Solution-Processed Thick Hole-Transport Layer for Reliable Quantum-Dot Light-Emitting Diodes Based on an Alternatingly Doped Structure.

The operating lifetime of quantum-dot light-emitting diodes (QLED) is a bottleneck for commercial display applications. To enhance the operational stability of QLEDs, we developed a robust solution-processed highly conductive hole-transport-layer (HTL) structure, which enables a thick HTL structure to mitigate the electric field. An alternating doping strategy, which involves multiple alternating stacks of 4,4'-di(naphthalen-1-yl)-4,4'-bis(4-vinylphenyl)biphenyl-4,4'-diamine and phosphomolybdic acid layers, could provide significantly improved conductivity; more specifically, the 90 nm-thick alternatingly doped HTL exhibited higher conductivity than the 45 nm-thick undoped HTL.

Bubble-free diatoms polymerase chain reaction.

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in small fluidic systems not only improves speed and sensitivity of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) amplification but also achieves high-throughput quantitative analyses. However, air bubble trapping and growth during PCR has been considered as a critical problem since it causes the failure of DNA amplification. Here we report bubble-free diatom PCR by exploiting a hierarchically porous silica structure of single-celled algae.

All-Solution-Processed Quantum Dot Light-Emitting Diode Using Phosphomolybdic Acid as Hole Injection Layer.

In this study, we investigate phosphomolybdic acid (PMA), which allows solution processing of quantum dot light-emitting diodes. With its low cost, easy solution processes, and excellent physical and optical properties, PMA is a potential candidate as the hole injection layer (HIL) in optoelectronic devices. We evaluate the physical and electrical properties of PMA using various solvents.

Sensitive and Direct Optical Monitoring of Release and Cellular Uptake of Aqueous CO from CO-Releasing Molecules.

Dynamics of release and cellular uptake of aqueous CO from CO-releasing molecules (CORMs) significantly affect signaling and cell viability. So far, it has been mainly observed by IR, UV-visible, and fluorescence techniques, which suffer from poor sensitivity and slow response time. Here, we show how to directly probe the mass transfer of aqueous CO from CORMs to cells using a fluidic chamber integrated with live cells and Raman reporters of large-area Au@Pd core-shell nanoparticle assembly to emulate a physiologically relevant microenvironment.

APC loss induces Warburg effect via increased PKM2 transcription in colorectal cancer.

Background: Most cancer cells employ the Warburg effect to support anabolic growth and tumorigenesis. Here, we discovered a key link between Warburg effect and aberrantly activated Wnt/β-catenin signalling, especially by pathologically significant APC loss, in CRC.

Methods: Proteomic analyses were performed to evaluate the global effects of KYA1797K, Wnt/β-catenin signalling inhibitor, on cellular proteins in CRC.

A mutant KRAS-induced factor REG4 promotes cancer stem cell properties via Wnt/β-catenin signaling.

Mutant KRAS provides a driving force for enhancement of cancer stem cells (CSCs) characteristics contributing transformation of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells harboring adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) mutations. Here, we identified the factors mediating the promotion of CSCs properties induced by KRAS mutation through microarray analyses of genes specifically induced in CRC spheroids harboring both KRAS and APC mutations. Among them, REG4 was identified as a key factor since CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of REG4 most significantly affected the stem cell characteristics in which CSCs markers were effectively suppressed.

A Therapeutic Strategy for Chemotherapy-Resistant Gastric Cancer via Destabilization of Both β-Catenin and RAS.

Treatment of advanced gastric cancer patients with current standard chemotherapeutic agents frequently results in resistance, leading to poor overall survival. However, there has been no success in developing strategies to overcome it. We showed the expression levels of both β-catenin and were significantly increased and correlated in tissues of 756 gastric cancer (GC) patients and tissues of primary- and acquired-resistance patient-derived xenograft tumors treated with 5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin modulated with leucovorin (FOLFOX).

Identification of Ras-degrading small molecules that inhibit the transformation of colorectal cancer cells independent of β-catenin signaling.

Although the development of drugs that control Ras is an emerging topic in cancer therapy, no clinically applicable drug is currently available. We have previously utilized knowledge of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling-dependent mechanism of Ras protein stability regulation to identify small molecules that inhibit the proliferation and transformation of various colorectal cancer (CRC) cells via degradation of both β-catenin and Ras. Due to the absence of Ras degradation in cells expressing a nondegradable mutant form of β-catenin and the need to determine an alternative mechanism of Ras degradation, we designed a cell-based system to screen compounds that degrade Ras independent of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Interaction of the Wnt/β-catenin and RAS-ERK pathways involving co-stabilization of both β-catenin and RAS plays important roles in the colorectal tumorigenesis.

Cancer development is usually driven by multiple genetic and molecular alterations rather than by a single defect. In the human colorectal cancer (CRC), series of mutations of genes are involved in the different stages of tumorigenesis. For example, adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) and KRAS mutations have been known to play roles in the initiation and progression of the tumorigenesis, respectively.

Optimization and modeling of reduction of wastewater sludge water content and turbidity removal using magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MION).

Economic and rapid reduction of sludge water content in sewage wastewater is difficult and requires special advanced treatment technologies. This study focused on optimizing and modeling decreased sludge water content (Y1) and removing turbidity (Y2) with magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4, MION) using a central composite design (CCD) and response surface methodology (RSM). CCD and RSM were applied to evaluate and optimize the interactive effects of mixing time (X1) and MION concentration (X2) on chemical flocculent performance.

Euodia sutchuenensis Dode extract stimulates osteoblast differentiation via Wnt/β-catenin pathway activation.

The Wnt/β-catenin pathway has a role in osteoblast differentiation and bone formation. We screened 100 plant extracts and identified an extract from Euodia sutchuenensis Dode (ESD) leaf and young branch as an effective activator of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. ESD extract increased β-catenin levels and β-catenin nuclear accumulation in murine primary osteoblasts.