| 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. |
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- 2019
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)
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| 4. |
- 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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| 5. |
- 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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| 6. |
- Arzoumanian, Doris, et al.
(author)
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Dust polarized emission observations of NGC 6334: BISTRO reveals the details of the complex but organized magnetic field structure of the high-mass star-forming hub-filament network
- 2021
-
In: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 647
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Context. Molecular filaments and hubs have received special attention recently thanks to new studies showing their key role in star formation. While the (column) density and velocity structures of both filaments and hubs have been carefully studied, their magnetic field (B-field) properties have yet to be characterized. Consequently, the role of B-fields in the formation and evolution of hub-filament systems is not well constrained. Aims. We aim to understand the role of the B-field and its interplay with turbulence and gravity in the dynamical evolution of the NGC 6334 filament network that harbours cluster-forming hubs and high-mass star formation. Methods. We present new observations of the dust polarized emission at 850 μm toward the 2 pc × 10 pc map of NGC 6334 at a spatial resolution of 0.09 pc obtained with the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) as part of the B-field In STar-forming Region Observations (BISTRO) survey. We study the distribution and dispersion of the polarized intensity (PI), the polarization fraction (PF), and the plane-of-The-sky B-field angle (χB_POS) toward the whole region, along the 10 pc-long ridge and along the sub-filaments connected to the ridge and the hubs. We derived the power spectra of the intensity and χBPOS along the ridge crest and compared them with the results obtained from simulated filaments. Results. The observations span 3 orders of magnitude in Stokes I and PI and 2 orders of magnitude in PF (from 0.2 to 20%). A large scatter in PI and PF is observed for a given value of I. Our analyses show a complex B-field structure when observed over the whole region ( 10 pc); however, at smaller scales (1 pc), χBPOS varies coherently along the crests of the filament network. The observed power spectrum of χBPOS can be well represented with a power law function with a slope of-1.33 ± 0.23, which is 20% shallower than that of I. We find that this result is compatible with the properties of simulated filaments and may indicate the physical processes at play in the formation and evolution of star-forming filaments. Along the sub-filaments, χBPOS rotates frombeing mostly perpendicular or randomly oriented with respect to the crests to mostly parallel as the sub-filaments merge with the ridge and hubs. This variation of the B-field structure along the sub-filaments may be tracing local velocity flows of infalling matter in the ridge and hubs. Our analysis also suggests a variation in the energy balance along the crests of these sub-filaments, from magnetically critical or supercritical at their far ends to magnetically subcritical near the ridge and hubs. We also detect an increase in PF toward the high-column density (NH2 â 1023 cm-2) star cluster-forming hubs. These latter large PF values may be explained by the increase in grain alignment efficiency due to stellar radiation from the newborn stars, combined with an ordered B-field structure. Conclusions. These observational results reveal for the first time the characteristics of the small-scale (down to 0.1 pc) B-field structure of a 10 pc-long hub-filament system. Our analyses show variations in the polarization properties along the sub-filaments that may be tracing the evolution of their physical properties during their interaction with the ridge and hubs. We also detect an impact of feedback from young high-mass stars on the local B-field structure and the polarization properties, which could put constraints on possible models for dust grain alignment and provide important hints as to the interplay between the star formation activity and interstellar B-fields.
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| 7. |
- Doi, Yasuo, et al.
(author)
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The JCMT BISTRO Survey: Magnetic Fields Associated with a Network of Filaments in NGC 1333
- 2020
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In: Astrophysical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 1538-4357 .- 0004-637X. ; 899:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present new observations of the active star formation region NGC 1333 in the Perseus molecular cloud complex from the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope B-Fields In Star-forming Region Observations (BISTRO) survey with the POL-2 instrument. The BISTRO data cover the entire NGC 1333 complex (∼1.5 pc ? 2 pc) at 0.02 pc resolution and spatially resolve the polarized emission from individual filamentary structures for the first time. The inferred magnetic field structure is complex as a whole, with each individual filament aligned at different position angles relative to the local field orientation. We combine the BISTRO data with low- and high- resolution data derived from Planck and interferometers to study the multiscale magnetic field structure in this region. The magnetic field morphology drastically changes below a scale of ∼1 pc and remains continuous from the scales of filaments (∼0.1 pc) to that of protostellar envelopes (∼0.005 pc or ∼1000 au). Finally, we construct simple models in which we assume that the magnetic field is always perpendicular to the long axis of the filaments. We demonstrate that the observed variation of the relative orientation between the filament axes and the magnetic field angles are well reproduced by this model, taking into account the projection effects of the magnetic field and filaments relative to the plane of the sky. These projection effects may explain the apparent complexity of the magnetic field structure observed at the resolution of BISTRO data toward the filament network.
