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Two newly emerging materials for application in all‐solid‐state batteries, namely, single‐crystalline Ni‐rich layered oxide cathode and halide solid electrolyte (SE), are of utmost interest because of their superior properties (good microstructural integrity and excellent electrochemical oxidation stability, respectively) to conventional polycrystalline layered oxides and sulfide SEs. In this work, four electrodes employing single‐ or polycrystalline LiNi0.88Co0.11Al0.01O2 (NCA) and Li3YCl6 or Li6PS5Cl0.5Br0.5 are rigorously characterized by complementary analyses. It is shown that the synergy of employing cracking‐free single‐crystalline NCA and oxidation‐tolerable Li3YCl6 can be achieved by considering intercoupled engineering factors that are prone to overlook, such as size, lightness, and mixing of particles. Accordingly, the highest level of performances in terms of discharge capacity (199 mA h g−1 at 0.1C), initial Coulombic efficiency (89.6%), cycling performance (96.8% of capacity retention at the 200th cycle), and rate capability (130 mA h g−1 at 4C) are demonstrated at 30 °C. Severe side reactions occurring at the Li6PS5Cl0.5Br0.5/NCA interfaces are also quantified and probed. Importantly, an overlooked but significant contribution of the side reaction of Li6PS5Cl0.5Br0.5 to the detrimental electrochemo‐mechanical degradation of polycrystalline NCA is revealed for the first time by postmortem scanning electron microscopy and operando electrochemical pressiometry measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An unprecedentedly high electronic conductivity of 0.27 S cm −1 is achieved by depositing 0.56 wt% crystalline RuO 2 on LNMO via a wet-chemical route. Systematic assessment of the electrochemical performance of bare and RuO 2 -coated LNMO electrodes unambiguously demonstrates that the high electronic conductivity of RuO 2 enables significant enhancement in rate capability. These improvements are dramatic for the electrodes in which extremely low amounts of carbon additives are included and/or the loading amount is high. This finding highlights the importance of electronic conduction in composite electrodes, not only for high power but also for high energy density. The RuO 2 -coated LNMO electrode with 1 wt% carbon additives exhibits a high capacity of 100 mA h g −1 at 1C in the range 3.0–5.0 V (vs. Li/Li + ). This result is in sharp contrast to the negligible capacity exhibited by the bare LNMO electrode. In addition, the chemical/electrochemical stability of the RuO 2 coating under repeated cycling is confirmed, explaining the observed improvement in durability of the RuO 2 -coated LNMO over the bare LNMO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PTEN is a novel tumor-suppressor gene located on chromosomal band 10q23. Loss of PTEN function has been implicated in the progression of several types of cancer, but the correlation between loss of PTEN expression and advanced carcinomas is not well established. The capacity for angiogenesis of a tumor is known to play a very important role in growth and metastasis, and there have been reports that PTEN relates to angiogenesis. In the present study, formalin-fixed and paraffin embedded tissues from 101 patients with breast carcinomas, including 88 cases of invasive ductal carcinomas and 13 cases of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), were evaluated by immunohistochemical methods for the expression of PTEN and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), as well as microvessel density (MVD). The results were compared with the clinicopathologic parameters. There was no loss of PTEN expression in any of the cases of DCIS, but 28 (32%) of the 88 invasive cases did not express PTEN. Loss of PTEN expression was associated with lymph node metastasis ( P = 0.03), but did not correlate with tumor size, tumor grade, MVD or recurrence. VEGF expression significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis in invasive ductal carcinoma ( P = 0.01). There was no correlation between the expression of PTEN and that of VEGF ( P = 0.63). The present study suggests that loss of PTEN expression is common and correlates with tumor progression and lymph node metastasis in breast carcinoma. The relationship between loss of PTEN and progression of breast cancer may not be explained by modulation of angiogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While Ni‐rich cathode materials combined with highly conductive and mechanically sinterable sulfide solid electrolytes are imperative for practical all‐solid‐state Li batteries (ASLBs), they suffer from poor performance. Moreover, the prevailing wisdom regarding the use of Li[Ni,Co,Mn]O2 in conventional liquid electrolyte cells, that is, increased capacity upon increased Ni content, at the expense of degraded cycling stability, has not been applied in ASLBs. In this work, the effect of overlooked but dominant electrochemo‐mechanical on the performance of Ni‐rich cathodes in ASLBs are elucidated by complementary analysis. While conventional Li[Ni0.80Co0.16Al0.04]O2 (NCA80) with randomly oriented grains is prone to severe particle disintegration even at the initial cycle, the radially oriented rod‐shaped grains in full‐concentration gradient Li[Ni0.75Co0.10Mn0.15]O2 (FCG75) accommodate volume changes, maintaining mechanical integrity. This accounts for their different performance in terms of reversible capacity (156 vs 196 mA h g−1), initial Coulombic efficiency (71.2 vs 84.9%), and capacity retention (46.9 vs 79.1% after 200 cycles) at 30 °C. The superior interfacial stability for FCG75/Li6PS5Cl to for NCA80/Li6PS5Cl is also probed. Finally, the reversible operation of FCG75/Li ASLBs is demonstrated. The excellent performance of FCG75 ranks at the highest level in the ASLB field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The chemical vulnerability of sulfide solid electrolyte (SE) materials to organic polar solvents complicates the wet-slurry fabrication of sheet-type electrodes and SE films for practical all-solid-state Li batteries (ASLBs). Moreover, the disruption of interfacial Li+ conduction by binders is problematic. This could be relieved by blending with liquid electrolytes but at the expense of the ASLBs' thermal stability. In this study, a new tactical approach to hybridize sulfide SEs with thermally stable and slurry-fabricable dry polymer electrolyte (DPE)-type binders is reported. Along with their practicability, ester solvents bearing bulky hydrocarbons, such as benzyl acetate, dissolve both polymers and Li salts (e.g., LiTFSI) while undamaging sulfide SEs. The use of the DPE-type binder, NA-LiTFSI (NA: nitrile butadiene rubber-poly(1,4-butylene adipate)), for LiNi 0.70 Co 0.15 Mn 0.15 O 2 (NCM) electrodes significantly improves their electrochemical performance at 30 °C. Moreover, NA-LiTFSI is highly functional at 70 °C (from 180 to 200 mA h g−1 and from 84.2 to 91.8% for initial Coulombic efficiency) and applicable for other electrodes, such as graphite (from 265 to 330 mA h g−1) and Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 , which is in stark contrast to the solvate ionic liquid-type binder Li(G3)TFSI. Finally, pouch-type NCM/graphite ASLBs employing electrodes made of NA-LiTFSI binders were also fabricated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to their potential for greater safety, higher energy density, and scalable fabrication, bulk-type all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries (ASLBs) employing deformable sulfide superionic conductors are considered highly promising for applications in battery electric vehicles. While fabrication of sheet-type electrodes is imperative from the practical point of view, reports on relevant research are scarce. This might be attributable to issues that complicate the slurry-based fabrication process and/or issues with ionic contacts and percolation. In this work, we systematically investigate the electrochemical performance of conventional dry-mixed electrodes and wet-slurry fabricated electrodes for ASLBs, by varying the different fractions of solid electrolytes and the mass loading. This information calls for a need to develop well-designed electrodes with better ionic contacts and to improve the ionic conductivity of solid electrolytes. As a scalable proof-of-concept to achieve better ionic contacts, a premixing process for active materials and solid electrolytes is demonstrated to significantly improve electrochemical performance. Pouch-type 80 × 60 mm 2 all-solid-state LiNi 0 · 6 Co 0 · 2 Mn 0 · 2 O 2 /graphite full-cells fabricated by the slurry process show high cell-based energy density (184 W h kg −1 and 432 W h L −1 ). For the first time, their excellent safety is also demonstrated by simple tests (cutting with scissors and heating at 110 °C). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sirtuin 6 (SIRT6) regulation is involved in carcinogenesis. However, its role in breast cancer (BC) metastasis remains unclear. We investigated the effects of SIRT6 on protein kinase C activator- and cytokine-mediated cancer cell invasion and migration in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells and the association between SIRT6 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) expression. To assess MMP-9 and SIRT6 expression in patients, protein levels in BC tissues were analyzed. MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell viability was analyzed using MTT assays. SIRT6 was silenced in both cell lines and protein secretion, expression, and mRNA levels were analyzed. Transcription factor DNA activity was investigated using luciferase assays. Matrigel invasion assays were used to assess the effects of SIRT6 in both cell lines. SIRT6 and MMP-9 expression in cancer tissues was significantly higher than in paired normal breast tissues. 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) or tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) increased MMP-9 expression and cell invasion and migration, but SIRT6 knockdown abolished these effects. SIRT6 overexpression additively increased TPA- and TNF-α-induced MMP-9 expression. SIRT6 knockdown suppressed the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway and thus TPA- and TNF-α-induced MMP-9 expression. SIRT6 silencing suppressed TPA- and TNF-α-induced nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and activator protein-1 (AP-1) expressions in both cell lines, and treatment with MAPK, NF-κB, and AP-1 inhibitors reduced MMP-9 expression. The anti-invasive effects of SIRT6 in BC cells might be mediated by suppression of MAPK phosphorylation and reduction in NF-κB and AP-1 DNA activities, leading to MMP-9 downregulation, suggesting that SIRT6 modulation has the potential to target BC metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 is crucial in diagnosing hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndromes and has increased with the development of multigene panel tests. However, results classified as variants of uncertain significance (VUS) present challenges to clinicians in attempting to choose an appropriate management plans. We reviewed a total of 676 breast cancer patients included in the Korean Hereditary Breast Cancer (KOHBRA) study with a VUS on BRCA mutation tests between November 2007 and April 2013. These results were compared to the ClinVar database. We calculated the incidence and odds ratios for these variants using the Korean Reference Genome Database. A total of 58 and 91 distinct VUS in BRCA1 and BRCA2 were identified in the KOHBRA study (comprising 278 and 453 patients, respectively). A total of 27 variants in the KOHBRA study were not registered in the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism database. Among BRCA1 VUSs, 20 were reclassified as benign or likely benign, four were reclassified as pathogenic or likely pathogenic, and eight remained as VUSs according to the ClinVar database. Of the BRCA2 VUSs, 25 were reclassified as benign or likely benign, two were reclassified as pathogenic or likely pathogenic, and 33 remained as VUS according to the ClinVar database. There were 12 variants with conflicting interpretations of pathogenicity for BRCA1 and 18 for BRCA2. Among them, p.Leu1780Pro showed a particularly high odds ratio. Six pathogenic variants and one conflicting variant identified using ClinVar could be reclassified as pathogenic variants in this study. Using updated ClinVar information and calculating odds ratios can be helpful when reclassifying VUSs in BRCA1/2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the combined advantages of sulfide and oxide solid electrolytes (SEs), that is, mechanical sinterability and excellent (electro)chemical stability, recently emerging halide SEs such as Li3YCl6 are considered to be a game changer for the development of all‐solid‐state batteries. However, the use of expensive central metals hinders their practical applicability. Herein, a new halide superionic conductors are reported that are free of rare‐earth metals: hexagonal close‐packed (hcp) Li2ZrCl6 and Fe3+‐substituted Li2ZrCl6, derived via a mechanochemical method. Conventional heat treatment yields cubic close‐packed monoclinic Li2ZrCl6 with a