Advancing characterization of VOC diffusion in indoor fabrics: A dual-porosity modeling approach.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are major chemical pollutants in indoor air. Indoor fabrics, such as curtains, carpets, sofas, and clothes, strongly adsorb VOCs due to their high loading rates and large specific surface areas. The desorption of VOCs from these fabrics can act as a secondary source, worsening indoor air pollution and prolonging its effects.

QSPR modeling for the prediction of partitioning of VOCs and SVOCs to indoor fabrics: Integrating environmental factors.

Porous fabrics have a significant impact on indoor air quality by adsorbing and emitting chemical substances, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs). Understanding the partition behavior between organic compound molecules and indoor fabrics is crucial for assessing their environmental fate and associated human exposure. The physicochemical properties of fabrics and compounds are fundamental in determining the free energy of partitioning.

A multistage fractal-like tree network model to predict VOC diffusion characteristic of indoor fabrics.

Understanding the coupling mechanism between multi-material pollution sources and sinks is key to predicting the pollution load. Indoor fabric materials strongly adsorb volatile organic compounds (VOCs) owing to their high loading rates and large specific surface areas. The secondary source effects generated by their desorption easily aggravates indoor air pollution and prolongs the pollution period.

Chemoproteomic Approach for the Quantitative Identification of Arsenic-Binding Proteins.

Arsenic is a widespread environmental contaminant, and long-term exposure to arsenic in drinking water is known to be associated with the development of many human diseases. Identification of arsenic-binding proteins is important for understanding the mechanisms underlying the toxic effects of arsenic species. Here, we developed a chemoproteomic strategy, relying on the use of a biotin-As(III) probe, stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture, and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis, to identify quantitatively As(III)-binding proteins.

Allogeneic Expanded Human Peripheral NK Cells Control Prostate Cancer Growth in a Preclinical Mouse Model of Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

Adoptive allogeneic natural killer (NK) cell therapy has shown promise in treating castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), which is the terminal stage of prostate cancer (PCa) and incurable. Thus, we employed an efficient manufacturing method for the large-scale expansion of high-quality NK cells from peripheral blood of healthy donors. In the present study, we evaluated the cytotoxicity of NK cells against human PCa cell lines and antitumor activity in a preclinical mouse model of CRPC.

Bispecific antibody targeting TROP2xCD3 suppresses tumor growth of triple negative breast cancer.

Background: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancers with poor prognosis and targeted drug therapies are limited. To develop novel and efficacious therapies for TNBC, we developed a bispecific antibody F7AK3 that recognizes both trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 (TROP2) and CD3 and evaluated its antitumor activities both in vitro and in vivo.

Methods: The binding affinities of F7AK3 to the two targets, TROP2 and CD3, were evaluated by surface plasmon resonance.

Proteome-Wide Characterizations of -Methyl-Adenosine Triphosphate- and -Furfuryl-Adenosine Triphosphate-Binding Capabilities of Kinases.

Kinases catalyze the transfer of the γ-phosphate group from adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to their protein and small-molecule substrates, and this phosphorylation is a crucial element of multiple cell signaling pathways. Herein, we employed isotope-coded ATP acyl-phosphate probes, in conjunction with a multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM)-based targeted proteomic method for proteome-wide identifications of endogenous kinases that can bind to two -modified ATP derivatives, -methyl-ATP (-Me-ATP), and -furfuryl-ATP (a.k.

Chemoproteomic Approach toward Probing the Interactomes of Perfluoroalkyl Substances.

Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are widely used in industrial products and consumer goods. Due to their extremely recalcitrant nature and potential bioaccumulation and toxicity, exposure to PFASs may result in adverse health outcomes in humans and wildlife. In this study, we developed a chemoproteomic strategy, based on the use of isotope-coded desthiobiotin-perfluorooctanephosphonic acid (PFOPA) probe and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis, to profile PFAS-binding proteins.

Characterizing the partitioning behavior of formaldehyde, benzene and toluene on indoor fabrics: Effects of temperature and humidity.

Fabrics are widely distributed in residential buildings. Due to their highly porous structures and large specific surface areas, they have strong adsorption properties for volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The secondary source effect that is induced by their desorption can aggravate indoor air pollution and prolong the pollution period.

OncoPDSS: an evidence-based clinical decision support system for oncology pharmacotherapy at the individual level.

Background: Precision oncology pharmacotherapy relies on precise patient-specific alterations that impact drug responses. Due to rapid advances in clinical tumor sequencing, an urgent need exists for a clinical support tool that automatically interprets sequencing results based on a structured knowledge base of alteration events associated with clinical implications.

