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Polymorphism in transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) allows unique physical properties to be controlled, such as artificial heavy fermion phenomena, the quantum spin Hall effect, and optimized device operations with 2D materials. Besides lattice structural and metal‐semiconductor polymorphs, intriguing charge density wave (CDW) states with different electronic and magnetic phases are demonstrated in TMDs. Typically, the "normal" state is stabilized at high temperature above the CDW energy scale, and therefore, is not relevant to many low‐temperature quantum phenomena, such as magnetic ordering and the heavy fermion Kondo state. Here, a local and robust phase manipulation of the normal (1T) and CDW (1T') states of VTe2 is reported by laser irradiation, and polymorphic Kondo effects are demonstrated with the two phases at low temperatures. The theoretical calculations show that Kondo screening of vanadium 3d electron moments is markedly enhanced in 1T'‐VTe2, which is responsible for the observed transport properties distinct from its 1T counterpart. Controlling the spin‐lattice coupling and Kondo physics via laser‐driven CDW phase patterning allows the design of correlated electronic and magnetic properties in TMDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a novel extracellular matrix (ECM) hydrogel is proposed fabricated solely from decellularized, human fibroblast‐derived matrix (FDM) toward advanced wound healing. This FDM‐gel is physically very stable and viscoelastic, while preserving the natural ECM diversity and various bioactive factors. Subcutaneously transplanted FDM‐gel provided a permissive environment for innate immune cells infiltration. Compared to collagen hydrogel, excellent wound healing indications of FDM‐gel treated in the full‐thickness wounds are noticed, particularly hair follicle formation via highly upregulated β‐catenin. Sequential analysis of the regenerated wound tissues disclosed that FDM‐gel significantly alleviated pro‐inflammatory cytokine and promoted M2‐like macrophages, along with significantly elevated vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) level. A mechanistic study demonstrated that macrophages‐FDM interactions through cell surface integrins α5β1 and α1β1 resulted in significant production of VEGF and bFGF, increased Akt phosphorylation, and upregulated matrix metalloproteinase‐9 activity. Interestingly, blocking such interactions using specific inhibitors (ATN161 for α5β1 and obtustatin for α1β1) negatively affected those pro‐healing growth factors secretion. Macrophages depletion animal model significantly attenuated the healing effect of FDM‐gel. This study demonstrates that the FDM‐gel is an excellent immunomodulatory material that is permissive for host cells infiltration, resorbable with time, and interactive with macrophages, where it thus enables regenerative matrix remodeling toward a complete wound healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose IBL‐NeRF, which decomposes the neural radiance fields (NeRF) of large‐scale indoor scenes into intrinsic components. Recent approaches further decompose the baked radiance of the implicit volume into intrinsic components such that one can partially approximate the rendering equation. However, they are limited to representing isolated objects with a shared environment lighting, and suffer from computational burden to aggregate rays with Monte Carlo integration. In contrast, our prefiltered radiance field extends the original NeRF formulation to capture the spatial variation of lighting within the scene volume, in addition to surface properties. Specifically, the scenes of diverse materials are decomposed into intrinsic components for rendering, namely, albedo, roughness, surface normal, irradiance, and prefiltered radiance. All of the components are inferred as neural images from MLP, which can model large‐scale general scenes. Especially the prefiltered radiance effectively models the volumetric light field, and captures spatial variation beyond a single environment light. The prefiltering aggregates rays in a set of predefined neighborhood sizes such that we can replace the costly Monte Carlo integration of global illumination with a simple query from a neural image. By adopting NeRF, our approach inherits superior visual quality and multi‐view consistency for synthesized images as well as the intrinsic components. We demonstrate the performance on scenes with complex object layouts and light configurations, which could not be processed in any of the previous works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, it is introduced a new touch sensing method for the flexible OLED (Y‐OCTA) eliminating the chronic constraints on selecting touch sensing frequencies. In the prior art, the touch sensing frequencies have been limited to the display scan frequency(H‐sync) or its harmonics to avoid the interference effects between Touch and Display operations, which results in some weaknesses in external noise immunity for the Touch sensor. This paper proposes a method to overcome the constraints such that any sensing frequencies would be available, while preserving Display Noise immunity for Touch IC and display flicker‐free for Display as well. As a result, the proposed IC showed SNR enhancement of 17 dB without display flicker in the asynchronous sensing mode for the worst test image patterns having the strongest Display Noise. The proposed IC was fabricated on a 90‐nm CMOS process and its silicon area is 21.2mm 