Search

Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) has been employed to detect Parkinson&rsquo, s disease (PD). However, analysis of the SPECT PD images was mostly based on the region of interest (ROI) approach. Due to limited size of the ROI, especially in the multi-stage classification of PD, this study utilizes deep learning methods to establish a multiple stages classification model of PD. In the retrospective study, the 99mTc-TRODAT-1 was used for brain SPECT imaging. A total of 202 cases were collected, and five slices were selected for analysis from each subject. The total number of images was thus 1010. According to the Hoehn and Yahr Scale standards, all the cases were divided into healthy, early, middle, late four stages, and HYS I~V six stages. Deep learning is compared with five convolutional neural networks (CNNs). The input images included grayscale and pseudo color of two types. The training and validation sets were 70% and 30%. The accuracy, recall, precision, F-score, and Kappa values were used to evaluate the models&rsquo, performance. The best accuracy of the models based on grayscale and color images in four and six stages were 0.83 (AlexNet), 0.85 (VGG), 0.78 (DenseNet) and 0.78 (DenseNet).

Herein an in-situ confined synthesis of highly conductive titanium oxide supported Pt catalysts is successfully synthesized. The method involves crystallization and formation of TiO2 particles inside the inert silica shell introduced via Hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS). The conductivity of titania is found to be greatly enhanced by increased annealing temperature, whereas the inevitable decrease in the specific surface area was effectively inhibited by the confined silica shell derived from HMDS. The optimal catalyst (20Pt 850 FHST), exhibited better ORR activity with a maximum current density of 0.049 mA cm-2 at 0.9 V (vs. NHE) and an onset potential of 0.86 V (vs. NHE). The prolonged cycling test demonstrated superior stability as compared to Pt/C (JM 20). Moreover, X-ray absorption spectroscopy asserts that increased electron population in the Pt 5d-orbital, emanating from the strong metal support interaction, improves the electrochemical performance in ORR. The in-situ HMDS-assisted synthesis can also be extended to other oxide supported catalytic systems.

Human tumorous imaginal disc (Tid1), a DnaJ co-chaperone protein, is classified as a tumor suppressor. Previously, we demonstrated that Tid1 reduces head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) malignancy. However, the molecular details of Tid1-mediated anti-metastasis remain elusive. Methods: We used affinity chromatography and systemic mass spectrometry to identify Tid1-interacting client proteins. Immunohistochemical staining of Tid1 in HNSCC patient tissues was examined to evaluate the association between the expression profile of Tid1-interacting client proteins with pathologic features and prognosis. The roles of Tid1-interacting client proteins in metastasis were validated both in vitro and in vivo. The interacting partner and downstream target of Tid1-interacting client protein were determined. Results: Herein, we first revealed that Galectin-7 was one of the Tid1-interacting client proteins. An inverse association of protein expression profile between Tid1 and Galectin-7 was determined in HNSCC patients. Low Tid1 and high Galectin-7 expression predicted poor overall survival in HNSCC. Furthermore, Tid1 abolished the nuclear translocation of Galectin-7 and suppressed Galectin-7-induced tumorigenesis and metastasis. Keratinocyte-specific Tid1-deficient mice with 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4NQO) treatment exhibited increased protein levels of Galectin-7 and had a poor survival rate. Tid1 interacted with Galectin-7 through its N-linked glycosylation to promote Tid1-mediated ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of Galectin-7. Additionally, Galectin-7 played a critical role in promoting tumorigenesis and metastatic progression by enhancing the transcriptional activity of TCF3 transcription factor through elevating MMP-9 expression. Conclusions: Overall, future treatments through activating Tid1 expression or inversely repressing the oncogenic function of Galectin-7 may exhibit great potential in targeting HNSCC progression.

This paper explores whether there exist nonlinear threshold effects of government size and governance on output growth and whether the effect is mainly mediated through the productivity growth channel. Using the panel smooth transition regression (PSTR) approach to a sample of developed and developing countries, it finds that (i) better governance helps government size increase productivity and hence output growth, and bigger government size helps governance raise productivity and then output growth; (ii) government size turns harmful to growth above some threshold level of government size; (iii) governance becomes beneficial to growth above some threshold level of governance; and (iv) the evidence is more pronounced in countries with abundant natural resources. The findings are robust and provide circumstantial support for government size and governance to promote economic growth.

