Search

Background Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response that can lead to the dysfunction of many organs. The aberrant expression of miRNAs is associated with the pathogenesis of sepsis. However, the biological functions of miR-128-3p in sepsis remain largely unknown, and its mechanism should be further investigated. This study aimed to determine the regulatory network of miR-128-3p and TGFBR2 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced sepsis. Methods The expression levels of miR-128-3p and transforming growth factor beta receptors II (TGFBR2) were detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The protein levels of TGFBR2, Bcl-2, Bax, cleaved caspase 3, Smad2, and Smad3 were measured by western blot. Cell apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry. Cytokine production was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The binding sites of miR-128-3p and TGFBR2 were predicted by Targetscan online software and confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay. Results The level of miR-128-3p was decreased, and TGFBR2 expression was increased in serum samples of sepsis patients and LPS-induced HK2 cells. Overexpression of miR-128-3p or knockdown of TGFBR2 ameliorated LPS-induced inflammation and apoptosis. Moreover, TGFBR2 was a direct target of miR-128-3p, and its overexpression reversed the inhibitory effects of miR-128-3p overexpression on inflammation and apoptosis in LPS-induced HK2 cells. Besides, overexpression of miR-128-3p downregulated TGFBR2 to suppress the activation of the Smad signaling pathway. Conclusion miR-128-3p could inhibit apoptosis and inflammation by targeting TGFBR2 in LPS-induced HK2 cells, which might provide therapeutic strategy for the treatment of sepsis.

Circular RNA (circRNA) is a class of newly discovered endogenous non-coding RNA with closed circular structure. Some circRNAs have been reported to be closely associated with acute lung injury (ALI). While the expression profile of circRNAs in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI and the underlying roles are still not completely clear. The LPS-induced ALI model of MRC-5 cells was first established, and the expression profiles of circRNAs and mRNAs in LPS-induced MRC-5 cells were confirmed through RNA sequencing analysis. Gene Ontologyanalysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis were also applied to predict the latent functions and pathways of the differential mRNAs. After hsa_circ_0059930 knockdown, the proliferation and apoptosis of MRC-5 cells were identified by CCK-8, flow cytometer, and western blot assays. And we predicted the network analysis of hsa_circ_0059930. We testified that LPS could markedly prevent proliferation and induce apoptosis of MRC-5 cells. We discovered a total of 820 differential circRNAs (560 upregulated and 260 downregulated circRNAs) and 484 differential mRNAs (240 upregulated and 244 downregulated mRNAs) in LPS-induced MRC-5 cells. Besides, hsa_circ_0059930 was identified to be significantly upregulated in LPS-induced MRC-5 cells, and knockdown of hsa_circ-0059930 could notably accelerate proliferation and suppress apoptosis of LPS-mediated MRC-5 cells. Moreover, through the network analysis of hsa_circ_0059930, we preliminarily screened the potential regulatory axis hsa_circ_0059930/hsa-miR-382-5p/Topoisomerase 1 (TOP1) in LPS-induced ALI. Our data contribute to understand the importance of circRNAs and mRNAs in LPS-induced ALI. We also provided many hsa_circ_0059930-mediated microRNA (miRNA)–mRNA axis, especially hsa_circ_0059930/hsa-miR-382-5p/TOP1 in LPS-induced ALI., Graphical abstract

Sodium magadiite (Na-MGD), a layered silicate, was synthesized, cation-exchanged with cetyltrimethylammonium (CTA + ), and functionalized with two sulfur-containing organosilanes, bis-(triethoxysilylpropyl) polysulfide (Si69) or 3-mercaptopropyltriethoxysilane (MPTES). 29 Si NMR and XRD showed that the silanes grafted uniformly on the MGD interlayer surfaces. TGA and elemental analysis (EA) results quantified the silane and CTA + content of the products and, with FTIR results, showed that silane grafting displaced CTA + from the MGD interlayer space. Moderate to high levels of Si69 or MPTES grafting led to nearly complete CTA + displacement and decreased interlayer spacing. This rendered the MGD interlayer inaccessible to squalene, a model compound for natural rubber prepolymer. A lower level of Si69 grafting displaced less CTA + , resulting in a slight decrease in MGD interlayer spacing. For this product, XRD shows significant intercalation of squalene into the MGD interlayer space, possibly associated with sulfur-mediated crosslinking with the MGD-grafted silane. This work demonstrates the potential utility of sulfur-functionalized MGD as an active filler for elastomer composite formulations, as well as the use of squalene as a probe of interlayer accessibility of sulfur-functionalized layered clay minerals.

