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A series of novel discotic liquid-crystalline donor–acceptor (D–A) dyads 5D10An (n = 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) adjusted by changing the chain length (n) of diester groups on perylene were synthesized based on triphenylene and perylene units, which were linked by a flexible linkage of 10-decyloxy-1-amine. Results from differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), one-dimensional X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, and polarized optical microscopy (POM) images indicate that 5D10A4, 5D10A5, 5D10A6, and 5D10A7 exhibited hexagonal columnar phase at high temperature ranges and rectangular columnar phases at room temperature. Combining the XRD data and the steady state spectra of UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy, the intramolecular triphenylenes and perylene diester cores were stacked separately in distinct columns and nano-segregation occurred during self-assembly. The HOMO/LUMO energy levels were obtained using CV, UV-Vis spectroscopy, UPS and Gaussian09. Charge carrier mobilities were measured by a time-of-flight (TOF) device. These discotic liquid-crystalline compounds exhibited highly efficient ambipolar charge-transport properties, and the hole and electron mobilities can reach the order of 10−3 cm2 V−1 s−1 by segregated D–A columns. This is the first report on D–A dyads' discotic liquid crystals, which not only feature ambipolar transport but also exhibit columnar phase structures that can be stabilized at room temperature, providing potential utility of the strategy in organic optoelectronic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serious blunt chest trauma usually induces hemothorax, pneumothorax, and rib fractures. More studies have claimed that early video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery with surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF) results in a good prognosis in patients with major trauma. This study aimed to verify the outcomes in patients with chest trauma whether SSRF was performed. Consecutive patients who were treated in a medical center in Taiwan, for traumatic events between January 2015 and June 2020, were retrospectively reviewed. This study focused on patients with major trauma and thoracic injuries, and they were divided into groups based on whether they received SSRF. We used electrical impedance tomography (EIT) to evaluate the change of ventilation conditions. Different scores used for the evaluation of trauma severity were also compared in this study. Among the 8396 patients who were included, 1529 (18.21%) had major trauma with injury severity score > 16 and were admitted to the intensive care unit initially. A total of 596 patients with chest trauma were admitted, of whom 519 (87%) survived. Younger age and a lower trauma score (including injury severity scale, new injury severity score, trauma and injury severity score, and revised trauma score) account for better survival rates. Moreover, 74 patients received SSRF. They had a shorter intensive care unit (ICU) stay (5.24, p = 0.045) and better performance in electrical impedance tomography (23.46, p < 0.001). In patients with major thoracic injury, older age and higher injury survival scale account for higher mortality rate. Effective surgical stabilization of rib fractures shortened the ICU stay and helped achieve better performance in EIT. Thoracoscope-assisted rib fixation is suggested in severe trauma cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serious blunt chest trauma usually induces hemothorax, pneumothorax, and rib fractures. More studies have claimed that early video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery with surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF) results in a good prognosis in patients with major trauma. This study aimed to verify the outcomes in patients with chest trauma whether SSRF was performed. Consecutive patients who were treated in a medical center in Taiwan, for traumatic events between January 2015 and June 2020, were retrospectively reviewed. This study focused on patients with major trauma and thoracic injuries, and they were divided into groups based on whether they received SSRF. We used electrical impedance tomography (EIT) to evaluate the change of ventilation conditions. Different scores used for the evaluation of trauma severity were also compared in this study. Among the 8396 patients who were included, 1529 (18.21%) had major trauma with injury severity score > 16 and were admitted to the intensive care unit initially. A total of 596 patients with chest trauma were admitted, of whom 519 (87%) survived. Younger age and a lower trauma score (including injury severity scale, new injury severity score, trauma and injury severity score, and revised trauma score) account for better survival rates. Moreover, 74 patients received SSRF. They had a shorter intensive care unit (ICU) stay (5.24, p = 0.045) and better performance in electrical impedance tomography (23.46, p < 0.001). In patients with major thoracic injury, older age and higher injury survival scale account for higher mortality rate. Effective surgical stabilization of rib fractures shortened the ICU stay and helped achieve better performance in EIT. Thoracoscope-assisted rib fixation is suggested in severe trauma cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis of various electronic transmission material molecules using a perylene diimide (PDI) group was successfully carried out. Investigation of a series of different analogous donor-acceptor molecules indicates that the optical absorption properties and energy levels are tremendously affected by the molecular conjugation. The electron-accepting and electron-donating properties conferred by the various groups influence the intramolecular push-pull and push-push interactions, which in turn affect the electronic transitions. In addition, the various groups and their geometries correlate with the molecular crystallinity as evidenced by differential scanning calorimetry. When an electron-deficient unit of diketopyrrolopyrrole was inserted between two lateral PDIs, a more n-type nature and favorable electron mobility can be obtained in organic field-effect transistors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Lung cancer is the most common reason for cancer-related death, and patient survival is mainly dependent on tumor stage. The median overall survival