There has been a significant increase in the microplastic (MP) polluting the ocean in recent time which is regarded as toxic for living organisms. In this study, Fluorescent red polyethylene microspheres (FRPE) were administered intramuscularly to Litopenaeus vannamei juveniles at the concentration of 0.1, 0.2, 0.5 and 1.0 μg (g shrimp)−1, and the survival rate was recorded. Analysis of the hepatopancreas for antioxidant enzyme activity and gene expression were done after seven days. Further tissue morphology and accumulation of FRPE was analysed. The results showed that FRPE at 0.5 and 1.0 μg (g shrimp)−1 reduce the survival rate of L. vannamei. FRPE at 0.5 and 1.0 μg (g shrimp)−1 reduced superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity; FRPE at different concentrations reduced catalase (CAT) activity; FRPE at 0.2, 0.5 and 1.0 μg (g shrimp)−1 increased the lipid peroxide thiobarbituric acid (TBARS) content. FRPE at 0.1, 0.2, and 0.5 μg (g shrimp)−1 significantly affect the performance of SOD and CAT genes; FRPE at 0.2 and 0.5 μg (g shrimp)−1 significantly improves GPx gene performance; FRPE at 1.0 μg (g shrimp)−1 significantly reduced the expression of GPx genes. Analysis of tissue morphology shows that FRPE cause muscle, midgut gland, and hepatopancreas, and gill damage at different concentrations. In the results of accumulation of microplastic, FRPE accumulated in gill tissue at 0.2 and 0.5 μg (g shrimp)−1; FRPE accumulated in gill, muscle and hepatopancreas tissue at 1.0 μg (g shrimp)−1. Based on the above results, FRPE at 0.5 and 1.0 μg (g shrimp)−1 can regulate the antioxidant enzymes of L. vannamei, increase lipid peroxide content, cause tissue damage by accumulating in the tissues. The rate of survival decreased in L. vannamei, and the impact of FRPE at 1.0 μg (g shrimp)−1 was significant.

This paper examines the relationships of income with education and health using heterogeneous panel cointegration techniques to account for the potential cross-country heterogeneity in the effects of education and health. Our main results are: (i) education and health are, on average, income-enhancing; (ii) for different schooling levels, although primary education lowers income, both secondary and tertiary education raise income with larger impacts for the former than the latter, on average; (iii) there is considerable heterogeneity in the effects of education and health on income across countries; and (iv) the effect of education (health) on income tends to be greater (smaller) in countries with higher levels of development, greater (less) trade openness, less abundant natural resources, less corruption, higher levels of democracy, and a more homogeneous society.

Four three-dimensional (3D) coordination complexes on the basis of 4-halogenated isophthalic acid and two types of flexible and semiflexible N-donor ligands, formulated as {[Zn(bix)(4-Br-ip)]·H2O}n (1), {[Co(bix)(4-Br-ip)]·0.5H2O}n (2), [Zn(bbi)(4-Br-ip)]n (3) and [Co(bbi)(4-Cl-ip)]n (4), (4-Br-H2ip = 4-bromoisophthalic acid, 4-Cl-H2ip = 4-chloroisophthalic acid, bix = 1,4-bis(imidazol-1-yl-methyl)benzene, bbi = 1,1′-(1,4-butanediyl)bis(imidazole)), have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, IR spectra, single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction analyses. Compounds 1 and 2 possess the same 4-connected 66 net. Compounds 3 and 4 are isostructural and exhibit the 4-connected 412 topology. The thermal stabilities for 1–4 and photoluminescence properties for the d10 metal centers were discussed in detail.

Light controls vegetative and reproductive development of plants. For a plant, sensing the light input properly ensures coordination with the ever-changing environment. Previously, we found that LIGHT-REGULATED WD1 (LWD1) and LWD2 regulate the circadian clock and photoperiodic flowering. Here, we identified Arabidopsis YET ANOTHER KINASE1 (AtYAK1), an evolutionarily conserved protein and a member of dual-specificity tyrosine phosphorylation-regulated kinases (DYRKs), as an interacting protein of LWDs. Our study revealed that AtYAK1 is an important regulator for various light responses, including the circadian clock, photomorphogenesis and reproductive development. AtYAK1 could antagonize the function of LWDs in regulating the circadian clock and photoperiodic flowering. By examining phenotypes of atyak1, we found that AtYAK1 regulated light-induced period-length shortening and photomorphogenic development. Moreover, AtYAK1 mediated plant fertility especially under inferior light conditions including low light and short-day length. This study discloses a new regulator connecting environmental light to plant growth.

By using the methodology of extending the reduced transition-metal-grafted e-Keggin polyoxoanions with two types of terphenyl-based tricarboxylates of H3L1 (3,5′,3″-position substitution) and H3L2 (4,5′,4″-position substitution), we isolated two polyoxometalate-based metal–organic frameworks, [TBA]9{[H3PMoV8MoVI4O40]2[H2PMoV4MoVI8O40]}[Zn12(L1)4] (1, YZU-103), and [TBA]3[H4PMoV8MoVI4O40][Zn4(HL2)2]·0.5H2O (2, YZU-104) (H3L1 = [1,1′;3′,1″-terphenyl]-3,5′,3″-tricarboxylic acid; H3L2 = [1,1′;3′,1″-terphenyl]-4,5′,4″-tricarboxylic acid; TBA = tetrabutylammonium). The combination of tetrahedral inorganic building blocks and rigid triangular organic linkers is expected to produce (3,4)-connected nets. To date, only three types of topologies of ctn, bor, and ofp were identified. Interestingly, in this work, an unprecedented (3,4)-connected (6·84·10)3(62·8)4 topology (labeled as yzu) was identified in compound 1, in which the 4-connected node of {Zn4-e-Keggin} maintains the tetrahedral extending and the L1 ligand...

