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The conformal surface coating of Ni-rich layered cathode materials is essential for mitigating their interfacial and subsequent structural degradation. The zirconia (ZrO2) coating effectively enhances the surface stability of the cathode owing to its excellent chemical durability; however, the insulating electrical conductivity of ZrO2 increases the electrode resistance and triggers efficiency decay. Here, we propose highly conductive oxygen-deficient black ZrO2−x as a charge-conductive coating material. The black ZrO2−x is uniformly coated onto the Ni-rich LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 (NMC) surface via a solvent-free mechanochemical shearing process. Benefiting from the black ZrO2−x coating layer, black ZrO2−x coated NMC shows improved cycling characteristics and better rate capability than both bare NMC and ZrO2 coated NMC. The enhanced electrochemical performance by the conformal coating of black ZrO2−x mainly results from enhanced charge transfer, reduced gas evolution, and mitigated microstructural cracking. Density functional theory calculations confirm that the defective structure of black ZrO2−x lowers the energy barrier for Li ion transfer, and strong hybridization between Zr in black ZrO2−x and O in NMC mitigates oxygen evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various bio-based recombinant proteins have been produced for industrial, medical, and research purposes. Plants are potential platforms for recombinant protein production because of several advantages. Therefore, establishing a system with high target gene expression to compensate for the low protein yield of plant systems is crucial. In particular, selecting and combining strong terminators is essential because the expression of target genes can be substantially enhanced. Here, we aimed to quantify the enhancement in the fluorescence intensity of the turbo green fluorescence protein (tGFP) caused by the best double-terminator combinations compared to that of the control vector using agroinfiltration in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. tGFP fluorescence increased by 4.1-fold in leaf samples infiltrated with a vector containing a double terminator and markedly increased by a maximum of 23.7-fold when co-infiltrated with the geminiviral vector and P19 compared to that in constructs containing an octopine synthase terminator. Polyadenylation site analysis in leaf tissues expressing single or dual terminators showed that the first terminator influenced the polyadenylation site determination of the second terminator, resulting in different polyadenylation sites compared with when the terminator is located first. The combination of the high-expression terminators and geminiviral vectors can increase the production of target proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives: Owing to the growing resistance of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) to conventional antibiotics, the development of innovative therapeutic strategies for the treatment of MRSA-infected cutaneous wounds poses a significant challenge. Methods: Here, by using polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), emerging biodegradable and biocompatible polymers naturally produced by various microorganisms, we developed clindamycin-loaded PHA nanoparticles (Cly-PHA NPs) as a novel approach for the treatment of MRSA-infected cutaneous wounds. Results: Cly-PHA NPs were characterized in terms of mean particle size (216.2 ± 38.9 nm), polydispersity index (0.093 ± 0.03), zeta potential (11.3 ± 0.5 mV), and drug loading (6.76 ± 0.19%). Owing to the sustained release of clindamycin over 2 days provided by the PHA, Cly-PHA NPs exhibited potent antibacterial effects against MRSA. Furthermore, Cly-PHA NPs significantly facilitated wound healing in a mouse model of MRSA-infected full-thickness wounds by effectively eradicating MRSA from the wound bed. Conclusions: Therefore, our results suggest that Cly-PHA NPs offer a promising approach for combating MRSA infections and accelerating cutaneous wound healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the enhancement of vehicle warm-up performance using phase-change materials (PCMs) and various thermal storage methods. The primary objective is to utilize the thermal energy lost during engine cooling to improve the cold-start performance, thereby reducing fuel consumption and emissions. Thermal storage devices incorporating PCMs were developed and tested by measuring temperature changes and energy transfer over soaking periods of 4, 8, 16, and 24 h. The results show energy transfers of 591, 489, 446, and 315 kJ at 4, 8, 16, and 24 h, respectively. In terms of the warm-up time, the use of thermal storage devices reduced the time required to reach 70 °C by up to 24.45%, with significant reductions observed across all soaking periods. This reduction in the warm-up time directly contributes to faster engine stabilization, leading to proportional improvements in fuel efficiency and a corresponding decrease in exhaust emissions, including CO2. The findings highlight the effectiveness of PCMs in improving the engine warm-up performance and emphasize the importance of optimizing thermal storage systems to balance energy efficiency and practical application considerations. Additionally, the experimental data provide useful benchmark information for computational simulation validation, enabling the further optimization of automotive thermal management systems. Integrating a PCM-based thermal storage device can significantly enhance a vehicle's warm-up performance, leading to reduced fuel consumption and lower emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lung is recognized as a site for initiating the formation of self-antigen and autoimmune responses in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We aimed to investigate the association of upper respiratory microbiota with RA, autoantibody production, and disease activity. Forty-six patients with RA and 17 controls were examined. Nasopharyngeal swab samples were sequenced for microbiome profiling using the V3–V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. The microbial diversity and relative abundance were compared between RA patients and controls. Correlation analyses were conducted to evaluate the relationship between microbial abundance and clinical markers such as autoantibodies and disease activity. Microbial diversity analysis revealed no major differences between RA patients and healthy controls. However, beta diversity analysis indicated a subtle distinction in microbial composition (unweighted UniFrac distance) between the two groups (P = 0.03), hinting at a minor subset of microbiota associated with disease status. Differential abundance analysis uncovered specific taxa at various taxonomic levels, including Saccharibacteria (TM7) [O-1] (PFDR = 2.53 × 10−2), TM7 [F-1] (PFDR = 5.20 × 10−3), Microbacterium (PFDR = 3.37 × 10−4), and Stenotrophomonas (PFDR = 2.57 × 10−3). The relative abundance of ten genera correlated significantly with anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibody levels (PFDR < 0.05) and 11 genera were significantly associated with disease activity