Discovery and evaluation of Atopaxar hydrobromide, a novel JAK1 and JAK2 inhibitor, selectively induces apoptosis of cancer cells with constitutively activated STAT3.

The Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) signaling pathway plays a vital role in immunity, cell division, cell death and tumor formation. Disrupted JAK-STAT signaling may lead to various diseases, especially cancer and immune disorders. Because of its importance, this signaling pathway has received significant attention from the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries as a therapeutic target for drug design.

TGF-β2 antagonizes IL-6-promoted cell survival.

Transforming growth factor beta is a key cytokine involved in the pathogenesis of fibrosis in many organs, whereas interleukin-6 plays an important role in the regulation of inflammation. They are both potent angiogenesis inducers with opposite effects on cell survival and apoptosis. TGF-β2 induces apoptosis; in contrast, IL-6 protects cells from apoptosis.

RNF34 modulates the mitochondrial biogenesis and exercise capacity in muscle and lipid metabolism through ubiquitination of PGC-1 in Drosophila.

The transcriptional co-activator PGC-1α is a key regulator of mitochondrial function and muscle fiber specification in the skeletal muscle. The E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF34 ubiquitinates PGC-1α and negatively regulates mammalian brown fat cell metabolism. However, the functional importance of RNF34 in the skeletal muscle and its impact on energy metabolism remain unknown.

Mechanical pinning of liquids through inelastic wetting ridge formation on thermally stripped acrylic polymers.

A film composed of a thermal-stripped, solvent-borne acrylic polymer is shown to completely arrest motion of the three-phase line for water as a result of ridge structure formation. This mechanism produces anomalous wetting behavior including the arbitrary selection of contact angles, formation of quasi-periodic ridge structures on surfaces, and requirement of stick and break motion for wetting line advancement, a novel mechanism reported here. The ridges are retained by the polymer subsequent to wetting, which are 2 scales larger in height than those described previously.

Influence of ozonized kraft lignin on the crystallization of CaCO3.

Results are reviewed from a study examining how structural modifications introduced by ozonization enhance the influence of kraft lignin on the crystallization of CaCO(3). Ozone treatment of kraft lignin in an aqueous environment is shown to increase its carboxylic acid and overall oxygen content and reduce its molecular weight. Calcium concentration and temperature were monitored in heated supersaturated solutions containing ozonized kraft lignins to gauge their influence on CaCO(3) crystallization processes.