Cycloastragenol inhibits adipogenesis and fat accumulation in vitro and in vivo through activating Hedgehog signaling.

Unlabelled: In this study, we investigated the effect of cycloastragenol (CAG), a triterpenoid isolated from roots, on regulating the adipogenesis and fat accumulation in vitro and in vivo. During the adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 cells, CAG inhibited lipid accumulation and the expression of key adipogenic factors, proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and CCAAT enhancer binding protein α (C/EBPα) and increased the expression of Gli1, a key mediator in Hedgehog (Hh) signaling. In HFD-induced animal experiment, CAG significantly reduced body weight gain without affecting brown fat weight.

Role of a cyclopentadienyl ligand in a heteroleptic alkoxide precursor in atomic layer deposition.

Alkoxide precursors have been highlighted for depositing carbon-free films, but their use in Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) often exhibits a non-saturated growth. This indicates no self-limiting growth due to the chain reaction of hydrolysis or ligand decomposition caused by β-hydride elimination. In the previous study, we demonstrated that self-limiting growth of ALD can be achieved using our newly developed precursor, hafnium cyclopentadienyl tris(N-ethoxy-2,2-dimethyl propanamido) [HfCp(edpa)3].

Curcumol metabolized by rat liver S9 fraction and orally administered in mouse suppressed the proliferation of colon cancer in vitro and in vivo.

Following 3R (reduction, refinement, and replacement) principles, we employed the rat liver S9 fraction to mimic liver metabolism of curcumol having high in vitro IC on cancer cells. In HCT116 and HT29 colon cancer cells, the metabolites of curcumol by S9 fraction exerted more enhanced activity in inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis via regulating the expression of cyclin D1, CDK1, p21, PARP and Bcl-2 than curcumol. In addition, oral administration of curcumol at 4 mg/kg BW significantly suppressed the development of colon tumor induced by azoxymethane/dextran sulfate sodium, and induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in tumor tissues.

Amidoxime-Containing Zr and Hf Atomic Layer Deposition Precursors for Metal Oxide Thin Films.

In this article, we discuss the synthesis of eight novel zirconium and hafnium complexes containing amidoxime ligands as potential precursors for atomic layer deposition (ALD). Two amidoximes, ()-'-hydroxy-,-dimethylacetimidamide (mdaoH) and ()-'-hydroxy-,-dimethylpivalimidamide (tdaoH), along with their Zr and Hf homoleptic complexes, Zr(mdao) (), Hf(mdao) (), Zr(tdao) (), and Hf(tdao) () were prepared. We further synthesized heteroleptic compounds with different physical properties by introducing cyclopentadienyl (Cp) ligand, namely, CpZr(mdao) (), CpHf(mdao) (), CpZr(tdao) (), and CpHf(tdao) ().

Novel Volatile Heteroleptic Barium Complexes Using Tetradentate Ligand and β-Diketonato Ligand.

Novel barium heteroleptic complexes were synthesized through the substitution of the bis(trimethylsilyl)amide of Ba(btsa)·2DME with aminoalkoxide and β-diketonate ligands. Compounds [Ba(ddemap)(tmhd)] () and [Ba(ddemmp)(tmhd)] () were obtained and analyzed through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, thermogravimetric analysis, and elemental analysis (ddemapH = 1-(dimethylamino)-5-((2-(dimethylamino)ethyl) (methyl)amino)pentan-3-ol and ddemmpH = 1-(dimethylamino)-5-((2-(dimethylamino)ethyl) (methyl)amino)-3-methylpentan-3-ol). In single-crystal X-ray crystallography, complex exhibited a dimeric structure with μ-O bonds of the ddemap ligand.

Synthesis of Mononuclear Strontium Complexes with Polyether and β-Diketonato Ligands.

Strontium β-diketonate complexes were synthesized by the substitution reaction of the bis(trimethylsilyl) amide of Sr(btsa)·2DME with an ethereal group and β-diketonate ligands. The compounds [Sr(tmge)(btsa)] (), [Sr(tod)(btsa)] (), Sr(tmgeH)(tfac) (), Sr(tmgeH)(acac) (), Sr(tmgeH)(tmhd) (), Sr(todH)(tfac) (), Sr(todH)(acac) (), Sr(todH)(tmhd) (), Sr(todH)(hfac) (), Sr(dmts)(hfac) (), [Sr(mee)(tmhd)] (), and Sr(dts)(hfac)·DME () were obtained and analyzed by various techniques, including FT-IR, NMR, TGA (thermogravimetric analyses), and elemental analysis. Complexes , , , , , , and were further structurally confirmed by single-crystal X-ray crystallography, where complexes and showed dimeric structures with μ-O bonds of ethereal groups or tmhd ligands, and complexes , , , , and displayed monomeric structures.

Amidoxime-Containing Ti Precursors for Atomic Layer Deposition of TiN Thin Films with Suppressed Columnar Microstructure.

