Tunable defect engineering of Mo/TiON electrode in angstrom-laminated HfO/ZrOferroelectric capacitors towards long endurance and high temperature retention.

A novel defect control approach based on laminated HfO/ZrOwith multifunctional TiN/Mo/TiONelectrode is proposed to significantly improve the endurance and data retention in HZO-based ferroelectric capacitor. The O-rich interface reduces leakage current and prolong the endurance up to 10cycles while retaining a 2Pr value of 34 (C cm) at 3.4 MV cm.

Anti-microRNA-1976 as a Novel Approach to Enhance Chemosensitivity in Pancreatic and Liver Cancer.

The current cancer treatments using chemoagents are not satisfactory in terms of outcomes and prognosis. Chemoagent treatments result in cell death or arrest, but the accompanying cellular responses are not well-studied. Exosomes, which are extracellular vesicles secreted by living cells, might mediate cellular responses through microRNAs.

Detachment stress mediated bioenergetic switch of malignant melanoma cells into anti-Warburg phenotype.

One of the biological features of cancer cells is their aerobic glycolysis by extensive glucose fermentation to harvest energy, so called Warburg effect. Melanoma is one of the most aggressive human cancers with poor prognosis and high mortality for its high metastatic ability. During the metastatic process, the metastatic tumor cells should survive under detachment stress.

Drug-selected population in melanoma A2058 cells as melanoma stem-like cells retained angiogenic features - the potential roles of heparan-sulfate binding ANGPTL4 protein.

Malignant cancer may contain highly heterogeneous populations of cells, including stem-like cells which were resistant to chemotherapy agents, radiation, mechanical stress, and immune surveillance. The characterization of these specific subpopulations might be critical to develop novel strategy to remove malignant tumors. We selected and enriched small population of human melanoma A2058 cells by repetitive selection cycles (selection, restoration, and amplification).

Anchorage independence altered vasculogenic phenotype of melanoma cells through downregulation in aminopeptidase N /syndecan-1/integrin β4 axis.

The detachment of tumor cells from extracellular matrix and survival under anchorage-independence were recognized as the initial step of tumor metastasis. Previously we had demonstrated that anchorage-independence altered gene expressions and showed characteristics of cell invasiveness loss, enhanced chemosensitivity, and enhanced subcutaneous tumor formation. However, whether it affected histological phenotypes in tumor tissues remained unclear.

Role of syndecan-1 and exogenous heparin in hepatoma sphere formation.

Glycosaminoglycan-modified proteoglycans play important roles in many cell activities, including cell differentiation and stem cell development. Tumor sphere formation ability is one of properties in cancer stem cells (CSCs). The correlation between CSC markers and proteoglycan remains to be clarified.

Mining of potential microRNAs with clinical correlation - regulation of syndecan-1 expression by miR-122-5p altered mobility of breast cancer cells and possible correlation with liver injury.

MicroRNAs are small noncoding RNAs acting as novel biomarkers of various diseases and potential regulators of protein expression and functions. Syndecan-1 is the heparan sulfate proteoglycan associated with malignancy of various cancers, including breast cancer. In this study, we proposed a experimental workflow to investigate potential microRNAs that regulate SDC1 expression and affect breast cancer cell mobility.

Enhanced chemosensitization of anoikis-resistant melanoma cells through syndecan-2 upregulation upon anchorage independency.

Syndecan family proteins are heparan sulfate proteoglycans, which involved in various cellular activities and associating with metastatic potential and chemosensitivity of tumor cells. Melanoma is one of malignant tumors with poor prognosis upon metastasis. Previously, we had shown that melanoma cells remained survived under cell detachment, which was similar to the initial steps of tumor metastasis.

Anchorage independency promoted tumor malignancy of melanoma cells under reattachment through elevated interleukin-8 and CXC chemokine receptor 1 expression.

Metastasis of melanoma cells during the recurrence or the late stage of melanoma has been characterized as the dissemination of tumor cells under anchorage independency. The secreted interleukin-8 (IL-8) and its conical receptors from melanoma cells have been associated with melanoma malignancy. However, their correlations with melanoma cells under anchorage independency were unclear.

Effects of tattoo ink's absorption spectra and particle size on cosmetic tattoo treatment efficacy using Q-switched Nd:YAG laser.

