Interfacial Properties of Polyethylene Glycol/Vinyltriethoxysilane (PEG/VTES) Copolymers and their Application to Stain Resistance

In this study, polyethylene glycol (PEG) and vinyltriethoxysilane (VTES) were used in different proportions to produce a series of PEG–VTES copolymers. The copolymer molecular structures were confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. In addition, their surface activities were evaluated by evaluating the surface tension, contact angle, and foaming properties. The results showed that these surfactants exhibited excellent surface activities and wetting power, as well as low foaming. Consequently, the application of a series of PEG/VTES copolymers can make cotton fabrics stain resistant

Advanced Ionospheric Probe scientific mission onboard FORMOSAT-5 satellite

Advanced Ionospheric Probe (AIP) is a piggyback science payload developed by National Central University for FORMOSAT-5 satellite to explore space weather/climate and seismic precursors associated with strong earthquakes. The AIP is an all-in-one plasma sensor that measures ionospheric plasma concentrations, velocities, and temperatures in a time-sharing way and is capable of measuring ionospheric plasma irregularities at a sample rate up to 8192 Hz over a wide range of spatial scales. Electroformed gold grids used in the AIP in theory construct planar electric potential surfaces better than woven grids. Moreover, a plasma injection test performed in the Space Plasma Simulation Chamber has verified that no significant hysteresis is found in current-voltage curves measured by the AIP. It indicates that the AIP can make an accurate measurement of the ionospheric plasma parameters in space. Finally, Ionospheric Plasma and Electrodynamics Instrument (IPEI) observations onboard the ROCSAT-1 satellite are applied to show that the scientific objectives of ionospheric space weather/climate and seismo-ionospheric precursors (SIPs) of the FORMOSAT-5/AIP can be fulfilled. The observations reveal that ion parameter global distributions are helpful in studying the formation and variation in temperature crests and troughs in the 2200 - 2300 local time sector, as well as SIPs in the density and the velocity over the epicenter area, which are anticipated for the FORMOSAT-5 satellite orbit

Deep vein thrombosis after open hepatectomy or other major upper abdominal surgery in Taiwan

Backgroud/purpose: Venous thromboembolism, including deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), is an important complication in patients who underwent open hepatic surgery as well as other major upper abdominal surgery. This study aims to investigate the occurrence of postoperative DVT without pharmacological thromboprophylaxis in such cohorts in Taiwan. Methods: This is a prospective, cross-sectional cohort study conducted from March 2010 to December 2011. Patients who underwent major upper abdominal surgery, including open hepatectomy, were enrolled. Color duplex compression ultrasonography (CUS) was used to detect DVT. Symptomatic PE was excluded if there were no suggestive respiratory symptoms or sudden death. Relevant clinicopathological and surgical information of each patient was collected and analyzed. Results: 195 patients (118 male and 77 female) were enrolled, with a median age of 63.6 years. The majority (169/195, 88.7%) were treated for active malignancy. Totally 147 patients received open hepatectomy. Only one asymptomatic and distal postoperative DVT event was identified by CUS, which occurred on a 73-year-old female patient who received a left lateral segmental hepatectomy for removing the advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (pathologic stage, T3aN0M0). No cases of symptomatic PE or sudden death were observed. No correlation between DVT and precipitating factor was demonstrated in our cohort. Conclusion: Without pharmacological thromboprophylaxis, a low rate of postoperative DVT among patients undergoing open hepatectomy (0.7%, 1/147) or major upper abdominal surgery (0.5%, 1/195) in Taiwan was reported. A distinctively regional role of pharmacological thromboprophylaxis for hepatic surgery was also suggested by our data

Amphiregulin induces CCN2 and fibronectin expression by TGF-β through EGFR-dependent pathway in lung epithelial cells

Abstract Background Airway fibrosis is one of the pathological characteristics of severe asthma. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β has been known to promote epithelial-mesenchymal transition formation and to play a role in the progression of tissue fibrosis. Cellular communication network factor 2 (CCN2) and fibronectin (FN) are well-known markers of EMT and fibrosis. However, whether AREG is involved in TGF-β-induced CCN2 and FN expression in human lung epithelial cells is unknown. Methods AREG and FN were analyzed by immunofluorescence staining on ovalbumin-challenged mice. CCN2 and FN expression were evaluated in human lung epithelial (A459) cells following TGF or AREG treatment for the indicated times. Secreted AREG from A549 cells was detected by ELISA. Cell migration was observed by a wound healing assay. Chromatin immunoprecipitation was used to detect the c-Jun binding to the CCN2 promoter. Results AREG and FN expression colocalized in lung tissues from mice with ovalbumin-induced asthma by immunofluorescence staining. Moreover, TGF-β caused the release of AREG from A549 cells into the medium. Smad3 siRNA down-regulated AREG expression. AREG also stimulated CCN2 and FN expression, JNK and c-Jun phosphorylation, and cell migration in A549 cells. AREG small interfering (si) RNA inhibited TGF-β-induced expression of CCN2, FN, and cell migration. Furthermore, AREG-induced CCN2 and FN expression were inhibited by EGFR siRNA, a JNK inhibitor (SP600125), and an activator protein-1 (AP-1) inhibitor (curcumin). EGFR siRNA attenuated AREG-induced JNK and c-Jun phosphorylation. Moreover, SP600125 downregulated AREG-induced c-Jun phosphorylation. Conclusion These results suggested that AREG mediates the TGF-β-induced EMT in human lung epithelial cells through EGFR/JNK/AP-1 activation. Understanding the role of AREG in the EMT could foster the development of therapeutic strategies for airway remodeling in severe asthma