low Li+ conductivity of 5.7 × 10−6 S cm−1 at 30 °C. In contrast, hcp Li2ZrCl6 with a high Li+ conductivity of 4.0 × 10−4 S cm−1 is derived via ball‐milling. More importantly, the aliovalent substitution of Li2ZrCl6 with Fe3+, which is probed by complementary analyses using X‐ray diffraction, pair distribution function, X‐ray absorption spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy measurements, drastically enhances the Li+ conductivity up to ≈1 mS cm−1 for Li2.25Zr0.75Fe0.25Cl6. The superior interfacial stability when using Li2+xZr1−xFexCl6, as compared to that when using conventional Li6PS5Cl, is proved. Furthermore, an excellent electrochemical performance of the all‐solid‐state batteries is achieved via the combination of Li2ZrCl6 and single‐crystalline LiNi0.88Co0.11Al0.01O2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new cobalt complexes possessing salen-type pyridoxal ligands were prepared and used in catalytic reaction of cycloaddition of CO 2 to propylene oxide, providing considerable activities. Cobalt complexes containing a salen-type pyridoxal ligand with pyridine were synthesized as a new Co(III) catalytic system for the cycloaddition of carbon dioxide. Two cobalt(III) complexes possessing a salen-type pyridoxyl ligand were synthesized by the reaction of pyridoxal ligands (pyr 2 en = (N,N′ -bis(pyridoxylideneiminato)ethylene) and pyr 2 cy = (N,N′ -bis(pyridoxylideneiminato)cyclohexane)) and Co(OAc) 2 and characterized by various analytical methods, including infrared spectroscopy and high-resolution mass analysis. Single-crystal X-ray crystallography analysis confirmed that the cobalt pyr 2 en complex had a distorted octahedral structure: the tetradentate Schiff base ligand binds the cobalt metal in one plane, and the metal center adopts an octahedral geometry by the additional coordination of acetate and dimethyl sulfoxide. The synthesized complexes were used as catalysts in the cycloaddition of carbon dioxide (CO 2) to propylene oxide. The catalysts showed high activity for cycloaddition between CO 2 and epoxides, even at a low loading (0.5 mol%), in the presence of various cocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is a controversy about late-onset congestive heart failure (CHF) among breast cancer survivors. This study investigated the incidence rate and risk factors of late-onset CHF more than 2 years after the breast cancer diagnosis.Methods: A nationwide, retrospective study was conducted with the National Health Information Database. With 1:3 age- and sex-matched noncancer controls, Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to analyze the incidence and risk factors of late CHF. The cumulative incidence rate of late CHF was evaluated with a Kaplan-Meier analysis and a log-rank test.Results: A total of 91,227 cases (286,480 person-years) and 273,681 controls (884,349 person-years) were evaluated between January 2007 and December 2013. The risks of late CHF were higher in cases than controls (hazard ratio [HR], 1.396; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.268-1.538). Younger survivors (age ≤ 50 years) showed a higher risk of late CHF than their younger counterparts (HR, 2.903; 95% CI, 2.425-3.474). Although older age was a risk factor for late CHF, older survivors (age ≥ 66 years) showed no difference in the risk of late CHF in comparison with their counterparts (HR, 0.906; 95% CI, 0.757-1.084). Anthracyclines and taxanes were risk factors for late CHF, although trastuzumab, radiation, and endocrine therapy were not.Conclusions: Young breast cancer survivors have a greater risk of late CHF than the young population without cancer. More attention should be paid to young breast cancer survivors who receive taxane- or anthracycline-based regimens over the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Casein kinase 2 (CK2) is a serine/threonine protein kinase that has been considered to represent an important factor in mammary tumorigenesis. Increased expression of matrix metalloproteinase‑9 (MMP‑9) via nuclear factor‑κB (NF‑κB) activation has been demonstrated to promote breast cancer cell invasion. In the present study, the involvement of CK2 in protein kinase C (PKC) induced cell invasion in MCF‑7 breast cancer cells was investigated as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms. The mRNA and protein levels of MMP‑9 in MCF‑7 cells were investigated using reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blot analyses and a zymography assay. Cell invasiveness was investigated using a Matrigel invasion assay, and it was revealed that small interfering RNA specific for CK2 suppressed PKC induced cell invasion by regulating MMP‑9 expression via activation of the p38 kinase/c‑Jun N‑terminal kinase/NF‑κB pathway. In addition, it was demonstrated that CK2 inhibitors [apigenin (20 μM), emodin (20 μM) or 2‑dimethylamino‑4,5,6,7‑tetrabromo‑1H‑benzimidazole (2 μM)] suppressed PKC induced cell invasion and MMP‑9 expression. The results of the present study suggested that CK2 is an important factor involved in the induction of MCF‑7 breast cancer cell invasion by PKC. Therefore, CK2 may represent novel candidates for therapy intended to inhibit invasion in breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Correction to: I Scientific Reports i https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-87792-w, published online 19 April 2021 The Funding section in the original version of this Article was omitted. The Funding section now reads: "The present research has been supported by Korea Breast Cancer Foundation (KBCF-2016U002).". [Extracted from the article]

Background: Endoscopic thyroidectomy has been applied to solve the cosmetic problems that resulted from conventional thyroidectomy. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the surgical outcomes of conventional and endoscopic thyroidectomies via axillo-bilateral-breast approach (ABBA) in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).Methods: Between May 2007 and February 2011, 1003 patients with PTC underwent thyroidectomies. The eight hundred and thirty patients underwent conventional thyroidectomy and 173 patients underwent endoscopic thyroidectomy via ABBA. Clinicopathologic characteristics, complications, and surgical completeness were analyzed.Results: The mean age was 49.53 years who received a conventional thyroidectomy and 38.90 years in endoscopic thyroidectomy (P < 0.0001). The conventional thyroidectomy group underwent more extensive surgery than the endoscopic thyroidectomy group but the operation time was longer in the endoscopic thyroidectomy group (P < 0.0001). The mean hospitalization length was 6.98 days following open thyroidectomy and 6.40 days after endoscopic thyroidectomy (P = 0.003). The tumor size was larger in the conventional thyroidectomy group than the endoscopic thyroidectomy group and a lesser number of lymph nodes were retrieved in the endoscopic thyroidectomy group compared to the conventional thyroidectomy group (P < 0.0001). The postoperative complications and thyroglobulin levels in both groups were not significantly different.Conclusion: These results suggest that conventional and endoscopic thyroidectomy via ABBA has similar surgical outcomes in PTC patients. Therefore, endoscopic thyroidectomy via ABBA may be an appropriate surgical alternative to conventional thyroidectomy for treating PTC in selected patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) acts as a key factor in breast cancer metastasis. Notably, PPAR-γ can inhibit metalloproteinase (MMP), which is involved in cancer metastasis. Our previous study revealed that PPAR-γ was related to breast cancer metastasis. The present study aimed to investigate whether the PPAR-γ ligand 2-cyano-3,12-dioxooleana-1,9-dien-28-oic acid (CDDO) mediated suppression of cell invasion and reduced the expression of MMP-9 in breast cancer cells. The results indicated that CDDO reduced MMP-9 expression, cell migration and invasion of breast cancer cells by inhibiting TPA-induced phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases, and downregulating the activities of activator protein-1 and nuclear factor κB. Notably, knock-out of PPAR-γ by small interfering RNA in MCF-7 cells revealed that TPA-induced MMP-9 expression occurred through a PPAR-γ-independent pathway. These data indicated that the downregulatory effect of CDDO on MMP-9 expression was affected by a mechanism independent of PPAR-γ. In conclusion, the findings of the present study suggested that CDDO may act as a key agent in the regulation of breast cancer metastasis, suggesting CDDO as a new targeted therapy for breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The excellent stability of sulfide solid electrolytes with solvate ionic liquids Li(triethylene glycol dimethyl ether)bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (Li(G3)TFSI), and