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| 8. |
- Eswaraiah, Chakali, et al.
(author)
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The JCMT BISTRO Survey: Revealing the Diverse Magnetic Field Morphologies in Taurus Dense Cores with Sensitive Submillimeter Polarimetry
- 2021
-
In: Astrophysical Journal Letters. - : American Astronomical Society. - 2041-8213 .- 2041-8205. ; 912:2
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We have obtained sensitive dust continuum polarization observations at 850 μm in the B213 region of Taurus using POL-2 on SCUBA-2 at the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope as part of the B-fields in STar-forming Region Observations (BISTRO) survey. These observations allow us to probe magnetic field (B-field) at high spatial resolution (∼2000 au or ∼0.01 pc at 140 pc) in two protostellar cores (K04166 and K04169) and one prestellar core (Miz-8b) that lie within the B213 filament. Using the Davis-Chandrasekhar-Fermi method, we estimate the B-field strengths in K04166, K04169, and Miz-8b to be 38 ± 14, 44 ± 16, and 12 ± 5 μG, respectively. These cores show distinct mean B-field orientations. The B-field in K04166 is well ordered and aligned parallel to the orientations of the core minor axis, outflows, core rotation axis, and large-scale uniform B-field, in accordance with magnetically regulated star formation via ambipolar diffusion taking place in K04166. The B-field in K04169 is found to be ordered but oriented nearly perpendicular to the core minor axis and large-scale B-field and not well correlated with other axes. In contrast, Miz-8b exhibits a disordered B-field that shows no preferred alignment with the core minor axis or large-scale field. We found that only one core, K04166, retains a memory of the large-scale uniform B-field. The other two cores, K04169 and Miz-8b, are decoupled from the large-scale field. Such a complex B-field configuration could be caused by gas inflow onto the filament, even in the presence of a substantial magnetic flux.
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| 9. |
- Huang, Wen-Yi, et al.
(author)
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Effectiveness of using calligraphic activity to treat people with schizophrenia : a randomized controlled trial in Southern Taiwan
- 2022
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In: THERAPEUTIC ADVANCES IN CHRONIC DISEASE. - : Sage Publications. - 2040-6223 .- 2040-6231. ; 13
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Prior research has shown preliminary evidence that calligraphy activity improves various body functions and decreases severity of psychotic symptoms in individuals with schizophrenia. However, major limitations of earlier studies include small and heterogeneous samples. The current large-scale randomized controlled trial examined effects of calligraphy activity on cognition (including attention), emotions, psychotic symptoms, quality of life, and mood in people with schizophrenia. Methods: One-hundred-and-fifty patients with schizophrenia were randomly allocated to the treatment group (receiving calligraphy activity) or the control group (receiving general activity), both of which lasted for 24weeks (70 minutes per session; one session per week). Assessments were conducted at pretest, posttest, and three-month follow-up. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Chu's Attention Test, Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, World Health Questionnaire on the Quality of Life-Brief Form, and Visual Analogue Scale were used. Results: Improved cognition and attention were found in both groups, although no group effects were shown. The treatment group appeared to show lower severity of positive symptoms at follow-up than posttest, whereas the control group appeared to show the opposite pattern. Improved mood was found in the treatment group. Conclusion: This study provides evidence regarding effects of calligraphy activity on increasing cognition and potentially decreasing severity of positive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. Calligraphy activity can be incorporated in clinical occupational therapy and may be provided to supplement medication treatment.
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| 10. |
- Tahani, Mehrnoosh, et al.
