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Due to the enhancement by its steep mesoscale topography, the overall rainfall amount and distribution in Taiwan from typhoons, to a first degree, are determined by the storm track relative to the island. Therefore, the quality of typhoon quantitative precipitation forecasts (QPFs) from numerical models is often controlled by track errors, with better quality from those with smaller track errors. However, the present work demonstrates that in daily QPFs over Taiwan made by a cloud-resolving model during five seasons of 2012–2016, targeted for 84 days during 27 typhoons and at ranges of day one (0–24 h) to day eight (168–192 h), the control of track errors on QPF quality is reduced for typhoons associated with southwesterly flow, compared to those without, and decent QPFs could still be obtained with large track errors in some cases. Subsequently, the circumstances and reasons for good (or bad) QPFs in selected examples are further investigated to deepen our understanding of typhoon QPFs in Taiwan. Some common ingredients are found in three cases where good QPFs were produced at a longer range (day 7 or 8) without a good track: these typhoons passed near northern Taiwan and the southwesterly flow prevailed over much of the island during the accumulation period. Responsible for much of the rainfall in Taiwan, the southwesterly flow was reasonably captured, resulting in good QPFs. In another example where the typhoon moved across southern Taiwan, on the contrary, the rainfall was produced by the storm’s circulation, and the QPF was degraded without a good enough track prediction.

Objective We report a case of diffuse large B-cell urethral lymphoma initial presenting with non-healing urethra ulcer. Case Report A 68-year-old woman presented with a non-healing urethral ulcer accompanied with vulvar pruritus, which failed to medical treatment. Her medical history was unremarkable, lacking fever, weight loss or unexplained fatigue. There were no enlarged lymph nodes or palpable liver or spleen upon physical examination. Pelvic examination revealed an ulcerative lesion arising from the posterior wall of the urethral meatus. Cystourethroscopy showed no bladder involvement. Surgical excision of the urethral ulcer was done and immunohistochemical report showed a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Bone marrow needle biopsy and computed tomography were done and the diagnosis of primary diffuse large B-cell urethral lymphoma stage IEA was made. She underwent six cycles of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone and rituximab and was free of disease for 51 months. Conclusion This report of urethral lymphoma was presented as a non-healing ulcer initially, which was totally different previous reports, presenting with bleeding, either vaginal or urinary, urinary frequency, dysuria, urine retention and self-perceived mass, suggesting that unhealed ulcer on the perineal area should be promptly evaluated and avoidance of unnecessary delayed therapy for possible curable disease.

A new benthic foraminiferal genus and species of Heleninidae was discovered in estuarine sediments of the Sihchong River, western Hengchun Peninsula, Southern Taiwan. Similar to the resembling genus Helenina, Cyclohelenina gen. nov. displays distinct sutural incisions on both spiral and umbilical sides. However, it exhibits relatively coarser perforation of the wall, more roundness along the equatorial outline, and a wider range in the number of chambers (7–10) in the last whorl compared to other Heleninidae genera. This new genus can provide a suitable taxonomical unit for the assignments of several undetermined species that were previously classified to but distinguishable from the genera “Pseudoeponides” and Helenina. In this research, we examined and measured 58 syntypes and one ideotype (from the Kangkou River on the east flank of Hengchun Peninsula) of Cyclohelenina formosaensis sp. nov., the type species of the new genus. Under the concept of functional morphology, the hispid ornamentation found to be present around every opening on the test of C. formosaensis suggests that it may be an herbivore. Observations of yellowish-green stains within fresh tests (evidence for chlorophyll from their food source) are consistent with this inference. The test with low-trochospiral shape and sutural incisions on both sides indicated that C. formosaensis may prefer hyposaline habitats with sandy silt and sand substrates in tide-influenced environments, which is consistent with environment properties of the type locality of the new species.