their application for high‐performance, all‐solid‐state lithium‐ion batteries are successfully demonstrated. The addition of a small amount of Li(G3)TFSI gives an alternative ionic pathway through normally poor solid–solid contacts, leading to a dramatic increase in LiFePO4 composite electrode capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a neurotrophin and has been suggested to induce heme oxygenase-1 (HO1) expression. Although the role of HO1 in tumorigenesis remains controversial, recent evidence suggests NGF and HO1 as tumor-progressing factors. However, the correlative role of NGF and HO1 and their prognostic impact in breast carcinoma is unknown.Methods: We investigated the expression and prognostic significance of the expression of NGF and HO1 in 145 cases of breast carcinoma.Results: Immunohistochemical expression of NGF and HO1 was observed in 31% and 49% of breast carcinoma, respectively. The expression of NGF and HO1 significantly associated with each other, and both have a significant association with histologic grade, HER2 expression, and latent distant metastasis. The expression of NGF and HO1 predicted shorter overall survival of breast carcinoma by univariate and multivariate analysis. NGF expression was an independent prognostic indicator for relapse-free survival by multivariate analysis. The combined expression pattern of NGF and HO1 was also an independent prognostic indicator of overall survival and relapse-free survival. The patients with tumors expressing NGF had the shortest survival and the patients with tumor, which did not express NGF or HO1 showed the longest survival time.Conclusions: This study has demonstrated that individual expression of NGF or HO1, and the combined NGF/HO1 expression pattern could be prognostic indicators for breast carcinoma patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N-myc downstream-regulated gene 2 (NDRG2) has been studied for its inhibitory effects against growth and metastasis of many tumor cell types. In this study, we showed NDRG2 expression was correlated with favorable recurrence-free survival of patients with breast cancer and inhibited metastasis of breast cancer cells (4T1). NDRG2 expression was examined in 189 breast carcinoma tissues and paired normal breast tissues using immunohistochemistry. Histological and clinicopathological data were correlated using Pearson’s chi-square test of independence. NDRG2 expression in human breast cancer tissues was inversely associated with lymph node metastasis and pTNM stage. Furthermore, patients with breast cancer with a high level of NDRG2 expression showed favorable recurrence-free survival (P = 0.038). To study the effect of NDRG2 on metastasis in vivo, we established an NDRG2-overexpressing mouse breast cancer cell line (4T1-NDRG2) and measured the metastasis and survival of 4T1-NDRG2 tumor-bearing mice. To test whether transforming growth factor β (TGF-β)– mediated metastasis of 4T1 was inhibited by NDRG2 expression, TGF–Smad-binding element (SBE)–luciferase activity and/or measurement of active TGF-β were performed in cell or tumor tissue level. 4T1-NDRG2 cells grew gradually and showed less metastatic activity in vivo and low invasiveness in vitro. 4T1-NDRG2 cells showed lower SBE–luciferase activity and lower level of active autocrine TGF-β than 4T1-Mock did. Correctly, our data show that NDRG2 significantly suppress tumor metastasis by attenuating active autocrine TGF-β production, and the attenuation might be typically associated with the favorable recurrence-free survival of patients clinically. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Capsaicin treatment was previously reported to reduce the sensitivity of breast cancer cells, but not normal MCF10A cells, to apoptosis. The present study shows that autophagy is involved in cellular resistance to genotoxic stress, through DNA repair. Capsaicin treatment of MCF-7 cells induced S-phase arrest and autophagy through the AMPKα–mTOR signaling pathway and the accumulation of p53 in the nucleus and cytosol, including a change in mitochondrial membrane potential. Capsaicin treatment also activated δ-H2AX, ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM), DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA–PKcs), and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)-1. Genetic or pharmacological disruption of autophagy attenuated