Functional Integration Research Articles

DNA-Based Complexes and Composites: A Review of Fabrication Methods, Properties, and Applications.

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), a macromolecule that stores genetic information in organisms, has recently been gradually developed into a building block for new materials due to its stable chemical structure and excellent biocompatibility. The efficient preparation and functional integration of various molecular complexes and composite materials based on nucleic acid skeletons have been successfully achieved. These versatile materials possess excellent physical and chemical properties inherent to certain inorganic or organic molecules but are endowed with specific physiological functions by nucleic acids, demonstrating unique advantages and potential applications in materials science, nanotechnology, and biomedical engineering in recent years. However, issues such as the production cost, biological stability, and potential immunogenicity of DNA have presented some unprecedented challenges to the application of these materials in the field. This review summarizes the cutting-edge manufacturing techniques and unique properties of DNA-based complexes and composites and discusses the trends, challenges, and opportunities for the future development of nucleic acid-based materials.

Nanomedicine Advancements in Cancer Therapy: A Scientific Review

Cancer nanomedicines, characterized by submicrometer-sized formulations, aim to optimize the biodistribution of anticancer drugs by minimizing off-target effects, reducing toxicity, enhancing target site accumulation, and improving overall efficacy. Numerous nanomedicines have been developed to improve the effectiveness and safety of traditional anticancer treatments. These include formulations with carbon nanotubes, nanodiamonds, enzyme-responsive nanoparticles for controlled drug release, dendrimers as nanoparticle drug carriers, quantum dot nanocarrier systems for precise drug delivery, solid lipid nanoparticles, and polymeric nanoparticles designed for targeted drug delivery. Additionally, nanotechnology has been explored in cancer treatment through gene therapy. Despite these advances, the complex nature of carrier materials and functional integration presents challenges in preparing these candidates for clinical translation. Nanotechnology, with its unique features at the nanoscale, offers novel possibilities for developing cancer therapies while increasing efficacy and safety. Although only a few nanotherapeutics have obtained clinical approval, exciting uses for nanotechnology are on the horizon. Nanoparticles possess unique transport, biological, optical, magnetic, electrical, and thermal capabilities due to their small size within the light wavelength spectrum. This results in high surface area-to-volume ratios, allowing for the incorporation of various supporting components in addition to active medicinal substances. These properties aid in solubilization, degradation protection, delayed release, immune response evasion, tissue penetration, imaging, targeted distribution, and triggered activation. In summary, the future of nanomedicine holds promise for introducing innovative platforms in cancer treatment. The research presented underscores the potential for nanoparticles to revolutionize anticancer therapies, enhancing the overall therapeutic approach.

Imaging and proteomics toolkits for studying organelle contact sites.

Organelle contact sites are regions where two heterologous membranes are juxtaposed by molecular tethering complexes. These contact sites are important in inter-organelle communication and cellular functional integration. However, visualizing these minute foci and identifying contact site proteomes have been challenging. In recent years, fluorescence-based methods have been developed to visualize the dynamic physical interaction of organelles while proximity labeling approaches facilitate the profiling of proteomes at contact sites. In this review, we explain the design principle for these contact site reporters: a dual-organelle interaction mechanism based on how endogenous tethers and/or tethering complexes localize to contact sites. We classify the contact site reporters into three categories: (i) single-protein systems, (ii) two-component systems with activated reporter signal upon organelle proximity, and (iii) reporters for contact site proteomes. We also highlight advanced imaging analysis with high temporal-spatial resolution and the use of machine-learning algorithms for detecting contact sites.

Chameleon‐Inspired, Dipole Moment‐Increasing, Fire‐Retardant Strategies Toward Promoting the Practical Application of Radiative Cooling Materials

AbstractToward addressing the aesthetic demand, IR emissivity, and fire hazards of radiative cooling materials in the practical application, chameleon‐inspired is tactfully employed, dipole moment‐increasing, and fire‐retardant strategies to manufacture an advanced polyurea‐based composite coating through incorporating thermochromic microcapsules, boron nitride nanosheets, and montmorillonite nanosheets. The chameleon‐inspired thermochromic microcapsules and admirable IR emissivity (supported by the original IR emittance spectra) realized by the increasing dipole moment allow the composite coatings to spontaneously adjust the solar absorption and reflection during hot daytime, while enabling high‐efficiency radiative cooling throughout the day. The IR emissivity higher than most literature is attributed to the strong interfacial interactions within polyurea composite coatings which improve the dipole moment of C─O─C, Si─O, and B─N bonds by increasing the distance between the centers of positive and negative charges, thus producing more IR emissions. Furthermore, the thermally melted montmorillonite nanosheets can form a ceramic protective layer enhanced by boron nitride nanosheets, further suppressing combustion behavior to improve the fire safety performance of polyurea coatings. The integration of thermochromic functionality, high fire safety, and admirable IR emissivity not only contribute to promoting the practical application of radiative cooling materials, but also provide a precious reference route to design high IR emissivity.

