Progress and Perspectives in 2D Piezoelectric Materials for Piezotronics and Piezo-Phototronics.

The emergence of two-dimensional (2D) materials has catalyzed significant advancements in the fields of piezotronics and piezo-phototronics, owing to their exceptional mechanical, electronic, and optical properties. This review provides a comprehensive examination of key 2D piezoelectric and piezo-phototronic materials, including transition metal dichalcogenides, hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), and phosphorene, with an emphasis on their unique advantages and recent research progress. The underlying principles of piezotronics and piezo-phototronics in 2D materials is discussed, focusing on the fundamental mechanisms which enable these phenomena.

Structural brain network metrics as novel predictors of treatment response in restless legs syndrome.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate morphometric similarity networks in patients with newly diagnosed restless legs syndrome (RLS) compared with healthy controls and to examine their relationship with treatment response.

Methods: A total of 49 patients with newly diagnosed RLS and 58 healthy controls were prospectively enrolled. Brain magnetic resonance imaging was performed using a 3-T scanner, and morphometric similarity network analysis was conducted on T1-weighted images.

Levels of exposure markers among residents in environmentally vulnerable areas in Korea, the general population in Korea, and Asians in the United States.

This study compares biomarker levels among environmentally vulnerable residents in Korea, the general Korean population, and Asians in the United States. We selected 953 exposed residents and 204 controls from the Forensic Research via Omics Markers in Environmental Health Vulnerable Areas (FROM) study (2021-2023), 4,239 participants from the fourth Korean National Environmental Health Survey (2018-2020), and 996 Asians from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2017-March 2020). The analyzed biomarkers included blood and urinary metals, urinary metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), nicotine, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and serum perfluorocarbon metabolites.

Altered triple network model connectivity is associated with cognitive function and depressive symptoms in older adults.

Introduction: Late-life cognitive impairment and depression frequently co-occur and share many symptoms. However, the specific neural and clinical factors contributing to both their common and distinct profiles in older adults remain unclear.

Methods: We investigated resting-state correlates of cognitive and depressive symptoms in older adults (n = 248 and n = 95) using clinical, blood, and neuroimaging data.

Immune-enhancing effects of enzymatic hydrolysates of peanut sprouts in RAW 264.7 macrophages and cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppressed mouse model.

Immune deficiency is associated with the development of various diseases. Resveratrol, the main bioactive component of peanut sprouts, exerts immunomodulatory effects. Enzymatic hydrolysis increases the yield of bioactive components from plant resources.

Brain age mediates gut microbiome dysbiosis-related cognition in older adults.

Background: Recent studies have focused on improving our understanding of gut microbiome dysbiosis and its impact on cognitive function. However, the relationship between gut microbiome composition, accelerated brain atrophy, and cognitive function has not yet been fully explored.

Methods: We recruited 292 participants from South Korean memory clinics to undergo brain magnetic resonance imaging, clinical assessments, and collected stool samples.

Dysbiosis of Bile Microbiota in Cholangiocarcinoma Patients: A Comparison with Benign Biliary Diseases.

Dysbiosis in the bile microbiota of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) patients suggests a potential role for microbial alterations in the pathogenesis of CCA. This study aimed to investigate bile microbial communities in patients with CCA and compare them to those in individuals with benign biliary diseases as a control (CTR) group. Microbial profiling was conducted using next-generation sequencing (NGS), targeting the V3-V4 regions of the 16S rRNA gene, followed by bioinformatics analysis using the VSEARCH and EzBioCloud platforms.

Correction: HfO-based ferroelectric synaptic devices: challenges and engineering solutions.

Correction for 'HfO-based ferroelectric synaptic devices: challenges and engineering solutions' by Taegyu Kwon , , 2025, , 3061-3080, https://doi.org/10.1039/d4cc05293e.

Neural network-based analysis algorithm on Mueller matrix data of spectroscopic ellipsometry for the structure evaluation of nanogratings with various optical constants.

Accurate and fast characterization of nanostructures using spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) is required in both industrial and research fields. However, conventional methods used in SE data analysis often face challenges in balancing accuracy and speed, especially for the monitoring on complex nanostructures. Additionally, optical constants are so crucial for accurately predicting structural parameters since SE data were strongly related to them.

