We study the dynamics of polymer chains in a bath of self-propelled particles (SPP) by extensive Langevin dynamics simulations in a two-dimensional model system. Specifically, we analyse the polymer looping properties versus the SPP activity and investigate how the presence of the active particles alters the chain conformational statistics. We find that SPPs tend to extend flexible polymer chains, while they rather compactify stiffer semiflexible polymers, in agreement with previous results. Here we show that higher activities of SPPs yield a higher effective temperature of the bath and thus facilitate the looping kinetics of a passive polymer chain. We explicitly compute the looping probability and looping time in a wide range of the model parameters. We also analyse the motion of a monomeric tracer particle and the polymer's centre of mass in the presence of the active particles in terms of the time averaged mean squared displacement, revealing a giant diffusivity enhancement for the polymer chain via SPP pooling. Our results are applicable to rationalising the dimensions and looping kinetics of biopolymers at constantly fluctuating and often actively driven conditions inside biological cells or in suspensions of active colloidal particles or bacteria cells.

Solid-pseudopapillary neoplasm is an uncommon pancreatic tumor with distinct clinicopathologic features. Solid-pseudopapillary neoplasms are characterized by mutations in exon 3 of CTNNB1. However, little is known about the gene and microRNA expression profiles of solid-pseudopapillary neoplasms. Thus, we sought to characterize solid-pseudopapillary neoplasm-specific gene expression and identify the signaling pathways activated in these tumors. Comparisons of gene expression in solid-pseudopapillary neoplasm to pancreatic ductal carcinomas, neuroendocrine tumors, and non-neoplastic pancreatic tissues identified solid-pseudopapillary neoplasm-specific mRNA and microRNA profiles. By analyzing 1686 (1119 upregulated and 567 downregulated) genes differentially expressed in solid-pseudopapillary neoplasm, we found that the Wnt/b-catenin, Hedgehog, and androgen receptor signaling pathways, as well as genes involved in epithelial mesenchymal transition, are activated in solid-pseudopapillary neoplasms. We validated these results experimentally by assessing the expression of b-catenin, WIF-1, GLI2, androgen receptor, and epithelial-mesenchymal transitionrelated markers with western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Our analysis also revealed 17 microRNAs, especially the miR-200 family and miR-192/215, closely associated with the upregulated genes associated with the three pathways activated in solid-pseudopapillary neoplasm and epithelial mesenchymal transition. Our results provide insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying solid-pseudopapillary neoplasm tumorigenesis and its characteristic less epithelial cell differentiation than the other common pancreatic tumors.

We describe a general theory for surface-catalyzed bimolecular reactions in responsive nanoreactors, catalytically active nanoparticles coated by a stimuli-responsive “gating” shell, whose permeability controls the activity of the process. We address two archetypal scenarios encountered in this system: the first, where two species diffusing from a bulk solution react at the catalyst’s surface, and the second, where only one of the reactants diffuses from the bulk while the other is produced at the nanoparticle surface, e.g., by light conversion. We find that in both scenarios the total catalytic rate has the same mathematical structure, once diffusion rates are properly redefined. Moreover, the diffusional fluxes of the different reactants are strongly coupled, providing a behavior richer than that arising in unimolecular reactions. We also show that, in stark contrast to bulk reactions, the identification of a limiting reactant is not simply determined by the relative bulk concentrations but is controlled by the nanoreactor shell permeability. Finally, we describe an application of our theory by analyzing experimental data on the reaction between hexacyanoferrate(III) and borohydride ions in responsive hydrogel-based core–shell nanoreactors.

The understanding of particle transport mechanisms in biological and synthetic hydrogels is crucial for the development of advanced drug delivery methods. We propose a simple model for the diffusion of charged nanoparticles in cross-linked, charged hydrogels based on a cubic periodic environment and an electrostatic interaction potential of varying range and strength, encompassing attractive and repulsive scenarios. The long-time diffusive properties are investigated by use of Brownian dynamics simulations and analytical methods. A number of experimentally observed phenomena attributed to nonsteric interactions between hydrogel polymers and diffusing particle are naturally reproduced by our model. Charged particles diffuse slower than uncharged particles, regardless of the sign of the surface charge, but with a stronger hindrance effect for attractive electrostatic interactions. This is explained in terms of charged particles sticking to the polymer network in regions of strong opposite charge and their exclusion from similarly charged regions. In the case of attractive interactions between hydrogel polymers and the diffusing particle, smaller charged particles diffuse slower than larger ones. This stands in contrast to a size filtering scenario but is in agreement with experimental findings. In the case of repulsive interactions, a range of differently sized particles diffuse equally fast. We compare our model predictions with published experiments on charged particle diffusion in hydrogels and confirm that electrostatic interactions are a key factor influencing the diffusivity of charged nanoparticles and that oppositely charged gels are much more effective in slowing down a charged particle than similarly charged gels.

