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Oral disease is one of the most common conditions worldwide, negatively affecting general health, reducing the quality of life, and often developing into systemic illness. However, the design of therapeutic agents for oral diseases is challenging due to various unique features of the oral cavity, including its wet and dynamic environment and curved shape. Herein, the development of highly biocompatible mucoadhesive functional hydrogels for oral applications is reported, generated by introducing bio‐inspired phenolic moieties into a pectin polymer. Pyrogallol‐functionalized pectin (Pec‐PG) can be crosslinked in situ via autoxidation without chemical agents and readily fabricated as various formulations. Sprayable Pec‐PG hydrogel exhibits strong mucoadhesion and outstanding hydration ability ex vivo and in vivo, thus displaying significant potential as a novel saliva substitute for dry mouth. The authors further show that topical application of mucoadhesive Pec‐PG patches pre‐loaded with corticosteroid significantly promotes the repair of diabetic oral ulcer tissue via prolonged drug release, free radical scavenging, and physical barrier effects. Moreover, similar applications for oral ulcer treatment using a pectin hydrogel modified with catechol (Pec‐CA), another phenolic moiety are demonstrated. Together, these findings suggest that mucoadhesive phenolic pectin derivatives can provide highly biocompatible, convenient, and effective hydrogel platforms for treating oral diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite its relatively high hole mobility, the electrical performance of p-type SnO thin-film transistors (TFTs) lags behind that of n-type oxide TFTs. In this study, we present an approach to enhance the performance of p-type SnO TFTs by utilizing an atomic-layer-deposited SnO/high-k structure, with crystalline HfO2 (c-HfO2) serving as a high-k dielectric. However, the grain boundaries on the c-HfO2 surface influenced the microstructure and orientation of the SnO layer, resulting in a random orientation and surface roughening. To address this issue, we modified the c-HfO2 surface with an amorphous ultrathin Al2O3 layer to eliminate the grain boundaries on the deposition surface. This enabled the alignment of the (00l) SnO planes parallel to the substrate surface and provided a smooth surface. Moreover, the introduction of ultrathin Al2O3 into SnO/high-k stacks substantially improved the electrical performance of p-type SnO TFTs. Our findings highlight the potential of integrating van der Waals semiconductors with high-k dielectrics, facilitating opportunities for advanced device applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate n-type ferroelectric field-effect transistors (FeFETs) employing atomic-layer-deposited HfZrOx (HZO) films with a large memory window (MW) immediately after the write operation. Charge trapping at the HZO/Si interface in FeFETs is the primary source of memory window reduction. To control the properties of the interfacial layer, we varied the O3 injection time during atomic layer deposition. The HZO (long O3 of 7 s)-based FeFET demonstrated a large MW (2.1 V) in the DC transfer curves compared with the HZO (short O3 of 0.3 s)-based FeFET (0.9 V), although the bulk properties of the HZO films barely changed with the O3 injection time. In pulsed I–V measurements with an extremely short delay time of 100 ns between pulses, the HZO (long O3 of 7 s)-based FeFET showed a large MW of 1.0 V. Such improvements in the performance of HZO-based FeFETs indicate that the trap density in the interfacial layer is reduced by the use of a long O3 injection time. This is supported by the variation in the silicate/SiO2 ratio within the interfacial layer of the HZO films deposited at various O3 injection times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Esophageal stricture after extensive endoscopic submucosal dissection impairs the quality of life of patients with superficial esophageal carcinoma. Beyond the limitations of conventional treatments including endoscopic balloon dilatation and the application of oral/topical corticosteroids, several cell therapies have been recently attempted. However, such methods are still limited in clinical situations and existing setups, and the efficacies are less in some cases since the transplanted cells hardly remain at the resection site for a long time due to swallowing and peristalsis of the esophagus. Thus, a cell transplantation platform directly applicable with clinically established equipment and enabling stable retention of transplanted cells can be a promising therapeutic option for better