Stiffening and unfolding of early deposited-fibronectin increase proangiogenic factor secretion by breast cancer-associated stromal cells.

Fibronectin (Fn) forms a fibrillar network that controls cell behavior in both physiological and diseased conditions including cancer. Indeed, breast cancer-associated stromal cells not only increase the quantity of deposited Fn but also modify its conformation. However, (i) the interplay between mechanical and conformational properties of early tumor-associated Fn networks and (ii) its effect on tumor vascularization remain unclear. Here, we first used the Surface Forces Apparatus to reveal that 3T3-L1 preadipocytes exposed to tumor-secreted factors generate a stiffer Fn matrix relative to control cells. We then show that this early matrix stiffening correlates with increased molecular unfolding in Fn fibers, as determined by Förster Resonance Energy Transfer. Finally, we assessed the resulting changes in adhesion and proangiogenic factor (VEGF) secretion of newly seeded 3T3-L1s, and we examined altered integrin specificity as a potential mechanism of modified cell-matrix interactions through integrin blockers. Our data indicate that tumor-conditioned Fn decreases adhesion while enhancing VEGF secretion by preadipocytes, and that an integrin switch is responsible for such changes. Collectively, our findings suggest that simultaneous stiffening and unfolding of initially deposited tumor-conditioned Fn alters both adhesion and proangiogenic behavior of surrounding stromal cells, likely promoting vascularization and growth of the breast tumor. This work enhances our knowledge of cell - Fn matrix interactions that may be exploited for other biomaterials-based applications, including advanced tissue engineering approaches

Catalytic Enantioselective Construction of Quaternary Stereocenters: Assembly of Key Building Blocks for the Synthesis of Biologically Active Molecules

The ever-present demand for drugs with better efficacy and fewer side effects continually motivates scientists to explore the vast chemical space. Traditionally, medicinal chemists have focused much attention on achiral or so-called “flat” molecules. More recently, attention has shifted toward molecules with stereogenic centers since their three-dimensional structures represent a much larger fraction of the chemical space and have a number of superior properties compared with flat aromatic compounds. Quaternary stereocenters, in particular, add greatly to the three-dimensionality and novelty of the molecule. Nevertheless, synthetic challenges in building quaternary stereocenters have largely prevented their implementation in drug discovery. The lack of effective and broadly general methods for enantioselective formation of quaternary stereocenters in simple molecular scaffolds has prompted us to investigate new chemistry and develop innovative tools and solutions. In this Account, we describe three approaches to constructing quaternary stereocenters: nucleophilic substitution of 3-halooxindoles, conjugate addition of boronic acids to cyclic enones, and allylic alkylation of enolates. In the first approach, malonic ester nucleophiles attack electrophilic 3-halooxindoles, mediated by a copper(II)-bisoxazoline catalyst. A variety of oxindoles containing a benzylic quaternary stereocenter can be accessed through this method. However, it is only applicable to the specialized 3,3-disubstituted oxindole system. To access benzylic quaternary stereocenters in a more general context, we turned our attention to the enantioselective conjugate addition of carbon nucleophiles to α,β-unsaturated carbonyl acceptors. We discovered that in the presence of catalytic palladium-pyridinooxazoline complex, arylboronic acids add smoothly to β-substituted cyclic enones to furnish ketones with a β-benzylic quaternary stereocenter in high yields and enantioselectivities. The reaction is compatible with a wide range of arylboronic acids, β-substituents, and ring sizes. Aside from benzylic quaternary stereocenters, a more challenging motif is a quaternary stereocenter not adjacent to an aromatic group. Such centers represent more general structures in chemical space but are more difficult to form by asymmetric catalysis. To address this greater challenge, and motivated by the greater reward, we entered the field of palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation of prochiral enolate nucleophiles about a decade ago. On the basis of Tsuji’s work, which solved the issue of positional selectivity for unsymmetrical ketones, we discovered that the phosphinooxazoline ligand effectively rendered this reaction enantioselective. Extensive investigations since then have revealed that the reaction exhibits broad scope and accepts a range of substrate classes, each with its unique advantage in synthetic applications. A diverse array of carbonyl compounds bearing α-quaternary stereocenters are obtained in excellent yields and enantioselectivities, and more possibilities have yet to be explored. As an alternative to palladium catalysis, we also studied iridium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylations that generate vicinal quaternary and tertiary stereocenters in a single transformation. Overall, these methods provide access to small molecule building blocks with a single quaternary stereocenter, can be applied to various molecular scaffolds, and tolerate a wide range of functional groups. We envision that the chemistry reported in this Account will be increasingly useful in drug discovery and design

