Eeffect of desflurane on SMAC release and capase-3 cleavage.

<p>Western blot analysis showing cytosolic SAMC (A) and total caspase-3 (B). Equal loading was confirmed by western blot with an anti-β-actin antibody. The cytosolic SMAC and total caspsase-3 concentrations were calculated by averaging the results obtained from five independent experiments. Data are presented as mean±SD. *<i>P</i><0.05 versus CON group, ^#<i>P</i><0.05 versus DES+A/R group.</p

Effect of desflurane on expression of Bcl-2, c-IAP1 and SOD activity.

<p>Western blot analysis showing concentration of Bcl-2 (A), c-IAP1 (B). Equal loading was confirmed by western blot with an anti-β-actin or anti-tubulin antibody. The Bcl-2 and c-IAP1protein concentrations were calculated by averaging the results obtained from five independent experiments. The SOD activity was measured by WST-1 assay (C). Data are presented as mean±SD. *<i>P</i><0.05 versus CON group, ^#<i>P</i><0.05 versus DES+A/R group.</p

Effect of desflurane preconditioning on HUVECs submitted to A/R.

<p>Cells were submitted to A/R with or without pretreated with desflurane for 30 min or 5 µM BAY11-7082 (BAY). The viability was measured by MTT assay (A). The apoptosis rate was measured by FACSan flow cytometry (B). Data are presented as mean±SD. n = 6/group. *<i>P</i><0.05 versus CON group,^#<i>P</i><0.05 versus DES+A/R group.</p

Desflurane preconditioning induced oscillation of NF-κB between nucleus and cytoplasm.

<p>Broken arrow refers to unconfirmed part of current study.</p

Experiment protocols.

<p>HUVECs submitted to the anoxia and reoxygenation (A/R) and pretreated with and without 1.0 minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) desflurane or 5 µM BAY11-7082 (BAY). For cell viability, apoptosis, SOD activity assays, the cell samples were collected at the end of experiments. For western blot analysis, cell samples were collected at the end of reoxygenation (samples were collected at 45 min after baseline in CON group and 15 min after desflurane exposure in DES group).</p

HUVECs immunofluorescence stained with anti-factor VIII related antibody.

<p>Column 1 is the image of factor VIII (green) in cytoplasm, column 2 is the image of nuclei (blue) and column 3 is the merged image. Magnification ×40.</p

Effect of desflurane on NF-κB p65 nuclear translocation.

<p>Immunofluorescence assay showing NF-κB p65 subunit (green) translocated to nuclei (blue) after exposure to desflurane or A/R. Arrowheads signify some positive nuclei. Magnification ×200.</p

Light-Triggered Cross-Linking of Alginates with Caged Ca²⁺

A strategy to light-trigger ionic cross-linking of alginates by incorporating a photosensitive Ca²⁺ cage (nitr-T) is presented. Upon irradiation, free Ca²⁺ was released, and this caused gelation of the alginate solution. Addition of Ca²⁺ “on-demand” allowed us to obtain homogeneous alginate (ALG) gels using concentrated initial ALG solutions (10%), not possible with other ionic gelation approaches. The cross-linking degree and derived mechanical properties of the hydrogel were modulated by the exposure dose. The light-mediated cross-linked alginate hydrogel displayed a significant improvement in the mechanical properties and homogeneity when compared to mixtures of alginate and soluble Ca²⁺ at comparable concentrations

Electrochemically Durable Thiophene Alkanethiol Self-Assembled Monolayers

Thiophene-based redox-active self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) were prepared on gold substrates. The alkanethiol derivatives of 1TPh-OC₁₂SH and ETPh-OC₁₂SH contain thiophene (1T) and 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (ET) units, respectively, with unprotected (nonsubstituted) thiophene α-carbons. PhETPh-OC₁₂SH contains the ET unit, and all thiophene carbons are protected. Using these thiophene alkanethiol derivatives, we characterized the effect of thiophene carbon protection on the redox behavior of the thiophene SAMs by cyclic voltammetry. The formation of SAMs was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and reflective IR. The IR peaks in the fingerprint region were assigned with the help of DFT calculations. Although 1TPh-OC₁₂SH and ETPh-OC₁₂SH SAMs lost their electrochemical activity during the first anodic scan, PhETPh-OC₁₂SH SAMs are stable and maintain their electrochemical activity for at least 1200 redox cycles

Thermoresponsive Mobile Interfaces with Switchable Wettability, Optical Properties, and Penetrability

Liquid-based mobile interfaces, in which liquids are being utilized as structural long-term components, have shown their multifunctionality in materials science, such as the hydration layer of polyelectrolyte brushes used for artificial implants, stabilized lubricants for antibiofouling, anti-icing, self-cleaning, optical control, and so forth. However, these currently available systems do not usually show a response to environmental stimuli. Here, we describe a strategy for preparing thermoresponsive mobile interfaces made from novel silicone-based lubricants that display lower critical solution temperature and demonstrate their capabilities on controlling in situ water wetting and dewetting, thermo-gating penetration, and optical properties. These properties allow the mobile films to form a kind of erasable recording platforms. We foresee diverse applications in liquid transport, wetting and adhesion control, and transport switching