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The imperfect interfaces between 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are suitable for boosting the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) during water electrolysis. Here, the improved catalytic activity at the spatial heterojunction between 1T' RexMo1−xS2 and 2H MoS2 is reported. Atomic‐scale electron microscopy confirms that the heterojunction is constructed by an in‐situ two‐step growth process through chemical vapor deposition. Electrochemical microcell measurements demonstrate that the 1T' RexMo1−xS2–2H MoS2 lateral heterojunction exhibits the best HER catalytic performance among all TMD catalysts with an overpotential of ≈84 mV at 10 mA cm−2 current density and 58 mV dec−1 Tafel slope. Kelvin probe force microscopy shows ≈40 meV as the work function difference between 2H MoS2 and 1T' RexMo1−xS2, facilitating the electron transfer from 2H MoS2 to 1T' RexMo1−xS2 at the heterojunction. First‐principles calculations reveal that Mo‐rich heterojunctions with high structural stability are formed, and the HER performance is improved with the combination of increased density of states near the Fermi level and optimal ΔGH* as low as 0.07 eV. Those synergetic effects with many electrons and active sites with optimal ΔGH* improve HER performance at the heterojunction. These results provide new insights into understanding the role of the heterojunction for HER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineering active sites of metal nanoparticle‐based heterogeneous catalysts is one of the most prerequisite approaches for the efficient production of chemicals, but the limited active sites and undesired oxidation on the metal nanoparticles still remain as key challenges. Here, it is reported that the negatively charged surface of copper nanoparticles on the 2D [Ca2N]+∙e− electride provides the unrestricted active sites for catalytic selective sulfenylation of indoles and azaindoles with diaryl disulfides. Substantial electron transfer from the electride support to copper nanoparticles via electronic metal–support interactions results in the accumulation of excess electrons at the surface of copper nanoparticles. Moreover, the surface‐accumulated excess electrons prohibit the oxidation of copper nanoparticle, thereby maintaining the metallic surface in a negatively charged state and activating both (aza)indoles and disulfides under mild conditions in the absence of any further additives. This study defines the role of excess electrons on the nanoparticle‐based heterogeneous catalyst that can be rationalized in versatile systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal nanoparticles (MeNPs) have been used in various industrial applications, owing to their unique physical and chemical properties different from the bulk counterparts. However, the natural oxidation of MeNPs is an imminent hindrance to their widespread applications despite much research efforts to prevent it. Here, a rational approach for non‐oxidized bare MeNPs in air, which requires no additional surface passivation treatment is reported. The direct synthetic route uses the [Gd2C]2+ · 2e− electride as an exceptional electron‐donating agent to reduce diverse metal precursors in alcoholic solvents. All synthesized bare Cu, Ag, and Sn nanoparticles are ultra‐stable in ambient air, exhibiting no trace of metal oxides even on their outermost atomic layer. This unique resistance to oxidation is ascribed to the accumulation of excess electrons on the surface of bare MeNPs, which originates from the spontaneous transfer of anionic electrons from the electride during the nanoparticle growth process. This approach provides not only a revolutionary scheme to obtain MeNPs with non‐passivated and non‐oxidized surfaces, but also fundamental knowledge about metal oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hafnium oxides‐based ferroelectric materials are promising for applications in nonvolatile memory devices. To control the ferroelectricity of such materials, it is necessary to tune their polymorphism, interfacial features, and defect (oxygen vacancy) distribution. A strategy is described for enhancing the ferroelectric properties of polycrystalline hafnium zirconium oxide (HZO) ultrathin films by modifying the oxygen pressure during the device preparation stage, which involves thermal annealing of TiN electrodes that serve as oxygen reservoirs. Microstructural and chemical characterizations along with theoretical analysis reveal that interfacial layers of TiO2−x (or TiOxNy) can characteristically form between the TiN electrode and the HZO thin film, depending on the oxygen treatment conditions. These interfacial layers directly affect the polymorphic distribution of the as‐deposited HZO. In particular, the engineered interfacial TiO2−x layer facilitates the generation and stabilization of ferroelectric orthorhombic phase HZO by promoting the uniform distribution of oxygen vacancies. Electric field cycling tests further highlight the enhanced ferroelectric polarization and coercive voltage following interfacial engineering. The results presented herein demonstrate successful tuning of the structural and interfacial properties of polycrystalline HZO devices, thus enabling control over their ferroelectric characteristics, which is critical for the fabrication of devices with designed functionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The confined defects in 2D van der Waals (vdW)‐layered semiconductors can be easily tailored using charge doping, strain, or an electric