Kruppel-like factor 4 suppresses neuroblastoma growth by promoting smooth-muscle differentiation

Poster Board Number: 2105Neuroblastoma (NB) is an embryonic tumor and possesses a unique propensity to exhibit either a spontaneous regression or an unrestrained growth. Growing evidence suggests that NB comprises heterogeneous populations of improperly differentiated neural crest cells and a small subset of NB cells behaves as stem cells. Commitment of NB stem cells to the fibromuscular lineage may give a favorable outcome, while to the neuronal lineage results in a malignant tumor progression. Kruppel like factor 4 (KLF4) is one of the key reprogramming factors. Intriguingly, it also possesses paradoxical functions in cancers, either as an oncogene or tumor suppressor dependent of cell context. In this study, we elucidated the roles of KLF4 in the lineage determination of NB stem cells and tumor progression. Quantitative RT-PCR showed that loss of KLF4 expression ...published_or_final_versio

Fabrication and Characterization of Co1−xFex Alloy Nanowires

Co1−xFex alloy nanowires with 40 nm diam and x=0–1.0 were fabricated by electrodeposition in nanopores of alumina templates. The crystalline structure of the nanowires is concentration dependent and shows a transition from the cobalt hexagonal-closed-packed structure (hcp) to a face-centered-cubic structure (fcc) in the concentration range

Modeling of Hysteresis and Magnetization Curves for Hexagonally Ordered Electrodeposited Nanowires

A computational model has been developed to investigate how the magnetostatic interactions affect the hysteresis and magnetization curves for hexagonal arrays of magnetic nanowires. The magnetization coupling between nanowires arises from the stray fields produced by the other nanowires composing the array such that the field at each nanowire is the sum of the external field and the interaction field with the other nanowires. Using only two adjustable parameters: the interaction between nearest neighbors and the width of the Gaussian distribution in switching fields centered around the measuredcoercivity, simulations are compared with the experimentally measuredhysteresis and magnetization curves for electrodepositedCo0.45 Fe0.55 alloy nanowires with diameters from 12 to 48 nm. Excellent agreement is found for all nanowire systems except for the largest diameter arrays where deviations from the Gaussian distribution of switching fields need to be considered

Zero Magnetization States in Electrodeposited Co0.45Fe0.55 Nanowire Arrays

Co0.45Fe0.55 alloy nanowires with 12 to 35 nm diameter and 12 μm length were fabricated by electrodeposition in porous anodic alumina templates. The initial magnetization curves reveal that the zero magnetization state is not unique and is determined by the field history (acdemagnetization process) leading to the zero average moment state. For acdemagnetization processes with the field applied parallel to the nanowire axis, the subsequent magnetization curves suggest that an individual nanowire behaves as a single domain with neighboring nanowires being antiparallel to each other in the zero magnetization state. However, for a demagnetization process with the field applied perpendicular to the nanowires, a different zero magnetization state is created in which the individual nanowires consist of multidomains having opposite axial orientations. These results are consistent with the asymmetric (symmetric) behavior found in the minor hysteresis loops measured after perpendicular (parallel) acdemagnetization on these nanowire arrays

Fabrication and Characterization of Co1−xFex Alloy Nanowires

Co1−xFex alloy nanowires with 40 nm diam and x=0–1.0 were fabricated by electrodeposition in nanopores of alumina templates. The crystalline structure of the nanowires is concentration dependent and shows a transition from the cobalt hexagonal-closed-packed structure (hcp) to a face-centered-cubic structure (fcc) in the concentration range

Circadian control of interferon-sensitive gene expression in murine skin.

The circadian clock coordinates a variety of immune responses with signals from the external environment to promote survival. We investigated the potential reciprocal relationship between the circadian clock and skin inflammation. We treated mice topically with the Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) agonist imiquimod (IMQ) to activate IFN-sensitive gene (ISG) pathways and induce psoriasiform inflammation. IMQ transiently altered core clock gene expression, an effect mirrored in human patient psoriatic lesions. In mouse skin 1 d after IMQ treatment, ISGs, including the key ISG transcription factor IFN regulatory factor 7 (Irf7), were more highly induced after treatment during the day than the night. Nuclear localization of phosphorylated-IRF7 was most prominently time-of-day dependent in epidermal leukocytes, suggesting that these cell types play an important role in the diurnal ISG response to IMQ. Mice lacking Bmal1 systemically had exacerbated and arrhythmic ISG/Irf7 expression after IMQ. Furthermore, daytime-restricted feeding, which affects the phase of the skin circadian clock, reverses the diurnal rhythm of IMQ-induced ISG expression in the skin. These results suggest a role for the circadian clock, driven by BMAL1, as a negative regulator of the ISG response, and highlight the finding that feeding time can modulate the skin immune response. Since the IFN response is essential for the antiviral and antitumor effects of TLR activation, these findings are consistent with the time-of-day-dependent variability in the ability to fight microbial pathogens and tumor initiation and offer support for the use of chronotherapy for their treatment

Current induced switching of magnetic domains to a perpendicular configuration

In a ferromagnet--normal-metal--ferromagnet trilayer, a current flowing perpendicularly to the layers creates a torque on the magnetic moments of the ferromagnets. When one of the contacts is superconducting, the torque not only favors parallel or antiparallel alignment of the magnetic moments, as is the case for two normal contacts, but can also favor a configuration where the two moments are perpendicular. In addition, whereas the conductance for parallel and antiparallel magnetic moments is the same, signalling the absence of giant magnetoresistance in the usual sense, the conductance is greater in the perpendicular configuration. Thus, a negative magnetoconductance is predicted, in contrast with the usual giant magnetoresistance.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, major rewriting of the technical par

The Open Access Advantage Revisited

This paper is a revision of one that appeared in 2008, incorporating the many developments and changes that have happened since then.published_or_final_versio

The Open Access Advantage

Hong Kong Open Access Committeepublished_or_final_versio