To compare the frequency and clinical significance of familial and de novo chromosomal inversions during prenatal diagnosis. This was a retrospective study of inversions diagnosed prenatally in an Asian population by applying conventional GTG-banding to amniocyte cultures. Data from 2005 to 2019 were extracted from a single-center laboratory database. The types, frequencies, and inheritance patterns of multiple inversions were analyzed. Pericentric variant inversions of chromosome 9 or Y were excluded. In total, 56 (0.27%) fetuses with inversions were identified in the 15-year database of 21,120 confirmative diagnostic procedures. Pericentric and paracentric inversions accounted for 62.5% (35/56) and 37.5% of the inversions, respectively. Familial inversions accounted for nearly 90% of cases, and de novo mutation was identified in two pericentric and two paracentric cases. Inversions were most frequently identified on chromosomes 1 and 2 (16.1% of all inversions), followed by chromosomes 6, 7, and 10 (8.9% of all cases). The indications for invasive testing were as follows: advanced maternal age (67.3%), abnormal ultrasound findings (2.1%), abnormal serum aneuploidy screening (20.4%), and other indications (10.2%). The mode of inheritance was available for 67.9% of cases (38/56), with 89.5% of inversions being inherited (34/38). A slight preponderance of inheritance in female fetuses was observed. Three patients with inherited inversions opted for termination (two had severe central nervous system lesions and one had thalassemia major). Gestation continued for 53 fetuses, who exhibited no structural defects at birth or significant developmental problems a year after birth. Our study indicates that approximately 90% of prenatally diagnosed inversions involve familial inheritance, are spreading, and behave like founder effect mutations in this isolated population on an island. This finding can help to alleviate anxiety during prenatal counseling, which further underscores the importance of parental chromosomal analysis, further genetic studies, and appropriate counseling in cases where a nonfamilial inversion is diagnosed.

Quantitative maps from cardiac MRI provide objective information for myocardial tissue. The study aimed to report the T1 and T2∗ relaxation time and its relationship with clinical parameters in healthy Taiwanese participants.Ninety-three participants were enrolled between 2014 and 2016 (Males/Females: 43/50; age: 49.7 ± 11.3/49.9 ± 10.3). T1 and T2∗ weighted images were obtained by MOLLI recovery and 3D fully flow compensated gradient echo sequences with a 3T MR scanner, respectively. The T1 map of the myocardium was parcellated into 16 partitions from the American Heart Association. The septal part of basal, mid-cavity, and apical view was selected for the T2∗ map. The difference of quantitative map by sex and age groups were evaluated by Student's TTEST and ANOVA, respectively. The relationship between T1, T2∗ map, and clinical parameters, such as ejection fraction, pulse rate, and blood pressures, were evaluated with partial correlation by controlling BMI and age.Male participants decreased T1 relaxation time in partitions which located in the mid-cavity and apical before 55 years old compared with females (Male/Female: 1143.1.4 ± 72.0-1191.1 ± 37.0/1180.1 ± 54.5-1326.1 ± 113.3 msec, p 0.01). For female participants, T1 relaxation time was correlated negatively with systolic pressure (p 0.01) and pulse rate (p 0.01) before 45 years old. Besides, T1 and T2∗ relaxation time were positively and negatively correlated with ejection fraction and pulse rate after 45 years old in male participants, respectively. Decreased T2∗ relaxation time could be noticed in participants after 45 years old compared with youngers (26.0 ± 6.5/21.9 ± 8.0 msec; 25.2 ± 5.0/21.6 ± 7.2 msec, p 0.05).Reference T1 and T2∗ relaxation time from cardiac MRI in healthy Taiwanese participants were provided with sex and age-dependent manners. The relationship between clinical parameters and T1 or T2∗ relaxation time was also established and could be further investigated for its potential application in healthy/sub-healthy participants.

Cold-seep carbonate concretions were preserved in the Chiahsien paleoseep remnant within the Pliocene Yenshuiken Formation of southwestern Taiwan foreland sequence. Compared to the non-seep controls in the Yenshuiken Formation, muddy host rocks that were < 30 cm from massive authigenic carbonate concretions (ACCs) have low CaCO3 contents (~1%), high percentages of agglutinated foraminifera (~90%), and almost no calcareous foraminifera (both benthic and planktonic). However, host rocks that were > 30 cm away from such ACCs have normal marine assemblages (low agglutinated foraminifera percentages, < 6.6%; fair CaCO3 content, 3.5 - 7.9%). Host rocks that were < 80 cm from chimney-shaped ACCs also have abnormal assemblages, whereas those > 80 cm away from the chimneys have normal assemblages. Host rocks between pipe-shaped ACCs have similar characteristics to mudstone samples from control sites. Low percentages of calcareous foraminiferal fossils in the paleoseep remnant are due to pore water acidification within the taphonomically active zone (TAZ), which is triggered and accelerated by oxidation of sulfide [HS-, the product of anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM)] in the methane seep environments. We suggest that foraminiferal assemblages can be influenced by methane seep activities taphonomically and that, therefore, ratios between calcareous and agglutinated foraminifera can reflect and record geochemical interface [e.g., TAZ; sulfate-methane interface (SMI) where AOM occurs] shifts on a subtler scale (only few decimeters) in paleoseep remnants.

