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Purpose: We report a case of macular, serous retinal detachment associated with hypotony in a patient with pachychoroid disease developing after Ahmed valve implantation.Case summary: A 77-year-old male visited our clinic with uncontrolled intraocular pressure (IOP; 32 mmHg) in his left eye despite maximal tolerable medical therapy. A prolapsed vitreous filled the anterior chamber. Swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) revealed that the subfoveal choroidal thickness was about 510 μm, indicating pachychoroid. Vitrectomy was performed to remove the prolapsed vitreous. The IOP remained 32 mmHg 3 weeks after vitrectomy. Ahmed valve implantation was performed and hypotony developed 10 days postoperatively. Choroidal detachment was apparent and SS-OCT revealed macular accumulation of subretinal fluid. The subfoveal choroidal thickness increased to a level beyond the SS-OCT measurement range. Partial tube ligation was performed to treat the hypotony 18 days after Ahmed valve implantation; the IOP decreased to 14 mmHg at 6 weeks postoperatively. The macular, serous retinal detachment disappeared and the subfoveal choroidal thickness fell to the preoperative value.Conclusions: Hypotony after Ahmed valve implantation can manifest as serous retinal detachment under the fovea accompanied by an increase in choroidal thickness in an eye with underlying pachychoroid.

New personalization technologies have made it possible to deliver personalized messages to consumers based on their offline media usage in real time, which is known as synced advertising. These developments go hand-in-hand with a rise in concerns related to consumers’ privacy. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of increasing consumer knowledge of synced advertising (SA) on resistance through critical attitudes and perceived surveillance. In two online experiments, we found that increased SA awareness and knowledge generates more critical attitudes and a greater level of perceived surveillance, which leads to more resistance to a synced ad. For consumers without prior SA experience (e.g., through education, work), providing technical information on SA is the most effective in increasing SA knowledge (both objective and subjective knowledge), but personally relevant information could help increase confidence in SA knowledge (i.e., subjective knowledge). These results advance theories of persuasion knowledge, as well as the underlying mechanism of synced advertising effects on consumer empowerment. The results contribute to literacy programs by showing what type of information could help consumers make informed decisions about this new personalization strategy.

Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communications (URLLC) arose to serve Industrial IoT (IIoT) use cases within 5G. However, currently, it has inherent limitations in supporting future services. Therefore, in this article, based on state-of-the-art research and practical deployment experience, from two distinct test networks from Finland and South Korea, we introduce and advocate for three variants of critical Machine-Type Communications (MTC), namely, broadband, scalable and extreme URLLC. Moreover, we discuss use cases and key performance indicators and identify two critical technology enablers for each new service class. Finally, we bring practical considerations from the IIoT testbed and provide an outlook towards new research directions.

It is composed with three parts: Part I-Standardisation on interoperability, Part II-Reliability regulation, Part IIIStandard contribution of privacy legal framework. Part I describes the list of existing standards focusing on data interoperability, PLATOON’s standardisation items and its contributions. Part II explains reliability indicators, related regulations, co-creation workshop, experts’ interview results and recommendations. Part III summarized developed legal framework and contribution to the criteria of Europrivacy certification scheme in smart grid sector.

This study explored intentional ad-viewing on digital video-sharing platforms and focused on a novel type of ad-viewing behavior to support video creators. In-depth interviews with 20 YouTube users...

Background Children's motor development is a crucial tool for assessing developmental levels, identifying developmental disorders early, and taking appropriate action. Although the Korean Developmental Screening Test for Infants and Children (K-DST) can accurately assess childhood development, its dependence on parental surveys rather than reliable, professional observation limits it. This study constructed a dataset based on a skeleton of recordings of K-DST behaviors in children aged between 20 and 71 months, with and without developmental disorders. The dataset was validated using a child behavior artificial intelligence (AI) learning model to highlight its possibilities. Results The 339 participating children were divided into 3 groups by age. We collected videos of 4 behaviors by age group from 3 different angles and extracted skeletons from them. The raw data were used to annotate labels for each image, denoting whether each child performed the behavior properly. Behaviors were selected from the K-DST's gross motor section. The number of images collected differed by age group. The original dataset underwent additional processing to improve its quality. Finally, we confirmed that our dataset can be used in the AI model with 93.94%, 87.50%, and 96.31% test accuracy for the 3 age groups in an action recognition model. Additionally, the models trained with data including multiple views showed the best performance. Conclusion Ours is the first publicly available dataset that constitutes skeleton-based action recognition in young children according to the standardized criteria (K-DST). This dataset will enable the development of various models for developmental tests and screenings.

