In situ loading and delivery of short single- And double-stranded dna by supramolecular organic frameworks

Short DNA represents an important class of biomacromolecules that are widely applied in gene therapy, editing, and modulation. However, the development of simple and reliable methods for their intracellular delivery remains a challenge. Herein, we describe that seven water-soluble, homogeneous supramolecular organic frameworks (SOFs) with a well-defined pore size and high stability in water that can accomplish in situ inclusion of single-stranded (ss) and double-stranded (ds) DNA (21, 23, and 58 nt) and effective intracellular delivery (including two noncancerous and six cancerous cell lines). Fluorescence quenching experiments for single and double endlabeled ss- and ds-DNA support that the DNA sequences can be completely enveloped by the SOFs. Confocal laser scanning microscopy and flow cytometry reveal that five of the SOFs exhibit excellent delivery efficiencies that, in most of the studied cases, outperform the commercial standard Lipo2000, even at low SOF-nucleic acid ratios. In addition to high delivery efficiencies, the watersoluble, self-assembled SOF carriers have a variety of advantages, including convenient preparation, high stability, and in situ DNA inclusion, which are all critical for practical applications in nucleic acid delivery

Green photoluminescence in ZnO nanostructures

In photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of ZnO, typically one or more peaks in the visible spectral range due to defect emission can be observed in addition to one UV peak due to band edge emission. The origin of the defect emission is controversial and several mechanisms have been proposed. In this work, we fabricated ZnO nanostructures with different methods (evaporation and chemical synthesis). We found that the preparation method influences the peak position of the defect emission. Different hypotheses for the origin of the green emission in our nanostructured samples are discussed. © 2005 American Institute of Physics.published_or_final_versio

Different origins of visible luminescence in ZnO nanostructures fabricated by the chemical and evaporation methods

Zinc oxide nanostructures were fabricated using chemical and thermal evaporation methods. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray diffraction, photoluminescence, and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy were used to study the properties of fabricated nanostructures. The nanostructures fabricated by evaporationg methods exhibited green PL from surface centers. The results show that the luminescence in the visible region has different peak positions in samples prepared by chemical and evaporation methods.published_or_final_versio

A pore-expanded supramolecular organic framework and its enrichment of photosensitizers and catalysts for visible-light-induced hydrogen production

A pore-expanded three-dimensional supramolecular organic framework SOF-bpb, with a previously unattained aperture size of 3.6 nm, has been constructed in water from the co-Assembly of cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]) and a tetraphenylmethane-cored 1,4-bis(pyridin-4-yl)-benzene-Appended building block M1. The periodicity of SOF-bpb in water and in the solid state has been confirmed using synchrotron X-ray scattering and diffraction experiments. SOF-bpb can adsorb anionic and neutral Ru complex photosensitizers and anionic Wells-Dawson-Type and Keggin-Type polyoxometalates (POMs). The adsorption leads to an important enrichment effect, which remarkably increases the catalytic efficiency of the Ru complex-POM systems for visible light-induced reduction of protons to produce H . The expanded aperture of SOF-bpb also facilitates light absorption of the adsorbed Ru complex photosensitizers and electron transfer between excited complexes and the POM catalysts, leading to enhanced photocatalytic activities as compared with the prototypical SOF that has an aperture size of 2.1 nm. 2+ 2+ 2+

The functions of mucosal T cells in containing the indigenous commensal flora of the intestine

There is an immense load of non-pathogenic commensal bacteria in the distal small intestine and the colon of mammals. The physical barrier that prevents penetration (translocation) of these organisms into the body is a simple epithelium comprised of the single enterocyte/colonocyte cell layer with its overlying mucus. In this review, we discuss the roles of intestinal T cells in initiating and regulating innate and adaptive mucosal immune responses of the mucosal immune system that avoid or limit penetration of the commensal intestinal bacteria

Population seroprevalence of antibody to influenza A(H7N9) virus, Guangzhou, China

