Programmable Function Research Articles

Gene-engineered polypeptide hydrogels with on-demand oxygenation and ECM-cell interaction mimicry for diabetic wound healing

The treatment of infected diabetic wounds remains a significant clinical challenge due to pathogen infection, excessive inflammation, and impaired angiogenesis with troubled extracellular matrix (ECM) - cell and cell - cell interaction. Herein, we prepared a Janus polypeptide-engineered hydrogel with programmable function driven by self-assembly of the same A domain. The hydrogel was composed of a V8-degradable AC10A layer loaded with hybrid phages for precise bacterial inhibition (ABC) and a PC10ARGD layer loaded with Mn-based mineralized erythrocyte for continuous supply oxygen on demand (PEM). The results of laser speckle contrast imaging, photoacoustic imaging, and hyperspectral imaging demonstrated that the AC10A@BP-Ce6/PC10AR@EM hydrogel (ABC/PEM) accelerated the reconstruction of normal skin structure by breaking the oxygen diffusion barrier and supplying oxygen on demand to promote angiogenesis and functionalization. In addition, in vitro and in vivo experiment results showed that the ABC/PEM hydrogel can mimic positive ECM - cell interaction to inhibit the polarization of macrophage towards M1-type to slow down the inflammatory process by down-regulated yes-associated protein (YAP), and relieve the mechanical tension of fibroblasts to reduce scar formation. Finally, the ABC/PEM hydrogel promotes a healing rate of 98.83% on day 21 and results in the number of dermal appendages being eight times that of the negative group. This work presents an effective strategy for diabetes-related chronic infected wound management.

Implementation of Digital Computing by Colloidal Crystal Engineering with DNA.

Toehold-mediated strand displacement (TMSD) provides a versatile toolbox for developing DNA digital computing systems. Although different logic circuits with diverse functions have achieved good performance in terms of complexity and scalability, most previous DNA logic circuits perform information processing only at the molecular level, and nonspecific signal leakages are often difficult to avoid. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of constructing leakless digital computing systems in three-dimensionally ordered colloidal supercrystals. These systems possess a unique signal leakage resistance by integrating different TMSD-based logic gates with the catalytic assembly of DNA-functionalized gold colloids. A complete set of basic Boolean logic gates and different cascaded logic circuits is constructed on the basis of the catalytic assembly strategy enabled by a facilely designed catassembler, where the output signals are recognized by determining whether specific colloidal supercrystals are formed or not. In addition, a half adder is built through a combination of XOR and AND logic gates with two distinct crystal types as readouts. Finally, a leakless two-digit DNA keypad lock for information security protection is demonstrated. The combination of TMSD-based logic circuits with the universal nanoparticle catalytic assembly offers the possibility to develop highly complicated and leakage-free digital computing systems and promotes macroscopic colloidal superlattice materials with programmable logic functions.

Mechanical and shape-memory properties of TPMS with hybrid configurations and materials

ABSTRACT Triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) structures with excellent properties of stable energy absorption, light weight, and high specific strength could potentially spark immense interest for novel and programmable functions by combining smart materials, e.g. shape memory polymers (SMPs). This work proposes TPMS lattices with hybrid configurations and materials that are composed of viscoelastic and shape-memory materials with the aim to bring temperature-dependent mechanical properties and additional dissipation mechanisms. Different configurations and diverse materials of polylactic acid (PLA), fiber-reinforced PLA, and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) are induced, generating five types of TPMS lattices, including (Schoen’s I-WP) IWP uniform lattice, IWP lattice with density gradient, hybrid configurations, hybrid materials, and filled PDMS, which are fabricated by 3D printing. The fracture morphologies and the distribution of carbon fibers are demonstrated via scanning electron microscopy with a focus on the influence of carbon fiber on shape-memory and mechanical properties. Shape recovery tests are conducted, which proves good shape memory properties and reusable capability of TPMS lattice. The combined methods of experiments and numerical simulation are adopted to evaluate mechanical properties, which presents multi-stage energy absorption ability and tunable vibration isolation performances associated with temperature and hybridization designs. This work can promote extensive research and provide substantial opportunities for TPMS lattices in the development of functional applications.

Janus Swarm Metamaterials for Information Display, Memory, and Encryption.