markers, including ESR, CRP, DAS28-ESR, and DAS-CRP (PFDR < 0.05). In particular, Saccharibacteria TM7 [G-3] and Peptostreptococcaceae [XI] [G-1] were correlated with all disease activity biomarkers. Dysbiosis in the upper respiratory mucosa is associated with RA, anti-CCP antibody levels, and disease activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium batteries with solid-state electrolytes are an appealing alternative to state-of-the-art non-aqueous lithium-ion batteries with liquid electrolytes because of safety and energy aspects. However, engineering development at the cell level for lithium batteries with solid-state electrolytes is limited. Here, to advance this aspect and produce high-energy lithium cells, we introduce a cell design based on advanced parametrization of microstructural and architectural parameters of electrode and electrolyte components. To validate the cell design proposed, we assemble and test (applying a stack pressure of 3.74 MPa at 45 °C) 10-layer and 4-layer solid-state lithium pouch cells with a solid polymer electrolyte, resulting in an initial specific energy of 280 Wh kg−1 (corresponding to an energy density of 600 Wh L−1) and 310 Wh kg−1 (corresponding to an energy density of 650 Wh L−1) respectively. Multiscale design principles and empirical processing techniques are considered for the design of high-energy-density Li-based batteries using polymer electrolytes. Here, the authors demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach by assembling and testing ampere-hour-level solid-state lithium-based pouch cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While first-principles calculations of electrode-molecule adsorption play an indispensable role in obtaining atomic-level understanding in surface science and electrochemistry, a significant challenge remains because the adsorption energy is well-defined only in equilibrium. Herein, a theory to calculate the electric enthalpy for electrified interfaces is formulated within the multi-space constrained-search density functional theory (MS-DFT), which provides the nonequilibrium total energy of a nanoscale electrode-channel-electrode junction. An additional MS-DFT calculation for the electrode-only counterpart that maintains the same bias voltage allows one to identify the internal energy of the channel as well as the electric field and the channel polarization, which together determine the electric enthalpy and the nonequilibrium adsorption energy. Application of the developed scheme to the water-Au and water-graphene interface models shows that the Au and graphene electrodes induce very different behaviors in terms of the electrode potential-dependent stabilization of water configurations. The theory developed here will be a valuable tool in the ongoing effort to obtain atomic-scale understanding of bias-dependent molecular reorganizations in electrified interfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyroshock is a large mechanical response with a wide frequency range that occurs instantaneously in a structure owing to the detonation of pyrotechnics or explosives. This response can cause critical damage to the surrounding electronics of aerospace systems. Therefore, designing a structure to prevent damage to electronic equipment from pyroshock is necessary. However, the characteristics of pyroshock change depending on the shape of the structure, boundary conditions, and materials; hence, it must be quantitatively analyzed. In this work, a pyroshock simulator was used for the characteristic study of shock propagation in various structures. A typical aerospace structure is a connected structure that uses rivets or bolts to connect two separate structures. Therefore, a study was conducted using numerical analysis and a shock simulator to characterize the pyroshock propagation in these joint structures. First, numerical analysis and experiments were performed by varying the bolt torque to observe the shock propagation characteristics according to the bolt load. Second, to observe the shock propagation characteristics according to the angle of the joint structure, the responses of 90°, 120°, and 180° joint structures were compared. Third, the characteristics of shock propagation through SUS304 and AL 6061-T6 were compared to observe the change in propagation characteristics due to material change. The results of investigation of the shock propagation characteristics in various structures in this study could be used to mitigate electronic equipment malfunctions due to pyroshock and in designing effective shock-attenuating structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Our previous study confirmed that large litter size adversely affects prepartum maternal hormones and behaviour, concurrently with heightened oxidative stress in primiparous sows. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of large litter size on litter performance, postpartum maternal behaviour, salivary cortisol levels, and colostral immunoglobulin levels in sows, as well as investigate their correlations with the levels of oxidative stress parameters. Results: A total of 24 primiparous sows (Landrace Large white) and their offspring were categorised into two groups based on litter size: NORMAL (n = 8) with litter size ranging from 7 to 14 (mean 11.5 2.7), and LARGE (n=16) with litter size ranging from 15 to 20 (mean 15.9 1.4). All sows were housed in a group housing system during gestation and transitioned to an adaptable loose housing system (2.4 2.3 m) during the farrowing and lactation periods. The nursing and carefulness behaviour of the sows was monitored over a 24-h period between 72 and 96 h after parturition. Saliva samples were collected for cortisol assay on 35, 21, and 7 days before parturition (D-35, D-21, and D-7, respectively), as well as on days 1, 7, and 28 after parturition (D1, D7, and D28, respectively). On D1, higher piglet mortality rates were observed among the LARGE group compared to the NORMAL group (p<0.01). The total and successful nursing behaviours of the sows were less frequent in the LARGE group than in the NORMAL group (p<0.05, for both), and the carefulness score of the LARGE group was also lower than that of the NORMAL group (p< 0.01). On D1, cortisol levels in LARGE sows were higher than those in NORMAL sows (p< 0.05), and for other time points (D-21, D-7, D7, and D28), cortisol levels in LARGE sows tended to be higher than those in NORMAL sows (p < 0.10, for all). Successful nursing behaviour displayed negative correlations with levels of salivary cortisol and certain oxidative stress parameters measured on D1. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the strategy for alleviating physiological and oxidative stress during the peripartum periods could benefit potential postpartum maternal behaviour and litter performance in the sows with large litters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperprolific sows often experience increased oxidative stress during late gestation and lactation periods, which can adversely affect the farrowing process and overall lactation performance. This study examines the influence of providing a coconut coir mat (CCM; 1 × 1 m) as nesting material, supplementing high-dose vit-C (HVC; 20% vit-C, 10 g/kg feed) as an antioxidant, or both on maternal behavior, the farrowing process, oxidative status, cortisol levels, and preovulatory follicle developments in sows with large litters. In total, 35 sows (Landrace × Yorkshire; litter size 15.43 ± 0.27) were allocated to the following four treatment groups: control (n = 9, basal diet), vit-C (n = 8, basal diet + HVC), mat (n = 10, basal diet + CCM), and mat + vit-C (n = 8, basal diet + HVC + CCM). A post-hoc analysis showed that compared with sows that were not provided CCM, mat and mat + vit-C groups demonstrated increased durations of nest-building behavior during the period from 24 h to 12 h before parturition (p < 0.05 for both), reduced farrowing durations, and decreased intervals from birth to first udder contact (p < 0.01 for both). The mat group exhibited lower advanced oxidation protein product (AOPP) levels during late gestation and lactation periods than the control group (p < 0.05). Sows with HVC supplementation showed longer farrowing durations than those without HVC supplementation (p < 0.0001). The vit-C group had higher salivary cortisol levels on day 1 after farrowing than the other treatment groups (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the follicle diameters on day 3 after weaning in the vit-C group tended to be smaller than those in the control group (p = 0.077). HVC supplementation prolonged farrowing and increased the physiological stress on postpartum, and no advantageous effects on maternal behavior and developmental progression of preovulatory follicles were observed. Hence, alternative solutions beyond nutritional approaches are required to address increased oxidative stress in hyperprolific sows and secure their welfare and reproductive performance. The present results substantiated the positive impact of providing CCM as nesting material for sows with large litters on nest-building behavior and the farrowing process, which could mitigate the deleterious consequences induced by peripartum physiological and oxidative stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The biological clock allows an organism to anticipate periodic environmental changes and adjust its physiology and behavior accordingly. Objective: This retrospective cross-sectional study examined circadian gene polymorphisms and clinical characteristics associated with insulin resistance (IR). Methods: We analyzed data from 1,404 Korean adults aged 30 to 55 with no history of cancer and cardio-cerebrovascular disease. The population was classified according to sex and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) values. Demographics, anthropometric and clinical characteristics, and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were analyzed with respect to sex, age, and HOMA-IR values. We used association rule mining to identify sets of SNPs from circadian and metabolic sensing genes that may be associated with IR. Results: Among the subjects, 15.0% of 960 women and 24.3% of 444 men had HOMA-IR values above 2. Most of the parameters differed significantly between men and women, as well as between the groups with high and low insulin sensitivity. Body fat mass of the trunk, which was significantly higher in insulin-resistant groups, had a higher correlation with high sensitivity C-reactive protein and hemoglobin levels in women, and alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels in men. Homozygous minor allele genotype sets of SNPs rs17031578 and rs228669 in the PER3 gene could be more frequently found among women with HOMA-IR values above 2 (p =.014). Conclusion: Oxidative stress enhanced by adiposity and iron overload, which may also be linked to NRF2 and PER3-related pathways, is related to IR in adulthood. However, due to the small population size in this study, more research is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colon-targeted oral drug delivery systems comprising nanoparticles and microparticles have emerged as promising tools for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC) because they minimize side effects and maximize the local drug concentration. Dexamethasone sodium phosphate (DSP) is a potent anti-inflammatory glucocorticoid used for the treatment of UC. However, it remains a rather short-term treatment option owing to its side effects. In the present study, we developed the alginate gel encapsulating ionically bridged DSP-zinc-poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanocomplex (DZP-NCs-in-microgel) for the oral local treatment of UC. The successful encapsulation of DSP-zinc-PLGA nanocomplex (DZP-NCs) in alginate microgel was confirmed by SEM imaging. The prepared gel released DZP-NCs in the stimulated intestinal fluid and dampened the release of DSP in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Furthermore, DZP-NCs-in-microgel alleviated colonic inflammation in a mouse model of dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis by relieving clinical symptoms and histological marks. Our results suggest a novel approach for the oral colon-targeted delivery of dexamethasone sodium phosphate for the treatment of UC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gut microbiome is closely linked to gastrointestinal health and disease status. Oral administration of known probiotic strains is now considered a promising therapeutic strategy, especially for refractory diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease. In this study, we developed a nanostructured hydroxyapatite/alginate (HAp/Alg) composite hydrogel that protects its encapsulated probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) by neutralizing hydrogen ions that penetrate the hydrogel in a stomach without inhibiting LGG release in an intestine. Surface and transection analyses of the hydrogel revealed characteristic patterns of crystallization and composite‐layer formation. TEM revealed the dispersal of the nanosized HAp crystals and encapsulated LGG in the Alg hydrogel networks. The HAp/Alg composite hydrogel maintained its internal microenvironmental pH, thereby enabling the LGG to survive for substantially longer. At intestinal pH, the encapsulated LGG was completely released upon disintegration of the composite hydrogel. In a dextran sulfate sodium‐induced colitis mouse model, we then assessed the therapeutic effect of the LGG‐encapsulating hydrogel. This achieved intestinal delivery of LGG with minimal loss of enzymatic function and viability, ameliorating colitis by reducing epithelial damage, submucosal edema, inflammatory cell infiltration, and the number of goblet cells. These findings reveal the HAp/Alg composite hydrogel as a promising intestinal‐delivery platform for live microorganisms including probiotics and live biotherapeutic products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keeping both the chemical and physical state of the electrode–electrolyte interface intact is one of the greatest challenges in achieving solid‐state batteries (SSBs) with longer cycle lives. Herein, the use of organic electrolyte additives in the cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI) layer to mitigate the intertwined chemical and mechanical degradation in sulfide‐based SSBs is demonstrated. Lithium