field. Nevertheless, gate‐tunable magnetic order via intrinsic defects has been rarely observed to date. Herein, a gate‐tunable magnetic order via resonant Se vacancies in WSe2 is demonstrated. The Se‐vacancy states are probed via photocurrent measurements with gating to convert unoccupied states to partially occupied states associated with photo‐excited carrier recombination. The magneto‐photoresistance hysteresis is modulated by gating, which is consistent with the density functional calculations. The two energy levels associated with Se vacancies split with increasing laser power, owing to the robust Coulomb interaction and strong spin–orbit coupling. The findings offer a new approach for controlling the magnetic properties of defects in optoelectronic and spintronic devices using vdW‐layered semiconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a titanium‐oxide film is fabricated by stacking 2D nanosheets with a thickness of 1 nm layer‐by‐layer. The electrical properties of the titanium‐oxide film are investigated under various temperatures (25–300 °C) and a water vapor atmosphere. As a result, it is found that protonic conduction is dominant at low temperatures (<100 °C), while electronic conduction is highest at high temperatures (>200 °C). The electrical conductivity is about one billion times higher than that of conventional 3D titanium‐oxide. Protons, dominant charge carriers at low temperature, are transported along the pathway between layers of nanosheets. The protonic conductivity is as high as 10−4−5 S cm−1 due to the increased interfacial density of the film. This anomalous electronic and protonic conduction is expected to be available in various applications. In this study, the developed 2D titanium‐oxide with high protonic conductivity is employed in the solid electrolyte of a solid oxide fuel cell using water as a fuel. A competitive power density of ≈0.22 mW cm−2 is obtained at low temperature (75 °C) under a water concentration gradient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermoelectric properties are frequently manipulated by introducing point defects into a matrix. However, these properties often change in unfavorable directions owing to the spontaneous formation of vacancies at high temperatures. Although it is crucial to maintain high thermoelectric performance over a broad temperature range, the suppression of vacancies is challenging since their formation is thermodynamically preferred. In this study, using PbTe as a model system, it is demonstrated that a high thermoelectric dimensionless figure of merit, zT ≈ 2.1 at 723 K, can be achieved by suppressing the vacancy formation via dopant balancing. Hole‐killer Te vacancies are suppressed by Ag doping because of the increased electron chemical potential. As a result, the re‐dissolution of Na2Te above 623 K can significantly increase the hole concentration and suppress the drop in the power factor. Furthermore, point defect scattering in material systems significantly reduces lattice thermal conductivity. The synergy between defect and carrier engineering offers a pathway for achieving a high thermoelectric performance by alleviating the power factor drop and can be utilized to enhance thermoelectric properties of thermoelectric materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the iterative medial axis transform (IMAT), an iterative descent method that constructs a medial axis transform (MAT) for a sparse, noisy, oriented point cloud sampled from an object's boundary. We first establish the equivalence between the traditional definition of the MAT of an object, i.e., the set of centres and corresponding radii of all balls maximally inscribed inside the object, with an alternative characterization matching the boundary enclosing the union of the balls with the object boundary. Based on this boundary equivalence characterization, a new MAT algorithm is proposed, in which an error function that reflects the difference between the two boundaries is minimized while restricting the number of balls to within some a priori specified upper limit. An iterative descent method with guaranteed local convergence is developed for the minimization that is also amenable to parallelization. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses of diverse 2D and 3D objects demonstrate the noise robustness, shape fidelity, and representation efficiency of the resulting MAT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atomic dopants and defects play a crucial role in creating new functionalities in 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (2D TMDs). Therefore, atomic‐scale identification and their quantification warrant precise engineering that widens their application to many fields, ranging from development of optoelectronic devices to magnetic semiconductors. Scanning transmission electron microscopy with a sub‐Å probe has provided a facile way to observe local dopants and defects in 2D TMDs. However, manual data analytics of experimental images is a time‐consuming task, and often requires subjective decisions to interpret observed signals. Therefore, an approach is required to automate the detection and classification of dopants and defects. In this study, based on a deep learning algorithm, fully convolutional neural network that shows a superior ability of image segmentation, an efficient and automated method for reliable quantification of dopants and defects in TMDs is proposed with single‐atom precision. The approach demonstrates that atomic dopants and defects are precisely mapped with a detection limit of ≈1 × 1012 cm−2, and with a