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In this study, we developed a novel method using supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO 2 ) to prepare acellular porcine cornea (APC). Under gentle extraction conditions using SCCO 2 technology, hematoxylin and eosin staining showed that cells were completely lysed, and cell debris, including nuclei, was efficiently removed from the porcine cornea. The SCCO 2 -treated corneas exhibited intact stromal structures and appropriate mechanical properties. Moreover, no immunological reactions and neovascularization were observed after lamellar keratoplasty in rabbits. All transplanted grafts and animals survived without complications. The transplanted APCs were opaque after the operation but became transparent within 2 weeks. Complete re-epithelialization of the transplanted APCs was observed within 4 weeks. In conclusion, APCs produced by SCCO 2 extraction technology could be an ideal and useful scaffold for corneal tissue engineering. Statement of significance We decellularized the porcine cornea using SCCO 2 extraction technology and investigated the characteristics, mechanical properties, and biocompatibility of the decellularized porcine cornea by lamellar keratoplasty in rabbits. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report describing the use of SCCO 2 extraction technology for preparation of acellular corneal scaffold. We proved that the cellular components of porcine corneas had been efficiently removed, and the biomechanical properties of the scaffold were well preserved by SCCO 2 extraction technology. SCCO 2 -treated corneas maintained optical transparency and exhibited appropriate strength to withstand surgical procedures. In vivo, the transplanted corneas showed no evidence of immunological reactions and exhibited good biocompatibility and long-term stability. Our results suggested that the APCs developed by SCCO 2 extraction technology could be an ideal and useful scaffold for corneal replacement and corneal tissue engineering.

Terahertz wave was detected in 1.0 THz using InAs MOS-HEMT as a non-biased (cold) FET power detector at room temperature. Terahertz power detector was fabricated on quartz glass substrate by direct-wafer-bonding technique. 1.0 THz signal power was directly input to the gate terminal with drain coupling in MOS-HEMT detector through the GSG THz probe. The high responsivity of around 60 V/W was achieved at the bias voltage of −0.4 V.

Aquaculture is an economically important activity for maritime countries. However, the spread of infectious diseases among aquaculture species have a serious impact on this industry. Therefore, the early detection of pathogens is crucial for protecting aquaculture species with a premium commercial value. This study reports an integrated microfluidic system for the rapid detection of aquaculture pathogens. In this new device, the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) of the target pathogen was first isolated by magnetic beads coated with specific nucleotide probes after cell lysis. Then the extracted DNA fragments were amplified by the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) process and the amplified products were detected optically. This device contained normally closed microvalves, micropumps, LAMP reaction chambers and wash units such that the entire process for isolation of pathogen DNA, nucleic acid amplification and optical detection was performed automatically in the developed microfluidic system. Experimental data showed that the developed system can automatically complete the entire process within 65 min with a detection limit of 20 copies. Another advantage of this device is that the chip is comprised of four identical modules. Therefore, this device could carry out detection of four different pathogens simultaneously. In this study, four pathogens common to cultured ornamental fishes, namely Streptococcus agalactiae, koi herpes virus, Iridovirus and Aeromonas hydrophila were analyzed by this integrated device. This device successfully completed four simultaneous detections from infected fishes in a short period of time. Compared to previous studies, this microfluidic system could complete all processes involved in pathogen detection including sample pre-treatment, nucleic acid amplification and optical detection without any manual operation. As a whole, the developed microfluidic system is promising for rapid isolation and detection of aquaculture pathogens.

High quality nanometer-thick Gd2O3 and Y2O3 (rare-earth oxide, R2O3) films have been epitaxially grown on GaN (0001) substrate by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The R2O3 epi-layers exhibit remarkable thermal stability at 1100 °C, uniformity, and highly structural perfection. Structural investigation was carried out by in situ reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) and ex-situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) with synchrotron radiation. In the initial stage of epitaxial growth, the R2O3 layers have a hexagonal phase with the epitaxial relationship of R2O3 (0001)H⟨1120⟩H//GaN(0001)H⟨1120⟩H. With the increase in R2O3 film thickness, the structure of the R2O3 films changes from single domain hexagonal phase to monoclinic phase with six different rotational domains, following the R2O3 (201)M[020]M//GaN(0001)H⟨1120⟩H orientational relationship. The structural details and fingerprints of hexagonal and monoclinic phase Gd2O3 films have also been examined by using electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). A...

The purpose of this study is to explore creative color teaching activities and their value in education. To understand the teaching method used in color science in university foundation design courses and to lead students to comprehend their own culture in application of design, the study explores solutions and strategies from the perspective of the curriculum. The study is based on the concept of action research used in a course the researcher conducted for half a semester. This study proposes to develop the color sensitivity of students, and to inspire their cultural consciousness for creative color ombination. The conclusion has three principal aspects. First, for curriculum design, the course should integrate issues to explore culture. Students could search for the mark of culture in daily life and flexibly apply their five senses to enhance their observation in color exploration and materials application. Second, for teacher tutorial, teachers should encourage hinking in every step and provide comments or direction. Teachers could implement teamwork activities to motivate the students to be inspired in their creativity. Third, for student learning, in observing culture, self-examination and group participation are essential tools in discussion. Feedback can motivate students to learn, encourage diversity in their abilities, and reach a wider field. The research suggests that chromatics foundation curriculum design should emphasize the importance of course structure and the combination of activities. Connecting the local color survey properly could raise the capability in analyzing a larger project. Moreover, self-examination transforms into the sensibility of cultural aesthetics, and develops the sense of good taste. It arouses the strength of color application, broadens range of knowledge and depth in professional development. Eventually, the learner can develop practical design talents in color acuity and observation.

A simple microfluidic device which can perform antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) of combined antibiotics against antibiotics-resistant bacteria has been presented. A new approach to determine the fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) index of two antibiotics by performing broth dilutions automatically was proposed and its performance was highly consistent with manual operation. The experimental results showed that the developed device could achieve on-chip dispensation/dilution/mixing accurately and interpret AST results visually. A test using two common antibiotics (vancomycin and ceftazidime) was performed on one clinical isolate of vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) based on the FIC indices. It is the first time that a microfluidic device was demonstrated to be capable of determining the FIC index of combined antibiotics against bacteria by performing AST automatically. With its high flexibility and reliability, the proposed device provides a simple method to explore drug cocktails for combined antibiotic therapy.

