Unlocking the Potential of Porous BiTe-Based Thermoelectrics Using Precise Interface Engineering through Atomic Layer Deposition.

Porous thermoelectric materials offer exciting prospects for improving the thermoelectric performance by significantly reducing the thermal conductivity. Nevertheless, porous structures are affected by issues, including restricted enhancements in performance attributed to decreased electronic conductivity and degraded mechanical strength. This study introduces an innovative strategy for overcoming these challenges using porous BiSbTe (BST) by combining porous structuring and interface engineering via atomic layer deposition (ALD).

Homotypic SCOTIN assemblies form ER-endosome membrane contacts and regulate endosome dynamics.

The ER regulates the spatiotemporal organization of endolysosomal systems by membrane contact. In addition to tethering via heterotypic interactions on both organelles, we present a novel ER-endosome tethering mechanism mediated by homotypic interactions. The single-pass transmembrane protein SCOTIN is detected in the membrane of the ER and endosomes.

Complexation of drug and hapten-conjugated aptamer with universal hapten antibody for pancreatic cancer treatment.

Owing to a lack of reliable markers and therapeutic targets, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains the most lethal malignant tumor despite numerous therapeutic advances. In this study, we utilized cell-SELEX to isolate a DNA aptamer recognizing the natural conformation of the target on the cell surface. PAp7T8, an aptamer optimized by size and chemical modification, exhibited specific targeting to pancreatic cancer cells and orthotopic xenograft pancreatic tumors.

Selective Dissolution-Derived Nanoporous Design of Impurity-Free Bi Te Alloys with High Thermoelectric Performance.

Thermoelectric technology, which has been receiving attention as a sustainable energy source, has limited applications because of its relatively low conversion efficiency. To broaden their application scope, thermoelectric materials require a high dimensionless figure of merit (ZT). Porous structuring of a thermoelectric material is a promising approach to enhance ZT by reducing its thermal conductivity.

Epitaxial Growth of β-GaO Thin Films on Si with YSZ Buffer Layer.

We report the epitaxial growth of (2̅01)-oriented β-GaO thin films on a (001) Si substrate using the pulsed laser deposition technique employing epitaxial yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) buffer layers. Epitaxial β-GaO thin films possess a biaxial compressive strain on YSZ single-crystal substrates while they exhibit a biaxial tensile strain on YSZ-buffered Si substrates. Post-annealing improves the crystalline quality of β-GaO thin films.

Phenylboronic acid-based core-shell drug delivery platform clasping 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds by a coordinate interaction.

Along with the successful commercialization of chemotherapeutics, such as doxorubicin and paclitaxel, numerous natural compounds have been investigated for clinical applications. Recently, curcumin (CUR), a natural compound with various therapeutic effects, has attracted attention for cancer immunotherapy. Most chemotherapeutics, however, have poor water solubility due to their hydrophobicity, which makes them less suited to biomedical applications; CUR is no exception because of its low bioavailability and extremely high hydrophobicity.

Quadruple ultrasound, photoacoustic, optical coherence, and fluorescence fusion imaging with a transparent ultrasound transducer.

Ultrasound and optical imagers are used widely in a variety of biological and medical applications. In particular, multimodal implementations combining light and sound have been actively investigated to improve imaging quality. However, the integration of optical sensors with opaque ultrasound transducers suffers from low signal-to-noise ratios, high complexity, and bulky form factors, significantly limiting its applications.

Phenylboronic-acid-based nanocomplex as a feasible delivery platform of immune checkpoint inhibitor for potent cancer immunotherapy.

Inspired by our previous study, we report a simple yet effective platform for therapeutic antibody delivery. A polymeric phenylboronic acid (pPBA)-antibody nanocomplex was simply formulated by mixing pPBA and antibody, derived by the formation of a pH-responsive phenylboronic ester between the PBA group on pPBA and diol on the inherent glycosylation site of the antibody. We focused on the basic prerequisites for a successful delivery, protection from degradation during the circulation, and release at the target lesion.

Polymeric Nanoparticles Controlled by On-Chip Self-Assembly Enhance Cancer Treatment Effectiveness.

Nanoparticle (NP)-based drug delivery systems or nanomedicines have broadened the horizon of translational research for decades. Conventional bulk mixing synthesis methods have impeded successful clinical translations of nanomedicines due to the limited ability of the controlled, scalable production with high uniformity. Herein, an on-chip preparation of self-assembled, drug-encapsulated polymeric NPs is presented for their improved uniformity and homogeneity that results in enhanced anti-cancer effect in vitro and in vivo.

In vivo self-degradable graphene nanomedicine operated by DNAzyme and photo-switch for controlled anticancer therapy.

