Lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide, and metastasis in lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer‐related deaths. Thus, understanding the mechanism of lung cancer metastasis ...will improve the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer patients. Herein, we found that expression of cluster of differentiation 109 (CD109) was correlated with the invasive and metastatic capacities of lung adenocarcinoma cells. CD109 is upregulated in tumorous tissues, and CD109 overexpression was associated with tumor progression, distant metastasis, and a poor prognosis in patient with lung adenocarcinoma. Mechanistically, expression of CD109 regulates protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling via its association with the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Inhibition of CD109 decreases EGFR phosphorylation, diminishes EGF‐elicited activation of AKT/mTOR, and sensitizes tumor cells to an EGFR inhibitor. Taken together, our results show that CD109 is a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target in lung cancer patients.
CD109 promotes lung cancer metastasis through promoting EGFR‐AKT‐mTOR signaling and CD109 is an independent prognostic marker for lung adenocarcinoma.
This article presents the 38-GHz phased array 32-element Tx and 16-element Rx with 2-GHz IF and 5-GHz LO for fifth-generation (5G) millimeter-wave (MMW) communications. The Tx and Rx beamformers and ...upconverters/downconverters are fabricated in 65-nm CMOS. The PAs and LNAs near antenna ends are fabricated in 0.15-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">\mu \text{m} </tex-math></inline-formula> GaAs pHEMT. The eight-element Tx and four-element Rx phased array printed circuit board (PCB) modules integrated with multiple integrated circuits (ICs) and endfire antennas are implemented as unit cells. Four pieces of Tx modules are vertically stacked to construct an <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">8\times {4} </tex-math></inline-formula> brick array (planar array), while four Rx modules are to construct a <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">4\times {4} </tex-math></inline-formula> array. According to 38-GHz over-the-air (OTA) measurements, the 32-element Tx shows 47.5-dBm equivalent isotropic radiated power (EIRP) at OP<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">_{\mathrm {1 ~dB}} </tex-math></inline-formula> with −35.2-dB image rejection ratio (IMRR) and −37.4-dB <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">\times 8 </tex-math></inline-formula> LORR. The 16-element Rx at 38 GHz shows −4-dBm OP<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">_{\mathrm {1~dB}} </tex-math></inline-formula> with −28-dB IMRR and −36.6-dB LORR. The Tx and Rx support the beam scanning around ±60° azimuth and ±30° elevation planes. The Tx-to-Rx wireless data link demonstrates 64 quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM)/400 M-BR, 256 QAM/200 M-BR, and 512 QAM/100 M-BR in 20 m. To the best of our knowledge, this work is the first 5G 37-/39-GHz phased array Tx/Rx using the scalable brick array configuration and demonstrating competitive performances compared with previous works.
A White Random Laser Chang, Shu-Wei; Liao, Wei-Cheng; Liao, Yu-Ming ...
Scientific reports,
02/2018, Letnik:
8, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Random laser with intrinsically uncomplicated fabrication processes, high spectral radiance, angle-free emission, and conformal onto freeform surfaces is in principle ideal for a variety of ...applications, ranging from lighting to identification systems. In this work, a white random laser (White-RL) with high-purity and high-stability is designed, fabricated, and demonstrated via the cost-effective materials (e.g., organic laser dyes) and simple methods (e.g., all-solution process and self-assembled structures). Notably, the wavelength, linewidth, and intensity of White-RL are nearly isotropic, nevertheless hard to be achieved in any conventional laser systems. Dynamically fine-tuning colour over a broad visible range is also feasible by on-chip integration of three free-standing monochromatic laser films with selective pumping scheme and appropriate colour balance. With these schematics, White-RL shows great potential and high application values in high-brightness illumination, full-field imaging, full-colour displays, visible-colour communications, and medical biosensing.