While a base substitution in intron 4 of GLA (IVS4+919G>A) that causes aberrant alternative splicing resulting in Fabry disease has been reported, its molecular mechanism remains unclear. Here we reported that upon IVS4+919G>A transversion, H3K36me3 was enriched across the alternatively spliced region. PSIP1, an adapter of H3K36me3, together with Hsp70 and NONO were recruited and formed a complex with SF2/ASF and SRp20, which further promoted GLA splicing. Amiloride, a splicing regulator in cancer cells, could reverse aberrant histone modification patterns and disrupt the association of splicing complex with GLA. It could also reverse aberrant GLA splicing in a PP1-dependant manner. Our findings revealed the alternative splicing mechanism of GLA (IVS4+919G>A), and a potential treatment for this specific genetic type of Fabry disease by amiloride in the future.

Background Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play crucial roles in tumorigenesis, and lncRNA taurine-upregulated gene 1 (TUG1) has been proven to be associated with several human cancers. However, the mechanisms of TUG1-involved regulation remain largely unknown. Methods We examined the expressions of TUG1 in a cohort of 89 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to determine the association between TUG1 expression and clinical parameters. We used circular chromosome conformation capture (4C) coupled with next-generation sequencing to explore the genome regions that interact with TUG1 and the TUG1-mediated regulation. Results TUG1 was significantly downregulated, and the TUG1 downregulation correlated with sex (p = 0.006), smoking status (p = 0.016), and tumor differentiation grade (p = 0.001). Knockdown of TUG1 significantly promoted the proliferation of NSCLC cells. According to the bioinformatic analysis result of TUG1 4C sequencing data, 83 candidate genes and their interaction regions were identified. Among these candidate genes, CUGBP and Elav-like family member 1 (CELF1) are potential targets of TUG1 in-trans regulation. To confirm the interaction between TUG1 and CELF1, relative expressions of CELF1 were examined in TUG1 knockdown H520 cells; results showed that CELF1 was significantly upregulated in TUG1 knockdown H520 cells. RNA immunoprecipitation was then performed to examine whether TUG1 RNA was bound to PRC2, a TUG1-involved regulation mechanism reported in previous studies. The results demonstrated that TUG1 RNA was bound to enhancer of zeste protein 2/embryonic ectoderm development (EZH2/EED), which is essential for PRC2. Finally, our designed ChIP assay revealed that the EZH2/EED was bound to the promotor region of CELF1 within 992 bp upstream of the transcript start site. Conclusion TUG1 is downregulated in NSCLC. Using TUG1 4C sequencing and bioinformatic analysis, we found CELF1 to be a potential target of TUG1 RNA in in-trans regulation. Moreover, subsequent experiments showed that TUG1 RNA could bind to PRC2 in the promotor region of CELF1 and negatively regulate CELF1 expressions in H520 cells. Our results may facilitate developing new treatment modalities targeting TUG1/PRC2/CELF1 interactions in patients with NSCLC. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12885-016-2569-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Bacterial resistance to antimicrobial compounds is increasing at a faster rate than the development of new antibiotics; this represents a critical challenge for clinicians worldwide. Normally, the minimum inhibitory concentration of an antibiotic, the dosage at which bacterial growth is thwarted, provides an effective quantitative measure for antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and determination of minimum inhibitory concentration is conventionally performed by either a serial broth dilution method or with the commercially available Etest® (Biomerieux, France) kit. However, these techniques are relatively labor-intensive and require a significant amount of training. In order to reduce human error and increase operation simplicity, a simple microfluidic device that can perform antimicrobial susceptibility testing automatically via a broth dilution method to accurately determine the minimum inhibitory concentration was developed herein. As a proof of concept, wild-type (ATCC 29212) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus cells were incubated at five different vancomycin concentrations on-chip, and the sample injection, transport, and mixing processes occurred within five reaction chambers and three reagent chambers via the chip's automatic dispensation and dilution functions within nine minutes. The minimum inhibitory concentration values measured after 24h of antibiotic incubation were similar to those calculated using Etest®. With its high flexibility, reliability, and portability, the developed microfluidic device provides a simple method for antimicrobial susceptibility testing in an automated format that could be implemented for clinical and point-of-care applications.

Toward terahertz applications, we fabricated InGaAs layer on quartz glass by using direct-wafer-bonding technique and demonstrated InGaAs FETs performances to confirm the device fabrication process. Well-behaved FET characteristics on quartz glass have been achieved such as the maximum transconductance (g mmax ) of 69.5 mS/mm at V d = 1.5 V in InGaAs MOSFET and was 244 mS/mm at V d = 1 V in InGaAs MOS-HEMT for 1 µm gate length device. The cut-off frequencies (ƒT) of InGaAs MOSFET and MOS-HEMT of 8 GHz and 22 GHz respectively, were obtained on quartz glass.

Digital loop-mediated amplification (LAMP) is an isothermal, quantitative DNA amplification approach which has high sensitivity and specificity and could be used to analyze extremely low amount of DNA within a short period of time. In this study, an integrated self-driven microfluidic chip was proposed herein for performing a digital LAMP process for vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) diagnosis. The entire bacterial diagnosis could be automatically performed by capillary forces through the new polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surface treatment without using external pumps. Moreover, digitized droplets could be separated from each other by normally-close valves such that it could be quantitated. The contact angle of the treated PDMS surface was measured to be only 24°, which was the lowest value in literatures. This is the first time that a rapid (within 1 hour), simple, and hydrophilic PDMS surface modification method has been reported, which could be used in self-driven microfluidic devices for digital LAMP. This device may become a promising tool for clinical diagnosis and point-of-care applications.

