Solvent-Driven Synthesis of DNA-Based Liquid Crystalline Organogels with Extraordinary Stretchability, Self-Healing, and Higher-Order Structural Assembly

The fabrication of liquid crystalline (LC) organogel via supramolecular interactions between Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and lyotropic cationic surfactant containing cyanobiphenyl moiety is reported. The fabricated organogel endows dominantly viscous behavior in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and elastic behavior in n-propanol (n-PrOH), respectively. By judiciously controlling the viscosity, DMSO organogels can be drawn to form a fiber with an elongation of up to 4.6 x 103%, emphasizing extraordinary stretchability. Higher-order structures, such as yarn and a co-alignment matrix for anisotropic particles, can be produced by assembling a single fiber. On the other hand, free-standing n-PrOH organogels demonstrate a remarkable storage modulus of 105 Pa and manifest self-healing properties. Finally, a sustainable method by transforming n-PrOH gel into an aerogel through critical point drying (CPD), enabling its use as an adsorbent while simultaneously enhancing its reusability is proposed. It is envisaged that these DNA-based organogels, through conceivable combinations between DNA as a building block and cationic surfactant with functionalities as a counterpart, will contribute to significant progress in DNA-based multi-functional organogels.

Dual Polarization Dynamic Alignment of Integrated Phased Arrays

This study proposes the concept of dual polarization dynamic alignment (DPDA) technique for integrated phased arrays. The proposed technique enables the alignment of two polarization signals in the receive dual-polarized (DP) antenna, independent of the alignment conditions between the transmit and receive antennas, while effectively mitigating cross-polarization leakage (XPL). To verify the proposed technique, a receive phased array IC with 2V + 2H configuration was fabricated using a 65-nm CMOS process, and a prototype antenna-in-package (AiP) was fabricated by integrating it with a 2-element dual-polarized antenna. The experimental results show that the prototype AiP achieves 20-32 dB cross-polarization isolation (XPI) within 2 GHz bandwidth at 58.2 GHz center frequency when the proposed technique is adopted, even if there is misalignment between the transmit and receive antennas up to 90(degrees). To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study for DP signals to improve XPI even under conditions where the transmit and receive antennas are misaligned by up to 90(degrees) in a 60 GHz unlicensed band.

Differential cellular origins of the extracellular matrix of tumor and normal tissues according to colorectal cancer subtypes

BackgroundUnderstanding the proteomic-level heterogeneity of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in colorectal cancer (CRC) is crucial due to its well-known heterogeneity. While heterogenous CRC has been extensively characterized at the molecular subtype level, research into the functional heterogeneity of fibroblasts, particularly their relationship with extracellular matrix (ECM) alterations, remains limited. Addressing this gap is essential for a comprehensive understanding of CRC progression and the development of targeted therapies.Methods24 tissue samples from 21 CRC patients, along with adjacent normal tissues (NAT), were collected and decellularized using a detergent-based method to enrich the ECM component. Proteomic analysis of ECM-enriched samples was performed using tandem mass tag (TMT) spectrometry, followed by statistical analysis including differential expression protein (DEP) analysis. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq) data from public datasets were integrated and analyzed to delineate cell states within the TME. Bulk tissue RNA-Seq and bioinformatics analysis, including consensus molecular subtype (CMS) classification and single-cell level deconvolution of TCGA bulk RNA-seq data, were conducted to further explore gene expression patterns and TME composition.ResultsDifferential cellular origin of the NAT and tumorous ECM proteins were identified, revealing 110 ECM proteins enriched in NAT and 28 ECM proteins in tumor tissues. Desmoplastic and WNT5A+ inflammatory fibroblasts were indicated as the sources of tumor-enriched ECM proteins, while ADAMDEC1+ expressing fibroblasts and PI16+ expressing fibroblast were identified as the sources of NAT-enriched ECM proteins. Deconvolution of bulk RNA-seq of CRC tissues discriminated CMS-specific fibroblast state, reflecting the biological traits of each CMS subtype. Specially, seven ECM genes specific to mesenchymal subtype (CMS4), including PI16+ fibroblast-related 4 genes (SFRP2, PRELP, OGN, SRPX) and desmoplastic fibroblast-related 3 genes (THBS2, CTHRC1, BGN), showed a significant association with poorer survival in patient with CRC.ConclusionWe conducted an extracellular matrix (ECM)-focused profiling of the TME by integrating quantitative proteomics with single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data from CRC patients. We identified the ECM proteins of NAT and tumor tissue, and established a cell-matrisome database. We defined mesenchymal subtype-specific molecules associated with specific fibroblast subtypes showing a significant association with poorer survival in patients with CRC. Our ECM-focused profiling of tumor stroma provides new insights as indicators for biological processes and clinical endpoints.

