Drug release devices of small molecules are widely used in cell stimulation, drug delivery, and microenvironment regulation. Herein, a flexible drug release device (FDRD) powered by a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is demonstrated, that has the superiority of low power consumption, flexible structure, and controllable release. In the self‐powered FDRD, the TENG can effectively harvest and transfer biomechanical energy into electricity. With a power management module, the TENG can provide a steady voltage supply for sustainable drug release, and the unique switchable wettability of poly(3‐hexylthiophene) films in Na2SO4 aqueous solutions can be regulated. The UV–vis absorption spectra of small molecules including methylene blue, fluorescein sodium, and rhodamine 6G released from the FDRD can be observed and recorded in real time. Furthermore, the releasing rate of conventional salicylic acid with the effect of removing cutin, sterilizing, and diminishing inflammation is also recorded in Na2SO4 aqueous solution. With the advantages of flexible structure, and controllable and sustainable release, the self‐powered FDRD is expected to find great potential in wearable medical devices, drug controllable release, and self‐powered therapy.

No abstract

No abstract

When it comes to mechanisms of brain functions such as learning and memory mediated by neural networks, existing multichannel electrophysiological detection and regulation technology at the cellular level does not suffice. To address this challenge, a 128-channel microelectrode array (MEA) was fabricated for electrical stimulation (ES) training and electrophysiological recording of the hippocampal neurons in vitro. The PEDOT:PSS/PtNPs-coated microelectrodes dramatically promote the recording and electrical stimulation performance. The MEA exhibited low impedance (10.94 ± 0.49 kohm), small phase delay (−12.54 ± 0.51°), high charge storage capacity (14.84 ± 2.72 mC/cm2), and high maximum safe injection charge density (4.37 ± 0.22 mC/cm2), meeting the specific requirements for training neural networks in vitro. A series of ESs at various frequencies was applied to the neuronal cultures in vitro, seeking the optimum training mode that enables the neuron to display the most obvious plasticity, and 1 Hz ES was determined. The network learning process, including three consecutive trainings, affected the original random spontaneous activity. Along with that, the firing pattern gradually changed to burst and the correlation and synchrony of the neuronal activity in the network have progressively improved, increasing by 314% and 240%, respectively. The neurons remembered these changes for at least 4 h. Collectively, ES activates the learning and memory functions of neurons, which is manifested in transformations in the discharge pattern and the improvement of network correlation and synchrony. This study offers a high-performance MEA revealing the underlying learning and memory functions of the brain and therefore serves as a useful tool for the development of brain functions in the future.

Cancer cells generally harbor hundreds of alterations in the cancer genomes and act as crucial factors in the development and progression of cancer. Gene alterations in the cancer genome form genetic interactions, which affect the response of patients to drugs. We developed an algorithm that mines copy number alteration and whole-exome mutation profiles from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), as well as functional screen data generated to identify potential genetic interactions for specific cancer types. As a result, 4,529 synthetic viability (SV) interactions and 10,637 synthetic lethality (SL) interactions were detected. The pharmacogenomic datasets revealed that SV interactions induced drug resistance in cancer cells and that SL interactions mediated drug sensitivity in cancer cells. Deletions of HDAC1 and DVL1 , both of which participate in the Notch signaling pathway, had an SV effect in cancer cells, and deletion of DVL1 induced resistance to HDAC1 inhibitors in cancer cells. In addition, patients with low expression of both HDAC1 and DVL1 had poor prognosis. Finally, by integrating current reported genetic interactions from other studies, the Cancer Genetic Interaction database (CGIdb) ( http://www.medsysbio.org/CGIdb ) was constructed, providing a convenient retrieval for genetic interactions in cancer.

No abstract

No abstract

The grain size effect on the thermal transport properties of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) thin films was experimentally investigated using the opto-thermal Raman technique. High-quality monolayer h-BN with mean grain sizes ranging from ~7 µm to ~19 nm were successfully synthesized on Pt foil by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The thermal conductivity (κ) of the singlecrystalline h-BN was measured to be ~545 Wm −1 K −1 at 315K, well above the bulk value, and more than a factor of four higher than the value of poly-crystalline h-BN with mean grain size of ~19 nm. The very low thermal boundary conductance (deduced to be ~9.6 GW m −2 K −1 ) accounts for the significant reduction of κ for h-BN with small grain size. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations reveal that due to the disordered vibrations of atoms along/near GB, the phonon scattering in polycrystalline h-BN is greatly enhanced compared to large-grained or single-crystalline samples. These results provide a deep understanding of the thermal transport in two-dimensional systems as well as the possible technological applications.