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PAMP-triggered immunity (PTI) is the first layer of plant defense response that occurs on the plant plasma membrane. Recently, the application of a rhizobacterium, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain PMB05, has been demonstrated to enhance flg22Pst- or harpin-triggered PTI response such as callose deposition. This PTI intensification by PMB05 further contributes to plant disease resistance to different bacterial diseases. Under the demand for rapid and large-scale screening, it has become critical to establish a non-staining technology to identify microbial strains that can enhance PTI responses. Firstly, we confirmed that the expression of the GSL5 gene, which is required for callose synthesis, can be enhanced by PMB05 during PTI activation triggered by flg22 or PopW (a harpin from Ralstonia solanacearum). The promoter region of the GSL5 gene was further cloned and fused to the coding sequence of gfp. The constructed fragments were used to generate transgenic Arabidopsis plants through a plant transformation vector. The transgenic lines of AtGSL5-GFP were obtained. The analysis was performed by infiltrating flg22Pst or PopW in one homozygous line, and the results exhibited that the green fluorescent signals were observed until after 8 h. In addition, the PopW-induced fluorescent signal was significantly enhanced in the co-treatment with PMB05 at 4 h after inoculation. Furthermore, by using AtGSL5-GFP to analyze 13 Bacillus spp. strains, the regulation of PopW-induced fluorescent signal was observed. And, the regulation of these fluorescent signals was similar to that performed by callose staining. More importantly, the Bacillus strains that enhance PopW-induced fluorescent signals would be more effective in reducing the occurrence of bacterial wilt. Taken together, the technique by using AtGSL5-GFP would be a promising platform to screen plant immunity-intensifying microbes to control bacterial wilt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Anastomotic recurrence leads to poor prognosis in patients with Siewert II or III adenocarcinoma who undergo radical gastrectomy and do not receive neoadjuvant therapy. We aimed to establish a prognostic model to evaluate the risk of postoperative anastomotic recurrence in patients with Siewert II or III adenocarcinoma who did not receive neoadjuvant therapy. Methods: We included 366 patients with Siewert II or III adenocarcinoma who were treated with radical gastrectomy without neoadjuvant therapy at Fujian Provincial Hospital (FPH) between 2012 and 2018 as the development cohort. Cox regression was used to verify prognostic factors for anastomotic recurrence, and a nomogram was established. The nomogram was externally validated using a combined cohort of two external centers. Patients were classified into high- or low-risk groups according to the diagnostic threshold and nomogram scores, and recurrence-related survival analysis was analyzed. Results: The average age was 64.6 years, and 285 patients were male. All surgeries were successfully performed (185 open vs 181 laparoscopic). The 3-year anastomotic recurrence rate was significantly lower in the low-risk group (3.5% vs 18.8%, P < 0.001). The predictive performance was verified in the external validation cohort. This model better stratified patient survival than the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM staging system. Conclusions: This novel nomogram with surgical margin, postoperative tumor node metastasis (pTNM) stage, and neural invasion as prognostic factors has a significant predictive performance for the risk of anastomotic recurrence after radical gastrectomy in patients with Siewert II or III adenocarcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal-catalyzed asymmetric hydrofunctionalizations of unsaturated bonds via π-ƞ3 substitution have emerged as a reliable method to construct stereogenic centers, and mainly rely on the use of heteroatom-based or carbon nucleophiles bearing acidic C-H bonds. In comparison, sp2 carbon nucleophiles are generally not under consideration because of enormous challenges in cleaving corresponding inert sp2 C-H bonds. Here, we report a protocol to achieve asymmetric formal sp2 hydrocarbonations, including hydroalkenylation, hydroallenylation and hydroketenimination of both 1,3-dienes and alkynes via hydroalkylation and Wittig reaction cascade. A series of unachievable motifs via hydrofunctionalizations, such as di-, tri- and tetra-substituted alkenes, di-, tri- and tetra-substituted allenes, and tri-substituted ketenimines in allyl skeletons are all facilely constructed in high regio-, diastereo- and enantioselectivities with this cascade design. Stereodivergent synthesis of all four stereoisomers of 1,4-diene bearing a stereocenter and Z/E-controllable olefin unit highlights the power of present protocol. An interesting mechanistic feature is revealed that alkyne