capsaicin-induced phospho-ATM and phospho-DNA–PKcs and enhanced apoptotic cell death. ATM inhibitors, including Ku55933 and caffeine, and the genetic or pharmacological inhibition of p53 prevented capsaicin-induced DNA–PKcs phosphorylation and stimulated PARP-1 cleavage, but had no effect on microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3)-II levels. Ly294002, a DNA–PKcs inhibitor, boosted the capsaicin-induced cleavage of PARP-1. In M059K cells, but not M059J cells, capsaicin induced ATM and DNA–PKcs phosphorylation, p53 accumulation, and the stimulation of LC3II production, all of which were attenuated by knockdown of the autophagy-related gene atg5. Ku55933 attenuated capsaicin-induced phospho-DNA–PKcs, but not LC3II, in M059K cells. In human breast tumors, but not in normal tissues, AMPKα, ATM, DNA–PKcs, and PARP-1 were activated and LC3II was induced. The induction of autophagy by genotoxic stress likely contributes to the sustained survival of breast cancer cells through DNA repair regulated by ATM–mediated activation of DNA–PKcs and PARP-1. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Dihydroavenanthramide D (DHAvD) is a synthetic analog to naturally occurring avenanthramide, which is the active component of oat. Previous study demonstrates that DHAvD strongly inhibits activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), which is a major component in cancer cell invasion. The present study investigated whether DHAvD can modulate MMP-9 expression and cell invasion in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. MMP-9 expression and cell invasion in response to 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) was increased, whereas these inductions were muted by DHAvD. DHAvD also suppressed activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and MAPK-mediated nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and activator protein-1 (AP-1) activations in TPA-treated MCF-7 cells. The results indicate that DHAvD-mediated inhibition of TPA-induced MMP-9 expression and cell invasion involves the suppression of the MAPK/NF-κB and MAPK/AP-1 pathways in MCF-7 cells. DHAvD may have potential value in breast cancer metastasis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) ligands have been identified as a potential source of therapy for human cancers. However, PPARγ ligands have a limitation for breast cancer therapy, since estrogen receptor α (ERα) negatively interferes with PPARγ signaling in breast cancer cells. Here we show that ERα inhihits PPARγ transactivity and ERα-mediated inhibition of PPARγ transactivity is blocked by tamoxifen, an estrogen receptor blocker. The activation of ERα with 17-β-estradiol blocked PPRE transactivity induced by troglitazone, a PPARγ ligand, indicating the resistance of ERα-positive breast cancer cells to troglitazone. Indeed, troglitazone inhibited the growth of ERα-negative MDA-MB-231 cells more than that of ERα-positive MCF-7 cells. Combination of troglitazone with tamoxifen led to a marked increase in growth inhibition of ERα-positive MCF-7 cells compared to either agent alone. Our data indicates that troglitazone enhances the growth inhibitory activity of tamoxifen in ERα-positive MCF-7 cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) ligands inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis in cancer cells. Here we wished to determine whether the PPARγ ligand induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest of the MDA-MB-231 cell, an estrogen receptor α negative breast cancer cell line. The treatment of MDA-MB-231 cell with PPARγ ligands was shown to induce inhibition of cell growth in a dose-dependent manner as determined by MTT assay. Cell cycle analysis showed a G1 arrest in MDA-MB-231 cells exposed to troglitazone. An apoptotic effect by troglitazone demonstrated that apoptotic cells elevated by 2.5-fold from the control level at 10μM, to 3.1-fold at 50μM and to 3.5-fold at 75μM. Moreover, troglitazone treatment, applied in a dose-dependent manner, caused a marked decrease in pRb, cyclin D1, cyclin D2, cyclin D3, Cdk2, Cdk4 and Cdk6 expression as well as a significant increase in p21 and p27 expression. These results indicate that troglitazone causes growth inhibition, G1 arrest and apoptotic death of MDA-MB-231 cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Estrogen stimulates cell proliferation in breast cancer. The biological effects of