Background: Although the vaccination against influenza has been found to be an impactful and cost-effective protection against the disease, coverage is incomplete. This draws attention to the factors of people’s flu vaccination decisions. The article contributes to understanding the effect of social factors on vaccination behavior. Social factors comprise the ways people may be affected by their peers and the mass media or by healthcare providers and health institutions. Method: Samples of some 200 senior citizens were interviewed by write-in questionnaire in Taiwan, South Korea and the Swiss canton Ticino. Results: Encouragement by the family physician and a combination of the frequency of contact with vaccination subjects in interpersonal and traditional mass communication and perceived concern with vaccination there increased vaccination rates in the two Asian countries, and model behavior and experience strongly affected vaccination in South Korea, all in bivariate analyses. Multivariate regression in Taiwan and Korea loses the impact of mass media. Perceived concern in sources showed complete mediation by frequency of interpersonal communication in Taiwan and partial mediation in Korea. Conclusion: There is indeed a relationship between social factors and individual vaccination behavior, which, however, is far from being pervasive. There’s hardly any result with direct relevance for the hypotheses that shows up in all three countries, and a meaningful and clear pattern in the differences between the Swiss sample on the one hand and the two Asian countries emerges.

The neuroimaging techniques such as dopaminergic imaging using Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) with 99mTc-TRODAT-1 have been employed to detect the stages of Parkinson&rsquo, s disease (PD). In this retrospective study, a total of 202 99mTc-TRODAT-1 SPECT imaging were collected. All of the PD patient cases were separated into mild (HYS Stage 1 to Stage 3) and severe (HYS Stage 4 and Stage 5) PD, according to the Hoehn and Yahr Scale (HYS) standard. A three-dimensional method was used to estimate six features of activity distribution and striatal activity volume in the images. These features were skewness, kurtosis, Cyhelsky&rsquo, s skewness coefficient, Pearson&rsquo, s median skewness, dopamine transporter activity volume, and dopamine transporter activity maximum. Finally, the data were modeled using logistic regression (LR) and support vector machine (SVM) for PD classification. The results showed that SVM classifier method produced a higher accuracy than LR. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, accuracy, and AUC with SVM method were 0.82, 1.00, 0.84, 0.67, 0.83, and 0.85, respectively. Additionally, the Kappa value was shown to reach 0.68. This claimed that the SVM-based model could provide further reference for PD stage classification in medical diagnosis. In the future, more healthy cases will be expected to clarify the false positive rate in this classification model.

The coordination characteristics of 4-bromoisophthalic acid (4-Br-H2ip) have been investigated in a series of CdII-based frameworks. Hydrothermal reactions of CdII salts and 4-Br-H2ip together with flexible or semiflexible N-donor auxiliary ligands resulted in the formation of four three-dimensional coordination complexes with diverse structures: {Cd(bix)0.5(bix)0.5(4-Br-ip)]·H2O}n (1), [Cd(bbi)0.5(bbi)0.5(4-Br-ip)]n (2), {[Cd(btx)0.5(4-Br-ip)(H2O)]·0.5CH3OH·H2O}n (3) and {[Cd(bbt)0.5(4-Br-ip)(H2O)]·3·5H2O}n (4). These compounds were characterized by elemental analyses, IR spectra, single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction. They displayed diverse structures depending on the configuration of the 4-connected metal node, the coordination mode of the 4-Br-H2ip, the coordination ability and conformationally flexibility of the N-donor auxiliary. Compound 1 exhibits 3-fold interpenetrated 66 topology and compound 2 has a 412 topology. Compounds 3–4 have similar 3D pillar-layered structures based on 3,4-connected binodal net with the Schlafli symbol of (4·38). The thermal stabilities and photoluminescence properties of them were discussed in detail.

Three S-containing highly porous metal–organic frameworks, namely, [((CH3)2NH2)Cd(MIPA)]n·xG (n = 4 (1), 2 (2), 1 (3) G = guest of DMF/DMA and H2O), featuring with high adsorption capacities and high selectivity for methylene blue (MB), were successfully assembled by subtly varying the synthesis conditions including solvents and temperatures. Compounds 1–3 crystallize in P21/c, I2/a, and R3m, respectively. The anionic frameworks of them are homologues and multiple crystal phases of the {[Cd(MIPA)]n}n−. Compounds 1 and 2 demonstrate the same 3,6-connected binodal net (42·6)(48·64·83), encapulating ca. 18 A × 18 A hexagonal channels and three other types of micropous channels. Compound 3 shows a different topology of a 4,4-connected binodal net (43·62·8), which has the highest crystalline density, highest solvent-accessible void, and accessible special surface area, as well as the highest symmetry among them. Circular channel, ca. 13 A × 13 A, and two other types of micropore channels are found in six dire...

This study aimed to investigate the function, working mechanisms and active components of Hsian-tsao tea (Mesona procumbens Hemsl., HT) on dyslipidaemia. Hamsters were fed an atherogenic diet supplemented with HT reduced serum concentrations of triacylglycerol (TAG), cholesterol, LDL-C and VLDL-TAG, and increased HDL-C/LDL-C ratio. In HepG2 cells, HT reduced TAG and apoB concentrations in the medium, without causing lipid accumulation in hepatocytes. The HT-mediated reduction in TAG output was associated with MAPKerk and MAPKjnk activation. In addition, HT activated AMPK and inhibited lipogenic activity. Using bioassay-guided fractionations, caffeic acid, kaempferol-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, and (S)-rosmarinic acid were identified and kaempferol was shown to reduce both medium and cellular TAG concentrations in HepG2. We concluded that HT improves dyslipidaemia via MAPK and AMPK pathways. Kaempferol and its glucoside may serve as marker constituents for hypolipidaemic function. Combined with documented anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects, HT may be used as an adjunct agent for atherogenesis.