Metamaterials are emerging as an unconventional platform to perform computing abstractions in physical systems by processing environmental stimuli into information. While computation functions have been demonstrated in mechanical systems, they rely on compliant mechanisms to achieve predefined states, which impose inherent design restrictions that limit their miniaturization, deployment, reconfigurability, and functionality. Here, a metamaterial system is described based on responsive magnetoactive Janus particle (MAJP) swarms with multiple programmable functions. MAJPs are designed with tunable structure and properties in mind, that is, encoded swarming behavior and fully reversible switching mechanisms, to enable programmable dynamic display, non-volatile and semi-volatile memory, Boolean logic, and information encryption functions in soft, wearable devices. MAJPs and their unique swarming behavior open new functions for the design of multifunctional and reconfigurable display devices, and constitute a promising building block to develop the next generation of soft physical computing devices, with growing applications in security, defense, anti-counterfeiting, camouflage, soft robotics, and human-robot interaction.

Constructing a supercapacitor-memristor through non-linear ion transport in MOF nanochannels.

The coexistence and coupling of capacitive and memristive effects have been an important subject of scientific interest. While the capacitive effect in memristors has been extensively studied, the reciprocal scenario of the memristive effect in capacitors remains unexplored. In this study, we introduce a supercapacitor-memristor (CAPistor) concept, which is constructed by leveraging non-linear ion transport within the pores of a metal-organic framework zeolitic-imidazolate framework (ZIF-7). Within the nanochannels of the ZIF-7 electrode in an aqueous pseudocapacitor, the anionic species (OH-) of the electrolyte can be enriched and dissipated in different voltage regimes. This difference leads to a hysteresis effect in ion conductivity, constituting a memristive behavior in the pseudocapacitor. Thus, the pseudocapacitor-converted CAPistor seamlessly integrates the programmable resistance and memory functions of an ionic memristor into a supercapacitor, demonstrating enormous potential to extend the traditional energy storage applications of supercapacitors into emerging fields, including biomimetic nanofluidic ionics and neuromorphic computing.

Efficient multi-party PSI and its application in port management

Private Set Intersection (PSI) technology is a cryptographic tool that allows the parties holding private data to determine the intersection of sets in a joint computation without revealing any additional privacy information. As a critical component of secure multi-party computation, this technology has been widely used in the security domain of artificial intelligence and data mining. With the emergence of the era of multi-source data sharing, protocols for private set intersection computation applicable to multiple participants have also emerged. However, the performance of existing multi-party private set intersection (MPSI) protocols is suboptimal when some participants use devices with limited communication or computational capabilities, such as mobile devices. To overcome the above issues, we design a cloud-aided multi-party private set intersection protocol (Cloud-Aided-MPSI) based on oblivious programmable pseudorandom functions (OPPRF) and oblivious key–value stores (OKVS). Due to the protocol efficiently outsourcing partial computational and communication tasks to cloud servers, our performance has been further enhanced compared to existing work. Through the Cloud-Aided-MPSI protocol, we propose a port scheduling protocol for coordinated management scenarios of ships arriving and departing from ports. The protocol effectively addresses the privacy protection concerns of port management when scheduling the arrival and departure of ships. We analyze the performance of this protocol.

The Development Cycle of Machining Operations on an Educational CNC Machine

The paper presents a technological analysis, the phases and working methods, as well as the parameters of the processing cycle of a flange for a high-pressure hydraulic gear pump, which has the code FHP-05-12-24, made of polymeric material of ERTALON 66 SA type. The processing was made by cutting with the help of an educational milling and drilling machine with numerical control called EMCO MILL 55 CNC. The commands were programmed through a computer interface, using a conventional numerical code that commands the same kinematic chains, defining specific elements such as the geometric structure of the part, the technological conditions, the structure of the CNC kinematics, the calculation of the programmable coordinates, the parameters of the cutting tools and the parameters of the cutting regime. Based on the characteristics of the polymer material, but also on the identification of programmable functions and routines, the complete development cycle of the complex part processing operations was defined using special functions dedicated to the drilling and milling processes of the profiled surfaces. The part program structure contains program blocks associated with each stage and machining tools. The purpose of the study is to highlight, at an early stage, how students and young researchers can use computer numerical control (CNC) machines, which can be used as a support for the physical processing of complex surfaces, possibly obtained by digitizing and measuring data through a digital correlation based on specialized software products (e.g. GOM Scan, GOM Inspect, FEM analysis, etc.).

