Crystallographic Pathways to Tailoring Metal-Insulator Transition through Oxygen Transport in VO2.

The metal-insulator (MI) transition of vanadium dioxide (VO2) is effectively modulated by oxygen vacancies, which decrease the transition temperature and insulating resistance. Oxygen vacancies in thin films can be driven by oxygen transport using electrochemical potential. This study delves into the role of crystallographic channels in VO2 in facilitating oxygen transport and the subsequent tuning of electrical properties. A model system is designed with two types of VO2 thin films: (100)- and (001)-oriented, where channels align parallel and perpendicular to the surface, respectively. Growing an oxygen-deficient TiO2 layer on these VO2 films prompted oxygen transport from VO2 to TiO2. Notably, in (001)-VO2 film, where oxygen ions move along the open channels, the oxygen migration deepens the depleted region beyond that in (100)-VO2, leading to more pronounced changes in metal-insulator transition behaviors. The findings emphasize the importance of understanding the intrinsic crystal structure, such as channel pathways, in controlling ionic defects and customizing electrical properties for applications.

Glycemic Control and Oral Health Outcomes in Patients With Diabetes: Insights From a Nationwide Korean Survey.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes is recognized as a risk factor for various inflammatory conditions, including periodontitis. There exists a bidirectional relationship between glycemic control and oral health in individuals with diabetes. This study aimed to analyze the link between glycemic control and oral health status among Korean patients with diabetes. METHODS: Using data from a population-based nationwide survey conducted between 2007 and 2019, we identified 70,554 adults with diabetes-related information. The study population included 9,090 individuals diagnosed with diabetes and 61,164 healthy controls. The association between glycemic control, defined by mean glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) values, and various oral health measures, such as tooth brushing frequency, periodontitis, denture wearing, Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT) index, number of remaining teeth, and past-year dental clinic visits, was evaluated using multivariate logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Compared to the control group, patients with diabetes exhibited a higher prevalence of periodontitis (88.6% vs. 73.3%), complete dentures (5.0% vs. 1.5%), and elevated DMFT index (33.2% vs. 26.7%) (all P < 0.001). Multivariate analyses revealed significant associations between diabetes and several oral health factors: denture status (No denture: adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.784; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.627-0.979), and having fewer permanent teeth (0-19) (aOR, 1.474; 95% CI, 1.085-2.003). Additionally, a positive correlation was found between higher HbA1c levels and the risk of having fewer remaining teeth (0-19) (HbA1c < 6.5%: aOR, 1.129; 95% CI, 0.766-1.663; 6.5% ≤ HbA1c < 8.0%: aOR, 1.590; 95% CI, 1.117-2.262; HbA1c ≥ 8%: aOR, 1.910; 95% CI, 1.145-3.186) (P for trends = 0.041). CONCLUSION: We found a positive association between diabetes and poor oral health, as well as a noteworthy relationship between reduced permanent teeth (≤ 19) and glycemic control. These insights emphasize the critical role of oral health management in diabetic care and underscore the importance of maintaining effective glycemic control strategies for overall health and well-being in patients with diabetes.

Energy-Efficient and Self-Powered Green Ammonia Synthesis by Electrochemical Nitrate Reduction Combined with Hydrazine Oxidation.

To achieve the global goal of carbon neutrality, recently, emphasis has been placed on developing green ammonia production method to replace the Haber-Bosch process. Nitrate reduction reaction (NO3 RR) has received considerable attention, especially for electrochemically producing ammonia from nitrate and simultaneously purifying wastewater. This study first demonstrates that the combination of NO3 RR with hydrazine oxidation reaction (HzOR) is an energy efficient green ammonia production method, which overcomes the sluggish water oxidation limitation. Tungsten phosphide (WP) nanowires (NWs) are prepared as cathode NO3 RR electrocatalysts, which exhibit a high Faradaic efficiency in both neutral (≈93%) and alkaline (≈85%) media. Furthermore, they show a high bifunctional activity in anodic reactions and exhibit a low potential 0.024 V for generating a current density of 10 mA cm-2 in HzOR. The overall NO3 RR-HzOR required an impressively low potential of 0.24 V for generating a current density of 10 mA cm-2 ; this potential is much lower than those required for NO3 RR-OER (1.53 V) and NO3 RR-UOR (1.31 V). A self-powered ammonia production system, prepared by assembling an NO3 RR-HzOR with a perovskite solar cell, displays a high ammonia production rate of 1.44 mg cm-2  h-1 . A single PV cell provides enough driving voltage in the PV-EC due to low required potential. This system facilitates unassisted green ammonia synthesis with a low energy consumption and also allows upcycling of wastewater to produce useful fuel.

