BackgroundLong noncoding RNA nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 (NEAT1) plays key role in the progression of some human cancers. However, the role of NEAT1 in human laryngeal squamous cell cancer (LSCC) is still unknown. We therefore investigated the expression and function of NEAT1 in LSCC.MethodsNEAT1 level in LSCC and adjacent non-neoplastic tissues were detected by qRT-PCR. NEAT1 was knockdown in LSCC cells and cell proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle were examined. The growth of xenografts with NEAT1 knockdown LSCC cells was analyzed.ResultsNEAT1 level was significantly higher in LSCC than in corresponding adjacent non-neoplastic tissues, and patients with neck nodal metastasis or advanced clinical stage had higher NEAT1 expression. Moreover, siRNA mediated NEAT1 knockdown significantly inhibited the proliferation and induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at G1 phase in LSCC cells. The growth of LSCC xenografts was significantly suppressed by the injection of NEAT1 siRNA lentivirus. Furthermore, NEAT1 regulated CDK6 expression in LSCC cells which was mediated by miR-107.ConclusionNEAT1 plays an oncogenic role in the tumorigenesis of LSCC and may serve as a potential target for therapeutic intervention.

Silicon nanocrystals exhibit size-dependent optical and electronic properties that may be exploited for applications ranging from sensors to photovoltaics. In addition, they can be utilized in biological and environmental systems thanks to the nontoxicity of silicon. Synthesis of silicon nanocrystals has been accomplished using a variety of methods. However, creating near monodisperse systems of high purity has been a challenge. The high temperature processing of hydrogen silsesquioxane method of particle synthesis reproducibly provides pure, near monodisperse particles in scalable quantities. These particles can then be liberated using HF etching and functionalized using a variety of methods. This paper outlines our lab procedures for creating silicon nanocrystals, the various functionalization methods and the most commonly used characterization techniques.

Silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs) are biologically compatible, metal-free quantum dots that exhibit size and surface tailorable photoluminescence. The nanostructure of these materials influences their optical, chemical, and material properties and hence plays an important role in their futuregeneration applications in sensors, battery electrodes, optical materials, and contrast agents, among others. In this work, we employ a complement of methods including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), bright-field transmission electron microscopy (TEM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and 29 Si solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to interrogate the bulk structure of hydride-terminated SiNPs (H-SiNPs) ranging from 3 to 64 nm in diameter and effectively probe their surface. By applying these methods, we have demonstrated that H-SiNPs consist of a size dependent layered structure made up of surface, subsurface, and core silicon regimes. The surface silicon species are manifested by a broad underlying feature in the corresponding 29 Si NMR spectra between −80 to −120 ppm for small nanoparticles (NPs), whereas the sharp resonance at higher frequency (ca. −80.9 ppm, 1 ppm full-width at half-maximum) present in large NPs is attributed to a well-ordered crystalline silicon core. A critical size junction has been identified for 9 nm H-SiNPs, where XPS and NMR show features arising from surface, subsurface, and core silicon species features arising from surface, subsurface, and core silicon species. This structural insight provides essential understanding and potential advancement in the development of SiNP-based applications in photovoltaics, battery anodes, and sensors.

The synthesis of germanium nanomaterials with welldefined surface chemistry is of considerable interest because of not only general scientific curiosity but also their vast potential in optoelectronics, energy storage, and the semiconductor industry. Herein, we report a straightforward preparative routet h a ty i e l d sh y d r i de-terminated germanium nanosheet (H-GeNS) monolayers via sonochemical exfoliation of hydride-terminated germanane flakes (HGe-flakes) derived from crystalline CaGe 2 . We subsequently show that these freestanding H-GeNSs are readily functionalized by radical-initiated and thermally induced hydrogermylation. Furthermore, we demonstrate that following functionalization the crystal structure of the GeNSs remains intact, and the introduction of organic moieties to the GeNS surfaces imparts improved thermal stability and solvent compatibility.

Ratiometric photoluminescent detection of the toxicologically potent organophosphate ester nerve agents paraoxon (PX) and parathion (PT) using the complementary optical and chemical properties of the long Stokes shift green fluorescent protein variant, mAmetrine1.2 (mAm), and redemitting silicon-based quantum dots (SiQDs) is reported. PX and PT selectively quench SiQD photoluminescence (PL) through a dynamic quenching mechanism, thereby, facilitating the development of a ratiometric sensor platform that shows micromolar limits of detection for PX and PT and that is unaffected by the presence of common inorganic and organic interferents. As a part of the present study, we also demonstrate that the paper-based sensors derived from mAm and SiQDs detect PX and PT at concentrations as low as 5 μM using a readily available commercial color analysis smartphone "app". The ratiometric sensor reported herein can potentially be used for the convenient and rapid on-site detection and quantification of PX and PT in real-world samples.