Effects of Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone (GHRH) Plasmid Treatment on the Reproductive Productivity of Sows in Primiparous and Multiparous Sow Breeds.

The effect of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) plasmid treatment on sow reproductive performance was examined. Forty pregnant sows (three-way crossbreed: Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc) at 85 days of gestation were included in the study and consisted of twenty primiparous and twenty multiparous sows (third parity). Sows were randomly assigned to the control and treatment groups. The treatment group received 5 mg dose of GHRH plasmid injection via electroporation, whereas the control group received a phosphate buffer solution. Reproductive indicators, including serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) concentration and weaned piglet data, were assessed. In the GHRH plasmid-treated group, serum IGF-1 concentration significantly increased compared with that in the control group, a trend observed in primiparous and multiparous sows. The key indicator of reproductive performance, litter size, showed that for control primiparous sows (C-PS), it was 10.90 ± 0.99 kg, while for control multiparous sows (C-MS), it was 14.00 ± 0.67 kg. Furthermore, for primiparous sows treated with GHRH plasmid (G-PS), the litter size was 11.60 ± 0.97 kg, and for multiparous sows treated with GHRH plasmid (G-MS), it was 14.00 ± 0.82 kg. The GHRH plasmid-treated group also exhibited a higher number of total births and surviving piglet numbers, along with a decrease in stillborn piglets; however, there was no significant difference in birth weight. The results suggest that GHRH plasmid treatment can enhance the reproductive performance of sows.

Highly Resilient Noncovalently Associated Hydrogel Adhesives for Wound Sealing Patch.

The development of hydrogel adhesives with high mechanical resilience and toughness remains a challenging task. Hydrogels must exhibit high mechanical resilience to withstand the inevitable movement of the human body while simultaneously demonstrating strong wet tissue adhesion and appropriate toughness to hold and seal damaged tissues; However, tissue adhesion, toughness, and mechanical resilience are typically negatively correlated. Therefore, this paper proposes a highly resilient double-network (DN) hydrogel wound-sealing patch that exhibits a well-balanced combination of tissue adhesion, toughness, and mechanical resilience. The DN structure is formed by introducing covalently and non-covalently crosslinkable dopamine-modified crosslinkers and physically interactable linear poly(vinyl imidazole) (PVI). The resulting hydrogel adhesive exhibits high toughness and mechanical resilience due to the presence of a DN involving reversible physical intermolecular interactions such as hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic associations, cation-π interactions, π-π interactions, and chain entanglements. Moreover, the hydrogel adhesive achieves strong wet tissue adhesion through the polar hydroxyl groups of dopamine and the amine group of PVI. These mechanical attributes allow the proposed adhesive to effectively seal damaged tissues and promote wound healing by maintaining a moist environment.

APP-C31: An Intracellular Promoter of Both Metal-Free and Metal-Bound Amyloid-ß40 Aggregation and Toxicity in Alzheimer's Disease.

Intracellular C-terminal cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) is elevated in the brains of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and produces a peptide labeled APP-C31 that is suspected to be involved in the pathology of AD. But details about the role of APP-C31 in the development of the disease are not known. Here, this work reports that APP-C31 directly interacts with the N-terminal and self-recognition regions of amyloid-ß40 (Aß40 ) to form transient adducts, which facilitates the aggregation of both metal-free and metal-bound Aß40 peptides and aggravates their toxicity. Specifically, APP-C31 increases the perinuclear and intranuclear generation of large Aß40 deposits and, consequently, damages the nucleus leading to apoptosis. The Aß40 -induced degeneration of neurites and inflammation are also intensified by APP-C31 in human neurons and murine brains. This study demonstrates a new function of APP-C31 as an intracellular promoter of Aß40 amyloidogenesis in both metal-free and metal-present environments, and may offer an interesting alternative target for developing treatments for AD that have not been considered thus far.

Mucoadhesive chitosan microcapsules for controlled gastrointestinal delivery and oral bioavailability enhancement of low molecular weight peptides.

