Development of High-Aspect-Ratio Soft Magnetic Microarrays for Magneto-Mechanical Actuation via Field-Induced Injection Molding.

Magnetorheological elastomers (MREs) are in demand in the field of high-tech microindustries and nanoindustries such as biomedical applications and soft robotics due to their exquisite magneto-sensitive response. Among various MRE applications, programmable actuators are emerging as promising soft robots because of their combined advantages of excellent flexibility and precise controllability in a magnetic system. Here, we present the development of magnetically programmable soft magnetic microarray actuators through field-induced injection molding using MREs, which consist of styrene-ethylene/butylene styrene (SEBS) elastomer and carbonyl iron powder (CIP).

Pressure enabled organic reactions via confinement between layers of 2D materials.

Confinement of reactants within nanoscale spaces of low-dimensional materials has been shown to provide reorientation of strained reactants or stabilization of unstable reactants for synthesis of molecules and tuning of chemical reactivity. While few studies have reported chemistry within zero-dimensional pores and one-dimensional nanotubes, organic reactions in confined spaces between two-dimensional materials have yet to be explored. Here, we demonstrate that reactants confined between atomically thin sheets of graphene or hexagonal boron nitride experience pressures as high as 7 gigapascal, which allows the propagation of solvent-free organic reactions that ordinarily do not occur under standard conditions.

In vitro production of N-degron fused proteins and its application.

The N-degron pathway, first discovered several decades ago by Varshavsky's laboratory, controls the half-life of target proteins depending on their N-terminal residues. In vivo cell biology studies have established the physiological role of the N-degron pathway. However, in vitro studies such as biochemical assays and structural biology studies are relatively limited.

Syk promotes phagocytosis by inducing reactive oxygen species generation and suppressing SOCS1 in macrophage-mediated inflammatory responses.

Objective: Inflammation, a vital innate immune response against infection and injury, is mediated by macrophages. Spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) regulates inflammatory responses in macrophages; however, its role and underlying mechanisms are uncertain.

Materials And Methods: In this study, overexpression and knockout (KO) cell preparations, phagocytosis analysis, confocal microscopy, reactive oxygen species (ROS) determination, mRNA analysis, and immunoprecipitation/western blotting analyses were used to investigate the role of Syk in phagocytosis and its underlying mechanisms in macrophages during inflammatory responses.

Effects of bevel direction of endotracheal tube on the postoperative sore throat when performing fiberoptic-guided tracheal intubation: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: During fiberoptic-guided tracheal intubation, impingement between the distal tip of the endotracheal tube and the airway tissue can cause difficulties in tube insertion or tissue damage during the tube advancement over the bronchoscope. This randomized controlled study aimed to investigate the effects of the endotracheal tube's bevel direction on the complications associated with airway injury when performing fiberoptic-guided tracheal intubation.

Methods: The study subjects were divided into 2 groups: L (control) and D (study).

Sudden arrhythmia in the prone position during spinal surgery: A case report.

Rationale: The prone position is the most commonly required position during spinal surgery. Decreasing lumbar lordosis is necessary to facilitate the accessibility of the surgical field. And this can affect the hemodynamic circulation of the patients.

Syk-MyD88 Axis Is a Critical Determinant of Inflammatory-Response in Activated Macrophages.

Background: Inflammation, a vital immune response to infection and injury, is mediated by macrophage activation. While spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) and myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88) are reportedly involved in inflammatory responses in macrophages, their roles and underlying mechanisms are largely unknown.

Methods: Here, the role of the MyD88-Syk axis and the mechanism by which Syk and MyD88 cooperate during macrophage-mediated inflammatory responses are explored using knockout conditions of these proteins and mutation strategy as well as flowcytometric and immunoblotting analyses.

Facet-selective morphology-controlled remote epitaxy of ZnO microcrystals via wet chemical synthesis.

We report on morphology-controlled remote epitaxy via hydrothermal growth of ZnO micro- and nanostructure crystals on graphene-coated GaN substrate. The morphology control is achieved to grow diverse morphologies of ZnO from nanowire to microdisk by changing additives of wet chemical solution at a fixed nutrient concentration. Although the growth of ZnO is carried out on poly-domain graphene-coated GaN substrate, the direction of hexagonal sidewall facet of ZnO is homogeneous over the whole ZnO-grown area on graphene/GaN because of strong remote epitaxial relation between ZnO and GaN across graphene.

