Combination of Dynamic and Permanent Cross-Linking: A Pathway to Enhance Elasticity and Recyclability.

Thermosetting materials exhibit advantages such as dimensional stability and elasticity but lack reprocessability due to their permanently cross-linked internal structure. Introducing a reversible cross-linked network endows materials with reprocessability but often compromises resilience and mechanical properties. Hence, it is still a significant challenge to develop recyclable elastomers with high elasticity as traditional thermosetting materials and remolding ability as traditional thermoplastic materials.

Sustainable nanofiber films based on polylactic acid/modified cellulose nanocrystals containing various types of polyphenols, exhibiting antioxidant activity and high stability.

The type of phenolic compounds significantly influences the physicochemical properties and biological activities of packaging materials. This study aimed to investigate the effects of caffeic acid (Caf), esculetin (Esc), or quercetin (Que) on the physicochemical and antioxidant properties of polylactic acid/modified cellulose nanocrystals (PM) nanofiber film. FTIR and XRD analyses confirmed the successful encapsulation of Caf, Esc, and Que.

Layer-by-Layer Connection for Large Area Single Crystal Boron Nitride Multilayer Films.

Boron nitride (BN) is today considered one of the most promising materials for many novel applications including bright single photon emission, deep UV optoelectronics, small-sized solid-state neutron detectors, high-performance two-dimensional materials, etc. Recently, AA' stacking a few layers (2-5 layers) of BN films and ABC stacking multilayer (2.2-12 nm) BN films have been successfully synthesized, respectively.

Au-In Alloy for Excellent Ohmic Contact in GeSe Devices with Enhanced Photodetector Properties.

Metal-semiconductor contact plays a significant role in devices such as transistors, photoemitters, and photodetectors. Here, the AuIn alloy contact gives a state-of-the-art low (contact resistance) in GeSe devices. The of GeSe-AuIn is measured to be 25 kΩ μm under channel carrier concentration around = 2.

Mechanical force-induced interlayer sliding in interfacial ferroelectrics.

Moiré superlattices in two-dimensional stacks have attracted worldwide interest due to their unique electronic properties. A typical example is the moiré ferroelectricity, where adjacent moirés exhibit opposite spontaneous polarization that can be switched through interlayer sliding. However, in contrast to ideal regular ferroelectric moiré domains (equilateral triangles) built in most theoretical models, the unavoidable irregular moiré supercells (non-equilateral triangles) induced by external strain fields during the transfer process have been given less attention.

Improved Predictability of Diagnosis and Prognosis Using Serum- and Tissue-Derived Extracellular Vesicles From Bulk mRNA Sequencing in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

Background: Early-stage pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is frequently misdiagnosed, contributing to its high mortality rate. Exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as potential biomarkers for the early detection of PDAC.

Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of using exosomal miRNAs from PDAC tissues and serum as biomarkers for early detection and prognosis.

Recyclable Millable Polyurethane based on Enaminone Bonds With Upcycled Mechanical Performance.

Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) exhibits re-processable properties, but the properties of TPU is deteriorated during the reprocessing for the oxidation and degradation of polymer chains. Meanwhile, although thermoset polyurethane exhibits excellent mechanical properties, it cannot be recycled for permanent crosslinking. Hence, it's still a challenge to obtain PU which exhibits the balance between the recyclability and mechanical properties.

An engineered immunogen activates diverse HIV broadly neutralizing antibody precursors and promotes acquisition of improbable mutations.

Elicitation of HIV broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) by vaccination first requires the activation of diverse precursors, followed by successive boosts that guide these responses to enhanced breadth through the acquisition of somatic mutations. Because HIV bnAbs contain mutations in their B cell receptors (BCRs) that are rarely generated during conventional B cell maturation, HIV vaccine immunogens must robustly engage and expand B cells with BCRs that contain these improbable mutations. Here, we engineered an immunogen that activates diverse precursors of an HIV V3-glycan bnAb and promotes their acquisition of a functionally critical improbable mutation.

Macrophage Infiltration Correlated with IFI16, EGR1 and MX1 Expression in Renal Tubular Epithelial Cells Within Lupus Nephritis-Associated Tubulointerstitial Injury via Bioinformatics Analysis.

Objective: A comprehensive bioinformatics analysis was conducted to investigate potential new diagnostic biomarkers and immune infiltration characteristics associated with tubulointerstitial injury in lupus nephritis (LN), and to examine possible correlations between key genes and infiltrating immune cells.

Methods: The GSE32591, GSE113342, and GSE200306 datasets were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the pooled dataset. Support vector machine-recursive feature elimination analysis and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression model were used to screen for possible markers, and the compositional patterns of the 22 types of immune cell fractions in LN were determined using CIBERSORT.

MiR-26a Inhibits Porcine Adipogenesis by Regulating ACADM and ACSL1 Genes and Cell Cycle Progression.

MicroRNAs play essential roles in biological processes by regulating gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Our previous studies suggested the role of miR-26a in porcine fat accumulation. Here, through gain- and loss-of-function analyses, we first showed that miR-26a increased the proliferation of porcine preadipocytes by promoting cell division and that miR-26a inhibited the preadipocyte differentiation.