Objective The aim of this study is to estimate the long-term survival and to identify adverse events associated with the use of Gellhorn pessaries over a 9-year period. Methods This was a retrospective case series study at a tertiary urogynecology unit in Taiwan. Between January 2009 and June 2017, 93 patients who opted for self-management Gellhorn pessaries to treat symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and who were continuously followed-up were enrolled. Long-term use was defined as use for longer than 1 year. Length of use, factors that predicted discontinuation, and adverse events were analyzed and reviewed by chart or telephone inquiry. Results The cumulative probabilities of continued pessary use at 1 and 5 years were 62.4% and 47.2%, respectively. Of those who discontinued use, 34 (70.8%) participants discontinued use within 1 year, and the mean duration of use was 13.7 months (range, 0-75 months; median, 5 months). Most of the participants stopped using the pessary because of bothersome adverse events such as pessary expulsion, vaginal pain, de novo urinary incontinence, and erosion/infection. Conclusions Self-management Gellhorn pessary was safe and relatively effective and increased patients' autonomy and ability to manage their POP. One third of the patients discontinued use by 1 year, and half of the patients discontinued use at 5 years.

Objective Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) hold great therapeutic potential in morbidities associated with preterm birth. However, the molecular expressions of MSCs in preterm birth infants are not systematically evaluated. In this study, the dual-omics analyses of umbilical-cord (UC)-derived MSCs to identify the dysregulated cellular functions are presented. Materials and methods The UC-MSCs are collected from ten full-term and eight preterm birth infants for microarray and iTRAQ-based proteome profiling. Results The integrative analysis of dual-omics data discovered 5615 commonly identified genes/proteins of which 29 genes/proteins show consistent up- or downregulation in preterm birth. The Gene Ontology analysis reveals that dysregulation of mitochondrial translation and cellular response to oxidative stress are mainly enriched in 290 differential expression proteins (DEPs) while the 412 differential expression genes (DEGs) are majorly involved in single-organism biosynthetic process, cellular response to stress, and mitotic cell cycle in preterm birth. Besides, a 13-protein module involving CUL2 and CUL3 is identified, which plays an important role in cullin-RING-based ubiquitin ligase complex, as potential mechanism for preterm birth. Conclusion The dual-omics data not only provide new insights to the molecular mechanism but also identify panel of candidate markers associated with preterm birth.

Solar-tracking concentrators can potentially lead to low-cost photovoltaic modules that minimize the use of costly semiconductor materials by improving optical collection and coupling. However, solar concentrators and accompanying trackers have proven to be expensive, bulky, and heavy, thereby resulting in increased balance-of-system costs. Here we demonstrate a lightweight and low-profile, and potentially low-cost planar solar-tracking concentrator based on the ancient Japanese art of origami. The tightly packed hexagonal concentrator and tracker arrays are fabricated by cutting and folding thin reflecting sheets that capture and direct concentrated light onto a small, high-efficiency GaAs solar cell. The tracker enables single-axis solar tracking via a simple one-dimensional translational motion of an actuator with minimal energy expense (∼2.9 J/m2/day). Further, we demonstrate stable operation over 10 000 cycles. The solar concentrated cell achieves a 450% increase in diurnal energy output compared wit...

SWI/SNF-type chromatin remodelers, such as BRAHMA (BRM), and H3K27 demethylases both have active roles in regulating gene expression at the chromatin level1–5, but how they are recruited to specific genomic sites remains largely unknown. Here we show that RELATIVE OF EARLY FLOWERING 6 (REF6), a plant-unique H3K27 demethylase6, targets genomic loci containing a CTCTGYTY motif via its zinc-finger (ZnF) domains and facilitates the recruitment of BRM. Genome-wide analyses showed that REF6 colocalizes with BRM at many genomic sites with the CTCTGYTY motif. Loss of REF6 results in decreased BRM occupancy at BRM–REF6 co-targets. Furthermore, REF6 directly binds to the CTCTGYTY motif in vitro, and deletion of the motif from a target gene renders it inaccessible to REF6 in vivo. Finally, we show that, when its ZnF domains are deleted, REF6 loses its genomic targeting ability. Thus, our work identifies a new genomic targeting mechanism for an H3K27 demethylase and demonstrates its key role in recruiting the BRM chromatin remodeler.

Can a robot think like a human being? Scientists in recent years have been trying to achieve this dream, and we are also committed to this same goal. In this paper, we use an example of throwing the ball into the basket to make the robots process with human-like thinking behavior. Such thinking behavior adopted in this paper is divided into two modes: fast and slow. The fast mode belongs to the intuitional reaction, and the slow mode represents the complicated cogitation in human brain. This fascinating human thinking concept is inspired by the book, Thinking, Fast and Slow , which explains the process of the human brain. In addition, the psychology theories proposed in this book are also adopted to realize the thinking algorithms, and our experiments verify that the thinking mode of human beings is reasonable and effective in robots.