A Study on ESD Protection Circuit Applying Silicon Controlled Rectifier-Based Stack Technology with High Holding Voltage

In this study, an improved Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) protection circuit with low trigger voltage and high holding voltage is proposed. ESD has become a serious problem in the semiconductor process because the semiconductor density has become very high these days. Therefore, much research has been done to prevent ESD. The proposed circuit is a stacked structure of the new unit structure combined by the Zener Triggering (SCR ZTSCR) and the High Holding Voltage SCR (HHVSCR). The simulation results show that the proposed circuit has low trigger voltage and high holding voltage. And the stack technology is applied to adjust the various operating voltage. As the results, the holding voltage is 7.7 V for 2-stack and 10.7 V for 3-stack

Observation of trapped-modes excited in double-layered symmetric electric ring resonators

We report on experimental observations of trapped-mode resonances in double-layered symmetric electric ring resonators separated by dielectric inserts. The resulting metamaterial introduces trapped-mode resonances that were thought to be produced only by asymmetric metamaterial unit cells. Experimental verification of the newly observed trapped modes, along with the analysis of the stacked metamaterial geometry reported in this paper, opens an alternative way of forming sharp resonances in a symmetric metamaterial structure extended in all three dimensions.open9

Collagen microarchitecture mechanically controls myofibroblast differentiation.

Altered microarchitecture of collagen type I is a hallmark of wound healing and cancer that is commonly attributed to myofibroblasts. However, it remains unknown which effect collagen microarchitecture has on myofibroblast differentiation. Here, we combined experimental and computational approaches to investigate the hypothesis that the microarchitecture of fibrillar collagen networks mechanically regulates myofibroblast differentiation of adipose stromal cells (ASCs) independent of bulk stiffness. Collagen gels with controlled fiber thickness and pore size were microfabricated by adjusting the gelation temperature while keeping their concentration constant. Rheological characterization and simulation data indicated that networks with thicker fibers and larger pores exhibited increased strain-stiffening relative to networks with thinner fibers and smaller pores. Accordingly, ASCs cultured in scaffolds with thicker fibers were more contractile, expressed myofibroblast markers, and deposited more extended fibronectin fibers. Consistent with elevated myofibroblast differentiation, ASCs in scaffolds with thicker fibers exhibited a more proangiogenic phenotype that promoted endothelial sprouting in a contractility-dependent manner. Our findings suggest that changes of collagen microarchitecture regulate myofibroblast differentiation and fibrosis independent of collagen quantity and bulk stiffness by locally modulating cellular mechanosignaling. These findings have implications for regenerative medicine and anticancer treatments

An Experiment of Game Promotion and Selling Using Twitter

— The combination of the internet, social media and mobile phones makes the social mobile game is becoming a huge market with high growth rates from year to year. This trend is attract the game developers/publisher vying to enter this game market including in Indonesia. In other hand, Twitter as one of social media has a major influence on consumer purchase decisions especially in social mobile games. Consumer seeking recommendation about game that they want to download based on their friend recommendation and content that their consume in social media before visit online store. As for Indonesia game developers most of their marketing activities were more to game gathering or events, there is little that effectively use social media as marketing channel. Social media adoption including twitter in Indonesia game developer is at stage of connectivity and proff of company existance. The purpose of this research is to know does using twitter as social media marketing have effect to influence consumer and download mobile game. In this research, experiment methodology was employed. Experiment was choosed because to have real insight about the effect of twitter as social media marketing in building games relationship with consumer and increase the number of game download. Stack The Stuff, game from PT. Nightspade was choosed as research object. The implementation using OASIS frawework as guidance. The results from the experiments in this research measured using Social Model Exposure-Engagement-Influence-Action from Don Bartholomew.Twitter as media marketing executed by carrying experiment 1 (15 August 2012 - 15 September 2012) with buzzing methods first, after it finish, followed by experiment 2 (22 September - 22 October 2012) with tweeting and offering method. Then, both experiment results compared to know which the better Twitter marketing method. The measurement using several tools, namely TweetLevel, Sprout Social, and downloads data. With confidence level 95%, our results suggested that twitter as media marketing with buzzing method have effect to increase game download and tweeting and offering method have effect to increase product engagement and influence in Twitter. Furthermore, in the end of research, there are recommendations to implement twitter as social media marketing for small-middle sized company like Indonesia game developer