Role of Intracellular Iron in Switching Apoptosis to Ferroptosis to Target Therapy-Resistant Cancer Stem Cells

Iron is a crucial element required for the proper functioning of the body. For instance, hemoglobin is the vital component in the blood that delivers oxygen to various parts of the body. The heme protein present in hemoglobin comprises iron in the form of a ferrous state which regulates oxygen delivery. Excess iron in the body is stored as ferritin and would be utilized under iron-deficient conditions. Surprisingly, cancer cells as well as cancer stem cells have elevated ferritin levels suggesting that iron plays a vital role in protecting these cells. However, apart from the cytoprotective role iron also has the potential to induce cell death via ferroptosis which is a non-apoptotic cell death dependent on iron reserves. Apoptosis a caspase-dependent cell death mechanism is effective on cancer cells however little is known about its impact on cancer stem cell death. This paper focuses on the molecular characteristics of apoptosis and ferroptosis and the importance of switching to ferroptosis to target cancer stem cells death thereby preventing cancer relapse. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first review to demonstrate the importance of intracellular iron in regulating the switching of tumor cells and therapy resistant CSCs from apoptosis to ferroptosis.     

Electric quadrupole moments of the D states of alkaline-earth-metal ions

The electric quadrupole moment for the 4d(2)D(5/2) state of (88)Sr(+); one of the most important candidates for an optical clock, has been calculated using the relativistic coupled-cluster theory. This is the first application of this theory to determine atomic electric quadrupole moments. The result of the calculation is presented and the important many-body contributions are highlighted. The calculated electric quadrupole moment is (2.94 +/- 0.07)ea(2)(0), where a(o) is the Bohr radius and the electronic charge while the measured value is (2.6 +/- 0.3) ea(2)(0). This is so far the most accurate determination of the electric quadrupole moment for the above mentioned state. We have also calculated the electric quadrupole moments for the metastable 4d(2)D(3/2) state of 88(Sr(+) and for the 3d(2)D(3/2.5/2) and 5d(2)D(3/2.5/2) states of (43)Ca(+) and (138)Ba(+), respectively.     

Orientational order parameter estimated from molecular polarizabilities – an optical study

An optical study of N-(p-n-alkyloxybenzylidene)-p-n-butyloxyanilines, nO.O4 compounds with the alkoxy chain number n?=?1, 3, 6, 7, and 10 has been carried out by measuring the refractive indices using modified spectrometer and direct measurement of birefringence employing the Newton's rings method. Further, the molecular polarizability anisotropies are evaluated using Lippincott δ-function model, the molecular vibration method, Haller's extrapolation method, and scaling factor method. The molecular polarizabilities α _e and α ₀ are calculated using Vuk's isotropic and Neugebauer anisotropic local field models. The order parameter S is estimated by employing the molecular polarizability values determined from experimental refractive indices and density data and the polarizability anisotropy values. Further, the order parameter S is also obtained directly from the birefringence data. A comparison has been carried out among the order parameter obtained from different ways and the results are compared with the body of the data available in the literature.     

Studies on particulate matter (PM10) and its precursors over urban environment of Reading, UK

The extent to which airborne particles penetrate into the human respiratory system is determined mainly by their size, with possible health effects. The research over the scientific evidence of the role of airborne particles in adverse health effects has been intensified in recent years. In the present study, seasonal variations of PM₁₀ and its relation with anthropogenic activities have been studied by using the data from UK National Air Quality Archive over Reading, UK. The diurnal variation of PM₁₀ shows a morning peak during 7:00-10:00 LT and an evening peak during 19:00-22:00 LT. The variation between 12:00 and 17:00 LT remains more or less steady for PM₁₀ with the minimum value of ∼16 μg m⁻³. PM₁₀ and black smoke (BS) concentrations during weekdays were found to be high compared to weekends. A reduction in the concentration of PM₁₀ has been found during the Christmas holidays compared to normal days during December. Seasonal variations of PM₁₀ showed high values during spring compared to other seasons. A linear relationship has been found between PM₁₀ and NO_x during March, July, November and December suggesting that most of the PM₁₀ is due to local traffic exhaust emissions. PM₁₀ and SO₂ concentrations showed positive correlation with the correlation coefficient of R²=0.65 over the study area. Seasonal variations of SO₂ and NO_x showed high concentrations during winter and low concentrations during spring. Fraction of BS in PM₁₀ has been found to be 50% during 2004 over the study area.     

Facile synthesis of silver doped-copper oxide nano materials utilizing areca catechu (AC) leaf extract and their antidiabetic and anticancer studies

The present research highlights physical significance of green combination of metal oxide nanomaterials utilizing medicinal plant which has widely analyzed in different medical applications i.e., medicinal science, therapeutics. In this paper, we discussed environmentally benign approach for synthesizing silver doped copper oxide nanoparticles (Ag–CuO NPs) utilizing (ACLE). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) were utilized to confirm the size, crystalline structure and surface morphology of the obtained nanomaterials. The monoclinic crystalline structure of the Ag–CuO NPs as produced was revealed by XRD patterns. Morphological analysis disclosed the nano-based spherical configuration of Ag–CuO NPs, as well as their morphology and elemental composition. The anti-diabetic effect of Ag–CuO NPs was further investigated utilizing a yeast cell model and amylase inhibition. Here, a decrease in intracellular glucose and a delay in carbohydrate digestion indicate promising antidiabetic action. Furthermore, the prepared nanomaterial showed anticancer potential against the MCF-7 cancer cell line, with an IC ₅₀ value of 11.21 g/ml.     