"Tropone" is a non-benzenoid aromatic skeleton that can be found in a variety of natural products. This cyclohepta-2,4,6-trien-1-one skeleton appears simple, but there have been no straightforward ways to construct this molecular architecture. It is conceivable that this molecule can be constructed via a higher order cycloaddition of three acetylene units and CO, but such process was not known until we have discovered that the carbonylative [2+2+2+1] cycloaddition of triynes can take place in the presence of a Rh complex catalyst and CO. However, this highly challenging process is naturally accompanied by ordinary [2+2+2] cyclotrimization products, i.e., benzenes, as side products. A mechanistic study led to two competing processes wherein the critical CO insertion occurs either to a rhodacyclopentadiene intermediate (Path A) or a rhodacycloheptatriene intermediate (Path B). The DFT analysis of those two pathways disclosed that the Path A should be the one that yields the carbonylative [2+2+2+1] cycloaddition products, i.e., fused tricyclic tropones. A further substrate design, inspired by colchicine structure, led to the almost exclusive formation of a fused tetracyclic tropone from a triyne bearing 1,2-disubstituted benzene moiety in a single step and excellent yield.

The nonbenzenoid aromatics, tropones and tropolones, are found in various natural products such as colchicine and hinokitol, which possess significant biological activities. The traditional methods to construct the tropone skeletons include oxidation of cycloheptatriene and [4+3] cycloadditions. In addition, the total synthesis of colchicine and its analogues requires laborious organic transformations in the formations of 6-7-7 fused-ring systems. Transition metal-catalyzed carbocyclization and cycloaddition reactions have proven to be among the most efficient methods for constructing complex polycyclic systems. On the basis of our recent discovery of the Rh-catalyzed carbonylative [2+2+2+1] cycloaddition of triynes to the formation of a fused tropone system, we report here the application of this methodology to the one-step formation of the 6-7-7-5 fused tetracyclic scaffold of colchicinoids based on the [2+2+2+1] cycloaddition of o-phenylenetriynes with CO. In addition, the one-step formation of allocolchicinoids bearing the 6-7-6-5 fused tetracyclic system through the Rh-catalyzed [2+2+2] cycloaddition of o-phenylenetriynes is also described.

This paper proposes a design of an auto-aiming system, which is capable of tracking a user's gaze automatically. The auto-aiming system is composed of an electric gun control system and a wearable gaze tracker. According to a user's gaze direction which is captured by the helmet camera, the gun can automatically aim an object which the user is looking at. The mapping model between the user's eye movement and the shooting direction of the gun is established by a Deep Belief Network (DBN). This DBN-based gaze tracking model allows the auto-aiming shooting system to aim the target timely and accurately. Finally, the experiment results demonstrate the proposed auto-aiming system for different users can achieve an average accuracy of 96%.

A small library of fine-tunable monodentate phosphoramidite (MPN) ligands was found useful in selecting a highly efficient chiral ligand for the enantioselective Pd-catalyzed tandem allylic alkylation reaction. The reaction gave a critical tricyclic key intermediate with high enantiopurity for the formal total synthesis of (−)-huperzine A, a Lycopodium alkaloid derived from the club moss Huperzia serrata that possesses potent inhibitory activity against acetylcholine esterase (ACHe).

Atmospheric-pressure plasma cyclone with argon as the carrier gas was employed to modify the polysulfone membrane to increase its surface hydrophilicity. The variation of the polysulfone surface hydrophilicity was evaluated by static contact angle measurement and it converted highly hydrophilic when exposed in cyclonic plasma. The substantial rise in the surface energy of the treated polysulfone membranes by reason of surface etching and bond cleavage effect in the plasma surface modification was also observed. The chemical composition and the surface morphological alterations of cyclonic plasma treated polysulfone membranes were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The major findings in this study considerably showed higher surface concentrations of polar functional groups for cyclonic plasma-activated polysulfone membrane surfaces more than originally pristine polysulfone membrane surfaces.

Lectins are ubiquitous carbohydrate-binding proteins of nonimmune origin that are characterized by their specific recognition of defined monosaccharide or oligosaccharide structures. However, the use of carbohydrates to study lectin has been restricted by the weak binding affinity and noncovalent character of the interaction between carbohydrates and lectin. In this report, we designed and synthesized a multifunctional photoaffinity reagent composed of a trialkyne chain, a masked latent amine group, and a photoreactive 3-trifluoromethyl-3-phenyl-diazirine group in high overall yield. Two well-defined chemistries, Huisgen-Sharpless click chemistry and amide bond coupling, were the key steps for installing the multivalent character and tag in our designed photoaffinity probe. The photolabeling results demonstrated that the designed probe selectively labeled the target lectin, RCA120 ( Ricinus communis Agglutinin), in an E. coli lysate and an asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGP-R) on intact HepG2 cell membranes. Moreover, the probe also enabled the detection of weak protein-protein interactions between RCA120 and ovalbumin (OVA).

