Efficacy of robot arm-assisted endoscopic submucosal dissection in live porcine stomach (with video).

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is technically challenging and requires a high level of skill. However, there is no effective method of exposing the submucosal plane during dissection. In this study, the efficacy of robot arm-assisted tissue traction for gastric ESD was evaluated using an in vivo porcine model.

Temporal-Quality Ensemble Technique for Handling Image Blur in Packaging Defect Inspection.

Despite achieving numerous successes with surface defect inspection based on deep learning, the industry still faces challenges in conducting packaging defect inspections that include critical information such as ingredient lists. In particular, while previous achievements primarily focus on defect inspection in high-quality images, they do not consider defect inspection in low-quality images such as those containing image blur. To address this issue, we proposed a noble inference technique named temporal-quality ensemble (TQE), which combines temporal and quality weights.

Brief guide to senescence assays using cultured mammalian cells.

Cellular senescence is a crucial biological process associated with organismal aging and many chronic diseases. Here, we present a brief guide to mammalian senescence assays, including the measurement of cell cycle arrest, change in cellular morphology, senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) staining, and the expression of senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). This work will be useful for biologists with minimum expertise in cellular senescence assays.

Controlling Reactivity through Spin Manipulation: Steric Bulkiness of Peroxocobalt(III) Complexes.

The intrinsic relationship between spin states and reactivity in peroxocobalt(III) complexes was investigated, specifically focusing on the influence of steric modulation on supporting ligands. Together with the previously reported [Co(TBDAP)(O)] (), which exhibits spin crossover characteristics, two peroxocobalt(III) complexes, [Co(MDAP)(O)] () and [Co(ADDAP)(O)] (), bearing pyridinophane ligands with distinct -substituents such as methyl and adamantyl groups, were synthesized and characterized. By manipulating the steric bulkiness of the -substituents, control of spin states in peroxocobalt(III) complexes was demonstrated through various physicochemical analyses.

Molecular and cellular basis of sodium sensing in labellum.

Appropriate ingestion of salt is essential for physiological processes such as ionic homeostasis and neuronal activity. Generally, low concentrations of salt elicit attraction, while high concentrations elicit aversive responses. Here, we observed that sugar neurons in the L sensilla of the labellum cf.

Video domain adaptation for semantic segmentation using perceptual consistency matching.

Unsupervised domain adaptation (UDA) aims to transfer knowledge in previous and related labeled datasets (sources) to a new unlabeled dataset (target). Despite the impressive performance, existing approaches have largely focused on image-based UDA only, and video-based UDA has been relatively understudied and received less attention due to the difficulty of adapting diverse modal video features and modeling temporal associations efficiently. To address this, existing studies use optical flow to capture motion cues between in-domain consecutive frames, but is limited by heavy compute requirements and modeling flow patterns across diverse domains is equally challenging.

Sustaining Surface Lithiophilicity of Ultrathin Li-Alloy Coating Layers on Current Collector for Zero-Excess Li-Metal Batteries.

Zero-excess Li-metal batteries (ZE-LMBs) have emerged as the ultimate battery platform, offering an exceptionally high energy density. However, the absence of Li-hosting materials results in uncontrolled dendritic Li deposition on the Cu current collector, leading to chronic loss of Li inventory and severe electrolyte decomposition, limiting its full utilization upon cycling. This study presents the application of ultrathin (≈50 nm) coatings comprising six metallic layers (Cu, Ag, Au, Pt, W, and Fe) on Cu substrates in order to provide insights into the design of Li-depositing current collectors for stable ZE-LMB operation.

Topological Fermi-arc surface state covered by floating electrons on a two-dimensional electride.

Two-dimensional electrides can acquire topologically non-trivial phases due to intriguing interplay between the cationic atomic layers and anionic electron layers. However, experimental evidence of topological surface states has yet to be verified. Here, via angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM), we probe the magnetic Weyl states of the ferromagnetic electride [GdC]·2e.

An Energy Efficient and Temperature Stable Digital FLL-based Wakeup Timer with Time-Domain Temperature Compensation.

This brief presents an on-chip digital intensive frequency-locked loop (DFLL)-based wakeup timer with a time-domain temperature compensation featuring a embedded temperature sensor. The proposed compensation exploits the deterministic temperature characteristics of two complementary resistors to stabilize the timer's operating frequency across the temperature by modulating the activation time window of the two resistors. As a result, it achieves a fine trimming step (± 1 ppm), allowing a small frequency error after trimming (<± 20 ppm).

Constraints on the subsecond modulation of striatal dynamics by physiological dopamine signaling.

Dopaminergic neurons play a crucial role in associative learning, but their capacity to regulate behavior on subsecond timescales remains debated. It is thought that dopaminergic neurons drive certain behaviors by rapidly modulating striatal spiking activity; however, a view has emerged that only artificially high (that is, supra-physiological) dopamine signals alter behavior on fast timescales. This raises the possibility that moment-to-moment striatal spiking activity is not strongly shaped by dopamine signals in the physiological range.

Clinical efficacy and performance evaluation of a bendable remote robot system for a bone tumour surgery: A pilot animal study.

Background: Traditional open surgery for bone tumours sometimes has as a consequence an excessive removal of healthy bone tissue because of the limitations of rigid surgical instruments, increasing infection risk and recovery time.

Methods: We propose a remote robot with a 4.5-mm diameter bendable end-effector, offering four degrees of freedom for accessing the inside of the bone and performing tumour debridement.

