| 1. |
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| 2. |
- Beal, Jacob, et al.
(author)
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Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density
- 2020
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In: Communications Biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2399-3642. ; 3:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data.
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| 3. |
- Klionsky, Daniel J., et al.
(author)
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Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy
- 2012
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In: Autophagy. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1554-8635 .- 1554-8627. ; 8:4, s. 445-544
-
Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In 2008 we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, research on this topic has continued to accelerate, and many new scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Accordingly, it is important to update these guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Various reviews have described the range of assays that have been used for this purpose. Nevertheless, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to measure autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. A key point that needs to be emphasized is that there is a difference between measurements that monitor the numbers or volume of autophagic elements (e.g., autophagosomes or autolysosomes) at any stage of the autophagic process vs. those that measure flux through the autophagy pathway (i.e., the complete process); thus, a block in macroautophagy that results in autophagosome accumulation needs to be differentiated from stimuli that result in increased autophagic activity, defined as increased autophagy induction coupled with increased delivery to, and degradation within, lysosomes (in most higher eukaryotes and some protists such as Dictyostelium) or the vacuole (in plants and fungi). In other words, it is especially important that investigators new to the field understand that the appearance of more autophagosomes does not necessarily equate with more autophagy. In fact, in many cases, autophagosomes accumulate because of a block in trafficking to lysosomes without a concomitant change in autophagosome biogenesis, whereas an increase in autolysosomes may reflect a reduction in degradative activity. Here, we present a set of guidelines for the selection and interpretation of methods for use by investigators who aim to examine macroautophagy and related processes, as well as for reviewers who need to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of papers that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a formulaic set of rules, because the appropriate assays depend in part on the question being asked and the system being used. In addition, we emphasize that no individual assay is guaranteed to be the most appropriate one in every situation, and we strongly recommend the use of multiple assays to monitor autophagy. In these guidelines, we consider these various methods of assessing autophagy and what information can, or cannot, be obtained from them. Finally, by discussing the merits and limits of particular autophagy assays, we hope to encourage technical innovation in the field.
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| 4. |
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- 2019
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)
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| 5. |
- Ariyawansa, Hiran A., et al.
(author)
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Fungal diversity notes 111–252—taxonomic and phylogenetic contributions to fungal taxa
- 2015
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In: Fungal diversity. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1560-2745 .- 1878-9129. ; 75, s. 27-274
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper is a compilation of notes on 142 fungal taxa, including five new families, 20 new genera, and 100 new species, representing a wide taxonomic and geographic range. The new families, Ascocylindricaceae, Caryosporaceae and Wicklowiaceae (Ascomycota) are introduced based on their distinct lineages and unique morphology. The new Dothideomycete genera Pseudomassariosphaeria (Amniculicolaceae), Heracleicola, Neodidymella and P s e u d o m i c ros p h a e r i o p s i s ( D id y m e l l a c e a e ) , P s e u d o p i t h o m y c e s ( D i d y m o s p h a e r i a c e a e ) , Brunneoclavispora, Neolophiostoma and Sulcosporium (Halotthiaceae), Lophiohelichrysum (Lophiostomataceae), G a l l i i c o l a , Popul o c re s c e n t i a a nd Va g i c o l a (Phaeosphaeriaceae), Ascocylindrica (Ascocylindricaceae), E l o n g a t o p e d i c e l l a t a ( R o u s s o e l l a c e a e ) , Pseudoasteromassaria (Latoruaceae) and Pseudomonodictys (Macrodiplodiopsidaceae) are introduced. The newly described species of Dothideomycetes (Ascomycota) are Pseudomassariosphaeria bromicola (Amniculicolaceae), Flammeascoma lignicola (Anteagloniaceae), Ascocylindrica marina (Ascocylindricaceae) , Lembosia xyliae (Asterinaceae), Diplodia crataegicola and Diplodia galiicola ( B o t r yosphae r i a cea e ) , Caryospor a aquat i c a (Caryosporaceae), Heracleicola premilcurensis and Neodi dymell a thai landi cum (Didymellaceae) , Pseudopithomyces palmicola (Didymosphaeriaceae), Floricola viticola (Floricolaceae), Brunneoclavispora bambusae, Neolophiostoma pigmentatum and Sulcosporium thailandica (Halotthiaceae), Pseudoasteromassaria fagi (Latoruaceae), Keissleriella dactylidicola (Lentitheciaceae), Lophiohelichrysum helichrysi (Lophiostomataceae), Aquasubmersa japonica (Lophiotremataceae) , Pseudomonodictys tectonae (Macrodiplodiopsidaceae), Microthyrium buxicola and Tumidispora shoreae (Microthyriaceae), Alloleptosphaeria clematidis, Allophaeosphaer i a c y t i s i , Allophaeosphae r i a subcylindrospora, Dematiopleospora luzulae, Entodesmium artemisiae, Galiicola pseudophaeosphaeria, Loratospora(Basidiomycota) are introduced together with a new genus Neoantrodiella (Neoantrodiellaceae), here based on both morphology coupled with molecular data. In the class Agaricomycetes, Agaricus pseudolangei, Agaricus haematinus, Agaricus atrodiscus and Agaricus exilissimus (Agaricaceae) , Amanita m e l l e i a l b a , Amanita pseudosychnopyramis and Amanita subparvipantherina (Amanitaceae), Entoloma calabrum, Cora barbulata, Dictyonema gomezianum and Inocybe granulosa (Inocybaceae), Xerocomellus sarnarii (Boletaceae), Cantharellus eucalyptorum, Cantharellus nigrescens, Cantharellus tricolor and Cantharellus variabilicolor (Cantharellaceae), Cortinarius alboamarescens, Cortinarius brunneoalbus, Cortinarius ochroamarus, Cortinarius putorius and Cortinarius seidlii (Cortinariaceae), Hymenochaete micropora and Hymenochaete subporioides (Hymenochaetaceae), Xylodon ramicida (Schizoporaceae), Colospora andalasii (Polyporaceae), Russula guangxiensis and Russula hakkae (Russulaceae), Tremella dirinariae, Tremella graphidis and Tremella pyrenulae (Tremellaceae) are introduced. Four new combinations Neoantrodiella gypsea, Neoantrodiella thujae (Neoantrodiellaceae), Punctulariopsis cremeoalbida, Punctulariopsis efibulata (Punctulariaceae) are also introduced here for the division Basidiomycota. Furthermore Absidia caatinguensis, Absidia koreana and Gongronella koreana (Cunninghamellaceae), Mortierella pisiformis and Mortierella formosana (Mortierellaceae) are newly introduced in the Zygomycota, while Neocallimastix cameroonii and Piromyces irregularis (Neocallimastigaceae) ar e i n t roduced i n the Neocallimastigomycota. Reference specimens or changes in classification and notes are provided for Alternaria ethzedia, Cucurbitaria ephedricola, Austropleospora, Austropleospora archidendri, Byssosphaeria rhodomphala, Lophiostoma caulium, Pseudopithomyces maydicus, Massariosphaeria, Neomassariosphaeria and Pestalotiopsis montellica.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Li, Wu Lue, et al.
(author)
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Multiple Origins and Genomic Basis of Complex Traits in Sighthounds
- 2023
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In: Molecular biology and evolution. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0737-4038 .- 1537-1719. ; 40:8
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Sighthounds, a distinctive group of hounds comprising numerous breeds, have their origins rooted in ancient artificial selection of dogs. In this study, we performed genome sequencing for 123 sighthounds, including one breed from Africa, six breeds from Europe, two breeds from Russia, and four breeds and 12 village dogs from the Middle East. We gathered public genome data of five sighthounds and 98 other dogs as well as 31 gray wolves to pinpoint the origin and genes influencing the morphology of the sighthound genome. Population genomic analysis suggested that sighthounds originated from native dogs independently and were comprehensively admixed among breeds, supporting the multiple origins hypothesis of sighthounds. An additional 67 published ancient wolf genomes were added for gene flow detection. Results showed dramatic admixture of ancient wolves in African sighthounds, even more than with modern wolves. Whole-genome scan analysis identified 17 positively selected genes (PSGs) in the African population, 27 PSGs in the European population, and 54 PSGs in the Middle Eastern population. None of the PSGs overlapped in the three populations. Pooled PSGs of the three populations were significantly enriched in "regulation of release of sequestered calcium ion into cytosol"(gene ontology: 0051279), which is related to blood circulation and heart contraction. In addition, ESR1, JAK2, ADRB1, PRKCE, and CAMK2D were under positive selection in all three selected groups. This suggests that different PSGs in the same pathway contributed to the similar phenotype of sighthounds. We identified an ESR1 mutation (chr1: g.42,177,149-T > C) in the transcription factor (TF) binding site of Stat5a and a JAK2 mutation (chr1: g.93,277,007-T > A) in the TF binding site of Sox5. Functional experiments confirmed that the ESR1 and JAK2 mutation reduced their expression. Our results provide new insights into the domestication history and genomic basis of sighthounds.
