Mussel-inspired dynamic facet-selective capping approach to highly uniform α-calcium sulfate hemihydrate crystals.

We report herein a dynamic facet-selective capping (dFSC) strategy for α-calcium sulfate hemihydrate crystal growth from dihydrate gypsum in the presence of a catechol-derived PEI capping agent (DPA-PEI) with inspiration by the biomineralization process of mussel. The crystal shape is controllable and varies from long and pyramid-tipped prisms to thin hexagonal plate. The highly uniform truncated crystals have extremely high compression and bending strengths after hydration molding.

A cohort study of circulating progenitor cells after ST-segment elevation and non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction in non-diabetic and diabetic patients.

Background: Myocardial infarction induces elevation of progenitor cells in the circulation, a reparative response inhibited by type-2 diabetes.

Objectives: Determine if myocardial infarct severity and diabetes interactively influence the migratory activity of CD34+/CXCR4+ progenitor cells and if the migratory test predicts cardiac outcomes.

Materials And Methods: A longitudinal study was conducted on patients with or without diabetes with a STEMI or NSTEMI.

The Impact of Mortality Salience on Purchase Intention and Creativity Evaluation on Products During COVID-19 Pandemic.

In the environment of COVID-19, people are faced with mortality salience (MS) and socioeconomic crisis. According to the terror management theory, the MS would lead to particular consumption attitudes and behaviors caused by the self-esteem and cultural worldview defense. The creativity as a potential value of products needs to be examined to explore how the MS changed the creativity evaluation of three types of products categorized into normal, renovative, and innovative products, based on the degree of originality (Zhang et al.

Emotional Creativity Improves Posttraumatic Growth and Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Emotional creativity refers to a set of cognitive abilities and personality traits related to the originality of emotional experience and expression. Previous studies have found that emotional creativity can positively predict posttraumatic growth and mental health. The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has posed great challenges to people's daily lives and their mental health status.

Benevolent Creativity Buffers Anxiety Aroused by Mortality Salience: Terror Management in COVID-19 Pandemic.

With the outbreak of the COVID-19 crisis, the public keeps getting epidemic-related information on the media. News reports on the increasing number of fatalities have exposed individuals to death, which causes negative emotional experiences such as tension, anxiety, and fear. This study aimed to investigate whether creativity could serve as an anxiety-buffer when mortality is salient.

A novel mutation causes autosomal dominant cataract: A report from a Chinese family.

Purpose: This study aimed to examine pathogenic mutation within one Chinese family of five-generations suffering from autosomal dominant cataract.

Methods: Next-generation sequencing and Sanger sequencing were used to find the pathogenic variants.

Results: A rare mutation, c.

Exposure to Ideas, Evaluation Apprehension, and Incubation Intervals in Collaborative Idea Generation.

This study focused on the social factors and cognitive processes that influence collaborative idea generation, using the research paradigm of group idea generation, evaluation apprehension, and incubation. Specifically, it aimed to explore the impact of exposure to others' ideas, evaluation apprehension, and incubation intervals on collaborative idea generation through three experiments. The results showed that in the process of generating ideas in a group, exposure to others' ideas and evaluation apprehension can lead to productivity deficits in the number and categories of ideas, without affecting the novelty of ideas.

MicroRNA-7 suppresses the homing and migration potential of human endothelial cells to highly metastatic human breast cancer cells.

Background: MicroRNA-7 (miR-7) has been observed as a potent tumour suppressor in multiple cancer types including breast cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the response sensitivities of metastatic breast cancer cells to miR-7 and the roles of miR-7 in the interaction of endothelial cells and metastatic cancer cells.

Methods: Expression profile of miRNAs in a breast cancer specimen cohort and breast cancer cells were determined using real-time quantitative miRNA assays.

Knockdown of EPHA1 by CRISPR/CAS9 Promotes Adhesion and Motility of HRT18 Colorectal Carcinoma Cells.

Background: Erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular A1 (EPHA1) is the first member of the EPH superfamily. Its abnormal expression has been reported in various cancer types. However, the contribution of EPHA1 to the regulation of colorectal cancer cell behaviour remains unknown.

New Roles of Osteocytes in Proliferation, Migration and Invasion of Breast and Prostate Cancer Cells.

Background: Most cases of prostate and breast cancer metastasis occur to the bone, and are responsible for the majority of cancer-related deaths. Osteocytes constitute over 90% of adult bone cells. They orchestrate bone remodelling through determining osteoclast activity and affecting osteoblasts.

MDM2 and PSMA Play Inhibitory Roles in Metastatic Breast Cancer Cells Through Regulation of Matrix Metalloproteinases.

Background/aim: Mouse double minute 2 (MDM2) and prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) are currently under investigation as individual therapeutic targets due to their overexpression in many cancer types, as well as their pro-tumorigenic effect on cells. Recently, knockdown of PSMA was linked to a decrease in MDM2 and matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) and an increase in MMP3 and MMP13 expression. We aimed to assess the link between PSMA, MDM2 and the MMPs in metastatic breast cancer cell lines.

Significance and therapeutic implications of endothelial progenitor cells in angiogenic-mediated tumour metastasis.

Cancer conveys profound social and economic consequences throughout the world. Metastasis is responsible for approximately 90% of cancer-associated mortality and, when it occurs, cancer becomes almost incurable. During metastatic dissemination, cancer cells pass through a series of complex steps including the establishment of tumour-associated angiogenesis.

The clinical and therapeutic uses of MDM2 and PSMA and their potential interaction in aggressive cancers.

Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) overexpression is observed in the neovasculature of solid tumors, but not in the vasculature of normal tissues. Increased PSMA expression is positively associated with tumor stage and grade, although its function in cancer remains unclear. Mouse double minute 2 (MDM2) is a negative regulator of the p53 tumor suppressor and is reported to regulate VEGF expression and angiogenesis.

Interleukin 21 and Its Receptor Play a Role in Proliferation, Migration and Invasion of Breast Cancer Cells.

Interleukin 21 (IL21) is a cytokine produced predominantly by cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4+) T-cells and natural killer T-cells. There exists evidence that IL21 is implicated in various immunological processes through its specific receptor (IL21R). However, the participation of IL21 in the pathogenesis of solid tumors is not fully conclusive.

Adoptive cellular immunotherapy for the treatment of patients with breast cancer: a meta-analysis.

Background: To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of dendritic cells (DC) alone, cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells alone and the combination of DC and CIK cells in the treatment of breast cancer, we performed a systemic review of the relevant published clinical studies, collectively referred to as DC-CIK cell therapy.

Methods: Six hundred thirty-three patients with breast cancer were assigned to cohorts, and a meta-analysis was conducted.

Results: The treatment of breast cancer with DC-CIK cells was associated with a significantly improved 1-year survival (P = 0.

Combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy for colon cancer in China: a meta-analysis.

Aim: To investigate whether autologous dendritic cell (DC)-cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cell therapy is able to improve the therapeutic efficacy of chemotherapy in colon cancer.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review of published papers from the sources of MEDLINE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, the Wanfang Database, the China Science and Technology Periodical Database and China Journal Net. Published data were extracted independently by two authors using predefined database templates.

Stepwise optimization of the procedure for assessment of circulating progenitor cells in patients with myocardial infarction.

Background: The number and functional activity of circulating progenitor cells (CPCs) is altered in diabetic patients. Furthermore, reduced CPC count has been shown to independently predict cardiovascular events. Validation of CPCs as a biomarker for cardiovascular risk stratification requires rigorous methodology.

A new methodological sequence to expand and transdifferentiate human umbilical cord blood derived CD133+ cells into a cardiomyocyte-like phenotype.

Transplantation of antigenic-separated stem cells for human cardiovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction needs to be supported by experimental studies that allow refinement of the procedure. In this study we investigated optimising a protocol for the expansion and subsequent differentiation of human umbilical cord blood (HUCB) derived CD133(+) stem cells into a cardiomyocyte-like lineage. CD133(+) cells from HUCB were selected first by immunomagnetic separation and their purity was confirmed by flow cytometry analysis.

Pluripotency-associated genes in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma CNE-2 cells are reactivated by a unique epigenetic sub-microenvironment.

Background: There is increasing evidence that cancers contain their own stem-like cells, and particular attention has been paid to one subset of cancer-stem cells termed side population (SP). Stem cells under normal physical conditions are tightly controlled by their microenvironment, however, the regulatory role of the microenvironment surrounding cancer stem cells is not well characterized yet. In this study we found that the phenotype of SP can be "generated" by macrophage-like cells under conditioned culture.

Genomic profiling of pediatric ALK-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma: a Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group Study.

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is a T-cell malignancy in which ALK expression is a consequence of the t(2;5) or a variant translocation involving Chromosome 2. For the most part, this disease presents in the pediatric population and most, but not all, patients are successfully treated. Although the t(2;5) product nucleophosmin-ALK has been extensively studied for its transforming properties, very little is known regarding cooperative genetic mutations that may contribute to lymphomagenesis and may predict survival outcome, specifically in a purely pediatric population.

NPM-ALK inhibits the p53 tumor suppressor pathway in an MDM2 and JNK-dependent manner.

Anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is characterized by the presence of the t(2;5)(p23;q35) generating the nucleophosmin-anaplastic lymphoma kinase (NPM-ALK) fusion protein, a hyperactive kinase with transforming properties. Among these properties is the ability to regulate activity of the p53 tumor suppressor protein. In many human cancers, p53 is inactivated by mutation or other means, in some cases as a result of up-regulation of the negative regulator MDM2.

Pi-conjugated dendrimers as stable pure-blue emissive materials: photophysical, electrochemical, and electroluminescent properties.

A family of giant pi-conjugated dendrimers has been developed as pure-blue active materials for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). The investigation of their photophysical properties indicates that G0 and G1 exhibit almost the same absorption and PL spectra in dilute solutions and in thin films. The steric hindrance of the bulky dendrimers effectively prevents strong intermolecular interaction in the solid state, which effectively improves the emission spectral stability.

Synthesis of giant rigid pi-conjugated dendrimers.

A novel family of giant pi-conjugated dendrimers (G0, G1, and G2) solely constructed by 5,5,10,10,15,15-hexahexyltruxene units has been developed in a convergent manner through a Suzuki cross-coupling reaction. The overall yields to such large rigid conjugated dendrimers are quite satisfying. The structures and purity of these nanosize rigid dendrimers are verified by 1H and 13C NMR, MALDI-TOF MS, and elemental analysis.

Encapsulation of RIN-m5F cells within Ba2+ cross-linked alginate beads affects proliferation and insulin secretion.

The viability, proliferation and insulin production of RIN-m5F cells when loaded into alginate beads to form a 3D culture system has been investigated. The mechanism of alginate cross-linking (calcium ions vs barium ions), the addition of poly(L-lysine) (PLL) and poly(L-ornithine (PLO) and presence of different extra-cellular matrix proteins (ECM) influence the RIN-m5F cell behaviour. Cells in calcium alginate beads (CAB) proliferated and produced more insulin per cell than monolayer culture, but the physical properties of the beads were poor and they ruptured within a few days of culture.