Lung Cancer Organoid System to Evaluate the Cytotoxicity of Natural Killer Cells.

Natural killer (NK) cells are gaining growing attention due to their promise for immunotherapy. A fast and accurate system is needed to test NK cell biology and their therapeutic application. Here, we report a lung cancer organoid-based system to evaluate NK cells' cytotoxicity.

Understanding of Defect Passivation Effect on Wide Band Gap p-i-n Perovskite Solar Cell.

The wide band gap perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have attracted considerable attention for their great potential as top cells in high efficiency tandem cell application. However, the photovoltaic performance and stability of PSCs are constrained by nonradiative recombination, primarily stemming from defects within the bulk and at the interface of charge transport layer/perovskite and phase segregation. In this study, we systematically investigated the effects of 2-thiopheneethylammonium chloride (TEACl) on a wide band gap (∼1.

Dual-functional metal-organic framework for chemisorption and colorimetric monitoring of cyanogen chloride.

Given the growing concern over the deployment of toxic chemicals in warfare, the rapid and accurate removal and detection of cyanogen chloride (CK) as a blood agent has become increasingly critical. However, conventional physisorbents and chemisorbents used in military respirators are insufficient for the effective removal of CK. In this study, we demonstrate the chemisorption and sensing abilities of Co(m-DOBDC) (m-DOBDC = 4,6-dioxo-1,3-benzenedicarboxylate) for CK via electrophilic aromatic substitution (EAS) in humid environments.

MDGAs perform activity-dependent synapse type-specific suppression via distinct extracellular mechanisms.

MDGA (MAM domain containing glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor) family proteins were previously identified as synaptic suppressive factors. However, various genetic manipulations have yielded often irreconcilable results, precluding precise evaluation of MDGA functions. Here, we found that, in cultured hippocampal neurons, conditional deletion of MDGA1 and MDGA2 causes specific alterations in synapse numbers, basal synaptic transmission, and synaptic strength at GABAergic and glutamatergic synapses, respectively.

Structural Dynamics Analysis of USP14 Activation by AKT-Mediated Phosphorylation.

Ubiquitin-specific protease 14 (USP14), one of the three major proteasome-associated deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs), is known to be activated by the AKT-mediated phosphorylation at Ser432. Thereby, AKT can regulate global protein degradation by controlling the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS). However, the exact molecular mechanism of USP14 activation by AKT phosphorylation at the atomic level remains unknown.

Frequency-Selective, Multi-Channel, Self-Powered Artificial Basilar Membrane Sensor with a Spiral Shape and 24 Critical Bands Inspired by the Human Cochlea.

A spiral-artificial basilar membrane (S-ABM) sensor is reported that mimics the basilar membrane (BM) of the human cochlea and can detect sound by separating it into 24 sensing channels based on the frequency band. For this, an analytical function is proposed to design the width of the BM so that the frequency bands are linearly located along the length of the BM. To fabricate the S-ABM sensor, a spiral-shaped polyimide film is used as a vibrating membrane, with maximum displacement at locations corresponding to specific frequency bands of sound, and attach piezoelectric sensor modules made of poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) film on top of the polyimide film to measure the vibration amplitude at each channel location.

Modulating nanostructures with polyvinylpyrrolidone: Design and development of a porous, biocompatible, and pH-Stable core-shell magnetic microrobot for demonstrating drug absorption from wastewater.

Increased antineoplastic drug concentrations in wastewater stem from ineffective treatment plants and increased usage. Although microrobots are promising for pollutant removal, they face hurdles in developing a superstructure with superior adsorption capabilities, biocompatibility, porosity, and pH stability. This study focused on adjusting the PVP concentration from 0.

Sequential Effect of Dual-Layered Hybrid Graphite Anodes on Electrode Utilization During Fast-Charging Li-Ion Batteries.

To recharge lithium-ion batteries quickly and safely while avoiding capacity loss and safety risks, a novel electrode design that minimizes cell polarization at a higher current is highly desired. This work presents a dual-layer electrode (DLE) technology via sequential coating of two different anode materials to minimize the overall electrode resistance upon fast charging. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and distribution of relaxation times analysis revealed the dynamic evolution of electrode impedances in synthetic graphite (SG) upon a change in the state of charge (SOC), whereas the natural graphite (NG) maintains its original impedance regardless of SOC variation.

[Factors Influencing Sexual Experiences in Adolescents Using a Random Forest Model: Secondary Data Analysis of the 2019~2021 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey Data].

Purpose: The objective of this study was to develop a predictive model for the sexual experiences of adolescents using the random forest method and to identify the "variable importance."

Methods: The study utilized data from the 2019 to 2021 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey, which included 86,595 man and 80,504 woman participants. The number of independent variables stood at 44.

Sialyllactose preserves residual hearing after cochlear implantation.

In individuals with hearing loss, protection of residual hearing is essential following cochlear implantation to facilitate acoustic and electric hearing. Hearing preservation requires slow insertion, atraumatic electrode and delivery of the optimal quantity of a pharmacological agent. Several studies have reported variable hearing outcomes with osmotic pump-mediated steroid delivery.

Multifarious astrocyte-neuron dialog in shaping neural circuit architecture.

Astrocytes are multifaceted glial cell types that perform structural, functional, metabolic, and homeostatic roles in the brain. Recent studies have revealed mechanisms underlying the diversity of bidirectional communication modes between astrocytes and neurons - the fundamental organizing principle shaping synaptic properties at tripartite synapses. These astrocyte-neuron interactions are critical for the proper functioning of synapses and neural circuits.