In this study we synthesize a novel mesoporous titanium oxide (TiO2) through calcination of a bioinspired supramolecular assembly of polymeric micelles, based on the thymine-functionalized homopolymer, poly(4-vinylbenzyl triazolylmethyl-methylthymine), complexed with Ti(OH)(2)(2+) ions. We characterize thin films of these structures using wide-angle X-ray diffraction, small-angle X-ray scattering, nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms, transmission electron microscope, and scanning electron microscope. This approach is simple, effective, and inexpensive when compared with the synthesis of diblock or triblock copolymers typically required to prepare soft templates. This new mesoporous material exhibits superior photocatalytic activity for the degradation of the organic dye methylene blue almost three times higher than that of bulk TiO2.

Liquid ammonia electrolysis is conducted out at ambient temperature using different ammonium salt electrolytes with and without the reference electrode. It is determined that electrolytes containing NH4+ increase the current density and reduce the solution resistance. Moreover, ammonium salts of NH4Br, NH4NO3 and NH4Cl preserve >80% current efficiency and a 0.6–0.8 mL min−1 average rate of H2 generation during chronopotentiometry tests at 120 mA cm−2 for 3 h. A minimum electrolysis voltage (Emin) of ca. 1.2 V is required for the NH4Cl electrolyte when using Pt-foil as the anode and cathode. To decrease the overpotential of the anode reaction, five types of electrocatalysts were prepared and characterized: Pt-black, Rh, Pt–Ir, Rh–Pt and Ph–Pt–Ir alloys. Trimetallic Rh–Pt–Ir and bimetallic Pt–Ir, Rh–Pt (1:1) alloy electrodes exhibit a combined benefit of better activity and minimized deactivation. The ternary Rh–Pt–Ir alloy anode shows the best electrocatalytic activity with the lowest Emin of ca. 0.47 V and highest current density of 46.9 mA cm−2 at 2.0 V. In comparison with the Pt-foil anode, the Emin is reduced by two-thirds, and the current density is increased two-fold.

A new Cd(II) coordination polymer has been prepared by solvothermal synthesis and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, IR, and element analysis. Complex [Cd2·BTT·Cl·(H2O)2]n (1) [H3BTT = 1,3,5-tris(2H-tetrazol-5-yl)benzene] is monoclinic, space group P217sol;c with a = 10.601(11) A, b = 15.5428(16) A, c = 9.0083(9) A, β = 106.117(3)°, V = 1426.0(3) A3. The final refinment gave R = 0.0192, and wR = 0.0473 for reflections with I > 2σ(I). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that the compound 1 is a novel three-dimensional framework, featuring three types of connections of the tetrazole ring.

Federal regulations indicate that the achievement gap must be closed between subgroups, including the gap between special education and non-special education students. We explored the ways in which achievement trends are influenced by three methods of reporting (cross-sectional, cohort–static, and cohort–dynamic). We also investigated (a) the ways in which achievement gaps change when different analytical techniques (proficiency levels, scale scores, effect size) are used, and (b) the relationship between student achievement and the extent to which students’ special education status changes across years. We conclude by discussing the practical and policy implications of using the three methods for reporting data about the performance gap.

This study examines the relationship between social media site Facebook and TV ratings drawing from audience factors of integration model of audience behavior. Based on context of Taiwan television network programs, this study collected measures for Facebook likes, shares, comments, posts for three genres of television shows and their Nielsen ratings over a period of eleven weeks, resulting in the size of sample more than 130 observations. This study applied multiple regression models and determined that the key social media measures correlate with TV ratings. In essence, TV shows with higher number of posts and engagement are likely to relate to higher ratings, special in drama shows. Subsequently, this study constructed the TV prediction models with measures for Facebook via SVR. The results suggested that prediction models are a good forecasting of which MAPE was between 10% - 20%, even less than 10%. This implies that TV network should be motivated to invest in social media and engage their audience and analysts can use social media as a mechanism of exante forecasting.

In this work, we developed a green route to increase the added value of the lignocellulose material. Our proposed method involves ammonium-based ionic liquid selective fractionation of the lignin into essential poly-hydroxy or phenolic compounds. The selected ionic liquids (ILs) are di-isopropylethylammonium chloride ([DIPEA][Cl]) and di-isopropylethylammoniumbenzoate ([DIPEA][Bn]). The depolymerized solution was characterized by chromatographic (GPC and GCMS) and spectroscopic (FT-IR, 1HNMR and 13CNMR) techniques. The results of the analysis proved that the polymeric structure of lignin is converted into its monomers and oligomers. This confirms the potentiality of [DIPEA][Cl] and [DIPEA][Bn] ILs for the conversion of lignin into valuable aromatic compounds. In addition, our study reveals the bi-functional nature (solvation medium + catalytic agent) of the selected ILs for the depolymerization of the lignin. Since lignin is well recognized as a suitable resource for the essential chemicals, therefore, the present study is very useful in refining an alternative source for the clean production of the valuable chemicals.

