Search Results
Novel Metabolic Signatures of Prostate Cancer Revealed by 1H-NMR Metabolomics of Urine
Prostate cancer (PC) is one of the most common male cancers worldwide. Until now, there is no consensus about using urinary metabolomic profiling as novel biomarkers to identify PC. In this study, urine samples from 50 PC patients and 50 non-cancerous individuals (control group) were collected. Based on 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) analysis, 20 metabolites were identified. Subsequently, principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares-differential analysis (PLS-DA) and ortho-PLS-DA (OPLS-DA) were applied to find metabolites to distinguish PC from the control group. Furthermore, Wilcoxon test was used to find significant differences between the two groups in metabolite urine levels. Guanidinoacetate, phenylacetylglycine, and glycine were significantly increased in PC, while L-lactate and L-alanine were significantly decreased. The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis revealed that the combination of guanidinoacetate, phenylacetylglycine, and glycine was able to accurately differentiate 77% of the PC patients with sensitivity = 80% and a specificity = 64%. In addition, those three metabolites showed significant differences in patients stratified for Gleason score 6 and Gleason score ≥7, indicating potential use to detect significant prostate cancer. Pathway enrichment analysis using the KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) and the SMPDB (The Small Molecule Pathway Database) revealed potential involvement of KEGG “Glycine, Serine, and Threonine metabolism” in PC. The present study highlights that guanidinoacetate, phenylacetylglycine, and glycine are potential candidate biomarkers of PC. To the best knowledge of the authors, this is the first study identifying guanidinoacetate, and phenylacetylglycine as potential novel biomarkers in PC.
Effect of morphology on the photoelectrochemical activity of TiO2 self-organized nanotube arrays
In the present work, highly ordered titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotube anodes were grown using a rapid anodization process. The photoelectrochemical performances of these electrodes strongly depend on the anodization conditions. Parameters such as electrolyte composition, anodization potential and anodization time are shown to affect the geometrical parameters of TiO2 nanotubes. The optimal anodization parameters are determined by photocurrent measurements, linear sweep voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The thickness of the tube wall and its homogeneity is shown to strongly depend on the anodization potential, and the formation mechanism is discussed. This study permits the optimization of the photocurrent density and contributes to further improvement of the photoelectrochemical water-splitting performance of TiO2 nanotube photoelectrodes. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Effects of methyl terminal and carbon bridging groups ratio on critical properties of porous organosilicate-glass films
Organosilicate glass-based porous low dielectic constant films with different ratios of terminal methyl to bridging organic (methylene, ethylene and 1,4-phenylene) groups are spin-on deposited by using a mixture of alkylenesiloxane with organic bridges and methyltrimethoxysilane, followed by soft baking at 120–200◦ C and curing at 430◦ C. The films’ porosity was controlled by using sacrificial template Brij® L4. Changes of the films’ refractive indices, mechanical properties, k-values, porosity and pore structure versus chemical composition of the film’s matrix are evaluated and compared with methyl-terminated low-k materials. The chemical resistance of the films to annealing in oxygen-containing atmosphere is evaluated by using density functional theory (DFT). It is found that the introduction of bridging groups changes their porosity and pore structure, increases Young’s modulus, but the improvement of mechanical properties happens simultaneously with the increase in the refractive index and k-value. The 1,4-phenylene bridging groups have the strongest impact on the films’ properties. Mechanisms of oxidative degradation of carbon bridges are studied and it is shown that 1,4-phenylene-bridged films have the highest stability. Methylene-and ethylene-bridged films are less stable but methylene-bridged films show slightly higher stability than ethylene-bridged films. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Radiation-Induced Graft Immobilization (RIGI): Covalent Binding of Non-Vinyl Compounds on Polymer Membranes
Radiation-induced graft immobilization (RIGI) is a novel method for the covalent binding of substances on polymeric materials without the use of additional chemicals. In contrast to the well-known radiation-induced graft polymerization (RIGP), RIGI can use non-vinyl compounds such as small and large functional molecules, hydrophilic polymers, or even enzymes. In a one-step electron-beam-based process, immobilization can be performed in a clean, fast, and continuous operation mode, as required for industrial applications. This study proposes a reaction mechanism using polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and two small model molecules, glycine and taurine, in aqueous solution. Covalent coupling of single molecules is achieved by radical recombination and alkene addition reactions, with water radiolysis playing a crucial role in the formation of reactive solute species. Hydroxyl radicals contribute mainly to the immobilization, while solvated electrons and hydrogen radicals play a minor role. Release of fluoride is mainly induced by direct ionization of the polymer and supported by water. Hydrophobic chains attached to cations appear to enhance the covalent attachment of solutes to the polymer surface. Computational work is complemented by experimental studies, including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and fluoride high-performance ion chromatography (HPIC).