Rapid and accurate diagnosis of C-reactive protein (CRP) is crucial for monitoring cardiovascular diseases because it is a well-known biomarker for evaluating risks of cardiovascular diseases. This study presents a dual-aptamer assay for detection of CRP by using field-effect transistors (FET). This is the first time that two aptamers, which are specific to CRP, were used to form a sandwich assay such that the CRP concentration could be detected by FET devices. Furthermore, a microfluidic system was used to automate the dual-aptamer sandwich assay such that the entire diagnosis process could be automated. In addition to electric signals from the FET device, fluorescent signals were also used to confirm this assay. Experimental results revealed that the first aptamer (1st aptamer) and the second aptamer (c aptamer) could be specifically binded with target CRP. Furthermore, the microfluidic chip integrated with FET can be re-used if the binded CRP and 2nd aptamer was eluted. Besides, in order to prevent the interference materials like proteins, cells and any nonspecific molecules from adhering onto the gate region of the FET device even after immobilization of 1st aptamer, we used ethanolamine as the blocking agent to prevent nonspecific adhesion. The experimental results confirmed that blocking using ethanolamine could successfully prevent nonspecific binding.

This study presents an integrated microfluidic system which can identify the vancomycin resistant gene (vanA) from live hetero-bacteria automatically. In this study, a new approach to diagnose the vanA gene from live hetero-bacteria by using ethidium monoazide (EMA) and loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) was proposed and its feasibility was tested and verified. In addition, an integrated microfluidic system including a microfluidic chip and a home-made control system was also demonstrated. The experimental results showed that the developed system can detect the vanA gene from “live” Enterococcus but not “dead” Enterococcus successfully with a detection limit of 10 colony formation units (CFU). The entire process including the sample pre-treatment process could be automated within 1 hour. This is the first time that an integrated microfluidic system was demonstrated to diagnose the vanA gene from live bacteria by using a molecular diagnosis approach. With its high sensitivity and accuracy, the proposed system may be promising to verify antibiotic resistance genes from live hetero-bacteria which cannot be achieved by using the existing diagnostic methods.

Many anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates were traditionally performed by potentiostatic anodization at 0---10 °C to inhibit the Joule's heat enhanced dissolution in aluminum oxide for ordered AAO configuration. In this article, the hybrid pulse anodization has been performed for offering the effective suppression of Joule's heat generation in high-aspect-ratio AAO formation at room temperature. The effect of pulse period, duty ratio, potential and electrolytic concentration on the evolution of pore characteristics was investigated using Taguchi method. The AAO morphology was captured by scanning electron microscope, and analyzed by gray-scale imaging in order to identify the pore size distribution and AAO thickness for Taguchi analysis. Short pulse-off period and low current density improved the uniformity of pore distribution. Moreover, high current density and intermediate pulse period/duty ratio can enhance the reaction rate and resulted in thick AAO. The evolution of AAO configuration and thickness were further correlated and discussed with pulse modulations and electrolytic concentrations.

The antihypertensive drug amiloride is being considered as a tactic to improve cancer therapy including that for chronic myelogenous leukemia. In this study, we show that amiloride modulates the alternative splicing of various cancer genes, including Bcl-x, HIPK3, and BCR/ABL, and that this effect is not mainly related to pH alteration, which is a known effect of the drug. Splice modulation involved various splicing factors, with the phosphorylation state of serine-arginine–rich (SR) proteins also altered during the splicing process. Pretreatment with okadaic acid to inhibit protein phosphatase PP1 reversed partially the phosphorylation levels of SR proteins and also the amiloride-modulated yields of Bcl-xs and HIPK3 U(-) isoforms. Genome-wide detection of alternative splicing further revealed that many other apoptotic genes were regulated by amiloride, including APAF-1, CRK, and SURVIVIN. Various proteins of the Bcl-2 family and MAPK kinases were found to be involved in amiloride-induced apoptosis. Moreover, the effect of amiloride on mRNA levels of Bcl-x was demonstrated to translate to the protein levels. Cotreatment of K562 and BaF3/Bcr-AblT315I cells with amiloride and imatinib induced more loss of cell viability than either agent alone. Our findings suggest that amiloride may offer a potential treatment option for chronic myelogenous leukemia either alone or in combination with imatinib. Cancer Res; 71(2); 383–92. ©2011 AACR.

The aims of this study are to enhance the effectiveness of group-level differentiated leadership, and to explore the effects of Chinese differentiated leadership on group performance, and how social cohesion mediates the relationship between differentiated leadership and group performance. This study investigated 51 work groups from different enterprises in Taiwan, consisting of 51 supervisors and 230 employees. The results showed that differentiated leadership was positively associated with group social cohesion. Group social cohesion was positively associated with group performance. Finally, social cohesion fully mediated the positive relationship between differentiated leadership and group performance.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of purple sweet potato leaves (PSPL) consumption on oxidative stress markers in a healthy, nontrained, young male population after completing a running exercise protocol. A crossover design was applied, with 15 subjects participating in a two-step dietary intervention period. Each subject was given a high- (PSPL group) or low-polyphenol (control group) diet for 7 days with a 14-day washout period. After each dietary intervention period, all subjects performed 1 h of treadmill running at a speed corresponding to 70% of each subject's individual maximal oxygen uptake (V̇o2max). Blood samples were taken before exercise and at 0, 1, and 3 h after exercise. Compared with the control group, PSPL consumption significantly increased plasma total polyphenols concentration and total antioxidant power (i.e., the ferric-reducing ability of plasma) in the PSPL group. The markers of oxidative damage, plasma TBARS and protein carbonyl, significantly decreased. Plasma IL-6 concentration also decreased. However, no significant difference was found in HSP72 levels between the two groups. These findings indicate that consuming a high-polyphenol diet for 7 days can modulate antioxidative status and decrease exercise-induced oxidative damage and pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion.