measurement accuracy of ≈98% for most atomic sites. Furthermore, this methodology is applicable to large volume of image data to extract atomic site‐specific information, thus providing insights into the formation mechanisms of various defects under stimuli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among transition metal dichalcogenides (TMdCs) as alternatives for Pt‐based catalysts, metallic‐TMdCs catalysts have highly reactive basal‐plane but are unstable. Meanwhile, chemically stable semiconducting‐TMdCs show limiting catalytic activity due to their inactive basal‐plane. Here, metallic vanadium sulfide (VSn) nanodispersed in a semiconducting MoS2 film (V–MoS2) is proposed as an efficient catalyst. During synthesis, vanadium atoms are substituted into hexagonal monolayer MoS2 to form randomly distributed VSn units. The V–MoS2 film on a Cu electrode exhibits Pt‐scalable catalytic performance; current density of 1000 mA cm−2 at 0.6 V and overpotential of −0.08 V at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 with excellent cycle stability for hydrogen‐evolution‐reaction (HER). The high intrinsic HER performance of V–MoS2 is explained by the efficient electron transfer from the Cu electrode to chalcogen vacancies near vanadium sites with optimal Gibbs free energy (−0.02 eV). This study provides insight into ways to engineer TMdCs at the atomic‐level to boost intrinsic catalytic activity for hydrogen evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2D van der Waals magnetic semiconductors have emerged along with the possibilities of achieving an efficient gate tunability and a proximity effect with a high magnetic anisotropy compared with 3D counterparts. Little explored are multiple magnetic phases with a single crystallographic phase. Herein, the multiple magnetic phases in a Mn‐doped SnS2 single crystal with different doping concentrations using a one‐step self‐flux method are reported. Two ferromagnetic phases with a canted spin direction exist regardless of the Mn‐doping concentration at up to 5 at%. Antiferromagnetism coexists with the ferromagnetic order and strengthens at high Mn‐doping concentrations. A magnetoresistance measurement conducted on a 2 at% Mn‐SnS2 flake exhibits a positive‐to‐negative crossover with a value of as high as 50% and clear anisotropy, confirming the presence of ferromagnetic order in the material. By revealing multiple magnetic phases in Mn‐doped SnS2, the study broadens the scope of state‐of‐the‐art research on layered magnetic semiconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that affects 20% of children worldwide. Environmental factors including weather and air pollutants have been shown to be associated with AD symptoms. However, the time‐dependent nature of such a relationship has not been adequately investigated. This paper aims to assess whether real‐time data on weather and air pollutants can make short‐term prediction of AD severity scores. Methods: Using longitudinal data from a published panel study of 177 paediatric patients followed up daily for 17 months, we developed a statistical machine learning model to predict daily AD severity scores for individual study participants. Exposures consisted of daily meteorological variables and concentrations of air pollutants, and outcomes were daily recordings of scores for six AD signs. We developed a mixed‐effect autoregressive ordinal logistic regression model, validated it in a forward‐chaining setting and evaluated the effects of the environmental factors on the predictive performance. Results: Our model successfully made daily prediction of the AD severity scores, and the predictive performance was not improved by the addition of measured environmental factors. Potential short‐term influence of environmental exposures on daily AD severity scores was outweighed by the underlying persistence of preceding scores. Conclusions: Our data does not offer enough evidence to support a claim that weather or air pollutants can make short‐term prediction of AD signs. Inferences about the magnitude of the effect of environmental factors on AD severity scores require consideration of their time‐dependent dynamic nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Li‐excess disordered rock‐salt oxides have emerged as a promising group of cathode materials for Li‐ion batteries. However, the real cation distribution and short‐range order of various disordered oxides have not been fully determined, making it difficult to understand their actual structures and reaction processes. Here, Li1.233Mo0.467Cr0.3O2 (LMCO), as a cathode material that undergoes a unique in situ cation‐disorder is investigated. Through synchrotron‐ and lab‐based multiscale characterizations, it is observed that the as‐prepared material has separate domains resembling Li2MoO3 and LiCrO2 even in a single‐phase bulk crystal structure. The Mo/Li‐rich and Cr/Li‐poor domains are maintained even after significant cation‐disorder. The formation and dissociation of short MoMo bonds along with a unique MoO6 distortion in Mo/Li‐rich domain of disordered LMCO leads to minimal lattice parameter changes during Mo redox reactions. This phenomenon is intensified when the structure becomes more disordered owing to the dissipation of anisotropy. In disordered LMCO, the Mo4+/6+ redox is highly reversible, while Cr3+/4+ redox is not. Finally, based on the local separation that induces different 0‐TM diffusion abilities according to the different domains in disordered LMCO, the mechanisms of the domain‐dependent kinetics, asymmetric Li+ diffusion, and linked hysteresis/degradation