(author)
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JCMT BISTRO Observations: Magnetic Field Morphology of Bubbles Associated with NGC 6334
- 2023
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In: Astrophysical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 1538-4357 .- 0004-637X. ; 944:2
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We study the Hii regions associated with the NGC 6334 molecular cloud observed in the submillimeter and taken as part of the B-fields In STar-forming Region Observations Survey. In particular, we investigate the polarization patterns and magnetic field morphologies associated with these Hii regions. Through polarization pattern and pressure calculation analyses, several of these bubbles indicate that the gas and magnetic field lines have been pushed away from the bubble, toward an almost tangential (to the bubble) magnetic field morphology. In the densest part of NGC 6334, where the magnetic field morphology is similar to an hourglass, the polarization observations do not exhibit observable impact from Hii regions. We detect two nested radial polarization patterns in a bubble to the south of NGC 6334 that correspond to the previously observed bipolar structure in this bubble. Finally, using the results of this study, we present steps (incorporating computer vision; circular Hough transform) that can be used in future studies to identify bubbles that have physically impacted magnetic field lines.
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| 11. |
- Desjardins, Kewin, et al.
(author)
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Characterization of a back-illuminated CMOS camera for soft x-ray coherent scattering
- 2019
-
In: Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Synchrotron Radiation Instrumentation, SRI 2018. - : Author(s). - 9780735417823 ; 2054
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A commercial scientific camera has been adapted and characterized at the SOLEIL Synchrotron with the aim to improve the acquisition capabilities on the soft X-ray coherent scattering experimental station at SEXTANTS beamline. This device is equipped by the last generation of back side illuminated scientific CMOS (BSI-sCMOS) of 2048 by 2048 pixels of 11 μm2 able to acquire low noise images with a frame rate up to 48 Hz. The camera's performance measurements have been done and shows a good level of readout noise, a large full-well capacity, a medium dark current and a good homogeneity, respectively, 1.6 e- rms (in High Gain mode), 80 000 e- (in Low Gain mode),<5 e-/pixel/s and ∼ 1%. The quantum efficiency (QE) measurement has been performed at the soft x-ray branch of the METROLOGIE beamline and gives a relatively good agreement with the expected theoretical values. Finally, the demonstration of the camera's efficiency and of the gain in useful time measurement related to the high frame rate have been performed with a series of Airy patterns images compared with an image recorded using the standard BSI-CDD already in operation at the SEXTANTS beamline.
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| 12. |
- Griesmayer, E., et al.
(author)
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Applications of single-crystal CVD diamond XBPM detectors with nanometre x-ray beams
- 2019
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In: Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Synchrotron Radiation Instrumentation, SRI 2018. - : Author(s). - 9780735417823 ; 2054
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Measurements with a Diamond XBPM were carried out at the MAX IV Laboratory, Lund, Sweden, at the NanoMAX beam line. This was the first investigation of a Diamond XBPM detector with nanometre beams. The effect of diffusion, as well as the position resolution at the smallest available beam sizes were studied.
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| 13. |
- Hwang, Jihye, et al.
(author)
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The JCMT BISTRO Survey: A Spiral Magnetic Field in a Hub-filament Structure, Monoceros R2
- 2022
-
In: Astrophysical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 1538-4357 .- 0004-637X. ; 941:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present and analyze observations of polarized dust emission at 850 μm toward the central 1 × 1 pc hub-filament structure of Monoceros R2 (Mon R2). The data are obtained with SCUBA-2/POL-2 on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) as part of the B-fields in Star-forming Region Observations survey. The orientations of the magnetic field follow the spiral structure of Mon R2, which are well described by an axisymmetric magnetic field model. We estimate the turbulent component of the magnetic field using the angle difference between our observations and the best-fit model of the underlying large-scale mean magnetic field. This estimate is used to calculate the magnetic field strength using the Davis–Chandrasekhar–Fermi method, for which we also obtain the distribution of volume density and velocity dispersion using a column density map derived from Herschel data and the C18O (J = 3 - 2) data taken with HARP on the JCMT, respectively. We make maps of magnetic field strengths and mass-to-flux ratios, finding that magnetic field strengths vary from 0.02 to 3.64 mG with a mean value of 1.0 ± 0.06 mG, and the mean critical mass-to-flux ratio is 0.47 ± 0.02. Additionally, the mean Alfvén Mach number is 0.35 ± 0.01. This suggests that, in Mon R2, the magnetic fields provide resistance against large-scale gravitational collapse, and the magnetic pressure exceeds the turbulent pressure. We also investigate the properties of each filament in Mon R2. Most of the filaments are aligned along the magnetic field direction and are magnetically subcritical.
