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Pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins encoded by nuclear genomes can bind to organellar RNA and are involved in the regulation of RNA metabolism. However, the functions of many PPR proteins remain unknown in plants, especially in polyploidy crops. Here, through a map-based cloning strategy and Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/cas9 (CRISPR/cas9) gene editing technology, we cloned and verified an allotetraploid cotton immature fiber (im) mutant gene (GhImA) encoding a PPR protein in chromosome A03, that is associated with the non-fluffy fiber phenotype. GhImA protein targeted mitochondrion and could bind to mitochondrial nad7 mRNA, which encodes the NAD7 subunit of Complex I. GhImA and its homolog GhImD had the same function and were dosage-dependent. GhImA in the im mutant was a null allele with a 22bp deletion in the coding region. Null GhImA resulted in the insufficient GhIm dosage, affected mitochondrial nad7 pre-mRNA splicing, produced less mature nad7 transcripts, and eventually reduced Complex I activities, up-regulated alternative oxidase metabolism, caused reactive oxygen species (ROS) burst and activation of stress or hormone response processes. This study indicates that the GhIm protein participates in mitochondrial nad7 splicing, affects respiratory metabolism, and further regulates cotton fiber development via ATP supply and ROS balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: As a common and frequently occurring disease, heart failure has been paid more and more attention, but the mechanism of its occurrence and development is still unclear. This study investigated that PGAM5 expression levels in heart failure and its underlying mechanisms in vivo and in vitro. Methods: The inhibition of PGAM5 mRNA expression levels in patients with heart failure was compared with the normal group. Results: The serum of PGAM5 mRNA expression was negative correlation with collagen I and collagen III in patients with heart failure. PGAM5 mRNA and protein expression in the heart tissue of mice with heart failure were down-regulated at a time-dependent rate. The inhibition of PGAM5 presented heart failure in the model. PGAM5 reduced inflammation and inhibited ROS-induced oxidative stress in models of heart failure. PGAM5 reduced Ferroptosis in models of heart failure. PGAM5 regulated Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway. IP also showed that PGAM5 protein combined with the Keap1 protein. PGAM5 could increase Keap1 protein ubiquitination. Keap1 inhibition affected the effects of PGAM5 in model of heart failure. Conclusions: We conclude that the protection of PGAM5 reduced ROS-induced oxidative stress and ferroptosis by the Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway in heart failure, suggesting that targeting this mechanism of PGAM5 may be a feasible strategy to treat heart failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examining individual differences in the intrinsic motivations for social media use is essential for determining what causes individuals to enjoy using social networking sites and to engage more consistently in online activities. We analyzed data obtained from a survey of 227 users of social networking sites in China. We tested the hypothesized model using structural equation modeling. Research findings revealed that personality traits are the best predictors of intrinsic motivations for social media use. The Big Five traits of agreeableness and extraversion positively affected social interaction and self-presentation, whereas conscientiousness negatively affected self-presentation. Additionally, the results indicated that demographic variables of age and gender affect intrinsic motivations for social media use. Compared with females, males were more likely to utilize social media to express themselves and expand their social interactions. Moreover, participants older than 25 years demonstrated a lower level of self-presentational needs than did those aged 25 and younger. Our findings further confirm that differences among individuals, largely rooted in personality traits and demographic characteristics, contribute to various motivations for social media use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has previously been demonstrated that glucose is important in the process of stem cell aging. However, the mechanisms of cell senescence induced by high glucose (HG) remain to be elucidated. The preliminary study indicated that D-galactose induced mesenchymal stem cell (MSCs) aging. The present study demonstrated, following treatment with 11.0 or 22.0 mM HG for 14 days, that HG significantly promoted MSCs aging and the expression levels of phosphorylated (p-)phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (Akt) and p-mammalian target of rapamycin signaling (mTOR) in the HG groups were increased compared with the control group. However, following Akt inhibition with 1.0 or 10.0 nM MK-2206, which is an Akt-specific small molecule inhibitor, the senescence-cell value in the HG group was significantly decreased compared with the control group. These results indicated that HG induced MSCs senescence and this effect was primarily mediated via the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We contribute to energy policy discourse in China by demonstrating the existence of multiple energy-intensity equilibria across its provinces. Using recently developed club convergence methods, we identify three unique clubs in China, each with markedly different energy intensity profiles. Unlike in previous studies, our club groupings do not strictly adhere to common geographic separations e.g. east, west and central divisions. To better understand what commonalities/disparities lay behind their groupings, we undertake a regression of the determinants of energy intensity, in a similar vein to a number of recent studies. Doing so, we demonstrate a number of significant differences in the determinants for each of the identified clubs, given which we are able to offer a rich set of policy implications. Not all determinants are common across the three clubs, and where they are common, they can differ both in magnitude and