We envision that the hybrid nanocarrier may serve as

practical and multifunctional probe for cancer therapy and the presented synthesis approach here may also benefit the preparation of many other types of multifunctional inorganic-biomolecular hybrid nanostructures based on the DNA nanotechnology. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“The integrity of bone-cement interface is essential for the long-term stability of cemented MX69 total joint arthroplasty. Although several studies have been carried out on bone-cement interface at continuum level, micromechanics of the interface has been studied only recently for tensile and shear loading cases. Fundamental studies of bone-cement interface at microstructural level are critical to the understanding of the failure processes of the interface, where multiple factors may contribute to failure. Here we present a micromechanical study of bone-cement interface under compression, which utilised in situ mechanical testing, time-lapsed microcomputed tomography (CT) and finite element (FE) modelling. Bovine trabecular bone was used to interdigitate with bone cement

to obtain selleck kinase inhibitor bonecement interface samples, which were tested in step-wise compression using a custom-made loading stage within the viCT chamber. A finite element model was built from the CT images of one of the tested samples and loaded similarly as in the experiment. The simulated stress-displacement response fell within the range of the experimental responses, and the predicted local strain distribution correlated well with the failure pattern in the subject-specific experimental model. Damage evolution with load in the samples was monitored both experimentally and numerically. The results from the FE simulations further revealed the development of damage in the regions of interest during compression, which may be useful towards a micromechanics understanding of the failure processes at bone-cement MK-4827 datasheet interface. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Multifunctional macrophage

inhibitory cytokine-1, MIC-1, is a member of the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) superfamily that plays key roles in the prenatal development and regulation of the cellular responses to stress signals and inflammation and tissue repair after acute injuries in adult life. The stringent control of the MIC-1 expression, secretion, and functions involves complex regulatory mechanisms and the interplay of other growth factor signaling networks that control the cell behavior. The deregulation of MIC-1 expression and signaling pathways has been associated with diverse human diseases and cancer progression. The MIC-1 expression levels substantially increase in cancer cells, serum, and/or cerebrospinal fluid during the progression of diverse human aggressive cancers, such as intracranial brain tumors, melanoma, and lung, gastrointestinal, pancreatic, colorectal, prostate, and breast epithelial cancers.