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| 14. |
- Lu, R.S., et al.
(author)
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A ring-like accretion structure in M87 connecting its black hole and jet
- 2023
-
In: Nature. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 616:7958, s. 686-690
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The nearby radio galaxy M87 is a prime target for studying black hole accretion and jet formation1,2. Event Horizon Telescope observations of M87 in 2017, at a wavelength of 1.3 mm, revealed a ring-like structure, which was interpreted as gravitationally lensed emission around a central black hole3. Here we report images of M87 obtained in 2018, at a wavelength of 3.5 mm, showing that the compact radio core is spatially resolved. High-resolution imaging shows a ring-like structure of [Formula: see text] Schwarzschild radii in diameter, approximately 50% larger than that seen at 1.3 mm. The outer edge at 3.5 mm is also larger than that at 1.3 mm. This larger and thicker ring indicates a substantial contribution from the accretion flow with absorption effects, in addition to the gravitationally lensed ring-like emission. The images show that the edge-brightened jet connects to the accretion flow of the black hole. Close to the black hole, the emission profile of the jet-launching region is wider than the expected profile of a black-hole-driven jet, suggesting the possible presence of a wind associated with the accretion flow.
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| 15. |
- Marcouille, O., et al.
(author)
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Production of high energy photons with in vacuum wigglers : From SOLEIL wiggler to MAXIV wiggler
- 2019
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In: Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Synchrotron Radiation Instrumentation, SRI 2018. - : Author(s). - 9780735417823 ; 2054
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Small gap wigglers become more and more attractive to produce high photon fluxes in the hard X-ray photon range. They use magnet blocks of high magnetization which resists much better to heating (baking, synchrotron radiation) than in the past, produce high magnetic field with numerous periods and are very compact. They also are a very good alternative to superconducting technology which requires special infrastructure, heavy maintenance and is not running cost free. SOLEIL, operating presently at 2.75 GeV has designed and built an in-vacuum wiggler of 38 periods of 50 mm producing 2.1 T at a minimum gap of 5.5 mm to delivered photon beam between 20 keV and 50 keV. Already in operation, further improvements are presently in progress to push photons towards higher energy, in particular thanks to the operation at lower gap (4.5 mm). MAX IV and SOLEIL, in the frame of collaboration, ave built an upgraded version of the existing SOLEIL wiggler with the target to extend the spectral range at high energy (above 50 keV) but also at low energy (4 keV) with the same insertion device. The design of the existing magnetic system has been modified to reach 2.4 T at a minimum gap of 4.2 mm and includes taper operation to avoid undulator structure in the radiated spectrum at low energy.
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| 16. |
- Plivelic, Tomás S., et al.
(author)
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X-ray tracing, design and construction of an optimized optics scheme for CoSAXS, the small angle x-ray scattering beamline at MAX IV laboratory
- 2019
-
In: Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Synchrotron Radiation Instrumentation, SRI 2018. - : Author(s). - 9780735417823 ; 2054
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A novel optical design for a flexible SAXS beamline at a modern synchrotron has been implemented for the CoSAXS beamline at the 3GeV ring at the MAX TV Laboratory. The performance of the beamline has been simulated through combined ray tracing and wave propagation with the code xrt taking into account the low emittance and highly coherent beam of MAX TV and the short inter-optics distances of the beamline. The total photon flux is estimated to be 1012-1013 ph/s with the coherent flux portion up to 10 % at 7.1 keV. The inhomogeneities in the X-ray beam arising from use of real (non-idealised) mirror surfaces are also modelled using the measured slope profiles of the mirrors. Strategies to mitigate these inhomogeneities are discussed. The optical components for CoSAXS have been constructed and beamline commissioning will start in 2019.
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| 17. |
- Chen, Min-Wei, et al.
