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Purpose: In this study, we compared the prognoses of patients who underwent mastectomy with immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy with those who underwent mastectomy. Methods: This retrospective study included 87,995 patients who were surgically treated for primary breast cancer between 2008 and 2014. We compared the three groups of patients who were divided based on the following surgeries: breast-conserving surgery (BCS), mastectomy, and mastectomy with IBR. Results: Of the 3295 patients who were treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, 482 patients achieved a pathological complete response (pCR) and 2813 patients did not (non-pCR). In survival analysis of the pCR patients, the 5-year Overall Survival (5 yr OS) between those who underwent mastectomy with IBR and mastectomy (P = 0.639) In the non-pCR group, 5 yr OS of the mastectomy with IBR group was 90.0%, while those of the mastectomy group was 84.4% in patients with clinical stage II (P = 0.032). In a multivariate analysis by Cox regression method revealed that the prognoses of the patients who underwent mastectomy with IBR were not different from those of patients who underwent mastectomy group in both groups (the pCR group and the non-pCR group). Conclusion: In the pCR group, the prognoses of patients who underwent mastectomy with IBR were not different from those of patients who underwent mastectomy. In the non-pCR group, women in the mastectomy with IBR group had shown worse prognoses than the mastectomy group in advanced clinical stage. Appropriate operation should be determined depending on the status of individualized patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of anion exchange membranes (AEMs) based on hydrogenated poly (styrene- b -butadiene- b -styrene) (h-SBS) triblock copolymers were prepared via thiol-ene click reaction of the mid- block polybutadiene with 6-mercapto-1-hexanol, followed by hydrogenation of the remaining double bonds, direct bromination of the pendant alcohol group, and substitution of with trimethylamine (TMA). The thiol-ene click reaction provided a facile and effective control of degree of functionalization up to 50 mol% of total C C bonds in the polymer. Membrane properties of the TMA-functionalized h-SBS for AEM applications were investigated by measuring ion exchange capacity (IEC), water uptake, and ion conductivity. h-SBS-TMA-1.83 with 24% degree of functionalization of polybutadiene block exhibited an IEC of 1.83 mequiv./g and the highest hydroxide ion conductivity of 93 mS/cm at 80 °C. IEC and hydroxide ion conductivity of all h-SBS AEMs were preserved after treatment with aq. 1 M NaOH solution at 80 °C for 4 weeks, demonstrating good alkaline stability. The h-SBS AEMs with quaternary ammonium groups tethered to the rubbery polybutadiene block of SBS showed better mechanical properties, lower water uptake, less water swelling under humidified conditions, and higher and more stable hydroxide conductivity at 80 °C than the ones tethered to the rigid polystyrene block of hydrogenated SBS AEMs. These results suggest that ionic group functionalization at the rubbery block of SBS provides mechanically more robust AEMs and is better AEM material design than that of glassy block functionalized AEM. [Display omitted] • Selective functionalization of rubbery domain of SBS triblock copolymer with ionic groups. • Property comparison of AEMs that were prepared by ionic functionalization at rubbery domain vs. glassy domain. • AEMs from functionalization at rubbery domain delivers enhanced mechanical property and ion conductivity under hydrated conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an article published in Advanced Functional Materials, Suk‐kyun Ahn and their colleagues discuss the creation of cholesteric liquid crystal elastomers (CLCEs) with slanted helices using direct ink writing. The researchers observed an anisotropic mechanochromic response in the printed CLCEs when they were stretched in relation to the printing direction. This unique property allows for the development of strain sensors that display intricate and programmable color patterns when stretched. The study was conducted by Jihye Choi, Yeongyu Choi, Jin‐Hyeong Lee, Min Chan Kim, Sungmin Park, Kyu Hyun, Kyung Min Lee, Tae‐Hoon Yoon, and Suk‐kyun Ahn. [Extracted from the article]