difluorobis(oxalato)phosphate (LiDFBOP) and argyrodite (Li6PS5Cl) are used as a model system, with the LiDFBOP‐derived CEI layer induced by irreversible oxidation above 4.12 V (vs Li+/Li) during the formation cycle exhibiting dual functions. This CEI layer retards the rate of chemical degradation between the cathode active particles and solid electrolytes at high charging potential and helps maintain intimate physical contact even at a low stack pressure of 0.75 MPa. The improved physical contact enables delivery of a high initial capacity, while chemical stability suppressing the sulfite or sulfate formation has a more dominant effect on the long‐term cycle stability. This study presents a new perspective and strategies for designing cathode coating materials for sulfide‐based SSBs beyond the typically used inorganic oxide materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to find the appropriate level of goat milk protein powder (GMPP) and ginseng powder (GP) as natural binding agent and antioxidant added for emulsion-type pork sausages. Six groups of pork sausages were prepared: (1) pork sausage with 0.2% phosphate and 0.1% ascorbic acid (C2), (2) negative control (C3), (3) with 0.2% GMPP and 0.1% GP (T1), (4) 0.2% GMPP and 0.3% GP (T2), (5) 0.4% GMPP and 0.1% GP (T3), and (6) 0.4% GMPP and 0.3% GP (T4). Proximate analysis, water holding capacity (WHC), emulsion stability, cooking loss, color, texture properties, and sensory properties of sausages were performed. pH, DPPH radical scavenging, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), volatile basic nitrogen (VBN), and total microbial count (TMC) were measured for pork sausages after storage at 4°C for 0, 7, 14, and 21 days. The results showed that water and total exudation showed significantly lower values in T3. Cooking loss also showed a significantly lower value in T3. T3 showed a significantly higher value of springiness of textural properties than C2. With increasing level of GMPP added, protein content and pH value of pork sausages were also increased. There were no significant differences in WHC or sensory properties between C2 and T3. TBARS and VBN values of T3 were significantly lower than those of other experimental groups during all storage periods. T3 presented higher DPPH radical scavenging values during all storage periods. These results indicate that adding 0.4% GMPP and 0.1% GMPP can effectively improve quality and storage characteristics of pork sausages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) is a probiotic that has emerged as novel therapeutic agents for managing various diseases, such as cancer, atopic dermatitis, inflammatory bowel disease, and infections. In this study, we investigated the potential mechanisms underlying the anticancer effect of the metabolites of L. plantarum. We cultured L. plantarum cells to obtain their metabolites, created several dilutions, and used these solutions to treat human colonic Caco-2 cells. Our results showed a 10% dilution of L. plantarum metabolites decreased cell viability and reduced the expression of autophagy-related proteins. Moreover, we found co-treatment with L. plantarum metabolites and chloroquine, a known autophagy inhibitor, had a synergistic effect on cytotoxicity and downregulation of autophagy-related protein expression. In conclusion, we showed the metabolites from the probiotic, L. plantarum, work synergistically with chloroquine in killing Caco-2 cells and downregulating the expression of autophagy-related proteins, suggesting the involvement of autophagy, rather than apoptosis, in their cytotoxic effect. Hence, this study provides new insights into new therapeutic methods via inhibiting autophagy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the physicochemical characteristics and storage stability (at 0, 3, and 7 days) of hybrid beef patties with different amount of shiitake mushrooms (Lentinus edodes) added. Shiitake mushrooms contain healthy ingredients such as ergosterol and β-glucan. Four proportions of shiitake mushrooms were added to beef patties (T1, 20%, T2, 40%, T3, 60%, T4, 80%) as a substitute for beef and compared with a control group (CON 0%). Chemical composition, water holding capacity (WHC), cooking loss, pH, color, texture profile analysis, and sensory properties of the products were compared on day 0. As a storage stability experiment, volatile basic nitrogen (VBN), 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and total microbial count were compared (0, 3, and 7 days). The results revealed that replacement with shiitake improved the WHC and cooking loss of patties but had a negative effect on sensory properties and storage stability. These results indicate that shiitake mushrooms can be added along with beef to produce hybrid patties; however, the usage amount must be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of pharmaceutical compounds in plants is attracting increasing attention, as plant-based systems can be less expensive, safer, and more scalable than mammalian, yeast, bacterial, and insect cell expression systems. Here, we review the history and current status of plant-made pharmaceuticals. Producing pharmaceuticals in plants requires pairing the appropriate plant species with suitable transformation technology. Pharmaceuticals have been produced in tobacco, cereals, legumes, fruits, and vegetables via nuclear transformation, chloroplast transformation, transient expression, and transformation of suspension cell cultures. Despite this wide range of species and methods used, most such efforts have involved the nuclear transformation of tobacco. Tobacco readily generates large amounts of biomass, easily accepts foreign genes, and is amenable to stable gene expression via nuclear transformation. Although vaccines, antibodies, and therapeutic proteins have been produced in plants, such pharmaceuticals are not readily utilized by humans due to differences in glycosylation, and few such compounds have been approved due to a lack of clinical data. In addition, achieving an adequate immune response using plant-made pharmaceuticals can be difficult due to low rates of production compared to other expression systems. Various technologies have recently been developed to help overcome these limitations; however, plant systems are expected to increasingly become widely used expression systems for recombinant protein production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By combining bifunctional diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) and trifunctional tris(4‐hydroxyphenyl) methane triglycidyl ether (TMTE) epoxy monomers, along with 4,4′‐dithiodibutyric acid (DTDBA) as a carboxylic acid, a variety of novel reprocessable and recyclable thermoset polymers are synthesized. The crosslinked network structures with different crosslinking densities are produced by changing the mixing ratio between DGEBA and TMTE, resulting in changes in mechanical and thermal properties of the final products. The stress relaxation and self‐healing experiments confirmed that all of these polymeric materials have covalent adaptable networks in their microstructures and perform reversible transesterification processes inside a polymer network. These thermoset polymers are completely