(author)
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H3K9 histone methyltransferase G9a promotes lung cancer invasion and metastasis by silencing the cell adhesion molecule Ep-CAM
- 2010
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In: Cancer Research. - : American Association for Cancer Research. - 0008-5472 .- 1538-7445. ; 70:20, s. 7830-7840
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- G9a is a mammalian histone methyltransferase that contributes to the epigenetic silencing of tumor suppressor genes. Emerging evidence suggests that G9a is required to maintain the malignant phenotype, but the role of G9a function in mediating tumor metastasis has not been explored. Here, we show that G9a is expressed in aggressive lung cancer cells, and its elevated expression correlates with poor prognosis. RNAi-mediated knockdown of G9a in highly invasive lung cancer cells inhibited cell migration and invasion in vitro and metastasis in vivo. Conversely, ectopic G9a expression in weakly invasive lung cancer cells increased motility and metastasis. Mechanistic investigations suggested that repression of the cell adhesion molecule Ep-CAM mediated the effects of G9a. First, RNAi-mediated knockdown of Ep-CAM partially relieved metastasis suppression imposed by G9a suppression. Second, an inverse correlation between G9a and Ep-CAM expression existed in primary lung cancer. Third, Ep-CAM repression was associated with promoter methylation and an enrichment for dimethylated histone H3K9. G9a knockdown reduced the levels of H3K9 dimethylation and decreased the recruitment of the transcriptional cofactors HP1, DNMT1, and HDAC1 to the Ep-CAM promoter. Our findings establish a functional contribution of G9a overexpression with concomitant dysregulation of epigenetic pathways in lung cancer progression.
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| 18. |
- Chen, Pei Jung, et al.
(author)
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Visualizing Local Superconductivity of NbTiN Nanowires to Probe Inhomogeneity in Single-Photon Detectors
- 2024
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In: ACS Applied Optical Materials. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 2771-9855. ; 2:1, s. 68-75
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- NbTiN has a high critical temperature (Tc) of up to 17 K, making it a great candidate for superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) and other applications requiring a bias current close to the depairing current. However, superconducting inhomogeneities are often observed in superconducting thin films, and superconducting inhomogeneities can influence the vortex nucleation barrier and furthermore affect the critical current Ic of a superconducting wire. Superconducting inhomogeneities can also result in stochastic variations in the critical current between identical devices, and therefore, it is crucial to have a detailed understanding of inhomogeneities in SNSPDs in order to improve device efficiency. In this study, we utilized scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS) to investigate the inhomogeneity of superconducting properties in meandered NbTiN nanowires, which are commonly used in SNSPDs. Our findings show that variations in the superconducting gap are strongly correlated with the film thickness. By using time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau simulations and statistical modeling, we explored the implications of the reduction in the critical current and its sample-to-sample variations. Our study suggests that the thickness of NbTiN plays a critical role in achieving homogeneity in superconducting properties.
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| 19. |
- Shao, Chia-Hui, et al.
(author)
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Trismus in head and neck cancer: translation and validation of the Chinese version of the Gothenburg Trismus Questionnaire-2 (C-GTQ-2)
- 2024
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In: CLINICAL ORAL INVESTIGATIONS. - 1432-6981 .- 1436-3771. ; 28:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- ObjectivesTrismus, marked by restricted mouth opening, significantly affects patients with temporomandibular disorder (TMD) and head and neck cancer (HNC). Despite its prevalence, specialized questionnaires for trismus assessment are scarce. This study aims to fill this gap by translating and validating the Gothenburg Trismus Questionnaire version 2 (GTQ-2) into Chinese (C-GTQ-2), enhancing the evaluation of trismus in HNC and TMD patients.Materials and MethodsThe study involved 78 HNC patients, 75 TMD patients, and a control group of 150 individuals without trismus symptoms. Participants were asked to complete the C-GTQ-2 and other health-related quality of life (HRQL) instruments. A subset of 30 individuals retook the questionnaire within two weeks to assess test-retest reliability.ResultsThe C-GTQ-2 demonstrated remarkable reliability, with Cronbach's alpha values exceeding 0.70 in three of the four domains, indicating high internal consistency. The instrument also showcased high intra-class correlations in the test-retest, affirming its reliability. Furthermore, it exhibited strong convergent validity, aligning well with other HRQL instruments, and effectively discriminated between patients with and without trismus, establishing its discriminant validity.ConclusionsThe C-GTQ-2 emerges as a valid and reliable tool for assessing trismus in HNC and TMD patients, promising to significantly enhance both clinical and research approaches to managing trismus-related complications in the Chinese-speaking demographic.Clinical relevanceC-GTQ-2 proves effective for trismus assessment in head and neck cancer and temporomandibular disorder patients, offering enhanced clinical and research utility.