Hypothesis Phase inversion emulsification (PIE) is a process that inverts the dispersed and continuous phases of an emulsion and is useful for preparing emulsions that are challenging to produce using conventional techniques. A recent work has shown that PIE can be induced by flowing an emulsion through a tapered channel. Although prior studies have shown that flow-induced PIE (FIPIE) is influenced by the flow conditions and wetting properties of the channel surface, little is known about the effect of surfactant structure on FIPIE. We hypothesize that FIPIE is affected by the composition and structure of the surfactant used for emulsion stabilization. Experiments We use Pluronics, a series of ABA triblock copolymers composed of hydrophilic poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and hydrophobic poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) with various lengths (A = PEO, B = PPO), as model surfactants to test this hypothesis. We observe that triblock copolymer surfactants with long PEO blocks suppress FIPIE. A scaling analysis based on a polymer brush model qualitatively agrees with the experimental observation. We also show that for small molecular weight Pluronics, FIPIE is significantly suppressed when Pluronics with large PPO blocks are used. Findings Our results strongly indicate that the steric repulsion provided by the PEO blocks as well as the dilatational elasticity provided by the PPO blocks are key factors that control the FIPIE process.

Emulsions are multiphasic fluid systems in which liquid droplets are dispersed in another immiscible liquid. The main components of an emulsion are the two liquid phases, typically oil and water, a...

Here we found that levels of miR-23a were decreased in prostate cancer cell lines and tumor tissues. These low levels were associated with poor patients' prognosis. MiR-23a inhibited migration and invasion of prostate cancer in vivo and in orthotopic prostate cancer mice model. MiR-23a decreased levels of p21-activated kinase 6 (PAK6). Expression of miR-23a inhibited phosphorylation of LIM kinase 1 (LIMK1) and cofilin, in turn suppressing formation of stress fibers and actin filaments, which was required for cell motility and invasion. PAK6 bound to LIMK1 and activated it via phosphorylation at Thr-508. Also, PAK6 and LIMK1 were colocalized in the cytoplasma. Thus, miR-23a regulated cytoskeleton by affecting LIMK1 and cofilin. In summary, we have identified the miR-23a-PAK6-LIMK1 pathway of prostate cancer metastasis. Potential therapeutic approach by targeting miR-23 is suggested.

Acute lung injury caused by smoke inhalation is a common severe clinical syndrome. This study aimed to investigate the potential expression of circular RNAs during acute lung injury triggered by smoke inhalation. The acute lung injury rat model was established with smoke inhalation from a self-made smoke generator. The occurrence of acute lung injury was validated by an analysis of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining of lung tissues. Next-generation sequencing and quantitative PCR were performed to identify the differentially expressed circular RNAs associated with acute lung injury that was caused by smoke inhalation. The circular form of the identified RNAs was finally verified by multiple RT-PCR-based assays. The bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung tissue analysis showed that smoke inhalation successfully induced acute injury in rats, as evidenced by the significantly altered cell numbers, including macrophages, neutrophils, and red blood cells, disrupted cell lining, and increased levels of interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and IL-8 in lung tissues. Ten significantly differentially expressed circular RNAs were identified with next-generation sequencing and RT-PCR. The circular form of these RNAs was verified by multiple RT-PCR-based assays. In conclusion, the identified circular RNAs were prevalently and differentially expressed in rat lungs after acute lung injury caused by smoke inhalation.

Magadiite (MGD), a synthetic layered silicate (Na2Si14O29·9H2O) with surface chemistry similar to precipitated silica, was cation-exchanged with three different organic cations to explore the effect of varying MGD layer spacing on the mechanical properties of MGD-based styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) composites. This work also compares the mechanical properties of MGD/SBR composites with those formulated with montmorillonite (MMT) and precipitated silica. Dodecylpyridinium (DP+) produces greater expansion of MGD layers than cetyltrimethylammonium (CTA+); the resulting DP-MGD/SBR composites have greater yield strain, toughness, and rubbery storage modulus than comparable CTA-MGD/SBR composites. MGD treated with hexadecylammonium (HDA+) has the greatest layer spacing, but the HDA-MGD layers collapse upon melt-blending with SBR. CTA-treated MMT (CMMT) exfoliates in aqueous suspension, but the platelets re-stack upon drying and during melt-blending with SBR. The presence of exfoliated and/or disordered platelet stacks in CMMT/SBR probably accounts for its higher tensile and dynamic moduli compared to MGD- and silica-based SBR composites. Dynamic mechanical properties are used to predict tire tread performance metrics for these composites. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 44764.