Geometric Scaling Law in Real Neuronal Networks.

We investigate the synapse-resolution connectomes of fruit flies across different developmental stages, revealing a consistent scaling law in neuronal connection probability relative to spatial distance. This power-law behavior significantly differs from the exponential distance rule previously observed in coarse-grained brain networks. We demonstrate that the geometric scaling law carries functional significance, aligning with the maximum entropy of information communication and the functional criticality balancing integration and segregation. Perturbing either the empirical probability model's parameters or its type results in the loss of these advantageous properties. Furthermore, we derive an explicit quantitative predictor for neuronal connectivity, incorporating only interneuronal distance and neurons' in and out degrees. Our findings establish a direct link between brain geometry and topology, shedding lights on the understanding of how the brain operates optimally within its confined space.

Transparent Cellulose-Based Composite Film with Functional Integration for Potential Agriculture Application

Transparent Cellulose-Based Composite Film with Functional Integration for Potential Agriculture Application

Integration of Logistic Regression and Evidential Belief Function for Flood Risk Assessment in the West Bengal Plain, India

Integration of Logistic Regression and Evidential Belief Function for Flood Risk Assessment in the West Bengal Plain, India

Diminished functional segregation and resilience are associated with symptomatic severity and cognitive impairments in schizophrenia: a large-scale study

BackgroundThe research findings on the topological properties of functional connectomes (TP-FCs) in patients with schizophrenia (SZPs) exhibit inconsistencies and contradictions, which can be attributed to limitations such as small sample...

Porous structural battery composite for coordinated integration of mechanical and electrical functionalities

AbstractStructural battery composites (SBCs) represent an emerging multifunctional technology in which materials functionalized with energy storage capabilities are used to build load‐bearing structural components. However, due to the liquid electrolyte contamination in structural battery electrolyte (SBE) and the large volume expansion of active battery materials, the poor interlayer interfacial in multilayer SBCs often causes difficulties in practical use. In this study, a new porous LiFePO4‐graphite SBC is designed and fabricated by independently distributing battery materials and resin matrix on carbon fiber fabric in pattern lattice form to prepare electrodes prepreg. The cured porous composite framework supports the load‐bearing function while limiting the electrochemical reaction in liquid electrolyte within lattices. The electrodes show reversible electric resistance after 3000 bending cycles with radius as small as 10 mm. The mechanical properties enhance significantly with tensile strength of 486.1 MPa and Young's modulus of 9.1 GPa compared to that with a liquid–solid biphasic mixed SBE structure. The SBC also exhibits a favorable capacity of 27.8 mAh/g at 0.1C. This straightforward integration path of mechanical and electrical functionalities is compatible with the manufacturing process of aerospace composite structures, which will provide an efficient and convenient energy supply solution for distributed electronics.Highlights A porous full‐cell structural battery composite (SBC) was designed and fabricated with prepregs. A suspension deposition and volatilization method was developed for robust battery material coating. Electrodes layer exhibited reversible electric resistance after 3000 tensile/bending cycles. The tensile strength and modulus increased significantly compared to the SBC with liquid–solid biphasic mixed structural battery electrolyte. Coordinated integration path was completely compatible with the manufacturing process of aerospace composite structures.

Functional integration and utilization of technologies in school education with reference to regional disparity in India

Technology has brought about a radical change in the field of education. Today education has been made simple and accessible to all without any economic, geographical, or psychological barriers. Due to the falling learning outcomes of Indian students over the past few decades (Annual Status of Education Report, 2023), technology was added to the field of education with great hope. The central government has provided equal facilities to every school in the country through the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan (2001), Right to Education (2009) to Samagra Shiksha Scheme (SSS 2018). Therefore, quality education can be provided to the students as per their need and students should have access to quality education without any barriers. However, the presented research has brought about on the basis of data from the (UDISE +) Unified District Information System for Education data (2021–22) that regional differences were found in the availability of computers and computer-related facilities and functional availability of Information & Communication Technologies’ facilities in all the states of India. Along with this, differences in computers and Integrated teaching Learning Devices were also found on the basis of the type of schools across different management and across the states in India.

