Lighting the Path to Precision Healthcare: Advances and Applications of Wearable Photonic Sensors.

Recent advancements in wearable photonic sensors have marked a transformative era in healthcare, enabling non-invasive, real-time, portable, and personalized medical monitoring. These sensors leverage the unique properties of light toward high-performance sensing in form factors optimized for real-world use. Their ability to offer solutions to a broad spectrum of medical challenges - from routine health monitoring to managing chronic conditions, inspires a rapidly growing translational market.

Developmental deficits, synapse and dendritic abnormalities in a Clcn4 KO autism mice model: endophenotypic target for ASD.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is linked to ion channel dysfunction, including chloride voltage-gated channel-4 (CLCN4). We generated Clcn4 knockout (KO) mice by deleting exon 5 of chromosome 7 in the C57BL/6 mice. Clcn4 KO exhibited reduced social interaction and increased repetitive behaviors assessed using three-chamber and marble burying tests.

Size-controlled assembly of phase separated protein condensates with interfacial protein cages.

Phase separation of specific proteins into liquid-like condensates is a key mechanism for forming membrane-less organelles, which organize diverse cellular processes in space and time. These protein condensates hold immense potential as biomaterials capable of containing specific sets of biomolecules with high densities and dynamic liquid properties. Despite their appeal, methods to manipulate protein condensate materials remain largely unexplored.

Synthetic Bilirubin-Based Nanomedicine Protects Against Renal Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury Through Antioxidant and Immune-Modulating Activity.

Renal ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) is a common form of acute kidney injury. The basic mechanism underlying renal IRI is acute inflammation, where oxidative stress plays an important role. Although bilirubin exhibits potent reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging properties, its clinical application is hindered by problems associated with solubility, stability, and toxicity.

Single-Step Production of Doubly Re-entrant Microstructures Through Reaction-Diffusion Photolithography for Omniphobic Surfaces.

Omniphobic surfaces, which repel virtually any liquid regardless of its wettability, have been developed using doubly re-entrant microstructures. Although various microfabrication techniques have been explored, these often require multiple complex steps. In this study, reaction-diffusion photolithography (RDP) is used to fabricate micropost arrays with doubly re-entrant geometries through a single-step ultraviolet (UV) exposure process.

Ultrahigh Specific Strength by Bayesian Optimization of Carbon Nanolattices.

Nanoarchitected materials are at the frontier of metamaterial design and have set the benchmark for mechanical performance in several contemporary applications. However, traditional nanoarchitected designs with conventional topologies exhibit poor stress distributions and induce premature nodal failure. Here, using multi-objective Bayesian optimization and two-photon polymerization, optimized carbon nanolattices with an exceptional specific strength of 2.

Active learning framework to optimize process parameters for additive-manufactured Ti-6Al-4V with high strength and ductility.

Optimizing process and heat-treatment parameters of laser powder bed fusion for producing Ti-6Al-4V alloys with high strength and ductility is crucial to meet performance demands in various applications. Nevertheless, inherent trade-offs between strength and ductility render traditional trial-and-error methods inefficient. Herein, we present Pareto active learning framework with targeted experimental validation to efficiently explore vast parameter space of 296 candidates, pinpointing optimal parameters to augment both strength and ductility.

Advancing efficiency in deep-blue OLEDs: Exploring a machine learning-driven multiresonance TADF molecular design.

The pursuit of boron-based organic compounds with multiresonance (MR)-induced thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) is propelled by their potential as narrowband blue emitters for wide-gamut displays. Although boron-doped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in MR compounds share common structural features, their molecular design traditionally involves iterative approaches with repeated attempts until success. To address this, we implemented machine learning algorithms to establish quantitative structure-property relationship models, predicting key optoelectronic characteristics, such as full width at half maximum (FWHM) and main peak wavelength, for deep-blue MR candidates.

Attractor Landscape Analysis Reveals a Reversion Switch in the Transition of Colorectal Tumorigenesis.

A cell fate change such as tumorigenesis incurs critical transition. It remains a longstanding challenge whether the underlying mechanism can be unraveled and a molecular switch that can reverse such transition is found. Here a systems framework, REVERT, is presented with which can reconstruct the core molecular regulatory network model and a reversion switch based on single-cell transcriptome data over the transition process is identified.

Unraveling Redox Mediator-Assisted Chemical Relithiation Mechanism for Direct Recycling of Spent Ni-Rich Layered Cathode Materials.