This paper experimentally investigates the effects of induced nanostructures on the reduction of friction for mechanical seals. This study examines the properties of low-friction seals, whose surfaces were fabricated using a titanium–sapphire-based femtosecond laser in the authors’ previous study. Tribological experiments are carried out with a ring-on-disk apparatus under various loads, which are increased in a stepwise manner. Three surface patterns on seals are used for tribological investigations: a flat surface, a step-bearing surface, and a step-bearing surface combined with nanostructures. The experimental results show that the step-bearing surface with nanostructures had the smallest friction coefficient, which was about 20 % smaller than that of the step-bearing surface without nanostructures. Nanostructures on the SiC surface generate a thicker SiO2 film than that on SiC without nanostructures and prevent the direct contact of the relative moving surfaces of the ring and disk when the water film breaks down. This study also examines the surface damage of the specimens. Scanning electron microscopy images indicate that the nanostructures on the specimen are not damaged with a step-bearing surface under the hydrodynamic lubrication condition. Hence, employing nanostructures on the surfaces of mechanical seals has great potential to reduce the friction coefficient.

We report successful implementation of top-gate staggered a-IGZO TFTs with decent performance and environmental stability by adopting the SiOx/SiNx bi-layer gate-insulator stack. We successfully integrated the top-gate staggered a-IGZO TFTs into a working 2.2-inch AMOLED display panel, demonstrating the real use of the developed TFTs. We had also successfully implemented flexible top-gate staggered a-IGZO TFTs on colorless and transparent polyimide-based nanocomposite substrates using fully lithographic and etching processes that are compatible with existing TFT mass fabrication technologies. The TFTs showed decent performances (with mobility>10 cm2/V⋅s) either as fabricated or as de-bonded from the carrier glass. By bending the devices to different radii of curvature, influences of mechanical strains on characteristics of the flexible a-IGZO TFTs were also investigated.

Plant growth is controlled by integration of hormonal and light-signaling pathways. BZS1 is a B-box zinc finger protein previously characterized as a negative regulator in the brassinosteroid (BR)-signaling pathway and a positive regulator in the light-signaling pathway. However, the mechanisms by which BZS1/BBX20 integrates light and hormonal pathways are not fully understood. Here, using a quantitative proteomic workflow, we identified several BZS1-associated proteins, including light-signaling components COP1 and HY5. Direct interactions of BZS1 with COP1 and HY5 were verified by yeast two-hybrid and co-immunoprecipitation assays. Overexpression of BZS1 causes a dwarf phenotype that is suppressed by the hy5 mutation, while overexpression of BZS1 fused with the SRDX transcription repressor domain (BZS1-SRDX) causes a long-hypocotyl phenotype similar to hy5, indicating that BZS1's function requires HY5. BZS1 positively regulates HY5 expression, whereas HY5 negatively regulates BZS1 protein level, forming a feedback loop that potentially contributes to signaling dynamics. In contrast to BR, strigolactone (SL) increases BZS1 level, whereas the SL responses of hypocotyl elongation, chlorophyll and HY5 accumulation are diminished in the BZS1-SRDX seedlings, indicating that BZS1 is involved in these SL responses. These results demonstrate that BZS1 interacts with HY5 and plays a central role in integrating light and multiple hormone signals for photomorphogenesis in Arabidopsis.

In this paper, we had successfully implemented flexible top-gate staggered amorphous In-Ga-Zn-O (a-IGZO) thin- film transistors (TFTs) on colorless and transparent polyimide (PI)-based nanocomposite substrates using fully lithographic and etching processes that are compatible with existing TFT mass fabrication technologies. The use of the selectively coated release layer between the nanocomposite PI film and the glass carrier ensured smooth debonding of the plastic substrate after TFT fabrication. The TFTs showed decent performances (with mobility >; 10 cm2/V · s) either as fabricated or as debonded from the carrier glass. By bending the devices to different radii of curvature (from a flat state to an outward bending radius of 5 mm), influences of mechanical strains on the characteristics of flexible a-IGZO TFTs were also investigated. In general, the mobility of the flexible a-IGZO TFT increased with the tensile strain, whereas the threshold voltage decreased with the tensile strain. The variation of the mobility in a-IGZO TFTs versus the strain appeared smaller than those observed for amorphous silicon TFTs.