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| 8. |
- Lin, Yi-Ting, et al.
(author)
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Differences in the Microbial Composition of Hemodialysis Patients Treated with and without β-Blockers
- 2021
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In: Journal of Personalized Medicine. - : MDPI. - 2075-4426. ; 11:3
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- β-blockers are commonly prescribed to treat cardiovascular disease in hemodialysis patients. Beyond the pharmacological effects, β-blockers have potential impacts on gut microbiota, but no study has investigated the effect in hemodialysis patients. Hence, we aim to investigate the gut microbiota composition difference between β-blocker users and nonusers in hemodialysis patients. Fecal samples collected from hemodialysis patients (83 β-blocker users and 110 nonusers) were determined by 16S ribosomal RNA amplification sequencing. Propensity score (PS) matching was performed to control confounders. The microbial composition differences were analyzed by the linear discriminant analysis effect size, random forest, and zero-inflated Gaussian fit model. The α-diversity (Simpson index) was greater in β-blocker users with a distinct β-diversity (Bray–Curtis Index) compared to nonusers in both full and PS-matched cohorts. There was a significant enrichment in the genus Flavonifractor in β-blocker users compared to nonusers in full and PS-matched cohorts. A similar finding was demonstrated in random forest analysis. In conclusion, hemodialysis patients using β-blockers had a different gut microbiota composition compared to nonusers. In particular, the Flavonifractor genus was increased with β-blocker treatment. Our findings highlight the impact of β-blockers on the gut microbiota in hemodialysis patients.
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| 9. |
- Wei, Ting, et al.
(author)
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Developed and developing world responsibilities for historical climate change and CO2 mitigation
- 2012
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In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 109:32, s. 12911-12915
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- At the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference in Cancun, in November 2010, the Heads of State reached an agreement on the aim of limiting the global temperature rise to 2 degrees C relative to preindustrial levels. They recognized that long-term future warming is primarily constrained by cumulative anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, that deep cuts in global emissions are required, and that action based on equity must be taken to meet this objective. However, negotiations on emission reduction among countries are increasingly fraught with difficulty, partly because of arguments about the responsibility for the ongoing temperature rise. Simulations with two earth-system models (NCAR/CESM and BNU-ESM) demonstrate that developed countries had contributed about 60-80%, developing countries about 20-40%, to the global temperature rise, upper ocean warming, and sea-ice reduction by 2005. Enacting pledges made at Cancun with continuation to 2100 leads to a reduction in global temperature rise relative to business as usual with a 1/3-2/3 (CESM 33-67%, BNU-ESM 35-65%) contribution from developed and developing countries, respectively. To prevent a temperature rise by 2 degrees C or more in 2100, it is necessary to fill the gap with more ambitious mitigation efforts.
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| 10. |
- Wei, Xiao-Ping, et al.
(author)
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Investigations on electronic, Fermi surface, Curie temperature and optical properties of Zr2CoAl
- 2017
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In: Journal of Solid State Chemistry. - : ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE. - 0022-4596 .- 1095-726X. ; 247, s. 97-104
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Using full-potential local-orbital minimum-basis along with spin-polarized relativistic Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker methods, we study the electronic, Fermi surface, Curie temperature and optical properties of Zr2CoAl alloy. The alloy with Li2AgSb and Cu2MnAl structures are compared in terms of magnetic properties, and the electronic structures in two structures are also discussed. According to the calculated electronic states, it finds that the Zr2CoAl with Li2AgSb structure is half-metallic ferromagnet with an integral magnetic moment of 2.00 mu(beta), meanwhile we also notice the d-d and p-d hybridizations are responsible for the formation of minority-spin gap, furthermore, the fat-bands are applied to discuss the mixture between d and p electrons in the vicinity of the Fermi level. The Fermi surfaces related to the valence bands are constructed, and it is found that the spin-up valence bands 26, 27 and 28 across the Fermi energy dominate the nature of electrons. By mapping the system onto a Heisenberg Hamiltonian, we obtain the exchange coupling parameters, and observe that the Zr(A)-Co(C) and Zr(A)-Zr(B) interactions provide a major contribution for exchange interactions. Based on the calculated exchange coupling parameters, the Curie temperature is estimated to be 287.86 K at equilibrium, and also the dependence of Curie temperature on lattice constant related to the tunable Curie temperature in Zr2CoAl alloy is studied. Finally, we report the optical properties of Zr2CoAl alloy, and present the photon energy dependence of the absorption, the optical conductivity and the loss function.
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| 11. |
- Albert, Benjamin B., et al.
(author)
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Supplementation with milk enriched with complex lipids during pregnancy : A double-blind randomized controlled trial
- 2021
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In: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 16:2
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background Gangliosides are a class of sphingolipids that are present in the cell membranes of vertebrates. Gangliosides influence a broad range of cellular processes through effects on signal transduction, being found abundantly in the brain, and having a role in neurodevelopment.Objective We aimed to assess the effects of maternal daily consumption of ganglioside-enriched milk vs non-enriched milk and a non-supplemented group of pregnant women on maternal ganglioside levels and pregnancy outcomes.Design Double-blind parallel randomized controlled trial. Methods 1,500 women aged 20-40 years were recruited in Chongqing (China) between 11 and 14 weeks of a singleton pregnancy, and randomized into three groups: Control-received standard powdered milk formulation (>= 4 mg gangliosides/day); Complex milk lipid-enhanced (CML-E) group-same formulation enriched with complex milk lipids (>= 8 mg gangliosides/day) from milk fat globule membrane; Reference-received no milk. Serum ganglioside levels were measured in a randomly selected subsample of 250 women per group.Results CML-E milk was associated with marginally greater total gangliosides levels in maternal serum compared to Control (13.02 vs 12.69 mu g/ml; p = 0.034) but not to Reference group. CML-E milk did not affect cord blood ganglioside levels. Among the 1500 women, CML-E milk consumption was associated with a lower rate of gestational diabetes mellitus than control milk [relative risk 0.80 (95% CI 0.64, 0.99)], but which was not different to the Reference group. CML-E milk supplementation had no other effects on maternal or newborn health.Conclusions Maternal supplementation with milk fat globule membrane, as a source of gangliosides, was not associated with any adverse health outcomes, and did not increase serum gangliosides compared with the non-supplemented reference group.
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| 12. |
- Cho, Yoon Shin, et al.
(author)
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Meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies identifies eight new loci for type 2 diabetes in east Asians.
- 2012
-
In: Nature Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1061-4036 .- 1546-1718. ; 44:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We conducted a three-stage genetic study to identify susceptibility loci for type 2 diabetes (T2D) in east Asian populations. We followed our stage 1 meta-analysis of eight T2D genome-wide association studies (6,952 cases with T2D and 11,865 controls) with a stage 2 in silico replication analysis (5,843 cases and 4,574 controls) and a stage 3 de novo replication analysis (12,284 cases and 13,172 controls). The combined analysis identified eight new T2D loci reaching genome-wide significance, which mapped in or near GLIS3, PEPD, FITM2-R3HDML-HNF4A, KCNK16, MAEA, GCC1-PAX4, PSMD6 and ZFAND3. GLIS3, which is involved in pancreatic beta cell development and insulin gene expression, is known for its association with fasting glucose levels. The evidence of an association with T2D for PEPD and HNF4A has been shown in previous studies. KCNK16 may regulate glucose-dependent insulin secretion in the pancreas. These findings, derived from an east Asian population, provide new perspectives on the etiology of T2D.
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| 13. |
- Gu, Huaxin, et al.