Role of endosomal RANKL-LGR4 signaling during osteoclast differentiation.

Leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein-coupled receptor 4 (LGR4, also known as GPR48) is a membrane receptor that negatively regulates the RANK signaling cascade during osteoclastogenesis. Traditionally, cell signaling and endocytic membrane trafficking via membrane receptors have been considered distinct processes; however, they are now recognized to be closely and bidirectionally linked. The present study investigated the difference between membrane-bound and endosomal LGR4 signaling and whether the LGR4 signaling pathway influences RANK-RANKL signaling during RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis.

Network design for soft materials: addressing elasticity and fracture resistance challenges.

Soft materials, such as elastomers and gels, feature crosslinked polymer chains that provide stretchable and elastic mechanical properties. These properties are derived from entropic elasticity, which limits energy dissipation and makes the material susceptible to fracture. To address this issue, network designs that dissipate energy through the plastic zone have been introduced to enhance toughness; however, this approach compromises elasticity, preventing the material from fully recovering its original shape after deformation.

Transferrable, wet-chemistry-derived high-k amorphous metal oxide dielectrics for two-dimensional electronic devices.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials hold transformative potential for next-generation electronics. The integration of high dielectric constant (k) dielectrics onto 2D semiconductors, while maintaining their pristine properties by low-defect-density interfaces, has proven challenging and become one performance bottleneck of their practical implementation. Here, we report a wet-chemistry-based method to fabricate amorphous, transferable high-k (42.

Effectiveness of advanced cardiovascular life support in hyperkalemic cardiac arrest: A randomized experimental study in pigs.

Current treatment recommendations for hyperkalemic cardiac arrest focus exclusively on the addition of antihyperkalemic therapies and are otherwise identical to those for cardiac arrest caused by non-hyperkalemic etiologies. We were unable to find any studies that specifically examine the hemodynamic effects of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in hyperkalemic cardiac arrest compared to cardiac arrest from non-hyperkalemic etiologies. We hypothesized that myocardial ischemic contracture would be less severe in hyperkalemic cardiac arrest compared with ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest, resulting in higher cerebral perfusion pressure, brain tissue oxygen tension, and coronary perfusion pressure during cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Comparison of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring between propofol and remimazolam during total intravenous anesthesia in the cervical spine surgery: a prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled trial.

Background: Although total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) with propofol and remifentanil is frequently used to optimize intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM), the exact effect of remimazolam on IONM remains unknown. Here, we compared the effects of propofol and remimazolam along with remifentanil on IONM during TIVA.

Methods: In this prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled trial, 64 patients requiring IONM during cervical spine surgery were administered either propofol (Group P) or remimazolam (Group R).

Effects of intrathecal administration of sodium nitroprusside and nicardipine on cerebral pial microcirculation, cortical tissue oxygenation, and electrocortical activity in the early post-resuscitation period in a porcine cardiac arrest model.

Recent studies suggested intrathecal vasodilator administration as a therapy to mitigate post-ischemic cerebral hypoperfusion following cardiac arrest. We examined the effects of two commonly used intrathecal vasodilators, sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and nicardipine, on cerebral pial microcirculation, cortical tissue oxygen tension (PctO2), and electrocortical activity in the early post-resuscitation period using a porcine model of cardiac arrest. Thirty pigs were resuscitated after 14 min of untreated cardiac arrest.

HfO-based ferroelectric synaptic devices: challenges and engineering solutions.

HfO-based ferroelectric memories have garnered significant attention for their potential to serve as artificial synaptic devices owing to their scalability and CMOS compatibility. This review examines the key material properties and challenges associated with HfO-based ferroelectric artificial synaptic devices as well as the recent advancements in engineering strategies to improve their synaptic performance. The fundamental physics and material properties of HfO-based ferroelectrics are reviewed to understand the theoretical origin of the aforementioned technical issues in ferroelectric HfO-based synaptic devices.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids as Potential Predictors of Sudden Cardiac Death and Cardiovascular Mortality: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

: Sudden cardiac death (SCD) poses a significant burden on the modern-day public health system; however, while our understanding of the underlying pathophysiology is still evolving and may not be complete, many insights are known and applied every day. Targeted prevention methods are continually being developed and refined. We conducted a systemic review and meta-analysis to identify a blood nutritional biomarker that can predict and screen population groups at high risk for cardiovascular disease mortality (CVD mortality) or SCD.

