Optical, Electrical, Structural, and Thermo-Mechanical Properties of Undoped and Tungsten-Doped Vanadium Dioxide Thin Films.

The undoped and tungsten (W)-doped vanadium dioxide (VO2) thin films were prepared by electron beam evaporation associated with ion-beam-assisted deposition (IAD). The influence of different W-doped contents (3-5%) on the electrical, optical, structural, and thermo-mechanical properties of VO2 thin films was investigated experimentally. Spectral transmittance results showed that with the increase in W-doped contents, the transmittance in the visible light range (400-750 nm) decreases from 60.2% to 53.9%, and the transmittance in the infrared wavelength range (2.5 µm to 5.5 µm) drops from 55.8% to 15.4%. As the W-doped content increases, the residual stress in the VO2 thin film decreases from -0.276 GPa to -0.238 GPa, but the surface roughness increases. For temperature-dependent spectroscopic measurements, heating the VO2 thin films from 30 °C to 100 °C showed the most significant change in transmittance for the 5% W-doped VO2 thin film. When the heating temperature exceeds 55 °C, the optical transmittance drops significantly, and the visible light transmittance drops by about 11%. Finally, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were used to evaluate the microstructure characteristics of VO2 thin films.

Humanized PD-1 Knock-in Mice Reveal Nivolumab's Inhibitory Effects on Glioblastoma Tumor Progression In Vivo.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Immunotherapy has been considered a promising approach for brain tumor treatment since the discovery of the brain lymphatic system. Glioblastoma (GBM), the most aggressive type of brain tumor, is associated with poor prognosis and a lack of effective treatment options. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To test the efficacy of human anti-PD-1, we used a humanized PD-1 knock-in mouse to establish an orthotopic GBM-bearing model. RESULTS: Nivolumab, a human anti-PD-1, effectively inhibited tumor growth, increased the survival rate of mice, enhanced the accumulation and function of cytotoxic T cells, reduced the accumulation and function of immunosuppressive cells and their related factors, and did not induce tissue damage or biochemical changes. The treatment also induced the accumulation and activation of CD8+ cytotoxic T cells, while reducing the accumulation and activation of myeloid-derived suppressor cells, regulatory T cells, and tumor-associated macrophages in the immune microenvironment. CONCLUSION: Nivolumab has the potential to be a treatment for GBM.

Design of a Miniaturized Wide-Angle Fisheye Lens Based on Deep Learning and Optimization Techniques.

This paper presents the optimization design of a miniaturized five-element wide-angle fisheye lens using a deep learning algorithm. Zemax optical design software was used to simulate and optimize the wide-angle fisheye lens. A deep learning algorithm helped to find the best combination of different lens materials. We first used six lens elements as an initial configuration to design miniaturized wide-angle fisheye lenses using the optimization process. The optical system components were gradually decreased to five lens elements. Both OKP4HT and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) plastic aspheric lenses were selected to replace the second spherical glass lens in the original design. We propose two types of wide-angle fisheye lens designs with four spherical lenses and one aspheric lens. The results for these designs indicated a viewing angle of 174°, a total length of less than 15 mm, a spot size of less than 6 µm, lateral color within ±1 µm, field curvature within ±0.02 mm, and F-θ distortion of ±3.5%. In addition, the MTF value was larger than 0.4 at the spatial frequency of 100 cycles/mm.