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| 20. |
- Davies, Stuart J., et al.
(author)
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ForestGEO: Understanding forest diversity and dynamics through a global observatory network
- 2021
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In: Biological Conservation. - : Elsevier BV. - 0006-3207. ; 253
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- ForestGEO is a network of scientists and long-term forest dynamics plots (FDPs) spanning the Earth's major forest types. ForestGEO's mission is to advance understanding of the diversity and dynamics of forests and to strengthen global capacity for forest science research. ForestGEO is unique among forest plot networks in its large-scale plot dimensions, censusing of all stems ≥1 cm in diameter, inclusion of tropical, temperate and boreal forests, and investigation of additional biotic (e.g., arthropods) and abiotic (e.g., soils) drivers, which together provide a holistic view of forest functioning. The 71 FDPs in 27 countries include approximately 7.33 million living trees and about 12,000 species, representing 20% of the world's known tree diversity. With >1300 published papers, ForestGEO researchers have made significant contributions in two fundamental areas: species coexistence and diversity, and ecosystem functioning. Specifically, defining the major biotic and abiotic controls on the distribution and coexistence of species and functional types and on variation in species' demography has led to improved understanding of how the multiple dimensions of forest diversity are structured across space and time and how this diversity relates to the processes controlling the role of forests in the Earth system. Nevertheless, knowledge gaps remain that impede our ability to predict how forest diversity and function will respond to climate change and other stressors. Meeting these global research challenges requires major advances in standardizing taxonomy of tropical species, resolving the main drivers of forest dynamics, and integrating plot-based ground and remote sensing observations to scale up estimates of forest diversity and function, coupled with improved predictive models. However, they cannot be met without greater financial commitment to sustain the long-term research of ForestGEO and other forest plot networks, greatly expanded scientific capacity across the world's forested nations, and increased collaboration and integration among research networks and disciplines addressing forest science.
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| 21. |
- Tu, Chien Ming, et al.
(author)
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Helicity-dependent terahertz emission spectroscopy of topological insulator S b2 T e3 thin films
- 2017
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In: Physical Review B. - 2469-9950. ; 96:19
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report on helicity-dependent terahertz emissions that originate from the helicity-dependent photocurrents in topological insulator Sb2Te3 thin films due to ultrafast optical excitation. The polarity of the emitted terahertz radiation is controlled by both the incident angle and the helicity of optical pulses. Using an unprecedented decomposition-recombination procedure in the time domain, the signals of the Dirac fermions are fully separated from bulk contributions. These results provide insights into the optical coupling of topological surface states and open up opportunities for applying helicity-dependent terahertz emission spectroscopy in spintronics.
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| 22. |
- Tu, Chien Ming, et al.
(author)
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Helicity-dependent terahertz radiation from topological insulator Sb2Te3 thin film by femtosecond optical excitation
- 2016
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In: 41st International Conference on Infrared, Millimeter and Terahertz Waves, IRMMW-THz 2016. - 9781467384858
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report on terahertz radiation from topological insulator (TI) Sb2Te3 thin film under ultrafast optical excitation with different helicity. Polarity-reversals of the emitted THz radiation were observed as the helicity of optical pulses reversed. The observed phenomena are coincident with the characteristics of the helicity-dependent photocurrent on TIs. Our work demonstrates the potential applications of surface photocurrents on TIs for opto-spintronics devices.
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| 23. |
- Yang, Chao-Tung, et al.
(author)
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Implementation of a real-time network traffic monitoring service with network functions virtualization
- 2019
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In: Future generations computer systems. - : Elsevier. - 0167-739X .- 1872-7115. ; 93, s. 687-701
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) extends the functionality provided by Software-Defined Networking (SDN). It is a virtualization technology that aims to replace the functionality provided by traditional networking hardware using software solutions. Thereby, enabling cheaper and efficient network deployment and management. The use of NFV and SDN is anticipated to enhance the performance of Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) clouds. However, due to the presence of a large number of network devices in IaaS clouds offering a plethora of networked services, there is need to develop a traffic monitoring system for the efficient network. This paper proposes and validates an extensible SDN and NFV-enabled network traffic monitoring system. Using extensive experiments, we show that the proposed system can closely match the performance of traditional networks at cheaper costs and by adding more flexibility to network management tasks.
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