of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with nucleolin-targeted and doxorubicin (Dox)-loaded manganese dioxide (MnO) nanosheets to induce enhanced cancer cell apoptosis. MnO nanosheets fabricated on the surface of AgNPs served as efficient fluorescence quenchers of Dox. After being internalized into cancer cells, the fluorescence of Dox could be turned on gradually by intracellular glutathione (GSH) which reduces MnO into Mn to release Dox.

Thermal-activated nanocarriers for the manipulation of cellular uptake and photothermal therapy on command.

Smart nanocarriers with switchable surfaces consisting of thermo-sensitive polymers and aptamers have been developed, through which the cellular uptake and photothermal therapy in five different cells could be spatial-temporally controlled on command, which is beneficial in maximizing therapy efficacy and minimizing side effects.

FITC Doped Rattle-Type Silica Colloidal Particle-Based Ratiometric Fluorescent Sensor for Biosensing and Imaging of Superoxide Anion.

Fluorescent nanosensors have been widely applied in recognition and imaging of bioactive small molecules; however, the complicated surface modification process and background interference limit their applications in practical biological samples. Here, a simple, universal method was developed for ratiometric fluorescent determination of general small molecules. Taking superoxide anion (O2(•-)) as an example, the designed sensor was composed of three main moieties: probe carrier, rattle-type silica colloidal particles (mSiO2@hmSiO2 NPs); reference fluorophore doped into the core of NPs, fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC); fluorescent probe for superoxide anion, hydroethidine (HE).

Highly luminescent and biocompatible near-infrared core-shell CdSeTe/CdS/C quantum dots for probe labeling tumor cells.

In this study, double shelled NIR CdSeTe/CdS/C quantum dots (QDs) were synthesized by a liquid phase method. The as-prepared QDs showed low cytotoxicity and good biocompatibility due to the formation of carbon shell. The imaging of targeted Human cervical carcinoma cells (HeLa cells) indicates that the CdSeTe/CdS/C QDs have excellent optical properties and cell viability.

Ultrasensitive photoelectrochemical immunoassay for CA19-9 detection based on CdSe@ZnS quantum dots sensitized TiO2NWs/Au hybrid structure amplified by quenching effect of Ab2@V(2+) conjugates.

A novel, enhanced photoelectrochemical immunoassay was established for sensitive and specific detection of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9, Ag). In this protocol, TiO2 nanowires (TiO2NWs) were first decorated with Au nanoparticles to form TiO2NWs/Au hybrid structure, and then coated with CdSe@ZnS quantum dots (QDs) via the layer-by-layer method, producing TiO2NWs/Au/CdSe@ZnS sensitized structure, which was employed as the photoelectrochemical matrix to immobilize capture CA19-9 antibodies (Ab1); whereas, bipyridinium (V(2+)) molecules were labeled on signal CA19-9 antibodies (Ab2) to form Ab2@V(2+) conjugates, which were used as signal amplification elements. The TiO2NWs/Au/CdSe@ZnS sensitized structure could adequately absorb light energy and dramatically depress electron-hole recombination, resulting in evidently enhanced photocurrent intensity of the immunosensing electrode.

Versatile Microfluidic Platform for the Assessment of Sialic Acid Expression on Cancer Cells Using Quantum Dots with Phenylboronic Acid Tags.

This work describes a versatile microfluidic platform for evaluation of cell-surface glycan expression at the single-cell level using quantum dots (QDs) tagged with phenylboronic acid. The platform was integrated with dual microwell arrays, allowing the introduction of cells in two states using the same cell culture chamber. The simultaneous analysis of cells in the same environment minimized errors resulting from different culture conditions.

Utilization of olive tree branch cellulose in synthesis of hydroxypropyl carboxymethyl cellulose.

This paper describes the functionalization of cellulose extracted from olive tree branches by subjecting it to successive etherification reactions, hydroxypropylation and carboxymethylation. Factors affecting the efficiency of etherification reactions like propylene oxide concentration, alkali concentration, reaction temperature and reaction duration were studied. The etherification efficiency was evaluated by analyzing the mixed cellulose ether to estimate its molar substitution and degree of substitution.

An amplified electrochemical strategy using DNA-QDs dendrimer superstructure for the detection of thymine DNA glycosylase activity.

A triple-signal amplification strategy was proposed for highly sensitive and selective detection of thymine DNA glycosylase (TDG) by coupling a dendrimer-like DNA label with the electrochemical method and quantum dots (QDs) tagging. The DNA-QDs dendrimer-like superstructure was designed by DNA hybridization and covalent assembling. Benefiting from outstanding performance of the amplification strategy, this assay showed high sensitivity, extraordinary stability, and easy operation.

Magnetite/Ceria-Codecorated Titanoniobate Nanosheet: A 2D Catalytic Nanoprobe for Efficient Enrichment and Programmed Dephosphorylation of Phosphopeptides.

Global characterization and in-depth understanding of phosphoproteome based on mass spectrometry (MS) desperately needs a highly efficient affinity probe during sample preparation. In this work, a ternary nanocomposite of magnetite/ceria-codecorated titanoniobate nanosheet (MC-TiNbNS) was synthesized by the electrostatic assembly of Fe3O4 nanospheres and in situ growth of CeO 2 nanoparticles on pre-exfoliated titanoniobate and eventually utilized as the probe and catalyst for the enrichment and dephosphorylation of phosphopeptides. The two-dimensional (2D) structured titanoniobate nanosheet not only promoted the efficacy of capturing phosphopeptides with enlarged surface area, but also functioned as a substrate for embracing the magnetic anchor Fe3O4 to enable magnetic separation and mimic phosphatase CeO2 to produce identifying signatures of phosphopeptides.