Curcumin Analogue L48H37 Suppresses Human Osteosarcoma U2OS and MG-63 Cells’ Migration and Invasion in Culture by Inhibition of uPA via the JAK/STAT Signaling Pathway

Osteosarcoma, the most prevalent malignant bone tumor in the pediatric age group, is responsible for the great majority of cancer-associated deaths owing to its highly metastatic potential. The anti-metastatic effects of the new curcumin analogue L48H37 in human osteosarcoma are still unknown; hence, we investigated whether L48H37 represses human osteosarcoma cells’ biological behavior of migratory potential and invasive activities and attempted to delve into its underlying mechanisms. L48H37 up to 5 μM inhibited, without cytotoxicity, the motility, migration, and invasion of human osteosarcoma U2OS and MG-63 cells. In U2OS cells, the human protease array revealed an obvious decrease in urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) expression after L48H37 treatment, and L48H37 actually reduced the level, protein and mRNA expression, and promoter activity of uPA dose-dependently. L48H37 decreased the phosphorylation of STAT3, JAK1, JAK2, and JAK3 in U2OS cells, but did not affect the phosphorylation of ERK, JNK, p38, and Akt. Using colivelin, an activator of STAT3, the L48H37-induced decrease in uPA and migratory potential could be countered as expected. Collectively, L48H37 represses the invasion and migration capabilities of U2OS and MG-63 cells by the suppression of uPA expression and the inhibition of JAK/STAT signaling. These results suggest that L48H37 may be a potential candidate for anti-metastatic treatment of human osteosarcoma

Risk Factors for Urinary Tract Infections in Children with Hematuria in the Emergency Department

Introduction: Hematuria is a worrisome symptom in children and is sometimes associated with urinary tract infections (UTIs). This study aimed to identify useful clinical factors that can predict UTIs in hematuria patients without pyuria in the pediatric emergency department (ED). Methods: We retrospectively recruited patients with hematuria from the pediatric ED. Clinical symptoms, urine biochemistry and microscopic examination results, and blood laboratory tests were analyzed to identify the predictors of UTIs. Patients were divided into the verbal group (age ≥ 2 years) and non-verbal group (age 30 mg/dl were found to be significant parameters for predicting UTIs, while urine esterase and urine nitrite showed significant differences in children with age 373/µL in children aged ≥ 2 years and urine RBC > 8/µL in children aged < 2 years were associated with UTIs. In addition, UTIs and urinary tract stones were found to be the top two causes of hematuria. Conclusions: Dysuria, urine esterase, urine nitrite, and urine protein may be useful parameters for predicting UTIs in pediatric patients with hematuria but no pyuria in the ED. In addition, a UTI was the most commonly identified etiology of hematuria without pyuria, followed by urinary tract stones

Cordycepin Enhances Radiosensitivity in Oral Squamous Carcinoma Cells by Inducing Autophagy and Apoptosis Through Cell Cycle Arrest

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide and accounts for over 90% of malignant neoplasms of the oral cavity, with a 5-year survival rate of less than 50%. The long-term survival rate of OSCC patients has not markedly improved in recent decades due to its heterogeneous etiology and treatment outcomes. We investigated the anticancer effect of the combination of irradiation (IR) and cordycepin in the treatment of human OSCC cells in vitro. The type of cell death, especially autophagy and apoptosis, and the underlying mechanisms were examined. We found synergistic effects of cordycepin and IR on the viability of human oral cancer cells. The combination of cordycepin and IR treatment induced apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and autophagic cell death. Furthermore, cordycepin induced S-phase arrest and prolonged G2/M arrest in the cells that received the combination treatment compared with those that received irradiation alone. Combined treatment induced the upregulation of ATG5 and p21 in an autophagy cascade-dependent manner, arrested the cell cycle in the G2/M phase, and repressed cell proliferation. Thus, we conclude that the combination of cordycepin and IR treatment could be a potential therapeutic strategy for OSCC

Engineering Heterostructured Semiconductor Nanorod Assemblies via Controlled Cation Exchange: Implications for Efficient Optoelectronics

Precise control over the composition of heterostructure nanocrystals and their self-assembly is an emerging research interest. Superstructures of this type are typically enhanced in terms of their collective functionalities. Herein, we developed a practical yet simple approach to synthesize and self-assemble Cu2–xS/CuYS (Y = In, Sb, and Sn) heterostructured nanorods (NRs) into their vertically standing up assemblies. First NRs come together via depletion–attraction forces, and then partial cation exchange between Cu31S16 NRs and the injected cationic precursor taken in stoichiometric amounts dissolved in trioctylphosphine and oleylamine (Olam) results in heterostructured NRs possessing compositions of Cu2–xS/CuYS (Y = In, Sb, and Sn). The chemical composition changes lead to surface chemistry modifications as the injected guest cationic part of the NR is either naked or covered with Olam which is quite easy to strip-off from the NC surface at high temperature, resulting in a 2D sheetlike structure of heterostructured vertically oriented NRs in solution. The route to obtaining long-range heterostructured assembled NRs is studied and characterized systematically. This work presents a detailed mechanistic insight into the cation exchange-induced self-assembly of heterostructured NRs, where the particles are coupled, which is of growing importance as a synthesis tool. The complex nanostructures synthesized in the present work may benefit solution-processed optoelectronic applications