Silicon Etching Using Copper-Metal-Assisted Chemical Etching: Unveiling the Role of CuO in Microscale Structure Fabrication.

Achieving precise and cost-effective etching in the field of silicon three-dimensional (3D) structure fabrication remains a significant challenge. Here, we present the successful fabrication of microscale anisotropic Si structures with an etching anisotropy of 0.73 using Cu-metal-assisted chemical etching (Cu-MACE) and propose a mechanism to elucidate the chemical behavior of Cu within the MACE solution.

Intercellular junction-driven stromal cell stacking in a confined 3D microcavity.

Understanding the detailed mechanisms driving fibroblast migration within native tissue settings during pathophysiological events presents a critical research challenge. In this study, we elucidate how stromal cells migrate and contribute to the development of three-dimensional (3D) cellular aggregates within confined microcavities. Integrin α5β1 and β-catenin (β-cat) are central in guiding this collective migration and achieving optimal filling of the microcavity.

Anti-dyslipidemic effects of root and (.) Merrill extracts fermented with in ovariectomized mice.

root and () Merrill are rich in phytoestrogens. However, these bioactive ingredients have limited bioavailability due to their high molecular weight. In this study, we extracted two natural products and fermented with before mixing the fermented extracts (FPE-FGE).

Intertwined CNT Assemblies as an All-Around Current Collector for Volume-Efficient Lithium-Ion Hybrid Capacitors.

The increasing demands for conversion systems for clean energy, wearable devices powered by energy storage systems, and electric vehicles have greatly promoted the development of innovative current collectors to replace conventional metal-based foils, including those in multidimensional forms. In this study, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with desirable features and ease of processing are used in the preparation of floating catalyst-chemical vapor deposition-derived CNT sheets for potential use as all-around current collectors in two representative energy storage devices: batteries and electrochemical capacitors. Due to their short and multidirectional electron pathways and multimodal porous structures, CNT-based current collectors enhance ion transport kinetics and provide many ion adsorption and desorption sites, which are crucial for improving the performance of batteries and electrochemical capacitors, respectively.

Zygote structure enables pluripotent shape-transforming deployable structure.

We propose an algorithmic framework of a pluripotent structure evolving from a simple compact structure into diverse complex 3D structures for designing the shape-transformable, reconfigurable, and deployable structures and robots. Our algorithmic approach suggests a way of transforming a compact structure consisting of uniform building blocks into a large, desired 3D shape. Analogous to a fertilized egg cell that can grow into a preprogrammed shape according to coded information, compactly stacked panels named the zygote structure can evolve into arbitrary 3D structures by programming their connection path.

An epifluidic electronic patch with spiking sweat clearance for event-driven perspiration monitoring.

Sensory neurons generate spike patterns upon receiving external stimuli and encode key information to the spike patterns, enabling energy-efficient external information processing. Herein, we report an epifluidic electronic patch with spiking sweat clearance using a sensor containing a vertical sweat-collecting channel for event-driven, energy-efficient, long-term wireless monitoring of epidermal perspiration dynamics. Our sweat sensor contains nanomesh electrodes on its inner wall of the channel and unique sweat-clearing structures.

Exploiting elastic buckling of high-strength gold nanowire toward stable electrical probing.

Buckling is a loss of structural stability. It occurs in long slender structures or thin plate structures which is subjected to compressive forces. For the structural materials, such a sudden change in shape has been considered to be avoided.

Fibroblasts Close a Void in Free Space by a Purse-String Mechanism.

The mechanism by which stromal cells fill voids in injured tissue remains a fundamental question in regenerative medicine. While it is well-established that fibroblasts fill voids by depositing extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins as they migrate toward the wound site, little is known about their ability to adopt an epithelial-like purse-string behavior. To investigate fibroblast behavior during gap closure, we created an artificial wound with a large void space.

Large-Scale, Lightweight, and Robust Nanocomposites Based on Ruthenium-Decorated Carbon Nanosheets for Deformable Electrochemical Capacitors.

