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Streaming codes take a string of source symbols as input and output a string of coded symbols in real time, which eliminate the queueing delay of traditional block codes and are thus especially appealing for delay sensitive applications. Existing works on streaming code performance either focused on the asymptotic error-exponent analyses, or on the optimal code construction under deterministic adversarial channel models. In contrast, this work analyzes the exact error probability of random linear streaming codes (RLSCs) in the large field size regime over the stochastic i.i.d. symbol erasure channel model. A closed-form expression of the error probability of large-field-size RLSCs is derived under, simultaneously, the finite memory length and decoding deadline constraints. The result is then used to examine the intricate tradeoff between memory length (complexity), decoding deadline (delay), code rate (throughput), and error probability (reliability). Numerical evaluation shows that under the same code rate and error probability requirements, the end-to-end delay of RLSCs is 40–48% of that of the optimal block codes (i.e., MDS codes). This implies that switching from block codes to streaming codes not only eliminates the queueing delay completely (which accounts for the initial 50% of the delay reduction) but also improves the reliability (which accounts for the additional 2–10% delay reduction). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photosynthetic bacteria are beneficial to plants, but knowledge of photosynthetic bacterial community dynamics in field crops during different growth stages is scarce. The factors controlling the changes in the photosynthetic bacterial community during plant growth require further investigation. In this study, 35 microbial community samples were collected from the seedling, flowering, and mature stages of tomato, cucumber, and soybean plants. 35 microbial community samples were assessed using Illumina sequencing of the photosynthetic reaction center subunit M (pufM) gene. The results revealed significant alpha diversity and community structure differences among the three crops at the different growth stages. Proteobacteria was the dominant bacterial phylum, and Methylobacterium, Roseateles, and Thiorhodococcus were the dominant genera at all growth stages. PCoA revealed clear differences in the structure of the microbial populations isolated from leaf samples collected from different crops at different growth stages. In addition, a dissimilarity test revealed significant differences in the photosynthetic bacterial community among crops and growth stages (P<0.05). The photosynthetic bacterial communities changed during crop growth. OTUs assigned to Methylobacterium were present in varying abundances among different sample types, which we speculated was related to the function of different Methylobacterium species in promoting plant growth development and enhancing plant photosynthetic efficiency. In conclusion, the dynamics observed in this study provide new research ideas for the detailed assessments of the relationship between photosynthetic bacteria and different growth stages of plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cytokinesis is required to cleave the daughter cells at the end of mitosis and relies on the spatiotemporal control of RhoA GTPase. Cytokinesis failure can lead to changes in cell fate or aneuploidy, which can be detrimental during development and/or can lead to cancer. However, our knowledge of the pathways that regulate RhoA during cytokinesis is limited, and the role of other Rho family GTPases is not clear. This is largely because the study of Rho GTPases presents unique challenges using traditional cell biological and biochemical methods, and they have pleiotropic functions making genetic studies difficult to interpret. The recent generation of optogenetic tools and biosensors that control and detect active Rho has overcome some of these challenges and is helping to elucidate the role of RhoA in cytokinesis. However, improvements are needed to reveal the role of other Rho GTPases in cytokinesis, and to identify the molecular mechanisms that control Rho activity. This review examines some of the outstanding questions in cytokinesis, and explores tools for the imaging and control of Rho GTPases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigates the S-curve engineering by exploiting the anti-ferroelectric (AFE)/ferroelectric (FE) stack negative-capacitance FinFET (NC-FinFET) to improve both the subthreshold swing and ON-state current ($I_{\text {ON}}$). The capacitance matching and ON-state performance are evaluated using a short-channel AFE/FE stack NC-FinFET model. Our study indicates that the AFE/FE gate-stack can theoretically achieve surprising improvements to the OFF-state current ($I_{\text {OFF}}$) and $I_{\text {ON}}$ relative to International Roadmap for Devices and Systems (IRDS) projections. There is a significant long-term advantage to integrated circuit (IC) power consumption and speed if materials with certain AFE and FE characteristics can be developed and introduced into IC manufacturing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This brief investigates scaled 2-D MoS2 ferroelectric field-effect transistor (FeFET) nonvolatile memories (NVMs) considering the trapped-charge-induced variability with the aid of Technology Computer Aided Design (TCAD) atomistic simulations. Our study indicates that, compared with the Si channel, the monolayer MoS2 channel with larger electron affinity and bandgap energy can result in an FeFET NVM with larger memory window (MW). Moreover, due to its lower channel permittivity and channel thickness, the 2-D MoS2 FeFET possesses a superior immunity to trapped-charge-induced variability, and the gap in MW between MoS2 and Si FeFETs enlarges under the presence of trapped charges. Besides, due to its atomically thin channel thickness and superior electrostatic integrity, the scaled 2-D MoS2 FeFET possesses a remarkably better read margin than the Si counterpart. Our study may provide insights for future scaling of FeFET NVMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Remote Associates Test, generally used in creativity research, has Chinese versions for the three levels of "radical-word-vocabulary." However, research has not been conducted on the influence of the item components on the difficulties among these Chinese Remote Associates Tests (CRATs). The present study selected six item components from the construction rules for three versions of CRATs, collected 555 participants' responses to them, and analyzed the differences and similarities in the predictions of item difficulty among the six item components. The results show that item difficulty decreased if the targets are high-frequency or the stimuli are low-frequency words, but item difficulty increases if the stimulus can connect to more words, while the concreteness of the target does not significantly predict item difficulty. Moreover, the concreteness of the stimulus negatively predicts the difficulty of the CRRAT but positively predicts the difficulty of the CCRAT High association transfer increased the difficulty of the CWRAT