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Stiffened arteries are a pathology of atherosclerosis, hypertension, and coronary artery disease and a key risk factor for cardiovascular disease events. The increased stiffness of arteries triggers a phenotypic switch, hypermigration, and hyperproliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), leading to neointimal hyperplasia and accelerated neointima formation. However, the mechanism underlying this trigger remains unknown. Our analyses of whole-transcriptome microarray data from mouse VSMCs cultured on stiff hydrogels simulating arterial pathology identified 623 genes that were significantly and differentially expressed (360 upregulated and 263 downregulated) relative to expression in VSMCs cultured on soft hydrogels. Functional enrichment and gene network analyses revealed that these stiffness-sensitive genes are linked to cell cycle progression and proliferation. Importantly, we found that survivin, an inhibitor of apoptosis protein, mediates stiffness-dependent cell cycle progression and proliferation as determined by gene network and pathway analyses, RT-qPCR, immunoblotting, and cell proliferation assays. Furthermore, we found that inhibition of cell cycle progression did not reduce survivin expression, suggesting that survivin functions as an upstream regulator of cell cycle progression and proliferation in response to ECM stiffness. Mechanistically, we found that the stiffness signal is mechanotransduced via the FAK-E2F1 signaling axis to regulate survivin expression, establishing a regulatory pathway for how the stiffness of the cellular microenvironment affects VSMC behaviors. Overall, our findings indicate that survivin is necessary for VSMC cycling and proliferation and plays a role in regulating stiffness-responsive phenotypes.

Vascular dysfunction is a common cause of cardiovascular diseases characterized by the narrowing and stiffening of arteries, such as atherosclerosis, restenosis, and hypertension. Arterial narrowing results from the aberrant proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and their increased synthesis and deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. These, in turn, are modulated by arterial stiffness, but the mechanism for this is not fully understood. We found that survivin is an important regulator of stiffness-mediated ECM synthesis and intracellular stiffness in VSMCs. Whole-transcriptome analysis and cell culture experiments showed that survivin expression is upregulated in injured femoral arteries in mice and in human VSMCs cultured on stiff fibronectin-coated hydrogels. Suppressed expression of survivin in human VSMCs significantly decreased the stiffness-mediated expression of ECM components related to arterial stiffening, such as collagen-I, fibronectin, and lysyl oxidase. By contrast, expression of these ECM proteins was rescued by ectopic expression of survivin in human VSMCs cultured on soft hydrogels. Interestingly, atomic force microscopy analysis showed that suppressed or ectopic expression of survivin decreases or increases intracellular stiffness, respectively. Furthermore, we observed that inhibiting Rac and Rho reduces survivin expression, elucidating a mechanical pathway connecting intracellular tension, mediated by Rac and Rho, to survivin induction. Finally, we found that survivin inhibition decreases FAK phosphorylation, indicating that survivin-dependent intracellular tension feeds back to maintain signaling through FAK. These findings suggest a novel mechanism by which survivin potentially modulates arterial stiffness.

Abstract Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as a promising source of biomarkers for disease diagnosis. However, current diagnostic methods for EVs present formidable challenges, given the low expression levels of biomarkers carried by EV samples, as well as their complex physical and biological properties. Herein, a highly sensitive double digital assay is developed that allows for the absolute quantification of individual molecules from a single EV. Because the relative abundance of proteins is low for a single EV, tyramide signal amplification (TSA) is integrated to increase the fluorescent signal readout for evaluation. With the integrative microfluidic technology, the technology's ability to compartmentalize single EVs is successfully demonstrated, proving the technology's digital partitioning capacity. Then the device is applied to detect single PD‐L1 proteins from single EVs derived from a melanoma cell line and it is discovered that there are ≈2.7 molecules expressed per EV, demonstrating the applicability of the system for profiling important prognostic and diagnostic cancer biomarkers for therapy response, metastatic status, and tumor progression. The ability to accurately quantify protein molecules of rare abundance from individual EVs will shed light on the understanding of EV heterogeneity and discovery of EV subtypes as new biomarkers.