Circular RNA (circRNA) is a closed, single-stranded transcript widely detected in eukaryotes. Recent studies indicate that the levels of circRNAs change with age in various tissues in multiple species, ranging from nematodes to mammals. Here we discuss the functional roles of circRNAs in animal aging and longevity. We review studies regarding the differential expression of circRNAs that contributes to cellular senescence and the pathogenesis of aging-associated diseases. We explore the features of aging-associated circRNAs by discussing their potential as biomarkers of aging, tissue specificity, physiological roles, action mechanisms, and evolutionarily conserved characteristics. Our review provides insights into current progress in circRNA research and their significant functions in the aging process.

Insulin/IGF-1 signaling (IIS) regulates various physiological aspects in numerous species. In Caenorhabditis elegans, mutations in the daf-2/insulin/IGF-1 receptor dramatically increase lifespan and immunity, but generally impair motility, growth, and reproduction. Whether these pleiotropic effects can be dissociated at a specific step in insulin/IGF-1 signaling pathway remains unknown. Through performing a mutagenesis screen, we identified a missense mutation daf-18(yh1) that alters a cysteine to tyrosine in DAF-18/PTEN phosphatase, which maintained the long lifespan and enhanced immunity, while improving the reduced motility in adult daf-2 mutants. We showed that the daf-18(yh1) mutation decreased the lipid phosphatase activity of DAF-18/PTEN, while retaining a partial protein tyrosine phosphatase activity. We found that daf-18(yh1) maintained the partial activity of DAF-16/FOXO but restricted the detrimental upregulation of SKN-1/NRF2, contributing to beneficial physiological traits in daf-2 mutants. Our work provides important insights into how one evolutionarily conserved component, PTEN, can coordinate animal health and longevity., Mutations in daf-2/insulin/IGF-1 receptor impair the growth and reproduction of C. elegans but conversely enhance immunity and lifespan. Here, the authors show that a missense mutation in the gene retains the effects on lifespan and immunity and improves motility.

Semiconductors have long been perceived as a prerequisite for solid-state transistors. Although switching principles for nanometer-scale devices have emerged based on the deployment of two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals heterostructures, tunneling and ballistic currents through short channels are difficult to control, and semiconducting channel materials remain indispensable for practical switching. In this study, we report a semiconductor-less solid-state electronic device that exhibits an industry-applicable switching of the ballistic current. This device modulates the field emission barrier height across the graphene-hexagonal boron nitride interface with ION/IOFF of 106 obtained from the transfer curves and adjustable intrinsic gain up to 4, and exhibits unprecedented current stability in temperature range of 15–400 K. The vertical device operation can be optimized with the capacitive coupling in the device geometry. The semiconductor-less switching resolves the long-standing issue of temperature-dependent device performance, thereby extending the potential of 2D van der Waals devices to applications in extreme environments. In field-effect transistors, a semiconducting channel is indispensable for device switching. Here, the authors demonstrate semiconductor-less switching via modulation of the field emission barrier height across a graphene-hBN interface with ON/OFF ratio of 106.

The integration of transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) layers on nanostructures has attracted growing attention as a means to improve the physical properties of the ultrathin TMDC materials. In this work, the influence of SiO2 nanopillars (NPs) with a height of 50 nm on the optical characteristics of MoS2 layers is investigated. Using a metal organic chemical vapor deposition technique, a few layers of MoS2 were conformally grown on the NP-patterned SiO2/Si substrates without notable strain. The photoluminescence and Raman intensities of the MoS2 layers on the SiO2 NPs were larger than those observed from a flat SiO2 surface. For 100 nm-SiO2/Si wafers, the 50 nm-NP patterning enabled improved absorption in the MoS2 layers over the whole visible wavelength range. Optical simulations showed that a strong electric-field could be formed at the NP surface, which led to the enhanced absorption in the MoS2 layers. These results suggest a versatile strategy to realize high-efficiency TMDC-based optoelectronic devices.

