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Background ABL1 is primarily known as a leukemia-related oncogene due to translocation, but about 2.2% of ABL1 mutations have been identified in bladder cancer, and high expression in solid cancer has also been detected. Methods Here, we used the NCBI database, UCSC genome browser gateway and Tandem repeat finder program to investigate the structural characterization of the ABL1 breakpoint region and to identify the variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR). To investigate the relationship between ABL1-MS1 and bladder cancer, a case-controlled study was conducted in 207 controls and 197 bladder cancer patients. We also examined the level of transcription of the reporter gene driven by the ABL1 promoter to determine if the VNTR region affects gene expression. Results In our study, one VNTR was identified in the breakpoint region, the intron 1 region of ABL1, and was named ABL1-MS1. In the control group, only two common alleles (TR13, TR15) were detected, but an additional two rare alleles (TR14, TR16) were detected in bladder cancer. A statistically significant association was identified between the rare ABL1-MS1 allele and bladder cancer risk: P = 0.013. Investigating the level of transcription of the reporter gene driven by the ABL1 promoter, VNTR showed inhibition of ABL1 expression in non-cancer cells 293 T, but not in bladder cancer cells. In addition, ABL1-MS1 was accurately passed on to offspring according to Mendelian inheritance through meiosis. Conclusions Therefore, the ABL1-MS1 region can affect ABL1 expression of bladder cancer. This study provides that ABL1-MS1 can be used as a DNA fingerprinting marker. In addition, rare allele detection can predict susceptibility to bladder cancer.

Numerous wearable devices were developed to measure bioelectric signals for continuous healthcare monitoring. The electrode, which interconnects electronics and the human body, significantly affect...

van der Waals (vdW) magnetic materials provide an ideal platform to study low-dimensional magnetism. However, observations of magnetic characteristics of these layered materials truly distinguishing them from conventional magnetic thin film systems have been mostly lacking. In an effort to investigate magnetic properties unique to vdW magnetic materials, we examine the exchange bias effect, a magnetic phenomenon emerging at the ferromagnetic-antiferromagnetic interface. Exchange bias is observed in the naturally oxidized vdW ferromagnet Fe3GeTe2, owing to an antiferromagnetic ordering in the surface oxide layer. Interestingly, the magnitude and thickness dependence of the effect is unlike those expected in typical thin-film systems. We propose a possible mechanism for this behavior, based on the weak interlayer magnetic coupling inherent to vdW magnets, demonstrating the distinct properties of these materials. Furthermore, the robust and sizable exchange bias for vdW magnets persisting up to relatively high temperatures presents a significant advance for realizing practical two-dimensional spintronics.

Signal flow graph (SFG) representation of small- signal responses of nonlinear microwave circuits around a large-signal operating point is developed using the X-parameters. It is shown that, unlike the SFGs for linear circuits, negative-frequency nodes need to be included explicitly. The development elucidates the circuit-operational meaning of the elusive T-type small-signal X-parameters, which represent interaction between positive- and negative-frequency components. As an application example, such an SFG is used to derive a closed-form expression of the output power of a power amplifier as a function of the load reflection coefficient. It is then used to plot approximate load-pull power contours. The result is consistent with and more general than the expression of the optimum load reflection coefficient derived analytically by Root et al. (EuMIC 2017). SFGs provide a systematic means to derive closed-form expressions in terms of X-parameters and to gain illuminating insights into the workings of weakly nonlinear circuits.