Effects and Mechanism of Surface Water Wettability and Operating Frequency on Response Linearity of Flexible IDE Capacitive Humidity Sensor.

Flexible capacitive humidity sensors are promising for low-cost, wearable, and radio frequency identification sensors, but their nonlinear response is an important issue for practical applications. Herein, the linearity of humidity response was controlled by surface water wettability and operating frequency of sensor, and the mechanism was explained in detail by surface water condensation. For a sensor with a Ag interdigitated electrode (IDE) on a poly(ethylene terephthalate) substrate, the capacitance showed a small linear increase with humidity up to 70% RH but a large nonlinear increase in the higher range.

Preoperative rigid laryngoscopic examination and modified jaw thrust manoeuver during fibreoptic-assisted tracheal intubation for general anaesthesia.

Preoperative laryngoscopic examination of the airway informs general anaesthesia management and planning. However, the same glottic opening view cannot always be obtained during direct laryngoscopy of anaesthetised patients. In this case report, a patient underwent preoperative rigid laryngoscopy due to medical history, and no problems were anticipated in performing tracheal intubation; however, the direct laryngoscopic view was a Grade 4 on the Cormack-Lehane Scale after anaesthesia induction.

Roxb. Ethanol Extract Has Anti-Inflammatory and Hepatoprotective Effects In Vitro and In Vivo by Targeting the IRAK1/AP-1 Pathway.

Roxb. has been used traditionally as a remedy for many diseases, especially inflammation. Therefore, we analyzed and explored the mechanism of the anti-inflammatory effect of a Roxb.

3-Deazaadenosine, an S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase inhibitor, attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory responses via inhibition of AP-1 and NF-κB signaling.

3-Deazadenosine (3-DA) is a general methylation inhibitor that depletes S-adenosylmethionine, a methyl donor, by blocking S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase (SAHH). In this study, we investigated the inhibitory activity and molecular mechanisms of 3-DA in inflammatory responses. 3-DA suppressed the secretion of inflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E (PGE) in lipopolysaccharide-treated RAW264.

Isoprenylcysteine carboxyl methyltransferase inhibitors exerts anti-inflammatory activity.

Isoprenylcysteine carboxylmethyltransferase (ICMT) has been reported to regulate the inflammatory response through the Ras/MAPK/AP-1 pathway. Nevertheless, the potential of ICMT inhibitors as therapeutic agents against inflammatory diseases has not been examined. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory properties of two ICMT inhibitors, cysmethynil (CyM) and 3-methoxy-N-[2-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-phenyltetrahydropyran-4-yl)ethyl]aniline (MTPA), using in vitro analyses and in vivo analyses (lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/D-GalN-triggered hepatitis and DSS-induced colitis mouse models).

Remote heteroepitaxy of GaN microrod heterostructures for deformable light-emitting diodes and wafer recycle.

There have been rapidly increasing demands for flexible lighting apparatus, and micrometer-scale light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are regarded as one of the promising lighting sources for deformable device applications. Herein, we demonstrate a method of creating a deformable LED, based on remote heteroepitaxy of GaN microrod (MR) - junction arrays on -AlO wafer across graphene. The use of graphene allows the transfer of MR LED arrays onto a copper plate, and spatially separate MR arrays offer ideal device geometry suitable for deformable LED in various shapes without serious device performance degradation.

Isoprenylcysteine Carboxyl Methyltransferase and Its Substrate Ras Are Critical Players Regulating TLR-Mediated Inflammatory Responses.

In this study, we investigated the functional role of isoprenylcysteine carboxyl methyltransferase (ICMT) and its methylatable substrate Ras in Toll-like receptor (TLR)-activated macrophages and in mouse inflammatory disease conditions. and expressions were strongly increased in macrophages under the activation conditions of TLRs by lipopolysaccharide (LPS, a TLR4 ligand), pam3CSK (TLR2), or poly(I:C) (TLR3) and in the colons, stomachs, and livers of mice with colitis, gastritis, and hepatitis. The inhibition and activation of ICMT and Ras through genetic and pharmacological approaches significantly affected the activation of interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase (IRAK)s, tumor necrosis factor receptor associated factor 6 (TRAF6), transforming growth factor-β-activated kinase 1 (TAK1), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and MAPK kinases (MAPKKs); translocation of the AP-1 family; and the expressions of inflammation-related genes that depend on both MyD88 and TRIF.

Flexible Graphite/PPG Hybrid Composite-Based Resistive Sensor for Sensing Organic Compounds.