Powder bed fusion (PBF) has emerged as a useful metal-three-dimensional (3D) printing technology for manufacturing porous structures; it has been widely employed for the production of medical implants. Multiple previous reports have suggested that the bone ingrowth characteristics of porous structures, among the most important factors for medical implants, are affected by 3D printing parameters (e.g., pore shape). The topography of 3D-printed metal surfaces can also influence cellular responses, including osteoblast differentiation. The surface topography may change according to the shape of the printed pores. Nevertheless, it remains unclear how the surface topography changes. In addition, it is still unknown how the pore shape and the resulting surface topography can further impact the bone ingrowth efficiency of the porous structure. Therefore, to better understand the relationship, we prepared Ti–6Al–4V specimens with different pore shapes (i.e., circular, triangular, and rectangular) using the PBF method, then analyzed the surface topographies of these 3D scaffolds based on curvature and roughness profiles. Through subsequent in vitro studies, we investigated how changes in pore shape and surface topography affect the activity of Saos-2 human osteosarcoma cells. The results of this study confirmed that the curvature radii and local surface roughness change according to pore shape because of the characteristics of PBF. Furthermore, differences in local surface topography and pore shape led to differences in cell proliferation and differentiation. Through our findings, we anticipate that the meticulous design of pore shape and sophisticated control of the processing parameters, such as laser speed and paths, in the fabrication of orthopedic and dental implants will result in significantly enhanced bone ingrowth efficiency.

Abstract Machine learning approaches have shown great promise in biology and medicine discovering hidden information to further understand complex biological and pathological processes. In this study, we developed a deep learning-based machine learning algorithm to meaningfully process image data and facilitate studies in vascular biology and pathology. Vascular injury and atherosclerosis are characterized by neointima formation caused by the aberrant accumulation and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) within the vessel wall. Understanding how to control VSMC behaviors would promote the development of therapeutic targets to treat vascular diseases. However, the response to drug treatments among VSMCs with the same diseased vascular condition is often heterogeneous. Here, to identify the heterogeneous responses of drug treatments, we created an in vitro experimental model system using VSMC spheroids and developed a machine learning-based computational method called HETEROID (heterogeneous spheroid). First, we established a VSMC spheroid model that mimics neointima-like formation and the structure of arteries. Then, to identify the morphological subpopulations of drug-treated VSMC spheroids, we used a machine learning framework that combines deep learning-based spheroid segmentation and morphological clustering analysis. Our machine learning approach successfully showed that FAK, Rac, Rho, and Cdc42 inhibitors differentially affect spheroid morphology, suggesting that multiple drug responses of VSMC spheroid formation exist. Overall, our HETEROID pipeline enables detailed quantitative drug characterization of morphological changes in neointima formation, that occurs in vivo, by single-spheroid analysis.

Meniscal tears are associated with a high risk of osteoarthritis but currently have no disease-modifying therapies. Using a Gli1 reporter line, we found that Gli1+ cells contribute to the development of meniscus horns from 2 weeks of age. In adult mice, Gli1+ cells resided at the superficial layer of meniscus and expressed known mesenchymal progenitor markers. In culture, meniscal Gli1+ cells possessed high progenitor activities under the control of Hh signal. Meniscus injury at the anterior horn induced a quick expansion of Gli1-lineage cells. Normally, meniscal tissue healed slowly, leading to cartilage degeneration. Ablation of Gli1+ cells further hindered this repair process. Strikingly, intra-articular injection of Gli1+ meniscal cells or an Hh agonist right after injury accelerated the bridging of the interrupted ends and attenuated signs of osteoarthritis. Taken together, our work identified a novel progenitor population in meniscus and proposes a new treatment for repairing injured meniscus and preventing osteoarthritis.