The paper empirically examines whether a country's financial sector influences carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions for a sample of advanced and developing countries during the period 1989–2013. It first considers financial sector development and finds that a better functioning of financial system raises and then reduces CO2 emissions with financial deepening. We then investigate whether financial structure, i.e., the dominance of stock markets over banks, matters and find that a more market-led (bank-led) financial system alleviates (enhances) but eventually aggravates (lowers) CO2 emissions. We also check for market power in banking and show that CO2 emissions decrease with bank market power up to a threshold level beyond which a less competitive, more concentrated banking sector raises CO2 emissions. Next, we examine whether there are differences between household credit and enterprise credit and find irrelevance of credit composition. Bank lending to households or enterprises raises CO2 emissions up to a threshold above which more lending is associated with less CO2 emissions. It is also found that these effects work in part through the green technology channel. Our data thus suggest that financial reforms toward development of a more competitive, less concentrated bank-based financial system are conducive to better environmental quality.

In this study, ultrathin MoSe2 (Mo–MoSe2) was prepared by a jet cavitation process. XRD, SEM, TEM and AFM were carried out to study the crystal structure, surface morphology and lateral size distribution of bare MoSe2 and Mo–MoSe2. The corresponding electrochemical measurements, including charge/discharge tests, cyclic voltammetry as well as AC menace and cycle life tests of bare MoSe2 and Mo–MoSe2 are also carried out. The results indicate that the reversible capacity of bare MoSe2 and Mo–MoSe2 are 453 mAh g−1 and 496 mAh g−1, respectively. The rate capability tests show that the charge and discharge capacities of Mo–MoSe2 under 5C and 10C are 381 mAh g−1 and 325 mAh g−1, respectively, which was much higher than those of pristine one for 163 mAh g−1 and 129 mAh g−1. The above results indicate that Mo–MoSe2 demonstrate excellent reversible capacity, stable cycle life and good rate capability. These results indicate that the as-synthesized few-layered MoSe2 is a potential candidate for lithium ion battery applications.

Quality of life is an outcome indicator after health care treatment, and the factors that affect quality of life change over time after heart transplantation. As such, quality of life as related to heart transplantation warrants further investigation.The purposes of this study were to compare different post-transplant times of cardiac transplant recipients in terms of their quality of life, demoralization syndrome and health-related lifestyle and to identify the predictors of quality of life in Taiwan.This longitudinal study, which used convenience sampling, was conducted in one medical center. Participants were divided into three groups (1, 2 and 3) based on post-transplant time. Four questionnaires, that is, demographic, quality of life, including a physical and mental component summary (PCS and MCS), demoralization and health-related lifestyle, were used to collect data at baseline and at three, six and 12 months. Hierarchical regression was used to identify the predictors of quality of life.There were 99 participants, who were divided into three groups: Group 1 ( n = 31), Group 2 ( n = 29) and Group 3 ( n = 39). The majority of participants were male, with a mean age of 53.68 years. In each group, fewer than half had good quality of life, and one-third had demoralization syndrome. Demoralization syndrome combined with post-transplant time, age, use of mechanical circulatory support during hospitalization and stress status accounted for 35.2% of PCS for all participants. Further, demoralization syndrome combined with age and religion accounted for 40.3% of MCS for all participants.The results indicated that quality of life, demoralization syndrome and health-related lifestyle were correlated over time. Demoralization was an independent predictor of quality of life.

In this study, the time-dependent reaction between 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (11-MUA) and 1-Ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide/N-hydroxysuccinimide (EDC/NHS) is precisely characterized using surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRAS). According to the high correlation between the spectral results of SEIRAS and the electrochemical behavior, it strongly demonstrates that the EDC/NHS reaction would be obviously interfered by phosphate ions in the neutral pH condition (pH = 7.0).

A new 2D network formulated as [TBA]3[H2PMo 8 V Mo 4 VI O40Zn4][C7H6(COO)2] (1) containing linear inorganic chain {e-H2PMo 8 V Mo 4 VI O40Zn4}∞ has been synthesized and structurally characterized by FT-IR, thermal analysis, single crystal and powder X-ray diffraction. Compound 1 shows remarkable electrocatalytic activity towards bromate reduction, nitrite reduction and ascorbic acid oxidation. Moreover, the proton conduction behavior of 1 has also been investigated.

This study assessed the total arsenic content and arsenic speciation in rice to determine the health risks associated with rice consumption in various age-gender subgroups in Taiwan. The average total arsenic levels in white rice and brown rice were 116.6 ± 39.2 and 215.5 ± 63.5 ng/g weight (n = 51 and 13), respectively. The cumulative cancer risk among males was 10.4/100,000. The highest fraction of inorganic/total arsenic content in white rice ranged from 76.9 to 88.2 % and from 81.0 to 96.5 % in brown rice. The current study found different arsenic speciation of rice in southern Taiwan, where the famous blackfoot disease has been reported compared with arsenic speciation from other Taiwan areas. Therefore, rice and other grains should be further monitored in southern Taiwan to evaluate whether arsenic contamination is well controlled in this area.