(author)
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Hypoxia aggravates the effects of ocean acidification on the physiological energetics of the blue mussel Mytilus edulis
- 2019
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In: Marine Pollution Bulletin. - : Elsevier BV. - 0025-326X .- 1879-3363. ; 149
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- © 2019 Elsevier Ltd Apart from ocean acidification, hypoxia is another stressor to marine organisms, especially those in coastal waters. Their interactive effects of elevated CO2 and hypoxia on the physiological energetics in mussel Mytilus edulis were evaluated. Mussels were exposed to three pH levels (8.1, 7.7, 7.3) at two dissolved oxygen levels (6 and 2 mg L−1) and clearance rate, absorption efficiency, respiration rate, excretion rate, scope for growth and O: N ratio were measured during a14-day exposure. After exposure, all parameters (except excretion rate) were significantly reduced under low pH and hypoxic conditions, whereas excretion rate was significantly increased. Additive effects of low pH and hypoxia were evident for all parameters and low pH appeared to elicit a stronger effect than hypoxia (2.0 mg L−1). Overall, hypoxia can aggravate the effects of acidification on the physiological energetics of mussels, and their populations may be diminished by these stressors.
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| 14. |
- Hsieh, Yves S-Y, et al.
(author)
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Structure and bioactivity of the polysaccharides in medicinal plant Dendrobium huoshanense
- 2008
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In: Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry. - : Elsevier. - 0968-0896 .- 1464-3391. ; 16:11, s. 6054-68
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Detailed structures of the active polysaccharides extracted from the leaf and stem cell walls and mucilage of Dendrobium huoshanense are determined by using various techniques, including chromatographic, spectroscopic, chemical, and enzymatic methods. The mucilage polysaccharide exhibits specific functions in activating murine splenocytes to produce several cytokines including IFN-gamma, IL-10, IL-6, and IL-1alpha, as well as hematopoietic growth factors GM-CSF and G-CSF. However, the deacetylated mucilage obtained from an alkaline treatment fails to induce cytokine production. The structure and bioactivity of mucilage components are validated by further fractionation. This is the first study that provides clear evidence for the structure and activity relationship of the polysaccharide in D. huoshanense.
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| 15. |
- Hua, Kuo-Tai, et al.
(author)
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N-α-acetyltransferase 10 protein suppresses cancer cell metastasis by binding PIX proteins and inhibiting Cdc42/Rac1 activity
- 2011
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In: Cancer Cell. - : Cell Press. - 1535-6108 .- 1878-3686. ; 19:2, s. 218-231
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- N-α-acetyltransferase 10 protein, Naa10p, is an N-acetyltransferase known to be involved in cell cycle control. We found that Naa10p was expressed lower in varieties of malignancies with lymph node metastasis compared with non-lymph node metastasis. Higher Naa10p expression correlates the survival of lung cancer patients. Naa10p significantly suppressed migration, tumor growth, and metastasis independent of its enzymatic activity. Instead, Naa10p binds to the GIT-binding domain of PIX, thereby preventing the formation of the GIT-PIX-Paxillin complex, resulting in reduced intrinsic Cdc42/Rac1 activity and decreased cell migration. Forced expression of PIX in Naa10-transfected tumor cells restored the migration and metastasis ability. We suggest that Naa10p functions as a tumor metastasis suppressor by disrupting the migratory complex, PIX-GIT- Paxillin, in cancer cells.
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| 16. |
- Lee, Hsin Ying, et al.
(author)
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Fabrication and Characterization of GaN-Based Fin-Channel Array Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor High-Electron Mobility Transistors with Recessed-Gate and Ga2O3 Gate Insulator Layer
- 2021
-
In: IEEE Journal of the Electron Devices Society. - 2168-6734. ; 9, s. 393-399
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this work, the properties of gallium oxide (Ga2O3) and its excellent interface properties to GaN-based materials are explored as a gate insulator layer for GaN-based metal-oxide-semiconductor high-electron mobility transistors (MOSHEMTs). A novel vapor cooling condensation system was used to deposit the high quality Ga2O3 films with high insulation and low defect suitable for gate insulator layer. The characteristics of the Ga2O3 films were further explored by implementing GaN-based fin-channel array MOSHEMTs with recessed-gates and different channel widths. Compared to planar channel structure, the direct current, high frequency, and flicker noise performances were enhanced in the fin-channel MOSHEMTs with Ga2O3 gate insulator layer. For the GaN-based fin-channel array MOSHEMTs with 300-nm-wide channel, the devices exhibited superior performances of maximum extrinsic transconductance of 194.2 mS/mm, threshold voltage of.1.4 V, extrinsic unit gain cutoff frequency of 6.4 GHz, maximum oscillation frequency of 14.8 GHz, and normalized noise power of 8.45 × 10.15 Hz.1. It was also demonstrated that the associated performances were improved by reducing the width of fin-channel array.
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| 17. |
- Shu, Xiang, et al.
(author)
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Associations of obesity and circulating insulin and glucose with breast cancer risk : a Mendelian randomization analysis
- 2019
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In: International Journal of Epidemiology. - : OXFORD UNIV PRESS. - 0300-5771 .- 1464-3685. ; 48:3, s. 795-806
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: In addition to the established association between general obesity and breast cancer risk, central obesity and circulating fasting insulin and glucose have been linked to the development of this common malignancy. Findings from previous studies, however, have been inconsistent, and the nature of the associations is unclear. Methods: We conducted Mendelian randomization analyses to evaluate the association of breast cancer risk, using genetic instruments, with fasting insulin, fasting glucose, 2-h glucose, body mass index (BMI) and BMI-adjusted waist-hip-ratio (WHRadj BMI). We first confirmed the association of these instruments with type 2 diabetes risk in a large diabetes genome-wide association study consortium. We then investigated their associations with breast cancer risk using individual-level data obtained from 98 842 cases and 83 464 controls of European descent in the Breast Cancer Association Consortium. Results: All sets of instruments were associated with risk of type 2 diabetes. Associations with breast cancer risk were found for genetically predicted fasting insulin [odds ratio (OR) = 1.71 per standard deviation (SD) increase, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.26-2.31, p = 5.09 x 10(-4)], 2-h glucose (OR = 1.80 per SD increase, 95% CI = 1.3 0-2.49, p = 4.02 x 10(-4)), BMI (OR = 0.70 per 5-unit increase, 95% CI = 0.65-0.76, p = 5.05 x 10(-19)) and WHRadj BMI (OR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.79-0.91, p = 9.22 x 10(-6)). Stratified analyses showed that genetically predicted fasting insulin was more closely related to risk of estrogen-receptor [ER]-positive cancer, whereas the associations with instruments of 2h glucose, BMI and WHRadj BMI were consistent regardless of age, menopausal status, estrogen receptor status and family history of breast cancer. Conclusions: We confirmed the previously reported inverse association of genetically predicted BMI with breast cancer risk, and showed a positive association of genetically predicted fasting insulin and 2-h glucose and an inverse association of WHRadj BMI with breast cancer risk. Our study suggests that genetically determined obesity and glucose/insulin-related traits have an important role in the aetiology of breast cancer.
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| 18. |
- Tang, Ting-Ting, et al.
(author)
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Impaired thymic export and apoptosis contribute to regulatory T-cell defects in patients with chronic heart failure.
- 2011
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In: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203 .- 1932-6203. ; 6:9, s. e24272-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Animal studies suggest that regulatory T (T(reg)) cells play a beneficial role in ventricular remodeling and our previous data have demonstrated defects of T(reg) cells in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). However, the mechanisms behind T(reg-)cell defects remained unknown. We here sought to elucidate the mechanism of T(reg-)cell defects in CHF patients.
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| 19. |
- Tang, Xiang-long, et al.
