Fibrotic lung ECM upregulates SDC4/integrin-αvβ1 interaction and the interfering peptide SDC4 and its derivative peptides alleviate pulmonary fibrosis.

Fibroblast activation promotes remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM), and the fibrotic remodeling ECM further stimulating fibroblast activation and advancing pulmonary fibrosis (PF). syndecan-4 (SDC4) is the key mediator of ECM-cell signaling, but its action in PF remains unclear. Using decellularized lung ECM (dECM), this study found that fibrotic ECM enhanced fibroblast activation via SDC4-regulated integrin-αvβ1 expression and activation, and FAK/AKT phosphorylation.

Enabling Multielectron Reaction of Polyanionic Cathodes Toward High-Energy Calcium Rechargeable Batteries.

Polyanionic cathode materials with robust structural stability and large Ca diffusion channels have aroused great interest in propelling the development of calcium-ion batteries (CIBs). However, polyanionic cathodes usually exhibit single-electron transfer per unit, rendering limited specific capacity and energy densities. Herein, a new polyanionic CaNaVCr(PO) (0 ≤ x ≤ 1.

Boosts in Polarization and Piezoelectric Responses of Lead-Free Ferroelectrics through Strain-Enhanced Glassy Coexistent Polars with High Dynamics.

The miniaturization of domain size via point-defect modification has emerged as an effective strategy for optimizing piezoelectric properties in lead-free ferroelectrics, such as achieving large piezoelectric constants and slim-hysteresis electrostrain through polymorphic nanodomain design. However, this approach is not consistently reliable due to the uncontrollable deceleration of domain wall motion and polarization rotation (i.e.

Novel NLRP3 inhibitors mitigate acute radiation-induced lung injury by suppressing pyroptosis in alveolar epithelial cells.

Objective: Radiation-induced lung injury (RILI), a severe complication of thoracic tumor radiotherapy, is driven by NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis triggered by irradiation. This study aimed to design novel NLRP3 inhibitors targeting pyroptosis in alveolar epithelial cells to alleviate RILI and elucidate underlying mechanisms.

Methods: Quinoxalinone derivatives (QK-3A - QK-3E) targeting the NACHT domain of NLRP3 were synthesized.

Superior Electromechanical Power at Rare-Earth Manipulated Glassy Morphotropic Phase Transitions.

High-precision displacement control and the driving joints of artificial intelligence robotics, as well as advanced medical facilities, necessitate the use of superior lead-free electromechanical materials that exhibit substantial electrostrain and driving force while maintaining thermal stability. In this study, an effective physical approach is developed to achieve significant enhancements of 135% and 50% in symmetric electrostrain and elastic modulus, respectively, of Sm-doped (Bi,Na)TiO-BaTiO ceramics within the temperature range of 293-353K. This advancement facilitates a marked improvement in stress output.

Association of VEGFA Gene Polymorphisms with the Susceptibility of Coronary Heart Disease in the Chinese Han Population.

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a prevalent cardiovascular' condition characterized by high morbidity and mortality rates, with a significant genetic component. The VEGFA gene plays a crucial role in the development of CHD. This study aims to evaluate the influence of VEGFA gene polymorphisms on CHD susceptibility.

The Influence of UI Design Attributes and Users' Uncertainty Avoidance on Stickiness of the Young Elderly Toward mHealth Applications.

The advantages of mHealth applications have been widely recognized. However, the existing literature rarely explores how user interface (UI) design and individual cultural values influence elderly users' mHealth application stickiness, particularly among the young elderly. This study examines how two UI design attributes (usability and aesthetics) and individual uncertainty avoidance (from Hofstede's cultural dimensions) influence elderly users' stickiness to mHealth applications.

AGO2 mediates immunotherapy failure via suppressing tumor IFN-gamma response-dependent CD8 T cell immunity.

Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), a cytokine essential for activating cellular immune responses, plays a crucial role in cancer immunosurveillance and the clinical success of immune checkpoint blockade therapy. In this study, we show that Argonaute 2 (AGO2), a key mediator in small RNA-guided gene regulation, inversely correlates with tumor responsiveness to IFN-γ and the efficacy of immunotherapy. Mechanistically, IFN-γ upregulates miR-1246 expression in tumor cells, enhancing its interaction with AGO2.

Sabatier Principle Inspired Bifunctional Alloy Interface for Stable and High-Depth Discharging Zinc Metal Anodes.

Achieving stable Zn anodes that can effectively couple with Zn-free cathodes is essential for advancing high-performance Zn metal batteries. Here, we propose a Sabatier principle inspired bifunctional transition-metal (TM) interface to enable homogeneous Zn dissolution during discharging and dendrite-free Zn deposition during charging. Among various TM-coated Zn (TM@Zn) electrodes, Cu@Zn exhibits the highest reversibility and structural stability, attributed to the optimal interaction between Cu and Zn.

A Pseudo-Labeling Multi-Screening-Based Semi-Supervised Learning Method for Few-Shot Fault Diagnosis.

In few-shot fault diagnosis tasks in which the effective label samples are scarce, the existing semi-supervised learning (SSL)-based methods have obtained impressive results. However, in industry, some low-quality label samples are hidden in the collected dataset, which can cause a serious shift in model training and lead to the performance of SSL-based method degradation. To address this issue, the latest prototypical network-based SSL techniques are studied.

Functionalized Modified TiO Polyaniline Coating for 316SS Bipolar Plate in Proton-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells.