In this article the characteristics of In0.49Ga0.51P/GaAs/GaAs0.975Bi0.025 and In0.49Ga0.51P/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBTs) are demonstrated and compared by two-dimensional simulated analysis. As compared to the traditional InGaP/GaAs HBT, the studied InGaP/GaAs/GaAsBi HBT exhibits a higher collector current, a lower base-emitter (B–E) turn-on voltage, and a relatively lower collector-emitter offset voltage of only 7 mV. Because the more electrons stored in the base is further increased in the InGaP/GaAs/GaAsBi HBT, it introduces the collector current to increase and the B–E turn-on voltage to decrease for low input power applications. However, the current gain is slightly smaller than the traditional InGaP/GaAs HBT attributed to the increase of base current for the minority carriers stored in the GaAsBi base.

Recent empirical work on globalization and inflation analyzes multicountry data sets in panel and/or cross-section frameworks and reaches inconclusive results. This paper highlights their shortcomings and reexamines the issue utilizing heterogeneous panel cointegration techniques that allow for cross-section heterogeneity and dependence. It finds that in a sample of developing countries globalization of both trade and finance, on the average, exerts a significant and positive effect on inflation, whereas in a sample of developed countries there is, on the average, no significant impact of openness. Neither type of openness disciplines inflationary policy. Despite this, there are large variations in the effect across countries, due possibly to differences in the quality of political institutions, central bank independence, the exchange-rate regimes, financial development, and/or legal traditions.

By introducing a bridging ligand of 5-methylisophthalic acid (shortened as 5-mip) into the tetrahedral Zn4-e-Keggin system, a new 2D network of [TBA]3[H4PMo 8 V Mo 4 VI O40Zn4][C7H6(COO)2]2 (1) was synthesized under hydrothermal condition. It was characterized by FT-IR, BET, TGA/DSC-MASS analysis, powder X-ray diffraction and single-crystal X-ray diffraction, respectively. Besides, compound 1 shows remarkable electrocatalytic activity towards bromate reduction.

DC performance of GaAsSb/InGaAs type-II and InP/InGaAs type-I doped-channel field-effect transistors (DCFETs) is demonstrated and compared by two-dimensional simulated analysis. As compared with the traditional InP/InGaAs DCFET, the GaAsSb/InGaAs DCFET exhibits a higher drain current of 8.05 mA, a higher transconductance of 216.24 mS/mm, and a lower gate turn-on voltage of 0.25 V for the presence of a relatively large conduction band discontinuity (ΔE c ≈ 0.4 eV) at GaAsSb/InGaAs heterostructure and the formation of two-dimensional electron gas in the n +-InGaAs doping channel. However, due to the tunneling effect under large gate-to-source bias, it results in considerably large gate leakage current in the GaAsSb/InGaAs DCFET.

In this study, we report a simple but effective method for preparing various multi-compartment micelle structures: poly(styrene-b-4-vinylbenzyl triazolylmethyl methylthymine) (PS-b-PVBT) diblock copolymers blended with the adenine-terminated poly(ethylene oxide) (A-PEO) homopolymer to obtain pseudo A-b-(B-g-C)-type terpolymers stabilized through thymine–adenine (T–A) multiple hydrogen bonding interactions between PVBT and A-PEO segments in DMF (N,N-dimethylformamide) common solvent after the addition of H2O or MeCN selective solvent. Transmission electron microscopy revealed several different multi-compartment micelle structures—raspberry-like spheres, core–shell–corona spheres, core–shell–corona cylinders, nanostructured vesicles, onion-like structures, segmented worm-like cylinders, and woodlouse-like structures—upon varying the molecular weight of the PS-b-PVBT block segments and the concentration of the selective solvent. Thus, we could induce changes in the multi-compartment micelle structures, similar to those of ABC miktoarm star terpolymers, through simple blending of PS-b-PVBT block copolymers with an A-PEO homopolymer.

A novel water-stable open poly-nuclear Cu(I)-based metal-organic framework, [NC2H8]4Cu5(BTT)3·xG (G = guest of DMA and H2O) (1), featuring a giant multi-prismatic nanoscale cage and high CO2/N2 and CO2/H2 sorption selectivities, was successfully assembled by using the nitrogen-rich ligand of 1,3,5-tris(2H-tetrazol-5-yl)benzene (H3BTT) to bridge two types of Cu3 and Cu2 clusters.

