Architecting Sturdy Si/Graphite Composite with Lubricative Graphene Nanoplatelets for High-Density Electrodes.

Densification of the electrode by calendering is essential for achieving high-energy density in lithium-ion batteries. However, Si anode, which is regarded as the most promising high-energy substituent of graphite, is vulnerable to the crack during calendering process due to its intrinsic brittleness. Herein, a distinct strategy to prevent the crack and pulverization of Si nanolayer-embedded Graphite (Si/G) composite with graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) is proposed.

Beyond the limiting gap length: peripheral nerve regeneration through implantable nerve guidance conduits.

Peripheral nerve damage results in the loss of sensorimotor and autonomic functions, which is a significant burden to patients. Furthermore, nerve injuries greater than the limiting gap length require surgical repair. Although autografts are the preferred clinical choice, their usage is impeded by their limited availability, dimensional mismatch, and the sacrifice of another functional donor nerve.

Necking Reduction at Low Temperature in Aspect Ratio Etching of SiO at CF/H/Ar Plasma.

This study investigated the effect of temperature on the aspect-ratio etching of SiO in CF/H/Ar plasma using patterned samples of a 200 nm trench in a low-temperature reactive-ion etching system. Lower temperatures resulted in higher etch rates and aspect ratios for SiO. However, the plasma property was constant with the chuck temperature, indicated by the line intensity ratio from optical emission spectroscopy monitoring of the plasma.

Gel Polymer Electrolytes for Lithium-Ion Batteries Enabled by Photo Crosslinked Polymer Network.

We demonstrate a gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) featuring a crosslinked polymer matrix formed by poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) and dipentaerythritol hexaacrylate (DPHA) using the radical photo initiator via ultraviolet (UV) photopolymerization for lithium-ion batteries. The two monomers with acrylate functional groups undergo chemical crosslinking, resulting in a three-dimensional structure capable of absorbing liquid electrolytes to form a gel. The GPE system was strategically designed by varying the ratios between the main polymer backbone (PEGDA) and the crosslinker (DPHA) to achieve an optimal gel polymer electrolyte network.

Kinetics of severe dengue virus infection and development of gut pathology in mice.

Dengue virus, an arbovirus, causes an estimated 100 million symptomatic infections annually and is an increasing threat as the mosquito range expands with climate change. Dengue epidemics are a substantial strain on local economies and health infrastructure, and an understanding of what drives severe disease may enable treatments to help reduce hospitalizations. Factors exacerbating dengue disease are debated, but gut-related symptoms are much more frequent in severe than mild cases.

Energy Efficient Artificial Olfactory System with Integrated Sensing and Computing Capabilities for Food Spoilage Detection.

Artificial olfactory systems (AOSs) that mimic biological olfactory systems are of great interest. However, most existing AOSs suffer from high energy consumption levels and latency issues due to data conversion and transmission. In this work, an energy- and area-efficient AOS based on near-sensor computing is proposed.

Reconfigurable Manipulation of Oxygen Content on Metal Oxide Surfaces and Applications to Gas Sensing.

Oxygen vacancies and adsorbed oxygen species on metal oxide surfaces play important roles in various fields. However, existing methods for manipulating surface oxygen require severe settings and are ineffective for repetitive manipulation. We present a method to manipulate the amount of surface oxygen by modifying the oxygen adsorption energy by electrically controlling the electron concentration of the metal oxide.

A three-dimensional spheroid co-culture system of neurons and astrocytes derived from Alzheimer's disease patients for drug efficacy testing.

Cell culture systems derived from the progenitor cells of human patients have many advantages over animal models for therapeutic drug testing and studies of disease pathogenesis. Here we describe a three-dimensional (3D) spheroid co-culture system of neurons and astrocytes derived from induced pluripotent stem cells-neural precursor cells (iPSCs-NPCs) of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients or healthy individuals that can provide information on drug efficacy unobtainable by 2D co-culture or monoculture approaches. iPSCs-NPCs of healthy controls or AD patients were seeded onto 96-well U-bottom plates and incubated with neuronal differentiation medium for one week and with astrocytic medium for two weeks to replicate the temporal order of cell maturation during brain development.

Graph Learning-Based Blockchain Phishing Account Detection with a Heterogeneous Transaction Graph.

Recently, cybercrimes that exploit the anonymity of blockchain are increasing. They steal blockchain users' assets, threaten the network's reliability, and destabilize the blockchain network. Therefore, it is necessary to detect blockchain cybercriminal accounts to protect users' assets and sustain the blockchain ecosystem.

The Effect of Valeton (Zingiberaceae) Extract on Prion Propagation in Cell-Based and Animal Models.