Bulk photovoltaic effect (BPVE), featuring polarization-dependent uniform photoresponse at zero external bias, holds potential for exceeding the Shockley-Queisser limit in the efficiency of existing ...opto-electronic devices. However, the implementation of BPVE has been limited to the naturally existing materials with broken inversion symmetry, such as ferroelectrics, which suffer low efficiencies. Here, we propose metasurface-mediated graphene photodetectors with cascaded polarization-sensitive photoresponse under uniform illumination, mimicking an artificial BPVE. With the assistance of non-centrosymmetric metallic nanoantennas, the hot photocarriers in graphene gain a momentum upon their excitation and form a shift current which is nonlocal and directional. Thereafter, we demonstrate zero-bias uncooled mid-infrared photodetectors with three orders higher responsivity than conventional BPVE and a noise equivalent power of 0.12 nW Hz
. Besides, we observe a vectorial photoresponse which allows us to detect the polarization angle of incident light with a single device. Our strategy opens up alternative possibilities for scalable, low-cost, multifunctional infrared photodetectors.
The dynamic cell–cell communication is essential for tissue homeostasis in normal physiological circumstances and contributes to a diversified tumor microenvironment. Although exosomes are ...extracellular vesicles that actively participate in cell–cell interaction by shutting cellular components, impacts of tumor exosomes in the context of cancer stemness remain elusive. Here, we expand colorectal cancer stem cells (CRCSCs) as cancer spheroids and demonstrate that the β‐catenin/Tcf‐4‐activated RAB27B expression is required for the secretion of CRCSC exosomes. In an exosomal RNA sequencing analysis, a switch of exosomal RNA species from retrotransposons to microRNAs (miRNAs) is identified upon expanding CRCSCs. miRNA‐146a‐5p (miR‐146a) is the major miRNA in CRCSC exosomes and exosomal miR‐146a promotes stem‐like properties and tumorigenicity by targeting Numb in recipient CRC cells. Among 53 CRC patients, those with abundant exosomal miR‐146a expression in serum exhibits higher miR‐146aHigh/NumbLow CRCSC traits, an increased number of tumor‐filtrating CD66(+) neutrophils and a decreased number of tumor‐infiltrating CD8(+) T cells. Our study elucidates a unique mechanism of tumor exosome‐mediated stemness expansion.
What's new?
The tumor microenvironment (TME) is composed of heterogeneous tumor cells and host cells interacting with each other to promote disease progression. However, diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers to monitor the cancer stem cells (CSCs)‐host interplay are lacking. Here, the authors explore the role of tumor exosomes in cancer stemness and demonstrate that RAB27B‐assisted secretion of miRNA‐dominant exosomes is one critical feature of CSCs. Importantly, they show that colorectal cancer stem cells release miR‐146a‐loaded oncogenic exosomes for reprogramming non‐CSC cells and demonstrate the clinical relevance of exosomal miR‐146a in predicting the TME of CRC patients.
3D cellular graphene films with open porosity, high electrical conductivity, and good tensile strength, can be synthesized by a method combining freeze‐casting and filtration. The resulting ...supercapacitors based on 3D porous reduced graphene oxide (RGO) film exhibit extremely high specific power densities and high energy densities. The fabrication process provides an effective means for controlling the pore size, electronic conductivity, and loading mass of the electrode materials, toward devices with high energy‐storage performance.
Muscles and joints make highly coordinated motion, which can be partly mimicked to drive robots or facilitate activities. However, most cases primarily employ actuators enabling simple deformations. ...Therefore, a mature artificial motor system requires many actuators assembled with jointed structures to accomplish complex motions, posing limitations and challenges to the fabrication, integration, and applicability of the system. Here, a holistic artificial muscle with integrated light‐addressable nodes, using one‐step laser printing from a bilayer structure of poly(methyl methacrylate) and graphene oxide compounded with gold nanorods (AuNRs), is reported. Utilizing the synergistic effect of the AuNRs with high plasmonic property and wavelength‐selectivity as well as graphene with good flexibility and thermal conductivity, the artificial muscle can implement full‐function motility without further integration, which is reconfigurable through wavelength‐sensitive light activation. A biomimetic robot and artificial hand are demonstrated, showcasing functionalized control, which is desirable for various applications, from soft robotics to human assists.
A holistic artificial muscle with integrated light‐addressable nodes, using one‐step laser printing from a bilayer structure of poly(methyl methacrylate) and graphene oxide compounded with gold nanorods, is reported. The artificial muscle can implement full‐function motility without further integration, which is reconfigurable through wavelength‐sensitive light activation. A biomimetic robot and artificial hand is demonstrated, showcasing functionalized control, which is desirable for various applications.