(author)
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Near-infrared light-activated red-emitting upconverting nanoplatform for T-1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and photodynamic therapy
- 2018
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In: Acta Biomaterialia. - : ELSEVIER SCI LTD. - 1742-7061 .- 1878-7568. ; 74, s. 360-373
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has increasingly become an efficient and attractive cancer treatment modality based on reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can induce tumor death after irradiation with ultraviolet or visible light. Herein, to overcome the limited tissue penetration in traditional PDT, a novel near-infrared (NIR) light-activated NaScF4: 40% Yb, 2% Er@CaF2 upconversion nanoparticle (rUCNP) is successfully designed and synthesized. Chlorin e6, a photosensitizer and a chelating agent for Mn2+, is loaded into human serum albumin (HSA) that further conjugates onto rUCNPs. To increase the ability to target glioma tumor, an acyclic Arg-Gly-Asp peptide (cRGDyK) is linked to rUCNPs@HSA(Ce6-Mn). This nanoplatform enables efficient adsorption and conversion of NIR light (980 nm) into bright red emission (660 nm), which can trigger the photosensitizer Ce6-Mn complex for PDT and T-1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (T-1-weighted MRI) for glioma diagnosis. Our in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrate that NIR light-activated and glioma tumor-targeted PDT can generate large amounts of intracellular ROS that induce U87 cell apoptosis and suppress glioma tumor growth owing to the deep tissue penetration of irradiated light and excellent tumor-targeting ability. Thus, this nanoplatform holds potential for applications in T-1-weighted MRI diagnosis and PDT of glioma for antitumor therapy. Statement of Significance A near-infrared (NIR) light-activated nanoplatform for photodynamic therapy (PDT) was designed and synthesized. The Red-to-Green (RIG) ratio of NaScF4: 40% Yb, 2% Er almost reached 9, a value that was much higher than that of a traditional Yb/Er-codoped upconversion nanoparticle (rUCNP). By depositing a CaF2 shell, the red-emission intensities of the rUCNPs were seven times strong as that of NaScF4: 40% Yb, 2% Er. The enhanced red-emitting rUCNPs could be applied in many fields such as bioimaging, controlled release, and real-time diagnosis. The nanoplatform had a strong active glioma-targeting ability, and all results achieved on subcutaneous glioma demonstrated that our NIR light-activated redemitting upconverting nanoplatform was efficient for PDT. By loading Ce6-Mn complex into rUCNPs@HSA-RGD, the nanoplatform could be used as a T-1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging agent for tumor diagnosis.
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| 20. |
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| 21. |
- Wu, Ping-Hsun, et al.
(author)
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Comparative Gut Microbiome Differences between Ferric Citrate and Calcium Carbonate Phosphate Binders in Patients with End-Stage Kidney Disease
- 2020
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In: Microorganisms. - : MDPI. - 2076-2607. ; 8:12
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Gut dysbiosis in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) may induce chronic inflammation and increase morbidity. Phosphate-binding agents, generally used in patients with CKD, may potentially change the composition of the gut microbiota. This study aimed to compare the microbiota composition in hemodialysis patients treated with ferric citrate or calcium carbonate. The stool microbiota was investigated in hemodialysis patients treated with ferric citrate (n = 8) and calcium carbonate (n = 46) using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing profiling using linear discriminant analysis of effect size. Further predictive functional profiling of microbial communities was obtained with Tax4Fun in R. Hemodialysis patients treated with calcium carbonate had a significantly reduced microbial species diversity (Shannon index and Simpson index) and an increased microbial alteration ratio compared with patients treated with ferric citrate. A distinct microbial community structure was found in patients treated with ferric citrate, with an increased abundance of the Bacteroidetes phylum and a decreased abundance of the phylum Firmicutes. Members of the order Lactobacillales were enriched in patients treated with calcium carbonate, whereas taxa of the genera Ruminococcaceae UCG-004, Flavonifractor, and Cronobacter were enriched in patients treated with ferric citrate phosphate binder. In conclusion, Ferric citrate therapy results in a more diverse microbiome community compared to calcium carbonate therapy in hemodialysis patients with phosphate binder treatment. The gut microbiome reflects the phosphate binder choice in hemodialysis patients, further affecting the physiological environment in the gastrointestinal tract.
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| 22. |
- Xiang, Maosheng, et al.
(author)
-
Abundance Estimates for 16 Elements in 6 Million Stars from LAMOST DR5 Low-Resolution Spectra
- 2019
-
In: Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. - : IOP PUBLISHING LTD. - 0067-0049 .- 1538-4365. ; 245:2
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present the determination of stellar parameters and individual elemental abundances for 6 million stars from similar to 8 million low-resolution (R similar to 1800) spectra from LAMOST DR5. This is based on a modeling approach that we dub the data-driven Payne (DD-Payne), which inherits essential ingredients from both the Payne and the Cannon. It is a data-driven model that incorporates constraints from theoretical spectral models to ensure the derived abundance estimates are physically sensible. Stars in LAMOST DR5 that are in common with either GALAH DR2 or APOGEE DR14 are used to train a model that delivers stellar parameters (T-eff, log g, V-mic) and abundances for 16 elements (C, N, O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Ba) over a metallicity range of -4.dex < [Fe/H] < 0.6 dex when applied to the LAMOST spectra. Cross-validation and repeat observations suggest that, for S/N-pixel >= 50, the typical internal abundance precision is 0.03-0.1 dex for the majority of these elements, with 0.2-0.3 dex for Cu and Ba, and the internal precision of T-eff and log g is better than 30 K and 0.07 dex, respectively. Abundance systematics at the similar to 0.1 dex level are present in these estimates but are inherited from the high-resolution surveys' training labels. For some elements, GALAH provides more robust training labels, for others, APOGEE. We provide flags to guide the quality of the label determination and identify binary/multiple stars in LAMOST DR5. An electronic version of the abundance catalog is made publicly available.
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| 23. |
- Xiao, Tianxiao, et al.
(author)
-
Autonomous self-healing hybrid energy harvester based on the combination of triboelectric nanogenerator and quantum dot solar cell
- 2024
-
In: Nano Energy. - : Elsevier BV. - 2211-2855 .- 2211-3282. ; 125
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Realization of multi-source energy harvesting with one single device would maximize power output. Thus, it is emerging as a promising strategy towards renewable energy generation and has attracted worldwide attention in the past decades. Capable of capturing mechanical energy that is ubiquitous in the ambient environment, triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) has been considered a novel yet effective source towards next-generation energy harvesting. In this work, a flexible hybrid energy harvester (HEH) is developed via the rational integration of autonomous self-healing TENG and high bending-stable lead sulfide quantum dot (PbS QD) solar cell, enabling independent electricity generation by two different mechanisms. The single-electrode mode TENG component with self-healing is realized by a polydimethylsiloxane/Triton X-100 (PDMS/TX100) mixture as the dielectric layer and the shared gold (Au) electrode, which generates 0.39 µA of output current (Iout), 24.6 V of output voltages (Vout), 15.4 nC of transfer charges (Qsc), and 7.80 mW m−2 of output power peak density. The thin-film solar cell component is based on a PbS QD layer as the light absorber with a planar structure fabricated under low-cost and compatible conditions, achieving 22.8 mA cm−2 of short-circuit current density (Jsc) and 4.92% of power conversion efficiency (PCE). As a proof of concept, an electronic watch is successfully powered by harnessing ambient mechanical and solar energy with a hybridized energy cell. This approach will offer more opportunities to construct a versatile platform towards remote monitoring and smart home systems.
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| 24. |
- Zhang, Jin-Ting, et al.
(author)
-
Nuclear to cytoplasmic shift of p33ING1b protein from normal oral mucosa to oral squamous cell carcinoma in relation to clinicopathological variables
- 2008
-
In: Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0171-5216 .- 1432-1335. ; 134:3, s. 421-426
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose: p33ING1b, as a candidate tumour suppressor gene, has been found to be expressed a proportion of oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs), however, its clinicopathological significance is not studied yet. Our aim was to investigate association of p33ING1b expression with clinicopathological variables and particularly interesting new cysteine-histidine rich protein (PINCH) in OSCCs. Methods: p33ING1b expression was immumohistochemically examined in 20 normal oral mucosa specimens and 49 OSCCs. Results: Normal squamous cells showed only p33ING1b nuclear expression (no cytoplasmic expression), with a rate of 90% positive cases. While 24% of OSCCs appeared cytoplasmic expression (11 of them with weak nuclear staining) and the rest tumours (76%) were negative for p33 ING1b. Furthermore, the cases having lymph node metastasis showed a higher frequency of positive cytoplasmic expression than those without metastasis (P = 0.03). The p33ING1b cytoplasmic expression was positively related to PINCH expression (P = 0.04), the cases positive for both proteins had a high rate of the metastasis (P = 0.03). Conclusions: The transfer of p33ING1b protein from the nucleus to the cytoplasm may result in loss of normal cellular function of the protein, which might play a role in the tumourigenesis and metastasis of OSCCs. © 2007 Springer-Verlag.