Results: Here, we introduced the Oncology Pharmacotherapy Decision Support System (OncoPDSS), a web server that systematically annotates the effects of alterations on drug responses.

Chemical Proteomic Profiling of the Interacting Proteins of Isoprenoid Pyrophosphates.

Isoprenoid pyrophosphates are involved in protein prenylation and assume regulatory roles in cells; however, little is known about the cellular proteins that can interact with isoprenoid pyrophosphates. Here, we devised a chemical proteomic strategy, capitalizing on the use of a desthiobiotin-geranyl pyrophosphate (GPP) acyl phosphate probe for the enrichment and subsequent identification of GPP-binding proteins using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). By combining stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) and competitive labeling with low vs high concentrations of GPP probe, with ATP vs GPP acyl phosphate probes, or with the GPP probe in the presence of different concentrations of free GPP, we uncovered a number of candidate GPP-binding proteins.

Chemical Proteomic Profiling of Lysophosphatidic Acid-Binding Proteins.

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is an endogenous cell signaling molecule, and dysregulation of LPA signaling pathways is accompanied by several types of cancer. Herein, we developed a chemical proteomic method for the proteome-wide identification of LPA-binding proteins. The method involves the synthesis of a desthiobiotin-conjugated LPA acyl phosphate probe for the covalent labeling, enrichment, and subsequent LC-MS/MS identification of LPA-binding proteins at the proteome-wide level.

Discs large homolog 1 regulates B-cell proliferation and antibody production.

Antibody production results from B-cell activation and proliferation upon antigen binding. Discs large homolog 1 (Dlg1), a scaffold protein from the membrane-associated guanylate kinase family, has been shown to regulate the antigen receptor signaling and cell polarity in lymphocytes; however, the physiological function of Dlg1 in humoral responses is not completely clear. Here, we addressed this question using a conditional knockout (KO) mouse model with Dlg1 deficiency in different B-cell subsets by crossing dlg1fl/fl mice with either mb1cre/+ or aicdacre/+ mice, respectively.

Dlg1 Maintains Dendritic Cell Function by Securing Voltage-Gated K Channel Integrity.

Dendritic cells (DCs) play key roles in Ab responses by presenting Ags to lymphocytes and by producing proinflammatory cytokines. In this study, we reported that DC-specific knockout of discs large homologue 1 (Dlg1) resulted in a significantly reduced capacity to mediate Ab responses to both thymus-independent and thymus-dependent Ags in Cd11c-Cre-GFP mice. Mechanistically, Dlg1-deficient DCs showed severely impaired endocytosis and phagocytosis capacities upon Ag exposure.

SHIP-1 Deficiency in AID B Cells Leads to the Impaired Function of B10 Cells with Spontaneous Autoimmunity.

Unlike conventional B cells, regulatory B cells exhibit immunosuppressive functions to downregulate inflammation via IL-10 production. However, the molecular mechanism regulating the production of IL-10 is not fully understood. In this study, we report the finding that activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is highly upregulated in the IL-10-competent B cell (B10) cell from Innp5dAicda mice, whereas the 5' inositol phosphatase SHIP-1 is downregulated.

Arsenite Binds to the Zinc Finger Motif of TIP60 Histone Acetyltransferase and Induces Its Degradation via the 26S Proteasome.

Arsenic is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant with widespread public health concern. Epidemiological studies have revealed that chronic human exposure to arsenic in drinking water is associated with the prevalence of skin, lung, and bladder cancers. Aberrant histone modifications (e.

Identifying Virulence-Associated Genes Using Transcriptomic and Proteomic Association Analyses of the Plant Parasitic Nematode Bursaphelenchus mucronatus.

Bursaphelenchus mucronatus (B. mucronatus) isolates that originate from different regions may vary in their virulence, but their virulence-associated genes and proteins are poorly understood. Thus, we conducted an integrated study coupling RNA-Seq and isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) to analyse transcriptomic and proteomic data of highly and weakly virulent B.

Bioactive Dibenzo-α-pyrone Derivatives from the Endophytic Fungus Rhizopycnis vagum Nitaf22.

Six new dibenzo-α-pyrones, rhizopycnolides A (1) and B (2) and rhizopycnins A-D (3-6), together with eight known congeners (7-14), were isolated from the endophytic fungus Rhizopycnis vagum Nitaf22 obtained from Nicotiana tabacum. The structures of the new compounds were unambiguously elucidated using NMR, HRESIMS, TDDFT ECD calculation, and X-ray crystallography data. Rhizopycnolides A (1) and B (2) feature an uncommon γ-butyrolactone-fused dibenzo-α-pyrone tetracyclic skeleton (6/6/6/5), while rhizopycnin B (4) was the first amino group containing dibenzo-α-pyrone.

