Finite element analysis of optimized brace angle for the diagrid structural system

International Journal of Steel Structures - The Diagrid structural system is considered to be the best structural system for constructing free form structures, but it is also a very effective...     

Investigation of poly(methyl acrylate) grafted chitosan as a polymeric drug carrier

The graft copolymerization of methyl acrylate (MA) onto chitosan in aqueous medium was investigated using potassium persulfate (KPS) as initiator. The grafting conditions were optimized by studying the effects of the polymerization variables (the initiator concentration, the ratio of monomer to chitosan, and reaction temperature) on the percentage of grafting (PG). PG was found to depend on these variables, and the highest grafting percentage (256 %) could be obtained at chitosan = 1 g, KPS = 4.5 × 10^?3 M, methyl acrylate monomer = 6 g, T = 60 °C and t = 180 min. The graft copolymer was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectra analysis, thermogravimetry (differential thermogravimetry, differential scanning calorimetric), X-ray powder diffraction as well as CP-MAS ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. These analyses are highly confirmed the formation of poly(methyl acrylate) grafted chitosan (PMAGC). Furthermore, the gelation of the grafted polymers (PG 68, 122, 218 and 256 %) in distilled water has been studied, and the results revealed that the percentage of swelling number increase with increasing PG of the polymers. Controlled release of niacin (vitamin B₃) from the hydrogel of the grafted polymers (PG 68, 122 and 256 %) in aqueous medium has been studied using ultraviolet absorption to follow quantities released at different times (for each experiment: PMAGC 100 mg, niacin 2.46 mg, distilled water 100 ml). The study was repeated again with same conditions except the using of 4.92 mg of niacin instead of 2.46 mg (PG of the grafted polymer is 256 %). The diffusion coefficient (D, cm²/h) of niacin from the hydrogel of the grafted polymer (PG 256 %) was calculated depending on Higuchi model (diffusion coefficient of the first load is 0.00194 cm²/h while 0.00255 cm²/h of the second load).     

Durability assessment of Gerdoi and red travertines from Azarshahr,East Azerbaijan province,Iran

Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment - Durability is the most important characteristic of stones in sustainable architecture. Salt crystallization has been known to damage porous...     

A Novel L-Phenylalanine Dipeptide Inhibits the Growth and Metastasis of Prostate Cancer Cells via Targeting DUSP1 and TNFSF9

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a common malignant cancer of the urinary system. Drug therapy, chemotherapy, and radical prostatectomy are the primary treatment methods, but drug resistance and postoperative recurrence often occur. Therefore, seeking novel anti-tumor compounds with high efficiency and low toxicity from natural products can produce a new tumor treatment method. Matijin-Su [N-(N-benzoyl-L-phenylalanyl)-O-acetyl-L-phenylalanol, MTS] is a phenylalanine dipeptide monomer compound that is isolated from the Chinese ethnic medicine Matijin (Dichondra repens Forst.). Its derivatives exhibit various pharmacological activities, especially anti-tumor. Among them, the novel MTS derivative HXL131 has a significant inhibitory effect against prostate tumor growth and metastasis. This study is designed to investigate the effects of HXL131 on the growth and metastasis of human PCa cell lines PC3 and its molecular mechanism through in vitro experiments combined with proteomics, molecular docking, and gene silencing. The in vitro results showed that HXL131 concentration dependently inhibited PC3 cell proliferation, induced apoptosis, arrested cell cycle at the G2/M phase, and inhibited cell migration capacity. A proteomic analysis and a Western blot showed that HXL131 up-regulated the expression of proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle, and migration-related proteins CYR61, TIMP1, SOD2, IL6, SERPINE2, DUSP1, TNFSF9, OSMR, TNFRSF10D, and TNFRSF12A. Molecular docking, a cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA), and gene silencing showed that HXL131 had a strong binding affinity with DUSP1 and TNFSF9, which are important target genes for inhibiting the growth and metastasis of PC3 cells. This study demonstrates that HXL131 exhibited excellent anti-prostate cancer activity and inhibited the growth and metastasis of prostate cancer cells by regulating the expression of DUSP1 and TNFSF9.     

Competitive Sperm-Marked Beetles for Monitoring Approaches in Genetic Biocontrol and Studies in Reproductive Biology

Sperm marking provides a key tool for reproductive biology studies, but it also represents a valuable monitoring tool for genetic pest control strategies such as the sterile insect technique. Sperm-marked lines can be generated by introducing transgenes that mediate the expression of fluorescent proteins during spermatogenesis. The homozygous lines established by transgenesis approaches are going through a genetic bottleneck that can lead to reduced fitness. Transgenic SIT approaches have mostly focused on Dipteran and Lepidopteran pests so far. With this study, we provide sperm-marked lines for the Coleopteran pest model organism, the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum, based on the β2-tubulin promoter/enhancer driving red (DsRed) or green (EGFP) fluorescence. The obtained lines are reasonably competitive and were thus used for our studies on reproductive biology, confirming the phenomenon of ‘last-male sperm precedence’ and that the spermathecae are deployed for long-term sperm storage, enabling the use of sperm from first mating events even after secondary mating events for a long period of time. The homozygosity and competitiveness of the lines will enable future studies to analyze the controlled process of sperm movement into the long-term storage organ as part of a post-mating cryptic female choice mechanism of this extremely promiscuous species.     