We report the successful implementation of top-gate staggered amorphous In-Ga-Zn-O (a-IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) with decent performance and environmental stability by adopting the SiOx/SiNx bilayer gate-insulator stack. The PECVD SiOx and SiNx were used as the first and second gate insulators, respectively, in the TFT to simultaneously ensure the channel/gate-insulator interface properties for device performances and the water impermeability of the gate insulator for effective passivation of the channel layer. It was also found that the cleanliness of the back-channel interface (and thus the effectiveness of the source/drain etching process) is critical for the successful implementation of the top-gate staggered a-IGZO TFTs. In this paper, a two-step wet-etching process for source/drain was used to ensure the quality of the back-channel interface. Finally, we successfully integrated the top-gate staggered a-IGZO TFTs into a working 2.2-in active matrix organic light-emitting display panel, demonstrating the real use of the developed TFTs.

Most previous studies have employed surface patterning to improve the performance of lubrication systems. However, few have experimentally analyzed improved effects on friction reduction in SiC mechanical seals by ultra-fast laser pulse texturing. This work applies surface texturing on a non-contact mechanical seal and analyzes the characteristics of the resultant surface morphology. A femtosecond laser system is employed to fabricate micro/nanostructures on the SiC mechanical seal, and generates microscale-depth stripes and induces nanostructures on the seal surface. This work examines the morphology and cross section of the SiC nanostructures that correspond to the different scanning speeds of the laser pulse. Results show that varying the scanning speed enables the application of nanostructures of different amplitudes and widths on the surface of the seal. The friction coefficient of the introduced SiC full-textured seal is about 20% smaller than that of a conventional SiC mechanical seal. Hence, femtosecond laser texturing is effective and enables direct fabrication of the surface micro/nanostructures of SiC seals. This technique also serves as a potential approach to lubricating applications.

1-Vinyltetrahydroisoquinolines serve as versatile intermediates for the synthesis of a variety of naturally occurring isoquinoline alkaloids. 1-Vinyl-6,8-dimethoxytetrahydroisoquinoline 4 and 1-vinyl-5,6,7-trimethoxytetrahydroisoquinoline 6 with >90% ee by means of Pd-catalyzed intramolecular asymmetric allylic amination reactions, using MPN and BOP ligands, developed in our laboratory. The fine-tuning capability of the MPN and BOP ligands has played a significant role in the optimization of enantioselectivity. Interesting substituent effect as well as solvent effect on the product selectivity and enantioselectivity was observed. Plausible mechanisms are proposed, which can accommodate various findings, including the critical importance of the activation of the trifluoroamide moiety through its coordination to the Lewis acidic Pd2+ metal center.

We demonstrated flexible amorphous In-Ga-Zn-O (a-IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) on fully transparent and high-temperature polyimide-based nanocomposite substrates. The flexible nanocomposite substrates were coated on the carrier glass substrates and were debonded after the TFT microfabrication. The adoption of the Ti/IZO stacked electrodes as source/drain/ gain electrodes significantly improved the etching compatibility with other material layers, enabling successful implementation of flexible a-IGZO TFTs onto the transparent nanocomposite substrates by conventional lithographic and etching processes. The flexible a-IGZO TFTs exhibited decent mobility and mechanical bending capability. Field-effect mobility of up to 15.9 cm2/V · s, a subthreshold swing of 0.4 V/dec, a threshold voltage of 0.8 V, and an on/off ratio of >; 108 were extracted from the TFT characteristics. The devices could be bent down to a radius of curvature of 3 mm and yet remained normally functional. Such successful demonstration of flexible oxide TFTs on transparent flexible substrates using fully lithographic and etching processes that are compatible with existing TFT fabrication technologies shall broaden their uses in flexible displays and electronics.

Although native aluminum (Al°) has been reported to occur in various geological settings for more than 20 locations but its mechanism of formation still remains to be elucidated. We report the occurrence and characterization of Al° particles recovered from the surface sediment (CF4) and a short core sediment (ROV-G, 37 cm length) obtained at cold seeps in the northeastern continental slope (NCS) of the South China Sea (SCS). X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the collected particles are metallic aluminum with the unit cell edge a of 4.059 ± 0.005 A (CF4#2) and 4.029 ± 0.004 A (T26–28#2, ROV-G). The Al° particles occur as spherules, irregular plates and elongated forms with typical lamellar structures. Their chemical compositions are 95.07–99.84% Al (the average values is 98.42%) with very small amounts of Si, Fe, Ti, S, Zn, Mg, Ca, K, Na, Cu, Co and P, and are similar to Al° particles from the East Pacific Rise and the Central Indian Basin but differ markedly to those from other locations. After ruling out several possibilities of Al° sources and mechanism of formation, an alternative cold seep mechanism is proposed for the origin of Al° in the SCS. During the processes of anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) and pyrite formation, high H2S and H2 partial pressures result in strong reducing micro-environments, under which Al ( OH ) 4 - is reduced to its metallic state by the microbial-bacterial processes.