Neuroinflammation is known to be involved in epileptogenesis with unclear mechanisms. Inhibition of soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) seems to offer anti-inflammatory protection to ischemic brain injury in rodents. Thus, it is hypothesized that sEH inhibition might also affect the neuroinflammatory responses caused by epileptic seizures. In the present study, we investigated the involvement of sEH in neuroinflammation, seizure generation and subsequent epileptogenesis using two mouse models of temporal lobe epilepsy. Experimental epileptic seizures were induced by either pilocarpine or electrical amygdala kindling in both wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 mice and sEH knockout (sEH KO) mice. The sEH expression in the hippocampus was detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. The effects of the sEH hydrolase inhibitors, 12-(3-adamantan-1-yl-ureido)-dodecanoic acid (AUDA) and N-[1-(1-oxopropyl)-4-piperidinyl]-N′-[4-(trifluoromethoxy) phenyl)-urea (TPPU), and of the genetic deletion of sEH on seizure-induced neuroinflammatory responses and the development of epilepsy were evaluated. In the hippocampus of WT mice, sEH was mainly expressed in astrocytes (GFAP+), neurons (NeuN+) and scattered microglia (Iba-1+) in the regions of CA1, CA3 and dentate gyrus. Expression of sEH was significantly increased on day 7, 14, 21 and 28 after pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE). Administration with sEH inhibitors attenuated the SE-induced up-regulation of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), the degradation of EETs, as well as IκB phosphorylation. Following treatment with AUDA, the frequency and duration of spontaneous motor seizures in the pilocarpine-SE mice were decreased and the seizure-induction threshold of the fully kindled mice was increased. Up-regulation of hippocampal IL-1β and IL-6 was found in both WT and sEH KO mice after successful induction of SE. Notably, sEH KO mice were more susceptible to seizures than WT mice. Seizure related neuroinflammation and ictogenesis were attenuated by pharmacological inhibition of sEH enzymatic activity but not by sEH genetic deletion. Therefore, sEH may play an important role in the generation of epilepsy. Furthermore, the effectiveness of AUDA in terms of anti-inflammatory and anti-ictogenesis properties suggests that it may have clinical therapeutic implication for epilepsy in the future, particularly when treating temporal lobe epilepsy.

Acute lung injury (ALI) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality for critically ill patients, and linarin (LR) may be a potential treatment for ALI as it reportedly has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and apoptotic-regulating activity. In the present study, the authors report that saline and LR (12.5, 25 and 50 mg/kg) were applied to male C57BL/6 mice via gavage. Then, mice were intratracheally injected with either saline or lipopolysaccharide (LPS). LR-pretreatment attenuated LPS-induced ALI and platelet activation and reduced CD41 expression levels and neutrophil platelet aggregates. Additionally, LPS-triggered pulmonary myeloperoxidase activity and neutrophil infiltration in lung tissues, and this was eliminated by LR dose-dependently. Furthermore, LPS-induced oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory cytokine release were downregulated by LR by inhibiting thioredoxin-interacting protein and nuclear factor-κB signaling pathways, including their downstream and upstream signals, such as xanthine oxidase, NLR family WHAT, pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3), apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a C-terminal caspase recruitment domain (ASC), caspase-1, IκB kinase-α (IKK-α) and IκBα. Moreover, in LPS-induced mice, the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway was inactivated by LR. In vitro, LR reduced LPS-induced inflammation and oxidative stress, which was linked to reduction of ROS. In conclusion, LR pretreatment may be protective against LPS-induced ALI.

Liver failure is a life-threatened serious disease with many complications and high mortality rate. Stem cells have been applied to replacement therapy, gene therapy and tissue engineering for its capacity of self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation. To investigate the bioactivity of the peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cells (PBHSC) in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure, we isolated CD34+ cells from peripheral blood of patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure and healthy controls. After cultured it in serum-free medium (SFEM), we studied the bioactivity of CD34+ cells by observing the morphology, recording growth curve, detecting cell cycle and cell apoptosis. CD34+ cells and culture solution were collected at the time points of 3, 5, 7, 10, 12 and 14 days, and the levels of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in culture solution were detected by ELISA. Also, the expressions of pyruvate kinase muscle isoenzyme 2 (PKM2), integrin-β1 and liver-type pyruvate kinase (LPK) were detected by RT-PCR and immunofluorescence. Our results showed the bioactivity of CD34+ cells from patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure was identified to be similar with that from healthy controls. HGF, MMP-9, TNF-α and IL-6 were found in cell culture medium. RT-PCR and immunofluorescence results indicated that PKM2, Integrin-β1 expressed on CD34+ cells from patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure. In conclusion, bioactivity of CD34+ cells of patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure was demonstrated to be normal, which could secrete HGF, MMP-9, TNF-α and IL-6, promote the growth of hepatocytes, and differentiate along a direction to hepatocyte lineage.

Light controls vegetative and reproductive development of plants. For a plant, sensing the light input properly ensures coordination with the ever-changing environment. Previously, we found that LIGHT-REGULATED WD1 (LWD1) and LWD2 regulate the circadian clock and photoperiodic flowering. Here, we identified Arabidopsis YET ANOTHER KINASE1 (AtYAK1), an evolutionarily conserved protein and a member of dual-specificity tyrosine phosphorylation-regulated kinases (DYRKs), as an interacting protein of LWDs. Our study revealed that AtYAK1 is an important regulator for various light responses, including the circadian clock, photomorphogenesis and reproductive development. AtYAK1 could antagonize the function of LWDs in regulating the circadian clock and photoperiodic flowering. By examining phenotypes of atyak1, we found that AtYAK1 regulated light-induced period-length shortening and photomorphogenic development. Moreover, AtYAK1 mediated plant fertility especially under inferior light conditions including low light and short-day length. This study discloses a new regulator connecting environmental light to plant growth.

