Superstretchable materials have many applications in advanced technological fields but are difficult to stretch to more than 1000× their original length. A superstretchable dynamic polymer network ...that can be stretched to 13 000× its original length is designed. It is revealed that superstretchability of the polymer network is derived from the synergistic effect of two different types of dynamic bonds, including a small number of strong dynamic imine bonds to maintain the network integrity during stretching and a large number of weak ionic hydrogen bonds to dissipate energy. This approach provides new insights into the design of superstretchable polymers.
Superstretchable polymer networks with two types of dynamic bonds are obtained. A small number of strong imine bonds maintain the network integrity during stretching, and a large number of weak ionic hydrogen bonds dissipate energy. The synergetic interplay between these two mechanisms can result in superstretchable polymer networks with a maximum stretching ratio up to 13 000×.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
This retrospective cohort study is to investigate the association between herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections and dementia, and the effects of anti-herpetic medications on the risk involved, using ...Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD). We enrolled a total of 33,448 subjects, and identified 8362 with newly diagnosed HSV infections and 25,086 randomly selected sex- and age-matched controls without HSV infections in a ratio of 1:3, selected from January 1, to December 31, 2000. A multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to evaluate the risk of developing dementia in the HSV cohort. This analysis revealed an adjusted hazard ratio of 2.564 (95% CI: 2.351-2.795,
P
< 0.001) for the development of dementia in the HSV-infected cohort relative to the non-HSV cohort. Thus, patients with HSV infections may have a 2.56-fold increased risk of developing dementia. A risk reduction of dementia development in patients affected by HSV infections was found upon treatment with anti-herpetic medications (adjusted HR = 0.092 95% CI 0.079-0.108,
P
< 0.001). The usage of anti-herpetic medications in the treatment of HSV infections was associated with a decreased risk of dementia. These findings could be a signal to clinicians caring for patients with HSV infections. Further research is, therefore, necessary to explore the underlying mechanism(s) of these associations.
Hypoxia, the most commonly observed characteristic in cancers, is implicated in the establishment of an immunosuppressive niche. Recent studies have indicated that extracellular vesicle (EV)-mediated ...cancer-stroma interactions are considered to play a critical role in the regulation of various cellular biological functions, with phenotypic consequences in recipient cells. However, the mechanisms underlying the relationship between EVs and hypoxia during cancer progression remain largely unknown. In this study, we found that EVs derived from hypoxic lung cancers increased M2-type polarization by miR-103a transfer. Decreased PTEN levels caused by hypoxic cancer-cell-derived EV miR-103a increased activation of AKT and STAT3 as well as expression of several immunosuppressive and pro-angiogeneic factors. In contrast, inhibition of miR-103a by an miRNA inhibitor effectively decreased hypoxic cancer-mediated M2-type polarization, improving the cytokine prolife of tumor infiltration macrophages. Macrophages received cancer-cell-derived EV miR-103a feedback to further enhance cancer progression and tumor angiogenesis. Finally, circulating EV miR-103a levels were higher in patients with lung cancer and closely associated with the M2 polarization. In conclusion, our results delineate a novel mechanism by which lung cancer cells induce immunosuppressive and pro-tumoral macrophages through EVs and inspire further research into the clinical application of EV inhibition or PTEN restoration for immunotherapy.
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Extracellular vesicle (EV) miR-103 can be transferred from hypoxic cancer cells to macrophages, resulting in the enhancement of M2 polarization by the downregulation of miR-103a’s direct target PTEN. EV miR-103a increases the stimulatory effects of macrophages on cancer progression and angiogenesis.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The limited knowledge of miRNA-lncRNA interactions is considered as an obstruction of revealing the regulatory mechanism. Accumulating evidence on Human diseases indicates that the modulation of gene ...expression has a great relationship with the interactions between miRNAs and lncRNAs. However, such interaction validation via crosslinking-immunoprecipitation and high-throughput sequencing (CLIP-seq) experiments that inevitably costs too much money and time but with unsatisfactory results. Therefore, more and more computational prediction tools have been developed to offer many reliable candidates for a better design of further bio-experiments.
In this work, we proposed a novel link prediction model based on Gaussian kernel-based method and linear optimization algorithm for inferring miRNA-lncRNA interactions (GKLOMLI). Given an observed miRNA-lncRNA interaction network, the Gaussian kernel-based method was employed to output two similarity matrixes of miRNAs and lncRNAs. Based on the integrated matrix combined with similarity matrixes and the observed interaction network, a linear optimization-based link prediction model was trained for inferring miRNA-lncRNA interactions.