We prepared MoS2 monolayers on Au nanodot (ND) and nanohole (NH) arrays. Both these sample arrays exhibited enhanced photoluminescence intensity compared with that of a bare SiO2/Si substrate. The ...

Significance The Hippo pathway plays a crucial role in maintaining tissue homeostasis. Generally, activated Hippo pathway effectors, YAP/TAZ, induce the transcription of their negative regulators, NF2 and LATS2, and this negative feedback loop maintains homeostasis of the Hippo pathway. However, YAP and TAZ are consistently hyperactivated in various cancer cells, enhancing tumor growth. Our study found that LATS2, a direct-inhibiting kinase of YAP/TAZ and a core component of the negative feedback loop in the Hippo pathway, is modified with O-GlcNAc. LATS2 O-GlcNAcylation inhibited its activity by interrupting the interaction with the MOB1 adaptor protein, thereby activating YAP and TAZ to promote cell proliferation. Thus, our study suggests that LATS2 O-GlcNAcylation is deeply involved in Hippo pathway dysregulation in cancer cells., The Hippo pathway controls organ size and tissue homeostasis by regulating cell proliferation and apoptosis. The LATS-mediated negative feedback loop prevents excessive activation of the effectors YAP/TAZ, maintaining homeostasis of the Hippo pathway. YAP and TAZ are hyperactivated in various cancer cells which lead to tumor growth. Aberrantly increased O-GlcNAcylation has recently emerged as a cause of hyperactivation of YAP in cancer cells. However, the mechanism, which induces hyperactivation of TAZ and blocks LATS-mediated negative feedback, remains to be elucidated in cancer cells. This study found that in breast cancer cells, abnormally increased O-GlcNAcylation hyperactivates YAP/TAZ and inhibits LATS2, a direct negative regulator of YAP/TAZ. LATS2 is one of the newly identified O-GlcNAcylated components in the MST-LATS kinase cascade. Here, we found that O-GlcNAcylation at LATS2 Thr436 interrupted its interaction with the MOB1 adaptor protein, which connects MST to LATS2, leading to activation of YAP/TAZ by suppressing LATS2 kinase activity. LATS2 is a core component in the LATS-mediated negative feedback loop. Thus, this study suggests that LATS2 O-GlcNAcylation is deeply involved in tumor growth by playing a critical role in dysregulation of the Hippo pathway in cancer cells.

We investigated the photoluminescence (PL) characteristics of MoS2–Au hybrid nanostructures, fabricated by nanosphere lithography and wet-transfer techniques. Two kinds of Au nanostructures - such as nanotriangles (NTs) and nanoholes (NHs) - were fabricated for comparison. MoS2 monolayers on both NT and NH arrays exhibited enhanced PL intensity, compared with those on SiO2/Si substrates and flat Au thin films. Numerical simulations revealed clear distinction in the electric field intensity distributions in the NT and NH arrays at the PL excitation wavelength. Such difference could be attributed to the excitation of localized and propagating surface plasmon in the NT and NH arrays. This work helps us to understand how the plasmonic NT and NH arrays affect the physical properties of the MoS2 monolayers on them.