Ultra-thin germanium-tin on insulator (GeSnOI) structure on Si substrate has been fabricated using the direct bonding and substrate etching techniques. This process involves the growth of GeSn layer on Ge (001) substrate followed by the deposition of ALD-Al2O3 on GeSn layer, the bonding of GeSn/Ge (001) substrate to a SiO2/Si substrate, and the removal of the Ge substrate. Using the bevel substrate etching technique, we prepared different GeSnOI structures, whose thicknesses gradually varied from 50 to 0 nm, in one sample. We investigated the thickness dependence of the material quality of the fabricated structure via micro-Raman spectroscopy; the strong Ge–Ge peaks are observed in a few nm thick GeSnOI structure, suggesting high quality of the fabricated GeSnOI structure and the enhancement of Raman intensity of the Ge–Ge peak in the ultra-thin GeSnOI structure of thickness less than 10 nm is attributed to the quantum size effect.

Introduction Ultrathin body (UTB) Ge-on-insulator (GeOI) is compulsory structure for improved gate control and immunity against short channel effects in the ultimately scaled high performance and low power CMOS. However, severe carrier mobility degradation has been reported in commercially available Smart-CutTM GeOI substrates with body thickness (T body) less than 20 nm [1, 2]. Unstable Ge/buried oxide (BOX) interfaces, poor Ge crystallinity and Ge thickness fluctuation are main obstacles in conventional UTB GeOI structures. Therefore, more sophisticated fabrication methods are strongly required. In this work, a novel Ge layer transfer technology called HEtero-Layer-Lift-Off (HELLO) [3] utilizing SiGe etch stop layer and Si passivation layer in the donor structure has been developed for precise control of T body and back interfacial quality in UTB GeOI. Enhancement of carrier mobility in both UTB GeOI n and pMOSFETs has been demonstrated, showing high potential of UTB GeOI by HELLO technology [4, 5]. HELLO technology The schematic flows of HELLO technology for fabricating GeOI substrates is shown in Fig. 1. As a donor structure, Ge channel (20 nm)/Si0.3Ge0.7 etch stop layer (6.5 nm)/Ge buffer layer (500 nm)/AlAs/GaAs hetero-structures were grown by low-pressure CVD. To improve back interfacial quality, plasma treatment or 0.5-nm-thick Si passivation on top of Ge layer prior to ALD-Al2O3 deposition were carried out for GeOI n or pMOSFETs, respectively. Then, the direct bonding to SiO2/Si host substrate was performed in press machine under vacuum at 200 °C. Note that the direct bonding was performed at interface of Al2O3/SiO2 to prevent the damage for Ge channel layer. To release GaAs substrate, the AlAs layer was etched selectively and laterally in HCl solution at room temperature. Then, Ge buffer layer and Si0.3Ge0.7 etch stop layer were etched, sequentially. This HELLO technology was performed at low temperature to avoid thermal stress, leading to high quality GeOI structure. The detailed fabrication method for GeOI MOSFETs can be found elsewhere [4]. GeOI n and pMOSFETs Figures 2 show the I D-V G transfer chcaracteristics of UTB GeOI n and pMOSFETs fabricated with HELLO technology with T body of 3 and 4 nm, respectively. Comparable device performance has been achieved and a high I on-I off ratio of 105 has been obtained in both devices. The TEM image of ultrathin GeOI channel (3 nm) in MOSFETs fabricated through HELLO technology is also shown in the inset. Single crystalline Ge layer with precise channel thickness control down to 3 nm was achieved. Positive V th shift was observed in GeOI pMOSFETs as compared with that of nMOSFETs, which can be attributed to carrier confinement at Si-passivated GeOI back interface owing to Ge/Si valence band offset. Figures 3 show the benchmarks of T body dependence of effective (a) electron and (b) hole mobility at N S of 2×1012 cm-2. The mobility of reported GeOI [1, 2] and SOI devices [6] are also plotted for comparison. Severe mobility degradation with scaling T body was found for both n and pMOSFETs as fabricated with conventional GeOI substrates. Nevertheless, it was confirmed the effective electron mobility in HELLO fabricated GeOI significantly increased with scaling T body below 10 nm. This unique phenomenon may be attributed to the modulation of Ge conduction band structure [4]. On the other hand, GeOI pMOSFETs attained much higher mobility of about 150 cm2/Vs in UTB regime. The trend of mobility degradation with scaling T body was also suppressed for the devices fabricated with HELLO technology, presenting the clear benefit of reducing thickness fluctuation and Si-passivated back interface. Thanks to HELLO technology, for the first time, GeOI n and pMOSFETs both outperformed their SOI counterparts in UTB regime. Conclusion High quality GeOI substrates have been successfully fabricated through HELLO technology. Both electron and hole mobility in GeOI devices outperformed their SOI counterparts in UTB regime, indicating that UTB-GeOI structure is very promising for future Ge CMOS applications. Acknowledgement The authors would like to thank the support from Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. and Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc. for Ge layer transfer technology and AIST-NPF for device fabrication. References [1] C. H. Lee et al., IEEE International SOI Conf. 1 (2011). [2] X. Yu et al., Microelectron. Eng. 147, 196 (2015). [3] T. Maeda et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 109, 262104 (2016). [4] W. H. Chang et al., IEEE Trans. Electron Device 64, 4615 (2017). [5] W. H. Chang et al., Appl. Phys. Exp. 9, 091302 (2016). [6] K. Uchida et al., IEDM 47 (2002). Figure 1

