Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Promoting SnTe as an Eco‐Friendly Solution for p‐PbTe Thermoelectric via Band Convergence and Interstitial Defects

Compared to commercially available p‐type PbTe thermoelectrics, SnTe has a much bigger band offset between its two valence bands and a much higher lattice thermal conductivity, both of which limit its peak thermoelectric figure of merit, zT of only 0.4. Converging its valence bands or introducing resonant states is found to enhance the electronic properties, while nanostructuring or more recently introducing interstitial defects is found to reduce the lattice thermal conductivity. Even with an integration of some of the strategies above, existing efforts do not enable a peak zT exceeding 1.4 and usually involve Cd or Hg. In this work, a combination of band convergence and interstitial defects, each of which enables a ≈150% increase in the peak zT, successfully accumulates the zT enhancements to be ≈300% (zT up to 1.6) without involving any toxic elements. This opens new possibilities for further improvements and promotes SnTe as an environment‐friendly solution for conventional p‐PbTe thermoelectrics.
Is the onset of obesity the same as aging?

The article by Belsky et al. (1) presents two summary measures of health as measures of “aging,” one cross-sectional and the other longitudinal. Their analysis is fundamentally flawed by a failure to recognize the biological meaning of the measures that are used in the summary index. Looking at the changes over time in the individual measures, it is quite clear that the cohort was gaining weight between ages 26 and 38 y. Many of the measures used, such as waist-to-hip ratio, blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, and HgbA1C, are markers of declining physical activity and obesity. Weight gain would explain the increases in cardiovascular risk that are occurring at the same time. Such a pattern at this life stage was clearly described in the Framingham Study 20 y ago (2). The decline in physical functioning is likely a consequence of weight gain, as well as a decline in physical activity. Heavier individuals can appear older than their stated age and thinner individuals are viewed as more youthful in appearance. Thus, I believe that what is being described in this index is largely related to weight gain in early midlife. To call this “aging” is to say that the measures are characterizing the fundamental aging process. These processes, including epigenetic changes, stem cell regenerative capacity, macromolecular damage, altered proteostasis and control of inflammation, and cellular senescence are thought to be intrinsic to the aging of the organism and may link aging to chronic-disease risk (3). At the whole-person level, several physiologic measures can be used that appear to be intrinsically related to aging. These measures include maximal oxygen consumption with exercise (4) and muscle strength (5). The rate of aging should not be confused with the development of preventable chronic-disease risk factors. One might think of weight gain and declining activity as accelerants of the aging process; indeed, caloric restriction is well known to slow aging in animal models. These external drivers of aging are not likely to be amendable by antiaging therapies, which target intrinsic aging. Approaches are needed that assess age-related changes that are more closely related to the underlying biology of the aging process.
Soft Multifunctional Composites and Emulsions with Liquid Metals

Binary mixtures of liquid metal (LM) or low‐melting‐point alloy (LMPA) in an elastomeric or fluidic carrier medium can exhibit unique combinations of electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties. This emerging class of soft multifunctional composites have potential applications in wearable computing, bio‐inspired robotics, and shape‐programmable architectures. The dispersion phase can range from dilute droplets to connected networks that support electrical conductivity. In contrast to deterministically patterned LM microfluidics, LMPA‐ and LM‐embedded elastomer (LMEE) composites are statistically homogenous and exhibit effective bulk properties. Eutectic Ga‐In (EGaIn) and Ga‐In‐Sn (Galinstan) alloys are typically used due to their high conductivity, low viscosity, negligible nontoxicity, and ability to wet to nonmetallic materials. Because they are liquid‐phase, these alloys can alter the electrical and thermal properties of the composite while preserving the mechanics of the surrounding medium. For composites with LMPA inclusions (e.g., Field's metal, Pb‐based solder), mechanical rigidity can be actively tuned with external heating or electrical activation. This progress report, reviews recent experimental and theoretical studies of this emerging class of soft material architectures and identifies current technical challenges and opportunities for further advancement.
Stress dynamically regulates behavior and glutamatergic gene expression in hippocampus by opening a window of epigenetic plasticity