ContextFluid methylated DNA may be a suitable biomarker for cancer patients.ObjectiveTo investigate whether circulating methylated tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 3 (TIMP-3) DNA in body fluids is a useful prognostic biomarker in gastric cancer (GC).DesignTIMP-3 methylation was detected by real-time methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction in tumor tissues, paired preoperative peritoneal washes (PPWs), and paired serum samples from 92 GC patients.ResultsThe frequency of TIMP-3 methylation was significantly elevated in GC tissues (63.04%; 58 of 92) compared with that in paired adjacent normal tissue (4.3%; 4 of 92) (P < .001). TIMP-3 methylation correlated closely with peritoneal metastasis and TNM stage (all P < .001). The frequency of TIMP-3 methylation in preoperative peritoneal washes and serum samples was 53.3% (49 of 92) and 58.7% (54 of 92), respectively. The Aζ values of the receiver operator characteristic curve for methylated TIMP-3 were 0.966 and 0.922 for serum and preoperative peritoneal washes, respectively, compared with those in GC tissues. The patients with elevated methylated TIMP-3 levels in body fluids had poorer disease-free survival rates than those without (all P < .001). Cox regression analysis showed that detection of methylated TIMP-3 DNA in body fluids was an independent risk factor for GC patients, with a remarkable decrease in disease-free survival 30 months after surgical resection of the gastric tumor.ConclusionPresence of methylated TIMP-3 DNA in body fluids is a useful biomarker for predicting the progression and prognosis of GC patients.

To explore the possible facilitative role of the Internet in the process of research collaboration, this study endeavored to systematically compare the phenomenon of co-authorship and the impacts of co-authorship between pre-web and post-web stages in the field of information systems. Three hypotheses were proposed in this study. First, research collaboration increases in the post-web stage relative to the pre-web stage. Second, research collaboration is positively related to research impact, operationally defined as the number of citations. Lastly, the positive relationship between research collaboration and research impact is stronger in the post-web stage than that in the pre-web stage. Articles published in the field of information systems in both time periods were collected to test the hypotheses. The empirical results strongly support H1 and H2, showing that co-authorship increases in the post-web stage, and positively correlates with citations received by information systems articles. The positive effects of interdisciplinary collaborations and collaborations among multiple authors are enhanced in the post-web stage, but such enhancement is not found for international collaboration. H3 is partially supported.

In this study, we investigated the self-assembly of two homopolymers of the same molecular weight, but containing complementary nucleobases. After employing nitroxide-mediated radical polymerization to synthesize poly(vinylbenzyl chloride), we converted the polymer into poly(vinylbenzyl azide) through a reaction with NaN3 and then performed click chemistry with propargyl thymine and propargyl adenine to yield the homopolymers, poly(vinylbenzyl triazolylmethyl methylthymine) (PVBT) and poly(vinylbenzyl triazolylmethyl methyladenine) (PVBA), respectively. This PVBT/PVBA blend system exhibited a single glass transition temperature over the entire range of compositions, indicative of a miscible phase arising from the formation of multiple strong complementary hydrogen bonds between the thymine and adenine groups of PVBT and PVBA, respectively; Fourier transform infrared and 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy confirmed the presence of these noncovalent interactions. In addition, dynamic rheology, dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy provided evidence for the formation of supramolecular network structures in these binary PVBT/PVBA blend systems.

In this study, we determined product prices and designed an integrated supply chain operations plan that maximized a manufacturer’s expected profit. The computational results of this study revealed that as the variance of the demand distribution increases, a manufacturer will increase its inventory to levels that are greater than the anticipated demand to prevent the potential loss of sales and will simultaneously raise product prices to obtain a greater profit. In the cost minimization approach, the manufacturer may earn the highest possible profits, as determined by the profit optimization approach, only if this firm precisely forecasts the mean market demand for its products. Greater inaccuracies in this forecast will produce lower levels of expected profit.

In the InP/InGaAs metamorphic co-integrated heterostructure bipolar and field-effect transistors (BiFETs), the field-effect transistor (FET) with pseudomorphic channel layer was stacked on the top of the metamorphic heterostructure bipolar transistor (HBT) with pseudomorphic base–emitter spacer layers. In the FET, a relatively thin as well as heavily doped In0.65Ga0.35As pseudomorphic channel layer between two undoped InP layers was employed to enhance the gate forward operation voltage, drain current, and transconductance, simultaneously. On the other hand, after removing the top four layers of material structures, the studied HBT was fabricated on the metamorphic buffer layer. In the metamorphic HBT, the valence band discontinuity at InP/In0.65Ga0.35As heterojunction and emitter injection efficiency could be further extended than the conventional InP/In0.53Ga0.47As lattice-matched HBTs. Furthermore, the delta doping layer between two In0.65Ga0.35As spacer layers at emitter side could effectively eliminate the potential spike at base–emitter junction for reducing the collector–emitter offset voltage. Consequently, the co-integrated metamorphic devices show a good potential for mixed signal integrated circuits and systems applications.