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has emerged as a metabolic disease characterized by dysregulated expression of metabolic enzymes. Patients with metastatic RCC have an unusually poor prognosis and near-universal resistance to all current therapies. To ultimately improve cancer treatment and survival rate, there is an urgent need to reveal the mechanisms by which metabolic enzymes and aberrant pathways regulate oncogenic signaling. Through an integrated two-step analysis of RCC metabolic pathways, we previously identified dysregulated expression of methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP) in aggressive RCC. An accumulation of cellular methylthioadenosine has been observed in MTAP-deleted cancer cells. Interestingly, we found a decreased of protein-methylation level with concomitant with an increase in tyrosine phosphorylation after MTAP knockout. Next, we performed a phospho-kinase antibody array screen and identified the type 1 insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF1R) as the top-one candidate with upregulated tyrosine phosphorylation in response to MTAP loss. IGF1R phosphorylation acted upstream of Src and STAT3 signaling in MTAP-knockout RCC cells. Reduction of phospho-IGF1R by a selective inhibitor of IGF-1R, linsitinib, inhibited the cell migration and invasion capability of MTAP-deleted cells. Data from cell viability assays showed that MTAP loss enhanced linsitinib-mediated cytotoxicity in RCC cells. Our data suggest that IGF1R signaling is a driver pathway to confer aggrieves nature of MTAP-deleted renal cell carcinomas. Citation Format: Jihao Xu, Wen-Hsin Chang, Carissa Huang, David Yang, Ching-Hsien Chen. Targeting the insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor in MTAP-deleted renal cell carcinomas [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3507.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the most important adult health problem in the world. Epidemiological studies and laboratory experiments have shown that fruit and vegetable consumption has protective effects against CVD. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of consumption of two kiwifruit per day on the lipid profile, antioxidants and markers of lipid peroxidation in hyperlipidemic adult men and women in Taiwan. Forty-three subjects who had hyperlipidemia, including 13 males and 30 females, participated in this study. They were asked to consume two kiwifruit per day for 8 weeks. Anthropometric measurements were made. Before the intervention and at 4 and 8 weeks of the intervention, fasting blood samples were analyzed for total cholesterol, triacylglycerol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Additionally vitamin E and vitamin C, the malondialdehyde + 4-hydroxy-2(E)-nonenal concentration, and the lag time of LDL oxidation were determined. No significant differences from baseline to 8 weeks of the intervention were detected for triacylglycerol, total cholesterol, or LDL cholesterol. However, after 8 weeks of consumption of kiwifruit, the HDL-C concentration was significantly increased and the LDL cholesterol/HDL-C ratio and total cholesterol/HDL-C ratio were significantly decreased. Vitamin C and vitamin E also increased significantly. In addition, the lag time of LDL oxidation and malondialdehyde + 4-hydroxy-2(E)-nonenal had significantly changed at 4 and 8 weeks during the kiwifruit intervention. Regular consumption of kiwifruit might exert beneficial effects on the antioxidative status and the risk factors for CVD in hyperlipidemic subjects.

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the major and aggressive subtype of RCC. Previously, we identified 383 differentially expressed genes by analyzing full-length cDNA libraries of ccRCC and normal kidney tissues. In this study, we applied functional network analysis to the differentially expressed genes for identifying deregulated molecular pathways in ccRCC, and the results indicated that MYC showed a prominent role in the highest scoring network. The upregulation of MYC expression was validated in ccRCC tissues and cell lines. Furthermore, Knockdown of MYC expression by MYC-specific siRNA significantly inhibited the abilities of uncontrolled proliferation, anchorage-independent growth and arrested cell cycle in the G0/G1 phase in ccRCC cells. Moreover, we found that 37 differentially expressed genes were shown to be MYC-target genes, and the upregulation of the MYC-target genes BCL2, CCND1, PCNA, PGK1, and VEGFA were demonstrated. The expression of these MYC-target genes was significantly correlated with the expression of MYC in ccRCC tissues, and knockdown of MYC also suppressed the expression of these MYC-target genes in ccRCC cells. The recruitment of MYC to the promoter regions of BCL2, CCND1, PCNA, PGK1, and VEGFA was shown by Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. These results suggest that MYC pathway is activated and plays an essential role in the proliferation of ccRCC cells.

JAG1 is a Notch ligand that plays a critical role in multiple signaling pathways. However, the functionality of JAG1 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has not been investigated thoroughly. By comparison of gene transcripted RNA profiles in the cell line pair with differential invasion ability, we identified JAG1 as a potential metastasis enhancer in lung cancer. Ectopic expression of JAG1 on lung cancer cells enhanced cell migration and invasion as well as metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Conversely, knockdown of JAG1 with siRNA in highly invasive cancer cells led to the reduction of migration and invasion. In clinical analysis, JAG1 mRNA expression was higher in tumors than in adjacent normal tissues in 14 of 20 patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). SCC patients with higher JAG1 transcription had poor overall survival than those with low-transcripted JAG1. Microarray analysis indicated that the enforced JAG1 transcription was associated with an elevated HSPA2 RNA transcription, which played a role in promoting cancer cell migration and invasion. In conclusion, this is the first study that demonstrated that JAG1 might act as a potential prognostic marker and JAG1/HSPA2 axis mediates lung cancer malignancy at least partly.

Objective Few studies address quality of care in pay-for-performance (P4P) programs from the perspective of patients' perceptions. This study aimed to examine and compare the patient assessment of diabetes chronic care as perceived by diabetic patients enrolled and not enrolled in a P4P program from the patients' self-reported perspectives. Design A cross-sectional study with case and comparison group design. Setting A large-scale survey was conducted from February to November 2013 in 18 healthcare institutions in Taiwan. Participants A total of 1458 P4P ( n = 1037) and non-P4P ( n = 421) diabetic patients participated in this large survey. The Chinese version of the Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (PACIC) instrument was used and patients' clinical outcome data (e.g. HbA1c, LDL) were collected. Intervention None. Main Outcome Measures Five subscales from the PACIC were measured, including patient activation, delivery system design/system support, goal setting/tailoring, problem solving/contextual and follow-up/coordination. Patient clinical outcomes were also measured. Multiple linear regression and logistic regression models were used and controlled for patient demographic and health institution characteristics statistically. Results After adjusting for covariates, P4P patients had higher overall scores on the PACIC and five subscales than non-P4P patients. P4P patients also had better clinical processes of care (e.g. HbA1c test) and intermediate outcomes. Conclusions Patients who participated in the program likely received better patient-centered care given the original Chronic Care Model. Better perceptions of diabetic care assessment also better clinical outcomes. The PACIC instrument can be used for the patient assessment of chronic care in a P4P program.