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| 25. |
- Zhang, Zhong-Wei, et al.
(author)
-
Prediction of the next highly pathogenic avian influenza pandemic that can cause illness in humans
- 2015
-
In: Infectious diseases of poverty. - : BioMed Central. - 2049-9957. ; 4
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: In recent years, avian influenza viruses (AIVs) have seriously threatened human health. Questions such as: why do AIVs infect humans?, how quickly can an AIV become pandemic?, and which virus is the most dangerous? cannot be sufficiently answered using current bioinformatic studies. Method: Secondary structures and energies of representative 5'-untranslated region (UTR) of the HA gene were calculated. Then their secondary structures and energies were re-calculated after one or two nucleotide substitutions were introduced into the HA 5'-UTR. Phylogenetic trees on the basis of hemagglutinin (HA) and polymerase basic protein 2 (PB2) amino acid sequences and HA 5'-UTR nucleotide sequences were constructed. The connection between the energy and translation efficiency of 5'-UTR was confirmed by in vitro coupled transcription/translation assay. Results: The simplicity of the secondary structure of the 5'-UTR of the HA gene determines the overall virus replication rate and transmission potential. Point mutation assays show that the 5'-UTR sequences of the HA gene in the influenza subtypes H2N2, H3N2, and H7N9 have greater variation potentials than other virus subtypes. Conclusion: Some high-virulent strains of avian influenza might emerge in the next two to three years. The H2N2 subtype, once disappeared in humans, may stage a comeback. The current outbreak of H7N9 may become pandemic and cause even more deaths, if one or two bases are substituted in the 5'-UTR sequence of the HA gene.
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| 26. |
- Kanai, M, et al.
(author)
-
- 2023
-
swepub:Mat__t
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| 27. |
- Andersson, Martin, et al.
(author)
-
Modeling Validation and Simulation of an Anode Supported SOFC including Mass and Heat Transport, Fluid Flow and Chemical Reactions
- 2011
-
In: ASME 2011 9th International Conference on Fuel Cell Science, Engineering and Technology. Collocated with ASME 2011 5th International Conference on Energy Sustainability, FUELCELL 2011. - 9780791854693 ; , s. 317-327
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Fuel cells are electrochemical devices that directly transform chemical energy into electricity, which are promising for future energy systems, since they are energy efficient and, when hydrogen is used as fuel, there are no direct emissions of greenhouse gases. The cell performance depends strongly on the material characteristics, the operating conditions and the chemical reactions that occur inside the cell. The chemical- And electrochemical reaction rates depend on temperature, material structure, catalytic activity, degradation and the partial pressures for the different species components. There is a lack of information, within the open literature, concerning the fundamentals behind these reactions. Experimental as well as modeling studies are needed to reduce this gap. In this study experimental data collected from an intermediate temperature standard SOFC with H2/H2O in the fuel stream are used to validate a previously developed computational fluid dynamics model based on the finite element method. The developed model is based on the governing equations of heat and mass transport and fluid flow, which are solved together with kinetic expressions for internal reforming reactions of hydrocarbon fuels and electrochemistry. This model is further updated to describe the experimental environment concerning cell design. Discussion on available active area for electrochemical reactions and average ionic transport distance from the anodic- to the cathodic three-phase boundary (TPB) are presented. The fuel inlet mole fractions are changed for the validated model to simulate a H2/H2O mixture and 30 % pre-reformed natural gas.
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| 28. |
- Axfors, Cathrine, et al.
(author)
-
Mortality outcomes with hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine in COVID-19 from an international collaborative meta-analysis of randomized trials
- 2021
-
In: Nature Communications. - : Springer Nature. - 2041-1723. ; 12:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Substantial COVID-19 research investment has been allocated to randomized clinical trials (RCTs) on hydroxychloroquine/chloroquine, which currently face recruitment challenges or early discontinuation. We aim to estimate the effects of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine on survival in COVID-19 from all currently available RCT evidence, published and unpublished. We present a rapid meta-analysis of ongoing, completed, or discontinued RCTs on hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine treatment for any COVID-19 patients (protocol: https://osf.io/QESV4/). We systematically identified unpublished RCTs (ClinicalTrials.gov, WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, Cochrane COVID-registry up to June 11, 2020), and published RCTs (PubMed, medRxiv and bioRxiv up to October 16, 2020). All-cause mortality has been extracted (publications/preprints) or requested from investigators and combined in random-effects meta-analyses, calculating odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), separately for hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine. Prespecified subgroup analyses include patient setting, diagnostic confirmation, control type, and publication status. Sixty-three trials were potentially eligible. We included 14 unpublished trials (1308 patients) and 14 publications/preprints (9011 patients). Results for hydroxychloroquine are dominated by RECOVERY and WHO SOLIDARITY, two highly pragmatic trials, which employed relatively high doses and included 4716 and 1853 patients, respectively (67% of the total sample size). The combined OR on all-cause mortality for hydroxychloroquine is 1.11 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.20; I-2=0%; 26 trials; 10,012 patients) and for chloroquine 1.77 (95%CI: 0.15, 21.13, I-2=0%; 4 trials; 307 patients). We identified no subgroup effects. We found that treatment with hydroxychloroquine is associated with increased mortality in COVID-19 patients, and there is no benefit of chloroquine. Findings have unclear generalizability to outpatients, children, pregnant women, and people with comorbidities. Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine have been investigated as a potential treatment for Covid-19 in several clinical trials. Here the authors report a meta-analysis of published and unpublished trials, and show that treatment with hydroxychloroquine for patients with Covid-19 was associated with increased mortality, and there was no benefit from chloroquine.
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| 29. |
- Balusu, Sriram, et al.
(author)
-
MEG3 activates necroptosis in human neuron xenografts modeling Alzheimer's disease.
- 2023
-
In: Science (New York, N.Y.). - 1095-9203. ; 381:6663, s. 1176-1182
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Neuronal cell loss is a defining feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We xenografted human or mouse neurons into the brain of a mouse model of AD. Only human neurons displayed tangles, Gallyas silver staining, granulovacuolar neurodegeneration (GVD), phosphorylated tau blood biomarkers, and considerable neuronal cell loss. The long noncoding RNA MEG3 was strongly up-regulated in human neurons. This neuron-specific long noncoding RNA is also up-regulated in AD patients. MEG3 expression alone was sufficient to induce necroptosis in human neurons in vitro. Down-regulation of MEG3 and inhibition of necroptosis using pharmacological or genetic manipulation of receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1), RIPK3, or mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL) rescued neuronal cell loss in xenografted human neurons. This model suggests potential therapeutic approaches for AD and reveals a human-specific vulnerability to AD.
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| 30. |
- Chen, Jialin, et al.
(author)
-
Characterization and comparison of post-natal rat Achilles tendon-derived stem cells at different development stages
- 2016
-
In: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 6
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Tendon stem/progenitor cells (TSPCs) are a potential cell source for tendon tissue engineering. The striking morphological and structural changes of tendon tissue during development indicate the complexity of TSPCs at different stages. This study aims to characterize and compare post-natal rat Achilles tendon tissue and TSPCs at different stages of development. The tendon tissue showed distinct differences during development: the tissue structure became denser and more regular, the nuclei became spindle-shaped and the cell number decreased with time. TSPCs derived from 7 day Achilles tendon tissue showed the highest self-renewal ability, cell proliferation, and differentiation potential towards mesenchymal lineage, compared to TSPCs derived from 1 day and 56 day tissue. Microarray data showed up-regulation of several groups of genes in TSPCs derived from 7 day Achilles tendon tissue, which may account for the unique cell characteristics during this specific stage of development. Our results indicate that TSPCs derived from 7 day Achilles tendon tissue is a superior cell source as compared to TSPCs derived from 1 day and 56 day tissue, demonstrating the importance of choosing a suitable stem cell source for effective tendon tissue engineering and regeneration.
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| 31. |
- Chen, Jialin, et al.