Interaction Effects Between COVID-19 Outbreak and Fever on Mortality Among OHCA Patients Visiting Emergency Departments.

: Fever in patients who have suffered an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) has been linked to poor clinical outcomes, as a fever can exacerbate neurological damage, increase metabolic demands, and trigger inflammatory responses. This study evaluates the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and associated fevers on OHCA outcomes and examines how they can worsen patient prognosis. : Our retrospective observational analysis used data from the National Emergency Department Information System (NEDIS), comprising adult OHCA patients at 402 EDs in Korea between 27 January and 31 December 2020 (COVID-19 pandemic period) and the corresponding period in 2019 (pre-COVID-19).

Comparative analysis of functional end-to-end and end-to-side anastomosis in laparoscopic right hemicolectomy for colon cancer.

Background: Despite advancements in laparoscopic right hemicolectomy for right-sided colon cancer, the choice between functional end-to-end anastomosis and end-to-side anastomosis remains a topic of debate. This study aimed to compare these 2 techniques in terms of postoperative complications and disease-free survival.

Methods: This retrospective analysis included 1,202 patients who underwent laparoscopic right hemicolectomy for nonmetastatic colon cancer at Samsung Medical Center between January 2007 and February 2016.

Prognostic value of pseudotime from texture parameters of FDG PET/CT in locally advanced rectal cancer with neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

Texture analysis generates image parameters from F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT). Although some parameters correlate with tumor biology and clinical attributes, their types and implications can be complex. To overcome this limitation, pseudotime analysis was applied to texture parameters to estimate changes in individual sample characteristics, and the prognostic significance of the estimated pseudotime of primary tumors was evaluated.

USP21-EGFR signaling axis is functionally implicated in metastatic colorectal cancer.

The emerging role of ubiquitin-specific peptidase 21 (USP21) in stabilizing Fra-1 (FOSL1) highlights its involvement in promoting colorectal cancer (CRC) metastasis. Additionally, a reciprocal link between EGFR signaling and Fra-1 activation has been identified, mediated through matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). However, the functional implications of the USP21-EGFR signaling axis in metastatic CRC (mCRC) are not fully understood.

LINC02257 regulates malignant phenotypes of colorectal cancer via interacting with miR-1273g-3p and YB1.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer diagnosed and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Emerging evidence has indicated that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in the progression of various types of cancer. In this study, we aimed to identify potential causal lncRNAs in CRC through comprehensive multilevel bioinformatics analyses, coupled with functional validation.

Genome-Wide Identification and Biochemical Characterization of Alcohol Acyltransferases for Aroma Generation in Isolates from Fermented Food.

The importance of nonconventional yeasts has increasingly been highlighted, particularly for aroma formation in fermented foods. Here, we performed whole-genome sequencing of , which produces a variety of volatile flavor compounds, leading to the identification of the alcohol acyltransferase (AATase) family of genes. The genome of contains seven AATase genes, encoding alcohol--acetyltransferases (ATFs) and ethanol acetyltransferase 1 (EAT1) for acetate ester formation, along with ethanol hexanoyl transferase 1 (EHT1) for ethyl ester formation.

Oxygen-Doped 2D InSe Nanosheets with Extended In-Plane Lattice Strain for Highly Efficient Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting.

With the emergence of electromechanical devices, considerable efforts have been devoted to improving the piezoelectricity of 2D materials. Herein, an anion-doping approach is proposed as an effective way to enhance the piezoelectricity of α-InSe nanosheets, which has a rare asymmetric structure in both the in-plane and out-of-plane directions. As the O plasma treatment gradually substitutes selenium with oxygen, it changes the crystal structure, creating a larger lattice distortion and, thus, an extended dipole moment.