of patients who are diagnosed with advanced/metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is still less than 3 years. The poor survival rates highlight the unmet need to elucidate the mechanism underlying lung cancer carcinogenesis to improve treatment responses and overall survival. The expression and function of SOX1 in the progression of lung cancer are still unclear. Through in vitro and in vivo experiments, we demonstrated that SOX1 repressed anchorage-independent growth, invasion, and metastasis. Interestingly, SOX1 performed its function by repressing hairy and enhancer of split 1 (HES1). Recent studies have shown that HES1, which is a helix–loop–helix transcription factor, performs important functions in stemness, metastasis, and drug resistance in cancer. These results suggest that SOX1 is a tumor suppressor that affects the carcinogenesis of lung cancer. The development of lung cancer is a complex process that involves many genetic and epigenetic changes. Sex-determining region Y (SRY)-box (SOX) genes encode a family of proteins that are involved in the regulation of embryonic development and cell fate determination. SOX1 is hypermethylated in human cancers. However, the role of SOX1 in the development of lung cancer is unclear. We used quantitative methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP), quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR) analysis, and web tools to confirm the frequent epigenetic silencing of SOX1 in lung cancer. Stable overexpression of SOX1 repressed cell proliferation, anchorage-independent growth, and invasion in vitro as well as cancer growth and metastasis in a xenograft mouse model. Knockdown of SOX1 by the withdrawal of doxycycline partly restored the malignant phenotype of inducible SOX1-expressing NSCLC cells. Next, we discovered the potential downstream pathways of SOX1 using RNA-seq analysis and identified HES1 as a direct target of SOX1 using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-PCR. Furthermore, we performed phenotypic rescue experiments to prove that overexpression of HES1-FLAG in SOX1-expressing H1299 cells partly reversed the tumor-suppressive effect. Taken together, these data demonstrated that SOX1 acts as a tumor suppressor by directly inhibiting HES1 during the development of NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stretchable electronic devices as an emerging electronic application product break the limitations of traditional planar rigid circuits and further expand the application fields of optoelectronics. Stretchable organic field-effect transistors (STOFETs) are an indispensable class of stretchable electronic devices, especially in wearable electronics, implantable electronics and skin like electronics. Therefore, extensive research effort has been devoted to the development of high-performance STOFETs, and remarkable advances in materials, processing techniques and applications have been achieved. Here, the latest studies of core materials for STOFETs are reviewed, mainly focusing on electrodes, dielectric layers and semiconductor layers. Then, the recent progress of some approaches for fabricating intrinsic STOFETs is mentioned, including solution methods, printing, and other methods. Detailed descriptions of the various stretchable electronic device applications of STOFETs are provided, along with their electrical/mechanical properties and examples of device applications. To conclude, a brief future outlook is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generally, doping refers to mixing a dopant as the guest into a material as the host, so as to better realize and optimize the performance and function of the host with the assistance of the dopant. Doping was first proposed with the application of inorganic semiconductor materials and optoelectronic devices to modify their electrical conductivity. With the development of organic semiconductors, doping has gradually been adopted in the field of organic optoelectronic devices to improve their performance. As an effective optimization method, doping has been used in the fabrication of organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) in recent years. Recent studies have found that doping as a rejuvenation means, can improve the processability, electrical properties, and functionalities of organic semiconductors and their OFETs. In this review, we report the recent progress in the doping of organic semiconductors for OFETs, including the doping mechanism (Part II), dopant factors affecting the doping effect (Part III), doping sites (Part IV), and other development directions of doping (Part V). Nowadays, research on doping is still in development, and the doping mechanism is still unclear. The dopants, doping methods, and doping effects need to be studied more widely and deeply. We believe that doping will become one of the important aids for the practical application of the next generation of organic optoelectronic materials and optoelectronic products in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backpacks are commonly worn by many people for multiple purposes. This study investigated the effects of habitual wearing of backpacks on lower limb kinematics and kinetics. Fourteen participants were recruited for analysis. All participants performed four randomly assigned scenarios, including running and walking at speeds of 3.5 and 1.5 m/s, respectively, with and without load carriage. The motion analysis system and force plate were used to investigate the lower limb kinematics and kinetics. A paired sample t-test was performed for statistical measurement with a significance level of α =.05. The results indicated that active force, breaking force, impact peak, loading rate, active peak, maximum braking, hip flexion, and hip range of motion were substantially higher under load carriage conditions than under walking condition, however, time to peak was lower. Conversely, during load carriage running, active force, braking impulse, time to peak, ankle plantarflexion, and ankle range of motion were all higher than those during running. Carrying a backpack weighing 10% of the body weight induced different foot strike patterns at both speeds; during load carriage walking, the hip tended to flex more; whereas, during load carriage running, the ankle tended to flex more. In conclusion, human body seems to adopt different gait strategies during load carriage walking and running. That is, the hip strategy is used during walking, while the ankle strategy is used during running. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigated the seismic behavior of a prefabricated steel braced frame structure with hinged joints. Six steel frame specimens with different enclosure walls were tested under pseudo-static loading. The results indicated that the vertical load of the hinged braced frame system was mainly resisted by the beam and column members, and the lateral stiffness was completely provided by the bracing members. The final failure mode of all specimens was the failure of the bracings, while the beam-column members and the joints remained largely intact. The rigidly braced specimen was mainly damaged by buckling, yielding, and tearing, and the flexibly braced specimen was mostly damaged by buckling, yielding, and node failure. The energy dissipation of the specimens primarily depended on lateral force-resistant components such as braces and enclosure walls. Different building envelopes exert significant effects on the lateral stiffness and energy dissipation capacity of the structure. The ductility coefficient of all specimens ranged between 1.4 and 1.9, which indicates that the structural system mainly relies on lateral stiffness and elastic deformation to resist earthquakes, rather than structural ductility. The proposed prefabricated steel frame system with hinged connections has wide prospects of application in economically underdeveloped areas because of its convenience in transportation and installation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Binding of transcription factor (TF) proteins to regulatory DNA sites is key to accurate control of gene expression in response to environmental stimuli. Theoretical modeling of transcription regulation is often focused on a limited set of genes of interest, while binding of the TF to other genomic sites is seldom considered. The total number of TF binding sites (TFBSs) affects the availability of TF protein molecules and sequestration of a TF by TFBSs can promote bistability. For many signaling systems where a graded response is desirable for continuous control over the input range, biochemical parameters of the regulatory proteins need be tuned to avoid bistability. Here we analyze the mono-/bistable parameter range for positively autoregulated two-component systems (TCSs) in the presence of different numbers of competing TFBSs. TCS signaling, one of the major bacterial signaling strategies, couples signal perception with output responses via protein phosphorylation. For bistability, competition for TF proteins by TFBSs lowers the requirement for high fold change of the autoregulated transcription but demands high phosphorylation activities of TCS proteins. We show that bistability can be avoided with a low phosphorylation capacity of TCSs, a high TF affinity for the autoregulated promoter or a low fold change in signaling protein levels upon induction. These may represent general design rules for TCSs to ensure uniform graded responses. Examining the mono-/bistability parameter range allows qualitative prediction of steady-state responses, which are experimentally validated in the E. coli CusRS system. Author summary: Cell survival in an ever-changing environment depends on appropriate responses to stimuli of different strengths. Bistability, i.e., two different stable states in responses to otherwise identical environments, can be beneficial in some systems but may need to be avoided by many signaling systems. Promoting or preventing bistable responses requires specific architectures of gene regulatory networks as well as proper abundance and activities for the network building blocks. Here we use a mathematical model to study how the requirement for bistable or monostable responses places constraints on biochemical properties of autoregulated bacterial signaling systems. A particular focus is on how the relative abundance of transcription factor proteins to the number of their DNA target sites constrains the system design because competition for the limited TF protein molecules by DNA sites can promote bistability. We find that a strong binding affinity to the autoregulated TF promoter and low phosphorylation activities are preferred for monostability. We used an E. coli signaling system as an example and experimentally validated predictions of the model. Our results can help rationalize the regulatory features observed in naturally occurring systems as well as inform engineering of novel biological circuits for diverse signaling tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The availability of large-scale genomic data resources makes it very convenient to mine and analyze genes that are related to important agricultural traits in rice. Pan-genomes have been constructed to provide insight into the genome diversity and functionality of different plants, which can be used in genome-assisted crop improvement. Thus, a pan-genome comprising all genetic elements is crucial for comprehensive variation study among the heat-resistant and -susceptible rice varieties. In this study, a rice pan-genome was firstly constructed by using 45 heat-tolerant and 15 heat-sensitive rice varieties. A total of 38,998 pan-genome genes were identified, including 37,859 genes in the reference and 1141 in the non-reference contigs. Genomic variation analysis demonstrated that a total of 76,435 SNPs were detected and identified as the heat-tolerance-related SNPs, which were specifically present in the highly heat-resistant rice cultivars and located in the genic regions or within 2 kbp upstream and downstream of the genes. Meanwhile, 3214 upregulated and 2212 downregulated genes with heat stress tolerance-related SNPs were detected in one or multiple RNA-seq datasets of rice under heat stress, among which 24 were located in the non-reference contigs of the rice pan-genome. We then mapped the DEGs with heat stress tolerance-related SNPs to the heat stress-resistant QTL regions. A total of 1677 DEGs, including 990 upregulated and 687 downregulated genes, were mapped to the 46 heat stress-resistant QTL regions, in which 2 upregulated genes with heat stress tolerance-related SNPs were identified in the non-reference sequences. This pan-genome resource is an important step towards the effective and efficient genetic improvement of heat stress resistance in rice to help meet the rapidly growing needs for improved rice productivity under different environmental stresses. These findings provide further insight into the functional validation of a number of non-reference genes and, especially, the two genes identified in the heat stress-resistant QTLs in rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the pathological complete response (pCR), overall survival (OS), and disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) using post-neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (18FDG).Methods: This is a retrospective study of patients with locally advanced ESCC receiving nCRT and then esophagectomy between January 2011 and December 2018 in the Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. A total of 50 patients were enrolled in the study. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards model. Univariate and multivariate analysis were used to determine the independent prognostic factors.Results: Fifty patients were enrolled in the study, and 18 had pathological complete response. Post-nCRT SUVmax ≥ 3 is a poor prognostic factor associated with overall survival (HR: 3.665, P = 0.013) and disease-free survival (HR: 3.417, P = 0.011). Poor prognosis was found in the non-pCR plus post-nCRT SUVmax ≥ 3 group compared with pCR plus post-nCRT SUVmax < 3 group.Conclusions: SUVmax ≥ 3 is a poor prognostic factor in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma after trimodality treatment, even in patients having pathological complete response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the association between neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP) in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) without fever and to clarify whether NLR has an advantage over high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in predicting SAP. Patients and Methods: A total of 434 patients with AIS without fever were assessed in this study. Multivariable analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between NLR and SAP, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to compare the predictive value of NLR and hs-CRP. Results: Among the total patients, 18 (4.1%) developed SAP. After adjusting for confounders, NLR (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.60; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.30– 1.96; p < 0.001) remained independently associated with an increased risk of SAP. In addition, the area under the curve (AUC) of NLR (0.862 [0.826– 0.893]) was higher than that of hs-CRP (0.738 [0.694– 0.779]). Conclusion: We found that compared with hs-CRP, NLR was significantly associated with the occurrence of SAP in patients with AIS without fever and showed a more effective predictive value for SAP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate the role of PET in predicting the prognosis of resected stage IA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and planning individualized therapeutic strategies. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the data of patients who underwent surgical resection for lung cancer between January 2004 and December 2014. The clinical data, imaging characteristics of nodules, surgical approaches, and outcomes were analyzed. Results: We evaluated 998 cases; 637 patients with pathological stage I disease were categorized as follows: stage IA1 (251 cases), stage IA2 (250 cases), and stage IA3 (136 cases). The mean follow-up period was 109 months. Significant differences were observed in sex, tumor differentiation, epidermal growth factor receptor mutation, smoking habits, lymphovascular space invasion, tumor size, maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax), and carcinoembryonic antigen level among the groups. Multivariable Cox regression revealed that ground-glass opacity ratio (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.001) and tumor SUVmax independently predicted the postoperative risk of relapse for stage IA3 NSCLC. The HR for SUVmax > 4 was 8.986 (p < 0.001). The 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were 87.2%, 92.9%, and 82.7%, and the 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 93.2%, 84.2%, and 70.51% for stage IA1, IA2, and IA3 NSCLC, respectively (both p < 0.001). OS and DFS rates were poor in stage IA3 NSCLC patients with an SUVmax uptake > 4 (OS, 71.0% and 92.2%; DFS, 50.2% and 87.3%, for SUVmax > 4 and ≤ 4, respectively; both p = 0.001). Conclusions: SUVmax was a prognostic factor for resected stage IA NSCLC. Postoperative treatment may be considered for IA3 NSCLC with SUVmax > 4. Key Points: • PET helps surgeons to assess patients with early-stage lung cancer. • This retrospective study revealed that PET plays an influential role in predicting the prognosis of resected lung cancer. • Better prognostication aids better planning of therapeutic strategies with diversification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Stroke-associated infection (SAI) is associated with adverse outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). In this study, we aimed to evaluate the association between neutrophil percentage-to-albumin ratio (NPAR) and SAI occurrence in patients with AIS. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed all AIS patients who were admitted to the Neurology ward of The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University from November 2018 to October 2020. The relationship between NPAR and SAI was analyzed by multivariable analysis. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to compare the predicted value of albumin, neutrophil percentage, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and NPAR. Results: We included 379 AIS patients out of which 51 (13.5%) developed SAI. The NPAR was independently associated with increased risk of SAI adjusting for confounders [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 10.52; 95% confidence interval (CI), 3.33–33.28; P <0.001]. The optimal cutoff value of NPAR for predicting SAI incidence was 1.64, with sensitivity and specificity of 90.2 and 55.8%, respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) value of NPAR [0.771 (0.725–0.812)] was higher than that of albumin [0.640 (0.590–0.689)], neutrophil percentage [0.747 (0.700–0.790)], and NLR [0.736 (0.689–0.780)], though the statistical significance appeared only between NPAR and albumin. Conclusions: We demonstrated that a higher NPAR could predict the occurrence of SAI. Thus, NPAR might be a more effective biomarker to predict SAI compared with albumin, neutrophil percentage, and NLR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an