decomposed in solution by disulfide‐thiol reduction of DTDBA with reversible cleavage or coupling capability in the presence of reducing agent, allowing chemical recycling capability into the thermoset polymer network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N‐Acetylserotonin (NAS) is an intermediate in the melatonin biosynthetic pathway. We investigated the anti‐inflammatory activity of NAS by focusing on its chemical feature oxidizable to an electrophile. NAS was readily oxidized by reaction with HOCl, an oxidant produced in the inflammatory state. HOCl‐reacted NAS (Oxi‐NAS), but not NAS, activated the anti‐inflammatory nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2)‐heme oxygenase (HO)‐1 pathway in cells. Chromatographic and mass analyses demonstrated that Oxi‐NAS was the iminoquinone form of NAS and could react with N‐acetylcysteine possessing a nucleophilic thiol to form a covalent adduct. Oxi‐NAS bound to Kelch‐like ECH‐associated protein 1, resulting in Nrf2 dissociation. Moreover, rectally administered NAS increased the levels of nuclear Nrf2 and HO‐1 proteins in the inflamed colon of rats. Simultaneously, NAS was converted to Oxi‐NAS in the inflamed colon. Rectal NAS mitigated colonic damage and inflammation. The anticolitic effects were significantly compromised by the coadministration of an HO‐1 inhibitor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) has emerged as a novel material for replacing various plastics used in the medical field. However, its application as a drug-delivery carrier for colitis-targeted delivery has not been explored. In this study, we used biosynthesized PHB combined with Eudragit FS (EFS) and cyclosporine A (CSA) to develop pH-responsive controlled CSA-releasing nanoparticles (CSA-PENPs) for colitis-targeted drug delivery and demonstrated its enhanced therapeutic efficacy in a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced murine colitis model. PHB was successfully biosynthesized in the bacterium Cupriavidus necator, as demonstrated by 1H-NMR and FT-IR analyses. CSA-PENPs were fabricated via the oil-in-water emulsion solvent evaporation method. Owing to the potent pH-responsive and sustained drug release properties provided by PHB and EFS, CSA-PENPs could deliver a sufficient amount of CSA to inflamed tissues in the distal colon; in contrast, CSA-loaded EFS nanoparticles displayed premature burst release before reaching the target site. Due to enhanced CSA delivery to colitis tissues, CSA-PENPs exhibited potent anti-inflammatory effects in the DSS-induced murine colitis model. Overall, CSA-PENPs could be a promising drug-delivery system for treating ulcerative colitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The standardization of 5G in 3GPP is entering a second phase known as 5G-Advanced. The recent approval of Release 18 is based on a combination of features addressing immediate and longer-term needs. In this article, we present a comprehensive overview of Release 18 features by classifying them into three different categories: enhanced mobile broadband, vertical domain, and new areas. Evaluation results are provided to demonstrate the potential of 5G-Advanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stochastic weight averaging (SWA) was applied to improve the radiation emulator based on a sequential neural network (SNN) in a numerical weather prediction model over Korea. While the SWA has advantages in terms of generalization such as the ensemble model, the computational cost is maintained at the same level as that of a single model. In this study, the performances of both emulators were evaluated under ideal and real case frameworks. Various sensitivity experiments using different sampling ratios, activation functions, hidden layers, and batch sizes were also conducted. The emulators showed a 60‐fold speedup for the radiation processes and 84%–87% reduction of the total computation. In the ideal simulation, compared to the infrequent radiation scheme by 60 times, SNN improved forecast errors by 5.8%–14.1%, and SWA further increased these improvements by 18.2%–26.9%. In the real case simulation, SNN showed 8.8% and 4.7% improvements for longwave and shortwave (SW) fluxes compared to the infrequent method; however, these improvements decreased significantly after 5 days, resulting in 1.8% larger error for skin temperature. By contrast, SWA showed stable 1‐week forecast features with 12.6%, 8.0%, and 4.4% improvements in longwave and SW fluxes, and skin temperature, respectively. Although the use of two hidden layers showed the best performance in this study, it was thought that the optimal number of hidden layers could differ depending on the given problem. Compared to temperature and precipitation observations, all experiments showed a variability of error within 1%, implying that the operational use of the developed emulators is possible. Plain Language Summary: The neural network (NN) emulators for radiation parameterization have been actively developing to accelerate the computational speed of the numerical climate and weather forecasting models. Although previous studies have demonstrated that the computational speed for radiation processes can be improved tens of times, guaranteeing stability in long‐term forecasting has been recognized as imperative for the operational use of radiation emulator. In general, the multi‐model ensemble approach is used to reduce the uncertainty of a single model. However, this approach induces a significant computation burden in proportion to ensemble members. The alternative method developed in this study uses a stochastic averaging technique for weight coefficients during the NN training process, allowing processing to be conducted at the same computational cost as the single model because the dimensions of the final weights are maintained. Application of the trained NN emulator to the numerical weather forecasting model has demonstrated the advantages of generalization in various test cases, while exhibiting significant improvements in accuracy in the latter part of the forecast. This method can therefore contribute to improving emulator studies that face problems related to generalization. Key Points: The performance of the neural network (NN) radiation scheme was evaluated under ideal and real case frameworksStochastic weight averaging is advantageous in generalization compared to the traditional NNLong‐term forecast errors can be largely improved using stochastic weight averaging [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although various local anti-inflammatory therapies for ulcerative colitis have been developed, rapid drug elimination from inflamed colitis tissue and off-target side effects reduce their therapeutic efficacy. In this study, we synthesized curcumin (Cur)-loaded hyaluronic acid (HA)-conjugated nanoparticles (Cur-HA-PLGA-NPs) that target inflamed colitis tissue via HA-CD44 interaction with resident colonic epithelial cells and subsequently target activated macrophages for ulcerative colitis therapy. The synthesized spherical Cur-HA-PLGA-NPs showed physicochemical properties similar to those of non-HA-conjugated Cur-PLGA-NPs. HA-PLGA-NPs exhibited selective accumulation in inflamed colitis tissue with minimal