CycloZ Suppresses TLR4-Driven Inflammation to Reduce Asthma-Like Responses in HDM-Exposed Mouse Models.

Asthma is a chronic lung disease characterized by airway inflammation, hyperresponsiveness, and narrowing, with a risk of life-threatening attacks. Most current treatments primarily consist of inhalable steroids, which are not without adverse effects. Recently, there has been growing interest in alternative approaches to asthma management.

Application of fluorescence i-motif DNA silver nanocluster sensor to visualize endogenous reactive oxygen species in plant cells.

A novel fluorescent i-motif DNA silver nanoclusters system has been developed for visualization of reactive oxygen species in plants, enabling the detection of intracellular signaling in plant cells. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are crucial in plant growth, defense, and stress responses, making them vital for improving crop resilience. Various ROS sensing methods for plants have been developed to detect ROS in vitro and in vivo.

Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p18 regulates lineage transitions of excitatory neurons, astrocytes, and interneurons in the mouse cortex.

Neural stem cells (NSCs) can give rise to both neurons and glia, but the regulatory mechanisms governing their differentiation transitions remain incompletely understood. Here, we address the role of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors (CDKIs) in the later stages of dorsal cortical development. We find that the CDKIs p18 and p27 are upregulated at the onset of astrocyte generation.

Optical Visualization of Stretchable Serpentine Interconnects using Chiral Liquid Crystal Elastomers.

The shapes and structures of stretchable interconnects are pivotal in determining their functionality, allowing them to withstand bending, stretching, and twisting while maintaining their operational integrity. However, all stretchable interconnects are subjected to dynamically changing, non-uniform strains during mechanical deformation. Therefore, achieving an accurate understanding of stretchable interconnect properties, including tracking and analyzing these dynamic, non-uniform strains in real-time, remains a challenging endeavor.

Ultrafast Control over Stiffening and Softening of Coherent Interlayer Coupling in WSe/WS Heterobilayers.

Twisted van der Waals heterostructures have led to emerging layer-dependent correlated physics in moiré potentials. While optoelectronic controls over interlayer electronic coupling have been reported, the concomitant interlayer vibration has not yet been controlled. Here, we report experimental evidence of ultrafast optical control over the amplitude and oscillation period of interlayer breathing phonons in WSe/WS heterobilayers.

Strong electron-phonon coupling in magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene.

The unusual properties of superconductivity in magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene (MATBG) have sparked considerable research interest. However, despite the dedication of intensive experimental efforts and the proposal of several possible pairing mechanisms, the origin of its superconductivity remains elusive. Here, by utilizing angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy with micrometre spatial resolution, we reveal flat-band replicas in superconducting MATBG, where MATBG is unaligned with its hexagonal boron nitride substrate.

Meta-structure of amorphous-inspired 65.1Co28.2Cr5.3Mo lattices augmented by artificial intelligence.

Unlabelled: A hatching-distance-controlled lattice of 65.1Co28.2Cr5.

Nanoscale Projection Hard X-ray Microscope for Operando Statistical Analysis of Chemical Heterogeneity in Lithium-Ion Battery Cathodes.

The spatiotemporal heterogeneity of the state of charge (SOC) within battery electrodes significantly impairs the rate capability and cycle life of lithium-ion batteries. However, mapping this heterogeneity is challenging owing to the lack of experimental methods that quantify the SOC at the electrode scale, while also offering nanoscale resolution for in-depth analyses of individual particles. Herein, this work reports an advanced projection X-ray microscopy that combines nanometric resolution, a large field of view, and high chemical sensitivity using spectroscopic imaging.

Multiscale, porous anion-exchangeable sponge for sustainable and convenient boron removal.

To address the limitations, such as complex treatment processes, reduced durability, and poor reusability, of typical micro- and nanoscale adsorbents for boron removal, a simple method for removing residual boron is introduced using a multiscale porous anion-exchangeable sponge (MP-AES) that electrostatically attracts boron in areas with locally high pH. Because commercially available anion-permselective materials are absent, custom nanoporous materials surrounded by microporous melamine foam are used to increase surface area and durability under repeated compression. The hydrophilic porous sponge facilitates liquid diffusion, enhancing adsorption in the user-friendly system.

Solid-state self carbo-passivation for refurbishing colloidal dispersity of catalytic silica nanoreactors.

Silica-based nanostructures are among the most utilized materials. However, a persistent challenge is their irreversible agglomeration upon drying and heat treatments, restricting their homogeneous colloidal re-dispersion - a mandatory requirement for diverse bio-applications. We address this bottleneck by developing a self carbo-passivation (SCP) strategy: silica nanoparticles (NPs), pre-included with the catalytic metal precursors and organosilanes undergo thermochemical conversion with highly controlled interior-to-surface segregation of nanometer-scale "carbonaceous skin patches".

Development of a sulfidized zerovalent iron-geopolymer composite for the reductive immobilization of ReO.