Aims To assess the possibility of the body impedance (BI) reflecting bladder volumes (BV) in pediatric patients, the BI signals are measured continuously with the equipment that we have developed and reported previously, during the filling phase of urodynamic study (UDS). Methods A total of 30 children (5-12 years old) are included in this prospective study. The equipment uses two dry electrodes embedded inside a strap to collect impedance and electrocardiogram signals. The factors affecting baseline BI and its decreases during UDS have been investigated. Results The median age is 6.1 years and BI is accurately measured in 27 out of 30 patients (90.0% accuracy). The median value of baseline BI is 1958 Ω. It is higher when they are older, equal to or taller than 125 cm, or non-neurogenic bladder patients. BI decreases as the bladder is filled with saline in 21 patients (77.8%), and remains constant in 6 patients (22.2%). The median age of the Decreased Group is significantly higher than that of Nondecreased Group (p = .036). Height of 125 cm or more is significant in the Decreased Group (p = .020). Heart rates also have been simultaneously measured and revealed a mild decrease during the filling phase. Conclusions The baseline BI is affected by the height and age of the children. BI is effectively measured and reflects a change in the BV in older children who are taller than 125 cm, with a small device using a smartphone and a strap.

Flexible electronics are forefront technologies with the growing demand for future deformable and wearable applications, including the Internet of Things (IoT), healthcare devices, integrated artificial skins, and wearable electronics. Rapidly evolving devices are strongly pushing to develop flexible energy devices as a power source. Flexible energy storage devices based on an aqueous electrolyte, alternative battery chemistry, is thought to be a promising power source for such flexible electronics. Their salient features pose high safety, low manufacturing cost, and unprecedented electrochemical performance. In this review, we focus on pioneering works of flexible aqueous energy storage devices for flexible electronics, covering the material designs for essential components of the energy devices such as active materials, current collectors, aqueous electrolyte, and separator membranes. In addition, we touch flexible aqueous energy devices with various configurations like thin-film energy devices, fiber energy devices, and porous matrix energy devices. Also, we present recent advanced aqueous energy with transparent and stretchable features beyond flexibility. Further, the challenges facing the practical application of flexible aqueous energy storage devices and the perspective of the current hurdles are proposed.

The waste sludge from non-ferrous metal smelter contains high concentrations of mercury (Hg), arsenic (As) and sulfur (S). The Article 11 of the Minamata Convention on Mercury mandates the recovery of Hg before the disposal stage of Hg waste. However, As compounds have similar boiling points with Hg compounds, and they are considered interfering substances in the recovery of Hg. Moreover, a high concentration of S requires significant energy to volatilize Hg. This study examined the optimal conditions for selective recovery of Hg and energy reduction by introducing FeI

In this paper, new circuit techniques are proposed and applied for low-power, high-resolution capacitance sensing. The first is a CMOS inverter-based resistor-capacitor oscillator that consists of a resistor, a capacitor, and three inverters, allowing it to operate at low supply voltage and low power with a wide sensing range. The second is a voltage-integration feedback (VIF), which suppresses low-frequency jitter noise generated by internal and external noise. As a result, a fabricated circuit with a 0.18 μm CMOS process technology exhibits the sensitivity of 10.5 μs pF−1 with 2.12 ppm resolution in the oscillation frequency, in addition to 7.52 μW power consumption under a 1 V power supply.

A 40-nm CMOS receiver (RX) capable of performing A-to-D-converter-less carrier recovery including frequency and phase tracking and coherent QPSK demodulation is presented. It operates in frequency-acquisition mode, followed by phase-tracking mode. It is meant as a demodulator of a 270-GHz RX operating at an intermediate frequency of 45 GHz. The highest data-rate of 32 Gbit/s was achieved dissipating 351 mW, amounting to an energy-per-bit of 11 pJ/bit.

The ability to realize a highly capacitive/conductive electrode is an essential factor in large-scale devices, requiring a high-power/energy density system. Germanium is a feasible candidate as an anode material of lithium-ion batteries to meet the demands. However, the application is constrained due to low charge conductivity and large volume change on cycles. Here, we design a hybrid conductive shell of multi-component titanium oxide on a germanium microstructure. The shell enables facile hybrid ionic/electronic conductivity for swift charge mobility in the germanium anode, revealed through computational calculation and consecutive measurement of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Furthermore, a well-constructed electrode features a high initial Coulombic efficiency (90.6%) and stable cycle life for 800 cycles (capacity retention of 90.4%) for a fast-charging system. The stress-resilient properties of dense microparticle facilitate to alleviate structural failure toward high volumetric (up to 1737 W h L