but had no influence on the other two versions of CRAT. Therefore, these findings indicate the different influences of item components on item difficulty, strengthen the structural validity of the test, and also provide a reference for test development of the CRAT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the impact of interface trapped-charge variations on the dimensional scaling of the ferroelectric field-effect transistor (FeFET) nonvolatile memory (NVM) under two scenarios: a uniform ferroelectric and random ferroelectric-dielectric (FE-DE) phase distribution. Our study indicates that both memory window (MW) and read margin decrease with increasing trap density (< nT >), and the MW of FeFET devices with scaled channel width can be more vulnerable to the trapped-charge variations than that with scaled gate length. Under the presence of the FE-DE phase variation, for low < nT >, the impact of trapped charges is mainly on the MW degradation for the high MW instances. As the < nT > continues to rise, the trapped charges can further worsen the worst case MW significantly. Besides, when down-scaling the interfacial layer thickness of the FeFET device to increase the MW, the increased σ MW due to the random interface trapped charges may also need to be considered. Our study may provide insights for device design with advanced FeFET NVMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The survival benefit of using a non‐cross resistant second‐line chemotherapy in the third‐line setting in metastatic gastroesophageal cancer is unproven. We evaluated the utility of third‐line chemotherapy in patients treated at a single institution. Methods: Between 2010 and 2014, efficacy and toxicity data of patients who received three or more lines of systemic therapies for metastatic gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma at the National Cancer Centre Singapore was retrospectively analyzed. Results: Thirty‐two (6%) patients received three or more lines of chemotherapy. The median age and ECOG performance status were 59 years (36–82) and 1 (0–2), respectively. Majority of patients (88%) had tumor located in the stomach and 13 patients (41%) had diffuse histology or poorly cohesive or signet ring cells. Four (12%) patients had HER2‐positive disease. Prior therapy was platinum (100%), fluoropyrimidine (97%), taxane (63%), irinotecan (28%), anthracycline (13%) and ramucirumab (3%). Third‐line therapy consisted of 24 (75%) monotherapy, 6 (19%) doublet, 1 (3%) triplet chemotherapy and 1 (3%) clinical trial. Monotherapy irinotecan (44%) was most common, followed by docetaxel (19%) and paclitaxel (9%). Of 22 patients evaluable for response, there was 1 (5%) partial response, 9 (41%) stable disease. Median overall survival was 18.3 weeks (4.3–65.1). Of 30 patients evaluable for toxicities, 17 (57%) experienced at least one grade 3 or 4 toxicities. Conclusion: The benefit of using non‐cross resistant second‐line regimens as third‐line chemotherapy was small with moderate toxicity. Newer agents such as nivolumab or TAS‐102 or clinical trial may be preferred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Although many biocontrol bacteria can be used to improve plant tolerance to stresses and to promote plant growth, the hostile environmental conditions on plant phyllosphere and the limited knowledge on bacterial colonization on plant phyllosphere minimized the beneficial effects produced by the biocontrol bacteria. Rhodopseudomonas palustris strain GJ‐22 is known as a phyllosphere biocontrol agent. In this paper, we described detailed processes of strain GJ‐22 colony establishment at various colonization stages. Four different types of bacterial colonies, Type 1, scattered single cells; Type 2, small cell clusters; Type 3, small cell aggregates; and Type 4, large cell aggregates, were observed in the course of bacterial colonization. We categorized bacterial colonization into four phases, which were, Phase I: bacterial colony exists as Type 1 and cell population reduced quickly; Phase II: Type 1 evolved into Type 2 and cell population remained steady; Phase III: Type 3 arose and replaced Type 2, and cell population expanded slowly; and Phase IV: Type 3 matured into Type 4 and cell population increased quickly. We have shown that the preferable location sites of bacterial aggregates on leaf phyllosphere are grooves between plant epidermal cells. Analyses of expressions of plant defence‐related genes showed that, starting from Phase III, bacterial cells in the Type 3 and Type 4 colonies produced unidentified signals to induce host defence against Tobacco mosaic virus infection. In addition, we determined the crucial role of aggregates formation of GJ‐22 cell on plant phyllosphere in terms of bacterial cell stress tolerance and ISR (induced systemic resistance) priming. To our knowledge, this is the first report focused on the colonization process of a phyllosphere biocontrol agent and gave a clear description on the morphological shift of bacterial colony on phyllosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When diagnostic assessments are administered to examinees, the mastery status of each examinee on a set of specified cognitive skills or attributes can be directly evaluated using cognitive diagnosis models (CDMs). Under certain circumstances, allowing the examinees to have at least one opportunity to correctly answer the questions and assessments, with repeated attempts on the items, provides many potential benefits. A sequential process model can be extended to model repeated attempts in diagnostic assessments. Two formulations of the sequential generalized deterministic-input noisy-"and"-gate (G-DINA) model were developed in this study. The first extension uses the latent transition analysis (LTA) approach to model changes in the attributes over attempts, and the second extension constructs a higher order structure of latent continuous variables and latent attributes to account for the dependences of the attributes over attempts. Accurate model parameter estimation and correct classifications of attributes were observed in a series of simulations using Bayesian estimation. The effectiveness of the developed sequential G-DINA model was demonstrated by fitting real data from a longitudinal mathematical test to the developed model and the longitudinal G-DINA model using the LTA approach. Finally, this article closes by discussing several important issues associated with the developed models and providing suggestions for future directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines metal–ferroelectric–insulator–semiconductor negative-capacitance FinFET (NC-FinFET) based VLSI subsystem-level logic circuits. For the first time, with the aid of a short-channel NC-FinFET compact model, we confirm the functionality and evaluate the standby-power/switching-energy/delay performance of large logic circuits (e.g., dynamic 4-bit Manchester carry-chain adder and the formal hierarchical 32-bit carry-look-ahead adder) employing 14-nm ultra-low-power NC-FinFETs. Our study indicates that the inverse Vds-dependence of threshold voltage (VT), also known as the negative drain-induced barrier lowering, of negative-capacitance field-effect transistor is not only acceptable