processes are explained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Targeted, stimulus‐responsive DNA nanogels hold considerable promise for cancer therapeutics. To expand their functionality including thermoresponsiveness, here, multifunctional DNA nanogels are developed for potential application toward cancer‐targeted delivery and stimuli‐responsive release of cancer therapeutics. Three types of functionalized DNA nanobuilding units are formed into DNA nanogels of ≈200 nm via sequence‐dependent self‐assembly. The sequence‐dependent assembly of nanobuilding units is precisely designed for controlled assembly and thermal disassembly at physiological temperatures. The supramolecular structure exhibits multifunctionalities including temperature‐induced disassembly, aptamer‐mediated cancer cell targeting, and light‐triggered temperature increase. The nanogels support co‐loading of cancer therapeutics including anti‐sense oligonucleotides and doxorubicin along with stimuli‐responsive release of loaded drugs through temperature‐responsive structural disassembly and pH‐responsive deintercalation. The nanogels exhibit efficient aptamer‐mediated cancer‐specific intracellular delivery and combinational anticancer effects upon light triggering. The developed DNA nanogels, thus, constitute potential noncationic nanovectors for targeted delivery of combinational cancer therapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper proposes an approach to causal mediation analysis in nested case‐control study designs, often incorporated with countermatching schemes using conditional likelihood, and we compare the method's performance to that of mediation analysis using the Cox model for the full cohort with a continuous or dichotomous mediator. Simulation studies are conducted to assess our proposed method and investigate the efficiency relative to the cohort. We illustrate the method using actual data from two studies of potential mediation of radiation risk conducted within the Adult Health Study cohort of atomic‐bomb survivors. The performance becomes comparable to that based on the full cohort, illustrating the potential for valid mediation analysis based on the reduced data obtained through the nested case‐control design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a rolling‐window approach that allows time‐varying coefficients, we estimate the vector autoregressive model with the Markov chain Monte Carlo method to analyse the effectiveness of foreign exchange interventions in Korea. Our results show that a negative shock in international reserves (buying domestic currency or selling foreign currency) results in a significant appreciation of the domestic currency, a reduction in implied volatility and an increase in capital inflows. We also find that Korean exchange rate policies focus on the stabilization of the foreign exchange market rather than the depreciation of the Korean won. These patterns appear more obvious after the 2008 global financial crisis. This suggests that time variation should be taken into account to better understand the effects of foreign exchange interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Emerging oncotherapeutic strategies require the induction of an immunostimulatory tumor microenvironment (TME) containing numerous tumor‐reactive CD8+ T cells. Interleukin‐7 (IL‐7), a T‐cell homeostatic cytokine, induces an antitumor response; however, the detailed mechanisms underlying the contributions of the IL‐7 to TME remain unclear. Here, we aimed to investigate the mechanism underlying the induction of antitumor response by hybrid Fc‐fused long‐acting recombinant human IL‐7 (rhIL‐7‐hyFc) through regulation of both adaptive and innate immune cells in the TME. Methods: We evaluated rhIL‐7‐hyFc‐mediated antitumor responses in murine syngeneic tumor models. We analysed the cellular and molecular features of tumor‐infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and changes in the TME after rhIL‐7‐hyFc treatment. Furthermore, we evaluated the antitumor efficacy of rhIL‐7‐hyFc combined with chemotherapy and checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs). Results: Systemic delivery of rhIL‐7‐hyFc induced significant therapeutic benefits by expanding CD8+ T cells with enhanced tumor tropism. In tumors, rhIL‐7‐hyFc increased both tumor‐reactive and bystander CD8+ TILs, all of which displayed enhanced effector functions but less exhausted phenotypes. Moreover, rhIL‐7‐hyFc suppressed the generation of immunosuppressive myeloid cells in the bone marrow of tumor‐bearing mice, resulting in the immunostimulatory TME. Combination therapy with chemotherapy and CPIs, rhIL‐7‐hyFc elicited a strong antitumor response and even under a T lymphopenic condition by restoring CD8+ T cells. When combined with chemotherapy and CPIs, rhIL‐7‐hyFc administration enhanced antitumor response under intact andlymphopenic conditions by restoring CD8+ T cells. Conclusion: Taken together, these data demonstrate that rhIL‐7‐hyFc induces antitumor responses by generating T‐cell‐inflamed TME and provide a preclinical proof of concept of immunotherapy with rhIL‐7‐hyFc to enhance therapeutic responses in the clinic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bonding geometry engineering of metal–oxygen octahedra is a facile way of tailoring various functional properties of transition metal oxides. Several approaches, including epitaxial strain, thickness, and stoichiometry control, have been proposed to efficiently tune the rotation and tilt of the octahedra, but these approaches are inevitably