Formation of an occlusive thrombus is a critical pathophysiological feature of numerous cardiovascular diseases. Thrombosis is promoted by P‐selectin overexpressed on activated platelets and endothelium and tightly linked with the overproduction of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The overexpression of P‐selectin and overproduction of H2O2 become unique features of thrombosed vessels which provide a rationale for the development of targeted therapeutics for thrombosis. In this work, targeted self‐delivering and H2O2‐activatable antithrombotic nanomedicine (Fu–sBR) composed of a self‐immolative dimeric prodrug (sBR) and a P‐selectin targeting fucoidan, are reported. In the presence of fucoidan, sBR is formulated into stable nanoassemblies that can serve as carrier‐free nanodrugs and exert antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, and antiplatelet activities in a H2O2‐triggered manner. In mouse models of carotid arterial thrombosis and deep vein thrombosis (DVT), Fu–sBR nanoassemblies specifically target thrombosed vessels to effectively suppress thrombus development by inhibiting the expression of tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α), interleukine‐1 beta (IL‐1β), and soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L). Given their self‐delivering capability, thrombus targeting ability, and stimulus‐activatable therapeutic actions, Fu–sBR nanoassemblies have great translational potential as therapeutic agents for various thrombotic disorders.

Ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury is induced by the restoration of blood flow to the prolonged ischemic tissues and is considered as the paradoxical exacerbation of ischemic damages. A large amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) produced immediately after reperfusion induces oxidative stress, which plays an essential role in the pathogenesis of IR injury. It is therefore critical to suppress oxidative stress for the prevention and treatment of IR injury. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), one of the tertiary bile acids, promotes the generation of antioxidant glutathione (GSH) and also exerts hepatoprotective, cytoprotective, and antiapoptotic effects. However, the clinical uses of UDCA are limited mainly by its poor water solubility and low bioavailability. In this study, by exploiting the concept of self-assembling disulfide-bridged dimeric prodrugs, we developed a disulfide-bridged UDCA dimer (ssUDCA) as a therapeutic agent of hepatic IR injury. ssUDCA could self-assemble into stable nanospheres under aqueous conditions, scavenge H2O2, and exert anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic activities. In a mouse model of hepatic IR injury, ssUDCA (5 mg/kg) significantly alleviated the IR injury by suppressing ROS production and inhibiting proinflammatory cytokines. Therefore, our findings offer a promising strategy for the effective treatment of hepatic IR injury and also provide deep insights into the impact of disulfide-bridged UDCA nanoassemblies in pharmaceutical applications.

A thrombus is composed of fibrin, activated platelets and leukocytes and the formation of an occlusive thrombus is a critical pathophysiological feature of numerous cardiovascular diseases. Here, self‐immolative prodrug (Fu‐sBR) nanoassemblies are developed for targeted on‐demand therapy for thrombotic disorders. Fu‐sBR nanoassemblies target P‐selectin on activated platelets and exert antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory and antiplatelet activities to suppress thrombus formation. This is reported by Dongwon Lee and co‐workers in article number 2000273.

>> The organic-inorganic composite membrane in polymer exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have several fascinating technological advantages such as a proton conductivity, thermal stability and mechanical properties. As the inorganic filler, silicon carbide (SiC) fiber have been used in various fields due to its unique properties such as thermal stability, conductivity, and tensile strength. In this study, composite membrane was successfully fabricated by modified-silicon carbide fiber. Modified process, as a novel process in SiC, takes reaction by phosphoric acid after oxidation process (generated homogeniusly SiO2 layer on SiC fiber). The mechanical property which was conducted by tensile test of the 5wt% modified-SiO2@SiCf composite membrane was better than that of Aquivion casting membrane as well as ion cxchange capacity(IEC) and proton conductivity. In addition, the single cell performance was observed that the 5wt% modified-SiO2@SiCf composite membrane was approximately 0.2A/cm 2 higher than that of a Aquivion casting electrolyte membrane and electrochemical impedance was improved with the charge transfer resistance and membrane resistance.

>> Polymer exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells have multifunctional properties, and bipolar plates are one of the key components in these fuel cells. Generally, a bipolar plate has a gas flow path for hydrogen and oxygen liberated at the anode and cathode, respectively. In this study, the influence of iodine applied to a bipolar plate was investigated. Accordingly, we compared bipolar plates with and without iodine coating, and the performances of these plates were evaluated under operating conditions of 75 o C and 100% relative humidity. The membrane and platinum-carbon layer were affected by the iodine-coated bipolar plate. Bipolar plates coated with iodine and a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) were investigated by electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA) and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis. Polarization curves showed that the performance of a coated bipolar plate is approximately 19% higher than that of a plate without coating. Moreover, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis revealed that charge transfer resistance and membrane resistance decreased with the influence of the iodine charge transfer complex for fuel cells on the performance.