Despite the increase in demand for deformable electrochemical capacitors as a power source for wearable electronics, significant obstacles remain in developing these capacitors, including their manufacturing complexity and insufficient deformability. With recognition of these challenges, a facile strategy is proposed to fabricate large-scale, lightweight, and mechanically robust composite electrodes composed of ruthenium nanoparticles embedded in freestanding carbon nanotube (CNT)-based nanosheets (Ru@a-CNTs). Surface-modified CNT sheets with hierarchical porous structures can behave as an ideal platform to accommodate a large number of uniformly distributed Ru nanoparticles (Ru/CNT weight ratio of 5:1) while improving compatibility with aqueous electrolytes.

Deciphering Evolution Pathway of Supported NO Enabled via Radical Transfer from OH to Surface NO Functionality for Oxidative Degradation of Aqueous Contaminants.

NO can compete with omnipotent OH/SO in decomposing aqueous pollutants because of its lengthy lifespan and significant tolerance to background scavengers present in HO matrices, albeit with moderate oxidizing power. The generation of NO , however, is of grand demand due to the need of NO /O, radioactive element, or NaNO/HNO in the presence of highly energized electron/light. This study has pioneered a singular pathway used to radicalize surface NO functionalities anchored on polymorphic α-/γ-MnO surfaces (α-/γ-MnO-N), in which Lewis acidic Mn and NO served to form OH via HO dissection and NO via radical transfer from OH to NO (OH → NO ), respectively.

Probiotics ameliorate chronic low-grade inflammation and fat accumulation with gut microbiota composition change in diet-induced obese mice models.

Recent reports suggest that obesity is caused by dysbiosis of gut microbiota and that it could be prevented or treated through improvement in the composition and diversity of gut microbiota. In this study, high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice were orally administered with Lactobacillus plantarum K50 (K50) isolated from kimchi and Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) as a positive control for 12 weeks. Body weight and weights of epididymal, mesenteric, and subcutaneous adipose tissues and the liver were significantly reduced in K50-treated HFD-fed mice compared with HFD-fed mice.

All-Inkjet-Printed Flexible Nanobio-Devices with Efficient Electrochemical Coupling Using Amphiphilic Biomaterials.

Nanostructured flexible electrodes with biological compatibility and intimate electrochemical coupling provide attractive solutions for various emerging bioelectronics and biosensor applications. Here, we develop all-inkjet-printed flexible nanobio-devices with excellent electrochemical coupling by employing amphiphilic biomaterial, an M13 phage, numerical simulation of single-drop formulation, and rational formulations of nanobio-ink. Inkjet-printed nanonetwork-structured electrodes of single-walled carbon nanotubes and M13 phage show efficient electrochemical coupling and hydrostability.

The Limits of Electromechanical Coupling in Highly-Tensile Strained Germanium.

Speculations regarding electronic and photonic properties of strained germanium (Ge) have perpetually put it into contention for next-generation devices since the start of the information age. Here, the electromechanical coupling of <111> Ge nanowires (NWs) is reported from unstrained conditions to the ultimate tensile strength. Under tensile strain, the conductivity of the NW is enhanced exponentially, reaching an enhancement factor of ∼130 at ∼3.

Computational wrapping: A universal method to wrap 3D-curved surfaces with nonstretchable materials for conformal devices.

This study starts from the counterintuitive question of how we can render conventional stiff, nonstretchable, and even brittle materials sufficiently conformable to fully wrap curved surfaces, such as spheres, without failure. Here, we extend the geometrical design method of computational origami to wrapping. Our computational wrapping approach provides a robust and reliable method for fabricating conformal devices for arbitrary curved surfaces with a computationally designed nonpolyhedral developable net.

Carbon-Nanosheet Based Large-Area Electrochemical Capacitor that is Flexible, Foldable, Twistable, and Stretchable.

With the growing demand for wearable electronics, developing new compatible energy systems is a prominent topic of research. Energy systems mounted on wearable electronics should exhibit high cost efficiency, mechanical robustness, and high electrochemical activity. Herein, all-carbon-based large-area nanocomposites for freely deformable electrochemical capacitors are suggested to address these requirements.

Flaw-Containing Alumina Hollow Nanostructures Have Ultrahigh Fracture Strength To Be Incorporated into High-Efficiency GaN Light-Emitting Diodes.

In the present study, we found that α-alumina hollow nanoshell structure can exhibit an ultrahigh fracture strength even though it contains a significant number of nanopores. By systematically performing in situ mechanical testing and finite element simulations, we could measure that the fracture strength of an α-alumina hollow nanoshell structure is about four times higher than that of the conventional bulk size α-alumina. The high fracture strength of the α-alumina hollow nanoshell structure can be explained in terms of conventional fracture mechanics, in that the position and size of the nanopores are the most critical factors determining the fracture strength, even at the nanoscales.