To evaluate the performance of our proposed method, k-fold cross-validation (CV) and leave-one-out CV were implemented, in which each CV experiment was carried out 100 times on a training set generated randomly. The high area under the curves (AUCs) at 0.8623 ± 0.0027 (2-fold CV), 0.9053 ± 0.0017 (5-fold CV), 0.9151 ± 0.0013 (10-fold CV), and 0.9236 (LOO-CV), illustrated the precision and reliability of our proposed method.
GKLOMLI with high performance is anticipated to be used to reveal underlying interactions between miRNA and their target lncRNAs, and deciphers the potential mechanisms of the complex diseases.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Some previous studies have identified bacteria in semen as being a potential factor in male infertility. However, only few types of bacteria were taken into consideration while using PCR-based or ...culturing methods. Here we present an analysis approach using next-generation sequencing technology and bioinformatics analysis to investigate the associations between bacterial communities and semen quality. Ninety-six semen samples collected were examined for bacterial communities, measuring seven clinical criteria for semen quality (semen volume, sperm concentration, motility, Kruger's strict morphology, antisperm antibody (IgA), Atypical, and leukocytes). Computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) was also performed. Results showed that the most abundant genera among all samples were Lactobacillus (19.9%), Pseudomonas (9.85%), Prevotella (8.51%) and Gardnerella (4.21%). The proportion of Lactobacillus and Gardnerella was significantly higher in the normal samples, while that of Prevotella was significantly higher in the low quality samples. Unsupervised clustering analysis demonstrated that the seminal bacterial communities were clustered into three main groups: Lactobacillus, Pseudomonas, and Prevotella predominant group. Remarkably, most normal samples (80.6%) were clustered in Lactobacillus predominant group. The analysis results showed seminal bacteria community types were highly associated with semen health. Lactobacillus might not only be a potential probiotic for semen quality maintenance, but also might be helpful in countering the negative influence of Prevotella and Pseudomonas. In this study, we investigated whole seminal bacterial communities and provided the most comprehensive analysis of the association between bacterial community and semen quality. The study significantly contributes to the current understanding of the etiology of male fertility.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Background
Robot-assisted gastrectomy (RAG) has been increasingly used for the treatment of advanced gastric cancer (AGC), and many advantages over laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy (LAG) have been ...reported. However, its postgastrectomy complications still under investigation and the results remain controversial. This study aimed to objectively assess the incidence and severity of complications following RAG vs. LAG using Clavien–Dindo (C–D) classification and to identify risk factors related to complications.
Methods
Five hundred and twenty-seven patients with AGC who underwent RAG or LAG between January 2016 and May 2018 were enrolled in this study. Complications were categorized according to the C–D classification. The complications following RAG and LAG were compared using one-to-one propensity score matching (PSM) analysis and subgroup analyses. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors related to complications.
Results
RAG was performed in 251 patients (47.6%) and LAG in 276 patients (52.4%). Before PSM, the RAG group had a smaller tumour size (
P
= 0.004) and less patients with previous abdominal operation (
P
= 0.013). After PSM, a well-balanced cohort of 446 patients (223 in each group) was further analyzed. Of interest, the incidence of overall and severe complications (C–D grade ≥ IIIa) following the RAG group were significantly fewer than the LAG group (overall, 24.5% vs. 18.8%,
P
< 0.001; severe, 8.9% vs. 17.5%,
P
= 0.002). Subgroup analyses showed statistically significant difference were also observed in most stratified parameters. Multivariable analysis identified age ≥ 65 years, total gastrectomy, stage T3–T4a, stage II–III, and operation time ≥ 250 min as independent predictors of overall complications. Additionally, age ≥ 65 years, stage II–III, and operation time ≥ 250 min were confirmed as independent risk factors for severe complications.
Conclusions
RAG with D2 lymphadenectomy is feasible and safe for the treatment of AGC in terms of the lower incidence and severity of complications.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OBVAL, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
The phase behavior of binary blends composed of A1B1 and A2B2 diblock copolymers is systematically studied using the polymeric self‐consistent field theory, focusing on the formation and relative ...stability of various spherical packing phases. The results are summarized in a set of phase diagrams covering a large phase space of the system. Besides the commonly observed body‐centered‐cubic phase, complex spherical packing phases including the Frank–Kasper A15, σ and the Laves C14, C15 phases could be stabilized by the addition of longer A2B2‐copolymers to asymmetric A1B1‐copolymers. Stabilizing the complex spherical packing phases requires that the added A2B2‐copolymers have a longer A‐block and an overall chain length at least comparable to the host copolymer chains. A detailed analysis of the block distributions reveals the existence of inter‐ and intra‐domain segregation of different copolymers, which depends sensitively on the copolymer length ratio and composition. The predicted phase behaviours of the A1B1/A2B2 diblock copolymer blends are in good agreement with previous experimental and theoretical results. The study demonstrates that binary blends of diblock copolymers provide an efficient route to regulate the emergence and stability of complex spherical packing phases.