α-parvin (PARVA) is known to be involved in the linkage of integrins, regulation of actin cytoskeleton dynamics and cell survival. However, the role that PARVA plays in cancer progression remains unclear. Here, using a lung cancer invasion cell line model and expression microarrays, we identify PARVA as a potential oncogene. The overexpression of PARVA increased cell invasion, colony-forming ability and endothelial cell tube formation. By contrast, knockdown of PARVA inhibited invasion and tube formation in vitro. Overexpression of PARVA also promoted tumorigenicity, angiogenesis and metastasis in in vivo mouse models. To explore the underlying mechanism, we compared the expression microarray profiles of PARVA-overexpressing cells with those of control cells to identify the PARVA-regulated signalling pathways. Pathway analysis showed that eight of the top 10 pathways are involved in invasion, angiogenesis and cell death. Next, to identify the direct downstream signalling pathway of PARVA, 371 significantly PARVA-altered genes were analysed further using a transcription factor target model. Seven of the top 10 PARVA-altered transcription factors shared a common upstream mediator, ILK. Lastly, we found that PARVA forms a complex with SGK1 and ILK to enhance the phosphorylation of ILK, which led to the phosphorylation of Akt and GSK3β. Notably, the inactivation of ILK reversed PARVA-induced invasion. Taken together, our findings imply that PARVA acts as an oncogene by activating ILK, and that this activation is followed by the activation of Akt and inhibition of GSK3β. To our knowledge, this is the first study to characterize the role of PARVA in lung cancer progression.

Rapid and accurate diagnosis of C-reactive protein (CRP) is crucial for preventing cardiovascular diseases because it is a well-known biomarker for evaluating risks of cardiovascular diseases. Our previous work has shown that a microfluidic system equipped with a field-effect-transistor (FET)-based biosensor could detect CRP in 0.1X PBS and provided a limit of detection (LOD) of 26 pM CRP without gate bias. To improve the LOD, a new microfluidic device with a new methodology for measuring FET-based biosensors is presented in this study. Not only can the proposed system work in a solution with a physiological salt concentration but it also detects CRP with ultra-high sensitivity in an automatic fashion. This is the first time that a FET-based biosensor can effectively and automatically detect CRP in a physiological salt concentration without decreasing the sensitivity. The LOD of CRP using aptamer-immobilized AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) was experimentally found to be 1fM, demonstrating the superior performance of this new technique. It may be used as a point-of-care device for CRP detection in the near future.

Necrotic fasciitis (NF) is a particularly aggressive and serious infection of the fascia that can penetrate into the musculature and internal organs, resulting in death if not treated promptly. In this work, an integrated microfluidic system composed of micropumps, microvalves, and micromixers was used to automate the detection of pathogens associated with NF. The entire molecular diagnostic process, including bacteria isolation, lysis, nucleic acid amplification and optical detection steps, was enacted on this developed system. Mannose binding lectin coated magnetic beads were first used as probes to isolate all bacteria in a sample. In this work, polymerase chain reaction assays featuring primers specific to genes from each of four NF-causing bacteria (Vibrio vulnificus, Aeromonas hydrophila, and methicillin-sensitive and resistant Staphylococcus aureus) were used to rapidly and exclusively verify the presence of the respective bacterial strains, and the limits of detection were experimentally found to be 11, 1960, 14, and 11 400 colony forming units/reaction, respectively; all values reflect improvement over ones reported in literature. This integrated microfluidic chip may then be valuable in expediting diagnosis and optimizing treatment options for those with NF; such diagnostic improvements could ideally diminish the need for amputation and even reduce the morality rate associated with this life-threatening illness.

A clean and flat GaSb surface without native oxides has been attained by H2 plasma cleaning and subsequent in-situ N2 plasma nitridation process at 300 oC. The mechanisms of thermal desorption behavior of native oxides on GaSb have been studied by thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS) analysis. The suitable heat treatment process window for preparing a clean GaSb surface is given. Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) analysis indicates that native oxides were completely removed on the GaSb surface after H2 plasma exposure and the pure nitridation of the clean GaSb surface was obtained at a relatively low temperature of 300 °C. This pure nitridation of GaSb have a possibility to be used as a passivation layer for high quality GaSb MOS devices.

Targeted therapeutics, such as those abrogating hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)/VEGF signaling, are initially effective against kidney cancer (or renal cell carcinoma, RCC); however, drug resistance frequently occurs via subsequent activation of alternative pathways. Through genome-scale integrated analysis of the HIF-α network, we identified the major protein kinase C substrate MARCKS (myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate) as a potential target molecule for kidney cancer. In a screen of nephrectomy samples from 56 patients with RCC, we found that MARCKS expression and its phosphorylation are increased and positively correlate with tumor grade. Genetic and pharmacologic suppression of MARCKS in high grade RCC cell lines in vitro led to a decrease in cell proliferation and migration. We further demonstrated that higher MARCKS expression promotes growth and angiogenesis in vivo in an RCC xenograft tumor. MARCKS acted upstream of the AKT/mTOR pathway, activating HIF-target genes, notably VEGF-A. Following knockdown of MARCKS in RCC cells, the IC50 of the multi-kinase inhibitor regorafenib was reduced. Surprisingly, attenuation of MARCKS using the MPS peptide synergistically interacted with regorafenib treatment and decreased survival of kidney cancer cells through inactivation of AKT and mTOR. Our data suggest a major contribution of MARCKS to kidney cancer growth and provide an alternative therapeutic strategy of improving the efficacy of multi-kinase inhibitors. Citation Format: Ching-Hsien Chen, Wen-Hsin Chang, Eric Yu, Muhammad S. Arif, Reen Wu, Robert H. Weiss. Dysregulation of myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS): A novel therapeutic target in renal cell carcinoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1810. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-1810