clinical outcomes. Inspired by ascidians that rapidly self‐regenerate, this study demonstrates endoscopically injectable and self‐crosslinkable hyaluronate that allows both endoscopic injection in a liquid state and self‐crosslinking as an in situ‐forming scaffold for stem cell therapy. The pre‐gel solution may compatibly be applied with endoscopic tubes and needles of small diameters, based on the improved injectability compared to the previously reported endoscopically injectable hydrogel system. The hydrogel can be formed via self‐crosslinking under in vivo oxidative environment, while also exhibiting superior biocompatibility. Finally, the mixture containing adipose‐derived stem cells and the hydrogel can significantly alleviate esophageal stricture after endoscopic submucosal dissection (75% of circumference, 5 cm in length) in a porcine model through paracrine effects of the stem cell in the hydrogel, which modulate regenerative processes. The stricture rates on Day 21 were 79.5% ± 2.0%, 62.8% ± 1.7%, and 37.9% ± 2.9% in the control, stem cell only, and stem cell‐hydrogel groups, respectively (p < 0.05). Therefore, this endoscopically injectable hydrogel‐based therapeutic cell delivery system can serve as a promising platform for cell therapies in various clinically relevant situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The purpose of this study is to validate the use of visual evoked potential (VEP) to objectively quantify visual acuity in normal and amblyopic patients, and determine if it is possible to predict visual acuity in disability assessment to register visual pathway lesions. Methods A retrospective chart review was conducted of patients diagnosed with normal vision, unilateral amblyopia, optic neuritis, and visual disability who visited the university medical center for registration from March 2007 to October 2009. The study included 20 normal subjects (20 right eyes: 10 females, 10 males, ages 9–42 years), 18 unilateral amblyopic patients (18 amblyopic eyes, ages 19–36 years), 19 optic neuritis patients (19 eyes: ages 9–71 years), and 10 patients with visual disability having visual pathway lesions. Amplitude and latencies were analyzed and correlations with visual acuity (logMAR) were derived from 20 normal and 18 amblyopic subjects. Correlation of VEP amplitude and visual acuity (logMAR) of 19 optic neuritis patients confirmed relationships between visual acuity and amplitude. We calculated the objective visual acuity (logMAR) of 16 eyes from 10 patients to diagnose the presence or absence of visual disability using relations derived from 20 normal and 18 amblyopic eyes. Results Linear regression analyses between amplitude of pattern visual evoked potentials and visual acuity (logMAR) of 38 eyes from normal (right eyes) and amblyopic (amblyopic eyes) subjects were significant [y = −0.072x + 1.22, x: VEP amplitude, y: visual acuity (logMAR)]. There were no significant differences between visual acuity prediction values, which substituted amplitude values of 19 eyes with optic neuritis into function. We calculated the objective visual acuity of 16 eyes of 10 patients to diagnose the presence or absence of visual disability using relations of y = −0.072x + 1.22 (−0.072). This resulted in a prediction reference of visual acuity associated with malingering vs. real disability in a range >5.77 μV. The results could be useful, especially in cases of no obvious pale disc with trauma. Conclusions Visual acuity quantification using absolute value of amplitude in pattern visual evoked potentials was useful in confirming subjective visual acuity for cutoff values >5.77 μV in disability evaluation to discriminate the malingering from real disability.

We investigate temperature-dependent electrical properties of Pt/Nb:SrTiO3 Schottky junctions by measuring current–voltage and capacitance–voltage curves at various temperatures (20 K–300 K). Interestingly, the Schottky junctions have shown different temperature dependences of resistance according to the polarity of bias voltage: insulating behaviors are displayed in the positive bias branch, while metallic behaviors are observed in the negative bias branch. These behaviors can be ascribed to Schottky barrier modulation that arises from the temperature and field dependences of dielectric permittivity of SrTiO3. The modulation of the barrier profile determines anomalous tunneling current in the negative bias branch as a function of temperature. These comprehensive analyses could not only reveal the rich physics of the Pt/Nb:SrTiO3 Schottky junction but also enhance our understanding for high dielectric materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]