Phase Noise Compensation in Long-Distance Atmospheric Free-Space Channels for High-Speed Coherent Communication

Free-space optical communication (FSOC) has emerged as a compelling solution for high-speed, secure, and interference-free data transmission, particularly in environments where conventional fiber deployment is impractical. However, the performance of coherent FSOC systems is severely degraded by atmospheric turbulence, which induces random phase fluctuations and compromises signal integrity. This study presents a robust phase noise compensation system designed to mitigate such impairments in long-distance coherent communication links. The proposed approach integrates a frequency-stabilized narrow-linewidth laser, a phase-locked loop (PLL), and an acousto-optic modulator (AOM) to perform real-time phase correction over a 1.3 km atmospheric channel. By extracting the phase noise from the interference between a reference and a recirculated beam, the system dynamically adjusts the beam phase to counteract turbulence-induced distortions. Experimental results demonstrate a 40 dBc/Hz phase noise reduction at a 10 Hz offset and a beat linewidth of 2 Hz with a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 45 dB, confirming excellent optical coherence. These results validate the proposed system as an effective solution for maintaining phase stability in turbulent environments and enabling reliable long-distance FSOC using advanced modulation formats

Bio-Inspired Zinc Anodes: Mitigating Dendrite Formation and Side Reactions in Aqueous Zinc Metal Batteries Using Laser Carbonized Chitosan Layer

An innovative strategy is presented to enhance the electrochemical stability and performance of aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) through laser-assisted carbonization of chitosan biopolymer as a surface modification layer on zinc anodes (c-Chi/Zn). The c-Chi layer addresses critical challenges, including dendrite formation and uneven Zn deposition, by providing a stable, dendrite-resistant interface. Comprehensive structural, chemical, and electrochemical analyses reveal that the c-Chi layer improves Zn2(+) transport kinetics and significantly stabilizes the anode-electrolyte interface, enabling long-term cycling. Symmetrical and half-cell configurations with c-Chi/Zn anodes exhibit exceptional durability, maintaining cycling stability for over 3300 h at a 2.0 mA cm(-)2 current density. In full-cell configurations, the c-Chi/Zn & boxV;V2O5 system delivers a high specific capacity of 338 mAh g(-)(1) at 0.2 A g(-)(1) and has a capacity retention of 73% at 1.0 A g(-)(1) after 1000 cycles-far outperforming bare Zn & boxV;V2O5 cells, which retain only 41%. This work demonstrates that N-doped porous carbon coating derived from chitosan enhances Zn anode performance in aqueous ZIBs. This scalable and eco-friendly surface modification offers a promising pathway toward safe, high-performance, and sustainable energy storage systems.

DeepILS: Toward Accurate Domain-Invariant AIoT-Enabled Inertial Localization System

Accurate indoor localization and navigation enable real-time, ubiquitous, location-based services. Over the past decade, data-driven approaches for inertial odometry have shown the potential to enhance indoor positioning accuracy. However, low-cost inertial measurement units (IMUs), commonly used in smartphones and IoT devices, are prone to significant noise, leading to drift and degraded performance in navigation algorithms. This article presents a novel, lightweight, and real-time end-to-end framework, DeepILS Brossard et al., (2020), designed to process raw inertial data for precise pedestrian localization in indoor environments. DeepILS utilizes a residual network enhanced with channel-wise and spatial attention mechanisms, enabling accurate velocity and position estimation across diverse motion dynamics. The framework's effectiveness is validated using four benchmarks and two newly introduced datasets in real-time edge scenarios. These datasets were collected across diverse indoor environments at the KAIST campus and Incheon National Airport, using multiple hardware platforms, including the KAIST IoT positioning module and Android smartphones. Experimental results, including tests on unseen data and comprehensive ablation studies, demonstrate that DeepILS improves localization accuracy by 70% compared to state-of-the-art methods while effectively mitigating sensor noise and enhancing robustness in real-world environments. Specifically, DeepILS exhibits excellent edge performance on IoT devices, making it highly suitable for real-time applications.