accumulation in healthy colon tissue. HA functionalization enhanced targeted drug delivery to intestinal macrophages, significantly increasing HA-PLGA-NP cellular uptake. Importantly, the rectal administration of Cur-HA-PLGA-NPs exhibited better therapeutic efficacy than Cur-PLGA-NPs in animal studies. Histological examination revealed that Cur-HA-PLGA-NPs reduced inflammation with less inflammatory cell infiltration and accelerated recovery with re-epithelialization signs. Our results suggest that Cur-HA-PLGA-NPs are a promising delivery platform for treating ulcerative colitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyrotechnic-separation devices are widely used in the separation mission of satellites and projectiles. The pyroshock generated by the pyrotechnic-separation device can cause serious damage to surrounding electronic equipment owing to its high-frequency characteristics, which leads to mission failure. Therefore, solving the pyroshock problem is necessary. Typically, attenuation of the pyroshock propagation based on the understanding of the shock-propagation characteristics of a structure is possible. However, as pyrotechnics (or explosives) cannot be used for every pyroshock-propagation experiment due to the high cost and risk, a device for simulating a pyroshock environment that does not use pyrotechnics is required. In this study, a pyroshock simulator was developed, which could generate the desired shock environment by controlling shock environment-generation variables and be tested for any test structure. For this purpose, a resonator attached to the test structure and a pneumatic launch device was designed and fabricated. A resonator that generates a desired shock environment was designed by predicting the shock generation through impact analysis. A pyroshock simulator that generates a shock like an actual pyroshock was developed through comparison with the shock-response spectrum of a pyrotechnic initiator. The repeatability was verified, and the frequency and magnitude of the shock generated by the pyroshock simulator could be controlled by adjusting the collision velocity of the steel ball and the thickness of the resonator disk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While low-dimensional organometal halide perovskites are expected to open up new opportunities for a diverse range of device applications, like in their bulk counterparts, the toxicity of Pb-based halide perovskite materials is a significant concern that hinders their practical use. We recently predicted that lead triiodide (PbI3) columns derived from trimethylsulfonium (TMS) lead triiodide (CH3)3SPbI3 (TMSPbI3) by stripping off TMS ligands should be semimetallic, and additionally ultrahigh negative differential resistance (NDR) can arise from the heterojunction composed of a TMSPbI3 channel sandwiched by PbI3 electrodes. Herein, we computationally explore whether similar material and device characteristics can be obtained from other one-dimensional halide perovskites based on non-Pb metal elements, and in doing so deepen the understanding of their mechanistic origins. First, scanning through several candidate metal halide inorganic frameworks as well as their parental form halide perovskites, we find that the germanium triiodide (GeI3) column also assumes a semimetallic character by avoiding the Peierls distortion. Next, adopting the bundled nanowire GeI3-TMSGeI3-GeI3 junction configuration, we obtain a drastically high peak current density and ultrahigh NDR at room temperature. Furthermore, the robustness and controllability of NDR signals from GeI3-TMSGeI3-GeI3 devices under strain are revealed, establishing its potential for flexible electronics applications. It will be emphasized that, despite the performance metrics notably enhanced over those from the TMSPbI3 case, these device characteristics still arise from the identical quantum hybridization NDR mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enable the computer-aided design of vertically stacked two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) heterostructure devices, we here introduce a non-equilibrium first-principles simulation method based on the multi-space constrained-search density functional formalism. Applying it to graphene/few-layer hBN/graphene field-effect transistors, we show that the negative differential resistance (NDR) characteristics can be produced not only from the gating-induced mismatch between two graphene Dirac cones in energy-momentum space but from the bias-dependent energetic shift of defect levels. Specifically, for a carbon atom substituted for a nitrogen atom (CN) within inner hBN layers, the increase of bias voltage is found to induce a self-consistent electron filling of in-gap CN states, which in turn changes voltage drop profiles and produces symmetric NDR characteristics. With the CN placed on outer hBN layers, however, the pinning of CN states to nearby graphene significantly modifies device characteristics, demonstrating the critical impact of atomic details for 2D vdW devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the pace of global 5G network deployments accelerates, now is the moment for the cellular industry to realize 6G cellular communication. In this article, modular massive multiple-in-put multiple-output (mmMIMO) is presented as one candidate technology for 6G to improve the spectral efficiency in low-frequency bands. The 5G New Radio pushed the boundary of the cellular system's operating frequency to high-frequen-cy bands, and this trend will continue in the 6G era. However, the technical advances in 5G for low-frequency bands fall short, although low-frequency bands are crucial in serving a large number of users in a wide coverage area. Although it would be ideal if massive MIMO could be utilized in low-frequency bands, it is less practical due to a large antenna form factor size. mmMIMO is a technology to distribute a large active antenna array with smaller standardized antenna modules, just like Lego-type building blocks. Through this, the benefits of massive MIMO can be achieved in low-frequency bands (e.g., sub-1 GHz), unconstrained by spatial limitations. In this article, the concept of mmMIMO, its applicability, and needed research efforts to standardize the technology for 6G are discussed. In addition, through the demonstration of a proof-of-concept system, it is shown that the technology can be within reach at the time of 6G commercialization around 2030. Lastly, the performance gain of mmMIMO is evidenced by system-level simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In their supercritical state simple fluids are generally thought to assume a homogeneous phase throughout all combinations of pressures and temperatures, although various response functions or transport properties may exhibit anomalous behavior, characterizing a state point as either more gas-like or liquid-like, respectively. While a large body of results has been compiled in the last two decades regarding the details of the supercritical phase in thermodynamic equilibrium, far less studies have been dedicated to out-of-equilibrium situations that nevertheless occur along with the handling of substances such as carbon dioxide or Argon. Here we