(author)
-
Fos Promotes Early Stage Teno-Lineage Differentiation of Tendon Stem/Progenitor Cells in Tendon
- 2017
-
In: Stem Cells Translational Medicine. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2157-6564 .- 2157-6580. ; 6:11, s. 2009-2019
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Stem cells have been widely used in tendon tissue engineering. The lack of refined and controlled differentiation strategy hampers the tendon repair and regeneration. This study aimed to find new effective differentiation factors for stepwise tenogenic differentiation. By microarray screening, the transcript factor Fos was found to be expressed in significantly higher amounts in postnatal Achilles tendon tissue derived from 1 day as compared with 7-days-old rats. It was further confirmed that expression of Fos decreased with time in postnatal rat Achilles tendon, which was accompanied with the decreased expression of multiply tendon markers. The expression of Fos also declined during regular in vitro cell culture, which corresponded to the loss of tendon phenotype. In a cell-sheet and a three-dimensional cell culture model, the expression of Fos was upregulated as compared with in regular cell culture, together with the recovery of tendon phenotype. In addition, significant higher expression of tendon markers was found in Fos-overexpressed tendon stem/progenitor cells (TSPCs), and Fos knock-down gave opposite results. In situ rat tendon repair experiments found more normal tendon-like tissue formed and higher tendon markers expression at 4 weeks postimplantation of Fos-overexpressed TSPCs derived nonscaffold engineering tendon (cell-sheet), as compared with the control group. This study identifies Fos as a new marker and functional driver in the early stage teno-lineage differentiation of tendon, which paves the way for effective stepwise tendon differentiation and future tendon regeneration.
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| 32. |
- Chen, Nai-Chen, 1985-, et al.
(author)
-
Controlling factors on patterns of dissolved organic carbon and volatile fatty acids in a submarine mud volcano offshore southwestern Taiwan
- 2023
-
In: Frontiers in Earth Science. - 2296-6463. ; 11
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) play key roles in the carbon cycling of marine sediment. Both microbially or thermally activated cracking of organic matter often produces high quantities of DOC and VFAs. To uncover the distribution pattern of DOC and VFAs in sediments under both impacts, a submarine mud volcano (SMV), was chosen to denote a model system that could witness how microbial activities react under the mixing of seawater and deeply-sourced fluids in a subsurface environment. We examined the concentration profiles of DOC and several VFAs (lactate, formate, acetate, propionate, and butyrate) in pore water, covering both sulfate reduction and methanogenesis zones, and further numerically modeled six porewater species (DOC, bromide, calcium, magnesium, ammonium, and total alkalinity) to quantify their fluxes from depth as well as the rates of in-situ microbial processes. Apparently, bulk DOC concentrations fluctuated with depths, probably primarily controlled by in situ microbial processes. Lactate was detectable in some samples, while propionate and butyrate were under detection limit. Acetate and formate concentrations were consistently and uniformly low throughout all biogeochemical zones, with a slightly increasing trend with depth at the center of the SMV, suggesting active utilization and turnover by the terminal steps of organic matter mineralization. The numerical modeling suggests that most DOC patterns were primarily influenced by in-situ organic matter degradation, while the impact of upward migrating fluid become more significant at center sites. The calculation of the Gibbs energy of metabolic redox reactions reveals that acetoclastic sulfate reduction yields the highest energy throughout sediment columns and may co-exist with methanogenesis below sulfate reduction zone. In contrast, acetoclastic methanogenesis yields higher energy within sulfate reduction zone than below that region, suggesting it is thermodynamically feasible to co-occur with sulfate reduction in dynamic SMV environments.
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| 33. |
- Chen, Wei-Ting, et al.
(author)
-
Spatial Transcriptomics and In Situ Sequencing to Study Alzheimer's Disease
- 2020
-
In: Cell. - : Elsevier BV. - 0092-8674 .- 1097-4172. ; 182:4, s. 976-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Although complex inflammatory-like alterations are observed around the amyloid plaques of Alzheimer's disease (AD), little is known about the molecular changes and cellular interactions that characterize this response, We investigate here, in an AD mouse model, the transcriptional changes occurring in tissue domains in a 100-mu m diameter around amyloid plaques using spatial transcriptomics. We demonstrate early alterations in a gene co-expression network enriched for myelin and oligodendrocyte genes (OLIGs), whereas a multicellular gene co-expression network of plaque-induced genes (PIGs) involving the complement system, oxidative stress, lysosomes, and inflammation is prominent in the later phase of the disease. We confirm the majority of the observed alterations at the cellular level using in situ sequencing on mouse and human brain sections. Genome-wide spatial transcriptomics analysis provides an unprecedented approach to untangle the dysregulated cellular network in the vicinity of pathogenic hallmarks of AD and other brain diseases.
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| 34. |
- Cheng, Yu Ting, et al.
(author)
-
Tuning atom-field interaction via phase shaping
- 2024
-
In: Physical Review A. - 2469-9934 .- 2469-9926. ; 109:2
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A coherent electromagnetic field can be described by its amplitude, frequency, and phase. All these properties can influence the interaction between the field and an atom. Here we demonstrate the phase shaping of microwaves that are scattered by a superconducting artificial atom coupled to the end of a semi-infinite one-dimensional transmission line. In particular, we input a weak exponentially rising pulse with phase modulation to a transmon qubit. We observe that atom-field interaction can be tuned from a nearly full interaction (interaction efficiency, i.e., amount of the field energy interacting with the atom, of 94.5 %) to effectively no interaction (interaction efficiency of 3.5 %).
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| 35. |
- Chou, Cheng Han, et al.
(author)
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Bat fatalities at wind farms in Taiwan
- 2017
-
In: Mammal Study. - : Mammalogical Society of Japan. - 1343-4152 .- 1348-6160. ; 42:2, s. 121-124
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We collected bat carcasses at three wind farms in Taiwan, located along the west coast mostly near the sea and/or in former coastal wetland habitats. We found 43 bat carcasses, mostly of common aerial-hawking species such as Pipistrellus abramus and Scotophilus kuhlii, but the island endemics Eptesicus serotinus horikawai and Myotis formosus flavus were also recovered. All bat species affected are believed to remain on the island all year. As far as we know this is the first report of bat fatalities at wind energy facilities in eastern Asia.
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| 36. |
- Dai, Ting, et al.
(author)
-
Assessment of Fast Fluid Dynamics with Different Turbulence Models for Simulating Airflow and Pollutant Dispersion Around Buildings
- 2023
-
In: Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Building Energy and Environment. - : Springer Nature. ; , s. 51-59
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Fast fluid dynamics (FFD) could provide efficient airflow and concentration simulation. The commonly used turbulence model in FFD was RNG k- ε turbulence model which solved two transport equations to obtain eddy viscosity. To improve computing speed, this investigation implemented no turbulence model, Smagorinsky model and dynamic Smagorinsky model which calculated eddy viscosity without solving equation in FFD in an open-source program, OpenFOAM. By simulating single-building case and comparing with experiment and CFD, this study assessed accuracy and efficiency of FFD with those turbulence models. Compared with CFD, FFD improved computing speed without reducing accuracy. The simulation of FFD without turbulence model was fast but inaccurate. FFD with Smagorinsky model increased computing speed while ensuring the same accuracy as RNG k- ε turbulence model. FFD with dynamic Smagorinsky model provided accurate results with high efficiency. This investigation suggested FFD with dynamic Smagorinsky model for outdoor airflow and pollutant dispersion studies.
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| 37. |
- Dai, Ting, et al.
(author)
-
Evaluation of fast fluid dynamics with different turbulence models for predicting outdoor airflow and pollutant dispersion
- 2022
-
In: Sustainable cities and society. - : Elsevier BV. - 2210-6707. ; 77, s. 103583-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Fast fluid dynamics (FFD) could provide informative and efficient airflow and concentration simulation. The commonly used turbulence model in FFD was Re-Normalization Group (RNG) k-epsilon turbulence model which solved two transport equations to obtain eddy viscosity. To reduce this part of time and further improve computing speed, this investigation implemented no turbulence model, Smagorinsky model and dynamic Smagorinsky model which calculated eddy viscosity without solving equation in FFD in an open-source program, OpenFOAM. By simulating several outdoor cases of varying complexity and comparing with experiment and CFD, this study assessed the accuracy and computing efficiency of FFD with four turbulence models. Compared with CFD, FFD greatly improved the computing speed without reducing accuracy. The simulation of FFD without turbulence model was fast but inaccurate. FFD with Smagorinsky model increased the computing speed while ensuring the same accuracy as RNG k-epsilon turbulence model. FFD with dynamic Smagorinsky model provided accurate results with high efficiency. Computation errors arose mainly from inaccurate prediction of turbulence dispersion. The computing cost was associated with the number of transport equations and calculation method of model coefficient. This investigation recommended the use of FFD with dynamic Smagorinsky model for outdoor airflow and pollutant dispersion studies.