A simple way to control the gate dielectric properties of vinyl-addition polynorbornene copolymers bearing pendant vinyl groups (P(NB/VNB)) through thiol–ene click chemistry is reported. The optimized content ratio of tetra-thiol cross-linkers leads to the enhanced gate dielectric properties and performance of organic field-effect transistors. Also, this approach provides photo-patternability, low-temperature solution-processing, and air-processability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Splendid advancement of micro/nanofluidic researches in the field of bio- and chemical-analysis enables various ubiquitous applications such as bio-medical diagnostics and environmental monitoring, etc. In such devices, nanostructures are the essential elements so that the nanofabrication methods have been major issues since the last couple of decades. However, most of nanofabrication methods are sophisticated and expensive due to the requirement of high-class cleanroom facilities, while low-cost and biocompatible materials have been already introduced in the microfluidic platforms. Thus, an off-the-shelf and biodegradable material for those nanostructures can complete the concept of an eco-friendly micro/nanofluidic platform. In this work, biodegradable materials originated from well-known organisms such as human nail plate and denatured hen egg (albumen and yolk) were rigorously investigated as a perm-selective nanoporous membrane. A simple micro/nanofluidic device integrated with such materials was fabricated to demonstrate nanofluidic phenomena. These distinctive evidences (the visualization of ion concentration polarization phenomenon, ohmic/limiting/over-limiting current behavior and surface charge-governed conductance) can fulfill the requirements of functional nanostructures for the nanofluidic applications. Therefore, while these materials were less robust than nano-lithographically fabricated structures, bio-oriented perm-selective materials would be utilized as a one of key elements of the biodegradable and eco friendly micro/nanofluidic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease with various histopathologic subtypes. Except for invasive carcinoma of no special type (NST), other subtypes are rare with limited data. The purpose of this study was to analyze the characteristics and prognosis of special histopathologic subtypes of breast cancer compared to NST. Methods: A total of 136,140 patients were analyzed using the Korean Breast Cancer Society Registry database between January 1996 and March 2019. The clinicopathologic features and survival outcomes of special type breast carcinoma were compared with those of NST. Results: The prevalence of special subtypes other than NST was 13.7% (n = 18,633). Compared to NST, patients with lobular, medullary, metaplastic, and micropapillary carcinoma had larger tumors (p < 0.001). Patients with mucinous, tubular, medullary, metaplastic, and cribriform carcinoma presented with less node metastasis (p < 0.001), contrary to patients with micropapillary carcinoma. Patients with lobular, mucinous, tubular, papillary, and cribriform carcinoma presented as luminal A subtype much more often (p < 0.001). Micropapillary carcinoma included more luminal B subtype (p < 0.001). Typically, medullary and metaplastic carcinoma included more triple-negative subtypes (p < 0.001). In survival analysis, only medullary (Hazard Ratio (HzR) 0.542, 95% CI 0.345 to 0.852, p = 0.008) and metaplastic carcinoma (HzR 1.655, 95% CI 1.317 to 2.080, p < 0.001) showed significantly different overall survival from NST by multivariate analysis. Conclusion: Breast cancer had distinct clinicopathologic features according to histopathologic subtype. However, special types of breast cancer had similar survival outcomes compared to NST when adjusting for other prognostic factors, except for metaplastic carcinoma and medullary carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the scaling down of complementary metal–oxide semiconductors (CMOS), atomic layer deposition of high-quality HfO2 has emerged as a key technology for ultrathin and high-k gate dielectrics. Recently, heteroleptic ligand structures have been introduced to complement the limitations of existing homoleptic precursors. Among the heteroleptic precursors, partial substitution with cyclopentadiene (Cp)-based ligands has been employed for controlling the volatility and thermal stability of precursors. In this study, we investigated the effects of the Cp ligand on the high-k properties of ALD HfO2 by comparing Hf(N(CH3)2)4 and CpHf(N(CH3)2)3 through theoretical and experimental methods. We theoretically predicted the changes in precursor behavior on the surface due to the Cp ligand, such as the high activation energy for the final chemisorption and the steric hindrance caused by the bulky Cp ligand. Additionally, we experimentally found that these changes affect not only the growth rate of ALD HfO2 but also the film properties. The Cp ligand on the surface sterically hinders the reaction of the nearby OH group with precursor molecules, retaining the residual OH content in the films. Consequently, the high OH content in the films degrades the film density and leakage current of ALD HfO2 as a high-k film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]