Coupled Feedback Loops Involving PAGE4, EMT and Notch Signaling Can Give Rise to Non-Genetic Heterogeneity in Prostate Cancer Cells

Non-genetic heterogeneity is emerging as a crucial factor underlying therapy resistance in multiple cancers. However, the design principles of regulatory networks underlying non-genetic heterogeneity in cancer remain poorly understood. Here, we investigate the coupled dynamics of feedback loops involving (a) oscillations in androgen receptor (AR) signaling mediated through an intrinsically disordered protein PAGE4, (b) multistability in epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), and (c) Notch–Delta–Jagged signaling mediated cell-cell communication, each of which can generate non-genetic heterogeneity through multistability and/or oscillations. Our results show how different coupling strengths between AR and EMT signaling can lead to monostability, bistability, or oscillations in the levels of AR, as well as propagation of oscillations to EMT dynamics. These results reveal the emergent dynamics of coupled oscillatory and multi-stable systems and unravel mechanisms by which non-genetic heterogeneity in AR levels can be generated, which can act as a barrier to most existing therapies for prostate cancer patients.     

Frequency and intensity analyses of the far infrared ν5 band system of cyanogen (C2N2) and applications to Titan

The far infrared spectrum of cyanogen has been studied at high resolution to improve the rotational analysis of the ν₅ band system around 234 cm^?1. Present in the sample in natural abundances, both isotopologues N¹³CCN and ¹⁵NCCN have also been studied. The weak ν₄–ν₅ difference band centered at 270 cm^?1 has been studied for the first time. On the basis of a global rovibrational analysis limited to the ν₂, ν₄, and ν₅ modes, energy levels up to 2300 cm^?1 have been considered to contribute to the overall spectrum intensity at room temperature leading to a new line list of 196,994 lines. The line intensity prediction has been used to correct previous line intensity measurements by taking into account line mixing. A new vibrational transition moment has been deduced and compared to new band intensity measurements obtained by low resolution studies which are also presented in this paper. The agreement between both approaches is very good and rules out the apparent disagreement between line intensity and band intensity measurements observed in the past. An intensity study of ¹⁵NCCN is also proposed here thanks to the availability of a pure sample. Those results open the way to the search for isotopologues of cyanogen in Titan's atmosphere.     

Exploiting Supramolecular Synthons in Designing Gelators Derived from Multiple Drugs

A simple strategy for designing salt‐based supramolecular gelators comprised of various nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and amantadine (AMN) (an antiviral drug) has been demonstrated using a supramolecular synthon approach. Single‐crystal and powder X‐ray diffraction established the existence of the well‐studied gel‐forming 1D supramolecular synthon, namely, primary ammonium monocarboxylate (PAM) synthon in all the salts. Remarkably five out of six salts were found to be capable of gelling methyl salicylate (MS)—an important ingredient in commercially available topical gels; one such selected biocompatible salt displayed an anti‐inflammatory response in prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) assay, thereby indicating their plausible biomedical applications.     

Analysis of pπ → dπ bonding in halogen compounds of silicon, germanium and tin

Halogen lone pair ionization potentials for the main-group IV compounds MX₄ and MH₃Cl are corrected for the effects of potencial and relaxation energy using the corresponding halogen core binding energies. The corrected data indicate significant pπ --- dπ bonding in MX₄ (for M = Si, Ge and Sn), significant repulsion between the lone pairs and CH₃ group in CH₃Cl. and little or no pπ --- dπ bonding in SiH₃Cl and GeH₃Cl.     

Computer Algebra

Book Review

Computer AlgebraD. V. Chudnovsky and R. D. Jenks (eds); Lecture Notes in Pure and Appl. Math. 113, Dekker, New York, 1989, 256 pp., $119.50.     

Effective potential model for calculating the energy shift in the ground state of two-electron atoms

An effective operator for the electron–electron interaction derived earlier has been shown to be successful for calculating the ground-state energy shift values for 10 members of the helium isoelectronic sequence in terms of a single free parameter. Some possible applications of the modified interaction operator for semiempirical calculations are suggested.     

Rapid in situ synthesis of [C]methyl azide and its application in C click-chemistry

We synthesized [¹¹C]methyl azide ([¹¹C]MeA) by reacting [¹¹C]methyl iodide ([¹¹C]MeI) in situ with an azide-donor and used it in the synthesis of ¹¹C-labeled 1,2,3-triazoles. A one-pot click approach comprised the infusion of gaseous [¹¹C]MeI into a mixture of NaN₃, ethynylbenzene, and CuI in water at a temperature of 100 °C yielding the ¹¹C-triazole in radiochemical yields (RCY) of 25%. In a two-step labeling protocol, we synthesized the [¹¹C]MeA in acetonitrile in advance to the click step. Using the more soluble complex as source of , a much higher trapping efficiency of [¹¹C]MeI in this solvent ensured an almost quantitative conversion of [¹¹C]MeI to [¹¹C]MeA within 5-10 min at room temperature. The [¹¹C]MeA was thereafter reacted with ethynylbenzene at 100 °C yielding 1-[¹¹C]methyl-4-phenyl-1H-1,2,3-triazole in preparative RCY of 60%. As a final proof of applicability, we used ¹¹C-click-chemistry for the labeling of N-terminal 4-ethynylbenzene derivatized d-Glu-d-Tyr-[Cys-Tyr-Trp-Lys-Thr-Cys]-Thr, a cyclic water-soluble Tyr³-octreotate derivative.     

The modelling of oxide film entrainment in casting systems using computational modelling

As Campbell stated in 2006, “the use of entrainment models to optimise filling systems designs for castings has huge commercial potential that has so far being neglected by modellers”. In this paper a methodology using computational modelling to define entraining events and track the entrained oxide films is presented. Research has shown that these oxide films present within the casting volume are highly detrimental to casting integrity, thus their entrainment during mould filling is especially undesirable.The method developed for the modelling of oxide entrainment has been validated against previously published data by Green and Campbell (1994) [31]. The validation shows good quantitative correlation with experimental data. However there is scope for further development which has the potential to both improve the accuracy and further validate the technique.