Bilirubin Restrains the Anticancer Effect of Vemurafenib on BRAF-Mutant Melanoma Cells Through ERK-MNK1 Signaling

Melanoma, the most threatening cancer in the skin, has been considered to be driven by the carcinogenic RAF-MEK1/2-ERK1/2 signaling pathway. This signaling pathway is usually mainly dysregulated by mutations in BRAF or RAS in skin melanomas. Although inhibitors targeting mutant BRAF, such as vemurafenib, have improved the clinical outcome of melanoma patients with BRAF mutations, the efficiency of vemurafenib is limited in many patients. Here, we show that blood bilirubin in patients with BRAF-mutant melanoma treated with vemurafenib is negatively correlated with clinical outcomes. In vitro and animal experiments show that bilirubin can abrogate vemurafenib-induced growth suppression of BRAF-mutant melanoma cells. Moreover, bilirubin can remarkably rescue vemurafenib-induced apoptosis. Mechanically, the activation of ERK-MNK1 axis is required for bilirubin-induced reversal effects post vemurafenib treatment. Our findings not only demonstrate that bilirubin is an unfavorable for patients with BRAF-mutant melanoma who received vemurafenib treatment, but also uncover the underlying mechanism by which bilirubin restrains the anticancer effect of vemurafenib on BRAF-mutant melanoma cells

Large-scale chemical vapor deposition synthesis of graphene nanoribbions/carbon nanotubes composite for enhanced membrane capacitive deionization

The composite comprised of graphene and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) exhibited significantly enhanced electro-chemical performance due both to the improved dispersion and inhibition of restacking of graphene and CNTs. In this work, graphene nanoribbons (GNRs)/CNTs composite (GNRs/CNTs) was synthesized on gram-scale by chemical vapor deposition. Under optimal growth conditions, the yield of GNRs/CNTs as high as 26 g per gram catalyst could be achieved in 30 min growth time. The morphology and quality of the as-synthesized composite was verified by using SEM, TEM and Raman spectroscopy. The electrochemical properties of GNRs/CNTs was evaluated using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge-discharge techniques. GNRs/CNTs exhibited specific capacitance of 242.3 F/g at 0.5 A g(-1), which was over 4 times of that of CNTs. The GNRs/ CNTs based electrodes exhibited excellent cycling stability at 1 A g(-1) for over 4000 cycles, which can be attributed to the excellent electrical conductivity and the unique structure. When employed as electrode for membrane capacitive desalination, the desalination capacity of 16.46 mg g(-1) has been achieved under 1.2 V with 500 mg L-1 NaCl solution as feeding water

Ni2P nanocrystals embedded Ni-MOF nanosheets supported on nickel foam as bifunctional electrocatalyst for urea electrolysis

It's highly desired but challenging to synthesize self-supporting nanohybrid made of conductive nanoparticles with metal organic framework (MOF) materials for the application in the electrochemical field. In this work, we report the preparation of Ni2P embedded Ni-MOF nanosheets supported on nickel foam through partial phosphidation (Ni2P@Ni-MOF/NF). The self-supporting Ni2P@Ni-MOF/NF was directly tested as electrode for urea electrolysis. When served as anode for urea oxidation reaction (UOR), it only demands 1.41 V (vs RHE) to deliver a current of 100 mA cm(-2). And the overpotential of Ni2P@Ni-MOF/NF to reach 10 mA cm(-2) for hydrogen evolution reaction HER was only 66 mV, remarkably lower than Ni2P/NF (133 mV). The exceptional electrochemical performance was attributed to the unique structure of Ni2P@Ni-MOF and the well exposed surface of Ni2P. Furthermore, the Ni2P@Ni-MOF/NF demonstrated outstanding longevity for both HER and UOR. The electrolyzer constructed with Ni2P@Ni-MOF/NF as bifunctional electrode can attain a current density of 100 mA cm(-2) at a cell voltage as low as 1.65 V. Our work provides new insights for prepare MOF based nanohydrid for electrochemical application

A Study of IL-1β, MMP-3, TGF-β1, and GDF5 Polymorphisms and Their Association with Primary Frozen Shoulder in a Chinese Han Population

