Promotion of neurite outgrowth by 3,5,7,3',4'-pentamethoxyflavone is mediated through ERK signaling pathway in Neuro2a cells.

In this study, the effects of 3,5,7,3',4'-pentamethoxyflavone (KP1), a major bioactive ingredient isolated from the Kaempferia parviflora rhizomes, on a neurite outgrowth in Neuro2a cells and its mechanism have been investigated. KP1 increased concentration-dependently the percentage of neurite-bearing cells. KP1 showed a remarkable capability to elicit neurite outgrowth in Neuro2a cells, as evidenced by morphological alterations and immunostaining using anti-class III β-tubulin and anti-NeuN antibodies.

Composition-Orientation Induced Mechanical Synergy in Nanoparticle Brushes with Grafted Gradient Copolymers.

Gradient poly(methyl methacrylate/-butyl acrylate) copolymers, P(MMA/BA), with various compositional ratios, were grafted from surface-modified silica nanoparticles (SiO--PMMA--PBA) via complete conversion surface-initiated activator regenerated by electron transfer (SI-ARGET) atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Miniemulsion as the reaction medium effectively confined the interparticle brush coupling within micellar compartments, preventing macroscopic gelation and enabling complete conversion. Isolation of dispersed and gelled fractions revealed dispersed particle brushes to feature a higher Young's modulus, toughness, and ultimate strain compared with those of the "gel" counterparts.

Regulatory mechanism for the human glioblastoma cell-specific expression of the human GD1c/GT1a/GQ1b synthase (hST8Sia V) gene.

In this study we observed that human GD1c/GT1a/GQ1b synthase (hST8Sia V) is particularly expressed in human glioblastoma cells. To address the mechanism regulating human glioblastoma-specific gene expression of the hST8Sia V, after the transcription start site (TSS) was identified by the 5'-rapid amplification of cDNA end with total RNA from human glioblastoma U87MG cells, the 5'-flanking region (2.5 kb) of the hST8Sia V gene was isolated and its promoter activity was examined.

Upregulation of human GD3 synthase (hST8Sia I) gene expression during serum starvation-induced osteoblastic differentiation of MG-63 cells.

In this study, we have firstly elucidated that serum starvation augmented the levels of human GD3 synthase (hST8Sia I) gene and ganglioside GD3 expression as well as bone morphogenic protein-2 and osteocalcin expression during MG-63 cell differentiation using RT-PCR, qPCR, Western blot and immunofluorescence microscopy. To evaluate upregulation of hST8Sia I gene during MG-63 cell differentiation by serum starvation, promoter area of the hST8Sia I gene was functionally analyzed. Promoter analysis using luciferase reporter assay system harboring various constructs of the hST8Sia I gene proved that the cis-acting region at -1146/-646, which includes binding sites of the known transcription factors AP-1, CREB, c-Ets-1 and NF-κB, displays the highest level of promoter activity in response to serum starvation in MG-63 cells.

Structural and functional investigation of GajB protein in Gabija anti-phage defense.

Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that infect bacteria and archaea. To fend off invading phages, the hosts have evolved a variety of anti-phage defense mechanisms. Gabija is one of the most abundant prokaryotic antiviral systems and consists of two proteins, GajA and GajB.

Biomass RNA for the Controlled Synthesis of Degradable Networks by Radical Polymerization.

Nucleic acids extracted from biomass have emerged as sustainable and environmentally friendly building blocks for the fabrication of multifunctional materials. Until recently, the fabrication of biomass nucleic acid-based structures has been facilitated through simple crosslinking of biomass nucleic acids, which limits the possibility of material properties engineering. This study presents an approach to convert biomass RNA into an acrylic crosslinker through acyl imidazole chemistry.

Tailored PVDF Graft Copolymers via ATRP as High-Performance NCM811 Cathode Binders.

High-nickel layered oxides, e.g., LiNiCoMnO (NCM811), are promising candidates for cathode materials in high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries (LIBs).

Highly Conductive Polyoxanorbornene-Based Polymer Electrolyte for Lithium-Metal Batteries.

This present study illustrates the synthesis and preparation of polyoxanorbornene-based bottlebrush polymers with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) side chains by ring-opening metathesis polymerization for solid polymer electrolytes (SPE). In addition to the conductive PEO side chains, the polyoxanorbornene backbones may act as another ion conductor to further promote Li-ion movement within the SPE matrix. These results suggest that these bottlebrush polymer electrolytes provide impressively high ionic conductivity of 7.

Transcription of human β-galactoside α2,6-sialyltransferase (hST6Gal I) is downregulated by curcumin through AMPK signaling in human colon carcinoma HCT116 cells.