This paper reports the synthesis of three novel titanium complexes containing amidoxime ligands as potential precursors for titanium nitride (TiN) thin films fabricated using atomic layer deposition (ALD). A series of ligands, ., '-methoxy--methylacetimidamide (mnnoH), '-ethoxy--methylacetimidamide (ennoH), and '-methoxy--methylbenzimidamide (pnnoH), were successfully synthesized and used to produce Ti(mnno)(NMe) (), Ti(enno)(NMe) (), and Ti(pnno)(NMe) ().

A vertically paired electrode for redox cycling and its application to immunoassays.

An electrochemical immunoassay based on the redox cycling method was presented using vertically paired electrodes (VPEs), which were fabricated using poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) as an electrode material and parylene-C as a dielectric layer. For the application to immunoassays, different electrochemical properties of PEDOT:PSS were analyzed for the redox reaction of 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB, the chromogenic substrate for enzyme-immunoassays) at different pH conditions, including the conductivity (), electron transfer rate constant (), and double-layer capacitance (). The influencing factors on the sensitivity of redox cycling based on VPE based on PEDOT:PSS were analyzed for the redox reaction of TMB, such as the electrode gap and number of electrode pairs.

Carbon electrode obtained pyrolysis of plasma-deposited parylene-C for electrochemical immunoassays.

In this study, parylene-C films from plasma deposition as well as thermal deposition were pyrolyzed to prepare a carbon electrode for application in electrochemical immunoassays. Plasma deposition could prepare parylene-C in a faster deposition rate and more precise control over the thickness in comparison with the conventional thermal deposition. To analyze the influence of the deposition method, the crystal and electronic structures of the pyrolyzed parylene-C films obtained both deposition methods were compared using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy.

Novel Heteroleptic Tin(II) Complexes Capable of Forming SnO and SnO Thin Films Depending on Conditions Using Chemical Solution Deposition.

A new heteroleptic complex series of tin was synthesized by the salt metathesis reaction of SnX (X = Cl, Br, and I) with aminoalkoxide and various -alkoxy-functionalized carboxamide ligands. The complexes, [ClSn(dmamp)] (), [BrSn(dmamp)] (), and [ISn(dmamp)] (), were prepared from the salt metathesis reaction of SnX with one equivalent of dmamp; [Sn(dmamp)(empa)] (), [Sn(dmamp)(mdpa)] (), and [Sn(dmamp)(edpa)] () were prepared via the salt metathesis reaction using complex with one equivalent of -alkoxy-functionalized carboxamide ligand. Complexes - displayed dimeric molecular structures with tin metal centers interconnected by μ-O bonding via the alkoxy oxygen atom.

Rapid Analysis of Bacterial Contamination in Platelets without Pre-Enrichment Using Pig Serum-Derived Antibodies.

As the shelf life of platelets collected from donated blood is very short, approximately 5 days, the determination of bacterial contamination in platelets has become necessary. In this study, rapid analysis of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial contamination in platelet samples was presented without pre-enrichment using pig serum-derived antibodies against the outer membrane proteins (OMP) of Gram-negative bacteria and antibodies against lipoteichoic acid (LTA) on the surface of Gram-positive bacteria. The anti-OMP antibodies against Gram-negative bacteria were isolated using sequential incubation with (1) the modified Gram-negative bacteria ClearColi, which lacks lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on the outer membrane, and (2) the Gram-positive bacteria to filter away nonspecifically bound proteins from ClearColi.

Group IV Transition Metal (M = Zr, Hf) Precursors for High-κ Metal Oxide Thin Films.

This paper describes the synthesis of eight novel zirconium and hafnium complexes containing -alkoxy carboxamidate-type ligands, as potential precursors for metal oxides and atomic layer deposition (ALD) for HfO. A series of ligands, viz., -ethoxy-2,2-dimethylpropanamide (edpaH), -ethoxy-2-methylpropanamide (empaH), and -methoxy-2,2-dimethylpropanamide (mdpaH), were used to afford complexes Zr(edpa) (), Hf(edpa) (), Zr(empa) (), Hf(empa) (), Zr(mdpa) (), Hf(mdpa) (), ZrCp(edpa) (), and HfCp(edpa) ().

Liquid Metal-Based Soft Electronics for Wearable Healthcare.

Wearable healthcare devices have garnered substantial interest for the realization of personal health management by monitoring the physiological parameters of individuals. Attaining the integrity between the devices and the biological interfaces is one of the greatest challenges to achieving high-quality body information in dynamic conditions. Liquid metals, which exist in the liquid phase at room temperatures, are advanced intensively as conductors for deformable devices because of their excellent stretchability and self-healing ability.

Senescent Tumor Cells Build a Cytokine Shield in Colorectal Cancer.

Cellular senescence can either support or inhibit cancer progression. Here, it is shown that intratumoral infiltration of CD8 T cells is negatively associated with the proportion of senescent tumor cells in colorectal cancer (CRC). Gene expression analysis reveals increased expression of C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12) and colony stimulating factor 1 (CSF1) in senescent tumor cells.

Diagnosis of severe sepsis using phospholipids enzymatic assay based on cyclic voltammetry.