The increasing demand for Li-ion batteries across various energy storage applications underscores the urgent need for environmentally friendly and efficient direct recycling strategies to address the issue of substantial cathode waste. Diverse reducing agents for Li supplements, such as quinone molecules, have been considered to homogenize the Li distribution in the cathode materials obtained after cycling; however, the detailed reaction mechanism is still unknown. Herein, the ideal electrochemical potential factor and reaction mechanism of the redox mediator 3,5-di-tert-butyl-o-benzoquinone (DTBQ) for the chemical relithiation of high-Ni-layered cathodes are elucidated.

Engineering probiotic Escherichia coli for inflammation-responsive indoleacetic acid production using RiboJ-enhanced genetic circuits.

Background: As our understanding of gut microbiota's metabolic impacts on health grows, the interest in engineered probiotics has intensified. This study aimed to engineer the probiotic Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN) to produce indoleacetic acid (IAA) in response to gut inflammatory biomarkers thiosulfate and nitrate.

Results: Genetic circuits were developed to initiate IAA synthesis upon detecting inflammatory signals, optimizing a heterologous IAA biosynthetic pathway, and incorporating a RiboJ insulator to enhance IAA production.

Ganglioside-incorporating lipid nanoparticles as a polyethylene glycol-free mRNA delivery platform.

Incorporation of polyethylene glycol (PEG) is widely used in lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulation in order to achieve adequate stability due to its stealth properties. However, studies have detected the presence of anti-PEG neutralizing antibodies after PEGylated LNP treatment, which are associated with anaphylaxis, accelerated LNP clearance and premature release of cargo. Here, we report the development of LNPs incorporating ganglioside, a naturally occurring stealth lipid, as a PEG-free alternative.

Novel Isothermal Amplification Integrated with CRISPR/Cas13a and Its Applications for Ultrasensitive Detection of SARS-CoV-2.

We herein developed an ultrasensitive and rapid strategy to identify genomic nucleic acids by integrating a clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 13a (Cas13a) into our recently developed isothermal technique, nicking and extension chain reaction system-based amplification (NESBA) reaction. In this technique, named CESBA, the NESBA reaction isothermally produces a large amount of RNA amplicons from the initial target genomic RNA (gRNA). The RNA amplicons bind to the crispr RNA (crRNA) and activate the collateral cleavage activity of Cas13a, which would then cleave the reporter probe nearby, consequently producing the final signals.

Exploring the Impact of Ionic Additives on the Structure and Energetics of Dye-Sensitized NiO Interfaces: Insights from Electrochemistry and First-Principles Calculations.

The efficient functioning of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) is governed by the interplay of three essential components: the semiconductor, the dye, and the electrolyte. While the impact of the electrolyte composition on the device's performance has been extensively studied in n-type DSSCs, much less is known about p-type-based devices. Here, we investigate the effect of potential-determining ions on the energetics and stability of dye-sensitized NiO surfaces by using electrochemical, ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, and ab initio electronic structure calculations.

Metabolic engineering of Escherichia coli for enhanced production of p-coumaric acid via L-phenylalanine biosynthesis pathway.

p-Coumaric acid (p-CA), an invaluable phytochemical, has novel bioactivities, including antiproliferative, anxiolytic, and neuroprotective effects, and is the main precursor of various flavonoids, such as caffeic acid, naringenin, and resveratrol. Herein, we report the engineering of Escherichia coli for de novo production of p-CA via the PAL-C4H pathway. As the base strain, we used the E.

Engineering a membrane protein chaperone to ameliorate the proteotoxicity of mutant huntingtin.

Toxic protein aggregates are associated with various neurodegenerative diseases, including Huntington's disease (HD). Since no current treatment delays the progression of HD, we develop a mechanistic approach to prevent mutant huntingtin (mHttex1) aggregation. Here, we engineer the ATP-independent cytosolic chaperone PEX19, which targets peroxisomal membrane proteins to peroxisomes, to remove mHttex1 aggregates.

NIR-Reflective Black Photonic Films Designed for Effective LiDAR Recognition.

Conventional dark-tone paints absorb both visible light and near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths, posing a challenge for light detection and ranging (LiDAR) recognition in autonomous driving. To overcome this issue, various chemical and structural coating materials have been explored to selectively reflect NIR. In this study, we newly propose colloidal photonic crystals with a stopband in the NIR range, fabricated through the spontaneous formation of crystalline arrays of silica particles dispersed in a photocurable resin, as a potential solution.

