Inkjet-printed stretchable and low voltage synaptic transistor array.

Wearable and skin electronics benefit from mechanically soft and stretchable materials to conform to curved and dynamic surfaces, thereby enabling seamless integration with the human body. However, such materials are challenging to process using traditional microelectronics techniques. Here, stretchable transistor arrays are patterned exclusively from solution by inkjet printing of polymers and carbon nanotubes. The additive, non-contact and maskless nature of inkjet printing provides a simple, inexpensive and scalable route for stacking and patterning these chemically-sensitive materials over large areas. The transistors, which are stable at ambient conditions, display mobilities as high as 30 cm2 V-1 s-1 and currents per channel width of 0.2 mA cm-1 at operation voltages as low as 1 V, owing to the ionic character of their printed gate dielectric. Furthermore, these transistors with double-layer capacitive dielectric can mimic the synaptic behavior of neurons, making them interesting for conformal brain-machine interfaces and other wearable bioelectronics

Distinct populations of inflammatory fibroblasts and myofibroblasts in pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) differentiate into cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) that produce desmoplastic stroma, thereby modulating disease progression and therapeutic response in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA). However, it is unknown whether CAFs uniformly carry out these tasks or if subtypes of CAFs with distinct phenotypes in PDA exist. We identified a CAF subpopulation with elevated expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin (alphaSMA) located immediately adjacent to neoplastic cells in mouse and human PDA tissue. We recapitulated this finding in co-cultures of murine PSCs and PDA organoids, and demonstrated that organoid-activated CAFs produced desmoplastic stroma. The co-cultures showed cooperative interactions and revealed another distinct subpopulation of CAFs, located more distantly from neoplastic cells, which lacked elevated alphaSMA expression and instead secreted IL6 and additional inflammatory mediators. These findings were corroborated in mouse and human PDA tissue, providing direct evidence for CAF heterogeneity in PDA tumor biology with implications for disease etiology and therapeutic development

Surface Treatments for Inkjet Printing onto a PTFE-Based Substrate for High Frequency Applications

This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in the journal Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research [copyright © American Chemical Society] after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ie4006639Inkjet printing onto laminates for use in high frequency applications (high frequency laminates) is challenging, due to the substrate surface roughness present after etching away the copper layer(s). This has a detrimental effect on interconnect losses as the frequency increases. In this paper, different surface treatments to reduce the surface roughness of a typical high frequency laminate (RO3006) are investigated. In particular, the importance of matching the substrate surface energy to the ink to achieve a smooth coated layer for the case of a UV cured insulator is demonstrated. This is achievable within the parameters of heating the platen, which is a more flexible approach compared to modifying the ink to improve the ink-substrate interaction. In printing onto the surface modified substrates, the substrate roughness was observed to affect the printed line width significantly. A surface roughness factor was introduced to take into account the phenomenon by modifying the original formula of Smith et al. Lastly, the authors show that the printed line widths are also influenced by the surface tension arising from charges present on the surface modified substrates

Persian cats under first opinion veterinary care in the UK:demography, mortality and disorders

Persian cats are a popular cat breed worldwide, and especially in the US, Europe and Asia. This study aimed to describe the demography, common disorders and mortality in Persians under general practice veterinary care in 2013 in the UK. The study population of 285,547 cats overall included 3235 (1.1%) Persians. Mean adult Persian bodyweight was 3.9 kg (SD 0.9) and median age was 7.0 years (IQR 3.3–11.6). At least one disorder was recorded in 2099 (64.9%) Persians. The most common specific disorders were haircoat disorders (411, 12.7%), periodontal disease (365, 11.3%), overgrown nails (234, 7.2%), and ocular discharge (188, 5.8%). The most common disorder groups were dermatological (578, 17.9%), ophthalmological (496, 15.3%) and dental (397, 12.3%). Median longevity was 13.5 years (IQR 9.9–16.0). The most common grouped causes of death were renal disease (102, 23.4%), neoplasia (37, 8.5%) and mass-associated disorder (35, 8.0%). This is the first study to use general practice data to examine the overall health of Persian cats. With haircoat, ocular and dental disorders being the predominant disorders identified, this study highlights the need for increased owner awareness to manage and prevent the typical health problems associated with this breed’s phenotype

Lamc2 Regulates Key Transcriptional and Targetable Effectors to Support Pancreatic Cancer Growth

Purpose: The identification of PDAC dysregulated genes may unveil novel molecular targets entering inhibitory strategies. Laminins are emerging as potential targets in PDAC given their role as diagnostic and prognostic markers. Here we investigated the cellular, functional and clinical relevance of LAMC2 and its regulated network, with the ultimate goal of identifying potential therapies. Experimental design: LAMC2 expression was analyzed in PDAC tissues, a panel of human and mouse cell lines, and a genetically engineered mouse model. Genetic perturbation in 2D, 3D, and in vivo allograft and xenograft models was done. Expression profiling of a LAMC2 network was performed by RNA sequencing, and publicly available gene expression datasets from experimental and clinical studies queried for human relevance. Dual inhibition of pharmacologically targetable LAMC2-regulated effectors was investigated. Results: LAMC2 was upregulated in human and mouse experimental models as well as in human PDAC specimens, and associated with tumor grade and survival. LAMC2 inhibition impaired cell cycle, induced apoptosis, and sensitized PDAC to MEK1/2 inhibitors. A LAMC2-regulated network was featured in PDAC including classical and quasi-mesenchymal subtypes, and contained downstream effectors transcriptionally shared by the KRAS signaling pathway. LAMC2 regulated a functional FOSL1-AXL axis via AKT phosphorylation. Furthermore, genetic LAMC2 or pharmacological AXL inhibition elicited a synergistic antiproliferative effect in combination with MEK1/2 inhibitors that was consistent across 2D and 3D human and mouse PDAC models, including primary patient-derived organoids. Conclusions: LAMC2 is a molecular target in PDAC which regulates a transcriptional network that unveils a dual drug combination for cancer treatment