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) differentiation is mediated by soluble and physical cues. In this study, we investigated differentiation-induced transformations in MSC cellular and nuclear biophysical properties and queried their role in mechanosensation. Our data show that nuclei in differentiated bovine and human MSCs stiffen and become resistant to deformation. This attenuated nuclear deformation was governed by restructuring of Lamin A/C and increased heterochromatin content. This change in nuclear stiffness sensitized MSCs to mechanical-loading-induced calcium signaling and differentiated marker expression. This sensitization was reversed when the ‘stiff’ differentiated nucleus was softened and was enhanced when the ‘soft’ undifferentiated nucleus was stiffened through pharmacologic treatment. Interestingly, dynamic loading of undifferentiated MSCs, in the absence of soluble differentiation factors, stiffened and condensed the nucleus, and increased mechanosensitivity more rapidly than soluble factors. These data suggest that the nucleus acts as a mechanostat to modulate cellular mechanosensation during differentiation.

Abstract Background We aimed to explore the clinical benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) with fluoropyrimidine in patients with ypT0-3N0 rectal cancer after preoperative chemoradiation therapy (CRT) followed by total mesorectal excision (TME). Methods Patients with ypT0-3N0 rectal cancer after preoperative CRT and TME were included using prospectively collected tumor registry cohort between January 2001 and December 2013. Patients were categorized into two groups according to the receipt of AC. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were compared between the adjuvant and observation groups. To control for potential confounding factors, we also calculated propensity scores and performed propensity score-matched analysis for DFS and OS. Results Of the 339 evaluated patients, 87 patients (25.7%) did not receive AC. There were no differences in DFS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.921; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.562–1.507; P = 0.742) and OS (HR, 0.835; 95% CI, 0.423–1.648; P = 0.603) between the adjuvant and observation groups. After propensity score matching, DFS (HR, 1.129; 95% CI, 0.626–2.035; P = 0.688) and OS (HR, 1.200; 95% CI, 0.539–2.669; P = 0.655) did not differ between the adjuvant and observation groups. Advanced T stage and positive resection margin were independently associated with inferior DFS and OS on multivariate analysis. Conclusions AC did not improve DFS and OS for patients with ypT0-3N0 rectal cancer after preoperative CRT followed by TME in this cohort study. The confirmative role of AC in locally advanced rectal cancer should be evaluated in prospective randomized trials with a larger sample size.

Fermented foods have several advantages, including increased nutritional value, improved bioavailability, and functional health properties. We examined that these outcomes were also observed in fermented mixed grains (FMG) containing wheat germ, wheat bran, oats, brown rice, barley, quinoa, and lentils following solid-state fermentation (SSF) by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens 245. The metabolic profile during fermentation was screened using capillary electrophoresis time-of-flight mass spectrometry (CE-TOF-MS). The amino acids were quantitatively measured for the validation of the changes in metabolites. The activity of enzymes (e.g., amylase, protease, and fibrinolysis) and antioxidant capacity was also assessed to elucidate the functionality of FMG. The essential amino acid contents gradually increased as fermentation progressed. As the metabolites involved in the urea cycle and polyamine pathway were changed by fermentation, arginine was used as a substance to produce citrulline, ornithine, and agmatine. FMG showed dramatic increases in enzyme activity. FMG incubated for 36 h also displayed higher total phenolic contents and free radical scavenging ability than MG. The data suggest that FMG produced by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens 245 possess improved nutritional and functional quality, leading to their potential use as dietary supplements.

The geometric effect was investigated in a vertically designed metal-insulator-metal (MIM) tunnel diode for which a narrow tunneling distance can be controlled easily and reliably, with the goal of enhancing rectifying efficiency, based on the angle of a pointed shape electrode and various thicknesses of insulator material. Although MIM tunneling diodes can provide ultra- high working speeds (>THz), the very low contrast ratio between forward and reverse currents results in poor rectifying efficiency. An asymmetric geometry design with two metal electrodes can be an effective approach for enhancing the contrast ratio between the tunneling currents. Using a sharp electrode with a pointed shape, it was determined that the rectifying efficiency and tunneling probability could be increased impressively depending on the angle of the pointed shape of the electrode. Moreover, the selection of insulation material was also important for improving efficiency. Although the band gap of Al2O3 is larger than that of HfO2, the rectifying efficiency was significantly improved by blocking reverse current well. In general, large band gap insulator materials are inappropriate for a tunneling device, due to the low tunneling current. However, in our approach, since the issue of low tunneling probability is compensated by the sharp tip structure, the larger band gap insulator produced better rectifying efficiency with the appropriate current density. The results of this study demonstrated that geometric design could be a possible solution to increase rectifying efficiency. If the geometric effect in the tunneling diode structures will be optimized more, it can improve the applicability of vertical stack-up MIM tunnel diode to THz switching devices, tunneling transistors and ultra-high speed electronics.

