AQP3 Increases Intercellular Cohesion in NSCLC A549 Cell Spheroids through Exploratory Cell Protrusions

Tumor cell aggregation is critical for cell survival following the loss of extracellular matrix attachment and dissemination. However, the underlying mechanotransduction of clustering solitary tumor cells is poorly understood, especially in non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC). Here, we examined whether cell surface protrusions played an important role in facilitating the physical contact between floating cells detached from a substrate. We employed poly-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-based 3D culture methods to mimic in vivo tumor cell cluster formation. The suprastructural analysis of human NSCLC A549 cell spheroids showed that finger-like protrusions clung together via the actin cytoskeleton. Time-lapse holotomography demonstrated that the finger-like protrusions of free-floating cells in 3D culture displayed exploratory coalescence. Global gene expression analysis demonstrated that the genes in the organic hydroxyl transport were particularly enriched in the A549 cell spheroids. Particularly, the knockdown of the water channel aquaporin 3 gene (AQP3) impaired multicellular aggregate formation in 3D culture through the rearrangement of the actomyosin cytoskeleton. Moreover, the cells with reduced levels of AQP3 decreased their transmigration. Overall, these data indicate that cell detachment-upregulated AQP3 contributes to cell surface protrusions through actomyosin cytoskeleton remodeling, causing the aggressive aggregation of free-floating cells dependent on the property of the substratum and collective metastasis.     

Superconducting Quantum Metamaterials from High Pressure Melt Infiltration of Metals into Block Copolymer Double Gyroid Derived Ceramic Templates

Mesoscale order can lead to emergent properties including phononic bandgaps or topologically protected states. Block copolymers offer a route to mesoscale periodic architectures, but their use as structure directing agents for metallic materials has not been fully realized. A versatile approach to mesostructured metals via bulk block copolymer self-assembly derived ceramic templates, is demonstrated. Molten indium is infiltrated into mesoporous, double gyroidal silicon nitride templates under high pressure to yield bulk, 3D periodic nanocomposites as free-standing monoliths which exhibit emergent quantum-scale phenomena. Vortices are artificially introduced when double gyroidal indium metal behaves as a type II superconductor, with evidence of strong pinning centers arrayed on the order of the double gyroid lattice size. Sample behavior is reproducible over months, showing high stability. High pressure infiltration of bulk block copolymer self-assembly based ceramic templates is an enabling tool for studying high-quality metals with previously inaccessible architectures, and paves the way for the emerging field of block-copolymer derived quantum metamaterials.     

GOLPH3 Regulates EGFR in T98G Glioblastoma Cells by Modulating Its Glycosylation and Ubiquitylation

Protein trafficking is altered when normal cells acquire a tumor phenotype. A key subcellular compartment in regulating protein trafficking is the Golgi apparatus, but its role in carcinogenesis is still not well defined. Golgi phosphoprotein 3 (GOLPH3), a peripheral membrane protein mostly localized at the trans-Golgi network, is overexpressed in several tumor types including glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most lethal primary brain tumor. Moreover, GOLPH3 is currently considered an oncoprotein, however its precise function in GBM is not fully understood. Here, we analyzed in T98G cells of GBM, which express high levels of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), the effect of stable RNAi-mediated knockdown of GOLPH3. We found that silencing GOLPH3 caused a significant reduction in the proliferation of T98G cells and an unexpected increase in total EGFR levels, even at the cell surface, which was however less prone to ligand-induced autophosphorylation. Furthermore, silencing GOLPH3 decreased EGFR sialylation and fucosylation, which correlated with delayed ligand-induced EGFR downregulation and its accumulation at endo-lysosomal compartments. Finally, we found that EGF failed at promoting EGFR ubiquitylation when the levels of GOLPH3 were reduced. Altogether, our results show that GOLPH3 in T98G cells regulates the endocytic trafficking and activation of EGFR likely by affecting its extent of glycosylation and ubiquitylation.     

New cardo silylated poly(azomethine)s containing 9,9′‐diphenylfluorene units as materials with Brønsted acid‐dependent fluorescence

Aromatic poly(azomethine)s have been studied due to their attractive properties such as high thermal stability, semiconducting behavior and the ability to coordinate species with their imine units (C?N). In this paper, the synthesis and characterization of two novel silylated poly(azomethine)s containing cardo units are reported. These materials were highly soluble in organic solvents such as chloroform and m‐cresol and were thermally stable, and PAzMC1 exhibited a high glass transition temperature value (287 °C), while that for PAzMC2 was not observed. UV–visible spectrophotometry revealed absorption bands related to the aromatic backbone of both PAzMCs, 300–285 nm in tetrahydrofuran and 310–301 nm in dimethylsulfoxide, and bands attributed to the conjugated imine unit at around 350 nm. In order to investigate the phenomenon of the emission of fluorescence promoted by dopant agents with regard to potential optoelectronic applications, the materials were doped with H₂SO₄ and their optical and electrochemical properties investigated. Thus, the absorption band of the imine group was suppressed due to the nitrogen atoms being protonated. Fluorescence spectroscopy analysis developed in dilute solutions of polymers showed no emission from the undoped polymers, whereas the acid‐doped species emitted fluorescence in the UV and violet regions (322 nm). Cyclic voltammetry measurements were carried out and HOMO–LUMO energies were estimated. This study provides a starting point for the development of new poly(azomethine)s with doping‐dependent emission. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry     

Robust h-index

Scientometrics - The h-index is the most used measurement of impact for researchers. Sites such as Web of Science, Google Scholar, Microsoft Academic, and Scopus leverage it to show and compare the...     