accompanied by unnecessary structural modifications such as changes in thin‐film lattice parameters. In this study, a method to selectively engineer the octahedral bonding geometries is proposed, while maintaining other parameters that might implicitly influence the functional properties. A concept of octahedral tilt propagation engineering is developed using atomically designed SrRuO3/SrTiO3 (SRO/STO) superlattices. In particular, the propagation of RuO6 octahedral tilt within the SRO layers having identical thicknesses is systematically controlled by varying the thickness of adjacent STO layers. This leads to a substantial modification in the electromagnetic properties of the SRO layer, significantly enhancing the magnetic moment of Ru. This approach provides a method to selectively manipulate the bonding geometry of strongly correlated oxides, thereby enabling a better understanding and greater controllability of their functional properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diluted magnetic semiconductors including Mn‐doped GaAs are attractive for gate‐controlled spintronics but Curie transition at room temperature with long‐range ferromagnetic order is still debatable to date. Here, the room‐temperature ferromagnetic domains with long‐range order in semiconducting V‐doped WSe2 monolayer synthesized by chemical vapor deposition are reported. Ferromagnetic order is manifested using magnetic force microscopy up to 360 K, while retaining high on/off current ratio of ≈105 at 0.1% V‐doping concentration. The V‐substitution to W sites keeps a V–V separation distance of 5 nm without V–V aggregation, scrutinized by high‐resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy. More importantly, the ferromagnetic order is clearly modulated by applying a back‐gate bias. The findings open new opportunities for using 2D transition metal dichalcogenides for future spintronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Activated eosinophils release extracellular traps (EETs), which contribute to airway inflammation in severe asthma (SA). However, the role of EETs in innate immunity has not yet been completely determined. The present study aimed to demonstrate the mechanism of airway inflammation in SA mediated by EETs. Methods: Peripheral counts of EET+ eosinophils and type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) were evaluated in patients with SA (n = 13), nonsevere asthma (NSA, n = 17), and healthy control subjects (HC, n = 8). To confirm the effect of EETs, airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and adapted/innate immune responses were assessed in mice. Furthermore, the effects of anti‐IL‐33/TSLP antibody were tested. Results: The numbers of EET+ eosinophils and ILC2s were significantly elevated in SA, with a positive correlation between these two cells (r =.539, P <.001). When mice were injected with EETs, we observed significant increases in epithelium‐derived cytokines (IL‐1α, IL‐1β, CXCL‐1, CCL24, IL‐33, and TSLP) and eosinophil/neutrophil count in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) as well as an increased proportion of IL‐5‐ or IL‐13‐producing ILC2s in the lungs. When Rag1−/− mice receiving ILC2s were treated with EETs, increased AHR and IL‐5/IL‐13 levels in BALF were noted, which were effectively suppressed by anti‐IL‐33 or anti‐TSLP antibody. Conclusion: EETs could enhance innate and type 2 immune responses in SA, in which epithelium‐targeting biologics (anti‐IL‐33/TSLP antibody) may have a potential benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The dermis, composed predominantly of dermal fibroblasts and extracellular matrix (ECM), consists of fibrous proteins such as collagen and elastin and is associated with wrinkle formation and dermal elasticity. As the major constituent of the dermal matrix, collagen strengthens the skin, enhances its elasticity and protects it from external factors, such as ultraviolet (UV) rays, skin inflammation, intracellular metabolites, and aging. Aims: Economic growth and long‐life expectancy have increased the interest in beauty, with extensive studies conducted to evaluate the anti‐aging and health‐promoting benefits of bioactive substances. Methods: In this study, we used natural ingredients, Trapa japonica fruit is a hard, aquatic plant that grows in ponds or marshes and contains protein and starch. To develop the ingredients for comprehensive skin improvement, this study investigated the effects of the trapa japonica fruit extract on the improvement of skin cells. Conclusion: We investigated the role of the fermented hot‐water trapa japonica fruit extract to isolate the active ingredients with antiwrinkle effects in vitro and ex vivo situation through human dermal fibroblast cell proliferation via activating TGF‐β1/GSK‐3β/β‐catenin pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We provide new evidence on the relationship between bilateral trade and stock market returns across the Asia‐Pacific region. Using three country blocs in this region, including the Far Eastern bloc, the Chinese bloc and the Australian bloc, we examine whether trade linkages between countries affect their stock returns. Incorporating two distinct dynamic properties of regime shifting and cointegration in intra‐regional trade and stock market returns, we employ the newly suggested multivariable smooth transition autoregressive vector error correction model (STAR‐VECM). A series of estimations reveals evidence that bilateral trade significantly Granger‐causes stock returns in the Asia‐Pacific region, with effects that are asymmetric