Urease stabilization in urea–urease–H+ system and its influence on the clock reaction dynamics

AbstractThe inherent autocatalytic kinetics of the urea–urease–H+ system positions it as a promising candidate for the design of dynamic materials with time‐domain programmable functions. Nevertheless, the stability of the enzyme can markedly influence the temporal evolution dynamics of the system and curtail its widespread applicability. This work employs several kinds of enzyme stabilization methods, including chemical cross‐linking, physical coating, solvent stabilization, and solvent‐physical coating co‐modification, to systematically explore the impact of enzyme stabilization on clock reaction dynamics. Extensive experimental tests and analysis indicate that solvent and chemical cross‐linking stabilization methods can better preserve clock dynamics with sensitive switching ability. Nevertheless, due to significant pH changes in the reacting system, the reusability of the enzyme is better retained in the physical coating and solvent‐physical coating co‐modification methods.

Photo-controlled programmable logic gate via self-powered Cu2O/BiFeO3/TiO2 ferroelectric heterojunction photodetectors

The increased demands for high integration, fast computation, and a wide range of data processing in digital logic circuits have triggered an interest in programmable logic gates that can run different logic operations. Photodetectors (PDs) based on ferroelectric materials can obtain different ferroelectric polarization states utilizing pre-biased voltage regulation to achieve programmable logic functions, but low photoelectric conversion efficiency and slow photoresponse speed are still key problems to be addressed for programmable logic gate devices. Herein, the Cu2O/BiFeO3(BFO)/TiO2 ferroelectric heterojunction PDs were constructed by introducing a p-type hole transport layer Cu2O on the BFO/TiO2 ferroelectric heterojunction films, which not only broadens the photoresponse spectra range to the red light, but also forms a stepped energy band structure at the heterojunction interface, and the interfacial electric field promotes the separation and transport of photogenerated carriers, improving the self-powered photodetection performance of the devices. The Cu2O/BFO/TiO2 PDs demonstrate a responsivity of 3.0 mA/W and a photoresponse rise time/decay time of 2.3/23.9 ms at 420 nm light illumination. The Cu2O/BFO/TiO2 PD can be polarized in different states by pre-biased voltage and outputs different electrical signal values under the ultraviolet (365 nm) and visible (420 nm) monochromatic light or the mixed light irradiation, thus the device can realize the "AND" gate output in the positive bias polarization state and the "OR" gate output in the negative bias polarization state, which shows that the ferroelectric heterojunction PDs has a great potential application in the field of photo-controlled programmable logic gate circuits.

Supramolecular Modular Assembly of Imaging‐Trackable Enzymatic Nanomotors

AbstractSelf‐propelled micro/nanomotors (MNMs) have shown great application potential in biomedicine, sensing, environmental remediation, etc. In the past decade, various strategies or technologies have been used to prepare and functionalize MNMs. However, the current preparation strategies of the MNMs were mainly following the pre‐designed methods based on specific tasks to introduce expected functional parts on the various micro/nanocarriers, which lacks a universal platform and common features, making it difficult to apply to different application scenarios. Here, we have developed a modular assembly strategy based on host–guest chemistry, which enables the on‐demand construction of imaging‐trackable nanomotors mounted with suitable driving and imaging modules using a universal assembly platform, according to different application scenarios. These assembled nanomotors exhibited enhanced diffusion behavior driven by enzymatic reactions. The loaded imaging functions were used to dynamically trace the swarm motion behavior of assembled nanomotors with corresponding fuel conditions both in vitro and in vivo. The modular assembly strategy endowed with host–guest interaction provides a universal approach to producing multifunctional MNMs in a facile and controllable manner, which paves the way for the future development of MNMs systems with programmable functions.

EO nonlinear function generator.

An electro-optical programmable nonlinear function generator (PNFG) is developed on a multimode waveguide with four parallel thermal electrodes. The current on one electrode is chosen as the input, while the rest serve as function-defining units to modulate the multimode interference. The electro-thermo-optical effects are analyzed step by step and the impact on the eigenmode properties is derived. It shows that the optical output power variation by altered interference, in response to the input current, manifests as a complex ensemble of functions in general. The PNFG aims to find the special setting under which such relation can be simplified into some basic functions. Through an optimization program, a variety of such functions are found, including Sigmoid, SiLU, and Gaussian. Furthermore, the shape of these functions can be adjusted by finetuning the defining units. This device may be integrated in a large-scale photonic computing network that can tackle complex problems with nonlinear function adaptability.

