Herbal Medicines Attenuate PD-L1 Expression to Induce Anti-Proliferation in Obesity-Related Cancers.

Pro-inflammatory hormones and cytokines (leptin, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and interleukin (IL)-6) rise in obesity. Elevated levels of hormones and cytokines are linked with several comorbidities such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. The checkpoint programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) plays an important role in obesity and cancer proliferation.

SAME-clustering: Single-cell Aggregated Clustering via Mixture Model Ensemble.

Clustering is an essential step in the analysis of single cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) data to shed light on tissue complexity including the number of cell types and transcriptomic signatures of each cell type. Due to its importance, novel methods have been developed recently for this purpose. However, different approaches generate varying estimates regarding the number of clusters and the single-cell level cluster assignments.

Regioselective conversions of Hpdta (1,2-propanediaminetetraacetic acid) and Heed3a to their triacetates on peroxotitanates.

1,2-Propanediaminetetraacetic acid (Hpdta = CHON) is degraded selectively to 1-methyl-1,2-propanediaminetriacetic acid (Hpd3a = CHON) with a yield of 75% at room temperature, while N-(2-hydroxyethyl) ethylenediaminetriacetic acid (Heed3a = CHON) is converted with difficulty to ethylenediaminetriacetic acid (Hed3a = CHON) on peroxotitanates(iv), showing the influence of the uncoordinated leaving group. Various species in the reaction sequence are isolated and fully characterized, including (NH)[Ti(O)(Hpdta)]·HO (1), (NH)[Ti(O)(pdta)H(pdta)(O)Ti]·7HO (2), (NH)[Ti(O)(pd3a)]·HO (3) and (NH)[Ti(O)(Heed3a)]·HO (5). Peroxo dimer 2 forms a strong intramolecular hydrogen bond [2.

Age-related DNA hydroxymethylation is enriched for gene expression and immune system processes in human peripheral blood.

DNA methylation (DNAm) has a well-established association with age in many tissues, including peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Compared to DNAm, the closely related epigenetic modification known as DNA hydroxymethylation (DNAhm) was much more recently discovered in mammals. Preliminary investigations have observed a positive correlation between gene body DNAhm and cis-gene expression.

Leptin-derived peptides block leptin-induced proliferation by reducing expression of pro-inflammatory genes in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

The obesity-regulated gene, leptin, is essential for diet. Leptin resistance causes obesity and related diseases. Certain types of diet are able to decrease leptin resistance.

LKB1 deficiency promotes proliferation and invasion of glioblastoma through activation of mTOR and focal adhesion kinase signaling pathways.

Liver kinase B1 (LKB1), a serine/threonine kinase, is frequently inactivated in several types of human cancers. To date, inactivation of LKB1 tumor suppressor has rarely been reported in glioblastoma. In this study, we investigated LKB1 status, biological significance, and therapeutic implications in glioblastoma.

Formation of N-oxido copper ethylenediaminetetraacetate and propanediaminetetraacetate and their selective degradation to iminodiacetate and propanediaminediacetate.

N-Oxido copper(ii) ethylenediaminetetraacetate Na[Cu(edtaO)(HO)]·13nHO (2) (Hedta = ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, CHON) and N-oxido copper(ii) 1,3-propanediaminetetraacetate NaO[Cu(HpdtaO)Cl]·12.5nHO (4) (Hpdta = 1,3-propanediaminetetraacetic acid, CHON) were obtained from the reactions of copper(ii) edta and pdta respectively with hydrogen peroxide. The copper ions in 2 and 4 are hexa-coordinated by edtaO or pdtaO ligands, forming 1D chain structures.

Phthalate exposure alters gut microbiota composition and IgM vaccine response in human newborns.

Postnatal exposure to di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), a common plasticizer, is associated with allergy development in childhood, suggesting that DEHP exposure may dysregulate immune response in infants. We investigated whether DEHP exposure in newborns through medical treatment affected the gut microbiota pattern and vaccine response, which are both related to immune development. In this prospective cohort study from May 1, 2016 through July 31, 2017, newborns with respiratory distress who were given intravenous infusions (IVs) were enrolled as the DEHP group, and newborns who did not receive IVs were enrolled as the control group.

