Supercycle Al-Doped ZnMgO Alloys via Atomic Layer Deposition for Quantum Dot Light-Emitting Diodes.

Colloidal quantum-dot light-emitting diodes (QD-LEDs) have been significantly improved in terms of device performance and lifetime by employing zinc oxide (ZnO) as an electron transport layer (ETL). Although atomic layer deposition (ALD) allows fabrication of uniform, high-quality ZnO films with minimal defects, the high conductivity of ZnO has hindered its straightforward application as an ETL in QD-LEDs. Herein, we propose fabrication of Al-doped ZnMgO (Al:ZnMgO) ETLs for QD-LEDs through a supercycle ALD, with alternating depositions of various metal oxides.

Enhancing Uniformity, Read Voltage Margin, and Retention in Three-Dimensional and Self-Rectifying Vertical Pt/TaO/AlO/TiN Memristors.

This study introduces a TaO-based self-rectifying memristor (SRM) with an AlO interfacial layer adopted to improve switching uniformity, read voltage margin, and long-term retention. The Pt/TaO/AlO/TiN (PTAT) device exhibits a 10 rectification ratio, 10 on/off ratio, 2 × 10 endurance, and retention of 10 s at 150 °C. A 3-layer 4 × 4 vertical resistive random access memory structure exhibits uniform switching parameters.

Octanuclear Zinc Clusters in Microporous Organic Polymers: Network-Enhanced Reductive CO Fixation to Formamides at Room Temperature.

A building block containing eight zincs and eight iodo groups (8 Zn) is obtained by the Zn complexation of a salen ligand bearing two additional hydroxy groups. Through the Sonogashira-Hagihara coupling of 8 Zn with 1,3,5,7-tetra(4-ethynylphenyl) adamantane, microporous organic polymers bearing octanuclear zinc clusters (MOP-8 Zn) are prepared, exhibiting a high surface area of 562 m g, microporosity, and a particulate morphology with an average diameter of 249 nm. The MOP-8 Zn exhibits significantly enhanced catalytic performance, compared to molecular counterparts, in the reductive carbon dioxide fixation to formamides, possibly due to the cooperative adsorption and confinement effect of networks on substrates.

Cysteine-rich 61 inhibition attenuates hepatic insulin resistance and improves lipid metabolism in high-fat diet fed mice and HepG2 cells.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is strongly associated with insulin resistance development. Hepatic lipid accumulation and inflammation are considered the main drivers of hepatic insulin resistance in MASLD. Cysteine-rich 61 (Cyr61 also called CCN1), a novel secretory matricellular protein, is implicated in liver inflammation, and its role in MASLD is not clearly understood.

Acute Metabolic Stress Induces Lymphatic Dysfunction Through KATP Channel Activation.

Lymphatic dysfunction is an underlying component of multiple metabolic diseases, including diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. We investigated the roles of KATP channels in lymphatic contractile dysfunction in response to acute metabolic stress induced by inhibition of the mitochondrial electron transport chain. Ex vivo popliteal lymphatic vessels from mice were exposed to the electron transport chain inhibitors antimycin A and rotenone, or the oxidative phosphorylation inhibitor/protonophore, CCCP.

Effect of Pravastatin on Kidney Function in Patients with Dyslipidemia and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Multicenter Prospective Observational Study.

Introduction: Several studies have reported that pravastatin can mitigate the progression of kidney disease, but limited evidence exists regarding its effects on kidney function in Asian patients. This multicenter prospective observational study aimed to assess the effect of pravastatin on kidney function in Korean patients with dyslipidemia and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in clinical practice.

Methods: This 48-week prospective multicenter study included 2604 of 2997 eligible patients with dyslipidemia and T2DM who had available estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) measurements.

Imeglimin attenuates NLRP3 inflammasome activation by restoring mitochondrial functions in macrophages.

Imeglimin is a novel oral antidiabetic drug for treating type 2 diabetes. However, the effect of imeglimin on NLRP3 inflammasome activation has not been investigated yet. Here, we aimed to investigate whether imeglimin reduces LPS-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation in THP-1 macrophages and examine the associated underlying mechanisms.

Suppression of Thermally Induced Surface Traps in Colloidal Quantum Dot Solids via Ultrafast Pulsed Light.