Supramolecular Modular Assembly of Imaging-Trackable Enzymatic Nanomotors.

Self-propelled micro/nanomotors (MNMs) have shown great application potential in biomedicine, sensing, environmental remediation, etc. In the past decade, various strategies or technologies have been used to prepare and functionalize MNMs. However, the current preparation strategies of the MNMs were mainly following the pre-designed methods based on specific tasks to introduce expected functional parts on the various micro/nanocarriers, which lacks a universal platform and common features, making it difficult to apply to different application scenarios. Here, we have developed a modular assembly strategy based on host-guest chemistry, which enables the on-demand construction of imaging-trackable nanomotors mounted with suitable driving and imaging modules using a universal assembly platform, according to different application scenarios. These assembled nanomotors exhibited enhanced diffusion behavior driven by enzymatic reactions. The loaded imaging functions were used to dynamically trace the swarm motion behavior of assembled nanomotors with corresponding fuel conditions both in vitro and in vivo. The modular assembly strategy endowed with host-guest interaction provides a universal approach to producing multifunctional MNMs in a facile and controllable manner, which paves the way for the future development of MNMs systems with programmable functions.

Programmable directional color dynamics using plasmonics

Adaptive multicolor filters have emerged as key components for ensuring color accuracy and resolution in outdoor visual devices. However, the current state of this technology is still in its infancy and largely reliant on liquid crystal devices that require high voltage and bulky structural designs. Here, we present a multicolor nanofilter consisting of multilayered ‘active’ plasmonic nanocomposites, wherein metallic nanoparticles are embedded within a conductive polymer nanofilm. These nanocomposites are fabricated with a total thickness below 100 nm using a ‘lithography-free’ method at the wafer level, and they inherently exhibit three prominent optical modes, accompanying scattering phenomena that produce distinct dichroic reflection and transmission colors. Here, a pivotal achievement is that all these colors are electrically manipulated with an applied external voltage of less than 1 V with 3.5 s of switching speed, encompassing the entire visible spectrum. Furthermore, this electrically programmable multicolor function enables the effective and dynamic modulation of the color temperature of white light across the warm-to-cool spectrum (3250 K–6250 K). This transformative capability is exceptionally valuable for enhancing the performance of outdoor optical devices that are independent of factors such as the sun’s elevation and prevailing weather conditions.

Oblique-Incidence Interferometric Measurement of Optical Surface Based on a Liquid-Crystal-on-Silicon Spatial Light Modulator

An oblique-incidence interferometric measurement method is proposed to measure and adjust optical surfaces with a liquid-crystal-on-silicon spatial light modulator (LCoS-SLM). The optical system only consists of an interferometer and an LCoS-SLM with precision mounts. It could reduce the measuring cost and time consumption due to the programmable function of the LCoS-SLM and offer the ability to align the optical system. The oblique-incidence measurement theory and optical system adjustment method are established based on an off-axis paraboloid model. The ray-tracing program to calculate the compensation phase map in the measurement is proposed with math models. In the optical alignment step, the off-axis paraboloid model is used to apply the LCoS-SLM as a phase compensator to generate a focusing spot or light spot array to adjust the measured optical surface. And in the interferometric measurement step, the calculated compensation phase map from the ray-tracing calculation is loaded on the LCoS-SLM using the same optical setup as the optical alignment step without any mechanical adjustment. Two interference measurement experiments of typical optical surfaces were carried out to verify the accuracy of the measuring system.

Dual stimuli-responsive upconversion nanoparticle-poly-N-isopropylacrylamide/DNA core-shell microgels.

Stimuli-responsive upconversion nanoparticle (UCNP)-poly-N-isopropylacrylamide (pNIPAM)/DNA core-shell microgels with tunable sizes and programmable functions have been prepared. Thanks to the near-infrared (NIR)-responsive UCNP cores and thermosensitive polymeric shells, functional DNA-incorporated microgels with high DNA activity and loading efficiency are obtained, and the activity of the loaded DNA structures can be smartly regulated by NIR illumination and temperature simultaneously.

Solar-powered simultaneous highly efficient seawater desalination and highly specific target extraction with smart DNA hydrogels.