This work investigates mechanical properties of styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) composites incorporating magadiite (MGD), a synthetic layered silicate (Na2Si14O29·9H2O) with surface chemistry similar to precipitated silica used in tire tread formulations. Treatment with cetyltrimethylammonium (CTA+) expands the MGD layers and makes the interlayer face surfaces accessible to sulfur-functional silane TESPT (Si69) and SBR, primarily during batch mixing. DMA and tensile testing of cured CMGD/SBR composites show that CTA-treated MGD (CMGD) provides substantially higher levels of mechanical reinforcement than equivalent amounts of silica. However, CMGD/SBR composites exhibit larger loss tangent values above Tg, probably due to lower SBR-SBR crosslink density resulting from interlayer trapping of sulfur released by Si69 during vulcanization. DMA and tensile testing also demonstrate Si69's critical role in forming MGD-SBR graft sites essential to mechanical reinforcement. Replacing silica with CMGD reduces composite weight without sacrificing tensile modulus, suggesting that use of CMGD in tire rubber formulations could improve vehicle energy efficiency. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 133, 44763.

This article has been retracted: Please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal ( http://www.elsevier.com/locate/withdrawalpolicy ). This article has been retracted at the request of the authors. We were made aware that parts of similar results have been reported by Prof. Marek Szafranski in the Comment published recently in Angewandte Chemie, (Comment on Ferroelectricity in Bis(imidazolium) L-Tartrate, Marek Szafranski, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2013, 52, 7076–7078, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/anie.201208952 ) and therefore we decided to retract the paper to avoid any controversy, although all the results of this paper were acquired by us independently. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

A novel supramolecular phase change material (PCM) potassium hydrogen bis(dichloroacetate)-18-crown-6 (1), which undergoes a reversible second-order phase transition at 181.8 K (Tc), has been successfully synthesized and grown as bulk crystals. DSC measurements confirm its reversible phase transition with a thermal hysteresis of 1.6 K. Dielectric permittivities also display obvious anomalies approaching Tc, being characteristic for the reversible phase transition. Variable-temperature X-ray single-crystal diffractions demonstrate that 1 behaves as a molecular rotor above room temperature in which the chlorine atoms rotate around the C–C axis of the CHCl2COO–/CHCl2COOH exhibiting distinct pendulum-like motions, and the (18-crown-6)·K+ part acts as a stator. Further studies reveal that the origin of its phase transition was ascribed to the moving close together of the whole set molecules from the original position, which is induced by the order–disorder transformation of the pendulum-like motions of the CHC...

A novel molecular electric ordered compound [(Hdabco)+ClF2CCOO–] (complex 1, dabco = 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane) has been discovered as a switchable dielectric material, in which the N–H···O hydrogen bonds connect the anions and cations together to form a dimer structure. It undergoes a reversible second order solid state phase transition at 165 K (Tc), which was confirmed by thermal analyses including differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and specific heat (Cp) and dielectric measurements. Variable temperature single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses revealed its order–disorder transformation of twisting motion characteristic behaviors for the phase transition. Owing to the ordering of twisting motions of the chlorodifluoroacetate anions, the structure of 1 demonstrates a phase transition from high crystallographic symmetry with space group of Pnma to the low state with space group of P21/c; that is, an Aizu notion of mmmF2/m occurs. Emphatically, the dielectric constant of 1 displays a distinctive...

Phase inversion emulsification (PIE) is a process of generating emulsions by inverting the continuous and dispersed phases of pre-existing emulsions. Although PIE is conventionally performed in batch processes, flowing emulsions through precisely engineered channels (i.e. flow-induced phase inversion emulsification (FIPIE)) can induce PIE and potentially enable continuous processing. In this study, we demonstrate flow-induced phase inversion of oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions using microfluidic channels with gradual constriction. We investigate the importance of wetting properties and geometric characteristics of microfluidic channels on FIPIE. We show that two dimensionless groups, Ca and the ratio of droplet-size to channel dimensions determine the outcome of the process. In situ observation of individual droplets undergoing FIPIE reveals that the rupture of films of the continuous (water) phase between oil droplets and a wetting oil layer on the surface of microchannels is the most crucial step for phase inversion. Finally, we compare our experimental observations with a scaling relationship that is based on the force balance between disjoining pressure and Laplace pressure, which provides insights into the underlying physical phenomena responsible for the rupture of the aqueous film and the occurrence of FIPIE. We believe our work provides critical insights and parameters for designing channels and pores that can be used for continuous PIE.