A geopolymer waste form has become a suitable approach for the immobilization of the volatile technetium (Tc) due to the low curing temperature (<60 °C). However, the low retention and the high mobility of the anionic technetium (TcO) remain challenging due to the charge repulsion stemming from the negative charges of the geopolymer surface and the anionic TcO. Herein, a geopolymer composite containing sulfidized nanoscale zerovalent iron (S-nZVI) was developed to reductively immobilize ReO (used as a non-radioactive surrogate for TcO).

Edge Dependence of Nonlocal Transport in Gapped Bilayer Graphene.

The topological properties of gapped graphene have been explored for valleytronics applications. Prior transport experiments indicated their topological nature through large nonlocal resistance in Hall-bar devices, but the origin of this resistance was unclear. This study focused on dual-gate bilayer graphene (BLG) devices with naturally cleaved edges, examining how edge-etching with an oxygen plasma process affects electron transport.

Copper-Catalyzed Regio-, Diastereo-, and Enantioselective Allylic Alkylation with 1,1-Diborylalkanes.

We report a copper-catalyzed regio-, diastereo-, and enantioselective allylic alkylation of allyl bromides using 1,1-diborylalkanes as prochiral nucleophiles. This methodology employs copper(I) bromide as a catalyst, an ()-BINOL-derived phosphoramidite as a ligand, and lithium benzoate as a crucial additive. The reaction affords enantioenriched homoallylic boronic esters possessing vicinal stereocenters in good yields and high diastereo- and enantioselectivity.

Ultrasmall High-Entropy-Alloy Nanozyme Catalyzed In Vivo ROS and NO Scavenging for Anti-Inflammatory Therapy.

High-entropy alloy (HEA) nanoparticles possess finely tunable and multifunctional catalytic activity due to their extremely diverse adsorption sites. Their unique properties enable HEA nanoparticles to mimic the complex interactions of the redox homeostasis system, which is composed of cascade and multiple enzymatic reactions. The application of HEAs in mimicking complex enzymatic systems remains relatively unexplored, despite the importance of regulating biological redox reactions.

Cerebrovascular-Specific Extracellular Matrix Bioink Promotes Blood-Brain Barrier Properties.

Chronic neuroinflammation is a principal cause of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. The blood-brain barrier predominantly comprises endothelial cells, and their intercellular communication with pericytes and other cell types regulates neuroinflammation. Here, we develop a tubular, perfusable model of human cerebrovascular tissues to study neurodegenerative diseases using cerebrovascular-specific extracellular matrix bioink, derived from a complementary blend of brain- and blood-vessel-derived extracellular matrices.

Protection Efficacy of Antibacterial Strains against Fire Blight Caused by Erwinia amylovora on Apple Blossom.

Fire blight caused by Erwinia amylovora is one of the destructive diseases in the family of Rosaceae plants, including apple and pear, in the world. Since the first report in 2015, the number of infected farms and area steadily increased in Korea. In case of eradication failure against this disease, protection strategies using both chemicals and biocontrol agents should be established.

Supercritical density fluctuations and structural heterogeneity in supercooled water-glycerol microdroplets.

Recent experiments and theoretical studies strongly indicate that water exhibits a liquid-liquid phase transition (LLPT) in the supercooled domain. An open question is how the LLPT of water can affect the properties of aqueous solutions. Here, we study the structural and thermodynamic properties of supercooled glycerol-water microdroplets at dilute conditions (χ = 3.

Examining Magnetic Properties and Multiferroicity in the Isostructural CuTSiS (T = Mn and Fe) System Based on the DFT Approach and the Orbital Interaction Analysis.

In the experiment, despite their structural and electronic similarities, CuMnSiS exhibits AFM ordering characterized by a propagation vector = (1/2, 0, 1/2), while CuFeSiS has a different type of AFM ordering with a propagation vector = (1/2, 1/2, 1/2). To unravel how these differences arise, we investigated magnetic properties of CuTSiS (T = Mn and Fe) based on the DFT calculation and an orbital interaction analysis. We suggest that the Cu ion plays an important role in exhibiting different magnetic structures for the isostructural and pseudoisoelectronic CuTSiS (T = Mn and Fe) compounds.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Admissions and In-hospital Mortality of Patients with Stroke in Korea: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on admission rates and in-hospital mortality among patients with ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke.

Methods: We constructed a dataset detailing the monthly hospitalizations and mortality rates of inpatients with stroke from January 2017 to December 2021. Employing an interrupted time series analysis, we explored the impact of COVID-19 on hospitalizations and 30-day in-hospital mortality among stroke patients.

Electron-beam induced Mn oxidation in TEM: Insights into the heating effect of Auger excitation.

Electron-beam irradiation of α-Mn triggers dramatic microstructural transformations. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveals localized thinning and MnO formation within the irradiated area. Reduced thermal conductivity due to thinning suggests significant local temperature rise by electron-beam irradiation.