Prion diseases are neurodegenerative disorders in humans and animals for which no therapies are currently available. Here, we report that Valeton (Zingiberaceae) () extract was partly effective in decreasing prion aggregation and propagation in both in vitro and in vivo models. extract inhibited self-aggregation of recombinant prion protein (PrP) in a test tube assay and decreased the accumulation of scrapie PrP (PrP) in ScN2a cells, a cultured neuroblastoma cell line with chronic prion infection, in a concentration-dependent manner.

Molecular Pincers Using a Combination of N-H and C-H Donors for Anion Binding.

A naphthalene imide () and a naphthalene () bearing two pyrrole units have been synthesized, respectively, as anion receptors. It was revealed by H NMR spectral studies carried out in CDCN that receptors and bind various anions via hydrogen bonds using both C-H and N-H donors. Compared with receptor , receptor shows higher affinity for the test anions because of the enhanced acidity of its pyrrole NH and naphthalene CH hydrogens by the electron-withdrawing imide substituent.

Synergistic improvement of sensing performance in ferroelectric transistor gas sensors using remnant polarization.

Gaseous pollutants, including nitrogen oxides, pose a severe threat to ecosystems and human health; therefore, developing reliable gas-sensing systems to detect them is becoming increasingly important. Among the various options, metal-oxide-based gas sensors have attracted attention due to their capability for real-time monitoring and large response. In particular, in the field of materials science, there has been extensive research into controlling the morphological properties of metal oxides.

Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Kinase Protects Dopaminergic Neurons from Oxidative Stress in Null Mutants.

DJ-1 is one of the causative genes of early-onset familial Parkinson's disease (PD). As a result, DJ-1 influences the pathogenesis of sporadic PD. DJ-1 has various physiological functions that converge to control the levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Spectroscopic investigation of the structure of a pyrrolidinium-based ionic liquid at electrified interfaces.

The molecular structure of electric double layers (EDLs) at electrode-electrolyte interfaces is crucial for all types of electrochemical processes. Here, we probe the EDL structure of an ionic liquid, 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (BMPy-TFSI), using electrochemical shell-isolated nanoparticle-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. We extract the position and intensity of individual peaks corresponding to either intra- or inter-molecular vibrational modes and examine their dependence on the electrode potential.

Privacy Preservation in Patient Information Exchange Systems Based on Blockchain: System Design Study.

Background: With the increasing sophistication of the medical industry, various advanced medical services such as medical artificial intelligence, telemedicine, and personalized health care services have emerged. The demand for medical data is also rapidly increasing today because advanced medical services use medical data such as user data and electronic medical records (EMRs) to provide services. As a result, health care institutions and medical practitioners are researching various mechanisms and tools to feed medical data into their systems seamlessly.

autohaem: 3D printed devices for automated preparation of blood smears.

The process of making blood smears is common in both research and clinical settings for investigating the health of blood cells and the presence of blood-borne parasites. It is very often carried out manually. We focus here on smears for malaria diagnosis and research, which are frequently analyzed by optical microscopy and require a high quality.

Thiazolidinediones (TZDs) enhance insulin secretory response via GPR40 and adenylate cyclase (AC).

Thiazolidinediones are synthetic PPARγ ligands that enhance insulin sensitivity, and that could increase insulin secretion from β-cells. However, the functional role and mechanism(s) of action in pancreatic β-cells have not been investigated in detail.

Improved Clinical and Radiologic Outcomes Seen after Superior Capsule Reconstruction using Long Head Biceps Tendon Autograft.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to investigate the clinical and radiologic outcomes after superior capsule reconstruction (SCR) with biceps tendon (BT) for irreparable rotator cuff tears.

Methods: The retrospective study period was May 2015 through February 2018. The average follow-up was 32 months (24-48 months) after surgery.

Anticancer Effect of the Ethyl Acetate Fraction from on MDA-MB-231 Human Breast Cancer Cells through Extensive Induction of Apoptosis, Cell Cycle Arrest, and Antimetastasis.

The antibreast cancer activities of the ethyl acetate fraction from (OJEF) were investigated in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells through WST assay, DAPI staining, flow cytometry analysis, and western blotting. OJEF effectively inhibited MDA-MB-231 cells by inducing apoptosis via intrinsic, extrinsic, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response pathways, cell cycle arrest at the G1/S phase, and antimetastasis including inhibition of tight junction, adherens junction, invasion, and migration. The MAPK family-mediated upstream signal transduction through p-p38 and p-ERK was considered to affect the downstream signal transduction including induction of apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and antimetastasis.

Self-Assembling Peptides and Their Application in the Treatment of Diseases.

Self-assembling peptides are biomedical materials with unique structures that are formed in response to various environmental conditions. Governed by their physicochemical characteristics, the peptides can form a variety of structures with greater reactivity than conventional non-biological materials. The structural divergence of self-assembling peptides allows for various functional possibilities; when assembled, they can be used as scaffolds for cell and tissue regeneration, and vehicles for drug delivery, conferring controlled release, stability, and targeting, and avoiding side effects of drugs.