Dibenzo-α-pyrones from the endophytic fungus Alternaria sp. Samif01: isolation, structure elucidation, and their antibacterial and antioxidant activities.

The EtOAc extract of the liquid fermentation of Alternaria sp. Samif01, an endophytic fungus obtained from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, showed antibacterial activity against several tested bacterial pathogens. Fractionation of this extract led to the isolation of seven dibenzo-α-pyrones (1-7), including one new compound, 2-acetoxy-2-epi-altenuene (1) and one new natural product, 3-epi-dihydroaltenuene A (2).

Casp3/7-Instructed Intracellular Aggregation of Fe3O4 Nanoparticles Enhances T2 MR Imaging of Tumor Apoptosis.

Large magnetic nanoparticles or aggregates are advantageous in their magnetic resonance properties over ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide (USPIO) nanoparticles (NPs), but the former are cleared faster from the blood pool. Therefore, the "smart" strategy of intracellular aggregation of USPIO NPs is required for enhanced T2-weighted MR imaging. Herein, employing an enzyme-instructed condensation reaction, we rationally designed a small molecule Ac-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-Cys(StBu)-Lys-CBT (1) to covalently modify USPIO NPs to prepare monodispersive Fe3O4@1 NPs.

Preparative Separation of Main Ustilaginoidins from Rice False Smut Balls by High-Speed Counter-Current Chromatography.

Ustilaginoidins are bis-naphtho-γ-pyrone mycotoxins isolated from the rice false smut balls (FSBs) infected by the pathogen Villosiclava virens in rice spikelets on panicles. In order to obtain large amounts of pure ustilaginoidins to further evaluate their biological activities and functions, phytotoxicity on rice, security to human and animals as well as to accelerate their applications as pharmaceuticals, preparative high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) was successfully applied to the isolation and purification of seven bis-naphtho-γ-pyrone mycotoxins, namely ustilaginoidins A (1), G (2), B (3), H (4), I (5), C (6), and J (7) from the ethyl acetate crude extract of rice FSBs. Both 1 and 2 were prepared by HSCCC from the low-polarity fraction of the crude extract using the two-phase solvent system composed of n-hexane-ethyl acetate-methanol-water at the volume ratio of 6.

Enhancement of Palmarumycin C12 and C13 Production by the Endophytic Fungus Berkleasmium sp. Dzf12 in an Aqueous-Organic Solvent System.

The endophytic fungus Berkleasmium sp. Dzf12, isolated from Dioscorea zingiberensis, was found to produce palmarumycins C12 and C13 which possess a great variety of biological activities. Seven biocompatible water-immiscible organic solvents including n-dodecane, n-hexadecane, 1-hexadecene, liquid paraffin, dibutyl phthalate, butyl oleate and oleic acid were evaluated to improve palmarumycins C12 and C13 production in suspension culture of Berkleasmium sp.

Intracellular Self-Assembly and Disassembly of (19)F Nanoparticles Confer Respective "Off" and "On" (19)F NMR/MRI Signals for Legumain Activity Detection in Zebrafish.

(19)F MRI has higher selectivity but lower sensitivity than (1)H MRI for in vivo diagnosis. Therefore, to avoid using a high injection dose of the (19)F probe while, in the meantime, maintaining the high sensitivity of (19)F MRI has remained challenging. Local self-assembly and disassembly of (19)F nanoparticles could be one of the "smart" strategies to achieve this goal.

Regulatory T cells from active non-segmental vitiligo exhibit lower suppressive ability on CD8+CLA+ T cells.

Background: Recent studies have shown that vitiligo is a T-cell mediated autoimmune disease. Skin-homing cytotoxic T lymphocytes expressing cutaneous lymphocyte-associated antigen (CLA) have been suggested to be responsible for the destruction of melanocytes in vitiligo. An aberration in the suppressive function of regulatory T cells (Tregs) has been reported in vitiligo patients.

Intramolecular dehydrative coupling of tertiary amines and ketones promoted by KO-t-Bu/DMF: a new synthesis of indole derivatives.

A new synthesis of indole derivatives has been achieved through intramolecular dehydrative coupling of tertiary amines and ketones promoted by KO-t-Bu/DMF. The reaction probably proceeds via an α-amino alkyl radical pathway.