In this work, we fabricate multidimensional silicon-graphene hybrid nanostructures composed of three-dimensional (3D) out-of-plane graphene flakes on a silicon nanowire core. By changing the synthesis temperature (700 and 1100 °C) and time (5, 10, and 20 min), we obtain two different types of 3D graphene flakes with tunable dimensions and structure parameters. We characterize the thermal transport behavior of this hybrid multidimensional material in a broad temperature range of 20-460 K. With different morphologies and structures, the effective thermal conductivity of the silicon-graphene hybrid nanostructures varies from 1 to 7 W/(m·K) at room temperature. We also apply molecular dynamics simulation and density functional theory to elucidate the thermal transport mechanisms in the silicon-graphene hybrid nanostructures.

Although anionic-redox-based layered oxide materials have attracted great attention as promising cathodes for Na-ion batteries because of their high practical capacities, they suffer from undesirable structural degradation, resulting in the poor electrochemical behavior. Moreover, the occurrence of stable anionic-redox reaction without the use of expensive elements such as Li, Co, and Ni is considered one of the most important issues for high-energy and low-cost Na-ion batteries. Herein, using first-principles calculation and various experimental techniques, we investigate the combination of vacancy (□) and Ti4+ cations in the transition-metal sites to enable outstanding anionic-redox-based electrochemical performance in the Na-ion battery system. The presence of vacancies in the P2-type Na0.56[Ti0.1Mn0.76□0.14]O2 structure suppresses the large structural change such as the P2–OP4 phase transition, and Ti4+ cations in the structure result in selectively oxidized oxygen ions with structural stabilization during Na+ deintercalation in the high-voltage region. The high structural stability of P2-type Na0.56[Ti0.1Mn0.76□0.14]O2 enables not only the high specific capacity of 224.92 mAh g−1 at 13 mA g−1 (1C = 264.1 mA g−1) with an average potential of ∼2.62 V (vs Na+/Na) but also excellent cycle performance with a capacity retention of ∼80.38% after 200 cycles at 52 mA g−1 with high coulombic efficiencies above 99%. Although there are some issues such as low Na contents in the as-prepared state, these findings suggest potential strategies to stabilize the anionic-redox reaction and structure in layered-oxide cathodes for high-energy and low-cost Na-ion batteries.

A 272-GHz CMOS receiver (RX) for IEEE 802.15.3d, capable of an analog BPSK/QPSK demodulation based on a Costas loop, is presented. A QPSK demodulation is realized with the non-linear operation of a phase detector at the BPSK-demodulation Costas loop. An 8-Gbaud BPSK and a 4-Gbaud QPSK demodulation at the carrier frequency of 272.16 GHz (channel 58 of IEEE 802.15.3d) are achieved.

Recent theories and experiments have suggested hydrodynamic phonon transport features in graphite at unusually high temperatures. Here, we report a picosecond pump-probe thermal reflectance measurement of heat-pulse propagation in graphite. The measurement results reveal transient lattice cooling near the adiabatic center of a $15\text{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$-diameter ring-shape pump beam at temperatures between 80 and 120 K. While such lattice cooling has not been reported in recent diffraction measurements of second sound in graphite, the observation here is consistent with both hydrodynamic phonon transport theory and prior heat-pulse measurements of second sound in bulk sodium fluoride.

Microparticle aligned-stretchable anisotropic conductive film enables high-resolution stretchable circuit lines to interconnect., In stretchable electronics, high-resolution stretchable interfacing at a mild temperature is considered as a great challenge and has not been achieved yet. This study presents a stretchable anisotropic conductive film (S-ACF) that can electrically connect high-resolution stretchable circuit lines to other electrodes whether they are rigid, flexible, or stretchable. The key concepts of this study are (i) high-resolution (~50 μm) but low–contact resistance (0.2 ohm in 0.25 mm2) interfacing by periodically embedding conductive microparticles in thermoplastic film, (ii) low-temperature interfacing through the formation of chemical bonds between the S-ACF and the substrates, (iii) economical interfacing by selectively patterning the S-ACF, and (iv) direct interfacing of chips by using the adhesion of the thermoplastic matrix. We integrate light-emitting diodes on the patterned S-ACF and demonstrate stable light operation at large biaxial areal stretching (εxy = 70%).