actually undergoes hydrocarbonation via the formation of conjugated diene intermediate, different from conventional viewpoint that the hydrofunctionalization of alkynes only involves allene species. Sp2 carbon nucleophiles are generally not considered for transition metal-catalyzed asymmetric hydrofunctionalizations of unsaturated bonds due to challenges in cleaving corresponding inert sp2 C-H bonds. Here, the authors report a protocol to achieve asymmetric formal sp2 hydrocarbonations, including hydroalkenylation, hydroallenylation and hydroketenimination of both 1,3-dienes and alkynes via hydroalkylation and Wittig reaction cascade [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Central South University is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We aimed to determine the global effects of the Chêneau brace combined with Schroth exercises on adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). We analyzed 192 patients with AIS who underwent the Chêneau brace treatment alone or combined with Schroth best practice (SBP) from June 2013 to October 2019. There were 138 patients in the Brace group and 54 patients in the Brace + SBP group. Radiographs were obtained at various treatment durations. Answers to the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) questionnaire were recorded before the intervention and at the time of treatment wean. The Cobb angle (–3.55°; p < 0.001) and C7-CSVL (–3.03 mm; p < 0.001) significantly decreased in the Brace + SBP group. Thoracic kyphosis (TK) decreased in both the Brace + SBP group (–1.85°; p = 0.0152) and the Brace group (–5.06; p < 0.001). Changes before and after treatment of TK were significantly different between groups (p < 0.001). The 22-item Scoliosis Research Society function score, self-image, mental health, and EuroQol 5-Dimension scores were significantly higher in the Brace + SBP group. The satisfaction score was higher in the Brace + SBP group (3.77 ± 0.63 vs. 3.13 ± 0.79; p < 0.001). Compared to bracing alone, the Schroth exercises plus bracing had a better effect on coronal balance. Schroth exercises improve flatback deformity caused by bracing and positively influence the HRQoL in AIS patients who received the Chêneau brace treatment. Bracing and physiotherapy are common treatments for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). The Chêneau brace treatment causes flatback deformity and muscle stiffness in AIS patients. The Schroth method helps patients increase muscle strength, halt curve progression, increase vital capacity, and maintain improved posture. The Schroth exercises could improve flatback deformity caused by bracing and positively influence the health-related quality of life in AIS patients who received the Chêneau brace treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sugarcane is the most important sugar crop, contributing > 80% of global sugar production. High sucrose content is a key target of sugarcane breeding, yet sucrose improvement in sugarcane remains extremely slow for decades. Molecular breeding has the potential to break through the genetic bottleneck of sucrose improvement. Dissecting the molecular mechanism(s) and identifying the key genetic elements controlling sucrose accumulation will accelerate sucrose improvement by molecular breeding. In our previous work, a proteomics dataset based on 12 independent samples from high- and low-sugar genotypes treated with ethephon or water was established. However, in that study, employing conventional analysis, only 25 proteins involved in sugar metabolism were identified. Results: In this work, the proteomics dataset used in our previous study was reanalyzed by three different statistical approaches, which include a logistic marginal regression, a penalized multiple logistic regression named Elastic net, as well as a Bayesian multiple logistic regression method named Stochastic search variable selection (SSVS) to identify more sugar metabolism-associated proteins. A total of 507 differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) were identified from this dataset, with 5 of them were validated by western blot. Among the DAPs, 49 proteins were found to participate in sugar metabolism-related processes including photosynthesis, carbon fixation as well as carbon, amino sugar, nucleotide sugar, starch and sucrose metabolism. Based on our studies, a putative network of key proteins regulating sucrose accumulation in sugarcane is proposed, with glucose-6-phosphate isomerase, 2-phospho-D-glycerate hydrolyase, malate dehydrogenase and phospho-glycerate kinase, as hub proteins. Conclusions: The sugar metabolism-related proteins identified in this work are potential candidates for sucrose improvement by molecular breeding. Further, this work provides an alternative solution for omics data processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rate of improvement of sugar content in sugarcane remains low for decades worldwide. Our