A unified computational view of DNA duplex, triplex, quadruplex and their donor-acceptor interactions.

DNA can assume various structures as a result of interactions at atomic and molecular levels (e.g., hydrogen bonds, π-π stacking interactions, and electrostatic potentials), so understanding of the consequences of these interactions could guide development of ways to produce elaborate programmable DNA for applications in bio- and nanotechnology. We conducted advanced ab initio calculations to investigate nucleobase model structures by componentizing their donor-acceptor interactions. By unifying computational conditions, we compared the independent interactions of DNA duplexes, triplexes, and quadruplexes, which led us to evaluate a stability trend among Watson-Crick and Hoogsteen base pairing, stacking, and even ion binding. For a realistic solution-like environment, the influence of water molecules was carefully considered, and the potassium-ion preference of G-quadruplex was first analyzed at an ab initio level by considering both base-base and ion-water interactions. We devised new structure factors including hydrogen bond length, glycosidic vector angle, and twist angle, which were highly effective for comparison between computationally-predicted and experimentally-determined structures; we clarified the function of phosphate backbone during nucleobase ordering. The simulated tendency of net interaction energies agreed well with that of real world, and this agreement validates the potential of ab initio study to guide programming of complicated DNA constructs.

Anionic Flow Valve Across Oxide Heterointerfaces by Remote Electron Doping.

As an analogue of charged electron flows, the ionic flow could be controlled by the electronic band alignment due to the ambipolar nature of diffusion in the ionic crystal. Here, we demonstrate the active control of the anionic diffusion across heterointerfaces through remote electron doping in the capping layers. In contrast to the spontaneous ionic flux from the underlying VO2 layers to the undoped TiO2 capping layers, the activated Nb dopants in the TiO2 capping layers substantially restrict the ionic flux, despite identical growth conditions. The increase of Fermi level by Nb donors in TiO2 prevents electron flux from being generated across the interfaces by the heightening of a Schottky barrier; this electron shortage generates a kinetic close valve for the flow of negatively charged oxygen ions. Thus, these results demonstrate the importance of electron supply on charged ionic flow, thereby suggesting an unprecedented strategy for ionic-defect-induced emergent properties at interfaces.

Development research on an AI English learning support system to facilitate learner-generated-context-based learning.

For decades, AI applications in education (AIEd) have shown how AI can contribute to education. However, a challenge remains: how AIEd, guided by educational knowledge, can be made to meet specific needs in education, specifically in supporting learners' autonomous learning. To address this challenge, we demonstrate the process of developing an AI-applied system that can assist learners in studying autonomously. Guided by a Learner-Generated Context (LGC) framework and development research methodology (Richey and Klein in J Comput High Educ 16(2):23-38, https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02961473, 2005), we define a form of learning called "LGC-based learning," setting specific study objectives in the design, development, and testing of an AI-based system that can facilitate Korean students' LGC-based English language learning experience. The new system is developed based on three design principles derived from the literature review. We then recruit three Korean secondary-school students with different educational backgrounds and illustrate and analyze their English learning experiences using the system. Following this analysis, we discuss how the AI-based system facilitates LGC-based learning and further issues to be considered for future research.