Peripheral mRNA Expression and Prognostic Significance of Emotional Stress Biomarkers in Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients

Emotional stress is believed to be associated with increased tumor progression. Stress-induced epigenetic modifications can contribute to the severity of disease and poor prognosis in cancer patients. The current study aimed to investigate the expression profiles along with the prognostic significance of psychological stress-related genes in metastatic breast cancer patients, to rationalize the molecular link between emotional stress and cancer progression. We profiled the expression of selected stress-associated genes (5-HTT, NR3C1, OXTR, and FKBP5) in breast cancer including the stress evaluation of all participants using the Questionnaire on Distress in Cancer Patients–short form (QSC-R10). A survival database, the Kaplan–Meier Plotter, was used to explore the prognostic significance of these genes in breast cancer. Our results showed relatively low expressions of 5-HTT (p = 0.02) and OXTR (p = 0.0387) in metastatic breast cancer patients as compared to the non-metastatic group of patients. The expression of NR3C1 was low in tumor grade III as compared to grade II (p = 0.04). Additionally, the expression of NR3C1 was significantly higher in patients with positive estrogen receptor status. However, no significant difference was found regarding FKBP5 expression in breast cancer. The results suggest a potential implication of these genes in breast cancer pathology and prognosis.     

Preparation of 2-Aroyl-3-methyl-1H-1,4-benzothiazines. ESR Study of 2-benzoyl-1,3-dimethyl-1H-1,4-benzothiazine

2-Aroyl-3-methyl-1 H-1,4-benzothiazine ylids ( 2a – k ) were prepared by alkylation of the corresponding 4H-benzothiazines 1 . The ylids 2 are labile at room temperature; proper analytical and ¹H-n.m.r. data were obtained for their picrates. E.s.r. studies of u. v. irradiated polycrystalline form of ( 2 ; R¹ = Me, R² = H) gave evidence for a long-lived benzothiazinyl radical with the odd electron residing on nitrogen 6 .     

Toward Xeno-Free Differentiation of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Small Intestinal Epithelial Cells

The small intestinal epithelium has an important role in nutrition, but also in drug absorption and metabolism. There are a few two-dimensional (2D) patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based intestinal models enabling easy evaluation of transcellular transport. It is known that animal-derived components induce variation in the experimental outcomes. Therefore, we aimed to refine the differentiation protocol by using animal-free components. More specifically, we compared maturation of 2D-cultured iPCSs toward small intestinal epithelial cells when cultured either with or without serum, and either on Geltrex or on animal-free, recombinant laminin-based substrata. Differentiation status was characterized by qPCR, immunofluorescence imaging, and functionality assays. Our data suggest that differentiation toward definitive endoderm is more efficient without serum. Both collagen- and recombinant laminin-based coating supported differentiation of definitive endoderm, posterior definitive endoderm, and small intestinal epithelial cells from iPS-cells equally well. Small intestinal epithelial cells differentiated on recombinant laminin exhibited slightly more enterocyte specific cellular functionality than cells differentiated on Geltrex. Our data suggest that functional small intestinal epithelial cells can be generated from iPSCs in serum-free method on xeno-free substrata. This method is easily converted to an entirely xeno-free method.     

An Overview on SARS‑CoV‑2(COVID‑19)and Other Human Coronaviruses and Their Detection Capability via Amplification Assay,Chemical Sensing,Biosensing,Immunosensing,and Clinical Assays

A novel coronavirus of zoonotic origin(SARSCoV-2)has recently been recognized in patients with acute respiratory disease.COVID-19 causative agent is structurally and genetically similar to SARS and bat SARS-like coronaviruses.The drastic increase in the number of coronavirus and its genome sequence have given us an unprecedented opportunity to perform bioinformatics and genomics analysis on this class of viruses.Clinical tests like PCR and ELISA for rapid detection of this virus are urgently needed for early identification of infected patients.However,these techniques are expensive and not readily available for point-of-care(POC)applications.Currently,lack of any rapid,available,and reliable POC detection method gives rise to the progression of COVID-19 as a horrible global problem.To solve the negative features of clinical investigation,we provide a brief introduction of the general features of coronaviruses and describe various amplification assays,sensing,biosensing,immunosensing,and aptasensing for the determination of various groups of coronaviruses applied as a template for the detection of SARS-CoV-2.All sensing and biosensing techniques developed for the determination of various classes of coronaviruses are useful to recognize the newly immerged coronavirus,i.e.,SARS-CoV-2.Also,the introduction of sensing and biosensing methods sheds light on the way of designing a proper screening system to detect the virus at the early stage of infection to tranquilize the speed and vastity of spreading.Among other approaches investigated among molecular approaches and PCR or recognition of viral diseases,LAMP-based methods and LFAs are of great importance for their numerous benefits,which can be helpful to design a universal platform for detection of future emerging pathogenic viruses.