The mechanisms responsible for variable responses of cosmetic tattoos to Q-switched laser removal treatment remain unclear. We sought to investigate the properties of tattoo inks that may affect the efficacy of laser-assisted tattoo removal. The absorption of white, brown, and black inks before and after Q-switched neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser irradiation were analyzed by a reflectance measurement system.

Loss of cell invasiveness through PKC-mediated syndecan-1 downregulation in melanoma cells under anchorage independency.

Anchorage-independent survival is one of the key features for malignant tumor cells. Whether specific gene alterations contributed by anchorage independency would further affect metastatic phenotypes of melanoma cells was unclear. We adapted suspension culture of melanoma cells to establish anchorage independency.

Endocytotic routes of cobra cardiotoxins depend on spatial distribution of positively charged and hydrophobic domains to target distinct types of sulfated glycoconjugates on cell surface.

Cobra cardiotoxins (CTX) are a family of three-fingered basic polypeptides known to interact with diverse targets such as heparan sulfates, sulfatides, and integrins on cell surfaces. After CTX bind to the membrane surface, they are internalized to intracellular space and exert their cytotoxicity via an unknown mechanism. By the combined in vitro kinetic binding, three-dimensional x-ray structure determination, and cell biology studies on the naturally abundant CTX homologues from the Taiwanese cobra, we showed that slight variations on the spatial distribution of positively charged or hydrophobic domains among CTX A2, A3, and A4 could lead to significant changes in their endocytotic pathways and action mechanisms via distinct sulfated glycoconjugate-mediated processes.

Treatment of cosmetic tattoos with nonablative fractional laser in an animal model: a novel method with histopathologic evidence.

Background And Objective: Cosmetic tattoos are difficult to treat using Q-switched lasers. We introduce a novel method for the treatment of cosmetic tattoos using a nonablative fractional laser and investigate the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms in an animal model.

Study Design/materials And Methods: Ten rats were tattooed on their backs with white and flesh-colored pigments.

Treatment of cosmetic tattoos using carbon dioxide ablative fractional resurfacing in an animal model: a novel method confirmed histopathologically.

Background: Treating cosmetic tattoos using quality-switched lasers is difficult.

Objective: We used carbon dioxide ablative fractional resurfacing (CO2 AFR) to remove cosmetic tattoos and examined the pathophysiologic mechanisms involved in this technique in an animal model.

Methods And Materials: Twelve rats were tattooed on their backs with white and flesh-colored pigments.

Significance of heparin binding to basic residues in homologous to the amino terminus of hepatoma-derived growth factor and related proteins.

Hepatoma-derived growth factor (HDGF) recognizes cell surface heparan sulfate to promote its internalization though binding to its N-terminal HATH (homologous to amino terminus of HDGF) domain. HDGF-related proteins (HRPs) all have the HATH domain in their N terminus. In this study, we report on the commonality of heparin binding in all HRPs with a broad range of heparin-binding affinity: HRP-4 is the strongest binder, and the lens epithelium-derived growth factor shows a relatively weak binding, with binding affinities (K(D)) showing 30-fold difference in magnitude.

A non-coding transcript of nephronectin promotes osteoblast differentiation by modulating microRNA functions.

We investigated the roles of the non-coding transcripts and found that expression of a fragment containing the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of nephronectin in osteoblast progenitor cells MC3T3-E1 promoted cell differentiation dramatically. We hypothesized that the ectopically expressed 3'-UTR binds microRNAs and modulates their functions. β-Catenin and GSK3β were up-regulated in the 3'-UTR-transfected cells, contributing to the increased cell differentiation, through reduction of EGFR and ERK phosphorylation.

Cell surface heparan sulfates mediate internalization of the PWWP/HATH domain of HDGF via macropinocytosis to fine-tune cell signalling processes involved in fibroblast cell migration.