estrogen are mediated through two intracellular receptors, estrogen receptor-α (ERα) and estrogen receptor-β (ERβ). However, the role of ERs in the proliferative action of estrogen is not well established. Recently, it has been known that ER activates phosphatidylinositol-3-OH kinase (PI3K) through binding with the p85 regulatory subunit of PI3K. Therefore, possible mechanisms may include ER-mediated phosphoinositide metabolism with subsequent formation of phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIP3), which is generated from phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate via PI3K activation. The present study demonstrates that 17β-estradiol (E2) up-regulates PI3K in an ERα-dependent manner, but not ERβ, and stimulates cell growth in breast cancer cells. In order to study this phenomenon, we have treated ERα-positive MCF-7 cells and ERα-negative MDA-MB-231 cells with 10nM E2. Treatment of MCF-7 cells with E2 resulted in a marked increase in PI3K (p85) expression, which paralleled an increase in phospho-Akt (Ser-473) and PIP3 level. These observations also correlated with an increased activity to E2-induced cell proliferation. However, these effects of E2 on breast cancer cells were not observed in the MDA-MB-231 cell line, indicating that the E2-mediated up-regulation of PI3K/Akt pathway is ERα-dependent. These results suggest that estrogen activates PI3K/Akt signaling through ERα-dependent mechanism in MCF-7 cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

All-Solid-State Batteries: New Cost-Effective Halide Solid Electrolytes for All-Solid-State Batteries: Mechanochemically Prepared Fe3+-Substituted Li2ZrCl6 (Adv. Electrodes, halides, ionic conductivities, solid electrolytes, solid-state batteries Keywords: electrodes; halides; ionic conductivities; solid electrolytes; solid-state batteries EN electrodes halides ionic conductivities solid electrolytes solid-state batteries 1 1 1 03/27/21 20210325 NES 210325 In article number 2003190, Kyung-Wan Nam, Yoon Seok Jung and co-workers develop a new halide solid electrolyte, Fe SP 3+ sp -substituted Li SB 2 sb ZrCl SB 6 sb , that is mechanically sinterable, (electro)chemical-oxidation tolerant, and free of rare-earth metals. [Extracted from the article]

For mass production of all‐solid‐state lithium‐ion batteries (ASLBs) employing highly Li+ conductive and mechanically sinterable sulfide solid electrolytes (SEs), the wet‐slurry process is imperative. Unfortunately, the poor chemical stability of sulfide SEs severely restrict available candidates for solvents and in turn polymeric binders. Moreover, the binders interrupt Li+‐ionic contacts at interfaces, resulting in the below par electrochemical performance. In this work, a new scalable slurry fabrication protocol for sheet‐type ASLB electrodes made of Li+‐conductive polymeric binders is reported. The use of intermediate‐polarity solvent (e.g., dibromomethane) for the slurry allows for accommodating Li6PS5Cl and solvate‐ionic‐liquid‐based polymeric binders (NBR‐Li(G3)TFSI, NBR: nitrile−butadiene rubber, G3: triethylene glycol dimethyl ether, LiTFSI: lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide) together without suffering from undesirable side reactions or phase separation. The LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 and Li4Ti5O12 electrodes employing NBR‐Li(G3)TFSI show high capacities of 174 and 160 mA h g−1 at 30 °C, respectively, which are far superior to those using conventional NBR (144 and 76 mA h g−1). Moreover, high areal capacity of 7.4 mA h cm−2 is highlighted for the LiNi0.7Co0.15Mn0.15O2 electrodes with ultrahigh mass loading of 45 mg cm−2. The facilitated Li+‐ionic contacts at interfaces paved by NBR‐Li(G3)TFSI are evidenced by the complementary analysis from electrochemical and 7Li nuclear magnetic resonance measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bulk‐type all‐solid‐state lithium batteries are highly promising candidates for large scale energy storage applications because of their superior safety. In article 1500865, Yoon Seok Jung and co‐workers demonstrate a strategy to obtain a dramatically improved performance by ensuring favorable ionic contacts. This is acheived via the addition of a small amount of solvate ionic liquids (Li(G3)TFSI), which demonstrate excellent compatibility with the sulfide solid electrolyte in composite electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]