Significance Chronic stress alters the hippocampal responses to familiar and novel stressors, behaviorally, physiologically, and epigenetically. In the aftermath of chronic stress in WT mice and in mice with a BDNF loss-of-function allele without any applied stress, there is a window of plasticity that allows familiar and novel experiences to alter anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors, reflected also in electrophysiological changes in the dentate gyrus (DG) in vitro. A consistent biomarker of mood-related behaviors in DG is reduced type 2 metabotropic glutamate (mGlu2), which regulates the release of glutamate. Within this window, familiar stress rapidly and epigenetically up-regulates mGlu2 by a P300-driven histone H3 lysine 27 acetylation and improves mood behaviors. This transient epigenetic plasticity may be useful for treatment of stress-related disorders where dysregulaton of glutamate is involved. Excitatory amino acids play a key role in both adaptive and deleterious effects of stressors on the brain, and dysregulated glutamate homeostasis has been associated with psychiatric and neurological disorders. Here, we elucidate mechanisms of epigenetic plasticity in the hippocampus in the interactions between a history of chronic stress and familiar and novel acute stressors that alter expression of anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors. We demonstrate that acute restraint and acute forced swim stressors induce differential effects on these behaviors in naive mice and in mice with a history of chronic-restraint stress (CRS). They reveal a key role for epigenetic up- and down-regulation of the putative presynaptic type 2 metabotropic glutamate (mGlu2) receptors and the postsynaptic NR1/NMDA receptors in the hippocampus and particularly in the dentate gyrus (DG), a region of active neurogenesis and a target of antidepressant treatment. We show changes in DG long-term potentiation (LTP) that parallel behavioral responses, with habituation to the same acute restraint stressor and sensitization to a novel forced-swim stressor. In WT mice after CRS and in unstressed mice with a BDNF loss-of-function allele (BDNF Val66Met), we show that the epigenetic activator of histone acetylation, P300, plays a pivotal role in the dynamic up- and down-regulation of mGlu2 in hippocampus via histone-3-lysine-27-acetylation (H3K27Ac) when acute stressors are applied. These hippocampal responses reveal a window of epigenetic plasticity that may be useful for treatment of disorders in which glutamatergic transmission is dysregulated.
Opinion: Focus on preclinical sex differences will not address women’s and men’s health disparities

Last spring, the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced a new policy calling for the use of both male and female materials—animals, tissues, cells, and cell lines—in preclinical research (1). Canada and the European Union have recently instituted similar policies. Advocates argue that requiring analysis of sex in preclinical research will advance scientific understanding of sex differences in human health outcomes, such as higher rates of adverse drug events (ADE) in women compared with men (2). We disagree.
Dynamically Controlled Iridescence of Cholesteric Cellulose Nanocrystal Suspensions Using Electric Fields

Cellulose nanocrystal suspensions in apolar solvent spontaneously form iridescent liquid-crystalline phases but the control of their macroscopic order is usually poor. The use of electric fields can provide control on the cholesteric orientation and its periodicity, allowing macroscopic sample homogeneity and dynamical tuning of their iridescent hues, and is demonstrated here.
Structural insights into species-specific features of the ribosome from the pathogen Staphylococcus aureus

Significance Clinical use of the currently available antibiotics is severely compromised by the increasing resistance to them, acquired by the natural bacterial capability to manipulate their genomes. Many existing antibiotics target the fundamental process of protein biosynthesis, mainly by paralyzing the ribosome. Although antibiotics’ modes of action are similar across most eubacteria, species specificity has been detected. We determined the structures of the large ribosomal subunit from Staphylococcus aureus, a pathogenic bacterial species with a known capacity to become multiresistant, and of its complexes with known antibiotic compounds, as well as with a novel potential pleuromutilin derivative. Our new insights provide unique chemical tools for enhanced distinction between pathogens and the useful benign microbiome, as well as for suggesting novel sites for potential future antibiotics. The emergence of bacterial multidrug resistance to antibiotics threatens to cause regression to the preantibiotic era. Here we present the crystal structure of the large ribosomal subunit from Staphylococcus aureus, a versatile Gram-positive aggressive pathogen, and its complexes with the known antibiotics linezolid and telithromycin, as well as with a new, highly potent pleuromutilin derivative, BC-3205. These crystal structures shed light on specific structural motifs of the S. aureus ribosome and the binding modes of the aforementioned antibiotics. Moreover, by analyzing the ribosome structure and comparing it with those of nonpathogenic bacterial models, we identified some unique internal and peripheral structural motifs that may be potential candidates for improving known antibiotics and for use in the design of selective antibiotic drugs against S. aureus.
Electronic cigarettes: effective nicotine delivery after acute administration.