Single-molecule conductance through multiple π-π-stacked benzene rings determined with direct electrode-to-benzene ring connections

Understanding electron transport across π-π-stacked systems will help to answer fundamental questions about biochemical redox processes and benefit the design of new materials and molecular devices. Herein we employed the STM break-junction technique to measure the single-molecule conductance of multiple π-π-stacked aromatic rings. We studied electron transport through up to four stacked benzene rings held together in an eclipsed fashion via a paracyclophane scaffold. We found that the strained hydrocarbons studied herein couple directly to gold electrodes during the measurements; hence, we did not require any heteroatom binding groups as electrical contacts. Density functional theory-based calculations suggest that the gold atoms of the electrodes bind to two neighboring carbon atoms of the outermost cyclophane benzene rings in η(2) fashion. Our measurements show an exponential decay of the conductance with an increasing number of stacked benzene rings, indicating a nonresonant tunneling mechanism. Furthermore, STM tip-substrate displacement data provide additional evidence that the electrodes bind to the outermost benzene rings of the π-π-stacked molecular wires.     

Toward the development of new photolabile protecting groups that can rapidly release bioactive compounds upon photolysis with visible light

The synthesis and characterization of a new photolabile protecting group (caging group) for carboxylic acids, the 2-(dimethylamino)-5-nitrophenyl (DANP) group, is described. This compound has a major absorption band in the visible wavelength region with a maximum near 400 nm (epsilon400 = 9077 M(-1) cm(-1) at pH 7.4 and 21 degrees C). The caging group is attached through an ester linkage to the carboxyl functionality of beta-alanine, which activates the inhibitory glycine receptor in the mammalian central nervous system. Such caged compounds play an important role in transient kinetic investigations of fast cellular processes. Upon photolysis of DANP-caged beta-alanine, the caging group is released within 5 micros. Quantum yields of 0.03 and 0.002 were obtained in the UV region (308 and 360 nm) and the visible region (450 nm), respectively. Laser-pulse photolysis experiments, using 337 or 360 nm light, were performed with the caged compound equilibrated with HEK 293 cells transiently transfected with cDNA encoding the alpha1 homomeric, wild-type glycine receptor. The experiments demonstrated that neither DANP-caged beta-alanine nor its byproducts inhibit or activate the glycine receptors on the cell surface. Under physiological conditions, the DANP-caged beta-alanine is water-soluble and stable and can be used for transient kinetic measurements.     

Syntheses of mixed ligands complexes of Ru(II) with 4,4′-dicarboxy-2,2′-bipyridine and substituted pteridinedione and the use of these complexes in electrochemical photovoltaic cells

The synthesis, spectral and photoelectrochemical studies of mixed ligand complexes of [Ru(dcbpy)₂(LL)]Cl₂, where LL=2,4-(1,3-N,N′-dimethyl)pteridinedione (DMP), 6,7-dimethyl-2,4-(1,3-N,N′-dimethyl)pteridinedione (MDMP), 6,7-diphenyl-2,4-(1,3-N,N′-dimethyl)pteridinedione (PhDMP), dibenzo[h,j]-(1,3-N,N′-dimethyl)isoalloxazine (BIAlo), 6,7-bis(pyrid-2-yl)-2,4-(1,3-N,N′-dimethyl) pteridinedione (PyDMP) were carried out. These complexes were attached to sol–gel processed TiO₂ electrodes and the photocells fabricated were illuminated with polychromatic radiation in the presence of I₂/I₃⁻ as redox electrolyte. The incident photon to current conversion efficiency determined was found to be 20–48%.     

Phase transition studies in symmetric dimeric liquid crystals

As a part of the systematic studies on symmetric liquid crystal dimer homologous series, α,ω-bis-(4-n-alkylaniline benzylidene-4′-oxy) alkanes, (referred to as m.OnO.m with m = 3, 4, and 5; and n = 8, 9, and 10), we present in this article the nature of phase transitions across isotropic–nematic and nematic–smectic-A (N–SmA) phases exhibited by the just mentioned compounds. The methods employed are differential scanning calorimetry and dilatometry. The compounds studied were 3.O8O.3, 4.O8O.4, and 5.O8O.5; and 3.O9.03, 5.O9O.5, 3.O10O.3, 4.O10O.4, and 5.O10O.5. Different from the case of their corresponding monomers, all these compounds exhibit a nematic phase only with the exception of 5.O8O.5 which exhibits a SA phase in addition to the nematic phase. The phase transitions viz., isotropic–nematic transitions studied in all these compounds were confirmed to be of first-order nature, whereas the N–SmA transition exhibited by the compound 5.O8O.5 only was found to be of second-order nature. We also report in this article the calculated density jumps, thermal expansion coefficient maxima, and pressure dependence of transition temperatures which are analyzed in the light of the available literature data.     

Symphony of kinetics and statistical design approaches for response analysis during tray drying of Lagenaria siceraria leaves

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - Drying characteristics of horticultural produce often target studies on the process parameters so as to derive useful data for the development of...