Janus Structure Construction of Polyester-Cotton Fabrics for Achieving Excellent Moisture, Moisture-Permeability, and Antibacterial Capability.

Integration of hydrophobic and antibacterial functionalities into polyester-cotton blended (PTCO) textiles has attracted more attention but remains a challenge. Here, a Janus fabric with antibacterial effect, hydrophobicity, and enhanced moisture-permeability is fabricated using a "mist polymerization" approach. The PET fibers in the PTCO fabric are amino-functionalized through ammonolysis reactions of PET molecules with HDA, and mist treatments of poly lauryl methacrylate (PLMA) and poly(DMC-co-MA) (PDM) are applied on the two side surfaces of the PTCO-HDA fabric, respectively. The resulting Janus fabric exhibits an antibacterial rate of 99.9% against both E. coli and S. aureus, along with a hydrophobic property on its single side (PTCO-HDA@PLMA). Additionally, the establishment of a surface-free energy gradient across the fabric confers superior moisture-permeability to the Janus fabric, offering advantages in preserving textile comfort. Moreover, this approach does not significantly compromise the original fabric properties, such as mechanical strength, moisture permeability, and fabric softness. The proposed method offers a straightforward and scalable strategy for textile finishing, demonstrating great potential in expanding the application scope of PTCO fabrics, and it may hold a pivotal role in diverse applications, notably encompassing home textiles, wound dressings, and high-performance sportswear.

Integration of functionality in industrial product design between smart and traditional control

يتناول البحث الموسوم (تكاملية الأداء الوظيفي في تصميم المنتج الصناعي ما بين التحكم الذكي والتقليدي) دراسة أثر التقنيات الرقمية على المنتجات الصناعية وعملية التكامل بين منظومات المنتجات الصناعية من خلال تداخل واشتراك وظيفة كل منظومة مع المنظومات الأخرى، فهو يهدف الى إيجاد مقارنة في ادائية المنتج الصناعي ما بين التحكم الذكي والتقليدي. واشتملت حدود الدراسة على المنتجات الصناعية ذات التحكم التقليدي والتحكم الذكي والمنتجة من شركة LG في عام 2019، وتضمن الإطار النظري والذي اشتمل على ثلاثة مباحث، تناول الأول منها الأداء الوظيفي للمنتج الصناعي، فيما تناول المبحث الثاني مفهوم التحكم الذكي والتقليدي، وتناول المبحث الثالث تأثير الرقمنه على تكاملية الأداء الوظيفي.اما إجراءات البحث ومنهجيته، فقد اعتمد المنهج الوصفي في وصف وتحليل نماذج العينة. فضلا عن وصف وتحليل العينة بنماذجها الثلاثة حسب استمارة محاور التحليل التي وضعت بناءا على ما أفرزته مؤشرات الإطار النظري. وكانت أبرز النتائج والاستنتاجات التي تم التوصل اليها:1- حقق التطور الوظيفي اشباع لحاجات المستخدم وسد الحاجة الإنسانية بنسبة (100%) في جميع النماذج.2- ظهر التكامل التقني في تنفيذ آلية الوظيفة متحققا بنسبة (50%) تمثلت في النماذج (4،2) فيما لم تتحقق بنسبة (50%) تمثلت في النماذج (3،1).

Patterning of Organic Semiconductors Leads to Functional Integration: From Unit Device to Integrated Electronics.

The use of organic semiconductors in electronic devices, including transistors, sensors, and memories, unlocks innovative possibilities such as streamlined fabrication processes, enhanced mechanical flexibility, and potential new applications. Nevertheless, the increasing technical demand for patterning organic semiconductors requires greater integration and functional implementation. This paper overviews recent efforts to pattern organic semiconductors compatible with electronic devices. The review categorizes the contributions of organic semiconductor patterning approaches, such as surface-grafting polymers, capillary force lithography, wettability, evaporation, and diffusion in organic semiconductor-based transistors and sensors, offering a timely perspective on unconventional approaches to enable the patterning of organic semiconductors with a strong focus on the advantages of organic semiconductor utilization. In addition, this review explores the opportunities and challenges of organic semiconductor-based integration, emphasizing the issues related to patterning and interconnection.