Nationwide trends in prevalence of underweight, overweight, and obesity among people with disabilities in South Korea from 2008 to 2017.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the 10-year trends of weight and prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity according to disability grade and types compared with those without disabilities. METHODS: This serial cross-sectional analysis was conducted using national disability registration data with national general health checkup data from 2008 to 2017. Age-standardized prevalence of underweight and obesity were analyzed for each year, according to the presence, type, and severity of disabilities. Odds of underweight, overweight, obesity, and severe obesity were examined by multinomial logistic regression after adjusting for socio-demographic and clinical variables using data in 2017. RESULTS: Over 10 million subjects in each year were included in the analysis. In 2017, 14,246,785 people with age between 19 and 110 years were included and 53.1% was men. For 10 years, age-standardized prevalence of obesity and severe obesity showed significant increases regardless of sex and presence of disability. However, age-standardized underweight prevalence in people without disability tended to decrease whereas it was an increase in 2012 and the prevalence has remained steady since in people with disability. People with disabilities had higher odds of underweight compared to those without disability (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.38-1.44 in male and OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.28-1.34 in female), especially in those with severe disabilities (OR 2.00, 95% CI 1.94-2.06 in male and OR 1.83, 95% CI 1.77-1.89 in female). Women with disabilities are more likely to be obese than those without disabilities regardless of disability severity (OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.38-1.41). Participants with mental disorder showed the highest prevalence of obesity, followed by epilepsy and developmental disability. CONCLUSIONS: Having a disability was associated with higher odds/probability of both obesity and underweight. The intersection of female, severe disability, and mental/developmental disabilities was associated with probability of severe obesity. Simultaneous efforts are needed to develop health policy to reduce both the prevalence of obesity and underweight.

Entangling three identical particles via spatial overlap.

Quantum correlations between identical particles are at the heart of quantum technologies. Several studies with two identical particles have shown that the spatial overlap and indistinguishability between the particles are necessary for generating bipartite entanglement. On the other hand, researches on the extension to more than two-particle systems are limited by the practical difficulty to control multiple identical particles in laboratories. In this work, we propose schemes to generate two fundamental classes of genuine tripartite entanglement, i.e., GHZ and W classes, which are experimentally demonstrated using linear optics with three identical photons. We also show that the tripartite entanglement class decays from the genuine entanglement to the full separability as the particles become more distinguishable from each other. Our results support the prediction that particle indistinguishability is a fundamental element for entangling identical particles.

Visualization of Transition Metal Decoration on h-BN Surface.

Functional h-BN (hexagonal boron nitride) has been prepared via the incorporation of transition metal (TM) impurities like nanoparticles and single atoms. Herein, scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) combined with density functional theory (DFT) was employed to study Ta-, Co-, Ni-, and Ir-decorated h-BN monolayers to provide an overview of their preferential site occupancies and morphological evolutions on h-BN. Ta, Ni, Ir, and Co single atoms are all positioned on the nitrogen of h-BN; however DFT predicts the occupancy site can vary with their spin state. In terms of microstructural evolution, Co, Ni, and Ir atoms form 3D nanoclusters while Ta atoms are well dispersed and thus the single Ta atom can be decorated on h-BN. This study highlights on TM/h-BN interaction dynamics and presents an avenue for designing nanostructures for electrocatalytic application.

Tertiary RNA Folding-Targeted Drug Screening Strategy Using a Protein Nanopore.

Bacterial riboswitch RNAs are attractive targets for novel antibiotics against antibiotic-resistant superbacteria. Their binding to cognate metabolites is essential for the regulation of bacterial gene expression. Despite the importance of RNAs as therapeutic targets, the development of RNA-targeted, small-molecule drugs is limited by current biophysical methods. Here, we monitored the specific interaction between the adenine-sensing riboswitch aptamer domain (ARS) and adenine at the single-molecule level using α-hemolysin (αHL) nanopores. During adenine-induced tertiary folding, adenine-bound ARS intermediates exhibited characteristic nanopore events, including a two-level ionic current blockade and a ∼ 5.6-fold longer dwell time than that of free RNA. In a proof-of-concept experiment, tertiary RNA folding-targeted drug screening was performed using a protein nanopore, which resulted in the discovery of three new ARS-targeting hit compounds from a natural compound library. Taken together, these results reveal that αHL nanopores are a valuable platform for ultrasensitive, label-free, and single-molecule-based drug screening against therapeutic RNA targets.

Implementation of a 3 × 3 directionally-unbiased linear optical multiport.

Linear optical multiports are widely used in photonic quantum information processing. Naturally, these devices are directionally-biased since photons always propagate from the input ports toward the output ports. Recently, the concept of directionally-unbiased linear optical multiports was proposed. These directionally-unbiased multiports allow photons to propagate along a reverse direction, which can greatly reduce the number of required linear optical elements for complicated linear optical quantum networks. Here, we report an experimental demonstration of a 3 × 3 directionally-unbiased linear optical fiber multiport using an optical tritter and mirrors. Compared to the previous demonstration using bulk optical elements which works only with light sources with a long coherence length, our experimental directionally-unbiased 3 × 3 optical multiport does not require a long coherence length since it provides negligible optical path length differences among all possible optical trajectories. It can be a useful building block for implementing large-scale quantum walks on complex graph networks.