Primary frozen shoulder (PFS) is a common condition of uncertain etiology that is characterized by shoulder pain and restriction of active and passive glenohumeral motions. The pathophysiology involves chronic inflammation and fibrosis of the joint capsule. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at IL-1β, MMP3, TGF-β1, and GDF5 have been associated with risk of a variety of inflammatory diseases; however, no studies have examined these SNPs with susceptibility to PFS. We investigated allele and genotype frequencies of rs1143627 at IL-1β, rs650108 at MMP-3, rs1800469 at TGF-β1, and rs143383 at GDF5 in 42 patients with PFS and 50 healthy controls in a Chinese Han population. Serum samples from both cohorts were evaluated to determine the expression levels of IL-1β. We found that the IL-1β rs1143627 CC genotype was associated with a decreased risk of PFS compared to the TT genotype (P=0.022) and that serum IL-1β was expressed at a significantly higher level in the PFS cohort compared to that found in the control group (P<0.001). Our findings indicated no evidence of an association between rs650108, rs1800469, or rs143383 and PFS. IL-1β is associated with susceptibility to PFS and may have a role in its pathogenesis in a Chinese Han population

Microfluidic biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles: Effect of process parameters on size distribution

Fundamental Research Funds for Central Universities [2010121051]; NSFC [21106117, 21036004, 20976146]; Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China [20100121110032, 20110121120018]; NSF-Fujian Projects [2010J05032]Here, microfluidic biosynthesis of Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) in tubular microreactors in the presence of Cacumen Platycladi (C. Platycladi) extract was studied, focusing on the effect of technical parameters (volumetric flow rate, the concentration of C. Platycladi extract, inlet mixing pattern) and reactor parameters (reactor materials and inner diameter) on the size distribution of AgNPs. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was utilized to simulate the profile evolution of velocity, biomass concentration and temperature in the microreactors. It was found that, unlike in traditional bulk reactors, the interfacial effect between the solid surface and bulk solutions in microreactors could not be ignored and had crucial influence on particle size distribution. Results of CFD simulation confirmed that microchannels possessed some unique flow characteristics and various process parameters had specific influences on the size distribution of the AgNPs, which could be explained in terms of their influences on the interfacial effect and flow characteristics. Our work provides useful insight into the influence of process parameters on size distribution of AgNPs in microfluidic biosynthesis. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Microfluidic biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles: Effect of process parameters on size distribution

Fundamental Research Funds for Central Universities [2010121051]; NSFC [21106117, 21036004, 20976146]; Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China [20100121110032, 20110121120018]; NSF-Fujian Projects [2010J05032]Here, microfluidic biosynthesis of Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) in tubular microreactors in the presence of Cacumen Platycladi (C. Platycladi) extract was studied, focusing on the effect of technical parameters (volumetric flow rate, the concentration of C. Platycladi extract, inlet mixing pattern) and reactor parameters (reactor materials and inner diameter) on the size distribution of AgNPs. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was utilized to simulate the profile evolution of velocity, biomass concentration and temperature in the microreactors. It was found that, unlike in traditional bulk reactors, the interfacial effect between the solid surface and bulk solutions in microreactors could not be ignored and had crucial influence on particle size distribution. Results of CFD simulation confirmed that microchannels possessed some unique flow characteristics and various process parameters had specific influences on the size distribution of the AgNPs, which could be explained in terms of their influences on the interfacial effect and flow characteristics. Our work provides useful insight into the influence of process parameters on size distribution of AgNPs in microfluidic biosynthesis. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Optimization of Green Synthesis of Potassium Diformate and Its Potential as a Mold Inhibitor for Animal Feed

Potassium diformate (KDF) has been regarded as an alternative to antibiotic growth promoters for animals. This paper delineates a 100% atom economical process for the preparation of KDF from formic acid and potassium formate. Parametric optimization of the synthesis was conducted with respect to reaction time, reaction temperature, and molar ratio of the reactants by employing orthogonal design of experiment method. The results manifested a molar ratio of HCOOH to HCOOK of 1.3, reaction temperature of 65 degrees C, and reaction time of 30 min as the optimal conditions with a KDF product yield of 94.0%. Efforts were also made to explore the antimold performance of KDF on animal feed using the plate count method. Compared with sodium diacetate (SDA), the widely used mold inhibitor, KDF exhibited even better antimold performance for animal feed. To our knowledge, this work first proved the applicability of KDF as a mold inhibitor for animal feed