Insights into multi-scale structural evolution and dielectric response of poly(methyl acrylate) under pre-strain: A simulation study.

The structural evolution of dielectric elastomer induced by pre-strain is a complex, multi-scale process that poses a significant challenge to a deep understanding of the effect of pre-strain. Through simulation results, we identify the variation in the dielectric constant and multi-scale (electronic structure, molecular chain conformation, and aggregation structure) response of poly(methyl acrylate). As the pre-strain increases, the dielectric constant initially rises (below 200% pre-strain) and then declines (above 200% pre-strain).

Deep Ultraviolet Excitation Photoluminescence Characteristics and Correlative Investigation of Al-Rich AlGaN Films on Sapphire.

AlGaN is attractive for fabricating deep ultraviolet (DUV) optoelectronic and electronic devices of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), photodetectors, high-electron-mobility field-effect transistors (HEMTs), etc. We investigated the quality and optical properties of AlGaN films with high Al fractions (60-87%) grown on sapphire substrates, including AlN nucleation and buffer layers, by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). They were initially investigated by high-resolution X-ray diffraction (HR-XRD) and Raman scattering (RS).

Engineering immunogens that select for specific mutations in HIV broadly neutralizing antibodies.

Vaccine development targeting rapidly evolving pathogens such as HIV-1 requires induction of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) with conserved paratopes and mutations, and in some cases, the same Ig-heavy chains. The current trial-and-error search for immunogen modifications that improve selection for specific bnAb mutations is imprecise. Here, to precisely engineer bnAb boosting immunogens, we use molecular dynamics simulations to examine encounter states that form when antibodies collide with the HIV-1 Envelope (Env).

Soluble Polyimide Coated UHMWPE Fibers with Multiple Property Enhancements: Surface Activity, Tensile Strength, Heat Resistance, Acid Resistance, and Erasability.

Ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers possess excellent mechanical properties, yet their applications are severely limited by surface inertness and low melting points. To enhance surface activity and temperature resistance, soluble polyimide (PI) is applied to the surface of UHMWPE fibers. A mussel-inspired biomimetic polycatechol/polyamine (PA) coating is initially constructed on the UHMWPE fiber surface by oxidative self-polymerization, serving as a secondary reaction platform.

Balance matters more: Research on the effect of corporate social responsibility equilibrium on stock price crash risk.

The impact of the degree and effectiveness corporate social responsibility (CSR) fulfillment on corporate value assessment by investors is significant. However, prior research on effects of CSR on stock price crash risk has showed contrasting results. Certain studies suggest that an abundance of CSR can become a self-serving tool for management.

Trapping Ions to Enhance High-Field Energy Harvesting Performance by Filling Polar Macromolecular Dielectrics.

In the quest for sustainable and renewable energy sources, researchers and engineers have explored innovative technologies to harvest energy from various environmental sources. Dielectric elastomer generators (DEGs) with high energy harvesting performance have been proven to be promising energy collectors, but achieving a high dielectric constant (ε') and low electrical conductivity () under high electric fields of dielectric elastomer (DE) simultaneously is a struggle, which poses significant challenges. In this study, high-content carboxyl group-grafted liquid polybutadiene (HCPB) is synthesized and then adopted as an organic dielectric filler to blend and cocross-link with a butadiene rubber (BR) matrix to prepare DE composites with high energy harvesting performance.

LkERF6 enhances drought and salt tolerance in transgenic tobacco by regulating ROS homeostasis.

The transcription factor Ethylene Responsive Factor (ERF) is crucial for responding to various environmental stressors. Proteins containing the ERF-associated amphiphilic repression (EAR) motif often inhibit gene expression. However, the functions of LkERF, an EAR motif-containing protein from Larix kaempferi, especially in reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis, are not well understood.

Germline-targeting HIV vaccination induces neutralizing antibodies to the CD4 binding site.

Eliciting potent and broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) is a major goal in HIV-1 vaccine development. Here, we describe how germline-targeting immunogen BG505 SOSIP germline trimer 1.1 (GT1.

Boosted Solar Thermochemical Low-Temperature CO Splitting On Pt/CeO by Interface Catalysis.

Solar thermochemical CO splitting using metal oxides is considered as a promising approach to produce solar fuels since it is capable to tap abundant sunlight directly and store solar energy in the renewable fuel. It remains a grand challenge to achieve highly efficient CO splitting at low temperature (<800 °C) due to insufficient activation of metal oxides for CO. Herein, the introduction of a small amount of Pt was found to be able to greatly increase the performance of CO splitting with the highest peak CO production rate of about 65 mL min g, CO productivity of about 53 mL g, nearly 100 % CO conversion and long-term stability for 0.

Liver Extracellular Vesicles and Particles Enriched β-Sitosterol Effectively Promote Liver Regeneration in Mice.

Background: The liver's regenerative capacity allows it to repair itself after injury. Extracellular vesicles and particles (EVPs) in the liver's interstitial space are crucial for signal transduction, metabolism, and immune regulation. Understanding the role and mechanism of liver-derived EVPs in regeneration is significant, particularly after partial hepatectomy, where the mechanisms remain unclear.