First-Principles Investigations to Evaluate the Spin-Polarized Metal-to-Insulator Transition of Halide Cuprite Perovskites for Smart Windows.

Although smart windows have received wide attention as energy-saving devices, conventional metal-to-insulator materials such as VO2 hinder their commercial usage because of their high transition temperature and low solar energy modulation. Further development can be achieved by finding a new material system that can effectively overcome these limitations. In this study, first-principles density functional theory calculations are used to investigate the possibility of exploiting a spin-polarized band gap material for smart window applications. Halide cuprite perovskites (A2CuX4) were chosen because they have a spin-polarized band gap that can be tuned by element selection at sites A and X. Our study shows that the optical transmittance of the insulating phase is increased by a violation of the selection rule. The spin-polarized band gap is closely related to the metal-to-insulator transition temperature and can be modulated by chemical engineering, strain engineering, or both. Therefore, A2CuX4 is a promising candidate for smart windows.

Reference-frame-independent, measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution using fewer quantum states.

Reference-frame-independent quantum key distribution (RFI-QKD) provides a practical way to generate secret keys between two remote parties without sharing common reference frames. On the other hand, measurement-device-independent QKD (MDI-QKD) offers a high level of security, as it is immune to all quantum hacking attempts to measurement devices. The combination of these two QKD protocols, i.e., RFI-MDI-QKD, is one of the most fascinating QKD protocols, since it holds advantages of both practicality and security. For further practicality of RFI-MDI-QKD, it is beneficial to reduce the implementation complexity. Here, we show that RFI-MDI-QKD can be implemented using fewer quantum states than those of its original proposal. We find that, in principle, the number of quantum states for one of the parties can be reduced from six to three without compromising security. Compared to conventional RFI-MDI-QKD where both parties transmit six quantum states, it significantly simplifies the implementation of the QKD protocol. We also verify the feasibility of the scheme with a proof-of-principle experiment.

Effect of cilostazol on carotid plaque volume measured by three-dimensional ultrasonography in patients with type 2 diabetes: The FANCY study.

AIMS: To conduct a prospective randomized study to evaluate cilostazol, a phosphodiesterase 3 inhibitor, and compare it with aspirin for the prevention of the progression of atherosclerosis in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty patients with T2D and carotid atherosclerotic plaques were randomly assigned to either a 200 mg/d cilostazol (CTZ) group or a 100 mg/d aspirin (ASA) group for 6 months. The primary endpoint was change in plaque volume measured by carotid three-dimensional ultrasonography. The secondary endpoints were changes in carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and endothelial function, assessed by laser Doppler. RESULTS: Twenty-four patients in the CTZ group and 23 in the ASA group were included in the final analysis. The mean ± SD age of male (n = 20) and female (n = 16) patients was 62.2 and 59.1 years, respectively. The total plaque volume was slightly decreased in the CTZ group (from 183.8 ± 52.5 to 181.5 ± 54.0 mm3 ; P = .567), but significantly increased in the ASA group (from 112.9 ± 21.2 to 128.5 ± 23.3 mm3 ; P = .043). A significant regression in the maximum IMT was observed only in the CTZ group (right: from 2.19 ± 0.17 to 1.96 ± 0.12 mm; left: from 2.02 ± 0.20 to 1.72 ± 0.19 mm). The CTZ group exhibited an increase in HDL cholesterol and a decrease in triglycerides and liver enzymes. CONCLUSIONS: Cilostazol treatment for 6 months significantly attenuated the progression of carotid plaque compared with aspirin in patients with T2D (NCT03248401).

Cytoplasmic pro-apoptotic function of the tumor suppressor p73 is mediated through a modified mode of recognition of the anti-apoptotic regulator Bcl-XL.