Thyroid hormone-induced expression of inflammatory cytokines interfere with resveratrol-induced anti-proliferation of oral cancer cells.

Thyroid hormone, L-thyroxine (T), induces inflammatory genes expressions and promotes cancer growth. It also induces expression of the checkpoint programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), which plays a vital role in cancer progression. On the other hand, resveratrol inhibits inflammatory genes expressions.

Taiwanese Consumers' Willingness to Pay for Broiler Welfare Improvement.

In this study, we explored the willingness to pay (WTP) for broilers raised under the high welfare system. The interval data model and the ordered probit model were used to investigate the factors that affect consumers' WTP for broiler meat produced by farm animal welfare (FAW), practice. Our results from both methods suggest that socioeconomic characteristics such as education level, income level, gender, and age significantly affect consumers' WTP.

Hybrid slot-waveguide fed antenna using hexagonal boron nitride D'yakonov polaritons.

Polaritonic slot waveguides have been explored as a means of manipulating nanoscale fields to compete in the race for the sub-diffractional confinement of light. Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), when incorporated into hyperbolic-insulator-hyperbolic (HIH) configurations, is a strong contender, with its naturally occurring anisotropy allowing it to strongly confine and enhance local fields. However, while the volumetric phonon polaritons of h-BN have been widely used for these means, its hyperbolic surface phonon polaritons (HSPhPs) or D'yakonov polaritons contain untapped potential and are widely unused.

Corrigendum: Tetrac and NDAT Induce Anti-proliferation via Integrin αvβ3 in Colorectal Cancers With Different Status.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2019.

MAPS: Model-based analysis of long-range chromatin interactions from PLAC-seq and HiChIP experiments.

Hi-C and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) have been combined to identify long-range chromatin interactions genome-wide at reduced cost and enhanced resolution, but extracting information from the resulting datasets has been challenging. Here we describe a computational method, MAPS, Model-based Analysis of PLAC-seq and HiChIP, to process the data from such experiments and identify long-range chromatin interactions. MAPS adopts a zero-truncated Poisson regression framework to explicitly remove systematic biases in the PLAC-seq and HiChIP datasets, and then uses the normalized chromatin contact frequencies to identify significant chromatin interactions anchored at genomic regions bound by the protein of interest.

Orchestrated biomechanical, structural, and biochemical stimuli for engineering anisotropic meniscus.

Reconstruction of the anisotropic structure and proper function of the knee meniscus remains an important challenge to overcome, because the complexity of the zonal tissue organization in the meniscus has important roles in load bearing and shock absorption. Current tissue engineering solutions for meniscus reconstruction have failed to achieve and maintain the proper function in vivo because they have generated homogeneous tissues, leading to long-term joint degeneration. To address this challenge, we applied biomechanical and biochemical stimuli to mesenchymal stem cells seeded into a biomimetic scaffold to induce spatial regulation of fibrochondrocyte differentiation, resulting in physiological anisotropy in the engineered meniscus.

Promoting Osteogenesis of Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells Using 1α, 25-(OH)₂D₃ to Change Intracellular Calcium Concentration.

Vitamin D plays a major role in the regulation of calcium homeostasis and affects bone metabolism. There is currently limited detailed knowledge about the vitamin D endocrine system in human bone cells. Here, we investigated the direct effects of 1α, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃ (1α, 25-(OH)₂D₃ or 'VD3') on osteogenesis of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HUCMSCs).

Molecular dissection of cadmium-responsive transcriptome profile in a low-cadmium-accumulating cultivar of Brassica parachinensis.

Brassica parachinensis L., a daily consumed leaf vegetable, is a high-Cd accumulator that substantially threatens human health. Screening and breeding Cd pollution-safe cultivars (Cd-PSCs) of crops is a low-cost strategy to restrict human Cd intake from contaminated soils via the food chain.

Tetrac and NDAT Induce Anti-proliferation via Integrin αvβ3 in Colorectal Cancers With Different Status.