Depth-Resolved Phase Analysis of Expanded Austenite Formed in Austenitic Stainless Steel
Expanded austenite γN formed after nitrogen insertion into austenitic stainless steel and CoCr alloys is known as a hard and very wear resistant phase. Nevertheless, no single composition and lattice expansion can describe this phase with nitrogen in solid solution. Using in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) during ion beam sputtering of expanded austenite allows a detailed depth-dependent phase analysis, correlated with the nitrogen depth profiles obtained by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) or glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES). Additionally, in-plane XRD measurements at selected depths were performed for strain analysis. Surprisingly, an anomalous peak splitting for the (200) expanded peak was observed for some samples during nitriding and sputter etching, indicating a layered structure only for {200} oriented grains. The strain analysis as a function of depth and orientation of scattering vector (parallel/perpendicular to the surface) is inconclusive. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Comparison of Photocatalytic Membrane Reactor Types for the Degradation of an Organic Molecule by TiO2-Coated PES Membrane
Photocatalytic membrane reactors with different configurations (design, flow modes and light sources) have been widely applied for pollutant removal. A thorough understanding of the contribution of reactor design to performance is required to be able to compare photocatalytic materials. Reactors with different flow designs are implemented for process efficiency comparisons. Several figures-of-merit, namely adapted space-time yield (STY) and photocatalytic space-time yield (PSTY), specific energy consumption (SEC) and degradation rate constants, were used to assess the performance of batch, flow-along and flow-through reactors. A fair comparison of reactor performance, considering throughput together with energy efficiency and photocatalytic activity, was only possible with the modified PSTY. When comparing the three reactors at the example of methylene blue (MB) degradation under LED irradiation, flow-through proved to be the most efficient design. PSTY1/PSTY2 values were approximately 10 times higher than both the batch and flow-along processes. The highest activity of such a reactor is attributed to its unique flow design which allowed the reaction to take place not only on the outer surface of the membrane but also within its pores. The enhancement of the mass transfer when flowing in a narrow space (220 nm in flow-through) contributes to an additional MB removal. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Estradiol Removal by Adsorptive Coating of a Microfiltration Membrane
This work demonstrates the enhancement of the adsorption properties of polyethersulfone (PES) microfiltration membranes for 17β-estradiol (E2) from water. This compound represents a highly potent endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC). The PES membranes were modified with a hydrophilic coating functionalized by amide groups. The modification was performed by the interfacial reaction between hexamethylenediamine (HMD) or piperazine (PIP) as the amine monomer and trimesoyl chloride (TMC) or adipoyl chloride (ADC) as the acid monomer on the surface of the membrane using electron beam irradiation. The modified membranes and the untreated PES membrane were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), water permeance measurements, water contact angle measurements, and adsorption experiments. Furthermore, the effects of simultaneous changes in four modification parameters: amine monomer types (HMD or PIP), acid monomer types (TMC or ADC), irradiation dosage (150 or 200 kGy), and the addition of toluene as a swelling agent, on the E2 adsorption capacity were investigated. The results showed that the adsorption capacities of modified PES membranes toward E2 are >60%, while the unmodified PES membrane had an adsorption capacity up to 30% for E2 under similar experimental conditions, i.e., an enhancement of a factor of 2. Next to the superior adsorption properties, the modified PES membranes maintain high water permeability and no pore blockage was observed. The highlighted results pave the way to develop efficient low-cost, stable, and high-performance adsorber membranes.