Computational Insights into "Lone Pair-Lone Pair Interaction-Controlled" Isomerization in the Asymmetric Total Syntheses of (+)-3-()-Laureatin and (+)-3-()-Isolaureatin.

Described herein is our computational study to rationalize the stereoselective epimerization of α,α'--disubstituted oxolane and oxetane ketones and to the corresponding α,α'- ketones and reported in our previous total syntheses of (+)-3-()-isolaureatin () and (+)-3-()-laureatin (). Density functional theory (DFT) calculations using appropriately truncated models revealed that the α,α'- ketones are more stable than the α,α'- ketones, in very good agreement with experimental results. The computational results showed that the isomer with a longer interatomic distance between the two ring oxygen atoms was lower in energy, which suggested the presence of repulsive interactions between those oxygen atoms.

Serum Biomarkers of Pulmonary Damage and Risk for Progression of Rheumatoid Arthritis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease.

Objective: To investigate baseline and change of pulmonary damage biomarkers (serum Krebs von den Lungen 6 [KL-6], human surfactant protein D [hSP-D], and matrix metalloproteinase 7 [MMP-7]) with rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD) progression.

Methods: In the Korean Rheumatoid Arthritis Interstitial Lung Disease (KORAIL) cohort, a prospective cohort, we enrolled patients with RA and ILD confirmed by chest computed tomography imaging and followed annually. ILD progression was defined as worsening in physiological and radiological domains of the 2022 American Thoracic Society, European Respiratory Society, Japanese Respiratory Society, and Latin American Thoracic Society guideline for progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF).

Mechanistic insights into the visible-light-driven -arylation of carboxylic acids catalyzed by xanthine-based nickel complexes.

We present a photocatalytic protocol for the -arylation of carboxylic acids using nickel complexes bearing C8-pyridyl xanthines. Our studies suggest that the underlying mechanism operates independently of external photosensitizers. Stoichiometric experiments and crystallographic studies characterize the catalytically relevant Ni complexes.

Multi-target-directed therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer's disease: controlling amyloid-β aggregation, metal ion homeostasis, and enzyme inhibition.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent neurodegenerative dementia, marked by progressive cognitive decline and memory impairment. Despite advances in therapeutic research, single-target-directed treatments often fall short in addressing the complex, multifactorial nature of AD. This arises from various pathological features, including amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregate deposition, metal ion dysregulation, oxidative stress, impaired neurotransmission, neuroinflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and neuronal cell death.

An integrative approach to generating explainable safety assessment scenarios for autonomous vehicles based on Vision Transformer and SHAP.

Automated Vehicles (AVs) are on the cusp of commercialization, prompting global governments to organize the forthcoming mobility phase. However, the advancement of technology alone cannot guarantee the successful commercialization of AVs without insights into the accidents on the read roads where Human-driven Vehicles (HV) coexist. To address such an issue, The New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) is currently in progress, and scenario-based approaches have been spotlighted.

Dual-Cys bacteriophytochromes: intermediates in cyanobacterial phytochrome evolution?

Previous studies have identified three families of knotted phytochrome photoreceptors in cyanobacteria. We describe a fourth type: 'hybrid' phytochromes with putative bilin-binding cysteine residues in both their N-terminal 'knot' extensions and cGMP-phosphodiesterase/adenylate cyclase/FhlA (GAF) domains, which we designate as dual-cysteine bacteriophytochromes (DCBs). Recombinant expression of DCBs in Escherichia coli yields photoactive phycocyanobilin (PCB) adducts with red/far-red photocycles similar to those of the GAF-Cys-containing cyanobacterial phytochromes (Cph1s).

Increased local DNA methylation disorder in AMLs with DNMT3A-destabilizing variants and its clinical implication.

The mechanistic link between the complex mutational landscape of de novo methyltransferase DNMT3A and the pathology of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has not been clearly elucidated so far. Motivated by a recent discovery of the significance of DNMT3A-destabilizing mutations (DNMT3A) in AML, we here investigate the common characteristics of DNMT3A AML methylomes through computational analyses. We present that methylomes of DNMT3A AMLs are considerably different from those of DNMT3A AMLs in that they exhibit increased intratumor DNA methylation heterogeneity in bivalent chromatin domains.