Inter‐ and intra‐domain segregation of A1B1 and A2B2 diblock copolymers provides a simple and efficient route to regulate the emergence and stability of complex spherical packing phases.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Carbon quantum dots (C‐QDs) show potential to replace traditional semiconductive quantum dots as the next generation of fluorescent probes. We demonstrate here a new C‐QD production process using ...lignin, a high‐volume but low market‐value industrial waste and/or environmental hazards, as the starting carbon source. By adding a small amount of inorganic acid, the rich phenolic components in lignin were successfully converted to C‐QDs through a coking formation mechanism similar to what happens on solid acid catalysts in traditional fossil fuel cracking process. Their aqueous solution presence of the received lignin C‐QDs is beneficial for brain cell imaging applications, attributing to their fast internalization, low toxicity, tunable photoluminescence by appropriate acidity and reaction temperature during hydrothermal synthesis. This method not only provides a low‐cost C‐QDs production route, but also helps gain extra profit and/or improve environment for many small agricultural business and paper and pulp industry located in rural area.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
The engineering of structures across different length scales is central to the design of novel materials with controlled macroscopic properties. Herein, we introduce a unique class of self-assembling ...materials, which are built upon shape- and volume-persistent molecular nanoparticles and other structural motifs, such as polymers, and can be viewed as a size-amplified version of the corresponding small-molecule counterparts. Among them, “giant surfactants” with precise molecular structures have been synthesized by “clicking” compact and polar molecular nanoparticles to flexible polymer tails of various composition and architecture at specific sites. Capturing the structural features of small-molecule surfactants but possessing much larger sizes, giant surfactants bridge the gap between small-molecule surfactants and block copolymers and demonstrate a duality of both materials in terms of their self-assembly behaviors. The controlled structural variations of these giant surfactants through precision synthesis further reveal that their self-assemblies are remarkably sensitive to primary chemical structures, leading to highly diverse, thermodynamically stable nanostructures with feature sizes around 10 nm or smaller in the bulk, thin-film, and solution states, as dictated by the collective physical interactions and geometric constraints. The results suggest that this class of materials provides a versatile platform for engineering nanostructures with sub-10-nm feature sizes. These findings are not only scientifically intriguing in understanding the chemical and physical principles of the self-assembly, but also technologically relevant, such as in nanopatterning technology and microelectronics.
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BFBNIB, NMLJ, NUK, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Prostate cancer has high metastatic potential. Men with higher urinary levels of the sleep hormone melatonin are much less likely to develop advanced prostate cancer compared with men with lower ...levels of melatonin. Melatonin has shown anticancer activity in experimental investigations. Nevertheless, the therapeutic effect of melatonin in metastatic prostate cancer has largely remained a mystery. Analyses of Gene Expression Omnibus data and human tissue samples indicated that levels of matrix metallopeptidase 13 (MMP‐13) expression are higher in prostate cancer patients than in healthy cancer‐free individuals. Mechanistic investigations revealed that melatonin inhibits MMP‐13 expression and the migratory and invasive capacities of prostate cancer cells via the MT1 receptor and the phospholipase C, p38, and c‐Jun signaling cascades. Importantly, tumor growth rate and metastasis to distant organs were suppressed by melatonin in an orthotopic prostate cancer model. This is the first demonstration showing that melatonin impedes metastasis of prostate cancer by suppressing MMP‐13 expression in both in vitro and in vivo models. Thus, melatonin is promising in the management of prostate cancer metastasis and deserves to undergo clinical investigations.
Melatonin acts on the MT1 receptor and inhibits phospholipase C (PLC) and p38 signal cascades, subsequently suppresses matrix metallopeptidase 13 (MMP‐13) expression through the c‐Jun‐dependent pathway, leading to the reduction of prostate cancer metastasis. This is the first indication that melatonin impedes metastasis via the targeting of MMP‐13 in prostate cancer cells, based on evidence from basic and clinical studies.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
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