Thermal annealing (TA) of colloidal quantum dot (CQD) films is considered an important process for recent high-performing CQD solar cells (SCs) due to its beneficial effects on CQD solids, including enhanced electrical conductivity, denser packing of CQD films, and the removal of organic residues and solvents. However, the conventional TA for CQDs, which requires several  minutes, leads to hydroxylation and oxidation on the CQD surface, resulting in the formation of trap states and a subsequent decline in SC performance. To address these challenges, this study introduces a flashlight annealing (FLA) technique that significantly reduces the annealing time to the millisecond scale.

A Multicenter, Randomized, Open-Label Study to Compare the Effects of Gemigliptin Add-on or Escalation of Metformin Dose on Glycemic Control and Safety in Patients with Inadequately Controlled Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Treated with Metformin and SGLT-2 Inhibitors (SO GOOD Study).

Background: We aimed to compare efficacy and safety between gemigliptin add-on and escalation of the metformin dose in patients with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) despite treatment with metformin and SGLT2 inhibitors.

Methods: This study was a multicenter, randomized, open-label, active-controlled, parallel-group comparative study. Patients with T2DM uncontrolled on metformin and SGLT2 inhibitors were randomized to receive gemigliptin 50 mg as an add-on (GEM group, = 37) or escalation of the metformin dose (500 mg, MET group, = 38) for 24 weeks.

Nasopharyngeal lymphatic plexus is a hub for cerebrospinal fluid drainage.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the subarachnoid space around the brain has long been known to drain through the lymphatics to cervical lymph nodes, but the connections and regulation have been challenging to identify. Here, using fluorescent CSF tracers in Prox1-GFP lymphatic reporter mice, we found that the nasopharyngeal lymphatic plexus is a major hub for CSF outflow to deep cervical lymph nodes. This plexus had unusual valves and short lymphangions but no smooth-muscle coverage, whereas downstream deep cervical lymphatics had typical semilunar valves, long lymphangions and smooth muscle coverage that transported CSF to the deep cervical lymph nodes.

Protective effect of empagliflozin against palmitate-induced lipotoxicity through AMPK in H9c2 cells.

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have recently emerged as novel cardioprotective agents. However, their direct impact on cardiomyocyte injury is yet to be studied. In this work, we investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms of empagliflozin (EMPA), an SGLT2 inhibitor, in mitigating palmitate (PA)-induced cardiomyocyte injury in H9c2 cells.

Heterogeneous reservoir computing in second-order TaO/HfO memristors.

Multiple switching modes in a TaO/HfO memristor are studied experimentally and numerically through a reservoir computing (RC) simulation to reveal the importance of nonlinearity and heterogeneity in the RC framework. Unlike most studies, where homogeneous reservoirs are used, heterogeneity is introduced by combining different behaviors of the memristor units. The chosen memristor for the reservoir units is based on a TaO/HfO bilayer, in which the conductances of the TaO and HfO layers are controlled by the oxygen vacancies and deep/shallow traps, respectively, providing both volatile and non-volatile resistive switching modes.

Amphiregulin Induces iNOS and COX-2 Expression through NF-B and MAPK Signaling in Hepatic Inflammation.

Background: Inflammation is a major cause of hepatic tissue damage and accelerates the progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Amphiregulin (AREG), an epidermal growth factor receptor ligand, is associated with human liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. We aimed to investigate the effects of AREG on hepatic inflammation during NAFLD progression, and .

2023 Clinical Practice Guidelines for Diabetes Mellitus of the Korean Diabetes Association.

In May 2023, the Committee of Clinical Practice Guidelines of the Korean Diabetes Association published the revised clinical practice guidelines for Korean adults with diabetes and prediabetes. We incorporated the latest clinical research findings through a comprehensive systematic literature review and applied them in a manner suitable for the Korean population. These guidelines are designed for all healthcare providers nationwide, including physicians, diabetes experts, and certified diabetes educators who manage patients with diabetes or individuals at risk of developing diabetes.

Optimization of ultrasound-assisted deep eutectic solvent extraction of bioactive compounds from pomegranate peel using response surface methodology.