For a wide range of modern soft functional materials the selective transport of sub-nanometersized molecules ('penetrants') through a stimuli-responsive polymeric membrane is key to the desired function. In this study, we investigate the diffusion properties of penetrants ranging from non-polar to polar molecules and ions in a matrix of collapsed Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) polymers in water by means of extensive molecular dynamics simulations. We find that the water distributes heterogeneously in fractal-like cluster structures embedded in the nanometer-sized voids of the polymer matrix. The nano-clustered water acts as an important player in the penetrant diffusion, which proceeds via a hopping mechanism through 'wet' transition states: the penetrants hop from one void to another via transient water channels opened by rare but decisive polymer fluctuations. The diffusivities of the studied penetrants extend over almost five orders of magnitude and thus enable a formulation of an analytical scaling relation with a clear non-Stokesian, exponential dependence of the diffusion coefficient on the penetrant's radius for the uncharged penetrants. Charged penetrants (ions) behave differently as they get captured in large isolated water clusters. Finally, we find large energetic activation barriers for hopping, which significantly depend on the hydration state and thereby challenge available transport theories.

Purpose: Gain-of-function mutations and KIT overexpression are well-known tumorigenesis mechanisms in gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). This study aimed to discover microRNAs (miRNA) that target KIT and reveal the relationship between the discovered miRNAs and KIT expression in GISTs.Experimental Design: Fresh-frozen GISTs from 31 patients were used to confirm the relationship between miR-494 and KIT expression using quantitative reverse transcription-PCR to assess miR-494 expression levels and Western blotting to assess KIT protein expression levels. A luciferase assay was conducted for the target evaluation. The functional effects of miR-494 on GIST882 cells (GIST cell line with activating KIT mutation) were validated by a cell proliferation assay and fluoresce-activated cell sorting analysis.Results: An inverse relationship was found between the expression levels of miR-494 and KIT in GISTs (r ¼ À0.490, P ¼ 0.005). The direct targeting of KIT by miR-494 was shown by the reduction in KIT expression after miR-494 overexpression and the increase in KIT expression after inhibiting endogenous miR-494 expression. We showed that miR-494 regulates KIT by binding two different seed match sites. Induced miR-494 overexpression in GIST882 reduced the expression of downstream molecules in KIT signaling transduction pathways, including phospho-AKT and phospho-STAT3. Finally, miR-494 overexpression provoked apoptosis and inhibited GIST cell growth, which were accompanied by changes in G 1 and S phase content.Conclusion: Our findings indicate that miR-494 is a negative regulator of KIT in GISTs and overexpressing miR-494 in GISTs may be a promising approach to GIST treatment.

Thermoresponsive polymer architectures have become integral building blocks of 'smart' functional materials in modern applications. For a large range of developments, e.g., for drug delivery or nanocatalytic carrier systems, the selective adsorption and partitioning of molecules (ligands or reactants) inside the polymeric matrix are key processes that have to be controlled and tuned for the desired material function. In order to gain insights into the nanoscale structure and binding details in such systems, we here employ molecular dynamics simulations of the popular poly(Nisopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) polymer in explicit water in the presence of various representative solute types with focus on aromatic model reactants. We model a PNIPAM polymer chain and explore the influence of its elongation, stereochemistry, and temperature on the solute binding affinities. While we find that the excess adsorption generally raises with the size of the solute, the temperaturedependent affinity to the chains is highly solute specific and has a considerable dependence on the polymer elongation (i.e., polymer swelling state). We elucidate the molecular mechanisms of the selective binding in detail and eventually present how the results can be extrapolated to macroscopic partitioning of the solutes in swollen polymer architectures, such as hydrogels.

In this study, we examined the development of the upper eyelids to provide a basic understanding of gross anatomical structures and information relative to mechanisms of congenital anomalies in the upper eyelids. We studied the upper eyelids by external and histological observation in 48 human embryos and in fetuses from 5 to 36 weeks postfertilization. The upper eyelid fold began to develop at Stage 18. Upper and lower eyelids fused from the lateral cantus at Stage 22, and fusion was complete by 9 weeks of development. Mesenchymal condensations forming the orbital part of the orbicularis oculi (OO), tarsal plate, and the eyelashes and their appendages, were first seen at Week 9. Definite muscle structures of the upper eyelid, such as the orbital part of the OO and the levator palpebrae superioris and its aponeurosis, and the Mü ller's muscle were observed at 12 and 14 weeks, respectively. In addition, orbital septum, arterial arcade and orbital fat pad, and tarsal gland (TG) were apparent at 12, 14, and 18 weeks, respectively. Opening of the palpebral fissure was observed at Week 20. In addition, we defined the directional orientation between the levator aponeurosis and orbital septum and the growth pattern of the TG. Our results will be helpful in understanding the normal development of the upper eyelid and the origins of upper eyelid birth defects. Anat Rec, 294:789-796, 2011. V V C 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.