This study reports the experimental findings and plasma delivery approach developed at the Plasma Bioscience Research Center, Korea for the assessment of antitumor activity of dielectric barrier ...discharge (DBD) for cancer treatment. Detailed investigation of biological effects occurring after atmospheric pressure non-thermal (APNT) plasma application during in vitro experiments revealed the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in modulation of the antioxidant defense system, cellular metabolic activity, and apoptosis induction in cancer cells. To understand basic cellular mechanisms, we investigated the effects of APNT DBD plasma on antioxidant defense against oxidative stress in various malignant cells as well as normal cells. T98G glioblastoma, SNU80 thyroid carcinoma, KB oral carcinoma and a non-malignant HEK293 embryonic human cell lines were treated with APNT DBD plasma and cellular effects due to reactive oxygen species were observed. Plasma significantly decreased the metabolic viability and clonogenicity of T98G, SNU80, KB and HEK293 cell lines. Enhanced ROS in the cells led to death via alteration of total antioxidant activity, and NADP+/NADPH and GSH/GSSG ratios 24 hours (h) post plasma treatment. This effect was confirmed by annexin V-FITC and propidium iodide staining. These consequences suggested that the failure of antioxidant defense machinery, with compromised redox status, might have led to sensitization of the malignant cells. These findings suggest a promising approach for solid tumor therapy by delivering a lethal dose of APNT plasma to tumor cells while sparing normal healthy tissues.
In this paper, a stretchable silver electrode having high stretching capability and good stability is demonstrated using a poly (dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) substrate bonding technique. By bonding two ...silver electrodes (bonding electrode), low initial sheet resistance and good stretching capability under a 38% strain condition were achieved. It was also shown that the bonding electrode has good stability under a 1000-cycle prolonged stress condition (15% strain). The origin of the good stretching capability of the bonding sample is explained as percolation of the current path between the top and bottom electrodes. Using a resistor network model, the percolation of the current path was quantitatively characterized.
Objective In this study, we investigated pivotal molecular markers in human high-grade breast ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). Expression status of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), ...and human epidermal growth receptor 2 (HER2) was measured among various subtypes (Luminal (Lum) A, LumB HER2 - , LumB HER2 + , HER2-enriched and triple-negative). Methods In total, 357 DCIS cases were classified into respective subtypes, according to the 2013 St. Gallen guidelines. Each subtype was categorized into three subcategories: “Pure” (those without an invasive component), “W/invasive” (those with an invasive component), and “All” (the entire group of the given subtype). ER and PR expression were registered as intervals. Equivocal HER2 immunohistochemistry (IHC) cases (2+) were further investigated using dual-color in situ hybridization. Results The majority of patients (71%) were over the age of 50. We discovered no significant differences in the proportion of age between the “Pure” and “W/invasive” groups. There was no significant difference in ER/PR expression between “Pure” luminal subtypes of DCIS and “W/invasive” cases. We compared the HER2 IHC scores of “0”, “1+”, and “2+” among LumA and LumB HER2 subtypes and identified no statistically significant differences between “Pure” and “W/invasive” ( p = 0.603). ER and PR expression ≥ 50% cutoff value was present in > 90% of all LumA cases. The incidences of cases with ER expression at cutoff values of < 10% and ≥ 50% in LumA were significantly different compared to other luminal subtypes ( p < 0.0001). The proportion of cases with PR expression < 20% showed significant differences in the various luminal subtypes. In luminal B subtypes, low PR expression (< 20%) was significantly associated with both strong HER2 expression (3+) and the presence of an invasive component ( p = 0.0001 and p = 0.0365, respectively). Conclusions ER and PR expression at ≥ 50% cutoff values were found in more than 90% of LumA cases. Samples with ER < 10% and ≥ 50% in LumA were significantly different compared to other luminal subtypes ( p < 0.0001). Low PR expression in high-grade DCIS was strongly associated with HER2 overexpression (3+) and an invasive component ( p = 0.0001 and p = 0.0365, respectively).
Purpose
To assess the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements in locally advanced oestrogen receptor-positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative breast tumours ...before, during and after neoadjuvant endocrine treatment (NET) for evaluation of tumour response in comparison with clinical and pathological assessments.
Methods
This prospective study enrolled postmenopausal patients treated neoadjuvant with letrozole and exemestane given sequentially in an intra-patient cross-over regimen. Fifty-four patients were initially recruited, but only 35 fulfilled the inclusion criteria and confirmed to participate with a median age of 77. Tumours were scanned with MRI prior to treatment, during the eighth week of treatment and prior to surgery. Additionally, changes in longest diameter on clinical examination (CE) and tumour size at pathology were determined. Pre- and post-operative measurements of tumour size were compared in order to evaluate tumour response.
Results
The correlation between post-treatment MRI size and pathology was moderate and higher with a correlation coefficient (
r
) 0.64 compared to the correlation between CE and pathology
r
= 0.25. Post-treatment MRI and clinical results had a negligible bias towards underestimation of lesion size. Tumour size on MRI and CE had 0.82 cm and 0.52 cm lower mean size than tumour size measured by pathology, respectively.
Conclusions
The higher correlation between measurements of residual disease obtained on MRI and those obtained with pathology validates the accuracy of imaging assessment during NET. MRI was found to be more accurate for estimating complete responses than clinical assessments and warrants further investigation in larger cohorts to validate this finding.