In this paper, the PANI/PDA-TiO composite coating was prepared on 316L by constant current deposition with a current density of 2.8 mA·cm, in which the TiO powders were modified by PDA (polydopamine). The open-circuit potential of the obtained PANI/PDA-TiO composite coating is about 365 mV, which is more positive than that of the bare 316L.

Upregulation of LncRNA UCA1 promotes cardiomyocyte proliferation by inhibiting the miR-128/SUZ12/P27 pathway.

Enhancing cardiomyocyte proliferation is essential to reverse or slow down the heart failure progression in many cardiovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction (MI). Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to regulate cardiomyocyte proliferation. In particular, lncRNA urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 (lncUCA1) played multiple roles in regulating cell cycle progression and cardiovascular diseases, making lncUCA1 a potential target for promoting cardiomyocyte proliferation.

Optimizing high-temperature energy storage in tungsten bronze-structured ceramics via high-entropy strategy and bandgap engineering.

As a vital material utilized in energy storage capacitors, dielectric ceramics have widespread applications in high-power pulse devices. However, the development of dielectric ceramics with both high energy density and efficiency at high temperatures poses a significant challenge. In this study, we employ high-entropy strategy and band gap engineering to enhance the energy storage performance in tetragonal tungsten bronze-structured dielectric ceramics.

Designs where disorder prevails.

A design strategy boosts electrical properties of ferroelectric materials and devices.

Coating-Free Superhydrophobic Hard Surfaces by Electric Discharge Machining with a Magnetic-Assisted Self-Assembly Sheet Electrode.

Artificial superhydrophobic surfaces hold significant potential in various domains, encompassing self-cleaning, droplet manipulation, microfluidics, and thermal management. Consequently, there is a burgeoning demand for cost-effective, mass-producible, and easily fabricated superhydrophobic surfaces for commercial and industrial applications. This research introduces an efficient, uncomplicated method for constructing hierarchical structures on hard substrates such as binderless tungsten carbide (WC) and glass substrates.

Ultrahigh Energy Storage in Tungsten Bronze Dielectric Ceramics Through a Weakly Coupled Relaxor Design.

Dielectric energy-storage capacitors, known for their ultrafast discharge time and high-power density, find widespread applications in high-power pulse devices. However, ceramics featuring a tetragonal tungsten bronze structure (TTBs) have received limited attention due to their lower energy-storage capacity compared to perovskite counterparts. Herein, a TTBs relaxor ferroelectric ceramic based on the Gd Ba Sr Sm Nb O composition, exhibiting an ultrahigh recoverable energy density of 9 J cm and an efficiency of 84% under an electric field of 660 kV cm is reported.

Strong and ductile titanium-oxygen-iron alloys by additive manufacturing.

Titanium alloys are advanced lightweight materials, indispensable for many critical applications. The mainstay of the titanium industry is the α-β titanium alloys, which are formulated through alloying additions that stabilize the α and β phases. Our work focuses on harnessing two of the most powerful stabilizing elements and strengtheners for α-β titanium alloys, oxygen and iron, which are readily abundant.

Formation of Head/Tail-to-Body Charged Domain Walls by Mechanical Stress.

Domain walls (DWs) in ferroelectric materials are interfaces that separate domains with different polarizations. Charged domain walls (CDWs) and neutral domain walls are commonly classified depending on the charge state at the DWs. CDWs are particularly attractive as they are configurable elements, which can enhance field susceptibility and enable functionalities such as conductance control.

Large Electrocaloric Effect in Nanostructure-Engineered (Bi, Na)TiO-Based Thin Films.

Although the solid-state cooling technology based on electrocaloric response has been considered a promising refrigeration solution for microdevices, the mediocre dipolar entropy change Δ impedes its practical applications. In this work, Δ of a conventional ferroelectric thin film, namely, 0.94(BiNa)TiO-0.

Interface-Driven Multiferroicity in Cubic BaTiO-SrTiO Nanocomposites.

Perovskite multiferroics have drawn significant attention in the development of next-generation multifunctional electronic devices. However, the majority of existing multiferroics exhibit ferroelectric and ferromagnetic orderings only at low temperatures. Although interface engineering in complex oxide thin films has triggered many exotic room-temperature functionalities, the desired coupling of charge, spin, orbital and lattice degrees of freedom often imposes stringent requirements on deposition conditions, layer thickness and crystal orientation, greatly hindering their cost-effective large-scale applications.

The ion-imprinted oyster shell material for targeted removal of Cd(II) from aqueous solution.

In order to realize the sustainable utilization of waste oyster shell and develop a targeted removal technology for cadmium. A novel ion-imprinted oyster shell material (IIOS) was prepared by surface imprinting technique. The prepared samples were characterized by scanning electron microscope, Fourier infrared spectrometer, X-ray diffractometer, thermogravimetric analysis and N adsorption-desorption.

Doping Process of 2D Materials Based on the Selective Migration of Dopants to the Interface of Liquid Metals.

The introduction of trace impurities within the doping processes of semiconductors is still a technological challenge for the electronics industries. By taking advantage of the selective enrichment of liquid metal interfaces, and harvesting the doped metal oxide semiconductor layers, the complexity of the process can be mitigated and a high degree of control over the outcomes can be achieved. Here, a mechanism of natural filtering for the preparation of doped 2D semiconducting sheets based on the different migration tendencies of metallic elements in the bulk competing for enriching the interfaces is proposed.