Erratum to: Understanding dual precipitation strengthening in ultra-high strength low carbon steel containing nano-sized copper precipitates and carbides.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s40580-017-0110-5.].

Understanding dual precipitation strengthening in ultra-high strength low carbon steel containing nano-sized copper precipitates and carbides.

Low carbon ferritic steel alloyed with Ti, Mo and Cu was hot rolled and interrupt cooled to produce nano-sized precipitates of copper and (Ti,Mo)C carbides. The steel had a tensile strength of 840 MPa, an increase in yield strength of 380 MPa over that of the plain carbon steel and reasonable ductility. Transmission electron microscopy and small angle neutron scattering were used to characterize size and volume fraction of the precipitates in the steels designed to form only copper precipitates and only (Ti,Mo)C carbides.

Proprotein convertase inhibition promotes ciliated cell differentiation - a potential mechanism for the inhibition of Notch1 signalling by decanoyl-RVKR-chloromethylketone.

Chronic repetitive rounds of injury and repair in the airway lead to airway remodelling, including ciliated cell loss and mucous cell hyperplasia. Airway remodelling is mediated by many growth and differentiation factors including Notch1, which are proteolytically processed by proprotein convertases (PCs). The present study evaluated a novel approach for controlling basal cell-type determination based on the inhibition of PCs.

Ultrahigh Tensile Strength Nanowires with a Ni/Ni-Au Multilayer Nanocrystalline Structure.

Superior mechanical properties of nanolayered structures have attracted great interest recently. However, previously fabricated multilayer metallic nanostructures have high strength under compressive load but never reached such high strength under tensile loads. Here, we report that our microalloying-based electrodeposition method creates a strong and stable Ni/Ni-Au multilayer nanocrystalline structure by incorporating Au atoms that makes nickel nanowires (NWs) strongest ever under tensile loads even with diameters exceeding 200 nm.

Growth Mechanism of Strain-Dependent Morphological Change in PEDOT:PSS Films.

Unlabelled: Understanding the mechanism of the strain-dependent conductivity change in polymers in stretched conditions is important. We observed a strain-induced growth of the conductive regions of

Pedot: PSS films, induced by a coalescence of conductive PEDOT-rich cores. This growth due to coalescence leads to a gradual decrease in the electrical resistivity up to 95%, independent of the thickness of the

Pedot: PSS films.

Anomalous Stagewise Lithiation of Gold-Coated Silicon Nanowires: A Combined In Situ Characterization and First-Principles Study.

Through a combined density functional theory and in situ scanning electron microscopy study, the effects of presence of gold (Au) spreading on the lithiation process of silicon nanowire (SiNW) were systematically examined. Different from a pristine SiNW, an Au-coated SiNW (Au-SiNW) is lithiated in three distinct stages; Li atoms are found to be incorporated preferentially in the Au shell, whereas the thin AuSi interface layer may serve as a facile diffusion path along the nanowire axial direction, followed by the prompt lithiation of the Si core in the radial direction. The underlying mechanism of the intriguing stagewise lithiation behavior is explained through our theoretical analysis, which appears well-aligned with the experimental evidence.

Directing the deformation paths of soft metamaterials with prescribed asymmetric units.

By prescribing asymmetric ligaments with different arrangements in elastomeric porous membranes of pre-twisted kagome lattices, the buckling instability is avoided, allowing for smooth and homogenous structural reconfiguration in a deterministic fashion. The stress-strain behaviors and negative Poisson's ratios can be tuned by the pre-twisting angles.

A half millimeter thick coplanar flexible battery with wireless recharging capability.

Most of the existing flexible lithium ion batteries (LIBs) adopt the conventional cofacial cell configuration where anode, separator, and cathode are sequentially stacked and so have difficulty in the integration with emerging thin LIB applications, such as smart cards and medical patches. In order to overcome this shortcoming, herein, we report a coplanar cell structure in which anodes and cathodes are interdigitatedly positioned on the same plane. The coplanar electrode design brings advantages of enhanced bending tolerance and capability of increasing the cell voltage by in series-connection of multiple single-cells in addition to its suitability for the thickness reduction.