sign, reflecting the fundamental differences across the groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online social networks appear to enrich our social life, which raises the question whether they remove cognitive constraints on human communication and improve human social capabilities. In this paper, we analyze the users' following and followed relationships based on the data of Sina Microblogging and reveal several structural properties of Sina Microblogging. Compared with real-life social networks, our results confirm some similar features. However, Sina Microblogging also shows its own specialties, such as hierarchical structure and degree disassortativity, which all mark a deviation from real-life social networks. The low cost of the online network forms a broader perspective, and the one-way link relationships make it easy to spread information, but the online social network does not make too much difference in the creation of strong interpersonal relationships. Finally, we describe the mechanisms for the formation of these characteristics and discuss the implications of these structural properties for the real-life social networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The phase profile of hole patterned electrode liquid crystal (LC) microlens array (MLA) was studied by a numerical method. It indicated that the formation of inverse domain and tilt wall in the liquid crystal cell limits the optical performance of the microlens array. The physical mechanism that determines the formation of inverse domain and tilt wall was elucidated by analyzing the phase profile and the liquid crystal director distribution. According to our numerical results, a new configuration for hole patterned electrode liquid crystal microlens array was proposed by introducing a dielectric slab between the patterned electrode and the liquid crystal. The physical parameters that influence the optical performance of this new configuration LC MLA were studied, which provide fundamental information for the design. The results indicate that the phase profile and focusing power of the new configuration is greatly improved. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Financialization has brought new challenges to the international energy markets, making energy systemic risk a more complicated issue. One of the important features is the development of cryptocurrency, which has become a critical part of the global financial markets. As a consequence, the rise and fall of cryptocurrency can have nonnegligible impacts on the systemic risks in the international energy sector. This paper empirically tests this hypothesis using the equity data of the top 100 energy companies from 2014 to 2021. Specifically, we explore the extreme shocks of cryptocurrency using multiple bubble tests, and then we test to what extent bubbles in cryptocurrency markets can affect systemic risk in the energy sector. Our empirical results show that the formation of cryptocurrency bubbles, especially when the bubbles burst, significantly increases systemic risks in the energy sector. This effect retains the same in the recent COVID-19 pandemic period. In addition, oil and gas companies play an essential channel in the risk spillover from cryptocurrency markets to the international energy markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financialization has brought new challenges to the international energy markets, making energy systemic risk a more complicated issue. One of the important features is the development of cryptocurrency, which has become a critical part of the global financial markets. As a consequence, the rise and fall of cryptocurrency can have nonnegligible impacts on the systemic risks in the international energy sector. This paper empirically tests this hypothesis using the equity data of the top 100 energy companies from 2014 to 2021. Specifically, we explore the extreme shocks of cryptocurrency using multiple bubble tests, and then we test to what extent bubbles in cryptocurrency markets can affect systemic risk in the energy sector. Our empirical results show that the formation of cryptocurrency bubbles, especially when the bubbles burst, significantly increases systemic risks in the energy sector. This effect retains the same in the recent COVID-19 pandemic period. In addition, oil and gas companies play an essential channel in the risk spillover from cryptocurrency markets to the international energy markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) is a conserved calcium ion (Ca2+) transporter in the mitochondrial inner membrane of eukaryotic cells. How MCU proteins regulate Ca2+ flow and modulate plant cell development remain largely unclear. Here, we identified the gene GhMCU4 encoding a MCU protein that negatively regulates plant development and fiber elongation in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum). GhMCU4 expressed constitutively in various tissues with the higher transcripts in elongating fiber cells. Knockdown of GhMCU4 in cotton significantly elevated the plant height and root length. The calcium signaling pathway was significantly activated and calcium sensor genes, including Ca2+ dependent modulator of interactor of constitutively active ROP (GhCMI1), calmodulin like protein (GhCML46), calciumdependent protein kinases (GhCPKs), calcineurin B-like protein (GhCBLs), and CBL-interacting protein kinases (GhCIPKs), were dramatically upregulated in GhMCU4-silenced plants. Metabolic processes were preferentially enriched, and genes related to regulation of transcription were upregulated in GhMCU4-silenced plants. The contents of Ca2+ and H2O2 were significantly increased in roots and leaves of GhMCU4-silenced plants. Fiber length and Ca2+ and H2O2 contents in fibers were significantly increased in GhMCU4-silenced plants. This study indicated that GhMCU4 plays a negative role in regulating cell elongation in cotton, thus expanding understanding in the role of MCU proteins in plant growth and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses articles in the issue on topics including transition international energy market, analytical frameworks regarding the financialization of energy markets, and market segmentation at the global level.