depending upon the stock market regime and the country pair. Among the three blocs, the Far Eastern bloc displays a more pronounced positive effect of bilateral trade growth on stock returns than do the other blocs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to describe the features of angioleiomyomas of the extremities on ultrasonography (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the US and MRI findings of 29 pathologically confirmed cases of angioleiomyomas of the extremities in 29 patients. Twenty patients underwent only US; 7 patients underwent only MRI; and 2 patients underwent US and MRI. Clinical data and histopathologic specimens were reviewed. Results: There were 19 women and 10 men. The mean patient age was 48.9 years (range, 23–80 years). On US, angioleiomyomas were located primarily in the subcutaneous fat layer (n = 20 [91%]), were oval (n = 17 [77%]), had well‐circumscribed margins (n = 22 [100%]), had hypoechoic protrusions on one or both ends (n = 9 [41%]), had a homogeneous echo texture (n = 17 [ 77%]), had posterior acoustic enhancement (n = 20 [91%]), and had color Doppler flow (n = 20 [91%]). On MRI, the masses showed heterogeneous enhancement (n = 7 [88%]) and enhancing structures on one or both ends (n = 4 [50%]) on contrast‐enhanced T1‐weighted images. Conclusions: Angioleiomyoma of the extremities is usually a well‐circumscribed oval mass with a homogeneous echo texture and occasionally hypoechoic protrusions on US and shows heterogeneous enhancement with occasionally enhancing structures on one or both ends of the mass on MRI. Therefore, it should be included in the differential diagnosis of a soft tissue mass that has protruding structures from one or both ends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Exposure to air pollution aggravates symptoms of atopic dermatitis (AD) in children in the population studies. Variability in individual patient's response from individual susceptibility is needed to be explored. Objective: This study aimed to investigate spectrum of individual variability in the associations between AD symptoms and air quality. Methods: We enrolled 89 children aged 0‐6 years with AD (22 890 person‐days). Daily manifestation of symptoms was recorded for an average of 257 days (range 100‐499). Both an individual analysis using logistic regression models and an overall analysis using a generalized estimating equation were performed. Results: The odds ratios of an individual ranged 0.24‐8.11 for particulate matter <10 μm in diameter (PM10), 0.09‐101.92 for nitrogen oxide (NO2), 0.03‐44.00 for ozone (O3), 0.11‐58.30 for sulfur dioxide (SO2), 0.00‐15.83 for carbon monoxide (CO), 0.00‐39 446.94 for temperature, and 0.03‐5.18 for relative humidity, demonstrating a wide individual variability. In the overall analysis, PM10, NO2, SO2, and CO had a significantly positive association, whereas temperature and relative humidity were negatively associated with AD symptoms. Air pollution was responsible for aggravation of symptoms from 24.7% (O3) to 39.3% (SO2) of AD children. Overall, 71.9% of the AD children responded to at least one or more air pollution and weather variable. Conclusion: Responses of AD children to air pollution and weather variable were considerably variable among individuals. An individualized model would be useful to forecast and manage AD symptoms in patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The equilibrium position of atoms in a unit cell is directly connected to crystal functionalities, e.g., ferroelectricity, ferromagnetism, and piezoelectricity. The artificial tuning of the energy landscape can involve repositioning atoms as well as manipulating the functionalities of perovskites (ABO3), which are good model systems to test this legacy. Mechanical energy from external sources accommodating various clamping substrates is utilized to perturb the energy state of perovskite materials fabricated on the substrates and consequently change their functionalities; however, this approach yields undesired complex behaviors of perovskite crystals, such as lattice distortion, displacement of B atoms, and/or tilting of oxygen octahedra. Owing to complimentary collaborations between experimental and theoretical studies, the effects of both lattice distortion and displacement of B atoms are well understood so far, which leaves us a simple question: Can we exclusively control the positions of oxygen atoms in perovskites for functionality manipulation? Here the artificial manipulation of oxygen octahedral tilt angles within multiferroic BiFeO3 thin films using strong oxygen octahedral coupling with bottom SrRuO3 layers is reported, which opens up new possibilities of oxygen octahedral engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One major aim of time series analysis, particularly in the physical and geo‐sciences, is the estimation of the spectral density function. With weakly dependent time processes, non‐parametric, kernel‐based methods are available for spectral density estimation, which involves smoothing the periodogram by a kernel function. However, a similar non‐parametric approach is presently unavailable for strongly, or long‐range, dependent processes. In particular, as the spectral density function under long‐range dependence commonly has a pole at the origin, kernel‐based methods developed for weakly dependent processes (i.e., with bounded spectral densities) do not apply readily for long‐range dependence without suitable modification. To address this, we propose a non‐parametric kernel‐based method for spectral density estimation, which