The article showed that biomaterial delivery of Trichostatin A (TSA) promoted in vivo cellularization of scaffolds by endogenous cells. It addresses the inherent limitations to repair imposed by nuclear stiffness, this work defines a new strategy to promote the repair of damaged dense connective tissues.

Purpose: Standard treatment for cases of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) exhibiting acquired drug resistance includes tumor rebiopsy, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation testing (e.g., for T790M mutations), and the subsequent administration of third-generation EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs). However, rebiopsies are typically invasive, costly, and occasionally not feasible. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess rebiopsy procedures by analyzing real-world data collected by the ASTRIS study of patients with resistant NSCLC. Materials and Methods: The present study used statistical models to evaluate data collected by the ASTRIS trial (NCT02474355) conducted at Yonsei Cancer Center, including the rebiopsy success rate, incidence of T790M mutations in collected tissue and plasma samples, and association of administered osimertinib treatment efficacy. Results: In a total of 188 screened patients, 112 underwent rebiopsy. An adequate tumor specimen was obtained in 95 of these patients, the greatest majority of whom (43.8%) were subjected to bronchoscopy. T790M mutations were detected in 53.3% of successfully EGFR-tested rebiopsy samples. A total of 88 patients received osimertinib treatment, and the objective response rate and median progression-free survival time was 44.3% and 32.7 weeks, respectively, among the treated patients overall, but 57.8% and 45.0 weeks, and 35.2% and 20.4 weeks among patients who exhibited T790M-positive tissue (n=45) and plasma (n=54) samples, respectively. Conclusion: Approximately 60% of patients in the analyzed real-world cohort were eligible for tissue rebiopsy upon NSCLC progression. Osimertinib activity was higher in patients in whom T790M mutations were detected in tissues rather than in plasma samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Hybrid Fc-fused rhGH (GX-H9) is a long-acting recombinant human growth hormone (GH) under clinical development for both adults and children with GH deficiency (GHD). We compared the safety, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of weekly and every other week (EOW) dosages of GX-H9 with those of daily GH administration in adult GHD (AGHD) patients. Design: This was a randomized, open-label, active-controlled and dose-escalation study conducted in 16 endocrinology centers in Europe and Korea. Methods: Forty-five AGHD patients with or without prior GH treatment were enrolled. Patients with prior GH treatments were required to have received the last GH administration at least 1 month prior to randomization. Subjects were sequentially assigned to treatment groups. Fifteen subjects were enrolled to each treatment group and randomly assigned to receive either GX-H9 or Genotropin (4:1 ratio). GX-H9 dosage regimens for Groups 1, 2 and 3 were 0.1 mg/kg weekly, 0.3 mg/kg EOW and 0.2 mg/kg EOW, respectively. All Genotropin-assigned subjects received 6 µg/kg Genotropin, regardless of treatment group. Main outcome analyses included measurements of serum insulinlike growth factor 1 (IGF-I), safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and immunogenicity. Results: Mean GX-H9 peak and total exposure increased with an increase in dose after a single-dose administration. The mean IGF-I response was sustained above baseline over the intended dose interval of 168 h for the weekly and 336 h for the EOW GX-H9 groups. Safety profiles and immunogenicity were not different across the treatment groups and with Genotropin. Conclusions: GX-H9 has the potential for up to twice-monthly administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We evaluated the efficacy and toxicity of mammalian target rapamycin inhibitors in Korean patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) with chronic renal insufficiency not requiring dialysis. Materials and Methods: Korean patients with mRCC and chronic renal insufficiency not requiring dialysis treated with everolimus or temsirolimus between January 2008 and December 2014 were included. Patient characteristics, clinical outcomes, and toxicities were evaluated. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) durations were evaluated according to the degree of renal impairment. Results: Eighteen patients were considered eligible for the study (median age, 59 years). The median glomerular filtration rate was 51.5 mL/min/1.73 m². The best response was partial response in six patients and stable disease in 11 patients. The median PFS and OS durations were 8 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 0 to 20.4) and 32 months (95% CI, 27.5 to 36.5), respectively. The most common non-hematologic and grade 3/4 adverse events included stomatitis, fatigue, flu-like symptoms, and anorexia as well as elevated creatinine level. Conclusion: Mammalian target rapamycin inhibitors were efficacious and did not increase toxicity in Korean patients with mRCC and chronic renal insufficiency not requiring dialysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease is an autosomal dominant inherited tumor syndrome associated with mutations of the VHL tumor suppressor gene located on chromosome 3p25. The loss of functional VHL protein contributes to tumorigenesis. This condition is characterized by development of benign and malignant tumors in the central nervous system (CNS) and the internal organs, including kidney, adrenal gland, and pancreas. We herein describe the case of a 74-year-old man carrying the VHL gene mutation who was affected by simultaneous colorectal adenocarcinoma, renal clear cell carcinoma, and hemangioblastomas of CNS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between metformin and survival of gastric cancer (GC) patients. Background: Metformin has recently received attention as a potential anticancer treatment. However, no study has shown the survival benefit of metformin for GC patients. Methods: A total of 1974 GC patients who underwent curative gastrectomy were compared for survival according to groups; 132 diabetic patients treated with metformin, 194 diabetic patients without metformin, and 1648 nondiabetic patients. Results: During the median follow-up period of 6.2 years (interquartile range, 4.7-7.8 years), 381 patients (19.3%) died, including 302 (15.3%) who died from GC. The non-diabetic patients had significantly better recurrence-free survival (RFS; P<0.0001), cancer-specific survival (CSS; P=0.006), and overall survival (OS; P<0.0001). However, the diabetic patients treated with metformin had a significantly better prognosis than those who were not (OS: hazard ratio [HR]=0.584, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.369-0.926; CSS: HR=0.57, 95% CI, 0.334-0.975; RFS: HR=0.633, 95% CI, 0.410-0.977), and metformin treatment prolonged survival in diabetic patients to a rate comparable to that in non-diabetic patients. In multivariable analysis using the Cox proportional hazard model with time-dependent covariates, each cumulative 6 months of metformin use was significantly associated with a decreased risk of recurrence, cancer-specific mortality, and all-cause mortality (RFS: HR=0.864, 95% CI, 0.797-0.937; CSS: HR=0.865, 95% CI, 0.782-0.958; OS: HR 0.870, 95% CI, 0.801-0.945). Conclusions: The increased cumulative duration of metformin use decreased the recurrence, all-cause mortality, and cancer-specific mortality rates among GC patients with diabetes who underwent gastrectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose There is no standard second-line regimen for malignant melanoma patients with disease progression after first-line chemotherapy, and platinum-alkylating agents combined with paclitaxel have shown modest efficacy. Materials and Methods We conducted a phase II, open-label, single-arm study to test the efficacy of docetaxel combined with carboplatin for malignant melanoma patients who failed previous treatment with dacarbazine. Intravenous docetaxel (35 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8 of each cycle) and carboplatin (area under the curve 3 on days 1 and 8 of each cycle) was administered every 21 days. Primary end point was objective response rate (ORR). Results Thirty patients were enrolled in the study, and the median follow-up duration was 19.8 months. Among 25 per-protocol patients, there were three responders (1 with complete response and 2 with partial response) and 17 stable disease patients (ORR, 12.0%). Among the per-protocol population, the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 