previous transcriptome studies provided an atlas of sucrose accumulation-related gene expression, but little is known about the proteins involved. Here, we conducted a proteomic analysis of experimentally altered sucrose accumulation in sugarcane. Analysis of stem proteomes of sugarcane ripener ethephon treated high- and low-sugar genotypes had identified 2983 proteins of which 139 were significantly differentially expressed (DEPs). These DEPs were found to be associated with sugar metabolism-related processes with 25 of them may have a regulatory role in sucrose accumulation. The key proteins identified include UDP-glucose 6-dehydrogenase associated with amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism; those involved in carbon fixation; and fructokinase, β-D-glucosidase, and α-glucan phosphorylase involved in starch and sucrose metabolism. Distinct genotype- and ethephon-dependent DEP expression was evident providing new insights into one of the most intractable sugarcane traits to breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. Due to the rarity, it is difficult to predict the survival of patients with fibrosarcoma. This study aimed to apply a nomogram to predict survival outcomes in patients with fibrosarcoma. Methods. A total of 2235 patients with diagnoses of fibrosarcoma were registered in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database, of whom 663 patients were eventually enrolled. Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses were used to identify independent prognostic factors. Nomograms were constructed to predict 3-year and 5‐year overall survival and cancer‐specific survival of patients with fibrosarcoma. Results. In univariate and multivariate analyses of OS, age, sex, race, tumor stage, pathologic grade, use of surgery, and tumor size were identified as independent prognostic factors. Age, sex, tumor stage, pathologic grade, use of surgery, and tumor size were significantly associated with CSS. These characteristics were further included to establish the nomogram for predicting 3-year and 5-year OS and CSS. For the internal validation of the nomogram predictions of OS and CSS, the C-indices were 0.784 and 0.801. Conclusion. We developed the nomograms that estimated 3-year and 5-year OS and CSS. These nomograms not only have good discrimination performance and calibration but also provide patients with better clinical benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, effect of PEDOT:PSS content on structure and properties of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) composite conducting fiber was systematically investigated for the first time. PEDOT:PSS/PVA composite conducting fibers with various PEDOT:PSS loadings were successfully fabricated via wet-spinning technique. Correlation between PEDOT:PSS loading and performance of composite fibers was investigated by analyzing changes in chemical constitution, morphology, thermal property, conductivity, and tensile property of composite fibers. Formation of hydrogen bonding interactions was observed between PVA matrix and PEDOT:PSS conducting filler, and the interaction was enhanced with increasing PEDOT:PSS loading. As PEDOT:PSS loading increased in composite fiber, fiber conductivity increased monotonically, and surface morphology of composite fibers became regularly circular. Young's modulus and tensile strength of composite fibers also increased with increasing PEDOT:PSS loading, while elongation at break decreased. In addition, thermal stability of composite fibers improved with increasing PEDOT:PSS loading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We assessed replication and excretion of the live attenuated tetravalent dengue vaccine (CYD-TDV) into biological fluids following vaccination in dengue-naive adults in Australia.Methods: Vaccinal viremia/shedding was assessed in a subset of participants enrolled in a lot-to-lot consistency study; 95 participants received 3 subcutaneous doses of CYD-TDV from phase 2/3 lots of the vaccine, and 8 received placebo; doses were administered 6 months apart. Quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qR-PCR) analysis was used to initially detect the yellow fever virus (YFV) core protein gene in the backbone of CYD-TDV in serum, saliva and urine, followed by serotype-specific qRT-PCR analysis of samples positive for YFV by qRT-PCR (lower limit of detection, 5.16 GEq/mL).Results: YFV viremia was detected by qRT-PCR in 69.5% of participants (66 of 95) who received CYD-TDV, mainly 6-14 days after injection 1. The serotypes detected were serotype 4 (in 68.2% of participants [45 of 95]), serotype 3 (in 19.7% [13 of 95]), and serotype 1 (in 12.1% [8 of 95]); serotype 2 was not detected. None of the placebo recipients had vaccinal viremia/shedding. No participants had detectable viral shedding into saliva at levels above the lower limit of quantitation. Two participants had low-level viral shedding (serotype 3) in urine (5.47 and 5.77 GEq/mL). None of the participants with viremia or shedding experienced concomitant fever.Conclusions: Low-level vaccinal viremia may occur following vaccination with CYD-TDV, but this is not associated with any symptom or adverse event.Clinical Trials Registration: NCT01134263. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Materials with zero thermal expansion (ZTE) or precisely tailored thermal expansion are in urgent demand of modern industries. However, the overwhelming majority of materials show positive thermal expansion. To develop ZTE or negative thermal expansion (NTE) materials as compensators has become an important challenge. Here, we present the evidence for the realization of ultra-low thermal expansion in Mn-Co-Ge-In particles. The bulk with the Ni2In-type hexagonal structure undergoes giant NTE owing to a martensitic magnetostructural transition. The major finding is that the thermal expansion behavior can be totally controlled by modulating the crystallinity degree and phase transition from atomic scale. Self-compensation effect leads to ultra-low thermal expansion with a linear expansion coefficient as small as +0.68 × 10-6/K over a wide temperature range around room temperature. The present study opens an avenue to reach ZTE particularly from the large class of giant NTE materials based on phase transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Zhejiang University: Science A is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the present study, novel strong and conductive blended fibers composed of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) were successfully fabricated via a wet-spinning process using spinning formulation prepared by doping DMSO into PVA/PEDOT:PSS aqueous solution. The effects of DMSO on structure and properties of PVA/PEDOT:PSS blended fibers were systematically investigated in detail by analyzing the changes in electrical conductivity, aggregation structure, conformational PEDOT chains, morphology and mechanical properties. The results showed that doping of DMSO induced significant conformational changes in PEDOT chains which in turn led to significant enhancement in electrical conductivity and smoother surface morphology as well as better mechanical properties of PVA/PEDOT:PSS blended fibers. The resultant DMSO-doped PVA/PEDOT:PSS blended conductive fibers exhibited an enhanced electrical conductivity up to 21.16 S cm. In addition, as the doping concentration of DMSO increased, the surface of blended fibers became less fluted and smoother. The Young's modulus and tensile strength increased from 3.5 GPa and 115 MPa to 4.95 GPa and 145 MPa respectively, while the elongation at break decreased from 25 % to 17 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hot-carrier-induced linear drain current (Idlin) and threshold voltage (Vth) degradations for the thin layer SOI field p-channel lateral double-diffused MOS (pLDMOS) are investigated. Two competition degradation mechanisms are revealed and the hot-carrier conductance modulation model is proposed. In the channel, hot-hole injection induced positive oxide trapped charge and interface trap gives rise to the Vth increasing and the channel conductance (Gch) decreasing, then reduces Idlin. In the p-drift region, hot-electron injection induced negative oxide trapped charge enhances the conductance of drift doping resistance (Gd), and then increases Idlin. Consequently, the eventual Idlin degradation is controlled by the competition of the two mechanisms due to conductance modulation in the both regions. Based on the model, it is explained that the measured Idlin anomalously increases while the Vth is increasing with power law. The thin layer field pLDMOS exhibits more severe Vth instability compared with thick SOI layer structure; as a result, it should be seriously evaluated in actual application in switching circuit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies have shown that electroacupuncture (EA) has a significant effect on acute pain, but it has not solved the clinical problem of the chronification of acute pain. Diffuse noxious inhibitory controls (DNIC) function as a reliable indicator to predict the risk of chronic pain events. DNIC function in knee osteoarthritis (KOA) patients has been demonstrated to gradually decrease during the development of chronic pain. The purpose of this study is to conduct a randomized, controlled clinical trial to determine if EA can repair impaired DNIC function and thus prevent chronification of the acute pain of KOA. Methods/Design: This is a multicenter, single blind, randomized, controlled, three-arm, large-scale clinical trial. A total of 450 KOA patients will be randomly assigned to three groups. The strong EA group will receive EA with high-intensity current (2 mA < current < 5 mA) at the ipsilateral 'Neixiyan' (EX-LE5), 'Dubi'(ST35), 'Liangqiu'(ST34) and 'Xuehai' (SP10). The weak EA group will receive EA with low-intensity