Molecular engineering of thiophene- and pyrrole-fused core arylamine systems: Tuning redox properties, NIR spectral responsiveness and bacterial imaging applications.

The thiophene- and pyrrole-fused heterocyclic compounds have garnered significant interest for their distinctive electron-rich characteristics and notable optoelectronic properties. However, the construction of high-performance systems within this class is of great challenge. Herein, we develop a series of novel dithieno[3,2-b:2',3'-d] pyrrole (DTP) and tetrathieno[3,2-b:2',3'-d] pyrrole (TTP) bridged arylamine compounds (DTP-C4, DTP-C12, DTP-C4-Fc, TTP-C4-OMe, TTP-C4, and TTP-C12) with varying carbon chain lengths. The pertinent experimental results reveal that this series of compounds undergo completely reversible multistep redox processes. Notably, TTP-bridged compounds TTP-C4 and TTP-C12 exhibit impressive multistep near-infrared (NIR) absorption alterations with notable color changes and electroluminescent behaviors, which are mainly attributed to the charge transfer transitions from terminal arylamine units to central bridges, as supported by theoretical calculations. Additionally, compound DTP-C4 demonstrates the ability to visually identify gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Therefore, this work suggests the promising electroresponsive nature of compounds TTP-C4 and TTP-C12, positioning them as excellent materials for various applications. It also provides a facile approach to constructing high-performance multifunctional luminescent materials, particularly those with strong and long-wavelength NIR absorption capabilities.

Overexpression of VPS16 correlates with tumor progression and chemoresistance in colorectal cancer.

Vacuolar protein sorting-associated protein 16 homolog (VPS16) is a central member of the VPS core complex (VPS-C) and is reported to function as a tether protein involved in membrane fusion. However, a biological role for VPS16 in tumors remains largely unknown. Herein, we demonstrated that VPS16 was overexpressed in colorectal cancer (CRC) as revealed by qRT-PCR, western blotting, and immunohistochemical analyses. Elevated expression of VPS16 was positively correlated with tumor size and TNM stage, and Kaplan-Meier analysis showed an association between VPS16 and survival in CRC patients. Downregulation of endogenous VPS16 significantly suppressed CRC cell viability both in vitro and vivo; and while our mechanistic analysis showed that VPS16 depletion induced autophagy, but the autophagic flow was deficient as reflected by the inhibition of autolysosomal maturation. Overexpression of VPS16 also mediated oxaliplatin (OX) resistance by promoting the maturation of autolysosomes in CRC. VPS16 may therefore promote cell survival and thus serve as a useful target for cancer therapy in CRC.

Backwashing performance of self-cleaning screen filters in drip irrigation systems.

The self-cleaning screen filter is one of the most common types used in drip irrigation systems. Backwashing pressure difference and backwashing time for two screen filters with one geometry and two different screens (178 µm and 124 µm) using two water qualities (tap water and sand-water mixture) were studied in a total of 88 runs (42 runs for tap water, 22 and 24 filtration cycles for sand-water mixture and backwashing, respectively). The backwashing pressure difference and backwashing time were calculated using the experimental data, and the results were largely in the range of measured values. Three constraint conditions (flowrate, sand condition and filtration time) of backwashing pressure difference were analysed, and the optimal values of backwashing pressure difference were given as 60.0 and 70.0 kPa for 178 µm and 124 µm filters, respectively. The backwashing time of the screen filter should be an optimal value that ensures that the pressure difference between the internal and external surfaces of the screen decreased to the initial value, and the sand concentration of the backwashed outlet decreased to a small, stable value. Based on the results of the backwashing experiment and prototype observation, the optimal backwashing time was given as 30 to 45 s for both screen filters.

Downregulated let-7d positively stimulates rectum adenocarcinoma cell malignant biological behaviors by upregulating ATP binding cassette subfamily C member 2.

BACKGROUND: Let-7d has been reported to serve as a tumor suppressor in numerous cancers, however, the function in rectum adenocarcinoma has not been illuminated. In this study, we aimed to explore whether let-7d functions in rectum adenocarcinoma and its functional significance links to ATP binding cassette subfamily C member 2 (ABCC2). METHODS: The expression patterns of let-7d and ABCC2 were gained from TCGA database. Then, cell proliferation, invasion and migration assays were conducted to detect the influence on rectum adenocarcinoma cells behaviors after over-expression of let-7d. Subsequently, the potential target gene of let-7d was predicted and identified through bioinformatics prediction analysis and luciferase reporter assay. Analyses against prognostic value and independent predictor were acquired from Kaplan-Meier, Univariate and Multivariate analysis of Cox regression. Finally, con-transfection experiments were performed to investigate let-7d/ABCC2 pairs function on rectum adenocarcinoma cells after co-transfected with let-7d mimic and si-ABCC2. mRNA and protein levels were assessed by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot. RESULTS: The data from TCGA indicated that let-7d was down-regulated in rectum adenocarcinoma samples, whilst ABCC2 was showed a trend of high expression and its overexpression hinted to worse overall survival of rectum adenocarcinoma patients. Cells proliferation, invasion and migration properties were restrained after over-expression of let-7d in SW837 cells. Further investigations showed that over-expression of let-7d induced the inhibitory effect on SW837 cells proliferative, migrant and invasive capacities was augmented by silencing ABCC2. CONCLUSIONS: All results in this study indicated that up-regulation of let-7d could suppress SW837 cells growth, invasion and migration abilities by reducing ABCC2 expression, providing a new insight into molecular mechanism of let-7d/ABCC2 as a significant mediator for tumor progression and development of rectum adenocarcinoma.

Association of HMGB1 Gene Polymorphisms with Risk of Colorectal Cancer in a Chinese Population.

BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. More advanced work is required in the detection of biomarkers for CRC susceptibility and prognosis. High-mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) is an angiogenesis-related gene reported to be associated with the development of CRC. The direct evidence of HMGB1 gene polymorphisms as biomarkers for CRC has not been reported previously. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 240 CRC patients and 480 healthy controls were periodically enrolled. DNA was extracted from blood specimens. The distributions of SNPs of HMGB1 were determined by using the polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay. RESULTS In this case-control study, we observed a significant association between overall CRC risk and SNP rs2249825 (CG vs. CC and GG vs. CC). Participants carrying both rs2249825 CG (OR, 2.67; 95% CI, 1.89 to 3.78) and rs2249825 GG genotypes (OR, 2.32; 95% CI, 1.13 to 4.73) had a significantly increased risk of developing CRC compared to those carrying GG genotype. rs2249825 was associated with the risk of CRC in the dominant model but not in the recessive model. However, we found no significant differences in the rs1412125 or rs1045411 polymorphisms in the HMGB1. Advanced analyses showed that the number of rs2249825 G alleles showed a significant relationship with risk of CRC. CONCLUSIONS Our results show an association between HMGB1 rs2249825 SNP and CRC incidence in the Chinese Han population. However, population-based studies with more subjects and prognostic effects are needed to verify the association of HMGB1 SNPs with CRC susceptibility, severity, and long-term prognosis.