Background: In this study, we observed that in human colon carcinoma HCT116 cells mRNA level of the human β-galactoside α2,6-sialyltransferase (hST6Gal I) was decreased by curcumin. FACS analysis using the α2,6-sialyl-specific lectin (SNA) also showed a noticeable decrease in binding to SNA by curcumin.

Objective: To investigate the mechanism for curcumin-triggered downregulation of hST6Gal I transcription.

Curcumin-mediated transcriptional regulation of human -acetylgalactosamine-α2,6-sialyltransferase which synthesizes sialyl-Tn antigen in HCT116 human colon cancer cells.

Human -acetylgalactosamine-α2,6-sialyltransferase (hST6GalNAc I) is the major enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of sialyl-Tn antigen (sTn), which is known to be expressed in more than 80% of human carcinomas and correlated with poor prognosis in cancer patients. Athough high expression of hST6GalNAc I is associated with augmented proliferation, migration and invasion in various cancer cells, transcriptional mechanism regulating hST6GalNAc I gene expression remains largely unknown. In this study, we found that hST6GalNAc I gene expression was markedly augmented by curcumin in HCT116 human colon carcinoma cells.

High Active Material Loading in Organic Electrodes Enabled by a Multifunctional Binder.

Organic electrodes are promising candidates for next-generation lithium-ion batteries due to their low cost and sustainable nature; however, they often suffer from very low conductivity and active material loadings. The conventional binder used in organic-based Li-ion batteries is poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), yet it is electrochemically inactive and thus occupies volume and mass without storing energy. Here, we report an organic mixed ionic-electronic conducting polymer, poly[norbornene-1,2-bis(C(O)OPEDOT)]--[norbornene-1,2-bis-(C(O)PEG)] denoted PEDOT--PEG for simplicity, as a cathode binder to address the aforementioned issues.

The MARCHF6 E3 ubiquitin ligase acts as an NADPH sensor for the regulation of ferroptosis.

Ferroptosis is a unique form of cell death caused by excessive iron-dependent lipid peroxidation. The level of the anabolic reductant NADPH is a biomarker of ferroptosis sensitivity. However, specific regulators that detect cellular NADPH levels, thereby modulating downstream ferroptosis cascades, are largely unknown.

Regulation of human β-galactoside α2,6-sialyltransferase (hST6Gal I) gene expression during differentiation of human osteoblastic MG-63 cells.

In this study, we found that gene expression of the human β-galactoside α2,6-sialyltransferase (hST6Gal I) was specifically increased during differentiation of human MG-63 osteoblastic cells by serum starvation (SS). In parallel, a distinct increase in binding to SNA, the α2,6-sialyl-specific lectin, was observed in serum-starved cells, as demonstrated by FACS analysis. 5'-Rapid amplification of cDNA ends analysis demonstrated that the increase of hST6Gal I transcript by SS is mediated by P1 promoter.

Structural and mechanistic insights into the CRISPR inhibition of AcrIF7.

The CRISPR-Cas system provides adaptive immunity for bacteria and archaea to combat invading phages and plasmids. Phages evolved anti-CRISPR (Acr) proteins to neutralize the host CRISPR-Cas immune system as a counter-defense mechanism. AcrIF7 in Pseudomonas aeruginosa prophages strongly inhibits the type I-F CRISPR-Cas system.

Intrinsic disorder is essential for Cas9 inhibition of anti-CRISPR AcrIIA5.

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs) and CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins provide adaptive immunity to prokaryotes against invading phages and plasmids. As a countermeasure, phages have evolved anti-CRISPR (Acr) proteins that neutralize the CRISPR immunity. AcrIIA5, isolated from a virulent phage of Streptococcus thermophilus, strongly inhibits diverse Cas9 homologs, but the molecular mechanism underlying the Cas9 inhibition remains unknown.

Stable, Dual Redox Unit Organic Electrodes.

The development of organic materials for electrochemical energy storage has attracted great attention because of their high natural abundance and relatively low toxicity. The bulk of these studies focus on small molecules, polymers, or porous/framework-type materials that employ one type of redox moiety. Here, we report the synthesis and testing of organic materials that incorporate two distinct types of redox units: triptycene-based quinones and perylene diimides.

Unusual Capacity Increases with Cycling for Ladder-Type Microporous Polymers.

Microporous polymers using triptycene vertices and various ladder-type benzimidazole linkers are synthesized and tested as lithium-ion battery anodes. An unusual increase in performance is observed upon cycling, affording high capacities of 783 and 737 mAh g for a perylene derivative and the pyromellitic derivative after 1000 cycles. The high performance of these materials after cycling is attributed to favorable electrode morphology and high crystallinity for perylene derivative, and the presence of charge carriers for pyromellitic derivative.

Facilitated Protein Association via Engineered Target Search Pathways Visualized by Paramagnetic NMR Spectroscopy.

