Facile synthesis of TiO-carbon composite doped nitrogen for efficient photodegradation of noxious methylene blue dye.

The present work shows that the degrading ability of TiO is significantly improved when exposed to light, particularly in relation to the organic dye methylene blue (MB), following the introduction of a carbon framework through sol-hydrothermal synthesis approach. The newly prepared TiO-C@N composite had the ability to function as both an adsorbent and a photocatalyst to eliminate MB from contaminated wastewater. The outcomes show the removal efficiency of MB amounts to 99.

Reversible chemoresistance of pancreatic cancer grown as spheroids.

Better models are needed to identify active drugs to treat pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAC) patients. We used 3D hanging drop cultures to produce spheroids from five PAC cell lines and tested nine FDA-approved drugs in clinical use. All PAC cell lines in 2D culture were sensitive to three drugs (gemcitabine, docetaxel and nab-paclitaxel), however most PAC (4/5) 3D spheroids acquired profound chemoresistance even at 10 µM.

Fabrication and characterization of microfluidic devices based on boron-modified epoxy resin using CO laser ablation for bio-analytical applications.

CO laser ablation is a rapid and precise technique for machining microfluidic devices. And also, low-cost epoxy resin (ER) proved the great feasibility of fabricating these devices using the CO laser ablation technique in our previous studies. However, such a technique has shown negative impacts on such ER-based microfluidics as rough surface microchannels, and thermal defects.

Fe Nanoparticle Size Control of the Fe-MOF-Derived Catalyst Using a Solvothermal Method: Effect on FTS Activity and Olefin Production.

The design of a highly active Fe-supported catalyst with the optimum particle and pore size, dispersion, loading, and stability is essential for obtaining the desired product selectivity. This study employed a solvothermal method to prepare two Fe-MIL-88B metal-organic framework (MOF)-derived catalysts using triethylamine (TEA) or NaOH as deprotonation catalysts. The catalysts were analyzed using X-ray diffraction, N-physisorption, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, H temperature-programed reduction, and thermogravimetric analysis and were evaluated for the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis performance.

Biphenotypic Differentiation of Pancreatic Cancer in 3-Dimensional Culture.

Objective: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the third most common cause of cancer death in the United States. Improved characterized models of PDAC are needed for drug screening.

Methods: We grew 4 established pancreatic cancer cell lines in hanging drop cultures to produce spheroids.

Hot water extract of Agaricus blazei Murrill specifically inhibits growth and induces apoptosis in human pancreatic cancer cells.

Background: Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive human malignancies. The development of a novel drug to treat pancreatic cancer is imperative, and it is thought that complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) could yield such a candidate. Agaricus blazei Murrill is a CAM that has been tested as an anticancer drug, but its efficacy against pancreatic cancer is poorly understood.

Identification of brefelamide as a novel inhibitor of osteopontin that suppresses invasion of A549 lung cancer cells.

The contribution of aberrant osteopontin (OPN) expression to tumor progression and metastasis has been documented in a wide spectrum of malignancies, and targeted inhibition of OPN has therefore emerged as an attractive strategy for cancer therapy. Transcription of OPN is regulated by various transcription factors, and our recently published study demonstrated that downregulation of OPN is an important event in the TGF‑β cytostatic program. We report here that brefelamide exerts an inhibitory effect on OPN expression and function in A549 human lung carcinoma cells.

Down-regulation of osteopontin mediates a novel mechanism underlying the cytostatic activity of TGF-β.

Purpose: Loss of a cytostatic response to TGF-β has been implicated in multiple hyper-proliferative disorders, including cancer. Although several key genes involved in the cytostatic activity of TGF-β have in the past been identified, its exact mode of action is yet to be elucidated. A comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms underlying the cytostatic activity of TGF-β may open up new avenues for the development of therapeutic strategies.

Mutations of NOTCH3 in childhood pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Mutations of BMPR2 and other TGF-β superfamily genes have been reported in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). However, 60-90% of idiopathic PAH cases have no mutations in these genes. Recently, the expression of NOTCH3 was shown to be increased in the pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells of PAH patients.

Identification of CD44 as a downstream target of noncanonical NF-κB pathway activated by human T-cell leukemia virus type 1-encoded Tax protein.

Our previous study showed Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 Tax induces osteopontin (OPN) expression by transactivating its promoter. As an extension, we investigated here the possible influence of Tax on CD44, an important receptor for OPN. Co-expression of Tax, but not its NF-κB-defective mutant, significantly increased the reporter gene expression directed by CD44 promoter.

Transactivation of human osteopontin promoter by human T-cell leukemia virus type 1-encoded Tax protein.

Osteopontin (OPN) is a cytokine that contributes substantially to the growth and metastasis in a wide spectrum of malignancies. We report here that OPN gene is transactivated by Tax protein of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1). Northern blot showed enhanced OPN gene expression in cells stably expressing Tax.

Mutation of junctophilin type 2 associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Junctophilin subtypes, designated as JPH1 approximately 4, are protein components of junctional complexes and play essential roles in cellular Ca2+ signaling in excitable cells. Knockout mice lacking the cardiac-type Jph2 die of embryonic cardiac arrest, and the mutant cardiac myocytes exhibit impaired formation of peripheral couplings and arrhythmic Ca2+ signaling caused by functional uncoupling between dihydropyridine and ryanodine receptor channels. Based on these observations, we hypothesized that mutations of JPH2 could cause human genetic cardiac diseases.

Down-regulation of viral replication by adenoviral-mediated expression of siRNA against cellular cofactors for hepatitis C virus.

Small interfering RNA (siRNA) is currently being evaluated not only as a powerful tool for functional genomics, but also as a potentially promising therapeutic agent for cancer and infectious diseases. Inhibitory effect of siRNA on viral replication has been demonstrated in multiple pathogenic viruses. However, because of the high sequence specificity of siRNA-mediated RNA degradation, antiviral efficacy of siRNA directed to viral genome will be largely limited by emergence of escape variants resistant to siRNA due to high mutation rates of virus, especially RNA viruses such as poliovirus and hepatitis C virus (HCV).