In situ immobilization of Ag nanoparticles on Keggin heteropoly blue microtubes †

Silver nanoparticles (NPs)-deposited tungstosilicate (Ag/SiW 12 /Ag) microtubes were obtained by a redox reaction between the heteropoly blue microtubes and Ag + ions. The Ag/SiW 12 /Ag microtubes were characterized by FT-IR and XPS spectroscopy. Their morphology was examined by ESEM-FEG, showing that the microtubes kept their original microtubular morphology well after reacting with Ag + ions and the silver NPs exhibited regular spherical morphology. The current-voltage properties of the Ag/SiW 12 /Ag microtubes were also briefly investigated

Altered Gray-Matter Volumes Associated With Betel Quid Dependence

Betel quid (BQ) is one of the most commonly consumed psychoactive substances. It has been suggested to be associated with various health issues, especially oral cancer. Evidence also points to possible decreased cognitive functions after long-term BQ chewing, such as attention and inhibition control. The present study aims to investigate the brain structure basis of BQ chewing in Hunan province of China. Twenty-five BQ chewers and 25 controls were recruited to participate in this study. Voxel-based morphormetry analysis revealed that there were three key regions showing structural differences between BQ chewers and controls, including bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC)/insula, ventral medial prefrontal cortex, and left orbitofrontal cortex. Moreover, the GMV in the DLPFC could potentially predict BQ dependence scores, level of daily BQ chewing, and history of BQ chewing. These results suggested that participants who showed BQ chewing dependence may have deficit in inhibition control and affective decision-making, and the level of deficit was dependent on the level of daily BQ chewing, and history of BQ chewing. Understanding the neurobiology features of BQ chewing would help us develop novel ways to diagnose and prevent BQ dependence

Use of three points to determine the accuracy of guided implantation.

Aim'This study aims to establish an open-source algorithm using Python to analyze the accuracy of guided implantation, which simplifies interstudy comparisons.MethodsGiven ≥3 landmark pairs, this Tri-Point (TriP) method can register images. With ≥4 landmark pairs, TriP can calculate system errors for image registration. We selected 8 indicators from the literature. Considering development errors in new bone on cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), we added the indicators of apical rectified deviation (ARD) and coronal rectified deviation (CRD), providing accurate references but neglecting depth deviations. Our program can calculate and output these indicators. To evaluate the TriP method's feasibility, an implantation group assisted by a Visual Direction-INdicating Guide (VDING) was analyzed. Accuracy was measured with the traditional and proposed TriP methods. Factors affecting the system error of the method were then analyzed.ResultsComparisons with paired-sample t-tests showed that our TriP method was similar to the traditional method in evaluating implantation accuracy, with no significant difference (P>0.05). The average system error was 0.30±0.10 mm when the TriP method evaluated the VDING template. The results showed that increasing the provided landmarks from 4 to 5 pairs decreased the between-group differences significantly (P0.05). Large distances between landmarks are helpful in reducing system error, as demonstrated with a geometric method.ConclusionsThis study established an open-source algorithm to analyze the accuracy of guided implantation with system errors reported

Development of Certified Reference Materials for the Determination of Apparent Amylose Content in Rice

Apparent amylose content (AAC) is one of the most important parameters in rice quality evaluation. In this study, four rice reference materials used to test rice AAC were developed. The AAC of rice reference materials were measured by a spectrophotometric method with a defatting procedure, calibrated from potato amylose and waxy rice amylopectin at the absorption wavelengths of 620 and 720 nm. Homogeneity test (n = 20) was judged by F-test based on the mean squares of among and within bottles, and short- and long-term stability monitoring was performed by T-test to check if there was significant degradation at the delivery temperature of under 40 °C (14 days) and at 0–4 °C storage condition (18 months), respectively. After joint evaluation by ten laboratories, Dixion and Cochran statistical analyses were presented. The expanded uncertainties were calculated based on the uncertainty of homogeneity, short- and long-term stability, and inter-laboratory validation containing factor k = 2. It found that the four reference materials were homogenous and stable, and had the AAC (g/100 g, k = 2) of 2.96 ± 1.01, 10.68 ± 0.66, 17.18 ± 1.04, and 16.09 ± 1.29, respectively, at 620 nm, and 1.46 ± 0.49, 10.44 ± 0.56, 16.82 ± 0.75, and 24.33 ± 0.52, respectively, at 720 nm. It was indicated that 720 nm was more suitable for the determination of rice AAC with lower uncertainties. The determinations of the AAC of 11 rice varieties were carried out by two methods, the method without defatting and with calibration from the four rice reference materials and the method with a defatting procedure and calibrating from potato amylose and waxy rice amylopectin. It confirmed that the undefatted rice reference materials could achieve satisfactory results to test the rice samples with the AAC ranging from 1 to 25 g/100 g. It would greatly reduce the time cost and improve testing efficiency and applicability, and provide technical support for the high-quality development of the rice industry

Determination of Apparent Amylose Content in Rice by Using Paper-Based Microfluidic Chips

Determination of apparent amylose content in rice is a key function for rice research and the rice industry. In this paper, a novel approach with paper-based microfluidic chip is reported to determine apparent amylose content in rice. The conventional color reaction between amylose and iodine was employed. Blue color of amylose–iodine complex generated on-chip was converted to gray and measured with Photoshop after the colored chip was scanned. The method for preparation of the paper chip is described. In situ generation of iodine for on-chip color reaction was designed, and factors influencing color reaction were investigated in detail. Elimination of yellow color interference of excess iodine by exploiting color removal function of Photoshop was presented. Under the optimized conditions, apparent amylose content in rice ranging from 1.5 to 26.4% can be determined, and precision was 6.3%. The analytical results obtained with the developed approach were in good agreement with those with the continuous flow analyzer method

Androgen receptor and heat shock protein 27 co-regulate the malignant potential of molecular apocrine breast cancer

Abstract Background The most striking feature of molecular apocrine breast cancer (MABC) is the expression of androgen receptor (AR). We report here the mechanism of the AR in regulating the behavior of MABC. Methods The MABC cell line, MDA-MB-453, and the nonMABC cell line, MCF7, were used in this study. The effect of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) on cell proliferation was quantified using the cell counter kit-8 (CCK8) and clonogenic assays in vitro and by a xenograft tumor model in vivo. The expression of the AR and HSP27 was analyzed using western blot, qPCR, and immunofluorescence assays. Complexes of the AR and HSP27 were detected by co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP). Results In MDA-MB-453 cells, DHT promoted cell proliferation and stimulated AR and HSP27 translocation from the cytoplasm to the nucleus, whereas, it inhibited MCF7 cell growth, and only the AR translocated into the nucleus. HSP27 knock-down decreased the proliferative ability of MDA-MB-453 cells, which could be rescued by DHT, while HSP27 and DHT had synergistic effects on MCF7 cells. HSP27 phosphorylation was a prerequisite for AR translocation into the nucleus, especially phosphorylation on serine 82. In addition, DHT stimulated the tumorigenic and metastatic capacities of MDA-MB-453 cells, while HSP27 knock-down decreased the rate of tumor formation and induced apoptosis in cells. Conclusions The results suggest that HSP27 assists the AR in regulating the malignant behavior of MABC, and these findings might be helpful in the treatment of MABC

Additional file 1: of Androgen receptor and heat shock protein 27 co-regulate the malignant potential of molecular apocrine breast cancer

The sequence of the deleted HSP27 phosphorylation sites. (DOCX 13 kb