4.3 months and the median overall survival (OS) was 9.6 months. Uveal melanoma patients (n=9) showed the best prognosis compared to other subtypes (median PFS, 7.6 months; OS, 9.9 months). The most common grade 3 or 4 adverse event was neutropenia (n=15, 50.0%). Conclusion Docetaxel combined with carboplatin showed association with an acceptable safety profile and overall efficacy for patients with malignant melanoma who had progressed on chemotherapy containing dacarbazine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A scaffold of nanofiber wollastonite (nf-WS) and poly(ℇ-caprolactone) (PCL) composite was fabricated, and the morphology, degradation, and cellular response to the scaffold were investigated. The results indicate that the composite scaffold contained open and interconnected pores ranging in size from 400 to 500 μm and exhibited a porosity of around 80%, as well as degradation of the scaffold in phosphate-buffered saline. MTT tests demonstrated that MG63 cell proliferation was greater on the composite scaffold than on PCL alone at 4 and 7 days of culture. Moreover, the level of alkaline phosphatase activity of the cells cultured on the composite scaffold was higher than that in cells grown on PCL alone at 7 days, and scanning electron microscopy revealed significant osteoblast-like adhesion and ingrowth into the composite scaffold. Elevated levels of calcium (Ca) and silicon (Si) were detected in the culture medium during cell culture, and the continuous dissolution of nf-WS produced a Ca- and Si-rich environment that might stimulate cellular proliferation and differentiation. The composite scaffold was bioactive, as indicated by the formation of an apatite layer on the scaffold surface after immersion in cell medium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the current limitations in using electrospun nanofibrous materials for tissue engineering is that cells have difficulty penetrating into the materials. For this, multi-layered electrospun structures composed of polyurethane (PU) and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) were fabricated and tested in vitro. A 20% (w/v) PU solution was electrospun for 30 min, while a 20% (w/v) PEO solution was electrospun for 5, 15 or 30 min, alternatively. Then, the PEO was extracted by immersing the structure in distilled water to make multi-layered structure. The characteristics of fabricated structures were examined by SEM, FT-IR spectroscopy, mechanical tests and cell penetration test. The bioactivities of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) on these scaffolds were assessed by quantifying DNA, collagen and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) levels. Although hybrid PEO-extracted scaffolds had a little of residual PEO, they were more penetrable than PU alone scaffolds. Also, they showed higher bioactivity than PU-alone scaffolds. The results of this study provided potential of this structure in the application not only to the development of artificial blood vessels but also to other types for tissue engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Ferroelectric field‐effect transistors (FeFETs) are increasingly important for in‐memory computing and monolithic 3D (M3D) integration in system‐on‐chip (SoC) applications. However, the high‐temperature processing required by most ferroelectric memories can lead to thermal damage to the underlying device layers, which poses significant physical limitations for 3D integration processes. To solve this problem, the study proposes using a nanosecond pulsed laser for selective annealing of hafnia‐based FeFETs, enabling precise control of heat penetration depth within thin films. Sufficient thermal energy is delivered to the IGZO oxide channel and HZO ferroelectric gate oxide without causing thermal damage to the bottom layer, which has a low transition temperature ( 106, retention > 106 s) are achieved in the ferroelectric HZO film. The resulting FeFET exhibited a wide memory window (>1.7 V) with a high on/off ratio (>105). In addition, moderate ferroelectric properties (2·Pr of 14.7 µC cm−2) and pattern recognition rate‐based linearity (potentiation: 1.13, depression: 1.6) are obtained. These results demonstrate compatibility in HZO FeFETs by specific laser annealing control and thin‐film layer design for various structures (3D integrated, flexible) with neuromorphic applications.

