Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer Metastasis via Extracellular Vesicles Isolated Using Two-Phase Interface as Membrane-Less Filter.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), nano-sized particles secreted by cells, are increasingly recognized as promising biomarkers. However, the isolation and purification of EVs need improvement, impeding their practical application. Aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS) offer a method to separate EVs with high purity and yield compared to other techniques, yet the unclear isolation mechanism limits efficiency.

n-Type Doping Effect of Anthracene-Based Cationic Dyes in Organic Electronics.

n-Type doping for improving the electrical characteristics and air stability of n-type organic semiconductors (OSCs) is important for realizing advanced future electronics. Herein, we report a selection method for an effective n-type dopant with an optimized structure and thickness based on anthracene cationic dyes with high miscibility induced by a molecular structure similar to that of OSCs. Among the doped OSCs evaluated, rhodamine B (RhoB)-doped OSC exhibits the highest density, a smallest roughness of 2.

Enhanced Performance of Cyclopentadithiophene-Based Donor-Acceptor-Type Semiconducting Copolymer Transistors Obtained by a Wire Bar-Coating Method.

Herein, we report the fabrications of high-performance polymer field-effect transistors (PFETs) with wire bar-coated semiconducting polymer film as an active layer. For an active semiconducting material of the PFETs, we employed cyclopentadithiophene--benzothiadiazole (CDT-BTZ) that is a D-A-type-conjugated copolymer consisting of a repeated electron-donating unit and an electron-accepting unit, and the other two CDT-based D-A-type copolymer analogues are cyclopentadithiophene--fluorinated-benzothiadiazole (CDT-FBTZ) and cyclopentadithiophene--thiadiazolopyridine (CDT-PTZ). The linear field-effect mobility values obtained from the transfer curve of the PFETs fabricated with the spin-coating were 0.

Evaluation of micro-RNA in extracellular vesicles from blood of patients with prostate cancer.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) contain various types of molecules including micro-RNAs, so isolating EVs can be an effective way to analyze and diagnose diseases. A lot of micro-RNAs have been known in relation to prostate cancer (PCa), and we evaluate miR-21, miR-141, and miR-221 in EVs and compare them with prostate-specific antigen (PSA). EVs were isolated from plasma of 38 patients with prostate cancer and 8 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), using a method that showed the highest recovery of RNA.

Surface Polarization Doping in Diketopyrrolopyrrole-Based Conjugated Copolymers Using Cross-Linkable Terpolymer Dielectric Layers Containing Fluorinated Functional Units.

It is essential to tune the electrical properties of inorganic semiconductors via a doping process in the fabrication of cutting-edge electronic devices; however, the doping in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) is limited by the uncontrollable dopant diffusion and low doping efficiencies. This study proposes the use of a fluorinated functional group in a polymer dielectric layer as an effective p-type doping strategy for ambipolar diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP)-based donor-acceptor (D-A)-type semiconducting copolymer films used in OFETs, without generating structural perturbations. To experimentally verify the surface polarization doping effect of the fluorinated group, two terpolymers─poly(pentafluorostyrene--3-azidopropyl-methacrylate--propargyl-methacrylate) (5F-SAPMA), wherein fluorinated units are included, and poly(phenyl-methacrylate--3-azidopropyl-methacrylate--propargyl-methacrylate) (PhAPMA), without fluorinated units─are designed and synthesized for use in OFETs.

Perfluoroalkylated alternating copolymer possessing solubility in fluorous liquids and imaging capabilities under high energy radiation.

A highly fluorinated alternating polymer, P(RMi-St), possessing improved thermal properties and patterning capabilities over perfluoroalkyl polymethacrylates under high energy radiation was achieved with semi-perfluorododecyl maleimide (RMi) and styrene (St). RMi could be synthesised efficiently a Mitsunobu reaction condition and copolymerised with St by free radical and reversible-deactivation radical polymerisation protocols. P(RMi-St) showed a satisfactory glass-transition temperature (108 °C) and intermolecular cross-linking behaviour under electron-beam and commercially more important extreme UV ( = 13.

In-Depth Investigation of the Correlation between Organic Semiconductor Orientation and Energy-Level Alignment Using In Situ Photoelectron Spectroscopy.

Organic semiconductors (OSCs) are of interest for replacing traditional Si-based semiconductors as their flexibility and transparency enable new applications. The properties of OSC materials greatly depend on their orientation and molecular arrangement, which are strongly dependent on the underlying substrate material. Hence, in this study, in situ ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) is used to elucidate the effect of the substrate on OSC orientation.

Size-based analysis of extracellular vesicles using sequential transfer of an evaporating droplet.

We report spatial separation of extracellular vesicle (EVs) populations based on particle size by using an approach that exploits Marangoni flow and the coffee-ring effect in microdroplets. Sequential transfer of a drying droplet progressively increases the mean size of EVs in the sample by repeated subsampling of a droplet during coffee-ring formation. This method allows size-based sorting, separation, and eventual retrieval of EVs for RNA and protein analysis.