consider successive compression-expansion cycles of equal amounts of Argon injected into a high-pressure chamber, traversing the critical pressure at two times the critical temperature. Due to expansion cooling, the fluid temporarily becomes sub-critical, and light scattering experiments show the formation of sub-micron-sized droplets and nanometer-scale clusters, both of which are distinct from spontaneous density fluctuations of the supercritical background and persist for a surprisingly long time. A kinetic rate model of the exchange of liquid droplets with the smaller clusters can explain this behavior. Our results indicate non-equilibrium aspects of supercritical fluids that may prove important for their processing in industrial applications. In their supercritical state simple fluids are generally thought to assume a homogeneous phase throughout. Lee et al. find that liquid droplets temporarily formed in a supercritical background after sub-critical injection can survive for a surprisingly long time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed oils are used as edible oils and increasingly also for industrial applications. Although high-oleic seed oil is preferred for industrial use, most seed oil is high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and low in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) such as oleic acid. Oil from Camelina, an emerging oilseed crop with a high seed oil content and resistance to environmental stress, contains 60% PUFAs and 30% MUFAs. Hexaploid Camelina carries three homoeologs of FAD2 , encoding fatty acid desaturase 2 (FAD2), which is responsible for the synthesis of linoleic acid from oleic acid. In this study, to increase the MUFA contents of Camelina seed oil, we generated CsFAD2 knockout plants via CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene editing using the pRedU6fad2EcCas9 vector containing DsRed as a selection marker, the U6 promoter to drive a single guide RNA (sgRNA) covering the common region of the three CsFAD2 homoeologs, and an egg-cell-specific promoter to drive Cas9 expression. We analyzed CsFAD2 homoeolog-specific sequences by PCR using genomic DNA from transformed Camelina leaves. Knockout of all three pairs of FAD2 homoeologs led to a stunted bushy phenotype, but greatly enhanced MUFA levels (by 80%) in seeds. However, transformants with two pairs of CsFAD2 homoeologs knocked out but the other pair wild-type heterozygous showed normal growth and a seed MUFAs production increased up to 60%. These results provide a basis for the metabolic engineering of genes that affect growth in polyploid crops through genome editing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new structural phase is discovered for M2CO2 MXenes with M = Sc, Y, La, Lu, Tm, and Ho. The hexagonal carbon layer sandwiched between M atoms, typical for MXenes, is transformed into C3 trimers with anionic electrons localized in quasi zero‐dimensional lattice spaces in‐between the C3 units, so the systems can be described as [M6 C3 O6]+II : 2e− electrides. The systems are readily ionized into [M6 C3 O6]+II with very low ionization energy via an anti‐doping mechanism. It is shown that this new structure of Sc2CO2 can bind multiple lithium atoms, with low migration barriers. The findings indicate that these M2CO2 MXenes with unusual carbon trimers are a new family of 2D electride insulators with the potential for charge storage applications, thermal field emission, and as anode material in lithium batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hollow mesoporous carbon nanospheres doped with fluorine (FHMC) were synthesized for high-performance supercapacitor applications. Monodisperse nanospheres with a copolymeric core-silica shell were produced by charge density matching. The copolymeric chains in the core phase were crosslinked through a Friedel-Crafts reaction, followed by carbonization at 800 °C under a N2 atmosphere to obtain the core-shell (CSC) nanospheres with a carbon core and silica/carbon composite shell. The silica phase of these core-shell nanospheres was etched selectively during the thermal decomposition of Teflon to synthesize the FHMC nanospheres. During the etching process of silica in the shell phase, the surfaces of the nanospheres were doped with fluorine. The BET surface area was increased significantly from 788 m2/g and 1.31 cm3/g for the CSC nanospheres to 1021 m2/g and 2.55 cm3/g for the FHMC nanospheres. The specific capacitance of the FHMC nanospheres prepared was approximately 174 F/g at a current density of 0.5 A/g. The capacity retention after 10000 charge/discharge cycles at a current density of 1 A/g was approximately 93.6%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, we have witnessed a bewildering variety of automated services and applications involving vehicles, robots, sensors, and machines powered by artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Communication mechanisms associated with these services are clearly distinct from human-centric methods. One important feature of machine-centric communication is that the amount of information to be transmitted is tiny. In view of the short packet transmission, relying on today's transmission mechanisms would not be efficient due to the waste of resources, large decoding latency, and expensive operational cost. In this article, we present an overview of sparse vector transmission (SVT), a scheme to transmit short pieces of information after sparse transformation. We discuss the basics of SVT and two distinct SVT strategies [frequency-domain sparse transmission (FDST) and SV coding (SVC)] and demonstrate their effectiveness in realistic wireless environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the Landauer viewpoint constitutes a modern basis to understand nanoscale electronic transport and to realize first‐principles implementations of the nonequilibrium Green's function (NEGF) formalism, seeking an alternative picture can be beneficial for the fundamental understanding and practical calculations of quantum transport processes. Herein, introducing a micro‐canonical picture that maps the finite‐bias quantum transport process to a drain‐to‐source or multi‐electrode optical excitation, the multi‐space constrained‐search density functional theory (MS‐DFT) formalism for first‐principles electronic structure and quantum transport calculations is developed. Performing MS‐DFT calculations for the benzenedithiolate single‐molecule junction, it is shown that MS‐DFT and standard DFT‐NEGF calculations produce practically equivalent electronic and transmission data. Importantly, the variational convergence of "nonequilibrium total energy" within MS‐DFT is demonstrated, which should have significant implications for in operando studies of nanoscale devices. Establishing a viable alternative to the Landauer viewpoint, the developed formalism should provide valuable atomistic information in the development of next‐generation nanodevices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zr-based bulk amorphous alloys which were heat-treated from 673 to 1073 K were investigated, and compressive fracture mechanisms related with improvement of mechanical properties were investigated by observing how the type, size