Femtosecond laser direct inscription of long period gratings in multicore fiber.

We demonstrate femtosecond laser direct writing long period gratings (LPGs) on multicore fibers (MCFs). By adopting the line-by-line inscription technique, LPGs can be independently fabricated at arbitrary cores of the MCF without removing the coating or altering fiber positions. Theoretical and experimental analyses were conducted to assess the laser energy distribution in the MCF and the impact of LPG parameters on filtering characteristics.

Atomic force microscopy correlates mechanical and electrical properties of HepG2 cells with curcumin concentration.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly prevalent cancer with a significant impact on human health. Curcumin, a natural compound, induces cytoskeletal changes in liver cancer cells and modifies the distribution of lipids, proteins, and polysaccharides on plasma membranes, affecting their mechanical and electrical properties. In this study, we used nanomechanical indentation techniques and Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) based on atomic force microscopy (AFM) to investigate the changes in surface nanomechanical and electrical properties of nuclear and cytoplasmic regions of HepG2 cells in response to increasing curcumin concentrations.

Systematic characterization of chromodomain proteins reveals an H3K9me1/2 reader regulating aging in C. elegans.

The chromatin organization modifier domain (chromodomain) is an evolutionally conserved motif across eukaryotic species. The chromodomain mainly functions as a histone methyl-lysine reader to modulate gene expression, chromatin spatial conformation and genome stability. Mutations or aberrant expression of chromodomain proteins can result in cancer and other human diseases.

TP53 R249S mutation in hepatic organoids captures the predisposing cancer risk.

Background And Aims: Major genomic drivers of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are nowadays well recognized, although models to establish their roles in human HCC initiation remain scarce. Here, we used human liver organoids in experimental systems to mimic the early stages of human liver carcinogenesis from the genetic lesions of TP53 loss and L3 loop R249S mutation. In addition, chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) of HCC cell lines shed important functional insights into the initiation of HCC consequential to the loss of tumor-suppressive function from TP53 deficiency and gain-of-function activities from mutant p53.

Role of cerebellar cortex in associative learning and memory in guinea pigs.

Time-related cognitive function refers to the capacity of the brain to store, extract, and process specific information. Previous studies demonstrated that the cerebellar cortex participates in advanced cognitive functions, but the role of the cerebellar cortex in cognitive functions is unclear. We established a behavioral model using classical eyeblink conditioning to study the role of the cerebellar cortex in associative learning and memory and the underlying mechanisms.

Overexpression of nucleotide metabolic enzyme DUT in hepatocellular carcinoma potentiates a therapeutic opportunity through targeting its dUTPase activity.

Uracil misincorporation during DNA replication is a major cell toxic event, of which cancer cells overcome by activating the dUTPase enzyme. The DUT gene is the only known dUTPase in human. Despite reports on common upregulations in cancers, the role of DUT in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains largely undetermined.

Medium Chain Triglycerides Promote the Uptake of β-Carotene in O/W Emulsions via Intestinal Transporter SR-B1 in Caco-2 Cells.

This study aimed to elucidate the impacts of carrier oil types (long chain triglycerides (LCT), medium chain triglycerides (MCT), and orange oil (indigestible oil)) on the micellization and cellular uptake of β-carotene (BC) formulated in O/W emulsions, with an emphasis on the role of intestinal transporters. The micellization and cellular uptake of BC in the gastrointestinal tract were evaluated via an digestion model and a Caco-2 cell monolayer. And the interactions between lipids and intestinal transporters were monitored by nontargeted lipidomics, RT-PCR, and Western blot.

Unique molecular characteristics of NAFLD-associated liver cancer accentuate β-catenin/TNFRSF19-mediated immune evasion.

Background & Aims: The hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), can lead to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Despite a strong causative link, NAFLD-HCC is often underrepresented in systematic genome explorations.

Methods: Herein, tumor-normal pairs from 100 patients diagnosed with NAFLD-HCC were subject to next-generation sequencing.

The SNAPc complex mediates starvation-induced trans-splicing in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Dietary restriction usually suppresses biosynthesis but activates catabolic pathways in animals. However, the short-term starvation enhances biosynthetic activities and promotes ribosomal biogenesis in adult Caenorhabditis elegans. The mechanism underlying the processes remains largely unknown.

Venetoclax enhances T cell-mediated antileukemic activity by increasing ROS production.