INTRODUCTION Electronic cigarettes (ECs) are marketed as nicotine delivery devices. Two studies with EC-naïve participants suggest that ECs deliver little or no nicotine. In those studies, standard-sized ECs were used, though experienced EC users often use larger devices that house higher voltage and/or longer lasting batteries. Whether user experience and device characteristics influence EC nicotine delivery is uncertain. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of ECs in experienced users who were using their preferred devices. METHODS Eight EC users (3 women) who had been using ECs for at least 3 months, completed one 5-hr session using devices they provided and the flavor/strength nicotine cartridges they selected. Sessions consisted of 4 phases: baseline, 10 puffs (30-s interpuff interval) from the device, 1-hr ad lib puffing period, and a 2-hr rest period (no puffing). Outcome measures in each phase included plasma nicotine concentration, heart rate, and subjective ratings of nicotine/product effects and abstinence symptoms. RESULTS Relative to baseline, plasma nicotine and heart rate increased significantly within 5 min of the first puff and remained elevated throughout the ad lib puffing period. Increases in ratings of direct effects of nicotine and product were observed as well as decreases in abstinence symptoms. CONCLUSIONS User experience and/or device characteristics likely influence EC nicotine delivery and other effects. Systematic manipulation of these and other variables could elucidate conditions that produce intended effects.
Mice lacking the β4 subunit of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor show memory deficits, altered anxiety- and depression-like behavior, and diminished nicotine-induced analgesia.

RATIONALE The role of β4-containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in cognition, anxiety, depression, and analgesia in the absence of nicotine is unclear. METHODS Wild-type (β4(+/+)) and knockout (β4(-/-)) mice for the nAChR β4 subunit were tested in behavioral tests assessing cognitive function, affective behaviors, and nociception. RESULTS There were no learning and memory deficits in β4(-/-) mice compared with β4(+/+) mice during the acquisition of the Barnes maze, contextual fear conditioning, and Y maze tasks. In the Barnes maze memory retention test, male β4(-/-) mice showed reduced use of the spatial search strategy, indicating small spatial memory deficits compared with β4(+/+) mice. In the cue-induced fear conditioning memory retention test, β4(-/-) mice exhibited reduced freezing time compared with β4(+/+) mice. Compared with β4(+/+) mice, β4(-/-) mice exhibited decreased anxiety-like behavior in the light-dark box. Depression-like behavior in β4(-/-) mice was decreased in the tail suspension test and increased in the forced swim test compared with β4(+/+) mice. β4(-/-) mice did not differ from β4(+/+) mice in basal nociception but were less sensitive to the antinociceptive effect of nicotine in 2 tests of acute thermal pain. CONCLUSIONS Lack of β4-containing nAChRs resulted in small deficits in hippocampus- and amygdala-dependent memory retention functions. β4-containing nAChRs are involved in anxiety- and depression-like behaviors and contribute to the analgesic effects of nicotine.
Bronchial Challenge Testing

Airways hyper-responsiveness (AHR) is found in almost every patient with asthma. The degree of AHR is variable between individuals with asthma and can correlate to the severity of the underlying asthma. Equally treatment of asthma can modify the degree of underlying AHR. Measures of Airway hyper-responsiveness or bronchial challenge testing are therefore important in both the assessment and management of asthma.
Parkinson’s disease: new system to improve quality of life