Utilization of hydroxypropyl carboxymethyl cellulose in synthesis of silver nanoparticles.

Hydroxypropyl carboxymethyl cellulose samples having varying degrees of substitution and varying degrees of polymerization were used to reduce silver nitrate to silver nanoparticles. UV spectral analysis of silver nanoparticles colloidal solution reveal that increasing the pH of the reduction solution leads to improvement in the intensity of the absorption band for silver nanoparticles, to be maximum at pH 11. The absorption peak intensity also enhanced upon prolonging the reaction duration up to 60 min.

β-Cyclodextrin functionalised gold nanoclusters as luminescence probes for the ultrasensitive detection of dopamine.

A novel luminescence probe based on mono-6-amino-β-cyclodextrin (NH2-β-CD) functionalised gold nanoclusters (β-CD-AuNC) was designed for dopamine (DA) detection. The NH2-β-CD molecules were conjugated onto the surface of 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid capped AuNCs (11-MUA-AuNC) via a carbodiimide coupling reaction. The integrity of the β-CD cavities was preserved on the surface of AuNCs and they retained their capability for molecular DA host-guest recognition.

An upconversion nanocomposite for fluorescence resonance energy transfer based cholesterol-sensing in human serum.

Upconversion nanophosphors (UCNPs) are extremely useful for analytical applications, since they display a high signal-to-noise ratio, and their photobleaching can be ignored. Herein, a novel upconversion nanocomposite composed of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) derivative modified UCNPs and rhodamine B (RB) was prepared for the detection of cholesterol (Cho). The upconversion luminescence (UCL) emission can serve as a Cho-sensing signal by an effective fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) process, using UCNPs as the donor and RB as the quencher.

Highly sensitive photoelectrochemical assay for DNA methyltransferase activity and inhibitor screening by exciton energy transfer coupled with enzyme cleavage biosensing strategy.

Highly sensitive DNA methyltransferase (MTase) activity and inhibitor screening photoelectrochemical (PEC) assay was developed based on the exciton energy transfer (EET) effect coupled with site-specific cleavage of restriction endonuclease (HpaII). The assay was designed by integrating the Au nanoparticles (NPs) labeled probe DNA (pDNA-Au) with CdSe quantum dots (QDs). The strong EET effect between Au NPs and CdSe QDs resulted in the dramatic decrease of photocurrent signal.

Extraction of palm tree cellulose and its functionalization via graft copolymerization.

The work in this paper was planned with the aim of extracting the cellulosic component of palm tree waste and functionalizing this cellulose through graft copolymerization with acrylic acid. The cellulose extraction included hot alkali treatment with aqueous sodium hydroxide to remove the non-cellulosic binding materials. The alkali treatment was followed by an oxidative bleaching using peracid/hydrogen peroxide mixture with the aim of removing the rest of non-cellulosic materials to improve the fiber hydrophilicity and accessibility towards further grafting reaction.

NADH dehydrogenase-like behavior of nitrogen-doped graphene and its application in NAD(+)-dependent dehydrogenase biosensing.

A novel electrochemical biosensing platform for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+))-dependent dehydrogenase catalysis was designed using the nitrogen-doped graphene (NG), which had properties similar to NADH dehydrogenase (CoI). NG mimicked flavin mononucleotide (FMN) in CoI and efficiently catalyzed NADH oxidation. NG also acted as an electron transport "bridge" from NADH to the electrode due to its excellent conductivity.

Bimetallic Pd-Pt supported graphene promoted enzymatic redox cycling for ultrasensitive electrochemical quantification of microRNA from cell lysates.

The expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) is related to some cancer diseases. Recently, miRNAs have emerged as new candidate diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for detecting a wide variety of cancers. Due to low levels, short sequences and high sequence homology among family members, the quantitative miRNA analysis is still a challenge.

Electrically conducting silver/guar gum/poly(acrylic acid) nanocomposite.

This article describes the synthesis of an electrically conducting silver/guar gum/poly(acrylic acid) nanocomposite hydrogel. The synthesis process started with grafting acrylic acid monomers onto the natural polymer guar gum by the use of ammonium persulphate as a free radical initiator in acid medium. Guar gum/poly(acrylic acid) graft copolymer was separated from the polymerization medium, purified and subjected to crosslinking treatment, using alkaline epichlorohydrin as a crosslinking agent.

Antimicrobial activity of silver/starch/polyacrylamide nanocomposite.

A novel silver/starch/polyacrylamide nanocomposite hydrogel was prepared by grafting acrylamide onto starch in presence of silver nitrate by use of ammonium persulphate as an initiator and N,N-methylene-bisacrylamide as a crosslinking agent, then reducing the silver ions enclosed in the hydrogel structure to silver nanoparticles by treating the hydrogel with sodium hydroxide solution. All factors which affect the grafting/crosslinking reaction were optimized and the concentration of silver ion was changed from 0ppm to 50ppm. The produced nanocomposite hydrogel was characterized for its nanosilver content and the UV-spectra showed similar absorption spectra at wavelength 405nm for all AgNO3 concentrations but the plasmon showed increase in the intensity of the absorption peak as AgNO3 concentration incorporated to the hydrogel structure increases.

Microwave-assisted graft copolymerization of amino acid based monomers onto starch and their use as drug carriers.

This paper describes the synthesis of two amino acid-based monomer and their graft copolymerization onto starch and utilization of the prepared graft copolymers as drug carriers. The two monomers were synthesized and reacted with acryloyl chloride to get the corresponding acryloylamino acid, which were further grafted onto starch using the microwave-assisted grafting technique. All factors affecting the efficiency of the grafting reaction were studied and the prepared graft copolymers were fully characterized.