The efficient extraction of polyphenols from pomegranate peels using a deep eutectic solvent (DES) and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) was investigated. A Box-Behnken design was used to investigate the effects of four independent variables (water content, liquid-to-solid ratio, ultrasonic power, and extraction time) on total polyphenol content (TPC), punicalagin content (PC), and ellagic acid content (EC). Optimized DES-based UAE conditions were as follows: TPC (water content, 29.

Efficacy and Safety of Evogliptin Add-on Therapy to Dapagliflozin/Metformin Combinations in Patients with Poorly Controlled Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A 24-Week Multicenter Randomized Placebo-Controlled Parallel-Design Phase-3 Trial with a 28-Week Extension.

Backgruound: This study investigates the long-term efficacy and safety of evogliptin add-on therapy in patients with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) previously received dapagliflozin and metformin (DAPA/MET) combination.

Methods: In this multicenter randomized placebo-controlled phase 3 trial, patients with glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels 7.0% to 10.

ERG K channels mediate a major component of action potential repolarization in lymphatic muscle.

Smooth muscle cells in the walls of collecting lymphatic vessels fire spontaneous action potentials (APs), which conduct rapidly over the muscle layer to initiate contractions that propel lymph. Several ion channels have been implicated in the currents underlying the AP spike and the preceding diastolic depolarization, but the molecular identities of K channels involved in AP repolarization are unknown. Based on previous studies of other rhythmically active smooth muscles, we hypothesized that ether-a-go-go related gene (ERG) K channels (Kv11) play an important role in repolarization of the AP in lymphatic muscle.

T18/S19 diphosphorylation of myosin regulatory light chain impairs pulmonary artery relaxation in monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertensive rats.

Phosphorylation of Ser19 (S19-p) on the myosin regulatory light chain (MLC2) is critical for arterial contraction. It has been shown that elevated RhoA-dependent kinase (ROCK) activity or decreased MLC phosphatase (MLCP) activity leads to further phosphorylation of Thr18 (T18/S19-pp), which has been linked to vasospastic diseases. However, this phenomenon has not yet been studied in the context of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

Lymphatic contractile dysfunction in mouse models of Cantú Syndrome with K channel gain-of-function.

Cantú Syndrome (CS) is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by gain-of-function (GoF) mutations in the Kir6.1 and SUR2 subunits of K channels. K overactivity results in a chronic reduction in arterial tone and hypotension, leading to other systemic cardiovascular complications.

Inhibition of DAMP actions in the tumoral microenvironment using lactoferrin-glycyrrhizin conjugate for glioblastoma therapy.

Background: High-mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) released from the tumor microenvironment plays a pivotal role in the tumor progression. HMGB1 serves as a damaged-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) that induces tumor angiogenesis and its development. Glycyrrhizin (GL) is an effective intracellular antagonist of tumor released HMGB1, but its pharmacokinetics (PK) and delivery to tumor site is deficient.

Validation of the Dimensions of Anger Reactions Scale (the DAR-5) in non-clinical South Korean adults.

Background: Posttraumatic anger is a commonly reported emotion among people who have experienced traumatic events. The current study aimed to demonstrate the reliability and validity of the South Korean version of the DAR-5 (DAR-5-K). The DAR-5 is a single scale with 5 items which measures posttraumatic anger.

Mitochondrial Ribosomal Protein L14 Promotes Cell Growth and Invasion by Modulating Reactive Oxygen Species in Thyroid Cancer.

Objectives: The mitochondrial ribosomal protein L14 (MRPL14) is encoded by a nuclear gene and participates in mitochondrial protein translation. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of MRPL14 in thyroid cancer.

Methods: We investigated the association between MRPL14 expression and clinicopathological features using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Chungnam National University Hospital (CNUH) databases.

Safety, high-performing and effects of the N/P ratio of a solid lithium ion battery using PEGDME based polymer electrolytes.

In this study, we report on the electrochemical properties of a solid state lithium ion battery (LIB) using a poly (ethylene glycol) dimethyl ether (PEGDME)-based solid polymer electrolyte (P-SPE). The LIB is prepared using a LiFePO (LFP) cathode and graphite anode material with P-SPE, and the kinetic properties of the lithium ions in the P-SPE are investigated. The synthesized P-SPE is shown to be suitable solid polymer electrolyte candidate for LIB applications.