An introduction is presented in which the author discusses articles within the issue on topics including news media and attention spillover across energy markets, variance risk premiums in energy markets, and cryptocurrency bubble on the systemic risk in global energy companies.

This paper uses a sample of 1,867 firms that participate in the "Top-10,000 Energy- Consuming Enterprises Program" in China and aims to identify strategic traders in its pilot emissions trading scheme. Firms included in the ETS can exert their market power and manipulate allowance prices to achieve low compliance costs, which will consequently influence the effectiveness of this platform. This is of great importance to regulators or designers of this system in identifying these strategic traders and understanding their impact. We follow the basic principle proposed by Godal (2005) and develop a simple and implementable empirical procedure to study firm-level data from seven pilot programs in China. The results show that strategic traders exist with clear regional and sectoral differences. As a consequence of strategic trading by these firms, the overall volume of trading falls remarkably, with a clear increase in total compliance costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A liquid crystal polarization grating (LCPG) is proposed that amplifies the steering angle of a liquid crystal optical phased array for non-mechanical beam steering, taking advantage of its high steering efficiency under normal incidence. However, oblique incidence may play an important role in the overall steering efficiency. The effect of oblique incidence on steering efficiency of a LCPG was analyzed by numerically solving the extended Jones matrix and considering propagation crosstalk. The results indicate that the outgoing laser beam is amplitude-modulated under the effect of oblique incidence and behaves as a sinusoidal-modulated amplitude grating, which diffracts certain energies to non-blazed orders. Over-oblique incidence may even eliminate the steering effect of the incident beam. The modulation depth of the induced amplitude grating was found to be proportional to the product of sinusoidal value of oblique incidence angle and the LC layer thickness, and inversely proportional to the periodic pitch length of the LCPG. Both in-plane incidence and out-of-plane incidence behave similarly to influence the steering efficiency. Finally, the overall steering efficiency for cascaded LCPGs was analyzed and a difference of up to 11 % steering efficiency can be induced between different LCPG configurations, even without considering the over-oblique incidence effect. Both the modulation depth and final steering efficiency can be optimized by varying the LC birefringence and layer thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China, the oil and natural gas resources in Bohai Bay are mainly marginal oil fields, which freeze in the winter. It is necessary to build both ice-resistant and economical offshore platforms. However, risk is involved in the design, construction, utilization, and maintenance of offshore platforms as uncertain events may occur within the life-cycle of a platform. In this paper, the optimum design model of the expected life-cycle cost for ice-resistant platforms based on the cost-effectiveness criterion is proposed. Multiple performance demands of the structure, facilities and crew members, associated with the failure assessment criteria and evaluation functions of costs of construction, consequences of structural failure modes including damage, revenue loss, death, and injury, as well as discounting cost over time are considered. Different reliability analysis approaches involved in life-cycle cost evaluation, such as the global reliability under the extreme ice load, the dynamic reliability, and fatigue life induced by ice vibration, are studied. The proposed life-cycle optimum design formulas are applied to a typical ice-resistant platform in Bohai Bay, and the results demonstrate that the life-cycle cost-effective optimum design model is more rational compared with the conventional static design and the optimum dynamic design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design and performance test of a cholesteric liquid crystal depolarizer (CLCD) is presented. This new depolarizer is a wedge-shaped cell filled with cholesteric liquid crystal material. By placing a CLCD in its path, the incident light beam is divided into a great number of micro beams in space, and each micro light beam has different polarization state and orientation, hence achieving the depolarization effect. Over a conventional optical depolarizer, the CLCD is easy built and insensitive to the polarization orientation of incident