A series of organic nonlinear optical (NLO) materials based on the stilbazolium derivatives of 4-N,N-dimethylamino-4′-N′-methyl-stilbazolium tosylate (DAST) were synthesized, and the single crystals were grown from the solutions. Single-crystal structure determinations and Kurtz powder tests reveal that replacement of the p-toluenesulfonate anion in the DAST crystal, forming 4-N,N-dimethylamino-4′-N′-methyl-stilbazolium 4-aminotoluene-3-sulfonate (1) and 4-N,N-dimethylamino-4′-N′-methyl-stilbazolium p-chlorobenzenesulfonate (2), constructs new acentric crystals with quite a large powder second-harmonic generation (SHG) of more than 3 orders of magnitude larger than that of urea around 2.0 μm, whereas the other two complexes show their centrosymmetric structures without any SHG effects. A possible estimation of the molecular first hyperpolarizabilities βijk performed on 2 further confirms its origin of its enhanced NLO merits. Furthermore, both 1 and 2 exhibit even higher environmental stabilities, includi...

This study used in situ polymerization to prepare polyethylene terephthalate (PET) nanocomposites incorporating Ethoquad-modified montmorillonite (eMMT), unmodified hectorite (HCT), or phenyl hectorite (phHCT) particles to study the impact of platelet surface chemistry and loading on thermal, mechanical, and gas barrier properties. eMMT platelets reduced the PET crystallization rate without altering the ultimate degree of crystallinity. In contrast, HCT and phHCT platelets accelerated the polymer's crystallization rate and increased its crystallinity. DMA results for thermally-quenched samples showed that as T increased past glass transition temperature (Tg), HCT and phHCT nanocomposites (and control PET) manifested precipitous drops in G′ followed by increasing G′ due to cold crystallization; in contrast, eMMT nanocomposites had much higher G′ values around Tg. This provides direct evidence of eMMT reinforcement in thermally-quenched eMMT nanocomposites. These results suggest that eMMT has a strong, favorable interaction with PET, possibly through Ethoquad-PET entanglement. HCT and phHCT have a fundamentally different interaction with PET that increases crystallization rate and Tg by 11 to 17°C. Water barrier improvement in eMMT nanocomposites agrees with previously published oxygen barrier results and can be rationalized in terms of a tortuous path gas barrier model. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 52:1888–1902, 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers

This study shows, for the first time, the fabrication of a biodegradable polymer nanocomposite magnetic stent and the feasibility of its use in implant-assisted-magnetic drug targeting (IA-MDT). The nanocomposite magnetic stent was made from PLGA, a biodegradable copolymer, and iron oxide nanopowder via melt mixing and extrusion into fibers. Degradation and dynamic mechanical thermal analyses showed that the addition of the iron oxide nanopowder increased the polymer’s glass transition temperature (Tg) and its modulus but had no notable effect on its degradation rate in PBS buffer solution. IA-MDT in vitro experiments were carried out with the nanocomposite magnetic fiber molded into a stent coil. These stent prototypes were used in the presence of a homogeneous magnetic field of 0.3 T to capture 100 nm magnetic drug carrier particles (MDCPs) from an aqueous solution. Increasing the amount of magnetite in the stent nanocomposite (0, 10 and 40 w/w%) resulted in an increase in the MDCP capture efficiency (CE). Reducing the MDCP concentrations (0.75 and 1.5 mg/mL) in the flowing fluid and increasing the fluid velocities (20 and 40 mL/min) both resulted in decrease in the MDCP CE. These results show that the particle capture performance of PLGA-based, magnetic nanocomposite stents are similar to those exhibited by a variety of different non-polymeric magnetic stent materials studied previously.

A monomer with a side-chain azobenzide, acrylamido azobenzene (AAAB), was synthesized, and a series of poly(acrylic acid-co-acrylamido azobenzene) polymers and gels were prepared through the copolymerization of this AAAB monomer with acrylic acid. Their responses to pH and ultraviolet light were studied. These copolymers and gels showed good pH responses and photoresponses; these responses were caused by the ionization of carboxyl and the cis–trans isomerism of azobenzide, respectively. The molecular structures of the copolymers and gels were also studied with X-ray diffraction, and the results showed that the copolymers with a certain amount of AAAB could form crystalline structures. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 96: 2163–2167, 2005