Metal and transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) hybrid systems have been attracting growing research attention because exciton-plasmon coupling is a desirable means of tuning the physical properties of TMD materials. Competing effects of metal nanostructures, such as the local electromagnetic field enhancement and luminescence quenching, affect the photoluminescence (PL) characteristics of metal/TMD nanostructures. In this study, we prepared TMD MoS2 monolayers on hexagonal arrays of Au nanodots and investigated their physical properties by micro-PL and surface photovoltage (SPV) measurements. MoS2 monolayers on bare Au nanodots exhibited higher PL intensities than those of MoS2 monolayers on 5-nm-thick Al2O3-coated Au nanodots. The Al2O3 spacer layer blocked charge transfer at the Au/MoS2 interface but allowed the transfer of mechanical strain to the MoS2 monolayers on the nanodots. The SPV mapping results revealed not only the electron-transfer behavior at the Au/MoS2 contacts but also the lateral drift of charge carriers at the MoS2 surface under light illumination, which corresponds to nonradiative relaxation processes of the photogenerated excitons.

We developed perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with a ZnO electron-transporting layer (ETL) of which the surface was passivated with methoxybenzoic acid self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). The self-assembled monolayer (SAM) simultaneously improved the photovoltaic performance and device stability. First, the methoxybenzoic acid, which is noncovalently bonded to the methylammonium of the perovskite layer, effectively induced dipole moments; in particular, 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoic acid (TMBA) gave a larger workfunction shift of ZnO ETL compared with 4-methoxybenzoic acid (MBA) and 3,4-dimethoxybenzoic acid (DMBA) owing to its strong dipole moment and hydrogen-bonding between the methoxy group and ammonium. This effectively enhanced the built-in voltage of the perovskite solar cell (PSC) device, which resulted in an improved electron transfer from the active layer to the ETL and a higher open-circuit voltage. Secondly, the SAM layer controlled the wettability of the perovskite precursor solution on the ZnO ETL and significantly improved the crystalline properties of the perovskite layer. Moreover, the ZnO/SAM ETL remarkably increased the PSC device stability under ambient conditions by preventing the proton transfer reaction between the perovskite layer and the ZnO ETL. As a result, the TMBA-SAM based PSC device achieved a significantly enhanced efficiency of 13.75% compared to 1.44% for the bare ZnO with high long-term stability.

Concordant transcriptional regulation can generate multiple gene products that collaborate to achieve a common goal. Here we report a case of concordant transcriptional regulation that instead drives a single protein to be produced in the same cell type from divergent promoters. This gene product—the RHOX5 homeobox transcription factor—is translated from 2 different mRNAs with different 5′ untranslated regions (UTRs) transcribed from alternative promoters. Despite the fact that these 2 promoters—the proximal promoter (Pp) and the distal promoter (Pd)—exhibit different patterns of tissue-specific activity, share no obvious sequence identity, and depend on distinct transcription factors for expression, they exhibit a remarkably similar expression pattern in the testes. In particular, both depend on androgen signaling for expression in the testes, where they are specifically expressed in Sertoli cells and have a similar stage-specific expression pattern during the seminiferous epithelial cycle. We report evidence for 3 mechanisms that collaborate to drive concordant Pp/Pd expression. First, both promoters have an intrinsic ability to respond to androgen receptor and androgen. Second, the Pp acts as an enhancer to promote androgen-dependent transcription from the Pd. Third, Pd transcription is positively autoregulated by the RHOX5 protein, which is first produced developmentally from the Pp. Together, our data support a model in which the Rhox5 homeobox gene evolved multiple mechanisms to activate both of its promoters in Sertoli cells to produce Rhox5 in an androgen-dependent manner during different phases of spermatogenesis.

The present study tested whether adult Korean learners of English are able to immediately integrate verb-specific structural information (i.e. subcategorization restrictions imposed by individual verbs) as they read sentences in English. Seventeen native speakers of English and 22 Korean learners of English participated in an eye-tracking experiment, in which they read English sentences that contained a wh-dependency between the head NP and the verb of a relative clause. The relative clause verbs consisted of three types that varied in terms of subcategorization properties: transitive verbs that take an NP complement more often than a PP complement, transitive verbs that take a PP complement more often than an NP complement, and unaccusative verbs that are strictly intransitive. The results suggest that whereas native speakers use verb subcategorization information in making initial parsing decisions regarding wh-dependency formation, Korean learners are only able to integrate the information in later stages of sentence processing. Possible accounts of this discrepancy in the time course of verb information integration are discussed.