A bioactive compound, collagen peptide (CP), is widely used for biological activities such as anti-photoaging and antioxidant effects, with increased oral bioavailability because of its low molecular weight and high hydrophilicity. However, controlling release time and increasing retention time in the digestive tract for a more convenient oral administration is still a challenge. We developed CP-loaded chitosan (CS) microcapsules via strong and rapid ionic gelation using a highly negative phytic acid (PA) crosslinker. The platform enhanced the oral bioavailability of CP with controlled gastrointestinal delivery by utilizing the mucoadhesiveness and tight junction-opening properties of CS. CS and CP concentrations varied from 1.5 to 3.5% and 0-30%, respectively, for optimal and stable microcapsule synthesis. The physicochemical properties, in vitro release profile with intestinal permeability, in vivo oral bioavailability, in vivo biodistribution, anti-photoaging effect, and antioxidant effect of optimized CS microcapsules were analyzed to investigate the impact of controlling parameters. The structure of CS microcapsules was tuned by PA diffused gradient ionic cross-linking degree, resulting in a controlled CP release region in the gastrointestinal tract. The optimized microcapsules increased Cmax, AUC, and tmax by 1.5-, 3.4-, and 8.0-fold, respectively. Furthermore, CP in microcapsules showed anti-photoaging effects by downregulating matrix metalloproteinases-1 via antioxidant effects. According to our knowledge, this is the first study to microencapsulate CP for oral bioavailability enhancement. The peptide delivery method employed is simple, economical, and can be applied to customize bioactive compound administration.

Annealing Heat Treatment for Homogenizing the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Electron-Beam-Welded Thick Plate of Ti-6Al-4V Alloy.

In the application of Ti-6Al-4V to aerospace structural components, when welding thick plates similar of the thickness of the components, microstructure and hardness gradients emerge between the base material (BM) and the joint. This leads to the issue of significant stress concentration in the BM under tensile stress. To address this problem through post-welding heat treatment, this study conducted heat treatments at temperatures both below (mill annealing, MA) and above the beta-transus temperature (beta annealing, BA) on electron-beam weldments of 18 mm thickness Ti-6Al-4V plates. Subsequently, microstructures and hardness were analyzed at different depths from the upper surface and areas (fusion zone (FZ), heat-affected zone (HAZ), and BM), and tensile properties were measured at various depths. The results indicated that α' observed in FZ and HAZ was resolved through both MA and BA. Particularly after BA, the microstructural gradient that persisted even after MA completely disappeared, resulting in the homogenization of widmanstätten α + ß. Consequently, after BA, the hardness gradient in each zone also disappeared, and the tensile strength was higher than in just-welded and MA heat-treated plates.

Highly Enantioselective 6π Photoelectrocyclizations Engineered by Hydrogen Bonding.

Photochemical electrocyclization reactions are valued for both their ability to produce structurally complex molecules and their central role in elucidating fundamental mechanistic principles of photochemistry. We present herein a highly enantioselective 6π photoelectrocyclization catalyzed by a chiral Ir(III) photosensitizer. This transformation was successfully realized by engineering a strong hydrogen-bonding interaction between a pyrazole moiety on the catalyst and a basic imidazolyl ketone on the substrate. To shed light on the origin of stereoinduction, we conducted a comprehensive investigation combining experimental and computational mechanistic studies. Results from density functional theory calculations underscore the crucial role played by the prochirality and the torquoselectivity in the electrocyclization process as well as the steric demand in the subsequent [1,4]-H shift step. Our findings not only offer valuable guidance for developing chiral photocatalysts but also serve as a significant reference for achieving high levels of enantioselectivity in the 6π photoelectrocyclization reaction.

Enhanced Energy Absorption of Additive-Manufactured Ti-6Al-4V Parts via Hybrid Lattice Structures.

In this study, we present the energy absorption capabilities achieved through the application of hybrid lattice structures, emphasizing their potential across various industrial sectors. Utilizing Ti-6Al-4V and powder bed fusion (PBF) techniques, we fabricated distinct octet truss, diamond, and diagonal lattice structures, tailoring each to specific densities such as 10, 30, and 50%. Furthermore, through the innovative layering of diverse lattice types, we introduced hybrid lattice structures that effectively overcome the inherent energy absorption limitations of single-lattice structures. As a result, we conducted a comprehensive comparison between single-lattice structures and hybrid lattice structures of equal density, unequivocally showcasing the latter's superior energy absorption performance in terms of compression. The single-lattice structure, OT, showed an energy absorption of 42.6 J/m3, while the reinforced hybrid lattice structure, OT-DM, represented an energy absorption of 77.8 J/m3. These findings demonstrate the significant potential of hybrid lattice structures, particularly in energy-intensive domains such as shock absorption structures. By adeptly integrating various lattice architectures and leveraging their collective energy dissipation properties, hybrid lattice structures offer a promising avenue for addressing energy absorption challenges across diverse industrial applications.

Color-Tuning Mechanism of the Lit Form of Orange Carotenoid Protein.