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| 38. |
- Darakchieva, Vanya, et al.
(author)
-
Electron accumulation at nonpolar and semipolar surfaces of wurtzite InN from generalized infrared ellipsometry
- 2009
-
In: APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS. - : AIP Publishing. - 0003-6951 .- 1077-3118. ; 95:20, s. 202103-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The free electron properties of nonpolar (1120)-oriented and semipolar (1011)-oriented wurtzite InN films are studied by generalized infrared ellipsometry (GIRSE). We demonstrate the sensitivity of GIRSE to the surface charge accumulation layer and find a distinct surface electron accumulation to occur at all surfaces. The obtained surface electron sheet densities are found to vary from 0.9x10(13) to 2.3x10(14) cm(-2) depending on the surface orientation and bulk electron concentration. The upper limits of the surface electron mobility parameters of 417-644 cm(2)/V s are determined and discussed in the light of electron confinement at the surface.
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| 39. |
- Duan, Zheng, et al.
(author)
-
Optical characterization of Chinese hybrid rice using laser-induced fluorescence techniques—laboratory and remote-sensing measurements
- 2018
-
In: Applied Optics. - 1559-128X. ; 57:13, s. 3481-3487
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Chinese hybrid rice of different varieties, growing in paddies in the Pingqiao district, north of Xinyang city, Henan province, China, was studied in detailed spectroscopic characteristics using laser-induced fluorescence. The base for the studies was the new South China Normal University mobile lidar laboratory, which was dispatched on site, providing facilities both for laboratory studies using a 405 nm excitation source as well as remote sensing measurements at ranges from around 40 m–120 m, mostly employing the 532 nm output from a Nd:YAG laser. We, in particular, studied the spectral influence of the species varieties as well as the level of nitrogen fertilization supplied. Specially developed contrast functions as well as multivariate techniques with principal components and Fisher’s discriminate analyses were applied, and useful characterization of the rice could be achieved. The chlorophyll content mapping of the 30 zones was obtained with the remote sensing measurements.
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| 40. |
- Elsayed, Mohamed Hammad, et al.
(author)
-
Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Conjugated Polymer Dots as Binary Photocatalysts for Enhanced Visible-Light-Driven Hydrogen Evolution through Forster Resonance Energy Transfer
- 2021
-
In: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1944-8244 .- 1944-8252. ; 13:47, s. 56554-56565
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Organic semiconducting polymers exhibited promising photocatalytic behavior for hydrogen (H-2) evolution, especially when prepared in the form of polymer dots (Pdots). However, the Pdot structures were formed using common nonconjugated amphiphilic polymers, which have a negative effect on charge transfer between photocatalysts and reactants and are unable to participate in the photocatalytic reaction. This study presents a new strategy for constructing binary Pdot photocatalysts by replacing the nonconjugated amphiphilic polymer typically employed in the preparation of polymer nanoparticles (Pdots) with a low-molecular-weight conjugated polyelectrolyte. The as-prepared polyelectrolyte/hydrophobic polymer-based binary Pdots truly enhance the electron transfer between the Pt cocatalyst and the polymer photocatalyst with good water dispersibility. Moreover, unlike the nonconjugated amphiphilic polymer, the photophysics and mechanism of this photocatalytic system through time-correlated single-photon counting (TCSPC) and transient absorption (TA) measurements confirmed the Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) between the polyelectrolyte as a donor and the hydrophobic polymer as an acceptor. As a result, the designated binary Pdot photocatalysts significantly enhanced the hydrogen evolution rate (HER) of 43 900 mu mol g(-1) h(-1) (63.5 mu mol h(-1), at 420 nm) for PTTPA/PFTBTA Pdots under visible-light irradiation.
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| 41. |
- Elsayed, Mohamed Hammad, et al.
(author)
-
Visible-light-driven hydrogen evolution using nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dot-implanted polymer dots as metal-free photocatalysts
- 2021
-
In: Applied Catalysis B: Environmental. - : Elsevier BV. - 0926-3373. ; 283
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Given the photocatalytic properties of semiconducting polymers and carbon quantum dots (CQDs), we report a new structure for a metal-free photocatalytic system with a promising efficiency for hydrogen production through the combination of an organic semiconducting polymer (PFTBTA) and N-doped carbon quantum dots (NCQDs) covered by PS-PEGCOOH to produce heterostructured photocatalysts in the form of polymer dots (Pdots). This design could provide strong interactions between the two materials owing to the space confinement effect in nanometer-sized Pdots. Small particle size NCQDs are easy to insert inside the Pdot, which leads to an increase in the stability of the Pdot structure and enhances the hydrogen evolution rate by approximately 5-fold over that of pure PFTBTA Pdots. The photophysics and the mechanism behind the catalytic activity of our design are investigated by transient absorption measurement, demonstrating the role of NCQDs to enhance the charge separation and the photocatalytic efficiency of the PFTBTA Pdot.
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| 42. |
- Guangnan, Zhang, et al.
(author)
-
White Blood Cell Extraction on Fractional Calculus and Gradient Vector Flow Snake for Leukocyte Classification on Support Vector Machines
- 2018
-
In: Journal of Medical Imaging and Health Informatics. - : American Scientific Publishers. - 2156-7018 .- 2156-7026. ; 8:6, s. 1249-1257
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Leukocyte is one of the important components in blood cells, and the recognition and classification of leukocytes in an image is significant to the medical diagnosis, but it is a difficult task. In this paper, we studied a new method for the blood cell image preprocessing and segmentation, and for leukocyte classification. In this paper, the blood cell image segmentation and leukocyte classification includes three parts: (1) the most of image noise is removed by using fractional calculus, then the image color information and distance transformation combing the Snake of Gradient Vector Flow (GVF Snake) is applied to extract the leukocytes; (2) then we make the trait of the leukocyte nuclei having higher saturation and utilize a number of morphological operators and the GVF Snake method for detecting the nuclei in the image; and (3) finally, according to the features of the cell colors and textures, we takes advantage of the Support Vector Machines (SVM) to classify leukocytes. The results show that the use of fractional calculus, GVF Snake combining color information for image segmentation, and applying the SVM classifier to classify the leukocytes can achieve satisfactory results.
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| 43. |
- Hu, Li-Peng, et al.
(author)
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Terbinafine prevents colorectal cancer growth by inducing dNTP starvation and reducing immune suppression
- 2022
-
In: Molecular Therapy. - : Elsevier BV. - 1525-0024 .- 1525-0016. ; 30:10, s. 3284-3299
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Existing evidence indicates that gut fungal dysbiosis might play a key role in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer (CRC). We sought to explore whether reversing the fungal dysbiosis by terbinafine, an approved antifungal drug, might inhibit the development of CRC. A population-based study from Sweden identified a total of 185 patients who received terbinafine after their CRC diagnosis and found that they had a decreased risk of death (hazard ratio=0.50) and metastasis (hazard ratio=0.44) compared with patients without terbinafine administration. In multiple mouse models of CRC, administration of terbinafine decreased the fungal load, the fungus-induced myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSC) expansion, and the tumor burden. Fecal microbiota transplantation from mice without terbinafine treatment reversed MDSC infiltration and partially restored tumor proliferation. Mechanistically, terbinafine directly impaired tumor cell proliferation by reducing the ratio of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP+) to reduced form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH), suppressing the activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), resulting in nucleotide synthesis disruption, deoxyribonucleotide (dNTP) starvation and cell cycle arrest. Collectively, terbinafine can inhibit CRC by reversing fungal dysbiosis, suppressing tumor cell proliferation, inhibiting fungus-induced MDSC infiltration, and restoring antitumor immune response.
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| 44. |
- Huang, Chelsea X., et al.