Colorectal cancer is a serious medical problem in Taiwan. New, effective therapeutic approaches are needed. The selection of promising anticancer drugs and the transition from pre-clinical investigations to clinical trials are often challenging.

Recurrent activations of transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 and vanilloid-4 promote cellular proliferation and migration in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cells.

Some members of the transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV) subfamily of cation channels are thermosensitive. Earlier studies have revealed the distribution and functions of these thermo-TRPVs (TRPV1-4) in various organs, but their expression and function in the human esophagus are not fully understood. Here, we probed for the expression of the thermo-TRPVs in one nontumor human esophageal squamous cell line and two esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cell lines.

Heteronemin Induces Anti-Proliferation in Cholangiocarcinoma Cells via Inhibiting TGF-β Pathway.

A marine sesterterpenoid-type natural product, heteronemin, retains anticancer effects. In the current study, we investigate the antitumor mechanism of heteronemin in cholangiocarcinoma cells and further explore its molecular targets. Initially, heteronemin exhibited potent cytotoxic effects against cholangiocarcinoma HuccT1 and SSP-25 cells.

The impact of humic acid on metaldehyde adsorption onto powdered activated carbon in aqueous solution.

Metaldehyde has been detected in surface water and drinking water in the UK, exceeding the EU and UK standard of 0.1 μg L. The presence of natural organic matter (NOM) is considered to affect the removal efficiency of metaldehyde using traditional treatment methods such as adsorption by granular activated carbon.

Comparison of predictive powers of functional and anatomic dosimetric parameters for radiation-induced lung toxicity in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Purpose: To investigate the predictive value of the perfusion (Q) single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)-weighted dose-function histogram (DFH) obtained mid-treatment (mid-Tx) with radiotherapy (RT) for radiation-induced lung toxicity (RILT) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Materials And Methods: The study population consisted of NSCLC patients who were undergoing RT treatment and enrolled in prospective imaging studies. Q-SPECT was performed prior to and during RT (at ∼40-45 Gy).

Hybrid long-range hyperbolic phonon polariton waveguide using hexagonal boron nitride for mid-infrared subwavelength confinement.

Long propagation waveguides are critical for any photonic-on-chip applications. There has been an extensive investigation in using plasmon polaritons for near-infrared and optical networks, however, for mid- to long-wave IR applications phonon polaritons are required given that plasmonic polaritonic effects are negligible. In recent years, extensive research has been conducted on hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), which has shown h-BN to have naturally occurring subwavelength, volumetrically confined hyperbolic phonon polaritons (HPhPs).

Impaired hepatic autophagic activity in dairy cows with severe fatty liver is associated with inflammation and reduced liver function.

The ability of liver to respond to changes in nutrient availability is essential for the maintenance of metabolic homeostasis. Autophagy encompasses mechanisms of cell survival, including capturing, degrading, and recycling of intracellular proteins and organelles in lysosomes. During negative nutrient status, autophagy provides substrates to sustain cellular metabolism and hence, tissue function.

Ultraviolet Irradiation Treatment for Enhanced Sodium Storage Performance Based on Wide-Interlayer-Spacing Hollow C@MoS@CN Nanospheres.

The photochemistry and sodium storage process have been generally considered as two separated approaches without strong connection. Here, ultraviolet (UV) irradiation was applied to sodium-ion batteries to improve the electrochemical performance of MoS-based composites. C@MoS@CN nanospheres consist of double protective structures, including inner hollow carbon spheres with a thin wall (C) and outer N-doping carbon nanosheets (CNs) derived from polydopamine.

SAFE-clustering: Single-cell Aggregated (from Ensemble) clustering for single-cell RNA-seq data.

Motivation: Accurately clustering cell types from a mass of heterogeneous cells is a crucial first step for the analysis of single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-Seq) data. Although several methods have been recently developed, they utilize different characteristics of data and yield varying results in terms of both the number of clusters and actual cluster assignments.

Results: Here, we present SAFE-clustering, single-cell aggregated (From Ensemble) clustering, a flexible, accurate and robust method for clustering scRNA-Seq data.