In this work phospholipid quantification was carried out using an enzymatic assay based on cyclic voltammetry of the condensation product of N-ethyl-N-(2-hydroxy-3-sulfopropyl)-3,5-dimethoxyaniline sodium salt (DAOS) and 4-aminoantipyrine (4-AP) with a graphite electrode. For the optimization of electrochemical measurement for the product, electrochemical properties such as the electrochemical window, double layer capacitance (Cdl) and electron transfer rate (kapp) were analyzed for a graphite-electrode and Au-electrode. The phospholipid enzymatic assay based the on electrochemical measurement using the graphite electrode was applied to the diagnosis of sepsis for sera from healthy volunteers (n = 16), patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS, n = 16) and severe sepsis patients (n = 24).

Microbial biosensor for Salmonella using anti-bacterial antibodies isolated from human serum.

In this work, we present a novel microbial biosensor for Salmonella based on impedance spectrometry by using isolated antibodies against a specific bacterial strain from human serum. Anti-Salmonella (or BL21(DE3)) antibodies were isolated from human serum using S. enteritidis (or BL21(DE3)) and the mutant strain ClearColi.

The Extent of Late Gadolinium Enhancement Can Predict Adverse Cardiac Outcomes in Patients with Non-Ischemic Cardiomyopathy with Reduced Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction: A Prospective Observational Study.

Objective: The clinical course of an individual patient with heart failure is unpredictable with left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) only. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR)-derived myocardial fibrosis extent and to determine the cutoff value for event-free survival in patients with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) who had severely reduced LVEF.

Materials And Methods: Our prospective cohort study included 78 NICM patients with significantly reduced LV systolic function (LVEF < 35%).

Heteroleptic manganese compounds as potential precursors for manganese based thin films and nanomaterials.

Heteroleptic manganese compounds, [Mn(tmhd)(TMEDA)Cl] (1), [Mn(tmhd)(dmamp)] (2), Mn(tmhd)(edpa)(μ-THF) (3), [Mn(dmampea)(NEt)] (4), and Mn(dmampea)(Pr-MeAMD) (5), were synthesized and characterized. Compound 5 was a volatile liquid. Structural analysis revealed that 1-4 were dimers.

Application of a thermophoretic immunoassay in the diagnosis of lupus using outer membrane particles from E. coli.

Thermophoresis is the physical diffusion of molecules from hot to cold induced by a thermal gradient. Thermophoresis has been used to evaluate the interaction of biomolecules in solution. In this study, the outer membrane from E.

Synthesis and characterization of novel zinc precursors for ZnO thin film deposition by atomic layer deposition.

A novel series of zinc complexes, [EtZn(dab)]2 (1), [EtZn(damb)]2 (2), [EtZn(damp)]2 (3), and [EtZn(dadb)]2 (4), were prepared via single-step substitution. Further, these were analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), elemental analysis, single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The X-ray crystallography analysis revealed that all complexes exist as dimeric structures with distorted tetrahedral geometry having zinc centers that are interconnected via μ2-O bonding of the aminoalkoxy oxygen atom.

Electrochemical Detection of C-Reactive Protein in Human Serum Based on Self-Assembled Monolayer-Modified Interdigitated Wave-Shaped Electrode.

An electrochemical capacitance immunosensor based on an interdigitated wave-shaped micro electrode array (IDWµE) for direct and label-free detection of C-reactive protein (CRP) was reported. A self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of dithiobis (succinimidyl propionate) (DTSP) was used to modify the electrode array for antibody immobilization. The SAM functionalized electrode array was characterized morphologically by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX).

Wafer-Scale, Conformal, and Low-Temperature Synthesis of Layered Tin Disulfides for Emerging Nonplanar and Flexible Electronics.

Two-dimensional (2D) metal dichalcogenides have drawn considerable interest because they offer possibilities for the implementation of emerging electronics. The emerging electronics are moving toward two major directions: vertical expansion of device space and flexibility. However, the development of a synthesis method for 2D metal dichalcogenides that meets all the requirements remains a significant challenge.

Incidence, Risk Factors and Prognosis of Contrast-Induced Acute Kidney Injury in Acute Heart Failure Patients Undergoing Coronary Angiography.

Background And Objectives: Heart failure (HF) is a well-known risk factor for contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI). We sought to evaluate the risk factors and prognostic impact of CI-AKI in patients with AHF who undergo coronary angiography (CAG).

Methods: A total 594 patients with AHF underwent CAG from May 1, 2011 to December 31, 2013.

Prognostic values of novel biomarkers in patients with AL amyloidosis.

As cardiac involvement is the most important prognostic marker in light-chain amyloidosis (AL), revised Mayo staging for AL incorporated N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP) and troponin T (TnT). However, prognostic value of novel biomarkers, such as soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2), growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15), or osteopontin (OPN) is unknown in AL amyloidosis. We aimed to investigate additive predictive effects of novel biomarkers for overall mortality rates of AL amyloidosis patients.