Genome instability, metabolic switch, and activating metastasis are three of the cancer hallmarks, which always collectively contribute to cancer malignancy. We identified methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP) as a metastasis suppressor in a series isogenic lung cell lines with different invasion ability by array CGH. Using siRNA silencing and ectopic expression of MTAP, we found that MTAP not only inhibited invasion and colony forming in vitro, but also reduced metastasis and tumorigenesis in vivo. Clinically, patients with low MTAP expression associated with poor overall survival and progression-free survival. Furthermore, the metabolite analysis of clinical specimens showed that low MTAP expression leads to MTA substrate accumulation and product decrease. MTA accumulation in MTAP knockout cells reduced the level of symmetric arginine dimethylation of proteins. By using LC/MS, we identified a novel methyl-protein, whose level is elevated in MTAP knockout cells with the depletion of symmetric arginine dimethylation. Functionally, the unmethylated protein would be protected from proteolysis via caspase 3 cleavage. Moreover, the unmethylated mutant protein promoted migration and invasion in vitro strongly than the wild-type one did. In conclusion, we identify a novel marker in low MTAP expression or MTAP knockout cells, providing a potential therapeutic candidate in lung adenocarcinoma. Citation Format: Wen-Hsin Chang, Bing-Ching Ho, Kang-Yi Su, Jian-Wei Chen, Reen Wu, Pan-Chyr Yang, Sung-Liang Yu. MTAP insufficiency promotes metastasis in lung cancer via diminishing protein dimethylation [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1544. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-1544

Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) is a kind of enterococci, which shows resistance toward antibiotics. It may last for a long period of time and meanwhile transmit the vancomycin-resistant gene (vanA) to other bacteria. In the United States alone, the resistant rate of Enterococcus to vancomycin increased from a mere 0.3% to a whopping 40% in the past two decades. Therefore, timely diagnosis and control of VRE is of great need so that clinicians can prevent patients from becoming infected. Nowadays, VRE is diagnosed by antibiotic susceptibility test or molecular diagnosis assays such as matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization/time-of-flight mass spectrometry and polymerase chain reaction. However, the existing diagnostic methods have some drawbacks, for example, time-consumption, no genetic information, or high false-positive rate. This study reports an integrated microfluidic system, which can automatically identify the vancomycin resistant gene (vanA) from live bacteria in clinical samples. A new approach using ethidium monoazide, nucleic acid specific probes, low temperature chemical lysis, and loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) has been presented. The experimental results showed that the developed system can detect the vanA gene from live Enterococcus in joint fluid samples with detection limit as low as 10 colony formation units/reaction within 1 h. This is the first time that an integrated microfluidic system has been demonstrated to detect vanA gene from live bacteria by using the LAMP approach. With its high sensitivity and accuracy, the proposed system may be useful to monitor antibiotic resistance genes from live bacteria in clinical samples in the near future.

Arthroplasty is a general approach for improving the life quality for patients with degenerative or injured joints. However, post-surgery complications including periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) poses a serious drawback to the procedure. Several methods are available for diagnosing PJI, but they are time-consuming or have poor sensitivity and specificity. Alternatively, reverse-transcription PCR can detect live bacteria and reduce false-positive results but cannot avoid the cumbersome RNA handling and human contamination issues. In response, an integrated microfluidic system capable of detecting live bacteria from clinical PJI samples within 55 minutes is developed in this study. This system employs an ethidium monoazide (EMA)-based assay and a PCR with universal bacterial primers and probes to isolate and detect only the live bacteria that commonly cause PJI. The experimental results indicated that the developed system can detect bacteria in human joint fluids with a detection limit of 10(4) colony formation unit mL(-1). Furthermore, nine clinical samples were analyzed using the microfluidic system. The results obtained from the microfluidic system were negative for all culture-negative cases, indicating that the proposed system can indeed reduce false-positive results. In addition, experimental results showed that the EMA sample pre-treatment process was crucial for successful detection of live bacteria. The culture-positive cases were diagnosed as positive by the proposed system only when the clinical samples were treated with EMA immediately after being sampled from patients. Based on these promising results, the developed microfluidic system can be a useful tool to detect PJI and potentially be applied in other clinical situations.

Cardiovascular diseases are responsible for 25-million deaths worldwide on a yearly basis. Timely diagnosis of the disease is therefore an extensive research area. Toward this end, C-reactive protein (CRP) has become a reliable biomarker for evaluating risks of cardiovascular diseases. For commercial methods of CRP detection, the diagnosis of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) protocol and the high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) were relatively time-consuming and the sensitivity and the detection limit of the above methods were not satisfactory. Recently, a CRP-specific aptamer (DNA-based) with high sensitivity and specificity was used to detect CRP in a microfluidic system, which was capable of performing the detection in an automated fashion while consuming tiny volumes of reagents and samples. Alternatively, AlGaN/GaN HEMT-based field-effect transistor (FET) sensors have emerged as promising biosensors to detect small molecules, proteins and even viruses, and have demonstrated rapid and highly sensitive detection in a compact system. To date, however, the combination of the microfluidic system, CRP-specific aptamer and high sensitivity FET sensors has not yet attempted. In this study, an integrated device that combined the advantages of microfluidics, CRP-specific aptamer and FET-based sensors was developed to achieve rapid, sensitive and specific CRP detection.

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is difficult to treat and the incidence is between 1% and 2% in primary arthroplasties. Implant-associated infections usually arise via either primary infections from bacterial invasion at the time of implant surgery or secondary infections from hematogenous sources. The two-stage re-implantation protocol that consists of extensive debridement at the first stage followed by delayed re-implantation is currently the standard process for chronic PJI with a success rate between 82% to 95%. Furthermore, re-implantation arthroplasty should be only performed after ensuring the complete eradication of bacterial infection to avoid devastating complications. However, it is still a challenge in clinical practice to accurately determine the eradication of infections before or during implantation. Conventional diagnostic methods such as measurements of serum C-reactive protein or interleukin-6 levels, culture of joint aspirates, and microscopic examination of tissue biopsy are either non-specific or relatively time-consuming. For critical decision-making before or during the re-implantation surgery, a quick method with high sensitivity and specificity is therefore of great need. Previous studies reported bacterial ribosomal ribonucleic acids (rRNAs) as a target for the diagnosis of infections since rRNAs are highly conserved among bacterial species and abundant in amount. By using universal primers, the presence of bacterial rRNA could be amplified by using reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Currently the RT-PCR method for detection of bacterial rRNA is highly sensitive with a limit of detection (LOD) as low as a pictogram level. However, RT-PCR signals could only indirectly distinguish live from dead bacteria based on the degradation of rRNA in the tissue. Furthermore, the whole detection procedure of 16s rRNA RT-PCR is labor-intensive. Therefore, an integrated microfluidic system was presented in this work, which could distinguish the existence of live bacteria within 1 hour with a LOD of 104 colony formation unit (CFU). In this study, the fabrication of the microfluidic chip was improved so that the consistency of the transported liquid volume was increased. Moreover, by using an ethidium monoazide (EMA) assay, the cumbersome pre-treatment process of rRNA in live bacteria can be alleviated. This is the first time that a microfluidic platform was reported to detect live bacteria successfully in PJI samples.