Orange carotenoid protein (OCP) of photosynthetic cyanobacteria binds to ketocarotenoids noncovalently and absorbs excess light to protect the host organism from light-induced oxidative damage. Herein, we found that mutating valine 40 in the α3 helix of Gloeocapsa sp. PCC 7513 (GlOCP1) resulted in blue- or red-shifts of 6-20 nm in the absorption maxima of the lit forms. We analyzed the origins of absorption maxima shifts by integrating X-ray crystallography, homology modeling, molecular dynamics simulations, and hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics calculations. Our analysis suggested that the single residue mutations alter the polar environment surrounding the bound canthaxanthin, thereby modulating the degree of charge transfer in the photoexcited state of the chromophore. Our integrated investigations reveal the mechanism of color adaptation specific to OCPs and suggest a design principle for color-specific photoswitches.

Hyaluronic acid hydrolysis using vacuum ultraviolet TiO2 photocatalysis combined with an oxygen nanobubble system.

Advanced technologies for producing high-quality low molecular weight hyaluronic acid (LMW-HA) are required from the perspective of cost-efficiency and biosafety. Here, we report a new LMW-HA production system from high molecular weight HA (HMW-HA) using vacuum ultraviolet TiO2 photocatalysis with an oxygen nanobubble system (VUV-TP-NB). The VUV-TP-NB treatment for 3 h resulted in a satisfactory LMW-HA (approximately 50 kDa measured by GPC) yield with a low endotoxin level. Further, there were no inherent structural changes in the LMW-HA during the oxidative degradation process. Compared with conventional acid and enzyme hydrolysis methods, VUV-TP-NB showed similar degradation degree with viscosity though reduced process time by at least 8-fold. In terms of endotoxin and antioxidant effects, degradation using VUV-TP-NB demonstrated the lowest endotoxin level (0.21 EU/mL) and highest radical scavenging activity. This nanobubble-based photocatalysis system can thus be used to produce biosafe LMW-HA cost-effectively for food, medical, and cosmetics applications.

Estimating implicit discount rate for energy efficiency investment using the contingent valuation method: a case study in South Korea.

This study measures the implicit discount rate (IDR) for energy efficiency investment at the household level. Our pioneering attempt to use the contingent valuation method suggests fresh insights into relieving the possible problems induced when the IDR is estimated using multiple price list and open-ended questions. Using the survey data from 2392 respondents in South Korea, we measured the IDR for appliances with high energy efficiency. The measurement ranges from 21.80 to 25.94%, implying the overestimation in existing literature. This study contributes to the literature by determining the role of cognition and experience in energy efficiency investment. Cognition has a statistically significant negative impact on IDR and depends on the appliance type, whereas risk preference has no meaningful impact. Energy efficiency improvement experiences are the critical factor in reducing IDR, that is, promoting energy efficiency investment, especially for recently introduced appliances. Overall, our finding suggests that information that induces high cognition on the cost-benefit analysis and energy efficiency labeling can lower IDR and thus promote energy efficiency. Our study also suggests that targeting energy consumers who have experience in energy-saving campaigns or programs could be a priority because such experiences are crucial to IDR reduction.

Engineering Silk Protein to Modulate Polymorphic Transitions for Green Lithography Resists.

Silk protein is being increasingly introduced as a prospective material for biomedical devices. However, a limited locus to intervene in nature-oriented silk protein makes it challenging to implement on-demand functions to silk. Here, we report how polymorphic transitions are related with molecular structures of artificially synthesized silk protein and design principles to construct a green-lithographic and high-performative protein resist. The repetition number and ratio of two major building blocks in synthesized silk protein are essential to determine the size and content of ß-sheet crystallites, and radicals resulting from tyrosine cleavages by the 193 nm laser irradiation induce the ß-sheet to α-helix transition. Synthesized silk is designed to exclusively comprise homogeneous building blocks and exhibit high crystallization and tyrosine-richness, thus constituting an excellent basis for developing a high-performance deep-UV photoresist. Additionally, our findings can be conjugated to design an electron-beam resist governed by the different irradiation-protein interaction mechanisms. All synthesis and lithography processes are fully water-based, promising green lithography. Using the engineered silk, a nanopatterned planar color filter showing the reduced angle dependence can be obtained. Our study provides insights into the industrial scale production of silk protein with on-demand functions.

Estimating Quantum Mutual Information of Continuous-Variable Quantum States by Measuring Purity and Covariance Matrix.

We derive accessible upper and lower bounds for continuous-variable (CV) quantum states on quantum mutual information. The derivations are based on the observation that some functions of purities bound the difference between quantum mutual information of a quantum state and its Gaussian reference. The bounds are efficiently obtainable by measuring purities and the covariance matrix without multimode quantum state reconstruction. We extend our approach to the upper and lower bounds for the quantum total correlation of CV multimode quantum states. Furthermore, we investigate the relations of the bounds for the quantum mutual information with the bounds for the quantum conditional entropy.