approach to strength adjustment and assessment for Monte-Carlo tree search based game-playing programs. We modify an existing softmax policy with a strength index to choose moves. The most important modification is a mechanism which filters low-quality moves by excluding those that have a lower simulation count than a pre-defined threshold ratio of the maximum simulation count. Through theoretical analysis, we show that the adjusted policy is guaranteed to choose moves exceeding a lower bound in strength by using a threshold ratio. Experimental results show that the strength index is highly correlated to the empirical strength. With an index value between ?2, we can cover a strength range of about 800 Elo ratings. The strength adjustment and assessment methods were also tested in real-world scenarios with human players, ranging from professionals (strongest) to kyu rank amateurs (weakest). For amateur levels, we tested our mechanism on two popular Go online platforms - Fox Weiqi and Tygem. The result shows that our method can adjust program strength to different ranks stably. In terms of strength assessment, we proposed a new dynamic strength adjustment method, then used it to evaluate human professionals, predicting reliably their playing strengths within 15 games. Lastly, we collected survey responses asking players about strength perception, entertainment, and general comments for different aspects of analysis. To our best knowledge, this result is state-ofthe- art in terms of the range of strengths in Elo rating while maintaining a controllable relationship between the strength and a strength index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation status and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) on the survival of brain metastases (BM) in patients with surgically resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: We selected the patients who had developed metastatic NSCLC; analyzed the differences between brain metastases and other sites of metastases, including patient characteristics, EGFR status, and survival; and selected the patients who had BM for further investigation. We also compared the treatment effects of first-generation TKIs with those of second-/third-generation TKIs. Results: A total of 785 cases of stage I-IIIa NSCLC were reviewed. Thirty-six (4.6%) patients were identified as having BM. Among them, 14 patients had a mutated EGFR status. No association between EGFR mutation and the incidence of BM was observed (p = 0.199). Patients with mutated EGFRs had significantly longer overall survival and post-recurrence survival than patients with wild-type EGFR mutation (p = 0.001 for both). However, there was no survival difference between patients with exon 19 and exon 21 mutations (p = 0.426). Furthermore, patients who received the second- and/or third-generation EGFR-TKIs had better survival than patients who only received first-generation EGFR-TKIs (p = 0.031). A multivariate analysis indicated that the next-generation TKIs (HR, 0.007; 95% CI, 0.000 to 0.556; p = 0.026) and a longer interval before BM development (HR, 0.848; 95% CI, 0.733 to 0.980; p = 0.025) were significant factors in longer survival. Conclusions: EGFR-TKIs were effective in treating NSCLC patients with BM after curative pulmonary surgery, especially in those patients harboring EGFR mutations. Furthermore, the second-/third-generation EGFR-TKIs showed more promising results than the first-generation EGFR-TKIs in treating those particular patients, though larger studies needed to further prove the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. The involvement of phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) in the development of insulin resistance has been reported recently. However, the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. The present study aims at investigating the potential impacts of PDE5A on insulin signaling in C2C12 skeletal muscle myotubes and uncover the related mechanism. Methods. C2C12 myoblasts were differentiated into myotubes. Western blot was performed to detect the levels of proteins and phosphorylated proteins. Glucose uptake was determined by a colorimetric kit. The overexpression or knockdown of specific protein was carried out by infecting the myotubes with adenoviruses carrying cDNA or shRNA corresponding to the targeted protein, respectively. Results. PDE5A was demonstrated to negatively regulate insulin signaling, evidenced by the opposite effects on the suppression or enhancement of the insulin-stimulated Akt phosphorylation and 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) uptake in C2C12 myotubes, when PDE5A was overexpressed or knockdown, respectively. Interestingly, PDE5A overexpression led to significantly enhanced, while its knockdown resulted in markedly reduced, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Inhibition of ER stress improved PDE5A overexpression-induced insulin resistance. In addition, PDE5A was found to suppress proteasome activity. Inhibition of PDE5 by its selective inhibitor icariin restored PDE5A overexpression-reduced proteasome activity and mitigated PDE5A overexpression-induced ER stress. Consistently, icariin administration also markedly attenuated the detrimental impacts of PDE5A overexpression on insulin signaling. Conclusions. These results suggest that PDE5A suppresses proteasome activity, which results in ER stress and subsequent insulin resistance in C2C12 myotubes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple organ dysfunction caused by hyperinflammation remains the major cause of mortality during sepsis. Excessive M1-macrophage activation leads to systemic inflammatory responses. Gene related to anergy in lymphocytes (Grail) is regarded as an important regulator of T cells that functions by diminishing cytokine production. However, its role in regulating macrophage activation and organ injury during sepsis remains unclear. Our aim was to examine the effects of Grail on macrophage reactivity and organ injury in endotoxemic animals. Wild-type and Grail knockout mice were injected with vehicle or Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide and observed for 24 h. Changes in blood pressure, heart rate, blood glucose, and biochemical variables were then examined. Moreover, levels of neutrophil infiltration, MMP-9, and caspase 3 were analyzed in the lungs of animals. The expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in J774A, RAW264.7, and primary