HDGF (hepatoma-derived growth factor) stimulates cell proliferation by functioning on both sides of the plasma membrane as a ligand for membrane receptor binding to trigger cell signalling and as a stimulator for DNA synthesis in the nucleus. Although HDGF was initially identified as a secretory heparin-binding protein, the biological significance of its heparin-binding ability remains to be determined. In the present study we demonstrate that cells devoid of surface HS (heparan sulfate) were unable to internalize HDGF, HATH (N-terminal domain of HDGF consisting of amino acid residues 1-100, including the PWWP motif) and HATH(K96A) (single-site mutant form of HATH devoid of receptor binding activity), suggesting that the binding of HATH to surface HS is important for HDGF internalization.

Cobra CRISP functions as an inflammatory modulator via a novel Zn2+- and heparan sulfate-dependent transcriptional regulation of endothelial cell adhesion molecules.

Cysteine-rich secretory proteins (CRISPs) have been identified as a toxin family in most animal venoms with biological functions mainly associated with the ion channel activity of cysteine-rich domain (CRD). CRISPs also bind to Zn(2+) at their N-terminal pathogenesis-related (PR-1) domain, but their function remains unknown. Interestingly, similar the Zn(2+)-binding site exists in all CRISP family, including those identified in a wide range of organisms.

Comparison of two Q-switched lasers and a short-pulse erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser for treatment of cosmetic tattoos containing titanium and iron in an animal model.

Background: Cosmetic tattoos contain titanium and ferric oxide and darken through reduction after Q-switched laser irradiation. The optimal treatment for removing these pigments remains unknown.

Objective: To compare the effects of two Q-switched lasers and a short-pulse erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (SP Er:YAG) laser to remove cosmetic tattoos in an animal model.

Lycopene binding compromised PDGF-AA/-AB signaling and migration in smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts: prediction of the possible lycopene binding site within PDGF.

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) is a potent stimulator of growth and motility of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and fibroblasts. Abnormalities of PDGF/PDGF receptor (PDGFR) are thought to contribute to vascular diseases and malignancy. We previously showed that natural carotenoid lycopene can directly bind to PDGF-BB and affect its related functions in vascular SMCs.

Nephronectin promotes osteoblast differentiation via the epidermal growth factor-like repeats.

We found that nephronectin was significantly down-regulated by TGF-beta1. To determine the function of nephronectin in osteogenesis, we generated various constructs to produce stable MC3T3-E1 cell lines, expressing and secreting nephronectin protein, including full-length (Npnt), lacking EGF-like repeats (Np-MAM), and lacking RGD and MAM domains (Np-EGF). We demonstrated that nephronectin promotes differentiation during osteoblast differentiation and the EGF-like repeats were essential.

MicroRNA miR-378 regulates nephronectin expression modulating osteoblast differentiation by targeting GalNT-7.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small fragments of single-stranded RNA containing 18-24 nucleotides, and are generated from endogenous transcripts. MicroRNAs function in post-transcriptional gene silencing by targeting the 3'-untranslated region (UTR) of mRNAs, resulting in translational repression. We have developed a system to study the role of miRNAs in cell differentiation.

MicroRNA miR-328 regulates zonation morphogenesis by targeting CD44 expression.

Morphogenesis is crucial to initiate physiological development and tumor invasion. Here we show that a microRNA controls zonation morphogenesis by targeting hyaluronan receptor CD44. We have developed a novel system to study microRNA functions by generating constructs expressing pre-miRNAs and mature miRNAs.

PWWP module of human hepatoma-derived growth factor forms a domain-swapped dimer with much higher affinity for heparin.

Hepatoma-derived growth factor (hHDGF)-related proteins (HRPs) comprise a new growth factor family sharing a highly conserved and ordered N-terminal PWWP module (residues 1-100, previously referred to as a HATH domain) and a variable disordered C-terminal domain. We have shown that the PWWP module is responsible for heparin binding and have solved its structure in solution. Here, we show that under physiological conditions, both the PWWP module and hHDGF can form dimers.

Non-cytotoxic cobra cardiotoxin A5 binds to alpha(v)beta3 integrin and inhibits bone resorption. Identification of cardiotoxins as non-RGD integrin-binding proteins of the Ly-6 family.

Severe tissue necrosis with a retarded wound healing process is a major symptom of a cobra snakebite. Cardiotoxins (CTXs) are major components of cobra venoms that belong to the Ly-6 protein family and are implicated in tissue damage. The interaction of the major CTX from Taiwan cobra, i.