light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a novel dielectric spectroscopic technique to investigate the milk freshness and adulterated agents using a customized, open-ended, coaxial probe. An inversely proportional relationship was found between temperature and shelf-life and the real part of the complex permittivity (e') of the samples at 0.1-3GHz. At 2GHz, a linear relationship was found in e' and e", storage time, and water content. In addition, total of five adulterants' agents were investigated and a linear relationship was found between both e' and e" parts, and their concentrations (R² > 0.99). This approach could be the potential basis of rapid online milk quality monitoring in milk production facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyelonephritis is an infection of the upper urinary tract with characteristic histological change to neutrophil infiltration in the kidney. The majority of pyelonephritis is caused by uropathogenic Escherichia (E.) coli (UPEC) bearing distinct virulence factors. Toll/interleukin‑1 receptor domain‑containing protein C (TcpC) encoded by E. coli is an important virulence factor in the majority of strains of UPEC and inhibits macrophage‑mediated innate immunity, which serves an essential role in the pathogenesis of pyelonephritis. In the present study, it was demonstrated that TcpC induced kidney cells to produce macrophage inflammatory protein‑2 (MIP‑2; also known as C‑X‑C motif chemokine 2). MIP‑2 concentration in kidney homogenates from TcpC‑secreting UPEC CFT073 (TcpCwt) murine pyelonephritis models was significantly higher compared with that in kidney homogenates from tcpC knockout CFT073 (TcpC‑/‑) models. In vitro, TcpCwt dose‑dependently promoted MIP‑2 secretion in HEK‑293 cells. The concentration of MIP‑2 in culture supernatants of HEK‑293 co‑cultured with TcpCwt was profoundly higher compared with that of HEK‑293 co‑cultured with TcpC‑/‑. In the presence of anti‑TcpC antibody, the enhancement effect of TcpCwt on MIP‑2 production was completely abrogated, suggesting that the enhanced production of MIP‑2 was mediated by secreted TcpC. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that TcpC‑/‑ treatment had no effect on the p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, while TcpCwt treatment resulted in the activation of p38 MAPK in HEK‑293 cells, as indicated by a simultaneous increase in p38 and phosphorylated‑p38. In addition, inhibition of p38 MAPK with SB203580 significantly decreased MIP‑2 concentration and neutrophil recruitment activity in the supernatants of HEK‑293 cells co‑cultured with TcpCwt. This indicates that TcpC may promote MIP‑2 production in kidney cells through the p38 MAPK signaling pathway. Taken together, the data of the present study demonstrated that TcpC can induce MIP‑2 production, which may contribute to the characteristic histological change associated with pyelonephritis. This data has provided novel evidence to further clarify the pathogenesis of pyelonephritis and novel directions on the pathogenicity of TcpC‑secreting UPEC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palladium-catalyzed arene C(sp2)-H acetoxylation has emerged as a powerful tool to construct a carbon-oxygen (C-O) bond. However, the requirement of stoichiometric chemical oxidants for this transformation possesses a significant disadvantage. To solve this fundamental problem, we now report an anodic oxidation strategy to achieve arene C(sp2)-H acetoxylation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An active phase locking of a large-scale fiber array with thirty channels has been demonstrated experimentally. In the experiment, the first group of thirty phase controllers is used to compensate the phase noises between the elements and the second group of thirty phase modulators is used to impose additional phase disturbances to mimic the phase noises in the high power fiber amplifiers. A multi-level phase dithering algorithm using dual-leve rectangular-wave phase modulation and time division multiplexing can achieve the same phase control as single/multi-frequency dithering technique, but without coherent demodulation circuit. The phase locking efficiency of 30 fiber channels is achieved about 98.68%, 97.82%, and 96.50% with no additional phase distortion, modulated phase distortion I (±1 rad), and phase distortion II (±2 rad),corresponding to the phase error of λ/54, λ/43, and λ/34 rms. The contrast of the coherent combined beam profile is about 89%. Experimental results reveal that the multi-level phase dithering technique has great potential in scaling to a large number of laser beams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mounting evidence suggested that histone H4K20-specific