Early detection of pathogens is crucial for the effective surveillance of diseases. Many efforts have been made to explore methods which can detect these pathogens within a short period of time without requiring a tedious protocol. However, these developed methods have disadvantages such as they are relatively time-consuming or require specialized laboratory facilities. In this work, we have developed an integrated microfluidic system for rapid and automatic detection of viruses by direct analysis from fresh Phalaenopsis orchid leaves. The entire protocol, including ribonucleic acid (RNA) purification, reverse transcription loop-mediated-isothermal-amplification (RT-LAMP) and optical detection by measuring changes in turbidity was performed on a single chip. This is the first time that an integrated microfluidic system for the detection of viruses infecting the Phalaenopsis orchid has been demonstrated. The sensitivity of the developed system was also explored in this study to validate its performance. From the Clinical Editor: In this study, the authors report the development of an integrated microfluidic system for rapid and automatic detection of viruses by direct analysis of fresh Phalaenopsis orchid leaves, performing the 3-step protocol using a single chip. Similar methods may find clinical application for fast and accurate detection of viral infections.

High quality nanometer-thick Gd₂O₃ and Y₂O₃ (rare-earth oxide, R₂O₃) films have been epitaxially grown on GaN (0001) substrate by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The R₂O₃ epi-layers exhibit remarkable thermal stability at 1100 °C, uniformity, and highly structural perfection. Structural investigation was carried out by in situ reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) and ex-situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) with synchrotron radiation. In the initial stage of epitaxial growth, the R₂O₃ layers have a hexagonal phase with the epitaxial relationship of R₂O₃ (0001)(H)1120(H)//GaN(0001)(H)1120(H). With the increase in R₂O₃ film thickness, the structure of the R₂O₃ films changes from single domain hexagonal phase to monoclinic phase with six different rotational domains, following the R₂O₃ (201)(M)[020](M)//GaN(0001)(H)1120(H) orientational relationship. The structural details and fingerprints of hexagonal and monoclinic phase Gd₂O₃ films have also been examined by using electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). Approximate 3-4 nm is the critical thickness for the structural phase transition depending on the composing rare earth element.

To date, 25 million deaths have been caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections. However, the lack of effective vaccines and drugs still leads to a high transmission rate of HIV. It was estimated that 2.7 million new infections occurred in 2011. Early and accurate diagnosis is essential to control the HIV transmission. Thus, many efforts have been made to explore a rapid and accurate method for HIV detection. The capabilities of antibody-based determination and nucleic-acid-based molecular diagnosis to detect HIV infections have been verified. Yet these methods have some intrinsic drawbacks. For example, antibody-based assays involve a lengthy process and may have an open-window issue while polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assays require delicate equipment and well-trained personnel. In this work, we present an integrated microfluidic system using a rolling circle amplification (RCA) assay which could automatically detect DNA fragment of HIV-1. With this approach, the HIV-1 could be detected automatically to reduce the risk of contamination with no human intervention. Additionally, the specially designed hook primer coated on the magnetic beads and a padlock probe both contribute to RNA extraction with higher specificity such that this developed system is capable of detecting HIV-1 from blood cells directly with improved accuracy. Successful demonstration for detection of HIV-1 DNA fragment has been achieved by using the proposed microfluidic platform.

The diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection is sometimes straightforward with purulent discharge from the fistula tract communicating to the joint prosthesis. However it is often difficult to differentiate septic from aseptic loosening of prosthesis because of the high culture-negative rates in conventional microbiologic culture. This study used quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) to amplify bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA in vitro and in 11 clinical samples. The in vitro analysis demonstrated that the RT-qPCR method was highly sensitive with the detection limit of bacterial 16S rRNA being 0.148 pg/μl. Clinical specimens were analyzed using the same protocol. The RT-qPCR was positive for bacterial detection in 8 culture-positive cases (including aerobic, anaerobic, and mycobacteria) and 2 culture-negative cases. It was negative in one case that the final diagnosis was confirmed without infection. The molecular diagnosis of bacterial infection using RT-qPCR to detect bacterial 16S rRNA around a prosthesis correlated well with the clinical findings. Based on the promising clinical results, we were attempting to differentiate bacterial species or drug-resistant strains by using species-specific primers and to detect the persistence of bacteria during the interim period before the second stage reimplantation in a larger scale of clinical subjects.

We present the HEtero-Layer Lift-Off (HELLO) technique to obtain ultra thin body (UTB) Ge on insulator (GeOI) substrates. The transferred ultra thin Ge layers are characterized by the Raman spectroscopy measurements down to the thickness of ∼1 nm, observing a strong Raman intensity enhancement for high quality GeOI structure in ultra thin regime due to quantum size effect. This advanced Ge layer transfer technique enabled us to demonstrate UTB-GeOI nMOSFETs with the body thickness of only 4 nm.

Ultra-thin-body (UTB) germanium-on-insulator (GeOI) substrates with Si-passivated back interfaces have been fabricated by using advanced epitaxial-lift-off (ELO) technology. Performance of UTB GeOI p-MOSFETs with body thickness (T body) in the 4–16 nm range has also been characterized. Si-passivated back interfaces have been fabricated and found to be effective in mitigating the unpleasant hole-mobility degradation in the UTB GeOI regime owing to the suppression of the back interface scattering.

We fabricated Ge-on-insulator monocrystalline nanolayers with thickness H = 1–18 nm using SiO2 substrate and studied their Raman spectra. The spectra display longitudinal optical (LO) phonon and confined acoustic phonon bands. For H