Liquid phase oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde with novel uncalcined bioreduction Au catalysts: High activity and durability

An environmentally benign bioreduction method was used to prepare Au catalysts for liquid phase oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde. The catalysts were characterized by N-2 physisorption, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron micrograph, thermogravimetric analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The performance of uncalcined bioreduction Au catalysts is evaluated with H2O2 as oxidant and without any base or organic solvent. Having investigated the effects of different reaction conditions (time, temperature, amount of catalyst and molar ratio of H2O2 to benzyl alcohol) on the catalytic performance, the optimum conditions were found to be 6 h, 80 degrees C, 0.3 g and 1.25, respectively. In terms of the catalyst parameters, gold loading of 0.3% and support Si/Ti molar ratio of 35 were demonstrated to be optimum. Under optimal conditions, benzyl alcohol conversion of 67% and benzaldehyde selectivity of 84% were achieved. Recycling tests of the catalysts manifested their durability and reusability, traits vital for industrial prospects. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Fundamental Research Funds for Central Universities [2010121051]; NSFC [21036004, 21106117, 20976146]; Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China [20100121110032, 20110121120018]; NSF-Fujian [2010J05032, 2010J01052

Proanthocyanidins Attenuation of H2O2-Induced Oxidative Damage in Tendon-Derived Stem Cells via Upregulating Nrf-2 Signaling Pathway

Proanthocyanidins (PCs) have shown inhibition of oxidative damage by improving Nrf-2 expression in many tissues. However, the cytoprotective effects of PCs on H2O2-induced tendon damage have not been verified. The current study was aimed at assessing the cytoprotection of PCs on the oxidative cellular toxicity of tendon-derived stem cells (TDSCs) induced by H2O2. The TDSCs were isolated from patellar tendons of Sprague Dawley (SD) rats, and the cells after third passage were used for subsequent experiments. The isolated cells were identified by flow cytometry assay and multidifferentiation potential assay. Cell Counting Kit-8 assay was performed to examine cell viability. Real-Time PCR and Western Blot were employed to, respectively, assess the mRNA and protein expressions of Nrf-2, GCLM, NQO-1, and HO-1. PCs significantly improved the cell viability of TDSCs. Furthermore, H2O2 upregulated Nrf-2, GCLM, NQO-1, and HO-1 without significant difference, while the proteins expressions were increased with significant difference in PCs group and PCs + H2O2 cotreated group. All the findings indicated that PCs could protect against the oxidative damage induced by H2O2 in TDSCs, and the cytoprotective effects might be due to the ability of PCs to activate the expressions of GCLM, HO-1, and NQO-1 via upregulating Nrf-2 signaling pathway

Stable Silver Nanoparticles with Narrow Size Distribution Non-enzymatically Synthesized by Aeromonas sp SH10 Cells in the Presence of Hydroxyl Ions

Fundamental Research Funds for Central Universities [2010121051]; NSFC projects [21106117, 21036004, 20976146]; Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China [20100121110032, 20110121120018]; NSF-Fujian projects [2010J05032]Stable silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with narrow size distribution were non-enzymatically synthesized through hydroxyl ions (OH-) assisted bioreduction of diamine silver complex with dry Aeromonas sp. SH10 cells. The effects of reaction temperature, concentrations of OH-, silver and the dry cells on the reduction of Ag ions as well as on the properties of the AgNPs were investigated. Results show that the introduction of appropriate quantity of OH- ions considerably accelerates the process. In fact, higher yields of AgNPs (> 95%) could be obtained at relatively higher initial silver concentration (1 g.L-1) with more than 1 g((Ag)).g((bio))(-1) productivity of AgNPs. Plausible bioreductive mechanism is therefore proposed; wherein [Ag(NH3)(2)](+) ions initially reacted with OH- to form an unstable AgOH. This is then transformed into Ag2O spontaneously, and finally non-enzymatically reduced into AgNPs by the cells