current (0 mA < current < 0.5 mA) on the same acupoints. The sham EA group will receive EA with low-intensity current (0 mA < current < 0.5 mA) with fine needles inserted superficially into the sites 2 cm lateral to the above acupoints. The patients will be treated with EA once a day, 30 minutes per session, in 5 sessions per week, for 2 weeks. In order to determine the best stage of KOA for effective EA intervention, patients within the treatment groups also will be divided into four stages. The primary outcomes are Visual Analog Scale (VAS), DNIC function and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Clinical assessments will be evaluated at baseline (before treatment) and after 5 to 10 sessions of treatment. Discussion: This trial will be helpful in identifying whether strong EA is more effective than weak EA in reversing chronification of acute pain through repairing the impaired DNIC function and in screening for the best stage of KOA for effective EA intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During curing process of composite overwrap the die shows a significant influence on the temperature field, curing degree distribution, and curing deformation. The curing process can thus not be accurately simulated without a die. In this paper, a model of the composite overwrap with a die and two models without dies were respectively created. The finite element method was employed to solve the equations for describing the thermo-chemical model coupled with the cure kinetic model. The validity of the simulation was experimentally verified. The temperature distribution and the curing degree field of the composite overwrap were outlined and the effect of the die on the curing process was evaluated for each model. With the aid of the thermal analysis, the curing deformation as a result of the thermo-chemical shrinkage was presented and the difference in thermal expansion coefficients between the composite overwrap and the die was illustrated. The effect of the stacking sequence of multi-layers on the curing deformation of the composite overwrap was also evaluated, taking into account the changes in the resin properties during the curing process. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The severe low-speed creep phenomenon occurs in the telescopic boom system of a heavy-load transfer robot with a long telescopic boom as a result of nonlinear friction. In order to improve control precision and operation performance at low speeds, we built a three-loop control nonlinear model of an AC servo motor with Stribeck friction disturbance. Traditional proportional-integral-derivative controller (PID) and fuzzy PID controls were, respectively, adopted in the position loop, and the control performance was simulated. The results showed that a system with fuzzy PID control eliminates "flat top" position tracking and "dead zone" speed tracking, which are generated by traditional PID, and thereby decreases the effect of friction on the performance of the servo system. This elimination also improved the tracking accuracy and robustness of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Curing process has a great impact on molding quality of the fiber-winding composite shell. In order to improve its curing quality and efficiency, a new curing process employed the method of heating the internal metal mandrel with steam can be adopted, which is called internal curing process. This paper introduces the principle of internal curing process and establishes the mathematical models of internal curing process, adopts ANSYS and APDL to develop the 3-D transient numerical simulation program of internal curing to realize numerical simulation of temperature, curing degree and residual strain, and analyze the influence of shell thick, fiber volume fraction and film coefficient on the simulation results. Taking the cylinder shell as an example, numerical simulation and experiment are carried out. This research provides theory basis and analysis method for the design, simulation and parameter optimization of internal curing process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to find the relations between the production performance of interlacer and its cross-sectional shapes of yam duct, radial yam movement in various yam duets of interlacer and its effect on performance of interlaced yarn were studied in this paper. Seven interlacers, which were different in the cross-sectional shape of yarn duct, were made. Yarn motion in yarn duct of interlace was observed with optical fibers and photo-sensors. Performance of the interlaced yarn was evaluated by the number and the strength of tangles. Experimental results disclose the relations between the yarn motions and the properties of the interlaced yarn. The interlacer with round yarn duet is capable of producing an interlaced yam with bigger number of tangles, since it can make yarn transverse frequently the axis of air jet issuing from air jet