miR-31-NUMB Cascade Modulates Monocarboxylate Transporters to Increase Oncogenicity and Lactate Production of Oral Carcinoma Cells.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is among the leading causes of cancer-associated death worldwide. miR-31 is an oncogenic miRNA in OSCC. NUMB is an adaptor protein capable of suppressing malignant transformation. Disruption of the miR-31-NUMB regulatory axis has been demonstrated in malignancies. Mitochondrial dysfunction and adaptation to glycolytic respiration are frequent events in malignancies. Monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) function to facilitate lactate flux in highly glycolytic cells. Upregulation of MCT1 and MCT4 has been shown to be a prognostic factor of OSCC. Here, we reported that miR-31-NUMB can modulate glycolysis in OSCC. Using the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing strategy, we identified increases in oncogenic phenotypes, MCT1 and MCT4 expression, lactate production, and glycolytic respiration in NUMB-deleted OSCC subclones. Transfection of the Numb1 or Numb4 isoform reversed the oncogenic induction elicited by NUMB deletion. This study also showed, for the first time, that NUMB4 binds MCT1 and MCT4 and that this binding increases their ubiquitination, which may decrease their abundance in cell lysates. The disruptions in oncogenicity and metabolism associated with miR-31 deletion and NUMB deletion were partially rescued by MCT1/MCT4 expression or knockdown. This study demonstrated that NUMB is a novel binding partner of MCT1 and MCT4 and that the miR-31-NUMB-MCT1/MCT4 regulatory cascade is present in oral carcinoma.

MicroRNA miR-31 targets SIRT3 to disrupt mitochondrial activity and increase oxidative stress in oral carcinoma.

MicroRNA miR-31 is implicated in the neoplastic process of various malignancies including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Silent information regulator 3 (Sirtuin3 or SIRT3) is a NAD-dependent deacetylase that regulates metabolic process. Suppressor role of SIRT3 has been found in neoplasms. This study investigates the disruptions of miR-31-SIRT3 cascade to explore their potential association with metabolic change in OSCC. We identified that miR-31 directly targeted SIRT3 in OSCC cells, and a reverse correlation between miR-31 expression and SIRT3 expression was noted in OSCC tumors. SIRT3 expression attenuated the miR-31 enhanced tumor cell migration and invasion. It also reduced the tumorigenic potential of FaDu cell line. miR-31-SIRT3 impaired the mitochondrial membrane potential and structural integrity. The dis-regulation of this axis also contributed to the genesis of oxidative stress. In addition, miR-31 switched tumor cells from aerobic metabolism to glycolytic metabolism. This study provides novel evidences demonstrating the presence of miR-31-mediated post-transcriptional regulation of SIRT3 in OSCC. The disruption of miR-31-SIRT3 cascade and the consequential metabolic aberrances are involved in OSCC progression.

Targeting of miR-31/96/182 to the Numb gene during head and neck oncogenesis.

BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play crucial roles in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). This study investigates whether miR-31, miR-96, and miR-182 are involved in targeting Numb during HNSCC. METHODS: The expression of miR-31/96/182 in tumor tissues was analyzed. Reporter assay, knockdown, expression, and oncogenic analysis were carried out in cell lines. RESULTS: Upregulation of miR-31/96/182 was detected in tumor tissues. In addition, advanced tumors showed higher expression levels of these miRNAs. The expression of these miRNAs was upregulated after treatment with areca ingredients (P < .01 or P < .001). These miRNAs directly targeted the 3' untranslated region (UTR) sequence of the Numb gene. An increased migration and invasion of HNSCC cells was associated with the exogenous expression of miR-31/96/182 (P < .01 or P < .001), and this was reverted by expression of Numb. CONCLUSION: This study provides new evidence demonstrating that there is frequent and concordant upregulation of miR-31, miR-96, and miR-182 during HNSCC and these miRNAs co-target Numb.

Selection of elite microalgae for biodiesel production in tropical conditions using a standardized platform.

Four thermotolerant microalgae were isolated from tropical Taiwan and classified as members of Desmodesmus based on morphological and molecular studies. A platform was established to evaluate their biodiesel production-related traits, including thermotolerance, lipid productivity, lipid oxidative stability and auto-sedimentation. The findings demonstrated thermotolerance of all four species was at the same level, as all could live at 45 °C for 24 h and 50 °C for 8 h with mortality rates below 5% of cells. The lipid productivity of Desmodesmus sp. F2 reached 113 mg/L/d. Its saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids accounted for 75% of the FAMEs, and it required only 3.1 h to achieve 85% sedimentation. Comparing these traits to those of the other three Desmodesmus and microalgae in the literature, Desmodesmus sp. F2 is one of the best candidates for biodiesel production in tropical and subtropical areas. This platform effectively assessed traits of microalgae related to biodiesel production.