Spermidine (Spd) and spermine (Spm) are biomarkers for various cancers. In the present study, we used 4-dimethylamino-1-naphthyl isothiocyanate as a derivatizing reagent to achieve microwave-assisted nucleophilic addition to Spd and Spm. We designed a strategy comprising an ice bath combined with salting out to increase the efficiency of Spd and Spm derivative extractions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVirtual reality technology offers an extended and repeatable environment for delivering digital learning and training. This study investigated the acceptance of a smartphone virtual reality training program among nursing students for chemotherapy administration using a modified Technology Acceptance Model. The teaching materials for the chemotherapy administration process were designed using smartphone virtual reality to provide prelicensure students with an opportunity to learn procedural steps in a controlled, risk-free environment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEncapsulating peptide-stabilized gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) with thiolated hyaluronic acid (HA-SH) and selectively adding cysteine to the peptide sequence increased their photoluminescence. We found that peptide compositions with cysteine in the middle emitted the most. RCR-stabilized AuNCs can be purified using size-exclusion chromatography to characterize their optical characteristics, chemical composition, and possible structure.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study explores the synthesis and characterization of aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE)-active gold nanoclusters (AuNCs), focusing on their near-infrared luminescence properties and potential applications in biological imaging. These AIEE-active AuNCs were synthesized via the NaBH-mediated reduction of HAuCl in the presence of peptides. We systematically investigated the influence of the peptide sequence on the optical features of the AuNCs, highlighting the role of glutamic acid in enhancing their quantum yield (QY).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Oral mucositis significantly compromises the quality of life for patients undergoing cancer therapies. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of natural products in either preventing or alleviating oral mucositis resulting from cancer treatments.
Methods: A systematic review and network meta-analysis were conducted, sourcing data from the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, Airiti Library, and Wan Fang Data Knowledge Service Platform until August 2023.
Addressing the limitations observed in previous studies, where the quantitative range of nanoprobes for detecting K and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) did not cover concentrations found within living cells, the present study aimed to develop ratiometric nanoprobes that can accurately sense changes in K and ATP levels in living cells and quantify them in human fluids. The proposed nanoprobes consisted of recognition flares modified with 6-carboxyfluorescein (FAM) and 5-carboxytetramethylrhodamine (TAMRA), along with thiolate single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and molybdenum disulfide nanosheets (MoS NSs). The thiolate ssDNA acts as a linker between the flares and the MoS NSs, directly forming a functional nanostructure at room temperature.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAntrodia cinnamomea (AC) is a treasured Asian medicinal mushroom, which has attracted attention due to recent research on its effectiveness in targeting a variety of serious ailments such as cancer and liver diseases. Among different A. cinnamomea constituents, triterpenoids are regarded as the most therapeutically attractive components because of their anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a common symptom, and exercise has shown potential in alleviating CRF. However, there is a need for diverse exercise options tailored to individual patient needs.
Objective: To evaluate the overall effects of a combined walking and resistance band exercise intervention in relieving CRF among cancer patients through randomized controlled trials.