Proteins assemble to form functional complexes via the progressive evolution of nonspecific complexes formed by transient encounters. This target search process generally involves multiple routes that lead the initial encounters to the final complex. In this study, we have employed NMR paramagnetic relaxation enhancement to visualize the encounter complexes between histidine-containing phosphocarrier protein and the N-terminal domain of enzyme I and demonstrate that protein association can be significantly enhanced by engineering on-pathways.

Crystal structure of an anti-CRISPR protein, AcrIIA1.

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs) and CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins provide bacteria with RNA-based adaptive immunity against phage infection. To counteract this defense mechanism, phages evolved anti-CRISPR (Acr) proteins that inactivate the CRISPR-Cas systems. AcrIIA1, encoded by Listeria monocytogenes prophages, is the most prevalent among the Acr proteins targeting type II-A CRISPR-Cas systems and has been used as a marker to identify other Acr proteins.

Effect of belly dancing on urinary incontinence-related muscles and vaginal pressure in middle-aged women.

[Purpose] This study examined the effect of belly dancing on the urinary incontinence-related muscles and vaginal pressure in middle-aged women to provide fundamental data for establishing an effective training program focusing on mitigating and preventing urinary incontinence. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects included 24 middle-aged women, who have been diagnosed with urinary incontinence. The subjects were randomly divided into two groups, viz.

Multiblock Copolymer-Based Dual Dynamic Disulfide and Supramolecular Crosslinked Self-Healing Networks.

A new multiblock copolymer self-healing strategy is reported that centers on the synthesis of block copolymers designed with different self-healing motifs incorporated into individual blocks. As a proof of concept, a novel pentablock copolymer (ABCBA) consisting of a poly(ethylene glycol) middle block and self-healable symmetric blocks of a polymethacrylate with pendant disulfide linkages and carboxylic acids is synthesized by a combination of consecutive controlled radical polymerization with hydrolytic cleavage. Disulfide exchange reactions of pendant disulfide linkages and metal-ligand interactions of pendant carboxylic acids with ferric ions allow for the formation of dual crosslinked networks with dynamic disulfide and supramolecular crosslinkages.

Intracellular Delivery of Colloidally Stable Core-Cross-Linked Triblock Copolymer Micelles with Glutathione-Responsive Enhanced Drug Release for Cancer Therapy.

Design and development of amphiphilic block copolymer-based nanocarriers exhibiting enhanced colloidal stability upon dilution in the blood and cellular glutathione-responsive rapid drug release is highly desired for tumor-targeting chemotherapy. Herein, we report a novel ABA-type triblock copolymer consisting of a hydrophilic central poly(ethylene glycol) block and two terminal hydrophobic blocks of a polymethacrylate having pendant disulfides (PHMssEt), thus PHMssEt-b-PEG-b-PHMssEt (ssTP). Aqueous self-assembly and the following disulfide-exchange reaction of the resulting ssTP allow for formation of core-cross-linked micelles (CCMs) through the formation of new disulfide linkages, retaining enhanced colloidal stability in physiological conditions and in the presence of proteins.

Reduction-Responsive Sheddable Carbon Nanotubes Dispersed in Aqueous Solution.

A new approach to stabilize carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in aqueous solution with a reduction-responsive water-soluble polymer is reported. The novel polymer synthesized by a controlled radical polymerization is functionalized with pendant pyrene groups capable of adhering to the surface of CNTs through π-π noncovalent interactions, and labeled with disulfide linkages to exhibit reduction-responsive cleavage. Upon the cleavage of junction disulfide linkages in a reducing environment, water-soluble polymers are shed, retaining clean CNT surfaces for electrochemical catalytic reactions.

Recent strategies to develop self-healable crosslinked polymeric networks.

Autonomous self-healable crosslinked materials designed with built-in ability to repair physical damage and cracks can prevent catastrophic failure and thus extend the lifetime of materials. They also retain their dimensional stability, mechanical strength, thermal stability, and solvent resistance. These features promote the development of effective self-healing materials for various applications.

Dual Sulfide-Disulfide Crosslinked Networks with Rapid and Room Temperature Self-Healability.

Polymer-based crosslinked networks with intrinsic self-repairing ability have emerged due to their built-in ability to repair physical damages. Here, novel dual sulfide-disulfide crosslinked networks (s-ssPxNs) are reported exhibiting rapid and room temperature self-healability within seconds to minutes, with no extra healing agents and no change under any environmental conditions. The method to synthesize these self-healable networks utilizes a combination of well-known crosslinking chemistry: photoinduced thiol-ene click-type radical addition, generating lightly sulfide-crosslinked polysulfide-based networks with excess thiols, and their oxidation, creating dynamic disulfide crosslinkages to yield the dual s-ssPxNs.