The magnetotransport properties of a GaMnAs trilayer in which two GaMnAs layers are separated by a nonmagnetic GaAs:Be spacer has been investigated during the magnetization reversal process. Interestingly, the planar Hall resistance (PHR) reveals that the two GaMnAs layers in a trilayer structure have opposite signs of anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR). The magnetoresistance is observed to be significantly different for the collinear and noncollinear magnetic alignment, which indicates that the presence of the giant magnetoresistance (GMR)-like effect in the system. This GMR-like effect was systematically investigated during the process of magnetization reversal using field and angle scans of MR measurements.

Spin-orbit-induced (SOI) field of crystalline GaMnAs ferromagnetic film has been investigated by using planar Hall effect measurements. The presence of SOI field manifested itself as an asymmetry in the magnetization reversal process between positive and negative current directions. A significant Joule heating caused by current has been observed and its effect was carefully considered to obtain the magnetic anisotropy of the GaMnAs film. The switching of magnetization by SOI field in the GaMnAs film was demonstrated in the absence of an external field.

Interlayer exchange coupling (IEC) between ferromagnetic (FM) metal Fe and FM semiconductor GaMnAs has been investigated by using magnetotransport measurements. The realization of diverse magnetization alignments, including collinear and non-collinear configurations, between Fe and GaMnAs layers are observed during the magnetization reversal process measured by the planar Hall effect. Minor loop scan reveals the presence of FM IEC between Fe and GaMnAs, which systematically decreases as the temperature increases.

This paper presents a 258-GHz CMOS transmitter with phase-shifting capability for phased-array systems targeting sixth-generation mobile network (6G). Phase shifters are inserted in local oscillator (LO) paths to limit the bandwidth required of the phase shifters. A power detector is used to detect and calibrate the phase difference between a pair of phase shifters in the two power-combined paths of the transmitter. It is fabricated using a 40-nm CMOS technology. A data rate of 16 Gb/s and output power of −6.8 dBm are achieved with quaternary phase-shift keying (QPSK). The calibration procedure of the phase shifters is verified by simulation.

This paper describes a single axis MEMS accelerometer with the wide detection range of acceleration from micro-G level to 20 G $(\mathrm{G}=9.8\ \mathrm{m}/\mathrm{s}^{2})$ . We propose the MEMS accelerometer with two proof masses on a single chip of $4 \times 4\ \text{mm}^{2}$ in area. One proof mass is for over micro-G level sensing and the other is for below 20 G sensing. The experimental results of the fabricated device show that the Brownian noise $B_{\mathrm{N}}$ and the sensitivity $S$ of the proof mass for over micro-G level are $0.18 \mu \mathrm{G}/\sqrt{\text{Hz}}$ and 5.0 pF/G, respectively and these of it for below 20 G are $0.81 \mu \mathrm{G}/\sqrt{\text{Hz}}$ and $3.7 \times 10^{-2}\ \text{pF}/\mathrm{G}$ , respectively. It is confirmed that the proposed device could realize the wide detection range of acceleration from micro-G level to 20 G. (130)

This paper describes a novel capacitive-detection electrode for a single gold proof-mass three-axis MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) accelerometer. We propose a 3-D capacitive-detection electrode (3-DCE) for a high and uniform sensitivity to sense micro-G (G=9.Sm/s2) level. Based on the analysis in terms of the sensitivity and the Brownian noise B N , we design and fabricate the device with 3-DCE by the multi-metal layer technology for a post-CMOS process. The experimental results show that the obtained B N is 0.16 µG/√Hz and the sensitivities of X-, Y-, and Z-axis are 162, 210, and 341 fF /G, respectively.