Our objective in this study was to investigate a sensor for volatile organic compounds based on a graphite (G)/polypropylene glycol (PPG) hybrid composite (HC) for sensing hybrid elements. The G/PPG HC sensor films for organic-matter detection were successfully fabricated on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film with a simple blade-coating method. The sensing paste based on G/PPG (1:2) HC showed good dispersibility and stability.

A host dTMP-bound structure of T4 phage dCMP hydroxymethylase mutant using an X-ray free electron laser.

The hydroxymethylation of cytosine bases plays a vital role in the phage DNA protection system inside the host Escherichia coli. This modification is known to be catalyzed by the dCMP hydroxymethylase from bacteriophage T4 (T4dCH); structural information on the complexes with the substrate, dCMP and the co-factor, tetrahydrofolate is currently available. However, the detailed mechanism has not been understood clearly owing to a lack of structure in the complex with a reaction intermediate.

Anti-inflammatory functions of the CDC25 phosphatase inhibitor BN82002 via targeting AKT2.

This study presents BN82002 as an anti-inflammatory drug candidate. It was found that BN82002 inhibited the production of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E (PGE) in RAW 264.7 cells and peritoneal macrophages that were activated by toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 ligand, lipopolysaccharide (LPS).

MST1 Negatively Regulates TNFα-Induced NF-κB Signaling through Modulating LUBAC Activity.

The nuclear factor (NF)-κB pathway plays a central role in inflammatory and immune responses, with aberrant activation of NF-κB signaling being implicated in various human disorders. Here, we show that mammalian ste20-like kinase 1 (MST1) is a previously unrecognized component of the tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) receptor 1 signaling complex (TNF-RSC) and attenuates TNFα-induced NF-κB signaling. Genetic ablation of MST1 in mouse embryonic fibroblasts and bone marrow-derived macrophages potentiated the TNFα-induced increase in IκB kinase (IKK) activity, as well as the expression of NF-κB target genes.

Remote homoepitaxy of ZnO microrods across graphene layers.

Two-dimensional atomic layered materials (2d-ALMs) are emerging candidates for use as epitaxial seed substrates for transferrable epilayers. However, the micrometer-sized domains of 2d-ALMs preclude their practical use in epitaxy because they cause crystallographically in-plane disordering of the overlayer. Ultrathin graphene can penetrate the electric dipole momentum from an underlying crystal layer to the graphene surface, which then drives it to crystallize the overlayer during the initial growth stage, thus resulting in substantial energy saving.

Mycetia cauliflora methanol extract exerts anti-inflammatory activity by directly targeting PDK1 in the NF-κB pathway.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Mycetia cauliflora Reinw. (Rubiaceae) has been used as a traditional remedy to ameliorate clinical signs of inflammatory diseases, including pain, inflammation, ulcers, and wounds. Among the Mycetia subfamilies, the molecular and cellular mechanisms of Mycetia longifolia (Rubiaceae) have been studied.

Hydroquinone Exhibits In Vitro and In Vivo Anti-Cancer Activity in Cancer Cells and Mice.

Hydroquinone (HQ, 1,4-benzenediol) is a hydroxylated benzene metabolite with various biological activities, including anti-oxidative, neuroprotective, immunomodulatory, and anti-inflammatory functions. However, the anti-cancer activity of HQ is not well understood. In this study, the in vitro and in vivo anti-cancer activity of HQ was investigated in various cancer cells and tumor-bearing mouse models.

Enhanced nucleation of germanium on graphene via dipole engineering.

The preparation of crystalline materials on incommensurate substrates has been a key topic of epitaxy. van der Waals (vdW) epitaxy on two-dimensional (2D) materials opened novel opportunities of epitaxial growth overcoming the materials compatibility issue. Therefore, vdW epitaxy has been considered as a promising approach for the preparation of building blocks of flexible devices and thin film-based devices at the nano/microscale.

Src is the primary target of aripiprazole, an atypical antipsychotic drug, in its anti-tumor action.

Aripiprazole (ARP) is an atypical anti-psychotic drug widely used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The pharmacological effects of ARP on cancer cells are still poorly understood. In this study, anti-cancer effects of ARP on various malignant tumor cells and its molecular mechanism were further carefully examined by using cell proliferation assay, xenograft mouse model, immunoblotting analysis, migration assay, luciferase reporter gene assay, kinase assay, and overexpression strategy.