is valid under both weak and strong dependence. Based on the initial or pilot estimator of the long‐memory parameter, the method involves a frequency domain transformation to dampen the dependence in periodogram ordinates and mimic kernel‐based estimation under weak dependence. Under mild assumptions, the proposed non‐parametric spectral density estimator is shown to be uniformly consistent, and general expressions are provided for rates of estimation error and optimal kernel bandwidths. The method is investigated through simulation and illustrated through data examples, which also consider bandwidth selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Tracheal intubation using video laryngoscopes has been a better approach for trauma patients requiring cervical immobilisation. The aim of this study was to compare the time to successful intubation by novice intubators using three types of intubation stylets with the new McGrath MAC video laryngoscope in a manikin model. Methods: This was a randomised crossover manikin study. The participants performed tracheal intubations using three intubation stylets (arcuate shape malleable stylet, McGrath MAC-shaped malleable stylet and McGrath MAC-shaped rigid stylet) in a difficult airway model with cervical immobilisation. The order of the stylets was randomised. The primary outcome was the time to successful intubation. The secondary outcomes were the overall success rates, incidence of dental trauma and ease of intubation. All intubation attempts were assessed by trained assistants. The data were analysed using a multilevel model followed by Tukey’s post hoc test. Results: A total of 68 nurses participated in this study. The time to successful intubation of the McGrath MAC-shaped malleable stylet was significantly shorter than that of the arcuate shape malleable stylet (24.5 (18.0–51.0) s vs 31.5 (21.0–89.0) s, p = 0.005). The overall success rate of the McGrath MAC-shaped malleable stylet was also higher than that of the arcuate shape malleable stylet (p = 0.047). The participants indicated that intubation was easier using the McGrath MAC-shaped malleable stylet compared with the other stylets. Conclusion: The McGrath MAC-shaped malleable stylet, when used by novice intubators, may be an optimal stylet shape for tracheal intubation using the McGrath MAC in cervical immobilisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background There are controversial data about the effects of sun exposure on atopic dermatitis ( AD). We evaluated the association between solar ultraviolet radiation ( UVR) exposure and AD symptoms in children. Methods Eighty-two children under 6 years (48 boys and 34 girls) with AD living in Seoul, Korea, were enrolled and followed for 12 months between September 2013 and August 2014. Daily symptoms were recorded to describe the degree of itching, sleep disturbance, erythema, dryness, oozing, and edema. We assessed solar UVR by measuring radiation heat flux over the 290-400 nm wavelength range using thermopiles. A generalized linear mixed model and a generalized additive mixed model were used to evaluate the effects of UVR exposure on AD symptoms after adjusting for age, sex, outdoor temperature, outdoor humidity, and ambient air pollution. Results Symptom records of 12 915 person-days were analyzed. UVR showed a significantly positive relationship with AD symptoms. Over the study period, an increase in UVR by 10 W/cm2 was associated with a 1.46% increase in AD symptoms (95% CI: 0.85-2.07) on the exposure day. An increase in the 6-day average level of UVR of the previous 5 days and the current day by 10 W/cm2 was associated with a 3.58% (95% CI: 2.60-4.56) increase in AD symptoms. UVR exposure significantly increased AD symptoms in autumn, but decreased them in winter. Conclusions Atopic dermatitis symptoms in children are likely to be affected by exposure to solar UVR with a cumulative effect, and this effect is different according to season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hemostatic agents are important for minimizing blood loss to improve the patient status during surgery. Most currently used hemostatic agents have limitations such as poor adhesion in the presence of biological fluids, allergic response, and inflammation. We developed a dopamine-conjugated injectable thermosensitive hydrogel to overcome these limitations through the application of a relatively safe hydrogel for biocompatibility, thermosensitivity to induce tight interactions, and mussel-induced adhesion. Dopamine as a mussel inspired material was conjugated to an injectable thermosensitive poly(organophosphazene) hydrogel, which showed the potential for application as a hemostatic agent because of its high biocompatibility, injectability, slow mass loss, easy preparation, and hemostatic effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using spinel-type Li(Mn1.5Ni0.5)O4 with two different cations, Mn and Ni, in the oxygen octahedra as a model system, we show that a cation ordering transition takes place through the formation of Frenkel-type point defects. A series of experimental results based on atomic-scale observations and in situ powder diffractions along with ab initio calculations consistently support such defect-mediated transition behavior. In addition to providing a precise suggestion of the intermediate transient states and the resulting kinetic pathway during the transition between two phases, our findings emphasize the significant role of point defects in ordering transformation of complex oxides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]