Delftia sp. K82 is a soil bacterium capable of utilizing monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, including aniline, as its sole carbon and nitrogen source. In this study, the genome analysis of Delftia sp. K82 was completed and the genome data (6117 protein-coding genes and 62 RNA genes) were utilized for proteomic and transcriptomic analysis of Delftia sp. K82 cultured in aniline culture medium. Using these multi-omics approaches (genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics), complete gene clusters for aniline biodegradation pathways were identified and transcriptomic or proteomic sets specifically induced in aniline culture conditions were elucidated. These data provide multi-layered information on the metabolic characteristics of Delftia sp. K82. The findings suggest that multi-omics approaches are useful analytical tools for the elucidation of the metabolic diversity of soil bacteria and for the identification of novel metabolic enzymes.

Air-stable layered semiconductor Bi2O2Se has attracted extensive interest recently for applications in electronics, optoelectronics, ferroelectrics, and thermoelectrics. For many of these applications, thermal transport in Bi2O2Se is of great importance but the understanding remains elusive. Here, we perform a combined experimental and theoretical study on the anisotropic thermal conductivity of single-crystalline Bi2O2Se in comparison with its parent compound Bi2Se3 over the temperature range of 80-300 K using the time-domain thermoreflectance measurements and ab initio phonon Boltzmann transport calculations. Compared with Bi2Se3, Bi2O2Se exhibits relatively higher thermal conductivity along the through-plane direction but it is lower along the in-plane direction, resulting in substantially smaller thermal anisotropy. We find the smaller thermal anisotropy of Bi2O2Se mainly originates from its stronger interlayer electrostatic interaction compared to the typical van der Waals coupling in layered materials, which makes the phonon isoenergy surfaces less anisotropic and thus weakens phonon focusing along the in-plane directions. Our study advances the fundamental understanding of thermal anisotropy in layered materials with various interlayer interactions and will facilitate the applications of Bi2O2Se in electronics and thermoelectrics.

Streptococcus pneumoniae is one of Gram-positive pathogen that causes invasive pneumococcal disease. Nowadays, many S. pneumoniae strains are resistant to commonly used antibiotics such as β-lactams and macrolides. 3-Acyl-2-phenylamino-1,4-dihydroquinolin-4-one (APDQ) derivatives are known as novel chemicals having anti-pneumococcal activity against S. pneumoniae. The underlying mechanism of the anti-pneumococcal activity of this inhibitor remains unknown. Therefore, we tried to find the anti-pneumococcal mechanism of APDQ230122, one of the APDQ derivatives active against S. pneumoniae. We performed transcriptomic analysis (RNA-Seq) and proteomic analysis (LC–MS/MS analysis) to get differentially expressed genes (DEG) and differentially expressed proteins (DEP) of S. pneumoniae 521 treated with sub-inhibitory concentrations of APDQ230122 and elucidated the comprehensive expression changes of genes and proteins using multi-omics analysis. As a result, genes or proteins of peptidoglycan biosynthesis and DNA replication were significantly down-regulated. Electron microscopy analysis revealed that the structure of peptidoglycan was damaged by APDQ230122 in a chemical concentration-dependent manner. Therefore, we suggest peptidoglycan biosynthesis is a major target of APDQ230122. Multi-omics analysis can provide us useful information to elucidate anti-pneumococcal activity of APDQ230122.

In this paper, a 1-meter high-speed-wireless data transmission, employing a 300-GHz CMOS RF front end and Cassegrain antennas, is demonstrated. To improve system SNR of the CMOS RF front end, high-gain antennas are designed for the 300-GHz frequency bands. The antenna shows the peak antenna gain of 40 dBi and the 3-dB beamwidth of 1.3 degrees, within the diameter of 6 cm. In the wireless demonstration, the maximum data rate of 36 Gb/s with QPSK modulation is achieved due to high gain antennas.