peritoneal macrophages stimulated with LPS were also assessed in the presence or absence of Grail. Results indicated that loss of Grail expression enhances the induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines in J774A, RAW264.7, and primary peritoneal macrophages treated with LPS. Furthermore, LPS-induced macrophage hyperactivation was alleviated by ectopic Grail overexpression. In vivo studies showed that Grail deficiency exacerbates organ damage in endotoxemic animals. Levels of neutrophil infiltration, MMP-9, and caspase 3 were significantly increased in the lungs of Grail-deficient endotoxemic mice. Thus, these results suggest that Grail contributes to the attenuation of hyperinflammation caused by activated macrophages and prevents organ damage in endotoxemic mice. We suggest that Grail signaling could be a therapeutic target for endotoxemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effects of electric current and external stress on electromigration of intermetallic compounds (IMC) between solder and copper substrate. Different samples were tested under three different sets of conditions: (1) thermal aging only, (2) thermal aging with electric current ,where resistivity changes were measured using four-point probe measurements, (3) thermal aging with electric current and external stress provided using a four-point bending apparatus. The micro-structural changes in the samples were observed. The results were closely examined; particularly the coupling effect of electric current and external stress to elucidate the electromigration mechanism, as well as the formation of IMC in the samples. For thermal-aging-only samples, the IMC growth mechanism was controlled by grain boundary diffusion. Meanwhile, for thermal aging and applied electric current samples, the IMC growth mechanism was dominated by volume diffusion and interface reaction. Lastly, the IMC growth mechanism in the electric current and external stress group was dominated by grain boundary diffusion with grain growth. The results reveal that the external stress/strain and electric current play a significant role in the electromigration of copper-tin IMC. The samples exposed to tensile stress have reduced electromigration, while those subjected under compressive stress have enhanced electromigration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we investigate a new type of highly flame retardant poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanocomposite by bulk polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) in the presence of organic nano carboncapsule (OCNC/NCNC)-incorporated modified montmorillonites (CL120, CL42). The morphology of the modified clay was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy was used to identify the functional groups in the clay. The nano morphological characterization of the clay in the PMMA matrix was confirmed by XRD and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The thermal and mechanical properties of the PMMA nanocomposites were investigated by thermogravimetry and dynamic mechanical analysis, respectively. PMMA containing organo nano carboncapsule-doped CL42 modified cocoamphodipropionate (K2) (P-O-CL42) could achieve very high thermal stability compared to pristine PMMA. The 5% thermal decomposition temperature ( T5d) increased by 63.2°C. Storage modulus of PMMA nanocomposites measured by DMA analysis. An enhancement of storage modulus and significant reduction in the peak heat release (PHR) rate were observed in the almost all PMMA nanocomposites as compared to pristine PMMA. Moreover, these results suggest that PMMA nanocomposites can have potential applications in the building industry and the medical field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current research of wheel force transducer (WFT) mainly focuses on test signal processing and decoupling methods based on signal itself, while the WFT structure optimization research related to decreasing the mass and increase the natural frequency and comprehensive sensitivity is not enough. In order to improve the WFT test accuracy, a structure optimization method based on natural frequency and comprehensive sensitivity indicators is put forward. The WFT with 8-beam elastic body is used for the finite element modeling (FEM), in which the following variations are taken into consideration: the connection type of elastic body with modified rim, the number of connection holes, and the respects of strain beam including the shape, the cross sectional area and the length, etc.. The test results shows that the natural frequency of the connecting block type is increased by 65.5% compared with the connecting seat type of elastic body & modified rim, and the main channel sensitivity is improved as well. The results show that the connecting block type will achieve the best comprehensive performance when the number of connecting holes between the elastic body and the modified rim is 20. And the thinner and longer strain beam with smaller cross section area is preferable within the scope of elastic body mechanical strength. This research proposes a novel structure optimization method for WFT which contributes to improve the measurement performance of WFT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Golf swing analysis is a popular research subject, and is divided into contact sensing and noncontact sensing analysis according to different research methods. Contact sensing research often uses wearable sensors, including triaxial accelerometers, gyroscopes, and gravity accelerators, which are mounted on the golfer's limbs or relevant equipment. This study aims to construct a teaching system for correcting swing action using non-contact sensing Kinect motion-sensing photo equipment. The proposed system is expected to collect a golfer's pose and action during the backswing for data analysis, and detect incorrect backswing actions in order to attain the goal of interactive golf teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The organically modified montmorillonite (M-Mt) was applied as an adsorbent for the purification of bovine serum albumin (BSA). In order to differentiate the selectivity and perform the purification of BSA, two kinds of proteins, BSA and lysozyme (LYZ) were mixed together and prepared at different pH, which could change the electrical charges on the surfaces of the proteins. BSA and LYZ can be adsorbed at the lower pH into the organically modified montmorillonite, which could be confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) in the d-value increased after the adsorption of proteins. However, there is only BSA desorption was observed, approved by the method of Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), from this adsorbed protein mixture when the pH of the solution was adjusted and optimized. These results indicate that there is electrostatic interaction between a suitably modified montmorillonite and proteins BSA and LYZ to perform the selective desorption from BSA in the mixture of these proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-021-08158-4 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to evaluate whether chest radiographs could offer useful information for the assessment of pectus excavatum (PE) before and after Nuss repair in adults. METHODS A total of 154 adults, with a mean age of 24.0 ± 5.0 years (range, 18–44 years), who underwent a Nuss repair of PE, with a mean follow-up of 42 months (range, 14–71 months), were included in this retrospective study. Sixty-two of these patients were also evaluated after the pectus bar removal, with a mean follow-up of 13 months (range, 6–44 months). The preoperative and postoperative imaging modalities were compared. RESULTS The preoperative mean Haller indices measured on computed tomography (CT) and chest radiographs were 4.61 ± 1.58 (range, 2.6–11.9) and 3.82 ± 1.17 (range, 2.0–10.2), respectively. The Pearson correlation coefficient between the two parameters was 0.757. The postoperative mean Haller index measured on chest radiographs was 2.86 ± 0.56 (range, 1.7–5.4) and showed statistically significant improvement compared with the preoperative index (P < 0.001). The mean sternovertebral (SV) distances detected on preoperative and postoperative (>6 months after surgery) lateral chest radiographs were 7.67 ± 1.89 cm (range, 2.5–12.9 cm) and 9.89 ± 1.80 cm (range, 4.6–15.0 cm), respectively, showing statistically significant improvement (P < 0.001). The mean sternovertebral (SV) distance in patients after the bar removal detected on lateral chest radiographs was 9.25 ± 2.14 cm, also showing statistically significant improvement compared with the preoperative value (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Haller indices measured using chest radiographs and CT showed a strong correlation. Therefore, chest radiographs can be used as an alternative tool for the preoperative evaluation of PE. The Nuss operation significantly improved SV distances detected on lateral chest radiographs. Lateral chest radiographs can be used as a simple modality for the objective quantitative assessment of the anatomic results and follow-up of the Nuss operation in adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARYThe prevalence and genotype distribution of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in women with normal cervical cytology varies widely according to the population studied. Two non-overlapping population-based cohort studies of women aged 30 years for the periods 2008-2009 (n=5026) and 2004-2005 (n=10 014) were analysed. The prevalence rate of HPV was 11·0% (95% CI 10·5-11·6). HPV infection was significantly associated with age, menopausal status, and inversely associated with hormone replacement therapy. There was an increasing trend of [alpha]3/[alpha]15, [alpha]5/[alpha]6, and multiple HPV infections with increasing age. The five most common types were HPV52, 18, 53, 58 and 70, while HPV16, 31, 33 ranked 21st, 25th, and 16th, respectively, in the merged cohort with normal cytology (n=14 724). HPV16, 31, and 33 were significantly associated with abnormal cytology, which could have resulted in their rarity in the total merged cohort (n=15 040). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a simple method to produce graphene nanospheres (GNSs) by annealing graphene oxide (GO) solution at high-temperature with the assistance of sparks induced by the microwave absorption of graphite flakes dispersed in the solution. The GNSs were formed by rolling up of the annealed GO, and the diameters were mostly in the range 300-700 nm. The GNS exhibited a hollow sphere structure surrounded by graphene walls with a basal spacing of 0.34 nm. Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of the GNSs confirmed that the GO was efficiently reduced during the fabrication process. The resulting GNSs may open up new opportunities both for fundamental research and applications, and this method may be extended to the synthesis of other nanomaterials and the fabrication of related nanostructures. [InlineMediaObject not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let L ≥ 1, ε > 0 be real numbers, (M, d) be a finite metric space and (N, ρ) be a metric space. A query to a metric space consists of a pair of points and asks for the distance between these points. We study the number of queries to metric spaces (M, d) and (N, ρ) needed to decide whether (M, d) is L-bilipschitz embeddable into (N, ρ) or ∊-far from being L-bilipschitz embeddable into N, ρ). When (M, d) is ∊-far from being L-bilipschitz embeddable into (N, ρ), we allow an o(1) probability of error (i.e., returning the wrong answer "L-bilipschitz embeddable"). However, no error is allowed when (M, d) is L-bilipschitz embeddable into (N, ρ). That is, algorithms with only one-sided errors are studied in this paper. When |M| ≤ |N| are both finite, we give an upper bound of $O(\sqrt{\frac{\ln |N|}{\epsilon |M|}}\, (|M|^2+|N|^2))$ on the number of queries for determining with one-sided error whether (M, d) is L-bilipschitz embeddable into (N, ρ) or ∊-far from being L-bilipschitz embeddable into (N, ρ). For the special case of finite |M| = |N|, the above upper bound evaluates to $O(|N|^{3/2} \sqrt {{{\ln |N|} \over \epsilon }} )$. We also prove a lower bound of Ω(|N|3/2) for the special case when |M| = |N| are finite and L = 1, which coincides with testing isometry between finite metric spaces. For finite |M| = |N|, the upper and lower bounds thus match up to a multiplicative factor of at most $\sqrt{\frac{\ln |N|}{\epsilon}}$, which depends only sublogarithmically in |N|. We also investigate the case when (N, ρ) is not necessarily finite. Our results are based on techniques developed in an earlier work on testing graph isomorphism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial response regulators are key regulatory proteins that function as the final elements of so-called two-component signaling systems. The activities of response