Visible-Light-Induced Organophotocatalytic Difunctionallization: Open-Air Hydroxysulfurization of Aryl Alkenes with Aryl Thiols.

Herein, we report a regioselective visible-light-induced organophotoredox catalytic difunctionalization method to prepare ß-hydroxysulfides using aryl alkenes and aryl thiols as substrates. The reaction provides a wide substrate scope of aryl alkenes (from simple styrene to complex bioactive compounds) and aryl thiols (from diverse heteroaromatic thiols to nonheteroaromatic thiols) (total 45 examples, up to 88% yield). Based on the combined experimental and computational studies, we demonstrate that in situ generated hydroperoxyl radicals from O2 in air react with benzylic radicals, which restrains the reaction between benzylic radicals and the acidic form of thiols in a classical thiol-ene radical reaction. We show that difunctionalization is possible due to the choice of bases, diluted substrate concentrations, increment in catalyst loading, and selection of suitable aryl thiols under aerobic conditions. Considering the biological importance of heteroaromatic thiols and the lack of methods to install them, our approach offers a platform to derive various ß-hydroxysulfides that contain aromatic elements.

Imaging Spatial Distribution of Photogenerated Carriers in Monolayer MoS2 with Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy.

The spatial distribution of photogenerated carriers in atomically thin MoS2 flakes is investigated by measuring surface potential changes under light illumination using Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM). It is demonstrated that the vertical redistribution of photogenerated carriers, which is responsible for photocurrent generation in MoS2 photodetectors, can be imaged as surface potential changes with KPFM. The polarity of surface potential changes points to the trapping of photogenerated holes at the interface between MoS2 and the substrate as a major mechanism for the photoresponse in monolayer MoS2. The temporal response of the surface potential changes is compatible with the time constant of MoS2 photodetectors. The spatial inhomogeneity in the surface potential changes at the low light intensity that is related to the defect distribution in MoS2 is also investigated.

Variance-aware weight quantization of multi-level resistive switching devices based on Pt/LaAlO3/SrTiO3 heterostructures.

Resistive switching devices have been regarded as a promising candidate of multi-bit memristors for synaptic applications. The key functionality of the memristors is to realize multiple non-volatile conductance states with high precision. However, the variation of device conductance inevitably causes the state-overlap issue, limiting the number of available states. The insufficient number of states and the resultant inaccurate weight quantization are bottlenecks in developing practical memristors. Herein, we demonstrate a resistive switching device based on Pt/LaAlO3/SrTiO3 (Pt/LAO/STO) heterostructures, which is suitable for multi-level memristive applications. By redistributing the surface oxygen vacancies, we precisely control the tunneling of two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) through the ultrathin LAO barrier, achieving multiple and tunable conductance states (over 27) in a non-volatile way. To further improve the multi-level switching performance, we propose a variance-aware weight quantization (VAQ) method. Our simulation studies verify that the VAQ effectively reduces the state-overlap issue of the resistive switching device. We also find that the VAQ states can better represent the normal-like data distribution and, thus, significantly improve the computing accuracy of the device. Our results provide valuable insight into developing high-precision multi-bit memristors based on complex oxide heterostructures for neuromorphic applications.

Estimating Non-Gaussianity of a Quantum State by Measuring Orthogonal Quadratures.

We derive the lower bounds for a non-Gaussianity measure based on quantum relative entropy (QRE). Our approach draws on the observation that the QRE-based non-Gaussianity measure of a single-mode quantum state is lower bounded by a function of the negentropies for quadrature distributions with maximum and minimum variances. We demonstrate that the lower bound can outperform the previously proposed bound by the negentropy of a quadrature distribution. Furthermore, we extend our method to establish lower bounds for the QRE-based non-Gaussianity measure of a multimode quantum state that can be measured by homodyne detection, with or without leveraging a Gaussian unitary operation. Finally, we explore how our lower bound finds application in non-Gaussian entanglement detection.

Top-emitting 940-nm thin-film VCSELs transferred onto aluminum heatsinks.