Role of Reaction Intermediate Diffusion on the Performance of Platinum Electrodes in Solid Acid Fuel Cells
Understanding the reaction pathways for the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) and the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is the key to design electrodes for solid acid fuel cells (SAFCs). In general, electrochemical reactions of a fuel cell are considered to occur at the triple-phase boundary where an electrocatalyst, electrolyte and gas phase are in contact. In this concept, diffusion processes of reaction intermediates from the catalyst to the electrolyte remain unconsidered. Here, we unravel the reaction pathways for open-structured Pt electrodes with various electrode thicknesses from 15 to 240 nm. These electrodes are characterized by a triple-phase boundary length and a thickness-depending double-phase boundary area. We reveal that the double-phase boundary is the active catalytic interface for the HOR. For Pt layers ≤ 60 nm, the HOR rate is rate-limited by the processes at the gas/catalyst and/or the catalyst/electrolyte interface while the hydrogen surface diffusion step is fast. For thicker layers (>60 nm), the diffusion of reaction intermediates on the surface of Pt be-comes the limiting process. For the ORR, the predominant reaction pathway is via the triple-phase boundary. The double-phase boundary contributes additionally with a diffusion length of a few nanometers. Based on our results, we propose that the molecular reaction mechanism at the electrode interfaces based upon the triple-phase boundary concept may need to be extended to an effective area near the triple-phase boundary length to include all catalytically relevant diffusion processes of the reaction intermediates. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Structural Transitions in Ge2Sb2Te5 Phase Change Memory Thin Films Induced by Nanosecond UV Optical Pulses
Ge-Sb-Te-based phase change memory alloys have recently attracted a lot of attention due to their promising applications in the fields of photonics, non-volatile data storage, and neuromorphic computing. Of particular interest is the understanding of the structural changes and underlying mechanisms induced by short optical pulses. This work reports on structural changes induced by single nanosecond UV laser pulses in amorphous and epitaxial Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) thin films. The phase changes within the thin films are studied by a combined approach using X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The results reveal different phase transitions such as crystalline-to-amorphous phase changes, interface assisted crystallization of the cubic GST phase and structural transformations within crystalline phases. In particular, it is found that crystalline interfaces serve as crystallization templates for epitaxial formation of metastable cubic GST phase upon phase transitions. By varying the laser fluence, GST thin films consisting of multiple phases and different amorphous to crystalline volume ratios can be achieved in this approach, offering a possibility of multilevel data storage and realization of memory devices with very low resistance drift. In addition, this work demonstrates amorphization and crystallization of GST thin films by using only one UV laser with one single pulse duration and one wavelength. Overall, the presented results offer new perspectives on switching pathways in Ge-Sb-Te-based materials and show the potential of epitaxial Ge-Sb-Te thin films for applications in advanced phase change memory concepts.
A Versatile Macromer-Based Glycosaminoglycan (sHA3) Decorated Biomaterial for Pro-Osteogenic Scavenging of Wnt Antagonists
High serum levels of Wnt antagonists are known to be involved in delayed bone defect healing. Pharmaceutically active implant materials that can modulate the micromilieu of bone defects with regard to Wnt antagonists are therefore considered promising to support defect regeneration. In this study, we show the versatility of a macromer based biomaterial platform to systematically optimize covalent surface decoration with high-sulfated glycosaminoglycans (sHA3) for efficient scavenging of Wnt antagonist sclerostin. Film surfaces representing scaffold implants were cross-copolymerized from three-armed biodegradable macromers and glycidylmethacrylate and covalently decorated with various polyetheramine linkers. The impact of linker properties (size, branching) and density on sHA3 functionalization efficiency and scavenging capacities for sclerostin was tested. The copolymerized 2D system allowed for finding an optimal, cytocompatible formulation for sHA3 functionalization. On these optimized sHA3 decorated films, we showed efficient scavenging of Wnt antagonists DKK1 and sclerostin, whereas Wnt agonist Wnt3a remained in the medium of differentiating SaOS-2 and hMSC. Consequently, qualitative and quantitative analysis of hydroxyapatite staining as a measure for osteogenic differentiation revealed superior mineralization on sHA3 materials. In conclusion, we showed how our versatile material platform enables us to efficiently scavenge and inactivate Wnt antagonists from the osteogenic micromilieu. We consider this a promising approach to reduce the negative effects of Wnt antagonists in regeneration of bone defects via sHA3 decorated macromer based macroporous implants. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.