Programmable metasurfaces allow dynamic and real‐time control of electromagnetic (EM) waves in subwavelength resolution, holding extraordinary potentials to establish meta‐systems. Achieving ...independent and real‐time controls of orthogonally‐polarized EM waves via the programmable metasurface is attractive for many applications, but remains considerably challenging. Here, a polarization‐controlled dual‐programmable metasurface (PDPM) with modular control circuits is proposed, which enables a dibit encoding capability in modifying the phase profiles of x‐ and y‐polarized waves individually. The constructed extended interface circuit is able to extend the number of control interfaces from a field programmable gate array by orders of magnitude and also possesses memory function, which enhance hugely the rewritability, scalability, reliability, and stability of PDPM. As a proof‐of‐concept, a wave‐based exclusive‐OR logic gate platform for spin control of circularly‐polarized waves, a fixed‐frequency wide‐angle dual‐beam scanning system, and a dual‐polarized shared‐aperture antenna are demonstrated using a single PDPM. The proposed PDPM opens up avenues for realizing more advanced and integrated multifunctional devices and systems that have two independent polarization‐controlled signal channels, which may find many applications in future‐oriented intelligent communication, imaging, and computing technologies.
A polarization‐controlled dual‐programmable metasurface that can independently control orthogonally‐polarized microwaves in real time is proposed and realized experimentally. The dual‐programmable metasurface can achieve a lot of independent control channels via only one field‐programmable gate array based on the designed extensional interface circuit, thus providing attractive functions, including wave‐based exclusive‐OR logic operation for spin control, wide‐angle dual‐beam scanning, and dual‐polarized aperture sharing.
Multifunctional nanoplatforms combined with photodynamic therapy (PDT) and anticancer drugs have shown great promising in cancer therapy. However, their efficacy is limited by the low specificity, ...low oxygen levels, and a tolerant tumor immune microenvironment. Herein, we developed a biocompatible theranostic nanoplatform (FM@VP) based on co-assembly of a nanocomplex formed by a functional polysaccharide fucoidan and a bioreducible polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer, a photosensitizer verteporfin (VP), and MnO2 nanoparticles (a tumor microenvironment responsive oxygen evolving nanomaterial) into a multifunctional nanoparticle cluster. The dendrimer-fucoidan polyionic nanocomplex (DFPN) specifically targeted P-selectin-overexpressed triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and the tumor-associated vasculature, and was sensitive to glutathione (GSH) in tumor. More importantly, this FM@VP nanocomplex simultaneously overcame tumor hypoxia, suppressed oncogenic signaling, and attenuated tumor-mediated immunosuppression, resulting in improving therapeutic efficacy of PDT while enhancing antitumor immunity and anti-metastasis. This discovery provides a powerful strategy for synergetic cancer targeting/photodynamic/immunotherapy and could serve as a safe clinical translational approach.
Thioridazine (THD) is a common phenothiazine antipsychotic drug reported to suppress growth in several types of cancer cells. We previously showed that THD acts as an antiglioblastoma and anticancer ...stem-like cell agent. However, the signaling pathway underlying autophagy and apoptosis induction remains unclear. THD treatment significantly induced autophagy with upregulated AMPK activity and engendered cell death with increased sub-G1 in glioblastoma multiform (GBM) cell lines. Notably, through whole gene expression screening with THD treatment, frizzled (Fzd) proteins, a family of G-protein-coupled receptors, were found, suggesting the participation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. After THD treatment, Fzd-1 and GSK3β-S9 phosphorylation (inactivated form) was reduced to promote β-catenin degradation, which attenuated P62 inhibition. The autophagy marker LC3-II markedly increased when P62 was released from β-catenin inhibition. Additionally, the P62-dependent caspase-8 activation that induced P53-independent apoptosis was confirmed by inhibiting T-cell factor/β-catenin and autophagy flux. Moreover, treatment with THD combined with temozolomide (TMZ) engendered increased LC3-II expression and caspase-3 activity, indicating promising drug synergism. In conclusion, THD induces autophagy in GBM cells by not only upregulating AMPK activity, but also enhancing P62-mediated autophagy and apoptosis through Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Therefore, THD is a potential alternative therapeutic agent for drug repositioning in GBM.