nozzle. The interlacer with cornered shape of yarn duet makes yarn subjected to the action of compressed air for a longer time, which results in larger strength of tangles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The linear servo control system is widely used on high speed warp knitting machines. In order to improve the characters of the electronic shogging system and decrease the impact, the principle of shogging movement is analysed in this paper, in which a trapezoidal acceleration curve is selected as the motion curve of the electronic shogging system. The parameters that affect the shogging movement are also studied. The research shows that increasing the shogging time allowed can help optimise the shogging movement. Provided that the shogging movement is secure, the shogging time can be increased as much as possible, thus improving the operational capability of the warp knitting machine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amorphous silica was modified by doping with titania through a surface sol–gel process and applied as the support for depositing gold. These doped silica-supported gold catalysts were tested in the selective cyclohexane oxidation to cyclohexanone and cyclohexanol using oxygen. Under the oxidation conditions of 150 °C, 1.5 MPa and 3 h, a selectivity of 91.7% for cyclohexanone and cyclohexanol could be reached over the gold catalyst, affording a cyclohexane conversion of 8.4% and a turnover frequency up to 40,133 per hour. Moreover, the catalytic activity and selectivity could be well retained in 4 recycling oxidation reactions, showing a high stability of the gold catalyst supported on titania-doped silica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recombinant hepatitis C virus (HCV)-like particles (HCV-LPs) containing HCV structural proteins (core, E1, and E2) produced in insect cells resemble the putative HCV virions and are capable of inducing strong and broad humoral and cellular immune responses in mice and baboons. Here, we present evidence on the immunogenicity and induction of protective immunity by HCV-LPs in chimpanzees. Chimpanzees (two in each group), were immunized with HCV-LPs or HCV-LPs plus AS01B adjuvant. After immunizations, all animals developed an HCV-specific immune response including IFN-γ+, lL-2+, CD4+, and CD8+ T cell and proliferative lymphocyte responses against core, E1, and E2. Upon challenge with an infectious HCV inoculum, one chimpanzee developed transient viremia with low HCV RNA titers (10³ to 104 copies per ml) in the third and fourth weeks after the challenge. The three other chimpanzees became infected with higher levels of viremia (104 to 105 copies per ml), but their viral levels became unquantifiable (<10³ copies per ml) 10 weeks after the challenge. After the HCV challenge, all four chimpanzees demonstrated a significant increase in peripheral and intrahepatic T cell and proliferative responses against the HCV structural proteins. These T cell responses coincided with the fall in HCV RNA levels. Four naïve chimpanzees were infected with the same HCV inoculum, and three developed persistent infection with higher viremia in the range of 105 to 106 copies per ml. Our study suggests that HCV-LP immunization induces HCV-specific cellular immune responses that can control HCV challenge in the chimpanzee model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The selective oxidation of cyclohexane to cyclohexanone and cyclohexanol has been investigated over Au/Al2O3 catalysts using molecular oxygen in a solvent-free system. The catalysts were prepared by a modified direct anionic exchange method and characterized by AAS, N2 adsorption and TEM. The results showed that the catalytic performance of Au/Al2O3 is very high in terms of turnover frequency. Moreover, the nano-size effect of gold is also reported in the reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The forward-biased diode has been widely applied in electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection projects. In this Letter, various diodes with finger-shaped topology are studied by transmission line pulse (TLP) and emission microscope (EMMI) experiments. Among them, a novel mix-mode diode with P-well and floating deep N-well, called MMDIO, is fabricated by the same process and footprint, except that some discrete N+ regions are being added to the original anode P+ region. This approach forms a combination of a parasitic NPN transistor and a PNPN structure, which can significantly optimise the ESD current efficiency and clamping voltage (VCL). According to the comprehensive comparison, the MMDIO with overlapped anode N+ layout could endure the failure current 1.25 times higher than that of a regular diode under the same junction capacitance (Cj), while the VCL is reduced by 20%. Accordingly, the MMDIO is an attractive solution to pass the higher ESD level without any negative influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]