Thin-film vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) mounted onto heatsinks open up the way toward low-power consumption and high-power operation, enabling them to be widely used for energy saving high-speed optical data communication and three-dimensional sensor applications. There are two conventional VCSEL polarity structures: p-on-n and n-on-p polarity. The former is more preferably used owing to the reduced series resistance of n-type bottom distributed Bragg reflection (DBR) as well as the lower defect densities of n-type GaAs substrates. In this study, the p-on-n structures of thin-film VCSELs, including an etch stop layer and a highly n-doped GaAs ohmic layer, were epitaxially grown in upright order by using low-pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (LP-MOCVD). The p-on-n structures of thin-film VCSELs were transferred onto an aluminum heatsink via a double-transfer technique, allowing the top-emitting thin-film VCSELs to keep the p-on-n polarity with the removal of the GaAs substrate. The threshold current (Ith) and voltage (Vth) of the fabricated top-emitting thin-film VCSELs were 1 mA and 2.8 V, respectively. The optical power was 7.7 mW at a rollover point of 16.1 mA.

An Artificial Mechano-Nociceptor with Mott Transition.

Intelligent touch sensing is now becoming an essential part of various human-machine interactions and communication, including in touchpads, autonomous vehicles, and smart robotics. Usually, sensing of physical objects is enabled by applied force/pressure sensors; however, reported conventional tactile devices are not able to differentiate sharp and blunt objects, although sharp objects can cause unavoidable damage. Therefore, it is central issue to implement electronic devices that can classify sense of touch and simultaneously generate pain signals to avoid further potential damage from sharp objects. Here, concept of force-enabled nociceptive behavior is proposed and demonstrated using vanadium oxide-based artificial receptors. Specifically, versatile criteria of bio-nociceptor like threshold, relaxation, no adaptation, allodynia, and hyperalgesia behaviors are triggered by pointed force, but the device does not mimic any of these by the force applied by blunt objects; thus, the proposed device classifies the intent of touch. Further, supported by finite element simulation, the nanoscale dynamic is unambiguously revealed by conductive atomic force microscopy and results are attributed to the point force-triggered Mott transition, as also confirmed by temperature-dependent measurements. The reported features open a new avenue for developing mechano-nociceptors, which enable a high-level of artificial intelligence within the device to classify physical touch.

Controllable, Self-Powered, and High-Performance Short-Wavelength Infrared Photodetector Driven by Coupled Flexoelectricity and Strain Effect.

Mechanical deformation-induced strain gradients and coupled spontaneous electric polarization field in centrosymmetric materials, known as the flexoelectric effect, can generate ubiquitous mechanoelectrical functionalities, like the flexo-photovoltaic effect. Concurrently, nano/micrometer-scale inhomogeneous strain reengineers the electronic arrangements and in turn, could alter the fundamental limits of optoelectronic performance. Here, the flexoelectric effect-driven self-powered giant short-wavelength infrared (λ ≤ 1800 nm) photoresponse from centrosymmetric bulk silicon, indeed far beyond the fundamental bandgap (λ = 1100 nm) is demonstrated. Particularly, large on/off ratio (≈105 ), extremely high sensitivity (2.5 × 108 %), good responsivity of 96 mA W-1 , decent specific detectivity of ≈1.54 × 1014 Jones, and a rapid response speed of ≈100 µs, even at nanoscale (<30 nm), are measured at λ = 1620 nm. The infrared response sensitivity is tuned in a wide range (up to 1.4 × 108 %) by controlling the applied pointed force from 1 to 10 µN. These results confirm that emerging mechanoelectrical coupling not only sheds to achieve tunable optoelectronic performance beyond the fundamental limit, but also offers innovative numerous applications like mechanoptical switch, photovoltaic, sensors, and self-driving vehicles.

Transcranial Doppler study in acute spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage: The role of pulsatility index.

OBJECTIVE: Pulsatility index (PI) is a parameter calculated by transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD), which is commonly used for patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage or ischemic stroke. However, we performed a retrospective analysis of patients with acute spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) to assess the function of TCD, particularly the PI. METHODS: This study involved a total of 46 patients with acute ICH who received treatment at a single center between May 2013 and December 2014. Medical records of baseline characteristics, except for the modified Rankin scale, were obtained at initial evaluation in the emergency room, and TCD was used to calculate middle cerebral artery flow velocity (MFV) and PI at admission (baseline), 24 h, and 7 days. The PI and MFV values on the affected middle cerebral artery were compared with those on the contralateral side. Linear regression analysis was used for statistical analyses (SPSS 21.0, IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). RESULTS: Statistical analysis indicated that sex, age, Glasgow coma scale, intraventricular hemorrhage, and hematoma size were not correlated with PI (p＞0.05); however, only PI was positively correlated with functional outcome at 6 months after treatment (R=0.846, p=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: These results provide evidence that the parameter of PI is an independent determinant prognostic factor in acute spontaneous ICH. Further research is needed to investigate the influence of cerebral blood flow dynamics on a larger, more controlled, and more randomized basis.