but also beneficial for the speed performance of both the static and pass-transistor logic (PTL) circuits, especially for the PTL at low VDD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the aid of an analytical and general model, this paper investigates the intrinsic difference in the negative-capacitance (NC) effect and design space between semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) and double-gate (DG) metal–ferroelectric–insulator–semiconductor-type NC field-effect transistors (NCFETs) with a 2-D semiconducting transition-metal-dichalcogenide channel (2-D NCFET). By examining the distributions of internal charge, voltage gain, and capacitance matching over the whole bias range, the intrinsic difference in NC effects between these two topologies is pointed out and explained. Our study indicates that for an intrinsic DG 2-D NCFET, it is difficult to achieve sub-2.3 kT/q average subthreshold swing (SS). By contrast, the bias-dependent subthreshold internal charge and larger curvature of ferroelectric capacitance due to the independent backgate in the SOI 2-D NCFET enable larger design space and sub-2.3 kT/q average SS, making it more suitable for low-power applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Bacterial blight, caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), usually causes serious rice yield loss in many countries. Rice breeders have used resistance (R) genes to control the disease but many of the resistant cultivars become susceptible few years after releasing. Identification of new R genes to Xoo is one of the main objectives in rice breeding programs. In this study, we used a genomewide association study (GWAS) to analyse the resistance against the Xoo race C1 using the Rice Diversity Panel 1 (RDP1). Disease evaluation of the RDP1 population to C1 indicated that the AUS subgroup conferred a higher level of resistance to C1 than other subgroups. Genomewide association mapping identified 15 QTLs that are distributed on chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 and 12. Some of them are located in the regions without known resistance loci or QTLs. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of GWAS on the genetic dissection of rice resistance to Xoo and provided many Xoo resistance‐associated SNP markers for rice breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We establish the three-dimensional stratigraphic architecture of the Taipei Basin and its spatiotemporal palaeoenvironmental development during the past 50 kyr by analysing 36 borehole cores and 177 age dates. We calculate the rates of basin subsidence from the borehole data at depths where radiocarbon age dates are available. Our results indicate that, during the eustatic sea level falling period (35–20 ka), low rates of sediment supply and/or rapid basin subsidence controlled sedimentation, leading to a change in the depositional environment from gravelly braided rivers, through sandy braided rivers, to meandering rivers with falling eustatic sea level. During the early stage of eustatic sea level rise (∼20–10.2 ka), balanced rates of sediment supply, eustasy and basin subsidence maintained the meandering river environment. Rapid sea level rise led to the initial appearance of estuarine facies at ∼10.2 ka and widened the distribution of the estuarine environment after 8.5 ka; however, the coeval phases of rapid basin subsidence ∼10.6–10.2 ka and 9–8.5 ka promoted the first appearance and widening of the estuary, respectively. After 7 ka, when the eustatic sea level and rate of basin subsidence remained relatively stable, sufficient sediment supply gradually infilled the estuary. The established stratigraphy improves our understanding of the factors controlling stratigraphic development in marine-influenced inland half grabens, specifically in the Taipei Basin with high rates of sediment supply. Accommodation space in the Taipei Basin was governed by eustatic fluctuations with modulations by basin subsidence and sediment supply since the last glacial period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proper matrix application is crucial in obtaining high quality matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry imaging (MSI). Solvent-free sublimation was essentially introduced as an approach of homogeneous coating that gives small crystal size of the organic matrix. However, sublimation has lower extraction efficiency of analytes. Here, we present that a simple sonication step after the hydration in standard sublimation protocol significantly enhances the sensitivity of MALDI MSI. This modified procedure uses a common laboratory ultrasonicator to immobilize the analytes from tissue sections without noticeable delocalization. Improved imaging quality with additional peaks above 10 kDa in the spectra was thus obtained upon sonication treatment.ᅟ [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the aid of an analytical and scalable model, this paper explores the design space for negative-capacitance (NC) field-effect transistors (FETs) with a 2D semiconducting transition-metal-dichalcogenide channel. In addition, the impact of back-gate biasing on the design space and the body effect of 2D-NCFETs is also investigated. Our study indicates that, to mitigate the conflict between subthreshold swing and hysteresis and to maximize the design space for the 2D-NCFET, a thin buried oxide and an adequate reverse back-gate bias can be applied to achieve the optimum design. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The combination of atezolizumab and bevacizumab (AB) has been a game changer in the first-line treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and is now incorporated into most international guidelines, alongside lenvatinib and sorafenib.1 In the landmark ImBRAVE 150 trial, atezolizumab with bevacizumab improved median overall survival by 9.6 months compared to sorafenib with an HR of 0.58 ( I p i < 0.001).2 In updated results, after a median follow-up of 15.6 months, the median OS with the combination was an impressive 19.2 months, the longest OS we have seen in any phase 3 advanced HCC trial and this was accompanied by an overall response rate of 30%, more than double that of sorafenib.3 More recently, data from the COSMIC-312 trial were presented, providing the combination of atezolizumab and cabozantinib as another potential option for first-line HCC treatment.4 The combination of tremelimumab and durvalumab has also been shown to increase survival over sorafenib in the HIMALAYA trial.5 Further combination therapies being tested in ongoing phase 3 trials will likely provide even more treatment options for this group of patients, making the decision on how to choose or sequence these systemic therapies in advanced HCC more complex. Further real-world studies are needed in different populations to understand the efficacy in patients who may not fit trial criteria.8 With increasing treatment options for advanced HCC, the question of how best to choose becomes more difficult. Phase 3 randomized, open-label, multicenter study of tremelimumab (T) and durvalumab (D) as first-line therapy in patients (pts) with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC): HIMALAYA. [Extracted from the article]