In response to genotoxic stress, the tumor suppressor protein p73 induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Despite extensive studies on p73-mediated apoptosis, little is known about the cytoplasmic apoptotic function of p73. Here, using H1299 lung cancer cells and diverse biochemical approaches, including colony formation, DNA fragmentation, GST pulldown, and apoptosis assays along with NMR spectroscopy, we show that p73 induces transcription-independent apoptosis via its transactivation domain (TAD) through a mitochondrial pathway and that this apoptosis is mediated by the interaction between p73-TAD and the anti-apoptotic protein B-cell lymphoma-extra large (Bcl-XL or BCL2L1). This binding disrupted an interaction between Bcl-XL and the pro-apoptotic protein BH3-interacting domain death agonist (Bid). In particular, we found that a 16-mer p73-TAD peptide motif (p73-TAD16) mediates transcription-independent apoptosis, accompanied by cytochrome c release from the mitochondria, by interacting with Bcl-XL Interestingly, the structure of the Bcl-XL-p73-TAD16 peptide complex revealed a novel mechanism of Bcl-XL recognition by p73-TAD. We observed that the α-helical p73-TAD16 peptide binds to a noncanonical site in Bcl-XL, comprising the BH1, BH2, and BH3 domains in an orientation opposite to those of pro-apoptotic BH3 peptides. Taken together, our results indicate that the cytoplasmic apoptotic function of p73 is mediated through a noncanonical mode of Bcl-XL recognition. This finding sheds light on a critical transcription-independent, p73-mediated mechanism for apoptosis induction, which has potential implications for anticancer therapy.

Strain-Mediated Phase Stabilization: A New Strategy for Ultrastable α-CsPbI3 Perovskite by Nanoconfined Growth.

All-inorganic cesium lead triiodide (CsPbI3 ) perovskite is considered a promising solution-processable semiconductor for highly stable optoelectronic and photovoltaic applications. However, despite its excellent optoelectronic properties, the phase instability of CsPbI3 poses a critical hurdle for practical application. In this study, a novel stain-mediated phase stabilization strategy is demonstrated to significantly enhance the phase stability of cubic α-phase CsPbI3 . Careful control of the degree of spatial confinement induced by anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) templates with varying pore sizes leads to effective manipulation of the phase stability of α-CsPbI3 . The Williamson-Hall method in conjunction with density functional theory calculations clearly confirms that the strain imposed on the perovskite lattice when confined in vertically aligned nanopores can alter the formation energy of the system, stabilizing α-CsPbI3 at room temperature. Finally, the CsPbI3 grown inside nanoporous AAO templates exhibits exceptional phase stability over three months under ambient conditions, in which the resulting light-emitting diode reveals a natural red color emission with very narrow bandwidth (full width at half maximum of 33 nm) at 702 nm. The universally applicable template-based stabilization strategy can give in-depth insights on the strain-mediated phase transition mechanism in all-inorganic perovskites.

Effectiveness and safety of empagliflozin-based quadruple therapy compared with insulin glargine-based therapy in patients with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes: An observational study in clinical practice.

This open-label, prospective study evaluated the effectiveness and safety of empagliflozin as add-on therapy in inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients (glycated haemoglobin [HbA1c], 7.5-12%) who were already using three other types of orally active antidiabetic agents. A total of 268 T2D patients were enrolled and divided into two groups, empagliflozin (EMPA 25 mg/d, n = 142) or insulin glargine (INS, n = 126), respectively. After the treatment period of 24 weeks, HbA1c and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) were significantly reduced (HbA1c, P = 0.004; FPG, P = 0.008, respectively) in the EMPA group compared to the INS group. Also, EMPA treatment evoked a significant reduction in body weight (P < 0.001) and systolic blood pressure (P = 0.017) compared to the INS group. Hypoglycaemic adverse events were significantly higher in the INS group compared to the EMPA group (P = 0.001). In conclusion, this study demonstrated that a regimen comprising four different orally active antidiabetic agents, including EMPA, was effective and safe as a therapeutic strategy for treating T2D patients for glycaemic control and improvement of other cardiovascular and metabolic indices.

Effect of cilostazol, a phosphodiesterase-3 inhibitor, on coronary artery stenosis and plaque characteristics in patients with type 2 diabetes: ESCAPE study.