BACKGROUND: Since the identification in early 2013 of severe disease caused by influenza A(H7N9) virus infection, there have been few attempts to characterize the full severity profile of human infections. Our objective was to estimate the number and severity of H7N9 infections in Guangzhou, using a serological study. METHODS: We collected residual sera from patients of all ages admitted to a hospital in the city of Guangzhou in southern China in 2013 and 2014. We screened the sera using a haemagglutination inhibition assay against a pseudovirus containing the H7 and N9 of A/Anhui/1/2013(H7N9), and samples with a screening titer ≥10 were further tested by standard hemagglutination-inhibition and virus neutralization assays for influenza A(H7N9). We used a statistical model to interpret the information on antibody titers in the residual sera, assuming that the residual sera provided a representative picture of A(H7N9) infections in the general population, accounting for potential cross-reactions. RESULTS: We collected a total of 5360 residual sera from December 2013 to April 2014 and from October 2014 to December 2014, and found two specimens that tested positive for H7N9 antibody at haemagglutination inhibition titer ≥40 and a neutralization titer ≥40. Based on this, we estimated that 64,000 (95 % credibility interval: 7300, 190,000) human infections with influenza A(H7N9) virus occurred in Guangzhou in early 2014, with an infection-fatality risk of 3.6 deaths (95 % credibility interval: 0.47, 15) per 10,000 infections. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggested that the number of influenza A(H7N9) virus infections in Guangzhou substantially exceeded the number of laboratory-confirmed cases there, albeit with considerable imprecision. Our study was limited by the small number of positive specimens identified, and larger serologic studies would be valuable. Our analytic framework would be useful if larger serologic studies are done.published_or_final_versio

Theory of differential inclusions and its application in mechanics

The following chapter deals with systems of differential equations with discontinuous right-hand sides. The key question is how to define the solutions of such systems. The most adequate approach is to treat discontinuous systems as systems with multivalued right-hand sides (differential inclusions). In this work three well-known definitions of solution of discontinuous system are considered. We will demonstrate the difference between these definitions and their application to different mechanical problems. Mathematical models of drilling systems with discontinuous friction torque characteristics are considered. Here, opposite to classical Coulomb symmetric friction law, the friction torque characteristic is asymmetrical. Problem of sudden load change is studied. Analytical methods of investigation of systems with such asymmetrical friction based on the use of Lyapunov functions are demonstrated. The Watt governor and Chua system are considered to show different aspects of computer modeling of discontinuous systems

Observation of a ppb mass threshoud enhancement in \psi^\prime\to\pi^+\pi^-J/\psi(J/\psi\to\gamma p\bar{p}) decay

The decay channel $\psi^\prime\to\pi^+\pi^-J/\psi(J/\psi\to\gamma p\bar{p})$ is studied using a sample of $1.06\times 10^8$ $\psi^\prime$ events collected by the BESIII experiment at BEPCII. A strong enhancement at threshold is observed in the $p\bar{p}$ invariant mass spectrum. The enhancement can be fit with an $S$-wave Breit-Wigner resonance function with a resulting peak mass of $M=1861^{+6}_{-13} {\rm (stat)}^{+7}_{-26} {\rm (syst)} {\rm MeV/}c^2$ and a narrow width that is $\Gamma<38 {\rm MeV/}c^2$ at the 90% confidence level. These results are consistent with published BESII results. These mass and width values do not match with those of any known meson resonance.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Chinese Physics

The endogenous caspase-8 inhibitor c-FLIPL regulates ER morphology and crosstalk with mitochondria

Components of the death receptors-mediated pathways like caspase-8 have been identified in complexes at intracellular membranes to spatially restrict the processing of local targets. In this study, we report that the long isoform of the cellular FLICE-inhibitory protein (c-FLIPL), a well- known inhibitor of the extrinsic cell death initiator caspase-8, localizes at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria-associated membranes (MAMs). ER morphology was disrupted and ER Ca2+-release as well as ER-mitochondria tethering were decreased in c-FLIP-/- mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). Mechanistically, c-FLIP ablation resulted in enhanced basal caspase-8 activation and in caspase-mediated processing of the ER-shaping protein reticulon-4 (RTN4) that was corrected by re-introduction of c-FLIPL and caspase inhibition, resulting in the recovery of a normal ER morphology and ER-mitochondria juxtaposition. Thus, the caspase-8 inhibitor c-FLIPL emerges as a component of the MAMs signaling platforms, where caspases appear to regulate ER morphology and ER-mitochondria crosstalk by impinging on ER-shaping proteins like the RTN4