Venetoclax, a Bcl-2 inhibitor, in combination with the hypomethylating agent azacytidine, achieves complete remission with or without count recovery in ∼70% of treatment-naive elderly patients unfit for conventional intensive chemotherapy. However, the mechanism of action of this drug combination is not fully understood. We discovered that venetoclax directly activated T cells to increase their cytotoxicity against acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in vitro and in vivo.

Promotion of growth and phytoextraction of cadmium and lead in Solanum nigrum L. mediated by plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria.

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are a specific category of microbes that improve plant growth and promote greater tolerance to metal stress through their interactions with plant roots. We evaluated the effects of phytoremediation combining the cadmium accumulator Solanum nigrum L. and two Cd- and Pb-resistant bacteria isolates.

Mitochondrial DNA copy number in cervical exfoliated cells and risk of cervical cancer among HPV-positive women.

Background: Although human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has been regarded as the cause of cervical cancer in over 99% of cases, only a small fraction of HPV-infected women develop this malignancy. Emerging evidence suggests that alterations of mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtCN) may contribute to carcinogenesis. However, the relationship between mtCN and cervical cancer remains undetermined.

Hypoxia regulates the mitochondrial activity of hepatocellular carcinoma cells through HIF/HEY1/PINK1 pathway.

Hypoxia is commonly found in cancers. Hypoxia, due to the lack of oxygen (O) as the electron recipient, causes inefficient electron transfer through the electron transport chain at the mitochondria leading to accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which could create irreversible cellular damages. Through hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) which elicits various molecular events, cells are able to overcome low O.

Tafazzin modulates cellular phospholipid composition to regulate AML stemness.

Tafazzin is a mitochondrial enzyme necessary for the remodeling of the phospholipid cardiolipin. Seneviratne and Xu et al. demonstrated that Tafazzin-mediated phospholipid production regulates stemness in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML).

The Mitochondrial Transacylase, Tafazzin, Regulates for AML Stemness by Modulating Intracellular Levels of Phospholipids.

Tafazzin (TAZ) is a mitochondrial transacylase that remodels the mitochondrial cardiolipin into its mature form. Through a CRISPR screen, we identified TAZ as necessary for the growth and viability of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. Genetic inhibition of TAZ reduced stemness and increased differentiation of AML cells both in vitro and in vivo.

[Retracted] BIRC5 is a novel target of peroxisome proliferator‑activated receptor γ in brain microvascular endothelium cells during cerebral ischemia.

The authors of the above article wish to retract their paper. Subsequently to its publication, in addition to certain irreconcilable differences in opinion shared among the authors, they have realized that, in their analysis of the role of peroxisome proliferator‑activated receptor γ in brain microvascular endothelial (bEnd.3) cells, certain of the results presented have been found to be incomplete and unrepeatable.

BIRC5 is a novel target of peroxisome proliferator‑activated receptor γ in brain microvascular endothelium cells during cerebral ischemia.

Cerebral ischemia is a leading cause of ischemic stroke, which may lead to severe disability and mortality worldwide. There are some key factors concerned in cardioprotection, such as peroxisome proliferator‑activated receptor γ (PPARγ), a ligand binding transcription factor involved in various biological functions including atherosclerosis, vascular dysfunction and hypertension, and baculoviral IAP repeat‑containing 5 (BIRC5), which may protect human brain endothelial cells from ischemia‑induced apoptosis. To determine the potential roles of PPARγ in brain microvascular endothelial (bEnd.

Calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside regulates nitric oxide /caveolin-1/matrix metalloproteinases pathway and protects blood-brain barrier integrity in experimental cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Ethnopharmacology Relevance: Astragali Radix (AR) has been used for thousands years to treat ischemic stroke. Calycosin and its glycoside form calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside (CG) are two representative isoflavones in Astragali Radix. However, its neurological effects and related molecular mechanisms are largely unknown.

Baicalin can scavenge peroxynitrite and ameliorate endogenous peroxynitrite-mediated neurotoxicity in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Baicalin is one of the principal flavonoids isolated from the dried root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi that has long been used to treat ischemic stroke. However, its neuroprotective mechanisms against cerebral ischemia injury are poorly understood.

Aim Of The Study: To explore the neuroprotective mechanisms of baicalin against cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury.

Targeting reactive nitrogen species: a promising therapeutic strategy for cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Ischemic stroke accounts for nearly 80% of stroke cases. Recanalization with thrombolysis is a currently crucial therapeutic strategy for re-building blood supply, but the thrombolytic therapy often companies with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury, which are mediated by free radicals. As an important component of free radicals, reactive nitrogen species (RNS), including nitric oxide (NO) and peroxynitrite (ONOO(-)), play important roles in the process of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.