In this paper, a 300-GHz short-range wireless data transmission is demonstrated, with considering antenna-performance variation due to surrounding conditions. For that, a λ/4-type absorber with a resistive film is employed to decrease the antenna-performance variation in the short-range wireless link. By adopting it, bit error rate of the demodulated signal (quadrature phase shift keying, 6 Gb/s) is improved from 5.3 ⨯ 10−6to 2.8 ⨯ 10−6at the carrier frequency of 272 GHz (distance: 1 cm).

Lithium metal has been considered as an anode material to improve energy densities of lithium chemistry-based rechargeable batteries (that is to say, lithium metal batteries or LMBs). Higher capacities and cell voltages are ensured by replacing practically used anode materials such as graphite with lithium metal. However, lithium metal as the LMB anode material has been challenged by its dendritic growth, electrolyte decomposition on its fresh surface, and its serious volumetric change. To address the problems of lithium metal anodes, herein, we guided and facilitated lithium ion transport along a spontaneously polarized and highly dielectric material. A three-dimensional web of nanodiameter fibers of ferroelectric beta-phase polyvinylidene fluoride (beta-PVDF) was loaded on a copper foil by electrospinning (PVDF#Cu). The electric field applied between the nozzle and target copper foil forced the dipoles of PVDF to be oriented centro-asymmetrically and then the beta structure induced ferroelectric polarization. Three-fold benefits of the ferroelectric nano-web architecture guaranteed the plating/stripping reversibility especially at high rates: (1) three-dimensional scaffold to accommodate the volume change of lithium metal during plating and stripping, (2) electrolyte channels between fibers to allow lithium ions to move, and (3) ferroelectrically polarized or negatively charged surface of beta-PVDF fibers to encourage lithium ion hopping along the surface. Resultantly, the beta-PVDF web architecture drove dense and integrated growth of lithium metal within its structure. The kinetic benefit expected from the ferroelectric lithium ion transport of beta-PVDF as well as the porous architecture of PVDF#Cu was realized in a cell of LFP as a cathode and lithium-plated PVDF#Cu as an anode. Excellent plating/stripping reversibility along repeated cycles was successfully demonstrated in the cell even at a high current such as 2.3 mA cm-2, which was not obtained by the nonferroelectric polymer layer.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a new emerging human infectious disease caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, also previously known as 2019-nCoV), originated in Wuhan seafood and animal market, China. Since December 2019, more than 69,000 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in China and quickly spreads to other counties. Currently, researchers put their best efforts to identify effective drugs for COVID-19. The neutralizing antibody, which binds to viral capsid in a manner that inhibits cellular entry of virus and uncoating of the genome, is the specific defense against viral invaders. In this study, we investigate to identify neutralizing antibodies that can bind to SARS-CoV-2 Sipke (S) protein and interfere with the interaction between viral S protein and a host receptor by bioinformatic methods. The sequence analysis of S protein showed two major differences in the RBD region of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein compared to SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV related bat viruses (btSARS-CoV). The insertion regions were close to interacting residues with the human ACE2 receptor. Epitope analysis of neutralizing antibodies revealed that SARS-CoV neutralizing antibodies used conformational epitopes, whereas MERS-CoV neutralizing antibodies used a common linear epitope region, which contributes to form the β-sheet structure in MERS-CoV S protein and deleted in SARS-CoV-2 S protein. To identify effective neutralizing antibodies for SARS-CoV-2, the binding affinities of neutralizing antibodies with SARS-CoV-2 S protein were predicted and compared by antibody-antigen docking simulation. The result showed that CR3022 neutralizing antibody from human may have higher binding affinity with SARS-CoV-2 S protein than SARS-CoV S protein. We also found that F26G19 and D12 mouse antibodies could bind to SARS-CoV S protein with high affinity. Our findings provide crucial clues towards the development of antigen diagnosis, therapeutic antibody, and the vaccine against SARS-CoV-2.