regulators in vivo are modulated by phosphorylation that results from interactions between the response regulator and its cognate histidine protein kinase. The level of response regulator phosphorylation, which is regulated by intra-or extracellular signals sensed by the histidine protein kinase, ultimately determines the output response that is initiated or carried out by the response regulator. We have recently hypothesized that in the OmpR/PhoB subfamily of response regulator transcription factors, this activation involves a common mechanism of dimerization using a set of highly conserved residues in the α4-β5-α5 face. Here we report the X-ray crystal structures of the regulatory domains of response regulators TorR (1.8 Å), Ca2+-bound KdpE (2.0 Å), and Mg2+/BeF3−-bound KdpE (2.2 Å), both members of the OmpR/ PhoB subfamily from Escherichia coli. Both regulatory domains form symmetric dimers in the asymmetric unit that involve the α4-β5-α5 face. As observed previously in other OmpR/PhoB response regulators, the dimer interfaces are mediated by highly conserved residues within this subfamily. These results provide further evidence that most all response regulators of the OmpR/ PhoB subfamily share a common mechanism of activation by dimerization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several studies have investigated the prognostic significance of programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1)-positive expression in the tumor cells (TC) of patients with lung cancer. However, tumor-infiltrating immune cell (TIIC)-based PD-L1 expression and its prognostic value remain controversial. The present meta-analysis was performed on 11 studies comprising 2,685 patients, which were identified by a systematic search on the PubMed, PMC, Web of Science and Embase databases. The databases were searched for published articles up to October 30, 2020. The studies that evaluated overall survival (OS) or disease-free survival (DFS) expressed as hazard ratios (HRs) in the PD-L1 TIIC of patients with lung cancer were analyzed. All statistical analyses were conducted using Stata software, version 16.0. The results demonstrated that PD-L1 expression in TIICs was not associated with OS [HR=0.98; confidence interval (CI)=0.73-1.33; P=0.53] and DFS (HR=1.05; CI=0.63-1.77; P=0.42) for all the cohort included in the study. However, subgroup analysis revealed that PD-L1 TIICs were associated with improved OS in lung squamous cell carcinoma (HR=0.76; CI=0.58-0.99; P=0.04), while poorer DFS was observed in lung adenocarcinoma (HR=1.30; CI=1.19-1.43; P=0.008) and at the >1% staining cutoff value (HR=1.56; CI=1.12-2.16; P=0.03). However, poor OS (P=0.21) and DFS (P=0.14) were observed in Asian populations, while DFS (P=0.07) for only-membrane staining was not statistically significant. The results of the present study suggested that adding PD-L1 TIICs to the existing diagnostic algorithm may help to guide patient selection for anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy. Future large-scale studies are warranted for confirmation of the present findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Previous studies have shown that environmental cadmium exposure could disrupt salivary gland function and is associated with dental caries and reduced bone density. Therefore, this cross-sectional study attempted to determine whether tooth decay with tooth loss following cadmium exposure is associated with some dental or skeletal traits such as malocclusions, sagittal skeletal pattern, and tooth decay. Methods. Between August 2019 and June 2020, 60 orthodontic patients with no history of previous orthodontics, functional appliances, or surgical treatment were examined. The patients were stratified into two groups according to their urine cadmium concentrations: high (>1.06 µg/g creatinine, n = 28) or low (<1.06 µg/g creatinine, n = 32). Results. The patients were 25.07 ± 4.33 years old, and most were female (female/male: 51/9 or 85%). The skeletal relationship was mainly Class I (48.3%), followed by Class II (35.0%) and Class III (16.7%). Class I molar relationships were found in 46.7% of these patients, Class II molar relationships were found in 15%, and Class III molar relationships were found in 38.3%. The mean decayed, missing, and filled surface (DMFS) score was 8.05 ± 5.54, including 2.03 ± 3.11 for the decayed index, 0.58 ± 1.17 for the missing index, and 5.52 ± 3.92 for the filled index. The mean index of complexity outcome and need (ICON) score was 53.35 ± 9.01. The facial patterns of these patients were within the average low margin (26.65 ± 5.53 for Frankfort–mandibular plane angle (FMA)). There were no significant differences in the above-mentioned dental indices between patients with high urine cadmium concentrations and those with low urine cadmium concentrations. Patients were further stratified into low (<27, n = 34), average (27–34, n = 23), and high (>34, n = 3) FMA groups. There were no statistically significant differences in the urine cadmium concentration among the three groups. Nevertheless, a marginally significant p-value of 0.05 for urine cadmium concentration was noted between patients with low FMA and patients with high FMA. Conclusion. This analysis found no association between environmental cadmium exposure and dental indices in our orthodontic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effects of different substrates on the mechanical properties of Ti-60at%Ni shape memory alloys (SMA). Two types of samples were prepared for this experiment: (1) a Ti-60at%Ni deposited on SiNx, and (2) a Ti-60at%Ni deposited on SiNx/Cr; both had a 600 nm thick film of Ti-60at%Ni. Deposition was done using the physical vapor deposition (PVD) process, and the microstructural changes and crystallization phase changes were observed through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results showed that the TiNi thin film with a Cr adhesion layer had better mechanical properties. The bulge test showed that TiNi thin film with a Cr adhesion had a higher Young's modulus and lower residual stress. From the thermal cycling experiment, it was found that the Cr adhesion layer buffered the mismatch between TiNi and SiNx. Additionally, the thermal cycling test was also used to measure the thermal expansion coefficient of the films, and the fatigue test showed that the Cr layer significantly improved the fatigue resistance of the TiNi film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]