methyltransferase SET8 is required to maintain the malignant phenotype of various cancer types; however, the role of SET8 in mediating tumor metastasis in prostate cancer (PCa) has remained elusive. The present study demonstrated that small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of SET8 inhibited the invasive potential of the PCa cell line PC-3 in vitro. Knockdown of SET8 reduced sphere formation, downregulated E-cadherin and a-catenin, and upregulated N-cadherin and vimentin expression in CaP cells, while upregulation of SET8 expression with a recombinant plasmid had the opposite effect. Furthermore, SET8 was shown to be physically associated with the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) inducer zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) in PCa cell lines. Chromatin immunoprecipitation suggested that SET8 binds to the promoter of cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin and vimentin. Luciferase reporter assays suggested that E-cadherin and vimentin are direct targets of SET8; furthermore, loss- and gain-of function studies of SET8 and ZEB1 indicated that suppression of downstream E-cadherin and activation of vimentin are important mechanisms by which SET8 and ZEB1 cooperatively trigger metastasis. Furthermore, SET8-induced methylated H4K20 was indicated to exert a dual function in ZEB1-regulated gene expression. In conclusion, the present study revealed that SET8 and ZEB1 are functionally interdependent in promoting the EMT and enhancing the invasive potential of PCa cells in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil price shocks are known to affect the financial sector of the economy, due to the inflationary effects, and increasing costs of doing business they create. Though oil-shocks and financial markets are widely researched, there remains scope for deeper understanding using firm level data. We therefore contribute to the literature by extending widely applied multi-factor asset pricing models to a sample of 963 Chinese firms (between 2005-2013) to (i) systematically evaluate their reactions to oil price shocks, and (ii) further include regulated gasoline prices as a more direct measure of the energy-prices faced by firms. 89.2% of firms are susceptible to oil shocks, with positive and negative reactions observed even for firms within the same industry. Gasoline price shocks are more pervasive, affecting 95.7% of firms. Considering oil and gasoline separately allows us to review gasoline price regulation in China, which ultimately appears ineffective in achieving its intended goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytophthora root and stem rot of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], caused by Phytophthora sojae Kaufmann and Gerdemann, is a destructive disease throughout the soybean planting regions in the world. Here, we report insights into the function and underlying mechanisms of a novel ethylene response factor (ERF) in soybean, namely GmERF5, in host responses to P. sojae. GmERF5-overexpressing transgenic soybean exhibited significantly enhanced resistance to P. sojae and positively regulated the expression of the PR10, PR1-1, and PR10-1 genes. Sequence analysis suggested that GmERF5 contains an AP2/ERF domain of 58 aa and a conserved ERF-associated amphiphilic repression (EAR) motif in its C-terminal region. Following stress treatments, GmERF5 was significantly induced by P. sojae, ethylene (ET), abscisic acid (ABA), and salicylic acid (SA). The activity of the GmERF5 promoter (GmERF5P) was upregulated in tobacco leaves with ET, ABA, Phytophthora nicotianae, salt, and drought treatments, suggesting that GmERF5 could be involved not only in the induced defence response but also in the ABA-mediated pathway of salt and drought tolerance. GmERF5 could bind to the GCCbox element and act as a repressor of gene transcription. It was targeted to the nucleus when transiently expressed in Arabidopsis protoplasts. GmERF5 interacted with a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor (GmbHLH) and eukaryotic translation initiation factor (GmEIF) both in yeast cells and in planta. To the best of our knowledge, GmERF5 is the first soybean EAR motif-containing ERF transcription factor demonstrated to be involved in the response to pathogen infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition, an important component in the global N cycle, has increased sharply in recent decades in China. Here, we constructed national-scale inorganic N wet deposition (Ndep) patterns in China based on data from 280 observational sites and analysed the effects of anthropogenic sources and precipitation on Ndep. Our results showed that the mean Ndep over China increased approximately 25%, from 11.11 kg ha-1 a-1 in the 1990s to 13.87 in the 2000s. Ndep was highest over southern China and exhibited a decreasing gradient from southern to western and northern China. The decadal difference in Ndep between the 1990s and 2000s was primarily caused by increases in energy consumption and N fertiliser use. Our findings conformed that anthropogenic activities were the main reason for the Ndep increase and provide a scientific background for studies on ecological effects of N deposition in China [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