Generation of electric potential by the flow of an electrolyte droplet on a graphene surface is investigated to develop a liquid motion energy harvester. Most of the research efforts to date have ...been focused on unveiling the interaction between graphene and an electrolyte droplet. However, other factors that significantly affect the output potential have not been paid much attention. Here, we report the electrostatic charging of graphene during a layer-transfer process and its influence on the enhancement of the performance of graphene-based liquid motion energy harvesting devices. In particular, we investigated the dependence of the output voltage on the triboelectric properties of the substrate. Our finding indicates that the triboelectric surface charging of graphene is significantly influenced by physisorption between graphene and the underlying substrate. Therefore, it directly affects the output power generation and the concentration of electrolyte solution at which the maximum power generation can be achieved. The method presented here is a simple route to further improve the output performance of graphene-based liquid motion energy harvesting devices and this study extends the physical understanding of charge interaction between graphene and an electrolyte solution.
Display omitted
•Triboelectrification of the graphene during the transfer process affects the performance of TENG.•Interaction between the graphene and the substrate determines surface charging of the graphene.•The origin of the output enhancement mechanism was experimentally investigated.
Purpose
Prognostic factors are useful in order to identify early-stage breast cancer patients who might benefit from adjuvant treatment. The metastasis-promoting protein S100A4 has previously been ...associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer patients. The protein is expressed in diverse subcellular compartments, including the cytoplasm, extracellular space, and nucleus. Nuclear expression is an independent predictor of poor outcome in several cancer types, but the significance of subcellular expression has not yet been assessed in breast cancer.
Methods
Nuclear and cytoplasmic expression of S100A4 was assessed by immunohistochemistry in prospectively collected tumor samples from early-stage breast cancer patients using tissue microarrays.
Results
In patients not receiving adjuvant systemic therapy, nuclear or cytoplasmic expression was found in 44/291 tumors (15%). Expression of either nuclear or cytoplasmic S100A4 was associated with histological grade III, triple-negative subtype, and Ki-67-expression. Patients with S100A4-positive tumors had inferior metastasis-free and overall survival compared to S100A4-negative. When expression was analyzed separately, nuclear S100A4 was a significant predictor of outcome, while cytoplasmic was not. In patients who received adjuvant treatment 23/300 tumors (8%) were S100A4-positive, but no tumors displayed nuclear staining alone. S100A4-expression was strongly associated with histological grade III and triple-negative subtype. Although not significant, metastasis-free and overall survival was numerically reduced in patients with S100A4-positive tumors.
Conclusion
S100A4-expression was associated with poor outcome in early-stage breast cancer, but the low percentage of positive tumors and the modest survival differences imply that the clinical utility in selection of patients for adjuvant treatment is limited.
Natural molecular dye, anthocyanin, is described here as safe sensitizer for TiO2 particles in photo-degradation of organic contaminants in water. The dye is a promising replacement for the more ...costly and hazardous heavy metal based systems, such as CdS particles and Ru-compounds. TiO2/anthocyanin effectively catalyzed the photo-degradation of methyl orange contaminant under solar simulator radiation. The new TiO2/anthocyanin catalyst showed comparable efficiency to earlier systems, while avoiding their hazardous nature. When supported onto activated carbon (AC) particles, the resulting AC/TiO2/anthocyanin system showed enhanced efficiency and ease of recovery from the catalytic reaction mixture. The natural dye molecules showed the tendency to degrade under photo-degradation conditions, just like earlier hazardous sensitizers. However, complete mineralization of anthocyanin occurred leaving no traces of organic species in solution. Sensitizer degradation caused deactivation of the supported catalyst on recovery. Such a shortcoming was overcome by re-treatment of the recovered catalysts with fresh dye. Effects of different reaction parameters on the catalyst efficiency were studied. A mechanism, similar to earlier CdS-sensitized catalyst systems, is proposed for the TiO2/anthocyanin catalyst.
CdS thin films have been deposited onto FTO/glass substrates by two different techniques, electrochemical deposition (ECD) and chemical bath deposition (CBD). Feasibility of using these two film ...types in photoelectrochemical processes has been critically investigated here. The films were comparatively characterized by a number of techniques (solid state absorption spectra, solid state photoluminescence spectra, XRD and SEM). PEC characteristics of the electrodes, including current density–voltage (J–V) plots, conversion efficiency (η), stability and fill-factor (FF) were then studied. The results show that both systems involved nano-sized CdS particles living in coagulates. The ECD was thinner and more uniform than the CBD system. The CBD films were more effective in PEC processes than the ECD counterparts. Effect of annealing on characteristics of both electrode systems has been investigated. Annealing enhanced both film characteristics, but the CBD was affected to a higher extent, and the annealed CBD film was more effective than the ECD counterpart.
Display omitted Annealed CBD-prepared CdS films showed larger particle coagulates and higher stability under PEC conditions than the ECD counterparts.
► ECD technique yields thinner but more uniform CdS films than CBD. ► CdS films prepared by ECD were used in PEC processes for first time. ► CBD films of CdS are more effective in PEC processes than ECD counterparts.
Performance enhancement of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) has been largely limited by the relatively low output current density. Thus, extensive research efforts have been made to increase the ...output current density. In this respect, this work presents a method to effectively increase output current density of TENGs by adopting polarized ferroelectric polymers and MoS2 composite. Specifically, by compositing bulk MoS2 flakes with both Nylon-11 and PVDF-TrFE, respectively, charge density of each triboelectric charging surface was significantly increased. In addition, proper polarization of both ferroelectric composite layers has also led to an additional increase in the charge density. A combination of them synergistically increases the surface charge density, generating huge output current and the power output density. By optimizing the fabrication process, the output voltage and current density up to ∼145 V and ∼350 μA/cm2 are achieved, respectively. Consequently, the TENG exhibits a recordable output power density of ∼50 mW/cm2, which is one of the highest output power densities reported to date. The method introduced in this work can greatly increase the output current density of TENGs, facilitating the development of high-performance triboelectric energy harvesting devices.
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