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the most common neurodegenerative movement disorder, affecting 0.3% of the general population(1). Postural instability is a loss of balance and it is a common feature of PD(2). Individuals with PD commonly experience gait and postural stability impairments, which may lead to falls, mobility loss, and reduced independence. Human Body Posturizer (HBP) is a fully articulated orthosis, light and able to adapt to the physical characteristics of each individual. Our aim has been to evaluate the role of HBP as an innovative tool for the conservative treatment of gait and postural stability impairments in patients affected by PD. This study analyzed 20 subjects (10 male and 10 female) affected by PD and a control group of age-matched healthy subjects (10 male and 10 female). A bipodal platform (Prokin, Tecnobody) was used to evaluate static balance. To describe the functional characteristics of the PD sample, a clinical assessment was carried out at the beginning of the study. The Berg Balance Scale and the Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) were administrated before the experimental session. All patients were firstly evaluated without HBP and wearing normal clothes; then, patients were asked to wear HBP and, after 40 mins, a second acquisition with HBP was performed. For the static evaluation, the patients performed a stabilometric test, 30 sec with eyes open and then 30 sec with eyes closed; perimeter sway, area of the center of pressure (CoP), anterior- posterior velocity (V A-P ), and medial-lateral velocity (V M-L ) have been evaluated. Our results showed a marked improvement of all analyzed parameters; in particular, a significant reduction in V A-P (p<0.05) was present when patients wear HBP in both open and closed eyes. Moreover, a significant reduction (p<0.05) of the CoP area was observed in closed eyes. This variable reflects the ability of balance system to achieve body stability. In conclusion, our data suggest a stabilizing effect of HBP in patients with PD with a role in improving quality of life.
In vitro particle size distributions in electronic and conventional cigarette aerosols suggest comparable deposition patterns.

INTRODUCTION Electronic cigarette users ("vapers") inhale aerosols of water, nicotine, and propylene glycol (PG) or vegetable glycerin (VG). Aerosol particle sizes should affect deposition patterns in vapers and bystanders. METHODS Aerosols were generated by a smoking machine and an electronic cigarette filled with 16mg/ml nicotine in aqueous PG or VG solution. A scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) counted particles of 10-1,000 nm diameters. A single puff experiment counted particles immediately and after aging 10 and 40 s. A steady-state experiment counted particles emitted from a collection chamber, untreated and after desiccation or organic vapor removal. The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) human respiratory tract model was used to estimate deposition. Results were compared to similar data from reference cigarettes. RESULTS Puffs generated peak particle counts at (VG) 180 nm and (PG) 120 nm. Steady-state peaks occurred around 400 nm. Organic vapor removal eliminated small particles and reduced the size and number of large particles. Desiccation reduced the total volume of particles by 70% (VG, small PG) to 88% (large PG). The ICRP model predicted 7%-18% alveolar delivery; 9%-19% venous delivery, mostly in the head; and 73%-80% losses by exhalation. Reference cigarettes generated more particles initially, but were otherwise similar; however, in vivo smoke particle deposition is higher than the model predicts. CONCLUSIONS Nicotine delivery may depend on vaping technique, particle evolution, and cloud effects. Predicted 10% arterial and 15% venous delivery may describe bystander exposure better than vapers exposure.
Influencia del sexo en el perfil clínico y pronóstico de la insuficiencia cardiaca tras el alta hospitalaria

Introducción y objetivos. La historia natural de la insuficiencia cardiaca puede ser distinta en mujeres, debido a su diferente perfil clínico, terapéutico y pronóstico. Nuestro objetivo fue definir las características diferenciales de mujeres hospitalizadas por insuficiencia cardiaca. Métodos. Estudiamos prospectivamente a los pacientes consecutivos dados de alta con el diagnóstico de insuficiencia cardiaca (n = 412). Al alta, se registraron las variables clínicas, analíticas, ecocardiográficas y terapéuticas. Durante el seguimiento (16 ± 9 meses) se registraron mortalidad y reingreso hospitalario. Resultados. Respecto a los varones, las mujeres (n = 157; 38%) presentaron: mayor edad (75 ± 12 y 71 ± 18 años; p < 0,001), hipertensión arterial (el 71 y el 51%; p < 0,001) e ingresos previos por insuficiencia cardiaca (el 36 y el 25%; p = 0,02); mayor prevalencia de fracción de eyección del ventrículo izquierdo (FEVI) preservada (el 44 y el 21%; p < 0,001); menor prevalencia de cardiopatía isquémica (el 34 y el 49%; p = 0,007) y mayor de hipertensiva (el 17 y el 8%; p = 0,006); peor función renal (52 ± 25 y 58 ± 25 ml/min/1,73 m; p = 0,002) y menos hemoglobina (12,1 ± 1,7 y 12,9 ± 1,9; p < 0,001). Este perfil clínico conllevó menos coronariografías (el 22 y el 37%; p = 0,001), antiplaquetarios (el 45 y el 62%; p = 0,001) y bloqueadores beta (el 39 y el 50%; p = 0,03); el sexo femenino tiene relación con menos uso de estatinas (el 31 y el 45%; p = 0,003). Sin embargo, su mortalidad (el 23 contra el 18%; p = 0,26) y sus reingresos hospitalarios (el 44 y el 46%; p = 0,81) fueron similares. En mujeres, los predictores independientes de muerte fueron edad (p = 0,036; hazard ratio [HR] = 1,05 [1,01-1,09]) y anemia (p = 0,015; HR = 2,43 [1,16-5,12]). Conclusiones. Las mujeres hospitalizadas por insuficiencia cardiaca presentan un perfil clínico diferente, con FEVI más preservada y mayores comorbilidades, que conlleva un manejo terapéutico distinto. Su pronóstico es similar al de los varones.
Indium‐Free Perovskite Solar Cells Enabled by Impermeable Tin‐Oxide Electron Extraction Layers

