Heptaaqua­(3,4,5,6-tetra­chloro­phthalato-κO 1)erbium(III) 2-carb­oxy-3,4,5,6-tetra­chloro­benzoate–3,4,5,6-tetra­chloro­phthalic acid–water (1/1/1)

In the three-dimensional tetra­chloro­phthalate-bridged title complex [Er(C8Cl4O4)(H2O)7](C8HCl4O4)·C8H2Cl4O4·H2O, the ErIII ion is coordinated in form of a distorted square antiprism by an O atom of a tetra­chloro­phthalate ligand and by seven water O atoms. Extensive hydrogen bonds establish a layered network structure extending parallel to (001)

Cultivation of the microalga, Chlorella pyrenoidosa, in biogas wastewater

Biogas wastewater is always a problem as a result of its extremely high concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus, which is the main reason for the eutrophication of the surrounding water. The microalga, Chlorella pyrenoidosa, can utilize the nitrogen and phosphorus in wastewater for its growth. Therefore, the microalga was introduced to be cultivated in the biogas wastewater, which could not only bioremediate the wastewater, but also produce plenty of the microalga biomass that could be used for the exploitation of fertilizers, feed additives and biofuels. This study showed that the microalga, C. pyrenoidosa could grow well in the biogas wastewater under optimal condition: initial cell density of 0.15 (OD(680)), pH 8 and illumination intensity of 10000 LX. Under the optimal condition, the dry cell weight of the microalgae reached 0.1 g/L after cultivation in the wastewater for fourteen (14) days; in the meantime, the microalga also removed 71.8% of phosphorus, 100% of ammoniacal nitrogen (NH(4)(+)-N), 52.8% of nitrate nitrogen (NO(3)-N) and 23.0% of nitrite nitrogen (NO(2)-N) from the biogas wastewater, suggesting that the cultivation of C. pyrenoidosa in biogas wastewater would be efficient for the treatment of wastewater. This study also provided a low-cost way to produce the microalga and its relevant products.Key Scientific and Technological Project of Fujian Province[2010Y0039]; Spark Project of Fujian Province[2010S0068]; Foundation for Innovative Research Team of Jimei University, China[2010A004

Chk1 target validation in recurrent mutant p53 pediatric tumors

Based on genomic data from the Pediatric Precision Genomics Program at Riley Hospital as well as published studies, many recurrent pediatric solid tumors express mutant forms of the tumor suppressor protein p53. p53’s central role in cell cycle arrest and apoptotic pathways has been well studied. Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and Ewing’s sarcoma are two cancers with low 5-year survival rates in recurrent pediatric populations. GBM is the most aggressive type of brain tumor, with survival rates that range from 15-30% in pediatrics. Ewing’s is a rare cancer of the bone and the soft tissue around the bones with a 70% survival rate for localized tumors and a 30% survival rate for metastatic tumors. In our laboratory, in vitro and in vivo studies in mutant p53 GBM and Ewing’s sarcoma have demonstrated that the pharmacological inhibition of checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) significantly stalls tumor growth, especially when combined with standard-of-care (SOC) DNA-damaging agents. Chk1 is a serine-threonine protein kinase in the DNA-damage response pathway involved in cell cycle arrest. Chk1’s secondary role is to regulate DNA replication forks. To understand the underlying mechanisms of Chk1 inhibition in the context of SOC therapy, we used GBM and Ewing’s sarcoma cell lines to evaluate drug effects on cell cycle arrest and Chk1 activation. These studies will help define biomarkers of therapeutic response that can be used to optimize Chk1-targeted therapies for pediatric GBM and sarcom

A Systematic review of blockchain technology for government information sharing

Government information sharing (GIS) refers to that act of required or provided for duty government information, commercial information and public welfare information, and it is a basic issue of government services. However, the existing GIS has low transparency and is lack of flexibility between different departments. Aiming at such problems, this paper takes blockchain as a solution, and systematically summarizes the development of digital GIS, the advantages and challenges of blockchain and its theoretical research and practical applications. Specifically, it reviews e-government interactive structure, big data and other solutions, analyses their imperfections, and puts forward blockchain-based solutions. The blockchain improves government service efficiency and data security, meanwhile it faces challenges in throughput and supervision. In order to meet these challenges, researchers propose solutions based on three data exchange scenarios: government-to-government, government-to-enterprise and government-to-individual. In addition to researches, blockchain-based GIS is put into use. The electronic licensing project of Nanjing (China) government is taken as an example to illustrate that blockchain has the ability to openly and securely verify, track, and exchange data, so as to improve management ability and public service level of government agencies

IL-6 Inhibition Reduces STAT3 Activation and Enhances the Antitumor Effect of Carboplatin

Recent studies suggest that tumor-associated macrophage-produced IL-6 is an important mediator within the tumor microenvironment that promotes tumor growth. The activation of IL-6/STAT3 axis has been associated with chemoresistance and poor prognosis of a variety of cancers including colorectal carcinoma and thus serves as a potential immunotherapeutic target for cancer treatment. However, it is not fully understood whether anticytokine therapy could reverse chemosensitivity and enhance the suppressive effect of chemotherapy on tumor growth. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of IL-6 inhibition therapy on the antitumor effect of carboplatin. Enhanced expression of IL-6 and activation of STAT3 were observed in human colorectal carcinoma samples compared to normal colorectal tissue, with higher levels of IL-6/STAT3 in low grade carcinomas. Treatment of carboplatin (CBP) dose-dependently increased IL-6 production and STAT3 activation in human colorectal LoVo cells. Blockade of IL-6 with neutralizing antibody enhanced chemosensitivity of LoVo cells to carboplatin as evidenced by increased cell apoptosis. IL-6 blockade abolished carboplatin-induced STAT3 activation. IL-6 blockade and carboplatin synergistically reduced cyclin D1 expression and enhanced caspase-3 activity in LoVo cells. Our results suggest that inhibition of IL-6 may enhance chemosensitivity of colon cancers with overactive STAT3 to platinum agents