Exosomes are endosome‐derived vesicles enriched in body fluids such as urine, blood, and saliva. So far, they have been recognized as potential biomarkers for cancer diagnostics. However, the present single‐variate analysis of exosomes has greatly limited the accuracy and specificity of diagnoses. Besides, most diagnostic approaches focus on bulk analysis using lots of exosomes and tend to be less accurate because they are vulnerable to impure extraction and concentration differences of exosomes. To address these challenges, a quantitative analysis platform is developed to implement a sequential quantification analysis of multiple exosomal surface biomarkers at the single‐exosome level, which utilizes DNA‐PAINT and a machine learning algorithm to automatically analyze the results. As a proof of concept, the profiling of four exosomal surface biomarkers (HER2, GPC‐1, EpCAM, EGFR) is developed to identify exosomes from cancer‐derived blood samples. Then, this technique is further applied to detect pancreatic cancer and breast cancer from unknown samples with 100% accuracy.

No abstract

No abstract

Exosomes are small homogenous membrane vesicles that derive from the exocytosis process of cells and can contain DNA, microRNAs (miRNAs), and/or proteins. Characterization of the content profile of exosomes may reflect the state of the cells that release them, and this could be predictive of disease. In this study, to explore the potential biomarkers for melanoma, we isolated serous exosomes from 30 patients with melanoma and 30 healthy individuals using the ultracentrifugation method. Five miRNAs were subsequently detected in each sample by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR: miRNA-532-5p, miRNA-106b, miRNA-200c, miRNA-199a-5p, and miRNA-210. Only the levels of exo-miRNA-532-5p and exo-miRNA-106b differed between the two groups (Z=-4.17 and -4.57, respectively, P<0.0001). When these two miRNAs were evaluated individually and in combination in 95 melanoma patients and 95 healthy individuals serum samples, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values were 0.867, 0.820, and 0.936, respectively. Furthermore, in blinded tests of samples from 25 melanoma patients and 25 healthy individuals, this panel of miRNAs identified 23/25 patients with melanoma (92.0% sensitivity) and 22/25 healthy individuals (88.0% sensitivity). Our exo-miRNA panel also distinguished patients with metastasis from those without metastasis, patients with stage I-II disease from those with stage III-IV disease, and patients who had received pembrolizumab treatment from those who were untreated. Overall, these results indicate that serum exosomal miRNAs, especially exo-miRNA-532-5p and exo-miRNA-106b, have the potential to be used for monitoring and/or a diagnosis of melanoma in a clinical setting.

A carbonization agent, 3,9-di (2-hydroxyisopropyl)-2,4,8,10-tetraoxa-3,9-diphosphaspiro-[5,5]-undecane (SPEPO), was synthesized from pentaerythritol (PER), phosphorus trichloride, formic acid, and acetone as raw materials. The structure of SPEPO was characterized by FTIR and 1 H-NMR. As a carbonization agent and an acid source, SPEPO can form a novel intumescent flame-retardant (IFR) system for low density polyethylene (LDPE) together with ammonium polyphosphate (APP) and melamine phosphate (MP). The flame retardancy and thermal behavior of the IFR system for LDPE were investigated by limiting oxygen index (LOI), UL-94 test, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). When the weight ratio of SPEPO, APP, and MP is 7:7:1 and their total loading level is 30%, the IFR-LDPE presents the optimal flame retardancy (LOI value of 27.6 and UL-94 V-0 rating). However, SPEPO, APP, or MP can only show a very poor flame-retardant performance when used alone. This indicates that there is a synergistic effect among SPEPO, APP, and MP. TGA results obtained in air demonstrate that SPEPO has an ability of char formation itself, and the char residue of SPEPO can reach 24 wt% at 700-C. The IFR can change the thermal degradation behavior of LDPE, enhance T max of the decomposition peak of LDPE, and promote LDPE to form char based on the calculated and the experimental data of residues. According to the results of Py-GC/MS in combination with FTIR of the char residues at different temperatures, a possible flame-retardant mechanism has been proposed.A novel intumescent flame-retardant LDPE system 1573 Scheme 4. A speculative route for char formation of PEDP.Scheme 5. The reaction of oxidized PE chain with PEDP and polyphosphoric acid.

In wireless sensor networks, secure data aggregation is very important for reducing the quantity of data transmitted and prolonging the lifetime of wireless sensor networks. When wireless sensor networks are deployed in untrusted and hostile environments, their nodes are often compromised, which reduces the security and reliability of the transmitted data. Compromised nodes can inject erroneous data, selectively forward data to an adversary, impersonate legal nodes to join routing paths, and disrupt data transmission during the data-aggregation operation. Previous researchers have relied on reputation system to find compromised nodes and prevent attacks during the data-aggregation operation. In this paper, we propose an improved reliable, trust-based, and energy-efficient data-aggregation protocol for wireless sensor networks. We call the protocol the iRTEDA protocol, and it combines the reputation system, residual energy, link availability, and a recovery mechanism to improve secure data aggregation and ensure that the network is secure, reliable, and energy-efficient. Simulations have shown that the iRTEDA protocol exceeds the performances of other protocols from the perspectives of the accuracy of the data, the reliability of the routing path, the consumption of energy, and the lifetime of secure data aggregation.

No abstract

Breast cancer (BC) represents the most commonly diagnosed malignancy among women. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) can be transferred by extracellular vesicles (EVs) to participate in BC progression. This study demonstrated that SNHG16 expression was significantly increased in BC tissues and cells. Overexpression of SNHG16 promoted the migration, invasion, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) of BC cells. SNHG16 was carried by EVs. Bioinformatics analysis predicted that SNHG16 regulated PPAPDC1A expression by sponging miR-892b, which was confirmed by RNA-fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), RT-qPCR, dual-luciferase gene reporter assay, and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP). MDA-MB-157 and HS578T cells were transfected with pcDNA3.1-SNHG16, miR-892b-mimic, or si-PPAPDC1A for functional rescue experiments in vitro, and the cells were treated with MDA-MB-231 cell-derived EVs. The results confirmed that enhanced miR-892b expression partially eliminated the increase of migration, invasion, and EMT of BC cells mediated by SNHG16 or EVs. The lung metastasis model in nude mice was established by injecting HS578T cells via tail vein. The results showed that si-SNHG16 reduced the metastatic nodules and decreased the vimentin expression. In conclusion, EVs derived from BC cells transferred SNHG16 via the miR-892b/PPAPDC1A axis, thus promoting EMT, migration, and invasion of BC.