Docetaxel-based chemotherapy has generally been considered as one of the effective treatments for castration-resistant prostate cancer (PCa). However, clinical treatment with docetaxel often encounters a number of undesirable effects, including drug resistance. Tubulin isoforms have been previously examined for their resistance to docetaxel in many cancers, but their real mechanisms remained unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFormaldehyde is a harmful substance that can cause sick building syndrome and other diseases, such as contact allergy, asthma, leukemia, cancer, and brain/neuron disorders. Formaldehyde is a ubiquitous chemical owing to its use in many common products, including as a preservative in household and personal care products. To prevent overexposure to formaldehyde, a simple method for determining and controlling the formaldehyde content in commercial products is required.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is the most distressing side effect in cancer patients and affects the survival rate. However, most patients do not report their fatigue level. This study is aimed to develop an objective CRF assessment method based on heart rate variability (HRV).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study fabricated yellow-emitting CDs (Y-CDs) by hydrothermal treatment of citric acid and urea and applied them as a fluorescence turn-on platform for sensitive and selective detection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) based on the non-shifted AIEE of peptide-stabilized CD aggregates. The designed peptide (named K3) consisting of aggregation-active and LPS-recognition units triggered the aggregation of Y-CDs, switching on their fluorescence through the blue-shifted AIEE process. The formed K3-stabilized Y-CD aggregates (K3-YCDAs) specifically interacted with LPS at neutral pH, demonstrating that the sequence of the decorated peptide was highly connected with their selectivity and sensitivity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChemotherapy agents are cytotoxic materials. Thus, there is a need for the operators to be familiar with the knowledge and procedures before operation. We conducted a randomized controlled trial investigating the effectiveness of an immersive 3D VR teaching of chemotherapy administration operated in a smartphone coupled with a visual and audio device.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) pathology involves extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling in cardiac tissues, thus promoting cardiac fibrosis progression. miR-29a-3p reportedly inhibits lung progression and liver fibrosis by regulating ECM protein expression; however, its role in PAH-induced fibrosis remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of miR-29a-3p in cardiac fibrosis progression in PAH and its influence on ECM protein thrombospondin-2 (THBS2) expression.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAcrylamide is a group 2A carcinogen and potential endocrine disruptor that can enter the ecosystem by various routes and has recently become a dangerous pollutant. This widely used chemical can enter the human body via air inhalation, food or water consumption, or skin contact. In this study, we developed a peptide probe for the detection of acrylamide by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) after its micro-tagging with a peptide.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHigh mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) has been demonstrated to promote the migration and invasion of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the mechanism of action of HMGB1 in regulating tumor mobility remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether HMGB1 affects mitochondria distribution and regulates dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1)-mediated lamellipodia/filopodia formation to promote NSCLC migration.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThrombospondin-1 (TSP1) is involved in corneal wound healing caused by chemical injury. Herein, we examined the effects of TSP1 on hypoxia-induced damages and wound-healing activity in human corneal epithelial (HCE) cells. Exosomal protein expression was determined using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and HCE cell migration and motility were examined through wound-healing assay and time-lapse microscopy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNanoscale Adv
February 2021
Currently, few phosphorescent materials (PMs) possess a long phosphorescence lasting time and have potential for application in chemical sensors. Herein, we disclose that the incorporation of few-layer molybdenum disulfide quantum dots (FL-MoS QDs) into poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) matrices leads to the emission of bright green phosphorescence with a long lasting time of 3.0 s and a phosphorescence quantum yield of 20%.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitors are incretin-based medications used as oral antidiabetic agents for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. However, DPP-4 inhibitors produce side effects like acute pancreatitis, upper respiratory tract infection, nasopharyngitis, urinary tract infection, serious allergies, cardiovascular diseases, hemolysis, and retinopathy. Hence, the development of a fast and simple method to detect DPP-4 inhibitors in body fluids is important.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRationale: Understanding drug-drug interactions and predicting the side effects induced by polypharmacy are difficult because there are few suitable platforms that can predict drug-drug interactions and possible side effects. Hence, developing a platform to identify significant protein markers of drug-drug interactions and their associated side effects is necessary to avoid adverse effects.
Methods: Human liver cells were treated with ethosuximide in combination with cimetidine, ketotifen, metformin, metronidazole, or phenytoin.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely used for symptomatic relief from fever, inflammation, and chronic pain associated with a variety of human disorders. Long-term usage of these drugs can result in severe syndromes; hence, their dose should be controlled carefully and their side effects such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, phototoxicity, acute interstitial nephritis, gastrointestinal bleeding, cardiovascular diseases, and liver injury should be considered. Furthermore, the widely used combination of NSAIDs as over-the-counter (OTC) drugs with other drugs leads to adverse drug-drug interactions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExosomes are implicated in cancer cell development, migration and invasion. Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) is a secreted anticancer protein that can regulate lung cancer progression; however, the role of PEDF in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), including metastasis and cancer cell-derived exosome secretion, is unclear. In this study, we analyzed the effects of PEDF on exosome-mediated migration, invasion, and tumorigenicity of cultured NSCLC cells.
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