Obtaining freshwater and important minerals from seawater with solar power facilitates the sustainable development of human society. Hydrogels have demonstrated great solar-powered water evaporation potential, but highly efficient and specific target extraction remains to be expanded. Here, we report the simultaneous highly efficient seawater desalination and specific extraction of uranium with smart DNA hydrogels. The DNA hydrogel greatly promoted the evaporation of water, with the water evaporation rate reached a high level of 3.54 kilograms per square meter per hour (1 kilowatt per square meter). Simultaneously, uranyl-specific DNA hydrogel exhibited a high capture capacity of 5.7 milligrams per gram for uranium from natural seawater due to the rapid ion transport driven by the solar powered interfacial evaporation and the high selectivity (10.4 times over vanadium). With programmable functions and easy-to-use devices, the system is expected to play a role in future seawater treatment.

Liquid Metal Nanocores Initiated Construction of Smart DNA‐Polymer Microgels with Programmable and Regulable Functions and Near‐Infrared Light‐Driven Locomotion

AbstractDue to their sequence‐directed functions and excellent biocompatibility, smart DNA microgels have attracted considerable research interest, and the combination of DNA microgels with functional nanostructures can further expand their applications in biosensing and biomedicine. Gallium‐based liquid metals (LMs) exhibiting both fluidic and metallic properties hold great promise for the development of smart soft materials; in particular, LM particles upon sonication can mediate radical‐initiated polymerization reactions, thus allowing the combination of LMs and polymeric matrix to construct “soft–soft” materials. Herein, by forming active surfaces under sonication, LM nanoparticles (LM NPs) initiated localized radical polymerization reactions allow the combination of functional DNA units and different polymeric backbones to yield multifunctional core/shell microgels. The localized polymerization reaction allows fine control of the microgel compositions, and smart DNA microgels with tunable catalytic activities can be constructed. Moreover, due to the excellent photothermal effect of LM NPs, the resulting temperature gradient between microgels and surrounding solution upon NIR light irradiation can drive the oriented locomotion of the microgels, and remote control of the activity of these smart microgels can be achieved. These microgels may hold promise for various applications, such as the development of in vivo and in vitro biosensing and drug delivery systems.

Liquid Metal Nanocores Initiated Construction of Smart DNA-Polymer Microgels with Programmable and Regulable Functions and Near-Infrared Light-Driven Locomotion.

Due to their sequence-directed functions and excellent biocompatibility, smart DNA microgels have attracted considerable research interest, and the combination of DNA microgels with functional nanostructures can further expand their applications in biosensing and biomedicine. Gallium-based liquid metals (LMs) exhibiting both fluidic and metallic properties hold great promise for the development of smart soft materials; in particular, LM particles upon sonication can mediate radical-initiated polymerization reactions, thus allowing the combination of LMs and polymeric matrix to construct "soft-soft" materials. Herein, by forming active surfaces under sonication, LM nanoparticles (LM NPs) initiated localized radical polymerization reactions allow the combination of functional DNA units and different polymeric backbones to yield multifunctional core/shell microgels. The localized polymerization reaction allows fine control of the microgel compositions, and smart DNA microgels with tunable catalytic activities can be constructed. Moreover, due to the excellent photothermal effect of LM NPs, the resulting temperature gradient between microgels and surrounding solution upon NIR light irradiation can drive the oriented locomotion of the microgels, and remote control of the activity of these smart microgels can be achieved. These microgels may hold promise for various applications, such as the development of in vivo and in vitro biosensing and drug delivery systems.

Lattice-Based Programmable Hash Functions and Applications

Lattice-Based Programmable Hash Functions and Applications

A novel testing equipment based on Arduino and LabVIEW for electrochemical performance studies on experimental cells: Evaluation in lithium-sulfur technology

The development of cost-effective and practical analytical tools is crucial for the advancement of electrochemical energy storage systems. This study presents a versatile research apparatus, fabricated with affordable components and equipped with programmable logic functions. It enables measurement of electrochemical performance parameters of experimental cells and facilitates user-designed battery performance testing using LabVIEW instrumentation software. The Arduino hardware serves as the data acquisition board, while the power supply circuitry consists of affordable components. The equipment is evaluated using constant-current and constant-current-constant-voltage charging cycles, including a novel test: the constant-power charging protocol for lithium-sulfur batteries. It accurately determines electrochemical performance parameters, making it invaluable for advancing innovative electrochemical methodologies. The affordability and flexibility of this equipment opens the door to a wide range of research possibilities, offering a cost-effective solution for battery performance analysis.