A 2D ferromagnetic semiconductor in monolayer Cr-trihalide and its Janus structures.

Using first principles calculations, we explored the physical properties of two-dimensional (2D) Cr-trihalide X3-Cr2-X3 or CrX3 (X = Cl, Br, I) and its Janus monolayers X3-Cr2-Y3 (X and Y = Cl, Br, I) where X ≠ Y. We found that Janus monolayer X3-Cr2-Y3 materials are dynamically stable and that it is feasible to synthesize X3-M2-Y3 2D-crystals. Both pristine and Janus layers have intrinsic two-dimensional ferromagnetic semiconducting band structures; the largest band gap of 2.

Shellac Films as a Natural Dielectric Layer for Enhanced Electron Transport in Polymer Field-Effect Transistors.

Shellac, a natural polymer resin obtained from the secretions of lac bugs, was evaluated as a dielectric layer in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) on the basis of donor (D)-acceptor (A)-type conjugated semiconducting copolymers. The measured dielectric constant and breakdown field of the shellac layer were ∼3.4 and 3.

Interstitial Mo-Assisted Photovoltaic Effect in Multilayer MoSe Phototransistors.

Thin-film transistors (TFTs) based on multilayer molybdenum diselenide (MoSe ) synthesized by modified atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD) exhibit outstanding photoresponsivity (103.1 A W ), while it is generally believed that optical response of multilayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) is significantly limited due to their indirect bandgap and inefficient photoexcitation process. Here, the fundamental origin of such a high photoresponsivity in the synthesized multilayer MoSe TFTs is sought.

Effect of Donor Building Blocks on the Charge-Transfer Characteristics of Diketopyrrolopyrrole-Based Donor-Acceptor-Type Semiconducting Copolymers.

We investigate the effect of donor (D) building blocks on the charge transportation characteristics of donor (D)-acceptor (A)-type semiconducting copolymers with alternating electron-donating and electron-accepting units to provide a basis for the rational design of high-performance semiconducting polymers. For this purpose, we studied three different diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP)-based semiconducting copolymers comprising a common dithienyl-DPP [3,6-dithienyl-2,5-diketopyrrolo(3,4-c)pyrrole] and variable donor moieties: phenylene (P)-PDPPTPT, thiophene (T)-PDPP3T, and thienothiophene (TT)-PDPP2T-TT. Structural analysis using grazing incidence X-ray diffraction indicates that all three DPP-based copolymer films have edge-on phases but poor crystallinity of the films, except the PDPP2T-TT copolymer with branched alkyl side chains that are relatively long.

Thiophene-Thiazole-Based Semiconducting Copolymers for High-Performance Polymer Field-Effect Transistors.

We report a newly synthesized donor (D)-acceptor (A)type semiconducting copolymer, consisting of thiophene as an electron-donating unit and thiazole as an electron-accepting unit (PQTBTz-TT-C8) for the active layer of the organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). Specifically, this study investigates the structure and electrical property relationships of PQTBTz-TT-C8 with comprehensive analyses on the charge-transporting properties corresponding to the spin rate of the spin coater during the formation of the PQTBTz-TT-C8 film. The crystallinity of PQTBTz-TT-C8 films is examined with grazing incidence X-ray diffraction.

Influence of Dielectric Layers on Charge Transport through Diketopyrrolopyrrole-Containing Polymer Films: Dielectric Polarizability vs Capacitance.

Field-effect mobility of a polymer semiconductor film is known to be enhanced when the gate dielectric interfacing with the film is weakly polarizable. Accordingly, gate dielectrics with lower dielectric constant (k) are preferred for attaining polymer field-effect transistors (PFETs) with larger mobilities. At the same time, it is also known that inducing more charge carriers into the polymer semiconductor films helps in enhancing their field-effect mobility, because the large number of traps presented in such a disorder system can be compensated substantially.

Pulse-modulated multilevel data storage in an organic ferroelectric resistive memory diode.

We demonstrate multilevel data storage in organic ferroelectric resistive memory diodes consisting of a phase-separated blend of P(VDF-TrFE) and a semiconducting polymer. The dynamic behaviour of the organic ferroelectric memory diode can be described in terms of the inhomogeneous field mechanism (IFM) model where the ferroelectric components are regarded as an assembly of randomly distributed regions with independent polarisation kinetics governed by a time-dependent local field. This allows us to write and non-destructively read stable multilevel polarisation states in the organic memory diode using controlled programming pulses.

Thin Films of Highly Planar Semiconductor Polymers Exhibiting Band-like Transport at Room Temperature.