Designing 2D carbon dot nanoreactors for alcohol oxidation coupled with hydrogen evolution

The coupled green energy and chemical production by photocatalysis represents a promising sustainable pathway, which poses great challenges for the multifunction integration of catalytic systems. Here we show a promising green photocatalyst design using Cu-ZnIn2S4 nanosheets and carbon dots as building units, which enables the integration of reaction, mass transfer, and separation functions in the nano-space, mimicking a nanoreactor. This function integration results in great activity promotion for benzyl alcohol oxidation coupled H2 production, with H2/benzaldehyde production rates of 45.95/46.47 mmol g−1 h−1, 36.87 and 36.73 times to pure ZnIn2S4, respectively, owning to the enhanced charge accumulation and mass transfer according to in-situ spectroscopies and computational simulations of the built-in electrical field. Near-unity selectivity of benzaldehyde is achieved via the effective separation enabled by the Cu(II)-mediated conformation flipping of the intermediates and subsequent π-π conjugation. This work demonstrates an inspiring proof-of-concept nanoreactor design of photocatalysts for coupled sustainable systems.

Sequential physical and cognitive training disrupts cocaine-context associations via multi-level stimulation of adult hippocampal neurogenesis

Cocaine-related contextual cues are a recurrent source of craving and relapse. Extinction of cue-driven cocaine seeking remains a clinical challenge, and the search for adjuvants is ongoing. In this regard, combining physical and cognitive training is emerging as a promising strategy that has shown synergistic benefits on brain structure and function, including enhancement of adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN), which has been recently linked to reduced maintenance of maladaptive drug seeking. Here, we examined whether this behavioral approach disrupts cocaine-context associations via improved AHN. To this aim, C57BL/6J mice (N = 37) developed a cocaine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) and underwent interventions consisting of exercise and/or spatial working memory training. Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) was administered during early running sessions to tag a subset of new dentate granule cells (DGCs) reaching a critical window of survival during spatial learning. Once these DGCs became functionally mature (∼ 6 weeks-old), mice received extinction training before testing CPP extinction and reinstatement. We found that single and combined treatments accelerated CPP extinction and prevented reinstatement induced by a low cocaine priming (2 mg/kg). Remarkably, the dual-intervention mice showed a significant decrease of CPP after extinction relative to untreated animals. Moreover, combining the two strategies led to increased number and functional integration of BrdU+ DGCs, which in turn maximized the effect of spatial training (but not exercise) to reduce CPP persistence. Together, our findings suggests that sequencing physical and cognitive training may redound to decreased maintenance of cocaine-context associations, with multi-level stimulation of AHN as a potential underlying mechanism.

Needle-Plug/Piston-Based Modular Mesoscopic Design Paradigm Coupled With Microfluidic Device for Point-of-Care Pooled Testing.

Emerging diagnostic scenarios, such as population surveillance by pooled testing and on-site rapid diagnosis, highlight the importance of advanced microfluidic systems for in vitro diagnostics. However, the widespread adoption of microfluidic technology faces challenges due to the lack of standardized design paradigms, posing difficulties in managing macro-micro fluidic interfaces, reagent storage, and complex macrofluidic operations. This paper introduces a novel modular-based mesoscopic design paradigm, featuring a core "needle-plug/piston" structure with versatile variants for complex fluidic operations. These structures can be easily coupled with various microfluidic platforms to achieve truly self-contained microsystems. Incorporated into a "3D extensible" design architecture, the mesoscopic design meets the demands of function integration, macrofluid manipulations, and flexible throughputs for point-of-care nucleic acid testing. Using this approach, an ultra-sensitive nucleic acid detection system is developed with a limit of detection of ten copies of SARS-CoV-2 per mL. This system efficiently conducts large-scale pooled testing from 50 pharyngeal swabs in a tube with an uncompromised sensitivity, enabling a truly "sample-in-answer-out" microsystem with exceptional performance.

Redox-Active Polyaniline Covalently grafted Black Phosphorus Nanosheets for Integrated Digital-Analogue Memristors.