A library of new 2,2'-bis(diphenylphosphinoyloxy)-1,1'-binaphthyl (binapo)-type chiral diphosphonite ligands was designed and synthesized based on chiral 3,3',5,5',6,6'-hexasubstituted biphenols. These bop ligands have exhibited excellent efficiency in a palladium-catalyzed intermolecular allylic amination reaction, which provides a key intermediate for the total synthesis of Strychnos indole alkaloids with enantiopurities of up to 96% ee.

The aim of this study was to uncover the membrane protein profile differences between colorectal carcinoma and neighboring normal mucosa from colorectal cancer patients. Information from cellular membrane proteomes can be used not only to study the roles of membrane proteins in fundamental biological processes, but also to discover novel targets for improving the management of colorectal cancer patients. We used solvent extraction and a gel-assisted digestion method, together with isobaric tags with related and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) reagents to label tumoral and adjacent normal tissues in a pairwise manner (n = 8). For high-throughput quantification, these digested labeled peptides were combined and simultaneously analyzed using LC-MS/MS. Using the shotgun approach, we identified a total of 438 distinct proteins from membrane fractions of all eight patients. After comparing protein expression between cancerous and corresponding normal tissue, we identified 34 upregulated and eight downregulated proteins with expression changes greater than twofold (Student's t-test, P < 0.05). Among these, the overexpression of well-established biomarkers such as carcinoembryonic antigens (CEACAM5, CEACAM6), as well as claudin-3, HLA class I histocompatibility antigen A-1, tapasin and mitochondrial solute carrier family 25A4 were confirmed by western blotting. We conclude that gel-assisted digestion and iTRAQ labeling MS is a potential approach for uncovering and comparing membrane protein profiles of tissue samples that has the potential to identify novel biomarkers.

Chemokines orchestrate leukocyte migration toward sites of inflammation and infection and target leukocytes via chemokine receptors such as CCR6, a subfamily of the seven-transmembrane G-protein-coupled receptors. Lipid rafts are cholesterol and sphingolipid-enriched liquid-ordered membrane microdomains thought to serve as scaffolding platforms for signal transduction. To globally understand the dynamic changes of proteins within lipid rafts upon CCR6 activation in T cells, we quantitatively analyzed the time-dependent changes of lipid raft proteome using our recently reported membrane proteomics strategy combining gel-assisted digestion, iTRAQ labeling and LC-MS/MS. To our knowledge, the error-free identification of 852 proteins represents the first data set of the raft proteome in T cells upon chemokine receptor activation, including 354 previously annotated raft proteins and 85 dynamically recruited proteins that are potential raft-associated proteins. The temporal profiles revealed that many proteins involved in the actin cytoskeleton rearrangement are actively recruited into lipid rafts upon CCR6 activation. We further confirmed the proteomics results by Western blotting and used small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown to evaluate their roles upon CCR6 activation. In sum, we employed quantitative proteomic strategy to analyze raft proteome and identified many molecules actively involved in the control of actin assembly and disassembly regulating CCR6 activation-induced cell migration.

Self-aligned techniques are often used in conventional CMOS and Si-based thin-film transistors (TFTs) technologies due to various merits. In this paper, we report self-aligned coplanar top-gate InGaZnO TFTs using PECVD a-SiNinfin:H patterned to have low hydrogen content in the channel region and high hydrogen content in the source/drain region. After annealing to induce hydrogen diffusion from a-SiNinfin:H into the oxide semiconductor, the source-drain regions become more conductive and yet the channel region remains suitable for TFT operation, yielding a working self-aligned TFT structure. Such fabrication involves neither back-side exposure nor ion implantation, and thus may be compatible with the typical and cost-effective TFT manufacturing.

Toward multiplexed, comprehensive, and robust quantitation of the membrane proteome, we report a strategy combining gel-assisted digestion, iTRAQ (isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation) labeling, and LC-MS/MS. Quantitation of four independently purified membrane fractions from HeLa cells gave high accuracy ( or =2-fold up-regulation and down-regulation, respectively. Some of these differentially expressed membrane proteins are involved in the mechanisms underlying major abnormalities in ADPKD, including epithelial cell proliferation and apoptosis, cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions, ion and fluid secretion, and membrane protein polarity. Among these proteins, targeting therapeutics to certain transporters/receptors, such as epidermal growth factor receptor, has proven effective in preclinical studies of ADPKD; others are known drug targets in various diseases. Our method demonstrates how comparative membrane proteomics can provide insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying ADPKD and the identification of potential drug targets, which may lead to new therapeutic opportunities to prevent or retard the disease.