8-Hydroxyquinolin-N-oxide was identified as a superior ligand for CuI-catalyzed C-S coupling reactions of aryl iodides with thiols to afford the corresponding thioethers in excellent yield. The method shows excellent chemoselectivity and high functionalgroup tolerance in both coupling partners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesoporous silica materials with a variety of morphologies, such as monodisperse microspheres, gigantic hollow structures comprising a thin shell with a hole, and gigantic hollow structures consisting of an outer thin shell and an inner layer composed of many small spheres, have been readily synthesized in mixed water−ethanol solvents at room temperature using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as the template. The obtained mesoporous silica generally shows a disordered mesostructure with typical average pore sizes ranging from 3.1 to 3.8 nm. The effects of the water-to-ethanol volume ratio (r), the volume content of tetraethyl orthosilicate TEOS (x), and the CTAB concentration in the solution on the final morphology of the mesoporous silica products have been investigated. The growth process of gigantic hollow shells of mesoporous silica through templating emulsion droplets of TEOS in mixed water−ethanol solution has been monitored directly with optical microscopy. Generally, the morphology of mesoporous silica can be regulated from microspheres through gigantic hollow structures composed of small spheres to gigantic hollow structures with a thin shell by increasing the water-to-ethanol volume ratio, increasing the TEOS volume content, or decreasing the CTAB concentration. A plausible mechanism for the morphological regulation of mesoporous silica by adjusting various experimental parameters has been put forward by considering the existing state of the unhydrolyzed and partially hydrolyzed TEOS in the synthesis system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most common method of mobility extraction for graphene field-effect transistors is proposed by Kim. Kim’s method assumes a constant mobility independent of carrier density and gets the mobility by fitting the transfer curves. However, carrier mobility changes with the carrier density, leading to the inaccuracy of Kim’s method. In our paper, a new and more accurate method is proposed to extract mobility by fitting the output curves at a constant gate voltage. The output curves are fitted using several kinds of current–voltage models. Besides the models in the literature, we present a modified model, which takes into account not only the quantum capacitance, contact resistance, but also a modified drift velocity-field relationship. Comparing with the other models, this new model can fit better with our experimental data. The dependence of carrier intrinsic mobility on carrier density is obtained based on this model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contact resistance of metal/graphene is becoming a major limiting factor for graphene devices. Among various kinds of contact resistance test methods, the transmission line model is the most common approach to extract contact resistance in graphene devices. However, experiments show that in some cases there exists large inaccuracy and instability using this method. In this study, we added a cross-bridge structure at the terminal of the transmission line as a supporting test. This modified transmission line measurement structure can easily compare not only the transmission line and Kelvin contact resistance, getting a more reliable value, but also the other contact-related parameters, such as specific contact resistivity, transfer length and the graphene sheet resistance under and outside contact metal at the same time. The new measurement test is very helpful in enabling us to study the contact property accurately. The specific contact resistivity in our experiment is in the range of 2.0 × 10−6 Ω · cm2 and 3.0 × 10−6 Ω · cm2 at room temperature. With the temperature decreasing from 290 K to 60 K, the transfer length fluctuates around 1.7 μm, and the specific contact resistivity reduces to less than 2.0 × 10−6 Ω · cm2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]