A study of the drainages of the pyrite mines of Aljustrel (Portugal)

Characterization of the pollution charge of drainages from pyrite mines of Aljustrel (Portugal) was made. Laboratory experiments were performed in order to recover copper by cementation and remove iron, zinc and acidity by neutralization with lime. It was found that the removal of the metal ions is completed when pH reaches a step at 5.0–5.5, whichever the ratio between Fe(II) and Fe(III).     

Mortality due to lung, laryngeal and bladder cancer in towns lying in the vicinity of combustion installations

Background

Installations that burn fossil fuels to generate power may represent a health problem due to the toxic substances which they release into the environment.

Objectives

To investigate whether there might be excess mortality due to tumors of lung, larynx and bladder in the population residing near Spanish combustion installations included in the European Pollutant Emission Register.

Methods

Ecologic study designed to model sex-specific standardized mortality ratios for the above three tumors in Spanish towns, over the period 1994-2003. Population exposure to pollution was estimated on the basis of distance from town of residence to pollution source. Using mixed Poisson regression models, we analyzed: risk of dying from cancer in a 5-kilometer zone around installations that commenced operations before 1990; effect of type of fuel used; and risk gradient within a 50-kilometer radius of such installations.

Results

Excess mortality (relative risk, 95% confidence interval) was detected in the vicinity of pre-1990 installations for lung cancer (1.066, 1.041-1.091 in the overall population; 1.084, 1.057-1.111 in men), and laryngeal cancer among men (1.067, 0.992-1.148). Lung cancer displayed excess mortality for all types of fuel used, whereas in laryngeal and bladder cancer, the excess was associated with coal-fired industries. There was a risk gradient effect in the proximity of a number of installations.

Conclusions

Our results could support the hypothesis of an association between risk of lung, laryngeal and bladder cancer mortality and proximity to Spanish combustion installations.     

Challenges for integrated design (ID) in sustainable buildings

It is often argued that integrated design (ID) is a powerful way to enhance collaboration in construction projects. This collaboration is seen as a way of improving innovation to create more sustainable buildings. Contrary to the traditional silo-type and linear design process, ID is based on upfront stakeholder involvement and a holistic approach to project decision-making. Although ID’s premises are theoretically-founded, a close empirical look at its practices shows that numerous challenges compromise its results and efficiency. This study examines the ID process through an iterative process that includes the construction of a conceptual framework and its empirical validation. We examine three green construction projects in Canada. Based on the analysis of 26 interviews with key project stakeholders and more than 198 construction documents, the study assembles – and ultimately applies – a multi-lens framework based on four themes: the fragmented nature of construction; risk perception; stakeholders’ commitment; and efficiency in the design process. Results show that three tensions arise in ID practices: between collaboration and process efficiency, between short-term and long-term goals, and between integrated methods and traditional ones. The study sheds light on ID limits and reveals how stakeholders can improve their interactions to design more sustainable buildings.     

Nanostructured copper/porous silicon hybrid systems as efficient sound-emitting devices

In the present work, the photo-acoustic emission from nanostructured copper/porous silicon hybrid systems was studied. Copper nanoparticles were grown by photo-assisted electroless deposition on crystalline silicon and nanostructured porous silicon (nanoPS). Both the optical and photo-acoustic responses from these systems were determined. The experimental results show a remarkable increase in the photo-acoustic intensity when copper nanoparticles are incorporated to the porous structure. The results thus suggest that the Cu/nanoPS hybrid systems are suitable candidates for several applications in the field of thermoplasmonics, including the development of sound-emitting devices of great efficiency.     

A Non-local Topology-Preserving Segmentation-Guided Registration Model

In this paper, we address the issue of designing a theoretically well-motivated segmentation-guided registration method capable of handling large and smooth deformations. The shapes to be matched are viewed as hyperelastic materials and more precisely as Saint Venant–Kirchhoff ones and are implicitly modeled by level set functions. These are driven in order to minimize a functional containing both a nonlinear-elasticity-based regularizer prescribing the nature of the deformation, and a criterion that forces the evolving shape to match intermediate topology-preserving segmentation results. Theoretical results encompassing existence of minimizers, existence of a weak viscosity solution of the related evolution problem and asymptotic results are given. The study is then complemented by the derivation of the discrete counterparts of the asymptotic results provided in the continuous domain. Both a pure quadratic penalization method and an augmented Lagrangian technique (involving a related dual problem) are investigated with convergence results.