A monocyclic compound 3 (3-ethynyl-3-methyl-6-oxocyclohexa-1,4-dienecarbonitrile) is a highly reactive Michael acceptor leading to reversible adducts with nucleophiles, which displays equal or greater potency than the pentacyclic triterpenoid CDDO in inflammation and carcinogenesis related assays. Recently, reversible covalent drugs, which bind with protein targets but not permanently, have been gaining attention because of their unique features. To explore such reversible covalent drugs, we have synthesized monocyclic, bicyclic, and tricyclic compounds containing 3 as an electrophilic fragment and evaluated them as activators of the Keap1/Nrf2/ARE pathway and inhibitors of iNOS. Notably, these compounds maintain the unique features of the chemical reactivity and biological potency of 3. Among them, a monocyclic compound 5 is the most potent in these assays while a tricyclic compound 14 displays a more robust and specific activation profile compared to 5. In conclusion, we demonstrate that 3 is a useful electrophilic fragment for exploring reversible covalent drugs.

A new micro-concentrator architecture based on origami concentrators is proposed for plate-plate photovoltaic applications to potentially lower the cost of electricity. The fabrication of the concentrators adopts the origami technique, allowing the use of thin-film processing technologies. The concentrators are lightweight, flexible, and requiring only a one-dimensional translational motion for solar tracking. In combination with high-efficiency GaAs solar cells, a six-time energy output was demonstrated per unit solar cell area from a prototype origami solar array.

A roller drive has a topological structure similar to an epicyclic gearing, where both the planet gear and the ring gear have rollers as their teeth. The roller drive thus has the advantages of easy manufacture and low cost. In this paper, the kinematic model based on the vector loop approach is developed, and models for analyzing the kinetostatics and mechanical efficiency of roller drives considering friction are proposed. By using these models, the velocity, acceleration, normal forces acting on the conjugated pairs and efficiency of roller drives can be obtained. An example is given, and experimental testing is applied to verify the analysis results. The results show that the roller drive has a speed fluctuation that corresponds with the number of ring gear rollers, and the magnitudes of the forces vary periodically with the crank angular displacement; hence, the roller drive has an input torque ripple. It is also found that the roller drive has high efficiency under the operation of high speed. Moreover, the influence of the geometric parameters on efficiency and speed fluctuation of the roller drives is discussed.

The synthesis, characterization, and mesomorphic properties of two series of heterocyclic compounds derived from a pyrimidine core are reported. These series, 1a and 1b, are substituted with a variety of functional groups (X=NHSO2CF3, F, Cl, Br, I, OCH3, CH3, C2H5) at the C3′ (meta)- or C4′ (para)-position of the terminal phenyl ring, and the substituent effect on mesophase formation was studied. The compounds were characterized by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis, and the mesomorphic behavior of the compounds was characterized and studied by differential scanning calorimetry, polarizing optical microscopy and powder X-ray diffraction. Most of the compounds were mesogenic at room temperature, and the mesophases were assigned as lamellar columnar (ColL) phases, as expected for disk-like molecules. The results also revealed that compounds with a para-substituent (1a; except for –OCH3) at the C4′-position, exhibited higher clearing temperatures and wider temperature mesophase ranges than th...

We have synthesized a novel molecule, 3,6-bis(1-methyl-4-vinylpyridium)carbazole diiodide (BMVC), for recognizing specific quadruplex structures, particularly the quadruplex of human telomeric sequence d(T(2)AG(3))(4). The fluorescence intensity of the BMVC molecule increases from 1 to almost 2 orders of magnitude upon interacting with various DNAs. At a concentration of BMVC of 10 microM, fluorescence bands with different colors of BMVC in electrophoresis gels of various DNAs can be observed. The fluorescence of BMVC can be used to discriminate between duplex and quadruplex DNAs. At the low concentration of 0.1 microM BMVC in prestained gels, the fluorescence is observed in the presence of quadruplexes with anti-anti-anti-anti and anti-anti-syn-syn arrangements. However, no fluorescence band is detected upon interacting with duplexes and quadruplexes with anti-syn-anti-syn arrangement. Moreover, the sensitivity assays show that as little as 0.2 pmol of quadruplex of d(T(2)AG(3))(4) can be revealed by BMVC.