For the first time, considering the architecture of monolithic 3-D integration, we evaluate and benchmark the performance of 3-D logic circuits and stability/performance of 3-D 6T SRAM cells with monolayer and few-layer transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) devices based on ITRS 2028 (5.9 nm) technology node. The impact of random variations on the cell stability is also investigated. With the possibility of adopting monolayer or few-layer TMDs for nFET- and pFET-tiers enabled by monolithic 3-D integration, this paper indicates that the trilayer TMD device may substantially degrade the performance of 3-D logic circuits in spite of its higher mobility. This paper also reveals that stacking the monolayer pFET-tier over the bilayer nFET-tier may provide better nominal stability and read/write performance for 6T superthreshold SRAM compared with the planar technology, whereas the optimum 3-D configuration for near-/sub-threshold operations appears to be the monolayer pFET-tier over the monolayer nFET-tier. Besides the 6T cell structure, 8T SRAM cells are also investigated with monolithic 3-D integration for near-threshold/subthreshold operation. The monolayer nFET-tier over the bilayer pFET-tier configuration is shown to be the optimum 3-D 8T near-threshold/subthreshold cell design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photosynthetic bacteria ( PSB) have been extensively used in agriculture to promote plant growth and to improve crop quality. Their potential application in plant disease management, however, is largely overlooked. In this study, the PSB strain Rhodopseudomonas palustris GJ-22 was investigated for its ability to induce resistance against a plant virus while promoting plant growth. In the field, a foliar spray of GJ-22 suspension protected tobacco plants against tobacco mosaic virus ( TMV). Under axenic conditions, GJ-22 colonized the plant phyllosphere and induced resistance against TMV. Additionally, GJ-22 produced two phytohormones, indole-3-acetic acid and 5-aminolevulinic acid, which promote growth and germination in tobacco. Furthermore, GJ-22-inoculated plants elevated their immune response under subsequent TMV infection. This research may give rise to a novel biological agent with a dual function in disease management while promoting plant growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a heterogeneous disease that remains highly prevalent in many Asian countries and is the second most common cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Significant differences exist between Eastern and Western populations on many key aspects of HCC, contributing to the potential different treatment outcomes and challenges of clinical trial design and data interpretation. In this review, the authors compare HCC in Asia versus the West and highlight 1) differences in terms of epidemiology and trends and their correlation with etiology, 2) differences in genetics and how they relate to underlying etiology, 3) differences in treatment approaches based on existing guidelines and consensus statements, and 4) differences in clinical outcomes for Asian versus non-Asian patients with HCC in clinical trials and the implications for future clinical trial design. Cancer 2016;122:3430-3446. © 2016 American Cancer Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Approximately 20% of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients diagnosed in the early stages may benefit from potentially curative ablative therapies such as surgical resection, transplantation or radiofrequency ablation. For patients not eligible for such options, prognosis is poor. Sorafenib and Selective Internal Radiation Therapy (SIRT) are clinically proven treatment options in patients with unresectable HCC, and this study aims to assess overall survival following either SIRT or Sorafenib therapy for locally advanced HCC patients. Methods: This investigator-initiated, multi-centre, open-label, randomized, controlled trial will enrol 360 patients with locally advanced HCC, as defined by Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage B or stage C, without distant metastases, and which is not amenable to immediate curative treatment. Exclusion criteria include previous systemic therapy, metastatic disease, complete occlusion of the main portal vein, or a Child-Pugh score of >7. Eligible patients will be randomised 1:1 and stratified by centre and presence or absence of portal vein thrombosis to receive either a single administration of SIRT using yttrium-90 resin microspheres (SIR-Spheres®, Sirtex Medical Limited, Sydney, Australia) targeted at HCC in the liver by the trans-arterial route or continuous oral Sorafenib (Nexavar®, Bayer Pharma AG, Berlin, Germany) at a dose of 400 mg twice daily until disease progression, no further response, complete regression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients for both the Sorafenib and SIRT arms will be followed-up every 4 weeks for the first 3 months and 12 weekly thereafter. Overall survival is the primary endpoint, assessed for the intention-to-treat population. Secondary endpoints are tumour response rate, time-to-tumour progression, progression free survival, quality of life and down-staging to receive potentially curative therapy. Discussion: Definitive data comparing these two therapies will help to determine clinical practice in the large group of patients with locally advanced HCC and improve outcomes for such patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The remote association test (RAT) has been applied in various fields; however, evidence of construct validity for the original version and subsequent extensions of the RAT remains limited. This study aimed to elucidate the dimensionality and the relationship between item features and item difficulties for the RAT—Chinese Version (RAT-C) using the Rasch model and the linear logistic test model (LLTM). The revised 30-item RAT-C was administered to 475 undergraduates (263 women and 212 men) in 8 universities in Taiwan. Item features (including types of associations among stimulus words, and frequency and concreteness of target words) were recoded. The analysis found that the RAT-C measured a single latent construct, with all 30 items conforming to the Rasch model’s expectation. Furthermore, according to the LLTM analysis, most item features predicted Rasch item difficulty, suggesting that these features can explain why some items were more difficult than others and can be used to create new items with known item difficulty to tailor the difficulty level for different groups of participants in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This brief presents a compact subthreshold model for short-channel monolayer transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) field-effect transistors. In this model, the impact of fringe fields from the high-K gate dielectric is considered and incorporated into a new characteristic-length expression using a single model parameter. This model has been verified with 2-D numerical simulations for TMD devices with gate length down to 5.9 nm based on ITRS 2028 low-power technology node. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Thermodynamic integration (TI) can provide accurate binding free energy insights in a lead optimization program, but its high computational expense has limited its usage. In the effort of developing an efficient and accurate TI protocol for FabI inhibitors lead optimization program, we carefully compared TI with different Amber molecular dynamics (MD) engines ( sander and pmemd), MD simulation lengths, the number of intermediate states and transformation steps, and the Lennard-Jones and Coulomb Softcore potentials parameters in the one-step TI, using eleven benzimidazole inhibitors in complex with Francisella tularensis enoyl acyl reductase (FtFabI). To our knowledge, this is the first study to extensively test the new AMBER MD engine, pmemd, on TI and compare the parameters of the Softcore potentials in the one-step TI in a protein-ligand binding system. The best performing model, the one-step pmemd TI, using 6 intermediate states and 1 ns MD simulations, provides better agreement with experimental results (RMSD = 0.52 kcal/mol) than the best performing implicit solvent method, QM/MM-GBSA from our previous study (RMSD = 3.00 kcal/mol), while maintaining similar efficiency. Briefly, we show the optimized TI protocol to be highly accurate and affordable for the FtFabI system. This approach can be implemented in a larger scale benzimidazole scaffold lead optimization against FtFabI. Lastly, the TI results here also provide structure-activity relationship insights, and suggest the parahalogen in benzimidazole compounds might form a weak halogen bond with FabI, which is a well-known halogen bond favoring enzyme. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To validate a method for predicting the binding affinities of FabI inhibitors, three implicit solvent methods, MM-PBSA, MM-GBSA, and QM/MM-GBSA were carefully compared using 16 benzimidazole inhibitors in complex with Francisella tularensis FabI. The data suggests that the prediction results are sensitive to radii sets, GB methods, QM Hamiltonians, sampling protocols, and simulation length, if only one simulation trajectory is used for each ligand. In this case, QM/MM-GBSA using 6 ns MD simulation trajectories together with GBneck2, PM3, and the mbondi2 radii set, generate the closest agreement with experimental values ( r2 = 0.88). However, if the three implicit solvent methods are averaged from six 1 ns MD simulations for each ligand (called 'multiple independent sampling'), the prediction results are relatively insensitive to all the tested parameters. Moreover, MM/GBSA together with GBHCT and mbondi, using 600 frames extracted evenly from six 0.25 ns MD simulations, can also provide accurate prediction to experimental values ( r2 = 0.84). Therefore, the multiple independent sampling method can be more efficient than a single, long simulation method. Since future scaffold expansions may significantly change the benzimidazole's physiochemical properties (charges, etc.) and possibly binding modes, which may affect the sensitivities of various parameters, the relatively insensitive 'multiple independent sampling method' may avoid the need of an entirely new validation study. Moreover, due to large fluctuating entropy values, (QM/)MM-P(G)BSA were limited to inhibitors' relative affinity prediction, but not the absolute affinity. The developed protocol will support an ongoing benzimidazole lead optimization program. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are a group of haematological malignancies that can be characterised by a somatic mutation (JAK2V617F). This mutation causes the bone marrow to produce excessive blood cells and is found in polycythaemia vera (~95%), essential thrombocythaemia and primary myelofibrosis (both ~50%). It is considered as a major genetic factor contributing to the development of these MPNs. No genetic association study of MPN in the Hong Kong population has so far been reported. Here, we investigated the relationship between germline JAK2 polymorphisms and MPNs in Hong Kong Chinese to find causal variants that contribute to MPN development. We analysed 19 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the JAK2 locus in 172 MPN patients and 470 healthy controls. Three of these 19 SNPs defined the reported JAK2 46/1 haplotype: rs10974944, rs12343867 and rs12340895. Allele and haplotype frequencies were compared between patients and controls by logistic regression adjusted for sex and age. Permutation test was used to correct for multiple comparisons. With significant findings from the 19 SNPs, we then examined 76 additional SNPs across the 148.7-kb region of JAK2 via imputation with the SNP data from the 1000 Genomes Project. Results: In single-marker analysis, 15 SNPs showed association with JAK2V617F-positive MPNs (n = 128), and 8 of these were novel MPN-associated SNPs not previously reported. Exhaustive variable-sized sliding-window haplotype analysis identified 184 haplotypes showing significant differences (P < 0.05) in frequencies between patients and controls even after multiple-testing correction. However, single-marker alleles exhibited the strongest association with V617F-positive MPNs. In local Hong Kong Chinese, rs12342421 showed the strongest association signal: asymptotic P = 3.76 x 10, empirical P = 2.00 x 10-5 for 50,000 permutations, OR = 3.55 for the minor allele C, and 95% CI, 2.59-4.87. Conditional logistic regression also signified an independent effect of rs12342421 in significant haplotype windows, and this independent effect remained unchanged even with the imputation of additional 76 SNPs. No significant association was found between V617F-negative MPNs and JAK2 SNPs. Conclusion With a large sample size, we reported the association between JAK2V617F-positive MPNs and 15 tag JAK2 SNPs and the association of rs12342421 being independent of the JAK2 46/1 haplotype in Hong Kong Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) is a type of human pathogenic bacteria. The main virulence characteristics of EHEC include the formation of attaching and effacing lesions (A/E lesions) and the production of one or more Shiga-like toxins, which may induce human uremic complications. When EHEC infects host cells, it releases translocated intimin receptor (Tir) and effector proteins inside the host cells, inducing the rearrangement and accumulation of the F-actin cytoskeleton, a phenotype leading to the formation of pedestals in the apical cell surface, and the growth of stress fibers at the base of the cells. To examine the effect of EHEC infection on cell mechanics, we carried out a series of experiments to examine HeLa cells with and without EHEC infection to quantify the changes in (1) focal adhesion area, visualized by anti-vinculin staining; (2) the distribution and orientation of stress fibers; and (3) the intracellular viscoelasticity, via directional video particle tracking microrheology. Our results indicated that in EHEC-infected HeLa cells, the focal adhesion area increased and the actin stress fibers became thicker and more aligned. The cytoskeletal reorganization induced by EHEC infection mediated a dramatic increase in the cytoplasmic elastic shear modulus of the infected cells, and a transition in the viscoelastic behavior of the cells from viscous-like to elastic-like. These changes in mechanobiological