The 2D semimetallic electrodes have been employed to show outstanding contact properties with 2D semiconducting transition‐metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) channel, leading to large enhancement of 2D transistor and phototransistor performance. Herein, an innovative concept is established for a unique 2D semimetallic electrode‐2D TMDC channel (2D–2D) device configuration where the electronic structures of 2D semimetallic electrodes are systematically modulated to improve the contact properties with 2D monolayer molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) channel. The 2D semimetallic copper sulfide (CuS) electrodes are doped with iodine atoms by a direct exposure of iodine gas. The contact properties and charge‐transport behavior in the 2D–2D field‐effect transistors (FETs) are highly improved, which is attributed to the favorable energy band alignment and associated material properties between the iodine‐doped CuS (CuS–I) electrodes and 2D channel. The 2D–2D FETs show a high on current, high on/off ratio, and twofold improvement in mobility. Furthermore, 2D–2D phototransistors and flexible/transparent photodetectors are fabricated using the CuS–I/MoS2, which also performed outstanding photoresponsivity characteristics and mechanical durability under external bending strain conditions. These findings demonstrate a promising pathway that under the 2D–2D configuration, the electronic modulation by the iodine atoms may enable the development of future 2D electronic applications.

Background : The Donation Improvement Program (DIP) is intended to increase organ donation at hospitals. The program includes education for healthcare professionals of participating hospitals about each step of donation as well as evaluation. The DIP consists of medical record review (MRR) and a Hospital Attitude Survey (HAS). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the DIP results for the last 7 years. Methods : For MRR, we analyzed 58,385 cases of mortality from 77 hospitals between 2012 and 2018. The HAS data for the degree of education experience, competence, and knowledge related to brain death (BD) and donation were analyzed from 23 DIP-participating hospitals in 2012 and 51 DIP-participating hospitals in 2015 and 2018 each. Results : The recognition rate of potential BD was 24.9%, 61.3%, and 73.2%, and donation rate was 7.5%, 11.7%, and 15.8% at 6 months before, 1–2 years after, and 4–5 years after the agreement, respectively. Hospital staff with the necessary competence or knowledge to explain BD constituted 44.0% in 2012, while this increased to 62.8% in 2018. Conclusions: The DIP could increase the recognition of BD and the organ donation rate, and positively affect the attitudes of healthcare professionals toward organ donation. Spreading the DIP to all hospitals is urgent to increase organ donation.

Abstract The vertical thin film transistor (VTFT) has several advantages over the planar thin film transistor, such as a high current density and low operating voltage, because of the structural specificity. However, it is difficult to realize transistor operation in a VTFT because of the structural limitation that the gate field is blocked. As a solution, the conductivity modulation of a graphene electrode is studied with a micro‐hole structure as a gate field transfer electrode. The micro‐hole array pattern in the graphene allows better penetration of the gate field to junction and the work function to be modulated. Moreover, the patterning induces a doping effect on the graphene which results in a high barrier at the p–n junction and improves the conductivity in the device operation. The optimum performance is shown at 5 µm hole size and 30% hole ratio by analyzing the hole size and the area ratio. The proposed structure shows about 20 times higher on‐current than a planar transistor with a same active area. Compared to a VTFT using simple graphene working function modulation, the proposed structure has an on‐state current that is ten times higher and off‐state current that is reduced 50%, and therefore has an improved on–off ratio.

Abstract Micro size antennas have significant merits due to the small size effect, enabling new device concepts. However, the low‐quality factor (Q‐factor), the large size of impedance matching components, and the poor selectivity of the multi‐array design remain challenging issues. To solve these issues, a floating coil structure stacked on a loop micro‐antenna is suggested. Various floating coil designs are prepared with appropriate matching conditions at specific target frequencies, using an easy fabrication process without the need for additional space. A simple one‐loop antenna design shows a higher Q‐factor than other, more complicated designs. The micro‐sized loop antenna with the 80 µm trace width design exhibits the highest Q‐factor, around 31 within 7 GHz. The 8 different floating coil designs result in high‐frequency selectivity from 1 to 7 GHz. The highest selectivity contrast and WPT efficiency are above 7 and around 1%, respectively. Considering the size of the antenna, the efficiency is not low, mainly due to the good matching effect with the high Q‐factor of the floating coil and the loop antenna. This micro‐antenna array concept with high integration density can be applied for advanced wireless neural stimulation or in wireless pixel array concepts in flexible displays.