(author)
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TESS Spots a Hot Jupiter with an Inner Transiting Neptune
- 2020
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In: Astrophysical Journal Letters. - : American Astronomical Society. - 2041-8213 .- 2041-8205. ; 892:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Hot Jupiters are rarely accompanied by other planets within a factor of a few in orbital distance. Previously, only two such systems have been found. Here, we report the discovery of a third system using data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). The host star, TOI-1130, is an eleventh magnitude K-dwarf in Gaia G-band. It has two transiting planets: a Neptune-sized planet (3.65 ± 0.10 R\oplus) with a 4.1 days period, and a hot Jupiter (1.50-0.22+0.27 RJ) with an 8.4 days period. Precise radial-velocity observations show that the mass of the hot Jupiter is 0.974-0.044+0.043 MJ. For the inner Neptune, the data provide only an upper limit on the mass of 0.17 MJ (3σ). Nevertheless, we are confident that the inner planet is real, based on follow-up ground-based photometry and adaptive-optics imaging that rule out other plausible sources of the TESS transit signal. The unusual planetary architecture of and the brightness of the host star make TOI-1130 a good test case for planet formation theories, and an attractive target for future spectroscopic observations.
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| 45. |
- Kristanl, Matej, et al.
(author)
-
The Seventh Visual Object Tracking VOT2019 Challenge Results
- 2019
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In: 2019 IEEE/CVF INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON COMPUTER VISION WORKSHOPS (ICCVW). - : IEEE COMPUTER SOC. - 9781728150239 ; , s. 2206-2241
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Visual Object Tracking challenge VOT2019 is the seventh annual tracker benchmarking activity organized by the VOT initiative. Results of 81 trackers are presented; many are state-of-the-art trackers published at major computer vision conferences or in journals in the recent years. The evaluation included the standard VOT and other popular methodologies for short-term tracking analysis as well as the standard VOT methodology for long-term tracking analysis. The VOT2019 challenge was composed of five challenges focusing on different tracking domains: (i) VOT-ST2019 challenge focused on short-term tracking in RGB, (ii) VOT-RT2019 challenge focused on "real-time" short-term tracking in RGB, (iii) VOT-LT2019 focused on long-term tracking namely coping with target disappearance and reappearance. Two new challenges have been introduced: (iv) VOT-RGBT2019 challenge focused on short-term tracking in RGB and thermal imagery and (v) VOT-RGBD2019 challenge focused on long-term tracking in RGB and depth imagery. The VOT-ST2019, VOT-RT2019 and VOT-LT2019 datasets were refreshed while new datasets were introduced for VOT-RGBT2019 and VOT-RGBD2019. The VOT toolkit has been updated to support both standard short-term, long-term tracking and tracking with multi-channel imagery. Performance of the tested trackers typically by far exceeds standard baselines. The source code for most of the trackers is publicly available from the VOT page. The dataset, the evaluation kit and the results are publicly available at the challenge website(1).
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| 46. |
- Li, Guohui, et al.
(author)
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Efficient heat dissipation perovskite lasers using a high-thermal-conductivity diamond substrate
- 2023
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In: SCIENCE CHINA Materials. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2095-8226 .- 2199-4501. ; 66:6, s. 2400-2407
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Efficient heat dissipation that can minimize temperature increases in device is critical in realizing electrical injection lasers. High-thermal-conductivity diamonds are promising for overcoming heat dissipation limitations for perovskite lasers. In this study, we demonstrate a perovskite nanoplatelet laser on a diamond substrate that can efficiently dissipate heat generated during optical pumping. Tight optical confinement is also realized by introducing a thin SiO2 gap layer between nanoplatelets and the diamond substrate. The demonstrated laser features a Q factor of ∼1962, a lasing threshold of 52.19 µJ cm−2, and a low pump-density-dependent temperature sensitivity (∼0.56 ± 0.01 K cm2 µJ−1) through the incorporation of the diamond substrate. We believe our study could inspire the development of electrically driven perovskite lasers. [Figure not available: see fulltext.].
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| 47. |
- Lin, Chun-Yu, et al.
(author)
-
Mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate Promotes Dengue Virus Infection by Decreasing IL-23-Mediated Antiviral Responses
- 2021
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In: Frontiers in Immunology. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 1664-3224. ; 12
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Exposure to environmental hormones such as di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) has become a critical human health issue globally. This study aimed to investigate the correlations between DEHP/mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) levels and macrophage-associated immune responses and clinical manifestations in dengue virus (DV)-infected patients. Among 89 DV-infected patients, those with DV infection-related gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding (n = 13, 15% of patients) had significantly higher DEHP exposure than those without GI bleeding (n = 76, 85% of patients), which were 114.2 ng/ml versus 52.5 ng/ml ΣDEHP in urine; p = 0.023). In an in vitro study using cultured human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) to investigate the effects of MEHP, treatment increased IL-1β and TNF-α release but decreased IL-23 release, with negative correlations observed between urine ΣDEHP and serum IL-23 levels in patients. MEHP-treated MDMs had lower antiviral Th17 response induction activity in mixed T-cell response tests. The in vitro data showed that MEHP increased DV viral load and decreased IL-23 release dose-dependently, and adding IL-23 to MEHP-exposed MDMs significantly reduced the DV viral load. MEHP also suppressed IL-23 expression via the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-γ) pathway. Further, the PPAR-γ antagonist GW9662 significantly reversed MEHP-induced IL-23 suppression and reduced the DV viral load. These study findings help to explain the associations between high MEHP levels and the high global burden of dengue disease.
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| 48. |
- Lin, Wei Cheng, et al.
(author)
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Effect of energy bandgap and sacrificial agents of cyclopentadithiophene-based polymers for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution
- 2021
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In: Applied Catalysis B: Environmental. - : Elsevier BV. - 0926-3373. ; 298
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A library of donor-acceptor system consisting of cyclopentadithiophene-based polymer photocatalysts have been designed and synthesized. Among all photocatalysts, the active PCPDTBSO achieved hydrogen evolution rates of 24.6 mmol h–1 g–1 with apparent quantum yields of 8.7 % at 500 nm. More importantly, combined the results of photocatalytic efficiency, apparent quantum yield, the time-resolved fluorescence decay spectra, the steady-state photoluminescence spectra, and the transient absorption spectroscopy, and the oxidation potentials of sacrificial donors and protons reduction potentials in different pH values, we confirmed the concept that ascorbic acid is a suitable sacrificial donor for narrow bandgap polymers and triethylamine is a suitable sacrificial donor for wide bandgap polymers owing to the existence of the optimal thermodynamic driving force. We believed this study would be advantageous for the selection of photocatalysts and sacrificial donors for hydrogen production.
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| 49. |
- Lin, Wei Ju, et al.
(author)
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Deterministic Loading of Microwaves onto an Artificial Atom Using a Time-Reversed Waveform
- 2022
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In: Nano Letters. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1530-6992 .- 1530-6984. ; 22:20, s. 8137-8142
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Loading quantum information deterministically onto a quantum node is an important step toward a quantum network. Here, we demonstrate that coherent-state microwave photons with an optimal temporal waveform can be efficiently loaded onto a single superconducting artificial atom in a semi-infinite one-dimensional (1D) transmission-line waveguide. Using a weak coherent state (the number of photons (N) contained in the pulse ≪1) with an exponentially rising waveform, whose time constant matches the decoherence time of the artificial atom, we demonstrate a loading efficiency of 94.2% ± 0.7% from 1D semifree space to the artificial atom. The high loading efficiency is due to time-reversal symmetry: the overlap between the incoming wave and the time-reversed emitted wave is up to 97.1% ± 0.4%. Our results open up promising applications in realizing quantum networks based on waveguide quantum electrodynamics.
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| 50. |
- Lind, Lars, et al.
(author)
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Heterogeneous contributions of change in population distribution of body mass index to change in obesity and underweight NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC)
- 2021
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In: eLife. - : eLife Sciences Publications Ltd. - 2050-084X. ; 10
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- From 1985 to 2016, the prevalence of underweight decreased, and that of obesity and severe obesity increased, in most regions, with significant variation in the magnitude of these changes across regions. We investigated how much change in mean body mass index (BMI) explains changes in the prevalence of underweight, obesity, and severe obesity in different regions using data from 2896 population-based studies with 187 million participants. Changes in the prevalence of underweight and total obesity, and to a lesser extent severe obesity, are largely driven by shifts in the distribution of BMI, with smaller contributions from changes in the shape of the distribution. In East and Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, the underweight tail of the BMI distribution was left behind as the distribution shifted. There is a need for policies that address all forms of malnutrition by making healthy foods accessible and affordable, while restricting unhealthy foods through fiscal and regulatory restrictions.
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