We report the observation of band-like transport from printed polymer thin films at room temperature. This was achieved from donor-acceptor type thiophene-thiazole copolymer that was carefully designed to enhance the planarity of the backbone and the resulting transfer integral between the macromolecules. Due to the strong molecular interaction, the printed polymer film exhibited extremely low trap density comparable to that of molecular single crystals.

Dibenzothiopheno[6,5-b:6',5'-f]thieno[3,2-b]thiophene (DBTTT): high-performance small-molecule organic semiconductor for field-effect transistors.

We present the synthesis, characterization, and structural analysis of a thiophene-rich heteroacene, dibenzothiopheno[6,5-b:6',5'-f]thieno[3,2-b]thiophene (DBTTT) as well as its application in field-effect transistors. The design of DBTTT is based on the enhancement of intermolecular charge transfer through strong S-S interactions. Crystal structure analysis showed that the intermolecular π-π distance is shortened and that the packing density is higher than those of the electronically equivalent benzene analogue, dinaphtho-[2,3-b:2',3'-f]thieno[3,2-b]thiophene (DNTT).

Outcome of postoperative radiotherapy following radical prostatectomy: a single institutional experience.

Purpose: This single institutional study is aimed to observe the outcome of patients who received postoperative radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy.

Materials And Methods: A total of 59 men with histologically identified prostate adenocarcinoma who had received postoperative radiation after radical prostatectomy from August 2005 to July 2011 in Seoul St. Mary's Hospital of the Catholic University of Korea, was included.

Regional biases in mutation screening due to intratumoural heterogeneity of prostate cancer.

Intratumoural heterogeneity (ITH) leads to regional biases of the mutational landscape in a single tumour and may influence the single biopsy-based clinical diagnosis and treatment decision. To evaluate the extent of ITH in unifocal prostate cancers (PCAs), we analysed multiple regional biopsies from three PCAs, using whole-exome sequencing, DNA copy number and gene expression profiling analyses. A substantial level of ITH was identified, in that 0-61% and 18-71% of somatic variants were common or private, respectively, within a given cancer.

Reduction of oxidative stress may play a role in the anti-inflammatory effect of the novel herbal formulation in a rat model of hydrochloric acid-induced cystitis.

Aims: We investigated the effect of the multi-herbal medicine, WSY-1075 in an animal model of hydrochloric acid (HCl)-induced cystitis.

Methods: Rats were randomly assigned to three groups: sham-operated (control), HCl-induced only (HC), and HC treated with WSY-1075 (HC + WT). Oral administration of either distilled water (control, HC) or WSY-1075 (400 mg/kg) was continued for 4 weeks.

Reliable and uniform thin-film transistor arrays based on inkjet-printed polymer semiconductors for full color reflective displays.

Stable uniform performance inkjet-printed polymer transistor arrays, which allow demonstration of flexible full-color displays, were achieved by new ambient processable conjugated copolymer semiconductor, and OTFT devices incorporating this material showed high mobility values>1.0 cm2 V(-1) s(-1). Bias-stress stability of the devices was improved with a channel-passivation layer, which suppresses the density of trap states at the channel interface.

Quantum confinement-induced tunable exciton states in graphene oxide.

Graphene oxide has recently been considered to be a potential replacement for cadmium-based quantum dots due to its expected high fluorescence. Although previously reported, the origin of the luminescence in graphene oxide is still controversial. Here, we report the presence of core/valence excitons in graphene-based materials, a basic ingredient for optical devices, induced by quantum confinement.

Evaluation of the bacterial distribution within the biofilm by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis in the rat model of urinary catheters.

Purpose: Most nosocomial urinary tract infections are related to urinary catheters and their biofilm. For the research in this province, animal models are needed to explain the host-pathogen interactions and have an advantage in controlling external interference. This study investigated the validity of the denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) technique for identification of bacteria in a rat model of urinary catheter biofilm.

Analysis of the distribution of bacteria within urinary catheter biofilms using four different molecular techniques.

Background: Most nosocomial urinary tract infections are associated with the long-term use of urinary catheters. Such urinary catheter-associated infections are caused by bacteria that reside in biofilms. We determined the distribution of fastidious/nonculturable bacteria in biofilm of urinary catheters and evaluated the availability of concurrent applying various molecular techniques.

High-mobility and low-power thin-film transistors based on multilayer MoS2 crystals.

Unlike graphene, the existence of bandgaps (1-2 eV) in the layered semiconductor molybdenum disulphide, combined with mobility enhancement by dielectric engineering, offers an attractive possibility of using single-layer molybdenum disulphide field-effect transistors in low-power switching devices. However, the complicated process of fabricating single-layer molybdenum disulphide with an additional high-k dielectric layer may significantly limit its compatibility with commercial fabrication. Here we show the first comprehensive investigation of process-friendly multilayer molybdenum disulphide field-effect transistors to demonstrate a compelling case for their applications in thin-film transistors.