characteristics might modulate the attachments between EHEC and the host cell to withstand exfoliation, and between the host cell and the extracellular matrix, and might also alter epithelial integrity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This brief investigates the random grain-boundary (GB)-induced variability in poly-crystalline silicon thin-film transistor for stackable NAND flash applications using 3-D Voronoi grain patterns. Compared with the 1-D and 2-D methods, the 3-D Voronoi grain can show a more realistic threshold-voltage variability when devices are downscaled along the channel height (Hch) direction. Therefore, a full 3-D consideration is needed when modeling the random GB-induced variation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Understanding the basis of specificity in receptor homodimerization versus heterodimerization is essential in determining the role receptor plays in signal transduction. Specificity in each of the interfaces formed during signal transduction involves cooperative interactions between receptor extracellular, transmembrane (TM), and cytoplasmic domains. While methods exist for studying receptor heterodimerization in cell membranes, they are limited to either TM domains expressed in an inverted orientation or capture only heterodimerization in a single assay. To address this limitation, we have developed an assay (DN-AraTM) that enables simultaneous measurement of homodimerization and heterodimerization of type I receptor domains in their native orientation, including both soluble and TM domains. Using integrin αIIb and RAGE (receptor for advanced glycation end products) as model type I receptor systems, we demonstrate both specificity and sensitivity of our approach, which will provide a novel tool to identify specific domain interactions that are important in regulating signal transduction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Product assessment is widely applied in creative studies, typically as an important dependent measure. Within this context, this study had 2 purposes. First, the focus of this research was on methods for investigating possible rater effects, an issue that has not received a great deal of attention in past creativity studies. Second, the substantive question of whether restrictions on materials used and differences in instructions provided would influence outcomes on measures of creativity was considered. The many-facet Rasch model was used to investigate possible sources of rater bias, including the leniency/severity effect, central tendency effect, halo effect and randomness effect. No indications were found that these potential sources of bias strongly influenced the ratings. The result indicated that the examinees could be reliably differentiated in terms of their performance. Analysis of rater-criterion interactions depicted rater behavior more clearly and, it is suggested, can be of use as a tool for rater training in future studies. In terms of the substantive questions posed, 2 × 2 experimental instructions were manipulated and it was found that different instructions did not affect creative performance. The implications of these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A new denoising method of milli-meter wave (MMW) image using contourlet and kurtosis based sparse coding (KSC) is proposed in this paper. KSC is a high-order statistical method and can efficiently extract image feature coefficients. Contourlet method has the decomposition property of orientation and the energy variation for images. Further, using the shrinkage threshold that is determined by the sparse prior distribution of feature coefficients extracted in the contourlet transform field, the unknown noise contained in MMW image can be reduced efficiently. In test, an artificial MMW image and a true MMW are respectively used to validate our method, further, compared this method with other denoising methods, the simulation results show this method proposed here can obtain the better quality of image restoration. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The temperature dependence of high-frequency noise characteristics for deep-submicrometer bulk and silicon-on-insulator (SOI) MOSFETs has been experimentally examined in this paper. With the downscaling of the channel length, our paper indicates that the power spectral density of the channel noise (Sid) of the bulk MOSFET becomes less sensitive to temperature due to the smaller degradation of the channel conductance at zero drain bias gd0 as temperature rises. We also show that the SOI-specific floating-body and self-heating effects would result in higher white-noise gamma factor. Finally, for both the bulk and SOI MOSFETs, since transconductance gm significantly decreases as temperature increases, their minimum noise figure \NF\min and equivalent noise resistance Rn would degrade with increasing temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a closed-form model of the “dark space (DS)” for Ge MOSFETs with high- k gate dielectrics. This model shows accurate dependences on barrier height, surface electric field, and quantization effective mass of the channel and gate dielectric. Our model predicts that the surface DS due to quantum confinement decreases with reverse substrate bias and increasing channel doping. Our model can be also used for devices with a steep retrograde doping profile. This physically accurate model will be crucial to the prediction of the subthreshold swing and electrostatic integrity of advanced Ge devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the first time, the high-frequency noise behavior of tensile-strained n-channel metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors, including their temperature dependency, is experimentally examined. Our experimental results show that with similar saturation voltages, the strained device is found to have larger channel noise than the control device at the same bias point. For given direct-current power consumption, however, due to enhanced transconductance, the strained device has better small-signal behaviors (higher ft and f\max) and noise characteristics (smaller NF\min and Rn) than the control device. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Short digital signatures are always desirable; for instance, when a human is asked to key in the signature manually or it is necessary to work effectively in low-bandwidth communication, low-storage and low-computation environments. We propose a short signature scheme based on knapsack and Gap Diffie–Hellman (GDH) groups whose security is closely related to the discrete logarithm assumption in the random oracle model. Our new scheme offers a better security guarantee than existing signature schemes. Furthermore, our scheme upholds all desirable properties of previous ID-based signature schemes, and requires general cryptographic hash functions instead of MapToPoint hash function that is inefficient and probabilistic. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the commonest cancers worldwide, as well as a common cause of cancer-related death. HCC frequently occurs in the setting of a diseased cirrhotic liver and many patients present at an advanced stage of disease. Together with a poor functional status, this often precludes the use of systemic therapy, especially conventional cytotoxic drugs. Moreover, HCC is known to be a relatively chemo-refractory tumor. There have been many targeted drugs that have shown potential in the treatment of HCC. Many clinical trials have been carried out with many more in progress. They include trials evaluating a single targeted therapy alone, two or more targeted therapy in tandem or a combination of targeted therapy and conventional chemotherapy. In this article, we seek to review some of the more important trials examining the use of targeted therapy in HCC and to look into what the future holds in terms of targeted treatment of HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the impact of surface orientation on Vth sensitivity to process variations for Si and Ge fin-shaped field-effect transistors (FinFETs) using an analytical solution of the Schrödinger equation. Our theoretical model considers the parabolic potential well due to short-channel effects and, therefore, can be used to assess the quantum-confinement effect in short-channel FinFETs. Our study indicates that, for ultrascaled FinFETs, the importance of channel thickness (tch) variations increases due to the quantum-confinement effect. The Si-(100) and Ge-(111) surfaces show lower Vth sensitivity to the tch variation as compared with other orientations. On the contrary, the quantum-confinement effect reduces the Vth sensitivity to the Leff variation, and Si-(111) and Ge-(100) surfaces show lower Vth sensitivity as compared with other orientations. Our study may provide insights for device design and circuit optimization using advanced FinFET technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: For the purpose of analyzing gastric tumor pathologic cell images, a novel method is developed with gray-scale edge detection of mathematical morphology in this study. In combination with texture features of the image under investigation, this paper works on edge detection with various structuring elements (SEs) and gray-scale values. The results of the experiment are presented, and we found several advantages by using the morphological edge detection scheme for the analysis of gastric tumor pathologic cell images. Meanwhile, the results of the binary morphological edge detection are given for comparison. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Though a lot of public key cryptographic algorithms have been proposed, practically some cryptographic systems’ security will no longer be secure unless the corresponding hard problems are solved in the future. Enhancing security is the major objective for public key cryptosystems on the basis of the hardness of the intractable computational problems. In this paper, we present a new cryptosystem design based on linearly shift knapsack and elliptic curve discrete logarithm problems. Having concatenated Knapsack and ECC hard problems, the presented scheme has solid structure and will hopelessly leave the eavesdropper baffled. The performance analysis has been given to describe the proposed scheme in terms of security level. In addition, the security performance in encryption/decryption complexity is equivalent to related cryptosystems with the nature of security. At the moment, no malicious attacks are capable of “breaking” this scheme in a reasonable amount of time obviously. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of electroacupuncture in preventing anthracycline-based chemotherapy-related nausea and emesis refractory to combination 5HT3-antagonist and dexamethasone. Patients and methods: Cancer patients with refractory emesis after their first cycle of doxorubicin-based chemotherapy were accrued into this study. Electroacupuncture was given during the second cycle of chemotherapy. Each patient was evaluated for the number of emetic episodes and grade of nausea within the first 24 hours after chemotherapy and electroacupuncture. Results: Forty-seven of a total of 317 patients screened were eligible for this study. Of these, 27 patients agreed to participate. Twenty-six (26; 96.3%) of them had significant reduction in both nausea grade and episodes of vomiting after electroacupuncture. There was complete response with no emetic episodes in 37%. Subjectively, 25 (92.6%) of the total 27 patients believed that acupuncture was an acceptable procedure and was helpful in reducing emesis. Electroacupuncture was well-tolerated with a median pain score of 3 of 10. Conclusion: Electroacupuncture is well-tolerated and effective as an adjunct in reducing chemotherapy-related nausea and emesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: There is no question that knapsack systems still warrant continuous researches, as a result of the NP-completeness nature, the faster speed, and a desire to have a wide variety of available cryptosystems. This paper presents a new knapsack-type public key cryptosystem based on a novel application of the elliptic curve logarithm problem. The difficulty can be made sufficient to frustrate attacks against the survey major knapsack public-key cryptosystems developed in the past more than 20 years, and hope-fully shed some light on the future of the knapsack cryptosystems. The proposed new cryptosystem can be found some theoretic support on confidentiality. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We present three identification group-oriented (t,n) threshold digital signature schemes based on the elliptic curve discrete logarithm problem, with a view to optimizing these techniques for implementation within a network. By employing these schemes, any t out of n users in a group can represent this group to sign the group signature. This paper has the following five notable advantages: (1) This work demonstrates the feasibility of constructing a fast and extremely secure user identification system. (2) Any group signature can be mutually generated by at least t-group member. (3) The signature verification process is simplified because there is only one group public key required. (4) The group signature can be verified by any outsider. (5) These schemes offer higher speeds, lower power consumption, smaller bandwidth requirements, and smaller certificate sizes than other existing public-key schemes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper describes a unified framework to model the floating-body effects of various SOI MOSFET operation modes, including body-contacted mode, partially depleted mode and fully depleted mode. As the operation mode is dimension and bias dependent, different modes can co-exist in a single SOI technology. A smooth transit from one type of operation mode to another is thus essential and has been included in the model. In addition, the floating-body effects can couple to a number of other SOI specific phenomena such as heating assisted impact ionization, gate tunneling induced dynamic behavior, and operation mode dependent small signal output resistance. A methodology to model the overall SOI MOSFET behavior due to the combination of multiple floating-body related effects will also be described. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Simple Summary: For years, the systemic therapies sorafenib and lenvatinib have represented standard of care for first-line treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The recent approval of atezolizumab in combination with bevacizumab heralded the arrival of immunotherapy for first-line treatment of advanced HCC, and the field is growing, with other combination immunotherapies under investigation. Focusing on the Asia–Pacific region, where drug availability and reimbursement systems differ widely, this article reviews the evolving treatment landscape and summarises the authors' expert opinion on therapeutic decision-making to optimise outcomes in advanced HCC. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth most common driver of cancer-related death globally, with an estimated 72% of cases in Asia. For more than a decade, first-line systemic treatments for advanced or unresectable HCC were limited to the multi-targeted kinase inhibitors sorafenib and, more recently, lenvatinib. Now, treatment options have expanded to include immunotherapy, as exemplified by the immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) atezolizumab combined with the antiangiogenic agent bevacizumab. Additional combinations of ICIs with kinase inhibitors, other ICIs, or antiangiogenic agents are under investigation, further supporting the new era of immunotherapy for first-line treatment of advanced or unresectable HCC. We describe this evolving landscape and provide expert opinion on therapeutic best practices in the Asia–Pacific region, where different costs of, and patient access to, treatment are a challenge. With the combination of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab likely to become the clinical standard of care, optimising treatment sequence and ensuring patient access to newer therapies remain priorities. Cost containment and treatment sequencing may be facilitated by characterisation of predictive positive and negative biomarkers. With these considerations in mind, this review and expert opinion focused on advanced HCC in the Asia–Pacific region offers perspectives of multiple stakeholders, including physicians, payer systems, and patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies the quantitative relationship between glycine betaine accumulation and growth stimulation in Salmonella typhimurium. Roles of high affinity (ProU) and (ProP) transport systems; Osmotic protection by betaine; Relationship between internal glycine betaine concentration and growth rate.

Background: Antepartum activity restriction (AAR) is a common recommendation given to women at risk for preterm delivery. However, such treatment has been shown to cause heavy emotional burdens on the women receiving it since it requires them to face many challenges derived from the intervention. Nevertheless, current existing scales lack effective items that can reflect the distress of these women. The aim of this study was to develop a reliable instrument to assess the distress of women experiencing AAR.Method: The Prenatal Activity Restriction Stress Questionnaire (PARSQ) was developed according to comprehensive literature review, women's interviews, and existing pregnancy-special stress scales from August 2016 to July 2017 in southern Taiwan. Six experts evaluated its content validity; the Rasch rating scale model (RSM) was used to examine its item-fit, dimensionality, and reliability with 200 women with AAR experience. Furthermore, the concurrent validity was assessed through computing the correlation of AAR women's scores on the PARSQ and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and discriminant validity of the PARSQ was assessed to compare the scores' differences between the AAR women and the healthy pregnant women.Results: The PARSQ was constructed with 23 items in the 4-dimensional scale: Role function changes (8 items), Fetal safety and health (5 items), Physical and psychological care issues (5 items), and Socioeconomic and medical issues (5 items). It was confirmed to have satisfactory content vitality (CVI = 0.78 to 1.0), reasonable item-fit (0.77 to 1.51), and good reliability in RSM model, as well as adequate concurrent validity (p = 0.005) and discriminant validity (p < 0.001).Conclusions: Understanding the distress of women undergoing AAR is necessary for developing appropriate prenatal care to assist women in coping with their situation to alleviate their emotional burdens. The developed PARSQ with satisfied psychometric properties can be an informative instrument for clinicians/researchers to assess the specific stress of pregnant women with AAR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asia accounts for 60% of the world population, and half the global burden of cancer. The incidence of cancer cases is estimated to increase to 70% by 2030, in part due to a growing aging population, lifestyle and socioeconomic changes. The costs of cancer care can be staggering and Singapore has the challenge of meeting the cancer needs of an aging population while trying to reign in escalating healthcare costs. The challenges faced in delivering optimal cancer care in Singapore is not much different from those experienced by developed countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We examine consumer intentions to switch from fossil fuel scooters to electric scooter-style motorcycles. • We conceptualize a framework of behavioral reasoning theory. • We include context-specific reasons and environmental concern (egoistic, altruistic, biospheric). • We find concerns for the global effects of environmental damage instrumental. • Biospheric concern is most prominent and relates negatively to reasons against the switch. Despite the growing market share of electric scooter-style motorcycles (e-scooters), only limited insight into the role of environmental concern with respect to their adoption is available. The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychological and contextual factors that associate with a switch from fossil fuel scooters to e-scooters. To model these factors, we conducted two studies in Taiwan. In Study 1, we elicited context-specific reasons for and against purchasing an e-scooter in a series of semi-structured interviews. In Study 2, we analyzed data from a survey among consumers (N = 320) using structural equation modelling. We consider the most important reasons from Study 1 together with environmental concerns (egoistic, altruistic, biospheric) in their relationship with intentions to switch to an e-scooter using the framework of Behavioral Reasoning Theory (BRT). In doing so, we provide unique insights for marketers and policymakers who seek to encourage the switch to this more sustainable form of mobility. We found environmental concerns among users of fossil-fueled scooters to be associated with attitude toward as well as reasons for and against switching to an e-scooter. But only a biospheric concern appeared to relate to both reason types and attitude, whereas egoistic and altruistic concerns only associated with reasons for the switch. The study also provides researchers and marketers in the e-scooter industry with a framework for understanding the role of environmental concern and contextual factors on purchase intention for a sustainable mobility product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]