Surface covalent modification of black phosphorus (BP) with organic polymers represents a promising strategy to enhance its stability and tailor its electronic properties. Despite this potential, developing memristive materials through suitable polymer structures, grafting pathways, and polymerization techniques remains challenging. In this study, polyaniline (PANI)-covalently grafted black phosphorus nanosheets (BPNS) are successfully prepared with redox functionalities via the in situ polymerization of aniline on the surface of 4-aminobenzene-modified BPNS. The PANI coating protects the BP from direct exposure to oxygen and water, and it endows the material with analog memristive properties, characterized by a continuously adjustable resistance within a limited voltage scan range. When subjected to a broader voltage scan, the Al/PANI-g-BPNS/ITO device demonstrates a typical bistable digital memristive behavior. The integration of both digital and analog memristive functionalities in a single device paves the way for the development of high-density, multifunctional electronic components.

Effect of strength training in young people with Down Syndrome: a systematic review

Background: Down syndrome is a condition caused by a genetic anomaly that impacts the physical and intellectual development of individuals. A significant number adopt a sedentary lifestyle, potentially due to such health conditions or the lack of guidance and support from healthcare and fitness professionals. Objective: To analyze the effects of strength training in young individuals with Down Syndrome. Methods: This systematic review was conducted following the recommendations outlined by PRISMA and registered on the PROSPERO platform (xxxxxxxxxxxxxx). The PICOS acronym was used to define eligibility criteria. The databases searched included MEDLINE (PubMed), Scopus, and Web of Science using the following phrase: (((resistance training[Title/Abstract]) OR (strength training[Title/Abstract])) AND (down syndrome[Title/Abstract])) OR (Trisomy 21[Title/Abstract]). Results: 911 articles were retrieved. Following screening, three randomized clinical trials meeting the specified criteria were included for analysis, comprising a total of 114 participants, with 57 in each group. The included articles were deemed to have low risk of bias according to the RoB 2.0 tools and achieved a minimum score of 12 points on the TESTEX tool. Conclusions: Strength training can significantly improve muscle strength in children and young individuals with Down syndrome, promoting functional independence and social integration.

Multi-material fused deposition modelling of structural–functional integrated absorber with multi-scale structure possessing tunable broadband microwave absorption

Designing and manufacturing advanced structural microwave absorbers is one of the most feasible methods to address the growing electromagnetic stealth and protection challenges in both military and civilian domains. To this end, under the application context of structural–functional integration, a series of nanocomposites with varying ratios were prepared using multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and inexpensive thermoplastic polypropylene as raw materials. The dispersion of nanofillers, rheological properties, thermal properties, and mechanical properties were evaluated. The research found that the impedance matching factor of the electromagnetic wave absorbers plays a more critical role in determining the material’s absorption capacity compared to the loss factor. Simple structural layering by changing the composition and design can effectively increase the effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of the absorbers, with microwave attenuation primarily arising from conductive loss, interfacial polarization, dipole polarization, and multiple reflections. Finally, a multi-scale quasi-honeycomb absorber was fabricated using multi-material 3D printing with a structured design. Both simulation and experimental results showed consistent trends, demonstrating low sensitivity to the incident azimuth angle. This research features simplicity, low cost, and strong design capability, providing a new strategy for the preparation of functionally graded materials with potential applications in electromagnetic wave absorption.

Two-Coordinate Gold(I) Complex with Rotational Freedom: A Platform Integrating Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence, Polymorphism, and Linearly Polarized Luminescence.

Two-coordinate coinage metal complexes have been exploited for various applications. Herein, a new donor-metal-acceptor (D-M-A) complex PZI-Au-TOT, using bulky pyrazine-fused N-heterocyclic carbene (PZI) and trioxytriphenylamine (TOT) ligands, was synthesized. PZI-Au-TOT displays decent thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) with a quantum yield of 93% in doped film. The crystals of PZI-Au-TOT show simultaneous TADF, polymorphism, and linearly polarized luminescence (LPL). The polymorph-dependent emission properties with widely varied peaks from 560 to 655 nm are attributed to different packing modes in terms of isolated monomers, discrete π-π stacked dimers or dimer PLUS. Two well-defined microcrystals of PZI-Au-TOT exhibit linearly polarized thermally activated delayed fluorescence with a degree of polarization up to 0.64. This work demonstrates that the molecular rotational flexibility of D-M-A type complexes endows an integration of multiple functions into one complex through manipulation of supramolecular aggregation. This type of complexes is expected to serve as a versatile platform for the fabrication of crystal materialsfor advanced photonic applications.