and volume fraction of crystalline particles which is generated during the heat treatment affected the fracture mode. The Zr-based bulk amorphous alloys contained nano-sized crystalline particles showed excellent mechanical properties of compressive fracture strength over 2.0 GPa and compressive plastic strain of approximately 1%. The fracture modes of the alloys are changed depending on the heat treatment temperature and their microstructure. When the alloy is heat-treated at 673 K, the nano-sized Zr2Cu particles are generated in amorphous matrix. According to the observation of fractured specimens, in the alloy heat-treated at 673 K, the fine and elongated vein patterns were well developed. The heat treatment temperature increased above Tx, the Zr2Cu particles as well as complex crystalline particles are consist in the heat-treated alloy, which lead to the brittle fracture and the alloy show the low strength of 605 MPa. In the fractured surface of the alloy, large cleavage facets were evenly developed. When the heat treatment temperature up near Tm, the size of Zr2Cu and complex crystalline particles increased to approximately 1 μm and the volume fraction of complex crystalline particles increased up to 52.3%. As the size of crystalline particles change, the size of facet decreased similarly to the size of crystalline particles. Zr-based bulk amorphous alloys which were heat-treated from 673 to 1073 K were investigated, and compressive fracture mechanisms related with improvement of mechanical properties were investigated by observing how the type and size of crystalline particles which is generated during the heat treatment affected the fracture mode. The fracture modes of the alloys are changed depending on the heat treatment temperature and their microstructure. When the alloy is heattreated at 673 K, the nano-sized Zr2Cu particles are generated in amorphous matrix. According to the observation of fractured specimens, in the alloy heat-treated at 673 K, the fine and elongated vein patterns were well developed. The heat treatment temperature increased near Tg, the Zr2Cu particles as well as complex crystalline particles are consist in the heat-treated alloy, which lead to the brittle fracture and the alloy show the low strength of 605 MPa. In the fractured surface of the alloy, large cleavage facets were evenly developed. When the heat treatment temperature up near Tm, the size of Zr2Cu and complex crystalline particles increased to approximately 1 μm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nano-drug delivery systems (NDDS) for colon-targeted drug delivery are an active area of research on local diseases affecting the colon, such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, colon cancer, and for the delivery of peptide or protein drugs and vaccinations. In particular, targeted nano-drug delivery to the colon is advantageous for colon-specific diseases because nanoparticles can accumulate in diseased parts, improve the efficacies of therapeutics, and enable localized treatments, which reduces systemic toxicity. However, there are many hurdles, such as burst drug release, enzyme and acidic degradation of drug and carrier in the stomach, pH variations, mucus entrapment, and systemic uptake in the upper small intestine, which could challenge and compromise the successful delivery of NDDS to the colon. With advancements in NDDS, it may be possible to overcome these challenges leading to efficient drug delivery for colon-specific disorders. This review describes a few of the potential colon-specific drug delivery areas and the challenges faced by colon-targeted orally administered delivery systems, and provides an updated summary of recent advances in the development of orally administered NDDS for colon targeting, and the future advances in this research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most oilseeds contain polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as linoleic acid (LA) and α-linolenic acid (ALA) that are important essential fatty acids for human health. γ-Linolenic acid (GLA) and stearidonic acid (SDA), synthesized from LA and ALA by Δ6 desaturase, respectively, are mainly obtained from algae and fish. Given the benefits of GLA and SDA to human health, many researchers have investigated ways to produce these fatty acids in oilseed crops. Canola-type oilseed rape (Brassica napus), widely cultivated in temperate and microthermal zones, accumulates oleic acid to a relatively greater extent (60–70% oleic acid content) than do other oilseed crops. We transformed the Phytophthora citrophthora Δ6 desaturase (PcD6DES) gene under the control of seed-specific vicilin into canola-type oilseed rape 'Youngsan'. D6DES products (GLA, SDA, and 18:2Δ6,9) accumulated in mature PcD6DES-transformed rapeseeds and leaves. D6DES products of PcD6DES rapeseeds were over 20% in T1 and more than 25% in T2. Expression levels of the PcD6DES gene and the content of D6DES products coincided with each other and were related to expression levels and fatty acid composition in leaves and developing seeds 15, 25, 35, and 45 days after flowering. Seed weights of PcD6DES rapeseeds were not lower than those of Youngsan. In this study, PcD6DES oilseed rapes accumulated GLA, SDA, and putative 18:2Δ6,9 content to a maximum of 25% in the seed oil. Results show that PcD6DES rapeseed oil can potentially be used as a health food to improve human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In spite of its great potential for sustainable water splitting technology, many challenges remain for the development of effective graphene-based hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalysts. Based on mutually corroborating growth, electrochemical measurements, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we herein develop the HER-active vertical graphene nano-hills (VGNHs) on Co thin films such that Co atoms are introduced into the VGNH tip region. The HER activity exhibits a volcano-shaped curve with respect to the encapsulated Co density, and the best performance achieved at the nominal Co substrate thickness of 1 nm is characterized by the low onset potential, overpotential, and Tafel slope in acidic electrolyte. Especially, with this low-cost yet structurally and chemically stable Co-seeded VGNH catalyst, a record-level mass activity is achieved. The emergence of the HER activity from the combination of originally HER-inactive VGNHs and Co thin films is clarified by DFT calculations, which identifies the synergistic effects of the nanoscale curvature at the VGNH tip and the charge-transfer doping by encapsulated Co atoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New Radio (NR), which is part of Release 15 of Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards, marks the first fifth generation (5G) standards designed to meet the requirements set forth by the International Telecommunication Union for IMT-2020. This article presents an overview of the NR radio interface and the ongoing work in 3GPP to evolve NR toward 5G-Advanced, allowing it to access new spectrum and support a broader range of vertical services while enhancing its performance beyond what is available today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]