Predicting outcomes in patients with sepsis-associated encephalopathy using prefrontal functional connectivity analysis

We investigated the relationship between prefrontal functional connectivity of oxyhemoglobin and outcomes in sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE). Additionally, we developed a prognostic method for patients with SAE. A total of 40 consecutive patients with SAE were prospectively included. Cerebral oxyhemoglobin data were obtained using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Functional connectivity such as density was evaluated as the strength of the temporal correlation between channels based on Pearson's correlation coefficient of oxyhemoglobin. We obtained clinical information and evaluated severity scores using Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) III. Outcomes were evaluated using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at discharge. Patients were categorized into two groups: good outcome (mRS 0-3), and poor outcome (mRS 4-6). Among the patients with SAE, 17 (42.5%) had good outcomes. Regarding connectivity analysis, density values were significantly higher in good outcome groups at all threshold values. The developed predictive method of good outcomes using the density value at a threshold of 0.6 and the APACHE III score showed very good predictive power (area under the curve 0.951 [95% confidence interval 0.893-1.00]). This method had better discrimination powers for predicting outcome than density had at 0.6 (0.716 [0.557-0.876]; P = 0.04) or the APACHE III score had alone (0.857 [0.735-0.979]; P = 0.09). A higher functional connectivity value of oxyhemoglobin in the prefrontal connectivity analysis was associated with good outcomes in SAE. Functional connectivity analysis of the prefrontal cortex and sepsis severity may help predict the prognosis in SAE patients.

Meter-scale heterostructure printing for high-toughness fiber electrodes in intelligent digital apparel

Intelligent digital apparel, which integrates electronic functionalities into clothing, represents the future of healthcare and ubiquitous control in wearable devices. Realizing such apparel necessitates developing meter-scale conductive fibers with high toughness, conductivity, stable conductance under deformation, and mechanical durability. In this study, we present a heterostructure printing method capable of producing meter-scale (similar to 50 m) biphasic conductive fibers that meet these criteria. Our approach involves encapsulating deformable liquid metal particles (LMPs) within a functionalized thermoplastic polyurethane matrix. This encapsulation induces in situ assembly of LMPs during fiber formation, creating a heterostructure that seamlessly integrates the matrix's durability with the LMPs' superior electrical performance. Unlike rigid conductive materials, deformable LMPs offer stretchability and toughness with a low gauge factor. Through precise twisting using an engineered annealing machine, multiple fiber strands are transformed into robust, electrically stable meter-scale electrodes. This advancement enhances their practicality in various intelligent digital apparel applications, such as stretchable displays, wearable healthcare systems, and digital controls.

Association of mitochondrial RNA expression levels in saliva and plasma with interferon signature gene expression and disease activity in patients with Sjögren disease

Objective To unveil the clinical implications of mitochondrial RNAs (mt-RNAs) in Sj & ouml;gren disease (SjD), this study evaluated mt-RNA expression levels in the plasma and saliva of patients with SS and their association with SjD-related features. Methods Plasma, saliva and/or peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected from 111 patients with SjD and 35 healthy controls (HCs), with 40 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 40 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) disease controls. The expression levels of mt-RNAs and interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) were quantified by real-time PCR. Composite mt-RNA and ISG scores were calculated using logistic regression models. Their discriminative power was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curve analyses, and correlations with clinical data were explored. Results Altered mt-RNA expression in saliva or plasma and ISG expression in PBMCs were detected in patients with SjD, compared with HCs. Saliva and plasma mt-RNA scores showed better discriminative ability (area under the curve values=0.847 and 0.789, respectively) than ISG scores in distinguishing SjD from HCs. Plasma mt-RNA scores were significantly higher in patients with SjD than in those with RA and SLE (p<0.05). Saliva mt-RNA scores were positively associated with objective disease activity measures and Raynaud phenomenon in patients with SjD, whereas plasma mt-RNA scores did not show this association. RA and SLE disease activity correlated with plasma mt-RNA scores. Conclusions Extracellular mt-RNA burden is elevated in SjD, and mt-RNA scores effectively discriminated patients with SjD from HCs. Saliva mt-RNA levels were associated with SjD disease activity, suggesting their potential utility in disease monitoring and stratification of SjD.