This work examines the mechanisms by which magadiite (MGD), a synthetic layered silicate, acts as an active filler to provide high levels of mechanical reinforcement in styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) composites. Cetyltrimethylammonium (CTA+) expands the MGD layer spacing and promotes intercalation of SBR and silane coupling agent (Si69); the resulting CMGD/SBR composites have greater tensile moduli than comparable silica/SBR composites. CMGD was reacted in solution with Si69 (or MPTES) to prepare “pre-grafted” MGD with varying levels of interlayer silane functionalization (SMGD). If the silane graft density is relatively low, the resulting SMGD/SBR composite has mechanical properties comparable to CMGD composites prepared with Si69 added during batch mixing. However, SMGD with high silane graft density does not permit SBR intercalation and produces composites with inferior mechanical properties, demonstrating the necessity of silane-mediated interlayer grafting. Omitting Si69 from the formulation dramatically reduces the level of mechanical reinforcement as measured by DMA and tensile testing. Adding extra bulk sulfur (to replace sulfur omitted with Si69) does not produce composites with mechanical properties comparable to CMGD/SBR or SMGD/SBR prepared with Si69. This work demonstrates that silane-mediated SBR-MGD grafts within the MGD interlayer space are essential for achieving high levels of mechanical reinforcement in MGD/SBR composites. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 45025.

To evaluate the association between polymorphisms of interleukin-4 (IL-4) and IL-4 receptor (IL-4R) genes and risk of renal cell cancer (RCC), bladder cancer (BC), and prostate cancer (PC) based on meta-analysis. PubMed, Web of Science and SpecilalSCITM were searched for studies published up to May 2014 that reported the association between IL-4 or IL-4R and RCC, BC or PC risk. Odds ratio (OR)/Hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were analyzed to evaluate the association. Meta-analysis showed that the IL-4R polymorphism rs1805010 was associated with increased RCC risk (CC/CT vs. TT: OR=1.266, 95% CI 1.09-1.472, P=0.002). The IL-4 haplotypes, IL4-589T and IL4-33T, were associated with higher survival rate of the patients comparted with the haplotype IL-4-589C-33C (P

In recent years, spectral CT with photon counting detectors (PCDs) has exhibited more advantages compared to conventional CT systems. Spectral CT has the potential to substantially advance CT imaging by reducing image noise and dose, improving contrast and target specificity, and enabling functional imaging with special molecular markers (e.g. Gold nanoparticles). The current PCDs, however, is difficult to balance the amount of energy bins and the data noise of statistical fluctuation at each bins. More energy bins mean higher energy discriminating ability, but lower photon number at each bin. Moreover, in order to obtain enough energy bins, the current PCD is made up by small spectral detector subelements which have different thresholds. However, the more energy bins it has, the more complicated circuitry is. Hence, the PCD element becomes complex and large if we want many energy bins. Both spatial and energy resolutions are compromised. The state-of-the-art PCD has eight energy bins. It is difficult to make more energy bins. The overall goal of our research is to develop a hybrid detector which combines the integrating and dynamic-threshold counting modes. Its energy thresholds, or energy bins, can be flexibly arranged and dynamically changed during the spectral CT scanning. In each energy bin, current-integrating readouts are used. Thus, we can get many energy bins with very limited amount of PCD subelements. We develop a smart algorithm to reconstruct the true-color CT images by the data from this hybrid detector with adjustable energy thresholds (e.g. randomly changing). This paper will introduce this new spectral CT system with hybrid detector, its image reconstruction algorithm, and the simulation results.

In this work, we studied the effects of tensile strain on limb bud mesenchymal cells (MSC) cultured on a collagen type I tubular scaffold. A novel bioreactor was designed to culture the cells while subjecting the tubular scaffold to tensile stress and strain. Control samples included unseeded and MSC-seeded tubes cultured for 2 weeks under unloaded, no-strain conditions, and unseeded tubes subjected to prolonged tensile stress and strain. Mechanical properties of tube specimens were measured under oscillatory compressive stress. Following mechanical testing, scaffolds were fixed for immunohistochemistry or frozen for mRNA extraction. The storage modulii of both seeded/unstrained and seeded/strained tubes were significantly less than that of unseeded tubes, suggesting that MSC disrupted the structure and elasticity of the tubes' collagen type I. At a frequency of 1.0 Hz, the loss tangent of seeded/strained tubes was more than 2.5 times greater than that of seeded/unstrained tubes, and almost 6 times greater than that of unseeded tubes. Confocal microscopy and qRT-PCR results demonstrated that collagen type II and aggrecan expression was upregulated in the seeded/strained tubes. The images also show, for the first time, that culture under tensile strain induces MSC to remodel the collagen type I tube with collagen type II and aggrecan expression into fibrils dispersed throughout the matrix. The seeded/unstrained tubes manifested less collagen type II with a more random expression pattern. Compared to seeded/unstrained tubes, qRT-PCR for collagen type II in the seeded/strained tubes showed a 4-fold increase in the message for collagen type II and a 13-fold increase in the message for aggrecan. These results demonstrate that MSC cultured for at least some period under tensile strain are able to remodel collagen type I scaffolds to produce a more viscous construct having many of the mechanical and biological features of engineered cartilage.