Although graphene oxide (GO) possesses many beneficial functionalities for biomedical usage as itself, modification of GO surface with several polymers or protein is inevitable for in vivo applications; however, such modification limits the degradability of GO due to the steric hindrance. In that context, designing of a surface modified GO carrier that is going to be degraded after its biological function (i.e.

The psychology of luxury consumption.

This review synthesizes the latest advances in the psychology behind consumption of luxury objects and experiences to which people typically feel strongly attached. We discuss novel drivers, forms, and consequences of luxury consumption from recent research. We propose that the psychology of luxury consumption is governed by a set of tensions between what luxury means to the self and the external forces that define luxury consumption.

A Pt(iv)-mediated polymer architecture for facile and stimuli-responsive intracellular gene silencing with chemotherapy.

Conventional chemotherapy has been impeded by the inherent characteristics of cancer including fast mutagenesis and drug resistance; thus a combination therapy consisting of multiple therapeutic strategies has attracted much attention. However, the loading processes of multiple therapeutic molecules affect each other; thus the development of a nanocarrier that enables independent loading of the cargo molecules has been demanded. Herein, we report an ingeniously designed Pt(iv)-mediated polymeric architecture (Pt-PA) for combinatorial gene and chemotherapy to address the issue, prepared by crosslinking a cationic polymer (polyethylenimine, PEI) with a Pt(iv) prodrug.

Functional-DNA-Driven Dynamic Nanoconstructs for Biomolecule Capture and Drug Delivery.

The discovery of sequence-specific hybridization has allowed the development of DNA nanotechnology, which is divided into two categories: 1) structural DNA nanotechnology, which utilizes DNA as a biopolymer; and 2) dynamic DNA nanotechnology, which focuses on the catalytic reactions or displacement of DNA structures. Recently, numerous attempts have been made to combine DNA nanotechnologies with functional DNAs such as aptamers, DNAzymes, amplified DNA, polymer-conjugated DNA, and DNA loaded on functional nanoparticles for various applications; thus, the new interdisciplinary research field of "functional DNA nanotechnology" is initiated. In particular, a fine-tuned nanostructure composed of functional DNAs has shown immense potential as a programmable nanomachine by controlling DNA dynamics triggered by specific environments.

Programmed Nanoparticle-Loaded Nanoparticles for Deep-Penetrating 3D Cancer Therapy.

Tumors are 3D, composed of cellular agglomerations and blood vessels. Therapies involving nanoparticles utilize specific accumulations due to the leaky vascular structures. However, systemically injected nanoparticles are mostly uptaken by cells located on the surfaces of cancer tissues, lacking deep penetration into the core cancer regions.

A Readout IC Using Two-Step Fastest Signal Identification for Compact Data Acquisition of PET Systems.

A readout integrated circuit (ROIC) using two-step fastest signal identification (FSI) is proposed to reduce the number of input channels of a data acquisition (DAQ) block with a high-channel reduction ratio. The two-step FSI enables the proposed ROIC to filter out useless input signals that arise from scattering and electrical noise without using complex and bulky circuits. In addition, an asynchronous fastest signal identifier and a self-trimmed comparator are proposed to identify the fastest signal without using a high-frequency clock and to reduce misidentification, respectively.

Low-Power Low-Noise Amplifier Using Attenuation-Adaptive Noise Control for Ultrasound Imaging Systems.

This paper presents a low-noise amplifier (LNA) using attenuation-adaptive noise control (AANC) for ultrasound imaging systems. The proposed AANC reduces unnecessary power consumption of the LNA, which arises from useless noise floor, by controlling the noise floor of the LNA with respect to the attenuation of the ultrasound. In addition, a current feedback amplifier with a source-degenerated input stage reduces variations of the bandwidth and the closed loop gain, which are caused by the AANC.

Additional effects of transcranial direct-current stimulation and trigger-point injection for treatment of myofascial pain syndrome: a pilot study with randomized, single-blinded trial.

Background: Chronic pain caused by myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) results in generalized and debilitating conditions. Trigger-point injection (TPI) is the mainstay of MPS management to reduce acute and localized pain. Other adjunctive intervention to modulate the central pain pathway might be helpful if they are combined with TPI.

Strain-assisted, low-temperature synthesis of high-performance thermoelectric materials.

Utilizing internal energy artificially implemented by cold-pressing in the specimens, we demonstrate a way to synthesize high-quality bulk thermoelectric materials at otherwise too low a temperature to approach to an equilibrium state. This low-temperature synthesis technique will provide a new opportunity to integrate high-performance thermoelectric materials into various electronic devices for a built-in energy source, as well as to develop low-cost fabrication methods.