AIM: To perform a prospective study to evaluate the effect of cilostazol (CTZ) compared with aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid; ASA) in Korean people with diabetes and subclinical coronary atherosclerosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 100 people with diabetes who had mild to moderate coronary atherosclerosis, assessed by coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA), were randomly assigned to either 200 mg/d CTZ or 100 mg/d ASA (n = 50 each group). The primary outcome was change in coronary artery stenosis assessed by CCTA after 12 months of treatment. Secondary outcomes included changes in plaque composition, coronary artery calcium score and cardiac markers. RESULTS: The mean age, body mass index and glycated haemoglobin concentration were 61.5 years, 25.0 kg/m2 and 56.8 mmol/mol, respectively, and were well matched between the two groups. Coronary artery stenosis decreased in the CTZ group (from 44.0 ± 2.1% to 40.4 ± 2.5%) but remained unchanged in the ASA group (from 38.9 ± 2.1% to 40.6 ± 2.1%). In the CTZ group, the non-calcified portion of plaques decreased significantly (from 20.6 ± 3.0 to 17.3 ± 3.0 mm3 ), whereas it did not change significantly in the ASA group (15.2 ± 2.8 vs 16.6 ± 2.9 mm3 ). Increases in HDL cholesterol, decreases in triglycerides, liver enzyme and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels, and reductions in abdominal visceral fat area and insulin resistance were observed only in the CTZ group. CONCLUSION: CTZ treatment for 12 months decreased coronary artery stenosis and the non-calcified plaque component. These results suggest that CTZ treatment may be an option for preventing the progression of coronary atherosclerosis in people with diabetes.

Universal Approach toward Hysteresis-Free Perovskite Solar Cell via Defect Engineering.

Organic-inorganic halide perovskite is believed to be a potential candidate for high efficiency solar cells because power conversion efficiency (PCE) was certified to be more than 22%. Nevertheless, mismatch of PCE due to current density (J)-voltage (V) hysteresis in perovskite solar cells is an obstacle to overcome. There has been much lively debate on the origin of J-V hysteresis; however, effective methodology to solve the hysteric problem has not been developed. Here we report a universal approach for hysteresis-free perovskite solar cells via defect engineering. A severe hysteresis observed from the normal mesoscopic structure employing TiO2 and spiro-MeOTAD is almost removed or does not exist upon doping the pure perovskites, CH3NH3PbI3 and HC(NH2)2PbI3, and the mixed cation/anion perovskites, FA0.85MA0.15PbI2.55Br0.45 and FA0.85MA0.1Cs0.05PbI2.7Br0.3, with potassium iodide. Substantial reductions in low-frequency capacitance and bulk trap density are measured from the KI-doped perovskite, which is indicative of trap-hysteresis correlation. A series of experiments with alkali metal iodides of LiI, NaI, KI, RbI and CsI reveals that potassium ion is the right element for hysteresis-free perovskite. Theoretical studies suggest that the atomistic origin of the hysteresis of perovskite solar cells is not the migration of iodide vacancy but results from the formation of iodide Frenkel defect. Potassium ion is able to prevent the formation of Frenkel defect since K+ energetically prefers the interstitial site. A complete removal of hysteresis is more pronounced at mixed perovskite system as compared to pure perovskites, which is explained by lower formation energy of K interstitial (-0.65 V for CH3NH3PbI3 vs -1.17 V for mixed perovskite). The developed KI doping methodology is universally adapted for hysteresis-free perovskite regardless of perovskite composition and device structure.

Structural basis for the interaction between DJ-1 and Bcl-XL.

DJ-1 is a multifunctional protein associated with Parkinson's disease (PD) and tumorigenesis. In response to ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation, DJ-1 is translocated into the mitochondria, and its interaction with the mitochondrial protein Bcl-XL protects cells against death. In this study, we characterized the molecular interaction between DJ-1 and Bcl-XL by NMR spectroscopy. The NMR chemical shift perturbation data demonstrated that the oxidized but not the reduced form of DJ-1 binds to the predominantly hydrophobic groove surrounded by the BH1-BH3 domains in Bcl-XL. In addition, our results showed that the C-terminal α8-helix peptide (Cpep) of DJ-1 binds to the pro-apoptotic BH3 peptide-binding hydrophobic groove in Bcl-XL and, thus, acts as a Bcl-XL-binding motif. In combination with the NMR chemical shift perturbation data, a refined structural model of the Bcl-XL/DJ-1 Cpep complex revealed that the binding mode is remarkably similar to that of other Bcl-XL/pro-apoptotic BH3 peptide complexes. Taken together, our results provide a structural basis for the binding mechanism between DJ-1 and Bcl-XL, which will contribute to molecular understanding of the role of mitochondrial DJ-1 in Bcl-XL regulation in response to oxidative stress.