Corrosive precursors used for the preparation of organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite photoactive layers prevent the application of ultrathin metal layers as semitransparent bottom electrodes in perovskite solar cells (PVSCs). This study introduces tin‐oxide (SnOx) grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD), whose outstanding permeation barrier properties enable the design of an indium‐tin‐oxide (ITO)‐free semitransparent bottom electrode (SnOx/Ag or Cu/SnOx), in which the metal is efficiently protected against corrosion. Simultaneously, SnOx functions as an electron extraction layer. We unravel the spontaneous formation of a PbI2 interfacial layer between SnOx and the CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite. An interface dipole between SnOx and this PbI2 layer is found, which depends on the oxidant (water, ozone, or oxygen plasma) used for the ALD growth of SnOx. An electron extraction barrier between perovskite and PbI2 is identified, which is the lowest in devices based on SnOx grown with ozone. The resulting PVSCs are hysteresis‐free with a stable power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 15.3% and a remarkably high open circuit voltage of 1.17 V. The ITO‐free analogues still achieve a high PCE of 11%.
A Solution Processable High‐Performance Thermoelectric Copper Selenide Thin Film

A solid‐state thermoelectric device is attractive for diverse technological areas such as cooling, power generation and waste heat recovery with unique advantages of quiet operation, zero hazardous emissions, and long lifetime. With the rapid growth of flexible electronics and miniature sensors, the low‐cost flexible thermoelectric energy harvester is highly desired as a potential power supply. Herein, a flexible thermoelectric copper selenide (Cu2Se) thin film, consisting of earth‐abundant elements, is reported. The thin film is fabricated by a low‐cost and scalable spin coating process using ink solution with a truly soluble precursor. The Cu2Se thin film exhibits a power factor of 0.62 mW/(m K2) at 684 K on rigid Al2O3 substrate and 0.46 mW/(m K2) at 664 K on flexible polyimide substrate, which is much higher than the values obtained from other solution processed Cu2Se thin films (<0.1 mW/(m K2)) and among the highest values reported in all flexible thermoelectric films to date (≈0.5 mW/(m K2)). Additionally, the fabricated thin film shows great promise to be integrated with the flexible electronic devices, with negligible performance change after 1000 bending cycles. Together, the study demonstrates a low‐cost and scalable pathway to high‐performance flexible thin film thermoelectric devices from relatively earth‐abundant elements.
Silicene: A Promising Anode for Lithium‐Ion Batteries

Silicene, a single‐layer‐thick silicon nanosheet with a honeycomb structure, is successfully fabricated by the molecular‐beam‐epitaxy (MBE) deposition method on metallic substrates and by the solid‐state reaction method. Here, recent progress on the features of silicene that make it a prospective anode for lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) are discussed, including its charge‐carrier mobility, chemical stability, and metal–silicene interactions. The electrochemical performance of silicene is reviewed in terms of both theoretical predictions and experimental measurements, and finally, its challenges and outlook are considered.